The Daily Lives of the Owl Familia:
Prelude to the Search

Summary: While en route to the sports field, something happens to Roca. This would set off a chain of events that could lead to some soul-searching.

"Hmm, are you okay, boy?" Emira asked the stonesleeper.

The eldest Blight was getting worried; not long after leaving the sandwich shop, she noticed that the creature was acting up. Roca was getting slower, and it looked like he was about to faint. She looked around and saw they were near the slayground. That gave her an idea.

"Ed," Emira said to her brother, "If I stop Roca, do you think you can look at him?"

Edric looked at his sister but didn't get a chance to reply; Roca let out a small grunt and fell to the ground. Frowning, the second oldest Blight climbed off of Roca and made his way to the sleeper's front.

Edric's eyes narrowed when he noticed something in the corner of the sleeper's mouth. He leaned down to get a closer look when he heard his baby sister scream. He looked up in time to see Amity getting pulled into the slayground.

The group followed Amity into the Slaygroud and saw Zoe appear before them. The fashion model/designer looked at her hand in disgust and shook it.

"Invisible potion, just-ew," the gorgon said in disgust as she finished cleaning off her hand.

"You again?" Emira groaned.

"Quiet, you," the fashionista said condescendingly. "This is something that has been long in the making."

"Really?" Edric retorted, feeling just underwhelmed as his sister. "You got nothing better to do than pick on my baby sister and her friends?"

Zoe turned her glare on the male Blight and Edric just offered her a cheeky smile. Unknown to the gorgon, Emira was making a spell circle while her brother kept Zoe busy.

The gorgon suddenly smiled and spin a circle faster than the group was expecting. Vines shot up from the ground and wrapped around the group's wrists and ankles. Startled, Emira lost her concentration and her spell stopped.

Willow tried to make a spell but a sharp pain went through her wrists and she lost her concentration.

"I wouldn't do any sudden movements," Zoe mocked condescendingly. "As a follow but inferior plant witch, you know what would happen if you try to move with those plants on you."

Zoe made another spell and plants rose up behind her. The plants formed into a throne, and she took a seat. She brought a squirming Amity over her knee and smirked as she lifted up her skirt.

"NO BULLY AM-AM!" Luz said as she struggled to free herself, ignoring the pain she was feeling.

"Shush, brat!" Zoe replied conceitedly. "You and your friend had messed with my family long enough. When I am done with this one, you're next and I planned to do me than just a public spanking."

Zoe summoned her scroll to record what she was about to do and missed the angry look Amity was giving her. She didn't like that Zoe just threatened her girlfriend. Even worse, the "knocked-down" witch didn't see the gorgon when she spoke; she saw Odalia.

That made Amity even angrier.

"No. Mess. With. UZ-UZ!" Amity screamed as her eye flashed lilac.

Before Zoe could act, Amity summoned an abomination and it burst through the plant throne. The Gorgon and Amity were thrown to the ground, and the current witchling landed hard on the hand that housed the curse.

Amity's eyes shrunk to the size of peas, and for a moment everything was still. Everyone could watch with belated breaths as they waited to see what happened with the young witch. Amity suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs and clutch her wrist as she rolled onto her back.

"AMITY!" everyone screamed.

Willow's eyes glowed green and she mentally commanded the vines to let them go. The second the group was freed, the Twins, Willow, and Gus hurried over to Amity.

"Amity? What's wrong?" Emira asked, as she gently took her sister into a hug.

"H-hurt," was all the sobbing Amity managed to say.

Emira frowned with worry and turned to her brother. She was going to tell him to call the Clawthornes but found he was already doing that.

Zoe, who had just regained her senses, could only scoff at the sight.

"What's the problem?" she asked conceitedly. "It's just a small fall, nothing to be a crybaby about."

A low growl caught her attention and looked over her shoulder. She shuddered when she saw the three-eyed witch and the human holding flaming grudgby balls.

"Say, Noceda," Boscha said in a low tone. "Why don't we put aside our differences and give the second-rate hack a reason to cry."

Luz nodded darkly and raised her ball over her head. Zoe realized what was about to happen and tried to make a spell. She wasn't quick enough and took two balls right to the face.

(SC)

"I can get the rest," Eda said tiredly and looked at the gorgon again.

She noticed a few things she missed when she first got to the scene; namely one of the gorgon's snakes was badly burned.

The wild witch did a double-take when she saw Steve next to Zoe. The good-natured scout was trying to write up a report but the fashionista wasn't cooperating.

Eda just ignored the scout's sudden appearance and turned her attention to the matter at hand. She walked up to her family and scowled when she get a good look at her niece.

Amity now had two pain-nabbing plants wrapped around both wrists and it didn't look like she was going to settle down anytime soon.

"That's bad, Lilith?" Ed asked seriously.

Lilith looked at her sister with heavy eyes, and it took all of Eda's self-control not the wince at the sight.

"I can't say, Edayln," Lilith replied in a near whisper. "But I think when this weekend's over, I will pull Amity from school and see if Healer Oldstone could examine her."

Eda simply nodded as Lilith slowly stood up with Amity in her arms. She looked at the twin with a serious expression.

"Blight brother, Blight Sister. Take Willow and Gus and make your way to the house. I will see if we can wake Roca up."

Emira and Edric simply nodded and picked up their sister's friends. Eda watched as they left the slayground and sighed. She looked when she felt someone tugging at her skirt. The wild witch felt her heart break at the look her human daughter was sporting.

"Am-Am, otay?" Luz asked quietly.

With a mute sigh, Eda bent down and picked Luz up.

"I don't know, witchlet," Eda answered honestly. "But will do anything we can to make this right. That I promise you."

(M Corner)

If anyone followed the timeline I stamped onto most of the Daily lives chapters, they would have guessed that the Soul Stone Search Arc followed directly after the First Weekend arc if I hadn't done what I did.