Chapter Text
As much as Luz loved the Owl House, being cooped up within its walls all day was hardly an exciting use of her time in a strange realm she knew she had still barely scratched the surface of.
Then again, the thought of seemingly having all the time in the world now to explore every last inch of it was simultaneously thrilling and heartbreaking.
It had been about a week since Luz had done the unthinkable in dueling with Emperor Belos in order to save Eda from being petrified, but the events of that day remained at the forefront of her mind. She'd stood up to the most powerful entity on the Boiling Isles and actually managed to get one over on him, and she had the fragment of his mask as proof. In exchange, however, she had obliterated her only means of going home to ensure Belos couldn't use it for himself.
For as happy and accepted as she felt here in the Demon Realm, it was hard not to think about her mother and what she would think about all of this, especially considering that in roughly two months she would be expecting Luz's return from the summer camp she was never at, to begin with.
It was impossible to just forget about everything that had happened, and recording vlogs on her phone in case she could ever find a way to send them without wi-fi from the Human Realm could only help so much. Normally a good old fashioned adventure would be just the distraction to clear her head for a while, but ever since they'd fled the Conformatorium after thwarting the petrification, the 'Owl family' as Luz decided she was going to start referring to themselves decided it would be best to keep a low profile for a bit. Sure, word was spreading that the Emperor had pardoned them, but considering they had firsthand experience with how easy it is for him to lie and make it sound convincing, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Thankfully, it seemed like this was a rare instance where Belos was willing to keep his word, as Eda and Lilith had been sneaking into town for supplies and had yet to see any new wanted posters or be hassled by any of the Emperor's guards roaming the streets. Willow and Gus had also stopped by frequently, having been in awe of the experience Luz had to share after everything that happened and giving her updates – and homework she needed to make up – from Hexside. For the moment, it seemed like Bump's word of the school being considered a safe haven for her was holding, considering the make-up work being delivered to her meant she was still enrolled, and the hope that she could resume attending soon was all the motivation she needed to forge ahead through the mountains of papers and projects that came with having to miss so much school as a student studying all nine tracks.
Being both a student and a teacher now was proving to be enough of a challenge.
Eda had proven willing to learn everything Luz was able to share with her about utilizing glyph magic, and she'd quickly mastered all the spells Luz knew up to this point. Motivating her to want to hunt for new glyphs or practice the one she'd been working on had been the challenge, mostly because she'd flat out admitted to Luz that adjusting to not being able to do magic like she used to was a struggle. She tried not to bring it up often, considering Luz was still haunted by the sight of her mentor sacrificing herself to her curse in order to save her life, but trying to return to the high level of magic she'd once proudly been at through an entirely different method wasn't the easiest thing in the world.
Lilith hadn't been faring much better, to be fair. Adjusting to living in the Owl House was hard enough, but she was always trying to walk on eggshells with anything she said or did in the wake of everything that had happened. King seemed surprisingly quick to forgive her, though Luz didn't doubt for a second that it had more to do with him having a new 'minion' to boss around given how much the former Emperor's Coven leader was trying to make up for all that she'd done. Eda had said they were even after Lilith had split the curse between them, but there was still some tension the Clawthorne sisters were working through anytime they interacted with one another. Luz was open to the idea, but it would take some time before she and Lilith fully saw eye-to-eye on the whole ordeal, and Lilith was more than willing to accept having to properly earn Luz's trust.
All these thoughts had weighed heavy on Luz as she got herself ready for the day, wanting to acknowledge them only so she could clear her head and focus on the fact that today was the day Eda had deemed it safe enough for her to resume attending Hexside, where she could once again learn all she could about magic and spend time with Willow and Gus and Amity-
Amity
Luz nervously bit her lip at the thought of the one person she hadn't seen throughout this whole endeavor. She had missed the field trip because of the leg injury she suffered pushing Luz out of Boscha's way in the Grudgby game, and no doubt that injury had kept her from being able to come and visit like her other friends had. Something about that bothered her deep down, especially when she knew the entire Isles had seen the broadcast of her defying the Emperor and rescuing Eda. Would she lose her friendship with Amity because of it?
She hadn't heard anything from Willow and Gus about Amity, only that they hadn't seen her at school either, which left her worried about what would happen when they could finally talk again.
“Hey, kid! You still going to school today, or what?”
The call from downstairs ripped Luz out of her thoughts as she quickly crammed the last of her schoolwork into her backpack and bolted down the stairs, skidding to a halt in the living room where Eda seemed to be taking stock of what she had left to consider inventory for her human collectibles business now that her ability to restock was gone. King was napping on the armrest of the couch while Lilith was taking a sip of some tea while seemingly thinking about what she might want to say.
“Edalyn,” she cautiously began, “are you sure we should be sending her back? I know it's been a week since... what happened, and it seems like we're in the clear-”
“Then that means we're in the clear, Lily,” Eda told her sister firmly. “If that bozo was still after us, something would have happened by now. Besides, Bump told me when I first got the kid enrolled that Hexside was a safe haven for both her and me, and he's stuck to his word on that.”
“I still can't believe you actually cleaned up everything you did back when we were kids,” Lilith mused with a smirk, having discovered in her time with them just how far Eda had gone to convince Bump to let Luz attend in the first place.
“Welp, I'm gonna get going before things get heated between you two,” Luz nervously said as she headed for the door, knowing full well that things hadn't reached a point yet where light teasing between the two wouldn't spiral into a huge fight. She bid her farewells to everyone before heading out the door and down the path that led to the school. It did feel weird not to have Eda fly her there on her staff, but it was just another precaution they wanted to take if they weren't completely out of the woods yet regarding the Emperor's Coven.
Besides, it gave her a little more time to think about Amity.
She remembered back from their talk after the mess that had become of their witch's duel at the Covention that joining the Emperor's Coven had been Amity's future, and if things stayed on their current course, that would mean they would become enemies. That thought alone made something gnaw away at her, as though the thought of losing everything she had gained in befriending Amity and being able to spend time with her despite their rough start was more terrifying than actually facing Belos head-on.
Luz really didn't want to lose what she had with Amity, for any reason.
She simply had to hope that if they got the chance to talk about it, they could reach an understanding and be able to keep one another in their respective lives.
Normally, even if she could see how unhealthy some of it was, Amity would always hold her tongue about the way her parents treated her, mostly out of fear of what might happen if any of it got back to them.
If there was one thing she refused to hold her tongue on now, however, it was her irritation at how out of the loop she felt because her parents were obsessed with how their family should appear at all times.
Ever since Amity's leg had been injured in that Grudgby game, her parents had effectively confined her to the mansion, refusing to even let her attend school even though she could easily get to where she needed to go so long as she had her crutches. The idea of letting her be seen by anyone in her cast had been appalling to them, and she distinctly remembers her mother telling her at length about how 'a Blight will never be seen in such a weak state' and that 'they were doing this for her own good.'
Amity remembers trying to resist the urge to scoff at that idea so as not to further set her mother off.
Thankfully, with the twins' help, she'd managed to craft a pretty good lie to cover why she was playing Grudgby against Boscha in the first place, but not being allowed out of the manor, even to attend school, was driving her crazy. Sure, she could easily take care of all her makeup work from the confines of her room, but that didn't make up for what she knows she's missed that she could never find in any textbook.
The field trip to the Emperor's castle.
Whatever had happened that led to Eda's capture and attempted petrification.
Luz managing to save her before fleeing with her, King, and also Lilith.
Not knowing what happened that led to any of that bothered her far more than she would admit, even to the twins whenever they felt like teasing her over the crush they knew she'd developed on the girl. Watching what she had without the full context only left her confused brain struggling with the fact that Luz, the girl she'd fallen hard for, had gone up against the Emperor's Coven, the group that served as the protectors and peacekeepers of the Isles and her future, and whatever happened made it painfully clear that if she stuck to the path she was trying to walk now, it would be impossible for her to have both.
She had seen over the news as the Emperor himself pardoned Eda of the crimes she was to be petrified for, claiming the Titan had instructed him that her no longer being able to do magic was a more suitable punishment for being a wild witch. In and of itself, that had raised some questions she needed answers to but knew better than to bring up to her parents. From her limited interactions with the woman, Eda Clawthorne had proven herself to be far more caring and compassionate than she'd been raised to believe was the case for a wild witch, and aside from the harsh jabs she'd thrown Amity's way before sending her and Luz into Willow's mind (which she absolutely deserved for the mess she'd created, and she knew it), she had been more than happy to open the door of the Owl House for her anytime she liked just as she had for Willow and Gus and especially Luz. To that end, her only crime had been never joining a coven, a crime that Amity had to argue wasn't worth being petrified over.
She couldn't help but wonder how much of the Owl Lady's current attitude was a result of Luz's influence.
The more she thought about it, the more Amity understood just why she had developed feelings for the human who had shown up one day in this world full of witches and demons and seemingly turned the status quo of the Isles upside-down. Luz just had this ability to bring out the very best in whoever she interacted with, all by just being herself. If Eda had been anything like the criminal she had always been portrayed as, there was none of that to be found in the woman she'd become since Luz had begun staying with her. Willow had slowly but surely pushed through all of the insecurities she had developed, mostly due to Amity herself and the admittedly poor way she'd handled things after being forced to end their friendship, and proven she had become a far greater witch than her parents might ever admit, something she may never have done without meeting Luz.
Even Amity was slowly becoming more and more comfortable with being the person she truly wanted to be and making her own decisions with her life, and all she'd needed to do was give Luz a chance.
That was one of the biggest reasons why being stuck in the manor because her injury was 'a sign of weakness' in her parents' eyes frustrated her so much. After what she had seen last week, she wanted nothing more than to be able to head over to the Owl House, cast and crutches be darned, and check up on Luz to make sure she was alright. She would have even settled for Willow and Gus reassuring her that everything was alright, but she couldn't even have that because of her forced absence from school and there being absolutely no way her parents would ever allow them near the manor without revealing the truth that she was hanging out with them now.
Unfortunately, Edric and Emira hadn't been able to bridge that gap, despite being on the same track as Gus. With Amity out of commission until her leg was healed, their mom and dad had turned their undivided attention to the twins' academic efforts, putting them under the same harsh spotlight Amity had been under for most of her life, which had forged within them a newfound understanding for everything they had exacerbated over the years because 'they were perfect and she wasn't.' With that came an inability to do any of their usual antics such as cutting class or playing pranks, and it certainly interfered with them being able to associate with anyone they normally did, meaning not even they could risk getting info from Gus or Willow to pass along to her without their parents questioning it.
“Hey, Mittens! You about ready?”
Amity snapped out of her thoughts when she realized her brother had been knocking on her bedroom door and calling for her. Thankfully, she had already gotten prepared for the day before turning her thoughts to everything that had been weighing heavy on her mind, but with any luck, she could finally get the answers she needed.
After all, she'd finally gotten her cast off yesterday, and being able to walk again meant she could be free from this prison to at least return to school... and to be able to hopefully talk with Luz again.
Slipping her backpack on, Amity opened the door to join her brother and sister out in the hallway, which brought a sense of relief to them that would have bothered her if she didn't already know what was waiting for them.
“Good morning, children,” Odalia Blight said as they reached the bottom of the stairs and lined up before her like the perfect little dolls she always desired them to be for her. “Amity, now that you are able to resume attending Hexside, I'll be expecting you to return your grades to where they should be to make up for all the time you missed because of your... injury.”
“Yes mother,” Amity replied in that practiced tone she hated using, internally cringing at how disgusted her mother sounded when saying the word 'injury.' There wasn't much more after that before Odalia dismissed her children so they wouldn't be late.
“Jeez, you think she'd be a little more understanding,” Edric muttered as the trio left the manor behind and made their way towards Hexside. “I mean, injuries can happen to anyone! It's not like you can be prepared for it all the time.”
“You know how mom is,” Emira reminded him, though the words were laced with venom towards the way their mother treated them. “We all wish they weren't like this. Believe me when I say we would've snuck you out anywhere if we could, Mittens.”
Amity nodded, knowing they were telling the truth on that considering they made a few attempts that their parents always found a way to shut down, which had been part of the reason they had a closer eye kept on them during their sister's absence. She ended up checking out of whatever conversation they were having, though, as her thoughts focused solely on the one thing she wanted to do today above all else.
She made it her mission to talk to Luz, whether she was back at school or at the Owl House afterward, so she could find out everything that had happened and go from there.
To most, today was just another day at Hexside School of Magic and Demonics.
To a small group of witches, however, today was something far greater.
Willow and Gus were waiting on the front steps as the first bell of the day had yet to ring to start attracting everyone inside, eager smiles on their faces. When they'd visited the Owl House over the weekend to hang out with Luz, she'd told them that today was the day she was going to attempt to return, and the excitement of having their friend back in 'the hallowed halls of Hexside' was worth being excited about.
They both knew Luz was nervous over returning, even despite all signs pointing to the Emperor being truthful about his pardon and leaving them be, and a good part of the weekend had been spent trying to console Luz over the fear that some students would take issue with her over opposing the Emperor. Telling her that they had both been live on every crystal ball after hijacking Gus's dad's broadcast to rally everyone behind Eda's petrification being more severe than she deserved had helped, as had pointing out that several students were in that crowd that stood behind Willow's call that Eda didn't deserve that.
Still, they knew that some might love the excuse to pick a fight with her, which is why they wanted to meet up with her before she entered the school, to be on the safe side.
“Hey guys!” someone called out to them, and Willow and Gus turned in surprise to find not Luz, but Amity quickly approaching them, her older siblings watching her abandon them with amused looks before they went off to find their own friends.
“Amity! You got your cast off!” Gus exclaimed in surprise as he was the first to notice, and Willow looked stunned as well.
“Yeah, my leg finally healed,” she admitted. “Good thing, too... I was getting so sick of being stuck in the manor all day.”
“Sounds about right for your parents...” Willow angrily grumbled, and Amity couldn't help but nod in agreement which perked up the Plant witch's mood a bit.
“Friends!”
They all turned just in time to see a multi-colored blur barreling towards them, and before they had any time to prepare all three found themselves trapped in the biggest group hug Luz Noceda was capable of giving. Amity's entire face went red once she processed what was happening, but she quickly tried to regain her composure when Luz let them all go.
“Oh my gosh, I missed being able to attend school with you guys!” Luz began gushing. “But now we can... oh, Amity! You got your cast off!”
“Y-Yeah, just yesterday...” Amity admitted, trying to get her head straightened out now that it was clear, at least at first glance, that Luz was perfectly fine after whatever had happened. “My parents wouldn't let me leave the manor until I got it off, so I haven't been able to come to school... sorry I wasn't able to visit, either.”
“You have no reason to apologize, Amity,” Luz reassured her, though she suddenly appeared to be a lot more nervous than she was just a moment ago. “Today's kind of my first day back at school too... Eda wanted us to lay low for a while after everything that happened, just to be safe.”
“What... exactly happened? If you don't mind me asking.”
Luz bit her bottom lip, her nerves starting to get the better of her now that she was face-to-face with Amity and could instantly think of no less than fifty ways this conversation could go south once she fills her in, especially now that she knows for sure that Amity's in the dark because of being out of school just as long as she has. Amity is growing nervous herself, seeing Luz seemingly struggle with whatever she wants to say.
Before either of them can get another word out, though, the scream of the bell echoes throughout the courtyard, and the rush to start getting ready for classes is on.
“M-Maybe we can talk about this after school?” Amity suggests as she and Luz begin to follow Willow and Gus inside, trying to ease her nerves about whatever she's going to hear as much as she's trying to reassure Luz that she has time to think about what she needs to say.
“Sure! Your spot in the library?” Luz asks, her own nerves very clear in her voice still.
“That sounds good to me,” is the reply she gets before they all slowly part ways to get settled in for the start of another day of learning.
The interaction as a whole, however, had been an interesting one in the eyes of another party hidden out among the trees.
A figure in a white cloak and a golden mask was quietly perched atop a tree branch at the very edge of where the woods gave way to the school's courtyard, taking the mission given to them by the Emperor to keep an eye on the residents of the Owl House very seriously. The past week had been very quiet on that front, aside from the discovery of Eda's curse being split with Lilith and the Owl Lady being taught glyph magic by the human to get around her new limitation of no longer being able to do magic naturally. But they had made a judgment call on following Luz as she returned to school, and the results they now had were quite interesting.
“That human... interacting with a Blight...” the masked figure mused to themselves. “Quite the interesting development indeed...”