Chapter 56

"...And that's everything that's happened," Luz finished.

Amity was... Luz had tried to tone down the worst of the worst but either she didn't do it enough or Amity's mutant power let her see through it. "Are... Are you okay?"

Luz sighed. "No. I'm not. ...I ate a person, and... everyone's telling me it's not my fault that Belos did all this, even the Titan pointed out that with how funky time travel can be this might be the best way for things to have happened but... Knowing up here that it's not my fault," Luz said while pointing to her head. "Doesn't mean I don't still feel like it is down here," she said while pointing to her heart.

Naturally, this prompted Amity to pull Luz into a hug. "Luz I... You're probably tired of hearing people say that..."

"That Belos is a manipulator and this is what he does?" Luz interrupted. "A little. Look, I get it. I'll be fine. Maybe not anytime soon, but... After I told Steve what his palisman told me he gave me the number of his therapist so if we make it out of this alive I might be able to get some help. Also, umm, I don't have a reason not to try fairy pie anymore," she finished with an awkward laugh.

Amity was clearly not impressed with the joke. "Luz, this Bill guy... It sounds like he got what was coming to him, but... You don't have to make jokes, it's okay to feel bad about it. Now, if you're serious about wanting to try fairy pie I can make you one when this is over but onlyif you're serious."

"...I am not," Luz admitted. "I just... I never want to be that mad ever again, and... Part of me is worried that if it happens again the next time I could hurt someone who doesn't deserve it. Or someone that I care about."

This time, Amity was the one who laughed. Not awkwardly, not mockingly, gently. More of a reassuring giggle than anything. "I don't think that's something you need to worry about. I don't think you could hurt someone you love on purpose. Even. if you wanted to." Amity then gave Luz a gentle squeeze that made Luz a little less afraid of herself for a moment. "Now, what I want to know is... Why did these Titan Trappers want to hurt King?"

"Cause I'm a titan!" King declared, which prompted Amity to jump.

"When did you get here?" Amity asked.

"I've been here the whole time," King replied. "But Luz really needed to vent so I decided not to say anything till she was done."

"I'm here too!" Hooty announced from the corner where his Porta-Hooty box was currently seated.

"...I really should have noticed that," Amity admitted.

"Don't feel bad, Hermosa," Luz comforted. "I have trouble noticing people when I'm frazzled, too."

"Okay, and... Wait, did you just say you were a titan?" Amity asked while suddenly turning to face King.

"Yep!" King confirmed.

"King is the son of The Titan," Luz explained.

Amity appeared to have blue-screened for a moment. "...Did I ever apologize for crushing your cupcake?"

"Yes," King replied. "Same day. Besides, I got over that pretty quick... And like, I forgave Hunter for putting me in a cage and threatening to drown me in the boiling sea so..."

"Man we're a forgiving group," Luz observed to herself. "Like, in general. I think everyone I'm friends with has tried to hurt or exploit me at some point."

"...My girlfriend is The Titan's prophet and her little brother is The Titan's son," Amity said almost robotically. "I.. Um..."

Luz suddenly got very uncomfortable. "Um, Amity? The Titan doesn't like being worshipped, and... Yeah, I'm not exactly prophet material."

"Please don't get weird about this," King added. "Look, I'm over the whole big scary Tyrant thing. I just want to be treated like a normal kid, okay? Eda wants to keep this secret for a while so people don't get weird about it but, well, you get future-sister-in-law privileges."

"Okay, got it, no weirdness, no special treatment," Amity agreed. "And... Thank you for trusting me."

"Although now I have a question," Luz said as something occurred to her. "Hooty, you said that you were born inside The Titan's body when he was still alive. So... How come you never recognized King as a titan?"

"Do you think I ever got a good look at him from the outside?" Hooty asked incredulously. "He was already starting to rot the first time I saw the sun. And also like... You know he's really, really big, right?"

"The last time I saw him," Luz said, "there was a little Tiny Hooty where one of his eyes was supposed to be."

"...Mommy?" Hooty asked. "She passed... I can't count how many centuries ago. I remember... When I was very little she told me she was the host's seeing eye-worm."

Luz blinked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, hoot hoot!"

"So, you know what we've been up to," Luz changed the subject while turning back to Amity. "Other than your mom being your mom how have things gone for you?"

"Well, the day you left the Head Witch of the Illusion coven showed up with some coven scouts to brand everyone with Coven Sigils but because Willow and Gus's flyer derby team shared the warning Hunter gave them we saw it coming and all of the students and staff... Well, let's say that Belos's stooges didn't stand a chance."

"Nice!"

"I have to give special credit to Willow and Gus," Amity continued. "Willow if... If I hadn't seen her at the riot at the petrification ceremony, I'd have trouble believing that this was the same witch I was friends with all those years ago. She... she's so strong I can hardly believe it and she keeps getting stronger. And Gus... He left the Illusion Head crying in the fetal position and stole a magic-boosting artifact from him."

"Yeah," Luz said fondly. "Our friends are awesome."

"After that, Principal Bump canceled classes until after the Day of Unity. He activated the school's defenses and offered it as a shelter for students and their families who would need to hide and didn't have anywhere else. Edric, Emira, and I went home and told Dad what happened and he canceled production for the abomitons but... Well, you already know how that went."

"Yeah," Luz acknowledged. "Don't worry, your mom isn't going to get away with it."

"Yeah... Before that, though... I spent some time upgrading my instrument and practicing with her. I even gave her a proper name." Amity drew the spell circle to summon it and her instrument appeared in her hands. At first glance, it didn't really look all that different except for a name emblazoned on the front: Dulzura.

"Sweetness?" Luz asked.

"Well, she's a sweet instrument," Amity said playfully. "Almost as sweet as the witch who helped inspire me to make her."

"Ahh, you're sweet," Luz said before planting a kiss on Amity's cheek.

"Also," Amity continued with a smile and a blush, "Dulzura... Azura... I couldn't help myself."

"Yeah, I would have done the same," Luz agreed. "Ooh, Katya offered to teach me some of the tricks she learned from Raine. Maybe she'll be willing to teach you, too?"

"That'd be cool," Amity agreed. "But... Give it to me straight, how good are our odds of getting out of this?"

"The CATTs have a plan," Luz began. "They're gonna tell us first thing in the morning, and everyone seems confident that it'll work. And well... We have a secret backup plan," Luz whispered conspiratorially. "Eda, King, and I. It's... Not the best plan, but it's extra insurance. Everyone's confident. We're going to stop the draining spell, beat Belos, expose his lies for everyone to see, and he fixed the portal key so once we beat him we can take the portal back and... How about, after all is said and done," Luz said with a smile, "you and I go on a nice, quiet, drama free slice of life date in the human realm?"

"What do you have in mind?" Amity asked.

"How about... A walk in the park?" Luz started. "Then... There's an ice cream parlor with some decent vegan milkshakes, we could split one like in the cartoons, and then... I don't think there's anywhere in Gravesfield to go dancing but Masha did say that playing classic rock in the park was a regular thing so... Back to the park, I guess? We'll figure it out. Whatever it is, it'll involve plenty of hugs and victory smooches."

"Yeah! ...Or, hear me out... We could dress up in animal jammies, eat snacks, and binge-watch anime," Amity suggested and Luz briefly saw a field of hearts.

"Mi Mamá tenía razón, somos almas gemelas," Luz said more to herself than anyone else.

"Por supuesto que lo somos, mi Batata más preciado," Amity replied anyway.

The exchange was naturally followed with more hugging and a kiss on the mouth. Whatever would happen come the Day of Unity, they'd be ready. They'd get through this, together.