Between Worlds (The Owl House AU)

It was another boring afternoon at The Owl House. Eda was busy stirring a pot, cooking what seemed to be lunch. King was munching on a sandwich, and Finn was slumped over the table, asleep. His recent switch from the Bard track to multi-tracking, as insisted upon by Principal Bump, was catching up to him both physically and mentally. He was so exhausted that not even his magic lessons with the Lich could rouse him in his mindscape.

"Wake up, boy!" the Lich growled.

Finn cracked one eye open before shutting it again. "Let's do this some other time," he murmured with a yawn. "Too many classes, not enough sleep."

Angered by Finn's blasé attitude toward his lessons, the Lich suddenly had an idea to give him a wake-up call. Casting a spell, he summoned illusions of Bonnie, Marceline, Phoebe, and Huntress. "Enjoy the guests I have summoned for you," the Lich said, disappearing into the void with a chuckle.

Finn opened his eyes to see what the Lich meant. Spotting his exes standing before him, he shot up wide awake. "You stupid bag of bones, THAT'S PLAYING DIRTY!!"

All his exes looked around in confusion until Bonnie spoke up first. "Finn? What is this place, and what are we doing here?"

"Nope, nope, not doing this. YOU HEAR ME, LICH? I'M NOT DOING THIS!" Finn screamed into the void.

"Dude, what the heck are you screaming for?" Marceline asked, covering her ears.

Phoebe raised an eyebrow. "Finn, did you kidnap all of us or something?"

"Unlikely. No one can sneak up on me," Huntress said, floating an arrow from her quiver. "But just in case…"

Finn had had enough. "Okay, I get it. I just need to croak these fakes, and I'll wake up, right?"

"Wait, what?" Bonnie asked, confused.

"No time, Bon-Bon!" Finn leaped into the air, ready to strike the fake Bonnie down. "Get wrecked!"

"AHHH!" Bonnie raised her arms in a futile attempt to defend herself.

Seeing this, Finn regretted his actions and dropped mid-jump, landing in a forward roll just in front of Bonnie. "Ah, man, even if I know all of you are fakes, I still can't just beat you up for no reason."

The void suddenly flashed red, accompanied by the blaring sound of an alarm.

"Oh great, what is it now?" Finn groaned.

=======

Opening his eyes, Finn saw Luz talking to Gus and Willow on the crystal ball, with an alarm flashing 08:00 in the background.

"School time! See you guys in class," Luz said, waving to the crystal ball.

"Bye," Willow waved back.

"But what about the thumb?" Gus fretted.

"Thumb?" Finn asked, confused.

Luz turned to see him awake. "Oh, nothing. Just this magic trick I showed Gus and Willow earlier."

"Finn, you missed the Luz and King comedy hour!" King complained, speaking through a cardboard tube and wearing a slice of bread around his head for some reason.

"Trust me, kid, you didn't miss much. They just did more lame bread jokes and puns," Eda grumbled.

"Well, good news, Finn! You can watch our comedy hour after school when we get home."

"Hooray!" King cheered. Luz kissed King on the forehead.

"Oh, you," King said, flustered.

Luz got up to leave for school, opening the kitchen door. "Try not to miss me while I'm gone," she said in a sing-song tone, closing the door behind her.

King jumped off his chair, landing in front of the door with his tail wagging. "You think she's coming back this time?"

Eda rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. "Yes, she'll be back. She always comes back. It's cute that you miss her, though." She turned back to stir her pot.

"The King of Demons!" King declared, tossing the slice of bread from his face. "The King of Demons misses nobody! I wouldn't care if she came through this door right now."

Eda smirked but noticed Finn hadn't moved. "Hey, kid, shouldn't you be leaving for school too?"

Finn stretched. "I'll just let Luz tell you why I'm not moving."

Eda and King looked puzzled until the door opened again, and Luz stepped inside.

"Hey, you're—"

"You're back!" King exclaimed, climbing onto Luz's head. "I didn't miss you at all."

Luz walked in and explained her sudden return. "Apparently, there's an infestation of pixies at Hexside, so school's been canceled."

Finn chuckled with a smirk. "Yeah, how unfortunate. I bet Principal Bump was surprised when the pixies swarmed him after he opened his office."

Everyone stared at Finn.

"Kid, did you have anything to do with that?" Eda asked, smirking.

Finn feigned shock. "Me? Why would I ever get revenge on Principal Bump for forcing me to multi-track? I mean, it's not like I plan revenge on everyone who wrongs me." He tilted his head. "Right, King?"

"That sounds like a crummy situation," King said nervously, punning. The pun was funny enough to make both Luz and King laugh.

Hooty then entered the kitchen. "Guess what's been in my mouth that I'm about to throw up?" He hacked and coughed, grossing everyone out, before finally throwing up a pile of envelopes and a single package. "The mail."

Eda reluctantly sifted through it. "Junk, junk, junk, death hex." She tossed one envelope into a trash can, which vanished in a purple glow. "Oh, a carnival is in town today." She held up a flyer reading, Bonesborough Carnival – 1 Day Only.

Luz's eyes lit up. "A carnival!" She picked up King and held him in front of her. "You know, I've been so busy with school lately. What do you say we take this comedy hour on tour? It'll be a Luz and King day!"

"That's my kind of day! Much better than Finn and King days," King said, glaring at Finn.

"Hey, we made a lot of money on those days," Finn argued.

"You sold me, then stole me back eight times!" King retorted.

"And we got ice cream afterward. You got every topping they had, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did," King admitted sullenly. Despite his complaints, he secretly enjoyed bonding with Finn and the ice cream.

"Oh, I know! Let's all go together!" Luz suggested, pulling everyone into a group hug.

"An adventure with friends? I'll go pack my stuff!" Hooty exclaimed, leaving to prepare.

Eda thought for a moment. "Carnivals bring crowds, and crowds bring suckers. This could be the perfect chance to try out my new get-rich-quick scheme." She pulled the spoon from her pot, revealing Owlbert covered in yellow goop. She shook him clean. "I'm in! To the carnival!"

"To the carnival!" Luz and King cheered in unison.

As everyone rushed out the door, Finn picked up the flyer Eda had dropped. As he read it, his scroll began to ring. He answered the call. "Hello, you've reached Fine Interesting New Napkins. How may I direct your call?"

A familiar voice laughed on the other end.

"Yeah, it's been a while, hasn't it? Well, I'm going to a carnival with some people. Really? What a coincidence. What kind of favor?" Finn smirked. "So you just need me to fill in, right? No problem—I'll come up with something by the time I get there." The caller seemed thrilled.

"Just promise to owe me one later, and we'll call it even. Deal?" Finn smiled at their response. "Okay, see you there."

He hung up and called after the others. "Hey, guys! Wait up for me!" He ran out to join them.

=======

As the four of them stood at the carnival entrance, Eda grinned. "Well, here we are, kids. Look at all that fresh meat." They watched people wandering around, one of them eating what appeared to be an entire deep-fried chicken.

"And smell all the fresh meat," Luz added, inhaling deeply—only for a fly to go up her nose. She coughed and gagged until she spat it out. "Fun," she said with a laugh, undeterred.

Owlbert stirred and tried to fly off, but Eda grabbed him. "No games for you, Owlbert. We've got scams to run." Owlbert hooted in disappointment.

"Can everyone just keep quiet? I'm trying to lay low here," Finn muttered, pulling his jacket collar up.

Luz raised an eyebrow. "Finn, what's with the mysterious act?"

"It's nothing… I'm just meeting someone. NO QUESTIONS!" Finn said, walking away slowly. "I'm just gonna… vanish for a while, so no one look for me." He pulled his jacket over his head and disappeared into the crowd.

"Should we be worried about that?" Luz asked, concerned.

Eda waved dismissively. "Eh, I wouldn't worry about Finn too much. He's a tough kid; whatever it is, he can handle it himself. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to."

Eda approached a random stall. "Beat it, loser!" she barked, throwing everything off the table and taking over. She cast a spell, transforming the stall. "Step right up to Eda's Human Horror House!" Surrounding the stall were pictures of Luz and some of her clothes. "Humans shed their skin, and I've got proof!" She stretched out a stocking in front of a passerby.

"You should really put a lock on your closet," King whispered to Luz.

Luz shrugged. "You know what? Eda can dig through my socks all she wants because today is all about having a great time with my partner in crime." She wrapped an arm around King.

"That's me! I love crime!" King declared as the two walked further into the carnival, giggling.

=======

Walking beside King, Luz marveled at the carnival's games and rides. "Now this is my kind of weird. So, what do you want to do first?" She spun around, taking it all in. "We could brave the Molar Coaster or eat a mysterious blob." She pointed to a poster that read Eat the Fired Orb!

King, however, spotted Finn lurking in the shadows, looking around nervously. "I know what I want to do now."

"Today is all about you and me, buddy. What do you want to do?" Luz asked.

"I want to stalk Finn and find out why he's being extra weird today," King said, pointing to Finn, who was failing miserably at blending into the crowd. "It's sure to be something dumb or embarrassing for him!"

Luz winced. "Uh, while that's an… interesting plan, maybe we should respect Finn's privacy. After all, I haven't seen him act like this since—" She paused, spotting a poster for an upcoming show. A sly smile spread across her face. "Oh, I know what's going on now. Okay, King, let's do it!"

"Yay! Nothing's better than stalking a friend and invading their privacy," King cheered.

Luz winced again. "Yeah, maybe we should call it 'shadowing him for his well-being.'"

King shrugged.

"Hey, Luz!" Gus and Willow called out in unison.

"Friends!" Luz exclaimed, hugging them both. "Oh my gosh, I didn't think I'd see carni-y'all here."

"Boo," Gus said, giving her a thumbs down.

"What are you guys doing here?" Luz asked.

"There's a performance happening today, and you'll never guess who's playing," Willow said excitedly.

Luz glanced at someone in the distance before answering. "Let me guess—Finn's ex, Marceline, who is currently hugging him over there." She pointed to Finn and Marceline embracing nearby.

Willow and Gus turned to look, just in time to see the pair exchange a few words before Marceline led Finn into a tent.

"Oh. My. Titan. That's the Bard Demon herself!" Gus nearly fainted, overwhelmed at seeing his favorite musician.

Willow blinked in surprise. "I wonder why they're together? I'm pretty sure they're still broken up."

"He was acting shifty earlier. Let's just go and find out," Luz said, leading the group toward the tent. They didn't go inside but instead eavesdropped on Finn and Marceline's conversation.

=======

"First off, that blonde streak looks good on you. Maybe I should start experimenting with my look too." Marceline ran her fingers through her hair, mock-styling it.

Finn raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? You change your look every day. Honestly, it was fun trying to guess what you'd be wearing next."

"Oh, so you had fun imagining what I'd wear every day?" Marceline teased, leaning in with a smirk. "That would explain the bathroom incident."

Finn held his hands up defensively. "Whoa, whoa, whoa—hold it. That was an accident, and you know it."

Marceline grinned wider. "Can you really call it an accident when you stood there staring at me for, like, an hour?"

Finn blushed, memories flashing through his mind. "It wasn't an hour—it was like ten seconds, tops."

"So you timed it! Ha!" Marceline poked his chest playfully. "Just so you know, that means we have to get married now."

"AHHH! Enough already!" Finn's face turned crimson. "Let's just get back to what I came here for."

Marceline giggled, clearly enjoying herself. Even though they had broken up, she appreciated how easy it was to mess with him. "Okay, okay—flirting time is over. Serious time now. Dude, you have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you."

"No problem, Marcy. But are you sure you want to go through with this?"

Marceline nodded firmly. "Yeah, man. I'm definitely sure. This has been a long time coming."

"I'm all for anarchy, but going up against your dad? I've got a few… reservations." Finn chuckled nervously.

"Listen, Finn, I know my dad can be a little intimidating."

"A little?"

"Okay, fine—a lot. But he won't listen to me," Marceline grumbled, glancing at the lyrics Finn had written. "I've told him a million times I don't want to take over the family business. I want to be a musician in the Bard Coven, not some data-processing drone in the Oracle Coven." She shuddered at the thought of a desk job.

"I hope what I wrote will work, then. I didn't know much about him, so I mostly used what you told me."

"Oh, right—I should've mentioned. He's a financial consultant for big businesses or something. Basically, he helps rich jerks get richer. Your lyrics will be perfect."

"Good to know."

"Achoo!"

"Luz!"

"Shh!"

Marceline perked up. "Did you hear something?"

Finn sighed. "Marceline, I'd like to introduce you to some acquaintances." He opened a portal and shoved his arm through, pushing out whatever was on the other side.

"Whoa!" Luz, King, Willow, and Gus tumbled into the tent.

Finn stared down at them, unamused. "Can I help you with something?"

Luz laughed nervously. "It was King's idea!"

"Weh?" King tried to look innocent.

Ignoring the accusation, Gus shot to his feet, beaming. "I don't care if Finn kills me later—I am not missing this opportunity." He ran to Marceline. "Hi! I'm Gus. Big fan. PLEASE SIGN MY FACE!"

Marceline blinked, backing up slightly. "Uh, Finn? Who are your… friends?"

Finn pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly exasperated. "I'll let them introduce themselves."

Luz stood up first, grabbing Marceline's hand and shaking it enthusiastically. "Hi, I'm Luz! Witch in training and Finn's fellow apprentice."

Willow stepped up, giving a shy wave. "I'm Willow. I'm, um… Finn's former friend." Her gaze dropped to the floor.

Marceline looked from one to the other, confused. "Right. Nice to meet you… I guess?" She glanced at Finn, silently pleading for clarity.

Finn sighed, opening three small portals to drop Luz, Willow, and Gus directly in front of him. "Alright, what are you all doing here?"

Luz brushed herself off. "Well, King and I were just wandering the carnival, looking for something to do—"

"And following me and eavesdropping is what you decided on?" Finn cut her off, glaring.

"Not at first!" Luz raised her hands in defense. "But when we saw you hugging your ex, we, uh, sort of…"

"This is taking too long," King interrupted, rubbing his hands together. "The point is, now that your ex is playing a show, we can be the opening act! The Luz and King Comedy Hour finally has a venue to debut!"

Finn rolled his eyes. "King, there's no way Marceline would ever—"

"Sure, no problem, little dude," Marceline interrupted with a shrug.

Finn stared at her, dumbfounded. "Marcy, are you serious?"

"Yeah, it's just an opening act. What harm could it do?"

Finn facepalmed. "I've seen their act. It can do a lot of harm. Trust me."

"Enough talk!" King declared, puffing out his chest. "Let the King of Demons and Luz have their time in the spotlight!"

"The stage is outdoors, genius," Finn muttered, rubbing his temples. "And it's daytime."

=======

The stage was set, and the audience buzzed with anticipation. Behind the curtain, Marceline and Finn were tuning their instruments.

While adjusting his guitar, Finn asked, "Hey, I've gotta know—how did you even get your dad to come here? He doesn't seem like the type to visit a carnival just to listen to music."

Marceline looked up from tuning her bass, smirking. "Oh, I kinda tricked him. Told him that investing in a carnival was a great business opportunity and that he should come down to see it for himself."

"And he believed that?" Finn raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, you might be a great lyricist, but I'm the best with words." Marceline winked, and they both shared a laugh.

The announcer's voice boomed over the speakers:

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the opening act for your entertainment—the Luz and King comedy duo!"

Luz and King stepped out onto the stage, beaming with confidence.

"Welcome, everyone! Thanks for loafing around to see us tonight," Luz quipped.

"Yeah, we know you had other plans, but we kneaded this time with you," King added enthusiastically.

Silence.

Undeterred, Luz pushed on. "Let's not baguette why we're here—bread puns!"

King grinned, oblivious to the lack of reaction. "Oh, we're about to rise to the occasion!"

Backstage, Finn groaned. "Can we cut their mics or something?"

Marceline laughed. "Be nice! Your friends are just finding their act. Give them time—they might surprise you. After all, we all have to start somewhere, right?"

Finn sighed, slumping against the wall. "I just hope it ends soon. My brain feels like it's being baked."

Marceline smirked. "You heard nothing. I didn't say that," Finn mumbled, causing her to burst into laughter.

After a painfully awkward few minutes, Luz wrapped up their set with a nervous chuckle.

"Well, that's our time! Thanks for letting us loaf around with you tonight."

Finn winced. "The same joke twice?"

King added, "And don't forget to tip your bakers—I mean, servers!" He seemed oblivious to the crowd's lack of enthusiasm.

"HAVE A CRUMBY NIGHT!" the duo shouted in unison before exiting the stage.

"That… could've gone better," Luz admitted, looking dejected.

"Are you kidding me? That was great!" King beamed. "Did you see how everyone was silently admiring us?"

Finn rolled his eyes but admitted to himself that King's confidence was admirable.

Marceline approached the pair with a warm smile. "Hey, guys—great show! Seriously, it takes guts to get up there. Be proud of that."

Turning to Finn, she added, "Alright, you ready?"

Finn nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be, Marcy."

As they walked onto the stage, Finn spotted someone in the crowd who caught him off guard.

"Skara?"

Skara waved enthusiastically. "Finn! Hey, it's me—Skara! You know, from school!"

Marceline nudged Finn with her elbow, grinning. "Whoa, dude, you didn't tell me your girlfriend was here."

"She's not—ugh, let's just start already!" Finn muttered, his cheeks slightly flushed as he waved awkwardly at Skara.

Marceline chuckled before turning her gaze to the audience. Her expression softened when her eyes landed on her father—a demon with light blue skin, sharp features, and neon-pink slit pupils. He wore a crisp business suit and sat near the front, his face stoic.

"Dad," Marceline whispered.

Finn glanced at her. "Now or never. Ready?"

Marceline took a deep breath, her resolve firm. "Ready."

=======

Finn began strumming his guitar, setting a steady rhythm. Marceline nodded along to the beat, then closed her eyes before singing:

Your boxes packed up on the bed

Your words are in my head

Telling me it will be okay

You'll remember what you said

She opened her eyes, her voice heavy with emotion.

Or was it just another lie?

This place that used to be your home

Would you call me on the phone?

Will I hear your voice in the middle of the night

When I turn off the lights?

Her gaze found her father. He shifted uncomfortably.

Or are you just another ghost?

(Oh-oh, oh-oh-oh)

Tears welled in her eyes as her voice grew stronger.

How could you lie to my face?

And did our time mean nothing to you?

Were you bluffing all along

That you would be there to see

Yourself forgiven by me?

Marceline's voice cracked slightly as tears began to stream down her face.

If you thought that I'd take it, you were wrong

Oh, you were wrong

And when you're gone, I will be okay

I will be okay, though I'll never be the same

And I'll know that I was right to doubt you

I'll grow without you, and you'll only know my name

Her father's stoic demeanor faltered, his expression softening. Marceline saw this and smiled faintly through her tears.

You always told me I'd be okay

Well, I'll be okay, though I'm not okay today

But my tears won't fall upon your shoulder

I'll just get older, and you'll only know my name

As she sang the final note, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause. Marceline's father stared at her, his face a mixture of pain and reflection. Marceline wiped her tears, her heart lighter as she realized her message had finally reached him.

She turned to Finn, who gave her an encouraging nod, and the two bowed together.

The audience roared with approval, and for the first time in a long while, Marceline felt hopeful.

=======

After the show, Marceline was swarmed by her fans, eagerly asking for autographs.

"Alright, Gus," she said, signing his forehead with a flourish. "You've officially got my autograph—on your face, no less!"

Gus stared at her in awe, his hands clutching his cheeks. "This is the best day of my life. I promise to never wash my face again!"

Nearby, Finn, Luz, Willow, and King were hanging back, munching on snacks and watching the lively crowd surrounding Marceline.

"Hey, shouldn't you be in there too, Mr. Rockstar?" Luz nudged Finn with her elbow, grinning.

Finn shook his head, taking a bite of his rotten candy. "Nah. This show was special to her—she's the star tonight."

"Hey, Finn," came a familiar voice.

Finn turned to see Skara approaching, a warm smile on her face. "Skara, hey!"

"That was an amazing show," she said, her eyes sparkling. "Do you think maybe we could play together sometime?"

Luz and Willow immediately started smirking, exchanging knowing looks.

"Yeah, Finn," Luz teased, leaning in with a sly grin. "You should definitely 'play' with Skara sometime."

Willow giggled behind her hand, joining in.

Finn flushed, glaring at the two troublemakers before turning back to Skara. "Uh, yeah, that sounds great! Let's do that soon."

"Awww," Luz and Willow cooed in unison, unable to resist teasing him further.

Meanwhile, King crossed his arms and huffed dramatically. "Forget about them! What about me? Our comedy act was amazing, and yet no one wants our autograph! What gives?"

Finn rolled his eyes. "Will you stop whining if I give you the rest of my rotten candy?"

King looked up at him with a sad, hopeful expression. "It might help… if you also give me your 'not-a-dog.'"

Finn groaned, clearly exasperated, but handed over the candy. "Fine."

King snatched it eagerly, his frustration vanishing in an instant. "Deal!"

As King happily munched on the candy, the group watched Marceline laugh and chat with her fans, her smile brighter than ever. Finn leaned back, content, as the night carried on in cheerful chaos.

=======

As Marceline continued signing autographs, a familiar voice called out from the edge of the crowd.

"Marceline."

She turned, surprised but smiling softly. "Hey, Dad."

Hunson stood there, his expression difficult to read, as though he was wrestling with something inside. Finally, he spoke.

"I… understand now."

"You do?" Marceline's heart swelled. She had finally done it—she'd gotten through to him.

Hunson nodded. "Yes. Listen, Marceline, I pushed you toward the Oracle coven and the family business because I wanted you to be safe and secure. The world is cold and cruel, and I just wanted what was best for you. Ever since your mom passed, it's been my goal to protect you."

Marceline placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Dad, I didn't like any of that business stuff. I love music. I love being me. Mom… she knew that. She supported it."

Hunson's face softened. He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "Okay… I'll support you too. No more talk about taking over the family business or joining the Oracle coven. You live your life your way, sweetie."

Marceline returned the hug, her heart full. "Thanks, Dad."

But the tender moment didn't last long.

Hunson suddenly added, "And now that I know you and Finn are back together, I'm sure you'll go far with his help."

Marceline's eyes flew open. "Wait, what?! Dad, I think you've got the wrong idea about us."

"Oh, you're right." Marceline exhaled in relief—until he continued. "You two should probably get engaged already. He's strong, and he seems to have a good head on his shoulders. Now, where is he?" Hunson glanced around, scanning the crowd for Finn.

Marceline's panic kicked in. She whipped out her scroll and texted Finn.

"FINN! Get out of here right now! My dad's going crazy about something. I'll explain later—JUST LEAVE!"

=======

Finn read the text, his eyes widening. "Okay, no time for questions—we need to leave. Now."

Luz blinked. "Huh? Why?"

"No time to explain." Without warning, Finn grabbed Luz and King. "Skara, text me when you want to jam, okay?"

Skara smiled, albeit confused. "Sure, no problem."

As Finn bolted with Luz and King in tow, Luz waved dramatically over her shoulder. "Gus, Willow, I had a great day! Love you guys!"

Eda suddenly joined the fleeing trio, a large sack slung over her shoulder. "Hey, kid. Why are we running?"

Finn glanced at her. "Avoiding death-by-ex's-dad. You?"

Eda smirked, adjusting her sack. She was wearing a puffy purple dress. "Oh, you know. Got nabbed by the fun police, had to work off my debt, then scammed an old rival out of their snails."

Finn deadpanned, "So just another day at the carnival?"

"Yup." Eda's smug grin widened. "Another great year."

As they returned home to the Owl House, the group slipped through the back door into the kitchen, only to stop short.

Hooty the enchanted house demon was having an animated conversation with a fly buzzing around in front of him.

"Boy, fly, we sure get into some wacky hijinks, don't we? Sure feel sorry for anyone who misses out on us two rabble-rousers, getting into scrapes."

The group silently exchanged looks and started backing away.

"Good thing I brought a camera," Hooty continued, oblivious. "Yup, Hooty and Fly, together forever—just you and me, every single day—"

Before he could finish, the fly zipped into his open mouth. Hooty swallowed reflexively.

There was a moment of silence before Hooty spoke, his voice oddly contemplative. "Now I know what friendship tastes like. Yum. Tastes like a bug."

The group quietly closed the door and decided to leave Hooty to his… reflective moment.