_Pictureframe_Gustholomule Story_BOOK 2

/Grom PT. 2\Mattholomule Pov/

Matt walked on the stage as people cheered. He had never had a crowd call his name like that; he was sort of just a background character. Gus walked behind him with the microphone chord trailing with him. He walked around, placing his hand on Matt's shoulder without making eye contact and locking with the crowd. Matt held Gus' hand tightly as he was very stressed. The crowd was loud and his fears would be much more.
He scanned the crowd and saw his brother and Klover sitting there waving at him. He forgot how much he missed them. Gus glanced back at Matt's anxious face, "Are you sure you're ready?" He tried to act normal, "Aha...Pshhh...I'm ready." Gus smiled and pressed a button next to him, showing the arena where black goo was forming. Matt swallowed hard stepping from the stage and down into the arena. The monster snarled as a glass covering covered the hole, trapping him and Grom.

Matt was the first attacker, slicing through Grom before he even noticed. The goo on his palisman's head crawled up the staff and Matt instinctively dropped it. Garth was now stuck to the concrete floor as Matt reached for him but pulled back. As he reached Grom shoved him to the ground. Grom attacked him before he could form a spell. The monster turned into a human form, unidentifiable, but it sort of resembled Hunter. It picked up Garth about to crush him the same way it happened to Flapjack. Matt ran over, pulling a piece of stone from the floor jabbing through Grom. It melted, dropping Garth in Matt's hands. He crawled into his owner's purse. Matt was not ready for what the rest of the night was about to bring, "Ha! Coward."
Matt sliced through gooey strands with a blade of stone. One got him and turned into something he feared more than death, Gus.

The crowd was dead silent as Gus studied the arena. Matt tried to fake a smile and whispered, "What do you mean? I'm not afraid of him." Grom Gus looked confused, "What is that supposed to mean? I-I can't understand why in the Titan you are saying that to me." Matt looked confused, "What...What do you mean?" He was fooled by the fake illusion. "I can't take it anymore, we are done. I-I'm sorry I really just don't click with you," Grom Gus said, turning his back to him. Matt looked at him, "I-" The silence was broken by the sound of the gym and glass cover being broken by a huge beast. It was Matt's mother. It roared, sending its tail through the monster, killing it. The jaws snapped at Matt as he jumped out of the way, Damnit Matt, you jinxed it.

Eda and Luz sat up on the bleachers as Eda was tense and feathers were popping from her skin. Luz glanced at her, "Are you okay." Eda sighed, "I knew Sarah-"  She looked over at Luz as she was in her face, "Backstory?" Eda rolled her eyes, "Mhm."

Eda, Sarah, Raine, and Lilith were close, Sarah was like a caretaker for all of them. She was 18 while the rest were 14 and was already expecting a child, also Steve. The group we're friends and saw Sarah at the Looking Glass Ruins, sometimes Perry, Odalia, Darius, and Alador showed up. It was the night after being cursed and she had ran to the graveyard, sobbing under an apple tree. Sarah looked at Eda, "Hey...? You okay?" Eda looked at her and then covered her face, "I'm a monster! Someone cursed me..." Sarah sighed, touching her shoulder. She jerked away as orange feathers poked from her face and her eye was black. Sarah crouched down, hugging onto her, "You're not a monster, Edalyn. I'm here and I see you." Eda held onto Sarah's shirt, sobbing into her shoulder.
(Now, Eda's curse was worse than it is canonically. She was usually possessed by the beast and the curse was eating away gently. Lilith had forgotten to read the fine print. The curse would kill you after a while and permanently turn them into a beast.)

Sarah placed her hands with Eda's, "With this spell declared, let the pain be shared." Gray scale's appeared around her cheeks and her eye was black aswell, "There, now it shouldn't hurt as bad." Eda looked at her, "Did you learn that from my sister?" Sarah giggled as Eda hugged around her neck.

The group had been growing apart after the birth of Steve and Lilith had left for the Emperor's Coven with Darius and Raine. Alador went off with Odalia. Perry went off with some random woman. Sarah had met a boy demon. 17 year old Eda had been sitting on a bench alone looking at an earring that Raine had given her. Two year old Steve sat next to her as Sarah walked back. "Everyone is fulfilling my dreams and I was left behind. Raine...I miss them. They broke up with me for the Emperor's Coven." Sarah sat down, placing her hand on Eda's back. "I mean, you're married now with a son. It's not fair." She sighed glancing down at the grass, "I'm moving. To the Foot. With my husband." Eda looked at her, "WHAT?! No no no! You're lying. Live here still! Please!" Sarah sighed, shaking her head. "No! I hate you! Why would you leave me too after I expressed that everyone leaves me behind!" Tears poured down her face as Sarah picked up Steve. Leaving into the fog.