Another day at the Owl House. Another day of listening to Luz narrating her cheesy Good Witch Azura books. "'Azura,' Hecate began. 'Our paths have crossed only in battle. But today I stand before you seeking an ally.'" She swooned.
"Luz, you're getting all swoony again," said King.
"I can't help it. Azura is able to befriend everyone. Even her biggest rival. I wish I had that kind of power."
"That's not how it works in real life," said Strix.
"He's right," said King. "Rivals are meant to be annihilated not befriended. Now keep reading. I've been sucked into your awful fandom."
"Please don't," said Strix.
Luz ignored him. "'Suddenly, the door swung open.'"
The door swung open and Hooty hooted, "Ding‐dong. Ding. Hoot! Hoot!"
King exclaimed, "The book has come to life! Burn it!"
Strix went to investigate. No one was at the door. He looked down and there, he saw a basket with a bundle in it. He took it to the kitchen where Eda was and set it down on the counter. "Hey, Mom! We got a package."
"It looks like a gift basket," commented Luz.
"Probably an offering," said Eda. "Ah, being the most powerful witch in the Boiling Isles has its perks."
King unwrapped the bundle and found a baby inside. He licked his lips. "Mmm, fresh meat!"
Luz walked away with her hands up to block the potential scene of infanticide. "No, not eating that."
Eda scoffed, "Witches eating babies is so 1693. What is this?"
"There's a note," said King, taking the paper attached to the basket. He read it, "'Take care of my child till morning. Yi Yi.'"
"Nope. Babies are awful. Not happening," Eda said. "I already had to deal with one diaper filler already."
King read the rest of the note, "'You'll be handsomely rewarded. X‐O‐X‐O‐X‐O‐X. Bat Queen.'"
"Bat Queen?" Dollar signs appeared in Eda's eyes. "Reward?" The dollar signs turned into solid gold bars when she saw the coins in the basket.
"Who's the Bat Queen?" asked Luz.
"Only the wealthiest demon on the Boiling Isles," Strix said excitedly. "Get in with her and you're set for life!"
"So, we keep this thing alive for a few hours and we get paid. Pfft. Easy," said Eda.
"Our greatest adventure yet! Learning about love and life through a child's eyes," said Luz with wonder.
"Not you. You and Strix have to return the books I checked out from the library," said Eda, dropping a pile of books in Luz and Strix's hands. She leaned in to whisper to King, "I don't want them getting a cut of the loot."
"Good thinking."
"Now, let's take a look at this little darling." Eda peeked under the blanket, awakening the baby. The baby, revealed to be a bat with a human baby's head let out a loud screech that shook the house. Eda and King covered their ears. "On second thought maybe we could use your help!"
Strix and Luz were having none of this. As they bolted for the door, books in hand, Luz said, shouting over the baby's screeches, "Well, I better get to the library! Got to go! Bye!"
"We got this. Right?" asked Eda. The baby started attacking her, wrapping its wings around her head.
Luz and Strix went down the road to the library, passing by Tiny Nose who was carrying a book that was so large, it required her to carry it with both hands.
The kids entered the library. It looked like a grand temple on the outside, but inside, it looked like a typical library found in the human world, with books and movies lining the shelves. The only difference was that instead of computers, they used crystal balls. The front desk clerk checked the books Luz and Strix were carrying using levitation magic. "Late, late," he checked them off in a dull tone. He inspected one of them. "Coffee, grass and bloodstains? These are Eda's, aren't they?"
"That was a crazy night," Luz said sheepishly. Strix took note of a picture of Eda sitting on the clerk's desk. On it were the words, "Library card revoked."
"I'll put them on her tab," said the clerk with a bored sigh. "By the way, we're closing early for the Wailing star meteor shower."
"Ooh. What's that?"
"You're in a library. Read a book."
Luz looked around the library and smiled. "I am in a library. I will read a book."
"Shh," hushed the clerk.
"Oh, shh yourself," said Strix.
Luz found a series of drawers that read, "Demon Decimal System. Do Not Feed." The drawers had one eye and a mouth. Luz fed one of them a candy ball. It chewed and swallowed, then vomited paper at her.
She found some books floating up to ceiling. She tried to grab them only to find herself holding on for life as the books took her with them. Her yells made the people down below shush her. "Sorry," she said softly.
Luz eyed some people in the reference section using the crystal balls to browse the Boiling Isles version of the internet to search for new information or to look at funny cat videos. "This place is amazing," said Luz.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Luz yelped and ducked behind one of the shelves. "I've been caught. Pretend to be a book." She heard little children giggling. "Wait." She knew that voice. She found the children's section of the library and guess who she saw reading to a circle of little witchlings. On the cover of the book was a picture of a pink mouse goblin holding a book and a sewing needle.
"'We're you're friends and we wanna help,' said the Tin Boy with a yelp. Otabin smiled and paced the floor. 'I've never had real friends before.'" Amity Blight. Reading to children with a friendly smile on her face. Luz had never seen her smile like that before.
"Amity reading to kids?"
Strix walked beside her and whispered, "Mom used to read me that book when I was little!"
Amity concluded the story, "'Then we'll be your first,' the Chicken Witch clucked. Otabin couldn't believe his luck. So, Bookmaker Otabin surrounded by friends, bound a book of friendship and that's the end." The kids cheered as she finished.
"Amity seems so nice and smiley," said Luz. "Maybe I can befriend her like Azura befriended her rival!" She and Strix suddenly ducked behind the shelf when the kids and Amity came their way.
"Goodbye, Miss Amity," a very, VERY deep voiced kid said. "Thank you."
Amity patted his head. "Thank you, Braxes. See you next time." The kid cheered and ran off to catch up with his friends.
"Well, well, well." Amity jumped and turned. Strix came out of hiding and gave her a mischievous smirk. "I didn't think you had a soft spot in you." Luz made a sheepish grin.
"Oh, it's you two," Amity said, that usual frown returning.
"Amity... Whoop," Luz almost tripped as she stood up. "Reading to kids. Wow. Looks like this sour lemon drop has a hidden sweet center."
"That's what I said," said Strix.
"I said it nicer."
Amity scoffed. "It's for extra credit. Don't get your leggings in a bunch."
"Horse poop," said Strix.
"Hey, I could help with the kids. We could take turns reading. And do voices. I do the best monster voice," Luz said in a robotic tone.
"Human, do you see me going to the Owl Shack and bugging you while you... fry up owls?" Amity scoffed. "Okay, I don't really know what you and your magicless friend do there, but every time you come near me, I get in trouble. Just leave me alone."
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Luz turned to leave with Strix. "So much for befriending rivals," she grunted in frustration.
"I told you, that's not how real life works."
"You gonna let her get to you like that," an older boy's voice asked. Luz and Strix turned. Watching her were two kids with solid dark green hair and wearing blue Illusion Coven uniforms. Their facial features were identical and they looked like an older version of Amity. The boy's hair was short and the girl's was long and tied in a pony tail and she wore gold earrings.
"Who are you?" asked Luz.
"Well‐wishers on a mission," said the boy.
"A noble quest," said the girl.
"Watch this." The boy called out to Amity, "Hey, Mittens!" Amity's face blushed. "Mom says stop forgetting your lunch." He held up a pink rabbit lunch bag. "And stop being a jerk to your friends."
Amity took the lunchbox harshly. "They're not my friends." Luz's face made a hurt expression.
"That's a truth," said Strix. "Who'd want to be friends with you?"
"Shut up," Amity said softly.
"He's not entirely wrong," said the girl. "She seems too cool for you."
"We are?" Luz asked.
"You can leave now, all of you!" Amity snapped as she turned and walked away.
The boy and girl laughed and the boy gave Luz a wink. Luz blushed and chuckled. Strix turned his head away when the girl smiled at him.
"So, you're the human we've heard so much about," the boy said as the group walked to another part of the library. "And you're Strix, huh?"
"I'm Emira," the girl introduced herself. "And this is Edric. We're Amity's older siblings. We heard how you embarrassed her at the school and at the witch convention last week. No wonder she hates you."
"I know. But I didn't mean any of it. I thought we were as cool as cucumbers. But we're as sour as pickles."
Strix gave Luz a look. "Do you listen to what you say?"
"Don't waste your time with Mittens. Me and Ed, we are way more fun. Follow us."
First, Edric partially erased the "Nonfiction" sign just as a librarian was giving a tour. "And here we go towards our nonfiction section." He gasped when he saw two fiction signs. "Fiction. Fiction?! Is our world but fiction? Then what in my life is real anymore?!" He fell to the ground, sobbing loudly.
Next, Emira had the stack of books the desk clerk was putting back on the shelves re-stack themselves, much to his frustration and annoyance. Then Edric caused the librian and the clerk (who was in the non-fiction section at the time) to swap places. The poor man had another breakdown. "NO! NOT AGAIN!"
Next, Edric blew dust in the Demon Decimal System, making all the drawers sneeze papers everywhere. The kids all giggled until Amity said angrily, "HEY!" Accompanying her was the desk clerk. "Wait. Where's Gary?" he asked.
"Coming." The librarian joined Amity and the desk clerk in a glare until he saw the mess. "NOOOOO!" He had another breakdown.
Strix frowned angrily at Amity. "You squealed on us?!" He reared his fist back to punch Amity but Edric and Emira held him back. "It's not worth it," Edric said.
"That's enough!" the desk clerk shouted.
The next thing the twins, Luz and Strix knew, they were booted out of the library. "You've made reading far too fun. Now, stay out." The clerk slammed the door behind him as he went back in. The kids all laughed despite having their library privilege suspended. "Amity's even madder at me now," said Luz. "I didn't think that was possible."
"No, when Mittens gets mad, she looks like this." Edric clenched his face until it turned red and he said, imitating Amity, "'Whoa. I almost passed out.'"
"You and Strix are fun, human," said Emira. "So, hey, we're coming back tonight. There's a certain book we forgot to check out."
"And bonus, rumor has it the Wailing star's supposed to unlock some rare magical event," said Edric.
"I already know about that," said Strix.
"You do?" asked Luz.
"It..." Luz covered his mouth with her hand and said, "Ah, ba, ba! I don't want you to spoil it for me!"
"You in, friends?" Edric asked.
"Sure," said Luz.
"Eh, I got nothing better to do," said Strix.
"Great. Meet back here at midnight. See you, Luz," Edric said as he and Emira left.
Luz waved to them goodbye. "Bye!" Then she giggled to herself, "This is great. First I befriend the siblings then I befriend the Amity."
Strix sighed as he and Luz left for home. "You're never going to give up, are you?"
"Nope!"
Neither of them were aware that Amity had been watching them and listening to their entire conversation. Her face clenched, her cheeks turned red and suddenly, she felt dizzy. "Phew! Almost passed out."
Back at the Owl House, the baby bat demon was still screaming its head off. King had two pillows stuffed in his ears while Eda had dismembered her hands and stuffed them in her ears. Yet, they could still hear the wailing. "It's been hours!" King shouted over the crying. "How can it keep screaming?"
"Oh. I hate it too, pip‐squeak. But think about the money," Eda said as she put her hands back on her wrists.
The baby bat continued to scream and scream until glass started to shatter. "No amount of snails is worth this torture," shouted King. "Make it stop!"
Eda sighed, her patience almost wearing thin. "I can't believe I'm about to do this." She took the baby in her arms and began to rock it. "Rock, rock. Maternal gesture." The baby stopped crying and snuggled up to her.
"I just had the best day," said Luz as she and Strix entered the house. "Cool teens like us. Call us a pair of library books 'cause they were checking us out."
Strix wasn't paying attention. Instead, he was smiling a teasing grin at Luz. "Well, well. I didn't think you had it in you again, being a mother."
Eda said softly yet firmly, "Say that again and I steal your tongue."
"Aw. How can you say that around this cute little baby," Luz asked, petting the baby's head. Suddenly, it puked out two more baby bats, each one smaller than the last. They took up to the sky and started breathing fire, making everyone jump out of the way.
"See ya later," Strix said as he ran out. "Have a good weekend!"
"Parenting sure looks rewarding," Luz said as she grabbed her bag. "E‐Enjoy your life lessons. Bye." She ran out after Strix.
Eda and King looked at each other, then at the babies. "For the money?" asked King.
"For the money," said Eda. She jumped out of the way just as a baby barfed a green slime at her.
"Gotta be cool," said Luz later that night. She paced back and forth at the library's door, nervously trying to come up with a cool greeting for Amity's siblings. "Cool? No. Cool."
"Luz, just be yourself, said Strix.
"Myself? The weirdo?"
"I don't think you're a weirdo," said Emira's voice. The kids turned and saw Amity's siblings standing right behind them. "Keep going, this is fun to watch."
"When did you two get here?" Strix asked.
"We were here this whole time."
Luz turned red with embarrassment.
"You're ready to bring this whole, uh, whatever you doing, inside?" Edric asked. Luz nodded her head a little too enthusiastically. "It says no trespassing but I'm allergic to the rules," he said as he led the others to the front door.
"And dairy," added Emira as he handed her a scroll with a drawing of a ring of keys on it.
Edric frowned at her. "Wow, okay. Just expose me."
Emira placed the scroll on the lock on the door. The scroll glowed then it and the lock crumbled to dust. "Whoa," said Luz. The door's keyhole suddenly grew large enough for them to walk in.
"Come on," said Edric.
The kids walked in and the keyhole shrunk down to normal. The library's interior was surprisingly creepy with little lighting and no people around, "Standing in a dimly lit lobby," said Luz cheerfully. "You guys know how to party."
"Wait," Strix pointed out the stained glass window. "I think that's the Wailing Star." A green shooting star that cried a woman's cry flew by. Then there was silence. The kids all looked around.
"Huh. Nothing happened," Edric said, disappointed.
"Three," Strix counted with his fingers. "Two, one." All the books in the shelves suddenly began to glow a light green aura. He picked a random book, a book on birds and opened it. "Behold." Everyone watched with awe as the illustrations suddenly came to life, jumped out of the pages and flew away.
"Wow," was all Luz could say.
"Wow," said Edric. "The Wailing Star magicked the books to life!"
Strix snapped the book close, and the birds disappeared. He smirked at them. "Told you I did this before. Now, I believe this is the part where we say, who wants to have fun?"
Edric and Emira picked out a fashion magazine and opened it. In a flash of green light, they found themselves wearing the clothes from the magazine.
Luz picked up another magazine and when she opened it, she found herself wearing the clothes of a certain spike-haired warrior with a big sword strapped to her back. The weight of the sword made her tip over and fall onto her back.
"That's why I go for lighter things," said Strix.
The kids then went to the graphic novel section but when Strix opened one of the books, nothing happened. "What a letdown," he grumped. Suddenly, he saw the words he just said in a speech bubble above his head.
"Whoa," they all said, another speech bubble forming.
Next, the kids got in a snowball fight after opening a four copies of a snow art book. Emira, Edric and Luz fired snowballs out their books like machine guns, giggling. Strix won the snowball fight by launching a snow boulder at them.
While Emira and Edric tried to unbury themselves out of the giant snowball, Luz and Strix went to the children's section. There, Strix picked up the book Amity was reading earlier that day. He opened the Otabin book and the little mouse goblin appeared and looked up at him with innocent eyes. Luz smiled at him, Strix remained neutral.
Back at the Owl House, the baby bats were causing chaos throughout the place, destroying furniture, tearing up clothes, eating some of Eda's possessions...it was a nightmare. "What silences children?" King asked as he and Eda hid under a table. "What if we invent a TV network for ages six to 11?"
"That's insane. Aah, there's only one way out of this." Eda took a switch blade out of her hair, raised it up...and began to cut an apple. "Apple slices and story time." She sat down on what was left of the couch and took out a familiar book. "All right, brats. Let's do this. Ugh. Being parental is making me sick." The babies and King sat in front of Eda as she began to read, "'Otabin spent his days alone amongst the many books he'd sewn. With needle and thread...'"
"'...the pages he mend. But all the while he longed for a friend.'" Strix read.
"Friend?" Otabin asked.
Strix snapped the book close. "I've outgrown you."
"Luz, Strix, check this out," Edric said, holding up a book that read, "Quacks Eats Snacks".
"Look what we've discovered," said Emira. She opened a book and a duck popped out, quacking happily.
"Aw. Cute little quackster," cooed Luz.
Then Emira drew human legs on the duck illustration and the duck itself grew said human legs. It started flapping its arms and quacking hysterically. "Now he's extra cute," she said as she laughed with Edric. Luz found it disturbing while Strix said, "Pretty sure you have to pay a fine for doing that."
"Your turn, Strix," Emira said, handing him the pencil.
Strix looked down at the Otabin book and said, "Uh, actually, I don't want to mess up my childhood."
"Let me help." Edric took the pencil and gave Otabin angry eyebrows, fangs and claws. Something tried to claw out of the book but Strix snapped it shut. "I don't want to see it."
"Me neither," said Luz.
"Whatever. We didn't come here just to doodle. Come on." Emira grabbed Luz and Strix by the hand and they headed for another section of the library. If only they'd notice the book was open when they dropped it.
"The romance section?" Strix stuck his tongue out and gagged.
"Yeah, that's totally lame," said Luz, still trying to be cool. "I mean, unless you guys are into it?"
"I think I'm into this one," Edric said, pulling a book titled, "The Lone Witch & Secret Room". The book case suddenly opened, revealing a hidden room. More books lined the walls and someone's desk was sitting in a corner.
"Wow, that's a good book," said Luz. "Your clubhouse is like my ultimate secret hideaway."
Edric scoffed, "We don't hang out in the library. 'Uh, teacher, I'm in love with a dictionary.'"
"'I'm studying the dork arts.' This is Amity's secret hideaway," Emira said. Luz and Strix's eyebrows raised.
"Mittens has gotten too full of herself. She keeps tattling on us when we cut class," said Edric.
"She needs to learn not to mess with people like that. So, we're going to find her diary."
"And then post the pages all around school for everyone to see."
Hearing the Blight twins laugh, Luz realized she just got involved in something very bad. "What? Isn't that taking it a bit too far?"
"No. See, we're her family," said Emira. "It's tough love. She needs to learn to lighten up."
Luz laughed nervously as she tried to look for a way out of this situation. "Hmm. Well, I‐‐ I don't see any diaries in here. Nope, nothing. Let's just leave. Wait, are those..."
Strix balked at four particular books on the shelf. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."
Luz squealed with excitement. "The Good Witch Azura books one through four! You get these on the Boiling Isles? So majestic." She noticed one book seemed to stand out form the others. "Is this cover hand‐drawn?"
She opened the book and an image of Amity appeared. "I saw that human girl and that boy again."
Luz knew immediately what she was holding. "The diary," she gasped.
"I may have overreacted. I don't wanna come off as cruel. I just can't show weakness."
"What've you got there, Luz?" Edric asked.
Luz immediately shoved the diary into Strix's mouth. "Oh. N‐Nothing. Just a Good Witch Azura 5 where she goes through her Goth phase." The Blight twins weren't buying it. They magicked the book out of Strix's mouth and into their hands. Luz tried to stop them from opening it. "No, wait."
The book opened and another image of Amity appeared. "It's not fair. I'm the only one who knows Ed and Em aren't perfect. Why do they keep getting away with things?"
"This is it!" the twins gasped.
"Luz, Strix, were you hiding this from us?" Emira asked.
"You see how she treats people," said Edric. "And how she treats you."
Luz retorted, "I know Amity can be kind of cold but no one deserves this. These are private thoughts. Let's put it back." She tried to take the diary back, only to get into a tug of war with the twins.
"She needs this," they said. "It's for her own good!"
"ENOUGH!" Strix snatched the diary out of their hands and held it out of their reach. "How could you two?! You used us to get Amity's diary! Luz, you were wrong. These guys are not cool!" He stretched his arms to his sides to enunciate his point and ended up dropping the diary by accident. "Uh-oh."
The diary fell to the ground, pages spilled out and more images of Amity appeared and began talking.
"I wish I had somewhere to go."
"Why won't the human leave me alone?"
"What does she see in him?"
"Called my teacher mom again."
"Sorry I haven't written for a while. Wait, why am I apologizing?"
Luz scrambled to gather up all the pages when suddenly... "REALLY?!" Amity, the real Amity, stood at the doorway, red in the face with anger and embarrassment. "It's not what it looks like," Luz insisted.
Amity snatched the diary out of her hands. Edric and Emira giggled. "You two are the worst. But you... I've been trying to figure out what your deal is. Are, are you a poser? A nerd? I know. You're a bully, Luz."
"Oh, pfft," said Strix. "Look who's calling the kettle black!"
Amity frowned at him. "And considering the company you keep, Luz, there's no denying it." Strix's eyebrows widened at that. Amity turned to leave; Luz tried to stop her. "Amity!"
The Blight twins giggled. "Mittens killed the fun," said Emira.
"Again," said Edric. "Oh, well. We're headed out to go goblin‐tipping. Wanna come?"
Strix looked at them, outraged. "Amity was right about you." He ran off in her direction. Luz also frowned at the twins. "You're just gonna leave?"
"Yeah, with you," said Emira.
Luz sighed. "Look, you guys are cool." The twins nodded in approval. "But I need to go talk to Mittens. I mean, Amity."
The twins shrugged their shoulders nonchalantly. "All right. See you around, cutie," said Emira. Luz blushed.
"Amity, stop!" Strix grabbed Amity by the arm only to have her shove him.
"Don't touch me! Get away from me!"
"Amity, Luz had nothing to do with that diary scheme! She wanted to back out!"
"How can I believe anything you say?" Amity's voice broke a little. "Anything she says?"
"I...Amity..."
Luz caught up with them. "Amity, wait," Luz said.
"First you embarrass me. Then you wanna be my friend? I don't get you. Pick a side."
"Please, just listen to me."
"Just go away before things somehow get worse."
Heavy thudding footsteps approached them. Coming around the corner was a huge pink goblin thing with sharp claws and fangs and attached to its chest was the Otabin book Edric doodled on. It pulsated like an exposed heart. The kids stared at the mutant that was once a beloved childhood icon with horror. "O-Otabin?!" exclaimed Strix.
"With claws and fangs and breaking bones," Otabin said with a scratchy, deep growl. "I found a friend to make my own." He grabbed Amity who called out, "Luz! Strix!"
"Amity!" Luz was about to run after the beast when she noticed Amity dropped her diary. She stared at the hand drawn illustration of the Good Witch Azura on the front cover and an idea formed in her mind.
At the children's section, Otabin began to sew Amity into a giant book, transforming her into an illustration. "Why are you doing this," she asked fearfully as she struggled to get out. "I've been reading you since I was a kid! I know you're not like this. Someone changed you."
"But friends are what I've always sought. And now a friend my claws have caught."
Suddenly, the room filled with a purple smoke. Amity swore she saw a familiar figure stepping out of it. "Azura?"
"Close," Luz said, garbed in Azura's iconic white outfit and crown. "Is it drawn okay? I kind of interpreted the descriptions."
"LUZ!"
"Ah, right." She began to write in Amity's diary, "'The good witch, Luzura, grabs her trusty staff.'" A white staff appeared in Luz's staff. "All right, beloved work of children's fiction, let go of her!" She charged and was about to strike Otabin when he grabbed the staff and tossed it over his shoulder. Then he grabbed the diary from Luz and snapped it closed, restoring her original attire. She chuckled nervously. "Not an Azura fan, are you?"
Otabin grabbed her and began to sew her into the book. "Making friends, taking friends, never be without my friends," he rhymed.
"You fiend! You can't rhyme friends with friends."
"Great work, Luzera," snarked Amity.
"Hey! I was trying to save you."
"Well, it doesn't matter. We're gonna be stuck together forever."
Stryx suddenly called out, "No, you're not." Otabin turned around and... BOOM! He got ash in the face as Strix, wearing the Mask, held up a comically large bazooka. "Room for one more?"
Otabin stalked toward him. "One or two or three or four, in my book there is always-" BLAM! "AUGH!"
Strix blew a raspberry at him and took off running. Forgetting about the girls he had in the book, Otabin let out a roar of anger. "Now's our chance," said Luz. "Follow my lead. One..." She started to rock the book back and forth.
"What are you doing?" Amity asked.
"...two..."
Amity realized what she was trying to do and rocked the book in sync with her.
"THREE!" The girls toppled the book over, hitting Otabin on the head before running out of the children's section. The beast roared, "COME BACK!"
The girls paused to catch their breath when they were far from the thing. "Now what?" Amity asked.
"I don't know. I didn't even think that would work. I was all like 'roaaar!'"
Amity couldn't help it. In spite of everything, she let out a giggle. Luz smiled back. Suddenly, the corrupted Otabin tossed his needle at the book and began to reel them back. "Friends!"
BOOM!
"AUGH!" Otabin dropped to his knees. The book had a huge hole in it and black ink started to ooze out. He looked up to see Strix walking toward him. He tossed the bazooka aside and traded it for a flamethrower. Otabin tried to crawl away, but Strix stepped on his tail and hopped onto his chest. "I just wanted my very own friend," he gasped. "To keep and cherish until the end!"
Strix smiled a wide, unnatural smile. "This is the end, friend."
"NOOOO!" Otabin screamed as he was engulfed in flames. Amity and Luz, free from the book, watched in horror as the creature became nothing but a pile of ashes. Amity slowly walked toward it before she fell to her knees. She picked up some of the ashes, watching them fly out of her hand. "Oh, Otabin. I'm so sorry."
"Eh, don't fret about it," Strix said, putting the flamethrower away. "There's another copy around here somewhere." He glanced at the pile of ashes. "Well, the library's not getting that particular copy back." He paused then said, "You know what I realized? Otabin is 'obtain' rearranged. I can't believe it took me this long!" Luz slapped him upside the head. "What?"
Luz said nothing and glared at him. She then walked over to Amity and put a comforting arm around her. Suddenly, a giant pink hand grabbed Luz and she screamed as the ashes began to reform into the beastly Otabin, only his skin was now covered in third-degree burns. The voice coming out of the thing's mouth sounded like someone suffering from black lung, "We must stay friends until the end. There is no tear I cannot mend."
"Gulp," Luz said fearfully. The thing began to sew her to the book grafted to his chest. Strix pointed a hand cannon at Otabin, but suddenly stopped when he realized she could get hurt. The wicked smile the thing made said, "Go on! I dare you!"
Amity grabbed her diary and wrote, "'Luz has to right a wrong.'" In a flash of pink, a giant eraser appeared. She tossed it to Luz and shouted, "Luz, quick!"
Luz grabbed the eraser and undid Edric's doodle. In an instant, Otabin returned to his usual, small and cute self. He blinked in confusion and said apologetically, "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me."
Amity knelt down and gave him a hug. "Hey, it's okay. We're still friends."
"Hey." Strix approached them. Amity held Otabin close. Strix sighed and took the Mask off. "I'm sorry, Otabin. For the whole burning thing. I just wanted to save my friends."
"Wrong, what you did was and insane," said Otabin, giving him a hug. "But put in your shoes, I'd do the same." Amity looked at the little character.
"Yeah," Strix said, returning the hug. Then he snapped the book and Otabin vanished. "This is why I outgrew you."
Morning came and the Wailing Star's spell broke, restoring everything to normal. "What an adventure," said Luz as she, Strix and Amity left the library. "Thanks for helping clean up."
"Same can't be said for those two siblings of yours," said Strix.
"This never happened," said Amity.
"Wait. It doesn't make up for reading your diary but would you wanna borrow this?" Luz handed Amity her Good Witch Azura book. "I noticed you only had up to four."
Amity took it and said, "Thank you." She sighed and said, "Maybe you aren't a bully. Strix was right, I haven't exactly been the friendliest witch either. I'll think on that." She turned to leave when she suddenly stopped when Strix called out, "Wait."
"What is it?"
Strix sighed and said, "I confess, I was almost willing to go along with Emira and Edric's plan. Because the truth is, I kind of hated you for the way you treat Willow and Luz."
Luz made an incredulous, "Strix!"
Amity remained expressionless. "Oh. Well, glad to know you're being honest."
"I'm not finished. Jeez, give a guy the chance to finish his speech, why don't you? Anyway, after seeing how little Emira and Edric cared about your emotions...I think I realized I almost became them. All I ever saw was a cruel bully who never cared about anyone except getting what she wanted. I never saw past that until I saw you reading to those kids. Even then, I still antagonized you because I just couldn't accept that you may be nicer than you seem. I...I'd like to know the real you."
Amity stared then said, "Perhaps you'll get your chance. Just not now." With that, she turned and left. Luz gave him a smile, telling him he did the right thing.
"Hey, Mom, we're..." Strix stopped short when he and Luz saw Eda and King on the couch, with baby bats asleep in the Owl Lady's arms. Luz smiled warmly.
Then suddenly the door was kicked open and Hooty hooted, "Hoot! Hoot!"
"Hooty!" snapped Strix.
A giant woman with long black hair and bat's wings crawled her way in through the door and gave Luz and Strix a smile. Strix let out a squeak while Luz said, "Whoa. You must be Mama."
"Yi yi. Mama is I, and I is the Bat Queen." The Bat Queen let out a chirp and the babies awoke and flew to her, hiding in her hair. "Snuggle dumplings." Then suddenly, she barfed up a treasure chest along with an Aztec death whistle. "For troubles," she said. "Your mother is owed one, little Strix." The Bat Queen turned to leave, though she had some trouble until she managed to struggle her way out.
"Ah. Sweet babies," Eda mumbled in her sleep. Then she and King awoke. They looked around frantically. "Babies? Where are the babies?"
"Mama Bat Queen came and flew off with them," said Strix.
"Oh. And I just taught Junior how to pick locks too."
"Your night looks very successful," said Luz, trying to cheer her mentor up. "Look at all that money you made. And look at this cool whistle that scary woman gave you. I'd wash it before you use it."
Eda looked at the treasure chest then sighed. For some odd reason, the money didn't really seem to matter to her and King now. "Yeah," Eda said, looking a little downhearted. "We did it all for the money."
"I miss my babies!" cried King.
"I actually got you something from the library." Luz handed Eda a book on how to deal with empty nest syndrome. She took it and chuckled, "Thanks, kid. So, how was your night?"
"Good."
"Then bad," said Strix.
"Then maybe good."
"Again."
Hooty hooted, "Hey, you wanna hear about my night? Hoot- hmph!" Strix grabbed a pillow and stuffed it into his mouth.
"That's not a thing anyone ever wants," he said.