Keeping Up A-fear-rances
Around 30 years ago...
"It always starts the same way."
A younger Eda sat up with a sharp gasp. She panted heavily and stood up, surrounded by an empty space.
"I wake up someplace...dark."
She only walked around for a few seconds before something rushed past her.
"And then IT appears."
A large, shadowed foot stomped a few feet away. The owl monster revealed itself to her with a screech. She screamed and ran in the opposite direction. She burst into tears.
"And eventually, I wake up and I know I turned into...that thing."
She looked up at her mother and the healer, who appeared concerned. Mrs. Clawthorne tapped her fingers against her chin in concern.
"I see...here, take this," he said, handing her a small yellow gem. "It will tell you when the beast's energy is bubbling to the surface. Also, I hear gems are quite fashionable for young witches."
"Oh, what a beautiful little stone," Mrs. Clawthorne smiled, though some of her words did not appear particularly cheerful. "May I speak with you outside?" She led him out of Eda's room, smiling at her daughter. "Just a minute, hon." She closed the door, but not completely. "What the heck was that?!"
Eda pressed her ear against the door.
"I thought you were in the Healing Coven, not the Bauble Brigade."
"Mrs. Clawthorne, we have never seen a curse quite like this," the healer attempted to reassure her. "I'm not sure it can be healed. Perhaps if we consult the Potions Coven, they may know a way to keep it at bay."
"Keep it at bay?!" the woman demanded angrily. "Oh, no. My daughter is suffering and I want that thing out! Cut it out if you have to."
Eda gasped sharply and covered her mouth. The thought of it terrified her. She looked up to see the open window pane.
"Edalyn, I'm taking you to someone else," Mrs. Clawthorne said as she opened the door, surprised to see her daughter gone.
Eda ran into the forest and came to a halt. After catching her breath, she spotted a gate with a stone wall. She walked slowly, looking around. "I never knew this was back here..." she exclaimed as she tripped and fell flat on her face.
"Huh?" She looked back and noticed something buried in the sand.
She pulled it out, revealing a suitcase. She moved the dust away, and it kept an eye on it. It suddenly came to life, surprising her when it transformed into a door with a key in the lock. The door opened, revealing an unknown realm.
"What?" Her brow furrowed in confusion.
"Edalyn!" Her mother cried out. "Edalyn, is that you?"
She remembered what Mrs. Clawthorne had said and jumped through the door, the portal disappearing with her.
"Edalyn!" Her mother approached the area. "Edalyn! ...I will find a way to cure you, Edalyn. No matter what it takes."
An alarm screamed, and Eda grabbed it to make it stop. She then threw it across the room, hitting a painting. It broke apart and fell onto a pile of other broken alarm pieces. She tidied up her messy hair before crawling face first onto the floor.
She sat up in the bathroom, grasping her fang and screwing it in.
"Weh!" She checked her teeth before taking out a razor and shaving off her feathers. She then opened the storage unit containing her elixirs and drank one.
"Blegh!"
After putting on her new outfit, she ripped a piece of it off.
"Ah, there we go. Mama like."
Hazel, Luz, and Bijou were sleeping in the kitchen. The almiraj is lying down on the table. The younger girl placed her chin on a stack of books, while the older girl rested her head on her arms, which served as pillows.
"Beans!" Eda yelled, and they awoke in surprise, screaming. Bijou rubbed her eyes open as Luz fell to the ground, and Hazel shook himself awake. The Owl Lady looked through the refrigerator for something.
"We ran out of apple blood," she said, kicking the door shut and turning to face the two with crossed arms. "Still no luck?"
Luz sat up and Bijou stretched her arms. "None. And we were up all night. We read every tome, book, notepad, and tea leaf!"
She showed Eda her cup, and the leaves came alive, giving off a shrug like a stick man.
"But nothing explains how to make a portal to the Human Realm."
"Maybe it's so ancient that there's nothing documenting it," Bijou yawned, adjusting her hair. "I even tried finding some research about the previous owner of my bangle and the magic infused it. So far, nothing."
"I wish I could help ya, kids. Sources about the owner of the bangle and its magic are few and far between right now. And my door was already pretty old when I found it."
"How long did you have it?" Luz inquired curiously.
"Well-"
A scream cut her off, and they both gasped. The three dashed into the living room, only to find Lilith on the ground, her body beginning to sprout feathers and claws as a result of the curse.
"Help...me."
"Lilith!" Bijou exclaimed with concern. Eda dashed over to the couch, removing a pillow to reveal several elixirs. She then moved over to her sister.
"Calm down, just calm down," she said, helping Lilith lie down and pouring the potion into her mouth. "The curse works harder when you're stressed."
The feathers faded away, and Lilith slowly opened her eyes.
"That was...horrible!" She admitted to the Owl Lady. "How have you managed all these years?" she asked, rubbing her temple.
"Well, it's been hard," Eda said, helping Lilith up, the two Nocedas smiling with relief that she was all right. "But since we split the curse, at least the elixirs are working again."
"That's a relief," Lilith said, looking down at her hand, which was missing. They all flinched in surprise, and Lilith's reaction indicated that this was the first time this had happened.
"Oh, yeah, sorry," Eda said, taking her sister's hand. "Side effect of the curse. It's actually fun once in a while," she said, screwing her sister's hand back in place.
"Don't worry, I've hidden elixirs all over the house," Eda said, showing her sister some hiding spots such as under the couch cushion, behind a potted plant, and inside Bijou's satchel. "Whenever you start feeling feathery, just help yourself to one of these bad boys."
She pulled one out of Luz's hood, which surprised her.
"I had no idea this is what I did to you," Lilith said sadly, closing her eyes. "I am so, so sorry."
"Eh, at least I got company now," Eda said as she handed her the elixir. She had plenty of time to process it and get over the fact that Lilith cursed her. Besides, she'd earned Eda's forgiveness.
"And you got me if you need anything."
She walked by Lilith, who smiled gratefully. She sighed and lay down on the couch, gazing up at the ceiling. Eda had taped some elixirs to the ceiling.
"Hmm," she smiled fondly; her sister had considered every option when it came to this...
Luz, Bijou, and Hazel went outside to join Eda.
"So, how long have you had that door?" Hazel inquired.
"As I said, I've had the portal door for years, but I never figured out who made it or where it came from." She crossed her arms with a small shrug. "I just kept it to myself."
"Why wouldn't you tell anyone?" Luz couldn't help but inquire.
Eda, on the other hand, appeared unconcerned and laughed. "Hold on. Suddenly curious about my past?"
"Always," Luz stated firmly, as Bijou and Hazel nodded in agreement. "Always curious."
"Well, I may have been using it to hide from someone," Eda said, her face flushed.
"Hide from who?"
"Probably me!" a new voice exclaimed, accompanied by a sudden gust of wind. They shielded their eyes with their arms, their hair blowing in the breeze. A tornado with a bird on top appeared unexpectedly and headed straight for them.
"Magic bird tornado?!"
Mrs. Clawthorne was revealed when the tornado came to a halt, wearing a large hawk as a palisman and a necklace across her chest.
"Hello, little witchlet," she greeted Eda warmly. "Come here!"
She ran over for a hug, but Eda didn't seem pleased to see her.
"Gwendolyn," she said, placing a hand on her mother's hair to keep her from hugging.
"Oof. Are we still on that?" Mrs. Clawthorne put her hands on her hips. "I'm your mother. Call me Mom."
"Mom?!" Bijou, Hazel, Luz, and Lilith exclaimed as the latter pushed open the window.
"It is so good to see you again," she said, clutching Eda's cheeks. "How are you feeling? Are you eating well?"
Eda pushed her mother's hands away.
"I heard about the Petrification Ceremony, and believe me, I have a lot of strong words for that, Belos!" She crossed her arms in disapproval.
"Mother!" Lilith jumped onto Eda's back before leaping off. "Mother, you know, I was there too."
"Oh, hello to you too, sweet flea. Oh, you're still dyeing your hair, I see," she said, lightly touching Lilith's bang. "Well, it's very sleek. Now, give me a moment with Edalyn, dear. It's important."
Lilith looked disheartened, as the two human girls exchanged glances. Bijou couldn't help but notice that Mrs. Clawthorne wasn't paying much attention to Lilith...
"That's right! Today, I am about to complete a 30-year-mission."
"Oh, no," Eda exclaimed in dismay.
"You mother has finally succeeded!"
"Here it comes," the Owl Lady pinched her brow.
Mrs. Clawthorne announced, "Today, I shall be curing your curse!"
Eda scratched her ear.
"No, thanks."
"What?!" the other four exclaimed at her.
"I said, no thanks. I got my elixir system. I'm good," she attempted to say as politely as possible. Lilith looked at her with disapproval.
"But-but who knows what they put in those nasty concoctions?" Gwendolyn stepped forward slightly, frowning.
"Actually, I do. And-" She looked at her arm. "Would you look at the time? I've got a lot of work to do today," she told her mother. "So sad to see you go. Okay, bye~!"
She slapped the staff, and the woman flew away. She swept her hands across her hips, feeling proud of herself.
"Moms, am I right?" She looked back to see the quartet's puzzled expressions.
"You turned down your mother's help like that?" Hazel asked, irritated.
"I haven't seen Mother in forever!" Lilith stomped up to her. "And she was handing you a cure on a silver platter!"
"We'd kill to see our moms right now," Luz said, gesturing toward her and Bijou. "And you just launch yours into the sky?!"
"Why would you treat your own mother that way?" Bijou asked, crossing her arms and frowning.
"Oh, listen, she comes around every year, toting a new cure for my curse. But they never work, so I am done getting my hopes up," she held up a hand, walking right past the four of them.
Lilith walked back towards the house, disappointed. "Mother visits Edalyn...regularly?"
Bijou, Hazel, and Luz stared in the same direction as Gwendolyn.
She didn't go far; she landed safely near a pile of rocks. She walked away, saddened by her daughter's reaction. The two couldn't help but feel sorry for her; she had the right intentions, but Edalyn didn't want anything to do with her...
"Mrs. Clawthorne, wait!" Luz exclaimed as they rushed up to her. "I'm Luz, Eda's apprentice. And these are my friends Bijou and Hazel."
Bijou and Hazel smiled as they waved.
"I think what you're doing is so sweet. Eda can just be so...Eda sometimes."
"And how," Hazel looked up at the sky in frustration at the reminder. He could spend the entire day thanking Eda for everything she had done for them, but the woman's stubbornness knew no bounds at times.
"Call me Gwen, dearies," she said to herself, smiling briefly before dropping it. "But please don't blame Edalyn. It was the curse that created the rift between us."
"We understand," Luz smiled softly. "Right now, there's an actual rift between us and our moms in the Human Realm."
"Yeah...I wish we knew how they were doing; we haven't physically seen her in months," Bijou said, frowning slightly. The Human Realm situation was actually distracting her from other things.
"Human Realm?" Gwen inquired, taking a brief look at their ears. She paused for a second before gasping. "My dears, I may know how to fix both our rifts!"
"Really?" the girls asked in surprise.
"I've heard some information that may assist you two on your quest. Help me cure Eda's curse and that information is yours."
"Great! Thank you so much," Bijou smiled, looking happy, but she couldn't help but feel hesitant. She was unsure why, but she would think about it later.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Luz exclaimed, pumping her fists and smiling. "Where do we start?"
"We'll be consulting with someone very special," she said, holding the necklace with the ruin on it, which glowed.
"So we're going to meet a curse expert?" the younger human girl asked excitedly, as Gwen walked between both girls on a forest trail. "This is so rad!"
"Yes, after years of dealing with the Healing Coven," she waved dismissively, dissatisfied with the answers she was receiving. "I finally found someone who promised me a curse."
She smiled and looked up as they arrived at their destination. "Ah, here we are."
They stood in front of a pile of rocks...
"They live here?" Bijou asked.
Gwen stepped forward. She held up the necklace, and the rock in front of her displayed the same symbol. That rock turned out to be a door when it moved to the side, revealing a secret passage. The three entered a room filled with candles, plants, crystals, charms, and symbols.
"Please," begged a small gremlin with boils on his eyeballs. "They're so itchy."
An elderly witch with four hands was seated on a throne. He waved his hand, and magic enveloped the little gremlin. He gasped when he was lifted into the air. His eyes not only cleared of boils, but they also had a sparkle to them.
The three gasped, and Gwen hummed in approval. The gremlin landed on the stone structure he was leaning against.
"Boils, they're..." He touched his face with joy. "They're gone!"
He turned to face the old witch.
"Thank you, Wortlop. Thank you!" he exclaimed joyfully, giggling.
"That's Master Wortlop," Gwen explained, and the two turned to look at him. "He's a traveling curse expert who's perfected next-level healing magic. Ooh!"
She ran past the two, handing Bijou her staff. The woman knelt in front of Wortlop.
"Gwendolyn, my pupil," He greeted her. "Your aura is shining bright."
His eyes shone as if they contained only white light, with no pupils at all.
"It took many months, but I was able to gather the sacred items you requested," she said, pulling out a bag and laying down the items she had searched for.
"The copper egg from the Snowy Rib Cage."
She laid down a sparkling egg.
"The silver dagger from the Swampy Toes."
She then revealed a dagger.
"And the golden chalice from the desert of Palm Stings."
She held up a glowing gold chalice.
"You're a dedicated mother, aren't you?" He waved his hands, which turned green as a book appeared in front of him. "Inside this tome is the healing ability you seek."
He handed her the tome, which bore his symbol.
"But keep it away from the eyes of nonbelievers, for many will be blinded by the power it holds."
"I understand," she responded gratefully, bowing to him. "I am in your debt, Master Wortlop." She then turned around and walked away, the girls smiling back.
Upon returning to the Owl House, Gwen hammered down a sign near the Owl House that read "apple blood," and Luz finished it off with an arrow. King looked out the window while hugging his stuffed rabbit.
"Isn't it amazing, Francois? If Eda's mom or Hazel's family can just pop up, who says my dad can't?" He watched as the four dashed off to set up their plan, holding more signs. He then stretched his arms.
"Better get my hugging arms ready."
"Ha! Yeah, good luck with all that dad stuff," Lilith said, laying down on the couch and eating ice cream. "Sometimes it doesn't matter how dutiful you are or successful you are, parents just won't give you the time of day."
"Don't listen to her, Francois," King told the stuffed rabbit. "My dad won't be like that."
"Right," she said in surprise. "Your mysterious father, who didn't even stick around to watch you hatch. Looks like you and I are in the same boat, King..."
He whimpered and hugged Francois with dread. The ice cream was certainly not helping the problem...
Luz tied down a vine to create a trip rope. She wiped the sweat from her forehead. Hazel wrote the final sign, which Bijou planted with the hammer.
"Nice work, you three," Gwen said, jumping down to them. "With Wortlop's tome, and your abilities to lure Eda out of the house, we'll be curing that curse in no time!"
She winked at them.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure she's always down for more apple blood."
"When isn't she down for apple blood, is the question," Bijou chuckled. Eda kept wanting to spend some of Bijou's profits from busking on apple blood, and she eventually had to purchase King a bunch of plush animals...
It was a long day, to say the least.
"So, that Wortlop guy was really something," Luz said, getting up. "You're his pupil?"
"Oh, yes," Gwen said, looking up from her tome. "But first, I had to prove that I was worthy of his secrets," she said, putting the book away with a wave of her finger. "So I spent the last year on a bunch of dangerous quests. And I didn't even get that many scars," she said, displaying her scarred biceps, which numbered around 5 or 6.
"Cool," Luz said, as they glanced at it. "Also, dang, girl, your bicep game is ridiculous!"
"I've never seen anyone with biceps like that," Hazel said.
"Must have been all that heavy lifting," Bijou said, reminding herself not to get on Gwen's bad side. They heard a noise, and Gwen gasped.
"Our signs must've worked!" she said as she led them to a hiding place. Luz made a few silly signs, while Gwen, Hazel, and Bijou made some typical ones.
"Oh, baby, it's time to stock up on Mama's night juice," she smiled as she followed the trail.
"According to Wortlop's tome, we start by lowering the beast's defenses with special crystals," Gwen murmured to them both. "And they're supposed to be quite calming."
One of them landed directly in front of Eda's feet, and she dove out of the path.
"Whoa!" She whirled her staff to escape some others that had broken off. She turned around to dodge the next one.
"Huh. Knife season came early this year."
A shadow loomed over her, so she looked up. Eda shrieked as she tumbled backward, a massive crystal dropping in front of her and between her legs. Feathers came out of her body as she did not appear happy.
"Oh," Hazel covered his mouth, feeling awful about it. After all, it could have killed Eda! Luz gasped and drew out an elixir.
"She's stressed!" She was about to toss it.
"Oh, no, no, no," Gwen interrupted her. "The texts say those feathers mean we're driving the beast out."
"Oh..." She didn't believe that was the case. If Eda knew about it, wouldn't she have tried it years ago?
"Yeah, and judging by the looks of it, I think this is gonna work in the long run," Hazel chimed in.
"Don't worry," Gwen said, placing her hand on their shoulders. "After today, Eda will never have to drink those nasty little things again."
Luz smiled weakly and decided to roll with it. "All right. What do we do next?"
"Next, we're gonna put that beast...on ice," she said, releasing a cloud from her bag that formed itself into a human face and began to blow ice. Bijou and Hazel perspired somewhat as they did this. When Eda eventually survives all of this, they will be terrified of what the woman will do if she discovers they are the ones responsible...
Back at the Owl House...
King and Lilith were sitting on the couch, surrounded by empty ice cream boxes. The two groaned and held their stomachs.
"How do you get a parent's attention?" King asked groggily, a carton dripping down his cheek.
"Heck if I know. Mother wasn't even at my Coven Initiation," Lilith remarked, taking another spoonful of ice cream.
"At least you know what she looks like," King sat up, slightly irritated. "All I have is an old wall carving. What if that's just graffiti?"
"Heh," Hooty opened the door to confront them, slightly concerned. "That's, uh, that's an awful lot of ice cream you guys are eating."
He lowered his body to the floor and examined all of the flavors, including sludge chunks and key slime pie in red or green.
"You know that Eda and Bij get that stuff from the Night Market, right?"
In case you didn't know, Eda and Bijou went out at night to get items for the fridge and pantry, especially because Bijou occasionally assists her mother in shopping for groceries and necessities in the human realm. Not only did it help Eda construct grocery lists and understand what the other Owl House occupants desired, but the two also bonded over their favorite ice cream flavors from the Night Market (AFTER Bijou sampled them to ensure everything was safe and tasty).
"Are you my mother?" Lilith argued back. "Because that is an awful lot of judgment."
"This stinks," King said, throwing down the ice cream carton. "If my father doesn't care about me, why should I care about him? Hmm? Well, I'm not going to him! He'll have to come to me." He slumped backwards, crossed his arms.
"And I'm sick of being overlooked!" Lilith sat up, enraged. "From now on, I...I have no mother! And I-I'd say that to her face!"
"Yeah!" King agreed, and Hooty frowned. All that ice cream was getting to their heads, and he wasn't sure how to stop it.
"Isn't that taking it a bit too far?" He complained to them.
"It's not taking it far enough! Go tell her. Go on. She's right outside," King said, gesturing to the door.
"She is?" Lilith's eyes widened, unaware that Gwen had returned.
"Yeah, I saw her go off with Luz, Bij, and Hazel," King told her. "I think they're gonna heal Eda's curse or whatever."
"Uh, oh," her face faltered as she brought her hands together. "Is that so? Mother paying attention to Edalyn, again! I mean, it's not like I care."
She raised her hands in denial, smiling broadly...but that argument came back to bite her when feathers sprang from her face. Hooty went gently away from her.
"You got, uh...you got a little, uh..." King attempted to inform her, and she screamed in surprise. She sought everywhere for elixirs, but they were all gone, despite the fact that Lilith hadn't needed them until now.
"Where...are...the elixirs?!" She sobbed in Eda's chamber, kneeling on the floor. King and Hooty came in.
"Lilith?" the small demon inquired carefully, Lilith screamed as her eyes turned completely black. She then transformed in front of them, with King nervously holding up a tub of ice cream, but this was not going to work.
Outside...
"This...better be the oldest, strongest, stinkiest apple blood ever," Eda mumbled as she climbed to the top, and she felt terrible...and as she lifted her head, she still had a lot of feathers on her body. She saw a sign that read, 'It really is that good!'
She screamed in frustration. As she walked, she stumbled on a gooey substance and slid down. She grunted at the muck on her boots.
"I just stole these!"
She then slipped into a trap as she trod on a mound of leaves, and a net threw her into the air. She swooped directly over the three, leaving Luz, Bijou, and Hazel shocked.
"It seems like the curse isn't my daughter's only problem," Gwen said as the Owl Lady landed in a bush. Her staff swiftly joined her, and she raised a hand.
"Help Mama up..."
"I don't think this is working," Bijou said, frowning slightly. "We haven't seen a shred of progress, and it's been hours."
"And Eda appears to be more stressed out than ever today," Hazel remarked.
"Gwen, we tried freezing the curse out, we tried sweating the curse out, we even tried flying snakes for some reason. Bijou's right, I don't think this stuff is working either," Luz concurred as Eda dashed by the tree they were hiding in, being chased by the flying snakes. "Did Wortlop ever say where he learned this stuff?"
"Gwen? Are you listening?" Hazel asked.
They looked up at Gwen, who was suspiciously using her crow phone. She tapped a button, and the crow flew away.
"What did you just do?" Luz inquired skeptically.
"It turns out the ancient tome is only the first of a series," she said with a smile, handing something to a crow, which flew away. "So I'm trading in a few paltry family heirlooms to get the rest."
She levitated the tome into her hands. The two girls and the almiraj exchanged doubtful looks. It seemed strange that Wortlop would request valuable items in exchange for a series of books that could HEAL a curse. Which was already ludicrous to Bijou, as she had lately heard from school that curses were rarely that severe to heal.
According to Lilith, if the Healing Hat couldn't heal Eda, then none of this could.
"Let us see that book," Luz said, stepping forward and extending out her hand.
"Halt," Gwen said, holding the book away. "Only people who have scaled Wortlop's Pyramid of Study can touch the tome!"
She held up her necklace, but Luz used a plant glyph to generate a vine, which seized the tome.
"Hey!"
Luz grabbed it and opened the book while Bijou and Hazel looked over her shoulder.
"What is this? A jar of bees for existential dread? Aromatherapy for broken legs?" She turned the page. "Bird songs for sufferers of stuffy noses?"
"These are all quack remedies!" Hazel realized.
"Gwen, you're being scammed," Luz closed the tomb. "Wortlop is a fake."
"You really think I'd spend my life savings on a fake?" Gwen exclaimed incredulously, seizing the tomb back.
"Look, none of this stuff is actually relevant to the curse," Bijou told the woman.
"The way they are set can only worsen it fast," Hazel added in. "That Wortlop is tricking you."
"I know you want what's best for Eda, and so do we," Luz said, pulling an elixir from her fanny pack. "But we're calling this off."
"Maybe if we explain everything, Eda won't be too angry at us," Bijou offered. They proceeded to see where Eda was and throw her one, but Gwen bent down to them.
"Dearies, I really thought we were on the same side," she said before taking the elixir from Luz. "According to Wortlop, poison like this is made by...healers and potion makers who simply want money."
She handed them a page that basically screamed, 'Don't spend money on this; spend it on me!'
"This is getting ridiculous," Hazel twitched his nose in frustration, wondering how Gwen, a seemingly intelligent and sweet person, could believe any of this. Not only that, but she was spouting incorrect facts!
Luz yelled, "Are you kidding me?!" "You just-"
She grumbled and pinched her temple.
"Whatever. We'll just get more at the house."
She pushed away the tome.
"I'm afraid that will be a waste of your time," Gwen said, and Bijou and Hazel looked at her in confusion. Her palisman drifted down carrying a bag, and when he dropped it, the bag opened up, revealing that it was full with elixirs.
"Hawksley cleared out every bottle hours ago."
"Whoa..." Luz was uneasy now, especially since Gwen had no idea about Lilith, which was disturbing Bijou. Mostly because Lilith appeared to be depressed at her mother's lack of attention to her, and she wasn't sure how long the lady could remain mentally stable.
"Why would you do that?!"
"Because I am a mother who will do anything for her daughter," Gwen firmly stated as she was about to toss it when the three intervened.
"Wait, Eda needs that!" Bijou pleaded, and they all tumbled from the tree.
"Ugh," Eda exclaimed, removing a snake from her hair. "Woo, this ain't good," she checked herself as the three yelled and fell into a nearby bush. When they arrived, the elixir container was in bits.
"Hey, what is going on here?" She demanded an answer.
"Witchlet, it's okay," Gwen said, standing up and dusting herself down. "Luz, Bijou, Hazel, and I are working to heal you."
"What?! This was all you?" Eda asked, pointing to all the traps she had to get through. "You weren't healing me; you almost killed me!" More feathers developed on her body, which wasn't overlooked.
"We didn't expect it to go this far without success; we're so sorry," Bijou sighed, nodding to herself and Luz.
"Eda, please try to stay calm," Luz pleaded, as Eda became worried.
"Why? Why should I be calm? I have every right to be UPSET!"
That was all it needed to trigger the metamorphosis, as black eyes appeared and she soon transformed into Owl Beast Eda.
In Eda's mindscape...
Eda only opened her eyes after a huge foot stood in front of her. She looked up and saw an owl monster standing just in front of her.
"Ohh...let's get this over with," she exclaimed, breaking into a run.
Reality
Owl Beast Eda approached them with a roar. "Don't worry. According to this, we just have to...uh..." She scanned the tomb, but it clearly had nothing to do with anything.
"Have to what?" Luz said with eagerness.
"Buy the next volume?" She showed them a page that claimed it would be continued in volume 7. Luz took a deep breath and grunted as she gestured to the book.
"Seriously?!" Bijou asked Gwen, facepalming. Owl Beast Eda let out a cry, and then King appeared out of nowhere. He gasped as Owl Beast Eda appeared in front of him.
"King?" Luz asked, perplexed.
"What are you doing here?" Hazel interjected.
"So Lilith was feeling stressed...and, uh, the light glyph didn't really work. So, uh...uh...uh..." They all startled as a shadow came over them. Something far larger than Eda landed in front of her...
Lilith!
"She turned into that thing!" King clutched Luz's leg in terror.
"Sweet flea?" Gwen inquired, leaving the sisters stunned. The Raven Beast let forth a huge roar. Raven Beast Lilith and Owl Beast Eda both charged ahead. But because the Raven Beast was considerably bigger, it immediately grabbed her sibling and flew away, both of them wailing. The gang was completely astounded.
"That...was my little sweet flea," she whispered in surprise, King staring at her. Luz got hold of Eda's falling staff. "That means she's also-"
"Cursed, yes! Were you not paying any attention to her?" King asked, joining Luz, Hazel, and Bijou on the staff.
"We have to help them," Luz said, extending her hand to Gwen. "Will you help us?"
"This...this must be part of the process, right?" She clutched her necklace, perplexed and unsure what to do.
"It's not," Hazel stated with a scowl.
"I can see you still need a little time. Alright, Owlbert, let's fly!" Luz shouted as the four set off, Gwen flying in the opposite direction.
"Wortlop...he's not a fake, is he?" She questioned herself, unsure what to believe. "After everything I did for him."
She landed in front of the secret entrance and peeked inside. She gasped when she realized Wortlop was actually a disguise...for miniature gremlins. And they received everything she offered them. They had a fire made up of firebees.
"Hey, what do you wanna call this one?" One of them poured earth into a container.
"Eh, I don't know. Cleansing mud?"
"Yeah, from the Healing Bogs of the Hips or whatever. What do you think?"
"I think we're gonna be rich," said the person who had previously had boils on his eyes and was applying makeup to make it appear as if he had awful eyes. They all started laughing when the firebee fire spread. They gasped and yelled in fear. The firebees stepped aside, revealing a furious Gwen.
They hurriedly donned the disguise, but the harm was already done.
"Mrs. Clawthorne," said one of them, clearing their throat. "What a fortuitous surprise."
"You know..." Gwen took a hesitant step forward. "Right after Eda was cursed, I joined the Beast Keeper Coven," she laughed as a firebee landed on her finger. "I thought they surely would know what to do. But the beast keepers told me the curse couldn't be tamed. And the Healers told me it couldn't be healed."
She came to a halt in front of 'Wortlop.'
"Eda told me she found something that made it manageable at least. But I didn't listen."
"I could give you the next volume! 5% off? 10% off?"
"Leave," she hissed, the firebees' flames spreading. "And if I ever see you in Bonesborough again, every beast in the forest will be after your head!"
She declared fiercely. The gremlins jumped out of the outfit, yelled, dug into the earth, and vanished. The firebees returned to the tiny little fire. She chuckled and flipped her hair.
"Still got it!"
Lilith followed Eda to Bonesborough and tackled her sister to the ground. They broke house walls, with Owl Beast Eda flinging her sibling into someone's home. Owl Beast Eda then flew away. Her sister hissed and flew after her. When she got to her, Raven Beast Lilith kicked her down and they faced each other. Owl Beast Eda took off, but the two collided. They landed near an owl woman who was feeding birds. They fluttered away, but she kept throwing the birdseed.
Luz, Bijou, Hazel, and King flew above them on the staff.
"Gotta think fast." Luz frantically declared.
"Down there!" Hazel pointed to where the Mr. Elixir shop was. And it was still open.
"No one's bought anything in a while," Morton bemoaned, hand on his cheek. "I should close up shop," he said, reaching for the wooden door of the window.
"Morton!" Luz said as he looked up, the two landing in front of him. "We need every last elixir you have."
He gasped when someone, particularly those affiliated with Eda, finally purchased something from him today.
"Also, do you accept payment in hyperrealistic pencil portraits?" Luz inquired, showing Morton a caricature of himself. Morton shut the doors to his shop.
"Shoot! I thought I was improving after I watch you sketch, Bij."
"Hold on. I think I have snail coins here," Bijou remarked, searching in her bag.
"Don't worry!"
They turned to see Gwen land nearby. She slung a huge bag over her shoulder.
"Mama's here," she said, holding out the bag.
The two creatures roared at one another. Raven Beast Lilith surged forward, but Owl Beast Eda soared up into a home. Raven Beast Lilith tackled her to the roof while the others climbed the opposite roof.
"You sure this is going to work?" Luz asked Gwen.
"Yeah, are you like secretly sending us to our deaths?"
"Shh," Hazel told him.
"No, I'm making things right," Gwen yanked off the jewelry and threw it down. She then cracked it with her heel. Luz, Hazel, King, and Bijou got on the staff and took off. Gwen cast a large spell circle, sending a few tiles from another house flying over. She used those to make her way to them.
"My beautiful daughters, I failed you," she said, catching their attention. Owl Beast Eda walked over to her. "Edalyn...you're in there, aren't you?"
She reached out a hand and touched some of the hair.
In Eda's mindscape...
Eda was still running when she heard her mother speak.
"I should've listened to you; I now understand why you pushed me away."
Eda looked up in surprise.
"Uh, Mom?" she paused to say.
"I made you think your curse was something to be ashamed of."
Eda tightened her hands and looked across at the owl monster. It hissed at her, so she closed her eyes.
"Whether we want it or not, it's a part of you. And I love every part of you."
Eda extended her hand, a bright light shining between her and the Owl Beast. The thing shrank and scurried away as it came to a halt.
"Mom, I can hear you! And you..." She turned around to face the beast, tackling it and gripping hold. "My turn to drive."
Reality
Gwen rubbed her forehead to Eda's. "I'm so sorry..."
"Mom?"
She opened her eyes in horror as Eda's eyes returned to normal.
"Witchlet!" She hugged her daughter, relieved. Raven Beast Lilith observed this and yelled in rage, preparing to strike. Eda grabbed her arm and pinned her down before she could do anything. "And Lilith..."
Gwen bent down and held her cheeks.
"You were always so self-sufficient."
Lilith strained to free herself, and her mother rubbed her fingertip across her cheek.
"But I didn't give you the attention you deserved."
Lilith began grieving over the years of not receiving any attention. Gwen hugged her face and rubbed the top of her head.
"Shh...NOW!"
The others flew above them, with King and Hazel jumping off the staff and landing on the two's ears to keep them down. Luz opened an elixir bottle with her mouth, while Bijou pulled the cork off the other elixir bottle. Luz managed Eda, and Bijou handled Lilith. After drinking the elixirs, their eyes blazed yellow, and a cloud of yellow air formed. It knocked King backwards, almost knocking him off the roof, but the two stopped him. They all shaded their eyes as the cloud transformed into a bird and lifted the two into the air. The cloud exploded, flashing brightly.
"Man, that is a good elixir," Luz said. Gwen looked up as the two women plummeted gently toward her, and she caught both. Eda grinned up at her.
"About time, Mom."
Lilith then began crying again. "Mom, I heard you, but I couldn't stop myself. I-I couldn't do anything."
Gwen hugged the woman. "It's all right now," she smiled as she drew Eda in. "I'm here for you both."
The two girls smiled.
"She was...trying to do her best, huh?" King asked, no longer upset at Gwen.
"Yeah. All she needs is a real eye-opener," Hazel said.
"Anyone does all they can...for family," Bijou said quietly, ruffling Luz's hair slightly. Luz smiled up at her.
Back at the Owl House...
Gwen stood in front of everyone except Lilith when they arrived home.
"I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused, but I-I just wanted to help. I should've trusted you more."
"Yeah, you should've," Eda jokingly smacked her in the arm. "But hey, don't be a stranger. Okay, Mom?"
Gwen quietly grinned. Lilith then stormed out of the Owl House, carrying her staff and a collection of goods in a knapsack.
"Mom, I'm ready!"
"Huh?" Eda looked at her curiously.
"Well, we were talking," Lilith cheerfully approached Gwen. "And...I've decided to go home with Mother and make up for lost time."
"What?"
"Lily?"
"You're leaving?"
"You lived here?"
"Are you sure?"
"What?!"
"Edalyn..." Gwen began, her staff vanished. "Lilith told me how she gave you the curse, and I am so, so sorry," she said, taking both of their hands. "To have this secret weighing you down. I wish I knew sooner."
"There's still a lot to be learned about this curse. But...it'll be nice to spend some time home and reconnect with Dad."
Eda turned away, a little disappointed, for she like having her sister around...
"We'll be gone for a while, but we've got plenty of elixir stocked," she said, reaching behind her hair and showing a stash of elixirs hidden inside.
"Someday my hair is gonna be big enough to do that too," Luz grinned affectionately.
"You actually want that?" King asked, raising his eyebrow.
"No, Lulu!" Hooty approached her with tears in his eyes. "You can't!"
"Hootsifer, I have to," she said, holding his cheek and smiled. "But don't worry, we can be pen pals," she said, nuzzling his forehead before walking away.
"But I can't hold a pen!" He collapsed, sobbing, and Bijou leaned in to Lilith.
"Don't worry, I'll help him," she said quietly to the woman, who smiled back.
"Thank you, Bij, for showing me what it means to be a better sister. I...hope we can be friends someday."
"Lilith...we have always been friends," the girl said, smiling at her. "If it weren't for you, my keyboard wouldn't be helping make so many snails," she giggled at the joke, which made Lilith laugh somewhat.
"Luz, Bijou," Gwen called out. "If it weren't for you, I might still be caught up in Wortlop's lies, so here's what I should've told you from the beginning."
Bijou approached curiously, standing by her friend's side. She leaned forward toward them. "You're not the only humans to have lived in Bonesborough."
She smiled knowingly, and the two gasped.
Up until today, they believed they were the first.
"There's a rare substance called Titan's blood. It is extremely powerful and sometimes causes leaks between our realms. Plants, animals—and you guys have a lot of garbage, by the way. But humans are rare. My great-grandmother told me about a human who once lived here. But one day he just vanished! Rumor has it he left something in the library, and if you can find out more about him..."
"Maybe we could find out how he got here!" Luz ended for her.
"Exactly," said Gwen, winking at them. "And this one is for you, Bijou. I noticed that bangle of yours on your wrist and made me recall of a book I used to read several years back. It and the magic imbued in it used to be owned by the first Wild Witch in Bonesborough history."
"Really? You knew who they were?" Bijou asked, her interest at its peak.
"Yes, but I can't tell you who they are right now," Gwen simply replied. "I can tell you this, though. Sources about this previous magic user have been rare since the Emperor had removed it from the archives but there are still enough evidence to prove my point."
"Wow..." Bijou breathed in awe. "Thanks, Gwen. That is all I need to keep my research about this bangle up and running."
Gwen nodded and then took off with Lilith, leaving everyone save Hooty waving. He was still sobbing.
"Well, I'll be on the couch for the next 24 hours," Eda yawned, turning to go inside. "Good night."
"No, wait! I call couch!" King climbed over her, leaving only the two sisters outside.
"I'll be home soon, Mom," Luz grinned, before realizing something. "Camp's probably ended by now. She must be so worried. I would say the same for your family, too, Bijou."
"We'll tell them the whole story someday," Bijou told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "...Buuuut, maybe we ease them into it."
"Agreed," Luz exhaled with relief at her.
In the human realm, Noceda residence...
Camila cried on the couch. She then sat up and wiped her eyes.
"I'm sorry. These animal documentaries make me so upset," she said, turning off the television.
"Here, Mama," 'Luz's' hand went out for a tissue box.
"Thank you, Luz," she said to someone who... resembled Luz! "You always know what to do."
In the human realm, Adams residence...
Susan and Quinton were sitting at the living room, about to start a family movie together.
"Okay guys. I got the snacks ready," Someone that resembled Bijou, although being hidden in the shadows, entered into the kitchen doorway with a tray...
"Thanks, Bijou. Just put them on the coffee table," Susan said as 'Bijou' did like her mother said before sitting beside her.
The next day, back in the demon realm...
Bijou entered the market wearing her cloak, with the hood over her hair and a black and white mask over her face. Since she began playing there for extra money, she had to take extra precautions to avoid being identified by anyone she knew. She headed over to her usual position, knowing how Eda felt coping with comparable human products. She would expose herself, but she did not want anyone to approach her at school and treat her differently. She also never played to further protect her identity.
She sat down and unfolded her keyboard, setting down her bucket to catch snails. She then began playing, attracting attention as they moved forward, dropping some snails in. She grinned and then remembered another great piece. As she performed, blue flower petals fell to represent the melody's sad tone.
Emira and Edric were on the opposite side of the market, having been ordered by their mother to fetch back some provisions. They looked up as they heard the music and noticed the crowd.
"Did you hear that?" He said, glancing up at the petals, as they moved forward, peering through the crowd to see Bijou. She played so effortlessly, never making a mistake or slip-up. And the expression on her face reflected how she felt while playing. Edric looked at her, smiling, captivated by her playing. He recognized who it was since Bijou was the only person he knew who played keyboard.
Bijou finished her piece, hearing applauding and glancing up with a slight smile. People passing by dropped snails into her hat, and she bowed gratefully. Edric and Emira handed her some snails. "Hey, you're pretty good," Edric said, and she nodded quietly. "Keep it up. A special girl I know oughta play more like you."
He winked knowingly, and she nodded as they continued on their way.
"Nice one, bro," Emira said, nudging him slightly. "Should we tell everyone?"
"Nah, let her be. There's no reason to spread it around," he said, staring back at the girl and smiling. She returned his gaze, blushing internally and smiling slightly. She was simply happy that they were keeping things quiet.