I present the next chapter of Hunter Noceda.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Owl House or its characters. I only own this story and any OCs I throw in.
One day, Luz was dramatically reading one of her Good Witch Azura books out loud in the Owl House living room. "'Azura," Hecate began. "Our paths have crossed only in battle. But today, I stand before you seeking an ally.'" She stood on the couch in front of King. She then sighed happily, hugging the book close.
"Luz, you're getting all swoony again," King warned her.
"I can't help it. Azura is able to befriend everyone, even her biggest rival. I wish I had that kind of power."
"Rivals are meant to be annihilated, not befriended."
"Unless they're on the same team and need to start working together," Hunter commented from the loveseat, not looking up from his book.
"Oh, yeah, what's going on in your book, Hunter?" King turned to the blond, leaning on the sofa arm.
"Adriane and Princess Kiara are fighting again," Hunter explained. "A charity music festival is happening at the craft fair, and Adriane and Kiara are participating. What they don't know is that the famous judge is a shapeshifter working for the evil Lady Miranda, who's setting everything up as a distraction so Miranda can break into the Jewel Keep and learn where the Wizard Jewels are."
"Ohhh, intriguing," King smiled eagerly. "Hey, why are Adriane and Kiara rivals again?"
"They're just different personalities. Adriane's a serious loner who takes his role as a Jewel Rider seriously, while Kiara is a little more live-in-the-moment and sometimes makes decisions that clash with Adriane's approach to things. There's also the fact that Adriane has trained longer than Kiara, but she was made the leader because she is the princess. Still, they find a way to work together."
"Tell me more about it later," the little demon requested before facing Luz again. "I've been sucked into your awful fandoms, and I wanna hear Luz's book today." He wagged his tail happily.
"Sure, little buddy," Hunter smiled.
"Okay. 'Suddenly, the door swung open.'" Luz started reading again. As soon as she said that, Hooty swung the door open.
"Ding-dong. Ding. Hoot! Hoot!"
"The book has come to life!" King cried out in fear as all three looked at the door. "Burn it!" Luz went to the door and looked down, finding a covered basket.
"Hmm?"
She took the basket to the kitchen and placed it on the table before Eda. "Eda, you got a package. It looks like a gift basket."
"Probably an offering," Eda smiled down at it. "Ah! Being the most powerful witch in the Boiling Isles has its perks."
"Or it's a bomb with how many enemies you have in this neighborhood," Hunter said seriously, holding a hockey stick up in defense.
"Chill, kid, I'm sure it's not gonna explode," Eda lowered the stick, though Hunter kept his eyes on the basket.
King, now wearing a bib, grunted as he pulled the blanket off the top of the basket, revealing a snoring baby bat. "Mm. Fresh meat." He rubbed his paws together.
"No, not eating that," Luz walked away with her hands up.
"I can't watch this," Hunter followed his sister in disgust.
"Witches eating babies is so 1693," Eda scoffed at the notion. "What is this?"
"There's a note," King noticed a piece of paper attached to the basket and grabbed it. "'Take care of my child till morning. Yi Yi'?"
"Nope! Babies are awful," she denied, giving two thumbs down and crossing her arms. "Not happening."
"'You will be handsomely rewarded,'" King continued the note. "'X-O-X-O-X-O-X. Bat Queen.'"
Eda perked up. "Bat Queen?" King pulled a few snails from the basket, making her eyes shine. "Reward?"
"Who's the Bat Queen?" Luz wondered curiously as she and her brother rejoined them. King sniffed the snails.
"She's the wealthiest demon on the Boiling Isles. Get in with her, and you're set for life," she happily took one of the snails. "So, we keep this thing alive for a few hours, and we get paid. Pfft. Easy."
"Our greatest adventure yet! Learning about love and life through a child's eyes." Luz looked up in awe.
"Now you get to experience what I went through babysitting you," Hunter commented, smirking slightly at his sister.
"Not you two. You both have to return the books I checked out from the library," Eda waved a spell circle, summoning a pile of books that fell into Luz's arms. Hunter took some of the books so she didn't fall over. As they walked away, Eda leaned in toward King. "I don't want her getting a cut of the loot."
"Good thinking."
"I heard that!" Hunter called out, and they winced.
"Dang it, now I owe him a cut. Now, let's take a look at this little darling." She took the blanket off… revealing a baby that was a bat with a human head. The baby woke up and let out loud screeches, shaking the house.
"Argh!" Eda gasped, covering her ears.
"Oh, boy." King fell over onto the table.
"On second thought, maybe we could use your help!"
The siblings were halfway out the door. "Well, we better get to the library! Gotta go!"
"Ba Bye!" Hunter smiled evilly as he closed the door.
"We got this, right?" Eda shouted as the baby bat continued screeching. It then flew out of the basket and into Eda's face. "Whoa!" She gasped as she audibly fell backward.
(The streets of Bonesborough)
The two siblings headed to the library, passing Tinella Nosa. She was carrying a book as big as Luz over her head. "Huh?" Luz watched her pass by distractedly, nearly causing her to drop her books. "Whoa!"
"Careful!" Hunter fussed as his sister caught them. They continued for a few steps until they saw the library across the street.
"Wow…" Hunter breathed in awe. It looked like a cathedral, especially with the stained glass windows.
"Whoa!" Luz agreed with him.
They stepped inside, and the book piles glowed green and floated away from them. "Huh?"
Each book flew through a red spell circle cast by the librarian witch behind the main desk. "Late. Late," he said as each book beeped when it went through. He grabbed the last book as the Nocedas walked to the desk, touching the cover and inspecting the grime on his finger. "Coffee, grass, and bloodstains? These are Eda's, aren't they?"
"Huh. That was a crazy night," Luz chuckled nervously, shrugging.
"The details are better left unsaid," Hunter said seriously.
The librarian sighed tiredly. "Ugh. I'll put them on her tab." He summoned a very long scroll and wrote on it. "By the way, we're closing early for the Wailing Star meteor shower," he informed them, gesturing to a framed picture that advertised it.
"Ooh. What's that?" Luz asked eagerly.
"You're in a library. Read a book," he gestured to all the shelves full of books before the scroll rolled up and disappeared.
"Gee, thanks," Hunter replied sarcastically, annoyed.
"We are in a library. We will read a book!" The younger Noceda smiled, grabbing her brother's hand and running off.
"Shh!" he called out to them.
There was something called the Demon Decimal System, with a warning on the banner that said, 'Do not feed.' The siblings rounded the corner and walked up to the growling card catalogs. Luz glanced around as she unwrapped a gumball and fed it to one of them. "Bloop." It gladly chewed it for a few seconds before barfing up notecards in her face, causing her to fall over.
"That's why the sign said don't feed them, Manita," Hunter smirked in amusement.
They were then on the second floor, watching books float around while several Hexside students read below them. "Wow!" Luz grabbed one before her brother could stop her and was dragged away, screaming as she dangled from the ceiling.
"Shh!" The students shushed.
"Sorry!" Luz called softly.
Hunter facepalmed at her.
In the reference section, witches watched things on crystal balls instead of computers. One watched a "HOW TO FLY" video, another watched a piano cat parody, and a third was stuck on a loading screen, dial-up internet noises emitting from it. The last witch slapped the crystal ball a few times as Luz and Hunter watched from around a bookshelf.
"This place is amazing."
"Cooler than the libraries back home," Hunter smiled at the place before thinking of something. "I'm going to see if I can find the anatomy section."
"Why?" Luz looked at her brother.
"To see if I can find some books on bile sacs. Maybe there's something there that can help me kickstart my magic or at least lead me to someone who can help me."
"What do you think you're doing?"
Luz gasped. "Ah! We've been caught! Pretend to be a book!" She then posed as though no one could see her.
"No one was talking to us, Luz. It came from over there," Hunter pointed ahead, where they heard kids giggling.
"Wait…" Luz realized something. They stepped further and peeked into the children's section.
"'We're your friends, and we wanna help,' said the Tin Boy with a yelp." They saw Amity sitting before a group of preschoolers reading them a book. What was surprising was that she looked… genuinely happy. "'Otabin smiled and paced the floor. I've never had real friends before.'"
"Amity reading to kids?" Luz raised a brow.
"You think you know someone…" Hunter murmured.
They snuck into the kid's corner, diving behind a small shelf as Amity continued to read. "'Then we'll be your first,' the Chicken Witch clucked. Otabin couldn't believe his luck. So, Bookmaker Otabin, surrounded by friends, bound a book of friendship, and that's the end.'" She then closed the book to applause from the kids.
"Amity seems so… nice and smiley," Luz beamed and gasped. "Maybe I can befriend her like Azura befriended her rival."
"After what happened at Hexside and the covention, forget it," Hunter raised a brow, already knowing Amity was the type to hold a grudge. Luz grunted and grabbed his arm, pulling him behind the bookcase as the kids left.
"Thank you so much."
"Good‐bye."
They all laughed as Amity started leaving before one kid hugged her leg. "Goodbye, Miss Amity," he said in a deep voice. "Thank you."
"Thank you, Braxas," she patted his head. "See you next time."
"Yay!" Amity watched him go as he ran off. She glanced to the side and then flinched back, doing a double take at the Noceda siblings sitting there with Luz hiding under a book.
"Ugh! You," she groaned, her typical attitude returning.
"Amity…" Luz stood up nervously, Hunter getting onto his feet and dusting himself off. The younger Noceda leaned on a book, making it fall. "Whoop," she failed to catch and then focused on the other girl. "Reading to kids. Wow. Looks like this sour lemon drop has a hidden sweet center."
"It's for extra credit," she dismissed, picking up the fallen book. "Don't get your leggings in a bunch."
"No one's that happy about subjecting themselves to preschoolers unless they enjoy it," Hunter remarked with an annoyed look as she walked away.
"And you are?" Amity glanced at him, uninterested.
"The brother of the human girl you tried to kill twice," he stated bluntly, crossing his arms.
His reply took Amity by surprise, losing her attitude for a minute. "Say what?"
"Uh, yeah," Luz replied nervously, knowing this could get ugly if she weren't careful. "This is Hunter, my older brother."
Amity turned back to them, now fully confused. "But… he's a witch!"
"Your point?" The blonde witch raised an eyebrow.
Looking at him for a minute, Amity scoffed and dropped the subject. "Whatever." She muttered before cleaning up the children's corner.
"Hey, I could help with the kids," Luz offered as she followed her. "We could take turns reading. And do voices! I do the best monster voice." She acted out a robotic tone.
"Human!" Amity slammed her pile of books on the table, whipping around to face her. "Do you see me going to the Owl Shack and bugging you while you… fry up owls?"
"That the best you can come up with, princess?" Hunter smirked.
She scoffed before continuing, "Okay, I don't really know what you do there, but every time you come near me, I get in trouble. Just leave me alone!"
"I'm sorry," Luz backed up a little. "I'm sorry…" With that, she walked away, Hunter giving the witch girl a brief glare before following his sister. Neither noticed Amity look… almost regretful for how she acted. She started to raise her hand to stop them but didn't. Luz groaned in frustration and bumped her fist against her forehead. "So much for befriending rivals."
"Forget her, Luz. As much as it'll hurt to hear this, not everything works out like it does in our books," Hunter stated gently.
"I know, but–"
"You gonna let her get to you like that?"
They looked up, and Hunter's eyes widened when he saw Edric and Emira. "Guys?" He blinked in surprise.
"You know them, Manito?" Luz looked at her brother as they approached, Edric holding a pink bunny lunch sack.
"Yup, he does," Emira replied for him.
"What are you guys doing here?" the blonde asked.
"We're well-wishers on a mission," Edric stated.
"A noble quest," Emira added.
"Oh, yeah?" Hunter smiled fondly, knowing they were up to something.
"You bet. Watch this," the other boy winked at him, then looked at Amity. "Hey, Mittens!" she grunted, her face bright red with embarrassment. "Mom says stop forgetting your lunch," he said, holding up the lunch bag as she stalked over to them. "And stop being a jerk to your friend."
Amity snatched the bag from him. "She is not my friend," Amity emphasized strongly, Luz looking down in hurt. Hunter glared at the younger Blight.
"Entitled little–!"
"Yeah, makes sense," the oldest sibling interrupted, stepping between the siblings as she put an arm around Luz. "She seems too cool for you."
"I am?" she asked.
"You can leave now. All of you!" Amity pointed in the opposite direction and stormed back to the kid's corner, Emira giggling. She smiled toward the two, Edric winking at them. Luz blushed, chuckling, and when he smiled at Hunter, he felt his face heat up slightly as he smiled back.
(After that…)
"So, you're Hunter's human sister we've heard so much about," Edric began as they walked around the library.
"Yup," Luz nodded. "And you must be the twins my brother's been talking about."
"I'm Emira," she introduced herself. "And this is Edric. We're Amity's older siblings. We heard how you embarrassed her at the school and saw the duel at the witch covention last week. No wonder she hates you."
"I know. But I-I didn't mean any of it!" Luz stated to them. "I thought we were as cool as cucumbers. But we're as sour as pickles."
"Where do you come up with these?" Hunter turned to her in confusion.
"Don't waste your time with Mittens," Emira assured her, taking hold of her arm. "Me and Ed, we're way more fun. Ask Hunter."
"So, what nefarious mischief are you two up to today?" the blonde asked with a grin.
"Oh, we're gonna see where the winds of chaos take us," Edric replied, both boys laughing at their dramatics. "Care to join us?"
"Well… I had some personal stuff to do, but that can wait for later," Hunter decided. His bile sac wasn't going anywhere, and he wanted to spend time with the twins again.
"Great!" the male Blight cheered, taking Hunter's hand and dragging him away. "Let's go!" Hunter's face lit up again as he held the other's hand. Emira led Luz behind them, the human girl glancing down at where she had hers.
They stopped at a sign reading "- FICTION NON-FICTION-." Edric wiped away the "NON" and hid as Gary, a second librarian, led patrons on a tour. "And here we go towards our nonfiction section." He looked up at the sign and gasped sharply when he saw the change. "Fiction, fiction? Is our world but fiction?" He then kneeled dramatically. "Then what in my life is real anymore?" He started sobbing on the floor.
Elsewhere, the librarian from the front desk was reading while shelving books. As he put one on the shelf, it glowed blue and flew back onto the re-shelving cart. He put away another book and the same thing happened. The twins, Hunter, and Luz snickered as Emira controlled the books. Edric then switched his place with the librarian on the ladder.
"Huh? No! Not again!" Gary cried when he realized what had happened, having another breakdown.
The other librarian fell off the ladder seconds later.
Edric held up a dusty book and blew the dust at the demon decimal system. All of them sneezed, showering the area with notecards. "Whoo!" Luz whooped. They all laughed as the human girl danced and the twins high-fived.
"Hey!" Amity's voice interrupted everything. She was a few feet away, standing next to the desk clerk, both with their arms crossed. He growled, unamused, before looking around.
"Wait. Where's Gary?"
"Coming!" Gary ran in and slid to a stop, seeing the chaos. "Nooo!" He sobbed again at the mess.
The desk clerk shoved both sets of siblings out the door. "Whoa!"
"You've made reading far too fun. Now, stay out!" He slammed the door shut. The four looked at it briefly before erupting in laughter, Emira punching Luz's shoulder.
"Amity's even madder at me now," Luz commented, a hand on her cheek. "I didn't think that was possible."
"No, when Mittens gets mad, she looks like this," Ed inhaled sharply and clenched his face, grunting as he turned red. On the exhale, he staggered slightly. "Whoa, I almost passed out."
"Careful, Ed. The joke stops being funny when that happens." Hunter smiled and stepped closer to him.
"This is true," Edric nodded in mock seriousness.
"Always a pleasure to have you around, Hunter, and your sister's pretty fun, too," Emira commented.
"Who do you think was my pranking partner back in the Human Realm?" Hunter jabbed a thumb at his sister.
"You don't say…" She looked at her brother. They both nodded before she leaned closer to the Nocedas. "So, hey, we're coming back tonight. There's a certain book we forgot to… check out."
She smiled as she put a hand underneath her chin, Edric getting into the same position as her. "And bonus, rumor has it the Wailing Star's supposed to unlock some rare magical event. You in, friends?"
"Sure," Luz shrugged a little.
"Great. Meet back here at midnight," Ed instructed as the twins left. "See you, Hunter. You too, Luz."
"Uh, yeah, sure," he waved slightly, no one noticing something off in his voice.
"Bye!" Luz waved to them. "This is great. First, I befriend the siblings, then I befriend the Amity!" She squealed, bouncing up and down. "Thanks for introducing me to your friends, Hunter!" She beamed at her brother before running off.
"No problem…" Hunter murmured before following her, unable to shake the unpleasant feeling in his stomach. Unaware of Amity waiting just around the corner, they likely did not realize she had witnessed everything. She held her breath until her face reddened, mirroring Edric's earlier reaction.
"Phew!" She grunted as she exhaled. "Almost passed out."
(At the Owl House)
Hunter and Luz entered the house. The younger was riding high about the day while her brother was starting to feel conflicted. "I just had the best day. Cool teens like me. Call me a library book 'cause they were checking me out."
"Glad you guys are getting along," Hunter said weakly, unsure why he felt unenthusiastic about the whole thing.
Luz then looked over at the couch, where Eda held the baby in a rocking position. "Aw, Eda, you look so motherly."
"Like how Mom looked in photos of us when we were babies," Hunter smiled.
"Say those things again, and I steal your tongues," Eda warned them.
"Aw," Luz walked over. "How can you say that around this cute little baby?" She cooed, poking the baby bat repeatedly. It then woke up and barfed out a smaller version of itself, as did the new one, all chirping and flapping their wings.
"Whoa!" The siblings recoiled. The bats flew upward, still chirping… and then one of them breathed fire. They all screamed and ran away from the couch, which was then set on fire. The Nocedas ran for the door, putting on their bags on the way out.
"Parenting sure looks rewarding. E-Enjoy your life lessons. Bye!"
"What she said!" Hunter slammed the door as they ran away from the house.
"Were we ever like this with Mom?" Luz asked her brother.
"If so, we owe her twenty apologies," Hunter replied before stopping suddenly. "Oh!"
"What's wrong?" His sister looked at him.
"I forgot my journal…"
"You sure you wanna go back in there right now?" The girl glanced past him, and he looked back as they heard several crashes and screams. Hunter winced and looked back at his sister.
"Honestly, no, but… I kinda want to keep it on me, you know? I'll sneak in through the back door and meet you at the library," Hunter said.
Luz smiled at him. "Okay! See you there," she waved and walked off.
(Later)
Hunter walked along the forest path, now roughly halfway to the library. He opted for a different route to gather his thoughts. Glancing down at his journal, a plain brown book featuring a wolf insignia, he paused. Sitting on a rock beneath a tree, Hunter pulled a pen from his bag and began to write.
"New entry… I'm trying to work more on getting my thoughts out, hoping it will help unlock my magic. Anyway, Ed and Em formally met my sister today, and I'm glad they get along, but for some reason, I feel… funny. I don't know why, but I think I'm not happy that my sister's hanging out with us, which I don't understand because we've always been together back home. It's not that I don't love my sister, but maybe… I just want the twins to be my friends. I know that sounds selfish since I've done things with Willow and Gus, and they're mostly Luz's friends, but I'm starting to think that maybe I want to have my own space from my sister."
Sighing, Hunter closed his journal and returned the items to his bag. He looked up at the sky, watching the sunset colors replace the typical hues. "Something on your mind?" The blonde jumped, turning to see Darius step out of the treeline.
"Head Witch Darius?" Hunter blinked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"I just felt like visiting home today," Darius explained, smiling warmly as he approached the young witch. "Being the Head Witch of a coven means I stay at the Emperor's castle, so I don't see Bonesburough often. And Darius is just fine, Hunter."
"Okay," Hunter smiled slightly before frowning. "And yeah, I've got things on my mind."
Darius hummed before using his abomination magic to create a chair to sit on. "If you'd like, I'll be a listening ear."
Hunter smiled again, thankful for the support. "Well… I'm meeting some friends I made here, and my sister's coming with us. While I didn't mind hanging out with her, my friends invited both of us and for some reason, I didn't want Luz to be there. That makes me sound selfish because I've been invited to do things with Willow and Gus, and they're honestly more her friends than mine."
"I see," Darius nodded in understanding. "I take it you and your sister are close?"
"We are," Hunter answered. "We were each other's only friends back home…"
"What do you mean?"
The blonde sighed despondently as he thought of the Human Realm. "For reasons I don't know, I was left in the Human Realm as a baby. Since I didn't look like other humans, that warranted me being outcasted. The fact that I was more creative and had different interests from other boys also didn't help. So, I like to sew. What's the big deal? Anyway, Luz was the same way despite looking normal, so it was always just the two of us."
Darius frowned sympathetically as Hunter told him about his past. It would seem his little prince's life wasn't as carefree as he hoped it would be…
"When we found our way here, we met people who liked us for who we were, which made us both incredibly happy. So, I don't know why I don't feel happy about my sister mingling with my friends."
The older witch listened to his words carefully before coming up with an answer. "I don't think you're selfish for wanting to have your own group of friends. While siblings are close, there comes a point where they want independence from each other. You and your sister stuck together for so long because you were both ostracized by others. Now that that isn't the case here, you're ready to find your own clique of friends."
"You think so?" Hunter looked at him, the older man nodding. The teenager looked to the side, thinking it over. "I mean, I didn't think I wanted that before…"
"A change in environment can bring out things about ourselves we didn't realize we had or needed. When I first joined the Abomination Coven after graduating, I was… coming off a relationship that turned sour and distancing myself from former friends," Darius admitted sadly before continuing. "But then, I made new friends and found a mentor who helped me open up after that heartbreak. After some time, things I had worried about or was upset about before didn't seem so important anymore. My point is that you've reached a new stage of your life where your sister doesn't need to stay as close as before."
"Really?"
"The best advice I can offer is to have a heart-to-heart with your sister and set some boundaries. You might be surprised to find she's feeling many of the same things, too."
"Thank you, Darius," Hunter smiled appreciatively.
"You're welcome," the Head Witch said as he got up, dismissing his chair. "Also, remember that normal is what you truly are, not what others want you to be. And I see nothing wrong with a male enjoying the art of sewing. Most of the outfits I wear, I made myself." He gestured to his clothes.
"Wow!" The blonde's eyes widened in awe. "I did the decorations on my bag and the patches on my jeans." He showed the other his work.
"That's where it begins," Darius remarked, making both males laugh. Hunter then looked at the sky and saw it was getting darker.
"I better get going," he said, putting his messenger bag over his shoulders before getting up. "I promised Luz and the twins I would meet them at the library."
"Then I won't keep you any longer."
"Bye, Darius, and thanks for the advice," Hunter waved as he ran off. Darius watched him go with a fond smile, almost imagining another blonde with a white cape in his place.
"He's growing up fast…" he murmured, looking at the darkening sky. "And I hope you'll always be watching him, William."
(That night…)
The crickets were chirping as Luz paced next to a library pillar. Hunter finally arrived, walking up the steps. "Hey, Luz," he greeted, feeling better after his talk with Darius.
"Everything okay, bro?" Luz asked, noticing her brother seemed happier than before.
"Peachy keen," he smiled, sitting on the steps. Luz shrugged and went back to pacing around.
"Gotta be cool," she smoothed her hair before posing by resting her arm on the pillar. "Cool?" She shook her head and facepalmed. "No." She then tried leaning against the pillar. "Cool."
"I think you're trying too hard," Hunter raised an amused eyebrow as he leaned back.
"Well, it's not like you have to! You're already cool! We're siblings; why can't that rub off on me?"
"Well, first, I don't think it works that way, and second, if it did, I'm adopted, so that might be the problem," the older boy remarked. "Besides, I'm not that cool."
"What? You're the coolest guy I know!"
Hunter smiled a bit, flattered. Luz grunted as she kneeled and threw a peace sign before groaning, dropping her head. Hunter just shook his head with a chuckle.
"Keep going," another voice interrupted, startling them both.
"Huh?" Luz fell over in shock, and they looked over to see Emira leaning on the opposite pillar while Edric stood next to her.
"This is fun to watch."
"How long have you two been standing there?" Hunter asked, blushing.
"Long enough to say you are cool, and anyone who says otherwise is a jealous liar," Edric answered, making the blonde's face red. "So, you ready to bring this conversation inside?" he asked, pointing to the entrance.
Luz nodded with an eager smile. "Mm-hmm-mm-hmm."
"It says no trespassing, but I'm allergic to the rules," Edric stated as they approached the door. He pulled out a piece of paper and unrolled it, revealing drawings and writing.
"And dairy," Emira added as she took the scroll.
"Wow, okay. Just expose me," he frowned at her.
"No shame, Ed," Hunter patted his shoulder.
The paper glowed, and Emira put it against the lock on the door. It then disintegrated before their very eyes. "Wow!" Luz murmured, and the lock grew until it was large enough for them to walk through.
"Come on," Edric waved them forward as he and Emira walked inside. They glanced at each other before running after them, the lock shrinking back down once they entered. The library was dark except for the light coming in from outside, but none of them minded.
"Standing in a dimly lit lobby. You guys know how to party."
"There!" Edric pointed up at the stained glass window. "The Wailing Star!"
A green shooting star passed by, and a crying woman was heard. When it passed, it reflected the stained glass window on the floor.
"Whoa…" The Noceda siblings murmured in awe.
The four looked around for several seconds, frowning in confusion. "Hmm. Nothing happened."
"Wait." Luz looked around and noticed the books had begun glowing light green. She grabbed a book titled Extinct Birds of the Boiling Isles and showed it to them. "The books are all glowy." She opened the book, and almost immediately, something screeched as the birds in it came to life and flew around the lobby.
"Wow…" Emira gasped.
"Wow! The Wailing Star magicked the books to life," Edric chuckled in awe. Hunter slowly beamed, watching the birds in amazement. While watching the birds, Luz closed the book, and the birds disappeared. The four of them shared a look and then grinned mischievously.
The twins made their way to a magazine stand. Edric flipped through a Regal Couture magazine, magically dressing him and Emira in elegant outfits. A peacock also burst forth from the pages.
Hunter picked up another fashion magazine, Whitney's, and as he did, the stray lock of hair in his face was swept back as his outfit transformed. His ears adorned simple hoop earrings, and he wore a sleek light gray tunic layered over a half-sleeve white shirt, black pants, and stylish brown boots. The tunic featured dark gray Celtic detailing, and a brown belt highlighted Hunter's fit physique. Completing his look were silver and turquoise bangles on his wrists and a matching circlet atop his head.
"Wow," He murmured, looking over the outfit. Emira saw him and nudged her brother, who looked up and saw him, and he froze.
"Ah…" He couldn't get his words together to express how amazing Hunter looked.
Luz picked up a Witch Wares Weekly magazine and instantly donned a rogue warrior outfit with a massive sword. Struggling to maintain her balance under the weapon's weight, she let out a yelp as she toppled over. Hearing the commotion, Hunter shut the magazine and looked at his sister, his usual attire returning. Edric sighed in disappointment, wishing he could have seen more of Hunter's outfit…
Hunter ran over to help his sister up. "You okay, Luz?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Luz closed her magazine, returning to normal. "Giant swords are overrated."
After that, the group went to the graphic novel section. Luz opened one, but nothing seemed to happen. She glanced back at the others. "Nothing happened…" As soon as she spoke, her words appeared in a dialogue bubble. They all gasped when it happened, the twins and Hunter stepping back.
"Wow!" Another word bubble occurred. Both popped when Luz closed the book, and a 'THUMP' sound effect bubble appeared.
Luz hid behind a bookshelf, holding a book called Snowballs, A History. Looking around the corner, she smirked when she saw Edric holding the same book as he tried to sneak around. "Ha!" He flinched at her voice, whipping around to see her. She opened the book and pelted him with snowballs, grunting as he fell.
Not to be beaten, he opened his own book and fired back. "Ha!"
"Ah!" Luz gasped, running for cover.
She was safe for a second before Emira appeared, opening yet another copy of Snowballs, A History, directly in Luz's face. Luz yelped as she was given the same treatment while Emira giggled. Someone tapped on her shoulder, and she turned to see a smirking Hunter.
"Hi," he said before firing his own snowballs. He laughed as Emira was knocked backward and then ducked for cover. He vaulted over a smaller shelf to hide before noticing something had fallen out of his pocket. Picking it up, he looked at a picture of him and Luz with their mother, sighing slowly…
"What's that?"
Hunter shouted and then had his mouth covered by Edric so they wouldn't be heard. He sighed as he let go of him, sitting beside the other boy before glancing at the photo.
"Your mom?"
"Yup," Hunter nodded before pocketing the picture. "I forgot I even had it with me. I think it was in one of my books or journal, and I just stuck it in my pocket so I wouldn't lose it."
"Oh, I get it," he nodded before noticing the look on Hunter's face. "You don't seem happy with it."
Hunter sighed again, remembering what happened before their arrival on the Isles. "We fought the last time I saw her… Well, not fought; it's more like I vented the same thing since junior high, and she just sighed, not saying anything back."
"What were you venting?"
Hunter flinched at the new voice, glancing at Emira on his other side. "It's a long story… As you probably guessed, I grew up in the Human Realm and was raised by a family of humans," the twins glanced at each other in surprise. "From the time I was little, it wasn't hard for me to figure out I was adopted. Even without pointed ears and pink eyes, my family had tanned skin and brunette hair, while I was fair and blond."
"That makes sense…" Edric nodded in understanding.
"Since I don't look like other humans, I got picked on a lot by other kids at school. It got to the point where I stopped trying to fit in and just did my own thing, sometimes getting myself in trouble. Whenever I got sent to the principal's office for something, there would be a constant conversation about trying to make friends and "fit in," and I'm like, 'yeah, no thanks, I've already tried that, and it didn't work.'" He pinched the bridge of his nose as he groaned slightly. "After the last time, the principal convinced Mom to send me to something called Reality Check Camp. They take out everything that makes you unique and make you "normal." When this happened, I was beyond upset. She doesn't understand that even if this camp somehow worked on me, I would still be alone because I don't look like everyone else. I told her this, but I could tell she was still going by what others said about me.
The twins looked at each other, feeling a bit bad for prying. They didn't like seeing their friend upset like this.
"Sorry. I barely know you guys, and I'm dumping my problems on you."
"Hey, don't worry about it," Edric said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're our friend, so feel free to vent."
"Besides, you're more fun being yourself," Emira smiled, and Hunter smiled at their reassurances.
"Thanks, guys."
"Am I interrupting something?"
Hunter gasped, and they looked over to see Luz smiling slyly down at them from around the corner. "Por el amor de Dios, don't you guys come with bells?!" he ranted as they stood up.
"No, but I do come with… this!" She opened her book, restarting the snowball fight. They all laughed and ran off, with Hunter finding a hiding spot around another corner. He chuckled slightly before looking up, his eyes widening when he saw the sign indicating this was the anatomy section.
"No way…" he whispered, looking over the titles. He found one about the heart and bile sac system, but as he was about to grab it, he heard the sound of a hysterical duck. He looked around the corner just in time to see a duckling with giant human legs run by.
"That's not a good sign." Fearing that a line was being crossed somewhere, Hunter quickly started looking for the others and caught up with them in the romance section.
"Oh, wow. Boiling Isles romance," Luz tried to smile, but Hunter could tell something was wrong. "That's totally lame. I mean, unless you guys are into it?"
"I think I'm into this one." Edric pulled a book titled The Lone Witch & Secret Room and then put it back when something clicked. The bookshelf sunk back and slid away, revealing a secret room.
"Wow! That's a good book," Luz murmured in awe as they looked at the small reading room, complete with a desk, cushions, and glowing planets and stars hanging from the ceiling. The Noceda siblings entered the room while the twins leaned against the entrance. "Your clubhouse is like my ultimate secret hideaway."
"Reminds me of my old treehouse," Hunter smiled a bit.
"We don't hang out in libraries," Edric scoffed, confusing the other teen. "'Uh, teacher, I'm in love with a dictionary.'"
"'I'm studying the dork arts.' This is Amity's secret hideaway."
The two of them looked worried. "Say what now?" Hunter asked both of them.
"Mittens has gotten too… full of herself. She keeps tattling on us when we cut class," Edric explained as the twins surrounded the siblings.
"She needs to learn not to mess with people like that," Emira gestured to herself. "So, we're going to find her diary."
"And then post the pages all around school for everyone to see," Edric finished, the two cheering.
"What?" Hunter gasped, not liking this at all.
"Isn't that taking it a bit too far?"
"No. See, we're her family," Emira explained to them. "It's tough love. She needs to learn to lighten up." The twins then started looking around, and Hunter frowned at Luz. While he didn't like Amity, posting pages of her diary wasn't right. He didn't know what kind of relationship the twins and Amity had, but even when Hunter and Luz fought, neither would do something like that to each other.
"Hmm. Well, I–I don't see any diaries in here," Luz laughed nervously as she half-heartedly looked around. "Nope, nothin'. Let's just leave." She then froze when she saw something. "Wait, are those…" She squealed happily upon spotting her favorite book section, Good Witch Azura.
"Oh no," Hunter facepalmed, knowing he had lost Luz on this.
"Good Witch Azura books one through four!" She ran up to the bookshelf to look closer. "You get these on the Boiling Isles?! So majestic." She then took out a book sandwiched between two and four. "Is this cover hand-drawn?" She wondered, seeing Amity dressed as Azura on the cover. She was about to open it when Hunter snatched it from her hands. "Hey!"
"Sorry, Luz, but if this thing is hand-drawn, then this must be Amity's diary," Hunter whispered hastily.
"Sweet, good eye, Hunter," Edric suddenly said, causing the siblings to whip around in horror. "I'll just take this off your hands–"
"No way!" the blonde snapped, surprising the Blight boy. "Look, I may not like Amity, but I'm not going to let you guys expose her secrets all over the school!"
"YOU'RE TRYING TO WHAT?!"
Everyone was taken aback when Amity appeared at the hideout's entrance. Her face was flushed with anger, reminiscent of how it had looked earlier.
"Amity?" Luz asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?!"
"I overheard you guys talking about sneaking into the library after hours, so I knew you were up to something. And now…" She snatched her diary out of Hunter's hand. "You didn't read anything, did you?"
"No! We swear!" Luz shook her head. "I'm sorry, Amity! It wasn't my idea! Your brother and sister–"
"Are the worst!" Amity finished, glaring at the twins. "What made you two boneheads think it was a good idea to break in here and steal my diary?!
"Hey, you're the uptight one, sis," Edric said.
"Yeah," Emira agreed. "If you can learn to loosen up, maybe we could all get along."
"Maybe we'd get along better if you two idiots realized that your pranks are out of control!" Amity yelled back.
"Do you feel as uncomfortable as I do right now?" Hunter whispered to Luz.
"A little."
"Mittens, you're overreacting," Emira said. "So we made the demon decimal system sneeze and doodled in some magic books, but no one's going to get hurt."
"Wait… is that where the duck with human legs came from?" Hunter questioned, becoming concerned.
"Yeah," Luz answered.
"Did you guys draw in any other books?"
Suddenly, loud, ominous footsteps were heard, confusing everyone. Everyone ran out of the room to follow the noise. Upon finding the source, they were horrified to see a large, dark-pink creature with claws and fangs snarling as it stepped into view.
"Otabin?" Amity murmured in confusion.
"Isn't that the book you were reading to kids earlier?" Hunter looked at her.
"Yes, but he's not supposed to be like this."
Hunter then noticed something on the monster's chest. It was an open book pulsing loudly like a heartbeat. Hunter squinted to get a better look and found that the character on the pages had angry eyes and claws drawn on them. That's when he put on an angry face and turned to the trio of troublemakers.
"This was you guys, wasn't it?"
"It was just for a laugh," Emira said in defense, prompting Hunter to facepalm.
The Otabin monster finally spoke as it approached them. "With claws and fangs and breaking bones, I found a friend to make my own." He grabbed Amity, snatching her away from the group as she dropped her diary.
"Mittens!" the twins cried.
"Guys! Luz!" Amity screamed as they looked on in horror.
"Amity!" Luz cried.
"Luz!"
"Amity…"
"Oh no," Emira said worriedly.
"Didn't think it would be that dangerous," Edric added.
"Have you guys ever considered this was the kind of trouble she was trying to get you to avoid?" Hunter asked sternly.
"We'll talk about it later," Luz said. "Right now, we need to save Amity." She was about to run after her when she noticed Amity's diary on the floor. "I got it. Hold on a second." She ran off with the book and a pencil in her hand.
"We're gonna need a backup plan." Hunter knew how well that idea would go. He turned to the twins. "Think you guys are ready to step up like good siblings?"
"Well, yeah, but how?" Edric asked. "We're on the Illusion track. We don't have a lot of offensive spells."
"Wait…" Emira paused, looking over at the demon decimal system. "I have an idea."
Meanwhile, Otabin had taken Amity to the kid's corner. With a grunt, she was slammed against a giant blank book before gasping in fear. Otabin held up a large needle threaded with a massive ball of thread and lowered it in Amity's direction. She yelped and flinched out of the way as he threaded the needle into the book, sewing around her arm.
"Huh?" She looked up in confusion, and then he pulled the strings, tightening them to make her arm flat on the page. She looked horrified, gasping at him. "Why are you doing this? I've been reading you since I was a kid! I know you're not like this. Someone changed you."
"But friends are what I've always sought. And now a friend my claws have caught."
A rumbling attracted both their attention to the entrance. A purple cloud rolled in, and a figure in white robes and a hat landed within it. The cloud briefly blinded Otabin as a familiar witch hat with a crown was seen.
"Azura?" Amity gasped in shock.
"Close," Luz said, revealing she was wearing the witch's iconic costume, Amity's diary in her hand. "Is it drawn okay?" She pulled at the robes. "I kind of interpreted the descriptions."
"Luz!"
"Ah, right," Luz started writing in the diary. "The good witch, Luzura, grabs her trusty staff." The staff rose from the pages, and she grabbed it, pointing at Otabin. "All right, beloved work of children's fiction. Let go of her!" She ran at Otabin, yelling and grunting while swinging the staff around theatrically. Before she even got close enough to hit him, Otabin caught the staff and threw it behind him. He then grabbed the diary and gently closed it, causing Luz's costume to disappear. She chuckled nervously at him. "Not an Azura fan, are you?"
Luz grunted as she was slammed into the page opposite Amity's. "Making friends, taking friends, never be without my friends." Otabin sewed Luz's arm, turning it flat as well.
"You fiend!" Luz glared at him. "You can't rhyme friends with friends!"
"Great work, Luzura," Amity spoke up sarcastically.
"Hey!" Luz turned to her accusingly. "I was trying to save you."
"Well, it doesn't matter. We're gonna be stuck together forever."
"Don't be so sure!" Hunter's voice cried out, getting Otabin's attention. He and the twins made a grand light entrance, clad in the Gem Riders' armor. Hunter was Adriane, Edric was Emmett, and Emira was Kiara.
"The Gem Riders!" Luz gasped.
"We are now," Hunter commented, looking at the twins. "I can't believe you guys like this series too!"
"We each have books one through four!" Edric said.
"Just don't let it get around," Emira smiled slightly. "We have reputations to keep up."
"Guys!" Amity called out.
"Oh, right," Hunter glanced at the twins. "Remember the plan?"
"By heart!" they responded together.
"Then, let it snow!"
"Three more friends in my grasp," the beast growled, slowly approaching them. "Come into my clutches so our friendship can last."
Drawing a combined spell circle, the twins summoned a blizzard that blinded Otabin, forcing him back. While the creature was distracted, Hunter approached the girls and pulled on the threads that pinned them. Working quickly, he freed them from their binds.
"Oh, third dimension, how I've missed you," Luz said.
"Now what?" Amity asked.
"I don't know. I didn't even think that would work," Luz confessed. "I was all like roaaar!"
Amity stared at her before chuckling, which led Luz to grin. Hunter smiled slightly at the moment, but it was ruined when Otabin's needle flew between them and pierced the book, making them yell in horror.
"Friends…" Otabin growled, throwing off the twins' snow attack.
"Run!" Hunter yelled, and the kids ran out of the children's section.
"Come back!" They ran down the central aisle with Otabin following them. Suddenly, one of the monster's threads was thrown, snagging Hunter's leg and causing him to fall with a cry.
"Hunter!" Luz cried when she saw what happened, stopping with the Blight siblings.
The blonde struggled as Otabin pulled the thread towards him, ending up in the monster's claws. "You squirm and fight and scream and shout. But friendship always will win out."
"Not this time, pal!" Hunter glared, revealing notecards with the Light Glyph drawn on them in his hands. Shutting his eyes, he clapped them together, producing a blinding light that caused the others to look away. Otabin cried out in pain, dropping the teen as he shook off the threads before rejoining the others.
"You okay, bro?" Luz asked.
"Slightly traumatized, but I'll live."
"Hey, how are you guys still in costume?" Amity asked her siblings, noticing they didn't have any books.
"We got some blank cards from the decimal system," Emira pulled out more notecards with writing on them.
"Clever…" Luz commented.
"We must stay friends until the end. There is no tear I cannot mend." Otabin came closer, looming over the teens.
"Gulp," Luz said fearfully before yelling when Otabin grabbed her.
"No!" Hunter cried as he began wrapping thread around her.
Amity gasped before turning to her sister. "Quick, give me a card!" Emira did so, and Amity pulled a pencil out of her pocket and wrote, "Luz has to right a wrong." A giant magic eraser rose out of the paper, Amity catching it. "Luz, quick!" She tossed it to Luz, who caught it and quickly erased Edric's drawings. Otabin changed back to normal, and everything fell to the floor. Luz caught Otabin and placed him on his feet.
"Luz!" Hunter ran to her in relief, hugging the girl. Luz hugged him back with a smile, and Otabin looked away. Amity walked over and picked him up.
"I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me," he stated softly.
"Hey, it's okay. We're still friends," Amity smiled softly at him. She nodded to the Noceda siblings, and the younger closed the book. Otabin disappeared, making Amity look sad. Suddenly, her siblings glomped her in a group hug. "Uh, hi?"
"Mittens, we're… we're sorry," Emira whispered an apology.
"We're so sorry," Edric added.
Amity remained silent but gently embraced the twins in return. The Nocedas observed with tender smiles, hoping this indicated an improvement in their relationship.
(The following day)
The next morning, the Wailing Star's effects wore off. The siblings left the library, and the older ones were back in their regular clothes.
"What an adventure," Luz said, putting on her messenger bag as she looked at Amity. "Thanks for helping clean up."
"Beats getting into trouble," Hunter mumbled, giving the twins a look as they smiled sheepishly.
"This never happened," Amity stated, walking away from the group.
"Wait!" Luz called out, digging into her bag. "It doesn't make up for enabling the twins to steal your diary, but… would you want to borrow this?" She held out the fifth book of the Azura series, causing Amity to stop and turn around. "I noticed you only had up to four."
Amity took it into her hands and glanced up at Luz. "Thank you…" She started to walk away but then stopped. She sighed and turned around. "Look, I'm… sorry about school and the covention. You and your brother have given me a lot to think about."
"Speaking of brothers, you never told us how you ended up with a human family." Edric looked at Hunter.
"Edric!" Emira hissed, although she was also curious.
"There's honestly not much to tell," Hunter said after a minute. "All Dad ever told me was that he and Mom found me as a baby left on the side of the road in the middle of the rain. There was a note with me stating my name and that it wasn't safe for me to stay where I was."
"Seriously?" Her eyes widened along with her brother's.
"Mom and Dad never told me about that," Luz mentioned.
"I can understand getting you away from a bad home life, but why go all the way to the Human Realm?" Amity questioned curiously. "That seems kind of extreme."
"I have no idea…" Hunter shrugged.
"How did they explain it when your magic came out?" Emira asked.
Hunter froze before looking at the ground with a sigh. "I… can't use magic." He twirled his finger to show no spell circle appearing, taking the Blights by surprise. "I don't know why I can't use magic. Eda thinks it's a mental thing, and I… I just don't know." Hunter didn't look at them as he stepped away, standing by the other railing.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Emira smiling sympathetically. "Hey, it's okay. Magic isn't what makes a witch."
"Plus, you were the one who came up with the plan to save our sisters, and you didn't need magic for that," Edric added, managing to get the other to smile a little.
"… Thanks."
Luz smiled at her brother, glad his lack of magic didn't turn the twins away.
"Oh, by the way," Hunter dug into his bag and pulled out his Gem Rider 5 book. "As a peace offering for the diary stealing, you guys can borrow this if you want."
"Sweet!" Edric grinned, accepting the book. "Thanks, man!"
"Now, we should probably get going before the librarians show up," Emira suggested.
"That's the first thing we've agreed on all night," Amity said before walking away.
"Wait up, Mittens!" Edric called as the twins ran after her.
"Later, cuties!" Emira winked at the Nocedas, the duo grabbing their messenger bag straps as they watched them leave.
(The Owl House)
"Hey, guys," Luz opened the door as they walked inside. "We're… home." They stopped short when they noticed the couch. Everyone was asleep, snoring as Eda held the baby bats and King was on her lap.
The siblings smiled as Hunter wrapped an arm around Luz.
"Ding-dong!" Hooty banged the door open.
"Hooty," Luz hissed a little before a giant woman's head with bat wings crawled into the living room. They slowly stepped back as she smiled at them. "Whoa. You must be Mama."
"Yi Yi. Mama is I. And I is the Bat Queen," she introduced herself before whistling. The baby bats flew away from Eda, settling into Bat Queen's hair. "Aah! Snuggle dumplings." She then threw up a treasure chest that held several hundred snails. She also spat out a whistle reminiscent of an Aztec death whistle on top of the sails. "For troubles. Eda is owed one." She turned around and squeezed back out the doorway. They watched her fly away, and Luz closed the door.
"Ah. Sweet babies…" Eda sleep-talked as she woke up before realizing they were gone. "Babies? Where are the babies?"
Luz mimed them flying away. "Their mom came. She just left with them," Hunter jerked a thumb at the door.
"Oh," she looked away in disappointment. "And I just taught Junior how to pick locks, too."
"Your night looks very successful. Look at all that money you made," Luz gestured to the chest. "And look at this cool whistle that scary woman gave you." She held up the whistle, spit dripping off it. "I'd wash it before you use it."
The two walked up to Eda and King, who both looked sad. "Yeah. We did it all for the money."
"I miss my babies!" King started sobbing, hugging the witch.
"We actually got you something from the library," Luz handed Eda a book titled Coping with Empty Nest Syndrome.
Eda chuckled at the book. "Thanks, kids. So, how was your night?"
"Good. Then bad. Then maybe good?"
"Bit of good, bit of bad, bit of both," Hunter shrugged as Hooty opened the door.
"Hey, you wanna hear about my night?" he asked them.
"Ugh. No!" Luz and Hunter covered their ears.
"No!" Eda deadpanned.
"That's not a thing anyone ever wants," King responded.
(Meanwhile)
Darius returned to the castle, his mind lingering on Hunter in his room. He hoped Hunter was doing well... Based on what Hunter shared about his life in the Human Realm, Darius questioned whether sending him there was a good decision.
He shook his head. Nevertheless, it was too late to change it now. Besides, Hunter seemed to be fitting in well in the Boiling Isles.
Hopefully, they would have the opportunity to speak again soon.
I hope everyone enjoyed this. I'm not feeling well, so I'm not sure how fast the updates will come after this. I will move to the next story on this list, A Tale of Two Realms.
See you next time.