Boiling Gems (The Owl House x Steven Universe)

Summary: The answers you seek

Child fell to the ground. "Pink's always a meanie." They pouted. "They can't even do one fun thing."

"You okay, little guy?" Lu-Lu picked him up in her kind and warm arms. "That big scary pink guy didn't hurt you too much, did he?"

"No." Child muttered. "He never hurts us. If he gets close to it he instantly stops and does something else." Everyone considered him the 'brain', which was weird, considering where they all lived. A brain within a brain. Hah. "Sorry my brain isn't any nicer. Everything's been more of a mess since the fire."

"Hey, it's not your fault you're a mess." Sis assured him with a head scratch. "We've just gotta clean up your head, then we can leave so Pink doesn't try and murder us."

He hummed, looking around the attic. "Oh, this is a really old memory." He pointed to an opened chest. "Pink doesn't mess with those ones too often, so it'll be safe to hide in for a while."

"Oooh, saving my friend, hiding from the enemy, and learning his backstory? You sure know how to show a gal a fun time, little Lucci." She tickled his stomach, and he laughed. "Oh, if only the outside you could smile this much."

"Don't worry, he smiles on the inside, even if he doesn't show it." He assured her as they jumped into the memory, where they landed in more snow.

"More snow? Did we end up at the knee again?"

"Nope." He looked around. "The trees are too big …" Child touched one, noticing the rust. "This memory is pretty old …" They looked at the lone fire next to a baby.

"Oooof, that's not a pretty sight." Lu-lu gently stomped on the fire to make it fade away. "Okay, lets see if that did anything." A few seconds later the baby cleared up a bit, showing a familiar pink rock, and a woman with fluffy hair standing next to them.

"You're so lucky that witches eating babies hasn't been a thing in centuries, or else you'd be looking pretty tasty laying down on a silver platter with an apple in your mouth." The woman picked the memory of him from the snow.

"Mama." He'd recognize the voice anywhere. That sass filled with warmth and care that would always make sure he'd stay safe.

"Bwa."

"Nah, Lilly and Gwendolyn would never let me live it down if they ever found out. Word of advice kid, responsibility is the worst. Avoid it as if your life depends on it."

"Aww, even back then, she was a fun and irresponsible parent." Lu-lu cooed.

"Yeah, she doesn't always do the right thing, but she's my mama. I know in the end she only does what she thinks is the best for me." Child agreed.

Gugah."

"Over hundreds of wedefdhw in wwoidijhwwiwjdnhd and the first one to not curse me away is a baby." She muttered. "Really says something about nsdhnshcu doesn't it, kido?"

"Wait, I think their might still be a fire around." Lu-lu tried to look around the area. "Hold on, let me..aha." She spotted another fire. "Let's just put that out…"

" sdvosdvsdnvsdvwedefdhw in wwoidijhwwiwjdnhd and the dsdwsefwerfwoefowmefo by." She muttered. "Really says something about nsdhnshcu doesn't it, kido?"

"Ahh! I MADE IT WORSE!" Lu-lu shouted in terror. "Don't worry, little Lucci, I can fix this, I can-"

"Why are you trying to fix it?" Child asked, genuinely confused. "There's no need to fix it, the moment is perfect as it is."

"What?" She asked, looking at the image. "But … he can't remember it?"

"Details leave all the time, the feelings they create are what's important." He answered simply. "You don't remember every single word your mama and daddy say to you, but you remember them being there for you, right?"

Lu-Lu looked at him, then at the memory. "Yeah … you've got a point …" She nodded. "You sure this memory is alright before we move onto another?"

"Absolutely. This is when Mama first took me home." Child answered as the details started to get more clear. "Mama was really frustrated about something for some reason, but I can't remember what."

"Don't think just because you're a baby I'm going to let you get away with cannibalism. The innocent act only gets you so far." Memory Mama said as the baby sucked on her finger.

"... You were really into fingers back then." His sister muttered.

"Meh, it's not like it affected me psycopogicamy." Child shrugged. "Oooh, I think I can show the first time Aunt Lilly and Am-Am next!"

"Again, I wish this side of you came out more often." Child wished the same as well…maybe in the next life.

========================================================================

Amity groaned as she stood up. "Oww …" The girl looked around to see where she ended up. "What memory did we have?"

"One full of pleasant and painful moments of our naive and ignorant youth." The sad Lucci said as he grabbed a nearby rag and wrapped her injured shoulder. "Here. I know you don't trust my healing powers, so this'll hold for now."

"It's good enough." She grimaced as the knot was put in place, taking in her surroundings and ignoring that part of Lucci wanted her dead. "Is…Is this the beach?"

"Yeah…the one you and Willow use to ditch swim class to hang out in." Lonely answered as he led her through. "I came here a lot after the birthday party, thinking you two would show up…but it never came."

She noticed the flaming body of Lucci, repeatedly playing the same string on a Lute over and over as they stared off into the sunset, inside of a broken, hobbled fort. "That…looks really painful." Amity winced at the sight.

"It was worse on the inside … you broke me." Lonely admitted. "I needed to vent, so I went into music … it was the only thing that made sense at the time."

So much guilt and shame swelled up on the inside of Amity. She was a jerk to Willow for the past ten years, feeling it was the only course of action she could take. Amity assumed she was at least halfway decent by not even encountering Lucci in all that time…but clearly that did even more harm than picking on him.

 "Well, here, let me try and fix some of it." She offered, using her abomination magic to straighten out the old fort and patching up the hard. "This..This is the one we built together, isn't it?" She asked. "Fort LAW?"

"I held it up for as long as I could….but clearly I'm better at destroying then repairing." Lonely sighed. "After all, I couldn't repair the damage to our friendship."

"It …" She grimaced. "It wasn't you-"

"It was." Lucci interrupted her. "You both left me … I was the only thing left … so I had to be the problem." They said, looking out to the sea. "Like Willow said, all this power and all I have to aim for in life is being a criminal…I'm nothing but alley scum people wipe away without a second thought."

"That's not true!" Amity cried out, grabbing a flag and placing it on top of the fort. "I never saw you as a criminal Lucci! You were my friend!"

The image stopped looping, now starting up a melody. " Am I not….enough?" The memory began to sing. "How can you just go off, Without me….without me?"

Amity winced at the sound, trying her best to continue fixing the memory while blocking that out.

"It's hitting me real rough." Which was hard to do when Lonely sang along. "That you want to go places, Without Me….Without me." They matched in perfect harmony.

"No, I don't like this feeling." It continued as Amity worked on the walls, lifting them with her abominations. "Feels just like a fault line separating...land once whole….. And I have no control."

Having no control, that was a feeling Amity knew far too well. Over half her life, and she's felt like she's had no control over anything. " No I don't like this notion…That you could find more devotion…..On another shore, what's this for?"

"I'm trying my best..really, I'm trying my absolute damndest to bring you back, Lucci!" Amity called out, almost snapping the pieces she was carrying in half as she held them. "I don't want you gone!"

" I guess I'm not enough." They sang together again. Why couldn't she get stuck with the kid, and not the one that opened up her wounds? "Now things feel so very off. Without you….without you,"

"It wasn't you Lucci…you weren't the one who wasn't enough." Amity responded she could barely force herself to move.

"No I don't like this 'leaving thing'…" Past Lucci lamented. "This 'going off on your own'." Lonely joined in again, hugging his past self. "To somewhere new, without a clue."

"Would you stop putting yourself down!" She shouted out.

"And though I can't compete…. With things I don't understand…"

"You were the strongest out of us! You kept popping up so many random powers and I wanted to match that level of progress!" Amity admitted. "I admired you for that!"

"Won't accept defeat….For the strength you see….. You gave to me…" Lonely stood up, walking to the boiling sea. "So how could I be…. Without you, without you, without you…" They stopped right at the water's edge. "Without you, without you, without…..us"

Amity watched the boiling water reach the edge of Lucci's feet, who other than a slight wince, just stayed perfectly still. "I played that day over and over in my head a hundred times." Lonely said with a long sigh. "I kept telling myself that it didn't make sense…I didn't…I still don't understand how someone can just…hate you after being friends for so long."

" You know I huff and puff…." Memory lucci kept going. " Can't you see I'm not that tough..?"

"I don't hate you Lucci." Amity admitted.

"You said I was alley scum." He responded plainly..

"You see I need you."

"You looked at me with tears and anger." Lonely said. "You had to hate me."

"Or I don't think I'll make it through…." The memory played the last of its strings." "Without you."

"You're wrong Lucci." Amity wiped her eyes, trying to keep all the tears inside. "I'm the one who couldn't make it without the two of you. I let myself get used by Lilith and I'm constantly hanging around people I hate."

"Then you should just hang with us." Lonely cried.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because-" She moved forward, feeling air move by her hair. Amity turned to see a buzzsaw where her head was seconds ago, with a few strands of hair caught inside.

"Eliminate intruder. Eliminate invader." That crazy Pink Lucci came in, destroying the fort as the saw missed her.

"Hey!" She screamed, rolling out of the way. "You're destroying your own memories!

"Eliminate all threats to the mind." They spoke, shooting multiple spikes at her.

"We need to go!" Lonely grabbed her arm and tugged her hard.

========================================================================

Willow grimaced as she removed another spike from her clothes. "I don't remember there being this many."

"You weren't the one drowned inside of them." And to help the situation, she was stuck with the Con man … fantastic. Why couldn't Anger come with her? They had some much in common, like hating Amity. "I could put them all in bubbles for you if-"

"You're part of Lucci's lying disorder." She glared at him. "I'm not trusting anything you say."

"Fine, be that way. Get through the memories without my help, see where that gets you." Apparently sarcasm and sass was a large part of the con man personality.

"I was his friend, I know where to go." She argued as she moved to another painting. "The mirror incident, where the twins made us think Blight Industries were making a clone army."

"As much as I hate them, I have a strong respect for their creativity and pranking passion." Con man smirked. "We ended up getting stuck in one hallway for like..four hours."

"Five actually." Willow corrected as she entered. "We thought we were getting cornered by a squadron of Amity's." To think Willow once thought that wasn't a bad thing.

"The good times." The part of Lucci muttered as they walked down the hall. "But when you tell a lie enough times, it starts to unravel."

"Yeah, when people lie about always being your friend, always standing by your side, promising to let nothing get in the way." Willow recalled. "I was lucky to meet Gus when I did. He didn't have any real friends, and I was just starting Hexide." Both of them knew what it was like to be spurned by people who didn't appreciate you.

"I have to admit, it was quite ingenious." The boy responded. "I didn't think you had the ability to pull such a con yourself."

She stopped walking. "A … con?"

"Yeah." The boy continued forward. "Make a friend and have him dependent on you and you alone." Lucci snickered. "Then again, you pulled it once before, so doing it twice must've been cake for someone like you."

"Hey, I'm not the one who abandoned anyone. That was all Amity's fault." She reminded him.

"You abandoned us too." The Con Man responded. "That's why I felt I should betray you before you betray me."

She stopped. "Wha … what?" What did he mean by betray?

"I need to look out for number one." The Lucci smirked. "Just like you and Amity did, why should I care what happens along as I come out on top?" She could see it in the infinite reflections … the Pink crazy Lucci walking through the halls.

"Lucci, don't do this." She tried to speak, freaking out when she felt Pink get close.

"Too late, half a witch. It's already happening." Con man placed a pink Barrier around them, keeping her stuck in one place. "Just got to stay here and wait for Pink to finish the job."

"Lucci, why are you doing this?! I thought we were friends again!"

"Is that what you told yourself? Because it's pretty damn obvious you love hating Amity more than you like being my friend." He accused. "I really, really thought after Orchid, things would be different, but no, your only willing to meet me halfway when you want to get your revenge fix in."

"That's not true at all!" She shouted.

"Oh shut up. You don't trust me, and I don't trust you. We're at an impasse you know." Con man went on. "Once Pink finishes you off for being an intruder, I don't have to worry about the knife you plan to stab me with ever again, just like in the past."

"I didn't stab-" She tried to argue.

"You did, and you always will!" He shouted. "Now shut up and wait so I don't have to deal with your whining anymore." He turned around. "After all, I'm taking the greatest lesson you ever told me to heart. Out of sight, out of mind."

Willow grimace, guilt building up as a shadow rounded the corner. She … she didn't have it in her to fight. She should let it- "Plant Glyph!" A vine wrapped around the bubble, squeezing it tightly until it popped. "Haha, I'm getting the hang of it!"

"Luz Luz Luz." Con man sighed. "Are you really okay with letting someone as wicked as her walk free?"

"Seriously Con man? Willow's like the sweetest person I've met since coming to the isles. You can't see that because you're the part of Lucci that's always skeptical." Luz countered. "And Child loves Willow, so even you don't agree with your own argument."

"Okay, Child loves everybody." They rolled their eyes. "Heck, they even love the enemies we fight."

"They just need a hug, and then they'll stop being meanies." The little Lucci argued.

"Oh really? because that's not what dear ole Mama taught us, little birdie, remember?" Con man argued back. "You can't trust people to change. If you're going to make it, it's going to be on our own."

"Come on!" Luz yelled. "Are you really that okay with Lucci regressing into a thumb sucking baby?! No matter how cute he is as one, that's gotta be a down side!"

Con man smirked. "I see it as less of a regression and more of a…rejuvenation."

Well that was horrifying. Unfortunately, their arguing was cut off by a familiar pink spike. "Eliminate the threat."

"Bout time, big guy, let it all burn!" Con man laughed as the walls came crashing down and the ceiling began to crumble.

"Wait, he's destroying the memory!" Willow called out as Luz used ice glyphs to shield them from the debris. "I thought you were just trying to drive us out, you're just hurting the real Lucci more!"

"I'm eliminating all threats to mental health." They stated. "You and Blight have caused nothing but harm and misery." More spikes formed. "Erasing you is the best course of action."

"I'm no doctor, but hurting yourself is something far, far more damaging than anything else!" Luz shouted. "So that's it, huh con man? You can't trust anyone and will never let anyone get close?"

"Pretty much, yeah." The Lucci nodded.

"Fine, then I guess you won't care what happens to ME then!" Luz exclaimed, diving head first into the spikes that Pink had laid out. Said spikes instantly dissipated. "... Umm …"

"Noceda is a positive benefit to mental health. Will avoid and focus on threats. Elimination continuing." Pink responded without a hint of emotion.

"Huh, that wasn't the Lucci I was hoping would have a reaction, but it's something!" Luz snapped her fingers and immediately glomped herself over Willow. "I'm stuck to Willow like glue now! Hurt her and you hurt me!"

The Pink Lucci stared at them for a moment. "Switching targets. Eliminate Blight."They responded, walking away.

Con Man shrugged. "One out of two ain't bad." He smirked. "Your move, Luzura."

"I learned to gamble from the best, Mr Eemo." Luz snickered. "Come on Willow."

Willow just stood still for a second. She had thought just pushing past the issue and ignoring it would be enough to fix her problems with Lucci. She assumed as long as they both hated Amity, that they would slowly become friends again. Instead she made the issues worse.

"Will Will." She turned down to the child tugging on her. "Come on, we gotta run."

There was that innocent face she use to see on him everyday. A face that used to hold so much hope and faith in her. "Lucci.." She looked at both parts of him. "I don't know how long it's going to take, but I will get you to trust me again one day. I promise."

"Sure, and one day squirrels will fly and hell will burn over." The con man rolled his eyes as Luz laughed. "What's so funny?"

"You'll see one day!"

========================================================================

Luz jumped out of the painting, running around as she tried to look around. "Alright, he's going after anything involving Amity and you. That means he's probably looking for Amity there to." She muttered to herself. "We need a plan to save Amity and keep Pink pinned."

"Yeah, that's a little easier said than done!" Willow yelled, covering the holes in her clothes with leaf patches. "We'd have a hard enough time pinning down a regular Lucci, and this pink one has no restraint."

She looked around for anything that could help, eventually resting her eyes on a Lucci. "Quick, which one are you!" She asked.

"Mind your own business, Luz, busy trying to find that Pink jerk." Anger it was.

"Look, we figured it out." Luz grabbed him. "It's not after intruders, it's after Willow and Amity and every memory they're in." She said while shaking him. "You've gotta forgive her."

"Forgiveness, yeah, because that's totally easy to do." Anger rolled his eyes. "That's like expecting Willow to forgive Amity instantly, that ain't going to happen."

"Of course it would, Willow would forgive her that easily, right?" She turned to the plant girl.

"Ehhh." Willow responded with a shaky hand. "Maybe..sort of..not really." Her friends were super petty.

"Well if you don't forgive her, our only option is to try and pin down Pink Lucci." Luz argued.

"Yeah, that's impossible." Anger deadpanned. "Pink's basically Lucci's power incarnate, and he's at his maximum output when Lucci is stressed….something he has been accumulating a lot of lately." They explained. "Not to mention this is the brain, and he's the majority shareholder on manipulating his own mind."

"Ughh, you guys are so lucky I'm a nice person or I would've given up trying to help this friendship a long, LONG time ago." Luz droned before going near another picture. "AMITY! ARE YOU CLOSE!? WE NEED TO MEET BACK UP!"

Amity chose that moment to show up … being shot out of a photo, her body covered in scapes, Lonely coming out with her. "He's … on my trail …" She panted.

"I would've healed her, but she doesn't like my healing powers." Lonely began sulking behind the couch. "I can't keep anyone around me. I'll just hide my face where no one can see or notice my existence." If Luz ever had to jump into someone else's head, it would be too soon.

"Amity, glad you're somewhat in one piece. We've figured out Pink Lucci's whole deal." Luz picked the girl up. "He's not just after us, he's going after every moment with you and Willow."

"Yeah, I've noticed." Amity winced, turning to anger. "I know no amount of apologies can make up for the last ten years, but I'm sorry." She got on her knees.

"Nice try Blight, but that's not gonna cut it." They turned as Con Man walked into the area. "Between my skepticism, Lonely's desire to not be created in the first place, and Anger's …" He just gave a general wave in the guy's direction.

"Stubbornness." Anger honestly admitted, raising his hand.

"I was gonna say existence, but close enough." The part of Lucci shrugged. "Point is, three out of four say Amity and Willow should be forgotten, and Pink's gonna carry out that no matter what."

"I want to be friends." Everyone turned to Child, running up to Amity and hugging her leg.

Anger let out a growl that sounded more similar to an animal. "Do we need to remind you what happened?" He asked, gesturing to the birthday painting. "Because we can go there if you want."

"Yeah..yeah that's a great idea!" Luz pounded her hands.

"It is?" Everyone agreed for the first time.

"Look, I don't know what happened that day, but going by how everyone wants to keep ignoring it, I'm going to assume that's the day you three stopped being friends, right?" Luz observed, and the silence answered for her. "But Lucci only knows one side of the story, his side. Amity, you need to be honest about what happened and explain yourself. That's the only possible way Lucci will ever consider forgiving you and stopping this rampage."

The girl grimaced, looking down in shame. "Fine then." Anger stood up, holding his hand out. "Let's see it."

The rest of the Lucci's followed, as the picture got bigger and bigger, enveloping the room, showing two children giggling with each other.

"Come on." A little Lucci begged. "Tell me tell me tell me."

"No way." A mini Willow complained. "Amity is gonna be the first one to see my gift, not you."

"Awww, as horrifying as this day has been, I'm never going to get tired of seeing little witch baby versions of my friends." Luz commented.

"Come on, I've already told you what I've got her." Memory Lucci begged as he dragged along a long hot dog shaped looking thing wrapped in gift wrap.

"And like that, you lost the surprise edge." Memory Willow grinned. "And thus, I shall be the victor of the 'best present' competition."

"It was a hot dog hacky sack to go along with my cheeseburger backpack." Child answered. "It saved my life on more than one occasion, so I thought a hot dog would help her out." 

"I'm sure it would have." Amity chuckled brokenly, turning her head away in shame.

The door opened, as Memory Amity walked in very quietly, gently closing the door behind her. "Oh, Amity!" Lucci dragged over his present. "You wanna open my present first? I know it may seem obvious, but it's-"

"Leave." The girl said it so quietly it almost seemed like a whisper.

"... What?" The Memory asked in confusion.

"I said to leave!" She shotued. "Get out of my house, and out of my life, you slimy piece of alley scum!!" ….ooooh, yeah, that would give Luz trust issues too. 

The memory Lucci stayed quiet, silently falling backwards as tears filled his eyes. "Yeah…that still stings to remember." Child sighed.

"Amity, what's going on? Why are you talking like this?" Memory Willow attempted to ask, doing her best to pick the past 

"Just get out, of my house!" The girl shouted, pushing Memory Willow back. "All I see when I look at you too are a fragile weakling and a piece of trash! I'm a Blight, I don't associate with low lives like you anymore!"

They watched the present of Willow burn away, turning into black along with the memory. "The only person who'd accept me as a friend …" Lonely started. "The only one who wouldn't run away from me … gone."

"And then …"

They watched as Memory Lucci knocked on the door of a house. "Willow … Willow!"He shouted. The scene changed to night. "Willow … Willow!" And to chasing her down the street. "Willow!"

"I'd thought we'd have each other's back.." Child cried, curling himself in a ball. "I thought at least we'd stick with each other in the tough times.."

"And then my other friend ditched me to …" Anger muttered. "All alone … left to rot …"

"As I said." Con Man growled. "Friendship is nothing but a con, that's why Luz is my only friend… because it takes being a different species to actually trust someone other than family."

Luz … Luz was feeling a little overwhelmed right now. "Alright … maybe now we can-"

Crash

"You are invaders of this Mind. Lucci wishes to eliminate his past friendships, and I will carry out the task." The Pink Lucci crashed into the wall, raising their arm, multiple spikes forming. 

"No!" Luz jumped in front of him. "Come on, you guys have to have reasons, something!"

"No …" Willow muttered, tears forming in her eyes. "I … I didn't have a good reason."

========================================================================

So much stress building up. So much anxiety. Anxiousness. Anger. Confusion. Emotion. So much to process for Pink. But pink would protect this mind. It would clean out the mess soon enough though. "The host will be safe once you two are eliminated." They spoke. "Move Noceda, or I shall do it for you."

"No! Not until I finally get some damn straight answers!" The one Lucci considered trustworthy stuck her hands out. "Willow! You have to give us something better than just 'no good reason'!"

"It's true though …" The mindscape became overloaded with emotion, switching to a memory from the plant witch. They watched a young Park mess around with construction art. "Back then I …" The girl looked like she was swallowing a pill. "I liked Amity."

"We all liked Am Am." Child cried.

"You know, back when she was a different person?" Anger rolled his eyes.

"Do you seriously think this is news?" Con artist complained.

The young Park giggled as she pulled up … a metallic heart, with A&W embedded into it. "I'm gonna surprise her with this, and if she says yes, maybe I can kiss her on the cheek like dad and papa do!"

" ....HUuuuuuuuuuuh?" All occupants in the area were equally baffled by the sight.

"Processing information." Pink observed. "Lucci ponders how small the signs were for this to go unnoticed."

"Like, what the hell!?" Anger shouted.

"How did we never see this coming? This strange attraction before us!" Lonely sang out.

"... I …" Blight spoke out, just staring at the scene before her. "I never…I didn't.."

"Of course you didn't know..what I was feeling didn't matter to you at all." Park grumbled, trying to cover her tears. "When she set the gift on fire I … everything was pain for a few days. I needed to be alone, and figure out what to feel." She explained. "Then … then one day …"

It showed a Memory of Park sitting in her bed, sniffling as she looked out the window … only to spot Blight next to Boscha. "Wha … but why …"

"And then I had a dumb thought …" Park said as she sniffled. "This stupid fucking thought in my head …" She responded. "If Amity ditched me for Boscha, and she didn't even like her … then what did that say about Lucci?" There was a silence. "I was afraid of being hurt again, of just being crushed harder before I fell through the floor. She bullies me every day and I knew you'd eventually join her …" The Park girl turned to Lonely. "But instead I just made you hate friends and trust all together … I turned you into a criminal…" She sniffled as she glanced at Con man. "It was nothing but a bad choice that ruined you …"

Park turned to Pink. "Do what you need to do … I probably deserve it … and maybe it'll help Lucci in the long run."

" Processing information…evaluating sympathy and understanding."

Con man looked like he was struggling to say something, rapidly wiping his face. "If ripping you to shreds was the answer to our pain, Lucci would've done it a long time ago."

Lonely turned to her with teary eyes. "Did you really think we'd abandon you?"

"... I knew what it was like to like someone …" Park sniffed. "I knew if I was ever given the chance to be with who I liked, I'd jump without a second thought. I knew…I assumed you'd be the same way."

"Will-will…" Child hugged her leg. "Boscha's cool and all, but even I know it's one sided. I'd never put that in front of my friends, who I know care about me."

"This is so beautiful!" Noceda cried out. "Can we get a group hug!?"

"Eliminating Blight with hug." They still had a job, even if many feelings were flowing through thoughts about Park.

"Right, this heartfelt reconnection almost made me forget it's a trio of friends we're trying to help heal." Noceda got in front of Blight. "Amity, it's your turn…Amity?"

Blight looked like a jackalope caught in the headlights, still looking baffled but what unfolded. "I…uh…what's happening right now?"

"Pink's trying to kill you?" Anger brought up.

"Oh right, that's a thing." Amity signed, giving a regretful look to Park, who just shifted her head away. "I don't know if what I'm about to show will touch you as emotionally..but I do have a reason for why I acted how I did…it's not an excuse, but it's my reason."

A door opened up as they were shown the inside, of a young Blight looking up to two shadows. "Amity, what have I told you about those two." A female voice argued. "They are low class witches, and Blights do not associate with them."

" But there the only friends I have! The only friends I actually choose! Boscha and the other's only stick around because your friends with their parents, and they're mean!"

"You think Skara is mean?" Lonely asked confused.

"She was a lot more ruthless before she met you." Blight answered. "I once saw her strangle an adult with a viola string because they were a minute late on the ice scream…" They shivered.

"Blights have to be strong Mittens." A male voice added in. "You may have a teacher from the Emperor's Coven, but hanging around people like this will just lower your talents at a young age."

"I wanted nothing more than to have you two at my party, but like everything else in my life, I didn't have a choice." Amity sighed.

" But, but.." Past amity tried to argue.

"You are going to stop this nonsense, or else you won't be the only one punished for this Amity." The male voice continued.

"Not only will we make sure Willow never attends Hexide, we'll make sure that little alley scum clinging to her side rots in the deepest, dirtiest hole on the Isels while he gets a birds eye view of his mother being petrified." The female voice threatened.

"No, I'll do what you say. Please, leave them alone." The memory of Blight spoke with fear.

"Of course. A Blight always keeps up their end of the bargain … now make sure you never associate with weak trash like them again."

"You weren't weak … you weren't scum … you weren't fragile." Blight finished. "... I was."

Pink relayed information to the host, and a new consensus formed . "Lucci now wishes for the eradication of the Blight Parents."

"I always knew those elitist snobs were the worst." Anger grumbled. "Now I have more justification to burn down the manor."

"Can we not kill people today!?" Noceda shouted.

"No no … this time I agree with Lucci." Blight relented. "We promised ourselves that we'd be strong enough to do whatever we want..and I've wanted nothing more in the past ten years than to finally tell my parents off and break free." Amity fell to the ground. "So much for keeping my word, I've spent all this time getting more and more weak."

"It was a stupid word." Park walked over, looking hesitant before patting the girl on the shoulder. "You shouldn't have had to keep it in the first place."

"All this time thinking I've been alone….it didn't cross my mind that you were going through the same thing." Lonely kneeled down and looked at Amity at eye level. 

"You were just a kid doing what her parents told her what to do." Child nodded, patting her on the back. "That's what good kids do, even if what they're told can be stupid."

"A lie … you hating us was a lie …" Con man muttered, staring into the distance. "And I couldn't even tell you were lying every day …"

"What can I say..I learned from the best." Blight chuckled brokenly. "I can't undo the past no matter how much I want to..but I'm going to change. Willow…" She turned to Park. "It's far from making up for everything, but I won't let Boscha or anyone else pick on you anymore , I swear."

"It's fine … I've gotten a bit stronger myself." The girl chuckled weakly.

"Now can we group hug?" Noceda asked with what would be described as comically large tears. "Because I really think everyone here needs it."

"Finally! Friendship hug!" Child jumped in the air and dragged Park and Blight together.

"Don't you dare touch me-!" Anger was dragged in by Noceda.

"You sure it wouldn't be better if I just disappeared?" Lonely asked.

"Come on Lonely, you need it now than anybody right now." Blight offered her hand.

"I dunno, a hug seems like a pretty personal thing." Con man smirked. "I might be willing to bargain for it."

"One strangling on an enemy I call dibs on?" Willow offered.

"You drive a hard bargain Park." Con man laughed. "Eh, what the hell? One hug won't kill me."

Pink watched as the group gathered together, stress levels from within Lucci beginning to levitate. "Processing…Park and Blight create positive reaction. They shall not be eliminated…for now." He moved in with his arms opened.

"That's the spirit big-uh wait, hold back your strength before you-!" Noceda began to shout as he squeezed.

Crunch 

"I know I'm just an abstract construct meant to represent the process of thought…but I think he broke something…ow.." Anger coughed.

"Love hurts … the best way possible." Noceda spoke. "... We're gonna need a medic."

========================================================================

"And that's half your future earnings." Skara said as she once more beat the Owl Lady at hexas holdem.

"Twenty seven out of fifty two?" The woman asked as she held her cards while rocking the baby Lucci. "I got distracted by Lucci's adorable face so much I keep forgetting to play my wild card."

"Baby Lucci is the only reason I am not strangling you woman." King growled out with compressed rage. "Also, I have so many questions about how you raised me."

"Hey, you could've ended up worse." Eda posted to Hooty, who was currently driving Gus insane with his ramble. "It could be you turning Goop's brain to mush over there."

"And then I ate the bug, where I listened to it digest for five whole hours. After that, mom packed up a bus and started walking to the finger, where-"

"That's it, I'm done." The boy spoke up. "I will fail this report like any normal witch."

"That's the spirit kid." Eda threw a small disk. "Here's your official bad girl quitting patch. It's like trying, but easier." The child in her arms began fussing. "Aww, does baby need his special nest?" She asked. "I know I've still got some Owl Beast feathers around her somewhere …"

Lucci began glowing, the sheet he was wrapped in moving with him as his body contorted and shifted, growing until it was a fully grown Lucci wearing the sheer like a toga. "That … was the most intensive form of help I have ever encountered."

"YOU'RE BACK!" Eda grabbed onto the boy tightly. "I am so sorry that happened! I swear I am making everyone involved pay, and we are going to have a nice family night tonight!"

"Whoa, mom, I'm glad to see you too, but we need to..." Lucci didn't finish as King jumped on his face.

"Finally, your back! I was getting scared for a second that I'd have to change your diapers while retaining you as my third in command!"

"Happy to see you too King but…"

"Luccccciiii!" Hooting shot himself from the door and wrapped his wormy tube body around them. "Finally! You remember all my stories! Nobody else can listen to them without foaming at the mouth!"

Skara idly checked Gus, who indeed was whipping off foam. "Hooty, it's nice to see you too, but …"

"Ah, what the hell? Not everyday I can join in on a dog pile hug." She ignored the cast covered body she sported, jumping onto him. "Your were an adorable baby. Now I know the soft baby face was always a thing."

"Skara, when did you get in a cast-never mind, we need to get the girls out of my head!"

"Oh right." Eda nodded. "Luz needs to get to safety before family night. And I still need to murder that Blight girl." She began waving her fingers.

"No mom, no killing Amity." Lucci said as three lights were drawn out of his head.

"She burnt up the memories in your head and turned you into an infant." Eda said sternly. "I will have my vengeance mister."

"Yeah, but who doesn't mess up using fire every once in a while?" Lucci shrugged.

"Did … you just defend Amity?" Gus asked.

"Is it really that hard to believe?"

"Yes." Everyone stared as the three girls popped into existence.

"That was … something." Amity noted, wincing as they grabbed onto a blood patch under some bandages.

"Yeowch, what happened?" Skara asked as she looked the banged up group over.

"You don't want to know..like seriously, it's going to be a while before i look back at this situation and laugh." Luz winced as she looked back at Lucci. "Soo..everything intact in there now?"

"I think so..that was so weird. It was like I was in one place and five places at the same time." Lucci rubbed his head. "I remember everything that happened on the inside."

"The mindscape's weird like that." Eda rubbed the boy's head. "As long as you think everything is where it's supposed to be, it's fine."

"Good. Let's all agree to keep what we did…. and said…. in there between the four of us from here on out." Willow affirmed with a serious nod of the head.

"Wait a second." Gus stopped them. "A crazy situation that nobody will elaborate on … Luz, you had your first incident!"

The girl stared at the guy, before cackling. "Yes! Finally! Oh I am gonna lord over this for a good while!"

"She's going to be on this for a while, isn't she?" Amity asked out loud.

"At least you don't live with her." Lucci sighed, standing up "Soo…." Lucci spoke in a quiet voice, scratching his neck nervously as he faced Amity and Willow. "Do you … wanna … try and do something this weekend … just the three of us?"

"Yeah … I could find the free time." Willow nodded awkwardly.

"Normally as a Blight, I'd say that my time is far too precious to me to be wasted frivolously." Amity stated. "But..as someone who wants us to be friends…I say there's nothing I'd rather do."

Everyone stared awkwardly at the sight again. "…Seriously, what the titan happen in there?" Eda asked. "Did they alter a memory or something?"

"No mom, this is…" Lucci looked back at the two girls. "This is just…us trying to heal."

"…so we're not going to kill the little bitch?" Eda bluntly stated as Luz slapped her on the head. "I'm not apologizing for how I feel."

They watched the girls walk out, as Lucci stood up. "I'm going to change into something …not a bunch of sheets." He said, walking out of the room.

"Wow…so that's what Lucci looks like as a nice guy." Skara noted. "Gotta say…it's good…weird but good." Maybe she'll get him to call her his friend yet.

"So…we actually ended up meeting like five different inner Lucci's while we were in there." Luz whispered the moment the boy was out of earshot. "Is that supposed to be normal?"

"What the- you broke him!?" She shout whispered.

"No, that's how he was when we got there, cross my heart." Luz frantically corrected.

"So then Blight broke him." Eda growled, feathers popping up along her sides.

"No need to bring out the owl beast! We met all five and they all talked with this whole routine and everything taking on different parts of his personality."

Eda looked baffled. "Kid, that's not possible. Even if strong emotions form their own beings from time to time, the mind can't process being so divided internally. It'd shatter under a mental disorder."

"Well I don't know what to say Eda, but that's what we saw." Luz responded. "An angry Lucci, a child Lucci, a con man Lucci, a lonely Lucci, and this crazy emotionless almost computer like Pink Lucci."

"…" Skara turned to the woman. "I know you're a criminal, but have you ever considered therapy for your child?"

"Of course not…that's associated with the healing coven and we're trying to avoid those maniacs." Eda shook her head. "Whatever. I'm going to snuggle with my boy and make sure nothing… or no one… else hurts him for the rest of the week."

"Cuddle party!" King shouted as he ran to the stairs adorably.

"Not going to lie, this feels weird." Luz admitted as she flopped to the ground exhausted. "I see why Lucci was such a gatekeeper over his past. The emotional baggage, ooof, that was painful to watch."

"At least now you know." Skara offered up. "Maybe he'll finally start opening up to people more."

"Hopefully …" She nodded. "So Gus, how's the report going?"

"I'm going to fail, and I'm going to take the f like a man." The illusion kid nodded firmly.

"Alrighty then … Skara, you need someone to walk you home?"

"Nah, I've got it." She waved off. "Enjoy your rest, you earned it girl." They could probably write a song about walking in agony or something. That could be fun.