Hey, I'm back!
I recently got on the Owl House bandwagon, and I love it, especially Hunter. It's why my writing has been so slow. I'm on an autism fixation, and it's messing with my other work.
Anyway, I saw a similar story where Luz and Hunter grew up as siblings in the Human Realm, and I wanted to write my own. The story is called "And they were siblings!" by Ash_katchum_these_hands over on ao3 for anyone interested.
Hunter's still technically a Grimwalker, but I'm tempted to give him magic. I personally believe there are enough holes and speculation in the description of Grimwalkers that it can be done. That's also the argument for Hunter being a baby. I haven't fully decided on the magic part, but that revelation wouldn't be for a while anyway.
As for the parts with the Golden Guard, I'm keeping that a secret for now.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Owl House or its characters. I only own this story and any OCs I throw in.
Let the story begin!
It was a surprisingly quiet night on the Boiling Isles. The night critters decided tonight was going to be a night off. But the silence was soon broken by two sets of footsteps running through the forest.
The first set belonged to a young man with dark skin and wearing a dark cloak. He cradled an infant wrapped in a yellow blanket as he raced through the dark foliage. In step behind him was a slightly older male with pale skin, ash blond hair, and a scar over his left eye.
The two stopped near the edge of the woods, the dark-skinned man trying to soothe the baby when they started crying. "Shhh, you'll be safe soon, Little Prince."
"We need to hurry." His companion said.
As the infant calmed down, the two men broke through the treeline into a clearing.
"Please be here soon…" The dark-skinned man whispered as the blond glanced around alertly.
Both males jumped when they saw the ground move as something big burrowed toward them. The blond pulled out a staff, moving protectively in front of the other two. When it neared them, a child-sized auburn demon with orange fur popped out of the dirt, causing the blond to relax.
The demon sniffed around before signaling to someone on the other side of the clearing. Another figure wearing a dark cloak with glasses stepped out of the brush, carrying a strange suitcase with an eye decoration.
"Eber. Raine." The dark-skinned man sighed in relief, pulling back his hood to reveal dark dreadlocks. "You made it."
"Sorry we're late," The other person said, removing their hood to reveal medium-brown skin and mint-green hair. "We would've been here sooner, but my ex… well, she had questions. She's still kinda mad at me about the breakup."
"What did you tell her?" The blond asked, amused and serious as he lowered his weapon.
"Nothing specific, but I think the part that sold her was when she realized this would tick off the Emperor."
"Typical." The dark-skinned man rolled his eyes while the demon snickered.
"Anyway, are you sure about leaving him the Human Realm?" Raine asked, concerned as they looked at the bundle in the other's arms. "There's no telling how that will affect his development."
"We have to," The blond responded, looking at the baby solemnly. "If he stayed in the Demon Realm, it would only be a matter of time before Belos found him. The Human Realm is the only place where he can't reach."
Raine looked at him for a minute before sighing. "If you're sure…"
"We are, Raine." The dark-skinned witch nodded. "Thank you."
Nodding in return, Raine handed the case to the blond before pulling out a key around his neck. It had the same eye symbol as the case. "Eda gave me a quick tutorial. All you have to do is set the case on the ground and press the eye."
"Got it." The blond nodded.
Down on the ground, a beetle-like creature approached Eber. The demon picked it up and started speaking to it. What the beetle reported caused the demon to tense, growling toward the woods as the beetle retreated.
"What is it, Eber?" Raine asked, immediately alert.
"They're close." The blond said ominously, glaring at the shadows.
"What do we do?" The dark-skinned male asked, holding the baby closer to him.
The blond looked at the ground, then at the witch and demon behind him before turning to his partner. He didn't say anything, but the latter could see his plan in his dark magenta eyes.
"Will, don't…." He started to say, eyes widening in fear.
"Darius." He spoke, putting his hands on the other's shoulders as he looked him in the eye. "I have to do this."
Darius bit his lip as they looked at the baby, who had fallen asleep after they stopped running. Will bumped his forehead against Darius's, their eyes locking. "Give him the life I didn't have."
Hesitantly, Darius nodded, a few tears escaping from his eyes.
Eberwolf and Raine looked at each other with confusion and worry, feeling there was more going on here than they knew.
Will then kneeled, placing his forehead against the child's as he set the case down. His composure slipped for a minute as his closed eyes scrunched tighter before relaxing.
"This cycle ends with me…" Opening his eyes, he stood up as the baby's eyes opened. They smiled and cooed at the older man with matching eyes.
Will smiled at the infant before turning serious. He knocked foreheads with Darius one last time before nodding to Raine and Eberwolf. He then turned back to the woods, staff at the ready, before disappearing into the shadows. Darius swallowed a sob that partially escaped, knowing in his heart that was the last time he would ever see Will again.
"Darius?" Raine asked softly, having never seen their fellow witch like this before. Eberwolf whimpered like a sad dog, feeling his friend's pain even if he didn't fully understand.
Remembering he still had a job to do, Darius wiped away the tears and steeled his resolve. He turned back to the others. "Let's go."
Raine handed him the key. "In case this takes longer than planned, just push the eye to close the door. It'll keep the case with you, too."
"Understood." Darius nodded.
"Also, Eda mentioned she wanted it back by Saturday. Apparently, she has a side business selling human junk on the weekends."
Darius rolled his eyes again but said nothing. Looking at the key, the witch smiled gratefully at the other two. "Thank you… both of you."
The demon and witch nodded before Darius pressed the eye to activate the portal. The suitcase unfolded in three sections, turning into an ornate door with a matching eye symbol.
"We'll guard the door while it's open," Raine mentioned.
Darius nodded again before opening the door. At first, the other side looked inky with star-like blips and ripples. Then, the doorway flashed white before revealing the other side. The portal opened onto an old porch with darkened green trees beyond it, indicating it was nighttime in the Human Realm. It was also raining, much to Darius's hesitance.
"It's okay," Raine assured him as Eberwolf stared through the door curiously. "Rain in the Human Realm doesn't boil."
Taking a deep breath, Darius slipped the key into his pocket for safekeeping and walked through the door. Looking around the porch, he noted that the portal opened through an abandoned old house. Seeing a trail through the woods, he hoped to find a safe place for the little prince beyond the forest. Pulling his cloak closer to keep the sleeping baby dry, he started to make his way through the rain.
About half a mile down the trail, Darius found more houses that looked less abandoned. He started walking toward one of them when he noticed an out-of-place light by the street. Changing his course, he saw two humans about his age, a man and a woman, with a human transport worm. The woman had the front end open while the man sat inside.
Darius looked at the infant and then back at the couple, smiling slightly as he got an idea. If these humans had a vehicle, they might be traveling, meaning they could take the child farther away from the portal entrance. Which meant it would be even more challenging for the emperor to find him.
"I think they will be perfect for you, Little Prince." He whispered.
He moved slightly out of the shadows until he stood just outside the edge of a street light. He gently placed the infant down before pulling a small note from his pocket. As he set it on the infant's blanket, he looked at the child one last time. "May you have a carefree life, Little Prince."
When he glanced up, he briefly locked eyes with the male human before quickly returning to the portal.
As he fled back into the woods, Darius allowed the tears to finally flow freely. His only connection to Will was gone, even if it was for the best. All he could do now was hope Hunter would have a good life. A better life than what he would've had before.
(POV Change)
Camila sighed as she checked the engine. She and her new husband, Manny, were on their way home from the hospital after getting him a check-up. Manny had had a flaring medical condition since childhood that slowly worsened as he got older. The attacks it caused came at different intervals, so he had to get regular check-ups. However, their car started making weird noises on their way home, so they pulled over for Camila to check the hood.
"Everything okay, mi amor?" Manny asked from inside the car.
"Sí, I think I found the problem," Camila answered as she started fiddling with a piece of the engine.
As his wife dealt with the car, Manny glanced to his left, where he suddenly locked eyes with a strange man in a cloak. One surprised blink later, and he was gone.
Not sure if that had been real (he may need to lay off the books for a while), Manny shook his head before focusing on the spot where he'd seen the man. He noticed that where the figure was, there was something yellow on the ground just outside the street lamp's light. When he saw it start moving, his breath immediately caught in his throat. Without thinking, Manny jumped out and rushed around the backside of the car, catching Camila's attention.
"Manny?" She called, but her husband didn't hear her.
Kneeling beside the bundle, Manny found a baby wrapped in a soft yellow blanket. When the child started crying, he immediately picked him up and cradled him.
"Camila! Come here! Rápidamente!" He called over his shoulder.
Camila quickly ran over, knowing something was wrong.
"Amor, what's wrong?" She asked before gasping when she saw the child in his arms. "¡Ay Dios mío! Amor, who's baby is that?!"
"I don't know! He was just lying here by the sidewalk!"
"Who would leave a child on the ground in the middle of the rain?!"
When a crack of thunder and lightning reminded the couple of the weather, they quickly hurried back to their car. Manny climbed into the passenger seat as he tried to calm the baby while Camila closed the hood before slipping into the driver's side. The child settled down once out of the rain and inside a warm car.
As the adrenaline of the situation wore off, Manny saw a small note attached to the baby's blanket. Unfolding it, he started reading aloud.
"To whomever is reading this,
I'm truly sorry to place this responsibility on you without warning, but I'm afraid I had no choice. It was not safe to leave him in his previous living situation.
His name is Hunter, and my only wish is that you could take care of him and give him the life he truly deserves."
"Ay Dios mío…." Camila said, a bit overwhelmed. "What do we do?"
"I don't know." Her husband responded, his mind bringing up the figure he saw.
As they started moving, Manny looked down just as Hunter's eyes began to open. The child looked up at him with the most precious and unique magenta eyes. Moving the blanket slightly, Manny saw the child had a small mop of blond hair and oddly pointed ears. Hunter smiled at him, causing Manny to smile fondly as the baby fell asleep again.
"Amor… we've talked about starting a family before, haven't we?"
"Manny, what do you mean?" Camila asked though she had a good idea.
"I think we should keep him."
"Are you sure, amor? This is such a huge responsibility out of the blue. And what about your condition? I know we've discussed starting a family, but what if the stress causes more flare-ups?"
Manny's smile turned sad as he continued looking at Hunter. "Camila, we've been together for years now. I think we're ready for this. My condition's not going anywhere. It's always going to be something I'll have to deal with, and I'm tired of us having to put our lives on hold for it."
"Manny…"
"Besides, we were the ones who found him. Call it what you want, but I think it's a sign."
Camila looked at her husband quietly before glancing at Hunter as the baby slept peacefully in his arms. "Well, if you're sure…"
"I am."
She smiled before focusing back on the road. "Then let me drop you two off at home before doing some last-minute shopping. You had to have a blood draw this time, so you should get some rest."
"Yes, dear," Manny chuckled, happy his wife trusted his judgment.
(Two Years Later)
Inside the Noceda house, Camila and Manny smiled as the former laid their newborn daughter down in her crib while she happily babbled away.
"Mamá, Papá, can I see her?" Hunter, now two years old, asked as he peeked into the room. Hunter's blond mop had grown out, and he was dressed in a deep blue t-shirt with burgundy overalls.
"Sí, Pequeño Duende," Manny answered. "Come meet your new sister."
"Yay!" Hunter cheered, running up to the crib.
Manny chuckled slightly at his son's excitement before picking him up to look over the crib. "Up we go."
Hunter smiled brightly, eyes sparkling as he got a good look at his baby sister for the first time. "Hi, Luz! I'm Hunter, and I'm your manito mayor! Your big brother!"
He reached out a hand towards Luz, who looked at it curiously. She grabbed it with tiny fingers and laughed joyfully like it was the best thing in the world.
Their parents smiled fondly at the children's interaction. Camila pulled out her phone and started taking pictures. "This is so going on the wall."
Manny nodded in agreement, watching his kids with a content look. He knew his illness would always be a problem, and there was no telling what their future held. But right now, as far as he was concerned, everything was perfect.
And that's the prologue for this story.
I've redone my writing schedule, so hopefully, things will go faster from now on. Like I mentioned in the beginning, I may have Hunter have magic. I'll formally decide on the decision as the story goes on. I'll definitely make a final decision when we reach "The Intruder" chapter.
In the meantime, the next story I'm working on is an Owl House and Danny Phantom crossover. Be back soon with more.