And so, the human girl once known as Empress Oscura reunites with her beloved mentor, the Owl Lady, and the self-proclaimed King of Demons. Not only that, she finally meets her younger sister, who bears her namesake. While all seems well at the Owl House, the return of Oscura has sparked panic throughout the Boiling Isles and its inhabitants have already started making plans to address the situation.
The Day of Liberation was Boscha's favourite holiday. Not only did it celebrate the death of Empress Oscura, but she remembered it fondly as the day when that human was banished forever from the Boiling Isles.
Boscha was not going to lie. She was deeply saddened when Amity, her former best friend and not-so-secret crush, decided to banish herself along with the human to the Human Realm. However, if Boscha had to be honest and after she had some time to think about it, Amity made the smart choice. Technically, Oscura's rise to power and subjugation of the Boiling Isles were all the youngest Blight's fault. If Amity did not care enough to stay and try to fix all the damage she had inadvertently caused, then good riddance to her.
However, despite Empress Oscura being gone, her decree to allow all forms of magic to be accessed and practised by the people of the Boiling Isles remained. The fact that Oscura's decree was allowed to continue irked the three-eyed witch. It was just a reminder of Empress Oscura's existence and that she had done at least one good thing during her reign.
Boscha still could not believe she had been attracted to that human when she was disguised as 'Morgan Le Fay'. But could anyone blame her? Not only was 'Morgan' cute, but she was also strong, skilled, and talented, qualities that Boscha admired. Since Amity had gone into hiding following her mother's death at the hands of Oscura, this left a void in Boscha's life that she sought to fill, and 'Morgan Le Fay' was just the perfect candidate to fill that hole. Boscha even attempted to coerce 'Morgan' into a relationship with her, and that was when 'Morgan' dropped her disguise and revealed herself to be Empress Oscura. Every bit of attraction Boscha held towards the new girl in Hexside evaporated and was quickly replaced by bone-chilling fear.
'I mean, despite her being an evil, manipulative, tyrannical, homicidal bitch, I guess she was kinda...hot…UGH!'
It seemed that Boscha still had some issues from back then and was trying to deal with them. Thank the Titan that the human was gone and each year since then, during the Day of Liberation, Boscha would enjoy herself and try to forget what happened.
When she arrived at the opening ceremony, there were plenty of people packing the square. She did notice a group of five, four in matching outfits, in the crowd. She could not make out who they were but that did not matter. She did not want to miss the best part of the celebration: the burning of the effigies.
Once the mayor gave the signal, Boscha wasted no time in drawing her spell circle to fire the biggest fireball she could conjure, sending it flying alongside the others as they hit the effigies to set them ablaze.
"Damn, I love doing that every year!" Boscha exclaimed as she watched the effigies of Belos and Oscura, the worst tyrants in the history of the Boiling Isles, burn.
Suddenly, a group of weird monsters in strange costumes appeared and began snatching up kids. Not one to miss a chance to play hero, Boscha went to save the kids while blasting the monsters with fireballs. If she knew there was going to be a fight, then she would have brought her crossbow along, but her weapon had been mounted on her wall for four years now. She threw punches and kicks, teaching the monsters a lesson and showing them just who they were messing with. She just hoped her friends managed to take plenty of pictures of her kicking ass.
But then, she saw her.
Empress Oscura.
She was back.
No, no, no! All of Boscha's nightmares came back right then and there and all the bravado in her just left her. She could not move, and one of those monsters could have killed her if she had not been saved by a warrior in purple armour. The warrior gave Boscha one silent look before they turned away to fight those monsters, completely ignoring Oscura.
No, wait a second. The purple warrior and Oscura were actually working together.
What in the name of the Titan was going on!?
The Council of United Covens was holding an emergency meeting in their headquarters, which had originally been Belos and Oscura's palace. The council was made up of the Heads of the Covens who had been the leaders of the WATTs (Witches Against the Throne) that now governed the Boiling Isles.
The reason for the meeting: reports of Empress Oscura's return.
"She was supposed to be banished!" Hettie Cutburn (Head of the Healing Coven) yelled. "How could she have returned? The portal door was destroyed!"
"She must have found a way to recreate it," Mason (Head of the Construction Coven) concluded, arms crossed over his broad chest.
"Yes, but some witnesses claim she protected the children from these unknown creatures," Osran (Head of the Oracle Coven) pointed out.
"How do we know she did not set the whole thing up?" Hettie questioned sceptically.
"She did not come alone either. She had three others with armour like hers," Vitimir (Head of the Potions Coven) pointed out.
"We can discuss how Oscura returned or got her powers later. We need to discuss what we need to do," Darius (Head of the Abomination Coven) said urgently.
"She violated the terms of her banishment! She must be executed for the good of the Isles!" Hettie demanded.
"But she's just a child!" Lilith (Former Head of the Emperor's Coven) protested.
"Yes, four years ago, and she knew the consequences of returning!" Hettie argued.
"We underestimated her," Mason stated. "We thought she was left powerless, but we only gave her time to regain her strength."
"Could she have been in cahoots with those other humans that came? Those Kamen Riders?" Vitimir asked.
"Humans only know how to deceive us. We should have learned our lesson," Hettie said bitterly. "Where is she and her cohorts now?"
"They just disappeared into thin air," Mason answered. "Right now, the Coven Scouts are searching for her. It's only a matter of time before we have her back in custody."
"We should consider putting a bounty out for Oscura as well," Hettie suggested. "No Demon Hunter could resist if we offered a big enough reward for her."
"Are you insane!?" Lilith yelled. "You'll be sending them to their deaths, or have you forgotten the many Scouts she killed back during her rise to power?!"
"We can't just do nothing!" Hettie snapped.
"What about the citizens?" Mason asked. "We need to avoid causing a panic."
"Too late." Darius shook his head as he looked at his scroll. "It's gone viral all over Penstagram. Thank the Titan, people outside of Bonesborough believe it's merely a hoax."
"Then we need to keep it that way," Osran advised. "We can't afford for the whole Isles to fall into chaos."
While the council members continued to argue and debate, Raine sent a text message to Eda under the table. When they heard Oscura had returned, they were sceptical at first. However, after seeing the numerous posts on Penstagram that told the same story, they could not deny it any longer.
Was it a coincidence that Oscura returned on the 4th anniversary of her defeat and banishment? People believed that her return on this day was a terrible omen of things to come, that Empress Oscura was going to finish what she had started four years ago.
Raine already had a suspicion as to where Oscura would be hiding out now. They just hoped their fellow council members would not come to the same conclusion.
Meanwhile, Marcy was exploring the Owl House. She was in a whole other world! It was like something from one of her fantasy novels. While the house demon, Hooty, was unnerving, he still fit in such a setting.
The demon dog and Eda's adopted son King was just so adorable and cuddly. Not only that, but he was also in the middle of a chuunibyou phase as well which just made him even more adorable.
Marcy did ask Amity if there was such a thing as a 'King of Demons.'
"No, there has never been a 'King of Demons' in all the Boiling Isles' history," Amity had told her. "Luz said that she and Eda just played along with him to keep him happy."
Marcy always secretly dreamed of ending up in an isekai scenario. Part of the allure of being transported to another world was that the protagonist would often be destined to be that world's hero and be put on a quest to defeat a great and terrible ancient evil alongside a party of brave and skilled companions.
To be honest, Marcy often imagined Sasha and Anne joining her in such a scenario and even indulging in her desire to start up one of the common tropes of an isekai adventure where the protagonist would get a harem. However, Marcy would just settle for Sasha and Anne as she did not need a large group of lovers. Her two best friends were just enough for her.
Despite the DGP giving her the adventure of a lifetime, she still wanted more. She always felt something was missing in her life. Now, she finally knew what it was. She just wished she could share this adventure with Sasha...and Anne.
Eda watched as Marcy explored her home while Amity and Sasha were in the middle of a conversation. At the same time, Eda watched as Luz and her daughter played with King.
'This is how it should be,' the Owl Lady thought happily as she saw all three of her children together. She was relieved to see that Little Luz was not scared of her namesake. She had welcomed her with open arms, like greeting an older sibling who had come home to visit from college.
Eda heard a notification coming from her scroll and she went to check it to see that Raine had sent her a message. Her eyes widened when she read through the contents and cleared her throat.
"So, kid," Eda addressed Luz as she crossed her arms and sat on the couch. "How did you end up back in the Boiling Isles? 'Coz, if I recall, we destroyed the portal door after you were banished."
The portal door was something Eda had found many, many years ago which allowed her to visit the Human Realm whenever she wanted. To earn a living back when she was a wild witch, Eda would collect human items (junk) to sell to the inhabitants of the Boiling Isles. It was the same portal door that Luz had stumbled into which had brought her to the Boiling Isles in the first place. When it was destroyed, both the Demon Realm and the Human Realm were effectively cut off from each other.
"That's...kind of a long story," Luz admitted as she sat down beside Eda.
"I bet it is, because when I saw that Kamen Rider Oscura was back, I knew something was up," Eda nodded. "So, how are you a Rider again? And how is Bossy Boots a Rider too?"
"It's…well…there's a lot involved and…Ugh." Luz looked to Tsumuri for permission. "Tsumuri, am I allowed to tell Eda about the DGP?"
"I would not recommend it, but since we're in the middle of a mission, I don't see the harm," Tsumuri permitted. After all, once the mission was over, every non-player's memory would be erased.
"OK, so after Amity and I graduated from high school, Tsumuri came to us with a special invitation," Luz started as she told Eda everything she knew about the Desire Grand Prix, how she and Amity ended up joining to fight the Jyamatos while competing against other players so they could be granted their wishes.
Eda listened; an eyebrow raised as Luz recounted her time in the DGP. It seemed fantastical, but she knew Luz would not lie about something like this.
"And now we're here for another mission and are apparently stuck here," Luz finished. Eda sighed and ran a hand down her face.
"Luz, I thought you learned your lesson after that thing with Adegast," Eda reminded her old apprentice.
"Believe me, I learned my lesson about believing in prophecies and chosen ones," Luz sighed. "I was sceptical about the DGP too, but they proved that they could grant our wishes."
"Still, these DGP fellas sound shady as hell," Eda concluded. "They practically forced you guys to compete for their amusement."
"Yeah, I don't fully trust them either, but it's thanks to them that I was able to take the first step in making up for everything I did as Empress Oscura and wished everyone I killed back to life."
Eda looked at Luz, surprised. Nobody knew how it happened. But if Luz was telling the truth, then she had performed a miracle. Eda then went and hugged her.
"Eda?" Luz questioned, wondering what the hug was for.
"Thanks to you, I got my parents back," Eda said before letting the girl go, a grateful smile curved across her face. "But why are you back in the Desire Grand Prix anyway?"
"Because there's another mistake I need to fix," Luz answered.
"Our friend Anne was killed during the Desire Grand Prix," Sasha explained. "We're trying to bring her back."
"I see..." Eda understood and sympathised with them. If the DGP could bring back a whole lot of people, then bringing back one person was a cakewalk for them. "Kid, I get that you want to save people to make up for what happened, but you should just let it go and be happy."
"I can't do that, Eda," Luz retorted. "Anne died because I hesitated. If I had destroyed the Final Boss when I had the chance, she would still be alive."
"Maybe, but you don't have to carry this burden," Eda advised. "It seems to me there are others who can do it for you."
"Yeah," Luz conceded. Sasha was determined to bring Anne back to life since she felt responsible for her death as well, and Marcy was just as eager to bring back Anne too.
"But there's one thing that's bothering me," Eda continued. "How can you transform into Kamen Rider Oscura again? I thought the other Anne and you destroyed the Philosopher's Stone."
"It's because of this," Luz said as she took out the Oscura Buckle and showed it to Eda. The witch recoiled at the sight of the Buckle which bore Oscura's likeness on it. "Relax, it's not going to hurt you."
"Sorry, it's just seeing that face makes me jumpy," Eda confessed before she leaned forward to study the Oscura Buckle. "So, this lets you transform again, huh?"
"Yeah. It's like a pseudo–Philosopher's Stone since it allows me to use the same spells as before. They're watered-down versions but still pretty powerful, and I can only use each of the Sin Spells once during a DGP mission so there's no chance of me abusing them or spamming them," Luz explained.
"And are you sure there aren't any side effects?" Eda asked.
'If you tell her, she'll try and destroy the Buckle. And whether you admit it or not, you need my power.'
"…No," Luz lied. She could not tell Eda that she had been hearing Oscura's voice in her head. Eda noted the pause in Luz's voice and wanted to ask more when they heard a knock at the door. Luz and the other players tensed up when they heard it.
Had the Scouts found them? No, that could not be it. Nobody came onto the property without Eda's permission, and Hooty would have already driven them away. Eda had a strict 'no solicitors' rule. Plus, she liked her privacy. Only friends and family were allowed entry.
"Relax, kid," Eda soothed as she stood up to open the door to reveal Willow Park and Augustus 'Gus' Porter. "Willow, Goops."
"Eda, we have a problem," Willow said urgently, a look of panic on her face.
"Yeah, everyone's freaking out about it," Gus added.
"Fine, tell me all about it. But follow me, some old friends want to say hello."
Willow and Gus wondered who Eda meant. Old friends? Despite the confusion, they followed Eda into the living room and that was when they saw who was sitting on the couch.
"LUZ!?"
"Willow...Gus..." Luz stood up. "I-"
Willow and Gus rushed into the living room, and the Plant witch immediately tackled her best friend in a hug while Gus was trying to make sure she was not some kind of illusion, poking at her face repeatedly to see if the 'illusion' would dispel.
"I don't believe it..." Gus said in surprise as he continued to poke and prod.
"Hey, guys," Luz started with a strained smile. "I'm back."
"What are you doing here!? How are you back!? What are you wearing!?" Gus fired off questions. "I have so many questions!"
"Forget the questions, Luz is back," Willow smiled as she released Luz. Somehow, her best friend had come back but then her smile turned into a worried frown. "You're not supposed to come back."
"I know," Luz confirmed. "I'm still officially banished."
"Luz, who is it?" Amity asked as she entered the living room with Tsumuri, Marcy and Sasha.
"Amity!?" Willow cried.
"More humans!?" Gus gasped when he spotted Tsumuri, Sasha and Marcy.
"Look, it's a long story," Luz said to her friends. "But why are you both here?"
"Because you're all over Penstagram," Gus answered as he pulled out his scroll to show them the pictures that were posted. People had taken pictures of Oscura in Bonesborough and there were captions under the pictures:
OH, TITAN, SHE'S BACK!
I THOUGHT SHE WAS DEAD!
TITAN HELP US, SHE'S COME BACK TO KILL US ALL!
IT'S ALL OVER! GAME OVER, MAN! GAME OVER!
THE DARK SHADOW OF OSCURA HAS RISEN AGAIN! ALL BEWARE!
SWEET! NOW MY OSCURA FIGURES WILL FINALLY SELL!
"Wow, overreacting much?" Sasha remarked as she saw the posts.
"So, you have social media here too," Marcy observed, rubbing her chin. "Fascinating."
"Of course," Amity huffed. "We're not savages."
"Everyone's really freaking out," Gus added. "They think your return is a sign of bad things to come. Like 'end of the world' bad."
'Hm, it's good to know they all still fear me,' Luz's inner demon remarked happily.
"Look, I didn't even want to come back here," Luz insisted, looking away from her two best friends before glaring at Tsumuri.
"OK, but how exactly are you back?" Willow asked.
"That's a long story," Amity started, and Sasha rolled her eyes.
"Ugh, good lord, this whole 'it's a long story' crap is going to get annoying as hell. You know what? Let's just speed things along here!" Sasha marched up to Gus and grabbed the illusionist's wrist.
"Hey, what are you–?" Sasha slapped Gus' hand against her ID Core and his eyes went wide as a rush of memories flooded his mind.
"Me!? A Kamen Rider!? Awesome!"
"Hey, we really transformed!"
"Hi, I'm Gus Porter. I'm a witch from the Boiling Isles and one of Luz's best friends."
"Name's Masha. I burn witches."
"I'm so sorry, Gus."
"No, it's fine. I managed to become a Rider and see the Human Realm, even if for a little while."
"What was your wish anyway?"
"I wanted to have a new portal between the Human Realm and the Demon Realm. I know that a lot of witches and demons may not like humans anymore, but I'm still fascinated by your world, Luz. I just wish I could explore more of it."
"Someday, Gus. Someday, you will."
Gus staggered back, looking stunned by the memories he just got back.
"Hey, what did you–!?" Willow started but Sasha did not give her a chance to finish as she grabbed her wrist and slapped her hand on her ID Core too.
"Um, Luz, before I go. There's something I want to give you, too."
"Oh, cool, what is it?"
"This."
"MMPH!"
Willow withdrew her hand, a deep red blush across her cheeks as she looked at Luz who blushed as she realised what memories her best friend had just gotten back.
"Sasha!" Amity snapped. "We were trying to ease them into it!"
"I know, but this brought them up to speed faster," Sasha defended. "You're welcome."
"Of course, the DGP would be able to send you back here," Willow sighed. If they could reach across dimensions and recruit players from the Demon Realm, then they were just as capable of sending their players to the Demon Realm too.
"What's going on here?" Eda asked, confused. "How do they know about the DGP?"
"Because these two were players once upon a time," Sasha answered.
"And I got eliminated early," Gus recalled. "I didn't get to do much, did I?"
"No, Gus. You did plenty," Luz smiled reassuringly. "Oh, and guess what, Masha was a player too."
"They were?" Gus was surprised but why would he be? Masha had proven that they could take care of themself which was likely the reason the DGP sent them an invitation in the first place.
Luz's eyes then met Willow's as she recalled their last interaction and blushed while her best friend looked away awkwardly.
"So...I don't see Boscha with you," Willow observed, trying to avoid the subject. She had seen Boscha around but thought that the three-eyed witch was just living her life while waiting for another mission.
"Oh, that bitch?" Sasha scoffed. "She broke the rules and got kicked out right after I kicked her ass."
"Really?" Willow was surprised. "You both seemed so close, even after what she tried to do to Amity."
"Well, back then I hated Luz and Boscha understood that. But that girl turned out to be a total psycho," Sasha explained.
"And Sasha and I have since buried the hatchet," Luz finished.
"Wait, you buried a hatchet together?" Gus asked, confused.
"It's a figure of speech, Gus."
"OK, kids, while I enjoy a heartwarming reunion as much as the next witch, you'll need to leave soon. Raine told me that Coven Scouts are coming to look for you all," Eda warned the DGP players.
"Hah, let them come!" Sasha grinned. "Let's see them try to arrest us!"
"I'd rather avoid a fight," Luz objected. She really did not want to fight the Coven Scouts right now.
"But where can we go?" Marcy asked, frowning.
"What about the WATTs' base under the Owl House?" Luz suggested.
"Oh, that's gone," Eda answered. "After you were banished, the whole base was dismantled."
Amity looked thoughtful. They needed a place to hide, and it needed to be both fortified and the last place the Coven Scouts would look. A place came to mind, but she was reluctant to consider it. However, they did not have any other choice.
"I might know a place," Amity offered.
"Wait," Luz interjected. "Hold that thought." She went over to Little Luz who had been quietly watching the grown-ups talk. "Luz, I need to go."
"Do you have to?" Little Luz asked, looking sad. They had just met, and now Big Luz was going to leave.
"Yeah, I'm so sorry," Luz apologised. "But when everything calms down, we'll spend the whole day together, OK?"
"Promise?" Little Luz asked.
"Promise," Luz answered with a smile. "And to make sure it's sacred, here's a spell to make sure I keep that promise. Hold out your pinkie." Little Luz held out her pinkie and Luz hooked her pinkie around it. "Now it's a pinkie promise."
Little Luz unhooked her pinkie from Luz's and then went to hug her big sister.
"Come back soon, OK?" Little Luz asked and Luz teared up while hugging her. She then went and hugged King.
"Look after her, King."
"The King of Demons shall look after his little sister, the Princess of Witches!" King declared.
"Alright." Luz stood up. "Now, go upstairs you two." King went and took Little Luz upstairs.
"Why did you send them away?" Sasha asked.
"I'd rather they not see this," Luz answered as she equipped the Oscura Buckle to her Desire Driver.
[Set!]
"Henshin!"
[OSCURA! DARKNESS, NOW!]
Eda watched as six black feathery wings burst out of Luz's back and wrapped around her before exploding, creating a cascade of black feathers that rained down on them. The Owl Lady's eyes widened as she witnessed the transformation. Despite minor differences, there was no denying the fact that this was Kamen Rider Oscura.
"Luz, that's still you in there, right?" Eda asked cautiously.
"It's OK, Eda. It's me. I'm not going to go evil again," Oscura promised.
"Believe me, she won't," Amity swore as well, taking Oscura's hand.
'That's what you think,' Empress Oscura taunted in Luz's mind.
"OK, everyone! Stick close because the Oscura Express is about to go!" Oscura called and everyone gathered, including the DGP players, their navigator, the Owl Lady, Willow and Gus. "Remember to stick close. Transport, Now!"
A magic circle appeared beneath them and flashed, transporting them away. Moments later, another magic circle appeared in front of the door of Blight Manor before the group reappeared.
"OK, I can never get used to that," Willow shivered as Luz undid her transformation.
"After being teleported so many times, I thought I would get used to it by now," Marcy commented.
"It'll pass," Luz said comfortingly.
"This is your house, Amity?" Sasha whistled when she saw Blight Manor. "Wow, your family must be loaded."
"My parents started Blight Industries to provide Abomination-based weaponry and home security. As you can see, it's a very lucrative business. Odalia used to be the CEO while my dad was the chief engineer who did research and development on Abomination-based tech. From what I've been told, my brother and sister are now the ones running the business," Amity explained. Despite what Odalia may have believed about Edric and Emira being lost causes, the truth was they excelled in business. Their pranks in the past showed that they could make plans, plans that could profit Blight Industries. However, Odalia was blind to their talents and focused on grooming Amity into the perfect witch, pushing her to excel so she could join the Emperor's Coven someday.
Amity looked up at the manor, unsure of how to proceed from here. It had been so long since she had last seen her family. When she decided to banish herself to the Human Realm, she never consulted them nor said goodbye.
There were so many memories tied to this house, and only a few of them were actually good ones. Most of the bad ones involved her mother in some fashion. It was in this same house where she broke off her friendship with Willow, her first real friend, and at the same time, broke said friend's heart. It was in the same house that her mother introduced her to her two new 'friends', Skara and…Boscha. Little did she know back then that the three-eyed girl would end up being yet another source of trouble for her. Her mother sure knew how to pick 'em. It was also in this house that she learned the Everlasting Oath spell, a spell that was only supposed to be used by older witches due to its strong binding power, but Odalia seemed to believe Amity, at the age of thirteen, had the emotional and mental maturity to learn such a spell and not worry of the consequences thereafter.
Amity gripped the hem of her DGP jacket, her mind replaying one particular event when she was fourteen and opened this very same door for someone who had come to visit them. Little did she know at the time, it was Empress Oscura. As per usual, Odalia began her spectacular show of ass-kissing to Oscura, making Amity play hostess for her while she went to gather their family.
Honestly, she used to question her mother's logic, but back then, she also questioned the woman's sanity. Amity had been the one to essentially give rise to Oscura, the reason she was riddled with scars, and all because of the spell Odalia had taught her.
After bringing out the rest of her family, Odalia began to – more or less – whore out her children to the Empress, probably thinking that she could gain some modicum of power by having her eldest children, or even Amity herself, be a potential suitor for the current ruler of their world.
Amity gritted her teeth and crinkled her jacket harder. To Odalia, they were nothing but assets, tools to be used to further her ambition and that was made even clearer when Oscura used her magic to force Odalia to tell all her secrets.
Amity could still recall the swirling storm of emotions she had when Odalia confessed to how she truly felt about their family: rage, sadness, and strangely, a little relief. At that time, Amity believed that Oscura had come to tear their family apart and that forcing Odalia to speak the truth was to be some form of punishment for Amity's transgression towards her. But the truth was far, far worse than that.
"Odalia Blight, for your lack of compassion and love, I sentence you…to death."
"WAIT!"
Amity had blamed herself for her mother's death, for asking the question which led to Empress Oscura executing her mother on the spot. It had taken a long time for Amity to accept that it was Odalia herself who was at fault. If she had only loved them as her children instead of treating them as pawns that she could exploit to elevate her wealth and status, perhaps things would not have turned out as they did. As much as Amity loathed her mother, she never wanted her dead.
She felt Luz take her hand and looked up to see her fiancée give her a comforting smile. Amity figured Luz would know what was going on in her mind. This was also a place that held significance to the Latina as well. It was the place where Luz, as Oscura, had murdered her fiancée's mother. It just occurred to Amity that it was something they now both shared, a bad memory tied to this same house.
"Whatever it is behind that door, we'll face it together, batata," Luz assured her.
"Thanks, Luz," Amity smiled. The couple stepped up to the door and knocked on it together. They waited for an answer and Amity let out a sigh. "I guess nobody's home."
Suddenly, the door swung open, and Emira Blight answered. Four years had really done wonders for her as she had matured. She had grown into her good looks and now wore her hair short. She wore a mauve turtleneck with a dark purple vest, a matching skirt that came down to her knees and black stockings.
"I've told you freaks a thousand times! No solicitors! We don't want to take part in–!" she shouted and then she froze when her eyes met Amity's. Her little sister had grown, and her hair was a different colour, but she immediately recognised her. "...Mittens?"
"Hey, Em," Amity greeted. "I'm home."
"..."
"Em? Are you OK?"
"EDRIC!" Emira screamed. Footfalls could be heard running down the stairs before Edric Blight burst out the door. He had grown up as well, sporting a goatee as he wore a brown jacket over a white blouse and black slacks with boots. He also had glasses which were on his head of green hair.
"OK! Get off our land or I will use this!" he threatened, holding a huge cannon that was aimed at Amity's face. Amity's eyes widened as she raised her hands.
"Ed, put that down!" Emira hissed, pushing the hand cannon down. "Can't you see who it is?"
"Mittens?" Edric asked, and he rubbed his eyes before putting on his glasses. "Is that really you?"
"Hey, Ed," Amity smiled and then, all of a sudden, she was crushed between her siblings as they engulfed her in a hug. "ED! EM! LEGGO!"
"No, we won't let you go!" Emira exclaimed. "Not now! Not ever!"
"Choking, can't...breathe!" Amity cried out desperately.
"I don't care! I'm gonna hug my sister!" Edric cried.
The twins hugged their baby sister for like forever, crying tears of joy. It was a happy reunion. Although, from the expression on Amity's face, she looked both happy and annoyed. She was getting smothered by both her big sister and big brother. Honestly, it made her feel like she was fourteen again. But in a way, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Considering she banished herself from the Demon Realm and hadn't seen her family in four long years, their closeness was welcomed.
Luz smiled as she watched the reunion between siblings. It was a beautiful sight.
As the twins hugged their long-lost baby sister, Emira finally noticed the group that came along with her. One member of the group was waving her hand at the twins, chuckling nervously. When Emira's eyes fell on Luz, her eyes widened in panic.
"Oscura!?"
"Oscura!?" Edric echoed and the twins released Amity.
They quickly put their sister behind them and readied to defend her from the Dark Empress. Edric raised the cannon weapon he had brought down with him and charged it up, aiming it right at Luz. And while he did that, Emira drew two spell circles, before getting into an attack stance. She condensed her spell circles into balls of light which shot towards her extended index and middle fingers, ready to fire them.
"I never got the chance to show off what I could do when I was in the WATTs, but I practised a very specific Healing magic skill set, a skill set that'll easily destroy you from the inside out!" Emira declared.
"And I helped Dad make this bad boy! It'll make a crater in the ground big enough that you'll think the Titan itself took its pinkie finger and poked a hole in the ground!" Edric added.
"TIME FOR SOME PAYBACK, OSCURA!" the twins shouted at the same time.
Luz quickly pushed Sasha, Marcy, and Tsumuri away, making sure they were not in the line of fire. Eda readied to cast a spell, while Willow and Gus were ready to jump in as well to protect Luz. However, before the twins could unleash their wrath upon Luz, Amity pushed her way through them, got in front of Luz, and held out her arms in a protective fashion.
"ED! EM! STOP IT!" Amity yelled.
"Amity, get out of the way!" Edric shouted.
"Don't you know who that is?! It's Oscura!" Emira shouted as well.
Luz could see the fear and hate in their eyes. Honestly, she should've expected this reaction. She had forced their mother to reveal her true feelings regarding all of them before murdering her before their eyes. The woman had been horrible, not even fit to call herself a mother, but that didn't negate the fact that Odalia Blight was their mother, the person who gave birth to all three of the Blight children. Also, Luz was the one who – probably in their minds – was responsible for making their little sister banish herself along with their hated enemy.
"Ed, Em, I need you to calm the hell down! Yes, Luz was Oscura, but not anymore! Can you both calm down for a moment so I can explain?! Please, I'm asking you as your sister, and as your family," Amity pleaded.
Edric and Emira glanced at each other. Amity was willing to protect the person who caused their family strife so long ago. But upon further inspection, the girl they knew as Oscura showed no signs of hostility, if anything, she looked almost hurt when she saw their reaction to her. Plus, Eda, Gus, and Willow looked about ready to fight them, and considering their relation to Oscura, they figured those three would be the last people to defend her. Reluctantly, Emira lowered her hands, but kept the spell active, while Edric lowered the cannon, but kept it primed to fire.
"OK," Emira relented. "Tell us what's going on."
"It's a long story, so this is the short version: After I banished myself to the Boiling Isles, I did not have a place to stay, but Luz's family took me in. I lived with her for four years and we bonded during that time. To you, she was a tyrant who murdered our mom. But to me, she's someone I hurt and care about a lot. Whatever you think she is, she's not that monster anymore. Oscura died four years ago thanks to Witch and Amp. They destroyed that monster, and Luz isn't that person anymore."
Edric was having a hard time understanding this. The person who hurt their family agreed to take Amity in. Not only that, but their little sister had also bonded with Oscura and her family.
"Amity, are you sure she doesn't have you under her spell or something? 'Cause last time, she used a spell to make Mom do whatever she said. How do we know you aren't under the same spell?" Edric asked cautiously.
Amity crossed her arms and looked at her siblings with narrowed eyes.
"If Luz was Oscura, you and I both know we wouldn't be having this conversation," she said bluntly. "Because you and Em would be no more than dust in the wind before you even had the chance to cast a spell or point that cannon in her face."
That was an excellent point. Oscura did not take kindly to people challenging or threatening her. The only one who could get away with it was Amity, but that was only because of the sick game she had made her play with her.
"Boots is right," Eda supported, standing beside Luz. "You both know how Oscura operated. She would have killed you before you fired a shot."
"And if you think we'll let you hurt Luz, you have another thing coming," Willow warned.
"We weren't there for her before, but we are now," supported Gus, his spell circles still hovering in the air before him, ready to cast.
Emira could hardly believe that Amity, Eda, Gus and Willow were vouching for Oscura. She tried to rationalise that they were under some kind of spell but saw the look in their eyes. They were prepared to defend Oscura. There had to be something going on.
And when they really looked at their group, they saw that there were more humans with them. Attractive and cute humans at that.
No, there was definitely something going on here, but whatever it was, it was different from what happened four years ago.
"Look, you can check them for any signs of mind control," Luz proposed. "Healing magic includes diagnostic spells that can check for any kind of mind alteration, right? Go ahead."
Emira, still hesitant to trust Luz, went to check everyone for any signs of mind control. She checked them, one by one, starting with Amity, then Eda, Gus, Willow, as well as the humans who were present.
"Well?" Edric asked expectantly. His finger was still on the trigger, prepared to fire if his worst fears were confirmed.
"They're clean," Emira confirmed.
"See, Em?" Amity smiled reassuringly.
"This whole thing is still suspicious, but at least we know you're not being controlled," said Edric, relieved.
"Not that this hasn't been fun, but if we want to continue this little reunion, it's probably better that we do it where no one can see us," Eda suggested.
Eda had a point. If anyone saw Luz and the others outside of Blight Manor, they would have a whole swarm of Coven Scouts descend upon them.
"Get inside, now," Emira said urgently, ushering them into the mansion.
"Dad's on his way from the plant," Edric informed them as he put down the crow phone. "He said he was gonna be here as soon as possible."
Everyone was gathered in the living room after Emira quickly ushered them inside. The twins still could not believe their baby sister was back. At first, they thought it was a trick and used a spell that would dispel illusions. But when it did not work, they knew it was no illusion.
This was real, their little sister was back.
"How are you back?" Emira asked. "We thought we would never see you again."
"That is a long story," Amity replied.
"Does it have to do with those uniforms?" Edric questioned, seeing as the players were wearing identical outfits.
"There is a reason for that," Amity answered. "Tsumuri, could I tell them?"
"I'll allow it," Tsumuri permitted.
Amity proceeded to tell her siblings about the Desire Grand Prix, a competition that invited people to play as Kamen Riders, and the winner would receive a wish. She told them about how Tsumuri came to them after they graduated from high school, offering them a chance to fight for their heart's desire. She also told them about the series of games they played, with players being eliminated or retired at the end of each one, until only four remained to face the Final Boss.
"Luz won when she defeated the Final Boss and wished back to life everyone that Empress Oscura killed," Amity added. She then continued, telling her siblings about the current DGP season. Amity even included the time she died and then she told them how she rejoined the competition to fight at Luz's side. Her brother and sister were no doubt horrified to hear their little sister had died, but Amity changed the mood by showing them her engagement ring. "And now, Luz and I are engaged I know it's a lot to take in, and I understand if you guys need some time to–"
"Oh! My! Titan! Congratulations! I'm so happy for you!" Emira hugged Amity.
"Uh…E-Em…you're okay with this? I just got through explaining that I'm engaged to Luz," Amity reiterated.
Emira released her little sister and looked her in the eyes.
"I'll be the first to admit that everything you just told us was waaaaay out there. Like, almost unbelievable. But when you consider all the things that went down at the final battle four years ago, and coupled with the fact that you and Luz are back in the Demon Realm, I'd be crazy not to keep an open mind about these things. Plus, I could tell how happy you looked when you talked about your life with her and this engagement. You look so cute talking about your fiancée!"
"E-Em!" Amity whined.
"I guess you are gonna make an honest woman of my baby sis, huh, Luz?" Edric asked, smirking as if there was no hostility between him and the Latina.
"Yeah," Luz smiled. She was glad Edric and Emira were so accepting, despite their history. She had, after all, killed their mom.
'Better not tell them what happened to Odalia,' the dark voice advised. Luz reluctantly agreed. She was no fool. Neither of them needed to know that Odalia had joined the DGP and tried to kill her, an act which led to their mother's second death.
"We thought it was weird when Mrs. Clawthorne came to our house and told us you were doing alright, but I guess this was why," Edric realized.
"Wait, how did you know I was doing okay? How did Eda know?" Amity questioned.
"You wanna take this one, kiddo?" Eda offered as she glanced at the Latina.
"Oh, well…before Willow was Retired, I gave her a letter to give to Eda. I didn't even know if it would go through or not, but I guess it did. And in that letter, I asked if Eda could visit your family and tell them you were okay," Luz explained.
"I was holding the letter when I woke up in bed," Willow added. "I didn't know how I had it, but I knew I had to deliver it to Eda."
"Luz, Willow, you…thank you," Amity said gratefully.
It was at that moment that Alador burst through the front door of the manor, and quickly made his way to the living room with all due haste.
"Ed, Em, is she back?! Is Amity really back?!" Alador questioned, his voice sounding desperate yet hopeful.
"We're in here, Dad!" Emira called. The twins finally released Amity, allowing her to stand in the centre between them, and the trio of Blight Siblings were reunited before their father's eyes.
"Dad, I'm…I'm home," Amity choked up with tears in her eyes.
"Mittens…" Alador slowly walked towards Amity, his mind still trying to process what his eyes were seeing. "Is it really you…?"
"It is, Dad," Emira confirmed.
"I know it's a lot to take in, but Mittens is really back," Edric remarked.
Alador now stood before his youngest daughter, his hands reaching out to cup the sides of her face. Amity closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of her father's calloused hands resting against her face. She had almost forgotten how comforting his presence was to her. He may have neglected his children because of his work, but Amity remembered a time when Alador would hold her back when she was younger.
However, that comforting feeling was replaced by pain when Alador suddenly started pinching her cheeks and pulling on them.
"OW! DAD, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Amity exclaimed.
"Pfft!" Sasha stifled a laugh as she watched Amity getting her cheeks pulled by her father. Even Willow was trying to hold in her laughter.
"Stuff it, Waybright!" Amity snapped. "You too, Willow!" Alador released Amity's cheeks, allowing the teenage witch to rub her sore face. "Ow, dang it. Dad, why did you–?!" Amity was cut off as her father embraced her tightly. "Dad…?"
"You left us…Amity." Amity's expression fell upon hearing him mention that. "You never even told us what you were doing. You were just gone. Eda was the one who told us what you had done, and that she destroyed the portal door, trapping you in the Human Realm forever." Edric and Emira's happy faces fell as well, giving way to a slight bout of anger by Amity's one-sided decision to up and leave their world without so much as leaving a letter to tell them. "I tried multiple times, spent many sleepless nights, to recreate that portal door, but all the notes and research were locked away by the council, for fear of a new portal being made. But still, I tried, time and time again, until…I gave up and just stopped trying. I understand why you did what you did, but…did you really have to leave us without saying goodbye?"
Amity felt the guilt weighing heavily on her heart. She knew her decision would hurt her family greatly, but she also knew that if she had told them, they would have tried to stop her.
"I'm sorry…I'm sure you think I did it to run away. And, maybe, part of me wanted to run, because I couldn't face what I did to our world, the role I played in almost bringing about its destruction…I felt it was easier to just leave so I could atone for everything I've caused. But…not a day goes by that I didn't think about you guys. Wondering how you were doing and if you were getting some sleep for once, Dad," Amity confessed remorsefully.
"Heh, actually, I did," Alador conceded as he chuckled. His eyes started to water as he hugged his youngest daughter tighter. "Welcome home, Mittens."
"It's great to be home," Amity happily returned, sniffling.
And so, Amity Blight reunites with the family she left behind. Not even all the pain they experienced from their shared trauma or forced separation manages to prevent them from sharing a tender moment. However, will Alador approve of Amity's decision once he learns of her engagement to Luz Noceda, the girl who killed his wife and the mother of his children? Not to mention, the same girl who ruled their home with an iron fist and the one who nearly destroyed it in her madness?
I guess we'll have to wait until next time, won't we?
Dr. Exposition: Alright, so there was a little oversight in the last chapter, and I forgot to delve into Oscura's utilisation of the other Raise Buckles in conjunction with her own Oscura Buckle. Typically, activating a Raise Buckle on the left-hand side of the Desire Driver equips the user with just the leg armour. However, in Oscura's case, there's a unique twist: when she activates the other Raise Buckles with her primary one, she not only acquires the gauntlets and greaves associated with them, but she also receives a significant boost in her stats. Moreover, the auxiliary Raise Buckles appear to synchronise seamlessly with the Sin Stones embedded in her Oscura Buckle, granting her enhanced capabilities.
The Boost Buckle, for instance, syncs up with the Sloth Stone, endowing Oscura with the ability to move at superspeed, rendering the world around her seemingly frozen in time.
On the other hand, the Beat Buckle harmonises with the Lust Stone. This synergy grants Oscura a unique power — the ability to manipulate minds through her melodic songs as she plays them on the Beat Axe. It's a fascinating fusion of musical prowess and dark enchantment that adds an intriguing layer to Oscura's already formidable capabilities.
Now, the question we must ask is: what other Buckles can sync up with the Oscura Buckle and what new abilities will they grant her? I guess we'll find out as the story progresses.