Once back on the main road, Amity and Luz finally stopped to catch their breath. Even though they hadn't put in much physical effort, they had still experienced a rather intense adventure, and so they wanted to take a moment to recover. While they were still panting, Luz burst out laughing, making Amity raise an eyebrow: "Why are you laughing?"

"I laugh because of the faces those three delinquents made, and because we are now free and they are in a cage! I laugh because apparently there is justice in this world, ha ha!" Luz responded with extreme joviality. Even though she wasn't someone who reveled in other people's misfortunes, she still believed that all evil deeds had to be paid for sooner or later, and seeing Bria, Gavin, and Angmar tied up like that after they had taunted and tried to corrupt her and Amity was making her feel a lot of satisfaction.

Amity wanted to roll her eyes and ignore the childish laughter, but she couldn't; watching Luz laughing made her heart feel lighter, as if her hilarity were an illness that was infecting her. In the end, without meaning to, her lips turned and she smiled, and Luz noticed it immediately. "Oh, so you too know how to smile? I thought you only had the sad mode and the snooty mode"

Amity shook her head vehemently and immediately wiped the smile off her face. "What are you saying? I was smiling in class today too, before you made me angry! Are you blind by any chance, as well as half crazy?"

"Oh, come on! That wasn't a smile, I could see very well that it was fake. It looked like you were making a huge effort to keep your facial muscles still in that position. This one instead... is a real smile, a genuine one" Luz said, then after a moment of pause she added: "And I admit that it is also cute and sweet, two words that I would never have thought of associating with someone like you. Don't get me wrong, you're not ugly, on the contrary... but the way you behave is enough to make you undesirable"

Amity turned red again as she held her breath, and after a few seconds she was forced to take a breath of air. Apparently she really couldn't get angry without risking of pass out, and it took a lot of effort for Luz not to burst out laughing in her face. "I was starting to reevaluate you, and you made me change my mind immediately" she muttered in an annoyed voice, but then she immediately changed the subject: "Rather, why did you stop me from revealing to that old man that his dog was an accomplice of those three thieves?"

Luz shrugged. "Why should we have told him? That dog is dead and buried now. What's the point of accusing the dead?"

"The point is that people deserve to know the truth" Amity answered.

"I'm the first to say that we should always tell the truth, and believe me, I have a very good reason to always do so... but in this case, what would have been the point of doing so?" Luz replied. "That old man probably loved his dog very much; he would have been very sad to know that he was deceiving him and was in cahoots with those thieves. Besides, that dog only recently got along with Bria, Gavin and Angmar according to what they told us, which means that for many years he probably served his master faithfully, but if the old man knew about this he would surely end up remembering him only for that betrayal that occurred at a very late age. Even if he decided to forgive him, he could no longer remember all the times they laughed, played and worked together, because every time he will try, the only memory that will return in his head will be the one of the dog with whom he shared his life that betrayed him in the end. Now instead he could remember him for the happy moments, and the dog will be able to rest in peace. Isn't it better this way?"

Amity opened her mouth to say something, but she quickly closed it again; whereupon hlshe looked at the ground and seemed to think carefully, and in the end she shrugged her shoulders. "I admit… your reasoning isn't that bad" she said. Silence reigned between the two for a moment, then Amity added: "Thank you for asking the old man not to say anything to anyone". Unlike before, her voice had a less authoritative and decidedly more grateful tone, and Luz for some reason found it to be decidedly sweet. It reminded her strangely of the sound of the voice of a finch who had eaten a lot of honey, sugar and... cotton candy? She didn't know why, but it reminded her of exactly that.

Realizing that Amity was waiting for a response, Luz waved her hand nonchalantly. "It doesn't make any difference to me that people know about what happened here, also because I'll tell Eda anyway... but you clearly wouldn't like it, so... let's pretend nothing happened. Even though I wouldn't mind seeing you receive a good lesson for your arrogance and haughtiness, since technically we were in this mess because of you, so you only deserved to receive the consequences"

Amity's face abandoned that grateful expression in favor of an irritated one, and she let out a growl. "Don't try to lecture me! I already have my fairy godm... ehm, my private teacher who scolds me for my behavior even though there is no need! I don't need also a puppet who talks way too much and often inappropriately!" she blurted out, but soon after her voice became kinder: "But anyway... thank you. That was really nice of you"

Luz smiled. She hadn't changed her opinion of Amity and still thought of her as an arrogant, pompous snob, but it seemed like she had a softer side too... even if it took a lot of digging to find it. "So... what do we do now? Do we finish the Witch Duel, or...?"

Amity looked somewhat unsure and thought for a moment, then she amswered: "I'm a Blight, and Blights always finish their competitions and never lose. However, it's also true that Blights always repay their debts, so... let's cross the finish line together, and consider it a draw"

"I like this idea!" Luz exclaimed; even though she had technically already admitted to Amity that she wasn't a real girl, their interaction hadn't been humiliating or degrading at all, unlike what the puppet was sure she would have received if she had to do it in front of everyone. She was glad that Amity had decided to let go of that challenge and spare her the humiliation. With a broad smile she said to her: "You know, if you showed this side of you more often to people, you would definitely be more pleasant"

"Shut up and run, before I think about it again!" Amity retorted sourly, and the two of them continued running towards the school as if they were still competing with each other; Amity purposely slowed her pace to allow Luz to stay close to her, but acted as if she was trying her best to beat her. When they arrived near the school Amity's friends were there waiting for her and they all started cheering her on, especially Boscha (even though as a referee she should have been impartial), but in the end she and Luz crossed the finish line at the exact same time .

Amity's friends gasped; evidently it was the first time they had seen her draw and not win. "W-What? How!?" Boscha exclaimed in amazement. "It's not possible! This puppet must have cheated!"

"Do you have proof?" Luz asked her as she had previously done with Amity.

Boscha became livid, and for a moment she looked like she was going to challenge Luz personally, but Amity intervened before she could. "Tsk. Apparently this is how it ended. Well, never mind" she said as if she didn't care much. "Evidently I wasn't in good shape today. Let's go, girls; my mother is waiting for me at home in less than an hour"

Boscha raised an eyebrow and looked very conflicted, but seeing that Skara, Cat, and Amelia were already leaving with Amity, she finally gave up and joined them. "So does this mean…friends like before?" Luz asked, even though the definition 'friends' was the most wrong in the world in that context, but she couldn't think of anything else.

Amity shrugged. "Let's say I tolerate your existence. Let's not talk to each other anymore and everything will be fine" she replied, and then she looked at her so penetratingly that Luz felt a shiver run down her spine: "I'm serious, don't ever talk to me again. I care about my sanity, and you're certainly no help in maintaining it". But even though she said those words, an instant before she went on her way followed by her friends, her eyes changed slightly and she gave the puppet a softer look, even if that eye contact only lasted a second.

Left alone in the schoolyard, Luz decided that at that point she could go home too; after all there was no one left to talk to, and besides the day was almost coming to an end. So she quickly left the confines of the school and headed down the street towards the Owl House. As soon as she was far enough she called Gus and Willow: "You can come out now, we're off school property, you don't run the risk of being mistaken for cockroaches anymore!" she said patting his pocket a little, but to her surprise not only did her friends come out of it, but something moved on her back and then emerged from her collar, revealing to be a large crab. "Uh... and who are you?"

"His name is Mattholomule. He's a friend of mine" Gus replied.

"We're not sure about that yet" the crab grumbled with obvious disappointment.

Luz looked at him carefully and suddenly recognized him: "Wait a minute, you're that crab that Bria wanted to make into a dip and season the chickens with it!"

Mattholomule blushed, but it wasn't clear whether it was out of anger or embarrassment. Certainly judging from the way he continually clicked his claws he must have been at least quite irritated. "Well, yes. Today those three thugs came to the beach and started destroying the den I had worked so hard to build. I went out to tell them to stop, but they decided to capture me, and even though I fought hard, in the end I was overwhelmed"

"Gus recognized him while you and Amity were talking to Bria and her companions. Great plan, by the way!" Willow said. She was really proud of Luz: not only had she kept calm and not let herself be corrupted, but she had also managed to get by on her own in that difficult situation, wothout the hrlp of anyone. Well, not exactly without the help of anyone... but she had done it without advice from either her or Gus. "While you and Amity were imprisoning the thieves, I transported Gus into the chicken coop through a slit, and there he, taking advantage of the confusion created when that old man entered to capture the thieves, slipped into Angmar's clothes and stole his key of the cage, and then he and Mattholomule escaped, and together we returned to you and hid here"

"I thought I felt someone else walking all over me. I was right so" Luz said, then she looked at the crab. "So, your name is Mattholomule? Too long, do you mind if I call you Matt?"

The crab didn't look overjoyed, but he shrugged. "Do as you wish" he replied; evidently he didn't care much what others called him.

"Then by now on I'll call you Matt!" Luz exclaimed with satisfaction; she was happy not to have to remember that very long name every time! "So, Matt, how did you and Gus meet?"

"A couple of days ago I helped him find this fat cricket... ouch! Hey! Leave me!" Matt screamed as Willow grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and started punching him in the head, and although he tried to hit her with his claws she dodged the blows effortlessly, and as she did so she growled: "Who do you call fat!? I'm just a little more robust than other crickets!"

Mattholomule made an annoyed noise. "Ugh... for you, being so heavy that you can't even fly properly is being 'a little more robust'? I admire your ability to downplay the situation..."

Willow's eyes flashed. "Okay, you asked for it!" she said, and she threw herself on top of the crab, which, despite being bigger than her, was unable to stand up to her, and she started punching him in the head.

Luz tried to contain herself, but she couldn't help but laugh when she saw that scene. Normally she would have stepped in to defend Willow, but it seemed like her friend was already teaching the crab that he has to respect her on her own. "Gus, you tell me" she said between laughs. "How exactly did you two meet?"

"Well..." Gus wasn't sure how to explain her that without bringing up unpleasant memories. "A couple of days ago, after you left the beach, Willow did the same and left me alone. I didn't know where to go, and Matt offered to help me. He grabbed me and threw me in the air, with my consent obviously, and from that height I was able to find Willow"

Fortunately Luz was satisfied with that rather incomplete description and she didn't investigate further. "Well, anyway, I'm glad I met you, Matt!"

"Of course, of course" the crab grumbled, finally managing to free himself from Willow's grip. "Look, would you mind taking me back to the beach? If I went alone with these little legs it would take forever"

Luz looked at the sun, which was starting to lower. "Would you be okay with waiting until tomorrow? Eda asked me to come home before sunset and I don't want to disobey her"

"Mph! Whatever, as long as you bring me back sooner or later" Matt replied.

And so, Luz ended up taking that crab to the Owl House too. When Eda saw him, she immediately agreed to host him for as long as he wanted and prepared a small terrarium with sand and water to make him comfortable. After doing this, however, she also wanted to know why Luz had brought a crab home, and so she told her everything that had happened. The puppet expected to be scolded, but instead Eda burst out laughing. "Great job, kiddo! You didn't let yourself be trampled on, but it was necessary you didn't hesitate to help that bully, even if she deserved to be humiliated! You did well, I'm proud of you"

"Really?" Luz was surprised. "Shouldn't you… you know… tell me I shouldn't have taken part in that challenge, or…?"

"And why on earth? I never forbade you from accepting it" Eda replied. "You didn't do anything wrong this time, kiddo, it's those bullies who asked for it. You did well. Just... next time try to be less impulsive, and make sure you know a challenge before accepting it; this time it went well and your opponent was someone who chose a fair challenge, but next time you could find yourself against someone more subtle"

Luz blushed; she knew that Eda was absolutely right, and that she should start thinking before acting. Despite that, however, a smile appeared on her face when she heard that Eda was proud of her. "Yay! A small first step on the road to becoming a good girl and maybe one day a real girl!" she exclaimed in a festive voice, raising her hands as if she had just won a sporting competition.

Eda smiled in turn seeing her act like this. Luz's smile still wasn't back to the bright, gorgeous one it had once been, but it was decidedly less broken and dark than it had been the last few days. It just seemed like the little sun that she was was slowly putting the pieces together and starting to shine again.


In the original book, Pinocchio doesn't reveal to the farmer about the dog Melampo's deception because from his point of view it is right that he could rest in peace; in this AU Luz instead decides not to do it for a deeper reason, since she doesn't want the old man to feel betrayed and no longer be able to remember the dog he loved so much except for the betrayal, and even if after a moment of hesitation, even Amity agrees with her and agrees to keep the secret, and so she in turn has the opportunity to show that she too has a good heart despite her behavior (as well as the fact that she agrees to draw in the Witch Duel and avoid humiliating Luz, even if she could easily do so being much more her athleticism).

As for Matt, in the previous chapters I had forgotten to specify why I had chosen to make him a crab: the reason is that 1) he had to develop a certain affinity with Gus, therefore he also had to be an arthropod, 2) a crab actually appears in original book, although later in the story, and 3) Matt in The Owl House is initially part of the Construction Track, which we remember is the magic aimed at making constructions and increasing one's physical strength, and crabs are very manual animals and have a great strength (some species, obviously; there are many crabs, like all arthropods, there are over 6,800 species!)