14. Chapter 53: Whatever Happened to Anu Bist?

Ancient Egypt.

In the sky, where the gods lived, a pair of teenage deities were boredly lounging about. One of them was a young looking Anu Bist, who was lying on a couch next to a young Kitsuni, who was reading a magazine called 'Succubus Monthly.'

"And so the current Pharaoh is really working his Hebrew slaves to death," Anu was saying.

"You think he's compensating for something?" Kitsuni asked, not looking up from her magazine..

"From what I hear from my sister, Kebechet, this Pharaoh inherited the throne from his father after his brother ran off into the desert to escape the death penalty," Anu Bist explained. "And get this, apparently the guy who ran is actually a Hebrew child who was raised as an Egyptian." An idea then popped into his head. "Say Kit, I think I've thought of a good prank."

Kitsuni put her magazine down. "Are you just trying to one up what Loki from the north did?"

Anu Bist chuckled. "Oh, Loki has got nothing on what we are about to do…"

At the Potts residence, Viney had woken up and fed Puddles. She then looked at herself in the mirror and saw that her hair was down. "Hmm, gotta fix this." She drew a spell circle, fixing her hair as she used a hair pin that appeared to be silver with a skull emblem, turning the bun of her hair spiky.

After changing into her Hexside uniform, she went to the kitchen for breakfast, greeting her mom when she saw her. "Mornin' mom."

"Morning, scareshine," her mom responded, holding up a plate. "Here's your fav, bloodberry pancakes."

"Aw thanks!" Viney cheered. As she made her way over to the table, she passed by a photo of a man lifting his Emperor's Coven mask to wink and smile at the camera. Once she sat down to eat her breakfast, she heard her scroll buzz. Checking it, she saw that she got a text from Emira.

E-Witch: Hey, I want to meet up before classes. See you at school.

Viney smiled, before getting startled by a loud voice. "Hey, my Flower Potts!" said a centaur with his face where his chest was. He came into the room carrying laundry. "Morning Viney, morning Betty!"

"Morning to you too, Atkin," Viney's mom, Betty, replied with a sultry voice, which made Viney roll her eyes in annoyance.

"I'm here, you know?" Viney said, clearing her throat.

"We know, hun," Betty responded. "Say, why not ask Atkin to take you to school?"

"Oh um, sorry, but I think I'll just take Puddles as usual," Viney said as she finished her breakfast. "I'll see you both after school. Bye, Mom. Bye, Atkin."

"Bye, scareshine," Betty said as Viney stood up and grabbed her backpack.

"Yeah, have a good day at school, Vi," Betty's boyfriend said right before Viney was out of the door.

At the Jeepers residence, Jerbo was eating breakfast with his brothers, his father cooking while his mother read the paper.

"Alright, Jerbo, don't forget that we have to sign you up for the oracle therapy group session," his mom told him.

"Mom, I said I'm fine," Jerbo insisted.

"Jerbo, you were turned into a donkey and who knows what the long term psychological effects of that are," she pointed out. "Last thing I want is for my son to have donkey madness."

"Is that a thing?" Jerbo asked.

"I don't know and that is exactly why we have to sign you up," his mom argued.

"If Jerbo goes crazy, can I have his stuff?" asked the elder brother Roden, who was dressed in a Newt Burger uniform.

Jerbo just rolled his eyes before he noticed his little brother, Porco, tapping him. "What is it, Porco?" he asked.

"Is it true that Amity is namele-" Jerbo immediately covered his mouth and pulled him out of the room.

"Where did you hear that!?" he whispered to his little brother.

"Overheard your mirror call a few nights ago, but don't worry I haven't told anyone," Porco answered. "Yet."

Jerbo sighed in frustration. "What's it going to take for you to keep quiet about it?" he asked.

"My price is one of your Abominations," Porco replied. "The fungus one."

"That one is still in the works, you gotta pick something else."

"Then the one that shoots out acorns," Porco answered.

"Fine, just swear that you won't tell anyone about it," Jerbo requested.

"Cross my heart, and let Lucifer take me to hell," Porco gestured.

Barcus yawned as he got out of bed and went over to his cauldron. He mixed some potions before adding some oracle gems in the mix. He stirred up the cauldron until it glowed. His eyes then glowed white as he looked into his cauldron, seeing what he could expect that day and what disasters he could prevent.

"Barcus!" shouted his cat sister, Mewstic. "Mom and dad said to be ready to go!" She saw him looking into his cauldron and understood what he was up to. "Oh, doing your usual morning predictions? Well, don't take too long."

After she left, Barcus's eyes return to normal. He made a quick sneeze, then put on his Hexside uniform. Once he was out of his room with his stuff in his bag, he walked to the kitchen and sat at the table. His dad placed a plate of bacon strips and chewing bones with some celery. Barcus started to eat while his mom patted him on the head.

"Eat up, this is part of the new diet plan that your doctor prescribed," his mom told him.

"Mewstic, what do we told you about using catnip during breakfast?" their father asked when he saw his adoptive daughter adding catnip to her breakfast.

"I know, but it helps me focus when I am doing my podcast," Mewstic replied. "This week's episode is about the mysterious bodies that the Emperor's Coven found in McGunther's Park."

"Oh Titan, can you be less morbid? Why not something nice like facts about house demons you don't know and how to recover from turning inside out?" Mrs. Barkowski asked, while Barcus finished up his breakfast in time to go to school.

Later at school, Luz, Amity, and Willow met up with Gus after his session with Ms. Traveler.

"So how did it go?" Luz asked him.

"Petty well," Gus replied. "She just let me talk while I vented about my mom and my abandonment issues and all of that. Then I made a list of everyone that I need to apologize to or make amends with because of my recent behavior. Like you and Amity. I really do want to make up for how I have been acting lately." He looked down.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up too much," Amity told him. "You were in a bad place, we've all been there. What's important is that you learned from this. Forgiving yourself isn't easy, but it gets better once you do."

Luz nodded in agreement, putting her hand on Gus's shoulder. "Let's just try to stick together better in the future. I think we've had enough falling outs for a while."

"I'm still in shock about what your mother did, Gus," Willow admitted.

"Yeah, but I'm not going to use that as an excuse," Gus told them. "From now on, I'm going to be more accountable. Starting with making up some classes and the missed H.A.S. meetings. Ms. Traveler also recommended that I find other outlets as well. So maybe when I'm not at the H.A.S. meetings, I can start working at the school newspaper. I sometimes write for them, but not too regularly so maybe that should change."

"That sounds like something you would be great at," Willow agreed.

"You might want to be prepared for the new editor-in-chief though," Amity warned. "Amelia told me that she transferred from St. Epiderm and pretty much took the paper over."

"Come on, how bad can she be?" Gus asked.

"No…" Gus's eyes widened once he was in the school's newsroom, Luz accompanying him. "It can't be…"

"Alright, if I don't get pictures of any of the latest scandals in 6.3 seconds, you're all fired!" shouted a very loud Oracle Track student. She was a humanoid fox biped student that resembled a younger version of anchorwitch Felicity Fox. "Katie, what you got for me?"

"Um, today in the lunchroom they're serving-"

"No, no! I told you to get me an update on if the school's cafeteria is haunted by loose Abominations!" she barked before turning to another frightened student. "Puffer, where's my update on if the Grudgby team is going through a divorce!?"

"But, the team members aren't married-"

"Then go find out if they are!" she shouted before turning to Gus and Luz. "What do you want!?"

"You… wouldn't happen to be the new editor?" Gus asked her.

"Yup, name's Felicia Fox, since my mom got promoted as the new head of the Boiling Isles media and news after Manylegs lost the position, I moved here to start anew. Even challenged the previous editor into a witch's duel to get the job!" she declared proudly while talking quickly.

"So you are Felicity Fox's daughter," Gus said with a frown.

"Let me guess, you're Perry Porter's son, Goops, right?" she asked, uncaring. "Do you wish to work for me? Then you'll have to find me a good story, or else you're wasting my time."

"Hey, look, Gus is looking for an outlet, so the school news room just seems to be the right place," Luz piped in.

"Oh, I know you, you're the Owl Lady's human kid," Felicia commented. "Fine, he can be a printer boy."

Gus saw a copy of the school paper laying on a desk and she picked it up to read it. "Why is this focusing on Brak and Johnny's break up? A-And why is there a drawing suggesting that Principal Bump is possibly just two kids in a trenchcoat? And what is this article about what you will look like ten years from now? This isn't news, it's just scrollbait!"

"Look, I'm only giving the students what they want. Besides, nobody reads the paper these days. Their attention span is too short. The only ones who read the paper are those Blight twins and the library goblins, but I am going to milk this as much as I can." Felicia handed Gus a stack of paper. "Now would you put these in the printer? We need more prints."

"You don't have to do what she says, Gus. We can find another outlet," Luz told him, but Gus sighed.

"I know, but I'll just settle with here for now. Maybe it will still do some good," Gus said while carrying the papers to the printer. "I'll see you at lunch."

Luz nodded and was about to leave, but Felicia stopped her. "Luz Clawthorne, right? How about an interview about your relationship with Amity Blight? Especially I hear that she's living at your home. Why is that? Like something to do with the ceremo-"

"Look here, Fox," Luz interrupted her. "What me and my girlfriend do is none of your business. Now this is your only warning, don't go snooping around where it's none of your business and don't hurt Gus or I will make you regret it." She then walked out of the newsroom, not waiting for Felicia to answer.

"Tsh, fine then, I'll respect your boundaries, Clawthorne." Felicia leaned back in her chair, pulled out a pocky stick and chewed on it. "But then again… I do smell a story here… and its name is 'Blight'."

Emira was getting her books out of her locker, ready to head to class. "Hey Em," said a voice next to her. Emira turned and saw her girlfriend there, making her smile.

"Hey, Vi, I see you're wearing my gift," Emira said and the two hugged.

"Yeah, I love it." Viney replied. "So how are you and your brother holding up?"

Emira sighed. "We are settling in okay. Uncle G has had no problem with us living with him and he even lets me and Ed help out around his bar."

"He's allowing teenagers to work at his bar?" Viney questioned.

"Well it's not that different from when mom has me, Ed and Mittens help sell dad's inventions," Emira replied. "Come to think of it, mom was honestly exploiting us for her business. But unlike her, Uncle G didn't have to force us into working with him. We volunteered to help him out as baristas."

"How is Ed handling this?" Viney asked her.

"Oh he's fine," Emira assured her. "His boyfriend has been over to see him and Uncle Geist said that he would like to meet you as well."

"I would like that," Viney admitted, before she noticed that Emira was staring at the floor. "Hey, are you sure that you're okay?" she asked, patting her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Yeah, it's just… things are such a mess right now. I mean, I know that my family was never perfect but I never thought that it would get this bad even if it was a long time coming." Emira sighed. "I guess who I'm worried about the most is my sister. I know Amity's safe but… I hope you don't think I'm being really lame right now."

"Not at all," Viney assured her. "I think it is sweet that you're worried about your little sister. And hey, if you ever get tired of living with just boys… you can always come over and spend the night at my place. My mom would be happy to have you over."

Emira nodded with a smile. "Thanks, Vi."

Luz and Skara stood at the doors to the Beast-Keeping Track. Luz's arm sleeves were now orange while her red leggings were intact, while Skara had orange leggings with her red arm sleeves intact.

"Hey," Luz said to Skara. "Are you ready for this?"

"I'm… anxious." Skara admitted. "I never thought that I would be taking another track. I was always good at bard magic, but this… this is completely new territory for me."

Luz nodded. "Don't worry, me and Vines got your back."

Skara smiled at Luz, nodding "Yeah, I know you do."

"After all, us Bard Beast Girls gotta look out for each other, right?" Luz asked with her fist up, expecting a fist bump.

Skara looked. confused. "Um, what am I supposed to do?"

"Oh you just… just form a fist like mine and then you bump it. It's called a fist bump, it's a human thing," Luz explained as she had Skara's hand form a fist. "See, like this."

Skara had her fist bumped into Luz's fist. "Huh, that is pretty neat."

"Yeah, I already taught it to my other friends," Luz mentioned.

"Other friends?" Skara asked. "Does that mean you consider us friends?"

Luz realized what she had said, but she just shrugged with a smile. "I mean, you've backed me and Amity up several times, plus you're good to Willow and we are both Bard Beast Girls. So yeah, I think that would make us friends."

Skara grinned and the two went in together. At the start of class, Luz and Skara stood up at the front of the room with Professor Redback and Jane. Redback did his sign language while Jane translated.

"Luz Clawthorne and Skara Brooke will now be joining our class, making them our second and third multi-track students," Jane translated for Redback. "Please make sure that they feel welcome. Now, why don't you two girls take your seat?"

"Thanks/Sure," Skara and Luz said as they went to sit by Viney. Luz took notice that Dusty was in class as well, covered in bandages. 'Dusty's here… maybe I should go up and check on him.'

Jane continued to translate for Redback. "Now since we have some new students, I feel like a refresher is necessary. There are many types of Beast-Keeping magic that those in the Beast-Keeping Coven can perform. Beast-Taming is for those that collect and tame Beasts. Often Beast-Bonding is a part of that, it is where a connection is formed between the witch and their creature. There is also Beast-Hunting, though Professor Redback does not encourage that particular profession." Redback added a grunt.

'Guess the Demon Hunters fall into that category,' Luz thought.

"But then there's Beast-Transformation," Jane explained while Redback wrote on the board. "It is the most powerful kind of Beast-Keeping magic, but also the most rare. Only a few witches can perform it. It involves transforming yourself or parts of your body into something more beast-like. Coven Head Eberwolf is one of the few that I know is capable of this magic. A downside is that if you lack training or control, you can end up trapped in that beast state after losing yourself to your primal urges."

Skara looked anxious when she heard this, while Luz wondered if her cambion form could potentially take over her mind.

"However, this is preventable," Jane continued to translate. "If you learn to channel the inner beast inside of you, come to peace with it, then you'll become the one in control."

'One in control? I wonder if mom and Aunt Lily could do that,' Luz thought as she wrote down some notes.

Barcus held up a rope that led to a noose on the floor. Coming down the hall was a Healing Track student with his nose buried in a book. Barcus pulled on the rope and the noose caught his ankle, pulling the student aside.

"Yah! What the-!?" the student shouted as a part of the ceiling came loose and hit the ground where he would have been if Barcus had not intervened. "Whoa, that was close." He turned to Barcus. "Thanks, Barcus. You really saved my tail from that."

Barcus nodded and continued heading to his class, passing by the Abominations Track classroom.

Amity tried once again to form an Abomination, but it just fell apart. She sighed. "Well, at least it didn't explode this time," she said. "Sorry, Professor Snope, my magic keeps on acting up…"

"Calm yourself, Amity," Snope advised, sympathetic. "If you're concerned about failing, it's no big deal. I know that the problem isn't that you don't know the material, you're brilliant just like your father is. The problem is that you have a magic block and that is something that takes time to work through. And I am not going to hold that against you."

Jerbo felt bad for Amity, so he spoke up. "Um sir, maybe what Amity needs is like a study partner in a safe space. I can help her out."

"Very well then, Jerbo," Snope responded with a yawn. "You two can have a free period." He slumped over, his Abomination there to catch him.

"A safe space?" Amity asked.

"Oh you've been there before." Jerbo performed a vine spell, climbed up and opened up a panel in the ceiling. "Come on."

Amity followed him and ended up in the Secret Room of Shortcuts, Jerbo taking her to the spot where he, Luz, Viney and Barcus used to hang out.

"We've rarely used this place since we became multi-track and the Professor Blanc fiasco, now it's mainly used for studying and, well, getting to class early," Jerbo explained, opening a door and pulling out some snacks. "We also use this place to vent. Scorn Chips or Newt Eyes?"

"Newt Eyes," Amity picked and Jerbo threw a bag for her to catch. "Thanks, Jerbo. I appreciate you taking me here." She looked around and saw that Blanc's old stuff was still there, including books on Abominations. "So… how are you going to help me with Abominations? Are we going to use Blanc's old books?"

"Nah, like Snope said the problem is your magic block," Jerbo pointed out. "And obviously that has something to do with everything that has been happening to you lately. We can practice if you want or you can just vent or we can relax or whatever. This is a safe space, we don't even have to talk if you don't want to."

Amity sighed as she leaned against the wall. "Yeah, my magic just hasn't been the same since me and Luz came back to Hexside. I have found ways around it, but my magic has been twitching out even more now that I renounced the Blight name and declared myself nameless. Honestly, I'm not even sure if I should continue with Abominations. Yes, I am good at it. Or at least I was good at it. But after what happened to my last Abomination and some things I learned about my family… " She sighed again. "It's a lot." She looked over at Jerbo. "What about you? I can't be the only witch in the Isles with problems, after all. Don't you have anything you want to vent?"

This caught Jerbo by surprise as he went to sit by her. "Well, I do get frustrated with a lot of things, especially with my family."

"Really?" Amity asked.

"Yeah, my brothers are pretty much the worst. The older one, Rodem, works at the Newt Burger for the Fast Food Coven and thinks he's all high and mighty just because he's vice-floor manager. And the younger one, Porco, blackmailed me into letting him have one of my Abominations cause he… well… overheard the group mirror chat that we had." Jerbo said.

"Oh…" Amity said. "I hope your brother can keep it to himself."

"He will, I taught him this 'cross your heart' trick and he thinks that if he breaks his promise, Lucifer will come and drag him to hell," Jerbo explained. "That won't actually happen, but he doesn't know that."

Amity smiled a little. "I can honestly relate," she admitted. "I used to think my siblings were the worst as well, but now… I appreciate them a lot more after everything that has happened. We are on much better terms than we used to be and hopefully the same will happen with you and your brothers, just without everything else that I had to go through in order to reach that better place." She turned her head and noticed a portrait on the wall that was surrounded by signatures and obscured by paint. "Hey, what is the deal with that portrait?"

"Oh, that's the troublemaker wall, we all put our names there in honor of Lord Calamity, the first troublemaker," Jerbo explained while Amity got up to get a better look.

"Sabrina, Chris, Rad Maddie, Emmy, Shelly, Goggles… I recognized that as Luz's signature." Amity pointed at Luz's bad signature, but then noticed another name on the wall which made her pause. "Goodfellow…"

"What?" Jerbo asked as he walked over to see what Amity was looking at. "Goodfellow… you know, I don't remember seeing that name here before. But it's been a while since I've gotten a good look at it." He then noticed that Amity was still. "Are you okay, Amity?"

"Huh? Oh I'm fine it's just…" Amity sighed. "That name must have been left here by a friend of mine and Luz's. His name was Puck Goodfellow. He was a Fae but unlike the Coachman, Puck was a good Fae that helped me, King, Lilith, and Anu Bist save Luz and Eda from the Emperor. Then I lost both him and Phil, my Abomination."

"Fae… wait a minute, what did he look like exactly?" Jerbo asked. Amity conjured an illusion spell of Puck, which shocked Jerbo. "No way… I recognize that dude!"

"You do?" Amity asked in confusion.

"Yeah, back at the Knee, there was a Greater Basilisk attacking this guy. I managed to get the Greater Basilisk off of him and I checked to make sure he was alright, but then there was the Slitherbeast and when I looked back he was gone!" Jerbo explained. "I think he was the guy whose death I was supposed to prevent like Barcus predicted… only he died later…"

Amity's eyes widened in realization. "Oh my Titan. Jerbo, don't you see? If it weren't for you, Puck would not have been able to come to me and help save Luz and Eda from being petrified! I owe Puck for that and I owe you for it as well."

"Whoa, I never realized that until now… man, talk about having a major impact," Jerbo commented.

Amity nodded and looked back at the portrait. "So who is this Lord Calamity?"

"Oh, no one knows who Lord Calamity is exactly, but they're the witch who made this place because they were not allowed to learn from all the tracks like they wanted to," Jerbo answered, which piqued Amity's curiosity.

"Have you tried at all to find out who they really were?" Amity asked while looking closely at the painting. Something about what Jerbo told her sounded… familiar.

Jerbo shrugged. "Not really," he admitted. "Honestly, that would ruin the mystery. It is better that we don't know, because then Lord Calamity could be whoever we want them to be, allowing us to project ourselves onto them. It is more fun that way, imagining what Lord Calamity was really like and how similar or different they were from us."

Amity nodded before remembering something else she had been meaning to ask. "Hey, does Barcus ever… talk?"

Jerbo looked at her confusedly. "I mean, he does talk. Barking is how he communicates."

Amity shook her head. "No, I mean does he ever speak English?"

"Not that I am aware of," Jerbo answered. "Why do you ask?"

"A while ago, he and some of the other Oracle Track students were helping me and Luz with something," Amity explained. "As we were leaving, he barked and I… understood him. To my ears, it was perfect English. I didn't give it too much mind then, but with some of the weird stuff that has been happening…" She sighed. "I just don't know."

Jerbo frowned. "And I'm afraid I don't know either," he admitted. "But that's not normal."

Amity groaned. "What is even normal anymore?"

Unknown to them, a watchful eye was listening in to their entire conversation before phasing through the wall.

Then

In the office of Ra, Anu Bist and Kitsuni stood in front of a blue falcon headed god in Egyptian clothing. Coming into the office was a pale woman in a white and black dress along with wavy long black hair. She glared at Kitsuni.

"Oh no…" Kitsuni said, looking down.

"Hi, Madame Izanami," Anu Bist waves only for the goddess to grab Kitsuni.

"You are going to be in so much trouble when we get back to the Yokai Realm!" Inazuki scolded her before turning to Anu Bist. "And I hope your father has a dire punishment for you." She turned her head. "Speak of the man himself…"

"What did my son do this time?" asked Anubis, a black jackal headed man in dark Egyptian clothing.

Ra sighed. "Your son thought it would be a good joke to impersonate a higher being and tell a mortal named Moses that he was chosen to free the enslaved Hebrew slaves from the Pharaoh."

"Seriously!?" Anubis was baffled, turning to his son. "What were you thinking?!"

"It was a joke, okay pops?" Anu Bist claimed. "Besides, he was just a mortal. They always get killed by their own stupidity and they never learn their lesson no matter how much we try to help them."

"Junior, you have to take these things seriously," Anu Bist explained, patting his son's shoulders. "I know you don't realize this, but your interference has resulted in the creation of a prophecy."

Anu Bist was confused. "What are you talking about?"

"By telling Moses that he was chosen, you took his destiny out of his hands," Ra explained. "You essentially made a promise to him that he would be the one to free his people. And now we are obligated to keep your promise and fulfill the prophecy that you have created with your reckless and irresponsible trickery."

"Don't worry, Ra. I'll make sure my son learns about the consequences of his actions," Anubis said. "Come with me, son. You're going to help fulfill Moses's prophecy."

"What do I have to do?" Anu Bist asked.

"If you are to inherit my position, it is about time you learn what being a death god is really like…"

Anu Bist then saw someone else in the doorway of the office. His eyes widened as he realized who she was and how much trouble he had actually gotten himself in…

Outside of Hexside, a student was looking at his scroll while walking on the school grounds when he was suddenly pulled aside. "Hey! What the-!?" He then noticed that he had been about to walk into well. "Phew, that was close. Thanks, Barcus!"

"Ruff(Be careful next time, Timmy)!" Barcus barked.

Elsewhere in the Boiling Isles, a bunch of illegal potion manufacturers were hard at work in the shed that they had turned into their base of operations.

"Alright, is everything ready for delivery?" asked the boss of the potion den as he oversaw production. "Our clients were very clear about getting this stuff on time!"

Suddenly, members of the Emperor's Coven burst into the shed.

"Freeze, dirt bags!" one shouted.

"It's the fuzz, run!" the boss of the ring shouted before his escape route was cut off by the Golden Guard.

"Busted," the Golden Guard said before using his staff to blind the boss of the ring.

Soon the coven guards managed to round up everyone in the illegal potions ring. "Alright, get these guys into the Conformatorium," the Golden Guard ordered before turning to shout. "Yo, Larry!"

Larry turned. "Yes, sir?"

The Golden Guard tossed him a bag. "Give this to your source as thanks for tipping us off," he told Larry, who responded with a thumbs up.

Later in an alley Larry was waiting for his source to show up. It wasn't long before Eda stepped out of the shadows to greet him.

"So how'd it go?" Eda asked and Larry pulled out a bag of snails. "Ooh, went well, didn't it?"

"Yup, the Emperor's Coven can be very generous," Larry replied while Eda counted her cut.

"So you two like the class?" Viney asked as she left the Beast-Keeping classroom with Luz and Skara.

"Yeah, I think the Beast-Transformation stuff is going to really help me out," Skara agreed.

Luz nodded and then saw Dusty coming out of the classroom. "I'll catch you guys later, gonna check up on Dusty."

"Alright/See ya at Bard!" Viney and Skara said as she walked over to Dusty.

"Hey Dusty, wait!" Luz shouted, getting his attention. "I just want to know how you and your beast are doing. Are you both okay?"

"Oh, me and Cutler will be fine. We just needed some rest and healing elixirs," Dusty responded. "I am glad that you're in my class now, your grandma really put up one heck of a Beast Battle."

"I know, but what happened afterward with that Nina Fangs girl?" Luz asked him. "Just what kind of Beast did she use on you?"

Dusty looked down, the name sending a shiver up her spine. "That's the thing, she didn't use a Beast. It was just… her."

Luz frowned. "Well, at least you're still kicking. Cause for some reason, I think Glandus has been targeting us Hexsidians, and I don't know why."

"Well, I'm sure that I won't lose to them again, because once I recover, Dusty Bringem's back in action!" Dusty said before heading off.

"He certainly has not lost his optimism," spoke Kitsuni, who startled Luz. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you, I was just walking by."

"Oh, nice to see you again, Kitsuni," Luz replied, but she had realized that it's the perfect time to ask her. "Hey, you and Anu Bist have been tight, right? So you know a lot more-"

"About magic outside of this realm?" Kitsuni asked. "What do you wish to know?"

Luz sighed. "Okay, so my human mother just suddenly showed up at my doorstep and it turned out she's kind of alive but as a shadow who looks like my mom as she did when she was alive and she doesn't remember how she was brought back-" Luz took a deep breath. "Sorry, I know it is a lot. I was just wondering if you knew what or who might have been able to do this?"

Kitsuni blinked and then grabbed hold of Luz. "Follow me, we'll continue this chat where we can have some privacy."

At the Owl House, Lilith was looking through some appliances she got from Eda's junk pile. She grabbed an old flip phone, which caused her to feel a shock. "Gah!" She dropped it and it landed by Camila's feet.

"What are you doing?" Camila asked.

"Oh I was just… trying to figure out something," Lilith responded, her hair puffier from the shock. "Um, so how's King?"

"Oh he's doing fine, just watching some TV. Or the Crystal Ball, do you call it a CB? Anyway, he's just watching cartoons," Camila responded.

Lilith nodded and after some silence, she spoke again. "If you don't mind talking about it… what was the afterlife like for you?"

"Oh, well as… best as I can remember, it was pretty surreal," Camila responded "At first I thought I was in heaven, but I was actually in some kind of waiting room. Everything was black and white, checkerboard floor, stretched out couches. I was where souls end up if they are either unable to move on to the 'good place' or they choose not to move on. In most cases it's either because they have unfinished businesses, their deaths were not avenged or they still had someone back in the mortal realms." She looked toward a photo of her daughter placed on the wall. "I chose not to move on because at the time, my daughter was just a baby. And I had to make sure she was taken care of. I guess you could say I was stuck in limbo."

This intrigued Lilith, especially since she had died but never experienced this limbo. "So after you were summoned by your daughter and able to meet her, did you go to the 'good place' then?"

"No," Camila responded. "After meeting my daughter, I… I was back in the waiting room. Apparently, there was something else keeping me there." She frowned, unable to figure this out.

"Maybe that is why you are here," Lilith suggested. "You were brought back to do something."

Camila shook her head. "I hope not. I want to be here for my daughter, not for anything else."

Lilith sighed and nodded. "Yes, I would like that to be the case as well…"

In an empty classroom, Kitsuni was listening to a more detailed explanation from Luz.

"What you've just described to me sounds like the work of voodoo," Kitsuni said. "And there is someone currently in the Boiling Isles who is most likely behind this."

"Who?" Luz asked.

Kitsuni lowered her head. "He is known by many names, including Baron Samedi. But he also just goes by the Baron. He is a loa, which is a voodoo spirit. He is specifically a loa of death and resurrection. He spends most of his time in the invisible realm of voodoo spirits, but he can use a vessel to walk in the world of the living. He can be called upon to heal those who are near or approaching death and he can be invoked to pronounce judgment on the guilty. He is a trickster as well, most often targeting the wealthy elite and those who pick on the underdogs. But he doesn't go after children, since he's got a soft spot for them."

"So why did this Baron revive my mother?" Luz asked her.

"That is something for you to learn yourself," Kitsuni responded. "Because I honestly don't know."

Luz nodded, but then realized something. "Wait a second… the Baron… what does he look like?"

"He's a black man dressed in a top hat, a black tail coat, dark glasses, and his face is painted like a skull," Kitsuni answered.

Luz thought back to her own encounter with the Baron. "I think I've met him before… back at Pleasure Island, me and Amity went to this tent, thinking this Baron guy was some kind of Oracle fortune teller… he told me that I'll meet someone from my past to bring me clarity… and, mentioned someone knows more about my mother's death than they let on…"

An idea crept into Luz's consciousness, the idea that her adoptive mother was who the Baron was referring to…

Luz shook her head. "You know what, I'm just… not going to dwell on this. Last thing I need is more drama."

"Well, is there anything else I can help you with?" Kitsuni asked.

Luz glanced at Kitsuni. "Did Anu Bist know that I was a cambion?"

Kitsuni looked at Luz. "And if I tell you he did, what would you think of him now?"

"Well… if he knew, then… why didn't he tell me? Does he know how hard it was to deal with the fact that I was changing into some kind of creature that might be cursed?" Luz asked.

"It is not like he didn't wish to tell you," Kitsuni told her. "But he knew from experience that it would go against our oath as deities." Luz looked confused as the fox spirit explained. "Our oath as deities is what you mortals would call a 'no spoilers' policy. We are not meant to dictate the lives of mortals and take their ability to choose out of their hands. We can only guide mortals and help them follow the path that they want, telling you what you need to hear instead of what you want to hear. If Anu Bist had explained to you what you were becoming, then you wouldn't have been able to learn as much about yourself and your own personal journey would have less value. It was hard for Anu Bist to not tell you since he had grown to care for you. Him being your teacher was the best thing he picked for himself."

Luz looked toward the window. "I miss him… is there a slight chance to see him again?"

Kitsuni nodded. "I think that can be arranged."

Eve was walking outside, only paying attention to the notes that she had taken about the diary. She paid no attention to her surroundings when Barcus spotted her about to walk through the grudgby field.

Barcus knew that out of all the students he saw getting into trouble with his future sight, Eve had it the worst. When she was seven, she was cursed with bad luck after a black cat demon crossed her path. Since then, this girl has been a frequent victim of close-calls and clumsiness.

An axe popped out from the ground and was about to swing down at Eve, but Barcus threw a potion to freeze the axe just inches away from her. Then some buzzsaws popped up, but Barcus used another potion to freeze them. Seeing more contraptions popping up, Barcus turned to a cauldron he had set up in preparation. Stirring quickly, a ghost of his ancestor popped out and charged towards Eve, grabbing her by her hood and dragging her away from the grudgby field.

"Yah!" Eve was pulled away from the field. She saw where she was at. "Whoa, that could've been me out there," she said while turning to the ghost dog. "Thanks for the save, ghost dog!" As she was put down, she saw that the ghost dog was with Barcus. "Oh, thanks for the save as well, Barcus. Man, this must be the tenth time you've saved me."

Barcus could only whimper tirelessly. '54.'

Skara looked over her notes from Beast-Keeping. The information on transformation magic was helpful, but for the rest she might need some help in order to keep up. So she went to find Viney who was chatting with Emira and Edric.

"Hey, Viney!" Skara walked up to her.

"Oh hey, Skara, need anything?" Viney replied.

"Yeah, since I am new to your class and I wasn't there at the beginning of the semester, I am worried that I might fall behind," she admitted. "I was wondering if you could help me with this? Like tutoring… I'm… sorry if I'm asking too much."

"Hey, it's fine, I don't mind at all," Viney assured her. "We can definitely find time to have some tutoring sessions."

Skara smiled excitedly. "Thank you, Viney! I promise that I won't disappoint you or slack off. I'll pay attention to everything you say and-"

"Okay, okay, Skara, relax," Viney said, trying to calm her down. "If you are free after school, we can meet up at the library and start catching you up to speed on the basics."

Skara took a deep breath and nodded. "Right, right. Sorry, I just really appreciate this. See you after school then?"

Viney smiled. "See you after school."

"So what do my gossiping ghosts have for me?" Felicia asked, surrounded by her ghost informants.

"Well, Casey and Derek got together-"

"-Josh burned his house down-"

"Amity is nameless-"

"-A savior dog-"

"Wait, wait," Felicia stopped the ghosts. "What was that about Amity?"

"Well, you didn't hear this from me, but little Ms. Blight is not a Blight anymore. Turns out, she renounced the Blight name and is now nameless witch," the ghost explained.

"Ooh, now that's newsworthy!" Felicia shouted. "But there's no way I can expose this story in the school newspaper. However, my Penstagram gossip vlog will want to hear this!" Felicia pulled out her scroll.

"So like, would you like to hear the rest-"

"Not now, Tabs! I'm preparing to record!" Felicia snapped as she got her scroll ready.

Amity was listening to Jerbo as they came out of the classroom together. "My folks honestly don't get my Plant Abominations, but they don't care as long as my grades look good."

Amity nodded. "Honestly, I think Plant Abominations are probably more eco-friendly than the Abominations that the Blight factory mass produces," she admitted. "Maybe you are onto something."

"Hmm, environmentally friendly Abominations…" Jerbo considered.

"Yo Ams, Jerbo," Luz spoke up as she walked toward them. "So did class go well?"

"No exploding Abominations, me and Jerbo just talked some things out, he even showed me the Wall of Troublemakers and Lord Calamity," Amity explained.

"Really? Well then thanks for making Ams an honorary troublemaker, Jerbo," Luz replied, doing a fist bump as Jerbo. "Did she add her name to the wall?"

"No, but maybe we could do that later," Jerbo suggested before he spotted his little brother chasing students with the Acorn Abomination. "I should go take care of that. Porco, I think they had enough!"

After Jerbo left, Amity turned to Luz. "So Jerbo explained Lord Calamity to me and he admitted that he doesn't know who they were. Do you know who Lord Calamity is?"

"Hmm, well honestly I just figured it was mom," Luz admitted. "I mean, it does fit her forte, but maybe that is just because I wanted Lord Calamity to be the witch that I wanted to become and that was my mom. I never asked her though. It doesn't really matter who Lord Calamity actually was, it matters what they represent. So it is better if who they were is as broad as possible."

"Well, I can see how Lord Calamity has been an inspiration to you and your friends," Amity replied. Suddenly her scroll buzzed and when she pulled it out, her face paled. "Oh shit…"

"What?" Luz asked and Amity showed it to her. "Owl pellets!"

Meanwhile Gus was holding a H.A.S. meeting, addressing the current membership of Amelia, Bo, Cat, Mattholomule, and Simon.

"Alright, sorry that I haven't been around lately, I had some stuff to work through," Gus replied awkwardly. "But now I can resume my duties as your president and to make up for what I have missed, I have brought this ancient artifact!" He pulled up an old PSP player.

"Well, it's good to have you back," Bo commented.

"Yeah, now I can finally ask about this human warhammer," Simon said, holding up a rugby stick.

Cat got a notification and looked at her scroll, her eyes widening. Bo was looking at her scroll next, followed by everyone else.

"What's everyone looking at their scrolls for?" Gus asked, checking his own. "WHAT!?"

"Porco, did you tell!?" Jerbo asked in shock and panic.

"I swear that I didn't!" Porco told him. "Lucifer take me if I'm lying!"

"What's going on, Jerbo?" Willow asked, since she was passing by.

"We got an emergency, might want to check your scroll," he told her and Willow did so. She was shocked by what she saw.

Fox With A Vlog

"Hey, my foxy viewer, this is Felicia Fox, reporting to you on my Penstagram vlog! This week, I've learned something that is absolutely shocking!" Felicity declared. "So you are all familiar with Amity Blight, right? Youngest daughter of the Blight family? Well apparently she is not a Blight anymore! This reporter just learned that Amity has declared herself a nameless witchling! What could this mean exactly? Does it involve with living in the Owl House, known to house the Clawthorne crime family?" She slammed her hands on the desk. "This reporter wants to know, is Amity now a wild witch? I'll keep my viewers updated, while you be sure to like and subscribe."

Felicia was in the newsroom, looking at the views she had already gained. "Now this is way bigger than the Snaggleback interview I did."

Suddenly Gus kicked open the door and pointed to Felicia. "You!"

"Hmm? Oh Goops, are you here to print out flyers for the school's potluck party-"

"How could you out Amity like that!?" Gus yelled. "She didn't want anyone to know about this! You have breached her privacy!"

"Oh please, Porter, this is just how us reporters do," Felicia dismissed. "In the journalist world, there are things that the people need to know, so it is our responsibility to expose it no matter what. And if Amity thought she could keep this a secret forever, then she was fooling herself."

Gus got even angrier. "You call yourself a reporter? Where is your integrity? First you turned this place into a gossip tabloid, then you decide to invade the privacy of other people and spread conspiracy theories while not caring about how this hurts them! You're nothing but a self-centered, exploitative bitch who gives journalism a bad name!"

Felicia was awed and shocked, closing her scroll. "You dare question my journalistic integrity? Or did you forget that your father works for my mother now, little man?" She walked up to Gus who stood his ground and she pulled out her crow. "All it would take is one call and I can get your daddy fired." She smirked confidently, only for her crow to be snatched away by Abomination goop. "Hey!"

"Leave him alone," Amity said, revealing herself as she and Luz stood with Gus along with Willow, Viney, Jerbo, Barcus, Skara, Bo, the twins and their other friends.

"Oh great, more critics." Felicia rolled her eyes.

"You have a lot of nerve, outing Amity like that!" Skara shouted at her.

"Want me to freeze her, Amity?" Cat asked.

"That won't be necessary," Amity told them while glaring at Felicia. "I don't know where you got off, I didn't want anyone to know about this yet… but it can't be helped, can it?"

Felica crossed her arms. "The truth always comes out, Ms. Nameless. What are you going to do about it?"

"...Nothing," Amity decided. "I don't care what anyone thinks of me anymore, that is their business. And it is not worth the energy it would take to get worked up over this anyway." Amity started to walk away, but she stopped. "One more thing, I don't appreciate you threatening Gus like that, especially in front of my girlfriend."

Felicia felt a dark aura behind her. The fox biped turned around and saw Luz radiating that dark aura. Her face was covered in shadows but her eyes were flashing blue. Everyone else left Felicia alone with Luz, the door closing.

"You think you could get away with outing my girlfriend and threatening one of my best friends like that?" Luz asked while confronting Felicia, who backed away in fear.

"Wait, think of this… um, maybe I can do an interview for you-AAAHHH!"

A young boy who was the Pharaoh's son laid on his bed. Someone nudged him and he woke up, noticing Anu Bist.

"A jackal?" the boy asked in surprise.

"Yes, I am here to take you on a trip," Anu Bist replied. "A trip that'll lead you to a great place."

"Really? But I don't want my father to be angry if I leave…" the boy said.

"Do not worry, everything's already arranged," Anu Bist explained. "Now hop on now, I'll take you to the others."

The Pharaoh's son smiled as he hopped on the back of the jackal spirit. Anu Bist then took the boy out of his room, leaving behind a body...

Anu Bist looked tired. Tired of it all.

He was already regretting his actions during the previous plagues. But after the latest… and the first borns…

"Are you alright?" asked the woman with piercing blue eyes.

Anu Bist didn't answer. He wanted to yell, but he didn't have the energy for it. He just looked down and he felt the woman patting his back.

"I'm sorry that you had to go through with this," she told him.

Anu Bist sighed. "My father's a death god and so is my grandfather. I always took it for granted that I was expected to take up this job one day. But after all of this… I don't think I want my father's job. I don't want death to be my responsibility."

The woman nodded. "Might I suggest an alternative?"

Anubis was on his throne, looking over a list of names belonging to the souls of the deceased. He looked up and saw Anu Bist walking up to him. "Son?"

"I have an announcement to make, father," Anu Bist said. "For so many years and so many pranks, I never thought twice about the repercussions. Now I know that I shouldn't have meddled with mortal affairs and it made me realize something else… I do not want to be a death god."

Anubis looked shocked. "What are you saying, my son?"

"I'm saying that… I've decided to become a genie, just like my mother," Anu Bist declared. Bracelets appeared on his wrists, bounding him to a lamp that appeared before him.

"Anu Bist, wait!" Anubis got up but was too late, forced to witness his son being sucked into his lamp. His son gave him one last smile, a sad one.

"See ya, pops."

Anu Bist opened his eyes, finding himself in a room that he used to spend a lot more time in. He yawned and stretched his body. "Oh, man, still cramped as usual," he said before noticing the bracelets on his wrists "Back to business then. Well, freedom was fun while it lasted."

He then noticed a television screen popping up and a blonde woman appeared on the screen.

"Greetings, my name is Barbara Edan," she spoke. "As a newly appointed genie, you should be familiar with the three-wishing rules, and the three forbidden wishes. Can't make someone fall in love, can't wish for death to your enemies, and you can't wish for someone back to life."

"I know the rules already," Anu Bist groaned.

"But now some new rules have been added in accordance with the Order," she said. "So please go over your paperwork to read the rules, and then sign your name in agreement."

Anu Bist saw the paperwork in front of him and he summoned some reading glasses. "Let's see… no ruling a country, no taking over a kingdom, well that's simple. No time travel, no wishing for immortality… no wishing to own every music in the world, what's the story of that one? No groundhog days, no wishing for a golden touch… there is a retirement plan now? Wait, what is this about a mandatory song? Who wrote this?"

"Anu Bist!"

Anu Bist heard a familiar voice calling for him and his back legs turned into a ghostly tail. He was quickly summoned out of his lamp.

Anu Bist was brought back out, finding himself in Vanz's shop. The one who held his lamp was Kitsuni. "Hey, Kit! Guess you're my master now."

"Glad to see you well, old friend," Kitsuni responded.

"Yeah, must've had a power nap," Anu Bist quipped while turning to Vanz. "Thanks for keeping me in my lamp for the time being, Vanz."

"It's no problem, you are always welcome if you need time to rehabilitate," Vanz said before he saw someone else coming in. "Ah, another customer."

Said customer was a black jackal headed deity in a business suit. Anu recognized the jackal, glaring at the god and speaking to him in a dry voice. "Hello, dad…"

"My son," Anubis spoke. "You are well, I see. I heard that you remained here in this realm so I-"

"There is nothing to talk about now," Anu Bist responded while not looking at his father. "I spent millennium as a genie, then I was freed for a while. And now I'm back to being a servant to mortals. Whatever it is, I don't intend to become you. I want… to help mortals."

"I am aware of that," Anubis told his son, sighing. "And I am not here to ask you to become me, nor am I here to ask you for forgiveness, Anu. I am sorry for what I made you do and for trying to turn you into something you are not. I have had a lot of time to think about it and I have realized that you are your own deity. So I don't want to change your mind and I even encourage you to use this as a fresh start. I just… wanted to see you again, son."

Anu smiled. "I… thank you, dad."

Julia Traveler was looking up at Felicia, who had been taped to the ceiling to the newsroom. She sighed. "You know dear, I don't condone what Luz did, but you did have this coming." She reached up to start freeing Felica.

"Can you spare a moment, Mary?" someone behind her asked.

Julia stopped and turned around to see the one who had spoken to her. "It's good to see you back," she said with a smile.

"It is good to be back," Anu replied, looking up at Felicia. "Need help with her?"

"I got it, actually," Julia responded, the tape covering Felicia's ears so she wouldn't hear any of this. "Besides, I can think of a few students who have been worried sick about you."

Anu nodded. "Which is the main reason I'm here. I wanted to see them again. A lot has changed since I returned to my lamp, hasn't it?"

"That is the wonderful thing about mortals," Julia told him. They change very quickly, while for us it takes much longer to change."

"But we do change, don't we, Mary?" Anu asked.

"Yes," Julia answered. "You especially. I am proud of you, Anu. You have come a long way."

"So why are we here?" Amity asked as she followed Luz, Viney, Jerbo, and Barcus into the Secret Room of Shortcuts.

"Well, me and the guys talked about it and we came to an agreement." Luz brought her girlfriend to the Wall of Troublemakers. "We believe that you've earned this after everything."

"Yeah, so go up there and write your name, fellow trouble maker." Jerbo gave Amity the pen.

Amity looked at the pen, then up at the wall of Troublemakers. She turned to Luz, who gave her a nod of approval. Amity smiled as she wrote down her first name, but then she glanced at the other names of the wall and thought about it for a moment before adding to her name.

Amity Goodfellow.

Soon the school day was over and the multi-trackers came out of the entrance to Hexside. "Well, not one day of normalcy," Luz commented.

"Yeah, but at least it wasn't all that bad," Amity replied before she noticed the other multi-trackers had stopped. Then she noticed Luz had stopped as well. "Why did you guys stop…" She saw what they were looking at and she was just as shocked as they are.

"Hello, my fellow students," Anu Bist said to them, with Kitsuni next to him holding the lamp. "Sorry that I've been gone for a while, but I was resting in my lamp and-" He didn't finish, as Luz ran up to him and gave him a hug.

"Anu Bist, I… I'm so glad that you're back!" Luz said with tears in her eyes.

Anu hugged her back. "There, there, Luz… looks like I've been gone for a while," he said. "Of course to me, it felt like barely any time passed at all."

"What… what happened to you after the ceremony?" Amity asked.

Yeah, where have you been?" Viney asked.

"We thought you were dead or something," Jerbo stated while Barcus huffed. "Okay, I thought you were."

"Heh, even if I was dead, I wouldn't be dead-dead, just godly dead," Anu responded. "Well, to answer your questions, I've been recovering in my lamp. Time works differently in there, so what felt like yesterday to me was much longer for you. I am now bound to my lamp again, but I am using this as a chance for a new beginning with a new name for my current role. After all, names have power." He looked over at Amity with a wink.

"A new name? What do we call you then?" Luz asked.

"Just call me… Jack," he said. "Jack is now the name I go by these days."

"Well then… Jack, I'm glad that we get a chance to see you again," Luz responded.

Jack sighed. "I do owe you an apology, Luz. About not telling you that you were becoming a cambion."

"Yeah, Kitsuni already told me about it and I understand," Luz assured him. "Besides, it's not about the destination, it's about the journey we have to go through."

Jack nodded. "You've learned so much while I was gone. Hopefully one day, you will be able to decide where your journey takes you."

"I… I really appreciate what you've taught us, Jack," Luz told him. "We all do. You're probably our best teachers, and we wouldn't be where we're at without your guidance. Without you I… I wouldn't have been able to see my birth mom for the first time."

"Well, I should be thanking you all for letting me be your teacher," Jack said. "Unfortunately, I now have a new job that also involves helping people. I don't know when our paths will cross again, but I have faith that we will see each other again.."

Luz and the other former trouble makers shared sad looks, though they all understood. "Well, wherever you go, we won't forget you."

"And I won't forget you all," Jack said as he summoned his paperwork and signed his name. "And there, now I am a certified genie. So long, my students!" He went back into his lamp, which jumped up and disappeared.

Kitsuni sighed. "I won't be going anywhere though," she promised the students. "So just remember that I am here if you need me."

Luz nodded, wiping away a few tears. "Thank you," she said before turning to Amity. "Come on, let's go home."

Somewhere else, a lamp laid on a beach for a young child to find while he was exploring. The child picked up the lamp and looked at it. After he gave it a rub, the lamp glowed brightly and blue smoke spilled out.

"YAAAAAAAAAAA-Hey!" Jack said as he came out of the lamp. "You just summoned me, kiddo, which means you are allowed to have three of your wishes granted. That's right, three! No more or no less, just three!" He leans towards the kid. "What is your name?"

"Uh, Adrian," the boy replied, feeling overwhelmed.

"Well then Adrian, you have every right to be confused about all of… this," Jack acknowledged. "But this song might help clear things up… and even if it doesn't, it's mandatory."

Jack grew to a large size and started to sing. "Well Ali Baba had them forty thieves, Scheherezade had a thousand tales!" He suddenly popped up next to Adrian. "But kiddo you in luck 'cause up your sleeves, you got a brand of magic never fails!"

"You got some power in your corner now, some heavy ammunition in your camp!" He and Adrian appeared in a tank together, then in a comic book together. "You got some PUNCH! PIZAZZ! YAHOO! And how! See all you gotta do is rub that lamp!"

"And I'll say!" Jack grew large again. "Oh Mister Adrian, sir, what will your pleasure be?" He transformed into a waiter. "Let me take your order, jot it down, you ain't never had a friend like me!"

"Life is your restaurant, and I'm your maitre d'." Jack showed the boy an arcade restaurant, bringing him a lot of food. "Come on and whisper, what is it you want, you ain't never had a friend like me!"