The Owl House Oneshot Collection

History Repeats

Word Count: 1,081

Originally Finished: 09/13/2022

Rating: Teen and Up

Warnings: Major Character Death

Characters: Luz Noceda, Hunter, Emperor Belos

Relationships: Hunter & Luz Noceda

Other Tags: Angst, Murder, Possession, Mild Body Horror

Summary: They say that history repeats itself. Luz just wasn't ready for how true it could be.

"Luz, you don't know what you're doing. Just put down the knife."

Luz was trembling as she held the crooked dagger, staring at Hunter with so many thoughts running through her head. So many thoughts they could almost drown out the voice.

Almost.

Don't listen to him, little light.

"Luz, look at me. I'm not going to hurt you. Look at my hands. See? I'm not holding anything. Now please, take your other arm out from behind your back."

Her breathing quickened and she took a step back, eyes darting around the room at the various stone figures. Her right hand held tight onto the dagger. The other behind her back, clutching onto the cardinal palisman.

"Luz, I know you have Flapjack. Put down the knife, give me back Flapjack. You don't need to do this."

He's lying. He just doesn't want you to go home. Strike! Now! He's powerless.

"SHUT UP!" Luz screamed, clutching the side of her head with her right hand, careful to keep the dagger away from her skin.

"Luz, please. Just give me back Flapjack. We can fix everything!"

He has no magic. How can he help you?

"No...no...nobody will be able to forgive me. I have to leave this place before I hurt anyone else."

"You won't hurt anyone else. Please, we can fix this."

"How will anyone be able to look me in the eye? I've hurt so many people." Luz cried, tears falling.

"You have forgiven so many people. They can do the same for you. And even if not, I forgive you. Luz, I forgive you. I just need you to give me Flapjack." Hunter pleaded.

"I can't..." She said, voice trembling.

"Why not?"

"Him. He won't let me."

"Luz you can do this. Just put down the knife. Come on, just put it down and give me your other arm. We can fix you."

Fix you? But you're not broken. He thinks there's something wrong with you, but he's the wrong one.

Luz started to move her right arm out from behind her back, facing resistance but managing to get it so Hunter could fully see it.

So he could see Flapjack.

And the loose bandaging around her arm, a feeble attempt to hide her mistake.

"Thank you. Now release Flapjack and put down the knife. He'll know how to help you."

He thinks you aren't strong enough.

"I'm strong! I don't need you."

"Luz, nobody is doubting that."

"I am! I'm doubting myself. This is the only way. I've destroyed everything. All I can do now is go home. And Flapjack can help me with that. He saw Caleb make the portal door!"

"Luz, give me Flapjack right now. I don't want to fight you."

Do it.

Luz tucked Flapjack into her pocket.

"Hunter, I need to get home."

Luz lunged at Hunter, dagger ready to strike. He dodged, just barely avoiding the attack. As Luz stumbled forward from too much momentum, Hunter grabbed her arms and pinned them. When he did, the bandages on her left arm finally loosened enough that they unraveled and fell to the ground.

Revealing her arm to be green and rotted. Pulsing with each heartbeat.

It was slimy in Hunter's grip, and uncomfortable as holding it reminded him of every time Belos' curse slipped out and hit him.

"Luz, let me take Flapjack. There's nothing you can do. I won't hurt you, but I need you to stop."

"I need to go home. I can't lose." Luz whispered, quiet enough that Hunter couldn't hear.

As you wish.

With her unable to control it, her cursed arm morphed into a spike, slid out of Hunter's grip and impaled him through the stomach. His grip dropped and Luz was able to turn around, immediately horrified with what she had just done.

Don't feel any guilt, little light. It was entirely my actions.

The goo retracted and Hunter fell to the ground, and with the spear gone, he was free to bleed out on the ground as Luz just stared.

When he was most definitely dead, only then could Luz move again.

"What have I done..."

What you had to. Now, move your arm above him.

Luz did as she was told, letting her arm hover over Hunter's body. Slowly, the cursed goo seeped out and into the wound. Luz's arm was left feelingless, paralyzed, and looked emaciated.

She watched as the goo went entirely into the wound, sealed it up, and moved through the body just under the skin, the green hue visible through Hunter's pale skin.

As it hit his head, it stopped. Hunter's body jerked up, causing Luz to scream. A scar just like Belos' formed on his face.

And when his eyes opened, they were a vibrant blue.

"Ah, that's much better."

It was Belos' voice, but still Hunter's body.

Horrifying.

"Aw, don't think like that. Oh, and before you say it just a bit of my cursed form is still inside you so I can still hear your thoughts."

"O-okay. Just...just tell me what the next step is. Hunter is dead. How are we supposed to get translations of what Flapjack says now?"

"Well, this is his body. I can understand him just fine now. That damn palisman is being difficult and refusing to wake up. Once it does, we'll learn everything we need to know and make a portal. Then, we can finally go back home."

Luz looked around, the effects of her horrible mistake on display.

"Oh don't worry about them, little light. There's nothing you can do for them now. Once the petrification is complete, it can't be undone. And you made sure it was complete."

"That wasn't me! It was you. I was just trying to talk to them and thanks to you taking over, you used your petrification magic on them."

"Yes, but, consider this. Why was I able to take control in the first place?"

Luz couldn't respond. He was right.

"I can only take control over those who are willing. It's why I couldn't just take over my dear nephew's body. He wouldn't let me. But you wanted to go home and I promised to help. You got me what I needed, and now I can uphold my end of the bargain."

Luz took a few deep breaths and managed to mostly calm down.

"You're right." Luz sighed.

"Of course. Now, what do you say we wake up the bird, little light?"