Chapter Text
“Woohooo!” Luz cheered as she soared through the air. “This is amazing!” Laughing, she swooped down, skimming the water of the boiling sea before flying back up to Eda.
Eda smiled and rolled her eyes. “Yeah yeah, I know, flying is the best thing ever. Now, since you’re a goodie-two-shoes who doesn’t want to be late for her first day back at Hexide, you need to stop playing around and start flying straight. ”
The two landed on a hill just a little ways from Hexide. “Man, I can’t wait to see everyone. Plus, I can’t wait to show the teachers my new magic.”
“Just don’t blow up Hexide while you're at it.” Eda then shrugged. “Or do, I guess. Doesn’t bother me either way.”
“What happened to Mrs ‘Call me if Hexide’s burning down so we can eat popcorn while we watch?’” Luz put her hands on her hips with a smirk. “Sounds like you’re beginning to like school again.”
“Like school, Ha!” Eda snorted. “No, just realized that Hexide holds some fond memories, that’s all.”
“Keep telling yourself that Eda.” Luz waved as she walked away. “Keep telling yourself that. And have fun practicing glyphs with Lilith while I’m gone!”
Eda kicked off the ground and started flying away. “Fun and Lilith don’t belong in the same sentence!”
Luz snickered as she began walking. As she neared the doors to the school, she slowed down, feeling her nerves begin to act up. She took a deep breath, before letting it out.
“Okay, first day back after the petrification ceremony and becoming whatever I am now. Just be chill.”
She pushed open the doors and stepped inside. Looking around, she saw several students going about their day. As she continued to her locker, she saw one of the students, the same one who asked Skara to Grom, look up, then do a double-take.
“Whoa,” they muttered, nudging another student standing next to them, “Who’s the babe?”
The other student looked up, and her mouth dropped open. “I have no idea, but if they’re single or poly I’m most definitely gonna ask them out before the end of the day.”
Luz felt her face burn at the comment, picking up her pace. Around her, more and more students began to take notice of her.
“Titan she’s hot!”
“Who’s that gorgeous demon?”
“You think she’s new here?”
“She must be, she’s too sexy not to notice.”
“Look at those wings!”
“She’s so fluffy, I just want to hug her.”
“Hug her, I want to sleep with her!”
“Do you see the fang poking out of her mouth? It’s massive!”
“Mmmrrreeeooww.”
“I have never seen anyone as beautiful as her.”
“I think I’m in love.”
Luz felt like she was going to combust as she pulled the cowl of her uniform up to hide her face, her horns slipping into the holes Eda made so it would fit along with holes for her wings and tail. Was this what it was like to be the school hottie? Luz’s stomach churned pleasantly. It was weird being the center of attention like this but in a good way. Turning a corner, she felt someone crash into her. Stepping back, she saw Skara sitting on the floor, rubbing her head. Around her were several other bard track students, all of whom were gaping at Luz.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Reaching down, she pulled Skara to her feet. “I didn’t see you there.”
Rubbing her head, Skara looked up, only to freeze when their eyes met. Luz let go of her hand and stepped back, smiling nervously. “Well, I’ve gotta get to class.” She waved. “It was, nice, seeing all of you?”
With that, Luz ducked her head as she walked around, continuing on her way. After a few seconds, she heard music coming from right behind her and whipped around to find that all the bard track students now had their instruments out and were playing them. Skara was in the middle, holding a microphone as she began to sing, with the rest of the bard students joining in on occasion.
Gimme your, gimme your, gimme your attention baby (attention baby)
I gotta tell you a little something about yourself (self, self)
You’re wonderful, flawless, ooh, you a sexy lady (sexy lady)
But you walk around here like you wanna be someone else (else, else)
(Oh whoa-oh-oh) I know that you don’t know it, but you’re fine so fine (fine so fine)
(Oh whoa-oh-oh) Oh girl, I’m gonna show it when you’re mine, oh mine (mine, oh mine)
With that, all the bard students began dancing, singing together now, even as a crowd began to gather. Luz felt like she was about to spontaneously combust as she continued to stand there, watching the performance that was, very obviously, for her.
Treasure, that is what you are
Honey, you’re my golden star
You know you can make my wish come true
If you let me treasure you
If you let me treasure Whoa-oh-OH-H-H-H
At that point, it became too much for Luz and she ran, even as the bard students continued to sing. Where had that come from! Sure, she’d introduced human music to a lot of the bard students since she started school here, but what just happened was something you only saw in movies and TV shows! Luz laughed at the absurdity of the situation as she leaned against a wall. What had her life become?
“Whoa, heya sexy, you waiting for me?”
Luz shot upright, her heart rate spiking. Turning around, she saw Boscha, Cat, and Amelia standing together. Boscha was staring at her with wide eyes that smoldered with jealousy and, something, while Cat and Amelia had sultry grins.
“U-u-uh.” Luz looked around frantically while Cat and Amelia boxed her in against the wall.
“Do you play grudgby?” Cat asked, looking her over, “Cause I’d love to watch you play sometime.”
“?!?!?!” Luz swallowed hard, reaching up to pull at her collar.
“She’d definitely be good at it.” Amelia whistled appreciatively. “Those wings would be a killer advantage in a match. Plus, she has the muscles for some pretty aggressive plays.”
“I-I do?” Luz squeaked out, face burning.
“Looks like it.” Cat grinned. “But I’d have to feel you up to be sure.”
Luz’s mouth opened and closed wordlessly as she looked around for an escape. Spotting her friends, she pushed past the two grudgby players and ran to them.
“Willow! Gus!”
“Luz!” They ran to her as she swept them into a hug. Behind her, she could hear Cat, Amelia, and Boscha talking.
“Wait, that’s the human!”
“I thought she was cursed?”
“Cursed with a too-sexy body, it seems like.”
Luz felt her face heat up again but ignored the three behind her to focus on her friends. “Man, today has been crazy, and class hasn’t even started yet!”
“I know right.” Gus stepped back as the three of them parted, and Luz blinked upon seeing his new height and hearing his voice.
“Whoa. Witch Puberty?”
Gus nodded, before pointing over his shoulder. “Just a little while ago Willow and I passed some bard students singing one of those human songs you showed us.”
Luz ducked her head, and Willow’s eyes narrowed behind her glasses. “Luz, do you know something about that?”
“I, uh, may have said hello to them and they suddenly started signing?” She gave them a nervous grin. A third person snorted behind her.
“Only you.”
Luz lit up upon hearing the voice. “Amity!” Twirling around, she saw the witch standing there with a bashful smile, one hand held behind her back.
“Hey, Luz.” Bringing her hand around, she held out a small pie. “Here. In celebration of your return, I’ve brought you a homemade fairy pie.”
Luz’s eyes lit up. “Oh wow! That sounds so…” Looking at the pie, she could see fairy limbs sticking out of it, the screams of said fairies muffled by the pie. “...good.”
“The ingredients are… very fresh.” Amity looked away, cheeks pink.
Luz accepted the pie, examining it. She sniffed, and a delicious scent hit her nose, making her stomach growl. Luz swallowed, before straightening her shoulders.
“Well, when in Rome…” Opening her mouth wide, she slowly took a bite, not noticing the way Amity's cheeks turned red, along with half a dozen other students who were watching. Luz felt her stomach squirm as she closed her mouth, at least until the taste hit her tongue.
“Oh my.” She began chewing, doing her best to ignore the crunches she felt as she did so. “Thish ish amazing, and sho shweet!” She swallowed, beaming at the witch who gave it to her. “Thank you Amity!”
Amity stared up at her, and Luz saw her swallow visibly before looking away. “N-no problem.”
Luz took another bite of her pie. “You know, after everything that's happened, I'm just happy to return to some sense of normalcy.” That’s when a ringing came over the PA system, and Luz scowled. “I just jinxed us, didn’t I?”
“You can't just barge in here!”
“Yes, we can. We are the Parent Creature Association. Luz Noceda, Willow Park, and Augustus Porter report to Principal Bump's office now! And you too, Amity.”
Amity blanched. “Mom!?”
Luz, Willow, Gus, and Amity all looked at each other before making their way to the principal’s office. Once inside they all sat down in front of Principal Bump, who was sitting at his desk glancing back and forth between a witch with pale green hair and a man in goggles and with splotches of purple gunk on his clothes.
“Hello children,” the woman said, before glancing at Luz, “Who are you?”
Luz glared at the woman. “I’m Luz.”
They blinked. “I, see. Anyway, let’s get down to business. The abomination situation, the destruction of detention, the rampage of grom. These are but a few of the incidents that have endangered Hexside students, including our daughter.”
Willow and Gus shared worried glances, but Luz continued to glare at the woman, who must be Amity’s mom. She knew that this had to be some kind of power play. Tracey’s mom did this all the time, which is why any time her school tried to start a DD&D club it was shut down in a matter of hours.
“So, the PCA has decided to…” She glanced at the man, who was trying to touch the tail of, whatever was on Bump’s head, and cleared her throat.
“Oh, right. Um, these three are bad influences and must be executed.” All four of them gasped. “Ahem, I mean expelled.”
“What!” Luz and Gus cried. That’s when Luz heard a strange buzzing. Unbeknownst to her, her eyes began to glow purple.
“Take this as a lesson, Mittens.” The woman smirked, rubbing the purple jewel pinned on her clothes. “A Blight always upholds their end of the deal.”
Luz shot to her feet with a growl. “Oh shut up bitch! And what deal are you talking about!”
Everyone turned to her. Willow, Gus, Bump, and the man all had confused looks, Amity stared at her with wide eyes, while her mother looked gobsmacked.
“You…” Amity’s mother let her hand drop. “How did you hear that?”
Luz blinked, before realizing that while the woman had been speaking, her lips hadn’t moved an inch. She glanced down at the broach the woman was wearing, before looking back over at Amity, her eyes immediately landing on her necklace, which had the same kind of gemstone. She inhaled sharply before her hand darted out and ripped the necklace off of her friend.
“Let me guess.” She held the necklace out to the woman. “You were using oracle magic to talk to Amity telepathically with this, weren’t you.”
Amity’s father looked at her sharply, straightening his goggles. “You were able to overhear them talk like that? Fascinating.”
Luz glared at him. “You knew about this?”
He shrugged. “We use it all the time at Blight Industries. It makes for very efficient communication, especially when things get noisy or someone’s wearing earmuffs.” He stared at Luz, eyes gleaming with interest. “Still, no one’s been able to listen into those conversations without a matching stone. So how can you?”
Luz shrugged. “Dunno and don’t care right now. What I do care about is this supposed ‘deal’ Karen here has with my friend.”
Amity’s mother sent her a dark look as she snatched the necklace out of Luz’s hand. “It’s Odalia.”
“Nah, pretty sure it’s Karen.” Luz folded her arms, even as Gus snickered, understanding the reference thanks to all the talks about human culture they’d had.
“I would like to know too.” Bump raised an eyebrow as he turned to Odalia. “After all, if this was just some concern about student safety, my hands would be tied, but if there is some personal reason for you to want them gone, then I can certainly object.”
“Not if you want to keep your job you won’t.” Odalia glared at Luz. “What goes on between me and my daughter is none of your concern. In any case, the amount of chaos you three have caused makes it clear you don’t belong here.”
Luz snorted. “Oh please. We’ve barely done anything when compared to Eda, and I have seen her permanent record for your information. She was never expelled so why should we be?”
“Another valid point.” Bump smirked up at Odalia. “Not to mention I still have records of some of the stunts you and your husband Alador pulled while students here. While neither of you got into as nearly as much trouble as Edalyn Clawthorne, your records aren’t spotless either.”
Odalia fumed, and Luz saw Amity smirk at the expression. “No matter what you think those records say about me, that doesn’t change the fact that these lesser witches and cursed human are not worthy of being students at this prestigious establishment.”
“Lesser? Curse?” Luz scoffed. “Let me tell you something, Karen . One, I’m not cursed, no matter what Em-poo-er Butt-los claims. Two, you’re a pathetic old hag, and a bitch.” Willow slapped a hand over her mouth, and Principal Bump let out a cough as he hid a smile. “Three, Gus and Willow are at the top of their classes, so if they’re not worthy of being here, then no one else in those classes is either.”
“Don’t forget that you’ve become a powerful witch in your own right.” Willow gave Luz a smile as she shoulder-checked her. “You’re quickly catching up to me, Gus, and Amity when it comes to our specialties, and you’ve only had a couple of weeks of being able to use magic. If you keep progressing at the rate you’re going, soon you’ll be the top student at Hexide period.”
Odalia scoffed. “Oh please, a human as the top student?”
“It’s true!” Gus slammed his hands on the desk in front of him. “Whatever happened to Luz gave her magic and a lot of it. Viney says that Luz has more magic than all of Bonesborough put together and then some!”
“I don’t know who this Viney is, but that just proves the human is a danger to this school.” Odalia snapped her fingers. “Guards, take them away.”
Two of Hexide’s guards showed up, their hooked staffs held at the ready. Willow and Gus hid behind Luz, who glared at the demons. She growled a deep, rumbling sound that echoed around her. The guards froze, dropping their staves.
“Sorry.” They bowed and backed up before turning and walking away.
Luz smirked. “What’s next, Karen?”
Odalia glared daggers at Luz. “If Hexide cannot control its students, then it is a failure.” She turned to Principal Bump. “Make them leave or I’ll inform the Emperor’s Coven that Hexide is sheltering wild witches and promoting mixing magic. I saw a few students walking around with multicolored uniforms on my way here and I’m certain our esteemed Emperor would be most interested in that piece of information.”
Bump grimaced as he turned to the three of them. “I’m sorry, but my hands are tied. Even though you have done nothing to deserve expulsion and are some of Hexide’s finest students, all three of you are expelled. Please kindly leave the premises.”
Odalia smirked at them before turning away. “Come along Alador, we have work to do. And Amity, get back to class.” With that, she walked away. Alador glanced between her and Luz for a few seconds, before trailing after, a contemplative look on his face.
Luz scowled as the two disappeared from sight. “We cannot let them get away with this.”
“But how?” Gus clutched his head. “How are we supposed to change things?”
Amity looked down. “I’m sorry, this is my fault.”
“Hey no.” Luz grabbed Amity and hugged her. “None of this is your fault. We established yesterday that your mom’s a bitch, and has been since long before you were born.”
“Her being a bitch doesn’t change the fact that she got us expelled.” Willow stamped her food. “She holds too much power, and if the Emperor’s Coven gets involved, it’s all over. I highly doubt they’ll be happy with students multitracking here.”
“I have a plan that can pacify the Emperor’s Coven if they start putting up a fuss about the multitrackers.” Bump leaned back. “The ‘Emperor’s Coven Track’ has a nice ring to it, after all. But you’re right that Odalia Blight holds a lot of influence. If she made the accusation, then it would be difficult for Hexide to keep the program open.”
Luz frowned. That’s when a thought struck her.
“I have an idea. Your mom mentioned something about Blights always holding up their end of the deal. Maybe I can make a deal with her.”
“No!” Amity shook her head. “Luz, don’t, that’s a horrible idea. There’s no way you can guarantee she’ll keep her word, and knowing my mom she won’t, despite what she said.”
“That’s where you’re wrong Amity.” Luz grinned. “There is one way we can make sure Odalia will uphold her end of the deal.”
Odalia walked down the path to Bonesborough, head held high. While it had taken much longer than she would’ve liked, she finally got what she was after. Now Amity would suffer the consequences of her mistake. Clearly, those three have been a terrible influence on her. No matter, now that they were gone any damage they’d done to her perfect daughter could be rectified with some hard work and discipline. Still, that cursed human confused her. Was she as powerful as that student had claimed? If so, where had she gotten so much power? She must find out how she did it, in order to capitalize on the discovery.
“Hey, Karen!”
Odalia bit back a groan as she turned to see the cursed human storming towards her. “Luz, was it? What do you want?”
“I want to make a deal.”
Odalia raised an eyebrow. A deal? Now that was an intriguing prospect. Maybe she could use it to discover how they got their magic.
“Oh? And what might this deal entail?”
“You’re going to let Willow and Gus back into Hexide.”
“Just them?” Odalia smirked. “Why not you as well?”
The human glowered at her. “I’m not stupid. The threat you made earlier only has power so long as I’m at Hexide. If I’m not there, then reporting Hexide to the Emperor’s Coven will do nothing.”
“Is that so?” Odalia examined her nails. “What about those students with two colors on their uniform sleeves? Sounds like Hexide’s allowing the mixing of magic.”
The human smirked. “You mean Hexides’ Emperor’s Coven Track? I think Belos will be pleased that so many students are doing all they can to join them.”
That, was actually an intelligent, if bold response. Members of the Emperor’s coven were allowed to use all kinds of magic, but most only stuck to one since that’s all they learned. By using the claim that allowing students to study multiple tracks improved their chances of joining that coven, it justified the existence of those multitracker students. Odalia was actually rather disappointed she hadn’t thought of it herself. She better have Amity begin studying a second branch of magic, oracle magic to be precise. She had initially thought of having her learn it in the first place, but with the girl’s talent at abominations, it seemed more prudent to have her study that instead.
“I see.” Odalia nodded. “But I have yet to hear a reason to do as you ask.”
“Amity mentioned you had a business demonstration last night.” The human raised an eyebrow. “I’m guessing the reason you came here today is because something happened there, and Amity was responsible. So here’s my deal: You let Willow and Gus back into school, and I’ll help out at your next demonstration.”
Oh, OH! Now this was an offer she could not refuse. She already knew exactly what to do. The human had no idea what she was getting herself into, magic or no magic.
“A fine offer.” Odalia held out a hand. “I accept. I actually have a demonstration tonight. Help out with that, and I’ll make sure your friends’ expulsion is reversed first thing tomorrow morning.”
Luz reached out and grabbed her hand. She then yanked Odalia forward. Raising her other hand, she drew a spell circle around their wrists.
“The oath is sealed.” There was a flash, and the human let go.
Odalia scowled. “What did you do.”
“Just made sure you kept your end of the bargain.” They grinned. “Your daughter taught me how to do that.”
Odalia grumbled. “I see. At least she hasn’t lost her business sense. Take this card so you know where to come tonight, and don’t be late.” She held out a business card, and the human accepted it. “Good day, human.”
She turned and walked away. This complicated things. She had no idea that the human knew how to perform an everlasting oath. An oversight on her part, she should’ve expected it. No matter though. It was only a minor inconvenience. Soon the human would learn that no one outmaneuvers Odalia Blight.
Luz stood in front of the large factory. The sky was black, and she could see people wearing dark robes already lining up. She felt someone touch her arm and turned to see Amity giving her a worried look.
“Luz, are you sure about this?” She turned to the building. “I know my mother. There’s no way she doesn’t have some trick up her sleeve.”
“Which is why you three will sneak into the crowd and wait there in case I need help.” Luz reached down and grabbed Amity’s hand, squeezing it. “Besides, once Odalia declares the demonstration over, my part of the oath will be completed and I’ll be able to do whatever I want.”
“I know that. It’s during the demonstration that worries me.”
Luz wrapped a wing around the smaller witch. “I know. If worse comes to worse, I’ll grab her and undue the everlasting oath. Does that make you feel better?”
“A little.” Amity smiled up at her, before letting go and turning to the factory. “Alright, let’s get this over with.”
Luz jumped, flying over to the back entrance while Amity, Willow, and Gus hurried over to the crowd where Emira and Edric were waiting with cloaks. Landing in front of the door, she knocked, and it opened to reveal Odalia.
“Good, you’re here, with time to spare. Come along, we haven’t got all night.”
Luz followed Odalia through the factory to a stage. The curtain was down, but she could hear a crowd gathering on the other side. Alador was off to one side, wheeling several stands onto the stage with the help of a few abominations.
Odalia turned to Luz. “Now, you will be permitted to use magic during the demonstration, but you must not do anything that will damage our products as that would not help , and you cannot make our products look bad either. Do you understand?”
“I understand.” Luz crossed her arms. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Good.” Odalia turned to the curtains and gave a signal, causing them to rise. “Hello, loyal customers! I know yesterday’s demonstration was cut short due to an unexpected technical flaw found in one of our products, but I assure you we have carefully examined all our creations to ensure there are not anymore. So get ready, because we have a long night ahead of us folks! Welcome back to Blight Industries.”
Luz looked over the crowd before leaning closer to Alador. “So, Alador, what does Blight Industry specialize in producing?”
“We make a variety of abomination-based accessories for home security.”
“Oh, that doesn’t sound too bad.”
“But we specialize in weaponry.” He began to walk away with the other abominations. “You might want to duck.”
“Huh?” Luz turned to Odalia and saw her pointing what looked like an abomination grenade launcher at her. “Wah!”
Luz felt a massive sticky blob hit her, sending her backward and trapping her against the wall. It took her a few seconds to break free of the stuff, just in time to see Odalia use the grenade launcher like a flamethrower.
This is going to be more complicated than I thought.
Luz spent the next hour helping the Blights showcase an assortment of weapons with varying deadliness. Fortunately, her new magic meant that it wasn’t too difficult to defend herself, though it got a little tricky on occasion as her not being able to destroy the product meant that her options were at times limited. After the demonstration of the explosive crossbow, Odalia stepped up, giving Luz a chance to relax.
“Thank you, thank you. And they say said we couldn't make crossbows more fun! Next, we're very excited to show you our last product from this line.”
“One more to go.” Luz pushed herself up. “Hang in there.”
“My husband has been toiling away to bring you…” Odalia steps to the side, and a hole in the stage opens up. Luz stumbles backward as a massive abomination with large metal plates coating its body.
“The Abomaton 2.0! It’s bigger, it’s better! The Abomaton 2.0 is the perfect soldier. It won't rest until its enemy is completely eliminated!”
Luz swallowed, looking the abomination robot up and down. It turned to her, one hand morphing into a mace while the other changed into a quartet of razor-sharp claws. It attacked, and Luz jumped back, using her wings to put more distance between her and the abomaton. She wanted desperately to attack it, but doing so could damage it, and because of her oath prevented her from doing so. She ducked and weaved as the abomaton continued its pursuit, occasionally summoning walls of ice or vines to protect herself. At one point she started flying, only for it to start shooting blasts of green fire, forcing Luz to land on the ground near where Alador and Odalia were watching.
“Okay, it’s strong and extremely well-armed, I think the crowd gets that. You gonna stop the presentation now?”
“She has a point Odalia.” Alador turned to his wife. “We’ve proven that this model doesn’t have the same flaws the last one did.”
“Oh, Alador, human, didn’t you hear?” Odalia chuckled. “It won’t rest until its enemy is completely eliminated!”
Luz’s eyes widened before she was forced to dodge out of the way as the abomaton attacked her once again. That bitch, she planned this! Amity was right, making a deal with Odalia was an incredibly stupid idea. Maybe she could just wait until it ran out of power? Surely it couldn’t keep going forever.
“Don’t worry human. I’ll keep my end of the deal and get your two friends back into school, right before I report them to the Emperor’s Coven for consorting with you and your mentor. Perhaps if they’re lucky they’ll just get locked away in the Conformitorium for the rest of their pathetic lives, ensuring my daughter will be free of any corrupting influences once and for all.”
Luz froze. Willow and Gus, in prison? All because Odalia wanted them to stay away from Amity? Everything seemed to fade away as those thoughts ran through her head. She was vaguely aware of the abomaton approaching her, a giant axe blade raised to attack her. She heard someone call her name, but she couldn’t tell who. That’s when she felt pure power burn through her veins as her breathing became heavier and her heart began pumping wildly.
“That’s it.” Luz felt herself begin to float up into the air, eyes locking onto the abomaton. For a moment, she felt something burning on her wrist, but with a thought, it disappeared. “The deal, Is, OFF!”
Just as the abomaton was about to strike Luz, Amity took control of the goo that made up its limbs, causing them to burst. “Stay away from my Luz!” As the machine stumbled backward, Amity used a rope to swing down to the stage. “Luz, are you okay?” Her (crush)friend didn’t respond, seeming to stare at nothing.
“ Amity Blight you are in so much trou- ” Amity yanked off her necklace and crushed the gemstone. As the abomaton got up, she pooled her magic and cast a spell to take control of it, making it freeze. Gritting her teeth, Amity did her best to force her mother’s creation back.
“Amity, you get away from that human-”
“That’s it.” Despite being a whisper, somehow Luz’s voice echoed all around them. Amity turned to see her begin to float, her clothes transforming into her demon Azura get-up, her eyes hidden by the brim of her hat, which had a glowing ball of light above the tip. Luz looked up, her eyes glowing bright orange as they locked onto the abomaton, and tiny glyphs began appearing around her. Amity saw a glowing circle flare to life around Luz’s rift, signaling the everlasting oath trying to take effect, only for it to shatter. “The deal, Is, OFF!”
Upon speaking that last word, a shockwave blasted from Luz’s mouth. It hit the abomaton, causing it to explode, before continuing to the wall and blasting a hole in it. In its wake, red grass sprung up and spread across the ground. Luz turned to her parents, her mother backing up in fear, and roared. An even larger shockwave sprang forth, forcing both of them to dodge as another wall of the presentation room was destroyed. Customers began screaming and running away.
“Luz!” Amity reached up. “Please, calm down!”
The enraged human didn’t seem to hear her, turning to the area behind the stage. She created a massive spell circle, and a glyph formed inside it. However, it wasn’t like the other glyphs she’d seen Luz use. This one was different.
With a yell, Luz thrust her hand forward, and the glyph exploded into a beam of light that tore through the factory. After a few seconds, it faded, leaving a trench carved into the ground, covered in red grass. The abominations that survived all grabbed weapons and began to attack Luz. A glowing sphere appeared around her, blocking any attack that came Luz’s way. More glyphs, each one unlike any Amity had seen before, began to appear around her before shooting at each abomination, each hit causing them to explode.
“Don’t just stand there!” Amity felt a hand grab her shoulder before she was jerked around to face her mother. “Stop her! Before she destroys everything!”
Amity stared at her mother, seeing the panic in her eyes, and crossed her arms. “No.”
“What!”
“You heard me, no. You were planning on killing her and getting Willow and Gus locked away forever. Why should I help you after that?”
Odalia screamed in frustration, throwing her hands up in the air. “Okay fine, I swear I will not interfere in their silly little lives again as long as that human stops destroying our factory and none of them interfere with Blight Industries again, happy?”
“Fine.” Amity held out a hand, and Odalia took it. Amity quickly cast an everlasting oath before letting go. “Willow, help me get to her!”
“On it!” Amity felt vines wrap around her waist and lift her up until she was level with her friend. “Luz!”
She continued attacking the abominations, which were still firing at her, so Amity turned to her father. “Call them off!”
He nodded, turning to his creations. After a quick spell, they stopped attacking. Seeing this, Luz let the barrier around her fall even as she summoned a massive fireball.
“Luz, calm down please!” Amity reached forward and grabbed a wing.
Luz instantly whirled on her, poised to strike with a snarl on her face. To Amity’s shock, Luz’s face no longer looked human. Instead, it had transformed, now appearing to have a bare demon skull covering the top half, her teeth also all becoming sharp and pointed. Amity swallowed, her face heating up before she shook her head. Now was not the time for those thoughts.
“Luz, it’s okay.” Amity gave her a smile. “Everything’s fine. My mother swore an everlasting oath to no longer interfere in your life, along with Willow’s and Gus’s as long as none of you interfere with Blight Industries. All three of you can come back to Hexide now.”
Luz continued to stare, the fireball held above her head. Then, she blinked, her eyes returning to normal as the flames disappeared. “Amity?”
“Yes, Luz.” Amity pulled the girl into a hug, ignoring how her face heated up and her heart began to pound. “You did it. Everything’s fine now.”
Amity felt Luz’s arms reach around her, and the vines holding her up disappeared. They slowly sank, Amity keeping her cheek pressed into Luz’s shoulder as she enjoyed the warmth coming from the girl. Once her feet touch the ground, she let go and stepped back. Luz’s face changed back from the demon skull to her normal one. She wobbled for a moment, before stumbling. Amity immediately caught her, propping the taller girl up against her shoulder.
“Sorry.” Luz gave her a crooked smile. “Just feeling a little out of it. Thanks for the save.”
Amity blushed. “Of course. Now let's get you home.” The two began walking, soon joined by Willow, Gus, and her siblings. No one spoke until they were out of sight from the factory.
Edric looked back and whistled. “Okay, I did not expect Luz to go all rage mode like that. You can still see the smoke from here.”
Gus shrugged. “I’m more curious about those weird glyphs she was using. I mean, did you see them? They did the same things as the glyphs she already uses, but they looked different.”
“Well, how’d she discover the other glyphs?” Emira leaned forward.
“She said she found them either in nature or in spells. She hasn’t found any more though.”
“Look, all this is well and good, but I think you’re missing the most important thing from tonight.” Willow planted herself in front of the group. “I think I might know why Luz transformed, or at least have a clue.”
That made Luz perk up. “Really?”
Willow turned to Amity. “You got the closest look at Luz at the end there before she calmed down, right?” The abomination student nodded. “Tell me, did that skull face remind you of anyone? Someone short and furry who lives in the Owl House?”
Amity’s breath caught in her throat as she realized what Willow was implying. “Holy Titan, she looked like King!”
“What!”
Gus immediately created an illusion of Luz raging. “You’re right! With that skull face, she does resemble King.”
“You mean that cute little demon who hangs out with her and taught a class at Hexide one time?” Emira glanced between the illusion and Luz. “But how?”
“I think I might have an answer.” They all turned to Edric. “It is possible for witches to gain the aspects of bug or beast demons with magic, transforming them. Maybe that’s what happened with Luz.”
Gus swallowed. “Does that mean King is a magical powerhouse?”
Willow shook her head. “He can’t do magic.”
“Not necessarily.” Edric tapped his chin. “For some demons, it can take a while for their magic to develop, and King is still a kid. It could be that he needs to grow up some more before he can use magic.”
“But the voice that spoke to me before I changed said that the power was inside of me?”
Now Emira had a contemplative look. “Well, maybe you can help us figure that out. Are there any stories from the human realm of humans becoming witches because of demons?”
Luz’s eyes widen. “Yeah, there are. In fact, some of them involve a demon called Baphomet, which has wings, the head and feet of a goat, and is adorned with esoteric symbols.”
“That kinda sounds like you when you were like that.” Emira points at Gus’ illusion. “And considering you look like King, maybe there’s something about his species that gives humans magic. Perhaps hundreds of years ago one of your ancestors made a deal with one of them to gain magic, but over the years it was lost and stayed dormant in your bloodline. Then that spirit, who might be the spirit of the demon who gave your ancestor their magic awakens it in you, but because you’re here in the demon realm the effect is amplified.”
“But that doesn’t explain the glyphs!” Gus shook his head. “Why was she creating her own glyphs?”
They all looked at each other, but none of them had an answer. Then Luz yawned, leaning harder against Amity. “Look, it’s late, and we all need some rest. Luz has an appointment with a healer to get checked out. We can bring this up then and ask their opinion.”
Willow, Gus, and her siblings looked at each other, before nodding. “You’re right, there’s not much we can do right now.” Emira turned to Amity. “Are you going to come home with us, or are you going to stay with your Luz.”
Amity flushed and cleared her throat. “Probably with Luz. I really don’t want to deal with Mother after what happened.” She turned to the demonic human. “Is that okay?”
“Of course it is?” Luz smiled. “It will be like a sleepover.”
Edric and Emira shared a smirk. “Well, enjoy your sleepover then. We’ll do our best to cover for you.” Edric waved as he turned away, Emira following. Gus and Willow said their goodbyes as well as they split off, leaving Amity alone with Luz.
“Can you fly us to the Owl House?”
Luz shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. With how tired I am, I might crash into a tree or something.”
“Walking it is then.” The two continued on their way. By the time they arrived at the Owl House Luz was practically falling asleep on Amity. She gave Eda a quick excuse as she entered before helping Luz up to her room. She gently laid Luz on the bed before she tried to pull away. However, Luz tightened her grip and rolled over, pulling Amity down on top of her.
“Comfy.” Luz pressed her face into Amity’s hair and nuzzled it.
Yup, this is how I die, no doubt about it. Amity felt Luz’s wings wrap around them, and she couldn’t help but smile. But what a way to go.
Odalia growled as the abominations did their best to clean up the mess that was her factory. That human had practically destroyed the place before walking out with her daughter and those stupid friends of hers! Even worse, Alador had developed a fascination for them, wanting Amity to spend even more time around them and telling Odalia not to interfere. Like Titan she wouldn’t! She might not be able to interfere thanks to that stupid oath, but she would think of something, anything, to get Amity away from that monster!
“It appears you’re having some trouble, Mrs Blight.”
Odalia whipped around, ready to yell at whoever was talking, only to freeze. There, leaning against a piece of rubble, was the Emperor Coven’s new leader.
“Golden Guard!” Odalia quickly got onto one knee. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“The Emperor has need of your assistance for a task of the utmost importance.”
“And that is?”
“It involves that human girl who trashed your factory.” Odalia looked up, raising an eyebrow. “You see, while it is true she was cursed for practicing wild magic, it is not the whole truth. Hundreds of years ago, there was a witch who practiced all sorts of magic, mixing them in many ways. However, one day after devising a particularly powerful spell, they transformed into a twisted abomination, neither witch nor demon, but something in between. This transformation affected the witch's mind, driving them insane and sending them on a rampage. They were eventually killed, but the destruction left in their wake plunged the ilses into what is now known as the savage ages. The Emperor found records of this, which is why he preaches so vehemently against mixing magic because he feared that another might transform in the same way.”
“And now the human has.” Odalia stood up. “I take it the Emperor wishes for help to eliminate her?”
“Correct. Along with a record of this, there were details on how to build weapons designed to counter the power the human now possesses. The Emperor’s Coven will employ Blight Industries to build these weapons. In fact, we believe your abomatons might be the perfect platform to mount them. You will be greatly compensated for your work.”
Odalia grinned. “Well, if the Emperor demands it, who are we to refuse? Our main factory might be in need of repairs, but we have a smaller one where we experiment with new designs. I’m sure with a little time and effort we can convert it to create these weapons you’ve mentioned.”
Odalia held out a hand, and the Golden Guard accepted it. It looked like she didn’t even need to do anything. The Emperor’s coven will take out that pesky human and almost assuredly arrest her friends as well, leaving Amity firmly under her control once again. She just had to make sure these weapons were built to be the best they can be. And if she made snails in the process, all the better.
“Okay, transformation spells, here we go.” Luz began reading. Waking up this morning to find herself spooning Amity had been, embarrassing to say the least. She tried to pull away, only for Amity to roll over and latch onto Luz’s waist, pressing her face into the fur on Luz’s stomach. After a few minutes, Luz managed to escape by slipping a pillow into the girl’s arms. After taking a moment to clear her head, she decided to find that study Lilith had mentioned a few days ago. Once there she began looking for any books that had details about demon transformations. It took some time, but she eventually found one that looked promising.
“Releasing the Inner Beast.” Luz stood up. “With this spell, a witch can bring out their inner beast, granting them abilities far beyond what they are normally capable of and allowing the subject to transform between their bestial state and that of a normal witch.” She set the book down on the desk. “This sounds kinda like what happened to me. Maybe I can use it.”
Luz took a step back. Breathing deeply, she raised her hand and began casting the spell. Just as the circle was complete, the door slammed open.
“Here she is!”
“Wah!” Luz jerked backward, swinging around to face the door. A bolt of light shot from her finger towards it. Hooty squawked and dodged out of the way.
“Geez, I was just showing Amity where you were. Hoot!” The house demon retreated, but Luz didn’t see the witch in question.
“Amity?”
“Meow.”
Luz looked down to see a small and very startled tabby cat looking around. They had brown fur except for around their head, which was mint green for some reason and slightly shaggier, like a lion’s mane almost. Wait a minute, mint green…
“Amity!”
“Meow!”
The cat turned to her, and Luz scrambled forward, getting down on her hands and knees so their faces were level. “Amity, if that is you, meow twice and walk in a circle.”
The cat did as instructed, before sitting down. Luz leaned back, resting on her knees. Then she inhaled.
“Eeeedddaaaaaa!”