Lost in Language
Luz was reading her Azura book to King in the Owl House, while Bijou showed Hazel the designs she had made on her sketchpad.
"'Azura,' Hecate began, 'our paths have only crossed in battle, but today I stand before you seeking an ally.'" She was standing in front of King on the couch. She sighed happily and hugged the book close.
"Luz, you're getting all swoony again," King cautioned.
"I can't help it. Azura is able to befriend everyone. Even her biggest rival. I wish I had that kind of power."
"Well, I know you haven't tried that on Amity," Bijou replied. "And she's not easy to befriend."
"Rivals are meant to be annihilated, not befriended," King happily wagged his tail. "I've been sucked into your awful fandom."
"Well, how about that? You got King hooked on your piece of fantasy literature," Hazel said, smiling from his chair.
"Okay. 'Suddenly the door swung open,'" she said, and as if on cue, Hooty swung the door open.
"Ding, dong, ding. Hoot, hoot."
"The book has come to life!" King exclaimed in terror. "Burn it!"
Luz approached the door and looked down to see a basket covered up. She brought it into the kitchen and placed it in front of Eda.
"Eda, you got a package. It looks like a gift basket."
"Probably an offering," Eda said as she looked down at it. "Ah, being the most powerful witch in the Boiling Isles has its perks."
When King lifted the covering, he saw a sleeping baby creature. That surprised Luz, Bijou, and Hazel. They did, however, wonder why Eda was given a baby.
"Mm, fresh meat," rubbed King's hands.
"No, not eating that," Luz said as she walked away with her hands up.
"Me neither," Bijou murmured, disgusted.
"I doubt it will taste delicious," Hazel added.
"Witches eating babies is so 1693," Eda mocked the notion. "What is this?"
"There's a note," King said, holding the piece of paper attached to the basket. "Take care of my child 'til morning. Yi Yi?"
"Nope! Babies are awful," she said, crossing her arms and giving two thumbs down. "Not happening."
"Wait. There's more. You will be handsomely rewarded," Hazel read on. "XOXOXOX, the Bat Queen."
Eda perked up as that drew her attention.
"Bat Queen? Reward?" Her eyes gleamed at the coins in the basket.
"Who's the Bat Queen?" Luz inquired as she and Bijou re-joined them.
"She's the wealthiest demon on the Boiling Isles; get in with her and you'll be set for life," she said cheerfully, holding up a gold coin.
"I should also bring up the fact that my family is closely affiliated with the Bat Queen," said Hazel.
"So, we keep this thing alive for a few hours and we get paid. Pfft, Easy."
Everyone was taken aback by what the almiraj said.
"You know the Bat Queen?" Luz inquired.
"She had known my parents since they were around my age," Hazel explained.
"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Bijou.
"You never asked."
"Our greatest adventure yet," Luz exclaimed, "learning about love and life through the eyes of a child."
"Anyway, we keep this thing alive for a few hours and we get paid. Pfft. Easy." Eda continued.
"That's easy for you to say. Babysitting takes up a lot of responsibility," Bijou replied.
"Our greatest adventure yet! Learning about love and life through a child's eyes." Luz said.
"Not you two. You have to return the books I checked out from the library," Eda said, summoning stacks of books that the two humans were able to catch.
"Not you two. You both have to return the books I checked out from the library, including all those books you forced me to get about Boiling Isles lore, Bijou," Eda waved a spell circle, and a slew of books fell into their hands. Eda leaned in towards King as they walked away. "I don't want them getting a cut of the loot."
"Good thinking."
"I heard that!" Bijou exclaimed, and they both winced. "Dang it, now I owe her a cut." She and King both noticed Hazel remained on the table.
"Not you two. You both have to return the books I borrowed from the library, including all those books you forced me to get about Boiling Isles lore, Bijou," Eda waved a spell circle, and a slew of books fell into their hands. Eda leaned in towards King as they walked away. "I don't want them getting a cut of the loot."
"Good thinking."
"I heard that!" Bijou exclaimed, and they both winced.
"Dang it, now I owe her a cut."
She and King both noticed Hazel remained on the table.
"Aren't you going with them?" asked King.
"Nah. I'm staying to look after the baby. Besides, it's the child of a family friend," Hazel replied.
"Suit yourself, and now let's look at this little darling," Eda said as she removed the cover... When she did, the baby, who was a bat with a human head, awoke. It let out a loud screech that shook the entire house. "Oh, boy."
"You shouldn't have done that!" yelled Hazel. King fell off the table and Eda and Hazel covered their ears.
"On second thought, maybe we could use your help!"
"Well, we'd better get to the library. Gotta bye. Bye!"
"Have fun with your babysitting job. See you guys later!"
The two girls walked out the door, which Luz shut with her foot.
"We've got this, right?" Eda asked.
"I hope so," Hazel said hesitantly.
The baby charged at the Owl Lady, knocking her down.
Tinella Nosa passed the two girls on their way to the library. She was carrying a book that was so large that it was over her head. Luz almost dropped the books she was holding because she was distracted by Tiny Nose. They came to a halt, their gaze fixed on the library ahead.
"Whoa..." Bijou's eyes widened. It appeared to be a massive castle, especially with the stained glass.
"Wow," Luz said in agreement. They stepped in and took the books as the librarian used magic to levitate them.
"Late. Late." He took a book and touched the cover, inspecting the grime on his finger. "Coffee, grass, and bloodstains? These are Eda's, aren't they?"
"It's better for you not to know," Bijou said, scratching her chin.
"Ugh. I'll put them on her tab," he said, pulling out a scroll that was quite long.
"By the way, we're closing early for the Wailing Star meteor shower," he said, glancing at a poster advertising it nearby.
"Ooh, what's that?" Luz inquired.
"You're both in a library. Read a book," He said, motioning to all of the book shelves.
"We are in a library; we will read a book!" Luz exclaimed, grabbing Bijou's hand and sprinting away.
"Shh!" The librarian shushed at them.
The two came across a Demon Decimal System and were warned not to feed it. The shelves all had one eye, as if they were alive and snoring. Luz took out a candy ball and fed it to a shelf. As a result, it spit out a slew of papers.
"And that's why we don't feed sentient beings when there's a sign that says not to," Bijou chuckled.
They were on the second floor at the time, watching books float around.
"Wow!" Luz grabbed one and was dangling from the trail before Bijou could get her back. She screamed, eliciting hushes from those below.
"Sorry."
People in the Reference section were using crystal balls to look up information rather than computers. Someone smacked a crystal ball that was stuck on the loading screen. Bijou and Luz watched them from behind the bookcase.
"This place is amazing."
"I've visited the library in Gravesfield before but this is beyond incredible." Bijou wondered.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Ah! I've been caught!" exclaimed Luz. "Pretend to be a book!"
"Um, Luz, I don't think that's for us. It came from over there," Bijou said, pointing up ahead, where they could hear children laughing.
"Wait..."
They took a step forward and peered into the children's section.
"We're your friends, and we want to help," the Tin Boy yelped. Amity was reading a book to children, and she seemed...different from the other times they'd seen her. "Otabin smiled and paced the floor. 'I've never had real friends before'."
Luz raised an eyebrow, "Amity reading to kids?"
"This is a whole new side of her," Bijou said.
"Then we'll be your first, the chicken witch clucked."
The two moved in closer together.
"Otabin couldn't believe his good fortune, so Bookmaker Otabin, surrounded by friends, bound a book of friendship, and that's the end," she said as she closed the book, the children cheering. Neither of them had imagined Amity had this side to her.
"Amity seems so...nice and smiley," Luz exclaimed. "Maybe I can befriend her like Azura befriended her rival."
"After what happened at Hexside and the Covention? She doesn't seem like the type to let that go," Bijou raised an eyebrow, Luz grabbing her arm and pulling her down behind the bookcase. Amity and the kids passed by.
"Thank you so much."
"Goodbye."
A child embraced her by the legs.
"Goodbye, Miss Amity," he said in a gruff voice. "Thank you."
"Thank you, Braxas," she said, patting the back of his head. "See you next time."
"Yaaaaaay!" He then ran away, and she flinched as she noticed the two sitting there.
Luz tried to be discreet by covering her head with a book, but it clearly didn't work.
"Ugh, you two," she groaned, frowning when she saw them.
"Amity," Luz stood up nervously, Bijou standing up and dusting herself off.
"Well, fancy meeting you here, Blight," Bijou remarked dryly.
Luz then threw a book on the floor.
"Whoop. Reading to kids. Wow. Looks like this sour lemon drop has a hidden sweet center."
"It's for extra credit," she explained as she picked up the fallen book. "Don't get your leggings in a bunch."
"Hey,weI could help you with the kids," Luz said. "We could take turns reading. And do voices! I do the best monster voice."
"Humans," Amity slammed the books on the table before whipping around to face her. "Do you see me going to the Owl Shack and bugging you while you...fry up owls?"
"Well, no. But I'm sure we don't do that," Bijou replied.
"Ugh. Okay, I don't really know what you do there, but every time you come near me, I get in trouble. Just leave me alone!" Amity demanded.
"I'm sorry," Luz said, taking a step back. "I'm sorry..."
She walked away, and Bijou caught a fleeting glance at Amity, seeing her...almost regretting being a little rude to Luz back there. She pursued her friend, who was irritated.
"Ugh, so much for befriending rivals."
"Luz, no one expected that Amity will warm up to you immediately. Making friends don't just happen overnight. That girl is a hard sell," Bijou said with a smile.
"I know, but—"
"You gonna let her get to you like that?"
They looked up to see two kids, a boy and a girl, both with green hair and wearing Hexside Illusion uniforms.
As they approached, Luz inquired, "Who are you?"
"Well-wishers on a mission," the boy explained.
"A noble quest," the girl added.
"Watch this," the boy said before turning to Amity. "Hey, Mittens!"
She blushed with embarrassment.
"Mom says stop forgetting your lunch," he said, holding up a pink lunch bag shaped like a rabbit. She charged up to them. "And stop being a jerk to your friends."
Amity took the bag from him.
"They are not my friends," Amity stated emphatically, Luz visibly upset. Bijou locked gaze on her.
"Amity, you-!
"Yeah, makes sense," the girl said as she stepped between the sisters. "They seem too cool for you."
"We are?" the two asked together.
"You can leave now, all of you!" Amity exclaimed as she stormed off, the girl giggling.
She smiled at the two, and the boy winked at them. Luz blushed and chuckled, and when the boy smiled at Bijou, she blushed and looked away.
"So you're the humans we've heard so much about," the boy said as they passed shelves. "That's us," Bijou nodded.
"I'm Emira," the girl introduced herself. "And this is Edric. We're Amity's older siblings. We heard how you two embarrassed her at the school and at the witch covention last week. No wonder she hates you."
"I know. B-but I didn't mean any of it!" Luz told them. "I thought we were as cool as cucumbers, but we're as sour as pickles."
"Don't waste your time with Mittens. Me and Ed, we're way more fun. Follow us!" The Blight twins motioned Luz and Bijou to follow them.
Edric began by going to a sign with the words Fiction and Non-Fiction pointing in opposite directions. When another librarian and some patrons arrived, he wiped the "non" part off and snuck away.
"And here we go towards our non-fiction section," a librarian said as he gave a tour, looking up at the sign and exclaiming sharply.
"Fiction? Fiction? Is our world but fiction?" he exclaimed before kneeling dramatically. "Then what in my life is real anymore?"
He began to sob.
The librarian from the front desk was restocking the shelves when the book was moved back onto his cart. When he put another book away, the same thing happened. While Emira was in charge of the books, the twins, Bijou and Luz, snickered. Edric then ordered the two librarians to swap places. The same librarian who was giving the tour began to mentally breakdown.
"Huh? No. Not again!"
The other librarian slipped and fell from the ladder.
Edric held up a book and blew dust from it onto the previously dusty shelves. They all sneezed, scattering the paper all over the place. The four laughed as Luz spun around the scattered paper.
"HEY!" Amity's voice cut through everything as the desk clerk stood next to her, unimpressed.
"Wait. Where's Gary?"
"Coming!" Gary slid to a halt as he noticed the chaos.
"No!" he cried again when he saw the mess. The desk clerk pushed the Blight Twins and Luz out.
"You've made reading far too enjoyable; now, go away," the librarian said. Bijou then exited.
The librarian smiled and said, "And thank you for cleaning up their messes, young lady."
"It's an honor, sir," Bijou said, bowing.
The librarian returned to the library and shut the door. The four then start laughing.
"Amity's even angrier at me now," Luz observed, placing a hand on her cheek. "I didn't think that was possible."
"No, when Mittens gets angry, she looks like this," Ed inhaled deeply and held his breath until it turned red. "Whoa, I almost passed out."
"One thing I didn't expect is that you helped her out by cleaning up, Bijou." Luz said.
"Well, I always did like to clean up and put things back where they were if I'm done with something," Bijou replied.
"You're pretty fun, humans," Emira said before turning to face her brother.
Both of them nodded.
"So, hey, we're coming back tonight. There's a certain book we forgot to...check out."
Edric moved into the same position as her as she smiled and placed a hand beneath her chin. "And bonus, rumor has it the Wailing Star is supposed to unlock some rare magical event. You in, friends?"
"Sure," Luz said with a shrug.
"Of course. Especially since it's about the Wailing Star." Bijou answered with a smile.
"Great. Meet back here at midnight. See you, Luz and Bijou." Edric said, leaving with his sister.
"Bye!" "Later," Luz and Bijou said as they waved goodbye.
"This is fantastic! First I befriend the siblings, and then I befriend the Amity!" Luz exclaimed as she bounced up and down and ran away.
Bijou could only laugh as she started following her. Amity, who was standing around the corner, had overheard their conversation. She then exhales while holding her breath as her face turns red.
"Phew! Almost passed out." she exclaimed.
Back at the Owl House...
Eda detached her hands to cover her ears as the bat baby continued to cry. King had two pillows taped to his ears, but neither was very effective.
"It's gonna be okay, little one! Please stop crying," Hazel pleaded.
"It's been hours!" King exclaimed over the screams. "How can it keep screaming?"
"A lot of batlings do this when they are not cared for properly," Hazel explained.
"Ugh, I hate it too, guys, but think about the money," Eda said as she reattached her hands, and the baby bat began screaming and smashing potions and a glass poster.
"No amount of snails is worth this torture!" King sobbed on the floor. "Make it stop!"
"Ugh, I can't believe I'm about to do this," Eda said as she picked up the baby, which immediately stopped screaming. She gave King a glance before rocking it. "Rock, rock. Maternal gesture."
"Hey, it's working. Keep going, Eda," Hazel said.
Bijou and Luz walked into the house.
"Hey, guys. How's the library?" Hazel inquired.
"We just had the best day. Cool teens like us! Call us library books, cause they were checking us out," said Luz.
"So, how's the babysitting business going?" Bijou inquired.
Luz then turned to look at Eda. "Aw, Eda, you look so motherly."
"Wow, I didn't know you had it in you," Bijou said with a smile. "That's exactly what I looked like when I held my brother for the first time."
"Say those things about motherly stuff again, and I steal your tongues," Eda warned them dryly.
"Aw, how can you say that around this cute little baby?" Luz poked it, and it puked up two more, each slightly smaller than the last one.
"Oh my gosh!" exclaimed Bijou
"I almost forgot, bat babies also have the ability to reproduce another one of themselves at will." Hazel went on to say.
"Good to know," Bijou said.
The bat babies took off flying... and spitting fireballs.
As they ducked for cover, the five screamed. The two girls dashed for the door, clutching their belongings.
"We wish we could assist you in babysitting them, but we have other obligations." Said Bijou.
"But parenting sure looks like it's rewarding. E-Enjoy your life lessons. Bye!" Luz slammed the door shut as the babies began to make a mess.
"We're back at square one," Hazel said.
"Uh, for, for the money?" asked King of Eda.
"For the money," Eda said.
They yelped as they avoided a slime shot.
Luz and Bijou were waiting for the Blight twins outside the library that night. Luz was pacing around the room, while Bijou leaned against a pillar.
"Gotta be cool," Luz said as she shook her head on the platform.
"Cool? No. Cool," she said before leaning against it.
"Aren't you trying too hard?" Bijou quipped, amused. "You don't have to act cool to be cool, Luz."
"Why not? Keep going," another voice cut in, surprising them both. They looked up to see the twins in front of them. "This is fun to watch."
Bijou inquired, "How long were you two standing there?"
"Long enough," said Emira.
"You ready to bring this whole whatever you're doing inside?" Edric asked, pointing to the door, and Luz nodded eagerly.
"It says no trespassing, but I'm allergic to rules," he explained as they approached the door. He rolled out a scroll covered in drawings and writing.
Emira added, "and dairy," as he handed her the scroll.
"Wow, okay. Just expose me," he said with a frown.
Bijou suddenly realized they were breaking into a library. She turned to face the three. "Hey, wait-"
Emira placed the glowing scroll against the lock. It then disintegrated right in front of their eyes.
"Whoa," Luz murmured, and the keyhole widened to accommodate them.
"Come on," Edric motioned them forward, and they exchanged glances before running after them, though Bijou was hesitant. The keyhole reverted to its original size. The library was creepy, especially with the lack of lighting, but they didn't seem to mind.
"Standing in a dimly lit lobby. You guys know how to party."
"Are you sure we should be in here?" asked Bijou.
"There!" Edric exclaimed, pointing to the stained glass window. "The Wailing Star."
When a green shooting star passed by, the sound of a woman crying could be heard, and it reflected the stain glass window onto the floor.
"Whoa..." exclaimed the two girls. That was pretty cool, according to Bijou.
In disbelief, the twins turned to face each other. "Hmm, nothing happened."
"Wait," Luz said, turning around to see that all of the books were glowing a light green. She took out a bird book and showed them.
"The books are all glowy," she said as she opened one and the illustrations flew out. "Wow..."
"Oh my. I always thought of imagination coming to life but never in the literal sense," Bijou said.
"Wow! The Wailing Star magicked the books to life," Edric marveled. Luz closed it, and the birds vanished. She then turned to face the others, who all gave her a mischievous look.
The twins approached a magazine rack, and when Edric opened a Regal Couture Magazine, the magic from the books granted them the clothing in the magazine. It ejected a bird.
Bijou opened a magazine, and her hair was now longer and crowned with flowers. She was dressed in a white chiton gown with pink ribbons and a gold sun pin on the waist. She was also wearing a gold armband and pink leg ribbons with white frills. She also appeared to be carrying a harp that was nearly as tall as she was.
"Wow," she said to herself as she touched the harp strings.
Luz opened a Witch Wares Weekly magazine, and the sword became so large that she fell over.
The four had arrived at the section of Graphic Novels, where Luz had opened one of the books. But nothing appeared to happen.
"Nothing happened," she said, and a speech bubble appeared, surprising everyone.
"Wow!" Another speech bubble appeared, and Luz closed the book, the sound effect appearing in a small bubble.
Luz read 'Snowballs: A History' while hiding behind a bookshelf. She smirked as Edric failed to sneak past her. "Ha!" He flinched at her voice, turning to face her. She flung snowballs at him as she opened the book. He pulled out the same book and fired back, forcing her to duck for cover.
Luz stated, "Nothing happened."
However, as she said this, her words were captured in a dialogue bubble. Bijou noticed it when she looked up.
"Um, Luz?" Bijou asked, pointing up. Her own words were also displayed in a dialogue bubble. When the Blight twins saw this, they backed up.
"Wow," they exclaimed.
Their words are also displayed in a dialogue bubble. Luz then closes the book, causing the dialogue bubbles to pop, resulting in the appearance of a 'Thump' sound bubble.
Luz read 'Snowballs: A History' while hiding behind a bookshelf. She smirked as Edric failed to sneak past her. "Ha!"
He flinched at her voice, turning to face her. She flung snowballs at him as she opened the book. He pulled out the same book and fired back, forcing her to duck for cover.
Then she came across Emira, who was reading a book of her own. Bijou smirked as she fired her own snowballs after being poked from behind. She laughed as Emira was knocked backwards, then ducked for cover.
Luz went into the children's section after noticing the glowing Otabin book. She smiled as she picked it up and opened it. Otabin appeared on the pages, a slight smile on his face.
She sat down on the floor and pulled out her phone, returning to the lock screen. Her face changed as she sighed slowly at the photo of her mother, father, and brother.
"Who're they?"
Bijou screamed and then had Edric cover her mouth so they wouldn't be heard. She sighed as he let her go and sat next to the girl. The picture on his phone made his eyes sad.
"Family?"
"Yeah," Bijou replied. "You know, I have been living here for so long, I haven't even told them what was happening since my arrival here."
Edric sympathetically placed his hand on her shoulder and said, "You really missed them, don't you?"
"Yeah. But I still need to stay here if I want to understand this place even more."
"What are you guys talking about?"
Bijou glanced at Emira from the other side.
"Oh, Bijou just showed me a photo of her family," Edric replied.
"Really?" Emira asked.
Bijou nodded, "Your sibling dynamic reminded mine with my brother Quin. I really miss him."
"Don't be sad. You'll see your brother again when the time is right." Edric said as he placed his hand on her shoulder.
Bijou smiled at the twins.
The baby bats had mostly destroyed everything, with Eda, Hazel, and King hiding beneath an overturned couch. This was far more disturbing than the screeching...
"Phew. I'm so tired. I can barely keep up with them," said Hazel.
"What silences children?" King asked, looking up. "What if we invent a TV network for ages six to 11?"
"That's insane. Uh, there's only one way out of this," Eda said as she pulled out a switchblade and cut an apple in half with it.
"Apple slices and story time," she said as she held up an Otabin book.
"That could work," Hazel said, peering out from behind the couch. "Hey, kids. It's story time!"
"Alright, brats. Let's do this," she said as she sat down on the couch. "Ugh, being parental is making me sick."
The bats descended, and King joined them with alert eyes. "Otabin spent his days alone amongst the many books he'd sewn. With needle and thread..."
That piqued the interest of the three bat kids. They took off immediately, with King joining the plate of the cut apple.
"All right, brats. Let's do this. Ugh, being a parent is making me sick," Eda grumbled. She then started reading the story.
"Otabin spend his days alone amongst the many books he'd sewn. With needle and thread..."
Luz was reading the same book from the kid's corner where Otabin had come to life in the library. She'd just walked in and started reading the Otabin book.
"...the pages he'd mend. But all the while he longed for a friend." Luz narrated.
"Friend?" said Otabin, holding his needle and thread.
"Hey Luz, take a look at this," Edric said. Luz turned to see Edric, Emira, and Bijou approaching the children's corner. Emira was holding the book Quacks Eats Snacks.
"Look what we discovered," Emira said as she opened a Quacks Eats Snacks book, and a baby duckling popped out, quacking as it went.
"Aww, cute little quackster," Luz cooed, Edric drawing a pencil from his pocket.
"So adorable," Bijou exclaimed.
The duck was given human legs, which made it less cute. The duck quavered in fear.
"Now he's extra cute," Emira said as she closed the book, and the two human girls didn't find it funny.
"Your turn, guys."
"I don't know," Luz said cautiously.
"Come on. Don't stop the fun," Edric said as he held out the pencil, and Bijou gripped his arm firmly.
"I'm not going to draw on childhood books just for fun," she warned, and he blinked in surprise at her action. He shrugged and let go of his arm. He extended the pencil to Luz, who accepted it and opened the book.
"...Ah, I can't do it either," Luz admitte and Edric snatched it from her grasp.
"Let me help." He drew angry eyebrows, fangs, and claws on Otabin. It started to crawl out and she snapped the book shut.
"I don't wanna see it."
"Me, too," Bijou closed her eyes, unsure if she should still be here.
"Whatever. We didn't come here just to doodle. Come on," the twins dragged them away, the book falling open and landing on the ground. The new Otabin began to emerge from the book... They came to a halt in the romance section.
"Oh, wow. Boiling Isles romance. That's totally lame. I mean, unless you guys are into it?" Luz commented.
"What's so great about this?" Bijou asked.
The whole book thing was still bothering her. Not only because she loved books, but their ideas of fun were beginning to irritate her. Sure, it was fun for them to have their own fun in the library, and she would've been okay with breaking and entering if they hadn't insisted on doodling to make kid books look ugly.
"I think I'm into this one," Edric said as he took The Lone Witch And Secret Room book out and then back in. When he did this, the shelf moved away, revealing a secret room.
"Wow. That's a good book," Luz exclaimed. Bijou took a look around the room. "Your clubhouse is like my ultimate secret hideaway."
"We don't hang out in the library," Edric scoffed, perplexing her further. "'Uh, teacher, I'm in love with a dictionary'."
"'I'm studying the dork arts'. This is Amity's secret hideaway." The two were taken aback by their appearance.
"Um, okay, so why are we here?" Bijou inquired of them both.
"Mittens has gotten too... full of herself, and she keeps tattling on us when we skip class," Edric explained, and the Blight twins surrounded the humans.
"She needs to learn not to mess with people like that," Emira said, motioning towards herself. "So we're going to find her diary."
"And then post the pages all around school for everyone to see," Edric finished, to applause from the two.
"Excuse me?" Bijou demanded angrily, pushing Edric away from her.
"What? Isn't that taking it a bit too far?" Luz asked.
"No. See, we're her family," Emira explained. "It's tough love. She needs to learn to lighten up."
"Look, I know Amity might not be the best person around, but there are lines that you shouldn't cross, and posting her diary everywhere is definitely one of them," Bijou said of Amity's actions. "Besides, if Quinton were like Amity, I would never intrude on his privacy."
"It's not crossing the line; it's just...helping her learn more about herself and what she can do about it," Edric shrugged as Bijou frowned at Luz.
She didn't like Amity, but posting pages from her diary wasn't the best way to reach her—even if it seemed impossible right now. And they seemed to want to avoid getting into trouble with her, which she thought was disgusting. She had no idea how their relationship with Amity was, but when she and Luz fought, they never did anything like this to each other.
"Hm, well, I don't see any diaries in here," Luz nervously laughed. "Nope, nothing. Let's just leave." She then froze when she noticed something.
"Wait, are those...?" she exclaimed happily as she spotted a favorite book section, among which was the Good Witch Azura. "Good Witch Azura books one through four?! Do you get these on the Boiling Isles? They're so majestic."
Bijou noticed a book sandwiched between 2 and 4.
"That one looks hand-drawn," Bijou observed as Luz took the book and opened it. It began to move... and Amity appeared.
"I saw those... human girls again."
"The diary," Luz murmured.
"I may have overreacted. I don't want to come across as cruel. I just can't show weakness."
Amity's explanation surprised Bijou; it could explain why she was this way.
"No," Luz said as she slammed the book shut, but it was too late.
"You should put that away, Luz. Right now," Bijou demanded softly.
"What have you got there, girls?" Edric inquired from behind her.
"Oh, n-nothing. Just Good Witch Azura 5, where she goes through her Goth phase."
The book was taken from her grasp and brought over to them. "No, wait."
Emira handed it to Edric, who opened it to reveal Amity. "It's not fair. I'm the only one who knows Ed and Em aren't perfect. Why do they keep getting away with things?"
"This is it!" they exclaimed, and Emira looked up, a little hurt. "Luz, Bij, were you hiding this from us?"
"You see how she treats people," Edric said as he approached Bijou. "And how she treats you."
"That's no excuse!" she retorted, and he recoiled with wide eyes. "You don't need to do this to her."
"I know Amity can be kind of cold, but no one deserves this," Luz agreed with her sister. "These are private thoughts. Let's put it back."
The two reached for the book, but the twins yanked it away. "She needs this!"
"You can't! She deserves no retribution!" exclaimed Bijou.
"It's for her own good!" Emira exclaimed, and the pages began to fall out.
Several Amity images appeared.
"I wish I had somewhere to go."
"Why won't the humans leave me alone?"
"Called my teacher Mom again."
"Sorry I haven't written for a while. Wait. Why am I apologizing?"
"Oh no," Bijou mumbled, scrambling to pick them up. Bijou took a page from the book. "Really?!"
She looked up to see the real Amity standing in the doorway, red-faced.
"Uhh...it's not what it looks like," Luz insisted as she reached for a page. "We didn't mean to intrude, we didn't know-"
The twins snickered at her, drawing her attention.
"You two are the worst," Amity said, clutching her diary. "But you..."
She averted her gaze, clutching the pages and book close to her chest.
"I've been trying to figure out what your deal is. A-Are you a poser? A nerd? I know...You're a bully, Luz. I wouldn't be surprised if you got it from Bijou."
She then exited the room, Bijou guiltily closing her eyes. She hadn't expected to feel this way until now, but she felt sorry for Amity...
"Amity," Luz extended her hand, the twins laughing as they rushed to catch up with her, but she was gone. They then emerged into the corridor.
"Mittens killed the fun," Emira sighed, crossing her arms.
"Again. Oh, well. We're headed out to go goblin tipping. Wanna come?"
"You're just going to leave?" Luz asked, surprised.
"Yeah, with you," Emira said, grabbing her hand and Edric's, both snatching them back. Bijou's, on the other hand, was more forceful, which perplexed him.
"Look, you guys are cool."
"Mm-hmm," they all agreed.
"But I need to go talk to Mittens. I mean, Amity." The two simply shrugged. "All right, see you around, cutie," Luz said, blushing and running after Amity. When Edric noticed Bijou hadn't said much, the two were about to leave.
"Bijou?" he asked as she turned away from him.
"You know what? I've had enough of this!" she exclaimed as she turned to face them. "I thought you were fun, but honestly, I can't believe that you're both so insensitive to your own sister. And to think I was starting to be friends with you Have fun with yourselves," Bijou said before storming off to follow the two.
This caught the twins off guard. They'd never seen Bijou so upset before.
"Amity," Luz found her quickly. "Wait."
"First you embarrass me, then you want to be my friend? I-I don't get you. Pick a side!" Amity grumbled.
"Luz never meant to embarrass or hurt you," Bijou said as she approached them. "She'd never do something like this on purpose."
"Please, just listen to me," Luz said as she grabbed Amity's arm.
"Just go away before things somehow get worse."
Booming footsteps approached, perplexing everyone, and around the corner appeared a large pink goblin...with the book attached to the chest, stuck on the page where Edric drew Otabin. "Otabin...?" Amity asked, puzzled.
"With claws and fangs and breaking bones, I found a friend to call my own," He reached forward and grabbed Amity, dragging her away from Luz.
"Luz! Bijou!" screamed Amity, and they looked up in horror.
"Amity!"
"Guys!"
"Amity," Luz murmured, about to run after her when Bijou put her arm in front of her, her gaze fixed on the ground.
"Luz, look."
"Huh?" She looked down to see Amity's diary still glowing in front of her.
"The drawings come to life from the books, right?" Bijou suggested, Luz smiling as she thought of something.
Otabin led Amity back to the library's children's section, where he positioned her against a large empty book page. He then held up a needle and moved it closer to her. He sewed around her arm as she yelped and ducked her head.
"Huh?" She looked up, puzzled, and he pulled the strings tighter, flattening her arm. She gasped in horror as she looked at him.
"Why are you doing this? I've been reading you since I was a kid! I know you're not like this. Someone changed you."
"But friends are what I've always sought. And now a friend my claws have caught."
They turned their attention to the entrance after hearing a whoosh. Purple smoke appeared, followed by figures emerging from it. Otabin turned away, and one figure wore a white hat with a crown on top, while the other wore a black and red fire armor.
"Azura?" Amity asked, surprised.
"Close," Luz said, dressed in the character's iconic outfit, and Bijou was the Fire Knight Kirana. "Is it drawn okay? I kind of interpreted the descriptions."
"At the very least, you made the armor appear more modest," Bijou said, looking at her armor.
"Guys!" Amity exclaimed.
"Ah, right," Luz said as she took out a pencil and began writing. "The good witch Luzura grabs her trusty staff while her friend the Phoenix Warrior grabs her sword."
The pages brought the staff and sword to life. They both grabbed their weapons and aimed them at Otabin.
"I don't really have to use it, right?" Bijou asked Luz quietly.
"No, but don't tell him," Luz replied before returning her attention to the goblin. "Okay, beloved work of children's fiction, let go of her!"
They charged and were about to attack when he grabbed their weapons and tossed them behind him. He then took the diary and closed it, restoring their normal clothing.
Luz gave him a nervous chuckle. "Not an Azura fan, are you?"
"Wasn't expecting that," Bijou murmured as Otabin grabbed Luz and slid her to the other page.
"Luz!" she yelled, but Otabin threw some thread at her, knocking her to the ground and tying her up. "Hey!"
"Making friends, taking friends, never be without my friends," he sewed into Luz's arm, also flattening her arm. He then tugged on Bijou's thread, causing her left arm to fall flat against her body.
"You fiend!" exclaimed Luz. "You can't rhyme friends with friends!"
"Great work, Luzura," Amity remarked sarcastically.
"Hey," Luz said accusingly to her. "We were trying to save you."
"Well, it doesn't matter. We're gonna be stuck together forever."
Luz yanked on her right arm, widening her eyes as she realized she could move the page. Bijou noticed a lone string nearby and reached for it. She yanked it, and her legs flattened, giving her an idea.
"No, we aren't. Follow my lead. Bijou, you, too." She began kicking the book with her legs. "One..."
"What are you doing?" Amity inquired, but received no response.
"Two...three!" Luz rocked the book over as Bijou tightened the string, flattening her entire body except for her head. She rose like paper. They all screamed as the book landed on Otabin's head. When he looked up, they were gone, and he chased after them.
"Come back!"
He saw Bijou flying over their heads like a paper airplane as they held up the book. Bijou then loosened the string, regaining control of her limbs, and broke through the thread, landing safely next to the girls.
"Now what?" Amity inquired.
"I don't know. I didn't even think that would work," Luz admitted. "I was all like roaaar!"
Amity laughed, and Luz smiled back. Bijou proudly nodded before realizing they were still stuck.
"Hold on, let me see if I can get the thread loose," she said, only to scream as the needle pierced between the two girls, so close to Bijou's face. If she was even one second off, that would be a very gruesome sight.
"Friends..." Otabin pulled the book, which became entangled in a cart before he tightened his grip, knocking the book to the floor.
"Luz! Amity!" exclaimed Bijou as she dashed after them. Luz tried unsuccessfully to free her arm.
"Amity! Grab that ladder!" exclaimed Bijou. Amity followed Bijou's instructions. She wrapped her legs around it, loosening her arm and releasing herself. She collided with a cart.
"Luz!"
"Help me!" Luz cried out, and Otabin grabbed the book, turning the two around to face them. Luz stomped on him, but he grabbed the needle and began sewing.
"You squirm and fight, scream and shout, but friendship will always triumph," he sewed around Luz's legs, flattening them.
Amity and Bijou dashed in with the cart and collided with Otabin, causing him to crash into the bookshelves. One of them landed on him, trapping him. Luz watched her arm return to normal as Bijou and Amity pulled on the thread to free her.
"Oh! Third dimension, how I've missed you." Otabin pushed the bookshelf away from him.
"We must stay friends until the end; there is no tear I cannot mend." He loomed over the girls as Amity assisted them in getting up. Luz gulped, and Otabin snatched her.
"No!" exclaimed Bijou as he began sewing her around his chest. Amity looked down at the massive book she was writing in.
"Luz has to right a wrong."
It emitted a massive eraser, which she grasped in her hands.
"Luz, quick!" she yelled, tossing it to Luz, who erased the drawings Edric had made on Otabin. Luz fell to the ground, catching the small goblin as he returned to normal.
"Luz!" Bijou exclaimed, running up to her and hugging her. Luz returned her hug with a smile, and Otabin turned away. Amity approached him and took him in her arms.
"I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened to me," he apologized softly.
"Hey, it's okay. We're still friends," Amity said softly.
She turned to face the two human girls, nodding. Luz closed the book, and Otabin vanished. They approached Amity, staring at each other as they processed what had just happened.
The Wailing Star's effects faded as morning approached. Amity followed them down the stairwell.
"What an adventure. Thanks for helping clean up."
"Better than getting into trouble," Bijou grumbled, still resentful of the twins.
"This never happened," Amity said as she walked past them.
"Wait!" Luz exclaimed as she dug into her bag. "It's not the same as reading your diary, but...would you like to borrow this?"
She held out the fifth book in the Azura series.
"I noticed you only had up to four."
Amity took it in her hands and raised her eyes to Luz. "Thank you..."
She began to walk away but then came to a halt. "Perhaps you guys aren't bullies; I haven't exactly been the friendliest witch either. I'll think about it," she said as she walked away, the two staring after her.
"Well...at least you managed to help her see that you had good intentions, Luz," Bijou let out a sigh of relief.
At the Owl House...
"Hey, guys," Luz said as she opened the door. "We're...home." She and Bijou came to a halt when they noticed the couch. Eda was hugging the babies close while King and Hazel slept on her lap, all of them snoring.
"Seems like they had a fun time with those little batlings," said Bijou with a smile.
"Hoot, hoot!" Hooty yelled as he slammed the door open.
"Hooty," Luz hissed as a huge bat with long black hair crawled through the door.
They took a few steps back as she smiled at them.
"Whoa. You must be Mama."
"Yi yi. Mama is I. And I is the Bat Queen," she said before whistling. The bat babies swooped down on her and landed in her hair.
"Ah, snuggle dumplings." She then barfed out a treasure chest, revealing gold coins and a skull whistle. "For troubles. Eda is owed one. And tell Hazel that his family and I said 'hello.'"
"Well, goodbye. I'm sure Eda will appreciate it," Bijou said as the Bat Queen turned around and squeezing through the door. Luz shut the door as they watched her fly away.
"Aww, sweet babies..." Eda opened her eyes to find they had vanished. "Babies?! Where are the babies?"
Luz made a flying gesture with her hands.
"You just missed it, Eda. Their mom came, she just left with them," Bijou said, jerking her finger to the door.
"Aww," she sighed, looking away in disappointment. "And I just taught Junior how to pick locks too."
Hazel added, "And I was getting used to having them around."
"Your night appears to have been very successful; look at all that money you made," Luz said, motioning to her chest.
"And look at this cool whistle that scary woman gave you. I'd wash it before you use it," she only said because it was covered in drool.
The two approached Eda and King, who were both sad.
"Yeah. We did it all for the money," she remembered, but she didn't care any longer.
"I miss my babies!" King sobbed, and Bijou warmly smiled.
"Me too," Hazel admitted, "but I'm sure they're fine."
"And Hazel, the Bat Queen just said that she and your family said hello." Said Bijou.
"Good to hear that."
"We actually got you something from the library," Luz said, pulling out an empty nest syndrome book.
"Heh," Eda said, smiling at the book. "Thanks, kids. So how was your night?"
"Good. Then bad. Then maybe good."
"Maybe good, maybe bad, who knows?" Bijou shrugged.
"What do you mean?" Hazel was perplexed.
"Let's just say it's a long story, with an emphasis on long," Bijou said as Hooty opened the door.
"Hey, you wanna hear about my night?" Hooty inquired.
"Ugh! No!" exclaimed Luz.
"No!" exclaimed Eda.
"No way!" exclaimed Bijou.
"That's not a thing anyone ever wants." King said.
"We don't even want to hear it!" exclaimed Hazel.
Later that night...
Bijou awoke and checked her phone clock, which read 2:15 a.m. She smacking her lips and went downstairs to get some water, walking as quietly as she could to avoid disturbing anyone. As she sipped her glass of cold water, she heard someone notice a blur outside the window. She opened the front door and wondered who it was. Bijou went outside and took a look around in the forest. Having seen nothing, she turned back. But she did not notice someone watching her from the trees.
"Human!"
Her eyes widened as she turned to see the Golden Guard himself flying above her head. What a source of distraction.
"What are you doing out this late?"
He hadn't expected to see her here alone while on patrol.
"We're the same age, and me being out doesn't warrant a visit, so you can't parade me to your coven," she said, turning around and walking away. She didn't expect to see him again after meeting him at Covention, but he just happened to come across her. After the second time he spoke to her, his demanding voice almost made her reconsider her feelings for him.
"Are you meeting someone, human?"
"No, I just got out to get some fresh air, that's all," Bijou said, rubbing her eyes. "I also have a name, it's Bijou Victoria Adams."
"Human is more easier to remember. You can't be out here, you're trespassing," he said with a smirk. The girl huffed at his response before smirking to herself.
"Alright, Golden Guard, what brings you here at this time?" She crossed her arms, and he gripped his staff a little tighter.
"Ah. So you learned who I am! Yup, I'm Belos' enforcer, if you will. His go-to kind of guy."
"Oh, I learned a lot, and I also learned this from your rulebook: Article 16, section 4, paragraph 2 states that unless a person is stepping on someone else's property, that considers breaking the law."
He flinched at her, as she didn't bother to let him respond. "And since we're in the forest outside private property, why don't you tell me what rule I actually broke?"
"I...I..." He stammered; he didn't think she'd read up on Boiling Isles law.
"Didn't expect that, did you?" she slyly asked.
"W..." He hesitated before breaking free. "Whatever. It doesn't matter."
"All right...I'm going to go back before things get even worse," she murmured as she returned back to the house. He clenched the staff and stared at her. He just didn't want to admit that deep down...he was worried about her because she was a human. Nevertheless, he also decided to return to the Emperor's Castle before Belos would suspect anything odd.
Hopefully he'd see her again soon.