King's Tide
King was glowing while hovering in mid-air, surrounded by darkness. He gently opened his eyes. "But...but you said! You said you'd let me out!" He recognized the Collector's voice. "I hate it here!"
"Just a little longer," he began moving as soon as he heard Belos. "We'll have to wait until after the Draining Spell," King said, peeking over the corner.
"You better not be lying." He noticed the Collector locked in a sort of sphere, speaking to Belos through a mirror. "You pinky swore me."
"Patience, Collector. You can trust me."
King scoffed, but the Collector overheard him.
"Who's there?!"
"Weh!" King awoke in surprise, sitting on Willow's lap. He panted heavily, and Willow patted his fur.
"It's okay, King, it's okay," she smiled. He gazed at Hunter, Alador, Gus, Bijou, Amity, Hazel, Jackie, and the palismen. Amity paced around. Gus gazed at his mirror amplifier, and the palismen shook with terror. Bijou, Hazel, and Jackie were staring at the scenery (albeit they did not appear to be relaxed). Hunter pushed on the cable, then the lever.
"I know how to fly a ship," Alador deadpanned, annoyed.
"Then fly faster! We're barely halfway there!" Amity shouted with concern. "Luz could be in trouble!"
"Maybe if I took the wheel-" Hunter insisted.
"Very eager to return to Belos, eh, Golden Guard?" Alador shot back.
"At least I never built him an army!" Hunter countered, raising a finger.
"Watch your tone with me, young man," Alador admonished, and the ship began to shake as he didn't focus on the front. Gus slipped off the box he was sitting on, looking annoyed at both of them.
"Hey, here's a bright idea, don't distract the pilot!"
"He started it," Hunter countered.
"And you need to watch where you're going, Mr. Blight," Jackie continued. "You nearly got us thrown overboard."
All five began to dispute with one another. Bijou Hazel approached Willow and King while they all watched.
"I can't believe she's going to face Belos alone again," King said to Willow. "And I'm powerless to help her! I can't believe she took off without us...We can't even manage to help each other."
"And to think we're this desperate to save Luz and stop the Draining Spell, all at the same time," Bijou said while twirling her side tail.
"Is there any we can do to ease the tension on this blimp?" Hazel forlornly wondered.
Willow and Bijou nodded to Clover and Ruby, who chirped and flew away. Clover and Ruby approached the palismen, who peered up at the box. They slid it over to the group, Flapjack chirping to draw their attention. They all stopped talking as Ghost opened the box to reveal goodies and meowed. Every palismen smiled, and Gus' stomach growled.
"Look, we're all exhausted and terrified," Amity said after a few seconds. "Let's focus our energy on helping Luz instead of fighting each other."
They all nodded and accepted some food. As they ate, they all appeared to be more happier. Gus and Hunter exchanged smiles and fist bumps. Alador placed a hand on Hunter's shoulder and gestured toward the controls.
Jackie played her flute to give relaxing music, while Amity stroked and blew on her chilly hands. Alador threw some abomination goo over her hands, forming mittens.
"Aw, this is just like when I was a kid," she grinned as he sat beside her. She then realized something while looking up at him. "Wait, is this why you call me Mittens?"
He said nothing and simply bit into his bread.
"That was amazing," King exclaimed in amazement as Clover and Ruby returned to Willow and Bijou.
"There's always a way to help; you just have to look for the right opportunity," Willow said gently, as he gazed at his hands.
"Thanks, Willow. I'll..." He gave a yawn. "Remember that."
He sighed and returned to sleep.
With Bijou...
Bijou flew across the sky on her staff, miles ahead of the blimp that the others were riding in, hoping to reach the Titan's head in time to save Luz. She looks up to see the moon approaching the sun, then down to see all of the covens gathered in the sanctum.
"I can't just get to Luz from above; I'll be an easy target for the witches to shoot at," Bijou mumbled to herself. "Might as well find a safer place to enter."
She landed in the neighboring woodland, hoping to find a way inside the Titan's head without being discovered by the witches or the Emperor. She remembered a secret path from a book she had read about the topography of the Boiling Isles. When she discovered it near the side of the skull, she opened the door and entered.
At the Titan's head...
The moon was coming closer to the sun as individuals walked in a line, led by Coven Scouts. Everyone was organized into groups based on their coven sigils, with Belos walking to the front. Everyone startled and stared up at him as he smirked and projected a hologram of himself. They all rejoiced when he appeared. He made his staff appear in his grasp.
"Children of the Isles, for too long, our world has been home to an insidious box. A corruption that defiles the Titan's blessings. Today that changes," he remarked while pointing to the heavens. "United with the Titan and the power of the eclipse, we shall wipe out wild magic forever!"
He raised a fist as they all cheered again. "Paradise awaits!"
The hologram vanished, and the Coven Heads emerged, all save Raine, who looked up as some of them headed up a stairway. Eda and Lilith exhaled as they used the invisibility glyph, all while within the Titan's skull. Lilith stepped over to a stairway and looked down at two Coven Scouts. They revealed themselves to be Katya and Derwin, with the former giving the thumbs up.
"Whoo!" Eda extended her back, her hand slipping off. "That last stretch was a long one."
"Hey, pay attention," Raine reminded her as she reattached her hand. "The other Coven Heads think they're going to be royalty after today. And they'll do anything to make that happen. The cloaking stone won't cover your voice, so...make sure not to speak."
Eda gave them a little smile.
"Also-"
"The curse will do its thing," she said, placing her hand on Raine's shoulder, unconscious that Belos was aware of their plot. "I got this, Rainestorm, don't worry."
"Don't!" Raine retreated defensively, shutting their eyes shut. They gripped her arm, looked down at her Bard coven insignia and caressing their thumb on it. Raine then grasped her hands and gazed into her eyes.
"Don't tell me not to worry...If Aria was here, she'd say the same thing."
Eda snickered, her eyes faltering since she had already told Raine about Aria's departure from the Emperor's Coven on her recruitment day. She hadn't learned anything about herself from anyone, including her own family. It was as if Aria had never existed and was now simply a memory...
"Yeah. I still remember all those good times she helped us in our school days."
"Hm. Yeah, she was always helpful and diligent, if she wasn't as mischievous as you, Eda," Raine murmured.
"I'm sure she'd appreciate it now," Eda replied with a smile. "Always resilient, that one..."
"Edalyn!" Lilith hurried up to hug her tightly. "Please be careful. If you need help, just, uh, flap your arms!"
"Or scream really loud," Hooty added.
"Or, or..."
Eda held her cheeks and smiled. "Don't worry, Lily. This spell declared, promise I'll be back."
Lilith shed tears as Eda cast a comedy charm identical to the one Lilith used to share the curse with her. "That's not a spell. It doesn't even rhyme."
Eda grinned as they touched foreheads and held hands. Hooty appeared between them, his eyes glistening, and Eda kissed his forehead. She turned into Raine and stepped outside, looking about. She approached Eberwolf and Darius, peeking back. She had a flashback to others she interacted with at Hexside, including Bump, Lilith, Darius, Raine, Odalia, and Alador. All of them faded away save Raine and Lilith, who smiled encouragingly before returning to reality, looking much more frightened and sorrowful. Eda winked and walked up the stairs. They joined the others and took their seats, Belos looking back at the trio.
"Oh, I forgot to mention...I decided to switch up the arrangement."
Eberwolf gasped sharply, and Adrian smacked his tail into his face to take his place. He appeared to have not slept in several days as a result of what Gus had done to him.
"Don't say a word about my appearance," He grumbled at Eda, who winced when she saw him. "I will not be taking notes at this time."
She then looked mournful as she remembered her, Luz, and King...she prayed they were okay, but she also felt the opposite as Terra pushed Darius away.
"Hello, sprout," she smirked as Eda gulped. Belos extended his hands, then pulled the draining spell onto the ground. He held up his staff, which sparkled.
"Goodbye, Boiling Isles," he smirked evilly, as the moon passed over the sun. His staff gleamed gold as he tapped the ground, causing the spell to spread and engulf every Coven Head in golden light. It rose into the sky, and the people's Coven sigils blazed as well. Eda gazed at her insignia, and Belos vanished altogether. He returned within the Titan's head, peering at the door.
"We did it!" The Collector emerged in shadow and floated close to him. "It's done, it's done! Now you can set me free and we can play new games!"
He grinned cheerfully at Belos, who walked forward carrying the mirror.
"I'm afraid that's impossible," he said, as the Collector looked at him in disbelief.
"Uh, excuse-a, what now?" the Collector asked, reappearing next to Belos. "But...but you said you'd use the Titan blood to help free me!"
"And I'm sorry," Belos said, taking off his cloak to expose essentially the same attire as Phillip. "But I just realized I only have enough Titan's blood to open the portal."
He tied his hair back and held up the key with a few drops of Titan's blood. He broke it open and poured the blood into the gateway. It activated with the power of the blood flowing through, and he looked up at the door.
"But you said we were friends!" the Collector exclaimed angrily. "We pinky swore! You lied! Liar, liar, liar!"
Belos ripped his scar from his face while the Collector continued to yell at him, showing no remorse.
"Liar, liar, liar, liar, liar! LIAR!"
Belos covered the mirror with a cloak to close the Collector, leaving the double doors open. He clasped his hands behind his back as Kikimora entered with the 'Hunter' bubble.
"Emperor," she bowed before him. "Congratulations on this momentous day. I come bearing a gift." He said to her and "Hunter." "You had been looking for the Golden Guard, and...here he is! I wasn't able to grab the girl, but I have a feeling she'll come right to you! Perhaps this act is worthy of returning me to my old post."
She removed her hat and gazed at him with anticipation.
"Or...if you're looking for a new right hand?"
"Do you have my right hand?" He stared inside the floating bubble. He then gave her a knowing smile. "I'd sooner cut off my whole arm."
"But..." she murmured in surprise, staring at him as he rejected her. "I just want to help!"
"You want to help?" he asked, reaching for the covered mirror as the Collector continued to shout. He used his staff to hurl Kikimora out the door. He approached her as she was in shock, unable to speak or move.
"Go find a hole...to wither away in," he simply instructed her, staring over the bridge and removing the blanket to examine the mirror sign. "And you..."
The Collector reappeared beside him. "I gave you the draining spell! I taught you magic stronger than anybody's!"
"That's why I won't release you," the Collector said, horrified. "Can't have you giving that to anyone else. Goodbye."
He merely held the mirror over the edge and dropped it, the Collector furious at his deception.
"You're a liar, liar pants on FIRE!"
Belos simply walked away, cutting Kikimora off from the room. He then turned to what he assumed was Hunter.
"Of course you'd mess up such a simple task," he said as he freed Luz with his magic. "But I am glad to see you, my fellow human."
He smirked down at her, knowing by her silhouette that she wasn't Hunter. However, Luz did not react or move, keeping her back to him.
"What, no fight left? Or did you learn your lesson from last time? Seems as if your friend is scared now to face me...but we both know that she must be dealt with," he said with dark eyes.
While he was speaking, Bijou entered the room through a secret entrance, concealing herself with an invisibility glyph.
"You wish," Luz said back, wheezing and employing an invisibility glyph. She reappeared behind Belos, who remained unfazed as she conjured two flames from the fire glyphs in her palms. "Spicy toss!" She launched a strike at him, but he whirled around and deflected it with his staff.
"Of course not," he replied, swinging his staff at her.
With Alador, King, Hazel, and the Hexsquad...
Hunter looked down at his Emperor's Coven emblem, which was glowing, and looked troubled. He looked at Alador, who, judging from his blazing sigil, appeared to be just as concerned as he was. They came across the Titan's Head, with King and Hazel staring at it. King had no idea if that was his father or not, but he knew he had to save everyone before it was too late.
"Your ship has been reported stolen," a blimp carrying Abomatons and a Scout approached them. "Land immediately!"
"Ugh, Mom," Amity snarled knowingly, as Odalia was the only person who knew of their escape from Blight Industries and would happily hand them over.
Gus created a large spell circle to transform their ship into a flock of birds.
"Don't be fooled! Take 'em down!" the Scout exclaimed, as the robots began to fire. Some of the birds vanished, and Hunter flew forward on Flapjack, wrapping his cloak over the Scout. He slumped to the ground, and the Abomaton knocked Hunter off his staff with a single smack. He reached toward the end of his spinning staff but missed. He screamed as he dropped, and Flapjack came to life, chirping frantically as he flew down as quickly as he could. Willow flew in, and Hunter landed behind her with her staff. His forelock fluttered as he sighed with relief. Flapjack returned to him. The Abomatons fired again but Jackie whistles to deflect their shots.
The Abomatons then lowered their hands after Amity turned them off using Alador's remote, and the blimp revealed itself.
"Why did I make those things so powerful?!" the man moaned as the three returned to the balloon. "Stupid Alador, stupid!"
King looked up as the three landed, and the ship trembled. He looked up as they were pummeled by the blimps that surrounded them. "Fire!"
The Abomatons attacked again, causing holes in the airship and deflating it. They all yelled as they rushed to the ground, bracing themselves.
While the Draining Spell proceeded, everyone celebrated from their positions as the moon passed over the sun. Raine and Lilith sat there, watching the holes in the head gradually vanish. A shadow appeared, and they both gasped, peering up at Eda and the other Heads. Eda sweated uneasily, looking between Adrian and Terra. She gazed at her palm as the curse began, and the Draining Spell began to fade. Darius stood up straight, and Eberwolf looked at his ally. The sigils had lost their brilliance.
"It's getting weaker."
Ead covered her arm, and Terra gripped her shoulders. "Looks like my suspicions were correct...Graye, if you please?"
Adrian twisted his spell finger in front of Eda. "Gladly. I love a good twist," he said as he removed Eda's cloaking enchantment.
"Hey!" she cried, as Eberwolf transformed into their other appearance, lunging at Terra. The Construction Head stepped in front of her, ready to swing Eberwolf away, but their eyes blazed yellow, like insects crawling on the guy. He shuddered in fear, sweeping them away, but Eberwolf forced him to drop the hammer.
"Oh, for Titan's sake..." Darius wailed, before transforming into his abomination form. Eberwolf hissed, then was grabbed by the Oracle Coven Head. The Potions Coven Head threw smoke at Darius, who moved to the side. He looked up as the Healing Coven Head hurled a short dagger at Eberwolf, who froze in place. This caused Darius to stop attacking, gritting his teeth as the Potions Coven Head seized his shoulders and dragged him away.
"You too, Darius?" Terra asked in surprise. "Did you really think you'd get away with this?"
He didn't respond as the Abomatons apprehended Raine, who stared up at Eda.
"No. No, no, no, no, no, Raine!" Eda was led away from Terra, the curse still in her grasp. Katya, Lilith, Derwin, and Hooty had all been apprehended at the foot of the stairs. Eda watched as Raine was led to his position.
"Oh, you are making a big mistake!" Eda attempted to reason with Terra.
"My only mistake was letting you two live all those years ago," she said, looking to her right to see Raine collapse beside her.
"Raine!" Eda exclaimed in concern.
"Eda!" They looked up as the draining spell resumed. Terra giggled gleefully, holding out her arms.
"Hello, paradise!"
Darius moaned in pain, and everyone extended their hands. The moon was moving closer to the sun...
Luz cast a hovering spell on herself, landing safely and fleeing from an attacker. She tripped and then became invisible. She was led to a podium, where Bijou revealed herself as she held her companion tightly and looked behind her. Luz looked up, surprised to see her.
"I didn't realize you're already combining glyphs..." Belos said, gazing around. Luz took out an ice glyph and nodded at her friend. Bijou shook her head no, but Luz dashed to the next podium and set the glyph there. Bijou bit her lip before running to the other side to place her own ice glyphs. The glyphs began to activate.
"You have a strange intuition with these; it took me years to figure that out..." He looked directly to where Bijou was as Luz set another glyph, but Bijou remained hidden. "Almost like the Titan himself didn't want me to have that knowledge..."
All of the ice glyphs became daggers aimed at Belos, who dissolved them quickly with his staff.
"Though you're still decades away from beating me...and I knew I felt a familiar presence..." He swung his staff, unleashing a red magic blast on the pillar Bijou was hiding behind. She grunted in pain as it pushed her against the wall, and she collapsed to the side, groaning.
"Bijou!" Luz exclaimed, then hissed, wielding a fire glyph at him. "Leave her alone! If you have to, direct everything to me!"
"Don't do it, Luz," Bijou said as Belos grabbed both of them with his monstrous hands and brought them forward.
"Eat dirt, Belos!" Luz yelled at him.
"It's Phillip," he said blankly. "And despite our differences, I want to help you, Luz. I can send you home, I can take you away from this witch who ruined everything."
He hissed at Bijou, and she grunted as he squeezed her tighter. "I have just enough Titan blood for one more trip."
She took a quick glimpse at the portal.
"Please, I don't want to see another human life destroyed by this place or people like her," Bijou said.
"You're such a hypocrite," Luz said bluntly.
"And you're also insane if you believe I'm the same witch who defied your order all those years ago," Bijou whispered through her teeth, causing him to recoil slightly. "That's right, I know you think I'm her...I don't know if I really have a connection with that person, but I'm relaying her principles."
"You don't know what you're-"
"You talk big about protecting humanity," Luz said, interrupting him. "But after everything you've done, you're barely human yourself."
His scar returned on his face, proving her statement, and he closed his eyes briefly before opening them.
"I do pity you. These monsters, your friend, have warped your sense of reality."
"Do you even hear yourself?" Bijou snarled fiercely, while Luz scrunched her nose.
"Perhaps it would be merciful to put you out of your misery," he said before turning to Bijou. "As for you, however...you could never know what I am capable of."
She gasped as she lowered her scream.
"We had everything we needed until you came back," he gritted his teeth and shook her violently. "I don't know what he sees in you when all you do is cause treachery for those around you. And now, after all this time, I finally get to give you everything you deserve...you'll never interfere with me again."
He then began to petrify both her and Luz.
"Wait!" Luz said, Bijou breathing quickly as crimson veins erupted on her body, causing her even more pain...and making her terrified.
"No, stop!" she begged as she moaned, letting her head drop and her arms become lifeless, unable to move. "Stop..."
"Wait, wait, wait! You...you can't!" Luz begged him. "You..."
She looked around and noticed the glove for branding sigils, which had the Emperor's Coven sigil. She gazed at Bijou, her veins spreading as she screamed.
"It hurts...!"
"Y-You do realize you've been gone from the human realm for centuries," Luz began, as Bijou felt sorrow both within and outside.
"Please...stop," she pleading, dropping a tear, as Belos looked at her with scorn.
"Begging for mercy? How pitiful for someone of your kind..."
"Focus on me!" Luz exclaimed, forcing her eyes shut. "Times have changed. You wanna be known as the Emperor of the Witch Hunters, right?"
"Witch Hunter General," he corrected her, narrowing his gaze as the stone spread to their legs, and as it did with Bijou, it only added to her inward torment.
"Ugh!" She snapped her head back, causing bones to fracture.
"Sure, sure, Witch Hunter General," Luz said, biting her lip at her friend. "But...those aren't really a thing anymore. No one's gonna take you seriously if you start ranting about the Demon Realm. Not to mention a fashion sense like that?"
She raised an eyebrow at his attire, and he looked down at them, realizing they were... extremely antiquated.
"Yikes, my dude."
He threw both of them into the table of items, and the glove happened to rest in front of Luz.
"Hurry, Luz... I don't think I can handle this...any...longer," Bijou grabbed the ground beneath her, as Luz gazed over her. She shed a tear at how horrible it appeared for Bijou to be terrified, and the only reason Luz wasn't feeling it was since Belos didn't hate her as much as he despised Bijou. He wanted her to feel everything, because he wanted her to suffer. Luz pushed the glove away so Belos wouldn't notice it, unable to move her petrified legs. She looked down, hesitantly, as she and Bijou were almost there.
"So what?" Belos approached each of them. "You're offering to be my modern-day guide?"
"I'm not offering anything," Luz said, silently wincing as she stared at Bijou, who had her eyes screwed shut. "But I do wanna make a deal."
Belos lifted an eyebrow at her.
"We can't beat you, we know that, so...I will return to the human realm and I will be your guide."
At this point, the petrification process had reached both of their necks, and Bijou was trying to breathe as she arched her back, shivering.
"If you spare my friends, Bijou included."
Belos sneered at the offer.
"Come on! You'll need living proof that this realm exists. You'd do anything to save humanity, well...I'd do anything to save the people I love," her eyes welled with tears. "Please..."
She pressed her eyes tight, the stone reaching her face as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Phillip..."
He smirked after a second, and she prepared herself until the situation was reversed for both of them. Bijou's body returned to normal, and she opened her eyes with a quick intake and heavy breathing. She sat slowly on her knees, trying to recover her breath so she wouldn't have a panic attack about almost dying. However, a small red vein appeared on the right side of her chin, with the tip stopping at the corner of her mouth. Luz gasped, and Bijou touched her chin, wincing from the pain.
"Fine."
Luz stood up and helped her companion up.
"Then shake it. Human style," she said, offering one hand and tucking the other behind her back. Phillip was also concealing his hand behind his back. He only grimaced as he looked at her other arm, as they had both duped him the last time they met. Luz demonstrated that it wasn't a ploy by humming anxiously. Bijou threw him a sneer as Luz extended her hand. He accepted it...and then Luz placed the Coven sigil on his arm, forcing him to recoil in pain. Luz let out a loud breath, demonstrating that she had been concealing the branded glove the entire time. His eyes widened, and Bijou grinned at her friend.
"Yes! Way to stick it to him, amie!" she exclaimed, pumping her fist.
However, the moon passed over the sun, turning the sky red. Eda looked up as the Draining Spell continued, and Terra was in anguish.
"Huh?!" She gazed at her sigil as it began to burn, just like the other Coven Heads' sigils.
"No...we're too late!" Darius wailed, as the glowing podiums faded. Eberwolf grabbed their arm in anguish.
"What is...happening?!" Terra gasped as yellow veins engulfed Raine. "Raine, Belos is giving us paradise, right?"
She turned to him, hoping, but they looked up and said no. She was horrified and fell to the ground, as did the other eight since they felt weaker. Eda stared at them as the eclipse took away their magic. The other witches down below began to experience the same affects, and everyone turned around to attempt to leave. The Abomatons acted as a barrier, keeping them inside.
Belos knelt in pain, gritting his teeth.
"You'll never make it out of here unless you stop the Draining Spell right now!" Luz demanded.
"I don't think he has the power to do that," Bijou told her buddy.
"Well, he's gonna have to if he wants to live," Luz said angrily. "And we both know the answer to that one."
Bijou looked up, realizing that Belos was presented with a difficult decision here. He returned his gaze to the duo, yellow veins forming on his cheek. He moaned in discomfort and looked away from them.
"I...said...stop it!" Luz winced as they saw he was changing, his face turning green, and then a mass of goo formed from him. They backed away as he changed into the large figure they encountered in his mind, growing the glowing eyeballs. He slowly looked back at them.
Back to King, Hazel, Alador, and the Hexsquad...
King gently opened his eyes and looked at his paw. He looked up to see whether the others were okay, Hunter helping Willow up.
"Willow, are you okay?" He inquired, but their voices were muted due to the ringing in King's ears. He noticed Jackie pulling Gus up and Alador destroying some Abomatons.
"Dad, Dad!" Amity dashed up to him. "Dad, are you-"
He handed over the remote.
"Dad, no! We're not leaving you!" she pleaded, but he responded with a kiss on her forehead. She extended a hand to him as he turned around to continue battling.
"Amity, come on!" Willow said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We have to go!"
She dragged the sad girl away. Then Gus and Jackie bent down in front of King.
"King! King, are you okay?"
"Come on, King. We have to go!"
He blacked out and then opened his eyes as they approached the fallen Coven Heads. Hunter bent down to Darius on the ground.
"Darius? Darius, wake up!"
Willow dashed past, and King blinked again, this time observing Jackie beseeching her favorite idol to wake up and Willow and Amity approaching Eda. She didn't seem good...she slumped to the ground, and the females swiftly caught her. Amity stared down at Eda, then pointed to her head. He blinked again, and saw Willow, Amity, Jackie, and Hunter hurtling through the darkness. He rubbed the side of his head, which had cracked as a result of the crash. Gus grabbed him as they approached Luz and Bijou...
Luz dashed in front of the gateway entrance, Bijou following suit while Luz raised her hands.
"Okay, I-I know you're mad, but you can still fix things," she said nervously. "Just...stop the spell!"
Belos broke his neck and charged.
"Amie, watch out!" Bijou said as she slid in between Luz and Belos. He extended a hand and right before Bijou called her light sword again, the emperor swung his hand and scraped Bijou's chin, just where her red vein was. She shouted in pain, and Luz looked up to see the girl covering her mouth and chin while kneeling on the ground.
"BIJOU!" she said in fear, prompting the girl to stand up and flee. The gateway door pulsed, and Luz sensed it. Bijou gazed at it while kneeling by her companion, who moved her arm away. She gasped when she noticed two wounds on the right side of her chin, one longer than the other. Some blood dropped from her chin, but she wiped it away.
"Bij..." she said sadly; if Lucila hadn't saved her...
"It hurts, but I'm not telling him that," Bijou hissed at Belos. Luz cried angrily, her pal looking in surprise as she dashed forward, an ice glyph ready.
"This is for hurting my first friend!" she smashed it upon Belos, locking him in ice, but he managed to escape. Then they discovered the portal.
"The door! Watch the door," Luz grabbed Bijou's hand, causing them both to trip. They utilized the invisibility glyph once again to hide. Belos roared as he searched for both of them. They reappeared in front of the double door.
"Over here!"
He jerked his head around to face them.
"We...don't belong here. You..." He pointed directly at Bijou, who recoiled back. "Don't belong anywhere."
"I'm not like you! And Bijou's not Marianne!" Luz said at him. He yelled and pushed forward, making them brace themselves. Suddenly, several vines seized his limbs, and he fell, revealing their friends and partners.
"We're here to help," Willow said with a smile.
"Did you really think we wouldn't follow you?" Amity said, scolding her girlfriend because she was worried sick.
"We don't want you guys to handle this by yourselves," Jackie continued.
"Yeah, girls, get with it," Gus smirked slightly.
"You guys are literally the coolest!" Luz said excitedly at them.
Belos attempted to stand up, but Willow held him down with her vines.
"We have to get him to stop the Draining Spell, but he's all...berserk mad!" Luz exclaimed. Willow snapped the vines and pulled back, but the bridge began to collapse. This caused the entire building to tremble and some debris to fall.
"Luz!" Amity dashed over to her, using her abomination goo to protect their heads. Gus and Hazel dashed over to a secure location, where Gus set King down.
"Buddy, it's about to get real scary. You stay here. Hazel, you're with King."
Hazel nodded in reply.
"But...I can help!" King protested, grasping his hand. "Bij got hurt because we didn't show up in time. I have to make it up to her! And keep Luz safe from Belos!"
"We know, but the Emperor is aggressive and unrecognizable right now," Hazel explained as the ground shook again, and King fell on his back. Belos ripped his bindings and stood up, yelling loudly. Amity's goo and Luz's ice glyph pushed his head back as they attempted to detain him. Hunter teleported with Bijou to assist Willow, both of them twirling their staffs to clear any debris that could fall on her. Bijou even summoned her light shield for additional defense.
"Gus!" she said to him.
"On my way!" He ran over, and the shaking was so strong that King was knocked aside and fell down a stairway.
"King!" Hazel hopped over to where King had fallen, as the young Titan slowly stood up. They looked over as the Hexsquad continued to fight Belos, who had completely broken free and was about to attack them.
"It's pointless." King turned to face Kikimora, who was still inside the Abomatron. However, because to the Draining Spell, she was too weak to escape.
"Kikimora?" Hazel was astonished to see her with them.
"Belos can't stop the spell any more than they can. Only the Collector has that power."
"Who...is the Collector?" He couldn't help but wonder, given how little he knew about them other than their name.
"Neither witch nor demon. A child from the stars," she explained, glancing away.
"How did the Emperor know this Collector?" Hazel inquired as he and King slowly approached Kikimora.
"Belos only talked to him when he thought no one was around, but I was always listening. Belos was afraid of him."
"An opportunity!" King remembered Willow's words, narrowing his eyes. "Take me to him."
"If that means kicking the Emperor's butt..." Kikimora stood up using the Abomatron. "Gladly," they both said, looking down the stairs.
"Who...is the Collector?" He couldn't help but wonder, given how little he knew about them other than their name.
"Neither witch nor demon. A child from the stars," she explained, glancing away.
"How did the Emperor know this Collector?" Hazel inquired as he and King slowly approached Kikimora.
"Belos only talked to him when he thought no one was around, but I was always listening. Belos was afraid of him."
"An opportunity!" King remembered Willow's words, narrowing his eyes. "Take us to him."
"If that means kicking the Emperor's butt..." Kikimora stood up using the Abomatron. "Gladly."
They peered down the stairs.
Amity used her abomination magic to wrap around Belos' front leg and knock him down. Gus stood in front of him, holding out the mirror amplifier.
"All right, Belos. It's time to calm down a little." His eyes blazed blue. Belos stood up and knocked himself back. One of the pillars shook, and Willow grabbed it with her vines. They all looked up as Belos held his head, flashing back to memories from his past. He hissed and was going to strike Gus when Hunter teleported to grab him and flew several feet ahead. He set Gus down, and his eyes returned to normal...but what he saw surprised him.
"Gus!" Bijou sprinted up and bent down to him. "You okay?"
He looked up and gasped at her, and she seemed perplexed.
"What did you see?"
"Bij...you-"
Belos hissed and ran up to Hunter, stopping in front of him. He exhibited his normal face, but the rest of his body remained in his monster form.
"Hunter...why are you hurting me? I only wanted to help you."
Hunter was afraid, but he did not want to show it to him.
"You're lying!" He shouted at Belos, clutching his staff.
"We both know that you just want what you want from him, to follow your way of life rather than understanding him that he wants to live his own," Bijou spat back at him, standing up and following him. "Magic is not something to dislike! It is part of people, and there are ways to help them grow! Witches may differ from humans, yet in some ways they are the same."
"You don't know anything about me or what you have, you treacherous witch!" Belos hissed, and Hunter grabbed her hand. "Obviously your defiance has clouded your sense of judgement. I'll make you see what I can do once I finish you."
Bijou fired a fireball toward Belos' face, causing him to recoil. Belos recovered from his temporary disorientation and noticed Flapjack.
"Caleb?" His expression switched back as he roared and pointed down at Bijou. "Petrification is too good for you! ...And long time no see, you pest."
He stared at Ruby, recognizing him from Aria's time in the Emperor's Coven.
"Trust me, you won't know half of it after I'm finished with you," Bijou snapped back at him.
With Kikimora, Hazel, and King...
Kikimora led King and Hazel to the bottom of the pit from beneath the bridge. The entire area was packed with bones and Golden Guard masks. Kikimora passed through without incident because she was aware of the situation, but King and Hazel were unsettled simply by the masks. He noticed a beetle moving inside one of the skulls and paused to look at the masks again.
Luz and Bijou told them about the 'Golden Guard graveyard' in Belos' memory, so they assumed it was it, but the way they described it made seeing it even creepier than experiencing it himself. However, it couldn't be only the graveyard because there were other things here. Belos expected at least 16 masks, but it appeared that the number had been doubled. It made him wonder how many Golden Guards existed before Belos... eliminated them.
"What is this place?" he asked, looking up at Kikimora.
"Bijou told me about this place. I thought it was scary but I didn't know it would be this scary," Hazel recalled.
"Where the failures end up," she replied simply. He took a step forward, clasping his hands, and looked up to see the Collector's mirror sitting among the masks and bones. He approached the mirror and took a cursory look at Kikimora. He touched it, and it illuminated to show the Collector.
"Leave me alone," he moaned like a child, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. "I don't associate with fibbers."
He blew a raspberry before noticing that King, not Belos, had summoned him.
"Wait, I know someone's there. I can feel it." He could see Kikimora and Hazel but not King for some reason. "But why can't I see you...?"
That's when Hazel spotted King's shimmering collar.
"King, your collar," the almiraj indicated.
King looked down and unfastened his collar, appearing in front of the Collector. He gasped when he laid eyes on King. He went around to float behind him with one half looking at him.
"You look like that bully who put me in here! No way!" the other half cried, as the two halves joined together. "Are you his little Titan baby?!"
His face changed to resemble King's.
"I've always wanted to play with you!" He formed a circle, and small figures of himself ran around it. "But your dumb pops hid you. Hey, do you like hide and seek? I'll hide first!"
"Wait, wait!" King exclaimed quickly, holding out his hand. "Mr. Collector, please, we need you to stop this draining spell."
"Mister?" The Collector sighed, displeased at being referred to as such. "You're sooo boring..."
King looked about and knew how to force him to stop. "Well, you know what's better than hide and seek? A game called...the, uh...the Owl House!"
"Oh, how do you play?" He inquired with interest.
"Oh, it's so fun! Like the most fun! And I can show you if you want. We're gonna need a lot of players, like a whole island's worth of players, but uh...ahhh...aw, shucks," he touched his cheek with his hand. The collector entered the pile of skulls, frowning.
"What's wrong?"
"Well...gee...everyone's gonna perish from this ding-dang draining spell. Guess we can't play that awesome game after all. Man, it was fun, though," King began to go, but the Collector appeared in front of him.
"Wait! If you're a Titan, you can let me out," he said, smiling at King. "I can stop the spell! And we can play together!"
"Golly! You'd do that?" King asked, clasping his hands.
"Wait," said the Collector, looking suspicious. "You're not tricking me into doing your chores like Phillip, are you?"
"I would never!" King said to himself, extending his finger. "Pinky swear."
The Collector looked up and chuckled, the room shaking again as Belos let out a faint roar. He looked worried before returning his attention to the Collector.
"I'll even let you out right now! What do I need to do? D-Do you need my blood...?"
"No, silly," The Collector said, gliding aside and floating above the mirror. "Just follow my lead..."
"Amity!" Luz ran forward to catch her girlfriend, and they both fell to the ground. They looked up uneasily at Belos, who sprang at both of them.
Hazel hopped over to King and said, "King, you can't be serious. This is the Collector you're talking to. Remember what he said about your father?"
"I know," King replied. "But it's the only way to save everyone."
The Collector hugged the mirror, and King reached out to touch the Collector's finger with his own. He then pulled, and a human hand emerged. The Collector's emblem appeared beneath him, revealing a diagram of the moon, stars, and sun at different phases. The mirror began to crack.
Back to Eda and the Coven Heads...
Eda gasped, opening one eye as she finally awoke, groaning. She gripped her black arm, and the curse began to spread throughout her body. She screamed in anguish as the sigil's veins pulsated on her arm. Raine reached out and grasped it, which confused her.
"Raine?"
"...I-I promised some special kids...I'd protect you," They choked out, yanking out her right arm completely. The arm disintegrated into bits, returning her to normal, and a feeble Raine fell into her lap.
"Raine?" She began to cry as they became weaker due to the draining spell.
The mirror broke, and the two halves dropped on the floor. As Kikimora and Hazel braced themselves, they saw a figure with a huge blue cape with stars.
Willow clutched Hunter as golden veins appeared on his arm and right cheek. He grabbed his shoulder in anguish as everyone else stared at Belos, afraid or fatigued. They panted as Belos raised his hand, which transformed into a scythe.
"Finally...after all these years..." He looked directly at Bijou and was about to finish her off when something stopped him. Luz and Bijou opened their eyes...to see that the Collector had stopped Belos just by squeezing the tip. He wore a smile on his face.
"What'cha playing?" he inquired nonchalantly, leaving everyone stunned but also perplexed. He stared at them and wondered why they were staring at him.
"The Collector," Belos moved back, terrified but also surprised to see him free. The Collector slowly turned around to face him with a blank expression.
"You're free! Just as promised."
"As promised?!" he asked, tapping his chin. "I remember someone throwing me off a bridge...I'm not angry though! Say, you wanna play tag?"
He smirked and spun a finger, drawing Belos up to his face as he pulled forward.
"I'm it!" He grinned broadly and flicked Belos all the way to the other side...and suddenly Belos looked to be splattered on the wall, some of his gunk leaking onto the floor.
Both Amity and Luz became scared, as this small boy defeated Belos without even trying! Hunter grabbed his mouth in amazement, while the other three simply stared in disbelief. The Collector only giggled, unfazed.
"Too slow!" He looked back at the six. "You guys look slow too?"
He carefully approached them.
"Do you need a head start?"
"Whoa, whoa, Collector!" Hazel hopped over King, who stood between the group and the Collector. "Buddy, pal."
"King!" The Collector said, stretching out his hands.
"Remember what we talked about? You gotta help all my friends outside or, uh...we won't get to play Owl House," He looked back at the others, quietly instructing them to join in.
"What do you think, guys? Are you in?" Hazel asked the kids.
"Uhh, Owl House? Oh, gosh! I love that game!" Luz said.
"Memories last a lifetime," Amity added.
"It'd be an honor to play with the Collector," Jackie continued.
"I play it every day!" Willow informed him.
"I play it every hour!" Gus said, holding out his hands.
Hunter only produced a little squeak in response.
"Yup, it's awesome, nothing more to it than that..." Bijou bit her lip.
"Oh, wait..." The Collector blinked at her. "You're that girl he wanted to destroy!"
The others winced, but he waived it off.
"Oh, don't worry! Phillip made a big talk about how 'oh, she needs to be killed, she did this and that' and all that junk. But I won't hurt ya. Any friend of King's is a friend of mine!" He smiled as he grasped her hands.
"Okay...that's reassuring," Bijou hastily pulled her hands back, unsure what he could do with them. He did not appear disturbed by her reaction and simply patted her on the head. He could see she was the eldest in the group, and he wondered whether she may be his big sister someday.
"I'll explain the rules later, but remember, we need lots of players."
The Collector looked up and headed toward the hole. Everyone scattered away from him as he looked up to see the draining spell still in effect. He then opened his eyes to observe everyone's magic being drained.
"Hmm...okay!" He extended a finger while concentration, touched the moon, and then moved it as if it were nothing. "Bloop."
Bijou was astonished to see the Collector do this.
"Did he just..." She said softly, scared of this...little child. Because if he could move the sun with his FINGER, who knows what else he could do. Hunter looked at his arm, which was restored to normal. Everyone looked up, as if everything was fine.
"Hmm," the Collector stroked his chin. Everyone backed away slightly. "Heh, if we're gonna play Owl House...we're gonna need an Owl House!"
He drifted into the air, and the Head just broke into pieces as he touched his hands. Everyone gazed up as the Collector began to reform things with the rock of the Head.
"We're gonna have a BLAST, everyone!" he said at the top of his voice. Willow and Jackie drew away slightly, gasping and looking around to confirm that the portal was still alive.
"Guys, look!" Jackie exclaimed as she gazed at the portal.
"I think there's a way out!" Willow exclaimed, sending everyone hurrying to the gateway. Hazel hopped onto Bijou's shoulder. Amity observed that Luz had stopped. Luz also has a scar on her left eyebrow.
"Luz! Come on!" Amity gripped her hand.
"E-Everyone," Luz gasped in panic, unsure where they were or if they were even okay. "Eda, I-I can't just leave them!"
"Luz..." She turned to face her girlfriend, who was imploring. She didn't know what would happen if they stayed. "Please..."
Luz burst into tears as she walked away with Amity and King.
"This way!" Jackie said as they all hopped onto rocks to reach the portal. Belos' ooze dripped in front of Hunter. He came to a halt, peering at the puddle with concern.
"Hunter!" Gus urged him, and he dashed away...but then some of the goo dripped down his shoulder and around to the back of his shirt. The portal was barely holding together, and Luz came to a halt, realizing it was about to fall apart. When the seven arrived at the gateway, they all took a few breaths. Hunter reached out and opened it to see the In-Between Realm. Then it turned into a stormy, rainy night...in the human realm.
"It's human rain. It's okay," Gus remarked, stepping in the door first. He was followed by Willow, Bijou, Hazel, and Hunter. Amity paused and looked back.
"Luz?"
Luz was using plant glyphs to secure herself to the floor and keep the gateway stable. The vines wrapped around the gateway to keep it functional.
"Luz, what are you doing?!" Amity inquired, gazing up as the others stood at the door.
"Amie?" Bijou teared up as she looked at her.
"I-I have to get Eda!" she exclaimed, smiling. "We'll find a way back to you!"
"Luz, don't!" Bijou sprang forward to attempt to reach her, but the others held her back, Hazel shaking his head 'no.' The Collector hovered around, but Luz remained in her place, tears in her eyes as she wished to keep all of them safe from...this.
"Go! Go, go, go! I-I can't hold the portal for much longer!" King began to float away from her shoulder, as she extended a hand. "King!"
She grasped his hand.
"King! You promised you'd play with me!" The Collector retorted, either ignoring or not caring about Luz's reaction. "You pinky swore!"
He raised his hand to draw King closer to him. Luz clutched on as firmly as she could.
"LUZ!" Amity dashed down to her, stretching out a hand.
"We've gotta stick together. We've gotta stick together!" Luz begged King, tears welling in her eyes. He gave her a sorrowful look while looking up at Bijou and Hazel.
"I'm sorry...not this time...but I can keep you, Hazel, and Bijou safe."
"No..." Luz's tears dropped, and Bijou extended a hand.
"King!"
"Luz...Bij..." He muttered as Hazel and Bijou froze, then closed his eyes. "I'm so happy I had you as big sisters. And I would say the same for Haze. You're the best little brother I could ask for."
He then took a deep breath and utilized his sonic scream to knock them both in different directions. The blast was so powerful that it knocked both Luz and Amity through the portal, and they all tumbled to the ground in a heap.
"NO!" Luz and Bijou said, racing up to the door. "King!"
They only glimpsed him for a few more seconds before the door banged shut. When Luz opened it, he found nothing but a typical room. She opened and closed it countless times, but the Boiling Isles were vanished.
"No...!" Bijou began to cry, covering her hands as she lowered her knees to the floor. The others gazed, realizing they couldn't get back. Luz gazed back, saying nothing as the rain fell and thunder rumbled. Gus and Jackie began to cry as well. Willow and Hunter were eager to console them. Amity was still absorbing what had happened. The last time she saw her father and older siblings was while Alador were battling off the abomatons, and Bijou instructed Edric and Emira to hide. She didn't know how they were doing just now. Tears filled her eyes, and she began to cry as well. Luz took note and threw an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into an embrace. Amity hid her face in her shoulder, sobbing.
Hazel nuzzled Bijou's cheek to console her for her loss, and he felt empathy for her and the rest of the squad. His own family was on the opposite side, and he had no way of returning.
Luz looked at Bijou, who was still kneeling by the door. She squeezed Amity's shoulder one last time before rising up and approaching her first human companion. Bijou uncovered her face and gazed at the door with a blank expression. Luz noticed her knuckles becoming white. She slid her hand into Bijou's, and the older girl awoke from his spell to glance at her buddy.
"We've gotta get going," Luz remarked.
Bijou looked at their companions. Gus and Jackie had finally calmed down, but they were still sniffling as Gus buried his face in Hunter's chest while Willow patted Jackie on the back.
Bijou nodded and proceeded down the steps.
"Come on. We should get you guys a place to stay," she replied.
And with that, teens and almiraj walked along the street. Bijou was at the front, leading the group with Hazel on her shoulder. She turned back to look at the other children. Luz had her arm around Amity's shoulders, and the purple-clad witch was wearing her jacket. Gus and Jackie stood between Hunter and Willow. The bigger boy wrapped his arm around Gus protectively, while Willow had hers around Jackie's. Gus and Jackie were holding hands. Bijou turned back to face The Noceda Residence, which was approaching. The eight arrived in front of the house.
"Luz, is that..." Jackie began to question.
"It's my house," Luz answered seriously. "This is it, you guys. I'm finally seeing my mom again."
Bijou suddenly realized that she needed to come home as well.
"Hazel, can you stay with the others for a bit? I need to take care of something," she remarked to the almiraj. Hazel nodded as he hopped back to the ground. Bijou then turned to face the gathering.
"Guys, I need to get back to my own house," she told them.
Hunter remarked, "You don't live here?" Bijou shook her head, 'no.'
"Of course, Bijou, and I hope they're still there," Luz said as Bijou drew her into an embrace.
"Thank you for being there for me, all of you," she murmured before racing away to her own house.
At the Noceda house...
Camila was preparing in the kitchen while a tablet nearby displayed headlines about four children (2 boys and 2 girls) who were lost in a frog world. She was stirring a pot of stew while Vee waited for her to finish. The door knocked, and Camila carefully opened it. She gasped, covering her mouth, when she noticed her daughter and six friends standing in the downpour.
Luz gave her mother a faint grin. "Hey, Mom...I'm back..."
With Bijou...
Bijou was still running along the street to her house, with streetlights illuminating her path. After a period of running, she arrived at her house, which still appears the same as when she went for the Boiling Isles.
As she approached the door, she took a deep breath before pressing the doorbell.
Inside the house, Axel lay down on the living room floor. Susan and Florian were preparing dinner in the kitchen, and Quinton and Elle were arranging the table, when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Elle replied.
She changed into her human disguise and dashed to answer it. Elle burst into the kitchen a few seconds later, her eyes wide.
"Guys, you might wanna see this," she remarked.
Susan, Florian, and Quinton exchanged bewildered looks before the man moved to the door. When Florian answered the door, he was faced with the sorrowful face of their daughter and firstborn child, dressed differently and covered in scars and bruises.
"Hey, Dad..." she said, her voice faltering.
In the forest near the abandoned shack...
The night sky continued to rain while the shack's entrance remained open...however, some droplets dropped from the top and someone else employing a teleportation glyph came out, wearing an Oracle sign on their arm. The figure lifted their shroud, revealing Aria herself. Her hair was now pale coral pink and partially tied into two buns, which were secured and ornamented with black bows with magenta accents and green gemstones. Her eyes were now magenta. She even donned a black and magenta halter-neck dress with a matching corset, gold trimmings, and a black choker with a green gem outlined in gold and a magenta ribbon. She also wore black elbow gloves (one with no fingers), plum socks with gold and black accents, black heels with spider-like designs and green diamonds, and a brown double-loop belt.
She returned her gaze to the black substance emerging from the door, bending down to identify it.
"It's just as I expected... Belos..." She exhaled gently and rose to her feet. "I hope I'm not too late…I know she's here."
She looked down at a printed photo from Penstagram.
A photograph of Ruby and Bijou.
A/N: Finally, Part 2 is now complete. When I first watched King's Tide, I was on the edge of the seat, especially during the Draining Spell and during the Hexsquad's first meeting with the Collector. Now that that's out of the way, here is the fan cast for Part 2.
Bijou Adams - Marieve Herington
Hazel - Johnny Yong Bosch
Jacqueline "Jackie" Watson - Libe Barer
Vincent Watson - Keith Silverstein
Narissa Watson - Nakia Burrise
Elle - Grace Rolek
Susan Adams - Leigh-Allyn Baker
Quinton Adams - Tara Strong
Florian Adams - Nolan North
Dana Sanchez - Stephanie Sheh
Tyson Garcia - A.J. Beckles
Arianrhod "Aria" Mysthaven - Sofia Carson (teen), Julie Nathanson (adult)
Stay tuned for Part 3 and stay magical, readers.