A/N:
Here we are. A day I honestly never thought I'd see come when I started this fic just 4 short months ago. The day where this fic reaches…Completion.
Of course, it's not the end of my ideas for Phillip. I have a bunch more I'd love to write, but this just feels like a good place to end it.
I really should move these authors notes to the end of the fic, but- I…Uh, been putting them at the start for way too long to swap em around now!
Anyway, I'm split 50/50 on if I want to continue this fic beyond the point where the main mystery wraps up, or make a sort of sequel - but then who would read the sequel if you've never read the original? I don't know. I'm 50/50. This may not actually be over idk.
Please send feedback and suggestions to WA_Stokins on both Twitter and Tumblr, if you got any. Much love.
—-
Phillip's sleep was short. Barely even long enough to start dreaming. But, as the moon reached the top of the sky - Luz burst in with a loud "Wake up, the Collector's here!" It surely gave him a fright.
Although momentarily frustrated at being woken up, he excitedly hopped out. Ready to put this damn mystery to bed…so to speak.
Luz left the room to change him a minute to change, and gathered her girlfriend. Darius and Alador both refused to come along, they couldn't…really be bothered considering how late it was.
Walking over to the windowsill, the clothes Phillip had worn the day previous were still soaking wet from washing. And his tuxedo was at the dry cleaners, so…
That left him little choice but to wear the damn Caleb outfit again.
Time was of the essence, so he put it on as fast as he could. But even still, he paused as he slid his big brother's coat over his shoulders. It felt like a warm hug, but one he was undeserving of...he had such mixed emotions that he just bottled for the moment due to his lack of time to fuss.
Catching up with Luz and Amity at the front door, before they…walked at a brisk pace over to the Owl House. Eda, King, Raine, Lilith, and Hooty were also gathered around - mostly making small talk with the Collector, who was sitting on a fallen star. A real reunion.
"There's the man of the hour!" The Collector happily squeaked, as he saw Phillip come over the horizon.
The group quickened their pace to a run as they walked up to the house's exterior, and they all let out a heavy breath once they arrived - none of their bodies were built for exercise.
Raine was the first person to talk. Asking the question burning question in Phillip's mind. "Collector… was it really you who revived Belos?"
"Wha, me? Naaaaah…" The Collector lied, badly. "Ok, I'm kidding! yea I totally did it!"
The group gasped, "What?!"
"Yup! Pretty fine craftsmanship if I do say so myself." He said, tapping the former emperor's arm with his knuckle like he was durability testing a piece of wood.
"I made him a human again! He used to be some horrible mass of magic." The Collector said, clearly proud of himself. "I also locked all those bad old memories away, so he can make nice new ones!"
"So, Did you mean for his memories to come back on their own?" Asked Lilith, stepping forward.
"Well, I intended to lock them away so that only I could retrieve them…when he was ready, you know? but I suppose I made the locks too weak and they just broke on their own. Don't worry, I can fix it!" The Collector smiled, and snapped his fingers.
Phillip went slackjawed, falling face first into the dirt. After a moment though, he looked up with the expression of a lost puppy and asked "W..wha…where…am I?"
"Oh no, we are not doing this again. Put his memories back right now!" Eda demanded.
"Kay!" The Collector peeped, snapping his finger again.
After a moment, Phillip stood up again and dusted himself off. "May we pretend that never happened?"
"Nnnope!" Eda replied, with a giggle.
"While I was changing the ingredients in his old noodle, I threw in juuuuust a spoonful of sugar! You know, make him a bit more sweet." The Collector's smile turned massive. "So, did I do good? Are you all friends now?"
Hooty shot through the crowd, and in his usual shrewd way, gave the response everyone was thinking of but didn't want to say out loud - "OF COURSE WE'RE NOT FRIENDS! HE TRIED TO KILL US ALL! WHY DID YOU BRING HIM BACK?!"
"Calm, Hootsifer!" begged Lilith, Gently running her fingers through his feathers.
It felt like a stab in the heart to Phillip, like…That was his deepest anxiety just said out loud by that wretched tube. That nobody actually wanted him there…He couldn't blame them, but it still stung pretty badly.
"Well, I got a second chance…why shouldn't he?" Replied The Collector, with a shrug. His smile lowered slightly, but he still tried to present as optimistic and cheery.
"What?" Luz squeaked. "But, you…you didn't…"
Suddenly, it all made sense to Phillip.
"Let's slash and rend and crush and bruise! Let's curse the land in nine bright hues!"
"Betrayed, beguiled, alone, deceived! We'll have our revenge on... Ugh, "unity" is so hard to rhyme."
"I gave you the draining spell! I taught you magic STRONGER THAN ANYBODY'S!"
"...Belos wouldn't have become nearly as powerful as he did if not for me." The Collector said, quietly.
"H…huh? I don't understand…" nervously mumbled Luz.
"Well…To tell you the truth. On his own, Belos was…a preeeetty below average witch. Like, born without a bile-sac would be a death sentence! But he found me, and we…became friends! I showed him all sorts of tips and tricks that made him the most powerful witch in the isles!" He had to hold back his tone, which could only be described as 'childlike wonder.'
He shook his head and cleared his throat. Trying to be mature about it. "I…I gave him my full power. I even gave ideas, to hurt the people who're now my best friends. I thought of it like ..a game, and…' He paused. In that moment, his face became very somber as the gravity it weighed on his soul once again hit him.
"B-but Collector! You didn't know what you were doing…" Luz said as she stepped forward, putting a comforting hand on the Collector's shoulder.
"I mean, you are a cosmically powered child…no offense." Eda added in.
"Yea, you're only just developing that sense of right and wrong!" added King, the Collector's best friend.
"Well…part of the growing up I'm doing is realizing…even if the harm I caused wasn't intentional, I still had a part in it." The Collector said, flicking away a tear that sizzled the ground. "But that's all in the past!" He perked up, even though it sounded somewhat artificial. "Even knowing all that, you guys still forgave me. Maybe…I thought. Maybe if we give Phillip another chance, he'd change for the better as well."
"Well, uh, we- we didn't know, really…" Amity stammered, slightly uncomfortable. But the Collector didn't hear.
"After all, 'people are complex. And sometimes they just need a little kindness and forgiveness!' Right, Luz?" The Collector's smile was wide. He really thought he'd done something good. But Luz, just… Didn't know what to say.
It was Phillip who cut through the crowd. Walking straight up to the Collector, and dropping to one knee - to be properly eye level. "Truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you Collector."
"Pssh, no problem." The Collector squeaked, excitedly.
"I want to apologize as well, for…all I've done to you. All the lies I've caused, and all the mental distress. But…No hard feelings?" Phillip held his pinky finger out.
"Okay!" The Collector happily peeped, reaching his hand out - before stopping juuuust short. "Hey, wait, how do I know your fingers aren't crossed behind your back?"
Phillip held up his right arm, "I don't have the other hand!"
To which, The Collector got a good laugh. And wrapped his pinkie around Phillip's. "No hard feelings."
After a moment, Phillip's heart took over. He pulled the Collector into a soft hug. "Thank you, Collector. I know I am undeserving of this second chance…" The Collector tried to hug back, but- his arms were a lot stubbier. Couldn't fully wrap around Phillip.
"You got that right." Eda grumbled.
"Shush, Eda, they're having a moment." Luz scolded.
Paying them no mind, Phillip continued. "But, now that I've been given one - do not intend to waste it."
The End.
Or…is it?
Of course, Phillip's story didn't end there. There's still a great deal to tell, in fact. From his attempts to cure petrification, to his time as a teacher, to his eventual reunion with Caleb in the great hereafter.
But, I'm afraid those are all tales for another day.