A/N: Nothing like an Eleventh Hour Update to make things interesting, eh?! HA! Just kidding. Sorry this took so long to get to. Also, because of the lateness, there wasn't an early release on DeviantArt. Next time though, promise. Anyway, Ikuzo!

Text Legend:

"Attacks/Moves"

Sound Effects

Flashback

Chapter 5 The Intruder

A few days had passed since the incident at Hexside. True to form, with a day's rest, along with some food and medicine, Ash was back in top form. Despite the rather awkward, and frankly painful, encounter he'd had with his older brother, Ash wasn't about to make anyone worry about him, especially Luz. He knew he probably owed her an explanation, just as he knew that that conversation was a recipe for awkward tension. For now, though, he considered that "Future Ash's" problem, and decided to focus on his situation at hand; making himself a sandwich.

Once he was done, he exited the kitchen as he took a bite out of his culinary creation betwixt two slices of wheat bread. It was then he caught sight of Luz recording with her phone. Looking back, Luz silently ushered him over to her side. Deciding to humor his friend, Ash went over and knelt down next to Luz.

"And here we have the most fearsome creature in the world, the King of Demons", she narrated in a British accent as if she were making a documentary, zooming in on King trying to tear a sock off his nose, "Facing his natural enemy, the ducky sock"!

The little demon grunted as he tore the sock into pieces, and then punched the tattered remains.

"Where are you now, ducky sock"?! King exclaimed in victory.

"A truly unbelievably amazing battle betwixt two of nature's greatest predators", Ash added with an accent of his own, making Luz giggle, "Never before seen on camera, until now"!

Both teens couldn't help but laugh at that.

"So, why'd you call me here again"? Luz asked King.

"Oh, yeah", King said as he climbed up on a table, "Human Luz, you've been so obsessed with witchcraft that you haven't learned anything about my kind. Prepare yourself for...".

The little demon paused as he ripped off a curtain to reveal a cork bulletin board of photos of various demons.

"Demons 101", he finished as he put on a hat and spins the cord on top of it.

"Heh, this takes me back", Ash noted with nostalgia, "I remember all the time spent learning about all the various demonic creatures of the Isles from our own resident demon".

"Well put", King said with a nod, pointing to Ash, "See, Luz? Further proof that my amazing insight into demon kind has helped to mold Ash into the image of success you see today".

"Oh well, I wouldn't necessarily say that-", Ash began.

"Anyway, let's begin"! King interrupted, "Demons like me are grim tricksters of the twilight, creatures of sulfur and bone".

"And cute little paws~", Luz cooed as she zoomed in on King with her camera.

Ash couldn't help but let out a chuckle at that.

"And cute little paws. True", King added reluctantly with a sigh before turning her attention back to the board, "We live only to create chaos and misery. Our only weaknesses are purified water and passive-aggressive comments. Sometimes".

"Oh, you guys are sensitive", Luz observed.

"Everyone's got their own hangups", Ash said with a nod, "And I mean everyone".

"That's right, even demons have inner demons", King confirmed before proceeding to tear off one of the pictures to reveal a large snarling demon with a shell on its' back, "The most powerful demon of all is the Snaggleback. He's a-".

"Bad boy"! Luz joked as she added a colored filter which appeared over her phone screen, followed by several stickers.

Ash and King both stared at Luz with an incredulous look as their human friend began tapping away at her phone screen, saving the picture she had just taken.

"Luz, pay attention"! King chided, "This information could save your life someday"!

"No, no, I am so paying attention", Luz insisted before making a stern expression, "This is my paying attention face. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm".

Her fellow apprentice couldn't help but roll his eyes at that.

"Go easy, King", Ash piped, "Compared to the monsters of Infershia, these guys are practically creampuffs".

"Pfft! Sure! Like that's a fair comparison", King huffed, crossing his arms.

"Infershia"? Luz repeated curiously, "What's that"?

"They were the opposing force that fought against Magitopia", King explained, "Just your garden variety conquer happy evil wack jobs".

"Ah, I'm familiar with the type", Luz said with a nod, "Seen my fair share of 'em in movies and anime. But Magitopia won though, right"?

Ash and King exchanged a nervous glance, which was understandable, seeing as how the subject of the war between Magitopia and Infershia was always a sore spot for the youngest Rugrid.

"Er, well", Ash started to say, "It's complicated. You see, what happened was-".

Before Ash had the chance to say anything else, lightning crashed, immediately followed by a thunder rumble. The three friends quickly looked outside.

"Uh-oh. Looks like it's gonna rain", King observed.

"Guess we better get Eda", Ash said.

"I love the rain", Luz said with a gasp as she got up and headed towards the door.

"Hey, wait"! King called after her.

"No! Luz, hold on"! Ash warned as he got up to follow her.

Sadly for them, Luz didn't hear them. The human girl let out a sigh as she opened the door and looked up at the dark cloud filled sky.

"I always love feeling the first few drops in my hair", She said as she knelt down to talk to a flower, "I bet you do too, little buddy".

As she said that, a water droplet then dropped down to the flower which, to her surprise, caused the flower to immediately wither and die with a loud sizzling sound.

"What"? Luz said in disbelief.

As more rain drops began to fall from the sky, the ground began to sizzle and let off steam. Eda came running through the clearing towards the Owl House, shielding herself from the harsh precipitation with her arm.

"Boiling rain"! She exclaimed, "Everybody inside now"!

"Huh"? Luz said in confusion.

Unfortunately, Eda offered no further explanation as she grabbed Luz's arm and dragged the both of them towards the Owl House. Meanwhile, Ash had arrived at the doorway.

"Luz! You shouldn't leave the door open! You might-OOMPH"!

Sadly, Ash was unable to finish his sentence as Eda collided with him upon reaching the doorway. The sound of objects crashing and clattering then filled the air.

"Phew! That was close", Eda said as she sat on the floor, "But the important thing is nobody got hurt".

Luz and Ash, who now lay painfully sprawled out on the floor, couldn't help but disagree. Ash was on his back with his legs sticking up while Luz lay on her side with her limbs spread out in a random fashion due the previous collision.

"Yep", Luz croaked, "Not hurt".

Just then, a cup fell and hit Ash right on his forehead.

"Ow", he groaned.

Meanwhile in Bonesborough, residents were completely livid, and screamed in terror as they ran from the boiling rain. Houses that were attached to the underside of a cliff fell off as a result of the acidic precipitation. At Willow's house, the young plant witch hurried as she worked to take the plants off of her bedroom's balcony.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow", she said as she felt the boiling rain hit her.

With her plants now secured in her arms, she dragged the curtain down with her teeth. In an alleyway, Tinella Nosa shrieked as she ran before duck into a crack in a wall, safe from the rain. She then tossed a rat out of and hissed at it.

Back at the Owl House, the two apprentices of the Owl Lady sat outside the front door while their teacher worked on a spell that would protect them from the rain. Luz sat beside Ash with her cat hood over her head as King applied a bandage to a burn on her arm. He then put another bandage on Ash's forehead before putting another one on his own snout.

"Thanks King", Ash said gratefully.

"Look, now we're all boo-boo buddies", King joked.

Luz squealed in delight as she then fell over on Ash's lap.

"Oh, my gosh, I love you so much", Luz said.

Seeing an opportunity to mess with Luz, Ash grinned as he looked down at the human.

"Oh but Luz! Whatever will MagiRed have to think about this"? He said in a playful tone.

Luz gasped before sitting up. The young Rugrid boy then proceeded to let out a snicker.

"Just kidding"! He chuckled.

Luz scoffed before giving him a playful shove.

"Oh, you", she sighed.

She then looked at Eda, who was creating a spell beneath a force field.

"A boiling rainstorm on the Boiling Isles", Luz awed, "The weather here is so fun".

"It's not exactly fun, actually", Ash piped up.

"Yeah, and it's not actually weather that we have", Eda added, "We have plagues, gorenados, shale hail, painbows".

"It's like a rainbow but looking at it turns you inside out", King clarified.

Hearing that made Luz pull the drawstrings of her hoodie closed.

"We do have SOME regular weather every now and then", Ash said, "Heck, we even have regular rain. Well, it's not exactly regular, but it doesn't melt you into a pile of goo so, no reason to cut corners, y'know"?

"What's so...irregular about it"? Luz asked.

"It's magic rain", Ash explained, smiling as he went on, "When you stand in it, it's like every bit of stress or sadness is washed away and replaced with a blissful and refreshing sense of renewal".

"That sounds awesome"! Luz said, immediately impressed, "Oh, what a rain that must be".

"Yeah", Ash said with a sad smile, "But, we haven't had any rain like that in years. Now all we have is the kind that'll kill ya".

"Why? What happened"? Luz asked.

Ash's eyes widened, realizing he'd overshared just a bit.

"Uhh, well", He said, "That's...just one of those unfortunate parts of nature, y'know? Heheheheh".

Luz raised a brow as her fellow apprentice's reply sank in. As much as it sounded fishy, she decided to let it be for now.

"Anyway", Eda interjected, deciding to change the subject, "Until the boiling rain stops, no one is allowed outside tonight".

"And if the rain doesn't get you, the Snaggleback will", King warned as he opened a book, which showed pictures of the Snaggleback, "They wander the rain, feeding on boiled tourists".

"And any pets that weren't brought in", Ash added.

"Awww", Luz said sadly.

"I know, it ain't pretty", Ash grimaced.

"Well, whatever the case, this force field spell should protect the house from boiling rains and made-up demons", Eda said, smiling as she poked fun at King at the end.

"Hoot! Well, hurry it up with that force field"! Hooty said, "That rain is getting closer to my precious stucco".

"Don't worry, Hooty! I can replace any part of you that's lost from the rain", Ash assured.

"Awww, hoot hoot! You're too good to me, Ash"! Hooty cooed happily.

"But seriously though, Eda, might wanna hurry with that barrier", Ash advised, "I'd rather NOT have my skin melt off my body".

"Yeah, yeah. I got it", Eda replied coolly.

The elder witch then grabbed the light ball with her staff and then stamped the staff onto the ground. A round orange magic force field engulfed the Owl House, then shrank to shape closely around it.

"Wow! Someday I'd like to be as cool as Eda the Owl Lady", Luz said in amazement as Eda began walking toward the house, "Magical, sassy, surprisingly foxy for her age. Hey, why do they call you the Owl Lady, anyway"?

"Y'know I've honestly always wondered the same thing", Ash spoke, "Never really thought to ask though. Why DO they call you that, Eda"?

" 'Cause I'm so wise", Eda replied proudly.

"'Cause she coughs up rat bones", Hooty interjected.

"I think it's 'cause she gets distracted by shiny objects", King brought up.

"No, I don't", Eda denied.

With a flat look, King took out a pen with a diamond top and clicked it, causing the diamond to glow.

"It sparkles and shimmers! It shines and delights"! Eda said with a wide eyed and awestruck expression, "I must have it for my nest..."!

The now entranced Owl Lady lunged for the pen, but King put it behind his back before she could get it, allowing Eda to crash on the ground with a loud groan. Ash couldn't help but smile at the display as he and Luz went over to their caretaker/teacher to help her back on her feet.

"You have a nest? I want a nest! Nest party"! Luz exclaimed gleefully as she helped Eda stand up.

"You alright, Eda"? Ash asked.

"I'm fine, but Ugh"! Eda replied tiredly, "That force field really took it out of me".

"I could've helped you, y'know", Ash pointed out.

"Heh, I appreciate it, but remember, your shield conjuring is still in need of improvement", Eda reminded "Especially after last time you tried putting up a barrier".

"What exactly happened the last time"? Luz asked.

"You don't wanna know", Ash and Eda deadpanned in unison.

"Guess this mean you're moving a little slow", King teased as he came up to Eda, "Age finally catching up to ya"?

Unimpressed with his joke, Eda pulled King's hat over his head.

"Aahhh! Darkness"! King screamed.

Eda entered the Owl House, ready to call it a day, but Luz had plans that would likely interfere with the Owl Lady's rest.

"This is perfect. Since we'll be stuck in the house all night, Eda won't have any excuse not to teach me a spell"! Luz said happily before she and Ash went inside.

"But don't you wanna finish our lesson"? King asked in a sad and hopeful tone, "I was gonna let you scratch a demon's tummy. Me"!

"Oh, uh, sorry, King. But... magic", Luz apologized with a shrug before going off to look for Eda.

Ash frowned as he looked over at King.

"Sorry, buddy", Ash said, "But hey, I'm sure she'll want to continue once she weasels a magic lesson out of Eda. If she can convince her to stay awake long enough for that, of course".

"Well, what about you"? King asked, "You wanna continue"?

"I'd love to, King, but as you know, on Boiling Rain days, I'm especially busy", Ash said with a shake of his head, "I'll try to make it back in time to help you out".

With that, Ash headed off to his own room. King frowned in frustration. His irritation grew as his horn pierced his hat, causing it to deflate. Once he was back in his room, Ash closed and locked the door. Looking around to further ensure his privacy, he went over to the wall at the left side of the door.

"Jiruma Ji Magiiro"! Ash said, holding his hand out in front of the wall.

Upon uttering those words, a section of the wall in front of him began to glow in the shape of a door. As the glowing stopped, it appeared as if nothing had happened. There was nothing out of the ordinary about the wall, nothing at all. That is, until Ash walked through the wall as if it weren't even there. As darkness filled his vision, Ash clapped his hands. Instantly, the area was enveloped in light, revealing Ash was now in a room that was roughly the same size as a walk-in closet. There was a desk with various papers and books on it, a shelf with different spellbooks in it, maps and other diagrams taped on the walls, and a small round table with a crystal ball on top of it. A red tapestry with his MagiRed symbol emblazened on it was hung up over on the left side of the wall.

This was Ash's secret wizard lair, where he did all his serious thinking and planning in regards to any matters involving his activities as MagiRed. Giving his lair the onceover, the young wizard then pulled out his wand and aimed it at the crystal ball.

"Crystal ball, show me any and all people still out in the streets of Bonesborough", Ash commanded, "Magi Jijiru"!

A ball of light flew out from Ash's wand and into the crystal ball. The transparent sphere blinked for a minute or two before shining brightly. A light beam then shot out from it towards a map of Bonesborough that hung on the wall before splitting into several different dots on various points on the map. Ash looked at the map and began studying it carefully.

Whenever the Boiling Rains would come, there would often be a handful of people who were still out and about. Half of them would be innocent bystanders who were too late to get inside and the other half would be thieves and bandits attempting to take advantage of the situation and do some plundering and mugging. Whatever the case was, Ash knew that those were times when MagiRed was needed most. Thanks to the enchantment in his Magisuit, he was able to go out into the acidic rain without getting hurt.

"Hmm, not too many people out", he observed, "That's a good thing, though. There's sure to be more than just stragglers though. Better stay alert, all the same".

"Ash"?

The young wizard froze up as he heard a familiar voice accompanied by a knock on his bedroom door. On the other side of his bedroom door stood Luz, who waited patiently for her friend. The door then creaked open to reveal Ash.

"Yeah, what's up"? Ash asked.

"Oh! It's nothing, I uh, just noticed you didn't go with me to find Eda and thought you might be in your room", Luz replied, "Don't suppose you wanna help me convince her to give me a lesson"?

"I'm sorry, Luz, but uhh...I gotta go over the want ads", Ash said as he quickly shut the door.

Before it could close, Luz jammed her foot through, preventing it from closing all the way.

"Ow", she grimaced as she pushed the door open once more, "Ash, please, I REALLY want her to actually teach me some magic! This could be one of the only times for her to follow through and I need your help. Please"?!

The human teen folded her hands and gave Ash her best sad puppy dog look. Needless to say, it didn't take long for that to get to the young wizard.

"Oh, alright", Ash sighed.

"Yes"! Luz cheered.

"But! I'm only going to help you convince her", Ash said firmly, "I've got a lot of important work I need to get to".

"Didn't know perusing the want ads was that important to you", Luz noted.

"It's a lot more important than you think", Ash replied with a knowing smirk.

Back in her room, Eda walked behind a privacy screen. She then snapped her fingers, causing a flash of light as she dropped her staff. When she emerged from the other side of the screen, she was now clad in her pajamas. The elder witch sighed as she laid down on the couch. As a shadow appeared over her, she opened her eyes to see Luz standing over her with Ash at her side.

"Aaah"! She yelped.

"Hey Eda", Ash greeted.

"Oh, Eda, have I told you how rad your fang looks today"? Luz complimented sweetly.

"Whatever it is, no", Eda said flatly.

"Uh, and your hair is like, girl~"! Luz continued.

"I'm not teaching you magic tonight, I'm sleepy", Eda said as she covered herself with a blanket, "I'm a sleepy little owl".

"Come on Eda, you always used to teach me whenever the Boiling Rains came around, whether you were tired or not", Ash said.

"Then why don't you teach her, Mr. Senior Apprentice"? Eda sighed as she reached up and poked Ash's cheek.

"Because, you know I always take the time to...read the want ads, during the Boiling Rains", Ash said in a hinting tone.

Eda slightly cracked open her eyes and undersood what he was implying.

"Well if you want to..."read the want ads" ", she said, repeating what he said using her fingers to do Air Quotes, "Then that's fine. You do what you want and I'll do what I want during the storm".

Ash looked over at Luz and shrugged. Though slightly discouraged, Luz was still determined to get Eda's help.

"Please, Eda, please"! Luz begged, "How am I supposed to earn my witch's staff if I don't know any spells"?

"No. Sleep", Eda said, covering her head with the blanket.

Ash frowned at Eda's lack of motivation to help Luz. Then, a lightbulb went off in his head. He walked over to Luz and whispered into her ear. The human teen then smiled, liking the sound of his plan. As Eda lay beneath the blanket on the couch, she suddenly heard something click.

"Sparkle thing"! She gasped in realization.

Eda sat up while still wrapped in the blanket and watched as Luz clicked the sparkle pen several times, turning the diamond part off and on.

"What's wrong, Eda"? Ash asked with a knowing smile, "I thought you wanted to sleep? Oh! Luz, I think she might want the pen".

"Oh, this"? Luz said, smirking as she held out the mentioned writing device.

Eda tossed aside the blanket and perched herself on the arm of the couch.

"Ooh"! She said, completely entranced by the glowing pen.

Luz began to move the pen around tauntingly. Eda then attempted to make a grab for it.

"Nope"! Luz said, pulling back the pen, causing Eda to falls down to the floor, "Teach me one spell, and I'll give you your sparkle thing".

"What'll it be, Owl Lady"? Ash asked, crouching down to where they were eye level.

"I respect your cunning, but I also hate you for it", Eda responded with a frown.

"Face it, you taught me too well, hahaha", Ash chuckled.

"Heh, you may be right about that, Ashy", Eda admitted.

After getting back to her feet, Eda now stood in front of Luz. Even though it was imperative for him to start his patrol, Ash decided to hang back a little longer. There was the off chance where he'd have to help get Eda to bed, after all.

"If you want a magic staff like mine, don't make me repeat myself", Eda instructed sternly before dozing off.

She gasped as she woke herself up.

"Magic staffs have power embedded into them", Eda continued.

"Gimme"! Luz said eagerly.

Ash couldn't help but smile at Luz's eagerness. Eda, however, didn't share in his humor.

"Anyway", she said, "Before one is earned, every witch, or in Ash's case, wizard, needs to know how to cast spells on their own. There are, however, cases where some are granted "training wheels" of sorts. In Ash's case, it's his wand".

Ash then held out his wand for Luz to see.

"I've been meaning to ask, what exactly is the difference between the two"? Luz asked, shifting her gaze from Eda's staff to Ash's wand, "I mean, aside from the obvious ones".

"Well, for one thing, wands usually serve as mediums through which wizards like me, or witches like Eda, can draw out their full power", Ash explained, "Even though they have their own power source like magic staffs, it's not quite as powerful. It all depends on the energy and magic power we put into the wand ourselves. Think of it as comparing a battery to a generator".

"Ahh", Luz said, rather fascinated.

"There's plenty of things that a magic staff do that a wand cannot, but we'll get to that another time", Eda said as she threw her staff to the side, "Tonight I will show you how to create... light".

Luz watched as the elder witch drew a circle with her finger in the air, which began to glow orange. White light sparked in the center, forming a large ball of light. It descended until it stopped in front of Luz's face, where it then disappeared. Luz gasped in astonishment, causing Ash to smile as he was reminded of days gone by, when he first started learning under Eda's tutelage. King, who was sprawled out on his stomach nearby, wasn't quite as moved.

"Yawn! Who needs another boring spell lesson when you could be learning all the fun ways a demon could kill you"? He said, holding up a drawing of a demon with giant teeth, "Look how teethy! Bite, bite"!

"Since when have there actually been fun ways to die"? Ash joked.

"Since always! Shut up"! King said defensively.

"Quiet, you two, I need to focus", Luz said to both boys before turning her attention back to Eda.

"Now, humans think magic is made out of thin air, but that's stupid", Eda continued, "Everything comes from something. Let me ask you, kid; Where do you think magic comes from"?

"Uh...from the heart"? Luz guessed with a hopeful look in her eyes.

Ash and Eda both looked at her a deadpan expression upon hearing that.

"Actually, you're right", they said in unison.

Luz then gasped with joy.

"Uh, Luz, we're actually talking in a literal sense", Ash clarified, realizing she was expecting something different.

"Yeah, really", Eda added as she pulled out a diagram of viscera from her hair and showed it to Luz, "It comes from a sac of magic bile attached to a witch's heart".

"Oh, gross"! Luz cringed, "...Can I keep that"?

"...No", Eda said, shoving the diagram back in her hair, "Now, everything depends on the spell circle".

She then drew a large circle in the air.

"The bigger the circle, the more powerful the spell", Eda elaborated.

The circle burst out, creating a much bigger light than the one from before. It fades much faster.

"But unless you put a lotta power in it, it's not gonna last long", Ash added.

"Right on the money, kiddo", Eda said, pointing to Ash.

"But how can I, little ol' Luz, do magic if I don't have a magic bile... sac"? Luz inquired, finally addressing the elephant in the room.

A pensive expression now adorned the faces of both Ash and Eda.

"You know, I'm not actually sure", Eda admitted.

"Yeah, me neither", Ash said with a shrug.

"What"? Luz said in disbelief.

"Sorry Luz, but everything related to magic that I've ever learned was taught to me by Eda", Ash said sadly, "And I don't think we ever covered stuff like that...have we"?

"Not that I remember", Eda recollected as she scratched the back of her head, "I mean, I do know witches did magic differently in the past, but I never bothered to figure out how. Ha"!

"Eda"! Luz exclaimed.

"Don't worry. You'll figure it out", Eda assured, rubbing Luz's head, "Now...".

Eda then stood up straight and cracked her back.

"I need to lie down", she said tiredly.

"Need some help"? Ash offered.

"Heh, I may be older than you, but I'm not that old, kid", Eda said with a wave of her hand.

"Suit yourself", Ash conceded.

"That's it? Wait! I need to see you do the circle thingy again", Luz pleaded, taking out her phone, "I'll record it on my phone this time".

Ash felt a bit torn; He knew Eda needed her rest, but at the same time he owed it to his fellow apprentice to help her learn.

"Just one more time wouldn't hurt", Ash offered, looking at Eda, "Then that'll be it. Right, Luz"?

Luz nodded her head eagerly. The Owl Lady then let out a sigh, indicating she had conceded to defeat. Luz smiled as she turned on her phone's camera.

"Smile! You're on camera", Luz said, focusing the camera on Eda's tired face, "One more spell won't kill you".

"Ugh, fine"! Eda groaned tiredly.

Once more, Eda drew a circle in the air. Only this time, her fatigue was starting to get to her and it showed as the circle appeared shaky.

"Now, you see, the...", Eda said, attempting to stay awake, "Spell circle is really key because—"

The circle then disappeared as she let out a yawn.

"Ooh, boy", She mumbled as she started to fall over.

"Crap", Ash muttered as he ran over and caught Eda in his arms.

The elder witch now leaned against Ash, completely zonked out.

"Welp, looks like one more spell killed Eda", King said.

Luz yelped, frightened at the thought that King may have been right.

"Hey uhh, mind lending me a hand"? Ash asked nervously, "She's a lot heavier than she looks...please don't tell her I said that".

Luz went and helped Ash set Eda down on the floor and rolled her onto her back.

"Oh, my gosh"! Luz panicked, "My obsession with spells knocked out Eda. I'm a monster"!

"Bap"! King said, lightly slapping Eda's face, "Yep, she's out. Bap"!

King laughed as he slapped Eda's face.

"Just making sure", King said after getting a look from Ash and Luz.

"We should get help, right"? Luz asked before running to the door.

Before she could go out the door, Ash quickly grabbed her by the arm and King held her by her leg, stopping her before she could exit the Owl House.

"Whoa, hey, Luz! That's WAY too dangerous"! Ash cautioned.

"Yeah, boiling rains, remember"? King warned.

"No, let her try. It'll be funny", Hooty said.

"Okay, you need a time out", Ash said with a frown.

"Seconded"! King agreed as he slammed the door.

"But what if Eda's dead"? Luz worried.

"Luz, relax, it's not that big a deal", Ash assured, placing a hand on her shoulder, "She's not dead, she's just tired. Just look".

Ash motioned over at Eda, who was still on the floor in a blissfully somnambulant state.

"Shiny thing. Big nest", She muttered with a snore.

"What I tell ya"? Ash said, smiling at Luz.

"Ash's right", King chimed in, "Besides, remember when her head got cut off last week? That woman can survive anything. She's probably just tired from staying up all night chasing shrews and voles".

"Well, we can't just leave her on the floor", Luz pointed out.

Ash and King both exchanged a tired yet knowing look. Later, the three of them brought Eda to her room, with Ash holding her up by her shoulders and Luz and King dragging her by her feet. After reaching her nest, Luz tossed a small animal skull out of it before pulling her into it. Now safe in her nest, Eda continued to snore.

"Sorry for pushing you, Miss Eda", Luz said sadly, "Please don't hurt me when you wake up".

"Should I bap her again"? King asked.

"Just let her rest, you little goober", Luz said as she rubbed King's head.

"I'm sure she won't be too mad", Ash assured, "I've put her through worse".

"Heh, that's kinda actually hard to imagine", Luz chuckled.

"No, seriously, back when I was little, I had that same energetic drive to learn as you", Ash replied, "But now, it's like...I guess I'm lucky if she ever teaches me anything".

"He's not wrong", King confirmed.

"But y'know, whether or not she teaches me any magic doesn't really matter all that much to me anymore", Ash confessed, "As long as she's still around...well, that's good enough for me".

"That's so sweet", Luz gushed.

"Well, it doesn't hurt that she and I go way back", Ash said as he leaned against Eda's nest.

Luz watched as Ash stared out into space, suddenly lost in thought. As much as she wanted to learn more about her fellow apprentice, she knew it'd be better to wait until he was comfortable enough to tell her. Given the bitter relationship between him and his brother which she saw not too long ago, she knew topics related to his home life were a touchy subject.

"You okay"? King asked, looking up at Ash.

"Hmm"? Ash hummed, snapping out of his daze, "Oh, yeah, I just, uh, got lost in my train of thought, that's all".

"Well, we're gonna head back", Luz said, "You coming"?

"Yeah, I'll be right ya", Ash replied, nodding his head, "I'm just gonna get Eda a blanket so she doesn't catch cold".

"I love how you're so considerate of her", Luz commented with a warm smile, "Well, come on, King. Let's go downstairs".

King hung back for a minute before smacking Eda again.

"Bap"! He said.

"King"! Ash hissed.

The little demon cackled as he ran off. Ash shook his head as he watched the King of Demons leave the room. Minutes later, after finding what he'd been looking for, he went back over to the nest and covered Eda with a blanket. Having felt the soft, warm feeling of being under the covers, the elder witch smiled as she pulled the blanket in close. The young wizard couldn't help but smile as he thought about the irony. For all the times she'd tucked him into bed growing up, it felt like he was returning the favor. Looking back over his shoulder to see if they were truly alone, Ash leaned in closer and whispered into Eda's ear.

"I'm going out on patrol, now", he said quietly, "Be back later".

With that, he quietly and slowly made his way out of the room.

"Go get 'em", Eda said in her sleep with a yawn, "Make sure to...eat".

Ash was surprised at this. But nevertheless, he couldn't help but feel flattered. Even in her sleep, Eda was looking out for him. After grabbing his broom from the closet, he returned to his secret lair, ready to get started.

"Oh! That's right", he said in realization, "Better lock up. Jiruma Ji Magiine"!

The entrance to the lair shined and the sound of door locking was heard. With the entrance now relocked, Ash looked down at the floor and tapped on it with his foot. A trap door opened and, after mounting his broom, Ash jumped down it, just as the trap door closed behind him. Now flying on his broom through a secret cave, Ash was now ready to get to work. He then took out his wand and had it transform into his MagiPhone, which was already in its' Wand Mode.

"Mahou Henshin! Maagi Magi Magiiro"!

A bright red magic circle appeared over Ash. As it descended, Ash had now transformed into MagiRed, and his broom was now his Sky Hoki. Upon reaching the mouth of the cave, he flew upwards and headed straight to Bonesborough. Meanwhile, back at the Owl House, King was in the living room, redrawing a demon with several mouths. When he finished, he held up his notepad, rather pleased with himself at his work. As this was happening, Luz was trying to recreate what Eda had just taught her, but was having some trouble.

"Ugh! This is all she does", Luz groaned, trying to draw a spell circle, "Why you gotta be so cryptic, Owl Lady"?

She looked down at her phone and replayed the video she'd taken.

"Now, you see, the spell circle is really...".

The video was interrupted as King set his notepad down over Luz's phone.

"Hey, you know what's really cryptish? Let me tell you about the most spine-chilling demon", King said, trying to gain her attention.

The little demon then lifted up the notepad to show a her a drawing of a fish-like demon.

"Smoochy-pie the Sweetie Baby"! King said in a foreboding tone, despite the unintimidating name, "He's... Well, he's a lot more threatening than his name implies".

"Not now, King. I want to figure out this spell", Luz said, brushing him off, "But if I don't have a magic sac, what's the point? I'll just be twirling my fingers around un-magically forever".

"Why do you want to learn magic so bad, anyway"? King asked, rather annoyed, "Is it that important to you for MagiRed to like you back"?

"What?! No"! Luz denied nervously as a bright red blush appeared on her face, "I mean...that would be great but...".

The Dominican teen then let out a sigh before she continued.

"I was a nobody back home", Luz confessed as she sat down, "But becoming a witch is my chance to be someone. And MagiRed, he...he said he believes in me. That was the first time in my life anybody, besides my mom, ever said that to me. I wanna be able to stand by his side one day and be able to help him out, as a way of thanking him. I feel like I owe him that much. I mean, do you know what it's like to have no one take you seriously"?

After absorbing everything she just said, King let out a sigh.

"If I help you learn that spell, could we finish our lesson"? King offered.

"Oh, yes, yes", Luz agreed as she put her phone away, "You can teach me about demons all week if you help me learn this spell".

King then pulled out a pen and began drawing something on his notepad.

"Well, she said witches used to do magic differently, so there has to be a way, right"? He said as he showed what he drew to Luz, "And I have a theory. Every day I notice Eda sneaking drinks of this special elixir, see? Then she always gets a boost of energy, see? I think that's where she gets her powers. And I know where to get some".

"Really"? Luz asked.

"Sí", King replied.

Luz pulls him into a hug.

"Thank you so much"! She cheered, spinning King around a little, "You're a prince"!

"King. I'm King", King corrected.

"Right", Luz said.

Lightning flashed outside of Eda's bedroom window. However, said witch was still too zonked to be bothered by it, which was proven by how she continued peacefully snoring away in her nest as the boiling storm continued outside. The door then squeaked open revealing King, who quietly stepped into the room.

"Now where could it be..."? He said to himself as he looked around.

He then spotted a bright orange potion sitting atop Eda's side table. As quietly as a mouse, he started sneaking over to it, before quickly stopping at a metal clang. He gasped as he pulled his foot away from a bear trap just before it could close around on his foot.

"Ha! Nice try", he taunted.

"Nah, my heart wasn't in it", The trap shrugged before taking its' leave.

Resuming his little caper, he scampered up a curtain to reach the tabletop. After setting himself down on it, he noticed a tag attached to the potion.

""An elixir a day", He read aloud.

Unfortunately, part of it was ripped off, so he couldn't tell what the rest of the tag said. However, that didn't seem to phase him.

"Cryptic", He noted before ripping off the tag, "Nyeh".

After tucking the half complete tag away in his collar, he took the potion and hopped down onto the floor. Cold feet suddenly got to him as he looked between Eda and the potion with a guilty expression.

"Uhh...Nah"! King said with a shake of his head before leaving the room with the potion now in his possession.

Later, in the kitchen, where Luz, now wearing a bib, eagerly sat at the table with King standing in front of her on the tabletop with potion in hand.

"Got it"! He said, handing her the bottle.

Upon taking the bottle, the human girl pulled the cork cover off and looked down at the liquid inside.

"Wow! I can't believe I'm about to learn magic", Luz said in wide eyed disbelief and excitement, "Real magic! This is historic"!

With her elation at its' peak, Luz slowly lifted the bottle to her lips. She was just about to take a sip, when a sudden clap of thunder startled her, causing her to lose her grip on the potion. She fumbled and juggled it in a desperate attempt to keep from dropping it. Until at last, it left her grip smashed onto the floor.

"Golden elixir GONE"! She gasped in fright, "This is awful"!

"Meh, who even needs a light spell when we have tons of lamps"? King pointed out optimistically.

He gestured out to the many glowing lamps in the room. To their surprise, the lamps suddenly flared and went out. Luz glared at King as they now sat in the dark.

"Hooty controls the house lights", King assured with a groan, "He probably just fell asleep".

CRASH!

A loud ruckus was soon heard, followed by a familiar cry of terror.

"Hoot! Hoot"!

"Hooty"! Luz shouted in concern.

Hoot, oh, hoot!

The human girl quickly cast off the bib around her neck and ran towards the noise, with King following suit as he hopped onto her shoulder. As Luz and King reached the living room, they let out a frightened gasp. There, in front of them, stood a shadowy beast, with the front door, which had been knocked off its hinges, in its' grasp. It had seemingly made a mess of the front wall. It dragged its' claws on the door, leaving a set of deep scratches in the wood next to Hooty, growling as it glared at the duo the two friends with its' menacing glowing eyes. Then, as just as soon as it had appeared, it fled.

Startled though relieved the intruding monster had left, Luz and King ran over to Hooty.

"Hooty! Are you in there"? Luz asked worriedly.

The human girl tapped his beak a few times before opening his eye.

"Whatever did this escaped into the rain", She said as King ran his paw against the doorframe as if to assess the damage, "What could survive that"?

"Oh, my gosh, The Snaggleback"! King realized, "It feeds during the rains. It must have stumbled across our house and seen us inside"!

"AROOOOOOOO"!

To their horror, they heard the creature let out a primal howl. They ran out to the edge of barrier and saw the shadowy creature jump through one of the windows upper floor.

"This is terrifying", Luz grimaced, "So why do you look so happy"?!

She frowned as she noted excited look in the little demon's eyes.

"Because this could be a lesson" King gleefully squealed, "This would be a great way for you to see a wild demon up close and personal"!

"You want to go toward those creepy sounds"?! Luz asked in disbelief, "No way"!

"What if Eda gets eaten"? King pointed out, "She's upstairs and defenseless because you knocked her out".

Luz groaned at the reminder.

"Look, let's just get Ash", Luz suggested, "Then we can all figure out what we're going to do about the Snaggleback".

King wasn't exactly thrilled with that plan. But as the human teen ran back into the Owl House, he realized he didn't have time to object. After reaching his room upstairs, Luz quickly banged on the bedroom door.

"Ash?! ASH"! She shouted, "This is an emergency! There's a demon loose in the house"!

She tried his door handle and was surprised to find it unlocked. Biting her lip, the second apprentice of the Owl Lady felt a wave of fear overtake her whole body. Luz had seen enough horror movies to know that moments like these were usually followed by a jump scare, ending with a horrible demise for one of the characters. But with a downed Eda counting on them to keep her safe, she knew she had to do it.

"What was that thing MagiRed always said"? Luz asked herself nervously.

As the Ruby Wizards' words came back to her, she nervously clutched her chest, feeling her heart beginning to beat like a drum. Taking a deep breath, Luz gripped the door handle, and readied herself.

"Long...Live...COURAGE"! She shouted as she swung the door open.

The Dominican teen felt her teeth subconsciously clench together as she entered the darkened room. Darting her eyes around, she noticed that, though a mess, the room was empty.

"Ash"? She called out softly, "Aaash"!?

Luz gasped as she suddenly spied the broken window. King huffed after he finally caught up to Luz. He panicked when, as expected, he noticed her alone inside the empty room. The little demon panicked at first, but only at first. After spotting the broken window, he quickly realized he could use the situation to help cover up Ash's whereabouts. Not wanting to waste time, he quickly got into character.

"Ohhhh NO"! King exclaimed in his best fake shocked tone, "Ash has been Snagglebacked"!

"No! No, no, no, no, no, no, NO"! Luz denied shaking her head, "This is bad! He was the only one who could've helped us protect Eda! And now he's GONE! Oh my gosh, what if he's hurt?! What if that thing ATE HIM?! OH MY GOSH, MY FRIEND'S BEEN TURNED INTO DEMON FOOD"!

As the gravity of the situation began to kick in, Luz slowly began to hyperventilate as she slowly sat down and hugged her knees close to her chest. Though satisfied she'd bought the ruse, King was a little worried at how well it worked. Thankfully, he knew that it was only a matter of time before Ash would be back from his patrol, ready to help them out. For now though, he knew that he and Luz would have to hold tight for now. Running up to the panicking teen, King hopped up onto her shoulder.

"Get ahold of yourself"! King said firmly, "I know things look bad, but if we can catch this thing we just might be able to find Ash! And even if we don't, I'm sure he'll be fine".

"How can you be so sure"?! Luz asked, still concerned for her friend.

"Trust me, that kid has been through worse than this", King assured, "Don't worry, we'll find him. For now, though, let's focus on what we can do".

Even though she was scared for the wellbeing of her friend and senior apprentice, Luz knew that King had a point. As bad as things were right now, this wasn't the time to panic. Taking a deep breath, Luz got to her feet with a serious expression now adorning her face.

"Let's do it", she muttered.

Later, the two prepared for battle in the kitchen. Luz pulled on a pair of rubber gloves before putting a bandage under each of her eyes, as if they were strips of eye black, then grinned. She and King taped a pillow to their chests. The human girl then grabbed a hockey stick for a weapon, while King grabbed his stuffed bunny Francois. Now equipped with their gear, they set out towards Eda's room.

As they reached the steps that led to the upper floor, the camera light on Luz's phone illuminated the stairway as she held the device up towards the end of the stairs. The floorboards creaked as they quietly made their ascension up the stairs. Luz moved the light around as they reached a hallway. They stopped in their tracks as they saw the door to Eda's room creak open. Both girl and demon shared a nervous glance. Fighting back the fear building up inside, Luz slowly opened the doors all the way. To their shock, Eda's room was empty, with the nearby window shattered to boot, much like with Ash's room. Though this time for a different, much scarier reason.

"Oh, my gosh. Eda"! Luz shouted worriedly.

"She got snaggle-backed"! King exclaimed in actual fear this time.

"Eda"? Luz called out as she peered into the nest.

She picked up a damaged pillow and grimaced at what she saw.

"No"! She gasped, "Slash marks. King! You're the demon expert, I need your help".

"I'll go get my demon book", King said before hurrying out of the room.

As he ran down the hall to go retrieve his book, he failed to notice the snarling shadow that passed over him.

"Wait, wait. First edition or second"? King asked, returning with two books in hand.

The question became moot when he noticed something important missing from the room. Or rather, someone.

"Luz?! He gasped as he dropped the books, "The Snaggleback got her"!

Out of the corner of his eye, King caught a glance of a snarling shadow as it passed behind him. With a renewed sense of bravery brought on by his missing friend, the king of demons chased after the shadow.

"You craven beast! Give me back my boo-boo buddy"! King demanded as he ran down the hall.

After rounding a corner he gasps as he saw Luz's shoe lying in front of a door that creaked as it closed shut.

"Luz", King squeaked in fear.

As King picked up the shoe, he fearfully looked back at the window behind him.

"Ash...where are you"? He said nervously.

Bonesborough

Meanwhile, in Bonesborough, the streets had now been evacuated. Save for some creatures attempting to take shelter from the rain. Though that wasn't the only manner of vermin out and about during this dangerous downpour. A young family of 3, consisting of a man, a woman, and a boy no older than 8 years old, who had been unfortunate enough to get caught in the storm, were trying to make their way home as they ran down the street, trying to beat the boiling rain. The cloaks they had on provided some coverage, but they wouldn't last long in the deluge. Their journey took them through a rather unfriendly looking alley. The man, who was at the head soon stopped by a homeless looking fellow.

"Eh, man, spare some snails"? He asked.

"Look fella, I don't got the time right now", the man said, "We're trying to get back home and outta this rain".

"Come on, just a few"! The bum fussed, "10? I'll take 5! I'll make do if it's just 3"!

"I don't have time to waste on you", The man said taking his wife by the arm, "Come on, Jane, let's hurry".

"Richie, take my hand", his wife, Jane, instructed the boy.

The boy, Richie, nodded his head and grabbed his mother's hand. The bum scoffed as the family left without another word. As they rounded the corner, they were met by another poorly dressed man, brandishing a wooden club. The family of 3 all took a step back as the homeless man edged towards them, smirking devilishly as he reared the club back.

"Where's your sense of generosity towards your fellow witch, huh"? He joked the man.

Without warning, the newly identified mugger grabbed the man by the shoulder and slammed the club into his stomach. He doubled over with a groan before being pushed away by the degenerate bum. His wife held her child close to her as they watched the mugger relieve the man of his wallet and other valuables. Their horror grew as the thief turned his attention to them and walked over to where they were.

"Your choice lady; You or the kid", He threatened, aiming the club at her, "If you don't want either, then ya won't scream 'til after we leave"!

He then snatched the purse that hung at her side. With both hers and her son's life at risk, she did not object. The thief grinned as he looked behind them at the guy they had just stiffed earlier.

"Eh, Frank! I got the cash! Let's book"! He shouted.

Frank smirked as he ran over to join his partner in crime.

"Thanks for your contribution", Sneered the mugger as he took off towards the corner.

"Enjoy the weather", Frank added as he ran by them.

With the two thieves gone, Jane was free to scream. And upon looking at her down husband, that's exactly what she did. She and her child both ran over to him, turning him over and making sure to shield his face from the rain.

"Daddy"! Wailed the boy.

As the little family sat there feeling helpless and frightened, they did not notice a pair of red boots that stood on the roof's edge above them.

Later, up on one of the rooftops, the two thieves were enjoying themselves as they sat in front of the buildings roof entrance and counted out their ill-gotten gain.

"Hahaha, oh! Lookee here", said the leader, pulling out a handful of jewelry from the lady's purse, "Where they get the cash to afford this stuff"?

"I don't know about this, Artie", Frank said, as he rifled through the man's wallet, "Maybe ya shouldn't have threatened the kid the way ya did".

"Aw shaddup! It's their own fault for passing through our territory and not paying tribute", Jerry snorted, "Not like we ain't done this before".

"Yeah, I know that", Frank said nervously, "But shouldn't we hold off on doing this kinda thing when the weather's better"?

"Whattya fretting for? Our cloaks are good for another two storms", Artie assured.

"I'm not talking about that! I'm talking about MagiRed", Frank explained in a worried tone, "They said he makes it his business to do his rounds during the Boiling Rains"!

"Aw man, gimme a break, will ya"?! Artie said in disbelief, "MagiRed hasn't done his rounds during the storms since him and the rest of those neon-colored has-beens broke up! What're ya worrying about"?!

"That ain't what I heard", Frank countered, "I heard that during the one we had a couple months ago, he was caught busting that jewelry heist".

"The Emperor's goons were the ones that busted that! Come on, it was all over the news", Artie said, waving his friend off, "I'm telling ya, that onesie wearing clown ain't gonna show up, not tonight".

Frank nodded, reluctantly giving into his partner's stance on the matter. Artie then went to over to the other side of the roof's entrance go try and have a smoke. After pulling out his tobacco pipe, he took out a book of matches to light his pipe with. He failed to see a pair of red clad arms reach out at him from the shadows behind him. Meanwhile, his partner in crime was now the one going through the purse they'd gotten. When suddenly...

"AAAHHH"!

Frank stood straight up the minute he heard the sound of Artie scream.

"A-Artie"?! He called out, "What's wrong"?

Taking the purse and all the goods they'd taken with him, Frank anxiously made his way over to where Artie. After rounding the corner of the roof's entrance, the homeless thief screamed at the top of his lungs as he found Artie, lying on the ground unconscious. His dread steadily began to increase as the sound of footsteps echoed over the sound of the rain.

"W-who's there"?! Frank shuddered.

"I believe you have something that belongs to that nice family you mugged", said a voice.

"W-what's it to you?! Guys' gotta eat! It wasn't anything personal", Frank defended, backing away.

"You made it personal when you decided to get by on crime", came the reply.

"Well, you don't...I mean, I...", Frank stammered, unaware he was edging closer to the roof's edge.

Frank's eyes darted around, attempting to find the source of the voice. Despite the fear welling up inside him at the minute, he still felt compelled to speak, and ask the one question he dreaded to ask in the first place.

"Who are you"? He squeaked.

It was then he felt as though there were someone standing behind him. He turned around to find, to his horror, the one person Artie said wouldn't show. In his masked, scarlet clad glory. Leaning towards him, the masked man gave his reply as he glared at the mugger through the bird shaped visor of his mask.

"I'm MagiRed", he hissed.

Frank grimaced as the Ruby Wizard held up his hand and drew a spell circle. The homeless accomplice yelped as he found himself being lifted up off the ground in a bright light. As MagiRed lifted his hand, the now glowing thief rose up in the air.

"H-hey! What're ya gonna do"?! He exclaimed.

"It's not nice to shake people down for cash", MagiRed replied in a firm tone.

Using his magic, he then proceeded to turn Frank upside down.

"W-whoa! Hey! Take it easy! No need to get crazy, y'know?! It was just a wallet and a purse"! Frank shouted in desperation.

"That's the thing though", MagiRed glowered, "Guys like you never stop at just one wallet and one purse".

Before Frank could retort, he found himself shaking as if he were in an earthquake. Turned out MagiRed was using his magic to shake him up and down as if he were a mixologist at a tavern. He kept shaking Frank until all the contents on his person, the purse, the wallet, and all the money he'd stolen from that family fell to the ground below. Ironically, the family, who were still rather upset from earlier, were walking on the ground below them. Imagine their surprise when all their valuables fell down in front of them, no worse for wear.

Once he was sure that was everything, MagiRed turned Frank right-side up again before using his free hand to lift Artie up with his magic and place him up in the air next to Frank, who was thoroughly dazed after that literal shakedown.

"I think I'm gonna be sick", Frank moaned.

"Think of it as a reminder moving forward", MagiRed advised, "Jiruma Magiiro"!

Casting his alchemy spell with his free hand on the ground at his feet, MagiRed transmuted a rope that rose up in the air and swayed back and forth like a dancing cobra. The Ruby Wizard then directed the rope to wrap around Frank and Artie, binding the two together as they hung in the air. With the criminals now fully incapacitated, MagiRed walked away, taking the two thieves with him.

"Hey, wait! You can't do this ta us! We got rights! Ya hear me?! We can sue! Hey! HEY"!

Unfortunately, Frank's protest fell on deaf ears. Times like this, when the scum of the Isles were out and about taking advantage of the Isles weather to run wild and terrorize, the Ruby Wizard would put away his cartoonish, yet upstanding "Caped Crusader" character and become, what many considered him as, a "Red Clad Angel of Vengeance". A symbol of fear to those who did evil. The same kind of fear evoked by poor Frank as he continued trying not to wet himself. As unorthodox as it was, he kinda had to rely on the vigilante side for times like this. After all, when you're flying solo, you gotta find ways to compensate for your lack of numbers.

Later, inside one of the Guard outposts, one of the masked guards' snoozed at his desk. The lack of work due to the storm was always a good time to catch up on sleep. Or at least, it was.

CRASH!

A large mass crashed through the skylight above, startling him awake.

"Aaaah! THE SKY'S FALLING! Wait, it CAN'T! I OWE EVERYONE MONEY"! The guard shrieked in dismay.

His despair turned to surprise as he found two homeless men tied up in a rope. One was unconscious while the other looked like he was ready to have an accident in his pants.

"I swear, no more", he sobbed hysterically, "No more muggin' ! No more stealin' ! I won't even swear anymore! I'll be good, mommy! I PROMISE"!

The guard was left speechless. Looking up at where they were dropped from, he caught a glimpse of a red cape billowing in the wind.

"Well, he may be a menace, but I can't complain whenever he makes my job easier", the guard relented with a shrug, "Alright you scumbags, let's get ya in a nice comfy little cell for two".

Minutes later, MagiRed now sat on the edge of one of the highest buildings in Bonesborough. It had the best view used to spot trouble, so it was an ideal lookout point. As the young, masked wizard sat there with his head propped up on his arm, he couldn't help but note the silence of his surroundings. Save for the rain, and the sizzling sounds that came with it, not a sound could be heard for miles.

Rain or shine, it was always like this for him whenever he went on patrol. No noise, no distractions...no company. Just the rooftops, the streets, the various flying creatures that perched on them, and nothing else. It wasn't always like this, though. Back then, every patrol was lively. Then again, every patrol didn't end in him being alone. He felt his mind wander to 4 years ago as the sound of a familiar voice echoed through his mind as if it were being spoken aloud.

"I still don't see why we gotta be out here".

Flashback – Bonesborough 4 years ago

4 of the MagiRangers stood on a rooftop during a Boiling Rainstorm. The Citrine Wizard, MagiYellow, was voicing his objection.

"This is stupid"! He groused, "I got better things to do than to play escort for a buncha pansies who didn't make it inside in time"!

The eldest and leader of the group, The Emerald Wizard, MagiGreen, felt differently

"Don't be like that, Ray"! He said in a strong and caring voice, "As MagiRangers, it's our duty to help our fellow witches in any jam! Be it monsters or natural disasters"!

"Newsflash, bro! This is regular weather"! MagiYellow pointed out, "If you can even call it that. This isn't even CLOSE to being ranked as a natural disaster"!

The Sapphire Witch, MagiBlue, had decided to put her two cents in on the matter.

"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean we should be so selective when it comes to situations such as this, Rayden", She chided in a firm, yet gentle voice.

"Hmph"! MagiYellow huffed, crossing his arms.

Coming up behind him and grabbing him by the shoulders in a familiar embrace was the Rose Quartz Witch, MagiPink.

"She's right, y'know?" She piped up in a bubbly and energetic tone, "I know I certainly wouldn't be able to sleep at night if something were to happen during the Boiling Rains and I wasn't around to stop it".

"Your sisters' speak the truth, Ray", MagiGreen said, placing his green glove covered hands on his hips, "Times such as the Boiling Rainstorms are prime opportunities for thieves and other various Ne'er-do-wells to cause trouble! It's our responsibility to make sure they know that there will be no chances of them having any kind of fun when the MagiRangers are on the job"!

"Tcch! Whatever"! MagiYellow said shrugging MagiPink's hands off his shoulders, "I bet you anything Ash is in the same boat as me. I'm sure all he wants to do is go back and hang with Eda or something".

"Ha! TAKE THAT"!

"Huh"?

The 4 Rainbow Wizards all looked over at the edge of the building to see MagiRed facing down a mugger of sorts. All around them are 7 other muggers, unconscious.

"You have no chance of winning! I beat down every single on of your friends, and I'll do the same to you! Do yourself a favor and surrender now"! MagiRed warned.

"Heh, I'll die before I surrender to some two-bit, goody twoshoes, Magitopia wizard like you"! The mugger said.

As quickly as a bolt of lightning, MagiYellow appeared behind him.

"That can be arranged", he hissed.

"Huh"?!

The mugger turned around in time to get a left hook from the Citrine Wizard, causing the mugger to stumble back.

"Heh, I won't be so easy to take down like those other losers"! Said the Mugger as he pulled out a knife.

Quickly and quietly, MagiPink came up behind him.

"Oh really"? She said, pulling out her wand, "Maagi Magiiro"!

Using her transformation spell, she transformed into a large beach ball.

"What the..."? Said the mugger.

"Hey, Red! How about a little tag team action"?! MagiPink called out as she bounced up and down.

"You got it"! MagiRed replied, running towards the mugger.

"And now, stepping up to the plate, the MagiRangers Ace Center Forward, MaaaaaagiRed"! MagiYellow announced.

"Nice introduction, heehee~"! MagiPink giggled, "Now...".

The beach ball that was once the Rose Quartz Witch started bouncing harder and harder.

"Hey wait a minute now! What're ya doin' "!? The mugger shouted.

The Pink Ball bounced up and then forward. The Ruby Wizard acted fast and jumped up after it.

"Overhead...KICK"!

He flipped in the air, delivering an upside-down kick to the ball, which sent it heading straight for the mugger. It hit him straight on as if it were fired from a cannon, knocking him back nearly 10 feet from where he was standing, sending him sliding He then looked up to see MagiBlue standing over him and smiled.

"Well, hello there~"! He said, getting to his feet and grabbing her wrist, "You're not gonna get rough with me like your friends, are ya"?

Looking down at the hand that held her, the Sapphire Witch fumed.

"Grrr! You're not my TYPE"! She screamed as she slammed the palm of her hand into his stomach.

"Oomph"! Grunted the Mugger.

MagiBlue then grabbed him by the arm and executed a shoulder throw on him.

"Hyah"! She shouted.

Once again the Mugger was sent tumbling to the ground. To his surprise, he suddenly found himself wrapped up in vines.

"I already fitted your friends with the same outfit, and I thought you'd feel left out not having one of your own", MagiGreen said, holding up wand and gesturing to the other muggers who were now detained, "Checkmate, friend".

"Awww, dang it", The mugger complained.

He wasn't the only one with a dampened spirit. The Ruby Wizard had some choice words for his teammates, as well.

" Way to show up at the last minute"! He protested, "I'd already had them all beat until you guys finally decided to make an appearance"!

"Don't blame me"! MagiYellow said defensively, "Our dear elder brother is the one who held us back with his little rousing speech".

"How many does that make"? MagiRed asked.

"5 this week, and 20 in total for the month", MagiYellow answered, calculating on his fingers.

"We're close to getting a whole months' worth! I'm telling ya. I'm so winning that bet", MagiRed said in anticipation.

"Heh, in your dreams"! MagiYellow snorted.

"Hey, you two"! MagiBlue chastised, stepping between them as she pinched both their arms, "We shouldn't betting on things like that! In fact, you shouldn't be betting at ALL"!

"Oh come on"! MagiRed & MagiYellow whined.

"No buts"! "She scolded, pinching them harder.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! OW! OW! OW"! They cried.

"Alright, little sister, that's enough of that", MagiGreen placated.

"Hm", She sighed as she then let them go.

"I hate it when she does that", MagiYellow mumbled as he rubbed his arm.

"Me too", MagiRed agreed before addressing his blue clad teammate, "Hey, sis! When're you gonna make another Magic Storm special? This is the second Boiling Storm this month and I'm already sick of it"!

"Not until the end of the month", MagiBlue replied, "You know the rule; It's always better things end on a good note. Everybody on the Boiling Isles has their own labors, and the Blue Splash Heavenly Storm is a good way to start off fresh in a new month".

"Yeah, I know. But why can't you just make it so it happens as many times as you want"? MagiRed, asked, "You're talented enough".

MagiBlue chuckled.

"Even MagiRangers have their limits, little brother", The Sapphire Witch replied humbly.

"Not me! I'm always ready for action"! MagiRed replied.

"Heh, yeah sure. You sleeping in every day is proof of that", MagiYellow teased.

"Shut up! I'm working just as hard as the rest of you, if not harder"! MagiRed said, giving the Citrine Yellow a shove.

"Oh yeah"?! MagiYellow snarled, getting up in the Ruby Wizard's space until the foreheads of their helmets were against each other.

"YEAH"! Growled the Ruby Wizard.

"Alright that's enough you two", MagiGreen said, pushing them away from each other before addressing them both, "Ash, we know how much work you put into learning magic, as well as honing your fighting skills. There's no need to be so critical. And Ray, try not to be so antagonistic towards your little brother. We're a team, so I want all of us getting along".

"Tch, whatever! Patrol time's over, anyway. Let's just go home already", MagiYellow huffed.

With that, the Citrine Wizard walked away.

"Yeah that sounds good"! MagiPink agreed skipping after her little brother, "I got another date planned for tomorrow"!

"Heh, already"? MagiYellow said in astonishment, "You just went out with that waiter at the Coffee shop! Who'd you manage to land this time"?

"This really cute beautician I met at the hair salon"! MagiPink replied, "She's new and I thought I'd get to know her better seeing as how I'm their best customer".

"Just try not to get to know her too well, okay"? MagiYellow joked.

"Oh, you~"! She said as they both began laughing.

As the two walked ahead of the others, only MagiGreen, MagiBlue, and MagiRed remained behind.

"You did good tonight", MagiBlue said glancing at Ash, "I'll make your favorite dinner when we get home as a reward".

"Really?! Does my favorite dessert get included with it, too"?! MagiRed asked excitedly.

"Of course! You've earned it"! MagiBlue said happily.

"She's right. You performed well during your second night out on Boiling Rain patrol", MagiGreen praised, placing a hand on his little brothers' shoulder, "Keep this up and you'll be able to take your place as leader one day, just as it was foretold. You did good, Ash. I mean, MagiRed".

Beneath his helmet, young Ash beamed with pride. Moments like this, where he managed to do right by his siblings, were what he lived for.

End Flashback

MagiRed sighed sadly as the memory ended. Compared to that, patrol was always such a lonely part of the job now. Sure he had plenty of privacy, and nobody he knew was there to scold him, or tease him, or tell him how he should be doing this or that. But that uncomfortable silence that came from having nobody else around made him feel so...alone. Not that that was anything new, but still. Despite how he'd play it off around Eda sometimes, it always hurt whenever he'd take the time to think about how cut off he was. Both from society, and from his family.

Beep, beep, beep, beep! Beep, beep, beep, beep!

The sound of his ringtone going off quickly snapped him out of his funk. After converting his wand into his MagiPhone, he flipped it open to see a rather disconcerting notification.

"Hooty's signal is off", MagiRed noted, "That's weird. Even if he's asleep, he should still be giving off a signal".

Something about this wasn't sitting right with him. He didn't know what or why, all he knew is that there was something wrong.

"I need to get back to the Owl House", MagiRed decided as he stood up.

Lifting one leg up, he fell forward off the rooftop, plummeting down with outstretched arms.

"Sky Hoki"!

His ride quickly flew over to him, catching him whilst still in the air. Without wasting another minute, MagiRed flew off towards the Owl House at breakneck speed, determined to return and find the cause of Hooty's downed signal.

…

The Owl House

Meanwhile, King, now without Luz, had finally come upon the creature he'd been looking for in the closet where Luz's shoe lay in front of. Needless to say, the Snaggleback was NOTHING like how it had been depicted. He was basically a little pink monkey demon in a shell. Turns out, he'd only needed a place to hide from the rain and was not the one who took Eda and Luz. Sadly, that only left more questions than answers. If it wasn't the Snaggleback that took them, then who or what DID?!

Unfortunately, before King could question him further, a shadowed claw pulled Snaggleback up and away from his fellow demon. Now alone once more, King was helpless as the door creaked open to reveal the shadowy beast, snarling as it spat out the Snaggleback's shell. The monster then let out a horrible, earpiercing roar that chilled the little demon to his bones.

As King pressed himself against the wall, the beast lurched closer and closer to the frightened little demon.

"Stay back"! He shouted before putting up a bravado, "Hey, hey. I am the king of demons, okay?! And as such, I demand you to barf my friends back up"!

The monster responded by screeching as it reared back its' clawed arm. King yelled and ducked just as its' claws slashed the wall where his head was moments before. Not wanting to waste anymore time, King ran for his life. The little demon proved to be far nimbler than the beast, shown by how, when they rounded corners, King managed to avoid them with ease while the beast clumsily slammed into the walls. King yelped and panted with fright as as the beast snarled and chased after him. As King rounded a second corner, a glove covered arm reached out and pulled him into a room. The door closed with a squeak as the beast entered the hallway slowly, exhaling loudly after expending so much energy in its' pursuit.

Inside Eda's room, it was revealed that Luz was the one who saved King. As she held him, the loud sound of footsteps were heard outside as a shadow passed over the door crack. To his surprise, King looked up to see his human friend.

"Luz"? He said in surprise.

"King! Oh, I'm so glad you're safe", Luz said in relief as she put King down in front of her.

"Where did you go"? King asked.

"I was checking on Eda, and she was gone, and then you were gone", Luz explained, recollecting what all had happened when they got separated, "I also tripped and lost my shoe. Oh, hey, you found it".

She took her shoe back from King and was just about to put it back on when to their surprise he heard a familiar creaking sound. They slowly looked and found themselves beginning to sweat as the door began to open. King jumped into Luz's arms as they both shook with fear. A shadowy figure holding an object then entered the room. The two friends shut their eyes as they awaited their inevitable fate. Fortunately, it never came. A bright red light suddenly filled the room. Confused by the lack of action, Luz slowly opened her eyes and received a happy surprise. There, in front of the door stood MagiRed, his wand glowing like a torch as he held it.

"Luz? King"? He said in surprise, "What's going on"?

"MAGIRED"! Luz cried out happily.

She quickly sat King back down as she ran over and embraced the Ruby Wizard in a big hug.

"I'm so glad you're here"! She said in relief.

"Hey, might wanna keep it down", King advised as he closed the door, "You're gonna bring that thing back".

"Oh, right! Sorry", Luz said sheepishly.

"Hold on a minute, what thing"? MagiRed inquired as she slowly broke away from Luz, "What's happening? Why's the Owl House in such a disheveled state"?

"Oh, you would not BELIEVE it"! Luz said as she pulled away from MagiRed, "Okay, FIRST, the light's went out and we thought Hooty might've fallen asleep, right? But he didn't! He was knocked out by some big, scary monster that broke into the house"!

"What"? MagiRed said in disbelief.

"I know, right"?! Luz said, "It got my friend Ash! And then, when we went to get Eda, we saw that SHE was gone too"!

"Eda's gone"? MagiRed asked.

"Yeah, she is", Luz confirmed with a sad look on her face, "We've been trying to look for her and Ash, as well as try to find out what this...thing that's after us is".

"Well, you're safe now", MagiRed assured, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I'll protect you until we can find them. I'll take care of your monster problem too".

"Oh, uhh, r-right. Th-thank you", Luz stammered as he spoke to her in such a gentle and soothing voice.

"Oh my gosh, he's comforting me! And he's got his hand on my shoulder"! Luz gushed inwardly, "AGAIN"!

MagiRed looked down and noticed she was missing a shoe.

"Oh, what happened to your shoe"? MagiRed asked.

"Huh? Oh, I tripped and lost it for a moment, but I got it back now", Luz replied, holding up said shoe.

An idea suddenly crossed her mind. One that made her face heat up like an oven.

"Would umm...would you care to...put it on for me"? She squeaked nervously as she held out her shoe to him.

"What? Can't you just put it back on yourself"? King asked rhetorically.

"NO", Luz replied, glaring at the little demon.

"Uh, hey, it's fine", MagiRed said, holding up his hands before taking the shoe from Luz, "I don't mind".

Luz beamed at his response. A dark red blush filled both her cheeks as the Ruby Wizard got down on one knee and held Luz's bare foot.

"Holy moly! Despite having a monster after us and our friends disappearing, I've managed to get into a real-life Cinderella moment! And what's more, it's with a real-life hero who's as dashing as he is caring"! Luz thought as she suddenly felt herself begin to daydream, "Be still my beating heart"!

As Ash lifted Luz's foot to put it back on, he suddenly noticed something attached to it.

"Huh? What's this"? He said curiously.

"What? What is it"? King asked, going over to him.

They both saw that there was a piece of paper stuck to the bottom of her foot.

"What's that"? King questioned as he took the paper off her foot it and read it, "Keeps the curse at bay."

The little demon gasped in realization as he pulled out the tag he'd gotten earlier from his collar and put the two pieces of parchment together. They fit perfectly like two pieces of a puzzle.

"An elixir a day, keeps the curse at bay", He read aloud.

As MagiRed finally fitted Luz's shoe back on her foot, they couldn't help but wonder what exactly King was talking about.

"Curse? What curse"? MagiRed asked.

"Yeah King, what are you trying to say"? Luz queried, just as confused.

"I was wrong the whole time"! King revealed, "That's no Snaggleback! That creature is..."!

CRASH!

Before he could answer, a clawed hand burst through the door. A body followed after it. Now in the room with them, the creature growled and turned to them. As scary was it was, it was NOTHING compared to the absolute shock the received as they immediately noticed that the creature had a VERY familiar face as it bared its' sharp teeth at them and leered at them with its' pitch black eyes.

"EDA"?! Luz and MagiRed cried out in disbelief.

It was true. This was indeed the one that sheltered both Luz AND Ash. Though her current form now was that of a large, owl-like monster with black eyes, grayish yellow sharp teeth and gray hair protruding from long, pointed ears. Her body was covered in dark teal fur, with two dark gray wings sticking out from her back. Her back legs were now black claws, similar to that of a bird of prey's.

Beneath his mask, Ash could only look on both shock and disbelief. This very creature that threatened to do them harm was the very same woman who mentored him. Who took him in when he had nothing. Who raised and cared for him since the death of his mother. This was the very same one, and yet he just couldn't believe it.

"H-how"? He said, "Why"?

Sadly, he never got his answer as the monster that was Eda stalked towards them and raised her clawed arm with a high-pitched snarl, preparing to strike. Luz screamed as she braced herself. As she did, she didn't notice her phone falling out of her pocket, until the camera went off as it hit the floor. The light from the camera flash suddenly made Eda's black eyes turn back to normal for a split second, before making her scream as she was now temporarily blinded. That was enough to snap MagiRed back to his senses. Noticing an opportunity, he quickly prepared himself.

"Quick! Get to cover"! He said, turning to Luz.

The human girl nodded as she grabbed King and her phone and went over to hide on the balcony outside Eda's room. Eda's scream echoed loudly as MagiRed placed his hands against the sides of his helmet.

"My ears"! He cringed.

He looked up to see Eda growling at him.

"Eda"? MagiRed said, "Is...is it really you"?

The transformed witch simply snarled in reply as it eyed the Ruby Wizard hungrily.

"So this is what you've been hiding from me", MagiRed thought, "All this time".

Slowly, the masked wizard held up a hand and started to reach out to her.

"Please", he said gently, "Let me help you".

Eda merely howled in reply as it backhanded MagiRed, causing him to land against the wall. Luz, who was watching from over the edge of the balcony gasped before covering her mouth. Eda, who now stood over a downed MagiRed, whipped her head around upon hearing the noise. She stalked over to the other side of the room, attempting to sniff out the others. Luz had covered her mouth with her hands while King placed his on his head. For a moment, it seemed that Eda was able smell them. They both realized that she now knew where they were. The beast that was Eda began growling and sniffing more as she leaned her head over the balcony wall. Thinking fast, Luz grabbed a can off the ground and threw it. Upon hearing the sound of the can clattering, Eda growled and chased it. Once she was gone, MagiRed weakly looked up from his spot on the ground and saw Luz beckoning him towards the balcony. He quickly got up and made his way over. He sighed as he climbed over the balcony's edge and sat down.

"That...did NOT go as I expected", MagiRed sighed.

"Are you okay"?! Luz asked as she looked him over.

"I'll be fine. I've taken worse", MagiRed reassured, "But right now we've got more pressing matters to deal with".

"You're right. I mean, did you see her eyes?! They were like-".

Luz got to her feet and snarled as she put on an impression of what they just witnessed.

"What happened to her"? Luz wondered.

"Don't you see?! The elixir I gave you doesn't give Eda powers, it prevents her from turning into that thing"! King elaborated.

"Wait, what elixir"? MagiRed said, stepping in.

"Oh, that's uhh, something we were kinda doing earlier", Luz said, "I was trying to learn how to use magic and King had this plan and there was this elixir that he took from Eda's room..".

"Wait, you did WHAT"?! MagiRed silently shouted in disbelief, "If what you said is true, then do you have ANY idea what you've done"?!

"I know, I know"! King said, putting up his hands, "Eda's turned into a nightmare and it's all my fault"!

The little demon shut his eyes as the guilt finally began to overtake him.

"I'm so sorry, Luz", he apologized, "I-I just wanted you to be into demons like you're into magic. Before you came along, Ash was my only friend. He was the only one who paid me the most attention. But he's been so busy lately, sometimes it's like he never has time for me anymore. That's why I was kinda glad when you showed up, cause then I'd have somebody else who would care about creatures like me".

Luz and MagiRed shared a look, and even though his face couldn't be seen with that helmet on his head, it was clear that Ash felt pretty bad as he realized how flaky been lately towards his little buddy. He knew he had to make it up to him somehow once this was all over.

"Well...let's finish the lesson", Luz offered, holding out the pen.

"Huh"? King said confused.

"Eda's turned into some kind of demon, and we need to save her", Luz explained decisively, "So who knows more about demons than the best teacher in the world"?

"She's right", MagiRed agreed, "After all, who better to help take down a demon than the King of Demons"?

King's expression brightened immensely as he pointed to himself. As Luz and MagiRed nodded in confirmation, King took the pen, giggling as he got up and gave Luz a hug. He set some leaves down onto the floor and started drawing up plans of how to deal with the currently transformed Owl Lady.

"Let's see; She was bigger, covered in feathers, and had giant black eyes", King listed off as he drew a picture of Eda, "Demons with black eyes are usually sensitive to light".

As he looked over at Luz's phone, he had an epiphany.

"That's it. Light! Luz, use your human wonder rectangle", he realized.

"I can't. My camera's all blasted", Luz said sadly as she showed King her cracked screen, "MagiRed, do you think you could make some light".

"Well, it's an easy enough spell, sure", MagiRed answered, "But...".

"But"? Luz repeated with a raised brow.

In truth, since finding out that the monster was Eda, Ash became hesitant at the thought of fighting her. As much as he wanted to help, he didn't know if he had it in him to fight his caretaker and mentor. Despite the circumstances, it just didn't feel right to him. As he let out a sigh, he turned to Luz and King.

"I...I may need some help on this one", MagiRed confessed.

"What"? Luz said in disbelief, "But...you're a superhero! Isn't this right up your alley"?

"Under normal circumstances, yes, it is", MagiRed confirmed, "But given the fact that I know Eda, personally, I'd rather avoid fighting her if given the chance".

"Wait, you know Eda"? Luz asked, surprised by this info.

"Well, sure", MagiRed replied nervously, "All Wild Witches and Wizards know each other. Besides, you saw how she and I greeted each other in such a familiar way back when you were taken by Adegast, remember"?

"Ohhhh, yeah", Luz nodded, "Forgot about that".

"Anyway, it's going to take more than just me to save Eda", MagiRed said turning to Luz, "I'm going to need your help".

"But how can I do that without my phone"? Luz inquired.

"What about that light spell"? King suggested.

"You saw me", Luz sighed, "I can't draw circles in the air. I'm not like Eda".

Luz then played the video she took of Eda.

"...spell circle is really key...FZZZZZT".

The video suddenly started to glitch, probably due to the damage the phone took. Suddenly, to Luz's surprise, something else appeared on the cracked screen.

"There's a pattern in the spell circle"! Luz pointed out with a gasp.

"There is"? MagiRed asked, leaning over.

"What? Where"? King wondered, looking over at Luz's phone.

The human apprentice grabbed a leaf and the pen. She then placed the leaf over the phone screen.

"It looks like this", Luz replied, tracing over the pattern. "There".

She finished by tapping the pattern with the tip of the pen. Just as that happened, the three of them received a shock as the drawing on the leaf began to glowing. Luz gasped as the leaf collapsed into itself, and glowed brighter until it formed into a small floating ball of light. Luz gently cupped it in her hands, bringing it up to where she could get a closer look. MagiRed leaned in so he could see it better, too.

"Wow", he said in disbelief.

"It's beautiful", Luz marveled.

As thunder rumbled and rain sizzled against the shield overhead, the reality of what just happened finally dawned on the Domincan teen.

"Oh, my gosh. I just did magic", She realized as she stood triumphantly, "I just did magic! I just did magic"!

"Yes, yes, that's wonderful of course, but try to keep it down! She'll HEAR you", MagiRed said in a hushed tone.

"What he said"! King warned, jumping down from Luz's arm, "Besides, we're not going to stop anything with something that small".

Eda's screeching in the distance immediately brought things to a halt.

"What do we do now"? King worried.

"Y'know", MagiRed spoke up, "Maybe it's true that something that small won't be enough to stop Eda. But if it were bigger..."?

MagiRed then glanced at Luz who knew instantly what he was getting at. She then looked down at the ball of light in her hands.

"I think I know how to get Eda back", Luz said in realization, "Will you help us, MagiRed"?

"Try and stop me", MagiRed replied jokingly.

Luz giggled before turning to King.

"Well, how about you, boo-boo buddy"? She asked, holding out her fist to King.

"Hmmm, I'm kind of over that nickname", King said with a wave of his paw, "But okay".

The two then shared a fist bump.

...

Later, in the living room, Eda, who was still transformed, was sniffing around, still trying to locate the three she'd targeted as her prey. She pounced onto the treasure chest next to the fallen door and began sniffing a book when a familiar clicking sound caught her attention. She looked over to see MagiRed holding the sparkly diamond pen.

"Easy, Eda", her ward said in a calm voice, "Just take it easy".

Eda stared at the pen's light, letting out soft cooing noises as she did so. Without making any sudden movements, MagiRed slowly began to approach Eda with the pen in hand. Before they did anything, Ash had wanted to try and reach Eda, in the hopes of snapping her out of it. As soon as he was close enough, he slowly reached out a hand. Cupping her cheek, he then turned her head to where they were eye to eye and shut off the light from the pen.

"Eda, it's me, Ash", He said quietly, "You remember? You've got to! Please"?

Beast Eda growled as she was now without her precious sparkle thing. As she bared her teeth at the Ruby Wizard, it was as though her eyes were looking through his helmet's visor and into his own. Then, she slowly began to stop growling, until it turned into a low hum. The transformed Owl Lady leaned in closer to him, as if she were trying to get a better idea of who or what he was. Suddenly, her large black eyes widened in realization. Ash received a surprise as the beastly Owl Lady began to let out a sound that was like the mix between a chirp and a purr as she lightly nuzzled against his hand. That was all the proof Ash needed that she finally recognized him.

"You do remember me", Ash said happily as he began to tear up beneath his mask.

Eda replied with a cooing sound.

"Don't worry", Ash assured, "I'm going to help you, I swear I will. And uhh, sorry in advance".

Eda let out a confused chirp as Ash turned the pen's light back on and tossed it over his shoulder. There, at the entrance to the hallway to catch it was King.

"Well, what're ya waiting for"? King dared, waving the shining pen over at Eda, "Ya want it?! COME GET IT"!

With her feral mind now refocused on the shiny object, Eda screeched and lunged for it. Now having her full attention, King ran down the hall with Eda in pursuit. King ducked down a hallway, pressing himself up against the wall. Eda turned, only to find herself sliding on a pile of books and papers. She then crashed into a wall and gasps as Luz, who was standing over her on a ladder, tossed a blanket over her head. Without warning, MagiRed leapt onto Eda and tried desperately to hold the blanket in place as the monstrously transformed elder witch wriggled beneath him.

"I'm sorry, Eda, but it's for your own good", Luz said warily.

"Is it ready"?! MagiRed asked as he tried desperately to keep her occupied.

"Almost"! Luz relayed as she just finished drawing the last part of a giant light glyph on the wall, "NOW"!

At her command, MagiRed leapt off Eda just as Luz slammed her hand against the light glyph to activate it. A bright blinding light then filled the room, causing Eda to cry out in agony.

Sometime later, Eda, who was now back in witch form, woke up to find herself back in her nest with a straw in her mouth, which was connected to a bottle of her elixir. She sat up and took the straw out of her mouth. As she turned her head, she found that her face was still partially transformed.

"Ahh"! She yelped before slurping down some more of her elixir.

As her gemstone went from black to its' original yellow color and her black eye and feathers all went away, she let out a sigh as she looked around.

"Eda"! Ash shouted as he ran over to her and grabbed her in a hug.

"Ash"? She said in surprise.

"I'm so glad you're okay"! Ash exclaimed, choking back a sob, "I was so worried"!

"Whoa hey, ease up there", Eda said, patting him on the back before separating, "Fill me in on something first, w-what happened? Oh, I have the worst headache. And my mouth tastes like roadkill"!

"Oh boy", Ash muttered.

He quickly backed away as his guardian and mentor gagged and retched until a giant owl pellet expelled from her mouth. Ash grimaced at the sight, completely sickened but deciding to keep quiet in lieu of the circumstances. He received another gross surprise as the owl pellet broke open to reveal the Snaggleback.

"You uhhh...you okay"? Ash asked the little pink furred demon.

"I'll be fine", Snaggleback replied tiredly, "I'm just gonna... lie here for a minute".

"Hmm? I was looking for that", Eda noted, reaching over and picking up the potion bottle.

"Actually, we found an extra one in your closet", King said walking over.

"King? King! You stole my elixir"? Eda fumed, "I ought to break every bone in your-"!

"Take it easy, Eda"! Ash chided, placing his hands on both her shoulders, "You shouldn't rile yourself up so soon after transforming back to normal".

"He's right", King said, "And besides, look over there".

The little demon pointed over to a corner of the room where Luz sat. The human girl was surrounded by balls of light and, as thunder rumbled, she drew another glyph and activated it, grinning as the ball of light flew up to join the others.

"Amazing isn't it"? Ash said, looking up at all the balls of light as if they were stars.

"No kidding", Eda marveled in disbelief as she too looked up to the light-ball filled ceiling, "How is she doing that"?

"I don't know, but she did it all on her own", King replied.

"Without any of our help, to boot", Ash added.

"Hey, by the way, how'd you manage to sneak back in here without Luz noticing"? King asked quietly.

"Oh, well, right after Luz made that big light glyph go off, I ran off to hide in the basement", Ash explained in a whisper, "Luckily, Eda's screams were loud enough so I couldn't be heard. Then, I just covered myself in some dust, said I woke up in the basement, and here we are".

"You're getting better with your cover stories", Eda noted with a smirk, "I'm impressed".

Ash smiled as he rubbed the back of his head, endeared by her praise.

"Hey, I, uh", King spoke up, addressing Eda, "Kind of messed a bunch of things up back there. And I just wanted to say I'm sorry".

"Well, you better be", Eda said sternly, pointing to him, "I got a long list of disgusting chores with your name on it"!

The Owl Lady then sat back in her nest before continuing.

"But it's not entirely your fault", She relented as Luz walked over to the nest and joined them, "I haven't been completely honest with you guys".

"You mean like how you're cursed"? Ash piped up, "Yeah, uhh...I already knew that".

"Wait, you WHAT"?! Eda shouted in disbelief.

"YOU KNEW"?! King and Luz exclaimed, just as shocked.

"I know", Ash said calmly with a nod of his head.

"Who told you"? Eda asked.

"Nobody told me, Eda", Ash explained, "I...I found one of the elixir's when I was looking for something to eat this one time. It wasn't what I was looking for, and I thought it was for one of your clients, so I left it alone. But then, I saw you drinking it later on and well...I kinda managed to put the pieces together".

"How long ago was this"? Eda queried.

"I was 11", Ash replied, "So...three years".

"You've known about it for that long"? King asked, completely floored.

"Why didn't you say anything"? Luz questioned.

"There was never really a good time"! Ash defended, "I mean, how do you approach someone who's cursed? Hard as it is to believe, I've never met ANYONE who was cursed. Well, I mean, until now, but still".

"Well, I guess you have a point", Luz reasoned with a shrug.

"But still, why didn't you just come talk to me about it"? Eda asked, still confused.

"I just wanted to respect your privacy", Ash confessed, "And I thought that, with time, you'd get comfortable enough to tell me about it. That, or something would come up and you wouldn't be able to hide it anymore".

"In this case, it was the second thing"! King pointed out.

"...Yes, very good, King", Ash said flatly, "But anyway, we're getting off course. So, Eda...why don't you start at the beginning"?

Now that she had the floor, Eda let out a sigh before starting.

"Right", she began, "Well, here it is; when I was younger...I was cursed. I don't know exactly how it happened, all I know is that if I don't take my elixir, well...that's why people call me the Owl Lady. No one likes having a curse, but if you take the right steps, it's manageable".

"Why didn't you tell me about this sooner"? Ash asked, sitting down on the edge of the nest, "I've trusted you with all my secrets! Am I just...not trustworthy enough for you to tell me yours"?

"What? No! Don't even think that"! Eda denied, placing a hand on Ash's shoulder.

She let out a sigh before she continued addressing her ward.

"Look, you've got enough on your plate to deal with; Your social standing, your situation with your family, not to mention stretching yourself thin with all the...job hunting you do", Eda explained, covering up that last part, "I didn't feel it was right for me to place another burden your shoulders".

"You were never a burden to me", Ash said, turning to face Eda as he took her hand, "I mean, come on, Eda, you were there for me during the worst time in my life. Why wouldn't you think I wouldn't be there for you during yours"?

Eda smiled sadly at her first student.

"It's not because I thought that you wouldn't, it's more like...I didn't want anyone else getting involved again", Eda explained.

"Again"? Ash said in confusion before realizing something, "Wait, are you saying that-"?

"Yep, your mom knew about my curse, too", Eda admitted, "She was there at the beginning when I got it. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised that that's the reason why she worked so hard to get to a high position in Magitopia. To help find a way to break my curse".

"Wow, now THAT'S a dedicated friend", Luz observed in amazement.

"Yep, when she wasn't bailing me outta trouble, she was looking for a new lead for a cure", Eda noted with a smile, "Even after I chose to become a Wild Witch, even after getting on the Isles most wanted list...she was still my best friend".

The Owl Lady let out a sigh.

"Sometimes, I wonder if she hadn't been so focused on helping me, she would've been better prepared during the war", Eda said in a wistful tone.

Ash's eyes glistened as he realized what she was implying while King had a rather uncomfortable look on his face. Even though she wasn't completely aware of what Eda was referring to, she knew that it must've been important and decided to put a pin in it and save that topic for a later date.

"So, are you okay"? Luz asked.

"There's nothing for you to worry about", Eda assured, as she got up and sat on the edge of her nest, "It's all under control, and as long as no one steals my elixir—King—then I'm fine".

She then adopted an impressed look at she glanced at Luz who stood among all the light balls she created.

"But, hey, look at this; A human doing magic. Good on you, kid", Eda praised.

"Well, it's not like she did it all by herself", Ash pointed out, "Right, Luz"?

"Of course not. After all, I had some encouragement from a great teacher", Luz said, smiling at King.

"Oh, you"! King said in faux embarrassment.

"Hey, hey! Is anyone there? Hello? Hoot? I'm on the floor"! Hooty, who was now awake, called out from where he was on the ground, "It's cold"!

"Hooty's awake"! Ash remarked happily, "Well that's a relief".

"That voice. That horrific voice"! King complained as he walked off to tend to Hooty.

"We'll take care of him. You stay in bed", Luz said to Eda as she picked up Snaggleback, "Come on, you goopy fella. We'll set you free now".

"Ow, ow, ow. I think my tail was digested", Snaggleback groaned.

"I'll catch up with you guys in a sec", Ash said, not leaving his place on the edge of the nest.

As the door then closed, it was just Ash and Eda in the room now.

"So, are you gonna be okay"? Ash asked.

"Aww, come on, Ashy-boy, have a little faith", Eda assured, "It's gonna take a lot more than some curse to get me down".

"I guess", Ash replied half-heartedly.

Eda noticed the melancholic tone of his voice immediately.

"Hey, come on, what's with the face"? Eda asked, "Are you still upset with me for not telling you"?

"No", Ash said, shaking his head, "Well, I mean, maybe a little. But it's just...I don't want you to think you need to keep things from me. You know you can trust me with anything. I'd never judge you or think differently because of some curse".

Eda sat there for a moment to take in everything he'd just said.

"Yeah, I know", Eda said glancing away.

"So mom really knew about your curse"? Ash asked.

"Yep", Eda confirmed, nodding her head.

"And she never managed to find out anything about a cure, did she"? Ash questioned further.

"Not to my knowledge", Eda replied with a shrug.

Ash nodded as a thoughtful expression affixed itself onto his face. Eda could tell right away that the gears in the young wizards' head were turning. It then dawned on her.

"Ash, NO", She said firmly.

"You can't stop me, Eda", Ash replied, knowing they were already on the same wavelength.

"I told you, I don't want anyone else involved in this", Eda reminded.

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm ALREADY involved", Ash pointed out, "Heck, I've BEEN involved ever since I found out three years ago"!

"Your mom told me to look after you if anything were to happen", Eda said in a stern tone, "I may have been lenient on a lot of things during my time as your guardian, and I mean a LOT of things, but I'm not about to let you get involved in my problems"!

"Look, I told you already Eda", Ash retorted, "You can't stop me. Hate me all you want, but I'm gonna help you whether you like it or not".

Eda's eyes widened as Ash's statement suddenly brought back an old memory. The youngest Rugrid was taken offguard by her surprised expression.

"Uhhh, Eda"? He said, trying to get her attention.

Eda shook her head to regain her senses. As she looked at Ash, she could help but smile a little.

"Heh, funny", she said, "Your mom said the exact same thing when she found out".

Ash's eyes widened at that revelation.

"Well, I guess you're dead set on this, huh"? Eda asked rhetorically.

"And then some", Ash replied proudly.

"You do realize there's a chance there's no cure at all, right"? Eda pointed out, "You might not find anything".

"Then we'll try everything", Ash countered.

"You may even end up having to go through hell to find what you're looking for", Eda revealed in a warning tone.

Ash looked at Eda with a serious expression.

"I've already been through hell", Ash said in a low tone.

His expression then softened a bit.

"But...I'd be in an even worst kind if I woke up one day and...you weren't...well, y'know", Ash finished in a soft tone.

Eda's eyes glistened as he said that. Despite not being outwardly sentimental, she was nonetheless touched by the kind words of her ward. Ash then looked over at Eda and gave her a hug. Eda was surprised at first, but as Ash pressed his face into her shoulder, she smiled as she returned the embrace, along with gently patting his head.

"Alright, ya little knucklehead, lemme get some sleep already", Eda joked as she broke away.

"Right", Ash said as he rubbed his eyes, "Do you need anything before I go"?

"Naw, I'll be fine", Eda assured, "Although, do ya think you could whip me up a second helping at breakfast in the morning? Or is that asking for too much"?

"Of course not", Ash replied, "Anything ya want".

Eda chuckled at that. As Ash got up and made his way to the door, he stopped just as he was about to close it.

"Eda"? He said, getting her attention.

"Hm"? She said.

"Y'know, uhh...you know you mean a lot to me right"? Ash asked.

Eda was taken aback by this for a moment, but it wasn't a surprise for her. Of course she knew, and not that she'd ever say it out loud right away, she felt the same.

"Yeah, of course I do", She confirmed with a smile.

"Right", Ash nodded, "...Well, night".

"G'nite", Eda replied.

And with that, Ash closed the door, leaving Eda to get some rest. Now alone in her room, Eda sighed before laying down in her nest. As soon she closed her eyes, she fell asleep and began to dream...

...

Eda suddenly found herself within a large dark void, with only a door in front of her. Indistinct whispering can be heard from it.

"No, not this memory again", Eda grimaced.

The door suddenly opened, and there, standing on the other side, was a wavering shadow with two white circles of light for eyes in front of a wall of white light.

"You! You're the one who cursed me, aren't you"? Eda said angrily, "Who are you? WHO ARE YOU"?!

...

As Eda reached out and attempted to confront the shadow, she suddenly woke up and gasped as she sat up in her nest. After taking a look around, she let out a tired sigh. Reaching over towards a nightstand, she opened the drawer and pulled out an old framed picture. It contained a picture of Eda in her teens, with orange hair and a Hexside uniform with yellow sleeves and leggings, smiling at the camera with a wink and making a peace sign as she leaned against a younger Riza Rugrid, who was also in her teens, except her Hexside uniforms sleeves and leggings all had different colors. The Owl Lady sighed as she stared sadly at the photo. It was times like this she wished Riza were still here, at a time when she could use her help right now.

"The kid's a lot smarter than either of us gave him credit for, Riz", Eda said in a sad yet happy tone, "I guess all that's left to wonder is...how much longer until he finds out about everything else"?

Back downstairs in the living room, both the door and Hooty had been restored to their rightful place on the doorway. Luz was now putting some bandages on the claw marks on the door.

"Welcome to the boo-boo buddy club, Hooty", she said warmly.

"Finally, I get to be a part of something", Hooty said excitedly.

Back on the couch, Snaggleback was telling King everything he'd seen whilst in the clutches of Beast Eda, while King sat in front of him, adding in everything the pink demon told him in his sketchbook.

"And then she had teeth in her stomach"! Snaggleback said, "Teeth in her stomach! Can you believe that"?!

"Oh, yeah", King replied as he showed his drawing, "This will make a great addition to my demon book".

"That book is filled with so many interesting things", Snaggleback said as he grabbed the book and opened it up to his section, "Like this. I'm one of the strongest demons on the Boiling Isles, huh"?

"Yeah, I'm gonna have to edit that", King deadpanned.

"Oh", Snaggleback said sadly.

As Ash entered the living room, he went over to Luz.

"I took out the last of the stuff that was damaged", Ash reported, "Nice job getting the door back in place".

"Thanks", Luz replied, "Hey so, I'm confused; how exactly did you end up in the basement"?

"Oh! Well, honestly it happened so fast", Ash fibbed, "Last thing I remember, I was in my room, then something knocked me out. The next thing I knew, I was in the basement".

"And you're not hurt too bad, are you"? Luz asked worriedly.

"Heh, come on Luz, I've taken worse", Ash assured.

"Well yeah, I know, it's just", Luz started to say, "When I went in your room and saw you weren't there...well, I assumed the worst".

"Sorry I worried you", Ash apologized.

"It's okay", Luz retorted, "I'm just glad you're safe".

"Hey, I heard MagiRed came by to help", Ash said.

"Oh yeah, he did", Luz confirmed, brightening up, "He was really supportive and he was there when I first made a ball of light! I was really glad he got to see that"!

"I'm sure he was really proud of you in that moment", Ash said, "I mean, I know I would've been, if I was there".

Ash looked to the side with a knowing smirk.

"Thanks, Ash", Luz replied with a smile.

"Hey uhh, speaking of which, do you think you could make another light ball"? He asked curiously, "I kinda wanted to try something".

"Uh, okay"? Luz said hesitantly, taking out a piece of paper and pen.

"Don't worry, you'll love it", Ash said, taking out his wand, "Unless you don't want me to"?

"Oh no, you can't lead me in like that and then NOT deliver! Cause now you've got me curious", Luz responded as she quickly drew a light glyph.

Once it was finished, she tapped the pen against it, causing the paper it was drawn on to fold in and turn into a ball of light. Ash smiled as he pointed his wand at it.

"Maagi Magiiro"!

To Luz's surprise, the ball of light suddenly turned red and then began to change shape. The human girl smiled as it formed a familiar symbol. In its' place was the bird-shaped symbol that adorned the front of MagiRed's helmet.

"Not bad", Luz complimented.

"It gets better", Ash said.

He then tapped the bottom of the glowing floating symbol, causing it to drift upwards. Taking aim with his wand once more, he made a small beam of light shoot out and hit it, causing it to burst out into a shower of bright red sparkles. Luz gasped in surprise and delight as the sparkles rained down around her. As Luz began to laugh at all this, Ash couldn't help but smile. At last, Luz was finally getting somewhere in her training.

She found a way to do magic, all on her own. In that moment, Ash couldn't help but think about something.

"If that could happen, then anything's possible", he thought, "If Luz can make it so that her dream comes true, does that mean...I could make mine a reality as well"?

As the young wizard pondered this, he smiled as he watched Luz twirl and dance around in the flurry of red sparkles he'd made with the ball of light, and decided that he could wait to answer that question at another time.

Spells used:

Jiruma Ji Magiiro: Ash's magic password that grants him access to his secret Wizard Lair

Jiruma Ji Magiine: Ash's password that locks the entrance to his Wizard Lair

Magi Jijiru: Divination Spell

Maagi Magi Magiiro

Jiruma Magiiro

Maagi Magiiro

A/N: And there it is!

Some things I'd like to address;

I figured that since the MagiRangers would have their own "Magic Room" type command post, they could each have one of their own even when they're broken up. I was looking forward to writing that part.

Also, as for that "Wand to Staff" compare and contrast thing, that was just MY take on it. I'm no fantasy expert, so I just went with what sounded like the most plausible. Just for the record, like many of the other chapters, this chapter will also be subjected to editing.

Also, if I'm being totally honest, I was having some trouble coming up with something for the patrol scene. That one took me a while. Then I got inspired watching Michael Keaton's Batman and the inspiration kinda flowed. I know it seems a bit out of character, but realistically speaking, there ARE times when heroes have to get rough. For Ash, when he's MagiRed, that kind of thing serves a useful purpose. He's gotta have something that'll give him an edge since he doesn't have any backup. Anyway, hope you guys liked that flashback I added. It also serves as a teaser for the remaining Rugrid siblings.

Also, YES, Ash has known about Eda's curse for a while now. Seems a bit out there, I know, but I've been trying to give Ash a sort of "Shonen Anime Protagonist" vibe. And one of the recurring traits of such characters is "Unexpected Insight". Of course this won't be happening EVERY SINGLE TIME. Just once in a while, so that it doesn't get stale.

I was also REALLY looking forward to writing the Ash and Eda sentimental moments in this. It goes without saying that Ash cares a great deal about Eda and, as stated, it seems that Eda cares the same for Ash, what with her not wanting him to get involved with knowing about her curse. But, as you can see, that's not gonna stop Ash. Will he find a cure? What is this "everything else" mentioned? And what is this dream Ash wishes to make a reality? The answer; NOT TELLING! HAHAHA! Sorry, but NO spoilers.

No spoilers, but there IS one thing you WILL get!

TEASER TIME!

It's that time again; time for every Coven to showcase what they have to offer and hopefully draw in any/all potential new members. Once again, though, the Owl House gang find themselves in a heap of trouble! Not only do two familiar figures with ties to Eda and Ash come into the picture, but two still bitter Hexside students come back and are itching for a little payback. This time, there'll be 2 witches duels; Amity VS Luz, and the long awaited rematch between brothers; Ash VS Ray, Round 2! On the next Owl House: Mystic Rebirth; Covention Clash

GET EXCITED!