Luz Clawthorne: Two Worlds, One Family Chapter 128: What Now?, an owl house fanfic

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Chapter 128: What Now?

"Greetings, this is Felicia Fox, reporting to you live," Felicia said as she filmed herself. "But first, a recap of what happened during the previous weekend starting from Frieday."

She turned to the other side of the camera. "Last Frieday, Head Witch Calypso Brooke was attacked by a vampire while at an art gallery and is still in critical condition. The next day, a Tarot Guild base was discovered by the Clawthornes, LOWTH, the Brooke family, and Nina Fangs. Several missing witches, including Bria Day-Carpenter, were rescued and many Tarot Guild members arrested, while the infamous Sonya Mera was killed."

"However, while that was going on, Blight Industries was struck by a Tarot Guild attack that resulted in the deaths of Arthur and Destiny Blight. However, rumors about their association with the Tarot Guild still linger and perhaps the Tarot Guild wanted them silenced? This does cast suspicion on their previous actions, such as their role in the divorce case between their son Head Witch Alador Blight and Odalia Grunhar, where they had some help from their associates…"

"Such as Gibson Oscorne, CEO of S.C.O.R.N., who is now under boiling waters after being questioned for his connections to those who are members of the Tarot Guild, along with his tech connections to the Grim Goblin, who was recently captured by the Golden Guard and Silver Sentry, aka Emily Tricks, the following Scumday. But on that same day, thanks to a good friend of mine, Beel Zatar, the true leader of the Tarot Guild was revealed to be the Head of the Plant Coven… Terra Snapdragon, who has exposed herself as the Tarot Guild leader before fighting Beel, Luz and Eda Clawthorne, and, shockingly, Raine Whispers…"

Turning back to the front of the camera, Felicia then continued. "It is also now known that a member of the Tarot Guild was Nicole Hieron, who has caused a massive prison break at the Conformatorium, which is currently being repaired, and unleashed dark monsters that were handled thanks to LOWTH assisting BIG. After that, we have rumors that Head Witch Blight, along with Lilith Clawthorne, Odalia Grunhar, Amity Goodfellow, and Willow Park, fought Terra Snapdragon, which led to Terra's capture by Emperor Belos, who has reportedly dealt with her treachery."

Felicia fell silent for a moment, her face more somber. "Beel Zatar gave his life to expose Terra Snapdragon for the true monster she was. Thanks to him, her evil reign of terror is over, and the mists of the Forest of Fear, which she was said to have been controlled by a creature called the Inner Demon, disappeared. Are these two events related? Perhaps. And though I may have also had a hand in helping him broadcast Terra's confession, my dear friend Beel was a true hero that day, and today his funeral will be held. Attending there will be all of St. Epiderm. Including me…"

Felicia was revealed to be at the funeral service at the shore. All of the students of St. Epiderm, including the LOWTH members, gathered at the beach while Beel's casket was carried by Danny, Donna, Andrew, and Cross. All gave saddened looks as they set the casket down.

"His cremation will be held later today, spreading his ashes and making him be part of the Titan," she reported while filming the saddened faces of her friends and former classmates. Her face became saddened as well. "As for Emperor Belos," Felicia brought up. "Thanks to Nicole Hieron claiming that he's a Clawthorne, rumors have started to spread like wildfire through the Penstagram. Many have doubts about Nicole's claim, but others have raised even more questions about Belos, bringing up his supposed favoritism toward the Clawthorne family. As for the Emperor who is at the center of this controversy, he has yet to comment about the claim."

Felicia looked down at her microphone. "We have many questions right now. Is there any truth to Nicole Hieron's claim? Where was Raine Whispers this entire time? Where have they gone? Who will replace Terra Snapdragon as Head Witch of the Plant Coven? And where is Luz Clawthorne?"

Gravity Falls, Human Realm

Walking up the stairs from the basement of her mother's new house, Luz spotted Camila in the dining room.

"Hey mami, good morning," Luz greeted her.

"Good morning, Luz. Glad that you finally decided to join us for breakfast," Camila replied.

"Sorry, I was sleeping like a log," Luz replied while turning to the others who were sitting at the breakfast table. "Morning Gus, morning Perry."

"Morning, Luz," Gus and Perry responded while they sat at the table eating breakfast. Perry, however, was hooked to an IV filled with nutrients.

"Thanks again for allowing my dad to stay here, Mrs. Noceda," Gus told Camila.

"It's no problem," Camila responded. "Even if I wasn't exactly ready for guests yet. He can stay here as long as he needs to be."

"It's safer for him here than in the Isles anyway," Luz said as she got a plate of waffles her mom made for her. "The Emperor's Coven would have probably come after him again, so Eda and I agreed that it was the right call to have Perry be placed in what I'd call, the Witches Protection Program. Wanna hide from the Emperor's Coven? I help relocate you to a safe place." She turned to Gus. "This way, your dad can recover from what Terra put him through without having to worry about the Emperor's Coven looking for him."

"I appreciate this, both of you," Perry said to Camila and her daughter. "And being here in the Human Realm, it's going to be quite an experience."

"Oh, you'll like it here, dad. And the townspeople are great," Gus told him, smiling.

Luz smiled at this, glad to see Gus and his dad reunited with each other without the risk of the Emperor's Coven coming between them again. As she watched Gus tell his father about the town, Camila came up to her. "Luz, once you're finished, I would like to have a talk with you."

Luz looked up to her mom. "Alright," she said as she continued to eat her breakfast.

After breakfast, Luz went to sit on the bench swing on the porch. Camila walked over to her. "So, how do you like the new house, Luz?"

"I like it," Luz replied as she leaned back on the bench. "It's got a nice view at the cul-de-sac, the forest is behind us so I can do some exploring around. Also, love the basement,"

"Glad you do," Camila responded, nodding. "But I would like to know… how are you feeling right now? After what Eda told me about what you went through…"

Luz looked down at her own hands. "Well, I feel like a huge burden has been lifted off of me," she began. "I mean, I found Perry and reunited him with Gus, plus I defeated the Inner Demon and freed Lilith from the Baron's debt, so we don't have to worry about him claiming her soul ever again." She looked up at her mom. "How do you feel about that?"

"I'm… happy for her," Camila admitted after a moment. No matter how she felt about Lilith, she certainly didn't want her soul to be taken from her.

Luz nodded. "However, Beel's death, and what happened to the rebels still stings," she admitted while looking down in guilt. "But besides that, I managed to do everything I set out to achieve."

"And now that you've succeeded in your tasks, you could now stay here with me in our new home," Camila pointed out, her tone hopeful.

"Yeah, I would like that," Luz admitted. "This would be a nice place to live, and I can see Dipper all the time. His birthday is coming up, you know." She then gave a sigh. "But… I want to go back to the Isles, just to make sure that any loose ends have been tied up before I move in with you. This would include paying respects to Beel at his funeral and checking in with his friends. I… feel like I owe Beel and his friends that much."

"I understand," Camila responded while sitting beside Luz and patting her hand "But I promise that I will have everything ready for you and Amity when you two get back. Hooty even volunteered to help get your stuff here."

"That's great… wait, Amity?" Luz asked in surprise.

"Yes," Camila responded. "She didn't tell you? Amity wanted to move in with us and I told her that I'd be happy to have her here."

"Really?" Luz asked in excitement. "That's great! I'm really looking forward to living here even more now," she declared as she hugged her mother. "It is going to be a brand new chapter of our lives."

"It really will be," Camila agreed while hugging Luz.

Last week.

During the Lumity wedding, Odalia had finished meeting with her eldest daughter's girlfriend, Viney. She looked around and spotted Camila at a table, recognizing her.

"Camila Noceda, is it?" Odalia spoke to her, earning Camila's attention. "Odalia Grunhar, Amity's mother. It is nice to finally meet you."

"Oh, well it's nice to meet you too," Camila responded to her. "I have heard a lot about you… well, some of it was…"

"Unsavory? Yeah, don't worry, I know," Odalia responded as she sat beside Camila. "To tell you the truth, I actually have seen you before. It was during what your daughter called a Charlie Dickens scenario, so I am aware of your situation about being brought back to life."

"Wait, you do?" Camila asked her in surprise.

"Well, I don't know all the details, I just know that you were dead and then you were somehow brought back to life," Odalia explained. "But you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Camila let out a small sigh. "I would appreciate that, Odalia," she said while turning to Luz and Amity. "Honestly, I'm just glad to be a part of my daughter's life again."

"Yeah, me too," Odalia replied, smiling as well when she saw what Camila was looking at. "I am happy for them. I'm glad that Amity has found her own happiness."

"Yes, same for Luz," Camila agreed. "Your daughter is a very special girl, Odalia. You should be proud of that."

"Yes, I am," Odalia replied. "And you should also be proud of your daughter, Camila. I wish I had given her more credit earlier."

Camila nodded in agreement before looking down. "I… wish I could have done some things differently as well. When I was first brought back to life, I had a hard time adjusting to her life in the Demon Realm. It caused some problems between us, but I am trying to be better on my end."

Odalia listened as she nodded. "Same with my own children," she admitted. "You probably already know this, but I drove my kids away from me to the point where Amity even disowned me. It took a while and a lot to get to the place where she could trust me again."

"Well, I am glad that you are able to be here," Camila told her. "I guess, both of us have lost a lot of time with our kids."

"Yes, but it is my own fault in my case," Odalia admitted. "While you lost time with your daughter because of something that was outside of your control, I chose to put my work over my family. And even when I didn't, I certainly wasn't the best parent to them. I trust that Luz and Viney will take care of Amity and Emira, and I hope that they will learn from my mistakes to be better parents in the future. Edric too when he finds someone special for him."

Camila nodded. "You know, I do plan on for me and Luz to live here in the Human Realm. I said that I was having trouble adjusting to her life in the Demon Realm, so living here would be a lot closer to the life we would have had. And since Eda had her for fourteen years, she has agreed to let me have Luz for a little while."

"That great, dear," Odalia responded. "I'm glad that you were able to work something out. I wish you and Luz only the best of luck."

Luz held up the portal key as she was about to walk to the backyard. But before that, she turned to Gus.

"Hey Gus, I'm heading out back to the Isles," Luz told him. "Wanna come along?"

"Actually, you can go ahead, Luz," Gus responded. "I um… I think I want to stay here for a while, with my dad."

"Really?" Luz asked him.

"Actually… I was wondering if it would be okay for me to live here with you and your mom. I don't want to be separated from my dad again, so as long as he needs to stay here to recover and hide from the Emperor's Coven, I want to be here with him," he explained.

"You can stay as long as you want, Gus," Luz said, smiling.

"Really?" he asked in surprise. "I thought that, well, you remember last time-"

"Gus, I was kind of a jerk back in Summerween," Luz said with a wave. "But I can't shelter or baby you from the complications of this realm forever. Besides, you can take this as an opportunity to share the human world with your old man."

"Wow… thanks, Luz," Gus said to her. "Can you tell Matt, Willow, and Eve that I said hi?"

"Don't worry, I'll relay the message," Luz reassured him. "And if you need anything, ask mom or Aunt Abby or even Ford for help."

"Alright," Gus nodded as he and Luz shared a hug. "Take care of yourself, Luz."

"Yeah, you too, G-Man," Luz said while hugging back.

After that, Luz walked out to the backyard, where she opened the portal door. Once it was opened, it would lead her to the Owl House…

Back in the Boiling Isles, Eda was in the orphanage's interview room, where she was being questioned by Leonte.

"This all seems too familiar, doesn't it?" Eda asked him.

"Last week was about you harboring a Fae," Leonte reminded her. "This week is about your little meet up with Raine Whispers."

"Oh yeah, that was on the recording," Eda said. "Look, I don't know where Raine and Perry are, nor do I know what happened to the other girl… um, Sunday?"

"Sunny Muse, Head Witch Brooke's aide," Leonte reminded her.

"Oh yeah," Eda said before she sighed. "Look, I only just met up with Raine when Beel got in contact with Luz," she lied, though she felt bad about using Beel for the cover up. "Apparently Beel had been in touch with them, since they both have suspicions about Terra. That kid's very resourceful, I'll give him that. Raine told Beel that they should get in contact with me and Luz, but I had no contact with Raine before that moment. Together we infiltrated the Plant Coven to find Perry and those other witches she turned into flowers from her deals." She then gave a confused look. "What happened to those who were turned into flowers?"

"Well since Snapdragon was… disposed of by Belos, they changed back to normal," Leonte explained, even though he didn't completely buy Eda's story. "Though, they're now more plant-like witches, but we are keeping a close eye on them until we know what to do with them."

"That's reassuring," Eda said. "Look, how long is this gonna take? I have something that I need to attend…"

"I still got questions for you, Eda," Leonte said while looking at the clipboard. "For starters, you and Raine have history together… personal history. Attended Hexside together, dated for quite a while after…"

"Why are you so worried about me and Raine? Shouldn't your priority be finding how far Terra's corruption went?" Eda pointed out to him. "Like, how deep did that rabbit hole go? How much of Terra's influence is among your covens? I mean, it's corrupted enough with Belos, but from Terra, you guys are fucked. How many in your covens were compromised by that old bag of dead leaves?"

"I assure you, we are currently investigating that," Leonte told her.

"Mhmm, yeah, after Terra played you all for fools," Eda told her. "Say, why don't you take a good hard look at the other Coven Heads. How do you know they're not as corrupt as Terra… and maybe you should also take a nice long look at Belos, who's supposed to be all knowing through the Titan, who could have told him about her misdeeds. Kinda suspicious that he wouldn't be aware of what she was doing behind his back, isn't it? Like, how do we even know that he didn't only punish Terra just because she got caught and was only saving face? Hmm?"

Leonte glared at Eda. "If it were up to me, I'd throw the book at you and have you arrested. But right now that wouldn't be a very good look."

"Yeah, it wouldn't," Eda said with a frown. "Especially now people know that he'd break a kid's promise for his own sick goals."

"We have not executed those rebels that Terra claimed," Leonte claimed.

"Then where are they?" Eda asked him.

"The prisoners escaped from their cells thanks to Nicole," Leonte argued. "For all we know, they might be trying to find Raine, which does make them a threat, which is why we want to locate Raine and find out if you know where they are."

"And I already told you, I don't know where Raine is," Eda told him. "After we escaped the Plant Coven, Raine took Perry and ran off. They didn't tell me where they were going."

"And I don't believe your lies," he told her. "But unfortunately, I can't do anything to you because it would create a lot of bad press."

"Is that so?" Eda asked as she crossed her arms while leaning on the table. "Cause I can think of another reason why you can't arrest me… because me and Belos could be related." Leonte frowned at her. "I remember that you were there when Nicole made that claim."

"That woman was obviously lying," Leonte hissed.

"Was she?" Eda asked him. "How would you know? As far as you know, we could be distant relatives. It could even explain me being excused of my crimes-"

"There is no way Emperor Belos could be related to you," Leonte hissed.

"Well, maybe Belos has been lying to you from the start, Leo." Eda suggested, which made Leonte tighten his fists. "I mean, think about it. Everything you have done in Belos's name could have been based on a lie. Why didn't Belos have Terra arrested years ago? Can he really talk to the Titan? If he was a Clawthorne, then he must've been the biggest conman who fooled everyone, and I have known many con-artists in my life." She saw a vein pop as she continued. "Just think how many innocent witches you had to petrify just because they want to live their lives the way-"

"Enough!" Leonte shouted as he slammed his hands on the table, bursting from his temper. Eda looked unfazed by this as Leonte tried to calm himself down.

"Watch your temper," Eda advised him. "Or else you'll scare the kids."

He got up from his seat, glaring at Eda. "This isn't over, Edalyn," he told her as he began to leave.

"Live from the Emperor's Studios, it's Felicity Fox!" spoke an announcer. "This episode will have an exclusive interview with special guest stars Head Witch Alafor Blight and Adrian Graye, plus the Golden Guard and his new partner the Silver Sentry! And here's your host, Felicity Fox!"

Walking over to her couch was Felicity Fox, waving at her live audience while wearing a wig. "Welcome! Welcome! Today we have some very special guests. Let's give them a big hand!"

Felicity went to sit down on a couch. On stage with her were Alador, Adrian, Hunter, and Emily. Alador and Hunter looked a bit more nervous, while Graye and Emily looked more composed.

"I am so glad to have you all here. Especially you, Alador, who we haven't heard from in a week," Felicity declared.

"It's um… nice to be here, Felicity," Alador responded, trying not to stare at the wig.

"Yes, and I love the new look," Graye commented sarcastically. "I can see the patches of your fur still growing."

"Hehehe, yeah, nice one, Adrian," Felicity faked-laugh while giving him a sneer. "Anyway, you are all here because the Boiling Isles wants to know more about your roles in what happened last Scumday. There have been tons of rumors. Alador, we heard word that you were with your ex-wife, estranged daughter, and Lilith Clawthorne when facing Terra Snapdragon. As for the Golden Guard and Silver Sentry, we'd all like to hear about your roles in cracking down on Terra Snapdragon's former organization, along with putting a stop to the Grim Goblin once and for all and rescuing the hostages at the Plant Coven."

"Any questions for me, Felicity?" Graye asked her while putting up a smile, Emily following his example.

She ignored him while turning to Alador. "Let's start with you, Head Witch Blight. Where have you been the past week? How do you feel about your parents' deaths and having to be around your ex-wife and the woman you cheated on them with?"

"About my parents' death, I felt nothing," Alador admitted. "They were horrible witches and were even secretly working with Terra Snapdragon as members of the Tarot Guild. They were intentionally keeping me away from my family, drugging me into being their submissive son. And when I resisted, they locked me up, which is where I was last week."

"Oh… wow, that's… quite a shock," Felicity said.

"And you know how much you failed at parenting when not even your own child misses you when they die," Alador said sternly. "I will say that I am thankful that with them gone, I can finally start working to patch things up with my family. I've even begun talking to my daughter again,"

"Really? Even if she is a child-stealing Fae?" Felicity questioned him in a condescending tone.

"Fae or not, she is still my daughter that I love unconditionally," Alador declared. "And might I remind you that Belos did pardon her."

"O-Of course! Belos really did that, didn't he, folks?" Felicity asked the audience, which only contained ghosts that made clapping sounds. "And what about the drama with Odalia and Lilith? Is it true you fought Terra with them and was it awkward to be around them again after the trial, when it was revealed that-"

"Might I point out that the drama between us was manufactured by third parties, including you, Felicity?" Alador asked as he narrowed his eyes at her, making the fox woman look nervous to his sudden tone. "You, Gibson, Arthur, Destiny, and Terra helped create the drama and humiliation that caused a rift between me and Odalia. But now with those third parties gone, I am able to talk to them like adults."

For a brief moment, Felicity's eye twitched. "Um, of course! Now with those third parties out of the way, you can… patch things up with them."

The fox biped then moved on. "And now let's give the Golden Guard and Silver Sentry, aka Hunter and Emily Tricks, a chance to talk about their roles in taking down the Tarot Guild."

"That's right!" Graye responded with a smile. "Give it up for BIG's leaders who single handedly took down the bases of the Tarot Guild, everybody!"

The sound of cheering was heard while Hunter gave a nervous smile and Emily gave her own more confident smile as the two waved the camera.

"Now, do any of you have something you want to say to the audience?" Felicity asked them. "What about you, Golden Guard? After all, this is the first official interview with the Emperor's mysterious nephew…"

"Oh, um… well," Hunter said nervously as he glanced at Emily. "Um… I would like to give credit to Emily for her contribution in finding those Tarot Guild bases. It was her plan to take out their bases thanks to heer using her insight into the Guild and their mindset. As for the Goblin, it was her plan to bring him down and put an end to his terror. Honestly, I was simply following her lead and trusting her instincts."

"Really?" Felicity asked as she turned to Emily. "Any comments, Ms. Tricks?"

Emily smiled and replied as if her answer had been rehearsed. "Everything I did was out of gratitude to Belos and the Titan for giving me a second chance," she said. "I know that my past was… rough…"

"…but I hope that I can redeem myself in the eyes of the Isles."

Nina was watching the crystal ball while in the waiting room of the Healing Coven. The werecat just scoffed at the interview. Sitting next to her was Skara, along with Slasher and Scabrina who was asleep.

"And I think the Emperor was correct to give you a second chance, Emily," Felicity said. "Just as he was correct to choose Alador to be Darius's successor or correct to parson Amity Goodfellow. Because he assigned you to be the Silver Sentry, you were able to put an end to the Tarot Guild, just like how Alador and Amity were able to fight Terra, proving that Belos and the Titan were right to favor them."

Skara looked up to Nina, who was silent while watching this. "Some night yesterday was, wasn't it?" Skara asked her.

"I guess," Nina replied while looking down. "To be honest, I wonder how Emily can keep up this act, especially with the rumors about Belos being a Clawthorne."

"Hehe, yeah…" Skara said as she shifted her eyes, which Nina took notice of.

"So after everything that has happened, I have to ask… what now?" Felicity asked them. "What will you all do after this?"

"Well, we're still investigating the full extent of Terra Snapdragon's corruption in the covens," Hunter replied. "If we find any remaining Guild members, they will face justice."

"And like I said before, I plan on reconnecting with my family," Alador said.

"Yes, but don't forget that we also need to prepare for the Day of Unity," Graye pointed out. "We will be getting ready for that all week."

Everyone turned to Emily, expecting her answer. Emily opened her mouth… and paused, no words coming out. Unable to answer, she slumped back on the couch.

"…well, let's give it up for our guests, witches and demons! Tune in after the break, when I will interview Soc Damage on his latest pulp movie," Felicity said awkwardly as the show ended and the room went dark while the music played.

After the interview concluded, Graye brought Emily into a hallway where they could talk alone.

"Look, if this is about my pause out there," Emily said. "I'm sorry, I just-"

"Emily," Graye said to her in a stern voice. "I just want to let you know, that after everything that happened, I do not want you to go around sneaking off anymore without my permission. Yesterday you went after the Tarot Guild, the Goblin, and Terra. It was reckless and highly dangerous of you to do so."

"I handled myself against them just fine, sir," Emily told him.

"But what if you didn't?" Graye questioned. "It may have worked out and it is great for our credibility now, but you still could've been killed. So from now on, I'm going to be keeping a closer eye on you, making sure that you don't get in trouble like that again."

"Come on, that's not fair!" Emily told him. "I'm practically an adult-"

"I cannot risk losing you again, Emily, and that is final," Graye said in a tone that surprised her. "Oh, and one more thing… I do not want you to see Cross Drakescale anymore."

"What?!" Emily objected. "But Cross is my friend and he helped me take down the Goblin!"

"Exactly, he is a bad influence," Graye told him as he crossed his arms. "Which is not surprising, considering his family background…"

Emily narrowed her eyes at him. "Cross is a good witch, sir. He is not a bad influence."

"Do you even really know him, Emily?" Graye asked her. "Do you even know what secrets he's kept from you…?"

"Secrets? What… what could Cross have kept from me?" Emily asked, trying to hide the fact that she already knew about Cross's dragon lineage. That had to have been what Graye meant, right?

Graye got an idea and he smiled. "Honestly, Ms. Tricks, I don't think you know your friend at all…"

In her family's apartment building, Lambi prepared to head out. However, before she could walk out the door, a voice stopped her.

"And just where do you think you're going, Mary?" asked Awassi as Lambi turned to her mom.

"I'm just going to the Healing Coven to see Nina," Lambi responded. "I want to see how she is doing after last night."

"No, I don't think you will," Awassi said with a glare. "I am still mad at you for missing temple service yesterday because of her. You never missed one until now, and it's thanks to that Nina girl who made you do it."

"What?" Lambi asked in disbelief. "Nina didn't make me do anything. I decided to skip the service after seeing that my girlfriend was upset from what you said to her. She told me about how you wanted her out of sight during the service."

"Because she would have made other witches uncomfortable," Awassi defended herself, not seeing herself as being in the wrong. "She was still welcome in the temple. I was trying to be nice to her, since I thought that she was good… but perhaps I was wrong about her."

"Nina is good," Lambi told her with a glare. "And I think you should apologize to her for what you said, because it did hurt her."

Awassi scoffed. "Apologize?! If she got offended because of what I said, then it is not my fault that she is being a pussy."

Lambi was taken aback by this. "Why do you have to be stubborn about this?!" Lambi shouted, raising her voice against her mother.

"You're the one who is stubborn," Awassi retorted while drawing a spell circle. "For missing temple service and raising your tone against me, you are grounded. That means no scroll and no hanging out with friends, especially that Fangs girl. You are forbidden to contact Nina until I've determined if she's a bad influence or not."

"What?! But that's not fair!" Lambi complained. She couldn't believe what her mother was doing. "You can't keep me away from my girlfriend!"

"Mary, I am doing this for your own good," Awassi said while giving her daughter a disapproving look. "In all honesty, I am very disappointed in you. Because I expect better from you."

Lambi's eyes widened at that and she fell silent. Those words cut deep inside her and the horned witch girl looked down with an upset expression.

"Go to your room," Awassi ordered and Lambi did just that, walking to her room.

At the shores of Tibilias Bay, the student and teacher body of St. Epiderm had gathered while dressed in black clothing. Standing in front of everyone was Headmistress Midday.

"We have come here today, on this beach, to mourn the loss of one of our students," Midday spoke while standing next to Beel's casket, which was covered with flowers, while a class photo of him was on display. She looked up at the audience, in the front row were the student council, the Plant Track students, and other friends of Beel. "Beel Zatar was a gifted student at St. Epiderm. I remember when he enrolled here, asking about if the school had any dark secrets." She wiped her tears while looking down. "Beel had his special interests, but he also showed great potential… his life was taken from us, but not in vain. The mic is open for all who wish to speak a few words about him before his body becomes a part of the Titan."

Stepping up to the mic first was Danny.

"Beel was one of the smartest students I've known and I respected him as a witch," Danny started. "Even if he was reclusive at times. Every council meeting he would bring up a new conspiracy theory. I remember one time where he showed me his red string wall on the possibility that the teachers spent our museum trip money on a coffee maker. Of course, he was right about that." He gave a small smile, but then frowned as tears streamed from his eyes. "I… I had no idea about the burden he carried because of the former Plant Head. I just… I just wish he would have talked to us or asked someone for help…" He took off his glasses, wiping his tears. "I feel responsible for not realizing what he had gone through. I just… wish I could've done something for him. I just hope… I hope he knew that I considered him a friend, even if I didn't always buy his theories." After that, he was unable to speak anymore, so his sister came with him to bring him back to his seat.

After Danny, Lindsay came up to the mic to say a few words. Her eye was red due to crying.

"I-I-I've known Beel since we had the same home room back in sixth grade," she said while trying to keep it together. "Though back then we didn't talk much and we only got to know each other when we became part of the student council together. I encouraged him to join any of our council activities like when we had game night and most of the time he would decline. But he did participate once in a while and we always had fun." She looked down sadly. "Even if he didn't always show it, he was a good, dear friend…" She also cried as well and Tabrella walked up to escort her back to her seat while comforting her.

Donna next stood at the mic to share her words.

"Throughout my time at the council, I would describe Beel as… interesting," Donna said while looking at his casket. "Though we all knew him as a good witch and a good friend, he always kept things to himself. I never knew how much he had been hurting and I wish the circumstances for him were different. But… the one thing I would best describe him as now… is a hero. A hero that put his life on the line. He shouldn't have risked his life to bust Terra, but he did. And Beel should be remembered for the good he did for the Isles. If not for him, we wouldn't have known who the true villain was."

After Donna, Riley stepped up to the mic.

"I remember back after my Palisman died, Beel offered to help me locate some Palistrom Wood to make a new Palisman," Riley said while looking more depressed. "It was kind of him to do so, even if I did decline the offer because back then, I felt like it was my fault that my Palisman died…" They paused, remembering the information he learned about Emily, but he decided not to bring it up. "I wonder if I should have taken up his offer. Beel may have been a conspiracy theorist, but he was always there to help a friend."

Sarah walked up next, taking the mic.

"Me and Beel would clash sometimes," she admitted. "I would challenge his conspiracy theories with my rationality. Once I called him a crackpot after we argued about the rumored feral creature up at the Knee or about Red Death being a cover up." She looked at his photo as she continued. "I considered myself a witch of science, logic, and reasoning, so sometimes I looked down upon Beel for his paranoia." She sighed while looking down shamefully. "Though I guess he had his reasons for his paranoia. But if there was one thing we both had in common… it was our disdain towards those who run the covens of our respected tracks. And more often than not, I did respect him, despite our disagreements."

Peter Bloomhog walked up while holding a portrait covered in a blanket.

"Beel always commented on my art, encouraging me to explore new avenues with my passion," Peter declared as he removed the blanket. "So in his honor, I present to you my Abomi-oil painting of our hero."

Everyone saw Peter's portrait of Beel Zatar with his Abomi-oil painting. It had aspects of green and purple mixed around in the image. "I hope to have this portrait submitted to the Titan's Art Museum, in remembrance of Beel. I have also been planning on a mural to those who have passed this year, such as Darius Nightshade and Scooter Crane. Beel deserves to be up there with them, since he was a great friend and I am glad to have known him."

Andrew and Minerva walked up together as they shared the mic.

"Our history with Beel started when me and Minerva's family moved up from the underground community on the Titan's Back, when our families decided to join covens," Andrew said. "We met Beel when we were kids."

"He had always been interested in the mysteries of the Isles," Minerva commented. "And he did help to show us around the surface of the Titan. We've been in contact since then."

"We just wish that he would have been more open to us about his issues," Andrew said while looking down, saddened about losing his friend. "Me and Minerva… we've both realized how life can be short, and how much we've never been focused enough on the important people in our lives."

Minerva's hand reached to Andrew's as she gripped his claw. His hand gripped hers. "If we were to tell Beel one thing before he died… we would have said… thank you, for looking out for us."

Once all the student council members had said their piece, a few of the Plant Trackers were next. First up was Veronica, who spoke about Beel.

"I met Beel on my first day at St. Epiderm," Veronica said while looking down with a saddened expression. "He was a genius in the plant course. He always made the top grade in class, something that I couldn't keep up with," she admitted. "But he did tutor me, which helped me keep up my grades. He may have had a reputation for being a recluse, but let it not be forgotten that he always stopped to help others." She looked over at Andrew and Minerva. "What Andrew and Minerva said was true, life is too short and we should appreciate the people around us. Our friends, family, loved ones…"

After Veronica and a few other Plant students spoke, Cross went up.

He looked around, the dragon-witch hybrid not exactly feeling comfortable about speaking in front of a crowd. Despite that, he sighed and spoke his piece.

"We didn't come here to mourn just a brilliant student or a hero. We came to mourn a friend," Cross said. "Me and Beel weren't the closest, but I think we shared an understanding. We both were in the same Track and we were both more introverted than some of our friends. He was taken from us too soon, but he will not be forgotten." He looked at his casket, saddened over the loss of his classmate.

After Cross, Felicia stepped up while her ghost camera continued to film.

"Beel was my top info-broker," Felicia explained. "We helped each other out. He would give me good leads and I would use those leads to break stories on my show. And even after I transferred to Hexside, we still kept in touch." She looked down sadly as she continued. "But he wasn't just an info-broker. He was a friend, a really good friend. And a great witch. And when he told me that he was going to help me break the biggest story of the Boiling Isles, not even I realized what he was planning or what it would result in… him getting killed." She teared up despite trying to keep it together. She looked up to his casket. "I… I feel like I could have done more for him. I wished that I had, but now…" She teared up more and started crying while Todd came to help escort her back to her seat.

Midday then spoke up. "Is there anyone else who wishes to speak up?"

"I do."

Everyone turned and, to their surprise, they saw Luz, Amity, and Eda. Luz was wearing a black suit, Amity wore a black dress, and Eda wore a black sun hat while donning a black jacket and dress as well.

"Luz…" Donna said as Luz walked over to the mic. Eda and Amity sat beside her.

When Luz got on the mic, she started to speak. "You all may know me, and what I do for a living. I came here to pay my respects," she said as she looked down, saddened. "I didn't know Beel all that well, nor did I know him as long as you all did. From what I've heard, he was a good friend." She looked at his casket, seeing the photo of him. "But in the brief time that I knew him, I knew him as a brave witch. He played a huge role in stopping Terra, by exposing her for the evil that she was. I wish that I could've done more for him… but the least I can do is help make sure that he is remembered for what he did."

After that, Beel's casket was set aflame by the torches of Cross, Veronica, Danny, and Felicia, who all volunteered. The casket burned as everyone watched in silence.

After the service, everyone who stayed started to mingle, speaking to each other and talking about the funeral service. Cross looked around and spotted Danny, who was being comforted by Fan. He walked over to them. "Danny."

Danny turned to see Cross. "Hey, Cross," he said to him before turning to his sister. "Hey, Fan, can you give me a moment?"

"Of course, bro," Fan responded before she walked away to talk to some of the other students.

"How are you holding up?" Cross asked once they were alone.

Danny sighed. "I… am the worst president," he admitted while looking down. "And you know what else sucks? I've been having even more doubts about the Emperor's Coven since Emily came back as the Silver Sentry, but after everything that happened yesterday… it's just… I still feel like the Emperor's Coven should be better. Our Emperor should have known about Terra's trafficking rings. I mean, shouldn't the Titan have told him about her, and then maybe Beel wouldn't…" He looked down, tearing up. "This is just messed up… how could the Emperor's Coven have failed us this way?"

"I… I know how you feel, Danny," Cross said, patting his back. "Although to be fair… if it weren't for Emily, then Lindsay wouldn't be here right now," he pointed out.

"I… I know," Danny acknowledged. "But the Emperor's Coven should be better than this. It has to be better," he said while wiping his tears.

"Yeah, I agree," Cross said with a nod.

Meanwhile, the trio of Luz, Amity, and Eda went to meet up with Donna, Beocrow, and the rest of their friends.

"It's good that you're here, Luz," Donna said after she hugged Luz. "And you too, Amity."

"We wanted to give our condolences, Donna," Amity replied after hugging Donna.

"How are you kids holding up?" Eda asked, seeing the saddened looks on their faces.

"It is a lot to deal with, cousin Eda," Beocrow responded. "We've never had to deal with the death of a student before, so this is a big deal."

"Yeah, the reopening of the school was even delayed for this," Veronica said while turning to the girls. "You know, I don't believe that we have actually formally been introduced to each other."

"Oh yeah, we didn't really have time for introductions when we went to rescue Ed, Donna, and King from Mel and her gang," Luz realized. "Well, how about we change that? I'm Luz, and this here is Amity."

"It's nice to finally meet you all in person, especially since Emira has talked a lot about you guys," Amity mentioned.

"It's nice to meet you two as well," Tyrone replied, offering his hand. "I'm Tyrone Ironwood, Construction Track."

"Veronica Rex, Plant," Veronica introduced herself to the two girls.

"And I'm Tina Ryo, in Oracle," Tina said. "You two know my cousin, Viney."

"Say Luz, why don't you and Amity come with us to hang out after the service," Beocrow suggested. "We plan to go somewhere to honor Beel in our own way."

"Yeah, that would be neat, wouldn't it, Ams?" Luz asked her.

"Of course, I would like that," Amity agreed.

"Tyrone, bro!"

Tyrone turned to spot his older brother, Clé, waving to him. Next to him was an older dark-skinned witch man with blue eyes and long dreadlock hair with each tip being a claw. He wore a brown jacket with a white shirt, red sash belt, and dark-brown pants with black boots. Between them was another witch man of light-brown skin with short dark-brown hair, three horns on his forehead, and a handlebar mustache. He wore a black suit and brown necktie, with black pants and brown shoes. He was in a wheelchair and his left hand appeared to be mechanical.

"Cle, dads," Tyrone spoke up before turning to the others. "Hang on a sec, I got to talk with my folks."

"Take your time, Tyrone," Donna responded. "We'll be ready when you are."

"So that's Tyrone's family?" Eda asked them.

"Yeah, his older brother, Cle, is a scout in the Emperor's Coven," Tina explained. "His and Ty's dads are Dirk and Grimes. They were once part of the Palm Sting's F.G.N unit."

"F.G.N.?" Luz asked.

"A scout unit that keeps the peace at Palm Stings," Amity answered. "The 'Five Guardian Nails' were a specialized unit that Belos created to combat the weirdness of Palm Stings, like its infamous weather or the bizarre crime rate."

"Oh yeah, I think I've heard about them," Eda commented before she remembered something. "Oh crap…"

"What is it, mom?" Luz asked her.

"Palm Stings… that's where the family reunion is going to be," Eda said, surprising Luz while Beocrow gave a nod.

Meanwhile, Tyrone gripped his hand against Cle's and the two hugged. "It's great to see you here, Cle. Although shouldn't you be in the Emperor's Coven?"

"Your brother decided to take the day off to come check up on you, Tyrone," Dirk, the one with finger dreadlocks, said.

"And how are you feeling about all of this, Tyrone?" Grimes asked. "Losing a classmate like that…"

"It's been pretty hard," Tyrone said while looking down. "Admittedly, I didn't know him that well, but I heard about him from Veronica. It stings for all of us, including Luz and her family."

"Yes, the Owl Lady," Grimes said, narrowing his eyes at Eda. "So we meet again…"

"Oh come now, Grimesly, don't make a scene," Dirk advised his husband.

"Alright, but I'll be keeping my eye on her," Grimes said while glaring at Eda, who noticed him.

"Why is he staring at me?" Eda asked him.

"Do you know him?" Amity asked her.

"I don't recall…" Eda responded.

Tyrone turned to his brother. "So how are you doing, Cle? Seen any action recently?"

"Well, I was called in yesterday to help deal with escaped prisoners from the Conformatorium," Cle responded. "But what we weren't expecting were these dark creatures that popped up out of nowhere. If it weren't for LOWTH's help, we would have gotten completely overrun."

"And we are grateful that they did help," Dirk said with a smile. "Even if they are vigilantes."

"Yeah, I guess," Grimes said with a sigh.

"Oh come on, pops, I think they're alright," Clé said.

"Y-Yeah, they did help save Bonesborough, and they busted that Scal-Mart," Tyrone pointed out.

"Look, I do acknowledge the good they've done and they are doing a service for the Titan. But they are still vigilantes," Grimes said sternly. "From the looks of them, they're too young to go around fighting crime in scantily clad outfits. And the last thing the Emperor's Coven needs are these guys making them look bad. But at least, they're not merchandising themselves like B.I.G."

Tyrone hid his nervousness from her father's statement.

Back to Eda, she was talking to the girls. "Well, I better head back to the orphanage. You two have fun with Donna and her friends, I'll see you two later," Eda said as she summoned Owlbert to be turned to a staff.

"Eda, wait," Beocrow spoke up to her, causing Eda to turn to him. "Will I be seeing you at the reunion? It's starting today and it will be happening all week up until the eclipse."

Eda looked at Beocrow, seeming reluctant. "Oh, um… boy, I haven't been to it in years. Um, your grandpap, how's great-uncle Brolin and great-aunt Eartha?"

"They're still well off," Beocrow responded. "My uncle and his family will also be showing up. The vampire cousins I've talked about."

"Really? Oh I am definitely checking that out," Luz commented. "What's to expect at the reunion?"

"Well, my grandpa owns a griffin ranch, and the elders will be showing up. Did you know that some are our double-cousins?" Beocrow asked her.

"Double-cousins? You mean, like one family married to the other?" Amity asked as Beocrow nodded.

"Yeah, Grandma Gwen's sisters married Dell's brother and sister," Eda said. "Other than them, there are other extended family branches that will probably show up, including their elders. It's like a mixture of witch clans under the Clawthorne clan banner. Lilith can fill you in on which cousins to expect."

"Yeah, some will probably just pop in for a quick visit, but most of the family will stay overnight," Beocrow said. "There's going to be games, contests, family photos, everyone's going to be there."

"Oh that sounds super cool," Luz replied while turning to Eda. "Mom, are we really going?"

"Um… well, maybe you and Amity can go check it out for yourselves," Eda replied nervously. "You can even take King with you."

"But what about you, mom?" Luz asked her. "Don't you want to go? It's not like you're banned or anything."

"Yeah, and Palm Stings is one of the most luxurious places in the Isles," Amity brought up.

"I know, I've been to Palm Stings before, but… I mean, I got stuff to do at the orphanage…"

"It's not like you can't just pop in for a brief bit and meet everyone there," Luz said. "And I'm sure the orphanage will do fine without you for a few hours."

"Look, why don't we discuss it later. You and Amity should go off with your cousin and his friends," Eda encouraged.

Luz frowned at her mom, but decided to drop the subject. For now, at least…

At Gavin's place, Sheila went to open the door after hearing knocking. She looked out and saw that it was Hunter, Boscha, Ulka, and Angmar here to pay a visit.

"Hey, Ms. Anadod," Boscha greeted. "Is Gavin home?"

"Yes, he's in his room right now," she responded. "Please, come in."

After they were let in, the four headed up to Gavin's room. Angmar was the first to knock on it. "Gavin, it's us."

Gavin opened the door a little and saw his friends. "H-Hey guys."

"Hey Gavin, how are you feeling right now?" Boscha asked him in concern.

"I'm…" He looked down as he opened the door wider. "Come in."

As they entered inside, Hunter noticed some of the burned letters in the trash can. He looked up at Gavin. "You um… didn't burn anything of value, right?"

"Oh, those?" Gavin asked, noticing Hunter looking at the trash can with his burned letters. "No, not all of them. I did save a few when I stopped myself."

"That's a relief," Hunter replied. "So… Gavin, how much did you remember from last night?"

"I remember… the broad strokes," he mentioned. He turned to Boscha. "You were in my mindscape, weren't you? You and Hunter?"

Boscha nodded. "And Luz, Eda, and Professor Snope."

"Yeah, I… I think I remember that," Gavin recalled.

"Do you remember that the Inner Demon was in your head?" Boscha asked him.

"Yeah… I do remember that as well," Gavin responded with a nod. "I was not aware of him being there before then though. All this time, I thought he was just my inner thoughts. And I looked very weird in front of my teammates the other night," he said awkwardly.

"Gavin… we wanted to come here to say we're sorry for not noticing what was going on with you before," Boscha told him with a guilty look.

"Yeah, we should've realized what was going on with you sooner," Hunter added. "And I'm sorry for not considering your and Angmar's feelings about Tito."

"We both are," Boscha admitted.

"And I am sorry for making you feel insecure about your relationship with your father," Hunter told him. "I didn't mean to make you feel like that."

"I… I forgive you guys," Gavin said to them while looking down. "And I should be the one to apologize for acting like a moody jerk. I know you guys were just helping, but I still ended up listening to the Inner Demon."

"Hey, we get it, Gavin," Hunter reassured him.

"Yeah, the Inner Demon was a real nasty bastard," Boscha agreed. "But at least he won't be bothering anyone ever again."

Gavin gave a nod before he focused his attention on Hunter. "Hey Hunter, can we talk alone? Just the two of us."

"Yeah, of course, Gavin," Hunter responded.

"We'll leave you two to talk," Ulka said as she, Boscha, and Angmar exited out of the room.

With Gavin and Hunter alone, the Nightshade boy looked up to Hunter. "There's something I want to tell you… about who I encountered last night. But you probably already know…"

"Is it about meeting Darius?" Hunter asked and Gavin nodded. "Yeah, I do remember that." He looked down. "To be honest, I may have encountered him before that…"

"What? When was that?" Gavin asked him.

"At the time, I wasn't even sure it was him," Hunter explained. "It was back when I was living with the Clawthornes and I helped them stop a Palisman raid by the Emperor's Coven. We succeeded, but when I was in trouble, I was saved by this… Abomination that fought off the Abomatrons. The Abomination left, but I did wonder if that was Darius, especially when I discovered signs of Eberwolf."

"So… Dad is alive, and he's with Eberwolf," Gavin asked. "What does this mean? Should we be looking for him?"

"Well… do you want to look for him?" Hunter asked him.

"I… I don't know." Gavin admitted while looking down. "Although the first thing I should do is make up with LOWTH first. They do deserve an explanation about my behavior… and an apology."

"How did you get involved with LOWTH in the first place?" Hunter asked. "I have been meaning to ask about it, like how did it happen and why did you join?"

"Well, it happened after the Scarfish incident," Gavin explained. "Boschca's cousin, Beck, took us to the beach with the other St. Epiderm students, including the members of LOWTH, and then the Scarfished showed up, spreading its… offspring, I think, on everyone to take control of them. I helped fight it alongside them and they wanted to recruit me afterwards. As for why I joined, well… it's because of my dad." He rose his head up. "I thought that joining them and using my abilities to help other witches would be a way to make my dad proud of me, even though I thought that my dad was dead at the time." He sighed. "It might sound silly now…"

"Actually, I can relate to your situation," Hunter admitted.

"You do?" Gavin asked him.

"Yeah… part of my motivation for being the Golden Guard was to honor the memory of my own father and make him proud of me, even though he was dead…." Hunter explained as he looked down. "And even though he was probably not even my actual father… but that's something I don't want to unpack right now." He paused, considering something. "Maybe I should ask a few witches some questions, find out if they know anything about Darius before we look for him. Because honestly, I do feel like we both deserve a chance to speak to Darius."

"Yeah, we do," Gavin agreed before another thing cae to his mind. "Say, what about the thing with Emily?" he asked him. "Like, what is it like working with someone like her?"

"Well, we… actually work surprisingly well together," Hunter admitted. "It was her idea to take out the Tarot Guild bases and she came up with a pretty clever way to catch the Goblin. But even if it was only out of necessity, Emily can be civil… but I do admit, she is difficult for me to get a read on."

Gavin gave it some thought before he commented. "You know, I've realized now that, if I had been successful in taking down Emily when I confronted her, then she might not have been much of help in taking down the Tarot Guild and the Grim Goblin…" He looked down with a guilty expression. "Lindsay wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for Emily's help…"

"Hey, don't beat yourself up over it," Hunter reassured him, patting his shoulder. "Trust me, you are still nowhere near as much of a jerk as I was to my old friends."

"Well, I guess that is reassuring," Gavin replied. "No offense."

"I'm used to it," Hunter said, waving it off. "So, um, you want to join with the others?"

Gavin gave a nod. "Yeah, I do."

The two smiled and they walked out of the room to meet up with the rest of their friends. Boscha was seen talking with Sheila.

"So you knew Eda back then?" Boscha asked her.

"Yeah, me and Eda used to work in the same street together years ago," Sheila said. "Both of us were looking for some quick cash and-" She paused when she saw her son. "Oh, Gavin, how are you feeling now?"

"I'm feeling a little better," Gavin replied, sharing a relieved smile. "Thanks to Hunter."

At the Metropelvis Park, Luz and Amity were hanging out with Donna and friends. They walked over to a large, elaborate garden that was filled with blooming, colorful flowers. The sidewalk floor was patterned in a circular shape and at the center was a statue of a witch holding a child. There were also some benches out for those to sit and enjoy the scenery.

"This place, it's so beautiful," Amity commented while looking around.

"This is something you and Beel did?" Luz asked Veronica.

"Yeah," she confirmed. "As part of a school project, we partnered up to make this garden. We both had different ideas, like which flowers would go where and what statue to place here. But eventually, we decided on combining our ideas," she said while looking up at the statue. "We decided to call this place 'Mother's Garden' after the statue."

"We have a friend, Willow, who would love to visit here," Luz said while admiring the flowers.

"Yeah, it would fit right up her alley," Amity agreed.

"Yeah, you and Beel did a great job, Veronica," Donna told her friend.

"Thanks, though the lavenders and zinnia were Beel's idea," Veronica admitted.

"So you're into plants as well?" Amity asked her.

"Yeah, I am," Veronica confessed. "It's a beautiful artistry to me. My parents are from Bard and Potions but I've always liked plants more. I mean, I can play the flute because my father's a well known pan flute player, but I have been thinking of doing landscaping, wanting to help people's yards to look nice and pretty for their homes. It's how I received my Belly," she said while her bell-like Palisman jingled around her.

"Landscaping? Sounds neat." Luz replied. "What else did you guys want to do?"

"You already know that I wish to be a death god," Beocrow reminded her.

"Well, I have been thinking of becoming an exorcist," Tina revealed. "Get spirits out of haunted places and help guide them back to the afterlife. It's how I received my Palisman, Scruffy."

"And when I received Sheldon, I told my wish was to help support my family, like help my younger siblings get enough money to be well off," Tyrone said.

"That all sounds really good," Luz commented. "I mean, my dream is just to be the most badass witch of both realms… but I have thought of another want beyond that."

"And mine… well, I'm not sure what I want to be when I grow up, but I'd just like to be the best version of myself," Amity said while Ghost was on her shoulders, rubbing against the back of her neck and purring.

"That's great for both of you," Veronica said while looking down. "However, I will admit that since we started LOWTH and became vigilantes… I'm not quite sure where that fits in with my life goals."

"Yeah, I'm uncertain about that too," Tina confessed.

"I don't know if I can put that on my resume," Tyrone admitted while scratching the back of his head.

Donna looked down, thinking about her own potential career in her respective coven.

"Honestly, I'm just thinking of getting a job at Beast-Keeping until I die young," Beocrow casually revealed.

"Beo, please stop being morbid, and it's not even appropriate to say that kind of stuff," Veronica scolded him.

"Alright, alright…" Beocrow said with his hands up.

"So how did LOWTH get started in the first place?" Amity asked them.

"Yeah, I don't think you've ever told us how it happened, Donna," Luz pointed out.

"Oh yeah, I guess it all started because of the Tarot Guild," Donna told them.

"Well, specifically, it happened after I was mugged by witches working for the Tarot Guild," Tina added, which surprised Amity.

"You were?" Amity asked her.

"Yeah, and my muggers cut me when I escaped," Tina said, showing them the scar on her arm. "When we realized that we couldn't rely on the Emperor's Coven to protect us, we decided to take matters into our own hands."

Amity nodded and patted Tina's shoulder. "Tina, I'm so sorry that happened to you. I know how you might feel, cause I was mugged too," she said with a saddened look.

"Really? Oh man, I'm sorry that happened to you as well," Tina said. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"No, but it did affect my mental state," Amity responded. "I tried to act strong because I didn't think I could show weakness. But I was still prone to panic attacks and even once tried to look for my muggers before Eda managed to stop me. Eventually I got some counseling and was prescribed some medicine that I can take, although thanks to the support of my friends and my loved ones around me, I've gotten better. Though I still remember that day and I don't think I could ever forget what happened to me…"

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Tina told her. "I also haven't forgotten about what happened to me. But thanks to my friends and family's support, I can move on and, well, fight back against those that hurt me, and make sure that they don't hurt anyone else." She then looked down. "However, now that the Tarot Guild is gone… what now? What will be the new purpose of LOWTH?"

Luz turned to Donna for an answer, but Donna also looked unsure. "I… I don't know what LOWTH's future holds," she admitted. "I guess we've fulfilled our purpose."

"That means we might have to return to our regular lives," Tyrone said while looking down.

"I'll admit, it was nice while it lasted," Veronica replied while looking uncertain.

Beocrow stayed silent, keeping own thoughts about it to himself.

"Well, I doubt that it's the end of LOWTH," Luz told them as they turned to her. "I mean, you guys have the heroic spirit in ya. I've read enough comics to know that superhero teams, while they may occasionally split up or change rosters every now and then, will always reunite when evil rises. There will undoubtedly be a time that LOWTH will be needed in the future, so you guys shouldn't hang your costumes away just yet."

"You think so?" Tina asked her.

"Yup. Besides, the Isles need heroes like you guys," Luz admitted. "The Titan needs more witches like you all, witches who jump at the chance to save the world from the lurking threats. Especially if we ever need to fight against someone like Belos."

"EH!?" Donna, Tyrone, Tina and Veronica exclaimed, while Beocrow just arched an eyebrow.

"T-Take on Belos?!" Veronica exclaimed. "I figured you'd be against the system, but that's asking too much!"

"Yeah, the idea of fighting him and the Emperor's Coven directly, I mean, my brother works there." Tyrone states with a look of panic "Oh man, my dads were coven scouts, how would they react…"

"Luz, as much as I admire your good intentions, I don't think that's really a good idea to take on the Emperor's Coven," Donna said with an uneasy look.

"Well Luz, you tried," Amity said to her girlfriend.

"Eh, worth a shot," Luz said with a shrug. "But I can't blame them, they're too good to be rebels."

"Speaking of Belos," Beocrow brought up. "I noticed the look you and Eda gave when everyone was talking about him being a Clawthorne…"

Luz, Amity, and Ghost's eyes widened when he mentioned this. This didn't get past the gang.

"Wait, it's not true… is it?" Tyrone asked.

"Luz… should we tell them?" Amity asked in a whisper.

Luz looked at Donna and her friends before she sighed. "Well… they're practically involved at this point…" She paused before continuing. "Yes, Emperor Belos is a Clawthorne."

The five all gave their own shocked reactions. Well, Beo was more stoic, but the rest of them were shocked.

"So I'm related to the Emperor," Beocrow concluded quietly.

"Luz, Amity, how long have you two known this?!" Donna asked, looking slightly worried for the two. "And how did you two know this?"

"Well, it's a long story…" Amity said.

"But not out here," Luz told them. "We need to go somewhere private to talk about it…"

At the old Clawthorne home, Lilith was currently laying on the couch… while eating buckets of ice scream.

"Lily-dear," Gwen spoke up as she, Dell, and Blazer saw Lilith on the couch. "Me and Dell were wondering if you would like to come with us to the family reunion, which is starting today and is happening all week."

"The reunion?" Lilith asked, looking up from the couch. "Huh, I haven't thought of the reunion for a while," she admitted. "I haven't been to it in years because of the Emperor's Coven."

"We brought it up because, well… you've been looking so down this morning," Dell admitted. "You've just been laying down on the couch eating up all of the ice scream you've bought from the Night Market."

"Oh, this?" Lilith asked, raising up a bucket. "Sorry to make you all worried, really. It's just… it's because of Vina."

"Vina? Your old mentor?" Gwen asked her.

"Yes, I just… you know when me and Odalia had this séance? It was for her. We were busy trying to help her pass on, and she did," Lilith said as she let out a sigh. "But now that she's gone… I'm starting to miss her."

"Oh, we're sorry to hear that, Lily," Gwen said in concern.

"Yeah, but we're all here for you," Blazer said, going over to her and laying his head on Lilith's stomach to cheer her up.

"Thank you, Blazer." Lilith replied, petting his head gently. Though she did notice him trying to get her ice scream. "Maybe I can stay home with you while mom and dad are away for the reunion."

"Oh no, Lilith," Dell said to her. "You'll be coming with us to the reunion, since it has been a while since you and your sister came with us."

"Yes, so get your butt off the couch and get ready," Gwen told her, using her magic to levitate the ice scream bucket away from her eldest daughter's hands.

"Aw, come on, mom," Lilith said while Blazer whimpered about not getting the ice scream. "If I have to go, who's going to watch over Blazer?"

"We can get a babysitter for him," Gwen answered.

"Why don't you get yourself cleaned up, Lilith," Dell suggested.

Lilith sighed. "Of course," she said as she walked to the bathroom to get herself cleaned up.

In the bathroom, the eldest Clawthorne sister looked at herself in the mirror. She then turned on the water to splash her face with it. Once she wiped her own face, she looked back up at the mirror… and saw the mask of the Baron in front of her.

"Hello, Lilith," the Baron spoke to her.

"Gah!" Lilith shouted as she backed away before she realized who it was. "Wait a minute… you! The Baron. What are you doing here?!"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to confirm that thanks to your niece handing me the Inner Demon's soul, you are now released from your debt," the Baron told her.

"R-Really?" Lilith asked in relief. "Well, thank you. I guess we are even now."

"Yes… though, to tell you the truth, I was never interested in your soul to begin with," the Baron admitted.

"Really?" Lilith asked in surprise.

"I always had bigger fish to catch," the Baron explained. "While I did help keep your soul here, you were just part of my plan to get the Inner Demon's soul out of this realm. His soul holds more value to me than yours ever could, considering what he has done to the children," he said with disgust. "Oh was he a nice treat to have… but, while you were part of my plan to acquire his soul, I also wanted to give you a chance to make amends with those that you hurt. Such as Edalyn, Luz, Amity, Odalia, and Camila."

"I… am surprised that you'd do that for me," Lilith said. "Wait… what about Camila? Is something going to happen to her?"

"Oh don't you worry about it, mon'cheri," the Baron reassured her. "Camila's soul shall remain in the world of the living. I brought her back because I believed that the Noceda family deserved a second chance to be together."

"Well, that's good," Lilith replied. "Though I don't think she'll ever forgive me…"

"I wouldn't say that," the Baron told her. "At the very least, I think she is happy that you are still alive and out of debt. And she wasn't the only one who I thought deserved a second chance. I believed that you deserved a second chance as well. A chance to place yourself on the path of good. With me to occasionally encourage you, of course."

Lilith frowned at him. "Your actions are still very questionable."

"Eh you got me there," he admitted.

"I'm still not sure why you took an interest in us to begin with," Lilith confessed. "I mean, typically this isn't even your realm."

"True, True. Honestly, this whole affair started with an interesting card reading." He saw Lilith's eyebrow arch, so he explained. "See, the thing is, Lilith, that when I do a card reading by myself, I can't discuss the results with anyone else. And while I can read someone's future, it's not up to me to tell someone what it means. I don't hold the power over the cards, the cards have power over me."

"Sounds like my sister with Hexum Hold'em," Lilith commented.

"Kind of like that, if you're an oracle," the Baron replied. "But the thing is, messing with the future is even riskier than messing with death. I can bring back Camila, but even I don't want to risk the wrath of the Fates." Lilith looked curious about this while the Baron looked straight at her. "Remember this, Lilith Clawthorne, that there are dangers in learning prophecies, knowing the future, and being burdened by that information… it's a curse. It's always a curse, and you can either share that burden with others, cursing them as well, or you can use that information carefully and sparingly. I choose the latter. And what the Fates do… it's irresponsible and it's dangerous."

"The Fates sound… worrisome," Lilith indicated.

"It's the reason why beings like me and the Fates are actually feared by even the gods. Because we can actively read and manipulate the future," the Baron said with a grim expression.

"Are you… trying to warn me?" Lilith asked.

The Baron decided to change the subject. "Oh, and I should also mention Nicole…"

Lilith looked at him in confusion. "Nicole? What about her?"

"The reason why she has all of those shadow powers is actually my doing," the Baron admitted.

"What?!" Lilith asked in shock "You empowered her?!"

"Well, I was after the soul of a fat cat like her," he admitted. "But I do apologize for the trouble she's caused."

"What is it with you deities pulling off stuff like this?!" Lilith asked, flabbergasted.

"Well, they're supposed to come with a lesson, but you do have the right to be mad about it," he said. "But everything still worked out like I intended. Nicole became a Heartless, which I need for my plans."

"Wait, plans?" she asked.

"There were two outcomes of the deal I made with her. Either she got herself killed and I would be able to collect her soul or she would let the darkness take her heart and she would be turned into a Heartless, which I could then use…" he told her. "But for what it's worth, Lilith, I wish you a happy life," he said before the mirror fogged up around him.

Lilith wiped off the fog and was now only able to see her reflection, for the Baron was gone.

Meanwhile, at LOWTH's base, Luz and Amity were telling the founding members of LOWTH what they knew about Belos's ties to the Clawthornes.

"And that concludes what we know about the secret origins of our dear old Emperor Belos," Luz finished while having a drawing board to explain it all.

To say that Donna and her friends were still shocked was an understatement.

"H-Hold up a second," Donna said as she stood up. "So… if I get this right… Belos was a human named Philip who ended up in the Boiling Isles with his brother, and he was raised by the ancestors of the Clawthornes…"

"That is correct," Luz nodded.

"And he had a fling with a member of your family, Adam Blight, who was killed by a human named G.B. Gates after Philip took him and the Inner Demon, who was human, into our world?" Tina asked Amity.

"Yup," Amity confirmed.

"And if we're getting this right, Belos is trying to find access to the Human Realm for some vague but nefarious reason, as the Day of Unity is about 'dealing with our enemies' as he proclaimed," Beocrow indicated.

"Not to mention that the descendants of the Gates are your… godfamily?" Tyrone asked Luz.

"Yeah, and they're actually nice people when you get to know them. Far nicer than their ancestor," Luz told them.

"Okay… all of this is… hard to process," Veronica said, looking overwhelmed.

"Yeah," Donna agreed while sitting on her bean bag chair. "We're gonna need some time to think on it, and decide on what to do with this information… but we do appreciate you two for trusting us with this information."

"Yeah, we're sorry for burdening you all with this information," Luz said.

"No, no," Donna said. "It's good that we know. I think we… I think we needed to hear this."

Amity noticed Ghost start hacking up. "Ghost, are you okay?" she asked her.

"Is there something alright with your cat?" Tyrone asked, only for Ghost to cough out the pixie in her belly.

"Ghost! You ate Acorn again?!" Amity exclaimed.

"What? I can't help myself, she's small and she's tasty," Ghost defended herself.

"...Again?" Veronica asked while looking down on the cat Palisman.

"Ack! Finally fucking out of that cat!" Acorn said, drying herself off before she flew up while looking around. "Now where am I-Oh, it's you, silverhair," she said to Donna.

"Hey, you're the pixie I've met before," Donna remembered. "You were the one who told me about my keyblade."

"Yeah, I do remember that," Acorn responded while looking around and spotting her teammates. "Are these friends of yours?"

"Yeah," Donna said as she introduced her friends to the pixies. "Everyone, this is Luz and Amity's pixie friend, Acorn. Acorn, these are my friends, Beocrow, Tina, Tyrone and Veronica."

"Wait, you can understand her?" Veronica asked. "Cause we can't."

"I think it may have to do with my keyblade," Donna admitted while Acorn flew around her friends to get a better look at them.

"Nice to meet you," Acorn said before she spotted Tyrone, the biggest witch in the room. She stopped in mid-air. "Wow…" she said in awe, her face blushing at the sight of him, while in her visions she saw hearts appear around him.

"I've never seen a pixie like her before," Tyrone admitted.

"Yeah, she's not from the Boiling Isles," Luz admitted. "She came from the Human Realm."

Tyrone lifted her finger. "Um, welcome to LOWTH."

"Y-Yeah, nice to meet you too," Acorn responded despite Tyrone not understanding her. She shook his finger, her body glowing red.

"Is she okay?" Beocrow asked, noticing steam coming off from her head.

At a coven station, a guard was in charge of watching a jail cell. This jail cell contained three teenagers… Kadabe, Dolly, and Batters.

"Batters," Kadabe said to the blonde witch boy.

"Kadabe," Batters acknowledged.

"Let me guess… you two went to Glandus?" Dolly asked them.

"Yeah…" Kadabe responded.

"So, um, Batters, how did you end up here?" Dolly asked him.

"Well, I tried startin' a new wave cult after Mel," Batters admitted. "But then after that announcement about Emily being the Silver Sentry, everyone just went up and quit. Then I got caught and sent here. What about you two?"

"We were, sorta, forced to turn ourselves in," Kadabe explained. "Although the Golden Guard promised he would work something out for us. But hey, at least we don't have to worry about being turned into trees anymore."

"Yeah, that is true," Dolly replied with a sigh of relief. She would never have to hear the Inner Demon ever again. Even though she was in a jail cell, she still felt free.

After leaving Donna and her friends, Luz and Amity headed to the part of the Boiling Isles known as the Forest of Fear… but now it was a forest in the process of healing.

"You know, this place is a lot less dreary than it was the last time I was here," Luz commented, seeing that the deadwood trees now had wonderful green leaves. Flowers bloomed from the ground and the once oozing lake had clearer water.

"Yeah, looks like this place is gaining a lot more color and a lot more life," Amity commented in awe. "It's as if the Titan himself is healing."

"It just needs someone with the right green thumbs," someone said.

Luz and Amity turned to see Willow, whose eyes weren't glowing but part of the whites of her eyes were now mint-green over her lime-green eyes. She was in the middle of growing some more plants, bringing more life into the once dreaded forest and restoring it to how it might have been before the Inner Demon came to the Isles.

"Hey Willow, we just came by to see your progress around here is going," Luz said.

"And how are you doing, Willow? Especially with all the… well, changes," Amity asked.

"Well, I'm still not sure how to explain it, but I do feel more… attuned to everything," Willow said while placing her hand on a tree, which sprouted pink sakuras all around.

"I did ask mom and Aunt Lilith about if witches have these kinds of upgrades, but not even Gwendma and Dell-pa know," Luz admitted. "So perhaps you're a special case."

"Maybe…" Willow said before turning to Luz. "How are Gus and Mr. Porter doing?"

"They're doing great," Luz told her. "Gus actually decided to stay with his dad in the H.R. so they can make up for lost time without having to worry about being separated again. He wanted me to tell you about his decision."

"Oh, well I think it's great that he gets to catch up with his dad after such a long time," Willow commented. She looked around. "This forest… it was a place of fear and misery for so, so long. But you can feel how different it is now, can't you? The souls who were lost here are now free and the Inner Demon's influence is gone, along with the rot and the corruption that had poisoned these woods." She sighed. "I still can't believe Belos never realized how dangerous Terra was. He gave her Mr. Porter without realizing that she was working against him."

"At least she and the Inner Demon won't be a problem anymore," Amity pointed out.

"Honestly, I'm kinda disappointed. I figured that I'd get some magical upgrade at some point yesterday," Luz commented. "Pardon my genre savviness, but fighting Terra would have been the perfect moment for me to develop my plant magic. I mean, I learned light, ice, and fire spells while in the middle of a fight, but not plants…"

"Hmm, maybe I can help you with that, Luz," Willow offered as she walked up to her. "I have been thinking about why you've been taking so long to develop plant magic and I think I've figured out what your problem is."

"Oh, what is it?" Luz asked her.

"Well, my theory is that the reason you've cast other spells but not plant spells is because unlike light, fire, and ice, plants are, well, they're alive," Willow pointed out. "It's not something that you can just pull out from inside of you. You have to connect with the Isles as well. Let nature connect with you."

Luz looked down on her own hands. "But… how do I even do that?"

"Let me help you with that," Willow responded as she grasped Luz's hands. They got on to their knees and Luz placed her hands on the ground, with Willow's on top. "Place them on the ground, and try to do some breathing techniques. Like deep breaths and relaxing sighs."

Luz did that, taking deep breaths and then sighing out.

"Do that while closing your eyes," Willow instructed as Luz did as she was told. "Keep breathing… and focus. Feel the ground beneath your feet, the soil underneath your hand. Focus on that feeling. That ground, that soil? Life comes from that, from the Titan. Open yourself up to the Isles and make that connection," she said. "Then you will enter a state of mind similar to what I experience. Although right now what I normally experience has been turned up to eleven. I feel more connected now than ever."

Luz used the techniques Willow taught her. She didn't get it right away, but she didn't get up either. Amity stayed silently as she watched her girlfriend practice until Luz was able to feel the magic of the Isles running through her, green magic glowing on her hands. As she opened her eyes, which were glowing green, Luz saw that she drew a spell circle that summoned a periwinkle flower from the ground. Both Willow and Amity looked in awe at what Luz did.

"You did it, Luz," Amity commented with a proud smile.

Willow then noticed something. "Your wings…"

"Hmm?" Luz asked as she looked at her own wings, which were now colored green with moss-like skin. "Huh, would you look at that… I'm in plant mode now," she said as a daisy sprouted from Luz's head.

"I'll admit, this is something that will take some getting used to," Maya said. "But after learning all basic four magics, just think of the combos."

"Yeah, like the possibilities are endless," Luz agreed with Maya as her hands sparkled with light. "Light." Her hand then formed a mini blizzard. "Ice." Her other hand then lit a flame. "Fire, and…" The fire dispersed and she grew a flower from her hand, which she handed to Amity. "Plant."

"Thank you," Amity said, smiling.

"Guess we'll be in the Plant Track together next semester, eh Willow?" Luz asked as Willow smiled.

"Well, that'd be nice," Willow told her.

Luz smiled back and then looked down at her hands, which she tightened. She felt… good.

Over at the Emperor's Castle, all was silent… well, except for the creature that was chasing someone through the castle.

"He's still gaining on us!" Korn shouted as he and the Cerberus sisters ran through the hall. Korn was holding a bag.

"Quick, just this way!" Blondie declared while they made a turn.

The Chaka'kan was chasing after them as Korn and his three-headed sisters ran from it down a staircase, jumping over a step sticking out from the floor. The Chaka'kan chased them, but didn't realize that when stepping on the step, it was actually a disguised wagon hidden with an illusion.

"GAAAAAAHH!" the monster screamed as it rolled down while Korn and his sisters got out of the way. The Chaka'kan rolled past them and through a wire that activated a bucket of honey to spread all over it, followed by another wire that spread feathers all over. "RAAAAH!" it cried before the wagon stopped, launching the creature.

"RAAAAAHH!" the Chaka'kan screamed as it was launched across the hall where Scameron and Linkin were adjusting the fly paper trap when they saw it coming.

"Here it comes!" Linkin said as the two jumped to the side, the monster being caught in the sticky trap. The monster was rolled up in the fly paper trap while its octopus head stuck out.

"Whoa, you guys caught the creature," Scameron said. Several scouts came out along with Abel, Hunter, some members of BIG out of uniform, Graye, and Emily.

"Good job on capturing this creature, Shadowy Secret Expozers," Abel told them while Thunder and Barb grabbed hold of the monster.

"Where'd you get this giant fly paper from?" Barb asked.

"I know a guy," Linkin said as Eve and Sioux made their appearance.

"So what do we do with this guy? Send him to the Conformatorium?" Thunder asked.

"The place is still under renovation since, you know, the breakout," Scameron pointed out

"But first let's see who this so-called Chaka'kan really is," Eve said as she walked over to pull on the Chaka'kan's face, which is actually a mask. Once she removed it, everyone's eyes widened and they gasped in shock to see who it was…

"Pink Viper Scout, Venoma Heathens?!" they all called out as the cobra-biped was revealed to be the culprit.

"Tsh, can't believe I got outwitted by these meddling witches," Venoma hissed.

"I can't believe it," Barb said while looking at Venoma. "How could you do this, Venoma? Betraying the Emperor's Coven like that?!"

"I have backstabbing tendencies, it's what I do," Venoma said as she rolled her eyes. "Duh."

"Oh my sweet Venoma, I'm disappointed in you," Alburno said. "But why?"

"Yes, I'd like to know as well," Graye said.

"She was after something that Hatesew had," Sioux explained. "So she used the secret passages that she discovered which led her to Hatesew's office. Hatesew must've fought against her and we realized that the scratch from his desk contains traces of venom, which meant that the real cause of Hatesew's death… was venom."

"Yeah, my fingernails are laced with my own poison," Venoma admitted. "My venom is strong enough to burn through molargamy wood."

"But you didn't take into account that Hunter would hire us to investigate Hatesew's murder," Sioux pointed out. "So you used the Chaka'kan from his stories to try to scare us off."

"How'd you even make a costume like that?" Scameron asked.

"Old issued guard uniforms, had to paint them up to make it resemble the monster, and use this mask to cover my identity, as well as using a voice-changing spell to disguise my voice," Venoma explained. "Although, in retrospect, wearing an actual octopus-mask may not have been a good idea."

"So that was the smell," Cyndi said with a cringe.

"But what about the thing you stole from his office?" Patty asked.

"A red herring," Linkin said as Korn handed him the bag. "She wanted us to believe that what was taken from Hatesew's office was her aim, but really all she took was a snowglobe of the Titan's skull." He pulled out said snowglobe.

Venoma's eyes widened. "That's not what the bag should contain!"

"You mean this bag?" Eve asked as she held up another bag. "We had to make you believe that Korn and his sisters had it so you would chase after them while we found the real bag containing Hatesew's books that were missing from his library, the same books that Ms. Jitters was looking for. We found them hidden underneath the fighting ring."

"So that's why you were acting shifty after training," Le'Belle said with a glare. "How can you do this, Venoma? I thought you were better than this… but now you're a traitor. And all over some old books?"

"Just looking out for number one," Venoma admitted. "But I was looking for his book because I was trying to gain more information about a deity called the Horned King, who I learned about from a guy named Draco that my cousin knew."

"Draco?" Hunter asked, though he was alarmed that Venoma wanted to know more about the Horned King.

"The Horned King?!" Graye asked while giving an alarmed look.

"Yeah, this Draco guy told me about a forgotten deity and I was curious," Venoma admitted. "I visited someone at the Conformatorium to learn what they knew about the Horned King and he told me that Hatesew would know more about him. Unfortunately, we got into a disagreement and I ended up killing him. But he still had the books, so I had to put on a disguise in order to sneak into his library and find the right books, switching them out with other titles so nobody would notice they were missing. But these mystery twerps had to ruin it. Question is, how did you know what I was really looking for?"

"Let's just say that I got tipped off by someone named Rebus," Eve explained, which made Adrian's eyes widen. "They told me what you were really after, and so we were able to plan to set a trap for you."

"Hmm, very clever… I'll be sure to remember that," Venoma said as she was cuffed.

"Venoma Heathens, by the order of the Emperor's Coven, you are under arrest for treason, conspiracy, and murder," Hunter declared.

"Careful, she could be one of the Tarot Guild members," Le'Belle suggested.

"Please, like I'd stoop so low to those losers," Venoma said. "Oh, and Adrian… Cubblebuns says hi," she told him with a grin.

Adrian froze in place at the mention of Cuddlebuns. His arms started to shake, which did not go unnoticed by his apprentice.

"Head Witch Graye," Emily spoke up to him. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm… I'm fine," Graye responded as he cleared his throat. "Scameron, good job on assisting the SSE in this case. Looks like Hatesew's murder can now be closed."

"Well, Hunter deserves credit as well, he hired us," Korn said.

"Right, congratulations as well, Golden Guard," Graye said before he turned to walk away. "Excuse me," he said as he excused himself, much to Emily's confusion and concern.

Venoma and the scouts escorting her, meanwhile, were stopped… by Ms. Jitters.

"So… this is the library book thief?" she asked and Venoma suddenly felt very, very nervous.

Somewhere in the woods, the escaped rebels, Webstor, and Ludo were camping out. The only one who wasn't with them anymore was Judd.

"How are you two holding up?" Boris asked Webstor and Ludo.

"Is that a tree?" Ludo asked while pointing at a tree. "I almost forgot what those looked like…" He gave a little laugh which unsettled everyone around him.

"I'm better than I was before," Webstor replied with a groan. "Thank you for bandaging me up."

"Don't mention it, we may not be fancy healers, but we know how to treat a wound at least," Levi pointed out.

"So what now?" Derwin asked while Amber reapplied his bandages. "What's our next course of action?"

"Well, we can't go into town yet," Katya pointed out. "We don't know if they're looking for us or not."

"I think we'll just have to lie low for a while, find a way to get in contact with someone we can trust," Boris said while eating some berries.

It was then they heard rustling in the bushes. "You all hear that?" Goonla asked.

The bushes rustled again, causing Katya, Boris, Amber, and Levi to get in defensive positions. They saw coming out of the bushes was none other than… Eberwolf.

"Eberwolf?!" Katya exclaimed.

"They must have tracked us down!" Boris shouted as he prepared his spell circle. "You're not going to take us down easily, coven scum!"

"Stand down, everyone," said a familiar voice as someone else came out from the bushes behind Eberwolf. It was Raine.

"Raine…" Amber said in shock.

"It's a trick!" Boris claimed. "That's just a coven scout disguising themselves as Raine!"

"It's me," Raine reassured him.

"Then how did you recruit me?" Boris asked Raine. "Only the real Raine Whispers would know that."

"You joined in the name of your aunt, Delara," Raine explained. "You were trying to strike out on your own, but you were angry and would have only gotten yourself hurt. I told you that you didn't have to fight alone and you asked me why you should trust me. And I said that you could trust me because I believed in the same thing that your aunt did."

Boris glared into Raine's eyes before his face softened and he lowered his hand. "I-it is you."

"Oh my Titan, it is!" Katya shouted as she, Amber, and Levi ran up to them. Derwin struggled to walk over due to his injuries. "Where… where have you've been?"

"Katya, Amber, Levi, Derwin," Raine said as they looked at the rest with relief. "Goonla and Boris, I'm so glad that you're all alright."

"We're glad to see you too, Raine," Goonla responded.

"But seriously, where have you been and why is Eberwolf with you?" Boris asked.

"Hey, I'm also here," Star said as she came out of the bushes and made herself known to the others.

"Huh, who's she?" Amber asked while Ludo's eyes widened.

"Star…" Ludo said, earning the blonde Mewman's attention.

"Ludo?!" Star said in shock. "Holy shit, I can't believe you're alive!"

"I… I thought you were dead…" Ludo said, his body shaking violently.

"Same, but I did hear that you're alive," Star said as she rushed over to him. "Are you… are you okay?"

"Am I?" Ludo asked, sounding unsure. His eyes became distant. "Am I?" He then saw a butterfly flying nearby. "Ya! Look out, Star! It's one of those flying creatures trying to attack us!"

"Um, that's just a very ugly butterfly…" Star told him

"Where is she from again?" Katya asked Raine while Star tried to calm Ludo down.

"All can be explained, but right now I should get you all to safety," Raine said. "Tres would be happy to see you guys as well."

"Tres is still with you? Well that's good to hear," Katya said.

Raine then noticed Manylegs. "Mr. Manylegs, is that you?"

"In the flesh," Manylegs replied while getting up.

"We found him and Ludo while we were escaping," Levi explained.

"We should take them in, Raine," Star suggested while looking at Ludo, who was staring off into the distance while mumbling to himself. "Especially Ludo… I am concerned about his mental state."

"Very well, they can come with us," Raine agreed. "Is there anyone else with you?"

"Well, there was that Judd guy," Derwin mentioned.

"Yeah, he helped us escape through the sewers to avoid getting captured," Katya explained. "But then after we made it far enough from town… he just left."

"Well then, you can all come with me and Eber back to our base," Raine said. "I'll catch you all up on what has happened since your incarceration."

"There better be a good explanation for Eber being here," Boris muttered.

"Wait, Raine," Levi spoke to them, causing Raine to turn to Levi and his dad. "Me and dad need to know… what happened to Kay?"

Meanwhile, Luz and Amity had made it back to the Owl House, where Amity was checking up on Kay.

"Hey Kay, glad to see me?" Amity asked while holding her, Kay nuzzling against her.

Luz held up a box of her things. "Hooty, here's more of my comics to take through the portal door," Luz told him as Hooty stretched his neck.

"Got it, Luz," Hooty said as King walked over with a clipboard.

"Alright, me and Maurice made a list of everything that you will need to take with you to your new home in the Human Realm," King said while looking up at Luz and Amity. "It's… going to be weird to have you not around the house…"

"Hey, don't worry, King, we'll still see each other," Luz promised. "Me and Ams will still be attending Hexside next semester, after the fall."

"Oh, and Luz there is something I need to tell you," Amity said to her girlfriend. "I still want to move in with you and Camila, but it probably won't be right away. I want to make sure that my family is in a better place first before I leave and I feel like I'll probably be spending some of my time with you and your mom in the Human Realm and some of my time with my family here, splitting my time between the realms."

"Don't worry, that's fine," Luz reassured Amity. She then turned to King. "And before I leave, we can go to you-know-what together."

"Right, I am so excited for the Clawthorne family reunion!" King shouted, his tail wagging. "Especially since I am now an official Clawthorne and this will be my first family reunion ever!"

"Yeah, I'm excited too," Luz admitted. "Beo said that it's happening all week, so we will have plenty of time to meet with all kinds of family members. Plus, it'll be my first time exploring Palm Stings, so we'll be doing some sightseeing."

"Yeah! Though, I am confused about Eda not wanting to come with us," King said with a confused look. "Do you know why?"

"I think she's hung up about something, but I'm sure that she'll change her mind when we get the chance to talk to her," Luz said while turning to Amity. "So um, Amity, would you like to come as well? I understand that if you'll be busy with your family."

"Actually, I think I will go with you," Amity replied. "I already checked in with my family while you were with Camila and Gus in the Human Realm, plus it would be nice to meet the rest of your family."

"Really? Oh Ams, that's great," Luz replied while hugging her. "Now I get to show off my awesome girlfriend to everyone."

Amity smiled. "Also, this would be my first family reunion as well. My family doesn't have them because of how limited both sides of my family are… so this would be a good experience," Amity said while holding Luz's hand

"Aw, I am so jealous you guys get to go out to the reunion," Hooty complained while looking down, feeling left out. "I wish I could go to Palm Stings…"

Back at the Emperor's Castle, Belos sat alone in his throne room. He had removed his mask and he did not look pleased.

"Did you know?" he asked. He knew that he was not truly alone.

Sure enough, Abel was suddenly in front of him. His hands were placed behind his back. "Would it really make a difference if I told you?"

"Did you or did you not know?!" Belos demanded furiously.

"Now, do not take that tone with me, young man," Abel said as he pointed his finger up to Belos. "I did not teach you how to treat your elders-"

"I have no patience for your games! Tell me!" Belos shouted at him.

"...Yes," Abel confirmed. "I did know about Terra."

"Then if you knew, why didn't you tell me sooner?!" Belos shouted as he rose from his throne in anger. His lashed out at Abel, his arm devolving into a blade that he thrusted toward Abel… who vanished before the blade could touch him.

"Mind that temper of yours," Abel said while reappearing next to Belos's side as the Emperor's arm shifted back. "You know that if I told you everything, that if I gave you all the answers, then you would never learn. Terra's betrayal is meant to be a lesson to you, Belos. A lesson that even those closest to you can and will betray you." He chuckled. "Julius learned that lesson the hard way."

Belos groaned in frustration. "How could I let this happen…?"

"Because you allowed yourself to become complacent," Abel mentioned while patting Belos on the back. "Terra gave you a false sense of self-satisfaction and that blinded you to how dangerous she was to your plan."

"I will make sure to not make that mistake again," Belos said.

"I know you won't," Abel told him. "But don't beat yourself up over it too much. After all, you're only hu-"

"Do not finish that sentence!" Belos threatened as he turned toward Abel, towering over the shorter witch. But Abel didn't even flinch. Groaning, Belos turned away from Abel. "Why did this have to happen now? What if it delays the Day of Unity? I can't afford that."

"Hmm, yes, that would be a shame," Abel said. "You are my life's work, Belos. And I want to see my life's work come to fruition… just like how the Day of Unity is your life's work." Belos turned to look at Abel. "So yes, it would be a shame for you to stop now when you were so close to fulfilling it. After you have already sacrificed so much to get here. You wouldn't want that to be in vain. You wouldn't want to have nothing to show for all of your efforts and all of the blood you've spilled…"

Belos gave him a nod. "You're right, of course," he said while looking down, his fists tightening. "I can't stop now, I can't. I have to see this through."

Hearing this, Abel smiled…

Well, this chapter came out shorter than we thought it would.

Author's notes:

So me and Buck have learned that there was going to be a scene with Odalia and Camila meet in the original canon, which got cut. So we have been planning on having a flashback to Camila and Odalia's first meeting, but then we forgot. This felt appropriate to have it here.

And to confirm something else, Gus will be staying at Gravity Falls with his father for the rest of Book 2. That's right, he won't be appearing for what the events will transpire next in the Boiling Isles.

If you're surprised by Star's and Ludo's reunion, well here's an explanation. As you know, in an earlier chapter, Star has once said that she used to kick Ludo's ass. At the time, she probably wasn't a huge fan of Ludo's family since they're basically pawns of the Butterfly family. But Star was more like the "bullying older sister" to Ludo despite the fact that Ludo is older than her.

I know some of you are expecting Luz to unlock the plant spells and well, here it is with Willow's help, Luz has now unlock her plant powers. The reason why Luz learned Plant Magic now and not before, is because she hasn't been completely connected to the Isles yet. As Willow has stated, Plant Magic is more alive than the other basic types of magic. Also that we figured that this would be the right chapter for her to unlock her plant magic, rather than some grand power-up from a battle. Thought it'd be a nice twist to make it a quieter, more peaceful moment for Luz.

Now that she has all four types of spells… now what?

Some trivia:

-Introductions to Tyrone's fathers, Dirk and Grime. Both are based off of Lance and George, Bow's fathers in the She-Ra 2018 series. Dirk came from what Lance was originally going to be named after. Grime being paraplegic was something to take an interesting approach.

-Acorn falling for Tyrone is something that we thought would be funny to have, in reference to the Bow/Glimmer ship.

Now to answer reviews:

Gamelover41592: You're welcome.

Crash X Fusion: Oh don't worry, it won't be another year til we see the Boonchuys again.

OMAC001: Yup

Matteso585: 1) He's been back for a long while. 2) Yup. 3) We'll see.

Spantidem7: 1) To be determined. 2) Her hypothetical voice is Sharon Stone. 3) Taking a page from the "Titan Blessing" fic, about 10 months a year, and 37-40 days a month with 7 weeks. 4) Yes. It is said that there are times that Solaria does love her daughter, despite her anti-monster tendencies. 5) Heaven and Hell probably don't have any official representatives on the Order and any relationship is probably a tense one. Don't worry, we'll eventually find a way to get a Glinda-focus chapter, but maybe on Book 3.

Shuffollower: Well, if we had more time we'd have the epilogue end the year, but then we want to finish the Helluva Dad chapter for the new year, and we want to start LC with the appearance of the Amphibia characters, and then we would get to the epilogue for this arc. Things just happened. How long has Department A brought back the Huntsman, that's to be determined. You'll have to see what happened to the Boonchuys-Plantar-Waybright party eventually.

Alamout: 1) Yes. 2) Earth pixies are more traditional. BI pixies are much more like pests. 3) I don't know what you mean. 4) That's a pretty broad question.

Ultimate-drax: Well, Amphibia is the same world where it has some modernity over it's supposed medieval setting. I'm pretty sure them saying "fire" on call wouldn't really be an issue. This is the same series where the lore accordingly can for some reason call plates "China". Not to mean to discourage you, but just to remind you about how the lore is.

Now for round two of the Gods Q&A:

From Jack_Skeletron_4ever

For Hades and Persephone: Thank you, your answers about the kidnapping thing and the winter one clear everything up. If you don't mind me asking, how big was really the drama between Hades and Demeter, then? And what is her relationship with her grandchildren?

Persephone: "I really don't want to talk about the drama between my husband and my mother."

Hades: "Yeah, me neither."

Persephone: "As for my mother's relationship with our kids, she's actually really close with Plutus and she likes Macaria and Zagreus. As for Mel… unfortunately, she and my mother hate each other."

Hades: "If you thought me and Demeter don't get along, you should see Melinoe and Demeter go at it."

To Poseidon: So, if you didn't rape Medusa, why mortals thought you did? And why was Athena punishing Medusa included in those myths?

Poseidon: "Ever heard of a guy named Ovid? He was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was the one who added me and Athena, or more accurately our Roman equivalents, to the myths. That guy is the reason why mortals think that me and Athena are responsible for Medusa when in fact she was born a gorgon."

To Mel: Now Trini is part of the Underworld, forever trapped without a chance to return to normal. Luz may have been her murderer, but you were the one to abuse your status as a goddess until the people you hurt fought back. Trini's death and D-Josh imprisonment are mostly your fault. Do you really don't care about their fate?

Mel: "Of course I care about their fates! That's why I plan on avenging Trini and recovering D-Josh. And I am guilty of 'abusing' my status as a goddess, then so is about every god and goddess in my family!" (pauses) "Well… except for Hestia. She's the only goddess who gets along with everyone. Even I love her! That goddess is a treasure!"

To Zeus: I don't know, big guy. Mortal myths depict Hera as one to hold a grudge... I also wanted to ask why mortals think Herc is not Hera's son and she hated him specifically?

Zeus: (groans) "Okay, so this confusion started because my son was raised by two mortals, Amphitryon and Alcmene. By the time Hercules became a hero, everyone knew that he was my son, but because his adoptive mother was a mortal, everyone assumed that she was his biological mother and that I had slept with her, since I used to do that a lot and that was a lot more common that gods losing their godhood. And because people thought that he was another one of my illegitimate children, they assumed that Hera hated him. So when my son was driven mad and went on a rampage, everyone blamed Hera, believing that she had done it as revenge for me cheating on her. And unfortunately, that seemed to stick."

To Poseidon, Zeus and Hades: I also wanted to ask about your appearance. Zeus is bright like the sun, Hades is deadly pale and Poseidon looks a bit like a fish. We're those your original appearance or you transformed after taking control of the Sky, the Underworld and the Sea respectively?

Zeus: "Well, we are capable of changing our forms."

Poseidon: "Yeah, I think anyone who has read Greek mythology knows about you returning into animals to seduce women, Zeus."

Zeus: (groans) "I was referring to gods like Eros, Aphrodites's son, and Morpheus. Both have changed their appearances over the centuries. So yes, our appearances did change. Although Hades was always kinda pale."

Hades: "Sorry that I didn't get any sun in our father's stomach."

Zeus: "Oh, right…"

To Herc: Are you okay? This thing with Mac has to be crushing to you.

Hercules: "I killed my own daughter. Of course it's crushing." (sighs) "But please don't ask if I'm okay. I have been asked that question so many times…"

To Meg: I know Hades messed you up, but how do YOU feel about Hades taking care of your daughter, no string attached?

Meg: "Honestly? I hate it. I hate that the guy who made me his slave and used me to hurt my future husband got to raise my daughter. The only reason I am even remotely okay with it is because of Persephone, although I don't know what she sees in that guy. She reassured me that she wouldn't let him do anything to Mac. I still hate this arrangement, but there is nothing that I can do about it since Mac is tied to the Underworld now."

To Hades, Zeus, Hercules and Poseidon: I'm sorry you don't care much about mortal media, I'd there's good stuff out there about you. I think you would all like Record Of Ragnarok tho, is a battle manga where Gods fight Humans and you are well represented there. I mean, Hades is the coolest there.

Hades: "Hmm, I might actually have to check that out then."

To Hades and Persephone: About the Orpheus myth. I guess I remembered it wrong. One version had Dionysus acolytes rip the guy apart and his head floated in the sea still singing, but he was actually dead, so my bad. Still, why give him the order to never look behind? Wouldn't it have been simpler to just give her soul back?

Hades: "Because if it was really that easy, then everyone would come down to the Underworld to get their loved ones back! I can't just let mortals walk all over me! It would set a bad precedent!"

Persephone: "I actually have to agree with my husband. It is one of the hard parts of the job, admittedly, and I did once make the mistake of letting someone return to life. His name was Sisyphus and he was a tyrant who once trapped poor Thanatos. Before he died, Sisyphus told his wife to throw his naked corpse into the middle of the public square and after he ended up in the Underworld he complained to me this was a sign of his wife's disrespect for him, persuading me to allow him to return to the upper world so that he could scold his wife for not burying his body and giving it a proper funeral as a loving wife should. Sisyphus refused to return to the underworld, so he had to be forcibly dragged back by Hermes. You probably know Sisyphus as the guy who pushes a boulder up a hill for all eternity as his punishment. Unfortunately, the world is full of Orpheuses and Sisyphuses, people who will either beg for the return of their loved ones or will try to trick us into returning them to life."

Hades: "I know one modern Sisyphus. His name is Cups…"

To Poseidon: Okay, so your relationship with Polyphemus is good. What about your other children? Are they all good with you?

Poseidon: "Of course! Or at least I assume they're good with me. I don't really have the time to visit with them…"

From Franco Almiron

Hades, do you have any close ties with some of the royalty of Hell?

Hades: "You mean besides relationships that are purely business? Well, I like that Prince Gaap guy. We get along pretty well."

Persephone, any warnings about the overlords of Hell, like a certain Radio Demon?

Persephone: "I'm sorry, who?"

Zeus, have you met other gods from other pantheons like from Egypt, Japan, Nordic or India, and if you did, what is your relationship with them?

Zeus: "Yes, I have. And honestly, we don't really see eye-to-eye. We disagree too much."

Poseidon, i'm not sure if you have seen human media, but there is comic book about how you and the other gods fought Godzilla and lost, if Godzilla was real, would you guys won against him?

Poseidon: (laughs) "Of course we would have won! In fact, I'm willing to bet that I would be able to take on Godzilla myself, since he is a sea monster and the seas are my domain. If I fought Godzilla, I would probably chain him up like I did to Cetus before he was killed by Perseus!"

Next chapter, what you've all came waiting for...