A/N: It's time to say goodbye. So long, and thanks for all the fish…
Before that, though, I'd like to thank everyone who sent me fanart, and anyone who helped out with the TVTropes page, especially Crosshot, who did so much work to make it happen. You're all the best.
"And you're sure about this?" King asked, leaning weakly against a crutch to stay on his feet. His Mom stood right beside him, just in case he needed the help, but let him walk on his own, which he appreciated. He was glad to have her here for this.
"I'm always sure!" The young, boyish voice exclaimed in response. "It'll be too boring here anyway!"
They had gathered together back at the Owl House, or what remained of it. Raine was examining the place with one eye, and keeping the other, more paranoid one on the Collector, making plans to bring Mason out to help rebuild the place. While it shouldn't take the Construction witch more than a few hours to repair the damage, the knick knacks that helped make it feel like home that had been destroyed would take much longer to replace. Until then, the bard opted to keep out of direct line of sight from the Collector, knowing that as one of the people who'd chosen to keep them imprisoned, it was best to stay out of the way and keep him in a good mood.
Willow and Gus had excused themselves to search through the kitchen to gather usable supplies to gather for when they would eat. The two pilfered any unspoiled food they could find, as well as any surviving plates and bowls. Meanwhile, Lilith was doing her best to get a fire started that they could cook over outside, as she wasn't sure if they should risk a gas leak with the stove.
Darius and Eberwolf were tending to Hunter's wounds in what remained of the living room, in a spot where the ceiling seemed least likely to cave in on them. The boy had a small gash on his forehead that Camila was too tired to mend herself that Darius insisted on fussing over before it could scar like Hunter's cheek had. When the Owl House's medical kit had been recovered from the debris and the blood replenishing potions inside had been given to King, Darius scrounged up some items from within to patch his ward up, even if Hunter didn't think it was anything to fret about. What was another scar to add to the list? At least this was one he could feel proud of.
Hooty had been reinstalled in his door, which was clumsily leaned against one of the standing living room walls. The bird tube was just happy to be included, chatting the ears off Jean Luc, who Eda thought was best to power down, removing King's collar from around his neck until she could figure out what to do with him.
That left Amity, Luz, Camila and Alador, who stood just a few feet behind Eda in the backyard with King and the Collector. Amity and Luz held hands, while Alador hunched awkwardly beside Camila, doing his best to understand all the magical events that had gone on around him that day.
"Well, if you want to leave, I'm not gonna stop you," Eda shrugged, trying to hide the tenseness in her shoulders that hadn't left since the godlike being had made their presence known. Even now, his overly wide, creepily childlike eyes stared at her, giving her the willies.
"I'll miss you," King spoke genuinely, even though he knew this was the best decision. Something was bound to go terribly the longer the Collector remained here with them. The peace would only last so long before they got bored and wanted to force someone to play a game with them that might cost them their life.
"Aw, I'll miss you too, King! I'll make sure to visit!" The Collector promised, looking touched to hear those words coming from his best friend. "But, well… You're my friend, and when you got broke, it made me sad. And everyone else is your friend, so if I broke them, that would make you sad… so I'll go someplace where you don't know anyone! Who knows, maybe I'll make some new friends I can bring back and introduce to you someday!"
"Yeah, feel free to visit, anytime you like," Eda encouraged, adding under her breath, "In a century or two. Titan knows I don't want to deal with any of this."
"I hope your new friends will be, er, sturdy!" King laughed stiffly, talking over his mother. He held out a paw to the Collector, "You, uh, wouldn't happen to need a drop of blood for that, would you?"
The Collector looked back at the door beside them. Vee's door, that remained forever unfinished, as no one had figured out the secret to get it to lead anywhere but the realm between realms. The Collector turned back to face King, shooting him a wink, "Nope! You've lost enough already, I got this!"
He snapped his fingers, or tried to at least. It took a few attempts, his brow furrowed as he focused on the task to get his fingers to cooperate, but finally the eternal child managed to get them to do something halfway resembling a snap, and the unfinished door pulsed with magic. It transformed much like Vee's first door had, twisting itself into a proper portal, but instead of an eye, there was an emblem, one that had been on the mirror that marked it as the Collector's. The door swung open, revealing not the inky black pool of the Realm Between Realms, or the blue skies and green trees of the Human Realm, but the chirping of birds, and a sky that was bright pink, with blue mountains off in the distance. A new world no witch or human had ever stepped foot in.
"Well, this is my stop!" The Collector cried out cheerfully, "I guess it's time for me to go."
"Yeah…" King nodded, readjusting himself on his crutch so he could open one arm up, "A hug for the road?"
The Collector's eyes lit up like stars, and his lips turned upward into a grin, "Did you even have to ask?"
The child floated over into King's arms, tenderly wrapping his own around King's neck, careful not to touch his bruised and fragile ribs. The two boys hugged it out, Eda tapping her foot impatiently while she waited for them to part. When the two finally pulled apart, the Collector wasted no time, backing away and preparing to step through the door.
Eda sighed, pinching her brow, "Wait, kid, here," Reaching into her hair, she pulled out a violet shirt emblazoned with "Bad Girl Coven" on the front, with her image flying on top of Owlbert. She tossed the shirt his way, and he caught it, staring at it as if he didn't know what he'd just been handed. "I can't very well let you go running off into a new world in just your pajamas. Put that on, and… go spread the good word of the Bad Girls, alright?"
The Collector held the shirt out in from of them, then wiggled into it. It draped over them, several sizes too large, but he grinned all the same, "Thanks, Mrs. King's Mom!"
With a final wave, the Collector called out, "Bye King's other Mom, bye his weird sisters, bye grumpy old guy!"
Alador pointed to himself curiously at the last one, but didn't object. Camila stifled giggles, waving farewell back to the Collector, who bounded through the door, grasped the handle, then slammed it shut behind him. It vanished half an instant later, signaling his final disappearance.
"Welp, hope that's the last we see of that guy," Eda breathed out, allowing her body to sag. "I'm not sure I could adopt another kid, much less one who can put me in time out just by thinking it. They're someone else's problem now."
"I thought he was alright," King defended, but still understood where his mother was coming from.
"I suppose the only thing left to do is return you home," Camila spoke up, looking at Alador as she did so.
The man scratched at his chin, then gave a short nod, "Yeah, that… would be for the best. I've got a divorce to finalize-" Somewhere in the house, Darius' ears perked up for some reason. "-and I still need to find out what happened to Edric and Emira…"
"They're living in a shack in the woods," Amity answered, simply, "They didn't want to come back after they heard what you did to Vee."
"Vee?" Alador raised a brow.
Amity paled and exchanged glances with Luz, "Oh, wow, I… completely forgot how out of the loop you were. I never went back home. Never. You guys found Vee, a shapeshifter, and-"
Alador had a moment of realization, and slapped his forehead. "That explains far too much. I'll have to apologize to her for her treatment as well."
He looked down at his daughter, pursing his lips, "For what it's worth, I also owe you an apology for how your mother and I treated you. I understand now why you left. I've been here a day, and we have been in constant peril the whole way, and yet… this is still the happiest I think I've seen you in years. I… understand if you don't want to come back home, if you are even capable of seeing that place as home, but… I'd like the chance to do better, if you're willing to allow me?"
Amity swallowed, and wasn't able to meet her father's eyes as he spoke. Luz gripped her hand, squeezing it tightly in her grip to offer support. With her girlfriend beside her, and their relationship out in the open to her father, Amity wasn't afraid of what her father thought anymore. Looking up again, she stared him dead in the eye, looking for any signs of deception, anything that spoke of hidden disgust.
"And what about Luz? Can she come when I visit?" Amity challenged.
Alador blinked, eyes twitching momentarily to look at the other girl in question. After a moment, he gave another short nod, "Of course. I'd like to get to know my daughter's girlfriend too. She's important to you, so she's important to me."
Amity closed her eyes and breathed, "Thanks, Dad, that… means a whole lot. As for visiting, I'll… think about it. I don't think I'm ready to go back into that house again."
"To be honest, neither am I," Alador shrugged, his expression tired from more than a lack of sleep, "I could always sell it. Or remodel it. Odalia never liked my sense of decour, that would really make her nettled…"
"The soup is done," Lilith announced, bringing everyone's attention to her. She pushed up her glasses nervously, "That's fine, right? I figured my nephew could use something easy to digest after todays events."
"Yeah, Lily, that's fine," Eda replied, carefully scooping King up into her arms as they made their way over to the makeshift firepit, where one of Eda's bigger pots had been placed over the fire. "You did good, sis."
Lilith beamed, chewing on her lip as to not cry out to hear that term of endearment from Eda once again.
The door creaked open, and Amity stepped through, wincing at the surprising amount of sunlight that she hadn't been expecting.
She walked into the Human Realm with Luz, hand in hand and both dressed for a casual outing. It took the wooden boards underneath her shoes to reassure her they'd arrived where she had wanted to. This was Vee's place. It just seemed to be missing the roof. And a lot of the rest of the place, too. A few walls had been torn down too, showing off the skeleton of the house.
Unlike the state the Owl House had been reduced to a few weeks before, though, this at least seemed more deliberate. The torn off portions had been stacked neatly over in a pile on the side of the house,while fresh boards and building equipment filled the room the pair stood in. The sounds of a hammer striking nails was heard from above, and the two teenagers craned their necks upward, Amity covering her face with her hands to block out some of the sun that peeked through the clouds above, "Dad?"
Alador lifted his goggles, peering down at them, "Ah, Amity! It's good to see you. I wasn't expecting you until dinner."
Amity looked up in bewilderment, shaking her head, "What are you doing up there?"
"Building a house!" The man answered back, "Or, rather, rebuilding! It's the least I could do for that poor Vee girl, after what your mother and I did."
"That's very kind of you, sir!" Luz called up, but Alador waved her compliments off.
"It was the twins suggestion, actually. A good one, too. I'm happy to make amends however I can."
"Excuse us, you two," the deep voice of Darius chimed in from behind them. Amity and Luz realized they had been so gobsmacked they had ended up blocking the portal door. Hastily stepping aside, Darius and Hunter stepped through, followed by Willow and Gus. Each had an illusion cast over their ears, hiding their pointy tips.
Darius cleared his throat, brushing his fingers across the tight fitting purple flannel shirt he'd picked up from Eda's human fashion pile, the sleeves rolled up to show off his impressive forearms despite the chill in the air, "Alador, are you going to meander up there all day, or say hello to your guests?"
"I wasn't aware I had any," Alador shot back down, raising a brow.
"And here I came all this way to see you," Darius replied coyly, making a show out of inspecting his nails.
"Aren't you the ambassador to the human realm, Deamonne?" Alador smirked.
"Yes, to all of it's inhabitants in the know about the Demon Realm. If we're only including the adults, that means… you. And your ex-wife, but I think I speak for both of us when I say I wouldn't want to be within a thousand miles of her."
Amity and Hunter exchanged glances, grimacing at the terrible banter going on between the two men. They both really hoped things didn't get even worse between Darius and Alador, otherwise they might wind up as step-siblings someday.
"Annnnyway, Luz and I are off on our human world date, so I'll see you later, Dad." Amity called out, gripping Luz's arm.
Luz sent a wink over to Hunter and Willow, "And you two enjoy your date, as well."
The two witches blushed, each denying the accusation. "It's not a date!" Hunter insisted.
"We're just going to research some human history at the library together," Willow added. "We wanted to learn what we could about Caleb's life in the human world."
"Yeah, they wouldn't invite me on a date with them, that would just be weir- ooh, what's that?" Gus, so easily distracted by anything related to the human world, roamed off on his own after a bird that flew by, summoning up a pair of binoculars to do some bird watching. "You two go on ahead without me, I'll catch up!"
Amity and Luz wiggled their eyebrows suggestively at the warm face duo after they'd conveniently lost their third, then turned and left, arm in arm, heading towards the center of town.
It was getting a little warmer out now that the tail end of Winter had ended. Not enough they didn't need coats, nor a warm drink. The first place on their list was the coffee shop, Robin's Roast Cafe, for just that reason.
As they strolled on over to the coffee shop, cozily wedged between a hair saloon and a book store, they we're met with the friendly sight of Vee and her group. They were sitting on the seats outside, under a large heat lamp the cafe provided for customers who wanted to sit out on the porch. That didn't keep the basilisk from wearing lots of layers, a sweater under her jacket, with a scarf and wool hat to boot, but it seemed to help keep her warm. Flanked on either side of her were Dahlia and Clara, who had deemed it warm enough under the lamp to discard their own scarves and hats, and across from the three of them were Tom and Sam.
"Hey guys! I forgot you were coming today. Hope that wasn't too big of a surprise for you when you popped in at the Cabin?" Vee greeted cheerfully, sipping at her steaming mug of what appeared to be cocoa, if the marshmallows floating on top were any indication.
"It's fine, I'm just glad your place is getting renovated," Luz beamed happily, thinking back on her own short stay at the shack, "I wonder what that family of raccoons that lived in the attic are doing now?"
"You two out on a date?" Clara asked, gesturing to the pair's entangled hands.
Amity gave a swift nod, "Yup! I figured it was best to start drowning out the old, awful memories of these places and start making some newer, nicer ones."
"I'll try not to take offense to that, seeing as I was there for most of those memories," Clara said teasingly, winking conspiratorially at Luz.
The witch giggled, then asked, "How about you 5? Just hanging out?"
Sam sucked their own drink through their straw noisily, having a sweet and sugary frappuccino despite the chilly weather. When they finished, they set the empty cup aside, "Actually, we're all out on a date as well."
"A… double date? Sorta?" Tom specified, looking to the others for help, seeing as he wasn't sure what to call a double date where one side had three people.
Dahlia shrugged, not any more sure than he was, "It's a group date thing, is all. Our dynamic has grown and changed now that we're all coupled and throupled up, and it's good to see where we all stand, while having a good time." She took a sip from her own plain black coffee, clearly enjoying it for the aesthetic and not the taste, her face puckering up in disgust.
"Well, don't mind us, we'll leave you be," Luz sent them all a wink, and together she and Amity headed inside, placing their own order.
The rest of their date was spent at the bookstore next door, spent turning the pages of Young Adult fantasy stories. With a new Azura book announced, the two wanted to catch up on a lot of other, similar pieces of literature to prepare, spending a good chunk of their time together in cozy chairs, sipping coffee and swapping sections they found good in their own respective books.
It was funny what the right company did for one's perspective on things. Maybe the human world wasn't as terrible as Amity remembered it being.
Dinner at the Blight family home was a lot different than Amity remembered them being while growing up. Namely, it didn't take place in the manor, instead in a spacious apartment Alador had rented while having the manor under renovations. Secondly he'd made good on his threa- his promise that he'd start putting up his own decour.
Mad scientist cheq was in for the man, it seemed. At least it was better than the "Live, Laugh, Love" like items that Odalia used to have up.
Amity ignored how the dinner table was decorated with vials and beakers, and instead focused on her siblings, who were dressed in normal, everyday clothing, rather than the dinner outfits they'd usually be made to wear.
Emira leaned her elbows against the edges of the table, a federal offense in the old Blight home, and asked loudly, "So, Dad, I heard from a little bird that you were hanging out with Mister Beefcake earlier."
"Yeah, what's that all about?" Edric's voice carried a mischievous tone, his question directed at his father but his eyes on his little sister, who stifled a groan.
"I don't know what you two are implying. Mister Beefcake and I have a purely professional relationship," Alador scolded lightly, but the edges of his lips were curled upward. "The divorce hasn't even been finalized, and you're already trying to get me into a scandalous relationship with a man from another universe?"
"The paparazzi would have a field day with that," Amity shook her head, inciting a fit of snickers from her brother and sister.
Luz dug into her dinner with abandon, enjoying all the new flavors that greeted her. She stabbed her fork into her meal, and swallowed what was in her mouth, "This is delicious, Mr. Blight, I've never had anything like it!"
"Yeah, Dad's meatloaf is… something else," Amity agreed, her own opinion much lower than her girlfriends.
"It's the only thing he knows how to cook," Edric looked down at his plate, his smile falling, "Three square meals a day, and it's all…. Meatloaf."
"I take offense to that," Alador held out a bowl of leafy greens, placing it in front of his son, "I know how to make a salad as well."
Luz readily helped herself to the greens, chowing down like a woman starved and causing Amity to have a giggle fit that would have surely got her sent to her room in her old life.
She hoped her father never moved back to that big, empty mansion.
As they continued their feast, a thought flashed across Alador's face, as if he just remembered something, "Oh, yes, I've been receiving emails lately about… a Blight Industries theater troupe? Or something? Do any of you have any idea what that's about?"
Night had fallen by the time they returned back to the Owl House. Vee slithered in beside them, her time split between the Human and the Demon realms, wanting to stay near to the closest thing she had to a mother. Camila was more than happy to keep hosting the basilisk, feeling almost like her nest had been partially emptied now that the portal was back. The metaphorical nest, and not the physical one Eda slept in.
The three teens were greeted by the sight of Eda, Camila, Raine and Lilith, all sitting down for some after dinner tea together. Hooty's neck was stretched to join in the conversation, seemingly confused as to why Raine seemed uncomfortable with their presence, but Lilith seemed to find him a delight. Still, the bird tube wasn't complaining, always happy to have a new friend.
"Mom!" Vee greeted, slithered over to Camila, embracing the older woman in a tight hug.
"I've missed you, Mija," Camila pressed a kiss to Vee's temple, "I've got a letter for you, from Dos, out on his adventures."
"How was your date?" Eda smirked at Luz and Amity, pulling a few teacups out of her hair to fill them up a glass.
"It was good," Vee answered over Amity and Luz as she joined their family by the coffee table, tearing into the envelope Camila had handed her, "But it's always a good date with Clara and Dahlia around."
"Oh, to be young and in love again," Camila sighed.
"Yeah, now you're just in love," Eda cracked, nudging Camila with her elbow, then pressing a kiss to her cheek.
Raine chuckled into their drink, looking fondly at the two women, then turned their attention to the teens, "We were just discussing the dissolution of the CATTs. With the new government in place, they don't really need us anymore."
"As an organization, no, but we'll always be around to help," Lilith clarified, patting the seat beside her for Luz to take. While things between them weren't perfect, the shattered bonds were beginning to heal with time, enough that Luz no longer felt uncomfortable to sit beside her Tia any longer. Lilith being there to help support the family in the days right after Belos' defeat had certainly helped the teen witch to get reaccumulated to her presence. Amity meanwhile slumped at the foot of the sofa at Luz's feet, curling her hands around the cup Eda offered to her, content to be with the people she loved.
As if the universe decided they were having too calm an evening, the pitter patter of paws racing down the stairs a mile a minute could be heard. Eda snorted, "Right on cue, huh?"
King barreled into his sister's leg, trailed by Ghost and Owlbert. The cat slinked over to Amity, butting her head against Amity's knee, and Owlbert perched on one of King's horns. The young Titan, through daily healing spells, had made a full recovery, though he'd carry a scar under his fur for the rest of his long life.
King tugged at Luz's leg, "It's happening, it's happening!"
"What's happening?" Luz asked patiently, scooping her little brother up into her arms.
He pointed up the stairs, "The egg is hatching!"
It took a moment for his words to sink in, but once they did everyone was on their feet, racing back up the steps, King giggling like a madman at their frantic stampede.
Everyone gathered in Luz's room, surrounding her desk, where in fact, the egg was hatching. The shell twitched, a crack forming over the top as whatever palisman was inside the Egg that Luz had carved over a quarter of a year ago was finally about to make itself known.
Luz chewed at her fingernails, "oh, my little Bebé, Mama is waiting for you. Oh, me and the Owl Beast are so excited!"
"You two still haven't settled on a name?" Amity inquired, not taking her eyes off the egg as a piece of it pushed upward, though not enough for them to catch a glimpse inside.
"I think maybe it's best to let her come up with her own name, in her own time," Luz admitted, "But yeah, I did run out of Owl puns, and she threatened to not let me turn harpy again if I started using falcon based ones instead."
"Shh," Eda hushed them, "it's coming out!"
From inside the egg, the tiny creature known as a palisman broke through the final barrier, and gazed out onto the world for the first time. She saw plenty of strange new creatures looking down on her, just as curious of her as it was of them. Still, she could recognize the one who carved her egg, her mother, who beamed down at her with pride.
A cat, a fellow palisman, leapt up onto the desk beside her, giving her a few licks to get what remained of the egg off of her. The new palisman greeted her, as did the Owl that followed after, hooting a friendly greeting.
"She's perfect," Luz murmured in awe.
"I really can't imagine she would look any other way now that I've seen her," Camila agreed, a hand laid on Luz's shoulders.
"Be proud kid. This is going to be your partner for the rest of your life, and she's a good one, I can tell."
"Does this make me an uncle?" King asked, cocking his head at the newcomer.
Raine laughed, "I think that would make Eda a grandmother and Lilith a Great Aunt, then. Good job, Luz, and good job to you too, little one. Welcome to the world."
"I am not ready to be a Great Aunt!" Lilith protested, ignoring Eda teasingly calling her "Graunty."
"Hoot! I have no idea what that is, but boy does it look cute! And Taaaasty!"
"Back off, Hooty," Amity warned, draping an arm around Luz, kissing her girlfriend's cheek, "She's beautiful, just like her carver."
The palisman blinked up at all these nice people, and smiled. She couldn't wait for their first adventure together.
The End
A/N: So, there it is. That's the end. Did I absolutely tease you all with that palisman non-reveal? I couldn't come up with anything, so didn't commit to anything, and that's half the fun!
I've actually seen this proposed as an actual ending to the show. Luz's palisman hatching, and it switches to the palisman's POV, never revealing what it is, only that it's born into a world where it's loved and cared for, and will get to go on the next big adventure Luz goes on. I don't think that's how things will end, but I'll still be satisfied with it.
Speaking of how things end, the Collector. Like I said previously, my goal was not to "redeem" the Collector. Which brings up the question, how do you get rid of the threat they pose? In the end, I can only think of two solutions at the moment. One, do what I did and send them away, or two, bring in another of the species that is capable of dealing with the Collector as an adult would a child.
There is a third solution, in that the age and maturity of the Collector is decided based upon the "phase of the moon" he's in. Sorta like Clockwork from Danny Phantom. But that's just one of my theories with nothing really backing it outside of the Phases of the moon that are part of their emblem, and the Owlbeast's recollection of the Collector looking entirely different than they appear in the present.
So, the Collector wasn't redeemed, but did grow just enough to realize that hurting King's friends would hurt King, like Belos hurting King hurt the Collector, so goes off to find another world, maybe one where he isn't all powerful, and maybe has some equals. Or maybe he destroys it in a game. It doesn't matter, really, he's not in the main cast's hair anymore and they weren't equipped to deal with him. He'll visit, I'm sure, in a century or two. Maybe he'll have grown a bit. Maybe King will be strong enough to keep him in check. Who knows? I didn't plan that far, so certainly not me!
I almost want to do another chapter that covers everyone else's futures in a Fallout style way. "Boscha went on to become a professional Grudgby player, and an outspoken magical rights activist. She eventually retired from sports after a chronic back injury caused from having to constantly carry her team to victory, and went into politics. She served for thirteen terms as President of the Boiling Isles, ensuring the complete abolition of the Coven brands and the system that created them, before succumbing to old age, content to have outlived all her critics out of sheer spite."
This has been a wild ride, one I've enjoyed every minute of. I'm so glad to have shared this with you all, and I hope, whenever I write something in the future, a few of you might be there to read it. I've always wanted to write my own Young Adult fantasy novel, and if anything, writing this has shown the only thing stopping me is myself and my procrastination. I put out a 400k fic in less than a year, how hard can a less than 200K book meant for 15 year olds be?
Until then, I think I'll do one more major pass over this entire story. Update outdated pieces to match with canon a bit better, or just to mesh more with the original content. Destroy any more spelling and grammar errors. And then, since I'm so proud of this fic, I think I'll make a physical edition for myself, since bookbinding is a hobby of mine. I'll have to think up some good cover art for the front.
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the end of this story. Your comments and feedback mean the world to me, and I'm glad to have had the chance to talk with many of you on this journey. Thank you, and good night!