Rase your hand if you're dressing up as someone from the Owl House for Halloween. If you are, tell me in the comments who you'll be! :-)

Amity did not mind the Ghost Host's eccentric manner of guiding them out of the Portrait room, or the fact it had separated her from her friends. So long as she stayed with Luz, she felt reassured things would be okay. Even if Luz did have a way of making plans literally blow up in her face. What she did not like was the outright curiosity Luz had for their shadowy guide, which was made even worse when said guide was just as curious of her.

"So when you push this icon here," Luz rambled on, holding her strange light box to the wall on which the Ghost Host stood. "It takes a picture and instantly saves it. Like this!" She grabbed Amity's arm without warning to yank her into an impromptu selfie.

The flash burned Amity's eyes and she reeled back from Luz's side, rubbing the spots from her vision and hoping her face was not nearly as red in the photo as it currently felt.

"Fascinating," the Ghost Host's visage rippled with what she guessed to be excitement as it watched Luz tap at the screen. "And, this 'smart phone' stores all manner of these photographs for you without the need of being framed to hang upon a wall for others to see?" It tilted its head consideringly. "Seems quite the waste if there is no place to display it for guests."

Luz laughed. "Oh, trust me! Back home in the human world, we've got plenty of ways to show off our pics without printing or hanging them! We still do that for the very important pictures, but mostly, we post 'em on social media." She glanced at Amity. "I guess it's like how you use Penstagram?"

"You could say that." That reminded Amity she hadn't checked her own account in a while, not like she had much interest in it after she had stopped hanging out with Boscha.

"What is that glyph for?"

Both girls looked at the button the Ghost Host's finger was hovering at, and Luz grinned.

"How bout I just show you?" She turned her head to look at King perched in her hoodie. "Any special requests?"

The demon squealed excitedly and began to scroll down with a claw. "Ooh, ooh! This one! This one!"

Grinning, Luz mashed her thumb to the screen, and music pulsed from the phone.

Very superstitious, writings on the wall

Very superstitious, ladders 'bout to fall

Luz and King bobbed to the music as they walked on, while Amity did her best to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the sight of the human literally dancing with her own shadow.

Thirteen-months-old baby broke the lookin' glass

Seven years of bad luck, the good things in your past

Catchy tune, Amity had to admit, but they had a curse to break and this was not the way to do it. She opened her mouth to speak, only to yelp as she felt the Ghost Host tug her forward to join Luz and King, her arms instantly caught up in the human's grasp.

"Luz!" She hissed. "Now's not a good time!"

"Superstition ain't the way," Luz sang and spun them around, grinning. "Yeah, yeah," Releasing one of Amity's hands, she began to moon-walk down the hall, towing the pink-faced witch with her. That is, until she bumped into a suit of armor and tripped, falling backwards onto the floor.

Amity squeaked as she was yanked down by Luz and collapsed, but the impact did not hurt. In fact it was warm, and soft? Opening her eyes, which she had closed to brace for the fall, she was instantly met with Luz's dopey grin.

"S-sorry bout that, Amity," An embarrassed blush painted her cheeks. "Guess I didn't see that coming."

Her hoodie shuffled about and King dragged himself out from under her, collapsing with a sigh. "Next time, how bout you actually look where you dance?"

There was a chuckle that floated around them and King's body was lifted from the floor as the Ghost Host picked him up by his shadow, making the demon squeal. It then turned and offered a hand to Luz's shadow, helping her to her feet.

"I must say, human, you are indeed an entertaining one. My world could have learned a lesson or two from you. Would you mind assisting your green-haired friend?"

Luz looked at Amity, sitting back on her heels, absolutely beet-red in the face. When Amity remembered how to move her eyes, she looked up at the concerned smile Luz was giving her, and the hand offered out to help her up.

"And they say chivalry is dead," mused the Ghost Host as Amity let Luz pull her to standing, albeit on shaky legs.

Amity glared at the shadow and brushed at her shirt. "Thanks Luz, sorry about that." She bent down to the floor to scoop up the still singing box. "Here's your smart phone."

"Oh, thanks! I guess I can turn off the music now," Luz said sheepishly, tapping the pause button and tucking the phone in her pocket. "Back to the tour, I guess." She looked at the Ghost Host and the candelabra floating in it's "hand". "So, what's up with this whole curse thing? Was it the family that created it in the first place? Or was it here before them?"

Sighing, the Ghost Host gestured for the trio to follow and the candelabra continued down the dark hall. "Before I answer that, let me first show you just who the Pandor family was and what made them the powerful witches they were." The candlelight stopped at a wide portrait to illuminate the same mother, father, and daughter Luz had seen back in the foyer.

Only in this painting, there was a large group of other witches surrounding them and, in the background, the dark silhouettes of a mass of demons sporting wide wings, horns, and pointed tails. Next to the daughter was a handsome male witch leaning on a fine cane of silver and black, and though his hand was closed over the top, Luz could just make out what looked like the head of a hound.

"The Pandor family," The Ghost Host said smoothly, tilting the light for Luz and Amity to see better. "Along with their staff, and of course, Emilia's fiance, Damien Pluto."

Amity gaped at the Ghost Host. "Wait, Pluto? As in, the only witch family to master necromancy before it was outlawed?"

A surprised grunt came from the shadow. "'Outlawed' you say? Glad someone finally came to their senses." The candles dipped in affirmation. "Yes, that family. Alastor Pandor was quite proud of that merger, to bring together the art of necromancy and demon summoning. Clearly, you can see how well that worked out for them."

Luz blinked. "Demonic summoning? But, there are so many demons living here on the Boiling Isles. Why would anyone want to summon a demon?" She glanced at King and he shook his head.

"Things weren't always that easy for demons, especially back then. Witches used summoning rituals to bring demons from other dimensions and bind their will to do their bidding. If a witch was able to summon a Greater Demon and control it, they could be unstoppable." Puffing out his chest, King stood up in Luz's hoodie, holding her head for support. "Luckily, I managed to escape that era and now have all the freedom I need to conquer the world!"

"Does that mean no more time for tummy rubs and cuddles?"

King blinked and sat back down, crossing his arms. "The King of Demons does not need tummy rubs and cuddles! I am a powerful being who demands respect!"

"So…" Luz grinned at him. "That's no to the cuddles?"

"I didn't say that."

Rolling her eyes at the two goofballs, Amity went back to studying the witches in the painting surrounding the family. Standing just to the side of the Pandors where two individuals Amity guessed would have been brother and sister, both having the same dark olive skin and black hair, only the brother had a cowl pulled to cover most of his head, his light-blue eyes downcast. The sister's sharp violet eyes stared out from the painting with a look that reminded Amity instantly of Eda, the same nonchalant attitude.

"Who are those two?"

A low hum came from the Ghost Host. "The personal servant to the Pandor family and Emilia's private tutor; Chiaro and Mezzanotte. Though they may look related, Chiaro was actually Mezzanotte's adoptive brother, taken in when she found him one night in the woods. Alastor and Ophelia were against having him in their household, but, after he proved his dedication to work, they agreed to let him be part of their staff." There was a wistful tone in the shadow's voice that piqued Luz's interest and she stared at the painting, listening to the story.

"Chiaro was not popular amongst the staff and disliked by the family, they saw him as just another pair of hands for hard labor. Even the demons summoned by Alastor, the ones bound to the household, saw him as nothing more than mildly interesting at the best of times, and a snack at the worst."

"Yowza, I know what that feels like."

"Well then, this part may not be as much of a surprise to you. Chiaro was not a witch, he was a human."

Luz, Amity, and King gaped at the portrait and at each other.

"Scary-shadow-ghost-host say what now?"

Amity looked at Luz and back to the Ghost Host. "But, how is that possible? How could another human have come to the Boiling Isles?"

"You tell me, my dear," Drifting to the side of the painting, the Ghost Host set the candelabra on a side table and crossed its arms. "A human stands next to you, crossed over from another world, just like how Chiaro stood beside Emilia. Her family held the power to summon demons from other dimensions."

It was easy to see where this was going, but the thought still sent chills down Amity's spine. "They must have performed a summoning and did something wrong. But still, how could a human be taken and not a demon?"

"No one know for sure, only that there was a magical interference that day and, lo and behold, Chiaro appeared. Follow me please," the Ghost Host led them around a corner and into a new section of the manor, the color contrast changing from the deep violet to a softer lavender-colored tone, but with the same swirling patterns of white, silver, and black. Only two doors sat in this hall, one just off to the side and the other at the end. The door at the end of the hall clicked and slowly opened, creaking loudly as its hinges protested from the years of remaining shut.

Following their cue, Luz and Amity stepped through the doorway and into a grandiose bedroom. At the far end of the room were two glass doors that led out to an iron-wrought balcony, now overtaken by vegetation and warped from the boiling rain. A large four poster bed sat in the main center of the room, the same lavender-silver coloring to match the rest of the decorations. Across from the balcony was a sleek carved vanity, the once-magnificent mirror now a shattered version of its former self, spiderweb cracks spread over the fine glass. A door stood open to reveal a massive walk-in closet, and another door near the entrance, facing what most likely was the room the second door in the hallway led to. Just off to the left of the bed was a desk and bookcase and leaning against the desk was a tall wooden rod.

Amity frowned at the rod and, slowly, walked to the desk to reach for it. Seeing the top carved in the shape of an interlock, her eyes widened. This was not a rod, it was a witch's staff. But, she looked around, where was the palisman? Looking at the desk, Amity saw a thick book laid open to a page covered in half-written spells, all of which were crossed off in an angry hand, cobwebs stretched over it.

Running across the room, Luz opened the door next to the closet and poked her head through the frame. "Wow! There's a whole other bedroom in here!" She gasped reverently and there was the sound of wood being shuffled about. "Amity! Check out this palisman!"

Looking over her shoulder, Amity's eyebrows raised at the staff Luz was clutching excitedly. The palisman in question was a black cobra, its body wrapped tightly around the interlock with its tail spiraling down to the middle of the staff. Across each of its closed eyes trailed a white stripe, its mouth shut tight.

"This thing is so cool!"

Amity winced as Luz gave it a few twirls in her hands before she tapped its end to the floor and looked to where the Ghost Host stood. "What is this place?"

"This is the room of Emilia Pandor." The candelabra drifted in and came to rest on the vanity. "Heiress to the Pandor family, fiance of Damien Pluto, bringer of the curse, and lover to a human."

Very slowly, Amity pulled away from the vacant staff and Luz looked uneasily at the completed one in her hands, the last of the Ghost Host's words driving an ice spike into their stomachs. "What...was that?"

"Emilia...created the curse?" Luz's voice sounded hollow. Amity was not sure if she was disappointed or relieved she did not appear to be reacting to the last part of the statement.

A long, low growl slipped from the Ghost Host and it crawled over the once-fine carpet to lean a shoulder against the shadow of one of the posts of the bed. There was a strange melancholy droop to its frame as Amity watched it slowly turn its head like it was taking the room in. "The three of you may want to get comfortable, this will take some explaining." It lifted a hand and snapped its fingers. A two-seater sofa rose out of the carpet in a swirl of green light and Luz all but darted to it, eagerly sitting down. Looking at Amity, she patted the neighboring cushion and the witch felt her face heat up before walking over to sit down.

"The staff you hold belonged to Mezzanotte, Emilia's private tutor, the palisman's name is Rex. Unfortunately, you won't be able to do much with him, after the family died and lost their magic, their palismans stopped responding. The staff your green-haired friend was studying was Emilia's. Her's is the only palisman that went missing after...the curse. None of the happy haunts, nor myself, have been able to find Artemis."

Luz leaned over to whisper to Amity, nearly sending her off the cushion when her warm breath brushed her ear. "Ten snails says that's the name of the palisman."

"You guess right, human,"

"She has a name, you know!" Amity interjected, startling the shadow and Luz.

The shadow rippled on the wall. "Terribly sorry, I did not mean to offend. If it's your name you wish me to call you, then I shall. Now, what are your names?"

Scratching her head, Luz sheepishly grinned. "Um, Luz, Luz Noceda. This little cutie pie is King," she patted the furry demon who had gravitated to her lap and was curled up in a ball. "And this is,"

"Amity Blight," As she always did when speaking her full name, Amity lifted her chin and fixed a pointed look at the Ghost Host as if daring it to come up with some sort of retort. She knew the Blight family had been around the same time as the Pandors and the Plutos, let's see just how it would react now that it knew who she was. It completely threw her when the shadow swooped away from its position to hover over them on the ceiling, silent as the ghost it was, then darted back down to reform on the carpet at their feet.

"Luz. I do believe that translates to 'light' if I am not mistaken?"

Both girls' stared slack-jawed at the shadow. Luz opened and closed her mouth wordlessly, trying to find her voice.

"Um, yeah, how did you-?"

"Accompanied by a member of the Blight family. My, my, my...I see Edric was able to make something of himself other than a brewer of abominations. That cheeky little trickster."

Amity couldn't help but snort, knowing if her brother heard his namesake described as that, he would go ballistic. "You're actually not that far off." She lifted her finger and drew a spell circle, a wider copy tracing along the floor. "Abomination, rise!"

The gooey gollum hauled itself from the magic circle and moaned loudly, slumping over the sentient Ghost Host. Grinning, Amity slid the smaller circle down to her wrist. She could never ignore the opportunity to show off. Even if it was for a shadow.

"Abomination, come."

Luz watched the abomination warily as it approached them, remembering the ill-fated witches duel when Amity had wanted to crush her into dust with a much larger version of the creature standing at its master's side. They still gave her the heebie-jeebies, even though she was now learning how to create them. Sadly, all she had been able to succeed in was hitting every single student in the face with goo when her formula exploded out of the pot. It had taken two days to clean up that mess.

"Abomination, lift."

The creature lifted the couch with ease, then set it back down upon Amity's command. Seeing the gleam had not left her eye, Luz braced herself.

Taking a deep breath, Amity focused all her concentration on what she was about to say next. It was risky, so far she had only succeeded once, and even that did not last more than a few seconds before she had to command it deconstruct.

"Abomination, ignite!"

Groaning, the abomination tightened its body and roared as violet flames burst over its outstretched arms and chest. Amity clenched her teeth as she struggled to hold the combined magics, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down her neck. She was actually doing it! She was holding the spell! This was -

"Amity! You're amazing!"

Luz grabbed her in a tight hug, and Amity felt her concentration snap. With a gurgle, the burning flames were doused as the abomination imploded on itself and vanished into the floor. The Ghost Host leaned over the dark spot it had left and sighed.

"Very impressive, Ms. Blight. Shall I continue with the story, or do you have other skills you wish to show off to your lady friend?"

"Lady?" Choked out Amity.

"Friend?" Luz finished.

"Too soon?" The Ghost Host shrugged, though Amity did not miss the suppressed chuckle. "Apologies if I drew the wrong conclusion. You two remind me of Emilia and Chiaro when they first met."

"Actually," Luz shuffled in her seat. "When I first met Amity, she was going to let our principle dissect me. After that, she nearly squashed me with an abomination."

All the blood in Amity's face drained hearing Luz recount her earlier emotions. "But-but that was before I got to know you! Back then I thought you were an annoying human who treated being a witch like it was a joke and wanted to humiliate me." When Luz turned to her with a toothy grin, she swallowed.

"Does that mean I'm not annoying anymore?"

"Oh no, you're still annoying. But," Amity gave her shoulder a playful shove. "That's what I love about you." Realizing what she was saying, Amity cleared her throat and looked down at the waiting shadow. "Please, continue."

"Thank you," The Ghost Host nodded. "As I said earlier, Chiaro was a strange case to the Pandor family. Being a human from another world, he did not possess the same magical abilities as they did, but that did not leave him to be as vulnerable as they predicted. Being a hard worker, he was tasked with hauling wood from the surrounding forest to the mansion and chopping it into kindling. One day, he discovered Emilia attempting to construct what would one day become her witch staff. Curious of the magic he was now living with, Chiaro approached her and asked her to teach him." There was a huff from the shadow and it crossed its arms. "At first, Emilia wanted nothing to do with a magicless human from another world, much less a servant of her household. But, as time went on, she saw the dedication Chiaro had for his work and to the ones that had taken him in. One day, she went to Mezzanotte and, not long after that, Chiaro was assigned to work as a personal butler to the family. From then on, Emilia and Chiaro spent more time together, and whenever she was attending her lessons, she always requested he be there. Time went by and, inevitably, they fell in love."

Shuffling around Luz's lap for comfort, King waved a paw. "Meh, just another sappy love story. Servant falls in love with rich person, they're told they can't be together so they run off, and live happily ever after. Boring!"

Luz glared at the demon. "King! That's rude!"

"What? We're all thinking it!"

Giving the demon a shove so he was on the couch cushion and not her lap, Luz rolled her eyes. "Sorry Ghost Host,"

"No worries. I suppose I can skip ahead if His Majesty prefers?"

Despite the blatant sarcasm in the shadow's voice, King inclined his head in what Amity guessed he thought was a regal manner.

"Well, as you may guess, Emilia's mother and father had reservations about their only daughter wanting to be with a human servant over a member of a powerful witch family. Without hesitation, they cast Chiaro out of the manor."

Amity winced, her thoughts lingering on her own parents' harsh reactions if they were to find out her feelings for Luz. It would not be too far off. At her side, Luz leaned forward.

"Is that why Emilia created the curse?"

The Ghost Host sighed. "I did not say she created it, I said she brought it."

"Why?"

"Emilia begged her parents to spare Chiaro, to bring him back, but they refused. However, Chiaro found a way back inside, with help from Mezzanotte. That same night, Emilia and Damien were celebrating their engagement. Chiaro tried to get to Emilia, but the demon servants saw through his disguise and took him away. He never had the chance to speak to Emilia again. Two days later, the groundskeepers found him."

The trio leaned forward in their seats and Luz swallowed.

"What...happened to him?"

The room was quiet, save for the light tapping of the boiling rain against the glass and metal verandah outside. In the shadows, the Ghost Host's form rippled and wavered like flames and, for a fleeting moment, Amity saw gold and red eyes flash amidst the darkness. A deep growl rolled from where it stood, vibrating through their bones.

"Emilia was distraught when she was given the news. While the family said it was a wild beast, Mezzanotte and Emilia knew no wild demon would be so surgical with its attack. Damien was the first to accuse Alastor and Ophelia for subjecting an innocent to the wrath of a demon, but it was too late. Emilia was inconsolable, her heart broken without Chiaro. Try as Damien might, neither he nor Mezzanotte could help her. Without hope, love, without her human, she hung herself."

A crack of thunder filled the room, but the silence that followed was so strong, Amity could have heard a pin drop. So, that was it. That was the reason why all the souls were trapped with no chance of crossing over. All because a witch and a human were told they could never be together. Because once again, the family chose to uphold their status and reputation for the sake of their child's chance at happiness. Something touched her face and she jumped as Luz pulled her hand back.

"S-sorry Amity, I was just trying to - you're crying."

"What?" Brushing at her cheeks, Amity felt tears against her fingers and she looked at Luz. "I guess I am. You are too." Without hesitation, she reached up to lightly run her thumb over the salty trail. She felt Luz freeze at the contact and lowered her hand, her own face heating up as she quickly looked away from the girl's surprised reaction.

"So, if that's the story, then what about the heart of stone?"

The Ghost Host tilted its head. "A token of love so strong it cuts stone, a heart crushed by sorrow now wandering alone." The shadow hummed thoughtfully. "I would think two witches as clever as you would be able to figure that one out. What do you think it is?"

Running her hand over her eyes, Luz met Amity's gaze. "I...I don't know if you do things differently here, but, back home, when two people were in love, they would get each other a ring. And one, usually for the girl, would have a diamond." She looked at the Ghost Host. "Chiaro was going to propose to Emilia, wasn't he?"

"Luz," Amity touched her shoulder. "We have that here as well. What makes you think it's an engagement ring?"

"It makes sense, doesn't it? If Chiaro was a human from the human world, he'd want to do the most romantic human thing possible. Plus 'so strong it cuts stone', that has to mean his love and the cut of the diamond."

Amity had to agree with that one, but they were still missing a few things. "So, if it's a ring, where would we find it? And the heart crushed by sorrow wandering alone? Is that Emilia, or someone else?" She stared down at the Ghost Host, something stirring at the back of her mind. Whoever this shadow was, it knew an awful lot about the family, more so than a typical servant and was not afraid to hold back. But, who could it be? "Ghost Host, can I ask you something?" She watched it nod and took a breath, seeing Luz watching her curiously from the corner of her eye. "Before the curse, you lived here in the mansion as well, didn't you?"

"I served the Pandor family, yes."

"You're Mezzanotte, aren't you?"

The shadow went still. Amity stood and walked to stand at its side, not once looking away. "Are you Mezzanotte?"

The Ghost Host growled softly. "No, I am not. I served the Pandor family, yes, I knew what happened between Emilia and Chiaro. But no, I am not Mezzanotte. I am the Ghost Host. I wish I could say more, but the curse holds power over all the souls here, including myself. Even I have limitations with what I can do. Besides," it gestured to the cobra palisman. "If I was Mezzanotte, Rex would have recognised the magic bond shared. But he does not. However," the growl eased into a sound that Amity recognized as a purr and the Ghost Host slid over to Luz and tapped the staff. "I knew Mezzanotte, and I believe she would want another Light to have the protection she could not give her little brother. Who knows? Perhaps Rex may recognise the power inside you?"

Luz's eyes popped out of her head and her jaw dropped open. "I-uh-wow-that's so nice of-but, if Rex isn't awake, how will I get him to work?"

"Just like any palisman, give it time to know you. It's at least better he be with someone of the living than gathering dust in a corner."

From somewhere down the hall came a muffled boom and in another direction, a cacophonous clatter of musical instruments.

"Ah, I see the rest of your companions have completed their tasks. Shall we rejoin them?"

Amity watched the Ghost Host drift back to the open door and the candelabra gently lifted off the vanity. Beside her, Luz jumped from the couch and jogged to the shadow, King clinging to her shoulders as she held tightly to Rex's staff. Turning on her heel in a slow circle to survey the room again, Amity followed her human out of Emilia Panor's room and shut the door, closing off the haunted history behind her. As they passed by a large grandfather clock, the clawed hands ticked ever so closer to the next hour and began to resonate with an ominous bong, announcing the hour 13.

So gang, I have a confession to make. I said my goal was to have this finished by Halloween, that's not going to happen. when I started this story, I had no idea how many readers would enjoy it, and that made the story and the lore put into it grow. A huge thank you to you all for keeping me going with ancrossover I mever would have thought would work. Glad to see I was proven wrong!