To Search for Minds Where Minds Are Lost, Part 2
To Search for Minds Where Minds Are Lost
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Amity
It was beyond cold.
Cold was for people that could tell the difference between cold and heat. It was simply pure numbness, the only sensation being a small tingle of a feeling radiating through the body.
Amity was ready to accept this lack of feeling. It numbed everything, even all the pain of the last three years. The pain of having to decide between two lives. It was welcoming, so welcoming.
“AMITY”
Amity was pulled out of the numbness, and the full weight of the freezing water hit her. Her teeth started slamming against each other as her body seized. Then she felt warmth and softness, and she reveled in it as her shivering body started calming down. After a while, she opened her eyes to see that Song was hugging her, her massive wings wrapped around her like a cocoon.
Amity stifled a squeak and pulled herself from Song’s grasp. She stumbled backward, but Song pulled her back into a hug.
“Ames, don’t fall back into the water!” Song yelled. “Then you’ll get all dead looking!”
“What?” Amity mumbled, rubbing her eyes. She then heard two splashes and realized that Eda and Camila were now with them. She stumbled over them, plunging her hands into the cold water to pull them out.
“Aye, que frio!” Camila chattered as Amity drew a spell circle to summon some flames. It was then she got a good look at where they were.
It was like the pages of a scrapbook, but if every page was stained and burned. The walls looked like liquid, rippling like stones had been skipped across them. All the images on the walls were blurred and muddy. Some were voids of swirling black water, while some were as clear as crystal.
“This is her mindscape,” Song said, dragging a claw through the water. Amity shivered at the confirmation. Luz’s mind combined with an entire dimension? It was going to be really tricky to pull the two apart. As Amity thought of ways to do this, she felt the amulet that her dad made pulse against her chest.
Second Day in the demon realm. Wizard. Adaghast. Chosen One? Quest. Make my own future. Lesson Learned.
Amity flipped around and yelped when she saw what was standing behind her. It was Luz, wearing the awesome cat hoodie she had worn when Amity first met her. But despite that, she was all wrong. It was like a flicker of light in the shape of Luz, eyes blackened and empty. Her mouth moved, but the words didn’t match the movements.
Second Day in the demon realm. Wizard. Adaghast. Chosen One? Quest. Make my own future. Lesson Learned.
Amity never realized how much shorter 14-year-old Luz was than her right now. She waved her hand in front of what she thought was Inner Luz, hoping that she would try to help them.
Second Day in the demon realm. Wizard. Adaghast. Chosen One? Quest. Make my own future. Lesson Learned.
“That’s not Inner Luz,” Song murmured. Amity looked up at the Song to realize she was pointing at another figure in the distance. It looked remarkably similar to the Luz that was in front of Amity right now.
“Then what is she?” Amity asked.
“A memory devoid of emotions that were attached to it,” Song said, backing away from the flicker of Luz.
Second Day in the demon realm. Wizard. Adaghast. Chosen One? Quest. Make my own future. Lesson Learned.
“Where Inner Luz?” Eda asked. Song shrugged
“Inner Luz isn’t here because she also consists of emotion,” Song raised her arms, pointing to the void. “There are no emotions here.” and pointed at Amity’s amulet.
“Tap it to her. The memory catcher should absorb her,” Song said. Amity pulled the Amulet off her neck and gently tapped it to Flicker Luz’s head, and with a flash, she was gone.
“How do we know that worked, mija, Song?” Camila asked. Amity raised the amulet to her ear and listened.
Second Day in the demon realm. Wizard. Adaghast. Chosen One? Quest. Make my own future. Lesson Learned.
“It’s in there,” Amity said, the whispering of Luz’s memory fading.
“Try this one,” Eda said, gently leading a flicker to Amity. She would’ve questioned how Eda could touch a memory, but she didn’t dare right now. Amity just wanted to collect every single memory, and then leave. She could already feel the cold creeping through her bones again.
Eda turned into a beast. Curse. She needs Elixer. LIGHT GLYPH. I learned magic. Excitement gained.
She tapped the amulet to this Luz, and with a flash, she was gone. Amity now heard two memories in there, and they were already starting to sequence themselves.
Second Day in the demon realm. Wizard. Adaghast. Chosen One? Quest. Make my own future. Lesson Learned.
Eda turned into a beast. Curse. She needs Elixer. LIGHT GLYPH. I learned magic. Excitement gained.
Amity nodded and looked around the waterlogged mindscape of Luz. “Everyone, gather as many flickers as you can find,” She said, pointing to the wandering memories. “We’ll start putting them in the amulet.”
So they did. Eda, and Camila walked around the inky waters of this broken inbetween in order to collect as many memories as possible. Song stood behind Amity, watching like a sentry as Amity tapped the amulet to as many memories as she could. Every time she did, she started hearing more of Luz’s life. The day she moved to Gravesfield. The thoughts she had when her dad passed away. The day Luz read Azura for the first time. First day on the Boiling Isles, and then-
Amity Blight. Batata. Hermosa. Cotton Candy-Haired Goddess. I love her dearly, with all my heart. She helped me so much. Helped me find my way, and loved me when I was lost in myself. I want to see her again, I need to see her again. I have to tell her thank you! I have to-
Amity tapped the amulet to Luz’s memories of her, and they were absorbed. Part of her desperately wanted to hear those thoughts, but she knew that was invading Luz’s privacy. Especially since these memories did nothing but talk, spilling every thought that Luz had ever had. Amity just kept collecting all the memories that her Mom and Eda brought her. She couldn’t help but feel tense as she did so. Amity tried her best to keep an eye on Song, but when Eda brought a collector of ten memories to her, Amity lost track of the half-titan.
Then the inbetween shook like a spasm quake, nearly throwing Amity off her feet as huge pools of black water started streaming from the ceiling like waterfalls. The walls of the scrapbook began to bleed as some of the flickers were overwhelmed by the cold water.
“What’s happening?” Amity asked, turning to look at Song. That was when she realized the half-titan had doubled over, clutching her head and slowly receding into the water. Amity rushed over to her and propped up by the shoulders, but Song was still wincing in pain.
“Song, what’s wrong?” Amity asked, trying her best to support Song’s weight. Camila then rushed over to help Amity with Song.
Song just grunted, and to Amity’s horror, she hit her head like she was trying to get water out of her ears. Amity tried to stop her, but she couldn't between holding her up and trying not to sink into the void.
Song then pushed them back, Amity flailing backward into the water. She quickly got up to look and was terrified by what she saw. Song was clawing at her head, deep purple blood streaming from her scalp. Amity tried to tell her to stop but choked when Song pulled a memory, fully formed from her head, and crushed it with her claws. With a wail, the memory turned into steam and vanished.
“What did you do that for?” Amity wailed. “Those are your memories!!” She stomped up to Song and tried pushing her, but the half-titan stood strong and looked down at Amity.
“NO!” Song roared, her golden eyes burning. “I’M ME! I’M NOT HER.”
“But,” Amity protested.
“Those aren’t my memories!” Song yelled, pointing to the flickers of Luz. “I don’t want them back. I want to live!”
“You were the one that insisted on coming!” Amity yelled at her. “So don’t go around destroying memories!”
“The memories aren’t supposed to get in my head!” Song growled.
“Camila said not to touch them!” Amity countered. Song opened her mouth to yell back, but before she could say anything else, the water shook again, and Amity nearly fell over.
“What's going on,” Eda asked.
“The void is collapsing. Her mindscape was the only thing keeping it secure.” Song said. The half-titan glared at Amity before turning to Camila and Eda.
“We must go now,” She said.
“But the memories!” Camila cried, pointing back about ten flicker Luz’s. The dimension groaned again, and more inky black water began to pour from the ceiling, blocking them off from the flickers.
“We have to go now!” Song yelled, ushering them towards Amity. She watched the scrapbook melt into water, the remainder of Luz’s mindscape fading away. Song pulled all three of them into a bear hug and tugged their tether. Amity just watched as they got lifted out of the void and towards heartbreak.
To Search for Minds Where Minds Are Lost
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Amity
Amity got thrown out of the portal, landing near Lilith. As she got up, she watched as the faulty portal popped out of existence, and the machine began to power down.
“Amity! Did you get them?” Willow asked.
“Yeah,” Amity said rather absent-mindedly, mainly focused on Song. The half-titan was standing rigid in the middle of the group, focusing on the purple amulet that Amity was clutching in her hands. The tension was palpable as Song glared with golden fire at Amity, glyphs of golden light burning in her irises. Her unfurled wings cast a great shadow over Amity, and her staff glowed with deep purple magic.
“Amity, Mom, Song!” King yelled excitedly, running into the circle. Amity's eyes went big as she saw what he was carrying. It was the lamp from Luz’s grave, glowing brighter than ever. Amity felt the memories in her hand heat up as the all began to whisper the same thing.
It’s here. It’s back! I want it! I need it!
King scurried up to Eda, who had been ejected to the left of Amity, and showed her the lamp.
“I found it! Colin told me where it was!” King squealed, hugging the lamp.
“What’d you find, kiddo?” Eda grunted as she stood up to look at King.
“Luz’s soul! It was at her grave!” He yelled in triumph, holding the lamp up high. Amity exploded with energy as she ran to King and scooped the lamp out of his hands. She’d never really looked at it before. Not carefully in the four years since The Collector had put it there. But right at the base of the lamp, under the little orb of golden light, was a symbol.
The same symbol that Song had glowing on her chest.
“Get that away from me!” Song yelled, stepping back
“Song, what’s wrong?” Hunter asked, walking between her and Amity.
Song clutched her head again and stared at Amity.
“She.. she tried to hurt her- me!” Song yelled, hitting her head and pointing at Amity.
“What?” Amity spluttered. “You’re getting confused, Song! You touched a memory!”
“You tried to dissect me!” Song roared.
Amity was stunned at that. Then a memory from long ago pushed its way to the front of her mind. The first day she met Luz all those years ago. She had, in fact, tried to get her dissected. Amity then realized that the memory Song had absorbed had been about Amity’s terrible attitude when she’d been younger.
“BE STILL”
Amity’s muscles tensed as her eyes locked open. She tried to move, but her body refused any of her commands. Amity, along with everyone but King, stiffened like a board. Her lungs thankfully allowed her to continue breathing, unlike the last time Song had used her voice, but she still couldn’t move.
“I need space!” Song yelled, standing up tall.
Amity and the rest of her friends could only watch, frozen, as Song extended her wings and rocketed off into the sky with a boom louder than sound.
To Search for Minds Where Minds Are Lost
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Hunter
“I’m hoooooome!” yelled The Collector. Hunter couldn't move still, but he heard their star pop out of existence, the sound of their feet pitter-pattering on the grass.
“King! Lemme help!” said the bright voice of The Collector.
“Thanks,” King responded.
Hunter felt a wave of cool magic wash over his body, and he immediately loosened, able to move again. He looked around to see his little brother next to King, their beanie still somewhat full of space ice.
“What in King’s name was that!” Gus yelled.
“OOOHH. That was a Titans voice!” Colin called out as they tapped Camila. “Depending on its users, it can be like when I puppet someone!”
Colin then went around, unfreezing the rest of their friends, who all gathered in a circle around the star child. Everyone quickly refocused on The Collector, who was playing with glowing blue chains.
“When Song comes back, let's ask her never to use that again,” Hunter grumbled, rubbing his neck. It was like his body had seized mid-movement, and every muscle was now sore.
“We’re not waiting for her to get back!” Amity yelled, clutching the lamp on the memory catcher. “My dad said that absorbing a memory would cause really bad whiplash. We need to help her!”
Hunter opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by The Collector blasting past him to get a look at Amity. “OH! Are those her memories Gato? That's sooooo cool! I can help with those for sure!” They yelled excitedly, floating around Amity's head and reaching for the amulet.
“How?” Amity asked, placing the amulet around her neck and tucking it into her shirt.
“The Collectors wanted toys from the stars, Alas, the stars had only memories,” Lilith told the group. Hunter scoffed. It sounded like a limerick, and those were stupid.
“Aunt Lily has it!” Colin giggled. “Archivists do all sorts of memory magic all of the time! And if that dumb story’s true, then I can chain Luz’s soul to her body just fine!”
“What?” Hunter asked, looking at The Collector and then at Lilith.
“Alador suggested really strong magic to rebind Luz back together,” Lilith said, pulling out a bag holding shards of a stone tablet. She then began reorganizing them into what Hunter knew was one of Colin’s bedtime stories.
“I assumed that other than King, Colin would be the best bet at achieving this,” Lilith said, gesturing at the tablet. The whole group looked at her, still confused. The Raven-Lady sighed and began pacing around.
“The story says that Collector and Titan and magic work together to make a functional life form,” Lilith then rested her hands on King and Colin. “I theorized my nephews here would need to work together to reconstruct Luz, but-” She glared at King, “I had intended on calling Colin back when even else knew of the plan.”
“Agh!” Amity yelled, bounding over to Colin and King. “Can-you-help-us?” She said to them both.
“Uhh, I think so, Amity!” King said, giving a thumbs up.
“Sure! I already made the star chains!” Colin said happily.
“Great, then let's go get her! Help her calm down!” Amity said, gingerly handing the lamp to Camila. She summoned Ghost, but Hunter grabbed her arm before she could take off.
“Hold up, Amity!” Hunter said. “Song seemed really upset. Shouldn’t we let her just be?”
“She just absorbed a really bad memory without any context! We should help her! Explain to her why she’s feeling that way.” Amity countered.
“By telling her she's supposed to be someone she’s not?” Hunter asked.
“Wh-a-at?” Amity stuttered.
“To me, it sounds like you just want Song to be Luz,” Hunter sighed and clasped his hands together. He’d been meaning to get the thought off his chest since they returned from the human realm, but there’d never been a good chance.
“But she’s not, and I think we all know that,” Hunter said, looking to the rest of the group. Everyone gave little nods, even Camila.
“We need to respect that, no matter how much we love Luz and want her back,” Hunter said louder, to the uneasy agreement of everyone else.
“But she’s confused about the memory….” Amity whispered.
“How would you explain it to her, Amity?” Hunter asked, putting his hand on her shoulder. “That her whole existence is just meant to be a placeholder for someone else?” Hunter drew from his personal experience there. How he was supposed to be someone else, but he wasn’t. He was himself. He found peace with that, and no matter how much he wanted Luz back, he would respect Song for the person she was becoming.
Amity looked down and then brushed away a tear. “But we’re so close,” She whispered, her voice wavy.
“Yes, but we can’t kill one person to bring another back,” Hunter told her. “It’s not right.” Hunter pulled her in for an awkward sibling hug and let her cry into his chest. His heart ached too. They were so close to bringing back Luz, but in his mind, Song had priority.