Chapter Text
Luz heard nothing but the sound of the activation of her gliph as she was suddenly sent flying backward. A bright light made her close her eyes, the sounds of the battle suddenly quiet. She hit hard on her back, tumbling backwards and finally landing face first. Her ears were ringing, and her back was surely bruised, so it took her a moment to open her eyes again. She stood hastily, pulling out a fire gliph, but stopped as her eyes were met with a familiar run down house. The door was closed, and the silence creeped its way into her mind, the realization hitting her.
She was back in the human world.
She had vaguely heard Eda shouting something as the emperor lifted his staff, glowing a demonic red. Luz wasn't afraid. But…
She turned around, eyes scanning the forest. She couldn't be home. This wasn't right. Turning back to the house, she stumbled up the steps and threw open the door, finding not the portal back to the isles, but a sad, empty wooden house. Holes in the floor and the ceiling, and still so quiet compared to mere minutes earlier.
"Eda!" She yelled, running around frantically. She searched every inch, opened every possible door, exhausting herself and hoping this wasn't real. "Eda! Willow! Gus! King!" She screamed, but only receiving hollow echoes of her own voice as an answer. She didn't know how long she searched, but it ended with her on the porch, stumbling down the steps weakly while crying, collapsing onto the grass.
It felt even more painful than when Belos had taken Eda. No clue if they were okay, if they were alive, or if she would ever be able to return.
It felt like hours passed, before she managed to stand, covering herself tightly with her cape and trudging through the trees, in the vague direction of home.
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All the aggressive magic had settled, and a destroyed Belos laid mere yards from where Amity stood. His mask was broken in two, a few feet further. It was over. Somehow. It was over.
She vaguely heard feet approaching from behind, a group of worn out witches approaching. At the head was Willow, Gus directly behind and out of breath. She turned, eyes subconsciously searching for a particular hooded face. She didn't see Luz. Willow put a hand on her shoulder, breaking her from her search. "We did it. We really… wow." She laughed, glancing at Gus then back to Amity.
"Yeah…" the witch smiled, but once again turning to look around, magic battle leftovers everywhere. "...I… where's Luz?"
Suddenly Eda flew overhead, dropping just in front of Belos and surrounding him in a bubble. "You will not bother anyone ever again. Flames burned suddenly inside, incinerating whatever was left of the former emperor. A distant look in the older witches two colored eyes put Amity's bad
Feelings front and center of her mind.
"Eda, Did you see Luz? Is she okay?" The young witch jogged forward, hoping she would have an answer. The small silence before Eda turned made her fear the worst. The bubble containing the ashes of Belos popped, making them scatter out onto the ground.
"Luz is safe." She responded, but flatly. Amity didn't like how that sounded. She felt a hand on both her shoulders, glancing quickly to see it was Gus and Willow respectively. Eda blinked, then sighed, gently pulling her staff back up to her chest. "In the moment, I thought it would be best…"
"What happened? Where is she?" The panic was clear in Amity's voice, her fists forming. "Where is Luz, Eda?"
The wind blew suddenly, blowing the ashes away, in a direction to the left of the cursed witch and to the right of the green haired witchling.
"Luz is back in the human world." Eda finally answered. "I sent her back before Belos could hurt her." Another pause, before she looked up. "I couldn't let…" she turned away. She couldn't finish the sentence. She'd done it to protect Luz. But… now she didn't know if she would ever come back. And looking the kids friends in the eyes to tell them that was too much.
Amity's heart dropped, her legs shaking. That information didn't process right. Luz couldn't be gone. She couldn't be. The witchling had to look down, fighting back the tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't…
Everything seemed to blur out, her vision and hearing fading for all else but the sound of her own heart, slowing down while it ached, feeling on the verge of breaking. Voices came from all around, but she didn't care. Not until she was being pulled away from where she stood. She couldn't even process who, but allowed it, the strength to fight gone.
Eda watched Willow pull the young Blight away, while unnerving stares of various emotions met her. She felt unwelcomed. Which she had grown used to in her years as a wanted with, but this time… it actually hurt. She turned away and sat on her staff, flying off back towards home. The owl house. Where King would no doubt question her about the battle, and Luz.
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Amity came to her senses about halfway back towards Bonesburrow, finally collapsing and taking in shaky breaths to try and calm herself. Willow kneeled to try and comfort her, quickly muttering that maybe Gus should get home quick. He didn't argue, stepping slowly away before turning and jogging into the trees and out of sight towards the town.
Willow watched him go, then looked down at her old friend, distraught. "Amity…"
"I'm sorry…" the girl managed, quietly. "...i-i know I'm not the only one who will miss her. I just… I…" she swallowed thickly. "She's gone… and...and we might never see her again."
Willow still hadn't fully processed that fact, looking down at the ground as her friend tried to compose herself. Luz was gone. She was back home, in the human world. She managed to look up to meet Amity's golden eyes as the witch turned. "I know."
Amity opened and closed her mouth a few times. "Y'know, I liked her. I liked her alot. And I feel I wasted time after we first met because I was confused. And then I couldn't even bring myself to tell her. And now… I'll never get to." She teared up again, shrinking in on herself. "I don't know how to handle this. How do you handle heartbreak?"
The darker haired witchling had noticed Amity's emotions a while ago, but had decided it better to let the two sort it out. Now that wouldn't happen. She breathed out shakily, adjusting her sitting position to let Amity rest her head on her shoulder. "I… don't know. But, I do know that Luz gave us each other. I know we've been a bit touchy about it… but I care, Amity. You are my friend. And we have each other." She pulled her friend tighter into her, tears forming in her own eyes. "We have each other."
The two girls sat there as the sun sank finally below the horizon, crying silently as though mourning for a lost friend. Not a death, thankfully, but for the emptiness Luz's absence would create.
It wasn't until Willow felt Amity shift to stand, looking exhausted, that she moved. She took the girl's hand and led her gently away, back towards town, towards home. Walking silently and slowly.
They needed rest.