Chapter 26: Down time at the Owl House
[Luz enters the Owl House after a long day of school]
Luz: *groans* I'm home.
Eda: Ah Luz, nice of you to join us.
[She notices Luz is covered in snow and water, with her hair blown a bit to the side]
Eda: I'm guessing that's from the fight earlier.
Luz: How did you know about that?
[Lilith practices her glyphs]
Lilith: Principal Bump told us of the events that have unfolded at Hexside.
King: That and West called.
Luz: Yeah, he was not happy. But on the bright side, he looked like he was in a good mood to pay for the damages.
[Eda feels unsure of herself]
Eda: When he said that, did he have a smile on his face and his eyes closed.
[Luz nods]
Lilith: Oh...that's not good.
King: Kotoha is in big trouble is she?
[Luz steps in to defend Kotoha]
Luz: Hey, it wasn't her fault. If it wasn't for Boscha picking a fight with her, then none of this would have happened. So if anything it's Boscha's fault.
[Everyone nods]
[The door slams open and Hooty interrupts]
Hooty: You know Luz, if it makes you feel any better, technically Eda caused a lot of trouble at the school too.
Luz: I don't think that's a good defense.
Hooty: Hoot Hoot, GLAD TO HELP!
[Hooty slams the door shut]
Luz: Anyway I think I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up, when dinner is ready.
[Luz proceeds to go to her room]
Eda: Alright kid.
[Luz continues to move around in her sleep and begins to have the same recurring nightmare]
[She wakes up]
Luz: Wait, what is this?
[She looks up to see the same familiar figures]
Figure 1: Have you been able to confirm our next scenario?
Figure 2: Of course, we've extracted multiple powers so far, and we might be able to unlock another ability for attempt number 9.
Figure 1: Very good, Merlin, prepare the girl.
[The familiar female figure approaches]
Merlin: Director, don't you think she's been through enough. If we perform more of these we might kill her.
Figure 1: Shut up Merlin. You know how this benefits us.
Merlin: But the more we do this, the more she'll continue to break down.
Figure 1: Do you think the enemy would let her rest?! Merlin I don't give a damn what this thing means to you. This must continue or we lose the war! Do you want that?!
Merlin: No sir!
Figure 1: Good. Now get to your position and fire it up!
Merlin: *worried* Yes sir.
[Merlin walks over and gently caresses Luz's face]
Merlin: I'm sorry pequeno, it will be over soon.
[Luz is confused of the situation]
Luz: No, not again!
[Merlin unlocks her Spirit Power, and activates the device]
Luz: AGH!
[past events begin to play through her head]
Luz: *scared* NO STOP IT!
[Multiple events are shown to her, the death of her friends, her mother, Eda, King, Amity. Then in front of her, she sees giant shadows, each with different traits destroying both the Earth and the Isles. And like how most of the nightmares end, a White Light appears in front of her, and begins to reach out for her]
Luz: NO! STAY AWAY! GET BACK!
[Luz attempts to flee, but keeps going deep into the darkness until there is nothing left, but her and that strange light.]
Luz: EDA! King! Arthur! Amity!
[The White Light grabs her by the neck and begins cover her body]
Luz: *terrified but quiet* Mom! Somebody!
[The Light continues to engulf her until her head is consumed]
Luz: HELP!
Eda: *worried* Luz, Luz, Luz wake up!
[Luz shots her eyes open and notices Eda and King right by her side]
Luz: Eda? King?
[She begins to notice that she has been sweating and crying in her sleep.]
King: Is everything okay?
Luz: Wha-, what, what time is it?
[Luz opens her watch]
Eda: It's seven PM.
King: Is everything alright?
[Luz can't even begin to comprehend what that dream was, let alone explain it, so instead she remains quiet]
Eda: Why don't we talk about it over dinner, Lilith's cooking.
[They all begin to dig into their food]
[King delightfully scarfs down his meal, while Eda and her sister eat like civilised people]
[Meanwhile Luz doesn't even eat a nibble]
Lilith: Luz, is everything alright?
[Luz doesn't listen and continues to stare into deep space]
Lilith: Luz?
[King lightly shakes Luz]
King: *worried* Hey uh, Luz?
[Luz snaps out of space]
Luz: Huh wah? Yes?
King: Is everything okay?
[Luz observes everyone, and notices that they are all worried about her state of mind]
Luz: Uhm of course it is, why do you ask?
Eda: Well one thing's for sure, lately you've been crying in your sleep, and whenever you wake up you're not the cheery girl we all know.
Luz: Oh it's nothing, it's just a bad dream is all. Anyway I'm not feeling hungry, so I'll just head back to bed.
[Eda then slams her cup of apple blood on the table, startling Luz]
Eda: Luz!
[Luz turns around]
Eda: I can tell when you're not well, and this is one of those moments. And you are not going back up and telling us what's wrong.
Luz: Eda I'm fine. Don't worry about it.
Eda: Okay, well if you're fine, I'll just have Hooty keep an eye on you.
Hooty: YEAH! I'm pretty good at making people sleep well!
[Luz cringes and sighs]
Luz: *shocked* Okay, okay I'll tell you! Just don't let Hooty into my room.
Eda: Alright!
[Eda yells at Hooty]
Eda: Scram Hooty!
Hooty: Okay!
[Luz proceeds to sit back down]
Lilith: I'll prepare us some tea while you're at it.
[Lilith gets out of her chair as everyone listens to Luz's situation]
[Luz grips her pajama pants while looking down]
Luz: Ever since I awakened my Spirit Power and met Arthur, things have felt different. Lately I've been having the same nightmare.
Eda: What kind of nightmare?
Luz: Well, it starts with these three people, one of them was called Agent Merlin, the other director, and the third one, was some sort of chancellor I think. Anyway, they say they proceed with some kind of experiment, and Merlin argues that they're hurting me. Then Merlin unlocked her Spirit and they did something. They played a scenario through my head, Each nightmare there was a different scenario. But they all end the same.
King: How do they end?
Luz: Everyone's death.
Eda: *shocked* What?
Luz: You, King, Lilith, Arthur, Amity, Willow, everyone! Every scenario they're deaths are played out differently. One instance is where I lose control of my anger and kill you all. Another where we're all happy but then we're attacked.
[Luz begins to tear up]
Luz: And then another where I lost control and destroyed everything.
Eda: *worried* Luz.
Luz: and it keeps happening every night! Each scenario is even worse than the last. And to make things worse. This white light consumes my entire body. I can't take it!
Eda: *worried* Luz.
Luz: Every moment I wake up thinking it was real. And with every night comes a different nightmare. Sometimes I look fine, but I'm not!
[Eda and King glance at each other as Luz begins to cry]
Luz: I don't even think I should be around anyone! I couldn't be around my mom. And now I can't be around you!
[Eda wraps Luz in her arms]
Luz: Eda?
[Eda holds her tightly]
Eda: Luz, enough talking, it just looks like you could use a hug right now.
[Luz continues to cry]
Eda: Listen, I get that these nightmares keep coming back, and sometimes they even feel real enough to be true.
Luz: What if one day it becomes true?! Then what?!
[Eda releases Luz and looks her in the eye]
Eda: *calm* Be honest with yourself. If ever that nightmare felt real, and you were to spaz out and kill us? Would you do that?
Luz: No! I would never!
Eda: Do you think any one of us would be weak enough to die on the battlefield?
Luz: No!
Eda: And if something like that were to happen. Do you think we won't be able to protect you?
[Luz's mouth begins to shake]
Eda: Luz after all this time. I don't think any one of us would let that happen to you. We would never leave you or die on you because that would make us terrible people. I mean we've been training all of these weeks and look at us. We might be more powerful than those Meta guys already.
[Luz stares downward]
Eda: Luz, I made a promise that we would get you home and we plan on keeping it.
King: Well I'm not sure if we all plan on keeping it..
Eda: King!
King: Weh!
Eda: Look, the point is Luz, if any one of us die, then that would be a burden on us because leaving you behind is the worst sin anyone can think of. And don't even think that you being around us is a burden. Because look at all the things you've done. You've helped your friends get together, you saved me from turning to stone, you even got me talking to my sister again. So if you ever start thinking that way again, think of those you've helped. Because everyone here is damn lucky to have met Luz the human!
[Luz stares at Eda as Lilith places a cup of tea in front of her]
Lilith: I'm lucky to have met you too.
[King embraces Luz]
King: ME TOO!
[Luz begins to bawl her eyes out and hugs everyone at the same time]
Eda: There there, just let it out kid.
[30 minutes after dinner Luz and King go upstairs and get ready for bed, as Lilith washes the dishes]
Eda: You know something doesn't add up. Ever since Shatter Squad came to the Isles, Luz began to have those dreams, and lately Meta has been eager to capture her.
Lilith: Hmm that does seem strange.
Eda: Not only that, but I remember A.X.E.L. telling us about that old team Arthur and West have been on.
Lilith: Project Roundtable if I'm correct. I once heard Luz mention the name Merlin before. And now this person is seen in her dreams.
Eda: And has it ever occurred to you that they've been collecting Armour parts, and they keep saying that they don't know what it does.
Lilith: It seems someone within their ranks might be hiding something.
Eda: And we're being fed less information than what we're supposed to believe.
Lilith: It makes you wonder. Do you think Shatter Squad might not be who they say they are?
Eda: Maybe. But it looks like the one keeping the most secrets from us. Is Arthur.
Lilith: How so?
Eda: Out of everyone he could have trained he chose to train Luz, ever since he came here he's been fixated on her for some reason. Do you think he might know something about Luz that we don't.
Lilith: Possibly. But what can we do about it?
Eda: Next time we run into Arthur, we are getting our answer. By any means possible.
Lilith: According to West, he doesn't know where he is? How are we supposed to get information?
Eda: That I haven't figured out. But we'll get it out of him. One way or another.
[Arthur continues to walk through the woods, as he hears rustling in the bushes.]
[We grabs the handle of his sword as he looks around]
Arthur: I know you're there. You can either come out, or I'll drag you out. It's your choice.
[Ronin unveils herself]
Ronin: OOO. I'm shaking in my Boots, especially looking at one of the remaining Knights of the Roundtable. To what do I owe the pleasure?
[Arthur unsheathes Excalibur]
Arthur: I got your message.
[Excalibur glows continuously]
Arthur: And I can see that you got your hands on Ragnarok.
[Ronin, unsheathes her sword as well]
Ronin: Ah Arthur, always so logical.
Arthur: I can tell Amity gave you the key to the temple?
Ronin: And what's it to you?
Arthur: Heheh, because right now that girl doesn't really trust me. Figured you might have told her something about me? Or about Alpha?
[Ronin laugh hysterically]
Ronin: Well I only told her that you're one of those scumbags that hold secrets and couldn't be trusted. But I think we understand why.
Arthur: What exactly is your game here, Ronin?
Ronin: Don't play the hero. You know what's coming. And you know what we have to do!
Arthur: I know what you mean. But as of now I can't let you kill the Alpha. Not right now at least.
[Arthur takes his stance]
Ronin: Really Arthur?
[Ronin proceeds to take off her helmet]
Ronin: Are we really going to do this? You know how powerful I've gotten over the last few years.
Arthur: Well to be fair, we are tied.
[Ronin scoffs]
Ronin: That reminds me, how's Luz by the way, last I heard she got captured by Watts. Wouldn't feel so good if something like that were to happen...again?
Arthur: You stay away from her!
[Ronin summons Surtur]
Ronin: Make me!
[Arthur unlocks his Aura, but instead of his Crimson Dragon, he summons a whole different Spirit]
Ronin: Hmph. There is the Arthur I know.
[Armour is requiped onto Arthur as he prepares for battle]
[Ronin transforms into a demon]
Ronin: Let's settle this! Shall we?
[Both fighter and Spirit begin to run towards one another]
[As they close in they clash their blades as a shock wave is felt across the forest]
END