I Hate Ghosts

by Birch_Tree

Summary:

"Agatha had tears shining in her eyes. It wasn’t the closure she was hoping for; she held on to that optimism since she was a teenager, still trying to please her mother while she was tied to a stake in the middle of the forest. She realized right then and there that the reality of her situation was that her mother always hated her. To be born evil, without ever speaking a word or having a coherent thought; to be as innocent as a human being could possibly be.

Being branded wicked before even opening your eyes to this cold world."

Or- Rio hates ghosts, Agatha and Rio get over their problems pretty early on, and Rio finishes the road with everyone.

Notes:

Ok well this one got away from me, Its a little dive into the scene during Agatha's trial where Rio stated she hated ghosts. I noticed when Evanora Harkness glared at Rio, Rio looked a bit drawn, as if she was almost scared. So of course I latched on to that. Also I love to make our Girls suffer I guess...

It got longer than i thought it would, but i decided to finish the rest of the road.

Chapter 1: Her mother can't have her.

“Yea? well her mother can’t have her!” Rio shouted over the chaos swirling around the rag tag coven.

 

Rio hated ghosts. She hated the way that her dagger would swipe right through them without leaving a single mark. She hated the way they could disappear from her orbit and she would have no idea where they would hide. She also hated the way they would refuse to cross over.

 

But what Rio hated most about ghosts, was that they seemed to be one of the very few things that could cause her physical pain. When they were near, it was like an uncomfortable ache in her bones. The longer she was around them or the closer they got to her, the worse it would get. But if one decided to touch her with their gross, translucent form, they could cause her some serious damage.

 

It was almost like a cruel game made by the universe that these beings would be allowed the opportunity to get back at Death for taking them while they still had shit to do. It wasn’t Rios fault that they didn’t get their stuff situated during their time alive. She spent millennia trying to lure them to the afterlife. She learned early in the dawn of humanity that she could be affected by ghosts. Because even in the Stone Age mortals had unfinished business, like finishing their cave paintings.

 

She appeared in her Death attire to guide a young man to her realm. She was working on her appearance and had the perfect script to surely ease the transition. Humans were simple creatures back then. And they could communicate which made crossing over easier; so she thought.

 

She had just finished forming in front of a man who had unsuspectingly died from falling off a cliff while hunting. She didn’t even get her first words out when he hit her in the face with his wooden club. This would happen quite often to be honest, the humans of the time had to be fight or flight for survival. But this was the first time she had felt the impact. She was dazed and confused for a moment before trying again to convince the soul to come with her. Once again, the soul hit her with his club, and disappeared.

 

She was left with a fractured skull and a broken rib, and completely unaware as to where the soul had run off to.

 

Much later, while collecting the soul of an elderly woman, she caught the glimpse of the man trying and failing to finish his mural he had left behind. Every time he had swiped paint across the smooth rock, it would soon disappear, completely invisible to the world of the living. He saw Death and had come to the realization that he would never be able to finish what he had left behind. He sighed and walked towards her and the elderly woman. Death was eerie of the translucent floating being. But he posed no threat as he let his club fall to the ground and walked through the portal in which the old woman had just gone through.

 

Mortals. They’ve always had a reason.

 

Agatha hated ghosts too. Killing her fair share of witches and mortals alike would eventually lead to a reasonable amount of hauntings. They would pop up at the most inopportune moments of her long life constantly nagging at her about morals and ethics. It was annoying to say the least.

 

She knew her wife had a strong dislike for the wispy apparitions as well. Rio would often disappear when one would show up on their travels, blaming an emergency or some natural disaster that would need her full attention. The ghosts were never out right evil, or caused any damage to Agatha so it never bothered her that Rio would be so quick to go. She would bet a lot of money on the idea that Lady Death herself, the cosmic entity whos only job in the universe was to guide souls to the afterlife, would hate anything that refused her services.

 

And now here they were. Standing in front of what might be considered the worst case scenario for either one of them- the ghost of none other than Evanora Harkness.

 

Rio didn’t run. Agatha was impressed to say the least, but she really shouldn’t have been. She knew deep down that even in the midst of their troublous relationship, Rio Vidal would never allow Agatha to endure any more misery from her mother. She always felt safe with her wife on her side, and as much as she pretended to hate it, she was relieved that it was Rio who crawled manically and terrifyingly out of the dirt.

 

Hearing the words come out of Rios mouth settled over Agatha in a way that she hasn’t felt in some time. She knew in that moment that even if her traitorous coven decided to leave her, Rio would never; therefore none of them would finish the road- and so be it. If she had to suffer in this hell hole of a tree house, then she’d be all too happy to see them all suffer with her.

 

Evanora took this time to glare daggers into Rio and move forward menacingly, and to Agatha’s surprise, Rio seemed to falter back a step.

 

Rio never told Agatha her reasoning for despising ghosts. She didn’t want her wife to make any connection that 1: she could be physically injured from them. And 2: her wife was constantly surrounded by them even if Agatha couldn’t see them all the time. She knew the ghosts needed to have a very strong emotional connection to her wife in order to physically harm her, so they were usually just there to taunt her or cause mischief.

 

Seeing the ghost of her mother in law was like being doused in freezing water. She wasn’t about to allow her wife to be “punished” by this woman, let alone allow this sad excuse of a coven to leave her behind. Rules be damned, she would burn this whole tree house down with them in it. As pathetic as this journey has been, Rio had seen firsthand that teen could be almost fatally wounded, therefore she didn’t want to see what this ghost could do. The woman was terrible alive, and now she had full range of torturing Agatha then being able to slip once again from Deaths fingers.

 

Taking that half of a step back was her first mistake; it was the equivalent of rolling over and playing dead in a dog fight. She showed Evanora that there was something about her that Rio was concerned about. Rio didn’t know if Evanora understood the power she held over her. Seeing as it has taken centuries to make herself known worried Rio in a way that said she did. Did the ghost sit back and watch all these years to figure out the best time to strike? Did she see how Lady Death reacted towards apparitions? Or worse, did she see how they were able to harm her?

 

“Mom,” Agatha had seen the unease in her wife’s eyes and felt the sudden urge to get the staring match to end. She started down the crooked stair case in order to be able to put herself between the two if need be. Evanora floated back and Agatha looked her mother in the eyes for the first time since her trial in 1693. “Why do you hate me still?”

 

It was a question she never thought she would get to ask. She figured the hatred her mother carried for her died with her, but seeing Evanora brought back the same sadness she held as she was tied to that post all those years ago.

 

“You were born evil. I should have killed you the moment you left my body.” Her mother said with almost remorse in her expression; not for hurting her daughter, but as if she was disappointed at herself for allowing Agatha to live.

 

Agatha had tears shining in her eyes. It wasn’t the closure she was hoping for; she held on to that optimism since she was a teenager, still trying to please her mother while she was tied to a stake in the middle of the forest. She realized right then and there that the reality of her situation was that her mother always hated her. To be born evil, without ever speaking a word or having a coherent thought; to be as innocent as a human being could possibly be.

 

Being branded wicked before even opening your eyes to this cold world.

 

Looking away from her mother, she pleaded to the group not to leave. Jen was all too willing, even after everything was laid out in front of them to bear witness to. As commotion started amongst the coven, Evanora took this moment to surge towards Agatha as she had her back turned.

 

Rio acted fast, already reading what the ghost had in mind, she quickly hugged her wife, shielding her from her mother like she had always wished she could do when Agatha was a child.

 

Agatha was confused at the sudden warmth surrounding her from behind, but confusion quickly turned to horror as she heard what sounded like Rio screaming in pain. She struggled to twist in her wife’s tight grip to see why Rio was reacting the way she was.

 

Evanora seemed just as surprised, she intended on possessing her daughter once more. She wanted her so called coven to see her as the evil monster she was. Her intentions were good; she was trying to save the group from what could only be a devastating death. But before she could inhabit Agatha’s body, Lady Death jumped in front of her, causing Evanoras hands to sink into her back.

 

She made Lady Death scream.

 

With a blast of green magic, Rio threw Evanora back into a pile of old VHS tapes as she leaned heavily into Agatha’s arms.

 

“Rio?” Agatha seemed worried at what she just witnessed. “Rio what the hell just happened? D- Did she hurt you?” She lowered Rio down to her knees as her wife caught her breath.

 

               “I really do hate ghosts.” Rio gave her wife a small smile. “Also, I hate your mother.”

 

               Agatha couldn’t help the little laugh that escaped her even in the middle of her worry. The coven had all coward into a huddle when things had escalated, except Alice, who had her hands up as if she was going to single handedly kill Evanora again. “Uh guys?” Teen had finally got the courage to speak up, “our timers are only a few minutes from going off and the door isn’t open yet…”

 

That was a strange detail. How were they supposed to punish Agatha without actually punishing her?

 

At that moment, Evanora had appeared once again floating in front of the group. “Lady Death, how nice it is to finally meet you in person.” There were quiet gasps from the group behind them. Rio stood tall, glaring at the ghost who just revealed her true form to a bunch of mortals.

 

“I knew you looked familiar!” Lillia couldn’t help but announce.

 

“Yes, the all-powerful entity known as Death has taken a liking to my daughter. Seems fitting she would attract the being who is most notorious for being evil.” She casually leans towards them, and Agatha, not understanding what just unfolded a minute ago, but not wanting a repeat of it, pulled Rio closer to her. “I’ve been watching you two for many years. I’ve seen the destruction you’ve caused and the fear you’ve spread among witch kind.”

 

Agatha felt unease at the news. After all these years, her mother’s shadow had never left her. What all had she actually seen? Could she have attacked at any moment? What about-

 

“Yes Agatha, I even bared witness to that bastard son of yours. Poor thing was too good for you. I was so relieved the day he-“ Rio once again pulsed another green blast at Evanora. How dare she speak for as long as she did; especially in the direction of her wife, and about their precious Nicky.

 

Agatha seemed to snap out of her trance. She was listening a little too intently to her mother’s words. Allowing what she said to seep into her soul and paint it black. She watched her mother get blindsided by her wife’s magic and it healed just a little bit of her. She locked eyes with Rio and they shared a similar thought; Evanora Harkness needed to be dealt with.

 

Evanora, it seemed, was done talking. She manifested quicker this time around, this time throwing a lamp across the room aimed at the whole group. None of the rest of the coven knew how to properly deal with a stubborn spirit; that was Rios expertise. But all attempted to help in the best way they could. Jen ran and dodged flying VHS tapes, Lava lamps and whatever else was being used at weapons. Teen was having a hard time locating Evanora who was utilizing her ghostly powers to disappear and reappear as needed, but he managed to throw a few beanie babies that never landed where they needed to be, all while maintaining a pretty impressive scream similar to when Agatha was possessed.

 

Lillia and Alice seemed to team up. Alice was casting protection spells towards the group, blasting away items before they could hit anybody. Lillia was still having a hard time with the knowledge that she had been walking the road with Lady Death herself. The one thing she has always feared. She stayed well enough away from the woman, but she did try her best to help her coven by predicting where Evanora would strike next, and informing Alice.

 

Agatha, who was powerless didn’t know how to help. She couldn’t use her magic, and her mother held a power over her after all this time. It was if she couldn’t raise her hand towards her.

 

Sensing this, Rio looked over her shoulder to check on her wife. She seemed to be paralyzed on the spot, not knowing how to help or even if she should. When they locked eyes, she saw Agatha’s grow impossibly wide; she raised a hand as if her magic was still available to her, but nothing but a purple spark sizzled in her palm.

 

Rio quickly turned to see what her wife was reacting to and was met with blinding pain in her head. Her vision went white and she let out another excruciating scream. Evanora had each of her hands grabbing the sides of Rios head. The chaos had seemed to come to a complete stop. Everything was frozen in midair, books, lamps, even an orange blast that was let out from Alice. The coven all had their eyes locked on Rio who Evanora had suspended three feet off the ground. She was thrashing her legs violently trying to free herself.

 

Moving at the same time, Agatha and Alice rushed towards the pair. Alice shot an impressive blast towards Rio attempting to create a shield around her, and Agatha hurled herself towards her mother, ultimately flying right through her.

 

Agatha was quick to gather herself up off the ground to confront her mother. “Mother please! Let her go!” Rio had yet to stop screaming. It was a sound that would surely haunt Agatha for the rest of her life; if she made it out of this alive that is. She looked to Rio who now had dark blood coming from her nose, Alice’s protection spell doing very little to help. Evanora had a wild look in her eyes as she manically smiled down at Death, unable to hear her daughters pleas. “I’ll stay with you! Please just let her go! She didn’t do anything wrong! It’s me you want to punish!”

 

This seemed to get her mother attention. She let go of Rio who dropped in a heap, groaning in pain. Agatha let out a sigh of relief. Her wife looked terrible, and if she didn’t know her occupation, she would say she looked like death… Alice was the once to rush over to check on her.

 

“You silly child. I see the way you look at her. I thought all those years apart held some possibility that your sinning had met its end. But she just kept coming back to you.” She floated around the room, everyone on edge at her eerie calm tone. “Even now, she comes to your aid and you to hers. Its sick. But I see how important she is to you. Even if I killed you, she would probably just use her devil powers to bring you back. Don’t you see dear? I am punishing you.”

 

She turned quickly in the air as if about to continue her torture with Rio but suddenly stopped. There on the ground was just Alice, still kneeling over empty air as if Rio had just as suddenly vanished. Alice looked around confused; her hands still had blood on them from checking Rio over.

 

Teen looked around the tree house for any sign of Rio when a beep sounded from the covens watches. It was a five minute warning. The implication hung heavy in the air.

 

“Rio!” Agatha spun around to look for her wife. The lights flickered and her worry intensified. Agatha hoped her wife had been called to a job that demanded her attention; anything to get her away from this place. Even Evanora looked around wondering where her victim had gone off to.

 

Quite literally out of thin air, Rio materialized directly behind Evanora. Her hair was wild, the blood from her nose had dripped down her neck, disappearing in her pajamas, and her face was flushed most likely from the screaming she had just endured. “Boo” she whispered to Evanora before bear hugging the ghost from behind just like she had previously tried to do to Agatha, and forcibly absorbing the ghost.

 

The effect was immediate; Rio doubled over and clutched at her stomach as if she was physically holding the spirit of her wife’s mother inside her body. She grunted and closed her eyes tightly to get ahold of herself. Agatha ran towards her and took her face gently in her hands. “Rio? Hey, talk to me, what just happened?”

 

Rio couldn’t speak, the pain of the spirit trying to escape was almost unbearable. She trembled and dropped to her knees, taking Agatha with her. Alice came close to try and offer her help, not knowing exactly how. The rest of the coven came closer, but still watched from a distance.

 

“Is it over? The watches still say one minute left, and there is still no exit.” Jen helpfully supplied.

 

Agatha ignored the comment to look after her wife who was clearly not ok. “Rio? Look at me my love, open your eyes ok?” she caressed her face.

 

Rio opened her eyes and Agatha had to hold back her shock at the blood that was now dripping from her eyes as well as her nose again. “Hey.” She said quietly. It was obvious it was taking a great deal of strength to talk. “Look Agatha, you need to finish the trial ok?” She took a shaky breath, “Don’t worry about me, I’ll be ok, just go through the door when it opens, understand?”

 

Agatha looked at her wife with concern, “Rio, what do you mean? I’m not about to leave you here especially when you’re the only one who wouldn’t leave me.”

 

Instead of addressing her wife, Rio looked to Alice, “Alice, I’ve appreciated your help, but if you’re the protection witch I know you are, in about 15 seconds, I’ll need you to get all of them through that door.” Rio looked quickly back at Agatha, not needing to see the acceptance in Alice.

 

“Te veo, My Love” She swiftly pulled out her dagger turned hairbrush and plunged it into her stomach.

 

“NO!” Agatha yelled as she tried to pry open the hands that held the dagger. Wind picked up all around them and everything that had been frozen in place spontaneously combust as the timer ticked down,

 

3

 

2

 

1

 

A latch sprung open and the group hurriedly stumbled up the stairs, trying to dodge the flying debris. Alice was trying to pull Agatha away from Rio, who seemed to be emanating a mixture of green light and black smoke. “NO! Leave me! I won’t leave her here!” Agatha was hysterical and Alice was managing her best to pull her away slowly. Teen showed up ducking out of the way of a flying book, and helped grab one side of a frenzied Agatha, allowing Alice to use her magic to keep them safe from anything coming at them.

 

The further the trio got from Rio, the less wreckage there was to dodge. Looking back, Alice could see that it was a tornado like shape swirling around Rio, who was at this point, near impossible to see. “GO!” Rios voice boomed over the chaos. They quickly shoved Agatha up the ladder and closed the door behind them.

 

 

Chapter 2: Oblivion

Summary:

What happens next?
The coven is forced to be a coven, Rio makes something neat.

Notes:

Hello again!
comment and kuddos are fun :)

The door sealed shut behind them as they all tumbled out one by one landing in a pile of limbs. Agatha was the first on her feet as she ran back to the no longer existing exit. “No no no no NO!” she banged her hands on the tree that had become the barrier between them and their last trial. “TEEN!” she looked around frantically, “Open the door Teen. Do it, I’m sure there’s still time to get her out!”

 

The group looked uncomfortable as they gathered themselves from the ground, dusting themselves off. “Uhh I don’t know if that’s how the road works Agatha.” Teen supplied.

 

“Screw the road! DAMMIT Teen! Open it back up!” She was getting more agitated as the moments went on.

 

“Now Agatha, there’s no reason to take this out on the boy, it’s not his fault-“ Lilia started to reason with the Witch. She was standing next to Jen who seemed just as unnerved.

 

“Isn’t it!?” Agatha turned away from the tree to glare at all of them.

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jen finally spoke. “It was your trial, we were supposed to leave you, Rio- or should I say Death interfered. Also, when were you going to let us all in on the little secret that we were all traveling with a cosmic entity!?”

 

Agatha seemed to pause at that. In all the commotion, she had forgotten that Rio’s occupation had been revealed by her mother. She opened and closed her mouth a couple times as she thought about what to say. Should she lie? Gas lighting was always fun, but unfortunately these witches were slightly more competent than she was willing to admit out loud.

 

Plus they had all seen Rios power.

 

She patted down the front of her shirt to clear away the dirt stains. Her favorite purple coat had a small tear in the side and the white shirt was almost unrecognizable. “What can I say? I like the bad boys.” She stood tall once again, masking her worry.

 

The group all started to talk at once, shouting their disagreements. It was clear they all had similar feeling towards her wife. “Quiet!” they all silenced at once. “We can talk about this later ok? Right now I need to get to Rio, someone with some actual magic come over here and blow this thing open again!” she gestured wildly to the tree behind her.

 

“Agatha, we don’t have time for this, she made her very poor choice in saving you. We should honor that and keep going; besides, she’s Death. She literally can’t die.” Jen was always the team player.

 

Agatha seethed, these women knew nothing of her wife. Yes maybe her wife couldn’t die, but she could be hurt; which is something she didn’t actually know until a few moments ago. And that was enough to send Agatha over the edge.

 

“I agree, we should continue on, Death will be ok. She is infinite. She follows everyone waiting to strike.” The group looked at the older witch with concern. “She has haunted me for centuries and I have had to live my life running from her.” She looked to the ground, “trust me, she won’t be far behind, so we should keep going.”

 

Lilia. The poor old woman was terrified of Rio. Agatha could smell it on her the moment they encountered the first trial. Living as long as they both did meant always wondering when your time was up. They weren’t very different from each other. They both outlived not only their coven, but generations of people whom they built any type of relationship with. The only difference was Agatha did not fear Death. Death was a friend. A lover. Her wife. She walked through life holding her hand, while Lilia ran from her.

 

Alice was next to add her input, always the light in the dark. “Wait guys, come on, we can’t just leave people behind. We started this thing together; we should finish it without any necessary loss.” She looked around to the group was had the decency to look away in shame. “Rio was the only reason we made it out of that place alive, and if what you say is true, and she can’t die, then that means she will still be in there right?”  She looked over to Agatha for confirmation and the other witch was standing in awe of the younger. She gave a small barely noticeable nod at Alice.

 

Agatha was grateful for the protection witch. If the time came, she would try to spare the woman. Not only was she the only one to help in their last trial, but she even now refused to leave Rio behind. She offered something that not many people had in the long span of Agatha’s life; compassion for her wife. She saw her not only as Lady Death, but another human being. She saw her as Rio. And Rio wasn’t even here to see it.

 

“Ok well how do we open the door back up? The Road seems to have rules…” Teen had finally broke his silence. He was standing on the edge of the group. He looked unsettled; they all did to be honest. It was as if the road was starting to take its toll of the coven. They were exhausted, dirty and hungry. No one had a clue as to what time it was or how long they had even been on this journey. “And what about the Salem Seven?”

 

At that, Agatha narrowed her eyes at the boy. She knew his ploy. She could tell he was willing to leave Rio behind just like the rest of them. He needed to get to the end of the road just as desperately as she did. He would never openly admit that though, oh no. He had mastered the art of deception a long, long time ago. She knew he was hiding something major and she needed to figure out what it was.

 

As if speaking the mere name of the Salem Seven summoned them, the coven all fell silent at the sound of a wolfs howl.

 

Agatha glared at Teen.

 

 

***************

 

 

Lady Death awoke to nothingness. She looked around and only found infinite darkness. It was slightly disorienting to say the least. She turned her sight right to left, and realized that she had taken on her cosmic form. No fleshy body, no bones and robes. Just a dark, sparkly form not unlike the night sky shining with stars.

 

Trying to get her mind right, she tried to remember what led her to being here. She had on many occasions taken her cosmic form throughout the centuries. It was fun; freeing at times. It was a great way to get back to her roots and she always felt recharged as if the universe was reminding her that she was in fact, not mortal and this was her true self.

 

But she didn’t remember why she was here now. Wasn’t she doing something important? Trying hard at remembering the last couple days caused a slight headache that she shouldn’t have been able to feel in this state.

 

She wandered around the vast dark realm she currently found herself in. how long had she been here? What is this place? It seemed to have no end or beginning; just empty, dark, meaningless. Time had no meaning here as she floated along, looking for a reason this place existed, but found nothing.

 

Usually Lady Death loved a new realm. She would fly through it, looking at anything and everything there was to see, and figuring out how everything worked. Agatha had compared her to a small child in a candy store once, but the comparison had done nothing but confuse Rio. She never understood mortal figures of speech. And she hated sweets.

 

She once had to force herself into her cosmic form in order to reset herself after swallowing chewing gum. it made her human form sick and made her ribs in her skeletal form stick together.

 

But this was different. There were no growing plants, no tall green trees, not a single river or rock to be seen. She wasn’t even certain that there was air to breathe. It just went on forever. She split herself in a few different directions to cover more space; she had to find out if there was a barrier or wall or perhaps a cliff that surrounded this plain. But after an unknown amount of time, she came up with nothing; it seemed this place stretched out forever with no end.

 

Usually realms were created by her for a reason. They had to serve a purpose; she was not one to create something just for it to be useless. But why this? She laughed at mortals for creating the idea of Hell, but if she was honest with herself, according to human lore, this was the closest thing to it. She feared nothing, but humans feared everything. If she were a gambling entity, she would bet good human money that people would absolutely hate this realm.

 

Suddenly a thought came to her. Maybe this is why she unknowingly created this place. It was meant to scare humans. Normally she loved scaring humans; it was a fun past time her and Agatha shared which usually led to her collecting souls. But Rio would never poke fun at her own job. She took it very seriously thank you very much.

 

Her job was to guide souls to the afterlife; i.e. her realm. Her beautiful, dark, twisted world. She had spent centuries building and crafting her domain to accommodate all the souls she held there. Rio had tried to make them as comfortable as possible until they felt ready to recycle. But now there is a new option? Could she guide souls to this realm? How would she be able to choose what soul would test this theory out?

 

Death was not supposed to judge or sentence people to unknown eternities. Just as she was never allowed to be the reason people died.

 

“Oh.”

 

Pieces of her memory were coming together. Death may not be allowed to sentence souls to Oblivion- because lets face it- this void of darkness has a name.

 

Oblivion.

 

But Rio? Rio held judgment. Rio had a wife, and a son who her heart still aches for. And she had a mother in law.

 

The memories had come back full force all at once; the tree house, Agatha, forcibly absorbing the ghost of Evanora Harkness.

 

Rio had unintentionally created an entirely new domain for a single soul that she did not care what happened to it.

 

In her sleep.

 

Reaching within herself, Lady Death pulled from what would be her ribcage, if she had a form, a small glowing soul. It was a light blue in color and pulsed faintly as if it was upset about being disturbed.

 

“Hello there, Evanora.” Her voice was loud in the silence, and being in her current state, her voice was distorted; sounding more like multiple voices at once. The glowing orb did not answer back of course. “I found the perfect place for you. I created it specifically for your soul and your soul alone.” She held up the blue sphere and released it. It stayed exactly where it was, suspended in the dark. “Go, wander around your new home. I hope you find it fitting.”

 

The orb started to float aimlessly in a direction and Rio watched as the glow got smaller and smaller.

 

 

*********

 

 

The coven was once again running for their lives. They collectively had to drag Agatha away from the tree, but with the promise that they would come back, she reluctantly went with them. Agatha knew deep down that Rio was probably not in that room anymore. The Road did have rules, and she felt strongly that once something was no longer needed, well, it was no longer needed.

 

It was night, at least it looked like night, the leaves on the path were slowly changing color from purple to yellow. They were running in no particular direction, but if the road was changing, then they were probably headed in the right way.

 

The sound of the Salem Seven was closing in around them, drowning out the sound of their pounding footsteps and heavy breathing.

 

To say Agatha was worried about dying was an understatement. She had no power, she was on a Road where the rules were made up as they went, and to top it off, her “get out of dying” free card was missing. How were they supposed to make it out of this? More importantly; how was She supposed to make it out of this?

 

The group slid to a stop as two figures draped in all black dropped onto the path in front of them. They were once again trapped.

 

“Let’s give them Agatha!” Jen once again supplied in a last ditch effort to save herself. Agatha had to respect the hustle. If the roles were reversed, Jen would have been handed over before the door to the road was even conjured.

 

“You ALL have chosen to coven with Agatha Harkness.” All seven figures spoke at the same time, surrounding the group. “Even knowing what she has done.” Their voices were a mix of whispers and high pitched, it settled thickly over the group. “You will be judged as one.” Three figures looked down from atop trees, two were on the path ahead, and two blocked the path in which they had just come from.

 

Agatha snorted as she glanced at Jen, “Tough luck Kale.”

 

Jen didn’t get the chance to quip back as the seven advanced all at once.

 

 

****

Notes:

Comments? How will I wrap this up? I don't know!

Chapter 3: She's Here

Summary:

At that Agatha, closed her eyes and sighed. If this is where it ends, she hoped Rio was still alive; to be the first thing she sees when waking up. She hoped it was painless and that her wife would rouse her with a gentle kiss like an old story book. But most of all, she hoped Nicky wouldn’t be too mad at her; and that Rio would stay a while for the reunion.

Notes:

Like all my work, its not proof read lol
Comments/ Kuddos appreciated!
Also I realized I had compared the howl from the Salem Seven as a wolf, even knowing full well that it was a coyote... sorry

The coven was barely handling themselves. But they were all still alive, so that counted for something. Alice was once again next to Agatha who was still painfully without her purple, shooting out orange blasts at the oncoming dark witches. Agatha, to her disgust, was resolved to throwing sticks and stones.

 

She was The Witch Killer. And she was powerless….

 

As the rest of the group fought, Agatha couldn’t help but remember a time in which the Salem Seven were just a bunch of kids. Growing up in the 1600s in her cove, Agatha had known them all; had watched them grow. She herself wasn’t allowed to play or take care of them because her mother didn’t want her tainting them with the dark arts, and seeing as her mother was their leader, the rest of the coven feared her too.

 

But none the less, she was able to see from afar how each of them grew. They did not get the whippings she did, nor did they get locked in cellars. They were loved, and smiled often.

 

*

 

She remembers peeking out of one of the tiny windows of her old cottage cellar; one she would have to climb up a book shelf in order to reach. She had been locked down there for nearly a day and a half, and even with the small window, it was dark. She hoped her mother hadn’t forgotten about her, she was growing hungry. She heard laughter from outside and went to investigate.

 

Looking out she saw the seven children, all ranging in age, but not by much. She herself was about twelve at the time. They were merely months apart but all around the ages of four to five years old. They were running around trying to catch butterflies screaming and laughing happily, until one fell and scraped her knee. She started crying almost immediately.

 

Agatha never held any ill will towards the kids. She enjoyed watching them have fun. She would often find herself smiling as they ran by causing the kind of mischief she would surely be punished for. But when one would get hurt and start to cry, she couldn’t help the anger that would always bubble up inside of her.

 

Every damned time a tiny little tear fell from one of their eyes, a mother (it didn’t matter which one) would come running to cradle the child and use a healing potion or spell to ease their pain. The young witches never had a bruise or scratch or even splinter for long before they were healed, meanwhile Agatha was covered in them.

 

On the night she killed her coven, she was riding a high that she didn’t come down from for a long time. She felt rejuvenated, powerful. Plus she had just met Lady Death who was arguably the most beautiful creature to walk this green earth.

 

She had a choice to make that night. Should she tie up the loose ends? The young witches would be furious with her at the knowledge that she killed their mothers. Should she run away? Maybe they wouldn’t know who was to blame. They could regroup just the seven of them and make their own coven, never knowing what happened to any of them.

 

She hadn’t really meant to kill anyone that night. She was unaware how her power worked because her mother had kept that vital information from her. She felt a tad bit of remorse, not for killing her coven, but leaving the children alone.

 

It lasted for only a moment.

 

The girls would be better off without their trigger happy mothers. They were what, twelve now? She had been surviving with no help from her so-called coven much earlier on than that. They would be fine. They were young and never out right evil to her; they still had time to become stand up witches that didn’t execute eighteen year olds over trying to educate themselves.

 

Just as she was about to turn and leave, she saw the lone figure of one of the young witches still in her sleeping gown. She was standing there barefoot and shaking, her eyes wide in fear as they made eye contact. “What did you do?” she quietly asked.

 

“I didn’t mean to.” Agatha put her hands up in defense as she took a small step back.

 

Before anything else could be said, the young girl turned and ran down the path back to their village.

 

*

 

Agatha almost got struck by the Salemite who took the form of a snake while she was distracted by her memory. Thankfully Lilia reacted quickly and blasted the snake with yellow magic. It was enough to snap Agatha out of it while she side eyed the yellow glow that emanated out of the Divination Witch’s palm. If only the old woman had missed and hit her instead.

 

The snake shape turned back into a human but did not get back up. One down, six to go.

 

Agatha felt pity as she looked at the fallen witch. She didn’t know which one it was, it had been so long, she had forgotten almost all of their names and what they had looked like. They had all turned into these deranged mutated souls hell bent on revenge from something Agatha had done long ago, in what she had hoped was compassion. It seemed mercy really was overrated.

 

She saw Teen fly through the air screaming before he was caught in a bubble of orange from Alice. Jen was doing a valiant job at hand to hand combat utilizing a tree branch. She swung at the Witch who took on the shape of a fox. The fox was quick, but even she couldn’t dodge every swipe Jen had in her. The pink witch had a small scrape on her cheek and a tear in her satin dress that Agatha just knew she would hear about later.

 

Lilia was doing a decent job as well before promptly freezing in place, looking terrified, eyes wide to shout “She’s Here!” in Agathas direction who was only a couple feet from her. Startled by the sudden bellowing voice in her ear, Agatha jumped back confused.

 

“What? What are you going on about now?” Agatha had obtained her own tree branch, muttering a small incantation in order to deal out more than average damage and hit her attacker square in the head, knocking her out. Two down! She looked back at Lilia just in time to see her get taken down by one of the dark witches; maybe the rat? Crow?

 

Glancing around to make sure the rest of the group was handling the other witches. The group had gotten slightly separated, but she could see them down the road just a bit, flashes of bright colored magic in the air. She walked over to the prone Sicilian witch and nudged her with her foot. “Hey, Lilia.” Lilia groaned. Agatha guessed that was a good sign, it meant the older woman wasn’t dead…. Yet. Still clutching her branch, she used it to now poke at her fallen… Acquaintance? Comrade? Definitely not friend. “Listen Calderu, you got get up and pull your own weight around here! We’re still outnumbered!”

 

Sighing in frustration at the unconscious woman at her feet, Agatha had a thought. “Actually, if you die, Rio would have to show up. So maybe keep taking that nap.” At that point in time, Jen came running over to dramatically push Agatha out of the way.

 

“What happened?!” She checked Lilia's Vitals as quickly as she could to assess the situation.

 

“Oh calm down Kale, she’s just taking a little nap after a bump on the head.” Agatha waved her off with an eye roll.

 

After coming to her own conclusion that Lilia was in fact just “taking a nap”, she would surely have a killer headache upon waking. She turned to Agatha, “There's only three left I think. They are so quick, but Teen is down, he's fine!” She quickly stated before Agatha could ask, “He took a hit that was aimed at me, he might have a concussion.”

 

Agatha rolled her eyes, “Always the martyr, that one.” She mumbled. “So Alice is taking on three of the she-devils all on her own? That was nice of her!”

 

“Alice is exhausted and resorted to drawing a protection circle around them both.” She seemed in a hurry to tell the story as she once again tried to rouse Lilia. “I came back this way to find Li- I mean to find you both so we can get into the circle with them.”

 

Agatha was catching on now. They were all out in the open now, three of the Salem Seven left. With Alice and teen safe in the circle, they needed to act fast to make it there in one piece. It was risky enough without an unconscious Divination Witch.

 

Before they had too much time to dwell on that little problem, a white coyote emerged from behind a large rock, standing on top of it. It looked down silently, unmoving. Jen slowly stood, eyes wide and hands out in front of her in defense.

 

“Who’s idea was it to send the bound witch to the rescue?!” Agatha whisper shouted.

 

“I wasn’t expecting Lilia to be unconscious!” They quietly argued as if they couldn’t easily be heard.

 

“Whatever, let’s just leave her!” Agatha turned to run and was stopped in her tracks by an owl landing swiftly in the path ahead. “Ugh! This is a terrible way to go!” She clutched her branch to her chest. A black crow landed in a nearby tree. “Hey Kale, you forgot your stick didn’t you.” It was said as a statement. Both witches were standing back to back with an unconscious Lilia between them.

 

“Agatha if I die on this road with you, I’ll kill you myself. This is NOT how I wanted to go out.” Jen said shakily. “Lilia, this would be a great time to wake up!” Now Jen was the one gently nudging the unconscious witch with little results.

 

As if the witches who surrounded them shared the same mind (they probably did) they all shifted into their human form. One stood tall, one crouched in the leaves in an impossible pose, and the other swung from a branch; none of their faces visible due to their dark masks and robes. “Agatha Harkness.” They whispered.

 

“If it’s her you want, then just take her! Leave the rest of us alone!” Jen said frantically.

 

“And people wonder why I don’t have female friends…” Agatha dropped her shoulders and looked back to Jen in feign surprise as if they weren’t in a life or death situation.

 

“You coven with Agatha Harkness, you die with Agatha Harkness.

 

At that Agatha, closed her eyes and sighed. If this is where it ends, she hoped Rio was still alive; to be the first thing she sees when waking up. She hoped it was painless and that her wife would rouse her with a gentle kiss like an old story book. But most of all, she hoped Nicky wouldn’t be too mad at her; and that Rio would stay a while for the reunion.

 

Upon opening her eyes, a dark looming cloud settled in the air slowly. All witches standing looked around confused. “Is it happening? Did we die? Or are we dying?”

 

“Keep it together Kale, your embarrassing me.”  Agatha said in nonchalance but was quietly wondering the same thing.

 

What was left of the seven started to shrink away as if for the first time in the night, they were scared.

 

The clouded night sky above the trees loomed over head and a fog had rolled in from all directions. Then, a cascade of black smoke poured out from above right in front of them taking on the shape of the gentlest tornado. Leaves whipped wildly around, a few smacking Jen in the face.

 

Once the swirling black settled, there standing in the middle of the road, facing away from Agatha, was the most beautiful back of the head she had ever seen.

 

Rio Vidal in all her glory.

 

The Salem three tried to rapidly scurry away but Lady Death was quick to swiftly freeze them in place with a flick of her hands. “You have no right to be on this plane.” She said deeply. “I should execute my authority to banish you to Oblivion for over stepping your jurisdiction.” The women coward in the face of Death. “Go. Live to die another day, but be warned; I have seen what you have done with being shown mercy once. I will not grant this kindness again. If I see you near this coven again, I will reap what is owed to me.”  She released them simultaneously and they all shifted to their animal form and hastily ran away.

 

“Rio?” Agatha took a step towards her wife who turned sharply to greet her.

 

“Ah!” Jen startled and fell to the floor next to Lilia in shock, “You look terrible!”

 

Rio had the decency to look a little embarrassed as she brought her hand up to her face. “Why? Do I have something on my face?” She turned to Agatha who hadn’t taken her hungry eyes off her wife.

 

Rio has had quite a rough day. She woke up in a new dark realm she had accidently made for a soul she hated. She guided said soul to her endless torture. Had no memories of how she had gotten there or how she made it, then spent a painfully long amount of time trying to exit said realm.

 

Once her memories returned, she was able to teleport back to her wife, but don’t get her started on how she had to figure out a way to teleport to a road that doesn’t exist. The last time, she was conjured. But this time; she is pretty sure she just died and created a whole new dimension. To be honest, if it weren’t for some of the Salem Seven dyeing, she wouldn’t have a string to follow.

 

So excuse her for not washing her face free of all the gore that it had sustained or if she had little power left to heal the gaping wound in her stomach. She could only assume she looked like a cheesy horror movie.

 

Agatha's eyes were shining with unshed tears as she reached up, cupping Rios bloodied face, “My Love, you look beautiful.” She leaned in and gave her a deep kiss.

 

It’s a good thing her wife loved cheesy horror movies.

 

“She’s Here!” Lilia shouted as she sat up, starting to shuffle away.

 

“Whoa Lilia calm down, Rio just saved our butts.” Jen said, putting a comforting hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Don’t move around so much, you hit your head pretty hard.”

 

“Ugh of course she wakes up now. After we almost died.” Agatha said, still clutching at the front of Rios short jacket, which even though her wounds were present, her clothes turned back in to her outfit she had on strictly while on the road.

 

As unhelpful as Lilia was during the last bit of the fight, Agatha couldn’t help but snort at what could possibly be going through the old woman’s mind as she awoke on the road to a bloody and gory Lady Death who was making out with Agatha right in front of them.

 

Alice took that moment to show up, Teen had his arm over her shoulder as he limped. It was awkward with the height difference. They both sported dirty faces, Teen had a small trail of blood coming from his hair line and Alice had a split lip. “Rio! You’re back!” The protection witch let go of Teen and reached towards Rio as if to give her a hug.

 

Rio hissed and stepped behind Agatha, drawing her blade and lamely pointed it in Alice’s direction. Alice quickly stopped with her hands up in surrender. Agatha gently put her hand on Rios outstretched arm, lowering the blade. “She’s not used to getting positive feedback.”

 

“Uh is she ok? She looks like Hell.” Alice eyed the bloody entity, curious after their last trial how the woman in front of her was still standing.

 

“Who cares! She’s literal Death, we are the mortals who almost just died! We need to rest, and I need to make some healing water if any of us want to survive the next god awful trial.” Jen helped Lilia to her feet and started to storm off.

 

“I’ll help make a fire, we should rest for the night.” Lilia stepped around the group, keeping her distance from Rio.

 

“Uh ok yea, I guess that’s a good plan, I heard Rio scare off the rest of the seven, so hopefully we won’t run into anything else crazy on the road.” Alice went back to a wobbly Teen and guided him towards where the others had gone off to.

 

“I’m glad you’re back Rio.” Teen had managed to say with a wince before turning to leave. Rio tilted her head at the boy as her response.

 

Now, finally alone, both women allowed their walls to crumble. Agatha once again cupped her wife’s face. It was quiet and the clouds receded allowing her to see the moon reflected in Rios eyes. The pale light still showed traces of red rimming her eyes from either the previous trial, or from tears; it was unclear. The dried blood smudged across her dark skin looked black, flaking off her chin. Agatha remembered feeling absolute horror as she watched Rio plunge her own dagger into her stomach without so much as a thought.

 

She glanced down to Rios front; the wound was still there, and to her utter shock, still sluggishly bleeding. “Rio, you’re hurt.” She said taking a half of a step back to get a better look at the injury. Her hands shook as she tried to peel some of Rios barely there clothing.

 

Rio, as if just realizing it was there, looked down curiously. “Oh, yea, that might take a bit to heal; it’s one of the downsides to using my reaping blade on myself.”

 

“What?” Agatha looked back up for only a moment before turning her attention back to her wife’s torso. She used her hands to try and put pressure on the wound, but found it slippery. “You need to lay down Rio, how are you even standing still? Jen! That’s who we need, she’s already making moon water, she will fix this, come on.”

 

“My Love, its alright, it just tickles.” Rio smiled at her, but with her face covered in blood, it looked manic.

 

“Rio, that means you’re in pain, remember?” She tugged her wife by the hand and made it a whole two steps before Rio fell to the ground. “Rio? Damn it, I knew you were hurt! You frustratingly irritating stubborn ass of a Green Witch!”

 

Rio was already trying slowly to get back up. She had successfully made it on to her hands and knees and giggled. “Hey now, you love this ass.” Her nose had started to bleed again, but only lightly. “I used a lot of power back there, I think my body just needs to repair itself.” But even as she spoke, she seemed unsure.

 

“Has this ever happened before? I don’t remember you ever telling me about it.” Agatha was shrugging off her favorite purple coat and wrapping it around Rio. She swiftly picked up the green with bridal style, taking a moment to adjust her grip. Anyone else would expect the weight of the world when thinking about the weight of a cosmic entity such as Death, but naturally she weighed close to nothing to her wife who had carried her like this many times in the past.

 

“Well this brings back a few good memories.” Rio swung her arms around Agatha’s neck and pressed a bloody kiss to her cheek.

 

As she walked slowly as to not jostle her bleeding Green Witch she finally brought up the question that had been held suspended in the air since her arrival. “Rio?”

 

“Hmm?” Rio sounded half asleep.

 

“What happened back in the tree house?”

 

Rio lifted her head, “Oh, I forcibly exorcised your mothers ghost to a new realm I made in my sleep where everything is dark and miserable. It went on for ages and I didn’t find a single interesting thing. So I thought it would be a good spot for that hag’s soul to wander for all eternity.”

 

Agatha was silent. The ease in which Rio had explained everything so quickly was like whiplash. “So she’s really gone?” Rio put her head back down on her shoulder and hummed as confirmation. “But she was able to hurt you, is that why you don’t like ghosts?”

 

“My Love, I hate ghosts.” Rio paused for a moment, “but yes.”

 

At this point during their walk, Agatha had wondered how far the group had wandered to set up camp. Rio was sounding close to passing out again, so she needed her to keep talking. “How did you make a new realm?”

 

That made Rio pop her head up once more, “That I’m not sure. I mean, I’ve made plenty of realms after all, I’m Death. I’ve created the afterlife and made my kingdom a place where literally everyone is dying to get into.” She let out a little snort at her own joke and Agatha smiled at her antics. Even bleeding out wouldn’t deter her wife from making a terrible joke. “But when I woke up, I was in my cosmic form, surrounded by nothing. I mean literal nothing. There was darkness in front and behind, above and below. No end and no beginning.” She got quiet once again and Agatha could now see the glow of the fire up ahead. “I think I hated your mother so much that I needed a special place for her.”

 

Agatha had let that settle. She guessed there was a thought behind Rios actions in that tree house; many thoughts to be exact. After all this time, Rio had never allowed her to endure her mother’s torture alone, weather it was in person as a child, or in the shape of nightmares for centuries, or even now with her mother dead and ghostly.

 

“Yikes, did she actually die this time?” Jen stood from a log she was sitting on to approach the pair. Agatha expected to hear Rio make a jab back at Jen, when none came, she looked down to see Rio passed out.

 

She looked straight out of a renaissance painting, holding an unconscious Rio, draped in a purple blood stained long coat, both their feet bare out of respect for a road that’s constantly trying to kill them.

 

“Jen she’s bleeding, please, you gotta help her.” Panic once again started to fill her. At what point was her heart going to explode with all this worry from the last day or two.

 

“Damn, ok lay her down over here so I can see what’s going on.” She cleared away her supplies from making the group healing waters and soothing salves. Overall, the rest of the group seemed to be doing ok. The concoctions Jen managed to make helped with the superficial wounds like scrapes and bloody noses, but didn’t do much for the two coven members sporting concussions. Both Teen and Lilia had glossy eyes as they stared at what was going on in front of them, Teen gently placing his hand on his forehead in pain.

 

Rio groaned as she was fussed over, trying sadly to bat Jens hands away from her. “M- wife w’kill you if you t’ch meh.”

 

Agatha snorted.

 

“Of course you two are married.” Jen said with an eye roll just as Rios dirty hand reached up and pushed her face away. “Oh stop it, I’m trying to help! Agatha tell her I’m helping!”

 

“Ok ok, Rio My Love, I’m right here, Jen is helping you remember? You can’t heal yourself cause you stupidly, but bravely used your dagger on yourself.” Rio calmed as Agatha brushed her fingers through her hair.

 

“This wound is from the trial? Jesus, how is she still bleeding? Or alive?” Alice had entered their little bubble of chaos with the intent to offer help. She had brought with her a couple makeshift bowls of water and a clean rag they had cut from Agatha’s coat. She glared at the woman.

 

“Im Rio!” She supplied with a hint of a slur.

 

“I think you mean to say you’re Death darling”

 

“That’s what I said Mi Amor.”

 

“Oh God, she’s losing it.” Jen said as she wiped away the gore that was covering Rios stomach. “Really though, how much blood does an entity have to bleed?” she looked at Alice, “I’ll need the water in those bowls over there, it’s a fresh batch I made for Lilia to drink, but I wasn’t certain it would work. I’ll just make more later.”

 

Alice was quick to grab the needed materials. Once she returned, Jen cautiously grabbed one of the bowls careful not to spill its contents. “Ok Rio this might sting, like a lot. But it should help.”

 

“Should?!” Agatha snapped.

 

“Well I’ve never tried to heal an entity before Agatha!” Jen defended.

 

“It’ll be ok, I’ll help keep her still, Agatha, you talk to her. You might have to hold her shoulders down, I’ll hold her feet. If Teens injury taught us anything, then she’s probably going to thrash around. I’ll bet she’s a hell of a lot stronger than Teen.” Alice truly a blessing.

 

Agatha looked down at Rio, her eyes were unfocused, but still open. “It’ll be fine Amor, I just need a little boost to kick start my green magic. And maybe a nap…” she smiled a bloody smile up at her wife. The looked down at her feet, “Sorry for the kick to the face you’ll probably get from me.”

 

“Wha-“ Alice looked up.

 

“Ok, I’m ready Kale. Do your worst.” Rio had cut her off.

 

Jen looked at Agatha and for once her look seemed apologetic. She nodded once and started to slowly pour her healing water directly into the wound.

 

To say their assumption about the trashing was correct was an understatement. Rio didn’t out right scream, but she did clench her teeth tight as she threw her head back in pain. Alice was also correct in predicting that Rio would be stronger than Teen and was immediately kicked in the face. Agatha tried her best to hold her wife in place as she squirmed around. She leaned in close, trying to whisper words of encouragement into her ear.

 

“Almost done with the first bowl. It’s stopped bleeding, but I think we might need a few bowls to seal it completely.” Jen stated as the last drop fell from the bowl.

 

Rio had gone limp as the water stopped pouring. She was sweaty and breathing heavily. “You’re doing great My Love, just a little bit more and you should be right as rain.” There were tears in both their eyes and Rio reached up to brush them out of her wife’s eyes giving her a small smile.

 

“Didn’t even hurt that bad.” Agatha huffed out a laugh. She could only imagine never being able to feel pain, and then having to go through this.

 

“Ok here comes the next round, you ready Death?” Jen and Alice took back up their positions.

 

Rio gave a thumbs up before once again squeezing her eyes shut and clenching her teeth. She had refrained from kicking Alice again, but she was close to breaking Agatha’s hand with the death grip (haha) she had on her wifes right hand.

 

In the midst of all of this torture she was enduring, Rio felt something shift inside of her. It was hard to pin point what it was exactly, but it was familiar. Time seemed to slow as the Green Witch focused only on that feeling. Then, unexpectedly, Rio shifted into her cosmic self.

 

Alice had caught herself before face planting on the ground, Jen had startled and dropped her bowl, and Agatha froze, still hovering over what was her wife’s face just seconds ago. In a blink of an eye, Rio had disappeared into what looked to be a floating black void. “Rio?” She looked up at the coven around her as if to confirm they were all seeing what she had been seeing.

 

Seconds had drug on before Rio came back to herself unceremoniously dropping the few inches she had levitated right on her back. “Ouch.” Was all she had to say.

 

“Rio! What the hell was that!?” Jen yelled gently slapping her arm. “Woah, you’re almost completely healed, did you do that?”

 

The small group of witches all collectively looked down at Rios stomach. Instead of the gaping wound that was there before, there was a large jagged scar, still raw and red.

 

Agatha scooped Rio up in a bone crushing hug with the realization that her wife was no long bleeding or dying. Rio nestled her face in the crook of Agatha’s neck and breathed her in, her wife’s hand on the back of her head. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

 

Rio laughed a small tired laugh, “Well, your mother is in Oblivion now, so I don’t think there are any more ghosts out there I hate enough to go through all that again for. So I’ll do my best.” She pulled away from the embrace to give Agatha a kiss.

 

Agatha still had one of the clean rags in her hand that she used to clean the rest of Rios face. “How about that nap?”

 

“Ok but let me do something real quick.” Rio glanced around the poor traumatized coven; they were all staring at her in confusion. She had looked to be dying just moments ago, now here she was sitting up having a seemingly normal conversation with her wife.

 

“I’m not really supposed to dabble in the affairs of mortals, but seeing as you all saved my life and my Agatha… I think I can allow a small token of gratitude.” She crawled over to Alice and pinched her nose, healing the injury she sustained from holding her feet. Alice sighed in relief, once again able to breath out of her nose. She had been worried it was broken. “I mean, I did warn you.” And winked at her as she continued over to Jen.

 

Jen looked uneasy as Rio stared into her eyes. She was only inches from her face but Jen didn’t back down. Rio obviously had some hesitancy healing any wounds Jen had seeing as Jen had, on multiple occasions offered up her wife as sacrifice. So instead, Rio left the cut on her cheek to (hopefully) scar, but with a wave of her hand, had conjured small vines to patch up her torn dress. Pink and green did go together after all.

 

Rio slowly stood moving on to the two concussed members. She walked slowly, still a little sore. She looked between the two not knowing who was worst off. Lilia wasn’t looking her in the eyes again, so Rio decided to get her out of the way. As she squatted down to be eye level, Rio could tell there was an internal struggle going on within the divination witch, not knowing if she had it in her to allow Death herself to lay a hand on her after all these years, or if she could manage finishing the road with a horrible headache. “You know if I touch you, it doesn’t always mean you’re going to die Lilia Calderu.” Rio was calm, she tried to move slowly in order not to scare the woman further.

 

Like billions before her, Lilia had always feared Death. She had to suffer through the tragic demise of her whole coven, seeing it played out through her young life, with no way to stop it from happening. Death comes for us all she had learned.

 

“Well excuse me if its all I know of you.” Lilia sat uncomfortably.

 

Rio let out a small laugh as she looked down at the ground. “Let me change that.” She grew a flower from the palm of her hand and offered it to Lilia. A perfect lotus, symbolizing new beginings.

 

Lilia took it, still a little unsure, but after a moment finally agreed. Rio slowly raised her hand and pressed her palm against her forehead. A soothing feeling came across her whole body and the air around her smelled like her old home 400 years ago in Sicily. For a moment, the older witch was back with her coven, laughing, dancing, and drinking wine. It was a feeling she had longed for but never forgot.

 

Slowly the good feeling dissipated and the air around them settled. Lilia opened her eyes to find a wide eyed Rio staring back at her. “If it brings you peace, they were happy to be free of their illnesses, but every one of them asked about your wellbeing.”

 

Lilia took a deep breath at the words. Her eyes were clear now and the pain in her head was gone. “Thank you Rio.”

 

“Its what you were owed.” Rio turned away from the older witch to look towards Teen.

 

Teen sat up a little slowly, eager to be rid of his concussion. “Alright boy, your turn.” Rio rubbed her hands together as if warming them up. She squatted down quickly and put her hand on his head, not offering the same sensitivity to the young man. It’s not that she disliked Teen, she didn’t care enough about him to like or dislike; there was just something about him that didn’t add up to her.

 

Upon making contact with the boys forehead, Rio was mentally engulfed in raw chaotic power. She closed her eyes to focus on her healing and was met with bursts of blue magic swirling behind her eyelids. She was impressed at the raw untapped magic the Teen possessed and wanted to see more. She knew he was more than meets the eyes so instead of simply healing his brain, she fixated on the power that was buried deep within his mind.

 

Normally, Rio would never pry into someone else’s mind, but she couldn’t help but think he was putting her wife in danger, and that wasn’t allowed. Digging a little deeper, she began to see little snaps of his memories. One moment he was sitting in a chair looking up at a delusional Detective Agnes, next he was being very poorly kicked by said Detective. Another flash showed a shy smile from another handsome young man in a car. Flash again and the Teen was waking from what seemed to be a terrible car crash; the first words out of his mouth were a boy’s name. Tommy.

 

Rio snapped her hand back as if it had been burned, looking at Teen as if he had grown another head. The boy seemed oblivious to what had happened as he sighed and gave her a smile; apparently happy to be pain free. Looking around the campfire, she noticed that the whole group seems completely unaware of the turmoil she had just witnessed.

 

“Thanks Rio, I feel great. I think you healed everything!” He rubbed his eyes as if he were a tired child. “I think I’m going to take a nap too. Are you ok?” He looked concerned at Rios face. She hadn’t stopped looking at him, furrowed eye brows, mouth slightly agape.

 

Rio didn’t answer him. She stood slowly and walked over to the log Agatha had been sitting at.

 

As the night went on, she didn’t leave Agatha’s side, always touching her hair or her hand. She kept quiet as her wife held a civilized conversation with the remaining awake coven members; kept stealing glances at the boys sleeping form until Agatha pulled her away for sleep.

 

Notes:

What do yall think??

Chapter 4: Abomination

Summary:

Rio is suspicious
.

Notes:

This was supposed to only be 2 chapters, but here we are. Last ch is next.

Rio didn’t need to sleep, but she would never deny her wife anything. So when Agatha pulled her away for a couple hours to recharge, she happily followed behind. They found themselves a private little area not too far away from the coven (in case more dangerous witches found their way on the road) where Agatha piled leaves together and Rio summoned moss to create a comfortable bed.

 

Agatha started quietly snoring about 45 minutes ago, and Rio, who was staring up at the counterfeit night sky held her closely. She couldn’t stop thinking about what she had seen in the boys mind.

 

“Tommy!”

 

She thought back on her own memory of a certain day that still sticks out in her brain. She remembered being pulled to the scene of a terrible car accident. Automobiles always kept her busy ever since they were created way back in the late 1800s, they were horribly dangerous machines, so this specific accident was nothing out of the ordinary. She appeared in her dark robes ready to wake the soul of what she could feel was a young man or child; but something had felt off once she approached the scene.

 

There was in fact an accident, with the car being smashed up, the blood on the windows, and the ambulances and police cars surrounding the area. The air hung heavy with suffering and desperation of loved ones begging for the safety of the injured. All signs pointed to a death.

 

But there was no body.

 

Death did not need to look into any of the vehicles to know that there was no deceased, she could feel it. So why did she get summoned to reap a soul that day?

 

That was a very confusing night to say the least, and up until this evening, she had never figured out why she had been tricked. Looking back, the green witch had always chalked it up to her being distraught over gaining the connection to her wife, then suddenly losing it again for the next three years.

 

The problem was that the car she remembers being summoned to, looked an awful lot like the one in Teens memory. The blood splatter on the broken glass window was exactly like the one she had seen that night. And the crying she heard coming from the woman outside the ambulance was the identical as she heard in the boys’ memory as he woke.

 

Agatha had shifted and mumbled in her sleep. She had her head resting on Rio’s chest and for a moment, pulled the Green witch out of her thoughts. Rio looked down at her wife and resumed her favorite habit of brushing her fingers through her hair.

 

Something was off with the boy, she had to figure out what it was.

 

***

 

The coven had all started to rouse from their rest a few solid hours later. They were all relieved to see that Rio’s healing powers weren’t just a figment of their imaginations as they stood and stretched, getting ready for the next adventure ahead.

 

Rio and Agatha sauntered back to the group together, Rio once again side eyeing the boy suspiciously. Agatha glanced between the two as Rio blatantly stepped around Agatha to put space between the boy and herself; Teen none the wiser.

 

“Ok everyone feeling better? We should get going!” Teen was back to his optimistic self now that his head was better. “There must only be like two more trials? I think we’ve made good progress so far.”

 

“Good progress?” Jen protested and Agatha had to keep from rolling her eyes. To be fair, Jen had a point to her outburst. “We need to find a way out of here in case the next trial also agrees that we’ve made such good progress! We all have almost died! Multiple times! Even Death almost died!”

 

Rio, who was busy picking dirt out of her nails, looked up as if she realized the coven had gone silent. The group was all looking at her. She looked through the silent crowd with wide eyes landing on all of them. “What?”

 

Jen started to slowly pace as she continued her rant. “We haven’t even gotten to the Green Witch’s trial or the Divination trial yet! We almost had to do both of their trials without them! What if the next trial kills one of them! Or better yet, The Road kills one before we even make it to the next!”

 

“Ok Jen, That’s enough,” Agatha jumped in before Teen had too much time to marvel over her words. “As much as it pains me to say this, you’re absolutely right.” Jen looked completely taken a back at Agatha’s admittance. “But Teen is right, we have to keep going. It doesn’t seem like we can just hop off the Road.” She chanced a glance to the boy who seemed proud of himself.

 

“Ok so it’s settled, we keep going.” Teen said after a moment. He could sense he was in hot water with the group. It wasn’t lost on him that he hadn’t had a trial yet, and it was starting to seem like maybe he never would. It didn’t bother him though, he was useful in the trials so far, and as long as he got to the finish line alive, he would be happy.

 

The group continued down the road.

 

“Agatha?” Rio had been walking slightly behind the group; keeping them all in her line of sight.

 

“Hmm?” Agatha didn’t turn around funny, but did tilt her head back a little as she kept walking. Her purple coat now coated in the dried blood of her wife, and was also sporting a few shredded pieces from when Alice had so helpfully tore strips away to use as bandages.

 

Rio stayed quiet which caused Agatha to finally stop and turn to face her. They locked eyes and Agatha waited for her to speak.

 

“What is all of this?” She gestured to the dark forest they were walking through. “These trees aren’t right. They didn’t grow from me.” Agatha briefly looked around. “I feel weird here. Like this place is unnatural. I can’t sense a single insect and the air is stale. This place…. It’s an abomination.” Rio fidgeted with her fingers as she spoke quietly. “I don’t like it, and I don’t want to be here anymore. I can tell you don’t either, I can get us out of here, you know I can. Mi Amor, please. Let me get us out of here. You can find your power elsewhere.”

 

Agatha quickly turned her head to make sure the coven couldn’t hear them talking, and stepped closer to her wife. Rio looked uneasy, like this place was messing with her entire soul. She still had a bit of dirt and blood smudged on her face where they didn’t clean it very well thanks to the constant night they were surrounded by.

 

She gently grasped Rio by the upper arms, did she have goose bumps? That was new. “Rio, it’s okay. I know you could get me out of here anytime I asked. This road shouldn’t exist. But it does. And we can’t leave these guys behind; I need them to get me to the end.” She tilted Rios face up to look in her eyes. “You know how hard it is to con witches nowadays?” She gave a small smirk to lighten the heavy moment they were having.

 

Rio didn’t seem too convinced.

 

“Look, if the next trial ends up being a complete disaster, you can get us both out of here, and I’ll try again with a few other witches, okay?” Agatha waited for Rios slight head nod in agreement. She beamed and grabbed her wife’s hand as they started walking again. Hopefully the group hadn’t gotten too far. “Besides, the next two trials should be a walk in the park. Lilia’s power is to see the future, how hard of a trial could that be; and you are the original Green Witch. You’re literally the best one for the job!”

 

They walked in semi comfortable silence, the coven just a head of them talking amongst themselves. “I don’t trust that boy.” Rio once again spoke quietly to hide from listening ears.

 

Agatha stiffened slightly. “Yes, he does seem to have something up his sleeve.”

 

“Just like this so-called road, he doesn’t feel right. His soul is… wrong.” Rio was staring at the back of his head as if the answer was written there.

 

“Well, once we are done with this place, we can ask him what it is that he’s hiding.”

 

Rio broke her staring contest to look at her wife. “Why can’t I ask him now? What is it he even want from this place?” Rio had unknowingly raised the volume of her voice while talking. “This place shouldn’t even exis-“

 

“What are you guys talking about back here?” Teen had slowed his walk in order to join them. “Jen seems like she’s still mad at me from earlier so I think I should maybe stay away for now.”

 

“We were talking about what we want from the road.” Rio had dead panned. Agatha held her breath at her wife’s tone.

 

“Oh. That’s a complicated question I guess. Agatha and me have similar requests I think, right Agatha?” He looked innocently towards the older witch who just hummed in response. “She needs her power back, and I want to understand how my power works. Did she tell you I was the one who broke her out of the Hex she was in from the Scarlett Witch?”

 

Agatha stumbled and Rio flashed him a menacing look. How dare he take credit for that. Rio opened her mouth to correct him, but Agatha squeezed her hand in a silent plea to let it go.

 

“I did that with what I researched online! It was really easy actually. But I figured if I could do that with some Google research, who knows what I’m capable of!” Teen was completely oblivious to the death glare he was receiving from Death herself. “Anyway what is it that you want from the Road Rio?” he finally turned to look at her. Instead of finding the look of anger written on her face, he found a look that could only be described as bewilderment.

 

Rio didn’t have a clue what she would ask of the road (if this disgrace of a road was real). She had never given it even an ounce of her time because the Road didn’t exist. “I don’t want anything from this place.” She said evenly.

 

“Then why are you here?” He asked curiously.

 

That spiked her irritation once again; she really didn’t like this kid. “Why am I here?” Teen seemed to read her hostility. “I’m here because I was forced here while trying to do my job.” She looked like she was about to reap him right then and there. “I was the closest Green Witch when you did your little summoning spell and next thing I know, am being dragged through the mud!” She looked a little manic and Agatha had to squeeze her hand once more. “Death should not be able to be summoned boy, the power that has come into play here can alter the entire universe. Poor Mrs. Davis is still wandering around over there waiting to be crossed over; if left for too long, she could become lost, or worse, a ghost.”

 

If the boy was scared, he didn’t show it, which Agatha had to give him credit for. Now knowing her wife’s job title, and realizing she was there to reap the soul of… wait, Mrs. Davis? Who was that?

 

Of all the things Lady Death just spit towards him, in true teenaged fashion; he only hung on to a few words it seemed. “Oh Yea! Your job! That’s what you had said before at the campfire right?”

 

Rio and Agatha looked as though they had whiplash.

 

“She is my scar,” He let out a small laugh as if he was quoting from a historical poem. “That was really beautiful Rio.” He said genuinely. “Is that why you two had a falling out? Did you have to kill someone?” The obliviousness of this boy was astonishing. “Oh! Or maybe you did Agatha? But you didn’t mean to? I remember reading that you weren’t always in control of your power. Who was it?”

 

The women both looked gob smacked. They had both stopped walking by the time he finished his rant. “I’m going to kill him.” Rio said, and lunged towards the teen.

 

“Guys! We made it to the next trial!” Alice had jogged back to the trio just in time to see Rio launch herself at the boy. “Oh whoa what’s going on?”

 

Agatha had barely grabbed her wife around the middle and caught her mid-air. Rio’s eyes were completely black and her hands where glowing green.

 

Teen had the survival skills of a baby bunny and had barely flinched away from the flailing Reaper. “We are here already? That was quick! Come on guys lets go see who’s trial it is.” He jogged away leaving a confused Alice, a struggling Agatha and a very feral Death.

 

“Uh you guys good?” Alice asked with hesitation.

 

Agatha who was setting Rio down, breathlessly said, “Yea why?”

 

***

 

Tarot reading. Lilia’s Trial. It had gone as smoothly as they could hope. Well, kind of. Lilia was dead now, but the Agatha and Rio were alive, so to them it was a win. Who knew She was supposed to read her own cards? The moment she pulled her last card, her future was sealed.

 

All roads led to Death.

 

It wasn’t pretty, but she did end up saving all of their lives. For some unknown reason, the remaining three of the Salem Seven had come back. Rio had tried sending them away again but the rules of the road were different while in a trial. It was once again, unnatural.

 

Lilia’s death caused Agatha to spiral. Mrs. Hart dying was understandable. She wasn’t a Witch and didn’t have a place on this road. But Lilia? She was actually a witch, and a damned powerful one at that. She had even gained popularity among the group, especially in the eyes of a certain Teen. If Lilia was able to be tossed aside by this road, then she could too. And that was not happening.

 

Agatha Harkness had survived too much to fall victim to a child.

 

Rio had caught up to Agatha who had gone off on her own. “We need to talk.”

 

Agatha stopped her manic pacing and turned to her wife. “I want out of here.” Her voice was shaking.

 

Rio silently looked her up and down. Her face was stoic as she contemplated doing as her wife asked, or forcing her to talk while she wasn’t able to run away. “Are you ready to admit that this road is unnatural? That the boy you’ve been protecting is an abomination to the sacred balance?”

 

“Yes! Okay? Yes to all of it. You were right. Just get me out of here before we all die!” She hurried over to the green witch and frantically grabbed at her hands.

 

Rio looked into her wife’s eyes sadly. “Will you run away again when we leave here?”

 

That question hung in the air and for a moment, froze Agatha’s worry. Would she? She definitely could if she wanted to. But did she want to? She didn’t think she did anymore. Something between them had shifted while on this road. Something about physically not being able to run away from Rio had helped remind her of all the thing she had so desperately missed about her wife.

 

“No.”

 

Rio’s face slowly morphed from sadness to shock and disbelief; then she smiled. It was a smile that Agatha hasn’t seen since Nicky. It showed off her small gap in her front teeth. A trait that was originally created to make herself seem more human, in a time where braces weren’t a thing. She had offered to fix it once and Agatha had begged her not to.

 

Rio reached up with both her hands to cradle Agatha’s face. She looked her deeply in her eyes before gently kissing her wife. Agatha’s heart started to slow down after her slight panic attack from Lilias trial. She was relishing this moment where neither one of them were in a life or death situation. Agatha deepened the kiss by gently grasping the back of Rios head, not planning on letting her go anytime soon.

 

Unfortunately Rio had to break the kiss to allow her wife to breathe. They rested their foreheads together and laughed like they were young witches again where their only care in the world was how to sneak passed Evanora each night to fly on brooms.

 

“Ready to go?” Rio asked quietly. She wanted to stay in this little bubble forever, but she was antsy to get off this road.

 

“Please.” Agatha said with a chaste kiss.

 

Rio smiled once again and started to engulf the both of them in a warm green bubble of light. Agatha closed her eyes to bask in the safety of her wife’s magic when she abruptly felt it stop with a popping noise and a grunt from the woman in front of her. When she opened her eyes, Rio had fallen to her knees, taking her with her. “Rio?”

 

Rio was squeezing her eyes shut and clutching the sides of her head.

 

“It won’t let me leave!” Her head was pounding. “Agatha, this shouldn’t be possible.” She said panting for breath.

 

Agatha gently stroked her wife’s face. “What do you mean? Is it hurting you?” She looked her over with concern.

 

“You guys okay?” Teen had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

 

Agatha looked around her wife at the boy who held so many questions but even more answers. Rio turned to glare at the boy, still breathing hard.

 

“Hey guys I think we should go, that last trial was stressful. Alice is having some serious survivors guilt and I want to go home, so can we please finish this?” Jen was just as shook up as the rest of them and hearing her use the word please solidified that. She had showed up standing next to Teen but after speaking to the group, retreated back to where Alice most likely was waiting.

 

“I guess we should go?” Teen suggested. “I think the next trial is for you Rio, Green magic is the only one left.” He turned to follow Jen.

 

“That boy is doing this. Isn’t he.” It was a statement; not a question. And it was directed at Agatha.

 

There was no answer as Agatha stood up, brushing the dirt off her pants. Helping Rio to her feet, she simply tossed her wild hair back.

 

“Agatha, you need to be honest with me. What have you gotten yourself in to?” Rio was eyeing her suspiciously.

 

Sighing, Agatha finally spoke the truth. “Look, I didn’t know who he was when we started this journey. He just showed up at my house! Well I guess he showed up to Agnes’s house who apparently kidnapped him. But that’s not the point. He came begging me to take him to the Witches Road.”

 

“The Witches Road doesn’t exist.” Rio deadpanned.

 

“Yes, I know. But he had a solid argument- I needed my power back. So he helped me get this coven, we sang the song, they were this close-“ Agatha held up her fingers almost touching, “to blasting me! But the Seven showed up, caused mayhem, and BOOM the road was real and at our feet.”

 

“Okay, but who is he? And why do I hate him?” Rio sneered.

 

Agatha stalled for a moment more. “He had the sigil placed on him from the start, so I honestly didn’t know who he was; I’m not lying about that.” She looked down at her feet. “He just reminded me of-“ She stopped herself mid-sentence to take a breath but couldn’t find the words to finish what she had started to say.

 

Rio knew. Rio always knew. She slowly walked close to her wife and grabbed her hand. “My love… the boy isn’t yours…” She prayed her wife wouldn’t snap like she had done so many times before. She hoped that the words she said would convey her sorrow and grief; that she would take this moment as a relief that she didn’t have to wonder about the boy any more.

 

Agatha’s eyes had been brimming with tears this whole conversation, but at those words, she allowed them to finally fall. Rio brought their clasped hand up to her lips and kissed the back of it, pouring all her love into the act.

 

“I know.” Agatha finally said. “I mean, I had hoped. But I think deep down I had always known it wasn’t him.” She sniffled a little.

 

“Do you know who he is now?” Rio asked curiously.

 

“I think I do actually.” She seemed to straighten up with the idea of revealing the truth. “I believe that boy is one of the sons of the Scarlett Witch.”

 

Rio looked confused at the admission. “Agatha, those boys weren’t real. They disappeared with the hex…”

 

“Which probably explains why you hate him so much.” At Rios silence, she continued her explanation. “They were real; to Wanda that is. Her magic is unique. She is able to warp reality and create amazing things out of thin air. Her magic was unstable, and could do a lot of damage if untrained.” Rio listened. “She made those boys real. I don’t know how it happened but that kid is her son.”

 

“That makes him just as much of an abomination as this road Agatha.” Rio was getting more and more agitated. “He cannot exist! I knew he needed to die. I haven’t felt like reaping an alive soul in centuries!” Rio at some point had pulled out her dagger and was talking animatedly swinging it through the air.

 

“Okay, settle down My Love, I understand your frustration. But we still need him to get us out of here.” Agatha had started petting Rios hair like a wild animal to sooth her.

 

True to her knowledge, Rio settled almost immediately. “He’s disrupting the Sacred Balance.”

 

“Yes, I know. But just like his mother, this road is his doing.” She looked her frantic wife in the eyes. “And if you take him now, who knows what will happen to us all.” Rio started to calm down slightly more. “It also seems like he made sure you wouldn’t be able to leave here until he sees fit…”

 

At that, Rio deflated. “You’re so smart my love.” She looked flirtatiously up at her wife. “I guess we have to finish this abominations road.

 

“Yea-“

 

“Hey guys you coming?” Teen called from a few yards away.

 

They both glared at the interruption with an impressive amount of hostility.

 

Notes:

Help with how itll end!!
VOTE for : Angst
or Happy ending
or cliff hanger!
itll be the last chapter.

Chapter 5: Nicholas Scratch

Summary:

Rio finds out she cant hate ALL ghosts.

Notes:

Okay, lied again. Maybe one more chapter after this....

The final trial was here. And to the shock of no one, it was Rio’s. The coven found themselves in a cemetery; an old one from the looks of it. Many stones had the words ‘unknown’ written upon them and they seemed to go on forever. It was night, and the air had grown much colder than it was on the road. A low hanging moon was their only source of light, but it worked pretty well seeing as the moon looked to be way larger than it would be in any normal phase.

 

They all were dressed in long black flowing robes.

 

“Oh this is rich.” Rio had stated while glaring at the back of Teens head.

 

“This must symbolize death and how like Lilia said before, ‘all roads lead to you’?” He looked around to the group who looked uneasy. “Is this all the people who have died?” He turned in a circle to figure out the trial and where they could start. “It’s kind of fitting for this to be the last trial huh?”

 

“Teen, less talking, more finding a clue.” Jen started searching around.

 

Agatha was looking at teen waiting for his brain to figure out what horrible thing he would subject them to now. She had hoped Rio’s challenge wouldn’t be hard for her to solve, surely her wife would beat anything he could muster up in a fraction of the 30 minute time limit. But being in this cemetery gave her the creeps. She had spent three hundred years running from hallowed ground; now being stuck in this place for the next half hour was causing some unease. Even if her wife looked amazing in her Halloween inspired reaper cloak.

 

Seeing as there was no clue that jumped out at them right away, the group started walking. Alice and Teen took the front, Jen somewhere in the middle, and Agatha and Rio last where they could keep an eye on everyone. “I don’t really like where this is headed Agatha.”

 

“Do you sense any bodies here? Or ghosts?” Agatha whispered.

 

“Not exactly.”

 

Before Agatha could ask what that meant, the group suddenly stopped, causing a slight pile up. “What's going on? Why’d we stop?” Agatha pushed her way to the front of the group where she found Alice frozen in place looking at a headstone.

 

“Lorna Wu-Gulliver taken by Death too soon.” Teen read aloud. He nervously looked over at Rio who snorted a laugh.

 

“I mean, sorry Alice, but I didn’t set that fire.” Rio felt slightly regretful, but Alice had time to grieve her mother. She didn’t seem to hold any ill will towards the green witch.

 

“It’s okay Rio, I understand. It was a terrible accident.” Alice gave her a small smile. “I don’t blame you.”

 

Rio looked wide eyed at the woman. She wasn’t expecting that to come from her mouth. It was usually always blame and hostility when it came to loved ones passing.

 

The moment was interrupted by the sound of a stone cracking and falling over. They all jumped slightly and looked around. While walking through the endless graveyard, they failed to realize the pattern of stones changing. They were now standing in a clear circle, surrounded by headstones; another one cracking and falling over. This must be their timer.

 

“Well that was ominous.” Said Jen. “What are we supposed to do? Forgive Rio for the people we have lost in our lives?” She looked around hurriedly.

 

The group turned to look at Rio who had backed away a few feet. “unfortunately, I do not kill. I only guide souls who have already passed.”

 

“But you’re The Death.” Teen supplied. “Maybe we have to come to terms with what you have taken from us.” Rio and Agatha once again glared at the naïve boy.

 

Agatha flew towards Teen and pointed a long finger in his face. He had the decency to look startled for the first time in quite a minute. She relished in the fear she saw in his eyes. “You know nothing of death boy.”

 

Another stone cracked in half.

 

“You think life and death is something to toy with, something that you can manipulate.” She sneered in his face. She was sick of his games. If anyone would know what it was like to play with people’s lives, it was her. If she had any doubt before on who this child was, it was long gone by now. “You’re so much like your mother.”

 

Even though the words were spoken quietly, it felt as if the air was sucked out of each of their lungs. Jen, Alice, and Teens eyes went wide.

 

Teen was the first to recover. In a matter of seconds he went from scared for his life, to completely and utterly angry.

 

His eyes started to spark with blue magic and his hands were gripped tight at his sides. “She is not my mother.”

 

Another stone falls.

 

Agatha sauntered away from the boy, “Oh you really must be a Maximoff! Otherwise none of this-“ she gestured wildly around, “would be this dramatic!”

 

The stunned silence was deafening. Teen seemed to barely keep his emotions under wraps. "I am nothing like her!"

 

"Hypocrite!"

 

“Wait, you’re saying we’ve not only been traveling the road with literal Death, but also the son of the Scarlett Witch?” Jen was spiraling. The road has not been good for her stress levels. “And you’ve known?!”

 

Agatha looked slightly unnerved at her slip up. In her defense, she really didn’t know 100% until somewhat recently.

 

Rio took this time to step in, if only to get the attention off her wife. “You shouldn’t be alive, Billy Maximoff. You were never supposed to be. You are an abomination and have been disrupting the sacred balance.”

 

“Uh guys?” Jen spoke up hesitantly; breaking the intense scene playing out in front of them. “What’s that?” She pointed to two dark objects that had seemingly appeared in the circle with them.

 

Alice looked between the angry purple witch and the two small unmoving structures, and slowly approached them; with her, the objects slowly illuminated by a moon beam. They were headstones, not surprising, but what caught the covens’ interest, was that they each held a name.

 

“Tommy Maximoff” and “Nicholas Scratch”

 

A stone cracked and fell, but no one moved from where they were all staring at the two names engraved in the stones in front of them.

 

Rio was quick to move. In a blur, she crossed the clearing and pinned the boy by his neck to the dirty ground. “So this is your plan? You want to defy my natural order to bring your brother back? To be an abomination like you?” She was glowing with rage as the boy struggled beneath her. “And you dare bring my son in to your sick game! You will not defile his memory for your gain, I’ll reap you right here, rules be damned! None of you will make it off this road!”

 

“Mama?” a sweet young voice cut through the chaos like a knife.

 

Agatha stayed rooted in her place, not daring to turn around. She was looking at Rio who looked shell shocked. Billy, who was previously struggling for air, now looked equally as stunned. She wanted to ask Rio if she had also heard the voice she had been dreaming of for hundreds of years. Seeing Rio’s wide eyes look from hers to somewhere low behind her, she knew.

 

She could feel the air had shifted, as if the road they were on was adjusting to a new existence being conjured. Agatha slowly turned with tears in her eyes. It seemed as though time stood still. The thought of her turning around and the owner of that voice not being there would crush her all over again; she didn’t think she could survive it again.

 

But standing there, just as perfect as the day she had to bury him, was Nicky.

 

She dropped to her knees, “Nicky?” Agatha sounded terrified. She was too scared to move towards him. And the whole coven held their breath.

 

The most beautiful laughter filled the circle, followed by quick footsteps on the ground. Agatha barely had time to brace herself as a small form barreled into her, knocking her over.

 

Alice had tears running down her cheeks at the pure joy she was witnessing from the typically hostile purple witch. Agatha was hugging her son and kissing his face all over. The boy seemed just as happy to see his mother.

 

Jen was also oddly quiet as the scene unfolded. Her normal quirks were silenced, not wanting to ruin the moment between mother and child, but also not knowing how to announce that two more stones had crumbled, counting down their remaining time.

 

Rio had crawled out of her threatening position over the boy to sit quietly on her knees, watching her family reunite. She stayed back, like she had done every day and every night, all those years ago. She was trained to stay away from the boy to ease her wife’s worry of her taking him away, and she would be damned if she ruined this for her again.

 

Billy sat up from the ground rubbing his neck where Rio had him pinned. “Is that who you had to take?” he quietly spoke to the back of Rios head.

 

Rio didn’t answer him. She was frozen of the spot with tears glistening in her eyes. She had a slight smile on her face as she watched Agatha holding their son in her arms once again. At the boys words, she had a thought. ‘None of this was real. Was it?’ the road, her wife caring for her again, her boy coming back. It was an illusion of the abominations mind.

 

She turned to look at Billy. Allowing a few of her tears to fall, she grew angry. She stayed quiet as to not disrupt her wife for just a moment longer. “You.” She said’ “You are creating all of this aren’t you? He isn’t real, I walked him myself, he can’t be here now.” She glanced back for a moment, “How are you doing this?” she sounded defeated, like she desperately wanted all of this to come true, but knew better than to let herself believe it.

 

“I don’t know, all I know is I want my brother back.” He looked down guiltily. “The road-“

 

“The road is nothing.” Rio cut him off. “You want your brother, which is an impossible ask.” She went back to watching Nicky smile. “So if it’s impossible, now what?”

 

“Mother?” Rio’s black heart stopped. “What are you doing over there?” Nicky was looking over Agatha’s shoulder from where he sat in her lap, just realizing his other mother was sitting across the clearing.

 

“Uhh…” Rio didn’t know what to do, she wasn’t used to her son being able to see her while Agatha was awake. She had always stayed just out of sight during their travels, only showing herself at night where she would conjure fireflies for him to count, or teaching him the meaning of flowers he would collect along the trail.

 

Nicky got up from his mamas lap and trotted over to her, Rio saw the slight look of unease from Agatha as he got further away from her. He stopped inches away from Rio and gave her a toothy smile.

 

“Hola mi hijo.” She spoke to him while brushing a strand of hair from his face. “I’ve missed you.”

 

Her son tackled her in a crushing hug just as he had done to Agatha moments before. “I missed you too mother!” he laughed and Rio swore she had never heard such a beautiful sound.

 

Agatha was full on crying now, she had never gotten to see the pair together due to her fear of losing her son. She would most likely kick herself for the rest of her life for keeping them away from each other for so long.

 

Another sound disrupted her train of thought, it was another stone. Looking around, she had forgotten they were in the middle of a timed trial and they were still no closer to figuring out how to complete it.

 

There was till one more headstone. Tommy. It was the other son of Wanda Maximoff, the reason everyone was on the road to begin with. It was who Billy wanted to gain from completing the road; his brother. But where was he? He didn’t come to them like Nicky did. So where was he?

 

A couple things happened at the same time,

 

1: As if hearing Agathas thoughts, a glowing soul slowly took the shape of a silver orb floating from Tommy’s headstone and just hovered there.

 

2: Rio yelped and hissed in pain, scaring Nicky back a couple feet. Agatha was quick to reach the boy, worried about what was going on.

 

And 3: Nicky started to fade away; but only slightly. His youthful appearance slowly shifted into a wispy transparent floating figure.

 

Nicky was a ghost; one of the few things that could physically harm Death. “Mother are you okay? Did I hurt you?” he looked upset, “I didn’t mean to.”

 

“No mijo, I’m okay.” Rio was slightly breathing hard, but was it from the pain; or the rising irritation at the Maximoff boy?

 

Agatha looked at her wife, pleading with her to fix this.

 

Another stone cracked behind them, they probably only had around ten minutes left before who knows what happens.

 

Jen and Alice could feel the escalating anger in the Green Witch, and they both moved forward to pull Agatha and Nicky a few feet away. Rio was glowing green as she turned to Billy. “You tuned my son into a GHOST?!” she was pissed. “How DARE you!” she used her green magic to pull the Teen up to his feet.

 

“I just want my brother!” He was starting to panic. “Look I think I know how to fix this! I think I figured out the trail!” Rio was too far gone; she pulled her dagger from her belt and started stalking towards the scared Teen.

 

“Mother stop!” Nicky’s voice was clear through the mayhem she was starting. She faltered and turned to look at her son. He looked scared, not of her, but for Billy. His ghostly form was peeking out from behind Agatha, and all the fight left Rio at once, dropping Billy in a heap on the ground.

 

“Guys we are running out of time here, Billy, as messed up as this whole thing is, do you really think you’ve figured out the trial?” Jen was getting restless as another stone broke.

 

Agatha saw the deflated look on her wife and understood the unspoken thoughts. Rio had never gotten the chance to hug her son while he was alive, and now the moment was taken from her again. Billy causing Nicky to alter their son into a ghost was the worst case scenario for her wife.

 

“Billy, you better have a way to fix this.” She knew Nicky wouldn’t make it out of the road with them; again, he was the result of magic from an untrained boy. But to be stuck in a trial forever with never being able to hug Nicky again seemed like the worst kind of torture for Rio, and as much as they had their differences, she didn’t hate her wife that badly.

 

“I think I do!” another stone crashed. “You see, I think what needs to happen is a deal.”

 

“A deal.” Rio deadpanned. “A deal with who? Me? A deal with Death?” she laughed bitterly. “Careful what you wish for boy.”

 

“Yes! A deal with Death!” he seemed unimpressed with her mocking. “I want my brother back in a body like me! And you want your Nicky back.” Rio glared at him once again at the mention of Nicky’s name. “Out of death, comes life!” he recited as if he rehearsed it, he probably did. After a moment of silence he continued. “Look, we’ve established I am the son of the Scarlett Witch, granted I won’t call her my mother, but I did come from her,”

 

“Get on with it Teen.” Agatha interrupted.

 

“Okay, If you allow Tommy to come back, I’ll bring back Nicky.” He looked at the group in front of him and waited for their response.

 

It was Agathas turn to become furious, “Are you kidding me? This is chaos magic that you have no idea how to use! What makes you think you can do whatever you want? Rio has a balance to maintain! What happens to that?”

 

Another crack was heard, only four were left, they were running out of time.

 

“I can do it! He was real just a minute ago right? Help me get Tommy back and you can have Nicky!” He seemed anxious as the timer continued to tick down. “Look, you can take us later, after we’ve lived out lives! The balance will get sorted out in a hundred years! Just let me have time with him!”

 

Rio looked to Agatha. She knew she would find her wife quietly begging for her approval of his plan. How could she take Nicky a second time? The boy had given her an impossible choice.

 

Another headstone fell to the ground.

 

She sauntered up to Billy, “If this doesn’t work, I’ll have a special place in oblivion for you and your brother to spend all your time together.” Her eyes glowed a dark smoky black as she scoured the earth for a host for this new soul. After a long moment, another stone hit the ground, her eyes cleared and she walked away. Behind her the glowing soul of Tommy was gone.

 

“Your Abomination of a brother just woke up after nearly drowning.” She stopped to turn her head towards the boy one final time. “Good luck finding him. Once you do, I’ll have a job for you both. Don’t worry, no need to look for me, I’ll find you.”

 

Crack, one headstone left.

 

She walked over to her wife who had tears in her eyes once again, Goddess she hoped the Teen can pull this off, and crouched down to be eye level with her ghostly son. “Mijo, I love you very much.” And she wrapped her arms around his ghostly form, despite the pain waiting for the last stone to fall and douse them all in darkness.

 

 

 

Notes:

Once again I'll take votes, Happy ending??
It really could go either way at this point.

Chapter 6: Sr. Scratchy

Summary:

We find out if Teen can held up his end of the deal he made with Death.

Agatha had woke to darkness. Just moments ago, she was having the most amazing dream; she had her Nicky back. He was laughing in her arms and Rio was there with the biggest smile she had ever seen on her face. She wished she had never woken up, but life was rarely kind to her- so here she was; lying on the cold, dark, damp floor of her basement.

 

Alone.

 

There was no way all of that had been a dream. Was she still in Wanda’s Hex? If that was the case, she was about to burn the whole world down for toying with her emotions.

 

But if she was in a Hex, why was she still do dirty? Her clothes were back to her purple long coat and pants, but she was filthy; as she was on the road. Dirt stuck to her as if she had slept outside for weeks; it was oddly reminiscent of the days where she actually had slept outside for weeks during her Salem days. Her hair was a wild dark mane that could only be created by life threatening chaos; it would take days and multiple washes to sort out; and her shoes were still missing- a casualty of the road no doubt.

 

Her emotions were still very high; her hands shook with adrenaline and grief- her body not knowing how to sort out what it had just endured. She could still feel her sons tiny arms wrapped around her neck, and the smell of his hair clung to her like it had three hundred years ago. Her cheeks were still wet from the tears she had cried from seeing him. That couldn’t have been a dream. But now she was back ‘home’ with no one. Not Rio, or Nicky. Not even Jen or Alice were here. And the boy- Billy Maximoff was also missing.

 

She stood up on shaking legs and brushed the dirt from her clothes. She must have been on the road for longer than she thought, because she felt weak, and worn-out. She glanced around at the familiar (yet unfamiliar) surroundings; nothing looked out of place. However, this wasn’t her space- so if anything was out of place, she really didn’t know. Looking down at her bare feet, she realized she was standing a top of the polygonal door that led to the Witches Road. She was quick to jump back in fear the road would decide to open again and swallow her whole.

 

There was a flash of light that came through the small window that led outside, she could hear mumbled arguing. The witch felt hollow, she had a numbness that was slowly filling her up at the loss of her son once again. But it seemed that this nightmare wasn’t quite over with, so she stumbled up the stairs of the cellar, and used the wall to help keep her upright; using all her strength to push the doors that led outside, open.

 

Outside the air was extraordinary, as if she hadn’t breathed fresh air in months. The breeze was cool and it smelled of pine; it made her heart ache for her family and the life she once had. It was still night, not that she minded, she always felt more alert and comfortable in the moon light; but she was starting to wonder if she would ever see the sun again. Looking around, she noticed Jen, Alice, and Teen standing around in what seemed like a very heated conversation.

 

“I’m still bound!” Jen yelled, “I thought I was supposed to get my power back!”

 

“Hey Jen, it’s okay, we can figure out another way.” Alice, always the calming presence.

 

“No! I didn’t agree to go on the Road for nothing!” Her pink dress was tattered from their journey and she was covered in dirt.

 

The wind was picking up, which was odd for the summer season. Maybe they had been on the road for months and it was now Fall? It didn’t matter she guessed- flicking her hands she had found that she too was powerless. Powerless, wifeless, and childless. Soon to be covenless- she wanted them all gone. The road was a waste of time; all it did was bring up memories of the life she had spent hundreds of years running from.

 

“Maybe you never needed it back Jen! You’ve saved us all more than a few times all while being bound! What if you’ve had it the whole time!” Teen was trying his best to be positive.

 

“Teen, you’re a nice kid, but seeing as this whole thing is really your fault, I’m going to need you to shut up.” Jen cut in.

 

“Hey, I don’t understand my power yet, no one’s taught me.”

 

“Okay? And? We’ve all been left to figure things out on our own! We don’t go around making fake roads and putting people through deadly trials! Lilia and Sharon are DEAD Teen!” Jen was laying it on thick. “And now that it’s over, Death herself is going to reap your soul! She knows who you are now! You made a promise that you don’t even know how to keep!”

 

Agatha had stayed silent through this exchange. Her eyes had been searching the fence line this whole time to see if the words Jen had spoken were true.

 

Nicky was nowhere to be found.

 

She was hoping beyond all hope that the boy would be able to come through; but deep down she knew it was impossible. Nicky was gone, and there was no way of getting him back. She felt stupid for allowing herself to get her expectations raised. Her heart, which was already so cracked and bleeding, was once again broken into pieces.

 

She wanted to feel bad for Billy, he had made a deal that he wasn’t able to honor, and now her wife was going to tear him apart. But she couldn’t help but feel like it was a bit well deserved. Many people have been tortured and killed for way less than what the boy had done. She hoped Rio would make him suffer, how dare he dangle their son as a bargaining chip in front of her wife. He knew the exact thing she wouldn’t be able to say ‘no’ to again.

 

Slowly, the sky started to turn green. The angry wind picked up more and started tossing fallen leaves and branches around the yard. Cackling could be heard from above their heads.

 

Billy Maximoff was about to meet the real Lady Death.

 

As expected, Death was sitting atop the roof of the house laughing manically. Yea, her wife was going to kill him slowly. Rules be damned. There was the sacred balance now more disrupted than ever before, and with no Nicky, Rio was going to make sure it was corrected.

 

“Billy Maximoff! You have single handedly disturbed the natural order of all thingsss.” Rios voice was terrifying; it sounded deeper than what was humanly possible and carried multiple voices in one. This was not Rio Vidal, this was Lady Death. “You have failed to keep your side of the bargain and therefore will perish with your brother in Oblivion!”

 

She flicked her wrists and a blast of green magic threw him across the yard.

 

Alice was quick to run to him and check him over. “Rio wait! Hes just a kid!” she helped him stand up on wobbly legs.

 

Agatha had stayed to the outskirts of this little display of dominance. She wouldn’t dare get in the way of her wife now. For once, she had started to recognize that Rio had also lost her son that day. She was always so blinded by her own grief- she never considered her wifes.

 

But seeing her now, in all her beautiful rage- she could understand. She could understand because there was a time where Agatha would have rather set the world ablaze than live in it without her boy. It seemed that this is where her wife was currently at.

 

“Where’s Tommy!” he grunted and Agatha had to balk at the boy, his persistency was astonishing to say the least. Being face to face with Death, he still had the nerve to demand.

 

“I allowed his soul to enter the universe once again, but in the body of a new host. You never told me I had to hand deliver him to you.” She slowly floated down with the grace that only Lady Death could have. “Honestly kid, the youth of today is so spoiled; I did the hard part, all you had to do was look for him.” She sauntered over to the coven, she was in full Reaper attire- black flowing robes, always barefooted, and her hauntingly beautiful crown perched perfectly on her head, not to mention the deadly dagger in her hand ready to use.

 

Lighting cracked and Deaths skeletal face showed for a split second before returning to Rios. “You have made a mockery of my sacred balance, and now you need to fix it.” She conjured vines out of the grass to reach up and grab him by both arms and legs.

 

Billy was dragged backwards and stuck to a post that was a couple yards away from Agatha. Alice once again ran to him to try and free him. “Agatha! Please talk to her! She can’t just kill him!”

 

As if seeing her for the first time- which was completely possible due to her wife’s focus on the abomination, Rio stopped in her tracks. Agatha hadn’t moved since she had come out of the cellar, she had been watching the exchange with a neutral expression since it begun.

 

Their eyes met and Rio allowed the wind to die down just a bit. Teen was still roughly tied down and occasionally grunting with effort to get loose. Rio looked down at her feet, she seemed ashamed and nervous to be near her wife.

 

“Mi Amor, I’m so sorry. I know how you feel about the boy, but he can’t be.”

 

Agatha walked over to her wife and gently touched her chin, Rio flinched for a split second and the gesture pained her deeply. “Rio, I’m sorry.”

 

Looking up into her eyes, Rio looked stunned. “Wha- no Agatha I’m sorry. I should have never entertained the boy. I knew he couldn’t uphold his side of the bargain. Now I have to take him from you just as I did with Nicky.” Her voice was frantic but soft. It quieted on Nicky’s name as if she was scared to utter their sons name out loud.

 

Agatha silently listened to her wife, taking in all that she had to say. A black tear rolled down Rios cheek, and She was quick to wipe it away. “I wanted to give your son back to you, if there was anyone who could alter the balance; I figured it would be the son of the Scarlett Witch. I’m so sorry for putting you through this again.” Rio grasped at Agatha’s hips with desperation. “Amor, I understand if you never want to see me again after this. I never forgave myself the first time, I won’t expect you to forgive me this time either.”

 

“Hey Rio, Its ok. I understand. And he was your son too. I’m sorry I never allowed you to be there, but he was yours. If I never forgive anything- it’ll be myself; for keeping him from you for the little time he was here. Agatha leaned forward and placed her lips on Rios. The kiss was gentle, they hadn’t kissed like that in years, it was full of longing and forgiveness and everything left unsaid. Rio held the back of Agatha’s head, fingers scratching at her scalp. And Agatha held her face, still wiping away black tears.

 

Teen had felt the vine start to slack, Alice (and surprisingly Jen) were quick to help untie him and pull him up.

 

Not at all caring for the intimate scene unfolding before them, Teen shouted across the yard, “Tell me how I’m supposed to find him! There is like a billion people on earth!”

 

“Boy, you really should calm your tone- they’ll both kick your ass.” Jen supplied.

 

Rio stiffened at the intrusion as if she had forgotten they had an audience. Agatha broke the kiss that had started to get slightly more heated, but didn’t turn around to look at the trio behind them. She stared at her wife’s eyes, hands still on her cheeks. “It’s okay my love.”

 

“Try over eight billion, and that’s not my problem.” She glared over Agatha’s shoulder at the Teen.

 

Anger filled the air, Teen was becoming unhinged at the lack of answers pertaining to his missing brother. Like the rest of the coven, he was at his wits end. Blue sparks started coming from his palms and he started to levitate off the ground. Taking a page out of Rios book, the wind started to pick up once again.

 

Rio could sense the shift in power, this kid didn’t understand his potential, that was for certain. His eyes glared at her, turning blue. A sure sign he was about to do something stupid beyond belief.

 

“Uhh Billy? Why don’t you come back down, and talk. We’re all adults’ right?” Alice looked uneasy and started to back away, pulling a stunned Jen with her.

 

Rio’s eyes turned black as she lightly tugged Agatha to the side, stepping in front of her. She had a slight smile on her face like she was daring him to act.

 

The decorative lamps in the yard started to burst one by one, and the clothes hung out to dry started to flail in the wind. The sky darkened once more but the group couldn’t tell if it was from Rio or the boy.

 

Something wasn’t right. Agatha could feel power. She spent her whole life syphoning the essence out of countless witches. But Billys power was untapped- deranged. It was dangerous. He had the ability to rewrite reality, and that didn’t settle well with her. He knew too much from what he forced out of each of them while on the road. He knew how to hurt Rio, and he knew Death’s weakness.

 

“What are you going to do boy?” Rio taunted.

 

In a matter of seconds, Teen acted first. He summoned a huge blue blast of energy aimed right at Rio, but Agatha, in a desperate display of quick thinking, pushed her wife out of the way- taking the blast right to the chest.

 

Rio recovered quickly before she hit the ground; she turned towards the chaos with the amount of rage only she could muster. Hands glowing green ready to destroy. She was about to yell at her wife, or blast Billy, or even blow up the house with the wrath she was feeling.

 

At first, she was concerned for her wife, she too could feel the unnatural power radiating off the boy. He surely could be the very thing that ended Death, and if so, he would undoubtedly be the end of Agatha Harkness.

 

But her fear was in vain, she should have known better than to underestimate her wife. There-before her and the rest of the coven stood her wife in all her magnificent glory. She was greedily syphoning blue magic from the untrained boy who had the decency to look terrified. Finally, he was facing a foe who could knock him down a few pegs.

 

Agatha was smiling, taking the deepest breath as if she had been under water for hours. Her bones were starting to ache less, her tiredness was quickly fading, and her power source was being restocked.

 

The boy on the other hand had seen better days. Bill Maximoff fell to his knees and was breathing as if through a straw. Dark circles started to grow under his eyes as Agatha allowed herself to rise off the ground in euphoria.

 

“Agatha! Stop! You’ll kill him!” Alice tried to reason with the witch at the state of the young teen.

 

But Agatha ignored her, this boy was the cause of so many problems. She was willing to let her wife take him, he deserved nothing more- or so she thought. The idea of syphoning his power didn’t really cross her mind until the last trial. But the possibility of it actually happening was low- until he tried to attack her wife.

 

Rio stood off to the side waiting patiently for her wife to get her fill, to finish what she should had done the moment the boy came into her orbit. She was a little disappointed that she wasn’t the one to bring the boy down, but she would never take this moment from her loving wife.

 

Any minute now, the boy would be drained, like so many before him. Her wife was a Goddess and there was no stopping her now. Rio readied herself to whisk the boys soul to the afterlife.

 

“Mama stop!”

 

Immediately the Purple Witch cut the power grab. Billy dropped to the ground gasping for breath, face wrinkled and pale. Alice and Jen once again, ran to his side.

 

Rio and Agatha both turned simultaneously towards the small voice.

 

Nicky.

 

He was standing at the top of the dark porch, Senior Scratchy in his arms; alive.

 

He was not wispy or floating, he was real and whole- standing there with a beautiful healthy glow about him. Immediately both mothers rushed towards him to wrap him in their arms.

 

“Nicky my love, I’ve missed you so!” Agatha was crying and holding him gently, but firmly.

 

Rio was petting his head with one hand and holding the back of Agatha’s with her other. She kept glancing back and forth between the two loves of her life, smiling with happy tears trailing down her face.

 

“Mama, why were you hurting that boy? I thought you only kill bad witches.” He was still the innocent boy from all those years ago. The only good Agatha had ever done, was squished inside his little body.

 

“Don’t worry about him Nicky, I was mad at him, he did very bad things- but all I care about right now is you.” She kissed his head and he gave a small giggle.

 

She hesitantly looked over to Rio, “My love, is he-“ she couldn’t finish her sentence. She didn’t want to break this little bubble of happiness with anything that could darken it.

 

“He’s not sick Agatha, I already checked his soul, and it’s completely healthy.” Rio reassured her wife and leaned in to kiss them both.

 

After a few moments, the energy in the air shifted once again. Billy looked slightly better than he previously did, Alice and Jen still had him by each of his arms to help hold him up, but he was standing. He looked drained (pun intended).

 

“Did I do it? Did I bring him back?” He was panting with each word.

 

Rio stood from her crouched position and stalked closer to the boy. “You’re in luck pet. It seems you have, whether or not you intended to.” She looked between all three remaining coven members.

 

Shifting to her skeletal face for maximum effect, she used her deep distorted voice, “You may go.”

 

The group jumped back a little at the display and quickly scurried away.

 

“Jen!” Agatha had called from her seated position, still holding tightly to her young son.

 

Jen stopped to turn towards her.

 

“Come by the house tomorrow, after we have all rested a little.” She paused to give the other two members of her chaotic coven a glance. “Alice, you can come too. I have something that might help with your little binding problem.”

 

Jen looked ready to question her further, but thought better of it. Emotions were way too strung out right now to start an argument.

 

Agatha steadied Billy with a hard glare. “Billy, I need at least a week away from you, maybe two, so I don’t kill you. But come by the house after that, and I’ll help you with a few ways to control that chaos magic of yours.”

 

He perked up at the idea, “Wait really? After everything? You’d still help me?”

 

“Don’t get your hopes up, and if you so much as look in Nicky’s direction, I’ll skin you alive; do you understand?”

 

Teen was quick to divert his eyes to the ground, “Yes, I understand. Thank you Agatha.”

 

The coven walked away as the sky began to turn back into its inky black night. With all the lights blown out, the stars and moon were shining bright.

 

Rio didn’t agree with Agatha allowing to boy to hang around, but she would never go against what she felt was right, and she supposed that the abomination was able to give them back the one thing either of them wanted- no needed. Her wife was smart, and in a round-about way, the coven was good for her. They could all do without the abomination, but this would give her all the opportunities to make his life Hell, so it might workout.

 

She was already planning on all the ways she could jump scare him, or cause him to screw up his lessons Agatha had in mind. Maybe she could have him accidently blow himself up, or maybe permanently turn himself invisible-

 

“Mami! I’m hungry! Could we find a river nearby with lots of fish for dinner?” Her son called to her and she immediately turned to answer him, changing her face back to her fleshy self- already having conjured an apple for him to munch on.

 

Agatha laughed as she stood up, “Nicky, you’ll have to get used to this new era you’re in Love.” She took his hand and led him towards the door; Rio was quick to jog back up the porch steps to open it for her family- bowing low as they crossed the threshold.

 

“Maybe we could order pizza.” She suggested to her wife.

 

As the door was shut behind them, lights turned on inside the house, filling it with a warm glow.

 

“What’s pizza?”

 

*******

 

Rio quickly ran back to the door, swinging it open to grab a slightly forgotten Senor Scratchy who was munching on some grass.

“Oops sorry mister!”

Cradling him tight to her chest, she gave him a little kiss on the head as she walked back inside.

“Extra carrots for you!”

Notes:

Couldn't forget about Scratchy

Notes:

kuddos and comments are always appreciated!
I really want to better my writing, so let me know how I can do that!!