A New World and A Mysterious Bangle
Summer. Everyone, especially children, looks forward to this time of year. 8 weeks with no school and only enjoyment. From relaxing on the beach to having fun at theme parks, everyone is eager for vacation. Some pupils at a local high school dashed out the door to prepare for their day off from school. However, one pupil left, clearly depressed.
She was a teenage girl of 16 years. She had shoulder-length blonde hair and sky-blue eyes. The girl is wearing a pink shirt decorated with black lace around the collar and sleeve ends and a keyhole neckline, black capri pants with pink stitching, sandals with black and silver straps and a pink rose at the front each, a silver heart pendant, a pearl pants chain, and a white and black belt with alternating pink and black flower buckle.
Her name is Bijou Adams. You might wonder why Bijou was depressed. Well, her extreme loneliness was one of the reasons. Her life had completely changed when she and her family moved from their urban city of Miami in Florida to this idyllic town of Gravesfield, Connecticut a few weeks ago. As for her peers, they all aspired to be doctors, lawyers, nurses, engineers, or pretty much any other profession that was seen as "contributing to society." Bijou, on the other hand, dreamed of becoming a fashion designer, a career that was viewed as "uncontributing" by both her peers and adults. Her father is another one of those individuals who disapproves of her dream and frequently advises her to go into engineering. In contrast, Bijou's mother and younger brother are more understanding and encouraging.
After walking a few blocks, Bijou finally made it to her house. She opens the door and went in. Her mother was cooking some dinner just as she came in while her brother is in the dining room, playing on his tablet. Her mother has blonde hair just like her daughter but her eyes are green instead of blue. She is wearing an apron over a coral blouse, khaki skirt, and ivory slippers. Her name is Susan.
Her younger brother also has blonde hair but is darker, shorter, and with two tufts sticking out of the front and blue eyes. He is wearing a red sweater over a white polo shirt, white socks, and black loafers. His name is Quinton.
"Hey, Bijou." Quinton greeted.
"Welcome home, dear", said Susan. "How is school?"
Bijou said, "Hi, Mom. Hey, Quin. School is okay. I guess."
She went up to her room while her mother and brother looked at each other out of worry. Bijou's room is typical for a girl her age, bunch of clothes in the closet, a vanity, a study desk, and a bunch of posters of her favorite games, movies, and fashion designers. Once inside, she plopped herself down on her bed as she began skimming through her sketchpad, which was full of fashion design rough drafts, some were shaded, others were colored.
A few minutes afterwards, her mom called her down for dinner. They were having some Salisbury steak with asparagus on the side.
"So kids, summer vacation is coming tomorrow. Do you have any plans for vacation?" asked Maria.
"I do. My friends and I are heading off to Quassy Amusement & Waterpark. Michelle's dad is gonna drive us there." Quinton spoke up before turning to his sister, "What about you, Bij? You have plans for summer?"
Bijou sighed sadly as she said, "I don't know. I haven't thought of one lately."
"How come?" Susan asked, "You look upset a while ago."
"The same thing keeps happening at school. No one wishes to be my friend. They assume that because of my interests, I have no intention of making a contribution to society. Not even the instructors are interested in my career as a fashion designer. Perhaps Dad was correct. I suppose my true calling would be engineering."
"Aww, don't worry, sis." Quinton assured her, "I'm sure you'll make a friend someday. Maybe there will be someone out there who will understand you and your interests."
"Yeah, and so what if you're weird? It doesn't always mean it's a bad thing. Just remember: Never be afraid to be yourself, even if other would say otherwise." Susan continued.
"Thanks, you guys." Bijou smiled as she was cheered up a bit.
The three of them continued eating their dinner.
The next day...
Bijou has already finished bathing her pet Australian Shepherd dog Axel. After bringing him inside the house, Bijou sat down on the steps to look at her sketchbook, wondering what she will draw next.
Just then, she heard some noise nearby. Looking around, she noticed something by the trash bins near the walkway and it was...
"An owl?" Bijou was confused, seeing a normally nocturnal animal in broad daylight.
Slowly yet surely, she approached the strange creature only for it to notice her and immediately and flew away.
"Wait! Come back!" Bijou called out to it but the owl simply flew off. She decided to follow it but not before she texted her mom on the phone.
"Mom, gonna head out for a walk. I'll be back soon."
Bijou ran after the owl, following it to an old shack at the forest. From there, she sees it going through some strange door. Beyond that door lies some strange psychedelic pattern of brown, black, green, white, and gold.
Bijou thought this was surprising. She wanted to turn away, but she ran into the door because her curiosity overcame her. Then, as the tiny owl emerges from it and is followed by Bijou, the door appears in a different world and opens. When she saw where she was, she was taken aback.
"Whoa. Am I in some kind of tent?"
That's when the door suddenly vanished and a voice was heard nearby.
It said, "Welcome back, Owlbert. What haul have you brought for me to sell today?"
Bijou moved a few steps in the direction of the voice. A middle-aged woman with wild, untamed grey hair, maroon lips, golden eyes, and ivory skin stood in front of her. Bijou, not wanting to be discovered, retreated gradually. Sadly, she knocked into a pile of stuff by mistake, and everything fell out with a loud crash.
The woman heard it, "Hello? Who's there?!"
Bijou hurriedly crawled beneath the tent from the back, knowing she would be discovered if she did not move quickly. She looks outside and realizes she is in a completely different town with different animals instead of her own world.
Walking through the town, Bijou said to herself, "This has to be a dream."
She then noticed something shiny on the ground.
"Hey, what's that?" She stopped as she picked the item up.
It is a gold bangle decorated with six heart-shaped gemstones (from left-to right: brown, white, red, blue, green, and orange).
"It's a bangle. What is it doing here?"
Bijou looked around, wondering who dropped the bangle in the middle of the street.
"I guess I should hold onto it until find its owner." Bijou said as she wore the bangle on her right wrist.
That was when Bijou heard a voice from behind her.
"Hold it right there!"
Bijou turns around to see some strange guards who wore uniforms and masks coming up to her.
One of the guards, "Don't move! You're coming with us!"
But Bijou didn't listen. She tried to get away from them but then vines started growing from underneath, trapping her. She struggled to escape but couldn't.
"Hey! Let me go!" Bijou demanded.
"Thought you might escape, huh?" one of the guards said, " Time to bring you to the Emperor."
The guard then took out a sleeping nettle, which sprayed pollen onto Bijou's face. The pollen made Bijou yawn and fall asleep.
The entire scene was witnessed by an almiraj who happened to be passing by as the strange guards took Bijou away.
The almiraj said, "Oh, that is not a good sign."
Many hours later...
In a laboratory in a large castle, Bijou was still sleeping but was now tied to a table. At that moment, a man wearing a white robe and a golden mask entered. This is Emperor Belos.
Emperor Belos looked at the sleeping girl and asked, "How is she, Captain?"
The captain said, "Your Majesty, we tried to wake this girl up once we got here but she stayed unconscious for 18 hours. Should we wake her up and interrogate her?"
Emperor Belos thought for a moment and then said, "That won't be necessary. Request this human girl to be transferred to the Conformatorium."
The captain saluted and said, "Yes, sir!"
At that moment, another guard ran into the laboratory experiment and said, "Emperor Belos, we have discovered the Owl Lady. She is in the market."
"Good. Everyone go out and capture her." Emperor Belos said.
The guards saluted and left the laboratory.
The confused captain said, "But what about the human?"
Emperor Belos said, "We will deal with her later. Right now, the Owl Lady is our top priority."
"Very well." The Captain sighed.
He then followed the Emperor out of the laboratory, leaving Bijou alone. Just then, something came jumping through the window. It was the same almiraj who witnessed Bijou's abduction and he was panting exhaustedly.
"Phew, that was a long jump. I feel like my legs are gonna wear themselves out tonight."
He hopped over to Bijou after noticing her and said, "Hey! Are you okay?! Say something!"
Bijou began to slowly wake up. But when she saw a single-horned bunny in front of him, she got surprised.
Bijou yelled, "Whoa! A bunnycorn!?"
The almiraj quickly covers her mouth.
He said, "Shh! Quiet! We don't want any of those guards to hear us. Also, I'm not just a bunnycorn. I'm an almiraj."
Bijou looks around the room to take a look at her surroundings.
"Where am I? What is this place?" She asked.
The almiraj responds, "You're in some sort of isolation room. Those guys seem to keep their captives here for some time."
"And I'm guessing I'm one of them?"
"You sure are. And don't worry, kid. I'll get you out of here. It might take a few minutes."
The almiraj used his horn to cut through Bijou's bindings. And just like he said, it took him a few minutes but, at last, Bijou was finally free.
"Thanks. Now, I need to get out of here and get back home."
She began to walk out of the room, but the almiraj jumped right in front of her.
"Hold on! Can you at least take me with you?"
"Why?" the human girl asked.
"Well, I figured since you are new to this place, you would someone to teach you. So, can you please let me tag along?" The almiraj pleaded.
Bijou thought about it and then complied, "Okay, little almiraj. You can come with me."
"Thank you!" The almiraj jumped onto Bijou's shoulder and replied, "My name is Hazel, by the way."
"I'm Bijou Adams."
"Nice to meet you." Said Hazel.
"You, too." Replied Bijou, "Now come on, let's blow this popsicle stand."
•°•°•○•°•°•
The two new companions dashed out of the isolation room. They tried to stay out of sight as they ran through the castle hallway.
"Hey, Hazel. Can you tell me what this place is?" Asked Bijou.
Hazel replied, "This is the castle of Emperor Belos."
"Emperor Belos?"
"He's the ruler of the Boiling Isles. And from the way he caught you, he is not a very nice man."
"Oh my."
"Stop right there!"
They both turn around to see a coven scout running towards them. Bijou and Hazel ran quickly until they finally lost the coven scout.
At another hallway, Hazel noticed something on the ground in front of them.
They then noticed a few guards approaching them. They quickly hid in another room that was filled with various treasures, ranging from jewelry to weapons to old tomes. Bijou was awed by them. "What is this room?"
"Treasure Room. It's where are all the relics that Belos collected over the years were kept and safeguarded." Hazel answered with a smile.
"Interesting," Bijou said.
Hearing no footsteps outside, they opened the door and discovered that the coast is clear. The two dashed out, and as they continued their way through the hall, they noticed a door.
"There it is. The castle's main door," Hazel said as they ran towards it.
"Just a hop, skip, and jump and we're finally home free!" Bijou exclaimed.
Just then, they turned around to see more guards approaching.
"The prisoner is escaping; get her! Catch that almiraj, too!" said one of the guards.
Bijou and Hazel continued running until they reached the door. Bijou noticed a nearby lever. She pulled it and opened the door. Bijou and Hazel took off when they saw a metal bridge crossing a wide gorge to a ledge.
But as they reaches the end, the bridge was starting to retract. Looking back, they see one of the Coven Guards had pulled the switch back.
Bijou quickly realized one thing that could possibly help them get over to the opposite ledge.
"We've got no choice, Hazel. Get ready to jump!" she exclaimed as the two ran along the retracting bridge and jumped off its edge. Fortunately, Bijou was able to grasp the ledge. She then hoisted herself to her feet.
"Phew. Made it," Bijou exclaimed, panting.
"Safe at last." Hazel breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good thinking, Bijou."
"Thank you, Hazel. Now let's get out of here before more of those guys show up." Bijou responded.
They both bolted from the castle.
•°•°•○•°•°•
Back inside the castle...
A guard entered the throne room.
"Emperor Belos." He went on to say, "The prisoner has escaped!"
"What?!"
"The human girl broke out and escaped from the castle. Shall we go after her?" The guard asked.
"No. We will let her go for now. But when the time is right, we shall capture her again and make sure she will wish she had never messed with us." Emperor Belos calmly replied.
•°•°•○•°•°•
Bijou and her new friend, Hazel the almiraj, made their way through the Boiling Isles after fleeing Emperor Belos' castle. They'd just returned to town, the same one Bijou had stumbled into. They're back in the market.
"So, Bijou, I have one thing to ask: where do you come from by the way?" asked Hazel.
"Well, Hazel, this might sound crazy, but I actually come from another world." Bijou replied.
"Hmm. I guess that explains why your ears are so different." Hazel murmured.
"Yes, I am a human," Bijou confirmed. "Humans like me have round ears."
"So, what's the name of this town?" Bijou then inquired.
"This is Bonesborough. A lot of demons and creatures reside here. We are currently in the market district." Hazel chimed in.
"Excuse me?"
A humanoid salesman approached the duo.
"Would you like to buy these enchanted teeth?" the salesman inquired. He displays some chattering teeth. This made Bijou a little nervous.
"Um, I think I'll pass, sir," Bijou replied before she and Hazel scurried away.
As the two were walking away from the salesman, they noticed a commotion at another stand. They saw a swarm of monsters crowding around a tent bidding on a television. Bijou recognized the owner of the stand as she was about to be caught by her. She was surprised to see another human girl with her. She appeared to be Dominican-American and a few years younger than Bijou.
"Wow. Looks like you're not the only human that came here." Hazel said.
"Yeah, that girl looks familiar; she goes to the same school as me," Bijou said, turning to face the middle-aged woman. "But who is that lady with her?"
"I've seen her before. That's Edalyn Clawthorne, but most people call her Eda the Owl Lady." Hazel responded with a grin, "Everyday, she would set up this 'Human Collectibles' stand to sell different kinds of junk to these customers."
"I guess that explains why she had that owl rummaging through trash." Bijou chimed in. "Maybe I should ask her about the bangle I found yesterday."
"Busted!"
Bijou and Hazel turned around to see a swarm of guards encircling the Human Collectibles stand. One of them shattered a television. The customers all fled the scene. Eda leapt from a table she was standing on. One of the guards was holding a wanted poster that has Eda and some small creature on it.
"Eda the Owl Lady, you are wanted for misuse of magic and demonic misdemeanors." The police officer said.
"Whoa! Witch criminal!" exclaimed the young girl.
"You are hereby ordered to come with me to the Conformatorium." said the officer in charge.
"Would you guys quit following me around? I haven't done squat." Eda rasped.
Another guard grabbed the girl by the hood, causing her to scream. "And you're coming, too, for fraternizing with a criminal," the second guard said.
When another guard turned around, he noticed Bijou.
"Hey, isn't that the human we captured yesterday?" He asked.
"I thought she was back in the castle," the second guard explained.
"She must have escaped; let's get her and take her with Eda and the other human!" exclaimed the third guard.
"Oh, alright, alright, you win," Eda defended, holding up her hands. "Just let me get my stuff," she said as she bent down, grabbed her staff, and smacked the guard across the face with it.
As a result, he let go of the younger human and landed on his back. Eda spun her staff around and tapped it on the ground.
Eda used her magic to collect all of her belongings into a sack.
"Whoops. Can't forget this." Eda says as she clicks her key, transforming the door into a briefcase. "Follow me, you three!"
She dashed off with the two girls, Hazel still on the Bijou's shoulder.
"We can trust Eda, right?" Hazel inquired.
"As if we had another choice. Those guards are already after me." Bijou said.
"This is crazy! If I die here, mom will kill me!" the younger human cried.
"That goes for my mom, too," Bijou added. "And my dad!"
"Don't worry. I won't let them hurt any of you. Besides humans are more valuable to me alive than dead." Eda replied.
"What are you even saying?" Bijou inquired, perplexed. Eda snatches both girls onto her staff and takes off just as two more guards arrive.
"You won't get away with this, Owl Lady," he said, pausing to examine his hands. "Yeah, all right. You did. You got away with it. She got away with it, everybody! Typical," he said to no one in particular before walking away defeatedly.
The four flew through the sky. Both the almiraj and the human girls has their eyes closed.
"You can open your eyes now," Eda instructed.
They opened their eyes to see the staff's perspective.
"Wow!" exclaimed Bijou.
"Quite a nice view from up here," Hazel said.
"Flying staffs, crazy monsters, you're a witch! What is this place?" the younger human inquired.
"This is the Boiling Isles. Every myth you humans have is caused by a little of our world leaking into yours." said Eda.
"And when you said every myth, you mean-" Said Bijou before Eda interrupted.
"Every myth, kiddo."
A griffin swooped down on them. "Hey, a griffin," the younger human said. Spiders were spit out by the griffin.
"And it spits out spiders?" Bijou was horrified.
"I knew it!" exclaimed the younger human before turning to face Bijou.
"Yep. Griffins, vampires, almirajes, giraffes," Eda counted off, confusing them both on the last one.
"Giraffes?" "They used to live here?"
"Oh, yeah. We banished those guys." They landed in a forest. "Bunch of freaks."
The staff falls to the ground, and Eda leaps away, leaving her hand behind. Luz and Bijou both freaked out when they saw her hand move on its own as they exited.
"Oops, that happens sometimes," Eda said as he reattached her hand to where it had been removed.
"Well, we've had enough adventure for today," Luz said anxiously as she stood up. "This is clearly not the PG fantasy world I always imagined," she said to Eda, whose staff had returned to normal.
"So, can you help us get back home?" Eda asked, pointing to Luz with her staff. "Only if you help me first," she laughed and walked away, her sack floating over her. "Ah, now, come along, humans."
"Hmm... I've seen you at school many times, especially during lunch. Were you the one who always brought that big sketch pad to school?" She asked.
"Yep... that's me." Bijou replied as she giggled nervously, "And you're the one who released those snakes in the hallway, right?"
"Guilty as charged." The younger human declared without regrets, "Oh, and I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Luz Noceda."
"Nice to meet you, Luz. My name is Bijou Adams." Bijou stuck out her hand and the two offered each other a handshake.
"And I'm Hazel. I'm an almiraj." Hazel greeted.
The three arrived at a large house.
"Is this where you live?" Bijou inquired.
"Yes," Eda replied.
"Aren't you worried about those guards finding us?" Luz inquired, concerned.
"Nope," Eda said. "My house has a cutting-edge defense system," they say as they approach the door with an owl's face on it.
"Hoot-hoot! Password, please!" said the face, poking Eda in the eyes.
"We got no time for this, Hooty. Let us in." Eda said with a grin.
"All right, all right! Geez! You never want to have any fun! Ow! Hoot!" exclaimed the face, now named Hooty.
He then opens his mouth so far that it covers the entire door. They all went through. Hooty then closes his mouth before letting out a burp.
"Welcome to the Owl House," Eda said as she snapped her fingers, causing all of the lights and candles inside the house to light up. Luz, Bijou, and Hazel were stunned by the inside. "...where I hide from the pressures of modern life. Also the cops. Mm, also ex-boyfriends," Eda joked.
"This place is lovely," Luz said.
"No kidding! I could get used to this," Hazel said.
"Quick question, Eda: Do you live here all by yourself?" Bijou asked.
Then, there was a rumble.
"I actually have a roommate," Eda replied. A large shadow passed through the hall.
As the footsteps approached, the three braced themselves.
"Who dares to intrude upon me, the King of Demons?" The deep voice became a little squeakier as they stared at the same creature from Eda's wanted posters. He was holding a rubber duck while wearing a duck/heart towel around his head and waist. When he squeezed it, the two gasped. When they saw him, their eyes glowed.
"Ay, que lindo!" Luz grabbed him and hugged him.
Bijou came over to her side.
"Il est si mignon." She cooed.
"Eda, he's so cute. Who's a widdle guy? Who's a widdle guy? Is it you? Is it you?" Luz lovingly asked the small creature.
"No!" He wiggled his arms out of the embrace. "I don't know who your little guy is! Eda, who are these monsters?!"
"Let me take a picture!" Bijou took a picture of him with her phone.
"You don't look like a king." Hazel hopped over, "You look kinda short for one."
"Silence, peasant!" King exclaimed, "You oughta show respect to your king!"
"Hey! I'm no peasant. And stop calling yourself 'king.'" Hazel argued back.
"Oh, these are the humans, Luz and Bijou," Eda said as she yanked them away from King. "And this almiraj's name is Hazel. They're here to help us with our little... situation."
"Oh, hooray!" he exclaimed, as Luz put him down.
"Wait, wait, wait, I don't like the sound of this 'situation,'" she finished with air quotes.
"Yeah, what exactly are we supposed to do then?" Bijou asked.
"Just...let me explain," Eda said, twirling her hands in a circle and flashing them back.
"King was once a mighty king of demons, until his crown of power was stolen, and he became...this."
"You mean this little bundle of joy?" Luz asked with a smile.
"Uh... I think you're exaggerating here, Eda," Hazel said skeptically before Bijou shushes him.
"The crown is being held by the evil Warden Wrath, and is locked away behind a magical force field that only a human, like you two, can break through." The two exchanged skeptical glances before the flashback faded away. "If you both help us retrieve his crown, we'll send you back to your realm, so what do you say? Plus, who could say no to this cute face?" She held up King, moving her fingers around his cheeks.
"No! Please don't encourage them," he begged before she dropped him.
"I mean, we're kinda your only way home," Eda observed.
"Right," Bijou gave Eda's words some thought.
"So we don't really have a choice, do we?" Luz confirmed.
"Nope! Now, we've got no time to lose," Eda said, placing Luz over her shoulder, grabbing Bijou's arm with her free hand, and walking away with them, Hazel on Bijou's shoulder. King retrieved his rubber duck.
"Soon, Mr. Ducky, we shall drink the fear of those who mocked us," he said before sprinting after the four.
"Where are we going?" Luz inquired, intrigued.
"Somewhere super fun."
•°•°•○•°•°•
"You call this fun? It's more like dark and depressing." Bijou deadpanned. "Also, what is this place?"
"The Conformatorium, a place for those considered unsuitable for society." Said Eda.
The two humans then noticed Eda's wanted poster.
"Whoa. These guys sure really have the hots for you." She said.
"Yep, but we we were never caught because we're too slippery," said Eda with a laugh.
"Try to catch me when I'm covered in grease; I'm a squirmy little fella," King said as he slipped off Luz's head.
"Uh, guys? You might wanna look at this," Bijou said, holding up a wanted poster of herself and Hazel.
"Wow, we escaped the Emperor's castle a few hours ago and we're already wanted by the lawmakers." Hazel murmured.
"Okay, wanted posters aside, what do you think we should do?" Bijou asked.
"So here's the plan. Luz, you, Bijou, Hazel, and I will sneak up to the top of the tower, where they're holding my crown." King said.
"And I'm gonna make sure the warden's distracted," Eda chimed in.
Luz gasped in excitement. "Will we need disguises?!"
"Uhh..." Eda glanced away awkwardly, unsure as to how to answer that question. She looked to Bijou and Hazel, who simply shrugged as they were unsure themselves.
"I've been waiting to use this!" Luz exclaimed as she pulled up her hood, revealing cat eats on top of them. "Meow, meow."
"It's hideous," King said, complimenting her.
"You'll fit right in," Eda added.
"What about you, Bij?" Luz looked up at her friend, who rubbed her chin.
"Got anything for me, Eda?" Bijou asked.
"Hmm. I think I do," Eda spun around her staff and then slammed it onto the ground to emanate a yellow light underneath the four. Some of it surrounded Bijou to give her a black hooded cloak over her clothes. Hazel is completely covered by the cloak's hood.
Eda then stepped back. "Hang on tight."
It surprised all three of them by lifting them off the ground. It carried them over to a window, where it dropped as soon as they got there. Bijou yelped and grabbed the sill, with Luz grabbing her foot, King clutching Luz's shirt. and Hazel holding onto King's tail.
"Boy, that was close." Hazel sighed in relief.
"Be quiet, peasant!" King exclaimed.
"You be quiet!" countered Hazel.
"Cut it out, you two!" Bijou said.
Eda then hopped on her staff after activating it.
"Meet you guys at the top of the tower," she said as she flew away, King crawling over the two to enter. Bijou climbed inside, dragging Luz along with her, both of them collapsing on the floor.
"Ha ha, cats don't do that." King laughed before the two human girls got up.
Luz gasped and Bijou followed her gaze, her mouth open. In front of them was a room filled with cells, all of which were occupied by residents of the Boiling Isles. They took a step up to the edge, looking around.
"Hey, cat lady and Miss Dark Arts. How'd you get out of your cells?" a female prisoner inquired from behind them.
"Oh, no, no, no. I'm not a cat," Luz corrected, pulling her hood down. "And my friend here is not into dark magic. Plus, we're not criminals."
"Not yet, you're not," King said. "But Bijou already is."
"Well, neither are we. The stupid warden likes to lock up people who don't fit in. Like, I write fan fics about food falling in love," she opens a book to show a couple of pages. "I like food, I like love. Just let me write about it!"
"How intriguing." Hazel commented. "I'm here because I like eating my own eyes," a male prisoner said, pulling out his eye and eating it, but it returned to the socket from which it was pulled out.
"Uh huh..." Bijou trailed off, trying hard not to gag.
"We are agents of fwee expwession! They will never siwence us!" proclaimed a small white humanoid creature with red hair.
"Yeah, she's really big into conspiracy theories," the authoress said, rolling her eyes while pointing to the small white humanoid.
"The world is a simuwation! We are but pwaythings for a higher being!"
"Wait," Luz interjected, feeling sorry for them. "These aren't crimes; none of you did anything wrong."
Her eyes widened as she pulled out Eda's wanted poster.
"You're all just a bunch of weirdos. Like us."
"Luz is right. I know I'm all about staying true to myself but you don't see me getting punished and locked up for it." Bijou chimed in as she pulled her hood down.
"Arrested for exercising free expression? That's an outrage," Hazel agreed.
The room shook as heavy footsteps approached, each one accompanied by a loud, thunderous thud.
"What is that?" Bijou inquired slowly and fearfully.
"It's Warden Wrath. Hide," warned the authoress prisoner.
Luz yelped as they looked around and noticed a vacant cell nearby. They dashed inside it one by one, slamming the doors shut, Luz dropping the wanted poster.
When the door opened, there stood a tall man wearing a doctor's mask and robe.
"I can hear you," he growled, eliciting whimpers from the two girls. Luz cradled King for comfort. He took a step into the room.
"Just what are you fools whispering about?" he asked, looking down at the dropped poster.
"Oh, the Owl Lady," he grunted as he picked it up and crushed it.
Then, his hand transformed into a hammer and slammed the cell door, startling the four.
"I'll get my hands on her soon enough."
He turned to face Luz, and even King and Hazel appeared to be scared.
"Fight against the oppwessor! We will wesist! We will conquer! We will never be afwaid of you, you old cweep!" exclaimed the conspiracy theorist.
Wrath quietly opened her cell door.
"Hooway! I'm fwee," she exclaimed before being grabbed by the warden and silenced.
"Let this be a lesson to all of you," he warned the other inmates nearby. "There's no place in society for you if you can't fit in."
He squeezed the prisoner slightly, causing her to whimper. Bijou furrowed her eyebrows at him, furious at how he was treating people. He then stomped away with her, the door closing behind him. Luz, Bijou, Hazel, and King exited the cell and approached the authoress.
"Don't worry, we can get you out," Luz said, but she couldn't even move the lever to let them out. Bijou grabbed the other end and they pulled together, but it was like pushing an elephant.
"No! My weak nerd arms." Luz cried out in distress.
"The lever must be too strong." Hazel pointed out.
"Just get out of here while you still can, guys," said the authoress solemnly. "Enjoy your freedom for us."
Bijou frowned deeply, and she and Luz walked away sadly. It bothered them that they couldn't do anything to help. Eda flew in next to them as they walked down a corridor together.
"Hey. I just checked," she said as she jumped off the staff and landed next to them. "The warden is distracted, tormenting some tiny creature. He won't be coming around here anytime soon."
Luz ignored Eda and walked right past her, perplexing the woman. She looked at Bijou and Hazel, who were just shaking their heads and walking after their friends. They arrived at the door labeled 'Contraband'.
"My crown! It's close; I can feel its power," he exclaimed as he ran over to the door and began clawing at it. Then he jumped up and attempted to open the door by wiggling the doorknob.
"Aww, he gets so cute when he's thirsty for power," Eda said with a smile.
"It's not fair that they're all in here," Luz said abruptly. "They just want to be themselves. Why does everyone think that being a weirdo is so bad?"
Hazel sighed as he said, "It's unfair when the law is against freedom of expression."
Eda didn't respond because King yanked the doorknob off the door. He squealed with delight and pushed open the door, racing inside.
"Come on," she sighed as she walked over to the door. "Before he hurts himself."
A crack could be heard from inside the room.
"Ow!" King flinched in pain.
Inside was nothing more than a column of light, which King had run into because he couldn't get in. He rubbed his eyes and tried to ram himself inside, but he just bounced off it. Eda smiled as she bowed down to him.
"We have humans, remember?" Eda said.
"Oh yeah." King realized.
"I'll stay here." Hazel remarked.
The two girls took a deep breath and extended their hands into the pillar. Then they stepped in completely, revealing piles of confiscated items accumulated over the years. A gleaming golden crown sat atop the one in front of them.
Luz got a better look at it. "Wait a second. Is that a..."
They returned with a Burger Queen crown...the kind you could get with a meal there. Needless to say, they weren't thrilled that they had to go through all of this trouble for a paper crown.
"Wait, this is the crown we were supposed to find?" Hazel was confused at what they found.
"It's my crown!" exclaimed King as he grabbed it and placed it on his head.
"Yes. Yes! I can feel my powers returning! You, there, nightmare critter. I'll call you Francois, and you shall be a minion in my army of darkness. Ha-ha," he said, picking up a nearby stuffed rabbit.
"That crown doesn't give him any powers, does it?" asked Luz.
"Uh, no," Eda responded, drawing a glare from Bijou and Luz.
"This quest is disappointing. All for a paper crown that came a fast-food joint?" Bijou said.
"Yeah! What a ripoff!" Hazel exclaimed as he climbed onto Bijou's shoulder.
"Just look at us. King and I don't have much in this world. We only have each other. So if that dumb crown is important to him, it's important to me. And besides, us weirdos have to stick together, you know?" Eda said.
Bijou's eyes widen as Eda finished her sentence. She had never considered it in that light before.
"Well, we owe you one," Eda said as Warden Wrath and a few guards appeared behind her.
"Too late," he said. He fashioned his hand into a blade and severed Eda's head. Luz grabs it. This made her, Bijou, and Hazel scream in fear.
"Ow! Oh, I hate it when that happens," Eda's head exclaimed. This only exacerbated Luz, Bijou, and Hazel's screams.
"Eda! Are you okay?" Luz asked, still clutching Eda's head.
"Yeah, this just happens as you get older," Eda replied.
"Did that even hurt?" Bijou asked, Hazel hiding behind her neck.
"A little," Eda said.
"Finally, I have you cornered, Eda the Owl Lady," the warden said as he stepped over to King and snatched his crown.
"My guards could never get you," he said as he walked over to the three, the King jumping up and down in futile attempts to reclaim his throne.
"But I knew if I took your pet's toy, you'd come running," he said before crushing the paper crown.
"No! My power!" cried King, falling to his knees as Hazel comforted him.
"What do you want with me? I've never actually broken any of your stupid laws. In front of you." Eda replied.
"I want you... to go out with me," Wrath said, pulling out a bouquet of flowers.
"Wha...?" Eda inquired.
"What?" Luz was perplexed.
"All this for a date?" Bijou asked, perplexed, as Hazel gagged in disgust.
"Go, boss!" exclaimed one guard as another gave him a thumbs up, to which Wrath responded.
"You've always eluded our capture. You've always been the one who got away. I found that alluring." Wrath said to Eda.
"I hate everything you're saying right now," Luz said as Bijou nodded.
"Yeah, Eda wouldn't go out with you if you were the last man standing."
"You stay out of this!" the Warden exclaimed, tossing the bouquet and transforming his arm into tentacles. He swung his arm at Luz.
"Watch out!" Bijou yelled as she came in between Luz and Wrath's arm. Reflexively raising her arms, a bright light suddenly shone between them. Everyone in the room is blinded by the flash until they saw that Bijou inadvertently created a shield made out of light.
"Whoa!" Luz was awed by this spectacular feat.
"Did I do that?" Bijou wondered as the shield vanished.
'A shield?' Eda thought before she noticed the bangle on Bijou's wrist. 'What is that?'
"You must be Emperor Belos' little prisoner. I see that you ended up with the Owl Lady. A lucky coincidence, I must say." Said Warden wrath before he then tossed Bijou aside.
"Bijou!" shouted Luz as Warden Wrath grabs her
"Hang in there!" shouted Hazel as he hopped over to her.
Warden Wrath then turned to Eda's severed head.
"How about it, Owl Lady?" He grabbed her head by the hair as the two girls struggled free of his grasp. "The most powerful with of the Boiling Isles and the feared Warden Wrath. We'd be the strongest power couple ever. I mean, it—it's not like you can say 'no' right now."
She raised her eyes to Luz struggling to free herself from Warden Wrath's tentacles, before shifting to Bijou being helped up by Hazel, and lastly to King, who was restrained by the other guards. Eda then let out a defeated sigh.
"Alright, Warden. You win. I'd just like to say something first. Come closer." He drew her head closer. "No. Just come a little bit closer. Just...yeah, that's good."
When she was close enough, she blew a raspberry into his face, distracting him long enough for him to drop the girl. She laughed as he wiped his face.
"Impudent wench. Don't you know how many germs are in your mouth? Blegh!"
"Get over it," she replied with a smirk. "You had your guards stalk me and then, you cut off my head. I am not going out with you."
"If you don't accept, then I have no choice but to-" Eda's staff knocked him upside the head, and he fell over. Bijou and Luz were revealed to be holding it once he was down. Luz appeared terrified, whereas Bijou appeared firm and determined.
"Nice," Eda said as two guards loomed over her. Her headless body appeared between them, and she grabbed their hoods and pulled them over their heads.
"Okay, we're going!" Luz ran over and grabbed the head, while Eda's body grabbed King and Hazel. Bijou grabbed the staff and they took off running.
As they sat, Luz clutched the staff. "Expecto flying? Magicusescapius."
"Eda, how do we get this stick to fly?" Bijou exclaimed, looking over herself in panic. Eda narrowed her eyes as the Warden began to awaken.
"Gun it, magic stick."
The Warden stood up as the staff took off into the air.
"Owl Lady, I won't let you get away again!" He summoned tentacles from both arms and moved forward with them. They flew around the corner, Luz yelping as he pursued them. She then noticed the gate lever.
"Eda, Bij, lend me a hand or two," Luz said, and they put their hands together.
They released all the prisoners, bursting out the door with the Warden close behind. The Warden used his tentacles to knock them off course as they descended towards the ground. The four crashed on the ground.
"Ow!" exclaimed Bijou as she rubbed her leg.
"Ow, my bones!" exclaimed King as Eda repositioned her head on her body.
"Luz, Bijou, return to the human world," Eda said as she took the portal key from her hair and handed it to them.
"What about you guys?" Luz inquired.
"If you think this guy is bad, you shoulda seen her last boyfriend!" said the King.
"Not my boyfriend," Eda said as she and King resisted Wrath's attack. Eda rushes over to add Luz, Bijou, and Hazel to the team. "Go, go!"
"Wait, I have one more question for you." Bijou called out.
"No time."
"But we-" Eda smacked it from behind, and it flew away, leaving them behind.
The Warden removed his mask, revealing no face but a purple fanged mouth. He exhaled fire at Eda, who was spinning a circle with her finger. The fire flew in, and she formed another circle to reflect it back. It knocked the Warden off his feet as he collided with the wall.
Bijou paused the staff, causing it to float in mid-air. She, Luz, and Hazel were all looking down on the fight. The Warden stood up, summoning more axes in his hands and sprinting towards Eda. The three previous prisoners were just watching from the hole he dug.
"Ah, there's no way they're going to handle that guy on their own; we need them on our side," Bijou said, looking over her shoulder. Luz appeared to be thinking along the same lines.
"But Eda told us to go back," Hazel objected.
"I know that, Hazel. But we're not going to abandon someone who is in desperate need of help."
"Get us back down," Luz said, and Bijou obliged. The two arrived safely.
"Why are you just standing there?" Luz asked the three inmates. "This is your chance to escape."
"The warden will catch us, as he always does," the multi-eyed man said sadly.
"We belong here," added the authoress.
"Self-doubt is a pwison you can never escape fwom," the conspiracy theorist explained, a black eye now on her face.
"So, you have a different way of doing things, a different way of seeing this. That might make you weird, but it also makes you awesome. Don't you see?" Luz said to the two of them.
The authoress couldn't help but wonder, "Why are you helping us?"
"An owl lady once said, 'us weirdos have to stick together.'" Replied Bijou.
"They're right. Nobody deserves punishment for being who they are." Hazel added in as he and the girls jumped onto the staff.
"Now, let's get 'em!" Luz cried out.
"Yeah!" The three ran inmates behind them.
When King was thrown, Eda landed on the ground and caught him. She raised her gaze to the Warden as he approached her.
"No more running away, Owl Lady. Today I capture you once and for all." He lifted the axes above his head, and King whimpered, hugging Eda's arm.
"Go, go, go, go!" Luz yelled as the three inmates, followed by the two girls, tackled the Warden.
"Bijou? Luz?" Eda inquired, surprised.
"I ate my own eye!" exclaimed the multi-eyed man, pushing the Warden back.
"I think the world is a twiangle!" exclaimed the conspiracy theorist, tripping him up with her body.
The authoress then clutched his shirt. "And I practice the ancient art of fan fiction!"
The multi-eyed man bound the Warden's tentacles before turning him over.
"You. Who do you think you are?" he demanded of the girls as they descended, both holding the staff.
"Do not underestimate us, Warden Wrath, for we are Luz the human, warrior of peace..." Luz declared.
"Bijou the human, warrior of love," Bijou continued.
"And Hazel the almiraj, warrior of hope." Hazel finished.
"Now eat this, sucka!" yelled Luz as she pulled out a firework and tossed it into the air. She jumped up and swung it like a baseball bat into the Warden's mouth.
Bijou slid along the ground, rubbing a match against the ground, causing the sparks to light it up. She set off the fireworks, which exploded. Fireworks were launched into the air.
"That was actually one of her better breakups." King replied.
"Not a breakup. Anyway, let's bounce before any more monsters fall in love with me." Eda murmured.
"Agreed. Let's get out of here!" Hazel exclaimed.
The five took off, leaving behind the firework display.
•°•°•○•°•°•
At the Owl House...
"Wow, Bijou. You were amazing." Luz commented with glee. "How did you call out that light shield to protect us from Wrath?"
Bijou shrugged uncertainly, "I don't know. It must have been out of reflex."
"Well, a deal's a deal. Let's get you two home." Eda said as she snapped her fingers and the portal door unfolded and opened. The two humans approach it. Hazel remained on Bijou's shoulder. Luz and Bijou both looked at Eda and King, who both had a sad expression on their faces. Bijou also looked at Hazel, who was also sad.
"Before we go," Luz said, reaching into her back and pulling out her Azura figure and removing the crown. She then presents it to King. "I know it's not the same, but a king shouldn't be without a crown."
"This shall suffice," said the King as he accepted the crown and placed it on his head. "You there, plant! You are now under my command."
"Oh, and don't forget this." Eda said as she took out an Azura book and a pamphlet about a reality check summer camp and handed them to Luz, who accepted them.
Bijou and Luz both approached the door. Bijou began to consider her options. She could return to the human realm and live her normal life, but she wants to explore more of the Boiling Isles and learn more about the bangle she discovered and whether or not it was connected to the shield she accidentally created. She made her decision at that point.
"I guess this is it," Hazel said sadly. "Goodbye, new friend."
"Actually, my sweet little nut. I am not leaving this place just yet." Bijou declared.
Luz, Hazel, Eda, and King were taken aback.
"Bijou?" Luz gasped.
"Really?!" Hazel inquired.
Yes. I do want to go home, but I figured I could stay here a little longer. I don't have many friends back home, and I've always been singled out and dismissed because of my 'non-contributing dream.' But when I came here and got caught by those guards, I got the chance to meet all of you." Bijou explained.
This made Hazel smile, and Luz was moved after learning about Bijou's ordeal in the human realm.
"You know what, Bijou? I'm staying, too. I know you got your head cut off, and we started some kind of prison riot, but this was the most fun I've ever had." she said.
Eda was taken aback by what the two human girls said.
"Me and Bijou don't fit in at home. You don't fit in here. If we both stay, we could not fit in together. I'm not going back to summer camp," Luz said, crumpling up the pamphlet.
"What's summer camp? What are we talking about here?" Eda inquired, laughing.
"I want to stay and become a witch, like you and Azura," Luz said as she handed Eda the book.
"What? Alright, that's crazy," Eda replied. "Humans cannot become witches."
"Maybe that's because they haven't tried. If you teach me how to become a witch, I'll do anything you want." Luz, said winking at the Owl Lady.
"Let them stay," King gripped Eda's dress. "They can make us snacks!"
"Well, I could use a hand or two keeping this goofball out of the cupboards," Eda said as she snatched him into her arms. "Alright, I'll teach you how to be a witch, but you have to work for me first. Deal?" She extended her hand, and Luz hugged them.
"What's going on?"
"Too tight, too tight."
"Let me bring this in," Hazel said, adding a hug.
Bijou said nothing but smiled as she entered the hug.
Bijou and Hazel were in one of the Owl House's rooms. Bijou was fortunate to have a bed in the room.
"By the way, Hazel, why did you help me out?" Bijou inquired.
"To be honest, I just noticed you getting taken away by those guards and figured you needed some help," Hazel replied. "Before we met, I was living out here in the Boiling Isles by myself, though I visit my nest every now and then." I don't have many close friends. People assumed that my species was solitary. That is why so many people avoid me."
The almiraj's words surprised Bijou. It was obvious to her that Hazel was similar to her.
"Wow. I guess we have a lot in common. Say, why don't you stay with us?" Bijou asked.
"Really? You want to be friends with me?" Hazel inquired.
"Of course. We are both on the same page when it comes to being cast out. And besides, it's just like Eda said: 'Us weirdos have to stick together.' Plus, I still need a guide to help navigate the Boiling Isles." Bijou added.
Hazel smiled, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Thank you," he said as he hopped into her arms as they hugged.
A knock on the door was heard. Luz pushed open the door.
"Can I come in?" she inquired.
"Sure thing, Luz," Bijou replied as Luz entered her room. Hazel leapt from her arms and landed on the bed.
"I know I haven't asked this question to you but... Have we met back in the human world?" asked Luz.
Bijou began to think before coming up with an answer.
"Well, I don't believe we officially met, but I think I have seen you in that cheerleading tryouts and in that Romeo & Juliet play back at school." she said.
"Oh, yeah, I think those were impressive tricks," Luz chuckled.
"Yeah, and creepy at the same time," Bijou continued before asking. "By the way, Luz, how did you get here in the first place?"
"Well, my mama wanted to send me to Reality Check Summer Camp. She wants me to 'balance checkbooks' and appreciate public radio'. She said that she wants to meet real friends. Then, when I put my Azure book into the trash bin, this tiny owl took it. I followed it and that's when I ended up here. And I think that's when I met Eda and then you," Luz went on to say.
"Wait. Doctor Camila was going to send you to summer camp just so you could experience normalcy?" Bijou inquired, her eyes widening.
"Yes, but to be honest, that's not at all me," Luz admitted, her face glum. "Mom wanted me to go there to learn mundane things in life like balancing checkbooks and appreciating public radio. And none of that appeals to me. I enjoy putting anime clips to music and reading fantasy novels with complicated backstories."
"You said your mother wants you to make real friends, right?" asked Bijou, to which Luz nodded.
"Well, maybe I can be your first human friend." the older girl offered.
"Really?" Luz asked with a smile.
"Yeah. We're both outcasts at home, with disparate interests. I also find your tricks in the tryouts and the play a little amusing," Bijou said, making Luz laugh.
Luz smiled and ran over to Bijou, giving her a big hug.
"Thanks, Bij." Luz said softly.
"No problem," Bijou said, returning the hug.
"Well, good night," Luz concluded.
As Luz left the room, Bijou said, "Good night, Luz."
Bijou then removed her sandals and changed into some pajamas from the closet.
Bijou sat down on the bed and took out her phone to text her mother.
'Hello, Mom. I'm going to stay with a friend for a while. I'll be right back.'
Bijou then lays down and puts her phone away. She then looked at her bracelet and thought, 'I was going to ask Eda about this bangle and the shield I made, but I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow.'
"Good night, Hazel." she said to the almiraj.
"Good night, Bijou," said Hazel.
And they both fell asleep.
In her room, Eda was reading a book about magical equipment in the Boiling Isles.
"I know it's around here. Just gotta keep on skimming these pages." Eda as she kept flipping one page of the book after another.
After a few more seconds, she finally finds the correct page.
"Here it is." Eda started reading about what the bangle Bijou found was all about.
A/N: There you have it, folks. The first chapter of my Owl House story. I only own my OCs here. The rest of The Owl House are under Dana Terrace's property. There will be more to be added in this story so be patient. That is all. TGRickel out. Also for that guest reader, STOP CRITICIZING ME AND STOP TELLING ME TO GIVE UP ON THIS STORY!