Bow.
"Bow."
"What?"
Luz looked down upon Eda, King and Raine. "Bow."
============================================================
Papa Titan held his hand out towards Luz. He was offering his power to her, to save the people she loved. To have another chance. One last attempt to defeat him. But still, she was nervous. She didn't know if she could do it. She had been killed easily, and whilst she kept calm, it was by far the most painful experience she had ever felt.
Rotting away within the constraints of just half a minute, knowing that you and your friends are all going to die the same horrible death, as each of your muscles and nerves crumpled away into nothing. Who says that wouldn't happen again? But she would have the powers of the Titan, so... wait.
"Wait, what will... what will happen to me? Like, my brain? Not even witches should be able to hold that much power, let alone a human like me..." Papa Titan put one of his bony fingers to his chin. "Well... I... actually am not sure..." He seemed to think deeply. "Well... there's many possibilities. Once your time is up, you could... well... return here, or... maybe fall through and never come back anywhere..." Luz attempted to gulp her fear down. It didn't work.
"But the question is... will you take the risk?" The question repeated in her head over and over. She wasn't fully sure if she could do it, let alone with such a big risk... What if, somehow, even with the giant kaiju bigot currently destroying an entire island in the most gruesome way imaginable, if she took that risk, what if it would end up worse?
No. She had to do it.
She turned to Papa Titan and nodded, pure determination alighting in her eyes. "Whatever it takes, even for a chance to save my friends- no, to save my family!" She began to reach out her hand towards the Titan's. Whilst she still did hesitate for a moment, the doubt died as she took his hand.
============================================================
"Did you morons not hear me?" All three of them looked up to Luz, floating in the air above them. She was acting strange in this form, sure, she was cold and seemingly numb to all of what had happened, barely speaking when not absolutely necessary. But this, whatever this was, wasn't her!
"Luz, what are you talking about?" Eda yelled to her. "Eda... what's happening to her?" King murmured, worried about his sister. "What happened to me? What happened to me?! I stopped being weak. Me and the Titan are one, and so, I shall rule." The way she spoke sounded low and VERY stern, not at all like the Luz they knew, but with something... a much deeper, scarier voice behind her own.
"King... I, I think that the Titan powers are affecting her brain, fogging up her morality-" "I do not care for morality. Morality gives you strings others can puppeteer. It gives you weakness. And as I said, I am no longer that weak, puny disappointment." Rage boiled in Raine like the sea. "She was no weakling, no puny person, and absolutely not a disappointment!" The words just burst out as they threw one of their arms out in rage.
"Luz Noceda is a caring, kind, and brave witch who would do anything to stand up and protect her friends!" They seemed to steal the words right from Eda's mouth, as they often seemed to do. "But you? You're acting like a dictator, and not to mention, a disappointment to who Luz is!!!" They interlocked their fingers into their lips and whistled, sending a bright red beam towards Luz.
She didn't seem phased in the slightest, as when it simply got close to her, it just dissipated. Plain and simple. Eda wanted to stop Raine, not wanting to risk even slightly hurting her, the girl she viewed as a daughter, even if she was all power crazy. But fear fell across all of their faces as she seemed nearly unimpressed by the lack of effect by the magic. "Tell me witch, where does your magic come from?" Not only was she now talking like the recently-deceased ex-Emperor Belos, but it made them realise just how powerless they were against her.
"...Titan..." Raine murmured, cursing under their breath. "Exactly. I am superior than you and your kind, and so I shall rule over you." Eda put her remaining hand over her heart, just trying to process what Luz has become. Raine had their hands balled into a fist, but King's arms began to weakly reach out. He wanted his sister back, and just maybe if he talked to her, he might break through. A Titan to 'Titan' talk.
"Luz..." King spoke softly, in that calm, sweet and familiar voice. But she didn't even look at him. She didn't even seem to notice him. He was too small and unimportant in her eyes. However, when the symbol on her chest began to flicker, and she could feel her power falter, King's presence became key.
She drifted back onto the ground, tilting her head to the small black furred creature. "You're a Titan, correct?" she asked without any way filtering her voice to speak any softer or more approachable. Just cold, numb words. King nodded as he was about to start talking again, but was interrupted. "Good. Give me your power." Eda and Raine's eyes opened up wide in shock and confusion. But King's face was shifted to one full of fear.
"Wait.. what?" Luz's eyes squinted and looked at him in annoyance. She didn't want to waste time. She dashed forward and yanked on his hand, pulling him closer, King 'weh'ing with fear in response. His eyes showed his terror. "Look deep inside yourself and find your power. Then, grab it, and give it over to me, the true Titan." He felt Luz's grasp on him becoming tighter, perhaps even cutting off some circulation.
Raine wasn't allowing this, and attempted to summon another blast of magic, but failed as Luz sent her own, only scraping their side, but it still made them fall on the ground. "Do not test me Whispers." She looked their way in near disgust. "Raine!" Eda called out, but Luz summoned a fiery whip-like chain of golden energy and constrained her, burning her skin. "No!" King cried out, reaching his free arm towards her. "If you value her life, you shall do as I say." She squeezed onto his arm even more. King was terrified, both for himself and Eda. "No, King, don't-" The chains of light began to wrap over her mouth as well, muffling out her screams. He could barely watch. He looked over to Luz, with fear, but with a new grown hatred for what she'd become. He took a few moments to breathe. "Okay." he said weakly and defeated.
An ever so slight smirk grew on her face. "Good." They both closed their eyes, as King reached for his power, and Luz opened her soul to receive it. He searched his being, trying to unlock and find his power within. He knew Luz would be impatient, so he swiftly searched until he found the light, his power. He grabbed it, its burning blue radiance nearly blinding. He looked at it, admired it, taking in his own magic's beauty... but he could feel Luz's impatience growing. So he took one final look at it, before passing it over to her.
Their eyes opened, blazing blue, orange and golden power. The original Titan's glyphs shone over Luz's body, as King's own glowed on his. Soon, the power was no longer confined to their shining eyes, but jumped and leaped in the air around them. Raine and Eda looked on in a terrified wonder. King's whole being felt as if it was simply alight with magic, all his own, until he felt Luz tighten her hand around his, threatening him without even needing words.
He obliged to her silent command, and felt the radiating power leave him and transfer into Luz. Now, King's glyphs glowed alongside his father's on her lavender fur. He felt all of his energy, power, and joy leave him, now leaving just a husk of himself. He felt his legs start to give, as he fell to the ground, Luz letting go of his arm. The symbol on her chest seemed to burst with light. Her powers would stay, now perhaps being even stronger. 'Very good.'
She retracted her chains off Eda, and she immediately ran and kneeled to King's side. "King!" She picked his head off the ground with her one hand, his cold skull head somehow feeling even colder. "King, can you hear me?! King!" She called out, tears falling out of her eyes. Luz's power was rejuvenated, and now she would not hesitate to take control. "I will make an exception for the small Titan, for he seems to be... worn out at this moment. But for you two, I shall give you one last chance to do as your new ruler says."
She began to return to the air, Raine and Eda looking up in fear. "One last time..." Clouds began rolling in the sky, blocking up the warm orange sunset that originally seemed comforting. "Bow!" Her voice seemed to shake the very ground of the Titan itself, and immediately scared both Eda and Raine into the obedience they dreaded in Belos' rule, and now dreaded under Luz's. They bowed to her, the new ruler of the Boiling Isles.
============================================================
Luz had allowed Raine to whistle a healing tune to help King, as Eda looked at him, deeply worried. She was so scared for him. However, in the side of her vision, she could see past the orange glyph orb Luz transported them in, the Archive House. Soon, they landed and the bubble popped, leading all but Luz to fall on their faces. She obviously did not seem to care.
However, it did alert the others to their presence. Luz could hear their footsteps approaching. How nice. She could introduce her new self to her new subjects. Amity, Willow, Gus, Hunter, Camila and the Collector all ran out to see the strange scene of a seemingly napping King, Raine's hands acting as his bed whilst a worried Eda, feathers sticking out of her neck fought tears, all as apparently Luz's fursona stood in front of them with a cold, blank stare. "...so, what's going on here?"
Gus broke the silence. "Luz... is that... is that you?" Amity began, her cheeks slightly red, as she saw her absolutely gorgeous girlfriend... until she looked in her now cold, heartless eyes. This wasn't her Luz. "Hello, subjects." All of the Hexsquad and Camila looked at her concerned and confused, whilst the Collector began to run up to her. "Luz!!!!" he cheered in joy. She shifted her head slightly down, towering over him to stare into his soul. He rather did not notice or did not care, as he wrapped his arms around her, expecting her to return the embrace. She just looked down in shame. A god that wasted his time with mortal friendships? Pathetic.
He looked up to see nothing but eyes that seemed to have told him 'Pathetic.' He slowly began to step away, but she quickly grasped onto his wrist. "Luz, what are you- AH!" He felt where Luz's hand was begin to start burning, snapping pain through his entire system. A single tear of pain slid down his star-freckled cheek, as Luz finally let go after what seemed like minutes of excruciating torment. He could now see glyphs and unfamiliar symbols scribed- burned onto his wrist. "Now you'll be no issue to me."
Everyone else looked on in horror, but Hunter was the one to speak up first. "Luz, what the heck was that for?!" he ridiculed. "I doubt he would in the first place, but I made sure that he will never stand against me in the future." Willow shook her head in disbelief. "What do you mean 'the future'? What are you saying?" A small, egotistical smile grew on Luz's face. "Why, young witch, I'm thinking about the future of this island, under my rule!" Camila looked on in pure confusion at her own daughter.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
"Mija, what are you on about?" She forced a small chuckle at the end, all hoping it was all a big joke. Luz returned the small laugh as she began. "I have seen the Titan himself... and we have become one. I have become the most powerful sorceress in the entire history of the Boiling Isles, and so, I shall rule over you and your puny people." Once the endearing smile of a friendly Luz was now a threatening signal to feel fear.
"Luz..." A heavy hint of judgement was in Amity's voice as she addressed her. "What do you mean 'puny'? Luz you sound like... you sound like Belos right now! What's going on?" The judgement slowly turned into worry. Luz let another small laugh pass through her mouth. "Oh, as I would once say, my 'cotton-candy haired' weakling, I am far stronger than that thing ever was." She imagined it in her mind. The last remains of the goopy creature crawling towards Luz desperately... she couldn't lie, she loved the feeling.
Being stronger than someone who had caused her so much emotional and physical grief... it felt so good. So unbelievably good. Amity felt truly hurt by what Luz said to her, but Camila... Camila was enraged. "Mija, you better take what you said about her back!" She yelled out. Luz's neck cracked towards her, eyelids open wide, staring directly into her soul, as thunder roared in the distance. "What did you just say, mortal?" she questioned her mother. "You heard me, Luz Noceda!'
She stood up tall. However, with Luz's power came newfound height, so she stood up taller. "Dare talk to me like that again human," Luz's eyes began to glow and sparkle with now eerie lights and glyphs.. "and I will-" "You will what?! I don't care what you do to me, all I want is my daughter back!" Luz's eyes twitched. Somehow, the last sane part of her had one singular thought, for she knew she was about to do something horrible. 'I really shouldn't have taken that risk.'
"You want your daughter? And you don't care what happens to you?!" She walked over to her and pulled Camila up by the collar of her shirt, whilst she desperately tried to escape her own daughter's grasp. She enjoyed seeing her struggle for a few moments, before she threw her into the stained glass windows at the peak of the main staircase, nearly resulting in her breaking her back. She tried to get back up, but hesitated seeing the hateful look on Luz's face. She had readied her cold, sharp claws to rip and tear. "Well here she is!!!" she screamt to the heavens before dashing so fast it looked like teleportation, clawing at all of her, then sending her falling halfway down the staircase.
In seconds her body became covered in blood from scratch marks. "Camila!" Amity yelled, but Raine ran over to the group in front and blocked her with their arm. "Stop! There's nothing we can do to stop her, she's become too strong..." She and the rest of the Hexsquad knew they were right, no matter how much they wanted to help. All they could do was watch in dread as the woman they all saw as another parent was brutally attacked by one of their dearest friends, and her own daughter. Finally Luz stopped, but Camila still forced herself to stand. "See what your daughter has become? See how STRONG I've become?!"
Her mouth and eyes shifted to look like ones of a psychopath. Her claws and fur were now stained with crimson, but she didn't mind. Just reminded her subjects of what she could do. "You don't understand... you are not my daughter!" Camila screamed, picking up her red bat and wiping some blood from a cut on her forehead. "My daughter isn't a dictator like Belos! She cared for her friends and family, and would be completely disgusted by what you are doing!" Everyone looked on as fond memories of their friend played in their minds. Luz making silly jokes, Luz messing up just to make it right, Luz supporting them when at their lowest, and Luz defending herself and her friends just out of the pure goodness of her own heart.
"So, until you remember who you are Luz Noceda, you are not my daughter!"
Her voice roared louder than any storm could, absolutely filled with distraught, anger, and all emotions one could feel in a situation like this. Luz looked down at her, even just a small part of her old self breaking through her new heartless stature, making a small, genuinely heartbroken frown from her own mother rejecting her as her daughter, even if she knew exactly why. She curled her hands into rageful fists, but she eventually let them fall, as she looked down to the ground, the shadows of her witch's hat covering her eyes to everyone.
"I'm going to tell you this once human..." She began to raise her arms, as boiling rain began to pour. Camila's grip to her bat tightened. "I am not to be trifled with." She put her hands into a fist. Thunder struck, shattering the hearing of all in her presence, but the large pieces of coloured glass shattered into thousands of pieces, giving another opening to the outside. Luz began to walk backwards, still keeping her stance yet untensing her fist, showing everyone it was her that caused the destruction.
Camila nearly let a scream out as she walked off the ledge, but was overridden by shock as Luz simply stood on nothing. Now, she let her feet drop, and simply levitated. The boiling rain dropped on her resulted in purple sparkles dancing around her, just like when she looked down upon Belos. Now, she looked down upon her past friends. Now, they would bow for their new ruler. "If you don't do as I say, when I say..." She kept ascending and tilted her head up to reveal the menacing, heartless stare of a child given far too much power for their mind to comprehend. Luz could feel the power grow and burn on her back, as she faced to look down at all of her subjects. "I will burn the airs of this world!"
Her eyes began to radiate with golden power, as great Titan wings of flame spouted from her back, along with curved, grand golden energy horns and a long, bushy tail made from the same magic. The whole group looked on in wonder and fear, but Camila barely managed to quickly keep up her strong, determined face. "So when I say bow, you will bow." Thunder screamed and roared behind her, the rain becoming an absolute downpour. If any creature stepped into it... even its bones would be gone in moments.
Camila allowed herself a small scoff. "Bow? To you?" She put her fist to her heart, thinking just maybe, it would help stop it's aching. "I would never do something so against my beliefs! I would never do something so against her beliefs!" she told her, a few tears of pride and sadness rolling down her cheeks, but still keeping strong. Luz squinted her eyes in a near shame. "Very well." She brought her arms to her side, before raising one up, towards Camila's direction. "Just know, what's about to happen..." Raine looked away, as Amity and the rest of the group looked on in pure fear, knowing exactly what was about to happen. "Is your fault."
An overwhelming, burning golden beam passed through Camila, its light burning the image into everyone's eyes and memories eternally. After what seemed like years, eventually, the light of death subsided. Camila was left whimpering and staring off into nothing. Then, she fell. Down the staircase, her bat rolling away, off next to Eda. "CAMILA!!!" Everyone screamed, as Amity pushed past Raine's arm to run off to her. Hunter could only look at his only motherly figure in life laying on the cold floors, shaking and looking into the nothingness.
Willow just couldn't take it and fell, only just barely being caught by Hunter at the last second. He pulled her into a hug where she looked away from the horror. He turned his head to Luz, still floating as her wings were aflame. He didn't stop the tears of pure hatred and the feeling of loss overflow him, just like it did when he lost his best friend just a few days ago. Gus felt nothing. He just couldn't. There were too many emotions to feel any of them. Eda was now glad King wasn't awake at that moment. He had to see and experience far too much in the past year, and seeing his best friend, someone he saw as his own sister, do something like this...
Eda sat him up and gave him a soft hug as tears ran down her face. Amity dropped on her knees to try and talk to Camila. "Camila, please, please, Camila, come back!" Tears fell onto her dress. She closed her eyes, hoping she'd wake up from this living nightmare, until she heard a sound. She couldn't quite describe it, but as she looked towards Camila... she was fading away. Fading into small, golden lights... "No, no, no!" She grabbed her hand, hoping it'd give both of them comfort. It didn't. She felt the warm palm of who she saw as her real motherly figure touch her cheek, tears swelling in both their eyes. "Please... don't go..." Amity begged.
More and more of her body faded away as the strong pitter patter and cries of lightning were cast upon their ears. "Amity..." Camila used every single last bit of her strength to speak and comfort her. "No, mija, thank you for making me and Luz's lives so much better." A small, soft yet warming smile grew on her face. It had taken most of her torso, and Amity's hands fell as one of Camila's ceased to exist. She used one to touch the hand on her face, looking for any way to make sure she was here. Still there, with her. "And when Luz is herself again..." Amity's sobbing continued. "Her true self... tell her... I love you..."
Her final hand faded away. Just as everything did. Her last words, and the drop of her glasses and her rainbow heart pin echoed through the entirety of the Archive House. Amity simply stared at where she was seconds before she... she... Luz shed a singular tear, but her bony finger wiped it away, followed by a somewhat annoyed grunt. "Really? Couldn't even survive that? How pathetic."
Rain and thunder raged on behind her, but she retracted the burning light back into her being. Amity's sobs continued as she remained sitting, holding onto the glasses and the pin. Eda had just noticed that the Collector had gone missing, but didn't think of it much. She was too overcome with grief. Raine looked down to the ground, their soul absolutely bursting with anger, holding back tears. Hunter saw that 'Luz' was walking back in, and told Willow to "Go to Gus." He put her so she was being supported by the still reactionless Gus' shoulder a little, as he began to walk forward. "Move."
Luz, now back inside, flicked her finger, sending a gust of wind that blew Amity backwards, but Hunter dashed and swiftly caught her so she didn't blow out into the downpour of boiling rain. She still held onto the items, barely even acknowledging Hunter, face covered with tears. He just looked up at Luz, with pure disgust and a rebellious spirit in his eye. "Can't believe you mortals die so easily..." The floodworks were open for Gus. Maybe, before she said that one word, Camila had just... left. She would come back. Eventually. But hearing the confirmation that she was actually... dead...
"Now, I will only say this once. So listen closely." All teary and hate filled eyes turned to Luz. "Not only am I now your Empress, but I am your god."
"What?! What do you mean 'god'-" Luz put one single white cold finger up to make him stop talking. "SILENCE." Hunter was about to speak up and stand up against her, but... how could he? He knew what she was capable of. He had seen it with his own eyes. "So... you listen to me. You do as I say. I have made that clear to all of you, I assume."
Silence. The sad, heavy silence that signalled perfectly to Luz she had got them to do what she wanted. "Now... all of you, get in line, and face me." Hesitation spread through the room, no one wanting to give into her orders. "Now." Her echoing roar of an order was accompanied by thunder, and everyone was scared into doing as she said. Eda set King down sitting up, back on a pillar, as he rested. He didn't need to see what was going on.
They all sat in front of the staircase in a single file line, facing the tyrant that Luz had become at the top of the now damaged stairs. "Bow. Bow to the Titan!" Her command echoed not just through the whole Archive House, but all of the Isles. She would be heard. And her orders would be followed.
One by one, they all kneeled in her presence. They bowed for their Titan. "We bow to you, Empress Luz." they all called out in synchronisation. A smile grew on her face.
Now, her subjects knew when to listen. She would be their leader. Their ruler. Their god. Her small laugh echoed in all their minds. "Bow."
Inspired by this post by u/PegasusKnight410 or r/TheOwlHouse
Inspired by this post by u/PegasusKnight410 or r/TheOwlHouse [https://img.wattpad.com/1fd02cc71b41287fbcbc3ab1255b3072bf69a1b5/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f55466530614249307664755743773d3d2d313432333833323331302e313762346430353631343265656566313131373136363730313533302e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
image [https://img.wattpad.com/8d0a80c9a5cc14d262385e6b71b0b221218833dc/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f45664b61434e415975756d6668773d3d2d313432333833323331302e313762346430363536383137323331633339363037393336303337312e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
image [https://img.wattpad.com/8299f66c37d4b18eb6f5dd56c0f389e0c71316be/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f325a43625050653846457a4e75773d3d2d313432333833323331302e313762346430363866313333316134363638303638343435383932362e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
image [https://img.wattpad.com/19a80841ee84faa23da2b4bafafb6ec5447d115e/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f37525866694b48395a464c4673413d3d2d313432333833323331302e313762346430366365373131333631323239353633383236363230302e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]