After four years, Luz was able to cast the light glyph yet again, feeling joy as she shared her magic with Marcy and Sasha. Amity was overjoyed, but at the same time filled with guilt as she was reminded of what she had taken from her beloved fiancée in the past. It would appear that they were on their way to healing some old wounds, but then...
The DGP players, Tsumuri, Willow, Gus and Eda were all invited to have dinner with the Blights. Considering they had humans dining with them, the Blights had their family chef whip up something fit for their guests' consumption. The chef was an Abomination that Alador specially designed and programmed for cooking.
During dinner, Luz and Amity told the Blights about what they had been up to in the Human Realm, including their activities during the Desire Grand Prix. Sasha and Marcy also provided stories about their own experience in the DGP since they had joined at the same time as the couple, while Willow and Gus also provided a few highlights of their own short time in the competition.
Tsumuri politely and silently listened as she enjoyed her meal. She had not changed out of her outfit, preferring to stay in her black and white ensemble.
"I don't believe it," Emira said in awe. "Our sister, Mittens, actually sang?"
"Sure did," Sasha confirmed as she waved her phone. "Got it on video too."
"Show it to me!"
"Please don't," Amity pleaded, embarrassed.
"C'mon, batata. You were amazing and you looked super cute in your costume," Luz praised.
"She wore a costume!?" Emira gasped. "OK, now I gotta see it!"
Sasha, despite Amity's signals to stop, hit 'play' on the video as Edric and Emira watched from over her shoulder.
{𝅘𝅥𝅮 You've got to believe (believe)! In the power of love~
It gives meaning to each moment,
It's what our hearts, all made of~
You've got to believe (believe)! In the power of love~𝅘𝅥𝅮}
Amity shrunk in her seat, going lower and lower until the top of her head was level with the table. Her face was tinted in its classic shade of goremato red and growing increasingly redder as she listened to her song play in the background. Meanwhile, Emira and Edric were both watching the video which showed Amity dancing across the stage in a cute outfit while basically professing her love to Luz in the most grandiose way possible.
"Dang, Mittens. You really can sing!" Edric admired. "Maybe you should've looked into Bard magic instead of Abominations."
"Ahem!" Alador cleared his throat loudly.
"Sorry. No offence, Dad," Edric apologised.
"Still, loving this! You are so damn cute in that outfit," Emira commented. "I'm sure Luz appreciated that show, right?"
Luz chuckled with a slight blush on her face and rubbed the back of her head as she sheepishly nodded in affirmation.
"Can we please change the subject?" Amity begged, unable to stand the embarrassment. Despite being proud of her performance, she did not want her siblings to see it.
Sasha snickered at how embarrassed Amity was. They may not be enemies anymore, but she still got a bit of a kick out of embarrassing the witch.
"So, these DGP guys can basically grant any wish to the winner?" Edric asked, interested. "How do I sign up?"
"It's really not up to us," Luz answered.
"That is correct," Tsumuri chimed in. "Management is responsible for selecting the players after a screening process. The candidates can either accept or decline the invitation when they are called."
"Yeah, what she said," Sasha concurred.
"And you're not kidding. Whatever you wish for, you can have it?" Emira questioned.
"Yes, and I used my wish to have everyone who died because of Empress Oscura be brought back to life," Luz answered. "Though, I'm surprised that everyone remembered they died."
"Indeed," Tsumuri nodded. "Normally, when a wish is granted, memories are rewritten along with reality. So, it's unusual that everyone here remembers that the people who were revived because of Ms. Noceda's wish had originally died."
"It's probably because of magic," Eda suggested. "It's in the air and the Demon Realm is full of it. So while you guys can bring people back to life, you probably can't rewrite memories here."
Tsumuri frowned, concerned. If that were the case, then the inhabitants of this realm would remember everything that happened here once the mission concluded, along with the Riders and Jyamatos.
"What sort of technology do they possess?" Alador asked, intrigued. "It must be very advanced if they are capable of sending people to other realms."
"Luz thinks that the DGP are aliens from the future who inhabit another dimension," Amity spoke up.
"And I'm sticking to it," Luz affirmed, raising her fork. "Even if nobody will confirm it, that's the only explanation that I'll accept."
"Me too," Marcy agreed. "Giving us Rider powers, teleporting us across dimensions, and granting wishes that rewrite reality. That has to be some pretty advanced technology, magic or both."
"Or maybe the DGP is using the powers of a god to grant wishes," Sasha suggested. Tsumuri nearly choked when she heard that.
"You know, Sasha, I never thought of that," Luz realised. "Only a god could rewrite reality and bring people back to life."
"Still, it's pretty scummy of them to turn a wish like that into a prize," Eda opined. "They could do so much good with that power."
"Even with all that power, they need entertainment," Luz retorted. "And that's why we were chosen: to entertain them."
"And you're OK with that?" Eda asked out of concern. It just sounded like exploitation. The players were chosen to risk their lives as entertainment for an unknown audience. However, with a prize like a wish that could grant them their heart's desire being offered as a prize, the players were willing to risk it all.
"I admit, it's not ideal, but I'll play their game so long as I can get what I want," Luz answered resolutely. "Every person here in the DGP wants something, something worth fighting for, and we won't let anything stop us."
Luz and Sasha agreed not to tell anyone here about their upcoming duel. Despite there being no bad blood between them any longer, they had made a deal. Thankfully, there would be no hard feelings if either of them won.
"So, you guys were in this DGP thing too, right?" Edric pointed at Gus and Willow with his fork. "What were your wishes?"
"My wish was to create another portal to connect both the Human and Demon Realms. I know humans have gotten a bad red here 'coz of Belos and Oscura-" Luz flinched at the mention of her evil alias. "But there's still so much we can learn from them."
"My wish was..." Willow briefly glanced at Luz. "To make sure someone I loved was happy."
"You know, if I had a wish, it was to keep my gorgeous looks forever," Edric joked.
"Geez, Luz, you all have been getting into some crazy stuff," Emira remarked.
"I guess, but I bet things in the Demon Realm have gotten just as crazy because of the people who were brought back to life," Luz replied.
"It has been a difficult transition for all of us," Alador admitted. "While we adjusted after accepting their return, they had to adapt to a new Boiling Isles since they have been gone for years. They have either lost their homes or their loved ones have moved on. The council has been working on helping them to reintegrate into society."
"And now I'm back in the Boiling Isles," Luz frowned unhappily. After four years, the Boiling Isles had lived in peace without Belos and Oscura oppressing them. But her return had brought back the memories of her crimes and the fear they had while under her rule. No doubt, her past victims would demand justice, just like Odalia.
"Yeah, and I bet those lunatics in the Oscura cult must be losing their minds once they learn you're back," Edric commented.
Luz dropped her utensils, eyes wide in shock as she turned her head to look at Edric.
"...What did you just say?" Luz asked.
Eda sighed. She really hoped to avoid this subject, but Edric had to open his big mouth. What was that human saying? 'The cat was out of the bag'.
"A few months after you left, we discovered a cult that worships Oscura," Eda confessed.
"Wait, there's actually an Oscura cult?" Luz questioned incredulously. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want you to worry," Eda answered. "But if you must know, they call themselves 'The Children of Oscura'."
"Wow, edgy much?" Sasha snorted humorously. It sounded more like a Death Metal band than a serious cult. She could imagine all the members being goth kids who wore black with Satanic symbols as bling.
"How can I have a cult of worshippers after everything I did as Oscura?" Luz asked, aghast. "I tried to destroy the Demon Realm!"
"People are drawn to power, Luz," Marcy spoke logically. "Even serial killers tend to have fans despite the terrible things they've done."
"You mean fanatics," Eda grumbled. "They glorify all the terrible things the Empress did, and have tried to convert witches and demons wherever they go."
"Is that why you were acting that way at the door?" Amity asked.
"We've gotten a few visits from them," Emira admitted, arms crossed. "They even offered to buy our Abomatons but we refused to sell any to them because they were, well, a bunch of creeps."
"This is like Glandus High all over again," Luz muttered as she recalled what happened four years ago.
Empress Oscura, along with Kikimora, and her two attendee Phantoms - Tiamat and Seth - were making their rounds of the magic schools across the Boiling Isles. Her undercover infiltration of Hexside went about as well as expected. Boscha's reaction once she discovered the new girl she had cornered alone in an empty classroom had been hilarious, and Oscura could have sworn that the triclops had nearly wet herself once she learned who 'Morgan Le Fay' really was. Since then, she had made more formal trips to the other magic schools across the Boiling Isles.
The last school she had visited was St. Epiderm, which was known to be a 'rich kid's' school, and from what she saw there, they weren't kidding. Compared to Hexside, St. Epiderm's uniforms were neat and fancy while they had the best equipment and facilities. Even the school was sparkling and expensive looking, which meant they had a lot of funding and perhaps donations from affluent parents. The tuition alone must've cost their parents a fortune.
Now, Oscura was on her way to the third most well-known magic school on the Boiling Isles: Glandus High. They were rivals with Hexside, and it had garnered Empress Oscura's curiosity as she wanted to know what the school was like.
"We are about to arrive, Your Majesty," Kikimora announced as Glandus High came into view.
"Good, let's see what kind of school Glandus is," Empress Oscura replied.
As the flying carriage landed in front of the school, Empress Oscura was…well…she wasn't sure what to feel. In front of the school, in the middle of the courtyard, was a large statue of…well…herself. It was of her in her current state, her left hand raised into the air as she struck an intimidating pose with one foot on Belos' mask. Her head was tilted downward, to gaze down upon all the unworthy who dared to pass her by. The statue had amethyst crystals in its eyes to mimic the slits, and on the ring finger of the statue's left hand was a bigger amethyst gemstone to represent her ring.
"At least these worms understand who's in charge," Tiamat commented.
"Huh, flattering, I guess. But I don't remember commissioning any statues, did I?" Empress Oscura asked.
"No, My Lady. You did not," Seth confirmed.
"Huh…okay."
"This was made in your honour, great Empress Oscura!"
Empress Oscura, her Phantoms and Kikimora watched as a demon walked out from the front doors of the school. The demon was female and wearing the standard attire for a magic school principal: a black robe with a golden mantle. She also wore a green sash that hung off her shoulders to match the shirt underneath her robes. Her skin was pink, with sharp pointed ears, long brown hair, and two backwards-facing crescent horns that made her look like a devil. A tail could be seen coming out from under her robe, which had a three-petaled flower design at the tip. In her left hand, she held her staff, with her Palisman which was a giraffe. Considering the reputations giraffes had on the Boiling Isles, possessing a Palisman in the image of these animals must have been quite a controversial choice.
Beside the principal was a female student. She had short purple hair, amber eyes, and freckles. Her uniform consisted of a tan-coloured tunic, with a brown mantle, gloves and matching shorts, along with a pair of leather shoes.
Empress Oscura regarded the girl who was with the principal. The student was strangely elated to see the empress, which had not been the reaction Oscura had gotten during her previous school visits.
"We had our best Construction Track students working on this little tribute to you, My Empress. And the one who spearheaded the project was our dear Bria here," said the Principal of Glandus High.
Bria bowed before the Empress.
"It's an honour to finally meet you, Empress Oscura," Bria greeted.
"Huh, well, it seems you and your students see me differently," Empress Oscura observed. She was used to being feared, even hated, but never respected like this except by her Phantoms.
"Oh, believe me, Your Majesty, you won't find another school on the Boiling Isles that understands you more than us," Bria stated.
"Huh, a bold claim," Tiamat scoffed. "What makes you think you mortals understand our Master?"
"Please, allow me to show you," the principal offered before she led Empress Oscura and her entourage towards the front doors of the school. The Dark Empress regarded the school as they approached it, noticing that this one looked like a mediaeval castle, although one that looked like it was occupied by barbarians with the rough exterior, spikes, and the few griffons that perched themselves on the outer wall. Once they were at the doors, the Principal opened them and revealed the inside of Glandus High.
The interior looked even more like a mediaeval castle. There were portraits of students past, along with past teachers and past principals, each one bearing a title of some sort alongside their name. Decorating different sections of the walls were animal pelts, and Empress Oscura wondered what demon beast they were taken from. She had a feeling that the creatures the pelts came from had not been easy to take down.
The Empress glanced about as she saw some students ordering around others. Some were actively battling each other too, but no one seemed to stop it. If anything, some of the teachers were refereeing the squabbles and actively encouraging the students to fight.
"Over here in Glandus, we follow one core philosophy: the rule of the strong," Bria explained.
"Back in the Human Realm, we have a similar rule: survival of the fittest," Oscura responded. "Only the strong survive while the weak perish."
"Yes, so you do understand, Empress!" Bria's eyes sparkled, believing the Empress approved.
"It's not all that uncommon…I experienced it firsthand…multiple times," said Empress Oscura, bitterly. Without really thinking about it, Empress Oscura reached up and unconsciously touched the X-shaped scar on her face.
Bria looked upon the Empress. She had seen the scars on her body via transmissions over crystal balls and Penstagram pictures, but this was the first time she had seen them in person and so close. Scars weren't uncommon when you went to Glandus High. You either proved your strength and power, or you were punished for your weakness by nature or by your classmates. But now, seeing Empress Oscura's scars up close, it drove home to Bria how much their new Empress suffered to obtain her power, the kind of power that allowed her to command an army of monsters unknown to everyone in the Demon Realm, the power to remove the Coven Sigils off of every single person on the Boiling Isles and, of course, the power to storm the palace like a one-woman army and fell Emperor Belos.
"How has Glandus High adapted to the new Multi-track curriculum?" Empress Oscura asked the principal.
"Oh, splendidly! Now that the students are no longer limited to one form of magic, they are free to mix and match. It's led to some creative, and might I say, powerful combinations that normally needed two witches to perform. We've also found that our students have affinities for more than one type of magic," the principal giddily informed.
"The old rule of limiting witches to a single form of magic stifled their potential," Empress Oscura summarised.
"Believe me, I didn't know how much I was missing out by just using Construction magic," said Bria. "I can now use Beast Keeping magic, and I'm on my way to learning Healing magic. Now I can command demon beasts, heal myself, or incapacitate my opponents. I already kick ass at Construction magic but with the addition of Beast Keeping and Construction, I'm even more badass!"
Seth glared down at the girl, causing her to seize up in fear as she saw the crimson glow of the disguised Phantom's chaotic magic.
"Watch your tongue when addressing the Empress, child," Seth warned.
"Do not dare to speak to the Empress as if you are her equal," Tiamat added.
Empress Oscura raised her hand, silently signalling her Phantoms to stand down.
"Don't be so tough on her. She's one of the few witches who actually seem to like my changes and also among the rare few that don't look at me with fear," said Empress Oscura with a smirk.
"I mean, yeah, there's some fear but everyone here practically worships you, Empress," Bria confessed.
"Heh, maybe I should've touted my achievements to Glandus High. Wish you were there when I needed you." Empress Oscura let a slight edge appear in her tone.
Bria immediately got down on one knee as she bowed to Empress Oscura.
"I'm sorry, Empress! There are a lot of us here who wished we were there when you defeated Belos! We heard about what the people of Bonesborough did and how they turned on you! How they called you a monster for what you did! You didn't deserve that! If we were there, we would've shown you the proper praise and celebration for your display of power! There's definitely no one better suited to rule us than you!"
Tiamat and Seth grinned. Perhaps this mortal was not just some brazen brat.
Kikimora gulped. She found this child's praise of Empress Oscura…disturbing, bordering on cultish.
"You have a good student here," Empress Oscura commended the principal. "I'm happy to see that at least your students understand me. Bria, stand up." Bria did as Empress Oscura asked and looked directly up at the ruler of the Isles. She leaned forward and patted the teenage girl on the head as she chuckled. "I hope you and the other Glandus kids here will be the ones to show the idiots in this world why they should be worshipping me and following my commands. I'm counting on you, Bria."
Bria blushed, her heart racing at having been patted on the head and receiving praise from the Empress herself. She even expected her to show the rest of the Boiling Isles why they should follow the Empress' rule.
"I-I WILL! You can count on me, My Empress! I won't let you down! I'll become the strongest in Glandus High and…uh…maybe…I could join you someday?" Bria asked, hopefully.
Empress Oscura chuckled a little louder.
"Yeah, I'd like that. One day, Bria, you and the rest of Glandus will pave the way for a new Boiling Isles."
The rest of the tour proceeded smoothly. No, it was better than that as it was practically a celebration of her arrival. The principal brought Empress Oscura and her entourage to different classes, showing how the Multi-track curriculum benefited the students and helped them improve their students' magical skills. Even the students who were originally limited to the Illusion and Bard tracks found that they excelled in other forms of magic which allowed them to stand up to their bullies, earning them respect.
Empress Oscura was very impressed by what she saw—witnessing how the current generation of magic school kids would soon become much stronger and freer under her rule than Philip's. Now they could wield magic as they wished, with no restrictions. This was what she sought to create, and this was the kind of thanks she should've received for her efforts.
Towards the end of her visit, Empress Oscura announced that she wanted to give a speech to all the faculty and students of the school.
The principal quickly called all the students and faculty to assemble in the courtyard so that all could hear the words of their great Empress Oscura. A stage was erected for her thanks to Bria, upon which Empress Oscura gave a wink of appreciation to the young witch girl, which once again made her blush. Once she was at the top of the stage, she surveyed the crowd. She half expected some of them to give her disapproving looks or at least for them to appear uneased, but she saw none of that. Instead, all of Glandus High, teachers and students alike were eagerly awaiting the words of their Empress with bated breath.
The Dark Empress snapped her fingers. Kikimora drew a spell circle, summoning a microphone to the Empress' hands. Empress Oscura took a calming breath and then addressed Glandus High's faculty and student body.
"Students and faculty of Glandus High, you honour me with your welcome and I am pleased by your reception. But allow me to still impart you with some words of wisdom. Before I became what you see before you, I was a weak and powerless human with no magic whatsoever. But that did not stop me from obtaining power. No matter how painful it was, every scar was worth it for I eventually gained the power I possess now. Everyone has the potential to achieve great power. You just need the will to find it, the strength to endure the challenges for it and the resolve to sacrifice anything to obtain it."
The entire crowd erupted into cheers and even began chanting her name.
"OS-CU-RA! OS-CU-RA! OS-CU-RA!"
The Dark Empress stood there, basking in the adulation. This was what she deserved, not the scorn of the people she tried to save, not the hate, or the doubts. This right here was what she deserved, what she had earned after all the pain and suffering she experienced.
Unfortunately, an empress' work was never done, and she still had to deal with the resistance groups like the CATTs and of course those Belos-worshipping zealots, the Golden Lords.
"Farewell, Glandus High! When I next visit, I hope to see a vast improvement in your skills! For the future of the Boiling Isles!"
Yet again, the crowd broke into uproarious cheers as they watched Empress Oscura, Kikimora, Seth and Tiamat board the flying carriage and take off. They were leaving Glandus High behind, and leaving Bria with a goal to strive for.
"Those guys even built a statue of me and put it in their courtyard. It felt weird and nice to be loved, even if it was for the wrong reasons. Although…to be fair, I hadn't completely gone off the deep end at the time," Luz finished.
"Yeah, but they've changed it since," Eda frowned.
"Oh, great, that's a relief," Luz sighed.
"…It's now Scyn Oscura's statue."
"That's even worse!" Luz exclaimed, horrified. "That cannot have gone over well with anyone."
"Yeah, but they stand by their decision even if it's an unpopular one. Everyone who ever went to Glandus pretty much boycotts the Day of Liberation and instead, they make it a day to leave offerings at your statue," Eda informed her.
Luz recalled the memories of her time at Glandus again, as well as her other visits to the school before her plan to conquer the Multiverse started. She realised now that her presence at that school, and the words she had spoken, might've impacted the kids there more than she had originally thought. When she realised this, the Latina facepalmed and groaned remorsefully.
"Oh, Dios (Oh, God), I started a cult."
"Damn, Noceda, you messed those kids up good," Sasha commented.
Luz shot a glare at Sasha but did not argue.
'OK, if I ever get back in the DGP, my next wish is to make sure there are no more evil cults of me,' Luz mentally swore.
"Has the new government done anything about them?" Amity inquired. "Considering they worship Empress Oscura, I can't imagine that they'd allow them to operate unchecked."
Eda made a wavy motion with her hand.
"They're extremely unpopular with the whole of the Boiling Isles. And while they do worship Empress Oscura, they haven't exactly done anything that would warrant their arrest or being shut down," said Eda with an annoyed tone. "They just keep praising the name of the Empress and try to 'convert' others to their way of thinking."
"They also changed their school colours to match Oscura," Willow added, remembering when she saw the Glandus High grudgby team. They had even changed their team logo to resemble Oscura. She remembered playing against Glandus High's Flyer Derby team as well and how they chanted that they would play in Oscura's honour.
"Sometimes they go door-to-door," Gus continued. He remembered when the cultists came to his home and tried to persuade him and his dad to join Oscura's cult. Gus and his dad sent them away, refusing to join. Surprisingly, the cult did not push the issue and went to their neighbours to attempt to persuade them too.
"But as far as Raine has kept informed, none of them have made any threats against the new government, nor have they tried to commit any acts of violence in your name," Eda informed Luz. "Yet."
Luz glanced at Marcy, who looked deep in thought about something.
"What's on your mind, Marce?" Luz asked.
"Uh…well…from what Eda said – and I'm just speculating – they sound like a cult that's waiting for a sign, or a signal. Something that they can see that tells them that their time to act is now…and since your return has gone viral on Penstagram…"
"They might start hurting people…or worse," Luz concluded, eyes widening in realisation.
"You're their messiah, Luz, practically their goddess. Once they learn you've returned, they'll take it as a sign that you're going to start taking over again. And they will probably start gathering their members, weapons, and whatever else they think you might need to take over so you can start your reign again," Marcy explained.
Luz held her head as the gravity of the situation started to bear down on her. She had not been back that long, and already her presence was starting to cause havoc and mayhem. She brought back the people she and her Phantoms had killed as a means of atonement. And now, after four long years, she was able to come back to the Boiling Isles. But now, she might've inadvertently set off a chain of events that could lead to the people of the Boiling Isles suffering again.
Amity noticed the distress of her fiancée and quickly tried to comfort her.
"Luz, it'll be okay, we can just–"
"Who's the leader?!" Luz demanded.
"What?" Eda questioned.
"This cult has to have a leader right? At the very least, you guys must suspect who it might be," Luz clarified. "I want to know who they are!"
"Kid, why the hell would you–?" Eda paused as the realisation clicked in her head. "Oh, hell no! You are not going to try and meet them!"
"I have to, Eda! I am…was…Empress Oscura! If I tell them not to do something, they have to do it! And if I talk to their leader, I can stop the madness before it starts!" Luz argued.
"Luz, listen," Eda said calmly. She knew Luz would try to fix the problem because of her guilt. Luz thought the cult was her fault, so she believed she was obligated to fix it. "This isn't your world, so it isn't your problem. Let us handle the cult."
Luz grabbed Eda's shoulders as she looked her surrogate mother in the eyes.
"I'm the whole reason this damn cult even exists! I was so hyped over the fact that someone, let alone an entire school, appreciated me for what I did and didn't see me as a monster! I kept praising their behaviour, I kept pushing them to embrace what I was and to strive to become like me! This is all my fault, Eda! It's not just a 'Boiling Isles problem', it's my problem too! I am responsible for this! And I need to take care of it before any lives are lost!"
'I don't see why you're freaking out so much about this. This cult sees us as the hero we were meant to be, and we're worshipped like a goddess. Yet, you're ashamed of it? Tch, you disappoint me. We could use them! The game is still on, but with their help, we could get a huge lead over the rest of these idiots – excluding Amity from that idiot comment, BT dubs.'
'SHUT UP! This is all your fault, to begin with! Stroking their egos and filling their heads with all that BS!'
'¡Oye, no creas que eres inocente en todo esto! (Hey, don't think you're innocent in all this!) You know deep down you loved it! How those kids hung on our every word, how they looked up to us, how they idolised us! You enjoyed it and you damn well know you did!'
Luz released Eda as she took a deep breath, trying to keep herself from going into a shouting match with her inner demon.
"Eda, tell me who the leader is. Otherwise, I'll just go out there and find them myself."
Eda glanced at Amity and Luz's two new friends. The Owl Lady rubbed the back of her head as she let out a frustrated growl before stamping her foot.
"Titan dammit, Luz…fine."
"Eda!" Amity exclaimed.
"But only if Boots here goes with you," Eda stated. "That's my condition. Otherwise, no deal."
Amity wasn't happy about any of this, but if she could be there with Luz when she met the cult leader, then at least she'd feel better about her love being among those freaks.
"Thank you, Eda," said Luz in gratitude.
"You won't be once you meet them…" Eda rummaged through her large head of hair before taking out a picture and handing it to Luz. "Her name is Bria. She's the leader of the cult. Any actions by the cult come down from her. They don't so much as breathe without her say-so."
"Good," Luz nodded, already thinking up a plan. "That means all I have to do is order her to stop, and no one gets hurt."
"Just…be careful around her," Eda warned.
"Why?" Amity questioned.
"Uh…heh-heh…Let's just say, out of all the cult members…Bria is…very devoted to Empress Oscura."
"Devoted how?" Sasha inquired.
"Uh…How to put this delicately?" Eda asked, trying to look for the right words.
"Eda, the hell with 'delicate', just spit it out," Luz insisted.
"Okay, kid. She pretty much idolises and worships you to the point that it's not just a matter of adoration or respect…it's also…s-e-x-u–"
"OKAY! OKAY! I GET IT! THAT'S ENOUGH!" Luz interrupted as she blushed.
Sasha glanced between Amity and Luz.
"Okay, seriously, Boscha was yandere for Amity, and now this Bria girl is yandere for Luz?" Sasha questioned. "Just so you know, I'm not yandere for you, Noceda."
"Uh, I might be," Marcy confessed.
"MARCY!" Luz, Amity, and Sasha yelled.
"Kidding! Kidding! It was a joke!"
After dinner, Emira assigned rooms for their guests. Tsumuri opted for a room of her own while the couples each shared a room. Eda had gone back home, promising to come over again later to check up on Luz. Gus and Willow had called their parents, telling them that they were sleeping over at a friend's place.
Amity stood before the door of her old bedroom with Luz. It was strange to be back here after all this time, after four years. She never thought she would be home, but here they were, and now Amity was about to step through those doors and enter her old bedroom.
"OK, why am I nervous?" Amity asked herself. It was just her bedroom, the place where she slept before. So why was she afraid of opening the door?
Maybe...maybe she did not want to see what kind of person she used to be. The room was not just a place she slept, but a place where she forged her identity while hiding another side of herself. It was a place where she could be herself, alone with her thoughts. The secret room in the Bonesborough Library also served the same purpose, but before that, this room had been her haven.
She remembered crying herself to sleep the night after she broke off her friendship with Willow and then just screaming after Odalia died, blaming herself for what happened. She remembered packing only the essentials before leaving home for good as she swore to kill Empress Oscura and herself for her role in the Dark Empress' rise.
Taking a deep breath, Amity turned the knob, swung the door opened and stepped through. Her eyes widened when she saw it.
"Nothing's changed," she said, and she was right. It was just like how she had left it. However, it had to have been maintained and cleaned over the years or it would have been covered in dust. She looked over her shoulder to see Luz standing in her doorway. "What are you doing there?"
"Sorry, it's just, this is going to be the first time I've ever been in your room," Luz realised.
"You've been in my room before," Amity reminded her.
"Back in my house, yeah, but this is your old bedroom," Luz argued. "It's a whole different thing."
Amity went and grabbed Luz's hand before pulling her inside. She then drew a spell circle to pull the door close.
"Well, then, let me welcome my fiancée to my childhood bedroom," Amity smiled.
Luz looked around and spotted an Azura novel on Amity's bookshelf, and then she saw the bed. Skipping over, she plopped herself on the mattress. After such a long day, she could use some sleep. She sniffed on the soft sheets. They smelled nice. They must have been freshly cleaned.
She could fall asleep right now as the bed was so soft.
"C'mon, Luz," Amity prompted as she began to undress. "You should get ready for bed."
"But I don't have any pyjamas," Luz pointed out. The only clothes she had were the ones she had on and her DGP uniform.
"Who says we need pyjamas?" Amity sultrily questioned. Luz rolled over to see Amity had stripped down to her underwear. "Now, take off your clothes."
"Why, Ms. Blight..." Luz smirked. "Are you asking me to strip for you?" Amity tossed her shirt onto Luz's face, rolling her eyes.
"Perv."
"And you love me for it," Luz teased as she removed the shirt from her face, sticking her tongue out. She got off the bed and began to undress until she was in nothing but a sports bra and boyshort panties. Amity cocked an eyebrow when she saw the DGP logo on the bra. "Hey, say what you want about the DGP, but they make comfy underwear."
"I didn't say anything," Amity replied before she slipped under the covers with Luz. The two girls lay down together, facing each other. Amity noticed the troubled look in the Latina's eyes. "Something wrong?"
"It's just..." Luz took a moment to gather her thoughts. "When I first entered the DGP, I thought about wishing for a chance to come back to the Boiling Isles so I could visit everyone. But then I thought that would not be possible after everything I've done."
"Instead, you wished to bring back everyone that the Empress killed," Amity concluded.
"Yeah, I didn't even think it would work. When it did, I considered my original wish but then that would be selfish since Anne died," Luz admitted. "And now, because of the DGP, I'm back here. It used to feel like home, but part of me feels like I don't belong here anymore."
"Luz, it's OK," Amity comforted as she put her hand on Luz's cheek. "I feel the same way. The Boiling Isles used to feel like home to me too, but I made a new home with you, your mom and Vee. So I get it. I want to go back home with you too."
"But what about your family?" Luz asked.
"They'll understand and when we do get back home, I'll give them a proper goodbye this time."
Luz smiled and gently cupped Amity's cheek before leaning in for a kiss. Amity reciprocated, draping an arm across Luz's waist to pull her close. The two continued to kiss, which gradually became more passionate. Lips opened, their tongues came into play and pretty soon they were making out.
As the two of them cuddled, enjoying the afterglow of their intercourse, Amity brought up a tough subject.
"Why didn't you tell Eda you've been hearing Oscura's voice in your head?" Amity questioned.
"I couldn't." Luz shook her head. "I didn't want her to think I was crazy."
"You need to tell her. She could help you," Amity urged. "You said it yourself, she's the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles."
"She's got her family to worry about."
"You're her family too."
"...We'll talk about this in the morning, Amity," Luz said, dodging the subject. "Let's get some sleep."
"Fine," Amity relented, but they could not avoid this forever.
Although everyone was asleep in Bonesborough, there was a palpable sense of dread looming over its citizens. Though the word had spread, the new government seemed to be dismissing the claims of Oscura's return, attributing it to some pranksters trying to liven up the Day of Liberty celebration by scaring people.
But those who lived in Bonesborough knew better, and so did Terra. Seeing how the new government was trying to keep Oscura's return a secret only proved to her that this new governing body was not up to the task of keeping order and stability in the Boiling Isles, even if most of the members of this new government were made up of her old colleagues. With that in mind, Terra believed that maybe it was time for another regime change—a return to the old, but with none of the hang-ups from Belos' rule.
Once Terra was sure that her roommate had fallen asleep, she made her way downstairs, and once there, she opened the door to their basement. The elderly witch descended the stairwell until she was at the bottom. She glanced about one more time before drawing a spell circle. Vine tendrils rose out of the floor and wrapped around her body before swiftly pulling down and covering the hole they made with the dirt they had pushed aside.
A few seconds later, Terra was in a sub-basement of some kind. It was here that she kept a little lab for herself. With the beakers, test tubes and numerous vials of different liquids about, you might think she was also dabbling in Potion magic. Well, it wasn't like Plant magic and Potions magic didn't go together. Some of her plants had properties that were best used when ground up and mixed, or liquified and then mixed. There were also many different plants growing from the walls that provided, which meant she did not require any ventilation. It was here that Terra liked to experiment with different types of plants, growing hybrids, or figuring out new techniques to make them healthier and stronger.
But tonight's activities would be quite different from her past endeavours. That was because tonight, she was going to be looking into something that she had recently obtained during the Day of Liberty. While everyone was running about in a panic, and Oscura and her minions were battling the monsters, Terra managed to snag a straggler before any of them could end its life. That was how Terra managed to get her hands on an intact Pawn Jyamato, which she had tied down to her table in the middle of the room.
She could feel it just by being near the creature and knew it was a plant. Unlike the many plants that existed on the Boiling Isles, or anything she could conjure, it was vastly stronger and more complex. Not to mention, from what she witnessed, these creatures seemed to possess great combat abilities, weaving around spells and moving too fast for the witches or demons to counter.
"I don't know what you are or where you came from, my dear, but you just might be the greatest thing I have ever discovered," Terra said as she admired the Jyamato with a knife in hand.
The Pawn Jyamato squirmed in its bindings, but Terra ignored its squealing and grunting. She brought the knife to the middle of its chest and began her incision. The Pawn Jyamato squealed loudly. Despite being a monster, it could still feel pain. Terra knew this, of course. As a Plant witch, she understood all plant life had the capability to feel pain, but she wasn't concerned about this thing's discomfort. It was a monster after all, and it tried to hurt her people. So, what was a little pain weighed against a potential discovery?
As Terra kept cutting and green blood oozed out from the wound, she made sure to collect each drop with a vial that was held by one of her vines so she could study the sample later. More vines came in once the initial incision was complete. The eight vines, four on each side, worked as one and widened the incision, causing the Pawn Jyamato to squeal even louder as the cut from the middle of its chest to its pelvis was forcefully opened, exposing its insides to the evilly grinning woman looking down on it. Terra's eyes widened as she saw the complex inner workings of the creature. Some parts resembled something close to the internal organs of a witch, but every part of these 'organs' was made of the same plant matter as the rest of its body.
"Fascinating, you have a heart, but no bile sac. So, you're clearly not from our world. But the arrangement of these 'organs' does suggest that you closely resemble a witch's anatomy or rather, possibly, human anatomy?" Terra pondered aloud.
Terra decided to remove one of the organs, one that wouldn't cause immediate death to the creature, hopefully. She brought the scalpel to an organ that closely resembled a kidney. A witch or a human could live with only one, so she deduced that this wouldn't induce death. With one hand, she gripped the organ, and with the other, she used the scalpel to slice the organ free of its connections. Of course, the Jyamato squealed in incredible pain. Terra pulled out the 'kidney' and had one of the vines bring over a jar to place it in. After putting the organ in the jar, her eyes returned to the insides of the Pawn Jyamato and gasped.
Almost as soon as she removed the organ, a new one swiftly grew in its place from the severed end. In less than a few seconds, the organ was completely replaced with a completely brand-new one.
"Instantaneous regeneration!" Terra cried in amazement. Oh, she knew plants were capable of regrowing lost parts, but not as quickly and not without the help of magic. Yet this creature, which had no magic whatsoever, could naturally regrow body parts in a matter of seconds.
Terra decided to experiment a little more. She had more of her vines bring jars and decided to do a little 'harvesting'. The underground room was filled with the almost pleading squeals and chittering of the Pawn Jyamato as Terra carefully and meticulously removed one organ after the other. By the time she was done, she had collected both kidneys, a stomach, its large intestine, and a heart. Thankfully the creature did not die when she removed its heart as a new one immediately grew to take the place of the one she had taken. However, for the Pawn Jyamato, she assumed that it was hoping that would be the end of its life. She also noted a lack of certain organs as well. It had no pancreas, no liver, no bladder, no small intestine, and no reproductive organs to show that it was male or female.
"So, you must require sunlight just like any other plant, but I wonder what you are fed with that makes you like this? And for that matter, how are you able to make more of yourself?" Terra questioned.
As a Plant witch, Terra was knowledgeable about how plants went about reproducing. However, given that this was a humanoid plant, she thought the method of reproduction would be different or similar to witches and humans. Unfortunately, the lack of any reproductive organs meant that it could not reproduce like humans or witches. Although, she had seen many of them during the Day of Liberty, which meant that there had to be someone or something that created and grew them. If that were true, then that meant that Terra herself could do the same.
But why stop there?
"If you're so similar to witches and humans…then…is it possible?"
A new thought popped into Terra's wicked mind. Something taboo, something that could either kill her or make her the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles. Powerful enough to unseat the council and bring back things to the way they used to be.
"No, even better, I'll make the Boiling Isles into the paradise it should've been! Where the strong survive and the weak know their place!" Terra walked around the table until she was near the head of the Pawn Jyamato, and once she was, the elderly witch stroked its head affectionately. "You, my friend, are about to help me usher in a new age of magic. Hehhahahahahaha…! AHAHAHAHHAHAAAHHAAAA!"
Oh, my dear Luz, it's not just the cult you need to worry about. It would appear that there's another party who seeks to cause chaos for their own ends, to bring back the old order but in their own image. Hmm, who would be more of a threat to Luz, I wonder? Is it the cult or Terra Snapdragon? Perhaps we shall see that in the next chapter.