Chapter Text
Ker-SNAP.
“Oh yay. Sports!” The last words Amity remembered speaking, and the last moment she remembered clearly. Everything after that was a flurry — like the snow falling at the resort around her. First came the concerned looks and nervous babbles from Luz.
Amity tried to reassure Luz was okay as she spoke carefully through the pain. Luz would be so worried otherwise. But Amity knew it didn’t come through. It couldn't have. This was Luz after all, her sweet girlfriend. Luz continued to dote and fret, pulling out her phone and frantically dialing a number while looking around.
After literally beating an evil emperor, going through and graduating from Hexcide, and making it into the wild magic university, to be undone by a large human tree, was almost embarrassing for Amity.
She didn’t know how long she lain on the side of the snowy hill, hurt. The feeling of Luz’s hand grasping her own was a major comfort. Her girlfriend’s soft words adding more solace.
Eventually people in red jackets arrived. A haze of her being brought down in a sled, with a really cute dog lying on her. She remembered the big dog. Something about it being Saint Bear dog — someone had told her. It was named Bernie? After some famous person. A human beast of sorts she supposed given it’s size. It was literally a living blanket on her. It’s large body was surprisingly comforting, rather than smothering.
Amity closed her eyes as the crackling of the fire kept bringing her mind back to the loud snap of yesterday and all the events. A soft throbbing pain soon made it’s presence known, giving another reminder of the events a night ago. A broken leg, once again occurring in close proximity to the brunette beauty she was blessed by titan to be able to call her Girlfriend.
A soft chuckle emanated from Amity's lips as she muttered, knowing Luz couldn’t her her. Luz was in the kitchen preparing for the day. “That old human saying was right. Love does hurt. I gotta ask Luz about that sometime.”
Now knowing what the sound was, and how she felt it at the same time, made her glad she had been so focused on trying to help with the Grudgby match the first time, she missed the noise. That awful ker-snap In all its high definition, literal bone-breaking, crystal clarity.
Thank Titan for that nice soft dog. And Luz and her comfort. Luz was so lovely.
Amity also wondered if it felt or sounded different in the Human world, no innate magic in the atmosphere may have caused a difference. Something to ask Gus later. So many things to ask people when her head was clearer and not in this throbbing pain.
The sound alone would have unnerved Amity. But what bothered her more, is it was three days into what was to be a two-week trip for her to experience the human world and something called ‘skiing’ and ‘snowboarding.’
Amity had already softly been lamenting it wasn’t until now — their first long winter break after having been in first-year university — that she had actually taken time to be in the human world.
Sure, Amity could have blamed it on having to help rebuild Bonesborough. But why had she put unintentionally made it on Luz to come into the demon realm. Amity just as easily could have come to the human realm. Amity silently made a promise to herself to visit more often. Vee had decided to stay here too, and a few others. So many reasons to visit more often.
Maybe she should even bring her twin siblings and let them see the wonders of humanity. And Camila's amazing cooking.
“Well at least I have the fire to warm me.” Amity looked to the crackling brightness in a smiling sigh, pushing the thoughts out of her head before looking down at her cast leg. “You’d think with all the magic from the boiling isles, there would be a way to fix the bone faster. Who knows if it would work in the human realm though.”
“Hey Amity? You okay. I’m just about to head out now.” Luz glanced back at Amity’s forlorn smile before it faded to a frown.
“Yeah I’ll be okay.” Amity put on a weak smile. “Did you end up making something for me for lunch?”
“Of course I did love! But Amity…. Are you sure you’ll be okay? I can stay here if you want,” Luz spoke, in the middle of zipping up her puffy coat. “And no lying, we all know how well either of us lying to the other goes…”
“No. I don’t wanna be a burden to you,” Amity laughed, but there was no joy behind it. A dry sarcastic chuckle. “I will be fine! I don’t want you to miss out on fun just on account of me not being as cool as I should be.”
“You’re never a burden to me Amity Blight. Never mi amor.” Luz shook her head as she quickly moved towards Amity, before grabbing her hand. “You’re my cool as a cucumber girlfriend and you come first.”
Bright golden eyes met pale browns as a blush crept on both girls faces. It didn’t matter how many times those hands held each other. The warmth was as lovely as the first time they held each other in a heart-shaped crater. The stares betwixt the two lingered for a moment. Amity was the first to break, looking away with a smile and speaking.
“Well Luz, you’re also my girlfriend and you come first too, to me. So go. Get. Go have fun okay? I’ll be fine. Gives me some time to prep for year 2 and all those complex spells right?”
“Okay fine, fine! My precious sweet potato,” Luz conceded. Giving Amity's forehead a soft peck. “I’ll go out. If nothing else it means there’s not any of my moms money wasted on my pass and this trip. And I actually enjoy my holiday break. Which is what you should do too! Who studies during break!?”
Luz stood up and went to the door. She looked back at Amity one more time and pouted.
“I’ll be fiiiine.” Amity waved dismissively with a single hand. Another hand soon joined and Amity motioned with both, literally shooing Luz out. “Don’t make me cast an abomination to physically push you out the door. I will!”
Luz nodded in reply, with a rolling eyed smile. The heavy wooden door creaked close with a modest clack that rang out through the chalet like an organ pipe before the soft clicking of a door lock. And then silence, except for the fireplace.
Amity sighed and looked to the crackling fire.
“At least I have the fire to warm me. Even if Luz would have been so much better.” Amity swallowed. “But I couldn’t ask her to stay. I couldn’t. She’s done so much for me already. Good witches have to make sacrifices. As much as my mother was a bitch she was right about some things.”
I should probably stop talking to myself. Amity thought. Maybe I’ll see what’s on Pentstagram before I get into studying.
And with a flick of her finger, Amity’s Pentstagram scroll unfurled itself and she started to move through the posts.
~︵ᰔ‿₊୨✿୧₊‿ᰔ︵~
Luz’ dangling legs, weighted down by the strapped and buckled snowboard, swayed as the cold breeze bristled around them. The clack of the chair lift rhythmically hummed as she ascended. Down below the occasional swishing sound of snow against bladed fibreglass joined the metallic clacks.
Families with kids. Groups of friends. School kids of various ages in larger groups descended through the soft snowy powder below.
And above them all there was Luz. Just Luz. On her solitary chair as it ascended.
“It’s not the same,” Luz spoke in hushed tones as she looked to the rest of the hanging chair. “This was supposed to be to show Amity things from the human world. But here I am solo. This isn’t even going to be fun.”
Materializing from the plastic-ey cushion in Luz periphery was an all too familiar owl. “If you don’t go back you’ll be haunted by your loneliness forever HOOT HOOT!”
“What the fluff!? Hooty how did you,” Luz jolted and quickly shot her eyes on the left of the chairlift. Hooty was not there.
“Ugh did I just?” Luz spoke out. “Hooty are you? Hooty? Eda?!”
Luz shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. Whether that was Hooty from afar with heck knows what magic. Or whether that was just my… inner hooty… that’s a weird thought I on’t even wanna unpack. Regardless. He’s right, or I’m right.”
Luz hopped off the chairlift with gusto as it crested over its endpoint. “Batata mía, voy a por ti!”
~︵ᰔ‿₊୨✿୧₊‿ᰔ︵~
The crackling of the fire dwindled to a low hum. Amity had magicked one small log into it a few moments earlier. Just enough to keep the warmth up. It was one benefit of being a witch with a broken leg. Most things which would normally be out of reach could just be floated in by her innate powers. Even more so now that her dad's glove had unlocked the full power for most witches, originally locked through the coven system.
As Amity continued to peruse through posts from Penstagram an all too familiar ring clattered through the chalet. Amity swiped at her scroll to answer it, swishing off Pentsagram before staring at the scroll’s home screen. The ringing continued.
“Huh? Wait.” Amity shook her head. Her eyes narrowed. The ringing continued. There was nothing on her scroll. “OH! The human phone! Duh!”
In a few quick seconds Amity rolled up the scroll and a small black rectangle was floated into her view. It was Camila, Luz’s mom. “Why is she…” Amity spoke out before answering the call. The image of curls and a worried face filled the screen.
“Hey Camila! Luz isn’t here. Can you hear me okay? It’s so rare for me to have to use these human scro.. phones.”
“Yes I can hear you! I know Luz isn’t there, she called me while on the hill. But more importantly. YOU BROKE YOUR LEG!? Mi mijas are you okay. Do you have enough food. How’s the pain? I can be over there in 6 hours. Vee is here on break she can pretend to be me again. Puta madre. Just when you think your más pequeños are okay…” Camila spoke, her eyebrows raising and lowering in concern as her eyes widened.
Amity stifled a giggle. With the way Camila was getting closer to the screen it was as if she was somehow trying to examine the witch through her own screen. The apple clearly did not fall far from the tree in the Noceda family. “No. I am okay. Just more upset about missing the entirety of the trip and being able to be out actually experiencing skiing and snowboarding with Luz.”
“Not to mention missing out on everything the week after the trip. We’ll reschedule that trip with all of us okay? You will be okay, I promise.” Camila’s brows raised in the empathy that only a mother’s could muster.
Amity’s head tilted, her soft lavender bangs falling sideways. “No need to cancel our trip!? I’ll be fine by then. It’s only gonna take two weeks.”
“Two weeks what do you mean? You mean your trip… and our trip is in 4 weeks so you know. I don’t want you to be hobbling around mija! Best for us to cancel so you can rest!”
“No I mean it’s gonna take two weeks to heal fully? So it will only be three days after we get back where I won’t wanna be on it. I’ll be fine for our trip to the north!”
“Los meurtas.. Two weeks what do… TWO WEEKS?” Camila yelled before exploding into a flurry of rapid Spanish. Amity had become rather fluent in the language now, but the speed and intensity of Mrs. Noceda had her absolutely lost. The words she picked out were my daughter, crazy, witches and multiple adjectives for confusion.
A creak jolted Amity’s attention upward and away from Camila’s continued flurry of Spanish. The door to the chalet had been opened.
“Luz?! Did you forget something, Again?” Amity chuckled as her girlfriend entered. “Say hi to your mom!”
Amity shook her head now looking at the screen of her ranting mother from afar. “I didn't forget anything. At least I don't think I did. I'm back because It’s not the same without mi batata. None of it.” Her voice went low before she raised it to a more normal level. “Heya mom! We’re doing okay!”
“Luz! How come you never told me people from the Boiling Isles heal broken bones in TWO WEEKS?”
“Uhhh. I dunno? I also had no idea. When Amity last broke her leg we… soon after had the whole eda being kidnapped thing, and I was focused on other things!” Luz said, as the phone was now floated into her hands from Amity's magic. “Look mom I actually wanted to ask you something…”
~︵ᰔ‿₊୨✿୧₊‿ᰔ︵~
Camila exhaled as she closed the call to Amity and Luz.
“You okay?” The soft raspy voice of Vee floated into the kitchen.
Camila gently turned. She saw the basilisk fidgeting with her own hair in human form and looking downward.
“Oh. No! I’m fine Vee!” Camila’s voice lowered to a whisper. “Did you hear me yelling and get worried.”
“A bit yeah…”
“Oh mija nooo.” Camila rushed forward and enveloped Vee in a hug. “I am so sorry. I just found out that Amity broke her leg and it will heal in two weeks. That just surprised me is all. It takes humans 8-12 weeks! I suppose you’re the same. Two weeks to heal?”
As Camila pulled away from the hug she gently tapped Vee’s nose. Vee smiled and giggled at the touch.
“I Don’t exactly have bones. At least not in the sense of you humans or the witches from the Boiling Isles. We also don’t exactly get cut or hurt the same way. The whole shapeshifting thing means we can heal ourselves from most small to medium injuries. At least physical ones. Ones of the “heart” are completely different. We’re... Apparently we're very emotionally complex creatures. Which I guess makes sense as to why I am so emotional at times.” Vee shrugged.
Camila’s eyes narrowed. “Is this Vee saying she’d like to talk about a ‘matter of the heart’ perhaps relating to a certain new museum director you’re hanging out with alot?”
Vee looked away, the blush spreading over her cheeks. “That obvious huh?”
“That and my daughter may have told me a few things you mentioned about Masha.” Camila’s finger waved playfully before she chuckled warmly.