Despite still being tired from the night before, Luz was approaching the day with a brand new spring in her step. Amity and Camila couldn't help but notice. She seemed to have synched with her Palisman overnight, as if they'd been together for years already.

"And take a look at what she can do!" Luz gave Stringbean a nod, and the snake floated over the kitchen table...first taking a form resembling a bat, then a scorpion, and then a dragon before returning to her natural state. "She's a snake shifter, able to become whatever she wants to be! It's all I really wanted for her and more! Vee is gonna flip!"

"Asombrosa," said Camila.

Amity nuzzled up to her girlfriend and interlocked her fingers with her own. "You got a little bit of the Boiling Isles back after all. She could the last Palisman ever made. You know what else this means?"

"I can do magic again," Luz said with awe.

"To a degree," Amity nodded and rested her other hand on top of the two intertwined. "You deserve this, Luz. Try to remember that, ok?"

"I can't wait to show the others."

"Speaking of which," said Amity, looking at her phone, "Gus' flight just landed. That means the whole gang is finally back in town! Hunter and Willow wanted to meet us somewhere after they pick him up."

"How about the Zoo? I dunno about you, but I feel like doing something outside."

"Great idea, we'll just need to be careful around the giraffes."

The two of them got into Luz's car, with Amity offering to drive. They extended the invitation to Vee and Masha, but the pair was busy putting together the nursery for their future baby. All parties arrived at the Gravesfield Zoo close to the same time. Luz had no sooner stepped out of the car when Hunter and Willow ran over to her, giving her a big hug.

"Good to have you back, sis," said Hunter.

"Good to be back, hermano," said Luz. "Felicidades a los dos. I'm so glad I'm not gonna miss your big day."

"So are we," said Willow. "Amity was worried you might not get here."

"Yeah, she sure was," Luz looked made a side glance at her girlfriend. "Did she tell you...how worried?"

Amity spoke up, "I just asked them to check in if you...took too long to get home."

"Thanks, Sweet Potato, but I'm here now, ready to enjoy myself and my friends."

"Does that include me?" Gus made his presence known, and the engaged couple let Luz go to give him a hug too.

"Wow, Gus, you've grown like a foot!"

"That's what happens when you disappear for a few years," he said with a smile. "And there's someone else I want you to meet." Stepping out from behind the car was a young woman, a tan brunette approximately the same age as Gus, give or take a year. "Everybody, this is Matilda Thompson."

"Nice to meet y'all," she said, shaking Luz's hand. "You can call me Mattie."

"Oh," Luz looked between Gus and his new girlfriend, grinning incredulously. "Well, it's very nice to meet you too, Mattie."

After both women exchanged pleasantries, Gus pulled Luz aside. "Okay, I know what you're thinking, and you're...not entirely wrong...but I really do like her. We met in our journalism classes, started hanging out after that, and we really hit it off. She's even a Cosmic Frontier fan! And yeah, she knows that she...reminds me of an old friend."

"It's okay, Gus. She seems nice, and when it comes to being hung up on an old crush, I am the last person to judge you. All that really matters is she makes you happy."

"And it means he's not the spare wheel anymore, right Gussy?" Matilda said, putting her arm around Gus.

"That is a definite plus," he said, returning the gesture.

With reunions and introductions out of the way, the squad made their way into the zoo.