A/N: Heads up to you all. With the knowledge that Owl House and Amphibia are going to be starting up on March 19 - GET HYPED - I will take this time to announce that I will be going on hiatus while both shows are airing. I know I could continue to write the chapters, but this is being done in an effort to ensure that I don't miss out on something that I could add onto this story and "Heroes From Another World". Especially since Amphibia is wrapping up the series.
Anyway, I appreciate your understanding, and on with the show!
By some miracle of the Titan, everything was starting to fall into place. Odalia had sunk a lot of money into this Abomaton project, and thanks to her daughter, they managed to get the last piece to make their product in time for the showcase. Well, Alador had to work all night and into the morning and some into the afternoon, but it would be all worth it in the end. Currently, the CEO of Blight Industries was working in her office, at the factory. There was a mountain of paperwork to get done before the showcase tonight, and the matriarch of the Blight family wanted no distractions.
It pleased her that her youngest daughter was able to complete such a shady task while managing to keep her identity a secret and keep her father in line. Odalia adored her two eldest children, but their affinity for Illusion magic did put a damper on her plans for them. She had hoped that one or both of them would have an affinity for Abomination magic or even Oracle magic like herself, but unfortunately it was not always a guarantee that children would be born with the same magical affinity as their parents, sometimes you could get a divergence. Not that she was saying that Edric and Emira were not exceptionally talented at their craft, but Illusion magic had its limited uses.
On a whim, she asked Alador for a third child. There was a vain part of herself that regretted that decision. She had managed to gain back her figure after having her twin children, but if she got pregnant again it would mean throwing away all that hard work. But as luck would have it, her gamble paid off. She had Amity. Odalia could tell just by looking at her that Amity would grow into an exceptional witch, and she did not disappoint, at least not without some prodding and direction on her part. But she was well on her way to becoming either an Emperor's Coven member or the Abomination Coven Head, or the head of the Emperor's Coven.
Odalia bounced in her chair at the idea of having her daughter as the head of one of the most powerful and most prestigious Covens in all the Boiling Isles, acting as the Emperor's right-hand man. It would be a boon to their company, and a gigantic elevation in their status. The Blight family was already among the top ranked witch nobility, but if Amity became the head of either of those Covens, they would be like demigods to the other nobility. Odalia felt giddy just thinking about it.
However, her giddiness slumped a little when she started noticing Amity's grades slipping a bit. She had been noticing a change her daughter's demeanor as of late, and from what she had head, Amity had stopped associating with Boscha Grimamoré, she was still in contact with Skara Barbtalóne, but it appears as if Skara is…ugh…in a relationship with Amity's old friend, Willow Park. She will admit, young Willow seems to have found her niche in the Plant track and is doing exceptionally well. The literal definition of a "late bloomer" it seemed.
Hmm, perhaps we were too quick to judge the Park girl. If she was this talented all along then we could have capitalized on this a lot sooner, cultivated her talents, helped her along to be a promising young witch close to Amity's caliber. Odalia sighed. An opportunity lost, but one that we shall bounce back from. Amity's still young, plenty of time to find her a capable suitor. That is if she's being serious at all.
As the head of the Parent Creature Association, Odalia was privy to detailed reports concerning some of the students, but at the moment, she was more concerned about Amity's performance in school. While Amity did do a lot of makeup work before going back to school, it seemed her in school performance was lacking. She did not understand what was happening with her youngest daughter, especially considering that Amity was clearly focused on a goal, but lately it seemed as if she had stopped caring about the Emperor's Coven position.
"What is that girl thinking, what could've caused such a change?" Odalia thought aloud.
A knock came at her office door, causing the older woman to groan in annoyance.
"I thought I said no disturbances while I am completing my work?! Honestly, why do I pay a secretary if they're not going to do their job?!" Odalia complained.
The door opened and Odalia's annoyed demeanor instantly shifted to one of concern. Standing in the doorway was a demon, he was colored a dull purple, with a long bill and three eyes. He had frills where his ears would be, and the frills were shaped like bat wings. He wore a business suit, and had a burgundy scarf wrapped around his neck. The demon's rat-like tail swished back and forth as he gave Odalia an almost displeased glare.
Odalia immediately shot up from her desk chair, looking very acquiescent as she said, "Mr. Carthwright! To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
Egerton Carthwright, the chairman of the board of Blight Industries. It went without saying that, because of him, Blight Industries was the premiere Abomination home defense weapons manufacturer on the island. "I'm not happy, Odalia, not happy. And if I'm not happy, neither is the board of directors."
Odalia gulped as she said, "O-O-Oh, you aren't?! P-Please, sit, tell me what troubles you?"
Egerton placed his hands behind his back as he walked around the room, which made her even more nervous. "Did you know that until the Phantom Menace appeared on our fair island, people had confidence in the weaponry and defense systems that this company made. But post that event, sales for our products have dropped dramatically."
Odalia bit her bottom lip. It was a sad fact that their products' sales had taken a nosedive sense the arrival of the Phantoms. The monsters have shown to be not affected by the magic of normal witches, even the Coven Scouts, the Emperor's elite fighting force, who had access to all forms of magic, could not defeat the monsters. Only a masked vigilante had the power to do so, and now there was a second one. If normal magic was not able to stand a chance against the Phantoms, then what good did any of Blight Industries products have against them? It was a question that had been asked at many a board meeting, to which Odalia had no answer to.
"I have heard that you have sunk quite a bit of money into this new project of yours, Odalia. I hope it is worth the investment," said Egerton.
"Of course, it is! You know I would never waste my time with something that I would get nothing back from," said Odalia nervously.
Egerton smiled at the woman. "That much I can count on." The demon walked up to Odalia and looked her in the eyes. "You are a talented and beautiful woman, Odalia. And I would hate to see someone like you cast out and made to look like a fool. I have high hopes for what you and Alador can bring to this company you have built up. So, do not disappoint me."
"I won't, I promise you, Mr. Carthwright!" Odalia swore.
Egerton smiled and stepped back from her. "Good. I'm glad we could have this chat. I look forward to the presentation tonight."
Odalia smiled and waved to Egerton until the door closed behind him. The older woman released a breath she did not realize she was holding as she slumped against her desk. At the rate things were going, if things didn't go her way, she might need to do something drastic to ensure that Mr. Carthwright would continue to invest in Blight Industries.
Night had fallen over the island, and Blight Industries' presentation hall was receiving a steady stream of patrons. Edric and Emira were standing at the front of the entrance, greeting the guests. Above the entrance was a banner that read, "Private Sale", and all the guests were covered in green cloaks and hoods. While the guests were arriving, Odalia was watching from behind a curtain. The hall was getting filled up quickly, which was good, it meant there were going to be a lot of potential sales from tonight. The Abomaton was below the stage, along with Amity. Alador was at the ready, despite looking sleep deprived.
Odalia shrugged it off. He can sleep later. "Alright, honey, it's time."
"Yes, dear," said Alador with a yawn.
Both Blights donned their cloaks and headed to the middle of the darkened stage. Once the last potential customer entered the hall the doors shut behind them. Odalia looked into the crowd and centered herself, it was time to put on the charm and use that wit that helped her get this far in life and would get her further still. A spotlight shown down, illuminating the stage along with a cloaked Odalia and Alador.
"Welcome valued investors…" Odalia grabbed her cloak, and in a stylish flourish, threw it off and revealed herself to the crowd. "To our annual Blight Industries Private Sale!"
Alador took that cue to remove his own cloak, however, in doing so, he accidentally fell over, but recovered and stood back up beside his wife.
"These are troubled times we're living in, ladies and gentlemen. A time were vigilantes who wield unknown magic, and mysterious monsters plague our fair island and disrupt our daily lives," said Odalia. "That is why we here at Blight Industries pride ourselves on reliable home security! To defend yourselves and those under your roof. And if you've got an enemy or two, well, who are we to judge?"
The crowd laughed with Odalia, although in most of their cases it was true, some of them did have some enemies.
"This is my husband, Alador Blight, the greatest Abomination creator of the era! And my name is Odalia," the Blight matriarch took hold of the pink gemstone hanging off her necklace, placing it between her thumb and index finger. "And as an Oracle, I predict that you'll love what we've got in store for you tonight."
Odalia took a quick glance of the crowd, she could feel it, they were primed and ready for what they had for them.
"We are proud to present the first glimpse of our crowning achievement…The Abomaton Soldier!"
Odalia and Alador walked off stage as the floor of the stage opened. A platform rose and once it had fully risen, both Amity and the Abomaton were now on stage together. Amity, wearing a neutral expression, raised her arms towards the creation in a showman-like way. From there Odalia went into explaining a few of the things the Abomaton could do, like pouring tea. Amity held a cup for the creation to pour tea into, which it did, and did not stop even though the cup was overflowing with tea now. From there Odalia had it show off its stylist abilities by giving Amity a trim and did her makeup. It was horrible, and the young witch was glad that she new a spell to fix herself up.
Once that was done, Amity used said spell to wipe off the mess and fix her hair back to the way it was as she and the Abomaton moved into the final stage of this presentation.
"Best of all, valued investors, it will defend you against any unwanted visitors, be that demon, witch, or Phantom," said Odalia.
Amity knew that last claim was farfetched. Her father's creation was impressive, but after fighting two Phantoms, even she knew that this thing would not stand a chance. At the very least it could stall them long enough to allow someone to escape, and she was being generous in that assessment. Suddenly, the pink gemstone on Amity's necklace began to glow.
Momma to Mittens, remember our deal. Make this look good and we'll overlook your recent lackluster performance in school, Odalia's voice echoed into Amity's mind.
Amity had learned how to keep private thoughts private from her mother when she wore the crystal, which was the only reason she had not learned about her secret identity as Heka. Earlier that day, Odalia had expressed her disappointment in Amity's performance at school. Amity did not fully understand what she meant, she was still the top witch at Hexside, and now with the power boost she got from Bast, she was second to none in magic skill. However, it seemed that that was not enough for her mother. And at the risk of making things worse, she made the agreement with her mother.
Amity sighed as she replied, "Yes, mom." The Abomaton raised its right fist, enlarging it as it wound up for an attack. When the Abomaton brought that fist down, Amity jumped back and easily avoided it. "Wow, it's so fast, order now."
"Ugh, this is boring. This thing is nowhere near as impressive as the MagiDriver that your father created. Bet if he made a few more of those your mother would be showering him with affection," said Bast.
Okay, first, eww! Second, no more MagiDrivers. I don't know who to trust with these, and I can't risk one of them going rogue and hurting others, thought Amity.
"Oh? Or is it that you like being the hero, the knight in shining armor for Luz? Ooh, idea, why not have your father make another one and give it to Luz?"
While Amity was dodging a few more attacks, she contemplated that idea for a moment. Then she shook her head. No, the whole point in sealing you and using this belt is to make it so I can protect Luz! It defeats the purpose if I gave her one and she puts herself in danger!
Bast snickered under her breath, knowing the secret of Luz's true identity. As the mock battle went on, Odalia glanced over her shoulder at the "Units Ordered" sign. The empty bar started to fill with purple light as the orders started to come in, causing a smile to form on the older woman's lips.
Amity stood still as the Abomaton reached out with its large hand grabbed her, hoisting the young witch into the air. "Oh no, it's undefeatable. How will I ever escape?"
Unbeknownst to everyone, one member of the crowd smiled wickedly. This person drew a spell circle, using its keen eyes to spot something that might make this presentation more interesting. The spell circle released a quiet burst of energy, which traveled across the room and hit the object that they had spotted.
Amity felt something move from under her shirt and through her right sleeve. That's when she saw it, her Grom Night picture slipped out from her sleeve and fell onto the stage floor. The Abomaton was about to crush it underfoot, and that's when Amity reacted. Without thinking, Amity drew a spell circle and obliterated half the Abomaton's arm. Once free, she gracefully landed on the stage and drew a second, larger spell circle. With swift motion of both her hands, she broke the circle, causing a chain reaction in the Abomaton, making the entire creation fall apart and turn into a pile of Abomination goo and metal parts. The youngest Blight child heard the disappointed groans from the crowd, but at that moment she could care less as her attention was turned to her treasured picture.
Odalia's mouth hung wide open, her mind having a hard time processing what she just saw. Amity went against her word and destroyed the Abomaton in front of all their investors. Granted she was exceptionally talented and strong in Abomination magic, but that didn't make it any better that the investors just saw their hyped-up product get so easily dismantled by a child. Odalia quickly ran onto the stage to do damage control, to try and salvage this debacle. "Ah, no need to fret! We were just giving you a taste of the Abomaton as this was just a beta test! We can't wait to see you next week when we will unveil the finished product in aaalll its glory!"
Once the final investor left the room, Odalia turned her attention back to her youngest daughter.
"AMITY! You just lost a LOT of money! What is with you lately?!" Odalia questioned.
However, it seemed as if her daughter was not paying attention to her as she was keenly focused on a photo. Odalia stared at the picture in her daughter's hands. In the photo was the late bloomer of a witch, Willow Park, the son of news reporter, Perry Porter, and the human girl that's been seen hanging around the Owl Lady. It appeared as if the picture was taken during Grom Night, and the human girl had her arm around her little Amity, and Amity herself seemed to have a goofy smile on her face as she looked at the human girl. Odalia's ire was raised, was this the reason why Amity's performance had been lacking lately? Were these three responsible for making her daughter get distracted and made their family lose out on potentially millions of snails in Abomaton sales?
"I see…" Odalia spoke under her breath. "It would seem our Mittens' priorities need some…readjusting."
A week had passed since Eda and Luz managed to get all that money from the selkigris back-alley sale. Unfortunately, Principal Bump needed Luz to do a lot of the make up work before she could officially return to Hexside. Fortunately, Lilith stepped up and helped Luz complete her work and even managed to teach her a lot of things about each of the different tracks. That week of tutoring helped the two bond more than before, now Lilith did not fear the young human girl, and Luz no longer regarded Lilith with suspicion. Thankfully they managed to get it done early that Friday, and with all the assignments completed, Luz was told to return next Monday. Luz had informed her friends that she would be returning next week, and was so excited to do so, but before that, she had a promise to keep.
Luz used the weekend to fulfill her promise to the Clawthorne sisters about teaching what she did know about Glyph magic. She spent all Saturday teaching all the different ways to utilize the Light and Ice Glyphs, and Sunday was spent mastering the Plant and Fire Glyphs. Finally, it was Monday, early Monday morning to be exact, and Luz was going to impart her – for now final – lesson about glyphs. Hooty extended himself from the door and knocked his head against a cauldron that had been placed on the weathervane to mimic a school bell.
The young Latina stood before a chalkboard that was covered with a blanket, while King was busy taking a nap near the chalkboard. Luz had her back turned to her two students, with a flourish she turned around began her presentation. "Light in the darkness!" Luz whipped out a Light Glyph and created a shimmering sphere of light above her that sparkled and burst into particles of light. "A glittering bridge of ice!" Luz slammed two Ice Glyph papers in her hands, held them over her head, and spread her arms out wide into an arch, creating an ornate bridge of ice. Which then broke down into ice dust a moment after.
"The mightiest tree in the forest!" Luz held one of her Plant Glyphs aloft and slammed it against the ground, creating a large cherry blossom tree that cascaded pink petals down upon them. With a wave of her hand the entire tree retreated back into the earth from whence it came. "You can do all these and more, with Glyph Magic! Welcome to day three of Luz's Magic Bootcamp!" As she said this, Luz struck a pose, and as she did, she held a Fire Glyph in her left hand. Upon doing so, the two other Fire Glyph papers she had set on the ground burst forth, creating two winding fire dragon constructs before dispersing into embers.
"WEEEEH!" King yelled, startled by the sudden fiery explosions.
While all this was going on, both of the Clawthorne sisters were sitting in desks across from Luz. Lilith was watching with rapt attention, clapping in excitement while Eda was busy carving something into her desk.
Luz nodded and pulled away the cloth covering the chalkboard underneath. "Okay, we've covered every glyph I've learned up until now. So today, we'll learn something new!"
Lilith was giddy as she asked, "Are you going to show us a never before seeing glyph?!"
Luz rubbed the back of her head as she said, "Unfortunately, no. These four either came from nature or another witch's spell. I don't know where to find more." Luz watched as the two sisters glanced at each other for a moment. "Anyway, today we're learning how to alter glyphs to do specific things." Luz turned the chalkboard around revealing the Ice Glyph and some diagrams for how to use it in the manner she was speaking.
Lilith was quick to learn what she saw and held up a piece of paper that had four Ice Glyphs that were connected by a line to form a circle. "Ms. Teacher, did I do it right?"
Luz walked over to Lilith's desk and examined her work. "Yeah, that's really good."
Lilith fist pumped.
It was weird being called a "teacher", Luz never saw herself as someone who would be teaching others, but thankfully she had not messed up thus far, so she supposed she was doing something right. Just then she looked at Eda's work and noticed that she was carving both a Fire and Ice Glyph into the desk, one layered atop the other.
Luz looked at her mentor's work with concern as she said, "I don't think that's such a good id–"
"Double glyph combo, GO!" Eda shouted as she slapped the carving.
The two glyphs glowed orange and blue, going back and forth and releasing sparks of electricity as if the magic was short circuiting. After a couple of seconds, a small explosion erupted from that spot, making Luz and Eda turn away. Once it was over, Eda looked down at her work in disappointment.
"Ah, dang, I was hoping for more of an ice blast situation," Eda grumbled.
Luz sighed. "I know you're impatient to get your powers back but try to master the basics before you start experimenting. We don't want any accidental explosions or something crazy happening," said Luz as she pointed to the chalkboard.
"Tch, you're as boring as Lily," Eda pouted.
"Excuse me?"
"Toot-toot! The Hexside train is a-comin'! Chugga-chugga!" Hooty announced as he stretched himself towards Luz.
Hooty picked Luz up by her hood with his beak and hoisted her into the air as began taking her to school. "Oh, okay, uh, King's in charge while I'm away! Bye!"
The house demon continued to stretch Luz through the woods and along the trail that led to Hexside. Luz was feeling nervous, she had not shown herself in weeks since the Petrification Ceremony. The last time she had spoken to Gus and Willow, the school did not appear to be speaking of the incident, but she figured that might change when she returned. How would the other students react? I mean, I did what I did to save Eda, I'm not apologizing for that. Even the people were behind not wanting Eda to get petrified. But I did defy Belos, so…
"Don't think about it too much, Niña. Those who are closed minded do not deserve an explanation or justification for your actions. Those who have stood by your side and keep open minds are the only ones worth your time," said La Lechuza.
Aww, that was really sweet, and really wise.
"I am an owl after all. And don't get the wrong idea, I am only stating a fact. I am not trying to 'cheer you up'."
Luz rolled her eyes, deep down she believed that La Lechuza was changing, but did not know how to accept or express it. Being a Phantom, her nature has always been to bring despair and destruction. But Luz did not believe that these when it came to the other Phantoms, the ones who have attacked other people, they do so because they were ordered to, and others, like the Rogues, hurt people because that's what they want to do. While Luz believed that not all of them can be redeemed, there are those who can be swayed. Her other mentor, Wizard, he had a Phantom inside of him, and no doubt he befriended it somehow. So, the possibility of La Lechuza becoming friendly and more of an ally to her was not out of the realm of possibility.
After a few minutes, Hooty dropped Luz off at the stone path that led directly to the school. After saying goodbye to the house demon, Luz began her walk down the path. Her nervousness was getting a bit worse with each step. Principal Bump welcomed her back happily, but would the teachers think differently? Would they see her as a rebel? Honestly, she was always the outlier, she did want to learn from all nine magic tracks after all. Luz made it to the steps and climbed them. Once at the top she took a deep breath to steady her nerves.
"Okay, Luz, first day back after the Petrification Ceremony. Just be chill." With that bit of self-encouragement, Luz pushed open the door.
Luz peeked inside, seeing the many students of Hexside walking, going about their day as if it were business as usual. The Latina slipped in, casually walking around. As she did, some of the students greeted her with a "Hey, Luz" or "What's up, Luz" or a plain "Hi". As Luz walked, she stopped when she saw Boscha walking by herself without her crew. The triclops glared at the human as she headed towards her. Luz gulped, the last thing she wanted to do today was get into it with Boscha, but it looked like fate had something else in store for her.
Boscha stopped about a foot away from the human girl, she then circled her like a shark about to attack its prey. After about one rotation, Boscha stood before Luz and said, "Well, looks like you're alright."
"Huh?"
"Did the knock to your head make you forget? The cave. Amelia. Phantoms trying to kill us. Ring any bells yet?" Boscha asked.
After a couple of seconds Luz remembered the incident with Succubus and Incubus, the dual Phantoms that had gone after Amelia and had chased her and Boscha into a cave. Luz had told Boscha to go after Amelia to save her, and left Luz in the cave while La Lechuza healed her. Luz had forgotten that she told Boscha as Witch that she took "Luz" to Eda.
"Oh, uh, sorry, I did forget…a lot has happened since then," said Luz.
"Uh-huh, so, you don't have any brain damage or whatever?" Boscha asked.
"Uh, no, not as far I know. I'm pretty healthy."
Boscha smiled and nodded her head. "Good, 'cause I would feel slightly bad about messing with you if you were still suffering from some injury on that day. And in honor of your return, I'll give you and your Luzer Squad a free pass today. But tomorrow, you're free game."
Luz blinked. "Uh…thank you?"
"Don't thank me, human," Boscha retorted as she walked away.
Luz scratched her head in confusion. It seemed that Boscha did care about her friends, at least to some degree, but it also seemed as if she was extending that kindness a bit. Perhaps she was becoming nicer?
"Yes, and perhaps the remaining Phantoms will give up their 'evil ways' and pledge allegiance to you to help you fight against Belos and stop whatever he's got planned. ¡A los ojos de un cerdo (In a pig's eye)!"
Well, we can always hope for the best.
"And I'll prepare for the worst."
Luz continued her walk through the halls and that's when she spotted her two best friends walking from around the corner. Gus and Willow stopped in their tracks, gasping when they saw Luz in school. All three of the friends released loud yells of excitement as they rushed to each other and embraced in a big group hug.
"Oh my Titan! Luz, you're back!" Willow exclaimed.
"I know, I missed you guys so much!" Luz replied.
"It's great to have you back," said Gus.
Luz paused. She broke up the group hug and looked at Gus. The youngest member of their group had gotten a little taller, and his voice had changed, it was no longer high pitched, but deeper. "Wow…Gus, did, uh, did I miss a birthday or something?"
"Witch puberty," said Gus as if that explained it all.
"Oookay, well, kudos!" Luz gave Gus a double thumbs up. "And, honestly, thank you guys for your help. Not just at the Conformatorium, but also with the whole…you know…me going missing another universe."
"Hey, like you said, that's what friends do," said Willow.
"Plus…" Gus drew a spell circle and conjured a stack of papers that were bound together, like a makeshift book. "It made for good reading!"
Luz looked at the makeshift book and read the title, "'Kamen Rider Witch: Adventures in Amphibaland." She then flipped it onto the back and read the synopsis. "'The unknown adventure of Kamen Rider Witch takes her to a world of walking, talking frogs, newts, and toads. Witch allies herself with two human girls, Anna and Macy, who vow to help her return to the Boiling Isles, but Witch is being pursued by a powerful Phantom, Lich, who will stop at nothing to steal away her powerful magic. Fortunately, Anna and Macy are not just two girls trapped in a froggy world, they're also Kamen Riders! It's the ultimate team up of three Riders! How will Witch return home? Will she defeat Lich? Is there a romance brewing between Witch and Anna? Find out in this exciting tale!'"
Luz blushed a little when she read that last part. "Gus, did you have to add that part?"
"Potential romance spices up the story, it adds drama, and raises the stakes for the more dramatic and edgy battles to come!" Gus explained.
As a writer herself, Luz understood where he was coming from, but now she was regretting giving him that little detail. Luz quickly opened the book and looked through it, there were some scenes in here that depicted "Luma", aka Luz, aka Witch, as growing a crush on the secondary protagonist, Anna, aka "Blitz", aka Anne, aka Amp, and how it seemed that "Macy" was also probably in love with Anna. There was also a couple of saucy bits that made Luz blush harder, she had no idea that Gus could write something like that.
Luz cleared her throat as she closed the book. "Well, I guess it's alright, I mean, it's not like anyone else read this."
"I read it," said Willow.
"That's fine," said Luz.
"Skara read it, too. Also, the entire Kamen Rider Club," Gus added.
"That's…okay, I guess."
Willow rocked back and forth on her heels and added, "And…well…most of the entire school."
"…Does that include Amity?" Luz asked.
Gus tapped his chin and said, "You know, she has come to the club once in a while lately. So, it's a good possibility that she has."
Luz walked up to one of the lockers and pressed her head against it as she groaned. Oh man…Amity read about me finding Anne attractive and stuff…
"Technically, she did not read about you. She read about a fictional character loosely based on you and that Anne girl. Besides, why are you so bothered by it? Amity likes males after all, so it is not as if this puts a damper on anything."
La Lechuza had a point, Amity did like guys more than girls. So even if Luz's identity did come out, it was not as if it would make a difference to the green haired witch.
Willow, on the other hand, could tell what was going through her best friend's head, and sighed internally. At some point down the road, Luz's identity as Witch was going to be revealed to Amity, and the moment the connection was made, there was going to be a lot of discussions about "Anna" between Luz and Amity when that happened. Willow wished that she could put an end to all of this beating around the bush and just lock her two friends in a room and refuse to let them out until they confessed to each other. And her stress level of keeping up this charade was getting close to its peak.
"Also, I hope everything we did helps Eda remember my name. She keeps calling me Goops," said Gus.
The moment he said that one of the Hexside students walked by and said, "Hey, Goops."
Gus' expression fell the moment he heard that. "It's already spreading…"
Willow patted her young friend on the shoulder as she said, "There, there."
On the other side of the hallway, Amity watched the group from behind a corner. After finding out Luz was returning to Hexside today, Amity wanted to mark the occasion, and to do that she made Luz a treat. Amity looked down at the homemade fairy pie, it was her first time making such a thing, and she hoped it was good.
"Not that it will get you anywhere Little Miss Perfect. You still need to confess to her."
I'm working up to it. Today's the day, I've decided! Luz is back, and before anything else happens, I'm going to tell her how I feel about her!
"Oooh, bold words. Well, I'll just kick back and enjoy the show then."
Amity grumbled in annoyance, the fact that Bast was finding entertainment in her love live was infuriating, but she decided to ignore her Inner Phantom. As she said, today was the day. Gathering all her courage, Amity put on a neutral expression as she walked from behind the corner and headed towards the group. "Hey, Luz."
Luz turned around and smiled when she saw the green haired witch. "Amity!"
"In celebration of your return, I have brought you a homemade fairy pie," said Amity as she presented the pie to Luz.
"Oh, wow that sounds so–!" Luz looked down at the pie, it kind of resembled a cherry pie, but that's where the similarities ended. There were translucent fairy wings coming out of the top of the pie, along with a few arms and legs that were still wriggling, and if Luz listened closely enough, she could hear the muffled screams of the very creatures that were baked into the pie. Luz made an expression that was half disgusted and half appreciative, she had no idea how her face looked, but she hoped the appreciative expression out did the disgusted one. "…Goooood…"
Thankfully, Amity was looking away, blushing as she said, "The ingredients are very fresh."
Oh, that I can tell, thought Luz.
She took it! She likes it! Amity thought.
In the subspace of the two Inner Phantoms, both Bast and La Lechuza were laughing their fur and feathered butts off. The best part was, neither of their human hosts could hear them, so they were free to enjoy the show without alerting the other.
Luz took the fairy pie, not sure if the confection would kill her, or if eating it would kill the fairies inside. "Thanks, Amity. Honestly though, I'm just glad to be back, and regain some sense of normalcy."
{You can't just barge in here!} The PA system switched on, and Principal Bump's voice echoed through the halls.
{Yes, we can! We are the Parent Creature Association! Luz Noceda, Willow Park and Augustus Porter, report to Principal Bump's office now! And you too, Amity.}
Amity's eyes widened with realization as she exclaimed, "Mom?!"
"Oh, for the love of – she just HAD to show up today," Bast complained.
"Who in the world is that annoying creature?" La Lechuza asked.
"You're about to find out."
The group made their way to Principal Bump's office, along the way Luz managed to break away from them for a moment and used her Connect ring to put the pie in the Owl House. When she got back, Luz rubbed her stomach and went "Mmm!", indicating that she had eaten the pie, which made Amity smile a little.
Once they arrived, Luz, Amity, Willow, and Gus found four chairs waiting for them, along with both Amity's parents flanking either side of Principal Bump. The kids took their seats, all while Odalia Blight gave three of the kids a scrutinizing glare. Alador looked particularly tired as he rubbed his eyes, Amity knew why that was, he had been working nonstop to overhaul and revamp the Abomaton Amity had dismantled last week. She did feel bad for doing that, especially since it was overworking her father. Principal Bump for his part looked especially annoyed by the presence of the two Blight adults, giving his own sideways glance at the Blight matriarch.
"The Abomination situation, the destruction of detention, the rampage of Grom." Luz looked confused as she heard Odalia list off some of the events that had occurred in Hexside, but what confused her more was that they were only the ones that Luz and her friends were directly involved in. Gus and Willow looked worried that Odalia was listing off a few of their exploits in school, while Amity crossed her arms and looked away angrily. "These are but a few of the incidents that have endangered Hexside students, including our daughter."
Amity shot her mother a glare.
"E-Excuse me, Mrs. Blight, but aren't you forgetting a few things? Like the Greater Basilisk? The Phantom that tried to hurt Willow? And another one that tried to hurt Skara?" Luz asked.
Odalia shot a glare at Luz that made the Latina flinch. "Those incidents were caused by monsters that are beyond our realm of control. And while we are advocating for better ways to detect such creatures, there is no doubt that before their arrival, you three – especially you Luz Noceda – have been at the heart of the aforementioned events that have put other students and Amity in danger."
Luz opened her mouth to rebut Odalia's claims, but a look from Principal Bump told her to remain silent for now.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Blight, but Ms. Noceda does a have point. And honestly, I would argue that their actions pale in comparison to the existential threat that the Phantoms present to the students at this school," Principal Bump argued.
Odalia looked down that the elderly principal and retorted, "That is a fact that we cannot deny, but nonetheless, it is not as if we need anything else endangering the students' lives. We can't do anything about the Phantoms, at this time, but we can do something about the current problem. So, the PCA has decided…" Odalia glanced to her right where she saw her husband stare in fascination at the twitching tail of Principal Bump's Palisman. "Ahem!"
"Oh, right. Um, these three are a bad influence and must be executed."
Willow and Gus gasped. Luz's hands were shaking as she readied herself to transform and fight off whoever was about to commit such a heinous act. Amity's face went pale, her own hands shaking as she reached into the pockets of her uniform, getting ready to put on the rings. Principal Bump was giving Alador a narrowed eyed glare, as if he was about to do something as well.
"Oh, heck no! She is not ruining my only source of entertainment…although, I could be free…Ugh, this is quite the quagmire." Bast thought.
"¡Luz, será mejor que te transformes y le quites esa mirada de suficiencia a esa bruja (Luz, you had better transform and kick that smug look off that witch's face)!"
Odalia glanced at her husband for a moment and cleared her throat.
"Oh, ahem. I mean expelled."
Well, that was less bad, but still bad. Amity removed her hands from her pockets, and so did Luz as she slammed those same hands on Bump's desk.
"WHAT?!" Luz and Gus exclaimed.
Amity glared at her mother, bearing her teeth as if she was ready to leap over the desk and tackle her. Just then, the crystal pendant around Amity's neck began to glow.
"Take this as a lesson, Mittens. A Blight ALWAYs upholds their end of a deal", Odalia spoke.
With those words, the fight left Amity, remembering the night of the Abomaton presentation This was all her fault.
Principal Bump tightened his jaw for a moment, but then released a dejected sigh as he said, "Sadly…I have no choice in the matter. Willow, Luz, Augustus, effective immediately, you are no longer students of Hexside."
"WHAT?! NO! Us good! Amity, tell them!" Luz exclaimed as she looked to her friend.
Amity remained silent under the withering gaze of her mother.
"Good. Amity, you'll be taking double the classes to make up for lost time. Actually, I'm appalled that your not in class right now, what are you thinking," said Odalia.
Amity stood up, her gaze downcast as she said, "Right…of course."
"Are you kidding me?" Bast groaned.
Odalia snapped her fingers, and immediately two Hexside guards burst through the door and used their shepherd's hooks to, well, hook Willow and Gus, while the second used theirs to hook Luz, dragging them away.
"No, please! Wait, wait, wait…!" Gus exclaimed.
"No, wait, NO! Amity! Amity!" Luz yelled as she was being dragged away.
The last thing that Luz saw was Odalia standing next to Amity and placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder, while Amity glanced over her left shoulder with a sad look on her face as the door shut.
After the events in Principal Bump's office, the trio were tossed out of the school and were now milling about at the front steps of Hexside.
"It finally happened! Our memorable adventures caught up to us. Oh, my dad can't find out about this!" Gus looked down at the ground and picked up a tree leaf. "I guess I'll have to start surviving off the land." Gus reluctantly stuck his tongue out as he inched it closer, about to taste the leaf. But at the last second, he gave up on it and threw it back to the ground. Ah! This is impossible"
Willow was busy hugging a tree as she said, "I guess this is goodbye. I'll water you one last time…with my tears!"
Luz groaned in dismay, she hated being expelled from Hexside, but the sight of her friends being so miserable was even worse. And what made it worse was that none of this would have happened if it were not for her. As Luz lied there on the railing, she noticed Mr. and Mrs. Blight walking down the steps and out of the school.
Anger welled up inside of Luz as she got up and stood tall. "HEY!"
Odalia stopped in her tracks and glanced back at Luz.
"If you were just out to punish me, fine, I'll accept that! But how dare you mess with my friends' lives! What have we ever done to you?!" Luz stated.
Odalia smiled down at Luz and said, "Luz, was it? Please, my dear, this isn't anything personal. I actually find your tenacity and misplaced optimism rather refreshing. But no, this isn't about you. This is about teaching our daughter a valuable lesson in business. Right hon…? Alador?" Odalia looked to her left and saw that Alador had wandered off, following a butterfly demon around. "Oh for Titan's sake…"
Luz furrowed her brow as she approached the older woman and said, "How does this teach anything?! Despite all this, neither me, Gus, or Willow are going to stop being friends with her! School or no school! You know what, I'm calling applesauce on this this 'business' baloney!"
For a moment, Odalia had a displeased look on her face, but then it softened into a smile. "Your human language is hard to understand, but I think I see your point." Alador was drawing closer, a small smile on his face as he grew close to catching the butterfly demon, but at the last moment, Odalia reached out and crushed the insect without mercy and let it drop to the ground, much to Alador's dismay. "If you're interested in talking things through, I'm sure we can come to some sort of an agreement." As she said this, Odalia reached into her husband's coat pocket, pulled out a Blight Industries business card, and gave it to Luz.
Luz cautiously took the card, then looked up at Odalia.
"Gus chomp!"
Before Luz could say anything to Odalia, Gus came out of nowhere and bit the card out of Luz's hand and chewed on it angrily as he glared at the Blights.
Willow walked up to Luz's right side as she placed her arm over Luz's shoulder and said, "Come on Luz, we can figure this out on our own!"
Gus spat the card and added, "That's right, we'll get back into Hexside or die trying!"
"No one's dying," Willow corrected.
"Not with that attitude!" Gus remarked as he and Willow walked away.
Odalia chuckled at their banter and added, "Yes, well, if that doesn't work, you know where to find us." Odalia pushed her husband along as he looked sadly down at the dead butterfly demon.
Luz watched as the two adults left, afterwards she caught up with her friends. "Hey, guys, let's head back to the Owl House, we can figure something out there." With little else they could do, Gus and Willow agreed and followed Luz.
"Ms. Eda…another round of Apple Blood Lite," said Willow.
"Make mine a double," said Gus.
Somehow, Eda managed not to blow up the Owl House when Luz left earlier that day. Which was good because right now she really did not want to deal with something else. After their expulsion, the trio were left with little choice but to reconvene at the Owl House. After explaining what happened to Eda and Lilith, Eda poured the two kids a glass of Apple Blood Lite. It was not the same as the regular Apple Blood, that stuff was harder, this was the kid version of it. Still, that did not stop Willow or Gus from trying to drown their sorrows in the stuff.
Luz was in the living room, lying on the floor as she stared up at the ceiling, frustrated and annoyed that Mr. and Mrs. Blight just arbitrarily kicked out both her and her friends. She remembered the memory that Amity showed her and Willow when they were fixing Willow's memory, the memory of how Amity's parents threatened to make sure that Willow would never be able to attend Hexside if Amity did not end her friendship and abandon Willow. That was some years ago, but it seems as if that mentality had not changed in the slightest.
Eda walked into the living room and saw her young apprentice on the floor. "Goops and Willow told me what happened. Damn Odalia, that woman's always been a real…" Eda paused for a moment. "…witch to everyone, but this is a new low!"
"It's all my fault, Eda…as sad as I would've been if it was just me, I could take it. But it's not fair to Willow or Gus that they have to suffer, too! I dragged them into those situations. Well, one of them, anyway, Gus kind of lied to me about the ban being lifted," said Luz.
"AND I SAID I WAS SORRY!" Gus cried from the kitchen.
"The Grom thing…also my fault. I thought I was ready to face that thing, but I was wrong, and I could've ended up making the whole island suffer for it…"
"But ya didn't, you and Amity beat Grom together." Eda crouched low to the floor and said, "C'mon, where's that annoying optimism that I've grown to enjoy? Since when do you say 'die'? You're the girl who's fought monsters to keep people safe, you rushed into the Conformatorium, fought Belos, and saved my hide from being turned into stone. Not only that, but you managed to save another world from a monster. I don't even count Odalia as a threat, so neither should you!"
Luz smiled, her confidence rising thanks to her mentor's words. "Thanks Eda. I'm sorry I became a bit of a downer there for a second."
"Ah, don't mention kiddo. Now, maybe you should share some of that optimism with the other kiddos, 'cause at this rate I'm going to run out of Apple Blood Lite and with the way they are, I'm afraid they're going to start ransacking the kitchen for the hard stuff."
"Dang it I need something stronger!" Gus stated.
"I can still feel the sadness!" Willow whined.
This was accompanied by the sounds of cabinets being opened.
Luz hurriedly leaped to her feet and rushed into the kitchen, where she found Willow and Gus trying to find Eda's stash of adult Apple Blood. "Gus, Willow, we're going back to Hexside!"
Gus stopped his hand as he turned to Luz, unknowingly, said hand was just mere inches away from grabbing one of the adult Apple Blood bottles. "Wait, how?"
"We're going to try and convince Principal Bump, and if that fails, we'll just sneak back in!" Luz stated.
"I don't know…the PCA shapes school policy, and if they say we're banned, we're banned. It would be one thing if Principal Bump made the ban, but since he has to answer to the PCA, he can't just say it's lifted," said Willow.
Luz jumped onto the table and proudly stated, "He's made exceptions before! I mean, he's letting me learn from all nine tracks, he let me a human enroll into Hexside, and he's allowed Jerbo, Viney, and Barkus to learn dual tracks, too! Bump's bent the rules more than once, we just have to convince him to do it again!"
Willow and Gus glanced at each other, it was true, as old as Bump was, he has proven to be a bit of a maverick from time to time, even doing some outside the box thinking. If there was anyone who they had a chance of convincing to go against the PCA it would be Bump. And if that did not work, perhaps he could keep their re-enrollment a secret, off the books if you will. With their confidence restored, Willow and Gus stood tall and shot Luz their best determined looks.
"We're with ya, Luz," said Gus.
"What's the plan?" Willow asked.
Luz jumped off the table and said, "Well, for one thing, you two can stay here until it's time for school to let out. Once that happens, you go back home and pretend like it was just another day at school. Come tomorrow, we'll meet back here, and then head to the school together to put Operation: Change Bump's Mind into action!"
"Yeah!" Willow and Gus cheered.
"Hoot! Why are we cheering?"
After school, Amity hurried back home, she was furious with her mother for doing what she did. She would like to say she could not believe she would do that, but that would be a lie. Amity knew good and well that her mother was not above doing something as petty as this. It was one thing to come down on her, but it was another thing entirely to come down on her friends and Luz.
"Oh, are you going to give your mother a piece of–?"
Not now, Bast!
The Phantom went silent, she could clearly tell that her host was not in a playing mood tonight. Which was good, because this meant things were about to get even more entertaining for her. Her first stop before her mother was her father, Amity went down into the basement, figuring her father was working on the Abomaton, and she guessed right. As she stormed into the workshop, Alador glanced over his shoulder briefly.
"Oh, Amity, it's you. Since you're here, I wanted to inform you that I made two new rings. They're blank like the ones before, I was hoping we could conduct an experiment to make newer rings for you to use, but this current project has taken up the majority of my time," said Alador.
"How long did you know mom was going to do that?!" Amity demanded.
"Do what?"
"Expel my friends from school!" she clarified.
Alador thought for a moment. "Oh, yes, that. I believe she talked about doing something of the sort about a day after the first Abomaton presentation."
Amity's eyes widened; this had been planned almost a week ago. "Why didn't you tell me, dad?!"
Alador stopped for a moment to look at his daughter, a confused expression was on his face. "Was I supposed to? Your mother never told me to do so."
"NO! I – UGH – dad, I thought we were…I thought were partners in this!" Amity argued.
"Partners?"
"You made the MagiDriver, and thanks to your help, I've become a Kamen Rider! You've helped me become someone who can protect others! I thought you and I were…" Amity sighed heavily. "Forget it, I don't know what I was expecting. I thought, for once, maybe you were trying to be different, instead of just doing everything mom tells you."
Alador rubbed the wrench he was holding as he said, "Amity…I'm sure you have noticed, but understanding others has always been…challenging for me. Your mother has always been there to help guide me, to keep me focused on a goal. I am very much grateful for all she's done…"
Amity furrowed her brow. "But don't you ever have your own opinion?! She's got you working on this Abomaton, and you've been at it for hours with barely any sleep! And you're telling me you're okay with that?!"
Alador rubbed the back of his head. "It is hardly the first time I've had to spend more than one sleepless night working on a project. Whether it be work related or not. The MagiDriver is one such example."
Amity pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration but stopped just as quickly when she remembered it was something that her mother would do. "Never mind…" Amity began walking out of the basement, but before she did, she took one last glance over her shoulder at her father and said, "I just thought we were…connecting better." The youngest Blight child left the basement workshop, not noticing the small reaction he had to her words.
The green haired witch decided to go straight to the source on this one, she hated herself for not standing up to her mother just then in Principal Bump's office. The girl that she loved was pleading for her help, begging her to do something, anything. But she merely stood there like a scared little girl. What did she have to fear from her mother anymore? With Bast's power she was far stronger than anyone in her family right now, and that was not even counting the fact that she could transform. Amity has fought two Phantoms already and by comparison, her mother might as well be as harmless as a Snaggleback.
To her surprise, Ed and Em were standing close to the door where their mother's study was. However, when they spotted their little sister, the twins bolted from the door and blocked her path forward. Amity stared at her siblings; she was so not in the mood for any of their shenanigans. "Ed, Em, I am in no mood for whatever you're trying to do, if you don't move, I will move you myself."
"Am, you should probably cool down, now is not the best time," said Ed.
"Oh, it's a perfect time! Mom messed with my friends! She messed with Luz! After that pathetic display I showed back there at school, I am not backing down tonight!" Amity growled as she pushed past her big brother.
Emira got in Amity's way, grabbing her little sister by the shoulders as she said, "Amity, this is serious. Just listen."
Amity let Emira guide her to the door, her older sister gestured with her hand to remain quiet and listen. The young witch sighed and listened as she was asked.
"Mr. Carthwright, please…"
Mr. Carthwright, what's he doing here? Amity thought.
"Odalia, your presentation last week was dismal. If such a young witch could defeat your creation, why would we bother investing in another version of the same thing?"
"I assure you that this Abomaton won't be the same as the last one! I have Alador making adjustments to it to make it bigger, stronger, and far more powerful than the first iteration. I meant what I said, it was only a beta version, meant to give you and the rest of the investors but a taste of what is to come. Not only that, but we have also made a few more products to show off for the private sale as well," said Odalia.
Wow, mom sounds nervous, first time in a long time since I've heard talk like that.
"You're lucky that you've made quality products and brought in a lot of money, otherwise I'd have to call your leadership of this company into question, Odalia."
The Blight siblings heard Mr. Carthwright moving towards the door. Edric and Emira brought Amity close to the wall and cast a spell. A wave of cyan colored magic washed over the three of them, hiding the Blight siblings so that they were invisible. The three watched as Mr. Carthwright exited the study, he stopped in the hallway for a moment, his three eyes scanning the area.
Did he see us?! Emira thought.
There's no way he knows we're here, thought Edric.
For a tense moment the demon waited, he shrugged, and went about leaving the house. The Blight trio did not reappear until they heard the front door close. They released a sigh of relief, but now that Mr. Carthwright was gone, Amity decided to throw her hat into the ring and give her mother a piece of her mind. Edric and Emira stayed behind but were no less worried about what their little sister was walking into.
Amity entered the study and when she did, she saw that her mother had a real bewildered look on her face. "Mom, we need to talk."
"Not now Amity, I have much to do before tomorrow night. Shouldn't you be doing your homework," said Odalia.
"Sorry, but I can't really concentrate on that right now after what happened today! How could you do that them?! I'm sorry I messed up the presentation last week, but THIS is excessive and extreme! If you're mad at me, then punish me, but don't drag my friends into this!" Amity stated.
Odalia eyed her youngest daughter, her brow furrowed. Amity had not spoken at her like that since they made her stop being friends with Willow Park. Since then, she has been an obedient daughter, but now she was starting to develop a rebellious streak, and it was quite annoying, especially right now. "Amity, I don't much like that tone you're taking with me."
"Well don't much like what you did today! Let Luz, Willow, and Gus back into Hexside! I'll take whatever punishment you think is appropriate for what happened last week, but they don't deserve to be expelled!"
Odalia sat on her desk and crossed her arms she glared down at her daughter. "Look Amity, one way or another, this was bound to happen sooner or later. It is true that those three have been at the route of some of Hexside's disruptions. The biggest of which was Grom. That human could've endangered the entire island."
"Luz only did that because I was too afraid to face Grom myself! I admit that, and you know what, in the end, Luz and I defeated Grom together!" Amity countered.
Odalia rolled her eyes. "And that's what makes it worse. I honestly can't believe that you gave up your position as Grom Queen to her, every witch before you has faced it, what made this time so much different that you couldn't face Grom?!"
"That's…!" Amity was about to tell her mother the reason, but at this point, she felt that it would only make the situation worse if she said that she was afraid of asking Luz, the human, to go to Grom Night with her. "…Private."
Odalia scoffed incredulously at Amity's response. "You were more on point than you were before, never mind your father taking you out of school for those days! But ever since that human attended the school, you've been slipping more and more! At this rate, your chances of becoming the head of a Coven is growing more dismal as we speak!"
"My skill hasn't dulled, mom, but if it's a matter of my grades then I'll just work harder!" Amity argued.
Odalia struck her desk, causing Amity to flinch and jump a bit. "You should've been working harder already! UGH!" The Blight matriarch pinched the bridge of her nose, small cracks started to from on her body as a little bit of violet light came out from them. "It's bad enough I have Mr. Carthwright breathing down my neck, the last thing I need to deal with is your attitude!" Odalia let out a small, almost hysterical chuckle, "If this second shot we have does not go well, I may just might have to resort to drastic measures to ensure we don't end up on the streets!"
Amity raised a curious eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'drastic measures'?"
"Oh well, let me see! There's always the option of giving myself to Mr. Carthwright! But if things get really desperate, I might just need you pick up the slack, Amity!" Odalia warned.
Amity clenched her fists. "I would rather let a Phantom kill me before that happened!"
"Then don't make me have to put either of ourselves in that position! Tomorrow night you will do as you are told at the presentation, or so help me Amity Blight, I will make sure that trio receives worse than they already have!"
"You wouldn't!"
Odalia smiled as she walked towards her daughter and glared down at her. "Really? You don't think so? Let me remind you, Amity, that the human has proclaimed herself the 'apprentice' of Eda the Owl Lady. A wanted criminal, although powerless now, who knows what she might be capable of. That little human did manage to free the Owl Lady, she could do worse in a school full of impressionable children. She is essentially a Wild Witch, something that is punishable by law, Amity."
Amity's eyes widened with fear. "Are you saying you'll report her to the Emperor's Coven?!"
"I honestly don't know why they haven't hauled her in already, but I'm sure if the PCA made a big enough ruckus about it, they would see fit to do something about it, given her association with the Owl Lady. And let's not forget Willow Park and Augustus Porter, they still have a chance to go to Saint Epidermis or Glandus, but one word from the PCA and those two will be banned from either of those institutions. They're future exploits will be crushed, because of you, Mittens," Odalia threatened.
Amity was afraid, not for herself, but for them. Gus and Willow's futures would be ruined, and Luz, her crush, she was stuck here in their world, she had nowhere else to run to. If the Emperor's Coven came after her…
A vision of the Petrification Ceremony appeared in her mind, only instead of Eda Clawthorne, it was Luz Noceda in the cage as the beam turned her stone. With Luz crying out her name.
Amity released the tension in her fists as she looked down at the floor. "Alright, mom…if I promise to make sure that this next sale goes off without a hitch, will you at least consider allowing them back into the school?"
"We'll see, Mittens, dear, it all depends on what happens tomorrow night." The cracks started to close on Odalia's body. "Now go and finish your schoolwork, I don't want tomorrow night to be an excuse for not getting any of your work done."
"Yes, ma'am."
Amity left the room, not even bothering to speak with her siblings, who no doubt had heard everything that happened.
"Wow, just when I thought your mother could not be any eviler, she outdoes herself. To be honest, if that woman was a Gate, I could easily see her merging with whatever Phantom comes out of it."
Don't joke like that, Bast! What am I saying? Of course, you're not joking about that. I hate my mom for what she did, but I doesn't mean that I want her dead or to become a Phantom.
"Eh, whatever. So, what will you do now, Little Miss Perfect?"
Amity entered her room and cracked open one of her textbooks. "For now, do my work, and do the presentation tomorrow night. After that…I don't know, yet."
As hard as it was to lie to their parents about something big like being expelled from Hexside, Gus and Willow managed to pull it off. When they left, they met up with Luz at the Owl House where they went over what their strategy was going to be in order to convince Principal Bump to let them back in. Once eight 'o clock rolled around, the trio headed to Hexside, when they arrived, they found that there were three posters plastered at the entrance to school, each had a picture of one of the three of them, and below it was written the word "BANNED" in bold red letters. The reminder stung, but it only made Luz more determined to return.
"Operation: Change Bump's Mind! Let's go!" Luz stated.
Up in Bump's office, the old principal was looking through a special book he made. It contained pictures of Luz, Willow, and Gus. The three students of Hexside that had brought new life and vigor into its halls, but now the source of that life and vigor was gone, and it troubled the old principal. Just then, Principal Bump heard a knock at his office window. Curious, he walked over to the window and found a basket waiting for him. He opened the window and pulled out the contents, the first was a note that read "To our favorite Principal. Please un-expel us." The sheet of paper behind it was a portrait drawing of Bump, and the last item in the bucket was a cake that looked like an Abomination.
The old principal was becoming overwhelmed with emotions but used all his willpower as he yelled and tossed the cake out of the basket. Where it fell right on top of trio below.
"Okay…that didn't work, now what?" Willow asked.
Luz shook off the cake and said, "Plan B!"
Luz had them hide in the woods for a minute as she used her Illusion ring to change their appearances, turning all three of them into the likenesses of three of the demon teachers in the school.
"We'll just walk right in, and they'll be none the wiser. Then I'll cancel the illusion and go to Bump to convince him to let us back in," said Luz.
"Perfect! It's foolproof!" Gus exclaimed
As the disguised Luz and co walked down the paved path, they stopped. Because it seemed that Principal Bump was going on a stroll with the exact same teachers they were disguised as. They had already been spotted, there was nothing else to do but sell it.
"I who are you," said the blue nosed demon (Luz).
"I'm Professor Fronz, who the heck are you?" the professor asked as he pointed at his double.
"No, I'm Professor Fronz, he's obviously and imposter," (s)he retorted while pointing back at the original.
Professor Fronz points back. "How dare you point at me!"
"You. You were pointing first!" Luz points back.
"It's rude to point, sir!" Professor Fronz stated while pointing back at his double.
"You're being rude right now, by pointing, see?!" Luz exclaimed as she pointed at Professor Fronz.
The three eyed Illusion track teacher leaned close to her colleague who looked like a snake and asked, "Which one pointed first?"
"Professor Fronz, obviously," he answered.
"You're pointing at me right now! Look at you! Look what you did there! Look at your finger right now!" Luz shot back, getting into a full-on argument with the real Professor Fronz while still pointing at him.
"It's different than normal pointing!" Professor Fronz stated incredulously.
"You are pointing…!"
"You, sir, haven't seen pointing until I'm through with you!"
"You're accusing me of pointing…what are you…?!"
"Okay this bit has run its course," said Principal Bump as he drew a spell circle.
All of a sudden, the illusion was cancelled, leaving Luz, Gus, and Willow exposed. The three chuckled nervously as they backed away slowly. Bump turned around and when he did, tears formed in his eyes.
Oh Titan, please, why must you torture me so, Bump lamented.
This time kids decided to come at this from a different angle, instead of going through the front doors, they'd come in through the ceiling. Luz knew of a hidden door that would take them into the Secret Room of Shortcuts, and from there they could just go anywhere in the school. While Luz could've used the Witch Speeder to get them over the school, it would be a dead giveaway that she was Witch. So, she headed back to the Owl House, via the Connect ring, and asked Eda if she could borrow Owlbert. Her mentor was intensely concentrating on something, so she either did not hear her or did not care.
The three of them rode on the staff, with the rooftop getting closer. However, before they could get too close, Principal Bump and an Abomination were on the clocktower, arming a ballista. The moment that they saw this, Luz had Owlbert back up and away from the school.
Once they were gone, Principal Bump slumped onto the ground and cried pitifully, "LIFE IS JUST SO DULL WITHOUT THEM!"
Luz decided to use her last resort.
[Connect, Please.]
A portal opened in the Secret Room of Shortcuts, and from it Luz, Willow, and Gus emerged.
"Okay, remind me why we didn't just do that from the beginning?" Gus asked.
"Because I thought those other plans would work," said Luz. "And I feel like it's cheating."
"Well, next time, cheat again," said Gus.
"Okay, we're in, now where do we go?" Willow asked.
"We just need to check which of these doors leads to Bump's office. Start looking."
They split up and started to look through each of the many different doors. Willow opened a door that led to the Oracle track classroom. Luz's door opened into the Abomination track class, and it was there she saw Amity with a lot of books piled next to her. While she was a bit saddened that Amity did not try and help, there was another part of her that understood why she did not intervene. Luz only just dealt with Odalia, but Amity has to go home to her.
Gus approached a door that had a sign hanging from it that read "Do Not Enter!". The young witch boy figured that this might be the door that led to Bump's office, the sign put there to make sure no one accidentally walked into Bump's office and alerted him to the existence of the room. "Guys, I think I found it!"
Willow and Luz ran up the ramp to where Gus was. Once there, Gus slowly opened the door, once he did, they were immediately bombarded by a thick layer of fog. They were confused at first, but gradually, the fog started to lessen. The trio was starting to make out shapes, silhouettes. There were many of them, strangely, the majority of them had feminine figures. As the fog lessened more, it dawned on Willow and Luz where the door led.
"This is not the right door!" Luz exclaimed.
"How are you su–" Some of the fog faded a bit more, granting Gus an obstructed view for the briefest of moments. "HOLY–!"
"SHIELD YOUR EYES!" Willow yelled as she hurriedly placed her hands over Gus' eyes and pulled him backwards, causing the two of them to tumble down the ramp.
Luz swiftly slammed the door shut, her face bright red. "Okay, so that's why it said not to open it." Luz looked around and couldn't find her friends. "You guys, where are you?" She looked down and saw that one of the doors was open.
The human girl ran down the ramp and jumped through the door, finding her friends in a pile, with Principal Bump at the bottom. Somehow, they had found the door to his office.
"Oooh…Willow, that was a bit excessive," said Gus.
"Sorry, I know you didn't mean to, but I wasn't about to let you peep into the girls' locker room, even if by accident," Willow remarked.
"What's this about peeping into the girls' locker room?"
Both witches looked down, finally taking notice that they had landed on Bump. Willow and Gus hurriedly got off their principal. Luz walked over and gave him a hand up, wincing when they heard the old principal's back pop and crack.
"Sorry about that, Principal Bump," said Luz.
"How did you get back in here?" Principal Bump looked at the door they used. "Oh, right, the Shortcut Room. But wait a minute, how did you even get inside to use it?"
"Don't sweat the small details," said Gus.
Willow walked up to Principal Bump, hands interlaced into a prayer like position as she asked, "Please, Principal Bump, let us come back into Hexside."
Principal Bump sighed sadly as he said, "I can't Ms. Park. It's really out of my hands."
"But, Principal Bump, you've gone against the rules before! You let me enroll in Hexside, and you let me, Viney, Jerbo, and Barkus learn from the multiple magic tracks! You've bent the rules or broken them more than once now, what makes this time any different?!" Luz asked in a pleading manner.
"I don't like this any more than you do, Ms. Noceda, but if I didn't there would be worse things in store for you all," Bump warned.
"What?" Luz asked.
Principal Bump walked to his desk and sat down as he said. "If you wish, I can put in a good word for you all at one of the two other schools, like St. Epidermis or Glandus. I know it will be an adjustment, but at least you could all still be together. But I'm warning you, Odalia Blight has a lot of influence in the PCA, if she wanted to, she could bar you from even attending those two schools. A noble witch family like the Blight's have a lot of influence even outside of school matters, you three. There's no telling what she might do, and the last thing I want is to see three of my students be put through such things."
Luz was ready to argue this further, but she could see in Bump's eyes that this whole ordeal was just as hard on him as it was for them.
"Please think over my offer, if you all decide on either of those two schools, I promise to use all my power to get you three put in. For now, though, please vacate the premises…" Bump snapped his fingers and Hexside guards entered the room.
Just like before, they were dragged out of the school, with the doors slamming shut behind them.
"This is hopeless, isn't it…?" Gus sadly.
Luz placed her right hand on Gus' shoulder as she said, "Don't worry guys, as long as we stick together, we'll think of something!"
Just then a crow phone flew down and landed on Willow's head.
"Oh no…" Willow groaned worriedly.
{Willow Park, did you get expelled?!}
A second crow phone landed on Gus' head. {This is Perry Porter with breaking news. In light of recent events, Augustus Porter will be grounded for no less than a year.}
The crow phone hovered in the air, Gus moved closer to Luz as he begged, "Help Luz!" before the crow phone used its talons to grab ahold of his hood and began dragging him up into the air. "Let me go! No please, no!"
{Just one? Willow's grounded for three at least!}
The second crow phone flew up and did the same to Willow, dragging her into the air as if she weighed nothing at all.
"No, ah! Help, Luz! Help, Luz!
"Luz! Save me!"
Luz stood there helplessly as she watched her friends get carried away. Now they were in even more trouble, also because of her. Just then she heard something behind her, and when she turned, Luz spotted Amity. Her eyes also turned to the sky as some of her books slipped from her grasp.
"Amity?"
"Did…Did Gus and Willow just get…?"
"…Yeah, they're parents found out about their being expelled," said Luz.
Amity closed her eyes and gritted her teeth for a moment as shame filled her. "I'm sorry…I was a coward yesterday…Bu my mom…she can be – it's just –"
"Hey, I get it," Luz interrupted. "You're scared of her, but I'm not, and I need you to take me to her. She seemed open to talking things through. Maybe I can make a deal with her, or talk her into at least letting Gus and Willow back in."
Amity's eyes widened with fear at the thought of letting her crush anywhere near her mother. After their talk last night, she was too worried that her mother would do something to Luz. "NO! No, you can't do that Luz! Let me try and make this right, I-I'll come up with something! You don't have to do that."
"Yes, I do." Luz bent down and picked up the papers and book that dropped from Amity's grasp, bending down on one knee as she did so. "I don't care what she says or does to me, but Willow and Gus don't deserve this. So, will you help me, please?"
Amity felt like blushing, the way that Luz was positioned, it was almost like she was proposing. But the seriousness of this matter was putting a damper on everything. Amity wanted to help her; her crush was more or less begging for her help again. But she could not risk it, not now, not until at least after tonight. If things did not go the way she hoped, then…well…Amity did not know what she was going to do.
"I…I can't…" Fortunately, the school bell rang. Granting Amity an excuse to walk away. As she took back her book, Amity added, "I have to go…"
Meanwhile in the Phantom Subspace.
"This is getting quite good," said Bast. "Any bets on if my Little Miss Perfect will work up the courage to slap her mother?"
"Ha! The chances are higher with La Niña. She's all about 'protecting her friends'. Plus, you haven't seen her angry yet."
"Ooh, sounds like fun, I hope she's around to see it when it happens."
Luz sighed in defeat and got up to head back to the Owl House. As she walked, she stepped on something. Luz looked down and saw that it was the business card that Gus spat to the ground yesterday.
ALADOR + ODALIA BLIGHT
811 BRUGEL BLVD.
BONES BOROUGH, H, 120890
RIGHT ARM
B. I.
"If Amity won't take me to her, I'll go there myself."