Boiling Gems (The Owl House x Steven Universe)

Summary: The things you can do away from home.

Lilith watched as Luz scrambled with her pencil as she stared into Lucci's shield. "Come on … come on … why is it so hard to find a glyph in this thing?"

"I've stared at my shield hundreds of times before, and I've never seen a glyph in it." Her nephew explained. "Heck, how it formed was super weird too. Hunter used my blood to draw a fire glyph, it started to spark, before changing and expanding randomly."

"Maybe it's inside the gem itself?" King suggested.

Luz immediately lifted his shirt, looking inside. "Are you sure this is the best use of time?" Lilith asked, considering the revelations last night. She came in late hearing about their latest excursion. Quite frankly, she was still stuck on the 'Belos was Philip' revelation. Wait…that meant she punched Belos right in the face! ...That was either really cool or very terrifying.

"Well I can multitask planning invading Belos's castle while trying to find the fifth glyph, or I can focus on how I caused every terrible thing and spiral into a self destructive mindset when we only have a week to save the Boiling Isles from death." Luz responded with a crazed and insane smile. "Your choice."

"... Try the lines, see if they make a symbol." Lucifer said quietly.

"Okay, I'm still trying to catch up on all the details here." Shalisha's and Eden's daughter was pacing back and forth. "Belos is actually a human from four hundred years ago."

"Yep." Luz nodded.

"Said human is also a deranged and crazy witch hunter that wants to kills us all."

"Yep." She nodded again.

"And he's around and able to do that because you went back in time and helped him, and his basically unkillable because he has a glyph only Lucci seems to have."

"That is the jist of it, yes." Lucci nodded. 

"...That confirms it." Boscha slumped on the couch. "Humans ruin everything."

"Tell me something I don't know." Luz rolled her eyes. "Hey, you have good eyes, can you see any weird symbols on this?" She pointed to the gemstone.

"Let me see." The girl looked closer, rubbing her finger on it. "Hmm…strange….I'm seeing…parts…it looks like your paper magic, but all broken up.

"Draw the parts, I'll try to refigure them later." Luz turned to the table. "So, we have a week to stop the Emperor from killing all witches, no one will believe us other than the gang, and we have to deal with every Coven Head, Belos, and scouts for days … plus side, we can count on Hunter to not get in the way."

"Yeah, because he's just as wanted as the rest of us now." Lucifer snickered. "Do feel sorry for him, but it's also kind of darkly ironic."

"So … do we sneak in and sabotage stuff?" King asked. "Because Eda's diary said that didn't work well for her."

"Sneaking in is the last thing we need to be doing. Heck, getting in close to Belos in general is the last thing we need to be doing." Eda said. "The best thing we need to do is hide again. It won't be long before Belos things to look for us at our friends and family's home. We gotta get moving before they get a whiff of where we are."

"But if we don't stop him, we're dead anyway." Luz said. "Entire realm is going to be uninhabitable, remember?"

"So many things to worry about! It almost makes me queasy!" Hootsifer yelled, before gagging. "Or that could just be my lunch…yep…definitely my lunch!" He voted garbage all over the floor.

"Hootsifer, you really need to watch your diet." Lilith chided as she patted the demon. "You can't spend you're entire life eating every bit of garbage you see."

"He's also been eating our mail!" King shouted, looking through the pile and pulling out a fancy looking black envelope, with the words KING CLAWTHORNE written out in gold lining. "What the heck is this!?" 

"Oh, the day you learned your shouting powers, some guy with a skull and black fur gave it to me. Then I saw a bug, and the letter vanished for some reason." Hootsifer explained with a smile.

"...THAT WAS OVER TWO MONTHS AGO!" King shouted. "You've known about this for two and a half months and you DIDN'T TELL ME!?"

"I didn't think it was important. Not like some random stranger that looks like you had anything to say if he didn't say it in person." Her youngest nephew was silent, simply getting up and walking over to the bird demon, opening it's mouth, and crawling inside. "... Aww, he must want to cuddle from-"

"WEEH! WEEH! WEEH! WEEH!" The bird demon's body began contorting as he was attacked from the inside.

"So…I'm just going to read this." Luz picked up the envelope and opened it, showing off a letter and what looked like a fragment of bone. " Dear King Clawthorne, if you want to learn more about who you are, come meet us and our warrior clan." Luz gasped. "Not only do we find King's family, we might find an army!"

"One capable of actually going against the Emperor!" Lucifer shouted as King walked out. "King, your family is from warriors, they could help us fight against Belos!"

"A whole army of me! It's a dream come true!" The little one jumped in the air. "Eda, we have to do this, it's the best plan of all plans!"

Lilith shared a glance with her sister. Both of them were pretty uneasy about the whole thing. "It sounds too good to be true…but we don't really have any other options." Lilith pointed out.

"We were bound to get a win eventually …" And hopefully went unsaid.

"Then it's settled. Me, Luz, and mom are going with King. Boscha, Lily, drum up support wherever you can get it." Lucifer stated.

"Actually … it's probably for the best if I stay back … you know, stretch my harpy wings and get a bird's eye view." Her sister spoke.

King gave her sister what could be called an 'adorable head tilt'. "But I want my Mom to meet my Dad."

"That sounds so wrong out of context." Luz muttered.

"Besides, Lucci will make a terrible impression."

"How am I the bad guy here?"

"Well … you tend to … reject any and all biological family." King noted.

"Yeah, because I have no reason to like my own. That doesn't mean I hate bio families in general."

"Amity's family?" Boscha asked.

"Everyone hates the Blights." Lucci countered

"Not to mention any time I try to go looking for it, you tend to shoot me down and say we're family." King noted.

"Because you get mopey and emotional when you don't have answers." Lucifer answered. "I don't hate Boscha's parents, Willow's parents are pretty okay, never met Gus's dad, Skara's mom's a rebel so she's cool, and I haven't gotten to know Luz's mom to make a full judgment."

"You also didn't like me for a good while." Lilith spoke up.

"Because you were a moron."

"...That's fair." She nodded.

"Sorry, I think it's for the best that I stay back this time around." Eda reaffirmed. "Hooty, go with them in case they're evil."

"Okay, now it feels like you're actively sabotaging my chances of a good impression." King grunted.

"Don't be like that, buddy! People say I'm unforgettable! No matter how hard they try, I weasel my way into their minds one way or another!"

"Don't worry King, I'll make sure you have the best time you can." Luz scratched his head. "We'll head out as soon as Boscha finishes the glyph pieces."

"Why can't I join you on this?" Boscha asked.

"Because you have your own mission. Letting everyone at school know the truth." Lucci held her shoulders. "Please Angel, you're the only one who can do this. I trust you with everything I have."

The girl flushed pink..even pinker then she already was, and grabbed the boy's face, kissing on on the lips in a way Lilith was sure wasn't suitable for any age at anytime. " MMWWAAAH! " She let go. "Just a little incentive to get you back to me faster, my adorable crystal."

"Can do." The boy stood up. "Luz, you ready?"

"Yep, I've got the pieces. I'll puzzle out the glyph on the way there." Luz said, looking the parchment over. "Now off on another high seas adventure across the isles!"

"Oooh, I can finally dress up like pirate!" Lucci shouted gleefully. It was nice to see them so happy….even if it might be for the last time.

========================================================================

Sugar stared vengefully at the human as they messed around with paper. "Like this then?" They tapped it. "No reaction …"

"Hhhsss." Please say they could toss her into the sea while she was distracted.

"Don't be like that Sugar, she's been through enough." Her boy continued to defend the human. "Ooof, after being stuck in Belos's mind, I'll NEVER take fresh air and sunshine for granted ever again."

"The blue sky, the rocking waves, the salty breath." King nodded. "The ocean sucks just as much as it did last time."

"Oh you just never had the pleasure of being a pirate." Lucci grinned, putting on eyepatch and a hat. "Hey captain, you have any sea shantys!"

"I've got me a melody that transcends the fabric of realms themselves!" The man smirked. "Everyone, Brinks Brew!"

"Wow…anime has more power than I thought." The human muttered.

"No can do captain, we're encountering a vicious sea kraken!" 

"Men, what pirates would we be if we couldn't sing while fighting a measly kraken in the eyes of star struck ladies!?" He shouted to the crew.

"Now this is my type of scene." Lucci took out an instrument from his hair. "Gather up all the crew, it's time to ship out binks brew." Her boy sang along with his lute, directing the magic at the tentacles attempting to capsize the ship. "Seawind blows to where who knows, the waves will be our guide." 

"AWWWWOOOOOOOOOH!" The seas creature was thrown into spike rocks as the boy's magic threw them across the sea.

"Three cheers for the Manticore Menace, the devil of the seas!" The captain cheered 

"Cheer for me later, there be a shanty to sing me lasses!" Her boy smirked. "O'er across the ocean's tide. Rays of sunshine far and wide."

"Birds they sing, of cheerful things, in circles passing by."

"He is very into this." The human manage to pull out a smile, something she hadn't done all day. "Then again he missed out on our last sea adventure."

"Bid farewell to weaver's town, say so long to port renowned!" Her boy grabbed a pint and began swinging around the ship.

"It's a minor fantasy he's had for years." King shrugged. "Pretty sure being a pirate is his retirement plan.

"Sounds like a fun life." The human smirked. "Ah what the heck? Sing a song, it won't be long, before we're casting off." Luz grinned, join in on the melody.

"Cross the gold and silver seas, a salty spray puts us at ease! Day and night, to our delight, the voyage never ends." Every pirate sang aloud as the two kids joined elebow, spinning around the ship. "Yo hohoho, yo hohoho…Yo hohoho, yo hohoho!"

Sugar had to admit, it was a calming atmosphere. "Yo hohoho, yo hohoho…Yo hohoho, yo hohoho…" The men and woman drank things kids shouldn't be near, playful games all about. "Yo hohoho, yo hohoho…Yo hohoho, yo hohoho…" If adventures were more like this, she'd would have less of a worry of her child being in danger. " Yo hohoho, yo hohoho…Yo hohoho, yo hohoho…" Unfortunately, she knew better.

"LAND HOOO!" One of the crew members shouted.

"Aw man, we only just started the song." Lucci pouted.

"If we get back home, I'll show you the best musician to ever play it." Luz smiled as they gazed through the fog to … an empty island with a finger raised to the sky. "Wow … the Titans really are the only big landmass around."

"The sea be vast and boiling. It's thanks to them that we can sand beneath our feet." The captain noted. "Safe travel, ye lasses and lads. You'll be needing it."

"Will do sir Captain sir."." King nodded as he jumped off. "So, what are we exploring first? It said that there should be a door around here …"

 "If they're a warrior race, it's either big and obvious, or super secret and hidden." The human noted. "So look for some sort of key hole while making yourselves presentable. The boiling water burned away your shirt, Lucci."

"Only the bottom half." He justified.

"You mean the one showing off your only weak spot?" King responded

"Is it really a weak spot when the Titan Crusher just made it crack one time and couldn't do it again?" Lucci brought up. "Seriously, I think it's actually stronger than before. Defense goes into overdrive whenever someone tries to attack it."

"Didn't stop Belos from wailing on it, so better to be sae than sorry." Luz answered, as she felt the wall of the finger. "Aha, found something." The human gestured to a circle with a small hole in the center.

"A hole?" Hooty asked. "Do you think it's a tiny door for mice?"

"It looks weirdly shaped." King pointed out. "Wait a minute…" He pulled out the letter, and shook out that tiny bone like cylinder. "What if it's a key?" Gently, the little fuzzy creature placed it in the center.

A massive gaping hole of light came on top of them. "… Luz." Lucci stated. "Please tell me you figured out my glyph before we all possibly die."

"Not even close."

"Okay, just wondering."

"Hssssh." Just let her poison the human enough to paralyze her. Sugar would be nice about it and only take away her ability to walk.

There was a flash … and then the world became a palm, in the palm of a Titan … a new one. "… Teleport glyph!?" Lucci exclaimed.

"I'm not sure if that was a glyph….the magic felt different…more powerful and raw." Luz said as they looked out on the body of the new titan they layed on. "We're not on the boiling isles anymore, are we?"

"No you are not." They turned to … the adult King looking person. "Welcome, travelers."

"Whoa…a big me.." King looked at the man in awe

"And a tiny child." They chuckled, leaning down and rubbing his head. "I'm glad you received my message, young one."

"You wrote the letter?" King asked, looking hopeful. "Are…are you my father?"

The man suddenly flinched, looking away. "No … I know only that you were from our tribe by your appearance. I never had a child myself … but I promise you, even if we can not find your parents, we will welcome you with open arms." He bowed. "I'm Derek."

"Oh…" The furry child looked disappointed, before shaking his head. "Well, I'm King, this is Luz, my human/friend/sister, this is Hooty, my doorway and personal annoyance, and this is Lucci, the best big bro I could have.

"It's a pleasure to meet.." Lucci bowed, only to notice that the man was strangely quiet now. "Ahh." The man stared at the torn shirt, showing off the pink gem on her boy's stomach. After a few seconds Lucci sighed. "Let me guess, now's the time where we-"

"The prophet has arrived!" Derek shouted out.

"...Huh?" Her boy and his friends tilted their heads.

More of the King look demons came forward, bowing their heads. "All hail the pink prophet, who speaks the words of the Great Huntsman!"

" ....HUH?" The kids looked ever more confused.

"Let us rejoice my brothers, for not only has one of our own come home, he comes bringing in the child of Rose Quartz! What a truly blessed day this is!"

"WHAT!?"

========================================================================

Hooty was happy. They found King's family, what joy! Although for some reason everyone else seemed confused. "Could um …" Luz raised her hand. "Could we get some context?"

"Of course." The man nodded. "Which part are you confused about?"

"The whole…prophet thing for starters." Lucci said as the kids began walking into the room. "I'm kind of…new to being Rose's kid, so I'm not exactly up to date."

"Ah, of course. Let me start at the beginning." He showed off a giant skeleton. "Our tribe is known as the Titan Trappers!" Derek shouted. "We are warriors that slay the evil beasts, and use their parts to help support the lives of all things."

"Wait… Titans are evil?" Luz questioned. "Because the entire Boiling Isles kinda has this whole worship thing going on …"

"They only go so far because the body of each titans provides our world with the magic we know today." The man explained. "We only enjoy the luxuries we do as a species because every titan is dead. If you saw a live titan, believe us, you wouldn't like what you'd see…" Derek paused. "Of course…most of us haven't actually seen a live one, but that's only because one of their entire race exists."

"Only one …" Lucci looked off. "Must be lonely …" He shook his head. "So where does Rose fit into all this?"

"That would be the word of our god, the great huntsman." Derek explained, showing off some images of a pink woman. "He told us of four warriors that would aid in our quest. The one who would communicate and live with us mortals, Rose Quartz."

"Wasn't she an alien?" Luz quietly questioned.

"If you're referring to the fact her kind comes from the stars, then yes." Derek nodded. "Long ago, near the beginning of time, the Titan's rampage spread beyond the realm of the Boiling Isles. The four warriors united with the huntsman, and banished them to our realm, where the great huntsman imparted with us the knowledge and capability to combat the threat head on."

"So … What does that make us all?" Lucci questioned.

"Why of course. The prophet." He gestured to Lucci. "His holy companions." He gestured to Luz and Hooty. "And the guide … a lost member of the tribe."

"Wow, suddenly I feel more important and meaningful now than in any other moment!" King jumped into the air.

"You were always important and meaningful, buddy." Lucci rubbed his head. "So … can we ask you for help?"

"Anything we can provide is yours." The man bowed.

"What we really need is you guys." Luz explained. "Belos back in the boiling isles is planning on wiping every witch out with a draining spell. An army capable of taking down a whole titan has got to have the fire power we need to match him."

"We would not be opposed to such a battle. We don't share any love for Belos." Ooooh, that sounded promising. "But for the tribe to declare war, you must seek an audience with … Bill." An organ began to play. "Terry, cut it out!"

"But his name feels so ominous." A Titan Trapper argued.

"Sorry about that, the man's afraid of the name Bill, or cyphers, and triangles. Seems paranoid to me."

"Bill, sounds like too simple of a name." King shrugged. "So we talk to this Bill guy and we're golden on waging war. Sounds like a plan!"

Luz looked at them. "Tell you what King." She leaned down. "How about me and Lucci … who's apparently a prophet with a lot of clout, talk to him. It'll give you time to learn about your people if you want."

Derek seemed to perk up at that. "I can even give him his very first weapon." The man walked over and pulled a bone ax that dragged through the stone. "We'll teach you everything we can. From our feasts, traditions, and ways to beat up people through violent fashion."

King looked at the weapon. "I won't have to go with sappy romance right?"

"We took a vow to keep all romance behind closed doors. No one wants to see that stuff." He answered.

"MY PEOPLE!" What a lucky guy.

"I wish I had a people." Hooty pouted.

"You have us Hooty." Lucci patted him on the head, before turning to Lucci. "So Luz, you getting a funny feeling here? Cause I am."

"A little bit, but I'm hoping to suppress it and find a way to prevent my mistake." She answered.

"It's just, the trappers claim that Rose is good and the titans are bad, but...we know that the Gem people destroyed planets."

"It's not black and white man. Remember the civil war thing we learned from Belfry's family?" She asked. "Rose and Bismuth were probably on one side and avoided whatever the heck happened to their brains. And then a lot of other bad and questionable stuff happened and suddenly Bismuth was backstabbed, and Rose tried to murder Philip but failed."

"A couple of nice things doesn't change the fact she failed and hurt a lot of people." Lucci rolled his eyes.

Luz shook for a moment, a dark and broken look in her eye. "Yep … so let's get rid of my failure and hope it actually works for once." She began walking away.

"Luz, that wasn't what I mean-damn it!" Lucci slapped himself. "We're to the point where words trigger trauma. When did life get so complicated?"

"When Luz came into our lives?" Hooty suggested. "Or when you felt guilty about maniacs."

"That was rhetorical." 

"Gusientoedt." 

========================================================================

"Right here is where you'll find Bill." Luz watched as Derek gestured to the door. "We're best buddies. Love you bill!"

"Thank you Derek, you've been a great help." She smiled. "Go spend time with King, he could use someone to help deal with stuff … I also think he's gonna hurt himself with that ax."

"Nonesense, his natural warrior spirit will kick in soon enough." Derek reassured.

"Sorry! You weren't using that arm too much, were you?" King's voice could be heard from outside.

"... I'll minimize the property damage." He nodded. "Who knows, I've never got the chance to find love, but maybe a son would be nice." The man left the two of them.

"Alright Lucci, lay on the divine prophet stuff, and we're Golden."

"Luz, if we're gonna do this, don't make me a Belos." Her friend rolled his eyes. "The fact these guys hunt titans to extinction already gives me an unclean feeling. It's no different than the witches and basilisks."

"I know, but seeing that they've already killed all but one, there's nothing we can do about it, and we can't afford to be picky with our allies." Luz responded. "We have less than a week to out number and out muscle the entire Coven System. And we still don't have a concrete plan on killing whatever the heck Belos is now."

"The only good news is I finally comprehend why his magic felt so awful when we first met." Lucci shivered.

"On the bright side, you could achieve the same feats once you master your powers."

"Yeah, because looking like a rotting tree is my dream come true." He rolled his eyes.

"... Point taken." She nodded, opening the door to a room full of weapons, in the middle resting what looked like King, but with a candle on his head, clothes on his body, and an elderly mystic vibe to him. "Hellos, great and wise grand huntsman Bill, we humbly…

"What's that!? Speak up!" The man pulled out a massive horn connected to his ear.

"I've got it." Lucci walked forward, licking his palm and touching the man. "There, that should clear up any damage."

"Aaahh, my ears popped!" The man rolled over in his chair, falling to the ground. "Feels so unnatural! I've had that ringing in my ears since I killed the last known titan." He picked his ears with his fingers. "Did Derek send you? Tell him that sending a miracle doctor isn't enough to justify his stalking."

"Aww, but stalking is the best form of love." Hooty cheered.

"…What in the stars is that and how do I kill it?" Bill asked with wide eyes.

"Hooty, and I wouldn't be doing that." Lucci sighed, tapping his gem with reluctance.

"The pink prophet! Well I'll be!" The man stood up gleefully. "Gotta say, never thought this day would come. Rumors of the Manticore Menace have spread to our little corner of the world, but we couldn't be sure if it was legit."

"Yeah, we've had a lot of belief issues on our end too." Luz nodded. "Mostly because Belos is trying to kill him and everything."

"That so? No problem then, we can just wage war against the man if you want!" He laughed. "Never trusted that horned face fraud to begin with. Talking to the titan, bleh, as if. Dead is dead when it comes to titans. I should know, I've killed one!"

"That … was pretty easy." Luz nodded. "No fight or anything."

"Why would we fight an ally?" He asked. "Seriously, how messed up is the Boiling Isles that it went to the point you can't trust a simple cry for help?"

"It's a long story." Lucci sighed. "Usually being Rose's son brings me nothing but trouble."

"You won't find any of that here." Bill laughed. "The great huntsman showed us the truth. That fighting each other is pointless when larger enemies run afoot. We alone preserved the history of our world when Belos came along and vilified the pink prophets name."

"Yeah, I'm still a little lost in that.." Lucci said, looking at a couple of wall decorations. "Who exactly was the grand hunts.." He paused, grabbing her arm and pointed at a nick nack… one with a familiar looking moon and star symbol. "…man?"

"He's our deity." The man spoke. "The one who showed us the truth about the world. Everything we learned from magic to actions we take was from him. And we eradicate the true evil in his place, the Titans." Bill responded. 

"Is that soo.." Their deity… looked like the collector symbols … the person Belos needed to talk to in order to complete his plans. The floating black shadow that took delight in the suffering of the Golden Guards.

"Yes! Trust me, you do not want to run into a titan. Such annoying creatures. With their big egos, proclamations of tyranny, their horrid skull faces, and they need to constantly shout weh all the time." Bill grumbled.

"But … you have a skull face." Lucci muttered.

"Hmm?" Bill tilted his head. "Oh no, we just wear these to fool titans." And then he took off the helmet, showing a very old and worn out man. "See?"

"Wait, but if you don't have…" Luz had a bad feeling about this.

"And King has…" The dots were making an uncomfortable picture.

Hooty gave a chuckle. "It's a good thing we're not friends with anyone who behaves like a ruler, has a really big ego, screams like weh, and has a skull for a face." And that sealed the deal.

"We thank you for your alliance, but the journey has been long, and we really should rest." Luz spoke, grabbing Lucci's arm. "Can we find a room to rest in?"

"Ah, I believe we still have some spare inns we can provide.." Good, while he was distracted, they would take King and run . They weren't going to get help here. They were just lucky they hadn't figured out that…

"Weh! Weh! I am the greatest!" Damn it, why!?! 

"We'll find those ins on our own, thank you for everything." Lucci dragged her out and slammed the door. "Dang it, what now!?"

"I'll make an escape route with Hooty, you get King and go." Luz said seriously.

"Alright, I'll just super speed my way there and-" the door opened. "Hey Bill, what's up?" He switched.

"You wouldn't believe it! A baby titan is running around town! Must've been the egg of that titan I killed! I knew you being here was good luck!" Bill clapped. "It doesn't seem like it knows we're trappers. Follow me and we'll complete the sacrificial ritual!"

"Sacrificial … ritual?" Lucci asked with some sweat.

"Yes." The elder nodded. "You see, the Titans are evil, but they are also powerful and smart. They trapped the Grand Huntsman behind a mirror, locked in a realm between realms." The man exclaimed. "But with his blood spilled across the floor, we will finally free him from his prison, and unleash the Grand Huntsman's power all over the world!" The same power…that Belos was trying to use!

"You should totally have this dude standing close to the sacrifice." She patted Lucci desperately. "You know … insurance?"

"Splendid idea! Who better to kill the titan than the prophet himself!"

They waited until he was out of hearing range. "We're gonna be fighting the island, aren't we?" Lucci asked.

"Yep."

"Luz, for the love of Titan, finish that fifth glyph." Lucci pleaded as he headed out. "Not only do we have to save King, we also have to break the news to him that his family is dead and that he's a freaking titan!"

"Let me break the news." She said. "He doesn't have to get mad at you."

"Kinda funny. Eda adopted both a devil and a god." Hooty laughed. "Oh, that's irony."

========================================================================

Lucci walked next to King. "A ceremony around me!" The little guy shouted with absolute hope. "This is gonna be awesome, amazing. I'm finally with people that get me!"

"Oh come on King, we get you." Lucci assured.

"Yeah, I know we're family and I'll always love and choose you, but this is everything I've wanted since learning the truth!" The guy shouted. "A father figure, answers about why I'm different, people who understand the concept of why free will should be allowed in full but preserved in a way that won't upset people that it makes uncomfortable." 

"Right.." Dang it. He's already gotten emotionally attached. "King, I'm glad you're happy right now. I don't want to take that away from you. I just..well, I think you sure at least mentally brace yourself just in case."

"Just in case? Just in case of what?" His little bro asked. "Lucci, you don't have to worry so much. It's natural to feel jealous that good things happen when we look into my family and not yours. I just had won the family lottery."

"... Yeah …" On the plus side, the immeasurable guilt he was going to feel was now migrated to massive guilt.

They made their way over to the altar, standing on top was Derek, who looked saddened, and Bill, who looked excited. Given that the crowd around them was cheering, it wasn't likey that they would be able to quietly 'get lost' and sneak away.

"Please, step forward." Bill spoke, holding out a knife while revealing a broken mirror … the same one he saw Philip carry in his bag. Was it that easy!? If he just took the mirror back then would none of this have happened!?

"Alright! Man, these guys sure know how to make a guy feel welcomed." King innocently stepped forward. 

"Yeah, welcomed." So they planned on cutting open king, probably for the titan blood, to release whatever the collector is. He was gonna have to make a break for it the second they took out the blade. Damn it, why couldn't his teleport bubble work on people?

"Now, for the first step. The connection." Bill carried a torch, hanging it over to King. "Take this torch and set the tablet aflame."

"Got it." King accepted it. "Don't know what this'll do, but if you guy's are cool with it." He lit the round disk on fire-

" HEHEHEHEHEHEH"

The voice was in his skull . "What was that!?" King shouted. KING COULD HEAR THAT TOO?!

"The connection. You are now linked with the Grand Huntsman himself." Derek explained. "Now put this cloak on, and await your ascension."

"Uh, can't really see anything underneath this." King said as a black sheet was thrown over his head.

"That's just part of the ritual." Bill raised the knife. "I'm just a few moments, everything will be better."

"Will we get to play catch after?" King asked in a hopeful voice.

"Trust me, we're gonna have a lot of fun.." Damn these bastards, he needed to by more time for Luz to plan their escape. Time to improvise!

"Wait a moment!" He shouted. "I too have been linked! I am getting a message from … the Grand Huntsman himself!" Buy it, buy it, buy it! For the love of titan…LITERALLY FOR THE LOVE OF TITAN, BUY IT!

"We are?!" Derek shouted.

"We are?" King asked.

"Listen everyone! The Grand Huntsman speaks!" Bill asked, as everyone bowed.

Okay, you have their attention. Think of something fancy … "The stars!"

They stared at him. "… The stars?"

"Yes … the stars … are not in the right position!" He exclaimed. "If the ritual is to continue, then the stars must be in the right position, other's the great grand huntsman cannot ascend to our realm properly! And the stars will only be in the right position in the next ten years! Anything before then will ruin everything."

"Of course." Bill bowed. Yes, they bought it, they bought it! "Bring the ceremonial bottle!"

"The what now?" Lucci watched as they carried over an object.

"Something to contain essence and preserve it for later." Derek explained. "We can't let good titan blood go to waste."

"Oh, you guys have titan blood?" King asked.

"We're about to." Bill aimed his knife at King.

"Wait!" He shouted again, placing King in a small bubble. "I have received another message. The…vessel….is not to be harmed to…perseve it's purity for the accession. As such, I shall keep it contained safely for the later date."

They stared at him in a moment of silence. "… Are you telling me the Grand Huntsman doesn't want us to hunt?"

"… Not really a hunt if he's a kid?" Lucci weakly suggested.

"Huh, fair point." Derek nodded. "But we've been honing our skills for years. What shall we do then?"

"Uh, explore the world, hunt new and dangerous game." Maybe there was a chance he could make this work in their favor. "I mean, Belos himself is a very weird and powerful enemy if you're looking for a challenge. He eats and absorbs Palisman."

"How horrible!" Yes, they had them on their side, they could still..

"HEY LUCCI! WE'RE DONE WITH OUR PART OF THE PLAN! WE CAN ALL ESCAPE NOW FROM THESE CRAZY CULT GUYS THAT WANT TO KILL KING!"

"...Dang it Hooty, you've been surprisingly unhelpful today." Lucci slapped his forehead.

"What … they don't want to kill me." King tilted his head, taking off the cloak before narrowing his eyes. "Oh … I see how it is."

"How … what is?"

"The entire point I made." King walked up to him. "You hate biological families! You think I was going to pick these guys over you, and now you planned on ruining everything!" He shouted. "No wonder it sounded like you were lying!!"

"King, shush-!"

"The pink prophet was lying!?" The crowd shouted.

"I see now….the prophet has been corrupted by the influence of the titan!" Bill exclaimed. "This is our grand moment, brothers! We must band together, and kill the last titan!" Everyone rasied their spears.

"Where is he?!" King shouted. "I wanna strike him down!"

"HE'S YOU, YOU FREAKING IDIOT!" Lucci shouted, grabbing him as he pulled him out of the way of an incoming spear.

King paused. "… What?"

"We found out just before the ceremony, and Luz was going to break the news to you, but apparently that little skull of yours is too thick!"

"No …" The guy shook his head. "No no no no!" He looked over to Derek. "You're my people, we're family!"

The man responded by taking off his mask. "I am not one of your kind, beast."

"You're not…." He looked to everyone else…every witch that took off their skull masks. "They're not…"

"Yes, yes, yes, we're on an island of people that want to kill you for existing, WELCOME TO MY WORLD!" He lit up pink and began running, smashing through the crowd.

"I … I …" He could see tears forming. "I'm …"

Multiple beams of light encircled them like a cage, followed by stone spikes rising from the ground. "We have spent our entire lives training to fight Titans!" A trapper shouted. "Even the corrupted prophet must struggle!"

"Seriously! I do not need this!" He sent out a hexagon and crashed them through the spikes, running into an open area. "Luz! HOOTY! If you're ready to go, we need to start booking it now!"

"Done!" She pressed on the ground … as the entire section of the island began glowing. "I turned this entire place into a massive plant glyph, now move!"

"Hhhsss." They did not need even more incentive to run.

"Luz…tell me this is all a lie…tell me that I'm not…I'm not…." King begged as the ground shake, and they made their way to the teleporting point.

"King….it's true…" Luz reluctantly nodded. "You're a Titan."

"I'm …" He looked down. "The last of my kind… I don't belong anywhere."

CRUSH

Multiple large trees began popping out of the ground as they closed in on the teleporting point.

"What do you think I've been trying to tell you this entire time, King!?" Lucci shouted as he grabbed the key. "Where you come from doesn't matter! You belong with us!" He shoved it into the hole. "WITH YOUR FAMILY!"

The bright light overtook them again as they teleported back to the otherside of the world. "We're back!" Luz shouted. "Though we should destroy the finger so they can't follow us back."

"It's…titan bone..right?" King slowly approached it. "Then…Then I think I know how to destroy it." He took in a deep breath. "WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHH!"

CRACK

The finger crumbled to bits and pieces, falling into the ocean. "Lets … lets just go."

========================================================================

King stared into the distance, watching the foggy sea in silence. Watching from a distance the corpse of the titan….the corpse…of what was left of his family. "..Hey…" He weakly waved to it. "..Sorry for destroying your finger."

The corpse said nothing….because that was all that was left of his kind….nothing. It was all just that in the end wasn't it? A species would die out, and leave nothing but bodies behind. Even memories or legends … even those were corrupted by everyone around them. He had nothing…King was nothing…

"King.." Luz approached him with Lucci right behind her. "I…I sorry we couldn't find what you were looking for."

"No….we set out to find answers, and we got them. I just…didn't expect to not like them." He responded sadly. "Lucci…I'm sorry for accusing you, I just assumed you were being insecure since nothing good happens when we looking into your family…"

"King, save it." He rolled his eyes. "Just because I don't care about my family history doesn't mean I was going to be petty enough to sabotage yours. You know me, I love the life I have, and I don't want or need anything else. That's me, not you."

"Yeah …" He continued gazing at the sea. "... I'm a Titan."

"Yep." Luz nodded. "Remember all those times you complained about not being good in a physical confrontation, or too short to reach the cookie shelf?" She laughed. "You'll have a great growthspurt to look forward to."

"Yeah….where I'll get too big to live on the isles and be forced to stand in the boiling sea." King responded. "... I've been wanting to meet my dad for a while now. And we've had parties on his corpse…and eventually I'll die and have other people live on my corpse."

"Look on the bright side." Lucci stated.

"What bright side?"

"Well … I'm immortal..,.so that means we'll have a few more years to hang out with each other."

"... The two last people alive in the Demon Realm." King said, gazing out. "How do you deal with it?"

"Living life one day at a time." He responded.

"Also you won't have to live in the sea." Luz responded. "Titan Blood is interdimensional right? Just a paper cut and we can see each other." She hugged him. "You're never going to be alone, King. We're your people, and you're never going to lose us."

"Thanks guys …" He sighed. "So, you figured out the fifth glyph yet?" King just wanted to change the subject right now.

"No…but I added parts of it to the plant glyph. How do you think I was able to cover the entire island?" Luz smirked.

"So what, it only works with other glyphs?" Lucci asked.

"I mean maybe." She shrugged. "But I don't see why Rose was-" She paused. "... Four warriors."

"Four diamonds." Lucci caught on.

"Four … glyphs." She looked down at her paper. "The glyphs aren't designed from the base elements of nature, they're designed from the Four Diamonds! Your glyph just acts as a booster for the elements of the boiling isles!"

"So if we had the other diamond glyphs…who knows what you could do with them." Lucci said.

"I've gotta try them out! … After King starts smiling." She hugged him. "I'm gonna hug you until you bleed happiness."

"No!"

"And I'm doubling the pressure!" Lucci grabbed him.

"Why…why does love hurt so much…..?" King gasped.

"BECAUSE LOVE IS AMAZING!" No, Hooty, no!