Hurtful Healing

The next day, Eda smirked at the packed bags with Hop-Pop

"Should be able to leave bright and early tomorrow." She mused. "And good thing too; Eber's never failed a hunt in all his time in the Covens; the sooner you lot and Ollie are out of here, the better."

"Things really that bad?" Hop-Pop asked.

"…You really do have it easier in your world." Eda mused, stifling a chuckle. "Yeah, the Emperor's been hunting me ever since I ran away when I was 14. Ollie's been on the Covens' watch list ever since Lily brought him with her to the castle for lessons. And the Heads are always scheming and backstabbing each other."

"Yeesh." Hop-Pop grimaced, that grimace growing when he saw that Olivier was currently doing Hooty's monthly cleaning.

"Hoot! Hoot! Don't forget my nooks and crannies!" The House Demon smirked, delighting in the through cleaning he KNEW he was going to get this time.

"I. Hate you. So much. Right now. Hooty." Oliver growled.

"You're sure we can't help?" Sprig offered. "I mean, it doesn't look that different from bathing Bessie and the stalls."

"Speak for yourself!" Polly snapped. "I don't trust that thing to not eat me!"

"Appreciate it, Sprig, but nope." Olivier sighed. "My mess? My clean up….Maddie what're you doing?"

The Blue frog girl was collecting several bits of whatever Hooty had rolled in or stored, bagging some of them.

"Just going to see if I can replicate a few Curses." She smirked. "You managed it on Amphibia, so I should be able to do it here, right?"

Olivier smiled, proud of his student/little sister.

"Just be careful. They'll probably be more potent here: I had to double or triple down a lot of my potions to get them up to par to what I was used to, so…"

"Less talky, more scrub!" Hooty hollered, making the boy groan. Anne put her phone down and walked over to Ollie, pecking him on the cheek.

"I love you Ollie, but I am NOT cleaning that thing." She said

"Fair." Olivier mused. "I reserve the right to do something similar on earth."

"Fair enough."

Eda then kicked the door open, sending Hooty flying to the side.

"Alright kids, I'll be back in two hours! Goanna sell the rest of my Human junk!" Eda announced. "Ollie, I expect Hooty spiffy by the time I return, Frogs, don't help Ollie or go too far and Anne? I just found Ollie's toddlerhood pictures."

"AW COME ON, MOM!" Ollie groaned in embarrassment as Anne raced inside to see more of 'Lil Ollie'.

"Can't chat, gotta run, love you BYEEEEEEEEE!" Eda called out as she flew away.

Once she as gone, Maddie went inside to prep a Curse, Sprig and Polly following her. Hop-Pop was already looking at Ollie's pictures, memories of his son filling his head.

"SO CUUUUUTE!" Anne sqealled as she found a picture of Ollie riding King while dressed as a knight. Then one of his with a moutful of worms and being covered in what she hoped was Ketchup….

And thus, Olivier was seemingly all alone.

"Ahem."

He spied King holding a scrubber of his own.

"Mind if I help? I DID kind of use Hooty's cranies to store snacks…"

Oliver smiled and helped lift his brother up to the top of the door.

BOILING AMPHIBIA

An hour or so later, Oliver and King came in to get a drink and replenish their water and soap. They were about halfway done with Hooty, thank goodness!

"And I got four more of these to look forward to…"

"I don't!" King smirked. "One time help!"

Olivier sighed, then spied a sandwich in front of him.

"We had some leftovers." Anne explained, wiping some sweat off Ollie's brow and kissing his forehead. "Maddie's making a scrying spell out back if you want a break."

The boys smiled but shook their heads.

"Sooner Hooty's clean, sooner we can all relax." Olivier mentioned. Anne shrugged at this but wished the boys well and went back outside.

After splitting the sandwich with King and refilling the soap and water, Olivier took in a deep breath and began to head back outside…

CRASH!

"OW! Darn it, Hattie!"

The Halfling and little monster turned to see one of the Coven Heads; Adrian Gray, struggling to get up and not yet aware he had been seen.

"Barbaric doctor!" Gray snapped. "First she denies me a scene, then she punches me away and takes my greatest achievement for her experi…."

It was then that he realized he wasn't alone.

"Um….Pay no attention to the handsome and dashing Coven head in your squalor of a living ro…AAAAH! OUCHIES!"

Fleeting, who had been resting in Olivier's room and awoken by the crash, had raced in and bitten Gray with all his might…partly because, seeing Gray's tail. a half-awake Fleeting thought he was a BIG mouse.

"GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" Gray screamed, only to be knocked down by King. Olivier raced outside and found Anne's sword, Sprig's slingshot and a few of Maddie's pouches next to a babbling cauldron. He then stormed back inside

"WHERE? ARE? THEY?" He ordered, his eyes taking on a darker tone. Fleeting let go of Gray's tail and flew onto Olivier's shoulder, trying to calm him down.

A few minutes earlier

"Now for the Quills." Maddie motioned for Sprig to hand her the final ingredient. In just a few moments, hopefully they'd see Wartwood.

But they never finished the spell. Because just before the quills were dropped into the stewing liquid, they heard a rustling in the woods ahead.

Anne drew her sword and stepped forward, Sprig with his slingshot beside her.

"Alright dude, we know you're….!"

That was as far as she got, because when the figure stepped out, everyone saw something different

"Marcy?" Anne gasped tearfully, seeing a battered and bruised version of her best friend.

"Frobo?" Polly gasped.

"Root?" Hop-Pop began to tear up at the image of his son sheepishly smiling at him.

"Mom?" Maddie begged. The last time she'd seen her mother was when she'd pushed her and the triplets into a hiding hole, promising to come back for them and then being swallowed by the Heron.

The Scrying potion forgotten, the five stepped forward, hoping this was real. And when Marcy's hand touched Anne's…

And then kicked the sword away?!

POOF!

Coven guards dropped a net onto the group, Gray stepping up to investigate.

"Well, what do you know? For once you all DID well! Guess simple does work…" He then spied Anne. "Hmm…you're more wild looking than the other humans I've seen….Oh well, all the better when I present you to Bel…"

"WHAT IN THE TITAN'S NAME ARE YOU DOING?!"

Into view stormed the huge, musucalr and masked head of the Healing Coven, scapels suddenly appearing at each Scouts throat.

"I thought you were working on that propaganda play in the Knee!" Hattie growled. "Besides, we all agreed I went next!"

"And risk you botching it like your surprise health inspections? I think not!" Gray retorted.

"What are you talking about? You loved the surprises!"

"I've liked them a lot less ever since once of them closed down my favorite COFFEE SHOP!"

"You'd be thanking me if you saw the inside of that place!" Hattie retorted. "And really, the whole 'lost loved one' trap? You call yourself a visionary but go with that old cliché?"

"I'll have you know this 'cliché' is only called that by those who've never lost anyone! Besides, I don't remember giving you this much grief for your experiments on those younglins and that band of humans that wandered in!"

"Oh, bringing that up again? How original! At least MY work brought about something good for witchkind!"

"Um, c-can we go dude?" Anne asked, trying to reach for her sword. "This sounds like a you and him thing…"

"SILENCE, HUMAN!" The two heads snapped, hattie throwing another set of scapels at the frogs. "And DON'T try anything. I can make use of you sans one hand."

"Oh. My, Titan, this IS about making your Coven look good!" Gray retorted. "Really, Hattie? Are you even after the actual tar…"

"You did all the work for me." Hattie smirked as she punched Gray INTO the Owl House before she spun a circle. And instantly, Anne and the frogs fell asleep.

Present Time

"Tell me where they are!" Oliver demanded, lifting Gray upwards.

"Or what, halfling?" Gray smirked. "We all know you can only do one spell before you collapse. I think I can handle it."

His smirk lessened a bit when the boy threw him to the ground and turned around.

"Did I mention that King, Fangora and Fleetwing are…awfully hungry?" Olivier asked, a smirk on his face. Gray turned to see the Palismans licking their mouths.

"Ew, no thanks!" King waved off. "Ollie, you know Illusionists give me gas! And not the fun kind of gas, I mean the 'hooks in your stomach' kind of gas."

"I just ate! And I hate his type!" Hooty butted in.

Seeing the annoyed look on the Clawthorne boy's face (as if mentally saying 'Really? You ruining THIS?', Gray recomposed himself.

"I'm sorry little boy, but do you seriously call that a bluff? What, am I, a Coven Head, really supposed to be scared of your Palisman?"

"One; He's not an ordinary Palisman. The soil he came from was mostly used for sentient and man eating plants. And second? …You don't know how falcons kill their prey, do you?" Olivier asked, nodding to Fleetwing.

Fangora then wrapped Gray up before Fleetwing grabbed his future meal by the tail and flew upwards through the hole he'd come from, going as high as he could and looking down.

"….Please don't?" Gray begged.

Fleetwing smirked, feigning an accident as he let go. He then raced back and turned inyo staff form, letting Olivier jump 0n him and follow Gray as he fell.

"I do see your point, ya know." The Halfling mused, a bored look on his face. "What could I, the son of the Owl lady and master the Palisman whose about to eat you, possibly do for you?"

"SAVE ME! SAVE ME!" Gray screamed. "FOR THE LOVE OF THE TITAN SAVE ME!"

"Oh? That's an idea, yeah!" Olivier 'realized', only for King to postulate.

"Well, yeah…but is that really enough?" The small monster mused, Fangora shaking her head. "Kind of feels like we're cheating you, know what I'm saying?"

"I'LL TALK! I'LL TALK!" Gray screamed, sobbing as King and Fangora waved goodbye…."MOMMY!"

He didn't hit the ground right away; Oliver caught him.

"Talk."

BOILING AMPHIBIA

Anne awoke, her head spinning and for some reason, she not able to move. She then saw why; she was bound to a table.

"Oh, come on! Not again!" The girl groaned. "First the bed and breakfast, then the Curator and now…Wait, who was it again?"

"That would be me." Hattie smiled as she finished cleaning her tools. "Good afternoon human and frogs. You're just in time for the presentation."

Anne spied the Plantars and Maddie in similar situations as her; Polly in a sack that was nailed to a wall, Sprig tied to the ceiling along with Hop-Pop…and Maddie right behind Hatte.

A curtain suddenly rose, revealing a crowd of witches and demons.

"Members of the Healing Coven!" Hattie began. "Today we are blessed with a grand chance to ensure our legend: As the day of unity approaches, the Titan has willed a human here for us to gaze and study upon!"

"HEY! Only Olivier gets to study me!" Anne snapped, then blushing. "…That sounded better in my head."

Hattie went on as if Anne had said nothing.

"With this gift, when the worlds are united into the wild magic free utopia, we will know how to not only heal our own kinds, but humans as well. While the other Covens struggle to fit in, we shall be praised and adored….So, thank these creatures for their sacrifice."

A mass applause filled the air.

"I already inspected the red and pink ones…Nothing we've not seen in Frog Demons of the Acid Archipelago. Darn shame too, was hoping the pink one was poisonous so as to ransom the poison to Vitiamir."

"…Dang it." Sprig pouted. "I was hoping I WAS poisonous…"

"BOY! SHE'S GOING TO KILL US!" Hop-Pop shouted.

"Wait, how did…?" Polly managed.

"…What? You thought I…?" Hattie started. "Oh no! You lot are FAR too vlaueble for me to actually use the medical tools. Allow me to demonstrate."

She then lifted Maddie up and spun a magic circle. Maddie instantly popped into several pieces, still alive but now following Hattie's fingers and mental commands.

"This would be so cool if it wasn't me." Maddie managed as he skin suddenly vanished, revealing her muscles and bones. Still, she felt nothing….

"Well, well, what's THIS?" Hattie mused, focusing on some special nerves along Maddie's body. "Its weak, but…it seems you have a Bile system…very rare, but not unheard of. I thought the last Frogs with this were wiped out during the Boiling Acid war 52 years ago…Then again, there were a few unrecovered…."

As Maddie was returned to normal and returned to her binds, this sent and the other frogs' minds racing. Did this mean that Maddie…was part other worldy? Did that mean her sisters had the same..?

"And now, the main event!" Hattie announced, pulling Anne forward. "Centuries ago, two humans came and left. Now we have another to examine."

Anne began to tense. She prayed that this crazy lady didn't find about how her blue powers…where did that even go anyways?

Hattie then began to spin the circle….

CRASH!

Into the room flew Oliver, now on Fleeting and landing right in front of the head wicth.

"Take your stinking gloves off of my Annie and friends…Now." He growled.

"OLLIE/OLIVIER!" The frogs and Anne beamed…as did Hattie.

"Ah, here you are. Coven mates, the guest of honor! Son of the Owl Lady and truest user of Wild magic…Oh ho ho, I've been wanting to meet you for a long time."

She then threw a punch that sent Olivier flying off the stage and into a wall before taking off her cape.

"Ollie!" Anne and Maddie shouted in worry. Hattie then closed the distance and threw another punch, this one Olivier dodging…shame the wall didn't and crumbled.

"First lesson, halfling." Hattie explained as she walked towards Olivier. "Magic may come from the Bile sac, but it can also be used to strengthen the body, especially if one trains hard enough. Then again, considering your condition?"

"Leave him alo-MPH!" Anne started before a scout wrapped a cloth over her mouth, gagging her. The scout then aimed scapels at the Plantars and Maddie.

"This isn't how I wanted this to go." Maddie admitted, "I've been dreaming of this moment for years; you finally getting sick and your aunt bringing you to me, or coming to us to see if we could heal your mother…"

"You couldn't heal it when the Curse first manifested. I doubt you can do it now." Oliver snapped.

"Because there IS nothing to be done, healing wise." Hattie explained. "Only the Curser themselves can lift the curse. "

"Not where we come from…" Maddie noted quietly.

"And curses can only be removed by the Curser if they genuinely, 100% regret and want to do such," Hattie continued. "And, well….if the curser is who I think they are…I doubt they truly, one hundred percent, regret what they did to your mother."

That was the first time ANYONE had brought the question of WHO had cursed Eda.

"Wait, you know?!" Oliver asked. He'd spent his whole life on the curse but enver looked for the source, if this witch knew….!

"Its not that tricky to figure out." Hattie smirked. "Tell you what? You behave and let me examine you? I'll tell you everything you want to know."

"…" Oliver contemplated.

"Maybe you need more motivation?" Hattie smirked. "Scout? Kill the baby."

Oliver's eyes glowed a bright yellow and he fired a blast of magic right THROUGH Hattie and the Scout.

"WAAH! Watch it, Olivier!" King hollered as he dodged the blast. "Um…pay no attention to the demon heroically saving the prisoners?"

Hattie was smirking the whole time. She drew another circle and instant her body healed.

"Sorry kiddo. But you missed."

She then grabbed Oliver, who leapt over and raced to the others. Hattie began to steam and closed the distance, sending the boy back to the ground. Olvier flipped away and fired another blast, but Hattie tanked it and then pinned him to the ground.

"Never had to fight someone as strong as me, eh?" Hattie smirked.

Under her gag, Anne screamed, begging for the witch to spare Olivier, before she saw her boyfriend smirking.

"As I matter of fact?" Ollie beamed as his lights turned from bright and shiny to dark. "I HAVE!"

And with that he twisted Hattie's arm in a wrong way and kicked her back before vanishing into the shadows of the cracks in the ground. A blast of dark magic filled the room, sending Hattie backwards and forcing her to heal herself again.

Dark Oliver suddenly appeared in front of the Plantars, Anne and King, the last of whom whimpered at what his little brother had done. But the Dark half witch didn't see this, focusing on Maddie, who smiled at him, and Anne, whose gag he lowered with a concerned look.

"I'm okay, Ollie." She smiled. "Just…LOOK OUT!"

Scalpels pierced Olivier's back and Scouts raced to contain him…only for he scalpels to sink inward and then fire out of black holes in Olivier's hands.

Hattie then reappeared and drew another circle before grabbing onto he boy, who suddenly turned back to normal.

"…Just as I thought." The Head Healer smirked at the now downed boy. "Tell me, Oliver, where did your mother say she found you? Under a tree?"

She chuckled, not seeing King and Fleetwing freeing the others.

"Did you REALLY believe that all these years? Haven't you ever wondered what happened to your real parents? Why your magic is so odd?"

"No." Oliver said without hesitation, shocking Hattie.

"Really?" She then shrugged it off and willed her bile sac to channel magic into her free arm. "Well, know this…I was the only one who could both and WOULD tell you your real purpose and your real name. Shame though,,,,Now that I know what you really are? I CAN'T let you live."

She rose her fist up high.

"And don't worry, the human…"

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" Anne roared, now surging with Calamity energy and landing a series of punches that sent Hattie flying into another wall and outside the building before she cradled Olivier, not seeing the blue vanish s she did so. "Ollie? Ollie, sweetie? Stay with me. We're almost home …"

A hand suddenly grabbed Anne and pushed her away, as another did Sprig and two feet did Polly and Hop-Pop. Hattie, now in parts, floated back and spat a scapel at King, pinning his tail to the ground. Fleeting tried to pry it out, only to be grabbed by Maddie who brely leapt away.

"I wanted you all in one piece but I'll take something over nothing!" Hattie growled, her mask now broken and reveal holes where her eyes should be.

"HEAD WITCH HATTIE!" A scout called out.

The Healing Head barely had time to free when she felt something appear behind her. Someone powerful. She slowly turned her head….

It was Eda. And she was, beyond any other word, LIVID.

OHA

"Did I or did I not just remind us about the last time someone messed with the Owl Lady's chick?" Darris mused as he watched the Healing Coven work on their head, who for once was frowning….mostly pecause her head was where her rlight foot should be and the rest of her was a mangled mess of bodyparts all in the wrong spots.

What Eda had put her through could NOT be considered a fight. It was far too one sided. What had happened was a brutal beatdown fuelled by the maternal instincts of the Owl Lady

"He…he was a poor student…" Hattie struggled, repeating those words like a mantra.

"Who vanished for months." Lilith walked in, a cold look of pure fury on her face and the other Heas parting in fear of her. "Who had to fight to survive in a world that, even with little magic, had everything out to kill him. And I'm not being metaphorical, the things that didn't want to kill him could be counted on one hand."

The Emperor's Coven's leader said no more on Amphibia, her focus solely on the Healing Coven Head.

"You're lucky none of your replacements are close to being on par with you." Lilith growled before turning to the others. "I believe I speak for all when I say that Olivier Clawthrone should be left alone. Its already a PR nightmare that a Coven head kidnapped and battled a student…and you're all very lucky my sister was more concerned with them than she was you."

Lilith then recomposed herself and pulled out a scroll.

"Hattie, as punishment for your actions, you are sentenced to teach double the amount of healing classes until the day of Unity, barring summons from the Emperor himself."

"…How exactly is that a punishment?" Vitamir of the Potion coven asked.

"I was getting there." Lilith grumbled, continuing. "However, for every student you make faint during your surguries, your pay will be reducted 100 snails per student,"

The other heads smirked, now seeing the logic behind such a punishment: Hattie loved to challenge herself by making all he students faints on the grounds or separating 'the aides from the surgoens.' And in 10 years so far, not a single student had stayed awake for a whole surgery.

Despite anything, Hattie managed to whisper:

"At least I never cursed or orphaned family."

Lilith feared her nephew now. What had happened to trigger such power in him? Yes, she'd heard what he did to the forests around the Owl House, but to actually see it for herself?

All she could tell herself was that she was grateful Olivier loved her…and then pray to the Titan he never learnt.

BOILING AMPHIBIA

"So…willing to listen now?" Grunge knowingly asked Belos. "I did tell you that I taught Olivier a great deal of things. But I can also assure you, I didn't teach him everything I know. Nooooooo."

Grunge was proud of his protégé; no major leaps, yes. But to use both his light and dark magic and put up a heck of a good fight? Yes, the wizard was indeed proud.

He hated to admit it, but Belos knew he'd need Grunge to contain the Clawthorne boy. Especially now that that darned music box was back. The Emperor looked at his staff; half of the missing red stone was the source of his staff's power, the other in the Golden Guard's staff. When he'd acquired the irksome thing, he'd meant to delay the travel to earth for other witches. Instead, he's brought a corrupted human to the Isles.

Still, he could delay the release ever so slightly.

"Hunter. Find the music box that the Clawthorne boy used and bring it to me. If we play our cards right, we may speed up the day of Unity."

The Golden Guard nodded and left. While not clear under his mask, he was excited for this mission: A REAL wild magic user! There was so much he hoped to learn…Maybe if HE played his cards right, they'd help cure Uncle's curse!

"A shame you fail to see the good in his loyalty and out of the box thinking." Grunge mused to Belos. "And by all means, do help my student grow…along with your brother's legacy. I'm certain that won't come back to bite you in the rump."

BOILING AMPHIBIA

Later, back at the Owl house, Anne placed a cold pack on Olivier's ribs. Sprig and Maddie were with Polly overseeing the new complete Scrying potion…and seeing Rosemary, Lavendar and Ginger playing with their father, not aware of what was coming

"I'm so, so sorry Ollie." She said. "I..I saw Marcy and.."

"Anne, its okay." Oliver smiled.

"No, its not!" Anne snapped, tears in her eyes. "You could've…! You almost….And I should've known…!"

"Kid, relax" Eda said. "Amphibia had almost no magic in it. This one has plenty. Believe me, I made similar mistakes when I was younger."

She then smiled.

"Sides, you two put Hattie in her place! What mom can't be proud of that?"

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat." Olivier said. "Sorry I didn't finish Hooty…."

"You get one more monthly cleaning." Eda said. "I'd say I can't believe you were so reckless….but…"

"You were just as bad as him when you were your age." Lilith smirked as she and Hop-Pop finished some tea. Lilith smiled at Anne and then gave a bow

"I admit I have been…less than understanding of you. Now I truly do man t when I say…Thank you for portectivng Olivier."

Anne smiled, which made Olivier smiled.

"Say, Annie? Could I burrow your phone for a sec?:

Anne, rose an eyebrow but handed her boyfriend the object in question…and then gasped as she heard the familiar electronic opening notes.

(Play Fireflies by Owl City)

A hand outstretched and a hopeful smile on his face, Oliver waited for Anne.

"Anne Boonchuy? May I have this dance?"

"I'd be delighted." Anne bowed back as she and Olivier began to dance.

"Oh! I remember this!" Sprig beamed as he made his way over to Ollie's room. "This was their song back home!"

"Come on, Maddie! Let's boogie!" Polly smiled, dragging Maddie away. For her part, the Frog girl didn't fight it.

Hop-pop couldn't help but smile at the scene; memories of his son and daughter in law filling his mind. And he wasn't alone either…

"If only Rain was here." Lilith mused, shooting Eda a sad look. "You twp would show Ollie and Anne some REAL dancing.:

Eda smirked.

"Something tells me they already know."

Indeed, outside, Raine was jotting down the notes to the song, knowing it'd make a grand ballad.

As the song continued, everyone joined in and for the first time in a while, Lilith truly felt at ease.

At the end of the song, Anne and Ollie slowed their dancing and nuzzled tehri foreheads and noses, not seeing a light take over their forms….

SHINE!

In Anne and Olivier's place was a tall, tanned teen wearing a fusion of their clothes; Anne's school jerset and Olivier's cape, with Oliviers hair in Anne's color and two blue eyes, one light and the other dark.

It as only when the song ended that the two kids realized what was going on.

"Wait, wha…Holy…! Olle, Annie, this is…hat did…Holy moluw….I'm like Steven University!" The new character first gasped but then cheered.

"…Whoa." Eda gasped.