Lamentable memories
Principal Bump escorted Lynn, Lucy, Hexside's newly formed Quidditch team, Luz, Amity, Willow, Gus, the Triad, and the school faculty to the Room of Recollection, while Toffee, Caramel, Amy, and Zella snuck in behind them. The Room itself was lined with statues of ancient Illusion witches holding special crystals all across the perimeter, while at the centre, was a chair with a special helmet attached to a head-rest.
"I thought that this Room was just a schoolyard rumour," Gus stated.
"Yes. The Room of Recollection was constructed by a master illusionist decades ago. He created these crystals to store and play back memories he was losing due to his advancing age and declining health. When he passed, almost all knowledge of the Room died with him. Only Hexside principals are permitted to know of its existence, however, due to exceptional circumstances, I am overlooking that rule," Bump explained.
"There's still the matter of the memory extraction process, and what it can do to a human mind," Darius reminded.
"I can help with that. Gus, I require your assistance. If Lynn's memories are going to be copied, extracted, and stored, we need to ensure her mind can withstand the stress," Alador instructed. Gus then made to assist Alador with his work. Lucy then approached Lynn.
"Are you sure you're up for this? Our battle with the Order is not something I'd want to relive," Lucy asked out of great concern.
"Me neither, but if it shuts up Candyfloss or anyone who says they're extinct, I'm game," Lynn replied.
"Sigh. Why do you keep calling Amity 'Candyfloss'? These are good people, we should be making allies, not picking fights," Lucy reasoned.
"Have you seen her hair? You can get buddy-buddy with the locals all you like. I'm here with one goal in mind. Diplomatic relations can wait," Lynn stubbornly responded. Lucy was now getting a little irritated with Lynn's attitude.
"You know, between 'Candyfloss' and 'Stinkoln' I'm surprised you haven't come up with derogatory nicknames for the rest of our family," Lucy chided. Lynn was taken aback by Lucy's remark.
"What? Derogatory? I resent that! Besides, I don't do it for everyone," Lynn insisted.
"Just those that you can get away with pushing around, you think you'll never see again, or you know are too scared to say 'no', then," Lucy argued. Lynn was not liking Lucy's words one bit.
"Just what are you implying?" Lynn asked passive-aggressively.
"I wouldn't be the first Loud sister to call you insensitive. Maybe you should use this room to recall what Luan said to you before we came here," Lucy suggested. Lynn thought that this was a bit far. Sure, she can be overzealous in her actions, but her heart was always in the right place. All that she did was to help her siblings, whether that be getting Luan some action with Benny or toughening Lincoln up by subjecting him to light teasing and roping him into sports practice. Amity, who couldn't help but overhear, had some things to say.
"You know, maybe you should try listening to your sister. She seems to be the most observant and empathic one out of the two of you," Amity hinted.
"You stay out of this, Candyfloss! This is a family matter!" Lynn ordered.
"She does have a point, Lynn. You have shown poor listening skills, especially when it comes to us. Remember when Lori, Leni, Luan, and Luna told you what your clients thought about your first baby-sitting job? You terrorised five-year-old children by making them eat raw eggs and do crunches while hanging upside down," Lucy recollected.
"Why does that not surprise me?" Amity derided.
"One more word, Candyfloss! I dare you!" Lynn goaded. Lynn was then levitated off the ground and into the chair by Alador.
"Modifications complete. We're ready to proceed," Alador updated. He then fitted the helmet onto Lynn's head. "Just think back to any memories pertaining to the Malefic Order and your encounter with them. The crystals you see around you will project the image for all of us to see. The memories will then be stored into a crystal which you can take with you. You may feel a tingling sensation in your head. Worst case scenario, you'll end up with a thumping headache and possibly some psychological trauma if the memories are especially bad," Alador summarised.
"Got it," Lynn acknowledged.
"And Lynn. Call my daughter 'Candyfloss' one more time and I won't hesitate to sic my Abomatons on you. She gets enough teasing from her twin siblings. She does not need it from you!" Alador warned. Amity was embarrassed by her father's threat.
"Dad, I can handle myself," Amity rebutted.
"Please, sir, there's no need for that. It's just her way," Lucy pleaded.
"Well, at least one of you has manners," Alador responded. The device came to life and Lynn felt the tingling Alador had mentioned in her head. Lynn sighed heavily.
"Here we go again," Lynn braced herself for the trip down memory lane, only she would be bringing passengers along for the ride.
Meanwhile, Annie and Delilah had journeyed to the Avalaran world of Hurricos, an ever-stormy world that houses the Avalaran power plant, tended to by the Electrolls. This plant supplied electricity to all of Avalar, which was no small feat. Because Hurricos was one of the first worlds the Malefic Order stole orbs from, it was decided that a permanent Sentinel presence be established there to prevent further thefts. Delilah knew the Sentinel that had been stationed here, and knew she had clearance to enter the Draco Vinculum. It wasn't long before they came across her. She was dressed all in yellow and had blonde hair to match, had wings made of static and she was holding her signature weapon, a baton charged with electricity, at the throat of a Gear Grinder thief, a purplish troll creature.
"Hard at work already, I see, Valeria," Delilah observed.
"Work? My assignment was to keep order. This is a personal matter," Valeria corrected. Her attention then went back to the Gear Grinder she had held down. "Alright you, out with it! Who hired you to steal those orbs?!" Valeria interrogated.
"I honestly don't know! They never gave a name, and they always wore a cloak! All they said was to take the orbs to a drop-off point and leave them there for someone else to pick up later!" the Gear Grinder confessed.
"Let me guess; no discernible features you can remember either, although given your lack of intellect, that would be too much to ask," Valeria rebutted.
"I think they were quite tall, with a staff that had a dark purple gem at the end, but that's all I can remember, I swear," the Gear Grinder recalled.
"Well, that eliminates the Ripto theory, unless he's using stilts," Annie surmised.
"Ripto? I thought Spyro chased him out of Avalar already. No-one I've spoken to has ever seen him, not that I know of," Valeria replied.
"It's a long story, Valeria, and we don't have time for it. But we do need your help, old friend," Delilah requested.
"Anything for the Chief Sentinel of the Dragon Guard. What can humble Valeria do for you?" Valeria asked.
"We need to interrogate the Sorceress. We believe there's more to the story than just the initial kidnapping of baby dragons," Annie replied.
"You know, there is a process for this. You make a request with the Court. I shouldn't have to tell the Chief Sentinel that," Valeria dismissed.
"We'd also prefer it if the Court didn't know about this. We also want to get into the Draco Vinculum," Delilah added. Valeria's demeanour changed from cordial to confused. It took a minute or two for Annie and Delilah's request to sink in. Valeria paced back and forth, trying to make sense of it all. Why would two Sentinels, one of them being the Chief of the Dragon Guard, want to go to the Draco Vinculum and question an inmate without the Court's say-so? Valeria wanted answers.
"I am going to need a VERY good reason to agree to that," Valeria asserted.
"We believe she has been in contact with the Supreme Warlock, the leader of the Malefic Order, the group responsible for all these orb thefts. Can you get us in without attracting notice?" Annie disclosed.
"The Malefics? Last I heard was that boneface Belos wiped them all out," Valeria replied.
"He missed a few, and they are active once again," Delilah clarified.
"I see, but again, you could always ask the Court to grant you clearance. I doubt they'd say no," Valeria emphasised.
"We found dragon magitech in her hidden lair. We don't know who to trust," Delilah revealed. This seemed to shock Valeria to her core.
"That's impossible. The only way she could get her hands on dragon magitech is if she either stole it or it was supplied to her," Valeria observed.
"Either way, we need to know," Delilah argued. Valeria paced once again, going over everything that had been discussed. Eventually, she came to a decision.
"Alright, I'll get you two in there, but I will be overseeing the interrogation. It should be easy to fool the security system into believing you two have clearance, especially if the Chief says so. However, if this were anyone else, I would have flatly refused. The Vinculum is a depressing place, and few Sentinels are stationed there by choice," Valeria conceded.
"I am aware of that. I still remember when I was asked by the Court to bring in the leader of the failed Gnorc uprising," Delilah recalled.
"Yeah, Gnasty Gnorc's a real piece of work, alright. Next time you want to crystalise the entire dragon populace so you can take over, be sure to get ALL of them," Valeria joked.
"Like I'm planning to conquer the Dragon Realms anytime soon. I won't forget this, Valeria. We still on for poker night?" Delilah said gratefully.
"Oh, for sure. You and Crystal better bring your A-game. It's no fun if the others don't work for it," Valeria teased.
"Hmph, I can say the same for you," Delilah replied in kind. Annie was kinda surprised by the tone of their voices. She had to admit, when Delilah told her that Crystal introduced her to Valeria, she had thought of an entirely different scenario.
"That's how you two know each other? You play cards together?" Annie probed.
"Among other things. A Sentinel's got to have a hobby. Don't worry, we don't play for treasure, so there's no gambling involved," Delilah assured.
"That's a relief. Wait a minute. What do you play for?" Annie asked nervously. Delilah chuckled nervously.
"Well, errrrrrr…" Delilah began.
"Oh, one other thing. Does Crystal still have that tattoo of your name on her hip?" Valeria inquired. This immediately answered Annie's question, and she shot Delilah a very disapproving look.
"What? It's a game I learned about in the Human Realm, and it sounded fun, so I introduced it to Crystal, Valeria, and the other three Sentinels we play with," Delilah explained.
"Let's just get to the Vinculum so I can forget I ever learned this," Annie rebuffed.
Back in the Room of Recollection, Lynn was mentally picking out which memories to show everyone first. Should she start with her duel with Plague Bringer or go earlier for context? After much internal debate, she decided to think back to Lisa's crisis meeting about Lincoln's consecutive sleepless nights. The crystals in the statues around the room then projected an image of the Loud House living room, with every single member minus Lori in attendance.
"Luz, are Earth families usually this big? I don't think I've ever seen this many siblings under one roof while we were in the Human Realm," Amity asked.
"Some are. Believe it or not, some human families are even larger than this," Luz disclosed.
"Quiet. Lynn needs to concentrate," Bump hushed. The scene played out like Lynn remembered it.
Flashback begins
"I have to say, this is not what I expected," Lincoln commented. As soon as he and Lucy got home, they told Lisa all about the nightmares Lincoln had been having, as well as his mistaking tombstones for Lucy. The girls agreed that Lincoln's case needed further study, but to everyone's surprise, Lisa did not break out the dream machine she used on Lily, or her electrodes (something Lincoln was very thankful for), but instead, she had Lincoln lie down on the couch, as if he was in a therapist's office. This generated a lot of questions from the family, so inevitably, Lincoln had to tell them everything. Needless to say, all were in want of answers.
"Admittedly, my knowledge of the social sciences is fairly limited, but the few dozen textbooks and research papers I have read about recurrent nightmares all agree that the best approach is through communication rather than examination," Lisa replied.
"Is that Lisa-speak for 'do you want to talk about it'?" Lincoln asked.
"Isn't she a little bit young to be reading research papers and college level textbooks?" Luz probed.
"She's a brainbox. Has been since the day she was born," Present Lynn replied.
"One thing I want to know is, why didn't you tell us sooner?" Lynn Sr. inquired.
"Because they were all about times we agreed not to mention anymore," Lincoln answered.
"Do you mean the war, and what happened before?" Luna probed. Lincoln nodded in acknowledgment.
"War? What war?" Amity inquired.
"We were at Gravity Falls. Fought there against Bill and his Nightmare Hoard. Don't ask me to recall those memories, please," Present Lynn pleaded.
"Oh yeah, I remember hearing about that, following the live news feed. I also won't forget the First Cipher War, either. I still have nightmares about it," Luz sympathised.
"Could it be PTSD? Pop Pop told me a few of his marine buddies had that after their tours of service," Rita guessed.
"I can't say for certain unless I know all the details. Could you please describe these nightmares if you are willing and able," Lisa requested.
"I don't know, they go into some pretty dark places," Lincoln braced the family.
"Whatever it is, we can handle it," Lynn Jr. responded.
"Yeah, hold that thought, Lynn," Lincoln rebutted. He then recounted his night terrors to the family, leaving out no details. While he was speaking, Lisa was jotting notes down on her notepad. When he was finished, the family looked on in horror.
"Woah, when you said they went to dark places, you meant it," Lucy reacted.
"Those manifestations of your lost friends really said it should've been you?" Rita asked rhetorically.
"Given what you've just relayed, I believe I have found the root of your problems, that being guilt," Lisa summarised.
"That doesn't make any sense. Lincoln didn't do anything!" Leni protested.
"That is true, but Lincoln may believe differently. It seems that he blames himself for Lucy using the wand, the rise of the Dread Mistress, the outbreak of the contagious virus, and most notably, the deaths of Timmy and Chloe. Am I correct, Lincoln?" Lisa clarified. Lincoln was hesitant to answer this question. He had tried to tell himself over and over that nothing was his fault, but he still felt like he should've been there when it all started, and that could've done more to save Timmy and Chloe.
"You're right, Lisa. While Lucy was being corrupted by some nightmare being into becoming something…..else, while all of my friends and family were being struck down by his plague, where was I? In the city, putting Ronnie Anne above my friends and family. She wasn't even my girlfriend at the time. Some brother I turned out to be," Lincoln ranted.
"Don't even think that way, Lincoln. There was no way you could've known, and even if you did, what could you have done? Take the wand off Lucy by force? Luan and I tried that, and I ended up concussed and she got put in a coma. We were lucky it wasn't worse. Bill could've killed you if you tried," Lynn Jr. rebuffed.
"I have to admit, when the outbreak erupted, part of me was somewhat relieved you and Lori were in Great Lakes and not here. I took some comfort knowing you two were safe," Lynn Sr. confessed.
"There's still Timmy and Chloe. They're gone because I wasn't strong enough to save them. I wasn't good enough to make sure the plan to revitalise magic went off flawlessly. Because of my failure, two sets of parents have empty rooms where their children once slept," Lincoln continued to put himself down.
"Poor guy. He's been through a lot for someone so young," Willow commented.
"Yeah, I have to admit, this is reminding me of our adventures," Amity conceded.
"You know, when Pop Pop came back from one of his tours of service, he went through something similar. He told me the one thing his therapists kept telling him was, that no matter how good you are, no matter how hard you train, you can't save everyone. It is something he still has trouble coming to terms with, " Rita disclosed.
"You think we should call a therapist?" Lynn Sr. proposed.
"And tell them what? That our brother is having nightmares from fighting an inter-dimensional war? We'll be checked into the cuckoo hut faster than Luan can throw a custard pie," Lola rebuked.
"Lincoln can't keep losing sleep like this," Leni asserted.
"If you'll give me a moment," Lisa interjected. She went upstairs to her room to fetch something and came back down with a rather peculiar device.
"A headband?" Lincoln questioned. Lisa held in her hand an orange headband, similar to the kind Lynn Jr. wears for practice and other various sports activities.
"This one has been embedded with an analytical device that will allow me to monitor brain function and other life signs from this watch," Lisa explained. She then held up her wrist, which sported a fancy-looking wristwatch. "Birthday gift from my pen pal Jimmy Neutron. With these two devices, I can gather any pertinent data which will help me develop a fix, although you may endure a few more sleepless nights," Lisa added. Lincoln then put the headband on.
"If you think this will help," Lincoln agreed.
"Excellent. Your readings look good so far, albeit with less energy than a fully awake person. This will also send me alerts if anything drastic were to occur. Don't worry, dear brother. I'll have a fix for this in no time," Lisa assured.
"Until then, try to relax, and you girls, go easy on him, OK?" Lynn Sr. ordered. All the girls nodded in acknowledgment.
Flashback ends
"So, this all started when your brother was having recurring nightmares about past traumas, but what does that have to do with the Order?" Darius queried.
"Lisa monitored him for 24 hours after that meeting. The next day, she called us back in to relay her findings," Lynn answered. The image in the Room changed to the same living room, only in a different time.
Flashback begins
"We were wondering when you would arrive," Lynn Sr. commented. Lisa then used her projector and board to bring up a presentation on her work regarding Lincoln's nightmare issue.
"Over the course of the last 24 hours, the headband I had Lincoln wear has given me invaluable insight into his night terrors. I believe I have isolated the direct cause of this phenomenon," Lisa began. She then showed an image of Lincoln's brain. "If you'll focus your attention to the temporal lobe," Lisa directed, but no-one knew what she meant, so she pointed out the region with a laser pointer. "This part here," Lisa clarified. The image then showed something rather unusual, what looked like a round mass had settled on that part of the brain.
"That isn't what I think it is, is it?" Lynn Sr. asked, fearing the answer.
"No, father, thankfully, this is not a brain tumour," Lisa eased. This elicited a huge sigh of relief from both parents. "It is, however, an anomaly my instruments can't make sense of. From my observations, the anomaly is making Lincoln relive the same memories over and over again each night, namely, the distressing incidents last year," Lisa added.
"It's not an anomaly, either. In my last dream, I met a guy calling himself the Fear Monger. He claimed to put that spell in my head, said it was his way of making me feel what he feels when he relives some trauma that happened to him in some nowhere world," Lincoln explained.
"Fear Monger? Has there ever been a witch with that nickname?" Raine inquired.
"Not to my knowledge. We can peruse through the records when we're done here," Darius resolved.
"Oh great, another wackjob from another dimension has come to mess with us again. Just when we were getting back into our groove," Luna remarked.
"Spells can be removed. Give me some time and I could come up with something to get rid of it," Lucy offered.
"That brings me to my next point. I discovered purely by accident that this anomaly, or spell, or whatever this is, does have a weakness," Lisa replied. She then showed a video of the mass shrinking in size.
"That looks encouraging. Do you have any idea what did that?" Rita inquired.
"Indeed I do. I've run some simulations to confirm my findings, and I can conclude that the spell has an adverse reaction to oxytocin," Lisa concluded.
"Oxy-what now?" Lincoln probed.
"Otherwise known as the love hormone. The sudden influx of oxytocin in your brain made the anomaly shrink in size by approximately 50%. If you'll note the timestamp, this event coincides with the time you spent with Ronnie Anne," Lisa responded. This revelation made the Loud sisters go 'awwwwwww' and Lincoln's face flush red.
"Hey, what's that other reading your doohickey recorded?" Lana noticed something on the board that Lisa did not mention.
"Nothing, that's not important!" Lisa rebuffed, hoping this topic wouldn't come up, for Lincoln's sake. Lana was not convinced and swiped Lisa's tablet, which had her notes written on it. "Hey, don't read that!" Lisa demanded.
"Can we fast-forward this bit?" Present Lynn scoffed.
"Simultaneous to the oxytocin record, headband device also noted a sudden flow of blood rushing to Lincoln's-" but before Lana could read the rest, Lynn Sr. took the device off her.
"I don't think the rest of us need to know about that!" Lynn Sr. interjected. This made Lynn Jr. burst out laughing, as she had an idea of what was hinted at.
"Ugh, I can't believe I'm saying this, but if this is going in the direction I think it is, I'm with Lynn," Amity lamented.
"Was that science speak for 'Lincoln's got some junk in the trunk'?" Lynn Jr. asked while laughing hysterically. Lincoln's face grew redder by the second the longer this exchange went on. The older Loud sisters all went 'ooooooooo' at this remark.
"Well look at that, Lincoln's got his own magic wand. Hahahahahaha, get it?" Luan joked.
"She is not funny," Alador remarked.
"Old news, dude," Present Lynn replied.
"I don't. What are you guys talking about?" Lola wondered.
"It's something you'll learn about more when you're older, sweetie," Rita tactfully dodged the question.
"Just wait, bro, next year, you'll be a teen, then your body just flat out betrays you," Luna stated. Lynn Sr. sighed heavily.
"Well, this was inevitable. After this is done, you and I are having 'the talk' son," Lynn Sr. resolved.
"Oh, wonderful," Lincoln rebuked.
"If we could get back on track, please," Lisa pressed.
"So, all we need is more of this love stuff and the mass could just go away?" Leni postulated.
"Precisely, which brings me to a solution, though be warned, Mum and Dad may not like it," Lisa braced the parents for what she was about to say next.
"Whatever it takes to get these night terrors to stop, we'll be fine with, stopping shy of ethical boundaries," Rita conceded.
"Lay it on us, kiddo," Lynn Sr. urged.
"Very well. Considering that a steady flow of oxytocin will be required to dissipate the spell completely, I propose that Lincoln spend the night sharing a bed with Ronnie Anne," Lisa suggested. Rita and Lynn did a double take at this proposal.
"You're right, we don't like this idea," Lynn Sr. replied.
"I understand your concern, parental units. They wouldn't have to *do* anything, just sleep while cuddled next to each other will yield the results we need," Lisa assured.
"It's not that we have any objections to two romantic partners staying at each other's places, it's just that, well…" Rita tried to be subtle about her concerns.
"You don't want the Loud House to turn into the Love Shack, or the restaurant to turn into a bakery, or….." Luan made her jokes.
"Will someone please shut her up?!" Alador emphasised.
"Oh no, I hope there's more. I think she's hilarious," Edric commented, which earned him an elbow nudge from Emira.
"Be thankful Mr. Coconuts didn't contribute to this scene," Present Lynn responded.
"Who?" Willow asked.
"Her dummy companion. We've stopped asking whether or not they're the same person," Present Lynn answered.
"Good ones, honey, but not in front of the younger ones, please," Lynn Sr. both complimented and reprimanded at the same time.
"Crude jokes aside, Luan has a point. Two people in love sharing a bed can lead to…..other things we'd rather not have them doing right now, and may I add it also disturbs me how much you know about this subject matter, Lisa," Rita said.
"Oh please, I have a 180 IQ, are you honestly that surprised I know this much about human physiological development?" Lisa quipped.
"Well, we appreciate your discretion, regardless," Lynn Sr. praised.
"As much as I'd like to pursue alternatives, oxytocin is not something I can, or even should, dispense in a pill. This really is the only solution I can think of that will dispel the mass in Lincoln's brain," Lisa concluded.
"If it truly is the only way, we'll allow it, but only after we get the Santiago family's opinion first. You don't mind bringing them into this discussion, do you, Lincoln?" Rita requested.
"Ronnie Anne already knows about this problem. I'll bring this up with her and see what she says. Afterwards, we'll talk to the Casagrandes and see if we can agree to something. And honestly, sharing a bed with Ronnie Anne is something I've wanted to do for a while," Lincoln disclosed. This garnered another 'awwwwww' from the Loud sisters. Lynn Jr. then suddenly remembered something. She then threw a yellow flag onto the living room table.
"Violation! The rules specifically state you can't interfere in the relationship and pushing for them to share a bed more than qualifies as interference," Lynn Jr. exclaimed.
"Oh no, not this," Present Lynn Jr. groaned.
"My motivations are purely scientific. If this solution heals Lincoln of his night terrors, then as this family's physician, it is my duty to prescribe such a measure," Lisa justified.
"Oh, and the fact that you had $5 on Lincoln and Ronnie Anne sharing a bed before high school is just a massive coincidence," Lynn Jr. countered.
"Wait, what?" Lincoln probed.
"What is this about money and gambling?!" Rita demanded to know.
"Well, we kinda started a betting pool on Lincoln and Ronnie Anne's relationship," Luna confessed.
"WHAT?!" Lincoln exclaimed.
"Don't take it personally. There are bets on all of us. I have $10 on whether or not Lynn is a lesbian," Luan revealed. Lynn Jr. was rather taken aback by this revelation, and a little peeved.
"Did she win that bet? I ask for… academic reasons," Boscha unconvincingly lied, hoping Lynn did like girls so the two of them could go somewhere private together. Present Lynn just ignored her.
"Errrrrr, what now?!" Lynn Jr. asked.
"Well, most guys would be pretty intimidated by someone as athletic as you, and you do spend a lot of time on girls' sport teams," Luan replied.
"So, you just assumed I was into girls? Maybe you should ask your room-mate who it is that has money down on your Benny boy coming out of the closet!" Lynn Jr. riposted. Luan looked horrified at this reveal.
"WHAT?!" Luan barked.
"I saw him prancing around on stage in a fairy costume, could you blame me?!" Luna argued.
"He was playing Oberon in the drama club's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream! For the record, I was playing Titania! Do you want me to invite him here and prove he's straight?!" Luan replied in kind.
"Groan. Here we go," Present Lucy said in horror.
"Not in my bunk, you're not!" Luna objected.
"Not in my house, you're not!" Lynn Sr. weighed in.
"At least I didn't assume as much about our brother, like Lana!" Luna revealed.
"Errrrrr, come again?!" Lincoln responded.
"Yyyyyyyyyeeeeeeaaaahhhhhhh, I kinda, sorta, bet money on you and Clyde hooking up, since that whole thing with Stella didn't pan out. You didn't show much interest in other girls, since, and I thought it'd be a safe bet," Lana admitted.
"A: Clyde and I are besties and nothing more. B: I'm with Ronnie Anne, and C: I'm not into guys," Lincoln clarified.
"A: So were you and Ronnie Anne, and look how that turned out. B: I made that bet before you two officially hooked up, and C: when Luna was your age, she didn't know she was into girls. People change over the course of their life," Lana replied.
"She's got a point, dude. I found out I liked girls when I started high school," Luna disclosed.
"Anyway, at least I didn't bet on Luna's girl-crush being 'just a phase', like Lola!" Lana explained. Now it was Luna's turn to be upset.
"My love for Sam is not a phase, Princess!" Luna barked.
"Be fair, Lunes. I made that bet before you came out to the entire family about your preferences. When you affirmed your desire for both teams, I took my loss like a lady! At least I didn't bet on someone's romantic partner dying. Wanna know who did? Surprise, surprise, it was Lucy!" Lola tattled.
"What did you bet, Spooky?!" Luna menaced.
"I didn't bet on Sam shuffling off this mortal coil if that's what you're wondering. No, my bet was on Chaz having a heart attack due to his…health concerns," Lucy replied. Leni was getting angry at this statement.
"He has a glandular problem, Little Miss Goth Queen! My choice in guys doesn't come from petty things like looks or wealth. Chaz is a sweet guy who I really like, and love finds a way to look past his size! You'll understand some day when you take on a romantic partner!" Leni lectured.
"Said the girl who bet that Lynn would never take on a partner in her entire life!" Lucy shot back. Now Lynn was positively outraged.
"You WHAT?!" Lynn yelled.
"Does your family always argue like this?" Gus inquired.
"Sibling fights are very common in our house," Present Lucy replied.
"Before you get defensive, Lynn, no, that thing you had with Dexter doesn't count. May I add, it wasn't cool of you to get with some random guy just to fit in with your roller derby team. Besides, it's like Luan said, most guys would be intimidated by you, plus there was that whole deal with that Francisco boy. He was perfect for you, and you just flat out turned him down," Leni posed.
"I was dehydrated! What, you mean to tell me you didn't say, do, or think dumb things when you were delirious! I didn't want to start a relationship based on impaired judgment!" Lynn defended. It was at this point Lynn Sr. broke up the arguing.
"ENOUGH! I mean, seriously, betting on each other's love lives? Not cool!" Lynn Sr. scolded.
"Said the man who put money down on Lincoln and Ronnie Anne having their first child by age 25," Lisa rebutted.
"LYNN!" Rita bellowed.
"What, a man can't be invested in his son's romantic future, right sport?" Lynn Sr. asked, but when he turned to face Lincoln, he saw that he was not there anymore. "Where'd Lincoln go?" Lynn Sr. inquired.
"I'll find him, and you ladies better use this time to think about why I was against these stupid pools from the word go! I cannot believe Lori came up with them! Worst idea ever!" Lynn Jr. resolved. She went upstairs to find Lincoln while the rest of the family were left alone to think about their words and actions. Before she went into Lincoln's room, she then popped into Lori and Leni's to retrieve some sheets of paper, and then into her and Lucy's room to retrieve a football. Then, she knocked on Lincoln's room, and he invited her in.
"How are you, Linc?" Lynn Jr. probed with great concern.
"I just found out my sisters were making money on my happiness; how do you think I feel?" Lincoln answered irritably.
"Pretty peeved. Just one more incident to add to the steaming pile, huh," Lynn Jr. remarked.
"You got yours?" Lincoln asked, presenting his football.
"Yep, and the records of this unfortunate incident," Lynn Jr. answered, presenting both her football and the papers. They summoned a portal that led to a storage unit somewhere in Royal Woods. The door had a lock that required two keys to open. Lincoln and Lynn opened up their footballs to reveal the keys hidden in the hollowed-out interiors.
"First things, first," Lincoln said, and he and Lynn undid the enchantments they had placed on the door so only they could open it, even with the keys they had. Once the lock was popped, they opened the door to find the unit full of items and records that both would like to stay hidden.
"I don't know what's worse, the fact that this place exists or that we're fast running out of room in here," Lynn Jr. observed.
"Very sad. Let's just find a spot for these betting pools and go home," Lincoln urged. He then found an empty spot on a shelf in the back corner. Lynn placed the papers on this spot, they both exited the storage unit, closed and re-enchanted the door, then portalled home.
Flashback ends
"Interesting. Your brother was having magically-induced nightmares brought about by someone calling themselves 'Fear Monger'. This is something we will have to look into," Bump summarised.
"We still have not received definitive proof that the Order survived. For all we know, this 'Fear Monger' could be native to the Human Realm," Alador dismissed.
"You want more proof? We weren't the only ones to discover the spell's weakness. Fear Monger and his wife Plague Bringer found out too, so they went with plan B," Lynn responded. She then thought back to when she volunteered to be on the Action News Team sports special with the intention of checking up on Lincoln. The Room's image changed again to that of a school hallway.
Flashback begins
The Action News Team were walking to the gym with the roller derby team. To their surprise, Lynn Loud, who had previously turned down the opportunity to participate, had changed her mind and was all on board with doing the sports special. Maybe, the news team though, Lynn wasn't as camera-shy as Lincoln thought she was. No matter what her reason for the change of heart was, the news team were optimistic that this show would pave the way for them to get Principal Ramirez to allow them to commentate on future events of this nature. Ramirez herself came along to observe and assess whether this would be possible.
"Thanks a lot for agreeing to do this, Lynn. We really appreciate it," Clyde said gratefully.
"Hey, who am I to stunt the growth of budding sports commentators. By the way, who did you choose to do the commentary should Principal Ramirez allow it?" Lynn wondered.
"That would be me and Zach. Stella would be handling coverage from the field, and we would be in the box," Rusty explained.
"Nice, Stella, you get the front row seat to all the action. Be sure to get the good stuff with that camera, Liam," Lynn said.
"You know I do," Liam acknowledged.
"Everyone knows the commentary is where it's at. I've got jokes so funny they'll blow the doors off," Rusty bragged. As they were approaching the gym, the doors then suddenly blew open, and Lincoln was blasted through them, and he hit the wall. The resulting blast left a huge hole where the gym doors used to be. When the dust settled, everyone present could see a tall, adult, black-cloaked figure with a glowing staff advance on Lincoln.
"That kinda looks like the staff Belos used, but something about it doesn't seem right," Hunter observed.
"Why did you have to go and make me do that? Now Fear Monger will have to settle for a battered and bruised prisoner. Oh well, just come with me, little Loud. The hubby has some plans for you," Plague Bringer teased. Lynn, seeing this unfold, conjured up her own spell.
"Like hell!" Lynn declared. She then conjured a mixture of fire and lightning, summoned streams of them and launched them at Plague Bringer, who had only a split second to summon a shield spell, and even then was knocked back a good few feet and sent rolling onto the floor. Everyone else was dumbfounded by what they had just seen.
"Oh, now she can conjure a decent spell," Amity derided.
"Watch it, Ca-" Present Lynn would respond to Amity's snark, but Alador was standing over her with an unimpressed look.
"Errrrrrr, Lynn?" Clyde began to question, but Lynn was quicker.
"You lot, grab Lincoln and run!" Lynn instructed.
"What in Sam Hill is going on?" Liam asked in bemusement.
"DO IT!" Lynn ordered. Without a clue as to what was happening, the action news team grabbed Lincoln and pulled him to safety. They turned to run in the other direction, but to their surprise, a woman came running down the corridor flanked by two other women dressed in white robes. They were all brandishing their wands. Lynn paid them no mind, as her attention was on Lincoln's attacker.
"Alright, lady, you wanna mess with one Loud? That means you mess with ALL of us!" Lynn shot back. She cracked her neck and her knuckles, ready for the fight ahead. To her surprise, Plague Bringer got up and sped to within touching distance of Lynn in one second flat.
"Let me guess, the sporty one, judging by that ghastly attire. Maybe you'll prove more of a challenge than snow-cap over there. Of course, against a trained witch like me, you really don't have a chance," Plague Bringer taunted. Lynn growled in response. She then channelled her anger into a magically-powered punch that sent Plague Bringer flying backwards into some lockers. Lynn made to approach Plague Bringer, but she stopped when she stepped on something that must've fallen off Plague Bringer. She picked the mysterious object up. It looked like a key, but the design was unfamiliar, almost other worldly to Lynn's eyes. Before she could wonder about this object, the lead witch came up to her.
"That kinda looks like the portal key Eda used, but like with the staff, something about it is wrong," Luz commented.
"Nice work. We'll take things from here," the woman praised. She and her entourage then raised their wands, pointing them firmly at Plague Bringer.
"I am Sister Charlotte, coven leader of the Sisterhood of the Shining Light. I order you to drop your staff and surrender!" Charlotte demanded.
"I was wondering when you lot would show up. Now things are going to get interesting," Plague Bringer replied.
"Last warning; drop your weapon or we will take it from you!" Charlotte responded.
"Hmmmmmmm, nope," Plague Bringer declined. The trio of witches then shot stunning spells, which Plague Bringer easily shielded and reflected back at the two robed witches, leaving Charlotte to duel Plague Bringer one-on-one. Each shot a spell at the other, which collided in the middle, like two ribbons, one blue, the other red.
"I don't have time to play right now," Plague Bringer ended the deadlock and tapped the floor with her staff, sending Charlotte back. She then used a spell to smash the window and made her escape. "I'll be back for the boy, and my key!" Plague Bringer called back as she left in a hurry. After helping her entourage back onto their feet, the witches then rushed over to the others. Lincoln was struggling to get to his feet, despite Stella's insistence that he remain seated.
"Lynn. Thanks for….the….save…..," was all Lincoln could say in gratitude before collapsing. Stella managed to catch him before he hit the floor.
"LINC!" Lynn said in a very panicked and concerned tone. She tried lightly tapping his cheek to get him to wake up before she noticed that Lincoln was very warm to the touch. Lynn then felt his forehead, and that confirmed her fears.
"He's burning up," Lynn observed.
"Get him to the nurse's office, quick!" Ramirez ordered. Lynn and Stella then hoisted Lincoln onto their shoulders, and together, everyone made their way to the nurse's office, the witches providing an armed escort.
To say this was an unusual set of events would be an understatement. The school nurse was trained for situations where students and/or staff would bring in a child that had fallen ill or were otherwise unconscious, but she did not expect the three witches that accompanied them. But here they were; the action news team, whose show she was fond of, had brought in a collapsed Lincoln Loud, and with them were Principal Ramirez, the roller derby team, their coach, and three strangers armed with weird sticks they kept pointing everywhere.
"You two, guard the door," Charlotte ordered, and the two robed witches took up a defensive stance at the entrance to the nurse's office. This, obviously, raised many questions, but since Lincoln needed urgent care, those would have to wait. The nurse examined Lincoln and noted that he showed signs of a fever, and there were signs he had been in a pretty big fight. Taking his temperature and noting any changes in his breathing and pulse, the nurse concluded her examinations.
"He has a temperature of 102 degrees, and his injuries are surface level only. I strongly recommend he goes home to heal up," the nurse advised.
"I'll let the parents know what's happened," Ramirez offered.
"He should also see the family doctor, to rule out the possibility of an infection, or anything more serious," the nurse added.
"That would be my sister Lisa. You should also know that Lincoln hasn't been getting much sleep lately. I don't want to get into it, but he has been pretty exhausted lately," Lynn informed.
"Your sister is your family doctor? And she's only five?" Willow asked in disbelief.
"Were you not paying attention? She's a brainbox. Of course she's our doctor. Has a full medical licence and everything," Present Lynn responded.
"Well, this may be the result of his body running on fumes. Again, he should be seen by a doctor to know for sure," the nurse emphasised.
"Kinda wish Lisa was here now," Lynn pined. As if it was reacting to Lynn's words, the key she picked up hovered into the air and moved towards the lock of the office door. It turned by itself, but did nothing else.
"Should it bother me that that isn't the weirdest thing I've seen today?" Clyde wondered. Lynn, out of curiosity, opened the door, but instead of the corridor they were familiar with, the door opened into Miss Allegra's first-grade classroom, but Royal Woods Elementary was nowhere near Royal Woods Middle School. How did this happen? Given the urgency of the situation, Lynn did not question the mechanics behind the key's power.
"It even has similar abilities. Eda's key summoned a portal door to the Human Realm when you pressed the handle," Luz recalled.
"It even travels across dimensions. It's how we got here," Lucy chimed in.
"Well, that's one question answered," Bump replied.
"Excuse me, Miss Allegra, can I borrow Lisa for an hour or two? It's urgent," Lynn requested. When Miss Allegra turned to her door to see who was speaking, she couldn't believe her eyes. It took a while for her to find her voice, but eventually, she mustered the courage to speak.
"Y-y-y-yeah, s-s-s-sure," Miss Allegra agreed. Lisa then got up from her desk and examined her watch.
"I take it this is about Lincoln?" Lisa asked for clarification, which Lynn nodded in confirmation. Lisa then stepped through the threshold and examined Lincoln. Using her magical abilities, she was able to heal Lincoln's battle damage, but she could not alleviate his illness. "Might I ask what happened here?" Lisa probed.
"Yes, I would like to know this as well," the nurse interjected.
"I think the only one who can fully explain is passed out on the gurney, but I think the intruder got in using this key. It seems to be able to connect two distant places together like you just saw there," Lynn hypothesised. She closed the door/portal and took the strange key out of the lock. She opened the door again and found the familiar sight of the middle school corridor, with the two witches standing guard. Lisa eyed the artifact with great interest.
"A fascinating device. Where did you get it?" Lisa asked.
"Off the witch that did this to Lincoln," Lynn answered.
"Then it's dark magic. We should destroy it," Charlotte suggested.
"Hold on, it got Lisa here, didn't it? Is there anything else you can do?" Lynn inquired.
"All the anti-biotics and diagnostic equipment I have is back home. Not much I can do for him here," Lisa replied.
"OK, let me try something," Lynn said. She took the key in hand again and spoke to it like she did last time. "I want to go back home," Lynn stated. She then put the key into the lock again, turned the key, then opened the door. Like last time, the door did not open to the middle school corridor, but rather to the Loud House living room. Thankfully, it was empty.
"When I'm done with Lincoln, I want to study that thing," Lisa said with intense curiosity.
"I still want to destroy it," Charlotte stated.
"I just want to help my brother," Lynn responded in kind.
"I want to know where he got those marks on his cheeks," Rusty wondered. Upon further examination, Lynn and Lisa found that Lincoln's spade suit cheek marks were fully visible. The cheek protectors must have fallen off during the fight.
"OK, I know humans don't have those," Gus stated.
"That's a whole other story," Present Lynn deflected.
"This school has a zero-tolerance policy on tattoos," Ramirez pointed out.
"They're…not tattoos. I don't have time to explain right now. I just want to get Lincoln the help he needs. Afterwards, I'll answer any questions you want. Deal?" Lynn bargained.
"OK, but I want honest answers, young lady. Now go, help Lincoln. I'll hold down the fort here," Ramirez conceded. Lynn thanked Principal Ramirez, took the key out of the lock and departed for her home, with Lisa and Lincoln in tow. Once the door closed, the portal disappeared, and the Loud House front door opened out into their front yard like normal. Once Lincoln was safely in his room, Lisa tended to him, while Lynn was frantically texting all the Louds about what had just happened, and that they needed to get home ASAP.
Flashback ends
"Proof enough for you?" Lynn inquired abrasively.
"It would appear so, but we haven't seen this 'Fear Monger' yet. Is he anywhere in your memories?" Alador directed. Lynn paused to take a breath.
"I hate this memory," Lynn whimpered. The Room's view changed again to outside, where a series of storage units were set up.
Flashback begins
"Well, well, well. You came after all. I told the wife you would. After all, there's nothing you fear more than losing one of your own. She owes me five snails," Fear Monger greeted.
"Goodie for you. We got what you wanted, now show us Lincoln!" Lynn Jr. demanded, presenting the key and football.
"Hahahahaha! This one thinks she can play! Too funny!" Plague Bringer teased.
"Now, now, dear, she's just a sister concerned for her brother's safety. Show her what she came for," Fear Monger directed. Plague Bringer waved her staff and Lincoln came floating beside them, bound and looking like he was on Death's door. Everyone clasped their mouths with their hands when they saw Lincoln in this state.
"What did they do to him?" Luz wondered. Amity was lost for words. Even the subtle on-lookers Toffee, Caramel, Amy, and Zella were horrified. Zella had to try hard not to cry again. Amy now realised why Annie never spoke of what happened in Royal Woods with much fondness.
"You monsters! What have you done to him?!" Leni demanded.
"I did try and tell the missus not to, but she does love her experiments and she sorely needed a test subject. It would pain her greatly to see this one go, considering he has quite the constitution to have lasted this long," Fear Monger commented.
"This violates every code of ethics in the book! What is wrong with you people!?" Lisa demanded.
"Ha! You're one to talk about ethics, speccy! Through Lincoln, I know what you do to your family on a regular basis, so don't lecture me or my wife on ethics!" Fear Monger reprimanded. Lisa would respond, but she knew he was right, so she kept her peace. "I should just keep Lincoln for that little remark, but a deal's a deal, and I am a man of my word. Step forward, place the items on the floor and then step back. The wife will float Lincoln to you, along with the antidote to everything she exposed him to, after we open the unit and show its contents to your world's authorities," Fear Monger outlined. Left with no other option, Lynn Jr. did as Fear Monger instructed. Once Fear Monger had claimed Lynn Jr.s football and Plague Bringer's stolen key, he addressed Lynn Jr. once more.
"Anything we should know?" Fear Monger asked.
"They keys need to be turned simultaneously, and there are enchantments on the door itself," Lynn Jr. revealed.
"Lynn…no," Lincoln begged weakly for his sister to stop.
"We know about the enchantments, we broke those already, but thanks for the tip about the keys," Fear Monger said in mock gratitude. "Be a dear and keep an eye on the others, make sure they don't try anything clever," Fear Monger ordered Plague Bringer to monitor the other Louds, Ronnie Anne, and Bobby, while he and Lynn Jr. would open the unit door. After inserting both keys into their respective locks and turning them at the same time, the unit door opened to reveal records of all the Loud family's most severe misdeeds.
"That's all of it," Lynn Jr. said sadly. Fear Monger then had another idea.
"Call your authorities. Summon them here," Fear Monger instructed.
"You want me to snitch on my own family?" Lynn Jr. asked in disbelief.
"Do it!" Fear Monger demanded, waving his staff to squeeze Lincoln's restraints so tight they were squeezing the air out of his already weakened lungs.
"Make it stop!" Willow pleaded.
"OK, OK! I'm doing it, just stop," Lynn Jr. obeyed.
"Lynn…..don't," Lincoln again pleaded, to no avail.
"I'm sorry, Lincoln," Lynn Jr. responded as she called the Royal Woods Police Station. "Hello, Royal Woods Police? I'm calling because there's something you need to see in the storage facility I'm calling from. There's evidence of a major crime in one of the units. A crime related to the reckless endangerment of a minor. Unit 3. Thanks, bye," Lynn Jr. spoke down the phone and hung up. "They're on their way, now release and heal Lincoln, like you promised," Lynn Jr. asserted.
"We'll give you the boy and the anti-serum, then you're going to go back home and meet your fate, whatever it may be," Fear Monger responded. As promised, Plague Bringer levitated Lincoln towards the family, along with a vial of green liquid, presumably the anti-serum. Leni took Lincoln into her arms and the restraints vanished.
"You sure this will cure him?" Leni asked.
"I made these diseases, so I should know how to cure them. I wouldn't wait too long to administer my medicine if I were you," Plague Bringer responded. Leni then brought the vial to Lincoln's lips.
"Drink up, Linc," Leni urged.
"What…..are you doing?" Lincoln probed weakly.
"Saving you, now come on!" Ronnie Anne pressed.
"Now it's….my turn…..to save all of you," Lincoln resolved. Instead of taking the anti-serum, Lincoln used all his remaining strength to summon a fireball and launch it from his hand in the direction of the unit. Once it made contact, a huge fire erupted from the middle, incinerating everything in sight. Lynn Jr. stared at the blaze in horror, then ran over to Lincoln, shocked at what he had just done.
"Lincoln! That has to be the stupidest thing you could've done!" Lynn Jr. scolded.
"We're Louds. We do stupid things all the time," Lincoln countered.
"But this?! They were going to spare you, in exchange for us!" Lynn Jr. informed.
"We don't care what happens to us! We just want you to be safe and happy!" Lori added.
"So….do….I," Lincoln responded, the breaths he took becoming more laboured.
"Oh, how sickeningly noble. Sweet, little Lincoln is willing to die for his family. Alright, I'll grant your last wish!" Plague Bringer taunted. She waved her staff which caused Lincoln to gasp suddenly. "The plagues inside him have just mutated. Sorry, but that anti-serum's worthless now. Make your last words count, boy!" Plague Bringer said ominously, but Lincoln had no more words to speak. He just fell into unconsciousness as the energy had been all but drained from his body. Leni tried shaking him awake and calling his name, but it was no use. The others all stared at Lincoln's rapidly deteriorating body, sporting looks of absolute heartbreak. No-one in the Room had any words right now.
"N-n-no, this is not happening," Luna stuttered. Others struggled for words, but Lola was breathing heavily, face flush red with seething anger as she lunged towards Plague Bringer, who merely sighed with disinterest. While Lola, still powered by rage, unleashed attack after attack, be it swings of a magically summoned sword or blasts from her hands or feet, Plague Bringer simply shielded all of them with ease, and very little care for Lola's emotional state. Finally, whether it be from a genuine concern that Lola may punch through her defences or a strong desire to be anywhere else, Plague Bringer grabbed Lola by the throat and brought her to eye level. Plague Bringer cared little for Lola's struggles to break free of her grip.
"Do you want to be next?" Plague Bringer threatened. She then threw Lola with full force back towards the family. Rita only just managed to catch her before she hit a wall. Other magically powered Louds tried their hands at revenge, but they too were beaten back just as easily as Lola had been. Leni, on the other hand, was still cradling a dying Lincoln, tuning everything else out as she wallowed in the pain of her loss. Memories came flooding to her as she cried her eyes out. The day Lincoln first came home when she was five, the feeling of excitement as Leni and her four other sisters had a baby brother to play with. Leni clutched Lincoln as tight as she did when she first held him as a baby. Then she flashed back to when Lincoln taught her how to drive well enough to pass her test. Then to when he and Clyde got her job at Reininger's back after she was falsely accused of stealing scarves. All this and more played over and over in her head. Then, something began to awake inside Leni. She started glowing a bright, yellowish light. Wings sprouted from her back. The engulfed Lincoln like a baby in a cradle, and the light poured into Lincoln like a river bursting its banks. This made Fear Monger and Plague Bringer turn to face her.
"No, she can't be," Fear Monger remarked.
"Is this a magic thing?" Lynn Sr. asked. Lincoln opened his mouth, and a small, purple latticed ball popped out and evaporated.
"My hex!" Fear Monger watched as his nightmare inducer was destroyed.
"This is not a magic thing," Lori answered her father's question. Leni then put Lincoln down and turned to face the two dark sorcerers. The Leni that was in front of them was a stark contrast to the Leni they know and love. This Leni had wings and a halo on top of her head, and her eyes, no longer filled with the sweet, adorable, do-no-harm innocence Leni was known for, but instead, they glowed with the brightness of a raging sun, as did her whole body.
"Leave. My. Family. ALONE!" Leni bellowed with a voice that was not entirely her own. Before anyone could react, Leni had shot like a bullet at Fear Monger, delivering a blow that sent him flying into a wall with devastating force. Plague Bringer made a slicing motion with her staff and took aim at Leni's stomach, only for her to shoot back, then up into the air, hovering above the scene. Leni then summoned rays of light and bombarded Plague Bringer from all directions with them. She had a split second to summon a shield charm to protect herself, but it only took one or two strikes to crack the shield, and not much more to shatter it completely. Leni then slammed the ground hard. Plague Bringer tried her best to stay on her feet, but she eventually buckled and fell to her knees from the force of the attack. Lynn then spotted that Plague Bringer had lost her key in the assault, again ("When will she learn?" Lynn Jr. thought to herself) and took the key back. Lisa the looked at her watch and was hopeful by what it had shown her. She motioned to Lynn, Ronnie Anne, and Bobby to rush over to Lincoln, where she portalled him, Lynn Jr., Ronnie Anne, and Bobby away from the battle.
Flashback ends
Nobody spoke. Even though they saw the scenes play out, they couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. Not even Amity could find any witty remarks or comeback. Alador looked down to see Lynn crying on the seat softly and silently. Luz turned to see Lucy staring at the ground, wet marks staining the floor around her, evidence that she had been crying too. Alador yanked the helmet off Lynn.
"I think we've seen enough," Alador declared. Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Only the Order could've done this. They are alive. The Triad must convene," Darius asserted.
"Principal Bump, we humbly request the use of your conference room to discuss the next steps," Raine asked.
"Of course. I would like to be present as well, after I take care of one more thing," Bump requested.
"And what is that?" Darius asked.
"Lucy never told me what tracks she wanted to study at Hexside. I need to finish her enrolment," Bump answered. Lucy was shocked by this. After she had revealed that she and Lynn had snuck in, she expected to be kicked out of another establishment.
"You still want to enrol me, sir? After me and my sister snuck in under false pretenses?" Lucy probed.
"Big deal. So did Luz," Bump dismissed.
"Twice," Luz added.
"In fact, I'm insistent on it, and won't take 'no' for an answer. If the Order is after you for any reason, you need every tool in your arsenal to defend yourself and your large family. We here at Hexside can train you to do just that, and this place is a safe haven for those wishing to shelter from evil forces. So again, what tracks do you want to study?" Bump emphasised. Lucy thought about this for a moment before giving a response.
"I was telling Willow and Gus that my specialties are potion-making, fortune-telling, curses, and communing with the dead," Lucy reiterated.
"Hexside frowns on necrotic experiments. I do hope you don't plan to raise the dead," Bump warned.
"No, sir, just talking to spirits, helping them finish their business so they can pass on to the next life," Lucy assured.
"That's not something we teach here. Maybe you can show us how to do that. In the meantime," Bump then cast a spell on Lucy's clothes to change their colour to the potions and oracle tracks. While Lucy usually hated bright colours such as purple and yellow, the black cowl more than made up for it. Edwin, who had been nesting on Lucy's head, seemed to agree, as he smiled enthusiastically.
"I think it looks good too, Edwin," Lucy responded.
"I would also like to speak with your parents about your enrolment, and to express my sympathies regarding what I just saw," Bump added. Lucy and Lynn shuffled awkwardly.
"They….. don't know we're here," Lynn admitted.
"Wait, you two ran off without telling anyone?!" Caramel interjected, alerting everyone to hers and Toffee's presence.
"More intruders?! I really need to update security," Bump commented. Lucy and Lynn recognised the pair of lizards, but it had been a year since they last saw each other, and it wasn't under the best of circumstances.
"Toffee? Caramel? I haven't seen you since Gravity Falls. What are you doing here?" Lucy asked.
"We were sent here to retrieve something. An item hidden in one of Belos' vaults, that we believe the Malefic Order may be interested in," Toffee revealed.
"We never did find all of his vaults," Alador replied.
"Do you know what this item is?" Darius asked.
"A vessel containing the Spirit of the Dark Master, the one the Order worships. Our orders were to blend in with the populace and retrieve it without attracting notice. However, your arrival here has changed all that. We need to adapt our approach," Caramel explained.
"I see. As Alador said, we never found all of his vaults, and we do not have the time to search the entire Isles," Raine responded. Lucy then raised her hand.
"If I might. Before we came here, Lisa sent a probe to the Isles to study the culture. It is how we know of Belos and his crimes. May I also say we are not sorry to see him go," Lucy piped up. Toffee thought about this for a moment.
"Interesting. Where is it now?" Toffee inquired.
"We don't know. It crashed shortly after that Collector kid came to town," Lynn answered.
"If the black box is intact, the probe will have a complete map of the Isles. We need to find it," Toffee resolved.
"Lisa could track it down, though we'd need to explain to her that we stole the key she was studying and journeyed here without telling anyone," Lynn replied.
"'We'? You were the one who pilfered the key from her lab," Lucy redirected.
"She has a lab?!" Luz inquired.
"It's crow I'm willing to eat. If this object is what the Order is after, it may also hold the key to beating them, or at least forcing them to engage us where we're more prepared for them," Lynn surmised.
"Then it's settled. You two will ask Lisa for help finding and recovering the probe, while I speak to your parents about your enrolment at this school. Afterwards, we will discuss next steps," Bump summarised.
"Agreed," everyone said at once. Amity then stepped towards Lynn, sporting a look not of a want for confrontation, but sympathy.
"I had no idea you went through all that," Amity stated.
"It's not something we like to talk about," Lynn replied. Amity then did something she never thought she'd do. She rushed over to Lynn and embraced her tightly. To her surprise, rather than push her away, Lynn returned the gesture.
"I am here if you need me," Amity vowed, putting aside old grudges and arguments, and giving Lynn the support she needed.. Meanwhile, Amy and Zella, who chose to remain hidden, got a message on their orbs. It was Sylvia.
"I am recalling you two to the Sanctum, now," Sylvia insisted.
"We have still to extract the Louds," Amy protested.
"That's not important right now! Come back immediately!" Sylvia ordered and cut the call. Worried about Sylvia's tone, Amy and Zella discreetly left the Room of Recollection and portalled back to the Sanctum to hear what Sylvia had to say.
Author's note: Writing this was somewhat slow. Yes, half of it was lifted from 'Nightmare on Franklin Avenue', granting this chapter the dreaded title of 'clip show episode', but it was important to give the Hexside crew context. Also, I have been working on the Sharuby Saga 2nd anniversary QnA two-parter, which is now finished and will release in September, so look out for that. The usual disclaimers, I own nothing. All properties belong to their respective owners. Enjoy.