Now... Within the Emperor's palace... There is a bonfire filled with coals, which has nine empty circular holes around the edge. A blue fire ignites on the coals, before quickly extinguishing and sizzling.
In a different location inside the Emperor's castle, outside the stairs leading down to the room in which the portal door is held. Four spear-wielding scouts line the entrance, standing impassively as the nine coven heads, who wear white cloaks with circular badges bearing the symbol of their respective covens, walk between them and gather around the central bonfire, which now burns low. Emperor Belos sits on a low seat in front of the portal door, which has tubes running out of it and is held in place by a towering circular frame in the process of being reconstructed. The Golden Guard and Kikimora stand on either side of the Emperor, and two Abomatons flank the three...
Kikimora smiles at the group, "The Day of Unity approaches, where we'll celebrate the purification of magic under the coven system, just as The Titan intended. As heads of the nine covens, we celebrate your efforts to complete this plan. For this, you have earned a glimpse of the reward that awaits."
Emperor Belos gestures forth, "Step forward."
The head witches remove their badges and place them in the holes around the bonfire. The badges glow with bright colors, and light swirls into the center of the fire as it suddenly erupts. The heads gaze in awe at the fire as their eyes turn a glowing white. The heads receive a vision through the flames, in which The Titan's skull is shown from the side against a dark sky, with nearby trees visible. The sky turns and becomes brighter and The Titan's eye glows from within before a fiery blast erupts from it, causing nearby birds to fly away. Finally, The Titan's head is now shown to be relocated to what appears to be a metropolis of the Human Realm, shown against a red sky with an eclipse slowly rising above. The vision fades to the head witches, their eyes still glowing.
Emperor Belos continues to speak, "The larger your covens grow, the more power we have to unite our realms! Where the worthy shall inherit a utopia free of wild magic."
But then suddenly, Emperor Belos grunts in pain and clutches his chest. The Golden Guard helps Belos up from his throne. Kikimora attempts to follow, but the Golden Guard stops her.
The Golden Guard shakes his head, "No. Stay here. I can handle this alone."
[Kikimora glares at the Golden Guard as they leave. When they are alone, Emperor Belos transforms into some kind of sludge monster. He proceeds to punch the wall repeatedly, pulling his hand away on the final punch, and puts his mask back on. The Golden Guard hands him a Palisman staff. He quickly breaks it and absorbs the green essence through his eyes, which briefly turn green before changing back to blue. The staff soon disintegrates.
The older man sighs, "I need more." He reaches his hand out.
The boy shakes his head, "That was the last from our reserves. The palistrom wood has been overharvested." He continues to speak when Emperor Belos turns away, "Uncle, let me help! We can make more palismen! Actually, I read about this technique: Harnessing wild magic to-" But he stops when the king stares back at him, "Uh... Sorry..."
Emperor Belos places a hand on Golden Guard's shoulder, "Please, be careful. Our family is gone because of wild magic. I can't let the same happen to you."
Outside the throne room, Kikimora is listening in on them.
She can hear the emperor's voice from behind the door, "Find me more palismen. I can depend on you, right?"
Narrowing her eyes, Kikimora runs off...
...
Inside the Clawthorne residence, Esper is sitting at the dining room table in her Hexside uniform. She finishes her cereal before stretching the sleep to of her arms.
A pair of shaky hands picks up the bowl and an old man's voice speaks, "Here, I'll clean this up for you."
The girl looks up at the man with white hair, "Mr. Dell! You don't have to!"
Dell shakes his head, "No, I really don't mind. These old bones need to move once in a while." He is a hunched over old man with wrinkles on his face. His skin is pale and the left side of his face and his left hand are covered in scars. His left eye is permanently closed. He wears a dark-colored robe, brown boots, and brown fingerless gloves. He ties up his beard with a brown band.
Esper frowns at him, "Aw, are you sure?"
Before he could answer, the two hear Lilith shout from outside, "Esperanza, please hurry! Or else we'll be late for adoption day!"
The old man smiles at her, "Sounds like you have to get a move on, kiddo. Please go have some fun. I hope you get an amazing Palisman!"
The girl stands up with a smile, "I hope I do too. Thanks Mr. Dell!"
And with that, Esper sprints out of the dining room... And slams the door in excitement, meeting with Lilith outside.
...
Now back at the Owl House in Luz's room, the echo mouse is seen resting in a terrarium. Luz looks at it while still in her pajamas, "Oh, little echo mouse. You ate the diary that can get me and my friend home! Can't you cough up a teeny bit?"
King grunts while he squeezes his teddy bear, "Why not just squeeze it out?" He then squeezes the toy so hard, the head pops off.
The human blinks at the severed teddy bear head, "Hmm. Maybe I just need to be patient?" She then presses her face on the glass and whispers, "Please tell me your secrets."
Eda walks into the room wearing a brown blazer, "Hey, knucklehead. You're gonna be late for school!"
Luz doesn't respond, too focused on the echo mouse to even look at her mentor.
The Owl Lady folds her arms, "Alright. I guess you won't be getting a magic staff with your classmates!"
Right when she finishes that sentence, Luz zooms out of the room dressed for school and waiting at the front door. She steps in excitement, "Come on, Eda. We gotta fly!"
The witch lets out a chuckle, "There we go."
She then walks out the door and Luz quickly follows after her, shutting the door behind them.
...
Switch to Hexside grudgby field, where several students have gathered and a large object rests in front of them. Eda, Lilith and Principal Bump are also there. Lilith is wearing a teal dress and large circular glasses.
Esper smiles while bumping Luz's shoulder with her own, "Hey Luz! Heya Willow!" She blushes at Gus when she approaches, "And hi, Gus!"
The illusionist blushes back at her, "Oh! Uh, hi, Esper!" He rubs his arm before reaching over, connecting their pinkies together nervously. This makes his girlfriend smile in reaction.
Luz giggles at the two of them before whispering, "Yessss, I knew it." She then waves at her friend, "Hey, Willow. Shouldn't Amity be here?"
The plant witch chuckles at Gus' nervousness before turning to her friend, "Oh, sorry, Luz. I heard she stayed home today."
The human frowns, "Oh." She then chuckles, "That actually makes sense." She looks down, saddened.
Esper blinks at her, "...Why does that make sense? Did I miss something again?"
Principal Bump speaks before the other girl could answer, "Good tidings on this momentous day You're all about to receive your witches' staffs and, more importantly, meet your Palisman! This is a crucial step in your magical development. Palismen are lifelong partners. They can be both your good friends and a powerful tool. In my case..."
He snaps his fingers and the red devil Palisman opens his eyes, jumps off his head and turns into a staff. This reveals Bump's body length black hair and the scar on his right eye, his left one closed. The class gasps in awestruck.
Luz is especially taken aback, "Holy Titan!"
The principal smiles at his lifelong partner, "...Frewin here, helps me see."
Lilith steps forward and points into the air, "Now, traditionally, young witches carve their staffs from the branch of an old palistrom tree."
Principal Bump then frowns, "But sadly, palistrom trees are becoming more rare. And those that remain are guarded covetously."
Eda steps forward with a smirk, "That's why we've teamed up with Bumpy-poo..."
The man frowns at her, "Never call me that."
The Owl Lady continues, "...To bring you..."
The Bat Queen flies down and lands on the house-like structure inside a nest, "Palisman adoption day!"
A door opens on the little house and several Palismen emerge from it. A purple cat, a red cardinal with a scar, a tawny white goose all walk around...
Luz gasps in amazement, "They're so cute!"
Eda lifts up a whistle, "Thanks for the favor, BQ. Here's your whistle back."
Lilith smiles at the giant Palisman, "Yes, thank you! This will be beneficial for everyone!"
Bat Queen lifts her one wing, "Save the whistle for another time. This was my pleasure. What a wonderful idea."
One of the Palismen, the red cardinal, escapes the shelter. But Bump picks him up and puts him back, "Nope! You're staying right here."
Luz's eyes sparkle at the bird, "Aw. Little rascal!"
The queen of Palisman smiles, "These little ones have not had homes in many years. They want to feel a connection. Kneel and state your deepest wish, and your like-minded partner will find you."
Boscha rolls her eyes, "Ugh. I want my own Palisman, not some trashy hand-me-down."
Esper is taken aback, offended. She rolls her eyes back at her, "Of course you would say that. I guess I don't need Oracle magic to see that you won't have any adopted kids in your future!"
This makes the triclops glare back at her, "Oh you!"
Willow shoves Boscha out of her way while she is distracted, "Your loss!" She runs up to the nest, "I want to be strong and wise to protect everyone I love. And if anyone gets in my way, they'll feel the sting of defeat."
The Bat Queen smiles down at her, "Tender yet tenacious. Clover gives her support."
Clover, a bee-like Palisman, flies out of the shelter and over to Willow. She chitters.
The plant witch smiles at her new Palsiman, "Oh!" Clover transforms into a staff and lands in her hands, "Oh, my gosh! I'm gonna take such good care of you!"
Gus smiles at his friend's new Palisman, "Beautiful. Just beautiful."
Boscha then pushes Willow, "Outta my way! I want to play professional grudgby!"
Bat Queen chuckles, "A competitive spirit. Maya will be thrilled."
Maya, a red crab palisman, hops up to Boscha and becomes her staff. The girl blushes at this, "Okay. This is pretty cool."
Viney kneels next, "I want to open my own veterinary clinic for mythical pets!" A manticore palisman rises and becomes her staff. She then gasps and chuckles, "All right!"
Esper lets go of her boyfriend's hand to present the next to him, "Your turn!"
Gus smiles at her before kneeling in front of the nest, "Dad wants me to become a master illusionist, but that's easy! So instead, I'll become an ambassador to the Human Realm and re-establish contact with the giraffes!"
The Bat Queen speaks again, "Such a large, yet selfless, goal requires a versatile partner. Emmiline Bailey Marcostimo wants to join you in your endeavors."
A blue chameleon Palisman climbs up to Gus and becomes his staff. He pumps his fist, "Yes!"
The redhead smiles at the blue staff, "Awww, she's so cute! ...And that is such a long name!"
Skara walks up the nest next, "I want to be a famous musician! I think everyone should enjoy the power of music!" She smiles when a red cricket leaps up to become her staff. She shows off her new Palisman to Esper with a smile.
A spikey-headed student scratches his cheek in front of the nest, "I just want to make it to graduation." He then sees a sloth Palisman hanging on his arm, which turns into his staff. He gasps and chuckles, "Yes!"
The class speaks among each other, "Oh wow!"
Gus smiles before bumping his girlfriend's shoulder, "It's your turn, Esper."
The freckled witch smiles at him before kneeling in front of the nest, "I want..." She frowns, clutching the nest, "I know I'm the Star Touched One and that has some sorta magic destiny thing attached to it but I want to form my own path. Not something someone else laid out for me." She then smiles, "I want to learn all types of magic and even share it in the Human Realm. I think bridging our worlds can be such a good idea and give other kids all types of opportunities for their futures. Well, the ones who aren't jerks at least."
She looks down to see a tawny white Palisman honk up at her. It is a small goose with cracks around her body, a bell attached to her beak and her eyes are purple.
The Bat Queen smiles down at her, "Oh, Star Touched One. It seems like Belle supports your ambition. Don't let her appearance fool you, she can be quite the handful."
The girl smirks back at her, "So can I!" She smiles at the bird when she turns into a staff, "Oh my Titan! You're so cute, little gal!"
And then... Luz walks up the nest once Esper stands up. She smiles widely, "My turn!"
Everyone watches Luz while she takes her turn... All eyes are on her!
The human puts her hands on the large nest and shouts, "I want to be a witch!"
However, none of the Palismen approach her... They keep to themselves, tlking amongst each other.
Luz felts sweat drip own her chin before looking at the Bat Queen, "Uh... Probably just takes a little longer 'cause I'm a human, right?"
Bat Queen shakes her whole body, AKA her head, "Palismen bond through emotion. I do not sense any conviction from you."
The human stands up with a frown, "That's impossible. I'm Luz, I'm chock full of conviction!"
Principal Bump rubs his chin, "Perhaps specificity would help. There are many kinds of witches. What do you hope to accomplish with your magic?"
Luz frowns and shrugs her shoulders, "Oh, uh... Get home to my mom?"
Gus stands next to Esper while speaking to Luz, "Would you still train to be a witch in the Human Realm?"
Boscha glares at the human, "Can you even do magic there?" She even looks at Esper, who shrugs her shoulders.
The brunette scratches the back of her neck, "Huh, I guess I never thought that far ahead..."
Eda places a hand on the girl's shoulder, "You okay, Luz?"
The human girl frowns before slumping her shoulders, "I... I need a minute... I think I'm going to go home." She begins to walk off, away from the group.
Esper frowns sadly at her, "Oh! Uh, okay..."
Boscha lifts her nose up high, "Serves the human right for not thinking ahead." She looks down at Belle in Esper's hands, "Pfft, THAT'S your Palisman? At least mine doesn't have cracks in it."
The redhead tightens her fist around her staff, "Shut up, Boscha! ...Thanks for calling me 'Great and Powerful' though, it's not inaccurate."
The pink haired girl frowns back at her, "Oh, you little witch! You know what I meant!"
Willow steps in between both girls before pointing her Palisman at the triclops, "Hey, Boscha. Don't you remember the beatdown Esper gave you last time?"
The three eyed girl folds her arms with her Palisman in her hand, "Oh please! She got lucky, that's all!"
Gus places his hand on his girlfriend's shoulder, "Woah, Esper. It's okay, don't pay attention to her."
The witchling "But Gus, she can't disrespect Belle like that."
Her boyfriend frowns back at her, "I know, I know."
The Bat Queen interrupts the children, "Children, children. Please, cease your arguing. Why not have your Palisman settle this?"
Esper blinks up at her, "Are you sure it's okay to do that, Bat Queen? That kinda sounds illegal."
The queen smiles at her, "Of course, the Palisman fight amongst each other all the time. But only if your Palisman agree to it, that is. No forcing them to fight."
The redhead nods, "Oooooh so it's like Monstermon? I love that game!" She then whispers to her Palisman, "...Belle, you think you can take the crab?"
The goose gives a confident honk before jumping down in front of her new partner.
Esper points at the crab Palisman, "Okay then! Belle, I choose you! Go get her!"
Eager to show off her strength, Belle lets out a honk and leaps in front of the red crab.
Willow blinks at her friend, "...Esper, why did you say it like that?"
The smaller witches raises an eyebrow at her, "What do you mean? It felt natural."
Boscha points at the goose, "Go Maya, attack!" The crab rushes over to try and pinch the goose.
Belle runs to the side before stabbing at the crab with her beak. She dodges another pinch before clobbering her with her bell. The crab grabs her bell, which ceases Belle's movements.
The popular girl gets smug, "Ha, got you now!"
Esper speaks up, "Oh no you don't! Come on, Belle! You can do it!"
Hearing Esper, Belle honks in front of Maya's face. The frequency makes the crab let her go before the goose starts to ring her bell. This makes Maya back up to try and over her ears with her claws, only to find that her pinchers are too short to reach.
Upon seeing the crab be forced back, Gus smiles and pumps his fist, "Woah! It was super effective!"
Willow now looks at her old friend, "Now you're talking like that too!"
The illusionist raises an eyebrow at her, "Huh? What do you mean?"
But with the crab startled from the attack, she runs back behind Boscha. The popular girl rolls her eyes at the younger witch, "Ugh! You got lucky this time, criminal!" She picks Maya up and hugs her.
Esper sticks her tongue out at her before smiling at Gus and Willow. She then picks Belle up and runs to the side to show Lilith, "Look! My little gal won!"
Lilith smiles down at her, "Yes, I did see your victory! Oh, look she looks adorable. How impressive, Esperanza. The color reminds me of my Michael Ravioli Michelin Rock Gracious Sockington."
"Who?"
Lilith smiles proudly while lifting her staff into the air, "My Palisman! He's named after the man who discovered boiling rain!" Her Palisman turns into it's animated form, where he is a much more scruffy looking white raven.
The freckled witch scratches her cheek, "...There was a discovery for that?" She shakes her had, "I'm not calling him that, I'm calling him 'Mike Socks'."
The older woman shakes her head at her, "Oh you wouldn't know! Anyway, the little goose must have sensed your ambition and chose you! Oh, how exciting! My student has her own Palisman! What's her name?" Unknown to her, Eda folds her arms with a frown upon hearing her.
The goose in Esper's hands honks at her in agreement before tilting her head at the white raven. The older Palisman tilts his head back at her.
The redhead holds the Palisman close to her chest, "The Bat Queen said her name is Belle."
The older raven Palisman tilts it's head the other direction, curious about the smaller Palisman in front of it. Belle honked at him and the raven nodded. The white raven reaches over to Belle on the head with it's beak.
The witchling pulls Belle away from the older Palisman, "Hehe, Mike Socks! Be a bit more gentle!" She frowns while looking down at the goose, "...Should I be worried about all those cracks on her body though? Belle seems a bit... Fragile. To me, at least."
Lilith ponders for a moment, "Hmm, I've never met a Palisman with cracks before. But she's jumping around and moving, so she must be fine."
"Hey guys! Did I miss much?"
Everyone turns their heads to see Jasper rush to the scene. He smiles at the group while holding a tiny dark blue wolf, "Hey! Did I miss anything?" He blinks when he sees Belle honk at him, "Wow! What a little honker!"
Esper laughs while he stops, "Just everyone getting a Palisman!" She points at the little wolf, "Woah, dude! Is that your Palisman? How'd you get one outside of adoption day?"
Jasper smiles while holding up the wolf Palisman, "Oh, this is Smoke. I carved him myself."
Eda interrupts their conversation, "Wow, I didn't know roulette magic boy's parents were loaded enough to afford Palistrom wood."
The girl looks up at her mentor, "What?"
The boy scratches his chin, "Uh yeah, my parents go to the Bonesborough Country Club. You know, the place first made by Michael Sockington? They're the biggest donors, so they give them whatever they ask for. Including Palistrom wood!"
Esper blinks blankly at him, "That's... Rich. Literally."
Eda puts her hand on her chin, "And THAT gives me an idea!" She turns to the smaller witch, "Esper, you, me and King are gonna get some Palistrom wood! For Luz!"
The redhead smiles widely at her, "That's an awesome idea, Eda! She doesn't have to have an adopted one! She can just make her own!" She turns to her blue haired friend, "Thanks, Jasper!"
The boy with blue hair blinks at her, "Oh... Uh, you're welcome!" He waves while the two run off, "Good luck with whatever you guys are about to do!"
Unbeknownst to everyone at the event... The Emperor plans on stealing the Palisman gathered together... Seeing that the Bat Queen had come out of her hiding place, it was the perfect opportunity.
...
And soon enough... Eventually... Night falls over the Owl House. Eda opens the door with King on her shoulder and Owlbert in her hand. Inside her pocket was a hacksaw from the Human Realm... She spots Esper only a few feet away, already at her house. Belle rests inside her jacket pocket. With a share of a nod, they make their way into the forest, just missing Luz, who is sneaking outside the Owl House for her own reasons... She's a bit upset that no Palisman bonded with her.
The three finally make it to the white building with a golden roof and yellow accents. There is a sign that reads 'Bonesborough Country Club' right outside the large, red hedge fence. Despite the fact that it was late, there were multiple lights on.
Eda, Esper and King share a nod with each other... With the indication that there are people still inside, they decided to sneak in through a window. Calmly and carefully, King gets off Eda's shoulder to pick the lock on a window with his claw. Once it was opened, he signals them to start.
Eda carefully lifts the window to allow the young witch to slide inside, she and King quickly follow.
However, right when Eda closes the window, a few voices can be heard...
A man with light blue skin and dark blue hair smiles while walking into the hall, "Mr. and Mrs. Beaumont, thank you once again for your exquisite donation to the country club! You two sure know how to show up the competition!" He is wearing a fancy gray suit.
The other man next to him rolls his eyes, "You know we love the drinks here. No need to be a kiss-" He stops right in his tracks, "...What is going on here?" The man has dark skin and blue hair held in a dreadlock ponytail, his eyes are a purple color. He is wearing a black and white tuxedo while his wife wears a dark blue dress and black heels. The woman has slightly lighter skin than his with a slight purple tint, long blonde hair and dark blue eyes.
All three frown upon seeing them, "Uh oh." "Aw rats."
The other man gasps, "Guards! What do we pay you for! We have intruders!" "Don't you worry, Mr. and Mrs. Beaumont, I'll make sure they leave the premises."
Eda picks up her fists while the guards get closer, "Aw crabapples. Looks like we're getting into a fight." King's tail stands up before hissing at the enemy.
Esper blinks upon remembering their last name, "Beaumont?" She waves her hands in the air, "Uh wait! Hang on!" I know your son, Jasper Beaumont!"
The man lifts up his hand to get the guards to stop, "Hmm... Wait a minute, red hair... Freckles... Seaweed green eyes... Yes, our son HAS mentioned you before. Let the Star Touched One speak to us, Fittlewinkle."
Mr. Fittlewink gasps dramatically, "What?! That's against the rules, Mr. Beaumont! I can't just let this criminal in!"
The man's wife speaks up, checking her nails, "Last time we checked, us Beaumonts are the highest donators in this country club. So Mr. Fittlewinkle, we want to meet with the Star Touched Witch. You will let her in unless you want that funding to disappear. It's that simple."
The man with blue skin frowns at her, "Ugh... Fine! But the Owl Lady and the dog stay outside!"
King shouts from Eda's shoulder, "Hey! I am NOT a dog!"
Eda frowns while the guards lead them away and she shouts, "Esper, we'll meet you outside!"
With a nod, the redheaded witch follows the rich couple deeper in the country club... Her Palisman still asleep within her pocket...
...
The couple lead Esper to another room within the country club. She takes a look around, noticing the containers filled with apple blood on a nearby table. There was even a bottle that contained... Orange blood. There were a few fancy red chairs in the room...
Jasper's father spoke first, standing in the middle of the room, "Now, Star Touched One. What is it you wanted to talk about?" "You are lucky you're the one who's given our son more confidence. Jasper has been proving to be a better asset than before."
Esper takes a seat on one of the chairs, "Uh... Asset?"
The man nods his head, "Why yes. Oh, I suppose you don't know. Our family has one child for each Coven. Additions to help the Emperor thrive."
The redhead raises an eyebrow at him, "What? Why?"
Jasper's mother spoke up from her seat behind her husband, "That's none of your business. But seeing that you're the reason Jasper isn't completely useless, is there something you wanted to ask of us?"
The freckled witch nodded her head, "Uh... Yes! Actually, can we take a bit of Palistrom wood off your hands?
The man with blue hair scratches his beard, "Hmmm, technically we can't just give it to you. We have a lot of pull due to being donors but Mr. Fittlewinkle is the one who would make the final decision." "Actually, why do you need one? You already have a Palisman."
Esper's eyes drift towards the window, spotting Eda and King next to a blue tree. Her eyes quickly jerk back to the parents, "Ugh, that guy you two were talking to earlier?" "I need it for a friend. I just want to make her feel better." Using the hacksaw, her friends work together to cut the tree in half outside the window.
The woman with blonde hair nods her head, "Yes, unfortunately." She plays with the ring on her finger, "Hmm... Seems like we are at a standstill..."
But... Then the wife notices the girl's eyeline, she is looking at something completely different than the wall... She coughs to warn her husband.
The man's frown turns into a smile, "...There's someone outside the window, isn't there?"
Esper slowly shakes her head, "What? Nooooo, no one's anywhere!"
The couple turn their heads to see Eda and King outside the window, right next to a Palistrom tree. The two already have a piece of the trunk when they turn to see the rich couple discover their thievery.
Mr. Beaumont growls before looking at Esper, "Oh, it's Owl Lady and her little pet! You were just trying to buy them time!" He turns his head, "Guards, stop them!"
His wife grabs the girl's wrist, "You're coming with us, Star Touched One! We're going to the Emperor's Coven immediately!"
The witchling pulls her hand back but the woman keeps her grip on her, "Hey, I'm not going anywhere with you! You better let me go or else, I'll-" However, she stops when she hears her Palisman suddenly honk, "Huh?"
Sensing that her partner was in danger, Belle sticks her head out of her pocket to help. She jabs the woman's hand with her beak before letting out another honk.
Esper opens the door and dashes away from the couple, "Wow! Thanks for the save, Belle." She gets another honk in response while turning the corner. Security starts to fill the hallways. She slides underneath a guard in order to keep up her speed.
Soon enough, she spots the Owl Lady and the young demon, who were sprinting throughout the hall. Eda clutches the blue wood close to her chest, "There she is! Come on, Esper! It's time to go!" She smiles when the redhead joins them in their run, "Ha! This'll show Lilith who's the better mentor!"
King rolls his eyes, "You're STILL on that? Girl, we know there's no actual competition when it comes to you!"
Esper keeps running but raises an eyebrow at her, "Eda... Are you jealous that I've been hanging out with Lilith more?"
The Owl Lady nearly stumbles, "What? NO! Definitely not!" She ducks her head, a lightning bolt whizzing past her head, "Totally not like you two are having a fun time without me!"
The redhead snorts, "Aw Eda, don't be like that! You know you can hang out with us whenever you want! Besides, I already told you!" She jumps over the floor when it began to rise in a ripple effect, "I'm not staying with Lilith for ever! It's only temporary!
However, the three are forced to stop upon being met with a wall.
The man with blue skin skids to a halt once he catches up to the group. He stands in front of his guards with a glare, "Finally cornered you three! Now, by the authority vested in me! None of you are permitted to be at this country club ever again! And now I have no choice but to contact the Emperor's Coven and have you all arrested!"
Esper looks up at her mentor, "Besides, you're the first person on the Boiling Isles who's ever believed in me. Not counting Luz, childhood friends don't count."
Eda gives her a grateful smile, "Aw... Thanks, kid." She frowns while the guards get closer, "Now if you have a plan that gets us out of there, it would REALLY be helpful right now!"
The redhead frowns while looking at the growing crowd, "Give me a second to think! Hmmm..." But then... Belle climbs out of her pocket and onto her shoulder with a honk.
Belle turns into her staff form in front of Esper, the white goose turns solid and perches upon the black staff that manifested below her. The redhead looks at her Palisman with excitement in her eyes, "Woah..." Grabbing the staff, she can feel the power flowing from Belle. Esper turned to Eda, who gives the young witch two thumbs up.
The redhead then turns and faces the leader of the country club, posing with her new staff, "Alright, Mr. Fittlewinkle, you're going to let us go or else!"
"Or else what?"
Esper smirks, raising her new Palisman staff, "Or else you get a taste of this!" She swung her staff around before hitting the bottom onto the ground, letting out a ringing noise from the bell attached to Belle's mouth.
The noise was loud but started to lull the Mr. Fittlewinkle and his country club workers and members to sleep.
Eda playfully punches Esper's shoulder, "Nice work kid! How'd you know your little buddy could do that?"
Esper shrugs as they make their way out of the country club, "I didn't! She didn't say a thing to me but it's like I already knew what she could do. Is that weird?"
The older witch shakes her head, "No, that just means you've connected with your Palisman. Congratulations, Esper, you've earned your staff." Owlbert pops out of Eda's hair, cooing in celebration.
...
Now... In the morning at the grudgby field. The Bat Queen lands on the ground.
Principal Bump greets her with a smile, "Good morning, Bat Queen. The Palismen are all accounted for. Although, I don't know where that thing came from..." He points to Kikimora's dragon, sleeping.
The red cardinal chirps and hops up to the Bat Queen.
The giant face smiles down at him, "You found someone after all this time? Go then..."
Now with permission, the red bird flies off...
...
Now at the Owl House, Luz collapses onto her sleeping bag and looks at a framed photo of her with her mom. She sighs, "Everyone got one except me, huh? Maybe I wasn't meant to be here... Even Esper got one..." She turns her head only to turn it back when light shines from her window, "Eda! Esper! King?"
Eda is perched on her windowsill sporting a massive proud smile on her face, "We thought we'd find you here!" Esper throws up a peace sign while climbing in behind her.
King shakes his head while on the witchling's shoulder, "We could've used the door!"
The human raises an eyebrow, "What did you all get into?"
The older woman tosses a small blue log at the girl.
The freckled witch then smiles at her childhood friend, "Uh... Here, Luz! We got this for you!"
The brunette keeps her eyebrow raised in confusion, "Whuh? Uh, how... Thoughtful?"
The Owl Lady puts her hands on her hips, "It's palistrom wood, ya ding-dong!"
The demon boy smiles at her, "Now you can make your own palisman!"
Luz raises both her eyebrows at the group, "But... But how? Isn't this super rare?"
Esper rubs the back of her neck, "Let's just say that the Bonesborough Garden Club—"
King cheers from her shoulder, "Was robbed! By us!"
Eda gives Luz a thumbs up.
The human smiles gratefully at the group, "I don't know what to say..."
The Owl Lady puts hand on Luz's shoulder, "No pressure, but whenever you know what you want, we'll start carving."
The brunette looks down at the blue log, "If it's okay, I'd like some time to think. It's hard to picture my future without seeing my mom."
Esper frowns at this, "...Yeah."
Eda shrugs her shoulders, "Eh, there's no rush. Just know that whatever you need from us, we gotcha."
Luz smiles, "Thanks." She puts the wood in her summer camp bag, zipping it up to keep it safe. She then turns with her phone in hand...
...
In the Emperor's throne room, a figure kneels on the floor of the throne room... It's revealed to be the Golden Guard. But he doesn't have his helmet, showing swept back blonde hair, with the bottom half shaved down with a darker blonde color. There is a long, jagged forelock growing from his forehead. He has large pointy ears, like a witch, and a slightly hooked nose. His eyes are a dark magenta color and he has thick black eyebrows, a gap between his front teeth, and bags under his eyes. He has a notch on his left ear and a dark red scar on his right cheek...
Said forelock is singed right at the end...
Emperor Belos shakes his head while sitting on his throne, "So, you return with nothing." He then stands up, "Is this the thanks I get for taking you in?"
The blonde boy shakes his head back at him, "Of course not. I want to help!" He stands up to look at the Emperor, "A-A-And if you told me how wild magic did this to you, I might be able to find a—"
The Emperor suddenly fires a sharp spike at the teen, barely missing his ear.
The Golden Guard stops, looking down at the floor, "My apologies. I spoke out of turn. It won't happen again..."
Emperor Belos clutches his chest, "These outbursts are painful [His eyes glow blue.] and so is watching you fail. I know you can do better... My Golden Guard."
He turns his head towards the shadows, where one looks like it has a pajama cap on... It's almost like someone is speaking to him. He turns back to the boy, "You are free to go. Soon, I will have a new assignment for you. Do not fail me again... Hunter."
Outside in the hall, Kikimora is approaching the doors to the room when Hunter steps out, causing her to stop. She gasps, "Golden Guard? Y-You're alive! I mean, I heard about the crash in Latissa..."
Hunter smiles down at her, "Luckily, some travelers picked me up out of the wreckage. So I'm actually doing great. Looks like you had a rough night though." He then walks off...
Kikimora seethes, but then notices Hunter's singed hair and she glares at him...
...
Now in Hunter's room... He walks over to his bed and lies down, "I can help, if I just knew a little more..."
Suddenly, he hears a chirp in his room. The teen sits up and sees a red cardinal Palisman sitting at the windowsill.
Hunter suddenly clutches the bird, "Palisman!" He squeezes him, making the red cardinal chirp in pain. He then lets him go, "Oh! Sorry." The boy frowns and pets Flapjack instead, "You shouldn't be here. It'd be bad if Belos saw you..."
The bird suddenly turns into a staff, which falls into Hunter's hands...
The blonde blinks at his Palisman, "Oh! I was not expecting that."
Hunter then walks over to the window with his new staff, and gazes longingly at the sky of the Boiling Isles...
...
Back at the Owl House, the human holds her phone. She suddenly jumps up, "Hold on! I need a picture! You and your Palisman, Esper! Come on. It'll be something to show our parents when we get back!"
Esper giggles at her childhood friend as she starts to drag her into a better spot for the lighting, holding Belle in her staff form proudly.
Luz smiles as she lifts up her phone, "Aaaaand, cheese!"
The redheaded witch smiles widely, "Cheese!" Her Palisman stays in her hands, a blank look resting on it's face.
Finally... The two gaze at the picture in excitement. The image shows the witch with a pleasant smile on her face before slowly fading to black once the phone turns off...
