I do not own Owl House or Soul Eater.
If I did, we'd have way more chances to see the Owlbeast as an actual character.
The absolute last thing King wanted was to be alone in this place.
As soon as the doors had slammed shut behind Luz, he'd shoved them back open, hoping to find his minion on the other side, at the very least sound if not safe; instead, he'd found himself tumbling out into the base of the tower, staring up to find the sky utterly dark through the crumbling stonework and splintered wood. No storm, no clouds, no moon, no stars - not even the barrier was there; it had all been supplanted by the pure pitch black, leaving the Owl House so dark that even he struggled to see, needing to squint to make out much of anything in the gloom.
Somehow, the silence made it worse; although the pounding of the rain and the all-too frequent rolls of thunder hadn't been enjoyable to listen to, they had at least been grounding.
Familiar.
Real.
Now, however, there was none of that. Only an uncanny void, filled by his own breaths, by the padding of his footsteps, and by the creaks of the floorboards and doors as he wandered the warped halls of the Owl House.
The door that should have led to the kitchen instead opened up to the second floor hallway - and as soon as the tyrant had stepped through, it slammed shut behind him, suddenly replaced with the door that should have led to the bathroom. But when he opened the bathroom door again, expecting to emerge back into the tower, he instead found himself staring into Luz's room, her sleep-cocoon empty and the contents of her bag scattered across the room as they always were these days.
This time, he didn't enter. Instead, he closed the door, and opened it again.
Much to his surprise, it stayed the same; the chests were in their usual place, along with the towering piles of junk. Luz's haphazardly hung poster remained taped to the wall, just over the royal cushion that King had claimed for himself one day, decorated with the first of the bones of his enemies (even if it was merely a stitched pattern).
"... okay," King started, voice shakier than he wanted to admit as he closed and opened the door one more time for good measure, "S… so… at least there's… something to follow…"
He kept his claws on the door, slowly bringing it shut behind him; like before, the bathroom door was replaced by the door to Luz's bedroom. He backed away, trying to force his breaths to go deeper.
This all had to be the result of some kind of Magic; nothing else made any sense. He knew that Eda had cast some powerful spells on the Owl House before, but the Demon had never thought to ask what any of them actually did. After all, it had never been important before.
"... so either this is one of Eda's spells… or we really did have a break-in," he sat down on the sleep-cocoon; any other time, he'd have had to resist the urge to curl up on the comfortable white fluff. As it was, he just crossed his arms, trying to summon his belligerent despotic spirit, "Not great either way…"
He glanced up at the door; although there appeared to be some consistency as to which doors led where, it wasn't guaranteed to work both ways. More importantly, it wasn't guaranteed to stay the same, either; the doors out of Eda's room had led to two separate locations, which had been what separated him from Luz in the first place.
The first time it opened, it led to the foyer; the second time, it led out to the crumbling tower. And then when he'd gone back through the tower door, it didn't lead back into Eda's room where he'd come from, or the kitchen where it was supposed to connect, but to the hallway on the second floor…
There was no way for him to trust the doors anymore; the entire layout of the house had changed, and was probably still changing as he sat here thinking.
"Who knows where I'll end up if I go through there?" he murmured, feeling some of his fear morph into frustration, glaring up at the knots in the wood before he shook his head, "C'mon, King, think. You're the Ragnarök, the King of Demons! You can do this!"
He scraped his claws along the surface of his skull, teeth grinding against each other…
… and then he blinked, turning in place to face the window.
It sat silently on its hinges, the stained glass a multitude of muted greys without any light for it to filter.
King pushed himself up, scrabbling up to windowsill and leaning forwards, peering through the misshapen panes; below, the roof sloped down over the endless abyss, a mere ten foot drop into darkness.
And yet, it was a climb he'd made more than once; a climb he'd made to get into all manner of mischief. If he could get onto the roof, he could access almost every window of the Owl House from there, bypassing all the doors entirely.
If it worked, it was a perfect way to scuttle about without drawing the attention of whatever was in the House.
It was the perfect way to find his minions.
"... heh. What'd I tell ya, King?" he grinned, "I'm a genius!"
He was shaken from his musings by a massive crunch; the splintering of wood and the sound of something toppling over somewhere below. That same, horrible scream that had sounded when the candles flickered out echoed, followed by the sound of something massive crashing its way through the foyer…
"Luz!" he shouted, eyes wide with horror; he had to stop himself for jumping towards the door, instead turning his attention back to the window.
It was now or never.
"... here goes nothing… I'm comin', Luz!" King threw the latch out of place; he pushed against the window with all his might, ready to grip the tiles and race for the front door-
Only to find himself tumbling through thick fabric instead, collapsing onto the floorboards.
He couldn't tell where he was, precisely, but he could tell one thing from the surrounding forest of silhouettes and the lack of cold tiles under his body.
This was not the roof.
"... Damn it," he groaned weakly, shoving himself from his front onto his back with a frustrated, regal pout, "I thought I found a cheat…"
"STAY BACK!"
The voice was entirely unfamiliar to King's ears, high pitched and breathless; as he pushed himself up, however, he found himself perplexed by the figure that was standing before him.
"I… I'M ARMED! I WON'T HESITATE TO HURT YOU!"
It couldn't have been much bigger than the tyrant himself; even then, most of its stocky bulk came from the heavy spiked shell on its back. Its furry, humanoid body was hunched over in a defensive stance, its lower hands planted wide and its upper hands clutching a bent, thin, shining club with an oversized head. Its eyes were wild, its teeth misshapen, and for a moment, the skull-capped King could have sworn he was staring at a miniature…
"... Snaggleback?" he blinked.
At the mention of his name, the other Demon seemed to shrink, flinching back; he clutched the club tighter, "T-THAT'S RIGHT! ONE MORE STEP AND I'LL-!"
"Will you stop screaming?!" King hissed, rapidly losing what little patience he had, "You'll bring whatever's tearing up the place in here!"
At that, the Shelled Horror's mouth clicked shut, his lips almost literally zipping shut and his eyes wide.
The King of Demons could feel his disappointment growing by the second; the spiked shell was not nearly as impressive as it had been in the book, and was, in fact, partially cracked and pitted. The burning tar that kept the shell on his back did not, in fact, burn, and looked more like sap mixed with charcoal; among his twisted teeth, there were only four fangs, and though those were reasonably impressive, the rest appeared to be more the work of a bad dentist than anything else. Even his claws seemed to be little more than human nails, not good for much of anything other than opening fruit.
And to top it all off, instead of hunting in the boiling rain, he was cowering in a closet.
Hiding among coats and whatever other random junk Eda had been keeping around for a rainy day.
"... wow," even if he tried, King could not keep the utter disillusionment out of his tone, "You are way less impressive in person."
"H-Hey! Lay off!" Snaggleback whined, only further cementing King's dissatisfaction, "Do you have any idea what two and a half centuries in the Conformatorium does to a Demon!? I haven't had a single Soul to eat in two hundred and sixty seven years!"
"Is that supposed to be some kind of excuse?" King huffed, "How'd you even get in here?"
"I was just trying to get some shelter from the rain!" the pink perforator insisted, "I thought I'd just huddle in the top of the tower and wait for the storm to pass!"
"Shelter," the young monarch countered flatly, "Here. With the Owl Lady."
"... okay," Snaggleback shuffled back and forth, eyes darting, "I… after breaking out of the Conformatorium on the day of the riot, I… followed the human's scent back here."
At this, King felt himself stop, bewildered, "What?"
For a moment, all the fear drained from the pink primate as he stared into nothing, his grip on the club going slack; he was visibly salivating, a thin trail of drool dripping down his chin. For a moment, he seemed to recall a more fearsome visage, an echo of former might and depravity, teeth twisting, nails sharpening, fur and shell bristling, "It's been so long since I've had a human Soul… so long… I wanted to wait in the woods to see if she'd wander off all by herself, but… she either never left the wards… or something was always in the way…"
The tyrant felt his eyes narrow, even as the shelled demon shook himself back to reality, eyes fixing upon the broken-horned royal, "I slipped in while the Witch was checking her Wards; it gave me an opening to climb up and hide in the top of the tower. I was gonna try to get the human and get out. But the Witch always keeps the human close, and that bird-tube… thing is always watching!
"And then the rain started! I can't wander in boiling rain without my Magic - I needed shelter! And now the whole place is just… distorting!" he wrung his hands together, as if to try and twist the club's head from its handle, "If I'd known things were gonna get this bad, I'd never have come here!" he dropped the club, stumbling forwards, hands clapping down on King's shoulders, "One human Soul is not worth… this!"
"... well, at the very least, that crosses you off the list of suspects," King brushed him off, dusting off his own shoulders with a shudder of disgust, "You are way too pathetic to pull this off."
Snaggleback glowered, "You laugh all you want. Just do it somewhere else! This is MY hiding spot, and I'm not gonna-!"
Whatever threats the chimp-like Demon was going to make, he didn't get to finish them.
A talon big enough to scoop both of them up like toy balls plunged through the ceiling; dust and splinters scattered about them, and it was sheer luck that the Demonic monarch had managed to throw himself to the side before it swept across the floor.
Snaggleback wasn't so lucky.
The blow sent him sprawling across the hardwood, smacking into the far end of the closet, the air audibly driven from his lungs; before he could even fall back to the floor, the talons were upon him. There was a single horrifying crunch as his shell cracked, splintered, and shattered under their stone-crushing force, leaving only single spikes and fragments clinging to his fur as he was dragged up and into the darkness before he could even scream.
And scream he did; a single, terrified wail that emanated briefly, before muffling, and then fading away entirely.
It was all King could do to stare helplessly up at the ceiling, praying that the creature wouldn't think to reach down to check again.
Instead, he heard something enormous lumbering beyond the door, coming to a halt right outside; dragging his gaze to the thin wooden barrier that he knew wouldn't hold.
A moment of silence passed, before slowly, jerkily, the knob turned, then set back to normal, as if whatever was on the other side only vaguely understood how the contraption worked. After a second, and a third incomplete turn of the knob, the door burst inwards, the hinges torn entirely from the frame and the door itself splintering into pieces, doing absolutely nothing to stop the creature from simply smashing its way through.
It was a hulking mass of pure shadow; so large that its shoulders rose well above the doorframe, forcing the monster to hunch almost all the way to the floor to enter the closet. Even then, most of its massive form simply could not fit - this walk-in closet, large enough to fit the Witch, the human, and the Demon King and still have plenty of room amidst the coats, shoes and junk was almost entirely filled by the monster's chest and shoulders, its gleaming talons sinking deep into the hardwood as its fingers idly flexed. Each set could have fit King in its grip as easily as a doll, but that was nothing compared to its face.
He couldn't make out the features in this darkness, not with its head so high and away, but the crooked curve of its mouth, the sharpness of its pitch black eyes and the massive mane that wrapped around its head gave it an uncannily familiar silhouette. Spittle dripped from its open maw, and from between its teeth, something clattered to the floor.
A cracked grey spike, with a hint of black tar.
King whimpered, then swallowed, pointing up at the monstrosity as it stared down at him, trying and failing to lower his voice from a terrified whine, "I… I will have you know that… that I am the King of Demons! As such, I… I command you to barf up my friends, and get out! Get out and never come back!"
Its only response was a hiss that rapidly rose in both pitch and volume, mouth widening and teeth bared in a clear display of aggression.
"... you can keep Snaggleback!" the royal desperately haggled, "I-I just want Luz and Eda!"
Evidently, either the creature didn't understand the concession, or it wasn't enough. A talon swiped across the room, nearly disemboweling King as he barely jumped backwards in time, instead shredding several of the coats; a single black claw, long enough to skewer the much smaller Demon, snagged in one of the cloaks, catching the creature for a split second.
Thankfully, that split second was all King needed; with a scream of fear, he ducked underneath the creature's goliath frame, having just enough room to squeeze out of the closet and into the second floor hallway.
Even as he sprinted away as fast as he could, he could hear the massive monster screaming with rage behind him. Wood creaked, splintered, and then shattered as it fought to free itself from the confines of the closet, far too big to simply turn itself around; within seconds, he heard its thunderous footfalls as it raced on all fours after him, much faster than he could hope to get away from.
He rounded the corner, hoping it would be enough to buy him enough time to escape-
Only to find himself snatched by the arm, and dragged off course.
He fought the hand as it yanked him up and away, the arm quickly wrapping itself around him like a constrictor and pressing him tightly against a larger form; he kicked, clawed, opened his mouth wide to bite-
But this wasn't the bone crushing grip of talons.
This grip was far gentler - uncomfortably tight, but not nearly enough to hurt, even as a hand closed around his mouth.
Moreover, these hands were far too small to belong to the creature.
"... mLuzh?" he managed, ceasing his struggles as he looked up; indeed, it was the human who had grabbed him, one arm wrapped around his belly, the other holding his snout shut as she stared out into the hallway, eyes wide and fearful.
The gargantuan shadow shot past in a streak of darkness, howling like a ghost hound as its footfalls shook the very foundations of the house.
Only when it rounded the corner, its howls finally starting to gain some distance, did Luz let out the breath she'd been holding, releasing King's muzzle, raising her hand to close the door as quietly as possible.
"Well," Doctor Gorgon started, a note of wry cheer in her tone, "Let's hope no one breaks this door down to see your partner."
Maka felt her lips quirk slightly as she rounded Soul's bed, scanning the room; it was nearly identical to the one before, save for the extra shade provided by one of the Academy's distant spires; it wasn't much, but it would at least block some of the more direct sunlight in the later afternoons, hopefully keeping the room from getting too warm. She turned to face the doctor, "Where do you wanna put Soul?"
"In the corner by the window for now," the pale blond gestured, "I'm sure he'll want some fresh air when he wakes up, and it'll give him much easier access to the curtains."
Nodding, the Scythe Meister pushed the bed into place; after a moment, the doctor strode over, and pressed the button at the headboard, and the stretcher once again morphed, the rails falling as it converted back into a stationary cot.
Slowly, Maka sat back down beside her Weapon, doing her best to keep her attention on the caretaker, "So… what did you need to talk to me about?"
"A psychological evaluation."
The girl blinked, started, "A psych evaluation? Why? What for?"
"Just standard procedure; really, it's nothing to worry about," Doctor Gorgon assured, pulling her own seat across from Maka before descending gracefully into the office chair, "Technically, we should have done this already; after an incident where a member of the team is severely wounded, all members of that team are expected to undergo an evaluation as soon as feasibly possible.
"However, given the circumstances, we wanted to give you a little bit of space once you were back in Death City; I know that being metaphorically poked and prodded by doctors isn't very enjoyable even at the best of times," she flipped through the papers on the clipboard, golden eyes tracing the page, smile apologetic, "Death Scythe tried to insist on giving you a little more time to yourself first, but… well, if it's alright with you, I'd rather know what I have to work with sooner rather than later."
"... that's right," Maka murmured, the realization finally striking her, "You're one of DWMA's student counsellors."
"And I have been assigned as a therapist for you and Soul in particular for the foreseeable future," the coat-clad woman nodded, "Which makes both of you my patients, not just Soul."
"But I thought Professor Stein was looking after Soul?" Maka tilted her head, curious.
"Physically," the doctor clarified, "Doctor Stein is acting as Soul's primary physician; I'm also assisting him in that regard. However, I'm sure that you're aware that Stein isn't… ideal for the position of ensuring one's psychological health," again, there was a dry, wry humour to her tone, "He'll certainly give you an honest evaluation of your mental state insofar as he understands it, but his ability to empathise with others is… limited, no matter how well he imitates the care and caution of others."
Again the Miester nodded, understanding coalescing in chest.
"Now, as your counsellor, I can't, and won't, force you to tell me anything that you don't want to," she pulled a page from the clipboard, "Nor can I make you come in for sessions if you don't want to. But I will only be able to help you insofar as you're willing to let me help you. I can't do anything to help you tackle the challenges you're facing if you're not willing to tell me what those challenges are."
Maka felt her lips draw themselves into a thin line, brow furrowing into a glare.
"... is something wrong, Maka?"
"... they're mandatory, aren't they?"
The doctor blinked, seeming caught off guard by the question; the preteen felt her grip on her legs tighten, an odd belligerence blooming in her chest, "The sessions. The evaluation. If I don't take them, I'll be removed from the program, won't I?"
Slowly, the counsellor's expression softened into sympathy. Her lips curled gently, and she looked down briefly, "I wouldn't say you'd be removed from the program. At least, not immediately. But your studies are almost certainly going to be put on hold until such time as you comply."
"For my own safety?" the green-eyed girl queried.
"As well as the safety of others - your peers, and whoever else you might happen across on missions," again, the rustling of paper, "This is bigger than just you, Maka. I've seen the consequences of the potential traumas from incidents like this firsthand."
Finally seeming satisfied, she set the clipboard onto the bedside table; those dark gold eyes met Maka's green, and for the first time, somehow, the Meister felt seen - actually seen by the doctor, not simply noticed and noted, addressed directly rather than as an extension of the data in her hands, "But by the same token, my primary concern is your health and development. I want to see you and Soul make full recoveries; as such, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that happens. And that means making sure you know you can trust me."
"... nothing leaves our sessions… right?" Maka asked, tone wavering, "You won't tell… anyone?"
"Everything you tell me will be strictly between you and me," Doctor Gorgon nodded, "There might be sessions between you, me, and Soul, but those will be more to address issues between the two of you, not your personal recoveries."
At this, the girl felt her eyes drop, falling to Soul once more; she bit her lip, hands clenching once more in her lap.
"... I'm sure that you and Soul will come out of this stronger than ever, Maka," she could hear the certain smile in the blond's voice, a confidence that Maka desperately wished she could share, "It's going to be a hard road to get there. But you can do it."
Once again, the Meister found herself wiping her eyes, trying to stop the tears before they could start. She sniffed, then met Doctor Gorgon's gaze again, trying to summon her fire, "... okay."
Seeming to take this a cue, the counsellor reached over, picking up a pen and several pieces of paper from the clipboard and handing it to the student. The long lines of questions and empty boxes, great and small, were already enough to make her head swim, but she heard the question loud and clear.
"Are you ready to begin, Maka?"
"... yeah," she clicked the pen, "Yeah. I am."
"There's no time limit for this evaluation; take all the time you need, and answer honestly," Doctor Gorgon stated, picking up the clipboard and pulling out a pen of her own, "Once you're done filling everything out, I will be asking some questions of my own and taking notes based on your answers."
"Okay," Maka bobbed her head, scooting over to the nearby table.
She heard the counsellor rise to her feet, and then felt a hand on her shoulder; the woman smiled warmly down at her, reassuring, "I mean it about answering honestly. There's nothing wrong with letting yourself be vulnerable every now and again; in fact, it's oftentimes necessary if you want to become a better, stronger person."
Maka stared up for a long moment, unsure of how to respond. Finally, she managed to give a slight smile - it still felt a little too forced for her liking - before giving another nod, "... okay. Thank you, Doctor."
Doctor Gorgon nodded, then gracefully swept away, returning to her chair.
Before long, Maka found herself lost amidst the questions.
Biting her lip as she debated to herself how to best answer…
They were back in Eda's room again.
Though the doors were firmly shut and locked, Luz knew better than to hope they would last against the creature hunting them. Her heart was racing, threatening to pound its way right out of her chest, but she could feel it finally beginning to slow - especially now that she had found her Demonic companion. On her shoulder, Owlbert kept his eyes on the door, occasionally tilting his head as if hearing something that she couldn't, before eventually settling down again, adjusting his grip occasionally from where he sat.
"... sorry, King," she whispered, setting him down, "I didn't want it to catch us. Was I too rough?"
"A little," he wheezed, "Don't worry about it. Being gentle kinda goes out the window when you're about to get eaten," his eyes shone as he looked up at her, "You saved my life, Luz."
"Hey," the tanned teen beamed, "You'd have done the same for me."
For a long moment, neither said anything; King's eyes dropped to the floor as he gasped for breath. Luz silently waited for him to finish, running her fingers along the surface of the elixir, making absolutely sure that she still had it, and that it wasn't somehow leaking.
"... how'd you escape that thing?" the tiny tyrant asked, "I could have sworn it caught you. Weren't you in the foyer when it screamed?"
At this, Luz felt her smile warp into a grimace; Owlbert let out a slight croon, as if to reassure her, rubbing his head against her cheek.
Gently, she petted his head in turn, her smile returning however slightly, "Owlbert saved me. He flew off and got its attention, making it chase him down one of the halls; after that, he just… came back and led me here."
"Led you?" King cocked his head, eyes narrowed as he glowered at Owlbert; the carving simply closed his eyes, turning his head and pointedly refusing to meet the King's gaze, smug petulance personified.
"I don't know how it works," she confessed, meeting the Demon's gaze again, "But… somehow, he can do something with the doors…"
"What, he can control where they go?"
"Okay," Luz settled back on her haunches, "Lemme start from the beginning…"
Luz could barely make it out in the soft glow of the elixir; its hulking frame nearly reached ceiling, shoulders seeming horrifically oversized compared to the rest of its form. Its front limbs seemed more like arms than anything else, pushing its chest almost upright, though its head dipped down from the central mass. She couldn't tell if the few greys and blacks she could make out were fur or feathers, but she couldn't make out any definite features as it leaned down to inspect the bottle. It pushed the glass orb one way, then the other with a hand that could have wrapped all the way around a tree trunk, slender, pale fingers almost as long as the youth's arm, tipped with wicked black talons, each one curved and sharp as the finest of razors.
If she could have spoken, she surely would have let out some breath or whine of awe, entranced by the entity.
As it was, however, Owlbert was keeping himself pressed firmly against her lips, keeping her from making so much as a squeak as he stared back at the oversized creature.
So far, it hadn't noticed them, seeming more interested in the contents of the glass bottle.
It gave a dismissive, almost angry high-pitched hiss, its head rearing high above the floor; slowly, it raised a talon, directly above the bottle, ready to bring it down upon the elixir with a furious crash…
Luz felt her eyes widen; she tried to bolt to her feet, to launch herself off the floor with a scream. No matter the danger, she could not afford to lose that elixir, not when Eda clearly needed it so badly.
Owlbert, however, had different plans.
He flew forth, using her chin as a springboard to all but leap into the air; silently, he flapped across the room, his whole body glowing with newfound energy. He swooped up into the creature's face-
And the whole room briefly filled with light, as if from a lightning strike.
The hiss rose to a scream; the creature reared up, its head nearly colliding with the ceiling as it clawed at its face, suddenly seeming positively gargantuan compared to when it had been on all fours.
And Owlbert, still glowing, wheeled about the room, circling the creature once before vanishing into the darkness down the hall.
Shrieking with fury, the creature threw itself after him, nearly smashing down part of the wall in the process; it left deep gouges in the floor with every step it took, gone almost in an instant, far faster than its sheer size should have allowed for.
Nonetheless, Luz wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
She was on her feet in an instant, scooping up the elixir with one hand before ducking back into the corner. The glass still felt smooth, in no way damaged, but now…
Now what was she going to do?
For a long moment, she just sat, forcing her mouth to stay shut as she went over her options in her head; plunge blindly into the dark, into doors that didn't lead where they were supposed to, or…
Her thoughts were interrupted by a gentle, quiet hoot.
She looked up; there was Owlbert, perched upon the couch arm again, seeming no worse for wear despite the chase that had just occurred.
"... Owlbert?" the girl whispered, eyes wide.
He bobbed gently in place, then hopped down to land atop her head. He nuzzled her forehead, pulling one of her bangs out of her eyes with his beak.
"... thank you," she murmured, reaching up to stroke his head in turn. But she frowned, staring down at the bottle, "... but… how are you-?... how did you get away?"
He hopped down to the floor, trotting silently across the hardwood; he stopped in front of the empty front door, standing atop the broken boards as he looked back at her.
"... out the door?" she stood, following, taking care not to step atop Hooty's unconscious form; Luz stared out into the abyss, the darkness still omnipresent as it had been when she first entered the foyer.
An affirmative nod, the carving flaring his wings as if to urge the chocolate child through.
"... but… Owlbert, I can't fly," she stared down at him, "How am I supposed to-?"
She was interrupted by another distant scream; she could hear the thundering long before she saw its cause.
The creature was barrelling down the hallway; in a split second it burst back into the foyer, wailing to the heavens.
Luz's heart skipped a beat as its head fixed upon her.
Owlbert let out a screech, flapping up to pull on her hair again.
She didn't fight him this time.
Between whatever Owlbert had planned, and the viciousness of the nightmare before her, the choice was obvious.
She leaped forwards into the dark, prepared to plummet into unseen depths-
Only to instead find herself tumbling forwards across hardwood once more.
She looked up to find herself back behind those double doors.
Eda's room was just as messy as she had left it.
The scream echoed behind her; Luz's neck craned and her eyes shot back to the open window, the foyer on the other side. The creature seemed ready to hurl itself through, to rip her to pieces-
Luz didn't hesitate this time.
She grabbed the stained glass window, and slammed it shut with everything she had right as the shadowed monster lunged.
The scream echoed from below… but nothing came through the window.
Nothing was on the other side but empty darkness.
She sank to the floor, a hand on her chest as she finally started to breathe again, gasping for air as she emerged from the dark waters of sheer terror, a sudden wave of nausea striking her in full. She fought, and swiftly lost against her stomach as it rebelled, forcing her to empty its contents onto the floor, tears welling up in her eyes and streaming down her cheeks as the sickness of distress took root. Once, twice, three times - she couldn't stop herself, the convulsions of her throat and stomach too strong, too painful to wrestle back into control. Owlbert took to her shoulder again, letting out low croons as he rubbed his head against her, trying to help her steady herself.
Mechanically, she patted him as thanks as she fell to one side; it was a struggle just to land on the floor instead of in her own bile, curling up on the floor, trying to regain some semblance of calm…
And all the while, she could hear the monster slowly stalking the floor below, pacing about the house like a dreadfully impatient predator…
"... so you can control some of the doors and windows?" King stared skeptically at the bird carving as he tried to help Luz remove the layer of sick from the floor.
Owlbert, still glowing with faint light so the girl could see, shook his head in clear refusal; he let out a hoot, his wings clearly trying to mime something, though his feathers made it extremely difficult to interpret.
"I asked him the same thing once I pulled myself together," Luz grimaced, throwing the wad of paper towel into what she could only assume was the bedroom's garbage can, given its variety of horrible contents, "I don't think 'control' is the right word. I'm not entirely sure what he's doing, but my best guess is that he… sorta knows where each door goes?"
At that, the tiny owl pointed at Luz with a wing, nodding vigorously.
"... well, that woulda been nice to have ten minutes ago," King threw his own paper towel into the same bin before dusting off his paws, "Now all we need to know is what that creature's done with Eda…"
"Well, I got away," Luz ventured, managing another smile, "Maybe she's squirreled away in another room?"
"Luz, if Eda were okay, we wouldn't be in this mess right now," King crossed his arms, "Something's wrong with the Magic that protects the house. That means Eda isn't safe."
"... fair point," she felt her smile waver, head dipping as she tried to think. She turned to Owlbert, opening her mouth to ask-
Only to find the staff staring at the floor, suddenly seeming deeply troubled, brows slightly upturned and eyes almost seeming to water.
"... Owlbert?" she began, "You okay, buddy?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he hopped from his perch by the Witch's beauty mirror, and fluttered gently over to the nest; he rooted briefly through the sticks and twigs, and then emerged again, hopping back over with a tag in his beak.
"... what'cha got there?" She settled back on her knees, reaching out for the tag.
The carving handed it over with a mournful, rueful croon; Luz felt King clamber up her shoulder again, trying to get a look at the tag alongside her, eyes narrowed.
"... 'An Elixir a Day…'" Luz began, immediately recognizing the hand-written cursive.
"... 'Keeps the Curse at Bay,'" King finished, then stiffened.
"... King?" the human asked, reaching up to poke the Demon; as soon as the words had left his mouth, his whole body had gone still, his eyes wide and pupils shrunk to the eyes of needles.
"'An Elixir a Day Keeps the Curse at Bay,'" he repeated, his voice shrill with equal parts dread and terrified understanding. He snatched the tag out of Luz's fingers and hopped down to the floor, padding towards the carving, holding it out as if it were some form of damning evidence he wished he could burn, "Owlbert, does this mean what I think it means!?"
The small brown owl didn't meet his gaze. Instead, he merely nodded, keeping his eyes fixed to the floor.
"What does it mean?" Luz scooched forwards on her knees, trying to get another look at the tag, "Is this curse what made Eda cough blood?"
"It's worse than that, Luz," his eyes shot up to meet her's, wild with terror. He shoved the tag towards her, as if that would help her understand, "That thing isn't some Demon or monster! It's-!"
The sound of the doors rattling on their hinges killed King's words in his throat.
Once, twice, they bulged inwards, somehow managing to remain standing despite beginning to splinter under the sheer weight and strength of the creature behind it - but the third time, they collapsed entirely, falling to pieces as the nightmarish monster finally smashed them in.
But it wasn't just a monster.
In Owlbert's gentle glow, she could finally make out the shape of its pitch black eyes, the sharp edges of its cheekbones, the way its mouth curled into an all too familiar devil-may-care grin.
Her heart and mind ground to a dead halt.
It couldn't be.
But it was.
Staring her down with all the delighted satisfaction of a predator having finally cornered its prey.
"... Eda?..."
"Stupid cat…"
It had been a few minutes since Black Star had regained consciousness; although Tsubaki had been grateful to see that he would not be asleep for the rest of the day and could attend classes as usual, she was less thrilled that her Meister had immediately insisted on racing back to see Soul again.
Thankfully, by the time he had got there, Soul had already been taken away from the smashed room, and neither Maka nor Doctor Gorgon were anywhere to be found; for that matter, the strange cat woman that Maka and Soul had been living with had seen fit to make herself scarce as well, idly grooming herself beneath the receptionist's desk as they were escorted out, completely confident in Black Star's complete inability to perceive her Souls.
The younger shinobi grumbled, hands stuffed in his pockets as he stomped his way down the hall, "Putting me to sleep as soon as I'm allowed to see Soul… who does she think she is? Doesn't she know greatness when she sees it?"
"In all fairness, Black Star," Tsubaki began, "you were manhandling Soul pretty hard back there…"
"Hmph!" he tilted his nose so far upwards he was staring at the ceiling, "I'm sure all he needs is one good look at my handsome face and he'll be heading out on missions like nothin' happened!"
"What, no concern for Maka, Black Star?" Kid cut in, a knowing smirk on his face as his bright gold eyes drifted to her partner.
Black Star let out a heavy snort, "She's fine! If Soul went down that hard protecting her, then there's no way she got so much as a scratch!"
"I had no idea you had so much confidence in Soul," the young Reaper sounded almost impressed, as if Black Star having any faith in others was something he thought impossible.
"You better believe it," at this, the blue-haired boy turned to face the better-kept youth with a broad grin, "Soul might not be as big of a star as me or Tsubaki, but even I gotta admit he's impressive! You don't get up to ninety nine Souls and then choose to start over by bein' small!"
Kid raised an eyebrow, "Don't you think you should be giving Maka some of that credit?"
"Maybe once she loosens up a bit," Black Star grimaced, shaking his head, "She's always got her nose stuck in a book and is so worried about every little detail. It's no wonder she needs Soul so badly; he's probably the only reason they get anything done."
"I think you're a little too hard on her, Black Star," Tsubaki smiled.
"You think?" he raised an eyebrow, perplexed.
"Maka's one of the smartest people that I know," she nodded, "One of the most dedicated, too. Did you know she drags Soul to the school gym on weekends?"
At this, Black Star blinked, "She does?"
"She does," the taller shinobi continued, "Every Sunday and Saturday morning at ten. Pure physical training."
"... huh," Black Star crossed his arms, visibly re-assessing the image of Maka he held in his head, "And here I thought she'd spend all her time on the weekends studying. Didn't think she'd go for physical training in her free time."
"She takes her training very seriously," she folded her hands behind her back, "Maka might seem like she only ever reads, but she probably trains almost as hard as you do; maybe we should invite her and Soul along sometime, once Soul's feeling better."
"... maybe," he huffed, folding his hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling once more, "'s long as she doesn't complain. There's no room on our training trips for whiners."
"I don't think you'll have to worry about that," Liz assured, "She's a tough kid. She'll manage."
This time, Black Star had nothing to say.
Tsubaki smiled; it was good to have finally made a little headway with him in regards to the Scythe Meister.
"... she's not okay."
Those three words were enough to bring Tsubaki to a total halt.
All at once, everyone turned to face Patty.
There was no smile on the younger Thompson's face, her usual frighteningly cheerful grin replaced with an odd solemnness that the black-haired Weapon hadn't thought she was capable of. Slowly, her blue eyes rose, meeting each of their gazes, "... Maka. She's not okay. You realize that, right?"
"... you picked up on it too, huh, Patty?" Liz sighed, the cheer draining from her all at once, easy-going smirk completely gone.
"You saw her, Liz," the brighter of the blonds glanced up at her sibling, "How could I not pick up on it?"
"... pick up on what?" Tsubaki queried, voice quiet, an anxious fear beginning to build in her chest.
"I have to ask as well," Kid looked from one sister to the other, brow furrowed, "Certainly, Maka seemed… shaken when we spoke to her, but that's to be expected, isn't it?"
The taller Thompson shook her head, "'Shaken' is putting it lightly, Kid."
"She was tryin' ta put on a brave face," Patty's hands unfolded, falling from the back of her head to her hips, "For who, or why, I'm not sure. Maybe she doesn't even know. But I've seen that look before."
"... so Soul got hurt and Maka got knocked flat on her ass," Black Star shrugged, "I'll admit it. I was a little worried too. But Soul pulled through, didn't he? All he needs to do is wake up, and they can get up and dust themselves off. They'll be just fine."
The first signs of frustration bloomed across both Thompsons, Liz's eyes narrowing as Patty let out a low growl, "You're an idiot, you know that?"
The blue-haired boy blinked, startled, "What'd I do!?"
"You don't get it," Patty insisted, "You don't know what it's like to watch someone you care about almost die."
Silence hung in the air for a long moment. Black Star's eyes were wide, his jaw working as he tried to come up with some sort of counter; Kid's gaze shot back and forth between the young shinobi and his partners, the concern clear in his gaze.
But Tsubaki was elsewhere.
Though her eyes were fixed upon Patty, something else superimposed itself upon her visage.
A cold winter morning.
A window opened in the night.
An empty futon underneath.
And footprints quickly fading in the falling snow, leading off into the distance.
Footprints that she had been desperately chasing ever since…
"... look," Liz began, shaking Tsubaki from her vision, "Patty and I have seen some… horrible, horrible things, before becoming students here. And, sorry for the language, Kid, but believe us when we say this."
The taller blond crossed her arms, eyes darting from Kid, to Black Star, to Tsubaki, making absolutely sure she had their undivided attention, before she finally continued, "... whatever happened to those two out there? It's fucked, Maka, up. And it wouldn't surprise me if Soul is just bad when he wakes up."
"... so what do you propose we do?" Kid started, "If it's truly that serious, then…"
"... I'm not sure there's anything we can do," Tsubaki murmured, still lost amidst the illusory snowstorm, "If Maka's really struggling that much, then… we're just not equipped to handle that."
"... to a degree," Liz conceded, "But I think the main thing we can do? Is be there."
"Yeah," Patty agreed, nodding along, "We might not be able to help directly. But as long as we stick together, and let Maka and Soul know that we're here for them?... I imagine that'll go a long way."
"... speak for yourselves."
Tsubaki blinked; Black Star let out a loud snort as he turned on his heel, hands in his pockets once again.
"... Black Star?" Kid queried.
"You guys aren't giving them enough credit," he didn't turn around, the irritation in his voice plain to hear, "If there's one thing Soul and Maka have in common, it's that they don't know when to quit. Just watch; they'll pull through."
With that, he started forwards without another word.
"Black Star!" Tsubaki reached out, helpless.
"... he's hopeless," Liz muttered, shaking her head, "Nobody gets over trauma just by being stubborn."
"Perhaps. But maybe he's right, to a degree?" the striped boy turned back to his Weapons, "Is it possible that we're not giving Maka the credit she deserves? Is it possible she's stronger than we realise?"
Patty shrugged, "I dunno, Kid. But I'll tell you one thing from experience," she started forwards, hands behind her head once more as she stared into the distance, "Trauma does things to you. Things you'd never believe could happen."
"... come on," Liz prompted, following after her sister, "We're gonna be late for class."
For a moment, Kid and Tsubaki were left alone in the hall; for a brief moment, they met each other's gaze, and a whole conversation seemed to pass between them before they solemnly followed after their partners.
It was a horrifying caricature of her teacher.
Luz couldn't tell if the creature's eyes were merely pitch black, or if her pupils had devoured the entirety of the eye, leaving no white or iris behind; neither of them moved in their sockets, utterly unblinking, utterly still as the creature's attention jumped from Owlbert, to King, and then back to the human, the entirety of her head moving jerkily, mechanically, every time it shifted focus.
Her head, for that matter, was nothing short of enormous; each eye on its own had to be at least the size of a melon, the overall skull as big as a full-grown elephant's all on its own. Her mouth stretched far too wide up her cheeks, and would have more closely resembled a beak than anything a human might posses were it not for the oversized fangs jutted out of her thick, blackened lips.
Bone white skin had been replaced with ashen plumage on her face and far too long arms; Eda's plume of feathery silver hair had grown into a thick mane, shooting down the length of its back and falling from her massive ears in thick, bright silver streaks. Her torso was wrapped in feathers of dark grey, a pair of massive, slate grey wings folded themselves across her back and shoulders, and her hind limbs had warped into something else entirely, resembling a bird's talons more than anything even remotely human. The gem in the center of her chest, normally a brilliant, vibrant gold, had gone pitch black, shining like polished obsidian in the scant light of the room.
But the worst part was how quiet she was when she moved.
Aside from the creak of the floorboards beneath her weight, Eda didn't make so much as a sound as she crept into the room. She tilted her head first one way, then the other as she inspected her prey, a far cry from the screaming monstrosity that had been pursuing throughout the house.
"... E-Eda," Luz started, moving to rise to her feet, "I… It's us. It's… it's just us."
Those eyes fixed upon her, head tilting the other direction, that horrible, self-satisfied smile never once fading.
"Luz…" King tugged on her leggings, trying to pull her back as he stared, terrified, at the looming caricature of the Owl Lady.
"... you remember us… right?..." the teen tried, splaying her hands to display she wasn't a threat.
Eda's response was merely to open her mouth.
It opened far too wide, lips parting and jaw almost seeming to unhinge entirely to expose row upon row upon row of fangs upon fangs upon fangs, all intended to sink deep into flesh and rip it to pieces, and prevent prey from ever wriggling its way back out. There were even teeth on the roof of her mouth and at the back of her throat, fangs parting, blossoming open to expose the gaping darkness that awaited. Luz's whole head and torso could have fit inside with room to spare, making the girl tremble at the thought of those jaws snapping shut around her, of those teeth and muscles pulling her down, down, down into the depths of her monstrous mentor's stomach…
And then the creature screamed.
The ringing registered before the pain did; her hands shot over her ears, her own scream drowned in the sheer pitch and volume of Eda's overwhelming wail. Owlbert flew up into the warped Witch's face, screeching as his wings flared - but she smacked him aside, sending him careening into the books and bottles on the beauty mirror, having lost all interest in the tiny owl carving in favour of something more substantial.
The teen fell to her knees, tears welling up in her eyes as the beast reared up, well over fifteen feet tall even settled back on its haunches, head brushing against the rafters, a towering silhouette ready to bring her talons down upon the girl-
Only for a bright flash of light to rise from the floor, a brief brilliance that sent the creature toppling backwards with a squeal of equal parts shock, distress and displeasure. Eda's talons scrabbled for purchase as she struggled to right herself; books toppled and bottles smashed as she kicked over her own night table, glass shards scattering across the floor.
Luz hadn't even noticed her phone had slipped out of her pocket.
Her hands shook as she picked up the object of her rescue; as quickly and as carefully as she could, she snatched King, Owlbert, and the elixir, and sprinted for the window.
Faster and more cleanly than she'd ever managed a hurdle in school, she vaulted over the lip, and then ducked under the edge, shoving Owlbert down the front of her hood to snuff out his light before clapping one hand over her own mouth and doing her best to cover King's in turn.
Within seconds of their escape, the creature screamed again, its talons slamming down on the window's edge and knocking the potted plants astray before it launched itself into the abyss; its wings unfurled, nearly thirty feet across, and it silently took to the black sky, rising high overhead and blending entirely into the void.
She didn't even think.
Quietly and quickly as possible, Luz snatched the closest object - another empty bottle - and hurled it over the edge of the roof, the shattering sound carrying over the tiles.
Even after the following scream signalled Eda's descent into the dark, it was a long minute before the chocolate child finally let go, struggling to keep her breaths smooth for fear of being heard…
"... what in the world happened to her?" she finally whispered, digging through her pocket for her phone as Owlbert popped back out the front of her hoodie, hopping back up onto her shoulder, regaining his former glow.
"... she's cursed," King mumbled, misery miring his tone, "'An Elixir a Day Keeps the Curse at Bay'..."
"... like a werewolf?" Luz asked, voice dry.
The tiny owl on her shoulder shook his head, a clear denial of the prospect.
"Werewolves-" King sniffed, "Werewolves and… were-creatures in general aren't cursed, Luz. They can… they can transform at will. Sort of… pseudo-Demons, in a sense. This is something else entirely; it's why Eda needs that elixir…"
"... but how are we going to give it to her when she's like that?" the Witch's apprentice gestured over the side of the roof, "What's the plan?"
She heard the Demon force himself to take a breath; for a long few seconds, he said nothing, eyes closed, before he finally let it out, eyes downcast as they opened.
"... the plan is to find the portal door, and get you out of here."
"What!?" Luz's hissed whisper was joined by a just as shocked hoot from the owl carving, the both of them staring down at the tiny tyrant.
King's eyes drifted up, shining with solemn sorrow, but his voice was oddly firm, "It's the only way outta this for you. I don't know how long it'll take Eda to regain control, or even if she can. I dunno if Owlbert can wait her out and get her the elixir when she sleeps or something, but there's nothing you or I can do. We don't have any spells, and… and the longer we stay here, the more likely we're gonna end up eaten like Snaggleback."
"... okay, I know we don't have any spells," Luz started, "But what if we got to the library? Or some secret study Eda has somewhere?"
The miniature monarch squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head, "Even if we got there, it wouldn't do any good."
"But King!" the girl insisted, getting on her knees, "Eda needs our help! We can't just abandon her to that… thing!" she pointed over the edge again, as if the beast were still there, "If I can learn a spell, a ritual, anything that might help-!"
"You can't, Luz!" he snapped, shaking his head even harder, paws rising as if to cover his ears, "There's nothing you can do!"
"You don't know that!"
"Yes, I do!" he wasn't shouting; he was sobbing, just barely keeping himself from wailing as he curled in on himself, face pressing into his knees in some vain attempt to hide from her.
"King-!"
"Humans can't learn Magic, Luz!"
The words were a gunshot - and it took Luz a moment to realize the sudden hole they had left in her heart. An emptiness, her emotions dropping out from under her to leave a hollow in her chest; one that was quickly filled by a quiet fear that she hadn't been aware of, awakened in full force by the sudden declaration.
King was crying, now; the tears streamed from his eyes uncontrollably as he finally lost control of his breaths. He struggled to keep his voice down as he shrank, clutching at the top of his skull.
"... what do you mean?..." she asked, muffled by the dust in her mouth.
"... humans don't have any innate Magic to use," he spat miserably, "You only have the one Wavelength. Soul Wavelength. You can't create Magic, you can't-... you can't learn to generate it… you either have it… or you don't."
"... but…" the girl fought, wracking her mind for evidence otherwise, "... but the transmutation circle… the one Eda made… I… I used it to turn lead to gold."
"A Sorcerer's party trick," he repeated thickly, burying his forehead back in his knees, "Anyone can use their Soul Wavelength to manipulate the Magic in an object. That's all a Sorcerer is - an imi… an im… a fake Witch!"
Silence filled the air between them; the Demon didn't uncurl, instead focused almost entirely on trying to get his breaths back under control. Luz, for her part, was just staring, grappling helplessly with what King was telling her, the pit in her stomach only seeming to grow as every word confirmed an ever growing fear, a blazing fire that ate away at her insides, each thought she desperately tried to shove back down another searing tongue of flame.
"... it's… it's the First Rule of Magic; 'Only Witches and Demons have the Gift of Magic,'" King recited, "Everyone knows it. It's as old as the Witch Order…"
"... but… Eda…" she grasped, the fear continuing to rise in her chest, "... she helped me… she saved me… she… she taught me…"
"She lied to you, Luz," finally, the young monarch looked up, purple eyes turned red, "That's what she does. Eda saw how badly you wanted to learn Magic, and she took you for all you were worth: two weeks of free labour, and all you get in return is the chance to beat your head against a brick wall while she laughs at you behind your back."
"That's… that's not…" she shook her head, voice shaking. She turned her gaze to Owlbert, "... Owlbert, she… Eda wouldn't…"
The carving had hung his head; he stared up at her with eyes upturned, so wide that she was convinced he was on the verge of tears himself. He started to shake his head, then stopped, eyes falling to the brickwork beneath them, half closed in mixed sorrow and frustration.
It wasn't much of an answer. Certainly not the answer Luz wanted.
But it was answer enough.
"... there's no reason for you to die because Eda tricked you," King wiped his eyes, unsteadily standing as he tried to recall his usual confidence, "So we're gonna go get the portal, and you're gonna go back to the human realm. That's my command to you, as the King of Demons, Luz."
The girl didn't answer. Fear had given way to something entirely.
The waves of heartbreak and despair crashed down around her heart; they sapped the strength from her limbs, so much so that Luz couldn't tell if she just couldn't feel the cold, or just didn't care anymore. Her head hung from her neck, her whole body just going slack as she stared down at her lap, phone in one hand, elixir in the other.
The strange girl had thought she had found somewhere to belong.
She thought she had found someone who understood.
Someone who wouldn't hurt her, whether they meant it or not.
"... Luz?" King prompted, tugging at her leg again.
She didn't answer.
Instead, she clicked on the phone; staring down at her, through a cracked screen, was Eda's silhouette, talon raised and lips pulled back into that vicious, hungry grin.
… was that really all the Witch was?... some predator, poised to prey upon anyone unlucky enough to run into her, anyone foolish enough to trust her?...
"Luz," he tugged harder, "Come on. We gotta go."
The disillusioned apprentice didn't bother to shrug him off. She just scrolled back to the video she had taken of her manipulative mentor earlier that evening, and pressed play.
"-besides, I wanna see if I can catch the full circle," her own voice echoed in her ears, blissfully unaware.
"Alright, alright," that chuckle suddenly seemed so full of malicious bemusement, "Last time, then you have to try it yourself. Ready?"
"Ready!"
The Witch's glowing fingertip traced the circle as it had before, light shining through the cracks in the screen.
But right as Eda completed it, the screen froze and tore.
"... what the-" Luz blinked, scooting herself up, "What the Hell?"
"... Luz, it's just broken," King grabbed onto her wrist, "It can wait for when you're back in the human realm!"
"Hold on a sec," she held up her hand, staring down into the torn video.
The visage of Eda was torn to shreds by the glitching screen, head and limbs jumping about with no rhyme or rhythm, tossed back and forth in the sea of static and visual tear.
But the circle itself was intact. A perfect, glowing circle on the surface of her screen, seemingly unaffected by the visual glitching.
… no. It was more than intact.
It had been filled.
The symbol within almost seemed to resemble a bird, simplistic, triangular wings outstretched from a singular line, a circle for a head, its beak stretching to the top of the circle, a pair of angled lines through the very center acting as legs. Or perhaps it was a series of rays, cast down gradually through the circle until it reached the bottom, the lines representing some sort of shadow.
For a moment, it was enough to shake away the heartbreak, to pull her out of the pit of despair that was welling up within her.
"... paper?" she glanced at King, who was staring at her in mixed confusion and concern.
"... no," he shook his head, "'s all downstairs."
"Okay, then," Luz reached instead for one of the toppled, smashed plants; she ripped off a leaf, pressing it to the surface of her phone as she clicked on the pen with the gemstone tip, "Let's do it the hard way."
Even with the veins and supple surface within the green, it wasn't enough to stop her from tracing the circle; it shone through the leaf with a brightness that should have been uncanny, but she couldn't bring herself to care.
She completed the symbol, then closed her eyes, repeating Eda's lesson to herself, "Now… breathe in…"
A count of five with the inward breath…
"... picture the flow…"
The ever-present thrum of her Wavelength; down the length of her arm, producing a gentle burst…
"...and release!"
Her eyes snapped open; she pressed her fingers to the circle.
Once again, her Soul Wavelength pulsed. Muscle, bone and sinew carried it down the length of her arm, into her hand, and out through her fingers.
The leaf wilted in her hand, turning translucent, all of its substance seeming to concentrate into the veins and edges as they curled in on themselves; it almost seemed to burn, a brief flash of heat tickling her fingers.
But that wasn't quite right.
There was no smoke; the leaf didn't shrivel and wither so much as it warped and compressed. The light was the wrong colour; not the flickering oranges of flame, but a brilliant steady gold.
The same gold that Eda had conjured.
She stared at the tiny light in her hands, barely the size of a marble.
For just a moment, Luz had completely forgotten all of her despair. All of her heartbreak.
All of it, washed away for an instant, by this tiny, golden, star.
"... I did it," she murmured, a smile flitting across her face, "I just did Magic... I just did Magic!"
"... I've never seen a ritual circle just… happen like that," King murmured; he and Owlbert seemed as entranced by the light as she was, King's eyes shooting back and forth between the human and the light, Owlbert excitedly bouncing on her shoulder, once again miming clapping with his wings.
Eventually, King settled on staring at the human, utterly shocked, "Luz… how did you?... how did you see that?..."
She breathed, long and slow, staring down at her conjured star…
And then felt her fists clench, the waves in her heart and stomach dispelled by the light.
"... King," Luz stared, turning to face him, "What kind of Demon would you say that Eda's turned into?"
It was King's turn to blink, startled, "What?"
"You're the King of Demons, aren't you?" the girl pressed, encouraging, "That means you know more about Demons than anyone else."
"... you… you wanna learn about Demons?" he reiterated, "Now?"
"Hey, always a good time to learn," she smiled, "Besides, we gotta figure out how to beat it if we're gonna save Eda."
"Save-!?" the Demonic despot sputtered, "Luz, we can't fight that thing! And that tiny little light's not gonna be enough to stop it!"
"Maybe not," the young Sorcerer conceded, clapping her hands around the star; it went out, plunging the trio back into darkness, "But that doesn't mean I'm not gonna try. Eda's turned into a monster, and we're the only people in the world right now who can save her."
"... you really wanna save her?" he questioned, utterly disbelieving, "Even though she tricked you? Lied to you?"
"... yeah," the girl nodded, "I know she lied. But… all the same… if there's even the slightest chance I can help her, I am not going to stand by and do nothing. Besides," her smile redoubled, heart swelling, "I might be 'only human,' but I know better than most that one human can make one Hell of a difference."
King stood, stunned silent by her declaration; Owlbert gave an approving croon, once again pressing nuzzling against her cheek with a happy hoot.
After a moment though, King seemed to finally regain some confidence; he crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and let out a chuckle, shaking his head to hide how he was wiping his cheeks on his shoulders.
"I'm starting to see why Francois likes you so much," he clambered up to the windowsill, grabbing a fistful of leaves as he went, "You really are more stubborn than most Demons."
"I'd like to think it's in all the best ways," she laughed, handing him the pen.
"Okay," he started a rough sketch of the creature, "First thing: black eyes are typical of nocturnal Demons. This helps them see in darkness extremely well, even without perceiving Soul Wavelength, but it's a double edged sword; as you saw, the creature really didn't like the flash on your scroll-box!"
"Too bad it's blasted now," she grimaced, turning the phone in her hands to look at the damaged flashlight; a whole chunk was missing out of the lightbulb, making her mewl, "Mami's gonna kill me when she sees this…"
"She's much bigger," King continued, "Had a lot of teeth - mix of tearing and gripping teeth, which implies she swallows most prey whole, but rips things that are too big into smaller chunks - along with feathers and wings."
"Which are big enough to let her fly," Luz muttered, casting her gaze to the sky again, "Kinda wish we knew where she was…"
"Problem is, we don't know as much as I'd like," the pup muttered, settling into a cross-legged sit, "And we don't have a lot of options. Which means, I think we're best off trying to use her sensitivity to light - maybe her hearing, too, with how big those ears were."
"Doubt it; she got pretty loud with that scream," the apprentice shook her head, "But Eda said that the bigger the circle, the more powerful the spell becomes. If I can draw a big enough circle for the Light spell, then-"
"-then we could disorient her long enough to chuck in the elixir!" King whooped, jumping to his feet, "I think we've got this, Luz!"
"Don't forget about the doors," she pointed out, "This place is still a maze. If we go through the wrong door, we could be walking straight into her."
At this Owlbert let out a hoot, flapping up to perch himself atop her head.
"We got our guide right here!" King pointed, "I think the best way to do this is to lure her into the end of the upstairs hallway. It's long and narrow, so she'll have a hard time backing out, and there's several doors for us to escape through if things go wrong!"
"Sounds like a plan," Luz wrung her hands together, letting out another breath, "Let's do this."
She held out her arm; King leapt up onto her shoulder, giggling delightedly as the tanned teen scratched him behind the horns. Owlbert let out a hoot, clearly jealous, and the youth chuckled, giving another gentle stroke atop his head.
And with that, the trio entered the Owl House once more.
"And you're absolutely sure these answers are honest, Maka?"
The Meister bit her lip, her gaze jerking away from the counsellor as Doctor Gorgon idly flipped through the evaluation. Although she'd done her best to answer each question as honestly as she could, she hadn't been sure how to go about answering them in the first place; the questions about nightmares, avoidance, reactivity and stress had quickly made her mind swim, dragging what could have easily been a ten minute worksheet into nearly an hour of struggle.
How could she be avoiding the Chiesa when it was on the other side of the world? How could she have been avoiding Soul when she hadn't even been allowed to see him? How was she blaming herself when what happened to Soul really was her fault?
All these questions and dozens turned her stream of consciousness into a flood, carrying her away into the sea of thought and fear that stretched endlessly to horizon, and infinitely down into depths she didn't want to ponder, but pulled her down, down into the darkness nonetheless.
If she'd just been more careful, if she'd just called Papa instead of insisting on carrying on alone, if she'd just retreated when the fight had started going wrong, if she'd just let go of her stubborn pride-!
"Maka?"
She snapped back to reality, gasping for breath as she registered the woman once more. She hadn't even noticed how tightly she was clutching her arms around her stomach, hands trembling.
"Maka," Doctor Gorgon repeated, eyes fixed firmly upon the girl, lips curled down with clear concern, "Are you alright?"
"I…" she swallowed, trying to wet her tongue again; her voice was somewhere between a creak and a croak, as though her hour of silence working on the questions had been enough for rust to coat her vocal chords. She struggled to clear her throat, the sensation more akin to a cough, finally cluing her in to how parched she was, "... I think I need some water…"
"... you have been here for a while," the counsellor's smile returned, "Thankfully, we're almost finished. I just need to ask you a few more questions, and then we're done for today."
The grey-haired girl nodded, settling back into the chair and letting her hands rest in her lap. The urge to play with something was overwhelming, but she'd already long since handed the doctor back her pen, leaving Maka with nothing but her own fingers to fiddle with.
"You've answered everything on the evaluation honestly?" the taller woman asked again.
"... honestly as I can," Maka managed, "I… it's hard to just… put everything into multiple choice like this…"
"How we feel is always more complicated than we can put into raw data," Doctor Medusa bobbed her head, clearly in agreement, "Especially so soon after the event. I can't imagine you've really had a chance to settle with everything that's happened."
The young Meister just shook her head, gaze dropping once again.
"All the same, I appreciate you're making the effort," the woman smiled, "Now, are you ready?"
"... as I'll ever be," the student stated, burying the truth beneath technicality.
If the doctor noticed the sidestep, she didn't comment. Instead, she turned the page on her clipboard, pen in hand, "How have you been feeling since leaving Venice?"
"... numb?" Maka murmured, the word a question even in her own ears.
"In what way?" the query was unobtrusive - not a pursuit, but a gentle tugging at a thread.
"... like… everything's… far away," the preteen bit her lip, struggling to put the fog that had been hanging over her into words, "I'm… there, but… I'm… also not?... I… I feel like I'm watching my life through a screen. Everything's… sluggish. I-I know I'm in control, but… everything feels… disconnected, like… like I have to use a remote, or… or a mouse, for… everything. Getting up… cooking… eating…"
"I see," a scribble of the pen, "Is there anything that disrupts the numbness?"
"... a few things," Maka confessed, "The other night, I… someone got in my face, and I just… I went from numb to raw, so fast. Like… like all my skin got pulled off, all at once. They-they didn't even mean to, I just… it was…"
"... too much?" Doctor Gorgon glanced up from her clipboard, gently meeting her gaze.
"... too much," Maka nodded.
Again, the pen slowly made its way across the clipboard, "What about positives? Has anything good managed to break the numbness?"
"... seeing my friends, today," the Meister felt her lips twitch, "... everyone came. Even Black Star - I… I didn't think he could think about anyone but himself. Sure, he broke the door down, and I was… well, frankly, I was ready to strangle him, but… he still came. And Kid, too, and Liz and Patty - even though I haven't known them long. I even managed some back and forth with Liz, earlier."
At this, the doctor let out a low chuckle, "It's always good to know the people you care about are there to support you - even if you don't like some of them very much."
Finally, a smile managed to bloom across Maka's face. She squeezed her hands together, slowly letting herself begin to rock back and forth, a hint of cheer finally emerging in her chest.
"Unfortunately, I need to swerve us back to the negatives for a moment," Doctor Medusa sobered, "Have there been any specific negative triggers?"
Maka felt her smile fade, brow furrowing as she groped about her mind, "... nothing comes to mind. Like I said, someone got in my face the other night, but… then… so did Patty, today?... then again…"
"Can you identify a difference between them?"
"... I need to think about it," Maka clutched her temple, "I'm… not all that sure what the difference there was. Just… there was one."
"I see," another scribble, "More to the point: Do you think Soul's injury is going to be a trigger for you going forwards?"
This time, Maka couldn't immediately answer; she turned her gaze upon her slumbering Weapon, eyes lingering on the very edge of the scar still visible beneath his hospital gown. She bit her lip, eyes falling to the floor…
"... I think we can leave that question alone, for now, then," she set the clipboard aside, "There are a few more questions I should technically ask you, but looking at you, I think you've had enough for today. So I'm going to skip to the last one."
"... the last one?" the girl echoed.
Doctor Gorgon set her hands in her lap, "Maka. I want you to answer this honestly; it's very important that you do. Do you understand?"
The Scythe Meister pulled her lips into a thin line, eyes wide; all the words dried up in her throat, something about the question that put her on edge. Something that made it seem more important than the evaluation, or any of the other questions that she had been asked so far.
Slowly, however, she managed a nod, bracing herself for whatever was coming.
"... do you still want to be a Meister?"
At this, Maka just stared; the shock roared up from her stomach in an eruption, rising into her chest and throat in a wave of heat and dismay. Her whole body went ramrod straight, shoulders hoisted up by her arms and spine, yanked up like a puppet on strings. She opened her mouth, voice rising, "Of course I still want to be a Meister!"
"There's no need to shout, Maka," Doctor Gorgon raised a placating hand, expression somber, "I know this is a big question, but remember that this is an infirmary. There are people in here that still need their rest."
It took a moment for the student to recognize the words; after a moment, she felt her face flush, her shock quashed by the sudden embarrassment of her outburst.
Nonetheless, she pressed on, forcing herself to speak past the mortified sear that was still burning on her face, "... I want to be a Meister. That hasn't changed."
"You're sure?" the counsellor pressed.
"Yes!" Maka insisted, "Why would you even ask that?"
"Because now you've seen firsthand what can happen to a Weapon and Meister when something goes wrong in the field," the blond stated evenly.
At that, the Meister felt her vehemence wane; the shocked outrage was supplanted by the sudden flood of memory. For an instant, she wasn't in the hospital room; she was back in the Chiesa, Soul not swaddled by bandages and bedding, but drowning in his own blood, lying almost lifeless in her arms…
"You are an incredibly hard worker, Maka. You and Soul both," the woman glanced briefly at the unconscious boy in the bed, "Ninety-nine collected Souls for a pair of first year, One Star students is practically unheard of, even if they were confiscated in the end; you two must have been snatching up assignments left and right to get that close, that quickly."
Those gold eyes drifted back to Maka, utterly neutral, "I acknowledge that even beyond your family history specifically, you have a passion for what you do. But by the same token, that passion, that confidence, has been shaken by what you experienced in Venice. I can see it just looking at you."
The grey-haired girl had no retort; it was all she could do to not break her gaze, shoulders curling in on themselves as she shrunk down in her chair. She felt smaller by the second, hands clasping in her lap as if to desperately grasp at what confidence she had left…
"... people die in this line of work," Doctor Gorgon continued, "And there's no guarantee that this won't happen to you again. I won't begrudge you your decision, regardless of what you choose to do - but you should know the realities before you make your choice," she glanced at the bedridden Scythe again, "... and there's no guarantee that Soul will make the same choice, regardless of what you choose."
Maka finally broke her gaze, staring at her hands; they were clasped together so tightly they were trembling, a tremble that threatened to carry up the length of her arms and into the rest of her body as the fear from that night returned…
Slowly, the counsellor reached out, placing a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder, "No one will blame you if you decide you don't want this anymore."
For a split second, Maka wanted to take it.
This door out that the doctor had opened for her.
She continued to stare down at her clasped hands…
"... Doctor… do you know… what the definition of courage is?"
Doctor Gorgon didn't answer.
Slowly, Maka raised her head, green eyes fixing upon gold, "... you can't have courage without fear. If… if you're never afraid, then… then you're not courageous. You're just… indifferent. Numb."
Still, the woman said nothing; she seemed to be waiting for something, to see where the girl's tangent was going.
The Meister's eyes dropped again, brows furrowing, "... I'm scared. That's… that's hard for me to admit. I'm… terrified, after what happened. But… that doesn't mean I'm going to quit."
This time, when Maka raised her eyes, she did not let them drop; she didn't so much as blink, "... courage is being afraid… but trying anyways."
"... and you're sure you're doing this for the right reasons?" the blond asked, pulling her hand back, "If this is about your work or glory, then that's not courage. That's just foolish."
"This isn't about the work I've put in," the Scythe Meister shook her head, "And this isn't about adulation, showing up Papa, or… or making Mama proud. I want to help people. I want to save people."
"You can save people in many other lines of work," Doctor Gorgon crossed her arms, "Why insist on being a Meister?"
"... because I know what's out there, now," Maka said, voice steadier than it had been in days, "Running away is no different from ignoring the problem; it's not going to go away. Someone has to face that. If it's not me, it's… just gonna be someone else."
This time, the doctor said nothing.
"I'm not going to let this beat me," the young Albarn declared, "I'm a Meister. And I'm going to overcome this. One way or another."
"... even if Soul chooses to quit?" the blond asked.
"He won't."
"He might."
"He won't," Maka almost hissed, the words steel in her mouth, "I have more faith in him than that."
For a long moment, neither spoke. Maka continued to glare into the counsellor's eyes, refusing to break contact for so much as a second; only now did she realize that her hands had stopped trembling, having gone utterly still in her lap.
Slowly, the calculating neutrality began to slip from Doctor Gorgon's face; her eyes softened as the smile slowly crept back across her lips, warmth radiating from her once again.
"... you're a strong girl," she stated, "Stronger than I gave you credit for. I think there's a lot of people who could learn a thing or two from you."
"... thank you, Doctor Gorgon," Maka felt herself begin to settle; she hadn't realized she had been leaning forward so aggressively, sinking into the back of the chair as if it were a mattress.
"It's clear that you still want to be a Meister, and that you want it for the right reasons," the counsellor picked up the clipboard once again, "With your evaluation complete, and pending further appointments, you should be able to return to class soon."
The Meister nodded, "I've still got a few more rest days anyways…"
"That's good. You should use them," the doctor slowly rose from her chair, "I think it's time you headed home. I'll email you your first scheduled appointment tomorrow."
"How often will Soul and I be coming in?" Maka queried, rising in turn to follow the woman.
"Once a week, ideally," Doctor Gorgon opened the door, letting Maka through before entering the hall herself, "I think I'll give you two different days. Maybe a third day for a shared appointment if it's necessary. I'll aim for afternoons so I don't interrupt your classwork."
"I appreciate it," the girl bobbed, almost bowing, "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet," the blond chuckled, "You've both got a long way to go, Maka. I trust you'll be visiting Soul again tomorrow?"
"Yeah," she nodded, "I wanna be here when he wakes up. It'll also give Tsubaki a chance to give me her notes, and… well," she managed a laugh, "Maybe Soul'll actually listen for once if I read him the notes while he's unconscious."
At this, she actually got a snicker from the taller woman, "And here I'd heard your mother was a slave driver when it came to her work ethic."
"You hear that from Death Scythe?" the youth crossed her arms, eyes narrowed.
"From Stein, actually," the Doctor sighed, clearly amused, "He's never liked her much, apparently."
"Can't imagine why," Maka muttered crossly, now thoroughly annoyed.
Doctor Gorgon let out another laugh, then sobered, "I trust you can see yourself out, Maka?"
"I can," the girl raised a hand in a halfhearted wave, "Thank you for your time today, Doctor Gorgon."
"Thank you for yours," the woman smiled, "I'll see you tomorrow."
With that, she turned on her heel, and started down the hall, leaving Maka to find her own way out.
The ladder was more rickety than Luz would have liked.
It was old, the wood warped and splintering with age; it wouldn't close properly, forcing her to awkwardly carry it around in its open state to the end of the hall as quietly as she could manage. Even unfolded, one leg was noticeably off-kilter due to all the duct tape that had been haphazardly wrapped around it, leaving it to rock back and forth on two legs as she climbed her way up the piece of junk.
Then again, it made a certain amount of sense; when King could just scrabble his way up most things with his negligible weight, and Eda could just float her way up to wherever she needed to be, neither of them really needed a ladder.
It would certainly go a long way in explaining why it was being used as a coat stand in one of Eda's many, many closets.
Although Luz kept her phone out in order to reference the glyph again - she knew it was a ritual circle, but "glyph" just felt so much more natural of a name - she quickly found it wasn't necessary; as she etched the circle onto the wall, as large as she could manage without warping the shape, she found it already committed to memory. Each line came out naturally, as if she had already done this a thousand times before - though she still couldn't quite decide if it was rays of light, or a bird.
It was strange, considering that this was only the third time the Sorcerer had cast a spell of her own making, the second floating by her head and giving her the light she needed to see.
Strange. But not unwelcome.
As she finished the drawing - now that she stopped to think about it, it looked kind of like the alchemical symbol for phosphorous - she pocketed the chalk, and turned, waiting, blanket in hand.
Down below, King glanced up from around his half-open door, "... you really think this is going to work?"
"I sure hope it does," she licked her lips, fighting the urge to bite, "You got all the books you need?"
"Yeah. Tried to stay away from anything that looked important, but I ran outta magazines," he grimaced, picking up one magazine with a particularly scantily clad man with a bow and arrow pulled to full draw emblazoned on the front between foreclaw and thumb, desperately trying to avoid touching the rest of it, "Never knew Eda read this filth…"
Luz felt the smile spread across her face, but then quickly sobered, "King, we gotta stay focused. Owlbert'll be luring Eda back here any second. This might be our only shot. Just to double check - you have the elixir?"
"Right here," he held up the bottle.
Before she could respond, that earsplitting scream echoed through the house again; it renewed the ringing in her ears, making her wince, the smile slipping from her face entirely.
The diminutive Demon didn't need any further prompting; he slipped back down the hall, returning to his position as the howling grew louder. Already, the teen could hear the thunderous crashes of the creature's pursuit, the ladder shaking under the force…
Nonetheless, she held firm, gripping the blanket with both hands.
Right on cue, Owlbert, still emitting his bright glow, swooped around the corner; his grace was juxtaposed by the violent scrabbling of Eda's gargantuan form across the hardwood, leaving deep gouges and even tearing up several of the floorboards as she chased after him, snarling and screeching in a rage.
The carving met her gaze briefly, almost seeming to nod before darting into the open door.
If Eda even saw Luz, she didn't acknowledge her; she skidded across the floor, trying and failing to turn in the narrow hallway to give further chase to the tiny owl-
Only to find a veritable tower of books crashing down in front of her feet.
Leather covers, worn parchment and glossy pages alike completely robbed the Witch-turned-monster of her traction, taking her colossal weight from under her in a mighty crash that left her right at the foot of the ladder.
Already, the girl was letting go of the blanket; it landed squarely across the creature's face, eliciting a new round of screaming as the creature fought to get it off.
"... I'm sorry, Eda!" Luz shouted, turning to the glyph, arm raised, "This is for your own-!"
Before she could finish, she heard wood smash and snap.
Her heart skipped a beat as the ladder collapsed.
Eda had already shredded the blanket, her expression nothing short of murderous as she glared up at the human from the floor, one of the ladder's legs stuck in her talons.
Luz hit the floor in a heap; her entire left side screamed with pain, from her head, to her humerus, to her hip and thigh. She groaned, vision swimming briefly as she pushed herself up, pawing helplessly at her aching head-
And found herself face to face with Eda.
The feathered monstrosity had already pushed herself off the floor; slowly, she stalked forwards, the sheer rage in her expression almost as bad as the delighted satisfaction she'd displayed when she'd cornered the trio before. That horrid mouth opened wide again, a hiss rising in the air.
Panicking, Luz scuttled back as quickly as she could, her back hitting the wall; she flailed, trying to reach the glyph-
Only to find it completely out of her reach, too high off the floor for her to touch without standing up.
Her eyes fell back to those black orbs, that open maw.
"Luz!" King shouted, but he was too far away. He'd never reach her in time. Owlbert was already swooping down around the creature's head, but she paid him no mind, all her fury fixated upon the human.
Eda lunged.
Luz screamed.
She squeezed her eyes shut, threw her arms up in some vain hope of protecting herself.
The light glyph shone in her mind, a perfect image.
And her Soul reacted.
A flash of light filled the hall, so bright Luz could see it through her eyelids. Eda screamed again, her massive weight hitting the floor all at once beside her. The girl's eyes snapped open, the beast clawing at its face as if it could physically remove the same echo of flash that was still burned into her own retinas, mouth thrown open wide.
She didn't know what happened.
But she wasn't about to squander the opportunity.
"... King, NOW!" the girl shouted.
He was already there, cork rolling on the floor behind him; with both hands, he took the bottle of gleaming gold, and hurled it into Eda's mouth with every ounce of force that he could manage.
It landed on that long, thin tongue, causing the maw to snap back shut either in surprise or impulse. The beast's eyes shot open, the pupils rapidly shrinking and growing, back and forth between Eda's bright gold and the creature's pitch black. She tried to throw her mouth back open, to spit the elixir back out onto the floor-
Only for Luz to slam her shoulder into the base of Eda's jaw, forcing her mouth back shut.
"No, you DON'T!" the tanned teen roared, reaching up and grabbing as much of that mane as she could for good measure, "That elixir goes all the way down!"
The creature struggled; Luz felt its massive talons wrap all the way around her torso, tearing her away and flinging her against the wall. She smashed through the drywall and into the wood, another shock of pain running up the length of her spine and making her choke as she slipped back down to the floor; she pushed herself up again, staring as the creature opened her mouth to spit…
… and only shards of glass came out, clicking to the floor.
Eda's warped form stared down, uncomprehending, before it began to sway. It let out a low, miserable moan of denial, its limbs losing their strength as it collapsed under its own weight. Already, feathers were beginning to fall from her skin in thick, matted clumps, her ears shrinking, talons receding, cheeks sinking against her teeth as they pulled back into her gums. Bones shrank, tendons distended, and wings retracted as the creature went from twelve feet at the shoulder to ten, to eight, to four.
Before long, all that was left was an unconscious, pale woman in purple rags, surrounded by a nest of black and ashen feathers.
Slowly, Luz let herself sink back to the floor, a sigh of relief escaping her as the aching hit her all at once. She just laid there, trying to regain her breath…
"... Luz?"
"... 'm… okay, King," she murmured, smiling, "... just… lemme lay here a minute… everything hurts..."
A hoot rang out as Owlbert landed on her ear; he pecked at her temple, trying to get her attention.
"... Owlbert, stoooooop," she whined, "Just lemme-"
"Luz, look," King insisted, poking her in the eyelid.
Annoyance finally taking hold, she opened one eye; King was right in front of her, and he backed away, pointing up.
She followed the angle of his claw-
And found herself face to face with another conjured star, this one almost as big as she was, its glow filling the hall with golden light.
Her whole body ached.
Muscle screamed for release; bone ached under its own weight; tendons strained under her skin, which felt loose, stretched too far and not quite snapping back into place the way it was supposed to. The distant sound of rain was like gravel in her ears, and she would be damned before she let the thunder drag her out of bed.
And yet, Eda emerged from dreamless sleep, whether she wanted to or not.
"... the candles came back on."
"That means she's waking up!"
The voices were familiar, but her exhausted mind refused to place them. They didn't alarm her, and for now, that was more than the Clawthorne needed to know.
At the very least, she knew where she was even before she even opened her eyes; her nest was as comfortable as ever, the layers of moss and twigs perfectly conforming to her form. Her hand brushed against coins and toys and trinkets as she reached up, pulling a strand of stray hair out of her mouth, the blanket a warm, but welcome addition to her bedding.
… though she'd never slept with a blanket. Not in the summers.
It was always too warm.
More annoyed that she now had a reason to get up than alarmed by the change to her sleeping arrangements, the Witch forced her eyes open; keeping the blanket bundled around her shoulders like a shawl, she pushed herself up, fighting to ignore the sensation of her bones popping back into place as she forced her back to move, shoulders rising, legs crossing, spine straightening as she sat, peering up and over the edge of her nest.
Sure enough, there sat King, perched on the edge of the nest beside Owlbert; in the corner behind him, Luz had settled cross legged on the floor, surrounded by scattered paper, hands set between her legs as she rocked back and forth.
"... what're you doing in here?" the Witch slurred, voice thick with what felt distinctly like phlegm; she coughed, cleared, and spat into an empty bottle, grimacing, before refocusing on the two children, "I told you I don't want you in here unless I say otherwise; some of the stuff in here is dangerous."
"Kinda hard to do that when you're laying unconscious on the floor, Eda," King sounded far too pleased with himself for her liking, "What were we supposed to do, leave you in front of the fireplace? Maybe stick your arm over the embers and help ourselves to some Witch shank?"
"King," Luz piped up, tone scolding.
"What? It's what I'd have done if you hadn't insisted on bringing her up here!"
Eda grimaced, clutching at her head, "... that's right… I collapsed, didn't I?..."
"After coughing up a ton of blood. Which we haven't gotten around to cleaning up yet, by the way," the diminutive Demon's amusement was palpable.
She ignored him, finally surveying the room.
The doors had been smashed down; her floor was covered in deep tears and gouges, some of the floorboards missing entirely. Her windowsill had fresh claw marks, the plants having been scooped into fresh, but haphazard containers after being toppled over. The whole room was a complete and utter mess, a mess that neither of them could have caused…
… and she finally noticed the taste of bile in her mouth.
It hit her like the crushing weight of an angry behemoth; her insides froze, the ache vanishing to the fringes of her mind as the pieces fell into place. She stiffened, looking to Owlbert, mouth dry.
The look on his face - that damnable mix of genuine concern and resigned frustration, that look that was somewhere between "are you alright?" and "I told you so" - told her all she needed to know.
She sank into the moss, an empty breath escaping her, "... I… I transformed… didn't I?..."
"Sure did," King shook his head, crossing his arms, "And let me tell you: Not. Fun."
"... Eda," Luz started; she didn't rise from where she was sitting, and the Witch could tell from her tone alone that something had changed. The concern in her eyes was real, but there was something… guarded about her posture, her tone, a new distance present that hadn't been there before, "... are… are you okay?..."
"... I've been better," the Witch shuddered, casting her gaze down, "... it's been a long time since the Owlbeast got the better of me like that…"
"Owlbeast?" King blinked, perplexed, "Never heard of a Demon like that."
"Most people haven't," Eda huffed, "Even I'm not entirely sure what it is; just that it's Demonic, and it's ancient. And I've spent a long time trying to research it."
"... how long?" Luz asked, still not moving.
"Thousands of years?" the Owl Lady thought back, "A long time, at any rate. When I was younger, while Lily and I were-" she stopped, took a breath, "... a long time ago… I was cursed. I'm still not entirely sure what happened, but… for all intents and purposes, I have a Demon living inside of me. And every now and again, it… well, it wants out. And unfortunately, the only way out is…"
"... is for it to take over," the chocolate child murmured, eyes widening.
Eda nodded, "Hit the nail on the head kiddo."
"... that's why you need those elixirs Owlbert had us looking for," the Demon stated.
"... their taste is indescribably horrible, and their ingredients are an absolute nightmare to get a hold of," the woman's face wrankled at the mere thought, "It takes about a month just to get everything ready to go. After that, a week to brew, and another month for the elixir to age to decent potency - though ideally, you should let the stuff age for at least a year. And Titan forbid the clouds hide the moon at any point during that week of cooking, or you're waiting for a third month to finish the process. But, well…" she gestured about the room, "You've seen the alternative. This curse is one of the biggest reasons I ended up with the moniker of 'the Owl Lady' - and it's not like it's unmanageable with the right steps."
Slowly, Luz nodded, understanding clear in her expression - though still, she didn't approach, eyes fixed upon her with questions she clearly wasn't sure whether or not she should ask.
Before Eda could give her permission, though, King piped up, "Well, it wasn't all bad!"
"... how do you figure that?" the Witch managed a smirk, glancing at the Demon.
"Luz learned her first spell!"
He pointed up towards the ceiling; and for the first time, Eda noticed the dozens of tiny lights that hung about the rafters, illuminating her room better than the candles ever could.
It was like staring up into a stolen portion of the night sky, small, gleaming stars floating back and forth lazily about the ceiling; Owlbert had taken off, delightedly swooping back and forth between the glowing lights like a selkidomus amidst the boiling shoals, hooting all the while before finally coming to land atop Luz's head, nuzzling her affectionately.
"... you…" the Witch pointed up, astounded, "... you did this? All of it?"
Luz's response was to pick up her pen, click it, and then draw a circle out onto the paper, as naturally as if she'd always known how; she etched out a symbol, a symbol Eda knew, a symbol Eda had never taught her, pressed her hand to it… and pulsed her Wavelength.
The paper crumpled. Glowed. Compressed.
And gleamed as it rose up into the air, joining the other dozens amidst the ceiling.
All Eda could do was stare as it rose, before letting her gaze fall back down, meeting the human's - the Sorcerer's - gaze.
"... and you learned that all by yourself," the Witch murmured, truly astounded.
"... it wasn't easy," Luz smiled, but it was still guarded, "It… it was part of how we saved you. Turns out the Owlbeast doesn't like bright lights…"
"... no. No it doesn't," Eda sighed again, casting her eyes down.
For a long moment, silence hung between them.
"... I think it's… about time I told you the truth," the Owl Lady resolved, lips pulling thin.
Luz didn't respond.
"... I've been lying to you, Luz. I…" Eda's hands clenched tighter around the blanket, "... humans… are not capable of innately casting Magic."
She waited for the response. The confusion, the disbelief, the dismay.
It never came.
Luz just sat, silent, staring at her. Waiting for her to continue.
"...originally, I wasn't going to tell you this," the Witch confessed, "... I was… going to wait for you to get frustrated, and… give up on your own. Use you as a helping hand around the house and for my business in the meantime. But, then… something unexpected happened."
"... Hexside?" the girl asked, voice quiet.
"... no," Eda stated, "... it wasn't Hexside. Fact is, I like you, kid. You're fun to teach. You've taken to everything I've taught you so well. Just look at this," she gestured up to the miniature galaxy above them, "You pulled this off all on your own when I expected you to get exactly nowhere, with my help. You surprise me in all the best ways, and you're eager. Do you have any idea how many Witches would kill for an apprentice half as bright and eager as you?"
Again, Luz didn't answer. She just sat, listening.
The woman sighed again, rubbing her brow, "... but that doesn't change that… you're human. Anyone can become a Sorcerer - Soul Wavelength and the right knowledge can manipulate the Magic inherent in… any object. But a Witch?..."
Silence.
"... no one… becomes… a Witch."
Eda finally said the words she had been dreading this entire time; they almost caught in her throat, an admission that she had so bitterly refused to make until now. She cleared her throat, forcing herself to continue, "You're either born a Witch, or you're not. And… well. Lady Luck's spat on you, as far as that goes, Luz."
Still, there was no distress in Luz's eyes.
If anything, they were shining. Shining with emotion, her shoulders slowly relaxing, almost relieved at the words she was hearing now - though why, Eda couldn't be sure.
The Witch didn't let that stop her, however. She pressed on, summoning all her courage, rising to her feet and stepping out of the nest. She approached, unsteady on her feet, kneeling across from the girl.
"... the fact is… there's no place for you, here in the Isles," she reached out, placing a hand on each of Luz's shoulders, "I am… so impressed with how far you've come. You've proven me wrong over, and over, and over again.
"... but that doesn't change the reality. You're not safe here. And knowing me puts us all in danger," her grip tightened, "... I wanted to finish teaching you how to use your Soul Wavelength. But… I think it will be better for all of us… you, especially… if you go home in the morning."
Tears were falling from Luz's face now - but it was disconcerting, seeing the smile they were paired with, without hearing the wailing, the refusal, that the Witch had been bracing herself for this entire time.
Instead, the human glanced at the Demon, prompting Eda to turn to face him as well.
He closed his eyes, arms crossed, and gave a silent nod.
Before the Owl Lady could ask, the girl had reached up, and gently guided her face back, brown eyes locking on gold.
"... watch," Luz whispered, clasping her hands together, and closing her eyes.
Her Wavelength thrummed before Eda's eyes; it took shape in her chest, the current somehow forming a circle around her Soul. A circle, then lines, the colour changing from bright blue to gold. It shone, bright and brilliant, and then pulsed.
For the briefest instant, Luz's Soul wasn't a human's Soul.
It was a Witch's Soul, producing its own Magic.
And as the girl unfolded her hands, a brilliant light shone between them.
Another shining star.
"... that-..." Eda was at a complete loss for words; her hands slipped down Luz's arms, reaching up to clutch the light, utterly breathless, "That's not-... this-... this… you shouldn't be able to-...!"
Owlbert was happily crooning again; he took the light in his claws, and flew up towards the ceiling, the sheer overwhelming delight in his Soul shining as bright as the stars around him.
"... I don't know how she did it," King hopped down from the lip of the nest, his excited grin apparent in his voice, "But she broke the First Rule, Eda! Luz can cast Magic!"
She just stared at the lights for a long moment, before letting her gaze fall back down to the girl. Luz's smile was as bright as ever as she reached up, wiping her eyes, "How's that for proving you wrong?"
An incredulous laugh bubbled from the Witch's stomach; she threw her arms around the girl, pulling her tightly to her chest.
It took a moment for Luz to reciprocate, tears still flowing, trying to stifle her quiet sobs. Slowly, King clambered up their shoulders, pressing his head into theirs', and Owlbert descended from the rafters, coming to rest upon Eda's shoulder.
"... this changes… so much," the Owl Lady murmured.
"... does it?" the human questioned, voice thick.
"... more than you know," Eda pulled back; despite her best efforts, her mind was already tearing through the implications of this revelation.
How it could be possible.
What it meant for Luz, here and now.
What it could mean for her in the future.
… what it would undoubtedly mean for her if anyone learned about it before she was ready.
The Witch's hands tightened on her apprentice's shoulders, "... you look exhausted."
"... I am," Luz murmured, rubbing her eyes, "Doing it with my Soul is… a lot harder than with the paper…"
"I can imagine; I'm more surprised that you can pull off that level of Wavelength manipulation, much less the energy it takes to use it for Magic," Eda stated.
"Can you not do the mechanical minutia of Magic thing now?" King crossed his arms, glaring from his perch on Luz's shoulder, "She's done the impossible! Can we let that be amazing for five minutes?"
Eda quirked her lip, "Can't help it, King; I love my Magical research."
"Weh," he whined, hopping back down to the floor.
With that, the Owl Lady sobered, "... go rest up. Both of you. I imagine we're all tired after today's fiasco. And as amazing as this is… we're not ready to discuss it right now."
"... are you going back to sleep?" the human asked pointedly, crossing her arms.
"Yes," the pale woman strode back to her nest, "I'm too tired for anything else right now. I need to sleep before I can process any of this."
Luz bit her lip, bobbing her head in a nod. She opened her mouth to speak-
Only to be interrupted by a shrill scream.
"Hey! HEEEEEEEYYYY!" Hooty shouted from the floor below, "IS ANYONE THERE!? HOOT!? I'M ON THE FLOOR! IT'S COOOOOOOOOLD!"
"... that voice," King snarled, glowering at the doors, "That annoying voice!"
"... want us to go pick him back up?" Luz asked.
"... if you would," Eda sighed, "If no one does, he's gonna be screaming all night."
"Right. We'll get him back together; you just stay in bed," Luz beamed, then picked up King, "Come on, you little goober!"
"No! You are not roping me into this!" the tiny tyrant flailed helplessly as the human carried him away, "Eda! Why couldn't you eat Hooty toooohohohoo!?"
With that, the two disappeared around the corner.
Owlbert took back up the rafters with a hoot.
Eda didn't answer, too preoccupied with her own thoughts.
Instead, she laid back down, trying to not let her mind carry her away as she processed everything she had seen.
"... what the Hell am I gonna do with her now?..."
Owlbert didn't answer; he knew the query wasn't for him.
Instead, he settled, closing his eyes.
… Eda only hoped that sleep would take her as quickly.
No Spanish to translate in this chapter, unfortunately; it tends to pop up a lot more when Luz has someone who speaks Spanish to bounce off of. Nonetheless, all translation work in this story is done by the wonderful maho_kat on Archive of Our Own! Everyone, please thank her for all her hard work!
18,237 words.
Fifty seven pages.
This friggin' monster of a chapter, man, I've been wanting to write it for MONTHS!... that's probably why it came out so quick despite its massive word count. I was genuinely considering splitting this thing in half, that's how long it got, but I decided to push through and finish it anyways. I hope you enjoyed.
For now though, I'm taking a break. I'm NOT going on hiatus, please be sure about that, but I need to take some time to both work on my schoolwork and rewatch and reread Soul Eater. Maybe even take a look at Soul Eater NOT while I'm at it.
In the meantime, please enjoy this... gigantic chapter. It's almost three times as long as my normal work.
Thank you so much for giving this a read, everyone, as well as for your patience and understanding with me. Please be sure to leave your thoughts below! I hope you enjoyed the thirty second chapter of Owls and Souls, Witches and Resonance!
