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raw-lesbian-energy · 1 year

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Escape of the Palisman

Summary: When an adventure with Eda's staff goes awry, Luz and her friends must face a mysterious creature to earn the palisman back, or lose it forever.

Fandom: The Owl House (Star-Spotted Coat AU)

Pairing: None

Features: Self-Insert Character

Word Count: 4,713

Warnings: None

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Out of all the things she could’ve messed up, Luz was certain this was the worst of them.

After borrowing Eda’s staff to try and fly her and her friends to the Hexside vs Glandus match, she lost control and crashed into a tree. As a result, Owlbert had come off of his staff and fled, leading the trio on a chase through the thick woods.

Now, they stood at the mouth of a dark cave; one which Luz had seen Owlbert hop into mere moments before. She didn’t even hesitate as she walked right in, determined to find Eda’s palisman and bring him home safe. Willow and Gus followed along, watching around them warily as they trekked into the dark space.

“Wow, I keep stepping on a lot of crunchy twigs.” Willow commented. Luz glanced back at her, brow furrowing slightly.

“Those are bones, Willow.” She told her.

“Not if I never look down!” Willow replied, her gaze turning straight up to the cave ceiling. Not a second later, a figure raced by in the darkness, startling all three kids and making them huddle together. Luz felt something brush by her head, and she used Eda’s staff to push some hanging cobwebs away.

“This isn’t any kind of forest I’m used to.” She said, an anxious tone in her voice.

“That’s because this isn’t a forest.” Willow spoke up, drawing the human’s attention. She looked over at her friend, who was looking down at something on the ground. Following her eyes, Luz looked down just as three small creatures emerged from the shadows, revealing themselves to be the Bat Queen’s babies.

“It’s a nest!” Willow squeaked. Gus took a step back from the babies, while Luz’s fear actually faded away.

“Hey, I remember you.” She said. “You’re Bat Queen’s babies.” The trio of bat babies hissed in response, seemingly unable to actually say anything to her.

“Wait,” Gus piped up, continuing to back away, “the Bat Queen?” His anxious tone rang clear to Willow, who had also taken a few steps back.

“I think I’d rather take my chances with Eda.” She said. In their attempts to leave, both Gus and Willow walked straight into some low-hanging cobwebs, which quickly stuck to their hair and clothes. Luz didn’t notice either of them though, instead focusing on the young bats and kneeling down to their level.

“Hey, guys.” She spoke, keeping a calm tone. “We’re looking for a little owl, and-…” her words trailed as she noticed some movement in the dark, looking up and seeing Owlbert about fifteen feet away.

“There he is!” Luz exclaimed in relief. “Owlbert, thank goodness you’re okay. Come here, buddy; time to go home.” The small owl ended up taking a step back, and before Luz could move forward, a massive creature stepped out of the darkness. It put itself between Owlbert and Luz, and as the human looked up, she was met with who she could only assume was the Bat Queen. The trio gasped at the sight of her, unable to move as she marched forward and stared all of them down coldly.

“Hello, small human.” She spoke. Luz felt her body tense, but she managed to keep her fear from showing.

“Bat Queen!” She replied, gaining a cheerful tone. “Nice to finally meet you in person! So, funny story; see, Owlbert ran away, and I need to get him back. I’ll just grab him and we’ll-...” Luz’s gaze had gone from the Bat Queen over to where Owlbert was, only to see the palisman had been picked up by someone the human hadn’t expected.

“Evelyn?” She blurted. Both Gus and Willow gasped in surprise, as neither of them were prepared to see a centaur alongside the Bat Queen. Evelyn quickly looked up, eyes wide in panic before she realized just who had called her name.

“Luz?” She said, putting Owlbert on her shoulder. “What are you doing here? Did-…” the centaur trailed off as she noticed the staff in Luz’s hands, her ears pinning back and a look of terror appearing on her face.

“Did…you do this to him?” She asked slowly. Luz’s panic quickly surfaced, along with a mix of guilt.

“No!” She blurted. “No, I-I would never, I-”

“To be careless with a staff is very serious.” The Bat Queen interrupted her coldly. “We protect him.”

“But he belongs to Eda!” Luz argued. “And you owe her a favour, so-”

“Owl Lady was careless!” Bat Queen snapped. “Her staff left her sight, taken by human who steals, hurts, frightens!” Her words caught Luz by surprise, and her expression changed.

“What?” She said.

“He told me all!” Bat Queen cried, her eyes lighting up with yellow magic. Owlbert’s did the same in turn, and Luz felt a weight of guilt settle in her stomach.

“Owlbert, I never meant to hurt you.” She managed, focusing on the small owl. “Please, come back.” The glow in Owlbert’s eyes faded, and he let out a small hoot as he curled up, tucking closer to Evelyn’s neck as if to hide. The teen felt a sense of helplessness grip at her chest, and her gaze turned to Evelyn instead.

“Evelyn,” she started, “come on, I helped babysit Bat Queen’s kids! You know I’m a good person!” Evelyn’s ear twitched, her expression now a mix of fear and disappointment.

“Luz…you didn’t.” She replied. “The triplets told me; Eda and King were the ones who watched them. You were gone the whole night.” Luz felt her blood go cold, the guilt in her stomach worsening.

“No…” she murmured, “no no no, there-… there’s gotta be something I can do. There has to be some way I can prove I’m trustworthy!” Her eyes fell on Owlbert as she spoke, and the small palisman stared back before leaving Evelyn’s shoulder and flying to the Bat Queen. He carefully landed atop her head, and for a moment, both his and the Bat Queen’s eyes glowed yellow again. Once the glow ebbed away, the Bat Queen focused her gaze on Luz, glaring coldly.

“Trust must be earned!” She snapped, raising her wings. In a strong beat, she took off and flew deeper into the nest, landing on a podium of sorts that sat in the middle. Three small spires of flame burned around her, and they seemed to strengthen in brightness upon her landing.

“Trust shall be tested…through trials!” The Bat Queen declared. The flame spires roared with life at her words, lighting up the nest and cave around them. Luz, Willow, and Evelyn gained looks of worry at her statement, whereas Gus looked surprisingly excited.

“Trials?” He echoed, raising his flags. Willow was quick to move his hands down, walking past him and over to Luz.

“Luz, the Bat Queen is well known for her impossible trials.” She told her. “I’ve never heard of anyone winning against her.”

“But I have to get Owlbert back.” Luz argued. There was a tone of desperation in her voice, one that made Evelyn’s ears pin back. The human didn’t notice, however, turning her attention back to the Bat Queen.

“I accept your challenge.” She said firmly. Willow gained a look of hesitation, but it was soon replaced by determination as she looked back at Gus.

“And we’ll be right there with you.” She said. Gus quickly caught on.

“May the flags raise you up!” He added. The Bat Queen narrowed her eyes at the two witchlings, raising a claw at them and making a gripping motion. Her foot lit up with yellow magic, and soon both Willow and Gus were ensnared in sturdy webbing. The action was followed by cries of shock and protest, but the Bat Queen was unbothered by it.

“No helpsies.” She said curtly. “Evelyn, guard.” Evelyn nodded once, walking over and standing behind Gus and Willow to keep an eye on them. She kept a serious expression, but glancing down at the two witchlings, a gleam of guilt shone in her eyes.

“Now,” the Bat Queen spoke again, “let the trials begin!” Luz kept a determined expression, her grip on Owlbert’s staff tightening slightly. Just then, a soft chittering sounded to her right, and turning her gaze to it, she saw what could only be described as a spider-cow hybrid emerge from the shadows. The human’s eyes widened in horror at the sight, but her trance of fear was broken by a sudden clattering next to her, and she looked to see a bucket had been thrown at her feet.

“Milk the spider demon!” The Bat Queen ordered. Luz hesitated before she picked up the bucket, looking between it and the spider demon warily. Her gaze ended up turning back to Owlbert, who watched her intently, and that alone made the human straighten up. Facing the spider demon again, she leapt forward, only for the demon to jump over her and run off into the cave. Luz didn’t hesitate, scrambling to her feet and running after it with the bucket still in hand.

“If you run, you’ll just make this harder for yourself!” She called. Willow, Gus, and Evelyn watched the human nervously, but none of them could make a move to help. Thankfully, Luz managed to complete the trial after some struggle, and one of the three spires of flame quietly sputtered out. The human looked up at the Bat Queen with a determined gleam in her eyes, ready to take on the next trial.

“Remove bee’s nest!” The Bat Queen shouted, pointing at the cave wall. Luz noticed a dead tree hidden away in the corner, and a large bulb in the shape of a nest hanging about fifteen feet up. Not wasting time, she made her way to the base and began climbing up to where the nest sat. Willow was watching her nervously, but she soon heard murmuring and realized Evelyn was talking under her breath.

“No…Luz, that’s not the nest.” She whispered anxiously. Willow looked back just as Luz made a swing at the nest, only for it to detach and reveal itself to be a giant hornet. It let out a screech that startled Luz out of the tree, but she was quick to get back up and began climbing again. Both Willow and Evelyn watched her anxiously, but the two were soon distracted by the sound of struggling next to them. Gus was pulling away at his bindings with his flags, and he was actually managing to cut through a few of them.

“Hey hey hey!” Evelyn spoke in a hushed whisper, moving over and grabbing the flags. “Stop that!”

“Hey!” Gus exclaimed in protest. “Give those back!”

“Listen to me.” Evelyn kept her voice low, glancing at the Bat Queen warily. “I know you guys want to help Luz, but if you try to interfere, it’ll only make the Bat Queen angrier and the trials will get worse.” Both Gus and Willow froze at her words, their gazes turning to each other before looking back at Luz. The human was still fighting off the giant hornets, and seeing how hard she was struggling, both witchlings chose to settle and not interfere. The three of them watched as Luz managed to clear the hornets out, miraculously not getting stung in the process, and returning her attention to the Bat Queen. The demon still looked unimpressed, though there was a gleam of frustration in her eyes as the second flame sputtered out.

“Give babies a bath!” She ordered. Evelyn’s eyes went wide as the bat triplets let out screeches of protest, causing Luz to cover her ears and making Gus and Willow grimace.

“Whoa, hold on-” Evelyn blurted, “-the babies only listen to you, there’s no way this trial is fair.” The Bat Queen’s cold, hard gaze quickly turned to the centaur, and it caused a shiver to run up her spine.

“I say what trials are.” The Bat Queen stated firmly. Evelyn’s ears pinned back on instinct, but she grit her teeth and took one step forward.

“Then I’ll catch them!” She retorted, her voice wavering. “Y-Your trial said bathe the babies, not catch them. So the least you can do is let me-”

“No!”

Much to everyone’s surprise, Luz was the one to interrupt this time. She was staring at Evelyn, her eyes shining with guilt and frustration, and it made the centaur back up.

“I was selfish, and I hurt Owlbert.” Luz continued. “I need to do this alone so he knows I care about him.” Willow, Gus, and Evelyn all stared at her silently, none of them having anything to say to counteract Luz’s words. With that, the human turned back to face the Bat Queen and saw the babies were lined up at her feet. About ten feet to her left sat a wooden tub with soapy water, along with a small scrub brush. Luz decided to waste no time grabbing the babies to bathe them, though she was met with shrieks and bites of protest in response. It took her half an hour to clean them all, but sure enough, she pulled through and managed to finish the task. The last spire of flame flickered out, and with that, Luz stood tall in front of the Bat Queen.

“Okay, Bat Queen, that’s the last one.” She said. “I’ve done all your chores, and I’ve proved my dedication to Owlbert.” The Bat Queen narrowed her eyes at the human, but Luz simply turned her attention to the owl palisman instead.

“I’m so sorry for the pain I caused you, Owlbert.” She said softly. “I promise to be more careful. Will you come back home with me?” Owlbert stared back at her for a moment before letting out a small hoot, fluttering down from the rocks and landing in front of Luz. The human smiled as she went to pick him up, only for the ground to glow yellow and ensnare the palisman in webbing.

“No!” The Bat Queen cried. “More trial! Last trial! You must face me!” She spread her wings wide as a pillar of fire erupted from behind her, startling everyone else in the cave.

“What?!” Luz exclaimed, eyes widening in alarm. Evelyn felt a sense of dread wash over her as the Bat Queen lunged, scaring Luz and making her run.

“You will never get him back!” The demon shouted. At that point, Evelyn knew exactly what was happening and brought one hand up, drawing a spell circle and freeing Gus and Willow from the webs.

“What?” Willow managed, looking up at the centaur in confusion. “Why are you-”

“No time.” Evelyn interrupted, not even looking at them. “You two get out, I’ll go after Luz and m- the Bat Queen.” She gave them no time to respond as she suddenly ran past them, stopping beside Owlbert and kneeling down. She made quick work of the webs holding the small palisman, and with a grateful hoot, he flew up and landed on her shoulder. As soon as he settled, Evelyn quickly turned and raced out of the cave, rushing past Gus and Willow to chase after the Bat Queen.

Meanwhile, Luz ran haphazardly through the woods, frantically avoiding the swiping talons of the bat demon chasing her. Piercing shrieks echoed through the forest, but the human knew better than to stop and continued running as fast as she could go. She still clutched Owlbert’s staff in her hands, occasionally swinging it at the raging demon to defend herself.

“I won’t let you imprison Owlbert!” She shouted, ducking one of the Bat Queen’s claws. She glanced back as the Bat Queen flew upwards, only to feel something snag her foot and trip her up. She cried out as she hit the dirt, rolling onto her back to see her legs were now tangled in thick vines on the forest floor. A screech drew her attention back to the sky, and her eyes widened in horror as the Bat Queen dove straight for her. Not knowing what else to do, she held Owlbert’s staff out in front of her and shut her eyes, bracing herself for the inevitable impact.

“Leave her alone!”

Luz’s eyes shot open at the voice, and the Bat Queen screeched to a halt in midair. Evelyn had rushed in and put herself between the demon and the human, and Luz quickly noticed Owlbert perched on the centaur’s shoulder.

“Evelyn!” The Bat Queen shouted in anger. “Step aside, now!”

“No!” Evelyn snapped. “I’m not gonna stand by and let you do this again!” Luz slowly sat up in shock, eyes glancing between the centaur and the angered demon warily. Thankfully, the intervention worked to her advantage, and she carefully started to work her legs out from the vines.

“This human hurt a palisman!” The Bat Queen roared. “She was thoughtless, and does not deserve him! He stays with us!”

“Luz completed the trials fairly!” Evelyn argued, stomping a hoof. “You can’t just go back on your word like that! It’s not-”

“She has not earned him!” The Bat Queen interrupted. “She never will! Trial is incomplete, she failed! Now stand aside!”

“NO!” Evelyn screamed, finally reaching her limit. “You always do this, every time a witch comes back for their palisman! You cheat them and hurt them all because you can’t let go of the past! For Titan’s sake, mom, not every palisman is like you!”

A deafening silence fell over the forest at the centaur’s words. Evelyn’s eyes widened in horror as she realized just what she had said, and Luz stared in shock at the Bat Queen. The human’s eyes quickly fell on the demon’s right foot, noticing an interlock similar to the one she’d seen on Owlbert’s foot earlier that day.

“Bat Queen…you were a palisman?” She spoke up, drawing both Bat Queen and Evelyn’s attentions. The furious expression the Bat Queen once held had fallen, changing to a look of guilt and pain as she landed and folded her wings in.

“Yes.” She admitted, hanging her head. “I was once part of a grand staff. A staff made for a giant! But I was broken, discarded.” Luz felt her heart sink, and Evelyn had her ears tilted back in sympathy.

“That’s why you’re so protective of Owlbert.” Luz muttered. The Bat Queen quickly snapped up, turning to face the human with her eyes glowing.

“I protect ALL!” She bellowed. At once, the trees around them lit up with small yellow dots, revealing other palismen that had been watching from the shadows. Many of them had cracks or chips, but some were missing more than that, and the sight of it made Luz’s heart ache.

“I made home in forest.” The Bat Queen spoke, her voice quieter as her eyes returned to normal. “I’m here to take the lost… the forgotten.”

“I understand now.” Luz spoke softly. “But Owlbert is not forgotten. He has someone at home who loves him very much.” The Bat Queen looked over the human for a moment before her gaze turned to Evelyn. The centaur’s breath caught in her throat, but she managed to relax and turned to Owlbert, who was still perched on her shoulder. With a careful hand, she picked him up, holding him in front of her in an open palm. All eyes were focused on the small owl, but Owlbert’s attention fell solely onto Luz. With a small hoot, he flew out of Evelyn’s hands and over to the human, landing on her shoulder and nuzzling her cheek. The Bat Queen looked at them with a gleam of longing in her eyes, but quickly turned away so it wasn’t noticed.

“Very well.” She spoke, drawing Luz’s attention. “Go, and take your friends.” Luz turned her gaze to the Bat Queen as she extended her wing, seeing Gus and Willow quickly running towards her. Both of them had scared looks on their faces, but other than that, they appeared unhurt. Luz felt a wave of relief wash over her, though she wound up distracted when Owlbert suddenly flew off of her shoulder and over to the path behind her. She turned around just in time to see him land on his staff, picking it up in his talons and carefully flying it back to her. With a small smile, she took hold of it, and Owlbert returned to his perch atop her shoulder. Luz stared at the palisman fondly for a moment, but her smile faltered somewhat and she turned her gaze to the Bat Queen.

“Bat Queen?” She spoke, catching her attention. “Do you remember what happened to your owner?” The Bat Queen hesitated, dropping her gaze mournfully.

“It has been thousands of years.” She replied. “I have forgotten.” Luz felt a pang of sympathy at her words, her grip on the staff tightening just slightly.

“If you ever want to search for the truth,” she told her, “I’ll help you.” The Bat Queen looked the human over with a careful gaze, but a small smile tugged at her lips.

“Thank you.” She said softly. Her gaze ended up turning to Evelyn, who briefly met it before looking down at Luz instead.

“I can escort you three back to the Owl Lady’s house.” She told them, stepping forward. “Come along, it’s this way.” Without looking back at the Bat Queen, the centaur began to walk down the path, prompting Willow and Gus to follow along. Luz wound up hesitating, glancing back to see the Bat Queen giving her a small nod before taking off and flying into a massive tree in the distance. With that, Luz turned and jogged to catch up, soon reaching Evelyn’s side and slowing to a walk.

“Hey.” She spoke, drawing the centaur’s attention. “Thanks for saving me back there.” Evelyn’s ear twitched slightly, her gaze going from the human to the trail ahead.

“No problem.” She replied.

“So, you’re really a centaur?” Gus piped up, looking up at Evelyn in excitement. Evelyn’s face changed to a look of confusion, and she turned her gaze to the smaller witchling.

“Uh, yeah?” She said, her tone carrying confusion as well. Gus was still staring at her, his eyes shining as he waved his flags around.

“How did you become one?” He asked. “Were you blessed? Cursed? Did you make a deal with dark forces?” The sudden statements caused the centaur to stop walking, bringing Luz and Willow to a halt as well.

“Uh…no.” Evelyn replied. “I was born like this, actually. Mom- the Bat Queen, found me in the woods as a baby and took me in. There wasn’t a note or anything with me, so I have no idea who my birth parents are.”

“So, you’re a natural born centaur?” Luz blurted. “But, Eda said that centaurs weren’t real.” Evelyn turned around to look at the human, her face an unreadable mix of emotions.

“Well, I feel pretty real.” She said at last. “So maybe the Owl Lady doesn’t know everything. Now come on, the house is just through here.” Without waiting for a response, Evelyn started down the path again, which prompted Luz, Gus, and Willow to follow along. Soon enough, the trio were back in front of the Owl House, but Luz couldn’t shake Evelyn’s words from her mind.

“Evelyn?” She called. The centaur stopped walking, standing at the edge of the underbrush and turning to face the human.

“Have you found any other centaurs?” Luz asked. Evelyn’s ears turned down, her gaze dropping to the side.

“No.” She replied. “I’ve looked around a bit, but caring for the palismen with mom has been a full-time job.”

“Well, if you ever get time away, I’d be happy to help you look.” Luz offered. Evelyn blinked in surprise, but a small smile soon formed on her face.

“Thanks, Luz.” She said softly. “Until next time.” With that, the centaur turned and disappeared into the undergrowth, leaving the trio alone on Eda’s doorstep.

——————

“Babies! To bed!”

Evelyn returned to the cave just as the Bat Queen gathered the triplets, settling them in their nesting branch. The sight of her mother caused a wave of guilt to wash over the centaur, and she quietly moved through the shadows of the cave to avoid being seen.

“And now, it’s time to have book before sleeping.” The Bat Queen said, hanging upside-down on the branch in front of her children. There was a pause before she coughed up a small picture book, opening it up and tearing pages out with her wing claws. With careful movements, she fed a page to each child, watching happily as they ate it up.

“Yes, consume, grow wise.” She said encouragingly. “Avoid paper cuts.” Evelyn felt a twinge as she watched the triplets drift off to sleep, but she kept silent as she went to settle in the small corner she had chosen.

“Evelyn.”

The centaur felt her whole body tense, and she looked up to see the Bat Queen staring directly at her. She quickly got to her feet, her legs shaking as she did so, but she managed to turn herself to face the bat demon. The Bat Queen narrowed her eyes slightly, and spreading her wings, she detached from her branch and flew herself down to the cave floor.

“Come out from the shadows.” She told her. Evelyn swallowed a nervous lump in her throat, but did as asked, carefully stepping out into the main light of the cave. She couldn’t bring herself to look her mother in the eyes, her arms folded over her chest in a protective manner.

“You were hiding.” The Bat Queen spoke. “Why?” Evelyn’s breath caught, and she had to take a second to be able to speak.

“I…figured you’d be mad at me.” She replied. “So I kept away.”

“You believe me to be angry with you for defending the human.” The Bat Queen guessed. Evelyn nodded, her ears pinned back in fear and her gaze still focused on the cave floor. Much to her surprise, however, the Bat Queen’s tone softened.

“I am not.” She said. “You spoke the truth; I let my past anger me. Owlbert had chosen the human, but I could not accept. You did, and you made right.” Evelyn looked up at the Bat Queen in shock, her wide eyes meeting her mother’s soft gaze.

“You have learned well, little one.” The Bat Queen continued. “You have come to respect and care for the palismen, as I have. I feel it is time now for you to have one.” Evelyn gasped, her eyes gaining a gleam of excitement as she straightened up.

“You mean…I can have my own palisman?” She asked, wanting to be sure. The Bat Queen nodded, and after a slight pause, she hacked and coughed up a small log of palistrom wood. Evelyn stared at the log in awe, carefully taking it and holding it like a baby.

“I kept safe until you were ready.” The Bat Queen explained. “I have seen you practice; I know you will make a beautiful palisman.” Evelyn felt her eyes start to sting, but a grateful smile was clear on her face.

“Thanks, mom.” She managed, meeting the Bat Queen’s eyes. “I’ll care for them with everything I have.” The Bat Queen smiled back at her, opening her wings and prompting the centaur to move in for a hug.

“I know you will, little one.” She replied, waiting a moment before releasing her. “Now, come rest. We carve tomorrow.” Evelyn wiped her eyes and nodded, still cradling the palistrom wood as she followed her mother into the centre of the cave. There, she found her proper bed with quilts and pillows, and soon enough, she had settled herself comfortably among them. The Bat Queen looked at her fondly before flying back up to the triplets, landing on the branch upside-down above Evelyn’s head. She adjusted her position slightly before wrapping her wings around the babies, sheltering them for the night. Her eyes glanced back at the centaur below her, noticing how she had carefully bundled up the palistrom wood and was lying protectively around it.

“Goodnight, Evelyn.” She quietly called. Evelyn glanced up, giving her a warm smile before closing her eyes again.

“Goodnight.”

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