Bring us hope, Kamen Rider Witch!

by Michael Ravencroft

On a blood moonlit night, Luz is subjected to an ancient ritual that was supposed to pull her into the depths of despair, but somehow she survived. Not long after, monsters known as Phantoms start attacking, threatening those she loves. A mysterious Wizard appears and offers Luz the tools she'll need to defend her friends, and become the hero she was meant to be. It's SHOWTIME!

67. S2 Episode 10: An Eggcellent Time CAPO

Things had been getting a bit hectic, so Luz decided it was time to consult a veteran about it. She sat in her room and concentrated, allowing the world around her to lose its color as time slowed to a standstill. A burst of flames went off in front of her, and from them emerged the simulacrum of her Rider mentor, Kamen Rider Wizard. To her right, La Lechuza appeared, although instead of her small bird sized form, she was bigger, like a large dog.

"Noceda-chan, it's been awhile since we last talked," said Wizard.

Luz rubbed the back of her head as she said, "Sorry about that. Things have been a bit…hectic lately. Fought my alternate dark self in an alternate universe version of the Demon Realm. And now more recently I fought some kind of super strong, super freaky Phantom that merged with Skara and turned her into some kind of…of…Hybrid Phantom?! I wanted to ask, have you ever seen anything like that?"

Wizard shook his head as he answered, "No, never. The Phantoms I've faced before had no such abilities. I've seen other monsters with such abilities, but I've seen a Phantom do something like that."

"I'd have to agree. Phantoms possess a host by destroying their Underworld from the inside and takeover their bodies from there. It's unheard of for a Phantom to force their way into mortal host and combine with them in that manner. We've seen merging, but that hybridized form was something else," said La Lechuza.

"Lala, you said they were Pseudo-Phantoms, like the ones Echidna created. But if Echidna's gone, then how are they still here?" Luz asked.

"Indeed, they have the same aura as one. But when we fought that red bird Phantom, it was stronger than the ones we faced during the Coven Day Parade. It almost felt like a true Phantom. But when it merged with Skara, it became a Phantom and something more."

Wizard hummed as he said, "I hate to say this, Noceda-chan. But you're starting to enter dangerous new territory. My experience in Phantom combat may not be of much help to you anymore."

Luz waved off his concern and remarked, "No way, you've helped me a lot. I mean, I know I haven't called on you as much, but…"

"No, that's actually a good thing, Noceda-chan. It is a good thing for a sempai to see his protégé becoming stronger and becoming more independent. It means you're growing and becoming your own Rider." Wizard reached out and gently placed his hand on Luz's head and patted it. "I know if the real me were here, he would be proud to see how far you've come. As both a witch and as a Rider."

Luz felt her heart swell with pride and joy from hearing such a compliment from a veteran Rider. Even though it was just his simulacrum, it still meant a lot to hear that the person who set her on her Rider Journey was proud of her accomplishments thus far.

Wizard glanced at La Lechuza and addressed the Owl Phantom directly. "And La Lechuza, I'm happy to see how strong your bond with Noceda-chan has become."

The Owl Phantom turned her beak up a bit. "Well, it's in my best interest to see this little chick grow. The great La Lechuza can't be associated with a weak host, after all – HOOT!"

Suddenly, Luz grabbed her Inner Phantom and brought the metal owl into a hug. She gently nuzzled the top of La Lechuza's head as she swung the owl back and forth in her arms.

"Oh, Lala, you're such a tsundere! But I still love my little tsundere owl Phantom," Luz gushed.

"Okay, that's quite enough, Niña! You can let me go now! Ugh! This is so undignified!" La Lechuza complained.

"Oh, you know you like snuggles," Luz retorted.

"Need I remind you that I am thousands of years older than you! I am not a pet to be coddled or 'snuggled'!"

"Probably better to just accept your fate, La Lechuza," Wizard chuckled.

The Inner Phantom grumbled a bit, and just let Luz continue her hug. After a few seconds, Luz stopped lightly rocking La Lechuza as her expression grew a bit serious.

"I think we both know who's most likely behind this. It has to be Belos," said Luz. "I just know it is."

"Those Pseudo-Phantoms at the Coven Day Parade wielded powers that were of the same magic types of this world. And then the 'Super Phantom' had Bard magical powers, but stronger thanks to its Phantom power," said La Lechuza.

"He's the only one who could make something that. But…"

Wizard noticed the shift in Luz's expression and asked, "But what, Noceda-chan?"

"I can't just go accusing him, and I can't just go charging into the castle because I think he's behind this. Otherwise…" Luz trailed off a bit.

"Otherwise, you feel as if you might be repeating the mistakes of Alt Luz," La Lechuza finished.

Luz merely nodded.

Alt Luz had charged into the Emperor's Castle, believing he was up to something evil, which, at this point, Luz was almost certain he was. If the Phantom, Pan, was to be believed when he warned them. But the thing is, Luz had no hard evidence. Plus, Alt Luz's Belos could be completely different from her own. If it was just mere coincidence that the Coven Phantoms had the magical powers of the Demon Realm's nine magic types, then she could make herself into an enemy of the Boiling Isles.

"Do not fret, Noceda-chan. You have taken the lessons learned from that ordeal, and I know you will make the right decisions in the end. Plus, you also have something the other you did not," said Wizard.

"What's that?" Luz asked.

"La Lechuza."

Luz looked down at the Owl Phantom in her arms, and the Phantom looked up at her. The Latina smiled. Her Rider mentor was correct. Alt Luz devoured her Inner Phantom as a sacrifice to obtain the Philosopher's Stone. But unlike Alt Luz, Luz had La Lechuza, she was the voice of reason in her head, a constant protector.

The Latina snuggled her Inner Phantom as she happily said, "Yeah, you're right. Lala and I are a team, and together, there's nothing we can't overcome!"

---

A few days have passed since the incident at the Bard Coven Headquarters. The Boiling Isles certainly had no end in questions floating about how there were Phantoms still lurking about, and how much destruction had almost been caused by what happened. Thankfully, Head Witch Raine managed to keep Skara's name out of the news, at least when it came to the fact that she was possessed by the Super Coven Phantom but did keep her involvement in its defeat known.

For awhile, things had been quiet, but Luz knew that that wasn't going to last long. But she was determined to enjoy the lulls when they came, she still needed to find a way to make a functioning portal to the Human Realm. And she couldn't quite do that with constant monster attacks. Speaking of, after that attack, Amity apologized again and again for not being there to help fight with Luz to save Skara. To which Luz had told her repeatedly that neither of them could've known that would happen. Plus, Amity wasn't in the Bard track, so there was no way she could've been there to help from the get-go.

Skara eventually managed to work up the courage to tell her parents about her dating Willow. And while they didn't seem too enthused by the idea, they did seem willing to let Skara continue her relationship. It seems as if they were intrigued by Willow's strong affinity for Plant magic, and there had been cases where Bard and Plant magic synergized to create strong spells before. So, it seemed that their relationship was on a trial basis as far as they were concerned, but Skara could care less about it. Regardless of what they thought in the end, Skara had told Willow and the rest of their group that she was not going to abandon her.

"I'm still glad that Skara managed to work up the courage to tell her parents how she feels about Willow," said Amity.

"Same here, I really didn't want them to break up. I'm glad we're still together, too," Luz replied.

The couple was currently walking down the hallways of Hexside, with Amity escorting her girlfriend to her next class. Luz decided to keep her suspicions that Belos was behind the creation of the Coven Phantoms to herself, at least for the time being until she could gather some hard evidence on him. The last thing she wanted to do was drag Amity into a fight that she might lose and ruin her image as not just a Kamen Rider hero, but also put Amity more on Belos' radar than Amity probably already was.

"Hey, Mittens!"

Suddenly, Amity got globed on from behind, which nearly sent the young teen falling forward. But two arms managed to drag her back until she was against someone. When Amity looked up, she realized just who it was.

"Em, what the heck?!" Amity complained.

"C'mon, I can't give my cute baby sis a surprise hug?" Emira whined.

"Hey, Luz, Ams." Amity and Luz glanced to their right and saw Viney come up from behind them. "Looks like we're heading in the same direction."

"Wait, what?" Amity questioned.

"I thought I'd escort my girlfriend to her Beast Keeping class, and from the looks of it, you had the same idea," said Emira.

Amity blushed as she said, "Well, I just…"

Emira released her little sister and went over to stand next to Viney, wrapping her left arm around the broad arm of her girlfriend. "Since we're heading in the same direction, let's go there together!"

"Great idea!" Luz exclaimed.

"Uh, yeah, sure."

The group of four began walking to the Beast Keeping track classroom. Emira continued to hang onto Viney, with the dual track witch enjoying every moment of it. Luz was idly chatting with Viney while Amity was wondering if she should do the same thing that Emira was doing. It wasn't as if she was against such a display of affection, but it was making her wonder if Luz was expecting such a thing from her.

"So, Luz, you excited for today?" Viney asked.

"Uh, don't know, what's today?" Luz asked.

"Did you forget? Professor Brost is going to have a special assignment waiting for us all. He said it was going to be something fun," said Viney.

"Sweet! I can't wait!" Luz exclaimed happily.

"Ah, isn't this nice? The four of us hanging out together, it's like we're on a little group date," Emira mentioned.

Amity's face grew red as she spluttered, "A-A g-group date?!"

"Oh! We should totally do that for real," said Emira with a happy tone. "Me and Viney, you and Luz, we should plan a group date for the four us!"

Amity was trying to make a coherent sentence in regards to this suggestion. She never thought in a million years that she would be asked to go on a group date with one of her siblings. It was both embarrassing and nerve-wracking to think about. Thankfully, Luz managed to save her.

"That would be great, Em. But, well…" Luz rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "Amity and I haven't even had a first date yet, so…I'd rather have a few dates, just the two of us, before we tackle something like that."

Oh, thank Titan, Amity thought.

"Whoa, wait, you two haven't even had one date yet?" Viney asked in shock.

"Well, I've been a bit busy, so we haven't been able to go on any kind of dates," said Luz.

"Amity's been helping Luz with creating a portal door to the Human Realm," Emira informed.

"Whoa? Really?" Viney asked as she looked down at Luz. "But how did you get here in the first place?"

"Uh…" Luz's mind briefly flashed back to the battle between herself and Belos, and her subsequent use of Fire Glyphs to destroy the portal door. "It got destroyed. Total freak accident. So, yeah, that's been taking up the bulk of my time."

Along with being a Kamen Rider, Amity, Emira, and Luz thought.

"Wow, Luz, that sucks, I didn't know." Viney moved a little closer to Luz and threw her arm over Luz's shoulders to give her a half hug. "Let me know if I can help in any way, okay? I mean, I don't know what exactly I can do, but if I can, I will."

Luz chuckled happily at the offer.

"I'll keep that in mind. You know, I think you'd like my Mom. She loves animals, too," Luz mentioned.

"Oh, she does?"

"Totally! She's actually a veterinarian."

Emira, Amity, and Viney looked at Luz with confusion. That was a word they had never heard before. Noticing the confused looks, Luz decided to clarify.

"It basically means she's a healer that specializes in animals."

"No way! Oh, Luz, you totally gotta introduce me to her when you manage to make a new portal!" Viney exclaimed.

Luz smiled at Viney's enthusiasm. Perhaps witches like Viney, Gus, Amity, Willow, and Eda might be what helps to convince her mother to let her continue her studies in the Boiling Isles. At least she hoped so. As she thought this, the group arrived at the Beast Keeping track classroom.

"Welp, here's our stop!" Viney released Luz and leaned over to Emira who she kissed on the cheek. "See ya later, babe."

Luz blushed, but decided to mimic what Viney did as she leaned to her left and gave Amity a kiss on the cheek as well.

"See you at lunch, batata," said Luz.

Both Blights watched their girlfriends enter the classroom, and once inside, they started to walk away. Emira sported a small blush, while her little sister was still blushing hard.

"It's fun, huh?" Emira asked.

"What's fun?"

"Being in love."

It's strange, ever since Luz came, the rift between Emira and Edric and herself had lessened. Before, Amity was just focused on being the best student in Hexside, becoming number one in order to be recognized by the Emperor's Coven and eventually join their ranks as not just a member, but one day become the head of the Coven itself. Of course, this, along with her friend group, made being around them less appealing. Plus, they often teased and pulled pranks on her, which also annoyed her to no end. But now, things were a lot better between them. So, having sisterly talks like this was fun.

"Yeah, it is," Amity admitted.

"I like seeing you happy, Mittens. I know Ed and I have said this before, but we mean it," said Emira.

Amity smiled up at her big sister and said, "Thanks, Em."

---

Luz and Viney sat next to each other as they awaited the arrival of their professor. The bell rang, and about a couple of minutes later, Professor Brost entered the classroom. He was a stout man, with rippling muscles, a bushy mustache, tanned skin, and a lot of scars from his time wrangling Beast Demons. Despite his intimidating appearance, he was actually quite a gentle giant. Professor Brost pulled in a long rolling tray that had a white cloth draped over it, hiding the contents beneath it.

"Alright class, today it's time to announce your special assignment." Brost grabbed the sheet and tossed it off with a flourish. On the tray were at least eight fairly large eggs. "Starting from today until the beginning of next Monday, you all will be taking care of these griffon eggs!"

Luz gasped and then squealed with excitement. Of course, this got the attention of the other kids in the classroom, but she thankfully managed to regain her composure.

Viney raised her hand and said, "Professor Brost, there's only eight eggs though."

"And that brings me to my next announcement. You all will be taking care of these eggs in pairs. Think of this as both a lesson in raising a child and having a partner in life. This assignment should be fairly simple. So long as your egg is undamaged and intact by this time next week, you all get a passing grade. Anything otherwise will be a fail," said Brost.

There were some nervous looks from the other students, but Viney and Luz were pumped for this assignment.

"Now, I already made a list of pairings. When I call your names, come up and take an egg." Professor Brost drew a spell circle and manifested a clipboard. He then took out a pair of reading glasses and read off the first pairing. "Luz Noceda and Viney Arwin."

"YES!" Luz and Viney exclaimed.

The other students groaned loudly in dismay. It was no secret that Viney was the best among them when it came to Beast Keeping magic, and overall taming of beasts in general. So having her as a partner was almost guaranteeing a good grade. Luz and Viney got up from their desk and headed to the cart with the eggs.

"Which one do you think we should choose?" Luz asked.

"Hmm…" Viney gave the eggs a scrutinizing gaze, as if she was sensing or seeing something that Luz couldn't. Her eyes landed on one egg in particular that had a unique green swirling stripe on it. "That one."

Luz eyed the one that Viney picked and nodded her head in agreement.

"I chose you two for a reason," said Brost. "You both are in multiple magic tracks. So, coordination between you two will be crucial in the care of your egg. Just like real life, there will be times when your partner is working and the other is taking care of the child. I think this will be a good lesson for the both of you."

"We won't let you down, Professor Brost," said Luz.

The two girls returned to their desk and admired their new egg as the professor continued to call out parings.

"This is going to be so much fun," said Luz.

"Well, yeah, definitely fun, but it'll also be a bit of hard work." Viney smiled and nudged Luz in the arm as she said, "But I don't think it'll be a problem for the two of us."

Luz smirked and replied, "Definitely not. So, shall we have the honeymoon now or later?"

Viney caught on to the joke and played along, "Oh, I don't know, Luz. We just got a baby; we can't be away from it too long."

"Darn, well, the baby must come first. Uh, so, what's her name?" Luz asked.

"Huh, good question," said Viney.

"Oh! How 'bout Luney?!" Luz exclaimed. "Luz and Viney, Luney!"

"Huh, I like it." Viney gently rubbed the top of the egg as she said, "Hello little Luney, we're your mommas. I'll probably end up being the responsible mom while your other mom is a little goofball."

Luz puffed out her cheeks as she said, "I'm a goofball, yes, but I will make sure our child grows up in a nurturing, and fun environment."

"Get a room you two!" one student exclaimed.

"Maybe we will!" Luz retorted.

"Yeah!" Viney agreed.

---

Lunch time came, and Amity found herself at their usual table. Skara, Willow, and Gus were there as well, but Luz was running a bit late.

"Wonder where she is? I thought she'd be here by now," said Amity.

"Probably got hung up. Don't worry, she'll be here soon," said Gus.

"Speak of the devil, look," said Skara.

Amity turned around and saw Luz, but also Viney. The two of them were walking side by side, and Viney had a cradling sash around her body, and from what she could tell there was something in it. Luz was giggling and Viney chuckled. It was strange, but they looked a bit closer than they did when she left them earlier. Luz seemed to tell Viney something, with Viney nodding her head and heading off in a different direction as Luz approached their table.

"Sorry, I'm late guys," Luz apologized.

"No problem, but, uh, what were you and Viney talking about?" Amity asked.

"Oh, we were just talking about our baby," said Luz, nonchalantly.

"PFFFFFFTTT!" Gus and Willow spat out their drinks at the same time.

Skara dropped her fork, letting it clatter against the table as she was just completely stunned.

Amity felt as if the world was about to explode around her, and at this point that wouldn't be such a terrible thing.

"L-Luz…uh…I-I think we need more context here. H-How could you and Viney have a baby?" Willow asked, not daring to think of the implications of how that may've come about.

"Oh, pfft, duh. Sorry, I guess that did sound a bit misleading. Viney and I got paired to take care of a griffon egg, so we'll be a couple of momma birds for the rest of the week. Which also means I won't be able to eat with you guys as much. Viney says that it's good for an unhatched egg to feel the presence of both its parents, so we'll be eating lunch together for this week," Luz explained.

Oh, they're just partners for an assignment. That's all, thought Amity. Wait, didn't Luz say that she found Viney attractive once?!

"Oh, and Viney is going to be coming over to the Owl House later to see if she wants to sleepover and take care of the egg there or at her house. Okay, well, I need to go and get me and Viney some lunch. Gotta do my job as a provider!" Luz stated as she quickly made her way to the lunch line.

Gus noticed that Amity did not look like she had fully recovered from what Luz had said and asked, "Uh, Amity, you okay?"

"Oh, y-yeah, I'm great! M-My girlfriend is just going to be hanging out with my big sister's girlfriend, being pretend moms to an egg, and possibly living under the same roof together…heh-heh-eheheheh…"

"Oh, this is going to be deliciously fun to watch," Bast thought.

"Oh, my dear witty cat, you have no idea," La Lechuza mentally replied.

Meanwhile…

"Hey, Vi, what's up? You're a little late," said Emira.

"Sorry, Em, I was talking to Luz about how we're going to take care of our little baby," said Viney.

Edric, who had been sitting next to his sister, spat out his drink, "PFFFFFFFTTTT!"

Emira felt the world grind to a halt. T-That's not possible! Viney and I have been together all the time! W-We haven't even done…THAT…yet, so how and when did Luz even…?!

"Professor Brost gave us these griffon eggs to take care of, and he paired us together. So, Luz and I are partners for the rest of this week," Viney explained as she showed off the egg in her sash.

"Ooooh! You and Luz are taking care of a griffon egg, and that's your baby, ha-ha, cool, cool," said Emira.

"Yeah, so, I wanted to tell you that I won't be joining you for lunch for this week. It's important that the baby feels the presence of its caretakers, so Luz and I will be spending lunches together. Also, I'll probably be hanging out at her house later," said Viney.

"Oh, uh, why's that?" Emira asked.

"For one thing, I want to make sure that Luz's home is conducive to a proper and safe living environment for our egg. Plus, having the egg between us as we sleep will help keep it warm."

Emira's left eye twitched. T-T-They're going to sleep in the same bed together?!

"Anyway, babe, need to go. Luz is getting our lunches. Talk to you later," said Viney as she walked away.

Emira looked stunned, Edric even waved his hand in front of her face but got no response.

"Sis? You good?" Edric asked.

"Y-Yeah, I'm good…I'm g-good."

---

School eventually ended, Viney gave the egg to Luz while she went home to get a few things for an overnight stay at the Owl House. While she did that, Luz was going to head back home and get things ready for Viney's arrival.

"Well, little one, this is the Owl House," said Luz as she waved to the home in question. "This is where your mamá lives."

Luz walked up to the door and closed it behind her.

"Eda, King, I'm home!" Luz announced. "I have a friend coming over to stay the night, so, I'm gonna get some things cleaned up before then."

Luz waited for a response, but no one answered.

"Huh, guess they're out."

Luz walked over to the couch and placed her egg on the couch. She kept the base wrapped in the carrying sash and placed a few throw pillows around it to keep it safe.

"You just wait right there, little one while Mama Luz cleans up a bit!"

Luz smiled at her egg and went upstairs to get changed out of her uniform and into some clothes for cleaning.

About a minute after she got upstairs, Eda and King came out of the basement and groaned in annoyance.

"Remind me again why we let Hooty eat?" King asked.

"'Cause he's good at what he does, and everything else he's annoying," Eda answered.

"Ugh, I'm hungry…" King moaned.

"I'll check the fridge for something," said Eda as walked towards the kitchen.

King headed for the living room and noticed something. There was an egg in the middle of the couch. "Weh?"

The little demon walked over to the couch and looked at the egg curiously.

"Huh, don't remember this being here." King picked up the egg and lightly tapped it. "Not hardboiled."

The little demon's stomach began to grumble.

"Ah, who cares, I'm hungry."

King opened his mouth, about to take a bite out of the egg.

"King!" Eda exclaimed.

"WEH!" King yelped.

The Owl Lady quickly snatched up the egg out of King's claws and said, "I told you not to eat raw eggs like this."

"But I'm hungryyyyy," he whined.

Eda looked at the egg and realized it was a fairly large griffon egg. "Huh, well, how 'bout some scrambled griffon eggs? I can make enough here for the three of us with this thing."

"Yes! Breakfast for dinner! Such delicious blasphemy of late dining!" King exclaimed.

Eda and King went to the kitchen, the witch woman took out a pan and lit the stove. The Owl Lady carefully raised the egg, readying to crack it in half, but stopped.

"Huh, now that I think about it, Luz should be getting home soon. Maybe I'll crack another one first and then this one," said Eda.

"C'mon, Eda," King whined.

"Just hold up you little glutton, a couple of minutes won't kill ya," said Eda as she walked to the fridge.

Eda found a few more griffon eggs and placed them next to the one she had taken from King. She then started to crack them open as they started to cook in the skillet. It was as Eda was cooking the eggs that she heard footsteps approaching the kitchen.

"Hmm, something smells good. Are you cookiaaaaaaaahhaa!" Luz yelled.

"Oh, hey, Luz. Didn't know you were already here. Hope you're hungry for breakfast," said Eda.

"AAAAAAH!" Luz quickly rushed to Eda and yelled, "EDA! YOU KILLED MY BABY!"

"W-W-WHAT?!" Eda exclaimed. "Since when did you get a kid?! C-Can you humans have a kid that quick?! And who's the baby mama-daddy?!"

"No, Eda not a baby-baby! It's a griffon egg I got from class today!" Luz exclaimed. "Viney was assigned to be my partner and we were supposed to take care of it! And now I let her down and we're both gonna faaaaail…!"

"Oooh…uh…sorry, kid," Eda apologized.

Luz glanced at the remaining eggs but noticed that none of them had a green swirling stripe on them. "Wait, Eda! Did any of the eggs have a green stripe on it?!"

"Uh, yeah, one did, but I didn't crack it," said Eda.

Luz quickly looked among the remaining eggs but found that none of them had the stripe. "Where is it?!"

It was then that Luz and Eda heard the cracking of an eggshell and turned around. King had stepped on an eggshell, but in his claws, he held the egg in question, and from what Luz could tell, it was undamaged.

"King, give me the egg or no tummy rubs for a month!" Luz threatened.

"No! Okay! Okay!"

Luz held her arms out as she readied for King to give it to her. But right before the exchange could happen, Hooty came in and snatched up the egg into his mouth before swallowing it whole.

"Mmm-mmm! Nothing like a good breakfast for dinner," said Hooty.

Luz's jaw dropped; this couldn't be happening right now.

"Hoooooottttyyyyyyy!" Luz exclaimed.

"That's meh name, hoot!" Hooty replied.

"KYAAAAAH!"

"HOOOOOT!"

---

Viney flew on her staff to the Owl House, she had gotten the directions from Emira after giving her a quick call. The dual track witch landed a few feet from the house, admiring the architecture. Viney had never been this far into the woods, but considering that Ms. Eda Clawthorne is a Wild Witch, having a place kind of off the beaten path is a plus.

"Okay, Viney. This is your first time meeting the Owl Lady face-to-face and being a guest in Luz's house. Let's do this."

The dual track witch walked closer to the house but noticed that something was growing out of the front door and extended itself into the house itself. Viney wasn't sure what it was, so she approached cautiously, but immediately came to a stop when she heard banging noises coming from inside of the house, along with that long thing wiggling up and down and thrashing about.

Just then, the thing that was growing out of the door and into the window came bursting out, swinging itself in a wide arc. Viney was just far enough away that she managed to see the face of an owl creature, its mouth wide open as it yelled something unintelligible, before wiggling about. On top of the creature was none other than Luz, who had somehow managed to grab onto it, and had her hands wrapped around it in the Heimlich maneuver as she squeezed against the bird tube's body.

"SPIT IT OUT HOOTY! SPIT! IT! OUT!" Luz demanded.

"GYAH! MY DINNER! GYAH! MY DINNER!" Hooty cried out.

Viney watched as Luz rode on this creature's back all around the front yard as it seemed to be doing its best to shake her off. But Luz, to her credit, was hanging on like a champ. Viney had to admit, despite how thin Luz's arms were, she had some strength behind them considering how she was able to hold on like she was.

"HOOTY! DON'T MAKE ME HAVE TO DO SOMETHING WE'LL BOTH REGRET!" Luz threatened.

Luz took out her Plant Glyph paper, fed it some of her mana, and activated it. In an instant many vines sprouted from the paper in her hand, all of them wrapping around the Hooty as he fought against the vines with all he had.

"I DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO DO THIS HOOTY!"

Luz commanded the vines to anchor Hooty to the ground. The vines dug deep into the earth and until they managed to find some underground boulders upon which to latch onto. Once secured, more vines sprouted from Luz's right hand, and these ones managed to pry the bird tube's beak open. Two more vines sprouted from those ones keeping his mouth open and both shot down Hooty's mouth.

"COUHG IT UP!"

"GY-HA! ACK!"

"COUGH!"

"AAACK!"

"IT!"

"A-AACK!"

"UP!"

"GYAAAAAAAACKKK!"

Suddenly, Viney witnessed the horrible sight of the bird tube retching up many miscellaneous items, thankfully it was not actual bile or half eaten things – oh wait, no, she took that back, there were some skeletons among the debris it coughed up.

Wait, was that a Coven Scout helmet?! Viney thought as she tried to prevent herself from throwing up.

Luz quickly broke off her connection to the vines as she ran down Hooty's body and jumped into the pile of nonsense items he threw up. Eda and King managed to get outside and watched as Luz swam through the pile. After a few seconds, Luz burst out of the pile as she held up an egg in triumph and gave a loud yell.

"YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! FOUND YOU!" Luz declared.

Viney was still at a loss for words.

Luz quickly cleaned off the egg and sighed in relief as the egg was undamaged. "Whew, gracias a Dios, you're alright. Sorry about the rough treatment, Hooty."

Suddenly, Hooty began eating the vines, slurping them up like strings of spaghetti. After consuming the vines and smacking his lips, the house demon replied, "No problem, Luz! That was fun! Hoot!"

Luz just now noticed Viney and nervously chuckled as she greeted her.

"H-Hey, Viney! Welcome to the Owl House!"

"Ack!" Hooty spat up another Coven Scout mask before putting on a big smile for their guest.

"Uh…Luz…what was that about?" Viney asked with dread.

"Oh…uh…Hooty accidentally ate the egg…" Luz confessed.

"After I almost ate it raw," said King.

"And before I could crack it open to scramble it. Sorry 'bout that by the way," said Eda.

Viney's left eye twitched for a moment before she walked up to Luz, took the egg, and then wrapped her hand around Luz's wrist as she marched them towards the house.

"Where's your room?" Viney asked.

"Uh, upstairs," Luz answered. "Why?"

"You're staying with me at my house until this assignment is over. So, we're going to your room, packing up what you need, and then we're flying back to my place to take care of this egg," said Viney.

"V-Viney, this was just–" Luz stopped when she saw the look in Viney's eyes, the look of a parent that was not about to waver or back down from her decision. "Uh, I mean, yes ma'am!"

"Good, let's get you packed."

Eda and King watched as Luz was whisked into the house.

"Uh, did we get Luz in trouble already?" King asked.

"Eeeh, I kinda think we did."

---

After packing up her things, Luz rode with Viney as they flew back to her place. When they arrived, Luz found that their home resembled something like a ranch in her world. There were a few different beasts roaming in a pin to the right side of the house, and there was a barn that kind of towered over the house itself. There was another pin that had some griffons in it already, and one of them she recognized as Puddles. The house itself was two stories, with a brown shingled roof, brown wooden beams, and white brick walls.

"Wow, Viney, you have a nice house," said Luz.

"Thanks, Beast Keeping is a thing in our family," said Viney.

Viney landed in her front yard, allowing Luz to dismount first as Viney had her staff recalled to its pocket dimension. The two girls walked up to the house, with Luz feeling a bit nervous about being at another friend's house. She hadn't had a sleepover before, nor had she just gone over to visit a friend's house. Then again, Luz didn't really have many or any friends back on Earth, so this was a completely new experience for her. The dual track witch glanced over her shoulder and noticed the nervous look on her partner's face.

"Hey, you alright, Luz?" Viney asked.

"Oh, uh…sorry, I'm just a bit nervous. I never really had many – honestly, I didn't have any friends back in the Human Realm. So…staying over at a friend's house is a bit new for me. I…I just don't want to make a bad impression," said Luz.

Viney smiled as she turned around and clasped Luz on her shoulder. "Hey, you don't have nothing to worry about. It's just me and my folks. They're super chill, especially my Dad. He's a big softie."

Luz chuckled and nodded.

The two continued their walk to the door and knocked. When the door opened, Luz's happy expression fell when she saw Viney's father. He was huge, standing six-foot-five. Apparently, her father was a biped demon, as he was covered in azure blue fur, with some white running down the middle of his body, and his lower jaw. He wore a tight gray, sleeveless shirt, actually, it looked as if the sleeves were ripped off. His lower half was more lupine, with a bushy tail wagging back and forth, which had its tip white. The man beast looking demon also sported a strong build, his arms were very muscular, along with his chest, and legs. There was a lot of fur around his neck, which made him look like he had a mane. His eyes were bright green as he looked down at the two girls.

Luz gulped.

"Daddy!" Viney exclaimed.

"Ah, Vi! C'mere you!"

The man-beast looking demon opened his arms and Viney rushed into them, letting the big werewolf demon give her a hug as he swung her around in his arms for a bit.

"That was unexpected."

"I thought you said you were going to be staying over at your friend's house?" he asked.

After their hug, Viney was let go as she explained, "Well, yeah, that was the plan. But, uh, certain factors arose that called for a change of venue. So, I thought it'd be better if Luz and I took care of the egg here. I mean, we do have all kinds of things to help care for it here. Plus, it'll be better than having to lug those things back and forth. Oh, Luz, this is my Dad, Fangorin Aldrich Arwin."

"Just call me 'Fang', please." Viney's father glanced at Luz. He then approached her, making Luz go stark still as the man-beast demon gave her a few sniffs before standing to his full height. "She's a human?"

"Yep," Viney confirmed.

"Huh, I remember you told us about her, but this is the first time I've ever seen one." Fang tapped his chin before saying, "I thought you humans had gills."

Okay, who in the world planted this idea in their head? Luz thought.

"Well, I don't mind. But your mother wasn't exactly expecting company. But considering this is for your grade, I don't see a problem," he said.

Just then, they heard footsteps entering the room. That's when Luz laid eyes on Viney's mother. She was wearing a purple-colored apron, over a red shirt, and a pair of brown pants. She had brown hair, and violet eyes, and had a lean, muscular build. There were some scars on her arms, and one in the shape of a cross on her left cheek.

"Luz, this is my Mom, Matilda Arwin," said Viney.

"Huh? Oh, a guest? Viney, what's going on? I thought you said you were staying over at a friend's house?" Matilda asked.

Viney explained, again, why they were changing up the format, so to speak. After a moment of pondering for Matilda, she gave a sigh and nodded.

"Alright, that's okay with me. Can't be helped. That being said, Luz, was it?"

Luz nodded.

"I'm not quite sure what humans eat, and I'm not a fan of poisoning my house guest, accidentally or otherwise. So, if there's something you can eat, tell me now so I can go and get it or make it," said Matilda.

"Oh, uh, ironically enough, I can digest griffon eggs," said Luz.

"Okay, we have a fresh batch of unfertilized eggs. I'll whip up something for you then," said Matilda as she walked back into the kitchen.

Fang and Viney let out a sigh of relief.

"Whoa, man, glad she didn't get upset," said Viney.

"Ditto, kiddo," Fang stated.

"Uh, I feel like I'm missing something."

Fang rubbed the back of his head as he said, "My wife is wonderful, a bit stubborn at times too, but she does have a good heart as you can see."

Living here for a week is going to be interesting.

---

"Viney, mind if I ask a question?" Luz asked.

"Ask away," said Viney.

"Not to sound rude or anything, but…"

"Why don't I look like my Dad, right?" Viney asked.

Luz nodded.

"It's nothing special. He's actually my stepdad, but as far as I'm concerned, he's my real Dad. Mom divorced a while back; my father was a real a-hole," said Viney.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Did he…hurt you or your mom?" Luz asked.

Viney sighed, "Those scars on Mom are from wrangling beasts, so don't think he was behind that. But, yeah, he would knock me around a bit. He was strong, and my Mom was strong too, but not always were they evenly matched, and not always did she manage to protect me in time. It was actually because of Fang that she managed to get out of that marriage."

Viney went to her bed and undid the blankets as she put the egg in the center of it.

"I ran away during one of the fights, hurt. And I stumbled into him. Just like you probably thought he was scary looking, so did I. But then he healed me and brought me back home and found out what my father was doing. He threatened to get the Coven Scouts involved if he didn't leave us alone, so, in the end, Mom divorced my father, and a year later, Fang became my Dad," Viney explained.

Luz was actually surprised to hear that. "I would've thought he was also a Beast Keeper."

"You'd think that, but no, he's actually a Healer that helps both witches, demons, and beasts occasionally." Viney smiled. "Funny enough, when I saw how well my Mom and Dad's magic worked together, it inspired me to want to pursue both."

Luz smiled when she heard that. Her mother and father were the reasons why Viney decided to become a witch who could use both Healing and Beast Keeping magic, but under Belos' Coven System, Luz knew that that was not going be possible. It frustrated her that when they eventually graduated, Viney would be made to choose which of the two Covens to be in, either that, or risk becoming a fugitive Wild Witch like Eda.

I really wish I could do something about this Coven System, Luz thought.

"Well, technically you could. Your alter self used the power of the Gluttony based Sin ring to drain the magic that comprised the sigil marks on all the witches on the Boiling Isles. I don't see why you couldn't be capable of the same?"

Luz thought about it for a moment. It was true, she possessed the same ring as Oscura did thanks to her Twilight Style. But Luz shook her head at the thought.

No, again, that's something that led to Alt Luz becoming Oscura. I don't want to repeat the same mistake. Maybe once we uncover Belos' schemes, then I can do that, but for now, we'll just have to wait. Plus, her rings were forged from a Philosopher's Stone that kinda gave her hax abilities. Pretty sure my Sin rings aren't on that level.

"Hmm, perhaps we should test drive some of them some day?"

The two girls were just about ready for bed, but then Viney came up to Luz with a hanger in both hands. "Okay, Luz, I need you to slip into this."

Luz looked at the clothes on the hanger, or lack thereof. The outfit that was on it was white, it consisted of a wrapping-like top that would cover most of Luz's upper half. The other part also looked like wrappings with a short sheet of white cloth covering the front and back, leaving an open slit on both sides. The Latina blushed a bit when she saw this outfit.

"Uh…V-Viney, may I ask why you want me to wear that?" Luz asked.

"Oh, you're not the only one wearing it, the other one is for me," said Viney.

"Okay, why though?" Luz asked, again.

"We're going to sleep in the same bed with the egg between us. These outfits are magically charmed. So, while they don't look like they cover much, the enchantments will help us retain body heat even though some of our skin will be exposed," Viney explained.

Luz blushed a bit as she took the outfit, she could kind of understand the reasoning behind it. Her mother did tell her about how animals either curl up or sit on their young to keep them safe and warm. Guess it's better than the alternative.

"Okay, so, um, question. Where am I sleeping? You said not to bring my sleeping bag. Do you guys have a guest room or…?"

"Oh, no, we do have a guest room. But you're sleeping in my room," said Viney as she went to the closet to change.

"No, Viney, I couldn't put you out like that! I-I'll sleep in the guest room," Luz insisted.

After a few seconds, Viney came out of the closet in the semi-revealing outfit that made Luz blush a bit. "No, we're sleeping in the same bed, Luz."

Luz's nose nearly bled from that statement. "B-But why?!"

"It's for the egg's sake. While we're sleeping, we need to keep as much skin contact with the egg as physically possible. Even though the chick inside may not be able to directly feel us, it'll be able to feel our body heat, and sense our presence. This is important for its development, otherwise it could grow up to be very antisocial. And that's not good for people or beasts, it could make Luney very aggressive towards people trying to be kind to it," said Viney.

Luz looked towards the egg and grimaced. "Well, I don't want Luney to be a bad girl or boy when they hatch. At least the bad-bad kind. Okay."

The Latina went into Viney's closet, closed the doors, and after a few seconds, came out in the matching outfit. To Viney's credit, she did feel warm, despite how much skin was exposed. Although, as she looked between her own body and Viney's, she was starting to feel a bit self-conscious.

"So, um, how do we, uh, keep the egg warm?" Luz asked.

"Well, you lie down one side, and I lie down on the other, and we just kinda spoon it between us." Viney scratched at her a bit as she said, "We'll be cuddling, mostly."

Luz gulped.

"Okay," Viney drew a spell circle and the lights dimmed enough so they could find their way to the bed, "let's hop in." The brunette witch climbed into the right side of the bed and brought the egg close enough for her stomach to press against it. "There we go. C'mon, 'Momma Luz', get in."

So many thoughts were running through Luz's mind right now, but she had to keep them focused on the egg. This was all about the egg, nothing more than that. Luz carefully slipped into the bed, lying on her side and with a bit of a gap between them.

"C'mon, Luz, you need to get closer than that," said Viney.

"O-Okay," Luz squeaked.

Luz moved a bit closer, inch by slow inch. Viney sighed, reached over, and pulled Luz closer. The Latina almost yelped when she felt the egg against her stomach, but more than that, she felt her legs entangle with Viney's, and her face was a bit close to Viney's. Viney had no hesitation as she reached over and wrapped her arms around Luz, forcing Luz to do the same as her face burned.

"Luz."

"Y-Yes!"

"You're shaking, are you alright?" Viney asked.

"J-Just fine!" she lied.

"Luz."

"Mmm-hmm?"

"You love Amity, right?"

That seemed to snap Luz out of her little spiral of embarrassment as she answered, "Yes, I do."

"Good, 'cause I love Emira. I know this is a bit awkward and embarrassing, and it might invoke some thoughts. But just remember how much you care about Amity, and I'll do the same for Emira. We aren't doing anything wrong. And if you need a little more motivation…"

Viney directed her gaze downwards, making Luz do the same as they were now gazing at the large griffon egg.

"Then remember we're doing this for this little life that's waiting to be born," Viney finished.

Luz released a sigh as she calmed herself down a bit. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make this weird."

"No problem, well, good night, Luz. Goodnight, 'Luney'," said Viney.

"Good night little angel."

---

Amity was currently pacing the floor of her room, she was dressed for bed, but her mind wouldn't let her sleep. So many thoughts ran through her head, so many worries about her girlfriend being alone with her big sister's girlfriend.

"Calm down, Amity. Luz is not some unfaithful person, she wouldn't just dump you after being partners with Viney for a week," Amity reasoned. "But…she did mention she found Viney attractive because was…how did she say it? 'Thick'?"

Amity walked over to her vanity mirror and looked at herself. She pulled back the sleeves of her pajama shirt and flexed her arms. While fighting as a Kamen Rider had done a lot for her physique, it didn't cause her to grow large muscles or anything. She rolled her sleeve down and rolled up the hem of her shirt to look at her stomach. Amity pinched the sides of her stomach, not much fat, mostly lean muscle, but from what Emira had said, Viney does have a thick torso, muscles honed from her time learning Beast Keeping magic.

"Am I…Am I too scrawny for Luz? Does…Does she like girls with more on them?" Amity let go of her shirt and looked at her chest for a moment as she remembered Viney's proportions. "I mean…I'm only fourteen, it's not like I'm done growing. I-I could get bigger down the road…"

"Kitten, please, enough with this. That girl did not fall in love with you for your body. If that's all that swayed her, she could've had her pick of the litter, but he chose you for a reason, and you know what it is."

"Ugh, I know Bast, I know. I just can't help it sometimes. Luz has been the one good thing in my life, she's changed my life so much since she's come here, and helped me get closer to my siblings, and my Dad. I just…I just don't know what I'd do if she said she didn't want me anymore," Amity admitted.

"Have more confidence in yourself, little kitten. That girl is too pure and sweet to do something like cheat on you with another girl or boy. And while I can't speak for Viney, I don't think she's the type of girl to betray your sister, especially not with how fervently Emira cares for her."

"Well, that's true…B-But what if that changes?!" Amity argued.

"Here we go…"

"Viney could also find Luz cute and attractive, and they could end up realizing that they like each other more than being with me or Em! I mean, I know Luz wouldn't do it out of spite or maliciousness, but the heart can be swayed, you know!"

Bast sighed within Amity's Underworld. "Well, what else are you going to do? Spy on them?"

"Great idea, Bast!"

"Wait? You're serious? I was joking. How in the world will you be able to spy on them?" Bast asked.

Amity quickly made her way out of her bedroom and down the hall. She went down a few corridors before stopping at a door. Once there, she opened it, revealing her mother's private office. Amity searched inside for a minute, but once she opened one of the desks drawers, she let out an "Ah-ha!" and took it out. The object she was searching for was a crystal ball. Since Odalia Blight was an Oracle witch, most Oracle witches had either small crystal balls, like the one Odalia wore as a pendant around her neck, or a large one like the one Amity had in her hands.

The young Blight child quickly snuck out of the office and went back to her room where she sat on the bed, cross legged, and with the crystal ball planted between her legs as she readied to use it.

"Question: do you even know how to use this thing? Last I checked, you've only ever practiced Abomination magic."

"Well…no…I haven't. B-But how difficult can it be? Besides, I'm not looking into the future, I'm just going to scry Luz in the present, so it shouldn't be that hard…right?"

Bast would shrug, but Amity couldn't see it, so she remained silent instead.

The purple haired witchling took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as she drew a spell circle over the crystal ball. Within seconds the object reacted as it gave off an ethereal glow.

Concentrate, focus on Luz. I want to see Luz, right now, in the present. I want to see Luz, thought Amity.

The crystal ball didn't react much, and it was times like these that she was wondering if she should take a page out of Luz's book and study some other types of magic. Sure, her specialty was in Abominations but that didn't mean she couldn't tack in Oracle magic or maybe even Construction magic. Now that she thought about it, maybe not Oracle, it felt like she would be mimicking her mother if she did that.

Suddenly, the crystal ball began to react. The inside had a cloud of purple smoke that swirled about. For a minute Amity kept her gaze on it, concentrating more on Luz as she did. The smoke began to clear up a bit, and slowly she could make out the face of her girlfriend.

"Luz!" Amity exclaimed happily.

From what she could tell, Luz was asleep. Amity had to admit, she found Luz's sleeping face cute to look at. But then the image started to pan out, allowing Amity to see more. She then noticed the outfit that Luz was wearing, and it nearly made her have a nosebleed.

"I-I didn't know that Luz wore something like that to bed! Oh, Titan, I shouldn't have seen that! Now I'm a straight up perv for seeing her like that!" Amity exclaimed.

But it wasn't over, the smoke inside the crystal ball cleared up more, and what Amity saw next stunned her. She saw Viney and Luz, cuddling together, in each other's arms, legs entangled, and both wore the matching, semi-revealing outfit.

"Oh, okay, I did not see this coming. You okay there, Amity? Amity? Hello?"

Amity's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she fell backwards onto her bed and passed out.

"Laly there's a lot of explaining that needs to be done later. That aside…How I missed this drama!"

---

Belos was currently pondering his next move, the unexpected development of his Super Phantom possessing another and becoming a Hybrid Phantom was a bit concerning, but no less a blessing in disguise. The Day of Unity was approaching, and if he wanted it to be successful, then Witch needed to be dealt with before that time came. And while he was confident in his newfound power as Inquisitor, Belos was not one to take unnecessary chances.

Currently, the tyrant emperor was back in his underground lab, where he still many vats filled with Coven Phantoms. He found that merging them together yielded strong results, he just needed another way to control them once they entered that Hybrid state. That last possession nearly went off the rails and almost destroyed the Boiling Isles, which would've completely ruined his many years of hard work for the Day of Unity, but alas, Witch came through and saved the day.

Luz Noceda, you've become quite an annoying thorn ever since your arrival. If I did not have need of you, I would've dealt with you that day we first battled, Belos thought.

"Now, then, I think I shall use you two," said Belos as he summoned this Arcane Driver and scanned his ring.

[Alpha \A/ Creation, Now.]

---

Edric and Emira were already in the dining room having breakfast, their mother had to go to the factory along with their father, so it was just them at the table. They would've declined to sit down, but they didn't want to leave Amity to dine alone. Although, it was taking a bit of time for her to come down.

Ed munched on his food and glanced about the room before saying, "Mittens sure is taking her time getting ready today."

"She's probably a bit off her game today, Ed, don't worry about it," said Emira.

"That being said, you don't look too good either," said Ed as he looked at his big sister.

Emira looked a bit disheveled, and little down for some reason.

"I'm fine, Ed, just had a messed-up dream," said Emira.

"Oh, was it that one where that Bandersnatch chases you?" Edric asked.

Emira went silent as she recalled the dream in question.

"I'm sorry, Em, but we have to break up," said Viney.

"What?! W-Why?! W-Was it something I did?! Something I didn't do?!" Emira asked frantically. "Tell me, Vi, and I-I'll do it!"

"Em, please don't make this more difficult than it needs to be. I'm in love with Luz. She helped me and my friends finally achieve what we wanted, to learn multiple tracks. I care about you, Em, but Luz, she's ambitious, and she's so bright and willing to learn all magics that it's hard not to fall for her. Plus, she's totally cute," Viney explained.

Emira watched as Viney walked away and stood next to Luz as the two smiled at each other.

"See ya around, Emira! Give Amity my best!" Luz exclaimed as the two new lovers walked away merrily.

"No, and I'd rather not talk about it," Emira stated.

"Sheesh, okay."

Just then the twins heard the doors to the dining room open, but when they looked, their eyes went wide. If Emira looked disheveled, then Amity was a mess. Her hair was frayed, she had bags under her eyes, and she looked like death warmed over.

"Holy, Titan! Amity, what happened to you?" Emira asked with concern.

Amity's left eye twitched as she recalled why she looked like this.

Amity stood there, mouth gaping open when she saw Luz with Viney, but it was the fact that Viney's stomach was round, as if she was pregnant, that caught her attention.

"Oh, hey, Amity!" Luz greeted.

"W-What happened to Viney?!" Amity asked.

"Oh, yeah, well. One thing led to another, and, heh-heh, next thing you know I put a bun in Viney's oven," Luz explained.

"I'm actually okay with it. I mean, if I had to get knocked up by someone, I'm definitely okay with it being Luz," said Viney as she gave Luz a kiss on the lips.

"B-B-B-B-But…!"

"So, now I'm going to marry Viney, and the two of us are going to start a Griffon Preserve together! I've decided to give up on my portal making and settle down here," said Luz.

"B-B-B-But…Luz, w-w-what about us?!" Amity asked.

"Amity, you are and will always remain an important person in my life. But now I have to do what's right for my new family. Plus, you're, like, waaaaaay to scrawny for me."

Amity looked at herself said, "S-Scrawny?"

"Yep." Luz walked over to Viney as the dual track witch flexed her arm and let Luz hang off it. "I like a girl with more meat on her!"

"Sorry, Ams, tell Emira I'm sorry, but I found my true love," said Viney as the two of them walked away into a blinding light of happiness.

"I don't want to talk about it…" Amity stated as she sat down and ate her breakfast.

Emira had a fairly good idea what was bugging her little sister, but she was not about to discuss it with Edric present.

Edric on the other hand was sitting there confused as to why his little sister and big sister looked so frazzled this early in the morning.

---

Luz and Viney flew to school on Viney's staff, while Luz had the egg in the sash cradle. The two landed at the front of the school, and when they did, the two of them walked close together as Luz rocked the little egg back and forth.

"She has your eyes, Luz," said Viney.

"Hmm, I think she has your nose, Viney," said Luz with a giggle.

"So, how do you want to divide up our time? Aside from Healing and Beast Keeping classes, all your other classes have us apart," said Viney.

"Hmm, that is a problem. I guess I can take the egg for today, and then you can have her all tomorrow, and we'll switch back and forth like this until the weekend when we'll be able to watch her together," Luz suggested.

Viney smiled at the suggestion and replied, "Great idea, that way we can both have an equal amount of time with the egg!"

The two girls walked into the school, unaware that they were being watched by the Blight sisters the whole time.

"Why are you watching them?" Amity asked.

"I could ask you the same question, Mittens," Emira retorted.

Emira and Amity were already informed by their respective girlfriends that they would be spending time together taking care of the egg for the week, so that really didn't leave Luz or Viney time to spend with them. They knew this, but still…

"What are you two doing?" Willow asked.

Emira and Amity turned around, noticing the rest of their friend group, and chuckled nervously.

"W-We're not doing anything, right Am?" Emira asked.

"Nope, nothing except hanging out with each other! Just some…sisterly bonding time," said Amity as she reached over with her right arm and wrapped it around Emira, prompting the older Blight to do the same.

Skara, Gus, and Willow glanced at each other and deadpanned, clearly not buying it.

"Guys, don't worry, Luz and Viney aren't going to cheat on you or anything," said Skara.

"Yeah, it's just an egg sitting assignment…although…" Gus trailed off.

"Although what?!" Emira asked.

"I did hear rumors that this assignment is notorious for inadvertently creating real couples. I mean, since the Beast Keeping track students have to spend so much time together, taking care of what is essentially their baby, I could see why–"

Willow quickly slapped a hand over Gus' mouth and hissed, "Not helping, Gus!"

Emira and Amity looked ever more worried than they did before.

"Ugh, okay, let's settle this right now."

Willow drew a spell circle and made a vine erupt from the floor. With a swipe of her hand, the vine shot out around the corner, there was a loud "EEP!" sound before the vine came back, but this time with the Oracle track witch, Luna. The vine set the demon moon girl down next to the group and said demon girl was very confused as to what she was doing here.

"Sorry, Celine, but can you help us out with something?" Willow asked.

"Oh, uh, sure, what do you need?" Celine asked.

"Wait, 'Celine'? Isn't your name 'Luna'?" Amity asked.

"Oh, no, Luna's just a nickname."

Skara's eyes widened as she slowly turned her head towards the demon girl and asked, "Wait, has Celine been your real name this whole time?!"

"Uh, why didn't you correct anyone?" Emira asked.

Celine shrugged. "I thought the name was pretty. Plus, I do have a crescent moon shaped head, it's a lot easier to remember."

Skara shook that revelation off, and said, "Okay, so, these two here are afraid their girlfriends are going to cheat on them," Skara threw a thumb in Emira and Amity's direction.

"WE ARE NOT!" they retorted.

"So, could you have a look into your crystal ball and help settle their nerves?" Gus asked.

"Oh, sure," said Celine, happily.

The demon moon girl drew a spell circle and summoned her crystal ball. Once she did, Celine drew a second spell circle, and as soon she did, her one eye started to glow a bright violet color in tandem with the crystal ball. Gus, Willow, Skara, Amity, and Emira watched with anticipation as to what the Oracle track witch would foresee.

"I see Luz regretting…"

Amity's breath hitched. She regrets being with me?!

"…regretting that she has yet to figure out how to make a portal door. Whatever that means?" Luna finished.

Amity released that breath in relief.

"I also see Viney cheating…"

Emira bit her bottom lip. No, Vi! Please don't!

"…cheating at Hexes Hold 'Em."

"Oh, Titan…" Emira sighed in relief as well.

"I see Luz and Viney holding hands down the aisle…"

Amity and Emira clutched at their hearts.

"…of the market for Beast feed."

"Okay, that's enough," said Willow. "Anymore and I think you'll give them a heart attack."

Luna turned off her foresight and noticed the stressed out looks that Emira and Amity had.

"Sorry," said Celine. "I can only see mostly the immediate future and some things like a day in the future at best."

Gus looked at Celine curiously as he asked "Really? I thought you guys could see further."

"Well…" Celine rubbed her crystal ball nervously as she whispered, "Don't let anyone else hear this, but there are some of us Oracle tracks that think that there's something blocking our view of the future. We thought it may be the Phantoms' unique magic interfering with ours, but even before they arrived this was still an issue."

Amity managed to snap out of her little episode and said, "Wait, so does that mean all Oracle witches can't see into the far future? What about Osran, the Head Witch of the Oracle Coven?"

"There are rumors that say even he can't see very far, and he's the best among us. Like I said, it's just a theory floating around, don't take it too seriously. But…then again…when it's this hard to scry the future, I think that theory has some teeth behind it," said Celine. "Sorry, I wasn't more help to you."

Amity shook her head and replied, "No, thank you. Sorry for yanking you away like that."

"No worries, see ya," said Celine as she walked away.

"That is concerning," said Gus. "I wonder just how long that's been going on?"

"If it's something that the Oracle witches don't want known, then that's probably why. It might be because it'll make them look weak compared to the other Covens if they can't do one of the main things their Coven is supposed to be known for and good at," said Willow.

"I think we need to discuss this with Luz, it might be you-know-what related, and if not, I still think it's something that needs to be looked into," said Amity. "I'll go and ask her right now!"

Before Amity could run around the corner, Willow used the same vine she conjured and had it wrap around Amity, preventing her from running off.

"Just have faith in Luz, okay?" Skara asked.

Willow saw Emira about to leave as well, but made the vine branch off and make another one to grab Emira before she could take off. "That goes for you, too, Emira."

"Dang it…

---

(2 days later…)

Amity walked around the school, whenever she was in a class with Luz, she would see her taking care of the egg. She hated the fact that she was jealous of an egg, she knew that Luz was paying attention to it because that was her assignment, and she didn't want to let Viney down. Plus, Amity couldn't completely dislike this situation, she got to see Luz act motherly, even if it was just an egg.

I wonder if Luz would be that way for our child? Amity thought.

The purple haired witch girl turned bright red when she realized what she had just thought about.

Whoa, whoa, Blight. That's a bit far into the future!

"And yet you like the idea~"

Who asked you, Bast?!

Amity sighed as she walked down the hallway to her next class, it was a practical magic class, so it was mixed tracks. Unfortunately, as she walked, she found herself crossing paths with her former friend, Boscha.

"Hey, Blight," Boscha greeted.

"What do you want, Boscha?" Amity asked in a deadpan tone.

"Wow, didn't think that human dumping you for that other witch would bum you out this much."

Amity froze in her tracks and glared at Boscha. "Luz didn't dump me, Boscha. She and Viney are doing an assignment. They have to act as parents and take care of an egg as part of their Beast Keeping class. It just so happens that also means Luz and I can't spend as much time together."

"Really? Well, that's tragic. 'Cause those two seemed really into it these last three days, and just as much today. I almost thought they were a couple given how they've been acting," Boscha said.

"It's none of your concern, Boscha. They just have to be together for a whole week, that's it," Amity retorted.

"Well, when it comes to you, Amity, you are my concern. Plus, if I were you, I'd be more worried about them. I have heard rumors about the witches who get paired for that assignment, a lot of times, end up becoming a for real item." Boscha walked up to Amity and continued. "I also heard human hearts are kinda fickle things. Who's to say that Luz won't be more taken by Viney?"

"Emira is dating Viney, so there's zero chances of that happening," Amity countered.

"Oh? And you can't say that she might be able to sway her? I mean, she already managed to snag you. You can't tell me that she might not be able to do the same for your sister's girlfriend," Boscha argued.

Amity gripped the hem of her shirt. She started to recall how Luz said she found Viney attractive, and how those two became friends during their time in the Detention track. Although it was brief, Viney, Jerbo, and Barkus took a liking to Luz, and she them. Especially after they saved the school from that Greater Basilisk.

"Face it, Blight, you can't always know what goes on in that human's heart, or what she's really thinking, given how random she is at times," said Boscha. "At least when we were still friends, you could at least trust me to have your back. Both on and off the grudgby field."

Amity glared at Boscha but said nothing else as she kept on walking.

---

(Later that night…)

Willow was at home working out as she normally did after school. It was Thursday, which meant a total of four days had passed since Luz had been paired with Viney for the egg assignment. While she did miss her friend at their lunch table, and after school, it was understandable that Luz would want to give her full attention to their assignment. However, while Gus, herself, and Skara were doing fine with the lack of Luz attention, Amity was a different story. And if Willow was being honest, so was Emira.

Those two girls were definitely sisters, they were both being paranoid about their respective lovers' activities with each other. She didn't understand why they were so paranoid about it, yes Willow had Skara, but it wasn't as if she was going to get bent out of shape if her girlfriend suddenly went and hung out at length with someone.

Boscha, on the other hand, is a different story.

Just then, Willow heard knocking. Curious, she put down her weights and headed downstairs to the front door. When she opened it, she found Amity standing there, and with a bag slung over her left shoulder.

"Uh, Amity?"

"Hi, Willow," Amity greeted.

"Um, hi, uh, not that I'm not happy to see you, but why are you here?" Willow asked.

"Well…" Amity glanced about and asked, "Are your dads home?"

"No, tonight's date night for them, so I have the house to myself," Willow said.

"Okay, well, I wanted to ask if you would let me workout with you?!"

A breeze blew by the two of them as Willow took a moment to absorb what Amity just asked her.

"Please come in." Willow stepped aside and let Amity into her house before closing the door behind her. "Now, please explain why you want to workout with me?"

"Well, I mean, these new Phantoms we're fighting are pretty strong. And while sparring with Luz has helped me, I think I need to increase my physical capabilities a bit more," Amity explained.

Willow crossed her arms as she looked Amity up and down and said, "Uh-huh, but you have a pretty lean build like Luz. Considering how swiftly you two move, and how much stronger you become physically when you go Rider, I think this works best for you."

"I mean, yeah, that's a good point…b-b-but it couldn't hurt to bulk up a bit, y'know? A little more muscle could help me strike harder with I swing Lady Luck, the MagiScepter, or any of my weapons. I even brought over some workout clothes!" Amity argued.

"You're jumping through so many hoops for this, it should be a circus attraction."

Willow sighed as she walked over to the couch, sat down, and patted the seat next to her. Amity walked to the couch and sat in the spot that Willow had patted.

"Okay, really, why do you want to workout so badly. You never expressed a desire to join me in a workout, and it's only now that Luz is doing the egg sitting assignment with Viney that you ask me. So, spill it, Blight."

Amity sighed, of course she wouldn't buy that flimsy excuse. "I…I wanted to put a little more muscle on me. Luz told me once that she found Viney attractive because she was, 'thick'?"

"Thick?" Willow thought about it for a moment. "What did she mean by that?"

"I was wondering that myself, but the only thing I could figure is that she was referring to Viney's body and figure. She does have thicker arms and legs from her time in the Beast Keeping track and at home. And from what Emira's told me – much to my constant annoyance – Viney has a toned stomach, and…ahem…ample assets. And while one aspect of my body I can't do anything about, I-I thought I could at least do something about my scrawny arms and legs," Amity confessed.

Willow adjusted her glasses, raised her left hand, and bapped Amity atop her head.

"OW! Willow!"

"Sorry, I felt like that was necessary. Anyway, do you really think that Luz is that superficial that she'd only care about your body and your looks?" Willow struck a little pose and added, "If that's all that she needed to woo her, then I think I'm plenty thick enough."

Amity deadpanned.

"Lighten up, Amity." Willow stopped posing and looked at her friend seriously. "Luz fell in love with you. Not your face. Not your body. But the girl. If all it took to sway Luz was a 'thick' body, then she would've asked out Viney a long time ago. Or y'know, me."

"I'm loving sassy, Willow."

"Willow!" Amity complained.

"My point is you don't need to change how you look to please Luz. Because Luz likes you, no matter what you look like," said Willow.

Amity sighed as she gripped the hem of her blouse, and then slowly released it. "Willow…am…am I terrible girlfriend?"

"What? Why would you ask that?" Willow questioned.

"Because I'm so paranoid that Luz will choose someone else over me…that…she'll think I'm not worth her time…" Amity sighed heavily as she looked down at the floor. "Luz has helped me to change so much in these past few months. Having her around is just so…wonderful. I-I can't even describe it properly. But she's made me feel like I be whatever I want to just by having her nearby. And…I'm afraid that she might find someone who could make her happier than me."

"Would that be a bad thing if she did?" Willow asked.

"I mean…not completely. If that person treated her right, and loved her even more than I do, and could make her happier than me…I don't want to stand in the way of that for her," Amity confessed.

Willow reached over and pulled Amity into a half hug. "It's alright, Amity. Luz is your first love, same with me and Skara. It's natural to feel a little jealousy, and to be a little clingy. But you have to trust in Luz. You trust each other when you're out fighting Phantoms. You just need to show that same trust when you're not in a Rider suit."

"…You're right, Willow. I just need to show more trust in Luz," said Amity.

"By the way, what set all this off?" Willow asked.

"Ugh, Boscha."

"…I see. Hey, Amity, what kinds of flowers was Boscha allergic to, again?"

---

(The following night…)

Amity dressed herself up in a black outfit. Black socks, black boots, black blouse, and a black cloak. She even put black paint streaks under her eyes for good measure.

"Kitten, this is now starting to reach the realm of ridiculous. Are you seriously about to go and spy on your girlfriend?"

"I'm not spying, I'm just…making sure that what I saw isn't going any further than what we saw," said Amity.

"So, you say…"

"This is a perfectly healthy amount of worrying for a girlfriend!" Amity argued as she readied to leave.

However, when she reached the door, she paused when she found Emira standing there, arms crossed, and looking down at her little sister.

"Mittens, I'm surprised at you," said Emira.

"Emira…I-I can explain…"

"You're about to sneak out, dressed like that, and you're not even taking me? You'll need some illusion magic if you're even going to make it far," said Emira.

"Huh?"
"Huh?"

"I can make some illusions so that Mom doesn't notice. Viney's house has a couple of barns filled with beasts, so we'll need to stay downwind of wherever we decide to watch from. Some of them can't see through illusions, but I'll need to concentrate to keep them strong enough to prevent them from seeing us," said Emira.

"Oh, uh, okay…"

"You're both insane…and I'm loving every minute of it! HA-HA!"

---

Amity and Emira managed to sneak out of the house, with Amity riding atop her staff, and Emira with hers. The two hovered over the Arwin house, and as they did, Emira licked her right index finger and held it up to the wind. After a moment she nodded and looked at her little sister.

"Wind's coming from the northeast, we'll need to stay to the south side of the house if we want to make sure their beasts don't notice our scent," said Emira.

"Wow looks like you picked up a few things from Viney," said Amity.

"I don't think I'd ever have a knack for Beast Keeping, but some basics are good to know. C'mon, follow me."

Emira led Amity down to the tree line just outside the perimeter of the Arwin house. Once there, both girls dismissed their staffs and ducked down into the bushes. Emira took out a special spyglass that her father made for long-range surveillance, it was comprised of both Abomination goo, and some extra mechanical upgrades that granted it extra spying features. Along with the spyglass, Emira also brought something that looked akin to a parabolic dish.

"Here," Emira pushed the parabolic dish-like device into Amity's hands, "use this and point at that window specifically. That should be Viney's room. This'll let you hear whatever they're saying. You'll be the ears and I'll be the eyes."

"Okay." Amity pointed the dish at the window that Emira had pointed to, but as soon as she did, her face when bright red. "HOLY GREAT MOTHER TITAN!"

"SSSHHHH!" Emira hissed. "What are you doing?! You'll get us caught! And why is your face red?"

"I…I…I think Viney and Luz are…are…" Amity gulped. "I think they're, uh…"

"Spit it out, Mittens!"

"I think they're doing that!" Amity blurted out.

Emira had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from yelling as well.

"Give me that!"

Emira quickly took the device away from Amity and pointed it at the window. When she did, Emira started to hear bestial-like grunting sounds, and distinct feminine moans. Emira was aware that Viney had learned some advanced Beast Keeping spells that allowed her to take on the feral appearance of some beasts, and she had joked about Viney being wild behind closed doors, but she never thought her girlfriend would go full beast like that with Luz.

"It…It sounds like they're having a g-g-great time," Amity stammered as her body trembled.

"N-No way, t-this can't be happening!" Emira stated.

The eldest Blight sibling quickly took off the device and pointed the spyglass at the window. She pressed a couple of buttons and turned a dial on the side of the spyglass. When she looked through it, she zoomed in on the window, and after a second, the spyglass went from a normal visual to a thermal-x-ray combo vision. This allowed Emira to peer directly into that room, and at the same time, see who was inside through infrared visuals. She could make out two warm bodies doing…things. She twisted the dial a bit more to zoom in closer, and upon doing so, it was Emira's turn to blush.

"Uh…Mittens…you can relax…I made a mistake…"

"Wait, what do you mean you made a mistake?" Amity asked.

"That's not Luz and Viney…"

"What? Then, who did I just hear?!"

"You don't want to know…" Emira said while lowering the spyglass.

"C'mon, Em, after hearing all that, you can't tell me that! Who or what was it?!" Amity demanded.

"Mr. and Mrs. Arwin…Viney's parents."

Amity's expression fell as she realized she just heard her big sister's girlfriend's parents engaging in…marital activities.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU JUST – AND SHE JUST – AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAHA!"

"…We shall never speak of this, ever," said Amity.

"…Agreed."

Emira aimed the spyglass a little more to the right and eventually she managed to find two other warm bodies in the house. That's when she gasped and exclaimed, "They're sleeping in the same bed?!"

"Oh…uh, yeah…I guess I never told you…"

Emira shifted her gaze back to her little sister and asked, "Told me what?!"

Amity regaled her big sister about what she saw when she used their mother's crystal ball to try and scry Luz. And of course, what she saw when she managed to do so.

"First off: I'm impressed that you could do a little Oracle magic. Second: Why didn't you tell me sooner?! They're practically sleeping in the same bed, half-naked!" Emira half shouted, half whispered.

"L-Look, I just saw what I saw. I-I don't know the context for why they were like that…or…apparently…are still like that," said Amity. "W-We could be making a bigger deal out of this than it really is."

Emira groaned. She knew her little sister had a good point. If she started accusing Viney of doing something elicit with Luz, that'd just anger Viney and possibly end their relationship. With that in mind, she went back to keeping an eye on them and told Amity to point the parabolic dish-like device towards where her spyglass was pointing. The two sisters sat there outdoors for almost four hours, just watching and listening.

"Anything…?" Emira asked.

"No, they're both soundly sleeping. It's kind of cute, actually," said Amity. "Want to listen?"

Amity handed her big sister the earphones and had her listen.

"Aww, it is cute. Our GFs sound nice when they're asleep," said Emira as she handed them back.

Amity was about to put them back on, but stopped as she glanced up at Emira. "Hey, Em. What are we doing?"

"Isn't it not obvious? We're keeping an eye on our girlfriends," Emira replied.

"Yeah, that's what's bothering me. Do we really distrust Luz and Viney this much that we have to resort to spying on them? I mean, is this really what awesome girlfriends are supposed to do?" Amity asked.

Emira lowered the spyglass as she let her little sister's words sink in. "I…I mean…" The eldest Blight sibling sighed heavily. "I'm just afraid."

"Afraid?" Amity asked. "What are you afraid of?"

"You know how Mom is. You know she probably has someone other than Viney in mind for me. Viney is…she's great. She's a troublemaker like me, but her brand of troublemaking was wanting to learn more than what was allowed. And I like that. She knows what she wants, and is not afraid to go for it, despite what everyone might say," said Emira.

Amity chuckled a little. "I can definitely relate. Luz isn't afraid to be herself and is always willing to help others around her. Even some of those who don't particularly deserve it."

"Mittens, let that go. Mom forced your hand. Could Dad have done more to stand up to her instead of going along with her schemes? Yes. But you were a little girl, it wasn't as if you had options," said Emira.

"I did have options, Em. I could've at least not added to Boscha's harassment of Willow, I could've at least defended Willow. We weren't friends anymore, but that didn't mean I had to just sit by a let them bully her," Amity retorted.

Emira moved closer to her little sister and gave her a hug. "Guess we're a little messed up, huh? And a little terrified that our GFs will think we're not worthy of their affection."

"Guess so…and this isn't helping much."

Emira sighed as she released Amity and remarked, "Yeah, you're right. Let's head back home. This night never happened."

*Snort*

"Geez, Ams, you didn't have to snort, it was just a suggestion," Emira retorted.

"Um, that wasn't me," said Amity.

"Then…who…"

Amity and Emira looked over their shoulders, and that's when they saw a large, furry, long clawed, sharp toothed, Bandersnatch behind them.

"Um…Amity."

"Yes, Emira…?"

"That's a Bandersnatch, right?"

"…Yes."

"Okay, so…I'm going to run left, and you run right. And then we fly back home together. Cool?"

"Yep, sounds good!"

The Bandersnatch roared at the two girls before the two Blight siblings dashed off in different directions before calling out their staffs and flew into the night.