A/N: For those wondering, I've decided; much like her VA, Amity will be Pan. She'll also be paired with a male love interest in this AU. My reason? It's Fanfiction, deal with it. If you can't accept that, stop following. Just don't start sending me hatemail, because I WILL block you. As I stated before, Idc what the creator said. This is MY story, I'm doing it MY way. You can't make me quit! EVER!

*Sigh* Sorry, had to get that off my chest. I'd like to take the time to thank Cowboy Alchemist and Chance Green G King for their support in their regard. Anyway, been looking forward to this one chapter in particular, and you'll see why.

Now enough with this foolishness, let's get this started. I do not own Owl House, Super Sentai or any of the songs mentioned. Yeah that's right! There's more songs featured in this chapter! Pull 'em up on Youtube if you wanna go for the full experience

Update: I recently edited some parts of this chapter. Those who've been following this story since the beginning will notice

GET EXCITED!

Text Legend:

"Attacks/Moves"

Sound Effects

Singing

Flashback

Chapter 3 You Give Wizards A Bad Name

The following morning, as she slept in her newfound living quarters within the Owl House, Luz began to dream. In her mind, flashes of the previous days events began to play out; Following after Owlbert through the portal door into Eda's tent, entering the Owl House for the first time, riding on the magic staff, watching as Ash as he broomsurfed through the air, and finally her encounter with the mysterious masked wizard hero everyone called MagiRed.

Suddenly, just as the dream ended, Luz awakened. Gasping as she opened her eyes, she looked around to see that she was still in the room that had been lent to her.

"It wasn't a dream"! She cheered as King snored away at the end of her sleeping bag. She immediately went over and opened the window behind her.

"Good morning, terrifying fantasy world", she said, greeting the day.

"Good morning", greeted a grotesque multi-eyed monster, waving before it sank into the ocean.

Luz let out a startled gasp as she reeled back a bit. Seconds later, she walked over to the slumbering little demon and picked him up, waking him in the process.

"Good morning, you little cutie-pie", Luz said warmly before peppering his noggin with kisses.

"I am not your cutie-pie"! King protested, pushing her away as she kissed him.

"Yes, you are", Luz cooed as she gave him a hug.

She then sat him back down on the sleeping bag and then walked off.

"I know", King sighed as he plopped back down on his stomach.

Later, once she was fully dressed, Luz made her way to the bathroom. As she reached for the door, she was suddenly met with the sound of music.

Paint your smile on your lips

Blood red nails on your fingertips

A school boy's dream, you act so shy

Your very first kiss was your first kiss goodbye

"Is that...Bon Jovi"? Luz asked in disbelief.

Whoa, you're a loaded gun

Whoa, there's nowhere to run

No one can save me

The damage is done

As Luz opened the door to the bathroom, she saw that Ash was already in there with a CD Player blasting the song that she was hearing. He was bereft of his red hoodie and wearing a grey t-shirt and black sweatpants. His hair was a bit damp, indicating he had recently taken a shower. The biggest takeaway was that he was dancing and lip synching to the lyrics of the song that was playing. Luz pressed her hand to her mouth, trying her hardest not to laugh as she watched the young wizard pretend to sing into the hairbrush in his hand and dance in place.

Shot through the heart

And you're to blame

You give love a bad name (bad name)

I play my part and you play your game

You give love a bad name (bad name)

You give love, oh

As the guitar solo part of the song began to play, Ash noticed out of the corner of his eye that the door was open. He then slowly turned his head to see not Eda or King but Luz standing there, her cheeks puffed up as she tried to retain her composure and not bust out laughing. Ash quickly turned off the CD player before it could continue and looked at her with an awkward expression.

"Uhhh...mornin' Luz", Ash said nervously.

"Heh...G-guh...good morning", Luz said, a laugh escaping her lips.

"Th-that was uhh...I was just...", Ash stammered, trying to come up with a good excuse.

"Heheheh, it's okay, Ash, I sometimes start my mornings off the same way", Luz chuckled, "Hey, if you want, we could do a duet"?

"Ahahaha, maybe some other time"! Ash declined nervously, quickly picking up the CD player, "I uh, I should really get started on breakfast".

"Okay, heheheh", Luz said, releasing one last chuckle as Ash quickly passed her.

Once he was gone, Luz let loose the laughter she was holding back. Though that wasn't quite the way what she expected to encounter on her first day on the Boiling Isles, it was entertaining nonetheless. Wiping the tears forming in her eye, she hadn't noticed someone else had entered the bathroom until she was met with the sight of Hooty.

"Hi, Luz"!

"Aaaaah"! Luz screamed before delivering a karate chop to Hooty's face.

"Ow! I'm just wishing you a good morning", Hooty said as he pulled himself back to the front door, "Jeez! Hoot! Ow"!

"Sorry, Hooty"! Luz apologized.

The young human then looked at her Azura book which lay on the bathroom counter. She then picked it up, flipped it open to a headshot of Azura and looked into the mirror. "This is it, old girl", she said holding the open book up in front of her face, "Your first day on the Boiling Isles, as a Witch Apprentice! Hyah"!

Soon after, she made her way to a closet. As she slowly opened the door, she had her eyes covered.

"Please have witchy clothes, please have witchy clothes, please have witchy clothes", she said in anticipation.

As soon as she removed her hand from her eyes, she saw that the closet did indeed have a vast trove of "witchy clothes" and other various items associated with witches and the like.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes"! Luz screamed with glee.

After writing "Witch Apprentice Luz" on a name tag, she stuck it to her chest. Once the final touch was added, Luz was now wearing a black robe tied held at her waist with a red sash and a black witch's hat. The Dominican teen squealed with excitement as she stood at the bottom of a staircase. The sound of a toilet flushing was heard. Following that, a shadow appeared on the wall before Eda appeared, yawning before she slouched a bit.

"Hmm"? She said tiredly as she saw Luz at the bottom of the stairs.

"Good morning, Eda the Owl Lady", Luz said eagerly" "I am ready for my first day of Witch Apprenticeship"!

"Ugh"! Eda moaned as she shook a bunch of spiders out of her hair before picking another one out of her ear.

She then said something that made the whole situation very awkward.

"Who are you, again"?

"Huh"? Luz said, confused as her name tag fell to the floor.

Later, in the kitchen, Ash, who now wore his usual outfit, was just finishing up breakfast. King was now sitting in his highchair, with a plate full of eyeball-covered mush in front of him. Ash had now finished the final serving and, after grabbing two other full plates, he went over and sat down at the table with them. As he ate, in walked a tired Eda with Luz trailing behind her.

"Remember me? Luz"? Luz said,grunting as a floating coffee cup hit her in the back of the head", We freed the oppressed and defeated the evil warden together? Yesterday"?

Ash picked up a bottle that was at the table and walked up to Eda as she stood at the fridge. Opening the bottle with a loud pop, he poured the contents into her mug.

"Thanks, Ash", she said before turning to Luz, "Kid, lay off the details. I haven't even had my cup of apple blood yet".

"You mean apple juice"? Luz asked in confusion.

"No", Eda and Ash replied.

Eda and Ash then walked over to the table, the young wizard got back in his seat while Eda sat down on the table and took a sip from her mug. Ash slid a plate over to her which she picked up without even looking.

"Sorry about that, Luz, she's not really a morning person like me", Ash said, taking a bite from his omelet, "Anyway, breakfast is ready. Hurry up and eat before it gets-huh"?

Before Ash could finish his sentence, he finally got a good look at what Luz was now dressed in.

"Uhhh, what are you wearing"? Ash asked.

"Witchy clothes. It's my first day as an apprentice so I wanna do it right", Luz replied before turning back to Eda, "Teach me some spells! When do I get a magic staff? Was I supposed to bring my own runes"?

She then gasped as she leaned against the older witch.

"Do you have a dangerous magical quest for me"?! She asked eagerly.

Ash couldn't help but laugh at the young human's excitement, recalling how he was the same way when he first met Eda long ago.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down, kid", Eda said, gently pushing the girl off her, "Being a witch doesn't happen overnight. Also, you're wrapped in a bathrobe and wearing the dirtiest traffic cone I've ever seen".

Luz pulled off her hat and, after blowing off the immense amount of dust on it, revealed that it was, in fact, an old traffic cone.

King, who was now fighting with his food, saw this and laughed.

"Sorry, Luz", Ash said, looking up from his food, "I've been meaning to finish labeling the closets. Would've saved you the trip".

Luz then looked over at Ash, who scooted down from his seat to the spot next to him, sliding his plate down the line with him. He then pulled up the last plate of breakfast food along with a clean fork. He then patted on the now empty spot next to him.

"Come on, sit down and have some breakfast", he said with a smile, "I made a plate for you and everything".

"Awww, thanks Ash", Luz said, sitting down next to him.

She looked down at the omelet, bacon strips, and hashbrowns that lay on her plate.

"Looks good", she noted as she picked up her fork.

After cutting a slice of the omelet, she lifted it up to her lips and, after placing it in her mouth, her eyes widened.

"And it tastes really good, too"! Luz said, before eagerly taking some more bites, "You really know how to cook"!

"Ehh, it's actually the only other thing I know how to make", Ash said sheepishly, "Everything else I try to make ends up getting burned to a crisp, or worse".

"Well, I'm still impressed", Luz said, swallowing before she spoke again, "So what's the other thing you know how to make"?

"Ramen", Ash replied.

"PFFFFFFT"!

Luz had suddenly done a spit take, releasing whatever food she had in her mouth. Everyone was immediately surprised, but Ash was the most caught off-guard. Even more so as Luz looked at him with a shocked expression.

"You have Ramen here"? She asked, immediately intrigued, "Wait, bigger news, you know how to make Ramen"?!

"Uhhh, yeah", Ash said nervously, "I mean, we don't exactly have all the ingredients for me to make some that's accurate to what you have in the human world, but I've managed to make my own version".

"Please say you'll make me some"! Luz pleaded as she leaned against him, "PLEASE"?!

"Anytime you want", Ash replied calmly with a smile.

"Eeeee! You're the best"! Luz squealed as she embraced Ash in a hug.

Ash was surprised but shrugged it off as he smiled and patted her on the back. Eda rolled her eyes at this, rather entertained by the display. Later, once they had all finished breakfast, Eda turned her attention back to her newfound apprentice. She took a sip from her mug before speaking.

"So, a magic staff, huh"? She said, not noticing a bit of Apple Blood remained on her upper lip, "You really want one"?

"More than anything", Luz said with determination.

Eda smiled as she wiped off her lip.

"Magic staff, come to me"! She commanded as she held out her hand.

For a second, nothing happened and everyone stood or sat there in awkward silence. Then sound of things crashing in the other room was heard, making them all slowly turn to the sound. Ash groaned as he knew there would be yet another mess he had to clean up. Seconds later, Eda's staff flew into the room and smacked her in the face, causing her to let out a startled yelp as it clattered to the ground. Seeing this made Ash laugh a bit. Eda grunted as she picked up her the staff, giving it a spin before tapping it on the ground.

"It's early", Eda said before glaring at Ash who was still laughing.

Upon seeing his caretaker glaring at him, Ash immediately ceased laughing.

"Now, witches are awarded their staffs from school", Eda said, addressing Luz, "With me as your teacher, you'll be taking a different approach".

It was then the Owl Lady dropped a bag of glass bottles full of potions and other various things onto the floor.

"You'll have to work for it", Eda said as Luz picked up the bag.

Eda then led Luz out of the kitchen and into the living room, with Ash trailing behind. Luz carried the bag of potions with her as she followed the older witch.

"I run a few businesses", Eda explained as they walked over to the fireplace, "On weekends, I offer rare human treasures that Owlbert and Ash drag over from your side of the realm".

She then grabbed a toy sword that lay atop the fireplace mantle and pressed a button near the pommel.

"I shall smite my enemies! Ages six to eleven", said the sword.

Eda then tossed the sword over Luz's head.

"But most days I sell only the finest homemade elixirs and potions", Eda continued.

Luz then pulled a bottle from the bag and looked at it.

"Snake oil", She said reading the label.

"I know how it sounds, but it's actually a pretty basic commodity over here", Ash piped up.

"Yep, no one wants an un-oiled snake", Eda confirmed, "Follow me".

The three of them made their way outside and onto a balcony that overlooked a large town.

"Today you'll deliver packages and sell potions to that town over there, Bonesborough", Eda instructed, motioning her staff over to the town in the distance, "You'll have to be careful. I have rivals everywhere who'd love to take my business down and you along with it. You wanted a dangerous magical quest? Sister, you've got one".

"I won't let you down, Miss Eda", Luz said with a salute, not noticing the bag of potions had slipped out of her grip.

Ash had managed to catch it, but due to the weight of the bag increasing as it dangled over the side, he suddenly found himself unable to keep his stance.

"Ah, oh! OH NO, NO! AAH! AAAAAAH"! Ash screamed as he was dragged over the side of the balcony by the heavy bag and fell.

Luz and Eda watched in horror as the young wizard boy fell off the balcony to the ground below. They both winced as he hit the ground with a thud.

"I'm okay"! Ash called out weakly, "...mostly".

"I'm sure", Eda said flatly looking at Luz.

The young human girl smiled sheepishly at her mentor.

...

Later, Eda used her magic to make Ash, and the bag, float back up to the balcony and, after making sure Ash was alright, led Luz back into the living room, nudging her towards the door.

"Remember, never befriend a man in sandals and always measure twice, cut once", Eda instructed.

"Uh...", Luz said, unsure of what to say.

"Good luck"! Eda said as she slammed the door.

After dusting off her hands, the Owl Lady then turned her attention to Ash.

"So, you going with her"? Eda asked, turning to Ash.

"I'll show her the way into town, but that'll be it", Ash said, going over to the coat rack and taking off a brown blazer from one of the hooks, "I'm gonna be busy looking for a new job today".

"You sure you don't wanna hold off on that for a while"? Eda asked, "I mean there's no rush for you to join the work force right away. You're still only a teenager, y'know".

"I know, Eda, but I still gotta be able to kick in around here", Ash said, adjusting the collar, "Besides, you know I'm saving up".

"Right, for your "Dream Fund" or whatever", Eda noted, remembering the many times he'd talked about it, "Just remember what I taught you about job hunting".

"Hope for the best, expect the worse, and never accept a job that offers a lot of money and gives no other information regarding the details", Ash knowingly listed off.

"Attaboy", Eda said, giving him a pat on the shoulder before turning her attention to King who slept quietly on a chest next to the front door.

"I hate to interrupt your power nap, but you have to go with her", Eda said, waking King up.

"What? But I just found the perfect spot", King protested, "Why do I have to go"?

"Because Ash is gonna be too busy with his job-hunting thing to watch out for her, and we all know she's either going to get lost or eaten, probably both", Eda explained.

"No, I won't"! Luz called from outside, squishing her face against the window as she did so.

The three of them were all a little startled by this. Eda, who regained composure first, used her magic to pull the blinds down over the window.

"And because you work for me too", Eda pointed out, "Unless you want to start paying rent".

King threw a short tantrum before stomping out the door with Ash following after him.

"Be back by nightfall or risk mortal peril", Eda said warmly, "And good luck with the job-hunt, Ash".

And with that said, Eda slammed the door once more.

"Have a nice trip"! Hooty added.

"Ugh! Let's get this over with", King groaned as he walked away with Luz and Ash tailing him.

Later, as they made their way towards town through the forest, Ash and Luz decided to pass the time with some small talk.

"So, you still have those medals"? Luz asked.

"Yeah, I wanna wait until I find the perfect spot to bury them", Ash replied.

"Guess there's a lot of planning involved in making a memorial", Luz realized, "What kind of medals are they supposed to be, anyway"?

"Oh, those were used to signify the members' ranks", Ash answered.

"Their ranks"? Luz repeated, "Magitopia had a ranking system"?

"Oh sure", Ash explained, "We were collectively known as Magis, but there were 5 levels that all answered to the Coven's Council, the head of which was known as the Heavenly Arch Saint. The first basic three were Bronze Star, Silver Star, and Gold Star. The Bronze Star members were the beginner apprentices. The Silver Star members were the intermediate and more experienced apprentices. Last were the Gold Stars, who held the rank of master, and were the greatest of the three in terms of experience and magic power".

"And the other two"? Luz inquired.

"They're part of the Elite tier", Ash answered, "First, are the Magirangers. If you're curious about how good they are, let me remind you that you already became acquainted with one back at the Conformatorium".

"You mean MagiRed"? Luz asked, thinking back to last night.

"Yep", Ash nodded, "He's one of the best there ever was. Now, the ones like him, the ones with his rank, are very different from the other members".

"Different how"? Luz questioned.

"Two reasons; First of all, the symbol that stands for his rank looks like this", Ash replied, taking out his wand.

Using his magic, Ash created a small fireball that took the form of a unicursal hexagram that glowed golden brown.

"Ooohhh", Luz said, marveling at the magic construct.

"I know they have another name for it in the human world, but around here, we call it the "MagiStar". As for the second reason, the way to become a Magi isn't exactly easy", Ash continued, dissipating the firey star with a wave of his hand.

"And why's that"? Luz asked, tilting her head to the side.

"They have to be chosen", Ash answered.

"Chosen like, have their names picked out of a hat or something"? Luz asked, raising a brow.

"Oh uh, heh, no, not like that", Ash said with a chuckle, "They have to be chosen by the highest of our order".

Ash then created another fireball which once again took the form of a unicursal hexagram. This was one was different though; It shined bright silver and sparkled as if it were made of starlight. In the middle of the star was the M-shaped symbol for Magitopia.

"The Heavenly Saints", Ash said, "The wisest, smartest, and strongest members of Magitopia".

"Okay, that's a really cool title", Luz said in awe.

"I know, right"? Ash said as he made the flame-built construct disappear, "Anyway, the Magirangers are chosen by the Heavenly Saints. When that happens, they are granted a small portion of the Saints' magic power. Other Magis may be able to call upon the Saints' power in dire situations, if they're lucky, and some of them are even able to transform, like MagiRed".

"So wait, not all Magis get to be able to transform? That's kind of a bummer", Luz said bluntly.

"Heh, I guess it kinda is, in a way", Ash chuckled, "The only type where all the members can transform are the Heavenly Saints".

"And how does one become a Heavenly Saint, exactly"? Luz asked.

"Well, it takes a lot of time and effort", Ash explained, "Your magic must evolve far beyond your expectations. Then there's a lot of spiritual stuff, and you kinda talk to the universe and...some other philosophical stuff".

"That explanation kind of sounded like it broke down at the end", Luz pointed out.

"Okay, so I don't know all the details, it's above my paygrade, so sue me", Ash huffed.

"That's okay, I get it, totally get it", Luz assured, waving it off, "Still, sounds really cool. So uhhh, what was your rank"?

"Mine"? Ash said, pointing towards himself before grinning, "I became a proud member of the Silver Star class at the age of 10".

"Nice"! Luz complimented, immediately impressed, "You were that gifted at such a young age?! That's amazing"!

"Well, not really", Ash said nervously, scratching the back of his head, "It didn't really start out that way for me".

"What do you mean"? Luz asked, confused at the rather cryptic statement.

Before Ash could answer, King called out to the two teens.

"Hey, you two! I don't know what you guys are talking about back there but hurry it up! You're falling behind"! Shouted the little demon.

"Coming, King"! Ash called back, "More on that later. Let's catch up to King".

"Alright then", Luz conceded as she and Ash both quickened their pace.

...

Later, the trio had, at last, arrived at their destination.

"Well, looks like we made it, and without running into a single monster or bandit too", Ash noted as they walked through an archway, "Luz Noceda, welcome to Bonesborough".

As Ash motioned around, Luz got a took a good, long look around. Compared to yesterday, she got an even better look at the town. Various types of demons and humanoid creatures passed by her, and Luz stared at all of them in amazement.

"Hey, it's rude to stare", King said, regaining her attention.

"I've only seen places like this in my dreams. It's incredible! And I'm the only human here"? Luz asked, still in awe of the town.

"Well, to our knowledge, yes", Ash replied.

"Haven't seen any others", King added, shrugging his shoulders.

"Wow! There must be a reason for that, right"? Luz said, setting the bag down," Why am I here? What if I, Luz Noceda, average teen, actually had...".

The Dominican teen then let out an excited gasp.

"A predetermined path of greatness"? Luz said, throwing her hands up in the air dramatically, "Just. Like. Azura"!

Ash and King both exchanged a doubtful look before turning back to Luz.

"Yeah, did Azura's path to greatness involve her delivering boil cream"? King asked rhetorically, picking up a bottle labeled "Boil B' Gone" from the sack.

"Today I'm delivering packages, but tomorrow I'll be earning the respect of everyone on the Boiling Isles with my magical prowess", Luz said with passionate optimism as she twirled around.

Ash couldn't help but smile. Seeing the young human talk with such lively energy and optimism reminded him of himself. Sensing a chance to aid his fellow apprentice, Ash decided to put in his own thoughts.

"Well, it could be predetermined, or it may just be something else entirely", Ash said vaguely.

"Hmm? What's that mean? What else could it be"? Luz asked before gasping, "You know something, don't you"!?

"Hahaha, well, I don't really know anything per se, it's more like a feeling", Ash replied, refusing to let anything slip.

"Oh come on! You're my senior! You're supposed to help me with stuff like this"! Luz pleaded, latching onto his arm and shaking him.

"And as your senior, I know you're not gonna learn anything if I just up and tell you the answer before you figure it out for yourself", Ash stated calmly as he removed himself to Luz's grip, "Anyway, I'm gonna go start my job hunt. Think about what I said to you and see if you can't come up with the answer".

"And if I can't, then will you tell me the answer"? Luz asked hopefully.

"Mayyyybe", Ash teased, "Alright King, you're in charge of looking after Luz while I'm off doing my thing. We'll meet up for lunch later".

"Yeah yeah, I got it", King said passively as Ash walked away from them.

"Hmph, I wish he'd just tell me the answer already", Luz pouted before adopting a warm and optimistic tone, "But I guess whether or not I know doesn't mean that I won't eventually be a witch".

"Ha! Good luck", King said unconvinced, "The Boiling Isles is nothing but a cesspool of despair".

"More like a cesspool of delight"! Luz countered as she took the bottle of boil cream from King and put it back in the sack before hefting it over her shoulder.

She then looked around and, after stopping in the direction of the market, she walked up to a centaur holding a pumpkin.

"What has four hooves and wants to buy a potion? This guy"! Luz said, pointing up at the centaur's face.

The centaur let out a sigh before lowering the pumpkin to reveal his face was on his chest.

"My eyes are down here", he huffed.

Luz exclaimed in total surprise, not expecting that to happen.

The next few hours consisted of Luz getting into even more awkward, and relatively weird, situations, such as a doorbell nearly eating her arm. Meanwhile, Ash's job hunt was bearing no fruit. Despite the phrases that Eda had taught him to use, such as;

"I just really admire what you guys do"!

"I've always wanted to work in this type of service industry"!

"I'm the only one in my family that's able to work, okay"?!

Regardless of whatever he said, he kept getting turned down. Thankfully, it was lunchtime when Ash had finally finished his job hunt. He had met Luz and King at a Not Dog stand on a curb outside where his last interview was held. Both Ash and King were scarfing down a Not Dog, the former frowning as he ate slowly while the latter scarfed his own down with enthusiasm.

"7 walk ins and only one of them wanted me to come back for a possible interview", Ash said as he crammed down the last of his Not Dog, "Better than nothing I guess".

"Well, I know I've had enough delight for one day", King piped up.

Luz sighed.

"I thought being the only human in a magical world would make me special", She began sadly, "But apparently, it just makes everyone want to scream at me or..."

The young human stopped and held up her arm to reveal a small-winged creature biting her elbow.

"Eat me", she finished.

Seeing this, Ash whipped out his wand and conjured a small fireball that flew towards the creature. Upon making contact, the now singed creature screeched in pain before dropping to the ground dead.

"Thanks", Luz said.

"No problem", Ash replied before putting his wand away, "And Luz, you gotta remember that this is all just part of the basic grunt work. Every magic user of every type has to earn their stripes. Like Eda said, being a witch doesn't happen overnight".

"I know", Luz sighed as she opened her book, "But at this point, Azura had already been sent on an enchanted quest. Where's my quest-granting wizard"?

"Sorry to break it to you, Luz, but no one here is that well-dressed", King pointed out.

"He's right, Luz", Ash said, "Your path to being a witch may have some similarities to your hero, Azura, but in the end, it's all made from the choices you make. You can't expect things to happen the same way. I had to find that out the hard way".

"You're already a wizard though, and a pretty good one too", Luz pointed out, "What more could you accomplish"?

"There's a lot more that I wanna get done around here, Luz", Ash said looking up at the sky for a moment, "So much more. And don't forget, I may be a wizard, but I'm not some master class type like the Wizard Saints. Compared to how they were, I'm still only a beginner".

As surprising as that was, it wasn't much to lift Luzs' spirits. She knew that Ash meant well, but there wasn't much comfort in those words.

"Well, this has been a rough day", Luz said, getting to her feet and hefting the potions sack over her shoulder with a grunt.

After taking out a piece of paper, she headed down the alley to her right, with King and Ash following close behind.

"Let's just deliver this last package and go home", Luz relented, "Maybe this world isn't what I thought it wa—"

As Luz reached the end of the alley which was blocked off by a pair of curtains, she gasped as she saw what lay behind them. Ahead of them stood a large white walled castle with golden banners. It was seemingly illuminated by sunlight.

"Pretty"! She said in awe.

"Kinda hurts my eyes", Ash stated, covering his face a bit.

After approaching the large, towering front doors, Luz pressed the golden doorbell. Upon hearing the chime, the doors slowly opened up.

"Big houses always belong to big whackjobs", King said as Luz went inside, "Let's kick the package inside and get outta here".

"King, be nice", Ash chided as he followed after Luz, "Besides, I think we're playing this one by ear for now".

Though, in truth, the young wizard couldn't help but ignore the bad vibe he was getting from this place. Years spent living with Eda helped hone his instincts, and right now there were telling him that something about this place wasn't right.

"Hello"? Luz called out into the long, empty hallway.

"Hey, wait for me"! King said, running after them, yelping as the doors slammed behind him, "Weh"!

"I-Is anyone home"? Ash asked aloud, "Door was open, so we let ourselves in! Well, the doors technically opened forus but either way"!

"I-I'm delivering a package from Miss Eda, the Owl Lady", Luz said as she entered another room, "Huh"?

Lanterns around the room came to life, revealing it to be a massive library. They illuminated a grand staircase, above which is a painting of a wizard with tanned skin, a long white beard and glasses. He wore a purple robe with gold stars and a matching purple hat. To their surprise, the very wizard entered in the same pose he has in the painting. His name was Adegast.

"Today just got good", Luz said with a gasp.

"Magical wizard"! Luz said excitedly, dancing in place.

"Weird old man in jim-jams", King said flatly.

"And...sandals"? Ash added, rather perturbed, "Oh! Uhh, sorry for barging in".

"No harm done. I was in my oscillarium, reading the stars", Adegast said as he walked down the stairs, "And who might you be, with eyes full of curiosity"?

"Uh, I-I'm-", Luz began.

"Young lady, dareth I say, I sense something unique about you", Adegast said, running up to the three friends and casting his attention to Luz.

Using his magic, the old wizard summoned some chairs and a table of snacks.

"Please, won't you join me for tea"? He offered as he sat down in his own chair.

Ash was a bit hesitant, unsure of how to respond. Skeptical as he was, it was hard for him to ignore good hospitality, especially when it came from a fellow wizard.

"Okay", Luz said with a gasp.

The young human stopped as she suddenly felt King pull at her leg.

"Let's scram"! King hissed, climbing up and setting himself on Luz's shoulder, "Wizards are just old people with glitter in their pockets".

"Hey! I'm a wizard and I'll have you know I find that stereotype to be unfounded and highly offensive", Ash said, glaring at King.

Adegast then proceeded to take a handful of glitter out of his pocket before dropping it on the floor. After seeing this, Luz and King looked over at Ash, who looked quite displeased now that his argument hit a snag.

"Well, I mean, it's not like we all keep glitter in our pockets, so it's still offensive to assume so out loud"! Ash hissed.

"Okay, fine, sorry", King apologized before turning back to Luz, "My point is, I don't trust him".

"But the stars on his robe are sparkling", Luz countered in a gushing manner, "And look, there's a baby fox in his beard".

Upon looking closer, there was indeed a little giggling fox tucked away in Adegasts' beard.

"Let's not be quick to jump to conclusions, King", Ash reasoned, "So far, it doesn't seem like he's someone we should worry about".

"See? Ash's with me", Luz pointed out, "Plus, I see scones on the table".

"Where"?! King said eagerly, before scurrying over to the treat filled table.

As the little demon began to merrily munch on the assorted confectionary treats, Luz and Ash walked over to their seats.

"Oh, Ilove scones"! Ash cheered as he took his own seat.

Luz then watched as Ash ran over to the table and helping himself to some of the assorted baked goods, nearly having to fight off King for some of them.

"We'd love to join you for tea", Luz said, placing the bag of potions next to her as she sat down.

"But not for long", Ash spoke up, as he sat down in one of the other chairs and crammed a scone in his mouth, "I've got an interview to prepare for later".

"Interview? I'm surprised", Adegast said, stroking his beard, "As a fellow wizard, I'd have thought you'd be too wrapped up in your studies to even think about employment, and at such a young age, as well".

"How'd you know I was a wizard, too"? Ash said, taking one of the teacups from off the table.

"I may be old, but you can't fool these eyes", Adegast chuckled as he adjusted his glasses, "I've been around long enough to be able to recognize one of my own".

"Well, umm...let's just say I've decided to follow a more...unorthodox path", Ash said, hesitantly, "Besides, I've always enjoyed working for the people. I feel like I get more satisfaction helping them out any way I can".

"Well then, I must say, it does my old heart good to hear that", Adegast said warmly, "With spirit like yours, I daresay you're well on your way to great things, my boy".

"Well...thank you", Ash said, sipping his tea hesitantly.

"Oh you don't even know"! Luz said, "Ash is amazing! He may only be my age, but he can cast some fire spells like you wouldn't believe"!

"Luz", Ash whined, rather embarrassed.

Luz then noticed a cart of potions next to her.

"Do you sell potions, Sir Wizard"? She asked.

"Please, call me Adegast. Ma'am, yes, I run a small business", replied the older wizard.

"You should run a small business of more scones into my mouth, haha, yes"! King said, holding up an empty plate.

"King, behave yourself", Ash scolded softly as he reached over and procured one of the cupcakes that King had missed.

"I'm surprised to see you here", Adegast said, waving off King's rambunctiousness, "It was my understanding that Eda delivered the packages herself".

"Well, I'm kinda, sorta, her apprentice", Luz replied.

"Newest apprentice", Ash corrected, "I am too".

"Oh! And how are you finding the experience so far"? Adegast inquired.

Ash and Luz exchanged a look, unsure of who should answer first. Being the "senior" apprentice, Ash decided to speak first.

"Honestly, sometimes it feels like it's more trouble than it's worth", Ash said bluntly, "But...I couldn't leave her if I tried. Besides, she'd probably end up in jail without me around, y'know what I mean"?

"Indeed", Adegast chuckled before turning to Luz, "And what about you"?

Luz, who had been holding a fake grin up until this point, let out a long sigh.

"Can I be honest, Mr. Adegast"? She began, "When I decided to stay in this magical world, I thought I was meant for something special. But so far, Eda thinks I'm meant for chores and I'm afraid I came to the wrong place".

"Aww Luz", Ash said, putting his hand on her shoulder, "You know that's not true. Eda's just got her own way of doing things. Take it from someone who's known her almost their whole life; you can't expect things to click for you right way".

As much as Luz wanted to share in his statement, she couldn't help but feel downcast as she stared down into her tea. She then noticed Adegast in the reflection.

"He's right", Adegast said with a smile, "Also, I have a quest-".

"A quest"?! Luz asked hopefully, shooting up from her chair and dropping knocking over her cup in the process.

"You didn't let me finish", Adegast chuckled, "I have a question".

"Oh", Luz said.

"Sorry about the cup", Ash apologized.

"Oh it's quite alright", Adegast assured before turning back to Luz, "Anyway, would you like to go on a quest"?

"Yes"! Luz exclaimed.

The two teens then watched as Adegast reached into his beard and pulled out a scroll.

"I might have just the thing", Adegast said as he then unraveled the scroll.

It looked like some sort of map. But not one that Ash had ever seen before. At the very top, past a town, a small village and then a forest, was a depiction of a white staff. Its' placement instantly indicated some sort of importance.

"What kind of map is this"? Ash asked, looking at the map closely.

"A map that is tied to a prophecy", Adegast explained, "One that speaks of a young human girl who will claim the Celestial Staff and free this world from an ancient evil. Perhaps thou hath cometh here for a reason".

"Celestial Staff"? Ash thought.

"Perhaps I hath", Luz replied, taking the map.

"Should you believe yourself worthy to attempt this quest...", Adegast said, as he walked to the other side of the room.

"So worthy", Luz affirmed, following after Adegast.

"You need to know the road is dark and perilous", Adegast continued.

"Love peril, big fan of peril", Luz said eagerly, completely unphased.

"And only the Chosen One can pull the staff from its' post", Adegast concluded.

"Chosen one", Luz repeated.

It was then that King had walked up next to Luz, with the potion bag slung over his shoulder.

"Neat story, awesome. Anyway, your food is gone and we are, too", King announced

"Yes, we have to go", Luz agreed dully before switching to an eager tone, "And pack for this enchanted quest! I'm in".

"Wonderful", Adegast said.

Luz and King were the first ones to head for the exit. Ash was close behind him, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Adegast behind him.

"And what say you, young wizard"? Adegast asked as he released his grip on Ash's shoulder, "Do you plan to aid the human girl? I'm sure the experience will be...quite interesting for you".

Ash felt a chill run up his spine as he heard that last part. Those instincts he'd developed from living with Eda were kicking in once more. There was something about that that just didn't sit right, and the physical reaction he'd just had was proof. The whole thing was beginning to have the earmarks of a trap. Even so, seeing as it was too early to tell, the young wizard wasn't entirely sure. Either way, he couldn't allow Adegast to know he had his doubts, so he decided playing it safe was the best option for now.

"Well, I mean uhhh, I'd like to", Ash said, feigning nervousness, "But I can't just flake out on my job interview. That's important, too".

"I understand", Adegast said with a nod, "And I admire your commitment. Although, I'd hate for you to miss out on the adventure of a lifetime, you know".

"I'd hate to miss out too", Ash agreed, "But...well, maybe when I get home, I'll leave it to a game of chance. Like, maybe a simple toss of the coin".

"A fair decision", Adegast approved, "After all, some of the best choices we make in life are the ones made for us".

"Yes", Ash said in a low tone before turning to leave, "Well, I better catch up with them. Good day to you, fellow wizard".

"And you", Adegast said with a bow.

As Ash walked down the hallway towards the exit, he was going over everything that happened.

"Yeah, no doubt about it", he thought, "Nothing about this seems right at all. I wasn't sure before, but now, I agree with King. I don't trust him either".

Once the trio had returned to the Owl House, Luz went back to her room and was now packing for her epic quest while King got comfy atop Luz's rolled up sleeping bag.

"So, King, what kind of "Chosen One" should I be"? She asked the little demon.

"Huh? What"? King yawned as he settled down on the rolled up sleeping bag.

"Should I be full of optimism and goodness, like the Good Witch Azura"? Luz asked, picking up her book, "Or should I be like a bad girl Chosen One with black nail polish and a mysteriously withdrawn attitude"?

She then used the book as a sort of hand puppet.

"I act like I don't care, but I secretly do", she said in a fake voice.

Her attention shifted to the doorway as Ash entered, chuckling behind his hand.

"No need to change your personality", Ash said, "I think you make a pretty good Chosen One just the way you are"

"Awww, thanks Ash", Luz said gratefully.

"Oh, you guys talking about bad girls"? Eda asked, walking in and waving a severed blue arm, "Wait, what's going on"?

"Eda, tell Luz how dumb wizards are", King requested, standing on top of the sleeping bag.

"Ahem"! Ash huffed, clearing his throat.

"Oh! Uhh, present company excluded, of course", King said nervously, immediately realizing his slip of the tongue.

"Ugh! Wizards are the worst! Except for Ash", Eda said, waving around the severed arm and nearly hitting King with it, "Never trust a man in casual drapery. Why"?

"Your wizard client told Luz...", King said, stopping to laugh, "she was a- hahahahahaha- was a Chosen One"!

The King of demons fell down on the sleeping bag, unable to keep his laughter in any longer.

"Wait, wait, Luz"? Eda snickered.

The elder witch then fell back, joining in on the laughter. Meanwhile, Luz hid behind her book with an embarrassed blush on her face, while Ash looked at the laughing pair with a disappointed frown.

"He even gave her a map"! King howled.

"Come on, guys, knock it off", Ash chided as he crossed his arm.

"Alright, alright, hahaha", Eda said, recomposing herself as she got to her feet and walked over to Luz, "Let me see this map".

Luz, who was still a tad bit embarrassed, set her book down as she handed the rolled-up map to Eda. The Owl Lady looked it over for a moment.

"You didn't think this was real, did you"? Eda asked in disbelief.

"What"? Luz said.

"This map is bunk", Eda revealed, "There's no lake with a Celestial Staff on the Boiling Isles. I would have stolen it ages ago".

"Umm, yeah, about that", Ash spoke up, "I didn't wanna say anything but...I think it's fake too".

"What? Ash"! Luz said surprised.

"I'm sorry Luz! But I've never heard of any Celestial Staff, either! Nobody in my family ever talked about it! Not my mom, or anyone else. Honestly, I was hoping I was wrong for a second there".

Luz looked down at the floor, disheartened by this newfound information.

"Ah, don't worry", Eda reassured, placing a hand atop Luz's head, "Couple more months here and you won't look like such a mark".

"Can I have some time alone"? Luz asked sadly, lightly pushing Eda's hand away.

Eda shrugged before leaving the room. King hopped off the sleeping bag before following after Eda. Ash looked at Luz, who still looked in low spirits.

"Luz, I...", Ash began.

The young wizard tried to find the right comforting words, but unfortunately, nothing came to mind. He suddenly remembered his appointment and looked over at the door.

"Hey, I gotta get to my interview", he said, "When I get back, how about I take you for a ride on my broom? Might make ya feel better".

Luz simply shrugged in reply. Ash nodded before heading over to the door.

"You gonna be okay"? Ash asked, glancing back at her one last time.

Once again, Luz said nothing as she nodded her head. Ash then slowly closed the door, casting the room in shadow. Now alone, the young human ran a hand across the map in her hand.

"Maybe they were right", she said as she leaned against the wall before sliding down to the floor, "Huh"?

Luz was broken out of her gloomy state as she suddenly noticed something about the map. As a bit of sunlight from the window illuminated the page, the word "one" which was written in shining blue lettering appeared on one corner of the map. Luz then held the entire map up to the light a message which read;

"The chosen one The path will only appear to the worthy".

"The path will only appear to the worthy", Luz read before gasping, "That's why Eda couldn't see it. But am... I really worthy"?

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew the window open. The map then flew out of Luz's grasp and landed next to her Azura book. The wind flipped the pages to show Azura standing, loved and triumphant on a small hill, the people around her applauding as she held her staff to the sun. After seeing that, Luz's confidence was instantly restored as she smiled.

"I'll never know unless I try", she said determined.

...

Meanwhile, Ash had followed Eda and King into the living room. Feeling the need to say something, he softly marched over to them.

"Hey", he said, getting their attention, "I think you guys were a little hard on Luz".

"Oh come on! We were just looking out for her", Eda defended.

"Yeah, you were there, Ash! You know that guy was just trying to pull a fast one on her", King added.

"Maybe so, but you could've handled that a lot better", Ash replied.

"I was only being honest, Ash, you know that", Eda said.

"Yeah, I know but...", Ash began to say.

"But what"? Eda said, raising a brow.

"You didn't see the look she had when I left", Ash continued, "It was like...her dream was smashed to pieces, or something. I know you were just trying to help, but the way you went about it...made it sound like you don't believe in her. I know what that's like. Hell, that's the whole reason you found me in the first place. That's why I'm here".

Eda was suddenly caught off-guard by those last few words. As she thought back to how she and Ash first met all those years ago, she was now mentally kicking herself for how she handled the situation.

"Alright, alright", she sighed, "I'll talk to her".

"That's all I ask", Ash said with a grin, "Well, I gotta get to my job interview. Good luck trying to clean up your mess".

"Aww, get outta here already", Eda said, playfully shoving Ash as he left.

As the young wizard exited the Owl House, he couldn't help but notice a foul feeling growing in his gut. That usually meant something sinister was at work. Even though he couldn't confirm it, he knew he had to make sure Luz was safe. Once he was a few feet away from the Owl House, he took out his wand and aimed it at his shadow.

"Haven't had to use this spell for a while", Ash said to himself.

Using his wand, he drew a spell circle and, after giving it a light tap, a pale beam of light shot out from the tip onto his shadow. The outline of the dark Ash shaped silhouette then started to glow. Once the glowing had faded, his shadow now placed its' hands on its' hips, indicating that it was now sentient.

"Alright, here's the deal", Ash said looking down at his shadow, "Luz could be walking into danger. Unless of course, you trust Adegasts' words"?

The shadow shook its' head "no" in response.

"Good", Ash said, "You know what to do then. Keep an eye on Luz, and if she's in trouble, come straight back to me. And remember, you gotta stay out of sight for this, like a ninja".

The shadow did a ninja pose in response, making Ash chuckle.

"Okay, enough with your clowning, get on with it ya little joker", Ash chortled.

The shadow then saluted before stretching up off the ground, taking the shape of a black, see through figure that had Ash's shape. It then flew off, back towards the Owl House.

"Let's hope my fears are unjustified", Ash said as he continued on his way back into town.

"You don't think we were that mean, do you"? King asked, looking up at Eda.

"Well, if Mr. Secret Superhero seems to think so, then there must be some truth to it", Eda conceded.

"Yeah well, let's do that later", King said, going over to the couch and lying down, "All that mean‐spirited laughter made me sleepy".

A thought then occurred to Eda.

"Crony, wake up", she said, going over to King, "You said that wizard was one of my clients"?

"Yes, now go away", King said, tiredly opening one eye.

"I don't know him that well", Eda thought aloud, as she sat down on the couch with enough force to send King flying into the air for a moment, "And I don't trust this itch he's scratching in the human".

"Less talky, more nappy", King said, trying to get comfortable on the couch.

As the little demon attempted to fall asleep, Eda couldn't ignore the bad feeling she was getting from this. Looking up at the ceiling where Luz's room was, the Owl Lady couldn't deny that she was a bit worried about her newly acquired ward as she let out of a soft sigh. Deciding it was time to make good on her promise to Ash, as well as satisfy her own feelings of doubt, she went back upstairs to Luz's room.

"Hey Luz", she said as she opened the door to the human's room.

To her surprise, and despair, Eda was met with the sight of an empty room.

"Aw nuts", muttered the Owl Lady.

Without wasting a minute, Eda went over to the window.

"Hooty! Where'd she go"? She said, calling out for the Owl Houses' guardian.

"Hoot hoot"! Hooty said, stretching himself up to where Eda was, "Hoot, hoot. If you want the answer that you seek, solve my riddle within a week-OW"!

With a bemused look, Eda had slammed the outside wall hard enough to shake the whole house, leaving cracks in the wall. The Owl Lady was clearly in no mood for games.

"Okay, okay! She went into the forest towards Bonesborough! Sheesh"! Hooty said with a huff as he retracted back to the front door.

"Ugh"! Eda groaned.

Meanwhile, after a long walk from the Owl House, Luz now stood next to a sign that read "Leaving Bonesborough City Limits". Looking out at the view from the hill where she stood, she took a deep breath, ready to begin her adventure.

"My first mythical quest", she said to herself.

She then jumped down over the edge and slid down the inclined path on the hill. She then proceeded to hop over a fallen log. As she walked, a thick fog rolled in around her. Unbeknownst to Luz, a dark shadowy figure was following behind her. Ash's shadow, who had finally caught up to her, was doing its' duty and was keeping an eye on Luz. Keeping out of sight was easy, or so it thought as it suddenly stepped on a twig.

"Hm"? Luz hummed, turning her head towards the noise.

To her surprise, there was nothing there. Shrugging her shoulders, she turned back around. Meanwhile, Ash's shadow was now behind a tree. Wiping its' forehead in relief, it peeked out from behind the tree, continuing its' mission.

"Okay. Got my scroll, got my youthful optimism, got my trusty weapon", Luz listed off enthusiastically, pulling out the toy sword and hitting the button on it.

"By the power of Skullgar, I am out of battery", said the sword as its' tone lowered and the lights shut off.

In spite of her "trusty weapon" now lacking power, Luz pressed onward through the fog ducking under a branch and cutting down a vine in front of her.

"You know, I wonder if I made the right choice by coming here", Luz pondered, suddenly getting cold feet.

She then let out a gasp as she saw what lay ahead. In front of her stood a a village full of little cat people all dressed in colorful clothes. Luz walked through the village, beaming in awestruck wonder as she looked around. As she approached a fountain in the middle of the towns' square, a male witch with an eyepatch and a sword strapped to his waist emerged from out of the water, flipping wet hair out of his face.

"I see, so you're the Chosen One", he said with a scoff, "The Celestial Staff should've picked me, Nevareth Bladestrife, Teen Prince of Angstmore".

As Luz noticed his biceps, she immediately forgot about any second thoughts she may have had.

"Yes. Yes, I did make the right choice", she said with a newfound resolve, "Too bad Ash's missing out on the...adventure".

Meanwhile, Ash was back in Bonesborough, currently going through his interview. Though, at the moment, his mind was not on what his potential employer was currently telling him. His focus was on how Luz was doing at the moment. He knew there was a sort of kinship between them, having known firsthand how much it stings whenever people doubt you and what you can do.

"If it were me, I'd be going out to try and prove myself right about now", he thought, "Maybe I'm just overthinking this, but I can't shake this bad feeling since our meeting with that Adegast. Something about all that "Chosen One" stuff just seems too convenient. And if there was such a thing as a Celestial Staff, why wouldn't Mom or the others ever mention it? What if..."?

"Excuse me, Mr. Rugrid"?

Ash was quickly snapped back to reality as he faced his possible employer. An older man wearing rectangular glasses, an orange shirt beneath an apron, black pants, brown boots, and a name tag on his apron that said "Gilbert".

"Oh, sorry, Mr. Park, I was just...daydreaming"? Ash apologized, coming up with an excuse at the last minute.

"It's quite alright", Mr. Park said with a chuckle, "I have a daughter about your age. She goes through the same thing. You two go to the same school"?

"Ummm, no", Ash replied nervously, "I'm kinda homeschooled".

"I see", Mr. Park said with a nod, "Any particular reason why that is"?

"I'd...rather not talk about it", Ash answered.

"Fair enough, sorry for prying", Mr. Park said, "Anyway, I'm not too keen about employing a teenager, especially one with few good references".

Ash rubbed the back of his head nervously as he recalled several of his listed past employers being particularly irritated by his performance.

"But... I suppose if you're willing to learn, and you get your guardians' permission..", Mr. Park began.

"Y-you mean..."? Ash asked in a hopeful tone, sitting up.

"It just so happens we have an available part time position that just might suite you", Mr. Park said with a smile.

Ash beamed from ear to ear. At last, he managed to catch a break. There was a silver lining, a light at the end of the dark tunnel. At last there was...

Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep! Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep! Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep!

Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep! Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep!

His celebration was cut short as the sound of a ringtone filled the air. After a few seconds, the room went quiet.

"Oh wait, sorry, that's me", Ash said, standing up from his chair and stepping away.

Taking his wand out of his pocket, the young wizard used his magic to make the red gem glow until it morphed into his MagiPhone. After flipping it open, Ash noticed he had a new message from Eda. After pressing some buttons, he held it up to his ear.

"Heads up Ash! Luz went off to follow that dang map the wizard gave her! I've got a bad feeling that it may be a trap. Try and see if you can catch up to her. Me and King are headed to where you guys met him earlier to see if we can dig up some clues".

As the message ended, Ash was completely stunned.

"Awww man, Luz"! He thought, mentally sighing at the human girls' antics, "Why'd I have to be right"?

Without wasting another moment, Ash grabbed his cloak from off the chair.

"Uhh, Mr. Rugrid? Is everything alright"? Mr. Park asked.

"Sorry, Mr. Park! Turns out I'm going to have to turn you down"! Ash said as he headed towards the door, "Something important just came up that needs all my attention"!

"What?! What could possibly be more important"?! Mr. Park inquired, rather baffled.

"My friend could be in danger, that's what"! Ash replied as he headed out the door.

Though a bit befuddled at first, Mr. Park couldn't help but smile.

"Aww youth", he said with a sigh, "Well, now that my only interview for the day is over, guess I'll see if Harvey wants to meet up for lunch".

Meanwhile, King led Eda through the alleyway that led to Adegasts' abode. The little demon was now down on all fours, sniffing the ground like a dog.

"This is where we met the scones-I mean, the wizard", King stated at he and Eda approached the tarp covered entrance where he, Luz, and Ash had found before.

As Eda pushed aside the patched curtain, she and King were immediately met with a surprise. The once bright and imposing castle now lay in ruins. It looked as though it had been abandoned for hundreds of years. The previously lavish banners were now faded and torn, parts of the roof were caved in, and the walls were crumbling like cheap paper.

"Whoa! It wasn't like this before", King observed.

"I don't like this", Eda said warily.

The front doors creaked open as Eda and King entered the library. Unlike before, the room's interior matched the decrepit and foreboding tone of the castle's outer appearance. Tattered scrolls lay scattered across the floor, the shelves were broken or falling apart, the paintings were ripped, and chunks of debris blocked the upper set of stairs.

As Eda walked further inside, she heard her foot hit against something. Looking down, she saw a bundle of scrolls on the floor in front of her. After picking them up, she found that they were copies of Luz's map, all of them with the words ""The Chosen One" illuminated on the front.

"I really don't like this", Eda muttered

As this was happening, Ash was carrying out his own investigation. Having remembered the paths and landmarks from the map after seeing it earlier, he'd made his way to the forest via his broom. Using the empathic connection he had to his shadow like a compass, Ash pressed on further into the woods, guided by the internal signal he felt from his shadow, all the while trying to make sense of the situation.

"Awww man, I knew I should've gone with her", he said to himself, "Some senior I turned out to be".

Looking around, Ash was suddenly filled with nostalgia.

"Reminds me of all the times Eda left me here for survival training", Ash thought aloud as his gaze stopped at a large tree.

Flashback

An 8 year old Ash looked up at a large tree in front of him. His gaze was particularly focused on a large beehive on one of the upper branches just a couple of feet above him. Having an almost uncontrollable sweet tooth, Ash's mouth watered as he imagined all the honey that was accumulating inside the hive. After pushing aside any and all doubts he had, he marched over to the tree, grabbed hold of the trunk and started climbing upwards. As annoying and arduous as it was, he reminded himself of what Eda told him.

"Wild witches and wizards...are always resourceful", he said, repeating what Eda said as he continued up the tree, "And always use...the land...to their advantage"!

With one last grunt, Ash finally made it to the branch where hive was. After securing himself on the branch, he inched closer and closer to the other end until he was half a foot away from it. He then pulled out a tin cup from his pocket and slowly reached it out towards the bottom of the hive. A smile subconsciously formed on his face as the sweet smell of honey began to fill his nose.

"Just one cupful", he said, "One cupful of sweet golden delicious nectar! I can already TASTE it"!

His eyes widened was a few drops began to fall inside his cup.

"Ha"! He cried out in victory, "I knew Eda was just trying to pull one over on me when she said this wasn't gonna be a walk in the park! This is TOO easy"!

Suddenly a loud creaking sound filled the air.

"What was that"? Ash wondered aloud.

Ash received his answer as he felt the branch that he was on begin to sag downwards.

"Uh oh", He muttered fearly.

SNAP!

The branch finally gave way and broke off, sending a now screaming Ash plummeting down to the forest floor. He landed with a thud in a gorse bush. Seconds later, he slowly crawled out of the shrub, brushed the leaves off himself, and looked around for his tin cup. Upon retrieving it, he saw that it was empty, completely devoid of any honey.

"Awww man", he said in disappointment, "Oh well, at least things can't get any worse".

As if to prove him wrong, a loud buzzing sound filled the air. He looked around until finally he saw a large cloud of bees hovering over their now ruined hive, and boy were they mad!

"Oh bother", Ash muttered.

The bees charged towards Ash, who quickly started running away at the very sight of them, screaming in fear at the top of his lungs.

"I hate nature! I HATE NATURE"! Ash screamed as he ran away from the incensed buzzing insects that were determined to sting him

End of Flashback

Ash smiled as the memory ended.

"Good times", he sighed, "Good times".

Just then he heard a branch snap behind him. The young wizard then quickly hid behind a large tree and pulled out his wand. As he hid, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. A bead of sweat ran down his head as he heard them growing closer and closer. Realizing that there was no avoiding a fight if there was one, he swallowed the lump in his throat. Edging away slowly from behind the tree to take a peek, he felt a wave of relief wash over him after seeing who it was.

"Eda? King"!? Ash said in surprise as he saw his two roommates approaching.

"Well, looks like you beat us here", Eda noted, "How'd you manage that"?

"I managed to find the trail using what I remembered seeing on the map", Ash explained as he put his wand away, "Also, it doesn't hurt that I followed the signal from the tail I put on her".

"Used your shadow to keep an eye on her, huh"? Eda deduced as she saw the lack of a silhouette on Ash's form, "Nice to see that spell I taught you came in handy for something other than playing tag".

"I know, right"? Ash said in agreement, "Anyway, I'm glad you guys made it. It'll be easy to find Luz with all three of us here".

"Speaking of which, I just picked up her scent", King said as he stood on all fours and pointed ahead of them, "She went this way".

"Nice work", Eda complimented.

"Not for nothing but, are we even sure Luz needs our help"? Ash asked.

"What are you talking about? I thought you were on the same page as us here", Eda said, rather confused.

"I mean, we could just be mistaken", Ash reasoned, "There's no doubt that this is a scam, but what if it's all just a harmless prank"?

Minutes Later

"Oh no".

The three of them now stood in front of a seemingly abandoned village. Much like with Adegast's Castle, all the houses lay in ruin as fog clouds rolled in across the front of the houses.

"I don't think this is a prank", Ash said nervously.

"Oh, ya think"?! Eda exclaimed incredulously before addressing King, "Are you sure she came here"?

"Can't mistake her smell", King said as he sniffed across the ground, "Like lemons and young, naïve confidence".

"Hmm", Eda said thoughtfully, cupping her chin.

As she and Ash both walked towards a large vine covered fountain, Ash noticed something inside it. Amidst the vines lay a small anthropomorphic cat that resembled a doll. Upon picking it, Ash thoroughly inspected it, trying to understand its' purpose and what it was.

"What do you make of this"? Ash said, holding the doll out to Eda.

"Not sure", Eda said before flicking the cats' head, "Hey! Wake up, you! What have you done with Luz? What's your endgame"?

"To find your pupil and still your wrath, look ahead and follow the path", The cat doll said in an eerie tone.

Then, to their surprise, the cat let out a sinister cackle as it slowly disintegrated in Ash's hands.

"Aaah! The cat man melted"! King exclaimed in shock.

"That was no cat man", Ash said with a frown, "I've seen this kind of magic before, and it ain't good".

Looking around, Ash tried to pick up on where the presence of his shadow felt the strongest. He stopped as he noticed the feeling was strongest ahead of him, just as the cat doll said.

"I'm going on ahead", Ash said resolutely as he walked ahead, "I'll meet you guys there".

"Wait so, just to be clear, what's happening? What was with the cat man"? King inquired, rather confused.

"It's a trap", Eda explained, "They want me to follow Luz. And I got a feeling that once he catches up with her, they're gonna want Ash too".

"So, what do we do"? King asked.

"Hmmm", Eda hummed, rather unsure of what their next move should be.

Meanwhile, Luz was thoroughly enjoying herself.

During her little quest, she had managed to make some rather interesting friends. After leaving the village of talking cats with Nevarath and his animal companion, which looked like an onion with bat wings, they were joined by an old cat named Chris who guarded a bridge that they had come across. They were also joined by a tiny fairy princess who, unlike most of the other fairy that Luz had encountered, was genuinely nice and friendly.

Luz was now wearing Nevarath's shirt as a cape, which she eagerly accepted after seeing him take it off. She also wore a ring that Chris had given her on her left index finger. But her new accessories paled in comparison to how she was feeling now. Not only was she having fun, but she felt her sense of confidence and self-worth beginning to grow more and more. She truly did feel like "The Chosen One". The young human was now even more eager than before to receive the magic staff.

"Thank you for inviting me to your feast, Princess", she said, glancing at the small fairy, "All your food was so tiny and cute".

The little fairy then conjured up a pair of gold and blue wristbands.

"For you, Chosen One", she said, handing them to Luz who put them on without question.

"Thank you", She said gratefully as she turned to her newfound party, "You have all been so kind and thoughtful. I hope this quest never ends"!

"Your quest will soon come to an end, for the staff you seek is around the bend", Chris the cat piped up.

"Thanks for ruining the mood, Chris", Luz said as her shoulders slumped forward.

"Go on, Chosen One", Nevarath encouraged, "The Celestial Staff is yours. You've earned it".

Luz smiled at Nevarath's supporting words before turning around and continuing down the path ahead of her, all the while her new friends sending her off with kind words of encouragement. As the young Dominican girl walked further down the path, she finally came to a stop, gasping as she saw what lay ahead of her. There, on a platform in the middle of a lake, stood the Celestial Staff, which was illuminated by a ray of light shining down from above. As Luz approached the edge of the lake, a glowing came from the down below. Looking down at the water, she saw there were bubbles beginning to form. A few seconds later, a stone walkway rumbled up to the surface, connecting the edge of the lake to the center platform where the Celestial Staff was.

"I knew this world wasn't all gloom and doom like Eda and King said", Luz realized, as she happily skipped and twirled down the walkway, "There is wonder here. And I... I think I came here for a reason".

She then paused for a moment as she thought back to something she had heard earlier.

"I wonder what it was that Ash wanted me to learn", She thought out loud, "Well, whatever it is, I'm sure he'll be impressed enough to tell me when I show him what all I got from my quest"!

As she finally reached the platform, Luz stared at the staff in awe.

"Okay, this is it", She said in a determined voice, "Moment of truth".

She slowly reached out and grabbed the staff. Suddenly, as soon as she made contact with it, blue swirls of light came out of it, creating waves in the lake as the top of the staff glowed brightly. Then, with one swift yank, she pulled it out of the ground and held it above her head.

"Yes"! She exclaimed happily, "I am the Chosen One! I knew it! I always suspected there was a reason nobody understood my wacky antics back at home".

The young human began jumping and twirling in a circle as she held the staff.

"Now I have concrete proof", she chuckled.

Suddenly, to her surprise, the staff disintegrated, turning into dust that promptly blew away in the wind.

"No"! Luz exclaimed, grabbing at the dust in futility.

To add to her confusion and horror, the rest of the landscape around her began to change: the flowers at her feet wilted, the water drained from the lake and retreated up the riverbanks, and even the leaves on the trees disappeared.

"What"? Luz said, completely confused.

Coming out from his hiding place, Ash's shadow placed its' hands on its' face as if to show how scared it was. Then, its' head perked up as it suddenly sensed something nearby. Knowing immediately what it was, or rather who it was, it raced off into the forest, determined to return to the source. Which, as it turned out, was Ash, who had just arrived at the end of the clearing leading to the lake. As the shadow returned to his casters' form, the young wizard hid behind a tree and watched as fog began to surround the lakes' platform. Meanwhile, Luz looked around nervously, holding her sword close to her. Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared out of the fog behind her.

"Luz the human", Adegast said.

"Magical wizard"? Luz said both confused and surprised.

"Your hubris has failed you, Witch Apprentice", Adegast cackled as his eyes popped out and his voice changed.

The wizard, which had turned out to be a sort of puppet was lifted to reveal an ocotopus-like demon with light purple skin, tentacles and four eyes. This was, in fact, Adegasts' true form.

As Luz backed away, she heard the ground rumble behind her. She turned to see her previous travelling companions and cats from the village arise from the platform, with a tentacle in each of their backs. They were lifted up into the air and surrounded Luz.

"Okay Luz, don't panic", the human girl said, reassuring herself, "This is classic Chosen One biz. You just have to rescue everybody and defeat the final boss".

"I am everybody"! Adegast said while talking through his wizard puppet as it got up in her face, "You fool! Don't you see? I'm no wizard. And you're no Chosen One. I've tricked you".

"What"? Luz said in disbelief.

While Luz was distracted, her cape began floating up around her. It then turned to chains, forcing her to her knees. The bracelets became hand cuffs and the ring turned into chains that were secured with a padlock and locked her hands together.

"No! Betrayed by my own cool accessories", Luz lamented, "Why are you doing this"?!

"Your mentor has been stealing customers from my potions business for years", Adegast revealed bitterly, "Not to mention that little goody two shoes wizard boy keeps blowing the whistle on all my best clients! They must both be destroyed"!

"Does everybody have a beef with Eda here"? Luz questioned.

In reply, all the puppets voiced their agreement as they nodded their heads. Hearing this made Luz let out a sad sigh.

"And you lured her right into my trap, all because you wanted to think you were special", Adegast sneered mockingly.

"Maybe she's not to a rotten pretender like you", called out a voice.

Adegast and Luz were both surprised and looked around to find the source of the voice. The sound of footsteps echoed through the area as Ash slowly walked through the fog, much to Adegasts' chagrin and to Luz's relief.

"But to the right people, that girl is one in a million", Ash said firmly, crossing his arms.

"Ash"! Luz cried out happily, "I'm so glad to see you! How'd you find me"?!

"I'll explain later", Ash said before turning to Adegast, "This is between you and me, Adegast! Well, technically, you, me, AND Eda, but she's not here right now, but that's not the point! The point is, I'm the one you want! Let her go"!

"Oh I don't think so", Adegast said in a sinister tone.

Behind Ash, the Nevarath puppet slowly began to get closer to him.

"Ash, look out"! Luz shouted.

But it was too late; Nevarath slammed into Ash's back, sending him to the ground. The young wizard groaned as he attempted to get back up.

"Hurts, doesn't it"? Adegast taunted as Ash got back on his feet, "Face it, kid! You're nothing without Eda to back you up! And since she's not here, you'll have to deal with me all by yourself"!

As Adegast let out another sinister laugh, Ash glared as he reached for his wand, determined to put an end to this. Only to find it was no longer on his person. He quickly began patting his sides, trying to find where he'd put it last.

"Looking for this"? Adegast chuckled as he held up the Nevareth puppet who held his wand in its' hand.

Ash bit back a curse as he realized he'd been disarmed the moment Adegast had knocked him down. Things had just gotten more complicated than they already were. Saving Luz and beating Adegast were both set to be challenging as is but add to that the fact that he was now unable to properly channel his magic, as well as transform into MagiRed, without his wand now made things seem almost impossible. But he knew that there wasn't any other choice in the matter. He had to save Luz and defeat the enemy before him, no matter what.

"Guess you'll have to fight your way out of this one without magic"! Adegast laughed, mocking him as the puppets all began to surround Ash now.

"No"! Luz said worriedly.

Though nervous at the unfavorable odds, Ash kept a straight face and assumed a fighting stance.

"Your fancy fighting moves won't work on my puppets", Adegast said as he raised Nevareth close to Ash , "But your wand might! If you can get it"!

Ash made a quick grab for his wand but Nevareth dodged him before delivering a backhanded punch that sent Ash to the ground once more.

"Surely the son of the great Riza Rugrid can do better than THAT"! Adegast mocked as Ash lay there on the platform.

"Don't count me out yet, Adegast"! Ash said as he quickly hopped back onto his feet.

As Nevareth came charging back in, Ash let out a battle cry as he leapt forward with a flying kick, sending the fake teen prince back a ways. As the wizard took up his stance, he readied himself as Nevareth came charging back in. Ash swung his leg out in an arc, but Nevareth managed to dodge his kick. Seeing the wizard follow that up with a punch, the teen prince puppet intercepted it, grabbing Ash by the arm and slamming his fist into the teen wizard's sternum, knocking the wind out of him. The Nevareth puppet then grabbed Ash in a full nelson and lifted him up off the ground, dangling him over the edge of the platform, all the while the large behemoth known as Adegast bellowed with laughter. As Ash struggled, he glanced down to the side and noticed his wand was attached to Nevareth's hip.

"Not so tough now are you, fellow wizard"? Adegast mocked, "You and your mentor have been a thorn in my side long enough! Now it's payback time"!

"Think again, squid-face"! Ash exclaimed in defiance.

After swinging his leg forward, Ash quickly pulled it back in and kicked Nevareth's side, sending his wand flying upward. As it landed back in Ash's hand, the young wizard then aimed for Adegast's head and let loose a fireball that exploded in the creature's face. As he cried out in pain, he had released his grip on Ash. The boy's relief was short-lived as he suddenly realized where he was being held over.

"ASH, NO"! Luz cried out in concern.

The young wizard screamed out in horror as he fell toward the bottom of the fog covered lake. Luz looked over the edge in horror as she found herself unable to see through the fog.

"You MONSTER"! She yelled out in anger, turning to Adegast.

"Aw, relax! It's not that deep", Adegast reassured as he wiped the scorch marks off his face, "A fall from that height won't kill him. At worst, he'll just be knocked out for a while".

"Oh", Luz said in realization.

"But it doesn't matter anyway", Adegast said, "Cause once your mentor shows up, that's the last thing I plan to do to her"!

"No! Joke's on you, 'cause Eda isn't stupid enough to fall for your trap", Luz replied.

"Adegast"!

"Oh heck", Luz muttered.

Right on cue, Eda and King swooped in through the fog before landing at the end of the platform's walkway.

"Eda, I have you now"! Adegast exclaimed gleefully.

Without warning, two cat puppets rose up from the ground, one grabbing Eda and the other King, and lifted them both up.

"That's right. You have me", Eda conceded reluctantly, "Now release Luz".

"I didn't have to be a part of this"! King piped up.

"Oh, she can leave", Adegast said, "If she wants to. But I sense she wants a real fantasy".

The Chris puppet appeared behind Luz and then breathed a cloud of fog that completely engulfed her. When the young human opened her eyes, she found that she was free of her restraints, but was now in a dark void. Suddenly, Adegast's puppets walked up to her from the dark and gathered around her.

"Stay with us, Luz. Stay with Adegast", Nevareth said, tempting her, "We need you here. You could be our Chosen One".

"Yeah, you can eat our tiny foods forever", added the Fairy Princess.

"Luz, why would you want to live in a world where people laugh at you"? Nevareth reasoned.

"It is beautiful here", Luz admitted.

"Luz"! Eda yelled, attempting to break free while trying to get Luz to snap out of it.

"And you guys think I'm special", Luz continued.

"No"! Eda grunted as the tentacle nearly enveloped her and King.

As the puppets all began to close in on Luz, a red light began to shine in the dark void. It was so bright Luz had to cover her eyes.

"Do not give into the dark fantasy set in place by the pretender, human", said a voice.

"That voice", Luz said, immediately recognizing it.

As the light began to fade, she uncovered her eyes and, to her surprise, she saw MagiRed walking towards her.

"MagiRed"? She said in confusion, "What're you doing here"?

"I got a call saying someone may need saving", MagiRed replied, "And so, I am here. More importantly though, I think I know why it is you're here".

A frown suddenly formed on the young human's face.

"I'm guessing you're here to tell me I was stupid to fall for Adegast's scam, aren't you"? She asked dejectedly.

"Quite the contrary", MagiRed revealed, "The truth is, I understand why you would take his offer".

"What"? Luz said in surprise.

It's true that a world of fantasy can be intoxicating", MagiRed began, "Especially when reality can be harsh and unforgiving. But it doesn't have to stay that way. Life can be as beautiful and fulfilling as any story, so long as you don't let the darkness consume you. All you need is the courage to take the first step".

MagiRed walked towards Luz until he was about a foot away from her. The Ruby Wizard then placed a hand on her shoulder. To her surprise, despite his hand being covered by a glove, it felt so warm and comforting.

"Find your courage, and life can be whatever you make of it", MagiRed encouraged.

Luz stared at MagiRed, her eyes not leaving the bird shaped visor of his helmet. Even though all she could see was her reflection, she knew that behind that visor was the gaze of a wizard who meant every word they, unlike Adegast.

"You can do it, I know you can", MagiRed said.

That was all that was needed for Luz to find her resolve.

"He's right", she said softly, "All of this... it's not real"!

The young witch's apprentice grunted as she waved the fog away, immediately dispelling the illusion. Once she was free, she ran forward to pick up her sword.

"I am a Witch's Apprentice"! She proclaimed to Adegast with conviction, "And I'm gonna earn my magic staff the hard way. I believed you, Magic Man. Now feel my wrath"!

Luz then stabbed the wizard puppet through the stomach, making it disappear with a poof and causing Adegast to scream in pain. With his focus now lost, Eda and King finally managed to free themselves and landed next to Luz. Not wasting a beat, Luz swung her sword at the fairy princess, making her poof away. Three cat puppets approached Eda. Upon seeing them, she drew a spell circle, sending a plume of orange smoke at them. They disintegrated with distorted screams. Adegast continued to scream as he felt his puppets disappearing one by one. Nevareth flew at Luz with his sword held high, but his yell alerted her. She blocked his sword with her own.

"I thought we had a connection, Nevareth"! Luz said, outraged as she blocked his strikes before knocking his sword out of his hands.

Once he was disarmed, Luz then plunged her sword through his chest.

"Ah, my flawless pecs"! Nevareth screamed before disappearing with a poof.

Eda landed next to Luz, the two of them exchanging satisfied smiles now that all the puppets were dealt with.

"Back off"! Adegast warned as he held up King, "Or the dog gets it".

"I am not a-Mph"! King protested before being cut off by a tentacle wrapped around his mouth.

With no other alternative, Eda and Luz dropped their weapons and raised their hands in surrender.

"King, I'm sorry", Luz said, looking up at the little demon, "I should have listened to you and never trusted that wizard. You were right. He isn't mystical or magical. He's just a big, slimy jerk"!

"Now you're getting it"! Exclaimed a voice.

The sound of something whizzing through the air caught everone's attention. To everyone's surprise, a spinning object curved through the air and flew straight at the tentacle holding King. It collided with the cat puppet connected to it, causing Adegast to scream as he dropped King. Thankfully, Luz managed to catch him before turning her attention to what had managed to hit Adegast. The flying object continued to spin until it landed in a red gloved hand. There, standing behind Adegast, was the Ruby Wizard himself, MagiRed, holding his MagiStick in a triumphant pose.

"MagiRed"! Luz exclaimed with a smile.

"About time you showed up"! King shouted.

"Yeah, where were you when we were surrounded by killer puppets"?! Eda added.

"I apologize for not being here sooner", MagiRed said, "But it seems my telepathic message got through to your apprentice, and that in itself can be considered a vital contribution".

"He's not wrong about that", Luz said in agreement.

The Ruby Wizard then turned to the large creature before him.

"Adegast", He said in a stern tone, "You have abused the magic you wield to serve your selfish desires and rejected the true path of magic. What's more, you used your power to deceive and hurt an innocent soul! I cannot forgive you for what you've done"!

"Forgive me?! I don't ever recall asking you to"! Adegast fumed.

"Miss Witch Apprentice", MagiRed said addressing Luz, "Would you mind if I delivered the final blow this time"?

Luz was surprised at first. After looking at Eda and King, who both nodded in agreement, she turned her attention back to the masked wizard.

"Go for it", Luz said with a smirk.

"Nothing will stand in my way"! Adegast exclaimed as he glared at MagiRed, "Not even you and your heroic nonsense, you cocky little masked do-gooder"!

"We'll see about that", MagiRed said as he shifted his MagiStick into Sword Mode, "Jii Jijiru"!

Adegast roared as he stretched out his tentacles towards MagiRed, determined to ensnare him in his grasp. But the Ruby Wizard was not frightened, and the moment the beasts' tentacles were in reach, he started batting away at them with his sword, much to Adegasts' ire. Knowing the fight go on if it continued like this, the puppeteer sent all of his tentacles towards the Ruby Wizard. Thinking fast, MagiRed leapt into the air, holding his sword high above his head. Everyone watched as MagiRed began to descend towards Adegast with his sword, now glowing bright red, held high above his head.

"Red Fire..."!

"Noooo"! Adegast yelled in defiance as he knew the end was near.

"SLASH"!

MagiRed then struck Adegast with a flaming vertical slash from his sword. The masked wizard then landed before taking a few steps away from the puppeteer, who writhed in agony.

"That's checkmate", MagiRed said in a smug tone.

As the tone and pitch of Adegasts' scream began to rise, he started shrinking down until he was now less than an eighth of his previous size. As MagiRed now stood over the shrunken creature, Luz and Eda went over to join him. The Owl Lady then picked him up and looked at him.

"Well, that's the last time I take an outside referral", Eda decided before plopping him into her mouth and began eating him.

She then turned her attention to Luz.

"Mmm. Oh, did you want some of that"? She asked.

"No", Luz replied sadly, "I'm just confused".

"Thinking of calling it quits, huh"? Eda asked in a knowing tone.

"This place is nothing like I imagined", Luz admitted glumly.

"That may be true", MagiRed agreed, "But then again, not everything is going to be as we imagined at first. It wasn't all that long ago when the metaphorical blinders were removed from my eyes".

"Really"? Luz asked curiously.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm not that much older than y-".

MagiRed quickly stopped himself from saying anything further. While Luz adopted a surprised expression, Eda and King looked a little worried.

"Wait, what"? Luz asked.

"Uhhh, nothing", MagiRed answered quickly.

"You said not much older", Luz said pryingly, "Not much older than who? Me? Wait, are we the same age"?!

"Uhh hahaha, ANYWAY"! MagiRed exclaimed, trying to change the subject, "I understand why you'd go to such lengths to prove yourself".

Though still curious, Luz's attention shifted to the new topic as the masked wizard continued.

"You understand the problem that led to all this, right"? MagiRed asked Luz.

"I let myself get scammed by a gross monster masquerading as a bunch of different people"? Luz answered rhetorically.

"No! Well I mean, yes", MagiRed conceded, "But mostly it's that you decided to let other people dictate your self-worth. Never let anyone decide the kind of value you have. The way you see yourself should be dependent on you and you alone. That said, if you want support, you've got it right here. No matter what happens, just know this".

MagiRed placed his wand back in his holster before striking a heroic pose.

"From here on out, whether you need help slaying another monster or just some words of encouragement, I'm here for you", he vowed, "Just look to the skies and call my name, and I swear I'll be there".

As endearing as his promise was, Luz couldn't help but feel a bit confused.

"But, you barely even know me", Luz pointed out, "This is, literally, the second time we've ever met".

"That's the thing though; I don't have to know you to help you", MagiRed replied, "Saving people indiscriminately, helping them to make better choices, and reminding them they don't need to be afraid? That's what real heroes do".

The young human couldn't help but smile, truly touched by his unconditional magnanimity. The wizard then stepped towards Luz and put a hand on her shoulder. Once more, the human girl felt that warm feeling she had when she saw him in Adegasts' illusion return. Only this time, not only did it resonate within her shoulder, but it began to spread throughout her whole body. Once again, she felt as if the eyes that hid behind his helmets' visor were staring right into her soul.

"On my honor, as a Magi, I will support and protect you, if you ever need it. No matter what", MagiRed promised in a kind and gentle tone, "Because I believe in you. Remember that now, okay...Luz"?

The young human girl felt her heart suddenly skip a beat as she heard the wizard hero utter her name. All at once, that warm feeling she had spreading through her entire being began to grow more and more. This wasn't like with Nevareth, it wasn't an illusion brought on by the machinations of a scheming charlatan creature. This warm and embracing feeling of support, kindness, and acceptance coming from this noble and heroic spirit, was the real deal. She suddenly realized that she had neglected to reply and tried to find the words to speak.

"Uhhh...O-okay", She replied nervously as her cheeks began to turn a shade of light red.

"Alright then", MagiRed said, giving her a pat on her shoulder.

He then turned his attention to Eda.

"Owl Lady", He greeted with a nod, "Always a pleasure".

"Yeah, yeah, likewise", Eda said with smirk, "Now don't you have another helpless girl to save"?

"If that's a dig towards Luz, you're sorely mistaken", MagiRed said, "From what I saw, she handled herself quite well against those puppets".

"Y-you really think so"? Luz said in surprise.

"Absolutely", MagiRed replied, "Sure, your swordplay looked rather improvised, but the results speak for themself".

"He's got a point", King agreed.

"I-I'll work on that", Luz said sheepishly.

"Right then", MagiRed said before turning his gaze upward, "Sky Hoki"!

Right on cue, MagiRed's main form of transportation flew through the fog and stopped right in front of him. As he got aboard, he turned his attention back to the trio.

"I meant what I said", MagiRed said, looking over at Luz, "You can always count on me".

"I know", Luz replied with a warm smile, "Thank you, MagiRed".

"Anytime", MagiRed said with a nod.

Before he left, he gave a two finger salute, and gave his signature send off.

"Long live courage"!

Grinning from ear to ear, Luz saluted back while Eda and King both gave a passive wave to him. As they all watched him take off into the foggy sky, Eda and King let out a soft sigh of relief.

"It's good to know he'll show up whenever you're in a jam, I'll grant him that much", Eda said.

"I just wish he'd lay off the macho hero dialogue", King said, "It makes him sound SO lame! Am I right, Luz"?

King was surprised when there was no reply.

"Uhh, Luz"? King repeated.

The king of demons turned to the human girl and saw that she kept her gaze in the same place MagiRed flew off. Her eyes, which held a rather dreamy and longing look about them, were fixated on that one place up in the sky. King was immediately confused, but as a smile slowly formed on her face, followed by a light hint of red in her cheeks, her mentor knew immediately what was up, and the sly smirk she wore proved it too.

"Did ya see somethin' ya liked"? Eda teased.

"Huh"? Luz asked, turning toward Eda.

All at once, the domincan girl began registering what the elder witch had just asked her.

"W-What? I-I don't know what you mean"! Luz stammered nervously.

"Are you sure"? Eda asked, raising a brow.

"Wait, w-what is this? What's happening right now"? King wondered, completely in the dark.

"Meh, I'll tell ya later", Eda assured, "Anyway, if you're up for it, I got something to show you".

…

Later, the three of them were hovering in the sky on Eda's staff. Luz was wearing a blindfold.

"Okay, you can look", Eda said.

As Luz removed the blindfold, she was immediately left awestruck at the sight before her.

"Whoa".

In front of her was the sight of the whole landscape of the Boiling Isles. Which, to her surprise, was in fact the decomposing body of a Titan. It lay with its arms splayed in the sea, the setting sun illuminated its' skull. As surreal and ghoulish as it sounded, it was the Titans' corpse that made up the entirety of the Isles.

"The bones of the Isles", Eda introduced, "Up close, the Isles can be slimy-".

"And very stinky", King added.

"And gross", Eda finished, slouching a bit before straightening back up, "But if you look at it from a different perspective...".

The trio looked up to the sky above the Titan's skull to see that the stars were beginning to appear. As they watched, a shooting star streaked across the sky before disappearing.

"It's beautiful", Luz marveled.

"Yeah", King agreed as he leaned against Luz.

As the little demon fell asleep against her arm, Luz suddenly felt something tap the back of her shoulder. She turned her head and, to her surprise, saw Ash, floating next to him on his broom.

"What'd I miss"? Ash asked warmly.

"There you are"! Luz said in relief, "You had me worried when I saw you fall into the lake! What happened? Are you okay"?

"A few bumps here and there but, otherwise I'm fine", Ash replied reassuringly.

Are you sure? Because you don't really look it", Luz said skeptically.

It was true. Along with some cuts and bruises on his face, there were also tears and holes that covered almost the entirety of Ash's red sweater.

"Aww, it'll be okay", Ash insisted gently, "Nothing I can't sleep off. As for my sweater, I've been meaning to get a new outfit anyway".

"You mean, a new sweater"? Luz asked, a little confused.

"No, I mean a whole new outfit", Ash replied, "If one part of it doesn't compliment the rest, it just doesn't feel right to me".

"Ah, I can understand that", Luz said in understanding, "So, other than having a need for a new look, are you okay"?

"Yeah, I'm alright", Ash answered.

"I'm sorry I got you dragged into that, Ash", Luz sighed sadly, "I just...I really wanted to-".

"Luz", Ash interrupted, "I understand".

"But how? How could you possibly be so understanding after I got you hurt"? Luz questioned, completely taken aback by Ash's lack of disappointment or frustration.

"Well I...I know what it's like to wanna prove yourself through drastic measures", Ash revealed hesitantly.

Luz looked at him with a curious expression, caught off-guard by the young wizard's confession. Taking a deep breath, Ash let out a long sigh before speaking.

"The truth is... I failed to get accepted into Magitopia's junior apprentice program 3 times", Ash admitted, "The reason was because I lacked control over my magic power. That's why I was considered a liability. Ironic, isn't it? Me, a member of the prestigious Rugrid family, labeled as a possible unreliable burden. It was a tough enough pill to swallow for me, but I think my family took it the hardest. Sometimes, it felt like my mom treated me like a stranger. Actually, before I failed to get accepted into the program, some things happened, and I ended up on bad terms with my family. Now everyone thought there was no hope for me. That's why, when I was seven, I...I ran away from home".

Luz's eyes widened at this.

"You...ran away"? She repeated in surprise.

Though he had a rather ashamed look on his face, Ash managed to reply by nodding his head.

"That's actually how I met Eda", Ash continued, smiling a bit, "She understood my situation, and little by little, you could say I grew on her".

"That's a bit of an overstatement", Eda scoffed jokingly, "You were basically an ugly wart I'd gotten used to seeing in the mirror".

"Aww come on, Eda, you know you love me", Ash said with a knowing smirk.

The Owl Lady simply chuckled in reply at that.

"But yeah, Eda pretty much took me in and helped me to control my magic", Ash said, getting back on topic, "After my family found me, she and my mom worked out a deal where she became my teacher. She's been there for me every step of the way. My mom may have been a powerful and famous witch, but it was Eda who taught me everything I know. If it wasn't for her...I don't know what would've become of me".

Luz was amazed, to say the least. In truth, the human girl had become completely invested in the newest details of her friends' backstory. Unfortunately, a thought occurred to her, which pulled her out of that amazement.

"Not that I'm not enjoying getting further into your whole backstory, but what's the point you're trying to get at with this"? She asked.

"My point", Ash began, "is that when I first decided I wanted to learn magic, I thought that if I did everything a certain way, the same as my family, I'd get to where I wanted to go. And when it looked like I was destined for nothing but failure...I truly believed that was the only path left for me. But I was wrong. Eda taught me that my true path was the one I'd create with my own choices, by listening to my heart and my mind. Maybe you did come to the Boiling Isles by chance and not by destiny, but there's nothing wrong with that. Whether the beginning of our story starts out with chance or destiny or fate doesn't matter. What we choose to do afterwards is what really counts when it comes down to it. Because the middle and the end are what truly reveals the kind of person we are".

"Is that what you wanted me to figure out"? Luz asked in realization.

"Yeah! See? You ARE learning", Ash replied warmly.

Luz was as surprised as she was inspired. Even though he was the same age as her, the young wizard had managed to share with her some wisdom that was beyond either of their years. It also felt good knowing that, once again, she was being supported by another impressive wizard.

"Oh right! I almost forgot", Ash said, reaching into his cloak, "Thought ya might like a little something to take the edge off, given what you just went through and all".

He then pulled out a small pink bottle and tossed it to Luz before pulling out another and opening it. Luz glanced at the bottle in her hand.

"Strawberry Milk"? Luz read aloud in a surprised tone.

"Second only to Chocolate", Ash said happily before taking a sip from his bottle.

Luz looked over at Eda with a surprised expression.

"What can I say? The kid really loves sweets", Eda said with a shrug.

Surprising as that newfound bit of trivia was, Luz couldn't help but smile, thankful for the flavored dairy beverage. Fiddling with the bottle in her hand, she found herself thinking about something new.

"Eda, how did you know that wizard was lying"? She asked.

A glum expression formed on the Owl Lady's face as she spoke.

"Look, kid", Eda began, "Everyone wants to believe they're "chosen". But if we all waited around for a prophecy to make us special, we'd die waiting. And that's why you need to choose yourself".

She then turned to Ash, who had just finished his drink, with a little bit of it smeared on his upper lip, forming a pink milk moustache.

"Just like what Milk Moustache over there told ya", Eda said jokingly.

"Hey! That's Mr. Milk Moustache to you"! Ash retorted, getting in on the joke.

That brought out a laugh from all three of them.

"So, does that mean you'll give me a magic staff of my own"? Luz asked hopefully.

"Not yet", Eda answered, "But... someday".

"But not before me, though", Ash spoke up.

Luz looked at Ash, both surprised and a little hurt. She then relaxed as she saw an impish expression on the young wizards' face, indicating that he was joking.

As the three of them turned back to the scenery in front of them, Luz leaned against Eda as the sun continued to set. Crazy as the day was, it had ended on a good note, at least, for Luz it did. She may not have gained a magic staff, but she was given something even better. The support and belief from her senior apprentice, as well as another certain wizard. And as the sun edged lower and lower into the horizon, the human girl felt her mind drift towards her thoughts about that wizard, barely aware of the growing warmth spreading through her heart. However, she didn't need to notice to know that her peace of mind had come to an end, and a new goal had been unlocked for her.

Later that night, after returning to the Owl House, life had returned "business as usual". Eda was in the kitchen finishing up dinner, Luz was back in her room, and Ash was doing his evening exercise routine. As he had wrapped up the last set, his door opened to reveal King.

"Hey Ash, Eda told me to tell you dinner's ready", King said.

"Alright thanks King", Ash panted as he wiped his brow with a towel.

"Hey, uhhh, mind letting Luz know for me"? King requested, "I wanna try and sneak a little bit of dessert past Eda".

"Only if you cut me in for half of whatever you get", Ash countered.

"Deal"! King said before zipping off down the hall.

Ash couldn't help but laugh as he pulled his red hoodie over his head. Once it was on, he exited the room and headed towards the door that lead to Luz's room. Meanwhile, the young human girl sat at a small table, drawing out a sketch in her notebook. A dreamy look was plastered across her face as she ran her pencil across the ruled line sheet of paper.

"Someday", she said thoughtfully, "Once I learn enough magic and get my own staff, we'll meet as equals for the first time. And that's when things will begin...for us".

As her newfound feelings of attraction towards the Ruby Wizard began to bubble to the surface, Luz couldn't help but feel the desire to burst into song. And, surprisingly enough, that's exactly what she did.

"When I meet the wizard, once I prove my worth"

Luz smiled as she continued to draw in her notebook

"And then I meet the wizard, what I've waited for since... birth?"

"And with all his wizard wisdom, by my looks, he won't be blinded"

"Do you think the wizard is...dumb? Or like Adegast, so small minded? No!"

Luz closed her eyes as she suddenly imagined MagiRed standing next to her, with one hand on her shoulder and making a thumbs up sign with the other

"He'll say to me I see who you truly are, Luz"

"A girl on whom I can rely"

Cut back to the room as Luz goes back to drawing in her notebook

"And THAT'S how we'll begin, the wizard and I~"

"Once I'm with the wizard, my whole life will change!"

"Cause when you're with the wizard, NO ONE thinks you're strange!"

Luz then starts drawing a sketch of her mother and Eda, both smiling warmly at her

"No mother is not proud of you"

"No teacher acts ashamed"

Luz then imagined standing amongst a crowd in Bonesborough, dressed in her Azura outfit (Minus the green wig)

"And all the Isles has to love you"

"When by the wizard, you're acclaimed"

As Luz stood there, MagiRed walked up next to her and gestures over to her. Instantly the crowd starts cheering and applauding her

"And whether by fate or by chance, when I'm at his side"

"I won't need to know why"

Luz smiles at MagiRed as they join hands and both bow towards the crowd

"When we are hand in hand, the wizard and I~"

Cut to a clearing in the forest where it's just Luz and MagiRed.

"And one day, he'll say to me, Luz my dear"

"A girl who is so superior"

As MagiRed addresses her, Luz blushes from his praise

"Shouldn't a witch whose so good inside"

"Be with someone like their interior"

"And since folks here, to an absurd degree"

"Seem fixated on your human breed"

Luz's eyes widened as MagiRed gets down on one knee and holds out his hand towards her

Would it be alright by you"

"If I partnered with you?"

Luz looks away, with a look that says she's both giddy and embarrassed.

"And of course, that's not important to me"

"Alright, why not"? I'll reply"

"Oh what a pair we'll be, the wizard and I!"

"Yes, what a pair we'll be! The wizard and..."

Cut back to the room where Luz is now standing with a wide eyed expression as she walks over to the window and stares out at the star filled night sky.

"Unlimited, my future is unlimited"

"And I've just had a thought almost like a prophecy, I know!"

"It sounds pretty crazy, and true the vision's hazy"

"But I swear some day there'll be"

Luz again imagines herself amidst the cheering crowd back in Bonesborough, a smile stretched across her face.

"A celebration throughout the Isles"

"That's all to do...with ME~!"

Luz looks to her right to see MagiRed atop his Sky Hoki, holding out a hand to her. Luz eagerly takes his hand and gets on top of the Sky Hoki, smiling as she held onto his waist. They then take off into the sky as the crowd cheers behind them.

"And there I'll be, with the wizard"

"Feeling things I've never felt"

As they fly through the sky, Luz glances up at MagiRed as he keeps his focus on the flight path. As she stares, she smiled warmly as tears of joy begin to fall from her eyes.

"And though I'd never show it"

"I'll be so happy I could MELT!"

Cut back to the room as Luz wipes away the tears and goes back to the table.

"And so it will be for the rest of my life"

"And I'll want nothing else til I die"

Luz then reaches down towards her notebook and removes one of the page she was drawing on. Walking over next to the window, she then tapes the drawing on the wall, looking at it with pride.

"Held in such high esteem..."

"When people see me they will scream..."

"For half the Isles' Favorite TEAM!"

Close up shot of the finished drawing of Luz in her Azura outfit standing back to back with MagiRed.

"The Wizard and I~!"

Luz smiled after having expressed her emotions so clearly, feeling a sense of empowerment. Unknown to her, however, a certain young wizard standing at her door was feeling the complete opposite. The nervous expression on his face was proof.

"What the HELL have I gotten myself into now"?! Ash thought worriedly as he knew that, thanks to him, things had just gotten more complicated.

Spell(s) Used:

Jii Jijiru

A/N: And THERE IT IS! This took a lot longer to write than I had planned. Kept running into a mental roadblock on how to approach the scenes where Luz is travelling through the woods on her "quest". I like to think I made it work though. Anyway, I was really excited for this chapter cause I was really looking forward to including one of my favorite songs from Wicked. It suddenly occurred to me how well this song fit into the story! Sure, incorporating all the imagery and actions that happened during the song was a challenge but worth it! Some of the action sequence during the song was loosely inspired by an awesome animatic I saw on Youtube. Only loosely though, most of the stuff in there is my own creation, don't worry. If anything, I'm trying to pay homage to both the song AND the animatic, that's all.

Anyway, as you can see, I decided to bring back a classic trope with Luz falling for MagiRed AKA Ash. A character falling for someone's the alter ego always makes things interesting, and I don't plan on making it some sappy schmaltzy cop out if/when the big reveal of Ash's identity happens. I've got a good idea of how to approach things in this ship, as well as the other pairings I've got up my sleeve. Until then, it's only gonna get REALLY complicated for ol' Ash. Kinda works, seeing as how in the original MagiRanger series, Kai Ozu AKA MagiRed ended up in a similar situation with his own love interest. I kinda wanted to pay homage to it. So yeah, I know what you're wondering; Will Luz find out the truth about Ash's secret identity? How will she feel when she learns her hero/crush is her fellow student? The answer is...NOT TELLING! HA! Sorry, if you wanna know, you'll have to keep following the story to find out!

Moving on to another topic that was just revealed in the chapter, you read right. Ash is a former runaway. I'm sure it's hard to believe, but as they say, sometimes the happiest/friendliest people have a complicated past. To that end, in terms of magic control, he WAS like Noelle Silva from Black Clover, but don't worry, he's got a better handle on it now, thanks to Eda. Ash's situation involving the tension between his family will be further explored as the story progresses.

Moving on, as stated earlier, this chapter took a lot more time to write than I thought. I feel both relieved AND drained now that it's completed and updated. I'll be taking a siesta to recharge my batteries. Hopefully I'll be able to get a new chapter in before the Series Finale which (supposedly) airs next month. For those that don't know, apparently Season 3's 3rd Episode/Series Finale airs April 8. That's right! The end is near! Which is why I'm hoping to get the next update in soon. I'll try and work on my other stories in the meantime, though. I'll still post sneak peeks of upcoming chapters on my DeviantArt. If you're interested, my profile name on DA is lonewolf82084.

Alright now, what time is it? It's TEASER TIME;

Next Time: When Ash and Luz meet a rather hapless witch girl named Willow who's close to failing a school assignment, Luz comes up with a plan to help her, resulting in the two teens' first trip to Hexside School. Though hesitant at first, Ash reluctantly agrees to join. It is there at Hexside that he must confront a rather complicated part of his past and will have to face someone who he hasn't seen in years. The worst part? This'll be an issue he'll have to face, not as MagiRed, but as himself.

On the next Owl House: Mystic Rebirth; Fast Times at Hexside

GET EXCITED!