Angel: Wow, wasn't expecting that many suggestions for Lucila's voice XD Uhh, I honestly don't know who to pick at the end of the day. I'm familiar with all these women, and they're great people...I've listened to their songs/voice acting too, so it's hard to choose!
Also, go check out jebens1's recent drawings on Deviantart for this story, he's even done the basilisk that's gonna appear for Lucila in Yesterday's Lie, and I'm not even writing that episode as of now. She's named Ivy and she looks adorable! Not only that, he's done Lucila's friends Will and Cori and a hilarious looking scene that may or may not be in the episode Yesterday's Lie *grins*
And finally, THANK YOU for over 100 reviews! Really appreciate that and all the fanart.
At the Emperor's castle, the symbol for the Emperor's Coven blew in the wind. Scouts were escorting the witches who either hadn't joined a coven or refused to. They felt like they were in prison, Lilith watching them from above. She was wearing her cloak as she walked up to a stained glass mural of the Emperor himself.
"I haven't forgotten what you've promised me," She said to herself. "I will bring you my sister, Emperor Belos."
"Then why the delay?"
Her eyes widened at the voice, turning around to see Kikimora standing right behind her. "Kikimora!"
"The Day of Unity is fast approaching, and other teams have bound many rogue witches to covens. And yet the Owl Lady still roams free. Are you protecting her?" She rubbed her chin.
"Rest assured, Kiki, I have everything under control," Lilith snapped her fingers, a bunch of Scouts lining up. "Today we capture Eda, once and for all," She narrowed her eyes.
"Just one more thing," Kikimora spoke up, the woman glancing down at her. "Make sure you take this path," She held out a map and Lilith took it. She read it, and the path highlighted was the one with the lake nearby...
It was morning as everything was peaceful and quiet for once in the Boiling Isles...at least, to two specific people. Laying in front of a tree and surrounded by bushes was the Golden Guard, without his cloak on for once, asleep. He slowly opened his eyes from the sunlight beaming down on him, looking down. He flinched at the sight in front of him.
Laying on his chest and wearing his cloak as a blanket was Lucila, still fast asleep. Her chest rose up and down. He was hugging her upper back, which must've been happened when they fell asleep and didn't notice until just now. Whistling was coming out of her nose as she slept and he rubbed a thumb against her upper arm, closing his eyes. He rested his chin on her head, as he...actually wanted to stay like this for a little longer. Out of everything he could've done when he saw her, he decided to keep their position. Normally, he would've pushed her off, but...he couldn't bear himself to do that. Ever since they bumped into each other at Covention, he knew she was different, but now he was actually acknowledging it.
"Mm," He looked down as he heard the girl stirring. She lifted up her head, looking up at him with sleepy eyes. "Good morning..."
"Morning to you too."
She quickly let go as she recognized his voice, and realized that she was not at the Owl House in her room. She gasped sharply with wide eyes. "What time is it?"
"Early."
"Oh my god, we stayed out here all night," She quickly sat up and then saw that she was wearing his cloak. She glanced back at him, only able to see everything except his face. Her eyes laid on his ears first, then his fair complexion, and most importantly, his ash-blond hair that was shaved below the top, and a forelock dangling. She blushed upon finally getting a good idea of what most of his appearance looked like. He looked...cute...
"Yes, Luci, you can keep staring at me without my permission," His voice snapped her out of it and she giggled a bit.
"Sorry," She turned to face a clearing. "It's just that...this is the first time you've ever let me have a good idea of what you look like."
"...One day you can see my face," He rubbed his neck. He was very private about when and where he took off his cloak, and that was usually before he went to sleep.
"So at this rate, never gonna happen," The girl teased and they both laughed. She suddenly heard noises and she looked up in confusion. She stared straight up ahead...and saw Lilith heading for a familiar area.
"Hey, that's Lilith…" She eyed her closely. "And that's the direction to the Owl House!"
"Last time I remember, Lilith was beaten by her sister. Whatever she tries on her won't work!" He placed his hands behind his back.
Lucila flinched at something and then she narrowed her eyes. She glanced back at him. "...With an army from your coven?"
"What?" He sat up to see other Coven Scouts following Lilith.
She scoffed in disbelief, standing up. "You're despicable, you know that?" She started storming down the path to the Owl House, thankfully not being seen by the army.
"Hey, wait!" He immediately sat up and raced after her. "That's my coven, yes, but—"
"I thought you were different!" She whipped around to him. "That you weren't defined by your position. And instead, you used me to get to Eda. That's what this whole elaborate all-nighter was, wasn't it? To distract me so that they could sneak past us."
"No!" He protested immediately, freezing when he saw her trying not to cry. She was holding it in, however, because she didn't want him to see her like this, thinking that he had won. It felt like something in her broke slightly.
"You never cared about me. All you care about is your stupid important coven."
"That's not true!"
"It's not?" She asked in a raised voice.
"My uncle would've told me—"
He froze at his words as her eyes widened. It all made sense now. "The Emperor…is your uncle?"
"Yes, but—"
"You still want Eda? You can try, but you won't get her to join your coven, you big fat jerk!" She then tossed his cloak right in his face. She whipped around and continued down the path.
"I had nothing to do with it!" He insisted, taking off his cloak, but she kept walking. "I swear on my magic!" The girl slowly stopped and he stared at her. He wondered what was going through her head. He was with her the whole night; he didn't even know that they were going to go see Eda and ambush her. If he had, he would've warned her at least.
"Right," She remarked, an edge to her voice, telling him that she didn't believe his statement. "I have to reach the Owl House before they do and get to school," She got Eda's staff and hopped on it.
"Lucila, wait," He reached out and grabbed her arm.
"Just leave me alone. Forget last night even happened. I swear I won't get in your way unless you force me to," She glared over her shoulder and then released her arm, leaving him behind. He frowned behind his mask as he watched her leave.
She let some tears escape from her eyes, wiping at her face with her sleeve as she was heartbroken.
Hooty was still sleeping, wearing a night cap as he snored. Lilith was watching from the bushes that were at least a mile away from the house. "Good," She lifted up her mask. "That infernal house demon is asleep," She paused for a minute as she saw Lucila arriving back, landing at her window. She looked noticeably upset as she opened it up and jumped inside her room. She then slammed the window behind her. Lilith decided to ignore it, thinking it was just human stuff, and waved her fingers forward. The Coven Scouts came out of hiding, holding up weapons. "Surround the house!"
"Sleepwalking. Sleepwalking," Hooty started moving on his own while asleep. "Sleep hooting!" He suddenly woke up, digging into the ground. He popped up behind Lilith, to her surprise. "Hi Lilith! Peekahoot," He knocked her into a tree, the scouts charging forward. "Sorry, Eda doesn't like trespassers. But I'm always here to make new friends!"
He hit the head of a scout, flying behind him. "Look at me," He put his head inside the cloak, the person wearing it trying to get free. "I'm a person now. Wobbly, wobbly! Ooh, blackout!" He punched another guard in the face. "Hoot, hoot! Hoot, hoot, bye friend," He threw away the Scout he was wearing. "Oh, I feel like dancing." He shook his hips, knocking down other Scouts. "Hoot!"
Lilith grunted as she sat up, gasping and grabbing her staff. She pointed it at Hooty. "I did it! Oh, hey, look, it's a bug!" He bent down and instead, the blast hit a tree, knocking it towards Lilith. She gasped as there was a thud, and thankfully for her, she had jumped out of the way... She sighed, letting her back hit the ground in exhaustion. "Ah, just an old leaf. Well, that's good, too!"
He ate the leaf, Eda watching everything from inside with her binoculars. "No, no, no!" A Scout cried out as Hooty crashed into him. "Hooty," Eda gave a fond smile. "Oh, you're a thorn in my side," She sipped some apple blood, a cauldron being stirred on its own. The Scout hit the window. "But you always dig your way into my heart."
"Ooh!" Luz loomed over the cauldron. "Magic 'sghetti." She reached out to it.
"Hey!" Eda used her magic to slap Luz's hand away with the spoon. "That 'sghetti is witch's wool. "It repels powerful spells," She held it up to Luz, who looked in awe of it. "Every witch worth their salt has a cloak made from this stuff."
"I'm worth salt. I want cloak!"
Eda snatched it away from her. "Easy, kid. With the Emperor's goons at my doorstep, I need this for protection. They've really stepped up their attacks lately," She looked out the window just as Lucila came in and heard that. She felt awful about this as she bit her lip.
"I think I finally understand why the Emperor wants you so badly," Luz pointed at her with a teasing smile. "He's got the hots for you, doesn't he?"
Eda clicked her tongue while giving some finger guns, Lucila silently gagging to herself. "But no. Emperor Belos wants to control all wild magic through his coven system. He ordered my capture years ago because I refused to fall in line."
"And he won't stop until he's got you," Luz frowned in worry.
"Aw, don't sound so worried," Eda stepped up a bit. "I'm a master escape artist."
"Actually, no, this...it's my fault," Lucila squeezed her eyes shut, getting their attention as they looked shocked. "The Golden Guard...he got me out of the house last night as a way to get them here without me noticing."
Eda and Luz glanced at each other.
Lucila was sitting next to King on the couch, Eda glaring at her a bit. She had told them everything, from meeting the Golden Guard at Covention, all the way up to this morning. Except for the part where the Golden Guard was the Emperor's nephew, however. Because essentially, that wasn't her place to blab it out to them. Even when she was mad at him, she was still helping him...
"Lucila, I gotta say, I kinda expected this from Luz-"
"Hey!" The girl protested nearby.
"But you? You got a great brain of yours, and you didn't use it!" Eda pointed to her head.
"More importantly, why didn't you tell us?" Luz gestured to herself, feeling a bit hurt that her sister was keeping all these secrets from her.
"I know. I'm sorry," Lucila closed her eyes. "Trust me, it won't happen again." She clenched her knees, and they noticed that her face was a bit betrayed by his action.
"...Did you like him?" Luz gasped at her.
"No!" She snapped at them. "I mean..." She thought about it and snapped out of it. "No. He blinded me and I was stupid enough to let my guard down. I should've never gone out last night," She pinched her nose.
"Gross! You liked him!" King exclaimed in disgust.
"Well, in any case, I don't know if I should let you off the hook for stealing my staff," Eda started off, crossing her arms, Lucila wincing. She bit her lip nervously and Luz stared at her sister. She could tell that she really didn't want to be punished, even though she did deserve it. However...she looked so sad, because she looked like she had lost someone she thought she could trust. And Luz couldn't really know how that felt, so she just felt bad for her...
"Eda, wait," Luz spoke up, leaning in towards the woman. "I don't think you should punish her. He looks like he really hurt her, and I don't think you have to add to that. She thought he was a friend, you know? They seemed close."
Eda sighed after a few seconds. "Alright, Luci, I'll let you off this time..."
"I'm really sorry about them," She frowned, rubbing her arm.
"Aw, don't sweat it. I've been through worse," Eda placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "The only thing that can slow me down is my curse, and that hasn't bothered me for weeks!" As soon as she said that, a bunch of feathers grew on her body, the sisters giving a look of alarm. "Uh-oh." She growled as she turned into the Owl Beast, looming over them.
"King!" Luz called out, Lucila stepping in front of her sister protectively. King just screamed, falling onto the ground. "Get the elixir. NOW!"
Eda gasped as she found herself in the same dream as before, where she didn't see the face of the one who cursed her. She saw her younger self sleeping in bed, sighing knowingly. The door opened behind her and she turned to the shadow. "You know, I'm getting a little tired of this game," She stepped forward, holding out her hand. "So why don't you just show me your face?!"
Her hand ended up on Luz's face, who was holding an empty elixir bottle to Eda's mouth. "Whoa," She removed the bottle, sighing in relief. "Oh, thanks for this." She stood up...and then saw that there were more than just one used up. "And...those," Her scarf moved away to reveal her half-black gem.
"Hey...your gem," Luz pointed at it. "It's still dark."
"Ah...no it's not!" Eda hit the gem with the scarf. "You're nuts."
"The curse has been getting worse, and you've been hiding it," Luz pointed at her accusingly.
"Eda! You're not doing anything about it, but that ends today," Lucila pointed to the ground.
"Coming from the one who hid her secret escapades with a guy from the Emperor's Coven," King murmured, but she still heard it.
"One problem at a time," She held up a warning finger.
"Ah...you're both right. It's taking more elixir to turn me back, and more magic to keep the curse from rearing its feathery head," Eda agreed with them reluctantly.
"What happens if you use your magic up? Do you...do you die?" Luz asked in concern, Lucila turning to her wide-eyed.
"No! Jeez, you're morbid. I just kind of, sort, turn into the Owl Beast...forever. Ah, it's a fate much worse than death, if you think about it," Eda just laughed it off.
"What?!" Lucila exclaimed at her. It was great that Eda decided to bring that fact up now. Especially since there was an Emperor's Coven army still outside.
"No...no, we can't let that happen," Luz replied in determination. "We'll do something about it! We'll find a cure and then-"
"Hey, don't worry," The Owl Lady interrupted the girl. "I just have to limit my magic use a little," She moved Luz's lips to make a big creepy smile. She held out her hands to Lucila, who backed away immediately. "Ah, there's the Luz and Luci I know." Luz's smile dropped significantly, Lucila's eyes concerned. "Ugh...go on. Do the parallel arm thing."
Luz pulled her sister into a group hug. "King demands huggies, too!" The little demon hugged Eda's leg.
"Okay. It's time for school," Eda inched away, trying to get them off. She then kicked the girls out. "Have a good day!"
"Get rest," Luz advised her as the woman placed their bags over them. "Drink lots of water. Stay out of the sun. Lift with your knees, not-"
Eda then slammed the door in their faces. "Ah, what good kids. So considerate. They deserve something nice...and I think I know what," She smiled as she held the witch's wool.
"Poor Eda," Luz lamented as the girls walked to school. "Enemies everywhere, even her own body. I wish I could help her."
"I'm sure you'll figure something out..." Lucila gripped the strap from her bag, Luz looking up at her.
"Do you need me to beat up that jerk Golden Guard?" Luz narrowed her eyes a bit. "Because he doesn't deserve your charm or good looks."
Lucila laughed a little. "No, I can handle it. I don't need you beating anyone up and getting us thrown into jail."
"But...he finished that song for you," Luz reminded her and her eyes saddened a bit. "Doesn't that mean that...he actually cared?"
She faltered, glancing away briefly. "Honestly...I don't know anything about him anymore."
They heard groaning, and Luz moved away some bushes to see beaten up Scouts, with Hooty holding a teacup. "The roughhousing was fun, but I like this part of our playdate even better." The two stood up and decided to pretend they never saw that.
"Ugh!"
"In any case, that's now a good distraction to think about should the Golden Guard ever cross my mind," Lucila deadpanned with a blank look.
"If anything, it sounds like a good romance story," Luz smiled, hands on her cheeks. "Haters to lovers."
"We were never-!" Lucila groaned, turning red, though not with anger. The two took off running for school, right past a compact mirror. It rang and Lilith rose out of it, grabbing it with a groan and opening it.
"The Emperor demands your presence in the throne room. And there's a bird on your head."
Lilith looked up at the bird at the top of her head. "Ooo, you in trouble," The bird mocked her. She grunted and closed the mirror.
Everyone was outside Hexside near their ride, Principal Bump taking attendance. "Luz, Luci," Gus greeted as he saw their friends approach. "You ready for...the field trip of a lifetime to the one, the only, Emperor's Castle?" He held up the booklet he had, both sisters flinching.
"T-The Emperor's...castle?" Lucila stammered nervously. Okay, she DEFINITELY needed to avoid this trip since she might run into the Golden Guard...
"Right. We were actually gonna stay behind. I don't like the way they treat Eda," She looked away with a small frown.
"E-Exactly! No other reasons..." Lucila whistled to herself awkwardly.
"But you're gonna miss out on all the cool stuff!" He persisted, showing them the pages.
"Like what?"
"Like ancient relics," Willow took the booklet from Gus. "Look! It's the Plant Coven's Green Thumb Gauntlet. It can grow whatever you imagine," She showed them the photo, but that wasn't really a reason to get them to go.
"And the Oracle Sphere," Gus pointed at the picture. "It shows you which path will help you become your best self."
"I don't think we need to see-"
"The Healing Hat," Luz interrupted her sister, getting her attention. "Made from the magic of the Savage Ages. It is said to cure the deadliest diseases and heal any curse?"
Lucila gasped at that one. Okay...maybe she did need to go on this trip. This could help cure Eda! But...she did need to keep an eye for the Golden Guard.
"Yeah! You can't miss this," Willow smiled a bit.
"All aboard, students," Principal Bump called out, the two running off without the sisters. Luz rubbed her chin in thought.
"Hmm..." She looked down at the little booklet and picked it up. "You've done so much for us, Eda. Now we're gonna do something for you." She looked up at Lucila. "We've gotta find you a disguise!"
"Huh?" Lucila blinked in confusion.
"If we are gonna do this together, we need a way to disguise you in case we run into the Golden Guard," Luz pointed up at her. "I'll be right back!" She ran off before Lucila could even speak, and she shook her head with a grateful smile. At least this way she wouldn't have to watch out for him.
The flying boat took off with them, Principal Bump glancing at the cheering students. "No roughhousing! Do not make me turn this carriage around."
Luz wasn't cheering, and neither was Lucila, because they were forming a plan to...borrow the Healing Hat. They'd bring it back, or rather, Lucila would just fly in and drop it off. The three steps were sneak into castle, stealing Healing Hat, and lift curse. They'd figure out the rest as they went along.
Lucila was a little nervous, though, because she was wearing a large hat and sunglasses over her, with her hair tucked into the hat. She couldn't exactly change out of her uniform without being suspicious, so she just wore a cloak over it. She hoped that was enough to fool the Golden Guard if he saw her...
"Hey, Luz," Willow spoke up, startling both of them.
"What was that, Willow?"
"I was just saying we're getting close to the castle," Willow looked over the edge, the two joining her. "Emperor Belos built it as a symbol of unity. Before he came to power, folks were doing magic all wrong. He taught us that the only way to respect what the Titan gave us, is through joining covens." The two sisters frowned as they were told otherwise, and considering how Lucila was studying two tracks, that made her even more worried about coming here... "It's a shame Amity couldn't make it. She would LOVE this trip."
Unfortunately for Amity, she was stuck at home with her broken leg, meaning that she couldn't go. She looked up at the Emperor's Coven poster of Lilith.
"Shut up."
"So, Willow, would you say this Belos guy is, like, powerful?" Luz questioned cautiously, and she earned a giggle.
"No offense to Eda, but the Emperor's the most skilled witch that's ever lived," Lucila's eyes widened. Technically, if the Golden Guard was Belos' nephew...then that would mean her spells could be just as powerful as theirs... "He can even talk to the Titan…Luci, I didn't want to be rude, but can I ask why you're wearing that?"
"Human thing."
"What?!" Gus grabbed her shoulders, shaking the girl. "Why haven't you taught me this yet?!"
The ship landed at the entrance, thankfully, where the doors opened. "Now, the Emperor's assistant will be your tour guide," Principal Bump instructed them. "Please don't make me regret taking you here." The castle bridge extended to create a path for them, where Kikimora was waiting at the doors.
"Whoa!"
"Look at that!"
"It's massive."
Once they stepped on, the bridge started going back to Kikimora. "Children of Hexside...Emperor Belos welcomes you to his castle. We're honored by visits from students. You'll soon be a part of a coven. Some lucky few may even find their home here, in the mighty Emperor's Coven!"
"She looked at me!"
"Wow. Some."
"You are the future of the Isles! My job is teach you its past," She faltered as she saw Lucila in front. "We don't allow hats in the Emperor's castle. Only those affiliated can wear head accessories."
"I'm terribly sorry, Kikimora," Principal Bump apologized. "Lucila, take off that getup."
She winced a bit, taking off her disguise. Kikimora took it from her, giving her a brief glance. She gasped to herself as she recognized the girl, since she saw her with the Golden Guard. She needed to remind herself to watch out for her...she had no idea what she was doing with the Golden Guard, but she was going to find out sometime. "...I'll make sure your items are safe and sound," However, she tossed it into the abyss below, Lucila biting her lip nervously. Now she had nothing to disguise herself with from the Golden Guard...
They stepped inside the castle, walking down a hall full of tapestries. "Today, the Isles are a place of peace and prosperity. But that wasn't always the case," Kikimora gestured to people dancing around a bonfire. "Up until 50 years ago, witches and demons practiced wild magic during what we called the Savage Ages. Witches had access to corrupt knowledge, and that dishonored the Titan."
Luz and Lucila were walking behind the group, seeing an air vent. Both of them had their hoodies over their heads. The younger sister bent down io it. "That was until our great Emperor ascended to the throne, and taught witches how to use magic properly." She gestured to a tapestry that showed the witches kneeling for Emperor Belos. "Our next stop is the Emperor's personal collection of relics."
"Oh, Luz, Luci, you'll like this. It's where—huh?" Willow and Gus were baffled to see their friends trying to open up the air vent. Lucila turned to them and nudged her sister, smiling awkwardly.
"Heh. Love us a properly ventilated castle."
The two walked past them, and they just stared, wondering what was up with them.
Kikimora opened up the door to the room that the sisters were looking for. "The Relic Room. These items are reminders of our great Emperor's overwhelming power. From the curious and mighty..."
"Ooo," Gus awed at the Oracle Sphere.
"To the very handy."
Willow gasped at the Plant Coven's glove. "I could grow such beautiful things with that."
"And even the most valuable." Luz and Lucila stared at the healing hat. "Come along, children."
The two were about to snatch the hat when Gus took their hands, running off. "Let's go, guys!"
"No..." Lucila murmured in dismay.
"Here at the Emperor's Coven, we require members with sophistication, elegance, and grace." The door opened to reveal Lilith, who spit out some leaves from her mouth, and she didn't look good. She grumbled as she entered. Luz and Lucila gasped as they hid so that she wouldn't see them. "Ah, make way for Ms. Lilith Clawthorne, students," Kikimora told them as they backed away.
"Oh, my gosh! The head of the coven."
"Oh, wow."
"Yes. And if I'm not mistaken, she's on her way to see the Emperor herself. Let's all wish her luck."
"Good luck, Ms. Lilith," The students told her and she blushed in embarrassment. She took a deep breath, glancing over her shoulder.
"Thank you, students. Good luck with puberty."
"This way, children," Kikimora led them away, Luz getting curious. She decided to follow after Lilith, her sister apparently agreeing with her. They went up the staircase after the woman, making sure they weren't seen. Luz rolled to a stop, gasping as they hid behind the wall. Lilith turned around, and after seeing nothing, continued on her way. The two peeked and saw her adjust her hair. She opened the doors and went in.
Suddenly a gloved hand grabbed Lucila by the shoulder, dragging her away. She was about to scream when the other hand covered her mouth, Luz not hearing a thing. She glanced up to see the Golden Guard, who gestured for her to be quiet. He ran into a dark, narrow empty hallway, pressing his back to the wall. She released herself out of his grip, and because of the narrow hallway, she was very close to his face once she turned around.
"What are you doing?" She whispered to him in anger.
"I should be asking you the same thing, Luci," He pointed to her.
"Hexside school trip," The girl answered in annoyance. "Couldn't exactly avoid it. And don't call me that. You're not allowed to call me that."
"Look, the longer you're here, the more danger you're in. You know what's gonna happen if my uncle sees you?" He grasped her arms tightly and she looked a bit panicked. "He petrifies the worst of the worst. And petrifying a human would make headlines." He was trying to protect her since she was wearing a multi-track uniform. And Belos would know just by looking at her that she was studying wild magic.
"Like you care what happens," She hissed back at him, snapping out of it. She definitely wasn't going to tell him that she was here to help heal Eda. Because one, it wasn't his business to know what she was going through. And two, he would stop her from doing so. It wasn't like the Emperor cared about her presence anyway; if he did, she'd be in the Conformatorium by now. "I told you to leave me alone."
"What happened back there, I had nothing to do with it, I swear!"
"How could you not? They were from your coven," She argued back.
"Because I was with you!"
"I'm outta here," She huffed and walked off. She didn't believe him one bit. He was from the Coven as well, and she didn't think he'd go after Eda until she saw that army this morning.
"Lucila," She stopped in her tracks as she heard his voice. "...I-I don't want this, whatever we had, to end."
"...It was doomed to fail the minute we met," She murmured and he lowered his hand, watching her leave. He didn't want to let her go, but...she was right...but the question he had now is...
How was he going to fix it?
She sighed in relief to herself that Edric and Emira didn't want to go on the trip, otherwise she'd just be dealing with more boy drama…
Luz was peeking through the keyhole, seeing a thumping heart above the Emperor's throne. Sitting on the throne was a man in a white robe, with a golden deer mask. He glanced to his right, noticing that the Golden Guard was not by his side.
Lilith bowed in front of him. "I am at your service, Emperor Belos."
He was breathing heavily, a palisman being brought to him. "Just a moment, Lilith," He clawed into the palisman, a green liquid forming from it. He poured it into his eyes and they glowed green for a brief moment. "Ah, that's better."
Luz gasped in horror, covering her mouth with her hands. She ran off terrified. "How's the hunt for the Owl Lady? I heard you attempted a raid this morning."
"Yes, but we were-"
"Unsuccessful?" He asked knowingly. "That was obvious enough. It's been a little over a month since you promised me to bring me the Owl Lady. Well, where is she?"
"If I just had more time, I-"
"I'm getting bored of your excuses, Lilith," He interrupted her again. "Don't worry. I'll give you the time you need," He sat back down. "Bring the Owl Lady to me by twilight. She'll join the Emperor's Coven, and in return I'll heal her little curse. But if you fail..." He dug his nails into his throne, the heart beating faster. "You will be stripped of your rank and banished from my coven. You do know what happens to covenless witches, don't you?"
She glanced to the mural of witches bowing to him, standing up. "I...I understand. I will not fail." She turned around, a determined look on her face as she left.
The Emperor turned to one of the Scouts. "Do find the Golden Guard for me. I wish to have a little discussion with him."
Eda was sewing capes for the girls, smiling. "Yeah. Something tells me the girls are gonna like having capes."
"Cape?" King sat up in alarm. "I thought you were making cake!"
"You thought I was knitting a cake?" Eda asked in disbelief.
"I, uh...anyway, if there's no cake, then I have to get to work!" He ran off towards the kitchen, and she suddenly heard noises. "Would you look at us two, being all generous to those kids. You know, when they first got here, I thought we were gonna eat the both of them. But now I only think of that, like, sometimes."
"Yeah, they've changed the feel of this house," Eda walked over to a picture frame that was knocked down. She picked it up, a fond smile on her face. "Luz always had a good heart, but was impatient, and always bit off more than she could chew," She was looking at a picture of Luz during an eating contest. Then she looked towards a picture of a happy Lucila being given a guitar by Eda. "And Lucila...sometimes her responsibility could be a drag, but her heart was always in the right place. I actually used to hate her mother attitude, but now I respect it knowing what she goes through with Luz. And despite all that, I think they're finally growing up."
"Luci!" Luz was looking down the hall for her, but didn't see her sister at all. She glanced down the window nearby. "Please don't notice I'm gone. Please don't notice I'm-boarding the bus?" She noticed a duplicate of herself leaving with Willow, Gus, and Lucila. "Huh?"
She was poked from behind and yelped, turning around to see her friends. "Oh. Guys, I, uh..."
"You were planning on taking the Healing Hat, weren't you?" Willow held up Luz's notebook, where her plan was listed. Gus was maintaining what were actually duplicates of the four going towards the bus. Luz sighed slowly, taking back her notebook.
"You got me. But you don't understand. Eda has this curse and it's zapping away her magic, and-"
"Luz, no matter what, you can't steal this hat," Willow told her.
"But you can borrow it!" Gus added in with a wide smile.
"Hey, I wanted to say that," Willow smiled at her, turning to Luz. "We learned about Eda's curse from your notes. We're totally gonna help you!"
Luz's eyes glistened at their cooperation. "Thanks, guys. I know exactly what we gotta do. It's time for a heist! But I can't find Luci, I think I might've lost her..."
"No..." They turned to the hall in shock to see Lucila appearing. "I'm right here."
"Luci!" Luz ran up to the girl, hugging her. "Willow and Gus are gonna help us, isn't that great?"
"Yeah," Lucila smiled weakly, earning confused looks.
"You okay?" Gus asked in concern.
"I just ran into someone, that's all," Lucila glanced down at her sister knowingly, telling her silently who it was. Luz nodded in understanding.
They ran down a hall, Willow making a unicorn-shaped bushed as a Coven Scout was approaching. They hide behind it, and the Scout just adjusted the horn before walking off. The quarter continued running. Then they came across a guard, dressing up as one to get past him. Luz high-fived him, and the guard just looked confused, but didn't think too much of it. Luz looked at air vent, drawing a fire glyph to melt the bars.
Once they were out from the other end, they stopped around the corner. Gus cast a spell that made Kikimora appear, the Scout bowing to her. 'She' ordered him away, flopping onto the ground thanks to Gus. The other three just stared at him.
The Golden Guard walked into the Throne Room, bowing before Emperor Belos. "How may I serve you, Emperor?"
"Your absence when I was speaking to Lilith warrants conversation," Belos spoke up, the Golden Guard looking up in alarm. "Tell me, where were you?"
"I was...supervising the field trip! Making sure Kiki had everything under control," He stated nervously, hoping that Belos wouldn't connect the dots.
"Hmm..." He narrowed his eyes a bit, knowing that the Golden Guard was hiding something. But Lucila wasn't really much of a threat now since she saw Lilith and the army. There was no way she didn't. "Promise me you won't be late again...I do hope that this is just some silly phase," He stated and the Golden Guard nodded, walking off. He'd tell the Golden Guard another day...
The four walked into the Relics Room, Luz walking up to the hat. "Healing Hat," She felt a bit nervous taking it, but she had to. "You're Eda's last hope." She took it in her hands, and it glowed. "I-I can feel it...I can feel the magic flowing."
"Me too," Luz looked to Gus taking the Oracle Sphere. "Finally, I'll know how to become my best self." The Oracle Sphere then made a copy of him.
"You're always your best self," The copy informed him, Gus crying happily.
Willow took the Green Thumb Gauntlet, making a tree with muscles. "Wow!" She quickly took it off, looking a bit sheepish. "I just wanted to try it out."
"If we're done, we have other priorities," Lucila smiled in amusement.
"Now we can cure Eda and get this hat back before anyone knows it's gone," The four then gave happy looks.
"I will know..."
They gasped at the Emperor's voice, looking up. "We need to go. Now," Luz backed away towards the door, but it closed, catching them off guard. The other door closed as well, Willow putting on the Green Thumb Gauntlet.
"Stand back!" She slammed her hand on the ground, creating a large tree that headed for the door.
"Lilith, think," Lilith sighed in frustration as she didn't know how she was going to get Eda. "You've given your entire life to this coven, you can't lose it. What's Eda's weakness? She has no attachments, no friends. Think!" She slammed a wall, hearing a crash. She looked at her hand in confusion, knowing that it wasn't her.
Luz coughed as Willow had made an exit. "Come on. Let's go!" She made a run for it...only for a staff to be pointed at her. It removed the hood, and the staff belonged to Lilith.
"Why, if it isn't Eda's human pets," Lilith noted, glancing up at Lucila, who gasped. "How perfect. Aren't I lucky to find you here?"
Luz backed away slowly, Lucila standing in front of the three with her glyphs ready. "Stay away! If you touch us, Eda will come after you so fast-"
"That's the plan," Lilith floated over to them. Lucila stood her ground in front of her.
"Whatever it is you're thinking, it won't work," She gritted her teeth.
"Run, guys!" Willow used the Gauntlet to grab Lilith's staff. The two ran off and Lilith grabbed her staff back, flinging the girl across the floor.
"Wrong move, Lilith," Gus spoke up. "It's two against one, and you don't stand a chance against-" She simply poked the staff and the illusion went away. She then threw him into a pillar near Willow.
"Now, that doesn't belong to you," She grabbed the hat with her magic.
"NO!" The two shouted, trying to pull it away. Eventually, they ripped it, falling to the ground. They watched as the hat disappeared into pieces.
"No! I needed that to heal your sister."
"Huh. These decrepit relics are useless," She grabbed Luz and Lucila threw her light glyph, flashing the spell into Lilith's eyes. She dropped Luz while distracted, Lucila grabbing Luz's hand. She then ran off towards their two friends, bending down.
"Come on, we gotta act quick-" Suddenly, the two were suspended in bubbles. "Hey!"
"If you wanna see your friends again..." Lilith stepped forward to Willow and Gus. "Deliver this to Edalyn," She threw her staff at them, and it flew them away.
"LUZ! LUCI!" Willow cried out as they disappeared. The two looked towards Lilith, who smirked at her advantage.
Eda smiled as she finished the cloaks for the two. Both of them were the same color in purple (A/N: I wanna say it's purple, but please correct me if I'm wrong on that)). Hooty then opened the door. "I spy with my little eye something coming this way!"
"Luz! Luci!" Eda said in excitement.
"Wait! Wait for me," King called out as he pushed a big two-tier cake decorated with strawberries and white frosting. "You're not the only one who knows dark magic," He smiled as he held up insta mix. "Now stop gawking and load me in!" He opened up the top and Eda walked over with a small smirk. "Ow, ow, gentle," He warned just as two shadows appeared, flying a staff. The door knocked frantically and Eda opened the door, seeing a terrified Willow and Gus.
"Eda, we have some bad news," Willow started off, behind them being Lilith's floating staff. She narrowed her eyes at it.
"Come on, Edalyn," Lilith muttered to herself as she stood in front of the Emperor's castle. "You would be late when I need you most," She glanced over her shoulder, seeing Belos watching her. A clap of thunder occurred as Eda's shadow was floating, and she looked furious with Lilith, who just smiled...but then it dropped as Eda threw her staff right past her, and it lodged into the wall. "Sister. I see that you got my invitation to a witch's duel."
She was greeted with fireballs being aimed at her, Eda lunging forward. Lilith blocked her off by ducking while using magic shields. She held out her hand to her staff, and it floated back into her hands. She then pointed her magic at Eda, who flew to avoid them.
"Where are they?!" She demanded angrily, lunging at Lilith again.
"Easy now," Lilith held out a hand to her and she stopped, reluctantly. "The humans are safe," She spun her staff, slamming it into the ground. The two sisters were thrusted forward in the bubbles, looking up and seeing her.
"Eda!" They both cried out, Lilith standing between them.
"You can have them back, provided you do as I say. Renounce your wild ways and join the Emperor's Coven. He can help heal your curse."
Lucila glared at her for using them as bargaining chips, already disliking her more than she already did.
"Don't believe everything that bonehead tells you," Eda spit back at her. "He doesn't wanna heal me. He wants to control me."
"Then I will take you in by force," Lilith stood in front of the two bubbles, spinning her staff.
"You've always looked down on me because I'm wild," Eda landed on the ground a few feet away. "But, fortunately, that just made me work harder than you!" She slammed down her staff, an owl aura appearing from her. She then sped forward, crashing into Lilith and knocking her off her feet. The people inside watched, intrigued. Eda then teleported behind Lilith, who teleported herself to try and attack. Eda disappeared and reappeared behind her sister, knocking her backwards. The two Nocedas looked up at the fight going on, Lilith pointing her magic at the two bubbles.
The two rolled away towards the edge, the duo screaming. "Luz! Lucila!" Eda flew in front of them and used her magic to roll them on a bridge, and they landed safely back on the bridge. She looked up and jumped out of the way as Lilith landed in front of Lucila and Luz. Eda pointed her staff at Lilith, summoning tubes to hold her down. She then spun her staff in front of her sister, releasing a wave of magic, but then Lilith pointed the two girls in front of her.
"Eda, no!" Lucila cried out, who made it swerve to the left just in time, Lilith looking smug.
"Stop hiding behind them, you coward!" Eda groaned as she looked a bit weaker, and felt that way too.
"It's sad to see you slowing down, sister. Tell me, is it the curse?" Lilith asked confidently, angering her sister even further...and then her gem started changing.
"Eda! Your gem!" Luz called out, Lucila looking concerned. If she kept fighting, she'd lose all her magic, and would leave her powerless...but she knew that Eda wouldn't leave them behind either, so either way, the Owl Lady was doomed.
"Maybe it is the curse," Eda ignored Luz, standing up. "But then how pathetic are you that you can't best me at my worst?!" She created a plethora of lightning bolts to point at Lilith, who moved the two girls out of the way and made a force field. Luz looked around, gasping as she saw a spike nearby.
"Luci."
The older sister looked to her right, seeing another spike. She nodded at Luz.
"Maybe you are stronger than me," Lilith grunted as her force field took the hits. "But that made me work smarter. I became sharp, crafty."
"A lapdog for a tyrant!" Eda argued back, continuing her attack. The two girls pushed and pushed their bubbles until they popped, breaking them and they fell onto the bridge.
"You always thought you were better than me," Lilith argued back. "That I could never beat you in anything!"
"I AM better than you!"
"THEN WHY WERE YOU SO EASY TO CURSE?!" Lilith shouted at her, covering her mouth with her hand.
"What?!" Lucila gasped in shock, covering her mouth with both her hands. Eda suddenly stopped as she finally remembered. That night, when she was asleep...it was Lilith, and those large glassy eyes belonged to the glasses she had before she changed her appearance.
Luz gasped sharply at this revelation. "A-And I have the power to remove it, if you would just let me explain," Lilith stammered nervously, but Eda roared in anger, lunging forward and breaking Lilith out of her force field. She crashed into the wall.
"Eda, stop!" Luz shouted at her, Lucila standing by her side. "Your magic!"
"The curse!" Lucila added in as the gem was almost black. Eda gritted her teeth, and apparently didn't listen. Lilith smirked and then lifted up the two.
"Humans, those orbs were for your protection," She threw them both off the bridge at opposite sides, the two screaming.
"Luz! Luci!" Eda shouted, using her staff to levitate them both before they could get impaled. She tried with all of her might to bring them back up.
"Eda, stop. You'll run out of magic!"
"We can't let that happen to you!" Lucila called out from her position.
"It's my power, kids," Eda stated to them. "And before you two showed up, I spent my whole life wasting it." Lilith floated nearby, pointing her own magic to push them both down towards the spikes.
"Eda, no, no, no!"
She looked down towards the gem, her eyes starting to turn black. "Alright, kids. Listen to me. I'm going away, and I don't know if I can bounce back this time. Watch over King. Remember to feed Hooty."
"Please, no."
"Don't do it, Eda!" Lucila squeezed her eyes shut. The Golden Guard stumbled upon the crowd, looking out the window, above the Emperor. He gasped as he saw Lucila being pushed towards spikes by Lilith. As he looked at her, he knew that...he couldn't lose her...
He stared at the girl in her Grom dress, as she looked beautiful.
She lunged forward and hugged him, which he returned slowly.
The two slept together near the lake.
And he knew exactly why too.
"And girls...thank you, for being in my life," She then roared as a bright yellow aura flashed, the girls falling and knocking Lilith away. Luz suddenly levitated above them while Lucila was captured by a red aura, causing her to gasp. The Golden Guard pointed his staff at the girl, gritting his teeth at Lilith. He lifted her up to Eda while Luz was rescued by Owlbert, the two landing on the bridge. They kneeled to her as she was on the ground.
"Eda..."
She opened her black eyes, letting out a loud screech as she succumbed to the curse. She crawled over to them, Luz grasping Lucila's arm. They both braced themselves until Lilith dragged her over with her magic.
"Come along, sister. Now we can let the healing begin," She glanced up at Emperor Belos, who looked up to see no one and then walked off. But he did know by the magic who saved Lucila…
"You MONSTER!" Luz lunged forward, Lucila joining in as they attacked her. But she just grabbed them and threw them off.
"Leave, humans!" She grasped Owlbert in her hand. "Edalyn is finally with her family. Her real family," She slammed down her staff, the bridge moving backwards towards the castle. "Go back to your world. This one is ours."
They could only stand up and watch as the doors closed...the Golden Guard stared down at Lucila, as he felt a little helpless, but he had assisted in making sure she was alive...but if he came across Lilith, she would KNOW his fury.
The two quietly walked back to the Owl House, Hooty yawning as he woke up. "Oh, Luz, Lucila, there you are."
"Hi, Hooty," Luz murmured, opening the door. Lucila had remained silent, and they looked towards the living room, gasping. Everything was decorated for a surprise party...there were cloaks on the table, along with the cake. King popped out of it with a gasp.
"The cake is me!" He cheered, noticing that the two were alone. "Hey, um, where's Eda?"
That broke them as they remembered what they just went through. Luz fell to her knees, sobbing. Lucila covered her eyes with her hands, starting to cry as the two went over to comfort them.
Angel: I just wanna emphasize this since some people are…I don't know if it's misremembering or that it's just that convincing or what, but The Golden Guard and Lucila weren't technically a couple before their fight. They never made it official like Lumity did later, so they weren't ever together ^^' He didn't ask her to be his girlfriend, and they haven't even confessed. I love how the messages I got from PM are commenting that they're breaking up or that their relationship is gonna be dead even though they never established a relationship in the first place XD