(Author's Note: This story takes place immediately after the events of my earlier Owl House story "The Warehouse", and both stories take place after episode 10 and before episode 11 of season one of the show. If you haven't read "The Warehouse" before reading this, I highly recommend that you do so, though I do allude to the events of that story a few times in this one, so it's not strictly required.)

O-O-O

It was nearly midnight when Luz finally returned to the Owl House... not that she had much reason to worry about the time after everything she and Amity had just endured together. Captured and nearly killed by a ruthless criminal, saved only when Luz managed to create a giant light glyph on the floor out of her own blood... she looked down at her finger and could see that the cut she'd made had already begun to scab up, but that she'd need to put a bandaid on it lest she risk re-opening it and possibly getting it infected.

She hoped Eda was already asleep when she arrived, not wanting to make her mentor worry... or ask questions about why she had a cut on her finger and puffy eyes from crying so much.

I just want to forget this whole night happened, thought Luz, as she remembered how close Amity had come to dying. Maybe... maybe not the hug Amity gave me, but everything else, I just want to forget.

Luz placed her hand on the doorknob, able to see that Hooty was sleeping. She hoped she wouldn't have to wake him up, and thankfully, she was able to turn the doorknob and make her way into the house.

"You're home late."

Luz let out a little gasp as she looked across the room to see Eda sitting on the couch. She gave a quick smile and rubbed the back of her head, trying her best to convey an apology.

"Oh, you know... I got caught up in... doing... magic stuff," said Luz, trying to sneak past Eda to make her way back to her room.

"Wow, that's a bad lie even for me," said Eda, raising an eyebrow. "You sound like you've been on an adventure."

"Yes!" said Luz innocently. "A magical adventure, with... magic! Amity was there too! It was fun, but I'm tired, so-"

"Is that a cut on your finger?" asked Eda, leaning in. "And your eyes, they're all weird and puffy looking, like you angered a dustbush, or... like you've been crying. Are you sure everything's okay?"

Luz could tell that Eda was trying to hide the concern in her voice, but just the fact that there was concern there at all made her feel guilty for hiding the truth. The smile began to disappear from her lips.

"Well, it's just... maybe we can talk about it later?"

Eda could sense the stress in Luz's voice. She was clearly upset about something, and not like she typically was after things didn't go her way.

"Look, you can do whatever you want, I'm not gonna pry," replied Eda, though there was a look of concern on her face, and her typically detached tone had softened. "I'm just curious about what happened, not like I've been staying up waiting for you to come home or anything."

Luz breathed a deep sigh. She couldn't hide what had happened from Eda, as uncomfortable as it would be to discuss it with her. She sat down on the couch, the events of the evening still burning in her mind.

"Eda, here's what happened... I was walking past the library when I saw Amity. We got to talking about the Azura books, then Amity saw this guy, and..."

Luz then proceeded to tell Eda everything about the events of that night. Amity's pursuit of the smuggler named Jericho. Luz's attempt to rescue Amity that ended in the capture of both of them. Their escape attempt, and Amity's attempt to free herself by attacking Jericho with an abomination, only to be nearly suffocated to death. Luz's miraculous light glyph, and Amity's equally miraculous awakening.

"And... that's what happened," said Luz with a sigh, a single tear running down her cheek. She'd tried not to cry when telling the story, but when she'd gotten to the part where Amity nearly died, she couldn't help it... she nearly broke down sobbing.

The whole time, Eda listened intently, not saying a word, barely moving. And when Luz finished, it took her a few seconds to speak.

"Luz, that was a pretty reckless thing you did, going after Amity like that," said Eda.

"I know," sniffled Luz, looking up at Eda. "I should've come and gotten you."

"Yes, you should've," replied Eda. "But... I'm not gonna sit here and scold you all night when you already feel terrible. Actually, I'm proud of you. You went after that creep even knowing the odds were stacked against you. Then, you took him out with a single spell! Look, don't ever do anything reckless like that again... you could've been killed. But I'm still proud of you. Ugh, I can't figure out what kind of teacher I'm supposed to be here!"

Eda's conflicted reaction stirred up a giggle from Luz, who sniffled but smiled, already feeling better to be safe back at the Owl House.

"Well, the only reason I was able to take him out was because of the spell you taught me, so in a way, you were there with me," said Luz.

"Guess that's one way to put it. So what was that guy after, anyway? He could've killed Amity all the way dead, but he kept her as a hostage."

"He wanted to lure in Lilith and blow her up with a bomb," said Luz.

"What?!" snapped Eda, standing up suddenly from the couch. "Luz, point me in that lowlife's general direction, I'm gonna go turn him into a cockroach, or a toilet, or something."

"Well, the thing is, Amity already took him to Lilith, so he's in custody... I don't think you'd be able to get to him, even if I knew where they were going to be taking him."

"Ugh, probably the Conformatorium, but I'm not going back there again," groaned Eda, sitting back down. "Still though, I should blast his ass for trying to kill my sister. Lilith and I might have our disagreements... serious disagreements, but I still love her. ...don't tell her I said that. Actually, he tried to kill you too, so I owe him two blasts to the ass!"

"I'm sure he'll get what he's got coming to him," said Luz. "It's weird though... that guy knew all about the human world, and human weapons! He's obviously been there before, or he's dealing with somebody who has... I thought you were the only one able to steal from the human world!"

"Yeah, well, there's a few others who've been there too," groaned Eda. "What would a powerful wizard like him want with human weapons? I mean, I've been shot point blank in the head by one of your... guns before."

"Wow, really?!"

"Yeah, one time I was messing around with one, thought it was some kind of lamp, and boom! Had a big, gaping hole in my noggin. I mean, I was able to regenerate pretty quickly, but it hurt like the dickens. Actually, for most ordinary witches, it probably would be fatal, so it's a good thing you two were able to stop him."

"He wasn't the only one," said Luz. "He said he was part of a group..."

"They probably have a palisman like Owlbert," said Eda, scratching her chin. "I might have to talk to the Bat Queen, see if she knows anything."

"Well, Lilith's on the case, I think... that's why Amity wanted to stop him so badly. It gives me the creeps thinking about there being more wizards like him out there..."

Luz began to shiver, remembering some of the things Jericho had said to her, the deranged look in his eyes, and the sadistic smile he got when he was hurting her and Amity. Eda noticed, and put a hand on Luz's shoulder.

"Hey... you don't have to worry about it right now, okay? He's in jail, and my sister's going after the other ones. As annoying as she is, she's pretty good at her job, so I think the situation's in good hands."

"She hasn't caught you yet."

Eda put her hand to her chest, looking insulted.

"Don't compare me to those clowns! Sounds like they can't even fight without human weapons, and human weapons don't have any effect on me! At least I think they don't, I haven't been shot with all of them, just the one."

"They would've had plenty of effect on me," said Luz quietly, bowing her head. "And Amity too."

Eda could see the look of fear still on Luz's face, and knew she must still have the events of that evening fresh in her mind. She continued to rest her hand on Luz's shoulder, knowing that it'd take more than some jokes and some sarcasm to shake the bad memories from her young friend's head.

"I keep... seeing her face... she looked so scared, gasping for air like that, and then she just... she just..."

Luz choked out a sob, and Eda finally let her wall completely drop, pulling Luz in for a tight hug and holding her close as she finally let out a night's worth of emotion.

"It's okay now, Luz, I'm here... Amity's safe, and you're safe, and you don't have to worry about anything right now. You defeated that criminal, and your friend came back, and that's all that matters. Now hey, you gotta be pretty tired, right?"

"Mmhmm," said Luz, her face still buried in Eda's chest. Finally, she pulled back from Eda and looked up at her, wiping the tears from her eyes and smiling warmly. "Thanks, Eda... I didn't want to burden you with this..."

"Hey, I love hearing about your adventures, even the ones that aren't so fun. And I am proud of you."

"Yeah... I did take that guy out with one spell, didn't I? And I might've even brought back Amity!"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, when I thought Amity was dead and I was crying over her, I was holding her wand, and-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I don't think so," said Eda, shaking her head. "That kind of magic is way outta the realm of possibility, even for me. And even if it was possible to bring someone back like that, it always turns out wrong. Like me on a bad owl day wrong. So I'm pretty sure your friend just woke up on her own... or at least you'd better hope that's what happened."

"What? Oh man...!"

"...nah, I'm sure it was just a coincidence," said Eda with a hearty laugh, slapping Luz on the back. "Don't you worry about it, nobody can bring someone back to life with magic, at least not a person."

Luz breathed a sigh of relief, then let out a yawn... she really was getting tired, and even though she still had thoughts about earlier racing through her head, she was tired enough to put them aside and get ready for bed.

I just hope I don't have nightmares about it... thought Luz, standing up from the couch. "Thanks again, Eda... I'm glad I was able to tell you."

"You can tell me anything. I promise I'll listen, even if I do get bored. And hey, if you have trouble sleeping, I'll help you."

"Oh, like with a sleep spell?"

"Well, that, or I could get you a snack or something. I'll send Owlbert to the human world, he can pick you up one of those... what do you call them? Burgers? You'll have to draw a picture, but I think he'll be able to find one."

"I think I'll be fine, but I'll let you know," said Luz. She started to go to her room, then turned back to give Eda one last hug before going on her way. "Goodnight, Eda."

"Night, kid," Eda replied, hugging Luz tightly. Luz then went to her room, and Eda smiled, leaned back, and let out a yawn of her own. I'm glad you're safe... you don't know how worried I was about you, and I'm not about to tell you, either.

O-O-O

A few miles away, in a dungeon tower overlooking the town, Eda's sister was just finishing up her debriefing of Amity, while Jericho had been taken to a secured room to await interrogation. Lilith listened to Amity's story as intently as Eda had listened to Luz's, the stoic look not leaving her face as Amity spoke.

"...and that's what happened," said Amity. "With Luz's help, I captured Jericho Blackheart of the Silver Hand, and delivered him into the custody of the Emperor's Coven."

Lilith stood up, processing this information in her mind. She looked across the table at Amity, and her expression grew stern.

"What in the hell were you thinking?!" shouted Lilith, her voice sharp with anger as she slammed both her palms down on the table. "You initiated an unauthorized pursuit of a highly dangerous criminal, getting yourself captured in the process!"

"Miss Lilith, I-"

"And to make matters worse, you invoked the name of the Emperor's Coven! You're merely a student, and yet you claimed, in front of said criminal no less, to represent the coven in an official capacity? Imagine if Emperor Bellows found out about this!"

Amity's skin grew even paler than usual, and her heart skipped a beat in her chest. She knew she'd made a terrible mistake... several, in fact. She'd nearly been killed in the process... she'd nearly gotten Luz killed... as uncomfortable as it was to hear Lilith repeating her mistakes to her, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that her teacher was right.

"I apologize," said Amity, placing her hand to her chest while looking up at Lilith. "I have no excuses for my reckless actions... and I am prepared to accept whatever punishment you see fit to administer."

Lilith looked down at Amity... she could see the fear in her young student's face, not just the fear of punishment, but the residual trauma from what had occurred that evening, still fresh in her mind. She could hear the regret in Amity's voice, which was trembling as the girl struggled not to cry in front of her. She knew in an instant that Amity had been through a terrible ordeal, and her anger faded, quickly replaced by concern.

"I believe you've learned your lesson, Miss Blight," said Lilith, her tone softening. "There will be no punishment, not today."

"Miss Lilith, my actions jeopardized the coven, and you in particular," said Amity. "I divulged information that placed your life in danger, and for that-"

"Forget about putting me in danger, what about you?"

Lilith walked around the table, over to where Amity was sitting. Amity stood up, still looking away in shame, only for Lilith to gently take Amity's chin and lift it up to look at her.

"From the sound of it, you were very nearly killed..."

"And if Luz hadn't been there..."

Amity sighed again.

"I didn't just put myself in danger, I put her in danger," said Amity with a sigh. "I... know how you feel about Luz, she's just a human and her magic-"

"It's not Luz I have a problem with, you know that," said Lilith, growling a bit as she thought of Eda and their last encounter, an embarrassing body swap incident that had left her trapped in the body of a four headed dog for several hours until she found a way to return to her original form. "It's Edalyn, and the terrible influence I'm sure she must be having on that girl."

"Well, that girl did save me," said Amity, blushing slightly.

"And for that, I'm grateful," replied Lilith. "Amity, whatever could have possessed you to pursue a member of the Silver Hand on your own? And how did you even know about him?"

"I... I've been eavesdropping on you," said Amity. "I'm really sorry, I just... you know how much I want to join the Emperor's Coven, and I know that the coven goes after criminals, and I just wanted to know what it was like! I heard you talking to another member of the coven about the Silver Hand, and how dangerous they were, bringing human weapons into the Boiling Isles, and I saw a chance to get a jump on one of them and I just took it! ...you're always saying that I need to show more initiative."

"I didn't mean something completely reckless like that!" snapped Lilith. "That's something I would've expected from Edalyn when she was your age, not someone like you who's usually so careful! ...anyway... you're not even supposed to know about criminals like that. Those matters are reserved for the most trusted members of the Emperor's Coven. I'm... sorry you had to find out about the Silver Hand that way."

"That guy, Jericho, he... he knew more about the human world than anyone else except, well, the human! I didn't know anyone could get to the human world! I mean, Luz got here from there, and I don't even know how that happened!"

"It was probably my sister's doing," said Lilith with a world-weary sigh. "Her palisman allows her access to a gate that enables her to bring objects back and forth from the human world. The Silver Hand has access to a similar gate. Either one of them has personal access, or they're working with a supplier. At first, we speculated it might've been Edalyn helping them, but after learning more about their modus operandi, I quickly dismissed that idea. The Silver Hand is ruthless, willing to kill anyone who gets in their way, even, it would seem, children. Edalyn's a criminal, and capable of anything, but she's not cruel. She's just... she's just... ugh, I shouldn't be worried about her right now, I'm worried about you. Amity... I know you've been through a lot, it must have been horrible for you. Are you sure you're not injured?"

Lilith knelt down and placed a hand on Amity's shoulder, looking her squarely in the eyes. Amity could read the concern in Lilith's expression, and knew that Lilith had seen the fear and trauma in hers. Amity looked away slightly.

"No," said Amity.

"That's not entirely what I meant," said Lilith. "I mean... are you all right?"

"...no," Amity said, looking back at Lilith. "I feel... ashamed. And scared. I know Jericho's in custody, but there are more of his people out there, and... I'm no match for them. I couldn't protect Luz, or myself. She got hurt... because of me!"

"It sounds like the two of you protected each other," said Lilith. "When he was torturing the human girl, you fought back. Your arms and legs were bound and you managed to summon a powerful abomination. That's an incredible feat for a girl your age. ...I remember when I was your age and Edalyn wrapped me up with a spell, I tried for a half hour to use my magic on her, but I couldn't do it, and she kept taunting me, and drawing things on the wrappings, and... are you laughing?"

Amity couldn't help but giggle at the thought of Lilith being teased at Eda's hands, but quickly stifled her laugh when her teacher looked her way. Lilith sighed, then smiled, and stood up, placing her hand on Amity's shoulder.

"I thought that story might cheer you up," said Lilith. "Amity, being a member of the Emperor's Coven isn't easy... we're called upon to battle many scary foes, and sometimes, to do... unpleasant things, and when I'm feeling upset, it helps me to think of things that make me smile, or even... laugh."

"I know, Lilith, it's just..."

The smile disappeared from Amity's face, and she found herself thinking of Luz again...thinking of how Luz struggled and screamed when those wrappings tightened around her, how scared she was when she thought Jericho might torture her... how scared she was when she thought Amity was dying.

"I can't get it out of my head, what happened, I can't..."

Amity bowed her head again, and a tear found its way to her face. She gasped and tried to hide it, wipe it away, not cry in front of Lilith, not show weakness... but the tear slid down anyway, and Lilith caught it with her finger.

"Miss Lilith, I-"

"Shhh..." whispered Lilith, wiping the tear away.

"But I can't show weakness... you told me-"

Lilith silently pulled Amity close and hugged her, holding Amity's face to her chest and gently stroking her hair. Amity began to sob, no longer holding back, as Lilith did her best to comfort her traumatized pupil.

"The first time I was nearly killed on a mission, I cried the whole night..." whispered Lilith, continuing to hold Amity close. "The first time I saw a companion die, I didn't come out of my room for a week..."

"You... you've seen a friend die...?" Amity said, looking up at Lilith.

"More than once," Lilith replied, a distant sadness in her eyes, though not a single tear was shed from them. "I had to learn to keep it all inside... but that will come with time... as will your ability to protect yourself and your friends from the dangerous people in this world. You weren't ready to face people like Jericho, but you already know that. Someday, you will be. But until then, it's okay to cry."

"But what about weakness?"

"Your tears are your weakness leaving you," said Lilith, using her hand to wipe more tears from her pupil's face. "And as for Luz, perhaps she does have a gift for magic. She will need someone like you to show her the proper path. Someone who can... counteract the misguided lessons of my sister Edalyn. She'll be looking to you for guidance, and she clearly already likes you. Befriend her, Amity, and help her become strong. Strong like you will be."

"I... I will, Miss Lilith," said Amity, sniffling but smiling. "Thanks for... for not being mad."

"It's all right, my dear," replied Lilith, smiling warmly. "As I said before, you've learned your lesson. Use what happened, Amity... remember your fear and anger and shame. Use it as part of your training. I see great potential in you, Amity... someday, I know you'll achieve your destiny as the leader of the Emperor's Coven."

"Really...?"

Lilith nodded.

"That's why I don't want you taking any more unnecessary risks," said Lilith. "Let me and the rest of the Emperor's Coven handle Jericho and the Silver Hand. Right now, I want you to go back home."

"Yes, Miss Lilith."

As Amity turned to leave the room, Lilith placed a hand on her shoulder. Amity looked up at her, the trauma still visible on her face.

"I'd like to meet with you tomorrow, first thing after school," said Lilith. "For a lesson."

"Of course."

"And... if you're still upset about what happened, I want you to know that I'll be here, and that you can tell me anything. No matter what you need to say, I'll listen... even if you just need a shoulder to cry on. Don't be afraid to be completely honest with me. But no more eavesdropping... Emperor's Coven matters are to remain private. I suppose that there are certain things I can disclose to you, in confidence, if you swear that from now on you'll refrain from spying on me. Consider it... part of your training."

"...thank you, Miss Lilith. I promise, I won't try anything reckless like that again."

"I trust that you won't. Good night, Amity."

Amity gave Lilith a grateful smile as she left the room. A few moments later, Lilith exited as well, walking a different direction down the hallway. As she did, she was met by another member of the coven, a man in a white cloak with an update on the recently captured prisoner.

"As you requested, Jericho Blackheart's been prepared for interrogation."

"Thank you, Canopus. I'll take it from here."

"Lilith, do you want me in there with you? You know what the Silver Hand is capable of."

"I'll be fine by myself," said Lilith, waving her hand at him dismissively. "I don't want any interruptions."

"Understood, madam."

As Canopus nervously obeyed the request, leaving the vicinity, Lilith walked past him and into the interrogation room. Save for the prisoner, shackled at the wrists and ankles to a wooden chair across a long metal table, the room was empty. Lilith ensured that the door was sealed before walking over to the other side of the table, facing the prisoner without taking a seat.

"Jericho Blackheart," said Lilith coldly.

"Lilith Clawthorne," replied the prisoner with a smirk. "The leader of the Emperor's Coven herself... aren't I the lucky one?"

Lilith didn't dignify him with a direct reply. Instead, she briefly paced the room, deep in thought. Finally, she spoke, her voice still steady but with a slight undertone of rage.

"My pupil Amity told me what you did," said Lilith, turning to look Jericho directly in the eye. "Torture, suffocation... threatening her with that ghastly human weapon."

Jericho gave a slight, cocky laugh as he looked up at Lilith. He knew how this worked. He knew how the Emperor's Coven operated. He was ready.

"If you expect me to talk-" He was immediately cut off by the skin of his mouth magically sealing up, transforming his words into muffled grunts. Lilith had just traced a small circle in the air, and now she walked toward Jericho, preparing to trace another.

"Actually, I'd prefer you didn't."

As Jericho continued to protest, his eyes now wide and nervous, Lilith stood over him.

"Whether you break or not matters nothing to me. We're going to hunt down and catch the rest of your friends, one by one, regardless. This interrogation isn't about that. This is much, much more personal. You're about to find out what happens when you cross the Emperor's Coven."

A black flame appeared in Lilith's right hand, as Lilith used her other hand to trace a circle around Jericho's trapped body.

His muffled screams filled the room almost immediately.

O-O-O

The following afternoon, Luz sat on the couch in the Owl House, electing to stay in and rest while Eda and King went off to visit the Bat Queen and possibly ask about where the Silver Hand could've gotten their hands on a gate to access the human world. She was feeling a little better, but as she'd predicted, she'd had a rough time sleeping the previous night, tormented by nightmares of Amity being hurt. She was just about to drift back to sleep when she heard a knock at the door and jumped.

"Oh!" shouted Luz, placing a hand to her chest and feeling her heart beat rapidly. Still jumpy...

"Hoot hoot! It's that girl Amity, should I do something bad to her?"

"What? No!" shouted Luz, jumping up from the couch and running to the door.

"But she's a bully, right?"

"That was last week, Hooty, now she's my friend! Just let her in! She's probably here to return my Azura book!"

The door opened, and Amity was standing there, holding the Azura book tightly to her chest with both hands.

"Hey, Luz, remember yesterday...?"

The two looked at each other, their eyes wide as they did indeed remember the traumatic events of the previous day. Amity, realizing she'd misspoke, put a hand to her mouth and looked away.

"I'm sorry, I just... yesterday I said I'd bring back the book."

"Oh, right...! Right, yeah, of course...! Uh, come on in...!"

Amity stepped into the Owl House and briefly looked around at all the strange sights and the lack of housekeeping. She wanted to make a comment... several, in fact, but it didn't seem like an appropriate time, considering everything that had happened. Instead, she simply handed the book over to Luz, trying her best not to think of the incident... but failing.

"Here," said Amity, her voice soft and trembling slightly.

Luz could tell right away that Amity was still scared... it was the same fear that she herself was feeling, the same fear she'd been dealing with, all of last night and all of this morning. She didn't want to say anything that might make her friend feel bad, but as she reached over to take the book, and remembered her own conversation with Eda, she realized that she needed to talk to someone else about what had happened, and hoped Amity was ready.

"Amity, are you okay? Do you... wanna talk about... you know... yesterday?"

Amity sighed and pulled the book close to her body again, and nodded her head. Luz gestured to the couch, and the two girls sat down and looked at one another for the first time since they'd left the warehouse where both of them had nearly died just a day before.

"I barely slept a wink last night," said Amity. "I told Lilith everything, and she scolded me, but then she told me it was okay, and we talked for a bit, and then I went home and had a nightmare, and I just... I can't stop thinking about how close I came to... losing you."

Luz reached over and took Amity's hands in her own. She smiled softly and looked into Amity's eyes, trying her best to comfort her friend even as she herself felt the need to be comforted.

"Same here," said Luz quietly. "I told Eda, and she got mad... but not at me, she got mad at Jericho and asked me to take her to him so she could turn him into a toilet."

Amity giggled.

"I know, right?"

"Like a body swap thing, or just a straight up transformation?"

"I mean, it's Eda, so you never know, right?" said Luz, shrugging her shoulders. "Anyway, we talked, and I felt a little better, but I had a nightmare too... same thing, about... well..."

The two girls just sat there, the Azura book still sitting in Amity's lap as they held hands and tried their best to ease each other's trauma. They didn't cry, but both of them wanted to... but at the same time, being together made them both feel safer... happier... at the very least, more comfortable. Luz wanted to tell Amity so much... wanted to tell her how she'd just been accepted to Hexside, wanted to tell her how happy she was that Amity was her friend... but she couldn't find the words, not at the moment, and all she wanted to do right now was to just sit there and be with Amity, even if the two of them didn't say anything to each other, she still felt better just being by her side.

"Luz, I'm sorry," said Amity suddenly, looking away.

"Sorry for what?"

"Sorry I got you into the whole mess in the first place. If I hadn't stupidly followed that guy, you wouldn't have gotten caught and hurt and..."

Amity couldn't say anything else without crying, so she stopped... but Luz quickly filled the silence with a thought of her own.

"And I hadn't stupidly followed you-"

"I'd be dead!" Amity suddenly cried out, a sob accompanying her words as a tear slid down her cheek. "Why did you save me, after everything I put you through? After bullying your friends, after nearly getting you dissected, after getting you tortured by that psychopath... why?"

"Because I didn't want you to die," said Luz, clutching Amity's hands tightly. "You're my friend... but even if you weren't, I still would have saved you."

"And I can't ever repay you..."

"Well, it's like the Good Witch Azura always says... knowing you're safe and unharmed is enough reward for me."

She really does want to be just like Azura... thought Amity, wide-eyed in amazement as Luz's unconditional kindness.

As Amity continued to cry, Luz reached up and wiped her tears away. Amity sniffled.

"It's okay, Amity... I told you before, it's okay to cry, but you don't need me to tell you that."

"Lilith says tears are just weakness leaving the body," said Amity.

"What? Why would she say something awful like that?!" Luz suddenly replied, aghast at the implications of Lilith's words. "Tears aren't weakness at all, they've got nothing to do with weakness!"

"Well, to be fair, she said it in the nicest way possible..." replied Amity. "I don't know what Eda's told you about her sister, but Lilith really is a great teacher and I care a lot about her. She's... she's... ugh, well you saw my diary, she's almost like a mom to me! She didn't mean anything bad by it!"

"Okay, okay, I get it... but still, crying is... crying is..." Luz sniffled and shed a tear as well, though unlike Amity, she was smiling. "It's your eyes' way of telling you when you're emotioning really hard!"

"Uh, I don't remember Azura ever saying that, and I've read all five books cover to cover."

"Oh, no, that's just something I made up just now!" said Luz with a giggle. Amity couldn't help but giggle as well, and the two girls laughed together, even crying a few more tears as they clutched hands tightly.

Then, they slowly let each other go, still looking into each other's eyes. They'd cheered up, but could still see the trauma deep within each other's expressions, and knew that the events of the previous night wouldn't just go away after a few short conversations and half a day to think about it.

"Luz... you saved my life-"

"And you saved mine," said Luz. "I'll never forget how brave you were... in fact, thinking about how brave you were is the only thing I remember from that night that makes me smile."

"Really? I don't think I was that brave... I mean, I broke really quickly, all he had to do was threaten you and I was ready to tell him everything..."

"You didn't tell him anything, you attacked him, remember?"

"Yeah, but if I hadn't had that spell ready to go... who knows what I would have told him? ...the thing is, I was ready to sell out Lilith... to protect you... and I don't know how to feel about that. I barely know you, but I've known Lilith for years. I love Lilith. She's like family to me... you're... you're... the first real friend I've had since I pushed Willow away."

Amity placed her knees to her chin and clutched her arms tightly around them, her mind racked with confusion. Luz placed a hand on her shoulder, and Amity leaned into her, very slightly.

"It was a really intense moment," said Luz, looking into Amity's eyes and speaking sincerely. "We both did things in there that we couldn't have imagined doing before. I might've been trying to look brave, but in my mind, I was screaming for you to save me... even though I knew the cost. I felt so selfish doing that, but in that moment, all I felt was fear... I didn't felt like Azura at all, I felt like a scared little human girl with no powers who just wanted to go home. And sometimes... when I think back on that night... I still do."

Amity looked at Luz, and saw her eyes trembling with fear and shame. She felt the same emotions inside herself, and if she couldn't blame Luz for any of them, she couldn't blame herself either.

"I do too..." said Amity, before leaning in and wrapping her arms tightly around Luz, embracing her and starting to sob again. Amity could feel Luz trembling and hear her sobbing in her arms, and tightened her embrace, burying her face in her friend's shoulder and letting out a stifled scream.

Luz quivered with emotion as she and Amity held each other, memories and trauma flooding back for both girls as they caressed each other's backs and screamed into each other's shoulders.

Finally, they parted, after what seemed like several minutes crying in each other's arms. Both of their faces were bright red, their eyes enlarged with the aftermath of their emotions. They both sniffled, and wiped some of their own tears away, then reached up and wiped away each other's to completely dry their faces.

"I'm so glad I didn't lose you," said Luz, still too emotional to raise her voice above a whisper.

"I'm so glad I found you," replied Amity softly, sniffling one more time. "Thanks for not giving up on me."

"I never give up," said Luz with a warm smile. "Especially not on a friend."

Finally, the two parted from one another, and Amity stood up from the couch, the Azura book falling from her lap onto the floor. Amity bent down to pick it up.

"Sorry," said Amity, picking up the book and briefly checking it for damage. Upon confirming it was unharmed, she started to hand it back to Luz, then hesitated. "Um... Luz... do you think I could hold onto it a little bit longer? It's just... I started reading it again last night and it helped me get to sleep, and I thought maybe if I had some of those nightmares again, I could-"

"No problem, keep it as long as you need to," said Luz, standing up and gently pushing the book toward Amity's chest. "Azura's helped me through a lot, so I know she's helped you plenty too. No matter what world we're in, a good book is always a big help, right?"

"Right," said Amity, nodding. "Thank you."

The two girls looked at each other again, both of them blushing brightly. Without another word, they leaned in toward each other, and started to close their eyes...

"That was so... so beautiful...!" Hooty's voice suddenly rang through the room. "And to think, I was going to do something bad to her!"

"Hooty!" Luz shouted, quite upset with the interruption.

"Wait, what?" Amity stammered. "Did your house just talk? And did it say it wanted to do something bad to me?"

"No! I didn't say anything!" Hooty protested, his every word just making the situation worse as Luz and Amity walked toward the door together. "And I meant... something good! Like a present! Luz, what's a good present for rich bullies?"

"Ay dios mio, Amity, I am so sorry..."

Amity sighed, but was smiling slightly as she and Luz approached the door.

"At least now I know you don't fry up any owls here."

"I know of one owl I'm seriously thinking about frying..." growled Luz, clenching her fist and glaring at Hooty.

"Oh yeah, arson, that's a great way to solve life's problems," said Hooty sarcastically. "First King, now you. If Eda turns into a pyro too I'm in serious trouble!"

Ignoring Hooty as she opened the door, Luz managed to give Amity a smile, and the two stood in the doorway, having, at least for now, forgotten the ordeal they'd endured together.

"I'll see you around then, Luz," said Amity. "I'll be back at the library in a few days, maybe the two of us can read to the kids together?"

"Really?" asked Luz, surprised but quite happy that Amity had taken her up on her offer. "We can do voices and everything?"

"Only if you can do as many as I can," said Amity, changing up her voice to sound slightly lower.

"Ooooh, I betcha I can do even more," said Luz with a smirk.

"I'll hold you to it!"

The two girls shared one last laugh as Amity left, Luz waving to her until she disappeared down the path leading from the house. Then, she turned and went back inside, and for the first time since last night, she was able to think about Amity without thinking about what the two of them had endured together.

It felt good to think about Amity without that burden, and filled Luz's heart with a warmth she never dreamed she'd find again so soon.

I'm so glad I didn't lose you, Amity.

And I'm glad I found you too.