Things had been pretty hectic for members of the owl house after Eda announced her idea. The adults had bounced the idea around trying to see if they should really do it. Eventually they'd settled on yes as they agreed it would be the first step to getting back to their somewhat normal lives. So, they called Darius, Eberwof and Raine to discuss the plan. Hunter had come as well and had nearly broken down laughing when he saw Luz having her new tail brushed by Camila while Gwendlyon did Kings. He'd agreed to help Camila sew her some new fitting clothes, mostly as an apology, thinking he'd caused this with his joke. That and he discovered he really liked to sew pointing out Darius's and Eberwolf new wolf themed jackets. He was slightly sidetracked when the collector flew up to Luz saying he'd found his Pokémon.
"It's called Mew and I love it! Grandpa Dell can you make this my palismen?"
"What's a Pokémon?" He'd asked before being floated over and shown the glorious series. He was as two movies in and all but glued to the screen when Eda pulled him free saying "clothes first nerd out later" as he frantically worked Dell had mentioned he could use an apprentice that is assuming Hunter was willing. He didn't give an answer on the spot, but it was so obvious he'd say yes, they created a betting pool. Darius had twenty snails on three days while Camila had a week.
It had taken early two days of planning to get everything set up for the big "Titan Reveal" as it had been dubbed on penstgram. Of the nine coven heads they already had three with Raine, Darius and Eberwolf. Three were told not to come for obvious reasons, the leader of the healing coven had sent word through Darious that she'd do what was needed to help heal the isles, the construction coven simply showed up on day and dropped a stone at their feet that read "I'm in" before silently walking away. In a similar fashion the oracle coven leader had sent a astral projection to the owl house.
They'd chosen the former emperor's throne room as the location as everyone admitted it would be fitting. Now here they were setting up the various microphones and crystal balls so that everyone could see.
As for Luz, she was busy staring at the former heart of the titan. After Belos had been removed and the titan finally died the heart had turned to solid lifeless stone. With King by her side, she kept staring remembering ripping the parasite that was Belos from the heart.
"Luz, you okay?"
"Yeah, little buddy, just a lot on my mind. I mean it's not every day you show an entire civilization what their god actually looked like. Not counting you of course my adorable little tyrant" picking him up she gave him a massive hug.
"Luz it's time." came Eda's voice as the coven heads began making their way to the stage. Her heat going crazy she was elated as Amity and her mom took seats to her left and right while King sat on her lap. Already the flashes of cameras went off and her phone started trending the words "titan bonding!"
Looking out at the massive crowd Luz wondered if this was going to work.
What if it doesn't!? What if it makes people more fanatic!? What if I get so nervous my wings pop out!? My back has been hurting so bad recently and abuela and the collector said they could pop out any day now.
"Mija, it will be okay."
"Camalia's right Luz. Just remember we can to this together." At that moment she really wanted to kiss Amity. But she decided to simply hold her hand under the table to mainly keep her from bolting. So, for the time being she stared out at the sea of eyes and flashing lights. Thankfully the first two rows were filled with her friends and family with Vee sitting between Dell and Gwendolyn who had spent the last two days spoiling her as they welcomed another granddaughter into the fold. Vee had openly denied liking the spoiling but in Luz's room had told her she liked having a big family. Besides them were Amity's family as well as Gus and Willow along with her dads. They gave her a supportive thumbs up, making her smile as Darius began speaking.
"People of the isles by now you've no doubt seen or read about King Clawthorne and his adopted sister Luz Noceda Clawthorne." He waited as the camera went off and the reporters attempted to ask questions. "Enough! You'll be able to ask your questions at the end. Now if everybody can be civil, we can begin with the memory orb." Never before had Luz seen that many people go silent at once. Something that made her even more nervous. When Eda and Raine placed the orb on her head she gulped as it morphed around her horned head and turned into a crystal-like helmet.
"Okay Luz in order for everyone to get the full picture we'll have to show them everything. You okay with that?" Luz knew what she was asking.
I'll have to show them I died. While she'd told her family she'd been sent to the in between world and met the titan she might have given them the abridged version. "It's okay Eda, they have a right to know."
With a wave of his hand the oracle coven leader Osran activated the helmet. Similarly, to the tweezers Luz felt her brain being tickled as the memory appeared above her amplified by his oracle apprentices. Luz could both see the memories being projected above her as well as the crowd in front of her.
I will never stop loving magic! She then saw herself rushing to the collector just as Belos began firing. Oh, and here comes my death.
The crowd gasped seeing Belo's final form firing after the collector tried to talk him down peacefully. Amity all but crushed her hand as she saw the blast hit her before her body started to crumble away.
"Eda, King, looks like we're gonna be split up again. I feel like I should be used to this feeling by now... but I still don't know what to say."
Looking at her friends' and families' faces she saw shock and horror as they tried to wipe their tears away. To her right Camila and Eda were breaking down one for seeing this for the first time while the other reliving it. In her lap King let out a low whine making Luz hug her with one arm as a tear ran down her cheek remembering how it felt to disappear.
Then came pure silence. A pure awkward respectful silence having witnessed her sacrifice. Luz saw for the first time her magical life orbs float across the isles, even before her mom's puppet body which started crying.
She opened her mouth to say something but she couldn't find the words.
A minute later her orbs found their way into the in between world before plunging into the mysterious water.
"...Oh, I know what I should have said. I should have thanked them." As her eyes closed, she heard a sound and felt her body being pulled out as her eyes opened to a Hooty-like object before taking in the titan.
"King?"
"Ha ha no, but he does get his good looks from me." Two seconds, that's how long Luz had before the room erupted into chaos as people took in their gods appearance and they had to pause the feed. Flashes of cameras went off, her scroll dinged so much it nearly exploded. King let out a giddy screech hearing his dad's voice for the first time. It got so bad that Raine and their fellow bards had to magically science the crowd. But even then, they still couldn't believe his appearance, his dad body, Eda's bad girl coven shirt, the slightly ragged robe and glyph covered pants. Not to mention his scruffy beard, or was it mane? Luz still couldn't figure it out.
When they restrained themselves enough to continue the broadcast.
"Oh titan."
"Oh, me? Nice to meet you, Luz the human." Seeing him Luz couldn't help but smile as her memory self-asked. "You can't actually be the Titan Titan, right? You're the Boiling Isles, and the titan is all..."
"Dead-looking?" he sadly asked.
"Does that mean I'm also..." she asked taking a knee and starting to sink into the depths again. Only for the titan to scoop her up like a protective parent. "Ah, no, nope no. Don't wann do that. If you go under without a portal, you really will be dead-looking."
Exciely she said "I can't believe this. you're King's dad."
"I think King said it best once. I am both King and Queen best of both things." Giving her a chuckle, he added. "But dad works fine." King went from excited to hyper excited hearing this.
Her memory self then looked around before asking the question she'd had since first coming there the first time. "What is this place?"
His dad then gestured around saying "this is the space in between. Well in between a lot of places. And I've been stuck here for quite some time." he then scooped up a cube happily saying. "At least I can keep an eye on my child. And those that have been kid to him." Seeing her old self hugging King she felt an odd mixture of pain and longing.
A wave of "awwwwwwsss" came from the audience seeing the lovely sight. Something that made King and Eda blush.
Then came her telling King's dad about how she'd felt. "I'm not so kind. When I saw the collector fly up to Belos, I hoped with all my heart I would see them blast them away, and-" before sighing before the titan responded.
"Hey, I can relate. I was willing to do anything to keep my kid safe. But I attacked the wrong person, dragged the collector down here for nothing." At the end of the table the collector upon seeing the titan's genuine regret muttered "we all mess up from time to time."
Then came the question that nearly broke her heart. "Does that make us as bad as Belos?" The titan laughed in pure suprise before saying, "What? Have you been drinking Eda's homemade appleblood?"
"Well, Belos says he's trying to save humanity, and we are saying we want to save our families, so isn't that the same thing?" she remembered feeling so overwhelmed and confused asking that. Truly feeling she was just as bad as the monster that had just nearly killed her for the second time.
"Don't- these feelings come from the same place?"
After a moment of looking at her sadely he calmly responded. "Well, you assume Belos's goal comes from a genuine place. But that man doesn't care about anything but his need to be the hero in his own delusion. And because of that he fears what he can't control"
"And now that fear is going to win."
All Luz could think of was. Wow I'm going to need therapy after this.
Then came the horrible moment she tried to shield King from seeing. But he wasn't haven't it and moved his hand just in time to see his father's chest glowing a sickly green.
"Ah, dang. I thought I had more time left. But Belos will have full control soon." he then turned to her asking "You ready to stop him?" making her ask "What? What can I do?" he then extended his hand saying, "You've already helped King so much, so let me use my last bit of life to help you." as his palms glowed with a massive glyph combination making people gasp. Especially Principal Bump who was already seeing the leaders of the PCA eying him.
"Are you sure you wanna give this power to me?" In true dad fashion similar to her own he leaned down and calmly said. "Well, you're the one here, and you seem like a good witch. But I can't give you anything unless you choose to accept it. So, the question is, will you choose yourself?"
She took his hand and the power flowed up her arm forming a massive golden barrier raisng her up as he spoke. "Now, Belos will be able to control everything, so you have to defeat him fast."
"But-"
"My power won't last forever, so use your time wisely."
"Oh, but what about-
"- Eda the owl lady? Send her my regards. Big fan." Eda let out a prideful snort hearing this. While her memory reached for the titan's claw. "No, King, What about King? Don't you want to say something to him?"
After a second of thinking King's dad whispered. "Tell him I loaf him." making her smile and whipped a tear away" Oh, he'll love that." before looking up at the massive skeleton form of the titan. A form that made everyone gasp at it's sheer size and majesty. Everyone, whether in the room or watching from a scroll or crystal ball couldn't look a way as the titan slowly sank beneath the water his last words being "Goodbye, Luz" before the memory orb died and fell onto the table.
Luz quickly stood up holding King and said."I need some air!"before rushing out quickly followed by Amity, Eda and Camila as the crowd lost themselves in questions and camera flashes as the nose became deafening.
