Is this mama ready for trauma? You'll find out soon enough. -Mal.

I woke up to the sound of Hooty beating the crap out of Lilith. "Hooty. Oh, you're a thorn in my side." Eda said to herself. "But you always dig your way into my heart." "Morning, Eda." I greeted. "Ooh, magic 'sghetti." Luz said, looking inside Eda's cauldron. "Hey. That 'sghetti is witch's wool." Eda explains. "It repels powerful spells. Every witch worth their salt has a cloak made from this stuff." "I'm worth salt." We replied. "I want cloak." "Easy, kiddos. With the Emperor's goons at my doorstep, I need this for protection." Eda explains. "They've really stepped up their attacks lately." "I think I finally understand why the Emperor wants you so badly." Luz said. "He's got the hots for you, doesn't he?" "Seriously?" I asked. "No, Emperor Belos wants to control all wild magic through his coven system." Eda replied. "He ordered my capture years ago because I refused to fall in line." "And he won't stop until he's got you." I commented. "Aw, don't sound so worried. I'm a master escape artist. The only thing that can slow me down is my curse, and that hasn't bothered me for weeks." Eda said as many feathers grew out of her skin. "Uh, oh." Eda starts transforming into the Owl Beast. "Oh, shit!" I yelled. "Peter, King!" Luz called. "Get the elixir, now!"

We grabbed as many elixirs as we could and gave them to Eda. "Oh, thanks for this." Eda sighed in relief. "And those." "Hey, your gem." Luz gasped, noticing the gem was both black and gold. "It's still dark." "Uh, no it's not! You're nuts!" Eda lied, hiding the gem behind her scarf. "The curse has been getting worse, and you've been hiding it." I gasped. "Ah, you're right." Eda sighed. "It's taking more elixir to turn me back, and more magic to keep the curse from rearing it's feathery head." "What happens if you use your magic up? Do you die?" Luz asked. "No, jeez. You're morbid!" Eda exclaimed. "I just kind of, sort of, turn into the Owl Beast forever. It's a fate much worse than death if you think about it." "We can't let that happen." I said. "Luz and I will do something about it. We'll find a cure, and then..." "Hey, don't worry. I just have to limit my magic use a little." Eda interrupted. "Go on, do the parallel arm thing." Luz and I hugged Eda. "King demands huggies, too!" King exclaimed. "Okay, it's time for school." She grunted. "Have a good day." "Get rest. Drink lots of water." Luz explains. "Stay out of the sun. Lift your knees, not..." Calm down, Luz." I laughed. "Eda's not a vampire."

On our way to school, Luz and I were still worried about Eda. "Poor Eda. Enemies everywhere, even her own body." Luz sighed. "I wish we could help her." "Is Hooty having a tea party with the Emperor's guard?" I asked, revealing Hooty behind the bushes. "The roughhousing was fun, but I like this part of our play dates even better." Hooty said as we ran to school.

As we arrived, our ride for our field trip was about to leave. "Guys, you ready for the field trip of a lifetime, to the one, the only, Emperor's castle?" Gus asked. "Right, we were actually gonna stay behind." Luz replied. "Peter and I don't like the way they treat Eda." "But, you're gonna miss out on all the cool stuff." Gus said. "Like what?" I asked. "Like ancient relics." Willow explains. "Look! It's the Plant Coven's Green Thumb Gauntlet, it can grow whatever you imagine." "And the Oracle Sphere. It shows you which path will help you become your best self." Gus added. "The Healing Hat. Made from the magic of the Savage Ages. It is said to cure the deadliest diseases and heal any curse?" Luz read. "Yeah, you can't miss this." Willow said. "All aboard, students." Principal Bump said. "Do you think this is a good idea?" I asked Luz. "Eda's done so much for us." Luz replied. "Let's do something for her."

While we were on the carriage, Luz wrote down a plan on her notepad. "Hey, guys." Willow said. "What was that, Willow?" Luz asked. "I was just saying we're getting close to the castle." Willow replied. "Emperor Belos built it as a symbol of unity. Before he came to power, folks were doing magic all wrong. He taught us that the only way to respect what the Titan gave us, is through joining covens."  "I do like the view from up here." I said. "It's a shame Amity and Alexa couldn't make it. They'd both love this trip."

Alexa's POV

So, to make a long story short, Mom grounded me after I "Let Amity hurt her leg". For my punishment, I was forced to stay home with Amity, missing the trip to the Emperor's castle. "Shut up." Amity said to her Emperor's Coven poster. "Do you want that poster covered up for now?" I asked. Amity nodded.

Peter's POV

"So, Willow, would you say this Belos guy is, like, powerful?" Luz asked. "No offense to Eda, but the Emperor is the most skilled witch that's ever lived." Willow replied. "He can even talk to the Titan." The castle gates opened as soon as we landed. "Now, the Emperor's assistant will be your tour guide." Bump explains. "Please don't make me regret taking you here." "Children of Hexside, Emperor Belos welcomes you to his castle." The assistant said. "We're honored by visits from students. You'll soon be part of a coven. Some lucky few might even find their home here, in the Emperor's Coven. You are the future of the Isles. My job is to teach you it's past."

The assistant, who calls herself Kikimora, led us inside the castle for the tour. "Today, the Isles are a place of peace and prosperity, but that wasn't always the case." Kikimora said. "Up until 50 years ago, witches and demons practiced wild magic during what we called the Savage Ages. Witches had access to corrupt knowledge, and that dishonored the Titan. That was until our great Emperor ascended to the throne and taught witches how to use magic properly. Our next stop is the Emperor's personal collection of relics." "Oh, guys, you'll like this." Willow said. "It's where... Huh!" Luz was trying to pry open the vents. "Love me a properly ventilated castle." Luz lied.

Kikimora led us to the next room, where the hat was being held. "The Relic Room. These items are reminders of our great Emperor's overwhelming power." Kikimora explains. "From the curious and mighty, to the very handy, and even the most valuable. Come along, children." Before Luz could grab the hat, Gus dragged us to our group. "C'mon, guys." He said.

While Kikimora was in the hallway with us, she showed us around. "Here at the Emperor's Coven, we require members with sophistication, elegance, and grace." Kikimora said. All of a sudden, Lilith came into the castle, still covered in feathers. Luz and I hid behind the wall as Lilith walked inside. "Make way for Miss Lilith Clawthorne, students." Kikimora explains. "Yes. And if I'm not mistaken, she's on her way to see the Emperor himself. Let's all wish her luck." "Good luck, Miss Lilith." "Thank you, students." Lilith replied. "Good luck with puberty."

As Kikimora took the rest of the class on the tour, I snuck away with Luz, secretly following Lilith. We listened to her conversation behind the door. "I am at your service, Emperor Belos." Lilith said. "Just a moment, Lilith." He replied, destroying a palisman and poured its magic in his eyes. "Ah, that's better." Luz was disgusted and quickly ran away with me.

We had to check if Bump noticed we were gone. "Please don't notice we're gone." I whispered. "Please don't notice we're, boarding the bus?" Willow tapped my shoulder. "You were planning on taking The Healing Hat, weren't you?" She asked. "You got us. But you don't understand." Luz sighed. "Eda has this curse and it's zapping away her magic, and..." "Guys, no matter what, you can't steal this hat." Willow interrupted. "But we can borrow it." Gus added. "Hey, I wanted to say that." Willow laughed. "We learned about Eda's curse from your notes. We're totally gonna help you." "Thanks, guys. I know exactly what we gotta do." I said. "It's time for a badass heist."

After distracting the guards, we snuck into the Relics Room so we could grab the hat for Eda. "Healing Hat, your Eda's last hope." Luz said. "I can feel the magic flowing." "Me too." Gus replied. "Finally, I'll know how to become my best self." "You're always your best self." Oracle Gus replied. Gus started crying. Willow used the gauntlet just for fun. "Now we can get this hat back before anyone knows it's gone." Luz explains. "I will know." I heard Emperor Belos say. "We need to go, now!" I panicked. But it was too late. The doors were blocked off, but Willow used the gauntlet to create an escape. "Come on, let's go!" Luz shouted, but Lilith stopped us, lowering our hoods. "Why, if it isn't Eda's human pets. How perfect." Lilith said. "Aren't I lucky to find you here." "Stay away!" I warned. "If you touch us, Eda will come after you so fast..." "That's the plan." Lilith replied. "Run, guys!" Willow shouted, using the gauntlet, but failed. Gus was also shoved aside. "Now, that doesn't belong to you." Lilith said, destroying the hat. "You psychotic bitch!" I yelled. "We were gonna use that to heal your sister!" "Huh, these decrepit relics are useless." Lilith explains, grabbing both of us. "If you want to see your friend again, deliver this to Edalyn." She sent Willow and Gus on her palisman to the Owl House.

After trapping us in a magic sphere, Lilith brought us outside, where she was about to duel with Eda. "Eda!" Luz and I shouted. "You can have them back, provided you do as I say." Lilith said. "Renounce your wild ways and join the Emperor's Coven. He can help heal your curse." "Don't believe everything that bonehead tells you." Eda grunted. "He doesn't want to heal me. He wants to control me." "Then I will take you in by force!" Lilith shouted. "You've always looked down on me because I'm wild, but fortunately, that just made me work harder than you." Eda argued, beginning their duel. As they were fighting, Luz and I were almost killed. Lilith even tried using our trap as a shield. "Stop hiding behind Luz and Peter, you coward!" "It's sad to see you slowing down, sister." Lilith said, catching her breath. "Tell me, is it the curse?" Eda's gem became darker. "Eda, your gem!" Luz shouted. "Maybe it is the curse. But then how pathetic are you that you can't best me at my worst." Eda replied to her sister, fighting again. "Luz, maybe we can destroy the shield." I said. Both of us hit the shield against a spike and broke free. "You always thought you were better than me, that I could never beat you in anything." Lilith said. "I am better than you!" Eda argued. "Than why were you so easy to curse?!" Lilith asked. We all gasped. The person in that vision of Eda, was Lilith the whole time. Why would she curse her own sister? "And I have the power to remove it if you would just let me explain." Eda was too angry and charged at Lilith. "Eda, stop!" Luz cried. "Your magic!" "Humans, that orb was for your protection." Lilith pushed us off the bridge. "Luz, Peter!" Eda shouted. "Eda, stop. You'll run out of magic." I warned. "It's my power. And before both of you showed up, I spent my whole life wasting it." Eda confessed. "Besides, I'd give up all my magic just to protect my son!" "Mom?" I whimpered. "Yes." Eda sighed as her curse was taking over her. "Eda! No!" Luz cried. "Alright, kids, listen to me. I'm going away, and I don't know if I can bounce back this time." Eda said. "Watch over King, remember to feed Hooty." "Please, no!" We cried. "And, kids, thank you, for being in my life." Eda whimpered as she used the last of her magic to summon Owlbert and send us to her. "Mom!" I shouted as she was transforming into the Owl Beast. Permanently. Before Eda could attack us, Lilith held her back. "Come along, sister." Lilith said. "Now we can let the healing begin." "YOU FUCKING MONSTER!" I screamed, trying to take down my aunt. "Leave, humans." Lilith ordered, capturing Owlbert. "Edalyn is finally with her family. Her real family. Go back to your world. This one is ours."

Luz and I had a long walk back to the Owl House. I was in shock. Eda was my mother the whole time, and now she was probably going to get probed. "Peter, are you okay?" Luz asked. "No. The day I finally discovered who my mom was is the saddest day of my life." I cried. Luz hugged me. "My head is spinning and I don't know who I am anymore." We got back to the house and we were greeted by Hooty. "Oh, Luz, Peter, there you are." Hooty said. "Hi, Hooty." Luz greeted, opening the door to see a cake and two cloaks. "The cake is me!" King gasped for air. "Hey, um, where's Eda?" "King." I cried. "Eda's gone."