"Bored." Polly whined.
"So bored." Sprig followed in suit.
Anne and the Plantars were trying to find something to do this Sunday: Thai Go was closed, but there were no good shows on TV, groceries were full, Anne had woken up early to get the mail and the neighbors were having an outdoor party, meaning the frogs had to stay inside.
Polly had been binging robotics videos again, and while she liked the IT Girls, they weren't answering any of her questions on how to bring Frobo back online….at least in the videos she'd seen. Hop-Pop was trying to read a good book and Sprig had crawled all over the house already, minus the roof.
"….We gotta do something before we go crazy." Sprig called out.
"Maybe Ollie and Luz can hang." Anne realized, reaching for her phone as Oum then stumbled into the room, wiping her mother and staggered. "Whoa, mom!"
Anne and Sprig were quick to help the Thai woman to the couch, with Bee quickly appearing with a glass of water.
"Honey, are you sure you're okay? Maybe we should call a doctor?"
"Its just a bug, sweetie." Oum assured her husband.
"Mom, that's the fourth bug this week." Anne noted, concerned. However, she was distracted when her phone buzzed. "Oh, Ollie!"
But it wasn't Olivier, nor Luz, who had called.
"Anne?! Oh thank Titan!" Eda beamed. "Someone with a brain! LISTEN!"
""Emboldened by the dishonor Hecate had shown, Azura lifted her staff to the cotton-candy skies and shouted, "I challenge you to a Witch's Duel!"" Luz read aloud, accompanied by the sounds of shuffling and paper being flipped, with Eda then moving the phone to reveal Luz holding a copy of 'The Good Witch Azura' and a smaller book. "I made a little flip-book to go with it: Pew, pew, pew!"
"Show me the picture." King demanded, peeking over the top of the book. "Show me the picture!"
Luz, with an adoring smile on her face, did just that
"Hah! I can draw better than that." King bragged. :You know, they once called me the King of Artists."
"Wait. I thought you were the King of Demons. Are you just making this up now?" Luz asked.
"Since we were babies." Olivier said not really paying attention.
"Doesn't matter." King responded. "What's important is that my followers would leave me offerings in fear of me!"
"…What followers?" Oum asked in a whisper, getting a light chuckle from her daughter and husband.
It was then that Olivier spied his mother holding his phone and Anne's smiling face on the screen, which made him tense and trip before rushing back to his feet and dusting himself off, ignoring Luz and Eda's giggle. "A-Annie! Hey! How are you? Everything okay?"
"Bored here, wondered what you guys were up to." Anne answered, fighting back the urge to giggle at Olivier being startled before she noticed something. "Say, aren't you missing someone?"
Right on cue, Maddie suddenly jumped onto his head and waved, spitting a pin into a doll of Andrias before greeting:
"Hi Boonchuys and Plantars…."
Now, once upon a time, that greeting would've been scary. But now? Anne and Sprig at least were happy Maddie was still her cute, creepy self.
"Hi Maddie!" Sprig, hopping onto Anne's head, waved. "Learnt any new spells?"
"Meh, nothing too big…" Maddie bragged. "…Except a rusting spell, exploding paper and a wart maker spell."
"…The resteraunt has been keeping us busy." Olivier sighed. "Sorry Mads, Luz."
"Oh no prob!" Luz assured the listeners. "Taking breaks helps, you know?"
She then moved to continue her reading, only for Eda to grab the book to close it.
"Please stop reading that." Eda groaned. "Its flowery language is an insult to witches and driving away all of our serious customers!"
"IT'S FOR TIME PERIOD AUENTHICITY!" Bee and Luz shouted in unison, which they picked up on.
"A fellow Azura fan?!" Luz beamed, hoping against hope this was real. Seeing her friend grinning, Anne handed the phone over to her father.
"Hello, Luz, was it?" Bee said over the phone. "I'm Bee Boonchuy, Anne's dad."
"Hola, Senor Boonchuy." Luz smiled. "How long have you been…?"
"Since book two." Bee explained. "The art hooked me in and I'm a sucker for period fiction that actually uses terms and dialogue from its' era. Plus, I see a lot of someone I love in Azura."
He'd shot his wife a glance at that, making her blush and playfully glare at Hop-Pop's playful coo.
"The first book for me!" Luz beamed, before she recalled HOW she'd gotten her book. "….My dad, before he died…"
The Boonchuy parents and Plantars gasped
"Oh mierde, was that oversharing?" Luz tensed.
"No, no!" Anne and Olivier hurriedly said.
"I mean…it ain't pleasant to hear that," Anne tried to word her response properly. "But…if it means anything? Now that Marcy and Sasha are…wherever….I'm starting to like their shows and books…Even if Marcy preferred Cynthia Coven."
"….And with that, she has gone down on my like list." Eda grumbled. "Still higher than Sasha."
"Well, the books didn't use Covens the way we do…" Olivier weakly tried to defend Marcy, while ignoring the memory of the last time he'd seen her….
"What was that about Eda not liking Sasha?" Oum asked, making Anne and Olivier tense…along with Luz remembered what they'd shown her and the Clawthorne Coven.
"…Ah, dios mio…" Luz grumbled as Eda switched the call to 'voice only' and walked into the next room, where everything was quiet for a few seconds….
"SASHA DID WHAT?!" The Boonchuy parents screamed, shaking their house on earth and nearly deafening Olivier, Maddie, Luz and King.
"Oooooh! Anne, when you bring her back, I will be having WORDS with that girl!" Oum roared,
"Get in line." Eda growled. "Mama gets first dibs on 'Ill-made Blonde.'"
Oum then took the phone from Anne and zoomed in on Olivier.
"Olivier, sweetheart? Are you okay? Anything we should know? We can send Anne over if need therapry hugs and cuddles!"
Despite it all, Olivier just chuckled, as did Anne.
"Wow, mom. Actually, tossing me to my boyfriend? Ain't that against the mom rules."
"Those were written with the assumption all daughters are naïve and or have poor tastes, not luck out with magical gentlemen with a sassy side."
"I'm fine, Oum. Really!" Oliver smiled. "I mean…I'll never turn down time with Anne…"
"It is getting close to lunch and we haven't tried the Boiling Isles take on Pizza." Hop-Pop noted. "Maybe…?"
Anne's eyes then widened
"Mom, do we still have soy cheese? Luz can't have milk, so…"
Luz's eyes beamed. She'd get pizza?! Oh, if Anne wasn't already her probable best friend, she'd earned that title now!
"Won't the customers complain?" Hop-Pop asked. "And won't that just make things more complivated for Eda?"
"…What customers?" Maddie asked.
"Yeah, t's been dead all day; heck there weren't even any stands at the Marketplace when we were walking over." Luz noted.
The room was quiet for a full minute as Eda and Olivier finally realized that was all true.
"This is a bad omen." Eda realized. "There must be something horrible happening today."
Olivier checked his scroll to see if he could find an answer.
"Oooooooh." He grimaced. "That explains it. Convention day."
"Convention?!" Maddie, Bee and Luz asked together. "MAGIC CONVENTION?!"
"Oh…no…" Oum gasped.
"No worries. We're not going." Eda assured Oum.
"What?! WHY?!" Luz decried. "You're not Public #1 anymore!"
"Nah, she probably still is." Maddie noted. "I've seen Wanted Posters."
"Besides, Ollie is still presumed dead and I just hate the whole thing." Eda said.
"But Eda! This could be Maddie and I's best chance to speed learn some magic!" Luz begged.
"…You know she's not wrong, mom." Olivier noted.
"No. Means. No." Eda said. "There is nothing you can do that will convince me otherwise."
Luz shot King a devious look, and the little monster began to read Azura aloud. Eda immediately tensed and opened her door, stepping inside to try and get away….only she once again, didn't close it quickly enough, so Luz chucked the still reading King after her.
"Stop." Eda begged as she stepped back into the Isles 4 seconds later. "Stop! Stop! STOP! I WILL DO LITERALLY ANYTHING TO GET THIS TO STOP!"
Back on earth, Bee quickly vanished in a blur of cartoony speed, then reappearing in a witch costime.
"When are you picking us up?!: He asked excitedly.
"Honey, we can't just….." His wife began
"Oum, I have waited my entire life for this moment, DO NOT TAKE THIS FROM ME!...Sorry for yelling."
Oum for her part, just fanned herself and smiled in a way that scared her daughter.
"Ollie, pick us up, quick! I am not liking the way mom is looking at dad; I am NOT ready to be a big sister!" Anne said as she grabbed the Plantars and raced to the summoning mark.
20 minutes later
"…Why are you wearing a dirty traffic cone?" Eda asked when she brought the Boonchuy parents to Claw's Za and they began walking to their destination. "…Seriously, what is it with you humans wearing dirty traffic materials and thinking that's how we dress?"
Bee blushed, Luz shooting him an apologetic look.
"Well…why is Olivier dressed like that?" The Thai man weakly retorted.
The half-witch boy was in his Baron Barn attire
"I'm still 'presumed deceased', remember?" He reminded everyone.
"Really, after you rampage in the Healing Coven?" Oum asked.
"Offically, that was me." Eda said.
"Aw, classic cover-up." Luz realized, before she spied that Oum was practically glue to her husband's arm. "Um…Mrs. B?"
"I hate conventions." An annoyed and anxious looking Oum grumbled. "They're loud, crowded, smelly, filled with arguments on who can beat who…"
"She had a bad experience at Comic Con before Anne was born." Bee sighed in explanation.
"I can see that." Luz grimaced, Eda nodding in agreement.
"Well, this is an unexpected surprise."
There was Willow, Gus the Clawthorne Coven, waving them over. Luz and Olivier beamed as they raced to their friends as Eda explained who they were to the Boonchuy parents.
"We got some passes from Lilith and Hettie." Nagare explained.
"You must be Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy." Fraost smiled, giving a light bow.
"Easy to see where she gets her looks." Karma followed in suit.
"Wait, how're you here?" Gus asked.
"Eda's door." Bee quickly half-lied. The less who knew of the Titan Blood in their basement, the better.
"Bee here…" Eda began, only to spy Willow's eyes gleam when she heard Anne's father shared the name of her favorite animal. Eda chuckled at that before continuing. "Bee and Luz are two of kind; while Belos keeps saying humans are hateful and paranoid, they're open and want to learn magic…Or in Bee and Oum's case, the Ilses."
Ben perked up at that and produced a familiar book.
"So….Is this what most humans think we're like?" He asked.
"Well, that or like a giant school with morons running the bigger pic…" Anne began, recalling some of Cythina Coven before she saw her father and Luz's eyes glowing. "Oh, this'll be good."
"…FELLOW AZURA FAN!" Luz and Bee all cheered.
"FELLOW AZURA FANS!" Ben cheered back as they raced to chat, sharing artwork, theories and in Bee and Luz's case, hopeful actors for the upcoming movie. Anne was delighted by the whole scene…but she saw she was the only one, aside from Maddie's indifference….
"On Titan…there's FOUR of them!" Apollo grimaced along with his friends and Willow, a little louder than he'd intended, resulting in Nagare bonking the shortest member of the Clawthorne Coven on the head….
"WHO YOU CALLING MICROSCOPIC AMEBA?!" Apollo suddenly shouted, ignoring the pain in his head.
"Shut up." Nagare groaned, then spying the confused looks of the humans and Plantars
"Yeah, we don't know why he does that either." Karma sighed.
"We could've had an answer if you all let me try out my…" Edgar began
"Speed grow me a bile sac." Olivier said offhandledy
"WE AGREED TO NEVER SPEAK OF THAT DAY AGAIN!" Eda and the other witches all said, making the half-breed weakly cower apologetically as Anne and her parents had another incident to add to the list of 'craziness Olivier survived before we met him.'
"Who's the fourth Azura fan?" Luz and Bee asked giddily, missing Ben grimacing.
"The witch who must not be mentioned unless you want Olivier to rampage." Froast said bluntly. "And we all know he can and will now."
"Um…." Sprig asked as he paused to count. "…There's at least four people who fit that title….Could you elaborate?"
"How about we go inside and talk about this later?" Maddie suggested, dragging Sprig inside and making the others follow.
"Well then, Luz? Lord and Lady Boonchuy…?" Ben smiled after clearing this throat and recomposing himself.
"Oh no need for those…" Bee began, but Oum shushed him; if she was going to go through this, she'd be addressed like royalty!
"…For as long as you visit the Isles?" Ben finished.
"Please consider us your humble guides." Willow finished.
"Edgar, you're on this, right?" Olivier asked.
"Oh sure, just let me port over my copy of 'Coven System for Children'!" Edgar groaned as he spun a magic circle. "I'm sorry if that sounded sarcastic, it's not."
POOF!
"Here's the book."
Bee started speed-reading, but soon forgot as they entered the Covention center, where jaws dropped once the party got inside.
"….Was I even alive before now?" Luz asked aloud.
"Third. Greatest. Day. Of. My. Life." Bee managed.
"What were the others?"
"Anne's birth and the honeymoon with Oum."
"HONEY!" Oum, blushing up a storm, whacked her husband in embrassment, which made Eda smirk suggestively. If the kids weren't here she'd be hounding for details.
"The big flags are the main nine, but there are hundreds of other Covens." Gus explained as the group walked in.
"There's Flower Coven, Artist Coven…." Willow began to explain. "Big Dog Covens…"
"Oh, Sasha would love those." Anne smirked.
"Covens? As in plural?" Sprig asked.
"One for each kind of big dog." Ben explained.
"There are different kinds?!" Sprig and Polly asked in surprise.
"Should we mention the Coven Conflict of two years ago?" Apollo asked
"Maybe later." Olivier and Nagare said together.
"Best to not overwhelm them with too much lore, after all." Edgar noted.
"Little Cat coven, Tiny Cat coven…" Willow continued
Eda groaned as the list went on and on.
"Also the 'Grumpy Coven.'"
"What was that?!" Eda snapped, the kids racing ahead as Oum and Bee stopped at the Cooking Coven table, being manned by a teenage witch with an eye for a head and only having a giant fork and knife overhead.
"What sort of recipes do you prepare?" Oum asked.
'Sorry, can't say; that kind of info is for members only.'
"…Then how will you attract more members?"
'I asked the same thing, they said; the worthy will join without temptation.'
Such a reaction made the two humans inwardly grimace.
'Yeah….' The Boonchuy parents mentally grimaced. 'TOTALLY not like a cult.'
'What's a cult?'
"You're a telepath?"
'We prefer Oracle, but…yeah that works.'
Before the conversation could continue, the Thai couple found themselves being pulled
"Forget those losers; you're each a bill..no, trillion better than any of them!" She said. "Also, we'd better stay close to the kids for now."
Bee and Oum, realizing Eda was right, hurriedly moved forward.
"Excuse me, ma'am?" A bald male witch with two pairs of eyebrows suddenly said to Eda. "But you look rather familiar."
He then spied her Wanted poster on a nearby wall. Then he looked at Eda. Then the poster.
"Um….No, I don't…," Eda paused, reaching into her shawl. "DISTRACTION SPELL!"
The Owl Lady threw a bag of chocolate Hex Mex pretzels from under her scarf to the floor and pushed the Boonchuy parents forward…Before she raced back and wedgied the onlooker and snagged back her snack.
She caught up with the group at the Construction Coven's stall, where good ol' Mason picked up some lumber and bricks, tossed them upwards and somehow made a perfectly good house when it all landed.
"….I made my cabin from scratch." Oliiver reminded himself as he summoned an illusion of said cabin; recalling the days he spent doing that. Maddie and Anne held his hands as Eda messed with her baby's hair in pride.
"Cool!" Luz said, mostly at Olivier's cabin, but also at what she'd just seen seen.
"That's one of the main nine; Construction." Willow explained. "They use Power Glyphs to boost their strength."
"And refuse to share said glyph." Fraost groaned.
"Seriously, do you have any idea how much easier Beastkeeping could be if we had that in our aresnal?!" Ben grumbled. "But NOOOOOOOOO…'No mixing magic.'"
Mason then gave a power glyph to the tiny white creature Luz, Olivier and Anne had met at the Conformitorium….who instantly released a veryt anime-esque aura and roar.
"I am destroyer of worlds!" The empowered Tinella roared as she THREW a surprised Mason to the roof and began to tear apart the stand.
"STOP!" A burly witch begged, another joining him. "THAT'S THE OPPOSITE OF CONSTRUCTION!"
Needless to say, the power high Tinella did not listen to them.
"Yowza wowza." Luz managed. Before she heard her words being repeated and spied…a blue version of herself? "Yowza whaaaaaa…?"
The blue version of Luz wandered over to two students working at the Illusion Coven, having used a mirror.
"Ah, you've been taken in by the allure of the Illusionist coven." Gus smiled.
"The most fun one, after Bard!" Karma smirked as he joined the prodigy. "We like to shake things up…"
The duo poofed in blue smoke along with the stand workers, then reappeared giving dramatic poses.
"…With a flair for the dramatic." Gus finished.
Anne, Maddie and the Plantars all held their tongues; recalling how they'd almost been kidnapped by that Coven before Hettie came along….and then an unconcious ad bruised Construction member was crashed between the party members.
"…We should probably get going." Willow grimaced.
"Yeah, good call." Olivier agreed.
"Aww, but I want to see the bloodshed!" Polly and King whined together.
"For the physically strongest coven, most Construction Witches actually suck at fighting." Karma smirked. "It makes for a great time-killer to see them pick fights and get humbled."
"Edgar, you're a member of that coven, right?" Luz asked.
"Indeed!" Edgar beamed with pride, delighted to hear someone having interest in his path. "And! I'm trying to move the Coven forward with my inventions…if only the ones above me where not plebians so comfortable in the now they refuse to look to the future."
Hearing that made Polly's hope skyrocket. Without a second thought, she revealed Frobo's head.
"PLEASE FIX HIM!" She begged.
"Polly!" Her grandfather, brother and Olivier tried to hide the fallen robot's head.
"Keep him hidden!" The Owlet begged. "If anyone here learns about robots….!"
Edgar knelt down and after wordlessly asking to give it a look over, marvelled at what Polly had handed to him; not an Abomination, but clearly with a similar purpose and made from better materials. It done right, it was possibly even stronger and much faster….He of course recalled that Andrias had an army of these, but Polly's model it appeared, was more duable despites it's age.
"…I think I can help." Edgar said after a moment of thought. "If you'll follow me?"
Polly, ecstatic and desperate to see her robot pal back, leapt onto Edgar's head. The witch was annoyed at first, but when he saw the gleam in the pollywog's eyes, he smiled; being reminded of himself when he was younger.
"Can I come?"
All eyes fell on Sprig
"I can handle myself!" Polly snapped with a smirk. "I've got LEGS now!"
"…You call those legs?" Apollo asked, getting hit by Fraost again. "OW! What?!"
"You saw Ollie and Anne's memories; she faster than you were at her age."
"HA!" Polly cackled.
Maddie made her way over to Sprig; she wasn't sure why, but she was filled with worry; yes, Edgar had been one of Olivier's truest friends, but she vbaugely recalled Olivier mentioning that he was the most ambitious of them. And considering how all the Covens were here and how, in her and the gang's experiences, ambition often corrupted…?
"You'll be okay?" She asked.
"With Ed backing us up? I'm sure we'll be fine." Sprig assured her. "Besides, you want to check out the Potion Coven, right?"
"I do, but…" Maddie blushed.
"Besides, Polly and I could use some sibling…" Sprig started, only to lose steam when he realized he probably reminded Maddie of Rosemary, Giner and Lavender.
With a smile on her face, Maddie hugged Sprig while Anne gave Edgar a look that promised pain if anything befell the Plantar children. Edgar suddenly broke into a sweat and looked nervous, but before anyone could comment…..
"Fixing Frobo! Fixing Frobo!"
With the impatient pollywog pulling on his hair, Edgar motioned her and Sprig onward.
"Try not to have too much of an adventure without us!" Sprig said.
As the others were waving them off, Luz summarised what she'd seen so far:
"Acceptance? Comradery? A place to belong? Covens sound incredible!" She beamed, "Eda, Ollie, why haven't you joined one?"
Bee opened his mouth, but Oum shushed him; she felt it would be best if Luz heard this from the Clawthornes.
"Because it's not about any of those, it's about control and weakening." Olivier said so bluntly, everyone else grimaced. His mother, opting for a more gentle approach after that, took Luz aside and showed her an initiation.
"Watch closely Luz." Eda said, trying to be gentle but also firm. "When you join a Coven, all your other magic is sealed away."
A witch slightly older than the other kids had an Illusion sigil placed on his arm, his skin becoming paler and blue veins manifesting for a second.
"From now on, that kid'll only be able to cast illusions. Nothing else." Eda said, then shot her son a look. "And since Olivier doesn't have a bile sac, with his magic working differently than ours, a siginl would've probably killed him within days."
Luz gasped, as did Anne. Olivier nodded.
"But! Since mama and baby never joined any covens?" Eda smirked, manifesting an orb of water and fire in her hands. "The two of us can use any kind of magic…including Wild. That's why I'm the most powerful witch on the Isles…"
"Aside from Belos." Oum mentioned, but she was tuned out as the party moved forward.
"Honey, please." Bee cooed
Olivier, cheered up, manifested an orb of darkness and light. The Clawthorne Coven member ooed and awed at them; it was still; new to them after all.
"Albeit limited in my case." Olivier added, before Anne booped him on the nose.
"Nope! None of that! None. Of. That." She ordered. "My awesome boyfriend is too cool for that."
"Buddy." Ben said. "You fought Hettie. A coven head."
"And scared Grey." Karma smirked, getting a confused look from Gus. "What? The guy's an overcompensating jerk, I don't care if he's head."
"If and or WHEN word of the truth gets out, you'll EASILY be hailed as the strongest witch in our generation." Apollo followed.
"That's aitle I could live without; I'm happy with 'Strong enough.'" Olivier mused, but smiled. "Hey! Mom! Bee! Oum! Wait for us!"
Apparently, Oum had decided to tease Eda and the Owl Lady was storming ahead. The kids all raced forward, missing a hooded girl from the Oracle stand stopped to Hop-Pop and Sprig
"The Tea leaves fortell that these…" She twirled a pair of pens in her hand. "…Will lead you to your destiny."
The elderly frog and little monster were not impressed.
"Um…Thanks, but…."
"I'm not paying….!" King started.
"Its freeeeeee!" The oracle smirked as she walked back to her stand.
King and Hop-Pop's eyes widened
"They're bestowed gifts…upon me?!" King gasped in realization.
"FREE?!" Hop-Pop beamed. "And I don't have to join one of the cults?!"
And with that, the little monster and frog man zoomed off to explore and get free stuff.
OWLPHIBIA
Raine Whispers was bored and dreading this day: Convention. Where know nothing know it alls would come along, ask them why they were so happy with the weakest Coven, botch and in some cases break the instruments…
The only upsides were their leftover lunch from Claw's Za, which they were nibbling on, and the upcoming Karaoke concert and contest. Normally it was full of tone-deaf wannabes, but this year? This year….There would be ACTUAL human world music, performed by the self proclaimed 'Clawthorne Coven', who'd gotten ahold of some from…
Eda.
The love of their love, complicated as she was powerful, beautiful and sassy. The concert was still talking submissions and said submissions were being filled slowly, so Raine daydreamed as they ate….before they spied her.
Wearing a shawl yes, but Raine could never forget those golden eyes, that smirk, that figure…..
'…What on earth is that boy wearing?'
And her now disgused son; dressed like preschool's attempt a scary bird costume, joined by the aforementioned Coven, that nice Willow girl….and the girls they had seen Olivier with at the Conformitorum; Luz and Anne.
Anne spied the Karoke concert and let two other, older humans, most likely her parents, know. They then went over and signed up. Raine would've gon over and introduced themselves properly, but had to stop a baby who'd grabbed one of the instruments.
'…I think this day will be okay.'
OWLPHIBIA
Eventually, the party found themselves by the biggest pavilion; one that was tailored to the Emperor's Coven.
"..If I recall, you said they're basically Nazi Stormtroopers?" Oum whispered Oliver and Eda, who nodded.
Lzu grimaced at hearing that description, suddenly feeling not like entering, even if Willow and Gus were already inside.
"Go on in, dude." Anne assured her. "I mean, yeah, these guys….aren't the best. Buit as someone who needed to learn a lot of the new world on her own and or the hard way? I think this'd be good for you."
Luz smiled gratefully, turning to her hosts.
"Eda, Ollie. I get it; Individulaism good, Coven bad. But…"
"We'll be right beside you." Bee promised; he wasn't looking too forward this; knowing someone hunted by a group like this takes away any liking of them.
Olivier and Eda waved to them, before Eda tensed. Olivier followed his mother in spying the witch she'd heckled earlier pointing at her to a Conforitoroium guard.
"HEX IT, STAGE ANYWHERE!" Karma called out, and the Clawthrone Coven did just that.
"Guess they did something?" Maddie asked as she felt Olivier pick her up and race inside with Eda, where they quickly found Anne and Luz.
And yes, Gus had gotten his forehead signed; making him and Willow very happy.
'…How is that idiot related to Steve?' Olivier asked himself. Yes, his aunt's right hand was a bumbler, but he was at least charming about it, never mind competent at any case where Eda wasn't involved.
"….Wow." Bump said after a moment of awkwardness. "I've failed you as a principal."
"He's just realizing now?" Olivier smirked
Oum moved to say something
"No, no. Let him…let him, he gets that one." Bee pointed out.
"…Touche."
If Bump heard that comment he paid it no mind, instead focusing on his speech, describing the Emperor's Coven as the Elite Force, able to use all types of magic without resteraint.
"When does that 'Elite Force' get here?" Eda smirked, her son and Maddie joining her in a cackling laugh.
"Are they…?"
"We handled them just fine." Anne said. "It took until the of the fight for one to knock me down."
"Ah, costumed bullies. Got it." Luz explained.
And speaking of bullies, Olivier and Anne narrowed their eyes when Bump singled out Amity as a future member of the Emperor's Coven.
'So, she DID stick to it.' The boy thought, containing his rage. '…Well, at least she's working for her future.'
And then came the moment most of the visitors came for: A blue raven suddenly appeared and flew down before bursting into a wave of light and revealing Lilith in her full uniform; her rarely worn mask and all.
"…You know her?" Luz asked when she saw Eda and Olivier freeze at sight of Lilith.
"You…could say that…" Eda managed.
"She's my aunt." Olivier said.
"Family drama!" Luz gasped as Lilith began her speech:
"It wasn't easy for me to rise to the top. I also started from humble beginnings…"
"'Humble'?" Anne asked. "You grew up in a manor!"
"If you aren't a Blight or the Emperor, you're humble by default." Eda explained, drowning out the rest of Lily's speech.
At least Bee and Luz were entertained.
OWLPHIBIA
After Lilith's speech, Eda just wanted to head home and take a bath. And without the Boonchuys, she would've. But since they were here, she had to endure Bee wanting to check out some of the lesser covens and Oum wanted to taste some of the Con food.
"Ollie. You're in charge of Luz and Anne til we get back." She ordered her son, who saluted as she led Bee and Oum onward.
"Wonder what Coven we'd fit in?" Luz asked Anne as they began to fill out a quiz.
"Probably potion….Or maybe Beastkeeping." Anne noted. "With all the time we spent in Amphibia, I'd probably do well there."
Olivier smirked before he spied Maddie walking off.
"Mads? Maddie, wait!" He then turned to Anne and Luz. "Wait right there!"
Anne did just that, but Luz, having finished her quiz, began to walk and read.
"Wow! Anne, you called it: A punky potionist!"
"Really?!" Anne gasped, surprised and then worried. "Wait! Luz! Someone in front! Someone in fro…!"
Too late.
"Watch where you're…!" Amity Blight began before she reconigzed who had bumped into her. "Oh. It's you: Willow's…Abomination. And the Sunken Isles girl."
Luz laughed uncomfortably, but Anne just glared at Amity.
"Hi…So funny story; Not an Abomination. Name's Luz. Luz the human." She began reaching out a hand to shake…only for it to be slapped away.
"You're the reason I got in trouble with Prinicpal Bump last week." Amity frowned. " And I. NEVER. Get in trouble."
"Well maybe if you'd offered Willow some actual tips instead of stomping all over self esteem, we wouldn't have been tempted to help her." Anne retorted.
Amity glared at Anne, who simply glared back.
"Going to need more than a glare and goop to scare me." Anne promised.
Amity turned to walk away, but Luz followed her.
"And to be fair! You were okay with Bump trying to dissect me….And attacking Maddie and Anne just for being near me when I ran…" Luz added.
"You can't be here!" Amity snapped. "This convention is for witches only!"
"Well, I'm learning to BE a witch!" Luz retorted, a little weakly, her confidence picking up. "Yup! I'm being trained by a powerful witch and a fearsome demon!"
Amity looked behind the two human girls.
"You mean the 'fearsome' skull headed puppy behind you?" She asked, clearly not impressed.
Anne and Luz turned to see King and Hop-Pop carrying all sorts of freebies and even wearing some Con Clothes
"Oh hi, Anne! Luz!" The elderly frog waved. "Isn't this place great?!"
"Look at all these offerings!" King beamed as he held up a cupcake, only trip on the scarf he now wore and drop it. Luz was quick to help her and Anne reached for the cupcake, only for Amity's boot to squish it.
"Oops!" Amity smiled. "That was an accident."
CLAP
CLAP
CLAP
"Bravo, Blight!" A familiar voice made Amity's smirk vanish. "Graduating from dream-destroying bully to baby candy stealer. Oh, Odalia must be SO proud!"
The green haired girl's confidence began to diminish as she turned around, praying against all hope this wasn't who she thought it was. And for a millisecond she thought she was in the clear; the mask, the winged cloak?
But even with his disguise, she recognized him, her heart suddenly racing.
Those eyes of his were unforgettable, even if they no longer had the shine she recalled. No, she lied. There was a shine them, but once gentle, now it was sharp and determined, matching the smirk on his face; a cruel, vindictive one she once never would've wished to see upon his face; it was too much like her mother's. And above all else? His form was clearly filled with disgust and barely controlled rage.
"O-Ollie…." She began, only for the air to go deathly cold and those eyes suddenly right in front of her.
"Keep my name out of your mouth, Blight." Olivier growled, darkness enveloping his eyes. "The boy you seek is long gone; dead and cold. A story told by those he trusted, those he loved and those who moved on…."
"Olivier?"
The rage vanished as Oliver saw Maddie looking at him in concern along with Anne, who placed a hand on his shoulder and brought him into a hug. Instantly, the darkness vanished and Olivier's eyes returned to what Amity remembered; warm, adoring, protective….
But not directed at her. In ANY measure. No, the girl and little frog were what he cared for.
"…Like he did." Olivier finished to Amity, then tuning her out as he began messing with Maddie's hair, the warmest smile on his face. "Sorry about that, Maddie. What's up?"
Maddie, her fear subsided, pointed to the Potion Coven's stand. Without another thought, Olivier took her hand and they made their way over for Maddie to sign up for a contest later that day.
Amity moved to follow, but the bushy haired human blocked her path.
"Sup, Blight?" Anne said through her teeth in a clearly angry smile. "We never got to meet before you tried to kill us, so. Name's Anne. Anne Boonchuy. Human like Luz. FRIEND of Luz. And Olivier's girlfriend."
Her smile vanished.
"Who. Knows. Every. Thing."
Despite Anne being human, Amity felt like she should fear her. Yes, she recalled Lilith's warning, but…if Olivier could do all of THAT and she was apparently stronger?
"I-I…" Amity started.
"Do you have ANY idea how much you hurt him?!" Anne growled at the witch who'd broken Olivier's heart. "How closed off he was because of you?!
"Anne! Anne!" Luz smiled weakly. "Maybe we should do this some other time?"
"Yo! Amity!"
A gang of witches, clearly mean girls, marched forward.
"There you are…Who're these?" A three eyed pink eyed witch, clearly the leader, asked.
Wait. Anne realized:
Three eyes.
Arrogant.
Pink hair.
Boshca?! THE WITCH WHO CUT OFF OLIVIER'S EARS WAS HERE?!
Anne of course, reacted as many would:
"YOUUUUUUUUU!" she roared as she racing towards the bully with a fist raised…..!