Danielle tried to calm the Heiress down. She tried to ignore how Amity screamed, showing off her fangs, wincing in discomfort, and arching her back in agony as her magic was looking for a way to finally exit her body in a long overdue release.
Suddenly, everything changed. Precisely the moment when Luz's magic stopped illuminating the room and her body reshaped into her human form, leaving her calmly unconscious, Amity's magic roamed free.
The fuchsia glow, traveling through the Heiress's veins and arteries, looked almost fluorescent as the bile sac was squeezed between the heart and the lung, increasing the pressure to its breaking point.
Eda was not fast enough to react to the sudden magical outburst. Danielle's eyes widened when she realized what was happening. Luckily, Emira was experienced enough to expect the unexpected as her sister's magic exploded in a sudden release.
The moment Danielle was sent flying across the room, the Healer drew a spell circle, trying to contain Amityʼs magic. Eda jumped forward and intercepted the limp, tan woman, worriedly watching her reactions.
"Dani!" The Owl Lady exclaimed worriedly, brushing the brunette curly hair off her partner's face.
Danielle frowned, taking hold of her head. She felt someone embracing her, helping her stand up, while the bright fuchsia glow illuminated the room. The human heard a reassuring whisper despite the overwhelming roar of pain filling her senses.
"Mija," Danielle whispered when she opened her eyes.
She saw Emira having trouble containing Amity's outburst. Viney quickly joined her wife's spell and clenched her jaw in strain. She was always astounded by her sister-in-law's power, but that was more than she could have ever anticipated.
"Eda!" Emira called, noting Viney's trouble to apply more power, "Help… Please!" She added, breaking a sweat and unable to contain her sister anymore.
"Take Luz to the adjoining room," Eda asked Danielle, who slightly nodded while still trembling in shock and borderline fear, "Viney, take deep breaths," She instructed the Healer as she joined the spell.
"Vamos, Cariño," Danielle addressed Luz, whose breathing was heavy, but she seemed to sleep calmly despite that.
The three witches watched the humans disappear into the other room, feeling they could increase their power in the spell, ensuring Amity's violent magic release was kept safe under a dome of their spell, which allowed Nurses to approach her.
"Hurts… Oh, fuck…" Luz tried to notch down the deafening sounds of the commotion. The pain erupting in her limbs overwhelmed her, "Is that Amity yelling?" She thought, realizing she could only see a bright fuchsia glow behind her closed eyelids.
Luz tried to move her hands, clawing her way back to reality, but all she could really focus on was Amityʼs teary gaze. The last smile she saw before she was dragged away from her fiancée. Again. She hated it.
"She's left alone! I need to…!" The human thought in panic, still seeing the golden orbs.
"Mmm…" Luz tried to speak, but her entire body was paralyzed, tortured by agony she had never experienced, "Mmity…" She mumbled, slurring words.
She felt her body being transported onto the Clinic bed, rolled somewhere away from her fiancée. Luz knew she needed to focus on herself, but she could not. Her thoughts immediately rushed back to her visions.
"Was that even real?" Luz wondered, recalling her dream when she felt the bed squeak as she stopped, "Is that real?" She worried until she felt a loud hoot echo in her mind.
"H-h-h-help…" Luz mumbled, and almost immediately, she felt a touch on her cheeks, "H-hurts…"
Warm hands caressed her soothingly. She felt someone smooth her hair, brushing it away from her face. But despite her best attempts, she could not move. More pained whimpers left her lips.
"Cariño, are you back with us?" Luz heard Danielle's soft voice, which made her feel at home, but she could not reply, "If you can't reply, just give me some sign, any sign," The woman pleaded, and Luz heard tears in her voice.
"H-h-help…" Luz mumbled, fighting the stiffness of her body. Her fingers twitched deliriously.
"Cariño, is that you?" Danielle asked with panic, "Squeeze my hand three times if you can hear me," She added and grabbed Luz's hand with hope.
Squeeze.
"Thatʼs it…" Danielle hoped, blinking rapidly, her eyes roaming the hurt woman.
Squeeze.
"Just once more…" The doctor gulped nervously, unable to look away from her ward.
Squeeze.
Danielle's breathing hitched, and Luz heard her guardian choke a cry. Another caress on her face. Another stroke against her hair. The older woman slowly lost control of her emotions, and she started crying hard, clenching her limp hand.
"Luz…" Danielle whispered between sobs, "It's been almost a month…" She added, her voice shaking. Another squeeze on her hand felt like reassurance, even though she knew Luz was panicking internally.
To wake up from a magical coma and learn how much time had passed must have been hard for her, no matter how strong she was. Luz's breathing hitched, but she could not open her eyes or move past a few twitches in her hands.
"A month!?" The hurt woman realized, "It was an entire lifetime!"
Luz realized she could recall everything that happened to her in that dream. From the moment she came to the Demon Realm until reuniting with Amity. The memories blinded her, making her breathing hitch in sharp, shallow gasps.
"It's okay, Luz," Danielle tried to soothe her ward's nerves, "Eda, Emira, and Viney are with Amity. Try to relax, and you'll talk to us once you're stronger," She added, hoping to calm the other woman down.
"H-h-hurts…" Luz mumbled, trying to communicate.
"It's okay. I'll get you something for discomfort," Danielle replied reassuringly.
With that, the younger brunette became calmer, patiently waiting for an IV drip. While she could not move, Danielle grabbed the hurt hand and, with a small pinch, let Luz know that the medicine was distributed.
"There you go," The doctor broke the silence, "You should feel better soon," She added, tucking the hurt woman in bed, "Try to be patient and get some rest…"
An explosion in the adjoining room interrupted Danielle's words. She gulped nervously, knowing what that most likely meant. She hesitantly glanced at Luz, and once she was sure the young Clawthorne had slept peacefully, she left, determined to help the hurt witch.
Amity woke up in her father's laboratory. The darkness slowly dissipated, and everything became clear. The witch noticed Alador by his workstation. His hair was longer than she remembered, and the purple goggles obscured his eyes.
"D-dad?" Amity asked reluctantly, stepping forward.
"You were always so talented, Mittens," He said with a gruff voice, never stopping his work, "It pained me to see how she forced you to hide your power, forget about who you really were…" He continued, and Amity leaned over the table to look at what her father was working on, "Iʼm sorry I couldn't stop her…"
She recognized the small abomination she had created with Alador so many years ago. She was so proud of it. Her father always encouraged her to let her magic roam freely. He never shamed her for who she was. After all, she was so much like him.
"I tried to stop her, and it was my last mistake," Alador continued, "I couldn't stop her when Edric had enough, when Emira was disowned, and when she…"
"It's not your fault…" Amity interrupted, her breathing hitched, knowing what her father wanted to apologize for.
"I wish I could have been stronger," Alador looked at his daughter, "You deserved to be loved and experience intimacy on your terms," He added, and Amity's eyes watered, "But I was too weak… I'm so sorry, Mittens," He said, looking aside shamefully.
The man turned around to the workstation, and he returned to his work on the small abomination. The Heiress's ears twitched, and she sighed heavily, gathering the courage to speak.
"I miss you, Daddy," Amity whispered with a quivering voice. Alador's hands froze, and he smiled softly.
"I miss you, too," He replied, never looking away from the small golem.
"Oh, boo hoo!" A sudden voice startled Amity, dragging her attention away from her father, "He was just as pathetic," The voice added, and the witch noticed a green-haired blur disappearing into the darkness on the other side of the room.
"Wait!" Amity exclaimed urgently. She ran, chasing the mysterious person, "Stop!" She continued, rushing up the stairs.
She stopped in the center of the living room and realized something was off. The furniture was pushed aside, and the large, wooden working table was brought to the center. A dark blue Palisdrome wood felling was lying on the tabletop. A white cat sat in the center, surrounded by wood carving tools.
"Ghost?" Amity asked dumbfoundedly.
The loud yelling was approaching her, and soon Odalia stormed into the room, dragging the young Amity and grabbing her hair painfully. The young witchlet cried hard as her mother turned the happiest day of her life into a nightmare.
"You dare embarrass me like this!" Odalia roared, tugging Amity even harder, pulling her half-ponytail.
"Mommy, please!" The young Amity cried harder.
Her ears were slanted, and her face was stained with abomination mixed with tears and snot. The golden eyes glanced at her Palisman pleadingly in a silent beg for help. Ghost hissed, jumped off the table, and tried to approach her witch.
"You dare send your sorry excuse of a Palisman on me?!" Odalia roared and slapped her daughter with the top of her hand, making her fall to the carpeted floor, "Pathetic," She hissed, looking down at the crying witchlet, drawing a spell circle that caught the white cat in a magenta bubble, "Since you like the Human Realm so much, you won't mind what I'll do next," She added venomously.
She dragged Amity by her hair to the first floor and threw her on the floor, watching her with disgust before pulling up to drag her further. Odalia closed her daughter in a separate room and left the Manor to get rid of the Palisman.
"Noooo!" The young witchling howled, crying behind the closed door, banging at it desperately, scratching it with her juvenile primal nails.
"Too bad that didn't set you straight…" Amity heard behind her, and she noticed someone run upstairs.
"Not again!" She thought, refocusing on the chase, leaving her painful memories behind.
"Come back!" The Heiress roared as she darted behind the mysterious person.
Amity opened the next door and stopped when she noticed she was no longer in the Blight Manor. She was back to where her life was changed forever. She immediately recognized the corridor on the third floor and the greenish interior of Willow's room.
"Amity, tell me what it is?" Willow's juvenile voice froze Amity mid-step.
The Heiress turned around and watched her fourteen-year-old self stand before her best friend, knowing what must be done. The young Amity clenched her tunic nervously. She could not look Willow in the eyes.
"No, just not this memory…" The lavender-haired witch thought with a heartbreak.
"Come on, Amity," The shorter witch encouraged, "You can tell me what's wrong. We've been through enough to know you can trust me," Willow added, and with that, Amity looked up into the green eyes.
"Willow," She spoke coldly, straightening her posture and slanting her ears. The said witch gasped, and the older Amity noticed the delicate magenta glow in the golden eyes, "We may have been through enough, but my life holds no place for you. You're a weak, pathetic half-a-witch. I don't want ever to see you again," She added and stormed off, leaving Willow alone in shock.
"How could she have forced me to hurt her like this?" Amity thought, watching her best friend fall to the floor.
Willow slowly started comprehending Amity's words, and it was not long before she started crying. Her father came in, trying to calm her down, but nothing worked. Amity looked away, ashamed of herself.
"Well, that WAS fun," A familiar voice echoed in the room, and Amity noticed her Inner Demon.
The green-haired Amity walked over to the young Willow and giggled like a mad person, reveling in the pain their mother's spell inflicted. She tilted her head, her ears twitched unevenly, and she smiled widely.
"You?" Amity asked in disbelief, realizing she was chasing her twisted Doppelgänger.
The green-haired Amity straightened and grinned madly. She then tilted her head cockily and slowly approached the lavender-haired witch who felt judged, watched, and criticized. She hated it.
"Why are you here?" Amity found the courage to speak, glaring at her Inner Demon.
"Oh? I just wanted to see you fail," She replied, and Amity frowned at that. She clenched her fists and took a powerful swing at the pale, amused face, smashing it powerfully.
"I won't fail!" Amity roared and punched her Doppelgänger again, "You should know me better than that!" She added, and she was shocked to see the green-haired woman giggle.
The bloodied lips cracked in a wide grin, showing off the fangs. The Doppelgänger ran her tongue over the teeth, sucking in the trickling blood in mad satisfaction before refocusing on Amity.
"Oh, I know you won't give up," The Inner Demon replied between chuckles, placing her hands on her hips, "I just know you're almost already out of time," She explained, and Amityʼs determined expression faded into fear.
"What the hell do you mean?" She asked. The green-haired woman snorted and shook her head in disbelief.
"You really don't feel it?" The Doppelgänger stepped closer, pointing her finger at Amity's chest, "How you're getting weaker," She purred teasingly into the pointy ear slanted in fear, "You do, don't you?" She pulled away and analyzed the Heiress's expression.
Now that the green-haired witch pointed that out, Amity could feel a strange pressure in her chest. It increased incrementally since she had seen Alador in his laboratory, weakening her. The witch worried about what was happening to her.
Amity stepped back, moving away from the Inner Demon. Her ears fluttered anxiously as she focused on her bodily sensations. She could not deny it - the green-haired witch was not lying to her. Something was happening to her, weakening her.
"Let me show you," The Doppelgänger suddenly answered an unasked question, and she lifted her hand with her middle finger and thumb held together, "This is gonna be fun," She squeaked in amusement.
SNAP!
Everything disappeared.
Luz slightly stirred in the Clinic bed, and her senses were immediately overwhelmed by pain. She tried to scream, but all she managed was a pathetic wheezing whimper. It took a while when she finally cracked her eyes open, releasing a waterfall of tears.
The hazel-brown eyes roamed the room. Luz did not recognize it, but she was sure she was still in an unknown magic-restricting room in the Blight Clinic. She looked to her side and noticed an empty IV drip.
"Thatʼs probably why I woke up…" Luz realized that the pain medication must have run out.
The human looked down at her body and noticed bandages around her chest and abdomen. She tried to sneak a peak underneath, but the pain in her plaster-covered limbs paralyzed her.
"F-fuck…" Luz let out a pained whimper and cried helplessly.
The human closed her eyes tiredly, and the images of Boscha torturing her blinded her. She sobbed, trying to calm herself down, and failed miserably. She did not even notice she was not alone anymore. Luz trembled as the pained-induced fever spiked in her body. Her breathing hitched as she snapped her eyes open.
"Who…!" The brown eyes rolled up in pain as soon as they opened.
"Hey, it's okay," A familiar voice soothed Luz's nerves.
"W-Will?" She asked, trying to focus her gaze.
"Yeah, it's me," The witch confirmed, sitting by the bed, "Iʼm sorry I was late to change your IV. The professor asked me to stay a bit after classes…"
"Classes?" Luz echoed, trying to focus on her friend.
"Yeah," The witch confirmed, "You've been out for a while," She leaned back and watched her best friend.
Luz was pale and feverish. Despite being asleep for so long, her eyes were underlined with shadows, and they lost their spark. Her limbs were much thinner. Her hands were shaking deliriously while her legs twitched from time to time.
"T-tell me…" Luz begged, "What… What did I miss? Where's Amity?" She asked, getting out of breath.
"Okay, calm down," Willow interrupted, afraid for her friend, "I helped Amity find you…"
"I remember…" Luz gasped tiredly, briefly closing her eyes, "She killed Boscha…" She added, and Willow nodded.
"You were stuck in the spell Odalia cast on Amity," The witch explained, and Luz did her best to focus, ignoring memories of her fake life, "We tried to get you out, but you were hurt badly. We couldn't heal you entirely because of the spell. Every time Emira tried to heal you, you got an attack that triggered the transformation or hurt you more than it was worth it," She explained, the images of her best friend's agony flashing before her eyes.
"Amity?" Luz asked, interrupting the story.
"Still stuck," Willow replied, looking away in shame, "Her magic was blocked for almost a month, but when you woke up, it suddenly was released…" She paused, and the human knew there was more.
Luz tried to remain calm, knowing that whatever was done to them was not good. She knew she was lucky to be still alive while her fiancée was left to suffer alone, clawing her way back to them.
"Tell me…" The human begged. Her voice trembled.
"We can't stop her magic, Luz…" Willow explained plainly, afraid to go into the details.
"Shit…" Luz closed her eyes and sobbed hard, "H-how long?" She asked, looking at her friend again.
"About a week," Willow replied, and a long and heavy silence filled the room.
Luz sobbed quietly. Despite the medicine filling her bloodstream, she felt the pain rising to an unbearable level. Willow did not know how to react and how to support the human. Usually, Amity was there to help.
"Luz…" The witch broke the silence, "You should be prepared for the worst…" Willow whispered with a quivering voice, and Luz's sobs became a cry, "At this rate…"
"Shut up!" The human suddenly snapped distortedly, her eyes glowing with the demonʼs gold magic, "She's still fighting, she's…" She could not continue. Her outburst strained her wounds, making her let out an owlish screech that deafened the witch.
"Luz!" Willow looked up and noticed Eda enter the room. Emira followed, "Luz, Kid, what's wrong!?" She grabbed the human's shoulders, securing her daughter against the bed.
"Willow, what happened?" Emira asked the younger witch as she drew the spell circle to check Luz's wounds.
"I…" Willow stuttered, feeling guilty, "I told her about Amity," She admitted. Eda and Emira immediately stopped what they were doing.
"You did what!?" The Healer exclaimed, barely controlling her emotions.
"Are you out of your mind!?" The Owl Lady hollered, letting out a little of her magic.
"She asked!" Willow exclaimed, "She knows when I lie!" She tried to excuse herself, but she realized how irresponsible it was.
"Kid, listen to me," Eda lowered herself above the human, soothing the brunette's hair, "Amity is fighting. Hard," She gulped, watching her daughter so feral and ferocious.
The hazel-brown eyes were pitch-black, glowing with the demon's magic. Her teeth turned into sharp fangs. Her round ears became spiky, slanting as she tried to claw herself free with long talons.
"Both of you need to stay calm," Eda addressed Luz and the Owl Demon, "You got yourself a fighter, and you have to have faith in her. Just like Danielle has, who's not leaving her side for a moment," She added, and Luz released a pained screech which slowly turned into a cry, "Thatʼs it, calm down," The witch continued, watching Luz regain her human form, and her cries slowly quieted down, "Try to rest, Kid. Don't give up," She added, watching with heartache how her daughter fell back into restless slumber.
Willow gulped when she noticed Eda's angry look. The older witch approached her, glaring furiously. Emira prepared to act fast in case the Owl Lady decided to live up to her reputation as the Wild Witch of the Boiling Isles.
"Out," Eda hissed, pointing to the door with her thumb, barely controlling herself.
Willow nodded nervously and immediately took a chance to leave. She glanced at Emira, who seemed just as surprised by Eda's calmness. The moment the short witch passed by the Owl Lady, the older woman turned around and smacked the short-haired head.
"Don't make me smack you again, Tweedledum," Eda hissed, following the young witch out.
"S-sorry," Willow apologized, nervous that she messed everything up.
"I get it," Eda said with understanding, sighing heavily as they reached Amity's room, "But you know Luz," She opened the door and entered, "She cannot see her fiancée like this," She added, and her ears slanted nervously.
Amity thrashed in bed, arching her back, held by magic restraints as her magic left her body in violent waves. The Heiress kept screaming her lungs out while Danielle did her best to calm her daughter.
"Titan, Boots, fight…"
The next time Luz woke up, she was much calmer. The hazel-brown eyes blinked rapidly as she tried to focus her gaze on the immediate surroundings. The IV was slowly dripping, ensuring the pain was not overwhelming her.
"Ugh, shit," Luz murmured under her breath when she tried to sit up.
She was stiff and sore. Luz looked down at her immobile body, and she noticed the bandages and casts on her limbs. She closed her eyes tiredly and recalled what Boscha had done to her. The broken bones, cracked chest, cut open abdomen.
"Why didn't it heal already?" She thought worriedly.
Luz groaned in discomfort, recalling that Willow told her that Emira had to open her again before closing. Still, she had been asleep for almost a month, so why was she not healed already? Before she could think anymore about it, the doors to her room opened, and a fluffy gray head popped in.
"Kid?" Eda asked worriedly, "Good to see you awake," She smiled.
Luz could see how her mother tried to maintain a mask of love and support, but her fear and heartache were abundantly clear. Nevertheless, the human returned the expression, grateful for her motherʼs support. The witch sat beside the bed and grabbed her daughterʼs hand.
"How do you feel?" Eda asked before realizing how senseless that question was.
"Hurt," Luz replied, smirking at her motherʼs expression, "What happened to me?" She asked, hoping the witch could provide her with answers, "I remember bits and pieces of what happened on the Manor grounds," She added. Eda sighed heavily, gathering the courage.
"The spell that hit you strained your body. We couldn't heal you, and your natural healing ability was close to none," Eda rushed the words out, "Thatʼs why you feel like you were hurt just yesterday. From what Emira gathered, you have started healing when you escaped… How did you escape anyway?" The witch asked, her voice filled with an equal amount of fear, awe, and curiosity.
"I donʼt know…" Luz admitted. She looked aside sheepishly, "Amity was stubbornly getting on my nerves until I remembered…" She said, closing her eyes. The image of Amity's teary gaze flashed before her eyes again, "She has to make it, Mom," The hazel-brown eyes shot open, looking at the witch pleadingly.
Luz looked at her mother with a tear-filled gaze. Fear was hidden deep inside. The human could not shake off the memories of killing Eda and living the life of an orphan, struggling to survive in the hostile Realm.
"Sheʼs a fighter, Luz," Eda reassured, squeezing the tan hand in support, dragging her daughter out of her thoughts. Luz could not control the waterfall of tears, "I promise I'll do everything in my power to help her," She vowed, unable to watch her daughter so heartbroken, "Try to sleep, Kid," She added.
Luz nodded slightly between silent sobs, feeling how her chest ached with every gasp. Eda cleaned her face and pecked the brunette hair before tucking her daughter in. The human was fast asleep, exhausted by her aching body and internal turmoil. The witch smiled sadly and left the room, hoping to find a way to keep her promise.
A bright green light blinded Amity. When it disappeared, she realized she was back at Emira's Clinic. She blinked rapidly and noticed a thick door before her. A pulsating fuchsia glow erupted from underneath it, confusing the witch.
Amity entered the room, and she could not believe what she saw. She covered her lips and walked further in. The witch watched herself struggle in the Clinic bed. Her limbs were secured to the bed by a powerful spell, which the witch immediately recognized from the Mind Healing Ward. Upon further observation, she was glad for it.
Her back was arched as she screamed in pain, snarling ferally, showing off her fangs, taking desperate gasps of air. Her eyes were glowing with bright, fluorescent magenta light, visible underneath the bandage covering Amity's right half of her face.
She was releasing a powerful flow of magic blocked by another spell held above her like a pinkish dome. Her nails were constantly lengthened as she tried to scratch her way back to reality.
"See that," The Doppelgänger's voice startled Amity, who forgot she was not really there, "Youʼre at the end of the line," She added, smiling widely, "You feel it, don't you?" The green-haired witch asked, enjoying Amity's frightened expression, approaching her, "Youʼre drained, and without a chance to regenerate your bile sac, you will suffer a slow and painful death," She added, caressing Amity's cheek, making her step back.
"So will you," Amity noted, trying to sound intimidating.
"Taking you down will be worth it," The Doppelgänger hissed, her eyes flashing with something indescribable, "Mother would agree," She added venomously. Still, something in her voice did not sound too confident.
"I may be at the end of the line, but I'm not done yet," Amity retorted, pushing the green-haired woman back, "You are just a twisted manifestation of…" Her frustrated monologue was interrupted by the sudden appearance of the tan woman.
The tired green eyes fell on Amity's struggling figure, and she quickly ran toward the bed. The Doppelgänger rolled her eyes at the sight of the human hushing and cooing the hurt woman as she attached the fresh drip.
"I'm sorry, Cariño. I needed to get your IV. We can't let you get dehydrated," Danielle whispered, and that was when Amity noticed a fluid bag attached to her forearm, "Luz is getting stronger. I'm sorry that we keep her away from you, but you know how she is…"
"Luz…" Amity gasped, and her struggling body did the same thing, slurring her fiancée's name.
"Ugh… Pathetic," The green-haired witch scoffed irritably, tying her hands on her chest.
"Mija, I don't know what else I can do," Danielle continued, and Amity let out an ever louder scream. Tears stained the pale cheek and soaked the bandage, "¿Mija?" She asked when she noticed the witch's tears, "Amity, can you hear me?" She asked and leaned forward, extending her hand.
Danielle hesitated momentarily when her hand approached the pink barrier that contained Amity's magic. She inhaled deeply and took a risk. She inserted her hand into the dome and touched the witch's forearm, soothing her pale skin with her warm thumb.
"Ah!" Amity yelped in surprise, realizing she felt the touch of the woman she considered her real mother.
"What the hell is happening?" The Heiress panicked, "How can I feel her?" Her mind raced a million miles per hour.
"Amity, Cariño. I know I have known you for less than a month before you forgot me, but if you can hear me, you must know I'm not leaving you. Not now, not ever," Danielle spoke softly, trying to contain her tears. Her hand on Amity's forearm shook, "I know this was all fast. Maybe you don't feel the same way, but I need to tell you that I think of you as my own," She added, and her tears roamed free, "Any mother would be proud to call you their daughter," The human whispered between her cries.
Amity could feel a strange sensation in her chest. Her breathing increased, and she could feel tears stinging her eyes. She could not help herself when she released a small sob, not believing this was happening.
"¿Mamá?" Amity asked, and her unconscious, struggling body did the same.
"Amity?" Danielle asked, removing her hand in shock, covering her quivering lips, "¿Mija?" The green eyes blinked rapidly, chasing the tears away.
The moment she did, the witch started crying, releasing a mixture of tears and abomination. Her struggle against the restraints increased. The witch let out more of her magic, and the dome surrounding Amity cracked. The Protection Spell began to break.
"NOOOO!" The bedridden woman roared ferally, tugging her restraints with more vigor.
"iMamá! No!" Amity, who stood behind the human, called out and stepped forward to protect the older woman.
"Enough!" The Doppelgänger roared, losing her patience, and grabbed the lavender-haired version of herself, "Youʼre not going anywhere!" She added venomously.
SNAP!
Amity felt a hard surface under her face. She opened her eyes and realized she was forced back to her Mind Scapes. She blinked rapidly and noticed her surroundings illuminated chiefly by her fuchsia glow, partially by her motherʼs magenta one, and lastly by her Inner Demonʼs emerald one.
Amity returned to her feet and felt an unbelievable amount of pain in her chest. She released a low growl and slightly wobbled before moving forward. She approached the closest memory door illuminated by the emerald light and noticed Luz's face scratched out of the painting.
Amity touched the brass frame, and the oil-like painting slowly patched up. The witch smiled in relief when she noticed Luz's face in one piece, and the memory of their first kiss played out. The lavender-haired woman smirked.
"I know what to do now. I'm coming back, Luz," She thought, feeling more confident despite the increasing discomfort in her body.
Next, she approached the memory illuminated by the magenta glow. She watched the augmented memory of Willow telling Amity she was not good enough to be her friend. The witch touched the frame, and the memory fixed itself, showing how it really happened.
Amity thought about all the memories she was living with for the past weeks. She understood this was her chance to make everything right. Feeling more confident, she approached another painting.
She looked at the memory of her mother telling her a bedtime story about the monstrous humans who wait in the dark to kidnap her. She watched her mother offer her a shiny bauble that was supposed to protect her, and she had enough. Amity scoffed and touched the frame.
The memory immediately reshaped itself. The witch watched with pride how Luz saved her, broke the Entanglement Spell, and freed her of her mother's torturous influence. The witch looked to the side and noticed at least a dozen more memories she needed to fix.
"I can do it," Amity encouraged herself.
The witch wobbled to the next Memory Door, illuminated by an emerald glow, and her heart broke, seeing how the entire memory was torn to pieces. She was unsure if she could fix it, but she tried anyway.
Amity smiled weakly when the painting glowed brightly, and the memory of her, Luz, Willow, Hunter, and Gus splashing in the river played out. She giggled slightly, watching herself tackle her fiancée, falling into the cold water.
The witch noticed a magenta-illuminated door behind her and quickly approached them. She leaned slightly on the frame, feeling sudden weakness overtaking her. She shook her head, refocusing on her task.
The pale hand touched the painting, and she smirked, seeing how the memory of her mother proudly hugging her was reshaped. Odalia disappeared, and Danielle took her place, embracing the witch in her kitchen as the Heiress learned to cook with the older woman.
"I'm coming back to you," She thought determinately, returning to her mission.
Amity was by the sixth memory when she felt the strange weakness overtook her body for good. She leaned hard on the Memory Door for support and repeatedly shook her head to keep her focus. Her ears fluttered in confusion.
"Mija, I know you can hear me," Danielle's voice echoed across the Mind Scapes.
"Dani!?" Amity called back, hoping she would be heard. She was about to call out again when she was thrown to the floor by a sudden strong punch.
"Don't you dare!" The Doppelgänger made her appearance, and she kicked Amity's face, "Don't you fucking dare!" She added, and it was Amityʼs turn to chuckle maniacally.
"You know I'm one step away from getting back to my life," She wiped her face, "And you're scared," The lavender-haired witch slowly returned to her feet and glared at her Doppelgänger.
"Lies!" Amity chuckled grimly at the green-haired version of herself.
"Look around!" The Heiress roared, fed up with her current situation, "Mother augmented and blocked my memories to control me! She was scared of me!" She hollered, pausing for the powerful surge of pain in her chest to subside, "Fuck," She hissed in agony, taking another deep, calming breath.
Amity looked at her Inner Demon with fury. Her ears twitched, and her expression softened as she analyzed her Doppelgängerʼs face. The witch straightened herself, and she exhaled to regain her calm.
"If I'm going down, you're going down with me," Amity added softly, and she stepped forward.
"What are you doing?" The Doppelgänger asked with a trembling voice, stepping back.
"She's scared," Amity noticed, and she touched the next magenta-illuminated Memory Door.
The memory of Emira abandoning the youngest Blight, leaving her alone and forever forbidding her from contacting her again, changed. Amity could see how her sister cared for her and promised to be there if she ever needed it.
"Mija…" Danielle's warm voice echoed across the Mind Scapes again.
Another powerful surge of pain coursed through Amityʼs body, slowing her down a little. The witch shook her head and refocused on her Doppelgänger, who kept stepping away. The pale hand touched another brass frame.
The image of Odalia supporting Amity's growth and accomplishments changed into the image of the older Blight punishing her daughter for her passion for the Human Realm. The Heiress smirked in understanding.
"What was the thing Odalia deprived you of the most?" Luz's voice echoed in the witch's mind.
"My clever girl," Amity thought with a smirk as she touched another Door, straightening the memory of the first time she told Luz she loved her.
"Stay away…" The Doppelgänger pleaded shakily. The green-haired woman was frightened. Her slanted ears trembled, and the pupils shrank in the widely opened golden eyes.
"Now you want me away?" Amity teased with a smirk, "Youʼre done… Amity," She said forcefully, and the green-haired version of herself stiffened.
"Wh-what…?" The Doppelgänger asked in shock.
"Look around," Amity asked, gesturing to the entirety of Mind Scapes, which were now illuminated mainly by a fuchsia glow, "You lost," She added, approaching the last few doors illuminated by the emerald glow, straightening the memories with a soft touch.
"N-no… I can't…" The Doppelgänger gulped nervously.
"Out of jokes? No more taunting? Not laughing anymore?" Amity approached her Bizarro self and looked at her with an intense gaze filled with understanding.
"Wh-what…?" The Inner Demon repeated, stuttering, trying to regain her composure and threatening facade.
"Stop," Amity interrupted, "Just stop," She asked, her voice getting softer with each passing second, "I know what you are now. I'm sorry it took me so long," She added, taking another step closer.
Amity looked at the green-haired witch standing before her and finally understood. She held the same frightened look she saw in the mirror while living with Odalia. She finally recognized herself.
"Amity," The lavender-haired witch said, "You are a part of me that was just as hurt by Odalia. You are the part of me who never found love and friendship…"
"Shut up!" The Doppelgänger exclaimed nervously, taking another step back.
"You tried to gain our mother's approval but were never good enough. We were never good enough," Amity continued, and she noticed how the other woman seemed to cower in defeat and fear.
"Stop…!" The Doppelgänger begged, her voice trembling.
"You tried to be her even though she sickened you. We tried to be her…" The Heiress continued.
"Shut up! I WAS good enough!" The green-haired woman roared, her voice shook, "You were the problem! You had to fall for that human!" She argued.
"You love her, too," Amity said softly. She clenched her fist on her chest, waiting for another surge of pain to subside, "You are worth love, too," She continued.
"Shut…" The Doppelgänger choked, tears glistening in her eyes.
"Shh…" Amity shocked the other woman, pulling her into a tight embrace, "Iʼm sorry you had to go through that pain," She said and soothed the green hair. The witch felt how her Doppelgänger trembled in the embrace, returning it reluctantly, "You didn't deserve any of it," She continued. She was surprised to realize the other woman hid her face in her hug and started crying, "She never deserved you as a daughter, and she hurt you as no mother should have…"
Amity continued her affirmative words, and the Doppelgänger kept crying, wailing like a child. The emerald glow in the Mind Scapes disappeared, and all of the Memory Doors were unblocked for the first time in her life.
"You deserve love, Amity," Amity whispered, and she could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks, "You never deserved to be treated the way your mother treated you," Her breathing hitched as the Heiress realized she was telling herself what she deserved to hear when she was just a witchling.
"I tried…" The Doppelgängerʼs voice became higher in pitch, and Amity pulled away.
The lavender-haired witch realized she was kneeling on the floor, hugging a seven-year-old, auburn-haired witchling who was crying her eyes out. Her ears were slanted in distress. Amity cleaned her face of snot and tears before she pulled her back into a tight embrace, soothing her back in a circular motion.
No matter how strange it felt to be hugging the younger version of herself, Amity gave all her heart into the embrace, soothing and reassuring the young witchlet of her worth. It was oddly freeing.
"You did all you could, and I'm proud of you, Amity," The lavender-haired witch whispered reassuringly, "You did the best you could given the situation you were in. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise," She continued.
"I'm sorry," The witchling sobbed, clenching her tiny fists, balling Amityʼs tunic, and pulling her closer.
"Shh, it's okay," Amity hushed, "It wasn't your doing."
"I hurt us…" The child choked.
"It's over now," Amity interrupted, pulling away and looking at her Inner Child, "We've been through a lot, but look at the memories we have. There are people who love us, who wait for us…" She paused when the auburn-haired Amity threw herself back into the embrace, shocking the Heiress, "It's okay…" She returned the hug. A few tears rolled down her cheeks, and a small smile decorated her face, "It's over now," She added.
They hugged, and before Amity realized it, her Inner Child disappeared with a bright emerald glow, turning into a glittering orb. The luminous ball of green glow entered her chest, becoming one with her, bringing all the emotions and memories she had lost over the years.
"Oh, fuck," Amity choked when she realized how much her chest had begun to hurt. She looked down and watched the light disappear inside her body, "Ahhhhh!" She fell to all fours and gasped for air.
"Don't give up!" Danielle's voice echoed across the Mind Scapes, and the witch yelled weakly.
"I… Can't…" Amity gasped and fell to the floor.
The Heiress rolled to her back. The lavender hair fanned around her head. She grabbed her chest, and fearfully, she noticed how out of breath she was. Amity did not even dare notice how the Mind Scapes became darker as she clenched her tunic harder.
"This can't be the end…" Amity thought with fear and regret, "I need to return to Luz…" Her mind continued. Tears escaped her eyes while her breathing slowed, and the surroundings became darker, "To Danielle… To Emira and Viney… To my family, my life…" She tried to force herself up but lost touch with her surroundings.
Her body became limp, and her chest stilled.
Everything became dark.
Luz woke up violently. She knew something was wrong. Despite being separated from Amity with two sets of magic-restricting walls, the human knew something terrible had happened. She tried to sit up in bed, but the pain and two sets of warm hands immediately stopped her.
"Huh?" Luz looked around the room, and she noticed Willow, Hunter, Gus, and Albert sitting beside her, "Tell me," She gulped, focusing her sight on Willow, "What happened to Amity? I feel that something is very wrong," She added in panic. The hazel-brown orbs roamed her friend frantically.
"Calm down, Luz," Willow helped her friend back to the bed, "You need to take it easy…"
"Ami…" Luz's eyes were still rushing across the room, "I feel something is wrong," She explained, but she missed how Hunter exchanged looks with Gus.
"How do you feel about getting something to eat?" Albert interrupted the silence, trying to keep his optimism, "You need strength to heal. Willow told us how your leg got thrashed again," Luz looked down at her thigh, and images of Boscha torturing her flooded her mind.
The triclops's smirking mask of madness blinded the human. She could feel how the metal rod found her leg over and over again as the witch tortured her, trying to take away the demon's magic for herself.
"Luz?" Gus poked his friend.
"Huh?" The human looked up in confusion.
"Albert asked you if you would mind if he helped you with your first meal?" He repeated, and Luz looked at Willow with a blank gaze.
"F-first meal?" Luz echoed, clearly confused.
"Luz?" Hunter tried to get the human's attention.
Luz was not listening to anyone. She was sure something was wrong. She knew she needed to act. Her fiancée was counting on her, and she was stuck in this bed, surrounded by people. This was unacceptable. Her breathing sped up. The human uncovered herself and rolled off the bed, trying to stand up.
"Luz!" Everyone exclaimed, but no one was quick enough to catch the woman before she fell to the floor.
"AAAAA!" The human writhed when the pain of broken bones paralyzed her.
"Luz, you idiot!" Willow ran toward her friend. She secured the brunette's head and helped her best friend through the pain, "Youʼre too weak. You need to be patient…"
"But…" Luz tried to speak up as the short witch helped her sit up.
"No buts, Luz," Willow said calmly, "Look at yourself," She gestured to her legs.
Luz reluctantly looked down and gulped, seeing how hurt she was. Her limbs were covered in plaster, bandages, and Healing Glyphs. Her chest erupted in pain, paralyzing her momentarily before she looked back at her friend.
"You've lost muscle mass. You were hurt, cut, broken…" Willow paused when she noticed Luz's panicked expression, "You need to take it easy," She added, and her voice and expression softened.
"Let us help you," Albert knelt by her other side, and once they did not receive any answer, they moved Luz back to bed.
"Is she going to be okay?" Hunter asked in a whisper once Luz was secure, seeing how out of touch she was.
"Eventually," Willow replied, helping her friend back to the pillows.
Luz's eyes were static, looking into the void, making everyone worried for her. Gus drew the spell circle and applied it to the human's mind. He ignored the looks everyone sent him and focused on the spell.
"It's okay, Luz," Gus whispered, and to everyone's relief, the hurt human closed her eyes and fell back asleep.
"Am-Amity…" Clawthorne let out a delicate mumble, and she was out a moment later.
"What did you do?" Hunter asked when Gus lifted his spell.
"I showed her one of the memories of her and Amity to calm her down," Gus explained, his ears slanted in anxiety.
"Good call," Hunter said, offering a small smile.
"Getting back won't be easy…" Albert noted.
"It never is," Gus added.
"But she'll make it," Hunter whispered.
"She always does," Willow agreed.
They all watched Luz sleep in silence. No one dared to say another word. They knew Amity was running out of time, but no one could even fathom that it was already too late. None of them would even think of the possibility that their friend just let out the last breath in the arms of her real mother, who was there for her until the very end.
Eda barged into Amityʼs room. Emira and Zariyah quickly followed. They had no idea what happened, but something must have triggered the Heiress to lose control like that. The Protection Spell was broken. The entire room was filled with a bright fuchsia aura so powerful that even Zariyah had trouble breathing.
Amity was releasing an indescribable amount of magic that lifted her arched-in-pain body. Only the restraints at her wrists and ankles were keeping her in bed. She kept screaming, snarling, presenting her fangs while her eyes teared down with abomination slime.
A weak cough dragged Eda from the horrific image. The witch quickly approached the suffocating human, and she scooped her off the floor. She left the room with a glance of understanding between her and Emira.
"No…" Danielle begged when they left, "Please, I need to be with her…" She explained, gasping for air, and the teary look she sent the witch broke Eda's heart.
"Dani…"
"Please, Eda…" Danielle pushed, and the witch could not deny her this favor. She knew she would want to be there for Luz if the roles were reversed.
"Fine," She agreed and helped her girlfriend to her feet, "Stay close to me," Eda added, placing a protection spell on Danielle before guiding her back into the room.
"What happened?" Emira asked when she noticed Danielle join them, covered in a slight golden glow.
"I talked to her… I touched her arm…" The human explained, still having trouble breathing. Ghost appeared on her shoulder and used her magic to protect her, too, "I seemed like she was hearing me like she tried to communicate," She added, noting a look the witches exchanged, "What is it?" She asked and looked at Eda, who looked aside, not wanting to be the one to bear the bad news, "Em?" The older Blight could not answer. Her slanted ears twitched, and her eyes filled with tears, looking away shamefully, "Zari, please…" She hoped anyone would explain what was happening.
"Dani," The half-demon whispered heavily, "She may have had days before, but at this rate…" She gestured to Amityʼs body, lifted in struggle, "She has hours, maybe a day," She explained, and Danielle covered her quivering lips and blinked rapidly to chase her tears away, "Iʼm sorry. There's nothing I, or anyone else, can do…" She added, and it was her turn to look away in shame and helplessness.
The silence that filled the room was unbearable. Only Amity's deafening screams and howls were heard, while neither Danielle nor Emira was ready to accept the lavender-haired witch's fate. The human looked at Eda and was surprised to see the golden eyes filled with tears, too.
"If she dies today, Luz won't even have a chance to say goodbye," Danielle noted with determination, clenching her fists, "I came to this world following my daughter. I promised her I would keep her safe," She walked past Emira and stood beside Amityʼs bed, taking in the view of the hurt woman.
Her unhealthily thin body was stiff against the restraints. The pained expression broke the human's heart as the abomination tears escaped the hurt eye and soaked the bandages covering the other one. Some slime traveled down the slanted, twitching, pointed ears before it dropped to the bed.
"Remove the restraints," Danielle said sternly.
"But…" Zariyah tried to oppose it.
"Do it!" The glare the human sent her made everyone suddenly fear the magic-less being.
Zariyah only nodded, and with a small spell circle, she removed the bindings. The moment Amityʼs limbs were free, the hurt witch released a pained roar. Her body slowly started to lift off the bed, but Danielle pulled her into a tight hug.
"Dani!" All three women behind her exclaimed in worry, afraid the human may hurt herself.
"Meow!" Ghost applied more magic to protect the human.
"Mija, I know you can hear me," Danielle ignored everything as she caressed the lavender hair and whispered reassuringly, "You need to come back to us, Bebé, please," She added and sniffled, pushing her heartbreak to the back of her head.
Danielle could not bear the sight of Amity's pain-filled expression. A quick thought that her mother would probably do the same if she had the magic passed through the human's mind before she refocused on her daughter.
"M-Mamá," Amity let out shakily. Her screams lost their power, and her glowing eyes fluttered weakly.
"Mittens?" Emira whispered in shock, not believing what the human achieved.
"I… Can't…" Amity gulped heavily, and her stiff body quivered deliriously.
"Yes, you can, Amity," Danielle continued, and she noticed that the witch's magic had started to subside. She did not know if it was a good or a bad thing, but she was not about to give up, "Youʼre brave and strong. You're kind and funny, and you have no idea how grateful I am for having you in my life…" She continued, tears rolling down freely.
"Is it working?" Emira whispered to the Mind Healer.
"It's either working or this is the end…" Zariyah replied, confused like never before.
"C-c-can't…" Amity stuttered, releasing a pained whimper.
Her expression slightly softened as she stopped screaming. Her magic constantly decreased in power, and her body slowly became heavier in Danielle's embrace. The human soothed the tired woman, wiping the abomination of her cheeks and lowering them to the floor.
"Don't give up…" Danielle begged, sobbing at the sight of Amity's exhaustion, the magic practically disappearing while the witch's breathing hitched, "No te rindas, Cariño," She repeated in her mother tongue, crying at the sight of the witch's slowing breathing, "Mija… Por favor…" Danielle whimpered as she hugged the limp body.
Amityʼs head fell back, forcing her jaw to part. The fuchsia glow disappeared from the golden eyes. They stopped blinking, and they dried, turning matt. Danielle secured the witchʼs head and pulled it up, resting it on her shoulder.
Amityʼs chest stopped expanding, and she let out her last breath in a wheezing whimper. The young Heiress sat on the floor immobile. Her hands and legs stopped moving, and her palms faced the ceiling. Her nails remained lengthened while her feet fell to the sides.
Ghost's magic disappeared, and the Palisman returned to her wooden-staff form. She fell hard to the ground with a hollowing echo, letting everyone know what had just happened to the young witch.
"No, no, no, no, Mija," Danielle cried hard, hugging the witch's upper body, not ready to say goodbye to the daughter she just found, "iMIJA!"
Emira fell to her knees, helplessness paralyzing her. The awareness that she had just become the last of the Blight family was too much for her. She always believed that her sister was heading toward her happy ending, that she was destined to make something good out of being the Blight Heiress.
"This cannot end like this!" Emira thought, covering her lips to muffle her panicked cry, "First Ed, then Dad, now you…" Tears rolled down her cheeks, and her slanted ears twitched nervously.
"No, no, no, this can't be real. How will I tell Luz? I promised to keep her safe!" Eda's breathing hitched when she slowly started comprehending what had happened, "I can't let it end that way!" She thought, but there was no denying the truth anymore.
Amity Blight was dead.