Chapter 120: Meanwhile, in the Emperor's Coven
Art by Crash X Fusion: Well, back to the 9 to 5.
Turning back the clock, Hunter's week since his trip from the Underworld gets shown.
Tropes that appear in this Chapter:
- Adaptational Explanation: Implied. Hunter's birthday present to Willow was a batch of custom jerseys for their flyer derby team, giving the idea that Hunter created the very Emerald Entrail jersey Willow sported in the epilogue to "Watching and Dreaming".
- Ambiguous Situation: With how Adrian went to Marilyn's grave wearing a hooded cloak to hide his identity, it makes one believe he visited her back when Lilith and Hunter did.
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: With Adrian drinking his brains out, Hunter and Captain Leonte take command of the Boiling Isles Guardians from him and their dual leadership and training turns the team into a more effective squad of scouts.
- Bad "Bad Acting": When Belos decides to tell Hunter that he's Philip Clawthorne (a fact the grimwalker has known for weeks), Hunter doesn't initially react, then gives a very over-the-top moment of exaggerated surprise. Belos sees that as proof he already knows.
- Bad Boss: Belos makes it clear he doesn't care that Emily was sent to the Underworld, saying he's glad to lose her if it meant Hunter would resume his duties. Hunter isn't pleased with how well he took it.
- Big "WHAT?!": Hunter responds with one of these when Belos reveals to him that Cross and Lilith are related through Clair.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: During Terra and Adrian's conversation, the former pretends to be sympathetic for his grief, and at one point cackles in her mind.
- Call-Back:
- As part of his cover story, Hunter brings up leaving the castle to find Titan blood, being left in critical condition after getting mauled, and staying at Eda's childhood home with her family. He also brings up Amity's own cover story about getting kidnapped by the Tarot Guild.
- Belos tells Hunter about his being adopted into the Clawthornes and how he had been confused when "Lucy" attacked him for no reason in the Deadwardian Era, showing that he knows full well Luz and Lilith used the time pools to meet him in the past.
- Because he was Mistaken for Racist, Skrap got mauled by the family of shark demons. This warrants his removal from BIG, his retirement, and is the reason why Barbara becomes known as the Blue Walrus Scout, to placate the shark demon community after the incident.
- Call-Forward: Hearing Leonte say the former Glandees are going to be placed in covens, Hunter figures out that it won't be long before kids younger than them, including his friends and allies, might suffer the same fate.
- Cliffhanger: The chapter ends with Hunter discovering the dead body of Howard Hatesew.
- Continuity Cameo: Clé, Grip, Severine, Hugh, Bowen, and Carter are all considered for replacing Skrap on BIG, but fail to make the cut.
- Continuity Nod:
- Before Hunter talks with Belos Monday morning after he comes back to the castle, the emperor gives his statement concerning Amity.
- Hunter brings up getting over Captain Coven while interacting with Scarmeron and Barbara, and plans to introduce them to the superhero comics Luz has been donating to Bonesborough's shop.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Grimwalker Deterioration is this, and panicking makes it worse. Artemis grew scars all over her face from which blood leaked out, using magic caused cracks to grow on her hands and spread across her body which rotted, her mouth gushed blood and finally she swelled up, bursting apart at the seems.
- Crush Blush: Adrian/Walter and Artemis share one while hiding from Malphas in the Forbidden Stacks.
- A Day in the Limelight: This chapter deals with Hunter looking into the Horned King, Perry's disappearance, and his time with BIG.
- For the B-plot, Adrian Graye is shown spiraling due to his guilt over Emily being sent to the Underworld while part of his past as a Shadowy Secret Exposer is revealed.
- Declaration of Protection: Hunter doesn't say it out loud since he's in front of Belos, but he is determined to keep being the Golden Guard so Cross isn't forced to come back to the Emperor's Coven. Later during his session with Abel, he declares a Half-Truth that his priorities for protecting his family haven't changed, but who he considers his family now besides Belos is clear.
- Didn't See That Coming: Hunter is completely bowled over after hearing from Belos that Cross is a Clawthorne and imagines how Luz might take the news. Belos, while unsurprised that Hunter met Cross and Lilith had been involved in their meeting somehow (though he assumes she introduced the boys to each other), he is surprised that Hunter didn't learn Cross was related to Lilith.
- Double Agent: Hunter and Eclipsa have both started working together to learn Belos' true plans for the Day of Unity and his connections to the Horned King.
- Even Evil Has Standards:
- With Scarmeron being the Token Good Teammate, the rest of BIG being sympathetic to Skrap over his heavily-injured state is rather surprising.
- Le'Belle, Thunder and Joana were shaken up from seeing the former Glandus students who were going to be trafficked by the Tarot Guild, but hearing that all of them were going to be branded with coven sigils really gets to them, although Le'Belle refuses to show it for more than a brief moment and stomachs it enough to accept Abel's offer to attend the art gallery.
- Expy:
- More from Total Drama are introduced;
- Dogma Taggs is one of Brick (retaining his fear of the dark);
- Chantley is one of Eva (being easy to anger);
- Barbara Marlo to Zoey (a redhead with a commando persona);
- And Spencer (who's only mentioned) is that of Mike (an oracle who allows his spirits to possess him when he needs their help, somewhat like Mike's alternate identities).
- Howard Hatesew is said to be based on Howard Lovecraft.
- Ms. Jitters, the castle librarian, is inspired by Ms. Bitters from Invader Zim.
- More from Total Drama are introduced;
- Failed a Spot Check: Grip performs a song during his BIG audition thinking it was for a talent show.
- Familiar: Per the rules of the Emperor's Coven, Scarmeron and Barbara gave up their palismen upon joining. Scarmeron had a horned turtle named Ethan while Barbara had a violet magpie named Cherry.
- Five-Second Foreshadowing: Hatesew is incredibly frantic during his call with Hunter; it's clear he knows somebody's about to off him for digging too deep.
- Flashback B-Plot: After Hunter learns about Artemis, we see some flashbacks focusing on the original SSE, and a case that Artemis gave them.
- Foreshadowing:
- Before killing himself, Dimitri tells Hunter that he is coming for him.
- Le'Belle, Scarmeron, Barbara, Joana, and Thunder are not comfortable with the idea of the former Glandus students getting branded.
- Friend-or-Idol Decision: The Horned King monster restrains Adrian/Walter and tells Professor Cuddlebuns to give him the Planespheric Disc piece or he'll break his friend's arm; Cuddlebuns reluctantly agreed.
- Get Out!: Adrian shouts two of these at Hettie after she insults Emily and slams his office door in her face afterward.
- The Ghost:
- Cross and Emily are constantly brought up due to their stints as the Golden Guard.
- Barbara brings up Spencer plenty of times, but he doesn't actually appear.
- Hate Sink: The Magic High Commission already fell into this based on their arrests and punishments for Eclipsa and Globgor from canon. Now, their allowing Oberon to claim Meteora and callously kicking Philip out of Mewni is shown and it more than warranted his hatred towards them.
- Have You Told Anyone Else?: When Howard calls Hunter after finding something about the Horned King, he frantically asks Hunter if he asked anybody else about them, which he hesitantly says yes to.
- He Knows Too Much: Howard ends up dying likely as a result of attempting to help Hunter find something on the Horned King.
- Hypocrite: During a raid on a coven precinct being used as a cover for a Tarot Guild trafficking operation, Venoma kills a guild member about to kill Le'Belle (who points out how overkill it was) and says they deserved it. And to think the next day, she helps Silas traffic Donna and Cross to Draco and Seth.
- In Spite of a Nail: Belos remembers how Luz and Lilith traveled back in time and met him as Philip.
- Internal Reveal:
- Hunter learns from Belos that Cross and his mother are Clawthornes and that Luz's family knows he was Philip.
- Belos figures out that Flapjack told Hunter about his being Philip.
- Hunter is given the full story of how Belos was entrusted to watch over Meteora by Eclipsa and lost her to Oberon.
- Hettie informs Adrian of Hunter returning to the castle and Cross being let go from the Emperor's Coven.
- While bonding with Scarmeron and Barbara, Hunter reveals to both of them his connections to Belos and the previous Golden Guard, or at least the lies that he's their family.
- It's All About Me: After interviewing all of BIG, Hunter and Leonte see that all of them are egomaniacs in their own ways (even though Scarmeron and Joana have ideas on how to improve the team), but they don't replace anyone besides Skrap for the sake of keeping an eye on them and testing their loyalty to the Emperor.
- Knew It All Along: Belos admits that he knows the Clawthornes have deduced his past identity was Philip Clawthorne and they haven't announced it to the rest of the Isles to avoid him coming after them. He also knows about the Drakescales having two members of Clawthorne blood.
- Late to the Realization: Due to his constant drinking, it takes a few days for Adrian to learn that Hunter's re-taken his old job as the Golden Guard, which means he no longer has Cross under his thumb.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: During his first therapy session with Abel since returning to the Emperor's castle, Hunter says he had been with the Clawthornes for a short while, but it's felt longer. IRL, it's been close to a year since "Understanding Hunter", the chapter where he started living with Lilith, Gwendolyn, and Dell, was published.
- Love Triangle: Between Bobby Bones, Stacy Le Fette, and Gibson Oscorne. While Stacy was friends with the boys, she spend more time with Bobby due to their cases, which Gibson didn't accept. Yet for some reason, Stacy chose Gibson over Bobby.
- Medium Awareness: As Oberon is revealed and he turns to the Puck accompanying him, it's explicitly stated by the narration that it isn't our Puck.
- Once More, with Clarity:
- We get to see how Hunter's week went over the course of the previous batch of chapters.
- Belos being entrusted by Eclipsa to protect Meteora was immediately followed by Oberon taking her for himself, as promised by the Magic High Commission.
- One-Steve Limit: When Oberon takes Meteora from Philip, he's accompanied by a Puck, with the narration making it clear it's a different Fae from Puck Goodfellow.
- Persona Non Grata: The Magical High Commission banished Belos from Mewni following their capturing of Eclipsa and Globgor just for being associated with the former queen. He's lucky to have gotten off easy since he couldn't be tried on account of not being a Mewman.
- Pyrrhic Victory: While the Boiling Isles Guardians does succeed in busting a Tarot Guild trafficking location, all the traffickers off themselves and everyone but Alburno and Venoma are shocked when Leonte announces all the victims they just saved are going to be inducted into covens effective immediately.
- The Reveal:
- Belos knows that the Drakescales are a branch family to the Clawthorne clan.
- Boscha gave Hunter the idea of what to get Willow for her birthday, and he encouraged her to go to Willow's party.
- Skrap was mauled by the sharks that attacked him when he crashed into their home, leaving him paralyzed in a motorized chair.
- When Belos (as Philip) traveled to Mewni after Adam's death, he got caught up in the Magic High Commission's mission to arrest Eclipsa for running off with Globgor and having Meteora with him. After Oberon and a Puck took Meteora away, the MHC sent Philip back to the Demon Realm, banishing him from the Mewni dimension.
- Terra knows that Adrian is Emily's real father.
- Artemis was the grimwalker before Hunter, and she died from grimwalker deterioration. Prior to this, she hired the Shadowy Secret Exposers to help her solve a mystery and is implied to have had a romantic relationship with Adrian/Walter.
- Said mystery was uncovering the secrets of the Horned King only to get attacked by who is implied to be Gibson disguised as the creature in question and making off with one of six Planespheric Disc pieces needed to locate a grand treasure.
- Scarmeron had a blue horned turtle palisman named Ethan, who was his Only Friend due to growing up in a bubble.
- Adrian was the hooded figure who's been visiting Marilyn's grave.
- Several Glandus students got trafficked following the Glandus War.
- Bobby Bones, Stacy, and Gibson were in a Love Triangle with both boys liking Stacy.
- Sequel Hook:
- Hunter finds a powder-like substance at the Porter residence and collects some to be examined since it's a clue in finding out what happened to Perry.
- The story behind the Horned King imposter, and how Gibson and Vanessa got their respective disc pieces.
- How Adrian came to discover Artemis was a clone of Marilyn.
- Howard's death, and why whoever killed him would do so.
- Shout-Out:
- Nods to Total Drama are;
- Skrap getting mauled by sharks is how Scott ended his run on Revenge of the Island after "Fang had a little too much fun with him". He's even placed in the P.I.K.E. chair, which is helping him live.
- Grip's song and reaction to something going wrong is the same as Trent's audition tape for the show.
- Captain Dmitri killing himself in order to protect a secret conspiracy could be inspired by The Bad Batch episode, "The Clone Conspiracy".
- Nods to Total Drama are;
- Small Role, Big Impact: Hunter encouraging Boscha to go to Willow's party means he's partially responsible for her making amends with Bo over what she made Skara do to the healer.
- The Stinger: Following the author's notes, a trailer shows Luz, Amity, King, and Cross traveling to Titan Trapper Island, Luz, Eda, and King visiting a strange house, Emily spending time with Zee, having a breakdown while bearing red flames, and fighting Nina as the Silver Sentry, Boscha and Tom going on their first date and they, along with the rest of Boscha's friends, fighting off Nicole's shadow army, Donna dueling Hettie Cutburn, Cross fighting the Grim Goblin and the Titan Trappers, Luz teaming up with Beel and dealing with carniverous plants, Luz, Amity, Eda, Lilith, and Prof. Snope likely having their final showdown against the Inner Demon, and Bill making his return. Oh, and we'll finally see what the Plantars and Sasha have been up to since they got sent to Earth.
- Suicide Pill: Refusing to tell Hunter or the Boiling Isles Guardians anything he has on the Tarot Guild, Dmitri bites down on something implanted in his teeth that kills him instantly, same as the rest of his treasonous scouts.
- Sure, Let's Go with That: When Hunter is questioned about how he met Cross, Belos assumes it was through Lilith. Hunter rolls with it, which is what leads to him being informed of their relation.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: All of BIG feel sorry for Skrap due to his current condition, and Hunter decides to replace him and let him retire with pay.
- Title Sequence: To commemorate the series' third anniversary, the intro for the "Tarot Guild" arc is included in this chapter.
- Trailers Always Spoil: The chapter's ending teaser reveals that Cross will join Luz, Amity, and King during the LCU's version of "Edge of the World".
- Underestimating Badassery: When Barbara and Joana are told to spar after the former joins BIG, the latter quickly assumes it's be a quick match. Barbara shows her she's not some pushover.
- The Un-Reveal:
- Who killed Howard to keep Hunter from digging into the Horned King; Belos, Adrian or someone else?
- Was Gibson the Horned King impostor who attacked Artemis and the original SSE and stole the Planespheric Disc piece they discovered?
- Dimitri tells Hunter that he is coming for him. But who was he talking about?
- If Adrian knew Artemis was a grimwalker of Marilyn, does he know the truth about Belos?
- With Adrian revealed to be the hooded figure, does that mean he's the one who told Belos that Hunter is alive?
- Where did Vanessa obtain her Planespheric Disc piece?
- What happened that caused Stacy to leave Bobby in favor of Gibson?
- We Hardly Knew Ye:
- Howard Hatesew, a worker in the castle's library whom Hunter, and previously Artemis, asked to look into the Horned King, is murdered after finding something major before Hunter can meet up with him after the gallery on Frieday night.
- Captain Dmitri, the captain of a remote coven precinct who turns out to be trafficking Glandus students, kills himself to avoid being arrested and so do the scouts under his command.
- Wham Shot: While Vanessa is looking over her Planespheric Disc piece, it's revealed to have the symbol from King's collar and tower on it.
- What Does She See in Him?: Vanessa wonders why Stacy would choose Gibson over Bobby, hinting that she knew something was off about the helldemon.
- Whole-Plot Reference: The Flashback B-Plot takes a lot of inspiration from the penultimate episode of Mystery Incorporated Season 1, "Pawn of Shadows".
