Boiling Gems (The Owl House x Steven Universe)

Summary: A meeting of old friends

"Isn't it beautiful kids?" King heard Eda explain something to the children. He wasn't really paying attention. The ruler of all demons was way too busy sunbathing on the beach to pay attention to anything else.

"A back and forth relationship with the disposable nature of our future society and the all finding growth of old life … it still brings a tear to my eye." Lucci's voice spoke up with an emotional tone.

"…This is a giant dead slug." Luz stated bluntly.

"Oh, this isn't just any old slug Luz." Eda's elated voice spoke up. "It's a trash slug! They gobble the abandoned goodies for nourishment for over two decades, then die on the beach, leaving everything free for salvage!"

"Beach day, the highlight of the entire month!" Lucci wasted no time jumping into the slug guts and pulling out discarded junk. "Half the stuff we don't choose to sell we keep for ourselves. This is how we're able to live like kings!"

"Kings of the trash heap. You're really aiming high there guys." King sarcastically commentated.

"Oh, then I guess we can sell Francois's twin sister." Lucci's teasing voice called out. 

"Don't you dare touch a member of my loyal army! Unhand her, uncultured swine!" King got Francois's sister thrown in his face as a response. "Success! My army grows with every passing day!"

"While adorable, he does have a point." Luz spoke up. "I was expecting some great magical moment for us."

"What, did you think we were going to 'fight gargoyles and rescue a damsel in distress' or something?" Lucci asked.

"No, I thought I would have learned at least one spell as a witch's apprentice within the week I've been here." The human sighed. "Read ancient scrolls or brew potions in a giant black caldron."

"Black caldron's take in too much heat and don't have a long lasting life." Eda answered as she dug around inside of the slug. "Our's is orange. I painted it like a jackolantern as a joke, but after it scared a coven scout I kept the design."

"I still think Steve's terrified of pumpkins to this day." Lucci snickered.

"How does your ecosystem function?" Luz muttered. "The point is I feel more like an unpaid intern than I do an apprentice."

"I pay you with first hand experience." Eda responds, digging her way through the stink nodes of the slug. "If you went to Magic school, you'd be stuck at a desk all day listening to old farts explain it the old and slow way."

Luz fell to the ground. "There's a MAGIC SCHOOL!?"

"Mom, why did you bring that up? You know how impressionable she is."

"Sorry, slip of the tongue. Haven't had enough apple blood to repress the memories." Eda shrugged. 

"There's a MAGIC SCHOOL HERE!?!" Luz repeated. "With giant spiraling towers, cute uniforms, and secret passage ways!?"

"Yes, all the boring stuff they shove down your throat." Eda rolled her eyes. "They trick people into learning magic the 'proper way'. What baloney, Magic's beautiful because it isn't proper. It's wild and unpredictable."

"And thus, school is evil." Lucci finished. "And it's not gonna go well if-" The boy stopped talking, letting out a sigh. "She already left."

"That girl. She just doesn't know when to stop and appreciate the smell of a boiling carcass." Eda shook her head. "You should follow her. She's probably going to get in trouble again, and with you around, she'll at least avoid broken bones."

"That is a good point." He nodded as he jumped off. "But if this hijinks gets us stuck in school, I want lion lickers for compensation."

"Ah, bribery. Blackmail's baby brother. Alright sport, you gotta deal." Eda patted her sons head. "Oh, before I forget…"

"Don't worry, I know a good witch is always resourceful." Lucci cupped both his hands and grabbed a heaping scoop of slime from the discarded guts. "I shall use my slime balls with pride and wisdom."

"Ah, that's my boy." Eda smiled as Lucci walked off. "Now let's see what juicy secrets you hold." She muttered. "Come on, Mama needs a new pair of fake earrings, and a fake arm, fake head wouldn't hurt either."

"You know you're going to lose your pupil if you keep going on with the clueless trash collector shtick." King rolled his eyes. He was usually up for Eda's irresponsible mom routine, but Luz was young and naive, the perfect age for molding and it hurt King to see that potential wasted on Eda.

"Oh, what do you know? I've taught Lucci everything I know and he's turned out perfectly alright."

"He made all the eyeballs fall out of the Healing Coven members last week trying to cover one of your cons."

"Like I said, he's perfectly alright."

King leaned back in his chair, trying to think of a name for Francois's sister. "She did have a point about you not teaching her any actual magic." King paused for a second. "In fact, far as I know, you never taught Lucci any magic either."

"Ah, nonsense." She waved off. "I taught him …" The Owl Lady paused. "… I taught him illusion magic for disguises, right?"

"When was the last time he ever used a disguise that wasn't that rich cat makeup he puts on pretending to be your lawyer?"

"Good point … I taught him how to make potions here and there."

"Yay, the most basic magic that doesn't require a bile sack, good for you." He clapped mockingly. "Still haven't even touched upon Luz."

"It's not that I don't want to teach her, I just have to think outside the box with how I do it." Eda explained. "I'm not even sure it's possible for her ,but if it is, then the last place she's going to learn is in a classroom."

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Luz smiled as she skipped through the woods. "I'm just saying, we could do many things." Lucci tried to interject. "Go to a library, watch an expo, many things are better than school."

"Not magic school." She smiled. "We get to learn everything about the awesome and magical place this world holds."

"But I have been learning about this world and I never went to school." Lucci kept going. "I learned first hand how many teeth a gorgon has by almost getting eaten by one."

"And while that sounds disturbing and fun, I'm talking about steps to become a witch, not a monster Hunter." She continued. "A witch needs a witch teacher after all."

"But mom is teaching you how to be a witch. A wild witch, like how they used to be before Emperor Boolus came into power." 

"Have you ever considered that there's more than one path to take and that I can make my own judgments on the matter?" If Eda was teaching her to have an open mind, then she couldn't just take her at her word, especially with her…non traditional approach.

"Luz, I understand being disappointed with how mom does things sometimes. Do you think I don't get frustrated when I ask every year who my dad is and she never answers?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You don't know who your dad is?" This was news to her. She just assumed he was gone … like hers …

"Not a clue. Hooty gave me a list of all her exes though, so I've been marking them off since I was ten."

Well here was an idea … "Have you considered she's ashamed of him?"

"Ashamed?" Lucci looked curiously. "I'm not sure if that exists in her dictionary..,or if she even owns a dictionary."

"As in someone she wants you to stay away from at all costs." She explained. "Like say … a teacher ?" She wanted to say principal, but shipping FF instincts said otherwise.

"Wow, she would be ashamed of dating a man that brainwashed kids for a living." He nodded. "And if I infiltrate the magic school, I can figure out who he is and beat him up if he's evil."

"Correction, we infiltrate the school, and we have fun while doing it." She smiled. "And beat up evil people."

"Half of my brain says I'm being tricked, but the curiosity side of my mind says I don't care. Alright, let's do this!" And to think Luz was afraid he'd be a spoilsport. "Question is how. I may have something for me, but hiding you is a whole other matter."

"Come on, it can't be that hard." She waved off. "I can be like a chameleon and blend in undetected." She lifted up her hood.

"Not with those ears." The boy pointed out.

"The cat ones or the human ones?"

"Human. And hoods fall off too easily, especially if you're on the run."

Alright, fair point. "Can't you just magic me some new ears or something?"

"Illusion magic isn't my strong suit, I can only cast it on myself." He sighed. 

"You can do it." A new voice piped up in the air.

"A mysterious voice of encouragement?" Luz's attention was immediately drawn into its direction.

"Feels more self deprecating …. And surprisingly familiar." Lucci noted, pointing to some bushes. "Stay down and watch. Always scope the area before entering to counter a trap."

"Does everything you do have some kind of crime analogy?"

"It's how I learned the alphabet. Arson. Blackmail. Criminal. Death. So on and so forth." She really needed to get this boy some more law friendly hobbies.

The two peaked out, watching as a lone girl with glasses messed around with a pot and some goo. "Come on abomination, get back inside …"

"Aww, little witch girl." A very cute looking one too.

"Not exactly the words I use." Lucci grumbled as they continued to watch.

"Come on, don't fall apart on me now. I just want you to stand up decently for once so I get something bigger than an F for once." The girl kept talking to her purple goo, trying to scoop it into the part.

"You know they say one's abomination is essentially a reflection of what we have on the inside." Another witch came in, this one with green hair and a smug smile that just screamed entitlement and elitism. "Half an abomination for half a witch."

"Ooh, little witch bully." The plot thickened.

"Willow and Amity?" Lucci whispered as they kept themselves hidden in the bush. "Why the titan are they both in an abomination class?"

"You know th-" Luz's mouth was covered by Lucci's hand.

"Yeah, someone I chat with now and then, and an old acquaintance who grew up rotten." He answered. "Trust me, it's best to just ditch them here and now, especially if they're together."

"Oooh, this is all a part of your broody emo backstory, isn't it?" Luz smiled cheekily.

"If you drop the emo part, I am willing to accept that question." Hah, her roommate was opening up that shell around him little by little. They were going to become best friends soon, she felt it.

"Awww, is this really the best you could do?" The green girl pointed to the goo the glasses witch had in her hands with a condescending tone. "You can definitely say you didn't put everything you had into it, too bad multiplying by zero doesn't amount to much." They began walking away. "I guess a weakling will stay a weakling no matter what you try."

After a few seconds of leaving, a vine emerged from the ground, stabbing a tree clean through. The glasses girl sighed, once more looking at their pile of goo. "Come on little guy …"

"So the school is definitely around here." Lucci muttered. "We just need to tail her, then we can move in through a window. After which, we'll-"

Luz moved out of the bushes. "Need some help?"

"Ahhhhh!" A huge thick vine shot from the ground and grabbed her by the arms and legs, hanging her upside down.

"I thought you would've learned to listen to me by this point." The boy rolled his eyes. "Hey Willow, mind not squeezing the life out of my roommate?"

"Lucci?" The girl asked in confusion and surprise. "I didn't think you showed up around school."

"Not normally , but circumstances and all that." Lucci shrugged. "Since when do you do abominations? And more importantly, since when do you talk to Amity?"

"Since … none of your business." She argued back, dropping Luz onto the ground.

"Ah, so you're still just following along with everyone else. I almost forgot you had that habit back then."

"Better to listen to my parents than your crazy mom."

"At least I have the freedom to choose what I want instead of forcing myself into a space I don't fit in."

Well this was escalating quickly. It was time to add in her Luz charm as an ice breaker. "So, what's an abomination?" She asked.

"How do you not know what …" Willow paused, staring at her. Then her eyes went wide. "HUMAN!" She jumped back. "Augustus told me all about you! I don't have tomatoes, don't eat me alive!"

"What, no I don't eat people. And I hate tomatoes." Luz shook off the bafflement. "I'm not going to hurt anyone. I'm just a humble human girl traveling your wonderful world, embarking on a quest for knowledge and sorcery!"

"Ie, my naive little roommate who talked me into figuring out if my dad is a teacher at Hexide." Lucci rolled his eyes. "Abominations are basically magic mud people created through a special goo. They do what you tell them without question, and can take on a variety of shapes." He took a look at Willow's goo. "Though they're not supposed to look that…lifeless."

"Hey, he's doing the best he can." Willow justified as the little pile of mud raised a thumb up, before falling apart instantly. "This is hopeless. I'm going to be stuck being half a witch Willow if I turn this in."

"You could always ditch abominations entirely." Lucci deadpanned.

"Hey, there's more career opportunities in abominations than plant magic."

"Really? Because if you're stuck in the middle of the forest, plant magic provides better food than purple mud."

"Not everyone lives like hobos on the run, Lucifer."

"Hey, you guys are missing the obvious solution here." Luz interrupted the arguing match again, grabbing some mud and placing it on her face. "Check it out, Abomination Luz!"

Both witches looked at each other curiously. "She is weird looking enough to pass as one." Lucci observed.

"And I really, really don't want to fail another class and receive another lecture form 'miss perfect student'." Willow nodded in agreement.

"I know right, she's so stuck up." Lucci laughed.

"And the hair dye, she looks like her mom's accessory."

"Haha, already the plan is in motion." Luz smirked. Nothing United people more than a common enemy. "I'll be your abomination, and you can show me the wonders of this magic school." Lucci coughed. "And a possible lead on Lucci's dad."

"Wait, but if you're coming, how are we going to sneak you in?" Willow asked.

"The old fashion way." Lucci's belly glowed as he snapped his fingers, a puff of smoke forming before his clothes turned into a copy of Willow's, except red sleeves instead of purple, and black hair instead of brown. "Lying. I got an acquaintance in the Bard track that can help."

"Oh come on." She patted the boy. "Is it really that hard to say friend?"

The boy looked at her, then started glaring at Willow hatefully. "I don't do friends ." And started walking off.

She stared at Willow questioningly, who only sighed tiredly. "It's complicated. You'd have to be there."

Whatever the heck happened between these two, Luz would figure it out, and use her main character charms to bring them back together as one unit of friends!

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Amity Blight double checked her layout. Pencils, papers, books, and her abomination. Lilith always taught her that sitting around with nothing but your thoughts was just unproductive. So she should use any free time she has to either work harder, or calm her nerves. Fortunately, she was never one to feel nerves … at least when it came to school work.

She used to think that aiming for the emperor's was little more than a pipe dream, but the older she got and the stronger her magic became, the more she realized just how rewarding all the hard work really was. Amity wanted to be the best now, she wanted to be strong, she wanted to prove that she was capable of anything she could put her mind towards.

And one day she'd be strong enough to … maybe talk back against mom and dad … "Good morning class." Professor Hermonculus spoke up, writing on the board. "Before we go over today's lessons, let's show off the progress of our current abominations." He began writing on the board. "As we've said last week, abomination muck decays over time, so the longer it remains stable and strong, the better the witch controlling them is."

That was child's play to her by this point. Abominations was the first magic she ever learned to use. Amity knew them inside and out, maybe even more than her teacher. She knew just the right size to make them, how to make them perfectly articulated and limber without falling apart, even how to properly shape vocal cords for limited speech. "Lets start with a bad example … Ms Park, you've got plenty of those, don't you?"

"Half a witch! Half a witch! Half a witch!" The whole classroom chanted as Willow lowered her head, taking a peak on the inside of her caldron, likely last minute prayers that would never happen due her shoddy craftsmanship.

"Okay, I guess I'm up." The half a witch nervously laughed as she went to the front of the classroom. Amity would've felt more sorry if Willow didn't put herself in this position. Amity tried to push the message that she wasn't cut out for abominations hundreds of times by this point, maybe even to the point she'd transfer out, but the girl seemed determined to make a fool of herself. "Abomination …" They spoke with hesitation. "Rise." And here came the failure…..

Bang

The class watched as the abomination punched the lid clean off, jumping out of the pot and landing in front of Willow. "Aaagggg." … what? The. Hell?!

"What!?"

"The half a witch didn't fail?!"

"My limited worldview that sees Highschool as the pinnacle of all life is being completely flipped upside down!"

The abomination looked shrimpy in mass, but the stance indicated that it had a solid interior design…a detailed design that Willow was far… far from mastering! "Abomination …" Willow smiled. "Bring me my books."

The abomination began to walk over to the desk, where Amity was able to get a better look at it. It was freaky, the strange coloration, the life filled eyes, the powerful movements. None of it looked like an actual abomination. Even messing up constantly shouldn't get results like that!

"Now abomination." The now smug Willow smiled. "Rest." The abomination fell onto the ground. "... Rest in the pot ."

"Bleeeegh.." The thing pushed itself back up and jumped into the pot, not even leaving behind little remnants of itself as it did from all the constant motion! Even dad's abominations weren't at that level of control!

"Remarkable." Professor Hermonculus noted. "I've never seen an abomination quite advanced …" He smiled, pulling out a gold star . "You are today's best student Willow. I love this improvement you've given yourself." SHE WAS GETTING IT!?

"Yeah, I just got really inspired to not fail today, no big." That round faced liarchuckled like she wasn't hiding.

"Hooray for Willow!"

"She's so awesome!"

"My low attention span is now completely focused on her and absolutely no one else in this classroom!"

"This is literally her only good assignment! Am I the only one who didn't forget how horrible she used to be!?" Amity tried to point out what they were all missing.

"Do you think she's single? Or should I wait until after the fade dies down to ask her out?" Amity's cry went ignored.

She needed to get to the bottom of this. If there was one thing Amity would never accept in her life, it was cheaters….though that thought made her think about a small time in her childhood…thinking of a small exception in her mind…

Amity shook the feeling off. She didn't work this hard and come this far for some half a witch to show her up.

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"This is awesome." Willow smiled as she took a bite of her raptor talon sandwich. "I can actually complete the rest of this year without another failure."

"And I saw so many cool things in class." Luz agreed from inside the pot. "Today rules." Willow had to admit, it was fun to get a good grade, but even more amazing to get one over Amity.

"I'm ashamed that you're enjoying school, but I'm pleased you pulled off your first con Luz." The disguised Lucci said as he sat down with a weird looking cookie sandwich thing. "And it's nice to know you're not above breaking the rules Willow."

"As long as I can keep my life, the rules are flexible." She responded. "So, how's your mission going?"

"Trying to keep the age range similar, so I ruled out anyone over fifty." He responded. "That means no principal." A small groan then came from him. "And it's been hard to keep the search going when a certain someone keeps.."

"Heya, Bard Bestie!" From across the room, one of Boscha's lackeys, Skara, waved with a cheerful expression. "Don't forget we're down for practice after school!"

"I thought you said she was an 'acquaintance'?" Luz asked with a teasing tone.

"She is…Skara just assumes we're more than that."

"Oh, let me guess." Willow smirked. "Boscha rejected you one too many times and you decided to settle with one of her goons?" Anything to take the bitch down a peg was always a riot.

"She knows Boscha?" Well there went that revenge plan. "Whatever." Lucci shook his head. "She's the only one I can practice Bard magic with, so I'm willing to let her call me her friend. She's probably the closest acquaintance I have right behind Steve."

"Well I hope to join that little group too." Agustus came by, sitting down next to them with a smile. "Hey there, I'm Agustus." The boy extended a hand.

"Hello. I'm Azazel Black Beak, and if you value your life, you won't speak another word of my name again.."

"Lucci, it's okay, Augustus is in the Illusion track, he knows how to keep a secret." Willow laughed.

"Also, you focus way too much on the front, the back of your hair has a few brown spots showing up." He offered his critique.

"...Dang it, I thought I fixed that." Lucci groaned, sighing as he bit into that cookie thing.

"Wait, are those Lion Lickers?" Augustus asked. "The worst treats that exist in the human world?"

"You know about the human world?" Luz asked from her pot, scarring the boy from his spot.

"He's a member of the human appreciation society." Willow explained. "He knows more about you guys than anyone else on the Boiling Isles." Lucci coughed. "Aside from Eda that is."

"A human!?" The boy shouted. "Quick, here are some tomatoes. Now can you show me your gills?"

"... He's a real expert." Lucci sent her a 'really' look. 

"Not everyone has a portal to the human world, or do you still think it's one of your mom's cons?" Willow teased again.

"My mom lies with every other sentence, can you blame me for thinking it was just an elaborate scheme?" The talks between her and Lucci may not be as friendly as they used to be, but the back and forth was enjoyable. Probably the closest to the good old days she'd ever experience again.

"So, what other classes do we get to see?" Luz asked.

"Schools are one track Luz. You only get to see abomination magic until the day you die." Lucci bluntly stated. "Even after you die due to oracle magic when they bring you back as a ghost."

"Ghost witch." Luz replied with sparkly eyes. Oh the young naivety and innocence. The human was too precious for this world. "So Gus, got any more questions for me?"

"Gus? You gave me a human nickname?! This is the best day ever!" The illusionists cheered. "Yes, first of which, do humans like PB&J's?" He lifted up his sandwich.

"I'm so hungry for normal food I won't question why this world has peanuts." Luz quickly grabbed it and began devouring it."

"So humans do like Pelict Butter and Jessile." Gus wrote down.

"Too hungry to ask what that is!" Luz's face became smeared with the stuff.

"Ah Luz, you may want to hurry." Willow began to worry. "Someone like Amity might see and-"

"I saw that! Abomination's don't eat!" The brat of the hour jumped on top of the table.

"Well if it isn't a member of the Blight family." Lucci snarked. "Quite famed for ruining anything good in life."

She blinked, turning to the boy. "Lucci? Since when did you go to school?"

"Who knows. Maybe I've always been here and you never noticed. I know you Blight's don't associate with 'Alley scum'."

Amity let out a grimace. "Whatever, not what I'm here for." She glared at Willow. "That. Is not. An abomination!"

"I don't know what youre talking about." Willow began to sweat. 

"Yeah, that's clearly an abomination." Lucci replied without even stomping to look at anyone.

"... I thought you were good at lying." Willow stated, feeling like this was game over.

"Oh, do you not want my help? I could always let the illusion track student give it a go."

"I'm not going to stand here and make a mockery of all my hard work!" Amity tossed the top off and began shaking Luz, who stayed in abomination mode.

"What's the meaning of this!?" Willow's teacher came into the room. Crap, she was probably going to have to accept whatever fate had in store for her. Detention at best and expulsion at worst.

"My good and very handsome sir, this clearly jealous girl just started hopping on top of the table and started insulting my hard working friend's integrity." Lucci responded, this time talking with much more flattery and charisma in his tone.

"Ms Blight, I expected better out of you." The professor accused. "You are staying with me after class, is that understood?"

"But-but..!" Amity's whole face turned red, pointing to Lucci. "He doesn't even go to school.."

"Honestly this is just really sad. Don't make me put you in detention, young lady." He pointed to the hallway. "Principal's office, now."

The Blight girl sent the whole table a death glare before stomping off. After five minutes, the whole group was able to laugh and breathe. "And you thought I lost my edge." Lucci snickered.

"Wow, she was so mad, and the way she blushed. Priceless." Willow couldn't help but be happy. "Thanks Lucci."

"Aww, we're all friends now!" Luz cheered.

"Nope, still roommates and acquaintances." Lucci went back to his lunch. "You're welcome though."

"But you just called Willow your…" Gus was confused.

"Helps sell the lie if I'm personally attached." Lucci explained. "I just don't like Amity getting a win more than anything else at the moment."

"On that we can always agree on, acquaintance." It wasn't perfect, but it was as close as it was going to get.

"But so many quest-"

"Oh, would you look at that, class is almost back on. Into the dark you go." Willow pulled Luz's pot before she could continue her questionnaire. "See ya Gus."

"My nickname is spreading!"

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"So, you like the current local, bard buddy?" She asked as she pulled Lucci through the halls.

"I would like it more if you weren't so insistent on ripping out my arm socket. I need to play with that, you know." He could be so funny. "And it's…not as prison-like as it thought. It was nice playing with a whole class." Aw, he was just a lonely guy happy to make friends.

"I'm just surprised you managed to convince them that you're a transfer from Glandus."

"If there's one thing my mom taught me about school, it's that rivalry transcends common sense." He snorted. "They were so happy to have an enemy switch sides they didn't even question if it was official."

"Rivalry, the thing that keeps life motivated." Skara smiled. "My friends have a ton of rivalry."

"... Speaking of … are you friends with Boscha?" He asked with a curious glint in his eyes.

"Yeah. She claims to be the 'pack leader' or something like that over the group. She's the grudgby captain." She explained. "We hang out over the weekends at her place, chillaxing and stuff with the girls."

"Why did you never say anything!?" Lucci shouted.

"I kept inviting you to hang out with my friends, but you just said 'friendship is a lie propagated to stab people in the back' and kept ditching."

"…Well it is." He grumbled with a defeated sigh. "Aside from the one track one magic thing, the worst thing this school can do to someone is promote close comradery among your peers on a deep and personal level."

"Come on, School isn't that bad." Skara told the boy she was only 60% certain wasn't homeless. "There's friendship and magic tracks. What more can anyone ask for?"

"The realization that friendship is a cruel scam? Or the fact that Wild Magic is the best magic of all." He countered. "I was once like you, Skara. Hopeful that I could find my place at Hexide. Standing right beside my friends as we become the strongest witches ever…until they showed their true colors and ditched me when we couldn't have been closer."

"A couple of bad apples doesn't mean all people suck." She smiled, patting his back. "There are plenty of good people in the world. Like Boscha, Cat, Amity, Willow." She didn't know what Boscha and Amity had against Willow, but they seemed nice enough.

"Now I know you're lying. Amity and Willow are the epitome of suck." Lucci stated.

"Wow. I can get Amity, but usually people go for Boscha when listing the people they hate around here."

"Why would people hate the most amazing woman in the boiling isles?" He asked. Okay, even she wasn't dense enough to know Boscha had a … few problems. 

"That's complicated." A competive streak that could border on demented in one or two occasions and the need to have social dominance over everything, even fun. That's probably why Skara liked hanging out with Lucci so much. He was essentially the opposite. "Besides, weren't you hanging out with Willow at lunch earlier?"

"That's being civil for the sake of my roommate. She wants to explore this school and someone has to keep her head attached to her body. My duty to watch over her, you know?"

"Sounds like you're becoming a big brother." She smirked.

"A little sister does sound better than having a friend." Lucci admitted with a small shrug. "She is a little naive though."

"Don't worry, the school is a safe place, I'm sure she's fine." Skara waved off.

"I'm telling you, this abomination is a masterpiece." They turned to the voice Professor of the abomination class speaking with principal Bump. "Dissecting it will bring new understanding to advancing the magic."

"I don't like the sound of that." Lucci and her stopped by the doorway, where they saw Willow with that weird abomination she's been pushing around all day laying down on a table, a knife in Bump's hand. "And I don't like the look of that."

"Wait, Principal Bump, you can't." Willow tried to speak up.

"You're right. It's your abomination. You make the first cut." Bump handed the nervous girl the blade.

"Okay, I'm confused. Is that abomination what you were talking about earlier with the little sister talk?"

"Yep."

"And I take it that whatever it is doesn't regenerate?" Skara continued to ask.

"Nope."

"And now we have to manage to sneak her away from one of the most powerful witches in the Boiling Isles, on his home turf?" She said with a bit of trepidation.

"Half right. The time for sneaking is over." Lucci nodded. "Hey there, you can't cut her up here, the whole lighting is a mess." The boy said while grabbing the girl, placing him on her shoulder. "You need a view of someplace much better, like the lunchroom." He continued while walking out. "Or the hallways, or outside. That's where you-"

The criminal stopped talking as he began running, much to the confusion of the two adults. "Please tell me you have super speed!" The girl he was carrying shouted. Willow following behind soon afterwards.

"Been trying to unlock that for years. Keep running!" He put her down as the four of them made it around a corner.

"They're getting away!" Amity shouted.

"So this is what you meant by her sucking!" Skara decided she might as well tail them. It was the most exciting thing that happened all year so far.

========================================================================

Lucci jumped as another wall tried to crush them. "Man, I was an idiot!" he shouted. "Coming to this school was nothing but a waste of time and a lot of trouble!" Why did no one ever listen to him!? Or listen to mom at least!

"I regret my plan but I don't regret coming here!" Luz shouted as they tried to keep ahead of the red lights that were covering the hallways. "It was a lovely learning experience, until now that is!"

"Man, this is fun." Skara laughed as she ducked under a crossbow. "Why didn't you tell me your life was this crazy Willow?"

"It hasn't been this crazy since I was four! Experiencing it again…I have mixed feelings in all honesty!"

"I knew it!" The Clawthorn boy shouted. "School is just a messed up place of crazy people, with no redeeming-" His breath caught inside of his mouth as he caught sight of something amazing.

A girl walking by in with flawless skin that was an amazing shade of pink and beautiful magenta hair, staring in bafflement with three, shining eyes that held an intense fire within themselves, her mouth partially open to reveal splendid white teeth that sparkled in the light. Their arms had an incredible mix of compact muscle, slim yet powerful … and in a short, cute sports uniform.

He gazed back at the girl as they continued running from the madmen. "... Alright, maybe School isn't so bad."

"Wow, he has it bad." Luz smirked at him teasingly as he tried to hide his blush.

"You have no idea." Willow grumbled. "Come on, the entrance is just up ahead." They made their way to the giant pair of doors … that quickly became blocked off. 

"Correction, the entrance is closed and now we're trapped." Skara deadpanned. "Plan B?"

"Lucci, you can slice apart the doors with that spiky shield thing, right?" Luz asked as the alarms got louder.

"Yeah, if nothing gets in my way for the next five minutes." He replied. "I'm superpowered, not a miracle worker."

"Dang it, this is all my fault! I just wanted to stop feeling like half of a witch! Why did I have to be so stupid!" Seeing Willow be so self defeating…it was painful to watch. He had his beef with her, but not enough to want her depressed.

"Hey, I've had it up to here with Debbie Downers." Luz shouted.

"Debbie who now?" Willow and Skara asked.

 "You're a fully powered witch compared to me, and a wise witch once told me a good witch is always resourceful!"

"Now you listen to mo-mom that it! The trash slug!" He dug into his pockets and took out the slime balls.

"Ew, you actually brought that school!?" Skara shrieked.

"Be glad he did, those are seeds!" Willows picked them up. "Just give me a second to focus-!"

Squish

A second they clearly didn't have. They turned to face Amity, who was trailed by her Abomination. "Just admit you cheated, and this will all be over." She glared at them.

"You're just mad that she can make abominations better than you." Lucci rolled his eyes. Time to buy some time. "You're so high on top that you can't acknowledge just how strong she is."

"Abomination, beat up that kid!"

"Really feeling the love." Lucci smirked. "She's not the only one that got stronger either." He created a giant bubble to trap the goo man in. "You remember how well my bubbles react to abomination goo, right?"

"Yeah, I do." She glared. "And training with Lilith taught me some alternatives. Abomination, Roll Out."

Roll out? What kind of command was-The abomination began shifting, turning into a ring as it forced the bubble to spin like a wheel … which means the exploding abomination powered bubble was now coming at him like a bolder.

"Perfect ammo!" Willow shouted as the seed finally sprouted, the roots and vines spreading to the ground and walls, one of them getting infront of him, acting like a ramp that launched the bubble into the air, and right into the door.

Kaboooooom!  

The door busted wide open into pieces. "Wow, even when we don't get along, we're still a great team!" Lucci laughed at the irony. "As much as I'd hate to interrupt this heartfelt reunion of LAW, we gotta scramble!" He grabbed Luz by the arm.

"Wait, what's LAW?" His roomie asked.

"Something you'll hopefully never get an answer for!" Willow shouted what he was thinking. "See you guys later!"

"Wait, they're not coming?!" Luz asked.

"We still have twenty minutes of class left, at worst we get detention after this!" Skara answered.

"Aww, I wanna see more of the school." Luz whined, before a dissection knife went flying by her head.

"I highly doubt my dad is here, so you lost my excuse to let you stay!" Lucci shouted as he grabbed her, the two of them bolting.

"Well maybe .."

"No."

"What if-"

"Nope."

"What if it's to see that three eyed girl?"

Lucci almost paused for a second, before continuing to run. "Nice try. Now I know Skara's in her friend group, I have plenty of opportunities to see her later down the line."

"At least admit you had some fun today." Luz nudged him in the arm with a playful grin.

"I did have some fun." … If only it wasn't weighed down by those jerks he used to call friends. "The bard track was more lively than I thought it would be…so a return visit…far..,.FAR in the future might not be out of the cards."

"You're getting out of that shell, bestie. I'm proud of you." Bestie….Yeah…luz was probably the top acquaintance he had now.

"Stop calling me that." He wouldn't say that out loud though…for now.

========================================================================

Eda watched as her two children walked back. "So, you finally talk some sense into her as you avoided school?" She asked with pride. "Took a while, Luz must have a strong mind."

"Nope, she pulled a wild card on me, and we hid in plain sight the whole day." Her son answered as he hit the ground face first. "Longest con I've been a part of for a while. Lasted until Luz was almost dissected."

"How'd you convince him?" She was curious. Eda was sure Lucci's natural skepticism would have held out.

"Bait that his father might be a teacher you're ashamed to talk about, now it's the fact a girl he's crushing on goes there." Luz smirked.

"I don't know whether to be angry for going for such a low blow or impressed." She thought about it for a few seconds. "Eh, I can be both." She whacked her on the head with her staff. "Never bring up the d-word again. Other than that, good job."

"Thanks, but I should really be thanking you guys." Luz chuckled. "We only survived because Lucci brought that junk from the slug in his pockets."

"Resourcefulness, a witches best quality." She smirked.

"Hey, where's King?" Luz asked.

"He lost a bet, and we call him Mr. Wiggles from now on." Eda cackled. "That's the fate of anyone that doubts the owl lady."

"I should have had it in the bag!" The little guy shouted from upstairs.

"He thought he could teach a slug better than I could teach you." The Owl Lady explained. "First I got worried, then I realized 'hey, I've already raised a perfectly functional witch, I have nothing to worry about'." 

"I don't think it counts if you include me." Lucci added in. "You're my mom, I don't care if you do a good or bad job, I love being with you either way." Her son always made her heart swell with just the simplest of words.

"Love you to kiddo, but it was about Luz." Eda snorted. "He thought she was gonna abandon me for Magic school."

"Abandon? Nah, I'd never do that. Outsource tips, maybe, but never abandon." The human admitted. "Wish we didn't leave our friends.."

"Acquaintances." Lucci corrected.

"Friends." Luz restated. "With such a big mess. I hope it all works out."

"Luz, it all worked out!" Eda lifted her head to sea three kids with Hexide uniforms running over to them…one of them looking super familiar.

"Willow." Lucci grumbled. Oh..the Park girl. Was Eda in the mood for motherly vengeance today?

"Willow!" Luz cheered. "You're not in detention!"

"Nope. Apparently I impressed Principal Bump so much he switched me to the plant track." She twirled, and the purple parts of her suit became green. "Thank you for the show Gus."

"Anytime, that's just how the Gus rolls." The illusion dork smiled goofily.

"Finally, now you're at least doing something you're good at." Lucci stated, looking just a little less miffed.

"Yeah, I wouldn't have done it without your seeds.." Willow chuckled lowly. "I know we haven't talked that much since..you know, but I hope we can change that just a little."

"Maybe..but not at Hexide. I'm not going there anytime soon." Nice to see her kid was still very rational.

"Definitely not." The new girl in the bard uniform pulled out two posters with the kids on them, labeled 'banned'. "You guys aren't allowed at school anymore."

"My baby's first poster." She squealed, hugging Lucci tightly. It warmed her heart to see him grow up like this.

"Aww." Lucci pouted. "I was hoping my first poster would have a bounty on it."

"With my reputation and guidance, it's only a matter of time." Eda reassured.

"I'm banned from Hexide!?" Luz shouted in horror. "My first magic school and I can't even go!?"

"Nope." Eda pulled the girl for a group huddle. "You're one step closer to becoming a fully fledged wild witch."

The girl looked thoughtful at that. "So you're gonna teach me magic now?"

"You're still in need of learning patience, it seems." Eda countered. "Until that happens, it's back to the stink nodes for you."