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Chapter Text

Luz tapped her pencil against her face while she thought. It was well after she was supposed to go to sleep, but the constant guilt kept her awake late into the night. This was all her fault, so she had to fix it.
Eventually, she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer, no matter how bad she felt. She fell asleep right where she sat. She slept soundly for hours.
"Luz wake up."
"Stop! Don't wake her up! Let her sleep!"
"Don't push me!:
Luz sat up and saw the scene in front of her. Lilith and Eda were fighting like kids.
"Ugh, what's up?"
The fighting stopped momentarily.
"I was waking you up at a regular time."
"Lily, I love you and all, but 7AM is a tad early." Eda rolled her eyes at Lilith.
"You have more time to wake up, eat breakfast, and get ready for the day."
"Lily, again, I love you and all, but if you wake me up again I will punch you into last week."
"Please do! I could stop that mindscape issue before it even starts!"
Go back and stop something?
"Lilith, do you still have the time pool finder?"
"What for?" Lilith and Eda stopped fighting.
"I could go through a time pool and stop Philip Wittebane from ever becoming Belos."
Eda and Lilith exchanged a look.
"Luz, you're brilliant!" Lilith exclaimed.
"Look at you, being clever." Eda nodded approvingly.
"Yes, I do still have the device. We have to be really lucky to find a time pool close enough to us."
They all worked stationing components together. They eventually got it working.
"Luz! There's one, it's far from here, but it's close to somewhere else on the isles... Hexside! It's not far from there. If we head off now, we can probably get there in less than an hour."
"I want to stop at Hexside first. I want to check in on my friends."
"Luz, I don't think we would have-" Lilith cut herself off when she saw Eda shaking her head at her.
"We'll do that first kiddo," Eda promised.
They gathered up King and Hooty and set off towards Hexside.

Chapter Text

Luz cautiously approached the door. She took a deep breath and pushed it open. She was immediately greeted with an empty hallway.
"Hello?" She called. The hallways echoed with her steps.
"Anyone here?" She peeked into a couple classrooms.
"Luz?" Amity walked out of the shadows.
"Amity!" Luz ran up to her and hugged her.
"Luz! Where were you? We were all so worried!"
"We had to leave. The Emperor's Coven is after us. I had to come see you guys. I know how to stop Belos," Luz explained.
"I'll take you to the others now."
Amity led their group through the halls and to the gym.
There were sleeping bags set up on the floor. Families populated the inside of the room.
"What happened?"
"The Emperor's Coven attacked Hexside and Hunter warned us about the Day of Unity, so Principal Bump let our families stay at the school to be safer."
"Hunter's here?" Luz remembered his escape that night.
"Yeah. What happened? He seemed really shaken up."
"That's not important. What's important is that we stop Belos."
Amity led her to Gus, then Willow, then to where Hunter was in the corner.
"Luz. You're back." He lifted his head and looked at her. He noticed she had eyebags now. She noticed that his were deeper.
"I'm back. How have you been since... that night?" She didn't want to talk about what happened.
"Well, I'm alive." He shrugged. They all awkwardly stood there in silence before Luz broke it.
"I know how to stop Belos."
The energy in their circle turned tense.
"There's a lot of context behind it, like how Philip Wittebane is actually Belos, but if I go into a timepool Lilith found and stop Philip, he can't become emperor."
"Luz, you're a genius!" Gus's face lit up. They all silently moved past the Philip Wittebane comment. Luz seemed messed up as it is, they didn't want to overload her with questions.
Willow and Gus started a conversation that Amity got pulled into.
Luz beckoned Hunter aside.
"What?"
"I, um, wanted to clarify what would happen if we went through with this plan."
"Yeah, you go back in time and kill that son of a-"
"Hunter! You aren't listening. If he goes, so does everything he did after I kill him."
Hunter started to realize.
"Oh."
He silently stared off.
"I wanted to check with you before we did this. I... I want a new idea Hunter. Please, I can't do this! I can't let this happen to you!" Luz grabbed his makeshift cape and shook him a little.
"Luz. Whatever you do, it's the right decision. Don't think about me, think about the greater good. I... I think you should do this." Hunter ignored the weight of what she said.
"Hunter, you will die! Do you hear me? Die!" Luz fell to her knees, taking Hunter with her.
"Hey, hey. That's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. I can even go with you, heck, I could try to actually end him myself." His gaze bore into her. His face looked more soldier-like now than any other time she'd seen it.
"I'm so sorry. I-I wish there was another way. I don't want to do this."
Hunter laughed a dry laugh and sat beside her.
"I'm... I'm ready to go. I've been ready to go for so long, and I didn't want it to be a pointless thing, but now. I have a reason, and I'm ready. I'm readier than ever."
Luz couldn't process the words to their fullest before the dame in her eyes broke.
"I..." Hunter panicked and looked around. He returned to the group and grabbed Amity away without a single word.
"Hey! What the heck?" She glared at him.
"Luz needs you. I don't know what to do." He gestured to Luz.
"Batata, what's the matter?" Amity crouched in front of her.
"I can't do it. He-" Luz hiccuped and cried.
"What's she talking about?" Amity looked up at Hunter.
"Well, if Belos doesn't become 'Belos', then a couple of... important things won't happen. One of those being me." He looked away. He didn't want to see her expression.
"I'm sure you'll still be, um, conceived, but you wo-"
"You aren't understanding. I'm, I'm not..." He clenched his hands in frustration and sputtered a couple more broken phrases out.
"I'm not understanding? I thought he took you in?"
"He, he didn't. That was yet another lie he told me."
"Is he your dad then?"
"What? Ew, no! It's complicated. I..." He took a breath. "I'm a grimwalker. He buried some stuff underground and boom! I come crawling out. When Philip is killed, nothing will happen to create me. I... I won't exist."
"Titan. Hunter, we can get a new plan." Amity immediately started thinking of new ideas.
"No. We don't have time. I'm... okay with this. It's what has to happen."
"I'm sorry that this is the only way." Amity put a hand on his arm.
"It's alright. I'm sorry I won't be here for you guys. I have to go tell the others."
"Do you want help with telling them?"
"You stay here with Luz. She needs you more. I can do this on my own. Thanks, Amity."
Hunter hurried to where Gus and Willow were.
"Hunter! Woah, is everything okay?" Willow looked concerned.
"Yeah, just discussing the plan." He waved his hand.
"Are you sure?" Willow eyed his whole face. Hunter patted his face with his hand and checked it. His glove was darker.
He didn't even notice he was crying.
"Oh, this? It's nothing. Nothing at all. Just... allergies?" He did his signature 'I just lied' smile.
"What's wrong?" Gus approached them.
"I have a confession to make. A-About the plan. It's not going to end in happily ever after." He sighed and dropped his arms in defeat.
"What do you mean?" Willow played dumb. There's no way he could get hurt. He'd be a-okay!
Gus, however, was somehow opening his eyes wider and wider each second.
"I'm not going to come back from this."
"You-You have to come back! You can't just... leave!" Willow threw her arms around.
"Why not?" Gus asked.
"I'm not normal. I'm artificial. Belos created me, and when the creator doesn't create the creation... there's nothing there."
"We'll figure out a new plan! We'll get you through this! You'll be fine!" Willow cried.
"We're out of time to think of a new plan. I'm okay with this, really." He thought of the pros and cons of this. He'd have no future, no past, nothing.
"Well I'm not! Hunter, please!" Willow shook him.
"Wow, that's the second time that's happened."
"Please! Please, don't leave me!" Willow broke.
Hunter didn't say anything to her please and cries. He wrapped his arms around her and silently cried with her.
"What about Luz, Gus, Amity, and me? What about me? Why? It's not fair!" Willow's hands made their way into fists.
"I'm sorry Captain. I really like you. I really do, but I have to do this. I have to do this for the greater good. I'm sorry."
"Hunter, please! I love you, you can't do this!" Willow glared at him through her tears.
"I'd rather die you hating me, than die knowing I could have saved everyone else."
"You can't do this! You can't just come into my life, and make me feel like someone truly cares about me, and then leave! It's not fair!"
Gus momentarily looked offended before he ignored it.
"It'll be like I was never here. You won't remember a thing, I promise. You mean the world to me, and I want that world to be one you can actually live in. If I have to do this to keep you safe, I'd do it ten times over," Hunter promised.
Willow nodded and let go of him.
"Gus, you've been the best friend I could ask for. I'm sorry for surprising you the other day, and I-" Hunter moved closer to whisper in his ear- "I hope you work up the courage to ask Mattholomule out." He stepped away with a smug wink.
"Hey! Don't make those your parting words man. I'll miss you. I enjoyed being your friend and playing Flyer Derby with you."
"Thanks. I enjoyed my time with you as well. You're a great guy, all you need is some very deserved self-confidence. You're smart, creative, and you always have a way of making someone smile. Heck, I'm smiling right now. Thanks Gus, you're so great, don't forget that."
"I won't disappoint you. I have one request, can you do it?"
"What is it?"
Gus whispered something in Hunter's ear.
"Can do."
"Goodbye Hunter."
"Goodbye Gus."
"Hunter, I want you to know that I'm frustrated that this is how it ends, but, it finally gives me a chance to tell you how I really feel."
"How you, um, really feel?"
"You make me have butterflies in my stomach. Hunter, I like you."
"I like you too, we're friends, that's how that works." Hunter laughed a little.
"No, I LIKE you! Y'know, more than friends?"
"Oh! I haven't heard that before, sorry. Willow, I LIKE you too." He smiled at her.
They hugged again.
"I'm sorry, I gotta go check on Luz. I'll be right back!" He waved as he hurried off.
He rounded the corner and saw Luz and Amity standing together.
"Luz, when are we leaving?"
"Soon. Amity thought it'd be a good idea if you maybe stayed behind with the others. Y'know, to give them longer with you," Luz suggested.
"No. I want to go with you. I want to do this. Who all is going?"
"Me, you, and Lilith."
"I have to go explain this to Lilith now too. I can't just disappear and her not understand."
"Okay." Luz didn't put any emotion into the word. Hunter didn't know if she was hurrying him, or frustrated at him, but he assumed it was both and more. He left to go find her. Eventually, he spotted the familiar head of navy blue hair.
"Lilith!"
He hurried to her.
"What?" She was glaring down at him without actually glaring down at him.
"I'm going with you and Luz through the time pool."
"Is that all?"
"There's, um, some more. I thought it'd be important to let you know of something that's going to happen once he's... ended."
"What's going to happen? Will there be sparkles and then we're back here?"
"Not quite. If it weren't for Belos, I wouldn't exist. Once he's going, no one creates me, so I never exist. I just thought I'd let you kn-" Hunter was cut off when Lilith wrapped her arms around him.
"Shh, shh. Why would you disappear? I thought he took you in?" She let go of him to talk.
"No, that was another one of his lies. I was... artificially created."
"I'm so sorry, is there any other way?"
"No. We have to do this now before the time pool closes." He turned around and left.
When he got back to where his group was congregated, he was once again met with Willow sobbing.
"Captain? Are you okay?"
"Am I ok- NO! You're going to DIE! Why would I be okay?" She practically yelled at him.
"SHH! I don't want everyone to know."
"That's not your biggest concern when you're going to DIE!" Hunter could've sworn she was saying it louder to piss him off.
"Captain! Please, I'm sorry." He hugged her again.
"'M sorry." She mumbled. She was exhausted and she felt empty.
"It's alright. Y'know, I wish I would've told you sooner about the whole LIKE thing. I shouldn't've been a coward." Hunter whispered back.
"Me too. I'm supposed to be this tough, brave girl, and I chickened out of telling some guy how I felt about him. I can't believe it."
"You are still brave, and tough, and I get it. I used to command armies, and look at me now. I was scared of telling you how I felt." He laughed.
They both laughed a little.
"Hunter. We have to go, I'm sorry." Luz was unreadable.
"Oh, okay. Goodbye Captain. I, um, like you?" Hunter awkwardly said. Before he or Willow had any idea what was going on, they kissed.
"Wow, um, okay." Hunter was tomato red.
"Someone's really red." Amity teased.
"I've seen Luz call you 'batata', I don't think you can speak," Hunter retorted.
"Touche."
Hunter turned to Gus.
"Goodbye Gus. You were the best friend I could've asked for. I'm glad to have met you. And I won't forget that thing."
"Thanks Hunter." They hugged before Hunter broke away to address Amity.
"You're one of the strongest witches I know. Um, don't give up? It was cool to meet you." Amity nodded solemnly.
"I was glad to have met someone who I could relate to. You're a good guy Hunter."
"It was great to spend any time with you guys. I hope to meet you guys at the pearly gates," Hunter added.
"The what?"
"It doesn't matter," Luz muttered.
"Goodbye!" Hunter called at he left.
They all walked in silence without Luz's usual nonstop chatter.
"The time pool should be up here in about twenty feet," Lilith said.
They continued walking until Lilith stopped them.
"Stop. The time pools are right here."
Hunter couldn't see anything odd. All he could see was normal forest.
"Where?"
Lilith tapped a spot on the ground. It rippled like a small puddle.
"Here."
Hunter would've normally asked a million questions about how they worked, but he held his tongue. He didn't want to be remembered as the kid with the annoying voice and annoying questions.
Lilith was sticking her head into different pools. Luz was sitting on the ground idly tapping a puddle beside her.
"Here! In here! The architecture is the same, and that architecture period didn't last super long." Luz and Hunter joined her at the edge of the portal.
"Are we all ready? Did anyone bring anything to kill him with?"
"I brought a dagger. Will this kill a human?" Hunter pulled a dagger out of his pocket.
"Yeah. Where'd you get that? There's no knives at Hexside... besides that one, but Principal Bump wouldn't give it up," Luz pointed out.
"I found it. I was sent to go look for something in the woods, I can't remember what, and I stumbled on a cave. It had a lot of old unreadable journals and this dagger." Hunter watched how the light reflected off it. He was mesmerized.
"Let's go then."
Lilith slipped in, followed by Luz.
Hunter watched the ground ripple from where they landed. He cautiously touched it before throwing caution to the wind and going all the way in.

Chapter Text

Hunter looked around at the strange area around him. Witches casually went about their day, buying things from the market. He started feeling self conscious when the witches started discreetly staring at him. He was taught very early on to always notice staring, and it was paying off. All he could notice were the stares and whispers.
Eventually, Lilith led their group to a shopkeeper.
"Where's the human?" She asked her.
"That asshole? He's probably writing in his stupid book. I want no part of anything you guys are doing." The lady motioned for them to keep walking.
"Well, where to now?" Hunter folded his arms in front of his chest.
"Let's just look and hopefully get lucky." Lilith didn't even turn around to look at him.
"Alright."
They continued walking.
Lilith perked up when she saw a familiar witch.
"Sir! I remember you. You were upset at the human. Red Fang, was it?"
"What do you want with the human?" He raised an eyebrow at them.
"We want to give him what he deserves." Hunter cut in before Lilith could reason.
"He's probably in that stupid cave of his. He's doing some weird shit in there. I swear to Titan that I've seen him walk out of there with some guy, but the the guy just vanished. Sorry, I was rambling there. The cave is up there." He pointed somewhere on the skull. They all nodded.
"Thanks. I appreciate it. Have a nice day." Hunter dipped his head at him before they took off again.
They hiked in silence. Luz was surprised Lilith wasn't filling the silence with her usual history talk.
They eventually reached the cave and stood in the opening of it.
"Intruders! Identify yourselves!" A voice yelled from behind them. They all whipped around and were face to face with Philip himself.
Luz glared at the man with unfathomable anger.
"Ah, Luzura. Long time no see. And you brought your aunt, lovely." He rolled his eyes with the last word.
"What's his problem?" Hunter asked. Philip's attitude completely changed when he saw Hunter.
"You? How're you still alive?" His eyes looked like they couldn't get any wider.
"I should be asking you the same thing." Hunter revealed the dagger. Philip's eyes got wider somehow.
"How did you get a hold of that?" He whispered.
"I have my ways." Hunter lunged at the man. He found it a lot easier to attack him when he didn't look like his Belos.
Of course, he wasn't unarmed. He retaliated and pulled a knife of his own out. Hunter swiftly disarmed him and pinned him down.
"Get off me you scum!"
"Luz, do you want me to do it, or do you want to do the honors?" He looked up at her.
"Do it."
"Got it." Hunter nodded up at her and looked back down at the defenseless man.
Hunter gripped the dagger in his left hand. Holding it in that hand felt like a slight defiance of Belos. He was always superstitious about left hands, so of course creating a thing that was left handed ticked him off.
Hunter brought the blade down into the man's chest. His mind blocked out the cries as he brought the blade down over and over and over again. The blade occasionally got caught on something, whether it be clothing or his ribcage Hunter didn't know, but his swift movements didn't let the blade stay stuck for long. It felt mechanical while still feeling brutal.
Hunter came back to his senses and looked at the mess in front of him. He swiped some of the blood splatter off his face and stood up. When his weight released the man, he twitched a couple of times as he started dying.
"For you, Gus." Hunter spit on the dying man.
"Hunter, I'm sorry," Luz whispered.
Hunter turned around and hugged her. He let his tears flow, as did she.
They stood together crying until they heard a final shuddering breath from Philip.
Hunter shut his eyes and awaited death.

Luz didn't let go of Hunter. Even while he turned to dust in her arms. She grabbed fruitlessly at the dust floating away in the wind.
She dropped to her knees and let out a scream of pure agony. Lilith felt her heart squeeze at the sound.

Luz stepped back through the portal. She felt nauseous as soon as she stepped out. The universe was following the new timeline.
Whatever her new life would be like, she would never forget the boy who sacrificed everything and more for her.