Vesper the Half-Witch

by Wolf of the Black Rose

Vesper Solberg was Luz's best friend. When they discover a portal to the Demon Realm, Vesper learns some shocking information about his family and heritage. Deciding to stay for the summer, Luz and Vesper share many adventures with Eda, the Owl Lady, and the adorable King as Vesper learns more surprising truths about his family and himself.

Welcome to my next Owl House fanfiction! This story idea was my first idea once I got into the series, and the first one with a major OC!

I was going to post this yesterday, but the document was long, and Grammerly was testing my patience. Anyway, disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to The Owl House. I only own the story and my OCs. I borrowed one name from Equestria Girls, so credit to those creators.

With that, let's begin!

In the upstairs bedroom of a country farmhouse, a digital alarm clock went off at 7:45. A teenage boy named Vesper Solberg shut it off before getting up to start the day.

Vesper was a slender, Scandinavian-American boy with fair skin, freckles, and light blue eyes. His dark black hair was medium-length, long bangs that fell to the right without obscuring his face and moderate purple and brilliant sapphire blue streaks. While his hair was shaggy on a good day, his bedhead was making it worse. Having just rolled out of bed, he was in his pajamas consisting of a short-sleeve light blue shirt with white trim and darker blue pants with white drawstrings.

His bedroom was blue with brown furniture and various shades of purple and violet highlighting the room. The layout included a twin-size storage bed with a purple and violet bedspread in front of the window. There was a trunk at the foot of the bed with a blue pillow on top for the teen's dog. On the right side was a nightstand where the alarm clock sat, and on the other was a dresser with a lamp and a nightstand box. There was a tall bookshelf crammed with books on the other side of the nightstand, a computer desk with a silver desktop and a violet desk chair, and another full bookshelf carved out of the wall.

In an alcove next to the second bookshelf was a bay window with cushions, more books stored below, and a telescope. On the other side was another wall bookshelf, and against the adjacent wall was an aquarium, a wastebasket beside it, and a shelf above that had different trophies and medals that Vesper had been awarded.

After the bedroom door, next to it was an area of Vesper's room that was dedicated to science. There was a desk with a cabinet and minifridge beneath it, a small set of drawers next to it, and a microscope, monitor, and a few different plants next to the equipment as well as on the shelf above it and even a few hanging from the ceiling. A periodic table was also on the wall, and a rack with different samples for his science experiments was on the other side of the desk.

By the closet was a measuring stick on the wall, a shelf above it with more books, and another bookshelf built into the wall. Next to that was a gold full-body mirror hanging on the wall, a gift from his sister, and a violet bean bag chair in the corner with more books that hadn't made it to the shelf.

In addition to the dresser lamp, Vesper had a floor lamp by the bean bag and a crystal-like chandelier on the ceiling. There were also glow-in-the-dark stars in different constellations and a solar system mobile over his bed.

On his walls were pictures of him with his family and his dog and posters for media called "The Good Witch Azura," "Cosmic Frontier," and other series Vesper was a fan of.

After remaking his bed, Vesper smiled at the blurred form that was his still-sleeping pet dog, Sparky. (Vesper couldn't see well without his glasses)

Sparky was a breed of dog called a Drentse Patrijshond, a type of spaniel hunting dog. He looked less than two years old, although they've had him longer than that. Mostly white with large brown plates, his coat was medium-long but dense. He wore a dark indigo collar with silver spikes and a gold tag.

"Morning, buddy." Vesper petted Sparky, waking the dog.

Slipping on a pair of thick black glasses, Vesper continued his morning routine. After brushing his teeth and making his hair somewhat neater with a hairdryer and comb, Vesper got changed for school. He wore a blue-gray and teal striped t-shirt, a dark maroon vest with a gold zipper, dark blue boot-cut jeans, and dark brown boots.

After the fish were fed and his plants were watered, he gathered all his supplies into a black backpack with indigo pockets. He then headed downstairs for breakfast with Sparky behind him.

"Good morning, Coda!" He greeted another person in the kitchen.

Crosby Amor Marcostimo, more commonly known as Coda, was an older man in his late twenties who stood around 6'1" with an athletic figure. He had fair skin, short brown hair, and brown eyes. Dressed for work, he wore a turquoise shirt under a white sports jacket with sleeves pushed up, light blue jeans, and black and white sneakers with gold trim. He also wore a black sports watch and a gold necklace with an ice-blue gemstone that Vesper had never seen him without.

Coda was the boyfriend of Vesper's older sister and had been his babysitter back when he was younger. Now he was a substitute art teacher at Graveside High School, where Vesper went to school and ran a couple of small businesses online from home. Vesper never heard the whole story, but Coda came to live with them when Vesper was barely two years old. Given some of his habits, like locking his door at night, Vesper theorized that Coda had run from a bad situation and his family had taken him in. He was also the one who brought Sparky into the picture. Having grown up with Coda, Vesper saw him as a surrogate older brother.

"Morning, Vesper," Coda replied as he ate his bagel. "Ready for school?"

"Always," Vesper said, filling Sparky's food and water dishes. "Dad and Tea already leave?"

"Yup." The older man nodded.

Vesper's dad, Nicolai Solberg, ran an apple orchard near the house. His older sister, Galatea, better known as Tea, was a cop with the Gravesfield police department. It wasn't uncommon for both of them to be gone by the time Vesper got up.

"Summer vacation starts in a few days," Coda continued as Vesper set the bowls down for the dog. "Have any plans?"

"Yes, yes, I do! Big plans! My equipment picked up this odd energy from the old house just outside our property!" Vesper replied before pouring himself cereal, not noticing Coda and Sparky tense up at the mention of the old house. "If I can collect enough data on these bizarre frequencies, I could extrapolate their waveforms to determine their origins! That would practically guarantee my entrance into the Everton Independent Study Program!"

"I've actually been meaning to talk to you about that," Coda spoke up, looking at Vesper with concern. "Are you sure that's what you really want?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" Vesper asked, still excited about the coming break. "I program that allows me to focus all my attention on my own advanced math and science projects; it's a dream come true!"

"But there aren't any classrooms with other students. You'll be doing everything on your own." Coda stressed.

"That is why it's called an independent study program," Vesper replied, not getting the big deal.

Coda sighed before getting up, putting his hands on the teen's shoulders. "Vesper, I had to give up some of my high school years, and I ended up missing out on a lot of things. I don't want you to have those same regrets."

"Is this about what happened two years ago?" Vesper asked. When Coda didn't reply right away, he sighed tiredly before stepping back. "I'm fine, Coda. I may never be fully "okay," but I'm fine. I've thought about it and decided I'm ready to try again."

"All I'm saying is being around other people isn't a bad thing," Coda explained, smiling reassuringly at him. "Sometimes, it's how you learn the most about yourself."

"I guess…" Vesper replied, still not fully convinced.

"At least think about it a little longer, okay? You can still do your research if you want, but please be careful. That house is practically condemned."

"Okay…" Vesper agreed, managing to smile back.

Coda smiled and nodded, accepting his answer for now. "Now, we need to leave in fifteen minutes. I was called to sub at the school, so I can drive you. I already packed our lunches, so you finish breakfast while I grab my things."

Vesper watched the older male leave before groaning, unable to hide his frustration. "What is he so nervous about? I'm ready for Everton. Besides, I'm not going to be at Graveside forever."

He looked down at Sparky when the partridge hound nudged him, whimpering a little. Vesper smiled slightly, kneeling down to pet him. "You, too?"

Sparky gently bit Vesper's sleeve and tugged on it like he was saying he didn't want him to go.

"I'm fine, Sparky, really," Vesper hugged his canine friend before ruffling his fur again. "I'm not alone anymore. I have my best canine friend and my best human friend at school. Plus, my family. I've got everything I need. I'm just ready to take the next steps with my life."

Sparky barked happily, licking at his human.

"Okay, Sparky, okay," Vesper laughed before gently pushing the dog away. "I need to finish breakfast. We can play after school."

Sparky barked again before going back to his bowls. Vesper smiled before digging into his own food.

(A short time later)

Once they had everything, Coda drove Vesper to school in his white Cadillac. Once at the building, they went their separate ways, Coda heading to the classroom and Vesper towards his locker.

When Vesper reached his locker, he saw his best human friend already at her's next door.

"Hi, Luz!" Vesper waved to her as he walked over.

A tomboyish girl with dark brown hair in a pixie cut looked up when she heard her name called, smiling as Vesper made it to his locker. "Hola, Vesper!"

"Ready for your book report today?" Vesper asked.

"You know it! I've got this in the bag!" Luz said confidently as she grabbed her books. "Ready for summer?"

"Yup!" Vesper nodded, opening his own locker to unload. "With the project I've got planned, that Everton scholarship is mine!"

"Isn't that the group you tried to get into two years ago?"

"Yeah, but you know what was going on during that time. They've reopened applications, and this time, I'll be ready. I probably won't be around much this summer since I'll be focusing on my research."

Luz made an exaggerated whimper, giving Vesper a sad puppy-dog face that made the other laugh.

"Don't worry, Luz. The group has an option where I can study from home. We'll still be able to see each other."

"You'll still go to the conventions with me, right?" She asked.

"Duh!" Vesper replied, rolling his eyes with a fond smile.

"Yea!" Luz cheered.

The first bell rang, causing them to cut their conversation short.

"I gotta go!" Luz said before running off. "Bye~!"

Vesper waved after her before getting back to his own stuff. Once he had his books, he started heading in the opposite direction. Despite being in the same grade, they were in different classes since Vesper was in AP classes.

As he walked the halls, he had to fight hard not to roll his eyes when he saw people staring. Vesper heard the whispering but didn't bother listening to what they were saying. Once he got to class, Vesper took his seat by the window. He glanced at his reflection in the glass, focusing on his streaks.

To the shock of others, his highlights weren't dyed. He was born with them. No doctor could tell them where they came from, and they brought him some negative attention over the years, coupled with his introverted, bookworm tendencies.

Vesper used to wish he could get rid of them. He tried everything from hats to hair dye to cover them up. But after meeting Luz, Vesper had grown to love his stripes and embraced them. She said they made him unique and amazing, which built up his confidence more than she knew. Besides, Vesper always found trying to fit in exhausting.

Giving his reflection a slight smile, Vesper set out his notebook and pencils and waited for class to start.

(Later)

It was the second to last period of the day. Vesper was in his AP math class, solving a complex problem on the board. Just as he finished writing the answer, the intercom came on.

"Vesper Solberg, please report to the principal's office. Thank you."

Vesper tensed as he felt everyone in class stare at him. Ignoring it as best he could, he quickly left the classroom.

Walking to the principal's office, he saw a few kids running around, screaming as snakes attacked them.

"Oh no." He whimpered, having a feeling where those came from.

When he arrived at the office, he found Luz sitting in front of the principal's desk with another snake around her arm. Also, there was her mother, Camila Noceda, the principal, and Vesper's father, Nicolai Solberg.

Being a farmer and the former Chief of Police for the Gravesfield P.D., Nicolai was built like a brick house. He was a muscular middle-aged man with brown eyes, five o'clock shadow, and short, receding dark brown hair. He must have been out in the orchard because he was dressed in a red flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up, blue work jeans, and brown work boots.

Nicolai gave his son a stern look, which made Vesper's stomach clench, knowing something was wrong.

"Uh, you wanted to see me, sir?" Vesper spoke up, anxiety coursing through him as he tried to avoid his father's gaze.

"Yes," The principal nodded. "Please sit down."

Nervously, Vesper moved to a second chair beside Luz, moving it over a few more inches before sitting down. Luz gave him a look along the lines of 'Really?' "I respect your interests, Luz, but I still don't like snakes."

The principal cleared his throat, reclaiming their attention. "So, Vesper. It has come to my attention that you helped Luz make her, uh, "Act III: Closer" for her book report. Is that true?"

"Her "Act III: Closer," sir?" Vesper questioned, having a bad feeling about what he was talking about.

"This thing." Camila elaborated, holding up a cluster of fireworks tied together.

Vesper held up his finger with a strained smile to signal, 'One second, please.' He turned towards Luz, who was looking at him with a more sheepish grin.

"You told me those were for the Fourth of July." He accused her bluntly, losing his smile.

"Would you have helped me with it if you knew what it was for?" Luz asked, equally blunt.

Vesper pinched the bridge of his nose under his glasses. Luz may have been his best friend, but it drove him up the wall about how she never thought things through.

"Luz, I love you, and I know you wanted to do something different, but the first rule of firework safety is don't shoot them off inside!" He stressed, trying to get Luz to understand.

Luz was about to say something but stopped when she thought over what Vesper said, blushing with embarrassment when she realized he was right.

"Ohhh, heh, heh," She chuckled sheepishly. "I didn't think of that…"

Vesper slapped his forehead, wondering what he was going to do with her.

Nicolai sighed heavily, causing Vesper to suppress a flinch. "Vesper–"

"Kids," Camila interrupted him, kneeling in front of the teens. "We love your creativity and ingenuity, but it's gotten out of hand. Do you remember why you were sent to the principal's office the last three times?"

(First Time)

Luz was trying out for the school play "Romeo and Juliet." Dressed in a bright green princess dress and hat, Luz recited the lines from the death scene at the finale.

"Oh, happy dagger, give me death!" She said as she pretended to stab herself with a fork, dropping to her knees. Luz then ripped open the top of her costume, causing sausage links to spill out like blood.

Everyone else on stage screamed and ran away in fright as Luz fell to the ground, pretending to be dead.

That same day, Vesper was helping with prop-making and stage construction. When the other kids were having a hard time moving one of the backdrops, he used a small droid he had built to help get it in place.

However, the stage piece was too heavy for the robot to take. It broke under the weight, causing the set piece to fall over, becoming damaged.

"Must have miscalculated the weight tolerance…." Vesper muttered to himself, smiling sheepishly when everyone else glared at him.

(Second Time)

Luz was in art class, using taxidermied animal parts to make a baby griffin. One last tug of her needle and thread and all the pieces were sewn together.

"Now for the final anatomically correct touch," Luz declared before opening the griffin's mouth. "Spider breath!"

Dozens of tiny spiders poured out of the sculpture. Luz was completely unphased, letting them crawl on her as she stood perfectly still, but her classmates didn't take too kindly to it. Everyone screamed as other art projects were thrown around in terror.

Meanwhile, in his chemistry class, Vesper was working on a powder that could change the color of fire. Wearing safety goggles and a lab coat, Veper carefully sprinkled the dust over the open flame of his bunsen burner, watching with glee as it changed from orange to purple.

"Success!" He cheered quietly.

However, the powder caused some smoke, setting off the fire alarms. Vesper jumped in shock as his classmates screamed before being suddenly doused with water from the sprinklers, extinguishing the flames.

(Third Time)

For reasons Vesper would never understand, Luz tried out for the cheer squad. Dressed in an orange and white uniform with a gray t-shirt, she watched as a blond girl with a pink hair stripe landed a perfect backflip, getting applause from the other girls.

"You think that's an impressive trick?" Luz scoffed, tossing her pom-poms aside before turning her head away. "Take a look at this…"

She turned back around to show she had flipped her eyelids inside out. "Bleep, boop, beep!"

Unfortunately, she did not get the reaction she hoped for, as all the cheerleaders ran away in fright.

Meanwhile, with encouragement from Coda and Tea, Vesper tried out for one of the sports teams. He wasn't really into sports but was willing to try for them. He randomly picked a team, and it was basketball.

But just as Vesper was about to make a shot, one of the cheerleaders bumped into him, causing him to miss. The ball bounced off the back of the hoop and hit the coach in the head hard enough to knock him out.

Vesper stared wide-eyed as some of the other players went to check on the man. "Oops…"

(Present Day)

"In my defense, that third time was really an accident," Vesper said as Camila stood up.

"We all love that you two express yourselves," She continued before pulling something out of her bag. "But if you can't learn to separate fantasy from reality, you may need to spend the summer here."

She showed them a pamphlet that read "Reality Check Summer Camp." On the front of a red-headed kid crammed in a box under the words "Think INSIDE The Box."

Vesper turned at his father with a wide-eyed, 'You can't be serious!' look. However, his father hardens his stern expression, signaling that this wasn't up for discussion. The teen bites his lip and turns away from his father, catching Luz's attention as she takes the brochure.

"Don't worry, Mom. Mr. Solberg. We won't let you down," Luz said, determined as she stood from her chair to declare, "No more weirdness!"

But just as those words left her mouth, the snake around her arm attacked the principal, knocking him from his chair.

Everyone stared for a second before Luz nervously looked at her mom. "That doesn't count, right?"

(Sometime Later)

Unfortunately, it did count, and it was now the day Vesper would leave with Luz for summer camp. Vesper was doing some last-minute packing, stuffing things into a brown messenger bag customized with star pins, a couple of different anime buttons, and a Cosmic Frontier keychain.

His movements were stiff as he worked, holding in barely contained frustration. Of all the ways he saw his summer going, this was not it!

He doesn't even know who he's the angriest with. Luz for getting him in this mess? Mrs. Noceda for suggesting the camp in the first place? His father for making him go?!

At that last thought, Vesper growled angrily, slamming his hands on the mattress next to his bag.

Sparky, who had been lounging on his pillow, flinched with a whimper from the sound. He had never seen his human this upset before.

Hearing the sound, Vesper snapped out of his temper. Sighing tiredly, he moved to sit on the bed, putting his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Sparky…." He murmured an apology, head still bowed. "Why can't they just accept me for who I am…?"

Sparky whined again before hopping off the pillow. He padded over to Vesper, resting his head on the human's knee to be comforting.

"How's the packing going?" A female voice asked from the doorway.

Vesper turned to look at his older sister, Tea, leaning against the door frame with Coda poking his head in from the other side.

There was an eight-year age gap between Vesper and his older sister, with Tea being 5'7", athletic-looking, and fair-skinned. She had long brown hair with natural lighter and darker brown streaks running through it and blue eyes that were more cerulean than his sky-blue ones. She was dressed in her police uniform but had a different shift today.

Vesper sighed, leaning back on his bed. "It's done. I'm just… venting."

"Guess it's safe to say there's not going to be a father-son trip anytime soon." Coda joked, trying to lighten the mood.

However, everyone else did not appreciate his comment, glaring at him in return. Even the dog is giving him a look.

"Yeah, sorry, not the best time for jokes…" Coda apologized sheepishly.

Vesper groaned as he flopped back on his bed. "I really don't wanna do this."

"Not excited to learn how to balance a checkbook or appreciate public radio?" Tea cracked, trying her own luck.

"I already know how to balance a checkbook," Vesper grumbled before going to his science corner to check his things. "I had to help Coda learn how. Also, radio? In the era of streaming and podcasts?"

The young adults looked at each other, not sure what to say. While both worried about Vesper's anti-social behavior, they didn't think this camp was a good idea. Coda had privately said that he was offended by the camp's premise.

"Look, I know this isn't how you imagined spending your summer," Tea tried, walking over to him. "But maybe this could be a good thing…."

"Not you, too…." Vesper muttered, knowing where this conversation was going.

"Hear me out," She insisted before continuing. "Just… give the camp a chance. Maybe you'll meet some kids who hate the place as much as you do, and you can bond over that."

"Why are you both so insistent that I make more friends?" Vesper questioned before sighing as he finished covering his microscope. "Besides, no one wants to be friends with the boy genius…"

"Well…" Vesper was startled when Coda touched his shoulder, causing him to look at the older man's sympathetic smile. "Maybe you just haven't found people who appreciate your genius. And you may find those people at camp."

"But only if you try," Tea added. "Can you at least give it a chance? Even if you don't like it?"

Vesper looked at him before glancing at that ground, thinking over their words. Sighing again, he nodded. "Okay… I'll try, but I make no promises."

"That's all we're asking for." Tea smiled, pulling Vesper into a hug.

Coda ruffled Vesper's hair, kissing him on the temple before talking again. "Ya ready to go? You were gonna meet Luz at the bus stop and go together."

"Can I have a few more minutes?" Vesper requested as they let go of him. "I want to make sure all my equipment's off downstairs."

"Okay," Tea nodded. "But don't take too long."

"Alright," Vesper agreed before heading for the door. "Come on, Sparky!"

Sparky barked, tail wagging as he followed his human, knowing he had perked up again.

Heading to the basement, Vesper flipped on the lights revealing a small homemade science lab. Two desks were set up with an extra table to hold more equipment. One desk had a desktop computer next to a microscope and a few chemistry beakers. The other desk had a laptop and mouse set up, a mounted desk lamp, and a stack of books. On the extra table were a couple of different monitors measuring various wavelengths. On the wall was a corkboard with additional data and pictures tacked up and a red string connecting other pieces.

Vesper went around the room, double-checking saved data and shutting down the equipment. As he came to the work table with the laptop, he was startled by a beeping noise from a device he had assembled to track the bizarre energy coming from the abandoned house in the woods.

The item was a handheld invention with a wavelength screen and various knobs to adjust the frequency it tracked. Near the top were two antennas reacting to the energies the device was registering.

Picking it up, Vesper turned some dials to better pinpoint the readings. "I've never seen numbers like these before…."

The counter spat out a paper strip with the readings recorded on it. Tearing it off, Vesper tacked it up on his board, connecting another string to it.

"No doubt about it, Sparky," Vesper declared, adjusting his glasses. "There's something strange going on with that house."

"Vesper."

The teen genius was startled into nearly dropping his invention when his father opened the door to the basement.

"Dad!" He gasped, setting the device down and quickly shutting off his laptop.

"What are you doing down here?" Nicolai asked, coming down the stairs.

"Just… shutting things off." Vesper sighed, disappointment setting in again. Just when he got an interesting reading for his research…

"I'm going to get my bag…" He muttered, walking past his father without sparring a glance.

Sparky followed his human, discreetly giving Nicolai a dog-like glare for upsetting his human friend again.

Nicolai sighed as his son left the basement. He knew Vesper was unhappy about this, but it was for his own good.

"Vesper…" Nicolai called, following the teen. "Wait!"

Vesper stopped in the hallway but didn't turn around.

"I know you don't want to go to camp, but please try to understand. I'm glad you take your studies seriously but throwing yourself into them isn't good for you."

Vesper didn't respond but crossed his arms to signal that he disagreed with his father.

Nicolai sighed, knowing his youngest was going to be stubborn. "Look, Vesper. Camp is a chance to… branch out and find… new interests. And meet new people…."

Instead of placating Vesper, however, Nicolai's words brought a wave of long-buried anger and frustration to the surface. Before he could squash it down, a bitter chuckle came out of his mouth.

"Stop sugarcoating it…" He muttered.

"What?" His dad responded, surprised by his son's reaction.

Vesper whirled around, glaring at his father as he spat out. "Just say it! Just say you don't like me hanging out with Luz and want me to be someone else!"

"I never said that–!"

"You didn't have to! It was written all over your face!"

"Vesper–"

"Everyone always says to be yourself, but everyone gets mad at me when I do!"

"Vesper!" Nicolai snapped, cutting his son off as he calmed down before continuing sternly. "Vesper, your obsession with science is getting out of hand! Last week, your experiment blew out the power in the neighborhood! You're lucky you weren't arrested! And how many times have Luz's stunts gotten you in trouble?! This last one could've gotten you both expelled!"

Vesper didn't say anything, but his clenching fists showed his anger.

"What I'm saying is that maybe it's time to find some new interests."

Vesper bit his lip as hot tears gathered in his eyes. Unable to hold it in, he finally shouted what he had held in for some time.

"Well, sorry, I'm nothing but an embarrassment to you!" He cried, taking Nicolai by surprise. "Sorry, I'm not the son you want me to be! Sorry, I'm too much like Mom!"

The teen panted after his outburst, tears falling freely as he glared at his father.

Nicolai stared back at him in stunned, not sure how to react. Vesper had never raised his voice before or snapped at anyone, as far as the older man could remember. Shock and guilt were warring in him as he tried to figure out how to diffuse the situation.

However, Vesper didn't give him a chance. Unable to take it anymore, he spun around and ran for the door, Sparky on his heels.

"Vesper!" Nicolai called, but Vesper didn't stop.

He burst out the front entrance, tearing around the side of the house and through their apple orchard. Even with his vision blurred by tears, Vesper knew the path by heart. It was the place he would go to when he was upset.

After running down the forest path, Vesper stopped to catch his breath when he saw Luz's house. Wiping away the tears, he moved along the side where the fence was before hiding in the bushes. Normally, he would walk inside through the back door but he didn't want to see Camila right now.

Pulling his knees to his chest, Vesper began quietly sobbing into his arms. Sparky sat close to him, trying to be as comforting as possible.

"Vesper?"

He looked up to see Luz looking around the corner at him. She had her bag, so she must have been heading for the bus stop.

"Everything okay?" She asked, concerned.

He shook his head, putting his face back in his lap.

Luz sighed, feeling guilty about the situation. They had to go to this stupid camp because of her book report. She stepped closer and sat beside him but still gave him a few inches of space.

"I'm sorry," She apologized. "This is all my fault."

Vesper sniffled, wiping at his eyes before responding. "It's not all your fault. I did my fair share of stunts, too."

"I still don't get why that mess at the basketball tryouts was part of it."

"I'm pretty sure the basketball coach just doesn't like me," Vesper said, chuckling faintly.

Luz giggled slightly back before sighing sadly. "Well, this is gonna be a lousy summer."

"Yeah," Vesper agreed, already feeling miserable. "So much for getting into Everton…"

The two friends sat in silence, mourning their lost summer. Vesper absentmindedly scratched Sparky's ears, lost in thought.

"Well," Luz said after a moment, turning to her friend with a small, optimistic smile. "At least we have each other."

Vesper looked at her before returning her smile. "Yeah. Misery enjoys company."

They laughed, causing Sparky to perk up again. The partridge hound barked, giving the humans puppy kisses and making them laugh more.

"Come on," Luz stood up. "We don't wanna miss the bus."

"Yes, that would be a shame." Vesper quipped but still smiled as he and Sparky followed her to the bus stop.

"Let me just grab my–!" Luz started to say before gasping suddenly. Before Vesper could ask what was wrong, she started rummaging through a trash can. "Where is it? Where is it?!"

"Where's what?" Vesper asked.

Before she could answer, they heard the 'hoot' of an owl. They looked up and saw a small brown owl holding a sack in its beak on the ground. An Azura book stuck out of the bag, cluing Vesper onto what Luz was looking for.

"What the…?" Vesper blinked, confused as to what they were seeing.

The owl then turned around and started hopping away.

"Tiny trash thief!" Luz yelled before chasing after it, Vesper and his dog close behind.

They pursued the owl into the woods, following an old forest path that had been there for years. The teens and dog came to a stop when they saw the owl hop towards an abandoned, old house.

The same one that Vesper had been planning to observe that summer.

An ominous wind blew past as they looked at the structure, making the summer day feel colder. Sparky growled lowly beside the teens, not liking the look of the place. Luz and Vesper looked just as nervous about the site as Sparky was.

Before they could reconsider this plan, Luz growled before running after the owl again.

"Luz, wait!" Vesper called out before running after the girl.

Both teens ran through the entrance of the house, neither aware of the door slamming shut behind them. Or of the bright light that appeared through the house's openings right after that.

Sparky yelped at the sights and sounds, whimpering when he didn't see his human or his friend come back out.

(A few seconds later)

A mysterious, ornate door with an eye decoration unfolded in thirds. It opened as the owl waddled through with a hoot, still holding the sack.

"Stop adorably hopping away, you–" Luz started saying as she ran through the door, Vesper right behind her before they both slowed to a stop. "Huh?"

Vesper bent over to catch his breath behind her as they looked around, noticing they weren't in the house anymore. On the other side of the door was a tent filled with various knick-knacks and junk.

"Whoa, I thought I had a lot of weird stuff," Luz commented before picking some kind of doll on a hanger. "But this… this is impressive."

"Forget that. How did we get here?" Vesper questioned, wondering how they went from a house to a tent.

"Finally, you're back!" A new voice said suddenly.

The teens yelped quietly, startled as they dropped to the ground out of sight. The two glanced at each other before creeping towards the entrance.

"Now, let's see what we've got here," The voice spoke again as Luz pulled back the tent flap.

On the other side was a pale woman with long gray hair wearing a red dress and a green polka-dot bandana. In her hands was a long brown pole almost the same height as the woman.

The owl hooted before landing on the pole. The lady twisted it around, and when it faced the teens again, the owl had turned into a wooden ornament for the staff.

The friends gasped once again, surprised by what they had seen. They continued to watch as the woman started going through the bag her owl had brought back.

"Garbage. Garbage. Garbage." She pulled out some expensive-looking items, like a smartphone, a diamond ring, and a golden chalice (somehow), before tossing them aside. She then gasped in delight as she pulled out an item she wanted.

"Now this…" She put on a pair of novelty glasses with googly eyes attached to springs. "This will make me rich."

Vesper wore a 'huh?' look as they watched her. How did she think gag glasses were gonna make her rich?

"And this…" She continued, pulling Luz's book out of the bag, causing the teens to gape silently. "Well, this 'ill make good kindling."

She moved the book over a lit candle to burn, causing Luz to gasp in horror. Before Vesper could stop her, she was running out of the tent.

"Excuse me! Sorry! That's mine!" She said, snatching the book from the woman before running back into the tent. "Thank you!"

She ran back towards the door with Vesper right behind her. Before they made it, however, the door folded in on itself, turning into a case before disappearing. The woman stood behind them with a key in her hand.

"You two aren't going anywhere." She said menacingly, removing the glasses to reveal sharp gold eyes.

Luz yelped in fear, shoving her book into her bag as Vesper quickly ushered her under the tent. They tried to run for it but were quickly stopped by a cliff. Beyond the ledge, they stared in terrified awe at the sight before them.

They were definitely not in Connecticut anymore.

It was a strange old-fashioned-looking town with gothic architecture. Several buildings looked like teeth and clawed arms, one grabbing a dragon-like creature as it flew by. Down below, the city was full of beings that didn't look human. At all.

Vesper was shocked as he and Luz backed away from the cliff in fright.

"Oh, no, no, no! What is going on?!" She questioned before yelping when a fairy-looking creature appeared, startling Vesper as it hovered beside them. Not feeling threatened by this one, she nervously asked, "Oh, hello, little fairy. Are you going to tell me this is all a fantastical dream?"

"Give me your skin!" It yelled, showing rows of sharp teeth in its mouth.

The teens yelped in fright as Luz swatted at it, knocking it to the ground.

"Where are we? Did we die?" Luz went into a panic rant while Vesper tried not to hyperventilate beside her. "Are we in a bad place?"

They froze when they felt hands on their shoulders.

"You wish." The woman answered her question.

She dragged them back to the tent, plopping them on stools out front.

"I'm so sorry! I just wanted my book! If you're gonna eat my skin, make it quick! Just do it now!" Luz yelled frantically as she hugged her knees. Vesper hugged her protectively as Luz held out her elbow, both bracing for the end.

"Eat you?" The woman questioned. "Why would I eat… a potential customer?"

When her tone changed to a happier one, the friends looked back and realized this woman was running some kind of stand. Her wares included "human collectibles," whatever that meant, and there were all sorts of items for sale.

"Can I offer you a human foot filled with holes?" She started showing what she had for sale, holding up a crock shoe and a bar of men's deodorant. "Bar of green human candy? Oh, oh, how about this black shadowbox that reflects only sadness?"

She pulled out an old portable TV to show them. The teens stared at their reflections for a second before they started giggling, Vesper letting go of Luz.

"That's not all it can do," Luz mentioned as she and Vesper stood up.

"May I?" The male teen said, taking the TV.

Seeing some batteries in a tray marked "human candy," he grabbed them and put them in the battery tray. Thankfully, they were the right kind. Once they were in place, Vesper turned on the TV, and it started playing a workout video from the eighties.

"There we go," He said. "Good as new."

The music from the video began grabbing the attention of the different monsters in the surrounding marketplace. They had never heard noises like that before, so they were all very curious.

"Huh?"

"What's that?"

"The sound," One said as he approached the table. "It's so alluring."

"I'll pay forty snails for the screaming box," One monster offered, holding up some money.

"I'll give you a hundred!" Another offered.

"Can I eat the tiny person inside?" A creature from earlier asked.

Soon enough, they had a small auction on their hands. The teenagers looked at the crowd in confusion while the lady was stunned.

"What did you say your names were?" She glanced at them with an impressed smirk.

"I'm Luz," Luz introduced herself. "Luz Noceda."

"And my name's Vesper," The glasses teen added, adjusting his spectacles. "Vesper Solberg."

"Well, Luz, Vesper, that was pretty clever," She praised them as she took money from the monsters. "For a couple of humans."

The teens raised their eyebrows at the comment. What did that mean?

"That's kind of a weird thing for another human to say." Luz voiced for both of them.

"Oh, dear child," The woman said before pulling off her bandana, revealing long, pointed ears. "I'm not like you two."

The teens stared in surprise as the woman got up on the table. "I'm Eda the Owl Lady! The most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles!"

"A witch?!" The friends questioned softly.

"I am respected, feared–"

"Busted!" A new voice interrupted, smashing the TV with his fist.

The monsters fled quickly as the humans fell to the ground in surprise. A big, hulking man in an armored mask stood looking at Eda.

"Eda the Owl Lady!" He spoke as she hopped off the table, holding up a wanted poster of her. "You are wanted for misuse of magic and demonic misdemeanors!"

"Whoa! Witch criminal!" Luz said as they peered over the table.

"Just our luck!" Vesper groaned quietly.

"You are hereby ordered to come with me to the Conformatorium!" The man continued, grabbing Eda by the arm. However, she easily broke free of his grip.

"Would you guys quit following me around? I haven't done squat." She denied, crossing her arms.

"And you're coming, too!" The man added, grabbing the teens by the backs of their shirts, causing them to yelp. "For fraternizing with a criminal!"

"What?! That's not cool!" Luz complained, hugging her legs again.

"Oh, come on!" Vesper added, trying to break out of his grip.

"All right, all right, you win," Eda surrendered before digging behind the counter. "Just let me get my stuff."

She pulled out the staff with the owl on it, swinging it like a baseball bat. She hit the guard, causing him to be knocked back and drop the teens. She twirled her staff before banging it on the ground, causing a spark of light.

Luz and Vesper pushed themselves up from where they fell as the former grabbed her book. Looking back at Eda, they stare in awe as her stuff floats around, surrounded by a yellow aura.

"How…?" Vesper's eyes widened, not believing what he saw.

"Whoops!" Eda remembered something, pulling her key out of her hair. "Can't forget this."

She pressed the eye decoration, causing the door suitcase to float towards her. Clenching her hand, her stuff was tied up in a cloth sack. Once it dropped to the ground, she slipped it around her staff and started running off.

"Follow me, humans!"

Not seeing any other options, the teens scrambled to their feet and ran after Eda.

"This is crazy! If I die here, my mom's gonna kill me!" Luz stressed.

"Normally, I'd point out your lapse in logic, but now is not the time!" Vesper said though he was just as freaked out as her.

"Ha! I won't let him hurt you!" Eda reassured them. "Humans like you two are much more valuable to me alive than dead."

"Wait, what's that supposed to–?!" Luz started questioning before Eda looped her arms around hers and Vesper's.

"Wooohooooo!" She whooped, jumping into the air as she pulled the teens onto her staff. Soon, they were taking off toward the sky.

The teens shut their eyes tight in fear, Vesper clinging to Luz while she clutched her book for some kind of security.

"You can open your eyes now, humans," Eda said after a minute of flying.

Each teen cracked open an eye, trying to get their bearings. Luz looked down to see the ground whizzing by several feet below them. The height startled her, causing Vesper to jolt and let go of her as she almost fell off the staff.

"Luz!" Vesper cried as she hung upside down like a koala.

"Flying staffs, crazy monsters, you're a witch! What is this place?" She questioned as Eda pulled her back onto the staff.

"This is the Boiling Isles," Eda explained as they flew. "Every myth you humans have is caused by a little of our world leaking into yours."

A griffin pulled up alongside them, letting out a loud screech.

"A griffin!" Luz gasped, smiling despite herself.

The creature then breathed a loud of spiders from its mouth.

"I knew it!"

"That still makes no sense!" Vesper stated, staring at the griffin, stunned.

"Yep, griffins, vampires, giraffes," Eda mentioned.

"Giraffes?" Luz questioned.

"Oh yeah. We banished those guys," She explained as she dove down to land before getting off the staff. "Bunch of freaks."

Luz and Vesper look around before noticing a severed hand still clutching the staff, causing them to jump off with startled screams.

"Oops," Eda said, taking back her hand and screwing it back on. "That happens sometimes."

"… Okay, Vesper, time to wake up," Vesper said bluntly before slapping his hands to his face. "Ow!"

"Well, I've had enough adventure for today. This is clearly not the PG fantasy world I always dream about," Luz declared, trying to keep it together as she looked at Eda. "So, can you help us get back home?"

Eda pointed her staff at her before answering, "Only if you help me first."

"With what?" Vesper questioned.

She simply laughed, using her magic to carry her bag as she led them along. "Ah, now, come along, humans."

"Whoa…" Luz whispered in awe.

They followed Eda through the forest until they came to an odd cottage with a tower.

"Aren't you worried about those guards finding us?" Luz asked as they approached the door.

"This place isn't exactly inconspicuous," Vesper added skeptically.

"Don't worry, my house has a state-of-the-art defense system," Eda replied proudly.

Suddenly, the owl carving on the door started to speak, scaring the daylights out of Vesper.

"Hoot, hoot. Password, please." It said before Eda poked it in the eyes. "Ow!"

"We got no time for this, Hooty. Let us in." Eda said, unamused, while the teens looked between them.

"Alright, alright, geez. You never wanna have any fun," Hooty grumbled. "Ow! Hoot!"

It opened its mouth wide, opening the door for them in a sense. Everyone quickly stepped inside (Vesper looking slightly disgusted) before Hooty closed his mouth, burping like he just ate.

"Welcome to…" Eda snapped her fingers. "The Owl House."

Instantly, magic swept through the room, lighting candles and the fireplace. A broom started moving on its own, sweeping the floor while a cauldron started stirring itself. Finally, the ceiling lit up with an owl carving, a matching screech seemingly coming from nowhere as the humans watched in awe before walking around the room.

"Where I hide away from the pressures of modern life. Also, the cops, and also ex-boyfriends." Eda added, snorting slightly.

"This place is beautiful," Luz commented, setting her book on the coffee table before turning to Eda. "Do you live here all alone?"

Suddenly, there was a loud thud as debris fell from the ceiling.

"Actually, I have a roommate," Eda responded, crossing her arms.

Luz and Vesper braced themselves as the thudding continued, getting closer as a shadow appeared near the doorway.

"Who dares intrude upon I?" A deep voice bellowed before turning into a squeakier one. "The King of Demons?"

Then a wet, dog-like creature with a red collar stood in the doorway. He had a duck and heart towel around his waist and on his head and held up a rubber ducky, squeezing it.

Luz gasped at him, her eyes shining before tackling him in a hug. "Ay, que lindo!"

"Saw that coming," Vesper muttered, although he was smiling in agreement.

"Eda, he's so cute!" Luz gushed as she cooed at him. "Who's a widdle guy? Who's a widdle guy? Is it you? Is it you?"

"No! I don't know who your little guy is!" The creature cried, trying to break out of Luz's grip. "Eda! Who is this monster?!"

"Oh, this is Luz, the human. And her human friend, Vesper." Eda pulled Luz away from King, although she was trying to grab him again, before setting her on the floor. "They're here to help us with our little… situation."

"Oh, hooray!" He cheered at this.

"Wait, wait, wait. I don't like the sound of this "situation." Luz interrupted.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Vesper asked suspiciously.

"Just… let me explain." She twirled her hands to create a circle of light in front of her. Then, the inside of the ring began showing images. "King was once a mighty king of demons until his crown of power was stolen, and he became… this."

"You mean this little bundle of joy?" Luz asked, hugging him again.

"When did you pick him up again?" Vesper questioned.

"The crown is being held by the evil Warden Wrath and locked away behind a magical force field that only a human can break through. A human like you two!" Eda summed up as the images faded. "If you help us retrieve his crown, we'll send you back to your realm. So, whatta ya say? Plus…"

She bent down to pick King up by the cheeks. "Who can say no to this cute face?"

"No! Please don't encourage her!" King cried, trying to squirm out of her grip until she dropped him.

"I mean, we're kind of your only way home," Eda added offhand.

"We don't really have a choice in this, do we?" Vesper said bluntly while Luz looked visibly nervous.

"Nope! Now, we've got no time to lose!" Eda confirmed before slinging the kids over her shoulders, grabbing her staff as they headed for the door.

"Soon, Mr. Ducky, we shall drink the fear of those who mocked us!" King told his bath toy before running after them.

"Where are we going?" Luz asked.

"Somewhere super fun!" Eda replied.

(A few minutes later)

Thunder and lightning cracked as they stared at a creepy-looking prison with spikes.

"The Conformatorium, a place for those considered unsuitable for society," Eda explained as the teens cringed.

With King on her head, Luz turned to the wall next to them and saw another wanted poster of him and Eda.

"Whoa," She murmured, taking it off the wall for a closer look. "These guys really have the hots for you."

"That's a lot of zeroes," Vesper noted, looking at the reward.

"Yep," Eda winked at them. "But we were never caught because we're too slippery."

"Try to catch me when I'm covered in grease. I'm a squirmy little fella." King declared before falling off Luz's head.

"Okay," Vesper sighed. "As much as I don't like this, what's the plan?"

"You, Luz, and I will sneak up to the top of the tower, where they're holding my crown," King explained, pointing to the prison.

"And I'm gonna make sure the warden's distracted," Eda added, stepping back a few feet.

Luz gasped in excitement. "Will we need disguises?!"

"Uh…" Eda glanced away awkwardly, not sure how to answer her.

"I've been waiting to use this!" The girl put up her hood, flicking two cat ears upright. "Meow, meow!"

"It's hideous," King commented.

"Oh, you'll fit right in," Eda said happily.

Vesper just smacked his forehead for what like the tenth time that week.

Getting to work, Eda twirled her staff before tapping it on the ground. Suddenly a glowing circle appears beneath the three of them, startling them.

"Hang on tight." She said, stepping back.

"Whoa!" The human friends gasped as the platform lifted off the ground.

They flew over the prison walls up to a window, where it disappeared as soon as they reached it. The friends yelped and managed to grab the sill while King grabbed Luz's ankles.

Down below, Eda activated her staff and took off.

"Meet you guys at the top of the tower!" She called as she flew away.

The teens watched her go before King climbed over Luz to get inside. Mustering what strength they had, the friends pulled themselves over the window sill to get inside, where they both lost their balance and fell flat on their faces.

"Ha ha, cats don't do that." King mocked them.

Vesper looked up at him with an annoyed look before rolling his eyes. "Let's just get this over with."

Luz looked up and gasped as she pushed herself to her knees. Vesper followed her direction, and his mouth dropped up in shock.

In front of them was a circular room full of cells that spiraled up and down. All the cells were filled with residents of the Boiling Isles. They stepped closer to the edge, taking in the horrifying sight.

"Hey, cat lady, hair stripes." They turned around to look at a female prisoner behind them. "How'd you get out of your cells?"

"Oh, no, no, no, I'm not a cat," Luz corrected, pulling down her hood. "Also, we're not criminals."

"Not yet, you're not," King said with a smile.

"Neither are we," The female prisoner rebuffed, annoyed. "Stupid warden likes to lock people up who don't fit in."

"Really?" Vesper's eyes widened at this information.

"Yeah, like I write fan fics of food falling in love," She pulled out a book and opened it up to show them a couple of pages illustrating an onion and a carrot acting like lovers. "I like food. I like love. Just let me write about it!"

"I'm here because I like eating my own eyes." A blue male prisoner with multiple eyes and empty eye-sockets joined in. He demonstrated by taking one of his remaining eyes and putting it in his mouth. Once he swallowed it, it reappeared in the socket it came from.

Vesper brought a hand to his mouth to keep from throwing up. "Please don't do that in front of me again."

"Vesper's got a weak stomach," Luz explained, cupping a hand to her mouth like she was whispering.

"Oh, sorry." The prisoner apologized as the male human got his nausea under control.

"We are agents of fwee expwession!" A tiny female prisoner that looked like just a head with a big nose, arms, and legs yelled in a squeaky voice with a lisp. "They will never siwence us!"

"Yeah, she's really big into conspiracy theories," The first prisoner jerked her thumb at her, rolling her eyes.

"The world is a simuwation! We are but pwaythings for a higher being!"

Vesper stared at her before glancing at the witch. "You have my sympathy."

"Vesper!" Luz gave him a look, knowing where this was going.

"I'm sorry, but it's not a "glitch in the matrix!" Her friend continued to argue. "The bird looks frozen in the air because you're passing under it! It's called an optical illusion!"

"Well, you must be a lot of fun at parties." The witch prisoner quipped with a smirk.

"But back to the point," Vesper digressed, returning to the issue. "Even if I disagree, these aren't crimes. They're not valid reasons to lock someone up."

"Vesper's right. None of you actually did anything wrong." Luz agreed before her eyes widened, and she took out Eda's wanted poster. "You're all just a bunch of weirdos."

"Like us," Vesper concluded, feeling bad for these people.

The room started to shake as thundering footsteps approached them.

"It's Warden Wrath! Hide!" The first prisoner warned them.

Luz yelped in fright, dropping the poster as the teens looked around for an escape. Spotting an empty cell, they rushed inside, and Luz slammed the door shut behind them.

The door to the outside opened, revealing a tall man wearing a medieval doctor's mask.

"I can hear you." He growled at them, earning a whimper from Luz. The two friends cuddled King between them for comfort as he came closer. "Just what are you fools whispering about?"

He looked down and saw the dropped poster, making the humans and King nervous.

"Ah, the Owl Lady," He murmured as he picked the poster up. Crushing it with a grunt, his hand transformed into a hammer before slamming it against the cell door the trio was hiding in. "I'll get my hands on her soon enough!"

He turned to look right at the three, causing the humans to freeze in terror. Even King was scared as he clung to Luz.

"Fight against the oppwessor! We will wesist! We will conquer!" The conspiracy theorist cried out, catching the warden's attention as she glared at him definitely. "We will never be afraid of you, you old creep!"

Wrath said nothing as he pulled the lever that opened her cell door.

"Hooray! I'm fwee!" She cheered before she was suddenly grabbed by the warden.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you," Wrath warned the prisoners beside her. "There's no place in society for you if you can't fit in."

He squeezed the prisoner a bit, making her whimper. The trio watched fearfully as he stomped off with her, slamming the door behind him. Once he was gone, the kids and King exited the cell and ran to the fanfiction writer.

"Don't worry. I can get you out." Luz assured her, but when she tried to move the lever, she couldn't get it to budge. "No! My weak nerd arms! Come on, Vesper, I need your help!"

"I know, I know!" Vesper said, looking over the lever. "Let me just get the right angle for leverage…"

"Just get out of here while you still can, kids," The fanfiction writer spoke solemnly. "Enjoy freedom for us."

She looked down sadly as she turned away from them. The teens stared at her for a moment before walking away with heavy hearts. It hurt both of them, knowing there was nothing they could do.

They turned and headed down a corridor, King deciding to walk behind them as Eda flew in beside them.

"Hey, I just checked," She hopped off her staff in front of them, causing them to pause. "The warden's distracted tormenting some tiny creature. He won't be coming around here anytime soon."

The teens ignored Eda and walked past her, confusing the woman. They continued down the hall until they reached an enormous door labeled 'contraband.'

"My crown! It's close! I can sense its power!" King cried happily as he ran toward the door, clawing at it to get inside. He then jumped on the doorknob and tried wiggling around on it to get it open.

"Aw, he gets so cute when he's thirsty for power." Eda smiled.

"This system stinks," Vesper grumbled, anger leaking into his sad expression.

"It's not fear that they're all in here. They just wanna be themselves," Luz spoke up before she and Vesper turned to Eda. "Why does everyone think being a weirdo's so bad?"

Eda didn't have time to think of an answer as the doorknob fell at their feet after being yanked out by King. He laughed gleefully before pushing open the door, scampering inside.

"Come on," Eda gave a small sigh before they followed him. "Before he hurts himself."

A zap was heard inside the room, followed by an "Ow!"

"Too late," Vesper muttered.

The room was empty, aside from a column of light in the center. That was most likely the force field Eda had mentioned earlier.

King rubbed at his head from running into it before trying again. However, brute force had no effect on the problem, so he bounced off the force field, much to his annoyance.

Eda bent down next to him with a smile. "We have humans, remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

Luz and Vesper took deep breaths before nodding to each other. They each reached out a hand as they approached the barrier. But just as Vesper's fingertips made contact with the light, a sudden zap coursed through his body. With a pained yelp, he stumbled backward so fast that he fell to the ground, almost as if he had been thrown.

"Vesper!" Luz cried as she and others rushed to his side.

"Easy, kid, easy." Eda eased him to his knees as he clutched at his zapped hand, hissing through his teeth. She turned to Luz and said, "You go on ahead, Luz. I'll watch him."

"But–"

"Look, we've already been in here too long. If we hang around much longer, we gonna get caught. We may need to bounce as soon as you find the crown," Eda explained before smiling reassuringly. "Don't worry. He's in good hands."

Luz looked one last at Vesper before nodding to the Owl Lady. Turning back to the barrier, she stepped forward and easily passed through.

"Okay, kid, think you can stand?" Eda asked Vesper.

Vesper nodded slightly before she helped him to his feet, his legs shaky from the experience, causing Eda to keep a grip on him. He let go of his hand to inspect the damage, relieved when he saw no blood. However, he noticed his fingertips were slightly red, like a minor burn.

"What… What happened?" He questioned, looking at the witch in confusion.

Eda wasn't quite sure what had happened herself. She thought Vesper was human, so did the barrier zap him? Plus, the intensity of the shock went up depending on the strength of the person's magic that was trying to get in. This kind of injury would've been for an upperclassman school witch.

Glancing at Vesper's hair, a thought dawned on Eda when she saw his highlights. "Hey, kid? Your streaks: Are they real? Were you born with them?"

Vesper was surprised by the sudden questions, but he nodded an answer. "Yeah…"

"Hmmm," Eda hummed, thinking about her next question. "Was one of your parents not around while you were growing up?"

Vesper froze when Eda asked that, not realizing the serious nerve she had just touched on. "My… My mom…"

Eda and King stayed quiet as Vesper's expression saddened. The only sound that broke the silence was boxes of random items falling out of the barrier.

"She… disappeared when I was four… She told us she would be back in a few days, but she… never came back. We had no idea where she went or what happened to her…."

Eda glanced down for a moment before looking at Vesper. The pieces had fallen into place, now to break it to him.

"Kid," Eda placed a hand on her shoulder, causing him to look at her. "I'm just gonna come out and say it: You're half witch."

"What?" Vesper's eyes widened. He couldn't believe what he just heard.

"Well, I, for one, don't know of any humans who have natural color streaks like yours. But if that's not enough, I think the fact you couldn't get through the barrier proved you have some witch heritage in you."

Vesper was absolutely speechless when she said that. He remembered what she said about the barrier and knew logically from the information that it made sense, but it was still hard to take it all in.

Before he could even think of anything to say, they saw Luz step out of the force field.

"Did you find it?" Eda asked, pulling away from Vesper.

"I found something…." Luz replied, looking somewhat annoyed.

In her hands was a paper crown with "Burger Queen" written on it. The kind of crown a kid would get with a fast food kids' meal.

"My crown!" King cheered, reaching for it. Luz handed it to him, and he placed it on his head. "Yes. Yes! I can feel my powers returning! You there! Nightmare critter!"

He pointed at a stuffed bunny in one of the boxes of junk that fell out, picking it up. "I shall call you Francois, and you shall be a minion in my army of darkness. Ha, ha!"

"That crown doesn't give him any powers, does it?" She said, gesturing to King.

"Uh, no," Eda answered.

The teens glared at her for getting them into this mess over a paper crown.

"Oh, look at us, kids. King and I don't have much in this world. We only have each other. So if that dumb crown is important to him, it's important to me. Besides, us weirdos have to stick together, you know?" Eda smiled with a wink.

Luz and Vesper looked at each other briefly before giving small bashful smiles.

"Yeah, we know," Vesper said softly.

"Well, we own you one. Now, let's get out of here before the warden finds us and loses his head." Eda said, not noticing the figure coming up behind her.

"Too late." Warden Wrath loomed over her. He held up his hand-turned-scythe and swiped at Eda, cutting her head clean off.

Eda's head fell into Luz's hands, and the teens screamed in horror, thinking Eda was dead.

"Ow!" Suddenly, Eda's head blinked, and started talking like she was fine. "Oh, I hate it when that happens."

The teens scream again, with Vesper falling on his backside in shock.

He didn't realize when he fell that his hand touched down over a star-shaped, purple crystal necklace. He also didn't notice that it was shimmering a bluish-white color when his hand made contact with it.

"Eda! Are you okay?!" Luz asked with panicked eyes.

Vesper scrambled to his feet, not realizing he grabbed the necklace on reflex.

"Yeah. This just happens when you get older." Eda replied.

"Does it?!" Luz looked at her wide-eyed.

"Please be joking!" Vesper squeaked, equally horrified.

"Finally, I have you cornered, Eda the Owl Lady." The warden's hand changed back as two guards stood behind him. He walked over to King, snatching his crown.

"Weh!" King cried.

"My guards could never get you," He walked over to the four of them as King jumped up and down in failed attempts to get his crown back. "But I knew if I took your pet's toy, you'd come running."

Then, he cruelly crushes the toy crown with his fist.

"No! My power!" King cried, falling to his knees.

"What do you want with me?!" Eda demanded. "I've never actually broken any of your stupid laws! In front of you!"

"Not helping your case!" Vesper whispered, frightened of and angry at the man that was getting closer to them.

"I want you… to go out with me." He said, crouching down on one knee with a bouquet of flowers.

"Wha…" Eda replied, taken off guard.

"What?" Luz questioned as well.

"Didn't see that coming," Vesper commented, equally confused.

"Go, boss!" One of the guards called out, the other giving him two thumbs up.

He gave them a thumbs-up back before turning back to Eda. "You've always alluded our capture. You've always been the one who got away. I found that alluring."

"I hate everything you're saying right now," Luz commented.

"Ditto," Vesper added.

"Stay out of this!" He snapped, tossing aside his bouquet. He turned his hand into tentacles and tied the teens up, causing Luz to drop Eda's head. The two friends yelped and struggled in his grasp as Wrath lifted them up into the air.

At this point, Vesper became aware of the item in his hand when he accidentally dropped it in the struggle. Reacting instinctively, he caught the necklace with his foot, looking at it curiously before focusing back on the problem.

"So how about it, Owl Lady?" He picked up her head by the hair. "The most powerful witch of the Boiling Isles and the feared Warden Wrath. We'd be the strongest power couple ever. I mean, it's–it's not like you can say 'no' right now."

Eda glanced up at the teens as they still struggled in his grip and then at King, who was grabbed and restrained by one of the guards before sighing in defeat. "All right, Warden. You win. I'd just like to say something first. Come closer."

He did as she asked and brought her head a little closer.

"No. Just come a little bit closer. Just…" He pulled her in close until she was at eye level with him. "Yeah, that's good."

Once she was close enough, she blew a raspberry right in his face. Warden yelped, distracted enough into drop the teens.

Eda started cackling as Wrath wiped the spit off his mask. "Impudent wench. Don't you know how many germs are in your mouth? Blugh!"

"Get over it!" She argued back. "You had your guards talk me, and then you cut off my head! I am not going out with you!"

"If you don't accept, then I have no choice but to dest–oof!" His threat was cut when he was smacked on the head by Eda's owl staff. He fell to the ground, revealing Luz to be responsible, with Vesper standing beside her.

"Nice." Eda chuckled, slightly impressed.

The two guards loomed over her head before her body, which had been moving on its own the whole time, snuck up behind them and pulled their hoods over their eyes.

"Okay, we're going now!" Luz said, running over to grab Eda's head with Vesper right behind her, putting the necklace he found in his pocket. Eda's body grabbed King as Vesper guided the body away, and everyone piled onto Eda's staff, Vesper desperately ignoring the body and severed head they had with them.

"Expecto… flying? Magicus escapicus?!" Luz said nervously as she tried to get the stick to fly.

The warden started to wake up, and Eda narrowed her eyes at the staff. "Gun it, magic stick!"

They took off into the air, the teens yelping as they raced back the way they came.

"Owl Lady," Wrath growled as he got to his feet. "I won't let you get away again!"

He summoned tentacles from both his arms and began chasing after them.

The teens yelped as they made a steep turn around the corner with the warden right behind them. Luz noticed the levers to the cell doors as they approached their exit point.

"Eda, Vesper, lend me a hand!" She called out, holding up her hand. They placed their hands on the back of hers, flipping the switches up and releasing the prisoners they had met earlier.

They burst out the door, smashing two guards against the wall, with the warden close behind them. They descended towards the ground when Wrath shot one of his tentacle arms at them, knocking them off course. They all tumbled to the ground as the warden landed a few feet away, his hand morphing into an ax.

"Ow, my bones!" King cried as Eda put her head back on.

"Luz, Vesper," Eda took the portal key out of her hair. "Go back to the human world."

She handed the key to Luz before charging at the warden.

"What about you guys?" Luz asked, concerned as she put the key in her bag.

"Yeah, we can't just leave you here!" Vesper agreed, worried for them.

"If you think this guy is bad, you should've seen her last boyfriend!" King called out as he ran over to Eda, who was dodging the warden's swings.

"Not my boyfriend," Eda argued before grabbing King and jumping out of the way of another strike. She ran back to the teens, picking up her staff and putting them on it. "Go, go!"

"But-But I–!" Before Luz could get any protests out, Eda smacked the stick, and it took off. The teens screamed as they flew uncontrollably into the sky.

"How do you fly this thing?!" Vesper cried.

"I don't know!" Luz replied.

Keeping firm grips on the staff, they somehow manage to get it to stop flying. They looked back down as they hovered to see what was happening back at the fight. At some point, while they weren't looking, Eda smashed the warden into a wall, leaving a huge hole in the building. He was getting, turning his hands into axes before charging back into the fight.

Once he was gone, the teens saw the prisoners from before peeking out, looking hesitant. Confused, the friends glanced at each other before Luz flew them back down to the ground, landing in front of their fellow misfits.

"Why are guys just standing there?" Luz asked them. "This is your chance to escape."

"The warden will catch us. He always does." The multiple-eyed prisoner looked down sadly.

"We belong here." The fanfiction writer added.

"Self-doubt is a pwison you can never escape fwom." The conspiracy theorist said, now sporting a black eye.

"So, you have a different way of doing things, a different way of seeing things. That might make you "weird," but it also makes you awesome! Don't you see?" Luz told them.

"Why are you helping us?" The witch couldn't help but ask.

"We know what it's like to be ridiculed for being different," Vesper answered with a determined fire in his eyes. "Just because people don't understand you or agree with you doesn't give them the right to lock you up and make you feel bad about yourself!"

"Plus, us weirdos have to stick together," Luz pulled up her hood before the two of them climbed onto the staff and started to hover. "And nobody should be punished for who they are!"

"Yeah!" The three cheered, feeling emboldened.

"Now, let's get 'em!" Luz yelled, flying towards the fight as the prisoners ran behind them. "Go, go, go, go!"

The prisoners shouted as they charged at the warden, tackling him away from where he had Eda and King cornered, the humans flying after them.

"Luz? Vesper?" Eda asked in surprise.

"I eat my own eyes!" The multi-eyed creature declared, holding onto the warden as he pushed him back.

"I think the world is a twiangle!" The conspiracy theorist used her small body to trip Wrath, sending him to the ground as the fanfiction writer sat on his chest to hold him down.

"And I practice the ancient art of fanfiction!" She added last before the smaller prisoner helped hold him down. The male creature tied him up with his own arms and then turned him over.

"You two! Who do you think you are?!" He demanded as the two friends landed in front of them.

"Do not underestimate us, Warden Wrath," Luz declared dramatically. "For we are Luz, the human…."

"And Vesper, the half-witch," Vesper added, standing tall.

"Warriors of peace!" They finished together, pausing for dramatics.

"Now eat this, sucka!" Luz pulled out the cluster of fireworks and tossed them into the air. She then jumped up and hit the bundle with the staff like a baseball bat, sending it into Wrath's mouth.

His fire breath caused the rockets to light, causing an explosion of color as they went off. He fled in defeat, the fireworks still smoking as the prisoners cheered.

"Woo hoo! We won!"

"We are victowious!"

Luz stood proudly next to her friend before smirking lightly. "I hate to be a stickler, but I think we just violated some serious fireworks safety rules."

"Eh, whatever. The guy was a jerk." Vesper shrugged nonchalantly, returning her smirk.

The duo laughed at their banter as Eda and King walked up next to them.

"That was actually one of her better break-ups," King said.

"Not a break-up," Eda reminded him before glancing at the two friends. "Anyway, let's bounce before any more monsters fall in love with me."

They got on Eda's staff and flew off, leaving the fireworks display behind.

As they flew away, Vesper reached into his vest pocket and pulled out the necklace he found. He didn't know why but something about it was familiar… and important.

(Back at the Owl House)

"Well," Eda set her staff against the couch. "A deal's a deal. Let's get you two home."

She snapped her fingers, and the key floated out of Luz's bag. Once in Eda's hand, he pressed the eye symbol, summoning the suitcase before it unfolded into the door they came through.

The teens stepped towards the door slowly before hesitating. This was what they wanted… right? They turned back at King and Eda, seeing the former look down, disheartened.

Getting an idea, Luz started digging around in her bag.

"Before we go," She said, walking back to King. She kneeled in front of him, holding out the head of her Azura doll. "I know it's not the same, but a king shouldn't be without a crown."

She took the tiara off the doll and gave it to him as a parting gift. King looked at it for a minute before placing it on his head.

"This shall suffice." He said before marching around like a king, getting a quiet snicker from Vesper. "You there, plant. You are now under my command."

While that was happening, Eda noticed Luz's book and the summer camp pamphlet still on the table before she picked them up and handed them to her. "Oh, and don't forget this."

Luz takes back her things as she stands up, walking back towards the door with a sad look as she looks from the brochure to her book.

"Luz?" Vesper questioned, seeing the look on her face.

She ignored Vesper as she looked back at the door before looking down again, having mixed emotions. Luz knew she had to go back to the Human Realm, but a substantial part of her didn't want to.

However, when she glanced past it, Luz gasped and held up her book. The cover showed the protagonist, Azura, along with an older woman and a small, wolf-like creature. Lowering her book, she saw in the mirror behind it that the reflection was similar to the cover, only with her, Vesper, Eda, and King.

Luz gasped again with a smile on her face as she realized something…

"Okay," She said after a minute before turning back to Eda and King. "I know you got your head cut off, and we started some kind of prison riot, but this was the most fun I've ever had."

"Luz?" Vesper questioned again as Eda just blinked in confusion at her.

"We don't fit in at home. You don't fit in here. If we stay, we could not fit in together." Luz suggested, hopefully.

"Okay, Luz, you can not be serious," Vesper disagreed. "We almost got killed here, and what about our families?"

"Vesper, you know it's always been my dream to be a witch and do weird witchy things! Plus, you're part witch, aren't you?" Luz pointed out.

Vesper looked down, still processing what had happened back at the prison. They had filled Luz in on their suspicions on the way back to the Owl House. Of course, she thought it was amazing, but Vesper wasn't sure what to think.

"Aren't you even a little bit curious about your mom and her family? I mean, I know you didn't believe in magic before this, so I'm not sure how you feel about that part, but…"

Vesper's eyes widened when she mentioned his mother. Something in his memories clicked as he pulled the necklace he'd found.

"Vesper?" Luz questioned, recognizing the look on his face. It was the one he got when he found the answer to a question that had been bugging him for a while.

Vesper dug into his bag until he pulled out a photograph of a woman lounging on the front step of their house. She had mid-back length ginger hair with moderate purple streaks, fair skin with freckles, and light blue eyes like Vesper's. The picture was taken sometime during the winter because the woman was dressed in a navy coat, a pair of jeans, and thick black boots.

The woman in the picture was Vesper's mother, Twila Solberg. As mentioned before, she disappeared when he was four, so Vesper has few memories of her, and they only had a few photos of her at home, including that one.

Bringing the necklace closer to the picture, Vesper squinted his eyes, looking closer at his mom's jacket. Sure enough, standing out against the dark blue was a matching purple star.

"She was here…" He whispered, eyes widening in realization.

"What?" Luz asked, not quite hearing him.

He held out the necklace for her to see. "This was my mother's necklace. She was wearing it the day she left."

"So, if it's here, then…" Luz started to follow along.

"This is where she went." Vesper finished with his voice barely above a whisper as he looked at the picture again.

He had the proof in his hand. His mother was, in fact, a witch. She didn't have pointed ears like Eda, but for all Vesper knew, she could've been using some kind of magic to hide them.

Yet, as Vesper turned his gaze to the mirror, his emotions didn't match the satisfaction he would get from being right. He felt a mix of confusion and hurt, more questions forming that picked at scars that never healed.

Why did his mom leave?

Why didn't she come back?

Did his dad know about his and Tea's heritage?

If so, why didn't he tell them?

His heart and mind also grappled with the part about being not fully human. Suddenly, his odd highlights made a lot of sense.

"Vesper?" Luz said, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Seeing the inner turmoil on his face, she stepped forward and surprised him with a hug. His eyes widened before slowly reciprocating the hug, feeling his eyes heat up with the threat of tears.

"This doesn't change anything between us, you know," She said before pulling back, looking at him with her kindest smile. "You will always be my best friend."

After a minute, Vesper smiled back at her. Wiping at his eyes, he nodded, "Okay."

"Huh?" Luz questioned.

"I said okay. Let's stay and learn about magic."

"Really?! You mean it?!" Luz grinned eagerly.

"Well, how often does one get to study the intricate laws of another dimension?" Vesper responded with a slight smirk. "Plus, this could be my only chance to learn about my heritage. Also…"

His expression turned determined as he looked at his mom's necklace. "If my mom's here… I wanna find her."

"Vesper…" Luz whispered, looking at her best friend in sympathy.

"I know it's been ten years, but it's not impossible… And… if it is too late, I wanna know about her family. If I have any relatives out there. I just… I want answers."

"… Then," Luz said after a minute, sharing Vesper's determination. "Let's do our best!"

The half-witch nodded, grateful for her support. "We just have to be home by the time summer camp ends."

Eda reminded them she was still there by scoffing awkwardly. "What's summer camp? I know you guys are having a moment, but what are we walking about here?"

"We wanna stay and become witches. Like you," Luz explained to her, showing her her book. "And Azura."

"What?" The Owl Lady laughed incredulously before pushing her book away. "Alright, that's crazy. Even if Vesper's half-witch, humans can't become witches."

"Maybe that's because they haven't tried." Luz countered. "If you teach us to become witches, we'll do anything you want."

"Within reason," Vesper threw in.

"Let 'em stay!" King pulled on Eda's skirt, whispering. "They can make us snacks."

Eda looked down at him for a minute before picking him up with a slight smile. "Well, I could use a hand keeping this goofball out of the cupboard. Alright, I'll teach you two how to be witches, but you have to work for me before you learn any spells. Deal?"

She held out her hand for them to shake, but instead, Luz surprised them with a hug, surprising Vesper before he smiled. Typical Luz.

"What's going on?" Eda asked, uncomfortable.

"Too tight, too tight, too tight!" King complained.

(Later)

Vesper entered his room down the hall from Luz. It was a spare storage space with different boxes and a little messy, definitely not up to Vesper's standard of organization.

Vesper sighed tiredly but had a small smile all the same. "This is gonna take some work…"

After moving a few boxes around to make room, he changed into his pajamas and unpacked his midnight-blue sleeping bag with white trim and matching pillow.

Getting comfortable, Vesper pulled out the picture of his mom and a framed photo of Vesper with his dad, sister, Coda, and Sparky. Smiling at them, he set them up next to his sleeping bag before pulling out the necklace.

As Vesper stared at it, his black cellphone with multi-colored circuit lines vibrated as he received a text message. He looked at it and saw it was a text message from Tea.

S.I.S.T.E.R: I know the answer, but how's camp?

Vesper looked at his message pensively before looking at his mom's necklace. He sat up and looked out the one window in the room, staring at the Demon Realm's night sky with determination.

"Mom… I will find you." He vowed. "I promise."

Looking back at his phone, he smiled a little before texting Tea a reply.

Me: I think I'll adapt.

He set his phone down next to the pictures, along with the necklace, before taking off his glasses. Curling up in his sleeping bag, he shut his eyes, wondering what the coming summer would hold.

As he drifted off to sleep, Vesper never noticed a faint glow coming from the star pendant.

And with that, there's the first chapter! I know I info-dumped a lot of the story in this chapter, but it was important for setting up Vesper's side of the story.

Well, after this will be my last Owl House story called "The Owl Family." Once that's done, I'll be moving on to a different fandom.