Chapter Text
The Boiling Isles. What would be an everyday occurrence for its inhabitants was like stepping into a fantasy realm for its summer visitor, Luz Noceda. It wasn't a tough call for her after a whirlwind breakout at the Conformatorium, Luz decided to train to be a witch under the Owl Lady and most dangerous criminal on the Boiling Isles, Eda Clawthorne, and her demon roommate, King. And what an adventure it was! Fighting a puppet demon, attending a school of magic, getting shrunk down, using magic to enter her friend Willow's mind, and learning magic herself! Unfortunately, time moved regardless, and as Luz awoke and checked her phone, she found her time in the Boiling Isles was growing shorter. She'd have to return home soon.
Luz hung of the couch, phone in hand. Thanks to Eda's portal door, she was able to get internet service so her clock was always up to date. It was near the end august, around the 16th. Summer break was almost over, and so was her time in the Boiling Isles. She let out a sigh, as her mentor came in, with a sack of human junk slung over her shoulder, having recieved it from Owlbert. Luz let out another sigh.
"Hey kid, what's up?" Eda asked, looking at Luz. "You catch the early stages of the Common Mold or somethin'?"
"It's not that, it's just.." Her student spoke. "Summer vacation back in my world is almost up. Mama would be worried about me. I gotta return home, Eda."
Just then, King came into the room, wrapped in his rubber ducky towel.
"Weh? What's this?" King asked, looking between his companions. "Luz, you gotta return home? I..Understand."
"Hey, me too kid," Eda added, setting her sack down. "You got family that's close to you. Me, I've only got King I'm close to."
"Do you have any other family besides-" Luz started to ask.
"Nope, not gonna get into that." The Owl Lady interjected.
Luz picked up King, putting him into one of her hugs.
"I'm gonna miss you, King." Luz spoke.
"Likewise," King responded. "You've kinda joined with us..Changed the lives of us here.."
Luz put King down, and opened the door. She had a lot of people to visit in this last day before she returned home. It being a short break, she could go to visit Willow first, and tell her goodbyes.
Amity hobbled over to her mother's office. If she had been called, it could mean one of two things. She was either being praised for an academic accomplishment, or, in the worse (and more likely case) being told she did something wrong.
"Amity," Her mother, Odalia, spoke.
"Mother-" Amity responded, only for Odalia to hold a finger up, indicating to the Blight girl she should be quiet.
"Recently, our Abominations were doing a cleanup of the manor," Odalia continued. "and discovered..This."
Odalia turned around, revealing the Grom photo Luz took of the group, her arm around Amity, Willow flashing a "v" sign with her fingers, and Gus cheering in the background. Luz had made a copy of the photo for Amity's sake.
"Care to tell me who these are?" She asked, sneering at the photograph. "Other than that Park girl."
"They're..my friends." Amity answered.
"Friends?" Odalia asked in return. "I thought your father and I chose friends for you."
"Well, I chose them." Amity answered, gritting her teeth.
Odalia put both hands on both ends of the photograph, creating a seam down the center. The CEO of Blight Industries then dropped both halves of the photo, as they floated down. An Abomination servant moved to sweep both pieces up, to move them to the garbage.
"When you've healed from that..foolish incident with the Park girl and that troublesome human," Odalia spoke. "you're to forgive Skara and Boscha, and make any amends necessary."
"It was-" Her daughter tried to protest, only to again be shushed. There would be no arguing with her mother.
"Understood..." Amity spoke, turning away. The Abomination servant shut the door to the office behind her.
She departed back to her room as quickly as she could, sobbing once the dam broke. How could she do that to her?
I don't like to do this, Amity thought to herself as she grabbed a bag with the Blight Industries logo. But I have to...Odalia.
The Blight girl then began grabbing essentials she'd need. Changes of clothes, a toothbrush, a pair of memory tweezers her practice wand, snails, a photo of Ed and Em, and a decently sized container of abomination fluid.
She also checked the twins' bedside cabinets. Concealment stones, just what she'd need.
"I hope you don't mind me borrowing these.." She muttered as she stored them in her bag.
Walking through Bonesborough snacking on a Not-Dog (Luz's favorite on her first real day in the Boiling Isles) with her two best friends Willow and Gus, life couldn't be better for her. But there was a weight on her mind, regarding her departure tomorrow.
"There's something I've been thinking of.." Luz spoke, turning to face the two.
"What's up?" Gus asked.
"You can tell us." Willow added.
"It's about...tomorrow," The human admitted. "I'm going back home, to my world. I don't know when I'll be able to visit, or how considering Eda has the only portal door I know of, and-"
"Luz," Willow interrupted before Luz could spiral. "We understand. If I was visiting the human realm for the summer, I'd want to return home to my dads as well."
"Yeah," Gus added. "Besides, we're still going to be friends when you do find a way back to the Boiling Isles! And hey, Eda will still have human junk for sale, right?"
"Fist bump?" Luz asked, sticking out her fist.
"What's a..fist bump?" Gus asked.
"It's like a high five," Luz explained. "but you bump fists together. It's a human thing!"
Gus stuck out his own fist, followed by Willow. He was enjoying these human concepts that Luz brought with her!
Luz came back to the Owl House, where Hooty stretched out from the door to greet his friend.
"Hoot hoot, Luz!" The house's guardian spoke. "You got a visitor!"
"Oh, who?" Luz asked. She was sure to say goodbye to everyone. Well, everyone but Amity, who she couldn't find.
Luz stepped inside, and saw Amity on the couch, while Eda was sitting beside her with King.
"Hey Luz," Eda greeted. "this Blight girl just shows up outta nowhere, talkin' about staying over. Any idea what that's about, this whole 'staying over' thing?"
"A slumber party!" Luz realized. "You get to stay up late, dress in comfortable pajamas, eat snacks..It's like a moonlight conjuring, without the conjuring! I'll be right back!"
A moonlight conjuring WITHOUT the conjuring? Amity pondered.
Luz returned, wearing an otter onesie she had, with a catlike onesie in hand. Amity blushed at how cute Luz looked wearing that otter onesie.
"This one says, 'I'm an otter! With a dark side,'" Luz announced. "I also brought this from one of Owlbert's gathering runs."
King glanced over at Amity, who was doing her best to hide how red in the face she was getting.
"Is something wrong with that Blight girl?" King asked.
"Nah, nothing's wrong with her," Eda answered. "I've seen that feeling before. Back in 'Lost Vagueness' or whatever."
As the sun dipped down over the horizon, Luz, Amity, Eda and King settled in to watching a movie called "Dragonclaw Z" on a crystal ball Eda had set up in front of the couch.
"Man, the effects here seem really old!" Luz commented. "When did this movie come out, Eda?"
"It came out..." The Owl Lady started to speak, before looking at the release date on the VHS cover. "Thirty years ago? I remember seeing this in theaters..."
Meanwhile, Luz snuggled up to Amity, who with some assistance from some of her Abomination sludge she packed with her, had changed into the cat onesie Luz brought with her.
"Amity..." Luz started. "Thank you for making this last day amazing."
"Last day..?" Amity asked.
"I should have told you," Luz realized. "I'm going back to the human world tomorrow."
"When will you be back?" Amity asked.
"I..Don't know." The human girl admitted. "As far as I know, Eda has the only portal in and out of the Boiling Isles."
"Far as I know, anyway," Eda added. "I can move the door on my side, but the entrance is fixed to one spot on her side."
"I have something I wanna tell you," Amity spoke. "But it'll have to wait till morning."
With that revelation, Luz sulked off to bed, while, Amity hung out on the couch for a bit.
"I'm goin' to bed too," Eda announced. "g'night, Blight kid. I suppose you're sleeping out here?"
"Guess I am.." Amity responded halfheartedly, while the Owl Lady walkeed upstairs.
"Hey, if it's any consolation.." King spoke, getting Amity's attention. In his claws was a stuffed rabbit toy. "You can have Francios for the night. He's my most loyal minion of darkness!"
After passing up Francois, King walked off, following in the direction Luz went in.
I came here to be around the one who truly reached out to me, even after all I did to her, Amity thought as she drifted off to sleep. Hopefully, she wouldn't mind a change of plans from me..
Luz awoke the next morning, looking grimly at a text her mother sent her.
See you today, Mija! her mother had texted her.
Can't wait to be back home, mama. Luz texted back.
After that, she left her temporary room, wondering if once she left, Eda would turn it back into a closet.
Banging and the sound of fire could be heard from the kitchen, as Luz peeked inside. Inside, Eda was cooking Griffin Eggs, while King and Amity stood by.
"Morinin' kid," Eda called out, taking a swig from her "over 30 and very flirty" mug filled with Apple Blood. "Tried making a surprise. Well, with what your human stomach can handle, anyways."
"Does your mentor always drink Apple Blood in the morning...?" Amity asked.
"Yep," Luz answered. "She can't fully remember the events of the previous night till she has a cup of Apple Blood. I learned that the hard way..."
"So, you going back to Blight manor after?" The Owl lady asked.
"No," Amity responded, causing all heads to turn towards her. "I...don't...really want to."
"You...ran away from home?" The human girl asked.
"I knew it was more than a surprise 'sleepover,' as Luz called 'em," Eda muttered to herself. "She's like you, Clawthorne. But...She can be better than you were at that age."
A dark silence hung over breakfast, as Luz had her eyes on her phone's clock, while Eda cast a few worried glances at Amity.
Maybe she had good reason to run away from home, she thought to herself. I certainly thought I did. And from what I hear in passing rumors about the Blight family, they can be particularly strict and demanding.
After breakfast was done, Eda set up her portal door in the living room, like she had done on that fateful day where Luz decided to stay for the summer.
"I...guess this it, kiddo," Eda spoke, as Luz wrapped her arms around her in a hug. "You've changed the lives of King and I."
"Boo-boo buddies club still?" King asked, bandage in one claw as a reminder of their shared experience.
"Boo-boo buddies club still." Luz repeated, picking King up into another hug.
Amity had changed back into her Hexside uniform, as she stood by Luz, bag slung over one shoulder, crutch under one arm. Luz put down the demon from her hug, and faced her.
"I'll miss you as well, Amity," Luz spoke. "we've had some good times, and-"
"About that thing I wanted to ask you,"Amity interjected. "I want to go with you."
"But..What about your family?" She asked. "Surely they'd miss you!"
"Edric and Emira, they'd understand," Amity spoke. "And m-Odalia...Who cares what she thinks..."
"Did...Something happen between you and your mom?" Luz asked.
"Yes," Amity answered. "She's always been in control of my life. Choosing who can be my friends, upholding an impossible standard. You saw it in Willow's memory of the day she and father forced me to break my friendship with her!"
"That bi-" Eda started to say, before noticing her present company. "That...not nice word...Look, I knew her back when Lily and I were 'round your ages, and I knew a few rumors. But I didn't know the full extent."
The Owl Lady decided to get down on one knee, and place a hand on the Blight girl's shoulder.
"Kid, there's something you gotta know..." She admitted. "I...ran away from home. But I wasn't justified in it. I feared what my parents were talkin' about. You, however, you've got way more justification than I did."
Eda ran away from home as well? Luz pondered. I wonder what her home life was like. Did she have a good relationship with her mom as well? How about a father?
"Amity, I..." Luz spoke. "I can't begin to imagine how demanding...Odalia was. If you want to come with me...I won't stop you, but it'll probably be hard for you. Who knows if mama would try to get you to return, and if she finds out you're a witch, and that I wasn't at summer camp, and..."
"Luz, we'll find a way to make it work," Amity reassured her, stopping her from spiraling. "we can reveal the truth if need be."
"Best of luck to ya, kiddo," Eda concluded. "And to you too, Blight girl."
"Conquer your enemies in my name!" King added.
With that, Luz stepped through the portal door, Amity in tow.
With only Luz as a reference for what the human realm was like, Amity was certainly not expecting to emerge from a rundown house, into a green forest.
"Welcome to the human realm!" Luz announced.
"Gus would probably faint on the spot at the thought of visiting the human realm, getting to learn more about humans." Amity commented, as Luz helped her down the short staircase.
Luz checked her phone again. Her mom texted her that she'd be en route to the bus stop to pick her up soon.
"Oh dios mio," the human girl spoke. "We gotta get moving to the bus stop. Amity, you okay with pretending that you were a camper from...Camp Reality Check?"
"Camp...Reality Check," Amity repeated. "Got it. You go on ahead, Luz. I'll catch up best I can."
Luz pulled up her text, to tell her mother something, wondering how she would convince her
Hola mama, Luz texted. I made a friend at summer camp. Her name's Amity, and I was wondering if she could stay over for a bit.
I'm happy you made a friend at camp Luz, her mother texted back. I'd be happy to meet her.
"Okay Luz," she told herself. "You're setting up a potential problem for the future. But for now, you can sneak behind the bus, reunite with mama, and bring Amity along. Hey, maybe she could stay in the house we left!"