Luz was reading a pamphlet about Hexside while Cerise was giving King scratches.
"Guys, listen to this!"
"Hey! Less ready, more scratchy!" King told her.
"Usually I'm more ready and less scratchy." Cerise adds.
Luz sits up, "Sorry! Now that we'll be students at Hexside, I wanna learn all about it! I've got a new crush, and her name is Education!"
King bites the pamphlet, "Nyah!"
Eda kicks the front door open, "Hey freeloaders! Guess what today is?"
"Is it your birthday?" Luz asks.
"Is it my birthday?" King adds.
"It's my birthday!" Hooty exclaims.
"No!" Eda closes the front door, "It's human treasure day!" she tosses the portal door into the air, the object unfolding and opening as Owlbert flies through with a giant sack. The sack tears when he flips it onto the floor, revealing a pile of human garbage as the door closes. Eda hops onto the pile, "Ahh, fresh garbage."
Hannibal cringes, turning to Cerise, who was using a spray bottle to provide water, "Get that pile of trash far away from me."
"Ooo, gimme gimme gimme!" King pulls a teddy bear out of the pile, "Yes! Another worthy addition to my army of terror!" he pulls the pull string.
"I love cuddles and kisses!"
"Truly horrifying!"
"Yo, kids. Your trash piles are getting cold. While mine's getting hot!" Eda pulls out a wire clothes hanger, "I have never seen such an extravagant earring!"
"I'm good." Cerise tends to her plants.
"You can have my trash." Luz continues looking through the pamphlet, "Whoa! Did you know that Hexside was built on the bones of its rival school? One it literally conquered!"
Eda, now wearing two clothing hangars as earrings, looks in a mirror, "Yes I know all these things, I went there. It was the most harrowing period of my life. Oh, hello."
"Can you imagine it, Cece?" Luz turns to her, "Us, in the halls of Hexside, studying with Willow and Gus and-maybe even Amity!"
"Yeah, glad you patched things up a bit by giving her your book." Cerise smiles.
Luz's eyes widen, "Amity! Oh cramity! We're supposed to meet so I can get my Azura book back!" she drags Cerise out the door, slamming it shut before reopening it, "We love you guys!"
"And I love you, Lu-!"
Luz slams the door shut again before Hooty could finish his sentence.
"Aaah!"
"Eh, who needs them?" Eda crosses her arms.
"Yeah! This bear could be our new Cece and Luz." King pulls on the bear's pull string.
"Being without you is just unbearable."
"No!" King throws the bear, "You're unbearable!"
...
Luz runs and looks around, dragging Cerise with her, "Amity, Amity, Amity, Amity. Gotta find that-oh!" she spots the girl in question, "There she is. Hey Amity! Luz is finally here and she's brought Cece!"
"Hi Luz/Hi Cece!" Edric and Emira suddenly appear in front of them.
"Wah!" Luz falls on her back.
"Oh, geez!" Cerise laughs as Edric and Emira laugh with her.
Amity walks over, "Edric! Emira! Stop bothering her!" she helps Luz up, "Sorry, Luz, they insisted on coming for some reason other than you bringing Cerise."
Emira squishes Amity's face, "Because we love you baby sister! Ah!"
Amity shoves Emira off of her and fixes her hair.
"Wow, one minute you want to embarrass her and the next you love on her?" Cerise raises an eyebrow in amusement.
"They've been extra protective and nice towards me to make up for the library incident." Amity explains.
Edric leans in, looking more at Cerise than Luz, "And we still apologize everyday."
"Mhm." Cerise smiles as Amity shoves Edric away, pulling the book out of her bag and handing it to Luz.
"In any case, here's your book."
"So, what'd you think?" Luz asks.
"It was...fine."
Luz pulls a drawing out of the book, "So fine you drew yourself with Malingale the Mysterious Soothsayer?"
Amity blushes in embarrassment as she destroys the drawing by tracing a spell circle.
"This is great! Maybe we can even start an Azura club at school when we're classmates!" Luz exclaims.
"When we're what?" Amity raises an eyebrow in surprise.
"Surprise!" Luz pulls out the pamphlet, "Cece and I are enrolling at Hexside!"
"That's awesome!" Emira told Cerise.
"We'll be in the same class!" Edric adds.
"Oh! Uh, sorry, but to be in my class, you need to take a placement exam and prove that you've mastered two spells." Amity shows Luz the requirements on the pamphlet, "I know you have your light thing. Uh, do you know anything else?"
"Placement exam? Spells?" Luz asks, looking terrified.
"Every school has placement exams, Luz." Cerise explains.
Emira and Edric appear beside Amity.
"Quit giving her a hard time, Mittens."
"Yeah, of course she knows two spells. Right, Luz?"
"Pff. Yeah. 'Course I know two spells!" Luz lies, laughing nervously.
"Because if you don't, they'll put you in the baby class." Amity hands Luz the pamphlet back, now flipped to the baby class page.
"Oooh! Brain idea!" Edric points to his head as he kneels in front of Amity.
Emira leans on Amity's back, trapping her between them, "What if we all trained together? We could show off what we know!"
"Cece, Luz, what do you say?" Edric asks.
"Oh, that would be great!" Cerise smiles.
"Uh, actually, I have other training plans in a very far away place that I have to go to right now." Luz pretends to walk away.
"But Luz-"
"You can go with them, Cece! Bye!" Luz rushes off.
...
Eda reads a book in the kitchen while humming, "Wow, a surprisingly peaceful domestic moment. When will it be ruined?"
Luz slams the front door open, "Edaaaa!"
"There it is."
Luz runs in, "Eda, Eda! Eda!" she falls, "You have to teach me a new spell right now!"
"Sorry, Luz! These vegetables won't cook themselves...yet." Eda dumps a potion onto the vegetables as they grow arms and legs, "Alright, everybody in the pot!" the vegetables scream and run in response, "Why do I always think that's gonna work?"
Luz stands, "But I need to know two spells to get into decent classes at Hexside. Cece already has so many spells, she'll probably be put in an advanced class. I can make light glyphs." she pulls one out and activates it.
Eda shields her eyes, "Aah!"
"But at the end of the day, that's the only spell I know." Luz falls face-first to the floor.
"And whose fault is that?"
"Yours!"
"Hah! Yep. Got me there."
Luz stands, "Just teach me a spell now. Any spell! It can be the darkest evil."
"Well, I have been researching my texts on wild magic along with Cece, but I'm much too busy right now." Eda throws the book in the pot, "Why can't Cece help you like last time?"
"Because I let her go train with Amity and her siblings!" Luz explains.
"Wait, she actually went with Edric and Emira Blight? Willingly?"
"Yeah, why? Is she not supposed to?"
"No, that's not it. I just didn't expect her to after..."
"After what?"
"Nothing."
"Come on Eda! You're the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles. How would it look if one of your apprentices got thrown into the baby class?"
"Hmm. Weaponizing my pride. Well played. Well, in that case, this looks like a job for magic boot camp."
King opens the back door, "Did someone say boot camp? I agree to run it. We'll rise at dawn! You'll carry me on your back as I yell hateful things about your performance!"
"Nope. You'll have no part in this. Luz needs to focus, and I can't have her go all weird when you do something adorable."
"I am not adorable!" King stomps.
"Aww, he stamped his little foot!" Luz coos.
King squeals and leaves, slamming the door behind him. It reopens. He slams it again. It reopens. He slams it harder.
"Now, no time to waste. You'll have to follow my teachings exactly. We gotta go somewhere special."
"Yes!"
"A place where magic energy just flows."
Luz climbs into the counter, speaking louder, "Yes!"
...
The two stand in winter gear, surrounded by snow.
"A place like, the Knee!"
"YEEEES!" Luz's cry echoes across the Isles.
"The earliest witches came to the Knee to develop their magic, drawn to its natural power." Eda explains.
Luz gasps upon seeing ruins covered in snow, "It's beautiful!"
"I took Cerise here when she was learning magic." Eda gestures to the side, "Though, it's not without its dangers."
Luz screams upon seeing a large beast gnawing on a tree trunk.
"The Slitherbeast! Don't worry, if you don't mess with him, he won't mess with you." Eda walks off.
Luz blows a raspberry at the Slitherbeast. It bites through the tree trunk and sniffs in Luz's direction, making her yelp and run after her mentor.
"Here's where we'll set up shop." Eda says.
"I'll definitely learn my second spell here! Gorgeous views, magic in the air. And best of all, we're completely alone!" Luz exclaims.
...
"Welcome to the Knee, Cece!" Edric gestures out to the snow covered area.
"Woah..." Cerise looks around in awe as she wore snow attire, "It's so pretty..."
Emira nudges her brother, who chuckled sheepishly.
"I came here when I was younger. Aunt Eda took me here when I was learning magic. I read in a book that the earliest witches came to the Knee to develop their magic, drawn to its natural power."
Amity starts using her training wand to train as she summons a pink fireball that nearly hit two familiar people who had ducked behind rocks to avoid getting hit
Eda pops up over the rocks they fell behind with her staff drawn. Luz also pops up, gasping.
"Sorry, whoever's over there!" Amity calls over.
Luz ducks back down, hiding her face with her hat, "Forget teaching me a spell, just make me disappear."
"Well, okay, but I've got a 60/40 record of making you re-appear. Oh! You meant...ah, never mind." Eda waves her hand.
"Luz, Aunt Eda, is that you?" Cerise calls over as Edric and Emira wave.
"Hey Luz!"
"Luz!"
"Hey, it's us!"
"Okay, let's do this." Luz stands and waves at them, "Hey guys!"
"Who are they?" Eda asks.
Luz grabs her jacket, "Be cool! If they know I haven't mastered two spells, they'll think I belong in the baby class!"
Amity walks toward them, "What's that about the baby class?"
"Only that it's for babies and Luz here clearly isn't a baby." Eda pats her hand, Luz glaring, "Nailed it." she whistles and walks away.
"Amity!" Luz slips, posing on the ground, "Wha...What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to train with Cerise." Amity says as Cerise smiled at her, "I'm trying to beat Ed and Em's highest score on the exam."
Emira and Edric pop up from behind Amity.
"Aw, Mittens. That's impossible!"
"She still needs to use a training wand to learn new spells."
Cerise rolls her eyes, "Just for that, I'm gonna help her beat your score. If she or I beat your score, you have to do something for the winner." she smirks as she crosses her arms.
"Deal!" Ed and Em say in unison.
"So what are you workin' on? Something powerful?" Edric asks Luz.
"Yup! Powerful spells! I'm workin' on one that's so crazy! Eda's a pretty incredible teacher."
Eda carries a basket of snowballs, "Luz! I shall now teach you how to identify different types of snow-by taste!" she holds out a snowball and shoves it in Luz's face, "Well, go on, eat the snow."
"Is this some kind of...special magic?" Emira turns to Cerise, who gives her a so-so motion.
"Ahem. I don't think the Owl Lady wants to show us any of her powerful spells." Amity walks off.
Eda points at her mouth full of snowballs and swallows, "Oooh. Brain freeze! Brain freeze!"
"See you around, human! Good luck with your, uh, training." Emira smiles before Edric picks up a clump of snow and tries to lick it. She knocks it out of her brother's hand and drags him away.
"Aw."
"I'll catch up with you guys later!" Cerise calls out to them, waving.
"Eda! Can you please take this seriously?" Luz asks.
"You need to take me seriously. Go taste snow without my guidance, see where it gets you." Eda says as Luz looks downcast, "Oh." she sighs, "Don't worry kid." she ruffles Luz's hair, "If you listen to me, soon you'll be doing stuff like that." she gestures to the Blights as Amity reads from a book, aiming her training wand at a tree and drawing a spell circle with it to produce a fireball that destroys it, "And it won't be with some wack training wand, it'll be the real deal. But you have to trust me, okay?"
Luz nods, "Okay. I trust you."
"We've covered snow, so now it's on to smelling moss." Eda pulls moss out of her pocket and shoves it up her nose, "Now the trick is, you really gotta get it up in there."
Luz's expression falls as Cerise cringes.
"I'm gonna go train." Cerise walks away.
...
"This is ludicrous! I once led armies. I can lead a dang boot camp! But I have no recruits." King looks at New Guy and Francois, "Or do I?"
"Yep!" Hooty gets his attention, "It's your faithful pal Hooty reporting for duty! Up at dawn, taking orders all day long!"
"Ugh, no! You are too desperate!" King heads inside, returning with all his toys, saying their names as he puts them down, "Role call! New Guy, Aloysius Turtle, Chip, Beefy Bob, Francois." he pauses, picking up Francois, "Oh, you're perfect already! As for the rest of you, I'm only saying this once so listen up!" New Guy falls onto Aloysius Turtle, "Huh it's no fun if they don't tremble."
The vegetables, laughing, throw cooking supplies off the cliff and cheer.
"Ohh okay, alright." King looks between the vegetables and his toys, "Yep, an idea is happening!"
...
Eda sits in front of a fire, drinking out of a mug as Luz walks out from the forest.
"Ugh. Okay. I've identified the smells of three different rocks, sorted all the twigs from big to small, and found your glove, and your hand." Luz lifts the glove off of Eda's detached hand.
"Ah, I was wondering where that thing went." Eda screws her hand back on.
"So what now?"
Amity sends a jet of fire at Edric with the training wand, the boy dodging as Emira summons an arm of snow, Amity blocking it and destroying it with a shield. She dispels the shield and waves at Luz, who was watching. Edric uses this to his advantage to make her sink in the snow until only her hand was showing.
Luz giggles in response as Cerise spins around, ice spikes emerging around her.
"Hey. I know my lessons seem weird but this is what wild magic is all about! Making a connection with nature. The earliest witches understood that. Human witches need to understand it too. You wanna learn a second spell?"
"With all my heart."
"Then you have to learn from the island." Eda guides Luz to a rock, making her sit down, "Now look."
The rock overlooks the Titan. Its Ribs are nearly the same height as the Knee, and Its Skull is towering even from the opposite end of the Isles. Luz stares at the sight in awe as wind blows past her.
"And think about what the island is trying to tell you." Eda leaves.
Luz takes a deep breath, "Alright, Luz. Look. Look with everything you've got. Focus." she raises her right hand and speaks through it, "Focus? On what? On how you'll be stuck in the baby class?" she then speaks, " No! Don't think like that!" she makes her left hand speak, "Face it, you'll never get a second spell following Eda's lessons." she speaks again, "Silence, hands!"
Amity destroys a pillar with her training wand.
"Amity! Cece! Dinner's ready!" Emira calls.
"I caught a bat!" Edric adds.
"Edric, don't eat that." Amity puts her book and wand into her tent before walking off.
"Yeah, that doesn't sound like a good idea." Cerise adds.
"If I wanna be in the same class as Amity, I'm gonna need to learn magic like Amity." Luz says before making her left hand speak, "Great work, Luz!" she shushes it, "Shh! I don't need your validation."
...
"Military discipline, cooking! Ha, I truly am a demon for all seasons!" King pours the potion from earlier in his toys, except for Francois, "Just a dash of Eda's secret sauce and I'm the creator of life!" the toys' arms start moving, "Yes, yes, yes! My loyal recruits!" the toys all stand on two feet, "Welcome to boot camp! You sure need it. Look at you: raggedy, pathetic, chewed on, you got a button hangin' off of your eye. Pathetic! But I'll mold you worms into...slightly...better kinds of worms. Your first mission: gimme snacks! Your commander is hungry, so pick it up!" Aloysius Turtle, Chip, and Beefy Bob walk in the direction King pointed, while New Guy walks the other way, prompting King to smack him, "Hey, Private Dingdong, snacks are that-a-way! You better shape up recruit, you're in my boot camp now." New Guy's eyes flash red.
...
Edric holds a bat, Emira and Amity glaring at him as Cerise watched.
"Ed, give me the bat." Emira holds her hand out.
"No! If we're not gonna eat it, I wanna keep it as a pet!" Edric turns to Cerise, "Cece, back me up here!"
"Don't drag me into this." Cerise told him.
"Let's go!" Edric grabs her hand and runs off with her and the bat.
"Ed! I said don't drag me into this!"
Emira and Amity run after them.
"Get back here before that thing bites you!" Emira shouts, "And let go of Cece!"
Luz sneaks into the Blights' tent and takes Amity's wand and book. She goes to a ledge near her and Eda's tent, where she kneels down and opens the book. Inside is a drawing Amity made, "Huh. Her crosshatching has improved." she moves Amity's drawing to show a page titled "Fireball.", "Oh man, oh man." she stands and draws a circle with the wand, gasping, "Yes!" she shoots the fireball off as it explodes like a firework, "I did magic! I did magic!!" she jumps in place, "Without drawing anything! This thing is the coolest!"
"Hold it right there." Eda's voice calls out as Luz turns around, "What are you doing with that?"
"I'm doing magic, what would you have me do? Eat more snow? Lick a rock?"
Eda pauses, "Okay, so maybe my methods are...unique, but so is your magic. Connecting to the island can help you. That wand can't."
"Well, it's already helped me. Just watch what I can do!" Luz draws out another spell circle. The power bar on the wand flashes a low battery bar as she loses control of the fireball, "Wh...whoaaa!" the fireball goes off further into the Knee, birds flying off when it lands as a growl is heard.
Eda gasps as the Slitherbeast jumps over the trees, a large patch of fur having been burned off over its mouth as it growled, "You've angered the Slitherbeast." the Slitherbeast roars, "You've angered the Slitherbeast!"
"Will it accept a heartfelt apology?" Luz asks as the creature sniffs and sees the still smoldering-tip of Amity's training wand, making it growl as it runs at her, Luz screaming.
Eda shoves Luz out of the way as the Slitherbeast grabs her, making her scream and strain.
"Eda!"
"Luz!" Amity exclaims as she, her siblings, and Cerise arrive.
"What did we miss?" Edric asks.
"And what are you doing with my wand?" Amity points.
"Um..."
Amity takes her wand and her book and holds them protectively, narrow her eyes at Luz.
"Mittens, we've got bigger problems." Emira told her as the Slitherbeast, advances on them, growling. Emira runs in front of Luz and Amity, "Aw, he's so cute. Can we keep him?"
Edric runs up with her, "It's no bat, but we could try."
Edric and Emira cast a lasso at the Slitherbeast's hands, the beast growling and pulling at the bonds as the twins struggle to keep hold.
"Mind if I join the fun?" Cerise traces a spell circle and casts a lasso that wraps around the beast and yanks it down.
"Cece, why do you never tell me that you can do all these things?!" Luz asks in amazement.
"Because that would ruin the fun." Cerise smirks.
"You got it! Now finish it off!" Eda commands.
"I'm on it!" Amity runs forward and tries to cast with her wand, failing, "What?" she smacks the end against her hand before noticing the low battery light. She turns to Luz, "Did you use this all up?"
"I...I didn't know!"
"Come on, Luz!" Emira calls.
"Do those powerful spells you were talking about!" Edric adds.
"Luz, just tell them the truth!" Cerise exclaims.
"But I don't actually...know any." Luz admits.
The Slitherbeast growls and frees itself with a yell, Cerise, Emira, and Edric being yanked into the snow.
"Cece!"
"Edric! Emira!" Amity rushes to them. The Slitherbeast picks them up, but Amity falls through, "No!"
The Slitherbeast puts the four into one claw before running off as the captured witches yell, Amity and Luz panting.
...
King's toys have loaded up the couch with snacks, "Yep, keep 'em coming." he turns to Aloysius Turtle, "And don't forget the pretzels this time." he takes a bag of chips and opens it, "Running a boot camp is tough work, but as my second-in-command, you deserve this." he dumps the chips onto Francois. New Guy watches them fall and tries to reach for one, "Hey, hey! Private New Guy! You're not privy to snacking privileges, back away!" New Guy's eyes glow red again, this time not fading back to blue. He then walks off the arm of the couch without breaking eye contact with King, who yawns, "Leading this boot camp has tuckered a little guy out, so Sergeant King signing off." he puts a night cap on Francois and himself and closes his eyes. A shadow falls over him, making him open his eyes, "Excuse me?" New Guy looms over him, his eyes still glowing, "Could you maybe turn down those eyeballs? Trying to sleep." he closes his eyes again as more shadows fall over him, making him open his eyes as all of the animated toys are now looming over him with their eyes glowing. Beefy Bob pulls New Guy's string.
"Don't you want a hug?"
King hugs Francois, "Ah!"
...
Luz and Amity watch trees shake as the Slitherbeast runs through them.
"What do we do?" Luz asks.
"I am going after them. You are staying here."
"But the beast has Eda and Cece!"
Amity advances on her, "And because of you, it also has my brother and sister! Now stay put." she pauses, "You'll only get hurt." she draws a circle, and with the flick of her hand, a cage rises from the ground as she runs away.
"Amity! Wait!" Luz reaches her hand out, getting shocked by the cage, "Stupid island." she kicks the rock, "Ugh! Ow." she sits on the rock, looking at the Titan's Skull, "You were supposed to teach me magic." she looks up, clouds parting to reveal stars as snow begins to fall, "But I'll never learn more than this." She pulls a notepad and a pencil from her pocket and draws a light glyph. She activates it and watches as it flies into the sky, the stars blinking above, "Wait. Is that..." the stars form a constellation in the form of the light glyph, Luz tracing the outer ring with her finger, "...a light glyph? But what does that mean?" A snowflake lands on her glove. She looks at it, seeing a pattern in the center before it melts, "Whoa." Determined, she grabs a stick, breaking a twig off of it and catching another snowflake, "It means...magic is a gift from the island. It means..." She draws the glyph from the snowflake into the snow with the twig, adding a diamond to the bottom. She taps the glyph on the ground, backing away when a small pillar of ice rises from it, "...magic is everywhere." Luz grabs the bigger stick and replicates the ice glyph, this time the entire size of the cage, "Magic is everywhere!" she jumps off the rock and activates the giant glyph. The resulting ice pillar grows taller than the cage, launching her through the air, "Whoooo--aaah!" she lands in the snow, "My second spell!" she pops out, "Thank you, snow! Thank you, island! Thank you, Eda." she pauses, "Eda! Cece! I have to save them." she gets out of her hole and runs.
...
Hooty listens to loud music through headphones as Hannibal was covering his nonexistent ears.
"Hey! How dare you mutiny! Unhand your commander right now! Ah!" King is thrown through a window with Francois, "I gave you life, I can take it away!" arrows and knives land around him, "AH!"
Hooty knocks his headphones off.
"What is going on?" Hannibal asks.
King rolls over, standing, "Hooty, Hooty! Great news, buddy, you can be in the boot camp! First task: destroy the boot camp."
"Hmmmm, no thanks!"
"What? But you begged to join!"
"Sorry. You said I was desperate, so now I'm playing hard to get." Hooty spins his head upside down.
King rages, "Grrr! What do you want?!"
"I don't know. What are you offering?"
"Hmm..." King holds up a piece of chalk.
...
A body was now drawn around Hooty.
"Wow, this is incredible! It's so real! You got yourself a deal!" he opens the door, "Hooooot!" Hooty rips apart King's toys. Stuffing, a button, and an arm land at his feet as King watches from the doorway in shock.
"Wow..." Hannibal trails off.
"This day shall live in infamy." King says as New Guy's head is thrown against the door frame.
...
Luz runs out of some trees as growling was heard from a cave obscured with fog.
Inside the cave, the Slitherbeast spits purple goop at the wall and shoves Eda, Cerise, Emira, and Edric against it, the goop closing around their torsos as the beast hops away.
"Don't worry. We'll be fine!" Emira reassures.
"We'll get out of here in no time." Cerise adds before skeletons drop from the ceiling.
"No, we're gonna die." Edric comments.
"That's right." Luz pops up with a skull over her face, "Death is here." she lifts it up, "Just kidding, Luz is here!"
"Kid, get outta here!" Eda told her, "I'm just gonna sneak away with Cece when the thing starts eating the twins."
"Wait, what?" Emira asks as Edric gives an offended gasp.
"Aunt Eda!" Cerise gives her a scolding look, "We are not leaving my friends here!"
"Don't worry, Eda, I get it now. I was so obsessed with learning my second spell, I didn't listen to you. But now I'm gonna save you!" Luz jumps away, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah."
"Well, at least I got to see her misplaced confidence one last time." Eda comments.
Amity peeks around a boulder with a serious expression, Luz popping under her with a similar expression as Amity notices her and becomes shocked, "Luz!"
"Hello!" Luz grins.
They both duck behind the boulder.
"H-How did you get past the barrier?"
"Magic! Literally! Now, forget that, because you and I have to work together if we want to save everyone. Okay, here's what we're gonna do." Luz whispers to her.
The Slitherbeast returns, sprinkling assorted seasonings on Edric, Emira, Cerise, and Eda's heads.
Eda sneezes, "Ugh, I hate garlic."
"Hey! You big idiot!" Luz waves her arms, "Over here!"
"Luz!" Cerise calls out.
The Slitherbeast turns and growls, jumping at Luz, who runs away.
Amity climbs up to the four.
"Amity!" Edric exclaims.
"Use that fire spell we taught you!" Emira adds.
"But I can't do it without the wand!" Amity told her.
"Yes, you can. Just focus."
"You've got this." Cerise adds.
"Okay." Amity slowly traces a spell circle in front of her. It wavers when she concentrates, but a ball of pink fire appears after a moment and she smiles proudly.
"Cool. I didn't think you could actually do it." Emira comments.
Amity melts the four free before hearing Luz scream, "Luz!"
Luz dodges the Slitherbeast and runs out of the cave as the beast follows her. She stops at a tree as the beast growls loudly, "Gotcha!" she steps on a huge glyph she drew into the snow, an ice glyph. She ducks away from the rising pillar of ice as it launches the Slitherbeast into the air, landing hard on its back as everyone else runs out of the cave.
The Slitherbeast rights itself, screeches at the witches, and runs at them.
"You want me to teach you kids something cool?" Eda asks.
"Yes!"
"Yes, please!"
Eda runs forward, drawing a complicated spell circle, grunting, "Sleep spell!" her spell circle passed around the Slitherbeast, the creature immediately falling to the ground as it begins snoring.
"Now that's my mentor!" Luz runs up to Cerise and Eda, "Did you see? I learned my second spell! I made the connection!"
"I saw." Eda ruffles Luz's hair, "Nice work kiddo."
"I'm so proud of you." Cerise hugs her.
Emira sighs, "You showed some real bravery in there, sis."
"Yeah, nice work kiddo." Edric ruffles her hair.
"Grr, stop!" Amity fixes her hair, walking over to Luz, "So it looks like we'll be in the same class."
"Azura Book Club? Azura Book Club?!" Luz asks in excitement.
Amity blushes before whispering, "As long as it's a secret club, okay?"
"It's not a secret!"
"We're gonna tell everyone!"
Edric and Emira exclaim as their sister sighs disappointedly.
Eda sneezes between them, making them jump, "Alright, your adorable banter is literally making me sick. Let's go home already."
"On it, teach!" Luz exclaims before turning to Cerise, "Cece, care to help?"
Cerise smirks as the two draw an ice glyph, activating it as the trio are sent flying and cheering.
"I think we can go the normal way." Emira says as the trio walk off.
...
Stuffing rains down in the living room.
"Private Hooty, today when the felt flew you showed grit and determination that were instrumental in securing our victory. May I just say, it has been an honor, to be your commander."
"Sir, the honor is all mine."
"Private, our hearts have been touched by fire, and-"
"Ahem!" Eda clears her throat as Cerise and Luz look around at the mess of stuffing, "What the heck did you two get into?"
"Hannibal?"
"I tried to stop them, but they overpowered me!" Hannibal exclaims.
"Um, excuse me? We're having a moment here!" King told them.
"You'll never understand what we've been through together! Never! Never!" Hooty shouts.
King walks away, "Ugh, moment ruined."
"I will be haunted by my actions forever. Hoot hoot!"
...
Cerise brushes her hair as Luz walks into her room, "Oh, hey. You learned two spells now! That's great!"
"Cece, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure." she puts her hairbrush down.
"How did you know Emira and Edric?"
Cerise tenses up, "What are you talking about?"
"Eda said she was surprised that you went with them today."
"Well..." Cerise sighs, "The three of us used to hang out, you know, as friends. But...their parents, specifically their mother, didn't approve of their children being friends with a wild witch's niece, who didn't know magic. So, I'm kinda like Willow in a way, but they never bullied me."
"But you seemed awkward around them at first."
"..." Cerise sighs, "Edric and Emira used to...have a crush on me."
"Whaaaaaa?!"
"But, I didn't feel the same way and I didn't want to be the one coming between them as siblings, so...yeah."
"Did you ever have a boyfriend before?" Luz gasps, "Was it the Golden Guard?"
Cerise blushes slightly, "What? No! I did date someone, but not GG. It was a year ago though, but we broke up on my terms."