Summary: Cutting down the crystals ... all of them
Belfry panted, hyperventilating as they hid in a bush. "They, they, they-" Skara placed a hand on his mouth, keeping him quiet as Crystal Devils came running through the woods.
"Ssssh, I know, I know how hard this is for you, but this isn't them, this is just… them being confused by that Basilisk Bastard." Skara patted his back.
"Speaking of …" Willow trailed off. "Can we talk about the … scars on that guy?"
"What's there to talk about?" Boscha questioned. "He got hurt, now he's pissed and throwing a tantrum."
"Seriously, how do you have so little tact?" Gus rolled his eyes. "He was tortured!"
"Oh, so that makes it okay for him to train a bunch of wild animals to eat us and everyone around?" Bosch countered. "Oh boo-freaking hoo. Getting mad at the world is no reason to get everyone killed. I'm not going to spend a shred of sympathy for a guy that almost ripped me apart and kidnapped my boyfriend!"
"Speaking of …" Amity turned to Luz, who was being restrained and muzzled with abomination goo. "Luz, you need to calm down, alright?"
"MMMMM!" The girl shouted, clearly trying to rush out and stab that Basilisk dude.
"Twice in one day we had to restrain her. This is going to be a recurring thing with Luz, isn't it?" Willow groaned.
"First it was just Centi, now it's her, Eda, and Lucci." Amity reminded them. "This is basically the petrification ceremony all over again, except this time the scope's widened out a little." The Blight girl turned to the human again. "Okay, I don't trust you to not just run out there and get yourself killed, so I'm going to leave you tied up but remove the gag. Does that sound good to you?"
"Why bother? This is the most tolerable she's sounded ever since I've met." Boscha snarked.
"In that case." Willow moved over and instantly took it off.
"We have to go back, we can't just leave them behind, we have to do something!" Luz shouted as she tried to break free.
"Luz, the last time we did something we lost hard." Gus pointed out. "Even if we go at it full force we'd lose again."
"So we stand around while he kills Eda and Lucci?" She questioned with a glare.
"I think Lucci's safe for now." Belfry pointed out. "That roaring attack he did…. whatever it was, it commanded the Crystal Devils, tapped into something instinctual in them, something stronger than Ivan's persuasion over them. Remember what he called Lucci?"
"An Alpha." Willow nodded. "Does that have something to do with his Diamond? That always seems to freak the devil's out."
"Whatever the case, he's someone that can get in Ivan's way… so more likely he'd try to get Lucci on his side, which is what he'll need Eda for." Amity continued.
"They're alive for now …" Luz sighed. "We still can't do anything. Gus can only keep us hidden for so long, and the flying bat probably has sonar to find us once we get close."
"Mama was always the best at hide and seek." Belfry admitted. "She could pick me up from a mile away with my voice."
"Wait, sonar just means locating with sound, right?" Skara piped up. "Lucci developed this technique to use bard magic to direct animals. I can do the same and develop a tune to lure her away."
"Then that handles one guy that can find us …" Willow went on. "Still doesn't help with the sheer numbers. We managed to poof five out of a thousand back there…."
"What we need is numbers…right.." Luz looked at the ground, and then her sword. "Amity, you can control more than one abomination at a time, right?"
"I can, maybe three or four if I put my mind to it." Amity answered.
"What if you had an army to work with?" Luz continued. "I can make as many abominations as possible with my glyphs using my sword and the ground."
"I can give them simple commands, but I won't be able to direct them once they're out of reach." Amity brought up. "At most I'll be able to give out one before they stop listening to me."
"Wow, to think I'd actually wish for Lucci's crazy plant magic right now." Willow groaned.
"The only command they need to have is fight." Luz paused. "... You know now that you mention it …" She had a look in her eye, reaching into her pocket. "I do have a Vial of emergency spit for any broken limbs."
"You have a vial of my boyfriend's spit?!" Boscha accused, probably connecting it to something sexual.
"Everyone in the Owl House has one in case of emergencies." Luz rolled her eyes. "The point is if we put it on some plants, an uncontrollable food army emerges."
"Are we really willing to do this?" Gus asked. "Those guys are pretty out of control and we barely survived then."
"Nnnsshh." … The group looked up to see a Crystal Devil look down at them, a hardening sap liquid drooling down from it's maw and trapping whatever it touched.
"I'll take veggie devils over crystal devils anyway of the week!" Boscha grabbed the vial and smashed it to the ground.
"Along with Abominations for support!" Luz shouted, hitting multiple papers onto the ground.
The papers began to glow … and then change into pink, sparking as the grass grew over them. "... Is that good?" Belfry questioned.
"Awaaagggg!" The veggie-abomination hybrids shoot a viney-goopy spike through the crystal Devil's chest, proofing it instantly.
"I … think so?" Amity questioned. "Gonna be hard to put these guys down but-"
"Abaaa!" One of them hugged Amity, kissing her cheek before running off.
"…I think Lucci's magic combined with abominations's makes them more affectionate." Luz muttered with a blush.
"They better not all be like that!" Boshcha complained, as a ball of goo was thrown at her face.
"Heh, I like these guys already." Willow snickered.
"Are we sure it was Lucci's personality running these guys?" Skara questioned. "Between kissing Amity and hating Boscha, it seems more Luz-like."
"What, No, what, I don't know what you're talking about, who's Amity!?" Luz sputtered.
Gus coughed, pointing to the abomaplants that were making cat faces. "They're your magic, your mixing, so you can control them."
Luz looked them over. "… Go beat up crystal devils?" She questioned.
"Yahaaaja!"
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Ivan crawled back over to the child. "Have you finally given your answer?" He questioned, hoping they would say yes and prevent more needless bloodshed.
The boy looked downtrodden as he gripped his hands. "...Before I answer… tell me…. do you live with any regrets?" He asked. "You're vengeance, do you feel… anything remorse at all?"
"… My only remorse is for the palisman these devils will consume after they finish with the witches." The man admitted. "I … I'm too broken to feel bad about the main target, if that's your question." He reaffirmed. "Maybe some years ago, maybe I could've been talked out of it, but… I've gone this far. I was dead, and I was brought back for the sole purpose of suffering by the hands of Witches. I live for nothing now but my anger."
"You know… ever since I've discovered I'm half crystal devil, I've been struggling to figure out what my purpose is." The child spoke after a minute of silence. "I thought I knew what it was, and I was proud of it… but it all came crashing down and blew up in my face. What I thought I wanted turned out to be my worst nightmare."
"And then the Boiling Isles mixed itself upon the fate of worshiping or eradicating you." Ivan looked down. "How fortunate that there were witches willing to accept you for what you are …"
"For being a crystal devil, for being a monster ." The child looked up. "I can't compare any pain I've ever experienced to yours without it sounding like an insult, and I'm truly sorry for that." The child sniffed. "But it's because of those very few that do accept me that I will never hate this world, no matter how much it hates me. I'm going to use that care for me, and protect them with everything I have."
Ivan sighed. "While I will not spare anyone that joins their cause, do note you have my sympathy, Clawthorne, for being blinded by your own family." He stood up. "Eradicate him, even if he's an Alpha, he'll shatter you and destroy your minds."
"Grgrgrgrgrrgrgr." The devils approached, surrounding the boy.
"I see you're not above manipulation, Ivan. " The boy growled with his eyes glowing pink.
"Am I wrong?" He asked. "You never would leave them in their hungered state while they crave Witch flesh, would you?" No answer came. "Exactly. There's no easy answer, no instant solution, no miraculous solving of problems. This isn't some book where after a struggle the hero fixes everything, this is reality. Suggesting otherwise is nothing but the nativity of a child."
"Heh, I think like that too… but a friend of mine has me thinking things a little differently." He pulled off the chains from the wall, freeing himself. Should've known that wasn't going to hold him for long. "One thing is that I've been learning to distinguish naivety from hope."
"Oh really, what difference is there?" Ivan asked, his curiosity slightly peaked.
"One's spouting nonsense without any bases, one's founded on truth." The boy grinned savagely. "And the truth is, Ivan, that my friends are going to come any second now, and kick your ass."
"Probably." He shrugged. "They may even kill me … it won't dissolve the fact they can't face this many devils without an army."
"You're right…too bad no one can just make an army out of nowhere." The boy snickered. "Unless of course, one of my friends has a vial of magic spit and spills it on the ground."
" Abbaaa… " They both turned to see an army of … kitten abominations with grass growing out of their bodies.
"… That's … new." And concerning to say the least.
"You're telling me, I didn't think they'd mix abominations with plant magic." The kid snickered. "Ah Luz, your creativity both inspires and terrifies me once more."
"Scraaa." The Crystal Devils attacked, from powerful screams to ramming bodies, and clashed with this unnatural army.
"ABBAAAAAAAAAA!" The new monsters cried out in intense rage as they practically jumped at the Crystals devil's, forming spikes and thorns all over their bodies and impaling his number's forms and poofing them.
"Alright! Now that's what I'm talking about!" Turning their heads, they saw about half of the group, the glasses plant girl and the purple haired one jumping from the ceiling. "Now we can call this a fair fight!"
"Willow, Amity! Never thought you guys of all people would agree to use my spit." The devil child smirked as he joined in on the fray, sending a razor sharp disk towards one of the devil's heads.
"Desperate times man!" The purple haired one shouted as she sent a fist of goo to another devil's torso. "Where's Eda!?"
"Far, Far away from here." Ivan noted, only feeling slightly off his guard. They were able to equal out the numbers, but he still held the leverage. "And if you don't want her served on a silver platter to my brethren, then you'll-"
"Then you'll what? Threaten to kill the hostage you DON'T have anymore." Right above them, flying on a staff…. was the human with the Owl Lady. "Had to hold my breath for a while, but I was able to sneak past your defenses undetected.
"Hmm …" Alright, leverage was gone. Time for plan B. He shapeshifted into a macher rabbit and jumped on top of a Crystal Devil, using their momentum so as to not get decapitated instantly, moving deeper into his army's midst.
"Oh real macho of you, scaredy cat, you run when the going gets tough?" The owl lady mocked.
"You're implying that I think that you have a chance at stopping my army." Ivan responded. "You've only slowed down my progress, but the devil's are still immortal, and you've only managed to poof a handful. I'll retreat, and come back with even more-"
The gooey-plant creatures began to bubble all over themselves. "ABBAAAA…"
"Is… is this part of the plan, because I'm still confused on how you guys did this." The Devil child asked the group.
"Ava's!" The creature shouted … before exploding.
Boom!
They all stared at the destruction. "Ahh …" The plant girl questioned. "What just-"
"Hijiro!" Another shouted as it exploded.
"Wait….abomination magic plus Lucci's spit…." The purple haired one widened their eyes. "Is it possible that Lucci's spit has the same effect as his bubbles on abominations?"
"Then that would imply all of them …" Majority of the army began to bubble. "Everyone, behind my shield, now!"
"SYRABOA!"
BOOOM!
"KWAAAA!"
KAABOOOOM!
The creatures exploded more and more, the explosions getting bigger and bigger as Ivan's army began to get smaller and smaller. He had to use his animal skills in this form to burrow a small safety hole, something that got harder to do when the explosions kept getting bigger and blowing away the dirt.
The Owl Lady looked back and forth at the exploding army. "Luz, did you bring the concept of suicide bombing to the Boiling Isles? I don't know whether to be proud of that or not."
"I think I'm more horrified it's happening to my technical children than the fact it's happening at all." The human stated with horror. "So… probably dumb question, but do abomination's have souls?"
"No, decayed remains of corpses, remember? Magic just animates them." The purple haired girl responded.
Ivan waited until the explosions died down, looking at the destroyed army. "It seems I'll have to wait until they reform to continue." He admitted.
"Not today!" Ivan hissed as a potion hit his arm, causing it to melt away and decay.
"AAAAGGGH!"
"Oh, you don't like that!?" The three eyed girl shouted, throwing another one right at the tip of his tail. "This is how you mentally hurt me by kidnapping my boyfriend, not a nice feeling, is it!?"
He crawled away, making a break for the forest. "You're not getting away that easily you bastard!" The Owl Lady shouted, in front of him … until it poofed, revealing a black child.
"And that was all the time I needed to buy." The child smirked as the bard girl came out from behind …
Ivan looked around, he was surrounded. "You are not getting away to do this another day." The human growled, pointing her sword at him. "This is where you fall, Ivan. This is as far as you come."
This was it…wasn't it? He wasn't going to make it past today. His vengeance was all for naught…..no. "If I'm going down…then I'm going down fighting." He prepared his throat, calling out to a special little bug he's been keeping hidden until now. "KAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRKKKKKKKKKKKK."
"Krkrkrkrk." They came out of the forest, growling.
"My last companion …" Ivan noted. "My last chance to take out witches until the others reform."
"Hah! Like that's going to be hard, especially with all of us here and Luz's sword that can cut through anything, right Luz?" The devil child smiled at the human girl… who was frozen. "Ah…Luz…gonna need you at your a-game here."
"Centi …" The girl mumbled, moving in front of the devil. "Centi, please, don't cross the line!" She shouted.
Ivan used the distracted looks, turning into a small animal and moving out of the crowd.
"The creep's getting away!" The three eyed girl yelled.
"Ugh, this is going to be a pain!" The devil child yelled. "Amity, Willow, Mom, you guys stay here and support Luz! The rest of us are going after Ivan!"
Such a shame … so little time left. He only hoped the army would be fine if he vanished.
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Luz stared at her drooling friend. "Please, don't do this." She pleaded. "Centi, you're better than hurting others."
"Krkkrkrkrkrkrkrkrk!" Her first ever friend roared, crying out such an animalistic, beastly nature that absolutely wasn't the Centi she knew. This wasn't Centi's fault, she was just a little…confused, that's all! Once Ivan was gone, they could go back to normal!
"Luz, I don't think Centi's in the mood to listen to anything that isn't crunching bones in her maw!" Eda yelled as the now big gall began snapping at Eda in the air. "Hey, I'm the Owl Lady, not the chicken lady!"
"Centi stop this, now!" She shouted. "They're going to hurt you at this rate!"
"It's the other way around, Luz!" Willow shouted as she tried to tie down Centi with her vines, and the giant bug only cut through them with incredible ease by sheer strength alone. "We're barely putting a dent in her!"
"Scrwaaaar!" Centi cried out as she tried to take a bite out of Willow.
"Luz, give me the sword!" Amity shouted. "You shouldn't have to be the one to put her down!" Put her down … and loose Centi …
"No….no, we're not putting her down! I know I can reach her!" She tossed the sword aside, far away from anyone's instant reach. "Centi! It's me! Luz! I've known you for over a decade! We've hung out in the woods and ate chaaps together! You're a smart girl, I know that you haven't forgotten about it!"
"Kraak!" The devil ignored her, trying once more to bite down on Willow.
"Luz, I know you think the power of friendship is some kind of magic rainbow nuke that washes away all our problems, but this isn't the time to talk things out!" Willow shouted as Centi melted through more and more of her vines.
"Luz, listen to your friends!" Eda chided from the air. "She's too far gone!"
"You thought the exact same way during the petrification ceremony, yet I didn't give up on you, and you're still here!" Luz shouted back. "Don't you dare tell me this is impossible!"
"Krrrr!" Centi once more melted through more vines, finally making her way over as abominations began to pile on.
"Luz!" Amity shouted. "I love-like your optimism, but please leave, it's not going to help." More goop was piled on as Centi melted through it.
"No! I'm staying, and I'm not going until I save my friend!" Luz charged ahead and hugged the giant beast. "I'm here Centi! I'm here and I'm never going to leave you!"
"Krkrkrkr." She could hear her stress out as-
"GAAAHHH!!" As a burning sensation fell onto her back.
" Luz!" All three of them yelled, ready to get up close and personal.
"Stay back!" Luz shouted, continuing to do her best to hold Centi steady.
"Krkr." Centi growled, gently stepping backward as Luz squeezed harder, her mouth still seething to the brim with acid and hunger.
"You spent the last decade or so listening to my pain, listening to my grief! Well I'm here now, here to listen to you!" Luz continued to shout as they backed up into a rocky wall. "I know it hurts, I know your in more pain than anyone could imagine, so I won't rest until I save you!"
"Rrrk." Centi continued to try and pull free, tugging against the hug and banging her head against the rocky wall, causing rubble to fall from the top.
Luz could feel the acid burn down her back as she hugged her. "I know you're better than this, don't do this! Please Centi, don't hurt them!"
"Kraaa!" Centi shouted.
"We can get through this, we don't need to eat things to distract the pain!" Luz shouted. "Please, please …"
Suddenly her back felt wet … but not painfully wet, it was cool. She looked up … seeing tears fall from Centi's mouth. "Krkrkrk."
"Centi…." Luz cried even harder as the girl's form began to shrink. "You really do hear me… you really do understand.." She embraced the bug even harder than she ever could be. "I love you, Centi, no matter what happens, that'll never change for me."
" Krkrkr." The would get through this. They'd find a way to deal with the pain, togeth-
Snap
Rumble
A giant boulder fell from the rocky wall, likely coming down from all the bashing and acid… and it was coming down right on top of them! Centi swung, pushing her out of the way … as it fell onto her.
Poof
The round gem fell to the floor. "CENTI!" Luz ran forward, grabbing it and ignoring the pain she felt in her back. "It'll be okay, you'll get better and everything will be okay …" It was getting hard to see with the tears. From the pain or the agony of watching this tragedy unfold she couldn't tell.
"Luz.." She heard someone in the back of her say in concern. She couldn't tell, her sobbing stopped her from knowing.
"She saved me… she cared for me.." Luz weakly sniffed, hugging Centi's gem tightly. "She's no devil… she never was."
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Lucci ran as fast as he could, trying to look around. "Mom said he hid as an animal, so he could be any demon, beast, or bug in the forest." He noted aloud. "Any living thing could be the … could be him." Lucci didn't want to say enemy.
"Great, as if he wasn't annoying enough to deal with." Boscha groaned. "We could just set the forest on fire and smoke him out. Best case scenario, he dies burning alive."
"Ah…let's try to avoid causing a catastrophic event to prevent one." Gus answered, and Lucci agreed. As much as he loved his angel's ruthlessness, he didn't want to kill Ivan. He experienced too much bloodshed for that.
"Boscha burned off an arm right?" Skara questioned. "Wouldn't that mean he doesn't have one as whatever he changed into?"
"Yeah, he'd either turn into an animal that wouldn't be noticed having a missing arm." Belfry looked at the trees as a slithering noise could be heard. "..or one with no limbs at all."
"A snake in the grass, how fitting for a fleeing coward!" Boscha chucked a potion at the tree, making the trunk burn and fall to the side, making the large snake slithery out and grow even larger.
"Oh no you don't!" Skara pressed on her viola, combining notes as some vines tied up the man.
Ivan hissed in his prison, opening his mouth up and breathing, as his magic began to leak from his friends and into his jaws. "I'm still a Basilisk, and you're still witches! In the end, all you are to me is food!"
"Yeah, except I'm the kind you choke on all the time!" Lucci, unaffected by the drain, grabbed Ivan by the neck and slammed him into the ground, keeping him there.
"How!? You're a witch!"
"Yeah. I am. I'm my own kind of witch." Lucci growled, looking at the man straight in the eye.
"Just … keep him still." Boscha coughed, pulling out a potion. "If I shove this down his throat … he'll cough our magic right back up."
"Wait, won't that kill him?" Lucci asked.
"Yeah … that's the….. point." Boscha said bluntly even in her weakened state.. "He fed witches alive to devils, he kidnapped you, and planned on killing everyone…there is no turning that around."
"So … this is the end." The man chuckled weakly. "In that case, child of a devil, I have two requests for you … if you can promise me them I'll comply without any struggle."
"Pfft…bold of you to ask me demands after everything you put me through." He laughed brokenly with tears. "What do you want, you messed up sadist?"
"First off … Vee." He started off. "We all became broken within that prison … but she was young. Younger than even me … there might be a chance she was the only one that doesn't carry our vendetta …" The man looked Lucci in the eye. "Don't let the Witches hunt her down like they've done us … please."
"I promise." He nodded, wiping his eyes. "I'll find her, and I won't let anyone hurt her ever again."
"Good … then this will be my last request … cremate me …." The creature pleaded, placing his hand on Lucci's collar. "Don't let the Emperor use my body…..the hell the five of us had to endure… I'd rather be extinct than let any more of my kind be born to suffer."
Lucci laughed brokenly again, understanding why this man was the way he was. "Why…why is that after all the hell you put me through, after you threatened my family and friends, after you killed so many innocent people…that all I can feel for you now is pity?"
"I thought the same thing as I tried to kill you." The basilisk chuckled. "How funny the world is … what a cruel joke we live in …"
Boscha didn't let him finish as she poured the potion inside of Ivan's mouth. "Save it for when you get to hell. I hope you choke on it the way over there."
The creature coughed, violently spasming … before his body slumped, golden energy leaking from his mouth and flying back into his friends.
"Lucci.." Skara immediately held his shoulder. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to deal with that."
"Deal with what?" He spoke hollowly. "I just had to kill a desperate and pitiable creature to save my friends. Just part of my life." His cruel…messed up life.
"You didn't kill him." Boscha said, but it didn't have the same cold bite as when she used it on Luz. "Something killed that man a long time ago, and left a corpse full of anger in its wake." She brought him in close for a deep hug. "And you didn't do it alone. We put him out of his misery, together. " She gazed at him so softly and caringly with those beautiful eyes. "So if you ever need to vent, come to me, got it?"
"Yeah … understood." He nodded, giving her a pat on the back, before looking back to Gus, the youngest of them all. "You okay man?"
"Not really to be honest…he didn't deserve this." Gus fell to his knees. "I know, he left us no choice and he went too far…but after all he went through, after everything life pushed towards his way…he didn't deserve to die like this."
And Lucci helped Two get killed…he may have not done it personally, but there was no difference…two basilisk were dead because he fought them… gah, what the fuck happened with the Emperor's Coven? He needed to talk with Lilith when she came back.
"What happens now?" Belfry asked. "The Crystal Devils will be deformed for only so long."
"I can bubble them and hold it off for a bit until we figure out how to deal with them." Lucci sighed. "Find your family in the mix and take them somewhere safe…but for now…we need a moment of silence." He turned to Boscha. "Boscha…we need your fire now..to..you know."
"Sure … you should leave." She told him. "Go back to your friends or something."
Lucci groaned. "Luz …" She was going to be brutal to deal with.
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Amity did her best to comfort Luz … which was difficult when she could see the massive burn marks on the girl's now shirtless back. "She'll be okay right?" Luz questioned. "She'll reform and everything will go back to normal."
"Yeah..maybe she will." Amity awkwardly said, sighing as she sat down next to her crush. "I'm sorry I didn't get to know her well before any of this…she seemed like a great friend."
"It's fine … people were scared of her." Luz sniffed. "Nobody back on earth believed she was even real … she was the only one who was there for me …" They cradled the gem. "And she was suffering this whole time."
"They all are." Willow sat down next to hem as she had a couple of tree branches collect as many gemstones off the ground as possible. "All this time, we just thought they were mindless savages with no emotion or remorse…but they're all just in pain. And we just added fuel to the fire without knowing it."
"What life changing adventure did you kids go on?" Eda questioned as she helped pick them up by hand.
"A necessary but painful one." Luz coughed. "One the one hand, Lucci might be a prince of some kind to them, so there's that I guess."
"On the other hand, the Crystal Devils are apparently cursed just like you are Eda." Amity explained. "Except they're self aware enough to realize the agony, and Palistrum Wood is their elixir."
"….I missed the days where the problems were just the cause of too much meddling." Eda rubbed her head. "I don't care what anyone says. I'm drinking a gallon of apple blood today, and no one is going to stop me."
"Can I have a cup? I want to forget today as much as possible too." They turned their heads to see Lucci and the others, sans Boscha, return with low hanging heads.
"Did you guys catch him?" Amity questioned.
"Yeah…then he drained our magic, Lucci caught him, then we had to unalive him." Belfry shivered as he and Skara embraced.
"Lucci …" Eda winced. "Look, I know it's not easy-"
"I … I really don't want to talk about it mom." The boy responded. "Luz?"
"I'm … I'm fine." The girl said. "Just keeping Centi safe until she reforms."
"Yeah…what are we going to do with them?" Amity asked out loud as Lucci began bubbling the collected gemstones. "Even if their main influences are gone and their memories are messed up, there's still some bound to crave a witch's bile. Lucci's bubbles won't hold forever."
"Really?" Eda asked, pulling two bubbled gems out of her big mane of hair. "Because these have held for weeks."
"Wait. You still have the ones from the monster school and beach incident?" Lucci asked
"Makes sense." Amity pointed out. "One needs to attach itself to a building, and the other needs to attach itself to sand."
"Maybe…maybe it's something else." He pulled one from his own head. "I'd had this once ever since my last visit to grandpa and grandma's…over two months ago…it was a fox looking one, with a body and everything."
"So what you're saying is.." Amity began to catch on.
"..none of the gemstones I've collected have re-emerged." Lucci stated with wide eyes. "I..I think I'm able to stop them from reforming."
"So … you can contain all of them?" Willow questioned. "And just … keep them there?"
"They'd be locked away …" Belfry noted, looking at a couple of stones. "Unable to see the light of day again …"
"Not forever." Lucci stopped. "Just until we can find a cure to whatever messed them up. They said a diamond caused it. I have a diamond, I heal stuff, so we already have a lead there."
"Do we have to put them all back?" Luz questioned quietly, drawing attention to her. "I … I was getting through to her … I was feeling her pain …"
"Luz.." Amity confidently held the girl's hand, ignoring the butterflies it was giving her. "It's your call to make, but..remember. You don't have the chips. The head scratches will only delay so much. And whenever she goes out, people won't just be afraid of Centi, they'll hate her, they'll attack her in the streets, and they won't stop at nothing until she's shattered."
"Right … because of what happened it's gonna be worse …" Luz began to cry. "She can never walk the streets safely again …" The girl turned to Lucci. "...Please …"
Lucci cried a steady steam of tears. "You never have to ask Luz." He placed the gem in a bubble. "I promise, to both you and Centi, we'll find a cure. You'll be able to hold each other again someday."
Luz stood up, before hitting the ground. "Woops … forgot my injuries for a moment … some spit please?"
"Yeah, you're going to need to have that go around." Willow fell on her own back with a loud thump. "I can barely move my mouth to speak, let alone my arms and legs."
"First I kill a broken man, now I suffer dry mouth …" Lucci sighed. "Today is nobody's day." No truer words could've been said.