For the Future (Part 1)
Everything at the Titan's Head appeared to be tranquil.
"We gotta stick together," Luz sobbed, before the top of her head broke open like an egg. King clutched Luz as the head crumbled.
"I'm sorry...not this time," He whispered sadly to Luz, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"No..."
"King!" Bijou extended her hand from her position.
"Luz...Bij..." She dropped her hand as he spoke, and he shut 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 used his sonic scream to knock them all back so hard that they passed through the portal door.
"KING!" Luz exclaimed as the door closed before exploding, King looking back with tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Goodbye..."
He was suddenly spun about by pink ribbons, with the Collector above him.
"I'm free! I'm free!" he said as King drifted up to him. He snatched the small Titan and spun him around. "Oh, this is the goodest I've felt in forever and ever! It's like the whole world is singing!"
He applauded, and they were...but in pain, as a slew of shooting stars dropped from the heavens and struck them. They all fled in fright and horror.
"Yeah, I wouldn't call that singing," King said, looking down with horror.
"So, tell me about your game, The Owl House," the Collector inquired hopefully. "You promised you'll teach me if I stopped the Draining Spell!"
"Well, it's, um, like playing pretend!" King lied between his teeth. "We get roles and go on adventures! But this is too crazy!" He pointed to the chaos down below. "We can't play if you're freaking everyone out."
"King!" They looked up to see Lilith use Hooty to fly over the head. She then noticed him and the Collector. "What are you doing up there?"
"What's happening?" Hooty exclaimed in a panic.
"I don't know what you are, but stay away from my nephew!" Lilith growled as she approached the Collector. The young god boy then presented himself to the King.
"That's my best friend you're talking to! Hands off!" He shot a small crescent moon at her, and she gasped in surprise.
"Lulu!" Hooty wrapped his body around her, and when she hit him, he transformed into a puppet owl jack-in-the-box. Lilith gasped harshly at him as she began to fall.
"Hootsifer!" she exclaimed in dismay, before being struck by the Collector's magic and stiffening like a puppet. Then they vanished without a trace.
"You can't hurt people either!" King exclaimed at the Collector, straining his fists.
"But they're not hurt," the Collector told him. "They're safe and sound up in our new house."
And by new house, he meant a massive crescent moon-shaped structure above their heads. "Now, what part do I get to play?" He hugged King, who was scared for his life.
Giant stars continued to descend from the sky as Eda peered at Raine in front of her. They exchanged smiles, Raine looking at the spot where Eda's arm had been, and Eda looking up. The Collector danced with King, and Raine nodded at her. She smiled as she changed into her harpy form. Raine straightened up, admiring her new look, before taking off into the sky. The Collector danced about pink swirls and stars, his eyes bright. Kikimora gazed up from her position as a star erupted, scattering waves of stars throughout the ground.
Meanwhile, other users on Penstagram were discussing what was going on.
While soaring, Eda skirted the stars, keeping her eyes on King and the Collector. But then she landed on a rock because her curse was acting up again. She took out the only bottle of elixir, which was almost empty. The Collector suddenly set down the bottle, and King looked behind him with concern.
"You look fun. Wanna play?" The Collector inquired with a frightening smile, and the Owl Beast immediately took over Eda upon seeing him. She jumped on the boy with a screech.
Bijou and Luz were resting down in a black lake, appearing to be in the cube realm from when they wished to see their mother. "Huh...?" Luz opened her eyes as it was the dimension, but there were no cubes to be found. Bijou sat up slowly, groaning, while Luz stood up.
"You okay, amiga?"
"I'm fine, but I have a slight headache," Bijou said, placing a hand on her throbbing forehead. Luz extended a hand to pull her up as they heard something and looked up to see a yellow object.
"What is-"
Before Bijou could continue answering the question, they plunged into the lake. Amity and Jackie hauled them out of the portal entrance.
"Luz! Bijou!" Amity said, looking over them on the floor. "You guys were in there for so long, we thought you got stuck behind."
"Using the portal door can sometimes have that effect depending on whether you're a witch or a human," Aria explained, her hand on her hip.
"Are you hurt anywhere?" Amity asked her girlfriend, while Florian and Hazel looked over Bijou.
"We're...w-we're fine," Luz told the purple-haired witch. "We saw something or...someone. But it was probably just in our heads."
"Yeah, that dimension can be pretty trippy..." Bijou touched one temple.
"You guys were them last time, right?" Jackie asked as Bijou nodded.
"Any sign of...him?" Luz questioned, refusing to speak his name.
Hunter scoffed, "Oh, come on! It's not like a swarm of ghosts will inexplicably appear if you say his name...I think. Anyway, Belos was here, he's long gone now."
"Good. 'Cause I got some unfinished business with that freak of nature!" Florian remarked, cracking his knuckles.
"Couldn't say it better myself," Camila said angrily, clutching the bat. "This mama is hungry for vengeance!"
"Now that is a fight I'd watch," Gus said, smiling encouragingly.
"After what they did to Jacob, I'd settle for a front row seat," Bijou grinned as she dusted herself.
"Now, I know you all probably have a lot of questions for me, and I promise I'll answer them," Aria said with a laugh. "But for now, we need to find somewhere to rest and plan out our strategy. Tt's getting dark so we'll have to find shelter and leave the next day."
"Shelter?!" Hunter exclaimed, stunned. "Belos is out there, probably hurting someone else!"
"If you know Belos or Phillip like I do, and that is the case, then he won't get far in his plans," Aria responded with a sneer. "In case you haven't noticed, he can't exactly reform his body and this area doesn't seem to be in any more danger than it was when we were gone. We're finding a place to settle in for the night, whether you like it or not," she growled at him. This surprised everybody.
Before he could argue, she turned and went away. Everyone gazed at the two until Hunter roared in defeat and stormed away after her.
"Bossy mystery woman who thinks she's all that..." Hunter complained, and Bijou shook her head at him.
"Yeesh, testy much?" Hazel quipped.
They went around the woodland, with Willow keeping an eye out. She squinted her eyes, hearing/seeing nothing dangerous.
"Okay, everyone. Coast is clear," she said, stepping back and seeing the plants next to her. "Oh, hello, red grass. I've missed you!"
Aria paused to stare at her.
"I can't talk for long. We're on a mission to save the Boiling Isles."
Gus waved his finger to bring the plants to life. Jackie even performed a short tune on her flute.
"Willow's back, hooray!" she exclaimed, and Hunter smiled. He heard a chirp similar to Flapjack and looked up to see a red bird flying away, which was obviously not him. He let out a groan and grabbed his head.
"We don't have time for red grass, happy tunes, or-or illusions! Belos had a head start, so we should keep moving and make this stupid camp so that we can find him!" He shouted off, following the still-walking witch who was directing them.
Gus, Jackie, and Willow wore mournful expressions. The boy removed his illusions and rubbed his arm. The girl stopped playing her flute and put it in her pocket.
"Don't worry," Willow said to both of them. "I bet we'll all feel better when we punch Belos right through the face. And yes, I mean through the face!"
Gus let out a little laugh. "Thanks, Willow. You're always looking out for us, aren't you? You and Bijou."
"You really know how to keep this motley group together," Jackie added.
"Well, someone has to. And it looks like my job here is done," she said, spinning her finger to create vines sprout beneath her, Gus, and Jackie for them to ride on.
"Oh, wow!" Camila exclaimed in admiration of her. "You kids were really holding back in the human realm, huh?"
"Maybe a little," Amity said to the woman before noticing some horrible ooze and laughed as she swirled it about her. "Hello, you gorgeous slime!"
Luz blushed at her girlfriend before frowning, and Camila noted her reaction.
"Mija, you and Bijou never told me how pretty this place was," she added.
"And I didn't know you weren't exaggerating on how amazing this world is," Florian finished. "I mean, look at these exotic flora."
"The trees, the sky, que belleza-aaahh!" Her final word turned into a scream as she noticed a broken Titan head. "Kids, stand back."
Camila stood in front of the group, alarmed.
"Actually, the Titan skull is normal. Everything else is..."
"Wrong," Luz concluded for Amity, as it was all rainbows and stars, which...were not the Boiling Isles at all.
"Bijou, was this also in your photo gallery?" Florian inquired.
"No, this is new," Bijou said, as Hazel hopped on her shoulder.
"It looked different the last time I left this place," Aria said.
"Guys, what's on top of the skull?" Willow inquired as they observed the small castle.
"I don't know, but...maybe we could get some answers from Bonesborough," Luz said to everyone.
"I bet the Collector's in there, too," Hazel said.
Hunter inquired skeptically, "Did you lead us here for a reason?"
Aria returned his gaze.
"No, it's a detour," she assured him, pointing to the town. "Whether you trust me or not, we're walking targets right now, so we're still on our way to camp."
She moved away, gazing over her shoulder.
"Unless you have a problem with that."
Hunter tried to say something but chose not to because it would just exacerbate the issue.
"Wow! Skulls, bones, I can really see this place helping you with your taxidermy hobby," Camila said, placing her hands on her hips as she and Luz stood alone.
"Mama, you're pretending to like this place, aren't you?" Luz asked, knowingly smiling.
"No!" Camila insisted to her. "I love the fact that you and Bijou have been living in a giant...carcass."
"That's really sweet of you," Luz said, giving her a modest grin of appreciation. "...But I haven't changed my mind. After we rescue Eda and King, I'm staying in the human realm. Permanently. It's for the best."
She started leaving.
"Wait," Camila said, holding out her hand. "Let's talk first. What about Bijou? You're really not going to tell her now, are you?"
Luz paused in her tracks to take a deep breath. "I won't tell her until I tell everyone else. She'd probably agree with me, anyway."
"Would she really? We don't know that, Luz," her mother answered, narrowing her eyes. Luz tightened her fist. "It's not fair to keep your first friend out of the loop about this."
"I know that, Mama. But it's for her own good that she doesn't know right now. I don't want her getting involved with my mistakes anymore..." she mumbled as she continued walking, and Camila sighed in defeat, following after her daughter. As they came up with the group, Bijou returned their gaze but did not appear to query what they were discussing.
Somewhere in the Boiling Isles' forest...
A celestial butterfly was admiring the flowers...until it was smacked by an enormous hand. The thing walked on the grass, leaving behind what appeared to be black acid. And that thing was Belos himself. He looked up ahead, and through his foggy eyesight, he spotted Caleb. And he appeared unwell. Then Marianne appeared, looking the same way and holding her harp, showing him what he had tried to do to her.
"Don't mock me," he screamed out, as the bloody knife he used to kill his brother hovered over the ghostly man. "I tried to save your soul! It's your fault this all happened! And Marianne's for her defiance!"
He roared and attacked, but of course, he went through both.
He panted as droplets poured from him and a bone protruded from his torso. Caleb and Marianne simply stared listlessly as he dropped to the ground.
"I need...a new body..." He muttered as he walked through the woodland, towards Bonesborough.
"Bijou."
She looked at her father as they approached the gathering from a distance.
"How are you holding up?"
She sighed slowly at the question.
"Doing good, I suppose. Everything isn't the same and it's...something I can't go back, no matter how much I want to."
Florian gazed up at the others before hugging his daughter.
"If anyone can accept the change of anything, you can, too, kiddo," Florian told her, and she smiled weakly. "About the whole...two worlds deal, what are you gonna do?"
"I hope whichever one it is, it's a place where Edric and I can be together. If we're going to give up the other's home, we should at least stay together," Bijou murmured, putting her hair behind her ear. "As long as I'm with him and you're happy with it, it wouldn't matter which one."
"But you have friends in both places," Florian said, indicating that he wasn't worried by either option.
"True...but that depends on which one I'd choose, I'd bring my friends to whichever side I stay in. Why are you asking me this? Does this have something to do with Luz?"
Florian smiled and said, "I'm glad you're thinking hard about this," despite the fact that he could've told her about Luz. He chose not to do so to avoid influencing Bijou's decision. "You've made it this far, and whichever one it is, I'll be happy as long as you are."
Florian kissed her forehead.
"Thanks, Dad," Bijou murmured as she watched her father move up ahead, raising a brow, knowing Camila had told Florian something she didn't know. She sighed and decided to put a pin on the topic for later. They had enough to worry about.
Luz gasped when she saw something, ran up ahead, and found the Owl House. It had subsequently been graffitied and was, tragically, abandoned. Bijou approached with a sad expression on her face, Aria standing in front of the door.
"This is the closest form of shelter we have right now," she said, gesturing toward the door.
"What is this place?" Camila wondered, as the girls approached Violetta. Luz stroked the door, heartbroken at how it had been desecrated. So many memories for each of them...were now reduced to an empty shell. Aria stepped aside to give the girls some space.
"It looks like someone raided this whole place," Florian said with disgust.
"Welcome...to the Owl House," Luz said as she opened the door, with Bijou standing by her.
"Or, rather, what's left of it," Bijou continued as she gazed at the house's empty interior.
Camila opened a shelf to reveal the remains of a dead rat and a rotting apple. She scowled in disgust at it. Florian rummaged through the empty shelves and blew some dust off of them. Some of the dust flew into his face and he coughed.
Bijou, Jackie, Hazel, Florian, Willow, and Gus observed Hunter, who was pacing around outside alone. Iris, Emmeline, and Clover were all following him. They stared out the window.
"Why are you watching Hunter?" Aria couldn't help but notice him.
"The poor guy has been out of it for quite a while," Hazel responded. "Losing Flapjack must have hit him harder than he thought. It was like there was a part of him taken away."
Ruby, who was sitting on the stove noticed Aria. He flew over and chirped at her. She turned around and saw her old palisman.
"Hello, Ruby. It has been a long time, hasn't it, friend?" Aria said solemnly.
Ruby chirped in response as he flew over to his previous owner's shoulder and nuzzled her cheek. Seeing the heartwarming site.
"Hey, Aria. How long did you have Ruby before you gave him up?" Jackie inquired as Aria turned to her."
"Since my 13th birthday. My parents and brother, Cyrus, gave me the wood from which he was carved as a gift, and they assisted me in carving him. And, because my birthday was so close to the start of the school year, I was one of the few pupils who had a palisman for a while. But I'm sure you'll learn more about our stories over time."
"Were you disappointed with yourself for having to leave Ruby in the Bat Queen's care after leaving the Emperor's Coven?" Bijou asked.
"In a way, yes," Aria said. "Whether I want Ruby back or not, I know he is content with Bijou. I couldn't ask for anything more. Besides, I already have my spider palisman, Topaz."
Topaz climbed out of her back and chittered to them, as if to say 'hello'.
"So...this is the Owl House I've heard so much about?" Camila inquired, scooping up the rat carcass.
"It looked different from how I imagined it," Florian added while wiping his face with his shirt.
"Yeah, but don't worry. The food's not usually that spoiled," Willow told her.
"Food?" Camila shuddered, recalling the four exhibiting the Nocedas and Adamses their local cuisine. She set the rat back down and held her hands.
"We need some advice," she explained as Aria left them alone. Bijou, Hazel, and Ruby followed suit.
"Well, first you have to pluck out all the dire rat's extra heads. The tiny ones that line in the digestive track might still be bitey, so-" Gus said.
"That's not what she meant, Gus," Florian corrected him.
He set up a stool for them to sit on, in front of the three teens.
"See, she's planning to...make a bad decision for herself. She's determined to make herself sad and to protect you guys, especially Bijou..." Camila groaned, knowing she didn't want that for anyone, not even her pals. "I don't know how to help."
"That reminds me of when I failed my first school project," Gus said, while Florian, Willow, Hazel, and Jackie showed sympathy for Camila. "I thought I deserved to be grounded so...I ran off to live in a cave in the most dramatic way possible! Of course, reliable old Willow finds me and says..."
She cleared her throat at his cue. "Augustus, it's okay to fail. Look at me, I fail all the time!"
"Oh yeah, I said, like when?" Camila smiled affectionately at the two. "Suddenly, there's this big slimy explosion in the distance!"
"Tonight, I forgot to chain up my abomination homework." They both chuckled, but Camila grimaced little because she couldn't quite relate to it.
"They have to chain up their homework?" Camila asked Florian, who shrugged amidst laughing.
"I don't know," he said.
"And there enters the dauntless bard, Jacqueline," Willow said as Jackie read her part.
"I was working myself to the bone, trying to please my unsatisfied parents, but alas, it was to no avail," Jackie recounted.
"Maybe Luz is going through something like that," Gus said softly to the woman. "My father didn't care if I failed that project...but I didn't want to fail him, and..." He sniffled, tears in his eyes, remembering how long it had been since he had seen his father. "Oh man...I hope he's okay."
"I'm worried about my family, too; I hope Mom, Dad, and Nick are still okay," Jackie replied, looking down at the floor. "Sure, Mom and Dad don't give me much praise as my brother but they're still my family."
"Don't worry," Willow reassured them. "We'll get him back. I'll make sure of it."
Camila and Florian observed their encounter, noting that Willow did not appear to have the same reaction as Gus and Jackie. The two grownups were going to reach out to them when Hunter intercepted them outdoors.
"Stop!"
All five of them looked outside.
"Stop following me! Belos could be anywhere by now, and we're just sitting here!" Hunter growled.
A disturbance came from the bushes, and Hunter assumed a position as if he was about to summon his staff. He stared down at his hands before growling and marching away. Jackie, Gus, and Willow gazed at each other.
Jackie, Willow, and Gus exchanged glances of alarm.
"We should make sure he doesn't pace himself into the Boiling Sea," she told them. Gus brushed away a tear and smiled slightly.
"Good call. Besides, you're probably the only one strong enough to pull him back up," he replied before standing up and walking away with Jackie.
"I'll come with you," Florian said, following them.
Camila prevented Willow from leaving.
"Willow? Hold on," said the woman, holding out her hand. "How are you feeling?"
"Don't worry about me," Willow said, smiling at the woman. "You heard what Gus said. I-I'm the reliable one...mostly, Bijou's kinda like that, too."
"It's okay to be scared, too," Camila said gently. "It's not good if you try to hold it all in."
"...I'm fine," she smiled again, though her eyes were tired. "Really. And I think you'll be fine too. You and Luz are a lot alike, as are Florian and Bijou." She walked away as Camila watched her, gazing to the ground and seeing small plants shoot up from Willow's steps.
Amity and Ghost went around the Owl House's halls. She stepped on something, causing most of the doors to close. She looked down to find a photo on the floor and picked it up. She then went to the sole door with light inside, where Eda's room was still illuminated with glyphs. She stepped over with a knowing smile, gazing down at the nest.
"Hey," she said to her girlfriend, who had her back turned while cuddling her palisman egg.
"Hey..."
"Did you think sitting in the nest was gonna help your palisman hatch?" Amity hovered over the nest, smiling.
"Maybe. But nothing's happening..."
"Remember what the Bat Queen said; to connect with a palisman, you must express your deepest wish," she continued, looking at Ghost, who had crept up next to her.
"I never asked," Luz sat up and looked at the purple-haired witch. "How did you connect with your palisman?"
"Well, after being handed a witch's staff, I said I wanted to be a great witch, or...I don't know, an author like Mildred Featherwhyle, but she wouldn't move," she said, looking fondly at her feline palisman. "Until I admitted that...I don't know what I'm gonna be when I grow up."
She nuzzled the top of Ghost's head.
"But I wanna choose my own path." Ghost stepped up and nuzzled her cheek. "And that was enough."
She smiled cheerfully as Luz gazed down at her egg.
"I wanna be a witch...and help my friends. But doing one always seems to mess up the other. Why did this get so complicated?"
Amity massaged the top of her head. "You just gotta be patient."
She kissed the top of Luz's head.
"...And this isn't the only reason you're in here, is it?" Amity asked, showing her a photo of herself, Bijou, Hazel, King, Eda, and Hooty all wearing matching sweaters. King was annoyed, but the others smiled.
Luz sat up, gazing at the drifting lights. "We'll find Eda and King...no matter how long it takes."
"Girls?" Camila inquired quietly, capturing their attention. She held her arm uncomfortably. "It seems as if Ms. Aria's ready to talk."
Outside...
As Hunter still paced around, everyone else assembled outside the Owl House, where Violetta had prepared and dusted a chair. They looked at each other, with Bijou patting her palisman with concern. They still hadn't obtained any explanations about how Violetta got there and how she knew what was happening. Bijou, Ruby's current owner, had her worries.
"Okay, late recap, but we just defeated a monster who had been targeting the majority of us for months, and now we're returning to fight him and stop him once and for all. Anything you wanna say?" Aria spoke out while walking around.
"We are...just curious as to who you are and why you're here with us," Willow said softly as she raised her hand.
"Easy enough. Well, my name is Arianrhod Mysthaven, or Aria for short,...and I used to be like you," she said, looking at Bijou in particular. "Strong, smart, talented, attractive."
She winked at Luz, who smiled slightly at her compliments.
"I was friends with someone you kids got to know of."
"Eda," the human girls said in realization.
"But, like you youngsters, Belos revealed his wicked side to me...he was about to carry out my punishment, but I escaped. After handing over Ruby to the Bat Queen and going into hiding, I conducted some study. I managed to stay in contact with Darius and—"
"You and Darius were allies?" Bijou said, shocked, though she certainly shouldn't have been.
"Had to keep everything quiet at that time so Belos and his scouts wouldn't," Aria said with a wink. "But he'd never even think his old friend would get caught up in all this."
"Wait, how long have you known him?" Amity said in surprise.
"Oh, for years now. We all went to Hexside together. He was one of the best abomination students back then," She recalled their school days together.
"But then how do you know about Marianne?" Luz inquired.
"Inside sources," Violetta said, hands behind her back. "You see, I'm part of a secret society, dedicated to helping out any and all associates with the Ascended Witches, including Marianne Crowley. Except for the obvious scumbag that is Belos. My ancestors and some family friends have done it for centuries and currently, I am the leader of the Cult of the Ascended."
"A cult?" Bijou inquired suspiciously.
"Yes, but more of a benevolent kind."
"Aria, we wanted to know...what are we dealing with here with...Belos?" Hazel inquired, the woman sighing deeply.
"Like you, I was able to flee to the human realm. With all of the Day of Unity hoopla and that...creepy Collector kid, it was the only place I felt safe. I employed a teleportation glyph, which I taught myself to use after learning about Philip's past. The next thing I knew, I was tracking down Belos for months. He keeps using innocent animals from your realm to try to heal himself," Aria sighed. She was a witness to some of the most disturbing anima no person can even stomach.
"You couldn't stop him yourself?" Bijou asked the woman.
"At the time, I didn't think it was a huge concern because he would simply give up and leave. I suppose when you're old friends with the most powerful witch in the Boiling Isles, you pick up on some of her eccentricities," Aria was blushing as she stroked her neck. "Every time he gave up, I'd simply take a breather till he showed indications of resurfacing. And that's where you came in."
"Okay...so why'd you save us?" Gus asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You'd think I'd let Eda's friends get killed? I don't think so," she mocked, crossing her arms. "Besides...I have my own reasons. As in, like I said before, you,"
She pointed a finger at Bijou, who flinched at the abrupt questioning.
"Riddle me this, how'd you come across Marianne's bangle?"
"I found it at the town square when I visited the Boiling Isles the first time. I wanted to know more about this bangle and, later, Marianne, but I couldn't find any evidence related to both. It was like history didn't want her to be remembered," Bijou responded.
Hunter gazed up into the sky when he heard something, his eyes widening.
"It's Eda and King!" He exclaimed, and Aria flinched at how fast he was. Everyone jumped up and stared in his direction, noticing a blue star flying away from them.
"They were on that shooting star!" he said, pointing upward.
"How are we supposed to follow them?" Camila inquired, her gaze drawn to the vanishing light.
"Don't worry," Amity said as she walked up to her.
She tapped Ghost, who transformed into her staff.
"I'm a safe flyer," she said, as Gus, Jackie, Willow, and Bijou took out their staffs.
"...Flyer?" Camila questioned, realizing she was going to be on staff.
"We're going to ride those?" Florian asked uncertainly.
"Parents' first time on a staff?" Aria muttered as she took out her staff.
"Yup. This can only end so well," she remarked tiredly.
They pursued the star, with Hunter flying with Willow, Gus with Luz, Camila with Amity, Jackie with Hazel, and Bijou with Florian. Camila's eyes were pressed shut, and tears streamed down her cheeks as Florian enjoyed the ride. They all landed in the center of town.
Florian said, "That was great!"
"Ooh, those things need seatbelts," Camila gently exited Amity's crew. "Oh, hello sweet Earth..."
She slid to the ground and ended herself sitting on a monster. She shouted in panic and pulled out her bat. She suddenly noticed everyone staring at her.
"I-I mean...hello, good sir," she bowed, and he seemed pleased that she was kind to him despite her nervousness.
"At least he seems harmless," Florian commented while Aria nodded in agreement.
As they proceeded passed the playground, the town appeared abandoned, similar to the Owl House.
"Aria, were all of your ancestors and friends part of this cult you mentioned?" Florian inquired as they sought an alleyway.
"Well, not all of them, but we tried our best. We all knew the story of Marianne's enmity with Belos, so at first that was the only thing to go off of. Everyone only knows that Marianne was the first wild witch in Boiling Isles history. But they didn't even know the other half of it," she said with a small grin.
"Where are Eda and King?" Willow wondered as she and Gus stood in a dark alley.
"Where is anyone?" Gus asked, gesturing to the abandoned town center.
"The whole place is emptier than a cemetery in the middle of winter," Jackie said, a bit freaked out by the eerie silence..
"Hmm..." Bijou mused before recalling something. "Yesterday, after I finished helping at the bake sale, when I took a short nap, Marianne appeared to me in a vision."
The group took note of this.
"Really? She called out to you?" Hazel inquired.
"Yes," Bijou responded. "She even told me that her status as an Ascended died along with her, courtesy of Belos."
"How did she reach out to you?" Jackie asked.
"Her bangle," Bijou showed the magical accessory. "But that makes no sense. I'm not an Ascended witch, much less a witch in general. And I only found this bangle by chance. Prophecies here are meaningless."
"Maybe not but it could be Marianne's intuition," Aria remarked. "I looked it up in a book that survived Belos' destruction of any evidence related to Marianne. She did say that anyone would find her magical bangle and stop Belos when the time comes. Her words, not someone else's."
Hearing this made Bijou think for a moment.
"You see, when it was my turn to lead the cult, I had no idea where to start," Aria explained to the others. "There was no further evidence relating to Marianne other the written documents that survived, and you weren't of interest to me at the time, so I wasn't actively looking. That is, until Darius approached me and informed me about you."
She glanced at Bijou, who flinched.
"He claimed that a human he had heard of but never met was practicing magic with the help of a golden bangle adorned with heart-shaped gemstones. I performed some research and discovered that you own her bangle."
Hunter glared at her and asked, "And then you just sat around watching her? Waiting for something to happen? You could've helped her! You could've helped all of us, too."
"Well, Bijou is the one who I'm sworn to protect because she's connected to the last Ascended witch and the first wild witch in Boiling Isles history?"
Hunter remained silent and turned away, realizing that they would not have believed her if she had told them sooner.
"Sounds crazy, right? And besides, we weren't strong enough to face Belos. We only focused on getting the keeper of the bangle to safety from him...and now here we are."
"Are you going to try to stop us from fighting him now that we know?" Bijou said skeptically; she didn't want another Eda incident where he tried to push them into protection.
"Stop you? Unlikely! I'm not as tense about it as my ancestors and previous associates were," Aria said with a snort. "Just by looking at any of you, you are already capable of defending yourselves, and by telling you, it makes you official members of the Cult!" she told them, and they all grinned back.
"Thanks, Aria," Luz replied gratefully.
"You're welcome," she smiled at them. "We now need to gather more troop members. We may be strong, but we are dealing with a witch hunter. Let's start by locating at least one person in this community."
Hunter approached the destroyed monument first because none of the residences or shops appeared to be operating. Hunter glanced around the corner and raised a hand in warning. "Something's coming."
"Witches?
"Demons?"
"Anyone?"
"No, it's...sparkles?"" He stared back in confusion, and then a blue light burst from the alley, and he dashed away as the sparkles approached them.
"Quick, in here!" Aria ordered, as they all gasped and dashed to an alley. Bijou summoned up a light shield to ensure that the sparkles did not reach them. Luz stood guard near Amity, and when the sparkles faded, they glanced around the corner...was the abandoned town center now populated? And it no longer appeared abandoned, but rather alive with sparkles, bubbles, and rainbows. Some of the people were familiar, such as Cat or Amelia, but there was something odd about their appearances. It seemed as if they were life-size puppets.
"Dad?!" Willow recognized one of her fathers, although he had a moon crescent emblem on his brow. He came to life, as did the other puppets, as they jumped around. Then they all screamed and ran around in a panic.
"What is going on?" Bijou muttered, perplexed by their attitude. Willow ran up to her father. "Willow!"
"Stop, it's me!" she exclaimed, but he either didn't hear or didn't notice her. Hunter approached and took her hand. "Have you seen Papa? Wait!"
When an explosion erupted, Hunter jumped while clutching Willow, landing back in the alleyway.
"Willow...I don't think that was your father. Well, it is, but he's not in his right mind," Aria held an arm out in front of everyone else, protectively.
Willow asked, "What are you talking about?" and merely pointed up ahead. The ruckus was created by...the Owl Beast?
"Eda?"
Aria shook her head 'no'.
"Uh-uh..." She just responded as individuals fled from Eda's pursuit. Mr. Park gripped the wall, while Willow grabbed her staff.
"Hold it," Hazel interrupted her, and the girl looked up. A blast occurred directly behind Eda.
"Stop right there, beast!"
Willow trembled in confusion as the Collector appeared on a star, accompanied by King.
"Do not be afraid, citizens of Bonesborough!" he exclaimed as he jumped from the star. "I'm here to stop this beast's mad rampage!"
"I believe in you, Collector!" King urged the godlike boy. He even wore an attire similar to the Collector's.
"Thanks, best friend!" said the Collector, winking at him.
"That's one of the people you're looking for, right?" Aria asked gently, as she had lost contact with Eda before King entered the scene. Nobody said anything, and that was enough for her. Luz's eyes widened, and Bijou recoiled back in astonishment.
"Light glyph, go!" He shined a bright light that caused Eda to fall, and everyone cheered...and then Terra, dressed in Eda's outfit and with pink hair, crept out of a costume.
"Oh, hooray, I'm back to normal."
"That's not Eda," Florian pointed out.
"Head Witch Snapdragon?" Jackie was astonished by the abrupt shift in outcome.
"What?" Luz asked in surprise.
"Okay, that is one of the scariest things I've ever seen," Bijou said, looking away and gagging.
"Ugh, Terra, the years have not been kind to you," Aria murmured with distaste as the woman cracked her back. She appeared to have developed a pot belly.
"Who's got a pint of apple blood? Hoot hoot."
"Ugh, time out, everyone!" the Collector exclaimed. "Time out!"
He stepped up to Terra, King watching from a distance.
"Terra, for the last time, Eda doesn't sound like that! She's got more of a...like a-like a cool aunt vibe who pretends to be all cold-hearted but actually cares a lot!"
Bijou gasped at that description, deducing that King must've informed him about the woman.
"Oh, you're a real thorn in my side, you know that?" Terra growled, annoyed. "I've had it with you and your stupid little dog!"
The Collector stared at her, his mouth gaping wide. He glanced at King before glaring at her.
"Ugh, whatever. All I have to do is play Eda the Owl Lady, and I don't get turned into one of those things, right?" She jerked her thumb to a puppet. "Then...let's just continue...ooh, I like musicians!"
Aria lifted her brow and smiled weakly, knowing just who Terra was referring to.
"You're not being very nice right now," he said angrily, his eyes flashing red.
"Wait!" she pleaded, but he flicked a moon symbol across her forehead. When it hit her, she transformed into a smiling puppet, and he approached King. Everyone looked scared as they realized why everyone was looking off. The Collector sat atop the star, which swirled around.
"Collector, buddy," King approached him warily. "You gotta stop doing that. Think about what you're doing to these people."
"You are so boring!" the Collector exclaimed, annoyed. "I'm just playing pretend!"
"Even pretending has consequences, as a cranky old witch taught me." He looked away from his 'friend.'
"You mean Eda, right?" The Collector asked cheerfully. "That's what we need! The real thing! A cranky, know-it-all mental figure, no substitutes allowed! Maybe if I ask real nice, I won't have to turn her into a puppet!"
"No!" King sat across from him. "Her curse is still...um, in effect."
The Collector turned aside and crossed his arms across his knees.
"But I can check if she's feeling better."
"...You promise?"
"You can trust me, Collector," King said him, sticking out his pinky. The two made a pinky swear. Camila and Florian leaned in near their respective daughters.
"Is that the little King guy you were telling me about?" Camila asked.
"Mm-hm," Luz smiled affectionately and nodded.
"That's him," Bijou explained.
"Ay que lindo," Camila murmured, her eyes shining, mirroring Luz' reaction.
"Well, no wonder. Il est si mignon," Florian said with delight.
"And then maybe next time we could get someone to stand in for this Bij girl. I've heard lots of stories from Belos about how she ruined everything."
Bijou winced at being mentioned.
"She sounds like fun! I even like that bracelet she's wearing."
"Heh...yeah," said King, looking away nervously.
"Come on, King!" The Collector smiled as he looked back. "Let's go back to the Archive House."
The star began to float.
"Wait, no," Luz said, running up to him. "Not yet!" Neither of them heard her as the puppets vanished and the two moved away. "King..."
She sighed as everything returned to its abandoned state, and all of the puppets vanished.
Bijou approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why King's going along with all this."
"I know, but..." Luz spun back to hug her sister tightly. "He was right there, Bij. I saw him..."
"And we'll see him again. We'll find out where he's staying and see him there," Bijou hugged her companion, softly caressing her back. "You can count on it, amie."
Her gaze shifted to the sky, relaxing. She could tell King was only doing it to please the Collector; otherwise, he'd be a puppet by now.
"Okay, okay," Camila responded as the others joined them. "So the bones on the ground are normal, but the little space cherub is the danger?"
"We should follow 'em. Belos is probably trying to get back to the Collector!" Hunter went on.
"It looked like they were...playing a game," Gus said, holding his arm.
"Yeah, with some kind of messed up version of our lives!" Luz said, gesturing to herself and Bijou. "King must've told him about our adventures."
"How else would he know about Eda's curse?" Bijou questioned, tapping her chin. "Or about me and my bangle."
"Do you think everyone who was turned into a puppet gets locked in the archives?" Gus inquired as Luz walked atop a huge rock. She looked over at the star that was moving towards the castle above the Titan's head.
"If they do, then that's where we have to go," she said, narrowing her gaze.
"You'll never make it," a fresh voice said, capturing their attention as they gazed up to their right. "'Cuz you guys are losers!"
Mattholomule arrived with Skara and Barcus on his side. They all wore new accessories.
"Matt?" Bijou was surprised to see them after months.
The three of them jumped off the building.
"Skara!" Willow, Gus, and Jackie exclaimed.
Skara growled as the three hugged her closely. She returned the hug.
"Good to see you guys too," Skara replied as they parted ways.
"Barcus! It's been a while! Give me some paw!" Bijou cried, preparing her hand for a low-five. Barcus returned the gesture. "Now, can you tell us what has happened since we've been gone?"
"Woof! (We should talk while we walk.)" Barcus stated as he, Skara, and Mattholomule led them through the forest.
Flashback - Day of Unity
Bump set up sleeping bags for the kindergarten students in Hexside's gymnasium.
"Since the Golden Guard, I mean Hunter, told us about the Emperor's plans with the Day of Unity, Principal Bump allowed students and teachers to camp out at Hexside," Skara told the Hexsquad.
"We thought we could handle whatever the Emperor threw at us...but when the Draining Spell hit..." Mattholomule said.
A red light engulfed the region, and they gazed up at the sky to observe the eclipse. They looked over to see the teachers and Principal Bump, who were suffering the effects.
"We realized things weren't so simple."
The Collector then pushed the moon over.
"After the adults recovered..."
"That's when the Collector's spies showed up."
Floating blue stars flew across the sky, revealing the camp. Boscha, Cat, and Amelia readied themselves with Grudgby balls before jumping out of the bushes.
"The Grudgby team snuck out and tried to hold them back, but..."
One of the stars avoided everything, darting around to get behind Boscha. A moon emblem appeared on its brow. Amelia pushed her out of the way, while Cat let herself be hit. Amelia was likewise affected, and Boscha gazed up as her companions dropped in front of her as puppets.
"Huh?!" She exclaimed as they vanished into thin air. It was about to turn her into one, too, when Principal Bump hit it with abomination goo. The teachers rushed up, while several pupils rescued Boscha.
"It didn't work."
All of the teachers were hit, and Principal Bump was also impacted.
"Bump and the adults were turned into toys and taken away. We've been hiding ever since."
End Flashback
"And somewhere along the way, I went from being Mattholomule...to Man-tholomule."
Camila, Florian, and Aria all giggled at how silly he sounded. Jackie, Willow, and Gus appeared annoyed, Hunter was unconcerned, while Luz and Amity were simply put off by it.
"I'm not buying that," Bijou replied, doubtful.
"Me neither," Hazel said.
"Shh!" Skara held up her staff in front of them, and they looked up to see one of the star monsters staring around. Mattholomule emerged from hiding behind a bush, waving them onward. They walked to Hexside, which, like the Owl House, had seen better days... There was a notice inside that declared no non-puppets allowed, with Skara putting away a box and Mattholomule relocating it.
"We did a little redecorating these past few months, so let me welcome you to...New Hexside!"
They all gasped since there were so many pupils surrounding and the entryway looked more like a sanctuary than a school. However, there was a lot of mayhem because there were no grownups around, such as students swinging from trees.
"This does not smell great," Gus remarked as he smelled something and decided it was probably best not to know what it was.
"Not up to code, too," Jackie said, examining everything that went beyond what a regular school would seem like.
"Heads up!" someone exclaimed, Luz darting from a fireball. They entered the lunchroom, which had become something of a market for traders.
"T-shirts! Get your t-shirts!"
"Bootleg candy! Now that your mama's a puppet, it's time to eat that candy!" A small demon jumped up and bit into his palm, freaking him out.
"Eh, I've seen worse," Violetta shrugged.
They walked by the kindergarten, where Braxas was dressed up like his father.
"I'll save you, father!" He held up a paper shuriken and briefly pressed it to his tongue. When he flung it, it severed the head of a stuffed animal that resembled a Collector spy. All the children sprang up and began pulling it apart.
"Let the blood of your enemies give you strength!"
Florian and Camila exchanged worrisome looks before leaving them alone.
"This is a statue of Principal Bump," Mattholomule stated as the trio stood in front of it with sadness. "Who risked his life for ours."
They all gave an emotional salute to it.
"It's so nice to see teachers getting the respect they deserve...I think." The statue...featured the administrator skateboarding while wearing sunglasses and a hat. Aria burst out laughing and took a picture with Penstagram.
"I am so posting this when we save the world."
"Seems like these guys are free to do whatever they want when teachers are not present," Florian said with a scowl. "So sad."
"Bump was and still is the best principal," Hazel commented solemnly.
Some classmates crowded around whispering, having finally seen the former Hexside kids.
"Hey, where have you guys been?"
"Who's tall Luz?"
"Is that man Bijou's father?"
"Willow! Bijou!" Viney ran up to them, grasping their hands. "I'm so glad you guys are back! Your orchids have become sentient and have started a war with the robbing gang of kindergarteners! Please help."
Eileen approached Gus, holding a paper clip. "No! Human paper clips are not a good meat substitute! Have people been eating those?"
Eileen looked away in fright and fled away, confirming his suspicion. Bijou sighed and placed a palm on her forehead.
"They need you as their human teacher now more than ever..." he said, shaking his head.
"Ahh...they might seem too far gone for me to help them efficiently. Maybe in like a few months, give or take?" Bijou said skeptically; if the school was like this, learning how humans will live wouldn't be so easy.
"Jackie, is that you?" Nick was surprised as he saw her nearby.
"Nick!" Jackie exclaimed with glee as she and her brother hugged. "You're okay."
"So are you," Nick replied, smiling.
"Mittens?!"
Amity glanced around, happy to see her sister approaching her.
"Em!" The two hugged tightly, and Emira spun her around.
"Heya, sis!"
They turned to see Edric being wheeled over, his entire body in a cast.
"Amity!" he exclaimed, tears flowing from his eyes.
"Oh. My. Titan!"
He attempted to hug her but could barely move.
"Ed, you're gonna hurt yourself!" Emira warned.
"Come here, you weirdos!" Amity exclaimed, holding out her hands and hugging her family through tears. Emira looked up and saw Bijou talking to Celine.
"Hey, Ed, take a look," Emira said. Edric glanced over and observed Bijou in her Lumine outfit.
"No. Freaking. Way," Edric exclaimed, blushing at seeing her girlfriend again. "Bijou!"
He hobbles closer to Bijou, who turns to face him.
"Oh my gosh! Edric!" she said. "What happened to you?"
"A little encounter with the Collector," Edric replied. "Aw! My precious diamond is back in my arms! And she looks even beautiful today!"
"And it's good to see you again, my little prankster," Bijou then kissed him on a cheek.
Emira and Amity watched them with smiles, knowing well that the two lovebirds missed each other so much.
Aria chuckled as she strolled down the corridor, watching the kids reunite with friends and family. She took out her scroll and logged into Penstagram. She scrolled till she found Eda's name, then tapped it to video call her.
When Eda responded, she looked away, annoyed. "Whoever it is, I'm spoken for. Although I am quite a catch."
Aria chuckled as the Owl Lady gazed at her with amazement. Eda had trimmed her hair, which now resembled her mother's in a star form. She still had no right arm because it was bandaged.
"You haven't changed at all, huh, Eda?"
"Wait...Aria?! Is that really you?"
"Aria?!" Lilith inquired from the side. Her hair was chopped short and restored to its previous orange color. "Oh, we thought you were—"
"Dead? Ha! You really don't know me, do you?" Aria replied boastfully, winking. "Plus, I'm digging the new looks, ladies."
Lilith and Eda exchanged faint smiles at her.
"Girl, where have you been all this time?" Eda said gently. Her buddy stumbled and dropped her expression quickly. She looked away, guilty.
"Why didn't you reach out to us sooner?"
"...Eda, I was almost executed by Belos as you probably know."
Lilith gasped sharply, since she was unaware of this.
"I had gained access to the Emperor's Coven, but I refused to give up my palisman. So, once I escaped, he declared me a wild witch. I believe he was too humiliated to have a fresh recruit leave on the same day she started."
"Aria..." Eda's eyes saddened as she didn't want to hear this, but Aria appeared weak right now. She knew Aria had left the coven, but not the full sorrowful story...
"I was so terrified of it that I stopped communicating. That, and he would do anything to find me. So I couldn't jeopardize your lives, either, which is why I requested Darius and an old friend to hide me."
"Old friend? But who else—Raine!" She narrowed her eyes, realizing. "They helped hide you without telling me?! Oh, they're not gonna hear the end of this from me!"
Aria smiled as she ranted, relieved to be able to talk to her again and that Eda didn't appear angry at her.
"By the way," Aria said, smirking. "When we see each other again, I have a surprise for you."
"A surprise?" Eda sneered at her. "Considering what I've been through, I'm probably going to hate it."
"Don't worry. You'll love it," Aria said, peering at the doors. "It's gonna be a good one. But I can't show it to you now. It's not time yet."
She grinned at Eda, who looked perplexed. If she revealed Eda to Luz and Bijou now, it would make it less enjoyable for her. Eda was concerned that the girls would be alarmed if they saw her feathers.
"Eda, you might wanna deal with the whole curse situation," she said, pointing to her neck.
"Oh, yeah. Thanks. Wait, how do you know about my curse?!" Eda asked, her eyes wide.
"Tell you later, gotta go do stuff!" Aria joked and hung up before Eda could object. She smiled wistfully while holding the scroll. She hugged it close to her heart and shed a tear, feeling terrible for leading them to believe she was executed.
She heard a chirp and looked down at Ruby on the ground. The robin palisman chirped in distress, and Aria went down to pet him.
"I'll be okay. I'm a tough woman. Besides, Belos will get a taste of retribution once he sees me again," she smiled at her old buddy. "And for forcing you to lose a fellow bird palisman."
Ruby chirped regretfully, as he hugged her cheek with his wings. Aria chuckled slightly and nuzzled his head with her finger. "Just like old times..."
"No offense, but this seems a bit..." Willow observed an abomination walk over two pupils, covering them in goop.
"Disgusting," Camila shivered slightly.
"I'd say it's more like unsanitary," Florian commented.
"Chaotic is the word that you're looking for, actually," Bijou said, walking over.
"Yeah, but we're just following orders," Viney explained.
"From who?" Luz inquired in surprise, as the intercom entered.
"Ahem. Attention. Would Captain Tholomule escort his guests to the councils' chamber? Do it now!" Boscha exclaimed as they looked up.
"Captain who?" Willow was perplexed.
"Wait! Has Tholomule been your last name all along?!" Gus asked the boy, who simply shrugged. Aria strolled past them as she returned from the corridor.
"Let's get this over with so that we can do what we need," she told them all.
"You know, I could've sworn this was your adventures," Amity said softly to Luz and Bijou.
"Ahem. Attention. Would Captain Tholomule escort his guests to the councils' chamber? Do it now!" Boscha exclaimed as they looked up.
"Captain who?" Willow was perplexed.
"Wait! Has Tholomule been your last name all along?!" Gus asked the boy, who simply shrugged. Aria strolled past them as she returned from the corridor.
"Let's get this over with so that we can do what we need," she told them all.
"You know, I could've sworn this was your adventures," Amity said softly to Luz, Hazel, and Bijou.
"Trust me, it still is," Hazel stated dryly.
With Phillip/Belos...
Meanwhile, Belos was traveling through the forest beneath the Collector's castle. He grumbled while tracing something onto the granite. After he completed, it appeared to be a glyph. He touched it, and the glyph became more visible, revealing a gateway to a corridor.
It turned out that the corridor led to...the Golden Guard graveyard. He crawled across the bones and shattered masks, gasping heavily as he grew weaker. Caleb's ghost reappeared, along with numerous other Golden Guards. He stared up at them while they remained silent.
"Oh, shut up," he growled as he crawled by them. He came across...where he could create another Grimwalker when necessary.
"There has to be one last..."
He dove inside a planted box, where a hand poked out. The hand then twitched slightly.
With the Collector and King...
They flew on the star, laughing happily as they returned home.
"Boy, oh boy!" King exclaimed as they flew into the door. "We were gone for a while." He hopped off the star, which vanished. "I should probably, uh, check on Eda the Owl Beast. Maybe get her something to eat."
The Collector then drifted up, turning upside down. "What do mortals eat again? Rocks? Fire? Gravity?"
King simply motioned him along to a safer location, but it did not appear to be heading that way. Odalia, of all people, went down the stairs.
"Welcome home, Collector. Did you have a pleasant adventure?"
"Mama Dalia, we need to feed the Owl Beast," he said, floating over to the steps as King passed her. "Mm, how about...oh, pizza bagels?"
"I told you before, Collector," she chuckled nervously at him. "I could be much more use to you than being uh...Mama Dalia. Maybe we can talk about remaking the Boiling Isles into something bigger and better?"
In short, she wanted to shape the Boiling Isles into an image that suited her.
"Bagels!" the Collector demanded again, and she bowed with a grunt. She reluctantly went to go do so. "Oh, and one more thing."
He got her attention and snapped his fingers, causing all the puppets in town to emerge over her head. She yelped as they dropped around her, and she sprung up, her hair tangled.
"Drag those back to the collection room, will ya? 'Kay, thanks, bye!"
He and King drifted away.
The two then floated over to their bedroom, which was surrounded by space but featured two beds and a desk.
"We've been playing pretend forever, King!" the Collector complained to him. "It is fun, but...what if we switch it up? We could play Capture the Flag! Us versus everyone on the Isles! We could put the losers on the moon!"
"Wow, that is...an idea. But, don't you think people would have a tough time breathing?"
Bijou's studies during her first few weeks in the Boiling Isles revealed that, while witches used a bile sac to perform magic, they had the same space capabilities as humans.
"So they could hold their breaths!" the Collector responded, floating up and taking off his cover. He glided down to bed, and the blanket covered him. He couldn't see King's face, but the small Titan seemed troubled now. "Hey, King."
He clapped his hands, and a massive heap of stone collapsed nearby.
"Can you read me a story?"
The book was tall enough to reach the door.
"Heh heh. Easy," he said, causing the book to fall around the world and crash directly behind him. Some papers fell, so he bent down to read. "Okay. Collectors live long, we watch things pass. To preserve, to observe, we must amass. What flies, what swims, be it predator or prey. Seal them up so that they never fade...uh..."
He stared down at some smudged writing that he couldn't understand.
"No, don't read the next part! Skip to where I fixed it," The Collector told him.
"Uh, okay. But playing is more fun, so I'm gonna make friends instead, the others stink boo." He felt a little disturbed, noting to look into it later. He stretched up and changed the illumination to blue instead of yellow, like the sun and moon.
"King? Can I sleep with Francois?"
He halted and glanced at his plush bunny. He only obtained it because of Luz, Hazel, and Bijou, and he's been the only one to touch it since. Well...
"Come on, you know I've only let two other people hold him."
"Right, those humans," the Collector said coldly. "Can you at least leave him to watch over me? I don't like being alone."
King sighed in defeat and placed the plush bunny on the desk. The Collector fell asleep, and King glided away to leave him alone...