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At the end of the world, Raine had been expecting devastation, panic, fear, red-hot fire spreading around them.
In reality, the end of the world was a lot sparklier than they had imagined.
Frankly, Raine had been content to die in Eda’s arms. At least they were able to save her. At least they were able to keep their promise to Luz. Turns out, the world had a different plan.
Feeling spread throughout their body, the searing pain of their coven mark quickly evaporating entirely. They were keenly aware of their head in Eda’s lap, the wet tear stains falling onto their face from where she was holding onto them and crying.
She must have noticed the way the rise and fall of their chest steadied, and the way their body twitched as they adjusted to the feeling of normalcy, because her breath hitched and her hand, her remaining hand, tightened on the hold she had of their right one.
Before she could say anything, Raine pushed themself up into a sitting position, their hand wrapping around the upper part of her left arm. Eda’s smile was like a breath of fresh hair, and Raine’s heart warmed at the fact that they thought they’d never be able to see that smile again. See her again.
Even after pulling an arm off of her, Eda was still smiling at Raine like they were the whole world.
Out of the corner of their eye, they could see the torn shard of Eda’s sleeve where her right arm used to be. Their smile fell, and their stomach twisted at the reminder of what Eda had lost, what they had done.
It was a split second decision, one that they regretted despite the necessity of it. Despite their fading consciousness, Raine had fought the effects of the draining spell and had used the last of their strength to crawl over to Eda’s side. They swore that her agonized screams would haunt their nightmares long after all was said and done, and they knew the clock was ticking as gray mist spread up her arm.
Her arm was disintegrating.
They had recalled the moment with her on the airship, where she had pulled off her own head with a quip about how it was a result of her curse, how she could remove limbs with no issue.
Luz had flashed in their mind, her furrowed brows and wide eyes as she begged them to protect Eda. Luz didn’t even need to ask, but seeing the desperation in the eyes of Eda’s daughter only strengthened their conviction.
When they pulled off her arm, they weren’t even certain that it would solve the problem. But all they could think of was Eda and the fact that she was dying in front of them and that they had to do something . They couldn’t help her last time, but they could this time.
Raine’s fingers drifted to the stump of her right arm, and they didn’t miss Eda’s mirrored expression. Eda softly murmured their name, and an apology was on the tip of Raine’s tongue. But before either of them could speak, a childish giggle broke them out of their own little world where it was just the two of them.
Raine and Eda looked up in tandem, and they both froze at the sight of King being gleefully tossed in the air by an oddly dressed child, one that was... flinging stars and sparkles everywhere?
Raine glanced over to Eda, and it was impossible to miss the fear etched onto her face. She looked back at Raine, almost for permission, and wordlessly, they nodded.
Even decades later, the two could read each other without even having to speak to each other. They had always seemed to have their own language from the time they were teenagers, and clearly, that had never changed.
Eda grinned, relief flooding her features, and in an instant, she blossomed.
Her mismatched eyes blackened around the edges, thin gold irises transforming into slits. Her ears and hair lengthened, and so did her size, as red and gray feathers grew all over her body. Large wings sprouted from her shoulder blades, fanning out behind her, and Raine was reminded of old paintings of angels that they had seen in art museums all over Bonesborough. Gold talons dug into the ground, and a growl tore from Eda’s throat.
Raine knew that their face must have been beet red, but they didn’t have it in them to try and hide their awe. Despite having heard about her harpy form and having seen it on her wanted poster, nothing could’ve prepared them for the real thing.
Eda was breathtaking .
Her curse had controlled her when they were younger, her inability to properly accept it as a part of her was the biggest reason that their relationship fell apart. So to see her become one with the beast, to do just what she had struggled to do when they were younger, Raine was starstruck.
Eda launched off the ground and made a beeline for the floating palace in the sky and the two children floating in the middle. She dodged the flying stars, but as she got closer, more and more feathers sprung from her skin. And despite being far up in the sky, Raine couldn’t miss the black growing over her eyes, the animalistic scream coming out of her mouth, the sight of her losing control of the Owl Beast.
Suddenly, Raine was flung back to months before, the last time they had seen the Owl Beast.
Raine had been in the middle of some paperwork when the news broke. And they couldn’t tell if it was better or worse that Darius delivered the news to them himself rather than wait for it to break on the news.
Despite having been close during their Hexside days, the Emperor’s castle didn’t do much in the way of continuing friendships. Darius was the new head of the abomination coven, and Raine was well on their way to following suit as they climbed up the ranks of the bard coven.
So it was a bit of a surprise when he knocked on the door of their office, looking like he’d seen a ghost.
“Hey, Darius,” They started as they raised their eyebrows questioningly. “Can I help you with something?”
“Have you heard the news?”
“What news?”
There were a few seconds of silence, as if Darius was considering what exactly to say.
And then, “The Emperor has apprehended the Owl Lady. Her petrification is scheduled for this evening. None of the news stations have gotten the news yet but... I wanted you to hear it from me.”
Raine felt like the world had opened up underneath them. In some ways, maybe that would be easier than comprehending what Darius had just said. “I– Wha... But Lilith–”
“Raine,” Darius said slowly, biting his lip, “Lilith is the one who brought her to him.”
They could’ve sworn their heart had been yanked directly out of their chest. Eda had dodged the Emperor’s coven for years, only for her to have been taken down by her own sister? Eda’s sister, who she had loved despite her job position serving the man who wanted nothing more than to take Eda down.
The words Eda and petrification didn’t belong in the same sentence. Eda and death.
Raine wasn’t sure when they had dropped to their knees, but their ears rang and their vision swam in and out. Darius was by their side, telling them to breathe. But how could they, when Eda was being held in a cage somewhere in the same building, hours away from death?
Darius sat with Raine for a few minutes as they collapsed against the wall, hyperventilating. Eventually, the initial panic wore off, but they still weren’t sure the realization had set in yet. Darius got up with a sympathetic look and started toward the door, telling Raine that they’d pass on the message that Raine’s office was closed for the day. But at the moment, Raine couldn’t comprehend their life continuing like normal after that day. How could their life move on in a world without Eda?
They had locked themself in their office, ignoring any knocks from anyone, including their own students. They alternated between throwing things off their desk and clutching an old picture of them and Eda to their chest, crying hysterically.
Raine had half a mind to storm down there and break Eda out themself, but they had made so much progress within the bard coven, and they were so close to being able to put their rebellion into motion. Eda wouldn’t want them to risk that for her. But Titan, did they want to.
They didn’t watch the petrification, They couldn’t. But word had reached them that Eda had been broken out by a human, a small demon, and her sister, and Raine could finally breathe again.
But even after that, Raine was hyperaware of Eda’s mortality and the fact that even she wasn’t free from the Emperor’s clutches. Raine formed the BAtTs immediately after, and finally started putting everything into place, vowing to make sure no wild witch would ever be put in Eda’s place.
All hell broke loose after that.
Eda, the Owl Beast, they supposed, flew back to the ground, wailing again, and Raine managed to pull themself to their feet, stumbling after her. They yelled her name, and the beast turned toward them, but there was no hint of Eda in those beady eyes. But she did pause, and if Raine looked closely enough, they could convince themself that the beast’s body relaxed slightly.
King dropped in between them, and Raine stopped at the sight of Eda’s son. He looked up at the sky, back up at the child, and shoved a collar with an engraving, into their hands.
“Raine, take this! It’ll make you invisible to the Collector.”
The Collector?
“But Eda–”
“I can turn Eda back, I’ve done it before! Luz and her friends are in the human realm, and I can deal with the Collector. Eda would want you to be safe.”
Raine looked between the Owl Beast and King, the decision weighing heavily on them. On one hand, they didn’t want to abandon Eda again. But on the other hand, they had no idea how to turn Eda back, and King did. Plus, Luz was in a completely other dimension, safe from harm, and if Raine got away, they could work on getting other witches away from the carnage.
King’s eyes widened, silently pleading with Raine to take the collar. Finally, they did, wrapping it around their wrist, and King smiled. He turned back to his mother and the floating child descending on the two of them, and with an aching heart, Raine fled.
═
Raine wasn’t sure how long after that it was that King came back to find them again.
A week? Two weeks? A month?
After leaving Eda, they had found Darius, Eberwolf, and the other coven heads. Honestly, Raine had half a mind to flee with Darius and Eber and leave the other leaders to deal with whatever came next, but ultimately, they decided to bring them with them. Damn their moral compass.
(Raine internally tried to argue that it was because they needed any information the other coven heads had about Belos or the Collector.)
Together, the coven heads tried to get as many witches away from the center of the Isles as they could. They weren’t nearly as successful as they would’ve liked (or at least, as the CAtTs would’ve liked), but they did still make a difference.
The Boiling Isles were a wasteland, so different from the place that Raine had grown up and spent their entire life. Witches and creatures alike were in hiding, afraid of the unknown and unrestrained power that the Collector had. Raine hadn’t seen it for themself, but they’d heard stories about the Collector turning people into puppets and playing out various scenarios with them like they were playing dollhouse.
They’d also heard the stories of a little demon boy stuck beside the Collector every time he was seen.
When said little demon boy finally sought Raine out again, they knew it was him.
They were hiding out in a small fortress in the woods, going over plans with Darius and Eber when a small, shaky voice broke through the sounds of their discussions, calling out Raine’s name.
Immediately, Raine started toward the door and the sound of the voice, only vaguely aware of Darius’s warning about a potential trap, and for a moment, Raine wondered if they were getting a glimpse of how Eda felt. The nearly instinctive, fiercely protective feeling that welled up inside them at the sound of the boy’s voice. This , they thought, must only be a fraction of what Eda feels .
“King?” They called back, their eyes scanning the clearing. Their heart hammered in their chest, briefly worried that Darius was correct, before a small figure clad in purple entered their field of vision.
Raine called the boy’s name again and this time, he looked up and met Raine’s gaze, smiling widely. “Raine!” He exclaimed, and Raine barely had time to prepare for his little body to collide with their chest, and he nestled into their arms, not unlike how Eda carried him around.
“Hi, buddy.” They said softly, picking him up and looking him in the eyes. “I’m glad you’re okay, I was worried.”
“Really?” King’s voice was laced with confusion, and Raine was reminded of the comments Eda had made to them about her children, telling them about how she and King were the only one the other had for a long time.
It struck Raine that King probably wasn’t used to somebody else besides Eda caring about him.
“Yeah.” They swallowed the lump in their throat. “You are okay, right?”
King nodded. “Uh-huh. The Collector thinks I’m his best friend, so I’m probably the safest being on the Isles right now.”
A concerning detail, but Raine had more pressing matters to deal with.
“What about Eda, is she okay?”
“She is. After she turned, I was able to convince the Collector to keep her from becoming a puppet and keep her locked away. I managed to get her out of her Owl Beast form, but the Collector thinks she’s still in it. She’s okay, though. I see her every day. That’s actually why I came to find you now, she’s been really worried. She misses you.”
Raine felt their stomach drop at the words of Eda’s worry, but that feeling was overshadowed by the relief that flooded them at the realization that she was safe. That King was safe, and according to him, so was Luz.
Raine had kept their promises to both Eda and Luz. Despite everything, both she and her kids were safe at the end of the world.
“I miss her too.” Raine replied breathily, knowing that their worry was apparent all over their expression. “Can... I see her?”
King nodded, and the tension left Raine’s shoulders as they smiled. “Where is she?”
Raine followed the motion of King’s claw, where he pointed at the deep blue, shiny castle floating in the sky. They’d had a sneaking suspicion that the new piece of the landscape was the Collector’s main domain, but had no clue how to even get up there. Though as King led them over to a floating star, they supposed they had their answer.
The trip up to the castle was a lot quicker than Raine thought it would be. They were used to riding and traveling on a staff, but this star was the closest they could get with the current state of things.
When they approached the door, King told Raine seriously, “Keep the medal on you. The Collector is asleep, but they have eyes everywhere. It’ll be easier to get you in and out if you’re invisible.
Uneasiness crept through their body at King’s words. It was hard to acknowledge how powerful and scary the Collector was when the entirety of the castle looked so childish. There were sparkles and bright stars floating around everywhere, with colorful puppets bouncing around. The walls were painted vibrant shades of blue and purple, and it looked exactly like what they would envision a child’s dream castle to be.
Despite this, Raine obeyed and looped the necklace holding the medal around their neck.
They followed the demon down winding hallways, before they came upon something that chilled them. A row of navy bars, with a sign plastered over them that said “Beware of Beast”.
Raine felt sick. For her entire life, Raine had watched as so many people reduced Eda to nothing more than a beast, than her cursed form. They felt like the only person who tried to see past what made her special and saw her as the amazing, beautiful witch that she was.
They guessed it made sense that eventually, Eda decided to embrace her owl side.
King beckoned them on, and Raine continued to trail behind him as King led them into a lit corner and called, “Eda? I have someone here to see you.”
“King? Is the Collector already-” Eda stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening as she took in the sight of Raine, and they did the same. “Raine...?
Raine couldn’t help the grin that spread over their face, and they surged forward with a gleeful call of her name.
Eda met them in the middle, her arms twining around their neck as their hands found her waist and they spun her around, holding her close to them. When they stopped, Eda pressed her chin against the crown of their head, and Raine buried their face in the crook of her neck, relishing the feeling of having her in their arms once again.
She was safe, and definitely not still in her Owl Beast form, despite the gray feathers sticking out of her matching silver locks. And for them, that was enough.
After a few seconds, they pulled away, Raine reaching up to cup Eda’s cheek as hers found their hips, keeping them pressed flush against her. “Are you okay?” Eda asked, eyeing them from head to toe as she worried her lip in a motion that made Raine want to kiss her.
Not the time, not the time.
“I’m alright.” They reassured her, running their thumb along the curve of her jawline. “What about you, are you okay? How did you turn back?”
“King and Luz have found a few ways to turn me back over the last few months. Luz would probably call it ‘the power of love’ or something, but I think it was just light. Affects my sensitive bird eyes or something.”
Raine made a mental note to ask her more about her curse, now that she was being more open about it.
They opened their mouth to make some joke-y comment, but were cut off by a loud “weh!” from where King was standing behind them. When the two jumped apart and turned to him, he clarified with a whispered shout of, “The Collector’s coming!”
Fear flooded through Raine, and they jumped into action.
They gently tugged Eda toward the back of the cavern, ushering her into the safety of the darkness. “I’ll be back. You stay here.”
”But Raine-”
“No. You’re already safe here. I can barter for my life, but you can’t. The Collector still thinks you’re the Owl Beast.”
A storm of emotions worked behind her eyes, but eventually she sighed and relented. She pulled them into another hug, murmuring, “You better come back to me alive, Rainestorm.”
Raine smiled, and in a surge of confidence, they pressed up onto their toes to kiss her softly on the forehead, cupping her cheek and smiling one last time. “Promise.”
A childish voice rang out from behind them, asking, “King?” with a confused lilt.
Raine turned back to Eda one last time, and as she sunk into the shadows with an agonized look on her face, Raine slipped back out. But as they reached for their medal, ready to make a quick escape, their blood went cold as it was nowhere to be found.
They peeked around the corner, and mentally cursed themself as they saw the medal laying on the ground outside of the bars of the cave, right beside where the Collector was standing.
Their only option was to attempt to sneak past the Collector while he was busy talking to King, but their efforts were fruitless when two steps in, yellow and red eyes snapped to them.
“The bard coven head?” Their high-pitched voice questioned, and their eyes narrowed. “What are you doing here?”
“Wait, Collector!” King interjected, urging as he said, “They’re okay. They wanted to see the Owl Beast. We can play without them, just let them go.”
“But the coven heads are some of the main players! We need them!”
Raine wasn’t sure what all of this talk about “playing” meant, and they weren’t sure they wanted to find out.
Before they could make a break for it, magic wrapped around their body and they groaned in pain as they were lifted into the air, unable to move. “If they wanna see the Owl Beast so badly, then I can think of a good use for them.”
Raine managed to gasp out a strangled, “No!”, and as everything went dark, Raine had only one thought.
I’m sorry, Eda.