Chapter Text
"Luz, I'm so happy I had you as a big sister", Are the last words Luz hears before she passes through the door. Her body collides with Amitys and a blinding light engulfs them before she crashes to the floor. Her whole body hurts and she's dizzy but there's no time for Luz to lose, so she heaves herself up and runs back towards where she knows the shack is, expecting to see the door that would lead her back to the Boiling Isles.
Instead she sees a different door. Luz looks around, and yes, this is not the shack in the human realm. This is her room back in the Owl House, before the Emperors Coven took over it. Before the Day of Unity. Before of everything. For a moment Luz thinks she's dead, she must be, but when she pinches her arm it hurts and unless Belos intended to die himself walking through the door, she can't have died. So if she's not dead, what is this? An illusion?
She stands up slowly and walks to the door. The doorknob is heavy and when she turns it the door opens. Far too real to be an illusion. But who knows, maybe the Collector can create illusions so convincing they feel like they're real. They did move the moon with nothing but a finger, after all. At that, her breath hitches. The Collector. She needs to help King. But how?Hoping to find clues outside, she leaves her room and walks down the corridor cautiously. It all looks so real that for a moment she thinks it actually is and that everything that has happened was just a bad dream.
Luz hears someone call her name and she jumps, ready to defend herself from whoever called her. Is it the Collector, on their way to rope her into one of their games as nothing but a puppet for all eternity? But turns out it's just Eda. And to Luz it doesn't matter anymore if this is an illusion or one of the Collectors games. All that matters, is that Eda is safe and definitely not drained or dead.
Absently she hears another voice, Lillith her mind supplies, but she's too busy rushing down the stairs to care. At first Luz doesn't see Eda anywhere and her spirits drop. Maybe she just imagined it? Was it a trick? Then she hears it again and she continues following it cautiously.
The voices lead here outside and that's where she finds Eda, healthy and with a smile on her face. Lillith is besides her on a Ratworm with a carriage full of sacks on it. Somehow this scene feels familiar but Luz ignores the feeling in favor of throwing her arms around Eda. Eda, taken aback by the sudden onslaught of affection, awkwardly pats Luz's back.
"Okay, kid. Is there a reason you're trying to suffocate me or is this just for fun?"
Luz suppresses a sob at those words. This is Eda, just not her Eda. Her Eda would've hugged her back just as firmly and would've never let go again. Something isn't right. Nonetheless she decides to play along. Who knows, maybe this will help her figure out what is going on. Slowly she lets go of Eda and takes a deep breath, hoping that her emotions won't show when she answers.
"No reason, just thought it was the perfect time for a hug."
Eda snorts a moves a step back.
"Okay, kid. Hop on, we need to move."
Still numb from everything that happend, she does so without any hesitation. Maybe she should've been more careful in this sitation, but she knows how to defend herself. If it turns out that evreything is just an elaborate trick to lure her in a false sense of security, she will be prepared. However, she doesn't think this is some kind of trap. Because, while she sits in the carriage and looks around nervously, afraid that any moment this peaceful time will crumble and she'll find herself surrounded by drained witches, nothing bad happens. What happens instead, is that she remembers the conversation that Lillith and Eda are having. She remembers the Demons in the sacks like some kind of Deja vu. But it can't be, right? Maybe she is stuck in her mindscape, living through her memories? But even the moment the tought crosses Luz's mind, she knows that can't be it. If she was actually stuck in a memory, there would be another Luz.
Before she can continue trying to figure out what is happening, they stop, having arrived in Bonesborough. She remembers that on that day she followed Eda around and how they got less than a snail for all the bounties they collected, which is just rude, if she was being honest. Curious to see if things are actually happening the same, or if she's just imagining it, she follows everything exactly as she remembers. Luz might not remember everything but she hopes that won't create any problems. Like a paradox. As she theorized, everything happens the same way it happened when she first lived through this. And this makes her pause. Luz knows of one thing, besides jumping into memories that could make her relive this day. But it couldn't be time travel, right? She knows time pools exist but those are like self-fulfilling prophecies. This is something completely different, she hasn't seen her past self, yet. If she thinks about it, she's her future self right now, just in her past body. Her scrapes from the fight with Belos are gone, and yes, she's exhuasted, but she's not hurt anywhere.Yet she has memories of the future or of the past?
And when Lillith's poster gets burned and replaced by Golden Guard one's, like she remembers, Luz decides, that it doesn't matter. If this is actually the past, she might have a chance to change things. Starting with the Golden Guard. And wow, it's weird to call Hunter the Golden Guard. He hasn't been the Golden Guard to her for a while. Not since they got stuck in Belos mind. Maybe even before that, when he befriended Willow and joined her Flyer Derby team. Hell, they've fought together against Belos less than a day ago, which she would not have believed, if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes. Hunter, the Emperor's loyal servant, fighting against Belos? So if she got Hunter to trust her and change sides earlier, they would have a big advantage against Belos. Hunter could stay in Belos good graces while helping them.
She's so excited to get Hunter on their side, that she forgets to participate in the conversation. Luz remembers the guilt she felt back then, she still feels it sometimes, but she knows that Eda never blamed her for anything. Maybe she should've. Shaking her head, Luz climbs on the statue of Belos, chasing the Abominable Cutie Pie. There's no need for her to actually catch it, or even any other Demons. She knows that they will figure it out. But she still wants to go after the Selkidomus. And by making Eda aware of the price for the Selkidomus, she can ensure that Eda, too, goes after the money. Searching for the Selkidomus is how they first met Hunter after all, so she wants to preserve that.
After overhearing Edas and Lilliths conversation, Luz and King both sign up to participate in the Selkidomus hunt. Seeing King again was such a shock at first, that she almost started sobbing. She wants to apologize and she wants to tell him how stupid he is for trying to sacrifice himself. But she can't, because no one knows about what happened on the Day of Unity.
Like last time, the captain makes Luz do a ridiculous amount of hard work. She tries to look for Hunter while working, she knows he was on the ship last time, but the captain won't leave her side long enough for her to slip away. Then when King suddenly vanishes, Luz has to keep herself from panicking. She knows that if ererything went like last time, King is with Hunter. But what if it didn't, and King fell overboard into the Boiling Sea? She can't lose him again. Luckily she has no time to send herself into a frantic panic, because she's suddenly trying to catch the Selkidomus with the rest of the crew, and then there's Eda getting away with the money. This time, when she catches Eda, she won't glet the money get carried away by the waves. At the shore, she pushes Eda, activates a vine glyph to catch the money and carefully lowers it into the small wooden ship, that Eda used to get away. With staged annoyance Luz flicks Edas hat off her head and fakes suprise when she asks,
"Eda?" Eda chuckles nervously and Luz would find this whole situation hilarious, if she wasn't so stressed.
"Why are you robbing this ship? What happened to your legs?" Said legs jump from the boat and hop over to them.
Eda just answers her like this is something normal and not absolutely crazy. At this point it probably is. "It's called disguising your tracks. Nice reflexes by the way."
Confused Luz just stares at Eda before she remembers. She glances at the money. Eda stands up but doesn't go for the money.
"Now. Why were you on that ship to begin with? You could've gotten killed!" And if that statement isn't ironic, with what happened to everyone on the Day of Unity. But Eda doesn't know. And if Luz can do anything about it, she will make sure that Eda never will.
As if planned, Hunter takes this moment to rise from the sea. And, even if she will never admit it to him, that trick with the water is pretty cool. If she didn't know that he's just some bratty sixteen year old with a ton of trauma, Luz would be a little intimidated. He just rose from the Boiling Seal without even a scratch, afterall! Hunters mask smokes as he looks at them and says,
"That can still be arranged."
And before she can help herself, Luz takes a step forward, and asks quietly, "Hunter?"
Hunter pauses for a moment, probably shocked that she knows his name. His hesitation gives her hope, but he just disregards her and continues speaking.
"Hello, criminals. What's about to happen should be painless, if you do what I say."
Well if he's just going to be his cocky, old self again, she'll just work twice as hard to turn him to their side. She stares into his eyes, or at least where she hopes his eyes are, and takes a step forward.
"And why would we listen to you?" Hunter just shrugs at her question, and Luz wishes she could be as relaxed about this whole situation. He answers her cauusally, "Because the amount of magic you possess at the moment is not enough to fight me" Eda, sweet Eda, takes offense to that and exclaims, "You don't know that!"
The way Hunter keeps shrugging at their defiance kind of pisses her of. They are intimidating! Hunter should respect Eda, she almost gave up her life just so they have a chance to stop the Day of Unity! Obviously she doesn't say that out loud and keeps understaminating them. And is this amusement she hears in his voice? This jerk is having fun, while trying to intimidate them!
"Maybe not, but I know that the plant you're standing in eats flesh."
While he's still sounds amused,she thinks there's also some worry in his tone, as she jumps away from the plant. But that's probably just because he won't be able to threaten thm if they're hurt, or dead. And she gets proven right when Hunter just giggles at their discomfort.
"Okay. The human will go back to Bonesborough on the ship, while the Owl Lady will be arrested again for attacking a ship that belongs to the Emperor's Coven."
Oh yeah, she forgot that the ship was the Emperor's. Why does Eda always have to get in trouble with the law? At least Eda is as unmoved as always about potentially fighting the Golden Guard without any magic, it makes her feels a little bit safer. If Eda's not worried, neither should she.
"Why are you guys hunting the Selkidomus? It's a peaceful creature and you're provoking it!"
Hunter just stands in front of them like a statue, as he answers, "The Emperor ordered me to slay one." It's kind of unsettling to see how still he can be. Is everyone in the Emperor's Coven like this, or did he learn to be like that to avoid attention? She doesn't want to think about that.
Eda exclaims, "Well, I'm just gonna smack you around a bit." and tries to attack Hunter with her arm but he just avoids all her attacks. Hunter would be surprised, if Luz just attacked him with all her might, maybe he would even drop the overconfident act, but with Eda here she can't. Or she'd have to explain how she got so much better in such a short amount of time. Instead she attacks him with the fire Glyphs she carries around and cries, "Leave Eda alone!"
Like expected, Hunter dodges her pathetic attack and throws her to land besides Eda. This time at least, she falls softly and doesn't get all her air pushed from her lungs violently, like last time. Before they can even stand up, Hunter uses his staff to move them over the water. There's an amused note in his voice, under his anger when he says, "How about I dangle you over the Boiling Sea? Around these parts the steam can cause third degree burns"
Instead of actually doing that, Hunters artificial magic moves them back to stand in front of him. "But I don't have to be that mean. The Owl Lady won't have to get arrested, if one of you can slay the Selkidomus beast."
He uses his magic to create a sword, and unlike last time, she's prepared. Luz stands up and rushes to the sword to pick it up. "You're on!"
Hunters shoulders slump for a second, before he rights himself again. "What? Just like that? But I didn't even have to threaten you with him!"
Hunter picks up the cage and shows King to them. Luz knew he would be safe with Hunter, but still let's out a relieved sigh, when she sees him snoozing peacefully. Thinking better than to give Hunter the satisfaction of riling her up, she doesn't react like he wants her to and turns around to go "slay" the beast. Eda follows her, while Hunter and King stay back.
Their little adventure in the cave goes the same as last time and when she carries the "Selkidomus" to show his corpse to Hunter, he quips like before and gives her King like he promised. What isn't like before, is the fact, that he's pulling her away from the cave.
"Let me go! You promised to let us go!", She struggles but it's no use, so she takes out a glyph to use on him, when he takes his mask off. Those red eyes and the scar, they're so familiar that she wants to sob.
"What are you doing, screaming around like that? Do you want us to get caught?"
The gap in his tooth is the same too, and when he turns his head slightly she can see the missing chunk in his ear. When she doesn't answer, he shakes her lightly.
"Luz, listen to me. We don't have much time. Don't tell anyone about me or you. Not yet. I can't let my cover drop, so don't contact me. It's Golden Guard to you in public, okay?", before he even finishes talking, Hunter starts walking away from her. She starts reaching out for him, but pulls her hand back. He's right. If they interact, Belos might become suspicious earlier on, which is exactly the opposite of what she wants.
"Hunter? How do I contact you? We need to talk about this!" He doesn't stop when she speaks but she knows he heard her."I'll contact you when it's safe. Try to stay out of trouble. The Emperor is not a merciful man." He hops on his staff and shouts out a loud, "Byeee!"
Then he's gone in a flash of golden light. King is safe in her hands, and when she returns to the cave, Eda is distracted by her glyphs. Only when they're on the boat back to Bonesborough, does she realize she made a mistake. Eda leans over to her. "So, why did you call the Golden Guard 'Hunter'?"
Luz flails for a few seconds. How could she explain that she knows Hunter, if from Eda's perspective, she didn't know who the Golden Guard is just a few hours ago? When Eda doesn't let up, Luz pauses and puts an innocent smile on her face. "I don't know, It just came to me like that!"
Eda looks suspicious but finally drops it. To distract Eda, Luz shows her how to make a fire glyph, and immediately has to ban Eda from making them, when she almost burns their boat down.