Chapter Text
Amity Blight was only a teenager when the regime of Belos crumbled beneath the fist of a human girl.
Though knowing what she knows now, at the time “human” was probably a pretty loose term for what “Luz the Human" had become.
But back then, she had been a sheltered rich kid—or was at least perceived as such by the public—and so the technicalities of what happened were mostly lost on her.
She had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. It wasn't as if she didn't know about the rebellion against the rather cruel leader that ruled over the Isles, but she truly hadn't expected the “final battle” to be happening right as she was making a delivery to the castle for her mother.
Her first interaction with Luz the Human had been… Honestly, something straight out of a fiction novel, or at least it had felt that way to Amity.
The collateral damage caused by the fight had caused parts of the castle to either collapse inwards or topple over completely. Amity had been stuck underneath the latter—and as depressing as it was, she was fine with that. She decided it was better than having to go back and tell her mother she had failed to deliver the product… Again.
But as she had been lying there, the stones above her somehow continued to get heavier with each breath. Each exhale of her ragged breathing pushed more air from her lungs, causing the next inhale to require exponentially more effort. She was sure she was done for as the cold tingling crept up her arms and legs and stars danced in her eyes, when suddenly the weight vanished from her chest, and she found herself looking up at an imposing figure.
The cold rush of air into her lungs was a shock, and she could only make out the outline of the person standing above her. Hindsight, however, tells her it was none other than the Titankin, the spearhead to the end of Belos’s reign. And she was… saving her, useless Amity Blight, of all people.
The rest of the rubble being cleared from off her was a bit of a blur, but she remembered being carried swiftly in the embrace of a strong set of arms as she faded in and out of consciousness.
She had awoken in some medical tent pitched hastily outside of the disaster zone, her mother staring down at her with an expression of mock concern. She may have fooled everyone else, but deep beneath the watery eyes and feigned emotions, Amity could still feel the daggers of disappointment stabbing at her every chance they got.
That was one of many times she has failed, but it wasn't as if she could just… refuse. Standing up to her mother was nigh impossible. It was always one thing after another, trapped in a loop of trying, failing, and hoping that one day she could say she had at least made good on the reputable name of the Blights and their family business.
The following years were no different; her backbone against the only authority she'd ever known simply failed to present itself… So, when her mom began ranting and raving about some kind of scheme involving the Titan, or rather the Titankin, she had no choice but to listen.
Odalia had claimed that it was “unfair” to the witches of the Isles that a previously magic-less individual could claim such a power. But in the end, her arguments of fairness fell on the deaf ears of those who tolerated being called her “peers.” Luz the Human—or “Titankin,” depending on who you were—as far as most other Witches were concerned, continued to be some kind of knight in shining armor for the place they called home.
Perhaps her complacency about her mother's mania towards the subject is what landed her in the position she now faced, but it was a little late for regrets. On her mother's orders, she was to befriend the Titankin, bringing her around for Odalia to find a way for the Isles—though Amity knew she really meant for herself—to claim that power back.
So here she was. Sitting amongst the town square of Bonesborough, trying to figure out how to casually bump into the Isles’ shining idol… And slowly realizing she had no idea what she was even supposed to do to achieve that goal.
She had been so coddled due to her homeschooling—she was pulled out of Hexside after she had so much as dared to call that girl—Willow Park, she thinks her name was, her friend. Odalia was having none of that.
“You are a Blight. Daring to call those below you ‘friends’ is disgraceful.”
Amity shivered at the memory. The venom in her mother's voice crept along her skin and made it prickle with unease. It was such a long time ago… but it was one of the many times she had been deemed a failure by her mother that she so desperately wanted to please.
It was part of the reason she had so willingly agreed to her current task… the desire to be more than the nothing she was.
In fact, she had recently made a mistake in one of the abominations she had created. It hadn't been tough enough to survive even the standard stress test that all Blight Industries products went through. Not even mentioning how it was her third defective product in a row…
She wrings her hands together at the thought, standing up with newfound determination. “Alright… How hard can it really be to find some trouble that requires the aid of a hero?”
Turns out… It was very, very hard.
She had wandered around the majority of the town by the time the sun had started to sink in the sky. And there was nothing. No vandals to be found, no fights to break up. Not even a cat stuck in a tree that needed rescuing. Either the stories she'd read about superheroes had all lied to her, or the Titankin was far too good at her job.
In her frustration, she kicks a rock and watches it skip and tumble down an alleyway. It veers to the left and clatters against the wall of the library, right below the massive stained glass windows depicting the downfall of Belos.
Her feet carry her down the alleyway, bringing her to a stop in front of the glass mural. The work of art shows first the arrival of The Human. Followed by her alliance with the Titan's son and the Owl Witch. All the way up to the final battle… Belos fled from the Titan-kin Luz as he cowered within the form of his nephew.
“I suppose if I can't find trouble… I'll just have to make it.”
Her heartbeat quickens as she picks up the rock she had kicked. It was small enough to fit nicely in the palm of her hand, but big enough to accomplish her goal.
Amity stares at the glass, and her mind races with the possible consequences if this doesn't work out how she wants. If someone reports her and she gets carted off to jail… smote by the Titan-kin herself…
Both options seemed preferable to returning home without even an attempt at success.
She cocked her arm back and gritted her teeth, steeling herself as she prepared to launch the stone.
“...What are you doing?”
The voice startled her. Not due to it being harsh, loud, or even accusatory. If anything, it was filled with curious mirth. But the overall suddenness of not being alone caused her to inadvertently switch her targets.
Instead of her stone smashing straight through the beautifully made glass relic of the past… it flies towards the tall figure floating several feet away from her in the alley.
The stone had no real effect as a sort of golden barrier shimmered, causing it to bounce harmlessly away and clang into some dumpsters closer to the corner of the building.
Both individuals seem stunned by the interaction, though Amity’s pause is mostly due to her heart deciding to skip a beat in pure terror. Though it was more from her action than the figure she had unwittingly assaulted with a rock.
The woman in front of her was tall and lean. Her legs were animalistic; digitigrade and covered in a glossy, black fur that thinned out into bony, clawed feet. The fur went up further, wreathed around thighs that seemed to be made up of a scary amount of muscle that filled out into a softer hip shape.
The tail that curled around those legs was large and fluffy, carrying the same healthy gloss as the rest of her, contrasting against the fur coming from her inner thighs and trailing up her belly. Those parts had a lighter tint to them, but beneath the fur was, undeniably, another wall of muscle.
Even higher still, perched upon the well-defined abs and pectoral muscles was a supple pair of breasts… Amity could only see the bottom curve of them, though, as the mass of curly fur that hugged her neck and shoulders—reminding her of the mane of a lion—concealed the top of them.
Her shoulders weren't exactly broad, but still matched the definition of the rest of her body, and the fur ended at her elbows—leaving her forearms and hands to be covered in the same bone material as her feet. Her wrists and arms seemed to have numerous glyphs swirling around them in various ways… almost like some kind of ethereal bracelets of power.
But all of that was absorbed in only a few moments… as Amity was now transfixed in the brilliant gold that made up her irises, surrounded by the deep black of the sclera and set deep into a perfectly tanned complexion—all except for the trace of Titanic bone that set across the her forehead in almost a sort of crown that spiraled up into two twisting horns. Framing that was the unruly purple hair that glimmered with its own starlight and flowed around her as if she were unaffected by gravity.
She couldn't see them, but Amity was sure her ears were rounded out underneath all of that hair: The easiest differentiator between Witch and Human.
The two stared at each other for a second, and Amity could feel her cheeks and the tips of her ears flushing as she averted her eyes from the sight in front of her… though she wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment, as she did not have the words to describe the feelings she held in her chest.
When she spoke again, her voice was as angelic as the rest of her, and Amity noticed she seemed to be fighting a laugh from bubbling up.
“Hey now, there's no need for that. You uhh… got a problem with glassworks?”
Amity attempted to force aside… Well, whatever it is she is dealing with right now. Though the next words she spoke did a terrible job of hiding it. “N-no. I just…”
Not having had the confidence in herself to have even gotten this far… she wasn't sure what to say. She couldn’t tell the Human about her mother. The Blight name had carried much less respect from the common people ever since the years of the Emperor.
With a sigh, the truth spills from her… or at least a truth does.
“I am just having a bad day, is all… I, uhh, figured I would let off some steam.”
It wasn't entirely a lie… In the past, breaking things has felt pretty cathartic. And to her surprise, the radiant half-god in front of her seemed to believe her.
She tilted her head, causing her purple hair to tumble down around her chest fluff, the curly locks of hair entwining upon each other as they did so. “I… think I can relate—in a way. You need to talk about it? You know, instead of smashing windows.”
Amity is taken aback by the question at first. Her initial reaction is to recoil at the metaphorical hand extending out to her. Relying on others was not the way she knew how to navigate the world. It was not how a Blight was supposed to act.
Though… she does suppose this is what she wanted. To form some kind of connection with the hero of the Isles. Surely her mother would understand a rant about her if it meant the means to an end.
Amity pulls herself together, her initial shock of the chance encounter having worn off somewhat. “You know what… I think I would like that. Yes.”
Amity watches as the girl in front of her simply waves her hand, and the weeds and flowers blooming alongside the edge of the building blossom. Their stems grow thick and sturdy, intertwining with one another as they form into the shape of a bench.
It had honestly been quite some time since Amity had seen such displays of magic. Most of the stuff the residents of the Isles could do now was rudimentary at best, as the Titan's magic slowly faded.
She is pulled from her train of thought as the Human sits down on the bench she had pulled from the earth. Her hands flow over the fluff of her tail as she pulls it around in front of her to lay neatly over her lap. Then she gestures for Amity to take the seat next to her.
Amity wasn't sure if it was the intensity in her golden eyes, or simply the fact that her very presence was… intense. But regardless, she felt her ears go hot again as she accepted the invitation, awkwardly smoothing down her skirt as she sat.
There is a period of silence where Amity doesn't know where to start. This is a brand new experience for her, just talking to someone about her feelings. About the things frustrating her. And to do it without judgment, it felt surreal. Amity almost felt guilty—her intentions were rather disingenuous in comparison to the gentle smile that her new companion wore on her face.
Luckily for her, though, Luz speaks first. “Say… you're the Blight kid, right?”
…Maybe not so lucky. Out of everything she could have asked, that was a true gut-punch. It was always the thing people did—compare her to her family. The expression she made at the question must have been an unpleasant one, because the smile that had lingered on the Titankin's face was suddenly replaced with a frown.
“Oh, uh… I am so sorry. I didn't mean- I only know that because I'd seen you around at like… town meetings… and stuff.”
Amity eyes her up and down, noticing the way her fists clench the fur of her tail, and how her clawed feet leave score marks on the stone ground beneath them. It honestly almost shifts the light she sees this woman in… not as some fictional hero sitting right in front of her, but…
She pushes the thought away, “No, no, it's fine, really. You'd think I'd be used to that sort of thing by now. It just kinda sucks. You know, always being equated to someone else's achievements. You probably don't get it, but-”
“No… I think I do, in a way.”
“Wait, really? But you're like… a superhero?” Amity remarks, letting her genuine surprise spur the conversation forward.
“Yeah… a superhero filling in for a Godlike being. Whose powers many people claim I stole, by the way… I just try to do something meaningful with them. You know? It wasn't like I asked for this.”
Amity can't bring herself to look her in the eyes, but she gives a nod. “...Yeah, sure.”
The tip of her tail flicks in the air, and she waves a hand dismissively. “Sorry… got distracted. This isn't about me. You said you had a bad day, right?”
The sudden change in her demeanor, going from somber back to cheery in an instant, startled Amity a bit. “O-oh, uh… right. That. Well, I suppose I already touched on it a bit. Being a Blight is stressful just day-to-day. And I was… given a task that I am—was—struggling to succeed in completing.”
“Oh, I see! Well… why don't I help you?”
Amity's heart skips a beat. Usually, this is where things went south for her, but this just felt… too damn easy.
Oh fuck.
How in the name of the Titan was she supposed to dance around the fact that her “task” was sitting two feet away from her, tail practically wagging in excitement like some overenthusiastic dog.
She chooses her words carefully as she proceeds, “I mean… sure? If you uh, want to. Seems a bit below your pay grade… if you ask me, though.”
“Naaaaah. Nonsense.” She jumps to her feet, the bone cracking against the stone with a lot less force than they should've. It was almost like she was defying gravity ever so slightly. “If anything, I can say it was part of my attempts to save the library from a vandal.”
Amity's entire face is subject to the flush of heat this time, and her newly appointed assistant gives her a playful punch in the shoulder. She rubs the spot, unsurprised by the strength of the tap she was given, but still wary of it nonetheless.
“Right… okay. Sure, let's get to it then.” Amity wasn't quite sure what “it” was yet, but she hoped she retained something from the singular improved class she had taken at Hexside… many years ago.
This was going to be rough, one way or another.
“So…” she begins, still frantically searching her mind for something to fill in the spot of her non-existent task. “What do I call you?”
The Titankin tilts her head, “I mean… My name is Luz.”
“Right. But I meant like in a… formal capacity. Something like Hero? Titan? Savior of the Isles?”
Luz wrinkles her nose at that, “I don't think I would mind someone just using my name for once.”
Amity blinks, shrugging. “Huh. That's fair, I suppose. I imagine the titles get old.”
Luz lets out a massive groan, “You have no freaking clue. It's like they are trying to come up with a new one every week. It gets so tiring. Sometimes I forget to respond to the random ones I've never heard, and then people think that I, the mighty Titankin, am angry at them. It's so-”
She stops mid-rant, turning back to Amity and grabbing her shoulders. “Ohmygosh. Here I am rambling about titles and make-believe hero names… And I didn't even have the manners to ask you for your name. I am so sorry.”
Amity has mixed emotions about being so close to Luz like this. For starters… despite her protests, she is quite literally a replacement for the deity that had been worshipped for so long. She must not entirely realize she still comes off a bit intimidating, regardless of how she feels about it.
But what truly catches her off guard is the prickling shiver that creeps up her neck as she gets a great view of the gnarly, fang-like teeth in Luz's mouth. Her teeth were fairly normal up until the canines… The teeth surrounding them were what Amity knew canine teeth to be, but the canines that were rooted in Luz's mouth were veritable fangs.
She swallowed hard before speaking, “It's uh… My name is Amity.”
“That's actually a really pretty name...”
The two of them stay like that, probably for far longer than either woman meant to. Amity was acutely aware of the strength in which she was being held in place. Her mind wandered briefly to the idea of being scooped off her feet similarly as she had in the past… but quickly chased that thought away with a large stick.
No. Bad brain. This is not a Novel, this is real life.
But when her eyes met Luz's, and her intense gaze seemed to bore into Amity's soul, it made her legs feel like jelly. There was no way to tell what thoughts were behind her glowing eyes other than pure, unadulterated joy.
Amity's voice definitely cracked when she spoke next, but she tried to play it off as just an inflection, “W-well then! Should we… You know… Get going?”
Luz lets go of her shoulders and takes a step back, her face flushing a little. “Right, yes. You had a task you needed help with?” It took a second for Amity to register the reaction as the blush was more of a purple hue, rather than red.
It was definitely weird to consider the idea that the Titankin herself was in any way flustered by her, of all people… but she cleared her throat again and turned on her heel. “Uh, yep. Just follow me.”
Improvisation was never Amity's strong suit. Titan, she wasn't even sure she had any strengths to begin with… But luckily, she was able to think of a job that could use the Titankin's assistance in completing. And maybe, just maybe, since it was something her mother had complained about having to hire an entire team of people for, she'd get some actual, genuine praise out of it, too.
The walk towards the underworks of Blight Industries was a long one, but it was the best shot she had at backing up her bluff about having an actual job assigned to her.
Initially, she had led Luz from the alley, making her way through the center of town and towards the factory where she spent most of her time. But about five minutes into the walk, she had seemed to lose patience for simply following Amity.
“So… what's the job? Where we headed?”
Amity had to crane her neck upwards to meet Luz's gaze, making sure to put as much false confidence in her voice as she could muster. “The pipes beneath one of our factory wings had eroded at an unusual speed, causing major slime leakage and huge loss of profit. So an inspector was sent down, and it was discovered that the reason was a serious infestation of rust weevils made their home underneath that portion of the production plant.”
Luz blinks in surprise, “Your mom tasked you with clearing out an entire nest of rust weevils? By yourself?”
Amity curses herself mentally, scrambling for something a bit more believable. “Not uhh… Not by myself, no. I was more or less in charge of organizing the removal of them. Repairing the pipes afterwards was the more daunting task—But now I have you! So hopefully two birds, one stone?”
Her bravado must've been enough, as Luz simply makes a contemplative sound and returns to their trek towards the factory… That is until she is suddenly lifted up bridal style and the world rushes by in a blur as Luz gets a running start and leaps high into the air.
“Waaah-what are you doing?!” Amity practically shrieks as the ground shrinks below. Luz never slows in her upwards momentum, though, if anything she picked up speed as interlocking Titanic glyphs seem to sprout from her shoulders as a pair of celestial wings.
“Flying is faster!”
That response did not ease Amity's mind, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Her stomach lunched as they rose higher and higher; any amount of embarrassment from being carried was dissolved in the fear of heights that now gripped her.
What felt like an eternity later, Luz evened out and stopped ascending, though Amity never unclenched her fists from where they held onto Luz's fur. Luz lets out a small laugh and drums her fingers against Amity's waist where she holds her.
“It's a lot prettier if you open your eyes.”
Amity's initial thought was: “fuck that!” But the gentle breeze that swept her hair to the side was very persuasive, and she slowly peeled her eyes open and cast her gaze downwards. Her eyes lit up with wonder and her mouth fell open slightly as she witnessed the city she grew up in from an entirely new perspective.
The sunset that had just started to take form cast an orangish haze over the town below. The light that covered the rooftops and walkways she knew so intimately gave them an almost fiery flow that was simply stunning. And to ice the cake, the long shadows that rested underneath the evening haze were dotted with small flickering lights of torches and street lamps as they fought to give the citizens far below them just a few more hours of light. It almost reminded Amity of whatever the reverse of a night sky would be called—beauty without a name.
“Wow…” is all she could manage to say, earning yet another laugh from Luz.
“Told you.”
The two soar across the sky in silence for a minute, taking in the view. Eventually, Luz begins to descend as they approach their destination, and with some reluctance, Amity turns her gaze away from the town, though the sparkle of mischief in Luz's eyes was almost just as good.
“Maybe warn me… next time?”
Luz's clawed feet click against the stone pathway as she lands, tilting her head at Amity as she gently sets her back down, somehow grinning even wider than before.
“Next time, huh?”
Amity feels her ears and cheeks flush with heat once again, “Err… I mean… Maybe? Only if you want to! …That is…”
Luz swats her in the arm with her tail as she takes a few steps towards the factory, turning back and flashing a toothy smile. “I'd like that. But come on! We got a job to do.”
Amity nods, watching her walk towards the factory with a confidence she would feel envious of… except envy wasn't the right word.
She wasn't sure she had words to describe the feelings, but she didn't mind it.