Time to Shine

Chapter Two

Location: The Boiling Isles

"I'VE FINALLY DONE IT!" Eda grinned and placed her hands on her hips confidently. She was surrounded by four teenagers of varying appearances. Willow Park, Hunter Clawthorne, Gus Porter, and Amity Blight. Luz's closest friends. After four years, Eda and Lilith had finally managed to figure out the right schematics for the portal to work. Lilith elbowed her sister and cleared her throat.

"We've finally done it, sister." The teenagers looked confused. Amity spoke up.

"You've done what, exactly?" She asked. Eda's eyes flashed with excitement.

"We know how to get to the Human Realm. We're gonna see Luz." The four kids went slack jawed for a moment. Their eyes filled with tears. But they were doubtful.

"Eda, are you sure you have everything figured out? We can't be sure that the portal won't collapse." Gus felt anxious about that. Eda placed a hand on his shoulder and winked.

"Don't worry, kid. Lily's got it all figured out. She knows how to stabilize it and everything." Gus looked relieved at that. Amity came forward, pure hope and excitement in her eyes.

"So when will we see her?" Lilith barged in before Eda could respond.

"Soon. We just need to finish building and come up with a game plan. I was thinking of sending you four to the human school for some time so that you could all catch up. We're getting an apartment so Luz can periodically visit to see King and Eda." At the mention of human school, Gus' eyes lit up. Willow looked uncomfortable at the thought, and Hunter seemed interested. Amity looked nervous, but the thought of seeing Luz again also made her excited. The four of them all looked at each other and nodded. Hunter grinned.

"Alright, we're in."

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The next week was spent preparing for their time in the human realm. Once they had finished the portal, Eda and Lilith made sure it was stable and started to prep for the kids' arrival. Eda's previous trips there had left her with a lot of stolen money. So before the kids went to the human realm, Lilith went over and used her knowledge of the human realm to get them each an account in the bank. She got them an apartment to stay in, and enrolled them in the high school by phone, lying about Hunter's age so he could get in as well.

Lilith made sure to stay hidden by tying a bandanna around her head to hide her ears, and dressing in human clothes she had come across on the Isles. They had decided that Eda and Raine would be staying with the kids and watching over them while Lilith remained on the Isles with Hooty. King would be coming as well, but would be hidden in the apartment.

Amity was nervous to see her girlfriend again after so long. Was Luz different? Did she forget about her? Would she want to see them? Amity and their friends had all changed so much, and would be difficult to recognize. Gus had each of them practice keeping their ears round using illusion magic so that he wouldn't have all that pressure on himself to keep it going. Willow was brushing up on what little was known about human vegetation. Hunter was just freaking out.

"Am I ready for this? Is human education different than the Boiling Isles? What about human socializing? What are the societally acceptable greetings? Titan, what am I gonna do? I need to bring pencils, notebooks and I need to-"

"Woah, kid. You gotta chill." Eda placed a hand on her adopted son's shoulder. Hunter seemed to relax a little, but he was still anxious.

"But-" Eda cut him off.

"No 'buts'. You're gonna do fine, besides, Luz will be there to help you." She gave him a stern, but loving look that only a mother could. Hunter smiled slightly, feeling his anxiety start to dissipate. Willow came over and kissed his cheek, making him blush.

"Yeah, you're gonna do great, okay? We're all here." Hunter smiled and took her hand in his.

"Okay."

When the time came for them to go, Lilith handed each of them a weird card with numbers printed on it, and what they remembered were cell phones. She explained that the cards were debit cards and that they could use them to buy things like clothes, food, and other human items. She also said that the phones are like scrolls, and are used for communication. They were also told that their apartment was extremely large, so they would each have their own rooms. After having the kids change into human clothing, Raine arrived carrying nothing but their violin case. They were wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants.

"Alright, is everyone all set?" They asked. At that moment, Eda came in wearing a red blouse and blue jeans. Willow looked at the others.

"I'm ready, are you guys?" They all nodded. Raine smiled reassuringly and Eda grinned slyly.

"Alright then, you hooligans. Let's get going!" She led them to the side of the house. There stood a doorway, and through it, they could see the entrance of a forest. Amity looked determinedly at the door. Hang on, Luz. We're coming.

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They all used illusion magic to hide their pointed ears when they got to the human town. The only exception was Raine and Eda who still had their sigils. Because of that, Gus was keeping their ears in check. He was also gleefully watching everything with fascination. Willow had to pull him away from multiple things so he wouldn't get distracted. When they reached their apartment complex, they got their keys and went up to their door. Lilith wasn't kidding. The apartment was huge! It had a bit of Owl House flair with different wanted posters and familiar artwork decorating the walls. There were also a few comfy looking couches and chairs scattered around.

"Alright, everyone." Raine clapped their hands, getting everyone's attention. "Tomorrow you all start school, and your main priority is to find Luz. She shouldn't be very hard to find, she always stuck out. There will be what the humans call a school bus. It's a large yellow vehicle that will come to this street at seven AM sharp. Don't be late." The kids nodded, and looked out the window. It was already dark out, and they were feeling very tired. Eda seemed to notice this.

"Okay, why don't you kids go to bed. Get some good rest before tomorrow." The four of them tiredly left and headed off to their rooms for the night. Eda turned to Raine, and she sighed.

"What if the kid changed, Raine? What if she's mad at us, at me, for taking so long to get to her?" Raine smiled softly and sat down on the couch. They patted the seat next to them, and Eda obliged. She placed her head on their shoulder.

"No matter what Luz is like now, I can guarantee she still loves you like a mother, Eda. It's possible she could be mad, but we all know her heart, and she would never hold a grudge." Eda sniffed and smiled at her partner.

"Thanks, Rainestorm."