Librarians tried to stop Luz, but she grabbed the head librarian by the neck and growled at him, eyes glowing, teeth sharpened, and smoke coming out of her nose with each breath. The others backed up. They just brushed her off before... but now they've seen her angry... and that was another story.
"Badge... NOW." Luz growled.
A librarian gave her their badge with a shaky hand. She took it and dropped them, before storming to the forbidden stacks. She opened the doors with the badge and went inside. She moved a shelf in front of the door, stopping it from being opened.
"I'm not leaving until Amity gets her job back."
Luz marched to the center of the stacks, seeing Malphas looking through the book again. She grabbed a bookshelf and began to push it down. It nearly hit Malphas, if he did not put his hand up and used magic to stop it.
"You are banned, leave this place or else I cannot guarantee your safety." Malphas said.
"I'm here to get Amity her job back, and I won't leave until that happens!" Luz said, putting her fists up, "I'll even fight you if I have to."
"Fine then." Malphas said, snapping his fingers and covering the shelves in a red glow, "It has been some time since I've had a fight."
He began to change, the sound of bones cracking could be heard. Luz watched and waited as Malphas grew bigger, transforming and even becoming younger in preparation to fight her. He was easily twenty feet taller, his wings were much bigger, he grew sharp claws, he was no longer floating on a book and stood on large bird feet with talons bigger than Luz herself. His eyes also started to glow red.
"If you refuse to leave child, then I will have no choice but to deal with you the same way I deal with all other trespassers!" He said, his voice no longer being all suffer bro and now was deep and demonic.
"Bring it on, chicken wing. By the time I'm done with you, I'll be able to skip dinner tonight." Luz said as her teeth became sharp and she gained a bloodthirsty look in her eyes.
She ran at him. Malphas flapped his wings and unleashed slashes of wind, making Luz jump from side to side to dodge the wind as she jumped into the air! Luz swung her heel towards him, but he easily dodged it. Malphas swung his hand and slapped Luz to the ground, making her land with a skid as she created hellfire in her hands. As she did, Malphas watched closely.
'Interesting.'
He flung more air slashes at Luz as she countered with a wall of Hell fire. Luz used this as a distraction and ran at him, before jumping and delivering a fist to his chest. He was knocked into the wall.
"Impressive." He said, "I knew you were some kind of demon, but I had only heard a few whispers of how strong you really are."
"Guess you don't get out much." Luz said.
"No, I find comfort here." Malphas said, "A place I can forget my past."
"What? Were you some punk that straighten his life with books?" Luz asked as she picked up a shelf and threw it at him!
He caught it and put it down.
"What I was is none of your business." He said, "And I will not speak of it anymore!"
Luz grin as she stomped the ground, cracking it and picking up large pieces of rubble before throwing them at Malphas!
'More property damage?!' He thought before blocking the stones with his winds.
"You are putting yourself into more trouble, young lady." Malphas said, "Demons today have no respect."
"Yeah, well, I don't give a damn!" Luz said, shooting fire at him.
Blocking with his wings again, Malphas rushed forward and threw a punch that sent Luz crashing through three more shelves! Because of the spell, the shelves and books healed themselves. Malphas flew into the air and gazed down to Luz, who recovered and hissed up at him with sharp teeth. She ran up a shelf and lunged at him.
'Simple beast.' Malphas thought as he swung his hand, only for Luz to fault over it and ran up his arm!
Dragging her hands to cut up his arm as she approached his face! Once she got to his face, he put a wing over it and knocked her back.
'I think we need a new strategy!' Angel Luz said.
'Yeah! Set his books on fire and distract him!' Devil Luz shouted.
'We can't, that barrier he put up protects them.' Luz thought.
Getting creative in a different way, Luz forged her hellfire into a whip and lashed at Malphas!
'She has incredible knowledge of the fires hell.' Malphas thought, before thinking a bit more, 'I wonder.'
Malphas dodged the flame whip as he flew into the air above the shelves. He held out a hand and caught her next strike.
'How can he hold it so easily?' Luz thought, seeing the hellfire wasn't even burning Malphas' hand one bit.
He pulled the whip and the result was it pulled Luz and made her hit her back against the wall.
"This fight is pointless, child. You can't defeat me." Malphas said to her.
Only for Luz to throw flaming spears through the cloud of smoke, making him use his wings to block them.
"Shut up!" Luz said.
'Break the ground and carve the stone into a weapon!' Devil Luz shouted.
'That tends to take time!' Luz thought, 'Something I don't have!'
Luz created a sword of flames and jumped at Malphas, who pulled out a feather from his wings and held it like a sword! He knocked her away.
"Grrr!" Luz growled as she got back up but changed her approach.
This time, going on all limbs like an animal before rushing around the area as fast as she could to distract Malphas and leave him open.
"You should give it up child, I know every trick there is. I've been around longer than witch kind." He said.
"I ain't no witch, so you ain't got nothing on me!" Luz shouted, kicking Malphas across the face.
He was knocked back.
"Maybe not... but you underestimate me as well."
In a burst of wind and speed, Malphas punched Luz high above the book shelves before flying above her. His hands interlocked for one last hammer fist. Luz dodged it. Blasting fire from her hands, Luz flew out to his face and kicked him in the eye!
"AAAAAH!" He screamed before snapping his beak at Luz and eating her!
Luz grabbed his beak and forced it open.
"I am NOT your next meal!" Luz shouted.
Luz kicked him away. Malphas screeched as he unleashed tornado of wind, sending Luz crashing into one of the upper levels.
'Why is this guy so tough!?'
"This fight is pointless, child! You can't win!" Malphas shouted.
"This fight is not worthless! And I won't stop until Amity gets her job back!" Luz shouted as a pulled of flames rose from her body, spreading to the Hidden Stacks around her, "I swear on my Title and Name! I will get Amity her job back, I... am Luzifer Satania Noceda! Daughter of King Lucifer and heir to the Throne of Hell! I will-"
Malphas put his guard down.
"Lucifer?" He asked, "You... you're the daughter of Lucifer?"
"Yeah, I am! What of it!" Luz shouted, her flames still blazing around her.
"... I knew your father." He said, kneeling, "I am from the pits of hell, where the eternal flame of damnation burns... I was a trusted figure to your father. I handled all knowledge of the known universe, keeping it safe... I created the Tome that he vowed to give to the Anti-Christ."
"Y-y-you made my tome?" Luz asked, fire slowly going away.
"Indeed." Malphas said, "I swore ligeance to Lucifer and was one of his most trusted advisors, until I ended up here due to a portal that opened between realms. I promised to keep the sacred knowledge safe from anyone who wishes to destroy it."
"T-Then that means the stuff here…" Luz said as she looked around the Hidden Stacks.
"Yes. The knowledge and books stored in these halls is of both this realm and of Hell in the Human Realm." Malphas said with a nod, "Every book to ever cross the realms are here... as I have tried to find a way back home. I've managed to find small ways, small glimmers of hope, but nothing that can truly help get a portal back to hell or the human realm."
'Dang, I guess that's not something I'll find here but I can focus on that later.' Luz thought as she took a breath to calm down.
"Then maybe you could help me. The Tome was destroyed, and I can't open portals to hell yet, I need to get home." Luz said, "What have you learned?"
"Follow me and I'll show you." Malphas said before reverting back to his original form, letting out a breath of relief. "Sorry, haven't had to use that form in eons. It's a bit of a drag to change back."
"I imagine." Luz said.
Malphas leads Luz to the center of the forbidden library, picking her up by his hand to show her the giant codex book.
"This is where all forbidden knowledge lays."
Luz leaned down to study the page, looking from top to bottom for what she needed on the strange-
"Glyphs. What can you tell me about this topic?" Luz asked, seeing "Glyphs" on the codex page.
"They are an interesting thing." He said, "Magic older than witches."
"Old than the witches?" Luz asked.
"Allow me to show you." Malphas said as he held his hand up, summoning a few books on Glyph.
The ONLY books on Glyphs left in the entire realm. An old Journal.
"This belonged to a human who was trapped here hundreds of years ago... perhaps you can find a way home using it." Malphas said.
The book floats into Luz's hands, allowing her to gaze at the cover in awe as she slowly reached to open it... And there was a rat eating it inside. Luz snapped her neck to the side as her eye twitched, the closed resource she had found had been eaten by a goddamn rat!
"Oh, didn't expect that but it's probably for the best." Malphas said as Luz spun her head 180% to face him.
"HOW?!" Luz screamed at him.
"These are one of my creations." Malphas said, "I made them in order to help organize the stacks. They eat books and can display the words through their eyes."
"What? You mean they're living recorders?" Luz asked, turning her head back to look at the mouse.
"Indeed. Even after a book is digested, the information shall be with the Echo Mouse until death. All it takes are certain triggers to get them to play the information they've consumed." Malphas said.
Luz picked the mouse up.
"Sounds like you're coming back home with me." Luz said.
The mouse squeaked at Luz, almost as if it was accepted this idea. Luz then turned back towards Malphas. She had one more thing to do.
"Now, about the Amity and her job here." Luz said, "She was just trying to help me, she doesn't deserve to be fired for that."
"I know that but rules are rules. Even if Amity was the best junior employee I had." Malphas said.
"You're loyal to my family, right?"
"To the end of time." Malphas said.
"Well, as Princess of Hell, I order you to hire her back." Luz said.
"…" Malphas had to pause for a moment as he stared at Luz, unable to comprehend how after so many eons he found himself in this familiar position once again.
'Like father like daughter.' He thought with a soft, guilty smile.
"As you command, princess." He said with a small bow. "Amity's job and position is restored."
"No, give her a promotion." Luz said.
"I can give her a raise, but I don't think she'd like a promotion, she seems pretty happy with her current position... but I could use an apprentice." Malphas said, "Something to speak with her about later. For now, I think I should give her the news."
"No, I will." Luz said.
'It is still our fault she was fired. So we have to give her the news and make it right.' Angel Luz said.
'Yeah, after all she's too good a person to let go.' Devil Luz said.
'Like you care about good people.' Angel side said.
'I do when we could corrupt them!' Devil side said.
'And we're back to our regularly scheduled program!' Luz thought, hearing them arguing again.
Luz blocked out her inner selves as Malphas pulled out Amity's work I.D. and gave it to her.
"Here you are and he's a library card so you can come back in a legal way." Malphas said as he created a library card for Luz.
"Thanks." Luz said, "I'll tell my dad about you... if I ever get back home."
"I'll be waiting and hoping. Heh, funny. I haven't hoped for a way back to Earth for thousands of years." Malphas said, scratching his head a bit. "It feels kind of weird."
"Hopefully it doesn't take me that long." Luz said, walking out of the library.
Malphas waved her goodbye as he went back to his work, organizing books and making sure nothing was out of place. Kind of boring actually compared to the fight with Luz. But after fighting in a massive war alongside Lucifer and Satan, perhaps he earned some boring life.
(Line Break)
Luz walked up to Blight Manor, feeling a bit nervous. She knocked on the door and waited. The door opened and Luz prepared to talk.
"Hey, Amity, I... woah."
When the door opened, Amity was on the other side... with all the green hair cut off, leaning her with very short brown hair.
'Holy grandpa, Uncle J, and the Holy Ghost.' Angel Luz said in awe.
'Damn! Amity is rocking a new do!' Devil Luz shouted.
"Uh... wow... N-n-nice haircut." Luz said.
"Thanks, Luz, I... hoped it looked good." Amity said, rubbing the back of her neck, "I got it done when I realized you were coming."
"Wait, how'd you know I was coming?"
"Well... you did brand my wrist." Amity said, holding up her hand with the glowing pentagram.
"Oh! I did…but that doesn't explain the hair." Luz said, looking back to Amity's hair. "Why the change? Not that it doesn't look good but still."
"Green was Odalia's idea, not mine. And with her gone, I can finally have my hair the way I want it." Amity said, smiling as she felt one of her locks, "So I figured with my roots showing, maybe it was time to start from scratch and cut it down."
'Let it grow!' Devil Luz shouted.
"Well, that's good. It's always important for you to look your best for your job." Luz said, pulling out Amity's Librarian I.D.
"My... how did you-"
"I have my ways." Luz said, "I'll tell you about it another day, I have a bit of work to do with this guy."
Luz pulled out the mouse.
"An Echo Mouse?" Amity asked.
"Yeah, Malphas gave him to me." Luz said, "I have a feeling we're going to get along pretty well."
Amity looked at her badge and smiled.
"You do have a way of sneaking into people's hearts." Amity said, before planting a kiss on Luz's cheek.
The anti-Christ's face became as red as her fire at that.
'So that's what that feels like.' Luz thought.
Luz looked at Amity, specifically her lips, and that's when Amity started blushing as well.
"Uh, okay, good to see you, farewell forever." Amity said, walking back to the door, "Why did I do that? Why did I do that? Why did I do that?"
The door closed and Luz stood there, shocked, stunned... whatever other words beginning with S mean that... when the mouse rubbed against her head.
"I... uh... I think I should go back to the owl house." Luz said, quickly going to the house.
'... Unholy fuck.' She thought.
(Line Break)
When Luz went inside, she saw Gus on the couch.
"Hey, Gus, did you have a good day?" Luz asked.
Gus gave a small smile.
"It was... interesting." He said.
Eda walked in, wearing what looked like Lilith's dress.
"Hey, Luz, what took you so long?" Eda asked.
"Surprisingly personal business but ignoring that, why are you wearing your sister's dress?" Luz asked, looking over Eda from top to bottom in the dress.
"What are you, a fucking cop?" Eda asked, "This is called payback."
Still confused, Luz looked to Gus for answers.
"Can you explain?" She asked him.
"Nope." He said, as Eda handed him a picture, "Thanks for all your help."
"If you want to hear any stories about your mom, I got a few of them. She was crazy in her youth." Eda said, patting Gus on the back.
Gus got up and walked out of the house, leaving Luz very confused.
"Uh... I'm assuming that something happened." Luz said.
"Yeah, you should've been there." Eda said.
(Line Break)
Lilith growled as she walked into the castle, wrapped in an old tarp she found in the dumpster Eda threw her in.
'She beat me, knocked me out, and then stole my clothes!' Lilith thought, 'She ruined the plan, this is going to make things worse!'
Lilith walked passed the doors to the emperor's throne, overhearing a conversation.
"We are running out of Palismen." Belos said, "I am trusting you to get more. Can you handle this?"
"Yes, Emperor Belos." The Golden Guard said.
'... Not on my watch.' Lilith thought.
Well, it's been a crazy few weeks, not going to go into it. Follow, Favorite, and Review for more.