A couple of days later...
After he was all clean and ready, in his new blue Harley Quinn t-shirt and silky-smooth tracksuits from the mall, Balin was ready for the day ahead of him with Loona.
Over the last two days, she managed to book a time to meet with his old school to get him re-enrolled.
As he waited for her in the living room, Balin decided to watch some TV from the living world, including two episodes of The Loud House 'Get the Message' and 'In the Mick of Time', until Loona came out with the Grimoire still in her possession.
"You ready to go, little Meal?" she asked him.
Balin chuckled at his new nickname as he turned off the TV while the credits played.
"Yes I am, Loona." he replied with an excited smile.
Soon, she grabbed the sticky note with the school's address his parents gave her during their visit to the safe house. When she sniffed for its scent, she suddenly got a curious feeling of some kind.
"Hmm, something familiar about this place." she thought to herself.
Nonetheless, she shrugged it off and allowed Balin to use the Grimoire to open a portal to his school, just once. But he was still curious on how to use it, and therefore, a little worried he'd screw it up.
"Here, I'll help you out." Loona said.
She knelt down and quickly turned the pages with a tickle of her claws, until she got to the portal spell page without a tear.
"There. This is a spell we sued to recite for whenever I.M.P had missions to go on." she explained. "You just simply close your eyes, imagine where you wanna go, and run your hand along the page."
"Okay." Balin said, before asking her a question. "What do you mean 'used to?'"
"Well, when we got the crystal, Stolas took this book from Mr. Blitzø as an exchange, saying we wouldn't be needing it anymore."
"But don't we need it for this?"
Loona just giggled at Balin's innocence once again as her response.
"Yeah, but he gave me this to help see your family the other day." she smiled. "And you know what? Like I said, we can travel to your home or anywhere in the world, whenever you feel like a visit. A meal at McDonald's, your family, Disneyland, just say the word."
"Okay."
With that, Balin closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly traced his fingers along the page.
"Abracadabra-alakazam!" he softly recited the spell, as he kept his eyes closed and a portal opened right in front of them.
The portal lead to the inside of the large hedge of a mansion right next to the school, so the two walked right through it and made it out to the street, while Loona got into her human disguise and soon ruffled his hair.
"Did you just say abracadabra-alakazam?" laughed Loona, as he giggled. "C'mon, we better make this quick if we don't wanna miss our lil' pool party afterwards."
"Oh yeah! The pool party!" Balin said with a smile as Loona lightly chuckled still. "How could anyone forget?"
...
FLASHBACK
Balin and Loona returned to I.M.P through a portal after their day-trip in Tathra as she carried a shopping bag, while the three imps were at work.
Millie soon noticed the boy and ran up to him, pulling him in for a tight hug.
"There's my baby human boy!" she cooed as Balin wrapped her arms around her in return.
Moxxie walked up to him and gently rubbed his soft brown hair, while Blitzø just gave him a few hard pats on the back.
"Welcome home, sport!" he said energetically. "We were so jazzed up when Loonie told us you wanted to stay a while longer!"
"But what made you want to, kid?" asked Moxxie.
"Well, you did suggest it, Uncle Moxxie." replied Balin. "You've been taking care of me, and I've been loving you for it."
Moxxie placed his hand over his heart feeling happy to hear him say that, while Loona nudged him.
"Guess he just wanted to see if his family was doing okay, huh, Fatty?" she teased him as usual.
"What you got there, Loona?" Millie began snooping in Loona's shopping bag and saw some swimwear inside. "Ooh."
"Anyone up for a... little pool party to, uh, celebrate?" she asked the imps.
The hellhound was rather excited to swim with the kid, but with the others...?
"YES!" cheered Blitzø, as he did one of his weird excitement dances, making everyone else cringe or cover Balin's eyes.
FLASHBACK ENDS
...
Holding hands, the two soon arrived at the boy's school, Holy Water Primary School.
Loona soon widened her eyes remembering this was the school where she met Balin on that fateful night, where she scared him half to death by threatening to kill him until he passed out from the panic.
"That's Holy Water?" she asked.
"Yeah..." sighed Balin sheepishly. "I'm sorry about the name of the school."
"What? Why?" Loona asked him, before he pointed at the sign saying 'Holy Water CATHOLIC Primary School' and made her chuckle. "Don't worry 'bout it. Catholic just means you believe in Heaven AND Hell."
"Really?"
"Sure. Think of it that way." explained Loona. "Christians are the ones who only believe in Heaven and hate Hell."
"Oh. Okay." Balin's smile soon came back as he softly replied. "Thank goodness I don't hate you."
Loona couldn't help but feel a little heartbeat as he whispered that part to her. So with her blush, the two started walking down to the school office.
...
INSIDE THE SCHOOL...
The receptionist sat in front of her laptop, filing off paperwork and playing Zelda as she drank her cup of coffee, when the two walked in.
"Can I help you today, Miss?" she asked Loona.
"Uh-huh. We recently arranged a meeting for re-enrolment over the phone, under the name: Loona." she replied, while Balin peaked his head over the desk.
"Balin? ...Balin Johnson?" the receptionist gasped. "Oh my God. Get Cecil! He's here!" she called to her assistant in her emotions as she got up to do that. "Balin! You're okay! Where've you been all this time? Everyone's been worried sick since you went missing."
"I'm sorry if I worried you that much." Balin apologised with his head lowered down.
"Aw, no, don't be. It wasn't your fault, these things happen." said the receptionist. "What's important now is that you're under the care of... what's your name?"
"Loona." the gothic girl blankly replied with a small handshake, making her feel funny inside.
Mr. Astor, a school principal around his 50s with a Navy blue uniform and an overweight body, then walked out of his office and towards the duo.
"G'day Mr. Johnson." he greeted him with a firm handshake. "Thank God you're here and safe."
"Thank you very much, Mr. Astor." the boy replied kindly. "I'm so happy to be back, sir."
"Aww, now this is the kid I remember." the principal sat in respect. "So humble, honest, and kind-hearted."
"That's the little guy." Loona showed a sympathetic grin to the kid, ruffling his hair.
"So, you're the one who spoke on the phone?" he asked her. "Who, adopted him?"
"Got it. I saw him out on the streets one night, and..." explained Loona agin. "For some reason, I just couldn't let him sleep out in the world like that." She mainly said that recounting her own experiences from growing up in the orphanage as a mere pup, but still kept Balin in mind.
"Well, how brave you are to have done something like that. Given your... youth." Mr. Astor said in a little surprise. "N-No offence."
"I've been called way worse." shrugged Loona as she looked away into the windows.
"So... how else, as well as re-enrolment, can we repay you?" asked the receptionist.
"Don't. You can keep your thanks." replied Loona with modesty. "I'm just..." she then decided to let her walls down by a couple of bricks and picked up Balin in her arms, holding him like a toddler. "I'm just glad this sweetheart is safe now. Ain't you, kiddo?"
Balin responded by resting his head on Loona's shoulder in his embrace, and though it took her by surprise, she stroked his hair while the receptionist cried seeing the motherly affection from the goth hound.
"Okay then, well..." Mr. Astor then opened the side office door leading them into the school. "How about a tour, Ms. Loona?"
"Meh. Might as well scope the scene before signing anything." she shrugged flatly.
So the two followed the principal into the school, while Loona put Balin down so he could hold her hand once more, and began looking around the school. Starting with a massive school building filled with so many classrooms, like a big hallway.
Loona was in awe of how organised and fun-filled the place was, and saw half of the kids doing some studying, independent or group work, whilst the others were out in the playground for recess.
The kindergarteners however were in their classroom playing with toy animals, trains, even Barbies and Lego bricks.
Soon, their teacher rang a soft bell to get their attention. "Okay, recess. Come on, kids." she called out to them, as they ran out cheering.
While some of them went to the sandpit or dug into their carrot sticks and yoghurt, a lot of the kindergarteners got in line with one toddler holding an iPhone to do a TikTok video.
The chorus line dancers of Pre-K's tap-danced along to Sabrina Carpenter's 'Espresso' as it played on a toy boombox, from bowing their little school hats to tapping their little feet like Mumble from Happy Feet.
Both Loona and Mr. Astor watched the whole thing in surprise, while Balin just danced along with them.
As this was going on, unknown to everyone else, the kindergartener's therapy dog, a rather mangy Alaskan Malamute covered in apple juice, laid eyes on Loona picking up a strange scent then walked up to her and sniffed her butt curiously.
"Why the fuck am I a dog-like demon, I'll never know." she sighed inside her head in embarrassment.
Soon, the dog stopped and started wagging its tail at full speed, finally figuring out the beautiful sight underneath the human disguise. So while no-one else was looking, Loona quickly gave it a wink and a smirk, making it faint right on the spot.
She chuckled at the moment before the kindergarteners finished filming the TikTok, posted the video, then ran out to the playground for some recess.
"Anywho now, come with me." Mr. Astor said. "I'd like to show you Mr. Balin's class."
So as they followed him, the three were now walking along the school playground area outside the building, which was like the size of a football field as they passed the basketball court, the tuck shop, and a couple of other classrooms. Including one room that looked like a cabin.
The three walked up to that cabin as the kids in that classroom were having lunch, and soon, they and the teachers looked up as Mr. Astor told them the good news of who's back. With no hesitation, everyone then ran up to Balin, gave him a group hug, and started asking him loads of questions.
"Where have you been?"
"We were so worried!"
"What were you doing out in the streets?"
"Did you cross the road...?"
"Who's this beautiful lady?" one of them asked, pointing at Loona with hearts in his eyes.
"Okay, okay, knock it off now, the lot of you!" chuckled Loona with seriousness in her voice. "He's still healing from his time away. Got it?"
Everyone quickly nodded hearing her as if they were in a trance.
"Good." she calmly said.
Good thing she wasn't in her hellhound form telling them this, or else she would've had them running for the hills and screaming: "SHE'S GONNA EAT US!"
"I'm so sorry I left you guys." Balin apologised with his head down again. "I've been so sad about this hard time I'm going through."
All the kids consoled him saying:
"You don't have to be sorry."
"It wasn't your fault."
Loona watched this moment also feeling sympathetic. Normally, she thought kids were little shits like the ones she met before, thinking she was either sexy or an actual dog. But these ones, this whole school of them were Balin's friends. So they were cool by her, for now.
"They're right, buddy." added the school principal. "It's never anyone's fault."
"Except that mean judge who made me leave my mommy and daddy." Balin pouted.
"True, but do you think he did that to protect you?" Astor asked him.
With a sigh, Balin then replied: "Yes, sir."
One of the teachers then asked him: "So Balin, are you gonna introduce us to your friend?"
"This is Loona." he replied to the teacher. "She's been looking after me."
"W'sup broad." she said nonchalantly, making her scoot a couple of paces back uncomfortably.
"How l-l-lovely of you." the teacher hesitated a little.
"Mr. Astor?" Balin then tapped his leg, making him kneel down to his level. "I came to a decision. I'd like to come back to school."
"Certainly champ. We'll just get your mom to sign the papers and we'll get things sorted right away." the principal smiled with a swing of his arm.
"Dude, I'm not really his mother." Loona reprimanded to Mr. Astor. "Again, I'm just happy to be his friend. Besides, even if I was acting like one, it'd be too early for that. Don't you think?"
"Oh. Sorry." he replied. "I mean, you do look like you're fresh out of a Nickelodeon show."
"But, if it's alright, I'd like to switch classes." Balin added. "Like the one Matt's in. If that's fine."
"Matt Sanders, eh?" Mr. Astor pondered.
"Yeah. He's my best friend." said the little boy.
Loona wanted to seem not-so-surprised, but she was, knowing the kid had another best friend. A human one, that he didn't tell her about.
"We'll see what we can do, buddy." Mr. Astor then ruffled his head softly in response.
"Thank you, sir!" smiled Balin. "Is he here? He'll be so excited to hear."
Mr. Astor then rubbed his head in regret. "Ooh, sorry mate, he's out with a cold at the moment. So he'll be out of school for the next couple of days."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear. But that's okay." said Balin. "Because I can't wait to come back."
"So can't we, sweetie." one of the other teachers said. "Whether you're with us or not, we're lucky to have you."
All his old student friends agreed in unison, making the teachers laugh at their innocence.
So the school principal returned them to the receptionist area, where he gave Loona the pen and papers that she signed with her neatly experienced handwriting.
"Thank you." he said to her. Then he spoke to Balin with a smile. "So we'll see you when you're ready to come back."
"OK. How about next week?" asked the boy. "Is that an okay time?"
"Then of course." replied Mr. Astor. "We'll see you Monday."
"Thanks, uh, Mr. Astor." Loona shook his hand, this one with a little more confidence. "C'mon kiddo. Let's go get you ready." she then grabbed Balin's hand gently as they walked off from the school.
"Enjoy the weekend Balin!" his classmates waved from the gate nearby.
"Thank you guys!" he called back to them with a shout. "BYE!"
Soon, Loona picked Balin up for a little ride on her shoulders as they walked from the school. "Pool party time...!" she sang.
He was now excited to see his old friends and teachers again after such a long time away. But there was one special person he couldn't wait to see the most...
FLASHBACK
On the night of Balin and Loona's return from Tathra, Balin was scrolling through his iPhone in bed, when he got a text from his BFF, Matt Sanders, which said:
"Hey Balin. It's me again. Just wanted to message you to see how you're doing. Look, I know we've been seeing one another since you escaped the foster home, but right now, not enough. Where are you?! Some days, our friends from school have been out searching for, even on field trips, you're on the TV, and your family's starting to worry the most. And so am I. If you're out there, please let me know if you're okay. Or maybe come back to school one day. Just PLEEEAASE!"
Hearing that from his best friend made Balin's heart sink, to know that there's been news that not only his best friend, but everyone else he knew and loved were so worried about where he could be.
The boy knew he couldn't tell them where he was now, but it made him feel a little bad about leaving the home he once lived in.
So with tears coming out of his eyes, he texted him back saying: "Hello Matt. It's me. I'm coming home and back to school. See you again soon. Balin."
Soon, he put his phone on the charger and waited for another response as he started tearing up a little more.
Loona then came into the boy's bedroom to tuck him in, and noticed the tears.
"Oh buddy, are you okay?" she asked him maternally. "What's wrong?"
"I'm fine, Loona." he sniffled. "It's just... my best friend."
"Yeah? what about him?"
Balin showed him the pictures of all the fun memories the two had over the last years. From watching a movie to eating ice-cream, Loona soon looked at the text message and felt sorry to read it as much as she did seeing Balin sad.
So after a few seconds of comforting him, she started licking the tears away from his eyes to make him feel better.
"Loona! Those were happy ones!" Balin laughed from the ticklish tongue.
"I know." she giggled before wiping the slobber off his face with his personal towel. "Just lick those tears away, sweetie. I got off with your school and they said they'd be happy to arrange a meeting."
"Really?!" Balin's eyes widened with excitement.
His eyes watered up no more. Instead, they were filled with stars to show how happy he was for real.
"Yeah, all we need to do is fill some papers and blah blah blah before you go back." she replied. "If you want to go back."
"Yes! Yes I do!" Balin then gave Loona a big hug, nestling into her fur. "Thank you, Loona."
Loona then returned the hug, feeling a small smile forming on her muzzle from this human child's affection as usual.
"Anytime." she softly spoke. "Now c'mon, time for bed." she tucked him under the covers before giving him a kiss on the forehead.
"Good night, darling." she whispered rubbing his torso.
As he drifted off to sleep from her touch, Balin's phone then went off again with a reply from Matt saying...
...
"Balin?"
A/N: See y'all in the next chapter.