The Hall of Law, 45 minutes before...
"Eda Clawthorne, would you please report to the stand?" requested the judge.
The now non magical witch simply walked up and sat down in the chair of the stand. With Eda seated, the lawyer recited the oath. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so helps you, Titan?"
"I do..." Eda began before she said as she then formed a mischievous smile on her lips. "You tool."
The lawyer rolled his eyes at the remark before he began. "Ms. Clawthorne, there have been things said through the Isles that you have refused to join the Emperor's Coven. Do you confirm or deny these notions?"
"I confirm them, but I don't see what that has to do with anything." Eda confirmed. "I like to be free and not have my other types of magic sealed up." She then realized what she just said. "Despite the fact I can't use my magic anymore. Is that not hard to understand? Not every witch has to join a Coven."
This got some murmurs from the jury. Some of them knew where the Owl Lady was coming from. Luz nodded in agreement to her mentor's words. While she understands why the emperor was so gung-ho on making Eda join his Coven, aren't there any other witches or demons for him and his crew to go after aside from the ones she saw petrified once when she went to Warden Wrath's prison when she went to rescue Eda?
"Please tell us Ms. Clawthrone. What is your relationship with Luz?" The lawyer said.
"What can I say that hasn't already been said." Eda said jokingly. "Luz isn't just my apprentice, she's probably the only friend that I have outside of King and Hooty. Since she arrived here, my life has been pretty great."
Hearing that coming someone who was essentially her adoptive mother caused Luz to tear up a bit as a smile formed on her face.
"Has the human ever done anything to upset you in any way?" The lawyer said.
"Not really." Eda said after thinking on it for a bit. "And even if she did, I can't really blame her all that much for it because in spite of everything that we've been through, she is still a kid and new here to the Boiling Isles."
The jury in the room began to murmur to themselves as the judge said. "No further questions." as Eda returned to her seat.
"Emperor Belos, would you like to call a witness to the stand?" asked the judge.
"Of course, your honor." The ruler of the Isles said before he stood up and began to look around the room.
While he could easily pick another one of the Conformatorium guards, he decided to pick someone from Luz's side. Surely there has to be someone in this courtroom that has some animosity towards the human girl and since he has seen that the Owl Lady, Willow, Gus and Principal Bump give their testimonies, he was beginning to lose this trial and he knew what that would mean if he did.
That's when she saw a certain three eyed, pink skinned, redheaded Hexside student on her scroll going on Penstagram, seemingly caring more about what was happening online than the actual drama happening around her.
"I call that one to the stand." Belos declared as he pointed to Boscha.
"Boscha of Hexside. Please report to the stand." requested the judge.
Boscha appeared to have not heard the judge as she was still on her scroll like she was in her own little world. It wasn't until the three eyed witch's scroll was literally smashed in front of her by a Coven guard wielding a spiked club that she finally got involved in what was currently happening.
"Hey! What's the big idea!" The bully cried out in anger.
"Sorry 3 eyes but it's your turn to speak." The guard said, not really feeling sorry for destroying a teen witch's communication device.
Fuming and with steam spewing out of her ears, Boscha managed to compose herself as it took it lot of restraint to not burn the guard alive as she begrudgingly marches up to the stand and sat in the chair as she wanted to get this over with and have Luz get petrified so that she can go on about her day.
"My apologizes Ms. Fireshamer for that guard destroying your scroll." The judge said. Boscha could hear those she tormented trying to not burst out laughing at the mention of her last name causing her to blush a great amount. "But we have a trial going on and we would appreciate your cooperation. Do you-"
"Yeah! I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, blah, blah, blah!" Boscha snapped as she rolled her eyes as she has heard that question being asked a lot before those who were sitting at the stand began their testimonies. "Can we please move on? I got things to do!"
"Very well." The judge said as he was unintimidated by the girl's impatience and downright rude behavior. "It's come to our attention that have quite the reputation at Hexside. Is that right?"
"And darn proud of it!" Boscha said confidently. "Everything was going great for me until that magicless waste of space showed up in the Demon Realm!" She said pointing at Luz, who despite feeling insulted, she decided to not speak up as she rolled her eyes, fearing it would give her bully more fuel to the fire if she did. "Ever since she showed up to the Boiling Isles and even before she started to attend Hexside, she's been nothing but a huge pain in my butt every time that we encountered each other!"
"Do you have any examples?" asked the judge.
"Oh, we're going to be here all day if I went over everything so to save time, I'm going to list three things that the human and her friends have done to me!" Boscha decided.
"Okay, but before you do. Could you please tell the court what your relationship is with my client or anyone in her corner?" Luz's lawyer requested.
That brought a mischievous smirk to the bully's face. It was like the Titan was shining its magical light down on her. Finding a way to humiliate the human that has changed the status quo and getting a good laugh about it was going to be a joy to watch.
Speaking of laughing that is what Boscha ended up doing for a few seconds as she pondered that question. "W-What "relations-s-ship" people?" The three eyed girl asked in the midst of laughter, using her fingers to air quote the word 'relationship'. "That human and her friends are losers and I'm annoyed by them and those that side with them." She then began to list off exactly what the losers of Hexside have done to her. "One time on a day out with my gals, we visited the Owl Lady's ugly collection stand just to get some Penstagram pics when I saw that human loser was there. After having our typical banter, me and my friends left." Boscha felt the anger boil within. "It was until later that my day got worse."
"Oh, I have feeling that I know where this is going." Luz thought to herself.
"Do you mind telling the court what happened that day?" The human's lawyer requested.
Boscha stopped laughing and began to think about that day in order to remember what exactly happened when it suddenly came to her. "She showed up at my hangout uninvited, so I challenged her to a ratworm race around Dead Man's Curb after our hangout ended up getting destroyed thanks to her!"
Before the three eyed witch could continue, someone shouted from above, "Objection!"
Turns out it was King who said it.
"I like to be put on the stand!" King demanded. "It will be necessary to the trial!"
The judge thought about it for a bit before agreeing. "Very well, you may proceed, King."
"Thank you, your Honor." King said as his cage was picked up and placed on the stand.
Once he was placed on the stand, he turned to Boscha. "Luz didn't do all of that stuff, it was me."
"What do you mean?" Boscha asked as she raised one of her eyebrows at the little demon.
"On that day, me, Eda and Luz decided to swap our bodies in order to see which one of us had it the hardest." The little demon explained. "So, Luz was in Eda's body, I was in hers and Eda was in mine."
Boscha was surprised that King has told her this. For a while, she thought that the human had caused that horrible experience of her getting body swapped herself. Now that she knew more, she felt foolish. A feeling that she's barley felt before.
"I see." was all the three-eyed Hexside student could say. "Thank you for telling me what really happened that day, King."
The little demon nodded. "No problem."
"Anything else, Boscha." The emperor asked.
"Aside from that, I ended up in someone else's body but that was more the Owl Lady's fault than the human's." Boscha said, after thinking on it for a bit. "Another time, she and her friends scared me when I was going to a Moonlight Conjuring with that stupid living house stunt. And the biggest thing I have is that she's the reason why my best friend Amity cut ties with me!" Boscha took a breath to calm down before continuing. "I think speak on behalf of everyone else here when I say I just want to get this stupid trial over with so when I can get on with the rest of my day."
"No more questions, your Honor." The lawyer said as the three eyed student of Hexside went back to her seat.
As she did, Luz sticks her tongue out at her for testimony, to which the bully responded with rolling all 3 of her eyes.
"Ms. Noceda, please call your next witness." The judge requested.
Luz thought about who she should call next before an idea came to her.
"I like to call Viney to the stand." Luz called out.
Viney walked up to the stand at the judge's calling.
"Please state your name to the court." requested the lawyer.
"Viney Peony." The beast keeper and healing student said.
"From the folder we have. You alongside Barcus and Jerbo have grown into quite the disruptive lot during your time at Hexside." The lawyer said as he looked over the evidence. "How do you plead?"
"Innocent." Viney said. "Me and my friends just wanted to do to 2 magic tracks."
"But were you and friends not a part of the Detention Track for such blasphemy?" The lawyer said.
"True we were but Luz changed that." Viney said. "I was born with the ability to do two types of magic instead of one and so were Jerbo and Barcuus. Granted it is difficult to control but that's why we became friends outside of us being outcasts."
"What is your history with Luz?" The judge asked.
"It all started one day when we met Luz in the Detention Track for mixing magic. It was during an inspection day that we met. She stood up for us and we became friends." The healer and beast keeper said. "It was during that day we discovered that the inspector was a basilisk that was attacking the schools and draining the people there of their magic. Thanks to us working together, we stopped the basilisk and saved Hexside."
"What happened afterwards?" The lawyer asked.
"Luz stood up for us against Principal Bump and he was impressed by how we used our magic and so he decided to let me, Barcus and Jerbo try the track we wanted and allow Luz to try multiple tracks." Viney said.
"Has Luz upset you in the past?" Luz's lawyer said.
"Well, I thought that she believed that she was better than us just like everyone else." Viney said. "But she apologized and we're cool."
"No further questions." The judge said as Viney went back to her seat as he then addressed the jury. "Has the jury reached a verdict?"
"We have your honor." said a demon that looked like an elephant with vulture wings as he stood up as he spoke in an Italian accent. "We find Luz Noceda guilty of rebellion against emperor Belos."
Luz and her friends felt the world shatter instantly as he said that.
This was it.
Luz's fate was sealed.
And her friends would be unable to do anything to stop it.
"Luz Noceda, we hereby sentence you to be publicly petrified!" The judge said as he banged his gavel. "We will give you some time to get your goodbyes in check."
As everyone began to file out of the room, Willow, Gus, Eda, Lilth and her other friends immediately approached Luz.
"Luz, come on! Let's get out of here!" Willow demanded as she pull her friend's arm, but the human broke free.
"Please Willow. Just stop." Luz said as tears began to manifest in her eyes. "We lost the trial."
"Are you seriously giving up, Luz?" Eda said in shock. "That's not my apprentice at all!"
"Well right now it is!" Luz shouted. She wasn't going to change her mind on this.
"What are you talking about!" Gus said. "Let's fight them off together and bail."
"Agustus is right." Lilth said. "We can just-"
"Just what guys!" Luz said as she pounded her fists on the desk startling them. "Do something even more reckless that will endanger you guys and everyone else even more?!" Tears began to fall down her face as she continued. "Even if we did escape from Bonesborough, Belos will do anything in his power to track me down and kill me with whoever and whatever he has on his side. If I go out like this, at least you guys will be safe. So, we must make best of the time we have together."
Despite the tears, Luz managed a smile on her face. She knew that she was going to be petrified but she figured she could be at peace with this even if it means never seeing her friends or her unaware mom ever again.
Her friends were speechless, usually they saw Luz as this optimistic, fun-loving, loyal friend was willing to fight for who and what she believed in. Seeing the Good Witch Azura fan feel so defeated and just accept her fate broke their hearts
All her friends can do at this point was embrace their friend of the Human Realm. Knowing that this was the last time they will see the young girl out and about.
No more teaching Luz how to be a witch for Eda, her mother figure and magic mentor.
For King, his boo-boo buddy would never again give him belly rubs.
For Lilth, she felt like she failed the person who helped her see Belos for who he really was.
For Gus and Willow, they knew this was the last time they will be able to hang out with Luz. The one who really turned their lives around. They could only imagine how Amity is going to feel when she finds out about this.
For Viney, and Jerbo and Barcus, the three mixed magic track students couldn't believe this was happening to Luz, the one who helped them get into the magic tracks they actually wanted to at their school be in despite Principal Bump's previous restrictions and rules on mixing magic.
Back in the present...
Luz and her mother were embracing each with tears in their eyes.
"Mama, I can't believe it's you." Luz said as she pulled back. "It is you right? Not an illusion."
She poked her mother Camila on face before pulling on it a little.
"Ow! You can stop Mija, it's really me." Camila said pushing her daughter's hands away with a laugh before she had a stern look on her face. "Now that I'm here, do you mind telling how you got here and why are in this courtroom? Amity told me earlier but I want to hear it from you just so her story checks out."
The teen sighed. She knew this was coming so she decided to come clean. After all, this may be the last time she might have the check to talk to her mother about anything before... well she knew.
Over the next few minutes, the Hispanic teen told her mama about how she met Owlbert who stole her Azura and how she chased it to the shack behind the house which was had a magical door that transported her to the Boiling Isles, meeting Eda and King, some of her adventures where she met some of her friends like Gus, Willow and Amity, how she got into Hexside, how she fought the emperor and teamed up with Lilth to save Eda at the cost of the original portal door being destroyed.
"Okay, if you found out about this place and had a way home. Why didn't you come home and tell me about it?" Camila asked softly.
Luz was silent for a bit. She figured that her mom was going to ask this question, but she didn't want to answer it.
"Luz?" Her mother said as she noticed her daughter was silent after asking her question.
The Azura fan sighed before asking. "Well, for one I didn't think you would believe me. Secondly, I felt like you would take me away from here if I did tell you about this place?"
Camilia was a little confused. "Well, maybe but you understand that I want you to be safe, you know that right."
"I do Mama." Luz said as she clenched her fists. "You just don't want me to be happy!"
"What are you talking about?!" Camilia said in surprised at her daughter's outburst.
"Don't act like you don't know mom!" Luz said as she glared at her mother as she began to let out her repressed emotions. It may be the last time she may be able to do so she decided to go all-out. "I've seen what you really think of me! Back when we were in Gravesfield, you didn't support me as much as you thought! You say you love my creativity, but you didn't do anything to show it all that much! You didn't defend my creativity at all, you just wanted to ship me off to a summer camp to be a perfect daughter to you! All that you did was make sure that I conform to society and remain miserable! I may not have had friends back home, but I would've expected you, my own mama, would have my back when people wanted me to conform despite me being unique, maybe tell me that being weird wasn't so bad, but no! You just want me to fit in and not be myself!"
Tears began to stream down Luz's face as she curled up into a ball and began to cry to herself as Camila was surprised that Luz had all this anger and frustration built up in her. The courtroom was silent as they all heard Luz telling off at her mother for all of her woes. Now that the Noceda mother thought about it, her daughter had some points, but she was wrong in some of them.
Luz continued through her tears. "When I came here, I was finally happy. I'm doing my best to find out who I am. I finally have real friends. I finally get to be a witch here and I finally get to be myself without anyone judging me harshly for being my weird self. Why couldn't you just accept that I'm not like everyone else and love me for being me!"
Luz was instantly embraced by her mother. "Luz, I do love you for who you are! You misunderstand my side of things of this whole situation! None of what you said wasn't like that all!"
"Maybe not to you, but to me, that's what it always felt like!" Luz said to her. "How long until you ship me off to somewhere else, so you don't have to deal with my weirdness?!"
Camilia was heartbroken at her daughter's words. To see her happy, optimistic, brave daughter break down like this wasn't something that she didn't want to witness.
The single mother sadly sighed. This was difficult to do. Words weren't going to cut it this time around.
Maybe action will.
"Your honor I would like to say my piece." The Noceda mother declared.
"So will I." Hooty said.
"As will I." Amity said in Luz's defense.
"Hmm, very well. I'll allow it." said the judge as he was interested in what the human mother had to say.
"Absolutely not!" Her mother shouted. "I will not have my daughter speak on the behalf to an accomplice to the Boiling Isles' most wanted criminal!"
Gwendolyn noticed the frightened look in Amity's eyes as she heard her mother's voice.
"Allow me to take care of this, dear." The mother of the Clawthorne sisters kindly said to her as she approached the head of Blight Industries.
Once she was close enough, she grabbed the green haired woman by collar of her shirt before then spoke in a her still kind tone. "Mrs. Blight, there are a few things I do not like. My daughters being in danger. Frauds!" Her grip tightened a little. "Just now, it's kids being mistreated by adults especially their parents! So, I suggest you sit down, shut up and listen to what others have to say, especially your daughter."
"Oh please, what can you possibly do?" Odalia said in a snooty tone.
"You seem to have forgotten who I'm the mother of, Odalia." Gwendolyn said narrowing her eyes at the Blight matriarch, who was beginning to sweat a little. "I'm Gwendolyn Clawthorne, the mother of Edalyn and Lilth Clawthorne, both of the biggest pains in the Emperor Coven's side for years now and they saw the emperor Belos for who he really is. If those two and Luz are able to fight magic or not, imagine what I'm capable of!"
She slammed the hilt of her staff to the ground. Just then, a rumbling was heard outside before a swarms of bee-like creatures broke through the floorboards, scaring the people present in the courtroom as they were summoned to the elderly witch's side.
The bee-like creatures set themselves ablaze as the witch now spoke with a threatening tone in her voice. "Now, I suggest you heed my demand Blight or else the next time I notice you being disrespectful towards your daughter or anyone I care about. I will summon a plethora of griffins, elves, slitherbeasts, and many more creatures of the Isles to rampage here and tear down every single Blight Industry factory you ever built before I send them after you and have them tear your limb from limb."
Odalia was now terrified. Sure, she had powerful magic of her own, but she knew she couldn't stand up to the magic of a determined mother.
Leaning in, Gwen asked. "Are we clear?!"
Odalia nodded fearfully. "Y-Yes. Very clear! Have mercy!"
Satisfied, she said. "Good, glad you understand."
The elder witch then made the fiery bees go back through the holes they created.
Camilia's heart was beating out of her chest as she witnessed that confrontation. It was like her attitude to when Luz was getting mistreated times a billion.
Shaking her head to focus on the task at hand, she went to the stand and sat down in the chair.
The lawyer approached her as he raised his hand up. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth." asked the lawyer.
"I do." Camilia said.
Camilia wasn't about to lose her only daughter to anything. Not to Luz's mental issues whether it was her own emotional scars or what this court has in store for her.
No matter what.
Hey guys. I'm really, really sorry that I haven't updated this story sooner. I've been busy with life and updating my other stories. Hope you guys can forgive me. I'm the Reality Shredder and I'll see you all next time.