Clouds on the Horizon
Belos' portal was now complete, as it lit up, and he approached it in a dark room. His mask was off, and he was clutching the portal key, which still had some blood in it.
"Heh heh heh heh..." The Collector emerged behind him, smiling broadly.
"You nervous?" they mocked Belos, who didn't seem bothered at all. "You haven't been home in how many hundreds of years?"
They shifted to the side, minimizing their face and holding it.
"What if it's all changed?" the Collector asked, hovering above Belos with a grin. "What if you changed? You got so used to eating Palismen, you can barely keep your human shape anymore."
Belos' arm transformed into goo and attacked the Collector, who dodged it. Then the arm became slack.
"I can't wait to get out of this prison!" the Collector cried, his shadow on the ground. They zoomed over to the gateway. "There are so many games I wanna play! If we need a third player, we can make another Grimwalker!"
The Collector sank to the ground, and a gigantic hand appeared.
"No," Belos replied, waving his hand. "Not until I've dealt with this one."
He walked away as the Collector surrounded him with countless faces.
"What about that Bijou girl? She seemed to be a promising player herself. Please invite her," the Collector persisted.
"Oh, I'll invite her alright!" he yelled in rage. "To the stake. I will make sure not a single trace of her or Marianne's bangle will be left behind in such a fiery blaze."
He then slammed a goo-covered fist.
"Just free me already! You promised!" The Collector complained, growing irritated.
"The Draining Spell must work first, like you promised," Belos remarked as they walked.
"You need to have more faith in pinky swears," The Collector said to him.
"Don't worry, Collector," said Belos as he approached the double doors. "Your patience will be rewarded," The Collector leaned over him with a wide grin, and it turned out that they were in the Head of the Titan...with people approaching it. "The Day of Unity is about to begin..."
"I was devastated to hear of your demotion, Kikimora," Odalia Blight said as she dropped off a cargo of Abomatons outside Blight Industries. And Kikimora was in charge of the shipment, as punishment for her act at the Coven Day parade. Kikimora was fatigued as she wore a cargo coven uniform...
"Please stop talking to me," she mumbled, eager to end the conversation.
"Personally, I liked you better than that turncloak Golden Guard," Odalia said as she signed off the shipment. "If only there was a way to show Belos your true worth."
Then she left Kikimora for a while.
"If only there was a way to show Belos your true worth," she taunted Odalia, shaking her fingers at him. "Let's get out of here."
The Scout closed the door, and they took off in the balloon. Odalia waved at them, while the twins and Amity watched her from a distance.
"She won't believe you," Emira said, looking at her younger sister.
"Even if she did, she won't care," Edric added.
"Well, someone has to tell Mom about the Draining Spell, or else she and Dad are helping Belos hurt people!" Amity pointed out; once Hunter told her about it, she had to ensure their parents stopped all production of the Abomatons. Right now, they were giving the Emperor's Coven a significant advantage against the insurrection. She gasped and drew her siblings down as Odalia turned away.
"I've got that little gremlin on the hook!" She boasted to her husband, who approached. "She'll be a perfect test subject for our new products~!"
She hummed cheerfully as she approached Alador, hands behind her back.
"Don't you think it's odd that they need this much security for the Day of Unity?" Alador asked, stroking the back of his neck. "Perhaps...we should...reconsider this deal."
"Blights always keep their end of the bargain, dear," she reminded him, looking angry. "Or should I consider ours? It might be time for the kids to play a more active role in Blight Industries."
She scowled at him and clutched her pearl. "I could start the paperwork right now."
He gave a concerned face; he had attempted to persuade her to be a better parent to the children, but it only resulted in the same threat...so he did nothing. He turned around and went away, as did the woman.
"Hey, guys," Amity said, waving her hand behind her. "Dad might listen!"
She turned back to find that her brother and sister were not around.
"Guys?" She emerged from concealment just as a shadow fell over her.
"Hiding behind trash, Amity?" Odalia mused, as she controlled an Abomaton with the gem that held the twins. "To think my children are so painfully predictable in their deceit...you're grounded!"
Amity gritted her teeth.
Meanwhile, at the CATTs' hideout, they were devising the strategy. Luz was seated on the bunk bed, staring at her gaming tablet.
"What kind of language is that?" Eda asked, looking over her shoulder to Bijou, who stood by her side.
Bijou's hair was still worn down, but now with a little side tail. She is dressed in a cream shirt with red trimmings at the bottom, a red jacket with light brown streaks, navy blue denim jeans with beige, navy blue, and sky blue horizontal stripes on the sides, a silver buckle belt with an aqua blue decoration, and aqua blue boots with light cream soles.
Luz had changed her pants to beige and puffy, with black boots and her hair in a small ponytail.
"Still no luck?" Bijou asked as Luz shook her head in reply.
"The language of love, Eda," Luz said, standing up. "But...it's unfinished. It just says grounded, come quick, then nothing."
"Ugh! If it's because of her mother, I wouldn't be surprised," Bijou said with annoyance. "What I wouldn't do to punch her in the face right about now..."
Eda placed a hand on her shoulder, and the girl clenched her mouth tight since she was getting off topic. She approached Luz and tried to console her.
"Special delivery!" Lilith, Hooty, Hazel, and King approached, the small Titan bearing a crate full of items. He placed it down, revealing Coven Scout masks. "Ta-da!"
"Ooo!" Luz exclaimed in wonder.
"Disguises, YES!" Lilith exclaimed. "A milestone of malfeasance in my new life of crime."
"This is just a trick to get me to wear clothes!" Hooty whined. "Well, it won't work!"
"We were able to recover these masks in the store room. That way, we can easily sneak into the ceremony without anyone suspecting," Hazel quipped up.
"Anything else I can do?" King asked. "Grab some tea, defeat some baddies, create sentient life? I am a Titan-"
"Totally frightened!" Eda covered his mouth and laughed it off. "Yeah, me too, pal." she whispered. "I know you wanna help, but we gotta keep this stuff a secret between us five for now. You may be a Titan, but you're still a little guy."
He gave a sad look, which Bijou and Hazel noted. The girl gave Eda a tiny frown.
"Eda...listen-"
"All right," Darius approached them before she could speak. "Let's get this briefing over with."
They all approached the table and sat down.
"Okay," Raine said while sitting between Darius and Eberwolf. "We have 24 hours until the Day of Unity begins and Belos activates the Draining Spell."
"And everyone on the Boiling Isles is taken out. In one fell swoop," Darius brushed away several little pegs.
"Well, not everyone," Raine clarified, showing him his Bard coven sigil. "The spell targets those with Coven Sigils. Using the nine types of magic as ingredients for the spell itself."
They pointed to a little circle in the center, which had the colors of all nine covens. "It's channeled through each of the Coven Heads during the duration of the eclipse."
"So, what's the plan?" Lilith asked in anxiety. "Do we hide one of you?"
"We can't count on that after my stunt with the BATTs," Raine told her.
"Belos made sure we all have...replacements," Darius said, leaving Bijou perplexed. "We can't stop the Draining Spell, but we can corrupt it. That's where the Owl Lady comes in."
He gestured at Eda, confusing her and her sister.
"...Huh?"
"Ugh, the curse, Eda!" Darius reminded her, and she had memories of what happened with Raine when she first met them with the BATTs.
"That's right! My curse warps magic! I did quite a number on you two if I remember correctly," she said, gesturing at Darius and Eberwolf.
"You remembered incorrectly," Darius said, crossing his arms. "I was completely unfazed."
Eberwolf hissed at Darius, terrifying him.
"Eda would have to sneak into the tower...and here's how," Darius said, spinning his finger to call some abominations. He created small abominations, including one of himself and Eberwolf.
"I'll control a pair of abominations to release Eberwolf's flesh-eating beetles into the crowd."
The little abominations opened their lips wide, exposing the little abomination bugs to the abomination crowd.
"It will create a distraction so big, we can get Eda up with the Coven Heads."
As the mob screamed, young Darius and Eberwolf led Eda past them. "The spell will halt when it comes in contact with the curse, and the day will be saved! No problem."
Then all the abominations exploded, terrifying the Bijou, Luz, Hazel, Eda, Lilith, King, and Hooty.
"Seriously, Darius! Do we have to create collateral damage with this plan?" Hazel questioned, stunned.
"What? Only a few people would get eaten," he shrugged. "Even then, just the small ones."
"How about no one gets eaten? That's better than a few," Bijou said, crossing her arms.
"If we must do this..." Raine squirted some hideous ooze. "The safest bet is to have Eda tap into the spell by taking someone's place as Coven Head...my place. Sigil and all."
They showed their emblem, and Eda gasped, swearing she would never receive a sigil. Her family was shocked that she would have to give up that part of herself in order for the plan to work.
"As Head Bard, you'd also be flanked by me and Eber, where we can keep an eye on the others," Darius pointed out, noting that the Bard position was between Darius and Eberwolf for the Draining Spell.
"Why are we acting like Edalyn is the only one with a curse here?" Lilith stood up and gestured to herself, knowing how Eda felt about this. "Please, let me do this as-"
"No," Eda said, closing her eyes. Lilith frowned. She'd cheerfully do it if it meant Eda wasn't required to. "You haven't had your curse that long. You don't know how it would react."
Everyone looked at her as if she was regretfully correct. They weren't sure if Lilith could pervert the magic like Eda could, and she hadn't shown any symptoms of doing so.
"But I do, and how can I say no to sticking it to Belos one final time?" She smiled, hands on her hips. "Not only that, but I got the Raine Whispers watching out for me."
They smiled at her words, relieved, but only a little.
"Heck yes, Owl Lady!" Katya said as she got to her feet. The others stood up and clapped for her bravery in doing this, as well as their desire to stick it to Belos for personal reasons. Raine clapped along but was unable to help and was concerned.
Luz, Bijou, Hazel, and King stood on the balcony, gazing up at the different blimps flying over them. She stared at her gaming device, then at the sky. King reached out to comfort her, but Eda arrived and joined them.
"There you are! Look what I got!" She brought up an egg.
"The coat's finally dry," she said, handing it to Luz. "I thought you'd carve something cute like a tarantula. Heh, why an egg?"
"I got to decide what my future looked like when I chose to be a witch and...I want them to have that option too," Luz said as she glanced at the egg. "Until then, I'm willing to wait."
"Well, if it chooses to be a bird, then Ruby would be an ideal companion for it," Hazel suggested while smiling.
"Yeah, he would," Bijou agreed.
"Try to play music," Eda said, patting her on the head. "They can hear you."
Luz grinned and turned away. "I already love you," she kissed, and Bijou chuckled little. They turned back to the sky, Eda groaning heavily.
"Can you believe I gotta pretend to be a Coven Head?"
The girls exchanged glances, Luz's eyes saddened.
"Eda...are you sure you wanna do this?"
"Pft! Of course I don't," Eda said with a snort. "You know even before the curse I couldn't stand covens. Only a select few can learn about different types of magic? That made no sense! ...And it reminds me too much of Aria."
Her eyes saddened and turned aside as she remembered what happened to her old friend.
"But, if it's the only way to stop this, I'm going to do it!" She smiled softly, observing Luz's sad expression towards the game device. "But as exciting as saving the world sounds, it's not nearly as romantic as going on a rescue mission to save your girlfriend."
Luz looked up instantly. "I never said I was gonna-"
"No words needed for that, Luz," Hazel remarked.
"Hazel's right," Eda said, pointing at her. "It's written all over your face."
"Aww!" Bijou said, hands on her cheeks. "That is romantic!"
"Coming from someone who didn't even want a love life in the first place, but Edric changed all that," King teased her.
"Shh! Leave Eddie out of this; he just helped me give romance another shot, okay?" She looked aside with a slight flush. "I didn't know about that until we had that talk, thanks to Hooty."
"That's equally as romantic!" Luz said, smiling and then frowning. "And of course I want to! But I also wanna be there for you..."
Luz seemed divided; she wanted to save Amity, but she also wanted to help Eda...
"Hey, us adults can handle ourselves," Eda said, pointing down at her. "Tell bossy boots I said 'Yo.'"
"Stop talking like that!" King grabbed her bangs. "This isn't goodbye! I command it!"
"We'll see each other after the Day of Unity," Eda said, bringing everyone closer together.
"If we succeed..."
"When we succeed," the Owl Lady corrected her. "We have the advantage after all. We've got King the Titan, Hazel the Mighty Almiraj, Luz the Human, and Bijou the Successor of Marianne on our side! Legends in the making!"
She raised a fist, King on her arm, and Bijou chuckled.
"Don't forget Eda the Owl Lady!" Luz exclaimed, feeling psyched up.
"Yeah! The most powerful witch in the Boiling Isles for a good reason," Bijou smirked at her.
"Already a legend. And the most horrifying one of them all!" King remarked.
Eda tickled his tummy, and they all laughed and hugged. They allowed themselves to savor the moment because they didn't know when they'd see one other again.
"Eda," Raine approached them, Lilith smiling. "Let's get moving."
Eda reciprocated the smile before walking away from the sisters. Luz and Bijou were about to leave when the former grabbed Raine's sleeve. She gazed up pleadingly, Bijou's eyes hardening. "Promise you'll protect her."
"And that she never has to go through this again," Bijou stated sharply. They merely smiled at how much the couple adored Eda and wanted this to go well, not just to break the spell, but also to ensure Eda's happiness.
"Promise," Raine smirked, and they entered the briefing room. "Well, the next 24 hours are going to be rough."
Eda swiftly glanced at the girls, who smiled back at her, and she reciprocated.
"But everyone knows their part and I'm confident we'll succeed. Because...we are...the Covens Against The Throne!"
"Wait, can we please not make this our battle cry?" Darius asked, raising his hands.
"Aka the CATTs!" Raine yelled, and everyone hissed like cats, much to Darius' dismay.
"Ohh...Titan, help us," he walked away while the others chuckled.
"I'll...do my best," King's eyes saddened as Eda made him doubt himself.
The blimps took off, with Darius on the Abomination blimp full with Abomatons. He looked at Raine and Eda in another blimp, and they watched it take off. Meanwhile, Katya flew Luz and King into the jungle, with Bijou and Hazel following them on Ruby. She came to a stop, and Bijou and Hazel fluttered in beside her.
"Why are we stopping?" Luz asked, and Katya simply pushed her away.
"To meet your security escort," she said, already flying away. Bijou stepped off Ruby and Hazel hopped on Bijou's shoulder as they watched her leave.
"Security escorts?" Hazel repeated in question.
"Darius insisted. See ya!" Katya chuckled as she soared away to meet up with the others.
"What?!" Luz shouted in protest. "We don't need a security escort!"
"Did you hear that, guys?" Willow questioned, forcing them to freeze.
"Looks like our friends here are better off on their own," Jackie responded.
"Yeah, no, I guess we'll have to go home," Gus said innocently, waving his hand. "Well, it's been fun. See you around, Luz and Bij the humans and Hazel the almiraj."
Luz giggled gleefully as Bijou and Hazel smiled, having not seen them in a long time, and tears welled up in Luz's eyes.
"Wait, wait, wait!" she cried as the two raced over and hugged each other. "Of course I want you around!"
Gus, Willow, and Jackie had changed their clothes. Gus wore a light blue tunic with a pink belt, white sleeves, and brown boots. Willow wore a green long-sleeved shirt with a white collar and a blue bow on her chest. She was wearing a yellow topcoat, blue shorts, grey and white tights, and brown ankle boots. Jackie was wearing a light pink T-shirt, a blue pleated skirt, a black and white checkered blazer, a gold necklace, a silver belt, and white sandals.
"I'm so happy...and confused," they all said together as King leaped onto Gus' shoulder. "I thought you were all hiding after what happened at Hexside."
"They were," said another voice, which turned out to be Hunter. "But then they heard Darius ordered me to protect you two."
He was wearing a light brown shirt with dark purple sleeves below, black pants, a brown pouch around his waist, dark brown gloves, and brown boots. The burn mark on his forelock was likewise gone.
"More like he begged us to come because he is terrified of being recognized," Gus said, Hunter giving him a tiny scowl as he approached them.
"And honestly, I just can't believe my ears when I heard that my idol, Raine Whispers, is one of the witches fighting against Belos!" Jackie squealed.
"Hunter...are you really up for this? You must be dealing with a lot after learning-" Bijou replied.
"That Belos is evil?!" Hunter asked, chuckling. Bijou looked up at him, perplexed, wondering why he was acting like that. "Don't worry, I'm a-okay!"
He then bumped fists with Gus and Jackie, they bumped their heads, and made a small noise while waving their hands.
"What the-"
"Did we miss anything else besides the important stuff?" Hazel thought.
"Yep. Hunter's on our side now," Jackie replied.
"This is what happens when you go missing for a week," Willow said, placing her hand on Luz's shoulder. Hazel hopped over to the three witches and asked what happened at Hexside. Hunter stepped back from Luz and Bijou, smiling, before turning them around.
"Don't you dare mention that thing around them!" he warned Luz.
"What thing? That you're a Grimwalker?"
"Shh!" Hunter said, placing a finger over her mouth.
"Listen, I don't know if I'm a witch or a human..." He stared down at the ground. "All I know is that I'm a copy of someone Belos made...disappear."
"Hunter...they'd understand. You don't have to tell them right now, but remember, they're still your friends. And friends are always there to help," Bijou said with a tiny grimace, and he didn't react.
"We don't know what you four went through, but they seem to like you," Luz said.
"So I shouldn't worry about how they'd react, right?" Hunter asked in defense, nodding to himself. "If that's the case, have you told them about helping Phillip?" Their eyes widened as they pondered how he knew. "...Yeah, I overheard everything. Don't tell them, either of you, Please."
The two nodded silently in response. Bijou then approached Gus.
"I've heard about what you did at Hexside, Gus, and I'm really proud of you," she said, patting him on the head. "You've really grown ever since I met you. But here's your last human lesson: Don't. Bottle. Things. Up,"
She stressed every word of it.
"No more hiding stuff," she said, pointing at them with a humorous warning.
"Promise," they responded in unison, grinning at her.
"Wait! Last human lesson?" Gus grumbled to the girl. "But why?"
"I have nothing else to teach you. The rest, you have to learn on your own. But I know you can do it...just be careful, though," she smiled as she glanced away. He may be maturing, but he still gets confused about certain things.
"...This is it...I have become the master," Gus hugged her as she massaged his back. "With a heavy heart, I must move on!"
They all dashed into the woodland, looking up at Blight Manor. Gus halted Luz just as she was ready to take a step forward. He utilized the mirror amplifier to create a circle. The girls got a closer look and saw a Scout using an illusion to remain unseen. Willow and Jackie moved forward, the former popping her knuckles and the latter pulling out her flute. They looked at their friends, who nodded, and Luz flung a plant symbol, triggering it to launch vines at the Scout. Jackie used bard magic to make the vines more durable while playing the flute. The Scout dropped to the ground, entangled in them, as the gang ran by.
"Sorry, man!" Hunter exclaimed, since he had nothing personal against the Scouts...mostly. They came to a halt in front of the doors, but then a large amount of goo hit the door. They looked up as an Abomaton fired it, then grabbed Luz, knocking her to the ground.
"Luz!" King exclaimed as they looked up, and the alarm was about to ring when Hunter sliced it off with his staff. Bijou rushed in with Ruby in staff form, slashing the gunk from Luz with her light sword. Hazel then swiped his horn, knocking the cannon away from Luz, rotating her staff and turning to push it even further back. Hunter blinked at her strategy as Bijou entangled the Abomaton with her shadow hydra and Willow grabbed it with her vines and brought it underground. She winked and offered Luz a hand to help her up.
"She's over there!" Hazel pointed up as they came to a halt in front of Amity's window and saw her shadow move around. Luz smiled as she used a plant symbol on the ground. Vines with flowers climbed to the balcony, and she let out a tiny breath while straightening her bang. She straightened her jacket and was about to open the door when Amity said.
"I can't believe Mom broke it!" She stared at her game device, which had been damaged beyond repair due to Odalia smashing the screen.
"I'm going to fix it, and I'm going to send a message to Luz!" she exclaimed in a hurry as she pushed a screwdriver into it. Emira and Edric were in her bed. "I'm gonna do something!"
She straightened up and squeezed her eyes shut.
"We already tried burning down the factory," Edric said, sitting up with his hair and clothes tangled. "That's what got us grounded too."
"If Mom would just hear us out..." Amity approached her siblings.
"We can shout as loud as we want, but money always shouts louder," Emira reminded her. Odalia was only concerned with that.
"Dad would listen," she said before turning away and embracing herself. "I know he would. The world is ending, no one will listen to us...and I just..." She fought away tears. "I just wanna know that Luz is safe!"
She cried out, closing her eyes. The twins looked at each other, Emira beaming.
"What do you think Luz would say to you right now?"
"Probably...something dorky," Amity smiled and wiped her eyes. "But also sweet. Like...how I shouldn't give up and that...anything is possible."
She started pacing and looked much better.
"She'd say that I might be scared now, but to not let that stop me because...because every problem has a solution."
Emira touched her brother's shoulder while looking at something, and he noticed it. They grinned and exited her room.
"And everything's been so crazy, we've barely been able to spend time together! And I am not letting the world end before we go on a real date!"
"Whoa, you're right!" Amity said, shocked to find Luz herself standing at the open window. "I would say all that."
She gasped sharply and dashed up to her. "Luz!"
"Sweet potato!" Luz exclaimed cheerfully, whirling her around into an embrace. "I'm gonna take you out when this is all over, Amity. I promise! No monsters, no mysteries, no deadly duels. It's going to be the most mundane, slice-of-life date ever. And it'll be awesome! Maybe we could even have a double date with Bijou and your brother."
"I know," Amity said, before kissing Luz on the cheeks. Luz reciprocated it by laying her hand over Amity's, a blush on her face. They pulled away a few seconds later, both shocked.
"Oh...crikey!" Luz remarked cheerfully.
"I can't believe I just did that," Amity exclaimed hurriedly, still flushing.
"I can't believe I just said that!" Luz clutched her cheeks, slightly ashamed. "Oh, crikey. How did I even think that?" Amity smiled, but then faltered. "Come on, Luz, be cool next time."
"Luz...I don't think my parents know what they're helping Belos accomplish. Will you help me tell them about the Draining Spell?"
"Of course," Luz said, smiling, eager to help. "That's why we're here."
"We?" She led them outdoors, where they gazed down at the six. Gus, Jackie, and Bijou waved to her, the girlfriends beaming.
"...Wait, we're going on a double date with Bijou and Edric?!" Amity turned to Luz, realizing that she had no idea they were dating. She had seen Bijou kiss Edric on the cheek before, but she had no idea they were actually in a relationship.
Edric and Bijou flinched in surprise, the latter holding her head high with a loud groan.
"YOU DIDN'T TELL HER THAT?!" she yelled at Luz, who shrugged.
"I thought she knew!"
Bijou growled, then noticed Amity flushing.
"Wait, what happened up there?" She smirked at her first human companion, who flinched.
"N-Nothing!"
"That means something happened," Bijou said, looking closer and gasping. "Did you two kiss?"
Luz blushed as she looked aside. "M-Maybe..."
"Aww!" Bijou mocked her with a knowing smirk, while the others smiled knowingly. "Mon amie's first kiss."
"...Okay, we're even now," the younger human female said gently.
"But before we go," Bijou said, flying over to the balcony on her palisman staff. "Eddie."
"Yes, Bij?" he questioned as he went up.
"I've been saving this one since you showed that you could finally do multi-track, and I'm going to give it to you," Bijou said, planting a kiss on Edric's lips. He was taken aback by her unexpected romantic gesture, but eventually accepted it because everyone else, particularly Luz and Amity, was moved by this touching scene.
With the CATs...
Steve used a stealth gem on Raine to scan them, and they picked up a stray leaf. They turned to Eda, who had been given an elixir by Lilith; both she and Hooty were disguised as Scouts. She drank it and handed the bottle to her sister, brushing away some stray feathers while looking at the ground. Raine came up to her.
"Hey, I know that face," she grinned as they looked scared. "I've got it all under control, Rainestorm."
She punched them in the shoulder slightly.
"Jealous that I may be a better Coven Head than you?" she snorted, resting against the airship while Raine smiled faintly. "I'll try not to impress everyone too much."
She lowered her smile as she gazed at her feet.
"Ah...my curse isn't going away. I can tell it's going to be a pain in my feathers forever," she said, touching her black jewel. "But if I can do this to help...why would I refuse?"
She grinned at Raine.
Steve announced, "We're almost there!" and they approached him. "Here's your cloaking stone, Eda. It'll keep you hidden under an illusion."
He gave her a raindrop gem. "But it won't change your voice, so try not to say much."
As she held the stone, she transformed into Raine.
"Whoa!" she cried as she looked over herself, glancing at Raine, who was rather freaked out.
"This works a little too well..."
"I wonder..." She then removed her head, startling Raine. "Ha! It works!"
Raine simply laughed at her. "Oh, weird."
She placed her head back on and returned to her regular appearance. Steve walked up to her.
"It's time...are you ready?" He was wearing a glove bearing the bard coven's symbol.
"...Oh, isn't it cool we get one last adventure together?
She approached Steve, pressing her eyes closed. Raine could only gaze on with a mournful expression as they watched her receive a sigil...they had no idea what would happen next...
At Blight Industries...
Odalia approached as a blimp landed in front of the factory. The door opened to reveal Kikimora, who was exhausted and drinking something to stay awake.
"Mrs. Blight, I hope this last shipment arrives quickly," she said as she down the stairs. Odalia led them inside, and Luz, Bijou, Amity, Hazel, Jackie, Hunter, Willow, Gus, and King emerged from a bush. Gus twisted a finger and handed them all Coven Scout uniforms, and they surged forward one by one. Luz then halted King, removing her mask.
"Stay here, King. It's safer," she said, handing him a mask in case anyone saw him. "If anyone asks, you're guarding the perimeter."
She handed him the mask, Bijou and Hazel watching with little frowns on their faces. He extended a hand as he watched them leave.
"But..." he sighed when they left, Bijou and Hazel leaning in towards Luz.
"Hey, I don't think you should be making him feel like that," Bijou paused as she and Hazel looked back. "He really wants to help-"
They looked back to see Luz trailing after the others and growled in frustration.
"Luz might be getting more patient, but she still never listens!" Hazel said.
King sat down in front of the bush, and everything became dark. "He's my friend, right?"
"What?" He looked up, startled that it was the Collector's voice.
"He wouldn't lie. He wouldn't."
"Who is that?" King questioned, looking around but not seeing anyone.
"He would!"
"Hello?" he inquired, but received no response.
"We spent hundreds of years playing his game. I-I wanna play a new game!" The Collector roared, and King stood up, gripping his fists. Everything felt...semi-normal again as he walked forward and stepped on a wrapper. He grabbed it up and looked into the bush, noticing a trail of nibbles leading someplace.
"For the last time, I'm not interested in your dumb gadgets!" Kikimora told Odalia as she led them inside the warehouse. The woman grabbed the blanket that was covering something and looked back at her.
"I'm taller than everyone!" she shouted excitedly, testing it out.
"Great..." Bijou moaned to herself when she saw this.
"Psst," Amity grabbed Luz's arm and pointed to a door labeled workroom. "That's my dad's workroom."
The six dashed off to investigate, Luz lowering her mask to peek inside.
"It looks empty...and really sad."
The building was a shambles, with a rat delving into a bag of Hex Mix and looking disturbingly similar to Alador himself.
"Ahem!" Odalia approached the crowd, hands on her hips.
"Ah!" Luz exclaimed, lowering her mask as they looked at her.
"These rooms are off-limits," Odalia sneered at them, and Bijou bit her tongue to avoid lashing out at the lady. She hadn't seen her in months, but she remembered being unfairly dismissed from Hexside. And the woman seemed as shady and annoying as ever.
"Follow my lead," Hunter whispered to the females. "Mrs. Blight!"
He saluted, and the other two did the same. Luz shook her hand after injuring it.
"Kikimora told us of your products. Such inventions would be invaluable assets to the Emperor's Coven."
"Yeah!" Luz responded. "And we are all about invaluable assets."
"Yup, truly remarkable," Bijou said, looking away, wanting to gag.
"If I were a critic for this, I'd give it 7 stars," Hazel said.
"Can't get enough of 'em!" Gus added, stepping in front of Hunter.
"These would be an excellent addition to our arsenal," Jackie added, lowering her mask so Odalia wouldn't suspect.
"I'm an asset gal myself," Willow smiled as they attempted to maintain appearances.
"I apologize for the trouble," Hunter said. "We'll return to our duties."
Before they could depart, the Abomatron stopped them, and they all gasped as Kikimora gazed down at them.
"I thought I recognized that annoying voice and the way you're holding that Scout!"
They all ran for the exit, only for the Scout from the mansion to appear, having broken free.
"Sorry, man," he said back, cracking his knuckles. They backed away, and Gus tripped, breaking the illusion. Everyone gasped when they were revealed. A giant shadow fell over them, and they turned around to see Kikimora and Odalia, the latter staring at them.
The blimps began to land near the Titan's head, and Eda put on her cloak. She smiled at Raine.
"Over here!" They watched as some Scouts led away a witch. "We found another wild witch."
"No, no!" he shouted before being dragged into a carriage with other crazy witches. The carriage had closed on them.
"Send them to the Conformatorium!"
Eda sneered at this treatment, but she had to do what she despised in order to not only end Belos, but also release all wild witches. And she was not going to let him get away with it when they ended the Draining Spell.
With Alador and King...
"Ugh! And was that the last of it?" Alador moaned as King followed the trail that led to him. After finishing the Abomatron, he wanted to get away from it all, which is why he wasn't at Blight Industries right now. He offered King some chips while consuming some of his own.
"Of course not! While I was recovering from the fire flu, she fired half my team and expected us to continue working at the same time! Did I mention I haven't had a weekend off in five years? A-Achoo!"
He sneezed forth some flames.
"Oh, sorry...fire flu side effects, I...I don't mean to vent," he said, grasping the swing; he hadn't had anyone to talk to about it. "I should let you return to your duties."
"The Emperor's Coven requires me to take a meal break, so uh...no worries?" King claimed, shrugging.
"Sounds like I joined the wrong coven," Alador laughed faintly and turned away. "This is a big night, I..."
He opened the bag.
"I should feel...accomplished, but...none of this feels right." He had a nasty feeling about things, especially since Odalia was pushing them to the limit. "Do you have kids, Mr. Scout?"
"Oh, uh...no. I'm probably not the right person to give Dad advice," King looked up at him, as he didn't have a father. "You know, never really met mine."
As the wind rushed across his hair, Alador clutched the swing once again.
"I'm gonna spend more time with my kids. Get to know them," he moaned, knowing absolutely little about them. He wanted to be a better parent to them. "Things are gonna change after the Day of Unity."
"Oh, boy...yeah, let's just say there's not gonna be an after...to the Day of Unity," King indicated, his face falling.
Back to the Hexsquad, Odalia, and Kikimora
Everyone was trapped in a purple dome, their hands bound by abomination goo. They all stared at Odalia and Kikimora, remaining silent.
"Odalia!" Kikimora said, walking up with the Abomatron. "Is my airship ready?"
"Just about. And I found two adorable little scoundrels trying to steal it," she said, looking to the side as Emira and Edric were carried away by Abomaton. "But they'll be dealt with."
"Edric, Emira!" Amity shouted out, concerned.
"No!" Bijou mourned.
"Don't worry, they'll just be grounded," Odalia strolled up, smug. "With maximum security."
"Don't you get it?!" Amity asked of her mother. "You're helping a witch hunter destroy everything!"
"Really, Mittens, I'm tired of all this drama," Odalia said, resting a palm on her temple. "Sneaking around in little disguises, convincing the twins to act out. Are you trying to make me look bad?"
She then looked at Bijou. "Ugh, and don't even get me started on you. Your continuing influence on my children is already bad enough for me. Now you're one off the witches who oppose our ruler?"
"Well, if I wasn't restrained right now, I'd give such a beating that it will knock some sense right into you!" Bijou screamed with rage.
"Hmm, seems I was right to be suspicious. A little birdie told me that you happen to be wearing an accessory from a wild witch of old. I'm sure the Emperor would love for a Blight to turn you in for petrification," Odalia said with a touch on her cheek. "I know I'd be honored!"
Hearing such stunning news caused the Hexsquad and the Blight Twins to gasp. They all knew that Emperor Belos is still after Bijou even after letting her go, they didn't think he would execute such punishment on a human, especially since it had been done to wild witches in the past.
"Petrification?!" Jackie was shocked.
"You wouldn't even dare!" Edric shouted at Odalia.
"Oh, I would," she smugly said before turning to Bijou. "I've heard about your little charades with that bangle and I initially found a bit odd that you would use magic like that until I realized what it was."
"Enough!" she cried as she walked closer, and if looks could kill, Odalia wouldn't be standing here. "You don't know anything about me!"
She slammed her hands on the dome.
"Oh, I can't wait to get out of here so that you can get everything you deserve!"
Luz stepped up to Odalia. "Mrs. Blight, your daughter's trying to help you!"
"Hush, brat," Odalia said with scorn.
"Don't you talk to my girlfriend like that!" Amity yelled, and Luz smiled at her. "And don't even think about turning my brother's girlfriend in to the Emperor!"
"Girlfriends?" Odalia flinched, then turned to Edric. "Oh no, no, those won't do. We'll find you and Edric new girlfriends. Someone who's not on wanted posters everywhere..."
She summoned the wanted posters of Luz and Bijou and tore them up.
"Oh, that's flipping it!" Bijou screamed angrily, and Amity growled in response. Amity was able to manipulate the goo and break away, whereas Bijou simply broke free with sheer willpower. Amity then transformed her ooze into a massive fist, hitting the barrier but without breaking it open. Bijou smacked it with her feet.
"Oh, really, you're embarrassing yourselves," Odalia said harshly to them. Amity punched the barrier again, and Bijou slammed her body into it. Edric looked horrified, as he wondered how he had never gotten his lover to this level of rage before, not since their first encounter.
Someone approached him, and Hunter turned to face Kikimora. "I always knew you were rotten to the core. Belos will probably snap you in two after I hand you over. Maybe he'll make me the Golden Guard!"
He became scared of seeing Belos again. Luz and Bijou stood before him.
"Leave him alone!" Luz exclaimed in defense.
"Listen, Kikimora, you leave Hunter out of this!" Bijou hissed.
"I'm surprised you're both even here, humans. Aren't all your friends at the Day of Unity?" The two gasped sharply, wondering how she even knew about that. "That's right, the Emperor has eyes everywhere. And they're all pointed at the Owl Lady."
She giggled evilly as she left them. Gus and Jackie approached Luz, while Bijou returned to bashing the barrier, hoping to make Odalia regret everything she had said. Luz narrowed her eyes and murmured to them.
"Alright, here's the plan..." She continued talking as Hunter peered over, perplexed. They looked particularly perplexed as Gus and Jackie gasped sharply, but they nodded. Amity hit the barrier again, and Odalia merely smirked. She panted as she struggled with all her power to break free, and with the next punch, the barrier came apart instantaneously.
"What?" Odalia exclaimed in surprise; they couldn't smash it from the inside. All of them were also released.
"How did I do that?" Amity asked, looking around and at her hands. "Was it the power of believing in myself?"
"No! It was the power of science!" Alador and King emerged from the shadows, and he was the one who actually set them free. "But you almost had it, sweetie."
Bijou glanced at his sincere grin for his daughter, wondering what had changed about him.
"Odalia, the Emperor is planning to wipe out everyone with a draining spell, and our Abomatons are helping him do it."
She blinked and nonchalantly looked at her fingers, indicating to him that she was already aware of the situation.
"You already knew?" he asked, angry and disbelieving.
"What?" Hazel hesitated, then hissed, his tail blowing out. "You knew this whole time and you were willing to let people die?! And for what?!"
"What he does with our products is none of our business; what I do is keep our family ahead of the rest!" She looked at her horrified daughter and simply shrugged it off. "You're welcome, everyone!"
"Mom!" She turned around to see Edric and Emira, whom Alador had liberated.
"How could you?!" Edric asked, pointing at her.
"You're just as bad as Belos!" Emira clenched her teeth.
"Oh, you're all so ungrateful," Odalia said dismissively, Alador's face turning red with rage. "Oh, there you go making that face...this is why I don't tell you things. With the Emperor's favor, we'll live like royalty in the new world! Crowns and everything!"
"Do you even hear yourself?!" Bijou said. "He's lying, and even then, you'll have nothing to rule over afterward! It will all just be a hollow victory to you!"
"This is too much, even for you," Alador growled at his wife, using the remote to control all the Abomatons. They all approached Odalia, and Amity backed away from her. She used her gem to create an Oracle ghost, and Alador deployed an abomination to pit the two beings against each other. She grabbed her jewel to summon another ghost and steal the control from Alador. She raised her hand when it was handed to her.
"I don't have time for this," Kikimora said, closing herself into the Abomatron and flying out into the sky, looming above everyone but Amity. They looked up and scattered, with Luz teleporting to Willow in a yellow aura to protect her while she took her away. Hunter fell on the ground, staring up as Kikimora turned around and extended her hand. Hunter blew a raspberry at her, but she grabbed him.
Alador covered the exit with his goo, but Kikimora rushed in. Alador grabbed King and jumped out of the path, but Kikimora broke through. The others chased after them, with Amity smashing her hands on the ground to catch them. Willow utilized vines, her eyes flashing green. Bijou soared above Willow with her palisman staff and light sword, diving straight for Kikimora. She immediately raised Hunter as a shield, and Bijou gasped, screeching to a halt right in front of him. Willow halted her attack and fell to the ground, both girls looking back as smoke emerged.
Gus waved his hands as he and Luz joined them, darkening the area surrounding the little gremlin. Emira and Edric appeared and restrained the arms with blue coils. Edric spun a spell finger and summoned his bat to attack the creature. Kikimora began shooting everywhere, forcing them to flee, eventually busting through the ceiling. Debris dropped, and they braced themselves as Alador and Amity ran over, joined by Emira and Edric.
"I don't need all of you cretins, but this one is mine! And while I'm at it..." she gestured to Bijou, who summoned her shadow hydra. Kikimora launched lasers at her, but the hydra blocked them as Bijou moved forward to attack. Kikimora used his other hand to knock Bijou to the ground, her hydra dissipating.
"Bijou!" Edric exclaimed as he dashed over to check on the girl, who moaned in pain. She looked up as Kikimora punched the jet button and took off with Hunter.
"Ha! The jetpack actually works!" Alador exclaimed in delight, but his joy quickly faded as he realized this wasn't good news. "The jet pack actually works."
Before they could pursue the two, they were encircled by Abomatons, with Odalia stepping forward.
"Well, since we finished with that little mess, let's get back to business, shall we?"
Amity turned aggressively at her. "You! I am never speaking to you again!"
"Make that all of us! And don't think we'll ever forgive you either!" Edric yelled fiercely.
"You'll thank me when you're literal royalty," Odalia added, clutching her jewel. "It's what's best for the family."
Amity and Bijou both hissed at her and were about to strike before Alador intervened. "What's best for the family...is putting an end to all this!"
He used his abominable magic to begin assaulting all Abomatons.
"No, wait!" Odalia begged, rushing up to a fallen one. Alador snatched up the remote to turn them all off. "No, no, no, no, no!"
She glared at him, angry.
"You're destroying our entire life's work!" she exclaimed, turning to confront him. "But I won't let you destroy it any further!"
She conjured another ghost, and the others approached to strike if necessary.
"This work is finished, and I'm quitting," Alador bit back at her. She knew she didn't have an army, and she couldn't confront them alone. So she walked away, admitting defeat.
"Fine," she said back, feeling misled. "I've been meaning to find a more competent business partner anyway." She returned her gaze to the smoke. "And you won't be getting your severance package..." she said, disappearing.
"I never even liked her," Hazel snarled bitterly at the woman.
"Oh, Titan. That was terrifying," Alador said, looking down at his remote. Willow dashed towards the blimp.
"Willow, wait!" Amity exclaimed, and they dashed after her.
"Edric, Emira, go find somewhere safe to hide," Bijou said to the twins.
"But what about you?" Emira asked.
"I'll be okay," she replied as the twins nodded and head off to the manor.
Willow pulled some of the blimp's levers.
"Come on, stupid thing! We have to follow them!" Willow shouted urgently as Amity, Hazel, and Bijou attempted to assist her.
"Dad, can you use that thing to shut down the Abomatons at the head?" she asked, pointing to the remote.
"You're going to go rescue your friend?" he questioned knowingly, and they all glanced at him, and he noticed how near they all seemed. "You'll need a pilot."
He offered, and she grinned, relieved that he would listen.
"And Luz," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Bijou...I apologize for Odalia. You two are always welcome at our home."
He and Amity both touched her, causing her to flinch...because it was an illusion of Luz created by Hunter. "I'm confused."
"Hunter?" Bijou muttered, as perplexed as Alador. Amity backed away from the boy.
"What's going on?"
"I'm sorry," he said, his face disturbed. Alador rubbed his head. "I-It happened so fast. I didn't even realize what was going on...until she was gone."
Bijou knew what had happened and narrowed her eyes.
"She...she wanted to protect you," Gus admitted, sweating from the effort to maintain the illusion. Jackie was also assisting him by providing a surge of energy via her flute and bard magic. King joined him, peering up with concern.
"And Eda."
"This was her plan all along," Jackie said as she stopped playing her flute and panted excessively.
"So, if Hunter is here with us," Bijou said, tapping her chin.
"Then that means..." Willow looked up at the sky.
"She's being taken to Belos..." Amity exclaimed in fear. Kikimora was flying with what she thought was Hunter in a little ball, but it was actually Luz as an illusion of Hunter. Once the illusion was broken, she glanced at herself and prepared for what would be the most important day since she had been in the Boiling Isles.
"I have to go after them," Bijou replied, summoning Ruby to transform him into his staff again.
Hazel, Hunter, Amity, Willow, Jackie, and Gus all gasped at what she was about to do.
"Bij, you can't!" Willow told her.
"Belos wants to petrify you! You can't go there by yourself," Amity argued, turning to face them and clenching her fist.
"You need to understand," Bijou said simply. "Once Belos realizes it was an illusion, what do you think he's gonna do to her?"
They all halted as they discussed their alternatives. Because Bijou had known Luz longer than they had, Belos might do anything to her solely to hurt Bijou—even if it meant terrifying Luz as well.
"But we can help," Hunter said, reaching out his hand to persuade her not to go through with it.
"No," she gently moved away his hand, and he seemed worried for her, especially since she was still a fugitive. "Belos is after you too, and I can't risk your lives. All of your lives."
"Perhaps we should talk this out," Alador said quietly. "Nobody is asking you not to go save her, but you are more vulnerable on your own."
"We're a team, Bijou," said King, trying not to cry. "Why would you go without us?"
"It's like what Eda used to say. Us weirdoes have to stick together. So if you're going there to save Luz, you have to let us join you," Hazel insisted desperately.
Bijou faltered when she heard those words. Sure, she adored her friends, but it was exactly why she needed to do this alone. Would it improve things? Certainly, but Belos was a dangerous person who should not be dealt with. She couldn't bear putting them in harm's way.
"I'm sorry, Hazel, but we can't stick together, at least not right now!" Bijou climbed on her staff.
"Bijou, wait!" Jackie exclaimed, as Bijou flew into the sky, using her bangle to summon a gale to help her fly faster. Everyone tried to stay standing but due to the strong winds, they were blown back. Once the winds dissipate, Bijou is already gone.
"No..." They all whispered, horrified by what Belos may do to her and Luz.