The Owl House: Son of Edalyn (Owlphibia AU)

[NOTICE: Takes Place Fourteen Years Before Episode 01: "A Lying Witch and a Warden"]

Within a crumbling cottage that stood among the cliffs outside of Bonesborough.

the Owl Lady herself, Edalyn Clawthorne, was fast asleep with her literal nest.

"Zzzzzz...n-no..refunds...Zzzzz." snored Eda.

Just then, a door swung open. and a short with a skull for a face ran in "EDA!"

The short creature ran in, and hopped into the nest. He then proceeded to hop up-and-down upon Eda's chest.

"EDA!, EDA!, EDA!, EDA!, EDA!"

Eda groaned. *just ignore him. maybe he'll lose interest.* muttered Eda to herself.

"EDAAAAAAA!" screamed the impish creature.

Eda opened her now bloodshot eyes, looking annoyed. "what...is it...KING?!"

King hopped up-and-down again. "Come quickly! There are these...WAILING sounds coming from the woods!"

"it's probably just some dumb animal dying." said Eda. "..go to sleep, king."

"I would, but it's been nearly an hour...AND, IT HASN'T. STOPPED. WAILING!"

Eda smacked her face, and pulled at it stressfully. "And, you want ME to silence it, right?"

"yeah." said King, bluntly.

Eda groaned as she sat up in her giant bird nest. "if I do this...will you PROMISE

to leave me alone for the rest of the night no matter what?"

"You have my word as KING OF ALL DEMONS!" exclaimed King.

Eda huffed. "fine...just let me get dressed real quick."

As King ran out of the room, Eda managed to climb out of her nest.

Taking a moment to scratch her rear, she then drew a circle in the air with her finger,

materializing a golden ring of light that expanded and passed over her body.

As the ring traveled, Eda's casual clothes were replaced with her usual attire.

With one more yawn, she reached out her hand and pulled her magic staff into her grip.

As Eda walked down the stairs, she looked over at King who was sitting on the couch.

"I won't be long.." spoke Eda, as she approached the front door.

"Stay right here, and don't even think about raiding the fridge for snacks."

"wouldn't dream of it." said King, with a suspicious look in his eyes.

Eda gave King a very 'judgey' look before returning her attention to the door.

She opened this door..where she found Hooty fast asleep.

"I never dreamed I would envy you right now." said Eda, as she looked at the owl head on her door.

Eda shut the door, and then tapped her staff three times.

the wooden owl figurehead atop her staff then spread out it's wings,

and Eda proceeded to fly up into the air with the staff like a stereotypical Witch would a broom.

"now let's see..where is th-"

Eda heard a distant wailing sound coming from a part of the woods.

"yeah, that's gotta be it." said Eda, who swooped down to where the sound was coming from.

Gently landing onto the ground, Eda then formed a light ball in her palm and searched around.

The woods were very dark. and the thick mist didn't help things, either.

"okay..now, wher-"

((*waaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!*))

Eda whipped her head around in the direction of the wailing.

The sounds echoed, giving an almost haunting feeling within the dark, misty woods.

Eda wasn't scared..she hadn't been for a long time.

Not since she had been cursed to become an Owl Demon since she was a child.

Any fear she might've had for whatever creatures lurked in these woods died long ago.

How could she feel any fear? ..not when she herself was a monster that other people feared.

As Eda followed the wailing sounds, she eventually came across trees that were freshly damaged.

bits of lumber, and even whole trunks were burned or blown away.

They bore signs of magic blasts. Another Witch other than herself had been hear recently.

"by the titan, if this is another one of your TRAPS, Lili-(*CRACK!*)"

Eda stopped upon stepping on something.

she looked..and, her eyes grew wide upon seeing a charred skeleton before her.

"by the TITANS!" spoke Eda, shocked. Curious, Eda knelt down to examine the skeleton.

Like the trees, it was freshly burnt by magic. Meaning a witch had killed whoever this was.

but, as Eda examined the bones closer...

((*WAAAAAAAAAAHHH!*))

Eda looked up to see a large tree bell-shaped standing before her.

The shrill sound was coming from within the tree.

Eda carefully approached, and parted away some plants at the base of the tree.

It was then she noted the inside if the tree trunk was hollow, with a single opening.

and, inside was a baby.

Eda grasped as she stared at the infant that was tucked away within the tree.

Laying her staff down for a moment, she reached inside and pulled the baby out of the tree.

It was then she noted the infant had ROUND Ears, instead of pointed ones like hers.

There was only ONE creature that she knew of that had round ears: and, that was a HUMAN.

"what on the boiling isles?!" spoke Eda, confused.

Eda looked at the baby..who was starting to calm down in her arms.

"you poor thing..." spoke Eda, feeling sympathy for the infant.

The baby looked at Eda, showing it had eyes that were different colors.

It's left eye was Blue, while it's right eye was Amber.

a very odd trait for a human to have.

Eda held up the baby, and took a moment to look at it.

she tilted her head, seriously thinking about what she was going to do next.

Leaving him here was out of the question. some feral demon

or wild animal might find the baby, and make a meal out of it.

As Eda brainstormed on what to do, the baby took interest in her.

It reached out with it's tiny hands, and touched Eda's face.

"he-Hey!..watch the hand-" Eda was cut off by the baby grasping her tuffs of hair.

This eventually led to it grabbing her pointed ears, and pulling at them.

Eda wanted to be annoyed...But, she couldn't help but smile.

the baby's tiny, warm hands felt very soft, and tickled a little.

Eda finally pulled the baby away and looked at it.

the infant tilted it's head, it's duel colored eyes almost shining in the darkness.

Eda couldn't help but smile. Even she wasn't immune to such cuteness.

She then took a moment to look around..and, then REALLY think about what had happened.

The baby was most likely human...perhaps the only one of it's kind in this world.

and, it was all alone in a world that would reject, and hunt it down.

Eda then frowned as she remembered the first time she changed into an Owl Demon.

She was only a kid, yet she was shunned, rejected...and, yes. Hunted.

..even by her own sister.

a tear tickled down Eda's cheek as she remembered how it felt on her first night changing back.

She remembered how alone, and frightened that she felt. Her whole world fell apart, and she didn't know what to do.

Eda then looked at the baby she was still holding. And, for a moment...saw HERSELF looking back at her.

Eda finally cradled the infant, holding it close to her chest.

The baby became relaxed, and snuggled up against Eda's golden brooch.

Eda smiled. "looks like I'm keeping you." said Eda, as she called her magic staff to her.

As Eda prepared to take flight, and head home..she heard rustling.

Thinking quickly, Eda leapt up high into a tree, and perched herself onto a limb.

Holding the baby close, she eyed the ground as the rustling grew louder.

a figure soon emerged. One who was tall, wore a black robe and carried a white staff.

But, even with the white mask on, Eda knew exactly who it was.

"l-lilith?!" spoke Eda, stunned.

The figure removed the mask...revealed to indeed be Lilith Clawthorne.

Eda's sister, and high ranking member of Emperor's Belos' Coven.

Lilith scanned the area with cold, icy eyes.

She then walked forward, kicking aside the bones of the slain humanoid.

the dark witch then proceeded to examine the tree where Eda found the baby prior.

Just then, something rang in Lilith's robe.

She stood up, and reached for a communication device and opened it. "yes?" spoke Lilith.

(("Madame Clawthorne.")) spoke the tiny demon, Kikimora.

(("The Emperor is requesting your presence. Where ARE you?"))

"searching for my sister, YOU know that." answered Lilith, annoyed.

(("and, have you made any progress?")) asked Kikimora, in a demanding tone.

"no..I have not." answered Lilith.

(("then stop wasting time, and report back immediately.")) said Kikimora.

"(deep sigh) tell the emperor I will be there shortly." said Lilith.

As Lilith put her communicator away, she resumed her sweep of the area.

After a few minutes passed, Lilith let out a sharp sigh before finally turning to leave.

The baby eventually snuggled up into Eda's chest, and drifted off to sleep.

Blissfully unaware of the danger that it had narrowly avoided.

[Much Later..]

Upon returning to the Owl House, Eda walked in to find her cabinets emptied.

..and, King just laying on the floor with discarded wrappers surrounding him.

"KING!" exclaimed Eda, angrily.

"ugh..h-Huh?"

Eda towered over King, glariong at him sternly. "What did I tell you before I left!?"

"uhh..Not to raid the Fridge." said King. "Which I didn't!, so "NYEH!"

Eda scoffed. "you're lucky I am too tired to care right now..I'm going back to bed."

As Eda walked off, King stood up. "Hey!..What's that you're holding!?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow." said Eda.

"Is it something to EAT?!" inquired King, rubbing his tiny paws together.

"NO, King!" snapped Eda suddenly. "Now, no more questions tonight."

King crossed his arms. "fine.."

Eda breathed out softly as she walked up the stairs.

As she entered her room, she laid her staff aside and approached her nest.

Her staff's figurehead then came to life, and flew over to the nest.

Eda smiled at the tiny Owl as she changed back into her casual clothes.

Eda then took the baby in her arm, and laid it down in the large nest.

As she climbed back into the nest full of twigs, bones and random junk,

she took the baby in her arms again, and took a moment to look at it.

Owlbert perched onto her shoulder, and also looked at it.

"this is crazy. I don't know the first thing about taking care of a baby." mused Eda.

"I'm not sure if I am even capable of such a thing, to be honest."

The baby looked up at Eda with his blue and gold eyes.

Eda then smiled, finding those eyes resembling a Sun and Moon in the sky.

"well...If I am really doing this, you need a name." spoke Eda.

"but, first: I should check and see if you are a boy, or a girl."

Eda peeled away the blanket, and checked the baby's diaper (which was thankfully still clean)

"just my luck: you're a boy." spoke Eda. "Okay, so "Soluna" is out of the question."

Eda took a moment to ponder on what would be a good name for the baby.

She knew it had to be a good one, and not laughably simple like 'King'.

As she pondered, she picked at a random twig in her nest.

"hmm..I found you in a tree." spoke Eda. "Perhaps I can give you a name relating to that."

As Eda tried to think, she found the twig she was playing with had olives on it.

She then picked them, and had herself a little snack.

"hmm. tree..olive. olive..tree. olive tree..(pauses) olive. errr..Olivier?"

The baby tilted his head at Eda..who smiled. "yeah..that sounds like a good name: Olivier.

Eda finally laid back against her nest, with baby Olivier resting against her chest.

She breathed out sharply. Everything about this screamed 'Bad Idea' (especially with her curse)

..and, yet. SOMETHING was compelling the witch to care for this human infant.

Almost like an instinct. One that she couldn't fight, and had no choice but to give in.

Eda opened her eyes to see the baby's face before her.

he was laying atop her chest, resting his head on her breast like a pillow.

Eda smiled. maybe this wasn't such a crazy idea, afterall.

[End of Part 01]