Hunter Noceda

by Wolf of the Black Rose

What if Hunter grew up in the Human Realm as Luz's brother? When he and his sister stumble upon a portal to another world, Hunter's world is turned upside down when he learns he's a witch. Joining his sister on her adventures with Eda and King, Hunter hopes to find out more about his past and what his future may hold.

2. Chapter One: A Lying Witch and a Warden

Here we are with chapter two!

I based Hunter's book interest on an old cartoon called The Jewel Riders. I wanted him to be similar to Luz but also his own person. The book is fantasy but has a fair bit of action. Before anyone asks about Cosmic Frontier, if Luz didn't know about the books in the basement, Hunter doesn't know about it in this AU.

Also, Hunter still has agility and combat abilities like the canon because he got interested in parkour and MMA as a kid.

I know I said Hunter was still technically a Grimwalker, but I've been playing with an idea that would shake things up a little. Since I had a lot of support for Hunter having magic, this idea may satisfy that and some of the canon. I won't go into too much detail because I don't want to spoil the surprise.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Owl House or its characters. I only own this story and any OCs I throw in.

Now, let's get started.

Hunter Noceda woke to the sound of his alarm clock ringing. Groaning tiredly, he hit snooze and rolled over, not ready to face the day. A few minutes later, there was a knock on his door.

"Hunter? Mijo? Are you awake?" His mother, Camila Noceda, called.

Hunter groaned again, pulling the covers over his head.

A louder banging on his door was heard before his younger sister, Luz Noceda, called, "Hunter! The bus is leaving in ten minutes!"

"What?!" Hunter's eyes snapped open before bolting upright. Untangling himself from his blankets, he whipped his head around to his alarm clock… only to deflate in annoyance when he saw it had only been five minutes since he hit the snooze button.

"Luz!" He yelled, getting loud laughter in response.

"Hunter, time for breakfast." His mother said, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Give me a minute!" He called back before getting out of bed.

Hunter's room had a similar layout to his sister's, only neater, and instead of a bunk bed, Hunter had a regular twin-size bed. Silvery blue and yellow replaced golden orange and purple, and while Hunter and Luz share similar tastes in anime, the Good Witch Azura posters and drawings were replaced by some from a series called The Gem Riders of Avalon. The things in the room unique to Hunter were the area with a sewing machine and a guitar set on a stand in the corner. He had a stereo with some surround sound speakers set up and several medals on the walls for parkour and junior MMA competitions he took part in. There was also a Bisexual pride flag hanging over his bed and glow-in-the-dark stars and planets hanging from his ceiling.

Hunter trudged to the bathroom to start his morning routine. Sighing tiredly, he looked in the mirror, giving his reflection a reassuring smile.

"Just hang in there, buddy. After this week, you can stay up and sleep in as much as you want. There's a convention in town mid-July, a pride parade in August, and you can game, free run, or do whatever you want in between." He gave his reflection a playful wink, making himself laugh before getting on with things.

Once finished, he headed back to his room, passing Luz's room along the way. Glancing inside, he stopped when he saw Luz lying on the floor, working on something.

"What 'cha doing?" He asked, leaning against the doorway.

"Just reviewing my book report one more time before I present it today," Luz answered, not looking up.

"Oh, yeah, I remember you showing me that."

"I am so gonna get an A. Who else's book report as props and snakes?"

"It's definitely going to be interesting. Just remember to keep track of the snakes."

"I will. Gracias, Hunter." She thanked him.

Hunter smiled at her before heading back to his room to get dressed. Changing out of the yellow sweater and blue pajama pants with watermelons he slept in, Hunter threw on his favorite wolf t-shirt, blue jeans with sewn patches of a sun, moon, and heart, and white socks. He then slipped on his black boots and a dark yellow sleeveless hoodie before grabbing his brown school backpack with Native American wolf designs he had sewn on himself.

Heading downstairs, he found his mother already there, having her own breakfast. "¡Hola, Mamá!"

"Buenos días, Hunter," Camila smiled at her son. "Are you and Luz ready for school?"

"Almost," Hunter answered as he poured himself some cereal. "I just need to pack a lunch."

"Alright," She said as she finished her bagel. "Just don't take too long. Your bus will be here soon."

"Got it." The blond nodded as Camila left to get her own things for work.

(A short time later)

When the time came to leave, Hunter and Luz hopped on the school bus to start another school day. Once they got to Graveside High School, the Noceda siblings went their separate ways.

As he walked the halls, Hunter had to fight hard not to roll his eyes when he saw people staring. He heard the whispering but didn't bother listening to what they were saying. At his locker, the blond glanced at his reflection in a mirror he had hung inside.

While Hunter ignored the whispers, he knew they were about his eyes and ears. No doctor could explain them, and they brought him negative attention over the years. His odd appearance always made Hunter wonder about his birth parents. Did one of them also have pointy ears or magenta eyes? Or were they just some kind of defect?

Hunter used to wish he looked like everyone else, but as he got older, he had grown to like his unique appearance. Besides, he always found trying to fit in exhausting.

Giving his reflection a slight smile, Hunter grabbed the books he needed and headed for his first class.

(Later)

It was the second to last period of the day. Hunter was sitting in class, counting the minutes until the final bell, when the intercom came on. "Hunter Noceda, please report to the principal's office. Thank you."

Hunter tensed as he felt everyone in class stare at him. Ignoring it as best he could, he quickly got up and left the classroom. Walking to the principal's office, he saw a few kids running around, screaming as snakes attacked them.

"Oh no." He groaned, having a feeling where those came from.

When he arrived at the office, he found Luz sitting in front of the principal's desk with another snake around her arm. Their mother and the principal were also there.

"Uh, you wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes," The principal nodded. "Please sit down."

Nervously, Hunter sat down in the second chair beside Luz.

The principal cleared his throat. "So, Hunter. It has come to my attention that you helped Luz make her, uh, "Act III: Closer" for her book report. Is that true?"

"Her what?" Hunter questioned, having a bad feeling about what he was talking about.

"This thing." Camila elaborated, holding up a cluster of fireworks tied together.

Hunter stared at the fireworks before giving Luz a side-eye glance. "I thought we agreed not to use that."

"I wasn't actually going to light it," Luz defended herself. "It was just for aesthetics."

Hunter smacked a hand to his forehead, dragging it down his face. He loved his sister, but it drove him up the wall about how she never thought things through.

"Mijos, I love your creativity, but it's gotten out of hand," Camila kneeled in front of the teens. "Do you remember why you were in the principal's office the last three times?"

(First Time)

Luz and Hunter were trying out for the school play "Romeo and Juliet." Dressed in a bright green princess dress and hat, Luz recited the lines from the death scene at the finale. "O happy dagger, give me death!"

She pretended to stab herself with a spork, dropping to her knees before ripping open the top of her dress, causing several sausage links to fall out. Everyone else on stage screamed and ran away as Luz fell to the ground, pretending to be dead.

Hunter did something similar for Mercutio with the sword-fighting scene. Wearing a dark blue period costume, he recited Mercutio's final words. "Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man."

Hunter ripped open his shirt and did the same sausage trick as Luz. He ended up with the same reaction as everyone ran off while Hunter pretended to be dead on the floor.

(Second Time)

Luz was in art class, using taxidermed animal parts to make a baby griffin. One last tug of her needle and thread and the pigeon head was firmly attached to the squirrel body.

"Now for the final anatomically correct touch," Luz declared before opening the model's beak. "Spider breath."

Many spiders came crawling out, crawling over her and the table. Luz was utterly unphased, but her classmates didn't take it too kindly. People screamed in terror, throwing objects everywhere in fright.

Meanwhile, Hunter had a study period in the library. He needed a specific book for one of his assignments, but it was on the highest shelf, and the ladder had been taken down for repairs. Getting an idea, Hunter backed up a few paces before taking a running start. He jumped up between the bookcases until he got to the top shelf, not noticing the one behind him was starting to tip.

"Got it!" Hunter cheered quietly as he pulled out the reference he needed.

Suddenly, he heard a low creak and turned just in time to see the other case fall over, crashing into others like a domino effect. Hunter watched in stunned silence as everyone in the library screamed, running to avoid the falling bookcases.

"Oops…" He muttered.

(Third Time)

For reasons Hunter would never understand, Luz tried out for the cheer squad. Dressed in an orange and white uniform with a gray t-shirt, she watched as a blond girl with a pink hair stripe did a successful backflip, getting applause from every other student.

"You think that's an impressive trick?" Luz scoffed, throwing her pom-poms aside before turning away. "Take a look at this."

She turned around to reveal she had flipped her eyelids inside out. "Bleep, bloop, bleep!"

Unfortunately, she did not get the reaction she hoped for. Everyone else screamed and ran, and at least one person was gagging.

Outside, Hunter was hanging out on the bleachers, waiting for Luz's tryouts to finish. The quiet was broken when he heard some commotion from the storage shed. Getting up, he went to investigate and found some jocks throwing rocks at a stray dog, yelling jeers at it.

Enraged, Hunter charged at the boys, landing a solid punch in the leader's face. After two swift kicks, he brought down the other two punks. Satisfied, Hunter took some beef jerky from his bag and began coaxing the Shiba Inu to follow him. The blond and the brushwood dog slowly left the grounds, leaving the three jerks to push themselves up.

(Present Day)

"Why am I the only one who got in trouble for that last one?" Hunter questioned as his mother stood up. "Those three were torturing a dog."

"We all love that you two express yourselves," Camila continued as she pulled something out of her bag. "But if you can't learn to separate fantasy from reality, you may need to spend the summer here."

She held out a pamphlet that read "Reality Check Summer Camp." On the front of a red-headed kid crammed in a box under the words "Think INSIDE The Box." Luz took the brochure reluctantly while Hunter looked at their mother with a 'You can't be serious!' look, but Camila just looked back at them, her expression unchanging.

"Don't worry, Mom. We won't let you down," The younger Noceda said, standing triumphantly. "No more weirdness!"

But just as those words left her mouth, the snake in Luz's hand suddenly jumped out and bit the principal. He fell to the ground with a scream while the snake hissed. Everyone stared for a second before Luz nervously looked at her mom. "That doesn't count, right?"

(Days Later)

"It counted," Hunter muttered in annoyance.

A week and a half later, the Noceda siblings were standing on the sidewalk in front of their house with their bags packed (Hunter's bag was an indigo messenger bag with stars sewn on with a Gem Riders button, a wolf charm, and a bi-pride pin on the strap). Luz looked at the ground disappointedly while Hunter had his arms crossed with a scowl. Their mom soon walked out of the house dressed for work.

"Oh! oh, my babies!" She cooed as she approached them. She gave them each a hug that they didn't reciprocate. "Now, don't worry. Summer camp is only going to be for three months. You two will be so busy balancing checkbooks and learning to… appreciate public radio, the time will fly by!"

"Or we'll be bored to death," Hunter said, not bothering to hide his irritation, causing Camila to drop her smile.

"Mom, I don't like any of that stuff. I like editing anime clips to music and–and reading fantasy books with convoluted backstories." Luz argued, taking her book out of her bag.

"And I like playing video games and sewing patches on my clothes!" Hunter added.

"Mijos, your fantasy worlds are holding you back," Camila said sternly. "Do you have any friends? Real ones, not each other or imagined or drawn or reptilian or canine?"

Luz dropped her book in disappointment, while Hunter just turned away from their mother.

"Summer camp is a chance to make some friends," Camila continued as Luz walked over to the trash bin beside them. "But you have to try. Can you do that?"

"Yes, Mom." Luz finally consented before putting her book in the trash bin.

"What's the point?! Even if I magically become like everyone else, they're still not going to like me because of these!" Hunter argued, gesturing to his eyes and ears before turning his back entirely on his mother.

Camila simply sighed tiredly, not knowing what to say to her son. Things had become rocky between them ever since Hunter was old enough to understand what being adopted was. She knew there had been some bullying going on because of his looks, but by high school, Hunter had started shutting her out of that part of his life. Everyone said Hunter was just being a teenager and would grow out of his moodiness, but Camila felt like it was more than that. She truly felt at a loss about how to help him. Manny had always been better at handling it.

Luz looked at her mother and brother sadly. Around the time Hunter figured out he was adopted, there seemed to be friction forming between him and their mother, and it only became more noticeable after their father died. It always felt like Hunter wanted to go looking for his past while their mom wanted him to stay with them like she was scared to let him go.

"Hunter–" Camila started before her phone vibrated in her purse. She pulled it out to check her messages. "Oh. I gotta go to work."

She gave each of her children a last-minute kiss on the forehead, though neither responded. "Your bus is coming soon. Text me when you both get there. Cuídate mucho, mijos. ¡Qué te vaya bien!"

She then walked away, leaving them at the bus stop.

"Bye, Mom," They said sadly.

Luz watched her leave before gasping suddenly, getting Hunter's attention. He turned around to see her rummaging through the trash can. "Where is it? Where is it?"

"What's wrong?" Hunter asked, walking up beside her.

Before she could answer, they heard an owl hoot. They looked up and saw a little brown owl holding a sack in its beak with Luz's Azura book sticking out. It then turned and started hopping away.

"Tiny trash thief!" Luz yelled before she and Hunter started chasing the owl.

The teens pursued the owl into the woods, following an old forest path. They stopped when they saw the owl hopping toward a decrepit, abandoned house. An ominous wind blew past as they stared at the structure, making the summer day feel colder.

Hunter was also getting this feeling of deja vu. Something about this place… and these woods…. They felt… familiar.

Luz growled, steeling her nerves as she continued after the owl.

"Luz, wait!" Hunter called out before running after his sister.

Both teens ran inside the house, neither aware of the front door slamming shut behind them. Or of the bright light that filled the entire inside, seen through the windows and holes in the roof.

(A few seconds later)

A mysterious, ornate door with an eye decoration unfolded in three parts before opening. The owl hopped through with a hoot, still holding the sack as Luz followed a few seconds later.

"Stop adorably hopping away, you–" Luz said before stopping when she realized her surroundings changed. "Huh?"

"Luz, wait for–" Hunter began as he joined her before noticing the same thing. "Me?"

Coming out the other side of the door, the siblings found themselves in a tent full of old odds and ends.

"Whoa. I thought I had a lot of weird stuff," Luz commented before picking up a creepy-looking doll on a hanger. "But this? This is impressive."

"Forget that. How did we get here?" Hunter questioned, wondering how they went from a house to a tent.

"Finally, you're back!" A woman's voice said suddenly.

Luz and Hunter gasped as they dropped to the ground. They peeked back up before Luz started walking toward the voice.

"Luz! What're you doing?!" Hunter whispered as he followed her.

"Now, let's see what we've got here," The woman spoke again as Luz moved the tent flap aside. Outside was a pale woman with long gray hair with her back to them. She wore a red dress and a green polka-dot bandana, carrying a long brown pole almost the same height as her.

The little owl hooted before landing on top of the pole. She twisted him around, turning him into a wooden fixture on top of the staff.

The siblings gasped again, surprised by what they had just seen. The Nocedas watched as the woman started going through the bag her owl had brought. After a minute, she pulled a smartphone from the sack. "Garbage…"

She tossed it aside before looking again. The second time, she found a diamond ring. "Garbage…"

She threw that away and rummaged through the items again. This time, she found a golden shining chalice, for some reason, but that didn't impress her either. "Garbage…"

She tossed the item before gasping in delight when something in the bag caught her eye.

"Now this…" She pulled out a pair of joke glasses with eyes on springs and put them on. "This will make me rich."

The woman pulled Luz's book out of the bag, causing the siblings to gape silently. "And this… Oh, this will make good kindling."

She moved the book over a candle to burn it, causing Luz to gasp in horror.

"Excuse me! Sorry! That's mine!" She ran out of the tent before Hunter could stop her, snatching her book from the woman, surprising her. "Thank you!"

Luz ran back into the tent and headed toward the door with Hunter behind her before the door folded up, turning into a case before disappearing.

"What the–?" Hunter gasped.

The woman stood behind them, holding a key with the same eye decoration as the door.

"You two aren't going anywhere." She said menacingly as she took off the glasses.

"Wha–ah!" Luz yelped in fear, shoving her Azura book into her messenger bag as Hunter ushered her under the back of the tent.

They started running away but skidded to a stop inches away from a cliff. Beyond the ledge, they stared in terrified awe at the sight before them.

They were definitely not in Connecticut anymore.

In fact, they were positive they weren't on Earth anymore.

Before them was a strange, old-fashioned-looking town with gothic architecture. Several buildings looked like teeth and clawed arms, one grabbing a dragon-like creature as it flew by. Down below, the city was full of denizens who all appeared to be going about their day. It would've been normal if not for the fact that none of them looked human… at all.

A cloaked figure was holding an ice cream cone as it started eating someone. The legs of what appeared to be a giant chicken walked past them. A centipede-looking thing opened its mouth to let a winged creature fly out. They kissed each other before going their separate ways.

"Oh, no, no, no, no! What's going on?" Luz freaked out, Hunter staring in horrified shock as they backed away from the cliff. Suddenly, a fairy approached them, causing Luz to jump back with a shriek and startle Hunter. "Oh, hello, little fairy. Are you going to tell us this is all a fantastical dream?"

"Give me your skin!" It yelled suddenly, showing rows of sharp teeth in its mouth. The siblings screamed as Luz slapped the fairy to the ground.

"Where are we? Did we die? Are we in a bad place?" The younger sibling freaked out while the blond tried not to hyperventilate. Suddenly, they each felt a hand on their shoulders, causing them to freeze.

"You wish." The woman from before answered. She dragged them back to the tent, plopping them down in stools out front.

"I'm so sorry! I just wanted my book! If you're gonna eat my skin, just make it quick! Just do it now!" Luz yelled frantically as she closed her eyes, offering her elbow.

"And if you're going to eat her, you'll have to go through me to do it!" Hunter moved protectively in front of his sister, eyes closed for the pain.

"Eat you? Why would I eat… a potential customer?" The woman questioned, putting on a pleasant tone. She ran a stand called "Human Collectibles," whatever that meant, and had all sorts of items for sale.

Confused but figuring they wouldn't be eaten, the siblings opened their eyes before the woman started showing what she had for sale.

"Can I offer you a human foot filled with holes?" She held up a green Croc, then put it aside before grabbing a stick of men's deodorant. "A bar of green human candy? Oh, oh! How about this black shadow box that reflects only sadness?"

She held a portable TV up to the Noceda siblings. They looked at the middle-aged woman before Luz started laughing, nudging Hunter out of the way as she stood up.

"That's not all it can do," Luz mentioned, taking the TV. "Here, let me see it."

"What are you doing?" Hunter whispered as she looked at the table.

Ignoring him, Luz grabbed two batteries from a dish labeled "Human candy! (?)." She put the batteries in and pressed the power button. Once she did, a jazzercise video started playing with loud music.

"Voilà!"

Several customers and vendors stopped at the noise, looking over curiously.

"Huh?"

"What's that?"

"The sound– It's so alluring."

Several monsters now crowded around the TV for a better look.

"I'll pay forty snails for the screaming box," One monster offered, holding up some green bills.

"I'll give you a hundred!" Another did the same.

"Can I eat the tiny person inside?" A different creature asked.

Soon enough, the whole crowd started bidding. The teenagers looked at them in confusion while the lady was stunned.

"What did you say your name was?" She looked at Luz with an impressed smirk.

"I'm Luz," She smiled back. "Luz Noceda."

"Well, Luz, that was pretty clever…" She praised as she took people's money. "For a human."

The teens raised each raised an eyebrow at the comment.

"That's kind of a weird thing for another human to say." Luz voiced for both of them.

"Oh, dear child," The woman took off her bandana to reveal pointed ears. "I'm not like you."

Hunter gasped softly at her appearance. It couldn't be…

"I'm Eda the Owl Lady," The woman announced as she climbed onto the table. "The most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles!"

"A witch? Luz questioned softly.

"I am respected, feared–"

"Busted!" A male voice interrupted before breaking the TV with his fist.

"Run! It's a guard!" A monster cried.

All the customers ran away screaming. Hunter and Luz were knocked to the ground in the commotion as a big, hulking man in armor looked at Eda.

"Eda the Owl Lady," He spoke as Eda hopped off the table, holding up a wanted poster of her and a small dog-like creature with a skull, horns, and a red collar. "You are wanted for misuse of magic and demonic misdemeanors."

"Whoa! Witch criminal!" Luz said as they peeked over the edge of the table.

"Oh, this day just keeps getting better and better," Hunter muttered.

"You are hereby ordered to come with me to the Conformatorium." The man continued, grabbing Eda's arm.

Eda freed her arm, complaining, "Would you guys quit following me around? I haven't done squat."

"And you're coming too…"

"Aah!" The teens yelped as they were picked up by their hoods.

"… for fraternizing with a criminal!"

"Wh–What?! That's not cool!" Luz complained, hugging her legs again.

"Okay, that's it!" Hunter sprung into action. Grabbing the guard's hand, he swung back and used his momentum to kick the guard's face, forcing him to drop them as he fell to the ground with a grunt. Luz hit the dirt while Hunter was able to twist himself to land on his feet.

Eda whistled, impressed. "I like your style, witch boy."

"Well, I–" Hunter started to say before he realized what she said. "Wait, wait, what did you just call me?"

Instead of answering, Eda reached under the table and pulled out her owl staff. Twirling it around, she tapped the bottom on the ground, causing a spark of light. Luz picked herself and her book off the ground with Hunter's help before looking back at Eda, staring in awe as her stuff floated in midair, surrounded by a yellow aura.

"Whoops," Eda said, reaching into her hair. "Can't forget this."

Pulling out the key, she pressed the eye to summon the portal door to her. She closed her hand into a fist, wrapping the tablecloth around all her stuff. She stuck her staff through the bundle and started running. "Follow me, kids."

Not seeing any other options, the Noceda siblings scrambled after Eda.

"This is crazy. If we die here, our mom's gonna kill us!" Luz stressed.

"Sis, we've got bigger things to worry about!" Hunter reminded her.

"Ha! I won't let 'em hurt you," Eda reassured them. "A human like you is much more valuable to me, alive than dead."

"Wait. What's that supposed to–" Luz questioned before Eda looped her arms with hers and Hunter's.

"Whoo-hoo!" She jumped, pulling the teens onto her staff before taking off into the sky as the guard came around the corner.

"You won't get away with this, Owl Lady!" He shook his fist at her before looking at his hands. "Yeah, all right. You did. You got away with it. She got away with it, everybody!"

After his outburst, the guard walked away in defeat. "Typical."

(Somewhere in the sky)

Both siblings had their eyes shut tight with fearful tears as they flew, Luz clutching her book close.

"You can open your eyes now, you two," Eda said after a few minutes.

Doing so, Luz and Hunter looked down and saw the ground whizzing by below them. Startled, Luz yelled in fright and nearly fell off the staff as she hung from it like a koala.

"Luz!" Hunter cried.

"Flying staffs, crazy monsters, you're a witch! What is this place?" The younger sibling questioned as Eda picked her up and righted her.

"This is the Boiling Isles," Eda explained as they soared, various winged creatures flying behind them as she talked. "Every myth you humans have is caused by a little of our world leaking into yours."

A griffin that looked extremely similar to the one Luz made at school flew up next to them and screeched.

"A griffin!" Luz gasped, smiling despite herself.

The griffin then barfed up a load of spiders.

"I knew it!" She cried, pointing at it.

"That still makes no sense!" Hunter stared at the griffin, stunned.

"Yep, griffins, vampires, giraffes…" Eda counted off on her fingers.

"Giraffes?" Luz questioned.

"Oh, yeah. We banished those guys," Eda explained as she dove down to land the staff in the woods before hopping off. "Bunch of freaks."

The witch didn't see that one of her hands had stayed behind, still clutching the staff. The siblings noticed, however, just in time to see it move on its own.

"Aaah!/What the heck?!" They screamed, jumping off the staff.

"Oops," Eda took her hand and screwed it back on. "That happens sometimes."

"… Okay, Hunter, time to wake up," Hunter said bluntly before slapping his hands to his face. "Ow!"

"Well, I've had enough adventure for today," Luz said, standing up. "This is clearly not the PG fantasy world I always dreamed about. So, can you help us get back home?"

Eda leveled her staff in front of Luz, startling her.

"Only if you help me first." She said as she lifted her staff.

"With what?" Hunter questioned.

The witch chuckled before walking away with the bag following her. "Ah, now, come along, human. You, too, witch boy."

"Whoa!" Luz whispered in awe before realizing something. "Wait a minute, what witch boy?"

"The one right next to you," Eda replied, looking back at them.

"You mean Hunter?" Luz said, laughing awkwardly. "He's not a witch."

"He looks pretty witchy to me, kid."

"What makes you think that I'm a witch?" Hunter asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Well, I've never heard of a human with pointy ears and eyes like yours." She said in a very matter-of-fact tone before walking again. "Now, let's go. We can't stay out in the open for too long."

The Noceda siblings looked at each other, confused, before following the witch.

An owl with an uncanny human face cackled from on top of a tower. It flew in front of an odd cottage with a large window that looked like an eye, which Eda, Hunter, and Luz walked up to.

"Aren't you worried about those guards finding us?" Luz looked over her shoulder.

"Nope. My house has a state-of-the-art defense system." Eda replied proudly.

"Hoot-hoot! Password, please!" The owl carving said suddenly before Eda poked both of its eyes. "Aah!"

"We got no time for this, Hooty. Let us in." Eda said, unamused, while the teens looked at each other.

"All right, all right! Geez! You never want to have any fun! Ow!" Hooty grumbled. "Hoot!"

Hooty opened his mouth wide enough to cover the door completely. Eda, Hunter, and Luz stepped through while Eda's bag stayed outside. Hooty then closed his mouth with a burp.

"Welcome to," Eda snapped her fingers. "the Owl House…"

Candles ignited as a fire in the fireplace started. A cauldron started stirring itself, and a broom started sweeping the floor. Overhead, a depiction of an owl beast of some kind began to glow with a tremendous screeching noise as Luz and Hunter looked at it all in awe.

"… where I hide away from the pressures of modern life. Also, the cops. Mm, also ex-boyfriends." Eda chuckled.

"This place is beautiful," Luz commented, putting her book on the coffee table. "Do you live here all alone?"

Suddenly, thudding footsteps started shaking the house.

"Actually, I have a roommate," Eda responded, crossing her arms.

Luz braced herself, and Hunter positioned himself slightly in front of his sister as a shadow appeared near the doorway.

"Who dares intrude upon I," A deep voice bellowed before turning into a softer, normal one. "The king of demons?"

Then, the dog-like creature from Eda's wanted poster entered the room, still wet from bathing. He had a duck and heart towel around his waist and head, squeaking a rubber ducky. Luz gasped in overjoy, eyes shining at how adorable he was.

"¡Ay, que lindo!" She cried, running forward to scoop him up in a hug, knocking away his towels and ducky. "Eda, he's so cute! Who's a widdle guy? Who's a widdle guy? Is it you? Is it you?"

"For once, Luz, I agree with you." Hunter smiled slightly.

"No! I don't know who your little guy is!" The creature cried, struggling to free himself. "Eda, who is this monster?"

"Oh, this is Luz, the human, and her witch friend," Eda dragged Luz away from King before putting her down. "She's here to help us with our little… situation."

"Oh! Hooray!" He cheered.

"Wait, wait, wait. I don't like the sound of this "situation."" Luz interrupted.

"What do you mean by that?" Hunter asked suspiciously.

"Just… let me explain." She stepped back and twirled her hands to draw a circle in the air. It darkened before effectively turning into a storybook, as Eda narrated. "King was once a mighty king of demons until his Crown of Power was stolen, and he became… this."

"You mean this little bundle of joy?" Luz asked, hugging King again.

"The crown is being held by the evil Warden Wrath and locked away behind a magical force field that only a human can break through… A human like you!" Eda finished narrating as the storybook circle faded. "If you help us retrieve his crown, we'll send you back to your realm. So whaddya say? Plus…"

She picked up King by his face and shook him gently. "Who could say no to this cute face?"

"No! Please don't encourage her!" King cried, squirming until Eda dropped him. "Nyeh!"

"I mean, we're kinda your only way home," The witch woman added offhand.

"We don't have a choice in this, do we?" Hunter said bluntly while Luz looked visibly nervous.

"Nope. Now, we've got no time to lose." She picked up the teens and tossed them over her shoulders as she headed for the door.

"Soon, Mr. Ducky, we shall drink the fear of those who mocked us." King picked up his bath toy before following Eda.

"Where are we going?" Luz asked.

"Somewhere super fun," Eda replied, staff in hand.

(A few minutes later)

Thunder clapped as they stood outside a creepy-looking prison with spikes on the walls.

"The Conformatorium, a place for those considered unsuitable for society," Eda explained as the teens cringed, King riding on Hunter's head.

Stepping back, Luz noticed another copy of Eda's wanted poster on the wall they were hiding behind.

"Whoa," She murmured, taking it down for a closer look. "These guys really have the hots for you."

"No kidding," Hunter said, looking at the reward.

"Yep," Eda winked at them. "But we were never caught because we're too slippery."

"Try to catch me when I'm covered in grease. I'm a squirmy little fella." King declared before falling off Hunter's head. "Aah!"

"Okay," Hunter sighed, smoothing out his hair. "As much as I don't like this, what's the plan?"

"You, Luz, and I will sneak up to the top of the tower, where they're holding my crown," King explained, pointing to the prison.

"And I'm gonna make sure the warden's distracted," Eda added, stepping back a few feet.

Luz gasped in excitement. "Will we need disguises?!"

Hunter's expression perked up at her suggestion.

"Uh…" Eda glanced away awkwardly, not sure how to answer her.

"We'll take that as a yes!" The blond grinned.

"I've been waiting to use this!" Luz and Hunter pulled up their hoods and flicked the ears into place, Luz's being cat ears while Hunter had wolf ears.

"Meow, meow."

"Woof, woof."

"They're hideous," King commented bluntly.

"Oh, you'll fit right in," Eda said happily. Getting to work, Eda tapped the butt of her staff against the ground. She created a round glowing platform underneath everyone, startling the teens and King.

"Hang on tight." She said as she stepped away from it.

"Whoa!" The Noceda siblings gasped as the platform rose into the air. They floated over the prison walls and up to a window in the tower, where the platform suddenly disappeared. With a yelp, Hunter quickly grabbed the edge of the window sill. Luz hung around her brother's shoulders while King clung to her feet.

Meanwhile, Eda activated her staff again. She tossed it before casually sitting down on it as it rose. "Meet you guys at the top of the tower."

The teens watched her go before King climbed up them with a grunt, crawling through the window. Straining, Hunter pulled himself and Luz up and over the sill, where they both fell on their faces inside.

"Ha-ha! Cats don't do that." King mocked them.

Hunter glanced at him, annoyed. "Let's just get this over with."

Looking up, Luz gasped as she sat up. Hunter turned, and his mouth dropped open in shock. The three of them marveled at the number of prison cells before them, stepping closer to the edge. All of them were occupied by shadowy beasts of varying shapes and sizes, though all of their eyes glowed in the dim light.

"Hey, cat lady, dog man." They turned to see a female witch prisoner in a purple dress behind them. "How'd you get out of your cells?"

"Oh, no, no, no. I'm not a cat," Luz corrected, pulling down her hood.

"And it's a wolf," Hunter added, doing the same.

"Also, we're not criminals."

"Not yet, you're not," King said with a smile.

"Neither are we," The female prisoner rebuffed. "The stupid warden likes to lock people up who don't fit in."

"Seriously?" Hunter's eyes widened at this information.

"Yeah, like I write fanfics of food falling in love," She pulled out a book of said fanfiction. She opened it up to show them a couple of pages illustrating an onion and a carrot acting like lovers. "I like food, I like love… Just let me write about it."

"I'm here because I like eating my own eyes." A blue male prisoner with multiple eyes and empty eye-sockets joined in. He plucked an eye out of his head and swallowed it. The eye then floated back into place.

"We are agents of fwee expwession! They will never siwence us!" A tiny female prisoner who looked like a head with a big nose, arms, and legs yelled in a squeaky voice with a lisp.

"Yeah, she's really big into conspiracy theories," the first prisoner said, jerking her thumb at the other and rolling her eyes.

"The world is a simulation! We are but playthings for a higher being!"

"Oh, please, no." Hunter groaned, thoroughly annoyed.

"Yeah, Hunter was stalked back home by a conspiracy theorist once," Luz explained briefly.

"The guy thought I was a Martian." Her brother pinched the bridge of his nose, getting a headache just thinking about it.

"Still, these aren't crimes. None of you actually did anything wrong." Luz said as she paced the floor. Her eyes widened slightly before pulling out Eda's wanted poster. "You're all just a bunch of weirdos."

"Like us," Hunter concluded, feeling bad for these people.

Suddenly, thudding footsteps got their attention as the room shook.

"It's Warden Wrath!" The first prisoner warned them. "Hide!"

Luz yelped in fright, dropping the poster as the siblings looked around for an escape. Spotting an open cell, they ran inside, with Luz pulling the door down as they entered.

The footsteps continued until the door to the outside was pushed open. Standing in the doorway was a tall man wearing a medieval doctor's mask.

"I can hear you." Warden Wrath growled at them.

Luz whimpered as she held King close, Hunter holding them both protectively as the man stomped closer.

"Just what are you fools whispering about?" He looked down and saw Eda's wanted poster before picking it up. "Ah. The Owl Lady."

He crumpled the poster before turning his fist into a hammer. He slammed it into the door of King and the Nocedas' cell. "I'll get my hands on her soon enough."

Warden Wrath looked into the cell, where the trio was huddled in the corner.

"Fight against the oppwessor! We will wesist! We will conquer!" The conspiracy theorist cried out, catching the warden's attention as he approached her cell. "We will never be afwaid of you, you old cweep!"

Wrath said nothing as he pulled the lever and opened her cell door, the little demon staring in surprise as the bars went up.

"Hooway! I'm fwee!" She cheered before she was suddenly grabbed by the warden, his fist fitting around her entire body as she squeaked in fear.

He held her up and pointed at the other two prisoners beside her. "Let this be a lesson to all of you. There's no place in society for you if you can't fit in."

He tightened his grip, causing the prisoner to squeak again. Luz and King watched fearfully while Hunter growled lowly as Warden Wrath stomped away, crushing the crumpled-up wanted poster on his way out. Once the door slammed shut, Hunter opened the cell, and he, Luz, and King ran to the fanfiction writer.

"Don't worry. We can get you out." Luz assured her, but she couldn't lift the lever when she tried to pull on it. "No! My weak nerd arms! Come on, Hunter, I need your help!"

"Okay, okay, let me…" Hunter was about to take his turn when the older witch stopped him.

"Just get out of here while you still can, kids. Enjoy freedom for us." She bowed her head solemnly as she walked deeper into her cell.

The siblings stared at her for a moment before reluctantly walking away. It hurt that there was nothing they could do to help. They headed down a corridor with King walking behind them when Eda flew up beside them.

"Hey, I just checked," She hopped off her staff, causing them to pause. "The warden is distracted, tormenting some tiny creature. He won't be coming around here anytime soon."

The siblings didn't say anything as they continued walking. Eda watched them go in confusion, wondering what she missed. They soon reached a towering door reading "CONTRABAND."

"My crown! It's close! I can sense its power!" King cried happily as he ran toward the door. He jumped on the doorknob that was as big as he was, fiddling with it to try and get inside.

"Aw, he gets so cute when he's thirsty for power." Eda smiled.

"This place sucks," Hunter grumbled suddenly, anger leaking into his sad expression.

"It's not fair that they're all in here. They just want to be themselves," Luz added before turning to Eda. "Why does everyone think that being a weirdo is so bad?"

Eda didn't have time to think of an answer when they heard King grunt. They turned just in time to see the doorknob be thrown to the ground by their feet with a clink. King then pushed open the door, cackling as he ran through.

"Come on," Eda gave a small sigh before they followed King inside. "Before he hurts himself."

They heard something zap before King cried, "Ow!"

"Too late," Hunter muttered.

The inside of the room was empty save for a giant glowing pillar in the center. That was most likely the force field Eda had mentioned earlier. King rubbed his skull before charging at the pillar headfirst. However, to his annoyance, he only succeeded in launching himself backward.

"We have a human, remember?" Eda knelt beside him, smiling.

"Oh, yeah."

Luz and Hunter looked at each other before the younger Noceda nodded reassuringly. Taking a deep breath, she walked up to the pillar, placing her hand against it before walking through.

It was silent for a minute before Hunter worked up the courage to ask what had been on his mind for a while. "Hey, Eda?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"What makes you think I'm a witch? I know you keep saying that, but I'm not sure how that's possible since I grew up in the Human Realm."

She looked at him for a minute before sighing placing a hand on his shoulder. "Look, kid, I have no idea how you ended up in the Human Realm or why, but what I do know is that you're definitely a witch. But if you don't believe me, go ahead and try to go through the barrier. If you're as human as you say, you'll pass through without a problem."

Looking toward the barrier, Hunter slowly approached it, nerves making his legs shaky. He paused an inch away before taking a deep breath. Hardening his resolve, he reached out a hand to touch the barrier. His fingertips barely touched the force field before a sudden zap went through him. Hunter quickly yanked his hand back, clutching it to his chest as he retreated a few steps.

Eda was right, he realized in shock. He was a witch.

Hunter froze as everything sank in, not processing anything around him as white noise rang in his ears. So many things made sense now, but it also created more questions that he was almost afraid to ask.

"–id, kid!" Hunter snapped out of his daze when he heard Eda calling for him.

"Huh?"

"You okay, kid?" She asked, looking at him with genuine concern.

Before he could even think of an answer, they saw Luz step out of the force field.

"Did you find it?" Eda asked, pulling away from Hunter as the teen collected himself.

"I found something…." Luz replied, looking incredibly frustrated. In her hands was a paper crown with "Burger Queen" written on it.

"You gotta be kidding…" Hunter said when he saw it.

"My crown!" King jumped for joy before taking the crown from Luz and placing it on his head.

"Yes. Yes! I can feel my powers returning! You there. Nightmare critter." He pointed to a stuffed rabbit with one button eye falling out of a box before picking it up. "I shall call you Francois, and you shall be a minion in my army of darkness. Ha-ha!"

"That crown doesn't give him any powers, does it?" Luz said, gesturing to King.

"Uh, no," Eda answered, getting glares from the siblings before she sighed. "Oh, look at us, kids. King and I don't have much in this world. We only have each other. So if that dumb crown is important to him, it's important to me. Besides, us weirdos have to stick together, you know?"

Luz and Hunter looked at each other before blushing with bashful grins.

"Yeah, we know," Hunter said softly.

"Well, we owe you one. Now, let's get out of here before the warden finds us and loses his head." Eda said, not noticing the figure coming up behind her.

"Too late." Warden Wrath loomed over her. He held up his hand as it turned into a blade, and with an easy swing, he decapitated Eda.

Luz caught her head before both teens screamed in horror, thinking Eda was dead. Her tongue was sticking out like a bad fake corpse when suddenly, she blinked and started talking like she was okay. "Ow! Oh, I hate it when that happens."

The teens screamed again, louder and longer this time.

"Eda! Are you okay?" Luz asked with panicked eyes.

"Yeah. This just happens when you get older." Eda replied.

"Does it?"

"Please tell me you're joking!" Hunter shuddered, equally horrified.

"Finally," The warden spoke as his blade transformed back into a hand, two guards standing behind him. "I have you cornered, Eda the Owl Lady."

He stepped forward and took King's crown. "Weh?"

"My guards could never get you," Warden Wrath walked closer to Luz, Hunter, and Eda as King followed him. The little demon had his arms up, jumping up and down as he reached for his crown. "but I knew if I took your pet's toy, you'd come running."

He then cruelly crumpled the crown with his fist.

"No! My power!" King cried, falling to his knees.

"What do you want with me?" Eda demanded as the teens glared at him. "I've never actually broken any of your stupid laws… in front of you."

"I want you…" He began before suddenly pulling out a bouquet, dropping down on one knee. "to go out with me."

"Wha…?" Eda replied, taken off guard.

"What?" Luz questioned as well, disgusted.

"Didn't see that coming," Hunter commented, equally creeped out.

"Go, boss!" One of the guards called out, the other giving him two thumbs up.

The warden shot the guards a thumbs-up before focusing on Eda. "You've always eluded our capture. You've always been the one who got away. I found that alluring."

"Oh, this is so wrong." Hunter gagged.

"I hate everything you're saying right now," Luz said bluntly.

"You stay out of this!" Warden Wrath tossed the bouquet over his shoulder. He turned his now free hand into tentacles to grab the teens, forcing Luz to drop Eda's head as they were held above the ground.

"Hey, put us down!" Hunter yelled.

"So how about it, Owl Lady?" Wrath asked, picking up her head by the hair. "The most powerful witch of the Boiling Isles and the feared Warden Wrath. We'd be the strongest power couple ever. I mean, it's–it's not like you can say no right now."

Eda looked up at the teens, who struggled to free themselves from the warden's grasp. She then glanced at King, who got picked up by one of the guards and struggled for freedom.

"All right, Warden," Eda sighed in defeat. "You win. I'd just like to say something first. Come closer.

He did as she asked, bringing her head closer to his face.

"No. Just come a little bit closer. Just…" He pulled her in closer until she was at eye level with him. "Yeah, that's good."

Once she was close enough, she blew a raspberry right in his face. Warden Wrath yelled in surprise and dropped the teens, who also yelped.

Wrath wiped Eda's spit off his mask as the witch laughed. "Impudent wench! Don't you know how many germs are in your mouth? Blegh!"

"Get over it," She retorted. "You had your guards stalk me, and then you cut off my head. I am not going out with you."

"If you don't accept, then I have no choice but to des–Oh!" His threat was cut short by Luz hitting him in the head with Eda's staff, causing him to fall to the ground with a loud crash.

"Nice!" Eda chuckled.

The two guards stepped next to her head. She glared at them as her body, which had been moving on its own the whole time, walked up behind them and dragged their hoods over their eyes.

"Okay, we're going now," Luz said.

"Good idea, Sis," Hunter agreed.

They both ran forward, with Luz grabbing Eda's head. Eda's body freed King from the guard's grip, and Luz grabbed her body by the waist to lead her away. The owl unfurled its wings with a hoot as they mounted the staff.

"Expecto… flying? Magicus… escapicus!" Luz said nervously as she tried to get the stick to fly.

Warden Wrath grunted as he got up.

"Gun it, magic stick!" Eda commanded.

The staff took off, the siblings screaming as they raced out the door moments before Warden Wrath clamored to his feet.

"Owl Lady," He growled. "I won't let you get away again!"

His arms transformed into bundles of tentacles, which he then used to chase after the staff.

The Noceda siblings screamed as they made a steep turn around the corner, flying towards the prison cell area with Warden Wrath in hot pursuit. Facing forward, Luz zeroed in on the levers keeping the cells shut and got an idea.

"Eda, Hunter, lend me a hand!" She called, holding up her own.

Eda and Hunter placed their hands against Luz's. As they flew past the cells, they flipped the switches and opened the cells of the prisoners they met earlier. All of them looked excited as their cell doors went up.

The heist group burst through an outer door high of the Conformatorium with a yell from the Noceda siblings, smashing two guards against the wall. Warden Wrath exited right behind them, front flipping off the pillar.

When they hit open air, the staff began to plummet as the heist team and Warden Wrath fell toward the ground. Warden Wrath extended one of his tentacles, hitting the back of the staff and launching Eda, Luz, Hunter, and King off of it. They hit the ground and rolled as Warden Wrath landed before them, his hand shifting into a blade again.

"Ow, my bones!" King cried as Eda reattached her head.

"Luz, Hunter…" The witch reached into her hair and pulled out the key to the portal door. "Go back to the human world."

She handed Luz the key before running at Warden Wrath.

"What about you guys?" Luz asked as she put the key in her bag.

"Yeah, we can't just leave you here!" Hunter agreed, worried for them.

"If you think this guy is bad, you shoulda seen her last boyfriend!" King stood up and ran to join Eda.

"Not my boyfriend," Eda grumbled as she avoided Wrath's blade-hands. She grabbed King and jumped out of the way of another strike.

"Go! Go!" She ran back towards the teens, putting them on her staff.

"But–But we–!" Before Luz could get any protests out, Eda slapped the bottom of the staff, sending it into the air as the teens screamed in fright.

Warden Wrath took off his mask, revealing a face that was mostly mouth, and opened his jaws to breathe a stream of fire at the Owl Lady. Eda countered by expertly drawing two spell circles, one to catch the fire and another that launched it right back. Wrath slammed back into the wall of the Conformatorium, kicking up a cloud of dust from the impact.

"How do you fly this thing?!" Hunter cried.

"I don't know!" Luz whimpered as the two tried not to fall off the staff. Keeping firm grips on the staff, they somehow manage to get it to stop flying. They looked back down at the fight below them.

Wrath stood up, brandishing his blade-hands as he ran at Eda again. Once he was gone, the three prisoners peeked out of the hole he left in the wall, looking hesitant. Confused, the siblings looked at each other before Luz flew them down to talk to them.

"Why are you guys just standing there?" She asked when they landed. "This is your chance to escape!"

"The warden will catch us. He always does." The multiple-eyed prisoner looked down sadly.

"We belong here." The fanfiction writer added.

"Self-doubt is a pwison you can never escape fwom." The conspiracy theorist said, now sporting a black eye as the other prisoners muttered in agreement.

"So, you have a different way of doing things, a different way of seeing things. That might make you "weird," but it also makes you awesome. Don't you see?" Luz told them.

"Why are you helping us?" The witch couldn't help but ask.

"We know what it's like to be different and to be made fun of for it," Hunter answered with a sympathetic light in his eyes. "I'm a witch who grew up around humans. I know that better than anyone. Just because you look different or act different doesn't give anyone the right to make you feel bad about yourself."

"Plus, us weirdos have to stick together," Luz and Hunter pulled up their hoods and mounted the staff, taking the flight again. "And nobody should be punished for who they are."

"Yeah!" The three prisoners cheered, feeling emboldened by their encouraging words.

The Noceda siblings smiled at each other before Luz turned the staff around. "Now, let's get 'em!"

They flew towards the fight, with the prisoners following them. A few feet away, Eda was tossed to the ground, with King being thrown into her arms a second later.

"No more running away, Owl Lady," Warden Wrath loomed over them, his blade-hands raised. "Today, I capture you once and for all!"

King whimpered, hiding his face in Eda's chest as the witch glared in defiance.

"Go, go, go, go!" Luz called. The prisoners screamed loudly, taking the warden by surprise. They barreled into him, knocking him away from King and Eda as Luz and Hunter flew behind them.

"Kids?" Eda questioned as she stared after them.

"I eat my own eyes!" The multi-eyed creature declared while shoving Wrath.

"I think the world as a twiangle!" The smallest prisoner used her body to trip Wrath.

Falling to the ground, the witch sat on his chest to hold Wrath down. "And I practice the ancient art of fanfiction!"

The tiny prisoner joined the witch in holding Warden Wrath down while the eye-eating prisoner grabbed his arms and tied them together. He then flipped Wrath onto his stomach.

"You!" He growled as he saw Luz and Hunter descend on Eda's staff. "Who do you two think you are?"

"Do not underestimate us, Warden Wrath," Luz pointed at him. "For we are Luz, the human…."

"And Hunter, the lost witch," Hunter added, standing tall.

"Warriors of peace." They finished together.

They paused as the wind blew through their hair dramatically before Luz yelled, "Now eat this, sucka!"

She pulled her firecracker out of her messenger bag, tossing it into the air. She then jumped up and hit it with Eda's staff like a baseball bat. The firecracker landed in Wrath's flaming mouth and went off, sending fireworks into the air with an explosion of color. Wrath ran away, humiliated, fireworks still going off in his mouth while the prisoners cheered.

"Woo hoo! We won!"

"We are victorious!" The tiny prisoner jumped up and down.

The siblings gave each other a fist bump as Eda walked over to them with King on her shoulder, placing her hands on their shoulders.

"That was actually one of her better breakups," King commented.

"Not a breakup," Eda glared at him before looking at the siblings. "Anyway, let's bounce before any more monsters fall in love with me."

The four flew off on the staff, fireworks still going off behind them.

(Back at the Owl House)

"Well," Eda set her staff against the couch, facing the siblings. "A deal's a deal. Let's get you two home."

Snapping her fingers, the key flew out of Luz's bag and into Eda's hand. She pressed the eye, and the portal door unfolded in front of the fireplace. Luz and Hunter approached it before hesitating, the former hugging herself. This was what they wanted… right? They turned back to look at Eda and King as the latter looked at the ground, visibly sad.

Getting an idea, Luz reached into her bag. "Before we go…"

She approached the little demon before holding out the head of her Azura doll.

"I know it's not the same, but…" She removed Azura's crown, presenting it as a parting gift. "A king shouldn't be without a crown."

King looked at it briefly before accepting the crown and placing it on his head.

"This shall suffice." He nodded before pointing at something and going into his act. "You there, plant! You are now under my command."

Hunter snickered quietly as the little guy walked off.

While that happened, Eda grabbed the Azura book off the table and handed it to Luz. "Oh, and don't forget this."

Luz took it, and the pamphlet for Reality Check Summer Camp on top of it back as she stood up, walking towards the portal with a sad look.

"Luz?" Hunter questioned.

She ignored Hunter as she stared at the pamphlet before putting it under the Azura book. Luz paused in front of the door, looking at it. She looked back down at her book, then up at a mirror above the fireplace. Noticing something, Luz gasped and held up her book. On the cover was Azura in the foreground, with an older witch looking at a dog/cat creature in the background and a white-haired warrior teen with a sword strapped to his back standing just behind Azura. Luz lowered the book to reveal the mirror, showing a similar image with King, Eda, and Hunter in the same positions as the creature, the warrior, and the older witch with herself in the foreground. Luz brightened up as a thought occurred to her…

"Okay," She said, turning around. "I know you got your head cut off, and we started some kind of prison riot, but this was the most fun I've ever had."

"Luz?" Hunter questioned again as Eda blinked owlishly in surprise.

"We don't fit in at home. You don't fit in here. If we stay, we could not fit in together." Luz suggested, hopefully.

"Luz, you can't be serious," Her brother said. "We don't know anything about this world. We almost got killed here, and what about our mom?"

"Hunter, you know it's always been my dream to be a witch and do weird witchy things! Plus, you're a witch, too, aren't you?" Luz pointed out. "Aren't you even a little bit curious about your past or your birth parents?"

Hunter looked down, still processing what had happened back at the prison. They had filled Luz in on the way back to the Owl House. Of course, she thought it was amazing, but Hunter wasn't sure what to think. Hunter's gaze wandered to the mirror, looking at his reflection. He'd admit learning more about his past had been something he'd wanted for some time now. However, his heart and mind were still grappling with the part about not being human.

"Hunter?" Luz said, breaking him out of his thoughts. Seeing the inner turmoil on his face, she stepped forward and surprised him with a hug. His eyes widened before slowly reciprocating, feeling his eyes heat up with the threat of tears.

"This doesn't change anything between us, you know," She said before pulling back, looking at him with her kindest smile. "It doesn't matter what you are or where you came from. You'll always be a Noceda and my brother."

After a minute, Hunter smiled back at her before nodding, "Okay."

"Huh?" Luz questioned.

"I said okay. Let's stay and learn about magic."

"Really?! You mean it?!" Luz grinned eagerly.

"Yeah. It could be fun to learn magic like the Gem Riders," Hunter said, referencing his own favorite book. "Besides… I wanna learn more about what I am."

"Then, let's do our best!"

"We just have to be home by the time summer camp ends." The blond reminded his sister.

Eda reminded them she was still there by chuckling awkwardly. "What's summer camp? I know you guys are having a moment, but what are we walking about here?"

"We wanna stay and become witches. Like you," Luz explained, holding up her book to Eda. "And Azura."

"What?" The Owl Lady laughed incredulously before pushing Luz's book down. "All right, that's crazy. Even if Hunter's a witch, humans can't become witches."

"Maybe that's because they haven't tried. If you teach us to become witches, we'll do anything you want."

"Within reason," Hunter threw in.

"Let 'em stay!" King pulled on Eda's skirt, whispering, "They can make us snacks."

The witch looked down at him briefly before smiling, picking King up. "Well, I could use a hand keeping this goofball out of the cupboards. All right. I'll teach you two how to be witches. But you have to work for me before you learn any spells. Deal?"

Eda held out her hand for them to shake. Luz looked at it before grinning and crushing the two in a hug.

"Gah! What's going on?" Eda asked, uncomfortable.

"Too tight! Too tight!" King complained.

Hunter just shook his head with a slight smile. Typical Luz.

(Later)

Hunter opened the creaking door to a storage room down the hall from Luz's room. It was a little cluttered but nothing that couldn't be fixed with some rearranging. Pushing different boxes and trunks along the wall to make some space, Hunter set up his yellow sleeping bag with a light star pattern along the bottom and a matching pillow. After that, he changed into the pajamas he had brought: a dark gray t-shirt, black shorts with white lines up the sides, a plum-colored zipper hoodie with a white stripe around the chest, and red cardinal socks.

Settling down on his sleeping bag, Hunter turned over and took a picture of him, his sister, and their mother out of his messenger bag. He rubbed his thumb over the glass, sighing as he placed the frame beside his pillow.

As tired as he felt, he had so many emotions and thoughts going around in his head that made it hard to go to sleep. He had a significant revelation today. Hunter had figured out he was adopted years ago, but finding out he was a witch was the last thing he expected. Suddenly, his appearance made a whole lot more sense. There weren't any other humans like him because he wasn't human.

Then, there was the argument he had with his mom before they found the Isles. He still felt bitter about her sending them to that summer camp. Hopefully, Luz can keep their mom convinced that they're there. They never got Hunter's phone replaced after it broke last month.

Getting up, Hunter went to sit at his window, marveling at the night sky and the sea. He had to admit, despite the danger, the Demon Realm was beautiful at night. Looking at the sky, a hopeful part of Hunter wondered if he could meet his birth parents. The realistic side said probably not since they'd only be here a few months, but who knows? Maybe…

"I hope we can meet…" He murmured before getting up.

Knowing he would need the energy for whatever tomorrow threw at him, Hunter returned to his sleeping bag and got comfortable. Pulling his Sprig plushie out of his bag, he shut his eyes and waited for sleep to claim him.

And with that, the chapter's done. Hopefully, I did this Hunter AU well enough.

Now, I will do some editing on my Owl House fics, and then I'm moving on to another fandom. Be back soon with an update.