Work Text:
The deer ran from her with a clear message.
“You stand out too much. Danger.”
The same thing she had always been told. Purple wasn't a natural color for any creature. She was a clear give away, a light in complete darkness. She was dangerous to be around.
The purple deer came to a stop, depression washing over her. She never did fit in, no matter how hard she tried.
“Finally!” A voice came from the other side of some bushes. The deer got close enough to see a well that sat on the edge of the hill. A little girl in a black tunic, brown pants, boots, and a cap reached the well, a bucket in hand. The little girl set the bucket down and took off her cap. Brown hair spilled down, briefly covering her golden eyes.
She was so transfixed that she hadn't noticed she changed shape, turned human to match the little girl. The knowledge of human language filled her mind.
“At least Emira can’t bother me up here.” The little girl smiled as she picked up two rocks. The girl swung her hand low and the rock flew. She followed the trajectory, up until the rock landed in the hollow area of a stump. “Yes!”
The girl did the same with the other rock, now on top of the well. The rock hit the rim and bounced to the ground just a bit away from her. The little girl went to retrieve her stone.
‘Oh no.’ She thought as the girl got closer.
The girl grabbed the rock and stood. Her eyes widened. “Oh! Hi?”
“Hi…” Her human form must have been odd. Her skin was considerably more tan than the girl, her hair- a purplish-brown color- fell past her shoulders and down her back, and her eyes a reddish color.
“What are you doing?” The little girl asked.
“Uh… what are you doing?” She reflected.
“Playing. Want to join me?”
“How?”
“Come on.” The girl pulled her out of the bushes and pressed the stone into her hand. “You just throw it.”
She tossed the stone similar to how the girl did before. “How’s that?”
It landed not far from them. The girl stared at it.
“We’ll work on it. I’m Amity.” There was a pause as she stared blankly at Amity. “And you are…?”
“Oh! Um…” She didn't really have a name. If she did, she forgot it a long, long time ago. The first thing that came to mind was ‘light’ but that wasn't really a name. She could change the language it was in, right? Yeah, that could work. “I’m Luz.”
Amity gave her a look that told her she took too long.
“You're a weird one, Luz.” She felt like turning into a mouse and running. “That’s ok though. I like weird.”
---
“Let’s go into the village.” Amity said when they met that day.
“Why?” Luz tilted her head. She liked what they had, meeting by the well and playing around there.
“There is so much more to do in the village!” Amity threw her hands up to make her point. “Don't you get tired of the same old, same old?”
No. She just enjoyed having a friend. But if it made Amity happy, “I guess. What do you want to do?”
“Come on!” Amity grabbed her hand and ran to the small village at the bottom of the hill. Luz let it happen. Soon it became a game of chase.
“Can’t catch me, Slowpoke!” The gold-eyed girl teased.
“Just you wait!” Luz laughed.
She tackled her friend to the ground, who shrieked.
“Amity!” The two looked to the side. A boy and girl, two years older than Amity, with dark green hair and gold eyes, stood not too far from the two. The girl, whose hair was long and braided, was the one who spoke. “It’s lunchtime.”
“Can my friend join?” Amity asked.
The two older kids looked at each other and the boy shrugged. “I don't see why not.”
“If she wants to.”
Amity gave her a look and Luz knew the question.
“Sure. I could eat.”
Amity cheered.
---
“I’m just saying,” Amity huffed as they walked the forest path, “it’s totally unfair.”
Luz nodded along. She usually let Amity lead their conversations as she didn’t have much to talk about. She could talk about her shapeshifting but she figured that probably wouldn't be a good choice, seeing as her friend didn't know about it.
“Who cares if it's not ‘lady-like’?”
“Your mother.” Luz said blankly.
“My mother!” Amity shouted. Luz wasn't sure if she helped at all. She was still rather new to social cues and standards. “Doesn't she realize that the village needs someone to protect it.”
“What about your brother?”
Amity groaned and looked at Luz as if she said something wrong. ‘Damn.’
“Edric would cut his own arm off instead of the enemy’s. He probably wouldn't even know how to put his armor on.” Amity looked around the area they were now in. “hey, isn't there a river near here?”
“I think so.”
There was. The fish of the river were rather arrogant and acted like a hive mind, similar to the bees in the village.
“Let’s go then!”
The girl grabbed Luz’s wrist and raced off. Amity suggested that they jumped across the giant rocks that poked out of the water to reach the other side. She went along with it, happy to hear her friend’s laugh.
---
Luz didn't know what to do. Amity was so happy that she had survived another year and Luz wanted to commemorate it somehow. It had to be special, just like the girl who gave her a chance.
There was an obvious choice. Amity wanted to be a guard for her village, to be a protector. The issue was Luz had no money to get the girl a training weapon. She had one choice. She would have to make one.
---
“Where were you?” Amity crossed her arms, her hair now half tied up and half down. “I wanted my best friend there with me.”
“I’m sorry.” Luz looked down, her face burning with what she was sure was shame. “I did have a good reason though.”
“Really, and it would be?”
Luz walked to a tree and pulled out a wooden sword. She had based it off one she saw a merchant sell. It was a double-sided blunt blade that ended in a point. The grip had purple string wrapped around it so it was more comfortable. She held it out to Amity, hilt first, “I wanted to finish your gift.”
“Luz…” Amity took the sword and held it like it would break into splinters. She brought the shifter into a tight hug, “thank you.”
“Of course.” She blushed even more. She had made the sword with her own two hands, had shifted into a beaver to chew out the shape and pieces, then a sheep for wool to make the string.
They spent the rest of the day playing until they eventually fell asleep curled up around the other under a tree. Amity gripped the sword in one hand and Luz’s in the other.
---
Luz turned just in time to see Amity fall on her behind after failing to reach an apple. They were supposed to be doing a few chores but the girl just couldn't resist the freshly ripened fruit.
“I’ve got it.” Luz placed the wooden bucket down and made a running jump. She became weightless as her human body turned into light. The light continued up to the apple as the body reformed into something else. Her leg, now that of a bird’s, pressed down on the apple until the stem gave. The red fruit began to fall and the bird turned back into light, racing to the ground. She returned to her human form, arms outstretched so the apple landed in them.
Amity stood, eyes wide, and looked between Luz and the opening of the forest, where the village was. Luz felt herself deflate. She knew that look.
Amity was afraid of her, and was going to leave and tell the others.
Warmth covered her hands. She looked to see Amity holding them with a smile. “Thanks.”
“You don't think I’m weird?” Fear was overwhelming in her voice.
“No, you definitely are, but I like weird. Remember?”
Her face burned and she gained a goofy smile. She shifted into a bird and flew around Amity. The girl laughed and Luz felt free.
---
“How does shapeshifting work?” Amity asked one day as the two explored the forest. Luz wasn't sure why, but the other girl loved to walk the forest with Luz. She didn't complain.
“I don't know.” Luz shrugged.
“How do you not know?”
“I’ve always been able to shift. I’m one thing one minute, then I’m light and changing into something else the next.”
“Can you change into anything?”
“That I've seen. But I can also edit my current form.”
“Really?!” Luz nodded and lifted her hand, which now had two thumbs. “Cool!”
Luz laughed, “Humans are pretty weird themselves.”
Amity chuckled. “Can you talk in other forms?”
“I don't know. Depends on what you mean.” Amity raised an eyebrow, so Luz continued. “Animals have their own way of communicating. Fish, for instance, speak too high for humans to hear.”
“If you changed form, would I still be able to understand you?”
“I don't know. Let’s see.” Luz shifted into a purple otter and squeaked. It was the common greeting squeak of the species.
“What?” Amity tilted her head.
Luz snickered, “Nothing important.”
“Oh!” Her friend’s eyes brightened. “I understand you.”
The two grinned. Luz decided that Amity might just be the smartest person she ever met.
---
Luz wasn't sure when it started but something was off. Being around Amity made her feel… amazing? Free? Not lonely. She didn't want to be without her friend but at the same time her face seemed to burn when they were together.
She couldn't imagine a life without the girl. She wondered if the other girl felt the same. She hoped so.