23. Chapter 61: Prelude to War: Part Two(1)

Chapter 61: Prelude to War, Part Two

TUESDAY

It was early in the morning when Amity woke up and saw the time. She looked over at Levi's sister, who she was sleeping next to. Not wanting to disturb Lilith and Camila, she quietly got up and quickly got dressed.

Eda was sitting outside drinking her morning apple blood. She noticed the door opening as Amity came out with her Abomination goop helmet. "Where are you off to this time in the morning?" Eda asked as Amity formed her motorcycle.

"I'm going to Uncle Geist's to have breakfast with my siblings and uncle," Amity explained.

"Well, be careful while you are out," Eda replied before handing Owlbert to her. "Here, let Owlbert come with you."

"Thanks," Amity replied as she got on her bike with Owlbert in her strap bag, Amity creating an abomi-helmet for him. She headed off for Bonesborough, driving into the distance.

Eda smiled before hearing footsteps. She knew who else was up. "You just missed her."

"I know," Luz replied as she sat beside her. "And I know about what plans Belos has for me."

Eda did a spit take, turning to her daughter.

"Don't try to hide it, mom. Witch Rick left a message for me that explained everything," Luz told her. "So Belos wants to use me as a weapon in his war against the human world, is that why you reacted the way you did when I snuck out?"

Eda was silent as she looked down at her mug. She let out a sigh. "I just want to protect you from Belos, Luz. And now that you know… what are you going to do about it?"

"Well, I am not going to try taking him head-on again," Luz answered. "I want to learn from my mistakes. Belos always seems to be ahead of us, so if we are gonna beat him we have to be smart and find the right way to take him on. As much as I hate that he has our friends and allies locked up, you were right. He has all the cards at the moment, so we gotta wait for when we can best play our hand. And we have to work together on this, instead of one of us going lone wolf. So from now on, I promise to listen to you and not do anything without letting you know."

Eda smiled at her daughter, patting her on the head. "Well, looks like you're learning, kid."

Luz nodded. "Hey, you think you… want to go jogging with me, mom? By the shore before I head to Hexside?"

"Yeah, that would be nice," Eda replied, standing up with Luz. "Besides, I gotta keep these joints active."

Mattholomule woke up from his sleep, yawning as he got out of bed which was underneath an old poster for the Emperor's Coven which had Lilith on it. After getting out of bed, he changed into his clothes.

"Alright, mom, I'm ready for school," he said as he headed into the kitchen, only to spot someone in a coven scout uniform with his mom. "Gah! W-Wait, you got the wrong guy!" he exclaimed, immediately assuming the worst.

"Relax, little bro," the coven scout said as he removed his mask. Underneath the mask he looked like an older Mattholomule but with blue eyes, a horn on the right side of his forehead, and some brown freckles on his face. "Yo."

"Steve? Oh thank Titan it's just you. How have you been, man?" Matt asked his older half-brother.

"Doing great, little bro," Steve said before turning to Sandra. "I hear you go by Matt now."

"Yeah, the other members of the Human Appreciation Society gave it to me," Matt confirmed. "Gus called it a 'human nickname' and it is easier to say at least. But, uh, why are you here?"

"Oh, I was just talking with your mom," Steve answered.

"I called him here to ask him about Glandus," Sandra said, looking concerned. "I wanted to know if the Emperor's Coven could do anything about it."

Steve sighed. "Unfortunately, my hands are tied. There is nothing actually illegal about what Glandus did and these school wars are an old tradition, so my orders are not to interfere and let the war run its natural course."

Sandra sighed. "Of course." She turned to her son. "Mattholomule, you will be staying home for the rest of the week."

"WHAT!?" Matt exclaimed. "But mom-"

"I am not going to send my son to fight in a war that he has no business being a part of," Sandra explained. "Especially since I don't want you getting hurt again by those Glandus kids, who were the reason I transferred you to Hexside in the first place. The last thing I want is to put you in a position where they could-"

"No."

Sandra gave her little boy a serious look. "Matt, this isn't a game-"

"I know it's not!" Matt declared, surprising his mother. "But my friends are going to need me! I can't just abandon them!"

"You know what Glandus students are capable of," Sandra pointed out, remembering when her youngest came home with a broken arm. "They won't be holding back this week."

"And that's why I need to be at Hexside!" Matt argued. "I don't want any of my friends to get hurt. If they do and I could have done something about it but didn't, I don't think I would be able to forgive myself. I know you are just trying to protect me, mom, but I'm not your little boy anymore. I am part of Hexside and Hexsidians watch out for each other!"

Steve was surprised by this as he looked at Sandra, wondering what she was thinking. Sandra was silent for a while before she finally spoke.

"There is a girl involved in this, isn't there?" Sandra asked, causing Matt to blush.

"Oooh…" Steve commented teasingly.

"Shut up, Steve! This is about more than just a girl," Matt explained. "Yeah, there's someone at Hexside I like, and… I want to protect her. But there are other people at Hexside too. People who I know would stand by me if I needed them. It is only right that I return the favor."

Sandra thought about it for a moment and sighed. "Are you sure you want to do this? You'll be facing some Glandus students that might recognize you…"

Mattholomule nodded. "I know, and I'll be ready."

"If that is your choice… just remember that when things get rough there's no shame in running," Sandra said as she summoned Matt's strap bag with her sand. "And… be careful."

Matt smiled while grabbing his strap bag. "I will, mom."

At another part of the Titan, there laid a forest on the right side of the torso. In the canopy was a collection of tree houses known as Torsa Villa.

In one particular tree house, Nina Fangs was sleeping on a tree branch that went through the wooden walls of her home. When she was woken up by the scream of her alarm clock, she smashed it with her fist. Stretching and yawning, she jumped off the branch and landed on the floor below with her feet.

The walls of her room were covered with posters of rock artists, Beast Coven members, and in particular there was an autographed poster of her hero and Glandus graduate Eberwolf, though the autograph itself was ineligible. Nina walked over to her drawers and brought out her Glandus uniform, putting it on. She moved the tire swing hanging from her branch out of her way and was about to head out of the room, but she stopped to take a deep breath.

"Okay, you've been through this many times before," Nina said, sounding surprisingly nervous. "Every morning you have to deal with this shit. The shit you can't stand… the horrible, horrible routine…" She gave a thousand yard stare before turning to a crayon drawing on the wall that was of a younger Nina and another girl, the picture being labeled as 'Nini and Donna.' The drawing had been made when she and Donna were friends when they were kids… before she ended up at Glandus while Donna ended up at St. Epiderm. "Okay, let's get this over with."

Nina opened the door, commencing her least favorite part of the day…

"Good morning, Nina!" said an older cat boy taller than Nina.

"Ralph." Nina passed by him.

"Howdy, Nina!" said a young blonde cat girl that waved at her.

"Buttons," Nina snarled.

"Good morning, Nina!" sang the sister.

"Good day!"

"Ni Mow!"

"Gutentag!"

"Leave me alone," Nina muttered before almost running into her parents. "Crap…"

"Good morning, little sunshine!" said her father. "Did you sleep well? You didn't sweat too much, did you?"

"I'm fine, dad," Nina muttered. "Just getting breakfast so I can be on my way."

"Oh why leave so quickly this wonderful morning?" asked her mom, who was pregnant.

"Yeah, sis!" cheered Ralph as he stepped in. "Don't you want to join this wonderful morning?"

"No… not this again," Nina muttered, her face cringing.

"Goooood morning!" Ralph sang.

"Good morning!" the Fang parents sang back.

"Uuugh…"

"We'll have some breakfast to boost!" the three sang around Nina. "Good morning, good morning, to you!"

"Good morning, good morning!" Nina's other siblings sang and danced. "It's great to wake up! Good morning, good morning to you!"

Once Nina made it to the table, she was handed a plate of bird waffles. "Eat up your nutrition today, as werecats we have to behave!" her mom sang.

"Thanks to our great Emperor who decided to say, that if we're good kitties we won't die today!" her dad sang joyfully.

"So good morning, good morning!" Ralph and Buttons sang along. "Bless Titan we'll be smiling through!"

"Good morning, good morning, to mew, and mew, and mew!" the twin kittens pointed to their parents, their siblings, and then to Nina, who rolled her eyes.

"Good morning, good morning!" the whole family sang while Nina's eye twitched, as she nullified the singing with white noise.

Werecat Witches were also the result of Were-Fever. They decided to reside in the trees of the Torsa Villa, where they hunted, made houses, and provided for each other, all united under the 'Fang Tribe.' By the time that the Emperor's Coven came into power, they had become more proper well-behaved thanks to years of not giving into their primal instincts. Thus Belos allowed them to continue existing on their reservation.

Nina Fangs, however, preferred the primal ways of her ancestors, which was why her ambition was to become Head of the Beast-Keeping Coven. Her parents had thought that sending her to Glandus would be good to vent out her frustrations.

After finishing up breakfast, she headed for the door. "Well I better be off."

"Wait, Nini, did you take a shower?" her mom asked. "Do you need a quick tongue bath?"

"I DON'T WANT A TONGUE BATH, MOM!" Nina shouted in embarrassment.

"Oh, but Ralph likes it when we give him baths," her dad said as Ralph agreed.

"Ralph is in his twenties, he shouldn't be getting tongue baths from you two!" Nina pointed out as she jumped down from her tree home and landed on the ground… or more accurately she landed on someone.

"HEY!" cried out Tito, who had been waiting for her, as Nina landed on his back with her clawed feet. "GET OFF OF ME!" Nina jumped off of him. "This is the fourth time this month!"

"Hey, perfect landing," Nina commented to herself.

"If I start suffering back pains, I'm blaming you," Tito told her as the two walked toward Glandus together.

At the Brooke family residence, the Brookes were having breakfast together.

"Thanks, Jimmy," Skara thanked her cricket Palisman as he flew her bag over. She turned to her mother, who was at the table with them. "So how are you feeling, mom?"

"I've been feeling like the weight in my head's been lifted," Calypso replied while her ferret Palisman hung around, chewing on a kibble. "It's… nice."

"I think things are only going to go up from here!" Slasher replied joyfully.

"Well, you just jinxed it," Scabrina said while eating her cereal.

"Oh you worry your little morbid head too much, kiddo," Slasher said before a paper bird flew through their window and headed towards Calypso. The paper bird unfolded itself in front of her, revealing a sealed note. "What is that, honey?"

Calypso opened the letter, read it, and frowned. "This is from the Emperor's Coven… I'm being summoned," she said, her family looking shocked except for Scabrina.

"You see? I told you!"

"So Grandma Gwen's gonna come over and help set up an aquarium for Levi's sister to reside in," Amity told her siblings while having breakfast with them and Geist.

"Sounds like you are mighty focused on that egg of yours, Mittens," Geist commented. "Say, will there be a baby shower, cause I know the perfect gift for your little one."

"No, uncle, it's not like that," Amity said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, maybe I can help!" Edric offered. "Like, I know some Beast-Keeping magic and I've read a lot about marine demons."

"Thanks, Ed," Amity replied with a smile. "Hey Em, how-" She turned to her sister and noticed Emira's expression. She was looking at something behind Amity, so she turned around and saw Alador standing in the doorway.

"Dad?" Edric said in awe when he saw him.

"Aladorable, glad you could make it!" Geist welcomed his brother-in-law, standing up. "By the way, I'm really sorry for what happened to Darius. I still remember when you and him used to be best friends."

"It's fine, Geist," Alador said, appreciating his brother-in-law's concerns. "I am upset about what happened to Darius, but I am not here to talk about him… I am here to speak with my children."

"Of course, would you like some morning brew as well?" Geist asked him.

"I would like that, with high caffeine," Alador said before Geist went to brew him a drink. The Blight father turns to his children. "H-Hey, you three. Amity, how are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm… doing well," Amity awkwardly replied. She hadn't spoken to him since the incident with his parents. "The Clawthornes have been taking good care of me and I go by Goodfellow these days."

"Yeah, I heard," Alador said, relieved to see that his daughter also looked like she had been taken care of. "Edric, Emira, what about you two? Has Uncle Geist been treating you well?"

"Yeah, we've been doing good," Edric replied.

"Yeah, we're fine," Emira muttered, not looking at her dad. "What are you here for?"

Alador was startled by Emira's sudden dismissal. "Well, I came to see you two and Amity because… I just wanted to see you kids again. I know that I haven't been around as much as I should have been."

"You can say that again," Emira whispered.

"But I wish to make it up to you somehow, I want things to be different," Alador said with a sigh. "I know that the way me and your mother have treated you all in the past wasn't right-"

"Well, yeah, of course it wasn't," Emira interrupted, glaring at her father.

"Em…" Edric said but Emira continued.

"No, Ed, he needs to hear this," Emira told her brother before turning to Alador. "You think that stopping by here to say you're sorry, promise that you're gonna spend more time with us, and act like we're a family is gonna make the years of neglect and not being much of a father okay, but it doesn't. You are not getting a pass."

Edric and Amity were shocked to see Emira so angry and resentful towards their dad. "Emira, calm down…" Amity advised.

"No, he has to hear the truth," Emira said, making Alador nervous as she glared at him. "While you and mom focused on your business and your black market deals, who do you think had to watch over these two? Maybe they could forgive you, but I can't." Emira kept glaring at Alador, who backed away while Geist watched the situation awkwardly.

"Emira, I-I'm sorry," Alador responded in concern.

Emira didn't say anything for a bit. "Sorry isn't good enough." She then stormed out.

Outside, Emira stood in an alleyway, her arms crossed as she cooled off. Taking deep breaths, she dug something out of her pocket, which appeared to be a packet. She pulled out a cigarette stick, lit it, and started to smoke. She thought back to how as the oldest sister she often had to take care of her younger siblings because her parents weren't around. She remembered the first time she tried smoking…

Emira at age fourteen was seen smoking with other teenagers at the bleachers. She was spotted by Amity, who thought that it was kind of cool of Em, even though she knew her older sister shouldn't be smoking.

Then one day Amity got into Emira's bag to try out her cigarettes. She coughed and dropped the cigarette on her bed, causing her covers to catch on fire. Emira came in to find Amity trying to put out the flames, and she saw her cigarette pack on the floor.

After using a water spell to put the flames out, Emira scolded Amity. "What were you thinking!?" She punched Amity's arm. "Why did you take my pack!?"

"I'm sorry," Amity replied, rubbing her arm, "I just...wanted to see if I would look cool like you if I tried it."

Emira took a deep breath. "I'm warning you, don't take my things without my permission again," she told her in anger.

When their mom learned about this, Emira took the blame, saying that she only wanted to show Amity how to be cool by smoking, and as a result, Odalia scolded her for not only smoking but also burning Amity's bed and trying to get her bile sac cancer.

"And if you do a stunt like this again, you will wish the plague got you first!"

After the scolding, Amity saw Emira walking out and when the youngest sister tried to say something, Emira just shoved her aside.

"Ow! Em!" Amity called her out.

"If you try to steal from me again, I will do you worse," Emira told her off.

Emira reflected upon how much of a bully she had been to her sister. Honestly, Em used to resent Amity. She resented how much of her childhood she lost because she had to watch out for and take care of her baby sister. And share resented how much she ended up being compared to her.

Odalia and Alador watched as Amity perfectly summoned an Abomination. "Excellent, Mittens, you've performed gracefully," Odalia commented.

"Yes, especially for someone your age," Alador added.

"Thank you, mom and dad." Amity replied smiling, while the twins standing by just rolled their eyes.

"Now then, what you have done, Emira, Edric?" Odalia asked them.

Emira showed them her papers. "Um, I did a book report on A Tale of Two Lice, which the teacher gave me an A on."

"Only an A?" Odalia questioned, snatching the papers and looking at them. "Hmm, Amity would've gotten an A+ on this assignment, isn't that right, Mittens?"

"Um… I guess-"

"You don't guess, you know," Odalia said while Emira looked down at the floor, feeling not good enough.

And of course, Emira knew that she had never been truly prepared for the responsibility of having to watch over both her brother and her little sister, which didn't always turn out well…

Young Emira looked out the window with a sigh. She wanted to go play at the Slayground but her parents told her to watch over Amity who had a fever. They even had an Abomi-butler keep an eye on them as well.

"It's not fair," Emira muttered while Edric sat by her. "I can't believe mom is making us watch over. Can't she just do the job herself since she is, you know, our mom?"

"You know mom and dad are always busy," Edric replied. "It may suck, but it isn't like we can do anything about it."

This gave Emira an idea. She called for the Abomi-butler. "Oh Skeeves…!"

Later, she managed to get the Abomi-butler to accompany the Blight kids to the Slayground. They had brought a sick Amity with them so they could continue watching her while they had their fun. Emira was sliding down through the tube with a laugh when she saw her twin brother running up to her.

"Em! You have to go see Amity!" Edric cried out in worry.

"What? What's wrong with her?" Emira asked as she saw him pointing to Amity who had passed out. "AMITY!"

Thankfully, someone called the Healing Coven. Amity's fever had gotten worse because of her siblings bringing her outside but thanks to Dr. Swan Harwitch it was able to go back to normal. However, Odalia had some words to say to her eldest daughter.

"What in the actual hell were you thinking!?" Odalia scolded Emira, who only looked down in shame. "Look at me when I'm talking to you." She got Emira to look her in the eyes. "Do you know what could've happened to your sister if no one was there to call the Healing Coven!? Because of you, she was practically on the verge of  dying! "

This shook the young Emira, who was deeply affected by the thought that her baby sister could've died… because of her.

"Em?"

Emira heard her sister as she wiped away her tears and turned to her. "Are you… okay, Em?" Amity asked before noticing the cigarette. "Oh… you still smoke those…"

Emira sighed. "Yeah, I started smoking again for the first time in two years. Tried to get Ed to smoke these too so we can match… he didn't like them that much."

Amity noticed that Em wasn't wearing her concealment stone either as she leaned on the wall next to her. "Do you… resent me for disowning the family name?" she asked, shocking Em. "I know that we don't have the best relationship, but just as much as you picked on me you also tried to watch out for me. You resent dad for enabling what mom does, so do you also resent me for leaving you and Ed?"

Emira looked at her baby sister before replying. "A part of me does, even though I am glad that you stood up to mom like that. Amity I… ever since I learned about your mugging, I have been taking a long hard look at myself and the kind of witch I am. And… I am not proud of it. I wish I could have been a better big sister, I truly do. And I'm afraid of what Viney would think of me if she could see this, the real me." Her voice sounded upset. "Because of all this baggage I'm afraid that I might be stuck with just Edric forever… or that I might not even have him and I will just be alone. When you left, it tapped into that fear."

Amity took her sister's hand. "You won't be alone, Em," she told her. "Because I know that deep down you're a good person, and people like you for that, including Viney." She went to hug Emira, surprising the older sister. "I'm so sorry for everything that you had to go through. Everything you had to deal with because of me." Tears streamed from Amity's eyes. "I should've been more fair to you."

Emira dropped her cigarette and put it out with her foot as she hugged her sister back. "Don't apologize, you have nothing to be sorry for, I'm the one who should've been a better sister."

"I know that you're not perfect… but I forgive you anyway. Because I would never ask for anyone else to be my older sister," Amity told her as the two tearful siblings hugged.

Meanwhile, Edric and Alador were left alone inside. After Amity went after Em, they looked at each other in awkward silence.

"So… how are you doing, Ed?" Alador asked him.

"I'm… doing good," Edric responded.

"How about your boyfriend, how is he?" Alador asked him.

"We… broke up," Edric admitted.

"Oh… I'm sorry," Alador apologized. "What happened?"

"It turns out he was the Golden Guard," Edric answered nonchalantly, causing Alador's eyes to widen.

"What?!"

Later at Hexside, the students had gathered for a pep rally in the auditorium. Luz found herself a seat in the bleachers, noticing other students glaring at her.

"What?" Luz challenged, causing them to avoid her gaze.

The sound of drums rolling was heard as Gus appeared in the spotlight. "Greetings, BANSHEES AND HEXSIDIANS!" he hyped up. "This is Gus Porter presenting the head of Hexside himself, Principal Hieronymus Bump!"

The Principal stepped forward while only a few students cheered or clapped. He turned to Gus. "I hope this works," he whispered.

"Trust me on this, PB," Gus responded with a wink.

Principal Bump cleared his throat before speaking. "Well then, the reason that we are having this pep rally in the first place is because of the war with Glandus. I know some of you are afraid, but I am confident in our ability to take down Glandus!" Nobody responded except for one student.

"We're all gonna die!" he shouted.

'Not a great start,' Luz thought while watching a nervous Bump as Gus stepped in.

"What our valiant principal is trying to say is that we all know that things are looking a little grim right now. But we shouldn't let those Glandus jerks get to us! Which is why we need someone to take charge, someone who embodies the best of Hexside and will lead us to victory against Hexside, someone who will help us be prepared for the worst? But who? Who has the wisdom, the strength, and the heart for such a job? Why none other than the one, the only… Willow Park!"

Coming out from the floor in a flower bloom was Willow. The students were surprised by this, but not Luz, since she had already known about this. While she clapped and cheered for Willow with her friends, Luz remembered when Gus and Willow had talked to her earlier…

"You think Willow should lead?" Luz asked. The trio was outside the school.

"Well yeah, I figured that Willow was the best witch for the job!" Gus stated. "I mean, she is one of the most powerful witches of her age, she is smart, and she is really good with other people!"

"I don't know about this," Willow replied, sounding unsure. "I mean, what about Amity or-"

"Amity's out of the question since she's gone a little… maternal on the egg. And as much as I would like to lead, that is totally out of the question," Luz pointed out. "But you know… I think Gus is onto something. I've known you for a long time, Willow. You're tough, and next to Eda before she lost her magic you were the most powerful witch that I know. No offense, Gus."

Gus shrugged. "No, not at all. I know what I'm about."

Luz smiled. "You're also someone I trust to make the right decision when the moment calls for it. I actually think that you would make for a great leader, Willow. And it might be time to show the rest of the Isles that."

Willow looked down bashfully. "Thanks Luz, that really means a lot."

"But if you want to get everyone to listen to you, be blunt and brutally honest," Luz suggested. "That will get them to see the true you."

Luz knew that some of the students were looking hesitant about Willow.

"Really? We're letting the half-a-witch lead us to victory?"

"More like leading us to our graves…"

"I did say we're all gonna die, didn't I?"

"Hey!" Skara walked up next to Willow, turning to the students as the mic demon flew to her. "Willow's a tougher witch than so many of us gave her credit for!"

"Skara's right," spoke Simon as he stepped in, the mic demon flying to him. "She fought me evenly during the exams last semester and was the most powerful opponent I've ever faced. She is also very wise. I would be honored to follow her!"

"Willow's strong and capable," Amity said, standing up in her seat. "I am willing to put my faith in her!"

"And she's at the top of the Plant Track for a reason!" Amelia pointed out with a thumbs up to Willow as Cat cheered with her.

"Yeah, go Willow!" Viney, Jerbo and Barcus cheered as well, while other students started to join.

"If anyone can help us overcome any odds, it's Willow Park!" Celine cheered.

Willow smiled at the encouragement from her friends. While some of the students still murmured in doubt, she took the mic. "I would like to say a few things. I know the past weeks have been hectic for all of us. The Greater Basilisk, Grom, Pleasure Island, and now Glandus has decided to start a turf war with us. I don't know about you guys, but I'm not having it! If Glandus wants a war with us, it would be their mistake, cause we at Hexside are not going to take it, are we?"

"No we won't!" Bo declared with Eileen and Matt.

"I know some of you have your doubts and some of you are scared, so I won't hold it against you if you decide to not partake in the war," Willow continued. "Principal Bump is letting anyone who wants to sit out do so. But if you choose that, if you are not willing to fight for Glandus, are you really prepared to move to a different school if Hexside does fall? Are you prepared to get separated from your friends and become a stranger in a completely new environment? Do you really want to lose the community that we have here?"

"No/Forget that/I want to stay here!" the students cried out.

"Then what are you going to do about it? Point fingers and try to find someone to blame for this besides Glandus? That won't do anyone good. I am not a fan of violence, but Glandus has left us with no choice and I refuse to do nothing as Hexside falls! Because I love this school and I love the friendships that I have made because of Hexside, so I believe that it is worth fighting for!"

She spread some war paint on her face. "So are you going to help me fight back like a true witch or are you going to pussy out in the corner like a bitch?"

The other students were shocked and impressed by Willow's declaration. One student stood up. "I… I want to fight!"

Another stood up. "I don't want to move to another school!"

"I don't want to live with any regrets!"

"I want to live!"

Luz smiled at the responses as everyone at Hexside started to cheer for Willow. She joined in. "Yeah, go Willow!"

"Whoo, yeah!" one bird student agreed with Luz. "Go, Willow!"

"Alright, thank you, Willow, thank you," Bump said as the mic demon flew to him. "Now then, for the next part of the pep rally, give it up for the Hexside cheer squad, the Banshees!"

A group of blue and yellow cheerleading outfitted witches showed up, with Tyler in lead. "Okay! Time to lift Hexside spirit!" he declared, using his flying shoes. "B!"

"A!" the school spirit appeared.

"N-S-H-Double-E!" the cheer squad each cried out as they formed a pyramid. Then it was Eve's turn.

Barcus barked in panic, knowing what was about to happen. "AWF(Eve, no)!"

"Goooo BANSHEES!" Eve said as she jumped in the air to go on top of the pyramid, but she missed her landing and crashed into it instead.

"Whooa!" Tyler screamed as he was knocked into a spotlight, causing it to fall over and somehow start a fire, causing the students to scream and shout in a panic as the stage caught on fire.

Willow stood there with a forced calm expression as the fire spread around. "This is fine," she said, while Luz face palmed in the background.

They clearly had a lot of work to do before they were ready for war…

"Thank you, Abel," Hunter told Abel Reisender as they finished their session.

"You're welcome, Hunter," Abel replied. "I look forward to our next session. But until then, remember to take care of yourself."

Hunter nodded as he went to the door of the office and opened it. To his shock, Alador was on the other side. His eyes widened as the Blight father looked down at him. "Mr. Blight…"

"Wait, you two know each other?" Calypso, who was standing next to Alador, asked.

"I believe he's the Golden Guard," Scooter Crane, who was behind both of them, said.

"Seriously? He's a lot shorter than I thought," Calypso mentioned.

"Hunter…" Alador said, frowning at his son's ex-boyfriend.

"Um… Mr. Alado- Blight! Um… I should go," Hunter said before running past the Blight patriarch before this interaction could continue.

"Ah, I am so glad you three could make it," Abel said when he spotted the trio of adults, who came into his office. "Now I'm sure you are wondering why I summoned you."

"Yeah, especially since I was in the middle of enjoying my retirement," Scooter complained.

"Does this have to do with…?" Alador asked as Abel nodded.

"Yes, with Darius's unfortunate demise, Raine's disappearance, and Eberwolf being left in a catatonic state with no signs of recovering anytime soon, the Emperor wished me to find some replacements who could take up their roles as the Head Witches of Abomination, Beast-Keeping, and Bard," Abel explained. "Scooter, you are to resume your position as Head Witch until Raine or another replacement can be found. Calypso, until Eber recovers you will be the temporary head of the Beast-Keeping Coven. And Alador… you will be Darius's permanent replacement."

Alador's eyes widened at the news, while Calypso also looked curious.

"Alador, you were picked because you are the best Abominations inventor in the Boiling Isles and your mastery of Abominations was second only to Darius, which made you the natural choice." Abel turned to Calypso. "And you, Mrs. Brooke, you were considered because of your history as the Red Hood Huntress-"

"I retired that title a long time ago," Calypso muttered.

Alador cleared his throat. "It's an honor but… I'm a little busy with my work and-"

"I don't think you quite understand, Mr. Blight," Abel said to him. "Let me put this in context. Both you and Mrs. Brooke have daughters who have caused… a lot of trouble for the Emperor's Coven recently. I know that you Mr. Blight have already been working with the Emperor's Coven so that the Emperor will forgive your daughter's treason and I know that Eber showed leniency toward your family, Mrs. Blight, but if you don't take up the position then I am afraid the next Head Witch might not be so-" In an instant Calypso was holding up a pen under his chin, a dark and serious look in her eyes. Abel just smiled. "Ah, so you do understood the situation, Mrs. Brooke."

"Yes, I do," Calypso responded as she placed the pen down. "And I shall agree to be Eberwolf's replacement for the time being, I have a concern that I wish to bring up to the Emperor anyway."

Abel nodded while turning to Alador. "And what say you, Alador? Like Mrs. Brooke, do you understand how much is at stake?"

Alador nodded. "Yes, I understand."

"And I guess I'll take Raine's place," Scooter shrugged as he grumbled. "So much for my retirement…"

"Don't worry about it, Crane," Abel assured him. "Once we find Raine or a younger replacement, then you can go back to enjoying your well-earned retirement."

Scooter nodded. "Thank you."

Alador and Calypso, however, exchanged an unsure look.

Back at Hexside, after the fire several students had been brought to the healer's room where injured students were taken care of by the Healing Track students.

"Alright, someone get us more healing patches and ointment," Cat, who the other Healing Track students referred to, ordered.

"Waaaaa… that didn't turn out like I thought it would," Eve groaned while laying on a bed, covered in bandages wrapped by Viney.

"Yeah, clearly," Matt said, sitting on another bed.

"Are you alright, Matt?" Bo asked as she sat down with him.

"Just some scraps and burns, good thing the Fire Coven came by when they did," Matt replied while Bo performed a healing spell. "By the way, I… talked with my mom this morning. She wanted me to stay out of the war, but I told her that… I wanted to fight."

"Whoa, really? How did she take it?" Bo asked.

"She was hesitant at first, but she understood that I needed to do this. I'm not going to let Glandus dictate my life again," Matt responded.

"I'm proud of you Matt, I really am," Bo replied, smiling. "I'm also staying this week. I don't like fighting, but Hexside needs all the healers it can get right now. Maybe you can help me out."

"Really? I mean, I'm not a healer," Matt pointed out.

"But you can provide cover for us while we help other students," Bo pointed out. "Glandus is most likely going to target the healers."

Matt nodded with a smile. "Yeah, I can do that. Plus this way we get to stick together."

Bo blushed a little at this, but Matt wasn't looking so he didn't see.

Emira then came into the room, which got Viney's attention "Hey, do you need help with anything?" she asked.

"Actually…" Emira spoke quietly to her girlfriend. "I'm wondering if you guys need some help. I know you might need more healers for the war and while I know a few spells, I-I could still use someone to show me the ropes around here."

Viney smiled. "Sure, let me talk to Cat first. But we really could use the extra hands."

Emira sighed in relief. "Thanks, Vines."

At Glandus, Boscha was in her Potions class. She could feel Ruth glaring daggers at her from behind, which makes the Hieron girl feel nervous.

"Alright, now settle down, class," the teacher said. "Okay, now today we're going to be making a Skrying Potion, which we can use to spy on our enemies. The necessary ingredients will be provided."

Boscha opened her book as she began to work. 'Snaggleback teeth, fairy tears, porcupine quills… fire bee honey, this is simple stuff,' she thought as she started mixing her potion. But then she felt a zap on her back.

Startled, she turned around and saw Ruth who quickly looked back at her book with her partner, a wasp-headed biped in a hoodie. Boscha tried to ignore them as she continued with her work, but as she was about to pour the fire bee honey in she got zapped again "Gah! Quit it!" she shouted at Ruth, but she caused her cauldron to turn over and spill all over her desk.

"Ms. Hieron!" the teacher shouted at her. "I will not have you disrupting my class!"

"But it was Ruth, she keeps messing with me!" Boscha pointed at her.

"Ruth says that she's just doing target practice for the upcoming war," her partner translated as Ruth signed.

"Now Ruth, if you wanted to do target practice…" The teacher put a target on himself. "You should've used me! Go ahead, zap away!"

Boscha was appalled. "What!?"

"Now you shut your trap, you little bitch!" the teacher told her off. "Or you'll end up like Jebby!" He pointed to the skeleton hanging at the side of the class as a display.

Boscha was pissed that the teacher wouldn't help and instead enabled Ruth's behavior just because she was on top. "This school is so rigged," she grumbled, looking at her own reflection in her potion's flask. Her eyes shifted sadly as she started to think about how she was just like Ruth back in Hexside, how she used to get away with everything because of her status and her mother's money. "Just like how it used to be at Hexside…"

"Live from the Emperor's Studios, it's Felicity Fox!" spoke the announcer. "This episode will have an exclusive interview with special guest stars Scooter Crane and two new appointed Coven Heads, an interview with Johnny Tsunami about his new film project, and an appearance from our guest star band the Red Hot Coven Peppers! And here's your host, Felicity Fox!"

Walking over to her couch was Felicity Fox, waving at her live audience. "Welcome! Welcome! Today we have some very special guests. Coming out of retirement to take Raine Whispers' place is the previous Bard Head, Scooter Crane!"

Scooter Crane was sitting on the couch next to her, trying not to scowl much.

"And with him are our two new Head Witches for Abominations and Beast-Keeping. Give it up for Alador Blight of Blight Industries and Calypso Brooke, formerly known as the Red Hood Huntress!" Felicity announced as Calypso walked over while Alador nervously followed her.

"Mom!?" Skara exclaimed while looking at her scroll, flabbergasted that her mom had been appointed to Beast-Keeping Head.

"Is that… Dad!?" Edric and Emira, who were looking at their scrolls, were both shocked to see their dad. "I wonder how mom is gonna react when she sees this?"

"Probably thrilled since it will mean more publicity for the family company," Emira said as she rolled her eyes, though she was just as shocked as her brother to see her dad became Head Witch.

Odalia was watching from the crystal ball in her room. She had a nervous feeling about this…

"WHAT!?" Nicole exclaimed, watching from the crystal ball in her office at Hieron Labs. "I've been collaborating with the Emperor's Coven for years, yet the fish-eyes and the drunkard make it to Head!?" She flipped over her desk in anger. "RAAAHHH!"

Nina was looking at her scroll while dragging another student she had hunted down. When she saw who had become the new Head of Beast-Keeping, she frowned and growled. Her eyes narrowed at the Brooke woman.

"There's no way this drunk has-been is worthy to be Eber's successor," Nina muttered.

"Hey uh, can I go back to class?" asked the student nervously.

"Class? No, you're going to the detention dungeon," Nina replied, stopping at a black door, opening it, and throwing the student down as he screamed. "You got three hours in there!" she told him as she shut the door.

Felicity was smiling brightly for the cameras. "So how does it feel to be Coven Heads?"

Alador cleared his throat. "Well um, Darius was an old friend of mine so… I am willing to take on his duties in the honor of his memory."

The camera turned to Calypso. "Eh, I'm just a temp."

"I will admit that I am surprised to see that you were chosen to be Head Witch, Calypso," Felicity said with a grin. "I mean, I know your reputation. You were this cut-throat Beast-Keeper, a tamer who worked as a bounty hunter going after criminals and all sorts of monsters. You were champion of the Boiling Isles' Beast-Tamer League!" Felicity smirked. "Key word: were. You may still be in the Beast-Keeping Coven, but your Red Hood Huntress days are long behind you after you gave it up to be a stay-at-home mother and housewife."

Calypso kept her cool. "And what's the problem with that?"

"Oh you know, it is just a little… disappointing," Felicity said. "I mean, you used to be someone. You used to be feared and respected. Now I am hearing that you attend a support group for alcoholics and-"

"You know, Fox, I do have one regret from my time as the Red Huntress," Calypso told Felicity with a dark smile. "And that's not placing your pelt over my fireplace."

"Ehehehe… he…" Felicity laughed nervously. "Good one…"

"If I were you, I would watch what I say. Especially since I hear that being a Coven Head comes with… special privileges," Calypso said while glaring at Felicity.

In the rec room of the Emperor's Castle, the rest of the Coven Heads were watching the interview on the crystal ball. Killington, the Head Witch of the Healing Coven, chuckled at Calypso's comments.

"I like her," she said.

"I'm surprised that she was chosen as Eber's replacement, even as a temp," Weevil Breathton, the Head Witch of the Potions Coven, said in a sickly raspy voice. "In addition to being a recovering alcoholic, she also recently assaulted one of the witches in my coven. We don't need someone like that." He turned to Killington. "How long do you think it will be until Eber recovers?"

Killington shrugged. "I can't say," she admitted. "Despite the best efforts of my healers, they remain unresponsive. It could be a while until Eber comes out of their current state."

"Still, there must have been other more qualified witches that could have been picked for Eber's replacement," Weevil argued. "I don't see why the Brooke woman was chosen instead-"

"The Emperor has his reasons," Pawculus, the Head Witch of the Oracle Coven, spoke calmly. "And it isn't just about qualifications. It's also about control. The Emperor can't risk having a Coven Head who will step out of line, not with the Day of Unity so close. Thus he chooses two witches who will do whatever they are told in order to protect their families. In Calypso Brooke's case, she knows that the Emperor has leverage against her and her family. To make her problems go away, she will do anything. That makes her useful."

"Blackmail, huh?" Weevil asked, unsurprised. He rolled his eyes. "I should have known."

Despite Calypso's comments toward her, the fox biped kept her smile for the camera as she turned to the new Abomination Head. "So um, Alador! I understand that you were already working with the Emperor's Coven by building Abomatons for our Emperor. I'm sure this was a factor in his decision to make you Darius's successor. You must feel honored."

"Well, we do what we must for the Emperor," Alador replied. "Though unlike Calypso and Scooter Crane, this arrangement seems to be a permanent one. It is a huge honor, but it feels bittersweet since it was only made possible by the tragedy that was Darius's passing."

"Weren't you and Darius rivals?" Felicity asked.

"Well, we were… friends once," Alador admitted, looking down sadly. "And I had a great deal of respect for him. There was much I wanted to tell him but… he's gone now." He couldn't hide the regret on his face.

"So you and Darius had a falling out in the past?" Felicity asked. She smiled and motioned for the camera to zoom in on Alador's face. "What about your most recent falling out? Is it true that your youngest daughter denouncing her family has hurt your marriage with your wife? I have noticed that in your public appearances the two of you are keeping a distance from each other and when she tries to talk to you, you brush her off. Mind giving us some details? Is a divorce inevitable? Is the Blight family being torn apart?"

Alador's eyes widened as he realized that Felicity was trying to trap him. "Uh… no comment."

"Oh man… you think mom and dad might get a divorce?" Edric asked Emira as they watched the interview on their scroll.

"Titan, I hope so," Emira grumbled.

Odalia kept drinking from another bottle of apple blood that she had gotten from the cellar. It was her third bottle.

"Hey, Adrian," said Ulrich Hammers, the Head Witch of the Construction Coven, as he turned to the Head Witch of the Illusions Coven, who was drinking from his flask. "You went to school with Alador, right?"

Graye nodded. "Yes, we both went to Hexside," he confirmed. "We weren't close, since we hung out with different crowds. But I do remember that he and Darius used to be inseparable. Honestly, I always thought that Darius may have liked Alador more than the Blight realized and wondered if that had something to do with their falling out and later rivalry." He took a sip and sighed. "I will miss their drama."

"Darius's death did more than just deprive you of their drama," Killington pointed out. "It made us look weak. I still don't think it was a good idea to blame it on wild witches, since it might give others ideas and embolden them. We could be targeted in the future if any wild witches believe that they can take one of us out like Darius was."

"The people needed someone to hate," Pawculus pointed out. "Since we don't know who actually killed Darius, we had to give the public an enemy. Darius was popular with the Isles, so by blaming his death on wild witches there will be less sympathy for wild witches in the future. It is just like the current information campaign about spreading Fae awareness. Both warn the people of the dangers of wild magic while making them afraid and angry, which in turn makes them more… susceptible."

"If the Emperor wants to send a message, then he should petrify the rebels that we captured during our raids," Ulrich grumbled. "I would rather not risk them breaking out and damaging the Conformatorium, undoing all my coven's hard work in repairing it after that Fae attack."

"If your coven did your job like you were supposed to, then you shouldn't be worried about a breakout," Weevil said, earning a glare from the Construction Head.

"Now don't forget that the Emperor would want to make our new fellow Head Witches feel welcome," Terra Snapdragon interrupted as she put down her tea. "Personally, I am very much looking forward to getting to know them better, though it is a shame that Raine's time with us was cut so short. I was always fond of that little sprout…"

"At least we will have Crane back," Ulrich mentioned.

"Honestly, I'm surprised that Crane retired before you did, Terra," Weevil told the Plant Coven Head Witch.

"I have no desire to retire, Breathton," Terra said with an annoyed tone. "Not with the Day of Unity so close. After serving our Emperor for more than fifty years, I intend to see this through to the end."

"By the way, what do you think of the new guy?" Graye asked. "That witch who replaced Kikimora, I think his name was Abel."

"I don't know what to think of him," Killington confessed. "I mean, I've never heard of this guy or seen him before. Have any of you?"

Graye, Ulrich, and Weevil shook their heads.

"I did look into a background check for Abel Reisender," Pawculus explained. "And I found nothing. No records of his existence at all, which does make it odd that the Emperor would place him in such a high-ranking position."

"I know him," Terra revealed, shocking the others. "I remember him from when the Emperor and the Golden Guard were creating the coven system. He was an old friend of Belos and he helped him out back then before disappearing one day. Over the decades he would sometimes show up when the Emperor needed him the most and he was always someone that Belos could rely upon. I wasn't surprised when the Emperor asked him to take Kikimora's place."

"Well, I think we can at least agree that he can't be any worse than Kiki," Weevil said and his fellow Coven Heads all nodded in agreement.

"Her demotion was the best news I heard in a long time," Graye admitted.

"I… I do have a concern about the new Coven Heads," Ulrich brought up. "Brooke and Blight… they have families and children, just like Darius did. I'm a father myself and I know the risks. I also know the toll that this job can take on someone's personal life, the sacrifices that they may have to make. Not everyone can manage that balance. For example, Darius got a divorce and became estranged from his son. It sounds like Alador is already having problems with his family and becoming a Head Witch may only make those problems worse."

"Marriage is overrated anyway," Terra dismissed. "I tried it once, but it didn't work out. Alador might be better off divorced, his duty to the Emperor is more important anyway." She sighed. "People are too complicated in my opinion. A garden is far more manageable than love is." She looked down at her tea and smiled.

"I'm just shocked someone actually thought it was a good idea to marry you," Weevil said, causing Terra to frown.

Boscha, who was with Angmar, was watching the appointment of the new Coven Heads on her scroll as they walked together.

"I did not expect this," Boscha admitted. "Well, Mr. Blight becoming a Coven Head isn't too surprising, but Skara's mom being appointed…"

"You're familiar with them? That's great!" Angmar stated. "I mean, that might get the top students off your back, right?"

"Not likely, considering what they know about my history with the Amity and Skara," Boscha said as she looked up and saw Emily and Stella in front of them. "Hey, I don't want any more trouble with you two."

"Please, we're not here for you, Hieron," Emily said as she turned to Angmar. "Angmar, I've noticed that Gavin hasn't shown up in class again."

Angmar looked nervous. "I-I'm sorry, my liege… um, Gavin is in mourning right now. See, his dad has passed away and-"

"I know that his dad was Darius," Emily told Angmar. "Which is why I wanted you to tell Gavin that he is exempt from the war."

"Wait, what?" Boscha asked, surprised that both Gavin's dad was a Coven Head and that Emily was letting him off easy.

"Gavin Nightshade shall be exempt from the war," Emily repeated, her tone sympathetic. "Tell him that he has my sympathies, I know from experience what it is like to be hurt by wild witches. But his death won't be vain and we will feast in his honor. Make sure that Gavin knows Glandus supports him."

Angmar nodded. "Y-Yes, my queen. I will let him know."

"Good," Emily replied as she walked away with Stella following her.

"That was… surprising of her," Boscha commented.

"Yeah, Emily really hates wild witches," Angmar replied.

Boscha then heard the sound of books dropping. She turned around to see Ukla, who she recognized from the orientation. Her arm was in a sling and she was struggling to pick up her things. No one around was trying to help her out, which was typical for Glandus. Boscha thought about ignoring her as well, but then she sighed and drew a spell circle which caused Ukla's books to levitate off the ground and into the girl's strap bag. Ukla looked at her in surprise.

"Um… thanks," she said.

"It's no big," Boscha replied as Ukla recognized her.

"Say… you wouldn't happen to play grudgby, have you?" Ukla pointed to her.

"Well, I used to…" Boscha responded.

"I knew I recognized ya, I used to be on the grudgby Glandus team!" Ukla realized.

Boscha now remembered that she had seen Ukla before she came to Glandus, back when Amity was captain of the grudgby team. "Huh, I think I do remember you."

"Yeah, they cut me from the team. Glandus does not tolerate losing, which is why we always cycle through players," Ukla mentioned while Boscha looked at her sling, remembering what Emily did to her.

"Say, um, are you eating lunch alone?" Boscha asked her and Ukla nodded. "Well, why not eat with me and Angmar outside."

"You… want to hang out with me?" Ukla asked her. "What's the catch?"

"Safety in numbers, since it is better to eat in a group rather than alone," Boscha pointed out. She turned to Angmar. "Would that be okay with you?"

Angmar shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

Ukla thought about it before nodding. "Ah, what the heck? I'm in."

She followed Angmar and Boscha outside, where they found a spot to eat their lunches in peace. Unknown to them they were being watched by someone lurking just off school grounds. The one watching them was focusing on Boscha specifically.

Later at the Owl House, Amity was cleaning up Levi's sister as she spoke to her.

"Gotta get you cleaned so Gwendma and Viney can set up for your new aquarium pen," Amity told the egg. "That way, I know that you'll be safe while I'm gone."

Watching her was King, who was wearing a tool belt. "She's been talking to that egg ever since she got back from school."

"Oh that's her maternal instinct kicking in," Viney said while holding a cooler. "I was like that when I first found Puddles, even got the emotional scars as proof, and soon she'll have those scars as well."

"Oh please, taking care of a griffin is nothing compared to having to raise two daughters," Gwendolyn said after overhearing them. "Edalyn was a biter, though at least Lilith was-"

"WHAT ARE THREE DOING SLACKING OFF!?" Amity shouted at them. "WHEN IS THE AQUARIUM GOING TO BE READY!?"

"W-We will have it ready, dear," Gwen replied with a sweat drop as Amity calmed down.

"R-Right, and I'm sorry that I yelled, Gwendma," Amity apologized, her tone regretful. "It's just that I'm super stressed out, with the war and having to care for the egg while Levi and her father are in the Conformatorium…"

"It is okay, Amity, you're just being overprotective," Viney assured her. "It's a perfectly normal thing for someone in your situation."

"Yeah, you're pretty much acting like Eda when she baby-proofed the house when Luz was a baby," King replied.

"Really?" Gwen asked as they went back to set up the aquarium. "Tell me more about it!"

Meanwhile, downstairs Luz was having her Spanish lesson with Camila and Amelia. She heard the commotion upstairs and smiled before turning her attention back to the lesson.

"Are you sure it is okay for me to come along?" Boscha asked while flying with Angmar over to Gavin's place on their staffs.

"Yeah, I just thought that Gavin might need the extra moral support," Angmar said, riding his staff which had a butterfly Palisman.

"Yeah, I guess I can be," Boscha replied as they landed in front of a house. Angmar pressed the doorbell and it let out a Wilhelm scream. Opening the door was Gavin's mom.

"Oh, Angmar, good to see you again," she spoke to him before noticing Boscha. "And who's this?"

"This is Boscha, ma'am," Angmar introduced. "She's a new friend and is here for Gavin as well."

"H-Hey." Boscha waved to the woman.

"Nice to meet you, name's Sheila," she greeted as she let them in. "Come in, Gavin is in his room with a coven scout who came over with some of my late husband's things."

"Um, thank you Mrs. Nightshade," Boscha said before Sheila placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, sorry dear, but I go by Ms. Anidod these days," Sheila said while Boscha noticed that above her smile, she was popping a vein. "I don't… like being referred to by my husband's last name."

"Okay, sorry about that," Boscha said as she immediately followed Angmar, feeling like she almost saw the grim reaper for a split second.

As they went to where Gavin's room was, they saw that his door was open. Angmar and Boscha entered and saw Gavin talking with an unmasked coven scout who looked to only be a few years older than Boscha was.

Gavin and the scout turned to greet their new guests, Gavin breaking into a relieved smile. "Angmar!" Gavin said as the two exchanged elbow bumps and hugged. "Thank you so much for coming!"

"Don't mention it, Gav!" Angmar replied. "So uh, who's this kid?"

"Kid? Um… I'm a coven scout," said the older teen. "I knew Darius, so I volunteered to bring over some of his things that I thought his family should have."

Boscha noticed something on the coven scout's shoulder, a red cardinal Palisman. "Huh, is that your Palisman? I thought coven scouts were not allowed to have one…"

The coven scout noticed the Palisman on his shoulder and quickly hid him. "Uh, yeah. He's my… service Palisman, which means that I get an exception to that rule."

Boscha didn't buy that explanation, but she decided not to push the subject.

"He was just talking to me about my dad," Gavin said before he realized who Boscha was. "Wait… don't I know you from somewhere?"

"Um… yeah, kind of," Boscha replied.

"Boscha Hieron," the coven scout recognized. Everyone turned to him. "Um, captain of the Banshees!"

"Former captain…" Boscha muttered.

"Oh right… um, pardon me for asking, but why are you here?" Gavin asked in confusion.

"Well, Angmar wanted me to come along," Boscha explained. "And… I wanted to say that I am sorry for what happened to your dad. I recognize you as well, but now we're not on opposite teams anymore. We're on the same team now, so I'm willing to set aside our differences and put the past behind us."

"Yeah, I agree," Gavin admitted. "And um, sorry about your accident." He was referring to her scar. "I was… there when it happened. On the field."

"Oh, yeah… that," Boscha said, rubbing her own scar.

"And I want to thank you for standing up to Angmar," Gavin added. "When I heard about it, I was shocked. Standing up to Emily was brave. Stupid, but brave."

Boscha nodded and looked at the boxes that were on Gavin's bed. "So all of this must be your dad's stuff."

"Yeah, he was a busy guy though so I never got to see him much," Gavin said while the coven scout handed him one box.

"Here, you might want to see this," the coven scout told him. Gavin opened the box and he gasped, surprised by its contents.

"What's in there, Gavin?" Angmar asked.

"These are… the letters that I sent to him," Gavin replied, tears coming from his eyes as he put the box down and picked up some of the betters. "I didn't think he kept them…" He was silent for a moment. "I know he wasn't the best father, but his approval still meant everything to me. I wanted nothing more than to impress him, but seeing these…" He sighed. "My fondest memories of him weren't me showing off my achievements, trying to prove myself to him with my Abominations or my grades or my trophies. The best memories I have of him is when we would just… talk. Sometimes in person, but also over the occasional crow call or text or crystal ball. He would ask me about how I was doing and about my friends… and I could always tell that he was listening, that he was more interested in that than me trying to live up to whatever standard I put on myself." Gavin started to cry more, his tears staining the letters. The coven scout put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder while Angmar comforted his friend by patting him on the back.

Boscha and the coven scout both quietly decided to give Gavin and his best friend some space. "I'll be in the other room if you need me," Boscha told them.

"I'll, um, also be there," the coven scout added as he and Boscha exited the bedroom so they could leave the two alone for a bit.

"So um… what's the former captain of the Banshees doing with two students from Hexside's rival?" the coven scout couldn't help but ask.

"I was transferred to Glandus, though it wasn't my decision," Boscha explained. "Part of the reason why I was transferred was because… I did something stupid that cost not just my position on the school grudgby team, but it also cost me all of my friends. And as much as I want to blame someone else, like my mom or that Dolly Tempus girl… I know that it was my fault and that I had taken everything I had granted. So when Angmar asked me to come along… I agreed to it, because I could honestly use some new friends. And hopefully this time I won't mess up or take it for granted. This time… I want to be better."

The coven scout understood where she came from. "I can relate, honestly. Recently I also did something stupid that not only cost me my friends and their respect for me, but it also cost me my boyfriend. I thought what I was doing was for their own good but… now I don't know anymore."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Boscha replied genuinely. "But… maybe it isn't too late."

The coven scout shook his head. "I doubt it, since I hurt them pretty badly. I guess we are in the same boat though." He sighed, then looked back up at Boscha. "My… my name is Hunter, by the way."

Boscha nodded and extended her hand. "Well, it is nice to meet you, Hunter."

Hunter shook her hand. "Yeah, you too."

Back at Nina's tree home, Emily, Stella, and the Juniors had gathered in Nina's room to plan their strategy for the war.

"Yeah, this does sound like a good game plan, Tito," Emily commented while she looked over a map.

"Thank you, wicked one." Tito leaned back with a prideful look. "Thanks to the information provided to us by Professor Blanc, we will have the advantage."

"And if those Hexside hacks think of launching a counterattack, we'll be prepared," Nina mentioned. "I've even found a special Sophomore in the Healing Track who has a deep grudge against Luz. I think she could replace Bangles."

"Excellent," Emily said as she turned to Cain. "And what of you, Cain, our leading general?"

"Oh, well, the Construction students and Abomination students will be making up our front lines. Since Hexside is lacking in Abomination students, the few that they do have should be easy to overwhelm with our sheer numbers," Cain explained.

"And will you be giving them power glyphs?" Emily asked him.

"Uh, sure, we can use power glyphs-"

"Give two to each student," Emily responded. "I want those Hexside walls torn down."

Cain blinked through his helmet. "Pardon me, but… wouldn't using that many power glyphs be a little dangerous?"

"Remember the Emperor's philosophy… to achieve greatness requires that some sacrifices be made," Emily told him. "It's fine that you're not comfortable with it… but this isn't a request, it is an order."

"Right, sorry for questioning you," Cain replied with a nod.

"Then it's settled," Emily responded. "Soon, Hexside will know that they shouldn't have underestimated Glandus. As well as-"

"Hey, kiddos!" Popping into the room was Nina's dad along with her mother. "How's your little get together going?"

"Mom! Dad!" Nina called out. "We are in the middle of our war meeting!"

"Oh we're just wondering if your little friends would like some snacks," Mrs. Fang asked.

"And hey, if you stay longer, you could join in our family game night!" Mr. Fang declared.

"Just get out of here!" Nina shouted at them as they were unphased by her angry outburst.

"Well, have fun then, you silly kids," Mr. Fang said as he closed the door.

"Your folks are fun as always, Nina," Tito commented, earning a glare from her.

"Do your folks have energy bars?" Cain asked, causing Nina to sigh in irritation.

Emily just rolled her eyes, while turning to Stella to give her a nod. Stella nodded back and the two got up. "Me and Stella should be leaving now. We'll review our strategy again tomorrow."

"Can it not be my place this time?" Nina asked her.

"I'll decide where," Emily told her while grabbing Stella's hand and heading for the exit. "You three are free to do whatever you want for the rest of the day."

After they left, Cain raised his hand up. "So… what games does your family play, Nina?"

"Rat Trap," Nina muttered.

"Heh, that's so obvi, kitten," Tito chuckled.

"Shut up, Tito."

When Boscha had left Gavin's place, Angmar had decided to stay behind while the scout went his separate way, which meant that Boscha was alone when she landed in her neighborhood. She was about to head home when she heard someone call out to her.

"How do you do, Ms. Hieron?"

She stopped, turning around to see a mysterious witch man in a black trenchcoat. He had black spiky hair connected to his beard, black eyes, pale skin, a boil sticking out from his head, and a stitched scar across his forehead. He wore a purple tunic with gray pants, and black steel-toed boots. "Now don't be alarmed, love. I ain't here to rob or harm ya."

"Your appearance says otherwise," Boscha said before the man showed her his oracle sigil emblem.

"I'm a top, high-profiled investigator from the Oracle Coven. The name's Hardy Boils," he greeted, handing her a card with his information. "I saw you eating with Angmar earlier and I wanted to ask for your help."

"My help? For what?" Boscha asked him.

"I was hired by the parents of Bria Carpenter, a girl who was friends with Angmar and Gavin. Has Angmar mentioned her at all?"

Boscha nodded. "Yeah, he has… he said that she isn't around anymore."

"She was last seen a week ago when someone bailed her and her friends out of the coven precinct," Hardy explained. "She's been missing since then. They wouldn't give me a name about who bailed them out and when I asked Angmar and Gavin about her disappearance, they kept their mouths shut. Almost like they were afraid to talk. I tried questioning some other students who knew her… but none of them wanted to talk about Bria's disappearance."

"Maybe she is a runaway," Boscha suggested.

"I wish that were the case… but Bria isn't the only witch who has recently vanished under mysterious circumstances. I suspect criminal activity… and that Glandus is somehow involved." Hardy stated, causing Boscha's eyes to widen.

"Criminal organization… you know, I shouldn't be surprised a school like Glandus is involved with that kind of shit," Boscha replied.

"I know, right?" Hardy asked. "The thing is, I don't have any proof connecting Glandus to Bria's disappearance. And in order to get that proof, I need someone on the inside. I was thinking you could be my mole and in return I'll make it worth your while."

Boscha thought about it. "Well, you are a detective, right? Maybe you could help me out with something if you want me to take this risk for you…"

"Name it," Hardy told her.

Bocha nodded. "Well… I'm wondering if you could help me find out what happened to my brother. His name's Boris, he runs that tattoo parlor down at Rigor Mortis Street. He went missing two days ago. Before he renounced his family name he used to be Boris Hieron."

"I see," Hardy noted. "I'll look into it, see what I can find. Until we talk again, be careful. You never know who is watching…"

Boscha nodded and turned around. She looked back at Hardy, but saw he was already gone. "One of those guys I see."

"Um… I'm over here," Hardy spoke as Boscha turned to see him on the other side of the road. "See you around, captain. I'll call you."

"Call?" Boscha questioned until she heard her scroll buzz. Pulling it out, she read a text… and was surprised by who it was from.

"So you have nothing on her?!" Nicole demanded angrily to a hooded figure with the crystal ball. "You're supposed to be Scab the All-Knowing! How is it hard to figure out one woman's background!?"

"Sorry, but I couldn't find any records on her," Scab explained. "She just… showed up at Hexside one day out of nowhere."

"Yeah, and we tried looking up where she lives but… we couldn't find an address," spoke a geisha-resembling witch girl who was part of a trio of geisha-looking witches in roller skates. "It's like she's an unknown."

"I mean, it's not that uncommon. Some witches like to live a private life, especially ones who don't want too much attention," spoke another oracle demon.

"This is unacceptable!" Nicole smashed her fists on the table. "How am I supposed to get this bitch out of Hexside or have her arrested by the Emperor's Coven if I can't find anything on her!" She turned around, looking out the window with a glare. "I've bet half of my stocks on Glandus to win this war, but I also want to make sure that Julia Traveler will never poison another witch's mind..."

After visiting Gavin, Hunter returned to the Emperor's Castle. Despite his best attempt to keep his Palisman out of sight and hidden in his shirt, the red cardinal wouldn't stop chirping.

"Quiet," Hunter told the cardinal. "I'm not supposed to have you, so if anyone finds out-"

The cardinal flew out of his shirt and turned into a staff, which Hunter grabbed before it could hit the ground. He sighed in relief and was about to continue to his room when he heard a voice behind him which made him stop cold.

"What do you have there, Hunter?"

The Golden Guard gulped nervously and turned around to face Emperor Belos.

"I-I can explain!" Hunter told his uncle. "This Palisman flew into my room and turned into a staff. I know that Palismen are made of wild magic and that I should have brought him immediately to you, but I needed a new staff and-"

"Give him to me," Belos interrupted, extending his hand.

Hunter hesitated for a moment, looking down at the staff in his hands before handing it over to Belos with some reluctance. "I-I'm sorry," he said, though he wasn't sure if he was apologizing to his uncle or to the Palisman.

Belos looked down at the staff, a hunger beginning to take over as his eyes flashed a glowing green in his mask's eye sockets.

DEVOUR.

But before Belos could break the staff and devour the Palisman's essence just as the voice in his head told him to, he got a better look at the Palisman on the staff… and was surprised to recognize him.

"Philip!" a teenaged William Clawthorne said excitedly. "Me and dad finished carving my Palisman together!"

Philip Clawthorne looked up from his book and smiled when he saw the excitement on his brother's face. "Really?" he asked. "Are you going to show me or leave me in the dark?"

William nodded and pulled out the Palisman that he had been hiding behind his back, revealing a recently carved red cardinal. Though the Palisman would have a scar where his left eye should be in later years, right now the Palisman had both of his eyes. He chirped happily upon seeing Philip.

"Meet Flapjack!" William introduced enthusiastically.

Philip chuckled. "You named him Flapjack? Really?"

William frowned slightly. "What's wrong with the name Flapjack?"

Philip just shook his head. "You know what, forget it. Flapjack is the perfect name."

The cardinal seemed to agree, since he flew out of William's hand and landed on Philip's book, chirping some more.

"I think he likes you," William told his brother.

Philip nodded and extended his hand, allowing the Palisman to hop into his palm. "Welcome to the Clawthorne family, Flapjack," he told the cardinal, holding him gently. The Palisman showed no fear, already showing a lot of trust in Philip. He could tell that Philip would never wish to hurt him…

Shocked to see Flapjack for the first time in years, Belos fought against the hunger inside him.

DEVOUR!

"No!" Belos said, resisting the voice as his eyes turned from green to blue. He managed to hand the staff back to Hunter, his hands trembling. "T-take him back, quickly!"

Hunter quickly did as he was told, taking Flapjack away. Though relieved that his uncle hadn't devoured the Palisman, he looked worried for Belos. "Uncle, are you-"

"I'm fine!" Belos said after regaining control of himself, taking several deep breaths as he calmed down. "Just keep your Palisman away from me from now on. Can I trust you to do that?"

Hunter nodded, surprised that his uncle was doing this. "Wait, you're letting me keep him? But I thought you wanted me to stay away from wild magic."

"I am making an exception," Belos told his nephew. "After all, you are right that you need a new staff and you are responsible enough. Also… I think you could use a new friend as well. Am I wrong?"

Hunter shook his head, still in disbelief. "Uncle… I don't know what to say."

"You're welcome," Belos said before turning to walk away, ignoring the voice in his head as it criticized him.

SOFT.

Belos did look back at Hunter one last time, the boy holding his staff close to him while processing what had just happened. The Emperor of the Boiling Isles glanced at Flapjack and wondered why he had come back after so long. Did Flapjack think that Hunter was Caleb?

"Welcome back, old friend," Belos whispered to himself before looking away, hoping that he wouldn't regret his decision to let Hunter keep Flapjack. He knew the Palisman wasn't safe here, but Flapjack had chosen Hunter which meant that he must have felt a connection with him.

Belos also wondered if this meant that Flapjack had forgiven him, though he doubted it. Perhaps that was another reason Flapjack had decided to come back, to remind Belos that it was his fault that Flapjack's carver was gone…

Boscha made it to the marketplace and spotted a certain lavender-haired witch girl at a stand… asking about baby products.

"Is this the right milk for an aquatic baby demon? I-I don't know if she is allergic to seahorse milk or formula!" Amity yelled at the seller.

"This is what we have for aquatic-types," the seller responded. "We also have fish flakes…"

"Fish flakes!? She's an actual child-to-be! Not a pet!" Amity yelled before noticing that Boscha was standing by her, not sure what to make of this. "Oh, hi Boscha…"

"Hey, Amity, I got your text…" Boscha greeted, looking weirded out. "Um, what's all of this?"

"Oh, this?" Amity held up the bag. "This is for when the baby comes."

"…I'm sorry, what?" Boscha asked.

Amity realized what she had said. "I-I-I mean… um… let's just go find somewhere to sit," she said after paying the seller for the goods she needed.

As they went to sit down on a bench, Boscha realized that this was the first time they've talked since… well since Boscha revealed Amity's deal with Lilith to the entire school. It made her feel very awkward.

"So uh, how have you been doing? I heard that you and Luz got back together… after you moved in with her family," Boscha said. "Are you and Luz…"

"No, we haven't gotten… I mean, not that the thought-" Amity stammered before calming herself. "Okay, are you familiar with Levi Thians? He used to go to Hexside before he was forced to drop out to help his dad. I helped his family out and after their… arrest, I decided to take care of Levi's sister." She looked down sadly. "She's just an egg and… I can't help but feel like I need to protect her."

Boscha looked concerned. "So… she really has no one?"

"I didn't feel comfortable just dropping her off at an orphanage with no guarantee that she would end up with a good family," Amity said. "Mom doesn't mind, she has a soft spot for strays."

Boscha looked at her weirdly. "Your mom? But I thought you were living in the Owl House?"

Realizing what she had said, Amity groaned and buried her face in her hands. "I mean Eda. Ugh, this is the second time that I've called her mom…" She turned to Boscha. "What about you? How's things at Glandus?"

"The orientation sucked," Boscha admitted.

"Yeah, I heard about that," Amity told her. "Cat told me. I am sorry that happened to you."

Boscha sighed. "Thanks," she said. "But… it isn't all bad. I think I might be making new friends there. I also recently saw my brother, Boris, for the first time in years. You remember him, right?"

"Yeah, I saw him recently too," Amity replied, showing her tattoo to Boscha. "He even gave me this complimentary tattoo."

"Whoa," Boscha said in amazement, "Yeah, that does look like his work… though I never thought you would be the tattoo type."

Amity shrugged. "Maybe Amity Blight wouldn't have been. But I'm not her anymore."

"Oh yeah," Boscha realized. "You're Amity Goodfellow now, right?" Amity nodded and Boscha continued. "You know, my brother… he was always passionate about making tattoo art. But my mom, Nicole, didn't want her son to end up as a 'no-good street artist'. Her words, not mine." She sighed. "Honestly, my mom sucks. I don't blame my brother for becoming a Nameless witch… and I get why you decided to become a Nameless witch as well, because I've met your mom and she isn't too different from mine." She looked down while fumbling with her own thumbs. "I did try to reach out to Boris again two days ago but… he wasn't there at the shop. I tried calling him as well and there was no answer. He was just… gone from my life once again."

Amity looked concerned for Boscha. She took a deep breath. "That is actually one of the reasons I wanted to meet up with you. Boscha, he's… in the Conformatorium."

"What?!" Boscha asked her in shock.

"When I met with him recently, he was part of a… certain group. A rebellion, along with Levi and his dad," Amity told her. "I know it sounds crazy, but you do deserve to know what happened to him. All I know is that he's alive, but I don't know how long the Emperor's gonna keep them here…"

Boscha leaned back, processing what she had just been told. "Fuck."

Amity sighed. "I'm sorry about your brother, Boscha. I really am."

Boscha nodded. "And I'm sorry about Levi," she said, looking at her former friend and her tired face. "Are you… okay? I've never seen you like this before."

"It's the stress," Amity admitted. "Things have not been easy this week."

"Tell me about it, especially with this school war," Boscha agreed. "It's freakin' nuts at Glandus, they've been training as if they're an army. Hell, the teachers beat their students physically."

"That's awful!" Amity said in shock. "Look, Boscha, I promise you that I will find a way to get you out of that school. You don't deserve to be there."

"I appreciate that, but don't worry about me," Boscha told Amity. "You have your own problems, so you should focus on them. I can take care of myself over there."

"If you say so," Amity responded, though she sounded unsure. She was silent for a moment. "You know, I never got the chance to thank you. For you help in getting me, Luz, Gus, and Willow back into Hexside. Or for helping me and Luz on Pleasure Island. Who was that with you, anyway? The fire kid?"

"Him?" Boscha asked. "His name is Tom. He's… a good friend. Speaking of… were we ever really friends?"

Amity looked down, a saddened look on her face. "We… weren't. I'm sorry, Boscha, but… the only reason I ever hung out with you was because my parents had to literally blackmail me into doing so. Because of that, I considered you an obligation. Not a friend. And that was unfair of me. I was a bad friend to you and a bad friend to the other girls. I am trying to be better now, but I'm still sorry."

Boscha was silent for a moment. "Honestly, I totally get it. I should have known that the only reason we hung out is because you were forced to. Though you weren't the only bad friend in that group. I honestly can't even remember the last time we talked like this, heart-to-heart. Did we ever?"

"I… don't know," Amity admitted. "By the way, Willow and Skara did pass along your apology and… I appreciate it."

Boscha nodded, frowning at the mention of Skara. "How… how is Skara? And Cat? And Amelia? What have they been up to?"

On the other side of the marketplace, Luz and Eda walked towards a certain location.

"Thanks for dropping Amity off, mom," Luz told her.

"She needed some stuff for that egg when it hatched, but don't get any ideas, you are still grounded," Eda replied. "Though Luz… are you sure about this? Going back to… this place?"

Luz sighed. "I just… need this, mom. I think we both need to be here."

Eda nodded understandably before they stopped in front of their destination.

The Slayground.

The place brought back bad memories for both of them. Whenever they tried to revisit it in the past, Luz would always break down crying. Since then, they tried to stay away from the place as if it were infected by the Red Death.

Luz took a deep breath and stepped forward, her boot hesitantly crossing over into the Slayground. She sighed and took a few more steps in.

Eda held her staff tightly as she watched her daughter, remembering how what happened here affected both her and Luz.

Suddenly Luz stopped and fell to her knees, causing Eda to rush over to her daughter. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked, seeing that Luz was in tears.

"I… I still can't," Luz admitted, wiping away her tears. "Mom it's… it's just too painful to be here." A trail of her scales popped up around her neck as Eda helped her daughter up.

"Hey, it's okay," Eda hugged her. "It's okay."

"I thought I could get over it… it's been years but… it's never going away, is it?" Luz asked her.

"No one expects you to just get over a traumatic experience," Eda took her. "Something like this… it can stay with you even when you try to forget it." She thought of Gatesfield, a place she swore to never go back to. For Eda, Gatesfield was her Slayground.