Chapter Text
"Haha!"
"Come on, that's not fair, you cheated!"
"I did not! You're just too slow"
Children's laughter sounded through the woods of the Boiling Isles
"Fine, fine, I'm sorry, You wanna play another game?"
There was a huff "How do I know you won't cheat again, Collector?"
"C'mon, I promise I won't"
"Promise? Pff, if you really wanna 'promise' then your doing it wrong, silly"
"Huh?"
They extended their hand and then their pinky and said "You have to do a Pinky-Swear. It's the most sacred vowel you can swear to. So don't break it or they'll be big consequences!"
"Really?"
"Mhm"
"Alright then. I Pinky-Swear!"
A laugh
"Okay! Let's play another game!"
"Your on, Blight!'
The two children continued to play their game
They were fighting, but it was evident that Belos, or rather, Philip, was stronger than them. They could only hold him back for so long.
Amity screamed as she was thrown off the bridge, Luz gasped "Amity!"
Amity was quick though, she extended her hand and formed an Abomination hand and grabbed onto another edge, she looked up and screamed back "I'm fine! Keep fighting, I'll be back with you guys soon"
When Amity saw her girlfriend relax and nod, she smiled slightly and began pulling herself up. Looking up she saw a small staircase that would lead back to her friends, she was about to go back when:
"It's pointless"
She stopped and turned her head, staring at Kikimora
"Belos can't stop the spell any more than they can. Only the Collector has that power." she shivered as the marks on her hand spread further
Amity looked at her and then at her friends, she bit her lip before taking a deep breath and asking: "Who or what is the collector?"
Kikimora turned her head to Amity, more specifically to the necklace she wore on her neck
"I know that the Collector helped Belos and that Belos made some deal, or was it promise? with it or them- but...who is the collector?" she asked while glancing at her friends to make sure they were okay.
"Neither witch nor demon, a child from the stars" Amity blinked at that, the collector was a...child? she shivered at the thought of a child having so much power, after all, Belos wouldn't have been able to do all of this without the help of someone much stronger than he was. And to think that that person was a child sent shivers down her spine. "Belos only talked to him when he thought no one was around but I was always listening"
Kikimora turned to Amity "Belos was afraid of him"
Amity's eyes widened at that, she turned to Belos and stared at his monstrous form
Belos...was afraid of the collector? Why break their promise then?...he should know that if the Collector is freed then-
A lightbulb lit up in her head
"Kikimora"
The demon in question turned her head towards the girl
"The collector is a child, right?"
The demon nodded
"...and a child doesn't like it when their friends break their promises, right?" Amity glanced at Belos, Kikimora's eyes widening in understanding "I need you to take me to him"
Kikimora moved the abomaton
"If that means kicking the Emperor's butt, gladly"
They both stared down the stairs as Kikimora began to lead Amity down, Amity looked up and caught Hunter's eyes. They widened but Amity merely looked away as she whispered "I'm sorry, but if this is the only way to stop Belos then...I'll do it"
She disappeared down the stairs as Hunter yelled out "Amity!"
"So...how exactly does the Collector act?" Amity asked after they walked down in silence for a few minutes
Kikimora glanced at her "He's a child, how do you think he acts?"
Amity shrugged "I don't know...I mean, if Belos is afraid of him then doesn't that mean he's extremely dangerous?"
A snort was the only answer the demon gave before she continued with "A child with that much power is dangerous, Blight. Though I must admit, the collector's ignorance is his biggest weakness yet" she hummed "I seem to remember one conversation, in particular, he seems to have so much faith in Pinky swears it would be adorable if he wasn't known as the Collector"
Amity blinked "Wow...he really is a child, huh?"
"Indeed"
She hummed "So I just need to make a deal with him? Like Belos did?"
Kikimora glanced at Amity
"I would not recommend that, but...yes, it is the only way. Although, I doubt he would help you willingly after what happened with Belos"
Amity hummed and nodded, she looked around and couldn't help but shiver as it grew colder, she turned to Kikimora "So how long as the Collector been helping Belos?"
"Since the very beginning, at least, that's what I believe"
Amity frowned...how long had the Collector been lied to?
She jumped as they reached the bottom of the stairs and shivered as she stared at all the golden masks. All of the fallen golden guards who Belos had gotten rid of when they failed him.
She glanced at Kikimora and asked, "Where are we?"
"Where failures end up"
Amity gulped and looked around, spotting something on the ground. She blinked and walked towards it, her necklace shining "Huh?" she looked from the necklace to the object, A mirror and there was a crescent moon engraved in it, and then placed her hand on it, jumping as the Collector burst out of it.
"Leave me alone." Amity blinked at how...human the voice sounded, she did not expect that from the Collector "I don't associate with fibbers" he blew a raspberry, and Amity couldn't help but snort at that
Calling Belos a fibber
Good one
The Collector opened his eyes and stared at the girl in front of him, gasping as he saw the necklace around her neck, Amity jumped as he appeared in front of her
"YOU! What are you doing here you liar!"
Amity blinked and answered "W-wait!" The Collector stopped and stared at her with a frown
"Look, I don't know who you think I am, But I'm not her, I'm Amity! Amity Blight" she shut her eyes and opened them when she heard the Collector hum, he was sitting on the pile of bones kicking his legs
"Weird. You look so much like her but aren't her? I don't get it. Still!" he scoffed and turned around "I don't care what you say! I don't listen to liars! especially those who left me all alone and bored"
She tilted her head "Bored?" she glanced to the side
Okay...He thinks she's someone she's not...how to make this work
The Collector is basically a child. Well...not really, but he has the mentality of one. And what do kids like? Games!
Amity coughed "Hey Collector? Wanna play Tag?"
that got his attention
He looked at her and began to giggle
She smiled "I'll take that as a yes"
The ground began to shake "But we gotta be quick, ok? You run and I'll chase after you!"
He didn't even answer and simply ran away, Amity looked over her shoulder and said "You should go. I might be here for a while" She grabbed the Mirror and Belo's cloak, tying it around herself just to keep it safe
That was all she said and did before she formed a magic circle and beckoned Ghost, who formed into a staff and allowed Amity to ride it.
She disappeared after the Collector.
0Oo
He was fast
Amity yelped as she jumped off Ghost and ran along the wall before she jumped back onto her staff.
"Getting tired already? You used to be so much faster!" he disappeared upwards, Amity grunted under her breath and chased after him. She stopped and looked around, hearing his giggles she couldn't help but ask
"Why do you think I'm...her?"
"You carry her necklace, silly" he whispered in her ear
Amity gasped and turned around, only for him to disappear again "Okay..so- what was your connection with her?"
"We were best friends" he giggled out like it was the most obvious thing in the world "But then she sold me out! I was only trying to have fun but then she turned her back on me and lied, I was trapped by that Big Bully Titan"
Amity frowned and looked around, spotting him up in the ceiling staring down at her
"You look just like her. It's reeeeaaallly difficult not to punch you in your big stupid liar face"
Amity shivered "Let's not do that"
Everything around them began to shake, she frowned "Okay, Collector..how about- we....we...play a new game!"
He stopped and appeared beside her
"A new game?"
"It's called-" Think, think, think "The Owl house!" Nailed it!
he frowned "Really?"
"Yeah!" Amity grinned and said "Here's how it goes. I help you and you help me and afterward, we go meet all of these amazing people and get more people to be your friends so we can play even more amazing games"
she clicked her tongue "But dang. We're going to need more players and since everyone's going to be gone after the draining spell is done then I guess we can't play"
She turned around and smiled as the Collector appeared in front of her "Wait! I can stop the spell"
"Really?!"
"Wait..." he narrowed his eyes at her "You're not trying to make me do your chores like Philip, right"
Amity stared at him and after she took a deep breath in, she relaxed and said "You just....You just look like you needed a friend" a pause "I know what that's like" she shook her head and then smiled at him, what was it kikimora said? ah, right "I won't hurt you or break my promise, Pinky-swear"
The collector stared at her before he grinned "I like you. Now, come on, your not a titan or like Philip but you can get me out" he leaned towards her and grinned "You May not like it though"
Amity stared at him before she asked "What do I do?"
"Just follow my lead"
He extended his hand towards her and she grabbed his hand, he grinned at her as chains surrounded their arms "I can't wait to start playing"
Amity watched as the chains wrapped around tighter, as the Collector transformed into his real form.
She missed the way her skin turned tan, almost orange.
She missed the way her hair turned white
She missed the way her pupils changed, her left pupil into a crescent moon and the right into a sun, just like the marks on the collector's body
Amity shut her eyes and when she opened them she was met with a young boy, she looked at him and knelt "Hey, Collector"
He tilted his head and gasped as he pointed at her "You look just like me!"
Amity tilted her head, her pupils swirling around, making the collector laughed
She stared at the ends, staring at the blue crescent moon marks and sun marks that were covering parts of her arm, she looked at him and nodded "Yeah...I guess I do" she stood up and looked around "Hey...Collector?"
He hummed
"How do you feel about playing tag with that Liar?"
The Collector blinked before he grinned "Oh I knew we were going to be good friends"
Luz and her friends backed up, she held onto King as Belos advanced toward them.
He raced his scythe-like hands, brought it up and then down
...only for it to be caught
"Whatcha playing?"
They opened their eyes and stared at a young boy staring at them, he was smiling. They glanced at Belos who stepped back "Collector!"
The Collector turned his head towards Belos, a frown on his face
"You're free! Just as promised!"
"As promised?" another voice jumped in and before they could say anything someone landed beside the collector, wielding a...white cat staff...
"Amity!" Luz yelled, a smile on her face but that smile disappeared when Amity turned around and smiled at her, she was met with someone completely different. That...was not Amity
"Luz!" she grinned, before it disappeared as Belos roared out
"You! You have no idea what you've done!" he tried to move but the collector twirled his finger and reeled him in closer
Amity turned and glared at him, her new pupils swirling and getting sharp as a cat's pupils "You made a promise with the Collector, did you think there would be no consequence?" she hissed out
"Oooh!"
She turned to the collector "Let's play Tag already! It'll be soo much fun!" both turned to Belos, the collector grinning while Amity simply knelt and whispered something into the collector's ear
"Oh! Silly me!" he snapped his fingers and smiled at her "I'll get rid of it once we play tag!"
Amity glanced at Belos and then said "How about give him a head start?" she shrugged "Uh, it'll make the game boring"
He hummed and tapped his chin "Yeah! Guess your right, silly me" he bonked his head and then let go of Belos "Okay! I'll count to five!"
That was all Belos needed to know before he began running
1
The collector floated up a bit
2
He grabbed Amity's arm as he laughed a bit "Come on, you gotta play too!"
3
She shared a glance with her friends before she jumped on her staff and got ready to fly out as well. She stared forward and tried to ignore the feeling of...joy and fun she began getting as they prepared themselves
4
"Ready. Set-" The collector grinned
5
"-Go!"
The two took off at a great speed, they immediately caught up to Belos who was running down the stairs. He growled and spat acid at Amity who yelped and let go of Ghost, falling for a brief period before her staff appeared in her hands and she took off flying again.
"You have no idea what you've unleashed and what you've done to yourself, witch!"
She glared at him "Says you, Witch Hunter! You're trying to get rid of my kind, my friends, and my family!" she spun around "Not to mention that you used the Collector for your gains, how pathetic do you have to be that you use a child who only wants to play to your advantage"
"That thing is not a child!"
The Collector on the other hand was just laughing as he zapped around, grinning as he chased after Belos "This is so much fun!" he turned to Amity "Hey Amity! Can we keep on playing?"
Amity stared at him before she felt the room shake "Sorry! We have to hurry this game up" she grinned, her pupils growing back to their original shape, well...to their new original shape of course. "We can play another once you get rid of the spell and get rid of Philip, after all...he did lie to you" she paused "And you don't like, liars, right?"
Amity glanced at Belos who was looking at the two with horror in his eyes "After all...doesn't it feel right to trap him just like you were trapped? And not let him out just like how he didn't let you out"
He needs to pay
For what he's done to Hunter
For what he was going to do to Luz
For what he was going to do to all of Witch-Kind
The collector hummed "Good point!" he giggled and clapped his hands, Belos being chained up by glowing chains. The Collector then snapped his fingers and a mirror appeared in front of Belos, he grinned "Bye-Bye liar, liar, pants on fire!"
Belos screamed as he was sucked into the mirror, Amity watched with a feeling of...cold satisfaction.
She flew towards the Mirror and held it, staring down at it as she felt the ground shake once more "Come on, we should head back and get rid of the spell" she grinned "I mean, we still have to play that game I told you about!"
He gasped "Your right!"
He snapped his fingers and Amity fell to the ground as they appeared before her friends, she lifted herself and stared as the Collector, with just two fingers moved the moon, ending the eclipse and getting rid of the spell. She sat up and watched in Awe, she glanced to her friends and-
oh....they were backing away from the two
Amity stared at her hands, staring at the marks, and felt a cold dread run through her body
"You have no idea what you've unleashed and what you've done to yourself, witch!"
Oh...
Oh
Amity shook her head, there was no point in getting shocked about what she had just done. it was done and that was that, there's no going back now"
She stood up and felt herself shake slightly, she shook it off and weakly said "Hey, Collector?"
He stared, tilting his head "Let's just play together, just you and I. I'll show you the best games"
Luz stepped forward "Amity-"
"Go home"
"What?" her girlfriend stepped back
Amity stared at her "The portal. It's there and Philip- uh, Belos, is gone" she stared at the mirror in her hands "You can go...and you don't need to be afraid of me- or uh, us" she glanced at the Collector as she grabbed his hand
"Amity we're not-" Willow tried to say but then she glanced at the collector as he giggled and floated in the air (still holding Amity's hand), something no average Witch could do, and then there was the fact that that child was able to get rid of such a powerful spell
King tensed and hid behind Luz while Gus and Hunter leaned on each other
Amity stared at them and took a deep breath "It's fine. I get...I- I get it" she cursed silently as she stuttered the words out, she felt energy run through her body- it was too much to handle. She had barely felt it when she and the collector chased after Belos, so why was she feeling it now?
Was it backlash from freeing the collector?
But...it didn't matter now, did it?
She grinned "Besides...The people need to know what Belos was planning to do" she spun Ghost around and sat on the staff, The collector tilted his head and sat beside her. She looked away and said "See you"
"Amity!"
She flew away, leaving them behind in the dust.
"Ooh! Things sure have changed" The collector looked around the forest he and Amity had landed in
"Hey! By the way, when are we going to start playing?" he asked Amity as they reached a rather large tree "Amity!"
Amity turned to him, her pupils sluggish as she said "We should sleep first, I mean-" she smiled weakly "To play we're going to need all the energy we can get!" she climbed the tree, Ghost(Who was no longer in her staff form) clung onto her back while the Collector floated
"I guess" he whined "But I'm not some child! I can stay up for-" he yawned "-Days"
Amity snorted "Sure" she laid down and patted the ground beside her, the collector laying beside her and snapping his fingers, a pillow and blanket appeared out of nowhere. Amity watched as he immediately went to sleep before she laid her head back down, closing her eyes.
She rolled over and hugged herself as she shut her eyes
Looks like it was just her and the Collector now.