King begged Eda to take him to the playground one day. "What if he gets hurt? What if the kids are mean to him?" Luz asked. "Are you kidding me? Those kids should be bowing to him." I explained." "My parental instincts are freaking out, man!" Luz panicked. "He's fine, look at him." Eda replied, pointing at King, who was climbing the slide. "He does look like he's having fun." Luz said. "I wonder what cute little game he's playing?" "Stand back, cretins!" King shouted at the kids. "Yes! This is a throne worthy of a tyrant! Bow to me, you snotty underlings. Bow!" The kids bowed to him until a kid pushed King down the slide. "Eda! That monster took my throne!" King cried. "You mean the baby?" Eda asked. "No, the usurper." King corrected. "I want you to go over there and blow him up. Kaboom!" "Yeah, I'm not using Owlbert to blow up a 5 year old." Eda declined. "He's got better things to do. Like this..." Owlbert rubs his head against Eda's hands as she scratched his head. "Aw, what a sweetie." Luz cooed. "How'd you get him anyway?" I asked. "Get? I made Owlbert, from a branch of an ancient tree." Eda explains. "Ah, he's my palisman and we're bonded for life. I'd annihilate anyone who'd hurt him." "Fine, don't help. Revenge will taste all the sweeter if they fall by my hand alone." King laughed. "Tag, you're it." The kid said, pushing King to the ground. "Oh, man. Here we go." Eda smiled. "King's squeak of rage." King squealed and ran back to the playground. "Kinda reminds me of a tea kettle." I said. "Hey, what's that?" Luz asked, pointing at Owlbert's feet. "That's his interlock, so he only fits under my staff." Eda explains. "Every palisman has one." All of a sudden, Eda zoned out until she was passed out on the park bench. "What the hell?"I asked. "Eda?" "Eda!" Luz cried, waking her up. "Are you alright?" "What?" Eda wondered. "Oh, no. The curse. We gotta get home, now." "King, finish your shit!" I called. "We're leaving!" "Five more minutes, please." King begged. "King!" Luz called. "Ah, man. This isn't over." King threatened the kid.

As we got back, Eda laid down on the couch. "I'll go grab your elixir." I said. "Don't worry about it." Eda explains. "I'll get it myself in a bit." "Do you need us to stay home and take care of you?" Luz asked. "I can put King in a little doctor's outfit." "No one wants to see that." Eda replied. "I do." Luz sighed. "Look, I know how to take care of myself. I've had this curse longer than both of you've been alive." Eda said. "So, how'd you get it?" I asked. "I don't know. Somebody gave it to me, I don't know who, and I don't care, because I'm fine, alright?" Eda explains. "Anyways, don't you two have plans with Tweedledum and Twerpledee?" "Well, Willow, Gus, Peter, and I are going to the grudgby game between Hexside and Glandus High." Luz explains. "Since when are you two into sports?" Eda asked. "Since I found a little something called "Hexside pride."" Luz replied. "Argh, to think that Glandus, whoever they are would dare face us." "I just like to see people get hurt in sports." I added. "But, if you need us to stay..." "Gross. Sympathy. Go. Go have fun at sport." Eda groaned. "Hooray for sport!" Luz exclaimed as we left.

Once we got to Hexside, Luz was practicing some cringy chants. Behind the shuttle, we saw Willow and Gus. "Happy game day fellow..." Luz wondered. "Are we Hexsidians? Hexies? Hexoleos?" "Actually, most people call us winners." Willow explains. "Grudgby games are the best, the players go through these action packed trials, and the audience gets to wave flags. Look! I even practiced." Gus added, pulling out some flags and waving them around. "Is it weird that neither of us are wearing Hexside?" I asked. "Um, it's weirder that Luz is wearing Glandus colors." Willow replied. "Get ready to be creamed, Glandus nerd!" One student teased Luz. "Hey! I'm a Hexside nerd!" Luz called. "Gotta change out of this shirt. Where can I find a Hexside one?" "I know, there's a lost and found box in the cafeteria." Gus said. "You mean the place where mouth guards go to retire?" I asked. "No thanks." But that didn't stop Luz for dashing into the school. "Go Hexside!" Luz cheered, doing the splits. "Well, I never did that before. Where is everyone?" "Bus already left." I explained. "Why didn't you guys board the bus?" Luz asked. "We weren't going to leave you behind." Willow replied. "I was." Gus said as Willow nudged him in the shoulder. "Luz, us weirdos have to stick the fuck together." I added. "Is there any chance we could walk to Glandus?" "We'd never make it in time." Gus replied. "Glandus is all the way out in the middle of the island." "Typical Glandus." Luz grunted. "And my parents are working, otherwise I'd see if they could give us a ride on their staff." Willow added. "A staff. Because staffs fly." Luz said. "Of course I can get us a staff." "You can?" Gus wondered. "Of course, c'mon!" Luz exclaimed, taking us back towards The Owl House.

Luz and I headed upstairs to Eda's room to see if we could borrow her staff. "King, are you home?" Luz asked. King was slowly walking away from the bedroom. "Is Eda up?" "Who? Oh! That Eda." King chuckled nervously. "No. No, she is out like a light. Oh, man, can she snore." "Well, we were gonna ask if we could borrow her staff, but I'm sure she needs her rest." I explained. "Oh, I'm sure it's fine. It's fine. Just take it." King said, handing us the staff. "We can't, not without Eda's permission." Luz explains as Eda screamed. "Welp, there's your permission, off you go." King said. "We really owe Gus and Willow one, and it's just for the afternoon." I sighed. "I'm sure Eda wouldn't mind." Luz added. "Not our generous, kindhearted Eda." King said. "Big heart on her." "We'll be back soon." Luz explains. "Close call." King sighed with relief. "What?" I asked. "Nothing." King replied. "Oh, okay." Luz said as we left with the staff.

"To Glandus High!" Luz exclaimed, awakening Owlbert, accidentally hitting his head on the wall. "Oh, sorry, Owlbert. It's okay. We're just on our way to help some friends." "Who's ready to board Air Humans?" I asked. "Feel that power to weight ratio." Willow said. "Boys, it's time to fly." Gus said to his flags. "Next stop, Glandus High!" Luz shouted. "Step on it, Owlbert." As we took off, Owlbert was going out of control. We didn't get very far and ended up landing in the woods. "Is everyone okay?" I asked, hearing Owlbert hooting in pain, detaching from the staff and flying into the woods. "Oh, shit." "Oh, no, Owlbert! Come back!" Luz exclaimed, running after him with us not too far behind. "Owlbert!" "Man, humans can run." Gus panted. "Must be their dorsal fins." "He went through those trees, come on!" I panicked as Willow grabbed my arm. "We have to be careful. It's really easy to get lost in this part of the forest." She warned, faintly blushing. "This is Eda's palisman, Willow, she'll kill us if we don't get it back. Let's go!" Luz shouted.

As we walked through the trees, all we could hear was crunching. "Wow, I keep stepping on a lot of crunchy twigs." Willow said. "Those are bones, Willow." I corrected. "Not if I never look down." Willow replied. "This isn't any kind of forest I'm used to." Luz said. "That's because this isn't a forest." Willow explains as a few familiar faces came walking towards us. "It's a nest. "Hey, I remember you. You're Bat Queen's babies." Luz recalled. "Wait, The Bat Queen?" Gus asked. "I think I'd rather take my chances with Eda." Willow added. "We're looking for a little owl, and..." Luz explains as Owlbert was right behind the babies. "There he is." Owlbert stepped back from us. "Owlbert, thank the lord, you're okay." I gasped. "Come here, buddy. Time to go home." All of a sudden, The Bat Queen guarded Owlbert out of nowhere. "Hello, small humans." The Bat Queen greeted. "It's the..." Willow panicked. "Bat Queen, I know. We kinda babysat her kids once. Don't worry, we got this." Luz explains. "Hiya, BQ. My, your hair is looking greasy. And your kids, they're as hideous as ever." "Huh, that could've gone worse." Gus said. "So, Owlbert ran away and we need to get him back. We're just gonna grab him and we'll be on our way." I continued as The Bat Queen stopped me. "To be careless with a staff, it's very serious." The Bat Queen said. "I protect him." "And thank you for that." Luz thanked. "But he belongs to Eda the Owl Lady, and you owe her one, remember?" "Owl Lady is careless. Her staff left her sight." The Bat Queen explains. "Taken by humans who steals, hurts, frightens." "What the hell are you talking about?" I asked. "He told me all!" She shouted. "Owlbert, we never meant to hurt you." Luz said. "Please trust us." "Trust must be earned, through trials!" The Bat Queen shouted. "Trials?" Gus asked. "Luz, Peter, The Bat Queen is well known for her impossible trials." Willow explains. "I've never heard of anyone winning against her." "But, we have to get Owlbert back. He feels hurt, and he misses Eda." I said, having this weird feeling. "Luz and I accept your challenge." "And we'll be right there with you." Willow explains. "Let the flags raise you up!" Gus added as The Bat Queen trapped him and Willow. "No helpsies." She said. "Now let the trials begin. Milk the spider demon." Luz approached a demon and successfully milked it. "Remove bees nest." The Bat Queen said to me. I climbed a tree where the nest was as it became a giant hornet, but I still took care of it. "Give babies a bath!" She exclaimed. "You gotta be shitting me!" I complained.

Many "trials" later, we finally finished with everything. "Okay, Bat Queen, we finished your chores, and we've proven our dedications to Owlbert." I said. "We're so sorry for the pain that we've caused you, Owlbert." "We promise to be more careful." Luz added. "Will you come home with us?" Owlbert came closer to us, until he's trapped by The Bat Queen. "No, more trials. Last trial. You must face me." She explains, charging toward us. "What?!" Luz and I asked. "No! You will never get him back!" She shouted. "Guys, get us out, we can help." Willow said as we freed them, but the babies began attacking her and Gus. The Bat Queen chased us into the forest. "We won't let you imprison Owlbert." I grunted. As The Bat Queen grabbed onto the staff, Luz noticed something at the bottom of her foot. "Is that an interlock?" Luz asked. "Bat Queen, you used to be on a staff, didn't you? You were a palisman!" The Bat Queen gasped. "You were once a palisman, weren't you?" I questioned. "Yes, I was once part of a grand staff, a staff made for a giant." The Bat Queen replied. "But I was broken, discarded." "So, that's why you're so protective of Owlbert." Luz said. "I protect all!" She shouted. "I made home in forest, I'm here to take the lost. The forgotten." "We understand. But Owlbert is not forgotten. He has someone at home who loves him very much." I explained. "He will not go back with you." The Bat Queen said. "That's not your decision to make!" Luz shouted. "I won't let him!" The Bat Queen argued. Suddenly, Owlbert guarded us, trying to communicate with her. "You... you care for them?" Owlbert nodded and walked towards us. "Very well, go. And take your friends." Willow and Gus ran up to us as the babies left them alone. "I don't think I'll ever be clean again." Gus said. Owlbert grabbed the staff and gave it to Luz. "Bat Queen, do you know what happened to your owner?" I asked. "It has been thousands of years. I have forgotten." She replied. "If you ever want to search for the truth, we'll help you." Luz said. "Thank you." The Bat Queen thanked, flying away with her babies. "I can't believe you guys took on The Bat Queen!" Willow exclaimed. "And we're not dead." Gus added. "Thanks for helping us get Owlbert back." I said. "I'm sorry we missed the game." "Are you kidding? That was better than any grudgby match." Gus explains. "There were action packed trials, I got to do my flag wave, and I'm slightly traumatized. Hooray!" "Let's get this little guy home." Luz said.

Back at The Owl House, Luz grabbed a bandage and placed it on Owlbert's head. "And now you're a part of the boo-boo buddy club." Luz said. "Owlbert, why are you off the staff?" Eda asked. "Luz and Peter took you to get ice cream? Aww, that's a horrible lie. Well, lucky for you, I don't care right now. I'm going to take a nap." "I'll be at the playground." King said. "We'll keep this one to ourselves, shall we?" I whispered.

The Owl House is returning soon! Who's excited? I am! -Mal.