17. Chapter 55: Deserve Nothing

The sky was red, the seas were soaked in blood. The once great Emperor's Castle was consumed by fire. Only one lone survivor kept running through the carnage. And he was running from… them.

Hunter fell down after tripping over a body. He looked at it, screamed after recognizing it as Edric. He looked around and saw that he was surrounded by bodies. Luz. Her friends and classmates. The Coven Heads. All dead.

"No…" He backed away in horror and then saw something stepping over the bodies. White, winged creatures that looked almost mechanical. But instead of attacking Hunter right away, they waited for the command of another winged creature with a single glowing yellow eye visible. The creature raised its hand and threw it down, giving the other creatures the signal to screech and launch themselves at the helpless Hunter who could do nothing except scream…

"NO!"

"AAH!" Hunter gasped, waking up from his nightmare. He was shaking. This was not the first time he had experienced this nightmare. He knew it wouldn't be the last either. While he tried to catch his breath, he had his scroll buzz and he pulled out, checking his notifications and seeing that he had a text from Edric.

ED1NTR: Hey, want to meet me up before school? ;3

Hunter, managing to calm himself down, smiled and started texting back.

HunTr: I'll be on my way.

Hunter got into his clothing, putting on a blue flannel button shirt, black pants and gray boots. Putting on his gray skater hat, he headed out of his room. Visiting his boyfriend was just what he needed right now.

Usually he would just use the secret passages to leave the Castle without being seen, but this time he decided to pass by the rec room. Looking in, he noticed that having a coffee with the Potions and Illusionist Coven Heads was Darius, Head of the Abomination Coven.

"And then I told him 'Oh, I'm sorry, I must have mistaken you for an Abomination!'" Darius joked as the other two Heads laughed. He then noticed Hunter looking in. "Excuse me for a sec, I have to take care of something," he said to the other Heads before walking out into the hallway with Hunter. "Can I help you with something, Little Prince?"

"Oh um, hey Coven Head Darius…" Hunter stammered.

"Just Darius is fine," he assured him.

"Right," Hunter said nervously. "Sorry that I'm wearing casual clothes right now but… recently I came across Lilith. She doesn't know who I am, but we talked and she mentioned that she knew the previous Golden Guard. And you knew him too, right? So I was wondering if you could tell me anything about him… about my father?"

Darius's expression softened when he heard it. "Oh, yes," he said while looking down on his own coffee brew. "Well, for one he was the finest witch I've ever known… and an excellent teacher who I owe everything to. He knew how to use people to their fullest potential and without him, Belos would have never been able to create the Emperor's Coven and the coven system. Your father and Belos built it together, it was as much his vision as it was the Emperor's. Your father was tough but fair in my opinion. He knew when to give respect and when to withhold it."

Hunter looked down. "I wish that I knew him." He felt Darius patting his shoulder, making him look up to him.

"And I am sure he would have loved to have known you as well," Darius comforted him with a smile. "I miss him too."

Hunter nodded. "And you knew her as well, right? My… mother?"

Darius sighed. "Not as well, I'm afraid. But just like your father, she was a fine witch." He frowned. "Hunter, are you alright? You look… unwell."

Hunter shook his head. "I'm fine, really," he said. "And I'll see you later at the morning meeting, just gotta go meet up with someone first."

"Your boyfriend, the Blight boy?" Darius asked.

"Yes, him," Hunter confirmed. "But could we talk later? I would like to hear more about my parents if you have the time."

"Of course," Darius said. Once Hunter was gone, he sighed to himself. "I should really talk to the Emperor about his mental health…"

Hunter made it to Geist's place, which had not opened yet. Fortunately, he was let in by Geist. "Hunter, nice to see you again!" he greeted.

"Hey Mr. Grunhar, is Edric here?" Hunter asked and Geist pointed up.

"He's on the rooftop," Geist explained. "Be careful when using the fire escape, it's a little rusty since the last boiling rain."

Soon, Hunter had climbed up the fire escape, despite the parts that fell off as he climbed on them. He spotted Edric sitting on a crate. Though Edric looked much different than he usually did, as he appeared to be wearing glasses, his hair was unkempt, he had some fuzz above his lip, and he wore a yellow gamer shirt with gray sweatpants, socks and loafers.

"Hey, you've made it!" Edric waved at him as Hunter came over. "Sorry for how I look, I couldn't find a concealing stone. You should see my sister, she is absolutely freaking out."

"You know that I don't mind you without your glamor," Hunter said as he gave Edric a hug. "So you wanted to see me?"

"Just want to show you something before me and Em went to school," Edric said, handing Hunter a drink.

"Thanks," Hunter said as the two sat together, watching the sun rise. "So how are… things with you and Emira? As well as for Amity?"

"Well, we're still trying to adjust," Edric said while taking a sip from his drink. "Amity actually took a new name for herself in honor of a friend of hers that helped save our lives one time. She goes by Amity Goodfellow now."

"What about your folks?" Hunter asked him.

Edric sighed. "It's still hard to talk to mom right now and dad… well, he's buried himself in his work. Even more than usual. I actually wanted to show this to him… but instead you get to be the first person to see this." He opened the crate and brought out some fireworks. "Made these myself." The biggest one had an image of him riding on a Pegasus while holding a sword. "This one's my magnum opus. I call it the Ed Ricochet Eleven. That's how many times I was sent to the Healing Coven."

"Ooh…" Hunter said. "Wait, are these legal?"

"Do they have to be?" Ed smirked in response.

The two snickered as Hunter looked at Edric's smiling face. A face that was a relief to see after the nightmares. "Hey, Ed."

Edric looked at Hunter. "Yeah?"

"I just… I care about you, you know?" Hunter said while leaning forward to give Edric a kiss on the lips. This surprised Edric, who still had no problem kissing back. After the kiss and release, the two gazed at each other.

"What's that all about?" Edric asked with a smile, but then he became concerned when he noticed something was up with his boyfriend. "Are you alright, Hunter? I mean, I don't mind the morning make-out-"

Hunter embraced his boyfriend. "I just needed this right now, okay?" he said before releasing Ed. "So are we going to see what the Ed Ricochet Eleven can do or not?"

Ed grinned. "Oh, you bet."

Later, Hunter returned to the Emperor's Castle dressed in his Golden Guard garb. He stood with Kikimora beside the throne of Emperor Belos, who had summoned the nine Coven Heads.

"I have called you all here because of something that one of our scouts found." Belos nodded for an Abomaton to bring out the wrecked drone. "After going over this wreckage thoroughly, we can confirm that it is not from the Boiling Isles. It is a spying device that was sent here from beyond the Boiling Isles, no doubt by the enemies to our way of life that the Titan has always warned me about. I fear that this spy means that they are getting ready to make their move sooner rather than later. War is coming. And I believe it will be a war with the human realm."

This came as a shock to the Coven Heads, including Raine. While they expressed their worries and their curiosity, Belos continued. "These threats are why the Day of Unity must succeed. The purification of magic under the coven system is the only way that we will be strong enough to survive what is coming. The Titan has-" Belos suddenly grunted in pain and clutched his chest. The Golden Guard immediately responded, helping Belos up from his throne.

"Sire, are you alright?" Kiki asked in concern.

"I will be fine, Kiki," Belos responded as the Golden Guard escorted him out of the room.

Kikimora was about to follow, but the Golden Guard stopped her. "No, stay here. I can handle this alone." As he walked away with Belos, Kikimora glared daggers at his back.

Once they were alone, the Golden Guard went to get a witch's staff while Belos fell onto his knees, his mask falling off as he transformed into some kind of sludge monster. He then proceeded to punch the wall repeatedly, until he slowly backed away and put his mask back on by the time the Golden Guard returned and handed him the witch's staff.

Belos quickly broke the Palisman on the staff and absorbed its green essence through his eyes, which turned green before changing back to blue.

"I… need more…" Belos groaned.

"I'm sorry, uncle, but that's the last of our reserves. We've… overharvested the Palistrom wood."

Belos began to turn away.

"Uncle, let me help!" the Golden Guard insisted. "We can make more Palismen! Actually, I read about this technique: harnessing wild magic to-"

Belos looked back and the Golden Guard could feel his uncle's disapproving gaze.

"Nevermind… I'm sorry for suggesting-"

"Don't be," Belos said as he placed his hand on the Golden Guard's shoulder. "I just… want you to be careful, Hunter. Your father. Your mother. Our family is gone because of wild magic. And I can't let the same happen to you. I refuse to let it happen. But you can still help me. Find me more Palismen. I can depend on you, right?"

Hunter looked down, remembering when he had been given the position of Golden Guard…

Hunter, age fourteen, was dressed in the uniform of a coven scout. He had been called to the Emperor's throne room, where it was just him and Belos. "You wanted to see me, Uncle?"

"Yes, my boy," Belos said as he stood up from his throne and removed his mask, showing Hunter a smiling face full of warmth and kindness. "I have something for you, something that was always meant to be yours." He gestured with his hand, summoning the outfit of the staff of the Golden Guard. This surprised the young scout.

"R-Really?" Hunter asked in shock. "I am honored, sir, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to take my father's place."

"Trust me, I understand," Belos told him with a sigh. "I believe that you are more than ready, but I was once in the exact same position. There was a time when I wasn't sure if I could handle the responsibilities that were burdened to me." He turned around as he started to sing.  "I was a lot like you are now… when I was given my first command, I led my friends straight into a massacre."

Belos looked down at his fist and squeezed it as he continued. "I witnessed their deaths firsthand, I made every mistake and felt the shame rise in me and even now I lie awake." Belos turned and seemed to see someone in Hunter's place, someone he had lost. His expression saddened. "Knowing history has its eyes on me."

This surprised Hunter, who looked down while thinking about the legacy he was living up to. He thought of his parents while Belos sang…  "History has its eyes on me! (Whoa oh oh… whoa… whoa yeah…)"

"Let me tell you what I wish I'd known when I was young and dream of glory, you have no control…" Belos told Hunter as ghostly figures appeared around them, representing human and witch alike. "Who lives, who dies, who tells your story."

Belos handed Hunter the mask, and then the staff. He smiled proudly at his nephew.  "I know that we can win, I know that greatness lies in you. But remember from here on in, history has its eyes on you!"

Despite his nervousness, Hunter nodded in determination. When Belos put his hands on Hunter's shoulders, Hunter embraced his uncle with a hug. And despite being surprised by this, Belos hugged his nephew back tightly.  "History has its eyes on you..."

"You know you can depend on me, Uncle," Hunter said in the present day.

Outside the room, Kikimora was listening in on them. She narrowed her eyes and ran off…

Luz was feeling the adrenaline suddenly pumping, which caused her to punch the sandbag more intensively than usual. She punched it so hard that it got knocked off of its chain and hit the wall.

"Whoa…" Luz said in surprise, looking at her own cambion fists. "Alright, looks like I'm getting stronger."

"Yeah, you really showed that sandbag," Amity replied while on the exercise bike.

"Is everything alright down here?" Lilith asked from upstairs to the girls in the basement.

"Yeah, just punched off the sandbag!" Luz called back.

"Well you two better hurry up and get ready for school if you want to get your own Palisman today!" Lilith shouted down.

"Oh right! With everything going on lately, I completely forgot about Palisman Adoption Day," Luz realized.

"I honestly forgot about it too," Amity admitted as she looked at the conspiracy wall they had set up in the basement, which was covered in notes about Belos, the portal door, the Inner Demon, Eclipsa and the 'Philip' from Luz's dream, and the missing journal.

"We'll be ready!" Luz shouted up at Lilith.

"Your mother will meet you there," Lilith told them. "And please take a shower before you go."

"No, please! Stop! Get off of me!"

WHACK!

Eda was shocked to see one of her assaulters collapse from a blow to the head. There was a second whack and a second assaulter fell.

"Get away from her!" a girl shouted as she brandished a baseball bat, chasing away Eda's other assaulters.

Once they were gone, the girl offered Eda her hand.

"Are you okay?" the human girl asked and as Eda reached for her hand, the girl's arm suddenly became covered in claw marks. Eda gasped and looked up at the girl's face, which was now covered in more claw marks and blood…

"AAAH!" Eda jumped out of her nest bed, breathing heavily. In front of her were Lilith, King and Camila.

"Edalyn, are you alright?" Lilith asked her.

"Yeah, you were kicking and screaming pretty badly," King mentioned.

"It looks like you were having a nightmare," Camila pointed out.

"Oh um, I'm fine," Eda responded with a yawn.. "I think I've had too much on the night juice, you know? That Apple Blood after night can make you dream up some weird things. Um, what time is it?"

"Well, you overslept, but you were supposed to be at Hexside for Palisman Adoption Day," Lilith told her. "Are you alright? Do you want me to take over with you?"

"No, no, I'm fine and it's definitely not a good idea for you to show up at Hexside…" Eda mentioned. "I think I am honestly a less controversial figure there than you are, since everyone at Hexside knows about yours and Amity's deal…"

Lilith's eyes widened at that. "I… almost forgot about that. but are you sure you're up to the task?"

"Of course," Eda waved it off as she went to her closet and started to get dressed. "Besides, I still have plenty of time to get there."

"If you say so," Lilith said as she escorted Camila and King out of the room. However, she couldn't help but look back at Eda in concern.

At the Hexside grudgby field, a group of Hexside students had gathered to receive their Palismen. With them was Principal Bump and Julia Traveler. A large object rested in front of the group.

"Man, I can't wait to get my own Palisman," Luz said in excitement. "I am so pumped for it, it's like I can already feel my witch's staff!"

"You know, King mentioned that you've met the Bat Queen before," Amity replied. "How did you meet her?"

"I first came across her when I was nine," Luz answered. "I heard about her from mom ever since I was little and I decided that if I ever wanted to become a strong witch, I had to seek her out and try to beat her famously difficult challenges!"

"How did it go?" Amity asked.

"I ended up doing her chores," Luz finished. "But I was always back whenever I wanted to train with her or get stronger. Sometimes I even played with the other Palismen."

"Well I'm just here to see you guys receive your own Palismen," Skara mentioned. "I will be making mine with my dad. It's something we always wanted to do together and he bought a piece of Palistrom wood specifically for the occasion."

"That's great, Skara," Willow told her girlfriend. "I hope you'll make a cute Palisman."

Skara blushed, but then she noticed someone flying towards the field. "Hey, isn't that your mom, Luz?"

"Yeah, it is…" Luz and the other students watched as Eda crashed down on the ground.

"I'm okay!" Eda declared as she got up. "The sun got in my eyes and all and-" She noticed Julia giving her a look. "Oh… heya Julie."

"You're late, Edalyn," Julia chastised.

"Sorry, I overslept, the alarm didn't go off and… you know, i-i-it's my bad, I didn't get enough sleep last night," Eda stammered while adjusting herself.

"Are you alright though?" Julia asked, realizing something was off. "You looked a little stressed out."

"Relax, Julisianna, I'm fine," Eda dismissed, though Julia could still tell that something was bothering her.

"Well then, at least we can start now," Principal Bump cleared his throat, turning to his students. "Good tidings on this momentous day. You're all about to receive your witches' staffs and, more importantly, meet your Palisman. This is considered 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…" Principal Bump snapped his fingers and his demon cap opened its eyes, jumped off of his head and turned into a staff. This resulted in revealing Bump's body length black hair and a scar on his right eye, with his left one closed.

The students all gasped. "Holy Titan…" Luz said. "So it's not a demon at all!?"

"Frewin here helps me see," Bump explained.

Eda stepped forward. "Now, traditionally, young witches carve their staffs from the branch of an old Palistrom tree."

"But unfortunately, Palistrom trees are much more rare these days. Those remaining are guarded in reserves," Julia explained.

Eda nodded. "Which is why I've teamed up with Bumpipoo and Juliana-"

"Never call me that," Bump told Eda.

"-to bring you…" Eda signaled for the Bat Queen to fly down and land on the nest.

"Palisman Adoption Day!" The Bat Queen declared as a small door in the object opened, revealing it to be a nest as the many Palismen inside flooded out, causing the students to fawn over them.

"Thanks for the favor, BQ. Here's your whistle back." Eda offered the Bat Queen her whistle.

"Keep it for another time, Edalyn," the Bat Queen responded. "This was my pleasure. What a wonderful idea. Your father would be proud."

Eda chuckled nervously at the mention of her dad. "Oh uh, yeah, he would. Okay! Let's get this adoption thing going! Who's first!"

"Well then," the Bat Queen started. "These little ones have not had homes in many years. They want to feel a connection. So kneel and state your deepest wish, and your like-minded partner will find you."

Willow ran up to the nest and knelt down. "I want to be strong and wise to protect everyone I love and care about. And if anyone gets in my way, they'll feel the sting of defeat."

'Willow has no chill…' Luz thought while seeing her friend receive a yellow bee Palisman.

"Tender yet tenacious, Clover gives her support," the Bat Queen stated.

"I'm going to take so much care for you," Willow said while everyone congratulated her.

"Beautiful," Gus said while Skara nodded in agreement. "Just beautiful."

After Willow, Simon stepped forward. "Alright, I wish to be the strongest witch like my father and my ultimate wish is to follow the path of what will make me truly strong. Any of you who wish to accompany me on this path, step forward now!"

Out of all the Palismen, a blue squirrel with red eyes and black horns sticking out for ears stepped forward, crawling up to Simon as it formed into a witch staff for him to hold.

"Looks like Flint has chosen to join you on your journey," the Bat Queen told him.

"Flint… it is an honor to be your companion!" Simon declared with a salute.

Viney knelt down next. "I want to open my own veterinary clinic for mythical pets and those who need help controlling their inner beasts." A manticore palisman rose and became her staff. "All right!"

Gus was next. "My dad wants me to become a master illusionist, but that's easy. So instead, I want to become an ambassador to the human realm and re-establish contact with the giraffes!" Stepping forward was a blue chameleon palisman that climbed up to Gus, becoming his staff.

"I just want to make it to graduation," Puffer confessed. He then saw a sloth Palisman hanging on his arm, which turned into a sloth. He gasped and chuckled. "Yes!"

"I want to work to establish a new justice system in the Boiling Isles. After reading some of the human world books from the HAS, I think it's time we upgrade our barbaric system and establish fair trials, with judges and juries," Amelia declared and a small, mint horse palisman came to her as she received her staff.

"I wish to open up my own salon to do hair care," Cat said as a gray blue mouse palisman climbed up her shoulder, forming a staff.

"Huh, I would've thought you'd have a cat palisman," Luz admitted.

"Why do you think I'd get a cat palisman?" Cat asked, a bit confused.

"You know, because your name…?" Luz pointed out.

"Have you ever heard me actually talking about cats?" Cat asked. "Like ever once?"

"Uh, no," Luz realized. "But wait, then why are you named Cat?"

"Because my brother was named Dog," Cat answered with a shrug, which only made Luz more confused.

Amity knelt down. She was smiling at first as she looked at all of the Palismen, but then, as she tried to think of her deepest wish… she frowned. "I… I don't know what I want anymore," she admitted with a sigh. "All I know is what I don't want. I thought about being a wild witch, but I haven't decided anything." When none of the Palismen came forward, Amity stood back up. "I guess I'm not ready for one yet. At least not until I figure things out on my own."

She walked back to the group and Luz patted her on the shoulder. "Hey, I don't have to-"

"Go get yours, Luz," Amity encouraged. "Don't worry about me."

Luz smiled and nodded, running over to the nest. "Alright, guess it's my turn." But as soon as she knelt down, the Palismen all backed away from her. "Huh? Why do you guys look so nervous? I took a shower… it's the shampoo, isn't it?"

"Just tell them your deepest wish, Luz," Julia told her.

"Oh right," Luz said. "I want to be a badass witch of both worlds, plus right now I want to find a way back to the human realm and come to terms with my identity." But none of the Palismen stepped forward, nor did they want to. "Oh come on, I won't bite." She tried to reach out to one, but the crab Palisman snaps its claw at her, while a snake Palisman hissed at her. She pulled her hand back, shocked. "What's with the hostility?"

"This has never happened before, right?" Eda asked, concerned about her daughter.

"No, it hasn't," the Bat Queen stated, having felt the fears from the Palismen. "Um, maybe you should let someone else give a try."

"Come on, BQ, at least give me a chance!" Luz begged, while turning back to the Palismen. "You guys know me, I haven't given you any reason to be afraid." She reached out again, only for one scorpion Palisman attempt to try to sting her, forcing Luz to retract her hand. "Hey!" she cried out before she spotted a red cardinal Palisman with a scar on its left eye. "What about you? Maybe I can keep up the bird Palisman tradition-" But the red cardinal just turned his back on Luz, not accepting her. "So… none of you guys want me then?"

"Luz, are you okay?" Eda asked.

"I'm fine, it's just… I thought I was clear on what I want but… guess they don't want me," Luz replied as she stood up, stepped away from the nest and walked away.

"Luz, I'm sure that it's not like that," Amity said as she went to comfort her.

"Um, let me handle this," Eda said to Julia who nodded understandingly, letting Eda go after her daughter.

"Alright, we shall continue on," Julia announced to the rest of the students. "Who is next?"

Eve stepped forward and knelt. "Well, I wish for a Palisman who can help me avoid all the dangers, perils, and near-death experiences that I get myself in."

Later, at the Hieron Household, Boscha got back home. She was planning to go up to the attic to check on Tom. But much to her surprise, she found her mom, Athena, waiting for her in the living room.

"Mom? You're home early," Boscha said.

"Yeah well, I decided to take a day off from coaching," Athena explained. "I heard that it was Palisman Adoption Day…"

"Yeah, I didn't get one," Boscha replied while setting her strap bag down. "Still in the Detention Track. But I mean, it's not like I want a hand-me-down Palisman anyway."

Athena stood up, walking towards her daughter while hiding something behind her back. "Yes, I figured that would be the case. And I figured that you would be upset about it as well. So I want to give you this…" She brought out a Palisman, a brown-orange small boar with blue eyes. It woke up and looked at Boscha.

"Oh, is that…" Boscha said, awestruck.

Athena nodded. "This was my Palisman, passed down to me by my father," she explained. "Let me tell you a story about your great-great-grandfather and his brother, Ben and Bronze Saltstar." She created a spell circle and summoned an animated tapestry that showed two muscular brothers.

"Before the rule of Emperor Belos, Ben and Bronze Saltstar were just traveling strong witches that one day came across an old carver." The tapestry showed the two brothers meeting a Palisman carver with long braided hair, who offered them food. "Despite having very little on him, the carver recognized the two as travelers and offered them food. The brothers, who had been hungry, accepted the offer."

The tapestry next showed the two brothers following the carver. "The brothers were so grateful that they decided to return the favor by helping the carver free his village, which had been taken over by a group of bandits." The tapestry showed bandits conquering a small village, then the Saltstar brothers charging toward them. "The two brothers used their strength against the bandits, even literally smashing the leader's head like a pumpkin." The tapestry showed the two brothers fighting the bandits and eventually smashing the leader bandit's head in a bloody manner.

"As thanks for saving his village, the carver made the two brothers their own Palismen. Ben received a Bull Palisman, Bill, while Bronze received the Boar, Hogarth." The tapestry showed two different Palismen, an onyx bull with yellow horns and the boar Palisman, being given to the brothers. "But unfortunately, Bronze eventually fell ill and passed away. Ben kept his Palisman in his honor and eventually passed it on to his son, who passed it on to me. And now I want to pass it on to you."

After finishing the story, she offered Boscha her Palisman. "Of course, you don't have to take him if you don't want to."

Boscha looked down at the boar Palisman and his big ol' eyes. She smiled a little and poked his nose. "I gotta admit, he is kinda cute." Hogarth transformed back into a staff as Boscha took him from her mother.. "I promise to take care of him."

"I trust you," Athena said as she gave her daughter a pat on the head. In response, Boscha embraced her mother in a hug.

"Thanks, mom," Boscha said as Athena hugged her back.

At the Brooke residence, Skara and her father were looking at a blue block of Palistrom wood that was laid out on the table. "Wow, I can't believe you actually got it!" she commented.

Slasher chuckled. "I said I would, didn't I?" he asked. "Now listen, I know you're excited. I was too when I was your age. But it takes time and patience to get your Palisman right. This is something you can't rush, sometimes carving a Palisman can take days or even weeks. It's just like painting a perfect picture."

"Ooh, I think I get it," Skara said. "But how do I know what to carve? Like, I don't know what it'll look if I-"

"It'll come to you," Slasher explained. "When you start working on the wood and you create a connection with it, you will find a shape. It helps to know what you want."

Skara nodded. "I mean, besides becoming a renowned bard and learning how to control my werewolf problem?" She looked at her Palistrom wood. "I… I guess I want to listen to my conscience more, like when I stood up to Boscha and her mom. I'm done being passive." She then turned to her father, embracing him in a hug. "Thanks for agreeing to help me out with this, dad."

"Of course, my little pup," Slasher responded as he hugged his daughter back. Once the hug had ended, he got out his wood carving tools. "Now let's get started."

It was night. Tom Lucitor was laying in the attic of the Hieron household, trying to get some shuteye when he heard someone tapping on the window. Tom opened his eyes and looked at the window, recognizing who was on the other side. "Boscha?" Tom walked over and opened the window, and saw her standing on a witch's staff.

"Get on, sleepyhead," Boscha told him. "We're going flying on my new staff."

"Isn't it late?" Tom asked as Boscha offered him a hand.

"Do you trust me or what?" Boscha asked him, the moon shining behind her as Tom looked up.

He smiled, grabbed her hand and hopped on her staff. "Alright, let's see how you drive this thing and if this will be the last thing I ever regret."

"His name's Hogarth," Boscha explained as the two of them started flying away from the house. Tom almost lost his balance but managed to hold onto Boscha with his arms around her waist. This caused the pink triclops girl to blush, but she shook her head and kept focused on flying her staff over the Boiling Isles. "Just hang tight, cause we're gonna see how fast this baby can go!"

Tom nodded while holding on, noticing something in the distance. "Hey, is that an airship?"

"Yeah," Boscha replied when she saw it as well. "I think it's from the Emperor's Coven, so we should leave it alone. But I wonder what it's doing out here…"

"Are you sure you're okay, Luz?" Camila asked her daughter back at the Owl House.

"I'll be fine, Mama," Luz, now in her pajamas, assured her. "I just need some sleep to forget about it, that's all."

"I'm sorry that you couldn't get your own pet or Palisman like the rest of your friends," Camila said. Though she still wasn't entirely sure on what a Palisman was, she knew that it was important to her daughter. "And I'm sorry that your girlfriend didn't get one either."

"I know, but we'll be fine, really," Luz said while embracing Camila. "Good night, Mama."

Camila nodded as she hugged back. "Good night to you too, mija."

Elsewhere in the Owl House, Eda was talking to Lilith and King.

"I'm worried for her," Eda told her sister. "Luz put on a strong face, but I could tell she was devastated. She has wanted a Palisman for as long as I can remember. I have never seen a Palisman react to her like that before…"

"So what should we do?" Lilith asked.

"Well, the alternative to adopting a Palisman is making a Palisman," Eda pointed out. "Which means getting Palistrom wood. Unfortunately, most of the Palistrom wood that is available these days is ridiculously expensive. Maybe that's something that the Brookes can afford, but not us."

"Ooh, the Bonesborough Gardening Club has some Palistrom wood!" King revealed. "Morton once mentioned seeing it there."

"That's great, King," Eda said. "Wait, Morton is in the Bonesborough Gardening Club?"

"Yeah," King confirmed. "You would know if you actually talked to him. I mean, you've been going to him for years now and have you ever once asked him about himself?"

"Uh…" Eda said awkwardly.

"Back to the subject at hand," Lilith interrupted. "Yes, the Bonesborough Gardening Club may have some Palistrom wood. But how are we going to convince them to…" She stopped herself when she realized something. "Wait, we're just going to steal it, aren't we?"

"Yup," Eda replied.

"Duh," King confirmed.

Lilith sighed. "Of course…"

"You know, with all this talk about Palismen, there has been something that I've been meaning to ask you," Eda said to her sister. "I heard that when new recruits join the Emperor's Coven, they get their Palismen taken away. How did you manage to keep yours?"

Lilith looked down at her Palisman, a white raven. She sighed. "I almost didn't…"

Years ago…

There was a commotion going in the Emperor's Castle, one that attracted the attention of the Golden Guard himself.

"What's going on here?" the Golden Guard asked.

"This newcomer refuses to give up her Palisman!" a scout explained as he struggled to wrestle a staff out of the hands of a young Lilith.

"The Golden Guard…" Lilith realized, quickly yanking her staff out of the scout's hands and kneeling in front of the Emperor's right-hand man. "Forgive me. I didn't mean to cause any trouble but-"

"It is routine for the Emperor's Coven to collect the palismen of new recruits," the Golden Guard interrupted. "It is by order of the Emperor himself."

"I know," Lilith admitted. "But I made mine with my father…"

The Golden Guard was silent for a moment, as if remembering something. "Your father… is Dell Clawthorne, correct?"

Lilith nodded. "Yes."

"I know your family's reputation," the Golden Guard confessed. "The Clawthorne clan are famous for carving Palismen and your father was one of the best carvers in your family. I was… sorry to hear what happened to him."

Lilith looked away, a hint of guilt in her eyes. "I'm sorry too…"

The Golden Guard fell silent again, trying to make his mind. "Can you keep your Palisman on your staff?"

Lilith, surprised by this, immediately nodded. "Of course!"

"Then you may keep it," the Golden Guard told her.

The coven scout who had tried to take Lilith's staff was shocked. "But sir, the Emperor-"

"I will speak to the Emperor myself on this matter," the Golden Guard cut the scout off. "I am sure he will agree to make an exception, considering the Palisman's significance." He started to turn away, but stopped. "What is its name, by the way?"

"Edgar," Lilith confirmed. "His name is Edgar."

The Golden Guard nodded and continued walking away. "Take good care of him."

Luz and Amity were shown asleep together, Amity's arms wrapped around Luz's back. But Luz was disturbed from her slumber by a chirping sound, causing her to wake up and see the red cardinal Palisman, which had hopped out of Luz's bag. "Oh, it's you. How did you get in here? Did you change your mind or something?" she whispered but the cardinal didn't respond, instead ignoring Luz.

"Of course not…" Luz muttered, carefully getting Amity's arms off of her. "Not going to interrupt your beauty sleep."

She wrote down a note, kissed Amity on the forehead, and placed the note on said forehead. Luz then snuck out through the window, the cardinal Palisman in her hands. "I'll be back." She spread her wings and started flying toward Hexside.

Amity could no longer feel Luz next to her "Luz?" she yawned before finding the note on her forehead. She took it and read it. "'Found a little rascal who stowed away, returning him to where he belongs, be back soon, heart Luz.'" She sighed, feeling that she knew where Luz went.

Luz flew over to Hexside. "Look, I want this to be quick. Just gonna drop you off and then head back." She saw the nest being protected by a force field. "One question, how am I gonna get you back in?"

The cardinal jumped out of Luz's hands and pressed his head through the force field, causing the barrier to vanish as the cardinal went inside. This made Luz worry.

"Okay, now I got another problem." Luz sighed, bringing out her glyph cards. "Now then, which ones to use to protect them?" Suddenly a large hook snared the nest, shocking Luz. "What the-!?" She looked up to see the Emperor's Coven airship as it pulled the nest off of the ground. "Hey!" she shouted as she flew up after the airship. She was not going to let the Emperor have them.

When she managed to land on the airship, she saw who was piloting it and snarled. "You."

"Huh-what?" The Golden Guard turned around to see Luz, shocking him. "You! You're not supposed to be here!"

"Same goes for you." Luz marched towards him, her claws popping out. "I'm going to enjoy shoving that mask down your throat."

The Golden Guard panicked as Luz charged at him, but he managed to hold up his staff and teleport behind her. "Look, we can't fight while we are in the air like this, you don't want those Palismen to get hurt, do you?"

"You're right, I'm not going to let them get hurt." Luz used her plant glyph card to tie up the steering wheel so that it would stay on course. "Cause I'm not going to allow you to hurt them, which means I'm going to hurt you instead." She tried to punch the Golden Guard, but he dodged the attack and used his staff to trap her in red chains.

"Well, I'm not going to hurt you, I'm just going to find somewhere safe to put you down at, and then I can complete my mission," the Golden Guard told her.

Luz glared at him. "Why not just kill me like you almost killed Lilith?"

The Golden Guard paused and underneath his mask Hunter felt a chill.

"That isn't necessary, what happened with your aunt was unfortunate but couldn't be helped-"

"It was attempted murder," Luz sneered at him. "You shot her in cold blood and left her for dead. Which makes you no better than that murderous Belos."

"The Emperor does what he has to in order to keep the rest of us alive!" the Golden Guard shouted. "He is not a murderer!" He then sighed. "Look, I-" Suddenly, they felt a tremble, causing the two to tumble to the floor.

On top of the airship was a dragon, its head shaped like conjoined hands together with eight thumb-legs on its slithering body, with large hands on its back resembling wings. It had yellow eyes and teeth in between the hand-mouth. It roared as it swung its arm tail, ripping the airship's balloon, causing it to start a rapid descent.

"AAAAH!" Luz and the Golden Guard screamed as the airship fell.

Down below, Amity was slinging her way from rooftop to rooftop with her Abomi-goo, following the airship. She saw the airship about to crash outside of Bonesborough.

"Luz!" Amity shouted.

"Ugh… my head…"

Hunter found himself in a golden forest. He looked around and noticed that he had lost his staff after the crash. And coming toward him was the hand dragon. "CRAP!" he shouted as the hand dragon's mouth tried to grab him. He saw his mask, but before he could get it the hand dragon snatched it up and ate it, much to Hunter's surprise. This gave him an idea to get the hand dragon off his back, especially since there was no time for him to make a glyph.

He quickly took off his cloak, golden chest armor, and golden pauldron, letting the hand dragon snack on his Golden Guard outfit while he ran off to find somewhere to hide while mentally planning his next move. 'First I need to find my staff. Then I need to find the nearest town and make contact with the Emperor's Coven.'

Luz rubbed her head. "Oh… Titan, where am I?" she asked, looking at her surroundings. "Where's the… the Palismen! Where are they?" She ran around looking for the nest, hoping they were alright. But then she stopped when she found the crab palisman… having broken its legs and claws after falling out of the nest. "Oh no…"

Luz was horrified and she worried for the safety of the other Palismen. But first she would have to fix this Palisman up. "Here, let me help you." But her body froze when she touched the crab Palisman. 'What? Why can't I move!?' She looked down at the crab Palisman… which suddenly seemed almost… appetizing…

DEVOUR!

A deep voice was heard in Luz's head and her eyes flashed green. 'What… what's happening to me!?'

DEVOUR!

Her hands turned into claws as it gripped the crab Palisman, which started to turn gray. The next thing Luz knew, the crab Palisman broke in two and its green essence went into her eyes.

'NO! What have I done!?'

DEVOUR!

It was out of her control. Luz couldn't believe what she has done. She dropped the pieces of the crab Palisman, her eyes changing back from green… to blue. She gasped and fell to her knees in front of the dead crab Palisman. Her hands were shaking as she threw her head back, cried out… and blacked out as her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

"How intriguing," said a voice.

Stepping forward was Kikimora, who had witnessed the whole thing. She was carrying the Golden Guard's staff. "I think the Emperor will want to know about this."

"Kikimora, ma'am," said a Guard Captain who wore a golden helmet with a blue plume. "We found the rest of the Palismen. They seem rattled but unharmed."

"Not this one," Kikimora said, looking at the broken crab Palisman. "But I think I found something even better. Captain, we are to return to the city and prepare the Palismen for travel. We will also take the Clawthorne girl with us, since this is an opportunity we can't pass up on."

"What about the Golden Guard, ma'am?" asked the Captain. "Is he-"

Kikimora nodded while holding the Golden Guards staff. "Alas, he has perished. Such a horrible accident." She shook his head. "Probably caused by the incompetent pilot. But to honor his memory, we shall complete his task for the Emperor and bring his staff back to the castle. It is the least we can do…"

The Captain nodded and turned to the other scouts with them. "Scouts! To Latissa!"

The Guard Captain and the Coven scouts left the scene, taking Luz with them. Once alone, Kikimora blew on a whistle, summoning the same dragon that caused the ship to crash. The dragon coughed up the Golden Guards mask and Kikimora petted the creature. "Excellent work, my pet."

Amity has made it to the forest, where she spotted the cardinal Palisman flying over her head.

"Hey, you're from the adoption nest," Amity recognized and he chirped at her. "Do you know where Luz is?" The cardinal flew off, leading the way. Amity ran after him, following the Palisman to the wrecked airship. She and the cardinal hid as they saw coven scouts placing the nest and Luz in a cart. "Oh no, I'm too late."

"Make sure she is secure, that Clawthorne girl is a fierce one!" Kikimora told them.

Amity hid behind the tree as she watched the cart taking Luz and the nest to Latissa. Once they were gone, Amity began following them but then she stepped on something. Looking down, she saw the husk of the crab Palisman. "What happened here?"

From his hiding spot, Hunter saw Amity following Kikimora and the other scouts. 'What is she doing here!?' he thought in a panic. "Great… first Luz and now Amity. I need to contact the Emperor."

"Please let me talk to the Emperor's Castle," Hunter begged two coven scouts in Latissa as he showed them his coven tattoo. "Look, I'll tell you my badge number if you just-"

"Heh, nice temporary tattoo, kid," said one scout. "I didn't know teens your age were still into them."

"And isn't it a little late for you to be outside?" one scout asked. "There have been too many incidents recently, so please go home or we'll have to call your parents."

Hunter grumbled as he walked away with a pout. 'What do I do now? I need to save Luz from Kikimora and make sure that Amity doesn't get herself killed while she is trying to save her. And I still need to retrieve those Palismen. For Titan's sake, how could a simple mission turn out like this?' He stopped when he saw Amity heading down an alleyway.

Amity was in front of Dr. Bride's clinic, looking at the sign on the door. "'Gone fishing.' Who fishes at this time of night!?"

"You will not be the end of me, you guppy!" Dr. Bride declared while wielding a harpoon against a large, flounder demon who held a broken bottle.

"Bring it on, wrench!" the fish man declared.

"AAAAH!" the two shouted as they jumped at each other.

Amity walked out of the alleyway, trying to figure out what to do. "Okay, just gotta find help elsewhere, right?" she spoke to the cardinal palisman that rested on her shoulder. "Can't believe I left my scroll at home…"

Looking around, Amity noticed some Glandus students hanging together and doing a 'Demon Wings Challenge' where they saw who could shoot the biggest flames from their mouth. Not wanting any trouble, Amity quickly walked away from them.

However, she was still spotted by two of the students.

"Hey, isn't that…?" Nina Fang asked.

"Don't bother with her," Tito Jackwitch told her. "We wouldn't want to make the same mistake that Bria did." He and Nina glanced at a 'Missing' poster with Bria on it.

As Amity continued to walk, she realized someone was following her. Leading her stalker around a corner, she waited until he came around and then grabbed him, slamming him against a wall while drawing out her abomi-knife. "Hyah!" She stopped herself from stabbing her stalker when she recognized his face. "Hunter!?" she cried out. "What are you doing here!?"

"I want to ask you the same thing," Hunter responded. "I almost didn't recognize you because of the hair. Why are you here in Latissa?!"

"Sorry, it's just… wait, why are you here?" Amity asked him.

"I was running an errand for my uncle, picking up some medicine for him," Hunter lied. "I know how to take care of myself here, but I was really worried when I saw you alone." The cardinal Palisman chirped. "Well, I guess not completely alone."

Amity sighed, putting away her knife. "It's good to see a familiar face around. As for why I'm here, Luz got caught by the coven scouts led by Kikimora. She was trying to rescue some Palismen that were stolen by the Emperor's Coven."

"They… stole Palismen?" Hunter asked, feigning ignorance.

"They were meant for Palisman Adoption Day at Hexside. But the strangest part is that Kikimora has the Golden Guard's staff," Amity noted. "I think something happened to him, not that he didn't have it coming. My guess is that Luz kicked his sorry ass. Do you have a scroll on you? I don't have mine."

Hunter shook his head. "No… sorry."

Amity sighed. "Well, I think you can still help me save Luz and the Palismen. You know how to use glyphs, right? Luz said she's shown you them."

"Yeah, I know how to use them," Hunter confirmed.

"Good," Amity responded. "Then we can't waste anymore time. Luz needs us."

Hunter nodded. "Alright, lead the way," he said as he followed her.

Camila was no longer in the Owl House. Instead, she found herself standing in the kitchen of a place that she hadn't seen in fourteen years: the house that she and her husband had bought in Connecticut.

"This can't be..." she said, noticing a framed picture next to the toaster. She saw herself, a baby Luz, and...

"Well, I'm off to work," said a voice behind her. Camila gasped, recognizing it in a moment. She spun around and saw a face that, like this house, she hadn't seen in a long time.

It was the face of her husband, a bearded Dominican man with brown eyes. He smiled at her and Camila felt herself tearing up immediately.

"I'll see you and Luz when I get back," the man promised before heading toward the entrance of the house.

"Wait!" Camila shouted, trying to chase after him. She couldn't let him go. Not again.

But as she followed him through the front door, she was no longer in Connecticut. Instead, she was in the front seat of her car driving down a Minnesota road at night. Baby Luz in the back seat.

And ahead of her, in the middle of the road, she saw a bright flash.

"NO!"

"NO!" Camila gasped, waking up from her nightmare. Unable to go back to sleep, she decided to get out of bed. She of course did not want to disturb her daughter while she was sleeping with her girlfriend, but she still needed to do something to get her mind off of the nightmare. "Okay, whenever your mami stresses out, what does she do? Clean."

She started going around the Owl House, cleaning out the vents. She was disgusted by what she found inside them. "When was the last time Eda cleaned the vents?" she asked, putting on some gloves and starting to pull stuff out of the vents, putting it in a trash bag.

"Hey uh, what'chu doing in my vents, Camila?" Hooty asked, stretching towards her.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't want to bother you Hooty," Camila replied. "I'm just trying to distract myself from a nightmare."

"I get that, I've had nightmares too, Camila," Hooty stated. "One time I dreamed that I was in a place called an animation studio, where I saw a bunch of stressed out slaves drawing and animating, and I saw this one guy on a microphone who sounded like me, but he also sounded like King. And he was with other people who sounded like Eda, Luz, Amity, Lulu… and then I may have met the creator of our universe, who was fighting against an evil corporation that kept screwing over its artists and employees."

"That is… quite the dream," Camila said while reaching her hand through the vent. "You know, these vents are much spacier than I thought."

Unknown to Camila, her hand had just phased through a part of the vent, causing her to reach beneath the walls. This caused her to grab something. She pulled it out to get a good look at it.

"Is this a… golden beetle?" she asked, holding up the Rusty Smidge.

Back in Latissa, the hand dragon landed in front of a coven station as Kikimora brought out the Palisman nest and the unconscious Luz. Amity and Hunter were both on top of a building across from where Kikimora, Luz and the coven scouts were.

"Alright, you got the plants I asked for?" Amity asked while Hunter brought out the plants.

"Yeah, the sleeping nettles," Hunter replied.

"Good, now we just need to combine a fire and ice spell to create a thick mist," Amity said as she drew the fire and ice glyphs.

"So with the sleeping nettles…" Hunter said.

"Combined with the magic mist, it will create-"

"A sleep-inducing smoke, which will force Kikimora to land when she tries to leave with Luz and the Palismen," Hunter realized. "Wow, Ed is right. You are smart."

Amity smiled. "Thanks, though I can't take all the credit. I wouldn't know about glyphs at all if it wasn't for Luz."

Hunter nodded. "So, your brother mentioned that you recently picked a new name. Goodfellow, right?"

"Yeah," Amity responded. "It just… felt right. I also recently got a tattoo." She showed him the tattoo on her shoulder. "I could tell that my godmother was not happy when she saw it, though she still tried to be supportive of my decision and I appreciate that. We're still… working on some things." She sighed and turned to Hunter. "So what about you? Luz mentioned that you live with your uncle."

Hunter leaned against a wall. "Well, my uncle Bob is a… reclusive man. He doesn't tend to get out much, he hates being around people. Which is why I never brought Luz or Ed over to his place. He has been like that ever since the death of his brother, though he still encouraged me to make friends and he approves of my relationship with your brother. And he is… constantly ill, so I have to take care of him and run all these errands. Because I owe it to him and he is the only family that I have left, since he took me in after the death of their parents. They died shortly after I was born, so I never actually knew them."

"Oh, I'm… sorry to hear that," Amity responded sympathetically. "What were their names?"

Hunter looked down, silent for a moment. "Their names were William and Vina," he answered truthfully. "My uncle says that he sees a lot of my parents in me and that he knows… that they would be proud of me if they could see me today, even if I was born without magic."

The red cardinal suddenly hopped off Amity's head and went over to Hunter, surprising him. "Gah! What… what is it doing?" Hunter asked.

"I'm pretty sure he is just trying to be friendly," Amity told him. "Are you okay? You look tense."

"I just… haven't been sleeping well recently," Hunter admitted. "But Palismen are also made of wild magic and my uncle is really paranoid about the stuff, he thinks that it is dangerous. He doesn't even know that I have been using Luz's glyphs…"

"Well, does he look dangerous?" Amity asked, indicating the Palisman. Before Hunter could answer, they both heard the sound of a whistle and wings flapping. The two turned and saw the hand dragon and Kikimora about to fly off with Luz and the nest. "Masks on," Amity said as the two put on their masks. "Once we activate the glyphs, it'll spread the mist around them. And as they head down, we will follow them."

"Follow them how?" Hunter asked as he saw Amity using the Abomination goo to cover her body.

"I saw this in one of Luz's comics once," Amity said as she wore a symbiote-like purple suit with purple glowing eyes. "Ready?"

Hunter nodded as he and Amity pressed the glyph on the wall, which trailed down to the sleeping nettles. Once they were connected, it spread out a magic mist that went up towards Kikimora and her hand dragon. Amity grabbed onto Hunter as she shot out a goo web from her suit and swung them off the building.

The mist was starting to get to Kikimora, who coughed and began to get drowsy. "What… what's with this mist?" she asked as her hand dragon was getting drowsy as well, starting to head toward the ground. "Stop!"

Kikimora's dragon crashed onto the ground and fell asleep. Kikimora herself was thrown off the saddle, landing on the ground. When Amity and Hunter got there, Amity took her suit off and ran over to Luz, using her goo to form a saw that she used to cut through her bonds. "Luz, Luz wake up!" she said to her girlfriend, who started to stir.

"Ugh… what…" Luz was starting to regain her senses.

"You were captured, but I saved you with some help from Hunter," Amity explained, gesturing to Hunter. But as Amity explained this, Lux remembered what had happened. After the crash… before she blacked out.

Kikimora groaned as she got up. Her vision was blurry, but she was able to see Luz and Amity. "You… I won't let… you interlopers escape…!" she declared. She tried to blast them, but she was still too drowsy as Luz walked up to her. "G-Get back, now-" Nut Kiki didn't finish and Luz kicked her face into the ground.

"YOU BITCH!" Luz shouted while repeatedly stomping Kikimora's body "You miserable little %*^$! You murderous-!" She kept kicking and kicking, not caring when Kikimora spat out blood.

"Luz, stop!" Amity pulled her back, holding onto her.

"Let me go! She deserves it!" Luz shouted, tears now running down her face.

"What did she do?" Amity asked, causing Luz to stop struggling. "Luz, what happened?"

Luz gulped. "I tried to stop him… the Golden Guard. But then she showed up with that dragon of hers… made us crash… one of the Palismen fell out of the nest… the crab Palisman broke…" Luz fell on her knees and Amity went down with her.

"I tried to fix her, Amity, I really did!" Luz admitted to her girlfriend. "But I… I… oh Titan, I think I killed her and drained her magic… I didn't want to, yet I couldn't stop myself…"

"Luz…" Amity was shocked, but she hugged Luz tightly. "It's going to be okay, Luz. It's not your fault." She started caressing Luz's hair.

"But it is my fault…" Luz whimpered.

Hunter wanted to comfort Luz as well, but then he saw the staff that Kikimora had taken. It was laying on the ground within reach. He hesitated, but a voice in his head encouraged him.

'Pick it up. Fulfill your mission. Your uncle is counting on you.'

As Hunter reached down and picked up the staff, Amity turned around and saw him. "Hunter, what are you-"

Hunter used his staff to summon chains, which wrapped around Amity and rendered her helpless. The cardinal chirped and flew over to Amity, pecking at the chains in an attempt to free her. But it did no good.

"What?" Luz asked in confusion, looking up at her friend. "Hunter… what are you doing!?"

"I'm sorry Luz, but I can't let you or Amity have those Palismen!" Hunter told her, shocking the two girls. "I'll be taking them instead."

"What!? Hunter… why?" Luz asked as she got to her feet.

Hunter sighed. The truth had to come out eventually and he knew that he could lie to them no longer. "I'm doing this because… I'm the Golden Guard," Hunter revealed.

Luz's eyes widened and she took a step back. "No… no, that's impossible! You can't be him… that would mean…"

"I'm sorry Luz, Amity, but it's going to be okay!" Hunter claimed.

"You… lied to me… you shot Lilith, used me as bait to capture my mom, almost had us killed!" Luz stated as her fist tightened.

"The last one wasn't meant to turn out that way but Luz, everything I've done is for your sake! For the Titan's will! Belos just wants what's best for the whole Isles, he's trying to save us!" Hunter claimed.

"You expect us to believe that!?" Luz questioned. "How can I trust anything you say? I thought we were friends!"

"We are, Luz!" Hunter told her. "Look, just turn yourself over and the Emperor can help you with your cambion form!"

"No, let Amity go right now and let us take the Palismen, they're innocent!" Luz demanded.

Hunter stepped back. "I… I can't do that! My uncle needs them!"

"Your uncle?" Luz asked before it all made sense. "Oh my Titan… your uncle is Belos!"

"Yes," Hunter confirmed. "But I really am trying to do you a favor. Like when I made sure that the Emperor's Coven left your friend Skara alone after her 'incident!' If it wasn't for me, she would have-"

At the mention of Skara, Luz's wings popped out as she changed into her cambion form.

"BASTARD!" Luz charged at Hunter, who panicked and activated his staff to teleport away.

Luz followed him, however, and kicked him in the side, causing him to crash into a golden sap rock.

Hunter got back up and saw Luz's fist about to collide with his face. He dodged it quickly as she punched the golden sap hard, shattering it. Luz turned to Hunter as she formed her wings like a drill, spinning towards him as he backed away, but then her claws extended and swiped at his side.

"Gah!" he winced in pain. He checked his side and saw that his shirt was torn with a scratch mark. Luckily the cut was not too deep. He teleported again to put some distance between him and Luz, shooting some red beams at her which she dodged. As Luz charged at him, Hunter used his staff to form a shield that Luz slashed at.

"Come on and fight, you coward!" Luz shouted at him, her voice sounding other worldly.

"I don't want to fight you!" Hunter told her.

"I don't believe you!" Luz cried out, swiping again. But Hunter managed to press the shield against her, eventually managing to pin Luz to the ground while she beat uselessly against the shield. "Get this off of me, you traitor!"

"I'm sorry Luz, but this is for your own good," Hunter told her, which pissed her off.

"For my own good?" Luz growled as her eyes glowed blue. "You do not run my life!" She pointed at him and created a spell circle, activating a light beam that managed to break the shield. Hunter and Amity were both shocked by this, as was Luz.

"Did you just… use magic?" Amity asked.

"What… what just happened…!?" Luz was panting as she noticed Hunter aiming his staff at her.

"Please… just surrender Luz." Hunter was sweating nervously, only for Luz to fly towards him. She kicked him, making him slide across the ground, with his staff up.

"You hurt the people that I love and yet you still expect me to trust you!?" Luz growled at him. "You don't care about me!" He shot several beams at her, but she dodged them while launching herself at him at great speed. "YOU WERE NEVER MY FRIEND!" she shouted with tears flowing from her eyes as she punched through the staff, breaking it to pieces.

There was a bright flash of red light that sent Hunter flying back, while the chains that Amity were wrapped in vanished. When Hunter saw the broken pieces of his staff, he panicked and tried to get up, but Luz grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him off the ground. "Luz… please… I'm sorry…" He saw her extend her claws as she prepared to angrily slash him.

"Luz, stop!" Amity grabbed her arm, stopping Luz. "Let him go, please… he's not worth it," she said, her voice calm despite the tears in her eyes. Luz took a deep breath and regained control of herself, letting go of Hunter and allowing him to fall on his butt.

Hunter fearfully started getting up, knowing that if it weren't for Amity, Luz could've… he didn't want to think what would've happened. But before he could say anything, Amity swung her hand at him.

SLAP!

Hunter felt his cheek, which stung from Amity's hand.

"That's for lying to my brother," she hissed at him before punching him in the stomach. "And that is for almost killing my godmother." Her voice sounded like it was ready to break as she turned to Luz. "Come on, Luz. Let's get the Palismen out of here."

Hunter winced as he held his stomach, kneeling down. "Luz… please… we're friends...?" he begged, tears streaming from his eyes.

"No, Hunter, we're not," Luz told him while Amity retrieved a whistle from Kikimora's unconscious body. They both climbed onto the hand dragon, the cardinal Palisman joining them, and Amity blew on the whistle, waking up the dragon. He took off with the Palisman nest and the girls flew off into the night, looking back one last time at Hunter.

Then they were gone, leaving a fallen and crying Hunter.

"Boscha! Come down, dear!"

Boscha heard Nicole's voice calling for her from downstairs. She opened her eyes, yawning until she noticed she was leaning on someone… Tom. They must have accidentally dozed off together after she took him on a ride.

"Eep!" Boscha jumped up, looking flustered as she readjusted herself. Tom started to wake up as well.

"Is that your mom ca-" Boscha shut him up with her hand to his mouth.

"Shh," Boscha told him. "Coming, mother!"

Soon she was downstairs, where she found her mother waiting for her in the living room. "Alright, what's up?" she asked, noticing a man on the couch with Nicole. Athena stood on the other side of the room, crossing her arms. "Who is this?"

"Well Boscha, this is someone that I have started talking to lately," Nicole explained. "He agreed with me that how Hexside has treated our family is totally unfair and since you are no longer getting as much out of Hexside anymore, he offered an opportunity that I think you would find most beneficial."

"What… what are you talking about?" Boscha asked as the man stood up. She had an awful feeling about this man, who appeared to have the Emperor's Coven symbol tattooed on his face

"I suggested to your mother that you should be transferred from Hexside to Glandus High," the man revealed, shocking Boscha. "I am close with the new principal and I have arranged it so that you could get in with very little trouble. Glandus is more than happy to have you and from what your mother has told me, it sounds like you would be more of a fit at Glandus than Hexside anyway. Especially since I am a Glandus alumnus myself."

"You could even play grudgby again," Nicole pointed out. "Doesn't that sound great?"

Boscha blinked, still in shock. "W-who are you, exactly?"

The man smiled and extended his hand. "Call me Craig."

At the grudgby field, Principal Bump was waiting for the arrival of the Bat Queen. The hand dragon was sleeping nearby as the Bat Queen returned for the Palismen.

"G-Good morning, Bat Queen," Bump said nervously. "Um, all of your Palismen are accounted for… except one."

"What do you mean?" the Bat Queen asked while looking over at the nest, counting the Palismen present. "Maya… where's Maya?"

It was morning when the two girls finally returned to the Owl House, looking defeated. A tired Luz almost fell, but Amity caught her.

"Come on, let's head inside," Amity told her. In the living room they found Camila. "Hey, Mrs. Noceda."

"Luz, Amity, you two were out?" Camila asked. She shook her head. "Never mind that, look what I found in the vent. I was wondering if you two know what it is."

Luz and Amity looked at the metallic insect. Amity's eyes widened. "That's… that's a Rusty Smidge."

"What is it doing here?" Luz asked her.

"Look." Amity pointed at the gemstone attached to it. "I've seen that gemstone before, Odalia used these for security purposes in the factory… Luz, I think-"

"Hunter bugged us," Luz growled as her fist tighten, "He fucking bugged us!" She grabbed the Rusty Smidge, glaring at it. "Are you listening to this? Hunter? Belos? So you've been spying on all of us this whole time!? You are all creeps for spying on minors, you know that?!" she told whoever was listening before she crushed the Rusty Smidge out of anger. She turned to Hooty. "Hooty, check to make sure there aren't any other bugs in the house."

"O-Okay, Luz," Hooty said, a bit surprised by her anger. It was then Eda, Lilith, and King came back.

"Hey, guess who's got a…" Eda announced before noticing how the two girls looked. "Hey, what happened to you two?" she asked in concern.

"What… what is that?" Luz asked, pointing at the Palistrom wood.

"Oh this? Well me, Lily and King decided to cheer you up by getting you some Palistrom wood," Eda said while. "All thanks to the Bonesborough Gardening Club."

"Which was robbed!" King shouted. "By us!"

"I can't believe that I got myself involved in one of your heists…" Lilith muttered, looking away.

Eda held up the wood to Luz. "Here, you can use this to carve out your own Palisman, I can help you-"

"No, nononono, keep it away from me!" Luz said, backing away. Eda looked shocked by her daughter's reaction.

"Luz, what… what happened?" Eda asked her daughter.

Amity patted Eda's arm. "Look, something happened while you were away..."

Soon the other residents of the Owl House were all brought up to speed. And it was an understatement to say that they were shocked by this news.

"You mean… all this time, Hunter…" King stammered.

"He was the Golden Guard!" Lilith shouted in disbelief. "I had no idea… and Belos… he's been playing with us the entire time."

"And Hunter has been to my parents' home," Amity realized. "What if he bugged them as well?"

"Don't worry, we'll give them a call," Eda promised. "Though if Belos was listening, that means…" She gasped. "Shit, he might know about Raine!"

The Owl House residents were silent for a moment as they wondered what was going to happen to Raine and the rest of them now. But the silence ended when they heard a loud knocking on the door. "WHERE IS SHE!?" cried the Bat Queen, who barged through and startled everyone. "Where is she!?"

"Hey, BQ, calm down!" Eda told the Bat Queen, trying to calm her down.

"Calm down!?" the Bat Queen shouted at her. "Do you know what your daughter did? Do you know what she did to Maya!?"

"She told us, and it wasn't her fault!" Eda claimed.

"Not her fault!" the Bat Queen shouted, turning to Luz. "You killed Maya! Whatever hopes you had of receiving a Palisman, you can forget them! You do not deserve one after what you've done!"

"Hey! That's uncalled for! What Luz did was an accident!" King shouted at her in defense.

"No, no she's right," Luz told him, walking up to pick up the Palistrom wood and carrying it over to the Bat Queen. "After what I did to Maya, I don't… I'm not ready to have a Palisman of my own. So here." She handed the Palistrom wood to the Bat Queen. "Give this to someone who deserves it more or whatever." She solemnly turned away. "I'll be in my room."

The Bat Queen took a deep breath, sighed and turned to Eda. "I don't know if Palisman Adoption Day should continue, not after it resulted in the death of one. But… we will talk about this later."

"Wait, isn't there something that Luz can-" Camila tried to say but Lilith stopped her, shaking her head.

"Alright, but please don't blame Luz for what happened to the Palisman. She feels just as bad about it," Eda told the Bat Queen.

"We'll see." Bat Queen said as she flew off with the Palistrom wood, tears in her eyes as she cried for Maya.

Luz was in her room, panting frantically as she rustled her own hair. Tired tears fell from her eyes as she remembered what happened to that poor Palisman. She knew that she couldn't trust herself around them anymore. She was too dangerous…

"Luz."

Luz turned and saw Amity in the doorway. Without hesitation, Amity went to embrace Luz and stop her from falling apart. "There, there. It's going to be okay,"

"No, no it isn't Ams," Luz said. "An innocent Palisman died because of me…"

"Kikimora was the one who trashed the airship and caused Maya to fall," Amity clarified, caressing Luz's hair. "What happened was an accident."

Luz sniffed. "I don't… I don't think I want to go to school today."

"I'll stay with you," Amity told her.

"But Ams-"

"You matter more to me," Amity told her, kissing Luz on her forehead.

Luz slumped down, Amity slumping down with her. Luz then broke down into tears and cried into Amity's shoulder, terrified of what she had become…

"Uncle!" Hunter cried out, having returned to the Emperor's Castle. "Uncle, please, I need you!"

"Hehehe, hahahaa…"

The sound of crying and laughter has reached Hunter's ears. Following it, Hunter entered the secret prison part of the castle. The sound of laughter and crying was coming from the cells. As Hunter passed by the cells, he saw a depressed looking Webstor.

"It's not me, kid," Webstor said, pointing to the cell next to him.

Hunter checked the next cell. In it was a diminutive, grayish-green bird-like creature of some sort. His head was round with some bumps and warts on it. His eyes were yellow and mad-looking, his dark gray beak containing sharp white fangs. He had a blue patch on top of his head, with a gray fringe of hair circling around it, and his body was skinny and bony. He was dressed in rags and he had grown a thick purplish-gray beard.

"Hehehe… ohooo, they killed them," he said to himself. "They killed everyone!"

"What are you talking about?" Hunter asked the bird-like creature, who hadn't noticed him until now.

"The reason I'm here," the bird-like creature said. "Because I saw them. Because I survived unlike so many others…" He let out another insane laugh/cry. "My parents, my siblings… Dennis. All gone, all gone. And now I am nothing, when I used to be someone. I used to be someone named…" He struggled to remember. "Ludo! Yes, my name used to be Ludo!"

"Something killed your family?" Hunter asked. "What?"

The bird-like creature just pointed to the walls of his cell, which were covered in scratch marks. Said scratch marks created an outline of something. And when Hunter saw what the outline resembled, his eyes widened.

"No…"

The outline was of a winged creature. The same creature from the vision that Belos had shown him. The same creature from his nightmare.

While Hunter was in shock, the prisoner formerly known as Ludo Avarius just sobbed for the loss of his family, his sanity, and his home of Mewni…