"Hooty is really laying into them." I said as Dakota and I watched Hooty beat the crap out of Lilith and the Emperors Coven. It was a one sided fight and none of them could do anything against Hooty. "He maybe annoying, but he is powerful." I said as I crossed my arms.
"He is also the reason why we lost against Eda. Dakota said, informing me on how we lost to Eda the first time we met.
"You're a thorn in my side." Eda said as she takes a cup of tea as a coven guard is slammed into the window. "But you always dig your way into my heart." She said as we turned to Luz, who was intrigued by what's brewing in Eda's cauldron.
"Ooh, magic 'sghetti." Luz said as she went to touch it.
"Hey!" Eda warned as she magically slaps Luz's hand with the spoon. "That 'sghetti is Witch's Wool. It repels powerful spells." She said as she holds up some of the wool. "Every witch worth their salt has a cloak made from this stuff!" She said, with Luz staring at it adoringly.
"I'm worth salt... I want cloak!" Luz said as she tried to grab the cauldron but I pulled her away from it while Eda pulled it away from her.
"Easy, kid! With the Emperor's goons at my doorstep, I need this for protection. They have really stepped up their attacks lately." Eda said as Dakota started going to the door.
"I can go out and kill them all!" He said as he reached for the door, with Eda pulling him back with her magic.
"There's the blood thirsty kid we all know and love... and hate." Eda said as she rolled her eyes. "But no, I don't want an army outside.
"I think I finally understand why the Emperor wants you so badly." Luz said, with all of us looking at her. "He's got the hots for you, doesn't he?" She said jokingly, where Eda shoots finger guns and clicks her tongue.
"But no. Emperor Belos wants to control all wild magic through his coven system. He ordered my capture years ago because I refuse to fall in line." Eda informed as I didn't like how this coven system worked.
"And he won't stop until he's got you." Luz said as she lowered her head.
"Awww, don't sound so worried. I'm a master escape artist. The only thing that can slow me down is my curse, and that hasn't bothered me for weeks!" Eda said as she held her arms out, followed by feathers popping out from Eda's arms. "Uh oh..."
I was confused on this, and I watched as Dakota got a mallet and hit Eda on the head with it, with us watching an unconscious Eda transform. "King!" Luz called out as Dakota pulled the body towards Eda's room.
"What just happened?" I asked as I was so confused.
"Eda's curse is activating, we need her elixir or she will stay that way forever!" Luz yelled as she and King went searching for it, with me joining them.
Later
Dakota forced Eda to drink the elixir, with us watching her wake up after placing a hand on Luz's face. She let her face go and takes the bottle out of her mouth. "Whew! Oh, thanks for this!" Eda said as she stands, knocking over about a dozen other empty bottles. "And those..." She said, with her scarf falling off, revealing that her gem is still half black.
"Hey, your gem! It's still dark!" Luz said, standing up. Dakota stood up as well, and his eyes were narrowed.
"No, it's not! You're nuts!" Eda shot back as she covered the gem.
"The curse has been getting worse and you've been hiding it!" Dakota yelled as he got in her face.
"Ugh... you're right. It's taking more elixir to turn me back and more magic to keep the curse from rearing its feathery head." Eda said as she was defeated, caught.
"What happens if you use your magic up?" I asked, having been told everything by Dakota and Luz.
"Do you... do you die?" Luz added, with Eda looking at us.
"No! Jeez, you're morbid." Eda said as she crossed her arms. "I just kinda sorta, turn into the Owl Beast... forever." She said, shocking us. "Ahhh, it's a fate much worse than death if you think about it." Eda said as she placed her hand on Luz's shoulder while she laughed sarcastically.
"No! No, I-I can't let that happen! I'll do something about it. I'll find a cure and then—"
"Luz!" Dakota said, with us looking at him as he had crossed his arms. "It's not just up to you to solve this, it's all of us!" He said as he looked over at King, and then me.
"Hey, don't worry. I just have to limit my magic use a little." Eda said as she made Luz grin with her fingers. "Ah! There's the Luz I know!" She said, where Luz sadly pouts with puppy eyes at Eda. "Ugh. Go on. Do the parallel arm thing!" Eda said, with Luz immediately beaming and hugs Eda.
Kingalso hugs Eda's leg. "King demands huggies too!" He said, making me smile at them.
"Okay!" Eda said as she walks in a strained manner with Luz wrapped around her waist and King on her leg. "It's... time... for... school!""
Later
As we stood in the cluttered living room of the Owl House, I paced back and forth, my scarlet-red energy swirling around my fingertips. "There must be something we can do to help Eda. We can't just stand by and watch her suffer in this cursed form!" I said as I turned to face Dakota, who folded his arms.
His eyes fixed on me. "I understand your concern, Wanda, but you have to realize that some curses are beyond our ability to break. Eda's curse runs deep, and it's tied to powerful magic we might not fully comprehend." He said, as he looked at the door.
I shook my head in frustration. "I refuse to believe that we're powerless in this situation. There has to be a way to undo the curse, to help Eda." I said as I tried to think if there were anything back home that could stop a curse.
Dakota let out a sigh. "I'm not saying we shouldn't try, but we need to be realistic. We can't simply wave our hands and make the curse disappear. Sometimes, the best course of action is to seek out the original caster of the curse." He said, with me looking at him.
My eyes blazed with determination. "And what if we can't find them? What if they're long gone or hidden away in some remote corner of the demon realm?" I questioned, wanting an answer.
He paused, considering my words. "I understand your concern, Wanda, but rushing into this without a plan could make things worse. We need to think this through." He said, with all I was doing was thinking.
My frustration grew. As much as I felt a pang of homesickness for the human realm, where I might have been able to research and find a solution. However, the thought of leaving the demon realm, possibly never to return, made me hesitate. I didn't want to abandon Eda and the others who had become my friends. I didn't want that again.
The creak of the floorboards announced the arrival of the very subject of our concern. Eda, wearing her characteristic sly grin, entered the room with a knowing glint in her eyes. She had overheard our conversation.
"Alright, you two, that's enough." Eda said, her voice carrying a mix of amusement and exasperation. "I've been getting reports of a little too much brooding and not enough partying in the Owl House. What's the deal?" She said, confusing us on what she was talking about.
I spoke up first, my concern evident in my voice. "We just want to help you, Eda. We can't stand to see you trapped in this cursed form." I said, where Eda waved a dismissive hand.
"Oh, don't you worry about me, honey. I've dealt with this curse for so long that it's practically become a part of me. I've found ways to make the best of it, and I won't let it slow me down." She said with a smile, a sad one at that. Eda smirked and then turned her attention to a different matter. "Now, instead of fretting over old curses, why don't we focus on something more enjoyable? I've noticed Luz has been working hard to keep up with all the magic and mayhem around here. It's about time we showed her some appreciation for all her efforts." She said, with us looking at each other.
"Luz has been so dedicated to learning about the demon realm and helping us out. She deserves something special." I said as I agreed with Eda while Dakota nodded in agreement.
"Well, I was thinking something like a cape made of witches wool. We don't want Luz to think we're spoiling her too much, but at the same time protected." She said with a laugh.
King ran in and grabbed my hand. "I have just the thing in mind for Luz! Wanda, you're coming with me to the kitchen. We're going to bake the most amazing cake as a surprise for Luz! I want to be inside it!" He said, shocking me that he wanted to be baked into a cake.
Later, Dakota's POV
"What are you working on?" Eda asked as she folded the Witches wool cloak.
"A rune. Verona has been teaching me about them." I said, knowing she stiffened up. "It will shoot off fire works for a few moments." I said as I picked up the page and rolled it up. "It has a one time use, and very similar to Wild Magic, only more complicated and time consuming." I said as
Hooty opens the door. "I spy with my little eye something coming this way!" He said in excitement.
"Luz!" Eda said with joy.
"Wait!" King said as he and Wanda pushed the cake into the living room. "Wait for us! You're not the only one who knows dark magic!" He said as he olds up cake mix box. "Now stop gawking and load me in!" He said as the top opens, with Wanda picking him up and setting him down inside.
"I honestly thought he wanted to be baked into a cake." Wanda said as we heard a knock at the front door. This confused me as she would have entered and yelled "I'm home" so I decided to go over to the door and see who it was.
Once there, Eda and Wanda stepped over to me with confusion as well. Eda opened the door, with us seeing that it was Willow and Gus. "We have some bad news." Willow said as they moved to the side, showing Lilith's staff was floating and glowing blue. Eda glares at it, Wanda grew confused as she didn't know who it belonged to, and I got pissed.
"Wanda, take them home!" I ordered as Eda called her staff forward.
"You're not going either!" Eda told as she looked at me. "It's me she wants, and if it's a fight she wants it's a fight that she will get!" She said as she stepped outside, reaching for the staff.
I grabbed it first, looking at the shocked look on her face. "You can deal with your sister, I'm going to go after Luz. If Belos is there, then he is my primary target." I said as Wanda looked at us both.
"I don't fully know what is going on, but Lilith did something bad and it involves Luz. Belos is bound to be there so it is best if he goes with you." Wanda said as she looked at Eda. "I'll take them home, you two go!" She said, with us nodding.
My nerves were running high. I don't know why, but something tells me that this will change everything. Luz, Eda, everyone and everything is going to change. Be it for the better or for the worse.
Later
Flying next to Eda, having sprouted my wings for the first time in forever, Eda was covered in her magic. It was worrying as she still had the curse to deal with. Once we reached the castle, Eda almost teleported there with how fast she moved. Lilith smirked at us, with Eda throwing Lilith's staff, which leaves a crater in the castle wall.
"Sister, and monster... I see you left the Scarlet Witch behind." She said as she got ready to fight.
Eda sent bolts of electricity at Lilith, though none hit her. Eda flies at her, taunting. I looked up and saw a man standing at the top of the castle. I remembered him. He was Belos, he was the one who killed me all of those years ago!?
I flew straight for him, with a barrier appearing around him that prevented me from hitting him, but it did push him back. Creating a large claw, I slashed at him, pushing him into the wall as I created a drill and started spinning into his barrier.
"Nice to see you again, monster!?" He yelled as the barrier broke, and stopped my attack by grabbing the drill and slamming me into the ground. "It's been far too long, don't you think?" He said as I got up, only to be hit with a wave of fire, burning me.
Once the fire stopped, I stood up. "By all means, say goodbye!?" I yelled as I pulled out my gun and started shooting at him, with his barrier coming back up and protecting him. He ended up moving behind and, picked me up and ripped me in half, tossing my legs away from my torso.
I let out a laugh as I turned my body into mist, an ability that I had to let Verona take control of my body to use. I appeared above him and fired down at him, with him moving out of the way with ease. He held his hand up, with him holding something in his hand. I felt a squeezing sensation in my chest that knocked me to the ground.
"Oh, so very weak, Dakota." He said as I looked up at him and saw that it was my heart in his hand, watching as he walked forward. "You thought that letting Verona take control, that you would triumph? No, no, no. Not for our fight!" He said as he reached me, with me trying to turn to mist, but I only became a black blob and moved behind him at a slower pace.
"Discharging Restrictions for Imagination Construction Rule!" I said as my body was covered in bugs. "Consent of stage 'A' found."I said, watching Belos turning to face me. "Opening Verona Command. Power Restraints Lifted for Short Term use or until Target has been Terminated." I said as thousands of eyes opened up on my body before spewing all over the place, where hounds came out of the darkness and started Belos, but his barrier blocked their attacks, but his magic was wavering.
Once they broke through, they were frozen solid, with me moving out of the way. Looking up, I saw a giant rock coming down on me. I made a move to get out of the way but it crushed me at the last second. "Keep your eyes on the fight, Monster!" He said with a laugh.
"I'm going to enjoy hearing you scream!" I called out as the rock exploded into dust. Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly. "This is what I've been practicing for." I said as I closed my eyes.
"The fowl of mercury is my designation." I said as pullers of red appeared around the distance in various locations. "Devour my limbs to remain-"
"That's enough of that." Belos said, interrupting me as he squeezed my heart, forcing me to stop as I knelt down and grabbed my chest, with the pillars vanishing. "I know that spell all too well, and I would prefer the dead to stay dead!" He said as he walked over and kicked me in the face.
I rolled on the ground and away from him, still holding my chest. Looking up, I laughed at him. He tilted his head at me as I stood up slowly, looking not at him but behind him. "I guess... I was able to call one person back." I said, watching as he turned to face Verona, who was clad in the same armor that I had stored away just incase.
She was drinking the blood of one of his guards. She pulled her head back and let out a scream. The scream pushed Belos away, sending him towards me. I close lined him, knocking him into the ground. Jumping away, I watched as fire erupted where I was.
Moving over to Verona, I saw that she only had one arm, with the other one being black tendrils. "You good to fight?" I asked, with her eyes moving over to me slowly, then back at Belos who was standing up once more.
"You do know that with me being back, you will die if he lands a crushing blow." She said, with me looking back at Belos.
"I've already been dead for god knows how long. What's a few more years?" I said as cracked my knuckles, unable to call forth her powers anymore.
"Thank you, Dakota, and rest in piece." She said as she swiped her tendrils at Belos, with them hitting his barrier. "But not yet!"
"I did what you told me, and in return you are going to help me!" I said as I leaned back as a giant black bird flew out of my chest and started spinning, drilling into Belos's barrier, with it breaking through.
"We're going to send you straight to hell!?" We yelled as we charged in, with Belos firing magic bolts at us. Verona, being faster, used her tendrils arm to block the attacks as we got closer. Reaching Belos, I jumped on Verona's back and punched Belos in the face, where he was pushed back.
Verona moved in front of me and slashed at his throat with her hand, but he moved out of the way at the last second. She sent her tendrils at him, but his barrier came back up and blocked all three of them. "How long!?" She questioned as she used her hand like a spear and pierced the barrier.
"I counted five seconds!?" I said as I came around her and backhanded Belos, with Verona going on a relentless assault, almost like a street fighter endless combo. Belos started shooting at us with his magic, with us backing away to get some distance, where Verona had to move me as I wasn't fast enough to dodge most of his attacks.
"His barrier must also prevent him from attacking!" Verona thought as she watched as Belos drew on the ground with his staff. "What is he doing?" She questioned as he was moving quickly as well. "Doesn't matter, it just leaves him open!" She yelled as we charged, with me seeing what it was.
"Back off now!?" I yelled as I came to a stop, but it was too late as Lightning came down and struck Verona. Seeing her fall to her knees, Fire erupted from the ground and burned to her ashes, leaving nothing behind. "How?" I questioned, glaring at him. "How can a human be a ruler of all of these witches, and for so long!?" I yelled as he held my heart and squeezed it, knocking me down once more.
"You should be helping me." He said, looking at me as he walked forward. "But if you aren't going to do so willingly, then I won't have a use for you. You will die for my cause... one way, or another!" He said as he crushed my heart, with everything going cold.
Same time, Wanda's POV
Flying towards the castle, I saw Dakota on the ground, with me seeing Belos standing before him, crushing his heart. My eyes widened at this. He was dead. Again, I was too late. I failed him.
Looking at Eda, I saw that she was the owl beast once more, and Luz was in her path. I needed to get to Luz first, and go back for Dakota later. She was alive, and I needed to keep it that way. I needed her home, this wasn't something she could deal with. This was a Warzone! I flew down and picked Luz up as she was on her knees.
"Leave, human!" Lilith said as she grabs Owlbert. "Edalyn is finally with her family. Her real family." She said as she looked at me. "As for you, you should come with us!" She said, holding her hand out to me.
"That is no longer necessary." Belos said, with us looking up at him as he held Dakota's body, his already decaying body over the edge. "The monster is finally dead, as is that insufferable Vampire, Verona." He said as he dropped his body onto the bridge, with me watching it bounce a few times as it hit the ground.
"NO!?" Luz yelled as she tired to run for him, but I stopped her.
"I... see." Lilith said as she tapped her staff on the bridge, with it closing. "Go back to your world. This one is ours." She said with a smirk, I fought against Luz from trying to get herself killed, with me dragging her away. This was a bad idea, and it was the end of two of us.
Later
Walking up to the house, Hooty yawned as we approached the door. "Oh, Luz, there you are!" Hooty said with a smile.
"Hi, Hooty." Luz said as I opened the door, with it being dark inside. She looks at the side, her eyes widening. She gasped at what she saw. There were balloons and streamers hung up. Party hats are on the couches, and confetti is on the floor. Her new cape is wrapped in a bow on the table, next to King's cake, the candles of which have long burned out. King bursts out of the cake with joy.
"The cake is me!" He said as he looked around. "Hey, um, where's Eda... and Dakota?" He asked, where Luz gasps, and her eyes fill with tears as she falls to the floor. I knelt down next to her, hugging her as she wasn't the only one hurt today.
Not even I could hold in my tears. Dakota was dead, officially, Eda was now a beast and a prisoner, the human realm was going to burn, and the demon realm was going to follow shortly. Belos killed us all, and he didn't even know it.