EARTH - 910206-17

North Dakota Plateau

Anne tried to strike the cage, but it was no use. All she felt was nigh impenetrable glass. She said, "What are you waiting for then?"

Voshyr chuckled and wryly said, "Don't be so eager now, Boonchuy. We need time to prepare our ritual."

Luz said, "Just you wait. My girlfriend is gonna come down here with an army of witches and blast you apart!"

Voshyr's head rose. "Witches?", she asked. "There are no witches on this planet..."

Anne turned to Luz and whispered, "Girl...zip it!"

Voshyr knelt down to Luz. Voshyr asked, "Is there more to this planet than even I know? Are witches like me here as well?"

Sweat dripped down Luz's brow as she tried to cover for her mistake, while the realization that Voshyr and her children called themselves witches sank in. She said, "I meant metaphorically. That's...what we call girls on this planet! It's...just a term of...endearment."

Voshyr sighed and said, "Maybe that is the case. Maybe not. If you won't tell me, you will tell him. No secrets are safe from his purification. Come Ayriax! Come Yshra! The ritual must begin now!"

The three witches glided around Anne and Luz, drawing a circle around them. Voshyr began an unholy chant, seemingly gibberish to the girls.

Yshra said, "You may want to settle in. The chant could take a while."

Ayriax said, "I will contact father. The sooner the better."

Ayriax waved her hand and a scrying portal appeared before her. Within the portal was a bright green glowing head, with massive spikes protruding out of all sides. He had three glowing eyes like the three witches. He spoke in a deep mighty voice, that even whispered felt like it would shake the ground in person.

He said, "Ayriax...granddaughter. How is your mission with your mother?"

Ayriax said, "We have the children, grandfather. Mother performs the ritual as we speak. You can come for us now."

Her grandfather said, "Good. You all did well."

Ayriax said, "Have you spoken with Nokris? Has he returned to you yet?"

Her grandfather said, "Not yet, little one."

Ayriax sighed and said, "Very well. We will have the girls ready when you return."

She closed the portal and floated away with Yshra pursuing.

During this conversation, Luz and Anne turned to each other. Anne said, "I guess her grandfather is their king. I'm Anne by the way. Anne Boonchuy."

Luz smiled and said, "Luz Noceda. Sorry we're not meeting under better circumstances..."

Anne chuckled and said, "Not the worst way I've made friends."

Anne turned to Voshyr still performing the chant. She shouted, "Voshyr I give my full will and power to you!"

Voshyr didn't react. Anne smiled and said, "Ok we're clear. So...what's this about witches?"

Luz said, "Over the summer last year, I disappeared into some alternate world connected to this one, where everyone's a witch. Magic spells, wands, broomsticks, everything. I made all my friends there and we spend a lot of time here in the real world and I even learned how to do magic. And they are powerful. And if I know my girlfriend, she's gonna be bringing a lot of back up."

Anne said, "Great! How do they know where we are?"

Luz's pupils dilated and she made an involuntary squeak, realizing they wouldn't know how to find her.

Anne facepalmed and said, "It's alright. I got friends too, and they actually know where we are. I just hope they get here before their psycho grandpa shows up."

Luz said, "So...where did your power come from?"

Anne said, "Well...wouldn't you know it, there's another world connected to this one. One where everyone is a frog. Or a toad. Or a newt. Or maybe even an ohm. The power that brought me there was tied to a prophecy that would save both of our worlds..."

Anne paused for a moment. She looked down at her hand. She then said, "What about you? Did you always know magic?"

Luz said, "Before the Boiling Isles? No. I learned after though! But, like you heard...I did die...but I was brought back by a Titan. One of the most powerful magic beings of all time. I was even part Titan for a while."

Her expression dropped. "I guess that must be what kind of power they want.", she said.

Anne said, "This day started off so normal too. How did I get involved in more cosmic space alien stuff?"

Luz said, "I talk to witches every day and just saw the new Cosmic Frontier and this is still pretty out there for me."

Anne laughed and said, "No way. Same here. Literally came out of the theater and..."

Luz finished the thought and said, "You got abducted by one of them?"

Luz and Anne shared a laugh at the irony of it all. Anne said, "Well, Luz Noceda, as bad and out of left field as this day haas gone, meeting you was definitely the highlight."

Luz said, "Back atcha Anne Boonchuy."

Voshyr continued the chant as the circle continued its glow.

Several miles out

Dual rotor helicopters loaded with black-armored soldiers alongside Sasha and Marcy were barreling towards the Hive's location. They were loaded with special issue laser based weaponry. Mr. X called over their comms. "Remember, you're just getting Boonchuy and Noceda out...if the guns don't work. I don't wanna start some prolonged shootout with aliens unless we know we can beat them."

Sasha said, "We got this, don't you worrEEEEEEEE"

Something flashed past the helicopters followed more somethings.

Marcy said, "What in the name of Chief O'Bailey was that?!"

One of the soldiers looked through his helmet's HUD, but found couldn't make out what he was seeing. He said, "It's some sort of...owl beast?"

Hive base

Yshra and Ayriax were talking. Yshra said, "Did you have to call father so early? I still would like to explore some more. Did you know the biome changes sometimes on the same landmass? Do you know how rare that is for most planets?"

Ayriax said, "Perhaps grandmother will take you. You two seem to get along rather well."

Yshra said, "She taught me subtlety and strategy. Nothing more. And she wouldn't return here unless necessary. You don't need to feel jealous."

Ayriax said, "You're right. I don't. Grandfather prefers me to you anyway."

Yshra bowed her head and quietly said, "We'll talk more when your mood is not so sour..."

Ayriax paused and said, "I didn't mean to offend."

Yshra stated, "Yet it happened anywa-"

A claw swipe flashed across her eye. She screeched in agony as something landed to her side. She focused her eyes and saw what looked like a humanoid feminine shape, but with feathers and black eyes and a large pair of crimson wings on her back. She had pale skin on her face, a single gold tooth and massive mane of gray hair.

Yshra said, "It's...human? What human possesses such strength?"

The woman, named Eda, talked with a cocky, but aged voice. "There's more where that came from if you don't release those kids right now!"

Ayriax turned and saw a group of individuals flying on palismans. Some of them were familiar: Hunter, Gus, Amity, and Willow. But two were new: An older dark skinned man with purple hair named Darrius, and an even older greenish grey haired person named Raine.

Raine wielded a charmed violin with a bow, and they began playing an aggressive melody. Yshra let out a shriek and the Hive went on the attack. The Thralls were repelled by Raine's music.

Acolytes began to take aim but a combined shield of purple goop from Darrius and Raine protected them. Willow threw a handful of seeds from her pocket, and with a wave of her palisman, they sprouted into massive vines that began thrashing against them. Knights charged in to carve them apart, but a blast of smoke from Gus blinded them, trapping them in illusions.

Anne smiled and said, "Friends of yours, Luz?"

Luz smiled and said, "Oh yeah."

Hunter used his palisman and in a flash of light, teleported towards Luz and Anne. Hunter said, "Are you two OK?"

Luz said, "I'm OK. By the way Hunter, this is Anne!"

Hunter turned and said, "Oh...nice to meet you, Anne! Now...how do we break these cages?"

Luz said, "I don't know. They carved the circles into the dirt. Maybe try messing the circles up."

Hunter reached for the circles on the ground. But a blast of fire struck his hands, hurting them as he pulled them back.

Hunter said, "No good. Let me try from a different angle."

Eda was being chased by Ayriax through the air, narrowly dodging blasts of white hot energy.

Yshra sliced Darrius and Amity's shield apart with her hands, but one hand was restrained by Willow's vines. She cut them apart too, firing blasts towards Raine to disrupt their music. They narrowly avoided the blast, right before Darrius used goop to restrain Yshra's other hand. Amity turned back to see Voshyr chanting. Amity said, "What is she doing?"

Luz brightened upon hearing and seeing Amity approach along with her palisman Stringbean. Anne tried to explain quick, "Ok to keep it brief, that crazy witch lady thinks we have some power from a year ago and wants to wake it up with that chant she's doing so then we can become her loyal warriors for...the Darkness..."

Anne's eyes widened on that last part of the statement. Anne said, "Hey Luz. Luz's friends. Do any of you know a light spell or something?"

Amity raised an eyebrow. Luz said, "Wait a minute of course. She said they serve the darkness. Maybe this is some form of dark magic."

Amity nodded and said, "It's worth a shot." She twirled her palisman into a small circle, which transformed into a small ball of light. She touched it, slowly pushing it to Luz's cage. With a blinding flash, the light collided with the cage, blasting it apart. Luz was freed and unharmed. Amity and Luz rushed to embrace before being cut off by a blast of energy from Voshyr.

Voshyr whispered, "Not so fast..."

Anne yelled, "Are you kidding? You could hear us the whole time?!"

Voshyr said, "Yes. I didn't react because it wasn't worth it. Now if you wish to keep your heads you will stay right where you are."

Hunter clenched his teeth, unable to move while in Voshyr's sights. Voshyr's attention was drawn by a fleet of hovering vehicles on approach. The side doors swung open, and soldiers began laying down a barrage of plasma based laser fire.

Soldiers began ziplining down from the ships, landing and killing Hive acolytes and Knights. Slowly but surely they were clearing out the Hive army freeing up the witches to face down Voshyr's daughters.

Voshyr tried to shoot one down but she was pushed back by Amity's purple goo attack.

Hunter began teleporting, striking her head from multiple angles keeping her occupied. The glowing circle dissipated as Voshyr's concentration broke.

Stringbean turned into a staff and Luz grabbed it, drawing a small circle to turn into an orb of light which blasted Anne's cage apart.

"Anne?!"

Anne's head shot up upon hearing the voice. Sasha and Marcy, clad in armor, raced to embrace her in the chaos. The three hugged while squeeing in joy. Anne said, "What are you guys even doing here?"

Marcy said, "Mr. X hooked us up. Now let's get y'all out of here."

Yshra screeched, tearing her arms out of the goop and vines in one twisting motion firing off blasts that scattered the witches. She floated up and took in a deep inhale. With one mighty bellow she let out a bloodcurdling cry that shook the Earth. Everyone grabbed their ears in pain as a fiery blast began to engulf Yshra. Her cry began to sound pained after not too long, but that did nothing to mitigate how stunned everyone was. Nobody could hear Voshyr continue her chant.

Ayriax turned to the ground to see Yshra in pain and began flying back. "YSHRA STOP!" Ayriax yelled, stopping her pursuit of Eda.

Ayriax tackled Yshra, cutting off her song. Ayriax said, "You cannot sing that song! You were not trained well enough for it."

Yshra's voice was dry and raspy as she said, "I had to...they were going to win..."

The fight was about to resume when suddenly, great bells began to sound from Voshyr's circle. Luz and Anne floated into the air. Voshyr called out, "Let the power that was lost be returned. Let this weakness be undone. From the Titan and Calamity, let new servants to the Taken King be BORN!"

Luz's skin began to glow and morph, hair and bones forming around her clothes and skin. Her hair grew longer and curlier, and a hat with horns formed on her head. Her feet took on a two toed, furry skeletal look and her hands became fully skeletal with fur and flesh around her arms. Her face remained unchanged barring a pair of black eyes with yellow irises and a single sharp tooth protruding from her mouth.

Anne's clothes were replaced with golden armor, a blue battle skirt, and pale gold boots. Her hair spiked upwards glowing blue alongside glowing blue eyes. Her skin took on a faint blue glow and a blue cape was draped from massive golden pauldrons on her shoulders.

Voshyr bowed her head and said, "And let our deaths be the catalysts..."

Amity's eyes widened at that and realized what was about to happen. "LUZ NO!"

Luz and Anne flashed forward, striking Voshyr in the face and knocking her to the ground. Ayriax tried to attack Anne from behind but she floated backwards and, in a blink of an eye, peppered Ayriax with hundreds of blows before appearing behind her, keeping a nonchalant stance. Each of these blows let off an explosive blasts of energy, tearing holes in Ayriax's body.

Yshra tried to attack Luz but at a speed Yshra couldn't read, Luz drew a magic circle and from it, a beam of golden energy fired, piercing Yshra's stomach. She swung her staff backwards, enacting a force of telekinetic energy that drew Yshra forward before forming a bubble around herself. She rocketed forward, smashing against Yshra's face. Yshra was sent spiraling down to the ground hitting it with a slam.

The two of them landed blinking as they looked down at their hands, realizing the power they had reclaimed. Luz's friends rushed to her while Anne's friends did the same. Eda landed as well.

Eda said, "Kid...I'm 90% sure there's a full story here, but I don't care about that. We just need to get you out of here."

Voshyr rose from the ground and cackled. Yshra and Ayriax did the same. They surrounded the group who assumed battle ready stances.

Voshyr said, "This is only the beginning. If our lives were the price to see our King's will done...then that is the price we must pay. But we'll leave one last parting gift."

Each of them drew their long fingers towards their necks, and pierced their throats. Voshyr slammed her free hand on the ground, tearing open a portal rift underneath Luz and Anne. The two of them fell in, but Sasha and Marcy tried to grab Anne while Amity jumped for Luz. Eda tried to jump to grab Amity, but she disappeared through the portal, as did Sasha and Marcy before it closed.

Eda cried out, "LUZ!"

Hunter, Willow, and Gus began searching the ground where the portal stood for signs of a clue to open it again, but to no avail.

Eda turned to Voshyr, "Unless you want me to accelerate that death you're gonna tell me where you sent them right now!"

Voshyr smiled a wicked smile.

"Who knows? You'll never find them. But don't worry. He will..."

She coughed up blood and with her last strength she said, "Never underestimate, a father's vengeance..."

With one last breath she fell dead along with her children. The Hive threat had been cleared from their world, but that was little comfort when the children were lost to who knows where.

One of the soldiers approached the owl lady and said, "Excuse me Miss. Are you the leader of these witch girls?"

Eda raised an eyebrow. "Depends on who's asking..."

One of the soldiers pulled out a tablet, showing Mr. X's face. Mr. X said, "Ooh if it isn't more extraterrestrial life."

If Eda's eyebrow could raise any higher, it would. She said, "Who are you?"

Mr. X said, "None of your business right now. All you need to know is that we're actively seeking a way to find those kids and where they went. The nice thing about that girl's Calamity power is that it is easy to track. If you'll follow my men, they'll take you back to our base, and we can get started."

Raine walked up to Eda and they said, "If there's a chance we can save that girl we have to take it."

Eda nodded and said, "You think Lilith can run the school for a few more days without us?"

Raine smiled and said, "I think we can swing that."

Darrius said, "While I respect the extreme faith you have in Lilith, I am going to go back and keep an eye on her. Bring that girl back safely, Eda."

Eda nodded.

Hunter said, "We're coming too."

Gus said, "Don't even try to talk us out of it."

Eda said, "Do you realize how irresponsible it would be to continuously bring kids into danger?! Of course you're coming with!"

With that, the group took off for the FBI Base.

LOCATION UNKNOWN

Luz looked around, rubbing her head from the fall, she looked at her hands and realized she was still in her Titan form. She turned to see Anne who was also just waking up, in her Calamity form. Sasha, Marcy, and Amity slowly arose.

Luz looked around, not recognizing the frozen snowy forest they had landed in.

Luz simply said, "Where are we?"

END OF EPISODE ONE