Wonderer's Wish World: An Empty Land

Gift...

Kai gasped. "Isn't that my machine?" he asked. "In my basement?"

At the same time, Luz stepped forward. "A wish flower," she cried, her voice grateful. But as she came up towards the red flower, and the machine it was resting on, she froze.

Kipo blinked at her. "Is something wrong?" she asked. Despite trying to be as kind as possible, an edge of panic crept into her voice.

It took a while for Luz to answer, but when she did, her voice was strained. "This flower..." she replied, turning around. In her hands, she held out a piece of paper and a glowing blue crystal, safely held in her hand with the fabric of her sleeves wrapped protectively around it. Kipo sucked in a breath. "...I think it's from Six."

"It's a trap," Coraline told her, immediately. "Just take the flower and let's go."

"But we don't even know why my machine is here," Kai pointed out, but as Coraline glared at him, he quickly changed his answer. "But we can go. We should go."

"Six is... helping us?" Mabel asked, confused. "Is she having a redemption arc?"

"Why wouldn't she just give us the flower herself then?" Tulip asked. At that, Luz's eyes widened, looking at the paper, then to the flower uncertainly.

"We should go," Fei Fei insisted, even though her eyes were straying to the crystal, and Kipo didn't think she was imagining that Fei Fei was interested. Kipo was, too, but...

As Kipo stepped forward, towards Luz, she was finally herself able to read the note, which had been too faint for her to have read at a distance. It wasn't words exactly, but one big symbol: the number six.

"It's your choice," Kipo said gently, tearing her eyes away from the note. She tried to meet Luz's eyes, but they were downcast, caught up in her own worries. Still, Kipo could tell she was listening, so she continued. "We don't have a lot of time, but I can tell this is worrying you. If you want to find out what this flower means, and what happened to Six, why she's doing this... then I won't stop you. None of us will."

Luz's fingers tightened on the crystal. "What if it's a trap?"

"You knew Six better than any of us did," Kipo told her. "It's your choice. You can throw it away, if you want. We won't stop you from doing that, either."

Luz thought about that, and, though Kipo could tell it was killing them, the rest of their friends forced themselves to be quiet. Kipo couldn't blame them, she had started jumping at shadows, too. Claustrophobia was closing in around them, and Kipo's mind was filled with all the ways this cave could kill them. How easy it could be. How quick... But it hadn't happened yet, and Luz looked like she needed this. Kipo tightened her fists, and waited.

Finally, Luz lifted the crystal, peering at it. "I don't trust her," Luz said, her expression grim. "But I need to know. Please, just give me a couple of minutes, but if I take too long... you all have to leave me behind, alright?"

Inwardly, Kipo recoiled at the very thought of that, and instantly knew that if she did, she hate herself for the rest of her life. But Kipo forced her thoughts down, and outwardly, she only gave Luz a wry smile.

"We're not doing that," Kipo told her, light-heartedly, but firm. "I can carry you, if need be."

"I can't believe you would even THINK we would let you stay here in Nightmare Tunnel," Mabel gasped, her face twisted in disbelief.

Luz smiled, but she still looked uncertain. "But what if I don't come back?"

"You will," Tulip spoke up, and her voice was so certain that Luz's worry was wiped off her face as soon as she heard that.