Luz Clawthorne: Two Worlds, One Family

by JP-Ryder

Co-Author with BuckJohnson. After the events of Book One, the Clawthornes have two new guests to take care of. While Luz gets used to some changes and Amity does some soul-searching, new dangers come to the Boiling Isles. Will Luz and her family be able to stop Belos and save their home? Will explore dark topics and themes.

56. Chapter 89: The Obligatory Beach Day!

This is something obligatory about this chapter…

Luz: Can it be…?

Amity: You mean, we get to…?!

That's right… but first:

All characters from Disney and other properties are owned by their respectful owners. The OCs made here are written entirely for the story. Enjoy the fic.

---

Chapter 89: The Obligatory Beach Day!

It is a calm morning at the Owl House, where the residents had breakfast at the table.

Eda was frying up a black rat with a skull. "Who's up for rat browns?"

"Me! Me!" King waved as Eda handed him some.

"Come on, Kay, eat up," Amity said as she tried to feed Kay, who refused to eat.

"You should try pretending it's a witch flying towards her," Luz suggested.

Amity took the suggestion as she waved the spoon of kelp food around Kay/ "Here's the witch flying toward the tunnel," she said as Kay's eyes followed the spoon.

"Just watch your hand, she's a muncher," Luz warned, only for Kay to gently eat her food without munching the spoon, making Luz look flabbergasted. "What the…?!"

Star shook the ketchup bottle over her breakfast. "Come on, how do you work this thing?!" she asked, not realizing she hadn't taken the cap off until Camila helped her with it. "Oh, thanks Camila."

"It's no problem," Camila replied before turning back to her own breakfast, fruit and waffles. "So what are everyone's plans for today?"

"Well, I've decided to stop by that orphanage," Eda explained. "If I'm gonna run it, I should probably take a look at it myself."

"Hoot, now that's wonderful of you to do, Eda!" Hooty shouted while eating his cereal.

"So you've accepted the job?" Amity asked while Acorn spread butter on her toast.

"Well, someone's gotta help the orphans out," Eda pointed out. "And besides, I've got experience with watching over you guys and taking you in… heck, I got a good resume." She held up a plate of food. "Star, can you take this to Raine downstairs?"

"Sure," Star replied as she grabbed the plate and headed down to the basement.

"What about you, girls? Got any plans?" Eda asked Luz and Amity.

"Well, we're thinking of checking up on Amity's friends back in the Human Realm," Luz answered. "And we're bringing Kay with us."

"We want to make sure they're okay," Amity replied. "They weren't exactly in a good situation when I left them, especially Janna."

"Oh, well I hope they're okay as well," Eda said. "What about you two?" She turned to Camila and King. "Still taking care of that demon squirrel?"

"Yeah," King said with a nod. "We're gonna bring Maurice back to full health! I even let him sleep in my room last night."

"King has been very good at taking care of the poor thing," Camila told Eda before she whispered to her. "I even caught him singing him asleep."

"Oh I wish I could've seen that," Eda said.

"Way ahead of ya," Luz said as she held up her scroll, playing a video.

"Wait, no!" King tried to grab it, but Luz held it out of his reach as she laughed. "Don't show them!"

"Come on, King, it's kinda cute!" Luz laughed while handing it to Eda.

---

"Hey, Raine… Storm, right?" Star asked as she walked down to the basement. "Eda wanted me to give this plate to you."

"Why thank you, Star," Raine responded as Star walked over to the couch to hand them their plate. "Looks like Eda made her usual delicacy."

Star looked at Raine, curious about them. "So… you know, nobody has actually explained to me who the heck you are or why you have to hide in a basement all the time."

"There's a reason for it," Raine responded. "But allow me to introduce myself. My name is Raine Whispers. I was briefly the Head of the Bard Coven and I used to be the rebel leader of the Bards Against the Throne. My pronouns are they/them."

One part piqued Star's interest. "Did you say you were a rebel leader?"

"Yes," Raine confirmed. "I and a few similar-minded bards stood up against Belos's tyranny. I even tried to expand our movement by opening our membership to others with grievances against Belos… though to be perfectly honest, I was not very good at it…" They looked down, their expression pained with guilt.

"Well, I think I can relate to being part of a rebel group," Star admitted. "Back home, I was part of a group that stood against the Butterfly family's tyranny and fought for Monster rights. Though I will admit that our methods could be a bit… extreme."

"I'm no fan of violence," Raine confessed. "But sometimes it is an unfortunate necessity." They glanced at her gloved hand. "I don't mean to pry, but… is there a reason you're wearing only one glove?"

"Oh, this?" Star asked, raising her gloved hand up. "Well, it's kinda complicated, but… I was… cursed."

Raine looked at her with a sympathetic expression, remembering Eda. "I'm so sorry that happened to you, and at such a young age…"

"It's fine," Star replied. "It's something that I got from Mewni before its destruction." She was quiet for a moment. "So… do you plan on continuing to fight against Belos?"

"I do," Raine admitted. "I'll have to start over, but I haven't given up just yet…"

---

After her talk with Raine, Star went back upstairs and saw Amity and Luz as they got Kay ready.

"Hey Star," Amity said while Luz tied a baby strap around Kay. "We're going on a trip back to Echo Creek in the Human Realm."

"You wanna come with?" Luz asked her.

"I'm gonna pass on that," Star said, turning down the offer. "Today, I was planning on checking out the Eclipse Temple with Lilith and Hunter. But don't worry, I'll wear a disguise to cover these ears."

"Oh, you plan on going through the escape room?" Luz asked.

"Escape room?" Star asked her.

"That's what it was like when we went inside," Amity explained.

"Oh… well, I was actually going to see if it really is connected to Mewni," Star mentioned. "Cause if it is, I want to check it out myself."

"Well, good luck with that," Luz replied while looking at Kay. "Forgot the finishing touch," she said while placing a dreadlock wig, a hat, and sunglasses on Kay. "There, this cutie's ready for the Human Realm!"

Kay cooed while Star didn't look convinced. "I don't think anyone's gonna fall for that."

Amity was looking down at Kay when she saw Lu handing her the key. "You're giving me the key?"

"You've been to Echo Creek before, so you can take us there," Luz replied. "How the key works is simple. All you need to do is visualize where you want to go and it'll respond to the desires of its holder."

"Huh, okay," Amity replied as she took the key and closed her eyes. "Echo Creek," she whispered to herself while Kay looked up at her.

As Amity tapped on the key, the portal door opened. When Luz and Amity peeked in, they saw Echo Creek on the other side.

"It works!" Amity declared.

"Lead the way, sweet potato," Luz said as she and Amity held hands while Amity patted Kay before the three of them went through the door. It closed behind them and the door vanished, leaving Star alone.

With them gone, Star began to look around. "I wonder what Eda has in her closet…"

---

Human Realm, London.

A figure in a hoodie was walking through the streets of London. He managed to make his way to the old Bloomsbury neighborhood, where he found a Federal-style townhouse at the corner of the street. He looked up toward one window in particular…

Inside an empty room on the top floor of the townhouse, the figure suddenly appeared from the shadows. Puck Goodfellow unhooded himself and looked around, a few memories coming back to him.

---

Back when he was known as Peter Pan, he managed to get his shadow back after he had lost it in the Darling home. He was trying to reattach it with a bar of soap when he heard the cry of a girl who had been woken up.

"Peter Pan!" spoke Wendy Darling, a brown haired girl with blue eyes and in a blue nightgown. She rose up from her bed "Oh I knew you'd be back!"

---

Puck looked at the spot in the room where Wendy's bed had once been. Then he turned his gaze toward the window…

---

Peter stayed out of sight as a now older Wendy Darling looked out the window. He watched as the older Wendy shook her head and pulled her head back inside. Then Tinker Bell flew up to Peter, encouraging him to go to Wendy despite his attempts to shush her.

Wendy heard him shushing Tinker Bell and when she stuck her head out the window once more, Peter flew up into her face, surprising the woman. He got a good look at her face before floating back in confusion. "Wendy?"

Wendy smiled. "Hello, Peter."

Peter flew closer to her again before crossing his arms and looking away. "You changed…"

"Not really," she assured her, placing her hand under his chin and turning it so that he would look at her. "Not ever."

---

Puck shook his head, snapping out of his memories just in time to realize he was not alone…

He brought out a knife as he spun around and placed it against his stalker's throat, glaring at her "What are you doing here… Meteora?"

"Ah, so you do remember me, brother," Meteora replied with a smile, not even flinching. "And I see your fondness for knives hasn't changed…" She knocked the knife away by grabbing his arm, twisting it, and kicked him away.

Puck stepped back. "If Oberon sent you, tell him I'm already dead!" he shouted as he tried to kick her, but Meteora's shadow grabbed his ankle, and threw him into the wall.

"Come on, you know you can't beat me in a fight-" Meteora saw Puck rise up, changing into a large cobra. "Oh, is that how you want to play?" she asked while turning into a large mongoose who went up to bite him. The cobra hissed as he bit her back, the two wrestling around the house, crashing through the walls.

They hit each other downstairs as Puck was kicked off from her. He then turned himself into a swarm of bees, flying and buzzing around Meteora. She felt him stinging her. "Ow! Quit it!" she shouted, swatting at him before she teleported away. The swarm changed back to Puck as he looked around and held up his knife in preparation.

He continued to move his way through the house before he saw a pair of eyes blinking at him in the darkness. He threw his knife at it.

"Same old Puck," Meteora said as she appeared behind him, kicking him in the back and knocking him to the floor. "You always fall for the same tricks…"

He turned to glare at her. "I don't wish to cause anymore damage to this house, Meteora!"

"What's so significant about this old building?" Meteora questioned as she dodged his fist and used her tail to swat him into the empty kitchen.

As he got up, she popped up next to him and grabbed him by the throat. She pinned him down. "What are you going to do now? You know you can't beat me, brother!"

"Go to hell!" he shouted as he changed into a snake, wrapping himself around her. "Either you tell Oberon to leave me alone or I will leave you as a message to him!"

"Oberon didn't send me!" she shouted, which confused Puck.

"What?" he questioned before she grabbed him by the neck, pulled him off of her, and threw him away, prompting him to change back. "What do you mean he didn't send you?"

"I left him," Meteora admitted. "I learned about who my birth parents are and how he was the one who took me away from them!"

Puck eased up a little, but he was still on edge. "Then why are you here if not for him?"

"Enough, you two," said a voice.

The two Fae turned to see Maleficent coming into the room. Puck's eyes widened in surprise. "Maleficent…"

---

Lilith and Hunter flew down to the Owl House, much to the excitement of Hooty.

"Lulu!" Hooty exclaimed. "Are you going to be here long?"

"Sorry Hootsifer, we are just here to pick up Star. Is she ready?" Lilith asked as the door was slammed open revealing Star.

"I am now!" Star declared while wearing one of Eda's red cloaks and elf-earmuffs. "I found this neat cloak in Eda's closet and she gave me a pair of these earmuffs to help blend in."

"She was scavenging in my closet without my permission" Eda said while coming outside and eyeing Star, who chuckled nervously. She then turned to Hunter. "Huh, did you get a haircut Hunter?"

"O-Oh, this?" Hunter rustled his new hair, which was less messy and shorter with lesser bangs. "Lilith helped me out with my hair. Tried to cut it myself, but… I didn't know how."

"And how are you doing, by the way?" Eda asked him.

Hunter looked at Flapjack, then stared down at the grass. "Well… I'm still working through some stuff, but I do want to check out that temple with Star. If Eclipsa was connected to my uncle, I might be able to find out more."

"We also went to see Dr. Bride to have some tests done on him in order to determine if he really is a Grimwalker or not… we have yet to get the results," Lilith informed Eda before turning to Hunter. "Why don't you show Star what we found out together about the temple?"

"Of course," Hunter said as he and Flapjack went to talk to Star while Lilith pulled Eda aside.

"Eda, I need to talk to you about something," Lilith said, looking serious and keeping her voice low. "It's about Hunter."

Eda sensed something was up. "What's wrong?"

"Dr. Bride has told me that if he really is a Grimwalker… we may have to look out for Grimwalker deterioration," Lilith whispered.

"Grimwalker deterioration?" Eda asked as her eyes widened.

Lilith began to explain. "It is something that we have to watch out for if he really is a Grimwalker and Belos didn't… perfect the process. Previous attempts at recreating Grimwalkers have been met with… little success, with many of these Grimwalkers not living that long because their bodies start to weaken and rot. Signs include rotting, cracks and even scars starting to appear all over their body."

"Titan…" Eda said in a worried tone. "Does he know?"

"I don't want to scare him," Lilith admitted. "Plus he's not showing signs of deterioration. Perhaps Belos successfully recreated Grimwalker's original method if Hunter really is a Grimwalker… that is he is not something else entirely. Truthfully, I have no idea what kind of experiments Belos was doing in secret…"

Eda sighed as she patted her sister's shoulder. "Well, whatever he is, just take care of him, okay? The kid needs you."

Lilith nodded as she summoned her staff and walked back over to Hunter and Star. "Are you two ready?"

"Yup," Hunter replied. "Just finished explaining to Star about what to expect from a temple like this-"

"Can we go now?" Star asked her.

"Yes, you can ride with me," Lilith offered as Star went over to sit on her staff while Lilith sat up front. "Is this your first time riding on a witch's staff?"

"I think I can take it," Star replied before Lilith and Hunter started flying with their staffs. "Wait, wait, wait, wait AAAAHH!" She began to cry out while they flew away, Star hanging onto Lilith for dear life.

"Guess they don't have witch staffs from where she is," Eda noted.

---

Human Realm, Echo Creek.

"This is it," Amity said as she, Luz, and Kay stood in front of Janna's home. Amity rang the doorbell and Janna's mom came to the door.

"Yes?" she asked before she noticed Amity. "Oh, Amity, this is a surprise."

"Hey, Mrs. Ordonia," Amity said to her. "This is my girlfriend, Luz. We're here to check up on Janna, is she home?"

"Of course, she is," Mrs. Ordonia confirmed. "Come in."

The two were let inside, Tala Ordonia leading them to her daughter's room. "Janna, your friend is here!"

"Which one?" Janna's voice spoke.

"You know who, Janna," Amity said, which caused some noise to be heard from the room.

Janna opened the door. "Amity, my goddess, you're here!" Janna replied as she went to hug Amity, who hugged her back. "How have you been? How are you here?"

"Don't worry, I managed to get back home," Amity replied. "I wanted to see how you were doing and I brought my girlfriend with me. This is Luz Clawthorne."

"'Sup," Luz said with her fist up, allowing Janna to fist bump her.

"Alright, you must be the legendary bad girl I heard about!" Janna replied as she turned to her mom. "I got this from here, mom."

"Call me if you need anything!" Tala said as she walked away, leaving the three to themselves.

They went inside the bedroom, the three beginning to talk while Amity let Kay out to have her sit on her lap. Janna looked down at Sam and waved at her, the shadow waving back.

"Hey, Sam," Janna said before looking at Kay. "Whoa, so this is Kay?"

"Yeah," Amity responded. "She's two weeks old, and while I was away, Luz and her family have been taking good care of her in my absence."

"And I almost lost a finger from feeding her," Luz mentioned while Janna patted the baby lagoon creature.

"Aw, she is a little cutie, isn't she?" Janna commented while playing with Kay.

"So how are you feeling, Janna?" Amity asked her. "Sorry I wasn't able to see you in the hospital."

"Well, the doctors said that there was nothing serious and a mild concussion isn't gonna put this girl down," Janna explained. "And you don't have to worry about not being here. But how have you been since you left?"

"Well, when I got back to Gravity Falls, I met up with Gus and eventually another friend, Eve, who turned out to have been stranded here," Amity explained. "We had to deal with an army of gnomes, a vengeful ghost, witch hunters, the universe almost ending…"

"We had a wild ride," Luz said.

"But eventually Luz came for me, we met up with Willow, and we made it back home with a working portal door that we can use to visit the Human Realm whenever we want," Amity said. "Oh, and you know Star, the blonde girl who shoots magic out of her hand? She's now staying with us back in the Isles."

"Huh, so you brought the warrior magical girl with ya? How's she been doing?" Janna asked.

"She's still getting used to being in a home," Amity answered. "But how are Jackie and Marco doing? Jackie didn't have to move, did she?"

"Well, no. Jackie and her family are still here in good old Echo Creek," Janna responded, which made Amity sigh in relief.

"That's great," Amity said while Luz looked around the room and noticed the bookshelf.

"Whoa, you got a lot of horror novels and graphic novels here," Luz commented. "You even have a nice collection of horror movies."

"Yup, gotta show off my horror fan credentials," Janna replied. "I hear that you're a fan of John Carpenter's The Thing."

"Oh yeah, that one's a family favorite!" Luz replied. "Like, you got Kurt Russell and Keith David, that man's got the voice for the devil, and I mean it in a good way."

"I know what you mean!" Janna agreed. "Oh, you know what's another great horror remake?"

"The 1988 Blob movie?" Luz suggested and Janna nodded.

"That movie gave me chills when I first saw it, especially with how the blob eats people!" Janna pointed out.

"Remember how it ate that kid? That one fucked me up!" Luz shouted while Amity covered Kay's ears. "Oh uh, sorry, Amity. Was in the moment."

"It's okay, it's nice that you two are getting along," Amity said while Kay laughed.

Luz turned back to Janna. "I like what you did with your hair, by the way."

"Thanks," Janna replied. "Pink is my favorite color and it was thanks to your girl that I realized that I didn't need to hide my interests just to avoid being gender-stereotyped. And after taking her advice, I feel better about myself," she admitted. "What's the story with your orange streaks?"

"Well, the orange streaks are more of a tribute to the woman who found me, Eda, my foster mom. Back then, I wanted to be just like her, exactly like her even… but, I eventually learned that I wanted to be my own witch, though I still kept a little orange in my hair," Luz explained. "And honestly, I'm still figuring some stuff out."

"So typical teenage stuff," Janna said while Luz nodded.

"Say Janna," Amity said. "Do you still have that book? The one written by G.B. Gates?"

"Sure," Janna responded, going over to pick out the book for her. "What's with the interest of this book? Thought this kind of stuff would scare witches."

"Well, let's just say it is relevant to some stuff that we are dealing with right now," Luz replied. "Plus my godmother and godsister are descendants of Gabriel Gates."

Janna's eyes widened. "Whoa, seriously?! What are they like?"

"Thankfully, they aren't anything like their ancestors," Luz said while looking through the book. "It's the in-laws that are the problem…"

"Oh, and you remember when I told you our Emperor is a human disguised as a witch?" Amity asked and Janna nodded. "Well, he's not just a human raised by witches… he's also a Clawthorne, adopted and raised by the Clawthorne family just like Luz was."

"Seriously?!" Janna exclaimed, turning to Luz. "What is up with your family?!"

"Sometimes I ask myself that same question," Luz admitted.

"Hopefully you don't mind, but can we borrow this book?" Amity asked Janna.

"Eh, you can keep it," Janna responded. "Consider it a gift."

"Thanks," Amity said.

"By the way, what happened to Ghost?" Janna asked her, which got Luz and Amity to pause for the moment. "I don't see her with you. But based on your reaction just now, did… something happened to her?"

"No," Amity reassured her. "She… decided to leave after we got back."

"Leave?" Janna asked, but Amity didn't answer and instead stayed quiet.

"Hey, are you ready to talk about Ghost?" Luz asked Amity as she held her hand.

"…Ghost made her choice, and I respect it," Amity said with a sigh. "There is nothing I can do about it now and there is nothing to talk about it. So… why don't we check up on Jackie? I'm sure you'd like to meet her, Luz."

"Yeah, that'd be great," Luz said in agreement.

"Sure thing," Janna added. "Do you remember where she lives?"

"Of course," Amity said.

---

Back in London, Maleficent had just finished explaining to Puck what she and Meteora were up to.

"So… you want to stage a coup against Lord Oberon?" Puck asked the queen of darkness.

"Yes, and would you like in?" Maleficent asked him. "I'm sure that you'd like a chance to get back at Oberon for everything that he's done to you…"

Puck sighed. "Sorry, but I think I'll pass."

"Why? You hate him as much as we do," Meteora pointed out.

"Because I'd rather be left alone," Puck declared. "Plus, I don't really trust you two. Especially you, Maleficent. No offense, ma'am."

"None taken," Maleficent said plainly.

"Still, I wish you two ladies luck," Puck said before he vanished, leaving the two alone.

"So we came all this way for nothing…" Meteora grumbled.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Maleficent said. "We just need to give him some time now that the idea has been planted in his head…"

"So what now?" Meteora asked her. "Who else could we recruit? I do recall that the Collector is still in the Boiling Isles..."

"That is absolutely out of the question, even Oberon knew that child was too dangerous to be released," Maleficent interrupted.

The Mewni-Monster-Fae hybrid looked at the Queen of Darkness. "So how did you know that Puck Goodfellow would be here? Out of all the places he'd be, why here?"

"I know this place holds some value to him and that he would eventually end up back here at one point or another," Maleficent explained. "After all… they wrote a story about him."

---

Back in the Boiling Isles, Star, Lilith and Hunter arrived outside of the Eclipse Temple.

"There it is," Lilith said as they landed. "Are you alright, Star? You did look sickly while flying."

"Oh, I'm good," Star said as she stepped off the staff and began to throw up vile.

"You remind me of a scout who couldn't handle his lunch whenever we were on the airships," Hunter commented while Star got back up.

Star looked toward the temple. "Wow… so this is the Eclipse Temple. It does resemble some of the Mewni Monstera-architecture back at Mewni, similar to the Monster Temple."

"Monstera-architecture? Now that reminds me of when I studied the backgrounds of Beetle-Arts Architecture back in my school days," Lilith reminisced.

"Ooh, have you studied the Deadwardian-Archs?" Hunter told her, sounding excited.

"I have, actually," Lilith replied, smiling. "I even made an exhibit about it back at the museum."

Hunter nodded before he noticed the closed sign. "Wait, the place is closed?"

"It appears so-" Lilith said before Star blasted through the door with her magic, much to Lilith's horror. "STAR?!"

"Signs don't stop me before, they don't stop me now," Star replied as she went inside the temple. Lilith and Hunter looked at each other before they went inside as well.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Appearing before them was the Dungeon Master. "Who dares enter this temple?! Cause this place is closed! Didn't you all read the sign!"

"The temple's guardian," Lilith realized, but Star ignored him.

"Yeah, we don't have time for your riddles and junk," Star said while looking around.

"Hey, don't you ignore me, or else I'm gonna enact my wrath!" the Dungeon Master declared, his eyes and hands glowing.

"Oh enough, Dungy," said a voice.

Star, Lilith, and Hunter turned to see someone else in the temple with them. It was Eclipsa, who walked over while wearing a purple flannel shirt with her sleeves rolled up, blue rolled up jeans, and sneakers. "Now what is all the ruckus about?" she asked before noticing the three. "Ah, we have guests."

Star looked at Eclipsa, her eyes widening. "No… no way!" she exclaimed while taking a step back. "It can't be…!"

"You know her?" Hunter asked her.

"That's… Eclipsa, the Queen of Darkness!" Star pointed out while Eclipsa held up a Snooker bar and took a bite out of it.

"That's me," Eclipsa replied simply.

"But how…?! How can you… wait." Star paused. "Oh… I get it now, you must be a ghost! Yeah, I've learned that ghosts are common around here, so it makes sense that the ghost of Eclipsa would be here! I mean, there's no way someone like her could have lived for over three hundred years."

"Unless she's like Belos…" Lilith muttered.

Eclipsa noticed Star's cheeks were glowing, which piqued her interest. "You sure know a lot about me, young lady… are you Mewman?"

"Uh yeah…" Star replied.

"Because I've also noticed your cheeks are glowing," Eclipsa pointed out. "Hmm… heart-shaped."

This caused Star to hide her glowing cheeks. "I-I don't know what you're talking about, ghost!"

"Oh I can assure you, I'm no ghost," Eclipsa replied with a smile/ "If I were, I'd be ten times scarier than what I am in the flesh…"

Star continued to back away. "No… you-you can't! That's impossible!"

"Oh, but it is," Eclipsa replied as Lilith and Hunter looked at her in shock.

"Wait a second," Lilith said as she adjusted her glasses. "You're really the Eclipsa Butterfly?!"

"And… and you're still alive?!" Hunter gasped as he and Lilith held up their staffs while Star got on the defensive.

"Enough!" someone shouted as a cloud of smoke exploded in front of them. When the smoke cleared, Kitsuni was standing in front of them, trying to defuse the situation.

"Kitsuni, you're here?" Lilith asked.

"Yes, I had planned to come check by the Owl House and explain everything once I finished helping Eclipsa settle in… but it looks like I'm going to have to do that now," Kitsuni told them.

"Okay, what is going on?" Star demanded to know. "How is Eclipsa still alive and young?!"

Kitsuni started to explain. "Remember the parole hearing I told you about? Well, it was for her." She pointed to Eclipsa. "Apparently, Rhombulus has entrapped her in crystallized imprisonment and after giving her a hearing, we ultimately decided that she served her time since Mewni's laws don't apply anymore. Now as a free woman, she's free to settle a new home here in the Boiling Isles."

"It is nice to be amongst witches again," Eclipsa admitted while turning to Hunter. "Huh, you look familiar…"

Hunter realized what she meant and he turned away while Star stared at Eclipsa in awe. "So you really are her," she said while relaxing a little. "Is it… true that you really did marry a Monster?"

"Why yes, I even still kept the ring Globgor gave to me," Eclipsa said as she held up her ring, showing it to everyone.

"Then… you have the right to know something," Star said as she took a deep breath while holding her gloved hand. "I'm a Butterfly," she admitted, causing Lilith and Hunter to look at her in confusion.

Eclipsa looked sadly at Star and shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I don't think we're related."

Star looked up at her. "What?"

The former Queen began to explain. "You know of Festivia, correct?" Star nodded and Eclipsa continued. "I never named my daughter Festiva, Rhombulus and the rest of the Magic High Commission switched my daughter with a Mewman girl as a cover up. In a way, the original Butterfly line was severed and is continued through me and my current living daughter whose whereabouts are unknown."

"So… I'm not really a lost princess? And not really part of a royal bloodline?" Star realized. "Oh thank Mewni that isn't the case! Sounds like the line from Festivia to Moon was built on a lie! Guess that's one thing out of my chest."

"Did I… miss something?" Hunter asked while Lilith shrugged.

"So um, Eclipsa," Lilith spoke to her. "What made you choose to stay in the Boiling Isles?"

"Well, I chose this place because I've always admired the beauty of it," Eclipsa replied while a flapping eyeball bug landed on her finger, making her smile. "It's also the fact that demons and witches co-exist peacefully here, and that I have nowhere else to go. This temple is the closest thing that I have to the home I left behind on Mewni."

"The Boiling Isles you knew has changed, Eclipsa," Lilith warned. "Right now, it's under the rule of a dictator known as Emperor Belos, or as you knew him… Philip Clawthorne."

Eclipsa looked down sadly. "I know, Kitsuni has already filled me in about… Philip."

---

Back in Echo Creek, the three girls went to Jackie Lynn Thomas's home to check in with her.

As she answered the door, Jackie looked surprised. "Amity! It's so good to see you!"

"You too!" Amity replied as she and Jackie hugged. "This is Luz, my girlfriend."

"Hello, Luz Clawthorne, human-witch-cambion," Luz introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you, up top!" Jackie raised her hand and Luz slapped her hand back. She noticed Janna and hugged her. "Janna, glad to see you're still doing well!".

"Same to you, girl," Janna replied before Jackie's mom showed up.

"Nice to see you Janna, and you must be the rest of Jackie's friends," Jackie's mom spoke up. "Why don't you all come in?"

They entered Jackie's home and soon spotted Marco there with Jackie's father, who stood up and smiled. "Welcome."

"Amity!" Marco spoke up. "I didn't think we would see you again this soon!"

"Hey Marco," Amity said, waving. "Meet my girlfriend, Luz."

"So this is the guy that picks on kids?" Luz asked Amity, which made Marco tense up for a moment.

"I don't!" he denied.

"Oh, what a cute Gillchild," Jackie's dad said, seeing Kay. "I haven't seen one of these little guys in years."

"Jackie has told us about you, Amity," Jackie's mom explained. "And how you helped our daughter with those government agents."

"So were things sorted out then?" Amity asked.

"Yeah, that Mr. X guy even apologized for the trouble he called," Jackie explained. "He said that going after magical creatures wasn't in his jurisdiction and that he thought we were all aliens."

"Funny enough, me and mom did meet some aliens recently," Luz mentioned. "At least, I think they are aliens. That Wander guy was nice though."

As they sat on the couch, Jackie got the chance to lift Kay up and play with her.

"I can tell that she's going to grow her limbs soon," Jackie mentioned.

"That would be great!" Amity replied as Jackie handed Kay to her. "You hear that, Kay? You'll be growing limbs soon and then you'll be able to crawl!" she said while Kay nudged into Amity's arms.

"So how long do you guys plan to stay here?" Janna asked them.

"We have the rest of the day free, actually," Luz said.

"Free, huh?" Janna said, getting an idea. "Oh, you know what we could do together? The beach! We never got the chance last time, but now since you girls are free, we can now go chill out in the sun!"

"Yeah, we could go to the beach," Amity replied. "What do you think, Luz?"

"Yeah, I think that would be a nice change of pace," Luz agreed before a thought occurred to her. "But why should we have fun by ourselves at the beach?"

"Yeah," Amity nodded, realizing what Luz meant. She smiled. "We could invite some of our friends…"

---

Back in the Boiling Isles, Eda landed in front of the Scooter Crane Home for Unwanted Witches and Demons. As landed, she remembered that the last time she was here was when she, as the Owl Beast, dropped a certain silver haired baby girl off.

Eda shook her head and walked over to the entrance. "Alright, Eda, let's help some orphans," she said as she knocked on the door. Opening it was one of the staff members.

"Oh… you must be the Owl Lady," spoke the dry-toned staff member, a woman with red hair, lime-colored skin, tired-looking eyes, fangs, and a red and white cloak. "Sham said that I should expect you."

"Nice to meet you too, Ms…?" Eda said while wondering what her name was

"Hickleton, or as the children like to call me…"

"Hi, Ms. Hicky!" one orphan child shouted as they ran past while another chased after them.

"I like that name," Eda said. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Hicky."

Hicky groaned as she let Eda in. "Come in, let me give you a tour of the facility."

And so, Hicky showed Eda around the place. "This place is generously funded by the Emperor's Coven, who keep it running so that these little termites can find a new home or grow up to eventually join a coven. While I am not a fan of the idea of a wild witch of your… background running the place, I can't exactly say no to the Emperor…"

"Years of raising children has burned you out, huh?" Eda asked Hicky.

"Well I was raised here and when I was old enough they made me work here too," she responded as they entered the main room. "This is the main room."

Eda looked around and saw many orphans of all ages playing around, coloring, or watching the crystal ball. Some of the staff members tried to calm down the chaos.

"Oh, Hicky, is that the Owl Lady?" asked one blue haired young adult witch with tanned skin, green eyes, and the standard staff uniform. One furry kid kept biting his arm. "Name's Ban, he/they, and one of the staff members. I play bass guitar for songs!" he said happily.

"Ban is our youngest staff member since, having recently the Bard Coven," Hicky told Eda. "He loves this orphanage so much, he refused to leave… and he makes me want to get cursed."

"Nice to meet you, Ban," Eda said as she raised her hand and Ban shook it.

"Boy, I'm so glad to have extra help around here!" he said while getting the furry kid off of him. "Here, hold Timmy for me." He handed Timmy to Eda. "Attention everyone! Kids!" he called out but the kids won't listen.

Hicky cleared her throat. "SHAT UP!" she shouted, causing everyone to fall silent. "Listen up, we have someone who's now in charge of the place. She's going to be in charge of staff, administrations, events, and helping all of you adorable little termites find new homes. So here's Eda the Owl Lady."

Eda sat Timmy down on the couch as she waved to the children. "Hey there, kiddos. You may know me as the Owl Lady, but you can call me Ms. Clawthorne. It'd be nice to get to meet each and every one of you. Do you have any questions?" She saw one girl raise her hand. "Um, yes?"

"Are you gonna eat us?" asked a corgi biped demon girl.

"No, I don't eat children…" Eda said.

The corgi biped girl nudged the boy in the blue hoodie. "I told you she doesn't, Jak."

"Please, I hear she ate some boss of a criminal organization," said the boy with yellow eyes, red hair with brown skin, and a horn. "Clearly, she's a cannibal."

"And you must be…?" Eda asked.

"Oh that's just Jak, he has a few issues," Ban said. "But he's a good kid."

"If you ignore the freak outs…" Hicky murmured.

"Sounds like my Luz," Eda replied as she went up to them. "So what can you kids tell me about yourselves?"

"Well you know Jak, my name is Beans," the corgi girl replied. "The one sleeping over there is Hessica!" She pointed to the sleeping girl on the couch. "The tall one is Demi, she's the oldest here."

"What's up?" asked the girl with blue skin, pink hair, and a red tunic and black trousers.

"And over there painting is Aldolphus!"

One kid with a bowl-style haircut, blue eyes, and green and brown clothes was painting a sun with flowers that looked suspiciously like swastikas. "Look! I've been painting the sun! Say hi, sun!" He raised his hand up straight to the sun in a salute-like manner. "Hi, sun!" he shouted angrily.

Eda turned to Hicky with a concerned look. "Better play it safe and not let this kid get into the Emperor's Coven…"

---

Back at the Eclipse Temple, Eclipsa had just finished comparing notes with Lilith and Hunter.

"And that's the last time I saw Philip," Eclipsa said while looking at Lilith and Hunter. "It does sadden me to hear what has happened to him since then. How do you two know him?"

"We used to work for him," Lilith admitted. "I was Head of the Emperor's Coven until I defected when he captured my family and attempted to execute them."

"I'm… kind of his nephew," Hunter said as he looked down, sounding unsure of his answer. "At least, I think I am a Grimwalker, or clone, of his deceased nephew. I'm not really sure what I am, but I was once his second-in-command, the Golden Guard."

"Did you also defect?" Eclipsa asked him.

"I… no, I was just replaced when I didn't go back," Hunter admitted.

Star cleared her throat to get Eclipsa's attention. "You know, Belos will find out that you're here eventually."

"Well, that's actually what we're counting on," Eclipsa said as Kitsuni nodded. "I've agreed to volunteer to potentially learn what he's planning and try to get through to him. I don't want to believe that Philip is lost in spite of everything he's done, but if he is lost… then he should be stopped."

Lilith turned to Kitsuni. "When you said that she was paroled, did you mean you work for some kind of organization? Like something similar to the Emperor's Coven?"

"Well, not exactly," Kitsuni admitted. "You see, my colleagues and I work together to keep peace between the realms, though I am afraid we can't do more about Belos."

"Why not?" Star asked.

"Officially, we have no jurisdiction here and that the Isles is technically a sovereign realm because we're not recognized by the Titan, who is the deity of the Isles, and technically Belos is the Titan's representative, or at least the people of the Isles believe that he is," she explained. "So unless Belos is proven to be a fraud or we find someone else who can actually speak to the Titan, we can't actually remove Belos from power, especially when it's the people of the Isles who placed him in that position of power… to go against the will of the Titan and the people would be extreme overreach."

"But Belos is planning a war against the Human Realm!" Lilith pointed out.

"We have no evidence of that or Belos being a fraud," Kitsuni pointed out. "For all we know, he could simply be preparing to defend his realm from outside threats like the winged creatures that attacked Mewni. If Belos does actually attack another realm or that we can confirm that he does intend to attack another realm, then we could respond… which is where Eclipsa comes in."

"I know it's risky, especially since I no longer have my wand and I never learned how to use magic without it…" Eclipsa admitted.

"Well, there is a way," Hunter brought up as he pulled out his glyph cards while Lilith pulled out hers.

Eclipsa recognized them. "Are those glyphs? I remembered these! Philip once showed me his…"

"Here, you can use these to gain access to magic," Lilith said as she and Hunter handed her their glyph cards.

"Some are combos, like lighting and wind combos," Hunter brought up.

"Thank you," Eclipsa said while turning to Star and noticing her gloved hand. "Pardon me, but… may I see your hand?"

Star hesitantly held up her gloved hand and looked up at Eclipsa before deciding to let her see her hand. "S-Sure," she said as she let Eclipsa slip off her glove to show the piece of the Royal Magic Wand embedded in the palm of her hand.

"This is… the Royal Magic Wand," Eclipsa realized. "How did you get it in your hand?" Star didn't answer and Eclipsa nodded, understanding. "I see… you don't have to answer, dear. But I do want to know if you're willing to talk about… what happened to Mewni."

Star looked up to Eclipsa and nodded. "I can tell you what happened."

Star took a deep breath and began. "After the Solarian soldier program was restarted, things didn't look good for the Monsters of Mewni. It was then that one of our leaders, Seth, made a deal with creatures from another realm…"

"Seth…" Eclipsa's eyes widened. "I know that name."

"He managed to get in contact with these beings that called themselves Exorcists. They claimed that their intention was to punish the Butterfly family and the Magic High Commission for their abuse of magic. Seth believed this and with their help, it seemed like we had a fighting chance." She paused for a moment, looking down. "But then… the Exorcists betrayed us and started going after not just the Mewmans, but Monsters as well. It was a massacre…"

Star sat down while intertwining her fingers as she recounted her memory. "Mewmans and Monsters were slaughtered by these Exorcists left and right. During all of this, Seth abandoned his forces and left us to die so he could save himself… however, this seemingly mindless slaughter was just a distraction. The Exorcists had brought something with them… a gateway into another realm. But it was more than just a gateway. It was a weapon. When they opened it, reality itself became unstable." She lifted her head up. "I remember… the sky turning red as the fabric of Mewni's dimension… cracking. I don't even know where the gateway was opened to…but I do know where the other side… monsters. And not the Mewni kind."

"I think I know what you saw that day," Kitsuni confirmed. "I would say that gateway led to the Nightmare Realm…"

Star nodded as she continued. "It was the end of the world. I managed to get out of there while it was still possible, and I don't even know who else made it out besides Ludo and Rhombulus. I don't even know what happened to Seth, but I hope that he died."

"Did you see a winged creature with a single yellow eye?" Hunter asked her.

She shook her head. "No, but there was this… yellow triangle guy with one eye. The Magic High Commission tried to fight him, but this triangle guy killed two of their members, Omnitraxus Prime and Lekmet." She snapped her fingers. "Just like that."

"This does line up with what Rhombulus reported when Mewni was merged with the Nightmare Realm," Kitsuni noted. "Though, he thought these winged creatures were created by the Monsters before they went haywire."

"Well they certainly weren't," Star corrected. "They weren't even from Mewni, and one of them followed me to Earth, hunted me down there until it was destroyed in Echo Creek."

Eclipsa let it all sink in while Lilith looked over to her. "Are you alright, Eclipsa?" she asked

Eclipsa nodded to Lilith. "Yes, yes I'm just… taking it all in." She took a deep breath. "Who was the Queen of Mewni at the time when it fell, if you don't mind me asking?"

Star sighed. "The last Queen was Moon Butterfly… my mother."

---

Back in Bonesborough, in the Park residence, Gus was speaking to someone.

"I don't know if I'll ever be okay again," he confessed while looking down at the floor. "There are times where I feel fine, but those moments always end with me remembering Vaggie and Michael. I know that you and my friends want to help me… but I don't know if you guys can. This is completely different from the other issues I've had…" He paused for a moment and looked up at who he was talking to. "I may be back home… but my dad is still gone, and I try not to think about the possibility that I may never see him again… but I know that possibility is very real."

Julia Traveler nodded as she listened to him. "Thank you for sharing this, would you like to take a moment?"

"I-I'm good," Gus replied while looking at his thumbs.

"Well, I would suggest that right now the best thing you can do is give yourself some time and not force yourself into anything. Right now, you're dealing with many complicated emotions like grief and guilt. This is not something you can just get over… but it is important for you to not close yourself off from everyone either. I'm not asking you to forget your problems, just try not to forget everything else."

After they finished their session, Gus left the room with Julia just as Willow showed up with her scroll.

"Hey Gus, just got a message from Luz," Willow said. "She asked if we would be interested in a beach day, and dads say it was okay… as long as I'm not gone for a week this time."

Gus turned to Julia while thinking about what she said. He then turned back to Willow. "You know, I think I'm up for it. Let me see if I can find my scalding block," he said as he walked to his room to get ready.

Before Willow went to get ready, Julia spoke to her. "Willow, hold on. How are you feeling?"

Willow looked back at her and smiled. "Oh, don't worry about me."

"It's okay to be scared too," Julia reminded her. "It's not good if you try to hold it all in."

"I'm fine, really," Willow said, waving it off. "I just hope that Gus will be fine too."

Willow then walked away, Julia watching her with a concerned expression.

---

At the Saltstar home, Boscha was in her room, petting Hogarth while sitting on her bed. She then heard a knock on the door. "Come in."

Opening it was Beck. "Hey Boscha, how are you doing?" she asked her.

"A little… cooped up, honestly," Boscha admitted. "But at least I have Hogarth to keep me company."

Beck nodded. "Well, I was just checking on you and, well, I was wondering if you'd like to come with me to the beach today?"

"The beach?" Boscha asked her cousin.

"I'm chaperoning on a field trip for St. Epiderm students to relax and warm up at Tibilias Bay," Beck explained. "Midday said it can help with morale and get students to feel less stressed out. I asked Ms. Traveler and she agreed that it would be a good idea to bring you along if you'd like."

"I… could use some time outside the house," Boscha replied with a nod. "A beach day sounds great."

"And if you like, you can invite your friends and see if they'd like to come if they're free," Beck suggested. "The more the merrier, and you would get to meet some new people."

Boscha looked unsure. "I don't know if your… students would like me."

"Trust me, I'm sure they will like you just fine," Beck assured her. "Don't forget, you're awesome."

Boscha smiled. "Thanks, Beck."

---

At the Brooke home, Skara came out of her room while wearing a white furred tube-top with a tattered red skirt.

"Hey Willow, are you ready?" Skara asked while heading down to the bathroom.

"Almost," Willow replied before a moment later she opened the bathroom door. Skara's eyes widened as she saw Willow in a short yellow swim dress and green sandals. "Tell me what you think?"

"Oh my Titan, girl, you look so beautiful!" Skara praised with a smile.

"So do you!" Willow replied as the two hugged. "We're gonna have so much fun at the beach!"

"Yeah!" Skara replied. "Come on, let's not keep Gus waiting."

Nina was heading to her room as she noticed them. "You two are going somewhere?"

"Yeah, a private beach spot," Skara replied while holding Willow's hand. "See you later tonight!"

"Yeah, see ya. I'm just… gonna be… busy," Nina said while going into her room and immediately closing the door behind her, a scroll in her hand…

---

Back in the Owl House, Luz and Amity were changing into their swimwear.

"Ba-bam!" Luz said as she came out of her room while wearing a purple sleeveless top with purple trunks and blue sandals. She headed over to the bathroom. "I look good in these trunks! Amity, you're ready?"

"I… I'm a little shy with mine…"

"Oh come on, let's see it, my beau," Luz responded before Amity came out, causing Luz's jaw to drop. "Holy fuck!" she exclaimed, looking surprised at the radiance of her girlfriend's swimwear.

"I-It's something Em recommended me to wear," Amity said, wearing a pink two-piece top and shorts along with purple sandals. "Y-You don't think it exposes much, do you?"

"Oh babe," Luz said as she walked up to her. "You look wonderful."

Amity smiled. "And you look pretty as well," she said as Luz leaned forward to kiss Amity's neck, "Luz! Not right now… save it for after the beach trip."

"Fine," Luz replied as the two went into the bathroom to look at themselves in the mirror. "But we look so good in these…"

It wasn't long before Luz and Amity's friends came with their stuff. The ones that showed up were Willow, Gus, Viney, Jerbo, Barcus, Skara, Amelia, and Cat.

"Alright, everyone ready for their human world beach trip?" Luz asked them.

"Yeah, we got our swimwear!" Skara declared.

"And medical supplies in case of injury," Viney said, holding up a bag. "Too bad I couldn't take Puddles with me on this."

"Our first time stepping into the human world, this should be interesting, right Gus?" Amelia asked Gus, who nodded.

"Yeah, you guys will like it there. The water doesn't scold," Gus replied, looking around. "Where's Ed, Em, Matt, and Bo? I thought they'd like to come along."

"Emira said that she and Ed have plans with their other friends," Viney answered.

"Yeah, and Matt said that he and Bo have plans as well," Jerbo mentioned.

"Bo's with Matt?" Skara asked in surprise. "Oooh…" She nodded as she and the other girls got what was implied.

"Alright, time for a beach day at Echo Creek!" Luz declared as she activated the portal door, a flash of light chiming…

---

[Cue "California Dreamin'" cover by The Beach Boys]

The portal door opened beneath an abandoned dock, allowing Luz and her friends to walk out onto the beach.

Luz was holding a beach umbrella and a bag while wearing sunglasses as the wind blew her hair.

Amity was holding Kay while a towel was wrapped around her waist.

Gus was seen in a white jacket while wearing blue trunks and sandals, with Willow and Skara behind him. Viney wore a blue wetsuit, Jerbo was wearing a white shirt and purple pants, and Barcus was only wearing purple trunks, a yellow bandana, and sunglasses as they came out.

Lastly, Cat was wearing a blue one-piece with sandals and Amelia was wearing a green swim-dress. The teens looked around at the tall buildings in the distance, the blue sky, and the non-scalding ocean.

"So this is the Human Realm…" Skara said in awe.

"No flying griffins, nothing has teeth," Cat said as she spotted some cars on the nearby road.

"Are those metal worms?!" Amelia exclaimed.

"What kind of creature is that?!" Viney shouted as she pointed at a yacht in the distance.

"Matt's really missing out on this…" Jerbo said while Barcus nodded.

The group of witch teens walked around until they saw a group that Luz and Amity recognized. It was Jackie, Janna, and Marco.

"Hey, you guys made it!" Janna waved, wearing a green top with yellow trunks.

"So this must be your entourage," Jackie said while shown in her teal and green one piece suit with her seashell necklace on. She was holding her surfboard. "Nice meeting you all."

"Everyone, these three are Janna, Jackie, and Marco," Amity introduced. "Guys, meet Willow, Gus, Skara, Viney, Jerbo, Barcus, Cat and Amelia, our friends from the Boiling Isles."

"Hey/Nice to meet you/Ruff!" They all waved to their human friends.

"Hey, nice to meet some more witches from another realm," Janna said. "So do any of you know any dark spells…"

Marco leaned down towards Barcus. "Aw, I didn't know you guys have a dog."

Barcus looked offended and Jerbo explained. "Actually, Barcus is a classmate of ours. He's a dog-witch."

"Dog-witch…?" Marco asks while standing up.

"Yeah, the demons in our realm are classified by the three B's. Bugs, Bipeds, and Beasts. In the case of Barcus, he's a Beast, who are more animal-like in appearance and behavior, but some still possess the same intelligence as other witches."

Barcus sniffed Marco and barked, Jerbo translating for him. "Barcus says that you'll earn something red in the future."

"Red… that means I'm gonna finally earn my red belt soon!" Marco replied excitedly.

Luz looked around. "So uh, I've noticed not a lot of people around here…"

"Oh, I got this place as a private spot thanks to my connections," Janna replied. "We have all the beach to ourselves."

"Well then," Luz said while setting the stuff down and holding up the beach ball. "Let's have some fun!" she shouted as everyone cheered.

The Boiling Isles teens and the Echo Creek teens proceeded to enjoy their time at the beach. Firstly, there was Barcus, Jerbo, Cat, and Skara seeing the ocean water rushing towards them, making them run away from it before the tide pulled the water back. They inspected the shore again, but when the water came back toward them it scared the four away.

Luz noticed some crabs passing by and Maya took over. "Luz… what are… they're like me!"

"Uh, yeah Maya, they're Human Realm crabs," Luz replied only for her body to be taken over by Maya, who crouched down. "Maya!"

"Hey, hey, can you hear me?" Maya spoke to the crabs, who just looked up at Luz while passing by. "Are you guys Palismen? Can you understand me?"

"Is… she alright?" Marco asked Gus while noticing this.

"Yeah, that's probably Maya," Gus responded.

"Oh… who's Maya?" Marco asked.

Amity looked hesitantly toward the ocean while holding Kay. She could feel Kay wanting to swim in the ocean while Jackie walked over to her. "Want me to watch over her for you?"

"Um yeah, if that would not be too much trouble," Amity responded while handing Kay over.

Once Jackie entered the water with Kay, her legs transformed into a mermaid's tail. Everyone watched as Jackie and Kay dove down. Kay jumped up in the air from the water, with Jackie in her mermaid form rising up from the water with her. Everyone looked in awe.

"So she is a mermaid…" Willow commented.

"Yeah…" Marco said dreamily. "Do you guys have mermaids in your world?"

"We have sirens, Sea-Witches, and fish bipeds," Viney listed off. "Sea-Witches are basically mermaids."

Later on, the witches drew straws to see which ones will go to the ocean first as a test of courage. Amelia ended up picking the short straw and she was made to walk over there first. She took a deep breath and stepped towards the ocean. Once she stepped into the water, she opened her eyes upon realizing that she didn't feel any scalding or sizzling. She turned to the others.

"The water's great!" She waves to them, causing the witches to rush over to the ocean. They ended up splashing around, using their magic to control the water to start water ball fights. Their first time in one of the Earth's oceans was certainly a memorable one.

Later on, Marco was buried in the sand and he found himself being made into a sand mermaid. Janna snickered as she took a picture of him.

Later on, they all played a game of volleyball. Luz, Amity, Janna, Jackie, Willow, and Skara were on one team while Viney, Jerbo, Marco, Gus, Cat, and Amelia were on the other, with Barcus and Kay keeping score. The games started out mild, normal and friendly… but then after the fifth game, things went completely competitive once they began to use their powers.

"Guys! This is just volleyball!" Marco exclaimed as he saw the witches using their magic to compete against each other.

"Not how we play it!" Luz declared while in her cambion form, hitting the ball while Cat summoned an ice hand to block it. The ball went over to the other side, where Amity used her abomi-hand to slam it down, only for Amelia to summon her plant magic to bounce it back up. Skara and Willow made a battle cry as they slammed the ball together.

"Yeesh, glad we got out of there," Janna replied while Jackie nodded.

---

Tibilias Bay was a beach spot located at the side of the Titan that was popular amongst those who lived around the Knee. Mostly St. Epiderm students.

"Alright, we're here!" Beck declared while wearing a red jacket, white shirt, red swim skirt, and sandals. She was holding an umbrella over her head. With her were Boscha and her Glandus friends as they looked into the crowd of St. Epiderm students.

"That is a big crowd," Boscha noted while wearing a black and yellow top with black shorts. Gavin was only wearing his purple swim trunks, while Angmar was wearing a green shirt and blue swim trunks and Ukla was wearing a brown wetsuit. "But hey, this is going to be fun, right guys?" As she turned to her friends, she saw that the Glandus trio looked more down than usual. "Guys?"

"Bria's still missing…" Angmar muttered.

Gavin shivered. "Dad… you didn't mean it…"

Ukla was rocking herself. "Yuki…"

Boscha looked at them, realizing that they were still recovering from what happened at Hexside a few nights ago. It was still fresh in their minds. "Hey, guys, come on, let's not be down right now, it is a beautiful day for a visit to the beach."

"I don't know, Boscha, we're still a little banged up from that incident at Hexside," Gavin pointed out.

"Look guys, I know that it wasn't a pleasant night for any of us, but we shouldn't let it stop us from having a little fun in the sun," Boscha encouraged. "I mean, look around! We can meet some new people, play beach games, and avoid the scalding waters without protection. Let's just have some fun for once. I think we deserve at least a break."

The three looked at each other before Angmar spoke up. "Well, I guess we could try to have some fun."

"Yeah," Gavin replied. "I mean, what's there to lose?"

"I guess… we could try to meet some new kids our age," Ukla considered.

"Plus there's free food and music entertainment," Angmar said while pointing at the band playing, the Blood Waters Gang.

"See," Boscha said as she hung her arms around Gavin and Angmar. "Now come on, let's go out there and mingle!"

---

The group split up as Gavin and Angmar walked down the beach together looking around to see what there was to do. They spotted a group of students striking poses while holding large objects.

"What are they doing…?" Angmar asked while seeing them move robotically.

"Maybe it's performance art?" Gavin suggested.

"You are correct," said Peter Bloomhog, startling the two. He was wearing a scarf and black cloak while holding a camera. "Right now they are performing an interpretive movement of the game 'Blood Light, Slime Light', all part of my masterpiece for my next art show,"

"Oh, well that sounds nice," Gavin said as Angmar nodded.

"Say, aren't you that Peter Bloomhog kid from the Spinterest art site?" Angmar asked.

"Indeed I am," Peter said before he shouted "BLOOD LIGHT!" causing his dancers to pause. He took a snap photo with his camera demon and looked at the photo. "Hmm, not what I'm feeling… SLIME LIGHT!" He turned to the two boys. "Would you like to participate?"

Gavin and Angmar looked at each other, then turned back to him. "Sure, we'd love to." Gavin replied.

"Great!" Peter said as he levitated a large blue banana and a large ant head over. "Here, hold these and only move after I said slime light, okay?"

"Sure, sounds like fun!" Angmar said as he and Gavin participated in the abstract interpretive dancing.

---

Ukla, meanwhile, walked past a crowd of students as she went to the bar to order a drink. After getting her brew, she sipped on it as someone noticed her.

"Never seen you around," Cross said while in his red shirt and blue trunks. "Are you from out of town?"

"I'm from Latissa," Ukla responded.

"Latissa, tough place," Cross responded. "If you don't mind me asking, are you perhaps a dragon biped?"

"Huh? Oh no, actually that's kind of a common misconception," Ukla explained to him. "I'm a lizard biped, but I get that confusion from other witches a lot."

"Oh, sorry," Cross replied while sipping his own drink. "I guess I got too excited upon seeing a reptile demon…"

"Eh, I think it must be my fin hair," Ukla admitted. "Name's Ukla Ulma, by the way."

"Cross Drakescale," Cross introduced.

"Hey, come on, I don't have it!" someone shouted.

Ukla and Cross turned to see Kyle getting picked on by the Graux sisters, all in dark-blue wetsuits. "Not again," Cross said as he walked towards them, Ukla joining in.

"Let me help, I know how to handle them," Ukla replied as they marched over. "Hey, Muka!"

Muka turned to see Ukla. "Ukla? The hell are you doing here?"

"Enjoying the beach, are you really still jacking defenseless kids?" Ukla questioned.

"Mind your own business, before you lose another tail," Muka told her.

"Why don't you back off and leave Kyle alone," Cross told her.

"And I ain't telling you again, beat it!" Ukla told Muka. "Don't forget, I was on the grudgeby team once. Or would you rather have me remind you?"

Muka narrowed her eyes at Ukla. "Fine, I'll leave you with your boy. Come on, Gorlei, Ashley."

As they walked away, Ukla and Cross helped out Kyle. "Are you alright, Kyle?" Cross asks.

"Y-Yeah, thanks Cross, and…" Kyle turned to Ukla.

"Ukla," she replied while helping him up. "Sorry that they were bothering you. They would hustle everyone for their snails back in Glandus, especially those that don't fight back."

Kyle looked a bit flustered as he stared at Ukla. "U-Um, t-t-t-thanks," he said while feeling nervous around her, though not out of fear. "I really appreciate you helping me!"

"You sure you're okay, Kyle?" Ukla asked.

"Y-yeah and I better be on my way, thanks!" Kyle said as he rushed away, leaving Ukla and Cross to the dust.

"Wow, I never thought Kyle could look more nervous than usual," Cross commented.

---

Meanwhile, Boscha was looking around when she spotted a group of students that was making sand people with their magic. Roxy, Sarah, Lindsay, and Andrew were facing off against Riley, Minerva, and several other fellow students with them. Riley was wearing a blue and white striped shirt and blue trunks while Minerva was wearing a red swim gown.

'Oh, Sand-Fighting, I've done this before,' Boscha said as she walked up to the group. "Um… hey…" she said awkwardly, causing the students to turn to her.

"Hey yourself," Roxy responded while wearing a brown sports bra and shorts.

"Hey, I think I know you," Sarah said while in a black bikini top and black skirted bottoms. "You're Beck's cousin, right? Did she bring you here?"

"Yeah, that's me," Boscha replied awkwardly, trying to be as friendly as possible. "I see that you guys are playing Sand-Fighters…"

"Yeah, we're trying to beat Riley and Minerva's team," Andrew, who was in blue swim trunks, declared.

"Would you like to join in?" Lindsay offered kindly, wearing a green shirt with pink trunks.

Boscha smiled. "Sure," she said with a nod. "So what is it that you need help with?"

"Well we've got to make it have boxing gloves with spikes and Sarah suggested we change the legs into a large wheel," Andrew said.

"I only suggested that to give a speed advantage," Sarah pointed out.

"We should add in more arms for double fisting power," Roxy suggested.

"Maybe we can add wings to it?" Lindsay asked.

Boscha knew this kind of game isn't always easy. Teams had to build up a fighter made out of sand and then have them fight each other until only one remained standing.

"Why not combine your ideas," Boscha suggested. "Like, have all four arms and the wings can be like, detachable swords? And you'd still have the wheel for not just for speed, but for offense."

"Yeah," Sarah said. "Like the wheel can jump up and bounce off the opponent!"

"The extra arms can be used for rotating," Roxy added. "Are you familiar with this game?"

"Well, I used to play it with my cousins and my friends back at Hexside," Boscha admitted. "Like before I got into grudgeby."

---

Close to where Boscha was, Donna and the rest of her friends had their own spot.

"Alright, here I am at the beach with my friends," Donna said, wearing a white bikini and a split-skirt while her scroll flew up. "Everyone say hi to my viewers!"

"Hey, y'all/Sup," Tyrone and Beocrow said. Tyrone was wearing a white tank top and black trunks while Beocrow wore a black long sleeve form-fitting shirt and blue trunks.

"Hello/Chao/Hi!" Tina waved while wearing a white shirt with blue short-shorts, Veronica made a kissy face while wearing her leafy top and loincloth, and with them were Emira and Sioux, Emira wearing a yellow two-piece while Sioux wore a black swim-dress.

"So Donna has her own Penstagram channel doing… what exactly?" Emira asked them.

"Oh, she usually makes videos about exercise tips and toy unboxings," Veronica said as they saw Donna still recording herself. "I think she also does it to let her moms know she's doing okay."

"She also has a recurring follower that likes her videos from time to time," Tina added. "Apparently she knows who it is but she won't tell us who.

"But we have an idea…" Beocrow said.

---

In the Brooke, Nina was in her room and was super glued to Donna's livestream on her Penstragram. Her tail was up high…

"Hey Nina, would you like something to eat-" Slasher said as he opened the door, but then he paused as Nina looked at him.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Nina cried out, causing Slasher to back up and turn away.

"Oh, I am so sorry!" Slasher apologized, only for a pillow to be thrown at him.

"GET OUT!" Nina shouted as Slasher closed back the door. She was blushing hard as she moved to cover herself with the sheets. "No privacy around here…"

Slasher, who was on the other side of the door, just sighed. "Sometimes it's tough being a girl-dad."

---

"She burns easily in the sun?" Veronica asked Sioux while striking a conversation with her and Emira.

"Yeah," Sioux replied. "Eve's skin is so sensitive that she sometimes gets hives from too much exposure."

"That girl really is down on her luck," Emira commented while noticing the Sand-Fighters game being played nearby. She was surprised to recognize one of the players in the crowd. "Wait… Boscha?!"

The sand-warriors fought against each other. The one from Riley's team had hammers for fists and large teeth while the one from Boscha's team had rotating four arms with a large wheel. It charged against Riley's sand-monster as each team controlled their fighter.

"Come on, jump!" Boscha said while Sarah made the Sand-Fighter jump up.

The wheels clashed against the opponent, causing Riley's Sand-Monster to back down. Even when it swung its hammer fists, it got beaten by rotating fists, and then Boscha's Sand-Fighter leaped up to spin its sand-wheel and disintegrate its head.

"The winner!" Kyle shouted, pointing to Boscha, Roxy, Sarah, Andrew and Lindsay as they cheered.

"Yeah! We did it!" Andrew declared.

"My sand-monster, you were wonderful while you lasted," Riley said as they knelt down in front of the remains of their sand-monster while Minerva just patted their back.

Roxy turned to Boscha. "Thanks for the help, Boscha," she said.

"Yeah, it was a lot of fun!" Sarah said while Lindsay nodded.

Boscha rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah, you're welcome," she said before she spotted Emira. "Emira?"

"Boscha, hey," Emira said as she walked over. "Long time no see."

"Same!" Boscha replied awkwardly before she turned to the group of St. Epiderm students. "Nice meeting you guys, I'll see you around."

"Okay, but maybe we can do another Sand-Fighters when you're available!" Sarah waved while Boscha walked with Emira.

"Hey, does anyone see my watch?" Kyle asked while looking around for his watch. Unknown to him, his watch had been picked from him by a certain goateed witch.

"It's nice to see you doing okay," Emira said as she and Boscha walked together.

"Thanks, Beck suggested that me and my friends could use this outing," Boscha replied.

"Oh, you've made some new friends?" Emira asked her. "I know that you haven't hung out with my sister in a while…"

"Yeah, Angmar, Gavin, and Ukla, they're from Glandus," Boscha explained. "I helped them out and they helped me out in return. They're good witches."

"That's great!" Emira replied. "I'm also hanging out with a group of friends. I asked Viney if she'd like to join but she had plans with Luz and the others and I said it was fine." Of course, she couldn't tell Boscha that right now Viney was having a beach day in the Human Realm.

"Oh, what are they like? Your friends?" Boscha asked her.

"They're really nice people, really," Emira explained. "I already knew Donna, but it has been nice reconnecting with her. She and her friends like to help others in need and that is something that I would like to be a part of." She was quiet for a moment. "So… are you okay? I heard about what happened to your moms and I'm sorry."

Boscha took a deep breath. "Thanks," Boscha said. "I don't really want to talk about it right now, but I could certainly be doing worse, you know?"

Emira nodded. "Yeah, I get that," she said. "Still, I'm glad that you're here."

"Me too," Boscha acknowledged.

---

Donna was watching Emira as she spoke with Boscha. She smiled, glad that her teacher's cousin was doing alright before she spotted someone who was going around pickpocketing the other students. "Wait a minute…" she said as she stood up and started walking.

"Where are you going, Donna?" Tyrone asked her.

"Just spotted someone," Donna replied as she went to confront the witch. She grabbed them and turned them around, her eyes widening. "You!"

"Donna! Long time, no see," said Eustace Curry, who was wearing a trench coat and red and black trunks. "I see that you're enjoying Talibias Bay as well! Say, do you still party? Cause I got-"

"I don't want anything from you, Eustace," Donna told him. "I saw you pickpocketing my classmates, so you better return what you took from them or I'll make you."

"Oh come on, you know that I'm a pirate, can't help myself!" Eustace said as someone else walked over. "Say, have you met my friends? I know you remember Serpentina."

"What up, girl?" Serpentina asked as she walked up, wearing a green sea-shell top with a blue beach towel around her waist. She was holding her grimoire. "Are you still 'Party-Donna' or have you decided to go soft?"

This made Donna tense up as she looked away from them. "Why are you here?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"It's the beach, mate, it isn't like it's for locals only," Eustace said with a shrug. "It's a free Isles, you know?"

"Plus we've brought along some… friends," Serpentina said.

---

While Lindsay, Sarah, and Andrew were building sandcastles, Trini showed up while walking over to Lindsay. "Ooh, now that's a very nice castle…" she said while wearing a blue string two-piece.

"Um, thanks," Lindsay replied while feeling Trini rubbing her shoulders. "U-Um, what are you doing?" she asked nervously.

"My, you are a little shy one, aren't you?" Trini said flirtatiously, but Sarah and Roxy pulled her away from Lindsay.

"Hey, you're making her feel uncomfortable!" Roxy told her.

"Who are you?" Sarah asked, not recognizing Trini.

"Oh just someone who wants to have some fun," Trini said while tapping her fingers under their chins. "Maybe you two would like some fun…"

Roxy swatted her hand. "We're not interested."

"Come now, Trini," Mel said as she along with her gang, Edric, Cups, and Mugs showed up, though Jackson wasn't seen with them. "This isn't the right place for you to have one of your debaucheries…" Mel was wearing a purple romper while Edric wore blue swimming trunks. D-Josh wore yellow trunks with a red poncho and Blazer wore a red and black spotted shirt with white trunks. Cups and Mugs wore red and blue trunks.

"Ed? What are you doing here?" Emira asked, walking over after spotting Edric.

"Hey sis, looks like we have the same plans… as usual," Edric said while Mel hung her arms around him. "Oh, have you met Mel's friends? There's Trini over there, and with us are Blazer, D-Josh, and I see Eustace and Serpentina have met up with Donna… hi, Donna!"

"Hey Ed…" Donna said while looking at Mel's gang.

"Sorry about Trini, she can be a flirt and doesn't believe in boundaries," Mel said with a smirk while turning to Donna. "You must be Donna, I've heard so much about you…"

Boscha, who was still with Emira, looked at Mel's gang, her third eye widening as she sensed something was off about them.

"Look, let's not start any trouble, we are all just here to have fun," Mel suggested while turning to Trini, Eustace, and Serpentina, nodding to them. "We'll find our own spot to relax at, have a nice day. Off we go!" She walked off, bringing her friends along with her.

Donna's friends walked over as Beocrow spoke. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah," Donna replied while hugging herself.

"What's wrong, Donna?" Veronica asked her, sensing something was up.

"I'm okay," she said. "Just… saw some folks who were passing by. One of them, Eustace Curry, was pickpocketing our classmates, so we need to make sure everyone's stuff is returned."

"We'll get a teacher and lifeguard about this," Tyrone suggested.

Boscha turned to Emira. "Em… make sure to keep an eye on your brother. I don't know why, but I got a… weird feeling about his friends. Bitch can sense bitch, you know?"

Seeing Boscha worried, Emira nodded. "Of course," she said while turning back to watch her brother as he walked off with Mel.

---

Later on, Boscha met up with her friends as they grabbed a bite to eat at the snack bar.

"So how's your day been, guys?" Boscha asked them.

"Me and Gavin participated in some kind of abstract, interpretive dancing with none other than the Peter Bloomhog!" Angmar revealed.

"Yeah," Gavin said as he showed off some of the pics he took. "Can't believe we participated in one of his Abomi-Art masterpieces, maybe we might see one of his art house shows."

"I met a few of the witches here, like a guy named Cross and another named Kyle," Ukla explained. "And you guys know the Graux sisters? Apparently they transferred to St. Epiderm."

"Seriously? They must've had strong connections to enroll there," Boscha said.

"You know, I do recognize some students here from Glandus," Angmar pointed out. "The Graux sisters most likely got some of them enrolled, probably for a large amount of snails."

"That's not surprising," Gavin said.

"So what have you been up to, Boscha?" Ukla asked.

"Well, I met some other teens and played Sand-Fighters with them, then I met up with Emira, Amity's older sister. I haven't seen her in a while, but she's been doing good with a new group of friends she's hanging out with."

"That's great," Ukla replied, though she still looked a bit concerned. "And… you are okay, right Boscha?"

"Oh yeah, I'm… fine," Boscha said while looking down. "Look, it's a good day and there is still plenty of it left. So let's go find something to do."

"How about we play some terrorball over there?" Gavin asked, pointing to the long pole with a screaming ball.

"Perfect!" Boscha declared as she and her friends went over the pole.

---

"This place is too crowded."

Mel sat on her beach towel along with Serpentina and Trini, watching Edric playing sand ball with Cups and Mugs while D-Josh ate and Blazer scratched himself. It was the only clear spot away from the crowd of witches and demons.

"Well what did you expect? It is the perfect weather to have a beach day," Trini states while laying down to get a tan.

Mel turned to Serpentina. "Serpy, can you be a dear and help clear out the beach using that little book of yours?"

"Fine, I'll see which sea creature would be fitting," Serpentina said as she opened her grimoire, only for Mel to snatch it from her. "Hey!"

"Hmm, selkedomis, hydra, penguaphins, nah I don't think any of them would do," Mel said as she flipped through the pages until she stopped at one. "Ooh, a Scarfish…"

"Scarfish? Oh no!" Serpentina shouted as she grabbed her book from Mel. "Anything but the Scarfish! They're a parasitic species-"

"I don't care," Mel said as she grabbed Serpentina's shoulder, squeezing it as she forced the Sea-Witch to look at her. Serpentina winced. "I want the beach cleared, so summon the Scarfish… or else." Serpentina shivered in fear and Mel let her go. "Now do it."

The tentacle-haired girl gave Mel a weary nod as she stood up, ust as Eustace came over with ice scream.

"Ice scream for my dear beloved-" Serpentina walked past him and he turned to her with a look of concern. "Serpentina?"

---

The Glandus four were playing a game of terrorball as they split into two teams. Boscha and Angmar versus Gavin and Ukla. The ball screamed anytime that they hit it.

"High top!" Boscha jumped up to slap the ball to the other side with her fiery hand.

"Ukla, you got this!" Gavin cheered as Ukla formed a rock gauntlet to hit the ball while Angmar hit it with a vine whip and Gavin hit it with his Abomi-glove. Things were going pretty well for the four teens.

"AAAAHHH!"

Their game was interrupted as the four turned to the source of the scream. Much to their shock, they saw a massive, blue starfish-like creature rise from the Boiling Seas. It had one large eye and green splotches that split into mouths on each of its limbs.

"I have been summoned, motherfuckers!" the Scarfish declared while looking at the crowd.

"What is that?!" Boscha exclaimed.

"That's a Scarfish… they're not supposed to live anywhere near the Isles!" Gavin shouted.

Donna and her friends looked at the Starfish as it rose up from the ocean. "What's a Scarfish doing here close to the Isles?!" Beocrow asked.

"I don't know," Donna said as she held her key in preparation.

"We need to get everyone out now!" Beocrow declared before he saw the Scarfish spreading out something from its limbs. "Oh no…"

"What?!" Veronica asks, not liking the looks of things.

"Cover your faces!" he warned.

The things that the Scarfish was spreading out into the air were mini Scarfishes that flapped around, looking for victims. One mini Scarfish landed on the face of a St. Epiderm student, causing him to scream until the Scarfish wraps its body around his face, gaining control of the student.

"The beach… is now the master's!" the controlled student declared as more Scarfishes rained down on the locals.

Everyone screamed and ran, as it was absolute chaos. The Scarfishes began to latch themselves onto every student, teacher, and civilian that they could.

"Boscha? Where are you?!" Beck asked while using her magic to shield herself from the Scarfishes as she looked for Boscha and her friends.

Lindsay tripped and fell while running. Looking up, she saw Cross running off somewhere "Cross?" she asked, only to be picked up by Roxy and placed on her shoulder.

"Hang on!" Roxy shouted, using her construction magic to create a barrier for them, Sarah, Riley and Minerva to hide under as the Scarfishes planted themselves onto witches around them. Popping up from the ground was Andrew.

"Quick, get inside!" he said as they all went inside his tunnels. "We'll go find the others not having Scarfishes on their faces!"

Sarah brought out her potions from her beach bag. "This could give us some time…" she said as Minerva summoned her cello.

The Blood Water Gang also ran as Smashermouth covered his face and swatted the Scarfishes away. "Ah! Don't be touching my looks!" he shouted while turning to his gang, who all had Scarfishes attached to their faces. "Ah chum buckets..."

Boscha fell back as the Scarfishes rained down on everyone, Gavin summoning his Abomination to shield them. "Guys, run!" he shouted.

"We should go find shelt-" Ukla was silenced as she was hit by a Scarfish to the face and it quickly gained control of her.

"UKLA!" Boscha and Angmar cried out before one Scarfish landed on Angmar's head.

"Angmar!" Boscha shouted.

"AAAH!" he cried before the Scarfish gained control of the poor plant boy.

One Scarfish flew down toward Boscha as she looked up. She backed away in fear, shutting her eyes… but then Beck jumped in front of her.

"NOO!" she cried out as the Scarfish attached itself to her face, shocking Boscha who opened her eyes.

"Beck…" Boscha whispered as she was then pulled away by Emira.

"Boscha, are you alright?!" she cried out while Veronica used her plant magic to create cover for them.

"Y-Yeah," Boscha replied as Emira took her and Gavin to safety.

"Gorlei, Ashley!" Muka cried out before she saw her sisters having already been hit by the Scarfishes. She tried to run but instead tripped on a rock, making her wince. "Fuck!" she cried while holding onto her leg and spotting a Scarfish about to land on her face "Shit…!" But suddenly she was pulled away by Kyle, who hit the Scarfish away and dragged Muka underneath an umbrella. She was shocked to see him. "You!"

"Are you okay?" Kyle asked her while Muka was trying to process this.

"Y-Yeah," she responded. "Why'd you save me? You could've left me with those things…"

"I'm a healer, I took an oath to help everyone no matter who it is," he replied while noticing her injured leg. "You're hurt, let me help you," he said as he tried a healing spell.

Muka looked at Kyle and suddenly she couldn't help but feel flustered at his action. "You… don't need to do that…"

"Hey, if I see someone hurt and I have the power to do something, I'm going to do it," Kyle said as he finished checking her leg. "You have a sprain, but I can still help heal it."

Muka looked away from Kyle and muttered. "Thanks…"

Cups and Mugs were both panicking. "What do we do?!" Cups asked.

"We gotta get out of here!" Mugs replied as they took shelter under the pier.

"Come on, Ed!" Mel shouted as she grabbed Edric's hand and pulled him away while pretending to be shocked. "I got to take you to safety!"

"But what about Emira?!" Edric asked her.

"I don't know if she was caught or not!" Mel shouted while noticing Donna and her friends fighting off the Scarfish. But what interested Mel was when Donna summoned the keyblade. "Interesting…" she whispered, wondering where Donna got a keyblade from.

"Hiyah!" Donna declared while swinging her keyblade at the Scarfishes, knocking them away from her and her friends. Tina turned intangible while using levitation spells to fling the Scarfishes away while everyone else covered their faces with masks provided by Veronica.

"There's so many of them!" Tyrone declared after punching one from his face before he used his construction magic to create a sand hut.

"Bad day to not bring our suits!" Veronica shouted as Emira came over with Boscha and Gavin.

"Come on in!" Emira shouted as she led them into the hut with the rest of LOWTH following them in.

Eventually, the beach fell silent, with most of its occupants standing still with Scarfishes attached to their faces. The massive Scarfish looked around the witches and demons that he now controlled. "Well… now that I have you under my control I'll… I'll… geez, I should've thought ahead," he said to himself, not sure what he was going to do now. "So… maybe I can conquer the Isles… I guess?"

"Take over the Isles…" the controlled Beck spoke.

"Take over the Isles…" they all said in unison as they slowly walked toward the exit of the beach.

"Did you hear that? Now they're gonna conquer the Isles!" Gavin exclaimed.

"Not if we can help it," Sioux said while turning to the others. "What's the plan?"

"According to my studies, the Scarfish are parasitic creatures that latch onto other creatures and create a hive link," Beocrow explained. "Only way to get those things off of everyone's faces is by taking out the big guy's brain, located behind the eye."

"That sounds simple enough," Veronica said.

"We just need to get close enough to blast it," Tina pointed out.

"But first we need to stop everyone from leaving the beach," Emira suggested.

Donna nodded. "Tyrone, Veronica, you two round up the civilians. Me, Beocrow, and Tina will take on the monster. Emira and Sioux, find anyone else that may not have the Scarfishes attached to their faces!"

"Wait, you guys are actually going after that creature?" Gavin asked while Boscha stayed silent.

"It's what we do, we like to help people," Emira answered while they headed out to handle the situation. "Stay here."

"Wow, these guys are really brave, right Boscha…?" Gavin turned around, only to see Boscha missing. "Boscha?"

---

LOWTH went out to do what they did best: helping others. Veronica used her plant magic to entrap the mind-controlled people and stop them from leaving while Tyrone buried people up to their heads in the sand.

"We have to get these things off of their faces!" Veronica said while trying to pull a Scarfish off. "They won't come off!"

"It's never easy!" Tyrone said while getting jumped by other people. "Hey, let go, man!" he shouted while getting them off of him, using his magic to cause their feet to sink into the sand.

Donna, Beocrow, and Tina ran up Tina as used her ice magic to create a path of ice leading up to the Scarfish while Donna prepared her keyblade.

"Let's do this," Donna declared until she heard a cry for help.

"HELP!"

She turned around and saw a group of mind-controlled witches chasing after Jackson, who wore checkered trunks and a black wet-shirt. "Get them away from me!"

"Oh man, hang on!" Donna shouted as she ran up to help him.

"Donna, wait-" Beocrow was then tackled by the mind-controlled Cups and Mugs.

"Beocrow!" Tina shouted as she made herself intangible and went to grab Beocrow away from the two. "Are you alright?"

"I'm good," Beocrow responded.

Donna brought out her staff, swinging it around to create a rainbow-colored blast that knocked the mind-controlled people away from Jackson. She turned to him. "Are you alright, sir?"

"Yeah," Jackson responded with a nod and a smile. "Thanks to you, mademoiselle."

"Uh… yeah, you too," she replied while being grabbed by the mind-controlled people. "Hey!" she shouted as she knocked them away from her. "There's a hut you could take shelter-" She turned around and saw he was already gone. "-in."

"Bwahahaha! This is a good day for me!" the Scarfish boasted. "I control the beach and soon the rest of the Isles, and none of you will stop me!" He was then suddenly hit in the eye by a flaming ball. "GAH! What the fuck?!"

"Hey, asshole!" Boscha declared while flying up on her staff. "You ruined my beach day! So now, it's payback time!" she shouted while throwing several more flaming balls at the Scarfish, targeting the eye.

"Ah! Stop! You pesky witch!" the Scarfish cried out while backing away.

---

Meanwhile, Emira and Sioux stayed invisible as they looked for anyone who didn't have a Scarfish on their faces. They noticed the mind-controlled people stopping to suddenly cover their faces while shouting. "Ow! That burns!"

"Looks like they're linked to his pain!" Sioux noted.

Emira spotted Kyle and Muka under the umbrellas and they turned visible as they walked up to them. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, but Muka sprained her ankle," Kyle replied while Emira helped her up.

"There should be a healer's booth at the snack bar," Sioux said before she was suddenly entangled by vines. "AAH!"

"Sioux!" Emira cried out as she was also entangled by vines, along with Muka and Kyle. "What?"

Kyle saw that the one summoning the vines was a student who was being mind-controlled. "They're learning!"

"One of us!" the student shouted as other students approached while holding up Scarfishes to place on their faces. The four struggled with their bonds as they saw the Scarfishes about to be attached to their faces… when the mind-controlled students were suddenly entrapped in a red gelatin-like substance.

"You guys alright?" Riley asked as they showed up along with Minerva, who helped to untie their bonds.

"We're good now," Emira said while spotting Roxy, Sarah, and Lindsay coming over, Sarah pouring a potion all over herself. "What are you doing?"

"Fighting back," Sarah replied as the yellow and black potion engulfed her body, forming into a black suit with yellow lines on the chest. She wore her potions belt around her waist as her face was now covered in a yellow mask with a black V-shaped visor. "I'm not the top of Potions for no reason."

Roxy punched through the ground, encasing her first in stone. "Let's take this fucking fish out!"

"Yeah!" Lindsay cheered as she whistled, which summoned the creatures of the beach. Eye-crabs, see-gulls, and dune ratworms ran toward her as Lindsay climbed on one of the ratworms. "Hop on!"

The mind-controlled people shrieked as they charged, while Riley stood back and used their illusions to duplicate their friends, creating confusion. Minerva used her cello to create a shockwave to knock out some of the controlled students and teachers away to clear a path. Sarah brough out her potions, throwing them and trapping mind-controlled witches in a gelatin-like substance when the potions exploded. Lindsay had the beach animals charge while having her see-gulls target the bigger Scarfish. And Roxy raised her gauntlet up, shooting rocks at the behemoth creature.

"Ow! Would you stop!" the Scarfish shouted at Boscha who kept annoying him with her fire balls. Then he felt the rock pelting him. "Oh come on!" he shouted as he swatted at the birds who were also pestering him.

Lindsay spotted Smashermouth, who was in tears over the state of his friends. "Smashermouth, are you alright?"

"No," he said, tearing up. "My entire gang got turned into brainless zombies! And if it weren't for my swordfish nose, I would've become one too!"

"Then we'll do something about it!" Lindsay said, pointing to the Scarfish. "Help take that guy down so we can free our friends!"

Smashermouth wiped his tears away. "You're right!" he said while glaring at the Scarfish who had made it to the shore.

Tyrone kept containing the citizens along with Veronica as Roxy showed up. "Ty, how good is your throwing arm?"

"Does being the best thrower in grudgeby ring any spells?" Tyrone asked. "But I don't think I could throw you far enough to reach the eye!"

"I think I could help," Gavin said as he showed up, summoning his Abomination.

---

Donna was in the middle of fighting a bunch of mind-controlled witches, who were all using their spells against her. She didn't want to hurt them, but she was still forced to fight them off with a combination of ice magic and spells from her staff. She then spotted a group that didn't have Scarfishes on them.

"Donna!" Sarah shouted as she trapped more of the mind-controlled civilians. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Donna said with a nod as they turned to the Scarfish. "We have to stop that thing!" she shouted while bringing out her keyblade.

"YAAAAHHH!" Roxy shouted as she was thrown by Gavin's Abomination at the Scarfish. She landed on one of his tendrils and began to punch it.

"Oh, what?!" the Scarfish shouted while trying to shake off Roxy, but then he felt Smashermouth bite him after the swordfish launched himself up at him. "FUCK! Who bit me!"

"Let go of my friends, you giant punk!" Smashermouth shouted while biting a piece of the Scarfish's flesh. The Scarfish swung its arm tendril, throwing him across the beach. However, the creature was still being pelted by fireballs thrown at him by Boscha while Roxy kept beating his other tendril, a swarm of crows controlled by Beocrow also bothering him. "Ah, this is such a pain!" he shouted while being hit by lightning bolts from Minerva's cello. "Enough!"

The rest of the mind-controlled people used their magic to fight back against the heroes. Riley, Emira, and Sioux kept using their illusions to duplicate themselves to trick and distract the army of mind-controlled witches. Tina flew around with her staff, shooting ice to block the exits and stop her mind-controlled peers from leaving. Of course, the ice quickly started to melt. But that was when Beck walked over to the heroes and summoned a single drum...

"Oh no…" Minerva whispered after turning to see what the mind-controlled Beck is doing. "Take cover!"

Beck slammed the drums, which created a powerful, explosive soundwave that was so loud it could be heard across the Isles as it knocked back the heroes and some of the mind-controlled people.

A ringing noise was heard as Donna found herself up on the ground. She looked up and saw Gavin, Tina, Tyrone, Veronica, Emira, Sioux, Minerva, and Riley had all been knocked back along with Sarah, whose suit had partially melted off.

"That was… a powerful shockwave…" Sarah said.

"Professor Saltstar is basically the strongest of the Saltstar siblings… even if she doesn't look it," Minerva explained. "She channels her strength through her Bard magic…"

"How strong is that family?!" Emira asked.

"WHAT?!" Tyrone shouted, unable to hear anything.

Lindsay, who had fallen off of her dune ratworm, looked up in the sky and spotted something, or someone, flying. Her eye widened as she realized who it was.

"The Golden Guard!" Lindsay shouted while everyone else looked up.

"What?" Donna got up and spotted the Golden Guard riding on their staff.

"Hey, tall, dark and ugly!" the Golden Guard shouted while flying around, which Scarfish took notice of. "Why don't you stop controlling these civilians, or I'll make you!"

"Make me?!" the Scarfish shouted while getting hit by another ball from Boscha. "Try!" he shouted while swatting at her.

"AAH!" Boscha cried out as she and her staff were knocked out of the sky, but both were caught by a bubble created by Golden Guard's staff as they levitated Boscha and her staff to safety.

The Scarfish swatted Roxy away and she fell toward the beach, but fortunately Sarah splashed a potion that created a soft substance for her to land safely on. "Thanks," she told her.

"No problem," Sarah said while they went to help out Boscha. "Boscha, are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah," Boscha said while holding onto Hogarth, looking up to see the Golden Guard zapping lighting from his staff to the Scarfish. "Huh?" she asked in confusion.

Beocrow was knocked back along with his crows and as he rolled over he saw the Scarfish now fighting against the Golden Guard while Donna hit his leg with her keyblade and Gavin used his Abomination to hit him in the other leg. The Scarfish managed to kick both Donna and Gavin back while swatting the Golden Guard away from him, sending them flying.

"Give up now!" a mind-controlled Ukla shouted, drawing everyone's attention, "You can't win against me…"

"The Boiling Isles is ours!" the mind-controlled Angmar declared.

"Just give up…" the mind-controlled Peter said.

"No," Beocrow said as he stood up. "The Titan isn't yours… it isn't ours… it is… all of us!" he declared as he raised his staff up and created a dark, purple light.

A rumbling sound was heard and everyone turned to see what was coming. Veronica grimaced. "No…"

Boscha looked in shock. "What… the… FUCK?!"

Rats. Rats from all over the Boiling Isles ran across the beach, many of the mind-controlled witches and demons falling underneath the swarm of rats. They rushed toward the Scarfish and began climbing up his legs, prompting Donna and Gavin to stay clear.

Mel and her gang, hiding in a cave they found, watched the rats climbing up the Scarfish. "Well this day just got a lot more interesting," Mel commented.

The Golden Guard got back up and saw the Scarfish being distracted by the rats. Grabbing their staff, they ran back toward the battle.

Roxy got up as she flung more rocks while Minerva played her cello to send more lightning attacks at the distracted Scarfish. Veronica used her plant magic to restrain the monster as the rats climbed up.

"Target the eye!" Beocrow commanded the rats.

Lindsay saw the Golden Guard using their staff to lift himself in the air and fly towards the Scarfish. "Look!"

Everyone turned to see the Golden Guard flying right at the eye of the Scarfish while he was being distracted by the rats all over him. By the time he saw the Golden Guard with their staff coming at him, aiming for the cornea, it was too late…

The Golden Guard splashed into the eye, the staff puncturing its surface. They found themselves inside the eye of the Scarfish, submerged in it as they looked around and saw the rats climbing in through the hole that was created and swimming past the Golden Guard. Their mask made it hard to read their emotions as they watched the rats swim around and begin to chew on the insides of the sea monster, making their way to where the brain was.

"Oh… shit…" the Scarfish said as his eye was now filled with blood as he started to wobble around before collapsing onto the shore.

This caused everyone under its control to fall down. The heroes looked around as the little Scarfishes began to fall off the faces of their friends now that the big Scarfish was dead, freeing everyone from his control.

Andrew along with Kyle, Muka, Teri, and several others came out of the tunnels as they saw everyone being freed from the monster's control. Muka spotted her sisters.

"Gorlei! Ashley!" Muka waved to them.

"Hey, you guys are alright!" Andrew shouted as he waved to the others.

Kyle walked over to check on the injured as he spotted Ukla and Angmar. "Are you two alright?"

"Yeah," Ukla said as she rubbed her head. "Feels like something went up to my snout to my brain!"

"Were we mind controlled by those things?" Angmar asked.

"If there are any healers around, please tend to those in need of one!" Emira called out with a megaphone she picked up from the lifeguard chair.

"Em!" Edric shouted as he ran up to her, causing her to turn to him.

"Ed, are you okay?!" Emira asked in worry.

"I'm fine, I hid out in a cave with Mel and her friends," Edric said, pointing over to his friends.

"Boscha? Boscha!" Beck called out, searching the crowd until she saw Boscha with Gavin and Sarah. "Boscha, thank Titan you're alright! Are you alright?" she asked while running over to hug her cousin.

"Y-Yeah," Boscha replied, hugging her back. "I'm good."

---

Donna used her keyblade to support herself as she caught her breath and looked at the dead Scarfish. "Donna!" Roxy called out to her, causing Donna to turn and see her coming over along with Sarah, Riley, Lindsay, and Minerva walk towards her. "You and your friends did some pretty heroic work back here…"

Donna looked at her keyblade, then back at them. "That was, uh, nothing."

"I wouldn't call being LOWTH nothing," Sarah pointed out, surprising Donna.

"You guys figured it out?" Donna asked them.

"Please, your absences were a dead giveaway," Riley pointed out. "Plus we follow Felicia's exploits about LOWTH."

"Actually, this is the first time I've learned about it," Lindsay pointed out.

"But hey," Minerva said as she walked up. "You guys have done a lot of good, so if you need any help, I think we would be interested."

"Wow, thanks!" Donna replied while turning to Roxy "Though, I know Danny wants you to stop us from sneaking out during the school day…"

"Meh, what he doesn't know won't hurt him," Roxy said, waving it off. "Besides, we're lucky to have a no-Dilburn day today on account of his stomach flu."

Donna smiled before she heard a noise coming from the dead Starfish. She turned and saw the Golden Guard bursting out of the eye of the Scarfish, using their staff to get themselves out. "Oh Titan, that was gross. Never gonna get the smell out of this suit…" they said as they crawled out and spotted the members of LOWTH. "Well, I must tip my mask to you guys, it was absolutely impressive how you handled yourselves back there."

"It's no problem, Mr. Golden Guard," Donna replied.

"We're just in the service of helping others," Beocrow replied.

Boscha leaned over to Gavin and whispered to him. "That can't be him… right?"

"No," Gavin whispered back, shaking his head in confirmation while Ukla and Angmar walked up. "I think they're a fill in."

"Well, I better be on my way!" the Golden Guard said as they held their staff. But before they could leave, Lindsay called out to them.

"Thanks for the help, Cross!" Lindsay shouted, causing the Golden Guard to suddenly tense up..

"Um… who's Cross?" the Golden Guard asked, sounding nervous as they floated up on their mechanical staff. "Well I gotta go, bye!" they declared while teleporting away.

---

Meanwhile, Serpentina looked upset at the sight of the dead Scarfish. "I'm so sorry…" she said while tearing up. Eustace walked over and comforted her.

"Oh dear Scarfish, you will be missed," Eustace declared while pouring a bottle of rum on the ground.

"Are you two done?" Mel asked as she walked over, causing Serpentina to glare at her. "This beach was a bust, let's get out of here. It's starting to reek of dead Scarfish," she said as she was followed by D-Josh, Blazer, and Trini.

"Honestly, you should've summoned a kraken, that would've been some good action," Trini said while licking her lips at the thought. "Major copout…"

Serpentina wiped her teary eyes while glaring at Mel, but she still followed her with Eustace following as well.

But as Mel and her gang left, Emira was watching them from a distance. She couldn't help but feel suspicious about them, especially in light of Boscha's warning…

---

"Sorry that this beach day turned into a monster fight," Donna said to Boscha and her friends.

"Yeah, fighting a giant monster was something we did not expect," Veronica confessed.

"Honestly, we're kinda used to this shit at this point," Boscha admitted.

"But man, I still can't believe you guys are the actual LOWTH!" Gavin said excitedly.

"Hey, try not to shout it around," Beocrow hushed him. "We're not doing it for fame, we are just some locals who like to help others."

Gavin still looked so awe-inspired by them as he stepped up. "Hey um, you guys don't mind if I ask if you got any openings? Like more members?"

"Sure, we could always use some extra help," Tyrone said, which made Gavin smile.

---

Cross came out of the grassy fields near the beach and rejoined his classmates before getting confronted by Teri.

"Hey, Cross, where have you been, man?" Teri asked him.

"Oh, sorry, I went to seek help during that monster attack, but then I think I may have gotten mind-controlled or knocked out," Cross replied, rubbing his head. "Honestly, I don't know what happened exactly."

He then spotted Lindsay looking at him and he quickly glanced away, causing Lindsay to smile. She didn't say anything but she was now certain that she knew what Cross was really up to…

"What are you smiling at, Lindsay?" Minerva asked her.

"Oh you know, just thinking about a certain hero," Lindsay replied with a dreamy sigh.

---

Ukla and Angmar walked over to Gavin after he finished talking to the members of LOWTH.

"Hey, were you and Boscha mind-controlled by these guys?" Ukla asked, holding up a mini Scarfish.

"No," Gavin replied. "We actually helped fight against that monster, but it looks like Boscha's a little worn out."

Boscha just sat on the sand while her friends walked up to her, getting her attention.

"Hey, are you alright, Boscha?" Ukla asked her.

"Oh yeah, I'm… fine," Boscha said while looking down. "At least… right now."

The three shared concerned looks. "What do you mean?" Angmar asked.

Boscha continued to look down. "Truthfully, I've been trying to not make myself miserable for you guys but sometimes I can't stop myself from thinking about my own shit. My mom, my brother and my boyfriend are still in jail and there's a real possibility that I may never see them again. However, I know that when I focus on that, and only that… I get overwhelmed, and it puts me in a very bad place." She sniffed. "I thought that this beach day could get my mind off things, but then we have to deal with a giant sea monster… I know that our lives do suck right now, but I don't want that to dominate our every waking moment… even though every day is hard for me." She wiped away her tears. "This beach day could've been better…" She then stood up and looked at her friends, her expression defiant. "But, you know? It's okay if we're still hurting, but it doesn't mean that we have to accept that things will always be terrible. What we can do is help each other to make things better."

Gavin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we are in this together, right guys?"

"Yeah!" Angmar agreed.

"And hey, the day wasn't a complete waste, though I do think we need another break after this," Ukla said as Beck walked over.

"Well, the beach was a bust, with most of the students here traumatized by the experience," Beck said as she clasped her hands together. "But I am definitely hungry for a Newt Burger right now! Anyone up for it?"

The four looked at each other before Boscha spoke for them. "Yeah, I could use a Newt Shake."

Her friends nodded in agreement and they left together, thus ending the most chaotic beach day of their lives… hopefully.

---

Back in Echo Creek, after their fun day at the beach the witches ended up visiting the shopping area for tourists.

"Alright, if anyone asks…" Luz looked at her group, all fully clothed.

"We're foreigners from the Islands," Jerbo said while wearing a sun hat.

"From the Care-beans," Amelia said while wearing a bowler hat.

"That's right, and remember to cover your ears with your hats and hair," Amity advised.

"And be on the lookout for suspicious people and stay with your groups," Luz said while pointing to Janna, Marco, and Jackie. "These three will be accompanying each group, so they can cover for what you buy."

"Hopefully not too much…" Marco muttered.

"Relax, Marco, I've made sure your tab is good on all the stores," Janna mentioned, much to Marco's chagrin.

And so, the groups were made. Jackie was in charge of the group with Luz, Amity, Kay, and Gus, while Janna was in charge of the group with Cat, Amelia, Willow, and Skara and Marco was with Jerbo, Viney, and Barcus.

---

Jackie's group went into one shop where Luz and Amity began looking around to see what they could bring with them to the Owl House.

"You think Mami would like this?" Luz asked, holding up a snow globe. "I don't know what she would like."

"I'm sure she'll like anything you give her," Amity replied.

"Yeah, but it has to be something meaningful…" Luz said while going up to the shopkeeper. "Hey, do you have anything Dominican…"

Gus was looking around the shelves as Jackie walked up to him. "Find something you like?"

"Well, I have been looking for something to give to Matt for his birthday tomorrow," Gus said.

"Hmm, maybe check the toy section," Jackie suggested.

"Yeah, what kind of toys do humans have?" Gus asked as Jackie showed him the cool toys out on display.

---

In another store, Willow waved her hand in front of a singing sunflower as it sang the 'Happy' song while it danced.

"It's not even a real plant, but I do like how it sings!" Willow commented.

Cat came out of the changing room, wearing a jean jacket, jean shirt, and jeans, along with jean shoes. "Check what they got! I think this is considered a human fashion style!"

"Ooh, you look great, Cat!" Skara replied.

"Yeah, it suits you!" Willow complimented.

"Thanks, I was thinking I could wear this as part of our revolution against the throne!" Cat declared.

"Sounds like you want to start a counterculture," Janna commented.

"Counterculture?" Amelia asked.

"You know, do something that's against the normal society," Janna explained. "Something that makes you unique from the others, something that goes against the status quo. In fact, I can find you guys some books about how humans have done it for years."

"Yeah… that sounds useful," Cat replied.

Skara was picking out a vinyl record player as a thought occurred to her. "I wonder if I should give Nina something."

"Who's Nina?" Janna asked.

"She's… someone who lives with my family for the time being," Skara replied. "She's a werecat witch that's having a hard time fitting in and adjusting due to her situation. I'm thinking maybe I could give her something that she might like or something to make her feel better, or… I don't know what to give."

"Hmm, you say she's a werecat?" Janna asked while Skara nodded. "I think I have an idea…"

---

At a pet store, Viney found something for Puddles.

"Hopefully she'll like this," Viney said while holding up a stuffed bird.

"Yeah, one that'll she maul instead of everyone else," Jerbo replied. "I still have nightmares from the last time you made us watch him…"

"Woof(Never again)," Barcus added,

"I know, I should've picked Luz to watch over Puddles when I was out that day," Viney said. "Hope that Emmy's gonna like the gift I got for her."

"Alright, enjoy your items," the cashier said once Marco finished making his purchases.

"Thank you, sir," Marco said.

"But just one question," the cashier said as he looked at Barcus. "Now, why does your dog not have a leash?" he questioned, making Jerbo and Viney look nervous. "And why is he wearing swimming trunks… and sunglasses… and an earring…?"

"Uh…" Viney and Jerbo said nervously.

"Distraction!" Jerbo shouted as he knocked over a stand and the group of four made their hasty getaway.

"Hey!" the cashier cried out as he saw them leave. "Tourists…"

---

Over at another store with a bunch of TVs, Amity let Kay watch one of the TVs as it played whale footage.

"Yes, these are Human Realm whales," Amity told Kay. "They're like the grayorles back at the Isles, but they don't have exoskeleton skin."

"You can tell that she's really into the vibe," Jackie commented.

Gus was looking at some CDs as Luz walked over to him. "Yo, Gus, got a minute?"

"Uh sure," Gus replied as Luz pulled him aside by the home theater display. "Okay, what's up?"

Luz turned to Gus with a concerned look. "Willow told me you had a session with Julia earlier today."

"Oh… she did?" Gus asked while shifting awkwardly.

"Now, she only told me out of concern for you," Luz said while patting his shoulder. "But I want to know if you want to… talk? How are you feeling?"

"I guess… I thought this beach trip would make me happy, and it did… but it's already wearing off," Gus admitted while looking down.

Luz sighed. "I get it. Believe me, I do. But just so you know, I'm still here for ya, G-Man. You can always talk to me or Willow or Ms. Traveler." She looked down. "I don't want a repeat of what happened to Boscha, so I would encourage you not to stay quiet when you're hurting. Because I care too much about you to do nothing while you're in pain."

Gus looked up at Luz, a small smile forming. "Thanks, Luz."

---

Back at the Scooter Crane Home in the Boiling Isles, Eda was being shown the schedule by Ban.

"Okay, so we have a scheduled jamboree, followed by attending the Bard Hall for band practice," Ban listed off. "Oh, and on Splaterdays we celebrate Crane Day!"

"Crane Day?" Eda asked Ban.

"Oh it's a holiday I just made up in honor of Scooter Crane," Ban replied. "We make an effigy of him in his honor, while we celebrate the kind of music he enjoys! He's changed our lives for the better…" He wiped away a tear.

Eda wanted to say something, but didn't due to feeling like she's gonna hurt this guy's feelings. It was then that Hicky announced. "Hey, the volunteer is here!"

"Volunteer?" Eda asked. "You guys get some?"

"Well rarely, but in this case she wanted to stop by and see if she could help," Ban explained.

"She?" Eda asked as someone came into the room which made Eda's eye widen.

"Hey, just stopping by to see-" Donna, now in her casual wear, saw Eda and looked just as surprised. "Eda?!"

"Oh, hey Donna," Eda waved.

"Donna! Wow, it's so nice to see you!" Ban said as they shook Donna's hand.

"Nice to see you too… Ban," Donna replied. "You still work here?"

"They couldn't kick me out if they tried!" Ban shouted. "Oh, and I see that you know Eda!"

"Yeah, we've met," Donna replied. "She's the aunt of a friend of mine, mind if you let us chat?"

"Of course, excuse me while I leave you two alone," Ban replied as he left. They then heard a crash. "Timmy! That is not food!"

Donna was left alone with Eda, who shifts away nervously "So… what brings you here?" Eda asked her.

"Oh, well I just wanted to see how the old home was doing," Donna replied while sitting on the couch beside Eda. "I heard they found someone who'd help run the place and… I'm surprised to see you here… wait, what happened to your eye?"

"Oh you know, lost it," Eda said, waving it off. "And as for why I'm here, apparently as a reward for my 'service to the Titan', I have been offered the job of watching over this place," Eda explained. "I wasn't sure at first, but if no one wants to take it, well, how can I say no to kids in need. I've got experience in taking care of strays, and I love my strays."

"Well, I think it's nice that you've decided to do this," Donna replied. "This place was… a home to me growing up. It's not perfect, but I got a roof over my head, three meals a day, and I was well taken care of and educated, even if most of the lessons were in Bard magic." She sighed. "I met a lot of good people here that I've missed over the years."

"Really?" Eda asked. "Like who?"

"Well, there's Amber and Derwin, they were older kids during my time here, but they were like the older siblings I looked up to," Donna mentioned which surprised Eda. This didn't go unnoticed by Donna/ "Why do you look surprised?"

"Oh uh… those names…" Eda said hesitantly.

"Wait, do you know them?" Donna asked quickly. "If you do, I've been trying to figure out what happened to them since they didn't show up at Scooter Crane's funeral…"

Eda looked at Donna for a moment before shutting her eye and giving a sigh. "Okay, there's something you should have the right to know."

"What?" Donna asked in worry.

Eda began to explain. "Amber and Derwin were both arrested and sent to the Conformatorium for participating in a rebellion against the Emperor and helping wild witches escape persecution."

Donna's eyes widened. "W-What? They're in jail?!"

Eda hushed her. "Calm down, I know it sounds grim, but right now they're alright. Luz tried to break them out but the Emperor made her promise to not pull that stunt again and as long as she does that, our friends in the Conformatorium stay alive."

"That's not fair!" Donna stood up, looking upset. "How can those like Amber and Derwin get locked up while others like Serpentina and Eustace roam around scott free without consequences?!" she ranted.

"Wait, who are Serpentina and Eustace?" Eda asked her, causing Donna to sit back down.

"Just… no one," Donna replied, but Eda could tell that there was something bothering her. However, she decided to drop it and change subjects.

"So I heard about the Scarfish incident in the news," Eda said, which made Donna sigh in exhaustion.

---

Back to the beach in Echo Creek, the witches and their human companions were now roasting marshmallows over a fire pit as they talked about their day.

"And then we just dashed out of there before he could question us any further!" Viney recounted as the group laughed.

"See, told ya that works every time!" Luz shouted while she and Amity sat close to each other as they roasted their marshmallows. "Hey Ams, yours is getting a bit burned up."

"Oh, thanks." Amity raised the flaming marshmallow up and blew out the fire before she took a bite out of it. "Mmm, toasty." she said while Kay ate from a bag of kelp.

"Man, let me tell you, this human beach trip has been an interesting and educational experience," Cat said.

"Yeah, like I've found out a lot about the different kinds of laws with this law book," Amelia said while holding up a book about the history of human rights. "With this book's help, I can maybe start working on some suggestions to reform our current law system."

"Not to mention, all the plant samples that I get to bring back home to study," Jerbo said as Barcus barked. "Yeah, thinking of what my next Abomi-Plants would be like."

Janna looked at Luz and Amity having a moment before she turned to see Willow and Skara sharing their toasted marshmallows while smiling and giving each other a kiss. Janna couldn't help but feel a little insecure, especially when she spotted Marco and Jackie getting a little closer. She saw their hands come closer than usual when roasting their marshmallows, their pinkies touching.

"Oh, sorry, Jackie…" Marco said nervously.

"No, no, it's fine," Jackie assured him. The two turned away, both were flustered.

None of the Boiling Isles witches batted much of an eye at this, but Janna did…

"Alright!" Janna shouted, standing up. "Just gonna… need to look over there for… stuff!" she said as she marched away from the firepit.

"What was that about?" Viney asked.

Looking concerned, Amity stood up. "I'm gonna check and see what's up," she said.

Amity walked over to Janna and found her throwing some sea shells into the ocean. "Janna… you stormed off. Is there something wrong?"

"I'm fine!" Janna replied, though Amity could tell she was not fine.

"Are you… sure?" Amity asked her.

Janna didn't look at Amity, just the reflection in the ocean water. She held her arm nervously and sighed. "Well… I have… in need of advice."

"Advice?" About what?" Amity asked her.

"Okay, so… let's just say that there's a guy that you like," Janna began. "But the thing is, that guy likes someone else, and you don't know what to tell him. Because the worst part is that they're your friends, and that you don't want to ruin that."

"Oh… "Amity said. "Well, firstly I may be the wrong person to ask advice about boy crushes, obviously not an expert in that department."

Janna looked down. "I thought so…"

"But secondly," Amity said as she placed her hand on Janna's shoulder. "You should be honest about your feelings rather than bottling them up. And if he doesn't return your feelings, well that's okay. It might hurt, but it won't forever. And at least you would have gotten it off your chest, right?"

"Yeah, maybe," Janna said while turning to Amity. "I'll… think about it."

Later, after they finished feasting on marshmallows, Luz held up the portal key while Amity did a head count.

"It was nice meeting all of you," Jackie told them.

"Hey, same," Willow replied with Skara hanging her arm around Willow's shoulder as they held hands.

"Yeah, it's nice meeting other humans besides the two that we know," Skara said.

"Yeah, and it's nice to meet other witches," Janna added. "Good luck on your counterculture project."

"Will do!" Cat and Amelia shouted, waving.

"Thanks for having us around and showing us Echo Creek," Gus told them.

"Hey, it's no big. And come back anytime," Marco told him.

"Alright, everyone should be accounted for," Amity said while turning to the three Echo Creek humans, giving Jackie and Janna hugs. "I'll try to stay in touch and when things are less chaotic, I promise that you guys can visit the Boiling Isles if you want. I know you would, Janna."

Janna nodded. "I can't wait to try out glyph magic with you guys!"

Luz activated the portal door and everyone said their final goodbyes while entering the portal and leaving the Human Realm behind…

---

At the other side of the portal, everyone found themselves back in the Owl House. "We're home!" Luz announced as Camila and King were present, taking care of Maurice.

"How was your beach trip?" Camila asked them.

"Really great!" Luz replied while everyone checked their scrolls after they buzzed.

"What the hex?!" Cat and Amelia exclaimed as they see the news on Penstagram.

"A Scarfish invasion almost happened?!" Viney read her Penstagram. "I need to call Emira about this…"

"We had a normal drama-free day, while the Boiling Isles got threatened by a Starro rip-off," Luz said. "At least we avoided that. You guys can go ahead and head home if you like."

"Alright, thanks for inviting us for the trip!" Willow said as the group of friends left the Owl House, saying their goodbyes before heading home.

Once everyone had left, Luz turned to her mom while Amity went to put Kay to bed. "So I got something for you," Luz said as she handed a small gift bag.

Camila opened the bag and pulled out a keychain with a Dominican Republic flag on it. "Luz… this is…"

"Yeah, I know you don't have a key, but I still thought-" Luz responded before Camila interrupted her with a hug.

"I love it. Gracias, mi Luz," Camila told her.

"De nada, Mami," Luz responded as they released each other, King walking up to her.

"You wouldn't happen to have a present for me, would you?" King asked.

"Yeah, I didn't forget about ya," Luz said as she handed King a plush toy. "Here, Janna wanted me to give this to you after I told her a lot about you. She figured this should be included into your little army."

King looked at the plush, which looked a little similar to Marco. "She's perfect! I'll call her… Jacqueline!"

"Doesn't it look suspiciously like Marco?" Maya asked.

"Best we don't talk about it," Luz whispered.

---

"Alright, so the beach was a bust due to the Scarfish, but the important thing is that everyone's alright!" Donna said while in the background Kyle was seen running around with a Scarfish on his face.

"Get it off! Get it off!" he cries out.

Nina paused the video she was watching. "Maybe I should've been there…" she said before she heard a knock on the door.

Getting up, Nina went to answer it and saw Skara. "Oh, you're back."

"Hey," Skara replied as she held up a bag. "I was thinking about you during my trip with my friends and… well, I thought I would get you something." She handed the bag to Nina, who looked surprised that she was being handed a gift.

"A gift?" Nina said as she opened the bag, grabbing the item and pulling out… a toy mouse with a bell. Her eyes widened as she looked at the toy.

"I uh… hope you like it," Skara said while rubbing the back of her head.

Nina looked at the toy mouse for a few more moments before sighing. "Thank you," she said while closing the door.

Nina walked back to her bed while looking at her new mouse toy. She smiled and let it dangle from her claws as she started to purr…

---

At an old Bonesborough cemetery, Lilith and Hunter made their way through the fog. They had already dropped Star off back at the Owl House after their trip to the temple.

"The Clawthorne plot should be around here," Lilith said as they searched

"And you are sure this is where she's buried?" Hunter asked her.

"According to my research, yes," Lilith replied before she saw a sign. "There, that is where the older Clawthorne generations rest…"

They passed by several graves until they found what they were looking for, a grave with Marilyn Clawthorne's name on it.

"There it is," Lilith pointed as the fog cleared, only to reveal that someone else was already there. "What the-"

The hooded figure turned their head, noticing Lilith and Hunter. Before Lilith or Hunter could do anything, the figure took off running.

"Come back here!" Lilith shouted as she and Hunter chased after the figure. As the cloaked figure jumped over some tombstones, Hunter flew up on his staff in an attempt to catch up with them… only to get hit by a tree branch, knocking him off his staff

"Ah…" Hunter groaned as Lilith stopped to check up on him.

"Are you alright, Hunter?" Lilith asked him.

"I am, but…" Hunter sat up and saw that the hooded figure had disappeared. "They're gone…"

Hunter and Lilith looked at each other, both of them quietly wondering who they saw visiting the grave of Marilyn Clawthorne… and why.

---

Star had earlier been dropped back off at the Owl House, Eclipsa having promised Star after their talk that she could come by the temple any time after. Star now sat by a window, thinking about her day and what she should do now that she knew Eclipsa was in the Isles…

Star leaned closer to the window and saw a reflection in the mirror, though not of herself… instead she saw the reflected face of a dark-blue humanoid being with pink eyes that had diamond-shaped irises and pupils, pink lips, a white beard that parts in the middle, long nose, and a magenta gem embedded in his forehead.

"YAH!" Star shouted, freaked out as she jumped back as she shook her head. She looked at the window again, but was unable to see the reflection again. She was unable to decide if what she had seen had been real or not, but she had certainly been spooked…

---

After Eda had made it back to the Owl House, she called Lilith over the crow.

"Yeah, they're back from their beach day," Eda told her.

"That's great," Lilith replied. "Glad they weren't anywhere near the Scarfish incident…"

Eda snorted. "I heard about that," she said. "You know, maybe we should have a beach day to ourselves as well at some point…"

"That does sound like a good suggestion," Lilith confessed. "I don't think I've ever had a vacation in… fourteen years…"

"Eh, maybe we'll settle on a pool day. We could go try on matching bikinis that I've been saving up for…"

"Hey Eda!" Hooty showed up with a red bikini on his tube body. "I found one of your swimming suits! I'm ready to go to a pool day!"

Eda was quiet for a moment before she spoke to Lilith over the crow. "I gotta go burn something, Lily… and stop my eyeballs from bleeding…"

---

In the Conformatorium, most of the prisoners remained accounted for. Tom was in his cell, close to Athena's

"How are you holding up, Tom?" Athena asked him.

"This still isn't ideal, if that's what you're asking," Tom replied while hugging himself, wearing iron restraints while in chains. "I just hope Boscha's alright…"

"I can assure you, she's doing fine," said a voice.

The two looked toward a particular cell. In it was a diminutive prisoner with long ears and horns, wearing a straightjacket while a bunch of equations were written on his wall. His back was turned to him. "In fact, her paralysis wore off earlier this week and she has been living with the Saltstars since being discharged from the Healing Coven."

This startled the two, especially Athena. "How… how could you possibly know that?"

"I have my ways," he spoke to them. "I have actually come up with forty-five ways of escaping this imprisonment, if I chose to…"

"If you have a way to escape, why don't you?" Tom asked him.

"Because I do not want to escape yet, my three-eyed friend," he said as he turned around, revealing that one of his blue eyes had been replaced by a red glass eye due to a scar. The gray furred rabbit demon smiled. "But when I do decide to finally leave this place, let's just say… lady luck is on my side…"

---

And thus concludes the obligatory beach chapter.

We all thought that we could give you a treat in regards to what we could have gotten if Owl House has a full on season 3. Funny enough while we do have Luz and the gang attend the beach at Echo Creek, we got a focus on Boscha's friends along with LOWTH having to fight this Starro-expy while at the Boiling Isles beach. In a way, the universe tends to find a way to screw over Boscha…

So in the making of this Beach episode/chapter, the plans we had for it changed drastically while we were writing it. It happened due to Crosshot(who never considered the beach day taking place in the Human Realm) predicted that the chapter would involve Serpentina summoning a sea monster. That lead to us getting the idea of LOWTH fighting the sea monster and that idea was expanded into its own plotline that took up a good chunk of the chapter, which was going to be just about Luz and her friends relaxing at Echo Creek. A lesson to learn: nothing is going to be relaxing in this fic…

And yeah, the Scarfish is definitely a Starro-parody, as this whole thing when writing this ends up like a plot from The Suicide Squad. Along with the ending that's basically a reference to Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes shorts.

As for the characters of the Scooter Crane orphans and staff, there's Ms. Hicky who is based off of Camp Camp's Gwen with a mixture of Estelle from Sweet Life of Zach and Cody. Ban is a direct parody of David from Camp Camp along with Jak as an expy of Max, Beans is a expy of Nikki, Demi can be a parody of Enid, Hessica who's just a sleep child so no expy characters there, and Adolphus is a expy of Camp Camp's Dolph… I have been waiting to use an expy of him for years. Oh, and Timmy is an expy of Taz of Looney Tunes.

Oh, and one more thing, Ukla's species as a dragon biped is now retconned into a lizard biped.

Now to answer reviews:

Crosshot: Got his last name corrected, and you are right that Mel and her gang are the main villains for this part of the arc. And yeah, it make sense to show some distrust to Nina as she's not immediately trustworthy, yet. As of now, this arc is going to be called "Return to the Boiling Isles" Arc which will be the most exciting and thrilling arc yet!

KevinAguirre8481: Somewhere between chapter 83-87.

Alamout: Yes.

Ultimate-drax: Yes, it has been obvious that Mel is Melinoe, given who her daddy is. It's not an actual spoiler…

Matteso585: 1) Nothing. 2) No comment. 3) They knew her before. 4) That would raise too many questions.

JTK: As of this fic, yes.

Franco Almiron: Yup.

Shuffollower: we actually do have some plans that we think we'd like to share to everyone anyway. Case in point, if we didn't went with Stan and Mabel leave, the original plans would be for Stan punching Preston in the face, as Mabel would be shown to her therapy session and finds that Gideon is sharing the same therapist, and would've been revealed that Gideon was sent to juvie rather than an actual adult prison(one of the other most messed up things this show did). We do planned on adapting "Roadside Attraction" and we still do in spite of Stan and Mabel's absence…

61394: Even if Eda wanted to take Dipper in, she can't because it would draw suspicion in the Isles of another human. And yeah, no one in the Bard Coven could or want to run an orphanage. They're in the Bard Coven, they know only music magic, not childcare. The coven system's… weird that way. Hell, I don't think child service is ever a thing in the Boiling Isles.

And if you like this beach chapter, stay tuned for the next chapter, starring everyone's favorite character...