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therivergirl · 2 years

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Hexide students go to save their friends. Fights ensue and scouts learn you do NOT mess with Hexide!

Full work:

Bump and the illusions teacher stood in front of the blackboard of the Healing Homeroom. Someone sketched a highly detailed layout of the school on the board, pointing out where the illusions they knew about began and ended. The small group of students gathered, facing the teachers.

Everyone was a bit roughed up, with freshly healed scrapes and bruises, messy hairs, and torn uniforms. Nevertheless, they looked defiant and determined. Willow never felt more comradery with her fellow students, even the ones she usually rarely interacted with, as she did at that moment. And they never seemed more united, not even when they had to cheer for Banshees during Grudgby tournaments.

“All right, children,” Bump said, “I won’t even try to persuade you to stay here while the teachers and I go look for other students,”

“Yeah, that is a good idea, principal,” Viney, who sat on one of the desks with her legs crossed, said. Her gryphon, Puddles, squawked in agreement.

“Because we would just go behind your backs and help others regardless!” Willow added, sitting in a giant flower of her own making, high fiving her teammate.

“Right,” Bump sighed, eying them as if unsure whether he should be proud of them or not, “therefore, I won’t fight a lost battle. A few of you have told me your friends and classmates are hiding in various locations around the school trying to stay away from the scouts. I won’t have my students marked by sigils against their will so I’m leading the efforts to go and find them. Viney, where did you say your friend was?”

“Well,” she slipped off the desk and walked over to the board, “Jerbo’s status as a friend is still on thin ice since the flyer derby incident, but that does not matter. He and a few students have grouped in one of the Plant Track classrooms,” she made a small dot on the layout, marking where Jerbo was, “it is not far from here.”

“And Skara just sent me a message,” Cat said, joining Viney “she and a few bards are in the cafeteria, along with a few Oracle Track students and some guy from construction coven. They are barely holding on!” she drew a few exclamation marks around the cafeteria on the layout.

“The Plant Track Department is on the way to the cafeteria,” Bump said, studying the path they could take, “We should pick those students up and then form an organized effort to get those from the cafeteria.”

“Right, Blight twins, you two will stay here, make sure the scouts don’t break this illusion, while I go out to help them navigate,” the illusion teacher told Edric and Emira.

“Um, I’m pretty sure Emira can hold the illusions here by herself. I might be more useful out there with my potions. I have a new mixture I want to try out on the scouts,” Edric suggested with, his eyes gleaming dangerously. He held a vial of very unstable-looking potion and a few of the people close to him took a step back.

“Put that away before you injure someone,” Bump scolded, but it was half-hearted. “However, that gives me an idea. You should probably stay here because you can use potions. Someone needs to guard the healers and those who are too injured to fight,” Bump said, looking at a handful of students that were at the very back of the room. They were being tended to by Bo, a student from the Healing track who Willow knew as one of Gus’s Human Appreciation Society friends.

“And we might need Emira’s help if any other students find this place,” Cat added, “and if she is helping with healing, she can’t work on illusions.”

“But, between you and Viney, the best healers we have, Emira can focus fully on the illusions!” Edric pouted, clearly wishing to go out to cause havoc.

“I’m not staying here, Edric,” Viney said, “I’m going out there with the others. A healer might be needed in the middle of a fight.”

“Yes, Viney is the best field medic, you can use her quick skills in a clutch,” Cat said to Bump.

“Plus, Puddles is a worthy asset in the fight, and she won’t listen to anyone but me,” Viney added, “You want to kick the butt of some coven scouts, don’t you buddy? Don’t you?” she said, as she rubbed the gryphon’s neck. Puddles let out a shriek and everyone in the room was glad they are on the beast’s side of the fight.

“All right, you got me,” Bump said, “Viney and Puddles will be part of the group freeing the students from the Plant Department and cafeteria.”

“See,” Cat turned to Edric, “If Viney goes out, it only leaves Bo, Emira and me as healers here. Bo and I can handle things on our own for now, but if any more injured students get here, we will need Emira to step away from illusions and help us. We need you,” she said to Edric “we need more than one illusionist here.”

“Fine, I’ll stay…” he sat on a chair and crossed his arms, pouting.

“Sir, Amity and I can help too,” Willow offered to Bump.

“Of course you can,” Bump smiled, “I was counting on nothing less. Miss Fairflicker will lead, so we can navigate the halls better. I will be right behind her with you two. Viney and Puddles will take up the tail of the group.”

Willow smiled confidently at Amity who smiled back, a tiny bit apologetic still, but it was mostly the smile that said Let’s kick some Emperor’s Coven butts. Truly a remarkable change compared to who Amity was a few months ago.

“Hm,” Bump wondered, “how will we keep an element of surprise if we end up needing it? Usually, we could rely on illusions to sneak on the scouts, but Mrs. Fairflick will be completely focused on breaking Gus’s illusions, won’t you?”

“Probably, that boy truly has strong magic, those were not easy to break…”

Willow tapped her chin pensively, looking between those who were about to head out to look for the trapped student, “Hmm, how good are you all withholding your breaths?”

“What?” Bump asked, confused.

“Well, with these,” she drew a glyph on a piece of paper, “we can remain invisible. Luz taught me that.” she demonstrated the trick, seemingly disappearing, to the amazement of those who had not yet seen Luz’s trick.

“But,” Willow said, reappearing, “they only work as long as you hold your breath.”

“Honestly, holding my breath was never a speciality of mine.” Bump said, “maybe we should only use them when we get close to our targets,” he suggested.

“Guys,” Viney said with alarm, “Barkus just texted me! He is with Skara in the cafeteria, and they are holding on by a thread! If we want to get to them on time, we need to move out now!”

“You heard her, let’s move!” Bump ordered. “As for the plan…”

“We’ll improvise!” Amity said.

The group moved towards the door in unison, with Bump and Mrs. Fairflick leading the way. They walked into what looked like the forest, but the illusion teacher broke the spell, revealing the hallway.

They ran down the corridor, only to bump into a group of five scouts when they have rounded the first corner.

Before the scouts could properly react, Bump and Amity jumped forward and brought up a giant abomination that grabbed two of the scouts. One tried to counter the attack with his own abomination, but Puddles landed behind him pushing him into the embrace of Bump’s and Amity’s creation.

On Amity’s right, Willow fought against a scout who seemed to excel in Plant magic and managed to keep almost all her attention. Vines covered with thorns have erupted from the floor and the walls, separating the two witches from the rest of the fray.

In the corner of her eye, Willow noticed that one of the scouts trapped in the giant Abomination managed to free his hand and was about to hit Viney, who was battling another scout with her staff, from behind. Willow, while still focusing much of her power on her opponent, directed some of her attention at the scout attacking her friend, making a large flytrap grow next to the scout. The flytrap caught his arm, trapping him.

Willow’s opponent used her moment of distraction to attack her with a gigantic vine and she braced for impact but at the last moment, Puddles leapt on the vine, wrestling it to the ground as if it was the world’s largest gryphon toy. Willow’s palisman, Clover, flew from her shoulder into the scout’s face and she lost focus, allowing Willow to fully wrap her into a cocoon of vines, leaving her trapped on the ground.

Viney managed to get the upper hand over the scout she fought and sent him into a locker with one strong blast of magic from her staff. The locker was promptly sealed with Abomination goo by Bump.

Willow and Viney breathed heavily, both leaning against Puddles, the palismen landing at their owner’s respective shoulders. “Thanks,” the girls said at the same time, as Viney started to assess Willow, Puddles and herself for injuries.

Amity took on the last standing scout, who sent rocks flying at her. She caught four of the projectiles with ease using abominations, while the fifth grazed her arm. She yelped in pain but did not drop the abomination wall she held in front of her, summoning her staff instead and using the staff’s magic to aid in her attack. With a few fluid movements of her staff, she created an abomination orb around the scout, then let Ghost take their cat form again, releasing the palisman at her opponent. The scout instinctively protected her face from the cat with unsheathed claws, allowing Amity the opening she needed to fully encase the scout in the orb which she then stuck to the ceiling.

Viney quickly rushed to her side and healed the bruise on Amity’s arm, while Bump and Willow made sure all the scouts remain trapped. Mrs Fairflicker took a moment to rest, letting the illusion of the forest surround them once again.

“You will pay for this!” one of the scouts shouted, “You will pay for rebelling against-“

“Oh, shut up!” Willow groaned and made a sleeping nettle grow in front of him. The other scouts said nothing, some of them almost seemed relieved it was all over.

“Wow, kids, you’re something else, aren’t you?” one asked, his eyes wide, as Bump smiled proudly at his students.

“Flattery won’t help you here!” Willow countered. “But thanks!” she added sweetly. She turned to Bump, “Should I…”

“Yes, knock them all out. We don’t want them calling for reinforcements as soon as we leave,” Bump said, and Willow made sleeping nettles grow in front of every scout. Within a minute, they were all in deep slumber.

“Is everyone-“ Bump started to ask, but was cut off by Viney.

“Everyone is fine, we should keep going,” she said, as she finished healing Amity’s arm. Amity tried moving it around as Mrs. Fairflick took a deep breath and dissolved the illusion around them, revealing a corridor that led to the Plant Track Department. Willow smirked confidently. That was her turf.

“Come on guys, let’s help out friends and then help out other friends,” she said as she led the way down the corridor, followed by everyone else.

……

To Willow’s disappointment, getting the students out of the Plant classroom was incredibly simple. They only found Jerbo and Amelia there, along with a construction track student who was knocked out.

“What the heck, Jerbo,” Viney scowled at him, looking at the scouts that were wrapped in plants, one covered in abomination goo and one stuck in the ground. “you said you can’t leave! But you took down all the guards!”

“Well, we couldn’t leave him,” Jerbo pointed out to the sleeping guy, “And none of us knows Illusion magic.”

“I tried navigating the halls, but I bumped into the wall, hurt my nose and got so spooked I accidentally knocked him out with sleeping nettles,” Amelia, whose nose was swollen said sheepishly.

“And I hoped for a real plant rumble,” Willow sighed, making Amity chuckle.

“You should join me in the Bonesborough Blawl next time,” she said, “You’d enjoy it!”

“Yup! And I’ll steal that title from you, Blight!” Willow smirked confidently.

Viney healed Amelia’s nose while Bump used his Abomination magic to transport the unconscious construction track student to the Healing Homeroom.

“We should probably get going if we want to get the students from the cafeteria,” he said, “I’d transfer all of us this was, but it would take too much energy.”

“Never mind, principal,” Willow said, “the cafeteria is just around the corner anyways.”

….

The students at the cafeteria were rounded up in the middle of the cafeteria. Bruised, and scratched, tied up in a circle they stared defiantly at the scouts. Mathollomule’s eye was swollen, his arms hurt and he was pretty certain he had sprained his ankle. He was tied between Skara from the Bard Track and that Moon Girl from Oracle Track whose name he didn't know, both of whom were in a better shape than him, but only by a small margin.

“Well, well, what should we do with these little rebels…” one scout said, clutching his shoulder, where he had a large tear in the cape. “This was my favourite uniform, you know?”

“And this is my new uniform,” the other, whose robe was incinerated by one of Barkus’s potions, complained, “I say we throw little brats into the ocean!”

“Whoa, dude, too harsh!” the third said, “I just say we throw them into conformatorium!”

“Maybe we should get them a healer first,” the fourth scout said, “I mean, I know they are reprehensible rebels and should be dealt with promptly, but look at them, they don’t seem to be in good shape!”

“Oh yeah?” Mattholomule, challenged, “untie us and then we’ll see who is in a bad shape!”

“Woof! [Yeah, you tell them! We may be bruised up, but we can still fight!]” Barkus growled.

“We will do as ordered,” the scout lieutenant said, putting a sigil gauntlet on, with a bit too much glee for Mathollomule’s liking, “And orders are to mark them all first and then proceed according to further instructions!”

The students gasped in shock. Mathollomule, despite his limbs hurting as if he dipped them in the boiling sea, started squirming, trying to free himself. He just joined Illusions! No stupid scouts were going to take it away from him the very same day! He felt Barkus doing the same thing next to him and even the single-track students were trying to wiggle free.

One of the scouts took out a flute and played a few notes, making all the students stop moving.

“And I considered joining bards…” The Moon Girl said sadly.

“Hey, you can’t do this to us, jerks!” Mattholomule spat.

“Yeah, we should only join covens once we finish school!” one of the bard students said.

“My parents will sue the Emperor’s Coven!” threatened one of the oracle students. Mathollomule doubted that was possible, but he appreciate the support.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, none of that!” The lieutenant said, wagging her finger, “So, who wants to come first?” she asked, but no students answered. They just stared at them, making it known that they were not on board with this plan.

“Fine, if nobody is volunteering, how about we start with this little troublemaker first,” they grabbed Mathollomule’s arm, “The one who gave us the most trouble! Let’s see, construction or illusions? Or, oh, I liked that idea Graye had, how about something something different…” healing coven symbol appeared on the gauntlet and Mattholomule cringed. At least it’s not Bard Coven, I suck at music…

“Wait!” Skara said on Mathollomew’s right, “please, do me first. This ridiculous rebellion was a mistake. I see it now. We have to follow the righteous path of our glorious emperor. I’d be honoured to properly join the coven and I apologize for aver associating with…ingrates like these!”

“Woof! [What the titan, Skara! I thought you knew better!]

“Traitor,” Mattolomule muttered under his breath.

“Well, well,” the lieutenant said, “fine then. Maybe others will follow your example,” they said and took Skara’s arm, “Bard coven, huh?”

“It’s an honour,” Skara said in a small voice.

The lieutenant brought the glove closer to the girl’s arm, the sigil started to glow, Skara closed her eyes…

CRASH!!!!

A whole bunch of vines and abominations broke through the flimsily fixed door, sending chunks of stone and chips of wood along with a cloud of dust into the cafeteria!

“What the-” the lieutenant and the other scouts turned around, “Oh come on! You gotta be kidding me! How many of you little vermin are there!?”

Standing in the ruined doorway were a bunch of students led by none other than principal Bump.

They attacked immediately, not giving the scouts time to get their bearings. Bump, who was commanding two abominations, took on the lieutenant. And Mattholomule never thought he’d say that about the principal, but the old witch looked cool as heck.

Amelia and Jerbo tagged-teamed against the scouts that were nearest to the door, Jerbo taking the air while Amelia was on the ground. Next to them Amity and Willow took on the two scouts that were discussing if it was ok to throw them into the boiling sea. Mattholomule felt devious glee, knowing those two, the scouts will wish they were thrown into the boiling sea once the girls were done with them.

Viney landed her gryphon next to the tied-up students, “Puddles, get rid of the ropes!” she said, and the gryphon bit through the ties.

“Keep the guard while I do a quick check-up,” she said to her gryphon, as she looks over everyone’s injuries, doing quick healing spells on the worst ones, not healing them entirely, but lessening the pain and discomfort.

“We’re fine,” Mathollomule said, trying to get up, but his injured leg gave in.

“Dude, you look like Puddles used you as a chewing toy,” Viney said as she healed his shoulders. “Damn, you’re in a bad shape. I can’t get rid of all of this now. Don’t get up, that ankle of yours is in a bad shape. And Barkus, what did you do to your paw…” she turned to her friend.”

“Woof! [The scout crushed my paw with an abomination while I was holding a potion!]

Mathollomule heard steps approaching and saw a scout running towards them, summoning a giant spell circle. Before the scout could finish the cast, Mattholomule used construction magic to create a wall the scout barely avoided, only to be snatched by Puddles instead.

A large shadow suddenly loomed over Mat. It was the tallest scout, one that Mattholomule buried in a pile of rocks earlier, who snuck by the gryphon and was about to knock Mattholomew out, “I’ve had enough of you, boy…” the scout snarled and Mattholomule could only close his eyes, no time to make a spell circle.

“Stay away from him,” he heard a female voice say and opened his eyes and saw Skara standing over him, fending the scout off with her staff.

“Skara?” he muttered in surprise.

“And this is for damaging my favourite flute!” Skara yelled at the scout, knocking him over, “Come on,” she turned to Mattholomew, “Let’s get you out of here,” she grabbed his hand and pulled him up on her staff.

“What? But I thought…what?”

“I acted, silly,” she said, “No way do I agree with that scary lady.”

“But then why would you…why would you get yourself branded? We’re not even friends!”

“No,” Skara shrugged, “But you’re Gus’ friend. And even if you weren’t…Look, I like doing other spells for fun occasionally, especially weather-type. But I really do love Bard Magic and I wanted to join the Bard Coven one day anyways. If they locked my magic now, it would suck, but way less if they locked the magic of someone who loves other tracks much more than I do. And I thought, if she brands me, that might give others time to come here before the dual-track students get harmed.”

Mattholomule could only stare at Skara in shock. A random student, heck one of the former mean girls taking a bullet for another like that…

Glandus High could never…

“Thanks. Really,” Mathollomew said, “That was huge. Also, sorry for calling you a traitor…”

“Nah, it’s fine! I’d do the same if I believed someone was betraying us and, really it only means I acted well and added credibility,” she said as she hovered in the hallway in front of the cafeteria.

Skara and Mathollomule looked over at the ruined cafeteria door and noticed that all the students that were trapped, along with their rescuers have managed to get out.

The scouts were tied up in the middle of the cafeteria and the students were trying to seal the exit. Willow and Amelia created an improvised doorframe from vines and Bump and Amity sealed it with abomination, but the door had a hard time holding.

“They can’t move the stones and brick,” Mathollomule grunted, “They need construction magic,” Can you get me closer?”

“But you’re injured…”

“I can’t stand properly, but I can still use my magic. Just get closer!”

“Fine!” Skara flew towards the door and Mathollomule summoned a spell circle, forcing pieces of the ruined wall to form a proper door opening again.

“Let’s move,” Bump said as he finished sealing off the door.

“Which way?” asked Amity, breathing heavily, clutching her arm “We’re not as close to the Healing Homeroom anymore, with so many injured and I’m not sure we’ll stand another all-out brawl without some patching up first.”

“I agree,” Bump said, even he sported a few minor injuries, “I could transport us all with your and Jerbo’s help but…”

“Wait a minute,” Jerbo said, walking to one of the lockers, “I think this is…” He looked at Viney, who nodded.

“What?” Skara asked as she carefully landed, and helped Matt stay on his feet.

Jerbo opened the door, revealing the entrance into the secret school passageways,

“Presenting to you, the detention shortcuts! We never really planned on revealing this to the whole school, let alone to teachers, but seeing as it’s a matter of, well, not life and death but freedom of choice and having our magic sealed against our will, we will. These passages go all over the school, and, while there is no doors directly into or next to the Healing Homeroom, there is one that opens into the storage room only two hallways down.”

“Great idea, Jerbo, let’s go,” Bump hurried students, “But, if you think I didn’t know about these, you’d be wrong.”

Viney looked at Jerbo, who in turn looked at Barkus, who looked back at Jerbo as they watched Bump lead the other students into the secret passage.

“So…all this time…” Viney said.

“Apparently,” Jerbo affirmed.

“Woof! [Somehow, he is getting cooler by the minute!]” Barkus summed up.

“Yup! Now come on, let’s get you all fixed up and then search for other people! This school is ours and not the coven’s for the taking!”

#luz the owl house #toh #the owl house hunter #willow toh #mattholomule #gus the owl house #the owl house skara #the owl house viney #emerald entrails #fanfiction

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