Chapter Text
“Hunter. Can I… talk to you?”
The words from behind stopped Hunter in his tracks. He knew that voice all too well.
Hunter turned around to see her standing there— eyes cast him gently. She looked tired, her expression weary and her braids messy. Yet still beautiful.
Then again, Willow always looked beautiful to Hunter. But that was something which was never leaving the safety of his own thoughts. There were times, like when she had winked at him, or cut his hair, that he considered, but he quickly shut that down. Like she… like anyone… would ever want to be with, well, a—
“Yes, Captain?” Hunter replied finally, when he realized he was staring.
Without realizing, he had stopped walking, and Willow caught up to him before continuing. She seemed unable to look him in the eye, and suddenly Hunter became very nervous.
“While you were unconscious,” Willow went on, “Luz… said something. Something that was news to the rest of us. Belos had just told us she helped him meet the Collector, and I don’t think she meant to tell us. But—“
Hunter sighed. So the news was out.
“She told you all I’m a Grimwalker, didn’t she?”
Willow’s eyes widened, and she nodded.
Hunter turned away, and couldn’t stop the tear which rolled down his cheek.
Willow knew what he was. This was a nightmare.
Then, Willow did something unexpected. She grabbed his hand, which Hunter hadn’t noticed had been shaking.
“Hunter, are you crying?”
“Umm.. no?” said Hunter through tears, now streamed down his face.
Willow laughed, “Hunter, look at me.”
Well, the last of his dignity was already done. So Hunter mustered up the courage and turned his head to look at Willow.
She was giving him a bittersweet smile of such warmth, such sincerity, that his heart melted on the spot.
“Why didn’t you tell us?”
Hunter gulped, as the question lingered in the air like a whisper.
“Because I was embarrassed,” he admitted, as he put his face in his free hand, “because I was ashamed. I’m a clone, Willow. A clone of the brother of a witch hunter. One in a long line that Belos murdered again and again. And I fell for it, for so many years. I believed him. I helped him build the portal, and cause the Day of Unity. You all should hate me.”
“Don’t be stupid.”
“What?”
Willow grasped his hand tighter, “We don’t hate you, Hunter. You’re our friend. Does Amity hate Luz because she helped Belos find The Collector? No.”
Hunter kept his face, which turned bright red, in his hand. Had Willow just compared them to Luz and Amity? Who were, you know?
She couldn’t possibly—
He was overthinking it. Clearly. After all, she had very obviously just called him a friend.
Suddenly Willow’s hand loosened, and she tightened her arms around herself as if for comfort. Now, she was the one who couldn’t look Hunter in the eye.
“Hunter, did you honestly think you being a Grimwalker would change anything?” He3r voice started to choke, “You died in my lap, and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever been through. Did you really think we don’t care care about you? That I don’t care about you?”
“But I’m just a clone of..”
Willow put her hand up, “I’m going to stop you right there. You are Hunter. Master sewist, amazing flyer derby player, and one of my best friends. After Gus, of course,” she added with a wink.
Hunter let out a laugh.
“And by the way? I dig the new hairdo. I know it came from something terrible, so if you want me to cut it again I will, but I think it suits you.”
Hunter blushed.
“I don’t even know what it looks like,” he admitted, “I just can feel that it’s longer. And these scars—“ he looked at his arms, “They’re on my face too, aren’t they?”
Willow nodded her head. She began to lift her arm, as if she wanted to reach up and touch one of them, but pulled back.
“I’m so sorry, Hunter. What Belos did to you was… are you sure you want to face him?”
“For Flapjack?” Hunter answered, as he placed his hand over his heart, “Definitely.”
“Yeah,” Willow agreed, “For Flapjack. I did swear to get some revenge before crossing back into the Demon Realm.”
“In that case, I fear for Belos, if he’s facing the Captain’s wrath.”
Willow stopped in her tracks. They had been walking so slowly while they talked that the rest of the group was far ahead of them, leaving them alone.
“What?” Hunter asked.
“It’s just, you act like I’m so strong.” Willow said.
“Well, you are. One of the strongest witches I know,” Hunter said before he could stop himself.
“It’s strange to be thought of that way,” Willow admitted, “Up until Luz came, a few months ago, I was just the bullied girl failing her Abominations class.”
Hunter scrunched his nose, “You were on the Abominations track? Why”
“My dads made me sign up for it for “better opportunities”, but then Belos saw what a natural I was at Plant magic and switched me.”
“That’s amazing!”
“Yeah, now I leave the Abominations to Amity.”
“I still think she hates me after the Eclipse Lake incident.”
“Amity will get over it, if she hasn’t already. Just look what she has with Luz, and they started off as rivals. She almost had her dissected.”
“They’ve come a long way from that.”
Willow looked away. “Yeah, they have.”
Hunter couldn’t help but think of where he and Willow had started— literally being pulled out of the sky, and then locking her and her friends in a cell. Titan, what an idiot.
“For the record, nobody else cares either. That you’re a Grimwalker.”
“Really?”
“Really. I can’t believe you hid it from us this entire time. Were you and Luz keeping these secrets for months?
Hunter nodded, “Ever since we got trapped in Belos’ mind.”
“I wish you’d told me, and the rest of the Emerald Entrails. We could have helped. Learned some more about Grimwalkers.”
“I guess I wish I had now, too. I still wish I was a witch, but I knew when I was in the Human Realm, and well, those were some of the happiest months of my life. Gus noticed and pointed it out one night. Luz even said I was family. And then I found Belos and almost hurt you guys. Again.”
“That was Belos, using you.”
“Yeah, I know. It cost me… everything.”
Willow smiled sadly at him, “But Flapjack’s still here,” she gestured to her heart, “inside of you. And you have me. All of us.”
Hunter could only cry and smile at the same time, suddenly overwhelmed with the weight of this conversation.
Willow didn’t hate him. His friends didn’t hate him. His new family didn’t hate him.
He had lost Flapjack, and yet gained so much these past few months.
Before he knew it, he was crying again.
“Hunter?” Willow asked.
“Yes?”
“Is it okay if I… hug you?”
Hunter laughed, and was taken aback. In a good way.
The Captain… wanted to hug him? She really didn’t care that he was a Grimwalker?
It felt like an Illusion, too good to be true. Still, he forced himself to nod, and in a split second Willow threw her arms around him.
She smelt like spring— of fresh mulch and flowers, and it felt like home. Immediately, Hunter wrapped his arms around her too.
They both cried, for all that they had been through. For all of the memories they had made. And there, hugging his best friend, Hunter let the full weight of all that had happened hit him. The full weight of the loss.
It was their first real hug, and it was awkward. For one, Willow was far shorter than Hunter— adorably short, he thought. Still, Hunter hoped it wouldn’t be their last.
After all, Flapjack wasn’t the only one in his heart.