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Author's POV:
In Hexside, where Principal Bump and various students are lined up for a flying ship. Luz walks up to Y/n, Willow, and Gus. "Luz, you ready for the field trip of a lifetime to the one, the only, Emperor's Castle!" Gus exclaimed.
"Right. I was actually gonna stay behind. I don't like the way they treat Eda." Gus shoves the book in Luz's face. "But you're gonna miss out on all the cool stuff!" Gus said. "Like what?" "Like ancient relics! Look, it's the Plant Coven's Green Thumb Gauntlet! It can grow whatever you imagine." Willow exclaimed.
The book shows a picture of regular trees captioned "BEFORE." "AFTER" section, where the tree tops now act as heads, they all have arms and abs, and one is holding an owl's nest. "Mmm..."
"And the Oracle Sphere!" The book shows a white sphere with a two-headed snake on it. "It shows you which path will help you become your best self!"
"And The Healing Hat. Made from the magic of the Savage Ages. It is said to cure the deadliest diseases and heal any curse!" Y/n said as that caught the attention of Luz. "You can't miss this! Luz!" Willow exclaimed.
"All aboard students!" Principal Bump yelled. Willow and Gus head for the ship, dropping the book. Luz looks at it. "Mmm." Luz picks up the book. "You've done so much for me, Eda. Now I'm gonna do something for you."
~~~~~~
The flying ship headed for the Emperor's Castle. Students on board are cheering. "No roughhousing! Do not make me turn this carriage around!" In Luz's notebook.
She has drawn the Healing Hat and written: "HEALING HAT HEIST 1. Sneak into castle! 2. Steal healing hat 3. Lift curse".
"Hey, Luz!" "AAhh!" Luz hides notepad. "Um, what was that, Willow?" "I was just saying we were getting close to the castle." She and Luz look over the side of the ship.
"Emperor Belos built it as a symbol of unity. Before he came to power, folks were doing 'magic all wrong'. He taught us that the only way to respect what the Titan gave us is through joining covens!" Y/n explained.
Luz looks doubtful. "It's a shame Amity couldn't make it. She would love this trip." Willow said.
~~~~~~
Cut to Amity's bedroom. She's lying in bed with her feet propped up on a pillow, her right one still in a cast. She looks at a poster on her wall of Lilith posing with a sword, the words "Join the Emperor's Coven TODAY!" written under her.
"Shut up."
~~~~~
Back to the ship. "So, Y/n and Willow... would you say this Belos guy is like, powerful?" Willow chuckles. "No offense to Eda, but the Emperor is the most skilled witch that's ever lived. He can even talk to the Titan."
The ship lands in front of the castle. Towering doors open. "Now, the Emperor's assistant will be your tour guide. Please don't make me regret taking you here." Kikimora stands on a platform as a bridge extends to the ship. "Whoa! Look at that!" The kid's Gasps. "It's massive!
The bridge retreats, bringing the students closer to Kikimora. "Children of Hexside, Emperor Belos welcomes you to his castle. We're honored by visits from students. You'll soon be a part of a coven, some lucky few may even find their home here, in the mighty Emperor's Coven!"
"She looked at me!" "Wow, some!"
"You... are the future of the Isles! My job is to teach you its past." They enter the castle. Guards flank either side of a hallway, saluting, as others walk on overpasses. The walls are covered in tapestries, murals, and statues. "Ooh. Whoa"
"Today, the Isles are a place of peace and prosperity. But that wasn't always the case." Gestures to a mural of witches dancing around a fire. "Up until 50 years ago, witches and demons practiced wild magic during what we called the Savage Ages." She leads the students away. "Witches had access to corrupt knowledge, and that dishonored the Titan."
Luz stops at a grate. "That was, until our great Emperor ascended to the throne, and taught witches how to use magic properly." Gestures to a mural of Belos holding up a beam of light, witches below celebrating his power. "Our next stop is the Emperor's personal collection of relics."
"Oh! Luz, you'll like this. It's where-huh?" Willow said as Y/n pointed at Luz struggling to open the vent, noticing Y/n, Willow, and Gus looking at her. "Heh... Uh, love me a properly ventilated castle!" Luz follows the rest of the group.
"The Relic Room. These items are reminders of our great Emperor's overwhelming power. From the curious and mighty." "Oooh." Kikimora passes the Green Thumb Gauntlet. "To the very handy." "Oh, I could grow such beautiful things with that!" Willow said.
Kikimora passes by the Healing Hat. "And even, the most valuable." Luz stares at the Hat as Willow is admiring the Gauntlet. "Come along, children." Y/n and Willow go to catch up. Luz starts walking towards the Healing Hat, but Gus runs up and drags her along. "Let's go, Luz!"
"Here at the Emperor's Coven, we require members with sophistication, elegance, and grace." A door slams open. Lilith is standing there, leaves in her disheveled hair. She spits out feathers and vanishes her staff, then enters. Luz gasps and ducks around a corner. "Ah! Make way for Miss Lilith Clawthorne, students."
"Oh, my gosh!" "The head of the coven!" "Wow!"
"Yes, and if I'm not mistaken, she's on her way to see the Emperor himself. Let's all wish her luck!" "Good luck, Miss Lilith!" The students said.
Lilith blushes and inhales. "Thank you, students. Good luck with puberty."
"This way, children." Most of the class follows Kikimora down the hall as Lilith enters a door. Luz looks after Lilith.
~~~~~~
Cut to the Emperor's Castle. Luz peeks out of a curtain to look through a window, watching the class leave. "Please don't notice I'm gone, please don't notice I'm boarding the bus?" Luz is on the bridge. She turns around and sticks out her tongue at the real Luz. "Huh"
Y/n taps Luz's shoulder. "Wah!" Luz turns around to see Y/n, Willow, and Gus, Gus spinning three spell circles. "Oh! Guys. I, uh...." Willow pulls out Luz's notepad. "You were planning on taking the Healing Hat, weren't you?" Y/n said. Luz sighs.
"You got me. But you don't understand. Eda has this curse and it's zapping away her magic, and-"
"Luz, no matter what, you can't steal this hat," Willow said. Gus steps in front of Willow. "But, you can borrow it!" "Hey! I wanted to say that!" "We learned about Eda's curse from your notes. We're gonna help you." Y/n said.
Luz almost crying. "Thanks, guys. I know exactly what we gotta do. It's time for a heist!"
Y/n, Willow, Luz, and Gus sneak through the halls when they see a guard coming down the stairs. They duck behind a small bush, which Willow grows into the shape of a unicorn.
The guard stops, nudges its horn, and continues. The four run off; Another guard is standing in a hallway. The four notice them and come out of a door stacked together awkwardly under one uniform.
Luz, at the front, waves, high-fives the guard, and finger guns as they retreat. The guard is very confused; Luz looks at the vent from earlier. She draws out a fire glyph and melts the vent; they reach yet another hallway, where Gus illusions up a double of Kikimora to send a guard off.
Once the guard leaves, the illusion of Kikimora does the worm. Y/n and Gus laugh, oblivious to Luz and Willow's confused looks. Finally, the four enter the Relic Room.
"Healing Hat. Mmm! You're Eda's last hope!" Luz grabs the hat, which glows. "I-I can feel it! I can feel the magic flowing!" "Me too!" Gus holding Oracle Sphere.
"Finally, I'm about to become my best self!" Gus holds the Sphere up, and a purple-tinted double of him appears. "You're always your best self." Gus tears up and starts crying.
Willow wearing the Green Thumb Gauntlet. She grows a large wooden arm, which flexes and then sinks back into the Gauntlet. "Whoa! I just wanted to try it out!" She returns Gauntlet; and chuckles. "Now we can cure Eda and get this hat back before anyone knows it's gone." Luz laughs.
"I will know." Everyone is looking at the ceiling. Luz and Willow back up nervously. "We need to go. Now!" Y/n said. Barricades drop in front of the doors, locking them in.
Y/n, Luz, and Gus gasp. The doors to the relic room get locked, barricading Luz, Y/n, Willow, and Gus inside. "Stand back!" Willow grabs the Green Thumb Gauntlet and grows a massive buff tree. It extends its arms at one of the barricades.
Cut to a hallway, where Lilith is pacing in front of the stained glass mural of Belos. "Lilith, think! You've given your entire life to this coven, you can't lose it. What's Eda's weakness? She has no attachment and no friends. Think!" Lilith punches the wall at the same time a loud crash happens. She stares at her hand.
Cut to the Relic Room, where the barricade now has a hole in it. Luz coughs. Willow's tree shrinks to nothing. "Come on, let's go!" Luz gasps. Luz stops at Lilith's pointed staff. Using her palisman, Lilith pushes down the hood of Luz's cowl.
"Why, if it isn't Eda's human pet. How perfect." Luz backs up as Lilith advances on her. "Aren't I lucky to find you here?" "Stay away! If you touch us, Eda will come after you so fast-" Lilith teleports in front of Luz. "That's the plan."
"Run, Luz!" Willow raises the Green Thumb Gauntlet and grows a wooden arm to grab Lilith's staff. Luz runs. Lilith uses her staff to fling Willow toward the door.
"Willow!" Y/n yelled as she grabbed her bag of potions and through all of them at her. Lilith used her stuff stopped all the potions and threw them across the room. Lilith uses her staff to fling Y/n toward the door. Y/n landed on top of Willow.
"Wrong move, Lilith. It's two against one, and you don't stand a chance against-"Lilith poofs Gus's copy and throws him across the room with Y/n and Willow. "Now, that doesn't belong to you." She magically grabs Healing Hat.
"No!" Luz tries to free the Hat from Lilith's magic. Lilith closes her fist, and the magic rips the hat in half. It disappears. "No! I needed that to heal your sister!" "Huh?" Lilith grabs Luz.
"These decrepit relics are useless. If you wanna see your friend again, deliver this to Edalyn." Lilith throws her staff at Y/n, Willow, and Gus. The staff flies them away.
"LUZ!"
~~~~~~
Cut to the Owl House, where Eda folds a completed witch's wool cloak. Hooty opens the door. "I spy with my little eye something coming this way!" "Luz!" "Wait!" King pushes a cake into the living room.
"Wait for me! You're not the only one who knows dark magic!" King holds up the cake mix box. "Now stop gawking and load me in!" Eda stands and helps him in. "Ow! Ow! Gentle!"
The shadow of Y/n, Willow, and Gus on Lilith's staff passes the window. They knock on the front door, which Eda opens. Her face falls when she sees it's not Luz. "Eda, we have some bad news..." Behind them, Lilith's staff is floating and glowing blue. Eda glares at it.
And ran off.
~~~~~
The next day after the whole incident.
"Perry Porter coming to you live from outside the Emperor's Castle. Edalyn Clawthorne, known commonly as 'Eda the Owl Lady', has been captured and has been brought before the Emperor." Gus's dad said.
"For the crime of attacking a coven leader and refusing to join a coven, Edalyn Clawthorne's body shall be petrified in stone! Today, sundown, at the Conformatorium."
Amity watches the broadcast on a crystal ball, her look of annoyance turning into one of surprise. Cut to Gus's room. Gus gasps and turns to his scroll. "Willow! Y/n! Are you watching?" "Yes. We have to do something!" Y/n said.
"Today is a grave day for Bonesborough."
~~~~~
Cut to an Emperor's Coven guard drumming a beat. Several drumming guards in two lines in front of a large crowd. "I don't see Luz anywhere!" Willow said. "Do you think she got caught!?" Gus added. "No! Luz is dumb but not that dumb!" Y/n yelled.
An alarm sounds, and the cage with Beast Eda in it rises onto a towering platform in front of the crowd. "Well folks, Eda the Owl Lady has appeared on stage, which means the petrification process is about to begin."
Kikimora finishes rising with the cage. She walks forward and pushes a lever, making the three-headed statue rise from the ground. Beast Eda visibly looks nervous as the machine crackles to power.
Y/n, Willow, and Gus gasp. "We gotta do something," Willow said as Y/n ran towards Gus's dad. "And in a shocking turn of events, head Coven leader Lilith is now in the holding cage. Escorted by what appears to be a deranged cat." Gus pulls on his sleeve.
"Augustus? I'm live!" "Dad, you have to stop!" Willow grabs Perry's microphone. "Yeah. What's happening to Eda isn't right. She might not always follow the rules, but she hasn't done anything worthy of a petrification!" Willow exclaimed.
"She helped me escape jail!"
"She helps me stay in business!"
"She helped me love teaching again...after she left.
"The Emperor should let Eda go." Willow pumps her fist in the air, the crowd following. "Let Eda go!" Gus and Y/n yelled. Crowd chanting. "Let Eda go! Let Eda go! Let Eda go! Let Eda go!"
~~~~~
In the chamber with Luz and Belos. "Let my friends go, or else!" Owlbert hoots. Luz slams the butt of Eda's staff into the floor, rocketing out of the grip of the hands holding her down. She lands with a flip and slams the staff down, summoning a row of ice spikes that stop inches away from Belos's mask.
"Okay." The melts from the throne, reappearing behind Luz, appearing to be more liquid than solid mass. "I'll play." Belos lifts a finger and flicks it, sending Luz into the base of a towering statue. A crack travels up the statue until it frees the giant two-headed axe, which Luz just barely dodges. Luz sends a fireblast at spikes of earth.
She freezes a giant red hand in a block of ice. She mounts the staff to avoid more earth spikes. She pulls the staff around and aims for Belos, fire glyphs in hand. Belos stands immobile as the intro monster appears around him. Luz screams as the intro monster swallows her.
It explodes a second later, and Luz lands on the ground on her feet. Emperor Belo's screen pulsing with his words. "What's wrong, human? I thought you wanted to fight." The shadow of Belos passes, and Luz turns to face it. More arms grab her legs and arms, pulling her back down to the ground.
"Huh? Ah!" Emperor Belos appears from the shadows. "Had enough?" Luz smirks. "Not even close." Luz moves her hand to reveal an ice glyph. The ice pillar hits Belos's mask, chipping a piece off. Luz looks at the shard before looking back up at Belos.
Emperor Belos chuckles. "I like your spirit." He turns around to reveal a glowing blue eye shining out of the broken half of his mask. "But try that again and things won't end well for you."
The arms retreat off of Luz. "Now, I'm just a humble messenger for the Titan. In the grand scheme of things, the Owl Lady's life is inconsequential." He steps directly in front of Luz. "But then you showed up. If you want to save your mentor, give me the portal to the human realm." "But... my home." Luz looks up.
"You probably think we want to invade the human realm, but the Titan's will is not so boarish. You'll understand soon. Tick-tock, human. The Owl Lady doesn't have much time left." Beast Eda distantly screeches. Luz reaches for the ceiling, for Eda. "No!" Luz grabs the clasp of her cloak as a tear runs down her cheek.
"Fine!" She reaches under her cloak and activates the portal door, keeping the key out of sight of Belos. She hugs the door to her chest. "Lo siento, Mamá." Luz grabs Eda's staff and stands, reluctantly walking towards Belos and holding out the door. "Here, it's yours."
"The Titan will be pleased." Belos takes the door. Luz's hand lingers on it, not dropping until a few seconds after it's completely out of her grasp. She finally steps on the platform that Lilith had brought her to, pulling the hood of the cloak up.
"Go on then." He taps his staff against the ground, making the platform rise. "Go be a hero."
"I may have lost, but so have you." Luz turns around and taps Eda's staff against the platform. Owlbert's eyes glow, as do the fire glyphs on the door before the latter ignite, making the portal to the human realm explode.
Belos backs away from the flaming eye, the only substantial part of the door that remains. He glares at Luz through the smoke, who glares right back as the platform carries her out of the chamber.
Cut to Beast Eda, whose legs begin turning to stone. Luz and the platform rise in between the cage and the petrification machine. Luz grabs a plant glyph and throws it to the base of the machine. Vines burst out of the glyph and rock the machine to the side, stopping it.
Beast Eda screeches and falls to the ground, nearly completely stone. "Wh-what do we do?!" King asked. "The spell wasn't completed! Maybe I can help her fight it!" Lilith puts her hands on Eda's wing.
"No! What is happening?!" Luz activates a fire glyph as she walks behind Kikimora. "Free them, now!" Kikimora shrinks in on herself and traces a spell circle. The cage disappears, and Luz runs to Eda. "Eda! Are you okay?" The stone recedes from Eda's body. Her eyes open.
"As good as I'll ever be." Emperor's Coven guards, holding spears, close in on them. Luz prepares herself for a fight, but Eda flings her and King onto her back. "Let's fly!" Lilith gets on in front of Luz and King, and Eda takes off.
The coven guards aim with their spears, but none hit them. The crowd cheers as Eda flies away. Kikimora glares after them until Emperor Belos walks out, his mask still broken. "My liege!"
Emperor Belos walks to the edge of the roof. "Children of the Isles. The Titan has told me to spare the Owl Lady's life, but in return, her curse will strip away all her powers. Let her monstrous form be a lesson about the dangers of wild magic."
~~~~~~