Luz knew that the collector was powerful, she'd seen his magic firsthand multiple times, but every time she kept being surprised.
When her mom said they needed a portal that didn't require King donating blood every time he simply created a stone archway out of nearby boulders before waving his hand and a magically bright door appeared.
"There you go, one permeant door to the human world. Now I can see what toys the human world has to offer." Camila quickly hugged him. "Thank you my niño estrella!" Like the kid he was he happily enjoyed the hug while Luz pushed open the door and saw the opening of the shack.
"Hard to believe it's been just under a month since I was here." The shack was just as the gang left it. The messy table covered in sketches and half eaten snacks, bits of broken wood they'd never gotten around to fixing and of course the now dried image of Hooty on the front door.
Vee and Camila walked through after her both looking excited. Vee especially looked cheerful as she changed to her human form and plopped down on the couch.
"Finally, we're home!"
"But Vee, I thought you enjoyed spending time with your new grandparents and aunt Lilith." Luz asked, thinking back to all the time she'd seen her with them.
"Hey, don't get me wrong I love having family, and Lilith is much nicer than I thought she'd be, even teaching me a lot but..."
She didn't need to continue as Camila knew nothing beat having some peace and quiet at home.
But what about Luz? She couldn't help but think as Luz attempted to take a step outside.
"Mija your necklace."
Luz's hand shot into her pocket pulling out her new concealment charm Amity gave her. Putting it on the magic activated with a puff of smoke showing her new look. Her smaller horns were gone, now she sported two tuffs of spiked hair, her eyes were back to their familiar brown and her purplish hair was back to brown and now tied into a neat ponytail. They'd tried to cut it, but it grew back every time Luz changed into her titan form. Not that Luz seemed to mind as both Willow and Amity as well as Camila were more than willing to fashion it into different styles.
"Mom do I really need to wear this?"
"Yes, unlike your sister you can't completely change yourself. And before you say you can use an illusion; we both know you've spent more time practicing abominations then illusion."
"Can't imagine why that would be." Vee teased.
Luz gave her sister an embarrassed glare before walking out the door. Vee quickly followed her leaving Camila and the portal. Eda, having seen it, poked her head through. "So how long is Luz going to be gone?"
"Eda, we talked about this, Luz will be back when Hexside starts back up. We both agreed that she needed some time away from everything. You handled a few months without her, you can handle two weeks."
"Yeah, I know but I'll miss my kid is all. I'm new to this official mom stuff after all."
"We both know you're doing a fine job, besides with this portal open you and the rest can come and go as you please. I'm not about to deny Luz her adopted home after all."
"Does that mean you've changed your mind about her staying with me?" They'd talked about custody, but their talks hadn't really gone anywhere. They hadn't brought Luz to these talks as neither were fully prepared to hear their daughter's answer. After all Eda was sure Luz would choose Hexside over her human school while Camila was still confident she could get her to do both.
"Until we officially hammer out all the details it will remain as such. Luz goes to Hexside during the day but comes back to me at night, at weekends she can stay overnight. Likewise, the others can stay overnight assuming their parents agree."
It was the best compromise they'd come to so far. Eda let out a frustrated sigh seeing Camial's firm but fair expression. "Fine but be prepared for King to randomly drop by. He's determined too never be apart from her again." He'd even tried gluing himself to her, thankfully the glue he'd grabbed hand long since hardened to the point of being unusable.
"Just so long as he follows the trail to the back door anyone that sees him will hopefully just mistake him for a racoon." After thinking about it she grabbed a piece of paper and drew him a short map. "I'll leave this here for him."
With that settled Camila closed the door watching as it latched onto a nearby wall letting out a saintly hum. "I can see why Luz loves magic."
Walking the short distance from the shack to home she couldn't help but lament the fact that Luz was no longer fully human. Sure, she knew that it ultimately didn't matter as inside or out Luz was still Luz.
"But it's what that new appearance means for the future." Before all the craziness, before the magic she'd always envisioned Luz being an author or possibly even one of those online webcomic makers. Having a career that she could funnel all her creativity into and enjoy doing.
Not that she still couldn't be those things. Only now she's brought up the idea of being an explorer in the isles or possibly becoming a teacher at Hexside, honestly speaking the latter would probably suit her. At that she imagined Luz groaning over grading homework while Amity cheered her on.
"They'll make a wonder pair." her home in sight she opened the door and found Luz and Vee both in their alternate forms fighting over the remote. The sight was a much-needed breath of normalcy, no frighting scenes or major issues, just two siblings fighting over what to watch.
"Let got Luz I called dibs!"
"No way! You never specified the dibs, so it doesn't count."
The fight went on for five whole minutes as Luz sprouted her wings and tried to fly up only for Vee to drain her magic enough to force her down. Camila was about to put a stop to this when Vee changed into Amity and gave Luz a loving look. "Let go luz, for me?" As expected, Luz became weak and let go allowing Vee to switch it over to her favorite channel.
"I love the science channel, always some new thing to learn."
Realizing she'd been tricked; Luz sank into the couch where after a moment changed to her human form. "You win this round, but that trick won't work on me forever!" Vee and Camila shared a look as they knew that trick would always work on Luz, just as the opposite worked on Amity.
"Whatever you say sis. Now be quiet they're showing the conductivity of the various metals."
Ever since meeting her and living with her Luz had quickly learned that Vee loved to learn, from the biggest stars to the smallest organism. She still remembered her expression when she learned about the solar system.
"Wait... we're just on one planet? And there are eight more!?"
"It was nine, but Pluto was downgraded to a dwarf planet. But yeah, eight formally nine in this system."
"This system?"
"Yep, oh and then of course there are the other galaxies." After that Vee just kept muttering "we're just specks adrift in the vast cosmos" so Luz left her alone for a while. When she checked on her later, she was eyeing the sky with a telescope.
"I can't wait to learn like this every day at school. Well, that and just having a normal life."
"Yeah, school can be fun especially when you got your friends with you."
Camila saw Vee's tail flicking back and forth telling her she was thinking about saying something. "Luz... are you really sure you don't want to go to school with me?"
Luz tried to respond but looked away as she fidgeted with her hands. "I'd just like to go to school with you is all. I'd rather like having you by my side." Without a word Luz moved over to sit next to her. "Vee trust me I'd like that, really, I would...but I don't have the best history at school. Too much creativity and weirdness. Honestly, I haven't had an actual friend in a long time, sure people I could talk to, but not an actual friend. But Hexside is different, I've got friends, a chance to use my newly acquired magic, a frenemy? School associate? Whatever Boscha is now and of course a girlfriend." Vee rolled her eyes hoping Luz wouldn't start up about Amity again. Thankfully Luz caught herself and went on. "Anyway, it's Hexside for me, but you've still got friends, didn't you say you've been patching things up with them?"
Vee let out a noise that was more groan than sigh. "Yeeeahhh so far, it's been slow. The easiest part was convincing them that the "Luz" they went to camp with was actually her sister. It took more than a little shapeshifting and acting but they seemed to accept it. Although Masha did seem a bit suspicious about why I was pretending to be you... or maybe not... honestly, they're always so adorably aloof. Anyway at least I've got my friends back."
Luz gently elbowed her rips smiling with sisterly pride. "See you've already got your own gang."
"Yeah, but are you sure I couldn't convince you?" Ever since Camila filled out the forms, she'd fantasied about Luz walking thought the door proudly proclaiming that the Noceda sisters were taking over the school. Deep down she knew it was stupid and silly, but a girl could dream.
"Look Vee at the end of the day I have magic now, well two types actually, and I need to go to Hexside to learn to control them. Not to mention the other issue" she then gestured to the concealment stone. "I can't even go outside without wearing this, one wrong move or clumsy action and poof it goes flying and people see the new me. Or worse." Unable to stop her mind conjured a series of scenarios of people chanting the words "demon" causing her to quickly change to her titan form. "I'm still not entirely used to this whole shapeshifting thing yet. Better it happens in the isles then here." She saw the looks Vee and Camila were giving her and shot up. "Okay that's enough sad thoughts for now. Listen Vee, sure I won't be going to school with you permanently, but I do still technically have one week left before I homeschool." she said using air quotes. "So does that mean?" Vee asked her exceptions growing.
"Yeah, I'll be right by your side as you start your first day."
Overwhelmed with joy Vee tackled Luz enveloping her fury body in a massive full body hug. "Thank you thank you thank you!"
Though the sight was adorable and quickly captured on film it did cement something for Camila.
Luz's future really is in another world. Though as she watched Luz free herself with the help of a quickly created illusion of Vee's friend Masha, she realized so long as Luz was happy then she supposed it was fine.
But she will still have to graduate. They'll be no dropouts in this family. Which reminds me I really should ask Lilith if there's any good magical colleges Luz can tour in a few years.
Grabbing her girls, she effortlessly picked them up and placed them on the couch. "Alright that's enough playing around from you two. Vee, you start school tomorrow, so I want you in bed by ten got it?"
"Yes mom."
"Good, now Luz, I want you to be the best sister possible for Vee tomorrow alright?"
"Don't worry mom, Stringbean and I will protect her." hearing her name her palisman slithered out from Luz's now magically storage enhanced hair and formed into a staff.
Of course, upon seeing her mother's intense glare she placed Stringbean on a nearby pillow. "By that I mean I will stay by Vee's side while Stringbean protects the house."
"Good answer Luz, now you two enjoy the show. Mammas got to catch up on her stories in her room." She'd just gotten to the top of the stairs when she heard them revert back to fighting over the remote.