Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Waking up on Hexmas morning with a feeling of dread looming overhead wasn't as uncommon as you might think, especially if you were Edric and Emira Blight.

Where there would no doubt be some who awoke and checked their Hexmas gifts from Krampus with concern if there was even the slightest chance they weren't a good witch this year, that was never the case in Blight Manor. Even with the hour being fairly early as the sun was still only just beginning to rise into the sky, there was no doubt in either twins' mind that their parents were already awake and doing away with the 'worthless garbage' they were convinced Krampus had simply dumped on them for no reason, maybe even with a bit of arguing over how the heck the holiday demon seemed to slip past 'the greatest magical security system money can buy' as the cherry on top. It almost made them both want to just stay tucked away under the covers, safe and sound until the day was over.

Of course, their parents would never allow them to just sleep through the Hexmas party, and they knew that as soon as the presents were nothing but magical ash their door would be forced open and they'd be made to get ready whether they liked it or not.

At least this year they had something to look forward to, assuming they played their cards right.

As they both dragged themselves out of bed, they recalled all the work that had gone into preparing a far better holiday party waiting over at the Owl House, all the while trying to concoct some sort of scheme to actually be able to get over there. Unfortunately, even some of the best ideas that had been thrown around were shot down because of the truly absurd level of control their parents attempted to have over this one day over all else, so they had to settle for the only thing that might be able to work: grab some breakfast so they could make sure they were preoccupied with the destruction of wrapped packages before simply sneaking out and making a break for it. If they could at least get deep enough into the woods before their absence was noticed, they'd be safely within Hooty's known range to ensure no one could drag them back to the nightmare that awaited them within these walls.

After taking a moment to make sure they were awake, the twins carefully exited their room and slowly made their way down the stairs. Already, the sound of agonizing screams from the servants that were being forced to feed the enchanted fireplace with the gifts they'd never get the chance to open to know for sure if they were naughty or nice was echoing throughout the first floor, causing them both to cringe at how bad the hexes had to be this year for them to be suffering so much for no reason other than the measly pay they were given to do their jobs. The further they got down the stairs, the more they could also hear a heated discussion between their parents taking place. They started to draw spell circles, intending to camouflage themselves to sneak past undetected, but their father's ears quickly picked up on the sound and he immediately leveled them with the kind of glare that could only mean bad things.

“Edric, Emira, where is your sister?”

Ed and Em could feel their spines slowly start to freeze over from the chilling tone he'd just leveled at them, but it didn't change the fact that the honest confusion was crystal clear on their faces.

“I think she's still asleep, father,” Emira responded.

“Do not lie to us, Emira Blight!” their mother suddenly yelled, and the accompanying sound of a fiery explosion that rocked the next room over and was only halted from consuming either her or Alador by a powerful barrier spell they were safely watching from behind only struck more fear into the twins.

“We went to wake Amity up a little while ago to have a talk with her about the attitude she showed last night about her place in the future of this family,” Alador said, “and when we opened her door, she was nowhere to be found.”

Edric and Emira exchanged shocked glances, this certainly being news to them. They hadn't gotten the chance to fill Amity in on their attempted escape 'plan' last night after everything that happened, and as far as they knew she had no idea there was even a planned party waiting for her and them at the Owl House, so she'd simply disappeared of her own accord for reasons that, the more they thought about it, might have had something to do with Luz.

“We have no idea where she is, honest!” Edric pleaded as Alador and Odalia closed the distance, a fury the likes of which they'd never seen directed at them before in their eyes.

“We just woke up and swear she was still asleep if she wasn't already down here!” Emira added.

“And why should we believe that?” Odalia replied. “You two just so happened to disappear for most of the day yesterday, and all of you have been going out and about a little too much for our liking when you know full well what today means for this family. You know something, and you're going to tell us everything right now.”

“We're telling you the truth, mother!” Emira begged.

“Yeah!” Edric added. “It's not like we were planning to go to some other holiday party instead today. We never even said anything to Amity about-”

Emira smacked her brother across the back of his head, and while he winced in pain his eyes quickly widened when he realized the blunder he'd just made. If their parents didn't look like they were about to feed their children to some vicious feral beast before, they certainly did now. At this point, not even the chaotic sounds of the last of their Hexmas gifts being obliterated could drown out their anger.

“The two of you thought you were just going to ignore our family tradition, the sacred celebration of our family, for some far less important party filled with insignificant witches that are not worth our time!?” Alador bellowed. “You thought you could abandon your duty to this family, the roles you are meant to play to ensure that we remain the most powerful name on the Boiling Isles save for the Emperor himself, that easily!?”

“You are going to tell us where this other party is being held. Right. Now.” Odalia's eyes began to glow, raw magical power slowly making its presence known around her as her rage was beginning to boil over. “Alador and I are going to go 'take care' of it, and if we happen to find Amity there, our youngest star corrupted by the influence of lesser witchlings, then the two of you are going to regret-”

“Oh dear, it seems I might be a touch too early it seems.”

All eyes suddenly turned towards the front door, and the Blight parents' anger was replaced with shock at the imposing figure that casually strolled over to where everyone stood, barely any indication that he'd even entered to be found.

“Mr. Klawse...” Alador began, trying to maintain his anger towards his children but clearly rattled by the sudden presence of the one witch aside from Emperor Belos that actually somehow held a higher standing than them in society. “You're early... very early...”

“I apologize Alador,” Mr. Klawse said with a bow of his head. “I didn't intend to bother you all so early. There's just a rather important matter I had to discuss with you and Odalia and I'm afraid it could not wait.”

As Alador and Odalia's attitudes seemed to change almost instantly, Mr. Klawse regarded the situation before him carefully, having overheard some of the conversation on his way in. A knowing smile slowly graced his lips as he connected the dots, but he carefully disguised it in a way that didn't give any indication to his 'colleagues' that he was a little more aware of what was going on than they might believe.

“I couldn't help but overhear the commotion,” he stated, “and, perhaps this is a bit out of line for me to say, but if Edric and Emira wish to attend another party for a little change of pace this Hexmas Day, then I don't see why they can't.”

“What!?” both Alador and Odalia exclaimed. Even Ed and Em were looking at him in disbelief at this point from their place near the bottom of the staircase.

“I couldn't help but notice that your children, despite your good intentions, just don't seem to enjoy the kinds of parties the two of you throw every year,” he pointed out, which had Odalia looking irritated but she did her best to mask it. “I know I enjoy a change of scenery every now and then, which is why I don't always accept your invitations. Your children are still enjoying their youth, and it's only right they be allowed to spend it however they see fit. If they want to get out of this stuffy old manor and try something new, I say it'd be a great opportunity to broaden their horizons a bit, wouldn't you?”

“But... but...” Odalia was struggling to concoct an argument that she knew she had to give, but it was hard for her brain to convince her mouth to actually put a voice to the words.

“Besides,” Mr. Klawse continued, “the important matter I wished to discuss with you is one that I was hoping would be in a completely private conversation. That's why I tried to get here so early, hopefully before your children were awake. Since I see they're up, though, then perhaps I should try again another time?”

“Edric, Emira,” Alador suddenly said, his tone still stern but sounding a little more distracted. As the twins turned to him, they could clearly see he seemed to be struggling with what he was about to say, but the prospect of something important to talk about with Mr. Klawse was slowly winning out. “If you'd like to attend another party, then you are free to do so, but ONLY on the condition that you, and Amity, are all back here in time for our own festivities. Remember what today is supposed to mean for our family, after all. Are we clear?”

“C-Clear, father...” both twins managed to get out, absolutely stunned that Mr. Klawse had managed to talk them into allowing the twins the freedom they thought they were going to have to fight for today. Odalia certainly looked furious over her husband making this decree, but the presence of Mr. Klawse was forcing her to hold her tongue, lest she say or do something that could destroy a potential partnership that would have a lasting impact on the Boiling Isles for generations to come.

“By the way,” Mr. Klawse said in a low voice as he stepped closer, speaking only at a volume that the twins could hear. “Have fun at this other party. I know Amity will join you there soon.”

As badly as they wanted to question him about the meaning behind those words, Ed and Em could see their parents getting more and more agitated by the fact that they'd given in to Mr. Klawse's terms and they hadn't vacated the premises yet so they could talk significant private business. Nodding and mouthing quiet thanks to him, the twins quickly scurried back up the stairs, deciding they could just grab some breakfast at the Owl House. After a change of clothes and a few other things gathered up that they needed to bring, the two were bolting back down the stairs and out the door, calling out goodbyes to everyone in the process.

“Have fun kids,” Mr. Klawse quietly said. “Enjoy being free from this nightmare for the day, and hopefully when you return it'll be to a serious change of attitude.” He couldn't resist letting a smirk appear on his lips as he turned to look back at Alador and Odalia, who both seemed a little more eager now at whatever he had to say.

“So, Mr. Klawse,” Odalia said in that familiar sweet tone of voice that was so fake that it made the towering witch want to vomit. “What important business did you wish to discuss?”

“Ah, yes, it's actually a conversation I've been meaning to have with the two of you for quite some time now, but I could never seem to find the right moment to address it,” he replied, glancing over into the other room as the barrier spell had long since fallen and the Blight servants, all looking like they were in desperate need of a trip to the healers but forcing themselves to resume their normal duties despite the agony they were in. A scowl replaced the smirk as he turned his gaze back to the heads of the Blight family.

“Did you think you could avoid your proper karma all these years and I would never notice?”

That was clearly not what either socialite was expecting to hear, and the very clear malice that suddenly coated Mr. Klawse's every word sent a rare chill down both of their spines. Still, they maintained their composure, since a Blight cannot show weakness, after all.

“Whatever do you mean, Mr. Klawse?” Odalia asked, and the honest innocence in her voice only seemed to make the towering figure angrier.

“I'm talking about how you think you're very clever, making your servants suffer as a substitute for the hexes that were meant to make you into better witches and guide your children down the correct paths in life. Paths that they were allowed to decide for themselves.”

“Now Mr. Klaw-” Alador began to reply, almost as though he was ready to argue a point, but Mr. Klawse was quick to shut him down.

“Alador and Odalia Blight, the two of you have been trying to avoid what you've rightfully deserved for decades now, and I'm done letting it slide.” As he spoke, Mr. Klawse's voice slowly grew more and more demonic as he seemed to gain a little more height. With his robe starting to leave the ground, cloven hooves were revealed, and horns began to emerge from the top of his head as well. An aura of pure, frightening power seemed to overtake the atmosphere in the manor in the form of a fierce winter chill, and the Blights let their normally unshakable stony expressions falter for the first time as they started to back away, only for magical chains to suddenly emerge from the ground and bind them.

“This can't be...” Alador muttered to himself. “It's only a myth...”

“You wretched cretin! Let us go right now!” Odalia yelled, no longer caring about who she was talking to.

“I won't be doing that Odalia,” the now-demonic figure replied as he loomed over them, his voice devoid of any sense of holiday cheer and so deep and twisted that even the most fearsome of demons would cower in fear at the mere sound of it. “And I can assure you I'm no myth, Alador. Now, why don't we discuss every last hex the two of you have tried to avoid over the years with your little 'gift-burning' tactic, and how your days of trying to make a mockery of MY holiday are numbered.”

When you've spent enough time on the Boiling Isles, some things just feel natural in the morning. The sun shining down upon you as the perfect start to a brand new day, a chill in the air from the winter that always took hold around this time of year, a cozy blanket to help keep you warm...

It's the familiarity of those things that almost makes the comfort of being snuggled up so close to someone else to share all the body heat the two of you have to give feel like a dream.

As both Luz and Amity's eyes begin to finally flicker open and they realize how intertwined their bodies have become, that's the very first thought that runs through their minds. It's a lovely dream, waking up cuddling with the girl you have feelings for, and it's enough to make them resume snuggling up to one another in a bid to get just a little more sleep.

“Morning Amity...” Luz sleepily calls.

“Morning Luz...” is Amity's response.

Mere seconds after their eyes are closed once more, they're rapidly opening again and both girls are shooting upright, staring at one another with horrified expressions and faces so red the heat alone could melt all the snow around them.

“L-Luz! You're here! You were- we were-” Amity was struggling to maintain any semblance of composure as her brain tried desperately to process the sight she'd awoken to.

“Amity! I, um... we- er- well-” Luz wasn't faring any better, her mouth barely being able to form anything remotely resembling a coherent word, much less a sentence.

In their respective panics over finding themselves tangled together as they slept, a weight around their necks helped serve as the anchor that brought them back to reality as their gazes drifted down, lured in by the calming glow of the Soulmate's Locks. Slowly, memories of much earlier in the morning began to flicker through their minds, the panic subsiding as they remembered exactly how they'd gotten to this point. When their eyes finally met again, there was no fear of having crossed some sort of line, only affection for one another.

“It wasn't a dream...” they both said simultaneously, and as if they were following some sort of natural instinct they never knew existed before, they immediately embraced one another in a hug full of life and love and everything that made it unmistakable to both of them exactly how much they truly meant to one another.

Amity broke the embrace first, only because the urge to yawn and stretch her tired limbs became too persistent to ignore. Luz ended up following suit as Amity traced a spell circle in the air and summoned her scroll, sighing contentedly to herself as she believed nothing in the world could ruin this moment for her.

At least, that was until she saw what time it was.

“Oh no! Oh no oh no ohnoohnoohnoohnoohno! I'm in so much trouble!” Amity could feel herself on the verge of hyperventilating as the day and time fully sank in for her.

“Amity? What's wrong?” Luz asked as she quickly wrapped her new girlfriend up in a tight hug, trying to keep her from trembling and spiraling any further.

“It's Hexmas morning and I was supposed to be up and home getting ready for the party hours ago!” Amity yelled. “Oh, my parents are going to kill me! I really, really, really don't want to do this, I don't want to be tied down to somebody when I finally have you and everything is finally perfect, but I'm so late and they're going to send the Emperor's Coven out looking for me and you and Eda and Lilith are going to be captured and it's all my fault!”

Amity tried to scramble to her feet, but she met resistance in the form of Luz holding her tight, not willing to let her go while she's in this state nor desiring to let her girlfriend return to a house where she's clearly not loved and treated like she should be by her parents. She remembers what she was told earlier very clearly, and if she wasn't trying to put all her focus on calming Amity down, she probably would've been making some insane plan to storm the manor and see if she put take out her parents for even thinking the idea of marrying her daughter off like some prized animal was acceptable, social norms be darned.

“Wait,” Luz suddenly says, attention being diverted from Amity's meltdown as something seemed to click in her mind. “Amity, did either of us bring a blanket out here last night?”

The random question had the unintentional effect of at least pulling Amity out of her own head, and even if she was genuinely curious, Luz would still take that as a victory. Still, both girls finally took notice of the fact that a very warm and comfy blanket had been draped over their forms at some point during the night, and they didn't need to say a word to know full well it didn't belong to either of them. They originally came out to their Grom tree to clear their heads about their holiday woes, after all, so what need would there have been for a blanket if they'd intended to return home?

“There's a note,” Amity pointed out as she hesitantly grabbed a piece of paper that had been pinned to the blanket. The decorative and elegant handwriting that greeted the girls' eyes was only topped by the contents of the note and who it was from.

Miss Amity and Miss Luz,

I apologize that you missed me, but when I found you two sleeping so peacefully together beneath this tree I couldn't find it in my heart to disturb you. That said, it also didn't feel right to let you possibly freeze all night, so I left you this spare blanket to make sure you weren't ice statues upon waking for Hexmas morning. I wish you both a very Happy Hexmas and pleasant dreams, and congratulations on exchanging your Soulmate's Locks. I knew I made the right decision in selling them to you, and I can tell the two of you will be very happy together for an eternity to come.

Also, I have a humble request for you, Miss Amity. I have some 'overdue business' I wish to discuss with your parents this morning, and I wish to do so privately. I will be directing your siblings to the Owl House for this same reason, so feel safe in the knowledge that I can promise you a far more pleasant Hexmas experience there today. Your parents won't mind... that's just one of the many things we'll be having this little chat about. You certainly deserve to be able to spend your beloved's first Hexmas by her side, and I know you will both enjoy this day far more because of it.

Sincerely,
Mr. Klawse

Amity and Luz can only exchange confused glances after finishing the note, both clearly trying to wrap their heads around what it's revealed to them.

“Mr. Klawse visited us at some point during the night?” Luz finally spoke. “And he made sure we didn't freeze to death?”

“He's always been the rare kind witch among the cruel elites,” Amity mused. “And he actually is probably the only one who could make my parents back off on forcing the twins and me to attend our own family party. But why?”

“Well,” Luz suddenly rose to her feet, using the tree trunk to keep herself steady before she offered a hand to Amity. “You heard the mysterious old man! Or, well, read his letter, I guess. Care to join me for Hexmas at the Owl House, hermosa?”

“I don't know what that word means,” Amity sheepishly admitted as Luz helped her to her feet, their fingers lacing together, “but I'd love to, sweetheart.”

Luz lets out a nervous chuckle as the blush returns to her face, and Amity's turned just as red when Luz whispers the meaning of her 'mystery word' in her ear as they walk, hand-in-hand, through the woods towards the Owl House, keeping the blanket draped over them for extra warmth. Their necklaces swayed proudly around their necks, filling them both with excitement over the fact that neither one seemed willing to hide what they were now, and any repercussions that could come about from that weren't enough to erase the smiles from their faces or the love from their hearts.

“So...” Luz hesitantly began, not wanting to ruin the moment but knowing that after Amity's meltdown from a few minutes ago, the topic would have to be discussed eventually. Better to rip the band-aid off now, she believed. “About us... and your parents...”

“They aren't separating us if that's what you're worried about,” Amity responded firmly. “I let them force me to cut ties with Willow, and that was a mistake. Luz, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and if it weren’t for you, I would never have made amends with Willow or felt like I actually have somewhere to go that feels more like home than the manor ever could. My parents are ruining that over my dead body.”

“Well, I know I certainly don't want it to have to come to that,” Luz declared, leaning closer to press her cheek against Amity's as their Soulmate's Locks gently collided with one another, which seemed to cause the fire within them to burn even brighter. “As your girlfriend and fearless champion for life, I vow to stand by your side, no matter what happens or who thinks they can break up Luzura and Hecamity!”

Amity can't keep the laugh from escaping her throat at just how Luz that sounded. So dorky, yet so adorable, and Amity could hardly argue against the nickname or Luz's decree. They both finally felt whole at long last, and they were both bound and determined to fight to stay that way, no matter what it took.

“LUZ! AMITY! HAPPY HEXMAS, HOOT HOOT!”

The loving looks the two were exchanging were quickly replaced with cringing at the familiar sound as they emerged from the woods, the Owl House now clearly in sight. Hooty, wearing what looked like a Santa hat, had seen them coming and was starting to stretch his way out from the door to greet them, and Luz was readying herself to try and restrain Amity from beating the stuffing out of the house demon even if deep down she kind of felt it was justified from him ruining the moment.

Thankfully, it wouldn't have to come to that, as the door flew open and everyone was flooding out of the house. They were caught off guard at first as they took stock of everyone that had been waiting for them. Eda, Lilith, and King were no surprise since they lived here, and Edric and Emira kind of weren't anymore now that Mr. Klawse's note was proven correct. Willow and Gus, however, were a very welcome surprise, and they and the twins wasted no time in pulling Luz and Amity into a big group hug.

“Hey, guys!” Luz cheerfully greeted once she got her breath back from the crushing hug. “What are you all doing here?”

“No offense, but we figured you two,” Amity added as she gestured to Willow and Gus, “would be spending Hexmas with your families.”

“We already had our Hexmas fun with our families,” Gus began.

“But they were understanding when we told them we'd been working to plan a Hexmas party for you guys,” Willow finished. “I mean, you've both been so down lately and we figured out why, and you both deserve to be able to enjoy this holiday as much as everyone else.”

“Aw, you guys...” Luz couldn't resist pulling her closest friends in for another hug, touched by how much they cared to go this far out of their way to cheer her up. Amity was quick to follow, equally as touched and especially when Willow gave her the same understanding smile she wore all those years ago when she'd first heard about the true horrors of the Blight family Hexmas party and what it did to her oldest friend.

“I hate to be the one to ruin the mood here,” Eda suddenly chimed in as all eyes turned to her, “but where the heck have you two been? You know by now how dangerous the Isles can get at night Luz, especially for a human.”

“And mom and dad noticed you were gone this morning Amity,” Edric added, the faraway look in his eyes pretty much saying all he needed to say on that subject.

“Hey, um... did the two of you hold hands all the way here?” Emira suddenly asked, taking careful note of the fact that the two girls had their hands and fingers tightly interlocked and they'd been that way since the group had spotted them. Luz and Amity only now seemed to become fully aware of this as well as their cheeks went red, but they never let go of one another.

The Clawthorne sisters, however, found their eyes drawn to something else as they approached the girls, Willow and Gus giving them space as they drew everyone's attention to what was hanging around their necks.

“Are those...?” Eda began.

“Soulmate's Locks?” Lilith finished.

“And they're both glowing, like they would if...” Eda added as everyone's eyes went wide at the implication, the legend of the Soulmate's Lock being no secret among witches even if many had since written it off as a myth.

Luz and Amity exchanged glances as they seemed to hold a silent conversation, blushes deepening at having been caught but knowing it was going to happen sooner or later. Taking solace in the fact that the discovery was made by those they both considered their closest friends and family, that made the revelation much easier as they both just grinned at everyone.

“Amity and I got each other Soulmate's Locks as Hexmas presents,” Luz started, “and yes, we gave each other a piece of ourselves. Amity trusts me with that, and there's no one I'd trust more than her.”

“That's why we're a couple now,” Amity added, trying to state it as matter-of-factly as possible, though it was hard to contain the pure joy she truly felt in being able to say those words proudly. “And we might have Mr. Klawse to thank for that, being the one who sold us these and all.”

“He helped us out as well this morning,” Edric stated.

“He showed up to the manor really early and somehow managed to talk mom and dad into letting us off our leashes to actually enjoy Hexmas for once,” Emira confirmed. “I don't know what was so important that he wanted absolute privacy to talk with them, but I'm not going to look a gift griffin in the mouth.”

“Huh...” Amity mused. “It almost seems like he knew-”

“Hey!” king suddenly yelled, grabbing everyone's attention. “I'm all for standing out here and freezing my tail off while gushing about Luz's new romantic fling, but the King of Demons would much rather in inside finally opening his Hexmas offerings!”

“Well, you heard the impatient little fuzzball,” Eda mused, garnering an annoyed squeak out of King.

“Oh, that reminds me!” Ed suddenly exclaimed. “You're not going to believe this Mittens, but our presents are safe this year! Mr. Klawse apparently knew what we were up to because Em and I found all of our gifts under the Owl Lady's tree!”

Amity looked shocked by this revelation, and no more words needed to be spoken as everyone rushed back inside. Now that they were finally out of the cold for the first time in hours, Amity and especially Luz couldn't help but marvel at just how festive the house had become, the human pondering exactly how the heck they'd managed to hide all of this from her while her witch girlfriend seemed to finally put two and two together on exactly where her siblings had spent all of Hexmas Eve yesterday. They didn't get much time to take it all in, though, before gifts were shoved into their arms as King took it upon himself to distribute everyone's 'offerings' so he had plenty of space to eagerly rip open his own, and most everyone else followed suit.

Over the next few minutes, the group found themselves pleasantly surprised at a lot of the results as more and more presents were opened. Unsurprisingly, Willow and Gus were both good witches and had respectively found a rare plant from up on the Skull and an instrument Luz quickly identified as a real human bucket in their gifts. King had also been good this year if the newest addition to his 'army of terror' in the form of a reindeer plushie was any indication. Eda had to be the biggest surprise of the day, opening her gift expecting to be hexed only to find her box filled with very rare and high-quality ingredients she could use in potion brewing, along with a note from Krampus praising her on the shocking turnaround.

Naturally, Eda had to threaten everyone to try and maintain her 'bad girl' image when most of them, especially Luz, were insisting it was because of how much of a natural mother figure she'd become towards the human.

Not everyone was on the positive end of Krampus's list, however. Lilith was expecting to be hexed as well when she opened her gift, considering her past with her sister and the Emperor's Coven, the latter of which had been the only reason she'd been able to dodge the proverbial bullet in past years. Being hexed to have what looked like small tree branches growing out of the top of her head like antlers, though, was far more minor than what she was anticipating, especially as simple appearance-altering hexes only lasted for a day at worst. Edric and Emira found similar hexes waiting for them, with their green hair being turned a gaudy mixture of light blue and pink that made it hard to look at them.

Krampus had at least left them a note explaining he'd let them off lightly this year because of their own attempted improvements, firmly believing he'd see their names on his good witches list next year.

As everyone settled into enjoying themselves and what they'd received, holiday food and hot chocolate began to be served and the warm and festive atmosphere was hard to ignore, especially for the Blight siblings as this was a far cry from how their Hexmas usually went and it made them feel loved and appreciated for who they truly were for a change.

Luz was certainly enjoying herself as well, though when her eyes fell upon her unopened gift, a familiar feeling began to make itself known in the back of her head.

“What's wrong Luz?” Amity suddenly asked as she leaned against her girlfriend, noticing how her face had fallen and trying to figure out how she could perk her back up.

“It's just...” Luz began before faltering, trying to find the right words as everyone's attention slowly drifted over to her now. “This has been great and all, and this is the first time in years I can say I've loved the holidays and felt like I could celebrate them with someone, but... I guess I still feel guilty that I'm not spending it with my Mami.”

Luz's dejected look only lasted for a few moments longer before she felt Amity hugging her tightly, and she found it hard to look away from the comforting look the witch was giving her.

“Well, look at it this way Luz,” she began. “Krampus gets all good witches something they really want, right? You can ask everyone else if you think I'm being biased now that I'm your girlfriend, but I think you've been about as good of a witch as you could be in all the demon realm. Surely Krampus knows exactly what you want deep down.”

Glancing around the room and seeing all the nods reaffirming that her little found family was just as confident as Amity was in that assessment, Luz could feel newfound confidence surging within her as she put on a grin and began tearing away at the wrapping paper. Sure, the box seemed a little small to have actually contained the person she wanted to see, barring some kind of spatial magic she didn't know about, and the idea of her mom being packed into some kind of box carried its own concerns, but maybe, if nothing else, she'd find something within resembling a portal back home so that project no longer needed to be worried about.

When Luz's hand emerged from the box with what looked like a tablet from her world, it was immediately clear that was about the last thing she expected.

Everyone looked baffled as Luz looked the device over, trying to find any sort of indication as to why this had been her gift. The tablet looked quite generic for the most part, although she did find a bunch of strange patterns carved into the back that appeared to be glowing an ethereal blue color, which immediately earned a gasp from Amity once she saw them.

“Are those runes carved into... whatever this thing is?” she questioned. “And they look like their magic is active too.”

“But what would magic runes be doing on a tablet from the human realm?” Luz couldn't help but ask, still baffled as to why Krampus felt this was the gift she truly desired.

Her question was answered when the screen suddenly flickered to life and staring back at her was the one person she was starting to become certain she would never get to see or talk to again.

“¡Feliz Navidad, mija!”

Luz nearly dropped the tablet in shock, the new voice from the other end of the screen certainly getting everyone's undivided attention now. A new tension seemed to settle into the atmosphere of the room as Luz bit her bottom lip, her nerves being shot as she inexplicably found herself in a cross-dimensional video call with her mom, who was giving her daughter the kindest and warmest look she could offer from her place in the Noceda living room, an entire world away.

A mix of emotions all suddenly erupted inside of Luz like a hurricane at this moment: pure joy at finally being able to talk with her mom again, relief that she somehow had gotten the chance to see her again in some fashion, after all, fear of how she was going to react once she found out exactly what had happened to her daughter and why she'd been missing for so long. All of these emotions and many more rocked the poor girl as she did her best to get her bearings again. Thankfully, she wasn't alone, as she felt something grab her hand tightly and glanced over to Amity, who was struggling to fight back tears but was offering the most reassuring smile Luz had ever seen the witchling give to anyone before, their fingers intertwining as the message was clear: no matter what happened, she was there for her beloved.

“H-Hi Mami,” Luz finally managed to stammer out as she turned to look at her mother's face on the screen again, still trying to stave off the feeling of every single one of her nerves feeling like a raging inferno blazed across them. “I... I'm sorry... you've p-probably been worried a-and I owe you-”

“I know, mija.”

“Wh-what!?” Luz couldn't stop the outburst, and those words even seemed to throw everyone present in the room for a loop as well. Deep down, if they had ever found a way to gain access to a new portal to the human realm and had to meet Luz's mom, there had been no shortage of preparation that had gone into figuring out exactly how they would help her explain just where she'd been all this time. Luz could see it clearly from the tablet, though... Camila wasn't shocked at seeing her daughter again, nor grilling her on where she could possibly be. There was a look of understanding in her eyes, and while Luz had seen that look very rarely, she'd seen it just enough to know that her mom wasn't lying.

“I know everything Luz,” she calmly explained. “About where you are, how you got there, all the friends you've made and the magic you've learned... I have to admit that I didn't believe it at first because it sounds just like one of your fantasy stories you always get so wrapped up in. But when I was shown proof that all of it was real... oh mija, I'm sorry if you felt like I was trying to force you to change and become something you aren't. I only wanted to try and help you fit in better here, but... I think I always knew there was more you weren't telling me and never wanted to admit to it.”

“Lo siento, mamá,” Luz replied, wiping a tear from her eye. “With how you were always having to leave work because I was in the principal's office, I didn't want you to worry anymore about me. But... I never could fit in there, and I don't know if going to that camp would've actually helped. People always thought I was too weird to be around, even if I tried to be a little more... subdued in the stuff I did. I was picked on constantly for the things I love and always made to feel like I was nobody. But here? Here in the demon realm I actually feel like I'm somebody. I have people who care about me and support me, weird interests and all. I'm getting to learn magic like I always dreamed about. I feel like I can finally be me for a change!”

“Luz,” Camila carefully called from the tablet. “Seeing you happy is all I've ever wanted, and it sounds to me like you're happier there than you've ever been. I understand why you felt like you couldn't tell me where you've been, but now that I know and we can communicate again, I'm hoping you'll be a little more honest with me going forward, OK mija?”

Luz couldn't help but grin and nod, her enthusiasm spreading throughout the living room like an infection as the others couldn't resist cheering at this news.

“Hang on a second,” Luz's grin suddenly faded as she realized there were a few pieces still missing from this puzzle. “Mami, how did you find out about everything? And how did you know I'd get some weird tablet that we could video chat over? I haven't been able to call or text for months since...” Luz stopped herself right there, unsure of exactly how much her mother exactly knew but not wanting to worry her over casually mentioning she might have destroyed her only way home while fighting the most powerful witch who ever lived.

Camila simply chuckled before making sure her daughter could see the calm smile she wore. “Last night I was visited by a strange old man who said he knew all about where you were. He's the one who explained everything to me, including the fact that you're trapped in that world for the foreseeable future. He showed me some magic as proof of everything and validated his story by showing me a picture on his weird scroll-phone thing of you in front of his stand talking to a green-haired girl with pointy ears like his. I think he said his name was Mr. Klawse.”

Even if she couldn't be seen by her now-girlfriend's mom, Amity's cheeks turned a considerably deep shade of red at the fact that she'd been shown an image of her and her daughter conversing, especially when she thought back on it and realized that if they were both in full-on crush mode then that had to be one of the most awkward conversations the two of them had ever had. Luz's cheeks were a little redder as well, but her mind was far more preoccupied with the other big revelation out of her mom's words.

“Mr. Klawse!? But... but how did he...?”

“He said he had the power to cross dimensions only because he was bound to fulfill your wish to be able to see me again,” her mom explained. “However, he said he only had this power around the holiday and if he brought me back with him, then I'd be stuck there with you. As much as I want to be physically reunited with you mija, I'm afraid I can't just up and abandon the life I have here. Besides, that world sounds more like it's made for you than for me. He also didn't have the power to simply make a new permanent portal, or else he'd have done that instead. So, he combined our technology with that world's magic to create these special tablets for us. He told me the magic will not only keep it charged, like an eternal battery, but also allow it to communicate between realms. It was the best he could do, but it's more than I ever could have wished for to be able to see you again.”

“That's amazing...” Luz couldn't help but mutter, stunned that there certainly was far more to Mr. Klawse than met the eye given everything he seemed to have gone out of his way to do for their little group over the past twenty-four hours. “And I'm still really sorry Mami... I'm sorry for lying about camp and worrying you in the first place.”

“It's OK, Luz,” her mother reassured. “As I said, had Mr. Klawse not shown me proof I'd have believed he was simply being cruel and messing with me. I don't think any human would just understand that witches and demons and magic and all of that actually exist. Though, I wouldn't mind hearing it all again from my little girl.”

With the encouragement, Luz wasted no time in launching into her 'epic tale' of how she ended up on the Boiling Isles and all the crazy misadventures she'd gotten into along the way, learning in the process that Mr. Klawse hadn't told her exactly everything, either because he had not known somehow or because he felt it would've been better coming from her. Camila's facial expression morphed several times between fearful and shocked to relieved and proud as she got the full picture of her daughter's time in an entirely different world full of magic and mystery and everything that just seemed like it was tailor-made for her.

During her recounting, Luz had gotten too excited that she'd tilted the tablet a bit, and for the first time Camila caught a glimpse at the very edge of the screen of the green-haired girl that she remembered from the picture she'd been shown, and from what little she could see of her face she could see exactly what kind of look she was giving to her daughter. It was also at this point that she took notice of the identical glowing necklaces both girls were wearing, and despite the design, she easily picked up on the heart shape and what it had to mean.

“So, Luz,” she finally said, amusement clear in the tone of her voice as she caught her daughter at the perfect time between 'epic tales,' “when were you going to introduce me to the lovely young lady who seems to have stolen your heart?”

Amity let out a squeak and quickly tried to distance herself from Luz, her face burning red after being caught, but Luz kept a firm hold of her hand to keep her from going far. She was just as embarrassed over what her mom had discovered, but the look in her eyes made it clear to Amity that her mom would understand and, again, it might be better to rip off the proverbial band-aid now rather than later. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Amity nodded and Luz pulled her in close, their shoulders and cheeks pressed together to make sure Camila could see them both.

“Mami, I'd like you to meet my new girlfriend, Amity Blight.”

“I-It's an honor to meet you, Ms. Noceda,” Amity nervously said.

“Please dear, call me Camila,” Luz's mom said, her voice reassuring.

The next few minutes were spent with Luz and Amity explaining to Camila, and everyone else as well, exactly how the two of them had finally confessed to one another. Willow was proud of them, though she couldn't resist joining the twins in poking a bit of fun at the two for the 'gay disasters' they both had been. This inevitably led to Luz properly introducing her mom to all of her friends, as well as King, Lilith, and Eda, and Camila could see why Luz had taken a liking to all these witches and they to her. Eventually, Eda ended up borrowing the tablet from Luz so the two women could have a 'mother-to-mother' conversation, leaving everyone else to resume their Hexmas celebrations as she sat on the couch, filling in a few holes Luz had left in her story that the older woman felt her mom had the right to know.

“So there's no guarantee she'll ever be able to come back...” Camila said, sighing at the possibility after Eda had told her all about their struggle with trying to figure out how to get a stable portal back to the human realm.

“I don't want to sugarcoat it,” Eda told her, “but I'm also not going to say it'll never happen either. As much as the kid loves it here, I know she wants to be able to be with you again in person.”

“Hmm...” Camila took a moment to ponder to herself as Eda watched her carefully, trying to gauge her reaction which she found was much harder to do through the screen of this human device. “I know Mr. Klawse was at least able to help me reconnect with my daughter, and... maybe, for now, that's enough. Don't get me wrong Eda, I would love to be able to hug my little girl and spend time with her again, but... if I can be honest? There, in your world, she truly seems happier than I've ever seen her, and I don't want to feel like I'm taking that away from her. But, even if she had never found that world, there would eventually come a day when I'd have to see my precious bebé leave the nest and live her own life. It's sooner than I thought it might be, but with all the friends she's made, and you to look out for her? I think she's in excellent hands.”

“I won't deny that the kid's grown on me,” Eda told her. “Honestly, I feel like I was wasting both my life and my magic up until she came barreling into my life. She's changed so many people for the better here, and I kind of find it hard to imagine how things would be now if she hadn't come stumbling through my old portal door all those months ago.”

Eda couldn't resist looking over to where everyone else was gathered, specifically at Luz as she thought back to exactly how much her life had changed since the human who seemed to be the living embodiment of positive yet chaotic energy had become a part of it, and she couldn't help but smile as she easily accepted that she would never change any of that even if she had the chance to. Luz had become just as much her own kid as she was Camila's actual daughter and carved her own place in this world, and even if it wasn't a perfect solution, it seemed like Mr. Klawse had at least given the kid a way to be able to still have her actual mom in her life while being able to stay with her owl mom.

Speaking of Mr. Klawse, he seemed to be the topic of everyone else's discussion as they were all huddled together by the tree, namely the obvious signs of who he might actually be as everything seemed to come together for them all.

“I just don't get it,” Amity pondered. “If Mr. Klawse and Krampus really are one in the same... it explains a lot, actually, but not why he always attended our family's Hexmas parties.”

“Maybe he was trying to keep a closer eye on us this whole time?” Edric suggested.

“Yeah, trying to make sure we didn't suffer too much on his holiday because of mom and dad,” Emira added.

“I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that he was somehow able to cross over to the human realm, no portal that we know of or anything,” Luz spat out, throwing her arms into the air as a sort of exclamation point.

“Well,” Lilith began to say after taking a sip of her warm apple blood, “I do recall that many of the legends about Krampus say he will go to any lengths to fulfill a good witch's deepest witch. That might explain why he was able to make a one-time round trip, because of how much you desired to see your mother again.”

Luz nodded as that explanation made a ton of sense, especially after what her mother had told of her conversation with the witch/holiday demon. Even if it wasn't in person, the fact that she could have her Mami in her life once more was more than she could've ever hoped for on this holiday, and she certainly didn't want to feel like she was causing the woman any more trouble by uprooting her entire life just to come experience the new one she was living. Maybe someday, she could try it for herself, but until then...

“Hey Mittens,” Ed suddenly spoke up, snapping Luz out of her thoughts and directing all attention to her girlfriend. “You haven't opened your present from Krampus yet.”

“Oh, I, um...” Amity stumbled over her words as this fact was pointed out, a blush taking over her face once more. “Well... if I was a good witch, then I think I already got all I ever wanted.” She couldn't resist glancing over at Luz, who quickly understood what she was getting at and returned the blush full force. “But I don't know if-”

“Of course you're a good witch, Ami,” Luz suddenly jumped in, wrapping Amity in a tight side hug. “Remember what we talked about?”

Amity nodded as she recalled the words had exchanged during their midnight confession, taking a deep breath and steeling herself as she carefully unwrapped the present. Truth be told, she was still expecting herself to be hexed after everything the two had gone through leading up to today, and maybe by helping her and Luz to finally admit their feelings Mr. Klawse was simply taking pity on her. When she finally opened the box, however, she found no hex being placed upon her, which was a pleasant surprise. Reaching inside, she carefully pulled out a note and read it aloud.

Amity,

To say that I am impressed would be an understatement. The turnaround you have made this year has been an absolute joy to watch, especially since I always knew that deep down you were so much more than the puppet to your parents' plans. Though, perhaps a lot of it had to do with a certain human who made her way into your life in recent months. Even still, I hope you enjoy this little offering from me as the proverbial bow on what I hope has been a very happy Hexmas for you.

- Krampus

Before Amity could begin to look, something slowly floated out of the box and above everyone's heads, moving into position just above where she and Luz were together. Aside from the human, everyone's eyes had gone wide as they realized exactly what Amity's gift had been.

“Is that...?” Gus started.

“Enchanted mistletoe...” Willow finished, looking particularly awestruck at the tiny little plant.

“I think I'm missing something,” Luz finally admitted. “Don't we already have mistletoe strung up?” She pointed over to the entryway to the kitchen, where there was indeed some plain old mistletoe hanging there and just waiting for two people to end up beneath it.

“Unlike regular mistletoe,” Lilith began to explain, “enchanted mistletoe is meant to be especially special for a new couple. If they share a kiss under it within the first day of becoming a couple, the mistletoe will charm them to ensure a long and prosperous relationship together.”

That explanation is more than enough to turn Luz's entire face red as she gazes over at Amity, whose face is equally as red as they both realize exactly what they've been given. Even Eda's full attention is on them now, and the tablet's been turned so Camila can see too as all eyes are now on the lovebirds. Naturally, being put under the spotlight like this has been both too nervous to make a move, but as their eyes slowly drift down towards the Soulmate's Locks they gifted to one another, they can feel the love begin to push them beyond their worries, and the next thing they knew, they were tightly embracing one another and sharing their very first kiss, pouring every last feeling they held for one another into it as the enchanted mistletoe began to bathe them in its magic. Cheers begin to ring out from everyone in the room as the couple finally separate to catch their breaths, but they might as well be the only two people in the world at that moment.

“I love you so much Amity,” Luz finally says.

“I love you so much too Luz,” Amity responds.

“And now I think we should start planning on how we can top this for Hexmas next year!” Luz added, and Amity couldn't help but break out into laughter at how much joy her girlfriend was finally showing around the holidays.

They'd both admit that this was going to a very hard Hexmas to top with everything that had happened, but sitting there together, their feelings for one another displayed proudly around their necks and flowing freely through their veins like magic and surrounded by everyone that meant the world to both of them, they were certain they could conquer any challenge that was put in front of them, even if that challenge was as simple as topping arguably the best holiday either one of them have ever had.