BREAKING THE FANTASY
Written by Gwendolyn Frost.
With most of their group's injuries fixed, Luz and her friends found themselves relaxing in the doctor's office as Faust examined the last remaining patients of his. Such as Gus, who's body showed no major injuries other than a few light bruises here and there.
"There is no need for a healing spell…" Doctor Faust said in his raspy voice as Gus showed him a grin.
"Told ya!"
Then there were Willow and Hunter who were standing nearby, with Willow showing the blonde the tiny scar she got on the side of her face.
"It's barely even visible, it's too close to my hair line that my hair will probably cover it nicely. Unless I get a haircut, that is." The green-haired witch said as Hunter nodded at her.
"Yeah, that seems so… but… why do you sound so disappointed?"
"Because scars are soooo cool!" She exclaimed with her eyes lit with stars.
"Are you serious…?"
"Mhm!" Willow said with a grin. "All professional Grudgby players display their scars with pride and I want to join the club one day!"
"Honestly… I've forgotten that side of yours." Hunter said with a soft laugh. "But ok… sure. I hope you get more scars… question mark?"
"Was that sarcasm?" Willow asked while crossing her arms.
"No, of course not!" Hunter laughed some more. "I'm trying to be supportive, for real."
Willow narrowed her eyes at him before shrugging it off. "Well, ok then. You're lucky, you got a really cool one in your back."
"What?" Hunter was caught by surprise. "I wouldn't call this… lucky."
"Dude, you kinda saved my life." Willow said with genuine appreciation for Hunter's brave actions which got the blonde to look up at her in disbelief.
"What? No… I… well…" Hunter's face became hot red slowly. "It wasn't that much of a big deal…"
"Are you joking? Dude, if that thing had taken that slash on me, there was the chance that I may have not gotten a cool scar but rather…"
"Don't even say it!" Hunter exclaimed. "That's never going to happen on my watch!"
"Thanks, man." The green-haired witch said with a tender smile on her face as Hunter's face became hot red once more when realizing what came out of his mouth.
"Y-yeah, don't mention it." Hunter said while rubbing the back of his neck before getting startled by Gus' voice.
"Hey, you two! Am I interrupting something?"
"Not really, so…" Willow grinned. "The doctor just basically told you to walk it off, huh?"
Gus couldn't help but laugh. "That is exactly what he did! I mean, I got a few scratches here and there, but none of them are leaving a cool scar like yours."
"See, see!" Willow exclaimed when facing Hunter. "Gus knows what's up!"
"Ha ha! You two are insane!" Hunter laughed out loud.
When the group arrived at the office, the mood was pretty much dry and depressive, but it was soon becoming lively with their voices.
While Flor and Grimmora were talking on one side of the room, there was Luz and Amity that were describing Camila everything they lived through for the past week.
"So… what you're saying is, that the TV Gus brought home may be haunted?" Camila asked nervously.
"Well, I wouldn't say haunted…" Luz said while sweat-dropping. "But there's definitely something wrong with it, which I assume that Amity will figure out later."
"Right!" The pink-haired witch exclaimed with a confident nod. "Ever since it's been in the house, it has been boosting up my Oracle Magic, which it has been useful so far. But I promise you I will figure out what's happening!"
"Well, that is good to know." Camila said with a soft chuckle. "And I'm happy to hear that you were able to find each other thanks to it."
"I have a question, though." Luz said as she looked at Camila. "Did neither of you heard the Lookout Tower collapse before you came to our rescue?"
"Not at all, I'm afraid." Camila said while blinking in confusion. "We heard the loud noise that was sucking everything in its path, that's how we were able to find you."
"That is very strange." Amity said while looking at Luz. "Flor also said she didn't heard the Lookout Tower collapse either."
Luz chuckled nervously. "Well, I guess Herlock Woods has the reputation of being one of the most haunted places in Gravesfield… everything that happened in that Lookout place was weird to say the least."
Their conversation soon took a turn to lighter topics. On the other hand, there were just a few patients left. Such was the case of Masha who refused to be near the large doctor a couple times, which brought their Basilisk friend to take their place instead.
"Would you please… remove your magic veil… I need to see your true form…" Faust asked Vee who nervously blushed slightly.
"Y-you can tell? That I'm not human…?"
"Yes… you can perfectly mimic the material you transform into… like skin… which tells me you can distribute your innards to adapt to human anatomy… but I'm seeing veins in the wrong places… that's what gave it away."
"What?! You're able to tell by just looking at my skin?!" Vee asked in pure astonishment.
"That's correct… I need to see your true form… because you may be hiding injuries when… transforming…"
"Hm…" Vee bit on her lower lip while looking to her side, worried that when she does goes back to her real form, she'll end up making Masha a bit more unease than before.
The doctor and the nurse waited for nearly a minute before they shared a look with one another, thinking that Vee might not be comfortable showing them her true form. Thankfully, Camila has been observing them, so when she noticed that Vee wasn't cooperating with the doctor, she came to her with a tender smile on her face.
"Oye, Vee. Would you please do what the doctor asks you to?" Camila said as she rested her hand on the young Basilisk's shoulder, which brought Vee to look up at her. "I know it's scary to show your true self to others, especially if they're strangers. But this man… does seems like they wish to help. So, will you do it? For me?"
Vee blushed a little bit more before she nodded. "Ok… but please… do not freak out."
"Freak out…?" Faust asked in disbelief. "You're asking me… the 10 feet tall doctor… that wears a paperbag on his head… not to freak out? I'll try not to…" The doctor said, his tone was still the same – exhausted and rather depressed, but there was a hint of playfulness in there that seemed to make the nurse snort and laugh out loud.
Everyone in the room was looking at Fanny as she laughed hard before she excused herself. "Sorry, I'm so sorry, doctor! I'm just… so happy to hear that your sense of humor is still in there even after all that… well, everything that happened." The blonde nurse said with a smile that made the doctor give a soft chuckle.
"Yeah…"
Vee sighed softly and took the veil off to reveal her Basilisk self to the doctor and the nurse that seemed surprised to see what she really looked like.
"A Basilisk…? Pardon me if I'm not familiarized with your anatomy… but I'll do my best…" Faust said as he examined her.
"It's ok." Vee said softly. "I don't really have much injuries… other than the bump on the back of my head. I hit myself pretty hard."
Masha -who has been sitting in a corner, away from everyone- reacted when Vee revealed she was hurt, by lifting their head up to look towards their friend's direction as Doctor Faust asked her.
"Would you tell me what happened…?"
Not only was Masha worried, but also Camila and Luz who had come closer to hear what Vee had to say as the large doctor took a look to the back of her head where he could feel that place a bit swollen.
"Well… you see. I used a large amount of magic to get really big. I was escaping from this monster who was chasing me and my big brother…"
A few of them within their group looked back at Hunter when they heard Vee calling him her 'big brother' which made the blonde a little flustered.
"Aww, she just called you her big brother." Willow whispered, making the blonde laugh softly.
"Yeah… we kinda bonded, I guess."
Vee could read the room and became flustered herself, but she continued. "Hm, as I was saying. We were being chased, so I jumped into this portal to get to the Human Realm, but my mass was so big I was squeezed and launched out with extreme force. So, I ended up hitting my head with several trees before my body went back to normal."
"Ok…" Doctor Faust said before they all heard Masha raising their voice.
"You should check if she has a concussion!"
"Yes… that is true… Fanny… fetch me the neuroscan."
"Of course, doctor, here you go!" Fanny exclaimed as she rushed to and brought back the tool in question which looked like a flashlight.
"Turn around and sit still…" Faust asked Vee as she gulped with a nod.
"Hm, ok…"
Giving the tool a few clicks, Doctor Faust turned it on, which of course, caused a light to shine on Vee's head. But that light was allowing everyone standing nearby to see the inside of Vee's head. Her skull, her… brain – which made a lot of them uncomfortable.
"Hm, doctor… I don't wish to question your methods but… is this safe?" Camila asked rather scared.
"If this is radiation, you should stop right now!" Masha exclaimed which got the doctor to explain himself.
"Calm down… I do hear your concerns… but this is Paratech… it's magic, not radiation… so rest assured… that it's safe…"
Masha stared at the doctor with skeptic eyes before they felt the hand of Fanny on their shoulder. "Trust the doctor, your friend is in good hands…" She said with a smile.
By now, everyone's eyes were on Masha who until a moment ago has been disconnected with reality. But they didn't cared about it, they only cared about Vee's well-being.
The doctor turned off the tool on his hand and proceeded to explain. "No skull fracture… no internal bleeding… no internal swelling… you have no concussion… external swelling can go down holding something cold on it… you'll be fine by tomorrow…"
Camila sighed in relief and gave the Basilisk a tender hug while raining kisses on the top of her head. "You did great, cariño! Thank you so much, doctor!"
Masha sighed as well, while Luz and the rest all shared a smile with each other.
"Hm… doctor…" Vee whispered as she looked up at Faust who even when sitting on his office chair, he still towered over everyone else in the room. "Thanks, for not freaking out." She smiled innocently, making both doctor and nurse chuckle softly.
"You're welcome…" Faust said as he brought his hand to look into his pockets to pull out some candy for her. "Lolli…?"
Vee stared in confusion at the green lollipop being handed to her, but she didn't hesitate in taking it. "Oh, thank you!" Wasting no time in bringing it into her mouth.
Not many of them paid attention to what just happened until Masha burst into laughter, which brought everyone's eyes on them. With Luz having to ask them:
"Hm, Masha, are you ok?"
"S-sorry! I'm so sorry! Ha ha!" The goth exclaimed in between laughter, having trouble getting the words out. "It's just that… you can't help being adorable!" Masha exclaimed as they looked straight at Vee who yelled at them.
"What?! Why does everyone keeps saying that?!" She said before everyone else started to either laugh out loud, chuckle or giggle. "You too?!"
"Sorry, Vee. It's just that… they kinda have a point." Luz said while trying not to laugh too hard.
"You must be magic!" Masha added. "There must be some cuteness cloud following you around that makes things like these happen to you all the time!"
"Hey, stop it! I'm not cute!" Vee yelled at the goth, which at first, was a cute sight to behold only for things to become depressing when Masha's laughter turned into heart-breaking sobbing. "Masha…? Masha?!" Vee exclaimed in a panic as she watched the goth press themselves against the wall while they sunk down on the floor crying out loud.
Everyone else was caught by surprise when witnessing Masha breaking down, with Luz trying to rush up to them before she was stopped by Camila. "Luz… give them some space." She said with a nervous look on her face.
"Wh-what?! B-but…" Luz tried to protest only to be interrupted by the doctor.
"Your friend was in shock…" Faust said while still sitting on his chair, he explained further. "They just snapped out of it… it's the first step to coming to terms with their traumatic experience… this is good…"
"Traumatic experience…?! Good? How can this be good? They were just laughing a second ago!" Luz almost yelled which got everyone a little worried that Masha would hear.
"The doctor is right, Luz." Camila said while lowering her voice.
"B-but!" Luz protested before being cut off yet again, this time by Amity who reached for her hands to hold tightly before saying:
"Luz, I know this pales in comparison to what we lived through in the Boiling Isles, but you must understand that this is Masha's literal first paranormal experience. They barely survived it, we all did…" Amity said with a worried look on her face.
Luz's eyes watered a bit, feeling guilty before she pleaded at Faust. "Can you do something for them…?"
"No…" The large doctor said before explaining. "I trained, worked and studied to heal the body… not the mind… this goes beyond my expertise… this is something that only they… can go through…"
Luz stared at Masha who still sobbed uncontrollably with Vee by their side hugging them tightly. All while Grimmora -the librarian- watched Luz's guilt spread across her face.
"Hm…"
THE LOOKING GLASS
Chapter 28: Dreadful Thoughts.
"Hey, doctor…" Masha said, now sitting on a chair as they allowed the large doctor to examine them. "I'm sorry for evading you several times." They said while sniffing once, their eyes swollen from crying so much. "But in my defense, you look somewhat scary…" They said with brutal honesty.
"Yes… I know…" Doctor Faust said as he let go of Masha's arm. "Your arm looks fine… the pain you feel might come from your nerves that were stimulated when your arm was brought back into place… take one of these at night… to numb the pain and help you sleep…" He said as he handed the goth a bottle of pills that they took with a nod.
"Ok then…"
"If the pain persists for more than 3 days… come see me for a check up… for your other problem… there's someone that has come to my attention that could help you…" Faust said while writing an address on a piece of paper that Masha recognized.
"I know who you're talking about, she lives in my street. I'll… think about it. Thanks…" The goth said while rubbing the side of their arm… perhaps from the pain or maybe because of something bothering them in their mind.
"Very well… oh… there's something more I can do for you…" The large doctor brought himself up to his feet, making Masha rather unease because of his absurd height. But the man posed no threat, he simply kicked his feet as if he was having trouble walking while keeping that body of his steady.
The Doctor reached a door which he opened to reveal a bunch of materials that he uses for his work as a medic. Without caring to close that door, that room's contents were fully visible for anyone nearby. Which in this case was Amity, who stared into those jars inside filled with purple goop that she seemed to recognize immediately. "Abomination goop!"
Without paying attention, Doctor Faust went back to Masha to remove Luz's shirt which used to hold Masha's arm close to their chest – now being replaced with the purple material which the doctor was using to serve that exact purpose. "Here…"
"Uh… thanks." Masha said as they stared into that purple goop holding their arm which felt rather gooey and cold. "What is this?"
"It's Abomination goop!" Amity exclaimed, standing behind the doctor holding one of those jars full of purple goop. "Doctor… how did you got these?"
"I traded them with a witch…"
"What?!" The pink-haired witch asked in disbelief. "What witch?!"
There were some listening to their conversation, such was Luz – whom was still bothered by what happened with Masha earlier, but all those worries were soon replaced with curiosity as she moved closer to her girlfriend to listen to the doctor's response.
But Luz was not the only one listening, there was Grimmora – whom noticed Fanny's reaction. The blonde nurse's face was filled with fear and dread, her eyes open wide while gritting her teeth.
The doctor tapped onto his head concealed by the brown paper bag nervously before replying to the question. "It was a gray haired witch… with yellow eyes… red dress… golden fang sticking out of her mouth…"
"Wh-what?! Golden Fang?!" Luz exclaimed in disbelief as both girlfriends looked at each other briefly before they both asked in unison.
"Did you traded these with Eda?!"
"I didn't ask for her name…" Faust said as he looked back at Fanny, the both of them showing signs that they felt uncomfortable talking about the whole situation but it was too late to back down from it.
"It had to be her…" Luz said before she asked. "What did you traded with her?"
The doctor reached for his desk and presented Luz a pen that he took from a coffee mug sitting still there.
"You're joking, right…?" Amity asked as she looked at the pen that Luz held in her hand.
"No… he's not." Luz sighed, narrowing her eyes. "This does sounds like something Eda would do… she traded you all these materials for office gear, didn't she?"
"Yes…" Faust said. "That is correct…"
"When did this happen, tho?" Luz asked Faust, making him even more uncomfortable than before.
"Last year…" By now, Fanny had moved next to the doctor while nervously blurting out.
"Oh, doctor! We sh-should be wrapping this session soon, don't you think?"
"Of course… h-how about we…"
"Hold on!" Luz cut him off, making both doctor and nurse jump back nervously. "Last year…? But I remember Masha saying this clinic opened not long ago."
"It's been open for a few weeks, actually." The goth said, narrowing their eyes at the doctor before they asked a question of their own. "Doctor, how long have you been in this building?"
"Uh… classified!" Faust and Fanny exclaimed together as they felt cornered against the wall, with more questions being aimed at them soon after.
"Classified?" Luz asked.
"So, you've been in this building this whole year?" Amity asked next.
Until now, no one has acknowledged the flashing gear wrapped around both of their ankles that had a green light on them. But now that they were both under the microscope, Hunter pointed it out.
"What is that on your feet?"
More and more questions rained upon the two suspicious cooks, who kept repeating the word 'classified' at every question thrown at them until Grimmora had to intervene.
"Everyone, please stop!" She sighed while holding her arms up high until the group of witches and humans fell silent. "I don't wish to be the middle man in this debacle but it's pretty safe to say that they're not comfortable answering your questions. So, how about we do this. Doctor? Would it be ok if Miss Blight has some of your materials in exchange of their silence?"
"W-wait! Can I really have some?!" Amity exclaimed with her eyes lit with stars.
"Hold on, we must discuss this first! There are things we must know! This is Eda we're talking about!" Luz protested before Faust came rushing up to them with a joyful tone in his voice that he has not displayed before.
"No more questions and you can get all of it!"
"I can have all of it?!" Amity yelled rather comicly, the stars in her eyes becoming literal hearts as she raced to the jars of purple goop. "Mine?! All mine! Would you really give out all of this to me?"
"But Amity, don't you want to discuss things first?!" Luz tried to run up to her girlfriend to try and talk some sense into her before being stopped by Grimmora.
"Luz, wouldn't it be fair for you to let the doctor and the nurse off the hook when they not only helped you with your wounds for free, but also willingly give you all of these materials for Amity to work with? Besides, c'mon. How can you say no to that face?"
The librarian said as she pointed at the pink-haired witch who has smeared the purple goop all over her arms and face by now while whispering gleefully away from everyone.
"Eda, you beautiful, beautiful weirdo… thank you so much for leaving all this purple gold behind which you exchanged for literal human junk. With this… I'll keep our Luz safe, you'll see!" She exclaimed before laughing like a mad scientist which brought Willow to point out.
"Hey, guys. I think our Amity is broken."
"Yeah… she looks pretty happy." Luz said nervously before sighing softly in defeat. "Ok, I guess we can have our mouths shut as long as she can keep all of your Abomination goop."
Faust and Fanny sighed in relief. "Sure. Fanny, help me get all of the materials in the van."
"Of course, doctor!" She exclaimed as they both moved to get all of those jars out of the office.
"I believe that's our cue to go." Grimmora said with a smile towards Luz and the rest of her group who nodded back at her before moving out of the office.
They all waited a few minutes outside the clinic while the doctor and the nurse finished unloading all the goop into a van that they use as a ambulance of sorts. "Fanny will give you all a ride back home. I'll stay. I must. If there's more emergencies like these, feel free to come to my clinic." Faust said, his voice no longer having long pauses and his voice was more uplifting than before. "Fanny, I leave them in your hands."
"You can count on me, doctor!" The blonde nurse exclaimed, giving Faust a salute as if she's in the military.
"Hey, doctor." Amity spoke to the doctor as she arched her back to look at him in the only eye visible on that paper bag concealing his head. "I know I promised not to ask anything, but are you sure I can have all this? You don't need it for your clinic, right?"
"You can have it, for sure. I do not have much uses for it, I'm afraid." Faust admitted while rubbing his large neck a little bit.
"Thank you so much! You have no idea how this means for me!" The pink-haired witch said with a large smile on her face, making Luz smile while standing next to her.
"You're welcome. Now, if you'll excuse me – I have to go back to my patients." Doctor Faust said as he moved that large body of his back into the clinic before the voice of Grimmora brought everyone to look back at her.
"This is where we part ways, I'll be giving Flor a ride back to her hotel room. Fanny, I trust you know what to do in case that thing comes back to get them?"
"Oh, don't you worry about it!" Fanny exclaimed while comicly sticking her tongue out and gave the librarian the thumbs up before the expression on her face turned serious. "I might not be as strong as the doctor, but…" The nurse pulled out a huge syringe with a long sharp needle that made everyone's eyes widen. "Whoever dares to harm our patients is going to meet their sorry end…"
"Whoa, damn!" Willow exclaimed. "That is one huge pointy needle."
"Where is that supposed to go?" Gus asked nervously.
"Does it matter where it goes…?" Hunter said while trying to look away from it.
"I wouldn't worry about your trip back home." Grimmora the 5'2 feet tall woman said as she wrapped her arms around Luz's and Amity's shoulders. "Whoever crosses Fanny tonight is going to surely regret it. You're safe in her care. Now, Camila. Ha sido todo un placer." She said as she offered her hand to Camila who gasped in surprise.
"Oh! Hablas español? That's surprising! Hm, muchas gracias por todo!" Camila said as she shook hands with the shorter woman who nodded back at her.
"Ciertamente. Be sure to keep an eye on them."
"I will. Is it possible for you to give my thanks to the woman who came to my home to warn me of this whole thing?" Camila asked as she embraced the shorter woman into a warm tight hug.
Grimmora gasped in surprise when she felt the tight squeeze before she smiled and patted her hand over the woman's back. "Sure…" She said as she looked up at a rooftop alongside Fanny where there was a shadowy figure with big purple eyes and a big pointy hat holding a staff looking down on them.
Luz and her friends noticed the two looking up, but by the time they raised their eyes to look at that rooftop, that figure was now gone.
"Why did that gave me chills?" Amity asked.
"I don't know… but I'm glad I wasn't the only one." Luz replied with a sweat drop.
Fanny giggled before she skipped her way towards the van's driver door while humming a tune, leaving the group a lot more confused than before.
When Camila let go off Grimmora, the shorter woman began to part ways with them before Luz came rushing towards her.
"Hey, wait! You haven't replied to my request, remember? Will you help us fight the Shapeless once more time?" Luz asked while biting on her lower lip as Grimmora looked back at her.
"Help you? Hm, lemme think about it… ok?" The words of Grimmora came up as a flashback to which she replied in the present while rubbing the back of her neck. "Oh, about that… I decline."
"Wh-what?!" Luz exclaimed in surprise. "B-but we need your help! I doubt we can do it without you!"
"Luz…" Grimmora said as she walked up to the slightly taller teen and placed her hands on her shoulders. "You're a brave young spirit that no doubt has the power to bring change in people's lives. But you were fighting that thing a few hours ago in the forest and you're already thinking of going back into it. You focus your eyes forward and that's a good thing, but you must always look back to look at the people that can barely keep up with you."
When the young human heard those words, she felt compelled to look back at her friends and family. Some of them got hurt in the fight. Amity, her girlfriend, was unable to look at her in the eyes when she looked at her, rubbing her arm nervously instead. Hunter, who didn't flinched like Vee did when her eyes looked at him, took a deep breath which indicated he agreed with those words. Willow and Gus were able to hold their eyes on Luz's longer than the pink-haired witch, but they soon looked away nervously while rubbing the back of their necks.
Then there was Camila, who walked up to her with a loving smile before she got down on a knee to hold her cheeks. "Luz… I know I said that I will help you, which it's true. But I think what Miss Grimmora is trying to say is that you should take a break to help you think things through."
"We will help you, Luz. But… they're right." Hunter dared to take a step before her girlfriend did.
"I will always be by your side, Luz. But I agree, as well." Amity said with worried eyes.
Grimmora's voice brought Luz to look back at her shortly. "Just because I'm declining now doesn't mean I will decline later. Take sometime to heal… to rest. To speak with your friends… to open up and let go off that which is holding you back. I know there is… isn't that right, Flor?"
When hearing her name, the pink-haired human whose hands are covered in bandages walked up to Luz with a tender smile. "There is indeed something numbing your emotions. That fear is going to get in the way, eventually. You must speak to your friends. You think they're going to turn their backs on you, but you're wrong. You have a splendid team of friends who're going to be by your side no matter what."
"W-wait…!" Luz's eyes widened with fear as she took a few steps back from Flor and the librarian who tilted their heads at her when she asked with horror in her face. "D-do you know…? H-how?!"
"Relax." Flor said as she shook her head and offered Luz a reassuring smile. "I don't know what that something might be, but you're hiding emotions of insecurity and fear towards your friends. When Miss Grimm asked me what I thought of you, I used my talent to read emotions, a talent that feels like a curse of my own. The longer you wait to let go of these emotions, it'll severe the trust you've built with those close to you."
Behind them, Luz's friends were listening, it was hard not to when they were standing so closely. They shared a look with one another before Willow broke the silence.
"Luz… does she means you're hiding something from us?"
Willow was Luz's first friend in Hexside, hearing her asking such a question made the young human shake where she stood as her eyes watered a little bit.
"I can't tell them… not yet…" She whispered, not daring to look back and give her friends an answer.
"You must." Grimmora said. "It's something that must happen, whether you like it or not. You need your friends more than ever. It's only fair to trust them that everything will work between you."
"Luz… what are you hiding from us?" This time it was Amity's voice that raised up which made Luz flinch where she stood.
A long minute of silence passed by until the young human finally faced back her friends with tears raining down her cheeks. "Home… I'll tell you back home… not here. Please?"
Hearing the plea, Amity nodded as she rushed up to her with the rest of them following after her shortly to stand next to Luz with tender smiles. "Of course… I don't know what you think is to terrifying to keep from us, but I promise you, Luz – we're not going to abandon you."
"Yeah…" Hunter said in agreement. "We're family, right? You said that." He said with a small blush on his face and a huge tooth-gapped smile.
Willow sniffed as she cleaned her face. "I don't know what else to say that hasn't been said before. You're my friend, Luz. You picked me up from the ground when no one else did. For real, I'm forever grateful to you."
They all tried their best to make Luz feel better, but they were able to tell that their words were making her flinch every so slightly. The guilt was spreading on her face.
"Hey, Luz." Grimmora's voice forced the human to look back at the librarian. "I'm sorry things have to go this way. But the way you asked me for help, was discouraging. I want your eyes to fill with determination the next time you ask me. That can only happen when you've finally allowed your heart to heal. This is no longer about earning your friends' forgiveness. You must forgive yourself. Challenging forces beyond your comprehension is not going to earn you that forgiveness you seek. Your future is bright… don't be discouraged." She smiled.
Luz bit her lower lip as she looked back at her friends once more, everyone did not looked away from her this time. "Ok…" She said, forcing a smile on herself before she heard Flor's voice this time.
"I really wish for everything to work out for you, which I know it will. Goodbye, Luz. Take care of yourself and your friends."
"You too." Luz said as she looked back at the tall pink-haired human who smiled at her. "I'll see you around?"
"It's uncertain…" Flor said with a sad look on her face.
"Huh? I might not have your talent… but I feel there's something wrong with your choice of words. Are you ok?"
"I might leave, Luz. It's uncertain we will see each other again. But if we do, I hope that I can help you suceed in your fight."
"Oh, ok. You're leaving Gravesfield? I… understand. You've gone through so much. I really wish you the best and thank you for everything." Luz said as she offered her hand to Flor before she pulled it back nervously. "I'm so sorry… I didn't thought things through." She said as Flor laughed softly, holding her burnt hands close to her chest before she replied.
"No, thank you." Flor said as she brought those same hands covered in bandages to rest them down on Luz's shoulders. "Thank you for showing me what true strength is."
Luz chuckled softly and nodded before they parted ways. With Luz and her party going inside the back of the van that Fanny was driving off soon after. While Flor joined Grimmora as the librarian escorted the younger woman back to her hotel as Flor's mind couldn't shake off Koume's words which she heard shortly after Vee and Hunter were expelled from the In-Between.
"I'm not strong enough to fight it… ngh… there is someone else with me… who its using too… but together… we can't fight back… either… but… it's… ngh… hard for it to control us both…"
"You mean that both of your consciousnesses make it difficult for the Shapeless to control?" These words were spoken by Flor herself in response.
Before Koume was able to reply, her body began to contort when the Shapeless gained that control over her shortly after dust began to cover the entire forest.
What Flor could only do in the present was thinking of a possible solution to their problem. "I hope this works…" She whispered to herself as she walked down the streets with Grimmora by her side.
Somewhere else in town, the doctor's van pulled over on Masha's house, dropping them first. Luz and her friends did got out of the van too to escort them to their door while giving them and Vee some space.
"Masha… I'm sorry." The Basilisk in human form said as she walked next to Masha, feeling guilty for everything that happened that made the goth so uncomfortable.
"Don't be. I followed you into the forest, there's no one else but me to blame." Masha said while forcing a small smile on their face.
They stopped in front of their door, taking a short moment to think things through before they looked back at the group that she shared a terrifying adventure with that day.
"Hey, Luz…" They said as they looked back at the other human whose eyes were filled with nothing but regret still. "I have no part in whatever happened in the clinic's entrance but… you can't stop looking at me like that. Please? As terrifying this experience was… I'm still grateful to you. I'm grateful… for giving me the chance to know what happened to my dad."
Luz was unable to say anything. She couldn't say 'you're welcome' because she knew things were a lot more complicated than that. But she felt horrible, not only for Masha, but for Vee as well. Did this whole thing made Vee to lose her very first friend? She thought.
"But…" That 'but' that came out of the goth's mouth made Vee's eyes to water while she imagined the worst. "I have to take some time off to think if this path you brought to my attention is worth it. Yesterday, I wished for this to happen but now… I'm scared. Because whatever happened to my dad could happen to me too…" They said as they looked down to their feet with a horrified look on their face.
"I understand." Luz said as her heart sunk down for Vee who was at the verge of tears.
"I wish you luck." Masha said as they raised their eyes at Luz. "I truly do. But I'm going to keep my distance from you for the time being. But! Vee…" They looked at the Basilisk who they called their best friend with a genuine smile on their face. "Just because I'm taking my distance from this whole situation doesn't mean I don't want to see you again. Ok? Don't cry! You'll visit me, right? You're my friend, right?"
Taken by surprise, Vee's expression changed from about to cry from utter sadness to joy and happiness when hearing those words. "Of course! Masha, you're my friend!" She cried as she launched herself to hug the goth tightly. "Thank you for accepting me for who I am!" She whispered.
"Silly…" Masha laughed softly as they hugged her back. "As someone who's non-binary I wouldn't be setting a good example if I didn't."
The two shared a short laugh and embraced each other for a few more minutes before they parted ways. "I'll visit you… I promise." Vee said as she walked away from them.
"You know where to find me." The goth replied as they walked into their home before closing the door, leaving Vee to get back in the van with the rest of her found family.
"I'm happy for you, Vee." Amity said with a wide smile as Willow added next to her.
"Yeah! I'm really glad things worked out for you!"
"There was no doubt in my mind. Way to go, sis!" Hunter said as he rubbed his hand on Vee's blonde hair as she laughed softly before Gus exclaimed.
"Oh! I've seen that on human TV! What do you call that?"
Hunter thought for a bit before he replied with a wide smile. "I think I'll call it… the sibling hair-shake."
"Cool, cool." Gus grinned.
"Well, at least Vee is going to be able to stay in touch with Masha. They're pretty cool." Willow said before Amity nodded.
"They'll come around us eventually… right, Luz?"
But when she was asked, Luz didn't replied right away. Her mind was somewhere else which brought the group's joy to fade slowly. "Yeah… I think so." She said as she forced herself to smile.
Camila who was sitting next to Luz, tried to communicate to the witches with her lips 'not to worry' as she and the rest had to endure the entire trip back home in silence.
Back in the Noceda residence, once Fanny finished unloading all the jars of purple goop inside the house, the nurse was escorted outside by Camila herself while the rest stayed inside. "Thank you so much for everything you and the doctor do."
"You're welcome, Miss Ma'am! If more emergencies like these take place, please do come back to the clinic. Free of charge, of course!" Fanny exclaimed as she moved into the driver's seat of the van and disappeared down the road.
Waving goodbye, Camila walked back inside where the group of witches were staring at Luz who was facing those large glass doors leading into the backyard where she could still see that tiny spot in which the Shapeless tapped just to intimidate Luz which left a mark there.
They all knew it was coming, they all were nervous for what Luz was about to confess. But they were ready…
"I'm not pushing around the bush…" Luz said, not looking back at them yet. "But what I did… did changed your lives. Probably for the worst."
"You don't really mean that…" Amity said before Luz cut her off.
"I do! Because of me, Philippe became Bellos and he…" Luz growled in pure anger as tears coated her cheeks while facing her friends. "This is going to be hard to believe, but I traveled in time thanks to time pools in the Boiling Isles and I met Philippe… that turned out to be Bellos in the past!"
"What?" Hunter asked in disbelief.
"This man tricked me… I taught him the very last spell they needed to have access to all the magic of the Isles. Then I helped him find this relic that they used to communicate with the Collector!"
"Whoa, slow down. What?" Willow said before Luz continued.
"Don't you get it?! I did it! I did it all! Because of me… Bellos rised into power. Gained the spell to wipe witches from existence. It's because of me that even you… Vee… you were trapped in that cage for years…" Luz cried as she dropped down to her knees, sobbing while pressing her forehead on the floor.
"Luz, stand up." Amity said while Luz kept sobbing on the floor.
"I'm sorry… I'm really sorry… I didn't know… I… I…"
"Stop!" Amity yelled at Luz before dropping to her knees to force her to look at her in the eyes, showing her that worried expression she displayed on her face. "I'm upset, I'm very upset, but not for the reasons you think of. Why didn't you told me this sooner, Luz? I'm your girlfriend…"
"So you were tricked once… big deal!" Hunter exclaimed. "I was deceived by this man my whole life! I didn't put Vee in that cage myself, but I worked for the same people that did!"
"This was all Bellos, Luz." Willow said.
"It was his fault, all of it. He did all of it. Not you." Gus said.
Last but not least, Vee walked up to Luz and joined Amity on her knees to hug Luz. "Those two ladies were right, Luz. There is nothing we can forgive… you must forgive yourself. Let go off your guilt. What you did had consequences, yeah… but you helped me in this present. You helped me find a family. You are my family."
"Guys… I don't deserve you! I really don't!" Luz cried harder than before as one by one, the rest joined her on the floor, embracing her tightly until she was not able to cry more tears.
Camila had tears on her eyes as she smiled at the group of friends that Luz made in that journey of self-discovery in the Boiling Isles. She might have been worried sick for her, but she was proud that she was able to make all these connections on her own.
When all was said and done, when Luz was finally done sobbing, she was brought back to sit on the couch.
"Was that all?" Hunter asked as he took a seat on the opposite side to Amity next to Luz.
Luz nodded. "Yeah… that was all… you make it sound underwhelming." She said with a soft chuckle while cleaning herself with the towel she was offered by Willow.
"It was, kinda…" Hunter joked.
"So, can we please… move on from this already?" Amity asked as she rubbed her hand on her girlfriend's back.
Luz chuckled and nodded. "I think so…"
"Good… I don't wanna hear this ever again." Willow said with a soft sigh. "Don't blame yourself for this."
"So, what do we now?" Gus asked before Hunter groaned.
"Sleep…"
"Goodness, yes!" Amity said in agreement as she brought Luz while holding her hand. "Let's go rest before the sun comes up."
"Hey guys…" Luz said which brought everyone to look back at her with those eyes -while sore from crying so much- finally displayed happiness. "Thanks for everything."
End of the chapter.
Note: I promised a explanation but it can't be a long one cause I'm really tired ot working on this chapter! So, I hope you guys understand that all of this is happening in the realm of fanfiction and the inclusion of Faust and Fanny -while selfish and controversial- has a reason for. Which is… it saves me the trouble of creating characters to fit their roles.
But just because these characters are in the story it doesn't mean they will have meaningful roles in it. They're here to add flavor. I'm passionate about The Owl House and its characters, so they will always be the center of the story.
For whoever stays, thank you.