Zero

Chapter 6: Mischief & Mayhem

"I told you not to eat everything on the table." Willow sighed and rubbed her temple. "Honestly, at this point I don't know why I'm even surprised."

Luz groaned, rolling onto her stomach from where she had been seated on the ground.

"How could I resist?" Luz weakly raised a fist in the air. "There's food everywhere in this car and we hadn't eaten in hours. The only thing to eat in the Spa Car were the cucumbers and complimentary breath mints! And I hate cucumbers!"

Gus snorted. Willow looked between him and Luz before speaking again.

"It's called using self-control." Willow stood from the dining table with her hands on her hips and peered down at Luz's prone form over the rim of her glasses. "Ever heard of it?"

"And for the record, there were also sugar cookies," Gus added from his seat at the table.

Luz grunted in response. She flopped onto her back and shielded her eyes against the bright red cherry sun hanging high in the mid-morning sky. She watched as a few pink cotton-candy clouds drifted slowly past. With great care, she sat up and massaged her stomach.

"Gus, I'm lactose intolerant." She ran a hand through her messy brown hair, looking up at Willow with a raised chin. "And I'll have you know that I am perfectly capable of self-control."

The even look Willow leveled at Luz made it clear that she disagreed with her sentiment.

It had been a week since they had left the Witch Car. Since then, the trio had traversed through several cars. Surprisingly, most of them were rather pleasant and uneventful. The Pencil Bank had been a bit of a bore, as the pencils were too focused on their jobs to be of any interest to Luz, Willow, and Gus. Plus, the door opened for them with no trouble.

The Ball Pit Car was a more exciting change of pace (although Willow would vehemently disagree) and Luz had a great time goofing around and playing on the enormous jungle gym.

Besides the troubling lack of food, the Spa Car had been her favorite car thus far, and it was just what Luz had needed after going several days without showering.

Despite the interesting variety of cars Luz had been able to explore during her short time on the train, there had been something about the Witch Car that made it so that her brief time spent inside the car was always lingering in the back of her mind.

Maybe it had to do with the magical nature of the car.

Maybe it was because it had been her first train car, and where she had met Willow and Gus.

And maybe, just maybe, it had to do with the gruff witch and adorable demon she had briefly encountered during her stay.

Gus rose from his seat, slamming his hands on the table dramatically which startled Luz out of her thoughts. Willow jumped, placing a hand over her heart, and scowled at her friend.

"Well, now that we've all eaten we should try to find the exit door." Gus rubbed his hands together excitedly. "I hope this car makes us work for it." He grinned.

"I don't," Willow retorted. "It'd be great if all exit doors opened without having to do anything."

Luz stood from the ground, wincing as an intense wave of nausea rolled through her. She bent over, hands on her knees. Her eyes began to water and she blinked back tears.

"Uh guys." Luz's stomach churned again, and she covered her mouth with a hand. "I don't feel so good."

Willow and Gus exchanged a nervous look. Gus tentatively took a step forward, and then another. Willow stood behind him, watching carefully as the scene unfolded.