Between Worlds (The Owl House AU)

"HELP ME, PLEASE!" Finn turned to see a little girl being attacked by a stone monster. As he rushed over to save her, vines suddenly erupted from the ground, wrapping around the creature from head to toe. The vines constricted tightly, crushing the monster into a pile of stone and dust.

Afterward, Finn walked the girl home. Before going inside, she hugged him. "I know you might not want to talk about it right now, but you don't have to go through this alone. You're my best friend, ——. I care about you." Feeling the warmth of her hug, he tried to respond, but a strange force seemed to prevent him from speaking.

Later, he wandered through the woods as it started to rain. He spotted an abandoned cabin and went inside for shelter. Inside, he was greeted by a large skeleton with glowing green eyes. It spoke: "We are forever intertwined. YOU WILL BE THE NEW KING OF RUIN." Terrified, he tried to run, but the entrance had disappeared.

Just then, he heard the sound of his father playing the viola, which calmed him. He closed his eyes, focusing on the music—until he was rudely awakened.

"WAKE UP, FINN!" Skara yelled, her usual method of waking him up. She noticed he looked more tired than usual. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

With his eyes still closed, he answered, "Yeah, I'm fine, just had a little nightmare." He took a deep breath, then exhaled to calm himself.

Trying to cheer him up, she teased, "Hey, if it would make you feel better, how about I sleep next to you from now on so you won't have any more nightmares?"

Knowing she was joking, he played along. "Okay, that sounds great. How about you start right now?" He grabbed her arm and pulled her into bed, wrapping his arm around her waist while her head rested on his chest. "Ah, you were right. This does feel better," he said, smiling as he successfully turned the tables on her teasing.

Skara blushed. "Uh—I mean—um, I don't think that—uh," she stammered, trying to keep her thoughts from scattering. She was both happy and nervous. When she turned her head to look at him, she saw the smirk on his face and realized what he was doing. Embarrassed, she pulled away and yelled, "Let's just get to school! I don't want to be late!" Her face still red, she stormed out of the room.

Satisfied with his little prank, Finn got up, dressed, and tried to calm the angry Skara. They flew to school together, with Skara still upset. Little did he know that this would be the day his world would collide with something terrible, changing both his school life and personal life forever.

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It was a bright and shining morning. Eda was on the beach with King and Luz. "Well, Luz, did you ever think you'd see something as breathtaking as this?" Eda asked excitedly, in stark contrast to Luz's look of disgust at the sight of a massive dead slug that had washed up on shore.

"I don't like this," Luz replied, shaking her head at Eda's statement.

"Yes, nothing's more inspiring than the trash slug. It makes a life from what others throw away," Eda said poetically. "Until—bam!" She pounded her fist into her palm. "It gets blasted by a wave one day, and croaks from all the salt. Then we get to sell this stuff and eat!" She handed a pickaxe to Luz, trying to get her to do the dirty work.

"Please don't make me," Luz pleaded, too scared to even look at the slug, let alone try to scavenge its body for junk.

King chimed in, "Ah, come on, Luz, it's not every day you get to go to the dump and pick apart a garbage carcass." He then unfolded a beach towel to lay down on.

"Aw, nuts to you both," Eda said, then started mining the slug with the pickaxe.

Not wanting to get any closer, Luz tried to change the subject. "So, Eda, what if we try some new lessons for my apprenticeship? Like reading ancient scrolls, mixing potions, or—"

Eda waved her off, still sorting through the garbage. "That sounds like a bunch of magic school stuff."

"Wait, is there a magic school here? Like winding towers, cute uniforms, dark plots that threaten your life, kinda magic school?" Luz asked, her excitement growing at the thought of a real magic school.

"Uh-huh, and what's worse is they force you to learn magic the proper way," Eda replied, using air quotes around the word proper. "That's probably where Finn is right now, learning instead of helping me out with this, like a good apprentice should."

"Wait, Finn goes to magic school? And he never told me?!" Luz was shocked that her new friend and fellow apprentice had never mentioned this.

"Yeah, apparently his dad's some big shot in the Bard Coven. The reason he's my apprentice is that he wanted to learn more than what the school would allow him to," Eda said, trying to prove that her lessons were superior to the so-called experts. "Magic isn't proper. It's wild and unpredictable, and that's why it's beautiful! I didn't finish school, and look at me!" She gestured to herself, standing in a pile of trash. "Who wouldn't envy where I am right now?" she said, noticing Luz's doubtful expression. "Hey, here's a lesson: a great witch is resourceful." She grabbed Luz's hand and plunged it into a pool of goo. "Like this."

Luz fished something out. "Oh, great, a greasy slime ball," she said sadly, disappointed with Eda's "lesson."

"Use your slime ball wisely, young witch," Eda said in a mock-wise tone. "Back to it—we'll hit the stink nodes first." She returned to the trash heap.

"Actually, if it's okay, I think I'll head home and look at pictures of animals that are still… alive," Luz said, slowly backing away. "Love you, King, you little beach peach," she added, rubbing King's belly as she left.

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Luz was walking through the woods, making her way back home. She started talking to herself, venting about the disappointing magic lessons she was receiving from Eda and complaining about Finn going to an actual magic school, a place she would love to attend. "I can't believe Finn is learning real magic while I'm stuck digging through a pile of garbage on the beach," she grumbled, upset that even though both of them were Eda's apprentices, Finn was experiencing the magical world she always dreamed of.

"You can do it, you can!" Luz suddenly heard a mysterious, encouraging voice. She peeked through the bushes to see a girl with blue hair and round glasses sitting on a rock with a pile of books and a wheelbarrow carrying a big pot.

"Oh, a little witch girl!" Luz thought excitedly. Finally, she had found a witch her age! Sure, Finn was nice, but she wanted to make as many witch friends as possible.

The girl stood up, pacing back and forth. "You can do it! Even if you get a bad grade, it's not a reflection of you as a witch. My parents are right—there are better opportunities on this track. Now get to school," she encouraged herself before accidentally stepping on a flower. Looking down at it with dismay, she sighed, "Oh no! Oh, little friend, I'm sorry." She then used a spell to restore it.

Just then, another wheelbarrow, moving on its own through magic, rolled by with a girl riding on top. This girl had green hair and golden eyes, wearing a gold star on her cowl. She was reading Magic 101 when she noticed the glasses girl. "Willow, wow, you're so unnoticeable I almost rolled into you," she said with a smug smirk.

"Hi, Amity," the glasses girl, now known as Willow, replied, clearly displeased.

"Shouldn't you get to class early to prep your…" Amity started, but was interrupted when the pot from Willow's wheelbarrow toppled over. A purple sludge spilled out, groaning, with an eyeball floating in the middle. Amity glanced at Willow with pity. "Oh, Willow, you don't have anything to show, do you?"

Luz, invested in the conversation, whispered, "Witch drama."

Willow, embarrassed, pulled up her hood and blushed. Amity walked beside her and sighed. "This is why people call you 'half-a-witch' Willow." Then, pointing to her own pot, she added, "Oh, looks like someone wants to say something to you." She snapped her fingers, and suddenly, a purple mud monster rose from the pot and drew a star on Willow's forehead. "Aw, it's like mine," Amity said, gesturing to the gold star labeled Top Student on her cowl. "But much smaller and meaningless. As top student, it's my duty to tell you to keep at it. Even you can get a passing grade someday. Abomination, cower." The creature sank back into the pot as Amity smugly closed the lid. "See you in class, superstar," she said, walking away.

Luz, angry at Amity's behavior, stuck out her tongue at her. Willow, meanwhile, mockingly imitated Amity's tone. "Oh, see you in class, superstar," she muttered, wiping the star from her forehead. Frustrated, she growled, "I hate making abominations. I hate getting bad grades. I can't stand this anymore!" Her eyes began to glow bright green as her anger flared. The flower she had stepped on earlier sprouted large, thorn-covered vines, which spread out and caught Luz, still hiding in the bushes, dragging her towards Willow.

Luz, now tangled in the vines, was scared by the sight of Willow's sudden outburst. Willow finally noticed her, surprised. "Oh no no no no, I'm so sorry!" She quickly commanded the vines to release Luz and had them recede back into the ground.

"It's okay, the vines only went through a few layers of skin," Luz said, brushing it off and not blaming Willow for her outburst.

Willow leaned in closer, examining Luz. "So circley," she remarked, noticing Luz's round ears.

"Eep," Luz squeaked, covering her ears with her hands to hide them.

"You're human? This is astounding! A human on the Boiling Isles!" Willow exclaimed, then bombarded Luz with questions. "How did you get here? What are you doing here?" Just then, the school bell rang. "I'm sorry, I can't stay. I have to go disappoint my teacher. Nice to meet you, human!" she said, waving as she hurried off.

"Wait!" Luz called after her, introducing herself. "I'm Luz, and you're Willow, right? What you did with that flower and those vines was… wow!" she complimented Willow's magic.

Willow smiled at the compliment but then looked down, her expression sad. "Thanks, but I'm not even supposed to do plant magic. My parents put me in the abomination track at school."

Luz ran up to her, excited. "Like, magic school?" she asked eagerly. Willow nodded, and Luz squealed with joy. "That's so cool! I'm so jealous! First, I find out Finn goes to magic school, and now I meet another witch who goes there too! I have a teacher, but her lessons are a bit… untraditional." She gestured vaguely. "In fact, she wouldn't even let me enroll, but I wish I could spend just one day there."

"I wish I could get a passing grade for once," Willow muttered sadly. Then something clicked. "Wait, you know Finn?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah, that sounds like him!" Luz replied, remembering how difficult Finn could be. "But he has his good side. He's honest, to a few people at least. Hardworking, but only when his life's on the line. And he's a good friend." She smiled, recalling when Finn saved her from an octopus demon.

Willow smiled, happy to hear her former friend had found someone. But as memories resurfaced, her face fell. "That sounds great. I'm glad to hea—"

BOOM!

The sudden crash from the sky interrupted her. Luz and Willow were shocked when they heard a voice yelling, "Luz! It's me, Finn! Where are you? Scream if you're getting killed right now!" Finn arrived out of nowhere, sword in hand, ready for battle. "Luz! Answer me! I'm here to—" He cut himself off when he saw Willow. "Willow?" He was stunned. "Okay, what is going on here?"

Luz, equally confused, demanded answers. "That's what I want to know! Why do you look like that? What are you doing here? And how did you know where I was?"

Finn retracted his grass sword and began to explain. "Alright, in order: I use a disguise when I'm with Eda. I rushed over because I thought you were in danger. And I put a spell on you to let me know if you were ever in trouble." He tapped the back of his neck, showing where the spell was. "It only reacts when your heart rate goes up, then it—"

"You WHAT?!" Luz cut him off, furious. "How could you do that without telling me?"

Finn raised an eyebrow. "I did it because, after our last adventure, I knew you'd either wander off, get distracted, run into trouble, or—" He glanced at Willow with a glare. "—meet someone who likes to abandon their friends."

Willow looked away, unable to face him.

"You still can't put spells on people without telling them!" Luz scolded. "I get why you did it, but you need to apologize."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Look, I don't know why you're so mad, but since you're safe, I don't need to be here." He glanced at Luz, then glared at Willow before flying off toward the school. As he flew away, he thought he heard a whisper in the back of his mind.

Luz watched him leave, then turned to Willow, who looked upset. "Hey, don't take what he said to heart. He can be a little emotional sometimes," she reassured her.

"No… that was appropriate for what happened between us," Willow said, looking even sadder as memories of the past resurfaced.

Wanting to change the mood, Luz brightened up. "So, you said you wanted a better grade, right?" She walked over to the abomination goo and began covering herself with it. "What if I became your project?"

"What?" Willow asked, confused.

"Okay, hear me out. I want to go to magic school, and you want a better grade. So, what if I pretend to be your abomination? You get a good grade, and I get to see a real magic school. It's fiendishly clever!" Luz said, smiling proudly at her not-so-perfect plan.

Willow thought for a moment. The plan was flawed, but seeing both of her former friends again clouded her judgment. "Okay, let's do it." She extended her hand for a handshake. Luz shook it, but when they tried to pull apart, their hands were stuck together.

"Oops, abomination goo," Luz said sheepishly. The plan was already falling apart before it even began.

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Willow wheeled in Luz, who was inside a pot with the lid cracked open, eager to finally see a real-life magic school. Willow began introducing the school. "Welcome to Hexside School of Magic and Demonics. Remember to stay hidden, okay?"

"Uh, Willow?" Luz stopped her before she could go any further.

"Yes, what is it?" Willow was curious about what Luz wanted to ask.

"Is it normal for the school to be on fire?" Luz asked, confused by what she was seeing.

"What?" Willow peeked over the pot, which had been blocking her view, and saw a trail of green fire starting at the school's gate and leading all the way to the entrance of the main building. "What happened here?!" she exclaimed, surprised at the state of the school.

"Hey! Willow!" Skara called out to her. Upon hearing her name, Willow quickly signaled for Luz to hide back in the pot. "Willow, do you know what happened to Finn?" Skara asked, clearly concerned for his well-being.

"No, what happened? I just got here," Willow said, pretending not to know about her and Finn's earlier interaction.

"Well, a few minutes ago, Finn and I got to school. Then, he said he had some important business to take care of," Skara explained, worried. "When he came back, he was furious—so angry that every step he took set something on fire." She was freaking out, as she had never seen him so angry before. "I tried asking what was wrong, but all he did was mutter your name and something about betrayal." She looked at Willow, hoping she could shed some light on the situation.

Willow finally admitted, feeling guilty. "I think I know what happened, but I don't think anyone can stop this. He has to calm down on his own, so just leave him be, and the fires should put themselves out." She walked away, saddened by what she had just heard.

As they headed towards the entrance, Luz popped out and asked with concern, "Hey, are you okay? I mean, I knew he had a mean streak, but I didn't know he could take it this far." She gestured to the green flames surrounding them.

"It's something that happens whenever he sees me or Amity. Usually, it just ends with a glare and him walking away. But you're right, he's never taken it this far before. Something else must have triggered him," Willow replied, still unable to look Luz in the eye. "The best thing to do right now is to let him cool off. He doesn't get this angry twice in one day, so we should be fine if he sees me again."

Luz nodded in agreement.

Willow headed to her locker to grab her books when she suddenly bumped into her friend from the illusion track. He was distracted, reading a magazine. "Willow, you won't believe what I read about humans—they—" He cut himself off as he noticed the green fire surrounding them. "What happened to the school?!" he asked, panicked that he had almost walked into the flames.

"Nothing important you need to worry about," Willow said, trying to play it off and calm him down.

Believing her, he continued his rant. "Okay, so did you know that humans nail barbed wire into their kids' teeth? But why? Maybe to make them magnetic." He pondered the absurdity of it all.

"Actually, it's for storing treats," Luz answered from inside the pot.

Realizing she couldn't lie well, Willow decided to tell her friend the truth. "Okay, Augustus, I'm going to tell you something, but you have to be cool."

"I can be spool—I-I mean cool."

"Okay, abomination, rise," Willow commanded. Luz then rose out of the pot, covered in abomination goo.

"Tada! I'm an abomination!" Luz exclaimed.

Willow scolded her. "Luz, that's not how an abomination acts."

Gus, shocked, stared at Luz. "No, no, it can't be…"

Willow explained, "He's the president of the Human Appreciation Society. Most witches wouldn't be able to recognize a human right away, but Augustus is an expert." She introduced her friend to Luz.

Gus looked at Luz, then asked, "Where are your gills?"

Luz didn't answer directly. "I knew an Augustus back in the human world. We called him Gus."

"Gus? A human nickname? Gus! Call me Gus. Wow, this is the best day of my life!" Augustus said excitedly. Just then, the bell rang. "I have to get to spelling class. See you guys at lunch!" He rushed off to his class.

"Alright, back into the darkness you go," Willow ordered, and the abomination Luz hissed in response.

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Finn was spiraling, unable to understand why he was so angry. Sure, he had thought about setting Willow and Amity on fire a few times, but he would never actually act on it. As much as he wanted to make them suffer, he knew that hurting them just because he was hurt didn't make things fair. "Calm down, breathe in and out," he told himself, trying to calm down so the fires would go out. With a frustrated expression, he muttered, "I don't like it, but I need to apologize to both Willow and Luz for my outburst." He glanced around the classroom. "And apologize to Principal Bump, too, so he doesn't expel me for all of this." Finally calm enough, he could admit his mistakes.

Skara walked into the classroom, giving Finn a concerned look before whispering, "You can talk to me about anything, alright?" She offered a small smile to show she cared.

Finn smiled back, appreciating the sentiment. "Thanks, Skara. I can always count on you to be there for me."

The teacher entered the room with an announcement. "Class, today is free study. I need to help with some school paperwork. The previous teacher handling it came down with common mold." With that, the teacher left the classroom, and the students immediately began doing whatever they wanted—Finn included.

"Hey, Skara," Finn called.

"Yeah, Finn? What do you need?" she replied.

"How do you say sorry to someone when all you were trying to do was protect them?"

Skara thought for a minute. "Well, knowing you, you probably had good intentions, but your way of doing it was wrong, wasn't it?" Finn nodded. "So, just apologize for being an idiot. Oh, and getting a gift never hurts, either." She giggled at how clueless he seemed about apologies.

Finn sighed. "Guess I know what to do today." He then put his arm around her. "You really do complete me, don't you? That's what I love about you." He yawned. "Alright, I'm going to sleep until lunch. Can you wake me up then?" Finn placed a pillow on his desk—one he always carried for boring classes—then rested his head and fell asleep.

Skara's face turned bright red. Did she hear him right? He actually said he loved her. Her mind went blank, replaying that word over and over again.

Meanwhile, Finn quickly drifted into sleep, only to open his eyes and find himself back in the void. "What is it this time?" he asked, having grown used to these nightmares. Now, all he wanted was to solve whatever problem was haunting him so he could get some rest. "Hey!" he called out into the void. "I know you're there!" He addressed the presence in his dreams. "I read about something like you. The book said you're probably some kind of curse."

"HOW DARE YOU COMPARE ME TO SOME TRIVIAL CURSE!" a voice boomed angrily. "I am something more, something—"

"Annoying," Finn interrupted.

"What?"

"You heard me! I haven't had a good night's sleep in days!" Finn shouted, furious at the source of his nightmares. "Now show yourself so I can end this and finally sleep!"

"Very well, child." Finn heard heavy footsteps approaching. From the darkness emerged a large skeleton with twisted horns and glowing green eyes. "So, we finally reunite. It only took you seven years."

Finn was startled. He had never seen anything so powerful. "What are you? What do you mean by reunion? And what do you mean seven years?" he asked, hoping for answers.

"I am The Lich, a being of great power," the figure responded, exuding an aura of death and destruction. "We made a deal long ago, but you can't remember because of your condition." The Lich tapped his skull.

Finn touched his head. "You know what happened to me? What caused my amnesia?" he asked, surprised to be so close to getting answers about his past. "Tell me what happened. How did I lose my memories? What's my real name?"

The Lich stared at him for a few seconds, then laughed. "Hahahaha! Now is not the time for questions. But soon, all will be answered." He began stepping back into the darkness, his glowing eyes the only thing visible. "One word of advice," the Lich said before disappearing completely. "Stay close to the girl. She has what you seek."

"Hey, wait! What girl? Who are you talking abou—" Before Finn could finish his question, the school bell rang loudly, snapping him awake. He looked around, realizing he was back in the classroom.

"Hey, you alright? You're sweating like crazy," Skara asked, noticing Finn's shaken state.

"I'm okay," he sighed, trying to relax. "Just hungry. I didn't have breakfast this morning," he said, glancing at her. "Because someone here wanted to get to school early," he teased, trying to ease the tension.

"Well, if you hadn't been playing games all night, you might've had time for breakfast," she shot back, still annoyed about the morning.

Not wanting to drag things out, Finn stood up. "Okay, apology accepted. Now let's go get something to eat already." He walked out of the room.

As they entered the hallway, Finn heard Skara yelling behind him, "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO APOLOGIZE TO ME, JERK!" He smirked, pleased that he could still annoy her without even trying too hard.

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Finn was walking towards the cafeteria, feeling surprisingly refreshed after his nap, despite the nightmare. No schoolwork helped balance things out, and the day was turning out okay, despite how it started. Shaking off the negative thoughts, he pushed open the cafeteria doors, only to be greeted by someone yelling, "I saw that!"

He glanced over to see Amity standing on top of a table where Willow and a kid from the Illusion track were seated. Of course, the two people he least wanted to deal with right now were in the same place. Great. Amity got in Willow's face. "Abominations don't eat." She peered into a pot. "I know you're in there! You can't hide from me! What are you? Who are you?" She grabbed Willow's abomination project and began shaking it. Finn quickly recognized Luz, covered in abomination goo. It didn't take long for him to piece together that Luz must have snuck into the school to learn magic. He couldn't blame her—he had been Eda's apprentice for a while now, and learning from her required a lot of patience. Amused, he watched the strange plan unfold as Amity yelled at Luz, who put on a dumbfounded face to sell the act. "I want answers!"

"Amity Blight!" Professor Hermonculus called out, snapping Amity out of her tirade.

"Huh?" Amity was dumbstruck, a look of fear crossing her face as she realized what the scene must look like to an outsider.

Hermonculus, carried by his abomination, moved closer to the table. "I suspected a twinge of jealousy, but this? This is just sad."

"But I—no, look at it!" Amity stammered, still holding onto Luz's collar.

Hermonculus had enough. "Report to Principal Bump's office. Now!"

Amity stormed off, catching sight of Finn standing at the door. He smirked at her misfortune, and she returned the look with a glare before marching toward the principal's office.

Slightly pleased by the outcome, Finn made his way over to the table where Willow, Luz, and the Illusion track kid sat. "Willow," he called, catching her off guard. "You, me, and your abomination need to talk now." He picked up the wheelbarrow and headed out of the cafeteria. Willow and Gus exchanged glances before following him. Finn led them to one of the few empty classrooms, the Abomination 101 room. Once inside, he set down the wheelbarrow and opened the pot. "Out. Now."

Luz climbed out, wearing a strained smile. "Hey there, buddy." She was clearly nervous, unsure of what would happen next. Her confusion grew when Finn walked right up to her and gave her a hug.

"Ah, what's going on here?" Luz asked, bewildered by the situation.

"I'm sorry," Finn said, letting out a breath.

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry about this morning." He separated himself from her before continuing. "I shouldn't have cast that spell without asking you first." He then turned to Willow. "And I promise to work on my temper, especially around unpleasant company." He frowned, clearly holding back harsher words.

Luz smiled. "Apology accepted." She hugged Finn.

When the hug ended, Finn looked around. "Alright, now that the fun's over, we need to sneak you out of here, Luz. You, me, Willow, and… uh, what's his name?"

"Gus," Willow answered.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. You, me, Willow, and Goops need to get you out of here."

"But why? The disguise is working. No one knows I'm not an abomination," Luz said, pleased that one of her plans had worked for once.

"Okay, let me just tell you—if you get caught, you will—" Finn was cut off when the door to the classroom opened.

Amity stood in the doorway and stepped aside to let Principal Bump in. "Good afternoon, students," he greeted.

"Good afternoon, Principal Bump," everyone responded, trying to keep calm.

Luz quickly went back into abomination mode, hoping not to get caught. Bump approached her, examining Luz more closely. "Abomination, rise. Abomination, lie," he commanded.

Luz panicked, spouting nonsense. "Uh, viral fame is a worthy pursuit, your cat would never eat you if it got the chance, chemtrails are—"

Bump interrupted. "Oh no, abomination. How strange to get the command wrong. I mean, lie down." He pointed to an empty table. Luz complied, lying down on it. "So lifelike. When Miss Blight told me about your abomination, I had to see it for myself."

"I-I-I have her list of ingredients right here," Willow stammered, searching her pockets.

Bump raised his hand. "No need. We were hoping for a closer look." He pulled out a dagger from his sleeve. "Willow, I'll allow you the first cut."

"Uh, you can't just cut open a human, can you?" Willow protested as Luz fearfully shook her head.

Finn's mind raced, trying to come up with a plan. Then he spotted Eda outside the window, peeking into another classroom. It would probably make her mad, but desperate times called for desperate measures. "Principal Bump!" Finn called out.

"Yes, Mr. Whispers?"

"I believe I see a known criminal outside the window," Finn said, pointing to Eda. "I think you should handle this as soon as possible."

Bump approached the window and spotted Eda. "You're right, Mr. Whispers. I'll notify security, but for now, Willow, proceed."

"EVERYBODY, STOP!" Finn shouted, raising his hands to get their attention. "I have something important to say." He stepped closer to Willow and Luz, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "And that is… LADY! FLASHBANG! NOW!" The room was suddenly filled with a bright flash of light, giving Finn enough time to drag both girls out of the classroom.

Amity was the first to recover. "They're getting away!" she yelled.

"They won't get far," Bump said as he activated the school's security system, initiating a lockdown.

Still carrying Luz and Willow, Finn found the hallway blocked by walls of red light. "Alright, I got us this far. Anyone have any ideas?" he asked.

Luz perked up. "Willow, can you use some plant magic to break through the walls?"

"Um, maybe, but I'm not sure," Willow said, doubting herself. "Amity was right. I'm just half a witch."

"You're a full witch, Willow, and a great one," Luz encouraged. "Someone once told me great witches are resourceful." She emptied her pockets, searching for something useful.

Willow spotted a slime ball. "That's it."

"You mean that greasy slime ball?" Luz asked.

"It's a seed!" Willow exclaimed. "Thank goodness you had it."

"Yeah, good thing someone told me to hang onto it," Luz muttered, realizing Eda's lessons were paying off.

"Hey, I hate to interrupt your life lesson, but we're still in trouble!" Finn shouted, fending off the abominations.

"Right, sorry!" Willow cast a spell on the seed. "Please grow!" Vines erupted from the seed, destroying most of the abominations and trapping Bump against the ceiling.

"Remarkable," Bump muttered, awestruck by the scene. Thorny vines covered the atrium as flower petals rained down like confetti. The lockdown lifted, and the entrance was clear.

"Alright, Willow, you did it!" Finn cheered, patting her on the back. Realizing what he'd done, he quickly regained his usual composure. "Let's go!"

They sprinted toward the door, but their path was blocked by Amity. "Not so fast," she snarled, holding a torn vine in her hand. "I'm not letting you get away. I. WANT. MY. BADGE. Abominations, seize them!" Her abominations surrounded the group.

Fed up with the chaos, Finn's eyes glowed green. "Stop." Everyone froze in place. "I can hold Amity back, but not for long. Run, Luz!"

"No way! I'm not leaving you two behind!" Luz protested.

"Willow, drag her out with the vines!" Finn ordered.

"Okay!" Willow's vines lifted Luz and carried her out of the school just as the doors slammed shut.

"Don't worry, guys! I'll get help!" Luz shouted as she ran off to find Eda.

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Eda and King stood in front of The Owl House, both looking a little worse for wear. They were talking about some sort of bet they had made earlier in the day. If Finn were there, his past experiences would tell him it was likely a reckless and most definitely life-threatening bet. Suddenly, they noticed Luz running toward them in the distance.

"Eddddaaaaaaaaa!" Luz cried out as she ran up to hug Eda, who was holding King.

"Hey, hey, hey! What is this?" Eda said, confused by the sudden hug. "Ugh, I never understand when you do this."

"It actually worked! The junk in my pocket saved my life!" Luz exclaimed. Then, remembering why she had rushed home, she put both hands on her cheeks. "Wait, Finn and my new friends—they're in danger!"

"Luuuuzzzzz!" Willow called out, running toward her with Gus right behind. Finn was walking slowly, clearly exhausted by yet another one of Luz's schemes. Willow and Gus both hugged Luz, relieved that everyone was safe.

"Seriously, what is that?" Eda asked, gesturing to the two kids.

Ignoring her, Willow excitedly announced, "You won't believe it, Luz—everything is perfect now!"

"It's true, I don't believe it," Luz said, agreeing without knowing what Willow meant.

"Principal Bump was so impressed by my plant magic that he's switching me to the Plant Magic track! Look!" Willow twirled, and the sleeves of her uniform changed from abomination purple to plant green.

"Yes! Whooo!" Luz cheered. "Oh, what about Amity?"

Gus explained, "Last we saw, she was asking Bump if today could count as extra credit."

"The perfect princess always gets her way." Finn said while yawning.

"Well, I can't wait to see everyone in action the next time I sneak in," Luz said with a grin.

"Sorry to say this, Luz," Finn spoke up. "But according to Bump, you are officially banned." He unrolled a piece of paper with her face on it, the word "BANNED" printed boldly across the top.

"That's my girl," Eda said proudly, grinning at her apprentice.

Willow placed a hand on Luz's shoulder. "We could come here and teach you what we learn."

"Aww, that would be nice, but I have a pretty great teacher already," Luz replied with a smile.

"Yeah, that's right! Luz is my student," Eda declared.

"Ahem," Finn cleared his throat.

"I mean, Finn and Luz are both my students," Eda quickly corrected herself. "So back off, academy twerps!" Luz, Willow, and Gus all giggled at her. "Ah, baby's first wanted poster," Eda said, patting Luz's head. "Good job, kid—looks like I taught you something after all."

Finn looked at the scene, feeling content. So much had changed for him since meeting Luz, and he thought back to what The Lich had said: 'Stay close to the girl; she has what you seek.' Contemplating what he should do from here, he decided not to dwell on it for now. He didn't want to spoil the moment, so he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and chose to enjoy the fun everyone was having.