Time… Space… Reality…
It's more than just a linear path. It's like a… prism…
Say, this is a bit earlier than usual, is it? Well, the powers that be have found another timeline. Another story to tell, a story… of Emily Tricks.
I am the Guardian, appearing from your computer screen, I'm about to show you a new reality I have foresaw. A reality that branches from one possibility.
Follow me… and ponder the question… What If…?
Emily Tricks, the one you know, the one you learned to hate and then grew to love, was the Glandus Queen.
Glandus was very important to Emily, as it was at that school that she met Glinda, Nina, Tito, and Cain, witches that would become very important in her life.
Glandus was also what pushed her into becoming a more cutthroat and ruthless witch. What made her, for a time, one of the most despised witches in the eyes of the Isles. Glandus had a huge impact on her, both for good and for bad…
But what if Emily didn't go to Glandus? What if the Tarot Guild had her sent to a different school instead?
What if… Emily Tricks went to St. Epiderm?
Up on the Knee, in front of the familiar fortress building, there was Emily Tricks, dressed in her uniform for her new school… St. Epiderm.
It was her first day.
'It's so cold up here, how does everyone still managed to keep warm here?' Emily thought as she walked through the gates and entered the school. Her St. Epiderm uniform had light blue sleeves and leggings and black boots. As she walked down the hallway, she noticed the students walking past her while talking amongst themselves, paying her little heed. Already she felt out of place, since they all knew where to go and what they were doing here, while Emily had started her time at St. Epiderm later than most…
"Pardon me, but are you Ms. Tricks?"
She turned around and saw a young Danny Dilburn, looking a few years younger than he did in the current timeline.
"Um, yeah," Emily replied. "That's me."
Danny nodded. "I saw that you seem a bit lost," he told Emily. "No worries, that's why I am here. To be your guide here in the greatest school in the Boiling Isles," he said, his voice beaming with pride. "The student council president assigned me to you personally."
"Oh," Emily said. "I was… kinda hoping she would be here to welcome me herself."
"She is very busy, unfortunately," Danny told her. "But I can assure you that she sent only the best in her place. My name is Danny Dilburn."
"Emily Tricks," Emily greeted him politely, offering her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Danny."
"And it's very nice to meet you too, Ms. Tricks," Danny responded, shaking her hand. "St. Epiderm is happy to have you."
Emily smiled. "Thank you," she said as Danny led her down the hall. "I understand that my late enrollment into St. Epiderm is a bit… unusual."
"Not at all," Danny said as he gave the tour around the school, showing her the different rooms and facilities.
Emily nodded politely along during the tour, but eventually came to a stop in front of a large mural. "What is that?" she asked.
Danny turned to look at the mural. "Oh, that is our way of honoring the Coven Heads who have attended this school," he said. "It is one of the reasons why we take so much pride in our school." He pointed to the images of Weevil Vitimir, Ulrich Hammers, Delara Saltstar, Scooter Crane, Staggertarius Atos, Osran Pawcules, and Olive Slick. "All of these Coven Heads graduated from St. Epiderm, who helped them become the esteemed witches they are today, and I have high hopes that our students will continue to carry this tradition as such."
Emily stared in awe at the mural.
"You want to be one of them one day, don't you?" Danny asked Emily.
"Well, maybe not a Coven Head," Emily admitted. "But it is my dream to join the Emperor's Coven…"
"Mine too," Danny said with an eager grin. "Or, at the very least, some kind of position in the government. And St. Epiderm is the best place to make that happen. Much better than Hexside and especially better than Glandus…"
Emily winced a little at this. "I… almost attended Glandus," she admitted.
Danny turned to stare at Emily in shock. "You did?" he asked in quiet horror.
Emily nodded. "Look, I don't know how much your student president told you about me, but I'm not from a prestigious or well-off family," Emily admitted. "I… was born in Latissa."
This surprised Danny. "Latissa? That armpit? Oh… that's surprising."
"Yeah, I know," she replied with a sigh. "My… guardian wanted me to have a proper education to increase my chances of getting into the Emperor's Coven, so they pulled a few strings and managed to get me here. It's, um, not going to be a problem, is it?"
Danny was quiet for a few moments, still getting over his shock due to Latissa's… reputation. "Oh, no problem at all," Danny said with a strained smile. "I mean, sure, St. Epiderm used to be a private school for only the wealthiest and most upper-class witches, but more recently our headmistress has decided that our school should be open for all students with great potential, not just the students whose family could afford our tuition, which is why we have begun to offer scholarship programs."
"You must've had a shortage of students who aren't rich kids," Emily joked while Danny just sighed.
"Well, most of the rich kids in the Isles now either have private tutors or are being sent to different schools like Hexside or, ugh, Hogwash," Danny said, grimacing at the mention of Hogwash. "Oh, here we are at your track room."
Emliy looked up at the door to the classroom, which showed the same color as on her sleeves, indicating that it was the Illusions Trackroom. She nodded and turned to Danny. "Thank you for helping me, Danny," she told him.
"Of course, Ms. Tricks," Danny responded. "I will let the student council president know that you got to your track room with no incident."
"And let her know that I want to see her when she is free," Emily requested.
Danny nodded. "I'll do that too," he said. "Welcome to St. Epiderm, Ms. Tricks. I hope you enjoy yourself here."
And with that, Danny walked away. Emily stood at the entrance to the classroom for a moment, then strode inside.
Meanwhile, in front of their lockers, Tabrella Diamantos was hanging with her friends… the Shallows.
"Girls, you're not going to believe what I've heard!" Scarlota shouted as she walked up to the girls. "We have a new student in the Illusions Track. Her name is Emily Tricks!"
"Emily Tricks?" Britt questioned. "I don't recognize that name. What family is she from?"
"Oh, I heard about her. Apparently, she's this up-and-coming illusionist from Latissa," Scarlota revealed, which shocked the girls.
"Latissa?!" Juniper exclaimed. "Are you saying she's from the bad side of the Isles?"
"Since when does this school allow Latissa trash to attend with the rest of us?" Sharon asked while crossing her arms.
"This school has really let itself go," Tabrella said with a sigh while getting her stuff out of the locker. "Are we really at the point where they allow ruffians like this… Tricks girl into the most esteemed and prestigious school of the Isles?"
"You mean, what was formerly the most prestigious school of the Isles," Sienna corrected while adjusting her glasses. "It's official, they'll let anyone into this school."
"I wonder how she will end up doing," Scarlota said while leaning against the lockers. "I mean, we've never gotten a Latissa student in St. Epiderm before. Usually those kids are enrolled in Glandus. Headmistress Midday must think she is something special…"
"In Glandus, she might have actually had a chance," Sharon said, her tone suddenly chirpy before becoming cynical. "But here, she'll be forgettable at best and a complete joke at worst."
"Especially since she's an illusionist, I doubt she'll have any chance of becoming popular with those parlor tricks," Juniper said. "Heh, parlor… hey, maybe her name should be Paula Tricks?"
"Write it down so we'll have our name-calling pitch for later," Britt said. "But yeah, with her background and her Track, there is no chance of her becoming popular. This school is going to eat her alive."
"It is… almost tragic," Tabrella said. "I mean, she is only here as a charity case. It makes one almost want to help her out."
"Please, she is already a helpless case," Britt said. "Not even you could make a Latissa girl popular, 'Brella."
"Um, excuse me?" Tabrella asked, feeling her pride a bit wounded. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Come on, 'Brella, that wasn't meant to be a personal attack," Juniper pointed out. "I mean, you're like one of the best and most aspiring fashionistas of this school. But even your abilities have limits."
"Oh please," Tabrella said, straightening up. "I bet that if I wanted to I could change the outlook of an uncouth and unruly Latissa thug, transforming her into the most enchanting and attention drawing witch of our school."
"That so?" Britt asked with a smile. "Then how about you prove it? We can make a betting pool out of it."
Tabrella was surprised by this. "Just because I can do it, doesn't mean I want to," she said. "I have better uses of my time then-"
"So you're all talk then?" Britt asked with a smirk, getting on Tabrella's nerves.
"Fine," Tabrella said with a sigh. "If you really have that little faith in my talents, I would be happy to prove you wrong. What are we betting here?"
"How about… whoever wins the bet, becomes the other's servant for the rest of the year," Britt suggested.
"Alright, and the rest of you?" Tabrella asked the other Shallows. "Who is betting that I can make Emily popular in the end?" she asked as she had her hand up, but she noticed that none of the Shallows raised their hand up. "Um… all who doubt me?"
Britt, Sienna, Sharon, Scarlota, and Juniper all raised their hands up. "Doubted."
"Well then… I guess I'll gain more servants to help me with my books then," Tabrella declared confidently.
Britt scoffed. "You wish, 'Brella…"
In the Illusion Trackroom, one of St. Epiderm's professors was about to start his lesson, but first he wanted to take a moment to introduce Emily to the rest of the class.
"Would you like to introduce yourself, Ms. Tricks?" asked the goat biped teacher with brown fur, blue horns, glasses, and an Illusionist robe.
"Um, yeah," Emily responded, standing up from her desk. She looked around at the rest of the class, a bit awkwardly. "I'm Emily Tricks, I'm new here… and I'm from Latissa," she told them, pausing at the last bit of information. She could already hear whispering amongst her new classmates when they heard about her being from Latissa.
"Is there anything else you'd like to share-"
"No, I'm good, Prof. Yoomis," Emily quickly responded as she sat down, trying to block out the whispering that was going on around her.
"Very well," Professor Yoomis replied with a nod. He looked around at his students. "Now, we mustn't look down upon Ms. Tricks for being from Latissa," he told them, silencing the whispering going on. "After all, Ms. Tricks was not able to choose her upbringing. But she can choose what to do with her talents. And a great illusionist can come from anywhere. Unfortunately, many witches of the Isles hold illusionists to… lesser standards than other witches. But just as we don't let their judgment of us bring us down, we mustn't let our judgment of others bring them down. We all have that spark of imagination. We are the masters of the mind, and when we set our minds to it, we can make it appear that reality bends to our will!" he told dramatically before clearing his throat. "Now let's get started on our lessons…"
"What is an easy way to tell an illusion from the real thing?" Yoomis asked at one point during his lesson. He saw Emily raising her hand up. "Yes, Ms. Tricks."
"The lighting and the shadow," Emily answered. "With the best illusionists, this isn't a problem, since they know to take this into account. But when an illusionist does take the lighting into account, it can make their illusion obvious if you know what to look for. They may not have a shadow or if they do it is more faded. And their appearance may be more transparent from the way that the light reflects off of it."
"That is correct, Ms. Tricks!" Yoomis declared.
In another class, Emily, along with her fellow classmates, were instructed to show off their illusions. Yoomis was overseeing their performance.
"Good, keep up the good work," Yoomis said with a nod to a student who made a duplicate of themselves. He went over to another student, only to find another Yoomis looking at him. "Ah, I see you've been practicing your disguise spell, um…"
"Riley, sir," spoke the Yoomis clone, the illusion poofing away to reveal Riley Strange, minus the cape and the gloves, standing there. "Riley Strange."
"Ah! Of course, you got me there, Riley," Yoomis said with a chuckle. "Good job,"
"Thank you," Riley said proudly as Yoomis moved on to the next student.
Eventually, Yoomis got to Emily. "Let's see what you got, Emily."
Emily drew a spell circle, casting a simple illusion of a flock of seagulls that flew around the room. Yoomis gave a nod. "This is quite good, Ms. Tricks."
"I'm not done yet, sir," Emily said, pointing to the seagulls.
As the seagulls flew around the room… the room began to change around them until it resembled a beach, much to the shock of the other students as the seagulls squawked overhead. However, this only lasted a few moments before fading away, the beach turning back into the classroom.
Emily frowned. "I was hoping that would last longer," she confessed.
"Hmm, that was very impressive," Yoomis praised Emily. "Although… you don't have to try so hard to show off, Ms. Tricks."
Emily was about to protest. "Sir, I-"
"You don't need to prove that you belong here, Ms. Tricks," Yoomis said. "And you certainly don't need to overexert yourself. Sometimes a simple illusion is just as effective as a complicated illusion." He then smiled. "But it was still very nice. Just maybe work on maintaining smaller illusions for longer before trying something as big as that."
"Yes, sir," Emily replied with a nod. "And thank you, sir."
Later in her class, Emily was studying when she noticed a blinking arrow pop up on the page she was reading. Confused, she turned to look in the direction that the arrow was pointing in and she saw Riley sitting next to her.
"Hi," Riley said with a smile. "Do I have your attention?"
"You do now," Emily responded. "You… weren't sitting next to me before."
"Yeah, I called in a few favors to change desks," Riley said. "I wanted to sit closer to you."
"Oh," Emily said, a bit surprised. "Um, you did a… great job with the disguise spell earlier."
"Thanks, same with you and the seagulls and the beach," Riley replied while offering their hand to her. "Riley Strange, they/them, future master of illusions."
"Emily Tricks," she replied, shaking Riley's hand. "I am… surprised you wanted to move closer to me."
"Because of where you live?" Riley asked with a scoff. "Professor Yoomis is right. You're no different than any other student here. I mean, it's just as the ghost of my grandma who lives with me once said: 'when you cut a witch open, we all bleed the same.' Know what I'm saying?"
"I… think," Emily said, though she found the metaphor a bit disturbing. "Wait, your… grandmother's spirit still roams in your home?"
"Yeah, not even low cholesterol would let her pass on," Riley said.
Later on, the bell screamed and both Emily and Riley left their classroom together.
"So you know Danny?" Emily asked Riley.
"Yeah," Riley confirmed with a nod. "Oh, by the way, would you open for a lunch hang? My gal pal, Sarah, called in sick and Danny said he would be too busy helping out the student council president, so…?"
"Yeah, I'd like that," Emily replied with a smile.
At lunch, Emily was looking around the cafeteria for Riley. Of course, it wasn't hard to find them, since she saw them surrounded with glowing arrows pointing at their table.
"Right here! Saved a seat for ya!" Riley shouted as Emily walked over to the table.
"Thanks, Riley," Emily responded as Riley's illusions disappeared. "You, um, sure do like to show off a lot."
"Well, if you're good at something, you should show it," Riley said as they ate their mashed toes. "It's why everyone in school calls me the greatest showoff of St. Epiderm. Not a bad title, actually, if you can own it."
"I can see that," Emily said as she ate her food.
"So what can you tell me about yourself, Emi?" Riley asked her. "I mean, you kinda came out of nowhere. The only thing I could find is that you are a talented illusionist from Latissa and you and the student council president apparently go back a bit. At least, according to Danny that is."
"Yeah, that is true…" Emily said as she looked down at her food, thinking about what she should tell her new potential friend about her home life. She obviously couldn't tell them about the Boss or the Tarot Guild or probably even Sonya. "Growing up in Latissa was… difficult," she admitted, deciding to keep the details vague if possible. "I only survived because I was talented and… useful. Eventually, I was able to move up in the world. I got a scholarship here and I even have an apartment in Metropelvis."
"You live by yourself?" Riley asked. "What about your folks?"
"Oh, um… I got here thanks to my sister and my dad," Emily admitted. "And they trust me to take care of myself."
"Oh? A sister?" Riley noted. "What is she like?"
"Well… she's my older sister," Emily said. "She's in the Beast-Keeping Coven and a lot of her focus is on her work and her research. But… she was always there for me, when we were growing up together. And she really wants me to succeed here."
"She sounds cool," Riley commented.
"Yeah, she is very cool," Emily agreed.
"What about your dad?" Riley asked her.
Emily briefly hesitated. "He's, um… a businessman," she said. "He was the one who took me in."
"Took you in?" Riley asked before they realized what she meant. "Oh… so you're…?"
"Adopted, yeah," Emily responded while looking down. "My sister too. Her parents died in an accident when she was young. My birth parents were… wild witches that abandoned me."
"Oh," Riley said, looking sympathetic for Emily. "I'm so sorry to hear that."
"It's… it was years ago," Emily told them, shaking her head. "But enough about me, what about you? What can you tell me about yourself, Riley?" she asked, wanting to change the subject.
"Well, if you wish to know about me, I came from two Healers," Riley said. "My dad's a surgeon and my mom does research on curses."
"Curses?" Emily asked them.
"Oh yeah, she even wrote a book about them," Riley explained. "I thought I would get into Healing like them, but I think Illusions fit me better. I mean, yeah Healing does have its practical use, but I'd like to follow my calling, you know?"
"Yeah, I get that," Emily responded. "So what else can you-"
"Riley, darling!" Tabrella shouted as she suddenly appeared behind them. "So nice to see you! And with a new friend, I see."
"Uh, yeah," Riley said, surprised to see Tabrella at their table. They were even more surprised when Tabrella sat down between them and Emily, turning to the latter.
"Greetings! My name is Tabrella Diamantos," Tabrella introduced herself to Emily. "Yes, that Diamantos." She clapped her hands together. "And you must be the new girl, this Emily Trick that I've been hearing about, correct?"
"Y-Yeah," Emily responded, taken aback by her over-friendliness. "It's nice to meet-"
"Well, I'm glad that we've introduced ourselves to each other," Tabrella replied, keeping her eyes on Emily. "As a prestigious student of St. Epiderm, I believe that it's my job to represent the school by greeting new students and making sure that they feel welcome."
"Since wh-" Riley started to say before they were cut off by Tabrella.
"And you do feel welcome, don't you, dear?" Tabrella asked.
"Oh, um, yeah. Thanks," Emily responded to Tabrella.
"Is this really all you're here for?" Riley asked Tabrella. "Cause I don't think-"
"Excellent!" Tabrella shouted, ignoring Riley. "So tell me, Emily, are rumors true?"
"Uh, which rumors?" Emily asked, a bit nervously.
"The rumors that you're from, um, Latissa, is it?" Tabrella asked her.
"Oh," Emily said, looking down. "Yeah, that's true…"
"Oh, it must've been dreadful, you must be having a hard time adjusting here," Tabrella said with an overly sympathetic tone. "If only you had someone to help you." Riley was trying to speak up, but Tabrella continued. "Say, perhaps I could help you!"
"I appreciate that, but it isn't ne-" Emily tried to say.
"First, a word of warning," Tabrella said to Emily. "I know that this is your first day here, but you should be aware that in a school like St. Epiderm, some students here don't take kindly to, um… commoners in the school."
"Wait, that's-" Riley began to say before they were interrupted again by Tabrella.
"And unfortunately, that does put you at the bottom of the social ladder here, though not by any fault of your own," Tabrella declared as she scooted closer to Emily, hanging her arm around her shoulder. "And you don't want that, do you? After all, don't you want to get ahead in life, Emily? Don't you want to stand tall and have everyone in school look at you as if you are the biggest star in St. Epiderm?"
"Well… I guess that would be nice," Emily admitted.
"Then you're lucky to have met me!" Tabrella declared. "I am the most prominent fashionista witch of St. Epiderm. I know which is in or out, like these nails are so in season," she said as she showed her nails, which were white claws. "And as a Construction Tracker, I know how to find the diamonds in the rough, and I am sure you are just a piece of coal that can be turned into a diamond. I can help you, Emily."
"Really?" Emily asked in surprise, not expecting this.
"Of course! After all, I wouldn't be generous if I don't offer to help my new classmate who desperately needs it," Tabrella told Emily. "Why, stick with me, and I can help you become the most popular witch of St. Epiderm all the way through graduation!"
"Oh, that's… good to know," Emily replied before glancing at Riley, who was eyeing Tabrella with a skeptical look…
After lunch, Emily and Riley walk down the hall as they talk about what just happened.
"So… Tabrella," Emily brought up. "She seems… eccentric."
"Yeah, totally a socialite," Riley said while rolling their eyes. "I'd be careful around her, Emily. I don't think you should trust her easily."
"Why? Is she a bad egg?" Emily asked them.
"Worst, she's an elitist," Riley said. "She along with her clique, the Shallows, are from very well-off families, and I should tell you now that they're some of the most unpleasant witches to be around with."
"Really? But Tabrella seems harmless," Emily figured.
"Yeah, but I doubt she has pure intentions," Riley states. "She's probably up to something…"
"You think I'm some sort of pet project to her?" Emily asked.
"Most likely, but I'll tell you now, Ems, you're too good for someone like her," Riley told her.
"Thanks," Emily said. "But honestly, I think she'll eventually just get bored of me and move on. After all, why would a witch like her want to hang out with Latissa trash?"
"You're not trash, Emily," Riley assured her. "You have just as much of a right to be here as everyone else."
Emily smiled at them. "Thanks, Riley."
And so, throughout the week, Emily split her time between going to class and hanging out with her new friends…
In one of her classes, Emily was reading a book while her teacher was giving a lecture and asking questions.
"Who can tell me the best way to treat Common Mold?" the teacher asked as he turned to Emily. "Ms. Tricks?"
Emily looked up from her book. "Oh, um just keep your head dry, and it'll last about two days at most until you grow mushrooms from your head," she said while setting her book down.
"Correct!" the teacher responded.
Later, Emily found Riley in front of their locker with their friend.
"Hey, Emily, guess who just got back from her sick days," Riley said as they pointed to Sarah, who was behind him.
"Hi, you must be this Emily I've been hearing about," Sarah greeted her.
"Nice to meet you, you must be Sarah Atos," Emily responded, shaking her hand. "Riley told me that you are the daughter of-"
"The former Potions Head Staggertarius Atos? Yeah, I'm his kid," Sarah responded, proudly. "And pretty much the top of Potions here."
"I'm so glad you two could finally meet, cause you've been out sick for a while, Sarah," Riley pointed out. "What did you catch?"
"Oh you know, Common Mold," Sarah said with a shrug.
"Shouldn't that have only lasted a few days?" Emily asked. "Riley said you were sick for like a week."
"I guess it just affected me differently," Sarah said before changing the subject. "So what can you tell me about yourself, Emily?"
In another class, Emily stood up to read a passage from her assigned reading
"'And the old scout marched forth to deliver her final vow, that as long as the Knee stood above the rest of the Isles, no one shall break forth St. Epiderm's fortress,'" Emily read the book. "'And that's when Jovain passed.'"
The teacher sniffed and wiped away a tear. "Well done, Ms. Tricks. Well done…"
Emily was in the library doing some studying when she felt a tap on her shoulder.
"Emily, there you are," Tabrella said, causing Emily to look up at her.
"Oh, um, hey Tabrella-"
"Come with me, I want us to hang out," Tabrella said, pulling Emily out of her seat and dragging her away. "After all, we can't chat in a place like the library, can we?"
Emily looked confused while being pulled away. "Um, what kind of chat?"
"Why, the kind of chat where we get to know each other more," Tabrella said while locking her arm around Emily's arm. "You know, since I've taken a special interest in you."
"Oh, um… sure, I guess that wouldn't hurt" Emily replied as Tabrella led her out of the library.
Later, Emily was meeting up with Riley again, this time to show them her new Palisman.
"You got a new Palisman?" Riley asked her.
"Yeah, my older sister gave him to me," Emily said as the winged-monkey Palisman, Baum, hopped up onto her shoulder. "Meet Baum,"
"Well, it's nice to meet you Baum," Riley said with a smile as they brought up their own Palisman. "And this here is my Palisman, Buster."
Buster the beagle Palisman looked over at Baum and gave small barks at the monkey Palisman. Baum flew over to greet Buster, who took a whiff at him before licking Baum's face.
"Hey, looks like Baum's already made a friend with my Busty," Riley pointed out.
"Yeah, looks like it," Emily replied with a smile as the two witches watched their Palismen befriend one another.
Later, Tabrella was hanging out with her friends under the bleachers.
"Really? He released a bunch of griffin-crows from their pen?!" Tabrella asked Sienna, who was covered in feathers.
"Yeah, that Beocrow kid is strange," Sienna replied, brushing the feathers off of her. "He's actually somehow related to Head Witch Lilith, believe it or not."
"I still don't understand why you're in Beast-Keeping anyway," Scarlota said.
"Hey, guess who I see," Juniper said, interrupting Sienna before she could reply. "It's your new best friend, Tabby."
The Shallows turned and see Emily walking past the bleachers.
"Well?" Britt asked mockingly. "Aren't you going to go say hello to her? Or are you ready to admit defeat and call off the bet?"
Tabrella shot Britt a quick glare before she looked back over at Emily and sighed. "Excuse me," she said while walking away from her friends and heading toward Emily, recomposing herself and putting on a huge smile before she reached the green-skinned girl. "Oh Emily~!"
As they watched her go, the rest of the Shallows couldn't help but snicker at this.
One day, after school, Emily and Tabrella were at the mall together.
"Oh, now this would be perfect!" Tabrella said after trying out some perfume. She went over to Emily, who was carrying their shopping bags, and held up the perfume to her. "Smell this, Emily, frog's breath perfume is so in," she said while spraying it around Emily.
Emily coughed. "Titan… this stuff stings through your nostrils, don't you think?" she asked, wiping her eyes.
"I think this one's a keeper," Tabrella said.
"You know, I thought we would be studying together when you invited me to hang with you after school, Tabrella," Emily reminded her.
"Ugh, Emily, you have to set your priorities straight," Tabrella told her. "There are more important things than good grades."
"…like what?" Emily asked.
"Like actually enjoying the moment instead of thinking only of the future," Tabrella pointed out. "Right now, you're here with me. The two of us are spending time together, bonding. Why not enjoy it? And good grades aren't the only thing that will get you into the Emperor's Coven. You know what else will get into the Emperor's Coven?"
"What?" Emily asked.
"Building connections," Tabrella answered. "Like a friendship with the heir to the Diamantos family, who regularly work with the Emperor's Coven. Sure, you can try to get into the Emperor's Coven on your own merits. But it also helps to have the right friends, doesn't it? And it helps to have these friends when you're actually in the Emperor's Coven as well."
Emily opened her mouth to protest, but realized that Tabrella was right. Especially since it was Emily's connections that allowed her to get into St. Epiderm in the first place. She stared at Tabrella in surprise. "You're… surprisingly politically savvy."
"I'm a Diamantos, darling," Tabrella said with a smile. "Of course I am. Believe me, you can learn a lot from me."
"Yeah," Emily said, nodding in agreement. "I think I can," she said before she started coughing when Tabrella tried out more perfume.
"And here we are!" Tabrella declared after she and Emily flew down with their staffs, landing in front of Tabrella's home.
Emily looked up at the large building before her, staring at it in awe. "Nice place…"
"Thank you, now follow me," Tabrella said as she led Emily inside her home, where Emily looked around at all of the diamond encrusted decorations, from the furniture to the walls to the paintings and the chandeliers.
"I've never seen so many diamonds in my life," Emily whispered to herself as Tabrella brought her upstairs.
"All thanks to my family's mining company," Tabrella said.
"Right, your family was mining further up on the Knee," Emily recalled.
"Not just the Knee, other Titans as well," Tabrella said. "All to find resources for the Emperor's Coven, though of course we keep a lot for ourselves," Tabrella said she used her magic to levitate the shopping bags out of Emily's hands.
"And where are your parents?" Emily asked.
"Probably out," Tabrella said with a shrug. "Now, follow me to my room!"
Emily followed Tabrella up to her room, where she threw the door open and invited Emily in. Once Emily went in, she saw that the room was much larger than it really should be and was coated with a white and purple motif. "White and purple… somehow, this fits."
"Well, purple is my lucky color," Tabrella said with a smile as she levitated the bags down. "Why don't you sit down, dear."
"Okay, but… when will we be studying?" Emily asked, sitting down while Tabrella checked her bags.
"That can wait," Tabrella told her as she turned around to face Emily. "Because right now, I'm going to be working on giving you… a makeover!" she declared while holding up her makeup kit and brush.
Emily was taken aback by this. "Um, why?"
"Well, Emi," Tabrella said before pausing. "Hmm, Emi. I like that. That could be your nickname." And before Emily could protest, Tabrella moved on. "Now that we're friends, I decided to make you my new project."
Emily felt a bit nervous about that. "You… you really don't have to do that."
"I know," Tabrella said. "That's what makes me so generous."
And with that, Tabrella started… to sing.
"Whenever I see someone, less fortunate than I," she sang as she pranced around Emily in her seat. "And let's face it, who isn't- less fortunate than I?"
Emily arched an eyebrow as Tabrella spun her seat around to face her. "My tender heart tends to start to bleed~!" she sang as she placed her hand on her own chest. "And when someone needs a makeover, I simply have to take over, I know, I know!" she sang as she stood next to Emily while levitating a small handheld mirror to show their reflections. "-Exactly… what they need…"
"And even in your case, tho' it's the toughest case I've yet to face," Tabrella sang while Emily gave her deadpan look. "Don't worry… I'm determined to succeed~! Follow my lead~! And yes… indeed." She smiled and offered her hand to Emily, who slowly reached to take it. "You… will… be…"
"Popular!" she sang, pulling Emily out of her seat and spinning her around as they began to dance. "You're gonna be popular! I'll teach you the proper ploys, when you talk to boys, little ways to flirt and flounce," she sang while adjusting Emily's pose. "Ooh! I'll show you what shoes to wear, how to fix your hair, everything that really counts!" she said while levitating different pairs of shoes and some hair brushes and conditioner around Emily.
Emily was about to correct her. "Um, I'm not into boy-"
"To be popular, I'll help you to be popular!" Tabrella sang as she pulled Emily up onto her bed, both ending up dancing around on it. Tabrella dipped Emily, who nearly fell off the bed, but then Tabrella pulled Emily up and Emily spun around, the green-skinned girl smiling as she started to enjoy herself more. "You'll hang with the right cohorts, you'll be good at sports, know the slang that you've got to know~!" Tabrella sang as they ended up moving onto her vanity table before Tabrella pushed Emily off the table and onto the seat in front of the mirror. "So let's start, cause you've got an awfully long way to go~!"
Emily gave Tabrella another deadpan look, but Tabrella just spun her around and began to prepare her hair.
"Don't be offended by my frank analysis, think of it as personality dialysis," Tabrella sang as she stroked Emily's hair with her brush. "Now that I've chosen to become a pal, a sister and adviser," she sang while as she finished, she moved on to give Emily some make-up. "There's nobody wiser, not when it comes to-"
"Popular!" Tabrella sang as she powdered Emily's face, making her sneeze. "I know about popular!" she said while working on Emily. "And with an assist from me, to be who you'll be, instead of dreary who-you-were-… well, are," she corrected herself before applying some blush on Emily. "There's nothing that can stop you from becoming popu-ler… lar."
As Tabrella got to work, she continued to sing. "La~ la~! La, la~!" she sang as she finished Emily's make up. "We're gonna make you popular~!"
"When I see depressing creatures, with unprepossessing features," Tabrella sang while Emily just kept her deadpan look while her eyelashes were getting done. "I remind them on their own behalf, to think of…" She spun Emily around to face a wall, which showed posters of Lilith, Darius, and the Golden Guard. "Celebrated head witches or specially great communicators, did they have brains of knowledge? Don't make me laugh, hehe! They were popular! Please…"
"I'm pretty sure they also-"
"It's all about popular!" Tabrella interjected as she braided Emily's hair, followed by some finishing touches to Emily's face. "It's not aptitude, it's the way you're viewed, so it's very shrewd to be… very very popular, like me!"
And after all of that, Tabrella stepped away with a smile. "Why, Miss Emily, just look at you," she said as she handed Emily a mirror. "You're beautiful."
Emily looked at herself, saw that her hair was braided into a ponytail that was placed on her shoulder, that she had purple eyeliner and her lashes curled. She had sparkling blushes and red lipstick applied to her. Emily was surprised at her new look… and then saw the way that Tabrella was looking at her and for a moment, her cheeks were even redder.
But then Emily suddenly stood up, grabbing her books and then her staff. "I… I have to go," she told her before rushing out of the room.
Tabrella was surprised by Emily's sudden exit. "You're welcome!" she shouted after Emily before she gave a sigh. She sat on her bed while looking down at her mirror. "And though you protest… your disinterest… I know clandestinely…" She sighed sadly before she got up and smiled. "You're gonna grin and bear it! Your new found popularity! Hah!" she declared with determination before she started to dance around. "La, la, la, la~!"
"You'll be popular~!" she sang as she walked over to her window. "Just not as quite as popular, as… ME~!" she sang while bursting her head through the window, singing out loud enough to draw the attention of anyone nearby.
Including Emily, who noticed Tabrella's singing and used an illusion to turn herself invisible as she continued to walk away in embarrassment.
Later, Emily entered a cafe in Metropelvis. She looked around before spotting someone she recognized at a table, waiting for her…
"I got your text," Emily said as she walked over and sat down at the table across from the older girl. "It's… been a while, has it?"
"Yes, it has," said the older girl, who was stirring her brew. "I didn't know you'd be sporting a new look."
"Oh this?" Emily asked as she gave a sigh of embarrassment. "I didn't do this. There's this… annoying girl that I have been spending time with. She gave me this makeover. She thinks it'll make me 'popular' or something…"
"Well, sounds like you're making some friends at least," the older girl responded with a smile. "So how was your week been?"
"Oh, it's been decent." Emily replied. "Classes are good and I have been meeting some new friends. Like Riley and their friend, Sarah, and then there's Tabrella… who gave me this… look."
"Ah, Tabrella, that explains it," the older girl responded with a nod. "So you like St. Epiderm so far?"
"It's a pretty great school," Emily admitted. "Though I have been focusing more on my studies."
"Just don't only focus on that," the older girl told Emily. "By the way, I am sorry that it took so long for this meeting to happen. I wanted to be there on your first day or meet you before now, but it's just that I've been so busy that I couldn't make the time."
"Don't worry, I understand," Emily assured her. "I mean, I know that being president of the student council can be busy and all…"
The older girl smiled at Emily. "Oh, you have no idea…"
Alright, so there's not a lot to talk about for this as we've always wanted to do a musical number of "Popular" from Wicked. So we've did this "What If" chapter as an excuse to have the song.
In regards to how this timeline would play out, here's how it would've gone: it would be here that Emily would eventually end up joining the Emperor's Coven much sooner thanks to the efforts of Terra Snapdragon, and Adrian Graye. Both would use her desire for revenge against Eda to motivate her and she helps Lilith and Hunter in their efforts to capture the Clawthornes. She'd be promoted to Silver Sentry by the start of Book Two's events, and Terra would arrange an 'accident' for Hunter, resulting in Emily to fill in the void and have her close to Belos. But in the most grand scheme of things, Terra would launch her grand stroke… assassinating Belos and use Emily as the scapegoat, forcing Emily to flee from her life as she's now declared a wild witch, while Terra is able to take over the Boiling Isles in this timeline.
As for Yoomis, he's an expy of a Wicked character, Doctor Dillamond. His name is a play on William Youmans, from the original Broadway cast of Wicked.
As for the girl that Emily is meeting with at the end, well, it will come into play in the next Brimstones and Broomsticks. It is a part of Emily's past that we haven't covered yet, cause there's still a lot more to know of Emily's past…
That's all for now and we'll resume are usual story scheduling. We'll let you guys guess which story is next to be updated.
Review Section:
Matteso585: 1) Obviously no. Rebecca and Zaraff weren't taken from their families unlike the Huntsclan were in the Human Realm. We've established that Rebecca is Whitney's half-sister, so it wouldn't make sense for Rebecca to be a dragon hunter 3) Uh, no. We've referenced the Wicked Witch from the original book at the beginning of the Time Dragon's story, not the 1939 film. 4) You do know that's super obvious, do you?
Crash X Fusion: We're surprised you haven't figured out some obvious hints, especially from the previous chapters.
Cooki15xd: Partially speaking.
Shuffollower: No, Pete ran away since he's afraid of what would happened if Emily, Zee or anyone else learned that he's Lupe's son. He obviously wanted to escape from Lupe's abuse, so he took the chance to escape.