A/N: Finally, as I said, the next chapters of this story have arrived. Also, before we proceed, let it be known that 2 stories are coming this week and the next. First up, the rewrite of "The Mighty B!: So Happy Together". And second, on November 8th, a redo of "Adventure Time with Finn, Jake, and Rachel". So sometime soon, for those who're waiting, we'll see the rewrite of The Mighty B yet this week.
The Owl House: The Curse of the Were-Oni
Chapter 1: Discovering the Curse
The next morning, back in the human realm, Luz was sound asleep in what may very well be her bed here for the last time. In her room, an assortment of boxes remained in half the room. She snored very loudly as the sun started to rise up. As it did, her palisman, Stringbean woke up and saw the beautiful sunrise. Then, Stringbean flew over to Luz, knowing that it's time for her to wake up. So, she bit into Luz's ear playfully and tugged on it, making her shoot up.
"Yow!", Luz shouted, shooting up awake.
Then, she saw Stringbean, who floated over to her.
"Oh. Good morning, my little power noodle.", Luz grinned.
Stringbean hissed with a squeak in response. After that, Luz picked up a faint smell from downstairs.
"Wait. Is that breakfast? What is it?", Luz pondered before she went downstairs with Stringbean following her.
When they got downstairs, Luz widened her eyes at the sight of Camila and Vee making breakfast.
"Hola, Mija. Es hora del desayuno.", Camila greeted in spanish, which means in English, "Hello, daughter. It's time for breakfast."
"Aw, Mom... Are those Magdalenas?", Luz asked.
"Si.", Camila responded.
"And I made sure to use as little milk for them as possible.", Vee assured.
"Aw. Thanks, guys.", Luz thanked as she and Vee sat down at the table and prepared to eat some after putting a few on her plate.
Before she was about to start, though, Luz had a thought.
"You want one of these, Stringbean?", Luz asked.
Stringbean nodded to her in response.
"Okay. Here you go.", Luz offered, giving a muffin to Stringbean, who happily ate it as Luz and Camila ate.
A half hour later, the Noceda's were washing the dishes so they can put them away for later use. Soon after, though, everyone got all dressed up and started loading the remaining boxes onto the car. When they did, they drove over to the revamped house in the woods with a shooting star on the front door. Luz looked at it as the boxes were soon taken out and set near said door.
"You nervous, Luz?", Camila asked.
Then, Luz turned to Camila with a grin.
"And excited.", Luz responded.
Carrying one of the boxes, Luz cautiously turned the knob, took a deep breath, and opened the door.
Meanwhile, in the Owl House, Eda, King, Alador, Lilith, Hooty, Willow, Hunter, and Gus were waiting by the door, their faces etched in worry.
"I hope Luz gets here, soon.", Willow spoke in worry.
"Knowing her, she's bound to get here. And soon.", assured Gus.
"To pass the time, I even found some tasty treats.", Hooty assured before then coughing up an owl pellet, which opened up to reveal inside a few sealed ice cream sandwiches known as "Spookie Panther".
"Ta-da! Spookie Panther!", Hooty grinned.
Somewhat eager for the treats, everyone grabbed some from the pellet, albeit a bit hesitantly, leaving only one left before they opened the packages, which showed that the sandwiches are intact and as fresh as ever.
"Those're actually really good.", Hunter grinned.
"Mm! Yeah! You can definitely taste the screamberry.", King grinned, eating his own ice cream sandwich.
"Not to mention the vanilla scream, too. I just wish there's an apple blood flavor for this...", Eda added, enjoying hers.
"Yeah. I like to eat the ears first.", Willow added.
"Though, on a mental note, Hooty, I think it's best if the wrappers are as fresh and clean as the ice cream sandwiches inside.", Gus commented.
"Good tip. I'm always up for Constructive Criticism.", Hooty responded.
Just then, the door opened, surprising everyone with Luz, Camila, and Vee entering the Boiling Isles once more.
"I'm back!", Luz announced.
"Luz!", everyone shouted before hugging her, much to her surprise.
"Whoa! Easy, guys. Dang, you say that line one time...", Luz blushed.
"Oh, sorry, sorry! It's just that... first off, it's really great to see you.", Willow grinned.
"Aw. It's great to see you guys, too.", Luz grinned as Camila and Vee caught up, the latter turning back into her basilisk form.
"But what's the second thing?", Camila asked.
"Well..., it's about Amity...", Gus responded, making Luz widen her eyes and become worried.
"What happened? Did she die?", Luz asked worriedly.
"Nope. She definitely didn't die. But something did happen to her last night.", Gus responded.
"Well, what is it?", Luz asked.
"We'll explain on the way to Blight Manor.", Willow responded.
Then, Luz turned to Camila.
"But what about Mama? We were just starting to move here, too.", Luz asked.
"It's fine, Mija. Vee and I can handle the rest of these boxes.", Camila stated.
"And I'd be more than happy to lend a hand. Get it?", Eda joked with a snort.
"Just be sure to come back and help whenever you can. And let me know if Amity is all right when you do.", Camila responded.
Luz gave a nod before turning back to the others.
"All right, guys. Let's not keep her waiting.", Luz said as her palisman and her friends became staffs.
"I want to come, too. Weh.", King spoke, hopping aboard Luz's staff before they all soared into the air.
"What do you think happened, Camila?", Vee asked.
"Honestly, I don't know. Nothing too serious, I hope.", Camila responded.
"Well, whatever it is, I know we can handle it. After all, we did handle worse.", Eda responded.
Meanwhile, in the air, Gus explained the situation.
"I don't know how it happened, but there was an attack on Blight Manor last night. More like outside it by the looks of it.", Gus explained, pointing to the numerous slashes and claw marks on some trees in adjacent directions across the road toward Blight Manor.
"Whoa. Whatever did all this shreds real good.", Luz commented.
"I think it was some horrible, otherworldly monster not native to the Isles that did this.", Willow responded.
"Horrible, otherworldly monster?", King puzzled.
"Whatever the case, when Alador came out to check the noise, he saw Amity suddenly flying around without even being on her staff. He managed to catch her, but she lost consciousness and a strange mark appeared on her arm. And she's been stuck inside ever since. She's with Raine, Jerbo, Eberwolf, Darius, and even Hettie Cutburn now.", Hunter added.
"Flying around with no staff, and getting k.o.'d with a strange mark. Hmm...", King pondered.
"Oh. Well, I hope it wasn't too bad.", Luz said just as she and the others arrived in the manor.
"We're here.", Willow responded.
Once they entered, Luz saw Amity being examined by Hettie Cutburn as she saw Luz.
"Luz!", Amity called.
"Sweet Potato!", Luz shouted before running over to her in joy.
"Am I glad to see you.", Luz grinned.
"Me, too. But what are you doing here?", Amity asked.
"We came by to check on you since what happened last night.", Willow responded.
"We even brought Luz along. We figured she'd needed to hear this.", Gus added.
"Once we get the checkup results, the diagnosis will be clearer.", Hettie stated, examining Amity.
"I'm okay. Really. Although, my arm has been a little sore since last night.", assured Amity.
"Your arm's sore? Let me take a look.", Hettie spoke before noticing a red horned god symbol on said arm.
"Strange... It looks like some kind of ancient Coven sigil.", Hettie stated.
"A Coven sigil?", everyone puzzled.
"But can it be removed?", Darius asked.
"I hope I'm wrong about this, but I'm not so sure that it can.", Alador said worriedly.
"We at least have to try.", Luz responded.
Later, Alador had a metallic glove on his hand while Raine, Jerbo, Darius and Eberwolf were observing the machine. He then placed the glove on a student's coven mark, and several Healing Track students, including Emira and Viney, sent their magic through a thick wire. After several seconds they stopped and the glove emitted a puff of smoke. Unfortunately, the cursed mark is still here, much to everyone's concern.
"What? How did it not work? Was there some kind of malfunction on this contraption?", Darius asked.
"No. Everything was fine. We made sure of that before we had to use it today.", Alador responded.
"I think I may have a hunch on what's going on.", King said.
"You do?", Luz and Amity asked.
"Yup. But I don't think you're gonna like it.", King responded.
Later, everyone, with Amity, Alador, Edric, and Emira coming along this time, was heading back inside the Owl House with Camila, Vee, and Eda almost done moving.
"Hola, Mama.", Luz greeted.
"Oh, Mija. Great timing. We're almost done with the move. Can you take that box over to the kitchen?", Camila asked.
"Yep. Will do.", Luz responded before picking up said box and moving it to said kitchen.
"By the way, is Amity okay?", Camila asked.
"We're trying to figure that out right now.", Luz responded.
At the same time, though, King found his old book of demons.
"So, last night, you were attacked by some demonic spirit and then woke up with that mark on your arm, right?", King asked.
"Yeah. Why?", Amity asked.
"Because I have a hunch that that demonic spirit was capable of more than intangibility. Maybe it was sent by some kind of demon.", King responded.
"But what demon would even do that?", Vee asked.
"Only one. The one whose entry inspired me to start my own book with this entry being the first of many.", King said before finding said entry.
"Aha! There it is.", King grinned.
"There what is?", Luz asked.
"The entry about a demon who did this to Amity.", Edric responded.
"Hey. You actually used my name.", Amity said in surprise.
"Well, it has been a while since we used your actual name. Don't even know how long.", Emira explained as Amity was given half of Luz's Spookie Panther ice cream sandwich and ate it.
"Anyway, according to this, it was the work of... the Were-Oni. it's a subset of werecreatures that roam the Boiling Isles with a verbant magic lust that far exceeds the Greater Basilisk's in terms of appetite as well as deadliness. Every night, Were-Oni have to go out and drain magic from every source they can find, whether be it from witches, demons, or even magical artifacts, to satisfy their insatiable craving for magic. To become a were-oni, one must be possessed by a demonic spirit summoned by the original at night. Those who are successfully possessed are usually branded with this very mark.", King read, pointing to a picture of said mark with everyone gasping in shock as they realize something.
"Just like the one on my arm...!", Amity said in worry.
"Yeah. So, that means you got turned into a were-oni yourself the moment you got possessed. And when you transform, the demonic spirit would be given free reign of your body.", King stated.
"But how do I make sure it doesn't control me?", Amity asked.
"Hold on. Let me read it a little bit more.", King said before turning a page and finding it.
"Well, there's good news and bad news. The good news is, there is a way to expel the demonic spirit that's inside you. And if it works, it will never be able to possess you again.", King grinned.
"There is? What is it?", Amity asked.
"Well, that's the bad news. In order for it to work, you'd have to be in your transformed state at night. And when you are in your transformed state, the demon would take over and cause rampant chaos and destruction.", King responded.
"Well, that's going to be tough. How are we gonna pull that off?", Luz asked.
"Well, don't worry, kid. I think I might know what to do.", Eda grinned.