3. Chapter 42: Family Group Therapy

What. The. Hell.

That... that wasn't supposed to happen. He's not supposed to hear me. They're not supposed to hear me. First the house guardian and now...

It doesn't matter. I still have my duty, my obligation. They chose me for this, so let's get things back on track. Now, where was I?

At first, Luz didn't know where she was. But after taking a moment to identify her surroundings, she knew: she was in the living room of the Owl House.

Which wouldn't have been strange, except for the fact she couldn't remember how she got here.

That was when the roof and upper floor came off, Luz gasping as she saw the section of her home get sucked into a humming red portal that had appeared outside. Strangely, Luz herself didn't feel like she was being drawn forcibly toward the portal. In fact, none of this seemed right to Luz even if she didn't know why.

So she stood there, eyes wide as she watched the red portal getting larger and listened to the humming getting louder. Luz realized that it wasn't trying to suck anything else in… instead, something was coming through. She braced herself for the worse as the portal gave off lightning, which became so bright that Luz was forced to shield her eyes.

Then the humming stopped and the light dimmed down. Luz unshielded her eyes so she could see whatever had popped out of the huge portal… and she was underwhelmed.

Floating before her was a yellow, two-dimensional, triangular creature whose entire body was only the size of her head. This creature had a single large eye rimmed with four short black lashes on the top and bottom. The creature's limbs were thin and black. It wore a small, black bow tie, and a tall, thin, black top hat that floated just above his head. The creature had no mouth whatsoever and the lower part of its body had a brick-like pattern of lines. Luz had never seen anything like this being.

The creature waved at her. "Hey everybody!" it said, snapping its fingers and summoning a cane before doing a little tap dance in the air.

Luz was taken aback. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Name's Bill Cipher," the creature answered, tipping its hat to Luz and causing the entire world to tumble for a few moments until the creature adjusted the hat, allowing the world to readjust itself as well. "Nice subconscious you got here, Luz."

"Subconscious?" Luz asked, figuring things out. "So this must be a dream. Wait… how did you know my name?"

"Oh, I know lots of things," Bill told her, snapping its fingers. "You're scared of never being accepted for who you are."

A second Bill floated out from behind the first. "Your birth mother's name is Camila Noceda."

A third Bill popped out of the first. "And most importantly, you're the step-sister of Dipper Pines."

Luz glared at the Bills, her fists tightening. "What do you want with me?" she asked. "You better not be the Inner Demon…"

The first Bill snapped its fingers and the three Bills became one. "Relax, Luz," it said to her. "Can I call you Lizard Bat? I feel like I can call you Lizard Bat." Before Luz could respond, Bill continued. "Anyway, I am not here to cause any trouble or pick a fight. I'm just doing a favor for my friend Dipper, who was really worried when he couldn't reach you so he asked if I could check on you for him since he thought I could more easily travel to the Boiling Isles."

Luz looked over the triangle being warily. "Dipper never mentioned you before."

"Of course he didn't," Bill explained. "It's part of the agreement that we have. I'm his muse. I inspire, but I don't like to take credit. I like the kid and I see a lot of potential in him, so I've been encouraging him to look into the mysteries of Gravity Falls. You know, make sure that he stays on the right path and all that stuff. I'm actually the one who gave him his nickname, by the way. I think we can both agree that he is more of a Dipper than a Mason."

Luz realized something. "Your voice… why do you sound like King?"

"If it bothers you, I can change it," Bill offered. The creature snapped its fingers once more and its voice sounded more like Hooty's instead. "Is this better?"

"Nevermind!" Luz quickly shouted. "Change back! Change back!"

Bill snapped its fingers again and its voice returned to normal. "Dipper really does speak highly of you, Lizard Bat. Which is why I agreed to be his messenger. Besides, any friend of Dipper is a friend of mine." It blinked. "I'm trying to wink, but it's really hard to do with just one eye."

"Alright," Luz said, still a bit unsure. "So you'll pass along whatever I tell you to Dipper?"

"Yep, the kid is dying to know what's been going on over here," Bill confirmed.

Luz nodded and decided to take the chance, since this might be her only way of sending word between her and Dipper. Having made her choice, she started to bring Bill up to speed on recent events…

Amity gasped as she suddenly found herself in the familiar hallways of the Conformitorum…

"No…" she whispered. "It can't be… I can't be back here…"

"Pixie Dust," a voice said weakly.

The Blight girl turned around and saw Puck before her, a hole in where his heart should be as he coughed up blood.

"Pixie Dust… help…" he said as reached out for her.

"Puck!" Amity cried out as she tried to run towards him, but she was frozen in place. "Why can't I move!?" she questioned, her body refusing to budge.

"Because you can't help him, Amity," said another voice.

Puck turned to dust and blew away, Belos standing in his place. "His fate was sealed the moment he became fond of you. Just like how you sealed your fate when you chose to become an enemy of my Coven." His hand reached out for her and all Amity could do was scream…

"NOOO!" Amity cried out, sitting up in bed. She was breathing rapidly, starting to have a panic attack. She looked around at her surroundings, trying to calm herself down while confirming that she was in Luz's bedroom and not back in the Conformitorum.

"Amity?" Luz asked, using a light glyph to illuminate the bedroom. She had heard Amity's scream and came over to her. "Amity, are you alright?" The mint-haired girl did not respond. "Amity!" Luz shook her arm "Amity, are you alright?"

Amity teared up as she embraced Luz, wrapping her arms around her. Luz responded by holding onto Amity, sitting on the bed with her. "Hey, hey, it's alright," Luz told her, calming her down "I'm here, Ams… I'm here…"

"C-Can you… stay with me for a while?" Amity asked, not wanting to let go.

Luz nodded. "Of course, I promise to stay here as long as you like," she reassured.

It was a promise she kept.

The next day Luz, Eda and King were out in the forest watching a large, faceless chicken shaped mammal with wings called the Boiling Isles Hundun.

"The meat of these faceless guys are said to be so delicious and I heard that you can taste actual gold," Eda said as she held her net. "I may not have magic, but that shouldn't stop us from being able to hunt."

Luz gave a yawn, which King noticed. "You sure you're up for this, Luz?" he asked.

"Don't worry, I have enough trap glyphs to get this chicken-pig," Luz replied.

"I guess, it's just that you seem a little… tired," he noted.

"Yeah, I did notice that you went into Amity's room last night… you two aren't…" Eda started to ask as Luz blushed in embarrassment.

"No, no, we didn't do anything!" Luz stated. "I was just calming her down after she had a nightmare."

"Oh, is that it?" Eda said. "Well, at least that won't get me in trouble with Lilith." She snorted.

"And there's… something else," Luz added while she had their attention. "Last night I was… visited by some kind of dream spirit."

"It's not that Inner Demon, is it?" Eda asked.

"No, no, he's different," Luz explained. "He said he was a muse and that he's a friend of Dipper's. He called himself Bill Cipher… are you familiar with that name?"

Eda thought about it for a moment. "Nope. I met a mystical coyote when I was high on mushrooms back in Arizona one time and I once dated a palm-reader in New Orleans, but I have never heard of a Bill Cipher."

"Strangely his voice sounds like King," Lux mentioned. "He also said that he could help me and Dipper send messages to each other. I don't completely trust him, but I couldn't pass up on a chance to let Dipper know that I am alright. So I brought Bill up to speed on recent events, only telling him what the rest of the Boiling Isles knows and leaving out the details that I've only told you. Just be on the safe side."

"That's smart," Eda agreed. "It would be nice if you and Dipper were able to communicate despite the loss of the portal though."

"Yeah, I guess we'll see," Luz said as she picked up a stick and used it to draw a picture of Bill in the dirt. "This is what he looks like."

"Huh, he kinda resembles a Dorito," King said before looking up from the drawing. "Hey, the Hundun's about to get away!"

"Come on, let's get it!" Eda declared and the trio went after the Hundun…

Twenty minutes later…

"…aaaAAAAAHHHH! Run for it!" Eda cried out as she, Luz and King, all covered in scorch marks and scratches, were being chased by a tribe of fire-breathing squirrels with bat wings.

"How did we not see this outcome coming!?" King asked as he tripped, causing Luz pick him up and carry him as they hurried away.

"Those squirrels are going to follow us home if we don't find a way to ditch them!" Luz cried out, using a glyph card to shoot ice shards behind them as the trio continued running. "Dammit, I forgot to bring more!"

As the three were about to be barbecued by the squirrels, the sound of a violin made the squirrels stop. The Clawthornes stopped as well, turning around to see that the flying squirrel tribe was no longer chasing them. Instead, the sound of music had compelled them to fly away.

"I don't think you have to worry about them coming back," said someone in a cloak, coming out from behind a tree while holding a violin. They unhooded themselves, revealing their identity. "Hey Eda, how's it going?"

"Rainestorm?" Eda said in surprise before smiling. "Perfect timing."

Amity sat by the window while reading the fifth volume of Azura. Her eyes looked tired as she occasionally glanced outside, hoping to see Luz, Eda, and King returning from their hunt.

"Amity?" asked a voice.

The mint-haired girl looked behind her and saw a concerned Lilith. "How are you feeling?" Amity's godmother asked her.

"Fine," Amity replied dismissively before looking out the window.

"I just… um… want to make sure you're okay," Lilith said awkwardly. "They should come back soon, you know? Eda said they wouldn't be gone long."

"I know," Amity replied, not looking at Lilith anymore.

Lilith sighed. Amity was making it clear that she wanted Lilith to keep her distance and Lilith couldn't blame her, not after how she had used her. As much as Lilith wanted to make it up to her, she also knew that had to respect what Amity wanted and give her space.

"I'll just go… see if we need more firewood," Lilith excused herself and after she left Hooty came in with a cup of cocoa.

"Here's your cocoa, Amity!" Hooty said. "Even made the cream art for you!" Sure enough, the cream in the cup was in the shape of a cat face.

"Thank you, Hooty," Amity said as she petted the house demon.

In the other room, Lilith was alone with her thoughts until she was startled by the door flying open. She saw that Eda, Luz and King had finally returned, but there was someone with them.

"We're back!" Eda announced. "And with a guest!"

"No game, unfortunately," Luz admitted.

"What happened to you guys?" Lilith asked, noticing their bruises.

"Long story short, we're on the squirrels' shit list now," King summarized.

Amity came into the room and rushed over to Luz when she saw how she looked. "Luz, are you alright?" she asked in concern.

"Yeah, it's just that since my mom is without magic now and I still haven't gotten a hang on my cambion form yet, hunting is difficult," Luz explained. "Raine had to bail us out."

"Raine?" Lilith asked as Raine unhooded themselves, shocking both her and Amity.

"You're Raine Whispers, the famous violinist bard performer!" Amity asked in awe as she recognized Raine.

"Yeah, they and mom dated back in Hexside," Luz mentioned. "I mentioned them during our date in the human world, remember?"

Amity recalled Luz mentioning a Raine while they had been playing mini-golf. "I guess I never made the connection…"

"Yeah, just like me Raine has become this big celebrity since we used to date," Eda said while Raine rubbed the back of their neck nervously.

"I-I'm not that big of a deal, I'm just up for the position of… new Head of the Bard Coven after the current Head retires," Raine told them. "I wanted to stop by and see how everyone was doing after what happened at the Conformatorium. I would have come earlier, but things were way too crazy for me to be able to slip away."

"Well, we're glad that you're here now, Raine," Lilith said. "And currently we are still trying to adjust, get used to how things will be from now on…"

While the adults talked, Luz turned to Amity. "How's your reading going on, Ams?"

"I'm right now in the middle of the fifth volume of Azura, but I also read some of your comic books and manga," Amity explained. "I especially like the Batgirl comics you have, this Cassandra Cain girl is very interesting."

"Glad you like her, because out of the Batgirls she is the best one," Luz said, glad that Amity liked her favorite superhero. "We can talk more later, but right now I should really get myself patched up in the bathroom. Those squirrels did not mess around." She turned away from Amity, revealing that because her jacket and shirt had been burnt parts of her back were now exposed as she headed for the bathroom.

In the bathroom, Luz threw away her burnt jacket and shirt before changing into a black t-shirt. She looked at herself in the mirror while taking the leaves and twigs out of her hair. She then brushed her hair back, revealing that the back of her neck was covered in black scales. They've been showing up a lot ever since the Conformatorium escape and she wondered if this was going to be a thing for her. She checked her ears, they were still round but the black scales had started to spread.

'If my cambion form gives me scales, am I really becoming part-lizard? If so, does that mean that I won't have ears anymore? Would I end up looking like Killer Croc or something?' As she asked herself these questions, she was reminded of a childhood memory of hers from after the incident at the slayground…

Little Luz was looking at herself in her bedroom mirror. She kept pulling her ears up in an attempt to make them look pointy, but failed after she let them go. She huffed.

Eda came into her room after knocking on the door. "Hey Luz, I've made you some gingerbread men for us to chase and eat," she said before noticing what her daughter was doing. "Why are you pulling on your ears like that?"

"I'm trying to look like a witch!" Luz said. "If I keep pulling my ears up, they'll have to be pointy!"

Eda sighed and walked over to her daughter, kneeling down. "Really? And why do you think that'll help you become a witch?"

"Well, if I have pointy ears, then no one will hurt me for having round ears!" Luz insisted.

Eda reached out to stop Luz from pulling her own ears, "Hey, stop touching your ears for a sec and listen," she said while having Luz close to her. "Now, why do you think that it would be better if your ears were pointy?"

Luz looked down before replying. "I want to show everyone that I am a witch."

"And does having pointy ears define whether someone is or isn't a witch?" Eda asked her.

"Well… because everyone else has pointy ears here…"

"But what's wrong with being a witch with round ears?"

"You don't think it's wrong to be a witch with round ears?" Luz asked.

"Honey, listen," Eda told her. "It doesn't matter what shape your ears are. You're a witch no matter what anyone says." She held up Luz's hand, "I mean, we both have hands, and hair." She rustled her daughter's hair, making her laugh. "And we both have eyes and a beating heart."

"Yeah, I guess it's true," Luz said while looking unsure.

"Kiddo, you can't listen to those losers," Eda encouraged. "Instead, prove them wrong. Because I know that someday you'll become the greatest witch of both worlds." She hugged her daughter, who hugged back while smiling from hearing her mother's words.

Back in the present, Luz was still looking at herself in the mirror before she grabbed some healing patches and placed them down where she was burnt. She noticed that her wounds weren't healing as quickly as they had in the past.

"Maybe I should make a log of this," she said to herself.

In the rich neighborhood of Bonesborough, Boscha was walking by herself while carrying a bag with her. She was wearing a hood to avoid drawing attention to herself and after making sure that nobody was watching, she slipped into an alleyway.

Bocha whistled and rising up from a pile of blankets was Tom. He looked up at her and the bag she was holding.

"Got you a notdog," she told him, handing him the bag.

"Wow, thanks," Tom said as he opened the bag and brought out the notdog, "Why do you call it a notdog?"

Boscha just shrugged as she sat down next to him and got the drinks out of the bag.

Tom started to eat the notdog, humming in pleasure as he realized how long it had been since he's enjoyed food that wasn't from the trash. "Mmm, now this is a good dog."

"Yeah," Boscha said while looking at her own drink.

"Something on your mind?" Tom asked her as he took his drink and gave it a sip.

"Just how much schoolwork I am going to miss out on because of my suspension," Boscha explained. "But I guess it doesn't really matter, since after my suspension ends I am just going to be assigned to the Detention Track where I won't be allowed to learn anything."

"That sounds bad… though I wouldn't know honestly, since I never went to a public school," Tom commented. "I always had private tutors."

"Lucky you," Boscha replied dryly, sipping her drink. "So if you never went to school, I guess you didn't have any friends either from where you're from."

"Yeah, though the reason I didn't have any friends was because of my temper," Tom revealed. "I would always get angry and snap at people for the smallest annoyance or inconvenience, even when it wasn't really their fault." He sighed. "I gave a lot of people a really hard time."

Boscha looked down while thinking about her former friends, how they had chosen Luz and Willow over her. "At least you never had friends who left and replaced you."

"I mean, have you ever stopped to consider that the reason they didn't want to hang out with you anymore is because you're a bad friend?" Tom asked, catching Boscha off guard. "Based on what you've told me, maybe they weren't wrong to stop being friends with you if you were prioritizing revenge and getting even over everything else. I mean, how did that work out for you?"

"Hey, I didn't ask you to be an asshole," Boscha told him, scowling. "No judgement, remember?"

"I'm just being honest," Tom replied. "In my opinion, for someone who thinks she is above everyone else, you are surprisingly insecure. I guess the witches and demons here are more sensitive than I thought."

Boscha scoffed. "Only demons are weak against passive-aggressive comments," she said. "But what point are you trying to make? Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I know what it's like to take stuff for granted," Tom replied. "From what you told me, you never stopped to consider the consequences of your actions. You thought yourself as invincible and that nothing could ever hurt you, but obviously that isn't true. You took your friends, your school report, and your grudgby position all for granted. And now they're all gone." He looked down at his feet. "I have had a lot of time to think about how I used to live my life and the kind of person that I was, how at the time I didn't appreciate what I had until it was all taken from me. But unlike me, you did all of this to yourself."

Boscha wanted to glare at him, but found herself unable to. Instead, she stared at the alleyway wall and thought about his words. "How did your parents die?" she asked.

Tom didn't answer and Boscha noticed that he was rubbing a scar on his upper arm. "Okay, if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine."

Tom looked down solemnly. "It's best that you don't know…"

Back in the Owl House, Luz brought out Rocky the guitar so she could show him to Raine. "This is Rocky, a magic acoustic guitar that I found in the basement and accidentally brought to life. Rocky, this is Raine Whispers of the Bard Coven."

"Pleased to meet another musician," Rocky told Raine.

"It's nice to meet you, Rocky," Raine greeted the guitar before turning to Luz. "So how do you like being in the Bard Track, Luz?"

"It allows me to express my artistic side, so it's pretty cool," Luz commented. "Though even though I am just taking one track right now, I still intend to eventually become the greatest witch of two worlds… well, just one world right now."

"Hmm, if there is anyone who could become the greatest witch of two worlds, I imagine it would be Eda's daughter."

"You think so?" Luz asked them. "Or are you just saying that to be polite?"

"No, I mean it," Raine said genuinely. "There's nothing ridiculous about it, after all your mom proved just how powerful she could be without having to join a coven. If you put your mind to it, I think you have the makings of a great witch just like her."

Luz smiled softly, but before she could say anything they were both interrupted by Eda coming in. "Hey, I am going to borrow Rainestorm for a bit," she informed Luz as she grabbed Raine's arm, bringing them into the hallway.

"Alright," Luz replied, letting the two talk in private.

"I just wanted to thank you for the save," Eda said once she and Raine were alone.

"No problem, I was in the neighborhood and when I saw that you guys were in trouble with the squirrels I knew I had to-" Raine started to say but Eda interrupted.

"No, not that. I mean back at the Conformatorium," Eda clarified with a smirk. "When you showed up with the Bards Against the Throne."

"Oh um… I'm not sure what you…"

"Raine, I know you," Eda told them, crossing her arms. "And I know your violin. Though I will admit, I was surprised to see you playing the role of rebel. You said you wanted to do something about Belos and were looking for allies, but that wasn't what I was expecting."

"Y-yeah, well you were the one who inspired me to make my group," Raine admitted. "Remember when you told me that I can't run from my fears forever? That I've gotta get the jump on them and give them a whack right in the face? I took those words to heart. And when I saw you and your daughter were in trouble, I knew for a fact that we couldn't let it stand." Raine adjusted their glasses. "Your daughter must be going through a lot right now."

"Yeah… she's a cambion now," Eda explained, surprising Raine "Turns out, that was the reason why Belos wanted my daughter and why he covered up her existence from the rest of the Boiling Isles."

Raine sighed. "So Lilith was right to be worried. I think I can try to find out more about what Belos is planning if that helps."

Eda nodded. "I would appreciate that, Rainestorm. But there is something else you should know… Belos is a cambion just like my daughter. Apparently he was human once and he was raised by witches in the Boiling Isles. He told me and Luz that himself."

Raine's eyes were widened in shock. "Wow, that is…"

Eda sighed. "Shocking, I know. Which is also why you need to be careful, Raine. If Belos was ever to suspect…"

"I know," Raine admitted. "I am aware of the risks and so is the rest of my crew." They looked away. "By the way, the Bards Against the Throne are always on the lookout for more members to join the cause. There is a place among us for you, if you want it."

Eda considered it. "Hmm, that is… something to think about," she admitted. "But right now, I already have a lot on my plate and I am not even sure how useful I can be to your crew without my magic."

"Don't sell yourself short, Eda," Raine told her. "And in any case, I just thought it would be nice to have an old friend by my side."

Eda smiled for a moment, but then remembered something she should tell Raine. "By the way, recently I finally learned who cursed me…"

This caught Raine off guard. "Really? Who was it?"

"It was Lilith," Eda replied, shocking Raine even more.

"Oh, wow I… I would never have guessed," Raine admitted. "I honestly suspected Nicole or Mrs. Jenkinheimer but… I could have never imagined Lilith doing such a thing."

"I was shocked too, though she never intended my curse to be permanent. She just wanted to strip me of my powers for a day so she could win our duel and get into the Emperor's Coven," Eda explained. "I haven't forgiven her yet, but we're working on it. I already thought I lost her for good once and she did help save this family, so I was willing to let her stay with us right now even if things are more than a little awkward."

"How does… Luz feel about it?" Raine asked.

"Well, Luz was mad when she found out, but… okay, there is a lot that you need to be brought up to speed on," Eda said before she started to explain everything that had happened prior to the petrification ceremony.

Meanwhile at Hexside, things were more than a little on edge. Gus was getting some things from his locker when he was confronted by three other students, the usual bullies with stupid smirks on their stupid faces.

"Hey there, Porter," said a bowl-cut Construction Track student.

"Leave me alone, Horace," Gus told him while trying to walk past, but Horace shoved him back.

"No, no, you don't seem to get it," Horace said. "Since your witch-burning girlfriend is no longer around to protect you, we're free to pound you as much as we like!"

But before Horace could do anything else, someone shoved him away from Gus.

"Leave him alone, Horace," said a familiar voice.

"You of all people are defending this dweeb, Mattholomule?" Horace questioned. "Don't you know what his friend's kind does-"

"Do you want me to get Ms. Traveler?" Mattholomule threatened, causing the trio of bullies to pause. "You know that she has a zero tolerance policy toward bullying around here. If she found out that you were giving Gus here a hard time…"

Horace glared at Mattholomule before turning around. "Whatever, guess you are a dweeb just like him," he said as he led his gang away from the two.

Gus looked gratefully at Mattholomule. "Hey um, thanks for the save."

"No big," Mattholomule responded and Gus noticed the cast on his arm.

"Whoa, what happened to you?" Gus asked him. "Is that why you stayed home?"

Mattholomule pretended to act nonchalant about it. "Oh this? I was trying to impress someone with my construction magic, but it didn't end well."

"Ow, that must've hurt," Gus commented, feeling bad for Mattholomule. "Bo has been really worried about you."

"Yeah, I know," Mattholomule said, looking down. "But it was nothing. I um… also heard about what happened to your friends, Luz and Amity, at the Conformatorium-"

"Amity's not a friend," Gus interjects, which surprised the Construction Track boy.

"Um, is there something I've missed?" he asked and Gus sighed.

"It's a long story, I can explain it to you later but right now I need to get to class," Gus said.

"You have gym this period, right?" Mattholomule asked and Gus nodded. "Well then you can just skip it so we can talk and you can fill me in on what I missed while I was gone."

"Skip a class? I'm not sure…" Gus said hesitantly.

"Dude, just use your illusions to cover for you," Mattholomule suggested.

"Maybe… I guess missing gym wouldn't hurt, since today was going to be about learning how to survive a deranged rich tycoon who hunts people for sport," Gus considered.

"I still don't think that is a very realistic scenario," Mattholomule admitted.

Elsewhere at Hexisde, Cat came out from her surgery club meeting with a sickly face. She found the nearest trash can and promptly threw up into it.

"Cat?" spoke Amelia, who was waiting to meet up with her friend. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I just really wish my parents didn't put me in a club where they look at pictures of open heart surgery and organs outside of the body," Cat replied with a groan. "I already miss the Human Appreciation Society… and hanging out with Amity."

"Me too," Amelia agreed. "I can't believe that our parents forced us to block her on our scrolls and social media."

"Yeah, but at least we know that she's safe at the Owl House with Luz… though it is weird that she is living with her ex," Cat commented and Amelia nodded. "Maybe there is a way we could sneak over to the Owl House without our parents knowing just so we could see Amity."

"I just wish that our parents didn't have to side with Ms. Hieron," Amelia said with a sour look. "Amity and Skara's parents cut their ties with Boscha's, so why couldn't ours do the same?"

Cat shrugged and started to rant. "It's just so unfair for Amity. Why does she have to suffer when it was Boscha and her mom that instigated the whole thing? If it wasn't for them, Luz and Amity would still be together and we would have just had a normal day at school! And I really hate the sight of organs, I want to do hair, dammit!"

She then threw up in the trash can once again.

"Alright, since Mr. Bist is unavailable until further notice, I am here to fill in for him," said the new teacher of the Detention Track to its students Tyler and Dolly, who were both wearing gray track sleeves.

Tyler raised his hand up. "Um… what's your name again?"

The teacher sighed and wrote her name on the chalkboard. "You can call me Ms. Kitsuni. And I have been notified of the reasons why you two are in the Detention Track, so don't expect lenience…"

Back at the Owl House, Raine had just heard the entire story. "Oh… wow that… a lot happened in just one day," they said. "So that's why Amity's living here."

"Odalia was surprisingly fine with it," Eda commented. "But it is a complicated situation. Right now we're all still learning to get used to living with each other… and getting used to trusting each other."

"Have you tried talking about it?" Raine asked her. "Like just sitting down and being open about all of your feelings after everything that happened?"

"Not really, since I guess we didn't want to make the situation more awkward or tense," Eda answered before sighing. "But I have noticed that ignoring it probably isn't going to work either."

Raine crossed their arms, considering something. "Well, maybe you need to call a family meeting to just talk about the tension before it becomes a serious problem."

"What, you mean like a family group therapy?" Eda asked.

"Well yes," Raine answered. "When I was teaching for the Bard Coven, the way we settled disputes among band members was to create a space where people could just talk and be open with each other rather than suffer in silence. I did the same with the B.A.T.T.s."

"Yeah… that is something we could try," Eda admitted, tapping her chin. "You think it could work?"

"I can't promise anything," Raine told her. "But it might be worth a shot."

Eda just nodded, unable to deny what Raine was saying.

"Are we performing a ritual?" Luz asked a bit later as she sat down in a circle in the living room with Amity, King, Lilith, Raine, and Eda.

"Not exactly," Eda answered. "Me and Raine talked about how things around here are a little tense, so we gathered everyone here so we could try to ease that tension by talking about it. Because if we are going to be living together, we have to be honest and open with each other."

"I just assumed this was an intervention for your apple blood problem," King admitted and Eda shot him a glare.

"So we are just going to… talk about our feelings?" Amity asked.

"That's right, Amity. I will be a mediator to make sure that things don't get out of hand," Raine replied. "We can start with-"

"I know what everyone is already thinking… and I agree wholeheartedly," Lilith spoke up. "Let's just get right to the point, this is all my fault. Everything that happened was because of my feelings of inferiority and my misguided faith in a corrupt system. I cursed Eda. I became too judgmental of her lifestyle despite me being the reason she has to live like that. I hurt Amity by making her my spy because it was what I wanted and not what she wanted. I couldn't protect Luz, who before then I managed to hurt as well. Even when I thought that I had everyone's best interests in mind, I was only making things worse. Because I have been so selfish and it is unfair that you all have had to suffer as a result of my bad choices. You all have every right to be mad at me, every reason to detest me…"

Nobody else said everything, because nobody honestly disagreed with Lilith. As the silence continued, Lilith thought about how she knew the truth being the accident that left Luz an orphan. If that truth came out, the others would hate her even more and it would cause them nothing but pain. She wondered if her presence here was only going to end up hurting this family even more rather than help to heal it. "Maybe… maybe I shouldn't be here," Lilith admitted. "Maybe this was a bad idea. What if by staying, I am only going to make things worse?"

"Hey, I made the call to let you stay," Eda pointed out. "And I still stand by what I said. I am not going to give up on you, Lily. Or us. I refuse to believe that it is too late. It's just going to take some time, which we both already knew."

Lilith nodded and another silence settled over the group.

"Alright, who would like to go next?" Raine asked and King raised his hand. "Go ahead, King."

King nodded. "I, the King of Demons, for one think all of you are too overly dramatic," he began. "But I do have this… feeling of guilt and shame." He rubbed his arm while looking down. "I knew Eda's curse was getting worse, but I promised Eda not to tell Luz. Because I kept that secret from Luz, I feel like it is my fault that Luz ran out and ended up in the Forest of Fear where she would have been lost to us forever if not for Lilith…"

Eda looked at him. "King, no, it's not your fault. I shouldn't have made you agree not to tell Luz and I really should have been honest with her in the first place. I didn't want to worry her, but I ended up hurting Luz and you and myself. I was wrong and I let my problem escalate until it was almost too late, which is why we're having this talk right now."

"Not to mention, I kept my cambion form a secret from you guys," Luz added. "I didn't tell you guys because I didn't want you both to worry and I especially didn't want mom to think that she had somehow cursed me or something until I knew for sure. But also… I was scared. I was scared of what I might be becoming… and now I'm not even sure what I am. My whole life I thought I was human and I wanted to be a witch, but it turns out that I'm neither."

"Luz," Eda said as she stood up and knelt down in front of her kid. "Look, it doesn't matter what species you are, you'll always be my daughter. Blood or not, I'm never going to stop loving you." She patted Luz's hand. "And we are going to figure this out, I promise."

"Thanks mom," Luz replied and the two hugged it out.

Amity smiled for Luz, but then glanced at Lilith and sighed. "Can I speak now?" she asked and Raine nodded.

"Lilith," Amity said, turning to her former mentor. "Yes, I am still mad at you for making me spy for you, how you kept making me spy for you and how you didn't even tell me when you unbound the oath. I feel… used and I honestly don't know if I can ever bring myself to forgive you. Not just for what you did to me, but also for what you did to Luz and her mom. Though you may have helped me save them, that doesn't erase what you did or make it okay."

Lilith lowered her head as Amity continued.

"But whether I think you should live here or not is irrelevant," she admitted, surprising Lilith. "This is your family and I'm just a guest here for the moment. If Eda and Luz are willing to have you here despite the pain you caused them, then you should stay. That is their decision, just like it was their decision to let me stay."

Lilith nodded. "I understand, Amity. Your feelings are completely justified. I should have unbound you from the oath sooner, I should have gotten you help after learning about your mugging, and I should not have blackmailed your mom into allowing you to continue seeing Luz after the exam. That was also inappropriate of me."

Amity was surprised about that last part. "I mean," she admitted. "I can't really be mad at you for that last thing."

"What corpse did you find in Odalia's closet to make her back down, Aunt Lily?" Luz asked.

"It's not important, but I did abuse my authority there just like I abused my relationship with Amity," Lilith said, feeling guilty.

And she wasn't the only one. "I've put my family in so much trouble," Amity mentioned. "I know that Mom is glad that I'm staying here, but she, my dad, and my siblings are all so worried and scared right now because of me." She looked at Luz and Eda. "When I went out to save you two, I didn't really think about how my actions would affect anyone besides me. I was just so focused on the rescue that I didn't consider what might happen to my family afterward. I don't regret saving you, Luz, and your family, but I am sorry for the pain I caused for my family. I know they aren't perfect, but I do believe we were getting better until I put them in this really difficult position. What they are going through right now is all my fault…"

Luz and Eda looked at each other, then at Amity. "Hey, I'm sure that your folks are going to be fine," Luz tried to reassure her. "Especially since they know that you're safe."

"Odalia may be a pain in the neck, but I do empathize with her situation," Eda admitted. "Don't worry kid, I promise that we'll find a way to get you back with your family."

Lilith stayed silent, keeping it a secret that Odalia was partially responsible for Eda's curse. She remembered her last conversation with Odalia, how she had implied that she was a better mother figure to Amity than Odalia was. She remembered how upset Odalia had been and that was enough to convince Lilith that she had already done enough to hurt the Blights without revealing information that would drive a wedge between Amity and her real mother.

"Thanks, but if I were to be honest, I'm not sure if me being here is good either," Amity replied.

"Ams, we talked about this and I'm not holding what happened against you," Luz said but Amity interjected.

"I still agreed to be Lilith's spy, just so I could earn her favor," Amity pointed out. "After what Gus said the other day, I-I'm not sure-"

"Kid, kid, stop and listen," Eda cut in. "Yes, you made mistakes… but you can be better as long as you believe you can be better. If you believe that you will just make the same mistakes again, then you probably will. You gotta have some faith in yourself."

"Eda's right, Amity," Raine agreed. "As you've just heard, you are hardly the only person in this room that has screwed up. But what's important is that you all recognize that you screwed up and knowing where you went wrong allows you to learn from it. And you think about it, sometimes good can still come from the choices you make. Not just bad."

"What do you mean?" Lilith asked.

Luz and Amity thought about what Liltih said earlier before Amity spoke up. "Admittedly, if I didn't accept your deal, you wouldn't have blackmailed my mom into letting me continue to hang out with Luz."

"Yeah, and Amity told me that you were at the exams during my fight with Boscha… and hearing your voice helped me stop myself from doing anything worse to Boscha," Luz admitted. "And if I hadn't made the Abominations Class haunted, we wouldn't have ended up with a better teacher than Blanc."

"And I wouldn't have had to tutor you, which I meant that I would have never gotten the chance to question the kind of witch that I wanted to. I would still be on the path that my mother had set for me, rather than a path that I chose," Amity reflected.

"Bad choices can sometimes lead to good results and good choices can sometimes lead to bad results," Raine told them, happy with how things were turning out. "We can't always know what the consequences of our actions will be, but what we can do is deal with them. Which is what you're all doing right now. You're talking, you're finding common ground, and you're learning how to move forward. Rebuilding trust takes time, earning forgiveness takes time. But it also requires communication. It requires understanding that none of you are wholly good or wholly bad. Which also means that none of you are incapable of change. Now, let us continue…"

"Okay, I'm going to Amelia's to study!" Cat announced as she put her strap bag on.

"Don't stay out too late!" shouted Cat's younger brother Moose from upstairs as her sister stepped out the door. "I don't want you waking me up when you come back in!"

Once she knew she was out of sight, Cat headed over to some nearby bushes. "Banshee sisters for life," she whispered.

Amelia popped her head out of the bushes. "Finally, I was starting to itch," she said as she climbed out. "Come on, I already bribed my house demon so he would let me sneak out and keep quiet but I don't how much time that bought me."

Cat nodded. "Then let's not waste any of it and go see Amity."

"You two will do absolutely no such thing," said a voice.

The two froze, turning to see Amelia's parents and Cat's parents together. Amelia's mother, Mary, was the one who had spoken.

"I thought you would try something like this," Mary admitted. Both she and her husband Harlan looked incredibly disappointed.

"Cat, we made it very clear that you were not to have anything to do with Amity anymore," Zebra told his daughter. He and his wife Swan were equally disappointed.

"You and Amelia are in a lot of trouble," Swan told the girls.

Cat, however, had to object. "But Amity's our friend, she at least deserve to-"

"Amity Blight is not your friend and she deserves nothing, she broke the law and is a traitor against the Emperor," Mary interrupted. "And after the riot you two helped to cause during the petrification ceremony, both of you are lucky that you weren't charged with treason."

"Riot?" Amelia questioned. "It was a protest!"

"Call it whatever you like, but it could have ruined your futures," Harlan said. "We are only doing what is best for you."

"Is it really? Or is that what Mrs. Hieron convinced you was best for us?" Cat asked. "Cause quite frankly, I think she is just mad that we don't want anything to do with her daughter anymore and that I taped her mouth shut during the petrification ceremony."

"Speaking of which, we expect you to apologize to Nicole personally for gagging her," Zebra said to Cat. "Because that behavior was completely unacceptable. Especially since Nicole is an old family friend-"

"Family friend?" Cat scoffed. "Did you forget how she and her daughter completely humiliated Luz and Amity? How is that not unacceptable? Nicole is nothing but a petty b-"

"That's enough, young lady!" Zebra shouted, shutting his daughter up. "Cat, you're grounded for trying to leave under false pretenses and we won't hear another word about Amity again. That name has no place in our home."

"That goes for you as well, Amelia," Mary added. "Hand over your scrolls now."

Amelia and Cat looked down as they handed their parents their scrolls. "Skara's parents are fine with her seeing Amity," Amelia muttered.

"What did we say about mentioning-" Harlan started to say.

"Yeah, we heard what you said but you know what? You're wrong! Maybe you guys need better friends than the Hierons!" Amelia started to rant. "And not only are Skara's parents fine with letting her see Amity, but they're also not afraid to cut ties with Boscha's family after what they did to the Blights and the Clawthornes! Maybe you guys were friends with Boscha's mom back at Hexside and maybe you work with her now, but that is no excuse for letting her get away with what she did while screwing over Amity because she did the right thing!"

"I am sorry that you feel that way," Mary responded. "We'll talk more about this later." She and Harland then escorted Amelia back home, while Zebra and Swan took Cat with them.

Back at the Owl House, Raine was putting their hood back on while talking to Eda and Lilith.

"Thank you for having me over, though I really need to get back," Raine said genuinely. "I promise to stay in touch."

"Hey, don't be a stranger, Rainestorm. And thank you for your group therapy suggestion." Eda gave Raine's arm a light punch. "Hopefully we made some progress today."

Raine nodded before turning to Lilith. "You know Lilith, earlier I made an offer to Eda and the offer is open to you as well. If you want, you could join this little group I'm in-"

"The Bards Against the Throne, right?" Lilith immediately guessed. "I already figured out that it was you who came to our rescue."

"Of course…" Raine sighed. "But just like with Eda, we would be more than happy to have you and welcome you into our numbers."

"I'll consider it," Lilith admitted, though she looked doubtful. "But I don't know if I'll be much help since I have no magic. I would probably just be a liability."

"Whether you are with magic or without magic, any help is appreciated against the Emperor, especially since you now know what he is really like," Raine told her.

"Whether you are with magic or without magic, any help is appreciated against the Emperor, especially since you now know what he is really like."

In the throne room of the Emperor's Castle, Belos and Kikimora had heard everything.

"Just like how we now know what you are really like… Raine Whispers," Belos said, sounding pleased with himself. "This is perfect."

"Indeed, sire," Kikimora nodded. "Raine will pay for their treachery. I will have our guards waiting for them when they-"

"Not right now, Kiki," Belos said, shocking his assistant.

"I… don't understand. Do you not want them tortured, my liege?" Kikimora asked.

"Kikimora, have you ever played chess?" Belos asked while snapping his fingers, summoning a board with chess pieces.

"Um… not really," Kikimora replied.

"I thought not," Belos said, standing up from his throne and walking over to the chess board. He picked up one of the pieces and looked at it nostalgically. "It is a human game. I was fortunate enough to once get my hands on a set sold to me by a human merchant. I remember trying to teach my little sister how to play, but she could never get into it." He chuckled. "Anyway, chess is a game all about strategy. The goal is to take out the other side's king. In our game, Luz is their king. The job of the other pieces is to protect the king. Amity, Eda, King, and Lilith are those other pieces. Then there are the pawns… and Raine is one of them, unaware that I'm aware of their little rebellion. But sometimes, even when you have the opportunity to take out a pawn, it is better to spare them so that you can go after one of the more important pieces. In chess, you win by thinking several steps ahead."

"Um… okay, so when will-"

Belos continued. "Raine will be arrested when the time comes, but right now they are more useful to me believing that I don't know about their treason and that their rebellion has significance. For now, we won't be removing this pawn from the board just yet. Do you understand now, Kiki?"

Kikimora nodded. "Oh, I get it now. Brilliant, sir! And, uh, by the way… what should we do about… Webstor?"

While the Conformatorium was being rebuilt, Webstor Manylegs was being kept in the secret prison of Emperor Belos deep within the castle. He didn't look good, thanks to his experience with Kikimora.

"So much… to do," he managed to say. "I can't… die… yet…"

His prison mate, who Webstor had never been able to see since their cells were not facing each other, cackled.

"Of course you can't die yet! Not until the Emperor says so! Not while we are still useful… that is why I am here! Because of the things I know." The unseen prisoner started to sob. "Oh the horrible things I know…"

Meanwhile, in the human world…

At first glance, the Brainasium was just your average, run-on-the-mill, children's science museum. But in reality it was a front for a secret lab belonging to the Brainasium's founder, Dr. Frakes. Personally, Frakes detested those snot-nosed little brats that her staff had to entertain and watch over. She told herself that this set-up was only temporary. That she would soon be moving up in the scientific community thanks to her breakthroughs and the people who were interested in her work. Then everyone who had ever called her a loose cannon would be forced to eat their-

"Dr. Frakes?" asked her blue-haired and freckled assistant, interrupting the older scientist during her fantasizing.

"What is it, Terri?" Frakes asked. "This better be important, you know I don't like to be interrupted when I'm working."

Terri sighed. "It's Director Gates," she answered. "She's here to see you."

Dr. Frakes' eyes widened behind her glasses. "Well, what are you waiting for?! Bring her in!"

The assistant nodded and soon Terri was leading a white suited woman with dark hair into the lab with Dr. Frakes' dimensional portal machine, the reason why Director Gates was here in the first place.

"Director Gates, what a surprise to have you back!" Frakes greeted. "What brings you here unannounced?"

The woman in a white suit glanced around the lab before looking down at Frakes. "Recently my people detected massive energy readings in Oregon," she explained. "These energy readings are similar to the ones that you experienced here in LA years ago."

"Really?" Frakes asked, getting excited. "Then me and Terri should head up there immediately-"

"I already have people monitoring the Oregon situation," Director Gates interrupted. "The reason I'm here is to ask if you can open your portal today."

"Of course!" Frakes answered. "But only for a few seconds and I have still been unable to get any clear images because of the magnetic interference-"

"Show me the images that you do have," Gates ordered.

"Yes, Director!" Franz nodded, rushing over to her computer and bringing up several photographs. Despite their blurriness, they were obviously depicting parts of the Boiling Isles.

"Get your portal open, Doctor," Gates said once she had seen what she wanted. "I wish to send something through…"

That night back in the Boiling Isles, Luz was in the basement with a sleeping bag. Her body shifted and turned, her scales kept popping up.

"No… please, no… no!"

"Luz, wake up!"

Luz gasped, her eyes glowing blue as she sat up. The eyes looked strangely at Amity for a moment, but then the color returned to normal and Luz blinked a few times before looking down at her own hands… which were claws.

"Luz… are you alright?" Amity asked, on her knees. "I-I couldn't sleep so I wanted to check up on you, but I found you shouting and groaning."

Luz kept staring at her claws as she listened to Amity, "I don't know if I'm fine or not," she finally admitted.

"Um… I can get your mom if you need her-"

"No," Luz said, stopping Amity. "Just… stay with me for a while, okay? Like I did for you. Please?"

Amity sighed. "Of course," she said as she grabbed Luz's clawed hand. Luz felt more calm from Amity's touch, her hand going back to how it was as her claws and scales disappeared.

Even after Luz had calmed down, Amity stayed by her side and kept holding onto Luz's hand, "Are you feeling better now?" she asked her after a few moments of nothing but silence.

"Y-Yes," Luz responded.

"Well, do you want me to go?" Amity asked. "Luz?"

"I want… I want you to stay with me for the night," Luz answered, her eyes begging. "I know I'm asking too much, but… I don't like being alone right now. I don't want to be reminded of my time in the Forest of Fear."

"Alright, I'll stay with you for the night," Amity said before joining Luz in the sleeping bag. The bag was bigger than she expected. "Wait, is this a two-person sleeping bag?"

Luz nodded as she felt Amity close to her. "Mom didn't check the size when she bought it." She was quiet for a moment. "Thanks for being here with me, Ams."

"Y-Yeah," Amity said, laying on the pillow next to Luz. Since the human-turned-cambion was wearing a black tank-top for sleepwear, Amity was able to see the black scales on her back where her wings had popped out. Amity couldn't help but give Luz a hug from behind, surprising the Clawthorne girl. Amity realized her error. "I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No. No this is fine," Luz assured her. "Let's just… sleep like this."

The two said nothing more after that, eventually managing to fall asleep.

Their dreams were peaceful ones.