Here we are with the next chapter. Thankfully, I am ninety percent better and can focus on my work.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Owl House or its characters. I only own this story and any OCs I throw in.
Now, let's get started!
In the Owl House, Eda shuffled a stack of cards in her hand, and the eyes on the cards looked up at her. She looked at her palisman smugly as Owlbert, wearing a green visor, narrowed his eyes and hooted.
"Watch closely, kids. Hexes Hold'em is the most tricky game on the Boiling Isles. Any proper witch knows how to play." Eda told the siblings as she made a choice from her hand.
"Oh boy, cards! The paper rectangles that old people think are fun!" Luz chirped.
"Hey." Sitting on the floor, Hunter narrowed his eyes at her since he used to collect trading cards for a game series he liked. Eda put a card down on the table, joining the nine already set by her and Owlbert, respectively. Lightning came from the cards, sending Owlbert flying for cover behind the side of the table. The cards all stood and roared at each other. Owlbert's cards surged forward and attacked Eda's, making Owlbert smirk.
"Now, when it looks like the deck is stacked against you, that's when you break out the wildcard." The Owl Lady held up a card with a tower on it. It glowed green, and Owlbert's cards disappeared in a flash of fire. Fiery letters spelling "WINNER: EDA" appeared and disappeared over the table. Owlbert hopped back on the table and hooted at Eda, his wings extended in a bow. "Woo, I win!" Eda cheered before pointing at her owl. "In your adorable owl face."
"Oh, brother," Hunter rolled his eyes, bored with the game.
"Ah, I love the feeling of victory; it feels... fluffy?" she said in confusion, unaware of the feathers growing from her arms.
"Uh, Eda? It's happening again!" Luz said worriedly, she and Hunter leaning back in apprehension.
"What's happening again?"
"Your curse is returning!" King pointed at her feathers, causing Eda to yelp when she saw them.
"Okay, card game's over! You need an elixir! Now!" Hunter jumped to his feet.
The group ran to Eda's room, where she kept her elixirs. Eda opened the chest where she stored them. "Oh, boy," she said as the others became concerned when they saw empty bottles in the chest. "This is terrible. I'm out of elixir."
"I told you a few days ago you were running low," Hunter reminded her as she futilely shook one of the empties.
"Uh, last time this happened, you turned into this thing." Luz held up her phone with a picture of the Owl Beast on the screen.
"I know I should be repulsed, but that look is fierce." Eda fluffed her hair with a smirk.
"Eda!" The siblings huffed.
"You're right, you're right. We need to head to the market."
"Market!" Luz stood and started to leave, with Hunter and King following her.
"I'm gonna steal everything that's not nailed down!" The little demon cheered.
"Please don't." The blond witch responded.
"Before we go, would anyone like to play one more hand of Hexes Hold'em?" Eda asked, patting her pockets before she noticed something was wrong. "Hey, where are my cards?"
Having taken her deck, Luz hid the cards behind her back before handing them to Owlbert when he flew in. "Take these and fly ahead. She'll have to follow us."
He did as asked, and as predicted, Eda followed him. "Owlbert, you sore loser, gimme back my cards!" she called angrily as she ran after him.
"Now I know how you and Mom feel when I get obsessed with video games," Hunter remarked to Luz.
"At least you come up for air for something important," the younger Noceda said.
"Just in case, King," Hunter turned to the little demon. "Does she have any more decks?"
"Several."
"Remind me to burn them later."
"Sir!" King saluted before they followed after Eda.
(Bonesborough)
It was a lovely day in Bonesborough as a winged demon flew over the skyline. Cut to the market, Eda, covered in a cloak, banged on a metal grate to a shop called Mr. Elixir. "Hey, open up, Morton!"
"Uh, ju–… just a minute!" Someone, presumably Morton, called from the back as King left Eda's side to where Luz and Hunter sat on a bench.
"Is there anything better than people-watching in the Demon Realm?" Luz asked as she helped King sit between the siblings.
"It's more fun than marathon Hexes Hold'em," Hunter remarked.
Three witches stood at a bus stop when a giant egg rolled up. The egg cracked, revealing a featherless bird that screeched before it flew away. The witches entered the egg, and one closed it before it rolled off just as Tinella Nosa ran up. "Wait, wait!" she called, but it was already gone. "Aw, dang it."
"The curse of tiny legs," Luz shook her head.
"I know the pain," King empathized.
Suddenly, loud footsteps filled the air. Tinella Nosa screamed and ran off to avoid being stepped on by a rugged-looking witch with a sword and an eyepatch. He waved his hand, and a cart with a giant demon on it followed him, pulled by two others.
Luz and Hunter approached Eda as the younger remarked, "Whoa, that is one ominous parade."
"That's no parade." Eda narrowed her eyes as she looked. "Those are demon hunters." The demon growled and bucked, trying to escape the restraints. The two demon hunters pushing the cart pulled on its ropes to pin it back down. The demon then attempted to bite the first demon hunter. "Dangerous nomads who capture and sell the most powerful beasts." The first demon hunter traced a spell circle, creating green lightning in his hand. He grunted as he shocked the demon unconscious. He then turned and looked at the siblings, causing Luz to gasp while Hunter moved an arm in front of her protectively. "… Which I'm about to become if you don't open up, Morton!" Eda shouted as she continued knocking on the grate.
"Sorry, Eda!" A skinny man with a funnel on his head opened the grate. "I was up all night poison-tasting. For some reason, I don't feel great."
"I'm all outta my juice, pal." Eda handed him an empty elixir bottle.
"Oh, gee," he said, taking the flask. "Lemme see what I can do." Morton ducked down and started digging around, rattling bottles as he did.
The demon hunters continued on, revealing Willow and Gus behind the demon, looking dejected. "Willow and Gus!" Luz cheered as she ran up to them, Hunter following behind. "Heya, friends!"
"What's up?" the blond greeted as well.
When she noticed their looks, the younger asked, "Wait, what's wrong? Who hurt my babies?"
"Them." Willow glanced to the side. At a food stall, they saw Amity hanging out with a group of other witches from Hexside. One from the bard track and another from the healing track, Skara and Cat, laughed as the former threw chips into the latter's mouth. Boscha, a potion track girl, watched them in amusement while Amity stared at a potion, uninterested in their antics.
"Let me guess: the queen of mean and her brat pack," Hunter said, crossing his arms disdainfully.
"Yup," Willow nodded, too depressed to appreciate the blond's insults. "Amity's having a moonlight conjuring and invited everyone but me."
"And she keeps posting about it on her Penstagram account." Gus summoned his scroll, opening to Amity's Penstagram post of her and her friends posing.
"'It's conjuring night! No dorks allowed?' What a jerk!" Luz scowled briefly before asking, "What's a moonlight conjuring?"
"You spend the night at someone's house, telling stories, playing games…" Willow explained.
"Like a slumber party! We have those!"
Willow then pulled out a book, showing a picture of three people sitting in a circle while holding hands. "Then you bring something to life with moon magic!"
Luz paused. "Like a weird slumber party!"
"Why am I not surprised?" Hunter said.
"Gus and I have never been to one. You need at least three people, and–" The plant witch continued before the human girl jumped in again.
"I'm three people–I mean, we're three people–"
"Four people," the blond added.
"Yeah, and we're way better than them!" Luz said, frowning at the brat pack. On cue, the group walked by as they laughed before stopping.
"Sorry you couldn't get an invite to the conjuring, Willow," Boscha said meanly before looking at Amity. "Only real witches allowed."
"Flip that around; it means she doesn't have to be in the same room with you plastics," Hunter called over. Boscha scowled at him while the other girls glared, getting a laugh from Luz and Gus.
Amity sighed. "Whatever, let's just go." Hunter waved cheekily as they all left.
Luz and Gus calmed down as Willow smiled appreciatively at the older Noceda. "Thanks, Hunter."
"My pleasure."
"Yeah, don't waste your time getting thorny over them. 'Cause we're gonna have our own moonlight conjuring." Luz declared, causing their witch friends to grin excitedly.
"Are you serious? This was on my bucket list." Gus pulled out the list and checked off moonlight conjuring. "After owning a real human bucket!"
"That's a really weird thing to want, but I appreciate your enthusiasm. We'll go tell Eda," Luz said as she and Hunter ran to get Eda.
Speaking of Eda, back to her and Morton, the Owl Lady was still waiting as the potion maker finished searching his shop. "I've got bad news and good news. Bad news is I'm all out 'till next week. Good news is feathers are a good look for you." A feather grew out of her hair, but the witch was unamused.
"Morton!" She glared as that feather, and several others fluttered to the ground when she stalked forward.
"Well, gee, E. Why'd you wait to re-up 'till now?" Morton asked.
"I've been very busy."
"Yeah, busy playing Hexes Hold'em," King said from the bench. "She's obsessed with it."
"I am not obsessed!" Eda denied.
"You're playing it right now!"
Telling the truth, several cards were splayed out on the counter, and Eda had one in hand. "Am I winning?"
"You know, I wouldn't suggest this to just anybody, but if you need your elixir, you could try your luck later this evening," Morton suggested seriously.
"In the night market?" Eda whispered.
"There's a guy with a stand. Goes by Grimm Hammer. If anyone has what you need, it's him."
"Eda," Luz called as she and Hunter turned up, getting her attention. "Gus, Willow, Hunter, and I are gonna do a moonlight conjuring and stick it to Amity. So can we–"
"Not tonight, I'm going out." Eda held up her hand. She grabbed her staff and started walking over to King. "I need you two to watch the house; I have many precious objects in there."
"Like me!" King grinned before she picked him up by his collar. "Whoa!"
"You're coming with me. I need an extra pair of eyes looking out for pickpockets and an extra pair of hands in case I want to pickpocket," Eda added with a slight smirk.
"Pickpocket!" The duo cheered.
"Then, maybe they can come to the house and–" Luz gestured to their friends as they came over.
"No! Besides, conjurings are dumb; sitting in a circle, holding hands. Pft. It's like magic for babies." Eda rebuffed as she walked away.
"But–" Luz tried, but Hunter stopped her.
"Forget it, Luz; she's hopeless."
"Luz! Hunter!" Willow called as she and Gus ran up to them. "What did Eda say?"
"So… guys…" The human girl started, trying to figure out how to break it to them.
"Oh, look!" Gus pointed upwards at the moon. "The moon is rising into place. And the celestial powers only align once a year."
"Oh, I can't believe I finally have enough friends for a moonlight conjuring! Thank you, guys!" Willow said, thanking them. "Did Eda say it was okay?"
"Uhm…" Luz stalled, sharing a glance with Hunter before answering, "Yes. She said yes. We can do it at the Owl House. As long as we don't make a mess, or touch anything, and never bring up that we did it!" She laughed nervously as her brother gave her a deadpan look.
"Yes!" Gus cheered.
"Oh, you're the best!" Willow said before she and Gus started sing-songing.
"We're gonna do a conjuring! We're gonna do a conjuring! Conjuring! Conjuring!"
Luz smiled at them before both siblings looked at the moon, nervous about how the night would unfold.
(The Owl House)
As the crickets chirped outside that night, the Noceda siblings sat on the couch watching Eda. "Hunter, you're in charge while I'm out," the older witch said as she put on her cloak. "Make sure Hooty doesn't get into any trouble."
"Hoot hoot!" Hooty called, sounding muffled before opening the door. "I don't need a babysitter. I'm a big boy house!"
"You can count on us," Hunter said as he and Luz stood up.
"Yeah, we'd never betray your hard-earned trust," his sister added, laughing nervously as Hunter gave her a side look.
"You're acting suspicious." Eda narrowed her eyes at them. "Luz's doing that thing where she hides in her hoodie."
"Meow, I'm not," Luz denied, now with her hood up and closed. Hunter elbowed her, smiling nervously as she pushed her hood down. "Uh… Oh, where's King?"
"He's right here." Eda opened her cloak to reveal King snoring and strapped in a pink baby carrier. "His little body just conks out when he's weightless. Look at this." She moved side to side, with King not waking as he moved like a ragdoll.
"Aww, he's so dangly," Luz cooed as she played with his feet, making Hunter chuckle.
"Anyway, really going now." Eda walked outside with the siblings behind her before she turned back to them. "And kids…" The siblings grew nervous. "… if you mess up the house, I will never trust you two again," she said in a menacing tone before switching to a lighter one. "No pressure! Byeeeeee!" Owlbert hooted as Eda activated her staff and flew away. The Nocedas waved after them for a few seconds before growing nervous again.
"Ay. Should we really be doing this?" Luz questioned.
"Oh, now you're questioning this?" Hunter remarked.
"No, no, you're right. It's too late to back out now. Plus, Willow is counting on us." The younger Noceda said before whispering to some shrubs. "Okay, she's gone."
"Release!" They heard Willow command as the two bushes glowed and exploded, revealing her and Gus in casual clothes. "I'm a sneaky sneakster!"
"I've got leaves in my pants… and I like it," Gus added.
"Okay…" Hunter blinked at him.
"Company! Hooray! Finally, someone to listen to my stories!" Hooty cheered as Luz led everyone inside. "Okay, one time, a sparrow flew into my mouth, and then I–" He was cut off as the door shut. "Hey…" he said before coughing out a sparrow, which flew away chirping.
"Welcome to the living room," Luz said inside. "We call it that because it's technically living! The walls are breathing. Look."
A wall was moving with heavy breaths as Willow looked at it more closely. "Enchanting."
"And look at all these human treasures," Gus said as he rummaged through a chest before pulling out a skull. "And actual humans!"
"We've got snacks; we've got weird music!" Luz held up a bowl of eyes before she put the needle down on a gramophone, which produced an evil cackle.
"'Haunted House Sound Effects,'" Hunter read the record sleeve.
"We've got a bucket!" Gus walked up to Luz with a bucket on his head.
"Gus, my man." She winked at him.
"And best of all, we have actual friends to do the conjuring with! This is so exciting!" Willow cheered.
"So how does this conjuring stuff work?" Hunter asked her.
"Well, first, we find an object to animate. Since it's our first time, we should pick something meaningful," she said as she walked over to some flowers. "Something beautiful."
"Like this strangely buff little man?" Gus suddenly burst through the flowers, holding out an action figure.
He tapped the figure's stomach, and it said, "I'm half beef, half Bob!"
"Yes! He's perfect!" Luz cheered while Hunter and Willow looked unsure.
"That's not exactly what I meant by 'beautiful.'" the witch girl said. Gus lowered the action figure, whimpering. "Okay, buff boy, it is." She relented.
"Yes!" Luz hugged Willow.
"Tonight, he shall be risen!" Gus cheered.
As the moon rose in the sky, Gus set Beefy Bob down on the ground and placed him between the four of them. They sat in a circle on the floor, surrounded by several lit candles.
"According to the conjuring books I've read, we say the incantation and make a connection with the doll," Willow explained as they all held hands.
"Figurine," Gus whispered before he and Willow led the chant.
"Moonlight, we call, we sing. Moonlight, take this chance. Moonlight, come tie the string. Moonlight, start the dance!"
"Moonlight tie… string… and I don't know the words!" Luz tried to follow along while Hunter just watched the magic of the ritual in awe, wondering if this was what having real magic was like.
The moon rose as Hooty gazed at it. It stopped, and a burst of blue light emerged, extinguishing the candles and spreading through the living room. They opened one eye and glanced at Beefy Bob. "That's your cue, little man," said Gus. Suddenly, the house rumbled, confusing the kids. Hooty's eyes turned blue, emitting ghostly noises. Birds cawed and fled while the foundation cracked as the Owl House ascended on giant bird legs. The kids screamed, losing balance as the house stabilized, leaving the living room in disarray with the teens scattered about.
"What just happened?" Hunter groaned as he sat up, rubbing his head.
"Guys?" A book fell on Luz's head as everyone pushed themselves up. "Did the entire house just hiccup?"
"Little buff guy, what did you do?" Gus asked the action figure before tapping his stomach again.
"A real man never takes accountability!"
"No, I think–I think we might've animated the house by accident!" Willow said.
"The house?!" Luz and Hunter gasped together.
Hooty continued making ghostly noises as Luz and Hunter ran outside, the younger nearly falling off the ledge. Gus and Willow joined them outside as the house began to walk, causing them to scream as the door slammed shut.
"Hooty? Hooty!" Luz ran up to the door. "Hooty, you have to stop!"
"By the power of moonlight, I have risen. Hoot hoot," Hooty said.
"He's in some kind of trance!" Gus came over to check on him. The Owl House stepped through two trees. The jostling made Gus yell as he and Luz lost their balance, with the younger witch nearly falling off the foundation.
"Gus!" the girls cried as they caught him.
"Our magic must've spread through the house instead of the doll!" Willow realized.
"Figurine!" Gus corrected.
"Not important!" Hunter replied. Luz and Willow grunted as they tried not to drop Gus. They nearly fell before Hunter grabbed their free hands to help pull, none of them noticing the glow return.
"Hooty, stop!" Luz yelled. As if finally hearing her, the house stopped moments before it would have walked off a cliff. Hunter and the girls pulled Gus back up to safety, and they all let go of each other, staring at their hands.
"How'd we do that?" Gus asked.
They all looked at the sky before Luz got an idea: "Willow, Gus, Hunter, hold hands again." They did and started glowing once more. The Owl House then took several steps away from the cliff.
"We're controlling it with the power of friendship. Uh, and the moon. Probably the moon," Willow said.
"This is amazing! What do we do now?" Gus asked as the glow faded.
"On the one hand, we should probably stay put," Luz said.
"Yeah, we should probably do that," Hunter agreed.
"On the other hand, we've got a giant walking house and should totally take it on a joyride!" Gus suggested.
The brother-and-sister duo looked at the now-descending moon before Luz consented. "Okay, okay, but we gotta be back before the moon sets, or Eda will kill us."
Soon, they were directing the house forward as Gus and Luz cheered. "Yeah! Joyride!"
They didn't know that the demon hunter from the market had seen them growling as they passed him…
(A little while later)
The group was still walking through the forest when they noticed Boscha walk past with a crow phone and a duffel bag. "Hey, is that…" Willow started to ask.
"It's Boscha, that girl who made fun of us," Gus answered.
"Ugh! Yes, Mom. I'm going to a moonlight conjuring. No, Mom. You can't come. And yes, Mom, it's sad that you're asking," she said to the crow before letting it go, which cawed as it flew away. She then turned around and saw the Owl House.
"She noticed us. What do we do?" Willow asked.
"Hmm." The siblings hummed as they shared mischievous smiles.
Suddenly, Boscha heard Luz's amplified voice. "Hey. H-Hey you. You should, uh, stop being so mean to people. You're kind of a jerk." The human was speaking through a megaphone Gus made with his magic, getting laughs from everyone.
"Ew. A talking house is giving me a lecture? Whatever. I'll just TP you like I did with the rest of the neighborhood." Boscha dismissed.
"But don't you see? I am no mere house." The Owl House stood up as Luz roared. Boscha screamed and ran away as the other four laughed.
"I've never pranked anyone before. And now I have a taste for it," Gus said, feeling sinister.
"We should follow her to Amity's house to show off our conjuring," Willow suggested. "That will show her who's got no talent."
The Nocedas looked at the moon, nearly at the treetops and still going down.
"I'm sorry, guys, but I'm starting to think we should head back," Hunter said.
"Amity's updating her Penstagram," Gus said, holding up his scroll.
"'Shout out to my fellow witches. #Humans can bite it!'" Luz read before she gasped.
"Oh, it's on now," Hunter glared.
"Let's do it," Luz agreed.
The Owl House continued walking as they all cheered, several shadowy figures flying after them.
(Bonesborough)
The Owl House walked through town as people on the streets screamed and ran for cover. They soon arrived at an enormous manor with a gate reading "BLIGHT MANOR" in front of it. "Look, Amity's house. Time to show Amity what a real conjuring looks like," Willow said. The Owl House started forward but was stopped by a giant rope launched over the roof.
"Wha–" Everyone gasped as they stumbled, breaking the connection.
"What happened?" Willow asked.
"Is that a…" Luz pointed ahead of them. "giant crossbow?"
"Boy, do I hope you're wrong," Hunter said. The lead hunter gave the signal for the crossbow to fire. A second giant bolt and rope secured the house further, making the teens worry. Suddenly, the hunter jumped up in front of the kids.
"Knock, knock." He mocked, making the younger kids gasp.
"Sorry, nobody's home." Thinking fast, Hunter side-kicked the hunter off the platform, making him yelp as he fell. "Everyone inside! Now!" He ushered everyone back into the Owl House, closing the door behind him. "We gotta get out of here!"
"How?! The house is tied down!" Luz responded.
Hunter groaned. "I knew this was a bad idea! We should've listened to Eda when she said no!"
"Wait, I thought Eda said it was okay?" Willow questioned, confused.
"Uh–" Luz started before Hunter cut her off.
"No, she didn't! We just lied to make you two happy!" he confessed. Before anyone could react, there was a loud banging on the door, sending Hunter sprawling away as it burst open. The demon hunter entered, visibly irritated after being knocked from the platform.
Hunter charged at the man, leaping to execute a flying kick, but the hunter anticipated the move. Drawing a spell circle, he summoned green lightning and directed it at Hunter. The blond witch screamed in agony as the bolt struck him, causing him to crash to the floor with a thud. "Hunter!" Luz screamed as she ran to her brother's side, their friends watching in horror. She kneeled beside him and shook him. "Hunter! Hunter, can you hear me?"
The blond didn't even groan as he lay limp on the floor. The remaining teens looked at the demon hunter in fear as he started laughing, knowing they were in trouble.
(Later)
The Owl House was tied to a large cart as it was pushed through the woods by demon hunters. One stood atop a cliff nearby and blew into a horn. Hooty was still making strange noises as Luz kicked at the door inside. She was tied to Willow and Gus, the latter trying to bite through the ropes. Hunter was still unconscious and tied up separately from them on the floor.
"Hooty! Hooty! You have to wake up!" Luz called as she beat on the door.
"If you want this to end as you say, three must hold hands. It's the only way," Hooty replied in his trance.
"¡Oye, no me hable así! Hunter, wake up! We need you!" She tried to rouse her brother but got the same response as before. She then turned to Willow. "Willow, will you help me out with Hooty?"
"I'm sorry, Luz. You shouldn't ask me to help with anything," Willow apologized, sounding defeated.
"Willow." The human girl said softly, knowing she felt guilty about all this. Before she could say anything, though, they all screamed and grunted as they were jostled around when the house stopped moving. "Did the house stop moving?" Luz wondered.
"Uh, my insides didn't." Gus groaned.
The door squeaked open, making the three of them flinch and whimper. The head demon hunter laughed as he came in.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!" The conscious teens cried as the demon hunter shoved them out of the Owl House, dragging Hunter behind him. He pushed them off the platform as they screamed before they landed with a grunt. The hunter tossed Hunter out next, not noticing that the jostled landing caused him to hiss as he came around slightly.
"Take the house and rip out the house demon," the leader ordered as he rejoined them. "We can sell it to restaurants as exotic meat."
"No! Hooty would taste terrible," Luz warned them.
"Hey, I'm a refined taste. Hoot! Hoot!" Hooty retorted despite the trance.
"What do we do with the worms?" another hunter asked. Luz looked at her friends and Hunter.
"Throw them over the cliff." The head hunter said after a beat of silence.
The other hunter chuckled as he approached them, making Gus whimper. Hunter was able to focus enough through the pain to see the others get dragged away. While the other hunters were distracted, he sawed through the ropes with a sharp rock, hoping to get to the others in time.
"Alrighty, kids. Here's the end of your short little lives." The hunter said as he shoved them to the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea.
Gus groaned as he looked at the Boiling Sea below before trying to find a way out. "Wait! Wait! Wait!" he said as he turned the group, facing the demon hunter. "Is this really what you wanna be doing with your life? Tossing kids from cliffs?"
"Actually, yes," he answered. "It's been my dream since I was a boy." The three of them looked at him for a long moment. "I was a strange child."
"So am I."
Suddenly, a large tree branch struck the hunter on the head, causing him to fall to the ground and reveal an angry Hunter.
"Hunter!" Luz cried in relief as he pulled them away from the cliff and out of sight of the hunters. Once he cut the ropes away, she threw herself at him in a hug, causing the older boy to hiss in pain. Luz quickly pulled back with a worried look. "Oh, sorry! Are you okay?"
"I got shot by lightning, Sis. No, I'm not okay," Hunter said bluntly. Luz hugged him more gently, still relieved he was awake. "Not to mention, if these guys don't kill us, Eda will when she finds out about the house."
"Luz, Hunter, I'm so sorry. You two wanted to turn back, but I just had to show off to Amity," Willow apologized as she sank to the ground, arms wrapped around her knees. "The truth is she and I used to be friends."
"Whaaat?" Luz turned to her in surprise.
"We played together as kids, but when she got her magical powers, and I didn't, she stopped hanging out with me."
"Guys, is now the best time?" Gus questioned impatiently.
"Nope, but that's why it has to happen now," Hunter answered.
Willow sighed. "I just wanted to prove to her that I was a powerful witch, too."
"That's ridiculous," Luz said suddenly, causing the witch girl to look at her. "You helped bring a house to life. Amity doesn't know what she's talking about." Willow smiled gratefully. "Next to Eda, you're the most powerful witch I know," she said before glancing at her brother and Gus. "No offense, guys."
"No, not at all. I know what I'm about." Gus waved it off while Hunter just shrugged.
"Now, let's go save Hooty before he gives someone food poisoning," the blond said.
"Right!" The younger teens nodded.
Back with the Owl House, the hunter who tried to shove the gang off the cliff came around and told the leader what had happened. "Seriously?! They're children, Tom!" The leader chastised him, irritated that they got overpowered by a kid with a stick.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over them. They saw Willow had made a massive plant, and she, Luz, and the boys stood atop the largest leaf. "We may be children, but we're also witches. Powerful ones," Willow declared before unleashing the plant. The lead hunter drew his sword as the plant flung Tom away, slicing a vine's tip. A three-eyed witch swung an axe at a vine but missed. The vine grabbed their ankle, tossing them into rubble. The kids ran to the house while the plant engaged the demon hunters. Climbing onto the platform, Luz ushered them inside and closed the door.
"Everyone, quick!" she said as they joined hands again. Outside, the head hunter wrestled with one of the vines before cutting through it with a shock spell.
He heard something behind him and turned just in time to see the Owl House standing. "Uh…" He lifted his eyepatch, speechless. Without warning, the Owl House stepped forward, crushing him underfoot.
Meanwhile, the siblings looked at the moon, which was now on the water. "Oh, no. I don't mean to step on this victory, but we gotta get home before Eda does." Luz looked at the others.
With that, the Owl House walked away, leaving the ruins of the battle behind. The head hunter groaned as he sat up.
"'They're just children, Tom.'" Tom said mockingly from where he lay, making the leader glare at him.
(A short time later)
They were able to walk the house back through town (with minimal damage since they stepped on someone's market stand) to its usual location, sitting it down in the crater it left. Back in the living room, Luz opened one eye. "Did we do it?"
"Is the room spinning, or is it just me?" Hooty, back to normal, opened the door, chuckling. "Ah. Just a little house humor. Ooh."
"Sorry about all that, Hooty," Luz apologized.
"It's okay. I'm just glad I was included." The door slammed closed, revealing Eda and King on the other side. The witch was back to normal, while the little demon wore a sailor suit for some reason.
"Oh, boy," Luz said fearfully as the others looked at them in shock.
"You are so busted," Eda glared as she stalked over to the siblings.
"This just keeps getting better," Hunter muttered.
"You held a moonlight conjuring," the Owl Lady accused.
"We did," Luz said as the duo braced for whatever punishment was coming.
"And you animated my house. My house!"
"Yes."
Suddenly, Willow stepped in front of them. "No. Don't punish them. We're the ones who pushed them to do the conjuring."
Then, Gus stepped in front of Willow. "If you're gonna eat me, just do it now. Do it now!" Eda looked just disgusted at the idea.
The siblings looked at Willow as Luz said, "Hey, you didn't have to do that."
"Yes, Luz. I did." Willow smiled at them, making the siblings smile in return.
"Well, you're all guilty, so you'll all be punished by cleaning my house top to bottom," Eda said as she summoned various cleaning supplies that landed in the kids' arms. She started to walk away before turning back to them. "And another thing…" They all gulped. "That was totally amazing. And I'm so joining you for next year's conjuring." She grinned, making the teens smile before she pointed them along. "Now get to work."
The younger three ran off. Hunter was behind them when he suddenly stopped, gasping as his body protested against any sudden movements. "You okay, kid?" Eda looked at him with concern.
"Yes," Hunter hissed out, still aching.
The other three looked back at Hunter, turning to each other guiltily before Luz asked Eda, "Uh, can Hunter sit this one out? He got hit by green lightning earlier tonight, so…"
"Green lightning?" King asked.
"What happened, kid?" The Owl Lady looked at the blond.
Hunter looked away before explaining what had happened. "We got attacked by demon hunters while you were out."
Eda's eyes widened in shock. "I tried to fight one off, but then he cast a spell, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground." He continued, shaking his head. "I'll be fine. I'll just do the smaller stuff."
The older witch watched him silently as he readjusted the cleaning supplies in his arms before she sighed. She cast a magic circle, and it disappeared, surprising the blond. "You kids are making me soft, ya know that?"
"Huh?" Hunter looked at her.
"Kid, you got electrocuted tonight. You're gonna be feeling that punishment for weeks," Eda went on before using her magic to push Hunter onto the loveseat, making the younger witch yelp. "Now, stay there while I find the first aid to check you over. King, stay with him. The rest of you get to work."
"Get some rest, Hunter," Luz smiled along with the others before they got to cleaning.
"I can't believe you guys animated a whole house," King said, sitting beside Hunter.
"Yeah, kid." Eda looked at the blond witch with an impressed smile. "That takes some powerful magic."
Hunter blushed with a bashful smile before Eda went to find the first aid kit. The teen witch then turned to King. "So, what's with the outfit?"
"Don't ask." King deadpanned.
"You know, I still kinda wish we got to show up Amity," Luz said to Willow.
"Yeah. Too bad no one will know of our daring adventures," she said with a slight smile.
(Meanwhile)
In Amity's bedroom, a stuffed rabbit was sitting on the floor. Boscha, Cat, Skara, and a plant track witch named Amelia glared at it in frustration. "Ugh. So what if we couldn't move a doll? Now we have time for what really matters." Boscha huffed before summoning her scroll. "Penstagram!"
The other three grinned before summoning theirs a few seconds later. Meanwhile, Amity was brooding as she looked out her window when Boscha's gasp caught her attention. She walked over and looked at Boscha's scroll while the three-eyed girl flipped through it. Her Penstagram feed had several people's posts showcasing the animated Owl House with Willow, Gus, Luz, and Hunter out front controlling it. Amity and Boscha shared an astonished look.
"What?!" they shouted, causing crows to fly away from the manor, cawing.
(Elsewhere)
A familiar orange demon scurried frantically through the halls of the emperor's castle until he reached a specific door. He barged through, waving his Penstagram and making frantic, animal-like noises.
"I know, Eber. I know…" Darius responded. He looked down at his own Penstagram, where a recording of the walking Owl House was playing. "Hunter's back…"
Eberwolf whimpered slightly, moving closer to his friend, aware of what was going through his mind. "… How long can we keep him safe now?" the abomination witch murmured, looking at the moon solemnly.
And that's the seventh chapter. Thank you episode transcripts. You have no idea how much easier you make writing these chapters.
We're at the end of the third list, so soon, I'll punch names into the spinner and have a new list for this set. The next update will be for "Demon of Fairy Tail" from my second list, which I'll work on tomorrow. See you then.