I saw you in a dream and it came true.
Hunter grew up thinking wild magic was bad. Evil.
I feel different, feel so close to you.
He had countless memories of watching Belos drain the life out of innocent palismen. He remembered all the times he helped capture those palismen.
Goodbye, my friend, say goodbye.
He never thought anything of it; he never thought it was wrong.
I feel a pain in my heart.
Until that fateful day Luz the human came crashing into his life. Somewhat literally.
Please let me stay in your arms.
Emperor Belos needed more palismen and Hunter had never been more eager to prove himself. So he went on that mission; he swore he'd come back with all the palismen he could find. His uncle's curse had been worse than ever. He needed help, and Hunter was going to do whatever it took to make things better.
Please let me stay.
Looking back, Hunter's world was so small back then. All he knew was the Emperor's Coven. All he knew was studying, training, and going on missions. Being sent on a mission like that meant he was doing good. It meant his uncle was proud of him, and that he trusted him. Belos depended on him.
The sun is rising high in the sky, so high.
So he never even considered that what he was doing might be wrong. He never thought of palismen as actual, living beings. They were just tools to him. Tools of wild magic, tools that spread nothing but wickedness and destruction.
I can feel it burning in my soul.
Luz tried to take back the palismen he captured, though. She tried to save them. So in Hunter's eyes, that made her wicked too.
As the trees keep on growing, growing higher.
But then he saw how much she cared. About them, about him, even. Luz could have left him to the mercy of Kikimora, but she didn't. And that's what first got him thinking, why would such a kind person care about saving creatures made of the stuff of evil? He brushed that thought off for a while, but it became harder and harder to ignore once Flapjack came into his life.
I can feel my love is growing strong.
Flapjack. Flapjack. Hunter remembered the first time he laid eyes on that bird. After Luz slapped him awake that one time, the little red cardinal was perched on her shoulder and looking directly at him. He didn't pay the palisman much attention at the time, but later that night, Hunter vividly remembered holding his Flapjack in his hands for the first time.
Goodbye, my friend, say goodbye.
He didn't trust the palisman…his palisman…at first, but some part of him, some part of him deep down felt like he should give the bird a chance. And so he did. HE didn't understand it at the time, he didn't understand why the creature chose him of all people, but he let him stay by his side.
"Why don't you go find a better witch to be with?" Hunter remembered asking on several occasions. "You're not safe here! If Belos finds you-"
But Flapjack would never even let him finish that sentence. He just flew in circles around his head and pulled on his hair strand.
I feel a pain in my heart.
Then Eclipse Lake happened, and Hunter fought using his palisman for the first time. He learned his name was Flapjack. It had been a rough night, but the cardinal stayed with him through it all.
Oh I will love you always.
From that moment on, the two were inseparable. Flapjack was more than a palisman to Hunter, he was his first ever friend. His best friend.
It's now time to leave.
He was there when Hunter had no one else to talk to. He was there when Hunter infiltrated Hexside as one of its students. They played Flyer Derby together. Flapjack was there on what was probably the best day of his life.
And he was also there on what was definitely the worst.
Sure, Flapjack hadn't been trapped inside Belos' mind with him and Luz, but he was there the second they were transported out. He was there as Hunter fled the Owl House in the midst of a panic attack. He was there in the hard days after, when Hunter didn't know what to do next or whether he would even be safe.
Flapjack was always there when Hunter needed him the most.
Till we meet again.
He was there when Hunter had to face Belos again, on the Day of Unity. He was there when Belos died…Or was at least presumed dead.
Please tell me if it's written in the stars.
He was there when Hunter and the others got stranded in the human realm. He was there on the nights that Hunter couldn't sleep because his horrible memories wouldn't leave him be.
Till we meet again.
He was there. He was always there. Flapjack had always been there for him.
Until he wasn't.
Please tell me if it's written in the stars.
The worst possible thing imaginable happened. Belos came back. Belos came back, and he got Hunter. He…He possessed him.
Goodbye, my friend, say goodbye.
And in the midst of the paranoia and confusion, Hunter forcibly commanded Flapjack to get the rebus. Flapjack knew, he knew it was a bad idea to give Hunter the rebus, but Hunter didn't pay attention to that. He knew Flapjack was hiding something from him, but he never once considered that it might be for his own good.
He forced Flapjack to do something against his will. Hunter knew now that that was partially due to Belos' influence, but that didn't change the fact that he still did it.
His last ever interaction with Flapjack was an argument.
I feel a pain in my heart.
Then Belos took over. Belos took over, and Hunter knew that was the end.
He thought he was scared when he failed to bring Belos the palismen. He thought he was scared at Eclipse Lake. He thought he was terrified when he was trapped in Belos' mind, terrified when he found out he was a Grimwalker, terrified when he discovered everything he thought he knew was one big fat lie. When Belos tried to kill him, actually kill him, Hunter was more scared than he'd ever been in his life.
But that didn't even begin to compare to how he felt now.
Oh I will love you always.
There was no worse feeling in the world than knowing that your own two hands were killing the thing…the creature…the friend…most important to you.
Hunter knew Belos was in control, he knew that, but those were still his hands, Hunter's hands, that just injured Flapjack.
And for a second there, Hunter managed to break free of Belos' control. But it was too late.
He was briefly aware of Luz holding Flapjack close to her as he threw the titan blood in the water. Please be okay, Hunter thought. Please be okay.
But after he opened his eyes again, after being freed of the possession, he knew Flapjack wasn't okay. He could feel it. He knew his palisman, his very first and dearest friend, was gone.
Flapjack sacrificed himself so that Hunter could live.
And Hunter couldn't take that.
Because it was his fault that Flapjack had to die. It was his fault for not fighting off Belos' control sooner.
It's now time to leave.
I'm sorry Flap, Hunter thought to himself as Willow and Camilla helped him sit up, eyes squeezed shut and tears streaming down his face. He clutched his chest, where his friend laid, only seconds ago, to save his witch.
I'm sorry.