Chapter Text
Manny flew as fast as he could. Or at least, as fast as Dot, his moth palisman, would allow him.
“How could I have let this happen, ” he thought as he maneuvered through the twists and turns of the Emperor’s castle. Coven scouts would appear every once in a while, but he would quickly take them down. One of the many perks of practicing wild magic his whole life, he supposed. But practicing wild magic got him in this situation, didn’t it? His willingness to go against the Emperor, that’s why he’s here now, right?
Why Luz is in danger?
It was fast. One second, he, his daughter, and his wife were simply enjoying each other’s company at home. The next, scouts broke through the windows, followed by a puff of smoke. A tussle, then nothing. No scouts, no smoke, no Luz . But there was a note, which he and Camila almost didn’t notice through their sheer panic. “ The Emperor demands a meeting ,” it read, and they didn’t waste a second. They grabbed their palismen, quickly made their way to the castle, and split up upon their arrival. He knew it was rule number one to never split up in life-or-death situations, but he was running out of options. Camila initially protested, knowing this rule herself, but Manny stood firm in his decision. They had to find where that monster was keeping Luz, and fast .
So lost in thought, Manny almost missed the ear-piercing scream that came from somewhere in the castle. He almost missed how it sounded like it belonged to the light of his life. Almost missed how scarily close it sounded.
Almost.
He took a sharp turn, nearly falling off Dot in the process. “LUZ!” he yelled out. Had he been in a clearer state of mind, he’d keep quiet. But he was not in that clearer state of mind. In fact, if he didn’t see Luz soon, he was sure he’d start tearing the place apart.
“MAMI! PAPI! HELP!”
Looks like he was getting his wish soon.
The yell seemed to come from the large door he now stood before. He landed, Dot now on his shoulder. As he reached to open the door, he began to tremble. What if it’s too late… he thought, fear inching its way up his body. Dot, the caring companion she was, quickly grounded him, giving him a small lick on the cheek and a chirp. She was right, he couldn’t be scared now. His little Luz needed him, and he’d be damned if he let Mr. Deer-face lay even a finger on her. He had to be brave. With a quick breath in and out, he reached out, and pushed open the heavy door.
-x-x-x-
“MAMI! PAPI! HELP!” Luz screamed at the top of her lungs. None of what was happening now made sense to her. At school, she had been taught that Emperor Philip was a kind man. He freed the Isles from their wild and destructive ways, and pursued a future where its residents would be connected to the Titan. Sure, he always (and she really meant always ) sent scouts to capture Mami and Papi, but that came with being fugitives of the law, right? She knew Mami and Papi hated Philip, but she never really knew what to think of him. She had always thought the Emperor just wanted to talk with them about the Titan’s will or whatever, and then he’d let them go and everything would be ok. So why was she currently midway through being turned into stone? And why did it… hurt?
“Worry not, witchling,” Philip said in a cold, flat voice. He stared down at her, and it would have sent shivers down her spine if it weren’t currently encased in stone. “The Titan tells me that your father is on his way. A shame your mother couldn’t join us, seeing as she’s already been captured by my scouts.”
Just as a small gasp left Luz’s mouth, the huge door she had been thrown through when she first got here opened, and someone walked in. It was her Papi! However, before she got a word in, her mouth froze. The stone spell thingy that the Emperor cast on her had made it up to her face, and had drastically slowed down. Almost like this is part of his plan , she soon realized.
“LUZ! Philip, please! Let her go! I’ll listen to whatever you want to say, just stop!”
Luz could practically feel Emperor Philip smirking from under his mask at Papi's fearful plea. “Oh, you poor Noceda. Don’t you know?” He tapped his staff once on the cold ground, and Luz found herself levitating in the air, coated in a red hue. “The time for listening is long past us. It passed when you decided to engage in the ways of wild witches. It passed when you encouraged others to follow you in your sinful ways.” The black pools he called eyes narrowed. “It passed when you decided to make a fool of me before my subjects and make them question the will of the great Titan. Now is the time to act.”
With a swipe of his fingers, Philip sent Luz flying. She closed her eyes, and prepared for a brutal collision with the wall. But that collision never came. She slowly peaked through her eyes, finding herself face to face with her Papi.
“Luz!” Papi yelled, hands quickly finding themselves on her face. “Luz, are you okay?!” And she said nothing. Oh, how she wished she could say something, but that proved to be quite difficult when her vocal chords were made of stone. She could only cry, fat globs of salty tears dripping down her red cheeks. Papi looked on in horror, tears of his own forming. She really hated seeing him cry.
“Oh now, don’t be like that, Manny.” Philip suddenly appeared at their side, making Papi jump. Dot made her presence known (Dotty!) with a fierce hiss directed towards the Emperor. He didn’t seem the slightest bit phased as he continued. “The Titan has decided that I should be merciful. I understand that even the most savage of witches care deeply for their young, so I am willing to strike up a little deal. But do not worry, I intend to make it sickeningly easy for you.”
He released his magical grip on Luz, effectively throwing her to the ground. She landed with a painful thud as a small piece of rock chipped off her arm. “You, or the child. It is your choice as to who is to be petrified.”
…wha- Oh. Oh no.
Frozen on the ground, more tears than she had ever released in her entire life made their way out of her eyes. This couldn’t be happening. She already knew what her Papi was going to choose, she only begged that he wouldn’t. She tried to move her head up, to at least see what he was thinking. She couldn’t. She didn’t think she wanted to, anyway. She did, however, see him hold his hand out.
The Emperor was about to grab it, as if to shake it, but Papi pulled back. “An Everlasting Oath,” he simply stated as he drew a spell circle. “I get petrified, and Luz, Camila, and my palisman leave here unwounded.” Luz could only close her eyes as more tears she didn’t even think she had left emerged from her almost completely stone-covered face. Through the tears, however, she heard him whisper something discrete under his breath.
Emperor Philip seemed slightly annoyed at the oath, but connected hands with Papi anyway. “The everlasting oath…” Papi began shakily, “…is therefore sealed.”
Philip gripped his hand tightly and cast a spell on it. “So be it.”
Luz felt stone become flesh, and she was able to move again. She winced as the chip in her arm morphed into torn flesh, which was bleeding out. Maybe it was the adrenaline, but it didn’t hurt much. Dot quickly flew to Luz’s side to check on her, and Luz gave her a little pat in return. But she couldn’t celebrate her freedom, not when Papi was in danger. Why did he do that? She thought as she rushed over to where Emperor Philip had just thrown him with his red, glowy, weird magic. He quickly got up on his knees, which promptly turned to stone. This couldn’t be it. He surely planned this far, he had to! He’d get up and reveal it was all an illusion, kick Philip in his ugly face, grab Luz and Mami, and get outta here!
So why wasn’t he? Why…
“Luz…”
She didn’t realize how far she was spiraling until Papi pulled her out of it. He was always good at that. She looked him in the eyes. They were filled with tiny beads of tears, his lips trembling.
“…I-I don’t think I’m gonna be making it out of this one…”
A small gasp. Dot whined sadly.
“But you, and Mami, and even little Dotty? I promise, all of you will be safe.” He ruffled her hair. Usually, she’d pull away with a giggle. Now, she wanted nothing more than for him to continue. “Please, go find your Mami and leave the castle. Now.”
“B-but, I c-can’t leave you-”
For the second time since Papi arrived in the throne room, she was thrown up in the air by Philip’s magic, forced to float as her Papi was waist-deep in the stone. He grabbed her hands in his, and kissed them.
“You won’t. I’m still with you.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “Always have been, always will be.”
The petrifaction accelerated, as if Philip was controlling it for his own amusement. He made her sick. How could someone be so uncaring? So cruel?
Papi’s hands, wrapped in hers, turned to stone.
“Papi…PAPI! PAPI, TELL ME HOW TO STOP IT! PAPI!” She couldn’t stop crying as the rock made its way up his face, the last tuft of his curly hair becoming encased in the terrible stone.
He breathed out, and she screamed.