Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Salgueiro:

Gus:

Amizade:

Chapter Text

"A trash slug, three times more treasure as Owlbert's travels to the human realm" Eda declared triumphantly "Isn't that the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?"

"No" Luz replied unaffected, still not daring to take a step towards the beach
"Oh, come on kid, I thought you loved dead animals" She put an arm around Luz's little shoulders
"I like to dissect rats and pigeons dead by the rules of life, not a slug that stinks worse than the kitchen bin"
"But it was killed by the rules of life. She spends her whole life eating garbage, hoarding human treasures from crevice caverns, collecting stories" The witch dramatically waved her arm in front of her face for emphasis "But one day, BOOM, it's hit by a wave of boiling salty water and takes its last breaths on the beach"
"Just like you" King muttered as he stretched out a towel so he could lie down on the sand "Actually, I think that's how you'll gonna to a worst place"
"You mean go to a better place?"
"No"

Luz frowned at the implication, but Eda snapped her out of her thoughts by placing a pickaxe in her hands (but not before throwing a handful of sand at King for the insult). Before processing what to do with the pickaxe, Eda used her own to hit the creature's sharp teeth hard, causing a noise that shook the entire beach.

The pickaxe fell from the girl's hand as she dropped it to put her hands over her ears. Well, that's what I get for running away from home to live with a crazy witch. It was literally 8 am and her entire routine had already been ruined.

"Can I play in the backyard?"
"Oh, come on" She took the girl's hand, guiding her towards the corpse "Didn't you want magic lessons? Here's one: Don't be afraid of dead animals, they just mirror your future"
"Please don't make me"
"Look at this" Eda thrust Luz's hand into the creature's stomach(?) .

For 10 seconds (although it felt like 10 minutes), Luz's hand traveled across the entire shaft, the oily liquid (Which definitely wouldn't come off her skin even if she scrubbed with steel wool) reaching up to her elbows. Finally, her hands closed around something and Eda released her.

It was a ball of slime

"It's a ball of slime"
"It's YOUR ball of slime" Eda knelt down at her eye level and placed a bony hand on her shoulder "Use it wisely"
"Thanks... but now I'm going to take a shower"
"The shower doesn't work in the morning"
"Why?" Eda shrugged.
"Why is the grass red?"
"Wait, what?"

It's been literally a week since she's lived there and until now she hasn't noticed that the grass is red. In fact, it's not even the grass itself, the trees are also red. What other details had she missed? She sighed.

"Can I go back to my room?"
"No"
"But why not?"
"Because you've been molding in that house for a week now, you're going to become more a part of the house than Hooty himself. You have to spend, like, an hour outside the house a day."
"Can I at least go to the backyard?" The human asked tiredly "That smell is giving me a headache"
"Okay little princess" Eda rolled her eyes "But later you will help me sort the items"
"Trouble for the Luz of the Future"

“Do you think these fruits will make my hand drop if I touch it?” Luz asked Kit, her stuffed fox.

When the plush predictably didn't respond, Luz just took a chance and took the red berries in her hands. They didn't burn her hand, so she assumed it wouldn't give her an allergy. As she placed them inside her toy pot, she set out to find new ingredients.

Silver and rounded pebbles were placed in the pressure cooker. Chopped leaves turned the salad on the plate. The flexible branches of a strange tree overturned the noodles on the other plate. Now all that was left was to fill the frying pan.

"Oh Willow" she heard coming from behind the bushes "you don't have anything to show do you?"

She walked towards the voice (even though she knew it could be some Forest Siren about to devour her), finding a small clearing with two teenage girls.

Two teenage witches!

"Now do you see why they call you half-witch Willow?" the girl with green hair put her hand on the older girl's shoulder "You won't be able to escape this title if you don't try hard"

"I try" the bigger one muttered with red cheeks with embarrassment.

"That's even sadder" the smaller one shook her head in disappointment "Well, I guess not everyone can be a star"

Luz stopped paying attention to the dialogue after that, opting instead to study the witches. The youngest has dyed(?) green hair and a petite body. The pink uniform is long and her eyes are golden. Her expression (combined with the words) is cruel and mocking, the perfect image of a bully.

The biggest one is clearly older, with a chubby curvaceous body. Her black hair was cut to the shoulders, highlighting her eyes framed by glasses. Luz noticed that she is Asian (At least I think. Can Witches Be Asian?), but more attention turned to the fangs in her mouth, which were bigger than the bad girl's.

The smaller girl hurled one last insult before leaving, taking the strange cart with her. Now alone in the clearing, the larger girl clenched her fists, angry tears threatening to escape her narrow eyes.

“Argh! I hate it when she does that!”

Now, Luz recognizes a tantrum like no one else. Be it her own or the tantrums the kids at that weird school she went to at age 8 (in fact, she never understood that. She just went there, talked while playing, was forced to socialize with the other kids and left), she knows one thing someone in a fit of rage is about to do: hurt.

So she thought the smartest option was to go back to her 'kitchen', play as if nothing had happened and stay away from the angry teenager. She did her best to ignore the girl's angry ramblings, and even hummed to forget the vines that had begun to slither across the clearing like Medusa's snakes.

CRACK

What she didn't realize is, if you trying to go unnoticed, the world decide to go unnoticed by you. That's why she didn't notice one of the vines hitting a branch above her. She looked up at the noise, just in time to notice a meter-high branch falling towards her.

“Aaaahhh!”

Willow sighed at the scream. The last time anyone witnessed her tantrums she was 8 socles, but back then it was to be expected of her age. Now at 15, she couldn't afford to freak out like a spoiled brat. She could hardly believe that she'd lost control like that, even though it wasn't all that unexpected.

Her magic was getting more and more unstable, vines sprouting more frequently as her rage grew. Every day the question lingered in her head as to whether the healers were lying when they said that the heart surgery she underwent as a baby did not affect her bile sac.

Or maybe the problem was her, not the magic. She's not stupid (no matter how much others try to convince her of this, she knows there's a big difference between stupidity and intellectual disability), she knows she's going to fail the school cycle again. The problem wasn't just the abominations, her entire report card was in shades of purples and blues.

But the truth is, her heart is in the plants and sports, not the abominations and the theater group. But being successful at the plant track is difficult and not very rewarding. Ever since magic fertilizers and the large-scale planting market were invented, no one wants to 'waste' talent on plants anymore, not when you can buy full-grown plants for an easily affordable price. That's why she's been too busy with the abominations to study math or history. Always mentally and magically drained, she can't understand any of the classes, further limiting her slow down brain capacity.

But tired or not, she'd just hurt someone, someone who wasn't even the target of her fury (I mean, of course I would feel bad if I hurt Amity, but I would feel less bad than now.), and she'd have to deal with it. Heading towards the bushes, she noticed a small body sitting on the grass, some toys beside it. The little girl had messy curly hair and was rubbing her head in a crying face.

She can't even be 12

“Oh my titan, are you okay?” She knelt down in front of the girl, ready to help her up.
“I'm fine…” The girl took her hand off her head and looked at the branch on the ground “I've been hit by worse”
“Look, I'm really sorry, I shouldn't…” Willow paused as she took a good look at the girl.

Blue pajamas, chumby face, round ears, dark hair-

Wait, round ears?

"Oh.My.Titan" she started, getting close to the girl's ears "Are you human?"

The girl's eyes widened and she grabbed her ears, letting out a strange squeak that she's sure no one her age can imitate. Didn't Gus say humans have a different sound box? Her face is rounder than usual, her body oddly mature for her age (or at least what I think her age is), plus she's very petite.

“Um, am I?” The girl grabbed the stuffed animal "But if you're going to eat me, know that I'm a witch just like you!"

Ur… that was weird. She remembered a human historical record Gus had once shown her, about two humans who had nearly been eaten by a wild witch. Maybe she thought Willow was a wild witch?

“I will not eat you. My name is Willow, by the way. What is your?"
"Luz"
"It is a beautiful name. Never heard of”
"Means light on my lenguage"
“It's a beautiful meaning. Are you alone here?”
"I'm playing here in the backyard while my mentor steals a garbage"
"Ah..." Willow frowned slightly, this would be harder than she thought "Where are your parents?"

The human, Luz, shrugged. Maybe she's here because she got lost from her parents? She looks well cared, but maybe her mentor is homeless, since she mentioned the garbage. Or was it just a joke? She seems a little young to be an apprentice, but maybe humans start earlier...

"Do you want to play with me?" She interrupted Willow's thought process "I'm looking for something to cook in my frying pan"
“Um, I won't be able to stay” I have a purple note to earn “I have to be at school by 9 o'clock. But I can help you with the food”

Concentrating, Willow formed a magic circle in the air, causing a small plant to grow and begin to sprout. From her highest branch came an egg-like fruit. After harvesting it, she gently broke it on a stone on the ground, the thick white sap pouring into the pink pan.

“Now we just need to find…” she swept her eyes around the area, finding a yellow seed at Luz's foot “A yolk”

And voila, now it looked like a fried egg. She remembers Amity teaching her this trick. ‘If you don’t have something that looks like a toy food, make your own. if you don't have an egg, find something white and a yellow ball'.

“Wow, it’s just like a real fried egg!” the human leaned over and picked up the frying pan, placing it on top of the plastic stove, “I was looking for something to pretend to be meat, but this is so much better. You must be a great witch.”
“Er” Willow giggled awkwardly “thank you”
“I thank you, seriously, you saved my day. Well” she cleared her throat, her voice changing to a forced pompous tone “My kind lady, I'll buy that egg for a slimeball”
“Oh, that’s kind…”

A slime ball.

The human literally took a ball covered in green slime from her pocket. Taking it in her fingers, Willow could feel a small vibration inside, ready to be released.

“It’s… a seed”
"Serious? I swore it was some bizarre bezoar since my mentor make me get it from a trash slug's stomach.”
“Aren't they dangerous?”
“Not when they're dead” the human gave a strange smile “At least I think so”

Willow studied the human some more. The pajamas and plush showed that she likes foxes. Although these foxes are a bit different from the isles foxes. Perhaps they are foxes from the human kingdom? And what is that smell coming from her? She smells… salty. But it also smells like candy. Is that a characteristic human smell or does she just eat too much candy? Willow barely eats candy (only on weekends, and it's never more than candy or chocolate), so she doesn't know if the smell sticks like the scent of her plants tends to envelop her.

"How old are you-"

Uiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

“Oh dung, I mean, shit, that’s the signal!” she stood up, quickly lifting the stroller “See you later, Luz”
“Wait, what time does your class end?”
“15 o'clock” She could see the gears in the girl's head turning “3 of the afternoon”
“Oh, come play here afterwards. I live about 5 minutes from here”
“I… I think I will”

The human opened a smile and went back to stirring the pots. Willow sighed, still worried that such a tiny thing would be alone in such a hostile place. She began to push the stroller to school, a guilty conscience for 'abandoning' the child.

“Luuuuuz! I told you not to go into the woods” She heard a voice sound a not far away, maybe 20 meters away “Come inside, the cake is already baked”
"I'm going!" the human answered.

Willow watched carefully as she stuffed the pots into a small case, got up, brushing dirt off her bottom, and started off in the opposite direction.

Well, she thought with a smile, maybe she's not so abandoned after all.

Chapter Text

“The real abominations are all of you!” Professor Hermonculus yelled upon seeing yet another abomination not even a minute out of the cart “I swear if the next abomination fails there will be extra homework for two weeks!”

Willow lowered her head, trying to be inconspicuous. The teacher usually left her alone if she was in a good mood. He continued with a rant about how they don't even seem to be trying and are wasting their only chance to get along in the future. She crushed her forehead against the table, tired of his voice.

She always hated him. She used to think that it would be nice to meet other people with disabilities, that these rejected witches and demons would understand her, but she was wrong. Professor Hermonculus despises her. It was a real reality check to realize that no, not all people with disabilities will treat each other well. The only other disabled person she knows who doesn't judge her is Augustus.

Hermonculus, as far as she knows, has lost the use of his legs due to a curse he contracted at a young age (she knows this from a lecture he gave two years ago), but he cannot understand the plight of most disabled people. He's one of those people who believes you shouldn't be related to your syndromes and disabilities, as if it's something you carry, not a part of your being.

Of course, she agrees that she must not be reduced to her Tribus-Vinginum (Tryssomy 21), she is her own person. But it does more harm than good to ignore the fact that she have issues that get in her way on a daily basis. Hermonculus believes it's best to act like she's not disabled, but how would she do that? She was born with her Swirla Syndrome (Down Syndrome), born with a body outside witch standards, and born with an intellectual disability. How does he expect her to act like she doesn't have a diagnosed issue to struggle with?

He always says “If you work hard, you can do it” or “Don't use your syndrome as an excuse for not being able to do something” and “If I used my curse as an excuse the same way you use your syndrome, I'd be begging for snails on the street". But it's easy for him to say. He was born into a wealthy family with powerful magic. Titan, he even thinks wheelchairs are imprisoning, and only uses his abominations to carry him around.

They are not in the same boat. He's on a yacht, she's in a rowboat on the open sea. She meets people who don't even look like they're on a boat, they're just adrift. It's easy for him to forget his own disability, to pretend him's 'normal'. It's not for her.

“Um, let me see the next one…” he studied the clipboard
“Let me go teacher!” Amity raised her hand in a rather childish manner.

It's usually easy to forget that she hasn't even turned 13. But it's obvious, no matter how many formal clothes and mature buns she tried to wear. The small fangs, the round face, the size… it all pointed to a 12 year old girl constantly trying to look like she's 14.

“Well, I'd love to see you perform” he chuckled “But the presentations are on a first served basis, so you'll have to wait until after lunch. Now it's…” His mood dropped “Willow Park”

A hubbub of indignation rose from the students, the sorcerers not wanting extra homework. She lowered her hood, pushing the heavy cart to the front of the room. Taking a last breath, she opened the lid, checking out the disgusting goo inside.

“A-abomination, arise…”

Anything. Literally nothing.

"I think calling her an abomination is an insult to them." Mara, from Class 7, whispered to her friends "At least the abominations are useful"

The comment was followed by laughter and further insults. She has always hated that specific group in her class, formed by Mara, Turma and of course, Amity. Amity like I don't even bother hurling insults. Her look wasn't even malicious, just tired and disappointed. All that was left was pity.

Pity. One of the things she's always hated, and probably always will. Poor little baby, it wasn't even planned, she's probably going to be abandoned by her mother. Poor little girl, she didn't even get to meet her own mother before she left. Poor little witch, she will deal her whole life with not being able to measure up to the normal kids. Poor, poor, poor!

“I said” She muttered, blood boiling with rage “Abomination, arise!”

Fists trembling with adrenaline slowly escorted the unstable abomination out of the cauldron. That was it, she would only need to keep it on her feet for one more minute. Anger seemed to harden her veins, which in turn hardened the abomination to a more stable state.

A ghost of a smile surfaced in Hermonculus, probably bragging internally that he was such a good teacher that he even managed to teach Half-Witch Willow. The other students had mixed reactions. Teddy had his mouth open, shocked by the conquest, Mara and Turma were silent looking with a strange expression and Amity...

Amity

The girl who helped me learn to read despite being three years younger. The girl who always made her father take her to the public playground, just so she could play with me. The girl I played with, swam with, the girl who was my first kiss in the childhood innocence and curiosity.

The girl who kicked her out of her seven solar cycle birthday. The girl who started giving her 'tips' on how to stay in the shadows is less humiliating. The girl who shared enough material for Boscha to know how to hurt her. The girl who divided her life between before and after 29/10/109 (Amity's Birthday).

His eyes reflected that first girl. They reflected hope, however small and desperate. Willow gave her a small smile, and she smiled back. Something warm formed in Willow's chest...

Buf

The abomination exploded, spraying the purple goo across the room. Sighs of surprise and outrage rippled through the room, everyone ducking to avoid getting caught in the goo. All but one.

“What the Hades (Hell) Park!” Willow froze.

Nine years, five of which were bullying and rejection. Five years of indirect, provocation and bypass. Five years to make up for those beautiful four years of friendship.

Five years in which Amity never, never called her by her last name. She can handle Half-Witch Willow, Almond Eye, Fatty, and even Tricro. Those nicknames, mean as they are, mean something, Park doesn't.

“Ah, Willow…” Professor Hermonculus pinched the bridge of his nose, disappointment dripping from his voice “Sometimes I think you do that on purpose”
“Sorry…” She mumbled, embarrassed to the core as Amity's little friends helped her to her feet.
“Go wash up, you're excused from this class” he waved with his hand, which she obeyed.

Lucky for her, in the middle of class, there was hardly anyone in the halls. She thought about skipping the Titangraphy class, but would be in trouble because the class was double. Besides, Augustus would be expecting her.

She watched herself in the bathroom mirror. Red face, floppy ears, tired eyes… Her outfit was completely covered in purple goo, an eyeball that shouldn't even be part of the prescription stuck in her thin black hair.

Great, I'll be wearing this stained uniform for the rest of the day. As a matter of fact, her father won't get paid until the end of the lunar cycle (month), so she'll have to spend the next 14 days in the uniform like this. She tried to wash off the excess goo with water, but it only stiffened in response.

Giving up on trying to wash it off with just water, she decided to get the towel from the closet. She always kept that old towel for when she predictably got dirty. But, upon reaching the cupboards, she noticed a certain potionist leaning against it.

How the hades did she get out of class early?

“Amity told me what happened”

“Get out of my closet, Boscha”

“I don't know if you have the right to that closet, Half-Witch. Frankly, it would be better if you gave it to someone who really deserves to be here" The triclops smiled, showing her fangs "You're stealing a vacancy from a student who could be at least decent"

“This time I have to agree” Amity's voice came from behind her.

The witch moved to Boscha's side, the difference in height barely made up for by the younger's high-heeled boots. The goo predictably couldn't be removed, the fancy uniform was stuck purple and the left eye was red and irritated. I must have hit her contact lenses.

“Seriously, how can you be such a bad student? I thought you had some hope, but now I've given up" The green haired witch coldly stated

“I told you she's good for nothing. I don't know how she hasn't been demoted to baby classes yet."

“Have you ever been to a healer or something to check if you have a problem with your bile sack?” Willow didn't have the heart to say that yes, she already went to check it.

“I don't think she even has one” Boscha laughed at her own joke “Maybe she was switched in the maternity ward for a human”

“I don't know how she was adopted. Her parents must be getting paid by the government to keep her”

Willow clenched her fists, taking deep breaths to steady herself. She could feel the energy coming from beneath the earth, the plants begging to be released. The seed in her pocket weighed. There was a time when you wanted them to be your parents too, Amity.

“No wonder her mother preferred to die than have her as a daughter”

Willow burst.

Chapter Text

"Principal Bump!" The rune teacher yelled as she entered in the office.

"What there was?!" he got up worried.

"The school… A student-" She tried, not finding words for what had just happened "I think you better see this"

He followed her to the door, encountering a strange and familiar smell. When she led him into the hall, he sighed.

It's the smell of wandering vines

Everything was covered in thick angry vines, slowly crawling along the walls like snakes and crushing the most fragile structures. The classrooms were forced shut by horizontal vines, students trying in vain to get out.

He noticed two students hanging upside down from the ever-tightening vines, thorns cutting their skin. Just below was a veritable mess of flowers and plants, with a girl in the center. The vines coiled protectively (a little too protectively, judging by the redness on the girl's pinched skin), tears falling from her eyes.

"YOU THINK YOU'RE SO POWERFUL NOW?" The girl, who he now recognized as Willow Park, screamed.

The vines that bound the girls shook violently as she screamed. Willow's little hand closed, the vines immediately tightening.

"WHO IS THE IMPOTENT NOW? WHAT YOU GONNA DO?" The smaller girl tried to scream, but the vines wrapped around her mouth stopped her.

"Professor Sifara, go get Mrs. Wetermollan" Bump decided it was enough.

While waiting for the plant teacher to arrive, he summoned two abominations and approached Willow.

"That's enough, Miss Park. You're hurting them."

"THEY HURT ME!" She turned around with hatred in her eyes, and for a few moments he was afraid she was going to attack him.

"But that doesn't give you the right-"

"RIGHT? WHAT RIGHT? THIS SCHOOL RUNS ON THE FUCKING LAW OF THE FIGHTEST! SO I WIN!" The vines formed more flowers when she said that last word.

Bump sent his abominations to try to get the girls trapped up there. He had already realized that he would not be able to calm Willow down and mentally kicked himself for not asking Sifara to bring the school's menaler (That's when he remembered that he didn't have a menaler, but he should have). I think I'd better get one after this mess is over.

"STAY AWAY FROM THEM!" Willow screamed, fangs flashing eerily.

Her hands moved aggressively and suddenly the abominations exploded, smearing he with the goo.

"THEY ARE MINE! GET IT? THEY ARE MY TOYS NOW" She screamed as the vines shook them "I'M GOT TIRED OF BEING THEIR TOY!"

"Willow?" Mrs. Wetermollan asked kindly.

She knew Willow was going through a tough time, but she didn't think it would be that bad. The girl was so sweet, but so angry. So much anger seemed to swirl inside her, and she knew it would be a matter of time before her tantrums got out of control. She may never have witnessed one (she knows how proud the girl is about that, refusing to be caught in a moment of vulnerability), but she's already helped to clean up the aftermath. Vines and flowers that got caught somewhere, something broken, even wounds Willow could inflict on herself (or unintentionally let her plants inflict) when very angry.

"GET OUT!"

"Willow, it's okay-"

"IT'S NOT OKAY! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?" More tears fell down "YOU KNEW! YOU ALL KNEW WHAT I WAS GOING THROUGH AT THIS FUCKING SCHOOL AND  DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

Wetermollan began to use his own magic to loosen the grip of the plants. Without the necessary adrenaline, the plants didn't obey her, so it was best to convince Willow to calm down before she did something she regretted.

"Willow, you're hurting yourself"

"LEAVE ME- alone" A sob made the last word weak and tearful.

The vines that had curled around the girl began to loosen. It seemed that each hiccup made the flowers wither more and more, the vines graying. Wetermollan took advantage of this moment to go to the girl, pulling her in her arms. Willow struggled against the hug, bumping weakly against the teacher's armored chest before giving in and crying some more.

"Why do I have to born like this?" She choked on her sob, causing the vines that held the doors to wither and fall off.

Teachers and students came out of their classrooms, still confused about what was going on. Wetermollan, trying to protect the girl from being exposed at such a vulnerable time, quickly summoned his flowers to cover the girl's body, the face buried in her chest.

"All students can go to the auditorium right now. The teachers will guide you on what to do next" Bump spoke in a calm and practiced voice "Professor Helena, Hermonculus and Tiara, please stay here"

Wetermollan took the girl in her arms (so small compared to his big body) and started towards his classroom.

"Think you can handle her?" Bump asked behind her

"I can. I'll send a crow when the situation is stable"

She carried her over and sat her down on the table, the girl still crying. It was at that time that she thanked the Titan that her sister is a mental healer, otherwise she wouldn't know how to deal.

"Yeah, get out, little flower" She gently wiped the tears on the sleeve of her blouse. "You can talk when you feel ready, but is there anything I can do to help you calm down?"

Willow gasped a little as she tried to calm herself. Shame and regret seemed to burn through her now that she thought clearly. This outbreak was even worse than the one in the morning.

Mrs. Wetermollan sighed, realizing that she couldn't help her at the moment. Sprouting a bubbly flower on the table, she placed it in the girl's hand, hoping it would serve as an anti-stress toy. Willow took the flower in her hand, hugging it lightly as she tried to clear her mind. Her anxiety was running a mile a minute, filling her with the idea that she was definitely going to be expelled. Calm down, remember your breath. 1,2,3-

"Miss Wetermollan! Is Willow here?" The door suddenly opened.

The scare made Willow squeeze the plant, which burst in her hand, spreading the sap all over her skirt and the table. The frustration of that revelation was enough for her to let out an angry snarl, Prickloes plants sprouting in her hair and around the table.

"Oh dung. Sorry" Augustus muttered as he realized what he had interrupted.

"It’s fine, Augustus. I assume the principal sent you here?"

"No" the boy opened a smile "This is a self-proclaimed mission in search of paying off an old debt"

Willow chuckled at that, knowing full well what that debt was.

Titan, what would I do without him?

"Oh dung, I said the wrong thing, didn't I?" Augustus asked with downcast ears.

The prospect of her possible expulsion made her stomachs sink, turning hier laughter into a desperate sob. She buried her face in her hands, as if she wanted to hide. That was it, she'd hurt Amity and Boscha and now she was really screwed.

She was right, my mother would rather die than have me as a daughter-

"Here, drink it" The teacher handed him a glass of water "It will help you calm down"

She shakily raised the glass to her lips, only for the water to fly away as she let out another sob. How can I be so useless that I can't even drink water?

"Hey Willow, calm down. Remember the breathing trick" Augustus sat at the table next to her "1,2,3,4, 4,3,2,1"

She followed his breath, trying not to hyperventilate. What would her parents think of her? They would certainly be angry.

"My parents-" she cleared her throat when the line came out too wet "have my parents been called yet?"

"I think so. Usually, when something like this happens, they are called"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause so much trouble"

"It is all fin-"

"No, it's not! You say this because it's not you who's going to be expelled!" Willow started crying again, and Wetermollan frowned.

"You will not be expelled"

"Of course I will! I attacked two model students with an off-track magic!" she squeezed Augustus's hand hard enough to hurt "Now I'm going to be kicked out of the only school I could go to, as I'm too poor for St. Epidermis and too weak for Glandus."

Willow felt her cheeks tighten and she turned up to see Wetermollan holding her face, a determined look searing her.

"You.Will.Not.Be.Expelled. I'll trade my job at this school for your vacancy if I have to, but you won't be expelled" she let go of the girl's cheeks "Besides, it wasn't your fault that incident"

"Of course it was-" Willow protested, but was cut off by Wetermollan putting a finger on her lips.

"You had a mental breakdown, you weren't in full control of your actions. You can't be held responsible, especially as I had already warned the principal of your short temper."

"I don't have a short temper"

"No offense Willow, but you have" Augustus chimed in "Remember that time when Boscha insulted your dad and you kicked a dumpster? You kind of totally squashed it. There was also that time when teacher Riane accused you of having cheated on the titangraphy test and zeroed your grade, and you banged on the bathroom door. Or that time-"

"We already understand, Augustus"

Augustus shrugged. Being Willow's friend for so many years, he knew his friend's temper, the anger that was growing inside her. As a child, this anger had been transformed into tears and erratic breathing, but now his attacks were more and more destructive. She tried to hide it, but he witnessed too many. Although the vines he had never witnessed, he only heard Willow talking about it when she vents.

"What I'm saying is that this situation could have been avoided by us. We noticed your anger issues, your talent in another track and the bullying you suffer, but we didn't do anything" The teacher explained "If we had told your parents of your academic problems, in addition to expressing concern about your grades, they could have sent you to a menaler to you learn a deal with your anger. If we had convinced your parents that you needed to stay on the plant track, much of your suffering would have been avoided, plus I could keep an eye on you."

"But I attacked Amity and Boscha, their parents will do what they can to get me out of here"

"Their parents are powerful, but they don't order Bump. We were afraid that any action would be taken against the two because bullying brought your parent’s fury upon you, but our omission only caused more problems." she took Willow's hand "person I'm sorry we were so negligent, but now we have a chance to start over. OK?"

Willow used her fists to wipe away the tears as she felt them, a shaky smile playing on her lips.

"OK."

Chapter Text

"A week's suspension?" Gilbert asked the director in shock "but you yourself said they were the ones who attacked first"

"They attacked first, but let's review the facts. Despite the verbal abuse, Willow attacked them physically. The youngest Blight had to receive glyph stickers on her leg where one of the thorns pierced her."

Willow, leaning against Harvey's lap, was pink in the face with embarrassment. She didn't quite remember what she had done, the vines moving almost of their own accord. She just knows she did something she definitely shouldn't have.

"Do not think of this period as a punishment. During this week of recess, the Student Council asked her to do some activities to return to school better rehabilitated"

"What activities?

"Well, there are three must-do activities and a few more that we think might help her. We need her to transfer to the plant track first. She's not thriving on the abomination track, and she's shown a natural talent for phytokinesis."

"Okay... what about the second one?"

Willow was surprised that Gilbert had agreed so quickly, after all these socles of pretending she was into abomination magic. Was it just talking to him this whole time?

"That she participates in the information booklet to join a new class. Depending on how she develops on the new track, we can advance her one school cycle to make up for the lost cycle"

"But then I'll be in a different class than Augustus!" Willow suddenly screeched, instantly regretting it as all the adult's attention returned to her "Er, well… He's my only friend and I enjoy sharing classes with him"

"Well, there's no way we can advance you through the school cycle without your permission. That's up to you."

"I take it you don't, do you, little grape?" Harvey brushed her hair away from her face

"No…"

Willow nodded. When she was younger, she was very ashamed of being two socless older than everyone in her class, but nowadays she had gotten used to it. She wouldn't have been able to survive the bullying without Augustus distraction.

"The last thing is most needed right now" Bump handed Gilbert a paper "We need her to see a mental healer."

"Mental healer?" Gilbert ran his hands over the pamphlet, brow furrowed.

"The council will only let her go back to school on the next Rubrum (first day of the week, similar to Monday) after a mandatory session with a Menaler specializing in anger issues. Mandatory three sessions are required, but I recommend waiting for the healer's approval to the Liberation."

"We'll see"

Gilbert shook the headmaster's hand and stood, Harvey putting an arm around Willow's shoulder to help her to her feet. They then walked to the office door, wanting to go home.

"Oh, Willow, are you cleared yet?" Augustus jumped out of his 'hiding place' behind the waiting bench "can I sleep at your house tonight?"

Willow giggled at how opportunistic he can be. Augustus avoided his own house like the plague, always wanting to sleep in Willow's. She couldn't judge him, he lived with his workaholic dad in a small boring apartment where scroll waves(wifi) never work. She, on the other hand, lived in a modest but beautiful two-story house, her parents taking turns at work to be as close to their daughter as possible.

"Well, I think it might be good for Willow to have company today, don't you Vey?" Gilbert put a hand on his daughter's shoulder "Have you spoken to your father yet?"

"Already" Willow knew it was a lie "I want to take the opportunity to discuss with her about this human scroll I found"

That lit a lightbulb in Willow's head.

"Papa, before I go home, can Augustus and I play with a friend?"

"Did you make a new friend?" the surprise in Gilbert's tone was almost offensive.

"I did, she lives nearby and loves humans. I think it might be nice for Augustus to talk to her."

"She like humans?" Augustus put a hand to his face in wonder "How have I not met her before? Is she new?"

"She's homeschooled, I met her on the way here"

"Let us go please Willow's father" Augustus grabbed the Harvey's tunic

"Um, how old is she?"

"Er, I think 9, she's small and cute"

"And are her parents okay with you going to her house?"

"We're going to play in the woods, and I think her mentor is in agreement, she's the one who asked me to go"

"Hum…" Harvey thought for a few seconds "If it's okay with you, Gil"

“I think it might be. I have to work things out with Menaler anyway” He climbed into the palisman, the Bulldog named Carlos about to take fligh. 

"Then it's okay." Harvey pulled his own palisman, a gray and green parrot "Come on, you two, I'll give you a ride"

With the children on the back of the staff, Harvey left for the woods where Willow says she found her friend.

“We might have to go to her house” Willow mumbled when they landed “I told her I wouldn't meet her until 15 o'clock, so she shouldn't be around here-”

"It is not how it works!" A small screech of rage was heard “It has to be the same color AND the same number for a double move”

The three looked at each other and followed the direction of the sound. There, sitting at the root of a tree, was a little girl. She was playing some weird deck of cards with a few toys scattered around and a tiny demon trying to hide his own cards.

"Luz!" Willow screamed, stepping out from behind the tree.

The girl jumped in fright and gave a broken scream, letting the cards fall before looking at them. Recognition flashed in her eyes at the sight of Willow, but the demon eyed the three of them with a offensive distrust.

“Willow… you scared me” The girl, Luz, put the hand on her chest “I thought you wouldn't come until later…”

“Let's just say… we were dismissed early from school” Willow replied, ears flattened in embarrassment.

“Oh, Ok. Who are them?" She pointed (rather rudely, but considering her age, Harvey decided to take it as childish curiosity anyway) at the two of them.

“Well, this is my papa and this is Augus-”

"Nice to meet you!" The boy almost jumped on top of her "Willow said you like humans" There was a short pause where the younger girl looked blankly at Willow, to which the girl replied with a rather uncertain look.

“I love humans” Luz finally reached out to Augustus “I know all about them”

“I doubt you know more than I do”

Harvey can't tell if he was joking or not (He never knew if the kid was serious or not. He doesn't know if this is a OMS thing or if it's Augustus thing), but the girl gave a rather disturbing smile at replacement

“That we will see”

“Well,” Harvey decided to interrupt, approaching “I'm Harvey Park, Willow's father”

Instead of squeezing his hand, the girl flinched, refusing to meet his eyes. She got up and uncomfortably squeezed his hand. Harvey frowned at the reaction. It's unusual for a child to act so scared of an adult, even a stranger. He might be being overprotective, but this behavior is a little worrying.

"Um, where are your parents?"

The girl only responded with a shrug, which Harvey couldn't tell if it was a 'It doesn't matter' or a 'don't know'. If it was a 'don't know', he still had to find out how long they had been gone. He couldn't help but worry, not when he is a Child Keeper (social worker). So he did what he was taught: analyzed.

The girl, along with a small demon of unknown age (and unknown species, but who holds the stuffed rabbit in such a childish way that it probably isn't even 10 socles), left alone in the woods. Willow mentioned a mentor (Isn't she too young to be an apprentice? She must be like 8), but a parent never be mentioned. She looked well cared for, despite the odd smell. The clothes look new, crumbs all over the overalls. Her untamed hair was pulled back in a simple centaurtail, blue tights warming her tiny feet.

"How old are you?"

"11"

Harvey frowned again. The girl looked so small… There's no way a healthy 11 socles old girl could be that size unless she has some offspring from a small demon. But she also doesn't seem to descend from any demons. Genetics can only influence up to a certain point.

"Where's your guardian?"

"Working"

"And left you two alone?" the girl slightly bit her lip

"King knows this forest very well, I'm faster than my mentor, who is a powerful witch, so I think I can consider myself faster than any witch who tries to catch me. Besides, we have" She leaned forward and lowered her voice to a whisper "Hotty"

"Hotty?"

"Don't say it loud-" Too late

A giant worm appeared from seemingly nowhere, the owlish face at the end of its neck(?) splitting into a disturbing smile.

"My ears are hot! Did someone say my name?!"

"Ugh, you don't even have ears" the small demon yelled in annoyance, pushing the owl worm demon-his it's face.

"We don't say Hooty, we say Goody, good"

“And who are these new visitors? Shall I eat them?”

“No Hotty, you mustn't eat them. They are my guests.”

“Uhhhhhh” This seemed to cheer up the demon “Then I can tell them about the love story I witnessed between a fly and a fire bee-”

“No” The girl stood up, her arms wrapping around the creature before she leapt at the three wizards “Eda told you to stay home, remember?”

“Ow…” The owl lowered its face, sad

“Look, I'll tell Eda that you did a good job against…” The girl looked to the side, scanning the forest “A willow tree! That's it, I'll tell Eda that you protected us from a willow that tried to rob us, so she'll give you a reward. But only if you go back to your job watching the house.”

"OK!" He exclaimed before disappearing behind the trees.

The three stood in shock, surprised by the situation that apparently was normal(?). Luz sighed, shaking her head as she sat up. Calmly, she placed a blue card on the pile, ignoring the children's confused looks.

"What was that?" Augustus moved closer, trying to see beyond the trees.

“Hooty, our household demon” This only seemed to make the three of them more confused, but she couldn't explain it any better 

"How did you say your name is?"

"Augustus"

"Hmm, just like a boy from a human book. But he's just usually called Gus"

"Gus, a human nickname? Just call me that from now on!" He smile “And what is it?” He pointed to the pile of letters.

“Uno, it's a human game” An audible and exaggerated gasp came from Gus, the boy sitting up immediately.

“Tell Me Everything” he grabbed her shoulders.

Harvey use that moment to pull Willow into a private conversation. Depending on how his daughter responded, he might have to start a new investigation.

“You said her name is Luz, didn’t you?”

“Yes, she said it means light”

“Um, and did she tell you anything about her family? Or did she hint that something is out of the ordinary?”

“Papa…” she cross her arms “I know it may seem like it, but I don't think it's a Child Keeping issue. I know she looks kind small and scared, but that's by her species standards, I think."

“Species standar-”

“No fucking!” The two turned back, facing the trio of children.

Gus had his hands over his mouth, the eyes so wide it looked ready to explode. Noticing the two Parks staring him, he gave a nervous smile and began shuffling his own cards.

“Er, it's nothing! Luz here just told me she's a…” He looked at the girl, who returned a pursed lip in response “A fan! She's a big fan of flags too!”

Willow clapped a hand to her forehead, Gus's nervous chuckle scaring away a bird or two nearby. The girl sighed, turning her attention to her father.

“Look, she's a little scared, but that's because she's new here, I think. She came from a different place, so maybe her culture is different. As far as I know, common (english) isn't even her first language” The girl shrugged.

“Hmm, I guess it makes sense… But if you discover something troubling, will you promise to tell me?”

“I promise” she raised her index finger, whereupon he raised his own and they met.

Promise made, the man stroked his daughter's hair, pulling the scroll to check the time and messages.

“Um, Sabrin asked me to go to Ribnque to interview a witchlet who has been missing school” He put the device in his pocket “I think I'll be back in about three hours, will you be ok until then?”

“I think we will”

“Okay, do you have the Scroll loaded?”

"Yes"

“Have you checked to see if it has access to scroll waves (wifi)?”

“Yes, Papa. I always pass by here on my way to school, I know this area”

“Just checking” he chuckled “Do you have the extra snails?”

“I don't leave home without”

“Then it's okay. But just in case" He opened his hand, a staff growing out of his pocket "I'll let Misparot take care of you"

“Papa…” the girl moaned “We are not children anymore”

"What's the problem? You loved babysitting Misparot" The parrot nodded in agreement "She's going to be hurt this way"

“Oh, come here”

Willow took the staff with her finger, light strokes being passed over the bird's head. She remembers being 5 socles old and sitting on the floor of her playpen, Carlos and Misparot jumping around and entertaining her while a healer gave her nebulization to improve her breathing quality. It was always a struggle when she got sick, her sensitive airways not liking a new challenge one bit.

But her parents palismans were always there every time she got sick. In fact, her earliest memory was when she was three socles old, admitted to a Healing Center for having contracted a Neural Flu. She cried for three days, in pain and scared and not understanding what was happening. In those three days, she could only sleep cuddling with the parrot and the bulldog.

“I’ll take the beggus (the bus egg) to work, okay?” Harvey placed a butterfly kiss on Willow's forehead "When I get back I'll take you and Gus home"

“Take the titan with you” she returned the kiss, waving as she returned to her friends.

Luz and Gus were sitting, seemingly quiet as they added more cards to the deck. A suspicious look was cast in the older girl's direction as she walked forward, sitting down on a root.

"He is gone?" The newly named Gus quietly asked

"Yes"

“So, in that case” he abandoned the cards, jumping up beside the human “Tell me everything!”

“Oh…” she murmured, abandoning her own cards “What do you want to know?”

“Are you really human? Like, pure human? How did you get here? Do you have more humans with you? Where's your tail? Why are you so small? Are you really 11 years old? And if-"

“Calm down, I can't understand it that way. How about we play, and meanwhile I answer your questions?”

“That sounds amazing!” he jumped up and down despite being seated “Shall we play human games?”

“I think so” she picked up a box that was in a pile “Do you guys know how to play dominoes?”

“Hmm…” he evaluated the little pieces inside “It looks like the Pair of Runes game, but with balls instead of runes”

"Suits me"

Game set up, the five (including the little demon who declared himself 'King' and Misparot who picked up a piece in her beak and sat on Willow's shoulder) formed a circle for the game of dominoes and questions.

"How did you get here?"

“I went through a door and Boom, I ended up in this dimension”

“And where did you find this portal?”

“It's from my mentor. She welcomed me"

“So you can go back to the human realm?”

“I went there just yesterday. It was where I bought my clothes and toys.”

“If you can come back, why aren't you home?”

“There's nothing to go back” This piqued Willow's interest.

"Like this? Where are your parents?"

“I've wondered this for years” she shrugged “This realm is bizarre and smelly, no offense, but I prefer weird plants to my aunt's slaps”

“Wait a minute, did they hit you?” Willow asked, a little exasperated.

“My aunt didn't like me very much. But my mentor has already made it clear that she would never hit me.”

“True” The little demon replied, trying to add a ⅔ into a 5 “In these 8 solar cycles that I have lived with Eda, the most I have ever received is a pat on the hand”

“Is it normal for humans to hit children?” Gus asked quietly, ears down

“I think she was just an idiot. I looked it up, hitting children is illegal in the human realm.”

A heavy mood filled the clearing, the five (technically four, since Misparot only held his piece) playing silently. There was a full minute of silence before the human spoke again.

“Humans don't have tails. We used to have it, but it became so useless that it was shortened until it disappeared. I have never met any human who has a tail.”

“Oh,” Gus murmured. “You guys have gills?”

“Nope. At best, our skin gets wrinkled when we stay in the water for a long time, but we are terrestrial.”

“Hmm, I guess that makes sense. Are you really 11 socles old?”

"Yes"

“And why are you so small?” he pointed at her, earning an elbow and an 'Augustus' from Willow.

“I'm small, but I'm not to much small. I’m within healthy height and weight standards.”

“What species are you?”

“Human”

“No, what kind of human?”

“There are no other species, only humans. I mean, they existed, but they were extinguished and mixed until they formed a single one”

“Wow, um… What do you eat?”

“I think everything. Well, everything in the human realm…”

“Even stone?”

“All organic”

“Even poop?”

"Do not exaggerate"

"Fine" he raised his hands in surrender

"My turn. Witches have pointy ears, right?”

“Like you humans have round ears”

“Why then is your ear like that”

Willow held her breath, nervous about the personal questions. She knows that Augustus Gus's demonic heritage is a bit of a touchy subject for him, but at the same time it's hard to predict how upset he would be.

"Well, actually I'm about 75% witch. My paternal grandfather was a bipedal demon of the Cheep species, who married my grandmother, a total witch. My father is half Cheep and has more obvious traits than me, like dilated legs and rectangular pupils." He looked kind of sad for a moment "There's a lot of bigotry around us hybrids. 150 solar cycles ago, we couldn't even ride the bus with pureblood wizards. It was really hard for him to get a job as a journalist being a direct mix ."

"I really understand" Luz put her hand on his shoulder "In the human realm, there is only one species, but different races. I, for example, am black and suffer prejudice for that."

"Only by skin color?" Willow asked horrified and confused

"Yes, but sometimes it's also the shape of eyes that yellow people have-"

"Are some humans yellow?" gus interrupted

"Actually, no. That's the name given to people whose race trait is having slanted eyes, and yellowish skin. The different races of Humans appeared in different parts of the world, for different reasons" She began, excited to explain your so loved biology "Well, the first humans had black skin-"

"But didn't you say that black people suffer prejudice? It doesn't make sense for you to suffer prejudice having come first"

"It has a whole historical context in the background. Anyway, the first humans had very dark skin and very curly hair, because they emerge in a place with a lot of sun. Dark skin has more melanin, which is a natural sunscreen. curly hair protects you from the sun" she grabbed her own hair "my hair is not to curly because it's mixed with my straight haired ancestors. black people rarely have straight hair"

"Cool!" Gus exclaimed "My hair is like that too because of the species. It's a kind of wool"

"I can touch?"

"No"

"OK. Well, then there was a genetic mutation that ended up being favored and then white skin appeared. The races of humans are not very different from each other, apart from a few characteristics.”

“That looks interesting”

"And is. By the way-"

"Domino!" The little demon screamed, throwing a piece down the line. And really, he no longer had any pieces in his hands/paws.

“Hum…” Luz narrowed her eyes suspiciously “King, stand up”

"No"

“Willow, do the honors?”

Before the little demon could react, Willow obeyed the suggestion and lifted it, revealing three pieces. His little legs shook the air as he tried in vain to escape the girl's grip.

"Ha! I knew it! You literally did the same thing in the penultimate game of uno."

"But you made me draw ten cards at once!"

"No sir, it was your fault. If you had stayed quiet, it would only have been two cards, but you had to try to reverse draws…" the human put her hands on her hips "Besides, it's dominoes, you only draw tiles if you don't have any what a fit"

"I already bought 7!"

"Even so"

Gus laughed when he saw the interaction between the brothers(?). If every human was equal to Luz, he would want to know more. The girl laughed harder at King's justifications, but she suddenly let out a scream and waved her hand.

A small orange leaf flew from her hand before hitting a tree. Luz was wide-eyed, clutching her hand as if it had been burned. Willow narrowed her eyes at the leaf before walking over to it, slowly taking it in her hand.

"That's… a leaf beast" she brought her closer to the group. Four little paws poked out from under the 'leaf', tiny eyes on the stem staring at them.

"Wow" Luz sighed and walked towards him, taking him gently in her hands "Is that a bug?"

"Yes, it is. Leaf beast is an insect that disguises itself in different leaves as camouflage against predators"

"He is so cute!" she ran her fingers over his little head, caressing it "Sorry little friend, it was reflex"

"Relax Luz, I think he already forgave"

"I think I'll just keep him. What's the chance he'll run away if I put him down?"

"Test Your Luck"

"Okay…" she slowly lowered him to the ground "Who wants to play Jenga?"

"Okay, okay. I have another one: What's a witch who lives in the desert called?"

"Nomads?"

"A sandwich"

The trio burst out laughing for what felt like the tenth time, toys forgotten as they just lay and talked. King slept peacefully on Luz's legs, tired from the wild Jenga's departure.

"Titan, Luz, where do you get so many good jokes?"

"I found on the Internet"

"What is Internet?" Gus asked

"Something you're better off keeping away from" she chose not to elaborate on the thought "Want to hear another one?"

"Is that another pun on 'witch'?"

"No. Look, there were two brothers, 'Shut up' and 'Respect'"

"Why were they called that?"

"Shiu, it's part of the joke. Anyway, the two of them went to a party, but Respect got tight and went to the bathroom. Then a policeman arrived-"

"What's a policeman?"

"It's a person trained to keep order, enforce the law, beat up bad guys…"

"Oh, like a guard"

"I think so. Anyway, the policeman asked Shup Up what his name was, and he replied 'Shut up'. The policeman got very angry and said 'What? Repeat your name' to which the boy replied again 'Shup Up'. The policeman then asks 'Well, where's the respect?' and he says, 'He's in the bathroom'."

Another salvo of laughter filled the grove, Misparot mimicking the laughter. Luz noticed this and reached out, stroking the feathers on her wings.

"I forgot to ask, what parrot is this?"

"Her name is Misparot"

"Miss Parrot?"

"No, Misparot. She is my papa's palisman."

"Um… where have I heard that word before…" She snapped her fingers, trying to remember "Owlbert! This is Eda's palisman."

"Eda?"

"She is my mentor"

“Cool” Gus mumbled “What is internet?”

"Good…"

"And how is the Emperor?"

"He's really cool. He's like the most powerful wizard that ever lived. He banished wild magic to the safety of the islands."

"Wild magic?"

"Yes, like, the magic that is uncontrolled, without rules"

"My Mentor said that this is the true kind of magic. In her words 'Magic should have no rules. It's wild, it's unpredictable, that's why it's beautiful'. I have a slightly different opinion, but I think she's kind of right ."

"Wow, is your mentor sympathetic to wild magic? What coven is she from?"

"Coven?"

"It's, like, your kind of magic. You specialize in one, then you gain a sigil so you have a better mastery of your magic."

"Only one type?"

"Yes, it's easier to control that way. That's why I was so unhappy in the abomination class"

"Was?"

"Aye, I forgot to tell. I got transferred to the Plant Track"

"Whoa, really? How?"

"Well, I had another one of those… power episodes, just like this morning. Turns out the director thought it best to switch tracks" she rubbed the back of her head "Frankly, I'm glad. My worst nightmare was literally turning 21 and receive a sigil of abominations"

"Sigil?"

"It's like a tattoo, it sits on the wrist and regulates your magic"

"My mentor has one, it's an owl"

"Owl?"

"She's wild, Luz" King interrupted "That's not sigil, it's a tattoo"

"Oh…"

"Wait, is your mentor wild?" she looked at Gus, who had a haunted expression on his face.

"Willow, isn't the amount of owl a little suspicious?"

Crack

"Luz? King? Are you in the forest again?"

A tall, white figure loomed through the trees. The silver hair seemed to have a life of its own, the blood red dress accentuating the lean and slender body. A veritable constellation of freckles covered her entire face, from her nose to her pointed ears (and so long, the standard of beauty that runs in society since wild times).

Two golden eyes (which made Willow gasp a little at how similar they were to Amity's) stared at the children, like an owl assessing which mouse to eat first.

"Who are you?" a long, sharp nail was pointed at the two sorcerers

"I, I-"

"This is Willow, and he's Gus. I was talking about her earlier, remember?" Light intercepted them.

"Oh yeah" Beldam narrowed her eyes "the girl who hit your head with a branch"

Willow felt that she was going to die. That was it, she assaulted the apprentice (and probally heiress) of the most dangerous and savage witch in the isles. Now she would probably be fed to her owls.

"Um, a branch to the head never hurt anyone" she waved her hand lightly

"Hurts me" Luz muttered, and Willow can only think For the titan's sake, shut up

"And that's why I told you not to come to the forest" The older woman put a bony hand on her hip "If you're going to

disobey me, you can handle the consequences" This seemed to make the human thoughtful for a few moments.

"A branch to the head never hurt anyone" This drew a loud laugh from Eda

“Come here, naughty ones. You will end up being eaten by werewolves.”

The two children stood up, King holding the stuffed fox and Luz with the Leaf Beast in her hands. With a twist of her finger, Eda made all the toys float above them, almost like the Pied Piper delighted the mice.

“Are you kids going to come? The cake is still on the table"

"No!" Willow screamed a little louder, before rephrasing “My papa is coming to pick us up”

“Hunf, it's your loss” She turned around, King in her lap and the other hand leading the toys “By the way, when your friend wakes up, let him know he's sleeping on top of an anthill”

Willow blinked like an owl (in fact, she will never again use the name of owls in vain. She blinked like an Aie-aie) before turning to Gus. The boy was simply lying there with his eyes closed and his mouth open, and for a few seconds Willow was afraid he had passed out.

“Gus?” she nudged him "What are you doing?"

“Playing dead”

“She already left, Gus”

“Good thing” He sat up, brushing the ants off his back “I heard that owls don't eat dead prey, only live ones”

Willow rolled her eyes at the boy's logic, getting up and dusting off her dress. Her belly rumbled with hunger, alerting her that it had been two hours since lunch.

“Do you want to buy a Not-Dog?”

"Let's go"

And the two left, Misparot leading them away from the Owl's nest.