All characters from Disney and other properties are owned by their respectful owners. The OCs made here are written entirely for the story. Enjoy this fic.

Chapter 78: Let's Dip Into the Time Pool Again!

Luz was cooped up in her room, studying the notes from Philip's journal as she tried to figure out what she was missing.

"Come on, what is it?" Luz asked while looking at the notes and feeding Kay some kelp food at the same time. "What did Philip have that I don't? What do you think, Kay?"

All Kay did was burp.

"Yeah, I have no idea either," Luz responded as she heard a knock on the door. "It's open!"

Eda entered the room. "Hey, how's looking at Philip's journal notes coming? Find anything?"

"Nix," Luz responded, looking miserable.

"You're pretty worked up over this, you know," Eda pointed out as she walked over to pet Kay.

"Well, yeah. After Belos' announcement, there is even more pressure to find Amity, Willow, and Gus," Luz said as she threw the notes in the air. "But these notes are incomplete. A dead end!"

"Well why not take a break from them then?" Eda suggested. "I came here to remind you that Aunt Lily's celebrating her new job at the old Clawthorne family home. Maybe you and King could go over there to celebrate with her."

"You mean… go over to your old childhood home?" Luz asked, suddenly interested. "I have always wondered where you and Aunt Lilith grew up…"

"Well, let me tell ya, I got the best room in my old home. You should see my fort, if it's still there," Eda replied.

"Wait, what about you? Aren't you going?" Luz asked her mother.

"Nah, I can't leave Raine right now, especially since Hooty wants to go celebrate Lily's new job," Eda explained. "With him out, I don't want the house left unprotected."

And so Luz got ready to head out. But when she went down to the living room, her human mother spotted her leaving.

"Oh, hey mami…" Luz said awkwardly.

"Luz, were you going out?" Camila asked her.

"Yeah…" Luz said while King was seen with Porta-Hooty on his back.

"Alright, we're ready to go visit Aunt Lilith," King declared.

"I can't wait to see Lulu again!" Hooty replied. "Are you coming, Luz? Eda said you might go!"

"What?!" Camila looked alarmed.

"Ma, it's alright. I'm just going to visit Aunt Lilith at my grandparents' home," Luz assured her, "Though… is that okay with you?"

Camila looked down, her face unreadable, before she looked back up at Luz with a fake smile. "Of course, you can go ahead. Have fun."

"Great!" Luz replied while walking over with King and Hooty to the door. "Later!"

Once they were gone, Camila's smile fell. Eda came in while holding Kay in her arms. She noticed the look on her face. "Saw them off?" she asked Camila.

"Yes," Camila nodded while slumping to the couch.

Eda joined her while having Kay on her lap. "This is about Lilith, isn't it?"

Camila looked away. "It's just… I'm not comfortable with my daughter wanting to spend time with my killer. I know that Luz made the choice to include Lilith in her life, and I don't want to force her to choose between me and Lilith… but I still don't like it."

Eda looked at Camila sympathetically. "Hey, I know it's… not ideal, but you just gotta trust Luz's judgment." She patted Camila's shoulder reassuringly. "And maybe you should talk to her about it sometime. It won't be an easy talk, but it is a talk that needs to happen at one point."

"I… of course," Camila said while Eda left Kay with her.

"I'm going to go check up on Raine, Ill be in the basement if you need me." Eda said while heading downstairs.

Meanwhile, Raine was on the basement couch with an IV hooked into them. They were watching the crystal ball for the news.

"Scooter Crane, the renowned Head Witch of the Bard Coven, passed away this Coven Day," Felicity reported while an image of Crane was shown. "Tragically Scooter Crane wasn't able to enjoy his well deserved retirement, since he had to resume his position after his replacement Raine Whisper disappeared. And Crane's passing isn't even the only Head Witch death in recent memory. The fact that both the death of Darius Nightshade and Scooter Crane happened so close together is not a good look. His funeral is being held today and will be attended by the surviving Coven Heads, including the new Head Witch of the Bard Coven."

Raine was distraught as Eda came downstairs to check up on them.

"How are you feeling, Rainestorm?" Eda asked in concern.

"A little better, but not much," Raine admitted as Eda sat down next to him.

"Yeah, thank Dr. Bride for lending me some of her IVs and nutrient packs, which should help you work up to solid food again," Eda explained before noticing the look on Raine's face. "What's wrong?"

Raine sighed. "Crane's death… I can't believe that he is gone. He was a strict old witch, but I learned many things that I wouldn't have otherwise when I was his aid. And it was through Crane's programs that I found Amber and Derwin." They looked down, pinching the bridge of their nose. "I'm very worried sick about them, Eda. Along with Katya, Boris, Levi, Goonla… Perry…"

"I'm worried about them too," Eda admitted. "But right now we can't do anything. Luz tried to break them out, but was intercepted. She had to make a deal with Belos that as long as she doesn't try to break them out again or do anything as stupid as that, they'd be safe."

Raine wasn't convinced. "We can't trust Belos to keep his word."

"I know that," Eda said. "But we have no choice. We can only hope that Belos doesn't kill them and that they will be kept alive until we get a better chance."

Raine nodded before looking down in guilt. "This is all my fault. I led everyone into a trap. If it weren't for me, some of our friends would still be alive and none of them would be captured."

"Hey, don't say that," Eda ordered. "Don't even think that. This was not your fault, Raine. You were not in your right of mind. Though if it makes you feel better, Tres managed to escape according to Lilith, but we don't know his whereabouts."

Raine sighed in relief. "That's good, at least," they responded.

"Yeah, and we are taking care of Goonla's other kid, Kay. She's with Camila right now," Eda added, which made Raine even more relieved.

"At least she doesn't have to fend for herself," Raine said softly.

"Is your head clearer now?" Eda asked them.

Raine nodded while feeling their head. "Yeah, I think the tea's out of my system by now. But I don't think I will ever be able to enjoy tea again." They looked back at the crystal ball, seeing the Coven Heads at the funeral.

"Surprisingly Head Witch Snapdragon is attending," Felicity said as the camera showed Adrian Graye drinking from his flask while Terra stood next to him, arms crossed and a scowl on her face. "I am shocked that she has decided to show her face in public so soon after the Coven Day incident."

When looking at Terra, Raine tightly gripped their blanket.

At Scooter Crane's funeral, bards were playing funeral music in honor of the elder Coven Head.

A coven captain was standing up at the podium. He was unmasked, revealing his pinkish skin, an aquiline nose, two black horns that curved on themselves (even if one was broken) and yellow eyes with star-shaped pupils, though the left eye was blind and he had a scar over it.

"Scooter Crane was… stubborn," the captain was saying. "When it came to his music, he wouldn't accept anything other than perfection. Everything had to be exactly as he imagined it and nobody could tell him otherwise. He was often described as grumpy, but when he cared about something he wouldn't give up on it. For example, look at his Home for Unwanted Witchlings and Demons, a personal project of his. Crane wanted every child to have a proper home… and be a proper Bard." He chuckled. "Of course, the Bard lessons didn't stick for everyone. But it can't be denied that he tried and that he ended up helping many children find new homes, all because he didn't give up on them like others would have." He smiled fondly. "I think in that area his stubbornness paid off. I am grateful for what he did for me, as are many others. If it weren't for him, I would not be standing where I am today. And of course, how many Bards wouldn't be who they are today without Head Witch Crane? Scooter Crane may be gone, but he has left behind a worthy legacy. He will be deeply missed."

He stepped off the podium as Abel walked up. "Thank you for those kind words, Captain Leonte," he told the coven captain. "And I couldn't agree more. Scooter Crane was one of if not the finest conductor that the Boiling Isles has ever seen. While we mourn his death, we should also celebrate his life for his memory lives on in the music he created and the lives that he touched. And now a few words from his successor… Napoli McGrady III."

Walking up was a tall, skinny young man with curly red hair, square glasses for his dopey blue eyes, and some fuzz over his lips where his two-front teeth stuck out. He wore a red vest over his black button shirt, gray pants, and rainbow boots. Everyone at the funeral looked at him curiously while Napoli went to the mic which he hit himself with.

"Gosh!" he complained with his nasally, nerdy voice as he looked over everyone. "When I heard of Scooter's passing, I was pretty shocked, but then again, he was old. I mean, we all have to grow old and bite the dust at some point." Everyone turned to each other, looking unsure. "But I know that succeeding him is not something to be taken lightly. It is a huge honor to be chosen as the new Head of the Bard Coven and I want to thank the Emperor's Coven for recognizing my mad music skills and great charisma points! Would any of you like to hear my demo?" He summoned his keyboard guitar and started playing his demo music.

"This is the best we got?" Vitimir whispered to Hammers, who just shrugged.

After the service, the funeral attendees mingled. Terra felt people staring at her as she ate from the food table and she turned to them. "What are you all looking at?" she grumbled as everyone looked away. She then noticed and glared at Calypso, who was talking to Alador while Skara was at her side.

"I'm surprised that your husband decided not to come, Head Witch Brooke," Alador said.

"Just call me Calypso, Alador," Calypso told him. "Slasher's staying behind with Nina while Scabrina's with the Harwitches, since she has a playdate with Moose."

"How are you feeling, Mr. Blight?" Skara asked him. "About, um, Amity's disappearance?"

Alador looked down. "I'm terribly worried about her, but I do put my trust in the Emperor's Coven to find her."

"I hope she along with the other children of the Isles are safe," Calypso agreed. "I know too well what it's like to worry about your child when she goes missing. If you ever want to talk, Alador, just let me know."

Skara looked down, wishing she could let Mr. Blight know that Amity was alright but she knowing that she couldn't, especially not while they were surrounded by people loyal to the Emperor.

"Thank you, Calypso," Alador said. "I really appreciate-"

"Ah, Alador, my old pal," someone interrupted.

Alador turned to see a red-skinned demon man with black horns, black comb-over hair, yellow glowing eyes with black piercing pupils, a goatee, and a smile that showed his crooked yellow teeth. He wore a dark suit with a red and black striped tie as his horned tail stuck out behind him. He offered his boney hand. "Put it there, you old brawler!"

"Gibson? It's been a while," Alador said as he shook his hand.

"You know this guy?" Calypso asked.

"Gibson Oscorne, CEO of Sorcery Circle Operations Rituals Network, or S.C.O.R.N. for short," Gibson explained. "I used to work on Alador's research team before Odalia fired me, but with my own intellect and resources I was able to start my own company. You know, I'm something of an inventor myself, making ends meet by making weapons for the Emperor's Coven. Also this is my son, Teri, he goes to St. Epiderm."

"Sup," said a teenage boy with short black hair that covered his right eye. He had red skin and black horns like his father in addition to wearing a black suit and tie while also having a tail. From the looks of him, he appeared to be an emo witch boy.

"Uh, nice to meet you," Skara said. She raised her hand up, but Teri just shrugged.

"Oh don't mind him, he's just always like this," Gibson waved it off, while patting Alador on the back. "Come on, let's leave these ladies alone so we can catch up. I actually met up with your parents recently," he said while leading Alador away from the Brookes.

Skara noticed other kids and teens hanging out at the side. "Hey mom, can I go talk to some of the kids here?"

"Go ahead, I'll just be mingling with the other adults," Calypso said as Skara walked over to the other teens.

"So how have you been lately, Al?" Gibson asked him. "I heard about what happened to your daughter. You have my condolences."

"Well, the Emperor's Coven is working on finding her," Alador responded.

"And the rest of your family?" Gibson asked him.

"Me and Odalia… aren't talking," Alador responded. "The twins are still living with my brother-in-law and I haven't heard from them recently… though Emira is probably still mad at me."

"Well, I am sure they will eventually appreciate what you are trying to do for them, Al," Gibson said with his smile. "Just like how my son will eventually appreciate what I do for him, even if he doesn't know it yet. As for Odalia, I think it is for the best that you are taking a break from her. About time, in my opinion."

Alador sighed. "I know that she can be… demanding, but-"

"Demanding? That is putting it lightly. Look Al, I am telling you not just as an old co-worker, but as a friend as well. She always held you back, since she was threatened by the idea of you no longer becoming dependent on her," Gibson explained. "And you know, I've been thinking, why not have the team back together again? We could continue the Abomitonium project."

Alador's eyes widened and his voice became a whisper. "That project was a failure, Gibson. You know that. There was a reason Odalia had it canned."

"I know," Gibson acknowledged. "But your father looked into it and gave a few… suggestions on improving it. He actually wants my company to collaborate with yours."

Alador looked unsure. "I'll… think about it later," he said. "I'm sorry, Gibson. But I-"

"Hey, I am willing to wait," Gibson said while patting Alador's back. "And please don't apologize." He smiled darkly. "I never do."

Meanwhile, Donna was at the funeral service talking with a few teens that she recognized from the orphanage.

"It's good to see you guys again after all these years, how have you been?" Donna asked them.

"Oh we've been doing fine, thanks to Crane," said one girl with antennas. "I'm… really sad that he is gone."

"Yeah, I never actually got adopted, but when I aged out he let me join the Bard Coven," explained a teen completely covered in fur from head to toe. "I play the gong these days. Maybe I should dedicate something to Crane…"

"Wow, that sounds great," Donna replied.

"How about you, Donna? How are the Masterskulls treating you?" asks a raccoon-like Bard.

"I would say well, but that would be an understatement," Donna admitted. "I go to St. Epiderm now and I am one of their top students. I actually ended up becoming a Healer." She looked around. "So um, do you know what happened to Amber and Derwin? I was hoping to see them here…"

"We don't know either," the raccoon biped said. "We kinda fell out of touch with them. They did join the Bard Coven, but we stopped seeing them after a certain point. We have no idea where they are now."

"Oh, well, I hope they are okay, wherever they are," Donna said, disappointed that she wouldn't be able to see Amber and Derwin again. She missed them.

Donna then saw someone out of the corner of her eye. 'Is that…?' She turned to the other teens. "Excuse me," she said to them before walking over to the girl she had spotted. "Hey, you're Head Witch Brooke's daughter, right?"

"Yeah, I'm Skara Brooke," Skara replied as she turned to Donna. "My mom brought me here."

"My name is Donna Masterskull," Donna said, extending her hand. "I'm here to pay my respects, since I grew up in Scooter Crane's orphanage."

"Oh, I am sorry for your loss," Skara said. "I think I've also heard of you. You raced in the Gland Prix this year, right?"

Donna nodded. "Yeah, that's me… so um, I heard that Nina Fangs is living with you now."

"That's right… why do you ask?" Skara asked in surprise. "Are you a friend of hers?"

"Well… it's complicated," Donna said awkwardly. "Um, how is she doing, by the way?"

"She's doing fine," Skara confirmed. "She has been having a little trouble adapting to a new environment, but I think she'll be okay."

"That's good to hear, at least," Donna replied.

"Would you like for me to give her a message for you?" Skara asked her.

"Uh… no, no, I just wanted to know how she was doing," Donna said nervously as she started walking away. "I mean, you don't have to mention to her that you saw me here…"

"Uh… okay…" Skara said while looking confused.

Outside, Graye stood by a tree and drank from his flask, looking miserable. Joining him was Hettie. "You know, as a Healer I should advise you not to drink too much," she said.

"I just need to forget about last night," Graye responded. "First I found Darius and now Crane. It's like the Titan himself has cursed me…"

Hettie nodded. "Wonder what's going to happen to the orphanage now? Without Crane running it, it would serve no purpose."

"Maybe if he left the orphanage some snails…" Graye gestured for Hettie to come closer. "But everything from his account is being wired to the Emperor's Coven. The orphanage will soon be liquidated unless we find some sap who'd agree to run it. But we both know that no one wants to deal with unruly children."

"How tragic," Hettie said while sipping her own drink. "And the orphans?"

"Probably sent to the newly formed juvenile hall wing at the Conformatorium," Graye said. "Titan knows we could use more scouts..."

At the Brooke residence, Nina was sitting at the end of the couch while Slasher sat on the other. Silence had fallen over them.

"So uh… you got any favorite shows to watch?" Slasher asked while Nina just ignored him. "Maybe you're into sports! I hear the Roasted Roaches are doing better this grudgeby season."

Nina just pulled out her scroll and checked her Penstagram, continuing to ignore Slasher.

"You, uh, not a fan of small talk?" Slasher asked.

Nina turned her eyes to him. "I'm a teenager and you know what teenagers like to do? Ignore boring adults," she said while looking back at her scroll, Slasher appearing defeated.

"This is the right house, Hooty?" Luz asked as she, King and Hooty approached the Clawthorne home.

"Yup! This is the address Edgar gave me, plus there's balloons!" Hooty declared as King stepped up to knock on the front door.

Opening the door was Lilith, who smiled when she saw them. "Luz, Hootsifer, King, you all make it!" she said as she hugged them, Hooty wrapping himself around Lilith.

"It's so good to see you again, Lulu!" Hooty said while crying happily.

"Yeah, congrats on your new job!" Luz said.

"Come in, the party's just getting started," Lilith said, inviting them in. Luz spotted her grandparents, Steve (who was out of uniform and wearing a new shirt with his name on it), Morton, Tiny Nose, Flora D'splora, and her aid, a tall girl who had to crouch down while in the house. She had dark skin, black eyes, and was wearing a gray dress shirt with a black vest tucked into her black shorts with burgundy cuffs and black boots.

"Ow!" she cried out after hitting her head on the ceiling. "I knew I should've casted a size-changing spell!"

"Just watch your head, Bindell," Flora told her as she spotted Luz, King and Hooty. "I see that you invited your niece and nephew, Lilith, along with a... bird worm."

"Hi, I'm Hooty!" Hooty greeted.

"Right… anyway, I remember you both from the museum. This is my aid, Bindell Crocslayer. She's tall on account of being part giant," Flora explained.

"It's nice to meet Lilith's family," Bindell said while lowering her hand.

"Nice to meet you too, ma'am," Luz said as she shook Bindell's large hand.

"This is my first time meeting a giant," King admitted. "Is it true that you live in the skies?"

"I used to, but then I had to move when the storks gentrified everything," she said as she decided to sit down.

"Luz, King!" Gwendolyn said as she and Dell walked over to their grandchildren. "I'm so glad you were able to come."

"Hey Gwendma, Grandpap," King said as he and Luz hugged their grandparents.

"How are you two doing?" Dell asked them.

"Doing a little better than before," Luz said. "And um, sorry that mom isn't here. Since Hooty wanted to go with us, someone had to stay behind to watch over the house."

"Oh, we understand," Gwen assured Luz, not surprised. "We weren't expecting her to come anyway."

"Yes, Edalyn hasn't been back home in thirty years," Dell commented, surprising Luz.

"Wait, you mean she hasn't been back here since-"

"Since she first ran away, yes," Gwen confirmed.

While Luz was talking to her grandparents, King spotted Morton eating cake. "Hey Morton, surprised to see you here."

"Yeah, Lilith invited me," Morton said with a sigh. "And I thought that I could use a party since my business hasn't been doing well lately, since everyone wants to go get their elixirs from the Scal-Mart."

"What? Well, who are your current customers?" King asked.

"Other than your family, Tinella." Morton pointed to Tiny Nose, who was chatting with Bindell. "My rent's going to be due soon and I may have to go to the Potions Coven to look for a new job."

"Damn, I really hope that you make it out okay," King said, giving Morton his sympathies.

After talking with Flora, Lilith walked over to the food table where she met up with Steve. "Steve, I'm glad that you could make it. I heard about what happened with Crane and the parade… how are you doing?"

"Just fine," Steve said. "Abel gave me some time off and I'm planning to use it to spend more time with my brothers."

The mention of Abel piqued Lilith's interest. "You know, Abel actually helped me get this job at the museum."

"Yeah, Abel's a pretty cool guy," Steve said, nodding in agreement. He shifted his eyes to his food. "So, um… do you want to talk about Amity?"

Lilith frowned and looked down. "Not really."

"Are you sure?" Steve asked her. "You have to be worried about her. I know how close you two were. I mean, I'm worried about her and I barely know her."

"I am worried, all the time," Lilith confirmed. "But I know that Amity is a strong witch that doesn't need me. And knowing that helps, if only a little."

"But… are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Steve asked, pressing the issue.

"Steve, there's nothing to talk about," Lilith said while looking at Luz and King. "Excuse me," she said while walking away from Steve.

"Lilith…?" Steve started to reach out for her, but he stopped himself.

"Luz, King," Lilith said, getting their attention. "How would you like a tour of the home me and Edalyn grew up in?"

"Really?" King asked excitedly.

"Of course! Can we stop by mom's old room first?" Luz asked in excitement.

"Uh yeah, sure…" Lilith said awkwardly while trying not to think of the bad memories that she associated with that room. "Just follow me."

Once they reached upstairs, Luz and King saw the two doors that led to the bedrooms of the Clawthorne sisters. Lilith's door was open, prompting Luz and King to look inside.

"You, uh, recently moved in, right?" Luz asked her aunt.

"Yes, this is my old childhood room." Lilith replied. The inside of her room was dark, her bed covers were black and purple. A large bookshelf was next to an old potions set and there was a jujubox that played dark eerie music while the walls were covered with posters of previous Potions Heads with Vitimir's having x-marks on his eyes. "I was… going through a goth phase back then."

King noticed some pictures of Lilith and Odalia with their hair darkened and their clothes black. "You don't say…"

"Wonder if you also went around solving mysteries," Luz commented.

Luz and King then went to check out the old room of Edalyn Clawthorne. "Wow…" they said as they entered.

The room was largely unchanged in the thirty years since Eda had last been in it. Decorating the walls were posters of Rats and The Bard Formerly Known as The Duke, Vampdonna, and David Stardust. There was a glowing large moon and stars hanging from the ceiling, a treasure chest filled with stuff, a stuffed cyclops cat, a picture of a unicorn over at the bedside, and a lot of books and old clothes still around.

"It's like we've stepped back in time…" King said while looking at the old stuffed animals.

"Yes, mother managed to keep the room in perfect condition thanks to the dust eaters," Lilith replied while standing just outside of the room, not wanting to actually step in. "That way it stays exactly like how Edalyn left it."

"Hey King," Luz said, nudging her brother. "Wanna lay on mom's old bed?"

"I've been waiting my whole life for this!" King declared as the two went to jump onto the bed, laying down in it. "This is mom's bed…"

"Yeah, where mom slept when she was my age," Luz said in awe. "It's like I'm mom and I'm laying here right now."

"I feel like I'm closer to Eda than I was before," King said while the two relaxed on the bed.

Lilith just stood outside the room, shaking her head. "They're definitely Eda's." She stifled a laugh.

"You know, if I decided to spend the night here, I'd definitely sleep on this bed," Luz mentioned.

"But I want to call dibs on this bed!" King told her.

"Too late, I can feel mom's chaos energy merging with me!" Luz declared as she got up to look around some more.

"Fine, then I'm gonna lay here to absorb more of mom's chaos energy," King said as he laid on the bed while Luz checked out Eda's old books.

"Huh, let's see what mom had," Luz said as she picked through the books, looking at the covers. "An old Demonomicon, A Hundred Jokes for Witchlings, an old Sabine comic magazine." She paused when she saw one book in particular. "History's Top 10 Plot Holes? Hey Aunt Lily, do you know what this book is about?" She walked over to show Lilith the book.

"Oh, I remember this," Lilith replied while grabbing the book. "Your mother was an urban legend junkie back in the day." She flipped through the pages. "Twigfoot, Lenderman, possums…"

"Those are definitely real," Luz pointed out.

"You can keep it if you want," Lilith said as she handed the book back to Luz. "Just be careful not to become obsessed…"

Luz looked down at the book thoughtfully, slipping through a few pages. That was when Dell came up.

"Hurry up, you three, Hooty's about to make a toast, and there is cake," Dell said as he led them back to the living room.

Everyone had gathered in the living room. Luz and King saw Gwen bringing a cake to Lilith.

"To you, Sweet Flea, in celebration of your new job!" Gwen said as she cheered.

"All hail Lilith!" Steve declared as everyone but Flora claps their hands.

Hooty used his beak to hit his spoon on his glass and everyone turned to him. "It is so nice to be surrounded by all of Lulu's dearest friends!" he declared. "We're here to celebrate the new assistant curator of the Supernatural Museum of History! Lulu has gone through a lot of tough times, but now she has found a job that she will love!" He lifted his drink up with his neck. "Here's to you, Lulu!"

"Cheers!" They all raised their drinks to Lilith, who gave an awkward smile.

Afterward, Lilith spotted Flora leaving the house with Bindell and she walked over to them.

"Flora," Lilith said to her. "You're leaving so soon?"

"Oh I wish I could stay longer, but me and Bindell must be off on our next adventure," Flora explained. "But it is such a delight to see one of my little bookworms back in the historical world after all these years."

"Yes, congratulations," Bindell added.

"Thank you," Lilith said. "Though it is just a small job… only as an assistant."

"Don't worry, I will be following your career with great interest," Flora said, making Lilith smile. "After all, the Emperor wants me to make sure you aren't getting into any trouble." This immediately made Lilith's smile disappear. "I do wish you took more from my tutelage, dear. History's supposed to be exciting, after all!" She threw out her Palisman-whip, catching a large, flying griffin by the leg and bringing it down to the ground. "Come, Bindell, adventure awaits!"

"Good luck with the museum, Lilith!" Bindell said as she jumped onto the griffin with Flora and the two flew away from the Clawthorne residence.

Lilith waved at them before walking back to the party. As she closed the door and was about to join the others, she heard someone knocking on the door. Turning around, she reopened the door and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Odalia?!" Lilith said as she saw Odalia standing in front of her.

"Mrs. Blight?!" Luz said, just as surprised.

"Sorry that I'm late," Odalia apologized as Lilith let her in. Dell and Gwen rushed forward to greet her warmly.

"Odalia, it is so good to see you again," Dell said to the Blight woman.

"It has been too long since you've visited," Gwendolyn said happily as she hugged Odalia.

"Thank you, Dell, Gwen," Odalia said as she hugged the Clawthorne woman back. She then turned to Dell and had trouble looking him in the eyes. After all, she was partially responsible for what happened to him. "Dell… I never got the chance to say how sorry I am about your accident. I can't even begin-"

Dell stopped her by raising his hand. "None of that, please," Dell told her in a soft voice. "This is a party, no need to mope."

Odalia nodded, then saw Luz looking at her strangely. When she turned to her, Luz looked away, which didn't surprise her. She decided to go over to Luz. "Hey, Luz… how have you been?" she asked her.

"I'm… fine," Luz muttered, staring at the floor.

Odalia could feel the awkwardness between them, so she decided to get to the point. "Look, I'm sorry for trying to get you and Amity separated," she said sincerely. "And for trying to manipulate you into leaving her life. That was wrong of me. You have done so much for her, helped her when I should have… and I appreciate you giving her a place where she felt at home. I know that her being missing must be hard on you."

Luz managed to look up at Odalia. "I uh… thank you for saying that and… I'm sorry that I wasn't able to protect her."

"I don't blame you, Luz," Odalia assured her. "This is not your fault."

Luz rubbed her own arm, not sure how to respond to this. "I'm… excuse me," she said as she quickly left for Eda's room.

Odalia sighed, she knew that simply apologizing wouldn't be enough but it was a start at the very least. Lilith walked over to her. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Okay as I can be, given the circumstances," Odalia responded while turning to Lilith. "I am happy for you on your new job, Lilith."

"Thank you," Lilith responded. "Though really, how are you holding up?"

Odalia looked down. "I'm constantly worried about Amity, of course. I wish there was something that I could do to help bring her back, but ironically despite all of my wealth I'm completely helpless."

"What about Alador?" Lilith asked her.

Odalia looked troubled. "Not only is Alador not talking to me right now… but I saw him with his mother."

Lilith's eyes widened in alarm. "What?!"

"I looked into it and I learned Arthur and Destiny are no longer in the retirement home they were put in," Odalia explained. "They got out, and now they're in a position where they can hurt Alador again! One thing I am confused by is why Alador would willingly have anything to do with them again. Are they blackmailing him or something? I believe that Alador might be in danger, but I can't get to him."

"Did you ask the Emperor's Coven about this?" Lilith asked.

"They're part of the problem, I am convinced that they are in on whatever Arthur and Destiny have planned for my husband," Odalia explained, which made Lilith concerned.

"This is very worrying…" Lilith said as she wondered what was really going on.

Lying on Eda's old bed, Luz was reading through the book she found. "Huh, there's even a page about the Grim Goblin," she commented, seeing an illustration of him. "A dark spirit who rides on a gargoyle, reaping the souls of goblins… eh, not interested," she said while flipping to another page, one that caught her eye. "Time Pools?"

She looked at the illustration of the Time Pools and read the description. "'Time Pools: mythical puddles that act as windows into the past, but they're never in the same spot twice.' Hmm…" She tapped her finger on her chin, getting an idea. "Lightbulb."

"Hey Luz," King said as he came into the room. "Me and Dell are going out for some bonding and we were wondering if you'd like to come along?"

"I'm gonna have to take a rain check on that, King," Luz said as she got up. "I think I found a new lead."

She rushed out of the room and found Lilith. "Aunt Lily, do you know anything about Time Pools?"

"Um… yes…?" Lilith said as Luz showed her the book, pointing to the page.

"It says here that 'In the Premysteric Era, it's theorized that coagulated Titan Blood mixed with the magical algae of the Boiling Sea created temporary holes in time!' If such pools exist, maybe we could use them to go back in time and meet Philip!" Luz said excitedly. "We could learn how he made the portal door to the human realm!"

"This does bring back memories," Lilith replied, feeling nostalgic. "I remember how me and Edalyn used to search for them. Of course, Eda forced me into it… but we had fun. We never did find the pools though… though I did cobble together a device that was supposed to find them." Lilith led Luz to her bedroom, where she rooted through a box of her stuff and pulled out a strange-looking contraption. "Ah, here it is. Unfortunately, it was faulty. It needed more power than I could ever give it."

Luz looked down, disappointed. "Oh man… I guess it was too good to be true."

Lilith looked at her niece. "There's… also something I want to talk to you about… I think we should tell Odalia about Amity being in the… H.R."

Luz looked unsure. "I… I don't know about that. Could we really trust her?"

"I believe we can," Lilith said. "At least on this matter. And I think she deserves to know that her daughter is alive, don't you think?"

"Well… okay," Luz said, ultimately agreeing with Lilith. "I'll trust your judgment."

After the party was over, Luz and Lilith explained to Odalia about how Amity was currently stranded in the Human Realm, much to the relief of the Blight woman.

"Thank the Titan that she's alive," Odalia said. "So she's still in the human world right now?"

"Yeah, along with Willow and Gus," Luz pointed out. "We currently don't have a way to get them home, but we are working on it. And, uh, sorry for not telling you sooner. We don't want to risk Belos learning this and, no offense, but I don't completely trust you."

"None taken," Odalia said. "So who else knows?"

"Just the Parks, the twins, and my inner circle of friends," Luz told her.

Odalia nodded. "I see... and is there anything I can do to help your efforts?" Odalia asked, surprising Luz. "I have tons of resources that you could have at your disposal."

"Well, not really, unless you have a power source that can run Lilith's device," Luz jokingly suggested. "Something as powerful as Titan's Blood."

"Actually, I do," Odalia revealed, which surprised Luz and Lilith.

"You do?!" they asked.

Back at the Owl House, Eda was with Raine in the basement.

"You remember when we did Rats for the school play, you couldn't get out of your costume?" Eda asked them, sitting beside Raine as they talked.

"Yeah… and the stitches that resulted from it," Raine replied with a small chuckle. "My mother spent hours trying to get the zipper out…"

Knock-knock

Eda and Raine paused, Eda looking up. "Wait right here," she said while leaving Raine, going upstairs.

She walked down the hall, passing Camila who was with Kay. They were both silent. Eda grabbed a large wrench from the wall, holding it as a weapon.

She walked to the living room as the knocking on the door continued. Slowly she reached for the door and opened it to see who it was.

"Hey, Eda," Sandra said, waving to her.

"Oh, Sandy, it's just you!" Eda replied, dropping her wrench and kicking it away.

"Uh yeah," Sandra said. "Is everything alright…?"

"Oh it's fine, just a little paranoid, that's all," Eda said, waving it off. "Come in, let me fix up some apple blood for us."

Once Sandra came inside, the two sat in the kitchen with some apple blood. The awkwardness between them could physically be felt.

"So uh… how have you been lately?" Eda asked her.

"Oh you know, the usual," Sandra replied. "How are the kids?"

"Doing great, they're visiting my grandparents right now," Eda answered. "How about your sons?"

"They are doing well," Sandra said as she looked down. "But I didn't come here for small talk, Eda. I think that… we need to talk about what happened during our… night together."

"Oh, that…" Eda said awkwardly. "I mean, it was a night…"

"I'll have to admit, it was great and I didn't hate it," Sandra responded while her face showed a tint of red. "It's just… I don't want it to be more than just a one time thing, because I'm not really looking into being in a relationship right now… I'm sorry if this comes across as abrupt."

"Eh, it's no big," Eda reassured her. "I mean, I get it. I've done this kind of thing before. It was good, but we shouldn't make it a regular thing."

"We can still be friends," Sandra suggested.

"Yeah," Eda agreed, raising her cup. "To still being friends!"

Sandra laughed and raised her cup. "To being friends."

After their drink, Sandra made her leave. "Well, it was nice talking things out, it is good to know where we stand," Eda said.

"And I'll see you around, Eda," Sandra said while summoning sand around her and flying away in a sand tornado.

"Okay, byeee!" Eda waved before she headed back down the basement.

"So… who was it?" Raine asked, looking up at her.

Eda seemed almost embarrassed. "Well… that was Sandra, a friend of mine whose son goes to Hexside... Okay, when you were gone, there was a school war and the Owl House fell under a siege. It was very stressful and afterward I drank some apple blood and I… needed the release… with a friend. But it was just a one time thing!" she immediately clarified while blushing.

"Okay… if that's what it is," Raine replied.

"What, you're not jealous or anything?" Eda asked, crossing her arms.

"More amused than anything else," Raine said with a smirk.

Meanwhile, close to Blight Industries, there was a large vault hidden by the cliff. Odalia typed in a password to open up the vault.

"It should still be in here," Odalia said as she walked in, Luz and Lilith watching her as they saw many other Blight Industries products being stored inside.

"What's all in there?" Lilith asked.

"Failed projects and prototypes," Odalia said while looking around. She spotted something and went to grab it, holding up a purple container core. "Got it!" she said as she walked back out and closed the vault.

"You think it could work?" Luz asked her.

"It should," Odalia responded. "Years ago, there was an energy race in the Boiling Isles. Everyone was trying to find a miracle power source that could replace Titan's Blood. Nicole tried to make one, Staggitarious almost perfected it, Redback had a theory involving rats running on wheels, but me and Alador actually managed to develop one. It was supposed to be the future of the Boiling Isles… unfortunately, we couldn't mass produce it. The idea of an alternative energy source that could be used on a massive scale was just never practical to begin with. But it should be able to power up your device, Lilith." She handed it to the elder Clawthorne sister.

"Well, here goes nothing." Lilith said as she connected the core to her device, causing it to turn on. "It works!"

"Alright, thank you, Mrs. Blight!" Luz thanked her.

"Yes, thank you, Odalia," Lilith said, beaming.

"No problem," Odalia responded, though she seemed to be thinking about something. "I… I want to go with you guys."

"Oh… really?" Luz asked in surprise.

"Look, I want to bring Amity, Willow, and Gus home as much as you do, Luz, so I want to do everything I can to help," Odalia said with a look of determination. "Besides, I've had some experience with time travel. Long story short, it involved these three spirits that came to me to show me the errors of my ways…"

"Oh, a classic Charles Dickens scenario," Luz realized. "Alright, you did help us, so I guess you can join us on our expedition."

Odalia nodded. "Thank you, Luz. I appreciate it."

Luz turned to Lilith. "So, uh, how long do you think it will take for us to find these time pools?" she asked.

"Hard to tell, even with my device," Lilith admitted. "But it could at the very least take up the rest of our weekend."

Luz sighed. "Then I better call mom and let her know…"

Meanwhile, Calypso and Skara had made it back home.

"We're back!" Skara announced.

"Hey, you two," Slasher responded as Skara ran past him and rushed upstairs. He turned to his wife. "How was the funeral?"

As Calypso answered, Skara found Nina's room and knocked on the door. "It's open," Nina said as Skara let herself in.

"Hey, I'm back!" Skara announced, while Nina looked at her with disinterest.

"Cool," Nina responded while looking down at her scroll.

"And there is something I want to ask you," Skara said to a disinterested Nina. "Do you know somebody named Donna?"

Nina froze, her eyes widening in surprise as she suddenly looked flustered. "D-Donna? Who's Donna? I don't know a Donna! I mean, I once had a pet turtle named Donny, but no one by the name of Donna, no one like her exists!" she denied. "Now, go along and forget anyone named Donna! Or Don!"

Skara raised an eyebrow. "Is… she your friend?"

Seeing that Skara wasn't buying her denial, Nina just sighed. "It's… complicated."

"Complicated?" Skara asked. She gasped when she realized what that meant. "No way… do you have a crush on her?"

Nina just grabbed Skara and moved her out of her room. "Get out!" she shouted as she slammed the door shut.

"...She's definitely got a crush," Skara said to herself.

At sunset, the trio of Luz, Lilith, and Odalia were working on finding the Time Pools. Lilith was reading from the book, instructing Luz to fly up in her cambion form so that they could get a wind reading using some equipment hooked up to the device. Odalia was holding the reading instrument on the ground, Lilith looking over her shoulder and taking some notes. When Odalia looked back at Lilith, she quickly looked away and focused on her notes, marking something on a map.

During the night, Edgar flew back with a piece of a leaf with an unknown substance on it. Lilith made some more notes, narrowing down the location of the Time Pools. They were close.

They did take a break to sleep for a few hours, Luz creating a fire glyph to keep them warm.

The next morning, Lilith was leading the way while Luz and Odalia hung in the back.

"So the second spirit was a talking dog?" Luz asked Odalia, who told her about her own time traveling adventures.

"Yes, and he had me ride in something called a cab," Odalia explained. "I still have no idea how it worked."

"You'd be surprised what humans can make without magic," Luz said while Lilith cut the bark of a tree with a device, analyzing the bark with her device.

"I knew it! Just as I thought," Lilith commented. "These are wrinkling oaks."

"They don't look very wrinkly." Luz said, squinting her eyes at the tree.

"That's because something's keeping them locked in time. So, accounting for local plaque patterns, the quakes in the '30s, and the switch from boiling units to the empirical system, the time pool should be…" She pushed past two leaves. "Here!"

Luz and Odalia looked around Lilith and saw that it was just a normal beach, much to their disappointment.

"But… I triple-checked all of my calculations! My equipment is first-rate-OOF!" She suddenly tripped on something and almost fell down. "Stupid rock!" she shouted, kicking the sand.

"Lilith, you did your best," Odalia reassured her while Luz looked around.

"Is it not algae-blooming season?" Lilith asked herself worriedly. "Dear Titan, was it my tools? Are they broken? Am I… broken?" She took off her glasses and looked at her reflection in them.

"No, no you're not," Odalia reassured her again, patting Lilith's shoulder. "Maybe the Time Pools never existed in the first place… but at least we tried."

While they were talking, Luz looked around the sand. She kicked a stone which fell into the sand, disappearing into an invisible pool. This caught her attention and she knelt down. "What do you think, Maya? Should I do it?" Luz's head nodded automatically and Luz held her breath as she dipped her head into the spot.

Her head popped out of the same spot, but to her shock the environment was completely different. "Whoa…"

A volcano erupted in the background and the Boiling Seas looked even hotter. Luz saw a large, gray-brown prehistoric beast with long ears, dark beak, glowing white eyes, and spikes sticking out from its back. It let out a loud roar.

Luz gasped as she pulled her head out, quickly marking the spot with a stick before turning to Lilith and Odalia. "Aunt Lily, we found it! We found the Time Pools! They are invisible!"

Lilith and Odalia ran over to the spot, Lilith sticking her head through. When she pulled her head back, she gasped. "I don't believe it… it did work!"

"What did you see down there?" Odalia asked.

"The Hecktaceous Period… I just witnessed a Stonesleeper!" Lilith told her. "Did you know they have a ticklish spot behind the ears?"

Luz was sticking sticks around the beach so they would know where each Time Pool was. As she looked for the one that would lead her to Philip's time, she dipped her head into one and saw that it was night time, where she overheard some armor-clad witches around a campfire.

"Tonight, I shall revel so hard, I shan't stand any longer!" declared a knight demon.

"I shall revel myself to death!" declared a red-bearded witch with three eyes.

Luz pulled her head back and noticed the witch's skeleton buried in the sand while giving a thumbs up.

Lilith checked one pool, only to be kicked in the head by her past self from a few minutes ago.

"OOF! Stupid rock!" Past Lilith complained as she kicked the sand.

Present Lilith pulled her head back, rubbing her forehead. "It appears that they're hidden in plain sight, which explains why no one has found them before."

"Amazing," Odalia said as she knelt down and dipped her head into one Time Pool.

When she surfaced on the other side, she saw a small boat sinking offshore. The ship was on fire as it sank, but Odalia could still see the name S.S. Druid as its passengers fell screaming into the Boiling Seas.

Odalia pulled her head back, gasping. "Oh my Titan, do not look in there!"

"Why? What did you see?" Luz asked her.

"I saw a sinking, burning boat," Odalia said as Lilith went to check for herself.

"Incredible, I think that was the 'Flaming Druid Incident' from before Belos's rule," Lilith realized. "The incident was very infamous and the only survivor was a young girl-"

"Okay, save the history lesson for later, let's keep searching!" Luz said while dipping her head into another Time Pool. Looking around, she spotted a little Bonesborough in the distance. "A Baby-Bonesborough…" she said while noticing a woman in old fashioned looking clothes walking by with a basket of clothes. "Yo, what era is this?"

The woman looked at Luz. "'Tis the Deadwardian Era. What ye be doing in the sand? Be ye a crab maiden?"

"You could say that…" Luz responded while realizing she's at the right time.

She pulled her head back and ran over to the two women. "Guys, I found the right time! I found where we might be able to locate Philip!"

"That's incredible!" Lilith said as she and Odalia walked over to the spot. "But we should be careful though. Before we dive in, we must remember that if the tide comes in we could be trapped, paradoxes will be a danger, and don't get me started on the bloody fly effects…"

"And if time-travel movies have taught me anything, changing the past could lead to some devastating consequences in the present," Luz explained. "Don't want the Isles to be taken over by someone worse than Belos…"

"Like who?" Odalia asked.

"Imagine Faust as our Emperor," Luz answered, which sent a chill down Lilith and Odalia's spines.

Elsewhere, King and Dell were walking down to one of the lakes of the Isles, holding fish poles, nets, and a box of bait.

"Luz is so missing out on this exciting trip! Going fishing with grandpa will be one of the greatest conquests of my life!" King declared.

Dell chuckled. "You do have your mother's enthusiasm," he commented.

"I am just pumped about this fishing trip! Gonna catch the biggest fish and show it to mom and Luz and we'll hang it on the wall so it can sing it to us!" King said as they stopped by a boat. "Ooh, is this the boat we'll be taking?"

"Yes, but this boat isn't just a regular boat," Dell said as he held up a bag of mushrooms, holding it out to the boat as its eyes opened. It gobbled up the mushrooms from Dell's hand, and to King's surprise, wings spread out. "Come on, hop in!"

King and Dell hopped on the boat creature as it flew off the ground. King looked down in awe. "Whoa… is that…?"

"A Fluttering Lugger, they get a little trippy when eating mushrooms, making them fly up. They're the best way to travel over the Boiling Seas," Dell said as he hooked the bait. "Really good for flying fishing, especially since according to Gwendma, it's the time of year that the pigeon fishes come up."

"Pigeon fishes?" King asked as he looked down and saw a fish with a pigeon head coming out of the water. "Ooh, can't wait to catch one!" he said as he hooked up his bait and swung his fishing pole around. "Weh!" he cried as he tripped.

"Here, let me help you." Dell knelt over to help King and heard crying. "Are… are you okay, King?"

"I'm… I'm just glad that I get to have this moment with my grandpa…" King sniffed as he wiped his tears away. "And that I get to call you grandpa."

Dell smiled and helped untangle the string around King. "Well then, how about we make some good memories?"

In the Deadwardian Era, the trio of Luz, Lilith and Odalia made their way to early Bonesborough. Luz had snatched a helmet from the skeleton of the warrior who had reveled himself to death and she was using it to cover her ears.

"Now remember, we're technically in the Savage Ages, way before Belos banished wild magic. The denizens here may be dangerous," Lilith warned.

"Sounds like my kind of people," Luz joked as they entered town.

The three prepared for the worst as they saw a demon in Deadwardian-style clothing walk up to them. They each got in a defensive position when he spotted them, but rather than attacking them, he tipped his hat to them.

"Good tidings, kind witches," he said, surprising the three.

"Um… good tidings?" Odalia replied as he walked away. The three looked around early Bonesborough and realized that it was far more peaceful and harmonious than they could have imagined. Residents were playing musical instruments, helping each other out, and one little girl even summoned an Abomination and placed powers on its head.

"This place doesn't look dangerous, it seems… nice," Odalia said while watching a werewolf helping to put up a sign for an elderly witch who patted him on the head. "Why did Belos want to banish wild magic?"

"Well, supposedly the Titan doesn't like it," Lilith answered.

"This does confirm one thing… Belos fucking lied, what a shocker," Luz replied sarcastically. "I mean, this is just regular old magic, there's nothing wild about it."

"I guess it's not surprising," Lilith said while trying to wrap her mind about it. "I think we should look for better disguises. Maybe if we could find a tailor shop…"

Odalia looked around and her eyes widened as she pointed. "Maybe that can help us."

Luz and Lilith turned to spot a tailor shop called Grunhar's Garments. The trio decided to go inside and later they came out with different outfits fitting the era.

"Apparently you can get a lot more with less snails back then," Odalia said while wearing a purple Deadwardian dress and a purple hat.

"That's inflation for you," Lilith commented while wearing a dark long gown with a black sun hat. She was also holding an umbrella.

"Well I don't know about you two, but I'm rocking this Deadwardian look," Luz said while showing off her new outfit, that being a gray furred cape connected to a golden chain that she wore in addition to the helmet. She also wore black tunic with gray sleeves, a black skirt with gray leggings, and fur boots. "They even gave me a sword!" Luz raised her sword up. "I didn't know your ancestors were tailors, Mrs. Blight."

"I had no idea as well," Odalia admitted, just as surprised. "I wonder how it went under…"

"If I had to guess, the stock market crashed and they got eaten by the competition," Luz suggested. "Maybe literally. Come on, let's look around for Philip."

Luz found one demon denizen feeding the hand birds. "Excuse me, but do you know a human named Philip? Round ears, travels around, probably some sort of celebrity around here?"

"Philip… oh, the old human around hither!" the demon replied. "Of course!"

Next Luz along with Lilith and Odalia were speaking to a butcher who was handling a giant squid.

"Oh yes, the corky sirrah from the eastern side of the arm!" he declared. "I remember these flashy glyphs of his that he claimed to have discovered!"

"He's kind of a strange fellow," said one cyclops witch. "I hark that he took a trip somewhere…"

Next they met with a three-headed snake woman. "Hmm, not sure where he is now…"

"Wait, 'tis said he took some trip to another realm," the left head noted.

"Yeah, he recently returned from an expedition to the Human Realm," the right head added.

"Expedition? Human Realm?" Luz picked that up, realizing what this could mean. "Aunt Lilith, Mrs. Blight, it sounds like Philip has already developed the portal and has even already traveled to the Human Realm!"

"That's great!" Lilith responded while Odalia heard music playing.

Curious, the Blight woman followed the music, which the others noticed. "What did you find, Odalia?" Lilith asked.

"Is it about Philip?" Luz asked as they went over to a podium.

"Witches and demons, alike!" declared one man with comb-over brown and gray hair, golden eyes, and a scruffy mustache. He was wearing a purple vest with white shirt, gray trousers, and black boots. "Are you tired of having to go all the way to a lake or the Boiling Seas to wash your clothes? Tired of using your arms to scrub them back and forth? Well I, Abra Blight, have something that will make it so that you will never have to hand wash your clothes again. Blight Industries proudly presents… the Abomi-Roll!"

Bringing out the product was a young man who resembled his father and was the splitting image of him except for the fact that his eyes were purple instead of yellow. He wore a blue coat jacket with a purple shirt, black trousers, and purple boots. He rolled over a purple slime barrel with rolls and eyes.

"With the Abomi-Roll, you can wash your clothes in your own home rather than go clean them at the lakes!" Abra declared while his son put some dirty clothes in the rolls. "Just put in your clothes, add some water and cleaning herbs." His son drew a spell that shot out water along with some cleaning herbs. "And let it lather, rinse, and repeat!"

The crowd watched the demonstration in awe as the Abomi-Roll kept rolling and shaking for a while until it settled down.

"Once the water is cleared out, the clothes will be ready to be dried!" Abra declared. "And you can have this in your home for just five snails!"

"Five snails for a washing machine?" Luz asked in bewilderment.

"That's Abra Blight… the man who created Abominations," Odalia said in shock. "He founded Blight Industries and is the reason for what it is today… or, tomorrow."

"And if you buy one now, we'll throw in handmade chalices my son has made as gifts!" Abra pulled up a purple chalice while gesturing to a table covered in chalices.

"I would like one order with the chalice!"

"I'll pay you ten snails for two!"

"I'll give you twenty snails!"

As the crowd made their order, Luz noticed how the son's eyes were purple, which she found curious. "Say, is there any history of Blights having pink or purple eyes?" she asked Odalia.

"Not that I know of, though Alador doesn't talk much about his family history," Odalia admitted.

After they finished taking the orders, Abra and his son were clearing the podium. "Hey father, you don't mind if I go see Philip?" the son asked, which got Luz's interest.

Abra looked at his son, patting his shoulder "Of course," he told him with a smile. "Don't worry about me. I will be able to finish cleaning up and getting those orders ready on my own."

"We did really well today," the son said while Abra chuckled.

"Perhaps, but more importantly these Abomi-Rollers are going to help a lot of people," Abra said. "That is why we do this, after all. To help people, to make their lives easier."

"Yes, I know, dad," his son responded. "Save your speech for the buyers."

Abra chuckled. "Here, use this to give Philip something nice," Abra said as handed his son a bag of snails. "Tell him I said hello."

"I will, father," the son said before stepping off the podium.

"Hey, excuse me!" Luz walked over to Abra's son, who noticed her along with Lilith and Odalia. "You know Philip, right? The human? I heard he came back from an expedition! Think you can take us to him? We were actually hoping to meet him ourselves."

"Ah, yes, I would be happy to," he said as he spotted someone. "Come on, Ghost, let's be on our way!"

"Ghost?" Luz asked before she was startled by the cat Palisman that jumped onto the shoulder of Abra's son. "Wow… is that…?"

"This is my Palisman, Ghost," he introduced while the cat purred as he petted her. "Forgive me friends, but I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Adam Blight, the son of the town's inventor, Abra Blight."

This made Luz and Lilith's eyes widen. "Adam!?" they exclaimed in shock.

"Y-You're Adam… Blight? As in, of the Sword of Adam?" Lilith asked while walking closer to him.

"Uh yeah…" Adam said. "Is there a problem?"

"Just give us a moment," Luz said as she, Lilith, and Odalia pulled away to talk in private.

"I don't believe it… that guy is Adam…" Luz whispered.

"What is this about?" Odalia asked them.

"Luz and Amity recently acquired the Sword of Adam from Emily Tricks," Lilith explained. "I was thinking of using my new job at the museum to look into its history, but our luck would have it so that we would end up meeting the one who forged the sword."

"The Sword basically created some kind of armor that formed around Amity and she used it to slay a dragon during the school war," Luz added, which surprised Odalia. "Do you know anything about Adam Blight and his sword?"

"No, Arthur and Destiny might know more about their side of the family… but they never told me anything," Odalia replied. "For obvious reasons."

Luz looked back at Adam. "We're ready to see Philip."

Adam nodded. "Alright, follow me," he said as he led the way.

"So um, Adam, what can you tell us about the Sword of Adam?" Lilith asked while holding her notebook.

"Well, I linked it to Abomination Magic," Adam explained. "I made it as a defense mechanism against threats around the Isles, it can even penetrate the marrow bones of the Titan. It can also form a powerful armor to protect the user and boost their magic."

"Incredible…" Luz said while thinking of something. "Though can anyone use it?"

"Well, I made it using the all-seeing emerald eye, which is practically like a fail-safe," Adam explained. "I made it so that no user with ill-will intentions would ever be able to use the sword at its full power. They'd just be swinging it like a regular sword."

Luz took note of this. When Emily used the Sword of Adam, she just used it as a sword. However, when Amity used it, it granted her the ability to wear the armor.

As they followed Adam, they saw a group of witchling children gathered around a human man, watching him in awe as he entertained them with his magic.

"Fire, ice, earth, and light, you can do anything with the power of these glyphs!" declared the brown haired man with one bang sticking out. He had a shaven face, blue eyes and pink-complex skin and he was wearing a blue jacket with a red button shirt, black trousers, and black boots. "Watch as I can combine them into something… majestic!" He used the plant glyphs to spring out blooms of flowers for the children to catch, then used the light glyphs to spread out balls of light for the kids to admire.

"Wow/Philip is great!/Wonderful show!" the children cheered for Philip, clapping. Also clapping was Adam, which caught Philip's eye.

"Well, that's the end of the show, kids." Philip said, much to the disappointment of the children. "But don't worry, there'll be more glyph shows later."

"No wonder he's famous around here, he's quite the showman," Odalia noted.

"Yeah…" Luz replied with a smile as Adam walked over to Philip.

"Good show, Phil," Adam states while patting his shoulder. "No wonder dad likes you."

"Are you sure it is not my charming good looks that he likes?" Philip joked as the two kissed each other. "So good to see you again, my love."

"Yes, it has been too long," Adam replied with a smile. "Oh, there's a group of witches that want to meet you," he said as he brought Philip over to the three time travelers. "Meet the most famous human in the Boiling Isles… my boyfriend Philip Clawthorne."

"Good tidings," Philip said as he raised his hand up, while Luz, Lilith and Odalia were shocked by his last name.

"Wait… your last name is… Clawthorne?!" Luz asked him.

"Yes, I was raised by the great Clawthorne Clan," Philip responded proudly. "The best Palisman carvers in all the Isles." This shocked the trio from the future, as they all looked at each other weirdly. "Why the surprised faces?"

"Because we…" Luz didn't know what to say, but Lilith stepped in.

"We're just… surprised to meet a Clawthorne. We have heard of your clan and your Palisman making abilities, but we weren't expecting to actually meet a member of the clan," Lilith lied.

"Yes, and we were not aware they had adopted a human," Odalia added.

"Oh, well it is quite alright. And I am flattered that word of my clan's activities seems to have spread," Philip said. "So what can I do for you three?"

Luz stepped up, "We heard that you built a portal door to the Human Realm."

"Ah yes, I did." Philip confirmed. "I actually just used it to return from a trip to the Human Realm, which is really quite a fascinating place…"

"Big brother!"

Running over to Philip was a young girl that caused Luz's eyes to widen. She recognized this girl, with her spiky red hair and brown dress. "You are keeping your new friends waiting."

"Oh, thank you for reminding me, Marilyn," he nodded, while turning to the others. "This is Marilyn, my little sister. Marilyn, these three are… I just realized that I never got your names."

"Lucy Killborn, and these two are Lulu and Dalia," Luz explained. "We're here to learn about your brother's exploits for the, eh… monthly papers."

"Oh, journalists," Marilyn replied while she leaned towards Philip. "Say the word, and I can pop them."

Philip chuckled while rustling Marilyn's hair. "That won't be necessary. They are just interested in my expedition and I am happy to answer all of your questions… but there is something I need to take care of first," he said while heading into an alleyway.

Luz, Lilith and Odalia followed Philip and were surprised to see a group of humans in the alleyway. The humans were shifting about impatiently and nervously. "Apologies for keeping you waiting, Gabriel. But you know how children get."

Gabriel was a man with dark hair, blue eyes, and a beard. He was wearing a large black overcoat. Close to his side was a woman with black hair, tanned skin, green eyes, and an old pilgrim dress. Also next to them was a middle-aged man who was lanky. He had pale skin, wore a red coat, and he had to squint his eyes to see more clearly.

As Philip was talking to Gabriel, Luz noticed someone else in the group and her eyes widened. She nudged Lilith and when she saw who her niece was looking at, her eyes widened.

It was Vanz Ator. Or, as he was known in this time, the Merchant.

"Oh man…" Luz whispered.

"Uh huh…" Lilith whispered, feeling very uneasy.

"So um, Philip, who are these people?" Odalia asked Philip, curious about all of this. He turned to her.

"Well, after I built the portal door, I had the idea to seek out volunteers from the Human Realm to come with me back to the Boiling Isles," Philip explained. "You see, me and my brother were orphans that ended up here by chance. The Clawthornes were kind enough to take us in and they became our family, while the Boiling Isles became our home. But despite this, we were still human and I wanted to find a way of bringing together both the world I was born for and the world I grew up in. After all, I am proof that witches and humans can coexist and I believe that our worlds were meant to be connected, that the only way that our worlds will be able to prosper and survive is by helping each other. Humans and witches working together toward a better future for everyone."

"Huh," Luz said, actually liking the sound of that.

It was then that Gabriel cleared his throat. "Philip, I need to speak with you," he told him.

"Pardon me," Philip said while walking with Gabriel.

"Lulu, Daria, group in," Luz said as she led the two away to have a private chat.

Once they were alone, Luz broke the ice. "So… is anyone as freaked out by this as I am?!"

"You mean the part that we just saw a human Vanz Ator?!" Lilith whispered. "I always thought he was a witch that was turned into a vampire, I didn't know he was a human this whole time!"

"Vanz? What about Philip not only being a human adopted and raised by the Clawthornes, but also dating a Blight…" Odalia pointed out.

"Both are freaky," Luz admitted. "This is just some… weird-ass plot thing where history repeats itself. Do the Clawthornes have some history in adopting humans?" she asked Lilith.

"I wouldn't know! I don't think they do," Lilith replied awkwardly. "I have never heard of anything like this…"

"I think what we're dealing with is some kind of Void Century scenario," Luz explained. "I've read the copies from Philip's Journal, and there's no mentions of him being a Clawthorne and no references to Adam… it's like Philip or someone else purposely censored certain details."

As the trio talked, Philip and Gabriel were also talking.

"You were right, Philip," Gabriel admitted. "This is a world ripe with opportunity. I wish to see… more around here."

"And I would love for you to see more of the Isles as well, but unfortunately there's these journalists who want to interview me," Philip replied. "It is important that they get my story so that other witches know what I am trying to do, though I know I also promised to show you all around."

"It's alright, my friend," Gabriel said, patting his shoulder. "You could just have someone else show us around the Isles while you talk with the journalists. After all, wouldn't it be… beneficial for us to spend more time with a native-born inhabitant of this world."

"Oh, well…" Philip looked around, spotting his boyfriend and his sister. "My Adam and my sister Marilyn could show you around here in my place. How does that sound?"

"Ah, yes, yes, your… Adam," Gabriel said as he stared at Adam, his face unreadable.

"Alright, so it's agreed. I'm going to get Philip alone to get as many answers from him as possible," Luz was saying to Lilith and Odalia.

"We'll scour around Bonesborough for more information while staying clear of Vanz Ator," Lilith replied as Odalia nodded. "We can't risk him realizing that we know him."

"We don't have much time before the tide comes in, so let's make this count," Luz said. The three nodded in agreement and she went back over to Philip.

"Lucy, where are your friends going?" Philip asked, noticing Lilith and Odalia heading away.

"Oh, I offered to interview you on my own," Luz explained. "They want to try to approach this story from different angles by talking to other witches in Bonesborough. It is just going to be us."

"Alright, we should get started then," Philip said as they walked together. They passed three brothers with different colored fangs. Philip smiled and gave them a friendly wave, which they happily returned. "What would you like to ask me first?"

Luz thought about it for a second. "Well, um, I saw what you were doing with those glyphs."

Philip looked surprised. "You know about the glyphs?" he asked her.

"Yep," Luz replied as she brought out her glyph card. She tapped it and it folded itself into a ball of light. This intrigued Philip.

"Astounding," Philip replied. "I… I thought I was the only one… where exactly are you from, by the way?"

"Oh, I'm, uh, from another carcass," Luz lied, hoping that he bought it. "I came a long way just to see you."

Philip nodded. "Well, I hope you live up to your expectations. As for the glyphs, since I wasn't born here in the Boiling Isles, I couldn't cast magic naturally like other witches," he explained. "But, as I grew up, I started to see glyphs in the nature around me. I think that the Titan was trying to show me something." He had an excited look as he turned to Luz. "Tell me, do you also know any combination glyphs?"

"Well, not many…" Luz admitted

"Then you haven't seen what the glyphs are truly capable of," Philip explained. "I have found dozens of combinations that create different kinds of spells. I could… show them to you, if you want. Maybe teach you a few while I show you how I made the portal door."

"Really? That… that would be great!" Luz replied as she shook his hand. "I'll be honored to learn something from the great human-witch Philip!"

Philip chuckled. "I wouldn't call myself great… not yet at least."

"Alright, reel her in!" Dell told King.

"Oh boy, it must be a big one!" King said while reeling in his catch.

The two Clawthornes of old and young were still flying fishing. Their Fluttering Lugger had been floating around the lake while King managed to make a catch. The large pigeon fish was flying around while the Flutter Lugger followed. Dell had to hold onto King to keep him from being pulled out while the bird fish flew up in the air.

"Raise me up!" King told Dell. "WEH!" He shouted his sonic scream, which hit the bird as all it heard was ringing. It flew down towards the two. "I got it! Wait…" King realized it was about to hit them.

"Abandon ship!" Dell said as he turned Waffles into a staff, grabbing King as they flew away before the large pigeon fish hit the Flutter Lugger, causing it to crash into the water.

"Well… there goes your big catch," Dell said while King could only giggle.

"Hehe, I don't mind, this was still fun!" King declared.

"Really? You had a lot of fun?" Dell asked as he flew them to a nearby pier.

"Yeah!" King confirmed. "Who knew that going flying fishing with your grandpa could be so exciting! The thrills, the tension, the adventure! You and mom must've had a lot of fun together during these trips."

"Hmm, yeah, me and your mother definitely had our share of adventures back in the day," Dell admitted while feeling nostalgic. "And now you get to share our traditions."

King looked up to Dell, then looked down at his feet. "You know, I have wondered what fishing with my own dad would be like. And this may be the closest to that… sorry, I shouldn't be dumping that on you…"

"Hey, don't worry about it," Dell reassured him. "I'm sure that if your father was here, he would love to go fishing with you. But fishing with your grandpa Dell is still pretty cool too, right?"

"Heh, of course," King nodded before looking at his own reflection. He waved his hand and his reflection waved back at him as he wondered if Dell was right. If his father was here, would he go fishing with him? Would he care?

But even if his father never showed up, King did have a family that was more than happy to spend time with him. And this trip was just another reminder… that his family was awesome.

Back in the Deadwardian Era, Luz was hanging out with Philip who showed her his glyph combos. Luz took notes at some as she pointed to one of his glyphs. She tapped it and it created a mini tornado. She looked at it in awe while taking some more notes.

Whatever you do, I'll do it too

Show me everything and tell me how!

It all means something,

And yet nothing to me...

Meanwhile, Lilith and Odalia were going around town asking questions. After asking one denizen, Lilith spotted some patchwork on a rooftop. She immediately took notes on it, causing Odalia to have to remind her why they were here.

I can see there's so much to learning

It's all so close, and yet so far…

I see myself as witches see me

Oh, I just know there's something bigger out there!

Back to Luz and Philip, Luz was showing him a glyph, tapping it as she showed him it could produce electricity. She uses it to power up an old music box, amazing Philip.

I want to know, can you show me?

I want to know about these strangers like me!

Tell me more, please show me!

Something's familiar about these strangers like me!

In another part of Bonesborough, Lilith observed someone chiseling the old Deadwardian balusters as she wrote in her book. Odalia was asking questions to someone else and when she looked back to see Lilith admiring the architecture, she smiled.

Every gesture, every move that she makes

Makes me feel like never before

Why do I have...

This growing need to be beside her?

Philip led Luz inside the old Bonesborough Library, which was notably much smaller than it was in the present. Philip brought her to a table and summoned some books as well as his schematics for creating the portal door. Luz looked over his schematics as they talked about how the portal door was made.

Oh, these emotions I never knew…

Of some other world far beyond this place

Beyond the bones, beyond the clouds,

I see before me a new horizon!

Meanwhile Lilith was waiting for Odalia to return with some food when a werekitten asked for her to dance while the local bards played music. Lilith accepted the offer and when Odalia came back she found Lilith dancing in the street with the other children. Soon other denizens began to dance in the street as the music picked up. Lilith motioned for Odalia to join in and at first she didn't want to. But Lilith kept begging with her eyes, causing Odalia to sigh and join her.

I want to know, can you show me!

I want to know about these strangers like me!

Meanwhile Philip was showing Luz a chess set that he got from the Human Realm, along with other objects that he had collected in his travels. Luz pretended to not know what they were and he even showed her how to play.

Tell me more, please show me!

Something's familiar about these strangers like me...

Back with Lilith and Odalia, they were dancing in the streets with the denizens of Bonesborough. They clapped their hands in the air, dancing with the people. A werecat was playing his fiddle while a rooster biped played his lute and a squid demon played his clarinet. Lilith and Odalia separated as they ended up with different dancing partners, though they still looked at each other.

Come with me, now to see my world…

Where there's beauty beyond your dreams!

Can you feel the things I feel

Right now… with you…

Lilith and Odalia ended up face to face again when their partners swung them back around, and the two looked at each other deeply for a moment.

Take my hand…

There's a world I need to know!

As they danced together, they were suddenly reminded of the past. Not the past they were in, but their own past. Back when they were together. Awkwardly they let themselves go and turned away, Odalia hiding her face while Lilith just hugged herself.

"We… we should keep asking around some more," Lilith said as she walked away.

"O-Of course, the mission comes first," Odalia agreed as she went in a separate direction from Lilith, both of them looking incredibly awkward.

Odalia walked around town, eventually noticing a shop and Abra Blight painting a sign with help from his Abomination. Taking a deep breath, she walked up to him. "Pardon me, good sir."

Abra turned to her. "Can I help you, miss?"

"Well, you are the Abra Blight, and I just wanted to say… it is an honor to meet you, sir," Odalia admitted.

"An honor?" Abra asked, looking amused. "Bah, I'm just an old witch with a knack for innovating."

"That's underselling it," Odalia said as Abra sat down on a crate.

"Come, sit," Abra told Odalia. "Is that all you wanted to say to me? Or is there something else?"

"Well… I do have some questions," Odalia told him. "Why did you found Blight Industries?"

"To help my fellow witches and make their lives more convenient, of course," he replied. "I have spent my entire life struggling and seeing everyone around me struggling. Because of that, I feel like it is my responsibility to create a future where the next generation of witches will have it easier than I did. I want the Boiling Isles that I leave behind to be a better one for those that will inherit it."

Odalia nodded. "Does that include your son, Adam?"

Abra gave a gentle smile. "My boy… is my greatest creation. Yes, I am doing this for him as well. None of this would be possible without him. And he… is the only family I have left."

"What about his mother?" Odalia inquired. "If you don't mind me asking."

This made Abra sigh. "My wife died some time ago," he admitted. "In fact, Adam wasn't even my first child… have you ever heard of the Pied Piper?"

"I've heard tales of him," she confirmed.

"Well, he once swept through town, taking away everyone's children… including my own," Abra revealed, making Odalia realize that his first child was one of the lost generation. "To say I was… devastated would be an understatement. I ended up going to the Knee to lose myself and I stayed up there for a very long time. I didn't intend to come back at all…" He was quiet for a moment, remembering his time at the Knee. "But when I came back down, I had a new purpose. I was ready to make a difference in the lives of others… and I had learned to create Abominations during my time on the Knee. So I shared what I had learned with others and started to make Abomination products that would make everyone's lives easier."

"Is it ever hard? Being both the head of a company and being in a family?" Odalia asked him.

"Well, it is never hard for me," Abra admitted. "There wouldn't be a Blight Industries without a Blight family after all, so I always try to make time for my son. He is worth more than any snail I could ever make."

Odalia looked down and smiled slightly. "I like that sentiment."

Abra looked at her and had a suspicion. "Are you a parent as well, miss?"

Odalia nodded in confirmation. "Yes, I am a parent myself… but, for too long I haven't been a good one."

"Well… that's okay," Abra said, surprising her. "I mean, do you know what you did wrong? By knowing that you have made mistakes, you have set yourself up to become a better parent."

"I… want to," Odalia confessed. "But I am afraid that it may be too late."

"Maybe, maybe not," Abra admitted. "However, if you make a genuine effort to change… they will notice eventually. Especially if you are willing to do what it takes. Take me, for example. If I had to sacrifice my business to save my son… I would do it without any hesitation."

This surprised Odalia. "Just like that?"

Abra smiled. "Just like that."

"What was I doing?" Lilith asked herself, looking shameful. "She's a married woman. I can't have these feelings anymore. The last thing Odalia needs is a scandal." She was not looking where she was going and she ended up bumping into someone. "Oof!"

"Pardon me, ma'am," spoke a familiar voice as Lilith realized that she had just bumped into… the Merchant, aka Vanz Ator. She flinched, which he took notice of. "Are you okay?"

Lilith adjusted herself. "F-fine! Just fine!" she said nervously while trying not to look suspicious.

The Merchant tilted his head slightly as he studied Lilith's face, trying to get a read from her. "Have we… met before?"

"W-what?! Of course not! After all, you are human and I am a witch! I don't even know what your name is!"

The Merchant smiled. "Let me fix that then," he told Lilith. "You can call me the Merchant." He then snapped his fingers. "That's right. I did see you earlier. You seemed to be pretty interested in Philip."

"Um, well… he seems to be pretty famous around here…" Lilith said while rubbing her arm.

"Understandably so," the Merchant replied. "And he is an interesting character. A human raised by witches. What a concept! Tell me, have you met his brother, William?"

An alarm suddenly rang in Lilith's head. "...William?"

"Yes, he's… oh wait, I just remembered that William is out of town with his cousin, but when he gets back, you should definitely meet him," the Merchant said with a strange smile.

"Um… I'll think about it," Lilith replied while excusing herself. "Good tidings!"

As she quickly walked away, the Merchant watched her while thinking to himself.

As Lilith walked away, she talked to herself. "William… that was the name of the original Golden Guard. Hunter said that the Golden Guard was his father." She started to piece things together. "And the Emperor was his uncle… which meant that the Golden Guard was possibly Belos's brother…. and that Belos is human… which means that William could have been human." Her eyes widened. "If Philip has a brother named William, that could mean…"

"That Philip Clawthorne is Belos," a voice finished her thought. Lilith quickly spun around and saw Abel Reisender standing there. He smiled at her. "Hello Lilith."

As they exited the library, Luz looked over her notes about making the portal door.

"Sweet Titan's tooth, this is great!" Luz explained. "Thank you, Philip, you've really helped this poor witch out!"

"It's not a problem, Ms. Killborn," Philip told her. "I am more than happy to teach someone who is just as interested in the Human Realm and glyphs as I am. Honestly, I wish more witches were like you. But I am quite pleased that our paths were able to cross."

"You know, you're good people, Philip," Luz said with a smile. "I'm really glad that I got to meet you."

Philip nodded. "You know, Lucy, perhaps it was destiny that we met. I think I see a kindred soul in you and… I want to tell you something."

"I'm all ears," Luz told him.

"Well… I haven't been completely honest with you about why I want to unite the Demon Realm and the Human Realm. You see, I believe that it is my destiny to save my adopted home from a future disaster. And I believe the best way to do that is by allying with humanity."

"What do you mean?" Luz asked him.

"I was once shown a vision by three mysterious witches," Philip explained, which made Luz's eyes widen. "They showed me a future where the Boiling Isles was under attack by these winged creatures made out of metal. They were unlike anything I have ever seen and they were terrifying. Unless I do something, these creatures will be the end of the Boiling Isles. Which is why I made it my mission to save the Isles from this threat."

"Winged-creatures…?" Luz asked while piercing it together. Her voice became a whisper. "Belos…"

"Um, what's a Belos?" Philip asked while Luz just looked at him with wide eyes, which made him worried. "Lucy? Are you… okay-"

PUNCH!

"AAH!" Philip cried as he fell to the ground, holding his broken nose while he looked up at Luz. "L-Lucy…?"

Luz shut her eyes and when she opened them, they were red. "AAAH!" she shouted as she lunged onto Philip.

Lilith was taken aback by surprise, seeing Abel of all people here. "I-I don't know who this… Lilith is…" she said, trying to play dumb. "I'm just… Lulu."

Abel only chuckled. "You can't fool me, Lilith Clawthorne. Because I've been expecting you and you are exactly on time."

Lilith narrowed her eyes at him. "How are you here? Why are you here?"

"You should be asking yourself that question… why are you here?" Abel asked her while walking around her with his hands behind his back. "Especially now that you know the truth about Belos."

Lilith looked away. "I must admit, it is a… shock that he's…"

"Your adopted relative?" Abel asked with a nod. "Yes, it is quite a shocker." He then snapped his fingers as if he just had an idea. "But perhaps this could be an opportunity for you."

"What do you mean?" Lilith asked her.

"You can easily stop Belos now and prevent him from ever taking over," Abel suggested. "Think about it, Lilith. Not only will you ever have to worry about Belos hurting your family again… but you could also erase every mistake you've made because of him. Cursing your sister, killing Camila Noceda, using your own goddaughter as a spy, the Basilisks, the Palismen, etcetera. All of your greatest regrets would have never happened if Belos never came into power." Lilith's eyes widened at the thought. "Sure, there are some risks involved. But wouldn't it be worth it? Not only would you be stopping Belos for good and undoing all the pain he caused… but you would be saving your own soul."

Lilith's expression remained stoic as she considered his words. She sighed. "I'll admit, there have been times where I wish that I could change the past, give myself a clean slate and repair the damage that I've done. It's tempting." She looked down. "But… the past is in the past and I can't risk changing everything." She looked back up at him. "Would Luz even still be my niece if Belos didn't come into power? Would any of us still exist? It would be terribly irresponsible of me to try to rewrite history, especially without knowing the consequences. I could just end up hurting more people in the end."

"Is that so?" Abel asked her. "What about the sins you carry?"

"My bad deeds do stay with me, but I don't do good deeds to erase them. I do them because they are good," Lilith said as she turned around, walking away from Abel.

"If you walk away from this, everything Belos has done and will do is on you!" Abel told her, but Lilith kept walking away. "This is your last chance!" However, Lilith was already gone.

Lilith kept walking until she found Odalia. "Lilith, are you alright?" her ex asked her.

"We need to find Luz and get out of here," Lilith said as she grabbed Odalia's hand, who was surprised as she felt Lilith pulling her away.

Philip was launched into some boxes as he looked up at Luz. "P-Please… why are you-" He was suddenly lifted up in the air and was thrown across the street, scaring off the onlookers. As Philip coughed weakly and got himself back up, he turned to Luz. "Why… why are you doing this!?"

"You… hurt my family…!" Luz shouted, her and Maya's voice speaking in unison as they were blinded by rage.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about!" he said in confusion. Luz started to transform into her cambion form, which surprised Philip. Especially since she was now in her Maya form. "What… what the hell are you?!"

"Your end!" Luz/Maya said while flapping their wings.

Philip backed away, scales starting to appear on his skin. Green and black scales. He started to transform into his own cambion form, which resembled a large, lizard biped with black wings on his back. His blue eyes glowed yellow as his teeth extended crookedly. "RAAAH!" he roared while Luz/Maya screeched, launching herself to kick Belos in the face, sending him back. "Please Lucy… I don't want to-" His face was stomped into the ground by her talon.

"I'm going to enjoy beating the hell out of you!" Luz/Maya declared, bringing their fists down along with their red wings to form a fist to beat him down. This caused Philip, even in his cambion form, to take all the blows.

Philip couldn't fight back as he tried to go on the defensive. He brought out a light glyph to flash it in front of Luz/Maya, blinding them. He knocked them off from him and held onto them. "Lucy… what do you think you're doing!?" he asked, only for Luz/Mata to headbutt him to get him to let go.

"Don't touch us!" Luz/Maya declared as they shot fire magic at him. Philip dodged the flames, while using a plant glyph to try to restrain her. Luz/Maya used their wings to slice through the vines as they flew toward Philip, punching him in the gut.

Philip was launched back into a building and he saw Luz/Maya coming for him. He flew up in the air while they chased him. She shot light and fire spells at him, which he dodged. She then brought out her electricity glyph, tapped it and fired a lightning bolt at his back, making him scream. "AAAAAAH!"

He fell down, but before he hit the ground his pant leg was grabbed by Luz/Maya. They flew down and dragged him down with them, slamming Philip to the ground, then into the wall of the building. She was basically throwing him around like a ragdoll.

Amongst the shocked onlookers witnessing the fight were Gabriel and the woman with him. "What in God's name is that?" Gabriel questioned as he saw Philip getting a beatdown from Luz/Maya.

Luz/Maya slammed Philip down again and then grabbed him by the throat.

"You have had this coming for a long time!" Luz/Maya declared with anger and hatred in their eyes as they raised their fist up and punched him in the face.

"P-please… I don't know what I-" He was slammed back to the ground, Luz/Maya continuing to pummel the future Emperor with punches. "Have mercy!"

"Mercy? Mercy!?" They grabbed him again and kicked him across the street. "What about all the people you've hurt? What about my family? What about my friend when you murdered him for saving me and my family!?" They stomped on Philip's stomach. "Tell me… why should I show mercy to you?!" They roared as their wings spread out, turning as razor sharp as her claws.

"AAAH!" Philip cried out as he tried to block the bladed wings and talons. He could feel the cuts all over him. Philip's eyes narrowed and his scales turned blue, spikes coming from his skin. "GET OFF!" He shouted as he knocked Luz/Maya away. He stood back up, raising his fist. "I don't know why you're attacking me, but I will end this if you leave me with no choice."

Luz/Maya didn't say anything, they were seeing red. They flew up towards Philip, taking a swipe across the face. But Philip dodged as he rolled his body into a large ball, which hit Luz/Maya and launched them into a pile of crates.

They winced as they got up. "Oh so now you want to fight back!" they yelled as they flew up high with flames in their hands. They brought their hands together, shooting a large fire blast towards him. Philip covered his face with his arms, wincing in pain as he felt the flames burning his arms.

"AAAH!" he shouted as the flames kept hitting him. He then felt a kick across his jaw, sending him stumbling back. When he tried to catch his breath, he was kicked to the face yet again by Luz/Maya's talon. He rolled over but Luz stomped on the back of his head, shoving it into the ground. "P-Please… stop…"

"Oh I'll stop alright," Luz/Maya said as their claws extended. "This is for Puck…" They raised their claws up in the air, ready to finish him off.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Suddenly a purple sling of goo wrapped around Luz/Maya, trapping their arms to their waist "Huh?" they asked in confusion before they were yanked away from Philip by Adam, who had just lassoed them. "Hey, what the fuck!?" they asked while trying to get themself free. But then they were hit by a fireball from Marilyn.

"Leave my big brother alone!" Marilyn declared as she held her staff while Adam brought out his sword.

"I don't know why you're doing this, but we will not let you harm him anymore!" he declared as he raised his sword. Suddenly purple slime engulfed him, granting him an abomination knight-like armor that was similar to the one Amity had. He donned the purple helmet, with a white grilled visor that glowed pink, a stylized 'B' emblem above it. It had a silver mouthguard with fangs on the lower part of the helmet. He had a white neck collar, a dark, purple chest plate with a large green eye at the center, shoulder pads, pink sleeves with purple gauntlets with sharp claws, and purple boots. "Not when the Abomi-Knight is here!"

Luz/Maya saw the Abomi-Knight armor Adam was donning and his sword growing larger. Luz's eyes widened as she remembered being stabbed by that sword, her aichmophobia triggered. She then saw Marilyn, who was prepared to attack her. She then looked around and saw the onlookers staring at her in fear.

She started to hyperventilate, looking down at her own hands. She was shaking as she turned to Philip, who had returned to his normal form. He was bleeding and bruised. Conflicted, she decided to fly away.

"Coward!" Marilyn shouted as she raised her fist up. She turned to Philip. "Brother!"

"Philip!" Adam cried out as he ran over to tend to Philip.

As Luz flew away, Gabriel turned to the woman he was with. "What do you think, Mary?"

"I think we've seen enough, brother," she told him and they both shared a nod.

Luz flew to another part of town, turning normal as she landed. She was trembling and breathing heavily when she heard footsteps.

"Luz! There you are!" Lilith called for her as she and Odalia ran over. "Are you, alright?"

"Yeah…" Luz said while turning to her aunt. "But you wouldn't believe what I just learned!"

"I've learned something as well that may shock you," Lilith said.

"Philip Clawthorne is Belos!" they said simultaneously. "Wait, you already know!?"

"I learned that his brother's name is William and that was the name of the original Golden Guard," Lilith explained. "I pieced it together and… how did you figure it out?"

"I beat the crap out of him," Luz revealed. "I realized who he was when he mentioned something about his destiny and visions about the future… the same visions that Hunter said he was shown by his Belos. Because Philip is Belos!"

"I'm… I'm sorry, what?!" Odalia asked in confusion.

"This is troubling, does… does that make Belos my… our ancestor? Is he immortal… did I get my position through nepotism!?" Lilith asked while walking back and forth.

"Oh shit," Luz said, realizing something. "During Coven Day, this guy Abel said that Belos was looking forward to meeting me… is that what he meant!?" she asked with a panicked expression.

"Abel? I just saw him… he's here, Luz!" Lilith told her, shocking Luz. "Plus, he knows who we are! Somehow he expected us!"

"Titan's crack!" Luz cursed. "This is crazy… very, very crazy. I spent the whole day with my worst enemy… we need to stop him now!"

"Luz, no!" Lilith shouted, grabbing Luz. "We can't do that, remember? We have no idea how that would change history!"

"But…" Luz said as she struggled.

"You said it yourself, if we change the past, we could replace Belos with someone worse," Lilith pointed out. "And who knows how many lives we could end up erasing. Plus, the tide will soon be in, so we're running out of time. We should just go home before things escalate anymore."

Luz looked up at her aunt, then looked down while letting out a reluctant sigh. "Why are the hardest choices always the right choices?" she asked herself. "Alright, let's just go home."

"So wait…" Odalia said while they left Bonesborough. "Are you saying that Belos is a Clawthorne?!"

Luz and Lilith looked at each other with a disturbed look. "I may never sleep again," Lilith admitted.

Philip had been brought into a tavern, where he was being treated by his sister and his boyfriend. Ghost was there laying on his stomach, comforting him.

"You're going to be okay, Philip," Marilyn reassured him, while healing his bruises.

"Yeah, you're in safe hands," Adam said while wrapping the bandages around his arm. "And we'll hunt down that psycho who did this to you."

"Ugh…" the bruised up Philip said. He had a black eye and his nose was bandaged.

There was then a knock on the door to the room they were in. "I got it," Adam said after he finished wrapping. He went to open the door and recognized who it was. "Oh, it's you. Come in."

"Is Philip alright?" Abel asked as he came into the room to check up on his protégé.

After leaving the Time Pools and returning to the present day, the trio of Luz, Lilith, and Odalia returned to the old Clawthorne family home, where they brought Odalia up to speed.

"This… this is a lot to take on…" Odalia admitted while holding a cup of hot cocoa.

"Now you know, though it's best to pretend that you don't," Lilith suggested.

"Right, we don't want you to have a target on your back…" Luz agreed.

"This changes everything," Odalia said as she got up from the table. "I think I do need time to process this… but I do promise to keep your secrets."

"And I promise to bring Amity back home, Dalia," Luz replied. "Hopefully this trip won't turn out to be a total waste."

"I appreciate it, Luz," Odalia said while noting that Luz had given her a nickname. "And… Dalia?"

"Well I figured that it sounds better than Odalia," Luz pointed out. "And making the O silent is better than if I called you, well, Odie."

"I'll consider it," Odalia said while turning to Lilith. "Um, Lilith…" she said awkwardly.

"Yes, um, Odalia?" Lilith responded awkwardly.

"I… wish you luck," Odalia told her nervously. "And I… should be going."

"Oh, um, what about Alador?" Lilith asked her.

"Well, after today, I don't think it's a good idea to tell him about what we learned," Odalia confirmed. "Or about Amity, since he's too close to the Emperor right now." She started to head for the door, but stopped to turn to Luz. "By the way, Luz, I didn't tell you about the future that the final spirit showed me."

"W-what did you see?" Luz asked.

"I saw Lilith, Eda, and Amity… petrified," Odalia revealed, making Lilith and Luz exchange a worried look. "I didn't see you though, so I don't know if you were alive or dead. But I don't think I would have been shown this if there wasn't a chance that it could be prevented. Still, I thought that you should know. I have hope that we will find a way to stop Belos… just like I have hope that you will find Amity and the other children. You Clawthornes always find a way."

Then Odalia left, leaving Luz and Lilith alone. They were quiet for a minute, thinking about the events of the weekend.

"I'm going to tell mom about what we've learned," Luz told Lilith, breaking the silence.

"And I am going to start looking more into our family history," Lilith told Luz. "See if I can try to find out more information about Philip Clawthorne."

Luz nodded. "Sounds like a plan. I… I should go home now, but we'll stay in touch."

Lilith nodded and watched as Luz started to leave, but there was something on her mind. Something she had to address. So she reached out and stopped her niece. "Luz, wait." Luz looked back at Lilith. "I don't know if this is appropriate to ask but… are we okay? Like now that the truth is out and Camila knows. Where does our relationship stand?"

Luz looked down and sighed. "This whole thing with Philip is both shocking and really frustrating. But when it comes to you and me… we're still okay." She touched Lilith's hand and patted it gently. "I love you, Aunt Lily, and that's not going to change. We are in this together, now more than ever."

Lilith sniffed. "I love you too, Luz," she said as the two hugged.

At the Owl House, King was talking to Eda and Camila about his day with Dell.

"And then, I was reeling in to get the pigeon fish, but Grandell had to pull me back," King said while demonstrating using Eda's staff. "And then, it flew up high and I used my screech of rage! It almost fell on us, but Grandell got us out of there in time!"

"Wow, that's an… interesting fishing trip," Camila commented. "What is a Fluttering Lugger again?"

"Ah this brings me back, reminds me of the time that me and dad were chased by the crowfish," Eda snorted as Luz came in and walked over, looking absolutely exhausted. "Hey, owl pellet, how was your Time Pool trip with Aunt Lily? Were you successful?"

"Oh, we were successful," Luz said while holding up her own journal with notes. "I got what I needed to make a new portal door, but um… there's something you all need to know…"

Outside of the Owl House, Eda was heard screaming. "WHAT?!"

Later in the basement, Raine watched Eda pace back and forth while ranting about what Luz had just revealed.

"A Clawthorne!" she ranted. "I can't believe it, Belos is a Clawthorne! My ancestors adopted the future dictator of the Isles…" She slumped down next to Raine. "I don't know how I'm going to deal with this."

"Well, you don't have to deal with this alone at least," Raine pointed out. "Not this time, Eda."

She turned to them and gave a small smile. "Thanks, Rainestorm."

Raine leaned back. "I mean, I am just as shocked as you are. Belos is an enigma, but I never expected him to be Clawthorne. This does raise so many more questions though… though he isn't the only one with a mysterious past."

Eda looked down and sighed. "Well, I guess a good way to get my mind off this Belos revelation would be to tell you more stories about my past. You already know what happened during my first trip to the Human Realm… but I haven't told you what happened to me after I escaped from Gatesfield." She leaned back as well. "Let me tell you about a place where I used to live… a place called New York City."

Well, now that's a time travel adventure they'll remembered.

"Strangers Like Me" was heavily picked for the montage to fit the tone in the scene. Fitting with the Tarzan influence.

Napoli McGrady III is an obvious stand-in OC to Harold from Total Drama, as well as also doubles as a parody to Napoleon Dynamite… which is a lot more common nerd archetype these days, like TMNT 2012 has one, Korra has one, etc. Man, it made me rewatched the movie and forgot how funny it can be.

Bindell Crocslayer is a parody of another Total Drama character, Jasmine, as her name is after Bindi Irwin, the daughter of the late Steve Irwin and the inspiration of Jasmine from Total Drama.

Captain Leonte is an OC made by Jack_Sleketron from AO3. Congrats Jack for having your OC here in the fic.

Gibson and Teri Oscornes are introduced as pretty much parodies of Norman and Harry Osborn, including looking like devils. Especially Gibson who just looks like Satan.

Abra Bright is pretty much more of like a Tom Hanks character, at least modernly. In fact, the headcanon VA for him would be Tom Hanks.

On the side note, the final cut for this chapter is very different from our original plans, with several major changes being made as we were writing. There was a lot of plot around but we did decide to save a few things for a later chapter so this one wouldn't be too crowded.

Also recall back in Book 1, around the Grom chapters where Belos warns Hunter that he shouldn't tell others about the visions. And as you can see… this is why. He got pummeled almost to death by Luz.

Originally, Odalia wasn't meant to be in this chapter in our original plans. But we had the idea to have her attend Lilith's party and it spiraled from there since we thought it would be interesting to have Odalia tag along after her character development in "Understanding Odalia." Which does lead her to meet Abra at least.

Also this is for answering everyone's concerns about Mr. X and Jenny in the previous chapter. Specifically Matteso. No, they don't work for Department A. Department A deals with magic, while Mr. X deals with aliens, so he and Jenny still work for the FBI. It should've been obvious since they don't know the difference between aliens and magical creatures…

Reviews:

BlueKnight-X2: So close…

Moheart7: Well, you can submit as much OCs as possible. We did look into your previous submission and, to be honest, your OC might not work since Eda wouldn't let anyone from the Isles to go live in the Human Realm, not even for snails. Vee's a special case because she wants to get away from the Emperor's Coven, given that she's supposed to be extinct, and Gravity Falls was the best option. So you can submit how much OCs you have.

Crosshot: Well, next chapter will surprise you…

61394: Yeah, it would be pretty convenient for Phineas and Ferb to just make a portal… but then it's gone.

Garonus56: That's the inspiration from those winged-creatures…

CodePower2022: Interesting…

Ultimate-drax: Yeah, we'd expect some Nicole hate…

Matteso585: 1) Well, he's only heard of Mermando. Personally met him, I don't know. 2) Maybe. 3) Nope, as I explained above, they work for the FBI. 4) No comment.

Darraq: No Comment.

JTK: ...No… just… no.

Shuffollower: As I've said, Mr. X and Jenny are from the FBI. They deal with aliens, not magic folk.

Franco Almiron: Nice OCs… though, Beckett sounds close to another character in the story named Beck. You know, Beck Saltstar.

And now, next time, where we go down to New York City...