Before anyone knew it, another ten days had come and gone, and things were further starting to fall into place. With both Eda and Hunter now helping her with her training, Luz was improving a great deal with handling her curse and applying it to her everyday life. She had gotten into a routine where every morning she would head out to run, climb trees, or both to get some exercise, and she very much enjoyed it. It was a great way to not only keep in shape, but to further practice with her abilities as well.

Still, the human witch had a ways to go. She still wasn't able to control or change many parts of her body. And with the full moon now only a few days away, she was starting to get anxious. The containment chamber was finally finished and ready for use, but she knew it wasn't guaranteed to be successful. So she felt pressured to train as much and as hard as she possibly could before the big night arrived. It also didn't help that her mother had to return to the human realm to go back to work, and her sister had to do the same to start college. Even though they both visited on weekends, it still was a lot of stress for Luz. It even got to the point where she had to take her medicine a few times just to keep her curse from acting up.

Amity was very upset to see this. Even though there was a valid reason for it, she hated seeing her girlfriend push herself like this. She knew she needed to be in a better state of mind, not just for her health, but to be better prepared for the full moon.

So one day, when Luz got back from her morning exercise, the purple haired witch was waiting for her outside the owl house with a smile.

"Hey Wolfie, how was your run?" She asked.

Luz smiled back and kissed her. "Fantastic, made even better with you greeting me. You should do that more often."

"Hmmm, I do like that idea. With all seriousness though, I was waiting for you cause I needed to talk to you."

"What do you mean? Is something wrong?"

The purple haired witch sighed. "Luz, I know the full moon is in a few days, and we're all anxious about it, but you need to stop putting this much pressure on yourself to train and prepare. It's not good for you, and you need to be in a better state of mind. It'll make things a lot easier when the moment comes."

Now the human witch sighed. "I know Amity, but what else can I do? My power level is going to spike significantly when that happens, and I need to be prepared for that as much as I can possibly be."

Amity shook her head. "Your curse is also triggered by extreme stress, remember? I know you do, because you've had to take your medicine a few times the last couple weeks. How do you think it's going to be when the full moon comes? You need to be mentally ready more than anything. That's going to be the key to making all this work."

Luz mumbled and pinched the bridge of her nose. She couldn't really argue with that. One of the first things Eda told her was that mastering her curse was about mind over matter. Yet in her anxious state, she had completely forgotten about it.

Amity put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I know you want to be prepared, but remember what Lilith said. This is likely not going to be perfect. We don't know how you'll react to the full moon or even if the dose of medicine we're going to use is right. That's okay though because nobody really gets it right on the first try. What I do know is that being more calm and collected is going to make it easier to handle this for all of us."

Luz sighed again. "You're right, but how am I going to do that? I don't think it's possible to not be anxious about it."

"No, but you can make it easier on yourself by not training so hard. Just focus on mentally preparing yourself for what's to come."

"But…"

Amity kissed her girlfriend on the lips. "You're doing more than enough already, Batata. Let us take it from here. It's what we're here for.

"Can I make a suggestion?"

Amity yelped and turned around to see Hooty had come up from behind her. Even after all this time, she still didn't know how he was this stealthy.

"Hooty, how many times have I told you not to do that?!" She yelled.

"Sorry." He replied. "I just couldn't help but overhear your conversation and wanted to help! Luz asked me to do that if I thought of something! Hoot!"

The purple haired witch sighed and pinched her nose. "Fair enough. What did you have in mind?"

"Well, if Luz needs to take her mind off the full moon, why don't you head into town and just have a day of fun? Everyone needs one of those every once in a while, and I think it would be good for you!"

Luz smiled. "That's a great idea, Hooty! Titan, we've not really hung out since I got bitten, haven't we?"

Amity shook her head "We really haven't now that I think about it. We totally need to make up for it."

"Definitely. In fact, why does it just have to be us? Let's ask the others if they want to join too!"

"Sure! You need to get in the shower first though. You stink."

"I thought you liked it when Luz got all sweaty?" Hooty said.

Luz found out that day that, even with superhuman strength, it was hard to restrain Amity when she was ticked off.

Oh, man. The human witch though. I'm suddenly glad I got cursed and not her.

….

After Luz was able to pry Amity off of Hooty (with Eda's help), she made her way upstairs to shower and brush up while the purple haired witch pitched the idea of spending the day in town. Everybody agreed to it, and a quick call to Willow and Gus confirmed that they were on board as well. Soon Luz, Amity, Eda, Raine, and King were walking out the front door and down the path towards Bonesborough. There weren't that many clouds in the sky either, making it was a great day, and that made Luz smile. She hadn't realized how much she missed these days hanging out with her family until now, and she was happy to be doing it again.

The human witch didn't have breakfast before heading out, so the first thing she did when she arrived at the market was to find something to eat, and she knew exactly where she wanted to go. She made her way over to the stand that had two familiar faces tending it. Harvey and Gilbert Park, Willows parents. Not only did she want to catch up with them, but they ran a very successful bakery in the boiling isles, perfect for someone like her with a sweet tooth.

As she approached, she saw that Willow herself, as well as Gus and Hunter, were there too. They all formed the biggest smiles on their faces when they saw her.

"Luz!" Harvey shouted as he made his way around the stand to hug his friend, Gilbert doing the same thing.

"Hey guys!" The human witch said as she hugged back. "How are you doing?"

"We should be the ones asking that." Gilbert said. "Are you feeling okay? I know the last couple weeks have been hard for you."

Luz sighed and nodded.

"I'm good for the most part. I'm a lot better now than I was before, but I'm still pretty nervous, especially considering what we've got coming up."

"Ah, that's right. The full moon is-"

"Shhh! Not so loud!" Harvey hushed with a whisper. "You know how some people are with lycanthropy. Titan help us if we mention it in public."

His husband swore and mentally kicked himself. "Damn, sorry. I'm just really worried for Luz."

"It's okay. We all are." Harvey said.

He then turned back to the human witch. "And we're all here for her should she need us. I know you've probably heard this a dozen times already, but it's the truth."

Luz smiled and choked a little. "I wouldn't care if I heard it a hundred more times. I'm just so grateful I have people who are here for me at a time I need it most."

"Of course we are." Gilbert said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're like a sister to Willow, so you're family to us just as much as she is."

"Darn straight!" Willow said with a smile.

Luz's bottom lip began to quiver.

"Alright, don't start getting her all weepy." Eda said as she walked up. "We've flooded my house with enough tears as is."

The couple laughed.

"It's good to see you too, Eda." Harvey said as he hugged her. "You too, Raine and King. And Amity, you look just like your father with that attire."

The purple haired witch blushed at the compliment. "Heh, thanks. I'm glad to hear I'm taking more after him than Odalla."

"You and I both. That dreadful woman had no right to treat you and your siblings the way she did. She deserved to be locked up for helping Belos like she did."

Amity couldn't help but agree. Her mother was never really a mother to her. She was more like a dictator who controlled every aspect of her life as well as her siblings and her father, and was harsh to anyone who spoke out against her. Those years were miserable for the purple haired witch, and it made her a very bitter and angry person who wasn't pleasant to be around. She hated being that way to others, especially when it came to breaking off her friendship with Willow for a time, but she was just too afraid of her mother to stand up for herself. Too afraid to face her pain and overcome it.

Until she met Luz.

Luz turned everything around for her. She helped her open up and stand up to her mother, repair her friendship with Willow, and overall become the person she really wanted to be. It's why she fell in love with the human witch, and these memories further determined her to protect her girlfriend from any and all harm.

This gave her an idea, and she snapped out of her thoughts to speak again. "Hey, can I ask you for help with something?"

"Of course!" Harvey said with a smile. "What do you need?"

"The night Luz was cursed, I tried to use my abomination magic to restrain the 'creature'. But even with Willow helping me, it broke out of it like it was nothing. I can't let something like that happen again. If Luz loses control next week, I need to make absolutely sure I can restrain her so she doesn't hurt herself or us, and you know abomination magic even more than I do. Is there any advice you can give that'll help me? Normally I'd ask Darius about this kind of stuff, but he's away on an expedition so…"

"Oh, it's no trouble at all. Honestly, I feel honored you're seeking me out for help!"

Harvey then hummed and scratched his beard as he thought about it. He did indeed major in abomination magic. And while he wasn't quite as skilled as Darius, he still had extensive knowledge of this art of magic, but could it restrain a werewolf in any shape or form? That was the big question.

"It would certainly be difficult." He finally said. "But we do have one thing working for us. Unlike the last 'creature' you fought, Luz isn't an umbra, so she can't use most of the dark magic 'they' can use. That's how it works, right?"

"Yep." Willow said as she walked up, having overheard the conversation. "That and the fact we'll be more prepared should make things a lot safer than last time."

"I agree." Amity said. "Luz will still possess some magic though, as well as incredible strength. Even in her normal form, she can lift heavy things without breaking a sweat, so it'll take a lot to keep her in place so we can administer medicine she'll need."

Harvey nodded. "Indeed. Looking at our cards here, I believe there is one thing you can try. You know how you can merge your abomination goo with certain objects and control them?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, the same can be said for certain spells, including Willow's vines."

Both girl's eyes widened and they looked at each other.

"I can do that?" Amity asked.

"You sure can. Both of you will need to cast a special kind of spell to make it work. It can be tricky to pull off, but something tells me that won't be a problem for you."

Willow smiled. "Heck no it won't! We can handle just about anything! Besides, Luz is counting on us, and I don't plan on letting her down."

Harvey gave a hearty laugh. "That's my girl! Tell you what. When me and your papa close shop for today, we'll all head over to Eda's place to teach you Amity how to use the spell."

"That would be great!" Willow said. "Thanks, Dad!"

"Yes. Thank you so much, Mr. Park." Amity said.

Harvey laughed again. "Amity, I've told you a hundred times, you can just call me Harvey."

"Yeah, Mi Amor." Luz said as she walked up, munching on a pastry. "I'm the one who's supposed to be too modest."

The purple haired witch chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Indeed. It seems I'm picking up some bad habits from you."

Luz faked an offended look. "Bad? I'll have you know that I'm a good influence."

"Says the girl who constantly got herself in trouble by charging into things."

The human witch pouted and gave her a sad puppy look, something Amity couldn't help but gush at.

"Oh titan, I can't resist that face, and it's even cuter than before! How is that even possible?!"

Luz smiled. "I'm a 'you know what' now, remember?"

"I know, but I didn't know it would do that too! Oh, that might be my favorite thing so far!"

"Really?" King asked. "That's the most amazing thing Luz has done so far?"

"Come on, buddy." The human witch said. "Just imagine all the things we can get away with now."

King's face lit up, and he began snickering. "Hehe. Well, when you put it that way…"

Eda spun around with a frown. "Luz, I swear to titan, if you take advantage of that…" She trailed off.

Everyone laughed, and Raine put their hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, dear. It's just one of the many things that comes with having a kid, right?"

The owl lady sighed

"Unfortunately."

….

"What do you think, Hunter? Is this one good?" Willow asked.

After Luz had gotten some food from Harvey and Gilbert, the group started browsing the market, looking for anything that would catch their eye. Willow had decided to see if she could get a new necklace as she had been wanting one for a while, and wanted a second opinion on the one she was currently trying on.

Hunter looked back and forth between his girlfriend and the necklace for a moment before responding.

"It's beautiful, but something about it just doesn't quite fit. You need something that's just you, you know what I mean?"

Willow hummed and nodded. "Yeah, I do. Okay, let's see what else they have."

Meanwhile, Luz, Amity, and Gus were looking at another part of the same stand. They too were looking for accessories, but for different reasons.

"Concealment pendants?" Amity asked. "Why would we need these?"

"Okay, hear me out." Gus said. "You know how normally when we go to the Human Realm we have to wear hats or whatnot to hide our ears? Well, with these I can make it so that our ears will look just like a human's! That way, we don't have to hide them behind anything anymore!"

The purple haired witch thought about it for a moment. She never minded wearing a bandana to cover her pointed ears, but she had to admit that it would be nice to not have to.

She nodded. "That sounds like an sure you can pay for them?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. No sweat."

"Hey, Luz!"

They turned to see King calling the human witch over along with Eda and Raine.

"Excuse me, I'll be back in a sec." Luz said before she ran over "What's up?"

"Check it out!" Eda said as she held out a cape. It was black in color and displayed a pattern of stars on it. It looked really nice.

"They have some night themed capes here." She said. "And as a creature of the night, I think I would look great wearing these in my beast form, don't you agree?"

She followed up that last part with a wink, indicating that she really wanted to get it for Luz, and this made the human witch chuckle. She loved wearing the cape her mentor had made for her when she first arrived in the Boiling Isles. It made her feel special and loved, and she wore it whenever she could. It served as a reminder of how far she had come, and how much she was loved, and now she was getting that feeling again.

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I think that'll look good on you. Although I think that one with the moon on it would suit you better."

Raine nodded back. "I agree, the art on it is beautiful, and it just really fits."

They leaned over to whisper. "Do you want the black or blue one?"

"Blue." Luz whispered back. "The fur on my tail is dark brown like my hair, so my whole body will probably have it too. A blue shirt will stand out more."

"You got it."

Raine motioned Eda to buy the blue cape, which she happily did.

"Oh, getting a new cape?" Amity said as she walked over.

Luz nodded. "Yep. Might as well get one that suits the new me, right?"

"Absolutely. I think it'll go well with your wolf shirt."

"Oh, that's a good idea. I'll try that when we get home."

Luz then smiled and put her arm around her girlfriend, who happily did the same. "I need to thank Hooty for suggesting this." She said. "I only realized now how much I missed getting out and having some fun."

"Seriously." Amity replied. "I know we've been really busy lately, but we still should have done this a lot sooner."

"I know, right? We need to do this way more often, just like we used to."

"Well, let's not get too ahead of ourselves. Remember, you still need to fully master your curse, and that's still a ways off."

Luz sighed and her shoulders sunk. "Don't remind me. Every time I complete one step, I remember I still have a hundred more to go."

Her girlfriend gave her a reassuring kiss on her cheek. "You're doing great, Batata. I know you hate how slow this is, but at least you're improving, right?"

The human witch looked up and smiled again. "Yeah, definitely! Some of it is pretty fun too, like tree climbing! I can jump and swing on them like a monkey now! Say, with my tail, I could make that my Halloween costume this year."

Amity thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. "Nah, your tail doesn't have that look. Besides, kids in the human realm would want to pull on it. Remember what happened to Vee last year?"

Luz snorted. "Oh my titan, she was sour the entire rest of that evening!"

The couple laughed at the memory, and that set the mood for the rest of the day, because they spent it in a happy mood while enjoying their time with each other and their friends. It was a much needed break from the stresses they had been going through recently, and it really helped at clearing their minds. They would need it too. This path they were walking on together had only just begun.