Amity felt relaxed as she looked out the window of the car while it drove. It was now Saturday, a few days after she had comforted Luz about her guilt. And while the human witch was getting better at forgiving herself for the incident during the full moon, she still felt a little guilty. So Amity suggested that they have another fun day to spend time with each other, and Luz agreed. The purple haired witch invited everyone else too as she felt they all needed a day off, especially Camila and Eda. They had officially taken charge of the wedding preparations. And unlike Hooty, who was determined but focused, they were getting a little too into the whole thing to the point where it was starting to become unhealthy. They needed something to take their minds off it for a bit, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so.
That's how everyone ended up in Camila's car on this warm early September day. They had decided to go to a lake about an hour's drive from Gravesfield, as Luz had not been to the human realm since she was bitten. The human witch was a little hesitant at first, but Eda was quick to remind her that she had a better grip on her curse now than she did before, and that she was very unlikely to blow her cover to anyone. Even if she did, she had her medicine on standby, and Gus would cast an illusion spell so no one would see her. This made Luz relax, and she soon found herself looking forward to this day along with everyone else.
Before long, the lake came into view, and it was beautiful to say the least. The water was almost as still as glass, and the sun reflecting off of it gave it a nice shine as well. Since school had not yet started for a lot of people, there was a decent crowd on the beach either sunbathing or taking a swim. There were also a handful of boats on the water with people fishing. It was a great spot for a family to have a relaxing day.
"Oh yeah." Luz said as she got out of the car and stretched. "This place is perfect! Thanks for bringing us here, mom!"
"You're welcome, Mija." Camila said with a smile. "What are you going to do first?"
"I'm gonna get in the water straight away! What about you, Amity?"
"I'm just gonna relax and tan for a little while." The purple haired witch said. "In fact, can you help me apply my sunscreen?"
She added a wink to that last part, which made Luz blush, and the others to chuckle. The human witch didn't mind though. If anyone thought she would pass up an opportunity to apply sunscreen to her fiancé's back, then they got another thing coming.
She went the extra mile with it too, taking the opportunity to give Amity a massage as she applied the lotion. The purple haired witch let out a hum of delight as she did. This was heaven for both of them, and a similar noise from Vee indicated she and Masha felt the same way.
The latter and Luz couldn't help but smile and give each other a high five.
"We both hit the jackpot." Masha said.
"You got that right." Luz replied.
Amity and Vee chuckled and rolled their eyes.
"You guys are so immature." The basilisk said.
"Admit it, Vee." The purple haired witch said. "We can be just as bad."
"And yet you wouldn't have it any other way." Luz said as she kissed her cheek, causing her to sigh dreamily.
"No. No I wouldn't."
….
Luz, Masha, Gus, and Hunter all laughed as they splashed around in the lake and threw water at each other while everyone else relaxed in the sand, taking in the sun's rays and chatting amongst each other. It just felt right, like this is how things should be. They should be happy and enjoying every moment with each other, just like how things were before Luz became a werewolf. It gave hope that maybe things could go back to the way things were. That was something they would think about at another time however. Right now, they just wanted to relax and enjoy their day.
"It's too bad King couldn't come with us." Willow said. "He would have loved this place."
"Yeah." Raine said. "I feel bad for him. Unlike us, he can't do anything in the human realm without raising some eyebrows. Even we have to take precautions to blend in."
"Definitely. I'm glad Gus got us these concealment pendants from the market. It makes blending in a lot easier."
"I agree." Amity said. "Don't get me wrong, I don't mind wearing a bandana on my head at all. It's just not ideal for a beach day."
"No it ain't." Eda said. "Your whole body deserves to bathe in that lovely warmth from the sun."
"Amen." Vee said as she put her arms behind her head. "That's especially good for me, being cold blooded and all."
"Why did you need sunscreen anyway?" Camila asked. "I thought you couldn't get sunburnt?"
The basilisk shook her head. "I don't, but that wouldn't exactly look normal in public. Gotta blend in like Raine said. And when push comes to shove, I can just make myself look burnt."
"Ah, good thinking." Her mother replied. "Goodness, I don't think there's anything you can't do with your shape shifting."
"It hasn't failed me yet! It's also pretty handy at making me look good. I can just decide on what shirt I want to wear, and boom! Instant getup!"
"I'm thankful for that too. It saves me a lot of money, especially around the holidays."
Vee suddenly sat up and turned around. "Oh, that reminds me. It's September now, and that means Halloween is coming up. I was thinking we could all attend the Halloween festival in Gravesfield this year. We haven't gone since Amity and the others got stuck here a while back."
"Hey, that's not a bad idea." The purple haired witch said. "Luz was talking to me about using her powers to dress up not that long ago."
Eda snorted. "Of course she did. I like it though. It would make for one hell of a getup. She would win any costume contest, that's for sure."
"I'm not sure if Luz should do that." Raine said. "I know the whole idea is to dress up and all, but wouldn't she still stand out among the others?"
Camila shook her head. "Maybe, but not in the way you think. Movies in the human realm can do wonders with makeup and special effects. People will just think it's something like that, as long as Luz doesn't overdo it. I don't think she should have her tail out though."
Vee sighed. "Definitely not. I don't want her to have the experience I had last year, and that was just with one or two trick or treaters. Can you imagine going to a festival with dozens of kids?"
Willow giggled. "Oh titan, that might just cause Luz to wolf out."
"It just might." Eda chuckled. "It would make me lose my cool, that's for sure."
"What would?"
Everyone turned to see Luz, who had gotten out of the water to dry off and rejoin them.
Amity smiled. "Kids annoying her on Halloween. We were talking about maybe going to the festival this year. What do you think?"
The human witch smiled back. "Oh, that would be awesome! We haven't gone there in forever! And this time, it will be with a hundred percent less Belos!"
Her smile suddenly faded slightly. "Wait, it's not during a full moon, is it?"
That was a good point. If there was a full moon that night, it would throw a wrench in the whole plan. Camila took out her phone and scrolled through a few meteorologist sites to check the lunar cycle before shaking her head with a sigh of relief.
"Nope, it's going to be a half moon. You'll be fine."
"Yes! When is it gonna happen?"
"October twenty ninth all the way to the thirty first."
"Awesome! I'll go tell the others about it!"
She sprinted back to the lake and jumped in, only to surface a second later gagging in disgust.
"Ack! I got a fish in my mouth!"
Everyone burst out laughing.
….
Hunter, Gus and Masha were all on board with going to the Halloween festival when Luz pitched the idea to them, and from that point it was as simple as Camila putting the date on her calendar to set it in stone. The human witch was very much looking forward to it. Halloween had always been her favorite holiday, and this year she would be going without needing to worry about any looming threats or getting her friends back to the Demon Realm. This year, she can just have a good time with her family.
Yes, there was the matter of her curse, but she was getting better at controlling it now, and it wasn't going to be a full moon that night either. Plus, she would have her medicine on her just in case, so she really wasn't too concerned about it.
"You thinking about what you want to go as?"
The human witch snapped out of her thoughts and turned to her fiancé who was giving her a smile. They couple were currently walking along the beach hand in hand as they wanted to have some alone time.
"A little." Luz said. "I'm trying to decide how I want to use my powers. Should I go as myself, a werewolf, or should I be something different and use only a little of my powers for detail?"
Amity pursed her lips as she pondered this. This was surprisingly a good question. It was clear her fiancé wanted to use her powers in some way. The question was how.
It took her a minute to come up with an answer. "I think you should just be yourself for this. Lycanthropes are really popular for Halloween anyway, and it would be a good way to apply the things you've learned so far."
Luz nodded. "Yeah, that's a good point. How do you think I should do it? Like, how much of myself should I transform?"
"Well, obviously don't go too crazy. You don't want people to suspect that you're a real lycanthrope. You need to give the impression you're someone dressing up as one."
"I agree. Hmmm, maybe I should go for an old school look. You know, just a hairy person with big teeth."
Amity giggled. "You'd have to make that look just right. Otherwise you'll look silly."
Luz gave a flirty smile. "Don't you mean cute? Don't make me bring out my tail to remind you."
She wiggled her eyebrows as she said this, causing Amity to blush and playfully smack her arm. "You're such a pig."
"Uh uh, wrong animal."
"You know what I mean!"
The couple laughed as they continued walking. Even though it would make them fluster, they enjoyed moments like this. It reminded them of how much they truly loved each other.
It was about to be even better when Luz suddenly stopped and lifted her head, her super senses picking up on something.
"You see something?" Amity asked.
"I hear something." The human witch replied. "It sounds like a bird is coming towards us. A big one."
A few seconds after she said that, the source of the noise appeared over their heads. It had a wingspan of about seven feet, with feathers that were dark brown on its body, and pure white on its head and tail. Its head also had a strongly hooked beak that was yellow in color, and its talons glistened in the light, even from high in the sky. The couple gasped in awe as they recognized the animal.
It was a bald eagle.
"Woah." Luz said. "I've seen those on TV, but I've never actually seen one in person."
"It's beautiful…" Amity trailed off.
Once it reached the lake, the large raptor started making circles, keeping a close eye on the water. It didn't take long for the couple to realize it was looking for fish to catch.
After a few moments, it began to focus intently at one specific spot. Something had definitely caught its attention. It began to soar down to the water with incredible speed. But despite that, it maintained full control of its body and movements, and never once lost focus as it sped towards its target. The second it reached the surface of the lake, it thrusted its talons out and plunged them into the water before pulling out a large trout in its grip. From that point on, it was as simple as flying back to where it came with its catch.
The couple stood there slack jawed for a moment. They couldn't believe what they had just seen.
"That was awesome!" Luz shouted. "Did you see how fast it went?!"
"Oh my titan, yes!" Amity replied. "It did it so smoothly too, like it had done that a thousand time! It probably has now that I think about it!"
"I know, right?! It's probably a pro at catching fish! You think it will come back?"
"I hope so! Those things are so cool!"
Luz nodded and turned to where the eagle had come from, a huge smile on her face. She was in awe of course, but she was also very happy, and not just because she got to see the magnificent predator hunt.
She turned back to her fiancé and spoke again. "You know, Native Americans see eagles as a symbol of strength and courage."
Amity's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yeah. I don't know if what we just saw was a coincidence or not, but I'll still take it as a sign."
The purple haired witch smiled widely and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "I agree, because you are the strongest and bravest person I've ever met."
The couple just held each other as they admired the clear blue sky the eagle had soared through, and it would be a while before they would walk back to join the others.
