Luz's last week of school was actually better then she thought it would be. Mostly because her teachers didn't try to give her homework or call on her in class.
She'd be lying if she said she wasn't at least partially going to miss this school.
To think in just one week Vee and her friends would actually make me think about staying here. She'd met them the second day and had to admit that they were weird, but the good kind of weird, her kind of weird.
It even made her wonder what would have happened if she'd gone to camp. Would I have befriended them then? What would have happened to Vee? To everyone in the isles? These thoughts ran through her mind as she cleaned out her locker for the last time. As she did this next to her Vee let out a sigh having accepted but still disliked that Luz wouldn't be staying.
"I'm going to miss seeing you here Luz."
"Vee, we'll still see each other every morning and night. Now come on moms waiting for us." rushing through the horde of students the found their mother's car where she quickly pushed them inside. A bit worried Luz opened her mouth to speak before two tiny arms shot out from the tiny dog crate.
"King!?"
"Luz! I missed you so much! Now release me from this surprisingly comfy prison." Her hand was just at the lock when her mother smacked it down. "Wait until we're off school grounds. I'm not about to turn demon's first car trip into demon spotted at school grounds."
"King what are you even doing here? I was going to be back at the owl house in a couple days."
"Buuuttt Luzzzz! That's too long! So, while Eda was busy, I bravely crossed through the portal and used my keen senses to locate your home where I was tricked into this cage." One look into the cage and Luz saw two chewed open bags of her favorite snack mix. Camila, hearing this gave the full story.
"I did not trick you, King. Eda messaged me on Luz's scroll, and don't you dare say it's magic to explain how you get reception here, anyway she said you'd snuck off, so I went to find you. Even after I went through the trouble of making a map, I find you walking in a circle. "
"I forge my own path!"
Luz could imagine it now, King demanding her mom to take him to her, her mother gently asking him to wait, King getting angry in his adorably cute way before her mom "lured" him into the crate with snacks.
"Let me guess, you didn't notice you were locked inside until you ate your snacks, right?"
His answer was a satisfied burp as they finally left school grounds allowing her to undue the latch. Once free and hugged her chest as hard as he could wanting to make up for lost time.
"You're really coming back soon, right? It's been like forever since we last say you."
"King I've only been here for a week, and in that week, I've messaged everyone nearly every night to talk with them. A few of them even dropped by to say hi."
Vee and Camila snickered recalling when Amity had shown up with her siblings and Alador, she'd come to have a human world date while the twins had come to borrow some human world movies. Alador had merely come as a caring father, that is until he'd wandered into a auto shop and had become far to entranced in two antique cars. At least when they finally found him, he told them he knew where he was going to take his company when it got back and running. Hunter and Darius had also dropped in, he'd claimed he wanted to borrow some cosmic frontier stuff but to Luz it was obvious he wanted to see Camila. Even Darius had fun, mostly due to Camila giving him a spare sewing machine, well that and Hunter accidentally calling him dad.
One the way back home Luz spied a certain restaurant, one that made her recall her first day on the isles and meting Eda and King. So, after a quick pit stop, she was handing King not only his first human world kiddie meal, but something she knew would make his day. Sensing an adorable moment Camila pulled out her spare camera just as King finished his first burger and fries. "A meal fit for a King."
"I'm sure it was, but a King isn't a king without his crown." His eyes winded with joy as Luz placed the crown atop his head.
"My crown of power!" his cries of joy were quickly drowned out by the camera flashes. Through the haze of light Luz added a quick spell to the paper crown. In mere seconds it not only transformed into a more bone like crown but read Titan Prince instead of Burger King. "There we go, much more fitting for the king of all demons."
"I love it! I shall wear this crown from now until the end of my days."
Once they were back home, they saw a familiar figure pacing on their porch.
Luz was the first out of the car with King clutching onto her neck as she launched into Eda.
"Eda! What are you doing here!?"
Quicky returning the hug and after letting Camila and Vee inside Eda pried Luz off with her one good arm before responding. "Well at first I got a bit nervous after seeing Kings message."
"Message?" Luz asked curio sly. Sighing Eda reached into her hair and pulled out a crayon message that read "I'm going to the human world to see Luz do not attempt to stop me."
"After I found this, I sent Cammy a message, one that I never heard back from so I decided to make sure you'd found your way here. Not about to lose my kid to the town that genocidal weirdo came from. No offense Luz and Cammy." Camila simply brushed it off while Luz was too busy thinking, She's a big softie!
Seeing the grin forming on Luz's face Eda gave her a forehead a flick snapping her out of it.
"Hey!"
"Hey nothing, just because I love you two doesn't mean I'll have you thinking I've gone soft." She then easily plucked King from Luz's shoulders and began looking him over her maternal instincts amplified by the owl beast. "You are okay right? You didn't get lost or hurt? Nobody tried to abduct you?"
"Eddddaa I'm fine" he whined unable to escape her grip. She plopped down on the couch fully making herself at home. "Well, that's good, so Cammy now that I know my kids safe what's for dinner? I could really go for some of those empanadas Luz used to make. Might even finally have her try some of the good appleblood, not that watered down kid friendly stuff, I think our kid can handle a taste, Oh and Vee congrats on your first week of human school. Just let your aunty Eda know if you ever need a potion or one of my classic get out of class pranks." The girls and even King saw how Camila was looking at Eda. Before she knew it she was being dragged into the kitchen by her long pointy ear.
"Eda, I think we need to have a long talk..."
Not wanting to get caught up in whatever was about to happen, the girls and King sought safety in their room. The second the door closed the girls shifted to their preferred forms with Vee in the basilisk form and Luz in her titan form.
"Feels good to let my fur breath after a hard day of school."
"I know what you mean, nothing beats letting go and relaxing." She said her tail happily swishing from the top bunk. A bit confused and slightly guiltily King asked.
"You feel restricted in your form Luz?"
Luz knew what he was really asking and quickly scooped him up. "Only hiding it. I love my titan form and my new human form. So much in fact that having to hide it feels wrong. Vee and I actually had a long talk about it."
Vee happily remembered that bit of sisterly bonding after a slightly stressful school day where Luz was yelled at by the coach when she refused to take off her concealment stone. When they'd gotten home, they'd had a long talk about being shapeshifters and how they had to hide and maintain their emotions to not accidentally reveal themselves.
"At least when I get to Hexside I won't have to worry about that. I mean sure I'll have to deal with possible hero worship but hopefully that will be the worst of it."
"Well then I'll go to Hexside with you."
"King you can't go-
"But I can do glyph magic!" to prove this he grabbed two pieces of paper and hastily scribbled what two glyphs she'd somewhat managed to do.
"See! And one day I'll make my own."
"King, I meant you're too young, and before you say your technically hundreds of years old, you're still a kid, so even if they let you attend, you'd be in the baby class."
"...uhhhh...maybe I'll wait then." Truthfully the idea of him attending was an adorable thought. But he'd probably try to challenge the teachers or show off to the others. Or more likely proclaim that the king of demons can't be given homework.
He'd probably cause a fit and I'd be summoned to calm him down. But he would look so cute in the little uniform.
"Kids! Dinner!" they heard before rushing down to see Eda trying to sneak an empanada only for Camila to smack her hand with a wooden spoon.
"Hey!"
"Hey yourself, in this house we all eat together." She growled but sat down and waited for the others.
"So, kid how are your wings doing? Strong enough for your first flight?"
With a thought her wings popped from her back and grew to their full size. "Pretty much, mami has been having me practice flying near the shack. Of course, I do have to do them at night so that people think it's just some big bird, and I have to climb a tree so I can glide but it's still fun."
"My little owl branching already, well how about tonight I help you? I'm probably the best one to teach you to fly, that and the owlbeast is all but screeching at me to help you."
"Really?" Her eyes shot Camila who nodded. "So long as you stay within the woods."
"I promise, King do you want to come?" He might be a few years or decades off from getting wings, but practice never hurt. He seemed to consider it before gazing at the tv. "You go and have your night fun. I'll remain here and enjoy your tv."
"First finish your meal you man then you can watch tv. But be prepared to share because my stories start in less than an hour and I'm not about to miss seeing the hour long special of The Vengeful Passion. We're finally going to find out if Vincent actually killed his evil twin or if he was the one killed."
"Murder? Evil twins? I want to watch to!"
"You'll need a bit of information before you jump into the special. Thankfully I've watched every episode with mom and know just how to explain it without spoiling it." They quickly finished their meals before King rushed to the couch with Vee turning to the channel and describing the show and characters while King sat fully entranced. While they did that Camila saw off Eda and Luz who ran into the darkened woods sprouting their wings.
"You know Luz we'll have more space back home. That and better trees for branching."
"But I promised mami... "
"You promised to stay in the woods, you never specified which woods. Besides I'll have you back before it gets too dark. After all I can't have my kid being tired for her first day back at Hexside."
"You're the best mom."
She tried to hide her blush with her harpy wings but failed. "Come on we got training to do."
And so, Luz smiled and happily followed Eda back through the portal happily returning to her adopted home. Her life from now on was no doubt going to be exciting and stressful, but with her friends and family by her side she knew she'd be just fine.
Epilogue to follow.