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It was raining.
Rain from the Human Realm. Rain that didn’t burn you, rain you could actually touch. It ran down Luz’s whole body, soaking her hair, her clothes, cleaning off the crusted, dried blood from her various cuts and scrapes.
It rained down on her, soaking her, until she didn’t know if it was the rain or her tears covering her cheeks.
By the time she turned back to her friends, her jacket was covered in those annoying little wet marks. She still stood on the pouch of the deserted house, hugging her backpack to her chest.
She looked back at her friends. They all looked so lost. So tired. So young. Luz shook her head. How could she have dragged them into this? They didn’t deserve to be caught up in her antics with the Emperor. They should have been back at home, worrying about their own families, not about her.
And now they were here. The Human Realm. And Luz didn’t know what to do.
By now, Gus had started tearing up, eventually falling to the muddied grass, covering his head, letting out choked sobs. Luz winced at the deep pain that he was able to produce from those sounds.
Hunter instantly was at his side, his arms pulling Gus up. Hunter wrapped his arm protectively around the younger boy while Willow scooted over and encased him in a firm hug.
He was the youngest of them all. Only twelve years of age. Still just a kid. He didn’t deserve this.
Titan, none of them deserved this. They were all just kids.
“It’s okay, Gus. We’re fine. We’re together, we’re safe, that’s all that matters, okay?” Willow kept whispering, Luz struggling to hear her over the sound of the light rain, and the low rumble of thunder. “Just breathe for me, Gus”.
Amity stayed seated on the floor, staring at the sodden ground in front of her, slowly shaking her head in denial. She must have been lost in her thoughts. The only time she looked up was when Gus let out one last, loud sob.
She knitted her brows together, and scooted closer to the others huddled on the floor. Willow instantly gave her a sympathy glance and placed one hand, the one that wasn’t perched over Gus, over Amity’s.
Amity leaned into the small, grounding touch and then met Willow’s sad, confused eyes. They looked up and met Luz’s stare.
The look mirrored on both their faces urged her on. She slowly made her way off the porch, down the run-down stars and onto the wet grass below, where all the others were currently huddled together.
As soon as her feet touched solid ground, her knees buckled, her body caving into and colliding on the ground. She landed hard on her knees, right between Willow and Amity.
Amity scooted away to give her a spot to sit, but Luz curled her knees to her chest, staring in front of her with a blank expression.
It was all too much to proces. They came through the portal. They were in the Human Realm. Luz was mere minutes away from seeing her mother again.
But wasn’t this supposed to be a happy moment?
She was supposed to be happy. She was supposed to have a stable, working portal. It was supposed to be a bright, sunny day, with the birds singing and some light breeze.
She wasn’t supposed to be crying. Her friends weren’t meant to be there with her, sharing her misery. Eda and King and Lilith were supposed to be safe, at home.
The worst thing was that she didn’t even know if they were alright. If they're alive, or even breathing.
Gus had stopped crying. Maybe it was her turn.
Luz curled up tighter, letting out a groan of protest as she felt her backpack dig into her stomach.
She pressed her hand against her mouth as the first sob racked her body. She was trembling, she realized now.
The next thing she felt was Amity’s arms being wrapped around her waist, pushing up to lean into her. She closed her eyes, laying her head on her shoulder, arms on her chest.
“Eda, and, King and Lilith-“ Luz croaked. “We have to- I have to go back. There’s still time! I-I can still save them!”
“You don’t need to do any more saving, Luz,” Amity whispered. “You’ve done enough. You helped get us all to safety”.
“But, Eda- she was with Raine-“.
“Do we not know the same Eda?” Amity replied. “I’m pretty sure the Titan himself can’t stop that woman. W-We just have to hope that she’ll pull through”.
“I should be there for them! This was all my fault to begin with!” Luz shook her head. “I shouldn’t have messed with their plans. I should’ve just respected Eda’s wishes”.
“ Don’t” Amity’s tone was harsh, and Luz nearly flinched. “This was never your fault. The only person responsible for this is Belos, and you know that. Don’t you dare ever blame this on yourself, do you hear me?”
Luz didn’t reply, and Amity leaned over to face her. “Hey. You helped us get to safety today, you helped fight Belos. I know it’s hard to be happy right now, but sometimes we have to look on the bright side”.
Luz just blinked, then looked away. “I’m sorry..”
Amity blinked too. “For what?”
“For getting you all involved in this..” Luz sniffed. “You don’t deserve this. No one deserves to be stuck in another world, away from their family..”
Amity just let out a sad, lighthearted chuckle. “We chose to go after you, we chose to be friends with you and on crazy, unbelievable adventures with you. We chose you. I chose you. There’s no else I’d rather be in this gigantic mess with”.
“I still have to go back” Luz kept on. “We have to save everyone. They don’t even know the truth about Belos yet-“.
“Slow down, Luz” for the first, Hunter spoke up. “The portal is broken. No one is going anywhere right now. But we will figure it out, I’m sure”. He slowly shook his head. “You always surprise me with what you can do. I’m sure you’ll find some way to pull this off”.
“And sometimes you need to save yourself before trying to save the whole world,” Willow continued. “This isn’t all you, Luz. We’re here to help you. Whatever, whenever, however. We got you”.
Luz opened her eyes again. Willow was in front of her, eyes starting to swim with tears, Hunter and Gus behind her. Hunter had a zoned-out frown on his face, his arm still firmly placed around Gus. It seemed it had only been two weeks and he had already found himself a little brother.
Usually, the sight of her friends would comfort her, but it did no longer.
She looked away, blinking back tears. “Sometimes I wished I never stepped through that portal”.
“Luz,” Amity started. “If you never came through that portal, I would still be miserable trying to impress my parents, a goon worshipping the Emperor. I would still be some mean bully, and I wouldn’t have friends. Or my awesome girlfriend”. Amity squeezed her hand. “I would have never stood up to my parents, or gotten closer to my dad or siblings. You’ve done so much for me. For so many of us”.
Willow leaned forward. “I would have never stood up to Amity, or gotten to join the Plant Track, or patch up my friendship with Amity if it weren’t for you. I’m glad you’re here. You’re one of my best friends”.
“I would still be pushed around by Matt and the other bullies if it weren’t for you” Gus spoke up. “You help me feel.. seen. Like I wasn’t just some annoying, younger kid. Plus, you tell me things about the Human Realm”.
“And I would probably be dead if you didn’t show up,” Hunter said last. “ I wouldn't have known about the Emperor and I wouldn’t have Flapjack. So, thank you… I guess?”
Luz let out a small laugh, muffled by Amity’s shirt. Amity put her hands on her shoulders, pulling her up. “See? You helped each of us in all different ways. You helped Eda and King. You changed Eda. You got her talking to Lilith, taught glyphs and you helped Lilith by talking out of the Emperor’s Coven”.
“You’ve helped us so much, Luz. Now let us help you” Willow rasped. “We promise we’ll go back. We have families to get back to too”.
Willow winced at that, and Luz understood. Willow had her dads, Gus had his dad, and Amity had her parents and siblings. At that statement, Hunter looked away, uncomfortable or not sure what to say.
“Okay” Luz breathed, and Amity smiled back at her.
“You’re amazing, Luz,” Amity whispered. “Don't ever forget that. You’re smart, loyal, loving and crazy brave. That’s why I love you”.
Luz’s eyes widened, and Amity’s did too, before Luz moved forward. She hugged Amity tight again. Amity held her head against her collarbone, running her hand through Luz’s hair as she teared up again. “You’re amazing too, Amity. You’re insanely talented, and beautiful and helpful and would do anything to protect your friends. That’s what I love about you”. Luz replied. “ I love you too”.
Amity let out a sound that sounded like a small sob and a squeal of surprise. But when Luz looked up, she was smiling. “You always have the funniest way of finding your way into people’s hearts, don’t you?”
Luz smiled back. “I believe that’s what you told me before you kissed me”.
Amity leaned in, hand on Luz’s cheek, and planted a small kiss on Luz’s open lips. Luz widened her eyes again, about to speak.
Amity let out a giggle, and covered Luz’s mouth with her hand. “If you say something stupid like last time, I’m going to kiss you again”.
“Two plus two is eight..?” Squeaked Luz and Amity leaned in again. This time she felt Willow knock into them from behind, engulfing them both into a big hug.
They fell down, laughing, on the wet floor of the forest clearing. Their clothes were wet and torn, their scratches stung, and the world may have been ending as they knew it, but in that moment, it was just them.
And that’s all Luz needed. These people on her side and she knew she could do anything. Even save the world.
Willow ended up grabbing Gus and Hunter into their little group hug. Gus leaned into Willow, and Luz saw he was crying again. Hunter was stiff, but he seemed more open to the idea of physical contact with his newfound friends.
“Guys” Luz spoke up after a minute. “Thank you”.
“Of course,” Willow replied.
“Anything for you,” Amity smiled, and meant it.
“And now,” Luz said, standing up wobblingly and offering her hand to Amity. “We go home. To my house. My mom will help us. And then, we will figure out how to save everyone”.
Four heads nodded in Luz’s direction, and a stupid feeling like hope was returning to her chest.
Maybe they were just kids. Maybe they didn’t want this. Maybe she was not a real witch.
But when push came to shove, they would be up the challenge.
Looking at the her group of friends now, no one would of thought anything of them: two school kids, a daughter of a scientist, a teen who ran away from his Coven, and a lost human who had just found her way home.
Maybe they were no bodies, but to Luz, they were everything.
The Boiling Isles’s last hope: five young teens. Who would’ve thought that?
—
Luz was aware of Amity’s hand on her’s, of Willow’s firm hand on her shoulder, and of Gus’s and Hunter’s reassuring glances being shot her way.
She raised her hand and knocked on the door, and in an instant, she was looking into the wide, brown eyes of Camila Noceda.
“Hey Mom…I’m back”.