The Owl Familia: The Family That Will Grow Forever:
Hunter, You Deserve Love

"See, this is why these vile creatures need to be destroyed!" Belos…Philip Wittlebane screamed, thrusting an arm up over his head. "This thing is crafted from wood, but it moves like a living animal!"

Hunter could only watch as Flapjack squirmed in the mad witch hunter's hand, chirping in distress. The young grimwalker tried to stand only to have his "uncle" hit his back and force him back to the ground.

"Everything these witches touch further corrupts the natural order, and it needs to stop!" Philip screamed as he made the hand holding Flapjack shot out spikes and pierce through the poor creature.
` "NNNNOOOO!" Hunter screamed as he fought through the pain and stood.

he tried to rush the man he once admired and gasp as he suddenly stopped.

"What a pity," Philip said with fake sympathy, "You were truly the closest I had come to recreating him."

(SC)

With a short but sharp gasp, Hunter's brown eyes opened, and he bolted upright. He was panting as tried to calm his racing mind. Soon, he was using the breathing method his best friend Gus taught and his mind started to slow down.

When his mind was calm, he lay back on his bed and just stared at the ceiling. Hunter's mind may be calm, but it didn't stop the bad memories from coming.

Hunter and his friends had decided to go see Amity's dad and try to see if there was anything he could do to stop his creations. That proved harder than they thought; turns out Kikimora was put in charge of Blight's company after Odalia was arrested.

She turned out to be just as bad as Odalia and secretly had Alador Bright create a personal project for her. With her new toy, Kikimora had put up a tough fight, and she had ended up taking Luz when she switched places with Hunter.

This led the group of students and former golden guard to give chase and they ended up facing the former Emperor. The fight that came afterward was the hardest fight Hunter had ever been in.

It also didn't help matters that the draining spell was completed and he could feel his life energy escaping him. It was when the spell was at its peak and his vision blurred for a second, Philip managed to knock Hunter to the floor and take Flapjack from him.

Philip was going to kill Hunter's first friend and he had tried to stop his creator. It didn't end well for the young grimwalker, taking a stab to the chest. He knew that such a wound would kill any living creature, and he was lucky he was alive…if one counts your first real friend giving his life for you as lucky.

Hunter touched the area he was stabbed and could feel the scar through his shirt. With a groan, he faced his wall, closed his eyes, and tried banishing all these bad memories. But they just kept coming.

Hunter doesn't know the full details of what happened while he was out for that short bit, but his friends had tried a plan suggested to them by King. Instead of trying to calm Philip down with happy memories, Gus used his magical tool to amplify the hunter's four-hundred-years worth of trauma and mixed it with his more recent experiences.

The results were a complete mental breakdown that no one could hope to endure and he was reduced to a babbling mess. The victory wasn't without a cost; in his last moment of clarity, Philip had destroyed the last bit of seasoned Titan's Blood.

With a silent scream, Hunter shut his eyes tighter, grabbed his head, and curled into a ball. The look of defeat on Luz's face broke his heart as they could only watch as the last of King's father's blood seeped through a crack that had formed during the fight.

A sudden knock on his door brought him out of his thoughts and a familiar voice soon followed.

"Hunter, It's Rain and Darius. We would like to talk to you."

"Go away," Hunter mumbled weakly, not even caring if he was heard.

At first, things were quiet and Hunter thought that his guardians had gone away. He was settling into his bed when he heard the door being ripped off its hinges. The grimwalker half-heartedly turned his head and watched as his guardians entered.

"Darius," Raine moaned with a sigh, "I wish you would stop doing that. It's getting costly."

The Abomination witch ignored his cousin and studied his charge. Hunter was in bad shape; it looked like hadn't slept in a couple of days. If it wasn't for the half-eaten meal, Darius would be worried that the boy wasn't eating either.

"Little prince, it has been a month now," Darius said slowly, his expression softening somewhat. "I think it's time you talk about what happened at the Head."

Hunter ignored his guardian and turned back to the wall. Darius growled as he got closer to the depressed child. Raine stopped him by putting their hand on Darius's chest. They sent a silent message to their family member and took a quick breath before stepping forward.

"Hunter," Raine started and put on a smile, "I know what happen is hard but it's not good to keep all that bottled up. Trust me when I say this, I speak from experience."

"Why do you care?" Hunter muttered bitterly. "I'm just a copy and shouldn't even be alive."

Raine was a little shocked by this but hid it well. They opened their mouths to say something, but Darius beat them to the punch.

"Because, little prince, someone has to care."

Something inside of Hunter snapped and he jumped from his bed. He threw a weak glare at his guardians and he pointed an accusing finger at Darius.

"The only reason you're even caring for me is that my predecessor was your mentor. That's the only reason you look at me!" The young grimwalker screamed loathingly. "The only reason anyone is doing anything for me is that they all PITY ME!"

Darius took a step forward and slapped Hunter lightly. The young grimwalker moaned as he held his left cheek and looked at one of his guardians in shock. The Abomination witch had a firm expression on his face as he looked down at his charge.

"You're right, Hunter," Darius said seriously. "Arrow was my mentor, but the only thing he did was help me realize just how twisted Belos's Day of Unity was."

Darius's expression started to soften as he reached out to touch Hunter. The young man was naturally cautious, but he didn't shy away when the older witch gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"In the end, it was my choice to watch over you and care for you, little prince," Darius stated with a fatherly smile. "And I would do it again, without question."

Hunter was confused and all the emotions he was holding back were close to breaking loose. He looked the adult witch in the eyes trying to find out if he was lying. All he found in Darius was love and concern, and that made him more confused.

"Why?" he whispered breathlessly.

"Because," Darius replied, his smile turning soft, "Hunter, you deserve love. So please, for me, don't hold anything back anymore."

That was it for Hunter; the emotions he tried so hard to avoid came rushing to the surface. With a choking sob, he threw himself against Darius and cried his heart out.

"I just m-miss him s-so m-much," Hunter stammered. "He was my first friend and he gave his life for me!"

Darius nearly grimaced when he felt his shirt gets stained with tears and snort, but didn't push the boy away. Instead, he patted Hunter's back and continued to allow him to process his grief. From the side, Raine watched all of this with a growing smile on their face.

It took nearly five minutes for Hunter to calm down. With one, final weak sob, Hunter was dry and he pulled away from Darius.

"Better?" Darius asked softly.

Throat a little sore from crying, Hunter nodded weakly. He truly did fine a little better after crying. Darius saw it too if the smile on his face was anything to go on. Raine, feeling like it was time, took a step forward.

"Hunter when you're ready, there's something we still wish to talk to you about?" the head bard said kindly.

"But, first," Darius said with a grimace, "Take a shower."

Hunter stared at his guardians with some of his confusion returning. If they didn't want to talk to him about his grief, then what?

(SC)

"Darn, kid," Eda teased with a whistle, "I didn't take you for chick magnet."

"It's not like that!" a red-faced Hunter squeaked. "Both just came to me when I sat down!"

Hunter's face got even redder when Eda began to cackle and Luz and Amity giggled into their hands.

Currently, the grimwalker was sitting on the couch in the Owl House waiting on Lilith and Willia Oldstone to finish some tests on a sample Hunter had given them.

Shortly after taking a seat, a "knocked-down" Willow jumped onto the couch and gently rested her hand on Hunter's left leg. While surprised, Hunter didn't mind. It was when Vee had jumped up and joined them that Hunter became confused

Before going off to help the odd healer, Lilith had explained that Palisman gave off a scent that Basilisks fine very alluring and was drawn to that scent. Thankfully, the former coven had also informed Hunter that once Vee got used to his scent, she would resist her urges more easily.

Too bad that information didn't help Hunter at that moment, especially since Eda had been teasing him endlessly for nearly an hour. Speaking of Eda, the current bard opened her mouth for another round of teasing. The titan decided to show the grimwalker some mercy as Luz's real mom got beside the ex-wild witch and sent a small glare at her.

"I think that's enough, Hermana," Camila politely said.

The human mother took a seat next to Hunter and gently took Vee from his lap. The "knocked-down" Basilisk whined cutely but settled once she was in her human mother's lap. Camila looked at Hunter and offered him a kind smile.

"Nervous, dear?" she asked kindly, and Hunter felt his face heat up.

Not trusting his voice at the moment, the grimwalker simply nodded and groaned slightly when he felt a new weight on his lap. He looked down and frowned when saw Luz had taken Vee's place for whatever reason.

He looked up when he heard Eda cackle and saw that she looked ready to go back to her teasing. She didn't get the chance when Amity decided she went in on the action and jumped onto the loveseat. The "knocked-down" witch quickly settled on her aunt's lap and Hunter grinned when he saw the slight look of surprise on the witch's face.

He thought about returning the favor when Lilith and Willa returned to them, Darius and Raine following close behind them. In a moment, the atmosphere changed, and everyone's attention was on the four.

"What's the good word, Oldie?" Eda asked seriously.

The odd healer smiled at her lifelong patient and then looked at Hunter. "Well, Hunter, I can say that you can use rejuvenation potions without any ill side-effect."

Luz cheered at this while Hunter had mixed feelings about this idea. Part of him wanted to experience an actual childhood, but he wouldn't deny being scared at the idea as well.

Camila must have sensed his fear; she patted him on the knee and offered him a kind smile when he looked at her. Hunter could feel some of his worries starting to go away. His fear quickly started to return when Willia next spoke.

"There is one I would like to point out before we proceed." the odd healer said kindly.

Camila studied Hunter and saw the fear in his eyes grow again. She reached out and gently took his hand in hers. Startled slightly, the grimwalker looked the human in the eyes and felt some of his fear fade as he saw nothing but warmth.

He looked at the healer and Willia took that as her cue to continue.
"As I said before, you are in no danger if you use a rejuvenation potion. However, your status as a grimwalker means your body naturally enhances certain kinds of magic like transformation magic. So, you should only need half of a regular dosage and your time changing should be cut in half."

Lilith walked up to the former golden guard and kneeled so they were at eye level. Much like the human, the ex-head witch had nothing but warmth in her eyes.

"Hunter, this decision is yours to make," Lilith said kindly. "All we ask is that you try it once and if not to your liking we will stop."

Hunter looked around the room; all the people who had come to care for him were supporting him. Even Camila, who he just meant an hour ago, was giving him her full support.

He looked at each member of the "Knocked-down" coven and saw how much fun they seem to be having. He looked back at the historian, and his decision was made.

(A few hours later)

Hunter, now roughly five-and-half years old, sits with his back against Roca the Stonesleeper. The "knocked-down" grimwalker watched as his friends played a human game called Freeze Tag. The game didn't involve the use of any sort of freezing spell and the rules were simple enough that Hunter got the gist of it right away.

It wasn't like he didn't want to join them; he just didn't know how to use this youthful energy he suddenly had. He looked down at his blue sweatpants, crocs, and gold-colored short-sleeve shirt and sighed.

Hunter just didn't know what to do and that was making him confused.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over him and Hunter looked up. He felt his face heat up when he saw the smiling face of Willow.

"Hu-Hu, pway!" the "knocked-down" plant witch said cheerfully.

Hunter was hesitant, but Willow wasn't going to let him miss out on all the fun. She gently grabbed his hand, helped him to his feet, and led him to the others. He looked at all of the smiling faces and frowned slightly when he noticed that Gus wasn't with them.

Just before taking the potion, Hunter had asked about Gus's whereabouts. Lilith had explained that he had gotten sick, and could not attend this three-day "knocked-down" weekend. While sad about this news, Hunter didn't try and let this get him down.

So, with Hunter now in the game, the KDC decided to start the game anew, and Luz was eager to be the tagger. After a quick scare, the "knock-downs" took off running, with Luz hot on their heels.

Hunter should have been the hardest to tag, given his history and training in The Emperor's Coven. He quickly realized he had a problem; he was awkward in his young body and stumbled a few times. Also, Luz was surprisingly fast and was soon on top of the Grimwalker.

"FREEZE!" Luz screamed as tipped Hunter on the shoulder.

Hunter made a face as he stood in place. Luz got in front of him and gave him a quick smile before heading off elsewhere. Hunter made a noise as he was thankful that he wasn't in any odd position.

Vee came into view and she ran up to Hunter. The "knocked-down" basilisk was probably going to unfreeze him when something happened. Vee's face twisted with shock, and her legs suddenly popped back into her tail. The sudden change sent the young creature shooting forward.

Vee probably would have fallen on her face, if Hunter didn't forget the rules and rushed to her aid. He caught her but wasn't prepared for how much Vee weighed and both went to the ground. Out of reflex, he twisted his body to the left and took most of the impact.

The game was immediately forgotten and everyone quickly gathered around the two. Camila, who has been watching the group from the side, was next to her daughter and the young man in an instant.

"Are you two okay?" the human adult asked with concern.

It took a moment but the two were able to get untangled, and both got into sitting positions. Camila was on Vee in an instant, checking her over. Say for some dirt on her scales and her dress a little ruffled due to her sudden change, the basilisk was fine.

This brought massive relief to the human, and she turned her attention to Hunter. Much like Vee, the boy wasn't in bad shape and looked ready to give him a clean bill of health…when she saw it.

Hunter caught Camila staring and looked at his right arm. There was a scrape just below his elbow and it was blooding slightly. It wasn't anything to cry over, but as Hunter stared at the wound, something happened; he began to tear up.

Hunter didn't understand what was going on; he had worse wounds before. So why was this little scrape getting to him? Suddenly, he felt someone wrap him in a gentle hug.

"It's okay, baby," Camila said soothingly. "You're going to be okay."

"What happened?" Darius asked as he ran up to the group.

The Abomination witch had stayed at the house to keep an eye on Hunter. When he saw the boy fall, his first thoughts were to leave the boy alone, he had taken worse. But his worries quickly skyrocketed, and he hurried over.

"He's just got a scrape from a fall," Camila replied softly, and then frown as a thought popped into her head. "I think his younger mind is having trouble handling everything."

Darius first thought was once again to dismiss this, but remember something important; not only was this Hunter's first rejuvenation, but this was probably his first time BEING a child. This cause him to sigh and looked toward the house.

"Bird tube!" he called commandingly. "Tell me those witches have some kind of treatment kit in that place you call a body?"

"Sure do!" Hooty replied cheerfully, coming into view. "Do want the standard "Luz Treatment kit" or the extreme kit?"

The human female and witch male wore matching perplexed expressions at this. Darius just sighed after a moment and made a spell circle.

"The standard kit will do," the witch said exasperatedly.

He summoned a small abomination and commanded it to get the kit. The mess of magic went off with the house demon to get the kit, and Darius turned his attention to his ward. He couldn't help but smiled when he saw that the human female had gone back to comforting the boy when he was busy.

Hunter found himself melting into the embrace the human was giving him.

"Better?" Camila asked kindly.

Hunter not trusting his voice simply nodded, and this made Camila smile. She pushed Hunter back away from her gently and gave the boy one final look. She took a moment to fix some of Hunter's hair that had become messy due to the fall.

Hunter suddenly became fidgety, but still didn't shy away from the human mother. Camila was patient, feeling like Hunter had something he wanted to say.

Finally, the "knocked-down" Grimwalker found his courage. "Can I call you Auntie?" he asked shyly.

Camila wasn't surprised by this and just smiled as she pulled the boy into another hug. "Of course, you can. You're family now."

Hunter felt his face and ear heat up as a big smile blossomed on his face. His scare from earlier gone, he returned the hug the best his smaller body could manage.

From his spot, Darius watched all of this with a growing smile. He wasn't the only one; Luz was close to tears, by the looks of things, and all her friends with looking with 'awe' faces. He felt a surge of magic coming his way and looked as his creation returned.

The former Coven Head scowled when he saw his Abomination carrying a bag nearly as big as it. Either the Clawthorne sisters had a different idea of standard or the tube got the bags mixed up.

Still, he took the kit from his creation and began looking for things that would help treat his son's wounds. He stopped his search as he realized what his thoughts implied He looked at Hunter and couldn't deny what he felt for the boy was more than mere concern.

Darius gave his head a quick shake. He didn't have time to figure out these confusing thoughts. Right now he needed to focus on getting the boy's scrape treated.

(M Corner)

I know that no one would wonder about this, but because she is currently younger, Vee's had trouble controlling her shape-shifting. The more times she "knocked-down" the easier it will become to control her powers in her younger state.
Now, for something I haven't done while, but here's a theory; since Hunter is a grimwalker, and Galorstones are a prime ingredient, I figure that he naturally enhanced magic. It makes sense if one thinks about it; when Hunter used a witch's staff for the first time, he was about to use the same level of magic he used when he had his AM staff.