Notes:
Okay so for those of you reading this chapter for the first time I have a special treat
There is an animatic of what happens in this chapter that was made by the lovely and talented cartoonkatzenjammer. She did a great job on this animatic and I will post a link to it here. Please go check out her channel and show her some love!
Here is the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59yj-26Qbp4&ab_channel=cartoonkatzenjamme
Many Months Ago
Luz's Room
Luz had just gotten home after her first day at school—a day that had gone much better than expected. Against all odds, she had made not just one but three new friends, though it was Anne that she was currently thinking about. That conversation they had over being the first generation in their families formed a connection that she had never felt with anyone before. Luz raced to finish her homework and change her clothes so she could give Anne a call, as she wanted to talk with her some more.
Luz finished her assignments and decided to give Anne a call. After a few rings, she answered.
"What's the sitch?" she said.
"Hey, Anne. It's Luz!" said Luz.
"Oh, hey. Good to hear from you, Luz!" replied Anne. "Hang on a sec. Can I call you back?"
"Oh, sure," said Luz. The phone hung up, and Luz waited for Anne to call back. A few moments later, she did, though Luz noticed she was doing a video call. For a second, she hesitated to answer, wondering if she looked okay, but then decided to take the call.
Anne was smiling as she looked at Luz over their video call. "Hey, Luz. How are ya?"
"I'm great," replied Luz. "Just a little surprised that you wanted to do a video call."
"Oh, well, I figured that this way we could not only talk, but we could give each other a virtual tour of our rooms," said Anne.
"Hmmm, well, to be honest, I've never even given a real tour of my room," began Luz, "on account of never having had any friends over…"
"That's okay," said Anne. "I'll go first if you want."
"Yeah, go ahead. It will give me time to prepare," said Luz.
Anne picked up her phone and moved it around so Luz could see what she had in her room. "So first, over here, I have a poster for The Legend of Korra. I figured you'd like that. Next over here, I have my Gameboy. I have a good collection of games for it, though one of my favorites is Pokemon. Oh, check out my stuffed animals. My two favorites are Flamingo and Gila Monster. Gila Monster secretly has a crush on Flamingo but can't bring himself to tell her. Over here is my desk with my computer, which has my music on it. Oh, hey, what kind of music do you listen to?"
"Eh, I have some really weird tastes," said Luz. "Probably bands you haven't heard of."
"Well, tell me anyway. I want to know," said Anne.
"I like Mana. They're kind of old school, but my mom grew up listening to them. She'd play their songs in the car, so I got into them that way. Alejandra Alberti is another one. She sings in Spanish. Oh, I really like Nightwish, though that was mostly because I watched a lot of AMVs where people used their music."
"Oh, I've heard of them," said Anne. "Yeah, I'd be willing to bet that any anime that has a lot of action and fight scenes in it has had at least one AMV made with a Nightwish song."
"Yeah, and they're AWESOME!" exclaimed Luz.
"Well, some are," countered Anne. "Don't get me wrong, I've seen a lot of great AMVs, but I've also seen some bad ones."
"I've made a few myself," said Luz hesitantly. "They haven't gotten that many views, though."
"Oh, well, you'll have to show me one sometimes," said Anne. "I promise I'll go easy on you."
Luz chuckled at hearing Anne say that. "So, is it my turn?"
"Of course," said Anne. "Show me your room."
Luz picked up her phone in order to give Anne a proper tour. "Okay, so starting off over here is my Good Witch Azura Poster. I got it when I pre-ordered the fifth book. Right under it are my Good Witch Azura figurines. I found those at Spencer's and had to save up a lot of money to get them. Oh, over here, I have another poster for Attack on Titan. I mean, that anime is brutal!"
"No kidding," said Anne.
"Anyhoo, over here, I have my closet. That's where my clothes live, and then I have my bed, where I sleep, and that's about it," said Luz.
"Oh, you changed your clothes," said Anne, noticing Luz's shirt. "That's a cool hoodie!"
"Oh, I haven't even shown you the best part," said Luz excitedly. With that, she flipped up the hood on her head to reveal two cat ears on it. "Meow, meow!"
Anne's eyes practically lit up seeing this, and she let out a squeal of delight. "Ahhhh! You're so cute! Oh, if you like cats, then I have to show you my cat. Wait, a sec." Anne left the frame and went off-screen for a few moments before returning.
"Luz, allow me to introduce you to… Domino!" With that, she held up a black and white cat.
Domino let out a soft meow.
Luz's eyes went wide, and she blushed before exclaiming, "Huuuuuh, aye que lindo! I wish I could reach through that screen and just hug her!"
"I'll just have to invite you over sometime so you can see her in person," said Anne.
"Wow, really?!" asked Luz. "I can't wait!"
"Luz, dinner is ready!" called Luz's mom from downstairs.
"Oh, I have to go, Anne, but it was great seeing your room! And your cat! I can't wait to come over and pet her!" said Luz.
"Yeah, it was great to see your room, too. That's an awesome hoodie you have! You'll have to wear it sometime when we have a free dress day!" said Anne.
"Yeah, for sure! Well, bye! I'll see you tomorrow, Anne!" said Luz. As the two teens hung up their phones, they were each thinking different things.
Luz was so happy to have finally found a friend like Anne. Someone who liked the same things she did, someone who liked her for her. Her first real friend. Luz had been so nervous about attending this new school, and while she had always tried to pretend that having no friends didn't bother her, in the back of her mind, she was secretly sad. She really hoped that her friendship with Anne would continue to grow!
Meanwhile, Anne had gotten off the phone and felt a little weird. There was something about Luz—she couldn't quite explain it—that made her different from Sasha and Marcy. Sasha had stood up for Anne and helped protect her from bullies, but she always seemed a bit distant from Anne. Marcy was always up for playing games and having fun, but she was a klutz, who Anne had to look out for. Luz was different from both of them and talking to her made Anne feel good. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it was different from when she talked with Sasha or Marcy. Anne couldn't wait to see Luz again and talk with her some more…
As Luz woke up, she felt awkward. The dream she had the previous night wasn't a dream but more like a memory—a memory of her first day of school at St. James. It was a memory of a conversation she had with Anne over the phone, where the two had given each other a virtual tour of their respective rooms. It had been the first time she had thought about Anne in a long time. Over the past several weeks, Luz had tried her best to avoid thinking about either the dance or the day she had been transported to this strange new world. She wondered why now, of all times, she was having a dream about those events.
Luz pushed these thoughts from her head as she realized that she didn't need Anne. She had made new friends, like Lilly and Gustav. Not only that, but Amara had finally stopped acting like a stuck-up brat and had started acting more friendly towards her. All things considered, despite being lost in a strange world away from her mother, things had turned out okay. Luz had learned quite a few potions over the past weeks and was really coming into her own. Luz got dressed and got ready to head upstairs to see what they would be doing today.
As Luz arrived upstairs, Uodeela and the others were already there, all of them getting ready for a trip. Uodeela had mentioned they were going somewhere special today.
"So let's all get ready to go," called Uodeela. "We're going a bit farther today than we've ever gone. We'll be heading to the Misty Moors. I'm hoping that we will be able to run into the Moss Man."
"Wait, did you say Moss Man?" said Lilly in surprise. "I thought that was a myth!"
"Oh, he's very much real," said Uodeela, "and his moss is an ingredient in a new elixir I'm trying to brew, at least according to this old tablet Valeriana gave me. We have to be cautious in how we approach the Moss Man, and we have to ask nicely if he will give us some of his moss."
"I can't believe it's real," exclaimed Amara. "As a kid, you heard stories about Moss Man, but I never expected that it was real."
"So, what is the Moss Man?" asked Luz.
"If we're lucky, you'll be able to see him for yourself," said Uodeela. "But before we go, I should warn you all that the mist of the moors is enchanted. It has a tendency to conjure up illusions. If you wander alone in the mists, you may see things that aren't really there. We need to make sure and stay together; otherwise, the mist may try to fool you. Get all your supplies ready. We leave in ten minutes."
As Anne tossed and turned in her bed, her thoughts kept shifting between two things. One was the conversation she had with the Plantars about the Moss Man, and the other was a memory she was having. The memory was of the day she met Luz. She remembered the conversation they had over the phone after school was over. Anne woke up in a cold sweat as she recalled her uneasy sleep. Despite the thoughts of the Moss Man being fresh in her mind, it was actually the other dream that had her more worried.
Why am I thinking about Luz? Thought Anne to herself. I've wondered about her every now and then, but I hadn't thought about that day we met in a long time… Anne trailed off, remembering that the last thing she said to Luz before being transported to Amphibia was that she didn't want to be friends with her anymore.
Anne tried to shake these thoughts from her head as she began to wonder. Had it really been her decision to cut Luz out of her life, or was she just listening to what Sasha said? At the time, what Sasha told her made sense, but she couldn't help but wonder if she really didn't want to be friends with Luz anymore. The dream she had reminded her of how much she actually enjoyed Luz's company, but she had other things to worry about. Anne got out of bed, dressed in her clothes, and went to find Wally. He said he had seen the Moss Man, and she was going to make him take her to where it was!
"But the journey will be fraught with peril!" warned Wally. "For instance, Anne, did you know the mist of the moors is enchanted? If you get lost in it, the mist may conjure up illusions in order to trick you. You have to be careful when we get to the moors, so don't wander off alone!"
"Yeah, whatever, Wally," said Anne dismissively. "Let's just get going already."
"Okay. Mind if I play a song while we travel?" asked Wally
"Eh, why not?" said Anne
Wally readied his accordion, "Ohhhhhhhh, the Misty Moors are dark and grey…"
"Huh, hope he doesn't play that thing the whole way," said Anne
It took a good part of the day, but Uodeela and her students eventually reached the Misty Moors. As they looked out over the moors, they could see that they were indeed covered in a deep, dense mist that was hard to see through. There seemed to be a sense of dread in the air.
"Welcome to the Misty Moors!" exclaimed Uodeela. "Now, as I said before, be careful not to get lost in the mist, or you may start seeing things that aren't there. When we're in the mist, stay together and don't wander off. We need to be quiet so as not to spook the Moss Man. If we approach him carefully and cautiously, we can ask him for some of his enchanted moss. Everyone clear?"
"Yes, Master," said all the apprentices.
"We finally made it! The Misty Moors!" said Wally. "Time for the Moss Man summoning ritual."
"Summoning ritual?" asked Anne.
With that, Wally began playing his accordion and dancing around in a weird pattern. He also began speaking some incoherent words. Anne wasn't quite sure if this was an actual ritual or if Wally was just messing around.
"Uh, are you sure this is gonna work?" she asked, not believing that Wally was doing anything of substance until she saw a mystical butterfly, just like the one she had seen when she first saw the Moss Man!"
"Huh, butterflies!" exclaimed Anne before chasing them.
"Oye, where you going? I'm only halfway done," said Wally. After a beat, he realized Anne was wandering off alone into the mist.
"Anne, wait! Come back! Don't go off alone!" yelled Wally, but it was too late. Anne had already disappeared into the mist, and Wally had lost sight of her.
For her part, Anne had followed the butterflies. She was amazed at their appearance and wondered what they were made of. She also wasn't paying attention to where she was walking and walked right into the Moss Man. For a second, Anne tried to get her phone out, but almost immediately dropped it, causing the Moss Man to run away. Anne quickly got up and chased after it.
"Wait! No, wait!" she yelled.
As Uodeela and her apprentices traveled into the mist, it became very difficult to see. As they got deeper and deeper, Luz could barely see five feet in front of her.
"Hmm, if I recall correctly, there is a way to summon the creature," mused Uodeela, "but I can't quite remember how to do it."
"Let me see if I can find one," said Amara, taking out a book and looking through it.
"I think I saw something," said Lilly, pointing off into the distance.
"Shh, listen. Something is out there!" said Gustav.
The group became quiet as they listened. They heard a voice yelling out in the mist.
"Wait! No, wait!" said the voice. Luz's eyes lit up as she recognized that voice.
"Anne?!" she said, unsure if it was her. Luz was filled with many emotions as she heard what she thought was Anne's voice. Her desire to see if it was really her overruled any warnings of the mist as she bolted off in the direction she thought she heard the voice come from.
"Luz, what are you doing?!" said Uodeela. "Come back before you get lost!" But it was too late. Within seconds, Luz disappeared from the group into the mist.
"Anne, is that you?" she called as she ran off.
Anne kept chasing after the Moss Man, but she had lost him in the mist. As she looked around, she realized she had also lost Wally. Anne was starting to feel nervous until she heard a voice in the mist.
"Anne, is that you?" said the voice.
As she heard it, Anne froze. She knew that voice! Unless she was mistaken, it was Luz!
"Luz, is that you?" asked Anne as she headed off in the direction she thought she heard the voice come from.
"Anne, are you out here?" asked Luz.
"Luz, is that you?" asked Anne.
As Luz continued to wander in the mist, she finally saw a figure off in the distance. It was Anne! Luz ran towards the figure of Anne. Eventually, she came up to the figure and saw that it was indeed Anne.
"Anne, is that really you?" asked Luz.
"Of course it's me," said Anne.
"Oh, I'm so happy to see you!" said Luz as she came closer to give Anne a hug.
"I know you are," said Anne. "Come give me a kiss!"
Luz froze for a second as she heard Anne say that. "Uh, what now?!"
"I said, come give me a kiss," said Anne. "I mean, I thought I'd ask this time, since last time, you just kind of came up and kissed me without even asking."
There was a pit forming in Luz's stomach as she heard Anne say that. Luz wasn't sure what to say in response to that.
"I—uh," began Luz.
"I mean, you only did it in front of the entire school, but that's how you are, right, Luz?" asked Anne. "Always impulsive, listening to your heart but never your head."
"I—I'm sorry," said Luz.
"Are you sorry?" asked Anne, "or are you just sorry that it didn't work out for you?"
"I—Why are we even talking about this?" asked Luz in desperation.
"Because we need to talk about it, Luz!" said Anne. "Did you know that you stole my first kiss?"
"I—What?!" said Luz, who now had tears forming in her eyes.
"You stole my first kiss!" said Anne accusingly. "Like every girl, I wanted my first kiss to be special, but instead, it was with you!"
"I'm sorry!" said Luz, who was crying now.
"No, you're not," said Anne. "But you will be…"
Anne ran in the direction she thought she heard Luz's voice come from. Eventually, she saw a figure in the fog and ran towards it. It was Luz! Anne felt relief at seeing the figure.
"Luz, is that really you?" asked Anne.
"Of course it's me!" said Luz. smiling.
"Oh. man. I am so glad to see you!" exclaimed Anne.
"Are you?" asked Luz.
"Of course! I mean, why wouldn't I be?" said Anne.
"Well, because last time we talked, I believe you said that you didn't want to be friends with me anymore," said Luz.
Anne froze upon hearing this. She tried to think of something to say but couldn't. Finally, Luz spoke again.
"I mean, I guess if we aren't friends anymore, then I should just leave you lost in the fog."
"No, wait," said Anne. "Listen, I'm sorry I said that. I didn't mean it."
"If you didn't mean it, then why did you say it?" asked Luz.
"I—I don't know, but—" began Anne.
"You really don't know much, do you, Anne?" asked Luz.
"No, wait. Listen, please," begged Anne.
"Why should I listen to you?" said Luz. "You said it yourself. We aren't friends anymore! You were my first real friend. I'd never had one before, but then you just threw me away. I guess you'd rather stay with your other friends."
Anne was beginning to cry as Luz said this to her. "Please forgive me, Luz! I don't know why I said that, but I really am glad to see you."
"You're only glad to see me because I'm the first familiar face you've seen in months," said Luz. "It's too bad that the last thing you said to me was that you didn't want to be friends, otherwise, I might be glad to see you."
Anne couldn't think of a response to that. She tried to say something, anything, but words failed her. Suddenly, the surrounding mist became much thicker, causing the figure of Luz in front of her to vanish!
In an instant, the mist around Luz took shape. She could see two figures and quickly realized they were herself and Anne. They were dancing together, just like they had been that night.
"No, please don't show me this," pleaded Luz
But it was no use. The two figures began dancing, and suddenly Luz leaned forward and kissed Anne. At the time, Luz had closed her eyes, but now that she was watching the scene, she could see the utter shock on Anne's face. She felt the pain as she saw Anne push her off, and then the worst part that she knew was coming.
"LUZ, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" yelled Anne.
"I'm sorry, I really am," said Luz. At that moment, the figure of Luz faded into the mist, while the figure of Anne came forward to where Luz was.
"Are you actually sorry?" asked the figure of Anne, "or are you just sorry that this didn't work out like one of your high school movies?"
Luz thought for a long time before finally getting down on her knees with her hands on the ground and her head hanging in shame in a show of remorse as she tried to find the words to express to this figment of Anne.
"Anne, I truly am sorry," said Luz, trying to hold back tears. "I really am. It's just that I had a crush on you, and we were dancing. The mood seemed right! All I wanted to do was show you how much I cared about you. We started as friends, and honestly, you're the best friend I've ever had. I want you to know I think you're amazing, and that's why I became attracted to you. You made me feel something I've never felt before, and that night at the dance, I wanted us to be more than friends."
"It was still wrong of you to just kiss me like that," said the figment of Anne.
"I know it was. If there's anything I can do to make up for it, then please tell me, and I will do it," said Luz.
"Even if I said that, because of this, I didn't want to be friends with you," said the figment of Anne. "If I told you that was the price of forgiveness, would you accept it?"
Luz lifted her head up to see the figment of Anne still scowling at her. After a long time of thinking, she finally said, "Yes."
The figure continued to look at Luz. For a while, its expression remained unchanged, then for just a second, it smiled before turning into mist and being blown away into the rest of the mist. After the figure of Anne disappeared, a new figure took its place. It was a tall, imposing figure that looked to be made entirely out of moss, with tree branches coming out of its head! It didn't speak, but instead made a few soft grunts as it got closer.
Luz gasped as she realized this must be the Moss Man that Uodeela had spoken about! The figure came close to where Luz was, but she didn't feel scared upon seeing it. Luz could almost sense that this creature meant her no harm, and indeed, it bent down and offered Luz a hand to help her get up. Luz accepted the offer and stood back up on her feet. She gazed into the Moss Man's eyes and could see how bright and full of kindness they were. The Moss Man smiled at her for a few seconds before turning and walking away into the mist. For a brief second, Luz felt an urge to chase after it but decided not to.
Luz stayed where she was, her mind full of questions and her heart full of emotions.
The mist began to fade, and Anne was able to see the figure of Luz still there, but there was another figure there as well. Anne realized that she was looking at herself. It was a figure of her talking to Luz, and then the figure of Anne spoke.
"Luz, if you came here to apologize, then save your breath. I've had a conversation with Sasha, and she gave me some good advice. I think… I think we shouldn't be friends anymore."
When Anne had said that to Luz, she had purposely tried to avoid looking at her. She hadn't wanted to see Luz's face when she told her she didn't want to be friends, but now there was no avoiding it. Anne could see the tears forming in Luz's eyes. She could see the look of betrayal and heartache on Luz's face as she said those words.
"No, no, no, no," said Anne, beginning to tear up herself. "I'm sorry! It wasn't even my idea to say that. It was Sasha's"
The figure of Anne faded back into the mist, leaving only the figure of Luz, who was once again angry at Anne.
"Oh, so you're just going to blame Sasha for what you did? Is that how it is?" said the figure of Luz.
"No! I mean… It's not her fault either; she just… What she said while we were out partying made a lot of sense at the time," began Anne. She saw Luz look at her, even more upset.
"It made sense at the time, but now that I think about it, it doesn't make sense anymore," pleaded Anne, trying to recover from what she had said.
"I thought you were my friend!" said the figure. "I told you when we first met that I didn't have any friends before you. I felt a real connection with you, Anne. That's why… that's why I had a crush on you. I'd never liked a girl like that before, but with you, I felt something, and you just threw me away like garbage!"
"I—I didn't mean it that way!" pleaded Anne. "I was scared because of what happened at the dance."
"What were you scared of?" asked the figure.
"I was scared of—" Anne paused, unable to complete her sentence.
"Well, what were you scared of?" demanded the figure of Luz.
Anne took a deep breath before shouting, "I WAS SCARED THAT I MIGHT ACTUALLY LIKE YOU MORE THAN A FRIEND!"
There was a long pause between the two as Anne realized what she had said.
"Why should that make you scared?" asked the figure of Luz.
"Because it does!" yelled Anne. After yelling, she tried to regain her composure before continuing, "Luz, maybe you have yourself figured out, but I don't know about me. I mean, I've never had romantic feelings for a girl before. I'd never even thought about something like that before the dance. That night, when you kissed me, I—I—I started having feelings I'd never had before. I had no idea how to process them. I know things are better and that being a lesbian isn't such a taboo anymore, but there are still people who will make fun of you, call you names, and bully you because of that. In school, your reputation means everything, and I was so scared… Because if I did like you, it would mean I would have to risk being called all sorts of ugly names. I was already bullied for being Thai, and I didn't want to be bullied for that too!"
The figure of Luz kept staring at Anne, her expression unchanging. The two looked at each other for a while before Anne continued talking through tears, "The truth is, I was afraid, and I thought if I told you that I didn't want to be friends anymore, that would make everything okay. I wouldn't have to worry about being bullied. I wouldn't have to face any weird feelings I had. Things could go back to normal. I'm sorry, Luz. I really am. If I hadn't been such a coward, then maybe things could have been different."
As she finished talking, the figure of Luz came up to Anne and hugged her, though Anne was surprised at how large and bulky Luz's arms felt. It wasn't until she looked up and saw that it wasn't actually Luz hugging her, but the Moss Man! Even so, Anne had lost any desire to simply snap a photo of it. Instead, she accepted the hug and buried her face in the Moss Man's chest. After a few minutes, the Moss Man released her, using its hand to wipe the tears from Anne's face before wandering back off into the mist, leaving Anne alone to think about what had just happened…
"Luz, where are you?" called Amara through the fog.
"Luz, can you hear us?" called Lilly.
Luz heard the voices but was still too shaken to move. She stayed where she was, still trying to process what had happened to her. Eventually, Uodeela and the others came upon her.
"I believe I was very clear in telling you not to wander off into the mist," said Uodeela, annoyed. Her expression changed as she noticed Luz's hand.
"Hey, what's that on your hand?" asked Uodeela
Luz brought up her hand and saw that the Moss Man had left a large chunk of moss on her hand when he pulled her off. Uodeela grabbed Luz's wrist to inspect the hand herself before pulling the moss off and placing it into a jar.
"Well, I gotta hand it to ya, kid. You certainly do get results, even when you're not trying," laughed Uodeela. "I sure am glad I took you in. You're like the spider that spins golden silk." Uodeela laughed again at her joke but stopped laughing when she saw Luz wasn't joining her.
"Kid, what's going on?" asked Uodeela in a concerned tone.
Luz stayed still, not responding to the questions. Instead, she fell to her knees and began crying. Lilly and Amara knelt down to be beside her. They put their arms around her and gently helped her to her feet. Once Luz was standing up, she embraced her friends and held onto them tightly. The group stayed at the spot and let Luz finish crying before gently guiding her out of the mist.
"Anne! Anne! Are you out there, Anne?" Wally's voice came through the mist.
Anne hadn't responded, but Wally kept looking. He tried relighting the lantern they had but couldn't get it to work. Wally kept up his search until he finally found Anne kneeling on the ground.
"Anne, is that you? Are you okay?" asked Wally nervously, as he got closer. Anne seemed fine physically, but the fact that she didn't respond gave Wally pause for concern.
"Anne, did you see something out there in the mist?" asked Wally
Anne took a while to respond, but she eventually spoke, "Wally, let's get out of here."
"You want to leave? I still want to help you get a picture of the Moss Man," said Wally.
"I saw him, but I don't care about the picture anymore. Please, Wally, I can't stay here," said Anne.
"Alright, love, follow me. I'll get us out of here," said Wally. With that, he guided Anne out of the mist and back outside the moors.
Uodeela and her students made their way away from the misty moors and back to her house. The journey took a while, and the whole time, Luz didn't talk. She seemed to be lost in thought, always looking off into the distance. Her friends were concerned about her but avoided asking her any questions. When they finally arrived back at Uodeela's house, Luz went straight down to her room in the basement. She sat alone in her room for a long time before Lilly finally knocked on the door.
"Come in," said Luz morosely.
"Hey, Luz," said Lilly. "It's been a while. I just wanted to see how you were doing."
"I—I want to say I'm fine, but… I think we both know that would be a lie," replied Luz.
"Listen, Luz, I don't want to press you," began Lilly, "but I also don't like seeing you like this. I understand if you don't want to talk about what happened out there, but I also want you to know I'm here if you do. Please don't try to face this on your own."
Luz looked at Lilly, and she could see the kindness on her face. As Lilly turned to leave, Luz stopped her. "Wait."
Lilly turned around to look at Luz
"Please come in and close the door. I want to tell you something I haven't told anyone yet," said Luz. "I want to tell you what happened between me and Anne."
Lilly descended the stairs and sat down next to Luz..
"Before I came to this world, Anne and I were friends. I had only just met her a few months ago when I transferred to her school. We found we had a lot in common and became close friends. Then one night, at a school dance…"
Anne and Wally had set up their campsite away from the misty moors. Wally had done most of the work, as Anne was still in a funk after what had happened to her on the moors. As Wally stoked the fire, he turned to look at Anne.
"Listen, Anne," began Wally. "I know that we haven't known each other that long, but I can see that something happened to you out there. I get it if you don't want to say anything, but I also want you to know that I'm here to listen if you want to talk."
At first, Anne didn't say anything. Wally went back to tending the fire before Anne finally spoke.
"Wally, I want to tell you something," began Anne, "but you have to promise not to tell anyone else. This is something I haven't even told Sprig or Hop Pop."
"I give you my word as a gentle frog that I won't tell a soul what you say to me," said Wally, speaking in a sincere voice that Anne had never heard him use before.
"Okay, listen, it's about my friend Luz," said Anne. With that, she took out the picture she had of her and her friends to show Wally. She pointed Luz out to him. "That's her. Unlike Marcy and Sasha, I only met Luz a few months before I came here. Anyway, Luz seemed really cool. We shared a lot of interests, and we became good friends… close friends. But then something happened before I got sent to this world. We were at a school dance one night…"
[Start playing "Here Comes a Thought" from Steven Universe. Just have it playing in the background while you read the rest of the chapter. I'm trying to go for a similar effect to "Lean on Me" from Reunion. If I've timed it right, it should end right as you finish reading to the end of the chapter. Let me know if it works.]
"… and that's the whole story," said Luz to Lilly.
Lilly had listened quietly and intently to Luz tell her what happened between her and Anne. Luz had also told her about what she had seen in the mist and how it had affected her.
"Lilly, is it my fault?" asked Luz. "I mean, I did kiss her without permission, and I realize that was wrong. So is it my fault that Anne said she didn't want to be friends with me anymore?"
Lilly could tell that Luz was being serious and looking for some real advice about what had happened.
"Listen, Luz," said Lilly. "I can certainly understand why you think that, but I don't think it's entirely your fault or Anne's. I understand why you did what you did, even though you now realize it was wrong. Honestly, I think the next time you see Anne, you should give her a sincere and heartfelt apology for what happened. Maybe that's all it will take for her to reconsider being your friend. If she still doesn't want to forgive you after that, then maybe it's for the best that you aren't friends with her anymore."
"Okay, but what if I want to be more than friends with her?" asked Luz. "Do you think I screwed up my chances of that happening forever? Be honest with me."
Lilly thought for a long time before speaking, "I can't really answer that, Luz. I'm sorry. I don't really want to say what might make you feel good, but I also don't want to say that it's impossible. Listen, I think you're going to have to talk with Anne about that. I know that seems scary, but I think you can do it. And like I said with the whole friend thing, if it doesn't work out with Anne, well then, maybe that might end up being for the better."
Luz looked hard at Lilly as she digested these words. She didn't speak for a long time, but she held her gaze with Lilly as they thought about what had been said. After a while, Lilly gave Luz a hug and then left back upstairs, leaving Luz alone to think about what she just said.
"… and that's the whole story," said Anne to Wally.
Wally had stayed silent the entire time that Anne had talked to him, listening to everything she said, which was quite unusual. Though now that Anne had finished telling her tale, she looked at Wally for some sort of advice.
"Wally," began Anne, "when I told Luz that I didn't want to be friends anymore, I was still angry at her. In my mind, I felt I was justified in telling her that because of what she did. Do you think it was too much?"
"Listen, Anne," said Wally. "I understand why you were afraid after what happened at the dance. I even get the whole 'afraid of being made fun of' thing. Believe me, I understand more than you may know. But I also think, in general, we shouldn't say things in anger. It almost always leads to even worse feelings. I think the fact that we're even having this conversation is proof that you regret what happened."
"But it's too late," cried Anne. "I already told Luz I didn't want to be her friend anymore. We've been apart for so long, and I'm sure she hates me."
"I think if you were to explain everything to her the way you just explained it to me and say that you're sorry, then I think she might forgive you," said Wally.
"But what if she doesn't?" said Anne.
"Then you'll have to accept that, Anne, but you won't know unless you ask," answered Wally.
"I mean, I don't even know if Luz is even here in Amphibia with me. And if she is, then, for all I know, something could have happened to her. In which case, the last thing I said to her would be…" Anne trailed off, not able to finish that thought. Her eyes began to tear up. Wally came up to Anne and put his hand on her shoulder to try to reassure her. Anne accepted the gesture and hung her head as she continued crying.
Luz opened the front door of the house and stepped outside. She looked up into the night sky, gazing at the bright red moon and all the stars above. In her mind, she wondered if Anne was out there. Was she somewhere in a different part of this world, looking at the same sky? Was she anywhere close? Would the two of them ever meet up in this world? Luz hoped she was both alive and safe somewhere out there. She also hoped that one day she would see Anne again and be able to apologize to her face. Luz couldn't quite think of what she was going to say but felt as though the right words would come to her when it was the right time. Finally, before heading back inside, she said,
"Anne, I hope wherever you are you're safe, and even though you can't hear me, I want you to know that I'm sorry for kissing you without permission at the dance. Someday, I hope to say that to you in person, and then all I can do is hope that you will accept my apology. But I promise if you're out there, I'll find you!"
Eventually, Anne made her way home, back to Wartwood and the Plantar's house. Anne told her family an abridged version of what happened out in the mist, leaving out most of what happened with the figment of Luz. As night fell, Anne tried to go to sleep but couldn't quite manage it, her mind still full of many things. Anne went upstairs and stepped outside into the night. The ground felt cold against her bare feet, but she also felt a connection to nature, and the feeling of the dirt under her feet helped to calm her down. Anne stared up into the night sky that was lit by a full red moon and hundreds of stars and wondered whether somewhere out in another part of Amphibia, Luz might be looking at this same sky. That thought gave her some hope that someday she would reunite with Luz and be able to apologize to her. As she thought more about that, she finally said,
"Luz, I wish I could take back what I said to you. I know it might be too late, but I want you to know I'm sorry for saying I didn't want to be your friend anymore. I still want to be your friend. The truth is, I might even like you as more than a friend. But if you don't feel the same because of what I said, then I understand. I will find you, Luz, and I hope when I do, you can accept my apology. Until then, please be safe!"
END OF ARC 2
NEXT TIME….
Arc 3: Trials and Toads