(Parts of this were inspired by fan comics by both MorningMark and a Twitter user named @Garth2the2ndPwr)

Co-created by: @Animation-4-All/Multiverse_Media2024

Boscha and Willow had taken Eda and the others to the old fire that Kikimora used to burn Luz's memory photos. After looking through the ashes Eda and Camila found what was left of some of the photos. The group checked the area to see if there was any indication of what direction she took off. Unfortunately, there was nothing.

Eda: "Dang it, I feel like we are so close, but she could have gone in any direction."

Boscha: "Should we split up?"

Eda: "No. If Kikimora finds one of us alone she could easily take any of us with that thing she's got with her."

Suddenly, Willow's Crow phone went off.

Willow: "Hello?"

Gus: (through the phone) "Hey Willow, how is your search going? Hopefully, you're having better luck than us."

Willow: "Well, we found an old campfire with burnt photos in it."

Gus: (through the phone) "Really?!"

Willow: "Yeah but we can't figure out which direction she went so it's kind of a dead end."

Gus: (through the phone) "Aw man! That sucks"

The scene changes to Gus, who's with Darius' group in downtown Bonesborough.

Darius: "Gus, tell her to let me speak to Eda."

Gus: "Okay. Hey Willow, Darius wants to talk to Eda."

Willow handed her phone to Eda and Gus handed his to Darius.

Eda: "Yeah?"

Darius: "Willow told Gus that your group found some clue of Kikimora, is that right?"

Eda: "Yeah, why's that?"

Darius: "This might be a long shot, but if you Kikimora left anything behind we could probably get Eberwolf to track a scent or something."

Eda: "Wait, he can do that!?"

Darius: "Like I said, it's a long shot but at this point, it's all we have."

Eda: (sighs) "Okay, we'll meet you at the old Convention hall."

Darius: "See you there, Clawthorne."

(Back in Luz's mind)

Amity was still working tirelessly to fix her girlfriend's memories. She had fixed multiple memories since seeing Luz at her father's grave. Amity had seen: Luz's 5th birthday party, her first day of school, and some other events. After that Amity had found herself in a more recent memory. She found herself in front of the Owl House and saw Luz with Eda, King, and Hooty.

Eda: "Alright kid, please come back in one piece!"

Luz: "We'll be ok! And we'll be back after we find King's family."

Amity remembered Luz telling her about this. This was shortly before the day of unity. So far it was the most recent memory Amity has been to. Amity noticed Luz's pirate bandana was on the ground next to her. Amity went to get it and put it back on Luz's head.

Eda: "Also whatever you do, don't let anyone slice Hooty."

Amity's actions stopped at that statement.

Luz: "Ok… but why?"

Eda: "Because if Hooty gets cut in half there will be two Hooty's. And if either gets chopped in half there will be more!"

Both past Luz and Amity's eyes went wide. Amity was pretty sure Eda was joking with Luz but wasn't cool with the idea of there being multiple Hooty's, it is a thought that is terrifying.

Eda: "So…"

Luz: "Protect Hooty at all costs! Got it!"

Amity placed the hat on Luz's head and color returned to the memory and Amity was transported out. Amity looks back and watches the memory as it completes its story.

Luz: "I just got traumatized… times a Hundred now."

Eda: "You're welcome. Good luck out there. BYE!"

Amity chuckled and shook her head at Eda's "jokes". Amity turned to see a photo that wasn't damaged but somewhat piqued her interest. She saw Luz with the Echo Mouse looking at her Grom tiara. Amity jumped into the photo memory and saw Luz and Echo Mouse.

Luz: "You know, since it's just you and me here, Echo… wanna talk?"

Echo Mouse: (squeaks)

Luz: "I'm a bit nervous about everything. Ever since I saved those Palisman from Kikimora, I've been a bit conflicted about it all. I want my own Palisman one day so I don't need to use Owlbert, it's not that I want to not use him anymore, but the little guy belongs to Eda. And… (blushes and smiles) then there's Amity."

Amity looks concerned when Luz mentions her.

Luz: "I don't know, Echo. Amity, she's… just so amazing now. Ever since she saved me from her mother's Abomatron, she seems different, even now with that new hair. She… (blushes) she's like a cotton candy-haired goddess. So beautiful, smart, cool, classy, kind, loves kids, just like me."

Amity blushes upon hearing Luz calling Amity her "cotton candy-haired goddess" as a perfect way of describing her. She plays with her hair as her face turns bright red.

Luz: "She kissed me back at her manor. I mean yeah I was on the cheek but does that mean I have a chance with her? Will Amity Blight be my special someone? My Hecate to my Azura?… Will Amity be the girl of my dreams and my heart?"

Echo Mouse: (squeaks and shrugs)

Luz: "Bah, what do you know? You're a little mouse." (laughs)

Echo Mouse blushes and gives a little cute "oh you" gesture with its paws. Luz poked the Echo Mouse on its nose.

Luz: "Boop!"

Amity watched the scene in front of her until she heard something behind her. She turned and saw the shadowy figure. This was the first time she saw it in a while. At first, this figure filled Amity with terror but the more she saw it the more calm she felt around her. It came up to her and touched a finger to her forehead transporting out of the memory. Both Amity and the figure appeared on what looked to be the upper floor of the castle. They both heard a loud thud from the lower floor. Amity looked over the edge and saw a giant figure engulfed in purple flames. This thing reminded Amity of Willow's inner self, she turned to the shadowy figure.

Amity: "That's the inner Luz, which means you're not."

The figure just shook its head.

Amity: "I'm guessing you can't talk?"

The shadowy figure led Amity to another damaged picture. The only thing Amity could see on it was two people, one of them Luz and the other a girl Amity didn't recognize. Amity went into the photo and was in Luz's school in the human realm. Amity looked to her left and saw a younger Luz, but not much younger, maybe a year or a year and a half younger.

Amity: "I'm guessing this is Luz's old school in the human realm. I remember she went back here during our stay in the human realm, I even helped Luz with some of her homework. Why did you bring me here?"

The figure pointed and saw a couple of cheerleaders led by a blonde with pink streaks on her hair. Amity thought this was a human world doppelgänger of hers. Now that she thought about it, there was a student who looked a bit like Luz who transferred out of Hexside and enrolled in St. Epiderm after an incident. Maybe that was Luz's doppelganger in the Demon Realm. Amity turned her focus back to the memory in front of her. One of the girls, Amy, walks up to Luz and calls her out.

Amy: "Noceda! You have a minute?"

Young Luz: "I'm guessing you want to talk? What do you want, Amy?"

Amy: "Someone told me you have a crush on me, Is that true?"

Luz looked stunned by the question. After a moment of silence, she answered

Young Luz: "Um, no of course not."

Amity could tell Luz was lying, possibly embarrassed about it.

Amy: "Oh that's a relief you may be a weirdo and a loser but at least you're not THAT weird."

That both angered and saddened Amity. Luz had told her that girls liking girls in the human world isn't as acceptable as in the Boiling Isles but seeing it was just awful for her. Amity saw firsthand how cruel and disgusting homophobia is in the human world, she wishes such inhumane behavior like that never existed. But the human realm isn't as fast improving as the demon realm, she knew that.

Young Luz: "Yeah… I'm not THAT weird." (begins to cry)

Luz was tearing up a bit from the other girl's reaction. Amity reached her hand out to Luz, so she could hug her, and comfort her, but she remembers it was just a memory. She then noticed a folded-up piece of paper by Luz's leg. Amity picked it up and opened it and saw it was a letter asking the other girl out. She put the paper in Luz's back pocket and yet again color returned to the memory and Amity was transported out. Amity wasn't gonna forget that last memory any time soon. In fact, she hopes she sees that Amy girl next time she goes to the human world and gives her a piece of her mind. She quickly collected herself and proceeded. As she walked through the halls looking for another damaged memory and saw a giant damaged picture, so damaged that Amity couldn't see anything that was once on it. No people, no setting, nothing but burn marks. Amity started to go towards it but was stopped by the shadowy figure who showed up out of nowhere. The figure gestured to another photo not far from this one.

Amity: "You want me to do that one first?"

The figure walked towards the other picture. Amity took this as the mysterious…..thing wanting her to do that memory first. Amity couldn't make heads or tails of what this entity's endgame was. Amity wanted to see what the giant picture was but decided to trust the shadowy figure. When Amity arrived in the memory she saw it was pouring down rain and was Luz sitting in front of the old shack where the portal was. Amity knew what this one was. Luz spent pretty much all day for three days sitting on the steps. As if she was waiting for the portal to open. After school, she would disappear and go to the shack and not be seen till bedtime. Needless to say, she had everyone worried. Amity saw her past self walk up to Luz with an umbrella.

Past Amity: "Luz?"

Luz says nothing and goes back to looking away from Amity.

Past Amity: "The rain is getting worse, your mom is worried, we all are."

Luz still sat in silence.

Past Amity looked at her silent girlfriend in worry. She slowly walked up to her and sat down next to her. Luz laid her head on her girlfriend's shoulder and past Amity wrapped her arm around her shoulder.

Past Luz: "I'm sorry."

Past Amity: "Don't be."

Past Luz leaned up and kissed her on the cheek and put her head back on Amity's shoulder.

Amity remembered Luz being like this. There were times like this when Luz wasn't acting like herself. Amity looked and noticed that the pins in her Luz's beanie weren't there. She looked and saw them on the steps beside Luz. She went up and placed them back on Luz's beanie. Color returned and Amity was transported out of the memory, she looked back at the photo and as she remembers her talk with Luz on that day. The scene fades into that very scene where the memory photo is playing out.

Past Luz: "It's my fault. All of it."

Past Amity: "Luz, you can't keep doing this to yourself. The portal isn't going to open on its own no matter how much we all want it to. There's no point in getting yourself soaked out here waiting and getting sick. Even if it did open, what would we do next? We're not ready to take on anybody, let alone a god. You've been like this for 3 days straight and you haven't recovered. That scar isn't even healed fully yet."

Luz moves her head from Amity's shoulder looks at her and starts talking to her, but very softly due to how weak she's feeling.

Past Luz: "I don't… I don't deserve to recover. I screwed everything up. I should be the one suffering, not King, Eda, or any of them."

Amity is shocked to hear what Luz just said. What would give her the right to think that? Is this some selfless sacrificial thinking Luz is having or something?

Past Amity: "Luz… wha, why would you even say that? You don't deserve to suffer… Luz we're talking about a centuries-old witch hunter turned dictator emperor. You did more than anyone could have done. I mean, even Azura to-"

Past Luz: (stands up in anger and points hard at Amity) "No, you don't understand! This is MY responsibility! Not yours, or Hunter's, or Willow's, or Gus', it's MINE AND MINE ALONE! And don't you 'Azura' me right now, Amity. This isn't a fairytale story where the hero defeats the villain, The Boiling Isles could be gone or worse! I left it to suffer at the hands of some child god thing, and I can't do anything about it! In the end, I was just a stupid kid playing out her fantasy to escape the reality of living in a world without my father. For all the difference I made, I might as well have let Belos petrify me completely."

Thunder strikes hard when Amity hears that Belos nearly petrified Luz and turned her into a statue like all the criminal wild witches that Belos and his coven imprisoned and punished over so many years, even before she was born. Her girlfriend nearly turned to stone, the realization shocked Amity to her core. Amity stood back up and began to talk

Past Amity: "Let him P-Petrify you!? WHY HOW COULD YOU EVEN THINK IT?!"

Past Luz: "BECAUSE I DO! I'M ONLY FOURTEEN YEARS OLD, I'VE BEEN PRETTY MUCH AN OUTCAST IN MY WORLD AND PRACTICALLY GOT THE ONLY ONE THAT ACCEPTED ME IN ANY WAY DESTROYED! I'VE CAUSED NOTHING BUT PAIN, GRIEF, AND POSSIBLY WORSE FOR EVERYONE I EVER CARED ABOUT! I DESERVE WORST!"

Past Amity: "No you don't! King wouldn't want that. Luz, do you think King would sacrifice himself for you if he didn't love you and believe you were worth it!? Would he want you to throw your life away!?"

Luz stayed silent, sat back down, and looked away from Amity. Amity sighs and sits down beside Luz.

Past Amity: "Luz we all have people left behind that we are worried about. Willow's parents, Gus's dad, Edric and Emira, and even Hunter still has Darius back there."

Luz remained silent.

Past Amity: "When you went ahead of us after we beat Odalia, my dad held off Emperor Coven scouts and Abomatons all by himself so we could make our way to you. I had to leave him behind and I have no idea if he's ok or not knowing is driving me crazy."

Past Luz: "I-I didn't know……how are you dealing with it."

Past Amity: "I just have faith and I believe in him. I just keep telling myself that he and everyone else are okay and that we will save them when we get back. I know it's dumb and kinda cliche answer but it's the truth. I never told you this but when my leg was injured and I was bedridden, I heard about Eda's capture… I wanted to be there to help you, but I couldn't. I had a nightmare that Belos turned you to stone like he did every wile witch, he mocked me for not saving you… and then he… he… crushed you. (voice begins to break) And it nearly happened for real. I… I nearly lost my… my… "

Luz placed her hands on Amity's face and pulled her into a gentle kiss on her lips which Amity quickly returned. They broke the kiss and rested their forehead against each other

Past Luz: "I'm sorry Ami. I never wanted you to suffer or get hurt. Thank you for being here for me."

Past Amity: "I'll always be here for you."

Past Luz: "I'm sorry. I love you, Amity."

Past Amity: "Don't be. I love you too."

Amity turned her attention away from the memory and looked at the rest of the damaged pictures.

Amity: (sniffs and wipes her tears) "I'm almost done, I'll save you, Luz. I promise."

(Back in the Boiling Isles)

After their conversation earlier Eda's group and Lilith's group and Darius went to get Eberwolf. Once Eberwolf was briefed on what was going on he quickly agreed to help. After that they all went to the spot where Kikimora burned the pictures.

Darius: "You think you can track her?"

Eberwolf performed a spell on himself and looked around the area, sniffing around and trying to pick up a scent.

Boscha: "What was that?"

Gus: "It's a tracking spell, something only beast-keeping witches know."

Eda: "How do you know that?"

Gus: "Viney told me about it she's been trying to learn it for months."

Eberwolf found out where Kikimora parked her Abomaton and used the tracking spell to show a purple trail in the sky. Eberwolf sprinted ahead, Darius and the others followed him.

Darius: "You found Kikimora?"

Eberwolf: (growls)

Raine: "I think we'll take that as a "yes"."

Darius: "Let's go. We don't have much time before Kikimora gets away."

As the others leave, Camila notices The Collector as he sits next to a tree and plays with some snow using his magic. Camila realizes there's something that The Collector is hiding and it's bugging him even before Luz starts to feel the headaches and lose her memories.

Camila: "Eda, you guys go on ahead. Me and The Collector will catch up."

Eda: (looked curious and concerned) "You sure Cammy?"

Camila: "I am. But, be sure to bring Kikimora back here, and save me some beatings on her."

Eda nods in approval and leaves. Camila walks up to The Collector, who notices her sitting beside them. She exhales and begins to start a conversation with the space cherub.

Camila: "This place… it's definitely something else entirely. I can see why Luz wanted to bring me here and show me around. Up close the Isles can be a bit disturbing, messy, and utterly nightmarish… but if you look at the entire place from a different angle, it's much more beautiful. A wonderful place to settle down, start a family, get a job, raise some kids… and to be honest, it's more calm here than back on Earth."

Collector: "You speak off as this Earth being a bad place."

Camila: (chuckles lightly) "Sure, Earth has a few problems. A little pollution here, a bit of homophobic discrimination over there, even some unfair internet flame wars over what movie franchise is better or whatever. But, Earth is still a great place. You'd love it there."

Collector smiles and laughs back, he doesn't understand everything Camila said, but he knew she's being nice and trying to cheer them up. But, he looks back sadly at the Isles' horizon and still feels some regret. He then asks Camila.

Collector: "Why didn't you go with the others?"

Camila: "Because I'm worried about you. Even before Luz started to feel those headaches, you looked a bit down. Is there something wrong, little space cherub? You can tell me."

Collector sighs and leans back at the tree, then lets themself lie down on Camila's shoulder.

Collector: "Miss Camila, I… I messed up. I made Luz suffer so much before she reunited with Eda and King and went to destroy Belos. I captured you, her friends, and her girlfriend, used you all as my puppets and tortured her, and after that… I got her killed by Belos. I never should've let my guard down. Belos is rotten to the core, he'll never be redeemed or accept apologies, he's..."

Collector turns to Camila and stops talking upon seeing her eyes fill with tears. When she was a puppet she somehow felt Luz's soul depart from this world during the final battle with Belos, she felt her only daughter's lifeforce fading away. When she was awakened by Gus, she didn't want to believe that Luz is dead, but hearing Collector admit it, she finally realized that it was all true and that Luz really did die. She nearly lost her daughter just as she lost her husband. Collector looked guilty for mentioning that and looked away.

Collector: "I'm sorry. I should've known you did not want to hear that… did you?"

Camila hugs Collector, surprising the space cherub. He begins to cry and settle into Camila's motherly hug.

Collector: "Why are you hugging me?"

Camila: "You shouldn't blame yourself. You may be like a billion years old…"

Collector: "A millenia year old, actually."

Camila: "But, you're still a kid. It wasn't your fault. It was Belo's fault and his alone. Let me ask you something, have… you ever had a mother before?"

Collector leans back against Camila and looks down.

Collector: "I have no mother. It was just me and my cruel older siblings. I have no family."

Camila was saddened by this and hugs him closer as he starts to cry in her arms.

Camila: "If you'd like… you can be part of our family. And when you return from the stars after this debacle is over, you'd have a home to come to, stay on Earth with me or the Isles with King. Either way, you have a true home."

Collector: (hugs Camila back and sniffs) "Thank you, Miss Camila."

Camila: "De nada, hijo."

While Camila and Collector were having their heart-to-heart the rest of the group continued to follow Eberwolf through the woods. After a while they come across this area in the woods where there were no trees and just a two-story home. There wasn't anyone around but there was a light coming from the building.

Willow: "She might be inside, let's check it out!"

Willow started to go towards the building but was stopped by Eda.

Eda: "Hold up! You kids wait out here and let us check it out first."

Gus: "Eda, after all we've been through? You know we can handle it."

Eda: "Look, if she's in there and escapes we need you here to stop her and keep her from getting away."

That wasn't the entire reason Eda wanted them to wait. After Luz nearly died she didn't want to risk the other kids' lives even though she knew how tough they really were. The kids agreed to wait by the trees while the others went inside. An hour went by while Gus, Willow, Boscha, and Skara waited.

Skara: "You think they're ok?"

Willow: "It's been pretty quiet, I'm sure we would hear some kind of noise if something happens."

Skara: "Yeah, you're probably right."

Boscha: "Dang it!"

Willow: "What?! What's wrong!?"

Boscha: "That little demon got Abomination goo on my sleeve."

Everyone kinda rolled their eyes at Boscha before a drop of Abomination goo fell on the ground next to them.

Skara: "What the?"

The four looked up into the sky and saw the Abomaton hovering above them.

Kikimora: "I've had just about enough of you…."

Gus: "The feelings are mutual!"

Kikimora: "This time I'll end it!"

TO BE CONTINUED

(authors notes: OMG OMG OMG! I am so sorry I haven't updated this in a while. I've been super busy plus I got the flu and spent some time in the hospital so it took me a while to get myself back together again. My next update will be chapter 7 of Life After The Happily Ever After and I'm gonna aim to get the next chapter of this story either shortly before or after Christmas. No promises though.)