For Boscha, nothing was more important than herself, winning, and Grudgby.
When she woke up this morning, Boscha wasted no time preparing for school. All that was left to do was her hair.
Boscha looked into her mirror with her hair down. On every wall of her bedroom were shelves filled with many trophies from her countless victories and wins. "You are talented. You are a star. You may be hated, but that's okay. So long as you are feared ," she said to herself. She put her hair into the usual bun and stood up. Bosha then slipped on a varsity jacket before heading for the door.
Before leaving the room, the triclope stopped and looked at her calendar beside the doorway. "Most importantly, you are a winner," she said, smirking.
Boscha ripped off a page of her calendar before walking out the door. The whole month had been marked "Grudgby Season."
Skara had marked her calendar the same way. This month is the month he's been waiting for. The month of the year she's been training for. The moment she'll prove to her friends and family that she's had what it takes to be a winner, just like her mother and father.
"Are you ready for your little games?"
Skara yelped and turned around, only to see it was her great-grandmother, Alice. "Grandma Alice! Do you have to do that?"
"Lightning is unpredictable," she said with a sweet smile. Alice walked up to the young girl. "It seems like only yesterday that your mother and father wore that same uniform."
"Yeah, but I just wish they wouldn't be so strict with me," Skara said.
The truth was Willy and Kimberly didn't want any of their kids to join the sport. They say that Grubgby brought out the worst in people. Her girlfriend, Bo, didn't want her to join the team because of Boscha.
Skara wrote it off as them being protective, as she was part of a fugitive family. However, she would be naive to say that they weren't wrong. Despite how long they've been friends, Boscha was always a mean girl and a queen bee. Grudgby season, however, was when she was at her worst.
The girl shook her head and slapped her cheeks with a smile. "Alright, let's go win!" She exclaimed, turning around and running out of the room.
However, she ran back up and kissed her great-grandmother on the head.
"By grandma!" She then left the room again. "I'll pick you up a hairy pop!"
"Don't worry about me! I've already got one," Alice said, laughing and pulling out a giant lollipop with bits of hair on it. Then she shoved it in and started licking and sucking like crazy.
Skara smiled at her great-grandmother uncomfortably and slowly walked out of the room, descended the stairs, and ran into the kitchen.
"Bye, Mom and Dad!" She greeted her parents. Her mother, Kimberly, was wearing a suit and tie. Her father, Willy, was cleaning the dishes with an apron on.
With her backpack on, Skara kissed her little brother, Gray, on the head and ran out the door.
"Dinner's pizza!" Willy called out to her before the door closed. He sighed. "I hope that girl knows what she's getting herself into."
"She'll be fine. They've made many changes to the rules since we've played it," Kimberly said, walking up behind her husband and kissing him on the cheek.
"It's not so much the game. It's her friend. I never like her hanging out with that punk," Willy said, frowning at the thought of his daughter being influenced by Boscha.
Kimberly sighed and looked down, silently agreeing with her husband. Her mothers, Eden and Rebecca, were lovely people. At the same time, Boscha was the apple that fell far from the tree. However, even since Amity Blight's birthday party, they have been best friends. She didn't want her daughter to lose those friends. However, Kimberly had been a star player herself, so she knew just how much being a Grudgby player could change a person for the worse.
"No worries, she'll be fine," she said, trying to stay positive. "She's not just a Foxbat, but a Bridges. She'll do the right thing."
"I hope so," her husband said. Then he summoned a spear. "Welp, time to go hunt down a pizza."
Skara joined Boscha, along with her other teammates, Amelia and Cat. Together, they formed a V-formation and walked through the streets of Boneborough together. Boscha walked in front of them, dribbling a Grudgby ball with her eyes closed and a smug smirk on her face. They passed by several mesmerized onlookers. All of them looked at the captain of the school's team with amazement.
"There she goes, captain of the Banshees," said one old woman, "off to win another championship for Hexside."
The old woman next to her turned to her grandchild. "Why can't you be more like her?"
Her grandchild breathed in deeply with an annoyed expression.
Soon, the Banshees approached Hexside. The school was decorated with blue and yellow flags and streamers. As the team approached, a spell activated that made a banner magically unfurl over the school. On it was "Go get 'em, Banshees!"
The team stopped just a couple of feet from the door. Boscha spun the ball on her finger and threw it away over her shoulder. "Alright, girls. You know the drill. Captain goes first," she said, approaching the doors.
Grabbing both handles, Boscha threw the door open and entered the school. Announcing her entrance to everyone. "Hello, Hexside! Your star has arrived. The groveling line starts here," she said, pointing to the floor before her feet.
However, when she opened her eyes, Boscha was confused.
"Something's not right…Nobody's here!"
The halls of the school were utterly barrow. Only a few balloons and some streamers were there.
The triclops was about to yell again for everyone to come out and give her the attention she wanted. However, she was stopped by the sound of students laughing from a distance.
Boscha peered around a corner, spotting a crowd of students gathered around a student. Narrowing her eyes, she was shocked and appalled to see it was Willow—who was holding a potted plant—getting all the attention.
"No way!" said one student from the Potions Track. "Do me next. Do me!"
Happy to oblige, Willow used her magic on the plant, which was little more than a stick. The plant sprouted a fruit that looked like the potion student's face.
The student took it and held it like a baby. "Welcome to the world, little buddy. You're the coolest, Willow," he said.
Willow blushed and said, "Aw, shucks!"
Then, a student with a bird-like head exclaimed. "Yeah, Willow rules!"
Oh no, this will not do. Boscha will not have a weak half-a-witch like the plant witch. Recomposed herself and gathered her posse. With hands in her pockets, she walked by Willow and the other students.
"Wow, she has to make friends out of plants. How sad," she said snidely.
Skara laughed with the other girls on the Banshee team. However, she stopped when she caught a glimpse of someone.
Bo was among those who wanted to see Willow's magic. The black girl's girlfriend glared at her with a look of disappointment and turned her head away. Skara looked away in shame, unable to say anything at the moment.
As for Willow, she was embarrassed by the bully. However, that was when Amity entered the fray. "Oh, please!" The green-haired witch caught up with her 'best friends' and walked beside Boscha. "You know, I used to be like you, Boscha, obsessed with status, challenging my competition. But I grew up. When will you?"
Amity walked ahead, leaving Boscha standing where she'd stopped. The triclop was utterly stunned by Amity's words. She was supposed to be on her side—not that loser! To make matters worse for her, the crowd of students laughed at her.
Humiliation to herself was something Boscha never stood for. This was the month she was supposed to be the most loved and feared by all. She was the star captain of the team. And yet the maroon-haired girl was being laughed at by low-lives, all because her friend stood up for a loser like Willow.
Willow was a nobody and a failure. That's how it was supposed to be. But ever since beginning in the Plant Track, she's gotten much stronger. And with that strength came popularity and attention. Popular and attention that shouldn't have been hers.
In Boscha's mind, Willow was stealing her thunder.
"Oh, this is not gonna fly," Boscha said, gritting her teeth. It was time that Willow was reminded of where her place was in her school.
{Play music: Into the Badlands theme}
As the portal gate opens, the camera zooms in on it.
Booker and Luz are seen in the sky. They open their eyes only to realize they are falling, which causes them to freak out before something zooms past them and catches them. Booker and Luz open their eyes, with Luz behind her friend and holding his arm while Booker holds onto the staff to stay on. The two kids see they are saved by Eda, who smirks at the duo as they fly to her house on her Palisman staff.
The door where Hooty was opened up as Luz and Booker stepped outside, with Luz twirling and posing with Eda's staff while Booker drew his Dragon's Bite sword he got recently and did his own pose. But then Eda took her staff back with an amused grin while Luz gave a sheepish smile, and Booker looked amused. King popped up in front of them in a pose.
A Boiling Isle mural is seen as Gus, Willow, and Amity are seen briefly before it burns away to show King commanding an army of stuffed toys, which all fall on him. The scene burned away again, showing Booker standing under a spotlight with grief written on his face as the fire was seen all around him. Silhouettes appear as they take the shape of a man with pointed ears, a human woman, and six children with slightly pointy ears. The fire consumed them.
Now Booker and Luz were on Eda's staff, with Luz riding up front like she was driving and Booker standing behind like he was surfing on a surfboard. They zoom down the Boiling Isles, past many friends and foes alike, until Eda and King join in on the ride... then they hang on for dear life as a massive, monstrous worm-like monster, mouth wide open, lunges at them. Everyone, minus Booker, screamed in horror. The latter looked brave and defiant towards the beast, and he pointed his sword towards it.
Then the scene changes back to the Owl House, where it's nighttime, and stars twinkle in the sky as the four are on the roof and looking up into the sky. Luz opens her hands to reveal a ball of light as Booker's hands glow, and a glyph-like symbol appears on the back of his hands.
He grinned and slammed his hands together, causing light magic to burst from his hands. That's when the title appeared.
The Seventh Son
Chapter Fifteen:
Wing it like Witches
The next day, Booker, Eda, and Luz flew in on Eda's staff and saw how Hexisde was in the full spirit of the Grudgby season. Now, fireworks were going off all around the school, and the kids wore their school's team colors.
The Owl Lady landed on the brick road, which was repaired in record time after their battle with Holmes, the fraud inventor. Booker and Luz hopped off and took a look around. "Well, this is it. Our first Grudgby season!" Booker exclaimed, pumping his fists with an excited smile. "Crazy colors, fireworks, cheerleaders !"
Knowing he was referring to her, the Dominican girl blushed.
"W-Well, maybe not this year. But I'm so excited; I have more school spirit than the school spirits!" Luz screamed with more excitement than her crush.
Booker looked at her with a smile. However, he turned around, then cringed and sucked air through his teeth.
"What?"
The Seventh Son, wearing his beanie hat and color-changing contact lenses, pointed to a stereotypical ghost floating next to Luz, holding a pair of black pom-poms. "Why do I even bother?" The ghost threw its pom-poms on the ground, groaned, and floated away.
"We're sorry!" Booker called out to it.
"Ah, Grudgby season is the best," Eda said, looking at the blue and gold banners with pride, gesturing to herself. "You know, your father and I used to play back in our gory days."
"The expression is 'glory' days," Booker told his aunt.
"Well, that too. It's all the same. We were unstoppable on the field. Mal had the best moves, and I…had the best cheats!" Eda said with her cunning smile and a hand under her chin.
Booker sighed in annoyance. "Of course you do."
"What?" Eda asked, offended.
"Cheating isn't anything to brag about, Eda," Luz said. "How do you know you were any good if all you did was cheat your way to victory?"
"Oh, like you're one to talk," Booker said, glaring at her. "After you copied off my math test last year and got me in trouble? I got two weeks of detention, man."
"I-I'm not good with math!" Luz said, flustered.
"That's just your human side talking, Booker. What do humans know? With their goody-goody attitude? If 'cheaters never prosper,' why was I the star player," Eda questioned.
Booker was going to protest but stopped himself. He sighed and shook his head. "You can't reason with crazy, so why bother?"
Before heading off to class, Booker pulled a sleeping King out of his hood.
"Aw~Bye, King, you little snoozers." Luz kissed King's head.
Booker put him on the staff as he woke up. Then, the Dominican girl grabbed Booker's, and the two ran towards the school.
Wanting a new place to nap, King scurried into Eda's hair. "Ugh. Eda, when was the last time you cleaned up in here?" he complained. His arm threw a bag of onion rings from Eda's hair. Then, the little demon pulled out a rat with an eye on its back. "Get your own scalp, buddy. This one's taken."
King threw the rat before snuggling into the mane of gray hair.
"All this talk of Grudgby makes me feel nostalgic. Whaddya, can you and I take a little trip down memory lane," Eda asked her long-time companion.
"Hard pass."
"That's the spirit."
"You mean me?" The ghost from before floated up to her.
"Ugh. Come on!" Eda flew away.
Ghost was once again sad. "Oh."
The first class of the day was history. Booker and Luz sat with Willow and Gus in the classroom as the teacher lectured about the Emperor himself. "Over 50 years ago, Emperor Belos appointed a head witch to each coven," he said while some students looked bored.
However, Booker toned out the teacher. With his fingers locked and his mouth hiding behind his hands, the Seventh Son glared at the witch who destroyed his family and ruined their lives. If it were possible, Booker would be burning through the mask of the Emperor with the intensity of his hatred.
"Booker, are you listening?" Luz looked at her best friend worriedly when she saw the glare. Hearing her voice, however, snapped him out of his state.
"Huh?" Booker turned to Luz. "Oh, sorry. Did you say something?"
"I was saying that I can't wait for grudgby season to start! I've studied all sorts of magical sports. Like this," Luz said, holding up a DVD case. " Good Witch Azura and the Dark One 2: The Field of Deadly Fates. A classic underdog tale."
Willow took the DVD case and read the description on the back. "Azura and Dominic challenge Hecate in the Smibbitch championship. But will she risk it all by taking a chance on the deadly Thorn Vault, or will her need to win drive Dominic away?"
"You know that movie sucks ass, right?" Booker said, reaching over and grabbing the DVD case.
"It does not!" Luz snatched the case out of his hand.
"It follows nothing from the book. It completely ruined Dominic's character and made Azura a stereotypical sports movie protagonist," Booker said, taking back the case and opening it.
Seeing the shiny DVD, Gus reached for it. "Ooh, a shiny cookie." He was about to touch it when Booker snapped the case shut on his fingers. Making him pull back his hand. "Ouch!"
"Not food," Booker said.
The friends turned back to the snake teacher as he continued with his lecture. "The council headquarters was built and paid for by...? Anyone? Willow?"
With 50% certainty, Willow stood up and said, "Uh, the Pixie Dust Taxes?"
"Whoo, yeah! Go, Willow!" Cheered the same bird student from the hall outside.
The teacher quickly drew a spell circle and shut the door. He turned back to Willow and said, "Impressive, Miss Park."
The students all started murmuring in admiration, making the plant girl blush adorably as she sat down.
"What's going on? It's like all of Hexside's caught Willow fever!" Luz said.
"Yeah, you've really made a name for yourself," Booker said, smiling.
"Ever since I patched things up with Amity, I've been feeling more confident," said Willow, gesturing to the flower-shaped hair clip she's wearing. "I guess it shows."
However, the moment wasn't about to last. The hair clip started glowing green before levitating off Willow's head and flowing behind the group of friends.
Right into Boscha's hand. "Aw, Willow thinks she's popular now. How cute," she said mockingly as Skara and the other team members sat with her.
While Willow looked down, Booker glared at the bullies and his cousin murderously. Seeing him look at her like that made Skara slink in her seat. "Hey, I agree. My friend is adorable," Luz said, standing up. "But give that back!"
Luz tried grabbing for the hair clip. However, Boscha pulled her hand back. "It's weird that Amity hangs out with you and a filthy hybrid now. Ever since Grom, she's gone soft. But don't worry," she said, putting the clip in her hair. "I'm still here to show you who's boss."
With his natural eyes glowing behind his contacts' pupils, Booker slowly stood up. Though faint, a gold aura came from his body. He glared down at Boscha as his friends got up and backed away from him.
"Give it back," he said, trying to be as calm and reasonable as possible.
"Mmm, nope."
"Give. It. Back."
"Or what?" Boscha asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'll break your fingers," Booker growled.
Skara and her team looked scared at the Seventh Son, knowing he could do it with his powers. They've seen him lose control, and the last thing they wanted was to cross him.
Boscha, however, drunk on her popularity, wasn't afraid and stood up to get into Booker's face. "You better watch who you're talking to, Seventh Son," said the bully with a smug look.
Staring into Booker's hate-filled eyes. With a smirk, she swiped off Booker's hat, letting his golden locks free.
"Yeah, that's right. I know what you are, hybrid freak."
"Then you should know what I'm capable of," Booker said.
"What? Do you think you're something? You're a loser, just like your friends. So you and that little bitch Willow better know your fucking placing in my hierarchy. If not, I can make your lives at this school absolutely miserable—"
Suddenly, Booker used his light magic to form a giant hand that slammed Boscha into the wall and held her against it. This alerted everyone in the room, who were all shocked to see their Grudgby team captain being overpowered.
"Hey, hey! How dare you harm our captain of the Banshees—!" The teacher started but was cut off when Booker snapped his head around to glare at him from over his shoulder. Some of his magic radiated off his arms, giving him a menacing appearance.
The snake witch yelped and hid behind his desk.
Boscha grunted as she tried pulling herself away from the magic hand. Glaring at Booker for daring to humiliate her, Boscha was about to use her magic when plant vines burst from the wall and pinned her fingers together. "You little—" She was shut in the mouth by an ice spell that muzzled her. The Banshees look at their captain in shock.
"Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt her," Booker said and walked up to Boscha. Glaring at her hatefully as the triclops looked almost afraid of him. Then, however, instead of hurting her, he reached up and plucked the hairpin out of Boscha's hair. "Just got tired of asking nicely."
As he turned around and walked away, Booker released his hold on Boscha, and she fell to the ground. Her team quickly rushed over to her while she couched on her hands and knees.
"Here you go, Willow," said the Seventh Son, placing the hairpin on the plant girl's hair before disappearing.
Skara and Amelia helped Boscha stand up. "This isn't over, you freak!" Boscha screamed, pointing at Booker with a furious glare. "I'll make your stay at this school so bad you'll be hanging yourself in the bathrooms by the end of the week!"
Boscha threw the door open and marched out of the classroom in a fury, and her teammates followed behind. The entire room was in shock at what had just happened.
"Booker, that was a little uncool," Luz said, looking at her friend in slight disappointment.
"Why, do you like her," Booker asked.
"No, I hate her."
"So do I," Booker said bitterly, ending the argument in one counterargument. "Willow, why didn't you do anything? You could have wiped the floor with her?"
Willow sighed and sat down in her chair. "What difference does it make? Now you're going to be the target."
"Yeah? Let her try and pick on me," Booker said, sitting down and crossing his arms. Boscha was a bully, and the Seventh Son hated bullies. "I've had to deal with people like her all my life. If I can make all my other bullies stop picking on me, I'll do it again with her. And if she wants to play rough, I'll play rough."
Willow, however, wasn't so sure. Booker didn't know Boscha as well as she did, so there was no reasoning with her. She had never fought back before, fearing retaliation would result in terrible consequences.
And now her fears were about to come true.
Once class was over, Skara was seen grabbing her things from her locker. Alone and away from Boscha's fuming and ranting about how she would get back at her cousin. Leaving Skara with a dilemma. Now that Booker had gotten on Boscha's bad side in a way she'd never seen before, what would she do?
Her head told her to stay loyal to Boscha, as she was her best friend, not to let her know they were cousins, and to protect her family, which was full of outlaws and wild witches wanted by the government.
Her heart was telling her to stop the bullying. Booker was her family, one of the last of her mom's side of the family. She couldn't just stand by and let him be bullied. However, Boscha would then turn on the black girl and make her life and the lives of her cousins miserable.
"Damnit, Booker, why did you have to do that?" Skara whispered.
"Because he's tired of Boscha's bullshit," said a familiar voice.
Skara turned around and was surprised to see Amity standing behind her. Her expression displayed her disappointment as she crossed her arms.
"As am I," Amity said.
Skara turned around and crossed her arms. "Oh, look who it is," she said bitterly. "Where's your boyfriend and girlfriend?"
Amity suddenly grabbed Skara by her cowl and pulled her close to her face. "Boyfriend? Girlfriend?! Who said that? Was it them? Did they want to be a couple with me?!" Amity exclaimed in excitement and fear.
However, realizing what she was doing, she blushed brightly in embarrassment.
"....I've said too much."
Skara cautiously removed Amity's hands from her clothes. "What does it matter to you? You'd rather hang out with those losers than with your friends," she said, turning back to her lock to organize it.
"I'd rather hang out with my friends than Boscha." Amity corrected her black friend, getting back to the topic. "Especially after the way she treats people. The way she treats your cousin ."
Skara's eyes widened for a moment. "Is that what this is about?" asked the witch as she turned around again. "We get it. You and Willow are friends again."
"It's more than just Willow," Amity insisted. "It's everything, Skara. You're better than this. You're a great friend, but Boscha doesn't see that. She just sees a pawn. That's all we are to her."
"That's not true!" Skara quickly denied it.
Amity sighed. "Come on, Skara. You're smarter than this," Amity said, gesturing to her. "You know what Boscha's like. Even if she did see us as real friends now, what's to stop her from throwing us away when better friends come along? Do you think messing with people and putting them down is fun?"
For a moment, Skara paused as she tried to come up with a response. "W-Well, she's not the same as she used to be when we were kids. Remember how bad she was?" Skara asked, smiling.
"Yeah, and she's getting worse. You know how she is around this time of year. And now that Booker stood up to her, your cousin isn't safe. Even if you tried to defend him or talk her out of it."
Skara scoffed and waved off the green-haired witch. "Don't worry. It's not like she can follow them around all day, right?"
Skara was proven to be very wrong when she and Amity found Booker on Hexside's front steps.
He was sitting with Gus, Luz, and Willow, who were all covered in trash and had graffitied faces with insults. "She followed us around all day," Luz said, traumatized. "She literally followed us around all day !"
Amity whispered to Skara, "See what I mean?"
"W-Well, it's not…that bad?" Skara said, shrugging with a nervous smile.
Finally having enough of Skara turning her back on him for Boscha, Booker stood up. "Not that bad? Are you kidding me?!" He shouted at his cousin, making Skara look away in shame.
"He's right, Skara," Luz said, standing by her best friend. "This is getting out of control. I mean, she followed us!"
Still sitting, Willow sighed in misery. "I'm really sorry I pulled you guys into this. We should have just kept a low profile. Boscha could get away with murder if she wanted to."
"Oh, please," Booker said, not believing the idea of Boscha being untouchable.
It was at that moment that Principal Bump came walking down the stairs. "What's this? Did Boscha get away with murder? I can't say I approve, but at least she's trying new things," he said before leaving. Leaving Booker in disbelief and a need to introduce Boscha to Dragon's Bite.
However, Amity stopped him by grabbing his hand. "Booker, I know you want to do something. Believe me, this time of year, she's extra unbearable," she said, blushing as she held his hand. "But retaliating wouldn't make the situation better."
Booker blushed, too, thinking about how pretty her eyes were."Well, what about you two," he asked her and Skara, the latter's eyes widening. "You two are her best friends. Can't you get her to back off? No one's willing to do anything about it because she's the 'Star Captain of the Grudgby Team.'"
Still blushing, Amity backed up and averted her eyes from him. "Uh, the hard part is, there's no reasoning with Boscha," she said, holding her books tightly to her chest.
"W-Well, not always," Skara said, still trying to defend her friend's actions while rubbing her arm. "She only speaks in Grudgby terms…."
Booker sighed in annoyance. However, Luz seemed to have gotten an idea. "Hmm. Okay, okay. I'm pickin' up what you're puttin' down," she said.
Not understanding what she meant, Amity and Skara looked down. The former stared at the books she was holding while the latter examined her shoes. "We're... not putting anything down," said Amity.
"It's a figure of speech, Ams," Booker said. "AAAAAAAAH!" Suddenly, Booker yelled in shock as a pie of trash fell from above his head onto him.
"Booker!" His friends yelled as the Seventh Son was covered in junk. The sudden dumping got the attention of the other students, who gathered around, watching.
"Booker! What happened?" Willow asked, worried.
"I'll give you three guesses," Booker replied with a growl as he turned around. Looking up to see a trash can hovering over him before returning to the person who had used the levitation spell.
"Hey, Booker!" Boscha shouts from the top of the stairway. "Thought the trash should stay in one place."
Booker growls while tightening his fists. "That's... it! HEY BITCHA!" Boscha looks down at the hybrid with an amused yet questioning look. "GET DOWN HERE! I'M TAKING YOU DOWN!" He drew Dragon's Bite and pointed the blade at Boscha.
"Oh? And what are you going to do? Kill me?" Boscha asked with a smirk as she pulled out Booker's bounty poster. "If you try and do anything to me again, I can just go to the Emperor's Cover. That's a lot of money to live off of."
"W-Wait, Boscha. That's a little too extreme, right?" Skara asked her best friend. Trying to reason with her.
"Excuse me? Whose friend are you? Mine or his?" Boscha asked angrily. This made Skara nervous, so she quickly backed down. "So do as you're told and back off. End of discussion!"
"Don't you talk to her like that, you stupid bitch!" Booker snapped at the bitch.
"Or what?!" Boscha yelled back at him. Furious that he was still defying her. Why wouldn't he just stay down like a dog or peon?
"Or else I—"
Luz suddenly pulled Booker in from the side and pointed at Boscha with a glare of determination. "HE'LL CHALLENGE YOU TO A GRUDGBY MATCH!"
Her declaration made everyone in the area gasp in total shock and astonishment.
"What?!" Boscha shouted.
"What?!" Booker, Willow, and Gus shouted.
Meanwhile, at the Owl House, after pulling out the box, she kept her old Grudgby equipment, but Eda slipped on her old Grudgby jacket. She was happy to find that it still fit her. Sitting on the couch, she picked up a photo album and opened it, showing all of her gory day photos to King.
"And here's when we took down Epiderm High in the semi-finals," Eda said, pointing to a photo of her younger self holding a trophy. With her was her old flame, Malcolm Bridges. The best player on the team and was an absolute powerhouse. "Oh, Mal and I were the youngest on the team. He was the most powerful, but I had what some call 'star power.' AKA, this. "
The Owl Lady reached in and pulled a box out from her hair labeled 'Eda's Rad Cheats.'
"This is my cheat box. I have all my best weapons here. Smoke bombs, sockworms..." Eda kissed her box like it was a baby she was proud of. "I never lost a game with Mal and this bad boy."
All of a sudden, the door slammed open.
Hooty entered and said, "Hoot-hoot! Guess who found a special friend in the forest." He answered his question by bringing in the person he was talking about, wrapped up in his elongated body. "It was me. Hoot!"
Hooty released the person he'd captured, who fell to the floor. And it was the one person Eda had wanted to see—so she could rip them apart.
"Lilith." Eda glared at her sister, stuffing the box into her hair.
"Edalyn." Lilith glared back at her.
Hooty popped up between them. "Hooty!
"Ugh. Scram, Hooty," Eda said, standing a few feet from her sister.
"Okay!" Hooty's body retracted back into the front door, which promptly slammed shut.
Not sure what to make of the owl….thing, Lilith turned back to her sister. "Why are you in your old uniform?" She asked.
"Shut up!" Eda summoned Owlbert and turned him into his staff form. Glaring at her sister with hatred. "You've got a lot of nerves coming around here," Eda growled, pointing her staff at Lilith as the owl Palismen's eyes glowed.
This shocked Lilith. "Whoa, easy. Is there any reason for such aggression?" asked the head of the Emperor's Coven.
"Oh yeah? Well, was there any reason why you attacked Booker and York's family?!" Eda yelled, jamming the staff into Lilith's chest.
The other woman was shocked at first. But seeing that it was only natural for the Seventh Son to tell her, Lilith sighed and looked at her sister with a neutral expression. "So, he told you about that?"
"Oh, he told me a lot. So, you're going to tell me what the fuck you're doing in my house," Eda said, glaring with disdain.
Seemingly unfazed by her sister's harsh treatment, Lilith used her magic to summon a scroll into her hand. It unrolled into an extremely long list. Lilith then cleared her throat and started reading. "Edalyn Clawthorne, you are hereby under arrest by order of the Emperor of the Boiling Isles—"
Eda smirked and tapped the scroll with her finger. Her magic caused it to roll up and smack Lilith in the face.
"You were saying?" Eda gave her sister a smug look.
Frustrated by her sister's immaturity, Lilith stomped her foot. "Come on! I have to bring you in. It's time for you to join the coven," she said, pointing at her sister. "And it's time for you to hand over the Seventh Son to the Emperor."
"Yeah, that's not going to happen," Eda said, crossing her arms.
"This isn't up for discussion, Edalyn. The Emperor—" Lilith was cut off when Eda got in her face.
"Let me make this very clear. You are my sister. That's the only reason I haven't killed you. And this is me being nice, sister ," Eda said with dead seriousness. "So shut your cock-holster, and listen to me when I tell you this: Booker is off-limits. His family is off-limits. Whatever is going on with us has nothing to do with him. Stay away from him. I will never allow you or Belos to take him away from me."
Eda stared into her sister's eyes with a fire in hers. Glaring daggers into her eyes, letting Lilith know that she wasn't joking around. Not when it comes to the boy she's come to view as a son. The Owl Lady would declare war on the Demon Realm if she had to so that boy could live a happy life.
Lilith looked at her sister in shock. Never once thinking that she would threaten to kill her.
She remained silent until Eda turned around and returned to the coffee table. "You would really defy the Emperor for some boy that isn't even a part of our family?" She asked incredulously, unable to believe it.
Eda scoffed. "He's more family than you've been. Do you even know why Belos wants Booker?"
"I don't know, and I don't care," Lilith said coldly. "It's time to stop acting like a child and be your real family. The Emperor has big plans for the Isles and wants you to be a part of it all."
Rolling her eyes, Eda picked up the photo album and started flipping through it. "Ooh, Aah. What an incredible opportunity for me," Eda said sarcastically. "I might be willing to sell out kids, but not my kids."
Lilith glared at her. "What are you even looking at?" She demanded to know before grabbing the photo album from Eda. She was surprised. "Grudgby pictures? Feeling sentimental?"
"Pah! Me? Never. I was just telling King here how good I was," Eda elated as she summoned a Grudgby ball.
Lilith chuckled. "Oh, Edalyn. Not only is the curse affecting your hair, but your memory as well," she said, holding up the picture of young Eda and Mal.
That's when she unfolded it to reveal her younger self leaning against a giant Grudgby trophy and several medals around her neck.
Eda groaned. That's why she folded that photo. However, looking at her jacket, an idea formed in her head. "Ah, tell you what. I'll go with you peacefully to the Emperor…."
Lilith gasped and smiled with excitement. "Really?
"Sure. If you beat me at a game of Grudgby," Eda said. "Luz is always challenging people to do things. Why not me?"
Lilith thought about it for a moment until she smiled again. "Alright, but if I win, you not only come with me. You'll hand over Booker."
Angry, Eda growled at her sister. Damnit, she was not letting him go. Her heart told her not to take the deal, then blast Lilith out of her house and put up a barrier to keep her out. Maybe move the house. However, Eda was a gambler and saw a chance to get some answers.
"Alright, you want to bring Booker into this? Fine. If I win, you not only leave us alone, but I want the truth, Lilith," Eda said, getting up into Lilith's face, glaring daggers into her eyes. "I want to know if you were there when Belos slaughtered Mal's brothers, their families, and their children and babies. I want to know if you have their blood on your hands and if I should consider killing you. Eye for an eye, bitch."
Lilith was deeply shocked by Eda's demand, especially with the threat of killing her. Her own sister, after everything she's been trying to do for Eda. She should be grateful for what Lilith was trying to do for her. But at the same time, this will be the closest Lilith will ever get to bringing Eda in. She had no other options.
"Game on."
"Luz, what the fuck are you doing?!" Booker yelled, grabbing Luz by the shoulders and shaking her.
"You heard what Skara said. Boscha only speaks in Grudgby," Luz said, trying to convince Booker to get on board with her idea. "Trust me. I have a plan."
"No! No, no, no! You don't get to make plans! Your plans suck," Booker shouted. "Your plans always end in me getting in trouble."
"Name one time."
"The project that got us sent to summer camp!"
"Oh, yeah…"
Boscha now stood in front of him and his friends. The other Banshees were behind her. Skara, regrettably, chose to walk over and join their side.
"Okay, maybe it's the altitude, but I thought I heard you say that this low life wanted to challenge me to a Grudgby match," Boscha said, pointing to Booker.
"That's right! We'll settle this once and for all on the field," Luz said, pushing Booker behind her with a confident smirk.
"Uh, could you give us a moment?" Booker said, facepalming. He pulled Luz and the others aside. "Luz, again, what the fuck are you doing?"
"Helping you take down Boscha," Luz said, rolling her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing.
"No, you're getting me in a bad situation. Just all those other times," Booker said, glaring at her with frustration.
"How else are you going to fight her? You heard Boscha. You can't fight her directly. Not without her going to the Emperor's Coven and reporting you. This way, you can knock her off her pedestal and not get arrested," Luz explained to her best friend. Hoping that he'd see it her way, just like in the second Acura and the Dark One movie.
"Or we could just talk about our issues," Willow said, hoping to avoid being drawn into a fight with her bully.
"And then what?" Luz asked, looking at her friend with a frown. "Boscha will never stop. She'll continue to get worse, and you'll just suffer."
All that said, Booker thought for a moment and considered his options. On the one hand, he hated how Luz was putting him in another dangerous situation, all because she wanted to live out her fantasies. But his first crush was right. Boscha had to be taken down, and he wanted to be the one to do it. But with the threat of the Emperor's Coven being alert about his presence at the school, he couldn't just attack and beat her up. Meaning he had to play Boscha on her playing field.
He exhaled a sigh and turned around to face the three-eyed girl. "Alright, what do you say, Bitcha?
The triclops threw her head back and laughed out loud. "You can't be serious," Boscha said. Looking as if she had just heard something ridiculous.
"I am," Booker says as the other students gather around. "We'll settle this once. One game, anything goes."
Everyone watching muttered it to one another, shocked to see someone would challenge the Banshee's captain.
Boscha smirked with confidence. "Let's do this."
"Oh no..." Willow whimpered.
"When and where," asked the Seventh Son.
"After school, at the field," Boscha said.
"If we win, you don't get to pick on Willow or anyone anymore," Booker said.
Boscha glared at him. "Fine, but when we win, you and your team must be our water gophers."
"Heh, that's not even a punishment. Luz loves water."
"It's true," Luz said with a nod.
"And... we get to use you as target practice."
Boscha threw the ball she held in the air and kicked it so hard that it punched a hole through a tree. The walls of the hole were scorched and smoking. Luz, Willow, and Gus looked incredibly scared at the hole. Staring in horror, they saw the tree collapse under its weight and tumble over, crashing to the ground as the mental image of their heads being in the tree's place filled their subconscious.
Booker, however, looked at Boscha unamused.
"Was that supposed to intimidate us?" He asked, making her eyes widen. "Because anything you choose to throw at us, we can take it, and then some. Why? Because we're not scared of bratty jock bitch you."
Luz and Amity couldn't help but blush at how brave their best friend and crush were.
Boscha gritted her teeth and glared at the hybrid, mad at the insult and that he was not intimidated. But that's when she widens her eyes like she remembered something. Something that happened during Grom made her lips curl up into a malicious smile. Her mind formed a cruel idea that would get her the reaction the triclops wanted.
"Anything," Boscha asked.
"Anything." Booker raised a fist.
"Does that also include... This?!" Boscha opened her hand and created a basketball-sized fireball.
The pupils in Booker's eyes shrank before the Seventh Son gasped and stiffened with fear. Flashes of that day and Grom assaulted his memory. Booker began to hyperventilate and took a step back. Something that made Boscha very happy to see.
"What's the matter," Boscha asked, moving the fireball up to him, increasing his anxiety. "Scared of a little fire?
After a moment of remaining still, Booker couldn't take it anymore, and his anxiety won over his will. The Seventh Son turned and ran away to the other side of the school.
"Booker, wait!" Luz shouted as she, Willow, Amity, and Gus ran after him.
"See you and your loser team after school! If you're not too busy being a coward!" Boscha calls out before laughing at her cruel actions. Skara remained silent, wanting to help Booker, but she knew she couldn't.
When Booker stopped running, he was standing on the left side of the school building. He stood with his hand on his knees, huffing with sweat running down his face.
"Booker!" Luz and Amity exclaimed as both girls, Willow and Gus, ran over to him. Extremely worried for their crush.
"God dammit!" yelled the Seventh Son, punching the wall in frustration and embarrassment. He looked so weak in front of that bully. It was unbearable. "I'm gonna break that girl's face!"
"But I thought you were no longer afraid of fire," Gus said.
"Yeah, but only my fire! I'm still trying to figure this out!" Booker argued before turning his attention to Luz. "Well, Luz, once again, you got us all into another fucked up situation."
"Hey, you're the one that agreed to go along with it," Luz said, frowning.
"You forced me to do it!"
"Alright, enough," Amity said, even though she disapproved of what her girl crush did. "Luz, this isn't a good idea. You're talking about going up against someone who lives, breathes, and sleeps Grudgby."
"But Booker's the better witch," Luz said, pulling out her movie again. "I don't know much about sports, but I know about sports movies. We, too, are a ragtag team of lovable misfits joined together to defeat a powerful enemy. We can win with a little team spirit and…a training montage!"
After she'd finished her speech with a beaming smile that usually would fill Booker's heart with joy, the Seventh Son looked at his friend in disbelief. "Was that supposed to be inspiring?" He asked, much to Luz's surprise.
"...W-Well…yes."
"Then you need to get your head examined!" Booker shouted, pointing at her in anger. "I want to kick Boscha's ass as much as you, but this isn't a movie, Luz. You have to learn the difference between reality and wanting to play out your Azura fantasies!"
"He's right," Willow said. "In case you forgot, we don't know how to play Gurdgby. We've only got a few hours! Who can teach us how to play in that short amount of time?"
"I can."
The four friends turned their heads to look at Amity in shock. "You?" asked Booker.
"I used to play. A long time ago," Amity said, approaching Booker with a frown.
"That's right, you used to be the captain before Boscha," Willow said, shocking Booker and Luz.
"Really?!" Luz looked at the green-haired witch with wide eyes, making Amity blush with embarrassment. The human girl's fangirl side came out as she said, "Then you can be our coach character. A person who quit the game for personal—likely tragic—reasons before returning to help the team of misfits in their quest to win the championship! This team can definitely work!"
Booker frowned with his arms crossed. This was a horrible plan, and there was no way Luz's fantasy was coming true. On the other hand, he thought for a moment and figured that if Amity could teach them the basics, at the very least, they may have a shot at taking down Boscha.
"Alright, I'm in," he said.
"We'll need four players," Amity said, turning to Gus and Willow.
Willow looked away as she pondered for a moment. "Well, if you're willing to teach us, then I'm in," she said, smiling at her best friend.
"In seasons past," Gus began, holding up a pair of flags, "these flags have waved in support of Grudgby greats. Now they will wave for the greatest: Me!" With stars in his eyes and a heart filled with determination, the small boy waved his flags with a giant smile.
"Alright, we've got a full team," Booker told Amity.
"Yep, I'm a part of your team," Amity said, chuckling nervously as she looked everywhere but him. Her fantasies were increasing and growing more…saucy. "You and Luz. We'll be…running around…in cute uniforms. Sweating!"
"Whoa there, cowgirl! Calm down!" Booker quickly exclaimed. He and Amity were blushing heavily at the mental image the green-haired witch had put in each other's heads. "L-Let's get to how you play the game, okay?"
Cutting classes to prepare for their match, the friends walked to the Grudgby field so Amity could train them. Once on the field, the Blight girl stood before the four friends with her arms behind her back.
"Grudgby is one of the Boiling Isles' oldest and most important games. It is a game of strategy, magic, and brutality," she told the group. Amity grabbed a ball from a large basket filled with them to demonstrate. "The goal of the game is to score as many points as possible by getting the ball through the other team's goal." Amity pointed to one of the yellow triangle goals.
"That sounds easy," Luz said with her hands on her hips.
"It is, except…." Willow conjured a leaf and blew it onto the field.
The moment it lands on the ground, the leaf is quickly ripped to shreds by fire, vines, ice shards, and rock spikes that emerge from the field.
Booker and Luz stare in horror and terror. "Oh, right. Boiling Isles," the Seventh Son mumbled.
"And then there's this," Amity said, pulling an object from her pocket. Opening her hand, Amity presented what appeared to be a golden beetle with six black legs and two black arms with a teal circle and a black pentagon in the middle of said circle.
"Aw~, who's this little fella?" Booker asked, rubbing the beetle on its shell with his finger. The insect clicked its pincers in approval.
"This is the Rusty Smidge," Amity said. "The rule is simple: if it's caught by one of the teams, they automatically win. It's…pretty much the same for all magic sports."
Booker nodded, thinking of it like the Golden Snitch. However, Luz had a problem and would not stay silent about it. "Are you fucking serious? That just invalidates all our efforts! If catching that thing is so important, why do anything else? There's no reason to watch any of the other players! That's such a stupid rule!"
"Well, if you want to beat Boscha, you're going to have to catch this Smidge," Amity said sternly.
"Right. Let's get this training started!" Booker said, eager to start.
"Wait!" Luz said, stopping the team before they could get started. She then set up her phone and had it play motivational sports music. She put a sweatband on and turned back to the others. "Alright! Every great sports story includes a training montage."
"Luz, a training montage is not going to help us with real training," Booker said, only to get a finger poking his lips.
"Oh, hush!"
Gus raised his hand. "What's a 'mon-tage'?"
"Well…"
Thus began what could only be described as a montage explaining montages. At first, Luz explained to Willow and Gus that a montage was made using a chalkboard. Next, Luz showed the two a football movie on television. And then, to finish off, for some reason, the three of them have a tea party in animal onesies, with Booker and Amity blushing brightly.
At the end of it, they were back on the field. Luz's friend nearly had whiplashes over what had happened in such a short amount of time.
"Oh, I get it now," Gus said before raising an eyebrow. "Wait, were we just having a tea party in animal jammies?"
"What happens in the montage stays in the montage!" Luz exclaimed.