Eda looks over a checklist. It reads, "New coat for Luz", "Check itchy boy", "Pay water bill", "Clean Hooty (?)" and "Burn old dress".
"Luz needs a new coat. King needs to be checked for fleas. Am I missing anything?" Eda looks at her reflection. "Oh, you've changed, Owl Lady."
Eda takes a photo of her apprentice and friend at Grom and looks at it. "It's worth it."
"And three, and four, and five, and six, and seven, and eight, and nine, and ten!"
"And weh, and weh, and weh, and weh, and weh, and weh, and weh, and weh!"
"You can do this!"
Eda opens her window and smiles as she looks down and sees Y/n cheering Luz and King as they do pull-ups on her staff in midair.
"Alright, King. What's the first thing you're going to do when you meet your dad?"
"And ten thousand! Well, once we're done training, I'm gonna move out of that closet, that's for sure. Then, I'm going to ugly cry. Hard!"
"Have you told Eda about your decision to le—?"
"Shh!"
They hear a noise and looks up. Eda's window is closed. The witch herself is crouching under the window frame.
"I—I'm not ready yet. I'm not sure how she'll react."
"Don't worry, we'll be here for you."
"Everyone's leaving, huh? Even King. I guess I'm no substitute for the real thing."
Eda opens her trunk to place the photo in and spots a bell cittern with a raincloud and bolt carved into it. She puts the photo in her hair and picks the cittern up.
"Welp, nothing like a good distraction."
Eda starts playing a song and everything around her starts to float.
"Has my magic returned?" Eda stops playing, everything falls down.
"Oh, guess not. Stupid curse."
Eda puts the cittern back in the trunk and returns to her list. Behind her, a plant starts to turn black and corrode.
•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•
Luz and King are standing on the edge of a cliff, Eda's staff in Luz's hand. They fall and fly over the water, maneuvering past several rocks then flying upward until the sun obscures them. Back with Eda, she's dressed for the day and moved to the living room with her scroll showing the news.
"And we're back live at the emperor's castle! In light of Scooter Crane's retirement, today's ceremony will confirm Raine Whispers as the next head of the Bard Coven."
"Do I have to be on camera?"
"For Titan's sake, just say something."
Raine pulls down hood, faces the camera. "Uh, I am honored to work with Emperor Belos in preparation for the Day of Uni-bee. Uh, I mean, Uni-ly! I mean, uh—oh no, this is going all wrong. Get me outta here!"
Raine runs off flustered while the camera is turned off.
"How are you supposed to be Head Bard with stage fright?"
"Anyone can, I'm surprised Raine managed with his stage fright.
The door opens; Luz and King have returned but the former is holding a backpack at arm's length while the latter is holding his stomach.
"I'm sorry, Luz."
"It's okay, buddy. Hey Eda, got another backpack I can borrow? This one got a little thrown-up in."
"Closet."
Luz hurries off.
"So why are you suddenly so interested in flying? Did you give up on returning to the human realm? I mean, I suppose you can stay here a little longer."
"Oh, no. I'm still going home, but I keep running into some setbacks."
Flashback to Luz looking under a bed.
"Come on, little buddy. You got portal info that I need."
Luz pulls out a carrot, offering it to the echo mouse hiding underneath.
"You want a carrot? Does baby like carrots?"
The mouse runs onto her lap to eat the offering.
"Here we go. It's okay. See, you're safe here."
Hooty, who comes out of nowhere, eats the mouse.
"Fear not, maiden! Hooty, the guardian owl of Ga'Hoot, has protected you once more!"
Luz glares at him.
"Ga'Hoot!"
"I was able to get the mouse back safely, but he needs to recover."
"In the meantime, this weekend is the Gland Prix!"
"Hexside, Glandus, and St. Epiderm students race to win glory, honor, and—"
"Fame! Winners also get an interview with the Boiling Isles news! Do you realize what this means?"
"We are going to enter the competition and get King on camera to send a message to his dad!"
"Oh, that's... great."
"But, uh... there's something I'd like to talk to you about first. You see, I think it's time for me to le—"
"Leave... the talkin' for later. If you want to win, there's no time for talk. You gotta go practice. Now."
"Wanna head back out while your tummy's empty?"
"Okay!"
"Let's go!" Luz laughs joyfully as she and King exit the house.
Eda's smile soon changes into a frown and she unhappily sighs. Eda and Y/n go to Grimgrub's Pub.
"I just... don't wanna hear him say it, you know? I was finally getting used to having people in the house, then whoosh! Rug's ripped out from underneath me."
"Sure. I get it. It's like every time you come in here, I think, "maybe she'll pay her tab this time"."
Y/n crossed her arms as she looks at Kevin. Eda merely drinks the box of apple blood she has and turns her eyes over to the scene being caused in the pub.
"Hey! Back off!"
"Don't fret, citizens! We are helping this wild witch find her place in society!"
"No! I don't want to join a coven! Let me go!"
"Throw it on my tab, Kevin."
Kevin groans as Eda exits the bar with Y/n following.
"Let her go!"
"Back off, Owl Lady."
"Yeah, no coven wants a powerless witch."
Eda decks him in the face hard enough to spin his mask backwards.
"How's that for powerless?"
The crowd oohs, and Coven Guard tries to cast a spell on Eda and suddenly, music performed by a mysterious violinist witch with a mask and a group behind them starts playing and cancels out the spell.
A mysterious group with instruments and masks play music around a statue in the town square. An enchantment caused by the music appears and causes objects to start floating around, much to the crowd's amazement. The enchantment disappears as the music stops being played and the mysterious violinist speaks.
"Look at the emperor lackeys! Trying to, uh... Do I really have to say this?"
"We all agreed on the script."
"Trying to... mute the music of our hearts?" They groan, clearly embarrassed.
"And weaken magic, by forcing witches into covens against their will."
"Blasphemy!"
"Blasphem-you!"
"See, you're a natural!"
"That's right, Bonesborough. They take your magic." They force the guards to kneel.
"They restrict your knowledge." They make the guards march in place. "They say to do it in the name of unity, but what they really want is control. You know what we say to that, folks? Shove off!"
They send the guards off marching, but not without making them march into trash cans.
"Stop! No, not the trash! Oh, not the trash!"
"Who are you hewoes?"
"We are the Bards Against the Throne, AKA..."
"Surrounded!"
The guard puts on earmuffs as guards surround the group.
"Not entirely." Y/n smiled before Opal come out and attack the guards.
"Psst!" Eda calls them over to a manhole. The bassoonist creates a smokescreen allowing them to escape. The sewer leads to a pipe outside the city.
"End of the line, folks. Word of advice. Next time you put on a performance like that, make sure you have an exit strategy."
"Thank you. How can we ever repay you?"
"Well, you could let me join your little team."
"Hey, I may not have magic, but I am an agent of chaos."
"Sorry, we're not accepting new members."
"Is that any way to treat an old friend, Raine Whispers?"
•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•
Eda flicks off the violinist's mask, indeed revealing Raine, who at first is shocked but then looks back at Eda with an angry glare. Eda and Raine stare at each other.
"So, the Head Witch of the Bard Coven likes pretending to be a rebel. Too bad they're not very good at it."
"Eda! You're embarrassing me in front of my crew."
"Huh?"
"Hey, it's all right, everyone. The Owl Lady is an old friend."
The remaining members lift their masks.
"Nice to see you again."
"Is she going to join our group?"
"She doesn't seem like a good fit to me."
"Actually, she's the one that inspired me to make the group."
"Huh?"
"It was a while ago."
Eda's surprised face fades to her as a young adult smiling.
"Raine... I know why you're really here."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Uh-huh."
Eda burns a bolt over a cloud on the cittern she's holding. The two are in a meadow.
"Who cares about a stupid performance? This is more fun." Raine starts looking at Eda, love-struck.
"Whatever you say."
Young Raine adjusts the position of Eda's fingers on the cittern. "See? you'd be a mess without me."
Raine removes their hand and looks away flustered, missing the small smile Eda's making. Raine clears their throat.
"All right. "Raine's Rhapsody"." Eda begins playing the cittern, the flowers in the meadow and her hair being enchanted by the music.
"You know, you can't run from your fears forever, which is why you've gotta get the jump on them. Give 'em a whack right in the face."
Young Raine looks at Eda confused.
"I thought you were just joking around. I only learned what it meant when I started teaching for the Bard Coven. The emperor prioritized recruitment through force. And anyone who refused to fall in line disappeared. Well, I wasn't going to stand for that!"
Young Raine gets angry and clenches their left and right fists. They slightly calm down and put their fingers on their forehead, frustrated. "So I took matters into my own hands."
"I carefully moved up the ranks, and I found people who wanted to change things, like me. And that's when we formed the Bards Against the Throne, AKA..."
"The BATs!"
They notice coven guards searching and begin climbing the embankment.
"Hey. If you've got nothing to lose, we could use the help."
Eda blushes as she happily takes Raine's hand. Y/n and Opal watch from above.
"This... this is okay, right?"
"I don't know." Opal shrugged as she disappeared into Y/n's figure, Y/n frowned before glaring at the emperor's flag
•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•
Luz and King are push-ups on Eda's staff, although King has got Hooty doing the work for him. Luz collapses then stands up.
"Whew!"
"All right, King, the Gland Prix is the day after tomorrow. Are you ready?"
"I, uh, got the jitters. And I still haven't been able to talk to Eda."
"Don't worry. She's just been busy this week."
"You've always got Uncle Hooty's shoulder to lean on!"
"You don't have any shoulders!"
"Lean on me!"
Luz sees Eda heading out and approaches her surfing on the Owl Staff.
"Eda, King's still waiting to talk to you."
"Uh, maybe later."
"O-Okay. Well, maybe at the Gland Prix?"
"I'll be there. I promise!"
"I'll go with you Eda."
"I think it's better if you stay, I don't want anything to happen to you."
"B-But you know I'm capable of protecting myself.
"True but... but this is different and I don't want the emperor anywhere near you." Eda hugged Y/n tightly, Eda looks into Y/n's eyes and kisses her gently.
"I'll be back, I promise."
"Okay... just be safe."
Eda nodded before leaving. King runs in the background. "Stay away from me!"
"Let me be your emotional support!" Hooty follows King behind the house.
•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•
At the BATs' base. Eda rolls out a map.
"Well, there you have it. Homemade maps of every nook and cranny in the city."
"Okay. Here's the situation. Emperor Belos wants every wild witch in a coven before the Day of Unity."
"He's trying to steal as much magic as possible. We don't know why."
"Right now, we're just focused on helping those he's captured. And the next raids take place here, here and here."
Raine points at three different locations on the map that have a circle with an X inside them.
"At the same time? What do we do?"
"Don't worry, kids. Mama's got a plan."
"You're not our mom!"
Two Coven Scouts and one Guard Captain are arresting and escorting cloaked witches into a gold and white vehicle with the sigil of the Emperor's Coven on it. Amber hides in a corner with her cittern in hand as one of the Coven Scouts closes the back door to the vehicle. "As the first team is rounding up witches on Hexan Road, Amber will sneak in and take 'em out."
"Ugh. Fine." Amber plays enchanting music with her cittern in the corner and puts all three coven members to sleep.
In Skinford Avenue, Derwin and Katya jump onto a pillar and play their respective instruments, a bassoon and a tambourine, to distract the second team of scouts. As they both jump off of the pillar, two scouts begin chasing them. "Before anyone calls for help, Derwin and Katya will distract the second team by Skinford Avenue."
"That we can do."
"And... the captain?"
The Guard Captain of the second team of scouts looking around. Raine plays one of the strings on their violin which causes the captain to become trapped in their cowl.
"That's where Raine comes in."
"As long as I don't have to make any more speeches." Raine then steps forward and takes of their mask, smiling. They proceed to look in Eda's direction and then give her a thumbs up as a signal.
"And if everything goes well, I'll be guiding the escapees outside Bonesborough. Belos has less reach outside the cities."
Eda opens the back of the van to let the cloaked witches out. The scene changes to the sewer pipe outside of the city, where Derwin and Katya are leading the witches out of the city through the large sewer pipe. Raine and Eda on a balcony, sitting next to each other. As they both look at each other, they look away, Eda blushing.
While the group is walking back to their base, Amber steps in a puddle of water. By the time the BATs return, it's morning. Derwin has fallen asleep, so Katya's carrying him.
"I can't believe it's already morning."
"I'm not tired yet.
"Amber, you've gotta calm down."
Everyone chuckles. The group walks back into their base.
"We did it! Eda, you're amazing!"
"We actually helped people this time."
Raine lies down on their pillow on the floor. They sigh.
"Rainestorm."
"Haven't heard that in a minute."
"Oh, you've gotten so strong. It's incredible." Eda chuckles. "But how'd you become Head Bard with your stage fright?"
"I'm just that good. What about you? Do you still know any Bard spells?"
"Well, you remember the curse. It messes with my magic." She gestures with her hands and looks away.
Raine summons a cittern for Eda. Eda catches the cittern and looks at Raine, shocked.
"How'd you become the Owl Lady with your stage fright?"
Eda looks away, sporting an embarrassed flush.
"All right. You asked for this."
Eda starts playing enchanting music and as she continues, every object begins to rot, turn black, and corrode, causing Raine to look at her and the objects floating around her. She stops playing. Raine looks at their earring, which nearly corroded.
Eda chuckles and snorts. Eda looks at Raine. "Ha! "Raine's Rhapsody". More like "Eda's Requiem", am I right? I-I'll leave the playing to the professionals. Call if you need me." Eda leaves the base.
"Bye, Mama Eda!"
Raine looks down at one of the affected maps.
•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•
The next day at the starting line to the Gland Prix where the competing students are getting ready. The crowd chatters. Principal Bump talks with the fellow principals of Glandus High and St. Epiderm High in the background. Eda walks in the vicinity, looking for Luz and King. Luz, in her grudgby uniform, runs up and hugs her.
"Eda! I'm so glad you made it!"
"I, uh, would really like to tell you something before the race starts."
"Well, if it's so important, we can talk about it after the race... when you win, okay?"
"Uh, yeah, yeah. Okay."
"Welcome, everyone, to the Gland Prix!"
Gus conjures the event name on the crystal ball they're surrounding.
"Contestants will fly down the right arm to the Cubital Valley. They use speed, cunning, and magic, to race to the checkpoint and back to the finish line! Winners get their names etched on the Cup of Ephemeral Glory!"
"All victory is fleeting."
"And, an on-camera interview, seen by everyone watching across the Isles! On your marks, get set—"
The Cup screams, and the racers take off.
"Go, baby, go! Which one is yours? This is so exhilarating!"
Y/n holds a crow phone to Eda who gives her a funny look.
"Raine?"
"We got a tip about another raid. I know you're busy, but—"
"No, it's fine. I'm on my way."
Y/n watches Eda running off, she follows Eda.
The group meets near a broken bridge in the forest.
"This should be the spot....Something isn't right."
Katya, Amber and Derwin are suddenly waist deep in abomination goop. Eda and Raine run off and hide as someone appears.
"That feels better."
"Looks like we missed a few."
"It's Head Witches Eberwolf and Darius."
"So that means?"
"We fell for their trap."
•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•
Back at the race: Luz and King, having used an invisibility glyph, appear in front of a St. Epiderm student, scaring him and causing him to fall behind.
"Haha! Saint Epiderm? More like Stank Epiderm!"
King nearly falls off the staff and secures himself. He notices how fast Luz is approaching the goalpost marking the halfway point.
"Might wanna slow down for that turn, Luz. We're gonna crash!"
Instead of slowing down, Luz flies through the goalpost, sticking a plant glyph on it to slingshot them back around. The crowd cheers, as does Principal Bump, who shoots a smug look to the other principals.
"This place is disgusting. Figure out which one's the turncloak so we can leave."
Eberwolf sniffs the BATs and shakes his head.
"Just my luck."
Darius teleports the captured BATs into the conformatorium.
"I was scheduled for some me time today, so hand yourself over before things get nasty. I know they can hear me. I know you can hear me! Eber, help me out here."
Eberwolf draws a spell circle on his forehead. When it vanishes, he uses eye beams and finds footprints leading into the forest.
"I'm not going in there."
Eberwolf throws dirt that Darius dodges.
"Agh! What do you think you're doing?"
Eberwolf climbs all over him before heading into the forest.
"You'll regret that, mutt."
Darius follows Eberwolf into the forest. Up on a tree branch, Eda and Raine appear having used an invisibility glyph. Raine is carrying Eda bridal style, and Eda is no longer wearing her boots.
"I am glad I remembered how to do that."
The glyph disintegrates. They descent into mud.
"Ooh, gross."
"Eda, Belos' plans are a lot more dangerous than I let on. He's preparing some big spell for the Day of Unity, but he can't do it without every head witch. If we can take out Darius and Eberwolf..."
"Say no more, Rainestorm. What's the plan?"
Raine summons the cittern.
"You say your curse messes with magic. I think I can make that work in our favor."
Darius and Eberwolf are shown to be following Eda's boots, which were enchanted to distract them by leaving shoeprints in the mud.
"Looks like our traitor is a clever little songbird."
The boots kicks mud all over him. Angered, he uses spikes of abomination goo to destroy the boots.
"All right, no more playing around!"
Darius turns himself into abomination goo and forms a sword from the goo, as well. Eberwolf grows claws and talons then summons a rat-worm mount. They return to close to where Eda and Raine are hiding behind a tree. Eda turns around, notices how close she is to Raine and pulls back, blushing. Raine summons their instruments and they start playing "Raine's Rhapsody".
"There you are."
•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_•_
Darius notices too late that the ground is rotting and he's caught in it. At the same time, Eberwolf and his steed are also caught in it.
"It's working. Keep playing."
Raine sees they're being consumed. "Look. We may not make it out ourselves."
"But it'll stop the emperor, right?"
Raine nods.
"Then we play on."
Eda turns around, her photo of her, King, and Luz flying out of her hair. Raine sees it.
"Eda, do you have kids?!"
Eda stops playing, letting out an offbeat key on her cittern in shock.
"Uh, they're not mine-mine. Well, it doesn't matter. They both have real families to return to." Eda continues playing.
Raine makes Eda's instrument disappear and she collapses on the ground as the withering starts to reverse.
"I don't know what you're running from, but a great witch once told me... something about punching fears in the face? What I'm trying to say is don't give up so easily." They hand Eda back the photo. "They probably need you more than you realize."
They lend their hand to her; she takes it. "We can find another way to stop Belos together."
They are suddenly caught in abomination goo and yell. Darius has found them.
"Found you, songbird."
Darius starts pulling them back. Eda grabs a tree branch, but sees Raine about to let go of her hand.
"Raine, don't."
"Go. You know I can't stand an audience."
They let go and summon the violin to free themselves, landing before their fellow coven heads.
"Hello, Darius. Eber."
"Raine Whispers. You'll regret what you did to my cloak!"
Eberwolf mutters something.
"And your treachery, whatever."
Raine begins fighting the two, while Eda watches from behind a tree. She holds in her tears before running back to the starting line.
"Luz of Hexside and Ukula of Glandus are barreling towards the finish line! And there you have it! Luz over Ukula!"
"For fifth place." Eda stops clapping, confused.
"And now, let's give a hearty applause to our actual winner!"
The top three step up to the podium, Gavin having won.
Luz covered in leaves and branches. "Hey, Eda."
"You were flying like the dang wind. What happened?"
"We were winning for a while, but—"
A flashback to her and King flying; King is about to vomit again.
"Luz?"
"King, try to hold it in."
"I can't!"
"King!
"And then we crashed."
"It's okay. I'll just throw my message into the garbage where it belongs."
"No, this isn't over."
Eda summons her scroll and starts recording.
"Eda, who's even gonna watch this?"
"No one watches crystal balls anymore. It's all about streaming."
"All right. Hi, Dad. If you're out there watching this, I uh, want to introduce myself."
As King continues talking, Willow is shown watching the video in her room, with Clover perched on her head.
"I like cheesy foods and conquering kingdoms. Though I haven't conquered any of my own yet."
Amity, Emira, and Edric are also shown, watching at their manor.
"But maybe you have, and we can compare notes. I'd love to meet you. We could do parent kid stuff, toss a ball, burn some cookies, catch me going on weird websites or something. Also, I found a symbol in the tower I hatched in.
Somewhere else, an unnamed demon is also watching and, upon hearing about the symbol, looks off into the distance.
"Maybe you can teach me to read it. I live with my favorite human and a cranky old witch."
"Hey!"
"But cranky or not, she's the one who raised me, which is why I am le..." He pulls out a stack of papers. ..gally changing my name to King Clawthorne! Surprise, Eda! Now we're connected for life, and there's nothing you can do about it!"
"Is that what you wanted to tell me this whole time?"Eda sniffs and grabs the papers.
"And, if you sign here, it be official." Eda starts to cry.
"Eda, are you okay?" Eventually, Eda bursts out sobbing of joy.
In the forest Raine, now injured, is trapped in abomination goo as Eberwolf watches the stream.
"Eda, if you keep doing that, I'm gonna cry too!" Both Eda and Luz burst out crying.
"Would you shut that off? We're supposed to be tormenting Raine, not me."
Eberwolf sets the volume to maximum.
"Why are you like this?"
Raine escapes but is captured again, this time by an Abomaton.
"Leaving so soon?"
"I told you we didn't need help! So, get that ugly thing out of my face. And tell Alador he's a hack, while you're at it."
"Emperor Belos was rather upset to learn that you had a hand in the recent raid incidents."
"Guess I can look forward to my own petrification, huh?"
"No. It'd be too much of a hassle to find a replacement."
Kikimora activates Raine's coven sigil, which begins encasing them in a vine cocoon.
"The Emperor needs you alive and well the Day of Unity. But until then, night-night."
A dark red glow stops the vine cocoon, a figure walks out wearing a white cape with gold trim, white dress and golden mask with two small long upward-facing horns.
"I'm back."