Chapter 9
Rio let go of Agatha's hand gently. The plan was now set in motion,Rio would only go to see Agatha at night. They were just best friends trying to keep their friendship,but then why did it feel like so much more to Rio?
"Agatha?" The girl looked up at Rio,letting out a hum in response. She wanted to tell Agatha about what would really happen,how risky the plan was,but all Rio could manage to get out was a soft breath. Should she tell Agatha about how there could be consequences to Rio not following her dad's rules? Not right now.
Rio finally got the will to say something," Nothing. I just want to enjoy our time together before my father tries to drag me back." Something flashed through Agatha's eyes for a moment,her eyes softening from the calculating,planning eyes she had on earlier. She gave a nod while she smiled and sat up. "Good. I have something to show you."
Agatha put Rio's hand in her's and led her out of the base. In that moment,she felt as if her hands were being wrapped in a blanket of warmth that she felt she had needed for a long time. Agatha looked back at Rio. Agatha's mouth parted slightly as she took Rio in,Agatha's eyes full of admiration,but it lasted for only a second because Agatha concealed her unmasked emotions with a small smirk. "Could you possibly tell me what you're showing me? I'm a bit scared,knowing you."
Agatha feigned offense and gasped,"But I'm just the sweetest angel ever! What could I do wrong?" Rio raised an eyebrow at Agatha,who innocently batted her eyelashes. She walked Rio through a path in the woods,they had gone so far that she had started to see trees clearing,as if making way for something. She had found out when Agatha finally stopped,their hands still intertwined as they made a stop in front of a lake.
The lake calmly rippled, it's water clear and nearly unoccupied. The only things that occupied it were two ducks that bobbed in the water,side by side. They pecked at each others tail feathers in an attempt to clean them before they started to flap their wings and set off. Rio was entranced by the ducks,she had delivered their souls before,but she had never seen a live one.
Rio felt a pair of blue eyes staring at her. She turned her head to look at Agatha,her blue eyes stared with a look of curiosity,possibly curious to see Rio's reaction to the ducks. "Whenever I go out here,I always see those same two ducks. Always together. And each time,they fly away,but they always come back to this same lake."
"Where do the other ducks go?" Rio asked in a whisper,too immersed in the ducks to speak louder. Her eyes snapped back up at the sky where she could see the ducks' brown wings flapping up and down as they flew further and further away. Agatha shrugged beside her,"No idea where exactly they go,but I think they go somewhere warmer. It's smart of them."
"What if we could follow them?"
"Bingo! There it is! Now,stay there while I get tree branches." Agatha exclaimed excitedly,rushing over to one of the few bare trees that lined the serene lake along with an abundant amount of soggy, brown leaves. She stood on the tips of her toes,despite being in shoes that looked like they had heels. She swatted at one of the tree branches above her,but only her fingertips reached the winding branches on the tree.
Rio's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she found herself wondering what Agatha was swatting at a tree for. Who wouldn't wonder that? Rio watched as she passionately swatted at the tree,anger growing by the second. Agatha let out a loud groan that seemed to startle the whole forest,birds flapping their wings rapidly to fly away and all kinds of creatures like foxes and squirrels skittering to their dens.
Rio let out a soft laugh and started walking towards Agatha,who put out a hand,which landed on Rio's chest. "Nope. Unless you have a better strategy, I'll be getting the branch down." Rio gave her a skeptical look,"But I'm taller than-"
"Do not mention that. In my mind, height doesn't matter when you have willpower. So shoo." Agatha swatted Rio away like she would a fly circling rotten fruits. Rio shook her head in disbelief and sat her back against a tree,watching with amusement gleaming in her eyes.
Agatha swatted at it from the ground for a few more minutes before a look of realization struck her face and gave her the idea to jump up and wrap her arms around the branch. She had a surprisingly high jump. The problem was,Agatha was very light. Rio didn't find any problems when she tried to lift Agatha,meaning that the branch had no problem holding her. She swung her legs angrily in an attempt to get off the branch. "Are you kidding me?"
Agatha thrashed around for a few more minutes,Rio watching while trying to hold in her snickering. Agatha snapped her head to look at Rio," Hey! Get me down right now!" She started to make her way towards Agatha with a smirk. Rio paused dead in her tracks,a thought popping into her mind. Doesn't she have magic too?
"Can't you just use your magic?" Rio yelled up the the tree,unsettling the forest more. Agatha shook her head,a disappointed look crossing her face,"No can do." Rio tilted her head in confusion," Why not?" Agatha let out a sharp sigh,her jaw tensing as she stammered, "That doesn't matter. Just get me down,Rio."
Rio nodded silently in understanding,marching over to the tree that Agatha hung from. Rio stood just below Agatha's feet,which were close enough to Rio's head to touch the flyaways. "Alright,now just step-" Snap. She was interrupted by the feeling of a foot stepping on her head and then hopping off. "Or do that."
Agatha stood in front of Rio,dusting off her dress. Agatha then held up a broken off tree branch with a smirk, obviously proud of herself. It registered that the snap that Rio had heard was Agatha breaking off the branch. Rio laughed to herself and asked,"Where's mine?"
" No idea. Guess you're going to have to get stuck in a tree and get one." Agatha put up her hands with a shrug,a smug look on her face, and started to walk off. Rio flicked her hand,green magic seeping out of her hand and borrowing it's way into the ground to grow a smaller tree. She grabbed a branch and with all her might,tore it off of the tree. The branch was a little bit shorter than her, it's bark was a reddish brown that she could only match to the color of dried blood on fabric. Agatha turned around,her eyes flashing between the newly grown tree and the branch that Rio held in her hand.
" I expected you to take the easy way," Agatha teased,feigning a judgemental look. "Now,if you want to catch those ducks, we'll have to do this quickly. Chant with me and follow along."
Agatha walked up to Rio,planting her branch into the ground and crossing it behind Rio's,which she mirrored. Agatha had started to walk into a circle,chanting a spell," pro te,dilecta,aperio viam." After a few seconds,the two stopped,Agatha pushing her own branch into Rio's hands. She looked down at her branch for a moment before letting it fall into Agatha's arms.
Rio looked the branch that had been given to her up and down,it was taller than her,the very tip of the branch bending in a crooked way. It looked bare to her. Rio gently tapped the tip of the branch,which sprouted a few dark green leaves that contrasted against the dullness of the winter day.
Agatha placed the branch between her legs,turning to Rio. "Shall we?" She scrambled to mimic Agatha's movement,"But I still have no idea how to do this." She looked into Rio's eyes,commanding her attention. "Follow my lead,Rio. We're going to catch up to those ducks."
Agatha's legs bent in a crouch,as if she were getting ready to make a run across the lake. She lowered her head, a determined glint in her eyes as she got a running start. When she neared the lake,Rio half expected her to fall in,but instead,Agatha's boots had started to lift from the ground with a crunch,and she was in the sky.
Rio stared in awe of the act of magic(and Agatha). The young girl wore a smile as she flew through the sky,making a few unsteady loops around trees. She looked back at Rio with a wide grin," Well come on,get on the branch!"
She looked down at the long branch with a raised eyebrow and back at Agatha,who gave her a nod, encouraging Rio to take the leap. She tightened her grip on the branch,letting out a breath as she ran towards the lake. Just before she reached the edge of the land,she felt her feet start to lift from the ground,grass tickling the bottom of her feet as she rose up on the broom.
Rio felt she was letting go of something as she flew up to the sky,maybe she had let go of the worse part of her day. All she cared about now was the wind that blew in her hair and her hands that were gripping the branch as she flew through the sky,free as a bird.
A carefree laugh ripped from Rio's throat,a smile spreading across her face. She felt a tingling at the back of her neck,as if someone had been watching her. She whipped her head around to meet Agatha's blue eyes,which crinkled around the outer corners in a smile of sweet and pure admiration.
Rio felt a thumping in her chest, unmistakenly her fast beating heart,the fearful voice in her head louder than ever. She considered her heart for a moment,her hand reaching for her chest and fingers rubbing against her exposed skin. The heartbeat wasn't what she feared,it was what it meant and what it cost. It was costing her the job she admired so much,it would cost her a relationship with her dad. What else would it cost?
Rio broke free of those thoughts when she looked back at Agatha. Everything has a cost. Rio pondered about her dad's words again. You should stop before I take matters into my own hands. The thought of such a cruel thing made tears start to build in the corners of her eyes,which she instinctively wiped away. Everything her dad had said in the argument made Rio wonder if he ever cared,if being Death had made him hollow inside. It made Rio wonder what exactly he would do if Rio didn't stop. Would he take her powers? Revoke her ability to go between worlds? Would he do something to Agatha? Would he-
A hand landed on Rio's shoulder,holding it in a gentle,yet firm way that warmed her shoulder. Her mouth parted ever so slightly in surprise,had she been thinking for that long? "Let's catch up to those ducks while we still can. It'll get dark pretty fast." Agatha shook her shoulder with a smile and repositioned her hand back onto onto her own broom. Rio gave her a nod,a playful glint sparking in her chestnut brown eyes,"Race you there!"
Rio raced ahead of Agatha,the wind whipping at at her hair harder as she flew off to find the ducks. The whole thing was just one big playful race to the finish line. Agatha caught up to Rio after a few minutes,giving the dark eyed witch a smug look before she flew ahead of Rio. Agatha slowly looked over her shoulder and mockingly waved to Rio.
The race had become like tug-a-war,Rio raced to catch up to Agatha and started to race ahead,but she would catch up and reclaim her spot in front of Rio. At one point,the two were aligned with each other,which gave Rio the chance to bump Agatha's broomstick with her own. The contact of their knees made Rio jolt,almost as if electricity had start to run through her blood. She turned to looked at Agatha, who's eyes flashed between their knees and Rio's face.
She felt as if her breath had been snatched from her lungs when she looked into Agatha's eyes. For a moment,Rio could swear she heard a second heart beating,slightly faster than hers,but still a heartbeat. But it cut off once Agatha cleared her throat,stammering," I think we've reached the place where the ducks go."
Agatha directed Rio's eyes with a single finger that pointed below them where a giant,pristine body of water sat. The water lapped at the sandy shore where the two girls could see a variety of birds from seagulls that greedily tried to pick at scraps of food left on the beach to ducks that flapped their black wings to steady themselves as they landed. Agatha turned to Rio with an excited smile,shrugging her shoulders," Shall we?"
Rio made a sharp turn down to the point where she had started to feel the blood rushing to her head. She was too caught up in her own excitement and thrill to notice,though. "WOO! This is so-" Rio was cut off by her own landing on the sand,which was hit by the top of her head. She felt a bit of sand land on her lips,licking them to get the bits of sand off. The sand had a salty flavor,maybe a bit ashy and dusty,but the main thing she could taste was the salt from the sea.
Agatha didn't land any more gracefully,stopping the broom with her knees before falling off and sprawling out in the sand. She lifted her head from the sand,a displeased look on her face as she spit out sand. "You should try it. It tastes really good," Rio commented with an innocent smile. Agatha let out a scoff,thinking of it as a joke,she sarcastically responded,"Oh really? I'll make sure to bring a big,big bag of sand as a snack on the way back. Should I bring one?"
Rio nodded eagerly,unaware of Agatha's sarcasm. "Yeah,make sure to bring some! I really like it." She let out a laugh once she realized just how serious Rio was about the sand tasting good. "I won't be bringing a bag of sand,but you can. Just don't blow any on me,I just know that it'll take days to get this sand out of my hair."
Rio reached out to touch Agatha's umber brown waves,raking out the bits of sand gently. She looked into Rio's eyes with gratitude,which she returned with a soft smile. She brushed the strands at the sides of Agatha's head behind her ears. Her mouth parted,eyes conflicted as she looked at Rio.
She hadn't realized it since it felt like a reflex,but her hands were on the sides of Agatha's head. Rio felt a tingling in her fingers,almost like an itch to be closer,to hold Agatha there longer. Rio slowly took her hands off of Agatha's head, Rio could feel the warmth seeping out of them once they were off. Agatha brushed at her chest with her hand for a moment,as if reaching to hold her heart,before forcing a smile," We should enjoy the day here. Right?"
"Oh,uh,yeah. Right. I always enjoy exploring new places,so that sounds...nice."
Now this place was a sight for sore eyes,pleasant for all of Rio's senses. There were few houses in the place,but the very few that were there were unique and different from the houses that Rio had taken dead souls from. The houses popped with colors like sky blue,white,and vermillion,built by small bricks and branches from trees. Not to mention the beautiful view behind her of the clear ocean and light grey horizon that practically reflected the specks in Agatha's eyes. The place was perfect in Rio's eyes.
Rio heard cheering from the other side of the beach,causing her to whip her head around. In the distance,she could see a shaky dock with a bunch of blobs on it,which she interpreted as other people. Rio tilted her head to the side with an expression full of curiosity. It wasn't long before her legs started to move for her and walk towards the docks.
Rio had reached the docks after a long walk through sand,the wood that built the dock creaked as she stepped closer and closer. As she got closer,the sound of laughing and cheering become louder,as well as the sound of weak waves that crashed against the shore. Rio heard a creak from behind her,looking over her shoulder to see Agatha following along.
"Those look a bit like fishing poles." Her finger pointed over Rio's shoulder and to the long,curved sticks that sat by the men on the dock. She raised her eyebrows in slight confusion," Fishing...poles?"
Agatha flicked her hand dismissively,"Nevermind. Let's just go over there."
Rio crept towards the end of the dock where the men sat,nervous sweat drenching their foreheads as they tugged at the sticks. It seemed like they were being controlled by the sticks instead of controlling the sticks in Rio's eyes. A man jolted forward,pulled by the stick. He fought for control,adjusting his left hand onto the stick for more strength and tugging like his life depended on it until finally,a flopping fish was ripped from the sea and onto the dock.
As if recognizing the two girls' presences,one of the men turned around. His deep brown eyes wrinkled in the corner,almost as if in a permanent smile. He had a large,reddish nose that sat above his thick grey beard. The man put on a friendly smile,holding up a wooden cup,"Welcome to the party girlies! We ain't got any fancy music,but we sure have some hella good beer."
Agatha crossed her arms in suspicion of the man," I don't think we want beer. Also, it's almost winter,what are you doing out here?" The man still held his smile and looked off to the water for a moment before looking back at Agatha. "Did you take water from the ocean and put it in your eyes?"
"I don't think so?"
The old man shrugged and opened the wooden cup lazily,chugging the contents of it until Rio could no longer hear sloshing in the cup. She leaned over to Agatha,whispering into her ear," Why is he acting dumb?"
"Beats me."
"I've always been a dumb old man!" He shook with a laugh as he peered into his cup,as if more beer would show up if he just looked long enough. He shook his cup a bit more before yelling,"I need a refill on beer!"
"No more left." One of the men dragged out a giant box,opening it up to show it's emptiness. The old man looked down at the sea water and then back at the cup with a smile," I'll just dilute them drippy drops of beer to drink away the thought of my wife's misteress."
His serious comment ripped laughs from the rest of the men on the dock. "She also a worshipper of Satan?" For a moment,it felt like the men had forgotten about the existence of the girls' all together,but then one turned to them with a smirk. "You guys look like you'd make good wives."
"No thanks,"Rio and Agatha responded quickly. The man shrugged and turned back to talk to his friends. Rio shrugged and started to walk back down to the beach with Agatha.
Rio hopped around the town with a smile,observing the few houses in the empty place. Very few people walked around the streets,making the place feel even more empty. Agatha ran to catch up with Rio,linking their arms together. She turned to look at Agatha with a sweet smile. Rio felt the feeling of warmth wash over her when Agatha touched her,it was mostly the warmth of blood rushing to Rio's cheeks,but she still felt other kinds of warmth stirring up inside. She could spend all her days here at the beach.
Agatha quietly cleared her throat before whispering,"Rio?" The green witch let out a hum in response,turning to look at Agatha. She finished with a question,"Have you ever thought of just running?"
"Running from what?"
Agatha shrugged her shoulders in response,"I don't know. Anything."
"I guess if I had something to run from,it would be my dad." The words,And you,stuck to Rio's tongue like Taffy,but they never left her mouth. But she knew she wouldn't run,although the feeling tore her apart at some times,she liked feeling the warmth that spread through her when Agatha brushed against her or smiled at her.
" That's better than what my answer would be." Rio's head perked in curiosity,"And what would your answer be,exactly?"
"I'd run from almost everything in my life."
"Everything?" Rio asked in a soft voice,to which Agatha responded with a nod. She let out a sigh and said," There's not many good things in my life that I can think of, infact,they feel horrible to experience. So I'd run away from it all."
"You wouldn't need to run from me."
"I know that," Agatha gave Rio a sad smile and squeezed her shoulder gently. In that moment,she wished she could do more,that she was as powerful as Death was so she wasn't helpless to only knowing the fact that Agatha's life was horrible.
Rio straightened herself up from the relaxed position she had stood in moment ago,wrapping Agatha's hands in her own. "Can you promise me something?" Rio looked into Agatha's eyes, practically asking for her full attention. She nodded. "I want you to promise to tell me what's plaguing you. No matter how big or small,I want to know."
"Why,Rio? I-I don't see the point."
"Because you're my best friend and I want to help you." Agatha looked shocked at Rio's words,laced with pure truth and care for Agatha. She looked at the green witch as if she had just spoken a foreign language that Agatha would never learn to understand. She cracked a smile."Alright,help me all you want,bestie," She said bestie in a mocking tone and let out a laugh. It was distraction for Agatha from Rio's care for her,well, that's what the green witch thought.
As the two walked around the barren place,they noticed a few merchants selling things like shark teeth,"unicorn" horns,and witch hats. "Want the authentic experience of being one of them evil witches? Come buy a witch hat!" The man held up a bell and rang it as he spoke. His eyes suddenly locked onto Agatha and Rio,a grin twisting onto his face with satisfaction. He put a finger out,bending it as if to summon the two of them over. Agatha shrugged,"Can't hurt to buy a witch hat."
"I don't think we have money,though."
"We don't need any money." Agatha flicked her hand in a "whatever" motion and marched over to merchant,Rio trailing behind her. "So,how much would it be to get a witch hat?"
"Since you both are some pretty pennies, I'll give you a discount. Remember,these are authentic witch hats-" Rio rolled her eyes "- so they're bound to be high price. I'm selling these to you for about... Ten dollars."
"We can definitely afford that." Agatha put a hand into the front of her dress,as if pulling out money from her chest. A smirk crossed her face as she put out her hand to "give" the merchant money. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion,"That's strange. Your hand's empty-" Agatha bumped two of the witch hats off of the merchant's table,quickly reaching down to the sandy path the grab them both. She grabbed onto Rio's arm and started to run from the merchant. She looked back at the table and feigned and innocent smile,"Thanks for the hats!"
Rio and Agatha ran until their legs grew tired and they were back on the beach,nuzzled their way into a small space between some rocks. Rio eyed the witch hat that Agatha put into her arms. It was short and had a pointed end, it's flimsy fabric tinted as black as Rio's pupils. The bottom of the hat was long enough to poke Agatha's head(but that would only happen if she magically grew a few inches taller). She shook the hat curiously,poking at the end of the hat. Agatha watched as Rio played with the hat,murmuring, "These definitely aren't worth ten dollars,or more."
Rio shrugged her shoulders,"They're entertaining. I'd say that's kind of worth it. Plus,you got one for me." She flashed a smile at Agatha and rubbed at the brim of the witch hat. She looked stunned for a moment before meeting Rio's eyes with a warmth that had been masked with a cocky look. "Well,I just so happened to bump into two hats,so you can thank me for that."
Her smile widened affectionately at Agatha's attempt to act overly confident,but Rio saw through it and rolled her eyes. "Thank you,Agatha. I appreciate you stealing two hats for us." She had said it in a genuine tone that seemed to catch Agatha off guard. She looked around at the rocks for a moment,avoiding Rio's gaze. Agatha then found the courage to look at Rio,softly responding,"No problem."
When the two looked back out on the beach,the soaked sand reflected the reflection of a darkening sky. The sky looked like the color of an angry storm,yet it was as calm as a day on a foggy lake. "Yeesh. You were right,it got dark really fast."
"Should we leave?"
"No." Rio shook her head. She wasn't ready for their fun to end just yet. And she wasn't ready for the possibility of her dad finding out and cutting her off completely. She wanted the day to last forever so that maybe,just maybe,she could guarantee keeping her best friend.
Rio slipped off the silky green robe that covered her pajama clad body. She looked down at her clothes and grimaced. She almost forgot that she didn't change out of her pajamas before leaving. "Nice choice of clothing. Where exactly did you get it?" Agatha called from behind Rio,who turned to look at the spirit witch. She was wearing a teasing grin on her face. Rio responded,"I got it from my closet."
She didn't hesitate to run straight into the water and grab onto Agatha's wrist,which caught her off guard for a moment as she was dragged into the ice cold water. The one way Rio could describe the freezing cold water hitting her feet was like dipping them back into the Ice Age. She felt a shiver run through her hand from Agatha's wrist. Her shoulders uncomfortably went up as she walked deeper into the water with the green witch.
After a while,Agatha's shoulders slowly came down as she got used to the chill of the water. Suddenly,she quickly put her hand into the water and splashed it onto Rio's face. Startled,she yelped and jumped back. "What was that for?"
"Revenge for dragging me into cold water."
Agatha looked on with an amused smile,that lasted until Rio swiped her arm in the water,sending a larger splash onto Agatha's head. Her dark brown hair started to drip with water,droplets from the ends of her hair making a plip plop sound as they hit the ocean water. She blinked the water out of her eyes,shocked by the giant wave of water that had hit her. The spirit witch let out a dramatic gasp,which made a laugh ripple out of Rio.
Agatha wiped her wet eyes and feigned an angry look at Rio,"Oh I'm going to get you back for that one." The corner of her mouth quirked up in a smirk,almost challenging Agatha. She quickly dipped her hand back into the water to splash Rio,only this time,the spirit witch kept on going. They were small splashes,but they were a lot.
Rio swiped her tongue over her lips to lick the water off of them,taking in the flavor of the water. It salty,overly salty like the foods that most villagers tried to claim was "full of flavor". Rio remembered a time where she went over to Agatha's house for dinner and Ms.Harkness put a plate of chicken in front of her.
When the green witch bit into it,she grimaced at the overload of salt that dried out her mouth,almost spitting out the piece of meat. The ocean water didn't taste like that piece of dry chicken that made her dad's cooking look like something from a star chef,though.The water tasted like salt and somehow a bit of the earth.
Rio was snapped out of her thoughts about the taste of the water by a sudden big splash in her face. Agatha let out a laugh at Rio's shocked face and it looked as if the spirit witch was proud of herself. Rio only blinked at Agatha. The green witch's eyebrows perked up once an idea popped into her head. She flicked her hand,green magic flowing out from underneath the water and seeping into the sandy floor beneath the two witches. From the floor grew a piece of slimy seaweed that Rio manipulated with her hand.
"Agatha! Is that a snake?" Her mouth quirked up in a smirk as Agatha looked down to see the piece of seaweed wiggling. She let out a scream and started to run out of the water. "Why are you staying-" Agatha's fearful expression dropped and turned into an unamused glare directed at Rio," Oh. You know,sometimes I really hate your green magic."
After a few more minutes of playing in the water and tricking each other,the two were ready to head back to Salem. Rio looked back at the beach with a nostalgic smile,even though she was still on the beach. From that moment she knew that this small trip would be something she would remember for her whole life. This day wouldn't be remembered as the horrible day when her dad forbade her from seeing her best friend or threatened to take away someone who made her happy,but it would be remembered as the day she spent running around the beach with her best friend.
The green witch summoned power from within her and it burst out of the palms of her hands into the ground. Roots emerged from the ground in mere moments to form a small tree where the two witches got the branches for a broom. Agatha tore off two large branches with a grunt and handed one to Rio.
The two witches crossed the ends of their branches and started to circle the two branches. This time around,there was very little space between the two branches,whether it was intentional or not,Rio didn't know,but it made her heart thump in her chest as she chanted the spell with Agatha. The green witch let out a sigh of relief as they stopped chanting and broke eye contact.
Rio put her own broom between her legs and braced for her take off into the twilight. She ran to catch speed until she could no longer feel the feeling of the coarse sand underneath her bare feet. Behind her,she could hear the sound of howling wind and the quack of ducks. She could see the silhouette of Agatha in front of her,although it was small,the green witch could still see it against the dark sky. Agatha let out a laugh,Rio's lips twitched up into a smile in response to the act of joy.
The green witch looked around at the sky,it had started to turn to a deep indigo color that caught her attention. She was surrounded by Agatha. Her magic,the color of her clothes,just Agatha herself. Rio was reminded that what she felt for the spirit witch was inescapable,even if it were a lost cause,Rio would love her. Accept it. Her heart was screaming,despite being as dead as a nail,clashing with the thoughts inside of her head that denied her feelings. There was so much at stake if she chose to keep loving Agatha the way she did,such as her relationship with her dad or even Agatha. The question was what she would listen to. Her heart won.
Rio and Agatha landed safely back in Salem,despite them both landing on their faces(one of them more gracefully than the other). The two made their way back to their base,giggling happily as they ran through the woods and past the azalea bushes into the sheet covered base. Rio flopped onto the sheets and looked up at the ceiling of the base. "I never would've guessed that the most fun I would have would be outside of Salem."
"Trust me,there are far better places than this... life sucking town that I live in," Agatha spoke of the town in a way like it was something she wouldn't want to remember once she left. It didn't exactly confuse Rio too much,the two was full of gossip and bad history of burning anyone who wasn't someone who condemned "witches" or could just so happen to have a mole on their cheek. The green witch shrugged with a smile of admiration and added,"I guess I just enjoy any place when you're by my side."
"I'm glad that you enjoy my company as much I enjoy yours, especially when you're the only one who seems to do it,"Agatha's comment almost slipped right under Rio's radar,but she caught it. "Does no one else like to hang out with you?"
"Wow,way to put it gently," Agatha said with a sarky edge to her voice," but yes, that's what I think,at least."
"What makes you think that?"
"My mother she... I guess how she acts makes me feel unwanted in a way. She says her coven is her whole world,yet I can barely be apart of it." Rio's head tilted in confusion,her eyebrows furrowing," Coven?"
"Group of witches."
"Got it," Rio clicked her tongue and gestured her hands as if telling Agatha to continue. She cleared her throat," She doesn't want me to use magic because of my 'dangerous curiosity',but I don't get what's so dangerous about learning. At least give me one good thing in life."
Rio didn't understand it,Agatha wanting to be in a coven. From what the green witch saw,Agatha had the ability to be stronger than a coven. "Is that all you want? To be in a coven?"
She nodded her head,giving Rio just enough reason to back again the next day. Would she go back to the afterlife,though? Only the universe knew what her dad had in store for her once she got back. She turned to Agatha with a little bit of nerve showing in her voice,"Just one more question,do you think my dad will be mad at me for leaving for a whole day and randomly coming back?"
"Definitely."
"I thought so," The green witch sighed,hanging her head low. "I'll just try to sneak in through my bedroom window,somehow."
Once Rio had walked far enough from the base,she flicked a burst of green magic out of her hands and into the soil where vines started to slither out. As usual,the vines twisted into a bridge back into the afterlife,except instead of the blue tinted field she usually saw,the portal appeared to go into her bedroom,which was a small comfortable wooden floored room that held a twin sized bed in the corner of the room next to her window. The green witch jumped through the portal and onto her bed with an "oof".
Once she steadied on her bouncy bed,she could hear the faint sound of voices outside. With a wary look around,she cracked her window open the slightest bit. Two voices. "Wow,you sure fucked up big time on this one,Miguel," Rio could hear a mocking tone in this voice,clearly speaking to her dad. The voice was a bit high,but still masculine and had a deep French accent. Her father let out a groan,"I know that,but did one of the original Deaths really have to come all the way to my house from that little fancy piece of land you have?"
"Well of course I did,I had to see if the buzz about your apprentice was true."
"I would rather one of the more sane one of your little friends came to my house instead of you, Francis." A laugh. "It's nice to hear that I still have a reputation."
"Everyone knows that you like to be the center of attention."
"I won't deny that. But back to the topic of your apprentice,where exactly is she?" Her dad raised his voice,"I don't know! She ran once I told her what I would have to do if she didn't stop talking to Agatha!"
"C'mon,you didn't have to do all of that. I don't get why you worry so much. It's not like she- Oh,have you told her about that?"
"Of course not,she would never come back if I ever told her." Told me what? Rio heard the excited clapping of hands. "Oh the drama! She's almost like me in a sense,attracting so much of it. Even after she was born,we were all speculating if she would be a mistake like her mentor or if she would be extraordinary like moi. It is starting to turn out that she is the latter."
"Cut the rambling and get to the point. What will happen now?"
"Well,first, we'd have to discuss the obvious reason,your apprentice is a contradiction and has broken rules. Most of them aren't her fault,thanks to you,she has broken rules by existing."
"I don't think I see anything wrong with her existence."
"Because she's your apprentice and your only savior in your eyes. She wasn't meant to 'die' when she was born. But instead you took her,creating a prophecy instead of just letting her live as a normal witch,maybe with a few new powers,but still normal. Thank the Reaper something boring like that didn't happen! Not saying it wasn't wrong,but it makes things interesting."
"Look,that was a mistake I made over 500 years ago,I even went to court for that."
"Uh,uh,uh, your session was interrupted by the creation of that same prophecy that dictates the events of the next few centuries. And now your apprentice will go to court tomorrow where I can tell her everything."
Drop. Rio heard what she assumed her dad dropping down the his knees. "You can't do that! She'll leave and I'll be stuck in this god damned cloak forever!"
" Not even going to pull the,'She's my daughter!',"Francis mocked him,"C'mon,Miguel,you know that's not how the prophecy goes. Now, remember to get ready early tomorrow,trial's tomorrow."
"You're leaving now?'
"Yes,now get off the ground,slob,and go find your apprentice before I start looking." Rio heard a loud slap before it was silent again. She was in big trouble.
The green witch took a step,her toe thudding against the bedframe,"Ow! Ow!" Her eyes widened in realization that she had not yet closed her window and most likely alerted her father. Blue smoke filled her room,leaving her coughing and struggling for air. "Stop,man! You could at least say sorry instead of blasting blue smoke at me!"
Rio shooed away the remainders of the blue smoke that clouded her vision. In front of her,she found her dad's angry face,red marked on his right cheek. "Wait,did that guy out there slap you?"
"So you heard us. How long have you been here?"
"Long enough to hear that I was meant to live a life!" Rio yelled angrily. "Well,you wouldn't have met Agatha otherwise,so you can thank me for that."
" You're hell bent on taking her away from me,so I wouldn't thank you for that."
"You hear what happened out there? That's why I was trying to keep you away. No apprentice has ever been to the court of Death,I only just discovered it after you were born."
"Hey,woah, don't act like this is just my mistake,you literally broke a rule by taking a living soul! Yeah,I bet this is your trial and not mine." Rio crossed her arms angrily,her dad responding,"This is our trial. We both broke rules,but we can fix this. As long as we stay on the same page and agree that you won't see A-"
"That won't be happening." Rio pressed her hands, against her dad,struggling to push him out of her room. When he was finally in the door frame,she looking up at him with a defiant look," Good luck in court,Miguel."