A Written Destiny ||A Music Freaks Fantasy AU

Chapter Twelve: Free

"Back away now, Willows! Don't force me to kill my own granddaughter!" Amelie's lip curled into a snarl as she advanced on Laura. The black haired girl stood her ground, looking more angry than scared as she came face to face with her grandmother.

"You think you can take me down just like that?" she sneered. "Don't be a coward and fight!" her proud words were used as a disguise to hide the sensation of tears building up in her chest.

Amelie's expression darkened. "Oh, you did not, Willows. You did not."

She paused so that Laura could take in her vexed expression, and then broke into a smirk.

"So you want a fight? Now, now, dear granddaughter. You wouldn't want me to do that."

Laura couldn't take it anymore. A rapid river of tears streamed down her face. "You killed Star!" she screamed. "SHE'S DEAD! BECAUSE OF YOU!"

"You should be rejoicing, foolish girl!" Amelie growled. "Ever since your damned mother married that pitiful merchant, the Willows name has been brought to dust! You were supposed to be the one to bring us back our glory! Don't turn on us now, avenge me!"

"Me," Laura breathed through tears, "you said 'avenge me'. Before, you said 'us'."

A sudden realization dawned on Amelie's face.

"You don't care a bit about your family, do you?" said Laura, voice growing more and more menacing. "You're right. I was foolish. Foolish to believe your lies that I should turn on Star and follow your orders! We're family! You said you cared!" Now, the tears were flowing swiftly down her face with more fury than despair. "You said you cared!"

"I do care," Amelie muttered, "I care more than you think. I wanted to protect you from Esme!"

"I don't believe it," she almost laughed, "all those times you told me to crush the Alabamas like they were some sort of vermin. What has Esme ever done to you? I know she speaks the truth, not you."

"You don't understand! I -"

"You don't even consider me family!" cried Laura in a shaky voice. "You call me Willows, not by my first name!"

A hollow silence spread briskly between the two like ice. Amelie turned her gaze to the floor.

"Forgive me, Laura."

"Never!" she shrieked. "After what you did to S-Star? No! You don't mean a single word you say, I won't fall into your traps anymore!"

Amelie's face hardened. "Very well. I see how it is then."

Without hesitation, she raised her hand, and a sudden, celestial blue glow shot out of her palm. Laura hit the floor, feeling the hairs on her neck stick straight up as the streak of light missed her by inches.

"Give up already! We both know this won't last long!" Amelie let out a high, cold laugh, and began shooting random dashes of light at Laura. She seemed so different from the person she was when she asked Laura for forgiveness.

But each time, Amelie missed the deathly shots, and Laura just barely avoided her previous one, rolling into a bush of marigold. Her head hit something hard, and she could feel her vision swimming in front of her.

"I must say, you have spirit to be able to last this long under my grasp," Amelie mused, "that of course, is because you're my granddaughter. You were foolish to waste your talents on that Star girl! Together, we could've been invincible!"

"I did what I had to do, and I have no regrets," Laura grit her teeth, struggling to stand. She tried to prevent the effects of her dizziness from showing.