Luz finally built the portal thanks to all of Eda's apocalyptic junk which were some of the ingredients including the blood from the key. She went through the portal first, but it was different than the first one. She was in a strange in-between world where she could mention anyone's name and she could see them as a reflection. She used it to see her mom, but she also found someone else there too, herself. But it turned out to be a demon from the demon realm named Vee. She was looking for a safe place to live and run from her past.
Luz figured that Vee could keep living in her place, but Vee needed magic to transform so Luz tried to help her. Vee tried the cafe where Eda had left some magic pastries, but the workers threw them out in the back which made some rats talk. Vee saw some teens that were playing with Eda's old Hexes Hold'em cards as tarot cards. When Vee asked the girl where she got them, the girl wanted to do a reading first. The girl claimed that Vee was running from her past, a previous life that wasn't kind to her. However, the fear and guilt that Vee carries will catch her eventually.
The girl told Vee that she got the cards at the Gravesfield Historical Society, and Vee left feeling uncomfortable from the reading. The museum guy told Vee that he had the cards in the back room and told her to wait. Vee broke down and told Luz about her past; she was a basilisk that had been brought back by Belos along with four others. They wanted to know how basilisk drained magic from other beings. One day she and some other basilisk escaped from their cages and ran away from the castle. She was always afraid that Belos would catch them once more.
That was when she saw Luz in the market before and took the chance to head through the portal door. She disguised herself as Luz and she has been living with Camila ever since. When Vee was done telling her story, she started smelling something that was coming from the back room. She opened the door and was horrified by what she saw, this museum guy had set up traps and cameras that had caught Vee turning into her true form. She panicked and tried to run but she got trapped in a cage and instantly turned back into her basilisk form.
This guy was crazy, he knew that demons and witches were real, but he didn't really know about the demon realm. He planned on hurting Vee, but Luz wasn't going to let that happen. She told her mom everything that was happening and even about her adventures in the demon realm. Camila gave the guy a beat down with her own slipper and brought Vee back home. She told Vee that she had a home with her and Luz. Camila was trying to hold it together in hopes of seeing Luz again. Luz was being pulled back by Varian, King, and Eda. Luz promised her mom that things would be different.
The portal door collapsed within, and Luz told Varian, Eda, and King about what she saw. Luz apologized to Varian about him not being able to use the portal. But Varian surprised Luz with a portal of his own, it wasn't exactly like Luz's door, but the result was the same. Luz tied the rope around Varian's waist and told him that if the portal was beginning to collapse, they'd pull him out. Varian walked through the portal and found himself in the same place as Luz had before. He remembered Luz had just spoken her mom's name and she became a reflection to see her.
Varian decided to test it by saying Luz's name then a cube floated in front of him then he was himself in the reflection of the window of the Owl House. He wanted to try using it to see Hunter, but he quickly remembered what he was here for. He still wasn't sure if he wanted to see the princess first, he was still scared that Rapunzel wouldn't forgive him. So, he called out Eugene's name and the cube showed his reflection on some weapons in a barrel. He looked around and saw Eugene and Max the horse right in front of him.
Varian could hear everything Eugene was saying, they were on a prison barge and there was a mutiny with every bad guy that he and Rapunzel had put away. Max pulled out a sword from the barrel telling Eugene that they should fight. Eugene tried to say something, but he saw Varian's reflection in the sword, and he almost let out a scream. "Please don't freak out!" Varian quickly spoke.
Eugene stifled the scream then he snatched the sword from Max. "Hair Stripe? How is this possible? I thought you were back in Corona. Am I going crazy?" he questioned.
"Eugene, you're not crazy. Listen, I left Corona. And what I'm about to tell you might seem unbelievable but please, I need you to trust me." Varian begged.
Eugene wanted to listen to Varian but first, he wanted to get off the prison barge without getting caught by the number of people that wanted him dead. He and Max tried to escape on a rowboat but that backfired when Eugene cut the rope and got tangled in it. Max tried to pull him down but some of the inmates heard Eugene's groans of pain. Eugene accidentally dropped his dagger into a barrel of gruel which caught the inmate's attention. He quickly threw a coin at the bell which made the crooks think it was dinner and they left.
The rope suddenly snapped, and Eugene fell back into the rowboat, but the force launched Max into the air and then he landed back onto the ship, sending the barrels flying onto the rowboat. Eugene got out just in time, but the rowboat sank into the water as the barrel with his dagger started floating away. "Sure. A priceless dagger I've had for 15 years drifting away on a barrel to be lost in the ocean forever. It's all right, though, because at least I'm stuck on a prison barge!" Eugene said, sarcastically.
Max just rolled his eyes and started walking away. They went back to their hiding spot where the swords were and thankfully, Varian's reflection was still there. Eugene finally started to listen to Varian's adventures in the Boiling Isles and the people he had met. Eugene still couldn't believe everything he was hearing from Varian. Max kept pushing Eugene that they should lock these crooks back up. But Eugene wasn't going to stop a prison barge mutiny, since the barge couldn't really be used to get to the mainland, the law would be all over the crooks.
"Technically, in the Corona Law handbook stopping anyone from doing something bad is required. Which includes theft, smuggling, and prison barge mutiny." Varian stated.
Max smirked at Eugene who was looking flabbergasted at how Varian even knew that. He decided to nab the first crook which was the Fake the Giovanni and they got him to confess what the crooks were planning. Max and Eugene used a good guard bad guard technique to get Giovanni to talk. Max acted all ballistic on Giovanni and he spilled his guts on the plan. The crooks plan to intercept a local ferry, get rid of its passengers, and use it as cover for when they get to the mainland.
Eugene instantly knew what ferry he was talking about, the same ferry that Rapunzel and the others were on. They left Giovanni and ran to the bridge to try and find a way to turn the ship around. Except Eugene forgot to tie up Giovanni and the guy ratted out Eugene and Max to the rest of the crooks, including the Stabbington Brothers. Eugene was holding the sword that Varian's reflection was in and asked if he could warn Rapunzel. Varian was still unsure; after everything he did, he wasn't sure that Rapunzel would trust him.
"Varian, listen. While all of us were out on the road, we left you alone. I know what you did was wrong but it's not all your fault. Look, either me or Rapunzel should have checked up on you after the storm, but we didn't. It's our fault too. I already forgive you and I also owe you an apology." Eugene said, sincerely, "And just so you know, the king is definitely gonna get an earful from me! Unless your Owl Lady friend beats me to it."
Varian let out a small chuckle "I think I heard her mumbling about sicing Hooty on the king. But I'm glad you forgive me." he said to Eugene.
The cube suddenly left Varian then he called out Rapunzel's name and another cube appeared in front of him. His reflection show appeared in the caravan's window on the same ferry Rapunzel and the others were on. He spotted Rapunzel heading for the captain's room and he started to call out to her. Rapunzel looked confused then she spotted Varian's reflection and let out a scream. Cass, Lance, and Hookfoot ran to where Rapunzel was, when they saw Varian's reflection in the window, they looked like they were going to have a stroke.
Cass took out her sword and swung it over her head ready to smash the window. "Wait, wait! I know where Eugene and Max are!" Varian shouted.
Rapunzel stopped Cass from smashing the window, she wanted to hear Varian out. Varian explained to Rapunzel where Eugene and Max were and what was going on. Cass told Rapunzel that Varian could be lying and just be trying to hurt them. Varian glazed at the water and near the boat was the same barrel with Eugene's dagger in it. "Look in the water. Then you'll believe me," he stated. Lance and Hookfoot fished the barrel out of the water, Lance noticed that the barrel was from a prison barge and Rapunzel saw the dagger.
"The kid was telling the truth," Lance said.
Rapunzel asked the captain to help find the barge, but the captain just stated that he had a schedule to keep. Turns out the guy was terrified of lizards including Pascal, so Rapunzel did manage to convince him. Varian was impressed with Rapunzel's way of convincing the captain to help. As soon as the ferry made contact with the barge, Eugene and Max were tied to an anchor and about to be pushed overboard. Rapunzel had everyone firing pompoen fruit at the barge then they covered the Genella torches.
Suddenly, a giant firefly was attracted to the smell of the fruit, and it started attacking the ship with its fire breath from eating the fruit. They fought against all the crooks and won. All of the criminals were locked back up in their cells just as they all reached the mainland. The barge sailed away just as the ferrymen helped unload the remaining fruit. Varian was so impressed by the fight and teamwork. Eugene went to the caravan window, and he thanked Varian. Rapunzel looked like she wanted to cry after Eugene had told her everything.
"Varian, I know you and I have a history. But Eugene is right. We should have helped you instead of just sending you away. I'm trying really hard not to cry but I'm so worried about you." Rapunzel broke down.
"I'll be ok, Rapunzel. I have some friends here who are helping me. I'll keep working on the portal door and I'll get home soon. I also found another scroll piece here." Varian explained.
Varian felt the rope tugging at him, he was being pulled back by the others. He tried to pull against the rope, but he was still being pulled back. Eugene and Rapunzel looked so worried about Varian, but he told them that he'd be ok. Luz and the others pulled him out of the door just in time as the door collapsed within. Luz asked Varian so many questions about Rapunzel and Eugene. Varian told Luz, King, and Eda everything that had happened.