I actually rewrote Amity's lines in this one so to better fit this AU. Since her home life is slightly different now. I forgot to take into account how that change would also affect Amity so I tried my best to fix it. The only problem is, reading this all over again, I'm afraid I may have brought Hunter's blooming rivalry with Amity TOO far into the foreground which might have taken away from the lesson of the episode. I also changed up Hunter's banned poster description.
Chapter 3
Today is a new day for Hunter Wittebane, magicless Witch. He was just told that he would be learning (actually learning) magic from the self-proclaimed "Most Powerful Witch", Eda the Owl Lady. For as long as he could remember, no one had ever made him such an offer. He wasn't even allowed to attend magic school; no magic and all (then again, it could also be due to the fact that he had no legal guardians to enroll him). For most of his life, he believed that becoming a true Witch would be next to impossible, but now, he is going to be learning from one of the best.
Surely, given his condition, this won't be easy, but he's not about to let his own inhibitions hold him back. He trusts Eda…'s self-confidence and conceded nature. She's far too proud of herself to make such a deal and then go back on it. That would only make herself look bad. Then again, he might be wrong about all that. After all, while she is proud, she is also naturally driven by greed, which may or may not explain why instead teaching him magic in the traditional sense, she's explaining to him what to do when the salt-poisoned carcass of a giant trash slug washes up on the beach.
"You know, Eda," He says as she begins digging into the over-salted remains of the beast with her pickaxe, "when you said you were going to teach me magic, I was expecting books, some demonstrations, maybe a lecture or two."
Eda, ceasing her digging, doesn't even look back at her new "apprentice" (Hunter would definitely use that term loosely) as she responds while sifting through the accumulated pile of trash that's fallen out of the corpse's innards.
"'Lectures'?! Bleh! What kid would want a bunch of magic school stuff?!"
"Gee. I dunno! Maybe a kid who was never even allowed to attend magic school because he had no magic~?" Hunter says, laying it on as thick as he can.
"Well, believe you-me, kid, you're not missing much. School is nothing but blind obedience, pointless busywork, all run by a bunch of rule-driven tools forcing you to learn magic the 'proper way'." Eda stops for a moment to make air quotes. "But magic isn't proper. It's wild and unpredictable. And that's why it's so beautiful." For a moment, Hunter feels engrossed in her words. "I didn't finish school, and look at me! Who wouldn't envy where I am right now?" Okay, moment's passed, and she's literally standing in a giant pile of filth.
"I could think of a few people." Hunter mumbles, rolling his eyes.
"Hey! I heard that."
"Ugh. C'mon, Eda. I know I said I'd work for you, but if I wanted to dig through trash, I would've stayed on the street."
"So, you'd rather go to a place that would give you everything you want, but stomp out your individuality, instead of learning from the best right here?" She spreads her arms out, but then remembers what's sitting around her. Hunter looks at the garbage surrounding her and then stares at her with a look that reads 'do you really want me to answer to that question?'. "And before you answer that, let me remind you that you'll never learn the same life lessons from school that you'll learn as my student. Like how to be resourceful."
"Eda, I grew up alone on the streets of the Boiling Isles traveling from city to city, and taught myself out to be a thief. I already know how to b—Gah!"
Hunter steps forward… into an ankle-deep puddle of monster goo, inciting a torrent of laughter from King.
"Lesson number 1:" Eda steps over the garbage to Hunter, "Always watch where you're going."
"Don't patronize me."
Hunter sneers as he pulls out his foot, but nearly gags at the sight of a greasy slime ball stuck to the toe of his boot. He's about to punt it back into the ocean when Eda stops him and kneels down.
"Lesson number 2:" She removes the slime covered lump from Hunter's boot and cups it in her hands, "A good Witch" she pushes the tiny lump into Hunter's gloves only for the blonde Witchling to push it away, "always…" this back and forth goes on, "makes…" until Hunter has no choice but to accept, "use… (phew) of what life has to give them."
Hunter eyes the wad of gunk forced onto him by his mentor with dubious disgust.
"You have got to be kidding me."
Hunter goes on to add that throughout his travels he had been forced to make use of various random and otherwise useless objects in order to stay alive, but this… whatever-the-heck-it-is wouldn't even make a decent slingshot bullet. Disregarding her student's refutations, Eda instead instructs Hunter where in the slug to begin, going on to describe in detail how they would continue. It isn't until she gets to (what she describes as) "the real disgusting bits" that she notices how King in now alone on the beach.
"Hunter?" She calls but receiving no teenaged response.
"He said 'if you need him, he'll be anywhere but here'." King relays the message left behind by Hunter.
Eda rolls her eyes, believing with the utmost confidence that her newly appointed protégé will return. I mean, it's not like he has any friends to hang out with. Where else would he go?
Hunter walks away from the Owl House; not directly towards town, but someplace nearby.
"'A good Witch always makes use of what life has to give them.'" Hunter mockingly repeats his mentor's words. Actually, does she qualify as a mentor if she hasn't taught him anything yet? "Yeah, right." With a disapproving grunt, he holds his hand up, ready to see just how far the little ball of slime can fly. "I can't believe I almost fell for—!"
"You can do it! You can!" A young, feminine voice spouting to his surprise, words of encouragement graces his ears, yet oddly enough, they don't seem to be directed at him.
Ever the cautious individual, Hunter takes a battle-ready stance and follows the voice. Staying low to the ground so to avoid detection, the boy arrives at an intersection between two thick bushes and peeks through the brush. There he finds a Witch girl standing in front of an old, iron cauldron resting inside of a wooden wheelbarrow. She appears younger than him, around 2 years from the look of it, her puffy dark hair cut short, a pair of oval-shaped glasses over her green eyes, and dressed in attire he had seen before on his travels; a magic school uniform.
Hunter notices how unlike her dark-grey tunic and the black cowl draped over her shoulders, her sleeves and trousers are colored a pinkish-purple. Thinking back, Hunter vaguely remembers the magic track system implemented in schools; each different color corresponds with a different magic track. And the orchid coloring of this girl's clothes belongs to a track that he is very familiar with.
"Oh, no. She's in the abomination track. I don't need this."
Just as Hunter is about to make a clean getaway, he stops when the girl suddenly becomes distressed for some reason. Curious, he turns back around, peeking through the brush once more and sees her, now on her knees, referring to a crushed weed as "little friend" and apologizing to it.
"What the heck?" He tilts his head in confusion.
His confusion almost instantly turns into surprise when he sees the girl twirl her left index finger over the weed, creating a green magic circle. Wisps of green light sprinkle down from the circle, restoring the violet flower to full bloom upon contact; plant magic. That was surprising. Oh, not the abomination girl using plant magic, Hunter has seen that before. It was the fact that she bothered saving a weed. Something so insignificant and yet she cared. Almost like how—His train of thought is suddenly lost, however, as something else coaxes his attention at the corner of his eye. It's another Witchling girl dressed in the same colored uniform, signaling that she too is of the abomination track, riding atop her own cauldron sitting inside of its own wheelbarrow, the whole thing being pulled along by blue-green magic.
This new Witch differed from the girl on the ground. Her mint-green hair, straightly brushed and cut short, dying evident by her brown roots, is tied into a single pigtail located at the top of the back of her head. Her exposed ears are decorated by nothing more than black, triangular earrings (one for each ear). Small hints of mascara tug at her eyelashes and black nail polish coats her fingernails, making them look as though they've rotted or suffered from frostbite or something (at least to Hunter).
As she sits atop her perch, her dreary golden eyes glued to what Hunter can only guess is some kind of magic school textbook (the title above the summary on the back being "Magic 101" is quite the obvious clue), she seemingly gives no mind to her surroundings as her wheelbarrow trudges forward. She doesn't appear exactly entranced with the book, nor does she seem tired or out of rest, but she also doesn't give off a feeling of boredom. It's more like she's just… indifferent. She just doesn't care. Hunter then halts when he notices the wheelbarrow set course; straight for the green-haired girl on the ground.
Normally, Hunter covets the chance to witness two abomination Witches tear into each other, but this feels different. This girl feels different. She almost seems… nice. She went out of her way to heal a crushed weed, so, maybe he should warn her? Unfortunately, Hunter's new train of thought distracts him for too long, and he's only brought out of his own head when two loud yells ring through the air in sequence. He returns to the present only in time to find a lilac plant crushed into the dirt, a girl on the ground thrown onto her back, out of the way of a wheelbarrow brought to an immediate halt after bumping and knocking over another wheelbarrow, forcing the cauldron inside to fall over, spilling its contents all over the ground, causing their owner great distress.
"Hey!" The girl, finally broken away from her book, only to be nearly knocked off her perch by the road's obstruction, scowls at the other below her.
"Amity!" As she stands, the girl addresses the taller girl in front of her ("Amity" apparently) with audible worry. Be it for the state of her belongs or fear of the girl above her, Hunter can't be sure.
Hunter finally analyzes the purple mess spilled from the cauldron, recognizing its texture and coloration as it spreads across the ground. The blinking, yellow eyeball floating in the thick slop is all Hunter needs to confirm is suspicions. This is an abomination, a magical construct of muck meant to serve its creator, and from what Hunter can see, a poorly constructed one, at that. Hunter has never seen one so sloppily made, and he has seen plenty of abominations up close; their supposed to stand tall with arms and legs, strong enough to do just about anything a fully grown adult can do with ease and without any signs of exhaustion. But this one… it's literally just a puddle with an eye in it.
"Ugh, of course it's you. Why don't you do the world a favor and move your issues, and your pathetic excuse for an abomination off the road! I'm not about to let my perfect attendance record get ruined just because you don't have talent!"
Wow. That aggression just came out of nowhere for Hunter. I mean, she wasn't wrong about the mess on the ground, but still. Before, she merely appeared inconsiderate and unfeeling, but now she's just… downright cruel and hostile. Clearly, the poor craftmanship of the would-be construct is not lost on the lower girl, whom Hunter surmises is its creator seeing as how the cauldron it spilled out of was previously in her possession. Ashamed and embarrassed, the girl hides her face inside of the black hood of her uniform.
"I'm sorry. I was just… distracted." Said the girl on the ground.
"Well try to pay attention, and stay out of my way, 'Half-a-Witch.'" Amity's voice carries a mix of inpatients, frustration and sour contempt.
That name… Hunter is very familiar with names like that. The taller girl then brings out her own abomination, much closer to the real thing in Hunter's eyes, practically perfect in every way, but he doesn't mean that as a compliment. Amity wastes no time in having the constructed creature push the meek girl's belongings aside so that they may pass without another word, disregarding any belongings underwheel that they didn't move. As Hunter alternates his attention between the two girls, he can't help but feel a familiar sense of lowness emanating from the girl standing in the dirt, her mess of an abomination starting to stain the soles of her boots, only made worse when he sees her fighting back tears, wiping away even the slightest wetness from her eyes. Hunter watches as she tries her best fight back her sadness, and she succeeds, but only by bringing anger to the surface of her mind, taking its place. She lists off her gripes and peeves until she finally reaches her breaking point and unleashes her fury.
In an instant, her eyes glow an ethereal green as more green wisps appear, this time, erupting from the diminutive plant's roots. The plant is soon overtaken by large, thorny vines bursting out of the ground, stretching themselves in all directions, wrapping around anything they can find. A vine shoots through the bushes, past Hunter and it's at this point that the magicless boy realizes that he might have overstayed his welcome and thus attempts to leave. But his exit is made difficult by another vine lashing out at him, forcing the boy to duck and dive out of the way before breaking into a run.
It looks like he's about to escape until another vine breaks through the shrubbery. Refusing to allow himself to be caught, Hunter flips onto the tendril-like plant and bounds into the nearest tree before jumping back down, hoping to get as far away from the girl as possible. He soon realizes his mistake when he finds that he has just jumped into a coiling vine. The vine binds his arms to his sides and his legs together, making escape near impossible. Hunter cringes as the thorny brambles graze his skin, and just to add insult to injury, his blue tunic and brown trousers are now practically Swiss cheese (not that he knows what "Swiss" means). Oh, perfect! Now he's gonna have to steal another new outfit, or worse, borrow another one of Eda's.
As Hunter struggles against his assailant, he is dragged across the ground and into the clearing. He looks up and sees a pair of menacing green eyes glaring down at him. He tries to suppress his nerves and focus on appearing threatening, glaring back. However, instead of throwing him around like a ragdoll, or squishing him like a tiny berry, the girl's fierce glare instantly changes into a look of fearful worry. At her command, she calms the vines and immediately apologizes to Hunter as she forces the vines ensnaring him off and away. Hunter was planning to berate her for what she did, but her constant apologies for entrapping him, scratching him and ruining his clothes (luckily, his scars are hidden behind the same undershirt from yesterday. What? It's comfy) keep him from getting a word in edgewise until he decides that she doesn't deserve it. It was just an accident after all, and given what he had just seen, she reserved the right to let off some steam.
"It's okay!" He yells, silencing her. "Really, it's fine. It wasn't your fault."
"What are you talking about?! Your clothes are ruined." She once again points out.
"I know. I know. Don't worry. I can always get new clothes. I'll be fine."
"But what about you're—?"
"I said I'm fine!" Hunter shouts at the girl, making her cower slightly. "Sorry. But really, I'll be fine."
Before either one of them can utter another word, the tolling of bells rings through the wind.
"Oh, the bell! I… I should probably get to school." The visually impaired girl turns around but is then reminded of her own misfortune by the sight of her belongings spread across the ground, and she sighs in defeat, dropping to her knees.
This would have been the ideal time for Hunter to leave before she realizes that he's magicless and decides to takes her frustrations out on someone who can't fight back, but instead, he stands there, thinking, some of it about what had just happened with that Amity girl, but mostly about what she had said just then, "school." Feeling a little confident, he takes a chance he rarely had in his younger years and attempts to pick her brain about the subject.
"Wait!" She looks back and sees him running toward her as she picks up her books and stacks them on a rock. "Let me help you."
He gives her a convincing fake smile in hopes of lowering her guard.
"Um. That's really nice of you, but—"
"Great." He rushes around her and picks up her cauldron. Not right away, unfortunately. Even empty, the thing's heavier than it looks. "So…" He manages to say as he slowly gets the wheelbarrow and cauldron back to how they were, "that was… some impressive…" once the wheelbarrow is once again upright, he lets out a few pants and sighs in relief, "plant magic."
"Um. Thanks."
"Don't mention it. So, that spell, did you learn it in school or what?"
"Oh, no! I was just… um, letting off some steam." She sadly sighs. "I'm not even supposed to be doing plant magic."
Hunter raises his eyebrow as she walks over and places the rest of her belongings into the wheelbarrow.
"How come?"
As previously mentioned, Hunter has seen Witchlings in different tracks use other kinds of magic… on him.
"Well, since my parents put me in the abomination track, they don't want me to get too distracted."
"Your parents don't want you to get distracted by something you're good at, and want you to focus on something you hate?"
"What?!" She looks at him in surprise and quickly pulls up the corners of her mouth into a (obviously fake) smile. "No! I… love making abominations."
"You literally just said that you hated making abominations just after that jerk knocked your stuff over, ran over your flower and books, and then called you 'Half-a-Witch'."
Her shut mouth stretches down and her face flushes a bright red.
"You saw all of that?!"
Hunter's face flushes in turn.
"Um. Yeah, sorry." As the hopelessness sinks in, she slowly lets her back slide down the side of her wheelbarrow. "Um. For what it's worth, I don't think you're 'Half-a-Witch'."
"Oh. That's nice of you to say, but Amity's right. I'm not cut out for this. I can't even keep that from turning into a puddle." She gestures to her 'abomination' and it sorrowfully groans in response.
Hunter walks over to the purple puddle and dips the fingertip of his glove into the goo, contemplating. He pulls it out and sees how the plum-colored substance sticks to him. The gears in his head begin turning and his idea comes to light.
"I think I can help!"
She looks at him with hope in her eyes.
"You know how to fix my abomination?!"
Hunter smiles at her and spreads out his arms.
"Nope."
He falls back and SPLAT! The abomination student gapes at the sight as he begins rolling his body back and forth until he is completely covered in goop.
"Um. What?"
With a forward kick, Hunter returns to his feet, grinning confidently as he removes his hair tie and slicks back his hair.
"I'll be your abomination."
"What?!"
"Trust me. It's a win-win! You get a good grade, and I-," Hunter holds the note as he thinks up a believable fake reason. If he tells her that he just wants to go to school, that will open up too many questions, "-ll get to see the look on that mean girl's face when she sees you get a good grade."
"I don't know, that sounds like cheating."
"Well, I guess if you would rather fail." Hunter made sure to emphasize the word "fail" to really let it sink in.
With a sigh, she agrees.
"Alright, I'll do it."
"Yes! That's more like it!"
She holds out her hand for him to shake.
"My name's Willow, by the way. What's yours?
With a grin, he takes her hand and shakes it.
"Call me Hunter." They let go, but due to the adhesive properties of the gooey resin, "Willow" unintentionally removes Hunter's glove.
The boy lets out a "yipe!" and quickly snatches the glove back, but Willow saw his scarred hand and gasps.
"Are you ok—?!"
"Okay!" He interrupts with a proud smile and an encouraging tone, after returning the glove to his hand. "Let's go. You can tell me all about your school along the way!"
He walks past her and leaps into the cauldron, leaving her to stare at it curiously with worry. After a few minutes of walking, Hunter is hauled to the grey-bricked courtyard before a massive building. Its colors were a mix of blues, whites and greys. The school's emblem (a burning cauldron containing an open book with a serpent eating its own tail resting on the pages, all surrounded by a banner with the school's name written on it, placed on the tallest tower above the foyer) sat beneath a giant eyeball in an open window.
"Welcome to Hexside School of Magic and Demonics." Willow says to the boy sitting in the cauldron, his head pushing the lid up to allow his eyes to take in the widespread building. "Remember to stay hidden, okay?"
But Hunter could barely hear her as she walks him down the brick covered road to the grey steps. To his left and right hang banners he had seen before but never really understood the purpose of. He considers asking Willow for information about them but decides against it if only to avoid her asking questions herself. As he passes through the halls, his eyes widen in awe, looking around the round foyer with a round opening overhead revealing the other levels.
As Willow hauls him through the school halls, Hunter savors the sights of a real school filled with real kids around his own age. In his awestruck state, Willow nearly catches Hunter with his mouth hanging open but brings her wheelbarrow to a halt when she realizes where she is.
She lowers her wheelbarrow to rest beside a group of lockers and Hunter pokes his head out just long enough to watch her give one a light scratch above a line of sharp teeth. A yellow eye reveals itself at the top of the locker and its lips part to allow its long tongue roll out and present her with an array of school textbooks. With a quiet "whoa", Hunter can't help but take notice of the many pictures of flowers inside. Suddenly, Hunter catches sight of a much smaller student walking towards them; luckily, he appears too engrossed by some magazine to notice Hunter. Still, better safe than sorry, and he lowers himself back down to hide. From inside the dark, dank enclosure, Hunter overhears the boy talking to Willow.
"Willow, you would not believe Humans."
Humans?
"Oh, what'd you find out this time, Augustus?"
So, this "Augustus" knows Willow but doesn't sound hostile. Perhaps this is one of her friends? Hunter listens as the two Witches outside begin discussing the supposed purpose behind barbed wire being nailed to… Human children'steeth? Augustus purposes that it's to make them magnetic while Willow purposes that its to straighten them out since they don't have tiny Demons to climb into their mouths and straighten their teeth for them, but Hunter silently purposes that this conversation is both inane and disgusting. Much to his relief, he hears the hallway bell ring/scream, and according to books, as well as some television he saw through the open windows of people's houses, that means it's time for class. Willow bids farewell to the smaller boy and hauls Hunter away. Once Hunter feels them round a corner, he pushes the lid up only enough to allow himself to see Willow.
"Boy! That Augustus kid sure is a chatterbox."
"Only when it comes to Humans. He happens to be president of the Human Appreciation Society here."
"Oh, really?!"
"Yep. Most Witches wouldn't be able to recognize a Human right away. But Augustus is an expert."
"Well, I've never met one before. Do you know anything?"
"Not a lot. I just heard that they have round ears." Willow traces a circle on her left ear with her finger (without calling upon any magic).
"What?!"
Willow silences Hunter with a "shush" and a slam of the lid, inciting an "ow". But that pain is soon forgotten when Hunter finally finds himself sitting beside Willow, behind a desk, inside the Abominations 101 classroom. It's unbelievable! He's here, in school, in a classroom, with other Witchlings, and none of them are trying to beat him up or throw him out or both! The entire time, his head is holding the lid of Willow's cauldron up so he can see the classroom ahead of him, being extra careful to not be seen. The only blight in sight is that Amity girl from before, seated at the desk in front of them. Oh, perfect.
The teacher, a Demon of shorter stature, held up to student eye level by an abomination of an unfamiliar color, calls up each student one-by-one to present their homework assignments and… boy, if Hunter ever ran into any of them in a dark alley, he certainly wouldn't run. He'd probably just laugh himself to death. One abomination had no neck, another had no arms, another had no legs, and one had no neck, no arms, no legs, and way too many toenails in unexpected places.
In immense disappointment, the teacher badmouths his students and threatens them with "extra homework for a month" should the next presentation prove to be a failure in his eyes just as the previous have. Just before he can call up the next student, Amity interjects, raising her hand and speaking with an unfamiliar air of confidence, offering to present her own abomination; even going so far as to bring it out without any form of permission granted. Surprisingly, her demeanor in the classroom is far more relaxed than Hunter originally witnessed of her in the woods. He supposes it's because here, she can show-off how "better she is than everyone else." At her command, the mass of gross goop arises from its cauldron and strikes a pose. Tch. The needless show-off. But the teacher, apparently amused at the display, rejects her request, stating that he wishes to "save the best for last."
Wow. This girl must have the whole school wrapped around her little finger with her success… Hunter can't wait to wipe that smug grin off her face. His time comes sooner than expected when the teacher decides to call upon Willow, but it would seem that he is the only one looking forward to this. As the rest of the class verbally state their discontent, already seeing failure and more homework in their future, Willow sinks in her seat and hides in her hood once again.
Wow, not only do they have no faith in her, they seem to resent her, also calling her "Half-a-Witch". Okay, that's it. If there's one thing Hunter hates more than not getting paid, its bullies. And even though none of these students back done anything physically, that name is enough to ignite a fire within Hunter. He'll set them straight with his performance.
"Psst! Willow." Hunter whispers, and the dark-haired girl looks down to see his look of fierce determination. "We'll show 'em. Just trust me."
A wink and a thumbs up, and Willow seems to find just enough courage to haul her cauldron to the front of the class. Finally, this is his moment to hold up his end of the bargain. Hunter thinks back to every instance he was bullied by these amalgamate creatures, remembering how they walked, how they talked, how they responded to commands, everything. Finally, it's time.
"Uh…" Willow nervously begins, raising her hands as she gives the order. "Abomination, rise."
At his master's high-pitched command, the abomination firmly grips both sides of the lid and raises it high above his head as he extends to full size before the class, giving out a powerful groan. As he stands before them all, eyes unfocused, the entire class gasps in utter shock, including Amity. The amalgamate servant takes extra care not to look at any of their faces directly out of worry that he might grin smugly and give something away.
"Abomination, bow." His master orders, more confidently this time, and the slave of muck complies without hesitation, holding the lid to his chest with one hand, and extending his free arm behind him as he arches his back outward, lowering his head to the class.
"Hmm…" From the sound of it, the teacher is surely impressed. "Quite impressive, I suppose. But does it speak?"
Like a good servant, the abomination awaits the order before speaking.
"Um…" Willow, his master, sounds nervous. He chances a glance at her that luckily, goes unnoticed. "Abomination, uh… who is it… that… you serve?"
With a shrug of her shoulders, his master asks a question, expecting an answer, and he is not the kind of servant who leaves his master waiting for a reply.
"I serve you, Master Willow, greatest of all Abomination Track students."
All around the room "ooh's" and "ahh's" can be heard, all save for Amity, who watches in disdain.
"My, how articulate! And I do enjoy some good overconfident self-praise. It's that kind of ambition that truly makes a great abomination Witch, wouldn't you agree, Amity?" Despite the apparent praise, the unfocused servant did all he could to avoid smiling, but he could still picture the green-haired girl's toothy, scowling face in his mind, which made not smirking extremely difficult. Hah! Who's the "Half-a-Witch" now? "Willow, not only is this your best effort since starting in this class, but I dare say, this might just be the best presentation I've seen in quite a while! A plus!"
The pale abomination carries the teacher over to his student's project and paints a checkmark turning into an "A+" onto his forehead. Another chanced glance at his master, and the two share an unnoticed smile at their success. Later, the bell rings, signaling the end of class, and Willow pushes her wheelbarrow out of the classroom. Hunter would have popped his head out to congratulate his "master" for playing her part well, but the sound of the teacher's voice prevents him from showing himself. When he hears him call Willow the "new Top Student," he can't help but smile, even giving a little fist-pump after showing all those in that class who thought they knew better. His smile quickly disappears once he hears the voice of the former "Top Student," Amity.
She harshly comments about Willow's presentation, telling her that it was all either just a fluke or a trick. Amity makes it very clear that she will get that badge back, one way or another. From with his potentially claustrophobic hideaway, Hunter listens in on the entire conversations, all while being careful not to make any noise until he hears the bully's voice drift further away with her footsteps. Hunter nearly growls when he hears her say "Half-a-Witch" one more time. The more he hears it, the more it reminds him of the many names he had been called before. And that just grinds his gears all the more.
"Pfft. I know a few names that would fit her just fine." Hunter says, finally popping out into the open. He then finally notices the tiny golden star on Willow's chest. "Huh… That's what all the fuss is about? It's not even real gold."
The rest of the day carries on with Willow bringing Hunter along to act as her abomination servant and help her take notes in class, a privilege only allowed to the class' top student. When Willow originally suggested he just wait in the classroom until the end of the day, he quickly refuses, telling her that waiting would be boring. For most kids, this would be seen as quite boring and groan inducing, but not Hunter. He longed for this since he was little, and now that he was here, he was having the time of his life actually learning about magic like he always dreamed. And whenever he chanced a glance at Willow, her smile seemed to only make the experience even better. At one point while he's writing down notes with Willow, he suddenly hears something like screaming in defeated despair, but it ends almost instantly, so he just assumes it was his imagination.
Soon enough, lunch hour arrives and Hunter. Is. Hungry. He attempted to hide it, but… well… Willow glances at her cauldron, worried at the fact her friend Augustus is right across from her, as a loud grumbling sound reverberates from within the iron vessel.
"Um, is that normal?" Augustus asks, pointing at the cauldron with his thumb.
"Huh?! Oh yeah! It's fine! I think it's just… uh, the bubbles settling!" She lies. "Let me just." She quickly grabs the lid, but doesn't open the cauldron just yet. "Say, Augustus, can I have half of your sandwich, please? I'm really hungry!"
"Um, sure." Augustus grips the peanut butter and jelly sandwich he had been eating in both hands and rips it in half, being extra careful to avoid any areas that had touched his mouth, before handing Willow one of the halves. "Here."
"Thank you…" In an instant, she raises the lid and tosses the sandwich into the cauldron. "Oops! Clumsy me! But it's okay. I'm not that hungry."
As she casually drinks from her juice box, Augustus stares at her in confusion until…
"Gah! Ble-hek! Augh! I got goop on it!" Came Hunter's voice from within the cauldron. Willow's wide eyes stare back at Augustus's. "Uh, I mean… Grrooaah…?
"That's not an abomination, is it?" Augustus asks with a deadpan stare.
Willow sighs in defeat, but before she can answer, she and Augustus are taken aback when a familiar mint-head slams down onto the lunch table, her face building in anger.
"I knew it!" She crouches down on all fours and thrusts her face closer to Willow's. "I knew a 'Half-a-Witch' like you could never beat me!" In crazed anger, she moves to the cauldron and throws off the lid. "I know you're in there! You can't hide from me!" Willow looks on in horror. Their cover is blown, and now everybody in the lunchroom is staring, "What are you?!" at Amity, "Who are you?!" like she's a crazy person. "I. Want. Answers!"
In her crazed tirade, the mean girl reaches into the cauldron and pulls out Hunter, but he isn't looking at her. His eyes are unfocused, his jaw is slack, and his arms are dangling at his sides. He's pretending to be an abomination again. A course of action Willow would feel doubtful towards if the abominations' professor hadn't stepped into the cafeteria.
Hunter dangles in the girl's grip as the stout man berates Amity "Blight" (Hunter manages to hide his laughter behind gargling groans, remembering that he mentally called her a "blight" earlier) for her misconduct towards Willow. Peh. About time. Thank you "Top Student" badge. Who would have thought a little, plastic star could actually be useful? The teacher refers to Amity's actions as a sad act of jealousy (not his exact words) and sends her to "Principal Bump's" office. So, she drops Hunter into the vat of goo and leaves. Hunter, now hidden from prying eyes and ears, can't help but pump his fist in victory. Finally, that stuck up brat gets what's hers. He pokes his eyes out and whispers to Willow.
"About time that jerk gets what's coming to her." But from the disappointed look on Willow's face, he can tell that she doesn't share his sentiments. "What?"
"Hunter, I think this might have gone too far." She whispers back, facing Augustus but directing her eyes to Hunter.
"What are you talking about? You're top student, and that girl's finally getting what she deserves for bullying you."
"I never wanted to be top student! I just wanted to get a good grade!"
"And you wanted Amit—er, everyone to stop calling you that mean name! They'll never call you that after this. Especially Amity, if she knows what's good for her!"
But Hunter's words fail to wipe away Willow's shamed frown. The ruby-eyed boy is confused to say the least. He did everything she wanted and more, so why is she suddenly so upset? It's as if she cares about that bully, but that can't be. So, what's wrong?
"Hi, I'm Augustus." Hunter looks up and sees the boy with the aquamarine sleeves and pants extend a hand into the cauldron while focusing his eyes on Willow.
Finally, the school day draws to a close and Willow and Augustus arrive at the abomination classroom to drop off the cauldron and wheelbarrow. Hunter finally emerges for the last time and pulls his entire body out of the muck. He stretches his tired limbs and sighs in relief.
"What a day." Hunter says mid-stretch.
"Yeah." Willow says, her look askance.
"Oh, c'mon. Everything worked out."
"'Worked out'?!" Willow furrows her brow as her ire is slowly stoked. "Hunter, Amity just got in trouble!"
"So? That's not our fault." Hunter shrugs his shoulders.
"But still—"
Hunter cuts her off, irritated. To Hunter, it sounds like she's shifting some of the blame onto them, but the only thing they did wrong was cheat a little. Kids cheat on their homework all the time, right? So why is she suddenly so upset?
"Look, you wanted a good grade, and you got it. You wanted respect from your classmates, and you got it. I held up my end of the bargain like I said I would."
As the conversation goes on, Augustus slowly steps back, waiting for a chance to interject.
"Fine, so you can go now." Willow tells him, a fed-up harshness in her tone.
Hunter groans, not as a means to imitate an abomination, but to display his frustration.
"What is your problem?! I did exactly what you asked!" Hunter steps closer to Willow.
"I didn't ask to get Amity sent to the Principal's office!" Willow does the same until their faces are inches apart, scowling at each other. "Now she's probably going to get detention!"
"Serves her right!"
"How can you say that?!"
"How can you defend her?! She's a bully!"
"But…! Well…! You don't know her!"
"I know her type!" Hunter begins listing off mean-girl traits on his right hand. "Conceded! Zealous! Power-hungry! Just like every other stereotypical mean girl on this giant. Titan. Carcass!"
"How could you possibly know that?! How can you stand there and say that all girls like that are the same?!"
Hunter's scowl deepens as he remembers something.
"You saw my hand." He says through clenched teeth.
Willow's scowl falls away as she remembers when she accidently removed his glove. Suddenly, everyone's attention is drawn to the door as its handle is pulled down. The door opens and standing in the doorway is Amity Blight, behind her stands a man draped in shadow. Hunter, already suspecting the worst, let's his limbs go slack. Amity steps aside and stands at attention in front of the door, allowing the stranger to step inside.
"Good afternoon, students." The elderly man walks through the open door, and his body finally comes to view in the light.
He is draped entirely in a dark grey robe with golden cuffs and what looks like shoulder pads, a blue striped sash hangs over his shoulders and probably the most eye-catching part of his attire is the small, horned, cranberry-colored Demon sitting on his back, its mouth covering half of his head. It's hard to tell if the pale green eyes staring them all down are his own or the Demon's.
"Principal Bump." Willow greets.
So, this is the principal. Why is he here? What does he want? Why isn't Amity in detention right now? Did she manage to sway the principal in some way? The overbearing man steps closer and Willow moves aside while Augustus bows in respect. He finally stops right in front of Hunter and his green eyes begin to look him over. He pulls his sleeves apart, revealing his wrinkly hands with long, untrimmed fingernails, and grasps Hunter's face by the chin. He turns Hunter's head to the right and then the left. His eyes analyze every inch of Hunter's face, and the boy does all he can to keep from reacting. Finally, the man releases Hunter's face and gives him an order.
"Abomination, lie."
Lie? Well, he doesn't have a choice, so, might as well.
"Amity Blight is a lovely person." He responds in his abomination voice.
"Oh!" At first, Amity appears flattered, "Hey, wait a minute." but then she remembers the command and her face holds fury. "Hey!"
"And Willow is not an ungrateful hypocrite!" Willow gasps and then scowls.
"My! Your teacher wasn't wrong when he said your abomination was articulate." One look at his grin, and Hunter knew that he knew. "But that's not what I meant. I mean 'lie down'."
The principal points at one of the desks and Hunter complies as he goes over escape options in his head. He needs to get out of here. His cover is blown, but this guy is undoubtedly expecting him to run, so that's out. As Hunter lays on the desk, the principal glares down at him, grinning a knowing grin, saying that he wanted to know what Willow's "abomination" is made of.
Willow tries to show him a list of abomination ingredients, an action that surprises Hunter. Even after that back and forth followed by his insults, she's still trying to help him… Or maybe she's just trying to save her grade. Unfortunately, Principal Bump isn't interested in reading a sheet of paper. From his sleeve, he pulls out a jagged and incredibly sharp dagger. As Hunter sees his reflection in the blade, Principal Bumps pulls the knife away and hands it to Willow. The visually impaired Witchling takes the knife and smiles as she walks closer to Hunter. She kneels down, and whispers to him through clenched teeth.
"Just so you know, I'm still mad at you, but I really don't want to hurt you!" So, she was trying to protect him. Now he feels guilty for calling her an "ungrateful hypocrite."
Suddenly, Principal Bump grasps her left shoulder and tells her to make the first incision.
"Wait, Principal Bump!" Without warning, Augustus calls out to the principal and everyone turns to look at him standing next to three cauldrons. "Uh… I think I left a sandwich in one of these!"
Augustus puts both hands on one of the cauldrons, and like dominos, they all fall down, one after the other, spilling their contents all over the floor. The mixing puddles of sludge begin to rise without the order to do so, taking the forms of three abominations, walking forward with no clear purpose in mind. With Bump and Amity momentarily distracted, Hunter pushes himself off the desk, grabs Willow by the arm and guides her down the hall at top speed.
"Which way's the exit?!" He asks her.
"Turn right at the end of the hall!" She guides him. "There should be a pair of double-doors at the far end!"
Hunter rounds the corner as instructed and heads straight forward, ignoring the many intersecting hallways at his sides. Willow is barely keeping pace with him. It feels like one misstep, could send her tumbling, but Hunter is too focused on running to notice her struggling.
"Hunter! Slow down!"
"No time! We have to hurry before they activate the sealing spell!"
But it's too late. White noise begins to fill the air, and they both know what this means. Hunter knows that he can't waste time looking back, but Willow curiously does just that. The glowing red lines and numerous shapes run across the walls, creating red, transparent barriers every time the lines reach one of the adjacent intersections. To make matters worse, just as she feared, her moment of distraction causes her to stumble which quickly turns into a tumble, sending her to the floor, unintentionally removing Hunter's glove yet again. No longer feeling the resistance of Willow's bicep, nor the comforting warmth of leather around his hand, Hunter looks back and sees her lying on the ground, his glove temporarily glued to her arm. He calls her name and skids to a halt.
"Just go! Hurry!"
At Willow's words, Hunter looks back at his closest chance at freedom, but then shakes away the idea before running back to her. With a bit of effort, he just barely makes it, leaping through the closing gap in the red wall before it can close in on him.
"You okay?!" He asks as she gets to her feet, rubbing her arm to sooth the pain.
"Why did you do that?!" She asks him incredulously. "You could have escaped!"
"And you could get detention!"
"So now you care?!"
With a grunt, Hunter grabs and pulls Willow by the wrist down the only hallway not yet blocked off. With Willow's guidance, they make it to the foyer where they race around the second floor of the rotunda, but every time they reach a door, the path becomes blocked before they can get through. Hearing the ring of magic, followed by the groaning of abominations, Hunter looks around, searching for some way to escape. That's when he notices the blue banners on the walls and gets an idea. He quickly pulls down one of the hanging tapestries, grips one end of the golden rope and swings the other end around a column, grabbing it once it comes back around.
Hunter tells Willow to climb down, but she immediately refuses the needlessly dangerous notion. The blonde Witchling insists, reminding her of their fate should they get caught. Seeing her limited options, Willow gives in, grabbing the blue fabric while Hunter holds onto both ends of the rope and places his food on the column, acting as an anchor. Firmly gripping her only means of avoiding a trip to the healing Witches, she jumps. Her weight causes the cloth to swing back and forth a few times, nearly throwing her back or sides into the column. She lets out a small scream and Hunter nearly loses his grip. Once the fabric calms, he wraps the cloth around his knuckles and it successfully holds until she reaches the ground. With that, he quickly ties the rope to the pillar and jumps, neglecting to check security the knot. He grabs the fabric, but only manages to climb down halfway before the knot becomes undone, sending him falling to the ground.
"Are you okay?!" Willow asks in worry as Hunter tends to his throbbing bum.
Hunter hushes her with a finger to her lips and pulls her along with the fallen tapestry around the column to hide.
"Search everywhere! They can't have gone far!" They hear the principal order.
Hunter and Willow look up to see the three abominations from earlier walking around the second floor. Bump must have taken control of them, and now they're looking for the two Witchlings. Willow groans into her hands in defeat and Hunter, watching her, can feel his sins crawling on his back to accompany the pulsating pain in his bum, hands and shoulders. Soon enough, the guilt becomes too much to bear.
"I'm sorry." He says. "This is all my fault. You have every right to be mad at me."
She looks up him with a twinge of resentment in her eyes.
"Why did you do all of this?" She asks. "I know you weren't just trying to be nice. You wanted something, didn't you?"
Hunter sighs and gives in to the guilt.
"I just… wanted to go to school… for real."
"What are you talking about? Why not just enroll?"
Hunter looks away from her, staring at the floor.
"They won't let me, because I'm magicless."
Willow's eyes widen as she understands, but something else confuses her.
"That doesn't explain why you were so mean today."
"I pretended to help you so I could get into magic school, then I saw how everyone treated you, especially that Amity girl and when she got sent to the principal's office, it felt… like I finally won for once. It felt like retribution."
"What do you mean 'retribution'? You don't even know Amity."
"No, but I know what it's like to be bullied." He lifts up his shirt with his revealed hand, and Willow nearly gags at the sight of Hunter's exposed side, which is just covered in scars upon scars. There is almost no part of his flesh that isn't warped and stretched. There are cut scars, bludgeon scars, stretch and rip scars, even burns of varying degrees! All of them covering this one small area of his body. "And abused, and hated for being weak. For being… a powerless 'No-Witch'." He lets go, hiding the scars once more. "Or 'Fake-Witch', or 'Nothing-Witch', t-the list goes on."
Even though the scars on his abdomen are hidden from view, the scars on his hand are still visible.
"Couldn't your parents do anything?"
"I don't have parents… or any family. I was left alone in the woods when I was six and have been traveling the isles looking for… someplace to belong, but nobody wanted me. They just wanted to be rid of me… abominations were how some of them did it. So, I had no choice but to become a thief. I've stolen from so many people just to survive." Hunter's eyes widen for a moment as he remembers. "Only one person has ever been genuinely nice to me before I met you…" Hunter buries his face into his arms. "You probably hate me now, right?"
Hunter waits for a response but didn't get the one he expected. He drops the blue banner and his eyes widen in shock when he feels Willow wrap her arms around him, crying. At first, he doesn't say anything, as he processes the unfamiliar feeling of someone actually holding him this way.
"I'm so sorry that happened to you." She tells him and Hunter finally finds his voice.
"Why are you sorry? You had nothing to do with it. And now, because of me, you're probably going to get detention, or worse!"
"I guess you're right, but still…" She says nothing more, and just holds onto him.
This holding, this tightness, this warmth; none of it feels familiar to him, and yet… it feels so… slowly, he begins to reach—
"They're down there!" Amity's voice carries through the rotunda.
Hunter looks to his side and sees the banner pushed into the light. Out of sight, Principal Bump gives an order to the abominations and they extend into tendril-like trails floating from the second floor to the first before returning to their bipedal state. Hunter grunts in frustration as they close in.
"I should have just kept my mouth shut and ate the goo sandwich!"
Hunter digs his hand into his pocket, hoping he can use something to get at least Willow out of this. Anything. Suddenly, his hand feels something greasy and slimy. He pulls it out and sees that it's the same greasy slime-ball from earlier. He must have subconsciously put it back into his pocket when he heard Willow the first time and just forgot about it. Willow gasps and let's go of Hunter.
"How long have you had this?!" She asks as she takes it from his hand.
"You mean that greasy slime-ball?"
Willow holds it up between her fingers, explaining that the ball is actually a seed. A seed! And it's now in the hands of an incredibly powerful plant Witch. As she places it onto her lap, Hunter feels immensely grateful to Eda for giving it to him to hold onto. She makes a green magic circle over the seed and at her command, thorny vines shoot out, cutting down the trio of abominations that had gathered around them. Just as before, the vines spread out, ensnaring anyone they can reach, which includes Amity and Principal Bump, who is thrown into the ceiling, completely incapacitated. Without him to maintain the sealing spell, the lines fade away and the barriers fall.
"The spell is down!" Says Hunter.
With another spell, Willow carries the two of them back up to the second floor on a flowery-thorny vine. They jump off only to meet with an unwelcomed familiar face. Amity stands before them, denying them exit while Willow is still wearing the abomination class' "Top Student" badge. Hunter can't believe the lengths this girl is willing to go through just for some shiny ornament. Amity orders the abominations to seize them, gripping one of them in her magic, but it is quickly felled by a single punch from Hunter. Having had enough, he apologizes to Willow in advance, and then grabs hold of the badge on her chest before ripping it right off.
"Hey!" Exclaims Willow, holding the tear in her cowl.
"You want this thing so bad?" Hunter holds the star high into the air before chucking it over the side. "Go get it!"
"No!" Amity shouts as she runs to the edge.
While the mint-haired girl searches for the trinket, Hunter and Willow make a mad-dash for the exit. As they near the door, freedom feels assured, but suddenly, Hunter feels something else. He feels himself falling to the ground. Willow skids to a halt and sees an abomination emerging from the floor, holding onto Hunter's ankle. They are so close, and Willow isn't about to let all this effort be for naught, but before she can act to help, he quickly knocks the amalgam off with a firm kick and continues running. While relieved, Willow gets right back to running once he's beside her. Principal Bump manages to free himself and return to the floor just as the two students finally pass through the exit.
"Wait! Wait!" Bump calls, but it's too late.
The two look back as the double-doors magically close behind them. Willow then crosses both of her arms in front of her chest and her eyes glow green once more. There is an intense rumbling and the doors shake. After a few seconds, Willow's arms drop to her sides, she hunches over in exhaustion, and the shaking stops. Hunter looks closer and sees some petals passing through the seams of the doors. That alone tells him all he needs to know to understand what happened. The two Witchlings stand at the top of the stairs panting, staring at the shut doors. They made it. Somehow. Their panting slowly calms, but neither take their eyes off the doors.
"My parents are gonna kill me." Says Willow.
Hunter turns to look at her, his guilt rising as he sees her solemn eyes.
"I really messed up, didn't I?" He asks her.
"It wasn't all your fault. I knew this was all a bad idea from the start, but I just wanted to prove that I could do something right without messing up so bad."
"Still, if I'd never interfered, none of this would have happened and you wouldn't be so deep in it. All because I wanted to go to school and… make friends."
Willow looks at Hunter and places a hand on his shoulder.
"Well," Hunter looks at her curiously, "what did you think of your first day at school?"
Hunter scratches his head and smiles awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.
"Well… if you cut out all the bad stuff, it was really fun. Your school's actually really nice."
Willow smiles brightly.
"I'm glad I could show my new friend around."
Hunter pauses, focusing on that second to last word.
"We-We're friends?"
"Well, you did call me an 'ungrateful hypocrite'." She recalls, wiping away her smile in favor of a frown and a sideways glance.
Hunter jumps and holds his hands up.
"I am so sorry for saying that! I was just being a stupid jerk!" Then his eyes widen as he realizes. "Wow. I wanted to stop you from being bullied, but I became the bully." He slaps his forehead in exasperation. "I totally belong in a trash slug's intestines, or in detention getting eaten by a monster or… whatever happens in there."
"Maybe, but you also did what you said you would, came back to help me when I fell, and you opened up to me. I like to think that's worth a second chance."
She holds her hand out and Hunter smiles as he takes it.
"I'll try my best not to mess it up." He places his free hand over his heart. "And I promise not to deceive you again… Unless-its-absolutely-necessary." Willow gives him a snide glower, and Hunter lets go of her to raise both of his hands in surrender. "Kidding…! Mostly."
Not entirely liking the response, she smiles back at him all the same. "But you still may wanna go. That wall of vines I made likely won't hold for—" The doors slam open! "…long."
Principal Bump steps between the torn, goop coated vines with an angry, disheveled Amity at his side and Augustus nervously bringing up the rear. The elder man twirls a finger, sending two torrents of purple sludge toward the duo. Willow pushes Hunter to the side, and the goop ensnares her. Sadly, her efforts are all for naught. The ruby-eyed teen almost instantly finds himself trapped in the second floating torrent of goop mere seconds later. The two hopelessly struggle against the sloppy restraints, unable to break free as Principal Bump flexes his right index finger toward himself, pulling Hunter and Willow closer to the older man. They halt in mid-air before being brought to their knees by magic.
"Do you have any idea what you've just done." The Principal harshly berates and Willow lowers her head in shame.
"It wasn't her fault!" Principal Bump turns to Hunter.
"And just who are you?"
Bump gives the boy an icy glare, but he is no stranger to such looks, shaking it off no more than a second later. Hunter returns with his own cold stare.
"I'm the guy that tricked her into bringing me here. Willow's just an unwitting pawn, so punish me instead!"
"No!" Willow shouts, and Bump turns to her once more. "That's not true! I invited him to help me cheat. So I'm just as much to blame as he is."
"No!" Shouts Augustus, running to stand between the kids and the adult. "I'm to blame! So punish me!"
Three seconds of awkward silence later.
"What did you do, Augustus?" Asks Bump.
"I don't…! know." Augustus deflates like a balloon, realizing that he just attempted to shoulder all the blame before coming up with a reason.
Bump forges a crook from the goo that pulls Augustus out of the way so that he can continue to glare at Hunter.
"What school are you from?" He coldly asks him.
"I… uh, the school of… Our Lady of Owls?" Hunter smiles awkwardly.
For but a second, Bump's eyes widen but almost instantly, they return to their original glare.
"Ah, I see." He turns and looks at Willow. "Miss Park, are you aware of how much damage you've caused?"
"Um… A lot?" Willow tries to look him in the eyes, but her growing guilt makes the action difficult.
"Yes! A lot!" As Bump continues, Amity grins menacingly. "And where, pray tell, did all of this…?!" He swings his arm and gestures to the miles of plant life lining the interior behind him. "come from?"
Hunter opens his mouth, but barely manages to make a sound before the sludge suddenly covers it.
"I had… a seed?"
"You mean to tell me that all these vines came from one seed and it was all done by you?!" Willow and Augustus shut their eyes, awaiting Bump's full wrath. "Well, then…" Amity prepares to relish in the punishment for their deception and taking her place as top student. "In that case…" Hunter struggles and writhes, trying desperately to escape his trappings. "Willow Park, you will no longer be studying nor practicing abomination magic in this school, again!" And there it is. Willow trembles, appearing on the verge of tears. Augustus covers his mouth in shock. Hunter tries with all of his might to force to muck off of his body, despite knowing full well from past experiences that it's hopeless. Even Amity's eyes widen in shocked-surprise at the teacher's decision (not that anyone noticed). All that's left for him to say is; "You will receive a new class schedule better befitting your place in the Plant Magic Track tomorrow."
… Not… That… So that means…
"Wait, you mean… I'm not expelled?!" All of the children stare at Principal Bump like they just saw him grow a second head out of the side of his already existing head.
"Honestly, I should expel you for the mess you made." He pulls his brow down and nods his head toward the door. "But why waste such talent." And his smile returns. Willow is speechless. He just said that she had talent. "But don't think this means you're off the hook!" His face frowns as he looks back at his student. "I expect this foyer to be cleaned up by the time your parents arrive to bring you home."
He twirls his finger and the goo falls from the children's bodies and squirms away, following behind him.
"Yes, sir!" Willow shouts excitedly.
Hunter takes the time to look himself over to see that even most of the goop he already had on had gone away as well, but there's still some spots here and there, including where his glove rests on Willow's shoulder. Augustus runs over to give Willow a hug in triumph of her not getting expelled. Hunter smiles until he sees Amity Blight frowning coldly at him. He quickly hides his exposed hand behind his back and returns with his own icy stare, but the girl just turns around and walks back into the school. Hunter watches her leave, but has a strong feeling that this won't be his last time encountering that girl, and the thought makes him feel uneasy.
"Hunter!" He is pulled out of his train of thought when Willow pounces on him, hugging him tightly once again. "Thank you! If it hadn't been for you, this never would have happened!"
Augustus cheers, also wrapping Hunter up in his arms.
"Way to go, Hunter and Willow!"
This time, Hunter doesn't allow fate the chance to interrupt and quickly wraps his arms around his new friends. The warmth, the tightness, the heartbeats. This is what he's always wanted his whole life. He fights the urge to cry, not wanting to spoil this moment by getting his new friends wet by his tears. The hug felt like it lasted for eternity, and yet, at the same time, felt like it was cut short by Principal Bump's interruption.
"Ms. Park!" He calls, poking his head out from behind the door. "This foyer isn't going to clean itself!"
"Oh, right. Coming, sir!" She calls back as she and Augustus release from the hug, and Hunter, albeit more reluctantly, followed suit.
"Woah! Cool scars!" Augustus' compliment reminded them of one tiny detail.
"Whoops! Um…" Willow quickly rips the glove off of her shoulder and hands it back to Hunter. "Here."
He thanks her and quickly covers his hand. The principal, still in the doorway, looks at Hunter and calls.
"Oh, and one more thing for you,young man!" With one last twirl of his fingers, a rolled up sheet of paper flies over to the trio and lands in Hunter's hands. "Give my regards to Edalyn."
Hunter would have questioned if Bump knew Eda, but he already pulled his head back into the building.
"Cool, what d'ya get?" Asks Augustus.
Hunter unfurls the scroll and reveals a picture of himself grinning mischievously, his right hand balled into a fist against his chest, his left outstretched, abomination goo dripping from his fingertips, with the words "Banned" written in bold, red letters above said picture.
"Ooh!" Willow and Augustus wince in unison.
"Tough break, buddy." Augustus pats Hunter on the shoulder.
"If you want, everyday after school, Augustus and I can come see you and teach you what we learned." Willow suggests.
"Hey, yeah! We'll be your teachers! But you're gonna hafta' get used to calling me 'Master Augustus.'" Willow frowns at him. "Or y'know, just Augustus."
But for the first time, Hunter doesn't feel bothered by this, because even though he's banned again, he's actually coming out of the experience with real, genuine friends.
"Actually, guys, I think it's time I go back to my old teacher." He rolls up the parchment. "Her ideas might be different than the 'proper way', but maybe I just need to give 'em a chance." The two shorter Witchlings smile and nod. "But I would really like if you came over to the Owl House to hang out, if you want."
"You live at the Owl House?!" They both say in unison. "With Eda the Owl Lady?!"
"Yeah, she's really nice. Come by and I'll introduce you."
"Great!" Willow gives him one last quick hug.
"We'll definitely see you tomorrow!" Augustus says confidently.
"Lookin' forward to it Augustus." Hunter pauses and thinks. "Hey! How's about I call you 'Gus' for short?"
"Please don't." Augustus says with a frown, but it only lasts for a second before he walks away waving.
Willow takes a few steps and then halts. She twirls a magic circle with her finger and then pirouettes. Right before Hunter's eyes, her orchid-purple sleeves and pants instantly change into a bright, forest green, the color of the Plant Magic Track, complimenting her hair and eyes far better than before. Hunter laughs and applauds, making Willow smile more as she leaves waving.
The walk back to the Owl House is quiet and uneventful, but Hunter halts at the door.
"Hey! You're back!" Greets Hooty.
"Yeah, I'm back." The boy says with a nervous smile.
"Eda says she doesn't need you anymore."
Hunter's smile disappears.
"Oh."
"But don't worry! You can sleep in the shed! And when you wake up, I can tell you all of my stories," Hunter takes a few steps back, "like this one time when I—"
The door slams open, silencing Hooty before he can begin. Standing in the doorway is Eda, who stares at her ruby-eyed protégé with wide golden-eyes.
"Y-you're back! Uh! I mean-Um…" She clears her throat, leans against the doorframe, and puts on a mask of false-indifference. "You're back."
These actions are telling to Hunter that she probably, definitely, more than likely missed him, but he has no right to hold that over her. Not after he was the one who left her.
"Yeah." He says with another nervous smile.
"I saw you today."
Ooh! She saw him at school.
"Oh?"
"Yeah. You sure looked happy taking notes and learning the 'proper' way to use magic."
Hunter looks away, thinking of how he should say what he wants to say.
"Honestly, it was great." He said with some optimism. "I actually made two new friends who said they want to see me tomorrow."
Eda's eyes widen again before pulling down in sadness.
"Oh?"
"Yeah, school was great and all, except… well…" Eda glances at Hunter expectantly. "It was missing one important thing. The most important thing."
"Yeah?"
Hunter grins a little more.
"My mentor?" He said hopefully. Eda's eyes widen is surprise and her jaw drops. "I should have listened to you from the start. Your lesson and that slime-ball really saved me and my friend when we needed it. Thank you." Eda finally allows herself to grin, until… "Also, I was kinda, sorta… banned?" Hunter scratches his neck and holds up the opened scroll. "Uh. Principal Bump sends his regards."
Eda takes the page, and as she gazes upon it, feels something welling up inside her so much and so fast that she can't help but release it almost at once; a powerful laugh. After a few seconds of laughter, she wipes away a tear, sighs in relief and smiles at the boy.
"That's my boy!" She tussles his already messy hair, making him smile more and even laugh a little as he pushes her hand away from his head. "I knew my student was too good for those academy twerps! Now get in here!" She points to the living room, and Hunter smiles widely as he runs inside, leaving Eda to admire the mark of a true trouble-maker. "Ah, baby's first wanted poster. I'm hangin' this baby up where everyone can see it."
And so, with that, she walks inside and the door closes behind her with an audible "Ow."