Finally! Here is my final Owl House fanfiction! I meant to post this a few days ago, but Morningmark's fan comics are entertaining and distracting.
Now, this story is a lot like my Horizon's Light series for Tangled. Basically, I took a bunch of AUs and threw them all into one story, and this is the end result.
As far as appearances go in this chapter, for the first part, Eda and Raine look as they did in the flashbacks from "Eda's Requiem" and "Knock, Knock, Knockin' on Hooty's Door." In the second part, Eda has her "Echoes of the Past" flashback look. Raine has a more medium-length hairstyle and wears unisex teal, white, and gray clothing.
If anyone has questions about this AU, you can ask in the comment section, and I'll answer as best I can without spoilers.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to The Owl House. I only own this story idea. I make some references to Morningmark's fan comics, so credit goes to them for those.
When they heard the screech, Raine raced back up the hill where they left Eda.
Raine had just made the hardest decision of their life: breaking up with Eda. They loved Eda but couldn't handle the wall she was putting up anymore. It felt like they weren't getting anywhere, and Raine needed to make decisions about their own life, too. Even so, they still cared about Eda. So, if her curse was acting up, they would help her in any way they could.
"Eda!" Raine called as they reached the hill crest, gasping in shock when they found she had transformed into… something they had never seen before. This was Raine's first time seeing the Owl Beast. Eda had opened up about it once, but seeing it was a different story.
"Eda?" Raine called tentatively, hoping she was still in there. The beast whirled on them, snarling before it reared up with a roar. Raine barely dodged in time, diving to the ground to avoid her sharp claws.
"Okay," Raine panted as they got back up. "I know break-ups aren't fun, but was that necessary?" The Owl Beast growled at them as it stalked closer. "Right, not a good time," They muttered, backing up a little as they tried to think of a plan.
Eda never talked much about her curse, but they did remember that she said she would change back on her own at some point. In the meantime, Raine needed to keep her calm and in one place until the curse wore off.
Getting an idea, Raine started running down the hill towards the woods nearby. Glancing over their shoulder, they saw the Owl Beast chasing after them, which was precisely what they wanted. They needed to lead Eda somewhere she'd be out of sight while in her cursed form.
Raine watched their pace once they entered the treeline. They needed to stay in sight of the Owl Beast but keep enough distance between them to avoid getting hurt. Once they saw a clearing, they made a sharp turn, ducking behind a tree and out of sight of the beast.
Raine held their breath, trying to remain calm as the Owl Beast appeared shortly after them. It slowed down and sniffed around, trying to find its quarry. As it stalked past their hiding place, Raine crept around behind the beast, needing to take it by surprise. Once they were in the right spot, they drew a magic circle with their finger, summoning their trusty violin. Eda had told Raine a few stories about her visits to the Human Realm. She had heard a phrase once called "music soothes the savage beast," and it gave Raine an idea. If he played some music, the Owl Beast might calm down and change back into Eda. It was worth a try. And they knew just the song to use…
Bringing their violin into position, Raine began to play 'Raine's Rhapsody.' It was a song Eda had made up for whenever they were together. It was their song, and Raine hoped it would help Eda like it always helped them.
The Owl Beast turned back the bard when it heard the noise. Growling, it started stalking toward them but then stopped. The witch was acting differently from before. Instead of running away, they just stood there, creating a strange noise from the rock and stick in their hands. The beast was drawn to the sound, taking a few steps closer as it watched them curiously.
Raine kept an eye on the Owl Beast as they played. To their relief, it wasn't attacking them. Taking a chance, they took a step closer to the Owl Beast. The beast didn't appear to notice that, just watching Raine as they took a few steps closer every few minutes. Soon, Raine was standing barely three feet away from the Owl Beast.
"Eda…" They spoke, knowing they needed to try talking things out with her. "I'm sorry about before. I just… I just got frustrated. I knew you were struggling with the curse, and I wanted to help you… but you would always laugh it off and push me away. It felt like our relationship had hit a wall, and I was the only one who saw it." Raine watched as the beast continued to stare at them. It then curled up on the ground like it was planning to sleep.
Meanwhile, Eda was dealing with the Owl Beast as she always did at this point: Running blindly through the void while it chased her. However, the beast stopped chasing her this time as Raine's Rhapsody filled the void. Eda slowed to a stop, wondering what was happening as the Owl Beast curled up to rest.
"What the…?" Eda questioned before hearing Raine's voice.
"What I'm trying to say is… Eda, I love you."
"Raine…" She whispered.
"And when the person I love is hurting, I want to help them." Eda looked down as her lower lip trembled, trying desperately to hold it together. "Even if there's nothing I can do, let me at least help carry the burden. Whatever you need, I'll give it. Just please… don't shut me out." Hearing their earnest words, Eda gave up the fight, falling to her knees as she started sobbing.
Raine wasn't sure how long they played for in the real world. They knew they repeated the song at least once but were more focused on the Owl Beast in case it started getting violent. Suddenly, the beast began to glow, giving off a bright flash of light that caused Raine to flinch. When the light stopped, they turned back and saw their Eda slumped on the ground, seemingly unconscious but otherwise uninjured. Raine's violin disappeared as they hurried to Eda's side. "Eda! Eda, can you hear me?!"
Eda responded to their voice, slowly pushing herself to her knees with a groan. As she sat up, Raine saw the tear tracks on her face, causing them to gasp silently. Before they could say anything, Eda launched herself into their arms, bawling again. Raine was taken by surprise as they slowly wrapped their arms around her. They never saw Eda look this fragile. She had always been so tough, strong, and proud. Seeing her this broken up hurt Raine's heart.
"Please… Please don't go…" she managed to say between sobs. Raine hushed her softly like a parent would a distraught child. They stayed like that for some time as the bard let the Owl Lady release all her repressed anguish.
Soon, the sun went down, and the two adults knew they needed to head home. Not wanting to leave Eda alone after today, Raine walked her back to the house where she had been staying since leaving home. They held hands as they walked, not in a lovers' way but in a comforting way that said, 'I'm here for you.' "So, that's why you've been distant…" Raine said after Eda had told them what had been happening.
"I already ruined my dad's life," She murmured, emotionally drained from the day. "I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I took away your future."
"Eda…" Raine stopped, forcing Eda to look at them. "I don't care what the future holds. I just want you to be part of it, no matter what it is."
Eda smiled back at them before looking down at their joined hands. "So… what are we now? Are we back together or…?"
Raine thought about it before saying, "Let's say… we're starting over. Our old relationship is over, and we're starting a new one. We'll go as slow or fast as you want. I just want you to be comfortable."
Eda mulled it over before nodding in agreement. "I can work with that. Just promise me one thing…."
"Anything."
"That you'll be patient with me."
"I promise. We should also work on communicating what we need from each other more, even if we don't tell each other everything."
"Yeah." Eda nodded before they started walking again. "It's getting late. Do you want to stay at the Owl House tonight?"
"The Owl House?"
"That's what I'm calling the place. Owl Beast, Owl Lady, Owl House." They linked their fingers together as they headed to the Owl House, eager for this new beginning.
(Timeskip)
It had been a few years since that day when Raine decided to stay. As they promised each other, they'd worked on the flaws in their relationship by communicating and opening up. It wasn't perfect, but they still had each other.
At some point, Raine moved into the Owl House with Eda when they both felt ready. Raine had changed his mind about joining the Bard Coven and took a teaching job at Hexside, the school the two of them attended when they were teens. Meanwhile, Eda ran a few small businesses, selling potions and elixirs during the week while using the portal to collect human items on the weekends. She had also become the most wanted criminal on the Boiling Isles.
It had been them, their palismen, Owlbert and Salem, and the house demon, Hooty… until Eda and Raine found a tiny demon they named King and took him in. They weren't sure what kind of demon he was, but that was something they would figure out when he was older. King's presence added a new dynamic to the household. Eda and Raine had discussed the idea of having kids someday, but Eda was hesitant because she didn't want to pass the curse on to their child. So, King gave them a dose of parenthood, though Eda would claim he was a pet or a roommate, much to Raine's amusement.
Today, Eda was poking around the woods near the Emperor's castle. Those who didn't know her home life would think she was planning some anti-Emperor shenanigans. However, the reality was that she needed soothsayer mushrooms for an order, and this was the only area they could be found.
Eda grumbled as she sifted through another pile of dirt, searching fruitlessly for what she needed. She stood up and rolled her shoulders, annoyed at her lack of success. "Maybe I should've just gone to the market," She muttered, shaking out her dress. "But they're best when fresh from the ground…"
Eda continued her trek, careful not to mess up her boots too much. She rounded another tree, finally finding the mushrooms she was looking for. "'About time," she said before kneeling to pluck some out of the dirt and putting them in a sack she brought. Once finished, she tied the pack closed and brought out her staff to get home. But before she could take off, she was startled by a crash somewhere behind her. Eda spun her staff around, holding it in front of her defensively.
"Who's there?!" The crash sounded far away, but she couldn't be too careful. For all she knew, a coven scout could be nearby, waiting to arrest her. She ventured forward, pulling her hood over her head just in case. She held Owlbert in front of her, carefully shifting through the underbrush of the woods. She didn't hear any groans of pain or cursing that she would associate with someone being hurt.
Eda was about to give up and assume it was an animal of some kind when she caught a sound just outside the edge of her hearing. She slowed, quieting her feet as she crouched down, listening again. This time, Eda heard what sounded like whimpering. She crept forward, still obscured behind a line of scraggly bushes. Eda peeked over the bush, and her eyes widened at what she saw.
It was a kid.
An honest-to-Titan child lying in the dirt, partially unconscious.
She could barely see them as they wore a torn, dirtied white fabric covering them like a blanket. Only a mop of messy light blond hair was noticeable, showing her where they were. They looked like they were trying to get up at one point, but they fell still, wholly unconscious.
Eda swallowed hard at the sight, an unpleasant feeling swirling in her stomach that she couldn't ignore. This area could be classified as the middle of nowhere if you didn't know where to go. Plus, the kid was most likely injured based on that crash alone.
Unable to ignore the feeling, she pushed through the bush, lowering her hood and rising to her full height. "Hey, kid," she said softly, crouching beside them. "You alright?" They didn't respond, proving that they had passed out.
Now that she was closer, Eda could see the kid fully now. He was a little boy, and she meant that literally. He was short, scrawny, and didn't look like he could be any older than eight or nine. What stuck out to Eda the most was the nasty-looking scar trailing down his right cheek and the nick in his left ear. She could only imagine what kind of fall or accident caused those.
Eda looked at the dark night sky, then the imposing woods, before turning back to the kid and deciding she would not leave this kid out here. Setting up her staff for flight, Eda carefully picked the boy up. She felt something warm as she gathered him up. Moving his cloak aside, her stomach dropped when she saw crimson bleeding through the fabric on his left arm. So, he was injured, and badly by the amount of blood starting to come through. She'd have to deal with that when they returned to the Owl House.
Eda was about to get on Owlbert when something caught her eye. A strange staff snapped in two, not far from where the boy was lying. That must have been what the boy was riding when he crashed. Now Eda was perplexed. The boy was too young to have a magic staff of his own, so how did he have it? There was also something familiar about it…
Thinking this was important, Eda scooped up the pieces before tying them up with the bag of mushrooms she hadn't forgotten. She climbed onto her staff and took off with the boy, leaving the castle's forests behind.
(A short time later)
Eda landed in front of the Owl House, getting off her staff as she walked to the door with an unconscious boy in her arms. "Hi, Eda!" Hooty greeted her before looking at the boy. "Oooo, who's that?"
"I'll explain later," Eda said. "Right now, he needs healing."
Hooty opened the door for her since her hands were full. She walked inside before the house demon closed the door behind her. As she entered the living room, Raine walked in from the other direction with Salem padding behind them.
"Hi, Eda. Any luck with the mushrooms?" they asked before noticing the kid. "Who's this?"
"Not sure. All I know is that he's hurt and needs treatment."
"Alright," Raine gently took the boy from her arms. "Let me do that while you get cleaned up."
"Thanks, Raine." Eda kissed them on the cheek before turning to Owlbert as he transformed into his animated form. "Could you take this into the kitchen for me?" Owlbert hooted before taking the bag in his beak, giving the kid a concerned look before flying away.
After Eda left, Raine turned to their palisman. "Salem, could you gather some healing supplies for me? We need bandages, potions, and glyphs." The fox yipped before bounding away.
Raine looked at the boy sadly before laying him down on the couch. He was so young. What was he doing in the middle of the forest?
Salem returned to the room, dragging a blanket with various healing items piled on it. Raine nodded a 'thank you' before rolling up their sleeves and getting to work.
Meanwhile, Eda had thrown her cloak and dress into the hamper before changing into her usual sleep clothes and slippers. She then headed back downstairs to check on Raine and the kid. "How's it going?" She asked, looking over their shoulder.
"All things considered, his injury could be worse, but it's not good either," Raine answered.
Eda couldn't help but wince when she saw the boy's arm. With the shirt pulled back, she saw his arm was a bloody mess. She couldn't even tell where the wound ended and skin began.
"Could you help me with this?" Raine asked. "Healing magic isn't my specialty."
"Not mine, either, but we can make something work." Eda agreed, kneeling next to them.
It wasn't deadly, but it was deep. A clean cut right through his bicep. Eda kept the boy under with a sleep spell while they worked on the wound. One simple spell to shrink the affected area and glyph-plastered bandage later… and the couple still had a mysterious child on their couch. Well, at least he wasn't bleeding anymore.
"Well, that should do it," Eda said as they cleaned up the supplies.
"We'll have to keep an eye out for any infections, but other than that, yes," Raine agreed before his expression became pensive. "Still, what was he doing out in the middle of the woods?"
"I have no idea… but I can guess how he got there."
"What do you mean?"
"Let me show you." Eda led Raine into the kitchen, where Owlbert had left the bag of mushrooms. She pulled the staff pieces out of the bag and laid them on the table for Raine to see.
"What's this?" Raine questioned.
"It's some kind of magic staff, but not one I've seen before," Eda answered. "I found it with the kid after he crashed."
"So, he was riding it?"
"That's what I was thinking."
"But the boy is, what, nine years old? That's too young for a magic staff."
"Again, that's what I was thinking." Eda agreed as Raine took a closer look at the staff.
As Eda observed earlier, this staff was like nothing they had ever seen. Typical witches' staffs are made from the wood of palistrom trees and are topped with a creature of some kind that becomes the witch's palisman. This staff seemed mechanical… artificial…
Wait…
Once that word crossed their mind, Raine's eyes widened.
"Raine?" Eda questioned, seeing the shift in their demeanor.
"I need to check something," they said before turning around and heading back to the living room.
"Huh?"
Not knowing if Eda was following them, Raine quietly walked back into the living room. They went over to the boy's cloak, which was still on the floor. Under all the grime, something metal caught their eye at just the right angle. Following a hunch, Raine picked it up, searching through the folds for the flash they saw. Their hands wrapped around something cold and metallic, and they unwrapped it from the fabric. When they found it, their eyes widened further as their suspicions were confirmed.
"Raine?" They heard Eda come in behind them. "What is it?"
Raine didn't say anything. They just turned around, holding up the cloak and what they had found for their girlfriend to see. Eda's eyes widened like her partner's, bringing a hand to her mouth when she saw the Emperor's sigil carved clear as day on a solid, shimmering pendant.
"Oh, boy." She breathed as they both looked at the boy on their couch. "How are we just now seeing this?"
"We were more focused on his injuries," Raine said.
"You know, I can almost see it. He's got everything from the thin armor under his tunic to the thick gloves. All that's missing is a mask and ten more years of life."
"That's the thing, though," Raine said as they and Eda looked back at each other. "This kid can't be more than ten years old. That's way too young to be part of a coven, much less be a Coven Scout for the Emperor's Coven."
"So, what's going on?" Eda questioned, feeling uneasiness settle in her gut.
"I have a theory," Raine said, turning serious. "Remember back during the field day at Hexside? Right before you got cursed? There was a special guest the day before your duel with Lilith."
Eda hummed in thought as she thought back to those days. Honestly, that was a time she didn't like to think about. Even so, she was willing to put aside her discomfort for their safety and possibly the kid's. After a minute, she remembered Vice Principal Bump introducing the surprise guest and what he was holding… "Are you saying that he's…?"
"The Golden Guard?" Raine finished for her. "Probably not yet, but since he had the staff I remember the last guard using, he was probably going to be."
Eda blew out a heavy breath, looking at the kid again. "Well, this just got a whole lot more complicated… What do we do now?"
Raine was quiet, not sure what to say. But when they looked back at the boy, they knew what they needed to do. "I think we should wait until he wakes up before making final decisions, but if it's at all possible, we should take him in."
"Whaaat?" Eda questioned as if her partner had gone insane.
"Eda, you and I both saw the scars," Raine argued, though his expression was sympathetic. "Clearly, his life at the castle wasn't kind."
The Owl Lady looked between her partner and the boy. If Eda was being honest, she really wanted to wipe her hands of this. If the kid had connections to higher-ups in the Emperor's Coven, they would come looking for him. The last thing she wanted on her list of crimes was kidnapping some important stooge's kid. On the other hand, though, she knew Raine was right. While treating his recent injury, they found older wounds on the boy. Something or someone was hurting the kid, and he wasn't being taken to a proper healer.
Eda sighed before agreeing. "Alright, we'll take in another stray."
"Eda!" Raine nudged her, but they were smiling.
"So, how are we going to handle the, uh…" She glanced down at the medal still in their hands.
"Let's let him bring it up. We might scare him if he knows we know where he came from. Besides," They continued, taking Eda's hand with their free one. "Experience has taught me the importance of patience in situations like this." Eda smiled wryly, not commenting.
(The following day)
Eda trudged downstairs, ready to get some hard apple blood before facing the day. Before heading to the kitchen, though, she wanted to see if their mystery kid was awake. Heading into the living room, she couldn't help but smile when she saw Raine asleep on the loveseat, even more so when they started to wake up.
"Rainestorm."
Raine chuckled at the nickname, grabbing their glasses from the coffee table. "Morning, Eda."
"I was wondering why you didn't come to bed," She commented, leaning against the archway.
"I figured one of us should be here in case the kid woke up." They responded, sitting up.
Before Eda could say anything else, they heard a soft moan from the other couch. The adults turned to see the boy start to come around. He tried to sit up but hissed when that meant putting weight on his hurt arm, causing him to fall back.
"Easy…" Raine whispered, getting up.
Hearing their voice, the boy's eyes snapped open before looking at them. Seeing Raine and Eda, he scrambled back, pushing himself into the back of the couch while ignoring the pain in his arm. "Who are you?! Where am I?! What am I doing here?!" he asked, panicking.
"Hey, it's okay," Raine said calmly, kneeling beside the couch. "My name's Raine, and that's my partner, Eda."
"I found you last night while I was looking for soothsayer mushrooms. You were hurt pretty bad, so I brought you to our house to get treated."
"I was… hurt?" The boy questioned slowly before clutching at his bandaged arm. Seeing they were telling the truth, his eyes started to water as he whispered, "So, last night… really happened?"
"There, there," Raine soothed, moving to sit on the sofa with him. "What's your name?"
He wiped at his eyes before answering, "Hunter."
"Nice to meet you, Hunter," Raine smiled before becoming concerned. "But what happened to you? How did you get hurt?"
"I…" Hunter started to say before going silent. It looked like he wanted to explain, but he was afraid.
"Do you at least know where your parents or caretakers are so we can help you get home?" Eda asked.
Hunter opened his mouth to reply but stopped himself. He didn't look at them, instead staring at his hands, seemingly stuck in his head.
Taking a risk, Raine asked as gently as possible, "Were your parents or caretakers the ones who hurt you?"
Hunter startled a bit, looking at Raine in surprise. He stared at them briefly, their eyes calm and non-judging. It was so different from… him. Unable to hold in his emotions, Hunter's eyes began to water before he hiccupped. He buried his face in his lap, his shoulders shaking as he sobbed quietly.
"Oh, hey," Raine murmured, pulling the boy close to them in a comforting hug. "It's okay. You're safe now." Hunter sniffled, looking up at them once the tears slowed down. "You don't have to go back if you feel unsafe there. You can stay here with us for as long as you want."
"You… You'd let me stay?" The boy questioned.
"Only if you want to," Eda joined them, sitting on the other sofa. "If there's anyone else you would rather be with, we can take you to them once you're healed."
Hunter was quiet again, mulling over their offer. Coming to a decision, the young blond nodded before saying, "Okay."
Raine smiled, happy Hunter agreed to stay as they rubbed his shoulder gently. "Welcome to the Owl House, Hunter."
Suddenly, the front door swung open. "Hello, new friend!" Hooty greeted him pleasantly.
Hunter yelped, pushing himself into Raine's hold. "What is that?! Why is the door talking?!"
Eda tried to smother a snort as Raine gave her a fond yet disapproving look before focusing back on Hunter. "Don't worry, that's just Hooty. He's our resident house demon."
They then heard soft footsteps padding toward the door. Turning around, they saw little King waddle into the living room, rubbing sleepily at his eyes while holding a red frog plushie. "Hungwey…" King started to say but stopped when he saw Hunter on the couch. "Who that?"
"This is Hunter," Eda handled the introductions this time. "He'll be staying with us for a while unless someone else wants him. Hunter, this is King."
"Hi…" The boy said shyly.
"Well," Eda said, getting off the loveseat to head to the kitchen. "I'm gonna get breakfast going before King starts raiding the cupboards again."
"Play?" King looked at the blond, tail wagging at the idea of someone new to play with.
"Maybe not today, King," Raine answered carefully. "Hunter was hurt recently, so he's going to need to rest to get better."
King's posture drooped in sadness before perking up with an idea. He looked at his frog toy and then scampered over to the couch, holding it out to Hunter. "Sir Sprig. For you."
Hunter stared at the plush toy in confusion before slowly taking it from the tiny demon anyway. "Thank you…" King smiled before climbing onto the couch beside him and snuggling into Hunter's side. The boy tensed at the sudden contact before relaxing again, a slight smile on his face.
Raine smiled at them before ruffling Hunter's hair. "Well, I'm going to help Eda with breakfast. Just stay here with King, and I'll come get you both when it's ready." They then got up and headed out of the living room. Before leaving, Raine looked back at the kids one last time, smiling when Hunter got comfortable as he laid back down, cuddling with King and Sprig (They also might have snapped a quick picture on their Penstagram).
As Raine entered the kitchen, they found Eda fiddling with the Golden Guard staff at the table. "What are you doing?" they asked, getting her attention.
"Hey, Raine. I was just curious about the kid's staff, that's all," Eda explained before returning to the contraption. "Don't get me wrong, I think artificial magic is insulting, but I was wondering how this thing worked."
"I see," Raine nodded, looking over her shoulder. "So, what did you find?"
"Well, I found that the base of the staff had Boiling Seawater Essence in it, so I'm thinking that's the power source."
"That makes sense. I remember seeing Alador experimenting with it back in school."
"Yeah, but here's the weird thing," Eda continued, looking over the parts of the staff. "The essence doesn't seem to power anything in the staff itself."
"That is strange," Raine murmured.
"So, the question becomes, how does the kid use magic with this thing, much less fly with it?"
"I have no idea."
"And while we're on this topic," Eda changed subjects as she turned to Raine. "What are we going to do about…?" She didn't finish her sentence, but Raine knew what she was talking about. They could tell Hunter didn't want to talk about his past or how he ended up in the woods. They could also see he didn't want to return there even if he didn't say it.
The two adults looked back down the hall like their discussion would summon the boy from the other room. "Let's let Hunter tell us…" Raine said with a sympathetic smile. "When he's ready."
Eda nodded in agreement, knowing the fear the boy had to be feeling right now. "In the meantime, I better start breakfast now."
"Let me clear the table for you." Raine offered as she got up.
"We should also think about getting Hunter a concealment stone. I don't know who hurt him, but if they come after him, he's going to need a disguise."
"Good call." With that, the couple got to work like a regular morning… as if they hadn't found a runaway from the Emperor's Coven the night before.
While Eda gathered food to make, Raine took Hunter's old coven stuff upstairs to their room. Finding a large box, they put the cloak, pendant, and artificial staff inside and shoved it in the back of the closet. With that finished, Raine headed back downstairs, making a mental note to go shopping later to get some stuff for Hunter.
And with that, the prologue's done.
I'm going to post the next chapter before I move on and then do a little more work on these stories before moving on to a different fandom.
See you all soon!