The following holidays in the Human Realm after that Christmas, Amity had made excuses to be absent. Once she had gotten her magic back in a way that wouldn't injure Vee, she had started with using her magic more blatantly. While she had met with substantial prejudice at first, she had buried herself in the the idea that she had to make things better. She had partnered up with Eda at first, bringing human technology and trinkets to the Boiling Isles in exchange for relics and spells that would be beneficial to humans. She had used what she had learned from her parents, and within only a few years, Amity had an impressive business that dabbled in everything from power generation and utility, to health care and entertainment.

She soon rivalled some of the most powerful corporations on Earth, and she had been busy. Too busy. She had no need for Eda as a business partner within a few years, and she had lost contact with Willow and Gus, favoring witches with their skills that were less willful. She could never say that her hands were clean on her rise to the top, but the world… Luz's world, appreciated her efforts. She had tried to make it up to Vee, inventing a magical supplement that she was able to take like a vitamin that would give her the magic she needed to live a normal life away from the Boiling Isles. She wasn't certain if Vee had forgiven her for her mistake, but she certainly hadn't forgiven herself, and seeing Luz's face in hers had simply become too hard to do. By then, she had barely spent any time at home with her wife, and had grown distant and even busier with work. By the time Camila had developed cancer, they had been essentially separated for months and Amity hadn't been there when Luz needed her most.

Now, Amity sobbed into Camila's spectral form's shoulder, overcome with everything she had either done or refused to do. "I'm sorry." she choked out, and she could feel Camila's hand stroke her hair. "I knew how much family meant to you, and I wanted to give you and Luz the best gift I could think of." The pregnancy spell had been at the root of Belos' grimwalker ritual that he had twisted for his own ends, but most of the ingredients simply couldn't be found anywhere anymore. Had she just talked to Luz about it, rather than trying to make it a surprise that she had chosen to do in a drunken state, everything would have been fine. Instead, their chances for their own family had been spilled on the floor, and it had been days before Amity had regained consciousness. By then, it had been far too late and she hadn't had the heart to talk to anyone but Willow about what she had really been doing in there. It was a secret that had festered between her and Luz that had lead to their eventual split.

"It's okay, hija. Making mistakes like that just make you more of a Noceda." Camila said with a light chuckle, propping Amity up back to a sitting position. "Now, I know you've been having a rough night, but I'm afraid that I only have so much time."

Amity nodded and took a ragged breath. "Can I get changed first? The last trip was pretty drafty." she said quietly with the hint of a smirk. Camila nodded, and Amity heaved herself up despite her exhaustion. She gave herself a slight shake, wiped her eyes, and took another breath to steel herself for the remainder of the night ahead and moved to her walk in closet. She picked out a more casual set of clothes to change into, wondering exactly what Camila was here to show her before questions started to rise. Were Alador, Boscha and Camila just spirits taking on the appearance of people she knew? What did the Krampus legend that Alador mentioned have to do with anything?

She settled on a black hoodie and maroon slim fit jeans with a pair of black runners; an ensemble she'd often wear for her morning jogs. After changing into the more comfortable clothes, she exited the closet, half expecting Camila to be gone and to find she had only dreamed the last few hours, but the older woman was still there. There was grey in her hair now, and a few more lines around her eyes that she often joked that she'd gotten from Luz. She was also wearing the same clothing from the last time Amity remembered seeing her, just as Boscha had been. A pair of jeans that came down to her calves, a red t-shirt, and a blue canvas jacket that she had worn since giving her old one to Vee. Red framed glasses, white slip on shoes, and a red purse completed her look.

"So are you going to be more helpful than my last guide?" Amity asked. "Boscha didn't have any answers for me about all of this."

Camila looked away sheepishly for a moment before facing Amity again. "I know we didn't meet under the best circumstances, Amity. You were the competition for my daughter's future, and I resented you for it. I felt guilty for a long time making Luz promise to stay when she came back. I had no idea the connections she had made tore her apart so much, and I never meant to force you to make a decision between our world and yours."

Amity smiled for a moment. "Camila, you gave me a home that I never had. You made me understand how Luz managed to be how she was. I just wish I could have given something back."

"Amity, you've saved our world when we couldn't! I just wish you hadn't chosen to do it alone."

"I…" Amity began, then cleared her throat. "We should get started." she said, looking around the room for the portal door.

"Oh, right!" Camila exclaimed, digging into her purse and pulling out a small slip of paper. "Uh, you have a portal thing, right?"

Amity and Camila stood before the portal in the basement of the Blight Industries tower, staring up at the portal door. When Belos had been defeated, Luz and everyone she had connected with managed to get his large scale portal working again in order to return home. When Amity had the idea of rebranding Blight Industries as a multidimensional corporation, she'd had Earth's exit moved to her building in order to keep control over who and what could cross over between realms. At least until she had distanced herself from Luz and her friends and they managed to find another way over.

"Why are we using my portal again? Shouldn't you have some kind of ethereal portal door or multidimensional teleportation…" Amity asked.

Camila held up a hand. "I'm not even sure what those words mean, and I'm pretty new to this whole Ghost of Christmas Present idea. It makes for a good show to watch once a year, but the whole magic thing is a bit out of my wheel house."

"Fair." Amity agreed, though she eyed the older woman suspiciously for a moment. She approached the portal's controls and went through the proper procedures before looking down at the old key that would open it. She couldn't help but think about how things had worked out. If the Golden Guard hadn't gotten away with this portal key all those years ago, Luz might very well have not returned to the Boiling Isles during her first experiment and they wouldn't have been able to capture his mass transit portal for use now. She twisted the key, causing the lights in the room to flicker for a moment as her abomiton generators started, sending a disturbing groan echoing through the room that clearly made Camila uncomfortable. The rebuilt portal door flared to life as Amity returned to Camila's side, and then fanned out to fill the large circular gateway before opening to reveal a blinding white light. "Can I ask you a question, Camila?"

Camila stared at the portal, an apprehension that Amity hadn't seen in her since their first meeting showing clearly. "Hmm? Yes. Of course, hija."

"What are you? Are you actually a ghost? Are you…

Camila took Amity's hand in hers before smiling up at her. "In due time." she said, stepping forward.

Amity and Camila stepped out onto the dry soil of the hand of the Titan, a short distance from the vaguely familiar sight of the Owl House. It's blue shingles were tattered and faded, its wooden beams were showing rot, and its stucco had fallen away in patches. Amity frowned at the poor shape the house was in, and her eyes rose to the large circular window where Eda had kept her nest was boarded up. "What are we doing here?" she asked, her gaze falling on the front door that had a hole in it where Hooty used to protrude; its recess now a shrivelled mess of severed tendons and veins that had long since gone dormant. The old weather vane now resided just off the path at the foot of the door.

"Is this where Luz lived all that time?" Camila asked with a grimace.

"It did look better at that time." Amity said, walking forward. "A little. Where's Hooty? And Eda? What happened here?"

"I think we're here to show you how things have come about. I'm afraid I never met this Hooty person, though Luz talked a lot about him…"

A loud clatter and a bout of swearing could be heard through the door, and Amity carefully put her hand on it, passing through just as she had earlier. She stepped through with Camila close behind and she found that the living room was unlit, with only faint sunlight sneaking through the stained glass windows that were mostly covered by torn curtains. The old couch and coffee table had been moved to the side to make room for some sort of alchemical lab on a desk that was bubbling away with multicolored fluids steaming and condensing. Amity bent down to get a closer look at what was being done, finding tiny brown feathers, and shiny iridescent scales scattered about. There was a blue glowing stone that appeared to have been sheared off of something larger, sitting on a hot plate that was slowly melting it, and causing it to drip into the mess of tubes and beakers A dried wad of hair that looked like it had been coughed up by something a decade ago was in another beaker, soaking in red fluid. "What is going on here?"

"Luz?!" Eda called from the kitchen, entering the living room excitedly. Her sightline was directed at the front door, and she frowned when she saw no one there. "Nevermind, Hooty. Must have just been the wind." Time had not been kind to the witch. She was thinner now, and her dress was even more ragged than Amity remembered. Her hair was stark white now, and frazzled as though it hadn't been brushed in weeks. She was walking with the assistance of her staff, though Owlbert wasn't currently attached to it.

"Eda? Hooty's gone…"

"Hija, I'm not sure you need to see this." Camila said, placing a hand on Amity's shoulder.

"We need to find Owlbert. The Golden Guard's palisman was able to see and hear me. If we can find Owlbert, maybe I can talk to her… assuming she'd want to." Amity said, pulling away from Camila and moving toward the kitchen, passing through Eda as she did. "I can fix this. I just need to find…"

Camila watched Eda as she moved about the living room, checking the assortment of beakers and tubes, adjusting the heat on the glowing stone and adding another of the tiny brown feathers to the brew. "Shouldn't be long now." the old witch smiled, using her staff to help her stand up straight again.

"Amity…" Camila called. "You know you can't fix everything, right?" she asked. "Whenever we try to fix the problems around us, something always breaks inside." She stepped up behind Amity, finding her looking down at a kitchen table that was covered in dirty cooking utensils, books, and an open journal marked L.C. with a Pain Transference spell bookmarked, and a small clearing made for a tiny wooden owl figurine.

"I can't just give up, Camila." Amity replied. "What good is fixing myself if everything around me is falling apart? If I just… If I just knew what was going on around me like my mom did, I could at least know when things are getting bad." she said, leaning in to inspect the journal for a moment before moving on to the little figurine. The palisman was inert, and seemed to have numerous feathers missing from his tail and wings, and had developed small spots on his back. Palisman didn't age, and Amity could tell that the feathers had been delicately carved off. "I don't understand what would make Eda do this. Witches and Palisman are bonded; they're life long companions. What could have made her do this to Owlbert?"

Camila smiled at the small figurine. "I remember seeing this little fella years ago. Always flying around our place and getting into the trash."

A loud thump from the living room caught their attention, and Eda shouted, "Hooty! I fell again." she called out, a twinge of apathy and sadness in her voice.

The little palisman on the table began to glow and come to life, letting out a concerned hoot and making Camila jump back in surprise. "Owlbert! You're okay! What did Eda do to you?!"

The little owl hopped backward, clearly surprised to see Amity standing before him. He let out an angry screech at her before hopping off of the table and onto a chair before gliding down to the floor and hopping into the living room. "He doesn't seem happy to see you, does he?" Camila stated.

"Something's not right." Amity replied, following Owlbert. Eda was on the floor, crawling over to the old couch and reaching for her staff. "He can't fly on his own anymore." The little owl continued to hop toward the staff, before Amity stood in his way. "Owlbert, I need your help. I need you to talk to Eda for me."

Owlbert stopped, looking up at her in indignation as she kneeled down. "C'mon, Hooty! What's taking so long?" Eda shouted, still trying to pull herself up onto the couch.

"Owlbert, can you tell Eda I'm here? I need to know what happened."

The little palisman looked down at his tiny feet and ruffled his feathers, hopping past Amity and connecting to the top of Eda's staff. Now connected to Eda again, the staff rose into the air and Owlbert's eyes began to glow as he hovered slowly over to her outstretched hand. The aging witch grasped it, and winced as Owlbert lifted her into a sitting position on the couch. Once she was more comfortable, the little palisman twisted off of the staff and hopped down onto his owner's shoulder, cooing quietly and causing Eda's eyes to widen. Amity gasped when it became clear that her left eye that had been grey since sharing her curse with her sister, was now nearly white. "What? No, Amity's not here. No one's here. Everyone left."

"What?" Amity growled. "No, I am here Eda! Owlbert, you have to let her know I'm here."

"As much as I like to think otherwise, everyone's gone. Hooty's gone, King's gone. Even Luz doesn't visit any more since her mom got sick. Who'd want to spend time with a grouchy old bag of bones like me, anyway?" Eda asked, earning her a compassionate nuzzle from Owlbert.

"Owlbert… tell Eda that Bossy Boots needs her to listen." Amity said, settling into a cross legged position in front of her.

After a few somber notes from the owl, Eda looked up in surprise. "Amity?"

Amity's eyes brightened. "Yes! Eda, I'm here, and I need to talk to you!"

But Eda's eyes began to water and her scowl returned. "Amity?! I don't know how, but if you can hear me, let me tell you what you've done for me! You took control of the only portal between our worlds, taking my income; you've harvested everything left of value on the Boiling Isles, and you chased everyone away from me! What good would it do me to listen to you now?"

Amity was trying to work her mouth to say something, but no words were coming. She looked about the room, noticing the marks on the walls, and the damaged furniture that had all been signs of when Luz had lived here. Memories of the moments that she, as sparse as they were, spent here. "Eda, I'm sorry. I guess I got so focused on trying to do everything I could to give Luz something. To… earn her love back, that I forgot about everyone else."

A tense moment passed as Owlbert relayed the message, and Eda rolled her good eye. "How many times are you going to forget that you never needed to earn anything? The only person you've ever needed to earn love from is yourself, and you tossed everyone, including Luz, to the side to get it."

Amity looked away, wiping her cheek with the heel of her hand before turning back. "When I get back, I'm going to fix this. I'm going to fix everything." she said, standing.

"The last time I heard anyone say that, they were wearing a stag mask." Eda said, looking up. "I don't know how you got here, but you should probably go back the same way."

Amity glared down at the older woman, feeling like her heart had just been pierced. She wiped her cheek again, and clenched her jaw against the emotions that were threatening to come out. "Camila, can we go?"

She could feel her mother-in-law's soft grip on her arm as she turned toward the door. "Of course."

Amity and Camila entered the Noceda residence from the back door, entering the kitchen. The lights were off, as was expected for this early in the morning, though the moonlight shining through the window was enough for Amity to see relatively clearly, her golden witch eyes shining in the darkness. She noted that there was no set dining table, no smell of Christmas Dinner, and no decorations up like there had been the last time she saw it. There was no sign of an after meal clean up, or even that one had been started. "What's going on? Luz said everyone was coming over for dinner."

"Maybe they just decided to get take out?" Camila asked, causing Amity to little more than shrug.

Amity moved into the living room, finding Willow and Gus cuddled up together haphazardly on the couch, dozing peacefully with their palismen curled up together on Willow's lap. On the far end of the room, sat Vee, covered in a thick blanket with her face illuminated by the light of a smart phone that was emitting quiet beeps as she played a game. Camila had been the first to learn that basilisks needed very little sleep if they had a steady supply of magic to feed on, which was likely what made them such terrifying predators during the Savage Ages. Since she had been provided with magical supplements, she likely only needed an hour or two of sleep a day.

"I don't suppose basilisks can hear me, huh?" Amity asked, looking for a reaction out of Vee. The girl hadn't changed her form in the last few years; ever since the last Christmas they were all together, turning from Luz's twin, to her little sister. When Vee continued playing on the phone, Amity turned to the pair of palismen sleeping with their witch counterparts. "Clover…" she whispered, reaching out to try touching the large wasp-like creature. To her disappointment, her hand passed through it and the palisman's wings buzzed for a moment before it let out an adorable squeak and nuzzled Willow's cheek again. Amity let out a sigh, gripping the bottom of her sweater in frustration. "What am I supposed to be doing here?" she asked, glaring back at Camila. She was still stinging from Eda's comments, and she didn't think the lack of information coming from the location was Camila's fault, but it was clear that Luz's mother knew something that she wasn't sharing. "I'm going to go look around. Let me know if anything happens here."

Camila nodded, kneeling down beside Vee with her own look of regret, stroking her hair with an ethereal hand. "You know, when Luz first contacted me from the Demon Realm, this is a lot like how it felt. Being able to see her, but not touch her. It's hard."

"Yeah. It is." Amity agreed. She had kept tabs on Luz through scrying spells for the first while after their separation, trying to comfort herself with the idea that Luz was still happy, but the clearer it became that she had just been putting on a brave face for the sake of her friends and family, the harder it became to watch. Amity had expected Luz to move on, but when Camila got sick, she retreated into herself. "Sometimes it's best to just let go." she added, beginning to ascend the stairs.

"¡No hija! ¡No nos dejamos ir!" Camila shouted at her as she stood. "Letting go is what brought all of this on! I understand that you were hurt, Amity; but hurting everyone that loved you in return won't fix anything. You didn't need to fall back on your childhood expectations. Everyone here…" she said, gesturing to the rest of the people in the room. "Would have supported you."

"I know that. But I had to do something." Amity replied, looking down at the steps she was on before looking back. "It's who I am…" she added, then noticed that Camila was beginning to fade. "Camila? What's happening?"

"I thought I'd have more time…" Camila said, staggering to hold her balance. Her knees began to wobble, and she reached out as Amity raced to her side to catch her.

"I thought you were just a spirit! What's going on?" She asked frantically.

"I'm sorry I wasn't more help, hija. This magic stuff is complicated." Camila said with a frightened smile. "Find Luz. You have a choice to make before he returns."

"Before who returns?! Krampus? I'm not a child anymore, I…" but Camila had already faded.

"Amity?" Vee asked, jumping in surprise. "What are you… how did you get here?!"

"Christmas! Scrooge! Ghosts! Rrrrr!" she stammered and growled. "Where's Luz?!"

"At the hospital with Camilla! How…"

"I gotta go!" Amity shouted, waking Willow and Gus from their sleep. She carved a crackling circle of purple energy, lighting up the room as her staff appeared. With Camila gone and Vee able to see and hear her, she'd had a feeling that the rules had suddenly changed, and she was happy to have her magic back. Before anyone else could even stand, Amity was on her staff, bursting through the back door with a quick circle to clear it out of her way. The biting cold hit her cheeks and blew through her light clothing, but she didn't care. She rose up into the sky, the blowing snow making her squint as she searched for the hospital that she remembered Camila last being in. Spotting the illuminated sign, she shouted, "Go Ghost, go!" the white feline palisman that, while seemingly unmoving, rocketed toward Amity's target on the staff.

"Miss! You can't just barge in here!" a human male shouted from behind the reception desk.

"Back off, man; I'm a witch." Amity replied, continuing forward, checking the signs that would lead her to Camila's room. "Luz! Luz?!" she called.

"Amity?" Luz called, standing in front of a vending machine. She looked exhausted, with dark rings under her eyes, sagging shoulders, and her regular bright smile was a confused frown. "What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night!" she whispered as she approached.

"Where's your mom? Is she okay?"

"She's f…" Luz began, meeting Amity's narrowed gaze. "She's… not fine. She started saying some weird stuff about an hour ago, like she didn't recognize me. The doctors aren't sure how long she has."

"You said it was in remission, and you were switching with Vee…"

"I lied. After so many years, I didn't think you'd actually show up. I didn't want you to worry." Luz said, cautiously holding her arms out for a hug.

"Luz, I have to see her." Amity replied, holding Luz by the shoulders. "It's important. I can fix this."

Disappointed, Luz dropped her arms to her sides again. "Amity, you can't fix this. It just happens…"

"No." Amity stated. "Your mom told me, No nos dejamos ir. Don't let go, right?"

"More or less, though I have some notes on your pronunciation… Amity, what's going on? Wait, when did she tell you that?"

"About ten minutes ago. Luz, I have to see her." Amity insisted. She was going to continue when movement down the hall caught her eye.

"Amity! Luz!" Willow called from where Amity had charged in. She was walking quickly, falling behind Gus and Vee, who were running down the hall toward the pair. "What's going on?"

"Okay, everyone just stop!" Luz said, shouting as quietly as she could as the group continued getting dirty looks from the hospital staff. "This is MY planet, and Camila is MY mom; you know what I mean, right Vee?" The basilisk nodded reluctantly, knowing Luz well enough to know she was trying to make a point. "Okay, so someone answer me. What is going on?"

"Luz, I will tell you everything, but first I need to see your mom."

"Fine. I'll take you. Just… don't cause her any stress. Willow, Gus; watch Vee."

"But…" Vee began to protest, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Don't worry." Gus said, hugging the girl's shoulder and pulling her close under his arm. "We'll go check out the cafeteria."

"Call us if you need anything." Willow added, stepping away with the group.

"Thanks, guys." Luz said before turning to lead Amity to Camila's room. "So are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Amity looked away, blushing and embarrassed by what she was about to say. "I'm… I'm being haunted."

"Come again?" Luz asked. "I mean, weirder stuff has definitely happened, but that's a little vague.

"I'm being Scrooged. Your mom was my Ghost of Christmas Present, but she collapsed at your house before we could learn anything there." she said, feeling the redness in her face begin to spread. "I realize I probably sound crazy…"

Luz shrugged. "Enh. As rich hum buggers go, I'm glad you're the one getting another chance. Why would my mom have been haunting you though?" she asked as they quietly entered Camila's room. The woman looked peaceful, though the intravenous tube in one hand, and a maroon beanie on her shaved head told more truth as to her condition. The monitor Camila was attached to showed a slow and regular beat though, putting Amity's mind at a bit more ease. "So what did you learn?"

Amity sat on the side of Camila's bed, careful as not to disturb her. "I'm… not sure yet. How I've made a lot of mistakes, but everyone around me has paid for them. I saw Alador last night. He said Krampus was coming for me, and that I'd have to make a choice or he would devour everything I loved. I'm not sure I quite knew what that meant at the time." she explained, looking over at Luz and catching her reflection in the darkened window. She let out a surprised yelp and a jump before clapping a hand over her mouth. In place of her reflection was the stag mask of Emperor Belos, and it raised a gold gauntleted hand to its non-existent lips in a shushing gesture.

"Amity… you're starting to freak me out. Why did you need to see my mom?"

Amity shook her head and looked again, now seeing only her own reflection. "I think I might have learned something from visiting Eda."

"You visited…" Luz began, then winced and began to whisper. "You saw Eda? How is she? I haven't seen her in forever!"

"She's… not good, Luz. I really messed things up for everyone. But I think I know how I can start to fix things." she said, taking Camila's hand in hers. "With this spell declared, let the pain be shared."