The Owl Familia: The Family That Will Grow Forever:
The three-eye, Thousand-Yard Stare
"I'm sorry, Boscha," Cat Oldstone said regretfully. "But with everything going on, I feel like I should take my healing studies seriously. I'm quitting Grudgeby and taking a permanent spot at my cousin's healing hut."
Boscha growled as the memory finished and brought her ball over her head. She let the ball go with a strong push and nearly screamed when it bounced off the side of the rim. With a grumble, the three-eyed witch grabbed another ball and brought it over her head again.
"It's not that I want to quit," Amelia said regretfully, "But since my dad and mom's magic has been weakened so much, they have their hands full with their stables. So I decided to take a break from the game and focus on my new classes in beast-keeping."
With a roar, Boscha threw her ball with more force than needed. The ball soared over the hoop and continued through the sky. Not that Boscha cared; the young witch stood there huffing and puffing in anger.
She took a breath to try and calm herself and grabbed another ball. She didn't get into position before another memory came rushing to the surface.
"Boscha… I haven't been on the Banshees for a while," Skara said kindly. "And with everything happening, I barely have time to play Flyer Derby."
"Why, WHHHHYYYY!" Boscha screamed, throwing her ball hard into the ground. "Why is everyone leaving me?"
Boscha gave in to her anger and grabbed as many balls as she could hold. She began wildly chucking them as she screamed at the top of her lungs.
"WHAT'S WRONG WITH EVERYONE!? WHY CAN'T THING JUST STAY THE WAY IT WAS?"
Boscha was down to her last ball, and she set it on fire before throwing it. During her fit, she had begun to cry and thus didn't see the familiar group coming onto the field.
Vee gasped when she saw the flaming ball coming at her and braced for the impact to come. An abomination suddenly sprang up and vines wrapped around the creation's arms as it caught the ball. Vee watched as goo and vines covered the ball and put out the fire.
Vee couldn't help but sigh with relief as her human sister quickly came to her side.
"Are you okay, Vee?" Luz asked in concern.
Vee just offered her adopted sister a smile and then looked at Amity and Willow. "Thanks, guys," she said gratefully.
"Anytime, sis," Amity replied warmly as Willow nodded.
The children of the Owl Familia turned their attention to the three-eyed witch a few feet away from them. Boscha had just finished wiping her tears away and looked at the group condescendingly.
"What are you doing here?" Boscha asked, trying to sound condescending.
The group chose to ignore the three-eyed witch question, and Hunter took a step forward. The ex-Golden Guard leveled a slight scolding glare at the witch.
"You should pay more attention when you're practicing," Hunter stated plainly. "You could have hurt someone."
Boscha stared at the grimwalker, trying to hide her fear of him, and just scoffed. She crossed her arms and looked away.
"Whatever," she muttered. "Just tell me why you losers are here? This place is only for those with real talent."
Amity stared at her ex-friend; most of the time her group and Boscha had run into each other the three-eyed witch had gone out of her way to exclude Amity from her group of "losers". She also noticed some things about Boscha were off, and studied her ex-friend in full.
Boscha wasn't holding herself like she normally does; while her pose was confident, Amity noticed it looked forced. The young witch's skin had lost some color, and she could see bags forming under Boscha's eyes.
All these things worried Amity; she may not consider Boscha a friend anymore, but she didn't want anything bad to happen to her.
Amity didn't get a chance to voice her concern as Hunter let out a sigh.
"We were just cutting across the field so we could get to the beat-keeping stables," Hunter explained calmly. "There's something Luz, Vee and I need for our classes."
Boscha's head snapped up and look at the entire group with disgust. It was no secret that Boscha was one of the few students who were still against the multi-tracking craze that had entranced the school.
This caused the more recent multi-tracking students to study their uniforms.
When Vee enrolled, she had chosen healing and beast-keeping as her studies. Then there was Hunter; the former Golden Guard was part of the beast-keeping track but was also doing potions.
Finally, there was Gus; he had taken up studying Bard magic alongside his original track. Willow, surprisingly, was the only one who hadn't taken up another track. And for reasons Boscha couldn't understand, that made her hate the ex-abomination student more.
"Whatever," Boscha said after a moment of awkward silence. "Just get out of my sight. I need to get back to practice."
Everyone frowned and looked at the ball basket and the field. There were only two balls left in the basket and all the others were scattered around the field. The group couldn't help but look at Boscha with a mix of concern and pity.
Luz opened her mouth to say something but Boscha cut her off.
"Just GO!" she screamed, pointing in the direction of the beast-keeping stables. "I can't focus with all of you hanging around!"
The group exchanged uncertain looks but reluctantly walked off. Luz stopped and looked back at her bully and frowned. She still wanted to say something to Boscha, but just didn't know how to approach the witch.
So, with a sigh, the human witch hurried after her friends and family.
(Later that night)
"Now, for our top story; the newly opened human trade center in Latissa has become the site of a violent fight."
Both Camila and Lilith looked up from their work and gave their full attention to the crystal ball broadcasting the news.
"What started as a grand opening turned violent as the "Boiling Isles Purity Movement" made themselves known. At first, the movement just protested that having human items on the Isles wasn't how the titan willed it to be. But things took a turn for the worse when the "Witches For Change" suddenly entered the area and the two groups immediately began to fight."
With a tired sigh, Lilith grabbed the remote and muted the sound of the crystal ball. She leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes.
A part of Lilith wanted to re-enlist with the scouts and bring these aimless witches to justice. The only thing stopping her was the two simple facts; she felt like that part of her life was over. She also had Amity to think about; she knew Amity would be devastated if anything happened to her.
The concerned voice of her honorary sister brought the ex-head witch out of her thoughts.
"Dios, the more I hear about these groups the more uneasy I feel."
Lilith sighed as she opened her eyes and leaned forward.
"I feel the same way," Lilith said, grabbing her work. "At first, both groups were just young witches trying to take advantage of the confusion left by Philip Wittlebane's dethroning. However, their recent actions have become more alarming."
Camila nodded and grabbed the remote. She turned up the volume enough that she could hear the news without disturbing their work.
"...Thankfully, a scout unit led by Captain Steve Tholomule was able to break up the group before anyone could be seriously injured. Now, onto the weather: the boiling rainstorm is still on course and is expected to start within the hour. If you must venture out during this time, remember to either put up a shield or carry a shield glyph with you."
Camila frowned as she muted the sound again, and both mothers looked out the window. They could see the clouds in the sky; this made them worry.
"Shouldn't the children be back by now?" the human mother asked in concern.
Lilith nodded and got up. She went over to a window and looked out. She couldn't see the hide or hair of the children and this caused her worries to grow.
"You're right," Lilith agreed grimly. "It's not a long flight to town and the store they were heading towards isn't that far in. So, they shouldn't be much longer"
Saying that didn't bring any comfort to either mother and this caused Lilith to sigh.
"Let's just hope Luz doesn't come home with a wayward wild animal like last time," Lilith joked, trying to lighten the mood.
Despite the tense mood the human and witch found themselves in, Camila couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped her.
"Don't get me started, Hermana," Camila giggled. "There's a reason why Gravefield has so many Lemmings in their pet stores."
Lilith shuddered as the memory from last week came flooding back. Thankful, a titan saw fit to spare the former coven head from reliving that recent memory.
"Oh, it couldn't be like the time she brought a nest of griffin's eggs to home…with an entire flock hot on her tail," King added, some mirth in his voice. "Oh, did Eda go beast on her, and not because of her curse."
Camila and Lilith exchanged worried looks and then turned their attention to their nephew. They didn't get the chance to ask him about the incident as the door flew open.
"Mom! Aunt Camila! We have a problem!"
The two mothers and one young titan snapped their heads in the direction of the door and all gasped at the sight. They saw an abomination enter the house carrying a familiar three-eyed witch and Luz and Amity close behind it.
"What happened?" Lilith asked calmly.
"We don't know," Luz answered, voice trembling. "We found her not too far from the store we're at, and Amity said Boscha's place is nowhere near that street."
Lilith nodded and gestured for Camila to move. The human mother got the message and the two moved away from the couch. Amity also understood what her mother was implying and order her abomination to set Boscha on the couch.
Once the young witch was resting comfortably, Lilith went to work. Her eyes scanned Boscha at the same time her spell did. There were numerous cuts and tears in the girl's uniform; thankfully, her wounds were small and mostly superficial. The only one that was worrisome was Boscha's right eye; there was a cut right above the eyelid, and some blood was seeping into the eye itself.
Lilith sighed and cast a small healing back. The spell would close the wound and disinfect both it and the eye before anything serious could happen.
"Lily, what's happening?" Eda asked. "You only use your magic these days if it's something serious."
Lilith wasn't surprised to find her sister in the living room. Eda no doubt heard everyone and came to investigate.
"I just saw a small cut that I didn't want to risk infection," Lilith informed her sister with a small smile and turned serious as she looked at the children. "Amity, Luz. You said you found your classmate near the general store, right?"
"Yes," Amity somewhat calmly said. "And since Boscha's house was on the other side of Bonesborugh, I didn't want to risk getting caught in the rain."
Like proving the girl right, the sizzling sound of boiling rain reached everyone's ears. They looked in time to see the faint glow of the shield glyphs Lilith had set up earlier surrounding the house, and the noise grew distant.
Lilith frowned as she looked back at the three-eyed witch. Something was bugging her about all the girl's wounds. She just can't figure out what it was.
"Hey, kids," Eda suddenly said with a smile, "Why don't you take that pain in the bile-sac up to a guest room? The couch isn't the best place to sleep off whatever she has."
The engaged couple looked at the bard witch uncertainly. They turned their attention to the older human and Camila gave them a reassuring smile.
"I agree," she added, though none missed the tension in Camila's voice. "And maybe found her something to wear? That uniform looked soaked in sweat."
The two young witches still looked uncertain but did as they were told. Amity commanded her abomination to pick up Boscha. The two then proceeded upstairs and only when Eda and Camila heard a door close did they relax.
"Titan, you don't need to be a healer to see that kid got into a fight," Eda groaned and walked over to the couch. "Good thing I turned off the stove before coming in here."
"Si," Camila agreed without thinking.
Lilith gasped as she realized what was eating at her. The wounds on the girl were all signs of her being in a fight. She really must be losing her touch if someone like Camila was able to see it before her.
Lilith gasped again as she realized her train of thought, and she looked at her honorary sister. She wasn't the only one to pick up on this; Eda looked at Camila with a cocked eyebrow.
"You were in fights?" the ex-wild witch asked.
Camila offered her witch sister a shameful smile as she joined her on the couch.
"I had a tough time growing up," Camila admitted shamefully, "If it wasn't for Manny, I might have gone down a different path and not be the person I am today."
Eda nodded and decided to leave it as it is and focused on the true topic at hand.
"I just want to know why that girl was in a fight. The way the kids talk, she has the world going for her. So I don't think a lot of people are lining up to knock her teeth out."
"I have my thoughts," Lilith said grimly, taking a seat on the loveseat. "For over 20 years, Trisight Potion Brewing had a close partnership with Blight Instudries. More specially, Boscha's mothers worked closely with Odalia Golddager."
Eda growled at that name. Even though it has been over four months since Odalia's arrest, just hearing that name was enough to boil Eda's blood.
"I afraid I don't follow?" Camila said, lost on the matter. "I know that woman was a vile one, but why do you think her mothers' partnership has something to do with anything?"
The sisters Clawthorne exchanged looks and nodded. They looked at their human sister with serious expressions.
"When it became public knowledge that Odalia was going to support Philip's Day of Unity, a lot of people she forged partnerships with came under suspicion," Lilith explained slowly. "Darius himself is still looking into the matter if Odalia's partners were also in on the conspiracy."
"Please," Eda scoffed with an eye roll. "We both know what's going on here; people are using the chaos to try and get a leg over their rivals. That's the oldest trick in the business playbook."
"Whatever the reasons, it can't be denied that it is working," Lilith added. "I heard a rumor that Trisights' business had dropped in sales and orders. I even heard that Sabria Trisight had received a death threat, all because she created the potion that allowed Alador to put armor plating on Abominations."
The trio of mothers fell into an uneasy silence as they processed everything. The silence was broken when Luz's voice, filled with panic, pierced through the air.
"Boscha! Stop!"
The mothers looked up and saw the girl, now dressed in one of Amity's spare human outfits, racing to the door. Everyone could figure out what the girl was planning, and Eda was quick to act.
"Hooty! Lock the place down!"
The Owl Familia heard locks click and shudders came down on the windows just as Boscha reached the door. She grabbed the knob and twisted and turned it frantically. When she couldn't get it to open, she began banging on the door.
"Let me out, you stupid excuse for a demon!" Boscha screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Child," Lilith said lowly. "You need to calm down. There's a storm out there and it isn't safe."
Boscha snapped around and growled at the group. The mother couldn't help but gasp when they saw tears streaming down the girl's face.
"This has nothing to do with any of you!" Boscha shrieked. "So let me out!"
Camila took a step forward and looked at the witch. The human's expression was firm but her eyes had a gentleness that betrayed her expression.
"Corazon," Camila spoke softly. "I don't know what's going on, but there's a storm going on. You could get hurt if you go out now."
Boscha shot a glare at the human adult. Camila stood her ground and something about the aura of the mother was enough to cause Boscha's anger to waver. Eda saw this and joined the human's side.
"Not that I care if you go out there," the ex-wild witch stated offhandedly, "But the storm is at worst. Even with the best shield spell, you wouldn't get far, especially in your shape."
Boscha's anger continue to waver and Lilith picked up on this. She got close to Eda, and Luz and Amity joined their mothers.
"Child, please," The ex-coven head said gently. "We don't mean you any harm. And we will help you the best we could. But you need to explain to us what's going on?"
Boscha's anger finally broke and she went from silent tears to full-on crying. She dropped to her knees and cried into her hands. The Familia was shocked by this, but this doesn't stop Camila from going up to the child and trying to comfort her.
The human adult got down on her knees and gently rubbed the witchling's back. The group remained like this for nearly a minute before Boscha was able to regain control of herself.
"My mom has been hurt, and I need to get to her," Boscha choked out, and then look at the Owl Familia with pleading eyes. "Is there anything you can do to help?"
Amity and Luz were so shocked by this, they nearly fainted on the spot. Even in these changing times, Boscha rarely asks for anyone's help. So to actually see it was something else.
The mothers of the Familia, however, had soft smiles on their faces and were already working out a plan.
"Edalyn," Lilith said seriously. "I think the best course of action would be to merge with our beasts. Our harpy forms have shown resistance to the boiling rain. If we use some shield spells or glyphs, we should be able to reach where Boscha's family is being treated."
"OH!" Luz suddenly said, getting everyone's attention. "Roca could handle some boiling rain. And he fast too"
"I can add some abomination cover to go with the shield spell," Amity added.
Boscha was shocked by all going on around her. People she treated so badly in the past were willing to help her. It was a little off-putting, but she wouldn't deny help… especially after what happened with her mother earlier in the day.
"Camila," Lilith said, looking at the human. "I know this isn't ideal, and you're probably against the children going out, but I would you accompany us? I don't want Boscha to go out alone in her condition and mental state."
Camila nodded without a second thought and that made Lilith smile. The group quickly began to work, getting things ready for the dangerous venture outside.
(M Corner)
I apologize in advance for what you're about to witness.
Me (Inhale deeply): HOLY CHEESE AND CRACKER SAUSE! BROWN CRACKER SAUSE, I SAY! When I gave Boscha a crush on Amity, I used that as a reason to make her a little extra mean towards Luz. I know the show didn't outright say it, but the scene toward the end of the special heavily implies that Boscha does have something deeper for Amity. So I say again, BROWN CRACKER SAUSE!
So, before I have a total freak and everyone laughs at me, I would also like to ask; I can't be the only one who thinks the kids' current outfits are hinting at something, right?
I mean, both Gus and Hunter's costumes are dead ringers for the bard and potions tracks. I know hunter wore the potion track uniform before, but still! Even Amity's colors are the colors belonging to the Healing track. The only ones that don't follow this are Willow and Luz.
Now, if you excuse me, I need to finish having my mental breakdown so Steve can come and take me to the padded room. (Proceed to run around my room like Daffy Duck)