(OLD) The Apprentice and the Lost City

Chapter Thirteen: Welcome to the Hummingbird Diner

The next morning, Emma sat at the counter of the Hummingbird Diner when she heard tiny murmurs coming from outside the front door. At first, she ignored them, assuming they were coming from Judd, a stubborn old dwarf that would yell at anyone who dared think he needed help.

Emma made the mistake of helping Judd once and as a result, swore to him that she would never again help a dwarf open a door.

However, it wasn't long before a large puff of red hair caught her attention. Her gaze pulled away from the many sketches of parade floats she had made only to bounce along with the nervous puff ball as it scampered from one window to the next.

It took Emma only a second to realize who was pacing in front of her home and when she did, a smile appeared on her face. Jumping to stand atop of the stool, she turned to the large opening that allowed her to see her father handing four plates of crispy bacon, perfectly sunny eggs, and warm toast to her mother.

"She's here," Emma bellowed, causing Blu to nearly choke on the strawberry pastry he had stolen from a sleepy customer's plate.

Mr. and Mrs. Marsh stiffened at the girl's announcement. "Already?" Mrs. Marsh gasped. Her eyes dashed around the kitchen before swiftly tossing the plates onto the counter. In a haste, she straightened out the apron hanging on her red skirt as she tried desperately to brush away the  stray crumbs.

"The biscuits," Mr. Marsh gasped, his eyes growing wide. "Donna, hurry! Help me get them out of the oven!"

As her parents scrambled messily around the kitchen, Emma hopped down from her seat with ease. The sleepy mage that sat beside her shooed Blu away before reaching for her cup of coffee.

"Well, tell her to go away," Emma heard the witch groan groggily.

She skipped by the table where the Stephens family sat, ducking just in time for a toy rattle to come flying at her head. Turning, she saw the baby of the family pouting miserably and shot him a victorious grin.

"Stop that, Stephan," Mrs. Stephens sighed as she went to retrieve her son's toy. "Harold, please do something with your son, won't you?"

Mr. Harold Stephens looked up from his paper where his gaze instantly found Emma's. One of his dark brows rose, causing all of his wrinkles to rise to his large forehead. "Who's here, Emma?"

Emma waddled backwards to the door as she answered simply, "A friend."

"Doesn't your friend know how to use a door?" the witch grunted. Teal eyes peered out at the girl from behind a tall white mug. The steam from the piping hot coffee made her thin brows twitch angrily. "She's been standing there for over ten minutes."

"Perhaps she doesn't," Mr. Jenkins chimed in from the corner of the room. His gaze never left the canvas as he spoke. "Doors are very complicated these days, Minerva."

The aged artist's thick,white mustache twitched in annoyance once he realized that he placed his dirty paintbrush in his coffee mug by accident. Sighing, the old wizard's golden eyes finally left the painting he had been working on since he arrived to look out the window. There, he found the red tuft of hair returning to his side of the diner.

"My word," he gasped, "Isn't she the Grand Apprentice of Limerence?"

At his question, everyone in the diner drew their attention to the window. A hushed uproar grew about while they all tried to get a good glimpse at the witch who had been pacing back and forth. Emma rolled her eyes with a sigh at their reaction. Though, deep down Emma knew that she probably would have had the same inquisitive gaze when she met Willow if only she had known of her title beforehand.