First thing, what many of you would noticed first is that I shortened the story's title. I did this after look over some work and decided that the name sounded too long when read aloud. So removing one word and there we have it, Jedi of the Isles. Kinda catchy.
Also, not that many would care, but the this Jedi has reach top ten of the Followers and Favors list on the whole crossover section for the Owl House. That might not mean much to some people as this fandom is not that big compared to others, but I'm happy with this, and I appreciate the many who like and follow this story. Hopefully the plans I've got will make this exciting to everyone.
Also apologize in advance, for my military unit has been activated and my free time will be more limited which will affect how much time I put in my writing.
Warning, to error is to human. More Grammar error will probably be more common the farther you read.
Kashyyyk orbit.
Three & half weeks prior.
"There's our opening," Luz ordered at the sight of the enemy flagship going up in flames. "Captain Drake, prepare to accelerate us at flank speed to the planet. We needed to be down there yesterday."
"Right away, Commander," said a clone in heavy scout armor with green camo paint.
Standing in the Operations Room of her Acclamator-class cruiser, The Hammer, Commander Luz Noceda of the Jedi sent out order after order to her staff. Everything from formation positions to target designation. Right outside, she was helping in breaking the Separatist blockade over Kashyyyk and getting the troops she had on board down to the ground. The enemy's massive fleet in orbit had prevented them from any planetary landings.
"Lieutenant Swift, I want double checks of all ground troops on standby in their transports. If things turn sour, I want as many of our boys out the door as quickly as possible." She informed the green armored ARC trooper with a lieutenant's rank.
"I'll contact the deck crews. We're going to have to abandon the speeder bikes if that happens," the Lieutenant responded.
"We can replace our rides but not lives, Swift. Make it happen."
"Vultures are making a pass!" A crewman shouted. The ship slightly from the strafe, but it was barely noticeable compared to the beating of enemy turbo laser fire from CIS ships.
"Ma'am, update on enemy positions and new orders from General Unduli. We're to follow in behind the Tranquility into the atmosphere for troop deployment," Captain Drake informed.
"Make it happen." The holo screens shifted as new data updated them. The Hammer's ion engine roars with power, accelerating her at flank speed.
Luz focused on her screen as they lined up with three other Acclamators behind the single Venator. Several CIS Munificent tried to close the whole only to get a close side broadside from the Tranquility's heavy turbo laser batteries.
"Focus fire on enemy gun ports as we break through the blockade and let loose a volley of proton torpedoes," Luz ordered. "Give the guys up here a better chance."
The bridge crew relayed Luz orders to the gunnery crews, and a stream of blue fire was launched at the CIS ships, followed by a wave of pink missiles. This action destroyed one enemy Munificent class frigate and disabled another.
For the whole conflict, Luz had been trying to keep a calm exterior. A brave face for the men around her. Inside she was squirming as she could feel whenever a soldier or pilot under her command dies through the Force. This was far from her first battle after being an active participant for the last two years of the war. She had been in several campaigns and conflicts in both land and space. Though Luz preferred they be planet side rather than in the void.
"We're breaking through!" A clone crewman announced.
"Don't get cocky, brothers. We aren't done till we hit the dirt," Captain Drake said.
The jungle world got closer, and it wasn't long till the ships entered the atmosphere. The black void of space and stars turned into the soft blue sky. Then as things could never be so simple, warning lights started going off.
"We got incoming! More Vultures and Hyena bombers coming from the planet!" The clone sailor at the sensor station warned.
"The Separatist must have an airbase on the planet below," Lieutenant Swift said.
"Just another thing on the list of targets that need to be taken care of," Luz said. "Divert power from the turbo lasers to the shields and the AA guns. Get our fighter escort to intercept them, prioritize bombers!"
"Hostiles to starboard. Ready guns. Firing solution in two seconds!" The Acclamator's 24 point defenses rage out with a blur of blue lasers. Republic fighters turned to engage the oncoming threat, firing lances of green particle energy. The sides clashed into one another, and fiery explosions lit the sky.
"Droid starfighters! Incoming at zero-mark-two-seven!" A clone shouted.
Luz spotted four bombers heading right for the command tower module from their left flank from her command console. "Helm! Prepare to make a hard left turn!" Luz waited as they got right over them to release their payload. She felt the Force warn her just then. "TURN!" She shouted.
The two clone pilots at the helm did as ordered, and the Acclamator turned. G-forces kicked in as the hold ship shifted on its x-axes. The many crew and troopers onboard held on tight as the inertia dampeners tried to keep up. When the bombers released their load, their target had been the ship's Bridge. In the four seconds of movement, the enemy bombs missed their initial target but hit something just as vital. Several explosions rang out at the tail end of the ship, hitting key ship components.
"Damage report!" Luz ordered.
"Our main reactor has taken a hit. We're losing power! Secondary reactors are trying to pick up the slack." A crewman shouted before more followed.
"Hyperdrive offline!"
"Primary engine one is offline, auxiliary thruster three is not responding!"
"Ma'am, anti-gravity generators are offline. We're losing altitude!"
The more she heard, the harder it was to bite back the curses she wanted to shout out. Without the anti-gravity system, this ship was going down. "Captain Drake, sound the call. Abandoned ship! Helm! Fire emergency booster engines and maneuvering thrusters to keep us in the air as long as possible. Lieutenant, launch the transports. Get those soldiers off this falling death trap!"
"Right, away!/Yes ma'am!" They responded.
Alarms blared in the air, the call to abandon the ship was headed, and crew and ground troops went to the escape pods.
Pulling up the holo communications sweep. The ghostly blue form of Jedi Master Luminara Unduli took form. "Padawan Noceda, we're detecting your ship is heavily damaged and is losing altitude."
Luz felt a little irritated at the state of the apparent manner in which the Jedi Master spoke. "I'm aware, Master. I've given the call to abandon ship. We're doing all we can to keep her in the air till everyone is off. Is there anywhere in our projected path that we can safely crash without harming the locals?" She asked. Luz did not want to drop over 25,000 tons of starship, cargo, and clones on a Wookie village.
Master Unduli recognized this action. "The areas ahead are full of Wookie villages. Change your bearing to 330. The Wookie villages in that direction are few and well spread apart to avoid damage."
Luz and looked over at Captain Drake, who gave a wordless nod in agreement. "Understood, Master. Best let the locals know about this."
"I will, Padawan. Now get off that ship. I'll be sending recovery ships to recover the pods." The Master said.
"I will be with the rest of my bridge staff. Good luck, Master." Luz cut the connection before her Master could resort and looked over at her Lieutenant. "What's the status of our evacuation?"
"We're thirty percent complete."
'This was taking too long.' Luz thought. "Have the men load up in the walkers and use the carrier transports! We can save both the men and save some of our firepower for the ground. Estimate till impact?" Luz asked a clone in a navy uniform.
"Less than four minutes at our current descent, Commander," the clone responded. "But I don't know how long our thrusters will last. They weren't built for these maneuvers."
Time seemed to stretch forever as Luz could only watch her monitors as her ship drew closer to the planet. A torrent of emotions ran wild as she tried to stay calm. All around her, she watched as the ship's crew worked frantically to keep the Hammer up in the air. Trying to buy as much time as possible to get as many of their brothers off the sinking ship.
Rather than wait and do nothing, Luz moved up to her clone captain's side. "Status on deployment?"
"All Laaties are away. Just waiting on the few transport carriers to drop. Also Vultan and his Hawks are posting at the hanger doors waiting to jump at the last minute with their jump packs. Crazy bunch," Captain Drake responded, muttering that last part.
Luz smiled. "Time till impact?"
"We're just past the two-minute marker!"
Luz bows her head in acceptance. "Then we are out of time." She then turned to the Bridge and addressed the staff. "Time's up. Get to the escape pods now!"
The ship rumbles as the crew leaves their posts. Clones troopers, Navy scrubs, and Jedi rush to escape. They made their way to the escape pods that were attached to the bridge tower's side.
Before entering her pod, Luz took one last look at her ship before entering the escape craft. Lieutenant Swift takes his seat while Captain Drake is at the controls. Meanwhile, Luz takes a seat across from the ARC and holds on for dear life. Several more clones fill in the seats before hitting the lunch sequence before flying away through the air.
"What a great way to start a campaign, huh, Commander?" Swift says across from Luz.
The Padawan would have rolled her eyes at the ARC trooper if she was so preoccupied thrashing around in her seat.
Curse her skinny body in these large crash seats.
{Play Music: Escape (Beat Saber soundtrack trailer)}
The camera zooms in to see a dirty deadeye Luz walking in the rain, passing many dirt mounds with sticks planted in them with brown cloaks of Jedi robes wrapped around them or blaster rifles with clone trooper helmets hanging on them. The smoking aftermath of a battlefield in the background. Photos of Luz with several clones hanging out in a barracks. Luz on a ship's Bridge. The backsides of a younger Padawan Luz and a human male with short black hair in a Knights robe with thick sideburns and a confident smile. An armored Luz riding on her BARC speeder bike with her lightsaber out with several other clones on speeders following her into a battle.
Luz unknowingly walks through the portal door and falls on her knees. She looks up to see a hand in front of her to take. She looks up to see a hand in front of her to take. Looking at the hand's owner, Luz sees a smiling Eda with a happy King on her shoulder. Life is brought back in Luz's eyes, and she smiles back before taking the offered hand.
The door where Hooty was opened as Luz steps outside in her sleeveless yellow vest, with Luz twirling and posing with Eda's staff with one hand and her lightsaber in the other in a low guard. But then Eda took her staff back with an amused grin while Luz gave a sheepish smile. King popped in front with his own pose.
A Boiling Isle mural was seen as Gus, Willow, and Amity are seen briefly before it burns away to show King commanding an army of stuffed toys, which all fall on him. The scene burns away to reveal Luz in front of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, looking at it in sadness. The silhouettes of the Jedi Council, along with other Jedi, stood before disappearing, leaving only their burnt robes and lightsabers on the ground.
Emperor Belos raises his staff as he foreshadows behind his castle as red lighting thunder from the sky. His army of Coven guards, numbering by many at his call, standing ready for a fight.
Now Luz was on her BARC speeder, racing past across the landscape. She zooms down the Boiling Isles passing, Gus waves at her, Willow smiling, and Amity looking surprised before she smiles softly. Passing by several Coven guards as they try to chase her. Then Eda, with King on her shoulder, hops on behind the Jedi. Then they hang on for dear life as a massive, monstrous worm-like monster, mouth wide open, lunges at them. Everyone screamed in horror as Luz turns the throttle up and guns it.
Then the scene changes back to the Owl House, where it's nighttime with stars twinkle in the sky as the three are on the roof and looking up into the sky. Luz opens her hands to reveal a ball of magic light and let it float to the sky.
Several lights flashed of fire and ice before the title appeared.
Jedi of the Isles
Present-day
Early in the morning outside the Owl House, the sound of a fast whirling echoed nearby. If one looked, they would see the young Jedi swinging her lightsaber. From a spectator's point of view, it looked like the Padawan was fighting an imagined opponent. Making vertical and horizontal strikes in the air or parrying attacks that weren't there.
Luz was wearing a different outfit today as she trained. She wore her light beige Padawan trousers on her bottom half and secured with a black leather belt with a few pouches looped in. A simple sleeveless half top covered the top of her chest, exposing her toned belly and scared arm.
Luz kept her breath steady as she muscled through her exercise of Form I, Shii-Cho. Even if the first lightsaber forms were the most basic, it gave her more than a decent workout when pushed. Plus, it was good to go back to the basics of lightsaber combat. After rescuing Eda and King, she realized she hadn't spent much time practicing her lightsaber combat. With her being a known element in the Boiling Isles, she will have to prepare for the next time she faces another magical opponent. Thus reviewing all the sequences of lightsaber combat Luz knew from her time at the Jedi Temple.
Like the rest of the Younglings growing up in the Jedi Temple, she was taught the basics of Form I. When she got older and built her lightsaber, she learned more about the following two sets of lightsaber forms. Form II Makashi and Form III Soresu, which she became quite proficient in using during the war. Especially when applying Soresu in defensive engagements, as it helped her out of a few close calls when saving the lives of her men and civilians from Battle Droids.
With one last practice parry, she deactivates the lightsaber before returning it to her belt. After two consecutive hours of lightsaber practice, she managed to work up a decent amount of sweat. Before, she would do only one hour, but with her somehow improved and sensitive connection with the Force, long workouts seemed like an excellent way to block out the new background noise.
Temple...
The Padawan sighed in mild frustration. Two days this had been going on. It was like a silent call that beckoned her, and it was coming from the Holocron sitting on the stump nearby next to several water bottles. She mostly ignored it, which was easy to do as it only said that one word once every couple of hours during the day. Plus, she didn't know what to do about it. Luz picked up the blue cube and stared at it.
"What are you trying to tell me? You're going to have to give a bit more detail about what you want." It said nothing to her. "Wow… getting the silent treatment from a Holocron. Never heard that one before."
Pocketing the blue cube, she grabbed the water bottle and took a drink. Thoughts on what to do for the day filled her head. It was after mid-morning, and she did all her usual Jedi training. She did an hour of meditation, and did two hours of lightsaber training. She wasn't a Commander of a bunch of soldiers anymore, so no more reports to write. No starfighter, speeder bike, or Droids to tinker. Her magic...
She pulled out a paper square with a light glyph on it. The only bit of magic she knew. Maybe it was time for Eda to teach her a new spell?
Luz went back to the Owl House and walked through the back door to the kitchen. She saw Eda cooking something on the stove. Walking past her, she made her way to the living room, where Luz spotted King reading one of her books in his claws. One that she's come to recognize from her stay here.
"Didn't know you were a fan of "Good Witch Azura" King?" Luz said with a teasing smile.
"Wah? Luz!" King shouted in surprise. He attempts to hide the book behind his back but fails miserably as all four corners stick out behind him. "What are you doing here?" He asks innocently.
"I live here, King," Luz responded. Crossing her arms as she looks smugly at the little demon. "And what are you doing with one of my Azura books?"
"I… I..." King struggled to say something but found himself shifting in his seat. Luz sat next to him and gently patted his head.
"It's okay. There's nothing wrong with trying new things."
That seemed to comfort him. "Fine… I got curious and got sucked into your stupid fandom," he admitted as he put the book back in front of him.
"Admitting to something new is never a bad thing… Unless it's drugs and unnecessary violence. Then we're going to have some words said."
Hooty's door swings open as he shouts like a doorbell. "Ding‐dong. Ding. Hoot! Hoot! Got a delivery!"
Luz goes to the door and finds a brown basket sitting on the ground. Just looking at it gave her a bad feeling. Looking around, she saw no one nearby. "This is weird… why would anyone leave a basket on another person's porch...?" Her last word was drawn out a bit as she felt something in the Force. And it was coming from the basket.
King walked next to Luz and saw a basket with a blanket inside. "Is it an offering?"
Luz didn't answer and gently picked it up before moving to Eda in the kitchen. "Eda, we've got a problem."
The Owl Lady stops whatever she is doing and walks over to the Jedi. "What do you have there, Luz?"
"Something the Jedi didn't train me for." She removes a portion of the blanket, revealing a sleeping light-skinned baby with spiked blue hair.
"Mmm. Fresh meat." King rubs his claws in anticipation. Then felt Luz's hand smacking him in the back of his skull. "Wah?!"
"We are NOT eating a baby!" Luz hissed at the little demon.
"Agreed. Witches eating babies is so 1690s. What is that?" Eda pointed at a slip of paper sticking out of the basket.
King reaches over and grabs it. "Take care of my child till morning. Yi Yi." He reads aloud.
Eda wasn't having any of it. "Nope. Babies are awful. Not happening." She crossed her arms with a pout.
"You will be handsomely rewarded. X‐O‐X‐O‐X‐O‐X. Bat Queen."
"Bat Queen?" Eda asked. Luz pulls a few snails out of the basket. Eda's eyes widened. "Reward~?"
'Of course, that would change her mind.' Luz thought to herself. "Who's this Bat Queen?"
"Only the wealthiest demon on the Boiling Isles. Do a favor for her, and you're in her debt for life!" Eda takes a handful of snails and smiles happily. "We keep this thing alive for a few hours, and we get paid. Pfft. Easy peasy."
King looked into the basket and saw half full of snails as Luz stared worryingly at the little baby inside.
"Are you sure we can handle babysitting?" Luz looked between the demon and middle-aged Witch.
"Not you." Eda summons a stack of books with a spell circle. "You have to return the books I checked out from the library."
The books fell onto Luz's arms and made her stagger.
"Seriously?! These are your books!" Luz said as she managed to keep the balance. "How come I can't take care of the baby!"
"Because life isn't fair, now go on," Eda said, waving her off to the door. "Those books are late and don't need to be any later."
Luz huffs. "Fine, fine. I'll go. Have fun with parenthood." She opens the door and leaves.
King looks at Eda. "Why'd you kick her out?"
"She's been cooped up in the house for the last two days doing nothing but that training she does. She needs to get out, or she'll go stir crazy," Eda told King. "Plus, I don't want her getting a cut of the loot."
"Now, let's take a look at this little darling." Eda takes the blanket off, revealing the baby had the head of a human but the wings and legs of a bat. The baby bat suddenly started screeching, causing the entire house to shake.
Outside, Luz nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard an ungodly screeching coming from the house. Looking in disbelief and wincing at what had to be the baby's crying. She suddenly felt a lot better about Eda sending her out of the house.
"Right, Demon realm... I'm sure Eda and King have this under control." Luz turned around and continued her trek for the library.
Walking into town with a stack full of books would have made another human teen a bit tiresome from the strain. But due to the rigorous Jedi training, it was much easier for Luz to carry the pile of books as she walked through the streets of Bonesborough.
It wasn't long before she was in front of the town's Public Library. It was undoubtedly an exciting place for Luz as this would be her second time being here when Eda showed her earlier, back when the Witch was showing her around town.
She entered the library and walked to the recipient's desk and handed in the stack of overdue books. While the library worker looked over the books, Luz looked around and examined the interior. Colorful stained-glass windows filled the walls. Old fire-lit torches hung from the walls. Bookcases brimming with knowledge with all manner of people combing through them.
Luz made a mental note to return here at a later date. She could research much about the Boiling Isles in this place. See how far back their recorded history goes. What knowledge they have on the Titan and the people that came from it.
Returning her attention to the Librarian. Each book he brought flew through a green spell circle, which turned red with the word "Late" appearing above it as they disappeared with a beep.
"Late. Late." the Librarian said before grabbing the last book. Luz walked up to the front desk as he examined it. "Coffee, grass, and bloodstains? These are Eda's, aren't they?"
"Let's just say that night was a wild one," Luz winced, scratching the back of her head.
The Librarian let out an irritated sigh. "I'll put them on her tab," he said, summoning a small scroll that unfurled into an extensive list before writing on it.
"Wha... how does Eda get away with these things?" Luz stared wide-eyed as the list extended to the floor.
"By the way, we're closing early for the Wailing Star meteor shower." The Librarian pointed behind him to a framed picture of the Wailing Star. The photo showed a blue star with a sad face on it falling from the night sky.
"What's a Wailing Star?" Luz asked the Librarian.
"You're in a library. Read a book," the Librarian said with a deadpan expression as the scroll rolled up and disappeared.
Luz looked annoyed by the Librarian's response. She then shakes it off, having heard worse from self-entitled politicians. "Very well then. I just might as well read a book."
She walked away from the front desk and began exploring the library. Rounding the first corner, a banner caught her eye red "Demon Decimal System. DO NOT FEED." Thinking it was some catalog system, but each catalog card had the face of a growling monster. Walking past them, she noticed many books with wings flying over her head before disappearing behind the bookcases. Several kids sat in front of crystal balls that act as info terminals, either looking up information or watching videos. It was much like a typical Library you'd see on a mid-rim world or heavily populated sector in an outer-rim system.
"I guess some things are universal," Luz commented as she passed the last crystal ball that looked like it had a slow possessor.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Luz turns in the voice's direction and sees an entryway with a plaque on top that says, "Kids corner." The voice also was familiar to her.
"Amity?" She said with curiosity.
The closer she got; the sound of children's laughter echoed from within. Peeking inside, she spotted the Thin-Mint-haired Amity sitting on a stool, reading to a group of younglings in tiny Hexside uniforms.
"'We're your friends, and we wanna help,' said the Tin Boy with a yelp. Otabin smiled and paced the floor. 'I've never had real friends before.'' Amity reads to them as she posts the book up for the kids to see.
"Amity reads to younglings? Who woulda thought," Luz smiles at the sight in front of her. It was a heartwarming sight and unlike the school bully. She sneaks in and sits behind a short bookcase filled with picture books. Hiding away but keeping in sight of Amity as she reads.
"'Then we'll be your first,' the Chicken Witch clucked. Otabin couldn't believe his luck. So, Bookmaker Otabin, surrounded by friends, bound a book of friendship,' and that's the end." Amity read as she closed the book. The kids cheer and clap from their spots.
Luz noticed the happy smile Amity had. How genuine it looked. She could feel the happiness that radiated off her fellow teen, like a bonfire through the Force. It was something she could watch all day...
Luz ducked down and felt her face heat up. "Where did that come from?"
Before Luz could ponder on the sudden strange feelings. The kids started to leave and ran past her hiding spot. Thinking fast, she pulls one of the colored picture books off the shelf and pretends to read. All the while, she listened to the kids speak fondly to Amity and said their goodbyes.
"Goodbye, Miss Amity. Thank you."
The deep voice jerked Luz's head away from her book to see a small child with red skin and a large mouth with teeth hugging Amity's leg.
Amity smiles and pats his head. "Thank you, Braxas. See you next time." Braxus lets go and cheers as he runs after his friends.
'This world will forever keep on surprising me,' Luz thought as she looked at the running demon kid.
Amity smiled at the kids leaving before gazing to her left for a moment and seeing Luz sitting down with a book. This made Amity do a double-take.
"You!" Amity said before recomposing herself.
"Me?" Luz said, as she set the book in her hand back on the shelf. "Sorry if it looks like I'm hiding from you. Didn't want to distract you from the kids."
"It's for..." Amity trails off and starts blushing as she notices what the young Jedi is wearing. The sleeveless top and exposed belly left nothing to the girl to imagine how hard Luz worked to get that toned midsection and strong arms. "...extra credit," Amity said, quickly turning away to hide her red face. "It's not that big of a deal!"
"And I call Bantha Podu on that. The happiness I was feeling off you was just too strong." Luz dismissed her as she followed Amity. Along with feeling a mixed bag of conflicting emotions that radiate from the Witch.
Amity turns back and levels a raised eyebrow look at Luz. "What are you even doing here?" she asked.
"Returning a bunch of Eda's overdue books, then decided to go exploring as I've never been inside a magical library before," Luz answers honestly.
Amity retains a neutral look. "I see..."
"How are you doing?" Luz asks as she takes a seat on the chair Amity was reading earlier.
"I'm doing fine," Amity answers. "What are you still doing here?"
"Some things are going on back at the house that I'm trying to avoid."
"I've been there." Amity huffed, not in annoyance but humor. Then her expression saddened her more. Then she sighed. "Listen… I should apologize for what happened at the Coven convention. You are just as good as any other witch...maybe even better."
"Amity, you don't-"
"I do," Amity cuts off. "I acted like a jerk to you and that little demon for no reason other than being selfish. If I had been found out about the construction glyph? I'd be marked as a cheater, then no coven members would want me."
"Hey, remember what I said? If they can't see how strong you are, then they aren't worth your time," Luz pointed out. She got back up from her spot and set her scared right hand on Amity's shoulder. "That just leaves the question of what are you going to do next?"
For a moment, the Witch looked at the Jedi's arm with fascinated horror at what she did before she recovered. Then thought over the Jedi's words. "I… I don't know. Haah, You gave me a lot to think about..."
"Then I'll give you that time." Luz steps back and walks towards the entrance. She stops there before looking back. "And hey."
Amity looks at Luz with curiosity.
"I know our first few meetings didn't go so well. But I'm willing to let go of the past if you are. I don't know if you wanna be friends with someone like me, but I'd like to be yours someday. If that's okay with you?" She smiled.
Amity felt her cheeks heat up. "I'll… Think about it."
"I'll take it." Luz finished and continued walking out the kidding corner. She hoped this encounter left a better impression next time. Something about Amity felt familiar...
"So you're the human that everyone's been talking about."
Luz's senses went alive as she turned to see who spoke. Luz saw two teens looking a few years older looking at her. A girl and a boy, judging by their similarities in appearance, looked like twins. They both had dark green hair, golden eyes, and pale skin with a mole under one of their eyes and black eyebrows. The guy had the mole under his right eye while the girl had the mole under her left eye. They were also wearing the 'Illusion track' school uniform, just like Gus.
"That depends on who's asking?" Luz asked as they came up to her.
"We're but simple well-wishers," the boy replied.
"On a noble quest," the girl said as she leaned to Luz before pulling back.
"Watch this. Hey, Mittens." The guy shouted out in the kid section.
The shout drew a red face Amity to our direction. The green-Haired boy holds up a pink bunny lunch bag. "Mom says, stop forgetting your lunch."
Amity marches up to them and yanks the bunny bag out of his hand. "There's a reason I leave this at home. It's embarrassing!"
"Mittens?" Luz asked, looking at Amity for an answer.
The female twin goes up and puts an arm around Luz and gives her a look she does not feel comfortable with. "And also not to be a jerk to your friends."
"She's not-" hesitates for a bit as she tries to find the right words to say before finishing her sentence. "Not exactly a "friend."
Luz had a small but sad smile. Amity didn't call her an enemy but wasn't a friend. At least she was making progress with the abomination summoning witch. Her head jerks left when the green-haired girl puts an arm around her.
"Yeah, makes sense. This one seems too cool for you," the green-haired girl said with a smile.
"I am?" Luz said, now feeling lost in the conversation.
"You can leave now," she growled in annoyance before walking back to the reading area. While also leaving Luz with the twins.
Said twins then led Luz away from the children's area and through the library before they stopped to introduce themselves.
"So, you're the human we've heard so much about," the green-haired boy said.
"I guess. Haven't seen any other human's in my time in this world."
"I'm Emira, and this is my brother, Edric. We're Amity's older siblings." the girl, Emira, introduced her and her brother. "We heard how you won a match against her at the witch convention last week. No wonder she's been acting differently lately."
"I see. Well, nice to meet you. I'm Luz Noceda," Luz introduced herself and offered her hand in greeting to which Edric took.
"Well met," Edric replied.
Emira went to Luz's side and hooked arms. "Wanna hang out with us? You'll have a much better time hanging out with us than Mittens."
What followed was an afternoon like none Luz had been in before. The best she could describe the twin's personalities were that they are pranksters at heart. That dragged Luz around the library while they performed several pranks on the Staff. Though she admits that they were harmless, and the reactions from the head librarians were kinda funny. It was slowly getting out of control, and she needed to act like an adult here.
"Okay, these pranks you're doing are starting to get out of hand."
"Too late for that." A voice said nearby. The three looked over to see Amity with an unamused look standing with the librarians that had been the target of the pranks.
'Aw… Kriff.' Luz thought before she and the Blight twins were banished from the library. Being literally pushed out the door.
When they were out, one of the librarians said we were having too much fun. What did that even mean?
"Great, so much for coming back and checking out any future books," Luz commented. Edric and Emira laughed loudly while Luz looked annoyed at them.
Not wanting to be associated with them, she turned to walk away and head for home.
"Hey, Luz! Where are you going?" Emira said as she and the other twin went to catch up with her.
"Going home and possibly plan how to change Amity's view of me." She sighed, 'I have enough enemies already.'
"Don't sweat the small stuff, Luz. She's not mad at you if that's what you're worried about," Edric waved off.
"How would you know?" Luz asked him.
"Because when Mittens gets mad, she looks like this." Edric inhaled a sharp breath of air and puffed his cheeks, grunting as he made an angry face that turned red before exhaling and stumbling. "Whoa, I almost passed out."
Luz looked unexpressed at the older teen before she kept on walking.
"Hey, wait a minute," Emira said, stopping her again. "You know, aside from bailing on us at the last minute, you're pretty fun, for a human."
"...Thanks?" Luz responded, unsure how she felt.
"Maybe you can help us with something." Emira leaned over to whisper in her ear. "There's a particular book we forgot to... check out. We're coming back tonight to get it."
"And bonus! Rumor has it the Wailing Star's supposed to unlock some rare magical event. Wouldn't you want to check that out?" Edric asked as Luz backed away from them a bit.
"Breaking and entering a Library is not on my list of things I want to do before I die."
Emira raised her hands in understanding. "Alright, but if you change your mind, meet us here around midnight." She then winks at the Jedi. "See you later, cutie."
Luz blushed as the twins turned and walked away. Shaking her head, she continues on to the Owl House. "Is there such a thing as a normal day in this world?"
The answer to that was unlikely. The Jedi Padawan and the Blight twins were utterly unaware that Amity was standing around the corner and saw the whole conversation. Thoughts of what her siblings were planning to do and dragging Luz of all people into their schemes. Like Edric described, she held her breath and growled in anger until her face turned red. Forcing her to stop and gasp for air. "Phew! Almost passed out."
Later, Luz arrives back home from her little adventure to the library. Walking through the front door, the Jedi spots King with pillows roped to her head and Eda rocking a baby in her arms. Now having a better look at it, the baby was indeed a demon with bat wings and legs instead of regular arms and legs.
"...You know, this is a good look for you. Ever thought about kids one day?" Luz asked her caretaker.
"After today, never," Eda said while sending a deadpan expression to the teen.
Luz goes over and crouches down to the bat baby's level. "You know, despite the difference in appearance. He's pretty cute."
"Don't let his looks fool you, Luz. He's a real monster," said King as he backed away from the demon baby.
"It couldn't have been that bad." Luz lightly scratches the baby's cheek and wakes it. What no one expected next was the baby suddenly barfed out a smaller version of itself, which did the same and barfed out an even smaller version of itself. Turning one demon baby into three little baby monsters!
"Whoa!" Luz jumps back in shock.
The three bat babies flew in the air and caused a mountain of chaos. Knocking over things, biting stuff, or burping fire.
Luz doubles back to the door. "Wow! This parenting stuff looks hard! But it seems you've got this under control. Bye!" Luz waves and shuts the door behind her before running off back to town. "Force preserves me. That was scary."
Jedi weren't taught how to raise kids, nor would they be allowed to house them due to the no attachments rule. Luz wondered if she was like that when the Jedi brought her to the Temple? She only had vague memories as a little one before the Jedi brought her to the Temple.
Shaking her head of these thoughts, she looked at the time and saw it was slowly becoming late in the evening. The meet-up with Amity's siblings was in a few hours, and she hadn't seen much outside of Bonesburrow, so maybe it was time to get more than the lay of the land.
After exploring more of the town, Luz leaned up against a support column in front of the library. There were quite a few cool-looking stores that she found enjoyable looking through and a few restaurants that responded positively to a human's diet. One day, she learned the hard way after having breakfast with Eda and King that demon meat is not for human consumption.
Seeing a clock nearby showed it was nearing midnight. "Where are those two?"
"Right here."
Luz looked across the entrance to see the twins leaning against another support column across from her. Both were no longer in their Hexside uniforms and into more casual clothing.
"How did... never mind." Luz shook her head. "What now?"
Emira walked with a paper scroll in her hand. "With you here, we can begin."
The trio walked up to the front door.
"It says no trespassing, but I'm allergic to the rules," Edric said.
"And dairy," Emira added.
"Wow, okay. Just expose me."
The paper glowed in the teenage girl's hands before Emira placed the scroll over the large keyhole on the door. The scroll crumbled and burned away into ashes in front of Luz's eyes as she stared in amazement as the keyhole expanded out to the degree that they could safely walk through.
"Okay, that is cool," she said. They walked through before the lock shrunk back to its original size. She looked around the library's darkened interior. The unlit torches gave the place an empty haunted look from the in-between the bookcases. "So, what now?"
"There! The Wailing Star!" Edric said as he pointed to the stained-glass window above the front entrance.
Looking up, they spotted the star passing overhead, the sounds of crying and wailing could be heard as it flew by. Once again, Luz had to repeat her inner mantra she developed from her time in the Boiling isles. "New world, new rules. New world, new rules." The teens looked around for anything strange that the star may affect, but they didn't notice any changes.
"Well, that's a bummer nothing happened," Edric said.
Luz didn't believe that as she did sense something that did happen. The Force lit up around her as if she was in a cave full of lightsaber crystals. Turning around, she noticed a faint glow around the books everywhere around the library.
"I think you spoke too soon there," Luz said. Gaining the attention of the twins. She walks over to one of the bookcases and pulls a glowing book off one of the shelves. Its title, "Extinct Birds of the Boiling Isles." Opening it made the book glow more before several birds suddenly appeared and flew out of the book.
They flew around the lobby while the teens watched in awe.
"Wow!" Emira said in amusement.
"The Wailing Star magicked the books to life." Edric deduced.
"If that's true, then if opening the books brings them to life-" Luz shuts the book close, and all the extinct birds fade from existence like holographic projections, "-then closing them makes them disappear."
The Padawan looked at the twins and felt a smile tugging at their cheeks and explored the library for other books to bring to life with the twins following. They went over to a magazine section. Edric grabbed one that said, "Royal weekly." He opened the magazine, and the magic of the Wailing Star dressed him and Emira in fancy clothing. Luz picked up a copy of "Gamer's Pro" and watched as her outfit changed into some armor that a Mandalorian would consider wearing with a two-tube rocket launcher on her back.
They then went over to the section where the library housed graphic novels. Picking one at random, Luz expected something to pop out, but nothing did after a moment.
"Nothing happened?" She said, only for her words to appear in a dialogue bubble that formed from her mouth. The twins took steps back as they looked at the speech bubble in amassment. They all gasped when it appeared over her head.
"Wow!" That, too, became a speech bubble that appeared over their head. Both of their bubbles popped when Luz closed the book, with a "THUMP'' sound bubble appearing as she did so.
Later they found a few copies about the history of snowball wars. Where each was dodging volleys of snow being shot out towards each other. Luz's advantage of her Jedi agility was evident over the twins as even when they ganged up on the Jedi, she was near untouchable.
Luz took cover in a nearby section and quickly found herself back in the kid's area where Amity read to those younglings. She saw the brown book that the minty-haired girl was reading to the kids on a nearby table. Grabbing the book, the title read "Otabin the Bookmaker," with the little pink Otabin holding a needle and thread sewing a book together.
She opened the book and started reading. "'Otabin spends his days alone amongst the many books he'd sewn. With needle and thread, the pages he mends. But all the while he longed for a friend.'" An illustration of Otabin floated out of the book with a knitting needle in his hands and a book. Otabin looked up to Luz as she smiled down at him.
"Friend?" Otabin asked with a hopeful smile.
"Sure, little one. We can be friends," Luz answered and found her liking the book. The war took everything from Luz, even her friends and those that raised her. Something simple as someone asking to be her friend was a heartwarming moment for her. "I can use a few more in my life right now..."
"Hey Luz, check this out," said Edric as he and his sister walked into the kid's section with another book in hand.
"Look what we discovered," Emira said, holding up the book called 'Quacks Eats Snacks.' She opened it, and a duck appeared on the floor.
"Awe. It's so cute," Luz said.
Edric then takes a pencil and writes in the kid's book. A white flash appeared, and the duck had thick muscled human legs. The duck's head looks at them and starts freaking out.
"Now he's extra cute," Emira says as both the twins laugh. On the other hand, Luz looks appalled and wonders how these people could find something like this funny?!
"You try it, Luz." Edric hands over the pencil to her, making the girl step back.
"Nope, after what I just saw? I'm perfectly fine without doing that in my life." Luz shakes her head.
"Aw, come on, Luz," Edric said, shrugging like it is no big deal. "It's just a book. It's not like it's real."
"No!" Luz says firmly and pushes the writing utensil away.
"Come on, Luz." Emira whined.
"Yeah, don't be a killjoy," Edric said.
"I said no! Respect my decision," Luz said firmly. She sets Otabin's book back where she found it and leaves the kid's corner. Emira jumps in and cuts her off. All the while, Edric looks at the book Luz left behind.
"Why not?" Luz gave the female twin a stern look.
"Life should not be meddled with in such a way. Sure, that star gives the books temporary life, but I can feel that life emanating from them. Living in the world that we're a part of. I will not be part of your scheme in having them mutated for some sick entertainment."
"Whoa! Whoa! Chill out." Emira backed off in shock at the girl's words. Having not thought that her actions would cause such a negative response. "Didn't think you were acting like this?"
"There's a lot you don't know about me," Luz stated before walking again. Edric was the next to stop her.
"Oh, come on, Luz. They're just books."
Luz didn't even glance his way. Then she felt a hand grab her shoulder, making her freeze and looked at the offending object, then looked at its owner, who just smiled back. The sister saw the look in her eyes and then looked at her male twin with a bit of worry. Luz slaps Edric's hand off her and raises a finger at the boy's face.
"Two things. One, don't touch me," Luz says in a monotone voice before raising a second finger. "Two. YOU, don't touch me."
Edric raised his hands, but his face showed that he wasn't taking her warning seriously. Luckily for him, his sister stepped in. "We're sorry for that, but we still need your help with finding the book we came looking for," Emira said. Luz looked at the two before taking a deep breath.
"Let's go and find this stupid book already."
The three walked through the library in silence as they entered its Romance section.
"Didn't think you guys were the type," Luz comments to the twin siblings.
"It's not. But this one sure has our attention." Eric reaches and pulls a particular book off the shelf before setting it back. This sets off a clicking sound of some kind of mechanism before the whole frame starts moving, revealing a secret room.
"Wow," Luz said as she walked in, looking around the room. Several bookshelves lined the wall, carpet lined the floor, decorations of stars and moon hung on strings from the ceiling. She then sees a lit candle set on a reading desk at the far end of the room. Meaning someone had used this room very recently…
"Guys, whose room does this belong to?" Luz asked, trying to keep her voice stable.
"This, Luz, belongs to our dear tattling sister, Amity," Edric answers.
"We are here for something of hers."
Alarm bells ring in her head and not the ones hinting of imminent dangers.
"What?"
"It's just that Mittens has gotten a bit… Full of herself," Edric said as he and Emira walked up to Luz, standing on both sides of her as he put a hand on her shoulder. "She keeps tattling on us when we cut class."
"She needs to learn not to mess with people like us," Emira said, putting her hand on Luz's other shoulder. "So, we're going to find her diary."
"And then post the pages all around the school for everyone to see," Edric finished as they both started laughing together. But Luz didn't find it funny at all.
The two stopped laughing when they felt hands being grabbed. The two looked just in time to watch Luz twist both twins' wrists around in opposite directions. They winched and gasped at the sharp pain shooting up their arms as the Jedi had them lock their elbows and put them both in arm locks.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Edirc said repeatedly.
"Ouch!" Emira said and tried turning her head towards their capture. "Luz! What are you doing?!" She said as she tried to look at the human.
The Jedi was not in a playing mood right now. What she was feeling was genuine anger being directed at the twins. Luz didn't allow them the chance to explain their plan before "escorting" the brother/sister pair out of the secret room and back into the romance section before releasing the two.
"Why did you do that?" Edric said as he and the sister rubbed their wrists. The Jedi teen wasn't having any of it.
"Posting her diary around school? All because she ratted you out for skipping class!" Luz shook her head at the two. "I may have grown up without siblings, so I'm one of the last types of people to lecture this, but what you would do to your own sister? That's messed up."
"Ever hear about tough love? It's what older siblings do," Edric responded.
"Yeah, why do you care? You two don't like each other," Emira asked.
"And how do you know that?" Luz accused. "You don't know anything about me. And from what I've seen, you don't really know your sister either. From what you said, you were perfectly fine with messing with her private life and showing her most personal secrets to everyone at the school for your own amusement."
She stood at the entrance of Amity's sanctum. "Now, leave and return to your home. Then maybe you can learn how to be better siblings that treat their little sister better than destroying their social life for laughs!"
The twins looked at each other before they got up and left the younger teen. "Alright, Luz, we'll leave," Emira said.
She watched the two walk down the isles and disappear out of view. Luz kept her senses up as she tracked them out in the direction of the entrance.
When they were far enough away, Luz turned to greet the extra that she picked up. "You can come out, Amity. I know you're here."
The abomination summoner appeared out from behind the bookcase opposite of where the twins left.
"How did you know I was here?" Amity asked as she walked up to the Jedi.
"Would you believe it if I told you that I'm just that good?" Luz said with a cocky smile. The cocked eyebrow she received told her everything. "Well, the short answer to that is I've been instructed by people in specific arts that are not known to this world, so I've got a particular set of skills."
"And that includes using that glowing sword of yours?"
"That too. What are you doing here?" Luz asked.
Amity walks over to Luz and waves her hand to follow and enters her secret room. Following behind, the Witch led the Jedi over to one shelf showing a selection of books that Luz has recently been familiar with.
"You like Good Witch Azura?" Luz asked, surprised evident in her voice.
"I do," Amity answers. She then takes one book off. This one had a hand drawing on the cover that looked awfully close to Amity in appearance. She takes it and holds it close.
"That's it?" Amity nods. "What will you do now?"
"I thought it would be safe here, but not anymore." She looks at Luz and smiles. "Thank you for stopping them. I heard their plans, and I don't think I would've survived the embarrassment from the fallout of having my secrets exposed to the school."
Luz felt a bit of pride fill her chest from the complement. She was used to getting empty praise in the past, but this one felt… Right.
"It's no problem, Amity. Everyone is entitled to their own secrets and privacy. They are yours to reveal if you should. Protecting others is what a… Jedi… Does." Her voice trails off from a happy tone to a sad one.
Amity looks at Luz weirdly and looks to where she sees and sees nothing. "What? What is it, Luz?"
Luz sighed before she sat down on a chair. "Just going through an identity crisis," She responded. Confusing the Blight more.
"You wanna talk about it?" Amity offers. "You did just save me from an ungodly amount of school and family drama. The least I could do is lend an ear to listen."
Luz smiles in appreciation. "Thanks Amity. I just might take you up on your offer, but why don't we leave this place? I doubt either of us is supposed to be here hours after closing."
The two walked out of the secret room and between the book isles. As they got closer to the exit, a slight rumble was heard echoing in the room. The teens stopped and looked around in confusion, but only one felt the call of danger nearby.
"What was that?" Amity said. More rumbling echoed in the library.
The feeling of danger was steadily growing in the Force for Luz. Making her draw her lightsaber as the rumbling echoed more like steps. "I don't know, but I've got a bad feeling about this."
Their attention was drawn to one area where the stops were the loudest as a dark shadow appeared before them and soon revealed to be...
"Otabin?" Amity said, shocked by the appearance of her favorite children's book character coming to live in the worst ways imagined.
The pale pink creature stood towered over them, twice the size of a grown man. Long arms with ending claws the size of swords and legs that look like they were made for crushing skulls as its tail trailing the floor behind it. Then there, right in the middle of its chest where its heart would be, an open book that acted like it's beating heart. The page showed Otabin with scribbles over its features.
"How did-oh, that son of a Hut!" Luz cursed as she realized she left that book behind with Edric when Emira went after her.
"Watch out!" Luz pushed Amity out the way as she was closest to the monster. Before she could ignite her saber, big bony fingers gripped tightly around the Jedi, pulling her up in the air!
"AAAHHH!" Luz screamed as she felt her body being squeezed.
"Luz!" Amity yelled. "Let her go!"
"With claws and fangs and breaking bones, I found a friend to make my own!" Otabin said in a deeper voice and brushed Amity aside.
"Amity, run!" The Jedi called out as the monster Otabin took her deeper within the library.
The Witch's diary fell from her grasp and spilled the pages along the ground. Though those meant little to her as she watches someone sacrifice them for her.
She moves up to follow but slips on something under her foot. Looking under, Amity sees the silver and leather cylinder of the Jedi's lightsaber under her foot, and next to it was an unfamiliar glowing blue cube.
Grabbing hold of it, Amity examined it with a curious look and nearly dropped it when one corner turned.
Over in the Kid's Corner, Luz is slammed against a large book. While holding her in place, the monstrous book character brought out a large needle that was threaded to a giant ball of thread. He raised the needle and lowered it in Luz's direction.
She closed her eyes and expected her fate. A lifetime of hardship, war and loss was about to come to an end. However, her end was not then, as Otabin started threading the glowing green thread over her arms.
Luz looked at her arm and watched in horror as her arm became flat and part of the book.
"Oh heck no! This is not how I want my life to end!" Luz panicked. "Why are you doing this? Didn't you want a friend," she pleaded.
"But friends are what I've always sought. And now a friend, my claws have caught," the monster said.
"This is not how you make friends!"
"Otabin!" A voice shouted.
Looking in Corners entrance stood Amity at the doorway, and in her hand, she held Luz's lightsaber.
"Amity? What are you doing? Get out of here!" Luz called out.
The green haired Witch didn't listen. Instead, she slowly approached them.
"Otabin, listen to me. I've been reading you since I was a kid. I know you're not like this. Someone changed you," she told the book character. "Please stop this."
"But a friend I have and another I will catch." He turned to face her and made ready to charge her. "Many I shall have this night."
"I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice." Amity raised the Jedi's weapon up in a similar stance that Luz takes when they fault, but the Jedi in the room noticed one critical flaw in that stance.
"Amity, wait!" Her warning came too late as the Witch activated her lightsaber.
And the yellow blade shot down towards the floor.
Amity yelped in surprise and proceeded to panic and carelessly drag the plasma blade across the floor, burning it as she went. When the carpet caught fire from the heat, Amity tried to stomp it out.
With one of the Jedi's arms still unbound, it flew over and smacked herself in the face.
The book monster reached out and grabbed Amity while distracted and placed her against the big book's page. Right next to Luz.
"Great form, Master Blight," Luz deadpans.
"Hey, I was trying to save you!" The Blight kid responded.
"Well, great idea, poor execution."
Otabin grinned as he started threading Amity to the book. "Making friends, taking friends, never being without my friends," said the monster.
"Okay, first of all, you can't rhyme friends with friends," Luz said.
"Luz, not the time!"
"Right." The Jedi looked around and saw that Amity had dropped her lightsaber on the ground. "Amity, are you still able to make abominations?"
Amity nodded and drew a pink spell circle. The small gooey abominations rose from the ground and attacked the monster book mender from behind. Otabin yelped in surprise at the sudden assault of purple goop.
Outreaching her hand to call upon the Force, her lightsaber flew into her awaiting hand. With a sharp 'Snap-hisss,' the yellow blade activated and cut the threats holding them.
"Let's go!" Luz shouted as the two made a run for it.
"Come back!" The monster book mender roared.
Luz and Amity ran through the book isles. Moving as quickly and hiding in another corner of the library.
"How did this happen?" Amity said between breaths.
"I tell you what, it's that Hut of a brother of yours. He and your sister found out that writing in the books can change the contents themselves," The Jedi explained.
"Well, how do we fix him? What's the plan," Amity asked, confusing the Jedi.
"Why do you assume I've got one?"
Amity looked embarrassed and pulled out the Jedi Holocron from her pocket. Luz's eyes widened in surprise, and her hand went to the pouch to her side to see that the Holocron was no longer with her. Not only that, but it was no longer in its sealed state.
"How did...?"
"You dropped it when you pushed me away from Otabin and dropped your weapon. When I picked it up, the corners turned, and a glowing blue human appeared from it and said some things that I didn't understand." Amity shifted the open Holocron in her hands. "Luz, you said you are a Jedi. Who are they?"
Luz's eyes darted back and forth in disbelief between the Witch and Force fueled storage device. "You opened it?!"
"Luz, focus!"
Luz's gaze stayed on the Holocron for a moment longer before taking it and pocketing it. "...I'll tell you everything later when we don't have some scary book monster ready to turn us into picture art."
"You better," Amity said. "Now, what do we do?"
"We have to undo the changes your brother did in Otabin's book. The only problem is that the book is strapped to its chest."
"So erase what Ed did? That's going to be hard." Amity seeing the problem.
An idea flashed through Luz as she looked at Amity. "How much of that abomination goop can you make?"
The monster Otabin crawls around the ground, searching for the friends he sought and wouldn't stop. Not until he has them with him forever in his book.
"Otabin!" A voice shouted, causing him to stop. Turning around, he sees Luz down the book isles. "How are you doing, big guy?"
The monstrous book character smiled creepily at Luz, eager to add her to his book of friends!
Luz couldn't hold back the shiver going down the back at the looks he was giving her. "You want me? Come and get me!" She declared before she took off running, and Otabin gave chase.
Amity laid her reserves of abomination goop along the ground in another part of the library and waited. The plan the human told her was simple as it was stupid. Luz will run around the bend with the monstrous Otabin. He'll slip on the goop, presenting an opportunity to go for the book at his chest Then, she jumps on him and erases what her brother did with the eraser she had in her school supplies. A simple plan.
As she waited, Amity's mind flashbacked to the blue cube and the message it brought.
/Flashback/
Amity gasped in wonder as each corner of the cube turned. Thoughts of what it could be raced in her head and questions of how this could end up in the human's hands. Was this their technology?
Before she could speculate further, the final corner twisted and floated out from her hand. Each corner floated off with a blue glow, and in the center, a ghostly image formed. There floating was a man, human judging by his round ears but much older judging by his full beard. He wore clothing similar to what Luz had during their duel. Even having a cylinder weapon of the same make that Amity now held in her other hand.
"Who?" Amity began to say, but the ghostly man cut her off.
"This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen, with the dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place. This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi, trust in the Force, do not return to the Temple, that time has passed, and our future is uncertain, we will each be challenged, our trust, our faith, our friendships, but we must persevere, and in time a new hope will emerge, may the Force be with you… Always."
Obi-wan's ghost disappeared with the cube collapsing in on itself and returned to the stunned Witch's hand.
Many questions flew in her head as she stared at the Jedi relic. Many of which could only be answered by the one person she knew who called herself a "Jedi." Amity pocketed the cube and readied the Jedi's lightsaber.
/Flashback end/
Amity was brought out of her memory with the sound of feet running.
Around the corner came Luz with the Otabin right on her tail. The Jedi saw the goo and used the Force to jump over the trap. The book monster didn't see the hazard set for him and slid across the surface before landing headfirst into a bookshelf. With her chance shown, Amity rushed forward and jumped on his chest where the book was. She then used her eraser and fixed the book illustration back to what it was before.
Otabin was back to his miniature self in a flash as Amity caught him before landing on the ground.
Amity smiled at her favorite character as he looked apologetically at her. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me," he said."
"Hey, it's okay. We're still friends," Amity reassured him, cradling him like a small child.
Amity looks over to see Luz picking up Otabin's book. The green-haired Witch gave a silent message to which the Jedi understood. Closing the book and making Otabin disappear. While Amity was sad to see him go, she looked at Luz, who nodded and handed the book to her. To which she receives and cradles in her arms.
Hours later of silent cleanup of the damage done to the library. The two teens fished and left out the front with tired expressions.
"I don't know about you, but I'm ready for a good rest," Luz said as she stretched her limbs. Amity glanced her way with conflicting thoughts.
"I want to say this night never happened..." Amity said, gaining Luz's attention. "But there are questions I have for you. About that human that came out of that thing. About the Jedi..."
"Just who are you?"
The question directed at the Jedi made her go silent. Pulling out the Holocron and letting it shift in her hand. "A Jedi is a protector of peace. All my life, it's what I was trained to be..." Luz walked past Amity to the sidewalk before looking back at the library they spent the night at. "...Then a war happened that we were drawn into. For years we fought and died, in the name of democracy. Then at the end, when we were at the edge of winning, we were betrayed by those we trusted. Now the Jedi Order is gone. Leaving no one else..."
"...but me."
Memories of the war of the battlefields that Clone, Jedi, and Droid fought. Screams of civilians caught in the crossfire. The hums of ship engines and the windbreaks of speeder bikes. The heat of expositions and flashes of blaster fire. The hiss of lightsabers slicing through the metal and the burning of living flesh. Her eyes drifted down to the Amity. The Witch teen nearly took a step back in shock at the eyes the human had. Before they appeared bright and strong, now they looked tired and empty like someone who's seen too much.
Pulling out the unlocked Holocron cube. Luz looked at it, then glanced at Amity. "Tell me, Blight. Have you ever experienced things before they happen?"
"What?" The question caught the girl off guard. "What are you talking about?"
"Have you ever felt like the space around you bent to you? Have there been times when your emotions got the better of you, and the aftermath was that you did not think would?" The Jedi pressed.
Amity stared at the Jedi as her mind raced to what she was meaning, then her eyes landed on the burnt scarring on her arm.
"The duel..." she answered. Luz traced her eyes to the damage she received from their Witches duel.
"Your fire.."
"The spell was unintentional," Amity said as her mind spread. "When you wouldn't yield or go down, I felt frustrated that I cast it like it was instinct. How...?" Her voice
"One week."
"What?" Amity asked, confused once again.
"Come to the Owl House in one week. If you wish to learn more, there I can start you off."
Luz smiled softly at the stunned Amity. "I'll see you around, bye Amity!"
"Bye..." Amity said unsurly as she watched Luz leave.
Luz soon made her way back to the Owl House. Entering through the front door revealed an interesting sight in the living room. The Owl Lady and self-proclaimed King of Demons lay there on the couch, snuggling together with the bat babies while they all slept.
"Oh, wow, that's just precious," Luz coed.
Any moment that was there was broken when Hooty slammed the door open. "Ding dong!" He screamed.
"AH!" Luz jumped in surprise, nearly drawing her lightsaber before realizing it was Hooty. "Hooty! Why in the Corellian hells are..." Her sentence came to a halt when something started to crawl through the door.
Stepping back, Luz watched as that something that crawled in revealed a large human head with gray skin, thin eyebrows, red lipstick, and silky black hair with bat wings for arms and legs.
Luz glanced back at the babies before looking back at the being in front of her. "You must be momma..."
"Yi Yi. Mama is I. And I am the Bat Queen," the Bat Queen said before whistling loudly. Surprisingly, it didn't wake either Eda or King. The three bat babies awoke at the sound and flew from Eda's arm and into the Bat Queen's hair. "Aah! Snuggle dumplings."
She then threw up a large red chest that opened to reveal a big pile of snails inside. She then coughed up some kind of decorative whistle on top.
"For troubles. Eda is owed one," she said before squeezing back out of the doorway and flying away.
Taking another look at the reward. "Yeah… Not touching that."
It was at this moment Eda woke and panicked when the babies weren't in her arms. "Babies? Where are the babies?" She asked, immediately waking up King as they looked at her.
"Their Mom came by and picked them up. You just missed them." Luz thumbed over to the door.
"Oh. And I just taught Junior how to pick locks too," Eda said, feeling sad that the babies were gone.
"At least you got a good chunk of reward money to spend," Luz points to the chest filled with coins.
"Yeah, I did it for the money..."
"I miss my babies!" King sobbed.
Luz smiles and pulls out a book and hands it to the older Witch. "Got you something."
Eda looks at the book and sees the title, "Coping with Empty Nest Syndrome."
Eda chuckled a bit as she took the book from Luz. "Thanks, kid. So how was your night compared to ours?"
Luz sighed. "Lots of things that didn't need to happen… But a few that did." She responded cryptically.
"Ugh!" Eda groaned.
"Speak words we can understand!" King said.
Luz shook her head with a small smile and pulled out the Jedi Holocron, fully gaining the two's attention.
"Eda, how would you like to take part in the heist of the century?"
Holy crap that was a long chapter to write. Sorry for the long wait. My unit got activated last month to go to the border to help out with border patrols and fence repairs. And I might be a while before I post another chapter due to lack of free time I have available and the work load I've got piled up for me.
Thank you all who are following and favoring this story. Especially the ones who frequently comments on this. Love reading them and positive feedback despite my grammar problem.
Hopefully things get better for me. For all those new readers, hit that Favorite, Follow and post a review.
And always have the Force be with you.
Updated and edited on 6/8/2022 thanks to Ghost -G339