"Well, a deal's a deal." Eda sighed as she pulled out her portal key and willed the door to manifest when the group returned to the Owl House an half hour later. "Time for you to go home."
And with the portal ready to use, the Owl lady moved towards making a midnight snack for herself, King, Olivier, Maddie and Anne.
The younger ones stood and waited for Luz to pass through, only for the Domincan girl to turn around and reach into her bag.
"Before I go?" Luz said as she took out her Azura model and offered the tiny crown she wore to King. "I know its not much but…a king can never have too many and shouldn't be without a crown."
The little monster gently took the crown and placed it on his head with great care, getting a feeling for it.
"This…shall suffice." He mused, then spying a potential new minion. "You! Plant! You are now conscripted in my army! I shall call you Ragu and you shall worship me!"
The three teens chuckled at this, then met each other in a silence.
"Here I was hoping for a sleepover." Anne admitted.
She knew her parents would rather she come back as soon as possible. And she wanted to see them soon as well. But could you really blame her for wanting to max out time with two people who meant a great deal to her.
"That would've been nice." Luz admitted.
She wanted to learn what Olivier and Anne had been worried about. She wanted to help them. But her mama would know if she never showed up at camp. And after losing dad? She couldn't do that to Camilla. As much as she hated to admit it? Maybe this summer would be good for everyone.
"…So…I'll hear from you in three months, I guess." Luz said.
"Why that long?" Anne asked.
"…reasons." Luz said as she made her way to the portal. Anne reached to stop her for more information, but Olivier gently stopped her and shook his head.
'When she's ready, she'll talk.' He assured his beloved using Oracle magic. And he would know.
Luz, fighting back her wants, made her way to the portal…and then she paused.
She was in front of a magical portal. A portal between earth and this world of witches, monsters and adventures. Just like in her books.
Her books.
She checked to make sure she had her treasured first volume of Azura. A tiny burn on one corner was now restored by Olivier's magic, after the half-witch had admonished his mother for wanting to burn the book in the first place.
And then the 'Reality Check' brochure.
"Kiddo? Everything okay?" Eda asked, concerned.
Luz turned and saw her two friends, a real witch and a small monster acting like a king.
And that made her think: She wagered the bus that would've picked her up would be on the road for another hour at least, and then there was the hour or two of explanations, cabin assignments and dinner.
In that instant, for once, Luz Noceda decided to be a little selfish.
"Okay, I know that Ollie and Anne have their own problems and we started a prison riot…"
She missed the grimaces of her two friends.
"Oh please, that barely a three in terms of rioting." King mused
"What kind of scale?" Maddie inquired.
"Ten. And no, you do NOT want to know what eight looks like, never mind a ten!" Olivier cut in, shuddering at the memories.
'The more I hear about his life here, the more I'm intrigued, worried and wondering/grateful how he lived long enough for us to meet.' Anne thought before spying the other human waiting for a moment.
"Sorry, dude. Go on." The Thai girl motioned.
"Well…This was the most fun I've ever had." Luz finished.
That little reveal shocked the assembled group. Well, less for Anne and Olivier, who recalled Luz solving that puzzle and empathizing with the prisoners.
"'Reality Check' camp?" Maddie read aloud, Olivier spying and not sure if he wanted to know what that was about. Anne, spying the brochure, took in from the little frog girl and frowned.
"I heard of this place. Some of my friends' parents sent them there to make them give up their fandoms or passions."
"…Did…?" Olivier started.
"Nah, mom, dad and Marcy's folks are fine with our little quirks." Anne assured her boyfriend, making him, Eda and Luz breath a sight of relief. "Heck, Mr. Wu has all of Marcy's fanfics and invention ideas saved on his phone…Sasha's mom on the other hand?"
Anne wasn't sure if that was true. She knew the Waybright divorce was messy, and Molly Joe had been and was a light in Sasha's life…but those three months away? Now that Anne thought about it? That may have very well been when Sasha started going Toxic….
"I don't fit in at home." Luz confessed, bringing Anne back to reality. "Eda, you and Ollie seem to kind of me like me in that regard."
Mother and son nodded.
"If…and only if you're okay with this, I'll completely understand if not, but…If I stay, maybe we can not fit in together? If that makes any sense?"
Luz's eyes shone with a desperate, adorable warmth. A warmth the two witches recongized:
For Eda, it was Ollie when he'd been little; believing in the best of people and wanting to help where and how ever he could.
For Olivier, it was Maddie and Marcy when they'd studied together
And for Anne, it was Marcy as well. But when she was little and gaming; her beaming smile as she reminisced about Creatures and Caverns…
The memories are what reminded the two lovers of what had happened in their last minutes at Newtopia castle.
Anne then look another look at the brochure. Then Luz. Her eyes narrowed and she ripped the brochure apart.
"I am…!" Luz started, only to see her friend rip apart the brochure in rage.
"You're not going there." Anne cut her off, then surprising Luz by taking her into a hug. "I already lost one friend to that place. I am NOT losing another."
Luz's dam finally broke and she returned the hug as she let tears loose.
OWLPHIBIA
Eda smiled as the kids enjoyed the stew she'd whipped up, having finished a conversation with Bee. She'd explained the kids needed sometime to rest after revealing what had happened and Bee had managed to convince Oum to let Anne stay for one night.
"Its not much, but it is a room." Eda said as she'd pointed out where Luz would be staying: What was once Olivier's room, as her son had now moved between the library and workshop as he'd sprawled out his Amphibia trinkets and notes.
"Gracias, Eda." Luz beamed as she laid down her sleeping bag.
"Dude, its okay if Anne bunks with me." Anne said.
"Not this time, kiddo." Eda said. "If she's going to be staying here, best get settled now. On the note of staying…what exactly do you want to learn, kid? Scamming? Conning? Breaking and entering? Sticking it to man and or woman?"
There was no hesitation in Luz's answer:
"I want to be a witch like you, Olivier and Azura! Will you help me?"
Olivier and King fell flat on their faces as Eda spat out her stew.
"Luz say what now?" Olivier asked.
"What?" Eda asked incredulously. "Oh no, no, no. That's not going to happen."
A demon shot out of the pot, only to bonked back in by an annoyed Eda.
"Besides, unless you touch a magic stone, talisman, charm or get cursed, humans don't have magical powers." Olivier added, admittedly trying to sound more tactful than his mother.
"Oh yeah?" King smirked. "What about the Mewmans?"
"Wedon'tabouttheMewmans." Oliver, Anne and Luz hurriedly said, shuddering as they did so.
Undeterred, Luz stood her ground.
"Well, maybe they haven't tried hard enoughh! If you guys don't teach me, I'll find a way: I'll hunt down the most powerful wizards and steal their secrets!"
With that one line, Eda, Olivier and Maddie's adoration of Luz was confirmed.
" I'll befriend students at the magic academy…."
"NO!" Oliver suddenly snapped with a shout. "No! No oh ho ho oooh! No, no, No, Luz! No, no! That is a…. That is a big NO-NO!"
Maddie couldn't help but laugh at Olivier's reaction.
'If I didn't know why he hates that place so hard, I'd be so proud.' Eda and Anne both mused, but the Thai girl then looked down at her feet.
"O-Ollie, I know you have…horrible memories of that place and wanna keep Luz safe, but…."
"You want to go, don't you?" Olivier deadpanned as Anne nodded.
"Please Ollie?" She cooed, breaking out the bane of any boyfriend's existence; the doe eyes.
Which Luz then added her own too.
"Por favor?" Luz added.
"…I'll think about it." Olivier groaned.
The two girls frowned in annoyance.
"What? I said 'I'll think about it.'"
"Which is code for 'not a chance.'" Anne frowned.
"No. Its code for 'highly unlikely.'"
"Just like I thought what's about to happen is." Eda smirked
Before anyone could ask what she meant, Hooty let out a hoot of pain as the door was suddenly kicked in.
"OLLIE!"
The shouter was a cute, somewhat plumop yet muscular girl with light black hair and glasses, her cheeks stained with tears.
"Hey, Park." Eda managed, her usual deadpan and or delight at Hooty getting beat replaced with a grimace, knowing this probably wouldn't end well.
'Cute witch girl! Who knows Olivier?' Luz mentally cheered before worrying.
Maddie gasped, know9ing who this was. Anne, not in the know how just yet, had reached for her sword before she saw the shocked and JUST shocked look on her boyfriend's face.
"W-Willow…" Oliver managed, looking down at his feet in shame as he tried to find the words. "I…We….it's been a….You've got to hate me now, right?"
Willow had closed the distance between them and was hugging the half-witch boy fiercely as she cried.
"You're back! You're really, really back!"
Despite going blue from lack of air, Olivier couldn't help but feel shame, but his smiled sadly and returned the hug, which seemed to lessen the girl's sobs.
"His best friend." Maddie whispered to Luz and Anne. "The REAL best friend,"
At this, Anne gasped, realizing this was THE Willow Park (still not used to her sharing the name of the mall she frequented) that Ollie had told her about. The Thai girl began to worry; despite recalling Willow struggled with magic, she also remembered Olivier seeing that when his friend put her mind to something, she delivered…
That and the two hugging was so cute she had to take a picture.
The door was then kicked open again and Hooty yelped in pain again.
"WHO MADE WILLOW CRY? I'LL….!" A short boy roared before he lost his voice. He was soon joined by five other boys, all of whom had awestruck looks on their faces.
Willow gasped at the sight of the gang, shooting the short boy a smile as she realized Olivier, who motioned for them to give him a second to breathe. However, the tallest boy suddenly closed the distance and took Olivier into an embrace, loudly sobbing as he did so.
Olivier smiled again and patted the boy on the shoulder as the others joined in….save one.
"Oh, nice going, Oli-jerk! You made Froast cry! Ya happy now, you whiny little…?"
"Edgar, shut up and get in the hug." Willow demanded.
Edgar did just that without another word.
Anne and Luz looked at Maddie, who scratched her head.
"They're the 'Clawthorne Coven.'" Eda smirked. "Self proclaimed before you ask. A few orphans who're my fan club and, well, while not as close to Ollie as glasses is? They were his pals too."
Nagare ended the hug to give Luz and Anne a wave, giving his gang a minute more with Olivier before he cleared his throat. The hug was ended, but Edgar shot Olivier a glare.
"Annie, Luz, Maddie." Olivier smiled, also motioning to them as he spoke. "These are my friends: You already know Willow and Nagare.."
"…Annie?" Willow asked, spying the shine in Olivier's eyes when he'd said her name.
"She's…" Olivier started, only to blush and lose his nerve. A sight which made Luz and Nagare smirk.
"His girlfriend." Karma said. "His HUMAN girlfriend."
Willow gasped.
"A-a human?! On the Boiling Isles?" Willow gasped happily, then spied Luz. "TWO?! This, this is astounding! Wait…how?"
"It's a long, long story, Low." Anne assured, offering a handshake
"….Low?" Willow asked
"Oh! Whoops! Sorry…!" Anne grimaced. "I kinda give my friends nicknames. Reflect, sorry…"
"No, no! No problem." Willow smiled. "I like it."
She then pulled Anne in and whispered:
"But if you ever do anything to make him so much as sniffle I will use you as fertilizing mulch for my plants."
The whole room went cold at that threat, save for Apollo, who smirked with pride.
"…Kinda channeling Terra, there." Ben noted.
"If I ever do, I want you to." Anne responded, shocking many…save for Olivier, who just seemed love struck.
"Ahem! Ahem! Ahem!" Karma coughed, motioning for someone to introduce him.
Anne then spied that he, like Olivier, had mismatched eyes.
"No relation." Nagare cut in. "Trust me, we tried."
"…Love you too, bro."
"Anyways, this is my brother Karma, he's one of the best illusionists of our generation…" Nagare began.
"Well, there is Gus…" Willow mused, getting some nods and mutterings of agreement.
"Who?" Olivier asked, not recognizing that name,
"Oh, a prodigy in the illusions." Karma beamed. "Smart kid, adorable..."
"I introduced him to our group." Willow explained bashfully, which made Olivier smile. He may have brushed Willow aside in his self-loathing and anger, but she was still as sweet and strong as ever.
"The dwarf is Apollo…" Karma smirked as Apollo tried to hit him with potions, only for Maddie, awestruck, tyo grab and look at them.
"..A fellow potion user, I see." Apollo smirked, delighting at Maddie as he then pointed to the largest of the boys. "The big guy is Fraost…"
Fraost just bowed with a smile.
"…The heck does he eat?" Luz whispered to Olivier
"No idea. We think he may be part Ogre." The half-witch smiled as he pointed to the glasses wearing witch. "That over there is Ben…who seems distracted…"
Ben gave a jaunty salute and then a breath before composing himself and hugging Olivier.
"And the hothead in Edgar." Ben finished as Edgar continued glaring at their friend. "Just give him some time; his latest gizmo blew up."
Edgar hurmphed before turning to leave, only for a monkey to pop out and holler at him back.
"Ok, Antauri! Okay! I'm going! I'm going…Sheesh..You'd think he thinks he's my dad."
'Antauri' bobbed Edgar on the head and pointed to Olivier, who broke the hug with Ben and started one with Edgar. The inventor melted into the embrace and said:
"Welcome back."
Anne and Luz admired this scene , cooing and clearing tears from their eyes when Anne felt something brush along her leg. Glancing down, she saw a black and green cat with hints of green in its fur, trying to get her attention.
"Oh! Hello, little cutie!" Anne cooed as she knelled down to pet the cat, who delighted at the contact.
"Specter!" Ben gasped in worry for his Palisman before fully grasping the scene in front of him. "Wait…wow. H-he's never taken to anyone so quickly since..."
Eda and Olivier glared at Ben, wordlessly telling him NOT to mention the last person Specter liked.
"I…I take it you have a cat?"
The tone of the room changed as Anne looked down at her feet
'WHY?! WHY AM I SO BAD AT TALKING?!' Ben asked himself.
"…I did." She managed, not fighting back when Olivier took her into a hug.
"It's a long, long story, guys." He explained, feeling shame in himself before he spied his friends' other Palisman coming out to see and or comfort:
Froast's Palisman was a sloth and Nagare's a mouse, who shot Specter a look as he returned to Ben after licking Anne's tears, making her smile a bit. A rabbit then crawled out of Apollo's hoodie and nuzzled his face just as Owlbert, Fleetwing and Fangora joined in, although they did enjoy the gasps and awes…
This just left Karma.
"Fuzz? Fuzzy? Where'd you go…?" The redhead with mismatched eyes called out, looking for someone, before letting out a scandalized gasp. "…FUZZY TARANTULA!"
All turned to see another Spider Palisman, this one covered in black and brown fur, waving animatedly at Fangora and motioning for a hug and or nuzzle, To the suprirse of all, Fangora didn't seem too opposed to the idea…
"LEAVE ALONE!" Karma shouted, commanding Fuzzy in to staff form and into his hand before releasing him again. "SHE IS TOO YOUNG FOR YOU!"
As Anne laughed at the scene, remembering Joe Sparrow and….Marcy….
Fuzzy simply smirked and crawled all over master, Fangora smiling with her eyes as she followed in suit to Maddie.
"…Huh. Well, would you look at that." Olivier mused. "Karma being responsible."
"Everything's relative." Nagare said with a shrug, before he chuckled, grabbing his owl Palisman. "Alrighty, Basil! Alrighty. Here he is."
Basil smiled at Olivier and the newcomers, giving them a bow.
"Alright!" Edgar announced, "Now that we're all hear…Tell us what the heck happened?!"
Apollo shook his head
"and they say I'M the untactful one…"
Luz joined the newcomers, looking at Olivier and Anne.
"I don't mean to pry, but I can tell something's on your mind. If not the whole thing, maybe just…half?"
Anne and Olivier smiled; while anxious about this, they were grateful for the chance.
"Well, like I said…It's a long story." Olivier started.
"And we mean, like…really, really long." Anne cut in. "Like, so long, if we made a TV show about it, we'd need like…52 episodes and then a sequel series."
"…Or four or five books." Ben mused, noting as Luz smiled at him, delighted at seeing another book lover.