Chapter Text
It had been 6 months, 12 days, and 8 hours since Luz stumbled into the Boiling Isles. At least that's what her phone told her. The conditions on the Boiling Isles were drastically different than what she assumed it was like on earth right now. Regardless, Luz had increasingly began to feel homesick. She missed her family, her friends, the food, and even school.
While Luz grew attached to her new family and friends, she longed to return to a semi-normal life. The thought always remained that the Owl House would never be her permanent home. She knew she would have to return to earth some day. However, as each passing day went by, the harder and harder the thought of returning home seemed to be. "What do I tell my parents where I've been?" She thought. "Have they been looking for me?" "Do they think I'm dead?"
All of these questions and more have been rolling around in her head for months. While the questions still remained, the day had come for those questions to be answered. Her phone read December 13th, 2020, two weeks before Christmas. While the idea of returning home still scared Luz to death, she hadn't missed a Christmas with her family before. And she wasn't going to allow this year to be the first.
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8:31 AM
Luz had been awoken by the sound of two messages from Willow that read:
Where are you?
Class is about to start
Luz responded by saying:
Overslept again 😔
On my way...
It would now be the third time in the last week that Luz would be late for school. However, she did have a good reason for doing so. She was spending almost all of her free time with Amity, and last night was another late night out. It was last night that Luz prompted the idea of returning home to Amity, who was taken by surprise regarding her suggestion. However, she didn't try and convince her to stay. She knew Luz had family and friends to go back home to. Luz had only told Amity of her desire to go back home. Her hope was to use today as a way to say goodbye to Willow, Gus, King, Eda, and anyone else who she might miss.
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8:32 AM
In a dazed panic, Luz got around as quickly as she could. But then it hit her, "Wait, I'm not going back to school tomorrow. What's the rush?!" With that in mind, Luz calmly made herself breakfast, brushed her teeth, combed her hair, and got her things together. When it came time to leave, she thought about saying goodbye to King and Eda. However, they were both still soundly asleep.
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9:22 AM
Luz arrived at school 17 minutes late. When she opened the door to her classroom, she could see the eyes of the other classmates peering at her in disappointment, even if it was only for a second. As Luz sulked to her seat next to Willow, the teacher handed her a large study guide in preparation for the final exam. "I'm not gonna be here to take this." She thought. But she obviously couldn't tell Willow that. So, she decided to work together with Willow and help her out in any way she could since she would still be there to take the exam next week. However, her help was minimal at best.
Mid-way through class, Willow noticed Luz seem to dose off.
"Is everything okay Luz?" Willow asked.
"Of course." Luz replied nervously. "Why wouldn't it be?"
"Because, you look like you haven't had sleep in days and your study guide only has a page filled in. Need I remind you your grade in this class? This final might determine whether you pass or fail Luz. I'd take this a bit more seriously if I were you."
"I just have a lot going on right now."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not right now. I'll bring it up at lunch okay."
"Okay."
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11:15 AM
As Luz pondered in her head about how exactly she wanted to tell Willow and Gus she was leaving, lunch had rolled around before she even knew it. There was nothing she could do to calm the nerves that had built up throughout the day. She felt as if there was a pit in her stomach when she sat down next to Gus.
"You don't look so good Luz." Gus noticed. "You look like you just saw a ghost."
"Is it that obvious?" Luz replied sarcastically.
"Yeah it kinda is." Willow pointed out.
"I've been meaning to tell you guys something." Luz announced.
"You can tell us anything Luz, whatever it is I'm sure we'll understand." Willow pleaded.
"Just don't get too mad at me okay?" Luz asked.
"We won't." Gus added. "Promise."
"Okay..." Luz sighed. "I'm leaving the Boiling Isles tonight. It won't be for forever, but I'm not sure how long it will be until I come back."
"You WHAT!" Gus shouted, loud enough for the whole cafeteria to hear.
"I said don't get too mad!" Luz said annoyingly.
"Sorry." Gus replied. "I just don't know why you waited to tell us something like this until the very last minute."
"I understand." Luz explained. "I'm just not great with goodbyes. I waited until now because I felt that if I told you sooner, you'd only try and convince me to stay."
"You're right. We probably would have." Willow said fighting back tears.
"Is there any explanation as to why you chose today to be the right time to leave?" Gus asked.
"Yes, there is." Luz answered. "Back on earth, we celebrate this holiday called Christmas. It was initially created to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, a religious figure centered around the religion of Christianity. However, as time passed, non-Christian believers saw the holiday as an opportunity for families to get together and share gifts. Soon after, Christians adopted the idea of gift giving, which leads us to where we are today."
"What's a religion?" Gus asked after a long pause.
"You guys don't have those here?" Luz replied. "Nevermind. It's a very long-winded answer that isn't important right now. The point is, it's not the gifts that I care about, it's being with my family again that I miss so much."
"You miss your family quite a lot, don't you?" Gus asked quietly.
"More than I've let on." Luz replied. "I know I haven't exactly said much about my family during my time here, but they mean the world to me. And I want them to know I'm safe and sound. After all, I don't want them worried sick about me any longer. So... I figured the best time to do that would be when the whole family is around for Christmas in two weeks."
"Now it all makes sense." Willow said. "It doesn't take away the pain I'll feel when you leave, but if this is truly what you want Luz, we won't be here to stop you."
"Thank you for understanding Willow." Luz said happily.
"So Luz, since this is our final day together for the foreseeable future, if there's anything you've ever wanted to do, now would be a good time to do it." Gus mentioned. "Got anything in mind?"
"Yes, I do." Luz answered.
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12:10 PM
Luz, Willow, and Gus made a plan directly after lunch to ditch school for the rest of the day. Luz had badly wanted to ask Amity to tag along. However, a problem arose when she couldn't find her. Luz had tried messaging her, but her attempts were to no avail, which was uncharacteristic of her. When Luz asked around, Boscha told her that she hadn't even shown up for school. While Luz found the news a bit odd, she knew she had to move along.
The three planned on using the time between lunch and the end of the school day to go to the Boiling Isles amusement park. Luz hadn't been to an amusement park since May. She used to love going to them back on earth. However, the one on the Boiling Isles had scared her away. That was until today. The park had notices everywhere stating that there was a chance you could die on every ride. Gus told Luz that it was only for advertising purposes only, but Luz didn't believe him. With it being a school day, the park was virtually empty. Luz noticed that a lot of the workers gave the three of them wide eyes and odd looks, but as long as they were paying customers, she assumed they didn't really care that they were skipping school.
The park surprisingly consisted of attractions one might find on earth. Roller coasters, drop towers, scramblers; you name it, they probably had it. There were also rides exclusive to the Boiling Isles. The best one included a water ride that consisted of "acid rain" instead of water. Gus had to reassure Luz that it was actually green apple juice from the cafeteria that the school didn't manage to sell. After strong convincing from Gus, Luz agreed to go on the ride to find out for herself. Once she tasted the familiar green apple juice, it thus proved Gus' point. With the lines being abnormally short, the group got through all the rides they wanted with a little time to spare. With that, it left them plenty of time to say their final goodbyes.
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3:15 PM
After a long, awkward pause, Willow was the first to say something.
"So... this is it huh?"
"For now." Luz responded fighting back tears of her own. "Thank you both for helping me adapt to this strange, new world I found myself in and being the best friends anyone could ever ask for."
"No, thank YOU Luz." Willow replied. "You're the one who brought me out of my shell, helped me and Amity become friends again, and believed in me when nobody else did. I wouldn't be who I am today without you."
"And thank you Luz." Gus added. "You helped me better myself and become my own person, rather than continuing to follow the crowd. I needed that more than you'll ever know."
The waterworks were beginning to fall now as everyone joined in for a group hug. After the embrace, it had dawned on Luz that she might be able to communicate with Willow and Gus over the phone once she returned to earth. Although it wasn't a 100% guarantee.
"I know it wouldn't be the same, but have you ever considered that we might be able to communicate over the phone once I return to earth?"
"Human technology is vastly different than Boiling Isles technology, so I doubt that would work." Gus said in disappointment. "However, if you can get Eda to give us two earth phones with chargers, there's a good chance we'll be able to reach you!"
"Perfect!" Luz shouted. "Come on! Let's go!"
Luz started racing back to the Owl House as Willow and Gus followed.
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3:30 PM
"EEEEEDAAA!!!" Luz yelled as she burst inside. "Eda! Eda! Eda!"
"What is it kid?!" Eda yawned in a groggy tone. "You know not to wake me up from my afternoon nap."
"I know, I know, I know. But right now I need a big favor from you. Do you have two human phones that I could have?"
"Human phones huh? I find them all the time during my weekly pickup of human treasures. However, it's very rare to find one in working order. Let me see what I can find."
Luz's mood dramatically shifted after that statement. "What if she can't find any?" Luz thought. "What do I do now?" But just as she started to doubt Eda's attempts at finding anything, she heard Eda yelling from across the house.
"You're in luck kid! These two were just thrown out a few days ago. The screens have small cracks but the batteries are in good condition and they each have a charger."
"This is perfect Eda!" Luz said, barely able to contain her excitement. "Thank you so much!"
"No problem Luz. Glad to see some of that junk go to good use. Wait, why exactly do you need human phones when we both know you kids only use scrolls here?"
Luz's face suddenly turned as pale as a ghost. "I'll explain it later... Give me about 5 minutes okay?"
"I don't know what's gotten into you kid but alright." Eda replied in a puzzling tone.
Luz then hurried back outside with the two phones in hand.
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3:40 PM
When Luz closed the door, Eda noticed King quickly walking downstairs.
"What's going on?" King asked as he approached Eda.
"It's happening, isn't it?" Eda answered in disbelief. "I knew this day would come at some point."
"Eda you're kinda freaking me out right now."
"LUZ IS LEAVING KING!" Eda said in a mix of anger and frustration. "In what other scenario would she ask for human phones!?"
"You bring up a good point. But how do we know you're not jumping to conclusions?"
"Because she's out there right now giving them do her friends so they can stay in contact with her! I wasn't born yesterday King."
"Okay so you might be right. But why are you getting mad over this? I thought you would be happy to see her go."
"I thought so too. That was until about 5 minutes ago. Now that it's actually happening, I realize how much I'll miss her."
"When you put it that way, I guess it makes sense."
"I know I never had any kids, but Luz is probably the closest I'll ever get to that." Eda pondered. "She gave my life a purpose. I felt as if I could pass my talents onto someone else when I'm gone. I was proud of her when she joined Hexside, when she convinced Principal Bump she should study every track just like I did, and when she finally built up the guts to ask that girl out. Those moments are one's I'll never forget King. I just didn't expect it to end so suddenly."
It was then that Luz opened the door to walk back inside.
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3:45 PM
"You really mean that...?" Luz asked whilst tears rolled down her face.
"How much of that did you hear?" Eda asked surprisingly.
"All of it. I told you the walls were thin around here."
"So what time will you be leaving?"
"Tonight. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."
"That's okay kid. If I were in your shoes, I probably would've left without a trace. At least you gave us the heads-up."
"Classic Eda... As long as it's not too much to ask, would you mind if you helped me pack my things?"
"Of course not."
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5:00 PM
After contemplating what to take and what not to take with her, Luz had finally filled her bag with everything she could carry. During the packing process, Luz had let Eda and King know why she decided to leave when she was. While it caught King a bit off guard, Eda wasn't the least bit surprised. Apparently she knew about the importance of Christmas and the human tradition behind it. I guess that's what happens when you live with a witch who's interests are human items and human behaviors. Nevertheless, it was finally time for Luz to say goodbye.
"I think that's everything." Eda said while looking around.
"Yeah, I think so too." Luz added. Luz, who was now walking towards the front door, motioned for Eda and King to join in a group hug.
"You know I haven't been too keen on the whole affection business." Eda uttered. "But for you kid, bring it in."
"Awwww you guys..." Luz said happily. "I'm gonna miss you Eda. And I'm especially gonna miss you cutie pie."
"I. AM. NOT... okay maybe I am cute." King said begrudgingly.
"About time he admitted it." Luz said sarcastically.
"Wait!" King yelled as he was looking for something. He pulled out his stuffed bunny that he'd been carrying around for as long as Luz could remember. "A little something to remember me bye."
"King... I don't know what to say." Luz responded. "Are you sure you want me to have this?"
"Keep it." King replied. "He's ready for a new owner."
"Thank you. I'll find a good place for this." Luz assured.
"Alright kid, it's time for you to go." Eda said. "Let's not make this any harder than it has to be."
"You're right." Luz responded. "Thank you for everything guys. I'll be back soon."
"I know you will." Eda stated.
"...I love you guys." Luz declared.
"We love you too Luz." Eda responded.
With that, Luz turned around and walked out of the Owl House for the final time.
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5:30 PM
Luz knew she couldn't leave the Boiling Isles without at least attempting to say goodbye to Amity. Even after all the unanswered texts and not bothering to show up to school, she hoped a visit to the Blight manor would prove to be successful. Maybe Edric or Emira would know what's going on. Upon walking up the marble steps, Luz noticed a figure peaking out of a window, then vanishing away quickly. Her assumption was that it was Amity, although it was too far away to pinpoint which of the Blight siblings it was. Once Luz rang the doorbell, it was Edric who was the one to answer.
"Oh, hey Luz." Edric greeted.
"Hey Edric." Luz replied. "Is Amity home?"
Edric, who sensed a worried tone in her voice, responded, "She's been in her room all day. She complained about being sick this morning. She seemed alright last night, albeit a bit upset. Would you have any indication as to why?"
"Don't take this the wrong way... but I might be the reason why." Luz explained. "She's not sick, just lovesick. See... last night I presented the idea of me returning home to Amity. It seemed to me like she handled the news well all things considered. But it's clear to me now that she hasn't..."
"I need to see her." Luz emphasized.
Without hesitation, she hustled upstairs and quietly opened the door to Amity's room.
"Amity..." Luz whispered. She noticed a box of tissues, an empty ice cream bowl, and a framed photo of her and Amity together on her nightstand. As Luz walked in, she now noticed Amity was asleep.
"Amity." Luz now said in a louder tone.
"Luz?!" Amity reacted in a startling panic.
"Easy, easy... it's me." Luz said as she outstretched her hand towards Amity.
Amity, who had now comprehended what was going on, hopped out of bed as fast as she could and gave Luz the biggest hug imaginable. The reality of the situation had set in for Amity as she broke down and sobbed onto Luz's shoulder. It broke Luz's heart to see her like this. The worst part was that she couldn't do anything to help her. Luz made her choice to leave and now she had to live with it.
As Amity continued to sob into Luz's shoulder, Luz could make out the phrase, "Please stay..." over and over again.
"I... I can't Amity... you know that..." The answer only allowed Amity's cries to grow louder.
Luz, who was now starting to feel helpless, came up with a suggestion that she hoped would cheer Amity up. "Amity... please listen to me okay. How does the idea of you accompanying me to the portal sound?"
Amity, who had now broken away from Luz, answered in a nodding yes.
"Alrighty then. I'll give you 30 minutes to compose yourself and get ready. But after that, we make our way to the portal. Got it?"
"Got it..."
After what seemed like an eternity to Luz, 30 minutes had passed and Amity was ready to go right on time.
"Wait outside Luz, I'll join you in a minute." Amity instructed.
"Okay."
After about 5 minutes, Amity joined Luz outside and set off hand-in-hand for the portal. On their way out, Luz had noticed that Amity's book bag was larger than she remembered. However, she paid it little attention. "She probably just forgot to empty it from school yesterday." Luz thought.
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7:00 PM
Luz and Amity arrived at the portal. The moment Luz had been waiting for had finally arrived. Saying goodbye to Willow, Gus, King, and Eda were all difficult for Luz. In retrospect however, they were nothing compared to the agonizing heartache Luz felt during the hour and a half long journey to the portal. Luz did a good job of hiding it, but the truth was she could no longer convince herself that everything was alright.
During the walk, Luz and Amity reflected on their time in the almost 4 months that they were together. Upon recalling the memories they shared along the way, Luz could tell by the look on Amity's face that she was genuinely happy for the first time since the night before. It seemed that she had made peace with Luz's decision. It was now however where Luz felt Amity's pain. She had only then come to the realization with not only what she was going back home to, but who she was leaving behind. Leaving behind the other 4 were tough, but not impossible. Leaving behind Amity however, proved to be. She would be leaving behind her soul mate, her rock, her one in a million, the love of her life. Luz knew she couldn't let that happen.
"So... this is where we go our separate ways..." Amity indicated.
"Actually Amity... it isn't..." Luz declared. "I want you to join me on earth."
"Wait WHAT!?" Amity flustered. "Are you out of your mind??? No witch has even dared tried living on earth. Not even Eda would go that far!"
Luz, now with a desperate tone in her voice, pleaded, "Please! I need you! This whole time I've been trying to convince myself that everything is okay... but it isn't! The truth is... I'm scared of going back to earth alone! I'm scared of how overprotective my parents will be of me when I return! I'm scared I... I - I'm scared I'll never see you again..."
"You know... it's funny."
"What...?"
"It's funny... because I had a feeling this might happen." Amity's eyes then shifted towards her bag.
"The book bag..." Luz whispered. "You planned this all along, didn't you?!"
"In a way. See, if we had said our normal goodbyes, I would have respected your decision and went back home. However, Emira helped me pack my things as if I might go with you. In fact, she even suggested it after seeing how bent out of shape I was earlier. So, I filled my bag, said goodbye to Edric and Emira, and told them that if I wasn't back by ten o'clock, it was because you convinced me to go with you."
"So that's why it took 5 minutes... One thing still doesn't make sense here. If you predicted that I'd convince you to go with me, why did you give me such a hard time when I asked you to join me?"
"Because what I said was true. No witch has lived on earth before. But for you Luz, I don't mind being the first. After all, you adapted to living on the Boiling Isles really well. With your help, why couldn't I do the same on earth?"
Luz, who was now crying tears of joy this time, walked up to Amity and gave her the biggest hug she could.
"I love you Amity!" Luz gushed.
"I love you too Luz... although you're kinda crushing me right now." Amity groaned.
"Oh!" Luz snapped as she quickly broke off of Amity. "Sorry. Kinda got carried away there..."
"It's okay. How about this instead?" Amity then stepped towards Luz again, dried off the remainder of her tears, gently rubbed Luz's cheek, and kissed her passionately. Luz, albeit taken by surprise, reciprocated her feelings.
"So, what do we do now Luz?" Amity smirked as they paused.
"Well it's not like we're gonna get this opportunity on earth any time soon. My parents are gonna be watching me like a hawk. I suggest we take advantage of this moment while we have it."
"I agree."
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7:20 PM
"Since you're going with me, I think it's time we come up with a game plan." Luz announced. "When we arrive at my parent's house, I'll open the door and greet my parents. Alone. After a few minutes, I'll introduce you. You'll say who you are and your relation to me. After that, we'll tell them where I've been and what I've learned. With you alongside me, we'll have no choice but to tell them the truth."
"Do you think they'll believe us?" Amity asked.
"We'll make them believe us. They'll have no choice. If everything goes well, my parents should have a guest room you could stay in. Hopefully it hasn't been turned into a storage room while I've been gone."
"I have one question. What about my magic?"
"You can do as much magic as you want under my parents' roof. So long as it doesn't destroy the house. But you CAN NOT let anyone else besides me and my parents see you doing magic. I cannot stress that enough. If you get caught, who knows what could happen to you."
"That sounds reasonable." Amity acknowledged. "Sounds like a plan."
"Good. Are you ready Amity?"
"Are YOU ready?" Amity countered.
"As ready as I'll ever be."
With that answer, Luz and Amity stared down the portal and walked hand-in-hand into the unknown.