Extradimensional Owl Quest

Chapters

Just another normal day for the Owl Housemates
Never mind, now they're in Ponyville
Trading Deets, Speed Tourism, and Rotting Citrus
Disaster Radius
Hooty was getting lonely

Just another normal day for the Owl Housemates

"Ooo, this is so exciting!" Luz squealed as she skipped happily down the winding roads of Bonesborough. Various folk took advantage of the sunny afternoon, from toothy demon children playing games in the park to gelatinous buisnesslimes hawking their wares. Overhead, bat-winged things with too many eyeballs perched on the tiled rooves of the medieval buildings or the town's namesake giant, ancient rib bones. None of this particularly bothered Luz anymore, she had gotten used to the pervasive weirdness of the place by now, and had actually come to appreciate it greatly. Really, it all barely registered to Luz, overcome with gleeful anticipation as she was. "I still can't believe Willow hasn't invited me to hang out at her place before now!"

"I know, right? You must not actually be very good friends," replied King, whom she was currently carrying in front of her stomach in both hands. His exposed skull shone in the light. "That's why I prefer minions."

"I dunno, you've been spending less and less time with your 'minions' lately," Luz quipped, grinning. King's plush collection had been languishing in disuse as the two of them spent more time together.

King tried to explain this discrepancy without sacrificing his image, turning away. "Well, that's just 'cause you're more useful than they are, and a better conversationalist. Also cooler."

"Especially when she's practicing her magic. Get it? Huh, huh?"

That was Eda, who followed behind them with a level of nonchalance usually not seen in wanted fugitives with bounties of over nine figures. Her grey mop of hair waved in the noxious-smelling breeze.

Luz's eyes widened. "Oh, because it's an ice spell, I get it." After a few more silent footsteps, Luz peeked over her shoulder, asking "Hey Eda, why are you coming with us, anyway? You never take this much of an interest in my friends."

The old witch picked at her pointed ear. "Eh. I was bored. Nothing like a little aggravation or confusion to liven things up, I always say!" she declared, laugh-snorting. "Besides, I need to know what young ones like these days if I'm gonna shake 'em down for their parents' hard-earned snails!"

"Oh, okay," Luz cheerfully replied, seeing nothing wrong with that. Typical Eda.

"Well, they better serve up royal delicacies to their esteemed guests, or this guy is leaving," King declared.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Willow will have treats for her favorite widdle monster," Luz cooed, rubbing King's belly. He made a token effort of obstinately batting her hands away, but eventually relented to being pet.

"When are we gonna get there, anyway?" King asked, once he'd recovered.

"Why are you complaining? You don't even have to walk!" Eda pointed out.

"Oh, that's rich, coming from miss 'flies-everywhere-on-a-magic-staff'," he retorted.

"Willow's place should be just around that corner, going by the map she gave me," Luz said, gesturing to it with a thumb.

Said map was flying in front of Luz. Instead of a boring old GPS app, this one was a big firefly shaped like a glowing green arrow, flitting along with stubby wings. This was unsurprising; lots of stuff on the Isles was alive that probably didn't need to be, like her locker at magic school.

"Excellent," King uttered, rubbing his paws maniacally. "Soon my bottomless hunger for sustenance shall be sated by the toil of my lessers."

Luz just shook her head. Silly King, how could he ever be full if he really was always hungry? His tiny stomach could only hold so much.

Anyhow, they were approaching Willow's place now, the two-story house standing out by virtue of the many varieties of colorful flowers and thorny, carnivorous vines in pots on the balconies. Willow was a super talented plant mage, after all. However, as Luz and Eda rounded the bend, putting the front door into view, they abruptly froze in their tracks. For standing at attention on either side of the wooden entrance were a pair of figures in black uniforms and white cowls, bird masks hiding their faces.

"You have arrived at your destination," the map buzzed. "My purpose is complete." Then it screeched in agony as its young burst out of its abdomen to take flight in all directions, the oozing carcass of the mother map falling to the street with a plap.

The trio barely noticed, though, as they were still too busy gawking at the motionless witches standing outside the door. "Are they..." Luz began, in disbelief.

"The Emperor's Coven," Eda said, shaking her head. "Fantastic. I guess I'm getting my workout in today."

As she summoned her staff, with Owlbert, into her hand, Eda rolled her opposite shoulder, limbering up for a fight. At the same time, the masked witches noticed, one of them shouting "It's the Owl Lady!" and readying a spell while the other ran inside.

King tugged on Luz's collar. "Now would be a good time to run and hide, Luz. These guys are out of my league, no way you can win."

"What? No!" Luz protested. "Willow could be in trouble, I have to help her!" She bounced on the balls of her feet, intending on making a break for the door once Eda made an opening.

However, before either Eda or the Coven witch made a move to attack, the door opened again, and out stepped Lilith, Eda's estranged sister, in her ebony dress. Her teal eyes twinkled with mixed emotions, though her expression betrayed nothing. "If it isn't Edalyn and her human ward. As if I needed another headache today."

"'Sup, Lily," Eda waved, shooting her a fanged smirk. "What an unpleasant surprise."

"What do you want with Willow?" Luz pressed, her brow furrowing. She'd been through enough recently already, Willow didn't need any more trouble on top of that! What could such a sweetie have possibly have done wrong?

At this, Lilith blinked. "The girl? Oh, you misunderstand, child, I'm not here for her. It's her father; he brought something critical to our attention."

"Ooo, a mystery. And one more important than apprehending me?" Eda leaned forwards, resting her weight on her staff. "Care to share the juicy deets with your dear sibling?"

"Actually..." Lilith muttered, rubbing her sharp chin. "You know what? Yes, I believe I will." Then, she stepped to the side, waving Luz, Eda, and King inside.

Luz wasted no time, dashing inside to find her dear classmate, while Eda strutted smugly after her. The house was suitably inviting, with typical furniture and knicknacks (at least for Bonesborough) contrasting the Owl House's cursed relics and eldritch decor. But all that fell by the wayside when her gaze met Willow's through an open archway. The bespectacled, squeezably-figured teenager stood behind three of the Coven people, peeking between them in desperation alongside her two fathers, one of whom was being pressed for information. "Luz!"

"Willow!" Luz exclaimed. They rushed towards eachother, the adult witches allowing Willow to pass. Luz dropped King in order to embrace her friend. "I was really worried for a hot minute there! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Luz," she replied, relaxing into the hug for a beat before pulling away. "I'm glad you're here. Honestly, this is just a case of really awkward timing." Willow scratched the back of her head. "It's just that Peyote found something important at work, and had to alert the government."

That sure was a weight off of Luz's shoulders. "Peyote's one of your dads, right? What does he do?"

"He's in the Scrying Coven," Willow explained, pointing to a crystal ball on a desk in the next room. "It's a smaller offshoot of the Oracle Coven that focuses on gathering new knowledge through the observation of other realms instead of this one. It's a lot harder to do."

"Oh, that sounds really interesting!" Luz clapped her hands together. "Does he ever look at Earth?"

Before Willow could answer, King piped in, having finished readjusting himself to standing. "Who cares about your crummy home, Luz? I wanna know what has the Emperor's mooks so worked up."

"I was getting to that," sighed Lilith as she and Eda closed the distance between them. Lilith cleared her throat. "According to Peyote, during his latest survey of one of the more recently discovered magical realms, he saw... a giraffe."

Eda and King gasped in surprise, while Willow nodded solemnly. Luz, though, after observing their reactions, tilted her head, uncomprehending. Eda had mentioned giraffes offhand before, but she still didn't get what the big deal was. "Why is that concerning? Giraffes are nifty, they just wander around quietly eating off of trees. There's plenty of stuff here way more threatening."

"And you would be right, human-ling, if the giraffe was in your realm with all the others," Lilith explained.

"It's Luz," she interjected. "And that answer really just raises more questions."

"Wait, I got this!" King insisted, pulling out his Book of Demons and flipping to a specific pace before presenting it to Luz. On it was a picture of a giraffe and the accompanying lore. "A long, long time ago, giraffes struck terror into the hearts of all on the Boiling Isles, truly nightmarish creatures. Not as powerful or scary as me, of course, but close. What made them especially dangerous was that being near sources of powerful magic - natural leylines, witches, whatever - made them smarter AND more powerful. But the opposite was also true, so you could make them stupid and useless by putting them somewhere without much magic."

Lilith actually looked somewhat impressed by King, humming appreciatively before taking over. "The Second Emperor led a great hunt to cleanse the land of all the giraffes. After many grueling battles with heavy losses on both sides, those demons which remained were banished to Earth, a place with no native magic at all. At least, we thought they'd all been banished there." Lilith crossed her arms. "Unfortunately, one seems to have escaped somehow."

"It's a serious problem, Luz," Willow confirmed. She looked wrong without her usual chipper, dimpled smile.

Luz's mind raced as she connected the dots, all thoughts of a relaxing evening scattered. "So, like... somebody needs to get to this giraffe and put it back on Earth before it becomes a threat?"

"Perhaps," Lilith said. "There is quite a bit of risk involved, as some people should know." Frowning, she pointedly faced Eda.

Eda, for her part, waved in dismissal. "Pfft. I may have a blatant disregard for the rules, but I'm not stupid. Why do you think I only go back and forth to the human realm? Apart from the huge piles of free garbage, obviously."

Willow clearly didn't know what to make of this. Leaning down to King, she quietly asked "Garbage?" King just nodded and rolled his eyes.

Luz, though, was hung up on the other part of that statement. "I'm missing something here," Luz said. Then she clasped her hands behind her back. "Care to enlighten me, O mentor mine?"

Eda couldn't help but grin. "Well, kid, actually going to other realms is strictly forbidden. Technically." With a pose, Eda raised her hands, conjuring two distinctly different blobs of illusory energy, one green and roiling, the other a stable orange. "Sources of magic from different worlds can sometimes react unpredictably. And not in the fun way." Bringing her hands together, the two magics met, exploding into a violent - but harmless - shower of sparks.

Understanding dawned within Luz. No wonder even Eda was hesitant, if there was a chance of that happening! "Woah."

"If she ran around hopping dimensions willy-nilly, Eda could lose her magic entirely. They she'd just be a kooky old bird everyone hates!" King laughed.

"Thanks, King," Eda said, the insult bouncing off. Verbal jabs were just how they rolled, Luz had learned.

"Normally, serious matters of public safety fall under our jurisdiction, but for this particular matter, the risk is too high," Lilith said, lips pursed. "That's why, under these special circumstances, I'm going to ask you to do this, Edalyn."

There was a long pause as this soaked in. Then, Eda's smile widened. "You sly dog." She rested a hand on her cocked hips. "Either I stop the giraffe for you, and your pristine hide stays out of hot water, or I get beat, and you can sweep in and pick up the pieces. How very underhanded, didn't think you had it in ya!"

"So, do you agree?" Lilith asked.

It wasn't that easy to convince Eda, though. An eyebrow rose. "What's in it for me?"

"Nothing too consequential," Lilith made certain to note. "Perhaps I'll put in a good word with the post office, get them to stop sending you those death hexes."

"Deal!" Eda agreed. They then shook on it, Lilith making sure to cast an Everlasting Oath, the flash of binding magic ensuring neither party could renege on the terms.

While the two of them were hashing that out, Luz's hype levels had shot through the roof. What an incredible opportunity, a whole new land to explore, possibly even with new magic to learn! She just had to tag along. After shooting an apologetic look at Willow, she turned to Eda. "Can I go with you? It would be so amazing! Pleeeease?" Luz begged, putting on her best baby-doll eyes. Might as well use 'em while she was still young enough, right?

Eda tried to remain resolute, but eventually relented with a sigh. "Ugh, fine, but only if you promise to never do that again. Too much more cuteness from you and I'll have to start carrying around sweetness wards."

"All right!" Luz exclaimed, pumping her fist. "Onward, to adventure!"

"Guess we're tabling our get-together for later, huh?" sighed Willow, her smile restored. Before Luz could apologize, Willow pulled her in for another hug. "It's okay, you have fun. Just make sure to tell me all about it when you get back."

After one last squeeze for good measure, Luz broke away, giving a salute. "Count on it. Later, Willow!"

"Alright, that's enough of that, time's a' wasting," chided Eda. Then, she reached into a pocket and extracted the key to her magic briefcase-door. Pressing the eye shaped button, it appeared in the air, unfolding downwards.

Without needing to be prompted, Lilith then drew another magic circle in the air, changing the color of the door from brown to soft pink, and presumably the end location along with it. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but... good luck."

Eda brandished her staff with a flourish. "I won't need any luck, I have skill."

"Just get out of here before I change my mind and arrest you," Lilith deadpanned, drawing her own bone white staff to poke her along.

"Yeah, yeah," went Eda, moving towards the door between realms.

Luz, meanwhile, was already next to it as she squatted shallowly and rapidly, chanting "Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

"Somebody's eager. And hey, why're you just standing there, King, you're coming too," Eda added, beckoning.

King, who had been spit-shining his horns, scampered over, huffing in annoyance. "Does this mean I'm not getting any snacks?"

"There'll be snacks on the other side, probably," Luz insisted. She still had almost no clue what this new world would actually be like, but if a giraffe could live there, there had to be plants, at least. Logic.

"Good enough for me," he said.

"Alright, one banished monstrosity, coming up!" Eda declared, pulling open the door. A shadowy space beckoned beyond the threshold. And Luz boldly leapt forwards into the unknown.

Never mind, now they're in Ponyville

Luz squinted at her surroundings as the door folded shut behind King and Eda, plunging the area further into darkness. Her mind spun with possibilities. Were they in the ruins of a lost civilization? The dungeon of an impregnable keep? As her eyes adjusted, Luz could make out two rows of something in front of her, one above the other. Reaching forwards, her hand met... fabric? A muffled clacking sounded in her ears.

Then, spying the line of yellow light along the floor, Luz realized the truth was far more mundane. "It seems like we're in a large closet." Not the worst thing - she did enjoy stumbling upon unique new outfits - but still kinda anticlimactic.

"Smells good in here," King said after a sniff. "Almost suspiciously so. Not a trace of bile or rot," he added, surprised.

"Perfect, seems like we're hidden," Eda noted, looking around in the darkness without issue. "There's something weird about these clothes, though." Stepping forward, she grabbed one of the garments for a closer look. "What're they sized for, some sort of mutant muck badger?"

While that did sound odd, Luz had already moved on. She could hear voices faintly emanating through the door. Unable to make them out, but wanting to, she knelt down, pressing her ear against it. Luz tensed, stilling herself as the voices resolved into words.

"— has something very important she'd like to share with you today," went one, an elegant, feminine tone.

"Yeah. Well, it's, umm..." hesitated another. Also female, this girl's voice was slightly scratchy, tomboyish.

"Take your time," soothed the first voice. "I know this can't be easy for you."

From there, Luz waited with bated breath to see what sort of earth-shaking revelation was about to be revealed. A secret, forbidden spell? Or was she coming out of the closet to her family? The seconds ticked by in silence.

"Oh, screw all this caution! I throw that to the wind!" King proclaimed. "CHARGE!"

"Wait—" Luz could only get halfway turned around, unable to stop him in time. Neither could Eda, preoccupied as she was in her examination.

So, King bum-rushed the door at full speed, smashing it wide open and blinding Luz with light as he literally came out of the closet. Multiple people on the other side screamed.

"Aww, nuts," Eda bemoaned, dropping the outfit and raising a finger in preparation to cast.

When Luz removed her forearm from her face, the dust settling, she could only blink awkwardly at the scene before her. King stood in a strange room, one she couldn't immediately tell the purpose of but was nevertheless fancifully decorated in purples and blues, with a shiny platform in the middle. Before him stood a motley assemblage of creatures, all of them slightly shorter than her. Some looked like the mythical beasts from the Isles, but smaller and more colorful.

"By Grover's gold!" exclaimed a blue griffon. A similar pink creature cowered behind him.

At the same time, a light green pony went "Woah!"

"This Smolder's secret? She know these weird guys?" asked something very hairy with horns Luz almost recognized. Nobody answered her, though.

"Really, an interruption? Come on! I try to finally muster up the courage, and this happens?" snorted the second girl from before, belonging to a... an actual dragon, wow! Luz had never seen one before, so cool! Even if this one did look a bit peeved at the moment. Some sort of large pastel insect stood stock-stiff next to her.

"My word! It seems we have guests. Rather rude, uninvited guests." That was the earlier elegant voice Luz heard, belonging to—

"Ack, don't eat me!" Luz protested, skooching away from the white unicorn before the thing could rip her guts out with its huge, sharp teeth. This one could talk, which meant it was probably even more ruthless! "I can get you apples, I promise!"

However, the unicorn mare actually looked taken aback. She blinked at Luz in confusion, which was quickly replaced by sympathy. "Why, darling, of course I won't eat you. I was just a tad surprised when your friend there suddenly barged full-tilt out of the class wardrobe."

"What was I supposed to do, just walk out normally? Bo-ring," King intoned.

Apparently reaching the conclusion that this wouldn't be coming to blows, Eda relaxed, following King out into the room. "Sorry about him. Gets a bit ornery when he's hungry. Anywho, our business is likely elsewhere, so if you'd all just pretend this whole thing never happened, we'll be on our way," she said, shooting her most disarming sales-pitch smile.

"But... you're, like, trespassing. And also kinda suspicious," pointed out the green pony, one eyebrow raised skeptically.

"I resent such an accusation! Though I do get that a lot," Eda quipped.

"Not the time to flout you bad girl status," Luz hissed. She rose, brushing herself off, and forced a chuckle. "Really, we didn't mean to cause trouble. We're here for the opposite, in fact!" she insisted.

"Speak for yourself," went King, tilting his head back. "True wisdom is knowing that indiscriminate mayhem is the spice of life. That, or cat videos."

"I don't give a scale whether you meant it or not!" exclaimed the dragon, huffing smoke out of her nostrils. "You buttheads shouldn't have interrupted us anyway! Why, I might just..." she trailed off into a growl.

Uttering a concerned hum, the unicorn spoke up, glancing between her own group and Luz's. "I believe this is all some sort of terrible misunderstanding, and that we've gotten off on the wrong hoof. Smolder, I don't think they actually meant to ruin your moment, as it were. Be reasonable. For goodness' sake, that one in the azure seemed dreadfully frightened by me, of all creatures."

"Oh, well, the last time I saw a unicorn, it tried to eat us," Luz explained, her fear fading rapidly. They seemed to be decent enough people, just startled. What was the harm in trying to hash things out calmly? "Actually, now that I think about it, there was also a griffon that time, but they're much less scary," she added, pointing to the blue example present. "Overall, not the worst carnival I'd ever been to."

The griffon grinned sidelong at his companions. "Ha, I like this chick." Facing her again, he continued. "Time to use all this stuff we've been learning again. I'm Gallus, nice to meet you. Who are you guys?"

"More like what are those guys," went the hooved insect-thing, narrowing her compound eyes. "I've never seen anything like them in my life," she intoned.

"Manners!" chided the unicorn. "Yes, Gallus, we should introduce ourselves first." Then, she dipped into a curtsey towards Luz and company, which was unusual for a quadruped. "My name is Rarity, and I'm a teacher here at this school, among other things, and these are some of my students."

"Oh, of course. Call me Ocellus, please," she said, smiling sheepishly at Luz.

The pink creature, which Luz could now tell was probably a hippogriff, waved excitedly, her trepidation clearly also gone. "I'm Silverstream. Hi~!"

"Sandbar," went the green pony. He seemed very laid-back to Luz.

"Yona is Yona!" she then struck a proud pose.

"And I'm Smolder," reconfirmed the dragon, tapping her foot. While not totally affable, it at least looked like she wasn't about to try incinerating somebody anymore, which Luz appreciated. "I guess we're also putting off my thing for later, then."

"It'll be fine," Ocellus reassured, patting Smolder's shoulder. "There was never any rush."

"Right. And, uh, sorry for snapping at you, there," Smolder added, addressing the newcomers.

"It's cool," King said, nodding. "As the king of demons, I've got enough usurpers to worry about already. No sense tossing more enemies onto the smiting pile."

When exotic faces paled all around, Luz quickly whisper-shouted "He's not actually the king of demons, he just has a very healthy imagination." Then, she switched back to her normal voice. "His name is King."

All the tension bled out of Silverstream. "That's a relief, I was really worried for a second there! He is very cute, that tummy looks so rubbable!"

"It is," Luz confirmed, beaming, as the others also relaxed.

"Yona think you two look creepier anyway," she said, addressing Eda and Luz. Luz, for her part, was somewhat taken aback. "Have not seen such skinny creatures before with so little fur."

Well, that was new, thought Luz. Especially considering the giant insect that was Ocellus still in the room. She was very colorful, to be fair. Luz didn't really mind the adjective. Creepy, she could get behind.

King, however, did mind his own label, and he glared daggers at Silverstream. "I am not cute! I am King, hellhound of the abyss, who strikes terror into the hearts of men and beast alike! I demand offerings of cupcakes and swag!" he proclaimed, raising a fist to the ceiling. "Also, for the record, I prefer ear scritches."

"Sure, little buddy, if you say so," said a warmly grinning Sandbar.

This display put Rarity at ease too, almost as if King reminded her of somebody. "Perhaps I'll introduce you to Pinkie Pie sometime."

As King groused, Luz giggled, for real this time. "Anyway, I'm Luz. Nice ta meetcha!" Sidling up to Eda, she introduced her as well. "And this is Eda the Owl Lady; she's my mentor."

"Also the one taking point on this mission," Eda noted. "Which is a thing we have, need I remind you. Given its importance and potential for future bragging rights, we should probably start soon."

"Mission? What mission?" asked Ocellus, flexing her shell.

Silverstream gasped theatrically, shooting into the air. "Are you guys aliens sent to absorb our culture to take back to your mothership? Because if so, have I got a treat for you! Spoilers, they're called stairs."

"That is something I do, in a sense, but not today," Eda said. Her near-perpetual smirk faded to a stern line. "It was discovered that something from our realm ended up banished here by mistake. Something incredibly dangerous."

"And she has very high standards for danger," Luz admitted. Seriously, half of her 'training' consisted of activities which were probably unsafe for adults.

"It's called a Giraffe," King elaborated. "We're here to get rid of it before it plunges everything into stuff you don't want to be plunged into." He then opened up his book again, facing the image of the fell monstrosity to the seven natives. "You seen this anywhere?"

Rarity, Gallus, and company, now worried for entirely different reasons, all converged on King with trepidation, peeking around eachother at the book. However, their reactions to the image were varied, from Smolder's confusion to Yona's disgust. "That 'Giraffe' even more lanky than Luz and Eda! Is creeping Yona out."

Rarity twirled her mane around a hoof in thought. "Hmm, that does look familiar. But where from?"

"I recognize it," said Sandbar, both brows raised. "Fluttershy has one of those under her care at Sweetfeather Sanctuary. I go there to unwind sometimes."

"Seriously?" Gallus uttered. "That makes no sense. Professor Fluttershy can literally convince a pit viper to eat protein bars, she wouldn't tolerate anything as terrible as what you three are saying. Well, other than the rabbit."

"Could just be waiting for the right moment to strike," Smolder countered. Luz noticed she looked a lot less upset now that the prospect of action was on the table. "Equestria has had a lot of those patient villain types. Most of 'em waited a thousand years, yeah?"

"It doesn't matter where it is or why, just point us in the right direction so we can pound it," King said, pantomiming some punches and kicks. "Ya, ya, ya!" His form was good, at least, by Luz's reckoning.

Eda was already slowly shuffling towards the exit. She'd never been one for social graces. "What he said. We'll be out of your hair, and soon, so will the demon."

Rarity turned, blinking at her. "Um, of course, Ms. Eda. Once you leave the campus, you'll want to go to the other side of town, and then—"

Sandbar coughed. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Yeah, no way, we're going with you," Smolder insisted, cracking her claws. "This is the better kind of nerve-wracking."

Ocellus chimed in with urgency. "Fluttershy could be in trouble as we speak!"

"Absolutely not!" Rarity chided, definitely looking the part of a stern teacher now. She had that aura of wisdom and maturity. "While a noble sentiment, charging headlong into peril unprepared is irresponsible!"

"You used to do that, like, every week, though," Gallus pointed out.

"And Yona has saved the world with her friends more than once before. Yona can do again; yaks best at averting apocalypse!"

"Plus, Princess Twilight is all the way in Canterlot now," added Silverstream. "But we can get there lickety-split!"

All six of them then formed up, squaring their shoulders and presented their unflinching gazes to Rarity. Luz whistled at this impressive unified front they displayed, like real heroes. She'd love to hear all their stories, trade action-adventure tips. "Sounds good to me," Luz cheerfully voiced. "The more the merrier, I always say! Most of the time I end up by myself, but that just makes it better when people actually wanna do stuff with me."

Eda tossed her head and smirked. "Crazy other-realm kids don't know what they're messing with, but who am I to turn down free distractions?"

Eventually, Rarity sighed, the unicorn apparently swayed by their resolute display. "Very well. Go, and hurry!"

"Alright team, let's move out," Gallus said, taking the lead at a quick clip.

That didn't stop King from trying to assume command in typical, bombastic, fashion. "Yes! Fresh meat, to battle! No mercy!" Then, he resumed his earlier charge, on Gallus' heels with Smolder and Yona, as all three wove around a nonplussed Eda.

"Hold your frog-horses, some of us aren't quite as energetic as they used to be," Eda protested. "Wait, is that offensive here? Eh, who cares." Hopping onto her staff, she leisurely floated through the exit. Saving her 'limited' energy, evidently. She could hustle when the situation demanded it.

"Wait for us!" Ocellus yelled, hooves clopping on the floor as she and Sandbar trotted along.

Silverstream twirled in the air, flapping after them. "Come on, Luz! Questing buddies, away!"

Luz's smiled widened. What a kindred spirit. Yeah, this was gonna be a fun ride, one she got to experience with new friends. Assuming they survived. "Bye Rarity, it was nice meeting you," she said, waving goodbye. Rarity waved back automatically. "I've got a date with destiny! Now we really get started."

Trading Deets, Speed Tourism, and Rotting Citrus

Luz was running a mile a minute. Really, though, it was more of a typical jog, but her brain was totally working overtime to commit everything she was seeing and hearing to memory while the features of the homey, purple and white building blew past them. She and her buddies - both old and new as of like thirty second ago - rushed through the halls, encountering a bunch more colorful creatures along the way. Now that she had a bit of time, and the initial meet-n-greet phase was over, Luz couldn't stop herself from asking, like, a million questions. Each bit of world plastered onto her eyeballs prompted another one!

"So, you said this place is called Equestria, right? Is that why most of the people here are ponies?" Luz began, pointing to a pair of mildly concerned pegasi. "And this is a school, yes? Do you have magic? What's the local creative writing scene like? How many flavors of ice cream do you have!?"

"Woah, slow down!" Sandbar exclaimed. "But, uh, yeah, this is Equestria."

"There are other countries, too," Smolder added, her purple head-frill bobbing slightly with her wingbeats. "I grew up in the Dragonlands, which is mostly just rocks and lava. Only thing I miss is the lava."

"Yakyakistan is best country! Though Yona admits Equestria is close second. Needs more ice most of year."

"We weren't really able to be ourselves until recently," said Ocellus. "Er, changelings, that is. What's it like where you're from?"

"Wait, you're a changeling?" Awestruck, Luz whipped her head around to face Ocellus. She wouldn't crash into anything, unless one of their group stopped. Her peripheral vision had been honed a lot by recent near-death experiences. "That's so cool! Can you shapeshift?" Wait, nevermind, no it wasn't! Gasping, she shied away, adjusting her course to jog next to Yona for protection. "You don't steal babies, do you!?"

From behind her, Eda snorted in wry amusement. "Typical Luz, ever the asker and never the ask-ee. Why didn't I grab an urchin sooner, they're so delightfully tactless!"

The rest of them ignored her, Ocellus especially, who was too busy objecting. "What? No! At least, I don't think Chrysalis ever stooped that low," she muttered. Shuddering in revulsion, Ocellus changed the subject. "As for the shapeshifting, yes." She then demonstrated by covering herself in a flash of magical blue flames midstride. When they dissipated, a unicorn moved in her place.

Luz squealed in delight, possibilities dancing in her mind. If only Gus were here, he would have a field day meeting an actual shapeshifter. Wait, did they have field days at Hexside? Knowing the Isles, that was probably when the turf separated from the bedrock underneath and rolled off to get barbeque.

"Why is that always what impresses creatures?" Silverstream said, baffled. Her beak scrunched up, which should not have been possible. Luz did acknowledge it made her look cute, though. "We transform too! I'd totally show you, but, like, I'd just flop onto the floor and get left behind."

"Man, I thought I was good at wrecking the flow of a conversation," quipped King, who had gotten tuckered out already on his stubbly legs and was now riding piggyback next to Luz on Yona. She was either surprisingly cooperative or his weight simply didn't register to the bulky yak.

Speaking of registering things, his words actually hit Luz. Wait, what were they talking about? Oh, right, home! "Anyway, Ocellus, Earth is really boring, you don't wanna hear about that." Here, she waved dismissively. "We mostly just spend time entertaining eachother with memes and stuff to cope with persistent societal issues. Lately, it's been great for me, though. I've been living on the Boiling Isles with King and Eda, going to magic school!"

Ocellus smiled at that. "Fun!"

"Yeah, we learn that too, technically," piped in Gallus from in front. "But this is largely a friendship school. Lots of team assignments."

Sandbar nodded. "I totally would not be passing math without his help."

"And he helps me with history," went Gallus. "Half the time though it's just harmony classes, like Kindness."

Luz's brows rose. That did sound pretty nice, like a less toxic Earth school. "No way, I'm almost jealous. Principal Bump says there's no money in the budget to teach the magic of friendship at Hexside anymore."

"I had that class, huge waste of time," Eda interjected. "They just hooked everybody up to a mind-melder squid, the effects either wore off immediately afterwards or you went insane. It's a moot point now, 'cause the squids unionized."

"She reminds me of Professor Pinkie," Ocellus observed, tilting her horn to Eda. "In that you don't want to think about what she's saying too hard."

Silverstream nodded rapidly. "Mmm-hmm! She has even less of a filter than me, which is saying something!"

Luz giggled at that. "Sounds about right. That's why learning from her is way more interesting!"

Eda shied away, hiding what Luz suspected was a blush behind her voluminous hair, grumbling to herself.

"Hey Luz," Gallus interjected, "we're almost to the gate. And you're gonna want to be paying attention, even without many spare bits."

"Ha!" Yona barked out. "That good wordplay!"

Gallus was right, they were coming up to a large gate, currently wide open. The spacious entry hall was nearly empty, save for a few ponies between destinations they wove around. Luz picked up the pace, her heart pounding with excitement at the prospect of her first real look at Equestria.

She was the first to breach the threshold to the outside, and the assault on her senses nearly took her breath away, but did stop her in her tracks, Luz's jaw dropping. The Friendship School rested atop a hill, and below her, stretched out into the distance, was a uniformly homely town, with rustic but well-maintained buildings. The warm sun, soft-looking grass, puffy white clouds, and crisply bright sky all combined to create a landscape that aggressively screamed 'peaceful'. Which was a bit of an oxymoron, but that was the impression Luz got. It even smelled peaceful, somehow. The only thing about the tableau that was even remotely threatening was the dense forest on the far side.

Smolder landed next to her, waving a wing and grinning. "Welcome to Ponyville. Home to unusually nice creatures who are just as bad at naming things as everyone else."

"S-Seriously?" King chortled. "Girl, you aren't kidding." The rest of them had stopped on the path, joining Luz in appreciation of the view.

Sandbar pouted. "I think it's fine. Informative."

"You are entitled to your opinion. Even though it's wrong," King replied.

At this, Sandbar stared. "That's... not how that works."

Reluctantly pulling her attention away from the stellar view, Luz apologized on his behalf. "Sorry, I think I might be letting him borrow my smartphone a touch too often. He's picked up some troubling habits from the internet." She planted her hands on her hips with gravitas. "The web is both a wonderous blessing and a terrible curse."

Gallus' head cocked to the side. "Internet? Smartphone? Why am I getting chills?"

"Oh, it's not that bad," said Eda, waving dismissively as she crossed one leg over the other, still seated on her staff. "I've seen it, the thing's basically just a crystal ball but square and with more features. Now this Earth device is a horrific mystery." Reaching into her hair again, Eda carefully extracted a grimy, chewed up Bop-Ittm. "My current theory is that it's meant to be used in occult summoning rituals."

Luz's smile widened in amusement. She didn't feel like correcting her, that would ruin the fun.

Gallus seemed to appreciate the dramatization, too, his feathers ruffling. "Woah."

King just groaned. "Yeah, yeah, you hoard weird stuff, we get it. Weren't we going to slay a menace to society? Because I want my accolades. Also, like, it could be hurting innocent tarantulas."

Silverstream inhaled deeply. "You're right; I hadn't even thought of the tarantulas! Aaah!" Then she took flight again, gliding towards Ponyville.

"Right! Yona still find spiders a little creepy, but will save anyway, since Yona has high moral integrity!" Snorting with determination, she stampeded in Silverstream's wake. Taking their cue, the others in their friend group rejoined the rush moments later. Eda too.

Slapping her cheeks to psyche herself up, Luz followed after her, hoping for once that the enormity of the situation wouldn't be pushed aside so easily by more bouts of levity. She would be serious this time!

However, as Luz barreled down the hill, she caught a bit of glare to the side of her face, reflexively twisting her head to face the source. She had not been expecting to see a gigantic tree-shaped building made out of what seemed to be solid crystal, and her efforts failed immediately. "Woah! What the heck is that? It's like a princess' castle from straight out of a fantasy novel!"

"That's because it is. Er, was," Smolder explained. "Yet they still won't let me nibble on it," she grumbled.

"Ponyville Castle came out of a magic box, not a book, though," Sandbar said, as if that difference made it somehow typical. Then again, for all Luz knew, maybe buildings here did magically pop into existence regularly. He kept a largely straight face.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle doesn't live there anymore, though. She moved into a different castle for some reason after her coronation," Silverstream finished, speaking quickly and flitting above Luz with unrestrained, avian energy. "Rulership stuff is out of my depth."

A place like this being a female-led monarchy? That, Luz could buy easily. However, the problem which caused her to openly scowl was something completely different. "Who in their right mind would name their kid after that trashy supernatural romance series? The whole thing gives young adult fiction a bad name, I say! I can name, like, dozens of examples of both genres way better."

"Huh? What book series?" Ocellus asked, clearly confused. She'd turned back into her old self to hover in the air next to Silverstream. "I like reading, too, and the only famous books I've studied that her name reminds me of are the ones she wrote."

Luz facepalmed. Of course they wouldn't necessarily have access to Earth fiction. "Never mind. It's a thing from my world." Actually, while she was on the subject... "Say, how much contact do you guys have with other realms anyway? You didn't seem as surprised as I would have expected. When I was in your position, I flipped."

"Like, some?" Gallus answered, unsure. "There's been this rumor floating around that there's an enchanted mirror with a parallel universe on the other side hidden somewhere in the castle," he said, his eyes unfocused. "Never had the guts to sneak in and check it out, myself, tempting as it is."

"That can be the adventure after this one," Smolder declared.

"Sounds appropriately mystical," Luz said, satisfied. "Who made it?"

"Yona asked Rockhoof same question; he said it was Starswirl the bearded pony." King was busy pretending to be a cowboy now, or maybe a lion tamer, and she still didn't seem to care. What a trooper. "He's an old unicorn brought to the present after a long time not existing."

The facts bounced wildly together in Luz's head, leading her to a new question. And not about the frozen in time bit, which was also notable. "A unicorn... So, does that mean you can only do magic Equestria-style if you have a horn?"

Ocellus' compound eyes flickered in the sunlight, in the same sort of way as a nerd adjusting their glasses. "Sort of. All creatures have some kind of unique magic, but only unicorns and a few other races can cast more complicated spells."

"And everycreature has the magic of friendship, the most powerful kind of all!" Silverstream beamed.

Eda made a retching sound.

Luz barely registered it. "That's cool! Humans - that's what I am, by the way - don't have any magic built-in. So, I'm learning glyphs instead. Look!" Reaching into her shorts pocket, which though difficult to do while moving was skill she'd picked up, she pulled out a few strips of paper with penned circles on them, each holding a different arrangement of lines. Then, she pressed a specific one against her chest.

The circle flashed, consuming the paper, and Luz beheld the stunned faces of all present. Glancing down, her body had indeed taken on the coloration and basic pattern of the grass she was running on. "Camouflage spell! Learned it from looking into a chameleon's eye. Wasn't even actually hunting for new glyphs, they're just that mesmerizing to watch."

None of them said anything. Instead, the Equestrian students suddenly looked quite concerned, to the point where the gaits of Yona's and Sandbar's galloping broke for a second.

"Wait, why are you looking all worried for me?" Luz asked. "Don't be, it wears off in about two minutes."

Ocellus frowned. "Not that, Luz. It's just, the last time we saw magic like that, it was being used for evil by a really nasty filly."

"Huge piece of work, that Cozy Glow," Smolder confirmed. She seemed close to steaming again at the mere reminder of whoever that was. "Made my brother look like a breezie."

Yona nodded firmly, nearly dislodging a yelping King in the process. "She opposite of yaks, tiny and dishonest. Tried hostile takeover twice."

"Seriously," Smolder added. "Cozy was so bad that the other princesses - who will totally solve problems with love if given the chance - basically had to lock her up for life."

Luz shrunk in on herself a bit, looking between their faces in turn. She knew they weren't the type to give her the cold shoulder over a prior extreme example like that, but it still stung. The best medicine in these situations was to just not let it get to her. Taking a long, ragged breath, she found her smile again. "I'm just gonna have to prove to you that glyphs can be good, then," she declared.

Eda even came to her defense, which made Luz proud, of herself and of Eda. "You lot better treat her right. I can safely say that Luz is about as nefarious as a lamb. One time, a chupacabra even tried to eat her, and they actually hunt lambs with purity receptors."

"We made friendship bracelets out of its fangs!" went King.

"Aww, thanks, guys," Luz gushed. Then, after putting her serious face back on, she addressed the other six. "For real, though, you weren't actually going to abandon us, right?"

"Of course not, Luz," Silverstream confirmed, with a level of sincerity she hadn't observed in the hippogriff previously.

"Even if Ponyville wasn't in danger for the third time this moon, and we didn't need your help, we're not like that," Sandbar intoned. "It was the rest of town that needed to learn that lesson."

Luz hummed in acknowledgement. That must have been an interesting story. She gladly dropped the topic, though.

Speaking of, at this point, they'd reached Ponyville proper, and their pace slowed so as to also to avoid bumping into anybody. Luz appreciated this, as she could get a better look at the village. Up close, the place was even more welcoming, with pastel accents on the white or earth-toned homes and stores. Ponies moved this way and that down the comfortable streets, or flew in leisurely arcs. Luz got her first glimpse of pony kids, and she couldn't help but d'aww. They were just too precious in their little ribbons, or over-the-back bags, or scout uniforms. A few wise old ponies on their porch chairs seemed to have the same idea in watching them contentedly, and Luz couldn't blame them. The whole place just exuded that gentle, suburban charm in spades. Many ponies even waved and called out one of her companions by name as they passed.

Sighing happily, Luz did a little twirl. "Boy, I already love it here."

"It certainly beats Griffonstone any day," Gallus confirmed. "If only everygriffon else wasn't so stubbornly attached to their real estate."

Eda, however, seemed less enthusiastic, pouting as she surveyed the area. "Yeah, definitely should have packed some wards. This atmosphere is so wholesome it's almost suffocating. I can feel my heart trying to rip its way out of my chest, which is either joy or my bile sac acting up."

Yeah, that was one way to put it. Luz skipped next to her favorite wacko and draped an arm around her. "See how nice this turned out to be? Ignoring the imminent battle, this trip is good for you, Eda. You're too used to schadenfreude, I think."

Surprising nobody, she rotated owlishly. "I learned from experience, kid, not dusty, emperor-approved books. Therefore, I have absolutely no idea what that word means," Eda said.

"Neither do I. Is it an emotion?" Ocellus asked. "Because she does taste funny."

"Yep. Probably not super common around these parts, though," Luz noted. How could anyone possibly suffer that much in such a swell place? "How 'bout you, King? Enjoying your peek into the Equestrian lifestyle?"

"Eh, it's alright," King deadpanned. Luz bit back a guffaw when she noticed the multicolored party hat now resting on his head, and the pink pony giving them an extremely enthusiastic wave as they passed. It was a bit hard to discern since he had no cheeks or upper lip, but Luz could tell King was smiling wide.

More small talk bounced between them as block after block went by. A few ponies expressed concern when they noticed Gallus and the others outside school at this hour, but quick replies such as 'It's nothing' or 'Don't worry about it' shut them down. According to Smolder, ponies (and hippogriffs, Silverstream interjected) tended to descend into mass panic at the drop of a hat, so keeping this information close to their chests struck Luz as a sensible move. Her parents would probably react in a similar manner once they found out what she had actually been doing this summer, regardless of how she phrased it. But - and this was the problem - she'd already vanquished that extremely dangerous nightmare entity.

On the plus side, Eda did manage not to lose her lunch from all the kind vibes, thankfully.

Their collective mood finally sobered as Luz's new friends led the them down a winding path into outermost portion of the woods. Now that she knew exactly what was at stake, she too was determined to do whatever it took to stop this giraffe. She would be the last bastion standing between all those innocent foals and a grisly fate!

However, she had to find the giraffe first. This seemed to be in the near future, as the forest broke into a clearing ahead of them. Within was a slice of paradise, meadows and tended groves framing a crystal clear pond bounded on one side by a small crag and a waterfall: Sweetfeather Sanctuary. Critters of all shapes and sizes lounged or cavorted throughout the space, from butterflies to beavers. And in the center of it all was a demure yellow pegasus, currently checking up on the refuge.

"Fluttershy!" Gallus shouted, attracting her attention.

Luz and company quickly surrounded the perplexed mare, with her own arrival being the least eye-catching, even without the camouflage from earlier. Fluttershy's long mane trailed after her face by a half-second as she turned. "Well, this is a surprise. What are you all doing here?" Her eyes widened with fascination as she noticed Luz, King, and Eda. "Oh my, were these strange ones lost?" Here, Fluttershy's expression softened. "I'd be glad to return you to your habitats, or you can stay here with us."

Luz grit her teeth. Awkward. "Uh, we're not animals, ma'am, just friendly aliens passing through."

"Yeah, no thanks," Eda said, flipping off her staff, brows furrowed. "In fact, something already here has overstayed its welcome."

Fluttershy blushed, her tail curling. "Oops." Then, Eda's statement soaked in, and Fluttershy faced her. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

"The giraffe that's been living under your care was secretly evil the whole time!" Silverstream declared.

"It's true, they have a picture," Ocellus confirmed. "It's the one that looks like this." She then shapeshifted into the giraffe for a few moments. Surely changelings had to be banned from charades, Luz mused, 'cause that had to be cheating. No ambiguity at all.

Fluttershy's brows rose skeptically. "Clementine? Why, she's a sweetheart, one of the most well-behaved animals in the sanctuary. While it's nice to finally know her species, I can't believe she'd hurt a fly, let alone anycreature else."

"Oh, she totally would," Eda confirmed, her fists clenching. "If my senses aren't lying to me about how much magic there is floating around here, she's probably smarter than you are, toots."

"Really?" Fluttershy asked in disbelief.

"Probably. They're weird, but they haven't steered us wrong yet," defended Gallus.

"Yona vouches for them," Yona added, stamping a hoof.

Then, King dismounted her, scanning the sanctuary critically. "Things are gonna get ugly, knowing Eda, so you should probably bail before this pretty greenery catches fire."

"Wait, what?" Fluttershy flinched away. "Is this situation really going to get that bad?" After a steading inhale, taking in their words, her demeanor shifted, adopting a heroic resolve Luz would not have guessed she had in her. "If so, I can help!"

"Without your friends? I'm not sure, teach," Sandbar noted with a frown.

"Look, we can handle this. Just get all the other animals outa here so we can fight Clementine no-holds-barred," Smolder insisted, already back in the air. Was Fluttershy some sort of beast whisperer? Luz figured she must be.

"I'm an old pro, I'll keep 'em safe," Eda reassured with a smirk. "And don't listen to King, I can easily put out any fires I start."

When Fluttershy's determined posture didn't waver, Luz donned her most confident smile and placed a hand on her head, turning Fluttershy to face Gallus, who carried himself in the same way. "Hey, if you can't trust us yet, at least trust them," Luz gently insisted.

A breeze swept through the forest, rustling the stems of myriad wildflowers, before Fluttershy relented. "Alright. I'll spread the words of warning. You can go... confront Clementine, I suppose."

"Got it," said Gallus, saluting with a talon.

Their course of action set, everyone save Fluttershy walked deeper into Sweetfeather. Eda exuded casual confidence, sashaying without a care, and King just seemed bored, but everyone else was tense as they carefully trotted forwards, even Yona and Smolder, in spite of their earlier bravado. Ocellus' wings buzzed nervously against her sides.

Eventually, they reached a shady corner of the space, where the giraffe was waiting, idly chewing on some leaves. To Luz, it looked normal enough, but the hairs on the back of her neck stood up in dread anticipation as she approached.

"Don't move, buster!" King exclaimed, pointing an accusing claw at Clementine. "We're onto your game, heathen!"

Luz took up her best approximation of a fighting stance, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Yeah, Eda and King are from the Boiling Isles too, so your secret is out!"

Eda leveled her staff at Clementine, a golden aura swirling about the enchanted wood menacingly. "Show's over, ugly. It's time you rejoined your kin on Earth. If you come quietly, I won't have to break anything of yours. What'll it be?"

A tense silence descended on the group, as they each watched the giraffe with baited breath. Sandbar and Yona traded glances as the sounds of wildlife slowly faded, the other denizens of the sanctuary evacuating per Fluttershy's request. To Luz, it seemed like Clementine was going to play dumb forever, staring at them with an expressionless gaze.

But then, she began to laugh.

It was a high-pitched sound, squeaky, grating, and childish, but with all the cold malignance of a supervillain. The same could be said of Clementine's voice, when she at last responded to - and essentially confirmed - their accusations. "I'm afraid you are much too late. Demons, witches, scions of Harmony... my power now eclipses anything you could possibly muster; your efforts will be for naught," she declared, sporting a wicked grin. "For you see, this was the perfect location to build my strength to its maximum, and in her ignorance, dear Fluttershy presented it to me on a silver platter. As well as being frequented regularly by the manifestation of chaos himself, the regrown Tree of Harmony is also in close proximity. I, Fell Perdition, am now more cunning and mighty than any giraffe that has ever lived!"

Luz could only gawk as Cleme— Fell Perdition raised her foreleg and tilted her head back condescendingly. "To divulge my stratagem, all that remained was waiting for the prime opportunity to strike, while your guard was at its lowest, but I suppose today will have to suffice. The invisible blades of agony shall flay you apart, with all the realm to follow! Now, witness the true form of a perfected bringer of desolation!"

And then, she began to change. Sickening light, a strobing violet that danced on the edge of human perception, wreathed Perdition. Her brown spots wriggled and morphed upon her fur, taking on shapes that may very well have been some runic language mortals were not meant to know. The high-pitched war cry emerging from her throat slowly deepened, developing a reverberation that shook the ground.

All present could only stand and watch the terrible, continuing display in dawning apprehension, even Eda. Fluttershy had rejoined her students at some point during Perdition's monologue, looking the most stunned by far, though the others each came close. Luz had seen plenty of monstrosities of late, but had to admit that this thing was in a league of its own.

Unfortunately, it got worse. The giraffe's head split apart, peeling back from the nose into five petals of flesh, the interior of each a deep red, lined with razor-sharp teeth and hollow, black eyes. The petals just kept going, until Perdition's long neck unfurled all the way to the base and the abominable tentacles were each longer than Luz. Simultaneously, the runes on her body ripped off, forming into overlapping rings that orbited her body, concentrating the ultraviolet light upon their surfaces.

Overhead, the sky itself began to darken, and Fell Perdition uttered a bloodcurdling roar, tentacles writhing.

Next to Luz, who was still paralyzed, Eda shook her head once, magic power building on her fingertips. "Huh. Well then. Guess it's time I got started."

Author's Note

The Disney youtube channel also has these amusing shorts for the show called Owl Pellets. I basically stole a joke for this chapter from one of them wholesale, but it works even better in this context, I think.

Disaster Radius

With brows creased in concentration, Eda drew a shining circle in the air with a fingertip, thrusting her staff through it. Before her, a waterspout as wide as a small house erupted from the ground, its surface roiling like a a raging river as it rapidly arced through the air towards Perdition, the beak of the owl head at its front opened wide to swallow the giraffe up. Luz paled slightly; Eda was going all-out from the start! No way anything could avoid being battered unconscious by that much water, right?

However, Perdition both flipped forwards and rolled sideways with unnatural quickness and contortionism, anchoring herself into the earth with her tentacles and pointing her four legs at Eda. As the deluge crashed down atop her, Perdition barely flinched, instead firing roiling beams of black light into the stream from her feet, the energy causing it to break apart.

Eda tsked, dashing to the side with magically accelerated footsteps, her feet trailing gold. As she did, she spun her staff, razor-sharp shards of metal forming along the erratic path it made before firing towards Perdition at speed. "How 'bout some of this, then?"

Perdition cackled, an unholy sound, as she righted herself, scuttling unnaturally sideways like a crab to match pace as she expertly swatted the projectiles down with her flailing fangs. "YoU aRe BuT a WoRm BeFoRe A gOd, WiTcH! PeRiSh!" Then, rearing back, her body bloated obscenely before disgorging a great swarm of locusts from her exposed throat. The sound of their wings was deafening as the empowered insects converged on Eda, mandibles clicking in preparation to rip her flesh apart.

"Oh, right. The ol' giraffe standby. Nothing a little flamethrower can't fix, though!" Eda quipped, planting her feet and unleashing a cone of orange flames towards the locusts. When the cloud continued diving for her, the conjured blaze having seemingly no effect whatsoever, Eda balked. "Never mind, I take it back! Lotta power you got there, Ms. McNasty."

Drawing her staff close, Eda formed a shield bubble around herself just before the supernaturally durable bugs could reach her. The locusts threw themselves against it, gnashing feverishly as they tried to break through from all sides. At the same time, Perdition launched other attacks at Eda to supplement them, from large purple energy orbs shaped like eyeballs to sonic shockwaves of coherent sound produced by her whipping tendrils.

From within her shield, Eda countered as best she could, sniping orbs out of the air with flashes of raw magic and conjuring fanlike feathers of stone in the path of the soundwaves. But with the swarm blocking her vision, actually hitting Perdition was impossible, as the giraffe kept her distance, dancing madly across the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Luz had snapped out of her awed daze. What was she doing just standing there; she could help! Slapping her cheeks to get herself into the zone, she whipped out some more predrawn glyph pages and fanned them out, turning to face the others with her knees bent in readiness. "Come on, guys, let's go help Eda!"

"Yeah, go help Eda!" King proclaimed. "Attack, show no mercy!" He himself made no move to do so, in typical fashion.

"That thing is probably out of my weight class, but what kind of cowardly lizard would I be if I didn't try?" went Smolder, her scales flexing as she stretched her arms one after the other.

"Yona agrees! Giraffe intimidating, but likely still smashable!" she snorted, scraping a hoof against the ground.

"Perdition could totally destroy Ponyville if we let her," Gallus said, face stern. Facing his friends as he flared his wings, he added "But we won't let that happen on our watch. Come on, team!"

Luz figured he'd been expecting a resounding cry of affirmation. Instead, it seemed not all of them shared her determination to intervene. Silverstream was shaking, her eyes clenched shut as she mumbled reassurances to herself. Sandbar looked like he was desperately trying to hold back an instinct to bolt for the hills. Ocellus had turned into a blue hedgehog (no, not that one), curling up in a tiny ball on the grass. And Fluttershy just stood there, with mouth agape and pupils shrunken.

"Oh, pyrite," Gallus cursed. At least Luz assumed it was a curse from his tone. "I probably should have expected this."

"I can't fight that," Sandbar said, his tail curling around his barrel. "Even Tirek was pushing it."

"S-She puts Pharynx's scariest forms to shame!" Ocellus squeaked. "I am in no way prepared for this!"

Seeing students not mentally disposed to rush headlong into lethal hazards made Luz feel rather nostalgic, though now really wasn't the time.

Gallus seemed to agree, pointedly meeting her eyes, Smolder's, and Yona's in turn. "You three go on ahead, I'll try and psych my friends up in the meantime."

"Me too!" King interjected, striding up to Ocellus. He then proceeded to poke her repeatedly. "Snap out of it, you wimp! Turn into a manticore or something and go kick her butt!"

"Could use some delicacy, but he's not wrong," Gallus muttered before moving to Silverstream's side and rubbing her back. She began to relax slightly under his touch. Gallus waved Luz and company off with his other foreleg.

Back in the present, Yona took this as her cue to charge, uttering a mighty war cry as she rumbled straight for Fell Perdition, obliterating any bushes in her path like they weren't even there. With a less impressive but still passionate shout, Luz sprinted after her, more than ready to test her newfound skills and defend a person who now mattered deeply to her. Smolder shot into the air like a bullet, overtaking her with a roar.

As they dove into the fray, the tide of the fight turned. Smolder moved to assist Eda with the locusts, swooping in close to her shield. Her chest widened as she inhaled, before she breathed out a scorching wave of flames. Unlike Eda's spell, actual dragonfire was made of stronger stuff, and the frenzied locusts ignited, blackening to a crisp and falling away to the ground, smoking and twitching. "Take that!" Smolder exclaimed once she'd recovered her stamina. Eda looked suitably impressed.

Knowing her own repertoire, Luz's first instinct had been to address the latest incoming volley of energy spheres, dive rolling into their path and slapping an ice glyph down. Taking shape from her intent, a thick wall of ice rose, absorbing the deadly barrage before cracking apart. In the back of her mind, Luz had been afraid it wouldn't work, but when it did, her resolve redoubled. She wasn't an ordinary Noceda anymore, lost in her own head, she could do her part in the moment! "Don't worry, Eda, I've got your back!"

Finally, Perdition was forced to divert her attention to dodging Yona instead of pressing the attack against Eda, backpedaling and training the sound-barrier-breaking onslaught of her mutant tentacles on the fearless yak instead. Either the buffeting force couldn't penetrate her thick hide, or Yona simply ignored the blows. She nearly managed to pierce Perdition with her horns before the giraffe flung her off course with a direct hit.

Yona didn't abate, her single-body stampede merely curving back around for another go. "Yona will hit you eventually! Yaks may not have spells, but persistence better anyway!"

"FoOlS! It MaTtErS nOt HoW mAnY oPpOsE mE," Perdition intoned, her rune circles twisting into new forms. "AlL sHaLl CrUmBlE, cAsTlEs Of sAnD aGaInSt A hUrRiCaNe." To try and slow Yona down, she switched tactics, her tentacles living up to their nature by flinging gobs of opaque, sticky slime all over the place. Yona yelped, reducing her speed to maneuver around the ooze. Luz wasn't sure if she knew it could pin her down, or was just disgusted. Then, Perdition began to concentrate her energy orbs on Smolder, who juked through the air trying to get close while narrowly avoiding being hit.

Now that Perdition wasn't hounding Eda, she cracked her neck and addressed Luz, dismissing her shield. "Normally I'd tell you to get back, but I'll make an exception today, since I kinda needed the assist. I'm starting to think it's not the mood messing with my heart: it's the world." Luz spared Eda a concerned glance as the elder witch wiped sweat from her forehead. "My spells are eating up more energy than usual here; must not be as compatible with the local fabric. We gotta end this fast, Luz, before I'm tapped out. Or worse."

Luz bit her lip, a warped, beastly visage flashing in her mind's eye. That was a troubling development, but there was nothing she could do except do her best to work around it. No deus ex machina could help her IRL. "Right. Then we better give it everything we've got. Together!"

"Together!" Eda repeated, a grin flashing her fangs as she adopted her time-honed dueling stance, angled at the melee. "Bad Girl Coven, comin' at ya!"

With that, she and Luz dove back into the fray. Yona and Smolder were having trouble, both unable to hit their nimble opponent. Perdition contorted herself around Yona's rampaging form like an octopus with circus training, moving nothing like the giraffes Luz knew, immune to the slime she spewed. Her aim was also getting better, and Smolder was forced to counter the latest UV orb with a fireball, the two projectiles detonating in an explosion that forced Smolder back.

"She's too quick, we can't hit her!" Smolder growled in frustration once the smoke cleared.

"I'll pin her down!" Luz exclaimed, kneeling to slap a thorn glyph at her feet. With a level of speed and vigor she hadn't anticipated, her spell cracked to life, spiky vines snaking along the ground as they rapidly spread towards Perdition, widening into a swath of danger that threatened to trip up the giraffe if she didn't watch her step.

"Just what I was thinking!" Eda confirmed. Astride her staff once more, she circled Perdition with blistering speed, such that Luz was quite surprised she didn't fall off. Hands stretched out to both sides, the air currents swirled into avian shapes as Eda magically stirred them to life. Soon, Perdition was surrounded by owl-shaped elementals of animate wind, flaps of their wings buffeting her from all sides and further hampering her movement.

Rumbling with anger, Perdition tried blasting apart the wind owls with more orbs and slashed at the vines beneath her legs with her tentacles. "YoU mEaN tO tRaP mE? ThE rEsUlT wIlL bE fAiLuRe aNd DeAtH!" However, Luz smirked when Perdition's proclamation proved premature, as her thorns kept regrowing as fast as they were slashed, thanks to a second glyph.

Eda, too, despite her handicap, just kept generating more elementals as quickly as the old ones were dispelled. She was one of the strongest witches on the Isles, after all. Shouting over the gale, she couldn't resist taunting the monster. "Am I supposed to be scared of you? Please, I eat scarier stuff for breakfast."

Smolder smiled, rising higher to avoid being pulled in. "Nice! Go for it, Yona!"

Much like the other plants, the vines didn't bother Yona, and she barked out a laugh while angling directly at Perdition again, ignoring the thorns as she carved through them. "Finally! See how you like it!"

Once it became clear the yak would be colliding with her, Perdition ceased combating Luz and Eda's spells, bringing her power to bare on Yona. But the second she did, Eda switched tactics, launching blasts of raw magic the giraffe was forced to block instead. This allowed Yona to impact Perdition at peak force, the mighty thud of horn on flesh resounding through the sanctuary. With a demonic wail, she was catapulted through the air, impacting the earth with a painful-sounding crack.

Luz stood and spun, fistpumping in triumph. "Alright, team! She's open, let's hit her hard!"

A round of affirmatives answered her. With visible effort, Eda shot lightning from her hands like in that famous movie series, the shock hampering Perdition's attempt to rise as her muscles seized up. Luz hadn't seen her do that or the sweet wind-owl thing before; she'd been holding out! Still, it didn't do much damage, and Perdition looked like she was about to power through it, but that was where Luz came in. Her magical skill set wasn't as wide or dominating, but with all her rigorous training it was just as effective. Another ice glyph crumpled in the air as Luz invoked it, a half dozen icicles sailed directly at the giraffe like javelins. At the same time, Smolder swooped down with a wave of fire breath from the other side.

However, what Luz assumed would seal their victory instead proved only to bring out new heights of rage from Perdition. With an ear-splitting cry, she unleashed an omnidirectional shockwave of raw power, snuffing out the fire and shattering the ice before spreading outwards. All four of them were shoved away forcefully, Luz grunting in pain as she fell flat on her back. Eda was knocked off her staff, and Smolder nearly crashed into a tree.

"HoW dArE yOu CoMpEl eXeRtIoN fRoM a SuPeRiOr BeInG?" Fell Perdition's many, many eyes now began to shine with the same magic as the rune rings, her body levitating off the ground, limbs splayed wide. "FuTiLe, FuTiLe, FuTiLe!"

Bulging obscenely, she spewed out an even larger swarm of locusts than before, the bugs fanning out in all directions. Then, her orbiting runes snapped into another new position, and suddenly, they were surrounding by a ton of identical copies of Perdition! Luz yelped, feeling less embarrassed as Smolder and Yona did the same, all of the Perditions cackling hoarsely as they zigged and zagged through the landscape.

Dumbstruck by the fresh display, Luz scrambled to defend herself from the manufactured plague. And she was so sure that sweet combo move would work, too! Thankfully, her unusual interests meant Luz knew not to try and hide with her recently mastered camouflage magic - most insects could navigate by smell just as easily as by sight. (Take that, old classmate who said she should be reading about celebrities instead!) So, Luz just cheesed it, barely outrunning the cloud pursuing her while trying not to let herself become disoriented by the roving clones.

"That thing was holding back?" voiced Smolder. She did her best to incinerate all the locusts, but Perdition's lung capacity far outstripped the young dragon's, and Smolder's face grew a bit anxious as she began to get overwhelmed. "Maybe I, uh, actually can't handle this. Yona?"

"Yona will be fine!" she insisted, in a similar boat to Luz. "Uh, probably. Yona admittedly beginning to tire. If only Yona knew which giraffe to hit!"

"Leave that to me. Nothing a good old illusion interrupt can't fix!" Eda declared, once more using magically enhanced foot speed to dodge at Yona's pace as she raised Owlbert with an actress' flair. Then, a flash of bluish light erupted, and... nothing. Luz nearly tripped over a stray branch in shock; spells were the one thing Eda never messed up.

Eda scowled, stomping once and huffing in a mix of fatigue and exasperation. "Never mind. What kind of stupid, atypical demon magic is this!?"

Owlbert could only shrug his little wings.

"You're no help," Eda deadpanned, sizing up her foe as she moved. "Hmm... I can't afford to be firing indiscriminately right now. Ugh, why did I agree to this again?"

Okay, so she couldn't erase the clones. Fantastic. Luz sighed internally. As if to rub it in, Perdition cackled evilly, barfing up more bugs. And not even using her tentacles too; she was still toying with them! Luz didn't know whether to be offended or scared, but either way she needed to step up her game.

"Hey, wait a second," Fluttershy began suddenly, catching part of Luz' attention as she spoke up from where they'd left the others further back. She seemed to have recovered her wits, which was good. Gallus and King still seemed to have their hands full with the others, though it looked like Sandbar had just about gotten his act together.

Regardless, it was Fluttershy who kept 'shouting'. Tilting her head up to the malignant sky, she went "Discord, where are you? I'm in danger! The Sanctuary's in danger!"

Oh yeah, Fell Perdition had mentioned that guy, Luz remembered. If he was so powerful and cared about Fluttershy, then why wasn't he here?

Amity Blight, turquoise-haired witchling and Luz's former rival, paced back and forth in her room anxiously as she talked to herself. "Okay, you can work with this, Amity. He won't even stay in the realm afterwards. Just take a deep breath and ask. Easy!"

Opposite her, floating above a summoning circle in wry amusement, was Discord. He simultaneously watched her and rubbed the edge of a manila folder against his one of his talons. "So, I'm guessing from earlier that you were trying for Cadance, but being able to call upon the avatar of anything at your age is honestly impressive. And romance does tend to lead to chaos on many occasions, so it's not as if I have no experience in that area." Tossing the folder to stroke his goatee, Discord's smile grew more genuine. "Contrary to what my appearance may suggest, I wouldn't mind sharing some of my timeless wisdom."

This seemed to settle Amity's nerves somewhat. Stopping in place, she took a deep breath and made eye contact with Discord, tapping her fingertips together. "Okay, so, I have this friend. A crazy, stupid, amazing friend. Except, recently, I've been feeling that I want us to be..." Amity's words failed her for a second as she blushed fiercely, eyes pulled sideways. "M-More than friends. Except I don't think she sees me in that way." Now she looked up at him in desperation. "How do I get her to n-notice me?"

"My, how flustered you are! Definitely worth the trip for that alone," Discord confirmed to himself, smiling wider before clearing his throat. "Anyway, this situation of yours reminds me of a pair of unicorns I know, some close pals of mine. See, Starlight Glimmer got it bad for Trixie after a while, but she's about as obtuse as a pony can get, and missed all of Starlight's amateurish signals! So what she ended up doing was—"

Hey, no, bad Luz, getting onto a tangent again! She needed to think of a way out of this, or they were all condenado! Face screwed up in concentration even as she continued sprinting in circles away from the locusts, Luz's heart pounded in her chest. Come on, think! How do you stop a giant mess of illusions? Hew brow creased as she wracked her brain for options.

"Wait, I got it!" Luz exclaimed between heavy breaths, fishing out her notebook and pen. With her muscle memory, she drew as many light glyphs as she could as quickly as possible, tearing them out and activating them on the fly. Soon, her frantic path was marked by large hovering balls of bright light, overtaking the whole battlefield. "Secret Gus shared - *pant* - most illusions don't - *pant* - cast shadows!"

"Kid, you're a genius!" Eda exclaimed, causing Luz to swell with pride. Narrowing her eyes to heighten her focus, Eda scanned the demonic doppelgangers carefully, the added light framing the shifting, hovering figures sharply. Eventually, she cried out "There you are!" and gathered her power within a wide magic circle before unleashing it as a devastating wave of force in the shape of a giant fist.

It was a good thing Perdition wasn't paying attention to what they were saying, otherwise she might've reacted beforehand. But that's just how arrogant snobs were, be they overlords or clique ringleaders. Kinda reminded Luz of Boscha, actually, especially with the eyes. Instead, Perdition was blindsided by Eda's spell, the spectral fist sending her careening into the earth with an explosion of soil. Luz winced in sympathy. Not for Perdition, obviously, but for the poor wildflowers.

However, Luz balked when she tore her eyes from the elongated crater back to Eda, who had taken a knee, huffing as she supported herself, one palm resting on a small mound of grassy earth. As Perdition began slowly picked herself back up - a process involving many joints bending in ways they really shouldn't - Luz ran over to Eda. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Eda insisted, using her staff to hoist herself back upright. "The Owl Lady Special Mage Hand is draining under normal circumstances. I'm beat," she sighed. "Any more and my curse might flare up. Stupid horseland. You and the - oo boy - locals'll have to take it from here."

"Convenient, 'cause I finally convinced them to get themselves in gear."

That was King, jogging towards them alongside Gallus, Silverstream, Ocellus, and Sandbar, all of whom seemed to be over their respective doubts and fears. Silverstream held herself with courage, a new fire in her eyes, and the way Ocellus was snarling it almost looked like she had fangs, even without physically growing a set. Even Fluttershy looked thoroughly peeved about the whole situation.

"They pulled through," Gallus seconded. Like Twilight always says, we're stronger together than we are apart."

"It doesn't matter how powerful this giraffe is, I wont run away and let creatures I care about get hurt this time! I'm not a kid anymore!" Silverstream bravely proclaimed, despite the faint tremor in her limbs.

"Yeah! Friends stick together, though thick and thin," added Sandbar. "We've got your back, always."

"I may be able to change myself, but with eachother, we can change the future!" Ocellus proclaimed. That level of cheese had to be from a book or something, but Luz was all about cheese.

"See? Great minions," King noted, hands on his hips.

Fluttershy, who had been looking to her students, eyes shining with pride and worry both, uttered a protracted sigh at King.

While Luz was worried too - for Eda - she nevertheless managed a smile. High level monstrosities aside, Equestria was pretty dang wholesome.

"Great," muttered Eda, pulling herself upright. "If this little pep-talk session of yours is over, then you should probably go and—"

"VeRy WeLl. If YoU rEfUsE tO lAy DoWn AnD dIe, I sHaLl SiMpLy SmOtHeR tHe WoRlD aRoUnD yOu iN cEaSeLeSs DiSaStErS!"

Everyone whipped around to face Fell Perdition, who had recovered, seemingly no worse for wear. Her neck tendrils flailing frantically, her runes still shone with malignant power to spare. As Luz and company stared, anxious, the darkened sky overhead began to roil with clouds, first directly overhead but rapidly swirling outwards. The winds howled. And then, it began to rain. But that was not water.

Disgusting brown gobs of what could only be fecal matter splatted all over the place, including right on top of Luz and the others. Dios mío, it was in her hair! Beating down the urge to barf and pulling up her sweatshirt's hood, Luz's disdain for Perdition immediately hit a new personal record.

"Gross, gross, gross!" Ocellus squealed, flailing about with her hooves and sealing her wings tightly within her exoskeletal shell.

Fluttershy's face was green, but held up better than Luz. "It's a good thing Rarity isn't here..."

"What did we ever do to deserve this? The expression was never meant to be literal!" Gallus exclaimed, flapping hurriedly along the ground for the tree line. "Take cover under the trees!"

"Smart!" praised Luz, following after him. Shielding her eyes with her arms, Luz ignored the fatigue in her muscles and the squishy impacts against her body. Smolder and Yona, who had only just reached the group after dealing with the rest of the locusts, immediately pulled a 180 to escape the accursed storm along with them, joining in the chorus of complaints as they swept over the field.

However, not everyone was so effected by this latest plague. "How are you not freaking out!?" Luz questioned, glaring at Eda and King, who seemed unbothered by the poop falling all around them. Actually, so did Silverstream.

King just shrugged. "Eh, a gorenado this is not. Compared to rotten meat and organs, this stench is heavenly."

"Indeed. Be glad you're not getting hit in the face with a gallbladder at two hundred miles an hour," Eda said, the unhygienic substance splattering against her clothes eliciting zero response.

Luz blanched. Hopefully she left the Owl House before she could experience one of those. At least the boiling acid rain actually got rid of stains.

"And I lived underwater for a while; we totally had no choice but to just swim around in it constantly," pointed out Silverstream, before her beak tightened somewhat. "Although there was never nearly this much."

Sandbar's ears pinned against his head. "TMI, dude!"

Skidding to a stop beneath a large, sturdy oak tree, all ten of them took a short moment to shake and brush themselves off. Though the poop rain was still descending through the leaves, it was more intermittent and sparse, and they quickly found spots that remained untouched. Behind them, Perdition cackled with echoing, sadistic glee, pumping more energy into her storm.

Taking shallow breaths to avoid the stink, Sandbar continued, glancing to the others. "Now that we're all prepared and stuff, it's probably time to try and use the magic of friendship again."

"Oh, Thorax, yes," Ocellus groaned. "I'm not standing for another second of this, and Harmony will certainly agree."

As if some spirit was listening, right before Luz' eyes, they levitated into the air one after another in a manner similar to Perdition from earlier. Each of them were shrouded in a different color of soothing, pastel energy.

"See?" Ocellus quipped, bearing the tiniest of smiles.

"Well, that was easy," Gallus said, blinking. "Guess our hearts were already in agreement, or whatever."

Smolder's grin was slightly manic. "Time to show Fell Perdition some camaraderie and acceptance, by force!"

Luz was honestly a little bit jealous, but the rest of her was too busy clapping. Even to her basically nonexistent magical senses, she could feel the peaceful waves emanating from them in a way she couldn't describe. All her anxiety over Eda being out of commission was gone. "That's super impressive, guys! On Earth, the power of friendship is just a metaphor, but you have it as, like, an actual thing. No way this won't work!"

"Hey, don't jinx it, Luz," warned King. "Even the mightiest warriors from the deepest pits are still hit with the occasional setback. Why, just look at me."

"No thanks, still too busy being in awe," Luz replied, still enraptured by the display her new friends were putting on. Yona noticed her watching and waved.

And Luz wasn't the only one. As Fluttershy looked on with pride, Eda was rubbing her chin, brows raised in appraisal. "Well I'll be..."

King, meanwhile, grumbled, turning away with his chin upturned like an aristocrat. "Hmph. They're not all that. My magma-forged blade of deliverance is ten times better."

Debatable. Luz had seen it, it was just one of those box cutters for opening clamshell toy packages. Anyway, she could humor King later, new magic was being channeled right in front of her!

Standing firm, the six companionable creatures turned in unison towards the demon, the light around their bodies increasing in strength as they formed a vertical circle in the air, leaving the protection of the canopy. The continuing rain of slop failed to touch them, as if repelled by magnetic force.

In the distance, Perdition seemed to finally notice the surge of magic, pausing in her self-adulation to train her myriad eyes upon them. "WhAt'S tHiS?"

"This is your undoing, villain!" Ocellus exclaimed theatrically.

"No matter what you try, you'll never break our spirit!" added Gallus.

Taking a cue from Ocellus, a giddy Silverstream reared back and pointed at their target. "Repent! The power of friendship compels you!"

With that, the concentrated friendship magic lanced forth, a huge pastel rainbow lancing straight towards Perdition like a comet. Luz's heart soared along with it. If there was one thing she'd learned from cartoons, it was that nothing markedly bad could triumph over true teamwork.

So, when Perdition simply leapt skywards to arc out of the way of the beam, her mind stuttered to a screeching halt.

"SuCh An oBvIoUs MaNeUvEr! Of cOuRsE iNfAnTs BoRn In EdEn CaNnOt WiElD tHeIr StReNgTh!"

"Huh. Well, you tried," went King.

Gallus, Smolder, Yona, Ocellus, Silverstream, and Sandbar all looked completely flabbergasted, the glowing wreath around their bodies winking out along with the fading friendship laser as they dropped to the ground. Sandbar seemed especially rattled, as he began to stutter incomprehensibly.

"What," deadpanned Fluttershy.

Perdition, who probably would have been smirking deviously if she still had a mouth, landed gracefully. "AbAnDoN hOpE, fOr I—"

However, her latest proclamation was cut off. Perdition's leap ended with her long yellow legs meeting the poop-coated grass, and when one of said legs alighted against a noticeable lump, it flattened out beneath her. When it did, a wide hole, more than enough to admit the giraffe entirely, instantly appeared beneath her, opening up into what looked like clear sky.

Caught completely by surprise, and mid-showboat no less, Fell Perdition lived up to her name and fell straight through, a gargling yelp escaping her. Once she was through, the hole unceremoniously winked back out of existence, alongside all the dark clouds above and the numerous piles of feces, instantly restoring the environment and its inhabitants to normal.

All was still. Peaceful. Even King was rendered speechless.

Luz's jaw dropped. Slowly, she turned to the others. "Did you guys do that?"

Equally stupefied, the students shook their heads. Luz crossed her arms in befuddlement as she slotted the pieces in place. Hmm, wait a second... that spot was where Eda ran out of juice earlier. The suspiciously familiar, lumpy spot.

Before Luz could say anything more, Eda broke the silence, barking out a laugh through her extremely satisfied grin, nodding to herself. "Portal trap. Works every time. Well, one for one; still counts."

No. Way. Fully realizing what had happened, Luz broke out into full-blown guffaws, doubling over. "It's just like - haha - at the Covention! Guess that strat's good for all kinds of abominations!"

Eda casually wove her fingers behind her head. "'Course it is. Was there ever any doubt?"

"You did it!" Sandbar suddenly cried out.

"I thought we were toast for a hot second," added Smolder. "But bird monkey over here really pulled through."

Squealing with high-pitched joy, Silverstream practically tackled Eda as she swooped in to wrap her up with her arms in gratitude. Taking their cue, the two of them, plus Ocellus, joined in the embrace. Gallus did so too, though not before rolling his eyes. Lastly, a beaming Yona jumped on top of them, nearly causing the whole group to fall over under her weight and triggering a bout of giggling.

Fluttershy collapsed to her hindquarters, sighing in relief. Luz also slumped, tension leaving her as she looked at the lot of them in satisfaction. Boy, what a day. This would make quite the harrowing story to share, and Perdition might give her nightmares later, but overall? So worth it, and a job well done.

Flailing within the mass of bodies, Eda struggled to push the teens out of her personal space. "Hey, quit it! Are you trying to tear me limb from limb, or is this another kind of those 'hug' things? Either way, get off'a me!"

"This hug! And, mmm, Yona doesn't think she will," Yona said, mischievously.

Operating on the same wavelength, the other five of them only tightened their hold, high on gratitude. Eda could only moan in annoyance. Without a word, Luz and King met eachother's eyes before breaking out into laughter themselves.

Author's Note

Yeah, the season finale contradicted my lore, but it was incredible so who cares? Anyway, people were lamenting the lack of Amity, which gave me an idea on how to include her and explain Discord's absence at the same time! You're welcome.

Also, sorry for the larger time gap between this chapter and the last one. Among other things, I decided to read a fic with nearly half a million words and it proved to be distractingly good. :twilightblush:

Hooty was getting lonely

"Do you really have to go? I mean, you just got here," Silverstream protested. "There's so much fun stuff here you haven't seen yet!"

"Letting a creature like you who vibes with everyone slip away just feels bad, you know? Are you sure you can't hang out for the rest of the day, at least?" Sandbar pleaded.

Luz sighed, unable to stop wearing her emotions on her sleeve. After their brief but joyous victory celebration had concluded, before anyone left the Sanctuary, Eda had announced her intent to return immediately, hence the reactions from Luz's fresh friends. Parting would definitely hurt, especially since it had been so hard for her to make friends at all until recently, but it had to be done. "Sorry, guys. We came here on a mission, and now that mission is over. Eda specifically needs to get back home soon, for her health."

"Really?" Yona questioned. "Owl Lady seems so strong; that not Yona's impression. Still, will believe Luz."

Gallus' bittersweet expression was probably a reflection of Luz's own as his beak stretched and tightened. "Well, Professor Pinkie's gonna be mad, but you gotta do what you gotta do, I guess."

"Honestly? A small part of me does want to stay," Luz admitted. "I could never abandon the amazing people I already have in my life, though." Here, she glanced over her shoulder at Eda, who stopped impatiently tapping her foot to smile in kind. "Still, assuming I'm not busy with studying and nothing else goes horribly wrong, I'll be sure to visit whenever I can!"

"That would be great," went Ocellus, brightening. "Maybe you could even bring your witch friends so we can meet them too!"

Now there's a nice thought, Luz mused. Judging by the renewed jubilant anticipation all around, she wasn't the only one excited. There was one exception not so enthusiastic about the prospect, however. "So now you'll have even less time to spend with me? Uuuuuugh," King whined.

Boy, he always knew just what to say, huh? Luz knelt down to match King's stature. "We've been over this before, remember? We're allowed to have more than one friend, King, you can't just hog me all to yourself."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," he huffed. "But nothing says I can't complain about it. Making friends is so hard. Like, I already gave you a multipurpose plush doll suitable for voodoo or cuddles, what more do you want from me, Bargax?"

"Heck, it's not that hard," Smolder piped in. "I thought we were already friends, King." At this, the other five nodded emphatically from their positions around her. Then, she continued. "You're basically a smaller, less violent version of my brother; feels like I've already known you for years."

"Really? Yes!" King fistpumped in satisfaction. "You can be my vizier, Smolder, wielding power second only to mine! Betray me at your own risk."

As Smolder let out a smoky snicker, Eda's patience ran out. "Okay, seriously, we need to skedaddle. If you like these bozos so much, I can get you some unripe beasties on the black market when we get back. Also the whole aforementioned 'I could be permanently crippled' thing," Eda casually added.

Luz decided to let that bit about the illegal pets slide, as it's the thought that counts, and Eda was trying, at least. Cocking her head, Luz hopped to her feet, facing the others. She'd sure remember their unnaturally colorful selves for a long while. "Well, you heard her. Afraid that's all the time we have, though what we got sure was eventful! In the words of my favorite immortal ten year old, I know we'll meet again someday."

"Oh, yeah, I'm definitely coming back," King agreed. "Once I finish subjugating the Isles, you're next. You'll all have no choice but to bake me pizza bagels and play board games with me whenever I ask!"

"Ha, sure thing little dude," Sandbar, with subdued amusement. "Bye, you guys."

Silverstream leapt into the air to ensure her frantic waving would be visible. "Bye Luz, bye King, bye Eda! Don't forget to carve! Er, wait, no, write, surface customs."

Yona stomped her hoof and struck a proud pose. "Legend of your bravery will live forever in yak hearts!"

"Don't be gone too long, ya hear?" insisted Smolder. "Or I'll get upset. You know what they say about dragons and wanting more of things, including time. 'S why we live so long."

Gallus chuckled at that. "Me too. The sentiment part, not the age part. As the princess always says, you can never have too many friends." He waved with a wing, all feathers but the largest two curled. "See you three later."

"Thanks again for the help, and take care," said Ocellus, genuinely.

Riding high on success and acceptance, Luz didn't protest as Eda opened the portal briefcase and ushered her and King through. That didn't stop her from walking backwards and waving herself, snapping a quick pic on her phone for posterity. Even with all that madness at its source, this experience was one definitely worth saving.

Luz's shoes met the floor with soft thuds of rubber on wood, back where they started in Bonesborough at last. The familiar ambient sounds of gargling and shrieking echoed from outside like always. It felt like way more than a few hours had passed to her, but that was par for the course, to use golf jargon. Life was just so much more fulfilling for Luz now than it had been before this summer. By her side, Eda and King also reaccumulated themselves, the former seemingly looking better already, more of Eda's trademark mischief shining through her exhaustion. Luz probably would've been more tired after their ordeal with Fell Perdition too, if she was that old.

King squared his stance, hands on his hips as he breathed deeply. "Ah, home sour home. Hooray."

"Ha," went Luz. She'd have to remember that one. "Though specifically we're in Willow's place."

At the sound of her name, or maybe just them talking to begin with, Willow rushed over to greet them. "You're back! Thank the Titan you're all in one piece."

"As if there was ever any doubt. I left as an outlaw and have returned as a champion! Who is also still an outlaw," Eda quipped, riding high and eager to flaunt it. She even used the realm door she'd just closed back up as a platform for one foot to pose. But when her flamboyant entrance garnered no verbal counter-barb, she peered this way and that throughout the house, confused. It was largely empty. "Wait, where'd Lilith and her cronies slither off to?"

Luz did her own quick examination of the building, even peeking out the windows to confirm that, yep, the Emperor's Coven enforcers were nowhere to be found, just that slime man with the visible brain running errands again. That was a load off. Any more eventful happenings today and she wouldn't be able to sleep! Exhaling, Luz peered back at Willow, waiting.

"Oh, everybody except your sister left a while ago," she explained to Eda. "She stayed to watch the giraffe, and then the battle, with me and my dads though. You only just missed her. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was concerned." Then, Willow bounced over to Luz so quickly her glasses nearly flew off her face, grasping Luz's hands in hers. "By the way, that was amazing, Luz! I was so worried at first - that giraffe was creepy - but your magic is really getting better. I shouldn't have doubted."

"Aww, thanks," Luz replied. "Your encouragement is what drives my progress. That, and how totally flippin' cool magic is."

Both girls shared a giggle at that. King gagged at them, but also shuffled a tad closer.

"All's well that ends well," said Eda, scratching her head. Eyeing Luz, her sly smirk softened. "Even for a kid, you are surprisingly resilient. Got guts. If you hadn't already, you would've earned a place in the House today."

Did her ears deceive her? Open praise, offered without snark? Luz twirled in delight. "Aww, she does love me!"

"Like a baby sister," Eda insisted. "Or a niece, probably. You know I'm not mom material. Those bats..." she trailed off, shuddering, before clearing her throat and continuing. "Plus, you already have a perfectly good one."

At this, Willow's brow creased slightly. "Should, should I go? I feel like this is a personal conversation."

"Willow, this is your house. Unless you still wanna feed us, we're going," King said. Then, his stomach rumbled aggressively. "After we eat, though. Is the food still warm?"

"Sure is!" Willow chirped, ushering them into the kitchen. "Come on, the table's set. Luz, I'm quite curious about the, erm, 'deets'. For starters, where'd you find those monster-people?"

Willow was coming out of her shell more and more around her, less hesitant. The least Luz could do was oblige, and gladly so. Storytelling was always fun. "Alright, I'll give you the whole rundown."

And so, Luz sat down for a nice dinner with those she cherished, old faces and new, under the amber glow of a bronze candelabra chandelier. Willow's parents formally introduced themselves as they carried over laden dishes to the circular table. Eda lounged cross-legged in her seat after fetching a box (without asking, because Eda) to elevate King's, who protested despite the fact that he always used a high chair at meals. Said protests died as his plate was filled, and the chewing commenced. Eating at a more reasonable pace, Peyote initiated a discussion with Eda about her taste in jewelry.

Luz, meanwhile, happily began her retelling of the events that transpired in Equestria for Willow with only minimal embellishments, squishing her mashed bog-tatoes into various shapes as visual aides. She was intact, content, and free from any worries of rampaging demon giraffes crashing the party since she'd helped stop the last one. Yep, life didn't get much better than this.

It took a while, but once Amity had been sufficiently inundated with his brilliant advice and about ten pounds of dark chocolate molded into shapes beyond mortal comprehension, Discord made his triumphant way back home. However, when he poofed into Fluttershy's living room with a smile and a burst of foam packing peanuts, in an effort to surprise and delight his best friend, her reaction gave him pause.

Fluttershy sat with her legs crossed, Lyra style, on the couch, levelling an aggravated stare (no, not that one) at him. She took a long, silent sip from her teacup before setting it down on the table in front of her.

Why, she wasn't amused at all! Worried, he tentatively asked "My dear? What's wrong? Did I miss something?"

Shutting her weary eyes, her hooves thumped right up into her forehead. "Remember the Storm King? And how you were a complete no-show?"

Discord cringed so hard all his teeth exploded when they met. "Really, again? Uh... oops?"