Ghoul Break, With Family and Friends A Match with the Emerald Entrails.
"I think since meeting Luz, my life has been on the line sixteen times, but that was the first time I thought I was going to die," Gus said, clearly shaken by what just transpired.
Willow nodded as she looked down at the human whose hand she was currently holding. The toddler looked up at her best friend with a big smile and she smiled back. A shudder suddenly went down her spine and she looked over her shoulder.
Eda, Lilith and their father were all looking in the teens' direction and the Clawthorne sisters were glaring at them. Willow can admit having nearly the entire family of witches as powerful as the Clawthornes glaring at you while they named off a safe checklist was terrifying beyond words.
Still, Willow found herself concerned for the one family that wasn't part of their little lecture. "I hope Miss Clawthorne will be okay?" she mused to herself, wondering why the elder Clawthorne was nursing a rather large lump with an ice pack.
Gus just shrugged as he softly told his palisman to switch to staff. "Who knows. But if she's anything like Eda, she would bounce back in no time."
Willow nodded her agreement and also had Clover turned her staff. Making sure Luz had a firm grip on King, the plant witch lifted them onto her staff.
"Am-Am?" Luz asked in a cute but disappointing manner.
Willow smiled softly as she gently rubbed her friend's cheek. "Sorry Luz, but Amity got caught up in family business, but you will have her all to yourself tomorrow."
That instantly brightened the "knocked-down" human up and she let out a small cheer. Willow giggled as she got onto her staff and used some of her magic to secure Luz and King to herself. Once she was sure the human and demon weren't in danger of falling off, the group took to the skies.
The fly through town wasn't boring but wasn't eventful either. Lilith had been direct with the teens and told them not indulge Luz in any form. That didn't stop her from trying to get wild tricks out of Willow…or trying to jump to Gus's staff.
It wasn't long before the group reached their destination, and Luz's eyes lit up when she saw just many ghouls had taken over Hexside. It was like looking at a firebee hive, and Luz quickly played a game; she would start counting, giggled when she lost count and started over.
This brought smiles to her friends and the group turned left, heading towards the temporary game field/beast stable the school had set up during this time. The teens landed and Willow helped Luz down.
"Now, sweetie, I have to practice with my team," Willow spoke gently. "Do you think you can wait patiently? After practice, we can take you to the slayground. Does that sound good?"
Luz nodded her head so fast it was a wonder she didn't get whiplash. This caused Willow to smile, but blinked when she got a good look at King. Was King wearing that oversized cheerleading outfit when they left the owl house?
Willow just filed this under the oddiests that Luz brought with her, no matter the current age, and looked at her team. Since their teams formed, and replacing a certain "Celeb" with Jerbo, she couldn't be prouder of what she had done.
She opened her mouth to address her team when a familiar voice cut her off.
"Scram losers. The real sports team needs this field for a good workout."
Willow scowled as she turned around and saw Boscha and her team (in their practice uniforms) scrolling up to them. Every arrogant, the three-eyed demon was spinning her grudgby ball on a finger as she broke from the group and walked right up to Willow.
"Sorry, Boscha-" Willow replied, trying to be as kind as possible, even to her old bully. "-But I have reserved the field for my team for the next two hours. You need to wait your turn."
Boscha scoffed at this, took her ball into both hands, and fake threw it. Willow saw through the ruse and stood her grounds.
"Like I care about that," Boscha retorted arrogantly. "I'm just feeling a game, and you know I get what I want."
Willow's mouth twitched in slight anger, but before she could act, Luz pushed herself past the plant witch and ran up to the three-eyes.
"What do you want, brat?" Boscha sneered, failing to see who the brat was.
Luz's retort was simple, "meanie!" and then kicked her in the shin.
The demon athlete yelled as she dropped her ball and grabbed the attacked area. Everyone (yes, even Bosha's friends) were laughing as the three-eyes hopped around like a bunny. Boscha recovered quickly, thanks in part to grudgby training, and looked at the one who just kicked her.
"HUMAN?!" Boscha shrieked in shock, and then her face flushed with anger and jealousy. "Why do you get to use a rejuvenation potion? I'M THE BEST POTIONEER IN THE ENTIRE SCHOOL!"
Everyone in the area-even Boscha's friends-had a "that's debatable" look on their face. Not that Bosha would have seen this; her entire focus was on Luz, and the way her fingers were twitching were sending warning alarms to Willow.
"Listen, my flyer derby team has the field, so you will just have to wait," Willow stated firmly, as she ushered Luz behind her.
Boscha took a moment to calm down before scoffing, "Like I said, I don't care."
"Match, match!" Luz cheered from behind Willow's leg.
It didn't take long for Willow to figure out what her friend meant and looked Bosha right in the eyes. "How about this; We play a game, whoever wins has the field for the next two days."
Boscha was somewhat caught off guard by the confidence Willow was showing. It lasted for two seconds before a cocky grin appeared on her face.
"But we played your game last time, so you play ours," Gus quickly injected.
Boscha glared at the young witch, looking ready to tear into him.
"What the matter, B?" Viney asked with mock sweetness, "You once said that you were the greatest flyer in the school. Surely you can handle such an "easy" sport after all."
Boscha growled, her ego already in the process of being hurt, just glare at the group. But it was clear the flyer derby team wasn't going to bunch.
"Fine," the three-eyes groaned and then grinned. "But, Skara's joining my team."
Boscha made a spell circle and the young bard let out a yelp as she was dragged to her old teammates. The Emerald Entrails tried to argue that would leave them at a disadvantage, but Boscha wouldn't have it and said there was only a thirty minutes prep period.
The Emerald Entrails were worried, Skara their team's strategist and without her and her strategies they might be in trouble. So the group began to make plans. Luz, meanwhile, was waiting patiently…until spotted something shiny, and trotted over to the object.
It took two seconds for Willow and Gus to realize something…they were not watching Luz! They broke from the group and began to look around. Pits were forming in their stomachs as they could find the "knocked-down" human anywhere.
A sudden cheer drew the Emerald Entrails' eyes upward and they gasped when they saw Luz, using a staff to do some sweet tricks. Viney and Jerbo clapped as they watched their human friend do trick after trick.
Willow and Gus however were just looking at each other, uncertainty written on both faces.
"We're letting Luz join aren't we?" Gus asked dully.
"...If we could stop her even if she was normal," Willow retorted, her tone just as dull as her friend.
They looked at the "knocked-down" human and watched as she went from a barrel-roll into a triple loop-de-loop without missing a beat. The two dual-trackers cheered and clapped, while Willow and Gus couldn't stop the dread from before, returning.
"The Clawthornes are going to kill us, aren't they?" Gus stated flatly.
Willow could only nod, as if saying "yup, why not go out in a blaze of glory" type of way. Suddenly, both teens visibly shivered.
"Did a weird thought just pop into your head?" Gus asked curiously.
"One where the two Clawthornes sisters were hanging us from the titan's head and paddling us?" Will stated uneasily, and Gus nodded. "Weird…even for us."
"Hey, isn't that the Golden Guard's staff?" the two heard someone ask.
Gus and Willow at Luz and only gasp when they realize that, yes, the human-born witch had gotten hold of Hunter's coven persona's weapon. The two dash over to their friend and wonder how she got her tiny, little hands on such a dangerous weapon.
(How indeed)
"STEVE! Why did you throw out my staff?" Hunter screamed right in the scout's face.
"Steve's a lean, mean cleaning machine," the scout stated proudly, holding up his cleaning tool.
"That's a pipe," Hunter grunted angrily, pointing at the item and then threw up his arms. "AND YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO ONLY CLEAN YOUR QUARTERS!"
"Steve knows nothing but Steve still acts," the scout boldly proclaimed and thrust his pipe into the sky.
Hunter's body shook with anger and his right eye twitched so much one might think he might be having some sort of attack. Finally, he let out a frustrated sigh and slapped his hand to his face.
"How did Clawthorne put up with you?"
(Back with the two school teams)
Boscha was getting irritated. No, she was beyond that point, she was furious. Turns out Flyer derby was harder than she first thought. Not only did one have to watch around you but above and below oneself as well. She learned that the hard way, when she tried to go straight for Willow and almost lost her flag…to Luz of all people.
That's how it went; Boscha thought she had gained a lead, only to nearly lose it because she would get cocky. She had come to learn a few things about this sport and the team playing; it was more team-oriented then Grugby, and thereby any chances to try and grab glory could end badly for one.
She had learned that, despite being a new team, the Emerald Entrails worked well together. It was like they didn't need to talk to actually make plans, and before Bosha knew what happened, they were down Skara.
"She probably lost on purpose," the three-eyes muttered with gritted teeth.
After Skara was lost, Boscha was able to try out one of those freaks, the name escaped her, but that didn't matter. Something happened that shocked her so much that she nearly fell off her staff. That grade-skipper had managed to take out two of Bosha's mates in rapid succession.
But the Three-eyes had taken him out a few seconds after he put the flags on his team's post. The other dual-tracker fell next, taken by Cat and Cat was taken out by Willow. Boscha laughed when she managed to take out Willow shortly afterwards.
Now, all that was left was Boscha and Luz, and this is where the demon's frustration was coming from. Luz had proven to be a very good flyer, and her current size made it hard for Boscha to grab her flag.
But, Luz's current size had worked against her as well. She needed to get close, and being Luz, would make a cute noise when she went to grab Boscha's flag. This had allowed the Grudgby-Star to get away before she lost her flag.
This went on for several minutes; both players had come close to beating the other. But the end was near; both were at their limits, and were betting their win on a last, dead-heat charge.
Luz was coming from below, her determined look offset by her tongue sticking out from the upper right corner of her mouth. Bosha was coming from above, her own determined look offset by the frustration she was feeling. She was confident; she had figured out all of the human's tricks and had come up with the best plan to finally beat Luz.
That plan was shattered when Luz jumped to her feet, balancing prefect on the Golden Guard staff, and went into a counterclockwise spin after hopping to the edge of the item. She used that to gain the reach needed to finally take Bosha's flag.
"Boop," the "knocked-down" human said cutely.
Boscha was so startled by this turn of events she failed to notice a bird coming her way. The animal got her in the shoulder and unbalanced her. She screamed as she found herself falling free from her staff and to a nasty meeting with the ground.
Luz wouldn't have any of that, as she was a nice person at any age. So, she dove after the bully and managed to pass her easily. Next she took out three of her spell cards, and threw them to the ground.
(SERIOUS, I'M THE WRITER HERE AND I DON'T WHERE SHE KEEPS THEM!)
Three snow-jelly platforms were created and Boscha bounced off them, and ended up in the beast stables. With her task done, Luc flew back to her team's post and placed the flag at the top, scoring the win for her team.
The Emerald Entrails and even Boscha's team cheered as Luz landed, a big smile on her face. Willow was on the "knocked-down" human in an instant; she checked to see if Luz was hurt. The human's hands were a little red, no doubt from holding the staff too tightly. But otherwise, she was unharmed.
With the danger over, Willow allowed herself to feel pride and picked up her best friend. She held Luz with pride as her friends began to celebrate the little human's win. Meanwhile Gus and Viney were looking at the stable.
"Bet ten snails Boscha come out covered in griffin po," Gus said offhandedly.
"That sucker's bet…and I will take," Viney replied energetically, and held a hand to seal the deal, which Gus shook.
The two got their answer when Boscha stormed out of the stable and up to the group. She wasn't covered in the mentioned element but she was dripping wet.
"What's that stuff?" Gus wondered as he handed over his snails.
"That's the broth used in feeding," Viney explained casually as she counted her winnings.
Boscha radiated anger as she stormed up to Willow and angrily pointed at Luz. "Give me that thing?" her voice was low and hissy.
Willow wasn't going to do as she was told; she held her best friend tight and tried to use her body as a shield. It didn't take long for everyone to put themselves between Boscha and the "knocked-down" human.
"No need to be a sore loser, Bosh," Cat scolded lightly.
The healer shrunk away slightly when her friend gave her a murderous glare. She next turned that glare on Willow but she still wouldn't comply, and even began to make a spell circle in secret.
"Give that thing to me so I can finally give it the punishment it derves," Bosha said, emphasizing a few words, as took a step forward and prepared her own spell circle.
"If you touch one hair on my kid's cute head, you're going to go the rest of your life without yours," Retorted a sharp and murderously voice.
The entire area seemed to freeze in place, aa the very air itself seemed to suddenly stop. Slowly, the Hexside students looked to the right and saw something that nearly caused their hearts to skip a beat.
The Clawthorne sisters stood before the students, the body held in a menacing pose and their arms crossed over their chest. The two older witches were glaring at Bosha, and to add to this scene, the family's newest member, Roca The Stone Sleeper, was growling in the three-eyes direction.
Before the shock could wear off, Lilith marched up to Boscha and grabbed her by the ear. She began dragging off the young witch demon to some place.
"Ow! Hey, ow! Let go, ah, you hag!" Boscha tried to get free, but Lilith grip was like a snake.
"Your mothers and I are going to have a long talk about your behavior," Lilith said, choosing to ignore the young witch's complaints. "You need to learn to be a better sport and how to treat others currently younger than you better."
The student watched as Boscha was dragged away kicking and screaming. Only when the two could no longer be seen, did they remember the other adult. They looked and saw Eda walked up to them. Everyone freaked out a little and scattered, leaving Willow and Gus to face the fire alone.
"If you're going to eat us, get it over with," Gus boldly proclaimed.
"Chill, goop," Eda replied with a grin. "I'm not mad, a little disappointed but not mad."
She looked at Willow with a genuine smile and ruffled Luz's hair as she next spoke.
"But you did good, kid, your dads would be proud."
Willow smiled slightly at the praise and felt a small blush start to form. That went away when a thought hit her.
"But how did you know about our match?"
Eda's smile turned into a grin, and she popped her scroll out. She showed the students it and both couldn't help but roll their eyes.
"Of course Boscha would live-stream the match," Gus deadpanned.
Eda snorted as she looked at her scroll. "Ha, my favorite part is when she went face-first into the feeding bucket."
Willow blinked as thought crossed her mind. She got out her own scroll and began texting Hunter. "I better let Hunter know where his staff is." The commit was offhanded, but it was heard by everyone in earshot.
Now it was Eda's turn to blink, and she looked down. She gasped when she realized that Luz had squirmed herself out of Willow hold and was nowhere to be seen. Near panicking, she began looking for Luz. She went into full on panic mode when she saw her kid flying high in the air, and using the Golden brat staff to do it.
Eda was so shocked by this that her jaw literally hit the ground. She tried yelling something, but since her jaw was on the ground, all that came out with gibberish. Realizing this, she picked up her dis-attached body-part and put it back on.
"LUZURA! GET BACK HERE AND GAVE THAT STAFF, YOUNG LADY! THAT THING'S TO MUCH SOMEONE YOUR CURRENT AGE!"
Willow and Gus could only watch flabbergasted as the owl lady went harpy and took to the skies.
"Do you find it weird that's probably the strangest thing we will see all day?" Gus asked uneasily.
Like the titan wanted to prove the young witch wrong, King chose that time to dance into view. Strangely, his cheerleading outfit now fitted him like a glove, as he did another dance. He jumped, went into a split as he landed and finally cartwheeled out of sight.
"No, I think that's the weirdest thing we will see all day," Willow pointed out plainly.
(M Corner)
There is no way I'm going to say I was the first ever to think about having Eda's jaw quite literally hit the floor. I just probably never found one such story yet.