2. Chapter 41: Recovering

"This is Channel BBN-HXN News, starring Felicity Fox!"

The biped fox demon stood with her microphone in front of the damaged Conformatorium, which was in the process of being repaired. "We're here at the scene of yesterday's petrification ceremony, where Belos fought and defeated a Fae who had been terrorizing the Boiling Isles. Originally the execution of Eda the Owl Lady and her human henchman was supposed to take place, though said human used what we thought were going to be her final words to make a bold declaration."

"I'm… going to survive. To me you're all just scumbags who came to watch some kid get punished for her mother's crimes, which just shows just how corrupt the coven system is. Sure, I'm not innocent. But I didn't do anything to deserve petrification! And neither did my mom! The only difference between us and the rest of you is that we refused to submit to the rule of a tyrant! This whole coven system is all about control. The only reason that my mom is a criminal was because the Emperor's Coven forced her to, because she decided to be her own witch. And that's all that my mom ever wanted for me, to be able to create my own destiny and choose to become my own witch no matter what anyone else says! And that's why… I've decided I won't die today! I'm going to escape and though it may not happen today or tomorrow, I will get stronger… and KICK THAT BITCH-ASS EMPEROR'S ASS!"

"Quite understandably, the people of Bonesborough were shocked by this," Felicity reported. "And I've managed to get some reactions about what was witnessed."

"Well at first, I thought she was just some crazy human that the Owl Lady kept as a pet," said one random citizen. "I was definitely right about the crazy part though."

"I was aghast by such a display of disrespect toward the Emperor!" Nicole stated. "The Clawthorne family should pay for the crimes they committed against Belos!"

"Hey, aren't you that barf lady from Penstagram?" asked the camera demon.

"The what?" Nicole questioned, her eyes narrowing at the camera.

The footage cut to a guard named Larry, who looked uncomfortable. "I um… you know with the whole Emperor's will to be enforced and all… wait, am I supposed to say no comment?"

"Luz Clawthorne speaks the truth!" Tiny Nose exclaimed when the footage cut to her. "We must break our brainwashing and rise up against-"

"In a shocking turn of events, Lilith Clawthorne, now the former head of the Emperor's Coven, was also set to be executed in the petrification ceremony," Felicity narrated as a clip of Lilith and King being thrown in the cage with Eda was shown. "However, the ceremony was interrupted. Not just by rebels against the Emperor and a child-stealing Fae, but also by an Abomination summoned by none other than Amity Blight! Heir to the Blight fortune, a top student at Hexside, former team captain of the Banshees, and now a traitor to the Emperor's Coven for freeing the Clawthorne family! One wonders what the Blight Family has to say about such a betrayal against the throne."

Cut to Blight Manor, where Felicity Fox kept knocking the door. "Go away, you vulture!" Odalia's voice shouted from inside..

"I'm a fox, ma'am, not Vinny Vulture from Channel BBN-MGC, we just want a word from you about your daughter-"

"Get off of my property or our Abomination security system will make you!" Odalia called out and Felicity scoffed.

"Now what, Fern?" Felicity asks the camera demon.

"Well, why not the Owl Lady? We know where she lives."

"Perfect!" Felicity Fox declared.

Cut to the Owl House, where Felicity was speaking. "We're here at the home of the infamous Owl Lady, who has been pardoned for her crimes by the Emperor due to her magic being taken away by the Titan. Maybe she-"

"HOOT-HOOT INTRUDER ALERT!" Hooty declared as he engulfed the camera demon who screamed in terror, follow by Felicity Fox's shrieking as well.

Inside the Owl House, Eda, Lilith, King, and Amity were all sitting on the couch while Luz stood in front of a billboard.

"Okay, so to keep everyone up to date…" Luz pointed to a drawing of herself. "I'm a cambion." As she added bat wings to the drawing of herself, Lilith's eyes widened while King and Amity looked confused. "A cambion is what happens when a human is infused with magic, so because I have lived in the Boiling Isles my whole life and eaten its food I can turn into some kind of reptilian bat creature."

"A cambion… that does explain things," Lilith nodded as Luz drew Belos next.

"Oh, and you know what's even more shocking? Belos' reason for being interested in me was because he's a cambion as well!" Luz added, shocking Lilith, King and Amity.

"Wait, what!?" Amity exclaimed. "If Belos is a cambion… that would mean…"

"He was human," Eda confirmed. "When Belos had me and Luz as his prisoners, he revealed to us that he was once a human who was raised by witches here in the Boiling Isles."

"If Belos was once human…" Lilith said while tapping her chin. "Then he has been lying to everyone. Who knows how long he has really been here and what else he has covered up."

"And how Belos ended up in the Boiling Isles in the first place," King pointed out.

"All that is just speculation right now," Luz replied. "Now what else do I need to catch you guys up on? Oh yeah, I threw away the portal key while I was in the Forest of Fear."

"Wait, you were in the Forest of Fear!?" Amity asked in worry.

"Yeah, after I learned that mom wanted to send me and King to the human world so that I can be safe from Belos… I snagged the key and ran out. I wasn't thinking about where I was going at the moment and I didn't realize that I had ended up in the Forest of Fear, where in anger I threw the key away," Luz explained. "As you already know I then found out Lilith was the one who cursed Eda, before she got shot by the Golden Guard and was left for dead… and so on. Now Belos has the portal door, but without the key he can't access the human world. But neither can I, which means that I won't be able to see Dipper… or Stan, or Wendy or Soos… or even Mabel."

"It is to take in a lot," Amity admitted.

"Yeah, yesterday was… eventful," Eda replied, attempting to draw a spell circle and watching it break down. "And because of it, my magic isn't working like it used to."

"I am having trouble with my magic as well," Lilith stated as she also tried to draw a spell circle. Like Eda's, it also broke down. "I guess I am finally getting what I deserve for cursing you after all these years, Edalyn."

Eda pat Lilith's back, reassuring her "Hey, don't think like that. We're both alive and that matters more than any curse." This made Lilith smile slightly, though that smile quickly vanished when she looked back at Luz and remembered what she did to her niece…

"So do we tell everyone about this?" Amity asked, snapping Lilith out of her thoughts. "About how Belos used to be human?"

"No, I don't think that's wise," Lilith stated.

"Yeah, I'm with Lily on that," Eda added. "I mean, we're already outlaws and after what happened yesterday, who'd believe us if we go around telling every witch and demon 'Hey, how do you do? Guess what, Belos was a human!' And you know what would happen? Bang! Shot dead, every one of us."

"Yeah, I think this is one secret that we need to keep to ourselves for the moment," Luz agreed. "I mean, we don't need to give Belos a reason to come after us right now."

"Yeah, that does sound smart," Amity said while looking down, her fist tightening. "Even if I am pissed off by what he put you guys through… and what he did to Puck…"

"Ams, Ams relax." Luz placed her hand over Amity's, making the mint-haired girl look at her in the eyes. "I miss Puck too, but we can't play into his hands. He will get what's coming to him and Puck will have his justice. Just not today." Amity felt Luz's hand shaking, which concerned her.

Before Amity could respond, the crystal ball on the table started ringing. The caller ID showed a picture of Odalia, which made everyone exchange nervous looks.

"Oh crud, your mom's calling…" Luz said. "How did she get our number?"

"Mom's in the Oracle Coven, they probably know everyone's numbers," Amity replied, feeling a pit in her stomach.

Eda groaned. "Well we can't avoid this conversation with your mother forever," she told them as she tapped on the crystal ball. "Hey Oodie-Rudy, how's-"

"WHERE'S AMITY, EDA!?" Odalia shouted through the crystal ball, startling Eda. "Where is my Mittens, tell me she's alright!?"

"Sh-she's fine, Odalia, calm down," Eda said. "She spent the night here, but she's safe. Hey Amity, say hi to your mom." Eda held up the crystal ball to show Amity, who looked away nervously.

"Well… I'm glad that she's with you, Edalyn," Odalia said as she calmed down slightly. "Your home is probably the safest place that she can be right now."

This surprised the Owl Lady. "Really?" Eda asked.

Odalia sighed. "I don't think that it is safe for her to come home right now. There is too much pressure. I prefer for her to be with someone that I can trust and I never thought I would say this… but you're the most responsible adult that I can rely on right now." She wasn't pleased to see Lilith out of the corner of her eye, but didn't say anything about it. "Especially since you helped her out before, after the incident with the memory photos. I don't like this, but it will have to do for now until this whole thing blows over or I am able to work something else out. Can I speak with her?"

"Sure, hey Amity, your mom wants to talk to you!" Eda announced, but Amity didn't acknowledge her. "Amity? C'mon, don't leave me hanging."

Amity sighed and Luz looked at her sympathetically as she walked over to the crystal ball and picked it up. "Hey, momm…"

"Mittens, I'm glad that you're alright," Odalia said, not sounding as angry as Amity thought she'd be. "I was so worried for you when I saw you up there at the Confornatorium. Things are too exciting right now and I am afraid that Kikimora herself would visit again if you come back now. I hate to think what she would do to you, so despite my better judgment I want you to remain with Edalyn until the situation changes. Belos has said that he doesn't want anyone to seek retribution against the Clawthornes, which means that I am hoping that if they're off-limits then you're also off-limits as long as you're with them. For the moment, at least. I want you back home with us as soon as possible and I will try to use my connections to make your case, but we have to give it time. Your actions put us in a difficult spot, Mittens."

Amity just nodded. "I understand, mom."

"Hey, is Mittens there?" Emira's face popped up in the background.

"Hey Amity, are you alright? You're not dead, are you?" Edric asked as he popped up as well.

"Guys, I'm fine," Amity responded as she saw her father pop up too. "Hey dad…"

"Amity," Alador said to her. "I just wanted to see how you were holding up."

"I'm okay, Luz and her family are keeping me safe," Amity answered.

"That's good, we'll try to find a way to send some of your stuff over," Alador told her.

"But not directly since we're being hounded by reporters and we are under surveillance by the Emperor's Coven for suspected treason against the throne," Emira replied, glancing out the window at an ice cream carriage just outside the walls of Blight Manor. It was being used by coven guards to keep an eye on the Blight family.

"You know, because we're related to a known fugitive," Edric pointed out.

"I'm not really a fugitive… right?" Amity asked as she turned to Lilith.

"Well, Amity is still a minor, meaning she's not old enough to be declared a wild witch," Lilith tried to reassure.

"I mean they did go after Luz, but it was for a totally-neh!" King got flicked by Luz, her way of telling him that he was not being helpful.

Amity spoke to her family. "I just want to say… I'm sorry that I got you all worried sick, and I'm sorry for putting you guys in a complicated position. I just… couldn't stand to see Luz and her family be treated unfairly after what they've done for me."

Odalia was silent for a moment before sighing. "Well, I won't lie and say that I am not mad at all by what you did. But there will be a time for me to be angry later. Right now I am more concerned about your safety and about you being around… certain people." She shot a quick glare at Lilith. "However, I trust Edalyn to keep those certain people on a tight leash. Just focus on your well-being while I deal with this mess and the Emperor's Coven. Once that has been dealt with, then we can have a nice long talk about what you did and why. That conversation will happen eventually though. I'll talk to you more when I can, Mittens. Be careful."

"I will, mom. Bye guys," Amity replied before the call ended. She sighed in relief. "Well, that wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Though I imagine the worse will come later."

Lilith nodded. "I can't blame her for her contempt for me, after what I did."

Amity couldn't blame her mother either, since she wasn't over what Lilith had done either. She didn't say that though and instead worried for her family, hoping that they wouldn't have to pay for her choices and her actions…

"Amity is going to be okay, right?" Emira asked her mother back at Blight Manor.

"Yes, I think she will, even if I wish Lilith was farther away from her," Odalia said sternly and worriedly. "However, I trust that both Mittens and Edalyn will know better than to-" There was a knock at the door, much to her frustration. "Now what do these vultures want!?" she shouted as she went to the door and opened it. "I keep telling you reporters to get off of my proper-" The matriarch paused when she saw who was on her doorstep.

"Um… hi," Hunter spoke nervously.

"Hunter, you're here?" Edric asked in surprise. His mother looked at him, expecting an explanation. "Uh, mom, this is Hunter, my boyfriend," he tried to explain, but Odalia interrupted him with a stress-filled sigh.

"Yes, hello, nice to meet you. Emira, prepare my tea," Odalia said while walking off.

Emira stared at her twin brother and Hunter in shock. "Wait… so you're…!?"

"My boyfriend!" Edric states proudly, patting Hunter's back.

"Hey," Hunter greeted, lifting his hand up. "Ed has told me a lot about you."

"I bet he does," Emira replied, shaking his hand. "Honestly, I didn't think you were even real. So how long have you two been dating?"

"Since last semester," Edric explained. "Remember when Mittens tattled on us and I had to fight the school leftovers while you cleaned the Beast Keeping pens? We met that same day."

"Huh," Emira responded, still in shock over learning that Edric really had a boyfriend. "Well, I'll go ahead and warm up the tea." She walked away, leaving the two alone with Alador.

"It is nice meeting you, Mr…" Alador greeted. "Hmm, I don't think Edric ever said what your name was."

"Oh, it's Hunter," he introduced himself. "Hunter Robinwitch."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Robinwitch," Alador replied while shaking Hunter's hand. "Snacks are in the pantry if you get hungry."

"Uh, thanks," Hunter responded. "And it is good to meet you, sir."

Edric took his boyfriend's hand. "I should probably go show him the pantry right now," he said as he started to lead Hunter away so they could have some privacy. Once they were alone, the two shared a quick kiss.

"Don't get me wrong, I am really glad to see you right now," Edric admitted. "But why introduce yourself to my family now? And without telling me beforehand?"

"I… I heard about what happened with your sister," Hunter answered. "I wanted to see how you were holding up, I wasn't busy, and… I wanted to make up for Grom. Wasn't it nice though to see the shock on your sister's face?"

Edric chuckled. "Yeah, that was great. Honestly, you did dodge a curse by introducing yourself now while my mom is too stressed to think clearly since that means she's giving you a pass. At least for the moment."

"Yeah," Hunter nodded while stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Hey, do you know where the restroom is?"

Back at the Owl House, Eda had answered another call. This one was from the school.

"Yes, things were very hectic yesterday," Principal Bump said to Eda, Luz and Amity. Julia Traveler was seen with him. "But after talking it over, me and Julia agreed that we still want you at Hexside. First we thought we should give you some time off, like a week for us to get things sorted out here, for you both to recuperate, and for the excitement to die down a little before Hexside is ready to welcome you two back. But we will do everything we can to make sure that you remain students at this institution."

"We apologize for how things got out of hand," Julia told them. "If we knew what Nicole was plotting with her daughter, we wouldn't have allowed it to happen. But I promise you, there will be consequences. Not just for Boscha, but her mother as well."

"Hey, it's no big deal," Luz assured them. "We don't hold it against you guys."

"Yeah, it's not your fault what Boscha did was really uncalled for," Amity told them.

"Still, it shouldn't have happened in the first place," Julia admitted. "However, I will make sure that something like what happened yesterday never happens again."

"Indeed," Bump agreed. "We'll be seeing you two back at Hexside when you're ready. Until then, we'll have your homework sent out to you so that you won't fall behind in your classes. And stay safe in the meantime."

Luz nodded. "Understood," she said before the call ended. She sighed heavily and laid back on the couch. "Well, at least we got some days off of school. I was definitely not ready to go back there."

"Yeah," Amity replied, looking down. "I… never thought I would get a whole week off from school. Heh, there goes my perfect attendance."

Despite the joke, Luz could see that Amity was worried. "It won't be so bad," she said, trying to reassure Amity.

"I hope not…" Amity said in a low voice.

In his office, Principal Bump sighed. "This is going to be a long week," he noted, thinking about all the work that he would need to do before Amity and Luz could come back. But they were still his students and he was not going to abandon them.

"Yes, it will," Julia agreed with a stern look. "I'm going out for a tick,"

"Out? Where are you going so suddenly?" Bump asked her.

"Let's just say that I need to have a word to a certain, pompous braggart," she said as she left the office.

Outside of the Boiling Isles, an anthropomorphic moose-like creature with light lime-green fur and a security guard uniform sat behind a lobby desk.

"Good morning, Ms. Kitsuni," he greeted when he saw a golden fox woman coming in for work.

"Sean," Kitsuni greeted back with a nod.

"Would you care for a free muffin?" Sean asked.

"No thank you," Kitsuni answered as she headed toward an elevator and got in.

"Kitsuni," a voice behind Kitsuni said once the elevator doors had closed. The fox woman jumped, startled, and turned around to see Julia behind her.

"M-mary!" Kitsuni said in shock. "W-what are you doing here?"

"I am here to see Oberon," Julia told her. "I need to have a word with him about his step-son. And I need to have a word with you as well… about Anu Bist."

Back in the Owl House, Lilith was having a private chat with Steve using her handheld mirror.

"Madame Lilith! Glad that you're alright, ma'am!" Steve spoke to her.

"Steve, what are you doing reaching out to me through this line?" Lilith asked in a whisper.

"I was so worried about you, especially since I kept hearing rumors about you being eaten by the Owl Lady," Steve told her. "Though I think you're probably fired."

"Yes, I assumed that," Lilith responded dryly.

"But anyway, I want you to know that I got your back, Lilith. I may work for the Emperor's Coven, but I can still use my position to keep you informed about what is going on here. Like what Emperor Belos planning and all-"

"Steve, listen," Lilith told him. "It's best if you don't have anything to do with me, so I don't want you calling me again."

Steve, underneath his mask, was shocked. "W-What? Lilith, I-"

"This is for your own safety," Lilith told him. "I appreciated what you've done for me and what you're trying to do for me right now. But I don't want you getting into trouble for my sake, especially since I hate to imagine what they would do to you if they found out you were still helping me or still in touch with me. So forget about me. Don't give them any reason to doubt your loyalty. You are a true and loyal friend, Steve. Thank you… and goodbye."

Steve's voice was shaking. "But… but Lilith, I-"

"I am not your superior anymore, so there's no reason for you to call me," Lilith told him. She sighed. "Have a good life." She then hung up.

"What was that?" asked Eda, startling Lilith. "A break-up call or something?"

Lilith turned to her sister. "That was Steve, someone from the Emperor's Coven. You might remember him from when we were both after the fake Bloom of Eternal Youth. He's been a big help to me and I know that I can trust him, but I don't want him to get hurt so I am cutting off my ties from him. I just hope that he will be alright without me…"

"Honestly, I bet without you the Emperor's Coven is totally lost right now," Eda said with a snorted laughter, but then she notices Lilith's look. "Are you okay, though?"

"I'm fine, Eda. Just still adjusting," she said while patting her stomach, where she was shot.

Outside of the Owl House, Hooty was monitoring for any more trespassers. He spotted an approaching group and he got ready to attack. "HISSS!" he said before stopping himself when he recognized the group. "Oh, it's you guys!"

"Hooty, is Luz here?" asked Willow. With her was Gus, Skara, and Bo, the latter two looking frightened by Hooty.

"Oh yeah, everyone's here," Hooty said while stretching back to the house and going through the window. "Hoot-Hoot! Willow and company are here!"

As the group made it to the entrance of the Owl House, Luz opened the door and saw them. "Hey, guys, what's-" Luz was quickly interrupted as her best friends embraced her in a hug.

"LUZ!" Willow and Gus both cried out. "We're so glad that you're okay!"

"We were so worried about you yesterday!" Gus said while in tears.

Luz hugged them back. "Sorry for worrying you guys."

"It's fine, Luz, we're just glad that you're alright," Willow replied, before she and Gus noticed Amity standing in the front doorway.

"Um… hey guys…" Amity said with an awkward wave.

"Amity, you're here!" Willow said happily, letting Luz go and going to hug the Blight girl. Skara came in and did the same.

"Oh girl, you had us worried!" Skara said as she hugged Amity.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Amity replied before noticing Bo. "Oh Bo, you're here too!"

"Well, I wanted to see how you and Luz were doing after yesterday as well," Bo told her.

"But… why is she here?" Gus asked with a mutter, looking at Amity.

Luz noticed his contempt, so she tried to explain. "Well… Amity needs a place to stay right now so we took her in, along with Lilith. Their situation is difficult after they saved me and mom from petrification."

"And I helped!" King stated while popping up.

"Yes King, you did help," Luz said as she noticed a griffin landing in front of the Owl House. "Hey, Viney and the rest of the ex-Detention crew are here."

She went to greet the trio of Barcus, Jerbo, and Viney. "Come in guys," Luz invited them in.

"My mom made scorn bread to bring after she heard about the events of yesterday when we got back," Jerbo said, holding up a tray of bread with eyeballs. "Though I could still use some filling in about what happened."

"Arf(Like what happened after you ran out of school)?" Barcus asked.

"Right, but I don't want to have to repeat myself so… is anyone else coming over?" Luz asked as she looked around and saw her friends shaking their heads. "No? Alright, good. Let's do this."

One quick explanation from Luz and her billboard later...

"So… you guys haven't seen Anu Bist since yesterday?" Viney asked them.

"Last I saw him was when he stayed behind to fight Belos so I could rescue Luz and her family," Amity recapped. "I didn't see him get killed, so hopefully he is still alive. However, we don't know if he was captured or he managed to escape…"

"I wish we knew for sure, but right now I just don't want to fear the worst," Luz said, not wanting to accept that Anu Bist could be dead as well… just like Puck. She looked down at her own arm and saw a few scales popping up.

"Whoa, so are these your scales, Luz?" Bo asked, looking at the scales in awe.

"Yeah, I am still getting used to them," Luz replied, trying to cover the scales up with her sleeve.

"This is all a lot to process… like, Luz is becoming a… cambion, and Amity is now a wild witch… and you guys are living with… the former head of the Emperor's Coven?" Skara asked, pointing at Lilith who was standing nearby with a cup of brew. Lilith just shrugged.

"Yeah, but we're managing," Luz answered.

After Luz finished her explanation, Amity turned to Skara. "So where's Cat and Amelia? I'm surprised that they didn't come over with you."

Skara frowned, looking down. "Actually, their parents forbade them from seeing you after what happened yesterday. They don't want their daughters to have anything to do with you anymore."

"Oh… I see," Amity said. "I shouldn't be surprised. I am a traitor, after all. So… how are you holding up?"

"Fine, but how I am holding up doesn't really matter right now," Skara told her. "I was not the one up there rescuing Luz and her family for all of the Boiling Isles to see. My folks at least understood and they're sympathetic, so when I get back home I'll tell them that you are okay. You are okay, right?"

Amity nodded. "I am. At least, I think I will be. Mostly." She sighed. "I don't know, everything is just… complicated at the moment."

Skara looked down at the floor. "By the way, after what happened yesterday I'm done with Boscha for good."

This shocked Amity. "Really? Wow. You two have been friends longer than I have."

"I know, and I thought that there was still a chance for us, but Boscha crossed the line too many times," Skara explained. "I've put up with her for years, always hoping that she would eventually mature. But I have my limits. Boscha shouldn't have done those things to you and Luz, so I let her have a piece of my mind and made it clear that we were through. It was the right decision."

Amity patted Skara on the back. "Skara, you're a good friend. Better than Boscha deserved… and better than I deserve."

"All I can do right now is move forward," Skara told Amity. "And choose to hang out with the people that I think make me a better witch. Boscha wasn't one of those people. But Bo, Willow, Amelia, Cat… and even you are. I would say that it looks like you're moving forward as well. That's why you and Luz have made up, right?"

Amity looked away awkwardly. "Well…"

Meanwhile, Luz was letting Viney check her scales. "Well, I can say that I'm no expert in cambions, but you could ask the Beast Keeping professor about what he knows."

"I'll be sure to stop by," Luz said before turning to Willow. "Hey Wills, got a sec?"

"Um, sure Luz," Willow replied as Viney excused herself to leave the two alone. "Do you need anything?"

"Actually, I wanted to ask how are you doing," Luz told her.

"Oh, I'm doing okay, why do you ask?" Willow said.

"Well, lately I've been so focused on my own problems and Amity that I didn't pay as much attention to those around me," Luz admitted, feeling guilty. "I neglected you and I'm sorry."

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Willow told her. "You had a lot on your mind at the time and I didn't mind, since I had my own things going on."

"Yeah, you did," Luz acknowledged. Her voice became a whisper. "Like whatever is happening between you and Skara lately." Willow's eyes widened and her face blushed. "I probably should have caught on earlier, but I have been thinking about how you two have been spending a lot of time together and I'm right aren't I?"

"M-maybe," Willow whispered, looking embarrassed. "I-I mean, I think I've picked up a few signals but I'm not sure if I want to rush into anything just yet."

"Understandable, but if you ask me there's no way Skara would say no to your bicep game," Luz encouraged. "But seriously, if you like her and you think that she likes you then go for it."

"Thanks, Luz," Willow replied, smiling.

"Anytime," Luz told her. She then spotted Gus by the pile of junk in the corner of the living room, eating the scorn bread that Jerbo had brought. She knew that they had to talk, so she walked over to him. "Hey, G-Man."

"Hey," Gus responded while eating the scorn bread.

"How are you holding up?" Luz asked him.

"I'm just… well… upset," Gus said while avoiding eye contact.

"I can see that," Luz told him. "Want to talk about it, bud?"

"I don't know if you'll understand," he said.

Luz patted his shoulder. "Gus, about what happened yesterday with Boscha's stunt… I did not want you to learn about the darker side of humans that way." Gus looked up at her as she continued. "I tried to hide that from you and I'm sorry. Humans have a history of prosecuting who they believe are witches, but most of the time those people weren't real witches. They were humans who were just… different, who didn't fit the social norm. Humans are often awful toward each other whether it is because of their skin color, their gender, their religion, their sexuality, or whatever. The reason I never told you about it is because I didn't want to ruin your interest in humans and… I didn't want you to be afraid of me."

"Afraid? Luz, I would never be afraid of you," Gus told her. "I understand why you didn't tell… and wow, humans really do have their issues…"

"Yeah, it's as ridiculous as it sounds," Luz agreed. "I hope that what happened yesterday didn't affect anything with the Human Appreciation Society."

"Well… Elliot quit and Cat was forced to drop out by her folks who made her join the Surgery Club instead, even though she's squeamish about seeing organs up front," Gus explained.

"Oh… sorry to hear that," Luz told him.

"It is unfortunate, but if I'm going to be honest… it's not what I'm upset about." Gus said while turning away.

"Then… what are you mad about?" she asked.

Gus sighed. "It's just… how can you forgive Amity after yesterday?" he asked, shocking Luz. "How can you let her back into your life after she was spying on you and your family for Lilith behind your back?"

"Well, it was a complicated situation," Luz responded. "And it wasn't easy to accept. But after I had time to think about it and more importantly after Amity sacrificed so much to save me, I decided that I didn't want to hold a grudge. I was upset, but it was better for both of us to try and move past it."

"Move past it?" Gus scoffed. "Amity was your girlfriend and she betrayed your trust, she hurt you just like how she hurt Willow!"

"Willow forgave Amity," Luz pointed out. "I mean, what do you want me to do, Gus? I can't just leave her at the mercy of the Emperor's Coven, she helped save us."

"It still doesn't change the fact that she hurt you, how can you be sure she won't hurt you again?!" Gus questioned. Everyone else could hear their argument now and Willow stepped in.

"Now Gus, I know you're upset, but Amity is just as much of a victim," Willow told him.

"How can you of all people defend her?" Gus asked. "You two might forgive her, but I can't. I can't just forget what Amity has done or the pain she caused. S-She's still a Blight, what's gonna happen once she no longer needs Luz to protect her and she can go back to her old life? She's going to abandon Luz, just like she abandoned Willow!"

"Gus!" Willow chastised.

"Dude, that is uncalled for," Luz told him, but Gus scoffed. She tried to reach out to him, but he pushed her away.

"Luz, you're one of my best friends, and I want to support you," he said as he headed for the front door. "But I can't support this. I'll talk to you later." He then left the Owl House.

Amity, having overheard everything, looked down in shame which Lilith noticed while Willow patted Luz's back,

"Are you alright, Luz?" Willow asked her best friend.

"Not really…" Luz sighed. "But I'm gonna give Gus some space until he cools off. This spitefulness is so unlike him…"

"This is my fault," Amity said, feeling guilty.

"No, don't blame yourself, Amity," Lilith told her. "I am the adult. I made you my spy. I made you take that oath. I didn't tell you that the oath had been lifted. It was my fault."

Amity nodded, not looking at Lilith. "Yeah… you're right. It is your fault."

Lilith sighed and looked around, noticing that someone was not present. "Uh, where is Eda?"

"I think she is checking up on some messages," King answered.

"Hello Eda, this is Kalek from the homunculus fights, yeah since you can't use your magic anymore we're going to have to merge with the Cockatrice Fighting Federation."

Delete.

"Hey Eda, this is Rick Sanchez. Saw you on the news yesterday and I just want to say that-"

Delete.

"Eda, this is Mr. Mange, telling you that since the elves know you don't have magic anymore, they plan to leave to make toys for the big red man himself… Satan. Now they'll be getting a wage of six candy canes rather than your usual five, plus a 4K retirement plan."

Delete.

"Dammit," Eda muttered, going through every message on her crystal ball. "Word travels fast. I can't believe I lost to that horned bastard. Who else called?" She tapped on the crystal ball.

"Edalyn!" said an elderly woman's voice. Eda recognized the voice and she grunted. "This is your mother speaking. I just learned what happened and I want to know if you're alright? That Emperor's Coven, I'm going to write a strongly-worded letter to them about this. But don't you worry, I'm still going to work on getting you that cure-"

Delete.

"I wasn't the only one in trouble, Gwendolyn," Eda muttered in annoyance. She pinched the bridge of her nose, looking down at a notepad with the names of all the businesses she had written on it. Many of the names were crossed out. "I've run this monopoly for years… what am I going to do? No magic, no portal… not to mention that I have two more people to take care of now. There has to be a way for us to make it." She looked at herself in the mirror. "Right?"

"Here are the things that Emira wanted us to give you," Skara said as she and Bo held up duffel bags full of clothing and other items. "Though we could always go back for more if you want."

"Thanks, I appreciate this," Amity said as she dug through her things, pulling out her Azura books and her copy of Peter Pan. The latter gave Amity pause as she stared at the illustration on the cover, reminding her of Puck.

"Amity, are you okay?" Bo asked in concern, noticing that Amity's hands were shaking.

"I'm… fine," Amity responded, though the image of Puck's death was still fresh in her mind. Her hands gripped the book tightly.

"You must be still pretty shaken up from yesterday," Bo realized. "If you want, my folks told me that they are okay with you staying at my place."

"Thanks for the offer, but I don't want to get your family into trouble for harboring me," Amity replied.

"Are you sure? I mean… the arrangement you have here is…" Skara wasn't sure what to say at the moment.

"What? Why do you guys think it's weird?" Amity asked her.

"Well…" Skara started to say but Jerbo spoke up.

"I think she means that it's pretty awkward that you're staying at your ex-girlfriend's house… unless you two are official again-ow!" Jerbo got nudged by Viney.

Amity and Luz considered this and realized that they haven't clarified their relationship status. The two looked at each other, and then looked down awkwardly.

"Well, we decided that no matter what we were going to have each other's back," Luz answered. "And we wanted to move forward, past all of the crazy drama from yesterday."

"As for whether we are back together or not…" Amity started to say.

"We… don't know…" Luz admitted. "I mean, me and Ams still care about each other, but we're not sure what we are right now."

"It may sound strange to you guys, but… are there rules to these things?" Amity asked and Luz nodded in agreement. "However things turn out, we just hope it'll be for the better."

Some time later, after more talking amongst themselves and eating the scorn bread that Jerbo had brought, Lilith noticed that Barcus was staring at her.

"What?" Lilith asked as Jerbo walked over.

"Sorry, Barcus was just reading your aura," Jerbo apologized. "We can't believe that the former head of the Emperor's Coven is here."

"Yes, well a lot of things have changed recently," Lilith replied as she heard Barcus bark,

"Barcus says that he can sense that you're in the in-between." Jerbo translated.

"What does that even mean?" Lilith questioned.

"Well it's an old Oracle Coven term that means you have a purple and black aura around you that signifies you are in between life and death. Barcus also has a very sensitive nose and he says that you smell like cigars and rum."

Lilith was confused by this… and slightly concerned.

Eventually the others decided to leave. Viney offered to give Willow, Bo and Skara a ride, but the three decided to walk together instead.

"Thanks for the visit, guys!" Luz waved at them as she saw them out.

"We look forward to seeing you back in Hexside!" Viney shouted back with a wave.

"Don't worry about homework. Me, Skara, and Jerbo will make sure to get it for you," Willow assured her friends. "And make sure that Luz doesn't fall behind on her Boiling Isles History, Amity."

"Oh come on, I don't have that much trouble," Luz mumbled. "And hey, take care, Willow. And um… keep an eye on Gus for me."

"I will," Willow promised before looking at Amity. "What about you?"

"I think I've got everything I need here," Amity told her. "But thank you for being here, all of you."

"Anytime, Amity," Skara replied. "We'll see you two around."

After their friends left, Hooty chimed in. "It is so nice that your friends came to visit you! Say, you think Pucky could be coming to visit as well?"

Luz realized she still hadn't told Hooty about Puck. "Hooty…" she spoke to the house guardian, wanting to get this over with. "Puck's not coming back."

"What do you mean?" Hooty asked. "He went to rescue you and-"

"He's dead, Hooty," Luz revealed, shocking the bug demon. "He helped buy Amity time so she could save us… and he was killed by Belos."

"I… not Pucky he…" Hooty said before he started to cry. Luz hugged him, knowing that they couldn't bring Puck back… but there was something they could do.

A bit later Eda found her sister sitting beside a window.

"Where are the kids?" Eda asked her.

"I think they're holding a memorial service with your house guardian," Lilith answered, pointing out of the window. Eda looked and saw them standing over a makeshift grave marked by stones.

Outside, Luz, Amity, and King stood in silence while Hooty coughed up flowers onto the grave.

"Does anyone have a few words to say about Puck?" Hooty asked them.

King rubbed the back of his head and stepped forward. "I… didn't know him well," he admitted. "I wasn't really sure about him, but in the end he really did care about Luz and Amity, so I just want to say… thank you for helping me save my family, Puck. And, sorry if I misjudged you."

After King had his say, Luz took a deep breath and stepped forward. "You deserved better than this, Puck. I know it is too late for you to hear this, but I forgive you." Tears fell from her eyes. "And I'm sorry that I got mad, sorry that I pushed you away even though you did take it too far. We both made mistakes, but if I had reacted differently… maybe you wouldn't have been killed for being unable to help what you are and for trying to help me. It's just not fair!" Her hands were shaking again and they tightened into fists as she cried. Amity tried to comfort her by patting her on the back. "Just why… why did he have to die?"

Amity brought Luz close to her, sympathizing with and sharing her feelings as she fought back her own tears. "Puck wanted you to live, Luz," she told her. "We all knew the risks of trying to rescue you and Eda was, he just ended up being the one to pay the price… damn Belos." Her tone became angry as she looked over at the grave. "I made a deal with Puck where I promised to keep moving forward no matter what. A promise that I intend to keep. Because I am not going to let Belos get away with this!"

She let go of Luz and continued her speech. "All my life, I thought I was meant to one day join the Emperor's Coven. My future was planned out for me and I was led to believe that was what I wanted even though I never had a say in it. My head was filled with Belos' propaganda and for the longest time I believed it all. But after watching Puck die in front of me and hearing what Luz learned about Belos, I see him for what he truly is… a lying, murdering tyrant. And I refuse to let him hurt Luz, our friends, and our families ever again!" Her eyes flashed purple in her anger, but nobody noticed. "I had thought that if I joined the Emperor's Coven, I could do some good and work to reform some of its policies but… how can I expect the system to change as long as Belos remains in power? And how many more will die at his decree?"

As her hands continued to shake, her body began to tremble as well. Amity was angry not just at the Emperor for what he had done, but at herself for not being strong enough to save Puck and Luz's teacher Anu Bist.

Luz went to hold Amity's hand, trying to calm her down. "Ams..."

"I hate him," Amity said with tears streaming from her eyes. "I hate Belos for what he tried to do to you and your mom and for what he did to Puck. I… I wish he could be dead instead of Puck." She felt Luz hug her from behind and the purple flash in her eyes went away as Amity began to calm down.

"Am I… interrupting something?" asked a voice.

The two girls were startled, turning around to see an older teenage witch boy standing there.

"Hunter…" Luz said, surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard about what happened yesterday and I wanted to check on how you were holding up," Hunter explained. He nodded at Amity. "Edric says hi, by the way."

"Wait, you know Edric?" Amity asked as she wiped away her tears.

"He's my boyfriend," Hunter revealed, causing Amity's eyes to widen like she just saw a giraffe.

"You're dating Edric?" Luz asked in disbelief.

"Yep, he actually wanted me to come to Grom as a surprise, but I got held up," Hunter explained, noticing the pile of stones. "You guys just have a funeral or something?"

"It's for a friend we both knew and is dead because of Belos," Luz responded.

Realizing who she meant, Hunter felt a twinge of guilt. Even though their friend had been a Fae and he knew that the Fae brought nothing but trouble to the Boiling Isles, he couldn't help but feel bad for their loss. "I'm sorry," he said with a guilt-ridden expression, which the two girls didn't pick up on.

"Thanks," Luz replied, not knowing what he meant. "Anyway, want to come in? I'm sure mom would be glad to see her second favorite customer."

"Um yeah, that'd be-" Hunter paused. "Wait, what do you mean second?"

"Gus still ranks number one," Luz said while escorting Amity back inside.

"Ha! You're outranked by a child!" King laughed as he followed Luz and Amity.

Hunter just sighed and headed in as well. Looking around, he froze when he saw Lilith.

"Oh, hello there," Lilith said while she helped Eda make dinner for the kids. "Are you one of the girls' friends?"

When Hunter saw Lilith, he didn't see the version of her standing in front of him right now. He saw the version of her he had left to die in the Forest of Fear, clutching her bleeding stomach. Hunter blinked a few times, struggling to find his words. "Y-you-"

"Yeah, yeah, she used to be Head of the Emperor's Coven, big deal," Eda said while bringing out a pot full of dead tentacles with beaks. "I haven't seen you around in a while, Hubert."

"It's Hunter, ma'am," he corrected.

"Well, it is nice to meet you, Hunter," Lilith greeted. "Do you also attend Hexside?"

"Um, actually no…" Hunter said while not looking at Lilith, rubbing his arm nervously. "I'm mostly homeschooled because I was… born without… magic."

"Oh," Lilith said awkwardly, realizing this was the first time she's ever interacted with a witch who had been born without magic. "I'm sorry…"

"C-Can I use the restroom?" Hunter asked Eda. "It was, um, a long walk here."

"Sure, King, can you show Hunter where the bathroom is?" Eda asked King.

"Yeah, fine," King replied as he got Hunter to follow him.

While Hunter headed for the bathroom, Luz questioned Amity. "So… how do you feel about learning he's your brother's boyfriend?"

"I mean, I'm glad for Ed," Amity replied. "I honestly wasn't sure if he really had a boyfriend… and I wish I could've been there to see Emira's reaction."

"Yeah, that would have been nice," Luz agreed, the two girls sharing a chuckle.

Inside the bathroom, Hunter was looking down at his own shaking hands. He hadn't been prepared to see Lilith again and he kept thinking about their fight in the Forest of Fear…

'It was self defense,' he kept thinking to himself, over and over again. He dug something out of his pocket and pulled it out. It was a golden beetle, commonly known as the Rusty Smidge. The memory of his uncle's explanation resurfaced.

"Though more often used for competitive sports, Rusty Smidges have lesser known applications. They can blend in with any environment, which gives athletes a challenge but also makes them the perfect listening devices that can be hidden in plain sight. Especially when they are modified to allow someone to hear anything that the Rusty Smidge hears…"

Hunter looked at the Rusty Smidge and took a deep breath. He placed the Rusty Smidge in an air vent behind the toilet, watching him crawl away. 'This needs to be done,' he thought to himself, trying to justify his actions as his guilt ate him up. 'Just like how their friend needed to die…'

He gave the toilet a flush and went over to the sink. Looking at his reflection, he gasped when he thought he saw blood on his face. He stepped back, only to realize that the blood was just a smudge on the mirror. Apparently it hadn't been cleaned well.

"Hey, are you okay in there?" King asked from outside the bathroom.

"Y-Yeah, just washing my hands," Hunter lied as he turned on the sink, unable to look up at his reflection again. "Everything's just… fine."

"What? You're leaving already?" Luz asked Hunter. "Don't you want to stay for dinner?"

"I would love to, but I just remembered that I had to do something else for my uncle today," Hunter explained, quickly coming up with an excuse to get as far away from the Owl House and Lilith as he could now he did what he came here to do. "He wanted me to pick up some medicine that he ordered and I have to be there to pick it up before the store closes. I should have done it earlier, but it totally slipped my mind."

"Oh, I get it," Luz understood. "It was nice to see you again at least. Thanks for dropping by."

"No problem," Hunter told her. "I'm glad that you're okay. Stay in touch, alright?"

Luz nodded and Hunter started to leave before anyone else could stop him.

"Luz!" her mother called out. "Dinner's ready!"

"Coming!" Luz called back as she headed for the table to join Eda, King, Amity, and Lilith. She knew this would still take some getting used to, having Amity and Lilith hear. But she also knew that for now at least this would be the new normal. They would make it work. Only then could they start making it better.

In the throne room of the Emperor's Castle, Hunter was once again the Golden Guard as he knelt before the seated form of his uncle.

"The bugs are in place of both the Owl Lady's home and Blight Manor," Hunter reported to the Emperor, more comfortable wearing his mask since it was easier to hide his emotions.

"I know it must have been hard for you, my nephew," Belos said while patting Hunter's shoulder. "But it is crucial that we monitor the activities of both the Clawthornes and the Blights as the Day of Unity approaches. Nothing can be left to chance. Remember the vision I showed you."

Hunter nodded, something like that wasn't easy to forget. "Y-Yes, I know."

Belos, like his nephew, kept his emotions hidden behind a mask so it was impossible for Hunter to know what he was thinking as the ruler of the Boiling Isles looked down at him. "We'll talk later," the Emperor promised. "For now, get some rest. You need it. Especially after everything that you went through yesterday."

"But, uncle-" Hunter stood up but Belos silenced him with a gesture.

"I don't need you right now and you won't help me or yourself if you don't allow yourself to rest," Belos told him. "This is an order."

Hunter looked down, understanding his uncle's concerns. "Yes, my Emperor," he said before he left. All of the guards had already been dismissed, which meant that Belos was now alone in his massive throne room.

Belos seemed to be considering something before he stood up from his throne and strode into the center of the room, the eyes behind his mask flashing blue. He began to turn his head, almost as if he could-

"I hear you."