Eda's Requiem
Eda flicked her sparkle pen while reviewing a list of tasks for Luz, King, and Bijou. It read: 'new coat for Luz, check itching boy, pay water bill, clean Hooty (?), burn old clothes, deliver food to Hazel's family.
"Luz needs a new coat. King needs to be checked for fleas. Bijou needs new colored pencils. Am I missing anything?" She gazed up in the mirror, chuckling at her motherly tone. "Oh, you've changed, Owl Lady."
She snapped a photograph of herself and the four from Grom. She was flustered while the others smiled.
"It's worth it."
"And three and four and five..."
"And weh and weh and weh."
She heard voices and opened the window, noticing the trio working out. She smiled as she watched.
"And six and seven and eight and nine and ten."
Luz was doing sit-ups with Eda's staff, and Hazel was doing push-ups on the ground. Bijou paused her stopwatch and looked up, smiling. Ruby sat on her right shoulder.
"15 seconds!"
"Yes! Alright, King," she said as she sat up. "What's the first thing you're gonna do when you meet your dad?"
"And 10,000!" he declared. "Well, once we're done training, I'm gonna move out of that closet, that's for sure."
Eda's eyes widened in alarm.
"Then I'm gonna ugly cry. Hard!"
"King, have you told Eda about your decision to leave?" Hazel inquired, before King shushed him and they heard the window close, gazing up. Eda crouched behind the glass, hoping they wouldn't think they heard her.
"I...I'm not ready yet," he said to the two. "I'm not sure how she'll react."
"Well, this is a big decision, King," Bijou explained. "But I'm sure you'll find the right time."
She exhaled softly, thinking that King would return to his father, and the females would return to the human world, leaving her alone. Lilith had already departed, after all. She sighed as she approached the mirror.
"Everyone's leaving, huh? Even King," she said, clutching the photograph and leaning down to her chest. "I guess I'm no substitute for the real thing."
She opened the lock and was going to set the photo inside among her other human belongings when she noticed a lute. She placed the photo in her hair and glanced at it. She scooped it up with a smile.
"Welp, nothing like a good distraction," she said, standing up and starting to play with pink energy surrounding her and her belongings. It enveloped the room, her hair standing up. She looked at a floating candle and gasped.
"Has my magic returned?"
However, her jewel sparkled, which caused everything to shrivel up and turn black, so she stopped. Everything dropped to the ground, and she looked at the instrument with disappointment.
"Oh. Guess not. Stupid curse."
She carefully placed the lute back inside the chest and closed it. She returned to her mirror, and one of the flowers began to shrivel up...
Luz and King stood on a cliff with Eda's staff, King leaning against her back. Bijou waited close with her stopwatch, timing them.
"Okay, one...two...three...go!"
Luz flew down the staff, while Owlbert opened his wings and took off. The water rose as they soared by, and Luz smirked as she noticed big boulders ahead. She quickly went left and right to avoid them before turning around and heading in the opposite direction. She then flew into the sky.
Eda was holding a pen in her hair and reading a book. She had a coffee cup and a bowl of tentacles on the table, and her scroll was flying in front of her.
"And we're back live at the Emperor's castle."
"Hm?" she inquired, her gaze drawn to the livestream.
"In light of Scooter Crane's retirement, today's ceremony will confirm Raine Whispers as the next head of the Bard Coven." The other coven leaders, as well as Kikimora, were there as the one for Abominations walked forward and presented him with a badge. Raine was wearing a white cloak.
"Do I have to be on camera?" They inquired anxiously.
"For Titan's sake, just say something," Darius, the Head of the Abominations Coven, advised them.
"Uh...uh..." Raine lifted the cloak's hood. "I am honored to work with Emperor Belos in preparation for the Day of Uni-bee." They blushed with shame as they realized Uni-bee was not what they wanted to say. "I mean, Uni-ly! I mean—uh. Oh, no. This is going all wrong. Get me outta here!"
Raine immediately dashed offstage.
"Just cut the feed," Darius demanded angrily, and the video ended there.
"How are you supposed to be Head Bard with stage fright?" Eda laughed, as the door opened to show King, Bijou, Hazel, and Luz. She hurriedly concealed the scroll behind her back.
"I'm sorry, Luz," King responded, feeling guilty. Luz was holding a wet bag.
"It's okay, buddy. Hey, Eda. Got another backpack I can borrow? This one got a little thrown-up in," Luz dashed in place, hoping to avoid the bag exploding.
"Closet," Eda pointed and dashed off. She looked down at King.
"So, why are you suddenly interested in flying?" she asked. "Did you give up on returning to the human realm? I mean, I suppose you girls can stay here a little longer..."
Bijou arched an eyebrow at her, perplexed as to what had prompted her to say this. She didn't typically behave like this. Luz peered in from the hallway.
"Oh no, we're still going home, but we keep running into some setbacks..." She looked aside sheepishly.
Flashback - this morning
"Come on, little buddy," Luz said, lifting the sheet cover and holding a small...what appeared to be a carrot. "You got portal info that I need. You want a carrot?"
The carrot was a real carrot, but it had an eye on it. The echo mouse was hiding, and it appeared afraid for some reason.
"Does baby like carrots? There we go?"
It crawled out from under the chair.
"It's okay," she reassured as it jumped onto her lap to devour the carrot. "See? You're safe here."
To her horror, Hooty swooped in and devoured the mouse. "Fear not, maiden. Hooty, the guardian owl of Ga'Hoot, has protected you once more!"
She narrowed her eyes in fury. "Ga'Hoot!"
End Flashback
"Bij, Luz, and I were able to get the mouse out of Hooty, but...the poor thing needs to recover," Hazel went on to say.
"And I've been trying to find more on Phillip Wittebane as well as the magic bangle, but it's hard to do that when there is only one documented book abut him, and there's barely anything to find anything about my bangle other than about the kinds of magic infused into it," Bijou's gaze widened as she thought about how difficult the investigation was turning out to be. "So I've been distracting myself with new sketches."
"In the meantime, Eda, this weekend is the Grand Prix!" King pulled up a brochure for her to read.
"Hexside, Glandus, and St. Epiderm students race to win glory and honor and-" Luz went on to say.
King retrieved the brochure. "Fame! Winners also get an interview with the Boiling Isles News! Do you realize what this means?" He looked up at her, and she offered a slight troubled grimace.
"We're going to enter the competition and get King on camera to send a message to his father," Luz said with a big smile.
"Oh," Eda responded, dismayed by this. "That's...great."
She gave a fake encouraging smile because she did not want this. However, she also had to back King in this matter.
"But, uh...there's something I'd like to talk to you about first," he stated earnestly. "You see, I think it's time for me to le-"
Eda flinched, unwilling to do this now.
"Leave...the talkin' for later. If you wanna win, there's no time to talk," she exclaimed, sweating slightly. "You gotta go practice. Now!"
Bijou and Hazel exchanged glances with the two before returning their attention to her. Eda's actions seemed strange.
"Wanna head back out while your tummy's empty?" Luz asked the small demon.
"Okay!" he said happily.
"Let's go!" The two bolted, laughing, slamming the door behind them. Eda sighed, looked up to see that Bijou and Hazel had not followed them.
"Aren't you gonna go help them?"
"Well, Hazel, Ruby, and I are not participating," Bijou said, pointing to Hazel and her palisman, who chirped quietly and huddled behind Bijou's head. "He's still a little scared interacting with others...but Eda, you and we both know that you're not okay. You wanna talk about it?"
"No, I don't!" Eda responded, looking away and crossing her arms. "Why don't you go have some snacks or something..."
"Suit yourself, Eda," Hazel hopped on Bijou's shoulder. "In fact, we are heading to this place called Grimgrub's Pub. I heard they are selling premium apple blood this week and we're gonna buy you some."
Eda flinched in alarm.
"But since you don't wanna talk, I guess we can go-"
"I'll reveal all my secrets!" Eda grabbed Bijou's arm, and the girl's and almiraj's eyes widened.
At Grimgrub's Pub...
"You're saying you're getting used to the company and don't want to see them leave?" Hazel repeated, perplexed. He had a bowl full of water.
"Yes, Hazel. I just...don't wanna hear him say it, you know?" Eda said, telling them what she had heard and how she felt about it. She consumed a tumbler of apple blood. "I was finally getting used to having people in the house, then whoosh! Rug's ripped out from underneath me,"
Bijou frowned. She consumed a glass of grape juice.
"Sure, I get it," the bartender deadpanned at her. "It's like every time you come in here, I think, 'Maybe she'll pay her tab this time'."
She gave him a little scowl while sipping more apple blood. Bijou shook her head at him before turning back to Eda.
"Can't you just tell them? They would understand, Eda. You saw how Luz was when she felt guilty about you working all day and night to ensure we have food on the table!"
"I can't! That would just mean that you guys are staying for me, and...well, you guys deserve the best."
Both the girl and the almiraj smiled at her.
"But you better not say anything!" The Owl Lady advised them, and they raised their arms in protest.
"We promise, we won't say anything until you're ready to tell them."
"Hey! Back off!" a voice shouted close. A Coven Guard and a Coven Scout were carrying a woman away.
"Don't fret, citizens! We're helping this wild witch find her place in society," The Scout told the crowd inside the tavern.
"No! I don't want to join a coven!" she exclaimed, as they walked away with her. "Let me go!"
Eda slammed down her glass.
Outside the pub...
"Throw 'em on my tab, Kevin!" She instructed, opening the doors, and he grumbled. Bijou and Hazel stood behind her, the former's bangle ready for activation.
"Let her go!"
The trio turned around, now that they were in the marketplace. "Back off, Owl Lady."
"Yeah," the guard replied, placing his hands on his hips. "No coven wants a powerless witch."
Eda punched him in the face so hard that his head rotated to face backwards. "How's that for powerless?"
"Ooh!" A crowd gathered around them, and the Guard adjusted his mask.
"Eda might not have magic, but she can still fight," Hazel scoffed.
The guard drew a spell circle, and the three braced themselves. A chord was played on a violin, which ended the spell.
"Huh?" He looked at his finger, puzzled. They turned to find four persons performing music, all dressed the same and wearing bat masks over their faces. One of them stood on Emperor Belos' statue, while the other three stood in front of it. They all had instruments, including a violin, tambourine, recorder, and bassoon. Everything around them started sparkling and turned a bright pinkish tone. Morton had just sold several potions, so they were lifted up.
"Whoa!" he exclaimed, glancing up at his floating hat. Tinella Nosa was pulled into the air before everything returned to its original color.
"Look at the emperor's lackeys!" exclaimed the leader, gesturing to the Guard and Scout. "Trying to, uh...do I really have to say this?" he questioned one of his teammates.
"We all agreed on the script!" a female voice informed him.
"Trying to...mute the music of our hearts?" The leader reddened and groaned at the cringe-worthy line. "And weaken magic, by forcing witches into covens against their will."
Eda took a skeptical look at one of them since the voice sounded familiar. And, come to think of it, the black-haired woman reminded Bijou and Hazel that they had heard it before. But they couldn't remember where she had heard it.
"Blasphemy!" the scout protested.
"Blasphem-you!" the leader shot back.
"See? You're a natural," the person playing the recorder explained.
"That's right, Bonesborough," the leader began playing again, both the Guard and Scout's shoes gleaming. They bent down, but not willingly.
"They take your magic." The leader plucked another note, and the duo stood up. "They restrict your knowledge."
Another chord was struck, and the two marched in place.
"Stop, stop!"
"They say they do it in the name of 'unity', but what they really want is control! You know what we say to that, folks?" the leader asked again. "Shove off!"
The two marched away down the street, toward a garbage can.
"Oh, not the trash!" As they walked away, they couldn't help but knock over the can. Hazel snickered at them.
"Call me crazy, Eda, but I think that person really has the same mindset as you," Hazel piped up.
"Yeah, but that has to be a coincidence. It's not like I know them or anything, right?" Eda replied, ending in denial. Bijou could sense that Eda is lying about not knowing the mysterious leader.
Tinella Nosa dashed up to the four, her eyes gleaming with astonishment.
"Who are you, Heroes?" She inquired.
"We are the Bards Against the Throne, aka-"
"Surrounded!" the Guard exclaimed as he returned, wearing earmuffs. More Coven scouts emerged, trapping them because they couldn't hear their magic and thus couldn't stop them.
"Psst!" a voice yelled from the sewer. Eda waved her finger at them. The person playing the bassoon blew a note, and a cloud of smoke erupted. The gang dispersed as soon as it vanished. The Guard grumbled as he removed the earmuffs.
Outside the city walls...
Eda, Bijou, and Hazel guided the group via a tunnel until they arrived outside of the city.
"End of the line, folks," Eda said as she removed one of the cuffs and threw it away. She assisted Bijou in exiting the tunnel, and Hazel followed shortly thereafter.
"Word of advice—next time you put on a performance like that, make sure you have an exit strategy," she said as she assisted them down.
"And you might wanna consider a contingency plan if your enemy is prepared to block out your music," Bijou went on to say.
"Thank you," the woman holding the tambourine said to them. "How can we ever repay you?"
"Well... " Eda squeezed her palms together. "You could let us join your little team."
She smirked, and they gasped with astonishment. The three glanced at each other.
"Hey, I may not have magic, but I am an agent of chaos."
"She's not wrong," Bijou said with a shrug. "And I am a Bard, Healing, and Oracle student."
She grinned and gestured to herself.
"And I happen to live alongside them, too," Hazel said, waving at them.
"Sorry," said the leader, jumping down between the three. "We're not accepting new members."
Eda placed her fists on her hips and stared at the commander.
"Is that any way to treat an old friend..." She removed the bat mask from behind. "Raine Whispers?"
They looked over their shoulder to see her. Raine frowned as they stood face to face.
"So, the Head Witch of the Bard Coven likes pretending to be a rebel. Too bad they're not very good at it."
"Eda!" Raine flushed at this. "You're embarrassing me in front of my crew," they said quietly, glancing aside.
The five exchanged confused looks as they realized the two knew each other. Raine groaned and turned to face their friends.
"Hey, it's all right, everyone. The Owl Lady is an old friend," they said, pointing to Eda, who was blushing.
"So you do know them!" Bijou said, crossing her arms and smiling slightly.
"Who are these?" Raine said, turning to face her and Hazel.
"Well, Bijou and Hazel here are friends of mine," Eda placed her arm about her, giving them a look that said, 'Don't tell him you live with me,' to which they nodded.
"And she's really good with magic from her bangle! Hazel is also a trusted partner. It'd be good to have them on your side, they're amazing fighter."
"You know us," Bijou stated as modestly as possible.
"Nice to see you again," the authoress Bijou, Hazel, Eda, and Luz helped release from the Conformatorium said as she removed her mask.
"Are they going to join our group?" the bassoon player asked, removing his mask and beaming at the three.
"They don't seem like good fits to me," the last girl, with pink complexion, said skeptically.
"Actually, she's the one who inspired me to form the group," Raine admitted, Eda looking at them with wide eyes.
"Huh?"
"It...was a while ago," Raine explained hesitantly.
Flashback - around 10 years ago
A younger Eda sat beside them, her orange hair in a ponytail.
"Raine...I know why you're really here," she said, raising a spell finger and grasping her lute.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Raine told her.
"Uh-huh..." She traced a mist on her cloud with her hot finger. She grinned at her work.
"Who cares about a stupid performance? This...is more fun," they said, smiling at her.
"Whatever you say," she turned to face them, holding the lute.
"See? You'd be a mess without me," Raine adjusted her fingers while glancing up at her. They both looked aside, Raine clearing their throat and blushing. Eda simply smiled while staring at her instrument.
"Alright. Raine's Rhapsody." She began playing a beautiful music that influenced the plants surrounding them. Raine saw her play as petals fluttered past them.
"You know, you can't run away from your fears forever, which is why you've got to get ahead of them," she said with a sly grin. "Give 'em a whack right in the face."
They smiled with an amused lifted brow.
"I thought you were just joking around. I only learned what it meant when I started teaching for the Bard Coven."
They threw down a stack of scrolls, sat down, and studied them all.
"The Emperor prioritized recruitment through force, and anyone who refused to fall in line disappeared; I wasn't going to stand for that!"
Raine, frustrated, threw aside the scrolls.
"So I took matters into my own hands. I carefully moved up the ranks, and I found people who wanted to change things, like me."
End Flashback
They smiled and gestured toward the group. "And that's when we formed the Bards Against the Throne, aka..."
"The BATTS!" the three said with hisses. Footsteps were heard abruptly, and a shadow appeared over them from the bridge. Eda pointed in the opposite way, and Raine gestured for them to rise. They turned around as Bijou and Hazel climbed and extended their hand to Eda.
"Hey, if you've both got nothing to lose, we could use the help."
Bijou looked back as Eda blushed and took their hand. She smirked at them.
Luz and King were performing push-ups together, with the staff assisting. Hooty was gripping King's tail to help him. The girl collapsed in fatigue.
"Whew! All right, King," she stood, wiping sweat from her forehead. "The Gland Prix is the day after tomorrow. Are you ready?"
"I, uh...got the jitters," he said, as Hooty pulled him up. He yelped in astonishment before Hooty assisted him down. "And I still haven't been able to talk to Eda."
"Don't worry," Luz said, bending down to him. "She's just been busy this week. Come to think of it, so have Bij and Hazel..." She massaged her chin. She assumed it was because Bijou and Hazel were dealing with their own issues, but it appeared to be more than that given they kept running off with Eda.
"You've always got Uncle Hooty's shoulder to lean on," Hooty said, attempting to console him, but King wouldn't have it.
"You don't have any shoulders!" King yelled at him before fleeing.
"Lean on me!" Hooty ran after the small demon. Eda opened the door with her hair in a high ponytail. And Bijou had her hair fashioned in pigtails so that others would not know her by her hair, while both of them wore cloaks. They were both clutching scrolls when Luz looked up. She flew over to them and stood on the staff. Ruby was on Bijou's shoulder.
"Eda, King's still waiting to talk to you."
"Uh, maybe later," Eda replied with a thumbs up, continuing to avoid it.
"We've got some important things to attend to right now," Bijou stated as Luz hopped down.
"We can't give you all the details," Hazel continued.
"O-Okay. Well, maybe at the Gland Prix?"
"We'll be there!" Eda responded, waving it off. "We promise."
"Stay away from me!" King sprinted to the back of the house.
"Let me be your emotional support!" Hooty exclaimed. Luz simply stared after the three. Eda, Bijou, and Hazel did hang out on occasion, but it was becoming increasingly common for them to depart and return together...
Eda laid down a map on the table while they were talking with the BATTs. "Well, there you have it. Homemade maps of every nook and cranny in the city."
"Okay," Raine said, placing her hand down. "Here's the situation. Emperor Belos wants every wild witch in a coven before the Day of Unity."
"He's trying to steal as much magic as possible," the bassoon player said, leaning against the wall. "We don't know why."
"Right now, we're just focused on helping those he's captured. And the next raids take place here, here, and here," Raine pointed to several locations on the map.
"At the same time?" the authoress asked, frowning. "What do we do?"
"Eda has this particular tactic in mind," Hazel chimed in.
"Don't worry, kids," Eda said, rubbing her chin. "Mama's got a plan."
"You're not our mom!" cried the pink-skinned witch.
"It's a nickname thing with her," Bijou explained to them.
"As the first team is rounding up witches on Hackson Road, Amber will sneak in and take 'em out."
Amber, the recorder player, noticed a carriage behind her transporting wild witches.
"Ugh. Fine."
Amber played her instrument while the Scout in front fell asleep. The remaining Scouts fell asleep on the ground.
"Before anyone calls for help, Derwin and Katya will distract the second team by Skinford Avenue."
"That we can do."
After capturing their attention, the two jumped down from the arch and ran away.
"And...the captain?"
"That's where Raine and Bijou come in."
Raine plucked a note, and Bijou played a flute. The cloak wrapped around the captain before his hood stretched to conceal his face and fell to the ground.
"As long as I don't have to make any more speeches."
The two lifted their masks and gave Eda a thumbs up.
"And if everything goes well, Hazel and I will be guiding the escapees outside Bonesborough."
She waved them forward, and they dashed out of the carriage.
"Belos has less reach outside the cities."
As the gang led them outside Bonesborough, Raine and Eda stood together on the bridge, looking out. The two looked away, embarrassed.
Amber stepped into a puddle as the fatigued group headed out onto the street. Eda moaned tiredly, their masks off.
"I can't believe it's already morning..."
"That mission took a bit longer than I expected," Bijou said, rubbing her left eye.
"I had never been up this long," Hazel yawned.
"I'm not tired yet!" Amber remarked, still full of energy.
"Amber, you've gotta calm down," Katya advised her as she carried Derwin on her back, all of them giggling.
"We did it!" Amber cried as they returned to their hiding place. "Eda, Bij, Hazel, you're amazing!"
"We actually helped people this time," Katya said, smiling slightly. Raine lay down exhausted, Eda standing over them.
"Rainstorm," she taunted, and they laughed with enjoyment.
"Haven't heard that in a minute."
"Oh, you've gotten so strong," she said, taking off her cloak. "It's incredible."
She leaned against the wall.
"But how'd you become Head Bard with your stage fright?"
"I'm just that good," they jokingly told her. "What about you? Do you still know any Bard spells?"
"Well..." she looked away briefly. "You remember the curse. It messes with my magic."
She crossed her arms. Raine spun a spell finger, and her lute materialized. She gasped when she caught it, staring at them with a smirk on their face.
"How'd you become the Owl Lady with your stage fright?"
She smiled as she averted her gaze, embarrassed.
"All right. You asked for this," she began playing the same music from their childhood, her eyelids closing as she sensed the magic about her. Everything was raised into the air, but, like before, it began to turn dark and corroded. Raine sat up and watched the candles' flames grow grey. The papers were scorched, and Raine's earrings had turned a darker grey. They touched it and glanced up, Eda chuckling and snorting.
"Raine's Rhapsody. More like Eda's Requiem, am I right?"
She handed the lute to them.
"I-I'll leave the playing to the professionals," she whistled for Bijou and Hazel, who rose from the ground as she spoke with the others. "Call if you need us. Come on, you two."
"See you guys next time!" Bijou waved as she dashed towards the exit.
"It's nice knowing you all," Hazel waved them goodbye.
"Bye, Mama Eda, Hazel, and Bij!" Amber waved enthusiastically to the trio. Raine set down the lute, casting an inquisitive glance at the papers that were still burning...
"Hang on, Bijou," Raine said as she looked over her shoulder. "Can we talk?"
"Oh, uhh...sure," she replied, shrugging at Eda and Hazel. "I'll be out in a minute."
She walked up to Raine.
"Has Eda told you about...well, this?" They pointed down to the burning paper, and Bijou exclaimed.
"She did this?" she wondered, returning her gaze to them.
"She said her curse was messing with her magic...but I didn't know it was to this extent."
"Well...I'm not sure if you heard, but Eda did lose all her magic," she said, crossing her arms. "And, while she's learnt a few things from me, she still lacks natural skills. But perhaps there is a reason why she can still perform Bard magic."
"Yeah...maybe. Just...look after her for me, okay? You two seem close," they commented, and she grinned.
"Yes...we are. Eda has accomplished more than anyone knows. And, based on her appearance, you'd think she'd be an unsuitable mentor, but...it works," she said. "Anyway, see ya later."
Bijou waved to Raine before leaving, and they waved back.
The Gland Prix was about to begin, and students from all three schools were lining up. An Illusion Hexside student snapped a photo with another Potions student. Principal Bump walked up to the principals of the other schools and waved. Eda, Hazel, and Bijou walked toward Luz and King.
"Eda, Hazel, Bij!" Luz hurried up to them and hugged them. Her uniform was comparable to Grudgby's. "You guys made it."
King approached Eda, holding her staff.
"I, uh...would really like to tell you something before the race starts," he said, handing Luz the staff. Eda crouched down to him.
"Well, if it's so important, we can talk about it after the race...when you win, okay?"
"Uh...yeah, yeah. Okay," he replied, smiling at her.
"Good luck out there, amie," Bijou hugged Luz. "You guys got this!"
"Thanks, Bij...hey, um, is there something you wanna tell me? You seem to like going off with Eda a lot, what do you guys do?"
"Uhh," Bijou sweated somewhat at the inquiry; she had to maintain her vow to Eda and not say anything. "I'll tell you after the race, okay?"
"Okay," Luz said, nodding at her. "Promise?"
"Promise," the girl said, raising her hand to indicate that she meant it.
Gus and his father stood in front of a massive crystal ball, as little camera creatures flew close.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Gland Prix!"
Gus twirled his fingers, creating the illusion of a flag. The audience cheered when the contestants turned to face them.
"Contestants will fly down the right arm to the Cubital Valley," Perry said, gesturing to the crystal ball and showing a map. "They use speed, cunning, and magic to race to the checkpoint and back to the finish line! Winners get their names etched on the Cup of Ephemeral Glory."
He brought up a trophy depicting a goblin with only one foot.
"All victory is fleeting..." the trophy murmured in a scratchy tone.
"And an on-camera interview seen by everyone watching across the Isles!"
Luz smiled and nudged the anxious King. She came up to Owlbert and jumped on the staff.
"On your marks. Get set." Perry yelled as he held out the trophy, signaling the start of the race. The racecars took off.
"Go baby, go!" screamed a sea creature lady standing next to Eda. "Which one is yours? This is so exhilarating!"
She then punched Eda, who appeared annoyed.
Eda's crow phone rang in her hair, and she answered it.
"Raine?"
Bijou and Hazel leaned in slightly to hear them.
"We got a tip about another raid," they told Eda. "I know you three are busy, but-"
"No, it's fine. I'm on my way."
"Eda..." Bijou sighed at her.
"I know, but they won't notice, and I'll be back before they win! Are you coming?"
"Nah, we'll just stay here and support them. If the race is over before you get back, I'll just say that you...went to go rob someone," Hazel stated, as Bijou nodded and Ruby chirped in agreement from the girl's shoulder.
"Suit yourselves," Eda scratched the top of her head before fleeing away. Bijou waved at her from her seat.
"I hope she knows what she's doing..." she said to her palisman.
Eda followed with the BATTs when they came upon a broken bridge in the jungle. They jumped across the gap, and Raine came to a halt, summoning the instrument.
"This should be the spot," they said. They struck a chord, causing a sonic boom that ended in a big crash. They returned their attention to the rest of the group, and their instrument vanished.
"Something isn't right."
Raine was correct, as abomination goo engulfed Amber, Drewin, and Katya, trapping them inside. The two bolted as Darius appeared in front of them, materializing out of goo.
"That...feels better." As he landed, Eberwolf, leader of the Beast Keeping Coven, dug himself out of the bridge. "Looks like we missed a few."
Darius approached, noticing only three. Eda and Raine were hidden behind a rock below.
Raine gasped as they recognized them. "It's Head Witches Eberwolf and Darius!"
"So, that means..." Eda's eyes widened.
"We fell for their trap," Raine frowned, concerned.
Back at the race...
One kid was in the lead. Luz suddenly appeared after casting an invisibility spell, startling the student. He flew backwards past two other racers, who barely avoided being hit.
"Ha ha! St. Epiderm?" King jumped, landing behind Luz. "More like Stank Epiderm!"
He mocked as Luz approached the checkpoint. She stared at another racer, and they turned back, shouting and flying backwards. Luz went straight for the main ring.
"Might wanna slow down for that turn, Luz!"
She didn't listen, so he covered his eyes.
"We're gonna crash!"
Luz held up a plant glyph and placed it on the ring as she soared through it. She grabbed the vine that had developed and used it to make the turn, King yelling as they returned to the finish line. The audience cheered, and Principal Bump gasped. He beamed triumphantly at the other principals, who gave him a brief frown.
"Yeah! Go, Luz!" Bijou exclaimed from her vantage point, as Hazel jumped and Ruby flapped his wings in celebration.
With Eda and Raine...
"This place is disgusting," Darius exclaimed with disdain, attempting not to get his cape muddy. "Figure out which one's the turncloak, so we can leave."
Eberwolf smelled the three of them and shook his head. Darius groaned and placed a finger on his forehead.
"Just my luck..." He snapped his fingers, bringing up the three members, who suddenly vanished totally into the puddle! Eda and Raine gasped from their positions.
The trio was subsequently thrown inside the detention cell of the Conformatorium.
"No. No!" Katya grabbed the bars. "Not again!"
"I was scheduled for some me-time today, so hand yourself over before things get nasty," Darius said, knowing the other members were out there someplace. They exchanged glances, and he sighed in frustration.
"I know they can hear me. I know you can hear me!" he said, looking down at Eberwolf. "Eber, help me out here."
Eberwolf grumbled and drew a spell circle on his forehead. It activated a magic that improved his eyesight. He noticed tracks headed into the woodland. Darius looked at it and knew what he was going to do from there.
"I am not going in there," he exclaimed as dirt flew past him. He looked down and saw Eberwolf excavating. "What do you think you're-"
Eberwolf crawled all over him, making him scream again.
"You'll regret that, mutt!" He transformed into abomination goo and pursued the fellow head.
Raine and Eda exhaled as they hid in a tree with an invisibility spell, in case the two glanced up. Raine was holding Eda's bridal style.
"I am glad I remembered how to do that," Eda said, looking at the glyph combination in her fingers, which withered away. They jumped to the ground, with Eda's boots missing for some reason.
"Ew. Gross."
"Eda, Belos' plans are a lot more dangerous than I let on," Raine said. "He's preparing some big spell for the Day of Unity. But he can't do it without every head witch. If we can take out Darius and Eberwolf..."
"Say no more, Rainstorm," she said knowingly. "What's the plan?"
Her lute materialized in front of her, which she caught while staring at them skeptically.
"You say your curse messes with magic. I think I can make that work in our favor."
Eberwolf used his eyes to scan the earth, as Darius returned to his body. Eberwolf gasped as they noticed Eda's boots leaving their own traces. They were also making music as they went away, which gave Darius an idea.
"Ah...looks like our traitor is a clever little songbird."
The boots turned around and kicked muck all over him, which enraged him. Eberwolf looked up, scared, as Darius absorbed the mud to remove it. He conjured spikes to shred the boots to pieces.
"Alright!" He returned to the bridge, enraged. "NO MORE PLAYING AROUND!"
He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, the pupils were black with yellow and green in the centre. Abomination ooze engulfed him, and Eberwolf watched as he transformed into an abomination creature with a machete. Eberwolf roared as his teeth grew wider and his hair became more wild. He sprang up and created a spell circle, which he phased through to summon a monstrous ratworm. He jumped atop the creature's head, and they headed out to find the two.
Eda and Raine huddled behind a tree and kept a tight eye on everything. Eda gently turned back to face them, and they exchanged looks. The Owl Lady glanced away, blushing and embracing herself. Raine summoned the instruments and handed her the lute. They spun another spell circle to summon the bow, then began playing with their eyes closed. Eda gazed around as the atmosphere was flooded with magic, making everything brighter. She smiled back at Raine. She took her lute and began to play beside Raine. Everything began to turn black, lifting everything to the ground. They were back to back as they continued to play, Eda's gem activating. She put one foot in front of the other as the grass began to corrode and cover everything in black. Eberwolf gave a grin, thinking he had them, but the magic began to affect the ratworm.
Darius tried to follow the sound as everything in front of him went black.
"There you are...huh?" He looked down to discover that the magic was now hurting him, and he yelled in anguish before collapsing to the ground.
"It's working. Keep playing," Eda grinned, as the magic took over Raine's boots.
"Look," they told her, and she turned around to see what was going on. "We may not make it out ourselves."
She frowned and looked up at him. It wasn't like the girls or King would miss her because they were all departing.
"But it'll stop the emperor, right?"
They nodded at her.
"Then we play on!" She turned around, but the photo of her with the other Grom participants flew out of her hair. Raine caught a glimpse of it, her eyes widening as it dropped and hit the ground. They stared at it, especially since Bijou and Hazel were in the shot. So they could only tell from that photo that...Eda made her indicate that it was just the two of them and not anyone else.
"Eda?" They stopped playing and looked at her. "Do you have kids? And Bijou and Hazel are two of them?!"
She plucks the wrong note, and her eyes widen as she realizes the enchantment is also affecting her.
"Uh...well, they're not 'mine' mine," she moaned, frustrated. "It doesn't matter. They all have real families to return to."
She kept playing, and Raine used a spell finger to take away her lute. The enchantment stopped encompassing them as it vanished from both of their bodies.
"I don't know what you're running from...but a great witch once told me...something about punching fears in the face?" She replied with a smile. "What I'm trying to say is...don't give up so easily."
Raine handed her the photograph.
"They probably need you more than you realize."
She smiled as their hand was extended and accepted it. They helped her up while holding hands.
"We can find another way to stop Belos, together."
Suddenly, abomination goo grabbed both of them, disrupting the moment. Darius took them both away after he and Eberwolf had recovered.
"Found you, songbird."
Eda shrieked as they were pulled into the air, then clutched a branch. She clung as firmly as she could, her hand slipping from their. She glanced down at them and burst into tears as she realized what they were about to do.
"Raine, don't."
"Go. You know I can't stand an audience," They gave Eda a forlorn smile before willingly letting go and being dragged away. Raine summoned the violin and used it to cut themselves free. Darius gasped in pain as Raine landed in front of him.
"Hello, Darius, and Eber," they said.
"Raine Whispers...you'll regret what you did to my cloak!" Eberwolf snarled at him from nearby, reminding him of something. "And your treachery. Whatever."
However, he was more concerned with the cloak. He stood up, his shadow hanging over Raine. They prepared themselves, with Eda landing from the tree and looking worried. She began crying since she knew they wouldn't be able to stop the two from fleeing. She approached the race, gasping. She sniffled as she took a big breath before running back and saw the crystal ball. She noticed a photo of Luz and King neck and neck with another racer.
"Luz of Hexside and Ukla of Glandus are barreling towards the finish line."
A camera flashed, but it revealed that Luz and King had crossed the finish line first.
"And there you have it! Luz over Ukla!"
The crowd roared, and Eda gasped and clapped. "For fifth place."
"Huh?" Eda asked, surprised by what had just happened.
"And now let's give a hearty applause to our actual winners," Perry said, pointing to the three who won, Gavin in first position.
"Hey, Eda," Luz said, her hair a tangle, and King wasn't lucky either. Bijou and Hazel joined them, frowning.
"Luz, you and King were killing it back there! What happened?" Hazel asked with alarm.
"We were winning for a while, but..."
Flashback - a while ago
The two were in the lead...until King got sick.
"Luz," He groaned.
"King, try to hold it in!" she advised him.
"I can't!" He covered his mouth.
"King!"
He then threw up on her.
End Flashback
"And then we crashed," Luz told Eda, Bijou shuddering slightly.
"Guess you should've taken King's motion sickness into account."
"It's okay," King responded, disheartened. "I'll just throw my message into the garbage where it belongs."
He held up the paper. Eda looked aside, then narrowed her eyes, realizing she intended to aid King regardless of whether he left or not.
"No. This isn't over," she said, pulling out her scroll from her hair to use her Penstagram and beginning to record him.
"Eda, who's even gonna watch this?"
"No one watches crystal balls anymore. It's all about streaming," she explained, and he gave in.
"Alright..." She zeroed in on him, and he cleared his throat while facing the camera. "Hi...Dad. If you're out there watching this, I, uh...wanna introduce myself."
Willow and Clover were in Willow's chamber, watching the palisade on her head.
"I like cheesy foods and conquering kingdoms. Though I haven't conquered any of my own yet. But...maybe you have, and we can compare notes."
Amity and her siblings watched from home, smiling.
"I'd love to meet ya. We could do parent-kid stuff."
Jackie and Iris were also watching, sitting beside the fountain in Bonesborough Square.
"Toss a ball, burn some cookies, catch me going on weird websites or something."
Someone who...oddly resembled King was also watching via Penstagram.
"Also, I found this symbol in the tower where I hatched," King said, holding up his tag, the demon freezing in place. "Maybe you can teach me to read it?"
The devil looked up at the sky.
"I live with my favorite humans, my right-hand beast, and a cranky old witch."
"Hey!" Eda protested.
"But cranky or not, she's the one who raised me. Which is why...I am legally changing my name to King Clawthorne!"
He chuckled as he took out the paperwork to officially change his name.
"Surprise, Eda! Now we're connected for life, and there's nothing you can do about it!"
"Is that...what you wanted to tell me this whole time?" Eda picked them up, her voice breaking slightly as the sisters grinned.
"And...if you sign here, it'll be official!" Luz offered her a pen. Eda was moved because this meant King would be her son. She started crying and biting her lip. "Eda, are you okay?"
She began sobbing.
Eberwolf watched from his own scroll. Raine was close, imprisoned in goo, and they heard everything.
"Eda, if you keep doing that...I'm gonna cry too!" Luz burst out crying, and Bijou laughed.
"Guys, it's okay..." she reassured them as Hazel hopped onto her shoulder.
"You knew about this all along, didn't you?" Eda sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"We would've, but King wanted to do this on his own. And if we did, then you wouldn't have learned that we'll always need you, Eda," Hazel went on to explain.
"Would you shut that off?" Darius asked Eberwolf, annoyed. "We're supposed to be tormenting Raine, not me."
Eberwolf merely turned up the volume, irritating him even more.
"Why are you like this?"
A splash was heard, and they looked back to see Raine fleeing. They looked back before turning around and gasping. Kikimora emerged from the shadows, standing on an Abomaton.
"Leaving so soon?"
Raine fled, but was apprehended by the Abomaton.
"I told you we didn't need help," Darius said as he and Eberwolf approached her. "So get that ugly thing out of my face. And tell Alador he's a hack while you're at it."
"Emperor Belos was rather upset to learn that you had a hand in the recent raid incidents," she said, lifting Raine up to face her.
"Guess I can look forward to my own petrification, huh?" Raine ridiculed her, ready to meet their fate.
"No," she explained to them. "It'd be too much of a hassle to find a replacement."
A finger from her head rose up, activating the Bard emblem on Raine's arm. It started crawling over them.
"The emperor needs you alive and well for the Day of Unity. But until then, night-night," she waved as she was the last thing they saw as everything went dark...
A/N: There you have it, folks. A new chapter. Honestly, this was one of my favorite The Owl House episode, especially the Gland Prix and the fact that there are a small faction of witches who are anti-Belos. And I gotta admit, Bijou has made it this far ever since she first arrived at the Boiling Isles. Back then, she couldn't fend off guards from the Emperor's coven. Now, she is an asset to the BATTs. Regardless, stay tuned for the next chapter as Bijou's part will be largely focused on her attempt to confess her feelings to Edric. Bye~!