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Amity Blight stared into the empty snack cupboard.
She stared for a long moment.
Then she slowly closed the cupboard door.
“Luz.”
From somewhere behind her came a cheerful voice.
“Yes, girlfriend?”
“Do you know where my sugar apples are?”
There was a pause.
A suspiciously long pause.
“I have several questions before I answer that.”
Amity turned around.
Luz was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, holding a half-eaten sugar apple.
Amity’s eyes narrowed.
“Is that mine?”
Luz looked down at the snack in her hand.
“No?”
“Luz.”
“Okay, yes.”
Amity sighed.
“Did you eat them?”
“No.”
Amity raised an eyebrow.
“Did you eat one?”
Luz smiled nervously.
“…Maybe.”
“Where are the rest?”
Luz pointed toward the hallway.
“Edric and Emira.”
Amity’s expression went completely blank.
“The twins ate all of them?”
“Apparently.”
Amity slowly inhaled.
Then exhaled.
Luz watched her carefully.
“Amity?”
“My sugar apples.”
“Yeah.”
“My favourite sugar apples.”
“Yep.”
“All of them.”
“Technically, I think Edric ate the last two.”
Amity’s eye twitched.
Luz took a cautious step backward.
“Babe?”
“I am going to kill them.”
Luz immediately brightened.
“Can I help?”
Amity looked at her.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I know you.”
“I am deeply offended.”
“You’re going to turn this into something ridiculous.”
Luz put a hand over her heart.
“I would never.”
Amity stared at her.
Luz stared back.
“Okay, I would absolutely do that.”
“Exactly.”
Amity folded her arms.
“This is going to be simple. I am going to replace their snack stash with fake treats.”
Luz’s eyes widened.
“That’s genius.”
“It’s revenge.”
“Even better.”
“It’s going to be subtle.”
“Okay.”
“Controlled.”
“Sure.”
“Completely harmless.”
“Definitely.”
Amity pointed at her.
“And you’re not helping.”
Luz nodded solemnly.
“Understood.”
A beat passed.
“Can I watch?”
Amity sighed.
“Fine.”
⸻
Five minutes later, Luz was whispering dramatically to Willow and Gus.
“We have a mission.”
Willow blinked.
“A mission?”
Gus leaned forward.
“What kind?”
Luz looked around before whispering:
“Operation: Sugar Apple.”
Willow stared.
Gus grinned.
“I’m in.”
“You don’t even know what we’re doing,” Willow said.
“I don’t need to.”
Amity pinched the bridge of her nose.
“This was supposed to be a two-person operation.”
“You invited me,” Luz pointed out.
“I did not.”
“You let me watch.”
“That was my first mistake.”
Gus raised his hand.
“What’s the objective?”
Amity sighed.
“We’re replacing Edric and Emira’s snacks with fake treats.”
Gus’s eyes lit up.
“Can we replace them with illusion snacks?”
“No.”
“Can we make the illusion snacks scream?”
“No.”
“Can we—”
“No.”
Willow grabbed Gus by the shoulders.
“Stop helping.”
“But Willow—”
“Stop.”
Luz covered her mouth to hide a laugh.
Amity gave her a look.
“You’re not helping either.”
“Sorry.”
“You’re smiling.”
“I can’t help it. You’re being adorable.”
“This is a revenge operation.”
“Exactly.”
Amity turned away before Luz could see her smile.
None of them noticed the figure standing around the corner.
Hunter had heard enough.
Operation.
Objective.
Sneaking into the twins’ room.
Replacing something.
He frowned.
This was definitely suspicious.
He waited until the group disappeared down the hallway before following them.
Whatever they were planning, Hunter was going to make sure nobody got hurt.
⸻
The group crouched behind a couch.
Amity unfolded a piece of paper.
“Okay. Phase One.”
Luz leaned over her shoulder.
“You made a map?”
“Obviously.”
Gus looked impressed.
“You even marked the floorboards that creak.”
“I’ve been studying this house for years.”
Willow glanced at the map.
“You really thought this through.”
Amity nodded.
“This is serious.”
Luz bit her lip.
“I’m trying so hard not to laugh.”
“Luz.”
“Sorry.”
Amity pointed at the map.
“Willow, you and Gus will distract the twins if they leave their room.”
Willow nodded.
“Got it.”
“Luz, you’ll help me get into their room.”
Luz saluted.
“Yes, Commander Blight.”
Amity narrowed her eyes.
“Don’t call me that.”
“Yes, Commander Blight.”
“Luz.”
“Sorry.”
They crept toward the twins’ room.
Amity carefully reached for the doorknob.
She slowly turned it.
The door opened without a sound.
Luz peeked inside.
“Clear.”
Amity nodded.
They slipped inside.
The snack stash was enormous.
Luz’s eyes widened.
“Wow.”
Amity stared at the shelves.
“They have been hiding all of this?”
“Apparently.”
Amity pulled out the fake treats.
The first bag contained rocks painted red.
The second contained potatoes wrapped in shiny paper.
The third contained tiny pieces of cardboard cut into the shape of cookies.
Luz held up a particularly terrible-looking fake chocolate bar.
“This one looks like a brick.”
“Perfect.”
“Amity.”
“What?”
“It’s literally a brick.”
“That’s the point.”
Luz snorted.
Amity glared at her.
Luz immediately covered her mouth.
“Sorry.”
They began replacing the snacks.
One bag.
Two bags.
Three.
Then Gus poked his head through the doorway.
“Guys!”
Amity froze.
“What?”
“I found something.”
Willow appeared behind him.
“Gus, no.”
Gus held up a gigantic fake sugar apple.
“It has glitter.”
Amity stared at it.
“Why does it have glitter?”
“I thought it needed something extra.”
“No glitter.”
Gus looked disappointed.
Willow pulled him away.
“Come on.”
Luz was shaking with suppressed laughter.
Amity whispered, “Stop laughing.”
“I can’t.”
“You’re going to ruin this.”
Luz wheezed.
“I’m sorry.”
A voice came from behind them.
“What are you doing?”
Everyone froze.
Amity slowly turned.
Hunter stood in the doorway.
His eyes were narrowed.
His arms were crossed.
Nobody moved.
Luz dropped a fake cookie.
It hit the floor with a tiny clack.
Hunter stared at it.
Then at them.
“What is Operation: Sugar Apple?”
Amity’s face went pale.
“Hunter.”
“I heard everything.”
Gus whispered, “We’re doomed.”
Willow elbowed him.
Hunter stepped forward.
“I thought you were planning something dangerous.”
Luz blinked.
“Like what?”
Hunter’s expression became even more serious.
“I don’t know. That’s why I followed you.”
Amity pointed at the shelves.
“We’re replacing their snacks.”
Hunter looked at the fake treats.
Silence.
He picked up one of the potatoes.
“This is a potato.”
“Yes.”
“Why is it wrapped like candy?”
“It’s revenge.”
Hunter stared at her.
Then he sighed.
“You guys are idiots.”
Luz smiled.
“Aw. Thanks.”
Hunter shook his head.
“Wait.”
He looked at the snacks again.
“Are these the twins?”
“Yes.”
“They pranked me once.”
Amity raised an eyebrow.
“How bad?”
Hunter’s expression darkened.
“They replaced my tea with hot sauce.”
Everyone gasped.
Luz whispered, “That’s evil.”
Hunter nodded.
“I know.”
He looked at the fake treats.
“…Can I help?”
Amity smiled.
“Welcome to the team.”
Hunter immediately looked uncomfortable.
“I didn’t say I wanted a team.”
“You’re already here.”
“Fine.”
⸻
The operation was a success.
For approximately twelve seconds.
Edric and Emira walked into their room.
They stared at the shelves.
Then at each other.
Emira picked up a fake cookie.
She squeezed it.
It made a cardboard noise.
She slowly turned toward the doorway.
“Edric.”
“Yeah?”
“We have intruders.”
Amity’s eyes widened.
“Run!”
Everyone scattered.
Luz tripped over a rug.
Gus ran into Willow.
Hunter grabbed Amity’s arm.
They made it three steps before Edric appeared in front of them.
“Gotcha!”
Amity stopped.
“Oh, come on.”
Emira appeared behind them.
“You really thought we’d fall for this?”
Luz looked at the fake snacks.
“You did.”
“For about three seconds.”
Edric held up a potato.
“This is insulting.”
Amity crossed her arms.
“Maybe you’ll think twice before eating my sugar apples.”
Edric gasped dramatically.
“You’re declaring war?”
Amity blinked.
“I’m what?”
Emira smiled.
“You’ve officially started a prank war.”
Luz’s face lit up.
“Oh, this is going to be fun.”
Amity immediately regretted everything.
⸻
It spread through the Owl House in less than an hour.
Nobody knew exactly how.
One minute it was Amity and the twins.
The next, Luz was hanging fake spiders over doorways.
Willow had vines blocking hallways.
Gus was creating illusions of fake walls.
Hunter had somehow acquired a bucket.
Amity stared at him.
“Why do you have a bucket?”
Hunter looked embarrassed.
“Don’t ask.”
“I’m asking.”
“It’s tactical.”
“It has glitter in it.”
“Gus gave it to me.”
Gus smiled proudly.
Willow sighed.
“I’m so sorry.”
Then Eda walked into the room.
She looked around at the chaos.
A bucket of glitter.
Fake snacks everywhere.
Vines hanging from the ceiling.
An illusion of a screaming demon floating near the staircase.
She grinned.
“Oh, this is fun.”
Amity’s eyes widened.
“Eda, don’t.”
“Too late.”
Eda pulled out a bag.
“I’ve been saving these.”
King popped out from behind her.
“I declare myself judge!”
Everyone stopped.
King climbed onto a chair.
“There will be rules!”
Nobody listened.
King cleared his throat.
“Rule number one: no cheating!”
Luz threw a pillow at Edric.
“Hey!”
“Cheating!”
“That’s not cheating!”
“It absolutely is!”
King pointed dramatically.
“DISQUALIFIED!”
Nobody stopped.
The prank war escalated.
A pillow fight became a chase through the living room.
The fake snacks became ammunition.
Illusions appeared everywhere.
Willow accidentally trapped Gus inside a vine.
Hunter got covered in glitter.
Emira dumped a bucket of feathers over Amity.
Amity chased her through the kitchen.
Luz laughed so hard she had to sit down.
At some point, Amity stopped.
She looked around.
The Owl House was a complete disaster.
There were feathers on the floor.
Glitter in the curtains.
Pillows everywhere.
Gus was laughing.
Willow was trying to clean up while laughing herself.
Hunter was attempting to remove glitter from his hair.
Edric and Emira were arguing over who had won.
Eda was eating one of the real sugar apples she’d apparently found somewhere.
And Luz was standing beside her.
Amity smiled.
She hadn’t realized how much fun she’d been having.
No school.
No expectations.
No worrying about being perfect.
Just chaos.
Luz nudged her shoulder.
“See?”
Amity looked at her.
“See what?”
“Being a little evil is fun sometimes.”
Amity rolled her eyes.
“You’re ridiculous.”
Luz smiled.
“You love me.”
Amity’s smile grew.
“Unfortunately.”
King suddenly climbed onto the table.
“ATTENTION!”
Everyone turned.
King raised both arms.
“I have made my final ruling!”
The room went silent.
“You are all disqualified!”
Everyone stared at him.
“What?” Edric asked.
“You broke every single rule!”
King pointed at everyone individually.
“You cheated! You destroyed property! You ignored the judge!”
He dramatically paused.
“And someone ate the evidence!”
Everyone looked at Eda.
She shrugged.
“It was a good sugar apple.”
King crossed his arms.
“Disqualified!”
Eda walked over and placed a tiny crown on his head.
“There you go, Your Majesty.”
King gasped.
“A crown!”
“Now you’re officially in charge.”
King stood taller.
“I accept.”
Everyone groaned.
⸻
Eventually, they called a truce.
The house was still a mess, but nobody had the energy to care.
Amity sat beside Luz on the couch.
“Never again,” she said.
Luz smiled.
“Until they eat your snacks again.”
“Then I’m moving out.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“No.”
Luz leaned against her.
“Good.”
Across the room, Edric quietly approached.
Amity narrowed her eyes.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing.”
“That sounded suspicious.”
“I’m offended.”
“You should be.”
Edric grinned.
Amity sighed.
“Edric.”
“What?”
“We agreed to a truce.”
“We did.”
“Then behave.”
“Of course.”
He walked away.
Amity watched him suspiciously.
A second later—
POP!
A tiny shower of glitter fell onto her head.
The room went silent.
Amity slowly turned.
Edric stood in the doorway, grinning.
“You had one job.”
Edric spread his arms.
“And I did it perfectly.”
Amity stared at him.
Then at the glitter.
Then at Luz.
Luz was already laughing.
Amity sighed.
“Operation: Sugar Apple is officially back on.”
Edric’s grin widened.
“Excellent.”
King raised his tiny crown.
“TRUCE CANCELLED!”
Eda grabbed another sugar apple.
“This is going to be a long night.”
And somewhere underneath the glitter, feathers, fake snacks, and complete destruction of the Owl House, Amity couldn’t stop smiling.