The Owl and the Frog

Chapter 27: Breaking of the Fellowship

So, I hope you all are doing okay. The third season of Amphibia is on the horizon, and it will be interesting to see how everything gets resolved. I hope to have this arc finished right as the third season starts premiering, and I'm sure I'll get some good ideas after I start watching it.

So, a quick reminder for this chapter. If you want to see what the outfit that Luz gets in this chapter looks like, then you can check out DFuryArt's page on DeviantArt. It's titled "Luz Noceda AU." I also have it favorited on my DeviantArt page, so you can find it there too. There are only two small changes: the staff doesn't have the gem in it, and the belt is a little more detailed. Other than that, it's the same.

I know I thanked him before, but since this is the chapter where Luz actually gets her costume upgrade, I'd like to thank DfuryArt again! Especially because I didn't even ask for this. He just came up with it on his own, so I've decided his idea for Luz's costume upgrade will be the one I use.

Other than that, the reunion of Anne and Luz is approaching... Hope you're all ready!

Luz looked over her cauldron, making sure that her potion was brewing correctly. She was trying to brew a healing potion to help mend broken bones. Over on the other side of town, Gustav was helping to rebuild a house, while Amara and Lilly were taking care of a wounded frog. Luz wasn't sure how much time had passed since the battle, but it felt like ages. For the first few nights, Luz and the others kept a rotating watch, just in case Uodeela managed to come back. As the nights went on, though, it became clear that she wasn't going to return, and the group had stopped keeping watches. Instead, they spent their days doing their best to help the villagers recover from the battle. Initially, that had involved gathering up and burring the bodies of the fallen, a task none of them had looked forward to, and trying to assess what to do next. After that, the students began brewing up potions to help the wounded, and they also rebuilt some houses and gathered food for the people of Tadpole Pond. Right now, Luz was watching over a healing potion as the sun began to set. Lilly came over to check on her.

"Hey, Luz. How's the potion looking?" asked Lilly.

"Looks fine," replied Luz as she glanced at the potion. "How is Mrs. Hopper?"

"She's fine; she's a lot tougher than she looks," answered Lilly. "Still getting over the loss of her husband, but she opened up a bit to Amara. Said that maybe she should consider moving to Newtopia to get a fresh start."

"Huh, I wonder if it really would be safer in the city?" thought Luz.

"I imagine it's as safe a place as can be in Amphibia," said Lilly. "But considering what Uodeela said about the newts, well, who knows? Maybe it's only safe for newts?"

Luz didn't respond; instead, she glanced out at the forest, looking at the trees, her eyes ready for any glimpse of movement. Lilly noticed what she was doing.

"You still think there's a chance?" she asked.

Luz paused for a long time before replying, "Honestly, no, but a part of me refuses to give up hope." She clenched her fist as she said this. "I have to think that even if Uodeela can't turn back on her own, maybe there's still a way, and all we have to do is find it!"

"Well, if there is a way, the best place to look would probably be Newtopia," said Amara, walking up to where Luz and Lilly were and catching their attention. "It has the largest library in all of Amphibia, as well as the only real University in the land. If we want to find a way to cure Uodeela, then it's our best bet."

Lilly and Luz looked at each other. Amara had suggested the gang relocate to Newtopia a few nights ago, but at the time, they were unsure. Lilly had wanted to wait and see if her father showed up, while Luz was thinking about heading out to Wartwood. Uodeela was going to take her, but now that she was gone, Luz was trying to decide if it was better to make the journey by herself or stay with her friends here.