The time has come, and so have I.
I'll laugh last 'cause you came to die.
The damage done, the pain subsides, a nd I can see the fear, clear, when I look in your eye!
Nero bobbed his head as he sat in the dark of his room, the headphones blasting the track into his ears. It was a new piece of music he discovered and downloaded to his scroll's music player. It was very quickly becoming one of his favorite tracks too, though the one that Hooty unknowingly introduced him to, "Devil Trigger", was still at the top of his list. Definitely made great music to modify weapons too.
Just one more adjustment to the rune here, and...DONE! Nero wiped the sweat from his brow, removing his goggles as he picked up Red Queen from the worktable. He took a few minutes to admire his handiwork, checking to see if anything else was needed. With a nod of satisfaction, he set it back down on the table when he heard the door to his room open, the hallway light revealing a familiar human's shadow.
"Hey Nero!" Luz greeted as she turned on the lights to his room. Nero blinked a few times to let his vision adjust. Looking back, he saw her walk in with a recognizable bundle of paper in her hands. "Got us some new bounties to hunt!" she handed him some of the papers, to which he gladly took.
"Thanks Luz," Nero removed his goggles and headphones as he started sifting through potential targets, "Huh, not a lot of Snails for most of these, are there?"
"Doesn't look like it," Luz mused sadly, which Nero related to. While he preferred to think more on the joy of getting to fight these guys, there wasn't a whole lot of that with how easily most bounties tended to fold, leaving him worrying about their current financial state.
We really need to start finding some decent payouts soon, Nero recalled that the highest bounty they'd received so far was from doing a combination of several jobs back-to-back over the course of about a few days. Altogether, it totaled out to 250,000 snails. Not bad, but not enough either, even with him and Mom working around the clock to make sure they stuck to a tight budget and kept financially intact. It felt like if they couldn't rake enough money in, it'd fall on them.
"Hey, how about this one?" Luz held up a bounty from her pile, "It's over 5,000,000 snails! That should be enough to keep us afloat for a while. Says "Wanted: DEAD" though, and it also says we gotta bring back proof of the kill to get the bounty."
Nero whistled, "Sounds good. So, what and where is it?"
Luz looked at the paper and squinted, "Not sure what it is. Closest image they got was this," she flipped the paper to show him, revealing what looked like a giant stinger tail impaled into the ground, a hand extended out, which indicated the camera man was running for his life. "As for the 'where', it says it's at..." her eyes went wide for a second, "Lake Lacuna?"
Huh, Nero held out his right hand, reptilian fingers taking the bounty as Luz handed it to him. Reading over the details (which admittedly were very little), he took note of Luz's reaction to the location and asked, "So, have you ever been to Lake Lacuna? Sounds like you're familiar with the place."
"Uh, no. But back at Hexside, I saw it in Willow's memories when I was with Amity, so..." Luz's face turned bright red as she scratched her cheek. Nero struggled not to smirk at how obvious the human girl's crush was on the youngest Blight, it having gotten so much more prominent after what went down at the Blight Industries showcase. He wasn't privy to all the details, but he knew enough, especially with how Luz just wouldn't stop gushing (while blushing) over how awesome Amity was when she saved her. Part of him almost wanted to let her know that Amity was crushing on her just as much, but he wouldn't say anything.
It wasn't his place to say anything.
"Hey, Nero..." Luz interrupted his train of thought, blush still on her face as she asked, "H-Have you ever had any crushes?"
"Say wha?"
"Okay, let me try that again," she took a deep breath, "Let's just say, there's a girl I know who has a crush on...o-on another girl," she rubbed the back of her head and looked down, "A-And I-SHE'S worried about getting made fun of when she asks because it's happened too many times to count. How should she, y'know, go about asking Ami-I mean, this other girl out?"
"..." Nero almost wanted to just cut to the chase and point out exactly what Luz was talking about, but he held his tongue. Shrugging, he replied, "Honestly, I don't really know what to tell you. I'm just as clueless when it comes to this shit," he looked at his ceiling in remembrance, "I mean, I did have crushes before, but I never really got to even talking with them."
Nero hummed and leaned back in his seat, arms behind his head, "My first crush was back when I was ten on a girl in my class. Never learned her name, and the most that comes to mind thinking back was that she had hazel eyes. Second crush I had was on an auburn-haired boy in my homeroom classes when I was thirteen. Think he was on the Bard track, 'cause I remember he had a nice singing voice. Never got around to asking or talking to him either. Most of it was because of my own issues with how everyone treated me," he sighed, "Then Grom happened and...well, didn't bother even thinking about a love life for the longest time."
"Oof, sounds rough," Luz patted his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile, "Maybe that could change later? You could meet a nice guy, gal, or enby pal who sees you for you and likes you. Y'know?"
Nero couldn't help but smile at Luz's optimism. No matter how down anyone here was feeling, the kid always knew how to lighten the mood, "Yeah, that honestly doesn't sound too bad," facing her, he said, "And I wouldn't worry too much about your crush," he winked, "I'm sure you'll get the courage to ask her out."
"...heh, I guess I was kinda obvious, wasn't I?" Luz blushed again and looked away before her gaze returned, this time admiring, "Thanks anyway. Y'know, it's also kinda reassuring, what with the isles not having homophobia like back on Earth. Makes it a bit easier to talk about," she made a pinch motion with her fingers, "Just a little, anyway."
Nero's smile started to drop at something in Luz's words. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "Uh, the fuck's homophobia?"
Luz's eyes went wide, "OH! Uh..." they darted around the room and landed on Red Queen, "N-Never mind! Anyway, what were you doing with your sword before I got in? Let's talk about that instead! Hahaha!"
His smile was now gone entirely, in its place a worried grimace. Whatever Luz was talking about, it sounded like a...personal subject. Opting not to pry (for now), he sat up and directed her to the worktable, where he explained, "I was making some modifications to Red Queen. Figured I could build off what Eda did to make the spell charges self-restoring. Took me the entire afternoon, but I think I got the Exceed upgrade down. Or as I like to call it: EX-Act." Nero ran a hand along the edge of the blade, his smile returning, "I haven't gotten to testing it out just yet, but in theory, I should be able to accelerate the recharge rate while in direct combat to the point of being almost instant. If I activate the spell circle on the hilt at just the right time, preferably when it makes contact to absorb the kinetic energy, then I can basically keep using them nonstop as long as I keep swinging it at something. Still working on something to make the charge more perpetual, but I haven't gotten that far yet."
"Cool!" Luz looked at the blade with stars in her eyes, making Nero's smile grow even further. It honestly felt good to get a chance to explain this kind of thing with someone who wanted to listen, especially since it was something he really loved doing.
Also helped that Luz was just so enthusiastic about anything magic, reminding Nero of back when he was a kid. No stress over keeping secrets, no wallowing in issues that didn't exist then, just happily learning new and exciting magic under his mother's tutelage. It was a lot of fun, and Mom was just as happy to indulge his curiosity. Speaking of...
"What about you? Learn any new glyph combos lately?" Nero asked, with Luz's eyes somehow getting even brighter at the question. Haphazardly throwing the other bounties away and scattering them on his room's floor, she pulled out her notebook and revealed some very detailed bullet points accompanying the glyphs she'd found. He tried not to chuckle at the chibi image of Luz's confused face to the left of the Light Glyph and paid more attention to the incomplete, scribbled glyphs on the right page.
"I've been working with the Light Glyph a lot, and I figured that if it can manifest light, maybe it can also control it? Sorta like bending light around things for either barriers or cloaking. So, I've been working ooooon..." Luz did an air drum roll for dramatic effect, "An invisibility glyph!"
"Wait, like full on 'now you see me, now you don't' invisibility?" Nero asked, getting excited as Luz nodded, "Holy shit! That sounds awesome!" he got up, knocking his chair to the floor, and started picturing the possibilities, "Okay, if you can figure that out, picture this: We could sneak up into the center of a bunch of Coven assholes, decloak, yell 'Surprise fuckers!' and beat 'em up before they know what's happening!"
"Honestly, I was thinking more about sneaking past things like that. But I guess that's another option," Luz shrugged, still smiling as she closed the notebook, "I asked your mom for some history books to figure anything out about Wild Magic, and I got the idea from there."
Huh, so history's actually kinda helpful? Neat, Nero was never really one for the history books outside of whatever cool battles took place in the past, made up or otherwise. His mom certainly tried to get him invested in history like she was, but he tended to tune those specific lessons out. Probably for the best too, considering she was in full "Coven dedication" mode back then, meaning they were likely full-on revisionist bullshit.
Still...things were getting better with Mom. At least, he hoped they were. Maybe he could give it another go?
Gonna have to wait till later though, Nero headed over to the bed and grabbed his blue overcoat. Putting it on over his Bad Girl Coven shirt, he then holstered Red Queen to his back and smirked at Luz, "So while you're figuring out the invisibility glyph, want to test out any other new glyph combos on the Lake Lacuna bounty?"
Luz's face lit up again, "You bet I am!" she whipped out a few glyphs, "Let's go kick some demon a-" Suddenly, a loud slam echoed from the front of the house, followed by Hooty yelling out Eda's name, which could only mean one thing. "Oh! Eda's back!" Luz cheered as she and Nero ran out of his room. They made their way to the living room, prepared to greet his aunt, only to see a VERY disheveled Eda covered in scorch marks and bruises. She held a rather terrified Selki under one arm and her stave in the other, all while Hooty hovered around them in curiosity. Eda, eye twitching, looked like she was about to explode from annoyance and exhaustion at Hooty's many, many questions. "Uh, hey Eda," Luz stepped in, clearly wanting to save her mentor/mother-figure the headache, "How was Selkidomus searching this time?"
"Trust me kid, you don't want to know," Eda sighed as she shoved Hooty's face away from her, which didn't seem to bother the house demon. She held Selki out to Luz, "Here. You take care of her tonight. Mama bird needs a Titan damned nap." Luz nodded, taking Selki as Eda stretched and scratched her rear before heading down the halls, muttering something about "palicoes" and a "giant fucking serpent."
Suddenly, Nero was kinda disappointed he opted not to go with her in favor of working on Red Queen.
"Good night, Eda!" Hooty chirped before returning to his door, leaving Luz, Nero, and Selki alone in the living room. After a few seconds of silence, Selki began to whine.
"It's okay, little Selki," Luz kissed the top of the baby Selkidomus' head, "We'll find you a new family soon. Don't worry," as she placated her, Nero leaned down and gently rubbed the top of the baby's head. Once Selki looked to be feeling better, Luz looked up to Nero and said, "Looks like you'll have to go to Lake Lacuna without me," she snuggled Selki's cheek against her own, "I gotta stay here and look after this little gal."
"Alright, take care you two," Nero stood tall, "I'll make sure to kick this thing's ass on your behalf too," he smirked, with Luz smiling back in kind, "Maybe even pick up a souvenir from whatever it is while I'm at it."
But before he could head out the door, Luz stopped him, "Wait! Before you go, maybe check with your mom and tell her you're heading out?" Nero looked back and raised an eyebrow, to which she looked down, lost in thought as she muttered, "She worries. It's what...what all moms do."
From the way she spoke, Nero got the sense that Luz might've been thinking of her own mother. He didn't know much about Mrs. Noceda, other than that Luz made a video showcasing the Owl House and its residents for her, but it was clear as day how much the human girl missed her. Wanting to put her at ease, he gave a more reassuring, gentle smile, "Okay, I'll let her know," getting a small, but noticeable smile in kind, he headed down the halls to his mom's room, yelling back, "Good luck with Selki! Kid's a handful!"
"I know! I take care of her more than you!"
Chuckling, Nero eventually arrived at Lilith's bedroom and knocked on the door, "Hey, Mom! You there?"
"Just one second, my little raven!" Lilith replied to her son from behind the door. Currently, she couldn't afford any distractions, as she was looking at her reflection in a mirror, reapplying her contact lenses. Once they were in, she blinked a few times for her eyesight to adjust, Coronis giving a feathery thumbs up to clarify that they looked good from his perspective as well. Smiling, she stood up from her seat and turned, "Alright, come in!"
He entered the room and Lilith noted that her old-no, HIS sword, was holstered behind his back. Her son seemed rather apprehensive as he rubbed the back of his scalp. A small, somewhat sinking feeling entered Lilith's chest as Nero said, "Hey mom."
"Hello, my little raven," Lilith felt Coronis perch on her shoulder, his talons giving a gentle, reassuring squeeze to calm her down. Clearing her throat, she asked, "So...I take it you're going on another bounty hunting mission?"
She already knew the answer, but it never hurt to have clarification.
"Yeah," Nero answered, looking her in the eye, "There's a pretty high bounty that should keep us afloat for a while. Some demon at Lake Lacuna. Luz asked me to let you know," he went silent and looked a bit ashamed, "Sorry I don't normally tell you when I'm going out to hunt. It's just...y'know?"
Lilith nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. Old habits die hard after all, something she knew all too well. While he wasn't quite sneaking out behind her back anymore, he also wasn't really letting her know he was going out for bounties either. Usually, she had to learn that fact second-hand from either her sister, Hootcifer, Graff, or Luz. Even though she understood, it still hurt, feeling that her son didn't trust her enough to be in the loop about this sort of thing. She wouldn't deny that she still had many, many compunctions about how he was throwing himself into danger, even though he could handle it.
She was trying, or at least she hoped to come across as such, but the loss of her magic, her rigorous desire to understand these glyphs, the fact that the scrying spell she made wouldn't last much longer, and how little it felt like she'd done anything to amend her mistakes was taking its toll.
She wanted to do more. She needed to do more. She needed to...to be better, but she didn't know how.
Just as her son was about to turn and leave, her thoughts caught on to what he'd said. "Nero, wait!" Lilith reached forward, almost grabbing her son by the shoulder to stop him, but he turned to her before she could do that. Clearing her throat, she asked, "Did you say the bounty was at Lake Lacuna?" Nero nodded, to which she added, "Was the only visible showing of the creature a stinger tail?"
"Wait, how do you know that?"
"Because that sounds like an incident I'd heard of from several years prior," Lilith hummed, looking up for a few seconds before snapping her finger at the memory, "Yes, now I remember! There was a series of attacks at Lake Lacuna that'd been gossiped about amongst the Emperor's Coven. Why, the rumors were that a demon lord had made the place its home! I asked Belos if I could lead a team to take care of the problem before anyone could be hurt, but he refused. Whenever I asked over the years, he sent small groups of scouts and soldiers instead. He always said I had more 'important duties' to fulfill, which usually amounted to office work," she frowned and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Honestly wishing that I ignored him and just went on my own. Perhaps if I wasn't such a blind idiot who clung to the words and empty promises of a fucking madman, then-"
"Mom," Nero cut her off, gently holding her hand, "It's okay."
Taking a deep breath, she forced that train of thought down and smiled, "Thank you, my little raven."
He affectionately nodded before backing up a bit, "Anyway, I'll try to get back before it gets too dark. If it's a demon lord like the one from the Knee, then it might take a while," he turned and began to exit, "See you later, mom."
"Actually," she stopped Nero again and grabbed her notebook, filled to the brim with Glyphs and combos she'd been working on in her spare time, before snapping her finger to call Coronis to her side. The instant he took staff form, she holstered him over her shoulder and declared, "I'd like to join you!"
Rather than the reaction she was hoping for, her son looked unsure, looking away, "I, uh...I don't know if that's a good idea, mom."
Lilith grimaced, knowing that tone as she tried to smile, "Nero, I know I've been...struggling with supporting your desires, but I want to do better on that front. And the best way I feel that's possible is by lending you a hand," her smile became more genuine, "Besides, I haven't seen any action since that incident with those Fire Bees, and I haven't gotten the chance to test glyphs in combat yet. So, I suppose I'd also like to use this as a learning experience, both in how to use glyphs and how best to support you."
Nero still didn't seem convinced, avoiding her gaze as he stared at the walls and ceiling. Lilith hoped to do a better job reassuring her son that she wanted to help, that he should let her in, but worried that doing so would just push him away again. Thankfully, he sighed and relented, "Okay, I guess you can tag along," Lilith almost jumped for joy before her son added, "Just promise me you're not gonna go all big bad smother on me, please? I can handle myself. You gotta trust me on that."
A bit hard when you won't trust me, Lilith wanted to say, but held her tongue. She didn't deserve such trust anyway. Instead, she calmed herself, cleared her throat, and gave a quick bow, "You have my word."
That seemed to be enough for her son, as the two entered the halls for the front exit. Once they were outside, Lilith briefly glanced at the setting sun, taking in its warmth as cool winds shook the trees. It took her back to when she and her sister were growing up, chasing each other in the forests as their parents watched over them like hawks. And now that she was joining her son, it bought forth happier times of when, as a child, he tried to climb the nearest tree, all while she hovered nearby to catch him. For a moment, just by thinking about them, she couldn't help but feel lighter.
"See you later Lulu! You too Nero!" Hooty's joyous voice interrupted her reviere. Turning to him, she smiled and walked up, giving him a gentle pat on the head that he nuzzled into.
"We'll be back later Hootcifer. See you soon."
"Have a happy hunt! Hoot!"
"Can we please go already?" Nero grunted, obviously annoyed by Hootcifer's tone. While Lilith understood everyone's frustration with her best friend (she'd been in the same boat until recently), she hoped that one day, she'd be able to turn their opinions on him around. There was more to Hooty than just an annoying voice and nightmarish appetite. He deserved to be cherished by the people he protected.
Unlike me, Lilith shook her head and joined her son, sitting atop her staff as it began to fly. Patting the space just behind her, Nero took his seat and they rose into the air. Within seconds, they were off at high speeds towards Lake Lacuna.
As she briefly looked back to her son in worry, Lilith silently hoped whatever awaited them wouldn't be a nightmare to face.
"Okay Amity, just breath in and out. In and out," Amity Blight whispered to herself as she walked through the woods leading to the Owl House, backpack slung against her back. Inside it was her textbooks and notes, all brought with the intent to help Luz study. From what her siblings told her, she'd been struggling a lot with classes recently. And, as one of Hexside's top students, she had a moral responsibility to lend her support.
Y-Yeah, that's the ticket. I'm just here to help Luz get her grades up and not get lost in those gorgeous golden-brown eyes. Those eyes that shimmer with such kindness and adoration for magic, behind which is a soul so tender and gentle, even to those who don't deserve it. A beauty so bright that could light the darkest of caves and- Amity slapped herself in the face, which currently felt like it was on fire, "Ugh! Get it together! You won't be able to help her at all if you're stuck like this."
Amity would have to put her absolute willpower into focusing on Luz's education. She'd help her crush study, spend just enough time with her to help, hopefully not turn into a gibbering idiot like most times she was around Luz, and be out before she melted into a puddle.
Simple as could be.
She'd also do everything in her power to ignore the desire to stay the entire night watching and reading Good Witch Azura with her, because the minute she thought of doing that, a downward spiral was inevitable. Amity could see it now: the two of them sitting on the couch together as the movie played out, exhaustion creeping in as it entered the final third, the Crystal Ball being the only illumination in the dark living room. Just as Amity's eyelids grew heavy, she'd plop right down on Luz's shoulder, the human doing the same as they held hands, breathing entering a steady rhythm that, when coupled with the end credit's theme of Field of Deadly Fates, sounded so much like the most mellifluous lullaby that-
Amity slapped herself again right as the Owl House came into view. Taking a deep breath, she ran forward, hoping to get this over quick and not make a fool of herself. As she approached, Amity noticed that it looked like Hooty was staring off into the sky, almost like he was watching something in the distance. Nerves forgotten, she snapped her fingers in front of the house demon, getting his attention.
"Oh! Hi Amity! When did you get here? HOOT!" Hooty asked, thankfully respecting personal boundaries by not stretching his face into hers.
"Just now, actually," Amity looked to where Hooty's attention was before, "Were you staring at something, or...?"
"I was watching Lulu and Nero fly away. They just left to go bounty hunting!" Hooty answered, to which Amity tried her best not to grimace at the mention of...that person. Oh, she had no problems with Nero whatsoever.
His mother, on the other hand...
Don't, Amity. It's not worth making a fuss over, shaking her head, she turned to Hooty and asked, "Hey, is Luz home? I'm here to help her with something."
"Sure, let me go get her," Hooty stretched out, forcing Amity to step back as he flew upward and bashed his head into a window on the second floor, loudly screeching, "LUZ! AMITY'S HERE TO SEE YOU!"
Amity felt her face heat up again (alongside her desire to beat the bird tube up) as she straightened out her outfit. She decided to dress casual for this, wearing her black mid-sleeved dress with brown tights and black boots, to try and feel more...well, casual. Hooty stretched back to his post and Amity heard footsteps approach, forcing her to take another deep breath to calm her burning nerves. As the door began to creak open, she repeated to herself that she could do this; that she was a Blight and could excel at anything and everything she set her mind to.
"H-Hey Amity!" the most angelic voice, paired with the most angelic face, greeted her once the door opened fully. And just like that, Amity lost control of her nerves all over again.
"H-Hi Luz," the Blight stammered, "Uh...y-you..." she gulped and leaned to rest her hand on something...and completely forgot nothing was there, resulting in her plummeting to the floor. Quickly picking herself up, she coughed, "L-Lovely afternoon, ain't it?"
"Yeah..." Luz rubbed the back of her head, her face practically glowing a vibrant scarlet. Amity wasn't sure why though, since she sure didn't seem angry. Perhaps she was under the weather? Would explain why she needed help with school.
And with that now on her mind, Amity could force her nerves down and reach for her backpack, "So, I heard that you were having trouble with class and figured I could lend a hand with that," she pulled out several books covering a myriad of subjects, "I didn't know what you were struggling with, so I just brought a little of everything. Y'know, to cover all the bases."
"...uh, Amity," Luz began, looking and sounding very confused, "I appreciate the help and all, but I'm honestly doing just fine in class," she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, "Sorry if I wasted your time and all that."
Ignoring the comment about wasting time (because any time with Luz was never a waste), Amity raised an eyebrow and lowered her books, "Really? You're doing just fine? Because I heard from Edric and...Emira..." she slowed down, the puzzle pieces assembling in her head as her eyes went wide. Oh. Ooooooh, dropping her books, her fist clenched, face flashing hot with pure anger, "Those...those..." it took all her willpower not to curse at the sky, instead letting out a very frustrated, "UGH!"
"Y-You okay, Amity?" Luz asked, mostly calming her down as she started picking up her books.
"Yeah, I'm...fine, Luz," Amity didn't mean to get snippy with her, but she was so angry, "I just have to go back home and start planning my siblings' funeral."
Luz gasped, "WHAT!? A-Are they dying!?"
"No, but they're about to be," Amity growled, slinging her pack over her shoulder as she prepared to head back home, already thinking of all the ways she could make the twins suffer for tricking her. Before she could take a single step, however, she heard an animalistic cry from behind her. Turning back, she saw something crawl out from behind Luz, the human looking down at it.
"Selki! Daw! Followed me downstairs, did you?" Luz knelt down and gave the creature head pats, to which it nuzzled its head into her hand. Amity, meanwhile, took in its features, noting it to be a small, rotund, greyish purple thing with a sapling on its head and two leaf bristles on its muzzle. The more Amity looked at it, the more the animal seemed familiar. She'd recognized it from somewhere in Edric's Beastkeeping books, but she couldn't place it. But the name Luz called it made a lightbulb go off in her head.
"Is that a baby Selkidomus?" Amity asked, stepping into the house to get a better look. Getting a nod from Luz, who kept playing with it, Amity couldn't help but chuckle as she tried to reach out and pet it. However, the baby shirked away, clearly seeing her as too much of a stranger. Amity pulled her hand back in understanding, trying to maintain her smile as she crossed her arms, "So, a Selkidomus named "Selki", huh? Not exactly original."
Not that she could talk. She was pretty sure at least half the names she gave her Good Witch Azura OCs were far less creative than that.
"I think it's cute," Luz explained as she looked up at Amity, the act briefly making her heart and Valknut skip a beat, "And I didn't name her. Nero did."
"Speaking of, heard he left with...Lilith, to go bounty hunting, yeah?" Amity tried not to growl the former Coven Head's name. Judging by the way Luz's eyes briefly went wide, she failed. "Sorry," Amity sighed, "Just...never mind," she sat down and joined Luz, "So, where were they headed, anyway?"
Luz returned her attention to Selki as she booped the Selkidomus on her cute nose, "They're going to Lake Lacuna to hunt down something with a stinger tail. Don't know what it is, but there's a pretty high bounty on it, so-" whatever else Luz was saying grew muffled as Amity felt herself grow distant. She stared off into space, wide eyed as the memories flooded in; both of Lake Lacuna and everything it meant to her and Willow, the terror that struck in that place, and how it became the catalyst for everything crashing down on them. Blinking, she managed to snap herself out of the stupor, but when she turned to Luz, the human was clearly worried, "Amity, is everything alright?"
"Y-Yeah," Amity looked away, this time not out of embarrassment, but fear and guilt, "Just...bad memories is all."
"Want to talk about it?"
"I..." Amity wanted to say no, but one look into Luz's eyes and she was at war with herself. Not helped by the surprisingly concerned look Selki was giving her. How does a baby Selkidomus manage to pull that off? Amity sighed, feeling that if she could talk about this with anyone, it'd be Luz. The human was...she was honestly so amazing, having done so much for Amity despite all she'd done to her. Every insult, snide comment, and the attempted dissection when they first met had all forgiven with utmost sincerity.
Sometimes it made her wonder if she even deserved to have Luz in her life.
Refocusing on Luz's question, Amity huffed and looked away, "There was...an incident several years ago at Lake Lacuna, back when Willow and I were still friends," she smiled, "Didn't have any swimming lessons that day, so we were playing games in our fort together. Her dads and mine watching us from far away, and everything was going great," her smile faded, "But then we felt a shake, heard our dads yell at us to run, and next thing we knew, we were flying in the air. Got lucky our dads caught us in time. Was kinda dizzy for a bit before I saw..." Amity shuddered, "I-I can't remember all the details, but I saw a giant, lava-like stinger tail...thing coming down at me. It's...it was honestly one of the scariest moments of my life. My dad and one of Willow's summoned Abominations to stop it, and I kept my eyes closed after that. Last thing I remember was the Parks handing Willow to my dad and yelling at him to make a run for it while they held the monster off."
And after the encounter with Echidna at the Knee, Amity wondered if what she'd encountered was a demon lord. She was just a child at the time and unable to think much of it, but she could now as a teen, and it scared her all the more. Her fears were interrupted by a gentle hand placing itself in her shoulder, and she looked to see Luz's comforting, worried eyes. Coupled with that same warm smile, she said, "Amity, it's okay. You guys all got out of there, right?"
"Yeah, barely," Amity crossed her arms and rested her forehead against her knees, "Willow's dads got out, but they were pretty banged up. Spent a few days in the hospital," she clutched her fist into her arm, pinching the skin, "And the worst part? Mom used the whole thing as the biggest black mark on Willow to break us up. It's what triggered that whole argument you saw the end of in the memory spell. She called her dads weak for getting all banged up and said Willow would equally amount to nothing. That she'd hold me back and...well, you know the rest."
That made Amity glower at the blatant hypocrisy, given how her own father was barely involved in the fight and had to make a run for it. She didn't blame him for that, especially since Willow's dads left him little choice, but she was more than angry at him for going along with Mom's words despite the fact that the Parks saved his life and hers. Talk about ungrateful.
"Well, at least things are getting better now," Luz tried to cheer her up, "You and Willow are friends again. And hey, Nero and Lilith are gonna get rid of that thing now! Light at the end of the tunnel and all that."
"Heh, yeah, I guess," Amity didn't look up, but she did let out a small smile. In spite of that incident, things were getting better. She had her old friend back, she had new friends, she had her siblings, and she had Luz. Sure, Mom was still breathing down her neck, Dad rarely ever listened to her, the twins could still be annoying, and mending things with Willow was...a process, admittedly, but they were still better. At least, she hoped they were better.
That she was getting better.
Her train of thought was interrupted by something nuzzling against her leg. Looking up, she saw Selki cooing against the fabric of her tights. The baby stared up at her, all wide-eyed and cheerful before moving up, clearly expecting affection. Chuckling, and unable to resist the sheer cuteness of the animal, Amity gently rubbed her hand against the top of Selki's head, brushing past the sapling. Selki cooed again and pressed the top of her head into Amity's palm, receiving even more affection.
"DAW! She likes you!" Luz said in excitement as she scooted up to Amity, the Blight's heart racing a bit at the gesture, which only accelerated even further when the human also started petting Selki's head. Amidst all the head pats, their hands briefly touched, and they stared into each other's eyes. Amity quickly retracted and looked away to get her heartrate down, but she could've sworn she heard a squeak escape from Luz's lips.
"S-Sorry!" Amity squeaked, face burning, "I-I was just-"
"I-It's fine!" Luz said as Amity looked back at her. Cheeks a bright red, the cute human girl asked, "S-So, even though I don't need any help studying or anything like that, would you..." she poked her index fingers together, "Would you like to stay and hang out? We can take care of Selki together!"
"Really?"
"Yeah," Luz patted Selki again, "I love her, but she can be quite a handful sometimes. Plus, with Eda sleeping, King doing something with Graff in his room, Hooty being...well, Hooty, and Nero and Lilith out to Lake Lacuna, it wouldn't hurt to have some help. It'd almost be like we're playing pare-" she snapped her mouth closed, blushed, and looked the other way before regaining herself, "S-So yeah, you okay with that?"
Amity, though a bit unsure, would admit that the idea was rather enticing. She'd get to spend the entire afternoon helping Luz, and Selki's sheer adorableness actually did distract her quite a bit from her own nerves. And from what little she knew of baby Selkidomus from her brother's books, they were a major handful for any dedicated Beastkeeper, let alone a single human teenager whose studies were more spread out. So, she'd do what she could and ease Luz's burdens, just like Luz always managed to do for her.
"Sure," Amity smiled, brushing her hair behind her ear at Luz's excited expression, "I'd love to help."
Nero hopped off his mother's stave as they descended to the shores of Lake Lacuna, eyes scanning the rather eerie, abandoned environment. He didn't really know what it looked like beforehand, only knowing that it was a popular site for swimming lessons. Not something he'd be involved in, given how Mom made sure all his swimming lessons were with indoor pools. But even then...
"Place looks like it's seen better days," he commented as he stepped forward.
"The last many years have not been kind to this place," Mom added, "And we have that beast to thank."
Nero hummed and took in the details, seeing the decaying corpses of Coven troops, innocent civilians, and random wildlife littering the shores of the lake. All of them looked heavily mangled and like they'd been chucked into an incinerator, covered in third degree burns and scorch markings, and some looked old enough to have decayed into nothing but bone and rotten flesh. Even with everything he'd seen, the sight left his stomach churning, as well as brought a burning anger into his heart. Even freakier was that there weren't any fairies or insects swarming around, when they'd normally be near corpses to feed on them.
Either the burned, decayed skin was unappetizing, or whatever lurked here freaked them out so much they didn't want to be near this place. He had no idea which was worse, especially since his arm was beginning to glow again.
Lilith walked up to one of the newer bodies and started inspecting it. She rolled it over and removed the charred mask of the Coven soldier, revealing his lifeless eyes and partially melted face, "This is..."
"What is it?" Nero asked, kneeling down to meet his mother as he saw the disturbed look in her eyes.
"These corpses," she looked forward and stared at those ahead, "They don't have any bite marks or indications they were feasted on. Only burned skin and mutilation."
As his eyes followed Mom's, Nero quickly picked up on the implications and began comparing whatever this thing was to Echidna from the Knee. A psychotic monster she was, but whenever she targeted people, it was for sustenance. Hell, it was practically all she ever ranted and raved about when first attacking them. But this thing, whatever it was? It slaughtered the innocent for sport, and if the appearance of the corpses were any indication, it took sadistic joy in the act.
Feeling the pit of rage grow even more, he watched his mother gently close the dead soldier's eyes and lay him down. It made him wonder if she was close to any of the troops under her old command. Only one he knew her to routinely chat with was Steve, so probably not. But if the sorrowful, horrified look in her eyes at the other troops (and the dead civilians) was anything to go by, she must've cared in her own way. Body moving before he could even think, he placed a gentle, glowing, reptilian hand on his mom's shoulder in comfort, which she placed her own hand on in thanks. After a few moments, she released him, to which he stepped forward and began looking for clues.
The first thing he noticed was when he felt himself step on a snapping twig, to which he looked down and noticed a broken flag beneath his foot. Picking it up, he saw that the cloth was heavily faded and filthy, though he could still make out a plus sign and the letter W. He briefly wondered who it belonged to before his right arm glowed even brighter, drawing his attention to the wooden dock. Or at least what was left of it.
Walking up to it, he noticed something about the waters of the lake. "Hey Mom!" he yelled, "You may want to come see this!" Lilith quickly joined him and stared at the lake with wide eyes, noticing it as well. Drawing Red Queen, he asked, "The water here isn't supposed to be boiling, is it?"
"No Nero," she answered through grit teeth and worried eyes as she drew her staff, "No it isn't."
Sure enough, Lake Lacuna looked more like the boiling seas, bubbling in a miasma that invaded his nostrils. He and his mother couldn't help but flinch, covering their faces as intense steam was let off the waters and a shadow within made its presence known. The steam's intensity reached an apex, blanketing the entire surface and slowly enveloping the shoreline, corpses consumed by it.
Suddenly, a massive figure leapt out of the water, sending a torrent of boiling liquid overhead. Thinking quick, Nero cast a circle that shielded him and his mother from it, scalding substance harmlessly dripping off the bubble before it dissipated at the sudden earthquake. With the beast having made landfall, he and his mother turned to face it, briefly gaping at the sight.
Whatever the thing was, it looked like a giant spider with a long, violently shaking stinger tail more befitting a scorpion. The beast had a single, enormous right forelimb, the other looking like it'd been torn off. It looked to have six eyes that were blue in color, but three of them had been ripped out, and from the scarring surrounding the sockets, rather violently at that. And those weren't the only scars littering its body, as the thing was covered from front to back in cracks and wounds that leaked the magma of its molten body, steam and heated air surrounding it. Nero almost wanted to pity whatever this thing was, but the savaged corpses surrounding him and his mother killed whatever sympathy he could've had.
"All things considered, I'm gonna guess this fucker's a demon lord," Nero snarled, flexing the fingers of his glowing Devil Bringer. It only ever seemed to get like this when it came to shit from the lower circles of Hell, after all.
"Most definitely," Lilith nodded, eyes glowering with fury as she drew a few glyphs. The demon narrowed its remaining eyes at them, letting out a loud, thunderous roar that shook their surroundings. It looked ready to attack before it sniffed at them, letting out a low, cruel laugh.
"Sparda."
Nero's eyes went wide for a second, getting the final confirmation on what this thing was. Stepping in front, he said, "Mom, get behind me."
"Nero, wait, what are-"
"HAHAHA! Well, isn't this just...fun," the demon lord rumbled in a rough voice that oozed in pure rage, "All these years ripping open witchlings, and a Sparda stops at my doorstep!" he sniffed the air again, sadistically smiling at Lilith, "And the whore that birthed him." Nero grit his teeth, too angry at the demon lord to come up with a witty remark. Nobody insulted his mother like that. Ignoring his anger, the demon let out a chortle, "Hopefully you'll put up a fight. These parasites were getting boring to melt alive. After a while, the screams all start to blend together, if you know what I mean."
"Whoever or whatever you are, your slaughter of the innocent ends here!" Lilith pointed her staff at the demon lord in an overly dramatic fashion, completely unaware of her own ridiculousness. Only reason Nero didn't laugh or facepalm was because they had bigger fish to fry.
Well, that and he did more embarrassing, overly dramatic action poses in his room, but that wasn't important right now.
"Heh, alright then. Name's Phantom, nice to meet ya!" the demon, Phantom, introduced himself, "Please, do me a favor and try to make this last. I want to savor listening to your bones crunch!" he slammed his forelimb into the ground, shaking the earth as the air grew hot beneath them. Looking down, Nero saw the ground glow and yelled at his mother to get back. The next instant, it erupted in a torrent of magma, forcing the two the dash out of the way, but that wasn't the end of it, as another geyser erupted beneath them. They dashed, flipped, and (in Nero's case) flash stepped away from each and every one, with Lilith taking flight on her staff and grabbing her son as they took to the air. "HA! That's right!" Phantom blasted a large wave of fire at them in midair, "Dance! Dance! Dance you puny, pathetic roaches! HAHAHA!"
"Okay, Mom, just stay in the air," Nero said as they evaded another fire blast, "I'll handle this thing."
"Nero, no! I said I would help you, and I'm going to," Lilith retorted, yelping just as another blast almost hit them, "I'll find a weak point to strike at. Once he's staggered you and I can finish him off."
"No, listen, you need to-LOOK OUT!" Nero saw not a fire blast, but a coven corpse thrown right at them with such speed that it was practically a bullet. With no time to dodge, Nero instead jumped off the staff and right into the body's path, using his own to take the hit. The corpse slammed into him, shattering on impact and leaving him disoriented as he began to fall, hearing his mother cry out his name. A slight pain enveloped his entire body as he crashed into the ground, getting up from the impact crater with a groan, "Ugh...fuuuuck, that hurt."
"Nero!" his mother landed and rushed to him, checking for injuries, "Are you hurt?"
Before he could say he was fine, Phantom chortled, "Figures a Sparda wouldn't die from that. But you're still a chump. Why don't you let mommy handle all your fights? Little deadweight."
Nero snarled, almost getting up and charging at Phantom so he could cleave his scorpion/spider ass in two. But right as he stood, his mother all but shrieked in pure rage and flew forward, zipping past magma columns on her staff as she approached the demon lord. Nero, feeling his heart clench in worry, immediately started dashing to the ensuing fight.
Nearing, he watched his mother deftly avoid Phantom's slow, lumbering claw swipes before throwing three light glyphs at his face, blinding him. The scorpion rubbed at his eyes just as Lilith landed to the ground, planting an ice glyph that froze the floor and made him lose balance. Now that he was off-guard, she charged, staff like a lance as Coronis became enveloped in his own magic, turning into a large spear of pure ice. Lilith leapt towards Phantom's face with a roar and drove the blade into one of his remaining eyes.
"DON'T! TOUCH! MY! SON! YOU! FUCKING! ASS! HOLE!" Lilith screamed; impaling Phantom's eye socket with each word and making the demon lord scream in pain, growing louder as the stabs increased. Nero would admit to being a little giddy watching his mom in action, but that mirth quickly died when he saw Phantom's tail move. Mom was too blinded by fury to see the attack coming, so he reached out with his Devil Bringer and shot a spectral arm forward, grabbing and pulling her back before the stinger could impale her. "NERO! What do you think you're doing!? Lilith seethed, still caught up in her anger, "I had him!"
"Mom, stay back!" Nero didn't elaborate any further, drawing Red Queen and preparing to attack Phantom. However, Phantom's roars of pain became furious as he slammed his legs into the ground, melting the ice beneath him in a wave of heat. Magma surrounded him, briefly looking up to glare at the two witches before burrowing into the shore. Nero and his mother looked around, searching for any sign of where the bastard would pop out. Come on, where the hell are you? Nero began to sweat, both from nervousness and the sheer heat within the area. At that last thought, he noticed the air was growing even hotter and looked down in time to see the ground glow, "SHIT!"
Casting Earth Magic, he launched himself high into the air via a stone pillar alongside his mother, soaring just in time to watch the entire shoreline rapidly become enveloped with magma. The corpses littering it all melted into the molten slag, while what reached the lake began to form into a delta along the underwater slope. Right as they began to descend, Lilith took flight on her staff and was about to reach out and grab him, but he was quicker and aimed his Devil Bringer to the inferno below. Forming a large, body-sized spell circle, he fired a blast of ice magic that kept him aloft, freezing everything on the surface. The magma coated shoreline, the burning dock, the surrounding trees, halfway through Lake Lacuna itself; all of it froze into an uneven, ice-covered waste that left a permanent chill even as high up as they were.
Nero managed to stop pouring magic into his right arm, ceasing the spell blast. He almost fell back to the ground had Mom not been there to grab him, which he was grateful for, even if a fall from this height wouldn't have been much of a problem. As they landed, Nero knelt down and tapped the ice, getting nothing in response. He might've even overdone it, considering everything was frozen deep into the underground. Hell, even his Devil Bringer wasn't glowing anymore either. Standing up, he snarked, "Sorry for the cold shoulder, burn breath."
"Well, I suppose that's tha-wait," Lilith narrowed her eyes in confusion, "Was...was that a pun?"
"Yeah. Every fight needs good wordplay," Nero answered like it was obvious.
"My little raven, I mean no offense when I say this, but if that was wordplay, it wasn't good."
He rolled his eyes, "Didn't know you worked part-time with the fun police."
"No, I don't. Frankly, I always hated the Fun Police. Every time the carnival came to town when I was a child, they'd try to arrest me simply for "reading books" and "counting dust motes" and "being boring". They can go fuck themselves for all I care," Lilith complained with a bitter huff, all while Nero stared at her with a blank expression, trying to process the fact that apparently Fun Police were an actual thing. "But clearly you enjoy this thing," she hastily added, "So perhaps I can help come up with suggestions?" she pondered for a second and clapped, "OH! How about 'It looks as though you are now on ice!'? Eh? You...you get it?"
"...no."
"Then perhaps 'What's wrong? Couldn't keep your cool!'" Mom looked at him for appraisal, "Is that one not...cooler?"
"Y-You gotta stop."
"HA! You got your ice kicked!"
"Please."
"Why don't you chill out?"
"Okay that...uh..." Nero scratched his head, "Okay, that kinda works." Lilith beamed at her successful pun while Nero looked down at the ground where Phantom had burrowed, "Now the hard part's gonna be digging to the corpse so we can bring back proof of the kill. I can try using Earth magic while you use a plant glyph to-" he froze, noticing a glow on his right side. Staring at his right arm, he saw it was glowing again. Nero's eyes went wide, realizing what this meant as he looked to his now worried mother and shoved a spectral arm at her, "MOM, GET OUT OF HERE!"
"Wha-" was all Lilith could say as she was sent flying far, just in time for Phantom's pincer to surface and impale Nero. The witch barely managed to dodge it just as the stinger tail came flying for him, to which he drew Red Queen and blocked, sending him upward and landing far behind the fully surfaced Phantom.
"Not a bad trick, kid. I'll admit, you and your mom almost had me there. But you're still a long way from the big leagues," Phantom turned to face him, "And definitely nowhere near the last one I fought."
Last one? Nero gasped, This guy fought a Sparda before?
"Now DIE!" Phantom lunged at him with shocking speed. Gritting his teeth, Nero backflipped to avoid his swipe, noticing the stinger attempting a jab him midair. With a spin, he managed to avoid it and use the Devil Bringer to pull himself towards Phantom's ugly ass face. Landing on his back, Nero twisted, holding Red Queen overhead and slammed it down, igniting the Exceed as the hit connected in a torrent of fire. As the demon lord screeched, Nero repeated this several more times, activating Exceed with each hit before finally impaling it into the newly formed crack on Phantom's shell and slashing.
"ENOUGH!" Phantom's pain was now superseded by anger as his entire body was set ablaze, overwhelming Nero. The witch found himself forced to jump off as his skin was scorched, putting some distance between him and the demon lord. Panting, he checked himself and saw that his skin wasn't burned, but it sure as shit hurt. His coat, on the other hand...
"Crapcrapcrap!" Nero yelped in a panic and rushed to put out the fire on his coattails, taking it off and slamming it into the ground a few times for good measure. Thankfully, while charred, his coat was still intact. After just as quickly putting it back on, he checked Red Queen and saw that the Exceed charges were still at full capacity, as if they never depleted to begin with.
Heh, it worked, Nero gave a toothy grin as he formed a spell circle with his right hand, unleashing a torrent of fire that sent him blitzing to the left and narrowly dodging Phantom's downward slam attack. The scorpion tail was now lashing out wildly in an effort to hit him as he circled around the demon lord, flipping, spinning, and blocking with Red Queen while sliding on the ice. Unfortunately, he found himself losing his footing as the floor became rough, tripping and entering a roll to regain balance. Now behind Phantom, he noticed that the ground was wet, all that fire having melted the ice in the immediate area. As he shook his hand of the liquid and Phantom started to turn, Nero got an idea.
"Lookin' tired, Phanny!" Nero holstered Red Queen and cast a lightning spell, enveloping his left arm in a torrent of electricity, "Here's a wake-up jolt!"
"What did you just call me you little shi-" was all Phantom could say before Nero slammed his hand into the water-covered ground, sending torrents of lightning towards Phantom that coated his entire body. Screams blanketed the lake as arcs of electricity flew everywhere, some reaching for the sky like a beacon while others tore through the ice terrain surrounding them. When Nero finally ceased them, he stood up, staring at Phantom's twitchy form as it emitted smoke. "Heh...lightning, just like back on Mallet Island," Phantom groggily picked himself up, "Same hair, same eyes, same thunder, same fucking obnoxiousness. Don't tell me you're Dante's little brat, are you?"
Dante? Nero's thoughts started to wander at the name. For some reason, something about it just felt...familiar, but he couldn't tell what it was, Is...is he talking about my fa-
"GOTCHA!"
Huh? Nero blinked and realized Phantom's tail was headed right towards him. With no time to draw Red Queen or form a barrier, he managed to side-step and grab the appendage. "Alright bug bitch!" Nero snarled as he began to pull, "You're gonna tell me who the fuck Dante is or I'm ripping that tail off your ass!"
"Interesting offer. Now here's mine!" Phantom used his tail to lift Nero into the air, the witch holding on for dear life as he found himself slammed into the ground. It hurt, but he kept his grip in the hopes of regaining his footing. Instead, he was smashed into the ice here, there, and everywhere until his whole body hurt. His hold grew slack, causing him to let go mid-slam and be sent flying far across the frozen lake. He didn't know how far he went, only that he crashed into the ice a couple times before reaching the cold waters and skipping across it like a stone. Just as he started to slow down...
"NERO!"
M-Mom? Nero felt himself flying again as something grabbed his right hand. Blinking, he looked up to see his mother, who had a few twigs in her hair alongside some scrapes across her skin, carrying him to the small island at the center of Lake Lacuna. Hiding amidst the trees, she gently put him down on the floor as his body started to heal. Sitting up, he clutched his head to ease the pain before looking at her with worry, "Mom, what happened? Are you okay? You look banged up."
"Yes, I'm fine," Lilith pulled the twigs and leaves from her hair, "You may have pushed me too far and I crashed through a few trees. I was out cold for a bit until a giant lightning pillar woke me up."
A wave of guilt ran through the wide-eyed Nero, "Mom, I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"It's fine, my little raven," she shook her head, helping remove the remaining branches (and a few bugs) from her hair as she stood up, helping him up in kind just as the Devil Bringer started growing again. Hearing the sound of thunderous steps far in the distance, Nero faced his mother.
"Mom, you need to go, now!"
Lilith looked shocked for a second, but much to Nero's frustration, she wouldn't budge, crossing her arms with a firm glare, "No. I'm not going anywhere. You can't expect me to just leave you alone to face him!"
"If I fight him alone, you won't get hurt!"
"And you pushing me away is better?" Lilith's voice rose in pitch, her posture emphasizing the scrapes and bruises he accidentally gave her, furthering his guilt, "Do you think that just because I no longer have magic, I shouldn't fight anymore?"
Nero shook his head, having seen firsthand that the opposite was true. "No, it's..." he heard the steps increase in volume, followed by a large splash in the lake, "Look, there's no time. I need you to trust me and let me handle this by my-"
"Trust you!?" Mom looked downright pissed, "How can you expect me to...I...you..." her eyes became obscured by her hair, a calming breath going in followed by an equally calming exhale, "Nero, I do trust you. I know now that you can handle anything Limbo throws at you. You've fended off the Emperor, a Leviathan among countless more monsters, and I know you held yourself well against this...Phantom." Lilith clutched at her hand, hair parting to reveal her eyes that shimmered with pride, "You've accomplished so much that I haven't even seen. That I haven't been part of. I just...I wish you would trust me too, and not just push me away. You clearly trust Edalyn, Luz, and even King, so why not me?" her voice almost quivered, "Please, my son. Please just trust me. If you would allow me, I'll have your back in this."
Feeling his guilt become a maelstrom, Nero's eyes felt glued to the floor, his mother's words washing over him and slapping his face repeatedly. He wanted to apologize, to explain himself and tell her that he wanted to trust her, that he didn't mean to push her out like this, or at all for that matter. But the Devil Bringer glowed even brighter, drawing his attention as he heard what sounded like a loud geyser in the distance.
"Okay," he said as they started running through the trees to find a hiding spot, Phantom's steps having just made landfall, "But we'll need a plan. So far, head on isn't working."
Lilith beamed and pulled out a number of plant glyphs, "I think I may have one," she rapidly explained the idea throughout their run. By the time she concluded, they'd found a large rock to hide behind, "Well?"
Nero thought it over and smiled, "Actually, it sounds pretty good," he held out his left hand and formed an illusion spell, "Mind if I help add to it?"
"I'd be delighted," Lilith nodded, sounding downright giddy as they started setting everything up for their trap.