Thunder boomed across the sky as Eda landed her staff with Luz, Willow, Gus, and King on it right at the front gate of an imposing fortress. "Welcome to the Conformatorium! A prison for those considered unsuitable for society," Eda said. She hopped off first and held her hand out like a show-woman, followed by King, then the youths.
Luz, Willow, and Gus looked around as the latter commented, "This place looks a lot scarier than what they advertise on crystal balls."
Luz eventually spotted a wanted poster of Eda plastered on the wall, and her jaw dropped as she counted the bounty of one trillion. She tore the poster off to make sure she was seeing this right and said, "These guys have the hots for Eda, don't they?"
"Yep," Eda admitted as she took the paper and looked at it with disappointment. Not because her bounty was a trillion, but because she was expecting it to be higher. "But King and I have never been caught. We're too slippery."
King climbed up Luz and rested on top of her head like an adorable hat as he said, "Try catching me when I'm covered in grease. I'm a squirmy little fella." He then tumbled off the teenager's head.
"So, we do have a plan, right?" Willow asked the older witch.
King stood up and said, "The four of us will sneak up to the top of the tower, where they're holding my crown."
"And I'm gonna make sure the warden's distracted," Eda told the teens. "He likely doesn't know I'm a secret examiner, so he'll come after me."
"Will I need a disguise?" Luz asked. "Because I've been waiting to use this." She pulled her hoodie over her head, revealing its cat ears, and playfully meowed. "What do you think?"
"You look hideous!" King answered.
"You'll fit right in." Eda complimented — or insulted — as she twirled her staff, then slammed the butt of it on the ground. A yellow circle blazed to life around Luz, Willow, Gus, and King. "I'll meet you all at the top of the tower!" A magical disk rose from beneath their feet into the air and lifted them. They traveled up into the air like a superfast elevator and halted right near an opening.
Willow jumped through first without hesitation. Gus took a deep breath in then out before jumping through. King climbed onto Luz's back before she did a running jump. But her foot caught on the ledge, and she fell face-first on the ground. "Cats don't do that." King laughed.
Willow and Gus helped Luz up. "Thanks." She told them before they started looking around the stone hallway. "We're inside, so what now?"
"Don't get caught until Eda finds us?" Willow guessed.
The group decided to wander through the prison tower's hall as they waited for the Owl Lady, but that quickly became dull. To pass the time, Luz asked Willow and Gus, "If you guys don't mind me asking, why do you want to take the Emperor's Trials? But you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"You're helping us. So, I think it's only fair." Willow replied. "My reason is that… I want to prove I'm a real witch. Everyone at my school calls me "Half‐a‐Witch Willow" because I can't cast an abomination spell, even though my dads signed me up to study it. And I get that they did it because they want me to have the best possible future. Aside from the Emperor's Coven, the Abomination Coven is the most respected coven on the Isles. I want to take the Trials to show everyone that I'm not what they say I am, especially to… to a certain someone."
Gus placed a hand on her arm and gave her a look of assurance as he said, "Don't worry. We're gonna make sure you get your chance to prove yourself."
A blush grew on Willow's cheeks. "Thank you."
"What about you, Gus?" Luz asked.
"I'm doing it so that people will take me seriously." He replied. "I'm the youngest student in my class and being younger than everyone means you get overlooked. Yeah, I'm the leader of the Human Appreciation Society, and everyone likes me there. But others see us as a big joke. I want to take the Trials to prove that people like me aren't a joke, that we can stand with the best of the best."
"Gus and I are gonna pass together." Willow declared. "We're gonna make sure we both make it to the end."
Luz didn't need to say anything out loud. The smile she gave the witchlings told them that she was impressed by their dedication to each other.
"Hey, cat lady." A voice said, attracting the quartet and making them realize they walked into where the prisoners were being held. The one who spoke was a slender girl in a purple dress with dark skin, black hair in a ponytail, brown eyes, and notorious fangs.
"A vampire." Gus gasped.
"How'd you and your friends get out of your cells?"
Luz pulled down her hoodie. "Oh, no. I'm not a cat." She said. "Also, we're not criminals."
Not yet, you're not." King teasingly laughed.
"Neither are we. The stupid warden likes to lock people up who don't fit in." The vampire pulled out a journal and opened it revealing a drawing of an anthropomorphic carrot and onion in a pot of water… making out… "Like, I write fanfics of food falling in love. I like food; I like love... Just let me write about it!"
"I'm here because I like eating my own eyes." A multi-eyed creature said before he plucked an eye out of its socket and did just that, as another one grew in its place.
"We are agents of fwee expwession! They will never siwence us!" A creature that was practically just a big head with tiny limbs and a rather prominent nose shouted, shaking her cell in defiance.
"Yeah, she's into conspiracy theories, over there." The vampire commented.
"The world is a simuwation! We are but pwaythings for a higher being!"
Luz, Willow, and Gus realized that these three aren't in here for committing crimes; they're just a bunch of weirdos. "I can hear you!" A voice shouted as thudding footsteps were heard coming from behind a door.
"It's Warden Wrath! Hide!" The vampire exclaimed.
Gus quickly traced cyan a circle, and a barrel poofed into existence, which got him looks from Luz, Willow, and King. "I'm sorry, I don't do well under pressure." He said as he and King climbed into it first, followed by Willow and Luz.
A door was roughly forced open as Warden Wrath entered, appearing far more intimidating than he was in Eda's cartoon. Luz, King, and the two witchlings did everything they can to be as quiet as possible.
"Just what are you fools whispering about?" The warden snarled before looking over at a wanted poster of Eda on the wall. "Owl Lady. I'll get my hands on you soon enough."
"Fight against the oppwessor! We will wesist! We will conquer! We will never be afwaid of you, you old cweep!" The conspiracy theorist said, which prompted. Wrath to walk over to unlock her cell. "Hooway! I'm fwee!" He then grabbed her in a rather violent manner, making everyone in the barrel gasp.
"Let this be a lesson to you all. If you can't fit in, there's no place in society for you." Wrath dragged the helpless prisoner away in front of the others as her screams were muffled by his massive hand. He opened and walked through another door before slamming it shut.
With the danger gone, Luz climbed out of the barrel and ran over to a nearby lever. "Don't worry. I can get you out." She grunted as she tried pulling it down with all her might. "Come on, weak nerd arms!"
"Luz." Willow began as she helped King and Gus out before walking over to place a hand on her shoulder sympathetically. "We don't have time for this."
"Listen to your friend." The vampire said in agreement as she hid her journal, and the multi-eyed prisoner nodded alongside her. "You four get out of here while you still can. Enjoy freedom for us."
Another door opened, making the quartet jump in fear that Wrath was back but was revealed to be just Eda. "I just checked, and the warden's distracted with tormenting some tiny creature." She said, rather casually. "He won't be coming around here anytime soon."
The group followed the Owl Lady through the door and down another hall. "It isn't fair that they're all in here," Luz said. "They just want to be themselves."
"I know it isn't fair," Willow replied. "But that's just how things are here on the Isles."
The group followed the Owl Lady until they came across a door that read Contraband.
"My crown! It's close! I can sense its power!" King exclaimed as he pushed the door open and scampered into the room.
"Aw, look at him go." Eda chuckled. "He gets so cute when he's thirsty for power." But Luz and the others didn't share in her humor.
A crackling sound came from the room mixed with King's grunting. "C'mon, before he hurts himself." Eda gestured for the youths to join her and King inside. The little demon pounced at the forcefield again, only to get shocked and cry. "King! We have a human, remember?"
The little demon stopped and plopped onto his furry bottom as he said, "Oh, yeah." He sat there patiently for Luz to do what she's here to do.
"Good luck." Willow and Gus told her.
Luz took a deep breath in, exhaled, then walked over to the wall of light. Once she stepped through, she found herself standing before a mountain of random objects. The teenager squinted and spotted something at the top that looked like the crown. She began climbing up the pile of trash until the item was within reaching distance. "Wait a second…" Luz whispered as she stopped and got a closer look at the object of interest. She now realized that King's crown of power was a Burger Queen kid's meal crown. "No, this can't be it. Can it?" Luz grabbed it and slid down the pile; a box and metal baseball bat fell out of the forcefield with her.
Luz stepped through with the piece of cardboard, and King shouted, "My crown!" He ran and snatched it from Luz, then daintily placed it on his head. "Yes. Yes! I can feel my powers returning!" King ran around and laughed like a power-mad tyrant.
"That's it?" A confused Willow asked, with understandable irritation rising in her tone. "That's the crown we were supposed to help, Luz get?"
"You, there. Nightmare critter." King picked up a stuffed rabbit from the box. "I shall call you Francois, and you shall be a minion in my army of darkness."
Eda then let out a sigh. "Look, kids. King and I don't have much in this world. We only have each other." She said with sincerity. "So, if that dumb crown is important to him, it's important to me."
Luz, Willow, and Gus remained silent, each giving Eda looks of understanding. The Owl Lady turned her attention to Luz. "Well, we owe you one." Then turned to the witchlings. "And I'll give you your grades back home. "Now, let's get out of here before the warden finds us and loses his head."
"Too late." Wrath said as she suddenly appeared behind Eda, transformed his hand into a blade, and decapitated her.
Eda's head landed right in Luz's hands as she shrieked in horror. "Dammit, I hate it when that happens." The head grumbled.
"Santa mierda!" Luz screamed. "Are you okay, Eda?"
"Yeah. This just happens when you get older."
"Does it?"
"Hey, let us go!" Gus shouted as he and Willow were lifted off the ground by a pair of guards.
"Finally, I have you cornered, Owl Lady." Wrath said as he stepped closer to the decapitated witch and terrified human, snatching King's crown as he did.
"Hey!" King shouted as he jumped for it but couldn't reach.
"My guards could never capture you, but I knew if I took your pet's toy, you'd come running." The warden then crushed it.
"No! My power!" The little demon broke into tears.
"What the hell do you want with me!" Eda barked at the warden, showing her teeth like a dog ready to bite his hand off. "I've never actually broken a single one of your stupid laws..." She paused and looked to the side. "In front of you."
"I want you…" Wrath slowly reached behind his back and… pulled out a bouquet. "To go out with me."
The best word to sum up the reactions of everyone in the room is, "What?"
"Go, boss!" The guard holding Willow cheered.
Wrath gave him a quick thumbs-up before looking back at Eda and getting onto one knee. "You've always eluded our capture. You've always been the one who got away. I found that alluring."
"I hate everything you're saying right now." Luz broke the awkward silence.
"You stay out of this!" Wrath tossed the bouquet aside, then shapeshifted one arm into a mass of tentacles. He grabbed Luz and held her in the air with one hand while picking Eda's head up with the other. "So how about it, Owl Lady? The most powerful witch of the Boiling Isles and the feared Warden Wrath. We'd be the strongest power couple ever. I mean, it's… it's not like you can say no right now."
Eda looked over at Luz in Wrath's clutches. Then to Willow and Gus struggling in the arms of guards. Then at King still broken-up over the loss of his prized possession. "Alright, Warden. You win." The Owl Lady sighed. "But I just wanna say something first. Come closer." Wrath brought her closer to his face. "No. Just come a little bit closer." He brought her closer. "Yeah, that's good." She then blew a raspberry in his face and laughed.
"Impudent wench!" He exclaimed in disgust, dropping Luz, who noticed the baseball bat and crawled to it. "Don't you know how many germs are in your mouth?"
"Tough shit! You had your guards stalk me; then, you cut off my head. I am not going out with you!"
"If you don't accept, then I have no choice but to…"
Meanwhile, Eda's body pulled the guards' cowls over their eyes and bonked their heads together, releasing Willow and Gus. Willow noticed the bouquet was right next to her and picked the flowers up. "Oh, little friends. Did that mean warden hurt you?" She consoled them.
"Are you two okay?" Luz asked the witchlings as she helped them onto their feet.
"Nice work, kid!" Eda complimented as her body found and reattached her head.
"Owl Lady!" Wrath growled as he regained consciousness and stood. "I won't let you get away again!" He removed his mask to reveal a huge mouth full of large sharp teeth and shot fire from it right at the youths. Eda pulled out her staff and twirled it, creating a magical shield that redirected it at the warden, slamming him right into the barrier.
"Okay, we're going now." Eda hopped on her staff, followed by Willow and Gus. Luz picked King up off the ground before joining them. "Gun it, magic stick!"
The group flew through the Conformatorium at supersonic speed and let out sighs of relief. Then they heard growls from behind and turned to see Wrath charging after them, like a feral beast, managing to keep up. The warden shot another three more fireballs at them, but Eda steered the staff to avoid them. The blasts each struck the cells of the three prisoners the youths met not-to-long ago, melting the bars.
They flew right into the courtyard, and Wrath launched another fireball. This time, it hit its target and flung the riders off. "Ow, my bones!" King groaned as he and the others tumbled onto the ground.
Eda passed a glance at Luz, Willow, and Gus. "All of you go back to the Owl House!" She handed the key to the witchlings. "Make sure Luz gets back to her world."
"What about you?" Luz asked as Wrath spat another fireball at Eda, but she deflected it.
"If you think this guy's bad, you shoulda seen her last boyfriend." King joked.
"Not my boyfriend. And I'll be right behind you. Now, go!" Eda ordered as the staff flew under the youths and started to fly away.
But they refused to leave her and tried to steer the staff, causing them to fly all over the place. As they attempted to gain control, Luz noticed the three prisoners staring at the tower's door. But weren't leaving. As soon as the staff was flying in their direction, Luz, Willow, and Gus hopped off.
"Hey, why are you guys just standing there?" Luz asked as an explosion from Eda's and Wrath's battle reverberated through the air. "This is your chance to escape!"
"The warden will catch us. He always does." The multi-eyed creature said in a defeated tone.
"We belong here." The vampire said in agreement.
"Self‐doubt is a pwison you can never escape fwom." Voiced the conspiracy theorist.
"So, you have a different way of doing things, a different way of seeing things," Luz said. "That might make you weird, but it also makes you awesome. Don't you see?"
"Why are you helping us?" The vampire asked.
"Because nobody should be punished for who they are."
The prisoners began speaking up just as there was an explosion behind Luz and the others. Eda went flying into a wall, as Wrath said, "No more running away." He slowly approached Eda. "Today, I will capture you once and for all!"
"Not today!" Luz shouted. "Get him!" She led the charge with Willow, Gus, and the freed prisoners, holding the baseball bat like a mighty sword.
"What is this?"
"I eat my own eyes!" The multi-eyed creature said as he tackled the warden.
"I think the world is a twiangle!" The conspiracy theorist shouted as she climbed the warden and started bonking his head.
"And I practice the ancient art of fanfiction!" The vampire said as she beat him with her journal.
Wrath tried fighting them off, but they kept up their assault and then saw Luz approach him while twirling her bat. "You! Who do you think you are?" He asked.
Luz tightly gripped the bat with both hands and declared in a manner that Azura would. "Do not underestimate me, Warden Wrath, for I am Luz, the human, warrior of peace. Now lights out, sucker!" She swung the weapon at his head, but Wrath managed to block it and forced the prisoners off him.
Luz tried to swing at him again, but Wrath knocked her down, and the bat rolled away. He shapeshifted his hands into blades, "You've made a fool of me long enough." He raised the sharp edges and prepared to slice the human girl apart.
"Get away from her!" Willow shouted, and the bouquet she still held changed into a gathering of gigantic, thorny vines that shot out. They picked the warden up and threw him to the top of the tower like a softball.
Everyone stared in stunned silence at what just happened. "Holy shit!" Eda exclaimed, then looked at Willow with impressment. "You've been holding out on me, kid."
"That was amazing, Willow!" Luz shouted as she turned to the girl, who was wobbling. She and Gus ran over to help steady her. "You alright?"
Willow huffed and puffed and let out an overdrawn yawn as she weakly said, "Yeah, that just took… took a lot out of me…"
The former prisoners all cheered and began to make their way towards freedom as the vampire said to Luz and the others, "Thank you, all! For everything!"
"That was one of Eda's better breakups," King commented.
"Not a breakup." Eda hopped onto her staff. "Anyway, let's bounce before any more monsters fall in love with me." King hopped on first, while Luz and Gus helped Willow up, then sat behind her. Once they were all secure, they took off for the Owl House, wishing never to see this place again.
"Willow Park, and Augustus Porter," Eda addressed the two witchlings. "You two have shown your capabilities as witches in this test. You pass. You may take the Emperor's Trials."
"We did it!" Gus shouted as he and Willow hugged each other.
"Congrats," Luz said. "You two deserve it."
"We couldn't have done this without you," Willow said.
Eda then turned to Luz. "Now, to hold up my end of the deal." She pulled out her magical key and pressed the eye. "Let's get you home." The door unfolded behind Luz, her world just a few steps away.
"So, I guess this is goodbye," Luz said. Willow, Gus, and King looked at the ground; disappointed to see their new friend must go away forever.
"Oh, and don't forget this," Eda said as she gave Luz back her Good Witch Azura book.
Luz looked at the door, then stared at the cover of her book for a moment. That's when an idea popped into her head, and she looked back at Eda. "Okay. I know you got your head cut off, and we started a prison riot, but this was the most fun I've ever had." Luz said.
The Owl Lady looked at Luz with confusion. "What are you saying?"
"I want to stay and become a witch like you and Azura."
Eda blinked. "What?"
"Really?" Willow and Gus both asked with excitement.
"All right, that's crazy," Eda said. "Humans can't become witches."
"Maybe that's because they haven't tried," Luz argued. "And I know how to prove it. I want to take the Emperor's Trials."
"What!" Willow, Gus, and King exclaimed.
"Out of the question!" Eda shouted. "The Emperor's Trials are already dangerous for a witch. They would be suicide for a human."
"Maybe they won't if I have a good teacher," Luz suggested. "I'll do anything you want. I'll take another one of your tests. Just please let me participate."
"Please, Eda, give her a chance." Willow requested. "Luz can take care of herself, and we'll be by her side through the Trials."
"We'll win them together," Gus said.
"And think about it; you would be the first witch with a human apprentice," Luz added. "And a human apprentice who is in the most powerful coven."
"Weaponizing my pride, well played," Eda said with a smirk. "Alright, I'll let you take the Trials; because talking you out of it isn't gonna happen. But if you do go through with this, there will be no backing out."
"Thank you!" Luz ran over and hugged the Owl Lady, who seemed surprised, especially as Willow and Gus joined her.
"Hoot! Hoot!" Hooty screeched as the door slammed open, ruining the moment. "You have visitors! Hoot!"
"Visitors?" Everyone in the house asked.
Two figures in caped uniforms evocative of ravens and masks that covered their entire faces entered the Owl House. "Members of the Emperor's Coven, here?" Gus said with a mix of excitement but also worry. Eda stepped in front of the youths and looked ready for a fight.
A petite figure — around King's size — with red skin, a brownish-yellow left eye and a large dark turquoise hand that covered her head with the claws acting as bangs covering her right eye, stepped out from behind the two guards. Her uniform was white like the two guards' cloaks, but instead of a mask, she had a popped collar that obstructed her mouth. "Kiki." Eda scowled at the sight of her.
"That's Kikimora to you, Owl Lady." The individual replied in a passive-aggressive tone.
"Who is this?" Luz asked Eda.
"I am Kikimora, head assistant, and the voice of Emperor Belos."
"Well, I'm Luz, a human and high school student."
"A human on the Isles? Another crime I can add to your already long list, Owl Lady."
"What do you want, Kiki? I'm busy." Eda snapped, folding her arms.
"I am here because news of your actions at the Conformatorium has reached the Emperor, and it will be a matter of time before it becomes public knowledge. Do you have any idea of the PR disaster we are going to have because of this?"
"Hey, Belos wanted me to be a secret examiner, and I did my job."
Kikimora glared at Eda. "You will refer to him as Emperor Belos or just Emperor."
"Whatever." Eda gestured towards Luz, Willow, and Gus. "And the trip to the Conformatorium was their test, which they passed, just so you know."
She looked at Willow and Gus, then walked over to them. "Well, I suppose congratulations are in order then. I wish the two of you luck in the Trials."
"You mean three," Luz said.
Kikimora looked at the human. "I beg your pardon?"
"You heard her right," Eda said. "Luz here passed the test with Willow and Gus, so I'm letting her take the Trials."
Kikimora turned to Eda, wondering if this was another one of her sick jokes. "A human, taking the Trials? That is absurd."
"Well, it's happening whether you like it or not."
The little woman glared at Eda. "I cannot allow this. It's unacceptable."
"I'm sorry, but I don't recall Belos making you an examiner."
"You will refer to him…"
"As Emperor Belos or just the Emperor, I know. And I don't care. Luz wants to participate, and she's not gonna let anything or anyone stop her. So, you might as well just roll with it. And besides, if you don't think she has what it takes, what are you afraid of happening?"
Kikimora let out a sigh. While she failed to understand her lord's reasoning for giving such freedoms to someone as reckless as Eda, Kikimora must respect his decisions. "Very well, I'll let her inevitable demise be on your head, Owl Lady." She turned the three new participants. "As participants, you will be required to stay with your examiner until tomorrow morning. A ship will come to pick you up. If you're not on it, you will be disqualified."
"We understand." The youths said at the same time.
Kikimora nodded. "Then, I shall take my leave."
The members of the Emperor's Coven began leaving as Eda turned the future participants. "The three of you may have passed the entry exam, but things will only get more challenging the further you advance." She warned them. "Watch each other's backs, and never ever let your guard down."
"We will," Luz said with Willow and Gus nodding.
Before the door closed behind her, Kikimora took one more look back at Luz. She couldn't help but have a strange feeling about the human. A strange feeling that reminded her of someone she once knew.