I don't really have a lot to say here, other than that I know that this arc has had Luz do a lot of deplorable stuff, but ya just have to let me cook. Believe me, a lot last chapter pained me to write, even though I know the outcome at the end of it all. It's a process, and it's one ya gotta trust. We've got one more chapter after this one before the penultimate arc of Season 2.

That being said, onto the chapter!

[Opening Song: SPECIALZ – By: King Gnu]

*The scene opens with a disembodied voice singing "You are my special" as drums and the sound of a turn table synthesizer follow it. As that happens, it shows Luz, no longer dressed in a hero costume but rather in a black trenchcoat with various decals, a white shirt, a purple skirt held up by a black belt with a golden buckle, a pair of spotted cat-themed stockings that reach just below her knees, a pair of black shoes, and a black fedora, standing atop a building, looking over the town of Gravesfield, Connecticut. The disembodied voice once again says, "You are my special." Luz narrows her now crimson-red eyes, glaring down at the town with anger and nostalgia.*

*The drums pick up in volume and are joined by an electric guitar, while at the same time, the title, "The Owl House - All For Luz," appears, with the Japanese Kanji "フクロウの家 -すべてはルスのために！ " Underneath it, and in a smaller font. The large number 2 is still next to the title; however, instead of being the colour yellow, it is now a crimson red colour, as the final "You are my special" rings out.*

*As the opening begins in full, the scene cuts to Hunter sitting on a chair in a dark and empty room, a spotlight lampshading over him, his sword made of light plunged into the ground, his eyes narrowed, and his demeanour prepared for a battle, whilst dressed in his Golden Guard attire, minus the mask. The scene cuts to Millie Ravenclaw creating a small army of Abominations, and much like Hunter, her expression is one of determination, prepared for whatever battle was about to come as a disembodied voice sings*

"Come on, let's dance to the edge and tumble down again."

"The town stands tall, post up at the end."

*Mid verse, the scene shifts to Sophia coated in a massive amount of dark energy, like that of a blackened flame, her eyes filled with both bloodlust and anticipation, whilst Jonah slowly fades into existence behind her out of a purple cloud, looming over her, arms crossed, no longer wearing the gas mask with a large smirk on his face, as Charlie sits on his shoulders, arms resting on his head as the disembodied voice continues.*

"Let's struggle on to the edge of death 'til nothing is left."

"Dance wildly. The bold are those who claim their respect."

*The scene changes to Luz walking down the barren streets of an evacuated Gravesfield, the ends of her trenchcoat swaying back and forth in the wind, her hands in her coat pockets. As she walks down the road, red sparks dance over her body as she glares down a police blockade.*

*She outstretches her left hand, the red sparks leaping off her arm. A dark purple aura follows suit alongside the red sparks, mixed with golden sparks of energy and red. A smirk takes up her visage as a wave of yellow and black energy rushes forward, forcing a scene transition as the disembodied voice continues.*

"I love you, baby."

"Sing again 'till the morning comes…"

"No matter your sorry state…!"

"The childish games you play."

*As the scene transitions to something else, that being of a group of monsters with their brains exposed atop the roofs of buildings, one of which is on all fours like an animal, another is made of nothing but pure muscle, and another is more feminine appearing with a slender build with what appears to be vines coiling around their fingers. Each of them is on a separate building, and each of them are faced by Millie, Sophia, and Jonah, respectively.*

*Meanwhile, Luz is staring down Hunter as Luz takes off her fedora, revealing white hair rather than her usual brown hair. Not even a second later, the two charge at one another, Hunter with his sword drawn and ready to use and Luz with a manic gleam in her eyes and her right fist pulled back, ready to engage. All the while, as all of this is happening, the disembodied voice continues to sing*

"You burn through to my heart. Let me cherish you always!"

"Don't ever run 'cause you know too well, You Are My Special!"

*As the chorus begins to play alongside the action, the animal-like Nomu charges at Millie as she fires balls of flames toward it with increased fervour, eyes wide with panic behind them, as a group of abominations go to dogpile the beast. The muscle-bound Nomu engages in a fist clash with Sophia, shockwaves bounding out from their attacks meeting in the middle, each countering their attacks with another's attacks. Finally, the feminine-looking Nomu whips metal-infused vine whips toward Jonah, who keeps ducking and weaving as smoke. At the same time, the Nomu seemingly keeps predicting where Jonah seems to be appearing to avoid their attacks. All the while, the disembodied voice continues to sing.*

"Drive my heart in two, I feel it beating anew!"

"Put you under the spell, consume the future as well!"

"In that maze of you, we rendezvous…!"

"A daze that I never felt. You Are My Special!"

*The scene changes to Luz and Hunter exchanging attack after attack, blow after blow, dodging each other's punches, kicks, and beams of light and fire. Luz plants her hand on the floor as a wave of decay speeds toward Hunter, who turns into light and blips behind Luz, raising his weapon over his head to cut her in half, only for a barrier to be erected around her and for her to blast him with a wave of pure energy, knocking him back.*

*As Hunter lands, wings made of light sprout from his back, and his right arm becomes larger and larger until it matches the size and density of a massive cylinder. Luz does the same thing with flames; only her arm is covered by a million other tinier arms, and spikes appear out every little orifice of the arm as they can before the arm is bathed in a coil of flames.*

*The two charge at one another, both reeling their arms back and just before their fists collide, the scene zooms out to an overhead shot of the state of Connecticut; all the while, the Disembodied voice finishes the song as the beat fades out with a final guitar riff.*

"Dancing to your tune, the whole world spins out of hue!"

"No, no, no, don't relax, the demon's breaking its shell!"

"In that maze of you, we rendezvous!"

"No matter what they tell, You Are My Special!"

"We're Special!"

[Hero No More – Part 4]

Tension built within Camila's body, as she followed Ms. Ravenclaw closely. They were walking toward an abandoned house within Gravesfield. Its roof appeared caved in, any and all windows were boarded up, and the door was left slightly ajar. The lawn had overgrown so much to the point where the only way you could see the concrete path that went up to the door was by squinting.

Dandelions grew, staining the lawn even further. Camila hated Dandelions for the same reason why anyone would hate weeds. They were ugly, using their faux beauty to trick anybody into keeping them around. They took nutrients from well maintained gardens. She would know. She had to pick Dandelions from the garden that Manny had been attending before his death, and how she and Luz continued on with it.

Luz… "No, don't think about that. She wants nothing to do with you. You brought that onto yourself, so don't think about it…" Camila thought, pushing any thoughts of her disowned daughter away. Ms. Ravenclaw shot her a glance as they stood at the front door to the abandoned home. A part of her looked nervous, but then again, she couldn't blame her.

From what Ms. Ravenclaw had informed her about Riley's killer, it was that he was an Abberant. The more she described his power, though, the more it sounded like the man that broke into Beacon Headquarters not but a few weeks ago. In fact, it sounded like the same person. They appeared to have been allies before, so what changed?

"Well whatever it was that changed, it doesn't matter. This bastardo killed Riley, and I will not let it stand!" Camila thought as Ms. Ravenclaw spoke.

"We set up an ambush for the killer in here. You go in first, and I'll follow close behind," Ms. Ravenclaw said as Camila nodded. Although, she didn't fully trust Ms. Ravenclaw, she was kind of being forced at metaphorical gunpoint to do this. She really didn't have much choice in the matter.

Camila took a step forward, inching her way into the house. As she did, she looked around at the interior. The floors looked chewed up; most likely from termites. The walls looked to be falling apart, and there was a heavy coat of dust on just about everything. Even in the air, there was dust. Camila had to force herself not to sneeze as she walked into the home.

But as she walked, something else invaded her nostrils. It made her gag. It was… rotten smelling. As if death itself had visited and left behind something it had been dragging behind it. To make matters even worse than they already were, the reason for it was right in front of her.

Her eyes damn near widened out of their sockets as she bore witness to something that made her want to scream. A meat hook had been affixed to the ceiling, and hanging on it with the hook lodged through their mouth and the back of their skull was Vee, crimson blood dripping from the wound in the back of their head.

It was fresh.

The murder was fresh.

Camila wanted to vomit, but having had nothing to eat all day, the most she could do was spew up stomach acid, which made it even worse. The door closed behind her, calmly, and it drew her attention to Ms. Ravenclaw. Her expression had been completely emotionless, and that was when it all came together.

This was a trap.

And she had walked right into it.

Camila went for her sword, but she was restrained by blood red hands. A cackle filled her ears as she looked up to see dark purple eyes glaring into hers. The man from the day of Emelia's attack had his hand cover her mouth, and the other around her neck.

"Oh, ho ho ho, you have no idea how long I've been waitin' to get my hands on you!" The man said as Ravenclaw scowled.

"No, Jonah. Unless you want to be a smear on the wall like Tyler, you have to follow his majesty's orders," Ravenclaw said as the man, Jonah, sighed.

"Bah, you're no fun," and then, all Camila could see was darkness. When she next opened her eyes, it was slowly and with barely any coherence. When she tried to move, she heard the rattling of chains, and faint murmurs coming from… somewhere. It was only when she gained slight coherence that she saw the chains.

The chains had been the first indicator that she was in danger. The second was when she saw Hunter standing in front of what appeared to be a cell door. He was dressed in a white cloak with the same triangular pin that kept it from falling apart. Only, his cloak had gold trimmings. Underneath his cloak was a golden chest piece, golden leggings, and golden gauntlets.

His red eyes narrowed upon noticing that she was awake, a small smirk taking up his visage as he spoke. "Good evening, Camila Noceda. Long time, no see. Tell me, how is it being a criminal on the run?"

"Hunter…" Camila rumbled, sneering as Hunter huffed.

"Yes, that's my name. Don't wear it out," as he said that, he brushed a hand through his hair. "Honestly, I didn't think this plan would work out in the end. From arranging that Fox News interview to expose the truth, knowing full well how Luz would react, to driving a wedge between you and her, to ending up with that pesky little Basilisk finally being dead, to you now being in our hands."

Camila's eyes widened as Hunter's smirk turned into that of a smile. "Oh, please. Don't tell me you think that Fox News just so happened to have that footage, right? Where did you think they got it from? Me! You idiot! Or, well, Tyler, but that guy's dead. Has been for a while now."

"Why?!" Camila shouted as Hunter's smile fell and turned into a frown.

"Come again?"

"Why?! Why us! What did we ever do to you!?" Camila said, anger clear in her voice as Hunter shook his head, as if disappointed. It only further served to make Camila even angrier, not that she could do anything about it. She tried to move forward, to do something—anything. But she couldn't move.

The reason for it was the chain that was stuck to the wall. Looking around her cell, it was nothing but concrete walls, and the lack of a bed. There was nothing there. The only thing she had to her name were her clothes and the chains around the large metal cuffs that covered her hands completely.

She looked back to Hunter, who now had that same smirk on his face from before. "The answer is quite simple, Camila. Your daughter is a potential threat. One that my liege wants captured. The job of someone such as myself, that being my liege's Golden Guard, is to ensure that such a thing happens by any means necessary."

"So ruining our lives was necessary?!" Camila exclaimed as Hunter laughed, turning around dramatically to face what someone dressed in grey cloak that completely shrouded their identity from view. His arms were outstretched like that of a theatre performer—a grand gesture to emphasize something.

"Now she gets it!" Hunter exclaimed, before turning back to face Camila, hands behind his back with his chin held high. His eyes gleamed dangerously, as he spoke his next set of words carefully. "And you, Camila, are what we need to ensure that Luz comes to Gravesfield's center on October 1st. There, she will be captured, brought before my liege, and she will pay for the crimes of her predecessor!"

Confusion took up Camila's expression. "Predecessor? What is he on about?" What are you talking about? Predecessor? What predecessor?" Camila questioned as Hunter dismissed her with a wave.

"You don't need to know. All you need to know is that it was because of this predecessor that my realm was thrown into Chaos by someone we all thought we could trust. Thousands were killed, hundreds were experimented on, and ten years of war later and even now to this day we're still recovering. Plans that had been in the making for generations were halted and delayed, all because of her predecessor."

As Hunter spoke, he turned his back to Camila and began to walk away, but not before saying something that sent chills down Camila's spine. "Your daughter is The Devil Incarnate. For he has visited our lands, and laid them to waste. Now, another who has the same power appears not too long before he was forced out of our realm? That is not a coincidence. It is purposeful. And this time, we plan to nip this in the bud before it becomes a problem."

With that, Hunter left. The cloaked figure, however, did not. It stared at her, and she could swear from beneath the cloak, she could make out purple eyes—not the same as Jonah's, though. These eyes… they were different.

Before she could say anything, the cloaked figure walked away, footsteps thundering as it walked. An uneasy feeling settled in Camila's stomach. This was a nightmare. A nightmare that there was no waking from. Luz was in danger, but then again, when was she not? Only this time, it was worse.

Though she knew, deep down, she didn't need to be worried for Luz. Not that Luz would care if she was worried for her or not. But even still, it hardly mattered. Camila inched into the cell, closing her eyes.

This was her fate. She viewed this as Karma. Karma for all the awful things she had done. For all of the mistakes she made.

When she said those words to Luz. That Manny would be disappointed in her, she wasn't just referring to Luz. She was referring to herself as well. Manny would have been disgusted with both of them. At her, for allowing Luz to become the monster that she was now, and Luz, for doing all the awful things that she had done.

Camila closed her eyes, curled up into a ball facing the wall, and cried.

[XXXX]

Rikitasu had to admit that he had been both shocked and pleased by Luz's development. Sitting within the vestige realm, his hands resting comfortably at the sides of his throne, he couldn't help but feel both a mixture of pride, and also a tinge of jealousy.

Pride, because his pet project was turning out nicely, and jealousy because of how powerless he felt not being able to do anything. Two times, he had felt alive. Both times, it didn't feel right. The simple fact of the matter was that Luz was of the opposite gender to him, so of course, when he was able to take over—which was basically never—it didn't feel right.

The term "body dysmorphia" came to mind. His mental existence was one of a man, but whenever he took over Luz's body, the problems showed themselves. He wasn't comfortable in his successors body, so his plan to take it over completely was stricken off the list. That, and Tomura may or may not still be around, and he had groomed him from the ground up to be his replacement vessel.

The only question was how he was going to get his consciousness into his old body? He knew Maruta would more than likely had kept his body in deep freeze, both to repair it and to preserve it. Even if he was dead, Maruta would keep that body on standby until he was able to find a way to bring him back. Such was the role of a brilliant scientist as he was.

Which begged the question: if he ever succeeded in doing so, what would happen to Luz? Obviously, she'd keep her version of All For One, that much was a given. But if he was somehow revived, that would leave her without a mentor—without him to guide her.

"Luz is smart, even if I were to disappear, I'm sure she could survive without me, assuming it happens," Rikitasu reasoned, before pushing that thought aside. There was one other thing that he was feeling as of late in regards to his successor, and it had to do with her recent actions.

Yes, by all accounts, she was doing wonderfully. Truly living up to the role of a villain in the making. However, he couldn't help but feel as if that there was something wrong with her. Well, that much was obvious. Observing her actions and her mannerisms reminded him a lot of a young Tomura, who was most of the time lost, confused, angry, and constantly lashing out at the world. Aimless and without direction. A wild animal in a constant surge of rage and swirling emotions.

There were many ways he could word it, but it would all end up resulting in the same conclusion. Luz was a mess, and she had taken zero measures to sort it out. Rikitasu sighed, leaning all of his weight on the right side of his throne, resting his elbow against the armrest and placing his head in his hand, before snapping his fingers.

The moment he did so, he heard a sudden shout followed by a confused grumble. Slowly, none other than Luz began to stand, dusting herself off as she rose to her feet. She looked around, before finally locking eyes with Rikitasu, a frown forming on her face. "What do you want?" Luz demanded to which Rikitasu narrowed his eyes.

"Watch your tone, child. Is that any way to speak to your mentor?" Rikitasu said as Luz scoffed, crossing her arms. Wonderful, she was being rebellious. "Ugh, teenagers…"

"Whatever. Send me back."

"Absolutely not," Rikitasu responded sharply, before snapping his fingers again and causing a chair to appear underneath Luz, making her trip into the chair. Before she could get up, however, he snapped his fingers again, all but forcing her to stay seated.

"Hey! Let me go!" Luz shouted, trying to wriggle out of the chair, a fruitless effort that she soon realized. She settled down, grumbling to herself as Rikitasu sat up straight. He allowed her a few more moments to adjust to her circumstances, before finally speaking.

"Now, Luz. I believe it's about time we've had a discussion. It's been quite a while since we've had one of these. But, I assure you, it's for a valid reason," Rikitasu began as Luz went to say something, only for Rikitasu to raise a finger, silencing her. "I'm not finished. You may speak only when I say you can. Understood?"

Luz nodded, prompting Rikitasu to continue. "Good. Now then. As I have said, I am your mentor, and you are my student. The way how I teach is through allowing my student to experience life, experience struggle, and grow past it. It's a type of natural teaching that I've found in the past works wonders. It is why I've employed such a teaching method with you. And, just as before, it's worked wonders."

Rikitasu paused, adjusting his collar before leaning back and steepling his fingers. "However. It has come to my attention that you have begun to start acting erratically. Case in point, what just happened not but an hour ago regarding your mother."

Luz finally broke her silence imposed on her by Rikitasu, scowling as she spoke. "So what? Why do you care? You stopped me from killing her, so that should be the end of it, right?"

"No, Luz," Rikitasu replied, his voice gaining a sharp edge to it. "Do not misunderstand villainy for cruelty and repulsive behaviour. Matricide being one of those things. While I have no problem ending the life of another individuals mother or father, the same cannot and should not be said for ones own mother, barring accidents. Tell me, Luz. Do you even know why you were going to kill your mother?"

Luz went to open her mouth to respond, before stopping, her expression becoming perplexed. Confused, almost. As if what Rikitasu said didn't make sense to her. She blinked a few times, opened her mouth to respond again, only for a simple "Um" to fall out of her mouth instead.

Rikitasu's frown deepened. "It would seem, Luz, you allowed your emotions to cloud your judgement."

"Huh?"

"You heard me," Rikitasu continued, brushing off Luz's confusion. "For the last three weeks, you have been in an increased emotional state. Now, this of course would typically be due to several factors regarding your… anatomy. However, that is not the case. I believe we both know why you've been acting the way you have been, and you have yet to address it with anyone. Or, those who have, you've completely shut down and refused to talk about it."

Luz narrowed her eyes. "Don't—"

"I know you hate talking or thinking about it, but's become far too much of a detriment to your progress not only as my successor but as a person. If it were to go unaddressed for any longer, you would be sabotaging yourself even further."

Luz tried to stand up, tried breaking whatever hold Rikitasu had on her, but to no avail. "Stop it—"

"I will not sit here and allow this any further. So, it's about time we have a talk about Julia's—"

"SHUT UP!" Luz shouted, but her plea went on deaf ears.

"—Death." As soon as Rikitasu finished his sentence, Luz hung her head low, and he could tell that just so much as mentioning it broke her. He felt bad. Truly, he did. He knew that Julia meant more to her than just a romantic partner. She demonstrated kindness, something that Luz sorely lacked growing up. He would know, he had seen her memories.

To have lost someone who meant as much as that to Luz in such a sudden and brutal fashion, without even having the chance to say goodbye…. It was something he was familiar with. While the circumstances were different, and the results were also different, he still knew what it was like to lose someone who cared about you, and vice versa, and to have it be as sudden as it was.

"Why… Why even bring it up…" Luz muttered, her head still lowered. He could see tears falling to the shadowy floor, her voice wobbly and her shoulders tense.

"Because, Luz. It is the main issue you are facing, and it is what has caused you to go down this spiral—at least, from what I've noticed, anyway. Your increasingly violent lashing out, your increased drive to work and not stop. Everything—and I mean everything, stems from this." As Rikitasu said that, he stood up, and snapped his fingers, freeing Luz from the chair.

He walked past her, but as he did, he put a hand on her shoulder, squeezed, and said "Walk with me." Luz didn't argue, she simply did as she was told, and followed him down what seemed like an endless hallway. The hallway was filled with photos. Photos of Luz's memories with Julia.

The vacation that Team Beacon had at a California beach after their first successful take down of a villain that they had been hunting. She remembered that both her and Julia got matching fake tattoos of a heart with each others names on their right and left arms respectively. It washed over not too long after they got back from the beach, but still.

Another photo was of them cuddling after watching a movie. Julia was sound asleep on her shoulder whereas Luz was still awake. She remembered eventually passing out with Julia clinging to her like a helpless puppy.

More and more photos flanked her right and left as Rikitasu continued walking her down the literal memory lane. Every time she saw a photo of both her and Julia, a little part of her began to hurt. Every time she recalled a happy memory, the picture of her death took up her mind instead. Finally, they reached the end of the hallway, with the last memory that she had of her.

It was of their kiss. The last kiss that she got from her. That kiss was her last kiss goodbye to someone that she had no idea was going to die. They had even made plans earlier that day. Plans that would never happen now, because Julia was gone.

"Do you know why I did this?" Rikitasu asked as Luz glared up at him.

"To make me feel bad?" Luz spat as Rikitasu sighed.

"No, Luz. It was to remind you of the good times you had with her. Something that you've allowed sadness, grief, and anger take over. Your way of coping is overworking yourself to the point where you've only let your mind rest for a grand total of two hours. Overworking causes stress, stress causes rash decisions and mindless behaviour. Mindless behaviour which you'd soon learn to regret."

Rikitasu turned his full attention to Luz, who had an annoyed expression on her face. Clearly, she wasn't agreeing with him. Either because she was stubborn, or because of something else. His expression softened as he put his hands behind his back. "Tell me, Luz. Why do you not agree with me?"

"It's not that I don't agree with you…" Luz trailed off, rubbing her right arm, as if to comfort herself. "I… don't have a good way of coping with things. Never have…. I've just never confronted that part of myself before and—"

"It's uncomfortable?"

"Bingo," Luz said whilst sighing, her shoulders drooping and her arms sagging as she hunched over in defeat. Rikitasu cracked a grin, before ruffling her hair, prompting her to groan.

"You remind me a lot of myself when I was younger, Luz. Around your age, to be exact. A lot of our problems are the same, at least in terms of attitude. Since the Multiverse exists, a part of me wonders if we might be counterparts," Rikitasu said as Luz snapped her attention back to him. She went to retort, before stopping herself.

She wanted to argue with him, but there was no point. All the way back at the camp, she swore that she wouldn't turn out like him in any way. She swore to herself that there would be nothing that would've allowed her to become anything remotely like him. But now? Now there was no denying it. No denying that she was more like him than she wanted to admit.

And… she was okay with that. As odd as that sounded, she was okay with being like him. Being like him meant that she would be powerful—more powerful than her current state. More powerful than anyone else in the whole world.

More power meant that she could do whatever she wanted.

More power meant that no one could touch her.

More power meant that she was safe from just about anyone, and anything.

"Yeah… I suppose you're right," Luz said as Rikitasu was taken aback. He had expected her to argue with him on that point. Instead, she was embracing it. Curious as it was, it was a welcome change. But, that didn't mean he could any more upfront with his intentions than he already was.

While his previous plan to hijack her body had fallen short, on account of the fact that he couldn't stand being in a woman's body—not out of any sort of prejudice but on the simple fact that it didn't feel right—he still had other plans for her. Plans that she'd see her to through the end.

But that could wait.

"I see, well that's good," Rikitasu said as he snapped his fingers. They were back in the throne area of The Vestige Realm. Luz looked around, recognizing where they were, before relaxing. He gestured to the seat next to where he typically sat, and she followed suit. As they sat next to one another, Rikitasu reclined in his throne, and gazed upon the semi-formed Vestiges.

They now dangled upon the ceiling in their cages. Luz stared up at them as well, her expression shifting into slight discomfort. She leaned forward, staring forward with her eyes slightly narrowed. She looked, conflicted. Clearly, she was thinking about what happened recently.

Which gave him an idea.

"You know, Luz. I've told you a lot about myself, but you've never told me anything about yourself," Rikitasu said, as Luz glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Can't you just look into my memories or something?" Luz questioned as Rikitasu frowned.

"I could, but it would require to me to see everything. Even the uncomfortable parts. Out of respect for yourself, I figured you'd want me to stay out of your memories unless it was for specific occasions," Rikitasu said as Luz's face turned slightly red.

"O-Oh… Yeah, I guess so…." Luz muttered as Rikitasu raised an eyebrow. Now he was curious about what it was that she was hiding. But, he wouldn't push. Again, he respected the boundaries of his students. Now, if he was alive, he probably would've used it for blackmail, but he wasn't. So it wasn't if as he could spread anything to the wider world whilst being trapped within her consciousness.

Luz's expression shifted from one of thought to a blank gaze. She too leaned back in her chair as she rested her hands on her lap. With a sigh, she collected herself, before she began.

"I… Don't remember much about my younger years. Like, from 1 to 3 years old. All I remember is being, uh, very energetic as a toddler. I know I used to cause problems for my mama and papa, but… that's about it. Then, everything changed when I turned 4…" Luz said, glancing at the floor before glancing over to Rikitasu. "Papa… he always had health issues. He was… immunocompromised due to dealing with pneumonia when he was a child. So it caused him a lot of problems."

"To make a long story short, Papa got really sick. So sick that he had to half the hours he worked at his job, and we had to move to Gravesfield so we could be closer to the hospital he needed to go to for his check-ups," Luz continued as she shifted uncomfortably. "Mama was concerned about him. I didn't fully understand it at the time. No one my age could've. But one day, Papa needed to go to the hospital for a routine check-up. So, I asked to go with him…." Luz paused, inhaling as her shoulders tensed.

"We were nearing New Haven, which was where the Hospital was. It was only an hour drive compared to it being a five hour drive from Harrisburg, which was where we used to live. Prior to that, my parents lived in Spain, but… I don't know much about that. Regardless, we were… I'd say maybe just ten minutes from the hospital, when…. When…"

Luz's right hand clenched into a fist, as she barred her eyes shut, clearly trying to hold back tears. Rikitasu felt her grief from where he sat. It was like a tangible aura. Years of pent up despair oozing out in one huge burst. After another moment or so, Luz finally opened her eyes, glistening and on the verge of tears, her voice wavy as she spoke.

"I-It… It happened fast. I-I didn't even get to say goodbye…. S-Some guy, I don't know who… They were swerving in the other lane like a-a maniac… A-And… He was going well beyond the speed limit. Papa tried to avoid him, but it didn't matter…. He crashed into us…. I think…. I think Mama said that the guy was going over a hundred miles an hour."

Luz looked visibly shaken, terrified. As if reliving what happened. No better was there an example of that when the world around them changed. Gone was the empty void, now replaced by a grizzly car crash. Rikitasu had to stop himself from saying anything when he saw what Luz was trying to show him.

The car that had crashed into them wasn't a car, but a truck—the Ford brand, to be exact. It was a flatbed, and staining the front was a lot of blood. The front of the car was crushed, pushed so far into the center that anyone who had been sitting in the front would've been beyond dead; exemplified by the fact that the only real remains of whoever Luz's father had been was that of an arm sticking out from the side of the crumpled vehicle.

Luz had survived for the sole reason being that she was in the back of the car. Not that it abstained her from injury. Shards of glass had cut into her forehead and barely missed her brachial artery. She was screaming and crying, just as anyone should. Not made any better that she more than likely saw what happened to her father in real time.

"His head…" Luz muttered, pale as a ghost. "Oh God… His head…." As Luz said that, Rikitasu placed a hand on her shoulder. He wasn't a completely emotionless jerk. While he wasn't good at aiding children, or good with emotions in general, he did know when someone was deeply uncomfortable and/or traumatized. There were times when he had to help Tomura due to his issues regarding what happened with his family. This reminded him of those times.

"Deep breathes, Luz. You don't have to linger on this. Move on if you must. What about the aftermath of this? What happened after all of this?" Rikitasu asked, his tone comforting—or at least he attempted to, anyway. It seemed to work as Luz's face seemed to regain some colour, and her overall shakiness died down as she spoke.

"Yeah…" Luz muttered, the Vestige Realm returning to normal as her expression steeled. She was still shaken up by the memory, but she continued on the best she could. "Not too long after the funeral, my Aunt demanded that all of Papa's belongings be returned to his family. Mama didn't even bother to refuse. All pictures, all of his clothes, his memorabilia of all of his favourites shows…. The only thing that Mama gave to me was the gift he planned to give on my fifth birthday. The Good Witch Azura…."

"Not a week after we gave Aunt Alicia all of Papa's things, she told Mama that she burned everything. There wasn't a single thing left. The week after was Thanksgiving… Uncle Stanley was there…. Mama slapped Uncle Stanley, and that was the last I ever saw of my Papa's family. I don't know why Mama slapped Uncle Stanley, other than that he disrespected Papa…"

"Sounds like you have quite the familial drama there, Luz," Rikitasu said as Luz mirthlessly chuckled. There was a hint of nostalgia in her eyes as an emotionless smile took up her visage.

"Yeah, I do…." Luz muttered, clearing throat and blinking as she straightened her posture. "Anyway. After everything was said and done, Mama went… I guess, catatonic. She… stopped caring, kind of. She kinda started doing a loop of things. Sleep, make food, take me to school on weekdays, go to work, come home, make food, then go to bed. Never once did she talk to me. Didn't ask how my day was, didn't engage with me at all. She just… spaced out."

"To make matters worse, I had to deal with bullies. I tried to tell Mama what was happening, but she never responded. It was like she was… ignoring the world. Only doing what she had to do. At some point, she added drinking to that routine, and it all spiralled out of control from there," Luz said, a humorless laugh following suit as she brushed a hand through her hair, tugging at her white locks as she dragged her hand through them.

"It's ironic…. I did eventually get to meet my mother. Finally get to know who she was as a person. Turns out, she was a drunken mess who slurs her words and yells, screams, and curses. I was afraid of my mother. Who wouldn't be? I was nine years old. I had no reference point of if this was what she was always like! I… I…" Luz trailed off yet again, shaking her head as disappointment marred her gaze.

"I learned very early on in my life that I was alone. Sure, my Mama was there. But she wasn't at the same time. I had to handle my problems by myself. I had to endure bullying like no tomorrow. Smile and wave, laugh it off, pretend as if it was nothing. Then, when I got home, I'd beat up on some pillows just vent my anger. Then, when I'd calm down, I'd read The Good Witch Azura or, later down the line, edit AMVs to keep my mind distracted. You know, when I wasn't doing homework," Luz continued as Rikitasu hummed.

"So, you're mother was absent for most of your life? When did it change?" Rikitasu asked as Luz scoffed.

"You mean "why didn't it," right?" Luz said as Rikitasu blinked.

"From what I assumed from viewing your recent memories, your mother seemed to be a main driving factor in your life. Was I wrong to assume that?" Rikitasu asked as Luz rolled her eyes.

"Oh, that? That was only after I stabbed Amber about a bijillion times. Actually, it's funny you mention that. Throughout the whole of the court case, I was prevented from stepping foot at the school. So you wanna know what I had to deal with? Go on, ask. Ask me what I had to deal with, Shigaraki," Luz said as Rikitasu's became rigid with confusion and also curiosity.

On the one hand, he knew that this wasn't going to result in something good. From what he had heard thus far of Camila Noceda, she really did seem like a horrible parent. But for what reason? This was neglect at its finest, driven by grief.

A part of Rikitasu could relate to that kind of grief, only his way of expressing it was lashing out at the world and causing hell on Earth for everyone and everything that got in his path. Not that him bringing up his own experiences with such profound grief excused any of her actions. Which only further made him curious as to why Luz wanted him to guess at what it was she did—because that was clearly where that was going.

"Alright… What?" Rikitasu asked as Luz cracked a grin—a manic kind of grin. The kind of grin that concealed a level of madness that he hadn't expected from her.

"Well, she took down my bedroom door, and replaced it with one that was missing a large chunk of it on the bottom. Oh, and she made sure that it locked from the outside. She locked me in my fucking room. Treated me like an animal who had lost their mind! I was only allowed out when I had to use the bathroom, and she followed me to the bathroom. My only form of communication with my lawyer was by her phone since she confiscated mine in fear that I would "look up more dangerous things" because she was dead convinced that I got my behaviour from the internet!" Luz ranted as she leaned back into her throne, placing a hand on her forehead with an exasperated sigh.

"I'm getting ahead of myself, though. Back to before the whole Amber thing. The book that she insulted, The Good Witch Azura was the only thing I had left of my father. It… kind of represented him to me. I learnt a lot through reading it over and over again. I only ever had the one 'cause Mama never bothered to buy me the rest of the series. So I re-read that book over and over again. Grew attached to it. I… sort of imprinted on it."

"As corny as it sounds, that book was, in a way, a better parent to me than my mother ever was. Sure, my mother fed me, kept a roof over my head, and made sure I could get to school. But she never talked to me. She never cared. Oh, sure, during parent/teacher meetings she'd pretend to care. But she didn't. She didn't care until it was too late…." Luz muttered, and something in Rikitasu's mind sort of… snapped.

He had never had any sort of experience with parental abuse of any facet. His foster Mother had been one of the best things in the world to happen to him. She took him and his brother in, cared for them, raised them to chase their dreams no matter what they were. No matter how twisted they might have been. After all, the skies were the limits to whatever he could achieve, and possibly more.

So to hear that someone who claimed to be a parent failed at every possible level to at least try to give Luz a childhood worth having made his blood boil. His blood boiled when he thought that Tomura's family was abusing him—hence giving him Decay so that he could take vengeance on his family.

Granted, he also had other ulterior motives. But as he grew to raise Tomura, he was able to blossom into the perfect villain—just a little on the immature side. Before he died, he promised Tomura that he'd get him that new console he wanted. Then, he died. All Might killed him. He was sent here and given another child to mentor.

But, he supposed, he came too late.

Like Tomura, Luz endured neglect and emotional abuse at the hands of her mother. Someone who was supposed to care for her, and failed spectacularly. Honestly, a part of him regretted stopping Luz from finishing the job. He'd choose to believe his successor over anyone else—and it explained why Luz was always so uncomfortable around Camila.

Camila was abusive.

Camila was a monster.

Camila truly was a terrible parent.

Camila was a mockery of the word "parent" in every sense of the word.

"Anyway, jumping ahead a little. I saw the book as, essentially, the remains of my Papa. I would talk to it, and swear I could've heard it talk back. Either that or it was my overactive imagination. Either way, fast forward to when I decide to bring the book to the school. Amber and her cronies jump me in the back part of the school. Her cronies push me down to the ground, and Amber takes the book from me. I saw red, tried to move, but I couldn't. Then, the next thing I know, Amber taunts me, calls the book garbage, then she takes out a lighter, lights it on fire, and forces me to watch."

"I don't know how loud I screamed for her to stop. I begged, and cried, and pleaded, but all Amber would do was laugh. She kept laughing and laughing and laughing. No one stepped in to stop. I was seen was the weird kid, so to them I probably got what I deserved or, some other stupid nonsense. Didn't help that everyone thought I was a pervert thanks to the rumours she spread about me and Mr. Jones."

"That day… I lost it. I lost my mind. I couldn't contain my anger anymore. As far as I was concerned, I lost my father for a second time. Watched him die before my eyes again. Only this time, I knew the person who did it. So, I studied their routine, watched their every move, and planned to take revenge. I almost succeeded, too. If it wasn't for that stupid janitor I probably would've gotten away with it, as well," and with that Luz let out an angered huff, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her index and ring finger.

"I guess the only good thing I could mention about Mama was that we "bonded" over was watering that garden to commemorate Papa. After it was done, she'd walk away, and leave me there by myself. Honestly, I don't know why our neighbour's never reported anything. Looking back at it, my guess was that nobody cared about the "immigrant" family. The only immigrants there were Mama and Papa. They never even considered my life. But, what to do, I guess. You can't expect much from a bunch of racist white folk, as Papa would put it…"

Luz shrugged, seemingly content with everything. Her eyes gleamed in such a way that it was apparent that she had stopped caring at some point. As if she had accepted that was her life, and that there was no changing it. "So that's that. My life's story, all summed up in about… what, an hour? Less than that? Whatever. Not as glorious as yours, but it's what I got. Better than being homeless, I guess."

Rikitasu nodded, adjusting his tie. "May I ask one thing?"

"Sure."

"Why didn't you tell Julia any of this? She was your girlfriend. Your lover, if you will. Shouldn't she have known that?" Rikitasu asked as Luz looked away, her expression one of embarrassment.

"I didn't want to complicate things. Julia liked M—no, Camila, and I didn't want to rob that from her. Sure, I hate Camila with every fibre of my being. But Julia saw her as the mother that I never had. Presumably the mother she never had if her own horror stories were to be believed—which I did, mind you, but I digress." Luz paused, scoffing.

"Honestly, If Camila wanted to try and be a parent again, but with someone else. To fix her mistakes with another child she just met, then honestly I don't care. She can do whatever she wants. You were right to stop me from killing her. I'd find it poetic that she'd suffer more knowing that her failure created me. A monster. Just like everyone's been saying recently. Heh, better a monster than a nobody, right?"

Rikitasu acknowledged her words with a simple hum. There was nothing for him to say. Nothing at all. The only thing that he could say without letting his anger show was a simple. "You can leave now. I won't hold you here any longer."

Without so much as another word, Luz got up from the throne next to his, and exited out of the white door that appeared at the end of the hallway.

When she left, Rikitasu was left to stew in his anger—not at her, there was nothing to be angry at Luz for. No. His anger was entirely directed toward Camila. He had been under the impression that, while she wasn't the best mother in the world, she was trying. But that? That right there told him that wasn't the case.

Although, it made him question why Luz was so quick to come to her defence back at the camp? There was one answer that didn't sit right with him, but it made the most sense. Victims often try to defend their abusers, believing that it was their job to do so, or suffer worse backlash from doing the opposite.

That meant that Luz had been subconsciously defending Camila out of fear. Not out love, or respect, nor anything like it. It was a built in response to something that she felt was the only way that she could show loyalty to someone who didn't know they were being defended.

It made his anger double with the mere idea. It was odd. He had seen abuse before, and never once did he bat an eye. The only times he did were in regards to Tomura, whom he had built a connection to thanks to knowing his father. Not even when he had wanted to scope out that Touya brat from the Todoroki family.

So what made him feel that way for Luz? Maybe it was because he had gotten to know her through memories. It also didn't help that her life mirrored his in some ways, so he could relate to her struggles. Relate to what she went through in a metaphorical sense.

It was as he said: They mirrored one another in more ways than one.

He mulled over the story that she wove to him, knowing full well that it was true. He thought about what he could do, and finally, he came up with an idea. It was driven out of emotion, but to hell with it. He felt bad for his successor, so of course he want what's best for her. In his mind, the best was to be closer to him, and to have connections out the gate.

And the best way to do that was to make her part of the family.

"Screw it. Symbolic or not, dead or not, in her head or otherwise, it doesn't matter. I'm adopting her. Besides, Tomura had a sister if I recall correctly. Well, now he can have another. If my math is right… I believe they're the same age, actually. This fits all too well. But, the question of what to change her name to still illudes me…."

As Rikitasu ruminated on that question, he began to pull at several names. Hanako was the first idea, but he quickly tossed that idea out the window. Hana meant flower in Japanese, and that wouldn't do. Ko, which meant child, had to be part of the name. He began the process of listing potential combos that could work with Ko, alongside his last name.

Chiyoko, Hiroko, Hoshiko, Katsuko, and Kimiko. None of them worked. On their own, they worked perfectly, each representing a facet of Luz's personality, but not quiet fitting with his last name. The runner up, Katsuko, was something he was leaning on for but a moment, until he came up with a better name.

It was ironic, given that it was only one kanji off from his arch-nemesis's name, but that made it all the more bitter sweet in his mind. After all, what better name for such a gifted successor, both in power and in the ability to adapt to situations on the fly, and come out on top, than Toshiko.

That would be her name.

Luz Noceda, in all technicality was already gone. In fact, it was of his belief that she disappeared the day everyone else in that camp had. When her neck had been dislodged from its socket, and he had to put it back in place. Symbolic as it was, for a new mind to take the place of the old deceased one.

He could feel the winds of change begin to circulate from within The Vestige Realm. Due to being a spirit, he could feel changes like that bound and unbound. A small smile took up his visage. Something big was coming to happen come October 1st. What that something was, he didn't know.

All he knew, was that come October 1st, Toshiko Shigaraki would be born. The Clever Child of Death would bloom within a mass of flames and destruction the likes of which no one would be able to hide from.

And that… that was perfection at its finest.

[-To Be Continued-]

*The ending begins with Luz dressed in her hero costume, floating in the darkness of the void, eyes closed as she drifts about in the emptiness of nothingness, only to be grabbed by blackened tendrils formed out of the void and pulled down in the abyss. On the other side of the void, she's thrown to the ground, her hair white and her eyes open and blazing red. As she stands up, strings are attached to her shoulders, and she begins to move on her own toward the edge of what is revealed to be building; all the while, a disembodied voice sings in the background.*

"Simply put, all purity was hung away on that day, see."

"My curiosity had gotten the best of me."

"Was sweeter than a cake, but it wasn't filling."

"Like dancing with a puppet, so cold and empty."

*It continues as Luz falls down what seems to be an endless amount of distance toward the ground, her strings still attached to her body as she frantically starts to pull them off. Each string represents figures in her life, staring with her past principal, then the judge who sentenced her to that camp, Adrian Rogers, and finally her mother*

*Once the final string is pulled, flaming wings spread from her back just before she lands on the ground below, breaking her fall. As her flaming wings come out, her hero outfit burns away and is replaced by the black trenchcoat adorned with several patches and a bi-sexual flag pin, a pink shirt, a purple skirt with a fluffy white hem at the bottom, held up by a black belt with a golden buckle, and a pair of black ankle boots. When she lands on her feet, she dusts herself off, turning to face the street before her as the voice continues to sing.*

"Closet doors shut behind us."

"Huddling, our bodies hidden in the darkness."

"We'll sleep the night off and change when light comes."

"Or so I like to say."

*Across the street is Luz before she changed into what she is now, smiling and hanging out with her mother. Luz turns away, ignoring their presence, but when she turns, she sees another scene of her and her mother playing at the playground, having fun. Luz scowls before turning around and running down the street, trying to ignore her past and everything tied to it.*

*But as she runs down the street, she comes across the car crash that she was in when she was a child; as the younger her crawls out from the wreckage, staring at the crushed body of her father, bloodied, mangled, and broken. As all of this is happening, the voice keeps singing.*

"I'm just a child; I can't help it!"

"Don't go please, oh please, I'm begging."

"I'm so pathetic, a life built on selfish cries."

*Mid-verse, Luz turns to look away, only for her to be surrounded by a literal horde of small versions of her, all pointing at her as she looks up to see her father staring down at her, disappointment on his face as she begins to fall down a hole that opens up in the floor beneath her. She reaches up toward the hole before it's covered, and she's locked away in darkness, falling down once again, tears in her eyes as she keeps falling deeper and deeper as the voice continues.*

"All the toys were put away."

"I swear I'll change this time!"

"Still, I crawl for when I wore innocence like before."

"(Ah, ah, ah, ah!)"

*As the beat drops, the darkness around her turns to a bright yellow mixed with rainbow spirals. She falls past stuffed toys, trains, and books of various types, along with photos of her childhood and photos of her and Julia. She finally lands on the ground, surrounded by her childhood, showing her all the positive things she remembers being around.*

*However, when she narrows her eyes, they all go up in flames, replaced with her recent memories. Tragedy, loss, and death and suddenly, she's no longer tense. Instead, she's relaxed as the surrounding walls return to a drab black mixed with gray. A statement that she's more comfortable with this kind of stuff than all of the happy go-lucky things she used to be surrounded by. While all of this happened, the disembodied voice continued to sing.*

"Love's a high, sober up, you'll throw it all away."

"I've laid to waste all those feelings just to stay safe."

"But see this low-life now, still stuck in her ways."

"I wonder if there's a summer where I'll really change?"

*The ending begins to end as Luz walks down a hallway filled with memories of the recent past, of all the death and destruction both caused and not caused by her. The deeper she walks, the more of a smile takes up her visage as she finally reaches a door. When she opens it, she steps out onto a grassy field, except this grass is orange, and the skies are yellow with purple clouds. She's finally made it to The Boiling Isles; all the voice in the background keeps saying "Yellow" before eventually the beat fades out as the ending concludes.*

So… I lied! Yeah, honestly, this was probably the only way it was going to go. Did you guys really think that Millie was just gonna turn traitor cause her ex got killed? Ya'll, these guys are EVIL. Not to mention that Millie is part of a cult. Cultists don't leave their religion if someone close to them dies.

Anyway, next chapter is the last one the final arc of Season 2. This has been almost half a year coming. I cannot wait to see ya'll's reaction to what I have planned. As always, until next time. Peace!