Luz, Flint, King, and Trixx could all be seen in the living room. Trixx was curled up in Flint's lap as he sat on the couch, watching as he typed away on his phone. On the other side of the couch was King, who was currently being entertained by a cat video he was watching on Luz's phone.
"Yes. Yes! Senseless violence. Yes, attack! Death is your god!" King chanted as the cats in the video…weren't even attacking each other.
"I'm starting to regret teaching you about the Internet," Luz said in a flat tone.
They currently had the portal door open and were connected to the internet, with Flint updating on anything happening on the other side since Eda's last trip to the Earth.
King laughed. "Hah! What possible regrets could come from the Internet? Oh! Did you know that the Earth is actually flat?"
"Yep, that's not right," Luz said, immediately removing the phone from his paws.
"Yeah, it's obviously a triangle." Trixx denied.
Flint just looked at her strangely for a moment. "Have you been interacting with Nosa?"
"How could you tell?" Trixx questioned.
Flint sighed. "Don't listen to her conspiracy ramblings please."
Suddenly, Luz's phone vibrates in her hand. She looked at it to see a message from her mom.
Mom❤️: How's camp today, cariño? 3, Mamá.
Luz gulps before attempting to write something back, only to just delete it a few times before simply sending a thumbs-up emoji instead.
"Good enough," Luz said with a worried expression as King looked over her shoulder.
"Ah, a severed hand! Perfect response." King praised.
Luz flops down on the couch and puts a pillow on her face as she lay against the back. "Ugh! What am I supposed to say?" Luz asked rhetorically, muffled by the pillow.
Suddenly, she sits up straight, removing the pillow with a forced smile on her face, getting up from the couch. "'Hey, Mom, not at camp actually! I'm in the demon realm learning to be a witch! Also, did you know demons and magic are real and that Flint has it?' She. Will. End me." Luz said in fear, tucking her arms under her arms as she proceeded to sit on the floor.
"Nah, she'd be freaked out by our world anyway. So actually, by keeping the truth from her, you're doing her a favor!" King reassured.
Trixx blinked. "Huh. You know…he's not wrong. I mean, I come from a world with naturally superpowered creatures, and yet even I get a bit freaked out by some of the things in this world."
Luz was contemplative. "Hm. The demon on my shoulder and the fictional creature brought to life by magic make good points."
"Always trust a shoulder demon!" King said happily, swiping the phone back.
"I can't even begin to start explaining why not to do that," Flint said bluntly.
Hooty suddenly opens the door. "Hoot hoot, Luz! Time to fill up that darling little head of yours with..." Hooty begins to hack before eventually regurgitating a stack of books onto the ground. "Mm-hmm. Delicious knowledge!"
Gus pokes his head in the open doorway.
"Please hurry!" Gus pleaded.
Willow then poked her head in too. "The more I look at him, the more uncomfortable I get." She said in a haunted voice.
None of the other residents could blame her. Not even me or the author can.
Luz chuckles as she gets up, kissing King on the head. "Don't spend all day watching YouTube, 'kay?" Luz said.
"I forge my own path!" King denied.
Flint finished typing before putting his own phone away, and a glimpse of him messaging someone disappeared from the screen as it turned off. He picked Trixx up and placed her on the couch where he once sat.
As the group arrived at Hexside, Flint and Luz noticed all the decorations strewn about, leaving the two confused.
"Something's different today. Did everyone get a haircut?" Luz asked.
"Oh yeah! I forgot you've never been here for the social event of the season." Willow said.
Gus nodded. "Welcome to your first-"
Suddenly, two masked health workers enter, rolling a stretcher, making siren noises. They went through an entire spiel, a beast-keeping student with bat-like face features pretending to be sick until they eventually finished by asking Skara to be their date to something called 'Grom'. The popular girl agreed after he held out…was that heart…beating?
Luz gasped. "You guys have a weird version of prom on the Boiling Isles? I was kicked out of our last school dance for dressing like an otter, but maybe here, I could be your Grom Queen!" Luz said, striking a pose.
Flint watched as Willow and Gus looked incredibly nervous. Willow spoke up. "That's, uh, not something people usually sign up for."
Amity turns a corner from behind, looking down at the stack of books and a note she is carrying, before suddenly bumping into Flint and causing her stuff to fall to the ground.
"Watch it-! Oh. Hi, Flint, Luz...and co. Sorry about that." Amity apologized, realizing who she had run into.
"Here, let me help you up," Flint said, taking her hand and helping her to her feet as Luz grabbed Amity's dropped things.
Luz handed Amity back her books first before pulling out the folded note.
"Here, your-"
Amity quickly swiped the note from her hand.
"-note. Man, you got some quick grabbers." Luz said in surprise.
Amity blushed a bit. "It's just, it's...private."
Suddenly the speakers screeched on, gaining everyone's attention.
Principal Bump could be heard over the intercom, clearing his throat. "Attention Hexside students. This is your principal speaking."
"Oh, man, this is it!" Gus said.
"He's announcing who'll be this year's Grom Royalty." Willow clarified.
Flint looks over and sees Amity looking in concerned anticipation.
"This year, I have the privilege to bestow our highest Grom honor to...Amity Blight!"
The group gasps as they look at Amity, who looked shocked.
"That's right. Amity Blight, our Grom Queen!" Principal Bump concluded his announcement before the intercom could be heard clicking off.
Luz is about to cheer, but Flint quickly slaps his hand over her mouth. She looks over at him in confusion. He mouthed the words 'Look around' to her. Glancing around, she noticed Amity looking like she had just found out she was sentenced to death.
Amity looks around briefly before running off.
Luz and Flint watched as she left with worried looks, with Flint having already removed his hand from Luz's face.
"Guys…what does it mean to be Grom Queen?" Luz asked cautiously.
"Let's just say…it's not something you want to be," Willow said cryptically.
Flint frowned at that not very explanatory explanation, before turning and following in the direction Amity left.
Flint eventually found his way to the gymnasium, watching for a bit as Principal Bump directed the students that were setting up decorations, including…the Snaggleback hanging from the ceiling with his shell modified to make him like a disco ball. It was weird how Flint felt like the guy's voice was oddly familiar to him.
Flint looked around, eventually locating Amity as she sat on the bleachers with a downcast expression. This caused Flint to frown as he climbed the bleachers, sitting down near her.
"So, what does it mean to be a Grom Royal? The closest thing to this back home is called prom. It's mostly just a school dance, but I'm guessing this version isn't quite the same." Flint asked.
Amity sighed. "Grom. It's short for Grometheus…the Fear-Bringer. It's a monster that lives under the school. Every year it tries to break out, and a student has to defeat it before it invades the town. Ever the optimist, Bump holds a party and calls it tradition." Amity explained.
"Well, kudos to Bump for making the best out of a bad situation…though now some of his bad decisions look like nothing compared to this." Flint thought out loud, cupping his chin.
The corner of Amity's lip twitched up for a moment before resuming her current state. "The worst thing is that Grom can read minds and shape-shift into your worst fear. And mine...is very embarrassing." Amity said.
Flint snorted. "Oh please. I can guarantee you that one of mine is worse." Flint waved her off.
Amity looked upset at that, looking at the boy angrily. "This isn't something to mess around with Flint! Grometheus is not something to be underestimated!"
"I think you're the only one underestimating, and you're doing it to yourself. You're a strong witch. You should have a little more faith in yourself." Flint responded.
Amity scoffed, turning her head away. "Easy for you to say. You weren't chosen as Grom Royalty. You're smart, strong, fearless…I mean for Titan's sake, you'd probably take it down in an instant."
Flint mulled her words for a moment before a smirk graced his face. "Then if you're the royalty, then I'll be the knight to protect you."
Amity froze at his words looking at him with a mix of emotions. "W-wha?!" Amity sputtered.
Flint just kept smiling. "If you're in trouble, I'll step in in a heartbeat. If you aren't confident in yourself, then be confident in me. If you're in trouble, and I mean really in trouble, you can count on me to help."
"Y-you…you really mean that?" Amity asked hesitantly.
"Of course. No one hurts the ones the people I care about." Flint said with determination.
Amity blushed at his words, doing her best to shake it off before turning back to him with a smile. "Thanks. I…still don't know if I can do it though."
Flint shrugged. "If you can't, then it'll be time for Grometheus to understand the power of Prometheus."
Amity looked at him with a raised brow and a confused laugh. "What?"
"Sorry. It's the name of the Greek god of fire. I…also like to use it as a fake name," Flint said sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.
Amity snorted. "Seriously?"
"Hey, I think the name is cool!" Flint shouted indignantly. "And…surprisingly fitting for me if I'm being honest. Oddly enough, his name possibly means 'forethought'." Flint stated thoughtfully.
"You're a dork," Amity said fondly.
"Hi Pot, I'm Kettle, have we met before?" Flint remarked, causing the two to erupt in a fit of laughter.
"Thanks for that Flint. I really needed it." Amity said with a grateful smile.
"Happy to help," Flint responded as he got up. "I'm gonna have to figure out what I'll wear though, not really looking forward to that. I'll see you later, Your Majesty." Flint said, giving a mock bow to her before heading down the bleachers.
Amity blushed as she watched him go down the bleachers. She seems to debate internally, reaching for the note in her pocket before calling out. "Flint!"
Flint turned curiously. "Yes?"
Amity tried to speak, but her voice failed. After a few more attempts, she seemed to give up. "N-nevermind." Amity said, putting the note away.
Flint shrugged it off and gave a two-finger wave before exiting the gym.
The two get home to the Owl House, opening the door.
"We're back!" Luz called out.
"Upstairs!" Eda could be heard calling out. "Ow!"
"I told you to be still!" Trixx could be heard chastising the woman.
Luz and Flint looked at each other confused before heading upstairs to Eda's room. When they got there, they were met with King sitting on a nearby chest as Trixx used her Luz-a-like disguise to help Eda with a brown tuxedo.
"What's with the suit?" Flint asked.
"I'm chaperoning Grom tonight. So, I have to look sharp." Eda responded.
King stood up excitedly on the chest. "And Gus asked me to co-emcee the fight!" King said, holding up a poster of him and Gus standing back-to-back in sunglasses. "We're going to turn this blood-bath into a fun-bath!"
"I'm just gonna hang out here and make sure Hooty doesn't get up to anything. Obviously, I'm helping Eda with her suit right now though," Trixx answered.
"Ooh! Have they announced the victim yet?" Eda asked.
Luz frowned. "Yeah. It's Amity. She's kinda freaking out though. I wish I could, like, take her place or something."
Eda and King then proceeded to erupt into laughter.
"A great joke, Luz!" King said through his laughs.
Trixx gained an unamused look and proceeded to 'accidentally' poke Eda with another pin.
"Ow!" Eda yelped, shooting a glare at the fox before collecting herself. "Listen, kid. That's a noble sentiment, but Grom is a little above your pay-grade. You might have those Grafters Flint made, but that wouldn't be enough to take down something like Grom. I could see Fireboy handling it though. You're just a tad…fragile." Eda remarked.
Hearing this seemed to anger Luz as she marched toward Eda, her face red with anger. Flint did a double-take as there was a-
"Hey! I've been learning lots of ways to use these spells! I could totally handle it." Luz said in a confident yet irritated huff, turning her back to Eda in the process.
"There's a horrifying spider in your hair," Eda said with a smile.
Luz snorted. "Nope. I'm not as fragile as you think, Eda. And I can't be so easily fooled, either." Luz declared confidently, walking out and slamming the door as she left… except there was a horrifying spider in her hair just as Eda said.
Flint just looked at the door for a minute. "I give her like, five minutes minimum until she notices."
King looked over at Eda. "Uh, maybe you were too hard on her. She and Flint have saved you from multiple monsters, remember?"
Eda put her hands on the desk, looking into the large mirror sitting on the wall. "Except that's the problem. 'She and Flint'." Eda said, looking at Flint through his reflection in the mirror. "Almost every time, you've been there too, not to mention it's because of you that she even has those dang gloves," Eda said, before looking back at King again. "And that's all before remembering this is Grom we're talking about. Facing Grom means facing your worst fear, King. And I don't think Luz knows what that means yet."
Flint sighs. "You're not wrong. I've pretty much always been there for Luz. But she does have what it takes. She saved me and Amity from Otabin, she was MVP back with the basilisk, and I even heard she dealt with something solo that day we learned your elixirs weren't working. By the way, how are you doing in that department?"
"It's fine. It's slowed down thanks to those amplifier spells you cast on them." Eda answered.
Flint nodded in acknowledgment. "In any case, I think you're underestimating her a bit. A lot of what you said may have some truth to it, but Luz is really capable when she sets her mind to it."
"Maybe…do you guys think I could pull off red eyeshadow?" Eda said after a pause as she looked at herself in the mirror.
"Girl, you can pull off anything!" King said.
Trixx quickly transformed into Eda in her current attire, the only difference being that she had red eyeshadow on.
Eda looked at her duplicate and gave a hum of disproval. "Hm. On second thought, I'm not really feeling the red eyeshadow."
Flint could be seen against the wall outside of his and Luz's shared room. Luz was currently checking her options for attire and was likely about to change, so he'd stepped out so she could do that but stuck nearby in case she wanted his opinion. He already knew what he'd be wearing, so he didn't have to figure that out. One of the benefits of being a boy. Options for formal attire are quite limited.
When Luz came back, she expressed her resolve to try and take Amity's place as Grom Queen so she could face it instead. He knew she just wanted to prove herself capable, so he was fine with it. He did point out that if she needed help at any time, all she had to do was call for him…though he had the feeling that statement both reassured, yet frustrated her.
Flint heard footsteps and saw an irritated Amity approaching, with a few feathers sticking out of her hair.
"Hey, Amity." Flint greeted with a two-finger wave.
"Oh. Hi Flint. Where's Luz at?" Amity asked.
Flint pointed his thumb over his shoulder to point behind him. "She's in our room right here."
Amity blinked at that. "Wait, do you two…share a room?"
Flint raised a brow. "Yeah…why do you ask?"
Amity was notably silent for a moment. "…no reason." That was all she said before opening the door and stepping into the room as she picked feathers out of her hair.
"Amity!" Flint heard Luz say excitedly.
"Just for the record, if that bird-tube ever talks to me again, I'm going to destroy it," Amity stated.
"Trust me, girl, we all know the feeling," Flint remarked. "You decent?" Flint called.
"Yeah!" Luz responded, prompting Flint to step into the room.
"So, you ready to train?" Amity asked Luz.
Luz unfortunately seemed intent on figuring out her attire, picking up two outfits that lay next to her. "Which should I wear to Grom? This one says, 'witch with a dark side.' Luz said, holding up a black dress. "But this one says, 'I'm an otter... with a dark side.'" Luz said, holding up an otter suit as she put on a smile to match the face.
"How the hell did you manage to pack that without Camilla noticing?" Flint asked in disbelief.
"How do you manage to hide away your notebooks Midoriya-style?" Luz countered-asked.
"…Touché." Flint relented.
Amity didn't look amused though. "Luz, you need to take this seriously. If you can't defeat Grom, everyone on the island will have to live out their worst nightmare."
Hooty then chose that moment to enter the room through the window, right up against Amity's scrunched face.
"You wanna hear my worst nightmare?" Hooty asked.
Flint saw Amity's eye twitch. "Oh dear…"
The three now stood in front of the Owl House. Amity was pacing in front of Luz, Flint, Emira, and Edric. Behind her, Hooty was now sporting an eyepatch and multiple bandages across his face. You'd think he would've learned after the Mud Incident with Trixx, but nope.
"Grom will transform into your darkest fears. What are you afraid of, Luz?" Amity asked.
As Luz thought, Edric turned to his twin. "Wanna say our greatest fears? On three. One, two..."
"Being alone forever!/Being stuck with you forever." Edric and Emira said simultaneously. Edric realized what his sister said and looked at her, betrayed.
'…that's messed up.' Flint thought in disbelief.
Emira turned to Flint. "What about you, handsome? What're you afraid of?"
Flint stood confidently with his hands on his hips. "Me? Ha! I fear nothing!" Flint said flamboyantly.
"What about your mom?" Luz asked.
Flint's expression didn't fade. "I fear one thing!" He said with the same enthusiasm.
"What about my mom?" Luz questioned again.
"I fear two things!" Flint remedied once more, holding two fingers up.
"What about puppets?" Luz asked a third time.
RECORD SCRATCH
Flint flinched at that one.
Flint raised his hand forward, his middle three fingers held up. "Th-th-th-three! Take it or l-leave it!" Flint said, shaking like a leaf.
"Wait. You're afraid of...puppets?" Emira asked with a raised brow. Fearing your mom and your friend's mom is one thing, but she wasn't expecting that curveball.
"Why'd you have to expose me like that Luz?" Flint said with gritted teeth.
Luz gave him a deadpan look. "Flint. I've never even been able to watch Pinocchio with you."
"IT'S A PUPPET THAT CAME TO LIFE! HOW ARE YOU NOT AFRAID OF HIM AND HIS ELDRITCH POWERS!?" Flint screamed dramatically.
"Yeah. One that just wants to become a real boy, and does. Besides, there are way more traumatizing parts in that movie." Luz said with boredom in her voice. This was not the first time they'd had this argument. "I'll agree with you on Chucky at least, but Chucky was being possessed by a human. Yet Maddie told me how you would scream in terror any time she tried to get you to watch The Muppets or Sesame Street."
"Wait, time-out. Flint, of all the things to possibly be afraid of...has a fear of something as ridiculous as puppets?" Amity asked for re-clarification.
"Yep," Luz answered.
"…huh…you were right. That is way more embarrassing than what my fear is." Amity conceded. It honestly felt pretty underwhelming, all things considered.
Luz sighed. "I can't even pull out the sock puppets I made of all of you around him. Stand up to a bully? Child's play. Scare a Slitherbeast? No sweat. Put a puppet in his line of sight though? He runs for the hills," Luz said bluntly.
"What was that you said about sock puppets?" Edric questioned.
"Anyway, it's honestly ridiculous," Luz said, pretending not to hear Edric's question.
"No, it's not!" Flint denied.
Hooty decided to remind them all of his presence. "That's weird pal." Hooty agreed.
Flint lowered his head in terror-stricken realization. "Oh my Titan, it is bad." If Hooty of all people was saying it was weird, it was baaaaaadddd.
"Anyway, in preparation, I've made a list!" Luz said, pulling out a list from her pocket and holding it out to Amity. She grabs it and reads it. Edric and Emira read it, chuckled, and each draw a spell circle. A huge version of Luz's phone appears. The screen shows a guy tipping a white fedora, and a message bubble that says 'M'LADY'.
Luz yelped. "Jerks online who wanna debate!"
Suddenly a cat with a human face appears, causing the girl to yelp again.
"Luz, help me! Help!" the cat said.
"Human souls trapped in cat bodies!"
"I don't want to be this." The cat added.
A carton of milk appears, floating in the air, and pours milk into a glass in Luz's hand.
"No! I'm lactose intolerant!" Luz screamed.
SMACK
Everyone turned to see Flint, who was removing his hand from his face and revealing a bright red mark that shone on his forehead.
"Luz. Seriously?" Flint looked at her in disbelief.
Luz blushed in embarrassment. "Hey! You're the one who runs for the hills when a puppet is around!"
"Yeah, but that is the only irrational fear I have. This is just absurd!" Flint cried out in disbelief.
"I'm with Flint on this one Luz. This is a matter of true fear. Grom digs deep for your truest, instinctual fear, not stuff like…this." Amity gestured vaguely to the illusions, which proceeded to disappear. "The reason I can't face Grom isn't because of being grossed out. What's your real fear, Luz?"
Luz was silent for a moment, her eyes locking onto Flint briefly before looking away quickly and up at the giant window to Eda's room.
"My real fear...is that Eda thinks I'm too fragile to do this! And if she's right, I'll never be a real witch!" Luz declared.
Edric and Emira look at each other and draw a conjoined spell circle, each of them forming one half. A giant illusion of Eda rises from the ground, flipping her hair before looking down at Luz.
"You're inadequate." The fake Eda said, drawing a spell circle that puts Luz in a high chair with a bib that says 'weak baby'.
"Nooo!" Luz exclaimed.
Flint shrugged. "Okay, now we're getting somewhere."
Emira and Edric looked proud of their creation while Amity looked on nervously as Luz wailed.
"How about you hot stuff? Should we help you too?" Emira asked, creating another illusion that summoned a human-sized wooden puppet.
Amity jabbed her in the side with her elbow. "Stop trying to flirt with him!" Amity whisper-yelled at her sister, having leaned in so Flint wouldn't hear.
"Why? It's not like you'll do it." Emira responded in her own whisper with a shit-eating grin. Oh, how Amity wanted to strangle her so badly!
Flint just blinked unamused. "You think me a fool? I know it's just an illusion."
"Then why are you shaking?" Edric asked with a raised brow.
True enough, Flint was shaking, though it was mostly just his legs.
"Just because I know it's an illusion, doesn't mean I'm not still unsettled by it." Flint defended.
About a minute later, Eda exits the house with a bowtie in hand.
"I get it. Ditch the yellow." Eda said before looking ahead and letting out a gasp, noticing the illusion of herself. "Is that supposed to be me? Dang, I look great." Eda chuckled.
Eda then blinked in realization. "Wait a sec. You're training to be Grom Queen!"
Luz looked indignant. "So what if I am?" Suddenly the illusions disappear, causing her to fall to the ground with a yelp.
Eda just walked up to her with a raised brow. "You think training will help against Grom? Luz, you always go overboard and either me or Flint end up bailing you out. Now, what's the fun in watching a kid get eaten by a monster if it's my kid?"
"Well, maybe you'll have fun watching me defeat Grom!" Luz declared, karate-chopping the cat and causing it to disappear. Luz grins proudly.
Amity puts a hand on Luz's shoulder. "I'll be honest, I don't think you're ready, but we're literally out of time," Amity stated.
"I'll take it!" Luz said with a smile.
Eda stood beside Flint. "How long do you think she'll last?"
Flint shrugged.
That night in Hexside's gym, everyone was milling about on the dance floor. Amity could be seen in her dress, stepping out of the gym as she looked around, then down at her note from this morning. She gently smooths it out with her thumb. She hears footsteps and quickly pockets the note.
"I'm not sure if it's nerves or if I accidentally drank some milk, but something's making my stomach squirm," Luz said, as Amity saw her dressed up in a mixture of a tux and tutu. Beside her was Flint, his attire hidden under a cloak.
"Uh, you look nice. Strange, but... nice." Amity complimented.
"You look quite nice yourself, Amity," Flint spoke up.
Amity blushed a bit as she turned to Flint. "Thanks, but…is that all you're wearing?" Amity asked him.
Luz huffed. "No, he's got something on underneath, but said he wanted to wait until we got here to show me."
Flint smiled. "That I did, and here we are. So without further ado…" Flint trailed off, dispersing an illusion spell he'd cast to create the cloak, and revealing his attire. He wore a gray undershirt and wingtip oxford shoes. He had brown slacks, and a few shades lighter of a brown, almost a quarter tan, basic suit jacket on. The most distinct feature had to be the light flame pattern that licked along the edges of the jacket. They didn't extend far, hardly reaching a centimeter away and only serving to outline the edges, but they still made it stand out.
Both girls looked at him in stunned amazement. They could both only think one thing.
'Humana humana.'
Flint scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "I dunno, does it seem like a bit much?"
"No!" Both girls said quickly, startling the boy and each other.
"I mean- you look good," Amity said quickly.
"It suits you." Luz agreed with a nod.
Flint smiled. "Thanks."
Amity turned to Luz and put her hands on Luz's shoulders. "And, thank you, Luz. Honestly, I'm kind of amazed with how fearless you are. You've done things I could never do." Amity praised.
"Hah! Yeah right! You goin' soft on me, Blight?" Luz asked.
Amity laughed. "In your dreams."
Flint just shook his head fondly.
"Now, introducing our Grom Queen. You know her, you love her...you've at least heard of her. Luz, the Human!" They heard Gus announce, causing the students in the gym to cheer as the spotlight goes on Luz.
Luz turns to Amity and Flint. "Wish me luck!"
Flint snorted. "No need. I know this guy is going down." Flint said confidently.
Luz nodded as she turned back to the gym, the ground rumbling as the floor opened to reveal the arena beneath, with weapon racks rising on either side of Luz. She chooses a flail and places an ice glyph on it, with the glyph glowing in response. Luz flexed her hands as well, the back of her Grafter glowing in response.
Soon enough, Luz enters the arena, looking around for the infamous fear-monster. She hears a slushing sound and sees a mass of black goo rising from behind her.
"There you are, Gromarama. Not too scary." Luz said.
Grom split into three masses, morphing into the same cats from earlier as they approached.
"Ugh, so weird." Luz grimaced, before composing herself. She swings the flail before slamming it into the ground. This caused a pillar of ice to shoot up from the ground and fling Grom-cats into the air, and causing the students to cheer.
"Hm. So far, so good." Flint stated.
"It won't last," Amity said from beside him.
"Pardon?" Flint asked.
"She may be doing fine now, but Grom is just testing her. Grom hasn't gotten serious yet." Amity said with a focused expression as she watched.
This brought a frown to Flint's face.
Luz could now be seen fighting the illusion of the online jerks.
"You're not coming from a place of intellectual honesty, so debating you would be pointless!" Luz said, letting go of the flail with her right hand to create a javelin made of ice in her hand, before throwing it into the illusion. The illusion morphed back into sludge from getting hit as it growled at her. The students cheer once again.
Principal Bump could be seen holding the microphone as both Gus and King were oddly missing. "Luz has lasted surprisingly long. But what form will Grom take next?"
"Let's finish this! Human-style!" Luz declared confidently.
Grom rises behind Luz, towering over her as it morphed into a silhouette of Eda with glowing white eyes. One of Grom's sludge tendrils reaches out and latches to Luz's head, causing her and the monster's eyes to glow light blue in sync. It drops Luz who prepares as Grom's body splits into two, one half transformed into the portal door, but the other…
Flint looked at the second illusion in stunned silence. 'What? Why does it-'
Luz looked on in horror as the portal door opened, with her mother stepping out from the door.
"Mija?" Grom-Camilla asked.
Luz looks on, shocked. "Mom! What are you doing here?"
Flint watched with an inquisitive look. "I think I get what this is now. I don't understand the other one though."
"Luz, what is this terrible place? Espérate un momento, this isn't camp. Have you been here, all these weeks?" Grom-Camilla asked looking around them before gasping as she looked at Luz. "And is that a weapon?"
"Ah!" Luz yelps, dropping the flail quickly. "I can explain!"
"What's there to explain?"
Both turned their attention to the other half of Grom, revealing a duplicate of Flint wearing an evil smile.
"She's been lying to you all this time," Grom-Flint said.
"Flint?! What happened to you?!" Grom-Camilla asked.
Grom-Flint let out a mad cackle. "I became all I needed to be. I have the power, and I have new friends…I don't need Luz anymore."
Luz's heart dropped at that declaration. "Wha-wha-what do you mean, Flintlock?" Luz asked in a desperate voice.
Grom-Flint cackled. "Don't you get it Luz? Everything you've done here was only possible because of me. I'm sick of having to save your ass all the time. All you do is cause trouble wherever you go, and you always drag me into it. Hell, you can't even use your own magic! You only have those gloves because of me." Grom-Flint continued to lay into her.
"N-no! That's not true!" Luz denied, tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes.
Grom-Flint scoffed. "You know I'm right. I'm always right." Grom-Flint shot a piercing glare at her.
"I don't ever want to see your face again."
Luz froze in terror at those words, her breathing feeling hard to manage. She couldn't lose her friendship with Flint, not after everything they've been through together. The world around her and the cries of her friends seemed to dull, the only things she could see or hear being her mom and Flint in front of her.
Grom-Flint began to turn monstrous. "And now to end our friendship…by ending you," he said, raising his arm into the air as it morphed into a scythe.
Luz looked on at him in despair. Was this it? Had she lost everything she cared about?
FWOOSH
"DON'T YOU DARE LISTEN TO THAT, YOU HEAR ME!"
Luz's vision began to recover as she saw the spot where she had once been standing with Grom-Flint's scythe hand embedded in the ground, and scarlet flames licking across the ground. She was currently in the arms of her savior, looking up with her eyes widening at who it was.
"F-Flint?" Luz questioned in desperate hope.
It was true. Flint had dove down into the area and scooped her into a bridal carry, saving her from his monster counterpart. Flint was looking at her with a few tears in the corners of his eyes.
"Don't you dare think that, Starlight!" Flint said to her. "Shit, have you been dealing with this all this time? What kind of friend am I for not noticing?"
"N-no Flint! It's not-"
"Luz." Flint interrupted her, letting her see the look of hurt in his eyes as he placed her on her feet. The Grom monsters attempted to come at them, but the fire along the ground spiked, dissuading their attempts.
Flint put his hands on her shoulders. "You have never been a burden to me, Starlight. Sure, I keep you out of trouble, but you've done the same for me. There are so many things that I could've done and regretted if it weren't for having you in my life. You temper my flame…so don't you ever listen to all that, you hear me?!"
Luz couldn't stop the tears from trailing down her face as she clung to Flint like a lifeline, his warmth and presence soothing her.
Flint returned the hug to soothe his best friend's worries for a minute before they separated. Flint flashed her a confident smile. "So, let's take this thing down, shall we?"
Luz wiped away the last of her tears before looking at him with resolve. "Right! You deal with your faker, I'll lead the other one away so they can't help each other."
Flint nodded in confirmation as the two looked toward their opponents. Luz clenched her fists as her gloves flickered through the glyphs. Flint waved the flame barriers away, allowing them to look on face to face.
"And look at that folks. After saving Luz, Flint looks like he's joining the fight against Grom!" Principal Bump announced.
Everyone looked on in awe, none moreso than Amity, Eda, and King, the latter having just stepped back into the gym with Gus.
The Groms sniffed the air around them before locking onto Flint, licking their lips in anticipation. "Your fear smells delicious." Both of them said in unison, both of them absently turning into large puppets.
Flint stepped forward, unfazed by them. "Then go ahead. I don't care what you turn into, I know that whatever you become, it won't be real. You dared to try and hurt my Luz using my face. So, try me!" Flint dared with fire in his eyes…metaphorically, that is.
The Groms let out a gurgling chuckle as their tendrils intertwined, striking Flint in the forehead as their eyes all glowed in sync. The two halves merged as they shifted into a figure about as tall as Flint. The figure wore a hooded cloak. One side is gray with sun designs on it, and the other black, with crescent moon and star designs on it. It was clasped with a depiction of two crescent moons on either side of a full moon. The final detail was their absent face within the void of the cloak, the only thing there being a yellow crescent moon.
Flint looked on in…confusion.
'Who the hell is that?' Flint wondered. Whatever Grom had turned into, he didn't recognize it at all. That didn't stop the hairs across his body from standing on end though.
Grom laughed, the voice being an odd mix of childish and adult. "Interesting…I've never encountered something quite like this before. I would have gone with your fear of never finding out your connection to the Isles, but this is far more…intriguing." Grom said cryptically. It seemed as if Grom was using this form to speak for itself.
Eda's eyes widened suddenly as she did a double-take, looking at Grom.
Flint put up his guard, creating a spell circle that transported a double-edged sword from the weapon racks nearby. "What are you?" Flint asked with a glare.
Grom cackled. "Oh, how glorious! You know, in all the years I've fought you children for that buffoon's amusement, you might be the most fascinating one of all. I'll admit, your friend Luz's fears were certainly an entertaining change of pace, but you…" Grom pointed at him before laughing in amusement. "You might be the most bizarre one of all. You fear this form, yet know nothing of who they are."
As this was happening, Eda was beginning to hyperventilate, causing Principal Bump to run over. "Edalyn, are you alright?" The man asked worriedly.
Eda held her head as flashes of a similar being cycled into her mind. Memories that didn't belong to her. Eda gave Bump a halting gesture. "Stay back! Something's wrong! The curse!" Eda managed to get out, as feathers began to sprout from her.
As this was happening Grom sighed. "Oh well. I wasn't able to get much info from him, but I'll make do with what I've got. After all…" Grom trailed off, turning his attention to King above them.
"I have a new target."
Flint's eyes widened as he realized what Grom meant. His gloves glow with fire glyphs as flames licked across him, forming wings on his back as he flew in the air towards King. Flint scooped him up just before a sharp tendril pierced the floor the young demon had once stood.
Grom's cackles became monstrous as it warped into a part animal form, climbing up out of the pit and after the two.
"Grom has escaped." Principal Bump said in terror into the microphone as they watch Flint fly into the hallway before turning back to the currently transforming Eda.
"Bumpy! Knock me out! Qui-"
BUZZ
CLANK
THUMP
Eda suddenly dropped unconscious, Principal Bump having hit her with the microphone and knocking her out. He could've just used a sleep spell, but…
"That. Was so satisfying." Principal Bump remarked with a smile of pure bliss.
Give him a break, Eda had caused him a lot of headaches and PTSD back in the day.
"Flint!" Luz and Amity cried out in worry, both of them scrambling out into the hall after him.
"What's going on?!" King asked Flint, his voice laced in fear.
"Grom is trying to kill you specifically to get at me!" Flint explained as he flew through the halls.
"Why is Grom after me?!" King panicked.
"I don't know! Still trying to figure that out myself!" Flint said as they rounded a corner, with Grom following shortly after.
"Where are you going, King? Don't you want to play?" Grom said demonically.
"No! Stranger danger!" King yelled back, peeking over Flint's shoulder only to yelps as he dove back for cover, a tendril just missing him.
Flint saw an intersection ahead as he prepared a spell circle in his free arm. Flint activated a light spell on his glove that let out a blinding flash, causing Grom to recoil from the light. When Grom's sight recovered, it saw three different Flints flying down each hall. It looked between them before choosing to go down the one in the middle.
"Phew."
One of the lockers opened wide as Flint and King stepped out of it. Flint put King down and crouched in front of him. "Go to the others and stay safe, I'm going after it."
"But what about you?" King asked worriedly.
"I can handle myself, but as long as you aren't around, it won't be able to target you. Stay safe." Flint said before creating another illusion spell, creating a copy of King in his arms as he ran after Grom.
"Flint!"
King turned around to see Luz and Amity sprinting past. Luz had ended up creating a pair of roller skates out of ice for herself and Amity as they dashed forward. Luz sprouted a vine from one hand to latch onto a corner and Amity was guided (having never roller skated before) with the other, causing them to whip around the corner without losing momentum as they followed after.
Soon enough, Flint had managed to find Grom again and began luring it into the forest. They reached a cliff and Grom stalked menacingly.
"I'm done playing your games child!" Grom snarled.
Flint smirked. "Well then, let's get serious then, shall we?" Flint asked, dispersing his illusion of King in his arms.
Grom growled. "I should have known you'd do that! But fine, you'll be my main course!" Grom declared, charging forward.
Flint just continued smirking, snapping his finger confidently after casting another spell, firing off a volley of scarlet fire at the monster. Grom roared as it tanked the hits, until Flint took a deep breath and let out a torrent of flames at it, dissuading it momentarily and forcing it back.
"Flint!"
Flint looked behind Grom and saw Luz and Amity skating out from the trees. Luz had her free hand thrown forward as a ramp of ice was created before them. They went up the ramp and over Grom, who roared at their sudden arrival. Amity quickly cast a spell, putting her free hand into it and pulling out abomination goo that quickly formed a sledgehammer, which she used with her momentum to land a resounding blow into the side of Grom's disguise's head.
The two then land in front of him and quickly get rid of the ice skates.
"Nice hit." Flint complimented.
Luz created an ice sword in her hands. "C'mon! Let's take this guy down!"
Amity held her arm up, halting the two from moving forward. "No. This is my fault. I should have faced Grom myself from the start. I should've faced my fear." Amity stated, walking ahead and throwing her arms out, accepting what was to come.
Grom smiled sinisterly as tendrils grabbed her, lifting her off the ground.
The two looked on in shock.
"What're you doing?!" They both exclaimed.
Amity stayed firm in her resolve, even as Grom's tendril latched to her forehead. Her and Grom's eyes glowed, signaling Grom had what it needed as it became more blob-like. It let her down as it finally solidified by morphing into…a humanoid silhouette.
Flint and Luz blinked in surprise.
"Who is that?" Luz said, voicing their shared question.
Amity's eyes stop glowing. Grom takes the pink note from Amity's pocket and rips it in half, letting it fall to the ground. Amity closes her eyes, embarrassed, and clutching her dress as Grom slinks away. Amity picks up half of the note from the ground and holds it to her heart. Luz picks up the other, unfurls it, and reads it. It reads, 'Will you go to Grom with me? -Amity'.
Luz gasped. "You were afraid of getting rejected. Amity, it's okay. What if Flint or I went to Grom with you instead?" Luz asked, holding out her hand for Amity to take.
Amity absently reaches for Luz's hand in surprise.
"Really?" Amity asked, looking between both of them.
Flint rests his arm on Luz's shoulder. "Of course. No one should have to go to a dance alone."
Amity's face practically lit up with joy before becoming resolved as she looked toward Grom. Grom began to tower above the trio, roaring menacingly from its huge jaws.
Amity turned to the two of them. "Well, then, if that's settled, either of you care to dance?" Amity asked with newfound confidence as she held her hand out to the two.
Flint chuckled. "You go ahead Luz, I'll cover you," Flint said, getting into stance.
Luz nods, turning back to Amity with a grin before taking the offered hand. They come close to dance, the moon shining brightly behind them as they begin. Luz spins Amity, and Amity casts a spell with her feet, forming a giant abomination below them and causing them to rise up atop it. As they do this, Flint recreates his fire wings and spirals in the air around the two, casting a spell aimed at Grom.
"Hate reaction!" Flint declared, a wave of energy encompassing the beast and causing it to become enraged.
Luz pulls out one of her cards of glyph paper and holds it high. Flint spirals back down, both Luz and Flint's hands alighting with the plant and fire glyphs respectively, though Flint's glyph was smaller. The two slapped the paper between their hands, imprinting their respective glyph on either side of the paper.
Amity proceeds to dip Luz, allowing her to slap the double-sided glyph onto the abomination. The two jump off, as the abomination charges forward with a hefty leap into the charging Grom's mouth. Green and red light moves within it, and then plants start to bloom through it. Flint catches the two in each of his arms, holding them up as they sit on his supporting arms before letting them down smoothly as they spin in different directions. Luz spun counter-clockwise and held his left hand, as Amity spun clockwise holding his right, before finishing things off with a pose.
Grom explodes behind them, and they turn to see their work. In Grom's place stood a giant tree adorned in red and pink leaves. The leaves were patterned like flames, and the wind blowing gave the entire tree the illusion as though it were on fire. They could even feel a warmth radiating from it as the fleeting remnants of Grom slinked off.
The three smiled as tiaras appear on both of the girls' heads and a crown on Flint's. [If you wanna know what Flint's crown looks like, imagine the Ice King's crown from Adventure Time. That's what I'm envisioning.]
Luz leaned in. "So... who did you wanna ask out?" Luz asked. She wanted the deets!
Amity just blushed. "Oh, it's...it's not important," Amity said, tossing aside the other half of the note she had pocketed and tossing it aside.
King then ran up to the three with a microphone in hand and turned to the crowd they'd amassed.
"And there you have it, folks. A happy ending for this year's Grom. Let's give a big hand to our Grom Royals! Luz, Amity, and Flint!" King announced.
Luz flashes a toothy smile, Flint chuckles as he pockets something, and Amity blushes awkwardly. The students pop out of the bushes and run toward them, cheering as they parade the trio back to the school.
Flint looks down at something briefly, taking a deep breath before clearing his throat into a microphone, getting everyone in the gym's attention from on the stage.
"Hey everyone, I thought I'd leave us all with a little something before this party comes to a close," Flint said, gaining everyone's curious gaze.
"What did you have in mind?" Principal Bump asked.
Flint smiled. "Just a song I'd like to share. Something I think some of you will enjoy. I know it'll probably be a bit weird at first, but give it a chance, okay?"
Everyone seemed to murmur at this. Amity turned to Luz questioningly, but Luz just shrugged, also confused. Everyone then turned to Flint expectantly.
Flint created a spell circle, summoning a set of instruments nearby that only he and Luz recognized, being electronic equipment.
Flint closed his eyes as he began, the instruments coming to life with copies of himself that began to play them.
["Story" Luck and Logic OP by NateWantsToBattle]
youtube watch?v=IsL7xsJA20c
Screamed from the top of my lungs.
With sensuous impulse.
I've got the feeling you're about to go somewhere far away!
I need you, oh-whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh!
Everyone was surprised by the sudden performance. They'd never heard music quite like this, but they were rather curious about the style.
Luz smiled fondly as Amity looked on in amazement.
I said the same words in a parallel world.
I felt afraid of what I saw 'cause I knew that I wasn't dreaming.
I'm sick of running from my own reality.
I'm walking on and on, no stopping.
Leaving my regrets behind me.
Soon enough, everyone was starting to enjoy the performance, some even dancing with their dates. Even Eda was tapping along to the song.
I need you!
I need you!
I called your name.
Hoping you'd need me too.
We'll never be able to go back to that day.
Flint's smile grew wide, his smile radiating pure joy as he continued his efforts with renewed vigor.
Hope I'll fall in love once again!
This time it won't end (Whoa)!
Or maybe I can find you in a parallel story (Whoa).
In a trance I could sing another love song!
Wе could dance up until we see the sun risе!
I wanna change (Yeah!)!
I wanna change (Yeah!)!
When the sun comes up, my only wish!
Is I wake up next to you.
Amity and Luz both began to blush, imagining Flint was saying all of that to them as the song came to an end, with Flint taking a bow as his illusionary band dispersed.
The crowd erupted into cheers at the performance as Flint looked on happily. He picked Luz and Amity out of the bunch, seeing them looking the most enthusiastic out of everyone, which only served to brighten his smile further.
The quartet of Owl House residents arrived home. Eda and King were still pumped, and Flint felt like he was on Cloud 9, but his smile quickly faded once he saw Luz's fade.
"Whoo! Watch out for these, humans! Oh, you two did amazing! And good song Flint!" Eda cheered.
"Thanks, but...I'm gonna go to bed." Luz said, discarding the tiara to the ground before heading upstairs.
King picks up the tiara and places it on his head, though it doesn't quite fit him as it hangs diagonally on his head. "Now I am king and queen! Best of both things!"
Flint snorted as he saw Eda looking worried in the direction Luz left.
Flint sighed. "I'll handle it," Flint said as he went up after his longest-time friend.
Flint reached their shared room and knocked on the doorframe.
"You decent?" Flint asked.
"Yeah…" was the melancholy response he got back.
Flint walked in to see Luz sitting on the open windowsill, looking out into the night. Flint chose to lean against the wall on the other side of the window.
"It's the fact Grom turned into your mom that's bugging you, isn't it?" Flint asked, even if he already knew the answer.
Luz's head tilted down a bit. "Yeah…aren't you scared about Maddie finding out though?"
Flint bit his lip a bit before sighing. "I'll be honest, I think she's more relieved to know there's at least someexplanation for me."
"But what'll my mom think when she finds out I've been lying to her all this time?" Luz said in worry.
Flint took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, surprising her a bit as she looked back at him, giving her a reassuring expression.
"We'll figure it all out, I know we will. Everything will be alright, I'll make sure it does." Flint said.
Luz stayed quiet, but she didn't shy away from Flint as he came closer and wrapped her in a hug. Ever since they'd arrived here his body had become warmer. Whenever they touched, Luz couldn't help but feel soothed by it. And in his embrace at the moment, she practically felt her worries melt away, even if temporary.
After a while, Flint separated from her, excusing himself to go change out of his current outfit.
He went into the bathroom and began to change, something falling out of his pocket. He grabbed the item, revealing it to be Amity's note from earlier.
He looked at the other half again. It had his name and Luz's individually crossed out before reading 'Flint and Luz'. It appeared that Amity had had trouble deciding at first. Flint hadn't meant to read it at first, he'd only grabbed the note originally because it would have been littering, so he was going to just throw it away when he had the chance. But when he had gone to throw the note away, he'd seen his and Luz's names on it by accident.
If Flint was being honest? He was flattered to think Amity had developed a crush on him and Luz, but it also left him contemplating his thoughts about Luz, and realizing that…he cared for both of them, as more than just friends. It was partly why he sang that song.
It felt strange, and a tad wrong to the boy at first, the idea of having a thing for both of them. At the same time though, he didn't think he could bring himself to choose one over the other.
Plus…he already knew Luz was bi.
W̵̻̠̋a̵͖͔̐͛i̴̪̰͗t ̡̅!̶͍͙̅ ̵͓͕̽Ẇ̷͙̾h e ̣n̶̛̮̎ ͎̬̆I ̡̼̀ ̪c̴̛̮̼̽o̶̻̺͂̓ú̶̦͚͝l̵̻̍d̵̬̋̂n̵͇͙̐'̶̰̥̊͠t̴̘͐ ̶̛̼š̴̨̛̙t̶͔̀o̶̙̻̎̓p̷͍̑ Ä̵̼́̆m i̵͎̫͂̄t ̼̠y̴̭͆́ ̷̼̑f̷͈̟̌r̷̛͍o ̝m̷̡͍̉ ̷̧̹̃b̴̼̞̎͗ȕ̷̫r̵͉̠̅͝n̶͎̒i̵̯̼̓̅n̴͚͝g̴̣̜͝ ̵͔̅͊W̷̮̯̅͝i ͙̂̓ḷ̵̀l̷͉͜͝ö̷̭̣́w̵̲͇͘'̴̩̰̈́s̴̡̆̉ ̷̤̼̃̏ḿ̷̲̮ẽ̶̜͊m̴͕̫͋o̷̲̙̔r̴̮̉ͅì̶̼ė̷͈̄s ̧͕- ͈̅̈́ ̴̩̆̚w̵̞̗̿ȃ̴͉̺̈́s ̘ ̶̹͝ť̷̖̌h̷͇̀a ̻̈ţ̵̎ ̷͙̤̒y̴̰̕o̷̧̧͆̕u ͕́͊?̶͖͘!̵̥̄
̴̡͈͐͂S̴̱̃̏ọ̵͝͝ͅr̷̞̒̇r̷̭͂̈ȳ̴ͅ ̷̭́̇'̴͈͍͘b ̱̊o̷̲͎͊͝u ̥t̶̛̤ ̶͇̭̈́t̶̤̼̒h̶̜̓a̶̻̤͠͠t̴͚̔́ ̶̫͔͆k ̼i̵͕̼͌d̵̳̞̑͝. ͔̅̂ ̶̟̬̊̓I̵̖͎̒͛ ̷̘̀̿k̴̠̘͊͆n̴̲̓̈ḙ̵̛̋w̷͚̣̿ ̴̠̿y̴̖̯̒͘ṍ̶̳̯ǘ̵͚̬ ̷̘͌w̶̖̒o̴̹̯̽u ̤l̴̞͓̓d ̫̉'̷͔͉̄v ̦ȩ̶̌̀ ̶̝͒s̴̡̤̆t̴̞̒͂o̶̖̍p̴̡̬̽p̷̞͙͋e ̺̱̌d̶̨̗͋ ̴͙̍͑h̵̜̜̔͘e̴̝͊̃r̷̩̓ ̶̝͗ǫ̶̉t̷̼̮̔͝ḩ̷̒e ̢̄̾r̵͚̀w ̃̏͜͜i̴̟̹͠s̵̫̯̈́͛e̷͙̅̓,̵̯̽̎ ͔̂̕s̶̝̈́̉o ̡̉ ͇̂I̶̦̬̋ ̷͚̩̌͒h̴͇̮̀͝ȃ̶̟́d ͓͓́ ̶̛̖̈t̷͙́ọ̴̅ ̶͍͉̎d̵̛̬̹̋o̷̡̺͂ ̶̮͛s̵͕̔͜͠o̶͚͝m̵̡̓ĕ̵͖̘̍t̶͔̺́͠ḥ̴̒͋i̷͔̽̆n̵͍͔͗g̵͇͇͗́.̵̙̦͆͘
Non-canon Omake:
Amity stayed firm in her resolve, even as Grom's tendril latched to her forehead. Her and Grom's eyes glowed, signaling Grom had what it needed as it became more blob-like. It let her down as it finally solidified by morphing into…
Amity's eyes stopped glowing as she looked at what Grom turned into.
"Time to stop embarrassing yourself, Amity. I told you to stay away from that Willow." Grom-Odalia said with a bitchy smirk.
Amity's expression was unreadable, her hair overcasting her face. Flint and Luz glanced at each other hesitantly.
Grom-Odalia sighed. "Why must you be so rebel-"
CRACK
Grom-Odalia recoiled at the sudden punch that knocked her to the ground, blinking in surprise as she looked at her victim…
A victim who did not look scared at all.
Amity stared at Grom-Odalia with a dark look, a malicious aura practically radiating off of her, and causing Luz and Flint to back away. Amity's expression changed…
A smile of twisted glee adorned her face.
"Oh, Grom…your poor, fool," Amity said with a dark chuckle, cracking her knuckles as her downright terrifying smile caused Grom-Odalia to shudder.
"I'm going to enjoy this," Amity said sinisterly.
It was at that point Grom knew…it f***ed up.
The rest of the school would later become heavily confused as to why Grom was whimpering in fear as it ran from Amity; with Flint and Luz notably trying to hold her back to no avail as she chased after it with sadistic glee and a flaming sword of abomination goo.