Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Hexside is the best school ever, don’t you think?!” Luz was jumping around, mostly because she found a new glyph this morning and was far too excited to show her friends.

“Speak for yourself, you’re not in the class with two twins who tried to feed me to their plants twice and a girl who can’t control her magic and puts everything within five-mile radius on fire.” Lucía could practically smell the scent of burned carnivorous plants, spoiler alert! It does not smell well.

“You’re just grumpy.”

As fast as Luz saw hexside she went into a sprint, earning an eye roll from Lucía.

——

“WILLOW!! I have a new Glyph and something is telling me that you, my dear friend, will love it!” Luz was already drawing the new glyph as she spoke.

Gus was probably more excited than Willow. “Oh, what does it do? Does it keep ladybugs away, Willow could definitely need one so she stops fainting in the greenhouse.”

“How do you even know that!?”

“I have my ways-”

“Wionna and Salix told you, didn’t they?”

Gus nodded, which only fulled Willow's anger over her siblings. But before she could store of to find them Luz finished the glyph

“Ta da” Luz presented her Flower and Willow looked at it like it was the cutest thing ever. 

The announcement was made so randomly it freaked some students out- made one locker go feral, and pink fire in the corridor, if it wasn’t Amelia who did it she would probably be thrown in the detention pit.

“HELLOO HEXSIDE! THIS YEAR GROM IS GOING TO BE EXTRA MAGICAL, BECAUSE IT’S BEEN FOUND THAT GROM HAS LOCATED ITSELF ON THE KNEE! WHICH MEANS WE GET TO HAVE GROM THERE! ALL THE INFORMATION WILL BE UPDATED AND STAY SAD!!”

——

“Grom? What's Grom” Lucía asked as she helped Amelia put out the fire on her textbooks.

“WeLl YeaH, It’S a PaRTy, ThAT’s HoSTeD Every YEar as ONe STudEnT fIGht a-.” Amelia drops a large bubble of water on the fire that was before too big for her to control. “Grom is a party hosted every year as principal bump sends one of the strongest students to fight Grometheus the fear bringer who is a blobby black monster who lives under the school and can read your mind and turn into your worst fear.”

“Damn…. Who fights it?”

“The Grom royalty who Bump chooses two days beforehand.”

Lucía picked up the wet textbooks and handed them to Amelia. “But if it lives under the school, why would it even be at the knee, the knee is far away!”

Amelia took the book and started walking to class. “I actually don’t know… maybe grom decided that Hexside wasn’t a good healing space and that it could charge up in peace without worry at the knee. Wait- Urg I have to get a new dress. The one I had isn’t made for the Knee!”

Lucía laughed. It was a pretty laugh that suited her. Sadly Lucía missed the faint blush on Amelia’s face. They got to Amelia's class and Lucía kept walking to her. “See you in abomination class muñeca!”

Amelia waved and walked inside, putting her books down. ‘Muñeca, I have no idea what that means… is Lucía allowed to be so amazing and so oblivious at the same time… maybe I have to actually ask her for her to notice-‘ 

The bell screamed, making the tiny ponytail that was separated catch flames… again. 

——

“Wionna... either  you pull the plant out off my face or I will beat it till it becomes nothing more than compost!” Lucía pushed the toothy plant out of her face. Salix pulled out some seeds and gave  Lucía another piece of paper.

 “Let’s try the glyph and see if using a seed will do anything.” Salix pulled Wionna back, making Lucía roll her eyes.

 “Why did Luz pull me into every track…?” She dropped the seed on the glyph that activated it.  Lucía run back to Salix and Wionna, and saw as the seed grew fast and big into one of those flowers with four petals, round mouth with razor sharp teeth and eyes. 

“THAT SEED? OUT OF ALL THE SEEDS YOU CHOSE THAT!”

 “You’re overreacting-” was all Salix could say before the plant pulled Lucía into its mouth. 

“No bad plant!” Wionna said as she drew a spell circle to release Lucía.

——

“Okay Willow, I am so ready for Grom on the knee. I wonder who will be picked as Grom royalty.” Luz went through the halls, scanning for who she should guess it will be and her sister. 

“They will tell us on Thursday. And Grom at the knee will be such a fun change of pace.” 

An unholy scream was heard down the hall.

 “Sounds like Lucía is in Trouble..” 

The two walked down the hall to find Lucía on the floor next to her locker where Blood-Roses was hissing. Amelia was also there with a both worried and irritated look.

“Is the world out to get me or something!!” Lucía stood up, not even noticing how the Blood-Roses was chewing on a pink note, totally destroying it, and every chew made Amelia’s ponytail-flame grow.

Amelia mumbled to herself: “And they say Blood-Roses would be romantic…” before Burning the Blood-Roses up and helping Lucía back on two feet.

 “What?” Lucía asked

“What?!” Was Amelia’s response.

 “Okay.. I’m going to the owl house as I am not planning on dying today.” Lucía started taking her things from the locker.

 “Do you want me to walk you home, maybe we can talk-“

 “I don’t need it. You just focus on your studies.” Lucía smiled and started to walk away. 

——

“We’re home!” Amity said as she walked inside the manor, Edric, Emira and Amelia also entered.

“Nobody is ever home.” Edric said, it was like a routine, but instead of Amelia saying her part: ‘Just let her be.’ Amelia just walked upstairs to her room.

 “Should we-” Edric started but Emira handled it.

 “I will take care of it, sister to sister.”

 Emira chased after Amelia, getting to the big room, she didn’t even knock or ask before opening. 

She looked at the pink walls with white swirls, the fluffy white carpet, the desk and golden mirror. Amelia was in her bed that could fit three of her, putting on sad, slow, romantic songs.

Emira closed the door and then sat down next to Amelia.

 “Okay, the music is depressing and mom ain’t home so spill.”

 “I’m fine.”

 “You say that every time your hair sets on fire.”

 “That’s unrelated.”

 “But related to this is probably how you look at Lucía like she’s the last shard of moonlight in the Boiling Isles.”

Amelia groans and buries her face in one of her pillows, her voice coming out muffled. “She doesn’t even notice.”

“That’s because she’s probably just as much of a disaster as you.”

”She called me muñeca, whatever that means, and told me to ‘focus on my studies’ because she knows I don’t want to get a bad grade and AAHHHHhh”

Emira smirked. “Oh no. Nickname AND brush-offed? That’s peak obliviousness. You’re doomed.”

Amelia sat up, her mascara not running but tears did. “I have tried for two months to the point I gave her Blood-Roses.. or put them in her locker. It still never works. It’s just… every time I see her, hear her, at this point even thinking one thought related to her, all those lessons of controlling my magic disappears and I become that fiery  disaster I was after that day. Pretty sure I one day will accidentally make fire spell out ‘I love you Idiot, fucking see that, Please!’.”

Emira laughed but stopped as Amelia's ponytail once again set aflame “Lia... here is what we will do. We will go shopping, make you look stunning for Grom and if Lucía doesn’t fall in love I will make sure she falls off a cliff.”

“Not before I change out of this ugly school uniform.”

 “Deal.”

——

Who knew that Wednesday would be that much drama… but I will start at the start. BI History. 

Lucía was sitting in between Wionna and Salix, the twins who probably wanted to kill her just didn't say it. 

“This is boring.” Salix began, making both Wionna and Lucía look over at them.

“Yeah… but turning around is always fun.” Wionna answered. Making Lucía turn around, the only thing she saw that could be interesting was that Amelia was looking at her. Lucía gave a quick wave and turned back.

“What was fun?”

“The fact that Amelia looks at you like you're the sweetest dessert to exist.” Wionna started. And Salix continued, “And that she only wants you.”

“You two are crazy. Why would she think of me as dessert?” 

“You’re fucking stupid.” Salix deadpanned. 

Lucía rolled her eyes and continued to listen to the teacher, not too focused to care about what the twins just said.

——

The announcement was made, Amity would be Grom Queen and take down Grometheus. Which made her kinda sad… anyway…

“So this plant is attracted to strong emotions. Nobody is supposed to touch it but for one of my friends and my sibling I will let you do it anyway.” Wionna said holding out a roselooking flower with red vines.

“Cool?” Lucía said, sceptical. She reached out to touch it, when the door flew opened.

“Not to be that person but the transport to the knee to let the gromcommittee glam the place up before is leaving and you Wiv is on that committee.” 

The plant had jumped off Wionna and onto Lucía where it was blooming and making happy noises. Wionna stood up and followed Amelia out.

“This plant is weird.” Lucía said as it stopped blooming.

“And you are too oblivious to be alive.”

——

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’RE TALKING ON GROM!!!” Lucía shouted. Eda and King were laughing, thinking Luz was joking, but Lucía knew better.

“I don't want Amity to face her fear if she is so scared and cute.. cut not. You know. Cut not, not cut out for it. And I am not scared so I will do it.”

Eda finally stopped laughing. “Sorry kid but grom is a little out of your pay grade. You’re a human and humans are fragile.”

“I’m with Eda, there’s no way I’m letting you fight that thing.” Lucía looked at Luz, only being able to see the child she was so long ago. The one who cried on rides with loops and adopted stray snakes.

 “It’s too late to back out anyway.”

 “No Luz! You’re not going to be Grom Queen.”

 “You don’t get to decide that! I’m going to Amity’s house. She said she would help me train.” Luz walked out. She knew Lucía was just being protective, but couldn’t help feeling frustrated.

——

Amity paced around the backyard where they had been training, but Emira and Edric took a break as they had casted a lot of spells. 

“So we aren’t sure if your list was 100 percent accurate so Amelia will get the mirror.”

 “Mirror?” Luz asked.

 “An enchanted mirror that can show you both your deepest desire or your worst nightmare. It’s used as these things are not something people think of but when heard is exactly that.” Amity explained.

 Amelia walked out with the mirror in hand. It wasn’t that big, it was shaped like a diamond and had a gold frame.

 “One soul reading mirror just like ordered, also I am done with winter proofing your grom dress. You won’t freeze for even one second, still don’t get why you don’t just get a new dress but what do I know?”

 “It just felt unnecessary. I have a working dress.”

 “Whatever, here’s your mirror.”

With that Amity took the mirror and Amelia sat down at a table with Edric and Emira, sipping tea as they watched.

 “Okay Luz let’s see your worst nightmare.”

 Luz looked into the mirror and saw her, Lucía, her mom, Eda, King, Amity, Gus and Willow, and all her other friends, happy, in the owl house. Laughing and joking around. It was perfect.

“Amity..” Luz got out through the soft tears, “I think that it's the wrong mirror.”

Amity went off to find the right mirror, grumbling something about different coloured frames.

——

“Amelia.” Odalia said as she walked into the room of her oldest heir. Looking around it was not as messy as she expected it to be.

 “Yes mother?” Amelia said, not looking away from her reflection in the vanity mirror. She took another small braid she had braided and with a pin pulled it into the ponytail she had decided to go with.

 “There is an Emperor coven tryout tomorrow. And after all those lessons with Lillith to learn control I think you’re ready.” Odalia went up to her daughter, picking  up a gold choker-necklace and long, dangly earrings. 

 “Yeah, I know you think like that, but I still believe I have more to learn at Hexside.” Amelia took the jewellery and started putting it on.

 Odalia rolled her eyes and walked out, leaving Amelia alone to dress up for Grom.

——

 There was a big platform with a warmth spell keeping the cold out as people walked up to it and danced, chatted and ate.  Crystals hung in the air and snowflakes were slowly falling, but they didn’t feel freezing cold when you’d touch them. Outside the magic barrier people were arriving on staffs and Hexside carriages.

Eda landed Owlbert and Luz and Lucía jumped off.

Luz wore a black blazer with purple trim over a white button-down shirt, a pink tutu skirt, purple leggings, and brown boots. Her hair was also slicked back.

Eda was wearing a brown suit with a red button up shirt, King had added a bow to his collar.

Lucía adjusting her dark purple tux and silver-accented cuffs. Slim black pants allowed her to move freely. She kept her hair the same, but let the beanie stay home, which she regretted in the cold.

They went to the dance floor that was already filled with people. Eda went to the side to just watch, saying something about that’s what chaperoners do.

Luz went to find Amity, leaving Lucía alone.

Lucía talked a bit with Wionna and Salix, but just five minutes, as talking more with those morons would drive her crazy.

Lucía walked off the platform and into the snow of the knee night. She felt the cold at the tip of her ears, but the silence was nice.

She started walking around, the trees were covered in enough snow to bury five people and still have enough snow for a 9 feet tall snowman.

Lucía hadn’t even realised that she was walking in someone’s footsteps until she saw her.

A long, flowing white dress with a black ombre, slit sleeves revealed perfect pale skin. Gold details and jewellery catching every glint of moonlight.

 “Wow… I mean… hi Amelia.” Lucía’s voice made Amelia jump and the small braids in her ponytail lit.

 “Well, oh hii~” And as fast she saw Lucía in that tux all her chances of forming a real thought went down to zero.

 “Well muñeca, you definitely won the competition for the most stunning outfit.” Lucía walked up to Amelia, looking out at the northern lights and the stars behind it. “Though this sky is pretty too… maybe you get to share the number one spot.”

 Amelia finally got out of her trance, her head still filled with too many Lucía related thoughts.

 “Comparing me to the sky? Damn, if I had to be compared to something I would have expected it to have some meaning to it.”

 “Okay, let me try again... you’re as magical as fire, beautiful afar and it hurts to get close.” Lucía’s joke was not really appreciated as she was shot an ember. “Watch the tux!”

 “Whatever.”

  Some cheering was heard.

 “Guess Luz will be facing Grom now.”

 “Yeah, I hate that she’s doing it but I can’t stop her, I just hope everything goes well.”

——

“Luz has lasted surprisingly long… but the question is what form it will take next.”

Grom grumbled and launched a tentacle of goo at Luz, luckily Luz put down an ice glyph just in time to block it. Amity had told her those are the once that bring out the biggest fear, so if she can defeat Grom before that she should be good to go.

Luz kept using ice glyph after ice glyph, but she was running out… but at this point Grom was much smaller, maybe she could just finish it off with one more glyph-

The ground started shaking, and in a distance a big pack of Slitherbeasts started running towards the party and Grom-fight.

Luz stayed on her task, but the commotion made it so much harder to focus and get a good hit on Grometheus and in the end, it got a hit on her.

Grom started shaping into Luz’s biggest fear. The door to the human realm appeared and her mother stepped out. 

“Luz, what is this terrible place? Espera un momento. This isn’t camp. Have you been here all these weeks? And is that a WEAPON!?”

Luz drops the flail

 “I-I can explain.”

Grom then grew, taking a more monstrous form but still looking a little like Camila.

 “Mija, have you been lying to me?”

——

Amelia ducked as a slitherbeast and launched  itself at her. She created a big spell-circle and abomination goo wrapped around it, holding it in place. “I’m so happy Lilith made sure to teach me that.”

Amelia created a small spell-circle that created a hand, catching Lucía as she fell. 

 “Well, that didn’t go as planned.” Lucía got out of the goo and Amelia casted a quick spell to clean Lucía up.

 “I think that was the last one.” Amelia took out a pocket mirror to check her hair.

 “Now I'm exhausted mentally and physically, I hope someone spiked the punch or something because I need a real drink.”

 “I don’t think that is something you should wish for…”

 “…Shut up.”

——

Luz was about to run when someone stepped beside her… Amity.

“Amity I am so sorry! I thought I could do it but I can’t-” Luz was at the brink of tears when Amity took her hand.

 “Luz… you already did more than you ever needed too. Now, may I have this dance?” Amity’s eyes were confident and it helped.

Luz put her hand on Amity’s shoulder and Amity put her at Luz’s waist, then they started dancing. They laughed as their feet slid across the dance floor, closer and closer to Grometheus.

 At the right distance Amity made a spell-circle with her feet and a big abomination lifted them to the sky.

Luz took out a plant glyph, placing it on the abomination. 

The abomination flew into Grom's mouth and activated, letting leaves, branches and flowers sprout.

Luz landed gracefully before catching Amity, spinning her and then taking her hand like it was the end of a musical number and a gigantic pink tree rose where Grom before was.

Two tiaras formed at Amity’s and Luz’s head, a forever reminder of the moment they just shared. 

——

The party was full on going again, and yes, someone did spike the punch.

Lucía and Wionna were dancing. Wionna was obviously more drunk than Lucía but none of them was thinking clearly. Salix was cheering on absolutely nobody but it was probably supposed to be those two.

Amelia was standing with Emira and Edric, watching around the different things happening. Not really focusing on anything in particular. 

Eda was doing almost the same, except she focused on everything, taking in every detail she possibly could.

Wionna was laughing uncontrollably as they danced. Lucía laughed along, and for just a second they were too close. 

And the one second Amelia focused on anything their lips met. 

Amelia walked out, her siblings wondering where she was going.

Lucía pushed Wionna away, not really knowing what exactly happened.

——

Lucía woke up the next morning with a terrible hangover. Luckily, Eda was a great support, probably because she'd done this herself more than once.

Luz was during that time entertaining King, but they could both hear the older Latina throwing up.

“Hey Eda?”

 “What Kid?”

“Why do I have a feeling that I love Amelia?”

——

The Blight Manor was cold and dark. The only one up was Odalia who was drinking tea in the living room, watching a show on the crystal ball, but turned it off when she heard the footsteps of her beloved oldest daughter.

“Hey mom. When did you say those Emperor's Coven tryouts were?” Amelia’s voice was shaky, and her eyes were red, but those words meant so much to Odalia that it didn’t matter.

“Five hours. Get dressed and I will wake your father. And I am so proud of you. Oh, and I need to make sure that we get there in style.”