"Come on, let's pick the ingredients.", Walburga said walking ahead of Loki and moving to a dark wood double-door cupboard in the basement.
The cupboard looked ancient and made one wonder what treasures lay inside its double doors. The two doors had patterns carved in the wood which gave them an ancient feel, like the work of an ancient master craftsman.
Walburga pulled Loki along by holding his hand but he lagged behind her a little, worried that he was going to have to drink the potion from the Darkness Pathway instead of the Error Pathway.
"Grandma-"
"Yes, yes, I know you're nervous, but trust me, it'll all be alright in the end."
"...but-." Loki started but didn't speak further, he began ruminating over how he would break the news to her without sounding cuckoo.
Walburga pulled open one side of the cupboard and explained, "All the ingredients you'd need, they're right here. Now show me what you learned during your potion lessons and pick out all the right ingredients!"
"Yes." Loki nodded, stiffly picking out an empty glass beaker to collect all his potion ingredients and make the potion.
And although he was a little curious about what was on the other side of the cupboard, he suppressed his curiosity since he was currently worried about his life choices.
"That is the Bat of a vampire spleen-"
"Spleen of a Vampire bat!" Walburga corrected.
"Yes, yes, that's what I meant.", Loki said as he pulled down a glass jar and unscrewed the top to pick out a small dried fleshy spleen that he looked at with grimace.
Picking another jar after this one, Loki recited the second potion ingredient, "Three stalks of Fluxweed." dropping them into the beaker with the bat spleen.
"A Pinch of Cowbane.", Loki said collecting a pinch of cowbane in a small spatula and dropping it into the beaker.
"I can help you with a hundred drops of Rose Oil." Walburga said and picked out a glass bottle, turned it upside down over the beaker and counted the drops rapidly falling from it.
"There. All done." Walburga said turning the bottle upright and closing it once again.
But before she could take another step and place the bottle back into the cupboard, the bottle in her hands fell to the floor with a distinct ringing sound that would irritate anyone's ears.
"What happened Grandma!?" Loki asked with worry as he ignored the Rose oil that was slowly dripping onto the floor.
"It- It seems like I have very little time remaining.", Walburga said and leaned on the table, trying to hold herself from collapsing.
"What do I do grandma?" Loki asked trying to remain calm but his toes curled in worry.
"Help me get into the coffin."
"Coffin!?" Loki asked with a soft quiver in his voice.
"Don't worry, I'm only going to be in a light slumber until you help me gain back my anchors."
"But- but!" Loki stuttered but Walburga's stern gaze shut him up, dragging him out of the pit of life choices he was facing just a moment ago.
"*Phew* alright Grandma."
"Now, come, help this bag of old bones." Walburga said holding Loki's shoulders to support herself.
"Do you need me to call Kreacher Grandma?"
"No, that won't be necessary."
Loki slowly walked Walburga to the coffin that was standing in the basement and helped her slip into it.
"Take care of yourself Loki.", Walburga said with a soft smile that was uncharacteristic of her as she stroked Loki's cheeks.
"Yes, Grandma." Loki said with slightly teary eyes.
"Don't worry. Everything's going to be alright."
"Ye- Yes~, Grandma~." Loki said totally not stiff, his voice definitely not quivering at all, and his eyes not tearing up at all.
"Shut it then. I can feel it, I'm getting closer." Walburga said as Loki spotted her skin forming curves and bumps as if something inside was trying to crawl out of her.
"Yes, Grandma." Loki said with clear sadness as he began to close the coffin door.
But before he fully closed it, Loki opened it quickly and then ran upto Walburga and gave her one last tight hug which Walburga returned even though it wasn't Noble or Mighty.
In this moment Walburga was just like any other old Grandma, worried about her new little grandchild.
"Go on now. Let me rest. These bones have become tired from the long time they've worked, they need it. Good luck." Walburga said with a soft smile as she pushed Loki away, allowing him to finally close the door shut, sending Walburga into a sweet dreamless slumber-
-That he did not know how long she would wake up from.
*Squeak* *Squeak*
Princess Rapunzel squeaked and nustled Loki's cheeks trying to comfort him since he could feel his loss.
Loki sighed as he stared at the shut coffin for a while before he left and moved back to his potion-making station.
He picked up the fallen Rose Oil bottle and began to wipe clean the oil that had spilt onto the floor.
"It already feels lonely.", Loki spoke out loud to no one in particular and pushed himself to complete the rest of the potion.
Something bland and something repetitive was essential in these moments to take his mind off the depressing afternoon life had tossed at him.
And potion making was perfect for it.
"Four Nettle Leaves.", Loki said picking out a jar that had Nettle plant stalks in it and dropping the leaves in the beaker.
After which, he picked up a glass jar and unscrewed its lid to gain access to Five Nottgrass stalks which he also placed in the beaker silently this time since there was no audience to witness or even correct his actions.
Then moving on to the last ingredient, Loki picked up a flask labelled pure distilled water and used a glass pipette to transfer a hundred drops of it into the beaker.
The ingredients inside had already begun to shimmer and mix but Loki calmly placed the beaker over a burner and began to heat it a little on soft low blue alchemical flames.
The reaction sped up and the ingredients dissolved cleanly until it all melded together to form a uniform black liquid that had coffee-brown strands of threads shimmering inside it waiting to be consumed by someone else.
'*Sigh* I made the potion but I doubt anyone is going to drink it.'
'Could I give it to Elane?'
'No she's too young and might easily lose control.'
"Do you want to drink it, Princess Rapunzel?" Loki asked with a soft smile.
*Squeak* *Squeak* *Squeak*
Seeing the Niffler nod, Loki's eyes widened and then he laughed.
"No little princess, there is not going to be any potion for you."
*Squeak* *Squeak* *Squeak*
"No dear, I don't know what will happen if a spirit drinks a Beyonder potion."
*Squeak* *Squeak* *Squeak*
"You feel good about it?"
"I mean…there was Reniette Tinekerr who became a spirit to escape the Rose School of Thought..but…can ordinary spirits even drink a potion!?" Loki asked no one in particular.
But then he shook his head quickly, "Reniette Tinekerr was able to become a spirit because of her pathway."
"No!! What if something happens to you!? Wait! But you can interact with the coins that I give you! So will you be fine after all!?"
Loki wondered and mused out loud for a bit before he finally said, "You need to wait for a little while Princess Rapunzel. I want to do a little research to see if anything happens to spirits that consume Beyonder potion."
*Squeak* *Squeak*
"You'll stay put? Good. Thank you. Because now I need to make a potion for myself."
"A potion from the Error pathway."
Loki's eyes were firm and his mood was sombre, but he kept himself composed as he reached for the Blasphemy Card of the Error Pathway.
His mind wanted to wander to Walburga's sudden passing, but he remained harsh on himself. He knew if he thought about her right now he'd break down and become a mess that would easily lose control upon consuming the potion.
'Did her suddenly losing control have something to do with how she didn't go to that room for an hour today?'
'Not now Loki. Not now.'