This is part A of a sequel to The Owl Girl covering the first half of the second season. There will be a part B when the second half airs.

In the forest of the Boiling Isles, specifically in Bat Queen's cave, the residents of the Owl House were having a busy morning, well most of them.

Luz was sitting in her room, staring at her phone. She was trying to work up the nerve to create a video explaining what had happened to her. Every time she reached for the record button, she hesitated.

Putting the phone down, Luz looked at herself in a mirror Eda had hung as a welcome back present. Her reflection was not the same one she had seen weeks ago. She almost didn't recognize herself.

Thanks to her new magic and returning the curse to Eda and her sister, her body had radically changed. Her hair now reached just past her shoulders. Her face had lost its roundness, becoming more heart-shaped. Her eyes had a hint of gold in them.

She had grown three inches so she was now taller than her mom. Her breast had grown a size and her body shape was more feminine. Her skin was softer to the touch.

The biggest change was on the inside. She placed her hand over her heart. She could feel her heartbeat, a second later she felt the sack move with it. Luz grimaced as she felt a tinge of pain.

"Who knew having magic inside you could hurt? Why does it hurt me in my body, but when I swapped bodies with Eda, I was fine?" Ignoring the pain, she looked down at her right arm.

The tattoo glowed for a second before fading. She was glad the armband fit snugly on her arm. Otherwise, she would be trying to yank it off.

According to Eda, since the oath was bent, not broken, the terms could be changed. If Emperor Belos's armband was still high on his arm when hers was on her wrist, he could change the terms of the oath.

The reverse was true for her. She could change the terms of the oath. Maybe even set herself free. "I wonder if Mom will believe I had a growth spurt over summer."

Luz knew she was kidding herself. Emperor Belos had the only portal back to the human world. He would never let her escape back home. Even if she found another way back would the oath force her to stay on the Boiling Isles?

"Even if I make it back home and I'm freed from the oath, I'll have to spend the rest of my life hiding my magic no matter how badly it hurts me. I can't let a doctor discover my bile sac and experiment on me."

Flopping back down on her bed, Luz wished her life hadn't become so complicated. For the first time in her life, she had friends and people who accepted her for who she was. A school where she wasn't constantly getting sent to the principal's office.

Now, she had lost that as well. She couldn't go back to Hexside. Emperor Belos knew she had been a student there. His guards would descend on the school and bring her back to the palace.

If she attempted to escape from them by using magic, the armband would descend. Attacking anyone with an Emperor Coven would be the same as attacking Belos. Their coven mark was an extension of his power.

Her friends had promised to visit her and help her learn to control her magic. Realistically, it wasn't a good idea. "I don't want any of them to be thrown in prison because they tried to teach me something. They got lucky the last time they encountered Belos. I can't let them take that chance again."

If they attempted to come to see her, she knew Bat Queen's subjects would escort them back to Bonesborough if she asked. Not interacting with Willow, Gus, and her crush Amity would hurt. Still, it was the right choice to make.

At least she still had Eda and King to keep her company. There was also Hooty and Owlbert to hang out with. Luz was going to avoid Lilith as much as possible.

Assisting Bat Queen and her babies would be tough. She still remembered the trials she had undertaken. However, helping them and dealing with lectures was preferable over being Emperor Belos's valet.


Picking up the phone again, Luz pressed record. "Hola, Mom. A lot has happened since I made my last video. Remember how I told you I was going to do something dangerous to help a friend?"

"Well, I entered into a magical oath that had mixed results. On the one hand, I saved Eda from being petrified and secured a resemblance of freedom. On the other, I promised my life away and transferred Eda's curse to me."

"I know what you're thinking. How could I put myself in that position? Did I even have a plan on how to get out of the magical oath? Well, I did have a plan, and a means to get myself out of the situation. It was working until something unforeseen happened."

Taking a deep breath, Luz told her story. She explained that Belos had given her a magic bile sack. That something had hurt her, and she had turned into a feral beast. Luz talked about the bent oath and that she was working on a way to get home.

"I know it's a long shot, Mom, but I need to master my magic. If I can control it, I might be able to open a portal back to you. I promise I won't give up getting home to you. I love you, Mom."

Turning off the phone, Luz got up and headed to the closet. That's where Eda kept her collection of human clothes. Her old clothes were too tight to wear now.

She found a pair of comfortable blue jeans, a light blue peasant shirt with a white V collar. She put on a pair of white and lavender sneakers. They went well with the lavender windbreaker she wore. Tying her long hair into a braid, she was ready for the day.

Hearing a loud argument going on in the kitchen, she went to figure out why the sisters were arguing. When she got there, she saw Eda and Lilith were fighting about what to have for breakfast. King was cheering for Eda while Hooty was supporting Lilith.


"Griffin eggs and apple blood are not a proper breakfast for a teenager. Luz needs to eat something healthy. A proper breakfast should also include some jewel fruit, toasted pumpkin bread, with some healthy cereal. I would suggest Bat Flakes along with some almond milk instead of apple blood," Lilith informed her sister.

"It does sound like a good meal to me," Hooty remarked.

"How would you know? All you eat are bugs!" King retorted.

"Listen, Lilly, I appreciate your concern, but I know what's best for Luz. Overloading her with so much food is going to make her sick. She just came home last night, and I don't want her to feel overwhelmed."

Luz cleared her throat loudly. The others looked at her with guilty expressions. "I know that you're all concerned for me, and I appreciate it. Right now, I just want to have a bowl of nutmeal and some water."

She brushed past them and opened the cupboards, getting out a bowl and some nutmeal. She poured the nutmeal into a pot over the stove. Normally, she would use a fire glyph to heat her food. This time she wanted to try using her magic.

She twirled her finger, attempting to create a tiny spell circle. A wobbly lopsided oval appeared in the air. She flicked her fingers intending to let out a small flame.

Instead, a huge bolt of lightning shot out and started bouncing off anything metal. The inhabitants found some cover to avoid being fried. The bolt finally struck the pot and torched it.

Luz yelped as she felt her right wrist radiate pain from deep within her bones. Eda crawled over and held the girl's wrist until the pain subsided. Then everyone came out of their hiding places to see what the damage was.

Hooty spoke first, "Luz, if you're going to tickle me from the inside can you not use lightning to do it? It makes me feel itchy." To prove his point, Hooty started rubbing against the table, trying to get some relief.

"Hold on, Hootsfier, I'll go check to see if we have some medicine to help you," Lilith responded as she headed up the stairs with Hooty. King, sensing that Eda and Luz needed some time alone, followed behind.

Luz sat down in a chair with her eyes downcast. "I wasn't trying to create lightning. I was trying to summon a small bit of fire. I pictured the glyph when I made the spell circle."

"You're used to performing spells differently. Messing up is nothing to feel shameful about. All witches make mistakes when they're first starting out," Eda assured her.

"Your spell casting will get better. I'll get more hands-on with your training, I promise."

Luz gave her a dry look. "How are you going to train me when you can't access your magic, thanks to the suppression anklet? I don't know what Emperor Belos did to tweak it, but I can't undo the glyph."

Seeing that anklet made Luz feel extremely guilty. "I was the one who showed him the different glyphs. It's my fault you don't have access to your magic."

Eda patted Luz's hair, reassuring her that it wasn't her fault. "Belos has been after me for a long time. I'm lucky to still be breathing and exiled instead of a stone statue."

"We'll figure out how to get the anklets off another time. Right now, we need to eat a good breakfast if we're going to handle Bat Queen's chores today." The witch slapped Luz on the back, making the teenager grin.


After breakfast, everyone convened outside for their assignment from Bat Queen. The monarch of the forest was waiting patiently as her babies played in her hair.

"Ah, it is good to see all of you up today. I am pleased to see you are ready for work Ms. Luz. Are you sure you want to work today? If you need more time to sleep, you don't have to help today."

Luz replied that she needed to do something to keep her mind off what she had endured in the last few days. Bat Queen acknowledged this fact. "Today's chores are simple and shouldn't take too long to perform."

"Hooty, you will scout the forest and pick up any litter you can find. Nature should be kept clean of trash. Then burrow to Bonesborough Recycling Center to drop off trash."

Hooty squealed in delight. "I'll have this forest cleaned up in a jiffy so we can have a picnic lunch!"

The Bat Queen turned her attention to Lilith. "I need you to gather ingredients for a scrying potion. I need to be able to locate any of my subjects at a moment's notice."

Lilith didn't look thrilled by the idea of collecting ingredients without magic. She had learned by now it was better not to complain. Taking the list of ingredients, she headed off, hoping she wouldn't be coming back with stingers rooted in her back.

"King, you are to take my babies on a nature walk. They need to learn their way around without me."

King scowled and muttered something unkind under his breath. "Alright! Hey bat babies, let's get a move on! Ahh!" he screamed as the bat babies chased him into the woods.

Eda was assigned to check the borders. "The Emperor's Coven has been intruding further into my domain than they ever have before. I need to know why he's breaking our arraignment."

"You can count on me BQ. I have a new weapon I've been wanting to test out," Eda said. She was carrying a large speargun with a net attached to it. "I'm going to bag a soldier and ransom him for money!"

Whistling happily, she strolled away with Owlbert, who hooted in tune with her.

Being the last one left, Luz was assigned with tending to the palismans needs today. It was a low-key job that wouldn't need her to practice using her new magic.

The palismans gathered around Luz in anticipation of a spa day. The human girl smiled at them. "Come on, little guys. Let's have some fun today."


In the forest, Lilith was grumbling as she stumbled through the thick trees to locate a fire-bee nest. Their honey was a vital part of the scrying potion. How she was going to collect the honey on her own was still up in the air.

"Why do I have to collect the ingredients? Eda's much better at this than me. I hope whatever her chore is, it's making her miserable. This was not the future I envisioned for myself."

As much as Lilith wanted to blame Eda for her current situation, she knew it was her actions that had led to this. If she hadn't cursed her sister she wondered where they would be right now.

Maybe Eda would have joined a coven, and they still would be living with society. Perhaps she was the one who would have been teaching the human magic. At the very least, she would be working for Emperor Belos in some capacity.

Lilith stopped in her tracks when she realized what she was thinking. "Remember, Emperor Belos betrayed me first. He promised to help Eda, and he went back on his word. He doesn't care about anyone but himself."

She repeated her mantra a few more times until her mind cleared. She couldn't let her past feelings distract her from what she was doing now. "Now, if I was a fire-bee, where would I put my nest?"


Out on patrol, Eda was trying to keep herself from running back to BQ's cave. Luz was finally back where she belonged. Eda hadn't wanted to press the girl last night about what had happened during her two months with Emperor Belos.

Besides making her his personal slave and giving her a magic bile sac, she had no idea what else had happened during that time. That's why she planned to capture any guards infiltrating the forest and use her new weapon to get answers.

"When I find out who was the one who caused Luz to turn into a wild beast, I'm going to skin them and sell their body for a thousand snails," she vowed.

Besides keeping an eye out for trouble, she hoped to find some supplies located discreetly in the forest. Willow and Gus were going to be delivering supplies every other week.

"I hope they remembered to bring a few books for Luz to read. I don't want her doing too much until she's completely recovered."

For the next two hours, she checked the border near Bonesborough and found no trouble. Feeling nostalgic, she went to the edge of the woods where her house once stood.

There was a crater where the house once sat. The old tower had collapsed to the ground. Maybe they could rebuild it in their new location. "Can't believe how much I miss this place."

She climbed up a tree to get a good look at the town. Despite how often she ran into trouble, she loved being part of the community. Heck, she even missed helping out at Hexside.

"One day, I'll get everything back. That's a promise." The Owl Lady continued her patrol with renewed vigor.


Back at the house, Luz was nearly done polishing one of the palismans. This one resembled a bird with a bell hanging off its nose. "Try to stay still. I'm almost done," she gently whispered as she finished with the bell.

"Alright, you're done. You should go check your reflection. I bet you have never looked this good before."

The bird chirped and waddled off. "Alright, who's next?" A small crab palisman toddled over. The claws made a horrible cracking sound. Luz picked up the crab, careful to avoid being pinched.

"Hey, calm down. I'll fix your claws. I just need some sandpaper," Luz whispered. Looking at the others, she asked if one of them could get the sandpaper, along with some glue and bandages.

A few of the palismans rushed away to fetch the items. Two of them, one a white cat and a red cardinal, went to the kitchen and brought back crackers.

"Thanks, you two. This should help me keep going for the rest of the day. Ah, there you are," Luz remarked as she took the supplies from the other palismans and got to work.

The teenager worked for hours without realizing it. She was completely unaware that the others had returned because they didn't want to bother her. She only stopped when she heard a hard knock on her door.

"Hello?" Luz asked warily.

"Luz, it's us. Can we come in?" Willow's voice called out.

"Yeah, you wouldn't believe what happened to me overnight!" an unfamiliar deep male voice added.

The teenager shot out of bed crying, "No! Go away! You won't trick me!" Grabbing her sheets, she quickly tied them together to form a rope.

The voices at the door said they weren't trying to trick her. That she should open the door. She didn't respond, hoping they would go away.

Instead, the door opened. The frightened teenager twirled her fingers and unleashed a fireball.

Willow grew a fire-resistant plant in front of her and Gus just in time. Willow started to demand what was going on, only to stop when she saw her friend.

Luz was holding her wrist in pain. Her fingertips were an angry red. Her eyes were wide and darting around, looking for ways to escape.

Willow cautiously knelt close to Luz. "Are you okay Luz?" Luz didn't respond.

Willow sat down and started taking deep breaths. She would hold it for a few seconds then let it go. She repeated the process over again, watching Luz. Willow did the process three more times before Luz joined in.

After taking a few more deep breaths, Luz seemed to recognize she was safe again. "Thanks, Willow, I needed that." She let Willow help her up. She studied the boy in front of her.

"You look like Gus, if he was sixteen and worked out. "

"I am Gus. Witch puberty happens very fast in boys. I'll probably go through another growth spurt before I reach my final height, but otherwise, I'm a man."

Gus was blushing, and Luz suddenly felt self-conscious. Her friend was ogling her, and she didn't want him to. She wanted Gus to be his normal nerdy self.

Willow grew a flower crown and shoved it over Gus's head so he wouldn't be looking directly at her. "Let's go downstairs. We can tell you about what's new at school."

Luz nodded and followed downstairs. One last hang out, and then she would ask them not to come by and risk their futures. She knew they probably wouldn't listen, but she had to try.


The others had returned from their chores and had gathered in the kitchen to have an early dinner.

"Hey kids, I didn't see you come in. When did you get here and did you bring some apple blood?" Eda asked earnestly.

"You know we can't buy that unless we're adults, right?" Gus replied. Eda moaned at the loss of another week without apple blood.

Lilith giggled as she continued to tend to Hooty. After picking up the trash, he hurried to help his best friend collect the fire bee honey. "I just need to remove a few more stingers and then I'll apply the salve Hootsifer."

"Yeah! You have a fantastic touch Lolo."

King snorted at the conversation between the two. Secretly he was jealous of the bond between those two. King wanted to have the same with Eda. Pushing those sides aside, he went back to scratching his body.

"Those bat babies are starting to get on my nerves. They pushed me into a scratchy bush, and now I can't stop scratching!"

Willow checked King over and told him all he had to do was take a bath with spooky tree sap. "The sap will stop the inflammation and soothe the skin. You should be feeling normal by tomorrow."

"Hear that, Francois? We're going to be pain-free!" The little demon jumped down from his chair and scurried upstairs.

Soon Eda was serving dinner, and everyone was having a good time. For the moment, everything was right at the Owl House.


In Emperor Belos's castle, the man himself was in his private library reading something from an ancient book. He ran a finger across the page until he came to a particular line. "Yes, everything is going according to plan."

There was a rap on the door. The man bristled as he had asked the guards to make sure he wasn't disturbed. "Who dares to interrupt me in my private sanctuary?"

A slightly whiny voice answered. "It's me. You summoned me, My Emperor," the Golden Guard replied.

Emperor Belos relaxed slightly. He asked the man to come in, and a figure with a golden owl mask entered the room. Belos gestured for the person to sit in the chair opposite of his.

Sitting down, Belos welcomed back the Golden Guard. "I'm glad you have returned safely. Was your mission at the Head difficult?"

"My unit found some illegal miners trying to collect chunks of the Titan's bones. We managed to subdue them with ease. The fragments were returned to the cave. We made sure to do a thorough sweep of the area."

"Excellent. Disturbing any of the Titan's remains is an atrocity. We can't allow anyone to desecrate the being who gave us life. I hope you informed Warden Wraith to lock them up in the darkest cell he could find."

"I did, my Emperor. We found something useful to you as well." The Guard reached into his pocket and pulled out a slightly broken griffon-shaped palisman.

Belos took it and quickly drained it of its remaining magic. "How many did you find?"

"Two dozen. The palaismans were hidden in one of the mining tunnels. I searched for more but couldn't find any. Hopefully, these will last for a few months."

"You have done well, Golden Guard. I have a new mission for you. It's vital to the success of the Day of Unity. Specifically, your part in the Titan's plans."

The Golden Guard straightened up. This was the moment he dreamed of since Emperor Belos brought him into his coven. "What do you need for me to do?"

Belos reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph. He handed it to the Golden Guard. The boy looked at it earnestly, only for his shoulders to slump. Putting the picture down, he looked at the Emperor with confusion.

"I don't understand. What does the Owl Lady's apprentice have to do with anything?"

"I suppose an explanation is in order. Hunter, you can remove your mask."

The Golden Guard removed his mask, revealing a nerdy boy underneath. He leaned in a bit to hear the man speak.

"While you were on assignment, I captured the Owl Lady. I had every intention of petrifying her until her apprentice arrived with an interesting deal."

Hunter listened closely to the story. About how Luz had entered in an Everlasting Oath to save her mentor. That Luz agreed to help Belos identify magic glyphs. She also attended to his needs.

Hunter tried to hide his surprise when he heard about the girl undergoing surgery to give her a magical bile sac. That something happened in recovery, and the Owl Beast took over, leading to her escape.

He finished his story by describing what the current situation was. The teenager was slightly overwhelmed by the story. "Why didn't you send for me sooner? I could have helped you keep her in line."

"There was no need for you then. Also, it was important for my backup plan if something like this happened."

Emperor Belos picked the photograph back up and stared at it. "This human is a walking paradox. A normal being with the magic of a witch in her veins. She represents an untapped resource that will greatly aid us."

Putting the photo down, he removed his mask to look at his nephew face to face. "Luz knows almost everyone that lives and works in the castle. She's not going to come back willingly if I send any of my guards or coven members after her."

Hunter could see where this was going. "You want me to bring her back? I can do that. It will be easy to sneak into the Owl House and kidnap her. I doubt she can control her magic."

Belos shook his head. "I don't need the Golden Guard to apprehend her. If you followed through with your plan, all the creatures loyal to Bat Queen will create havoc across the isles."

"While my coven can defeat them, it would cost too many resources and troops. It is best to keep the peace for now. I need you, Hunter, to befriend Luz. Make her feel comfortable and safe."

Hunter muttered under his breath, saying he wasn't sure how to do that. "Uncle, I've never really interacted with anyone my age. I'm not sure how to be a friend. Even I become her friend, how does that make her come back here?"

"Luz Noceda is strong-willed, determined, and loyal to anyone she considers a friend. Her desire to protect them is strong, leading her to make sacrifices to help them."

"If you tell her that you need her help with something, she will assist you. Even if it means coming back here. Eventually, I can renegotiate the terms of our deal in my favor. Can I count on you, Hunter?"

"Of course you can, Uncle. I won't let you down."


Two days later, Hunter stood on the edge of the Bat Queen's Forest. He was wearing regular clothes and had covered up his coven mark with thick makeup. He had been given a map to an old watchtower in the forest. The Emperor's Coven had used it forty years ago before a large dragon had squashed it.

Belos believed that there were still intact areas that his nephew could use as a shelter. It would be his home for the mission. His few supplies were inside his backpack.

He also had his staff strapped to the top of the backpack. His uncle had told him not to use it unless it was a life and death situation. The man surmised that Luz might let her guard down around a powerless witch. Hunter just needed to be himself.

"I still don't get how being myself is going to get the girl to trust me. The girl loves magic, and I'm powerless," he huffed. "Well, girls are complicated creatures, so maybe a lack of magic will make her willing to give me her bile sac."

Smiling at the thought, he entered the forest. He would succeed in his mission and make his uncle proud of him.