The angel of the owl house

Amity gasped softly, feeling like she'd just been slapped. That couldn't be true, right? Luz had been lied to, she had to have been! The Emperor ended the Savage Ages and brought unity to the isles! He couldn't be a tyrant…

But Luz's certainty made Amity doubt her own belief. Maybe there was more to the coven she'd dreamed about than she realised…

Shaking those thoughts out of her mind for the moment, Amity grabbed Luz's hand and pulled her along to catch up with her mentor, while Eda trailed behind. The small group wasn't walking for much longer, as they emerged from the dense forest trail to the entrance of a cave, where Owlbert and Corvanc waited for them. Peering inside, Luz and Amity saw trees growing up through the rock, as well as webbing draped all over the walls. Most disturbingly, the ground inside the cave was littered with bones and fragments of bones, some of which looked unsettlingly close to witch or demon bones. They all headed inside, the girls cringing at the crunch of bones beneath their feet and shuddering whenever they walked into some webbing. It was impossibly dark inside the cave, so Luz began creating light balls to illuminate their path, while Eda and Lilith returned their Palismen to their staves and held them out protectively, watching for enemies.

"This is the Bat Queen's nest alright… but something feels off about it." Eda scowled. She hadn't been here since she'd come with her father to carve Owlbert, but she remembered how alive it had felt; with luminescent mushrooms on the cave walls, and flowers blooming from the tree trunks and roots that were littered around. There had also been a lot fewer bones and webs back then… had the Bat Queen been fighting intruders?

"Be on your guard. A battle has happened here recently." Lilith said, illuminating the end of her staff and holding it against the walls ahead of her, revealing deep gashes and claw marks in the stone, as well as portions that had been melted by intense flame.

Luz and Amity gulped; the former letting the light and plant glyphs shine from her hands, while the latter's hands hovered near a flask of abomination slime on her waist.

They all edged further down the cave, until they heard loud, laboured breathing and quiet squeaks and screeches. They entered into a large chamber illuminated by sunlight through a hole in the roof, revealing the chamber was filled with gold and treasures. Sat atop this gold was the Bat Queen, though she looked exhausted and mildly wounded, with scratches all over her that were leaking fluorescent green blood. Her long greasy hair was also dishevelled, and the claws on her feet looked to have been blunted from overuse. Her three babies were roosting in her hair, squeaking softly to their mother.

"Who goes there!?" the Bat Queen bellowed, suddenly opening her eyes wide and glaring at the new arrivals.

"Lilith and Eda Clawthorne, and our apprentices, Amity Blight and Luz Noceda." Lilith announced, cautiously walking forward and kneeling a respectful distance from the Bat Queen. Amity stepped forward, kneeling just a little further back from her mentor, while Eda moved to stand beside her sister, stopping Luz from kneeling too.

"Hey Bat Queen. Shame I missed you when you came to pick up the kids. How are they doing?" Eda asked with a grin.

The Bat Queen gave a tired smile; "Babies are well. What business brings Clawthorne sisters to my home?"

"I have been sent to speak to you on an extremely important matter by the Emperor himself." Lilith replied, "The Emperor requests-"

"No." the Bat Queen cut her off.

"E-Excuse me?"

"I say no. I is having nothing to do with rotten defiler!" the Bat Queen growled, eyes glowing an ominous red as her words caused two geysers of flame to erupt from near her treasure mound.

"B-But Bat Queen, what he offers-!" Lilith tried to continue, only for the Bat Queen to fly forward so she was right in her face.

"He offers payment for ill-deeds! He defiles! He is rot! He takes much and gives nothing! Your Emperor's will does not reach here, Child of Clawthorne. I will not here his thinly veiled demands!" the Bat Queen roared, her breath nearly burning Lilith as the force and heat of it forced the woman to bow her head.

Eda and the girls widened their eyes in shock, as the Bat Queen then turned to Eda; "And what of you, Eda?"

"Cashing in a favour." Eda replied shortly, showing the whistle the Bat Queen had given her, "I want to take Luz to carve a Palisman."

The Bat Queen blinked in surprise, her eyes drifting to Luz, who smiled nervously in return. "Yes, potent magic this one has. But cannot be done."

"I can't have a Palisman?" Luz asked sadly.

"Not you, child. Not anyone." the Bat Queen sighed wearily, returning to her perch on the treasure, "Last Palistrom Tree lost to us. Forgotten Demon took over grove fortnight ago. Now tree is lost and Demon comes to steal those I protect."

The Bat Queen raised her wings and the flame geysers burned brighter, illuminating dozens of secret little alcoves carved into the walls of the cave. Peering out from them, as well as hanging on the roots and webs near the cave ceiling, were dozens upon dozens of strange little animals; some appearing almost mundane and others having features that seemed out of place even in the Demon Realm. However all of them were wounded in some way, bearing scars both new and old, with the new ones bleeding a similar green liquid to the Bat Queen. Luz, being both an angel and the daughter of a vet, felt her heart ache for these poor animals, though she didn't fail to notice the familiar holes that they all seemed to have… Interlocks.

"They're all Palismen." Luz gasped.

Eda nodded; "The Bat Queen doesn't just guard one of the last free Palistrom Trees. She has a sanctuary for abandoned, abused, and orphaned Palismen."

"Many of their wounds are from their original owners mistreating them, or the result of whatever killed their owners." Lilith said, "But the bleeding wounds are new. Did this "Forgotten Demon" do this?"

The Bat Queen nodded grimly; "It is insidious. It feeds on Palismen blood. But it does not kill; it traps and enslaves, keeping my lost and forgotten wards alive so they may be fed on eternally. We fight it back, but each battle leaves more wounds, and more Palismen to be dragged off. I fear soon it will be too powerful for me to stop."

Eda grimaced, while Lilith went strangely pale, both subconsciously gripping their staves tighter. Luz looked heartbroken by all the wounded animals, and dearly wanted to help them. But it was Amity who first spoke up. She felt compelled to impress Luz, and prove her worth to Lilith, so she got to her feet and marched forward a few steps, stopping only when the Bat Queen narrowed her eyes.

She bowed and said; "Bat Queen, please allow us to help you defeat this monster and save the Palismen!"

The others looked at her with surprise, while the Bat Queen narrowed her eyes, noticing Amity's garb; "You are servant of Defiler…"

"I-I don't understand why you call the Emperor that. But it doesn't matter; I hope to join the Emperor's Coven some day, and their job is to protect the people of the Boiling Isles from danger and evil! Others may have forgotten that…" she remembered what Luz said about the Conformatorium, "…but I haven't! Please Bat Queen, let us show you what the Emperor's Coven is really for, by protecting you and your wards!" Amity begged, finishing her speech with a deep bow.

The Bat Queen hummed, impressed by the girl's conviction. She could feel the earnest emotions in Amity's heart, even if she also felt the lingering doubts niggling at the corners of the girl's mind.

Lilith smiled and stood; "My apprentice is correct. Maintaining peace and order is our true duty in the Emperor's Coven. Perhaps by helping you, we can prove that what you've heard about the Emperor is untrue."

"I'll help too!" Luz rushed to join Amity, eyes sparkling brightly with inspiration; "I may not want to join a coven myself, but I want to support Amity, and help all these poor babies!"

"I'm in too. Titan knows if I leave my sister and the kids to handle it alone, things will get out of hand super fast!" Eda smirked, "Plus helping you also means helping Luz get her Palistrom wood."

The Bat Queen smiled; "I am grateful. I still do not trust the Defiler, but I see the young ones are pure of heart. I will accept help, for sake of wards."

Luz and Amity cheered, while their Mentors smiled and nodded. The Bat Queen allowed the flame geysers to die down, letting her visitors come closer, where they were invited to take seats on the treasure mound. They did so (ignoring how uncomfortable it actually was to sit on shifting piles of gold) and the Bat Queen's babies flew down to nestle into Eda's arms, remembering the Owl Lady from when she babysat them. Eda wore a big smile as she held them, and seeing her babies happy allowed the Bat Queen to relax a bit further.

"So, we need to find and defeat this forgotten demon. Do we just go to the grove they're hiding in and fight it?" Luz asked.

"Ultimately yes, but it's not quite that simple." Amity said, "We should get as much information as possible first, so we can prepare and come up with a strategy."

"Oh. That's probably a good idea. I'll leave that part to you guys." Luz said, rubbing the back of her head; "My plans don't tend to work out…"

Eda ruffled her apprentice's hair; "Don't put yourself down so much, Luz. We're going to need your help no matter what; your healing magic is too good to pass up. You can heal up the Bat Queen and the Palismen, then they'll be able to help us fight too. With the two strongest witches on the Boiling Isles, the top two apprentices, the Bat Queen, AND a small army of Palismen on our side, this mystery demon doesn't stand a chance!"

Luz beamed at the compliment, which made Lilith feel like a monster as she chimed in to correct her sister; "Eda, you know normal healing magic doesn't work on Palismen. Nor does plant magic. Only a Palisman's bonded partner can heal them; that's why all these abandoned Palismen have such old wounds on top of their new ones."

"Wait, really?" Luz asked, "But I was able to heal Owlbert!"

Amity and Lilith both blinked, while the Bat Queen leaned in close to Luz; "You heal Owlbert?"

Luz nodded; "Of course! He got hurt trying to save Eda when she last transformed. I healed him up afterwards."

The Bat Queen looked to Owlbert, who hooted affirmatively. The Bat Queen's eyes then began to glow, and Owlbert's followed suit as they communicated telepathically, Owlbert relaying the events that led to his injury and healing. When he was done, the Bat Queen looked back to Luz again.

"You almost lost your life to protect Owlbert. And you are not his bonded partner, yet were able to heal his wounds…" she said, staring intensely at the angel girl. "Is this odd magic of yours, or has bond formed between you and Owlbert… a trial is required!"

Luz tilted her head curiously, while her companions all paled.

"Whoa! Hold on one minute, Bat Queen! You're not putting my apprentice through any of your trials!" Eda protested angrily.

"What? Is this trial such a big deal? It's just like a test, right?" Luz asked, confused by Eda's reaction.

Amity gripped her arm nervously; "Luz, the Bat Queen is notorious for unbeatable trials! It's how she accrued so much wealth; witches and demons have been coming to her for centuries to ask for her help, and all those who fail her trials have to leave behind a tribute! I don't know of a single person in history who passed one!"

Luz gulped as she turned back to the Bat Queen, but the large demon just smiled; "Fear not, child. I is not giving you such a trial. If your magic can heal those I protect, then I wish for your help. But you must be tested; see if your magic is what it appears, and if you will treat my wards well."

"Of course. I'll do my best; give me your best shot, Bat Queen!" Luz said determinedly

The Bat Queen grinned at the girl's confidence, then whistled. From one of the webs on the ceiling above, a Palisman descended on a thread of it's own making. It was shaped like a creature Luz had never seen; it appeared to have a whole spider as a lower body, with a centipede like torso attached to the spider head, jellyfish tentacles twisted together to form rudimentary arms on the side of the centipede torso, and a head shaped like a Lamprey eel. It was bleeding green blood from several scratches all over its body, but it also had a large gash down the front of its centipede segment.

Amity, Eda, and Lilith all recoiled at the sight of the Palisman; "Is that a Necrotic Abyss Crawler!?" Lilith exclaimed.

"His name is Hugs." the Bat Queen scowled at them, "He is kind and gentle. His former partner crafted his form during their teenage years, but abandoned him when they found love with another who hated Hugs' form. The scar on his chest was inflicted by said partner, when Hugs begged not to be abandoned."

Luz gasped and immediately grabbed the terrifying Palisman, holding it to her chest; "Oh no, poor little guy!" she cooed, "You deserve better than this! I'm going to try and heal you now, okay?"

Hugs chittered happily, practically melting into Luz's embrace. Luz hummed softly as she created her healing lotus spell and directed its glowing pollen onto Hugs' wounds, which immediately began to heal.

The Bat Queen gasped, as did Amity and the Clawthornes. "D-Does that really not bother you, Luz?" Amity asked nervously. Even looking at Hugs was making her skin crawl.

"Life is not always pretty." Luz replied, "My Mami is a vet; a kind of animal healer back home. She's also a… special kind of person. A kind person." she said, putting emphasis on the word kind so Amity and Eda would realise she was talking about her mother's angelic Crest Order. "And she taught me that life comes in all shapes and sizes; from tiny single cells to the largest of beasts, and even plants too. Sometimes that life isn't pretty, but it is all beautiful. It is all important. And kindness isn't reserved for the prettiest."

Amity gasped softly once again, a slow blush spreading across her cheeks as she watched Luz tend to the horrifying Palisman with genuine love and care, as if it was the most adorable puppy in the world. She'd always known that Luz was kind and caring, but now it struck her just how much. Despite already knowing the truth, the sight really hammered home to Amity that Luz was truly an angel. The mint-haired girl felt her heart beat a little faster, as her intrigue and attraction for the other girl intensified, and her crush blossomed into something more.

Luz finished healing Hugs, closing up the gash on his chest and leaving him looking as pristine as the day he was first carved. She smiled and gave the Palisman a kiss on the top of the head; "There, all done! Are you feeling better now?" Luz asked. Hugs answered by making happy little chittering noises while excitedly crawling all over Luz's torso, eventually ending up on her shoulder and nuzzling her, making Luz giggle.

"Extraordinary… Luz's magic really can heal Palismen!" Lilith uttered, awestruck. "This is unprecedented!"

"This is miracle." the Bat Queen corrected, smiling fondly at Luz; "Young one; may I be knowing your name?"

"I'm Luz! Luz Noceda!"

"Luz Noceda. You pass my trial; I will grant you branch of Palistrom, once it is rescued from Forgotten Demon. Not as favour to Eda, but to you. In return, I beg you heal the little ones." the Bat Queen said, giving a short bow of her head.

Luz shook her head with a gentle smile; "You don't even need to ask; I'll heal all of them, no favours needed."

Without waiting for the Bat Queen's response, Luz opened her arms up wide and looked up to the watching Palismen; "Come on down, babies! Doctor Luz will see you now!"

The Palismen didn't need to be told twice; they were all in pain from their wounds and starved for the touch of a person, so they practically stampeded towards Luz, who giggled happily as she began making more healing lotuses. She cradled and pet each of the Palismen as she healed their wounds, and listened as the Bat Queen told her their names and stories. Some were sadder than others; stories of abuse and abandonment were common, but some were tragic as owners died in battle, severing their bonds with their Palismen to spare them from being rendered inactive. Luz had long ago learned that if a Palisman's bond with their partner remained in tact until the moment of the partner's death, then they would become inert and unmoving; stuck as carved statues until a new bond was formed. These Palismen had been spared that fate, for better or worse…

As Luz healed the Palismen under the Bat Queen's watch, Eda played with the Bat Queen's babies while Lilith watched, the two witches discussing potential battle plans and strategies that could help them deal with the Forgotten Demon. They asked the Bat Queen for more details, but she said the Demon was of a species she could not recall the name of; one thought to be long forgotten on the Boiling Isles. The Demon also did not truly fight for themselves, but seemed able to turn the forest against them and possess the Palismen that were wounded by the trees it animated. The last thing they learned was that the Demon always attacked at dusk, when a phenomena known as the Evening Gloom descended on the forest, covering the place in a thick purple mist that not even the Bat Queen's sonar could fully navigate. This gloom also kept the Demon's visage hidden, so the Bat Queen could not easily describe it.

Meanwhile, Amity watched Luz heal. She couldn't really help with the healing, or join the strategy meeting between the Clawthornes (who were using the names of old Grudgby plays of theirs to describe their plans), so she resolved to help by trying to herd the Palismen waiting to be healed into a semblance of order, so Luz wouldn't get overwhelmed. It was fairly difficult; the Palismen seemed to dislike her, or more specifically, her modified scout uniform, and most ran away from her to hide behind the Bat Queen, who thankfully didn't get upset with her.

It was frustrating to feel like she was the only one not helping, but Amity kept trying, until she noticed that not all the Palismen were lining up to be healed. A single one was maintaining their distance, sitting in the ray of light cast by the sun coming through the hole in the cave ceiling. It was a cat Palisman, and a strangely plain looking one at that, considering the fantastical elements that all the others possessed. The cat was sleek and had white fur, with piercing blue eyes that watched Luz, until it noticed Amity looking at her, then it turned to stare back at her.

"Don't you want to be healed too?" Amity asked, going over and kneeling beside the cat. She noticed the light wounds the cat sported, as well as the crack down its back.

The cat meowed and turned away from Amity, licking its paw and ignoring the girl. Amity frowned and pointed over to Luz; "You need to go over there. Luz will fix you."

The cat once again looked at Amity, only to turn its nose up and ignore her again, making the mint-haired girl scowl.

"That is Ghost." the Bat Queen said, looking over to the two of them. "Her old partner was the bratty daughter of a wealthy family. She expected Ghost to make her all powerful, but when she still failed to defeat a rival and was embarrassed, she struck Ghost. Ghost fled here, and now she flits between finding no partner good enough for her, and finding herself unfit for any partner. She accepts help from no one… I fear she will not be healed today."

Amity frowned sadly as she sat beside Ghost, keeping enough distance from the Palisman to avoid upsetting her. "I guess I can sympathise with that. Having expectations put on you that you can't or don't want to meet, then suffering for your "failure"… It's rough. Especially from someone who is supposed to care for you."

Ghost looked back at Amity once again, though this time her haughty expression was gone and she was just watching the girl curiously. Amity felt heartened, but also strangely vulnerable. Those big blue eyes seemed to pierce right through her, looking into the depths of her soul in search of something. She didn't know why, but she felt compelled to confess her sins.

"Unfortunately, I also know what it's like to be on the other side of that coin too… I have more in common with your original partner than I'd like, being the daughter of a wealthy family. And I acted like a brat too… I bullied someone I once called a friend… and I stopped being their friend because they weren't "good enough". But now, when I look back on all that; I feel like I'm the one who wasn't good enough. I wasn't strong enough to stand up for my friend… to stand up to my mother…" Amity clenched her hands shut and looked wistfully over at Luz; "…and to stand beside her."

Amity closed her eyes, and remembered the last emotional conversation she'd had with Luz;

"Thank you, Amity. And just so you know; you don't need to be perfect either. I think you're fine as you are… and if you ever need to show weakness, then you can show it to me. I won't judge."

She opened her eyes and smiled; "But the right person will make you feel accepted even when you don't feel like you're enough. You've just got to let yourself meet them. And you know, you won't be able to do that if you're all battered and hurt." Amity said, taking a chance to reach other and wipe some of the green blood off of Ghost's fur. The cat Palisman tensed at the contact, but didn't recoil or hiss, so Amity took that as a small victory. "Go let Luz heal you, okay? Then you can show everyone how amazing you are by fighting this demon at full strength."

Ghost stared at Amity for a moment, seemingly searching her face for something. Then, without a sound, she got to her feet and trotted over to join the other Palisman around Luz, waiting for her turn to be healed.

The Bat Queen turned back to Amity and said; "You are interesting witch. I know not who makes you feel the way you do, but I say this; you are too good for that mask."

Amity blinked and looked at the mask Lilith had given her, which she'd had hanging at her side since Luz and Eda had come across them earlier. It suddenly felt heavier; something she shrugged off quickly, as she found something else to keep her busy.

For the next little while, Amity switched to just playing with the Palismen who'd already been healed. The scarier ones, like Hugs, freaked her out, but she remembered what Luz had said and tried to focus on their positive qualities instead. Meanwhile, Luz finally got to healing Ghost, though the cat didn't accept any petting or contact beyond what was needed to heal her.

Once all the Palismen were fully healed, Luz turned to the Bat Queen herself.

"Your turn now, Bat Queen. May I heal you too?" Luz asked, eyeing the wounds the demon was suffering from.

The Bat Queen nodded and stepped closer, then sat on the ground so Luz could more easily reach all parts of her large form. Luz got to work, humming as she went, until she got to the Bat Queen's talons. When she went to heal the wounds there, she found a shockingly familiar sight; a giant interlock.

"Bat Queen…!" Luz gasped softly, "You're not a demon at all. You're a Palisman!" she whispered, not wanting to out her patient.

The Bat Queen nodded solemnly; "Yes. I was once part of a grand staff, one made for a giant being. But I was broken… discarded."

"That's why you made this place… as a sanctuary for others like you." Luz said sadly.

"I know the feeling of being lost, and forgotten." the Bat Queen replied.

Luz had no idea what to say; she'd heard so many sad stories from the Bat Queen, and she wanted to ask her for her own, but it didn't feel right. As such, she continued her healing in silence, until the Bat Queen spoke again.

"I do not remember my partner. It has been thousands of years… I do not recall their name or face, or even their species. I don't even recall the name they gave me… but I remember one thing. The feeling of their magic. Yours is similar… it is a painful reminder."

The young angel's eyes widened; "L-Like mine? You mean they were-?"

"No." the Bat Queen shook her head, "They were not like you. It is not the magic here…" she pointed to Luz's heart with a talon, "… but the magic here." she pointed the talon to Luz's sternum, then to her stomach, where the Glyphs were carved into her flesh. "That is the familiar magic."

"The glyphs… it must have been someone using some kind of ancient wild magic. If you're thousands of years old, you might be older than the Boiling Isles. It's a shame you can't remember." Luz said, subconsciously putting a hand over the light glyph mark.

The Bat Queen did not answer verbally, merely gesturing for Luz to continue her work. Soon enough, the Bat Queen was fully healed, and the ancient Palisman summoned everyone in the cave to assemble before her once more.

"Wounds have been healed, and our young friends are owed thanks. Dusk approaches, and plans for battle must still be made. Eda and Lilith; what strategy have you for us?" the Bat Queen asked.

"We've come up with the best plan we can, given the limited information we have on this enemy, as well as the resources we have to hand." Lilith began, using the end of her staff to draw rudimentary images of herself, Eda, the Bat Queen, Luz, and Amity, as well as a generic monster. She then waved her finger over them, making the images move to match what she said.

"We'll head to the grove the demon has taken over before the Evening Gloom hits. We'd like to avoid it altogether, but even if we left now, it would likely arrive the minute we got there. Instead we'll use it to mask our approach, just as the demon has been. That'll let us sneak up on this demon!" Lilith explained.

"Once we get there, we'll each have our own role." Eda continued where her sister left off; "Myself, Lily, and BQ will fight the demon, since we're the heavy hitters and experienced fighters. I'll be fighting up close, while Lily fights at range and the Bat Queen provides support from the air. Luz." she turned to her apprentice; "You are going to be the support for this fight."

"So you want me to stay back and heal?" Luz asked.

"Not quite. The Evening Gloom can only be dispelled by light magic, and yours is the best we have. Your job will be to disperse the gloom once we arrive at the grove so we can see what we're doing. We'll also need you to heal anyone who gets hurt, like you suggested." Lilith said, "And if possible, try to use your plant magic to keep this demon from turning the forest against us."

"Got it." Luz nodded.

"What shall I do?" Amity asked.

"Your job will be support as well. This demon has captured Palismen it can force to fight us, and we don't want them hurt. You'll use your abominations to capture them and support BQ's Palismen. If Luz can't stop this thing from controlling the forest, we'll need them and your abominations to counter it." Eda said, "You've also got that fancy barrier spell you used on Luz at the Covention; you'll use it to keep the demon contained so it can't escape."

Amity nodded; "After Luz escaped it by going underground, I practised with the barrier and made it better. I can make it a dome so it can't be escaped from the air, and I can have it coat the floor to stop them going underground. But it'll hurt anyone standing on it, so you'll both need to stay airborne with the Bat Queen."

"Easily done with Corvanc and Owlbert. We'll try to draw it away from the kidnapped Palismen so they don't get caught in the barrier. Don't put it up until we give the signal." Lilith instructed.

The Bat Queen listened to the plan carefully, and gave a nod; "Is as good as we can hope for. Let us waste no more time; we march onward to battle!"

The Palismen who were joining the fight all howled and growled in a cacophony of battle cries, which Luz and the witches quickly joined in on.

They left behind a small number of Palismen who didn't want to fight, as well as a few magic traps created by Eda in order to keep the Bat Queen's cave and her babies safe. They then assembled together outside the cave and began the march towards the Palistrom Grove, where the mystery demon had taken up residence. They moved as silently as they could, with Luz and Amity riding with their mentors on their staves while the Palismen that could fly outside of staff form carried those that couldn't, ensuring that not even the sound of a cracking twig would alert their quarry. They also flew below the tree line to avoid being spotted before the Evening Gloom hit, except for the Bat Queen who was too large and instead flew while made invisible by one of Luz's simple illusions.

The group got about two thirds of the way to the Palistrom Grove when the Evening Gloom finally hit, flooding the forest with a thick purple miasma that seemed to devour all those who entered it. The gloom extended to above the trees, so the group were able to fly higher without being spotted, and Luz was able to cancel the illusion on the Bat Queen and recover the expended strength before they arrived. Finally, they found themselves right outside the Palistrom Grove, or rather, right above it. Eda reached back to give Luz's hand a squeeze, signalling that it was time to begin.

Luz didn't need to be told twice; she summoned forth her angelic wings and flew off of Eda's staff, then focused as much light magic as she could into her heart, then allowed it to burst out through her wings, shining a powerful radiant light down on the grove. The witches and Palismen had braced themselves, closing their eyes to avoid being blinded, yet even through their eyelids they could see the shining golden light. In the grove below, there were the shrieks of the captured Palismen as they were startled by the light, as well as a feminine scream from the demon that had taken up residence there. The gloom itself seemed to burn away in the intense light, and when Luz's magic finally faded, the grove and a good swathe of the forest around it were as clear as day.

The Palistrom Grove had once been a field of beautiful flowers in all the colours of the rainbow, with a single blue barked Palistrom Tree growing tall and strong in the centre. However now the flowers were gone, replaced by a tangle of dark red tree roots that extended from where the Palisman Tree once grew and covered the ground of the entire grove. The tree itself was replaced by a large, dark red tree, which appeared dead and had been carved into a throne-like shape, upon which sat the demon invader. The Demon took the form of a woman who looked like she had been carved from two trees, one red and one blue, which had been twisted together into a vaguely human shape, before being whittled down and refined. The demon's hair was a tangle of long vines with green leaves and red thorns, and her "clothing" resembled some form of armour carved from the same wood as her body. Atop the wood demon's head was a crown of red and blue roses, with large black thorns.

Eda narrowed her eyes, while Luz and Amity gasped as they recognised the demon's face; it was the Mandragora! The very same demon who'd fought them back at Hexside! She must have retreated here after her defeat, and based on the blue parts of her body, she had absorbed the Palistrom Tree to make herself stronger! That was why she was kidnapping the Palismen too; they were made of Palistrom wood just like she was now, and likely served as a food and energy source for the Mandragora.

The captured Palismen were scattered around the grove, all of them infested with some kind of creeping ivy that spread over their bodies from a miniature Mandragora flower grown somewhere on them; both draining their essence and controlling them like puppets.

Seeing all this, the others wasted no time; Amity leapt off of Lilith's staff as the Clawthorne Sisters and Bat Queen flew at the Mandragora in the middle of the grove. Luz caught Amity and lowered her to the ground, where she immediately summoned up an army of almost twenty abominations, each about the same height as her. Luz gasped at the display of magic, and Amity grinned and pulled up one of her sleeves, revealing the Power Glyph she'd received from Mason at the Covention.

The Mandragora was grabbed by the Bat Queen and dragged into the air, snarling and rubbing her eyes.

"So you came for me yourself, little snack? You've grown unruly, and need pruning!" The Mandragora roared, her eyes flashing red for a moment. All the Bound Palismen had their own eyes flash red in unison, then began to swarm towards the invaders.

Amity and Luz used abomination slime and vines as lassos to capture and drag down the Bound Palismen flying to save their enslaver, while the Free Palismen rushed to help, pulling down the flying ones and fighting against the ground based ones. Immediately, the battle between the Palismen devolved into the frantic growls, barks, hisses, and yowls of countless different species of animal fighting against each other. It looked like things were in the Bound Palismen's favour at first, as the Mandragora's control meant they held nothing back, while the Free ones didn't want to badly wound their friends. However Amity's abominations helped even things out, their soft and malleable bodies allowing them to capture the Bound Palismen without hurting them, while Luz cast rapid healing spells to keep everyone in good condition.

With the Apprentices handling things on the ground, the Bat Queen dug her talons deeper into the Mandragora's wooden flesh. "It is you who will be pruned, interloper!"

"We're gonna make firewood out of you!" Eda yelled, furious that the loss of the Palistrom tree meant she wouldn't be able to get Luz her own staff yet. She shot a stream of golden flames at the Demon, and the Bat Queen dropped her right into them. The Mandragora screamed as she was engulfed by flames, then struck by a bolt of white lightning summoned by Lilith. Her burnt body fell from the sky and hit the ground beside her red tree throne, where it lay limply.

"Huh… well that was easy." Eda smirked.

"Do not think me beaten so soon, you weed!" The Mandragora hissed, as it forced itself back to its feet. "This isn't like those ruins; you're in my domain now!"

The Mandragora's eyes flashed red again, and the Mandragora flowers on the Bound Palismen began to send glowing green pollen towards their maker, not unlike Luz's healing lotuses. The pollen rejuvenated the Mandragora's body, causing her to shed the burnt segments and immediately regrow them, until she was back to full health. She then spread her arms, a green aura covering them, as she willed the roots that blanketed the clearing to come to her aid, trying to drag down the Bat Queen and Clawthorne Sisters.

"Oh no you don't!" Luz yelled, using her own plant magic to try and wrestle control of the forest away from the Mandragora. Unfortunately, she wasn't even remotely strong enough to achieve that, and only succeeded in slowing the Mandragora down a bit, allowing the Bat Queen, Eda, and Lilith to outfly the roots reaching up for them.

The Mandragora finally took notice of Luz and Amity, narrowing her eyes as a cruel smile spread across her face; "Well, if it isn't my little Sunflower. You've grown since last I saw you; your plant magic is almost comparable to the Seedling who escaped me. Perhaps I shall make you into a Mandragora too… What do you say, little Sunflower? Why not become my new daughter?"

"I've already got a Mami!" Luz snapped, shooting a light blast at the Mandragora to try and distract her. She didn't even try to dodge, and let the blast strike her right in the face. It lightly burned the bark on her face, but that regenerated immediately, not even needing energy from her enslaved Palismen.

"Oh, sweet little Sunflower… your consent is not required!" the Mandragora grinned, lunging for Luz while the adults were distracted. The Free Palismen rushed to defend her, but they were sent flying by a lash from a root the Mandragora grew from her hand. Luz yelped and blasted the Mandragora again, focusing her light beam to make it as intense as she could, but the Mandragora just shrugged it off and reached for the girl's throat.

"Stay away from her!" Amity roared, directing several of her abominations to rush the Mandragora. They managed to grab her, but she slipped free by turning her body into vines and worming her way out of their grasp before reforming, a scowl on her face.

"And there's one of the little weeds… I should have known you were rotten, using these putrid monstrosities!" the Mandragora snarled.

"You're the rotten one here! You're an infestation, and we're going to cut you out!" Amity growled, using some abomination slime to make herself a purple falchion to defend herself with.

The Mandragora growled and lunged at her, only to freeze as she felt a powerful burst of plant magic. Luz had decided that if she couldn't take control of the forest back from the Mandragora, then she'd fight fire with fire by growing her own! Flooding the soil beneath her with her magic, Luz grew a wave of tree roots that snaked up and entangled themselves with the Mandragora's, immobilising them and allowing the Bat Queen and Clawthornes to stop their aerial dodging dance.

The Mandragora frowned and prepared to take control of Luz's plants, but when she extended an arm towards them, the arm was suddenly sliced off by Amity's abomination falchion, making the demon scream in pain and rage. She regrew it immediately, sharpening her finger tips into claws, and slashed at Amity, but before she could make contact, the Bat Queen suddenly grabbed her again and flew with her to the other side of the grove, where there were no Palismen, bound or free.

"Amity, raise the barrier!" Lilith ordered.

Obediently, Amity cast her improved barrier spell, creating a criss-crossing mesh of pink magic on the ground beneath the Bat Queen and her prisoner, then extending it upward into a dome, trapping the Mandragora, Bat Queen, Eda, and Lilith inside it.

"You won't hold me for long, little weeds!" the Mandragora hissed, digging her claws into the Bat Queen's leg and sucking out some of her essence, using her fingers like roots.

The Bat Queen grimaced and threw the Mandragora down, making her hit the barrier covered ground and scream as she was shocked by its magic. This didn't last long however, as the Mandragora launched herself into the air and suddenly grew a pair of large bat wings, just like the Bat Queen's.

"What!? No fair! How did she do that!?" Luz yelled.

The Mandragora smirked; "Your little friends here are all made of the same Palistrom wood that now makes up my body! Their essence remembers their shape, and once I get a taste of it, I can shape my wooden body into any aspect of them I choose!"

"No matter! You can still burn!" Lilith declared, conjuring a ball of blue and white flame and launching it at the Mandragora.

The Demon dodged it, but it was soon joined by a flurry of fireballs launched by Eda, as well as a stream of fire breath released by the Bat Queen. The Mandragora, unable to dodge all of this, covered herself in her new wings to protect herself. The smell of burning wood was thick in the air, and the Mandragora's pained groans were loud and echoing, but by the time they'd burned through her wings to her real body beneath, the groans had stopped.

The Bat Queen and Clawthornes stopped their attack, thinking they'd reduced the Mandragora to ash, but once the smoke cleared, they gasped as they saw her still flying there, seemingly unharmed. Her wings had been replaced by more draconic ones, and her body had taken on a strange glossy sheen that made her look like she'd been dipped in water.

Eda narrowed her eyes as she realised what had happened; "Dang it, one of the Palismen she drank from must have been a winged Salamander! They're bodies are immune to fire!"

The Mandragora smiled darkly; "Did you think I wouldn't find a way to deal with fire, after facing you at that wretched school, little weed?"

"It doesn't matter; we can still destroy you!" Lilith growled, casting another lightning spell at the Mandragora. The blast hit her head on, making her yelp in pain, but the damage was fairly low and healed quickly as the Mandragora drained more energy from the Bound Palismen.

Lilith growled again and prepared to cast another bolt, but her sister called out to her; "Lily, wait! She's made of wood, remember? Lightning isn't going to be very effective!"

"I don't think anything is going to be very effective!" Amity yelled, trying to focus on both the barrier and her abominations; "She'll just regenerate using the Palismen!"

"The child is right!" The Bat Queen declared, using a powerful gust of wind from flapping her wings to send the Mandragora into the barrier, damaging her further and stunning her for a moment; "So long as she enslaves Palismen, she will heal endlessly! If we push too hard, she may consume the last of their lives!"

"Then what should we do?" Eda asked, carefully watching as the Mandragora once again healed herself, hoping to spot some flaw she could exploit.

"We've got two options; either take out the flowers used to control the Palismen and drain their essence, or vaporise this thing in one big blast, leaving nothing behind!" Lilith declared. "Luz, Amity; we'll keep her busy! See what you can do about those flowers!"

"Right!" the Apprentices yelled together, turning their eyes back to the Bound Palisman. Several had been captured by the abominations or Free Palismen, while others were still being forced to fight. It was a horrible sight as the flowers controlled their bodies but not their minds, so all wore expressions of pain and misery as they were puppeted by the Mandragora. The heartbroken cries they made as they were forced to hurt their free friends tore at Luz and Amity's hearts.

One poor Palismen, shaped like a toucan with the bottom half of its beak broken off, looked particularly close to dying from the drain it had suffered, so the girls focused on that one first. Amity morphed her abomination falchion into a sticky web of purple gunk, capturing the squawking Palisman and gently swung it towards Luz, who used vines to catch it and locate the Mandragora Flower, which was growing from its left wing. Once she found it, Luz attempted to use her plant magic to take control of it, hoping that focusing all her attention on a single small plant rather than dozens of large ones would help her overpower the Mandragora's control. However it still did little more than slightly slow it down, reducing the wriggling of the Palisman as it tried to escape her vines.

Luz frowned; "I still can't overpower her… even on something this small! Mandragoras really are no joke!"

"Then we've got no choice but to destroy the flower. Do it Luz!" Amity cried, giving herself abomination knuckles and using them to catch a couple of Bound Palisman who were trying to sneak up on Luz.

Luz nodded and focused her light magic, creating a tiny blade of light from her finger tip that she used like a scalpel, carefully slicing the Mandragora flower off the Palisman's body at the root.

For a moment, the toucan Palisman relaxed and Luz gave a sigh of relief, but then the poor thing squawked in pain as the roots of the flower, still embedded in its body, drained some of its essence to regenerate itself, just like the Mandragora herself. Luz gasped and cast her healing spell to restore the Palisman's energy, keeping it from succumbing to the drain.

"Removing the flowers won't work! If you destroy them then their roots regenerate them!" Luz yelled to Amity and the adults.

"Can't you destroy the roots too!?" Eda yelled, dodging under a thorny tail that the Mandragora swiped at her.

"They're embedded in the Palismen! I can't get them out without hurting them!"

"Dang. Plan B it is! Lilith! We're going with another of our old plays; Trail Blazer, but turned up to 11!" Eda shouted.

Lilith blanched; "Oh boy… I hope you know what you're doing, sister!"

Eda grinned and flew over to Lilith so her sister could hop onto Owlbert and turn Corvanc back into his animal form. Lilith then sent Corvanc up to the Bat Queen, who was able to read his mind to get the plan. She too widened her eyes, before agreeing.

"Young ones! Get all Palismen to edge of clearing!" the Bat Queen cried. She then used a sonic screech to make the Mandragora recoil in pain, covering her ears. The screech was focused on her, so the girls and Palismen weren't as effected, but the ear-splitting noise was still unpleasant.

"All Palismen, retreat back to Luz! I'll handle the others!" Amity ordered, creating spell circles around each of her wrists. As the Free Palismen obediently retreated and were shielded behind Luz's wings, Amity melted all of her abominations into a purple slurry, which she then manipulated like a single giant wave. The movements she made reminded Luz of waterbending from one of the shows she watched back in the Human Realm, and the young angel watched in amazement as Amity swept up all the Bound Palismen, expertly solidifying the abomination goo around their limbs to keep them from escaping, then forced them to the edge of the grove, well out of range for whatever Eda and Lilith had planned. She couldn't hold them all like that for long, but it would be enough for a short time.

"The Palismen are safe! Do it now!" Amity yelled.

"You got it, Bossy Boots!" Eda smirked.

The Clawthorne sisters jumped off of Owlbert, with Lilith summoning Corvanc back to her side to catch her, while the Bat Queen caught Eda. The Owl Lady then spun her staff in her hands, drawing a massive golden spell circle, which then split into dozens of little ones. Each circle then spat a golden ball of light towards the Mandragora, who flew around to dodge many of them, while swatting away the others. Strangely enough, those that hit her just bounced off, not even singing her bark.

"Is this the best you witches can do?" the Mandragora mocked.

"Not even close! You might want to look down." Eda retorted.

The Mandragora frowned and looked to the ground below. She gasped as she saw the balls of light fall through the gaps in the mesh-like barrier and sink through the roots into the soil below. Then there was a rumbling, as countless long cylinders of stone came tearing up through the roots, weaving through the holes in the barrier and snaking their way up to the Mandragora. Each one had the face of an owl on the end, and they all hooted in a deep voice. Luz blinked, recognising them as an army of tiny Hooty sculptures. The Mandragora tried to destroy them with wooden claws and the thorn-covered tail she'd grown, but the Hootys were more like mud than solid earth and would return to their original shape no matter what she did.

While the Mandragora was distracted trying to dodge these, the Bat Queen and Lilith struck her from both sides with a sonic screech and lightning bolt combo, stopping her from moving even the slightest bit as her body convulsed under the effects of the attack. With her paralysed, the Hootys were able to twist around her body and completely bind her, whereupon Eda cast another spell that fused them all together into a single giant stone Hooty, with the Mandragora trapped inside its mouth.

"Luz, make a wall of roots around you and the Palismen! Baby Blight, drop your barrier and get behind Luz!" Eda ordered.

Amity immediately did as she was told, allowing her barrier to fade away to nothing then retreating behind Luz as the young angel summoned up a massive wall of thick, heavily barked roots to shield them and the Palismen.

Seeing the apprentices safe, Eda yelled; "Now, Lily!" flying down to stand on the giant Hooty's face, and place a hand over one of its nostrils. Lilith swooped down too and put her hand on the other nostril. Both witches then used their free hands to draw massive spell circles with their staves; gold for Eda and silver for Lilith. Once the circles were complete, they unleashed a frankly obscene amount of raw magical energy into the giant Hooty, flooding it and everything inside it with magic. The two opposing magics acted almost like a blender, shredding and vaporising everything engulfed by it as they twisted and swirled against each other. The Stone Hooty began to melt into lava from the heat generated by the magical clash, and the Bat Queen swooped in and pulled the two witches away just in time, as the Stone Hooty finally failed to withstand the magic raging inside it and promptly exploded. There was a loud, agonising shriek from the Mandragora as it was torn apart cell by cell by the warring magic, before finally exploding with the Stone Hooty.

The explosion was so large that it engulfed a large portion of the grove, and splattered globules of lava from the partially melted Stone Hooty all over the place, where they smouldered away. Eda, Lilith, and the Bat Queen avoided it by flying straight upward, while Luz and Amity were safe behind their shelter of roots. The girls waited for the explosion to settle and the smoke to die down, then peeked out to see what had happened.

The Mandragora was gone; utterly vaporised by the Clawthornes' magic and the explosion, leaving not a single speck behind. There was no possible way for her to regenerate from that.

"D-Did we win?" Luz asked.

"Yeah Kid, I think we won." Eda said, smiling tiredly as she was lowered back to the ground by the Bat Queen along with Lilith. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Amity and I didn't really have to fight much. But what about you? You look really worn out!" Luz said worriedly.

Eda winced as some feathers emerged from her neck; "Ugh, I used up way too much magic. I could do with a top off. Would you mind getting it out of my hair? Kinda don't want to move right now." the Owl Lady said, her arms hanging limply at her sides.

Luz giggled and reached into Eda's thick mane and felt around for the elixir, while Amity watched Lilith walk around the grove putting out the small fires smouldering away in the aftermath of the battle.

"I think I've almost… got it!" Luz cheered, triumphantly pulling the bottle of Super Elixir out of Eda's hair.

She uncorked it and prepared to place it against Eda's lips, when a loud cry from one of the Palismen startled her, making her drop it. Everyone in the grove turned to the source of the sound, then gasped at what they saw.

Mandragora flowers had begun growing on the bodies of the previously Free Palismen, draining them of essence along with the Bound Palismen. The only ones not infected were Owlbert and Corvanc (who'd stayed in staff form with their partners), and Ghost, who'd kept her distance from the rest of the Palismen.

"W-What's happening!?" Luz cried, watching as the Mandragora flowers sent the essence into the red roots that blanketed the ground of the grove. A pillar of green magic then erupted from the centre, which had been reduced to a crater by the explosion, and when the light faded, the crater was filled with tree roots and the Mandragora's tree throne was back.

Sitting atop the throne was the Mandragora herself, smirking widely.

"Impossible!" the Bat Queen roared, "How do you still live!?"

"You can thank the little weed over there for that." the Mandragora said, pointing to a paling Amity. "When she cut off my arm earlier, I had it burrow underground just in case I needed to regenerate. It's a good thing I did too… I got too cocky and sure of my victory, and it let you get the drop on me. That won't happen again."

The Bat Queen screeched and flew at the Mandragora like a bat out of hell, but the demon responded by shaping her arm into the bladed arm of a preying mantis and slashing it across the Bat Queen's body, severing one of her legs and wings, leaving the ancient Palisman to hit the floor with a cry of pain, then skid all the way to the Mandragora's feet.

"Too bad. You did very well against me, but I refuse to lose to the same people twice! No more playing around!" the Mandragora declared, kicking the Bat Queen over to where her sliced off limbs had fallen as she got to her feet.

The Mandragora's entire body glowed with a green aura, and the roots at her feet rose up to attack Luz, Eda, Lilith, and Amity. Eda was too weak from the magic drain and her curse to be able to fight back, and could do little more than shove Luz out of the way before she was bound in roots. Lilith tried harder, but she was rapidly overwhelmed and tied up, before being slammed into the ground several times by the roots to weaken her and stop her struggling. Poor Owlbert and Corvanc tried to help their partners, but the other Palismen were forced to dog pile them, and Mandragora flowers were soon growing from their bodies too. Amity was the last to be bound as she tried to run to Lilith's aid, only to end up upside down and hanging from a tree root.

Luz got back on her feet and prepared a light blast, but the Mandragora just smirked at her and said; "Go ahead, little Sunflower. Wound me. It'll just mean more suffering for the Palismen. I will drain them all down to broken and empty husks before I allow myself to fall."

Luz hesitated, and the Mandragora quickly closed the distance and grabbed her by the front of her shirt, lifting her into the air with a cruel smirk; "Smart girl. I should punish you for your rebellion, but I suppose rebelliousness is just what I'm looking for in my new children; I plan to overthrow the witches and demons of these isles, after all."

"Y-You still plan on taking over the Boiling Isles!?" Luz yelped, desperately trying to find a way out of this.

"Of course. And you and that other little Seedling will become the first of my new daughters. Be excited, little Sunflower; you're going to be a Mandragora, and a Princess of our new Queendom! Once the Emperor of this foul place has fallen, and the witches and demons reduced to food, I will rule over all as Queen Arboriel, the Last Mandragora of the old world, and the mother of all in the new one!" the Mandragora proclaimed, finally giving her name.

Arboriel laughed triumphantly as Luz went pale. The demon then forced Corvanc to fly over to them, so she could gather some of the nectar from the Mandragora flower implanted onto him. "A few injections of this into your blood should begin the process. Relax, little Sunflower; it will only hurt for a little while!"

She turned a finger into a root claw, then used it to drain some of the nectar from Corvanc's flower, taking a bit of his essence with it. She then did the same with another finger, though this one she stabbed into Luz's forearm, making her squeak in pain as Eda thrashed and shouted for Arboriel to stop. Arboriel rolled her eyes at the outburst; "Oh hush; I'm merely sampling the little Sunflower's blood. I remember it smelling quite radiant, and I need to know how best to mix it with my nectar."

Arboriel then drained a bit of Luz's blood, making her eyes widen. Flowers began to bloom over various parts of her body, and a burst of energy overcame her. She felt better than she had in decades!

"Your blood… it contains so much power! Oh, you are special aren't you? Just what are you really, little Sunflower?"

Luz whimpered in Arboriel's grasp, while Amity and Eda both went pale. If Arboriel figured out what Luz really was, then Lilith would learn the truth too! Then even if they got out of this situation, Luz would be in danger! Lilith would drag her to the Emperor no matter what!

Amity couldn't let that happen!

Ignoring the pricking of the thorns into her skin, the youngest Blight wiggled in her bindings until she managed to get a finger free. She immediately drew a spell circle and was able to manipulate some of her abomination slime back to her side, shaping it into a knife that she could slice through the vines. Once she was free, she extended the knife into a falchion again, then leapt at Arboriel, stabbing the blade through the Mandragora's body and making her gasp as the breath was knocked out of her.

Unfortunately, this did nothing but anger Arboriel, who spun around and backhanded Amity so hard that she slammed into the root wall Luz had made earlier. Arboriel then tossed Luz aside as she stalked towards Amity, taking control of the root wall to bind her to it, spread eagle.

"That was a mistake, little weed." Arboriel hissed, using another root to pull the sword out of her back and put it into her hand. "I would rather wait to harvest you AFTER the little Sunflower has become a Mandragora, so you'll be a fresh meal. But you're more trouble than you're worth, so she'll have to settle for you stale!"

She pulled back the sword and aimed it at Amity's heart, making the girl scream in terror. Luz cried out and shot a light blast at Arboriel's back, but it merely made her pause and regenerate. However, this pause bought someone else time to act; Ghost, who'd avoided being infected with a Mandragora flower by remaining apart from the other Palismen, leapt at Arboriel with a loud yowl, and began clawing at the demon's face.

Arboriel screamed and tried to pry Ghost off, but the slippery little feline was quick and cunning, always evading her grasp.

As this was happening, Luz looked around frantically for anything that could help save them. The Palismen were all infected, Eda was on the verge of turning into the Owl Beast, and Lilith was bruised, dazed, and running low on magic herself, leaving Luz with only one potential ally; the Bat Queen. The ancient Palisman was breathing heavily where she'd been thrown, trying to remain conscious, so Luz used Ghost's distraction to quickly sneak over to her.

"Bat Queen! Stay still, okay? I'll heal you!" Luz whispered, using some vines to drag the Bat Queen's lost wing and leg closer, so she could line them up and reattach them with her healing. As Luz worked, her healing magic soothed the Bat Queen's pain, helping her to focus.

With focus came clarity, and the Bat Queen's mind recalled something from long, long ago. Before she was discarded by her partner. It was only flashes of memory; a skull-clad head, and black fur, as well as magic that felt oh so much like Luz's odd glyph-based magic. The girl felt nostalgic to the Bat Queen, and her kindness soothed the old wounds on the ancient Palisman's heart.

As Luz reattached her wing, the Bat Queen made a decision. Luz wasn't strong enough to face the Mandragora alone… but perhaps they could together.

"Luz, child of angels… I would like to make a bargain." the Bat Queen whispered.

"A bargain?" Luz tilted her head.

"Yes. A simple one; I will lend you my power for a short time. In return, I beg you to save the others. Do not let us be used and discarded once again!" the Bat Queen begged.

Luz finished healing her, then grasped her talon with both hands. Her hands were so small, reminding the Bat Queen that she really was just a child. "I'll do anything you want, if it means I can save everyone!"

The Bat Queen nodded solemnly, then got back to her feet; "Then the bargain is struck. Let my power become yours!"

Meanwhile, Arboriel finally managed to grab a hold of Ghost and rip the Palisman off her, getting some new scratch marks in the process. "Mangy feline!" she spat, tossing Ghost at the root wall as hard as she could, causing the poor thing to yelp in pain as its back cracked against the roots and began to leak the same green blood as all Palisman.

"Ghost!" Amity cried, struggling to free herself.

"I am going to grind you both into mulch! Forget feeding myself or my little Sunflower; you'll feed the worms!" Arboriel spat.

"No she won't, monster!"

Arboriel turned to see Luz now stood on her throne, with the Bat Queen hovering above her. The young angel spread her wings wide and pointed at the Mandragora; "It's time for you to leave this forest! Release my friends and the Palismen, and I'll spare you!"

"Ugh…" Arboriel groaned, "How many times do I have to teach you this lesson!? You can heal that pathetic, overripe snack all you want; she will not defeat me!" she said, taking a step towards Luz.

Luz smiled confidently; "You haven't even seen her true power yet! After all, a Palisman's true power can only be used with a partner! Let's go and save everyone, Bat Queen!"

The Bat Queen let out a loud screech, stunning Arboriel, then began to transform. Her flesh body became wood as she transformed into her staff form; her wings were outstretched, her fanged mouth wide open, her eyes becoming a solid red, and her long black hair twisting down the sides and back of her body, before becoming the long black wood of the staff. Once transformed, the Bat Queen staff was massive; easily too big for anyone less than a giant, but as Luz reached a hand up to touch it, it suddenly shrank down to perfectly fit her.

Luz grinned and twirled the Bat Queen staff like she'd seen Eda do many times before, then slammed the end of it against the throne she stood on, causing it to crack down the middle. Amity and the Clawthornes all gasped. None of them had known that the Bat Queen was a Palisman, so seeing her suddenly become Luz's staff (however temporary the arrangement may be) shocked them to their cores.

The young angel hopped onto the staff, and a sonic boom suddenly shook the grove as she shot towards the Mandragora at the speed of sound, slamming into Arboriel with her shoulder to knock her back, then smacking her with the staff to launch her into the air.

Arboriel gasped, her arm broken by the blow, and only barely managed to grow back her Winged Salamander wings, as well as restore her fireproof coating, in case Luz planned to burn her.

"Foolish girl! Did you forget your precious Palismen can restore me!?" Arboriel hissed, waving her hand to summon the healing essence.

"It's now or never…!" Luz muttered. She spun the Bat Queen staff, creating a green spell circle, then drew the pattern of a giant plant glyph inside it. Luz then made the plant glyph appear over her hand too, and slammed her palm into the giant version to cast her spell.

Arboriel narrowed her eyes as the entire forest, as well as the Palismen, began to glow green. Then, to her horror, the Mandragora flowers all began to wilt, from root to flower. "W-What!? How is this possible!?"

"My plant magic alone wasn't strong enough to counter yours, but with the Bat Queen's power backing me up, even you can't compare!" Luz declared, waving her hand and causing all the Mandragora flowers to disappear, along with the roots used to bind her friends. The Palismen were all feeling groggy, but they were free, as were Eda, Lilith, and Amity, who immediately checked to see if Ghost was okay.

Luz snapped her fingers, summoning her satchel before tossing it to Eda; "There are more elixirs in there." she said.

"Much obliged, my apprentice. And nice work, partnering with BQ!" Eda said proudly, quickly downing a Super Elixir and sighing with relief as the curse's symptoms receded.

Luz beamed at the praise, then turned back to Arboriel; "It's over! Your plot to take over the isles ends here!"

Arboriel backed off a step as genuine fear filled her. Without her flowers infesting the Palismen, she had no source of energy to fuel her regeneration! Not only that, but her only magic was plant magic, which Luz and the Bat Queen could now thwart with their combined power! The Mandragora scowled furiously; she'd been so close, but now she was powerless!

Discretion was the better part of valour, so reluctantly, Arboriel began to fly away, shooting spikes of wood from her hands to keep Luz busy as she made her escape.

"You cannot escape your fate forever, little Sunflower! I will take the throne of these isles, and you will bend to my will!" she shouted, before disappearing beyond the grove and into the Evening Gloom, vanishing from sight.

Luz scowled; she'd been so busy batting away the spikes launched at her and her friends that she'd let Arboriel get away. She would certainly be a thorn in their side in the future too…

"I guess we'll have to take our victories where we can. Everyone is safe and alive; that's the important thing." she said to herself, feeling a rush of agreement come from the staff in her hand. For now, she had other work to do!

With Arboriel gone and the Bound Palisman free, the victors looked out across what had become of the Palistrom Grove. It was still in ruins from the Mandragora's actions and the Clawthorne sisters' big explosion, and the Palismen she'd enslaved were still scared and injured. Luz felt exhausted, but she still had some work to do, so she raised the Bat Queen staff high and channelled her plant magic through it, causing the red tree throne and its roots to slowly contract back into the seed they'd originally been grown from. She then slammed the foot of the staff into the soil and spread flowers across the entire clearing, using the Bat Queen's memories of the grove as it once was to try and restore it. The only thing Luz wasn't able to restore was the Palistrom Tree itself, though not for lack of trying.

She was eventually forced to give up when the Bat Queen transformed back to her normal self, growing to full size once again.

"You have done enough, Luz." the Bat Queen smiled, "Palistrom Trees cannot be grown by magic; only time and care will nurture them."

"Oh… I guess that means the Palistrom Tree here is gone for good. Unless we can find a seed…" Luz sighed sadly.

Eda put a hand on her apprentice's back; "It's too bad, but at least we saved the Palismen."

Luz smiled at that, looking over to all the Palismen they'd rescued, who were being groomed and cared for by the others. She'd need to heal them from the wounds caused by the Mandragora flowers, but then they could put all this behind them. It was a shame she wouldn't be able to carve a Palisman of her own just yet, but Luz was still glad to have helped them all.

Lilith watched as her "niece" began to work on healing the rescued Palismen, and waited patiently for her own turn. She felt quite rough after the battle, and was looking forward to some healing. However she also felt shame creeping through her; she was the Head Witch of the Emperor's Coven, yet she'd needed to rely on her apprentice and her niece to save her when the Mandragora had her dead to rights. It was the child of her wild, coven-hating sister who had saved the day… Lilith's hopes of making the Emperor's Coven look good in front of Luz had died a fiery death, and now all she could do was try to salvage the day by completing the mission the Emperor had assigned to her.

She hobbled over to the Bat Queen and said; "Bat Queen, now that we have saved your forest, I believe it is time to discuss why I came here today."

The Bat Queen frowned; she wanted to refuse, but Lilith had fought for her wards, so she'd at least earned the right to speak; "What does the Defiler want?"

"He is worried that the stray Palismen you watch over here will fall into the hands of Wild Witches or other dangerous forces. The Mandragora has proven this is a fair concern. He sent me to take custody of the Palismen, and bring them back to the Emperor's castle, where they will be kept safe." Lilith explained.

The Palismen all cried out in fear, and hid behind Luz and Amity, while Eda and the Bat Queen glared thunderously at Lilith.

"You want to take these guys and make them prisoners of the Emperor!? He'll turn them into weapons! Or worse!" Eda protested.

"Far worse." the Bat Queen hissed, "Many of my wards come from Coven Scouts." she gestured to one such Palisman; a little Axolotl named Pebbles, whom Luz had healed earlier, "They fled here when their bonds were broken and they were given up to the Defiler! I know what he does with them!"

Lilith went pale, as Amity asked; "W-What do you mean? What does the Emperor do with them?"

"He devours them. Like Arboriel, only with even less care. He consumes them to sustain his own life and magic." the Bat Queen said grimly.

Luz and Amity gasped, while Eda glared at her sister, who could only look away in shame.

"Miss Lilith… did you know about this?" Amity asked, her eyes begging the woman to say no.

But Lilith couldn't, so she just bowed her head in shame. Amity gasped, heartbroken; "H-How could you!?"

"I-I know it sounds bad!" Lilith began, "But Palismen are basically totems of Wild Magic… the Emperor was hurt by it, and now needs the essence of Palismen to survive. B-But now that we've seen the Mandragora, we can find another way! She fed on them without destroying them; surely the Emperor can too! Then they can live in safety, the Emperor gets what he needs, and the order of the Isles is preserved! Everybody wins!" Lilith argued, trying to give a convincing smile, which only came out as a grimace.

No one was buying it.

"No! You've got another thing coming if you think I'm going to stand by and let another monster turn these guys into snacks! If you want them you'll need to go through me!" Eda declared, standing between Lilith and the Palismen.

"And me too!" Luz added, flaring her wings out to fully shield the Palismen, as light glyphs shone from her hands.

"And me." Amity added, taking off the Coven Scout cloak she'd been given, and walking towards Lilith to hand it back to her, along with the mask on her hip.

Lilith took them with shaky hands; "Amity… does this mean…!? Are you giving up on the Emperor's Coven!?"

Amity face twisted as she felt the conflict inside her. She then felt Ghost rub against her ankle, the little cat still wounded from the Mandragora. Strength seemed to flow from her to Amity, and the girl felt her determination grow.

"I am. After what Luz told me about the Conformatorium, and what you just confessed about the Emperor… I'm starting to think the coven I idolised never really existed. I won't become some faceless enforcer for a tyrant!" Amity declared.

Eda, Luz, and the Bat Queen all smiled, as did Ghost, while Lilith looked like she'd just been slapped.

"B-But this is what you dreamed of since you were a small child… you'd give up on that?"

Amity nodded; "It was my dream, but no dream is worth hurting these innocent creatures. I don't know what I'm going to be when I grow up; I want to be a great witch, and maybe even an author! But most of all… I want to decide what I become for myself. Not you, not the Emperor…" Not my mother. "It'll be my choice. My path to walk. And right now, my path is right here, between you and these Palismen!"

In response to Amity's words, Ghost meowed loudly and jumped into the girl's arms, surprising her. Amity pet the cat Palisman happily, feeling a warmth in her chest as she did so. She then gasped as the wounds Ghost had obtained began to heal, as a thin thread of lavender magic went from Amity's heart to Ghost's. It was a bit draining, but it left Amity feeling like she understood how the Palisman was feeling, and when Ghost was fully healed, she jumped forward and transformed, taking the form of a staff in Amity's hands.

The Bat Queen and Clawthorne sisters gasped, while Luz cheered; "Amity! You and Ghost bonded! She's your Palisman now!"

"M-My Palisman…!?" Amity stuttered, an overwhelming feeling of both joy and terror flooding through her. For a moment, she was terrified of what her mother would say, and how she'd hide Ghost from her, but feelings of reassurance flooded into her as Ghost returned to her normal cat form and sat on Amity's shoulders. "You really want me as a partner?"

Ghost meowed affirmatively, and Amity began to tear up; "Then I'm going to be the best partner ever! I'll take good care of you, no matter what!"

Ghost meowed again, and nuzzled Amity while Luz cooed at the adorable sight. Lilith looked on as her apprentice (or was it former apprentice now?) cuddled with her Palisman, and was reminded of the day she'd carved Corvanc. Corvanc himself looked at Lilith from the end of her staff, his eyes offering understanding and no judgement.

The woman sighed heavily and turned to leave; "I'll be returning to the castle. I'll inform the Emperor of the Mandragora attack, and let him know she was feeding on the Palismen here. If he believes this means they're all dead, then that isn't my concern."

"Miss Lilith…" Amity whispered.

"With a staff of your own, you can make your own way home now Amity. Your path is your own just as you wanted… but wherever it leads, I wish you luck. Contact me if you wish to continue your apprenticeship on your own terms." Lilith said, not looking back. She then boarded her staff and took off into the sky, leaving Amity and the others behind.

Amity and Luz both felt some conflicted emotions as they watched her go, while Eda just felt sad. Her sister was a good person… but even good people became twisted when serving the Emperor.

Once Lilith was gone, the Bat Queen and Eda led the rescued Palismen back to the Bat Queen's cave, while Amity flew back using Ghost, Luz flying along beside her. Once they got back to the clearing, the Bat Queen got all the Palismen settled into their nooks and checked on her children, before giving her guests one final audience.

"Eda, Luz, Amity; favours are owed to all of you. Favours I doubt I can repay." the Bat Queen said.

"It's fine, Bat Queen; it was worth it to help these little guys!" Luz smiled. "And thank you for lending me your power; I know that can't have been easy."

"It was nothing, angel child. Please, take this." the Bat Queen coughed up two more of the skull-themed whistles, just like the one Eda had; "When you are in times of need, blow on this and I will come to your aid. One is for you, and the other for Amity."

"Me too?" Amity asked as Luz picked the whistles up and handed one to her.

"You helped greatly, and bonded with Ghost. You gave up a dream to do what is right. Such things should be rewarded." the Bat Queen replied.

Amity smiled and gratefully accepted the whistle, while Ghost meowed to the Bat Queen.

"I shall miss you also, Ghost. You have found a good partner." the Bat Queen replied with a smile. She then looked to Eda; "I am sorry you did not get what you came for. However I may have idea for you… Your father was entrusted with Palistrom Seeds long ago. He may have a tree by now; perhaps enough to get Palisman for your Apprentice."

Eda grimaced; "Uh, that's kind of a tall order…Dad and I don't really speak…"

"He has forgiven you, you know." The Bat Queen said sympathetically.

"It's not his forgiveness that's the issue…" Eda muttered back.

The Bat Queen did not argue further; "Very well. Favours are owed; I will await the day all debts come due. You are all welcome here any time. Farewell."

And with that, the Bat Queen flew up to her den to sleep, leaving Eda, Luz, and Amity to leave the cave and the forest. Luz hitched a ride on Ghost with Amity once they got in sight of the town, to avoid discovery, and as they flew, Amity couldn't help but ask.

"Luz… you're not upset that I got a Palisman and you didn't, are you? I know that's why you came here in the first place." Amity asked worriedly.

Luz giggled and shook her head; "No, I'm really happy for you, and for Ghost too. She's got an awesome new partner, and so do you. And I got to play with a whole bunch of adorable animals, make tons of new friends, and help a lot of people. As an angel, I think I can call this a successful trip!"

Amity smiled softly; "I'm glad. And I bet when you do get a Palisman of your own, they'll be as amazing as you are."

Luz blushed at the compliment, then frowned as she asked; "What about you? You sort of gave up your dream today… Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Honestly, it started off as Mom's dream; I grew up being told I should join them and I guess it eventually became my dream too. That said, it hurts to realise that the people I idolised were nothing like I thought they were, but even with that, I feel like today was more positives than negatives." Amity said, reaching down to stroke Ghost's head. "And besides… I think I've found someone else to look up too."

Eda grinned; "I am pretty amazing, aren't I?" she boasted, making Luz and Amity giggle.

"I didn't mean you!" Amity laughed, making Eda pout.

"Then who did you mean? The Bat Queen?" Luz asked curiously.

Amity blushed faintly and looked back at Luz before putting a finger to her lips; "It's a secret."

The two girls shared a smile as they flew through the night sky, their long day coming to an end.