I have the honor to be

by WriterforFunandBoredum

Your obedient servant. That is what Kikimora is, can, and will ever be for her lord, Belos, as she does her lord's will. However, a chance encounter with a mother and her child seeks to change everything that Kikimora stands for, including herself. Will she remain the same or will the demon find a new purpose in the form of a smiling child?

5. Chapter 5 A Part of this Family

Chapter Summary: Victory is bittersweet. Belos' reign is over, but Luz's life is now changed forever. She is now left to pick up the pieces as time marches forward with or without her.

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Author's Note: Welcome back to the next installment and as some of you have noticed, I've increased the chapter limit again. Truth be told, I was in the middle of writing the epilogue and realized that I was about to make another gigantic chapter with all the ideas I included/tied up. As such, you can think of this as the first part of the epilogue and hopefully I can get the other part out soon-ish. As a weird coincidence, I got this done on Mother's day, especially with the content the chapter deals with.

Still, thank you for sticking by and reading this story!

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Eda finds Luz crying.

She was soaring back to the castle on her staff trying to find the girl, catching her breath from her fight with Lilith and the hordes of grunts while doing so, when she found Luz on her knees shuddering. It wasn't hard to find the girl with the doors to the castle being wide open and it was easy to tell that something was wrong.

Eda gently descends onto the ground a few paces away from Luz and lands with a small clack of her heel against the castle floor while transforming her staff back into Owlbert in one practiced flourish. As quiet as a thief, Eda approaches the girl with an empathetic gaze. She can feel her hair rustle with the anxious body of King, eager to leap out from her grey mane and rush towards Luz. Yet, King doesn't do so, opting to remain quiet. Likewise, Eda can feel from her mental bond with Owlbert that the palisman was concerned and frightened for the young girl.

Eda softly walks towards Luz, being careful not to disturb her. From there, Eda sucks in a breath and her stomach twists as she sees the petrified statue of Kikimora in all its horrific glory in front of Luz. The poor girl wasn't fairing any better herself, hanging onto Kikimora like her life depended on it. Eda wouldn't put it against her if it did.

Eda takes her place beside Luz and kneels with one knee on the ground so that they can see eye to eye. Eda can hear the girl quietly sob, too wrapped in her own head to notice Eda's approach.

"Hey, kid." Eda says gently, trying to get Luz's attention. The girl didn't make any sign that she noticed, only letting out a couple hiccups before Eda tries again. Eda can feel King scurry out of her hair now and take his place on her shoulder, remaining quiet as he does so. She can feel the tiny demon shake in worry but paralyzed with indecision. Eda doesn't have to be an oracle to know that King wants to help in his own way but how can he do so without making it worse?

"Luz," Eda says this time, her voice a little firmer than before. She hesitantly places a hand on Luz's back, unsure that it was wise to do so, but continues, "It's time for us to go. Its not safe here." That got her attention. The girl slowly turns to Eda and Eda's heart aches as she sees the bloodshot eyes and the tears falling down the side of Luz's face.

"Eda…," Luz's voice was raw with emotion and pain. It was like her heart was torn out of her chest and lodged down her throat. Luz sniffed and with barely a warning, she launches herself at Eda, wrapping her arms around her in a great bear hug and nearly causing the woman to stumble.

Eda was stunned. She was not expecting Luz to do that and her body tenses from the action, but when she hears and feels Luz crying on her chest, she relaxes and puts her arms around Luz. "It's gonna be alright, Luz." Eda says, rubbing small circles onto Luz's back to try and calm her down. "It gonna be alright."

"I-It's Mom, she…," Luz tries her best to say between her cries, but it only came out as broken wails.

"Shh." Eda's voice was gentle as she continues to rub Luz's back. Mom. A simple word that brings Eda's heart and mind to bare. At least she now knows why Kikimora was so adamant in helping Luz back then. The kid's her daughter! Not what she was expecting to hear today but the day has already been filled with surprises.

A small twinge of nostalgia hits Eda as she remembers older times. Better times. Times that she didn't have to leave to avoid hurting the people she loved anymore than she should've. Eda can feel the tension flow out from Luz just a little as she continues to speak, "Kikimora did her best for you, I know it. Now c'mon, your mom would want us to get out of here before trouble raises its head at us."

Silent as the early dawn, Luz nods and gets back on her feet. Eda then feels the weight on her shoulder lessen as King has finally makes decision and make his way towards Luz. Luz gives a wobbly smile that was like cracked glass and picks the demon up gently before placing him on her shoulder. Eda doesn't catch it but King whispers something in Luz's ear and the girl softly giggles, lightening the somber mood clinging to her like a malaise.

It was then that a twinkling light catches Eda's eyes, leading her gaze towards the center of Luz's chest where a crystal necklace hung proudly and shone with life. A small shard of crystal born of a homunculus. Rare and priceless. Collectors all over the Isles would gladly sell their limbs to obtain it and here it is as what Eda can only assume to be a parting gift. An heirloom between mother and child.

Luz doesn't miss the look Eda was giving her and clutches her necklace, not bothering to look the woman in the eyes as if ashamed. Eda couldn't help but give a soft snort and gently smack Luz's back with a toothy grin on Eda's face.

"Don't worry, kid. It looks good on you." Luz chuckles and the look she had on her before vanishes without a trace. With Luz now looking better, Eda conjures her staff yet again and takes her place on it with Luz following her lead. However, Luz stops for a moment and takes one last look at Kikimora, muttering something under her breath, something about promises, before she climbs on. Without missing a beat, Owlbert takes off and they soon launch themselves into the bright morning skies of the Boiling Isles.

---

The flight back to the Owl House is a quiet and leisurely one. It is a comfortable silence that one dreams with a cup of hot cocoa and a book in hand while wrapped in too many blankets. Luz presses closer to Eda's body, feeling her warmth course through her as they fly through the morning skies of the Isles. Eda makes for a good blanket in these early hours.

King is on her shoulder too, hanging firm enough to make sure he doesn't fall but not too rough to make Luz uncomfortable. Luz laughs quietly each time she feels King's breath tickles her ears and neck as the demon exclaims what he's going to do with her. Something about helping him conquer the Owl House with his plushy army. Luz doesn't really know, her mind too tired and still recovering from what happened earlier.

She can scarcely believe that everything happened. The breakout. The escape. The fight. All that adrenaline that fueled her to a fever pitch earlier was ebbing away and sucking all the energy out of her. It felt like she ran a marathon three times over in a span of ten minutes. Her bones were aching, and her muscles were sore. She must've looked like a mess.

But she can't rest long, not after what happened with Mom. Luz made a promise to her, and she is planning to keep it, no matter how long it takes. A singular goal is etched in her mind. Its not returning to Earth now, that's not her home anymore. She has nowhere there to go back to and no one left to care for her. She doesn't want to think about what could've happened to her caretaker, the golem that Mom made for her. She doesn't want to think about how she might've lost another person she loves. No, her home now is the Boiling Isles, for better or worse after what she has seen.

Her new goal is to find a way to undo the petrification Mom is under. Luz doesn't know how she'll do it, she only knows so much about glyphs and what they can do, but that won't stop her from trying. There must be a way to break her out, she knows it.

"Hey, Luz," Eda's voice breaks Luz out of her plotting, making her turn her head slightly so that Luz can see the back of Eda's head. "You feeling okay back there? You've been quiet for a while now." Eda's words were laced with worry, mirroring the concern the witch had when she first met Luz. A bittersweet smile graces Luz's lips. That felt like a lifetime ago.

"Mmhm," Luz hums in response, squeezing Eda a little with her embrace, "I feel better. It's just a lot to process, y'know? One minute I'm just Luz the human, living in a tower like Rapunzel and now I'm Luz the rebel, breaking people out of jail and committing way too many crimes in one day."

"Hah! You're right about that." Eda's body vibrates with her laughter, "You take after your mom, alright. She's infamous for rebelling against her coven and smuggling you out of the Isles must've been the cherry on top. Heck," Eda turns her head around to face Luz and gives her a toothy grin, "If I hadn't known you were her kid, I would've thought that you were mine!"

"Hehe, I guess so." The conversation once again enters another comfortable lull as Luz turns her head towards the mainland. Even from this high up in the sky, she can clearly see the buildings of Bonesborough and the exotic landscape of the Isles peppering the background. It takes her breath away how beautiful it is, in a weird type of way. She must've not have truly noticed this, considering how she was forced to adapt to the whirlwind of circumstances that have befallen her. There was a sense of finality in the air, a sense of wholeness. She likes it.

"So," Luz turns her head again to Eda but something in the witch's voice caught Luz's curiosity. "Can you tell me what happened after you broke me, King, and Owlbet out?" Eda must have felt Luz's breath hitch and her grip tighten as Eda quickly adds, "Hey, hey, you don't have to say anything you're not comfortable to say, Luz. You've been through a lot today and I don't want to exhaust you any further. We can save this talk to the Owl House after you get some rest."

Luz's grip on Eda slackens from the reassurance but she says nothing in response. Eda makes a sound of acknowledgement and continues their trek through the skies in relative silence. Luz knows Eda doesn't mean anything malicious. She knows that the witch cares in her own special way.

Luz shifts so that she is sitting upright but still latched onto Eda like a koala, her face turned so that her cheek rests on Eda's back and staring into the morning glow. She takes a small breath and softly says, "When I left you three, I went back inside the castle. I already told you guys that I had a plan, but I didn't really tell you all of it." She can feel Eda and King's body shift, no doubt looking at each other and having a silent conversation.

"Breaking you three out was the easy part. Kind of. Didn't really consider fighting six guards at a time but, hey, I did it." Her sore muscles ached in remembrance, but it compared to nothing to what happened in the end. "After all that, I had to slip past the rush of guards before anyone noticed anything wrong. Or at least, more wrong. It would have been hard to explain why I was the only one standing with an open cell and unconscious guards."

"Nah, it would've been totally easy!" King excitedly points out. Luz is jostled when King tries to stand up mid-flight and does an authoritative pose. "You could have said that they were knocked out by us, me and Eda, while we benevolently spared your life! See, easy."

"Uh…," Luz scratched the back of her head, "I don't think that would've worked, King. That probably gotten me more in trouble as it is if that were even possible."

"What?" King whined. "No, it wouldn't. Where's your sense of curiosity?"

"King." Eda's voice cuts through King's teasing, making him visibly deflate and flop back down onto Luz's shoulder.

"Alright, alright. I get it. I'll save it when we get home."

"Good. Now, Luz, do you want to continue?"

"Yeah, I'm all good. Now, where was I?" Luz takes a bit to remember where she left off, snapping her fingers when she does, "Oh, right! I was able to sneak my way past a whole bunch of guards by using their panic and my uniform against them. That was one of the things, Ms. Li-." Luz cuts herself off before she says it. She can feel Eda tense from the name and Luz wisely chooses to omit her name.

"Anyways, I made my way to the throne room where I tried to fight Emperor Belos." Luz let's out a small shiver as she recalls the fight nearly perfectly. She can feel the cold steel of his knife touch her. The taste of iron filling her mouth as she was hit by one of his many spells. "I should've died there."

The silence that came after that omission was thick and palpable. Eda and King don't say a word, but Luz has a good idea what they must be thinking. Luz pushes onwards, wanting to finish this before the terror consumes her, "I trained so hard after the Titan showed me the truth. I pushed, I learned, and I thought I was ready. I thought I could win!" She could feel her throat clench and eyes turn watery. She could still hear him. Hear him laughing. Screaming.

"Y-Y'know, hindsight really is twenty-twenty." She's barely hanging on. She is breathing fast and shallow as her mind leads her to dangerous places. "I was up against the greatest threat the Isles has ever known. I was overconfident, stupid, and made too many mistakes in that fight that Belos had me. He had me, Eda! Had me all wrapped up on some type of ritualistic table about to be sacrificed."

"I was defiant. I was angry. But I was scared." Luz voice descends into whispers as her mind kept replaying the events over and over. The suffocating feeling of being bound by stone and watching as the knife plunges towards her chest. The panic she felt when she saw the immolating stream of fire rushing towards her. "I was scared because I thought at that moment that I would die and find that there was nothing else. I wouldn't get to see anyone else."

"But you know what was the scariest part? I was okay with that! I accepted that I would die right there and then! I acted all tough and all in front of him but inside I was afraid of what I was doing. No one else that loved or raised me was left and I didn't know if you were going to come back so I just accepted it. And I never want to feel that way again!" Luz didn't know when she started crying but she can feel her tears flow down the side of her face as she crushes Eda in her embrace. "Tell me you're not going to leave me too."

Luz was nearly startled out of her grip when she felt something warm running through her hair but soon relaxes after she realizes what it was. It was Eda's hand gently running through her hair. She leans into the touch, letting the rhythmic motion calm her down just enough to get a grip on reality. Her heart aches when she is reminded of something else. Talons and eyes of warmth held under jasper and pearls. She misses her already.

"Hey, hey, Luz, I'm right here with you. I'm not leaving you anytime soon." Eda's voice was soft and warm to Luz's mind. Luz doesn't even realize that their flight slowed to a crawl as Eda tries her best to turn herself around and wrap Luz in a hug. "I know I may not be the best one to say this, but you don't have to say all this right now. I know I asked you to tell me what happened back there, but I don't want to make you feel any worse, especially after what happened today. You need rest, Luz."

Luz tries to muster the words to rebuttal against Eda, saying that she is fine, and that she can keep going, but all that comes out are deep coughs. Each cough wracks her body with a dull ache, luring her to close her eyes for the day and fall into a deep slumber. Knowing that she is in a losing battle with her body, Luz simply nods her head to Eda's proposition.

"Alright then. Let's head back home, shall we? When we get there, how's about some spiced Apple Blood, eh? It'll make you feel nice and cozy, I promise you." A warm feeling stirs within Luz's chest. Home. She would like that very much. Luz doesn't say anything, only allowing herself to lean into Eda's back as they comfortably fly towards the Owl House.

When they got there, Hooty was uncharacteristically quiet, merely deciding to watch them from the door as they descend from the skies. Luz has never seen the creature this quiet ever since she was a guest here. She'll admit, it was creepier for the creature to not be talking. However, Hooty must've sensed that now was not the time to be exuberantly jovial but instead, be in silent service to his returning charges.

Walking through the doors of the Owl House felt like a rush of nostalgia and longing all in one package for the tired human. Everything looked the same when she left except for the burn marks on the floor. She tries to ignore it as she makes her way to the couch, already feeling her eyes close while King climbs down to go to his fort of plushies and Eda goes to the kitchen to make the spiced Apple Blood.

The room was soon filled with a heavy, unfamiliar but alluring fragrance. It was like a refreshing dash of cinnamon mixed with cumin or cayenne all roiling in the air like a slow dance to a tune. It didn't take long for Eda to come back with two mugs filled to the brim with a dark red liquid in both her hands, steam wafting in the air with every step. Luz gingerly takes one, relishing in the warmth that fills her hands before she gingerly takes a sip of the unknown liquid.

It was one of the weirdest drinks she has ever tasted. It was sweet and savory at the same time yet had an undertone that Luz could only describe as a musk. Luz can definitely smell the apples from this close distance, the fruit delicately weaving between the drink's heavy scent.

It was addicting. The taste, while weird, was delectable and with every sip, she grew fonder of it. Her chest is filled with a comforting warmth as the liquid passes down her throat. A soft smile makes it way to her lips; a memory comes to mind of her drinking hot chocolate as she lays beside her guardian golem in the form of her birth mother, Camila Noceda. Tip-tap went the rain as it bounces off the windows of her tower. Hiss went the steam from the hot chocolate as its sweet scent filled the air.

Before she knew it, Luz fell asleep, her face lying on the couch cushions with mug in hand and glasses forgotten on her face. When she would awake later, she would find herself wrapped in a quilted blanket with a stuffed rabbit in her hands instead of her drink.

For now, she dreams of pleasant memories, a gift from a day filled with hardship and sacrifice.

---

Lilith wakes up with a groan, feeling the soft ground beneath her back and her head pulsating with a dull agony, keeping her eyes closed. Her sharp mind that she prides herself in was slow and groggy, as if she ingested too many extra-strength sleeping potions at once. She tries to think back as to why she feels like this before she finally realizes, and grimaces at the result.

She was fighting her dastardly sister near the castle. Her sister broke free with help from Luz, no doubt, and Lilith was forced to fight the witch, leaving the human to her own devices. Her sister transformed into that thing, a manifestation of Lilith's fears come true, and fought her to a standstill. Any of Lilith's allies that tried to help were quickly swept away with a swipe of Edalyn's talons.

Their fight would have gone on for much longer if it were not for…something. The dull ache in her head became louder as she tries to remember. There was a brief flash, a green light, and then a feeling of nausea rushing over her that felt like her life was being rewritten. And then she was here. But where was here?

She sits up from where she was laying and opens her eyes, seeing a messy menagerie of her guards scattered around a forested area. Some of them were lying on their back on the ground groaning in pain while others were hanging limply on the thick tree branches. All were groaning in pain but thankfully, none were too horrifically injured from the fight between Edalyn and herself. The weight on her shoulders lessens from that assurance as she stands, straightening herself to salvage any sense of authority that a leader should exude.

What leader am I, though? To whom?

"Is everyone alright?" Lilith says with a tenderness that surprises even herself. Her hand goes to her mouth, covering it in disbelief to the feelings that are stirring within her. It feels wrong yet so right. She doesn't remember being this affectionate with her subordinates before. Stern and protective, yes, but distant expected between professionals. Thankfully, she is saved from her thoughts with the varied choruses of groans she receives from the injured guards. Some manage to get back on their feet, but others were more reluctant to move, opting to remain where they lay.

"I see everyone still has some spirit left in them." She stops by one of the laying guards and helps them back on their feet. "Now, I want everyone back on their feet after getting your bearings back. I want everyone to split into groups; group one will scout our surroundings and see if there are any of our comrades scattered about. Group two will remain here as a triage unit; we can't help anyone if we are not our very best."

"I don't know what happened but whatever it was, it will not dissuade us from doing our duty for the Isles!" A familiar feeling of duty and responsibility surges within her as she looks toward a growing group of determined guards, all nodding to her words. She summons her staff and strikes the butt of it towards the ground, echoing the growing fire burning within them all, and says to them, "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, High Mistress!" With a salute, the guards dispersed, splitting into two teams, and working on their tasks with well-practiced precision and efficiency. So absorbed into their duties that all but one noticed the look of surprise on Lilith's face when the guards proclaimed her title.

"High Mistress?" Lilith whispers to herself, the words unfamiliar to her lips. She almost took a step back from surprise from the sudden proclamation of a title that she does not remember earning. Yet even now, her mind is trying to fill in the gaps of her memory, convincing her that this all true and that she earned this position through her skill and experience. A position meant to act as a governing head for the Isles. But can she really trust her mind? The mind can be fickle and toyed with; she'll have to submit herself to a mental examination after all this is over to see if she was tampered with.

"High Mistress Lilith, you alright?" She is brought out of her inner conundrum by the familiar brashness of her lieutenant and close friend within the guard. In front of her, she sees a familiar witch looking at her with concern hidden behind the mask, and with his arms crossed expecting an answer.

"Do not worry, Steve, I am fine. Just lost in thoughts as to what we can do from our position." She lies through her teeth towards her old friend, her face showing no evidence of her thoughts. Something about this whole situation is bothering her, like a single smudge of paint on a grand canvas.

Something deep inside calls to her. Wanting her to forget. To accept.

"Alright, ma'am. Whatever you say." Steve nods, accepting her words but judging by the way he tilted her head, Steve didn't fully believe her. "And what are your orders on the escaped convict, Edalyn? Are we to move on her after we recuperate?"

"NO!" Lilith speaks her words too loudly, startling herself, Steve, and any other guard who is still in the secluded area. She catches herself and takes a breath, centering herself before saying, "No, Lieutenant Steve. Edalyn is much too dangerous for any of us to face at the moment. Besides," The dull ache returns to her head, but it was more subdued and controlled, allowing Lilith to continue without pause, "I will personally handle this situation. Her status as a high-value criminal will also be re-evaluated and her treatment thereafter will be handled as such. That will be all, Steve. You are dismissed."

With a sigh, Steve gave a lazy salute and marches ahead towards the scouting group. She hears him shout, "Spread out to cover more ground but stay in pairs of two or three. We don't want any more of us to get lost or snatched up by some beast. And try and find the human kid as well; I don't want to explain to the High Mistress why we lost our Ward."

Another dull ache resonating in her skull causes Lilith to rub the side of her head with her knuckles. It lasts for only mere moments before she stands proud and tall once more. She huffs, clearly annoyed. She can't shake the feeling that something is amiss. Maybe it is her honed instincts from her years as a watchguard that are questioning her reality?

She shakes her head. Now is not the time to get lost in thoughts. There are fellow comrades-in-arms in these forests scattered, injured, and tired, and it is her job to make sure that they are found and taken care of. There are duties in her mind that drives her every step. Real or fake, it doesn't matter. A leader must always be ready to help those in need, no matter how much it reminds you of your mistakes.

'I'll set things right, Sister. Just wait for me.'

---

'What was the saying, again? The more things change, the more they stay the same?'

Luz looks outward from her bedroom window, sitting upright on the windowsill as she witnesses the soft orange glow of the morning sun crest over the Boiling Sea. In her hands lies a half-full mug of warm water, nursing a sip every few moments and letting the warmth course through her. Around her neck, the crystal necklace dangles loosely, catching the few bits of the sun's rays. She lets her legs dangle in the morning breeze, allowing her mind to drift.

It has been a week since the battle within the Emperor's Castle. It has been a week since her fight with the tyrant. A week since she lost another mother.

The memories of that time were still fresh in her mind, no less painful than the day before or the day before that. She can still feel each and every hit that her memories conjure, as well as the grief as she remembers flesh turn to stone.

Luz has been holed away in the Owl House ever since, barely leaving her room to eat and talk to the other residents. After she told Eda and King of what she felt, they were wise and kind enough to leave her space and time to process it all. Even Hooty wasn't barging in with his inane antics. The creature must've felt something to back off from her, even now. Luz is thankful that they don't see the fitful nights and her tired, bloodshot eyes when night falls. If they have, they haven't said anything yet.

Luz takes a cursory sip of her drink as the dawn rises further and further. She still hasn't told Eda the rest of the story, about what happened to Kikimora and why her surrogate mother was petrified. She hasn't told Eda about how Belos tricked her with her anger, forcing her to commit deeds that make her stomach churn. Each time she sees the witch, Luz tries to say something but every time she feels her throat hitch with no words to say. And each time, she shakes her head, telling herself she'll say it next time.

And yet, all that she can do is sit by her bedroom's windowsill as she lets time fade away in a blur, losing herself to the myriad of thoughts that pop up now and again. As she stares longingly into the ocean, a question pops in her head that has been bugging her for a good part of the week.

'Why wasn't the Isles in chaos?' Luz takes a sip of her drink, noticing that is cold now. Both Luz and Kikimora toppled the leader of the Boiling Isles in a single day, and it was by no means quiet. Sure, Belos was a terrible person but there should have at least been an uproar in nearby Bonesborough that their long-time leader was deposed. She expected something to happen the next day when she awoke from her rest when she returned to the Owl House.

Then one day turned to two. Two turned to three. Nothing. No Eda waking her, saying that they have to run and hide from all the Emperor's Coven. No word of wanted posters or bounties. Not even a puff of black smoke on the horizon or the screams of the damned and afraid as they rampaged through the town. Nothing.

She would be lying to herself if she said that this made her fully relieved. True, a part of her is overjoyed that no one was coming for their lives. But a bigger part of her was afraid, thinking that something or someone was waiting for her, for all of them to slip up, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

The more rational side of her tries to dismiss that spiralling thought. If the Emperor's Coven wanted to something against them, they would have done something by now. They would have relished at the chance to strike back against the rebels who dared to defy Belos' rule. Them not showing even after the first night means that something is amiss but still in Luz's favour.

Her mind than drifts to what Kikimora had said in the throne room to Belos when her mother was holding the tyrant by the throat with a blue light emanating from her hands. "The punishment of memory…" Luz mumbles under her breath, thumbing the side of her mug as she does so. Luz was positive that something else happened when that spell was cast. It should have made Belos forget himself and make him unrecognizable when anyone else saw him. But what if there was more to that spell?

Luz is so lost in thought that she does not hear the door to her room creak open or the shuffling of slippers walk up to her.

"Is this seat taken?"

Luz is startled out of her thoughts when she hears someone behind her and whips around, finding herself face to face with Eda still in her sleeping regalia of a comfy sweater and slippers. The morning was kind on Eda for once, no signs of drowsiness or exhaustion but instead, a sharp smirk raised on the corner of her mouth. Luz's attention was then quickly drawn to the two steaming mugs of what smells like tea in Eda's hands where one was then raised towards her.

"Heh, surprised to see me, kid?"

"Yeah, actually. You're never awake this early." Luz graciously takes one of the mugs from Eda's hands after she puts away her old one by the nearby table and takes a sip of the new drink, relishing the flavour of the honey tea.

Eda joins with a hum of delight of her own, taking a spot on the other side of the windowsill and leaning on the side of the wall with her shoulder. "Let's just say that I woke up on the right side of the bed today. Been feeling good lately and wanted to check on you. Speaking of that," She gestures with her mug-filled hand towards Luz, "Mind telling me why you're awake this early too?"

"Couldn't sleep." Luz quicky and quietly mumbles. She doesn't look at Eda when she utters those words, choosing to indulge herself to the unveiling horizon. She can already imagine the look she was getting from Eda, the witch's eyes sullen in concern with a frown on her face. Luz continues quietly, "Decided to watch the sunrise to calm me down."

"Is it helping?" Eda's voice is as quiet as a mouse. Luz can hear shuffling behind her and before she knew it, both her and Eda were sitting beside each other on the windowsill, watching the sunrise together. Surprisingly, Luz didn't feel squeezed at all at the closeness. It felt comforting feeling her shoulder brush against Eda, feeling the witch's warmth telling Luz that both were alive and well.

"Hmm." Luz hums in agreement. She takes another drink of her tea before she continues, "A little. I used to do this a lot when I was living back on Earth in the tower. Whenever I get overwhelmed and wanted to relax or when I get lonely, I watch the sunrise and sunset. You should see how the light shines on the ocean on Earth. It was like a sea of gems! Sometimes, my m-…," Luz goes quiet as she remembers her guardian on Earth. Her hands quickly find the crystal around her neck and grasps it without so much as a blink or response. In her mind, she knows that it was only a golem masquerading as her real mother, Camila. It was only doing a task assigned to it by Kikimora.

But in her heart, she knows that the golem was her Camila, the one who taught her how to read. The one who taught her the many fossils under the soil. The one who fed her and took care of her when she was sick.

The one who Luz can proudly say that is her mother, the same as Kikimora.

Her stomach drops when the image of a broken tower floats back to her mind. She doesn't know what happened to the golem when she crossed the portal. For all she knows, the golem was gone when the tower fell with what magic holding it together lost.

Yet she still has hope. For all his bluster, Belos' machinations with her memories haven't revealed anything about her guardian nor has the Titan revealed anything to her when it revealed everything about her memories. There was something missing, a vital piece of a puzzle that Luz wants to complete. Except that piece is a realm away with no way to get there except through the portal key that she has no idea what happened to it after the fight with Belos. For all she knows, it was destroyed in the flash, leaving her stuck here with no way to make one thing right.

"Luz." She hears Eda say her name softly. She doesn't respond, choosing to lay her head on Eda's shoulder like a pillow. She can then feel Eda's hand make small circles around her back as Luz shudders at the touch. Something wet is on her cheek and she wipes it off. Tears. How long was she crying?

"I'm fine." A lie. She says that more to herself than to Eda. The witch doesn't respond, choosing to keep silent as Luz hiccups.

"I'm fine." Another lie. This one was shakier than the last one. Her words were like cracks on a mirror; words that she tells herself that were both wrong and right, but they felt very much real.

An arm wraps around Luz, bringing her closer towards Eda. She doesn't have to guess who that was. Eda doesn't say anything for Luz to finally let it all out, the girl releasing all the tension she stored in her mind as she cries, hiccups, and hugs the woman beside her.

"Don't worry, I'm right here, Luz." The young girl sniffles as she hears Eda quietly whisper those words to her. Her throat feels raw, and her eyes feel torn. How long has it been since let herself be vulnerable like this? How long has it been since she had a shoulder to lean on?

A part of her whispers that she doesn't deserve this kindness. It whispers that she is still guilty of the sin of betrayal and her punishment is an eternity of regret. It tells her that she will bring misery onto Eda. It is only a matter of time.

Another part of her silences those thoughts immediately. It tells her that things may be different now, but a chance to grow is still there. It just needs to be taken.

For what felt like ages, Luz releases the guilt, the anger, the grief, the pain into the world through her tears and cries. All that Eda could do was cradle the poor girl, whispering, "It's going to be okay," over and over again like a mantra that has to come true. Cries soon turn to sobs and sobs turns to whimpers as Luz slowly but surely calms down.

"Luz," The girl looks up to Eda, seeing the witch's eyes deep with concern and worry as the irises flick up and down swiftly towards Luz's quivering body. In the corner of Luz's eyes, she can see the sun higher in the sky than before as most of its radiant form rose past the shimmering borders of the Boiling Sea. Her attention refocuses when Eda runs a hand through her messy brown hair, sending a shiver down her spine that puts her at ease, grounding her to this reality. She sees Eda's mouth open and close, clearly trying to find the right words to say but all that could come out was, "Are you okay?"

"No." A truth. The word hangs in the air like a noose around Luz's neck, the guilt and fear inside of her tightening the unseen twine, threatening to strangle her. Yet, that very same feeling dissipates as Luz lays her head on Eda's chest, feeling the rhythm of Eda's heart. "But I'm trying to be."

Luz's words are low and sharp that resonate from heart to heart. Neither witch nor human dare say a word after, letting the world fill the silence. The soft crashing of waves of the nearby ocean and the gusts of wind that follow are heard, second to the beat of life's music coursing through Eda's veins. The cries of distant beasts of the nearby forest join the melody, adding their own beat to this newfound harmony. The choir of Luz's soft breath soon joins this orchestra of life, showing that yes, world, she is alive! Kikimora's words, her mother's words, echo in Luz's mind as she resolves herself to what's to come.

There will be times where we make mistakes.

There will be times that that the things we've wone turn out to be wrong.

There will be times where we have to make the most impossible of choices.

They may make you fall.

They make you hurt and cry and curse the day, but that is okay.

Because there will always be a tomorrow to settle things right.

"We just need to make the first step." Eda perks up from Luz's mumbling, having been close enough to hear her but only barely. There is a steel and firmness to those softspoken words, a determination that Eda hasn't heard from Luz in a while. For Luz, it is a promise to herself. One foot in front of the other towards her goal.

A wide smile grew on Eda's face as she says, "Well, looks like someone's back to being the upbeat human I knew you were." A giggle bubbles up from Luz when Eda ruffles her hair, breaking the tension in the air. A rawness lingers in Luz's voice, but the laughter is an improvement from before. Luz leans back from her rest, returning shoulder to shoulder with Eda as both take comfort in each other's presence. Eda then adopts a thinking look as she raises an eyebrow at Luz's words, "Although, I don't think I heard that saying before. That something Kikimora say to you?"

"Yes, back in the castle before she got…petrified." Luz manages to say without stopping or stuttering. Her hands tighten into fists as she remembers. Her body quivers at the lingering frustration of helplessness in her mind as she could do nothing to prevent the petrification. "It was one of the last things she told me before she was gone."

Her mood turns somber once more as Luz quietly adds, "She told me she loves me…".

"And there is no doubt in my mind that what she said is true." Luz smiles as Eda affectionately wraps an arm around her shoulder after the declaration. "And from what I've seen and heard from Kikimora when she was living here, Luz? That demon would move mountains for you. Besides, I owe her a lot too. You probably don't remember but she took care of you when you were injured when I turned into the Owl Beast that one time."

"Huh?" Luz perks her head up. "I don't remember that. All I remember was waking up with a bad headache."

Eda winces, "Yep, I'm still sorry about that, Luz. I didn't mean to hurt you or King. Kikimora didn't let me live that down either. Ugh…" The woman shivers at some memory, making Luz wonder what Kikimora did to Eda afterwards. Eda's expression then softens, speaking with a certain reverence that Luz hasn't heard from the woman before, "You're lucky to have someone like that."

"Yeah," Luz brought her legs up to her chest, adjusting herself so that her heels rested on the edge of the windowsill, "I am. It's just…why didn't she tell me sooner? We could've done something before everything happened!"

"Luz, I'm not Kikimora so I can't really speak for her, but I think you need to understand that Kikimora was worried for you." Eda carefully tries to point out after hearing the frustration creep into Luz's voice. "Her first priority was trying to keep you safe and your breakdown after not being able to get home probably reinforced that."

Luz tenses at the memory. She couldn't refute what Eda said. She had noticed that back then, Kikimora, known to her as Hecate at the time, was markedly attentive and astute when it came to her wellbeing. She should have also noticed how odd it was that a prisoner that she, at first, had no knowledge of would be so ready to help her escape the Conformatorium. Looking back, there were a bunch of little events and gestures that shone in a new light after Kikimora's secret was revealed.

"Look," Eda runs a hand through her large grey mane of hair and lets out a small sigh, "Luz, can you honestly tell me that if she told you what she told you now during the Covention and the like that you would act calm or well? Do you think you would have handled that along with the other things?"

Luz takes some time to think about what Eda said before she utters a simple, "No." She knows herself too well that she would've not had taken it too well if Kikimora admitted that the demon was her adoptive mother. Luz would've called her a liar and that her 'real' mom was a human on Earth. She already kind of did when Belos fabricated that confrontation at her biological mother's grave marker after manipulating her memories. That will forever remain one of her greatest regrets deep down in her heart.

"Besides, I think you already know this, but she really DID want to tell you but couldn't find the right time to say it. I think she was afraid of what would happen if she did." Eda lightly pokes Luz's chest, "She left you, yes. But she didn't want to lose you. She was content with knowing that you were alive, Luz. Letting whoever wanted to hunt both of you down know that you were here on the Isles was a risk Kikimora couldn't take so she kept silent."

Luz gives a small huff, "Didn't stop Belos from doing what he did."

"Well, whoever that Belos guy is must've been pretty dangerous if he had petrification magic and fought both you and Kikimora. Should've left some for me so I could take a crack at him!"

"Yeah wel- wait a minute!" Luz shoots up as Eda's words process through her head and snaps her attention at the startled witch. "You don't know who Belos is?"

Eda leans back at the intensity of the question, "No, why would I?"

"You're telling me you don't know who Belos is? Emperor Belos? The Emperor of the Isles and the creator of the Emperor's Coven?"

"Kid," A look of concern started to appear on Eda's face as the witch looks at Luz, "The Isles haven't had an Emperor in centuries. Instead, a council of coven heads lead the Isles with the Coven of the Isles being the main head. Some also call it the Titan's Coven due to their recruitment conditions being that you are proficient in all main fields of magic the Titan provides, but that's besides the point. Plus, there's no such thing as the Emperor's Coven." Eda's eyes flicker to the side to Luz's bed and back and says, "Are you feeling alright, Luz? Do you still need some rest?"

Luz's mind is spinning. Eda doesn't know how who Belos is. Eda doesn't know! How can't she not know who Belos is?! The man hounded her for most of her life! He ordered Lilith to go after her! Made Luz attack her! How can she possibly forget-?

"For the corruption of the Titan and your actions against the Isles, I sentence you, Belos, to the punishment of memory."

"You will become nothing."

Luz''s eyes widen as Kikimora's words echo in her mind. The words she remembers Kikimora saying to Belos within the throne room when the demon held the man in her clutches. The punishment of memory. Luz thought that meant that only Belos would forget who he was but somehow, he was erased from Eda's mind and presumably everyone else's. Except for her. Why not her?

There is much more to the Titan's magic than she and probably Kikimora realizes. If the memory of Belos was wiped away, then what else was changed? The Emperor's Coven to the Coven of the Isles is one change. What others are out there?

"Nah, Eda, I'm right as rain! I probably thought of some weird character in a dream. Probably read too many fantasy stories for my own good." Luz offers Eda a cheery smile but the look on the woman's face makes Luz believe to that Eda wasn't buying it.

"Really? Right as rain?" Eda quirks an eyebrow, making Luz nervously giggle. "We need to work on your lying skills on a later date. For now, I think you need some more time off to cool off and simmer down from everything you've told me."

"Okay…" Luz gives a dejected sigh, but she can't argue against Eda. After the emotional roller coaster of this morning, that pillow of hers on her bed looks incredibly tempting to crash into and nap the rest of the morning away. She plays with her necklace a bit, letting the crystal comb through her crystal; she has too many thoughts of home that she fears what will show when she closes her eyes. There's too much to think. Too much to hope for.

"Although…," Luz perks up immediately and looks at Eda who has a sly glint in her eye. Luz knows that tone of voice. That's the tone Eda gives when she is thinking of some new scheme. "There's…someone coming over later and I don't think Hooty soundproofed the rooms enough to block out all the noise."

"Wha…, Eda!" Even with the venom Eda leaks when she says 'someone', Luz's cheeks flush a deep red, "Ew, I don't need to know when you're having a date over!"

"Ugh, what no! Ew, gross, Luz." Eda visibly gags at the insinuation. "For that, you're getting Hooty cleaning duty this week. What I'm trying to say is that I don't think this place will be a good place to rest when I eventually scream at a very annoying, stupid, utterly incompetent witch."

"Oh, thank God." Luz lets out an airy chuckle. "I think I needed that laugh, even it was gross. Well," Luz then scratches the back of her had while the other hand clutches her crystal necklace, "I have been wanting to head out for a bit to clear my mind and get some fresh air." A flash of a stone marker flickers in her mind. "There's also someplace I want to visit. A place I haven't visited in a while."

"Well, that's good. Makes this a bit easier." Eda digs into her hair and quickly plucks something out of it before taking one of Luz's hands and gently places it in there. "Don't think I haven't seen you look at that necklace of yours. You want to see that guardian of yours, that homunculus. Honestly, I don't know how Kikimora got her hands on it but looks like to me that you owe someone a visit pretty soon."

Luz is immediately confused but the feeling of lacquered wood makes her body freeze and her heart race. She doesn't open her hands, instead looking towards Eda with trepidation in her eyes. "Did you give me what I think you gave me?" Her voice is shaking, the emotion held beneath a thin layer of disbelief. She can't have just been given one of the answers to her hopes. She couldn't have.

Could she?

"Open your hand and find out."

Slowly, Luz opens her hand, and her breath is sucked away from her as she stares. An ornate, wooden key with an eye etched into the bow stares back at her. It's the portal key. It's different, though. Different from Eda's. Instead of a shining lacquered brown with gold accents, this one was a deep navy blue with red and gold lines spiraling like a helix around the eye. Her words hitch in her throat as she looks up towards Eda, eyes shimmering.

"How?" Luz all but manages to say. She was trying so hard not to cry.

"To be honest, kid, you're guess is as good as mine. Found it and this," Luz's widen even further when a suitcase with a large eye on one of its sides is conjured right in front of her with a simple spell circle. The case follows the same colouring scheme as the key, blue, red, and gold. Eda continues without pause, "Laying in front of Hooty a few days after our return from that castle. I didn't want to tell you because I wasn't sure if you're head was in the right place. But now, after what you told me today," Eda pushes the case to Luz's hands who gingerly take it as if it would break, "You need it more than ever. It's yours now, kid."

"Eda, I…," A thousand words swirl in Luz's mind, trying to find the write words to say but eventually settles on a simple, "Thank you."

"Heh, don't mention it, kid." Eda smiles impishly and ruffles Luz's hair one last time before she stands up and leaves her seat in the windowsill. "Now, what are you waiting for? You planning to get to Earth or not?"

Luz shakes her head to Eda's surprise. "I will. Definitely today. But I still need to go somewhere else first. I owe her that much."

A look of understanding passes over Eda's face and nods, "I see. Well, I won't pester you any longer; King is probably wondering where's breakfast and I don't think we want a cranky King right now." Eda walks out the door and takes a few steps out before popping her head back into Luz's room, "Luz, just remember not to push yourself too hard, okay?"

Luz nods solemnly, "Yes, Eda. I know. Thank you." Luz turns back around when she hears Eda leave her room and turns her attention back to the portal key and door in her hands. She can scarcely believe it. A portal to Earth at her fingertips! She takes a breath.

'I'll be right back. Just wait a little longer.'

---

The walk towards her birth mother's grave is a quiet one. For the first time in what felt like forever, Luz's mind is completely silent with her nary a sound coming from her mouth. The only sounds that fill the void were the rustling of foliage and the cries of beasts as Luz traverses the wilds of the forests. In her hands, the heavy weight of the portal door in its suitcase form weighs her stride while the portal key is stored in her pocket.

It wasn't hard to remember the path that Kikimora showed her that day when both visited the grave marker. It was hidden deep within the forests far, far away from the Owl House. Luz burned the route into her mind as a sign of respect to the mother that gave up everything, and to Kikimora who gave her everything. She won't ever forget this. This she swears.

She passes through another thicket of foliage before she notices something. It's quieter than before. She now has to strain to hear any sound from animal or insect. Around her, she notices that the trees themselves were changed. Creeping from the roots of the trees was a marvellous blue colouration of the bark, slowly overtaking the aged brown. Some trees were even overtaken by the blue further into the woods, reaching the very top of their branches.

A weird feeling passes through her when she places a hand on the trunk of one such tree. 'Huh, it feels like Owlbert.'

A loud rustling of leaves and the cracking of branches behind her causes Luz to snap out of her thoughts. She whirls around, her arms twitching to defend herself, but she curses as she realizes that she didn't bring any of her glyphs with her or her writing utensils. Of course, the first time she leaves the safety of the Owl House, and she forgets her glyphs. Rookie mistake.

Any panic soon bled away when she realizes what made that sound, letting her arms down slowly and keeping her eyes focused. It is a griffon, an old one too. The creature's hide is littered with marks of battle and experience with their eyes shining keenly with intelligence. Luz is lucky that it is an elderly griffon; griffons are territorial in general, and the young ones can get too excitable for her liking. Elder griffons, however, are much calmer and tend to cooperate with witches, younger ones especially. Plus, the older ones can at least understand what Luz is speaking and respond back.

Luz bows her head and gives a series of low screeches and clicks with her tongue, "Greetings, honoured elder. I bring no malice to your home. I am merely travelling to a remembrance site to wish I will pay my respects. May I ask your permission to cross your home unharmed?"

The griffon responds with screeches of their own, bowing to her as well. "Greetings to you as well, honoured Ward. You have no need to ask my permission. My home is yours as the land decrees. May you do me the honour of staying with you until you reach your destination?"

"O-Of course! Please, by me." Luz's wonder bleeds into her voice as the griffin takes a spot to the left of her. Griffon's rarely give free reign like that; crossing a griffon's marked territory always requires permission to cross but here, she was given free access! 'Also, I don't think I heard any griffon or other creature I talked to previously call me Ward before. I wonder why they called me that?'

The oddities don't end there. As she walks further into the forest, she can see from the corner of her eyes creatures big and small watching. Waiting. It didn't feel like they have come to hunt her. It feels like she is in a middle of a procession and they, the creatures, have come to witness.

Soon, she reaches the area where her mother's grave should be, and her breath is taken away. What once was a grove nearly overtaken by an overgrowth of roots and weeds was cleaned by an unknown hand, leaving behind lush grass with vibrant flowers sprouting in ordered rows around the marker. These aren't flowers indigenous to the Boiling Isles either. Luz can see tulips, sunflowers, morning glories, snapdragons, her birth mother's namesake, camellias, and more that she can't name. It is a beautiful sight that brings pangs of longing in her chest.

And that does not mention the grave marker that Luz last saw with timeworn stone. The aging memorial was no more, instead, any chips and cracks brought by the erosion of time were gone. Where once were deteriorations was replaced with a clean, pristine sheen of marble as the sunlight hits the stone's surface. The carving of the blooming flower in the center of the headstone looked brand new; sharper and more distinct than before. It looked like someone wove a spell over this entire grove and revitalized it. Made it start anew as the time it was first made.

The sight is marvelous. The griffin that accompanied Luz left when the starstruck girl took her first few, tentative steps towards the grave, holding the end of their deal. Luz can sense that no other creature is near her or the grove, leaving the girl to be by herself and her mother.

She stops a few steps away of the gravestone, noting how the obelisk almost reached the entirety of her height. From this distance, she can clearly see that there were small details etched into carved flowers. Symbols of some kind but Luz didn't pay enough attention to that.

Luz tries to gather her courage and say something, but her words feel stuck in her throat. She tries again but nothing comes out of it except for nervous fidgeting. She tries thinking of something to say but nothing seems to be good enough to say.

After all, what are you supposed to say to someone who knew you, loved you, cared for you but you, yourself, never got to know?

A sigh escapes Luz's lips as she sits down on the ground next to the obelisk, placing the portal door near her feet, and leans on the stone. A part of her notes how warm the stone feels and how good it feels to lay her right side on it. It feels like a warm hug. She closes her eyes, imagining a warm smile and a loving voice that carried the whole world for Luz.

"Hi." Luz takes a breath to compose herself, feeling numerous feelings swirl in her stomach as she finally takes the first step.

"My name is Luz Noceda but I guess you knew that already." She chuckles at her own joke, imagining that her birth mother was laughing alongside her. In the distance, she thinks she hears a familiar yet quiet laughter along the winds.

"So, you're my mother, my real mother, right? The one that the golem back on Earth emulated? I know Kikimora tried to tell me who you were. She even showed me this place before to teach me a lesson." A sharp pain of a memory rises again and Luz winces. "I taught her a lesson too. A bad lesson. One I regret following."

"I'm sorry that I disrespected this place earlier when I fought here. I was too angry to think clearly. I'm also sorry for not visiting in a while too. Things were…a lot and I made really, really bad choices. Choices I thought were right. But that only got people I care about hurt. And worse."

Luz sighs as she curls up beside the gravestone. "It's just…Life here on the Boiling Isles hasn't been easy. You would not believe how many fights I got into in the first few weeks. And before you say anything, yes, I didn't lose! Much. I had to fight off large beasts, students at Hexside, other witches, demons, and all sorts of things and I'm probably not making this any better." A shiver passes over her. It feels like scolding.

"Life on Earth wasn't all peaches and cream either. I was…alone save for the golem. Also, I hope you don't mind calling my guardian there mom too. Before I got transported here on the Isles, the golem, she was all I ever knew."

Luz lets out a sigh, "There are so many people in my life that took care of me on Earth and on the Isles. Kikimora, the golem, Eda. I even made some friends her too; Willow and Amity to name a few. I just…," She continues weakly, "I just wish you were a part of it too." A breeze brushes past her, caressing her cheek. "Luz." She imagines. "Luz."

Luz gives a wry smile, "Sorry, you probably don't know who I'm talking about. The first person you should probably know about is the golem. It was the one who took on your form and helped raise me on Earth. She taught me so many things, reading, writing, sign language, and all sorts of stuff. No hard feelings, I hope. They do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!"

"There's also Eda, self-styled as the most powerful witch of the Boiling Isles. Next to Kikimora, of course, but don't tell her I said that." She hears laughter. Louder. Louder. "She's actually the first person I ever met on the Isles and took me in. She's a tall lady with large gray hair and who has the tendency to nick anything shiny or valuable that's not tied down."

"Now granted, she's a criminal but she is a good person! As long as you ignore the times she attracts danger. Although, I do that sometimes as well. There was this one time that a basilisk infiltrated Hexside, a school for magic, and…," Urgency. A burning sense of concern and wrath. "Actually, I'll tell you that one later."

"Then there are my friends I mentioned before, Willow and Amity. Get this, apparently, I met them before when I was younger! We played at the castle during the short time I lived here before my memory got wiped and got transported to Earth." "Luz…, will you be okay?" "Yeah, that was aa thing that happened. Got my memory wiped by Kikimora to make sure I don't remember any ties to this place. Probably done to make sure I don't feel any regret or something like that. It didn't help that the memory wipe caused me to be manipulated by that man."

Luz shakes her head, "I'm getting sidetracked. To start off, Willow is a very powerful witch and studies the Plant track in Hexside. She's a bit shorter than me and has green hair and eyes with a nice personality to boot but don't let that fool you! Anger her and you'll meet a plant with too many rows of teeth!"

"When I got sent back to the Isles, Willow was the first witch my age I met and got me acquainted with Hexside. I even got introduced to her best friend, Gus! Short for Augustus. The guy is a self-proclaimed human expert and I love the energy he brings, even if most of his facts are a tad wrong."

"Then there's Amity." A heat creeps up her neck as her smile softens at the name. "She is probably the most confusing girl I have ever met. First, she becomes my friend when we were little then the next thing I know, she hates Willow, someone she knew longer. Also, apparently, she still remembered me for all this time after I left the Isles. I must have made one heck of an impression if she still remembered me after everything." "You care for her, don't you?"

"Anyways, she then spirits me away from an angry mob and helps me recover from what I like to call a memory backlash. Oh, right!" Luz perks up, having almost forgotten some details from her ramblings. "Amity is an Abominations witch; she basically creates these purple goo monsters, and they obey her every command! She's like a puppet master except without the strings! She also has seafoam green hair, but I think it's dyed as I saw brown hair growing from her roots, pale skin, and she has these piercing golden eyes that could see through your soul!"

"Then…Then there's Kikimora." Luz sniffs as she gives herself an embrace. "You probably don't know a lot about Kikimora, seeing that you only met her during your last moments. Kikimora is a demon, the species not the description, with what I think is a hand for hair and red skin. She has scars in a lot of places, though. On her eye, face, neck, hands, and legs. Some were black scar tissue while others looked burned on her. I didn't ask how she got those. I think I already know anyways."

"You probably want to know how well she did raising me, right? Well…," Warmth courses through her body as pleasant memories come forward. "I think she did a great job. She did so much to protect and raise me. Sacrificed her own wellbeing so that I could live a peaceful life on Earth. Even after I stumbled my way back in the Isles, Kikimora never once broke her promise to you, y'know?"

Luz deeply sighs, a faraway look forming on her face as her eyes shimmer like glass. "I miss her."

Sunlight lingers on her shoulder like a comforting hand of an angel.

"I made a promise to her. To Kikimora." Her body trembles as she nearly shouts. "I promised her I would help her but a part of me thinks that I won't ever see her real face again. Instead, I'll be cursed to see a stone statue of my adoptive mother forever!"

Luz then stands up, passion invigorating her voice and step. "But I won't give up! If I can somehow help overthrow a tyrant from another realm, then I can reverse the effects of petrification magic! Even if it takes years, I will keep this promise! So says Luz Noceda, daughter of Camila Noceda, and the adoptive daughter of Kikimora, chosen Soothsayer of the Isles!"

Luz's words echo in the distance, letting the land know of the conviction of the determined human. The flowers around the grave shivered and bowed, as if Luz's words gave life and made them witness to her testament. The very land beneath her feet quakes with what Luz can feel as pride from the will exuding from the girl.

"I won't be able to do this alone, however, and there is still one part of this family that I need to see first." Her hands grasp the crystal necklace, feeling an unnatural warmth bloom from the item. She turns around to stare at the carving and lets one of her hands trace the outline of the flower before saying, "I'm heading back to Earth for a bit. I need to find out what happened to my old home and the golem. I can't abandon a part of my heart there. I hope you understand, mom. I'll make sure to visit you from time to time and keep you updated. I love you, mom."

I love you too, cariño. I'm so proud of you.

Luz quickly turns around, feeling a ghost of a voice whisper in her ears but she sees nothing but the woods around her. She clutches her necklace. She recognizes that voice.

A wobbly smile forms on her face as she wipes the tears forming around her eyes.

'Don't cry now, Luz. Don't cry or we'll be too much of an emotional wreck to handle what's next.' She tells herself. She takes many breaths to center herself, letting her emotions subside.

She takes the portal door and without a second though, throws it into the air beside the eyes widen in amazement as the suitcase hangs in the air before it unfolds itself, revealing a large blue door with an eye staring back at her. She takes the key out of her pocket and inserts it into the keyhole below the knob and twists. With a noticeable clack, the door opens, revealing a swirling mass of light that then subsides to reveal a part of a familiar beachfront.

Just as she is about to step through, she is reminded of what happened the first time she attempted to cross back, and she abruptly stops. Her body is mere moments away from lurching itself forward but her fear grips Luz like a vice.

She takes a moment to think. 'Will…Will it work? Can I cross over now? Will I be stopped?'

A debt is repaid. One of many. You have my blessings, Luz Noceda.

In her mind, the familiar voice of the Titan whispers faintly. Its voice was quiet, faint, but still resolute in strength. It must have healed enough to speak in full sentences. And with those words, Luz openly weeps.

'Thank you! Titan, thank you!'

With a smile on her face, she jumps.

---

Once upon a time, there was a human girl named Luz.

She came from a faraway land called Earth where the skies are blue and where the rain does not burn.

She fell from the sky wreathed in golden light and taken in by the Owl Lady to aid the lost human.

Her arrival marked our land with change and sorrow. By her own hands, magics once thought lost were brought back anew and brought sweeping changes to life on the Isles.

Yet, that was not her desire.

Every night, she would stare into the night sky and wishing to the stars above to listen to her pleas.

She longed to return home.

---

Let it be known that crossing a portal to another dimension felt like wading through a tub full of jelly. Definitely an improvement over crashing into a solid wall of light but still something she did not expect to experience today.

Stepping out of the portal doorway, Luz feels the coarse sand underneath her heel and with the sun high in the sky, shades her eyes with her hand. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. The familiar kick of salt-water and the humidity of the warm air welcomes her. Some things never change.

Luz opens her eyes and observes her surroundings. This stretch of the beach doesn't seem familiar to her but that doesn't bother her. It shouldn't be hard to find pieces of rubble laying about and if she can't find it one way, she'll go the other way instead.

So, after closing the portal door and making it transform back into a suitcase, she started walking. Left, right, left, right. The monotony of the march is a welcome change from the high-energy days spent on the Boiling Isles. Feeling the salt-laced wind in her hair and the sea spray kissing her skin is another blessing to feel after so long without it.

Her necklace waves to the rhythm of the march, matching the beat of the crunching sand. The crystal seems to radiate a calming warmth that washes over her starting from her chest that then flows outwards. Luz doesn't know much about what her crystal does except that it generated a golem guardian for her. According to Eda, it was made by a homunculus, but Luz doesn't really know what that means or what a homunculus is. Maybe once she some time to spare, she can find something about homunculi in the Bonesborough library?

Luz continues her trek up the beach. She has been walking for a while as the sun noticeably lowered in the sky and she can feel the strain in her legs and the heat making her sweat. Strangely, she hasn't seen any sign of her old home. Luz would expect that a collapsed tower would be easy to find with the stone standing out of the sun-kissed sand but perhaps not.

She almost turned around and went the other way to search for the tower in the other direction until she turned a bend. She stopped in her tracks as she finally found it. Laying strewn across the wide stretch of sand, pieces of her old home, the tower, appeared.

Luz immediately dashed to the nearest one. Then the next. And then the next. She carefully inspected each one with a glimmer and curiosity in her eye. Some pieces were as big as her and twice as wide while others were about as small as the palm of her hand. Each piece she finds fills a hole in her heart that she didn't realize she had. Even after being shown the images of her tower being broken, a small part of her held out hope that there would still be something there for Luz to return.

The nearby ocean has also laid its claim to some of pieces of the tower as some exceptionally large chunks had parts jut out of the ocean's surface. Luz reckons that many more were deep below the water's depths, no doubt turning into homes for wayward sea life or coral.

Occasionally, Luz would also find some items scattered and buried in the sand. She finds a couple pots and pans from the kitchen, but many have rusted under the ocean's persuasive influence, making them useless without restoration. She finds some of her books that she kept in her room, but most have had their pages waterlogged while others have had their pages and covers torn from the elements. Luz cringes at the damage she sees for some of the books; she'll miss reading them.

She ventures further into the wreckage of her home yet, after what feels like hours of searching, Luz hasn't found the golem that took care of her. Her back is drenched with sweat and her arms ache with the weight of the portal door that she is carrying after what feels like hours of searching. Luz licks her dry lips and mentally berates herself for not thinking of bringing her bag or a drink. She'll die of heat stroke before she died of old age!

She looks around for a suitable patch of shade for her to lay in and finds the perfect spot to sit down and soothe her tired body. Near where she stands is a part of the tree line that borders the beach and serves as another natural barrier for her home. She slowly trudges towards a suitable tree with a wide enough shadow and plops down on the ground, letting out a sigh of relief when doing so.

Luz sets aside the portal door suitcase and takes in the scenery in front of her. The scattered remains of her tower with the waters claiming some of the stone for its own. It feels like a scene straight out of a painting or one of her old fantasy books she read. Nostalgia and longing were filling the cracks in her mind as the distant push and pull of waves ground her.

Farther back in the rubble, she can see the base of the tower lingering against nature with its wooden door somehow still latched to the doorway. She wonders how out of all things that the doorway was still standing after that freakish thunderstorm that broke the tower in the first place. Not to mention how erosion hasn't claimed a part of it afterwards.

She stifles a yawn and feels her eyelids flutter as she sinks further into the shade of the tree. She can feel her body begin to quietly shut down as the intensity of the day catches up to her with her energy fading away by the second.

An errant thought pokes at her, 'Should I really fall asleep being partially dehydrated and from being under the sun for about an hour?' A part of her says, 'No, don't fall asleep. It's dangerous. You're vulnerable.' The other part of her says, 'Don't worry, me! I'll just close my eyes for five minutes to get a bit of rest.' And so, Luz closes her eyes, content with having a brief downtime after such a high-strung day. She tells herself that she'll open her eyes after five minutes then she can return to her search.

It was not five minutes.

When Luz opens her eyes, Luz immediately scrambles to her feet as she takes off her glasses, rubs her eyes, and puts them back on again as she could not believe what she is seeing. It is dark outside. The sun no longer baring its gaze on the sand but rather, the moon illuminating the ocean with the stars shining brightly in the night sky.

'Oh, Eda is going to kill me.' If the Owl Lady wasn't worried before with their talk earlier, then the woman would definitely be worried now. This is far later than what Luz planned to stay out, and she imagines Eda scouring the Isles for her. 'Actually, scratch that. Eda would probably find some way to get her portal door back and drag me back to the Owl House.' Luz looks around for a few seconds to see if she accidently divined Eda's action, but after seeing no sign of a worried witch, Luz breathes a sigh of relief.

'Alright, now that I know I won't have Eda barging in here, I think its time to head back to the Owl House.' Luz grabs the portal door and tosses it into the air in front of her, allowing it to transform. She's already searched enough for today. She couldn't find any trace of her guardian, but she can come back here again and again to find them. She needs to.

She is about to put the portal key into the keyhole when something catches her attention. Movement. Its too dark to see clearly what it is but Luz can see some dark shape shuffle there way between stone fragments, stopping for a period of time for each one. Feeling curiosity and hope bloom in her chest, she closes the portal, picks up the suitcase, and runs off into the wreckage.

She runs and runs and runs. Off she goes to the direction of this figure and in her mind, she prays that this is the one she is looking for. Her chest feels warm but whether it is due to her exhaustion or the crystal necklace, she doesn't know. She doesn't bother to figure it out.

She runs and runs and stops. Her mad dash causes her to take deep and heavy breaths, but it was worth it as she finally sees what that shadowy figure was. Her eyes widen as to what she sees.

In front of her, paying no attention to its surroundings, a large, vaguely humanoid mass of stone scrapes at the sand below it. 'No, its not just stone.' Luz realizes. Her eyes widen as half of its body is shaped into a human woman dressed in a beige button-up dress shirt with matching beige cargo shorts. Yet, it looks like that half is crumbling as patches of its 'skin' and 'cloth' are deteriorating into flecks of sand. She knows this construct. She knows it all too well.

'This is the golem…' Luz watches in awe and horror as the golem digs away at the sand with its malformed arms, making piles of sand beside it. Luz is taken aback at this behaviour, wondering why the golem is doing that. She looks around and finds similar piles located near other stone fragments. At first glance, she thought those piles were sand dunes.

It takes a moment before it hits her. 'She's looking for me!' All this time, the golem must have been searching all over the beach for any sign of Luz, never forgetting its original mission. Although Luz questions if this drive to find her is solely due to its directives or if other factors have influenced it.

She doesn't have time to think of anything else when she takes a step forward and accidently hits a small stone fragment.

THUNK

Luz freezes, the sound almost minute against the nearby waves but it was enough. The golem freezes. Slowly, so slowly, the golem turns towards the sound.

A set of brown eyes meets a dull brown eye and a large crystal in place of another.

For a moment, nobody makes a move or a sound. Both Luz and the golem stare at one another, taking each other's presence. With the golem fully turned towards her, Luz can see that even the untransformed side of it has deteriorated to the point where chunks of stone are missing, and cracks are scattered along its stone hide. The magic that once held this magnificent construct seems to be fading, and Luz can only guess as to why.

Luz then slowly raises her free hand and signs with a tentative smile on her face, "Hi, Mom. I'm back."

The golem stares at her, looking up and down. The golem half of the construct appears emotionless, but the human half rapidly flickers between a whole myriad of emotions in a few seconds. Surprise. Shock. Anger. Sadness. Relief.

The golem shuffles its way towards Luz and with every step, the golem grows shorter and shorter as the decay catches up to it. Luz remains unperturbed, however, as she can feel her crystal necklace thrum in power; the crystal recognizing that the shard can now return to the whole.

When the golem, no, Camila is in front of her, the woman gives a warm smile towards her daughter and gently cups Luz's left cheek. Luz leans into the touch. It feels warm. Camila signs, "I'm so glad you're safe. Are you okay, Mija?"

Luz places a hand on top of Camila's hand, running a thumb over its rough contours. Luz tries but fails to contain the emotion in her voice as she signs, "Yes, Mom, now that I'm with you." She then takes her hand that was over Camila's own, grabs the crystal dangling over her neck, and raises it so that it is eye level with Camila.

"Please, Mom, you can rest now. I know that you are a h-o-m-u-n-c-u-l-u-s, or at least born of one, and you have a mission but its done now. Your mission is over. You're breaking down and I can't lose you too. Please." Luz's eyes are pleading while Camila looks stunned.

"K-i-k-i-m-o-r-a?"

"She's…She's gone. She's gone and I'm trying to fix it but I'm not sure if or when I'll be able to. Please, you're one of the only ones I have left. You can rest now."

Silence permeates between the two. Camila's eyes shift between the crystal in Luz's hand and the girl's eyes. Then, Camila's body shudders and she falls to her knees with Luz rushing to catch her.

"I will always be with you…" Luz's crystal necklace shines brightly, resonating with Camila's decay. Slowly, Camila turns to dust, revealing the same crystal shards that made her necklace within her body. Both dust and crystal become absorbed into Luz's necklace and Luz can feel it become heavier with each passing second.

Soon, the light fades, leaving behind a necklace forged anew. What was once a single crystal shard is now shaped into a crystalline amaryllis that weighs heavily on her neck. Luz gently grasps it, feeling a new warmth arise from it. She can feel something swirling inside it. Life.

Luz throws the portal door into the air and smiles at her necklace, knowing that the golem inside must be smiling at her too.

"Time to head home."

---

Once upon a time, there was a demon with eyes that bottled lightning and skin as red as her burning passion.

You may know of her; Kikimora the Soothesayer. But before, she was not dubbed that title. No, before she was a loyal servant to The Forgotten One. She was cruel, ruthless, and bled many lives for her master. Until, one day, two humans, one mother, one daughter, crossed the threshold and entered the Boiling Isles.

Seeing the mother on her deathbed, the demon took the daughter as her Ward, but expected little of the tiny creature. The bundle of life she held in her hands was only a tool to be used to aid her master.

Yet as time went on, Kikimora grew to care for the human girl as her own. She fed the girl, taught the girl the many languages of the Isles, and clothed her in the garments of our land. Her heart began to yearn for the girl, wanting to give her a life away from the crushing reality Kikimora, herself, placed the girl in.

Then one day, as if answering her prayers, the Titan itself arose from its slumber and revealed onto her many truths. Truths about herself. Truths about her master. Truths about the girl, her daughter.

Soon, Kikimora fled the castle she once called her home with her daughter in hand. Deep into the forest they went with the hounds behind them, wishing to any that would listen that they would have safe passage.

It was not meant to be. The Forgotten One and The Raven found them. Kikimora defended to the best of her ability, even using forbidden magics to turn the tide but it was not enough.

With her daughter in hand, Kikimora made a choice. With a blue light, her daughter's memories were wiped with naught a single moment spared. Conjuring a golem from the heart of an ancient homunculus, she sent the two away, hoping that with her last act, she would protect them.

Years later, she would find that was not the case.

Years later, her daughter, Luz, returned.

---

"Eda, it's getting dark. Is Luz coming back?" King asks with one of his stuffed minions in his paws. The little demon is fidgeting in his seat on the couch, anxiously watching the front door with every tick of the nearby clock.

With a sigh, a pacing Eda takes a seat beside King and places a hand on one of his tiny shoulders, "Don't worry, King. She'll come back. She's not the type of person to just up and disappear without giving us a heads up."

"Okay." King says timidly. Eda gives a reassuring smile at him, trying to put up a brave front but Eda wouldn't lie to herself if she wasn't deeply worried as well. Luz has been gone for a long time now and the moon was already high in the sky. When Eda finished her chat with her sister, Lilith, and found that Luz hasn't come back a few hours later, she immediately stormed into Bonesborough and the castle to find the girl.

At the mere thought of her sister and the conversation they had earlier that day, Eda scoffs. There was more than enough shouting between the two of them that it could level mountains. Lilith deciding to dare and show her face after admitting that she was the one who placed the curse was more than enough cause to kick her out.

Yet, coming with a peace offering made Eda give her pause long enough to her Lilith out. And by the Titan was that peace offering enticing.

Luz would no longer be targeted by the Emperor's Titan's Coven as its previous leadership has been usurped with Lilith being the designated new leader. Luz would be guaranteed protection and have access to all the resources the Coven had at their disposal, including the sealed archives. After what Luz told Eda earlier about wanting to help Kikimora, Luz will need all that she can help. Eda will make sure that she can help, even if she has to settle some grudges with her sister to do so.

The change in her criminal status was also a nice perk. She'll take that as a challenge to set a new record!

However, there was one part of the deal that made Eda accept the whole package. As compensation and as a sign of good faith, Lilith will personally deliver the petrified statue of Kikimora to the Owl House tomorrow. From there, Kikimora will be under their care as they see fit. Hopefully, Luz will be ecstatic to have Kikimora close, even if the demon is a statue.

"HOOT HOOT! Guess who's back!?" Hooty's excited voice cuts through Eda's thoughts as the house demon swings open the door, revealing a familiar human who shyly waves.

"Hey, everyone!" Luz smiles timidly, "Sorry I'm late."

"LUZ!" King shouts as he runs past Eda and hugs Luz's legs as tight as he can. "Don't ever be so late ever again!"

Luz affectionally rubs the top of King's head. "Sorry about that, King. I promise you I won't do that again."

"YOU BETTER!"

Hooty took that chance to wrap Luz in one of his signature hugs and cheerfully says, "I'm so glad you're back! You being here makes me so happy!"

"Hooty, stop it!" Luz laughs as Hooty rubs his head on her hair, "That tickles!"

Eda watches on with a wide smile as soon enough, Owlbert comes in to join in the hug as he perches on Luz's shoulder and hoots affectionally. Seeing Luz be so happy and so upbeat from the melancholy from this morning brought an ease to Eda's heart. Tomorrow she'll tell Luz what Lilith told her. Tomorrow, there is work to be done. But for now, she'll let the girl have this.

Luz looks at Eda, gives a smile that could rival Eda's smile, and softly says, "I'm home, Eda."

Eda snorts and walks up to Luz, taking advantage of Luz's immobile state to give the girl some playful noogies which makes the girl squawk with faux indignation. Eda didn't care, only laughing at Luz's poor attempt at fake anger.

"Welcome home, kid."

---

Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment of what you thought of the chapter as I would like to know what you thought.

Additionally, if you have any outstanding questions about the story, I'll happily answer them to the best of my ability.

Until next time!