Hey guys! Welcome to another chapter! This one is just flufftastic and the last of this arc. Get ready for more action after Ch 13. Enjoy


"Alright," Tom muttered to himself, "Operation Ghost Busting is finished." With the throne room and the main parts of the castle finally free of phantoms, Tom crossed another checkbox off the long, detailed list Marco had written for royal wedding prep. One item down, another bazillion to go with only twenty-four more hours until go-time. Tom could hardly contain his enthusiasm. Nothing about tomorrow seemed particularly pleasant: dealing with large crowds, having to put up appearances, going through the motions of an old ceremony for tradition's sake. There was even an entire royal ball during the reception for corn's sake because royals were just addicted to showing off and acting fancy.

A low whine brought the disgruntled prince out of his thoughts and he saw Cebbie sprawl across the floor next to him, her belly bloated with consumed spirits. Sorry girl, he scratched her ears when he realized his negativity was bothering her. The Guardian of the Lucitor family had well earned a night of peace and quiet as did her owner. Maybe the true reason behind his funk was that he was nervous.

Although the pageantry side of the royal wedding pissed him off, there were even more implications to worry about. In the Underworld, the marriage of a crown prince was a rite of passage into deeper responsibility, and real training to become the next king. Along with proclaiming his everlasting love for Janna in front of all of Mewni, Tom would also formally swear his allegiances to the Underworld and the Queen of Mewni. Soon, he would actually have to do real prince stuff, like running some of the kingdom's affairs, proposing laws and reform... being a real leader. Ideally, Tom should have been prepared for the next step by shadowing his father, but Dave never taught him anything aside from how to be a rich asshole. When Tom was invited to meetings, he wasn't allowed to do anything besides putting in an appearance so the kingdom knew the King hadn't killed him yet. Now, he wished it were true.

Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, he shook his head, although he was very upset his father dropped the bombshell on him only two hours ago. None of the social and political garbage should matter—what should matter was getting to marry the love of his life. Period. He and Janna were going to become a functional family for their son. Just holding onto the future was the only thing keeping Tom from cracking to pieces. It was also the part of the wedding he was the least concerned about. There was no doubt the two of them would show up, go through the motions, and ride off into the moonset together.

Imagining the last part made Tom wonder how Janna was doing. In accordance to stupid Underworld tradition, neither of them were allowed to see each other three days before the wedding, which they both detested. If only they could cheat with a Blood Moon bond…. Regardless, he knew her thoughts on the matter and hoped she was having fun instead of being bothered by wedding nonsense. The grandfather clock in the ballroom chimed nine times, so Janna was probably partying it up at her bachelorette party with the bridesmaids. Before parting, she mentioned something about Star making sure what happened at her bachelorette party never happen ever again. Since none of the girls ever brought up the fateful night, Tom assumed it had to do with drunken Pony shenanigans or male strippers.

Whatever it was, Tom was just happy to have a quiet night to get things done and unwind. He picked up his clipboard and read the next bullet point about making sure there was enough lighting in the main rooms and halls. Hmm, he squinted his eyes and studied the space. Lava veins, pools, and columns provided light through the castle and the Rose Window always shed its eerie red glare in the throne room. To Tom, there was ample lighting, but then again, he had demon eyes. Colonizing the deepest reaches of the Underworld meant his ancestors had developed serious adaptations to heat and darkness, one of which being night vision that rivaled cats. Even the darkest night was as bright as noon to the demon prince. So, it begged the question: would a human think the room was dark since he couldn't tell? It was time for a second opinion.

"Marco!" Tom hollered.

"Yeah, Tom?" A faint reply echoed from the ballroom, followed by the sound of glass breaking on the floor. "Ignore that. I'm coming."

Out of the other room came Marco carrying another clipboard loaded with checklists. His signature red hoodie was covered in a thin layer of dust, cobwebs, and glowing ectoplasmic goo. Yet, determination still gleamed in his brown eyes, and he checked off another box on his list. "The ballroom is ready," he informed Tom. "Got the snack tables set, the floors polished, and everything set up."

"Great stuff," Tom nodded. "Anyways, do you think it's too dark in here?"

Marco tapped his chin with the eraser of his pencil as he considered the point for a moment, "Good question…I honestly can't tell anymore. I think being around Star has improved my night-vision. Haven't stumbled in the dark since I was sixteen."

Figures, Tom scowled and traced a circle in the floor with his foot. He should have known better than to ask the one human who was so overpowered he was practically Mewman. While Marco might try to downplay his strengths, there was little that was normal about him, from the crescent marks on his face to the fact he once punched a hole through Toffee. Hell, he could probably sprout wings like Starship if he tried hard enough. Then Tom realized, none of his human friends were normal anymore. Janna knew demon magic and Jackie was a badass knight in training. Contact with Mewni changed people…the Diazes better watch out with Marco Jr.

Since Tom could have figured things out on his own, the prince flicked a few floating fireballs for accent lighting and called it a night. What if it wasn't enough though? The rest of Janna's family were going to make their grand debut tomorrow, and Tom had to make sure they were comfortable in the Underworld.

"Uh…dude," Marco pointed. "You're smoking."

"Oh," Tom saw the smoke rise off his arms and let the worry go. "Kinda happens. Sorry."

His friend set down his clipboard and sat in one of the wooden chairs laid out for the wedding, patting one next to him. Do we have to? Tom's pointy ears sagged.

"It's a part of my job, Tom," Marco read his body language. "I take being your best man seriously. You helped me through my wedding, so I'm doing the same."

"Yeah, but you were a mess during the entire thing," Tom smirked as he remembered how nervous Marco had been. The guy didn't have a drop to drink at his bachelor party yet turned into a quivering puke volcano over the prospect of marrying the girl he loved more than anything. Praise the Stump Tom wasn't that far-gone.

Marco folded his arms, "Not talking about it. Anyways, I think we've got enough done, so let's go celebrate. I heard the Amethyst Arcade is having a Racing Rage tournament, or we could go to the Dimension That's-Just-Old-Love-Sentence-Concerts-On-Repeat."

"Tough decisions… " the prince smiled. "Anywhere with alcohol will do."

"You can't get drunk though."

"Won't stop me from trying," Tom laughed. The two were about to cut a portal to a night of relaxation when all three of Cerberus's heads shot up, her ears perked forward. Suddenly, a portal opened near the doors, but before anyone could step out, the Guardian of the Lucitor family lunged forward to do her job. Girly screams filled the air, and Tom slapped his hand against his forehead when he recognized the voices. What were Alfonzo and Ferguson doing here? Tom explicitly told them when the wedding was and not to show up a minute before needed. Standing around in tuxedos didn't need to be rehearsed—a brain-dead sheep could do as much.

Cebbie's chain clinked as she lurched to the end of its length, catching her right before she made a meal out of Alfonzo. Her hot breath fogged up his glasses as she snarled and foamed at the mouths. While watching the boys cower in fear was great, Tom snapped his fingers and called her off. Plus, neither boy would be a good snack for his girl. Ferguson was too flabby, reeking of cheap beer, sad cologne, and desperation. Alfonzo didn't any meat on his lanky frame, and only his impressive afro would provide enough bulk for Cerberus to chew on.

When she sat down, Tom went over and gave her a scratch for being a good girl. She thrummed against his body like a big kitty. Who's my gentle girl? Under her gruff exterior, the three-headed Rottweiler was the biggest sweetie in the universe. "She's gentle, you two. Come say 'hi' to my big girl."

Cautiously, the boys gave Cebbie a pat on her heads while she wagged her nub of a tail. "See?" Ferguson tried to play off his fear. "Told ya everything would be okay. Y'know getting to keep the Pixie Empress's scissors was the best thing that came out of your divorce, Alfonzo."

"Wait?" Tom blinked. "You were her husband…?"

Tabloids all over Mewni covered the bitter divorce between the powerful ruler of the Pixie Kingdom and her underaged, unnamed king. There might have been mention of the king being a human, but Tom never read much beyond the cover. Divorces were extremely rare among royalty because of how complicated they were. Fallout over land claims, titles, inheritance has led to civil wars and a whole lot of calamity. The mention of the divorce made Alfonzo stare at his shoes, and the boys let it go.

Ferguson wasted no time babbling on and on to Marco about how excited he was to have access to dimensional scissors. Apparently, the reason Alfonzo and Ferguson almost never went to class was that they were busy dimension hopping when playing their geeky games got stale. Surprisingly, they hadn't died yet.

"We were in this super cool dimension chasing around a fiery-hot chick for what felt like years," Ferguson bragged. "When I mean hot, I mean she was a twenty out of ten. And you should have seen my bod, Marco. Too bad we were kicked out and reverted back to normal."

"You were chasing around Hekapoo?" Marco raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah…that was her name," the redhead replied. "Isn't she smokin' hot, Marco? C'mon, you have to see what I'm seeing."

"Eh…not my type," Marco shrugged in indifference. "H-poo is a fun colleague to hang out with, but Star is my only super-cool adventure buddy."

"Ahh, c'mon buddy. You're allowed to look."

"Hard pass," the edge in Marco's voice stopped the conversation in a heartbeat.

Sensing his bro's discomfort, Tom stepped in, "What brings you two here?" Besides baiting my friend.

"You have forgotten about me," Seahorse floated out of the corner of the room with his super creepy, sterile smile ever present on his face. Great…as if Tom wasn't already having a bang-up time already, now the dimension's lamest dork had to show up too. The prince narrowed his eyes and lashed his tail in an annoyed arc.

Alfonzo and Ferguson noticed the movement and became to snicker, "You have a cute little demon tail!"

"Keep talking about it and I'll slap you with it," the demon hissed. At home, he let his tail hang free since no one could make fun of it, and Janna liked seeing it. Tails were a sensitive topic to demons, and Tom always felt his was a bit short, even when Wrathmelior told him it was normal for a half-demon.

"We're just teasin'," Ferguson scoffed. "Lighten up, man. It's your last night before getting snared by the old ball-and-chain, and we're gonna let loose!"

"I think being single is more of a snare…"

"Are you kidding, Tom?" The boy jabbed him. "Sleeping with one girl for the rest of your life must suck ass." At least I've gotten laid, Tom inwardly muttered as he leaned away. It must suck ass being nineteen and never having dated a girl. And it looked like that trend would continue for another nineteen years too.

Tom was about to add a snarky reply when Alfonzo snuck up behind him and tied a blindfold around his eyes. "What gives, man?" The demon snarled, struggling to undo the knot in the back. Hearing Marco's complaints next to him told Tom the same had happened to him.

"You'll see." Alfonzo snickered, snipping his scissors. "You two are going to have a great time with what we planned."

"Actually, you won't see a thing," Seahorse spoke in his irritating voice. "You are wearing state-of-the-art, No-See blindfolds by ReflectaCorps Technology."

"It's just an expression, dude," Ferguson groaned. "It has nothing to do with your products. Got the right portal open, homie? I think Tom is starting to burn through his blindfold." Did these buffoons think Tom was going to sit around passively? He was the freakin' Prince of the Underworld—no one dared to blindfold him except Janna.

"Uh…guys," Tom could hear Marco struggle next to him. "Why am I blindfolded? It's not my bachelor party."

Ferguson said in a low, kinda-creepy voice, "You'll see…"

Zipping and snipping sounds filled the air, and Tom felt his body get roughly shoved into another dimension. He landed with a thud, grunting when his horns collided with a cold, slick floor. Pain seared through the sensitive bases, causing his head to spin. I'm going to roast this stupid human, he tried to stand but slipped in an unseen puddle of liquid and landed on his tail. First, he should probably figure out where he was. When the throbbing in his head subsided, his acute senses picked up on details around him. The place was deafeningly loud, filled with crappy club music and sounds of men shouting. Cheap booze and musky testosterone flooded Tom's nostrils, nearly gagging him.

Feeling very agitated, Tom burned the remaining fabric of the blindfold off and bared his fists ready to fight the first thing he saw. Unfortunately for him, he was immediately greeted to the very round and very bare bust of a half-naked woman.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" he squeaked as he scrambled backward in shock, colliding into Marco, who just ripped his blindfold off. Now, it all suddenly made sense: the cheering, the drinking, the smell. A strip club. How horrible and unoriginal of Alfonzo and Ferguson-playing into the stereotype that men wanted to spend their bachelor party whoring around.

Lit up by seizure-inducing strobe lights, the prince got a full view of his surroundings. Desperate men crowded around an elevated platform with women grinding on poles. They gawked at them like they had never seen a female in their entire lives, and it was probably better they never did again. Knocked-over beer cans and sweat littered the ground around outlying tables near the bar, where the other half of the population guzzled down drink after drink as if washing the shame away. If anything, Tom knew he wasn't missing out marrying young; spending a quiet night with Janna was a million times better than indulging in hookers and beer.

Marco huddled closer to Tom as more dancing girls in various stages of undress approached like zombies in a horror film hunting for flesh. Many guys would probably love to be surrounded by a circle of boobs, but it was rather horrifying in real life. So much jiggling…

"What can I do for you tonight?" One of the girls stalked closer to Tom, tickling him under the chin. "I just love entertaining demons."

Go away. Put on some clothes. Move the boobs. All were options in his mind, but the prince held his tongue. She was just doing her job to pay off bills so getting pissed at her wasn't worth it. The negative energy instead should be directed at the idiots who brought him here. Speaking of, they were busy chasing around women while Seahorse tried to hawk his company's products to carousing patrons. So far, this had to be the worst bachelor party ever.

"Uh…" Tom answered the dancer. "Look, I'm flattered you're trying to do your job but—"

"HEY LADIES…" an announcement was made over the loudspeaker, "WELCOME THE PRINCE OF THE UNDERWORLD FOR HIS LAST HOORAH!"

Cheering filled the air and the dancers were even more determined to show Tom a good time, offering lap dances at a discount.

Being a prince had its perks when it came to getting favors, but this was not one of those times. He didn't need a scantily-clad bimbo to satisfy him—nor did he ever need one. Only intervention from the universe itself could bail Tom and Marco out of the encroaching Forest of Certain Racks.

Luckily, the universe seemed to hear the demon's prayers. A woman in the stringiest string bikini physically possible sashayed over, her hips swaying in a wide arc. Guys around the circle catcalled and whistled, uttering all kinds of crass comments in hopes she would turn around. In their dreams, Tom rolled his eyes. Instead, the woman crouched over Marco, shoving her chestly appendages almost in the pale, disgusted face of the king.

"We also have the King here," she purred, rubbing Marco's thigh. "How delightful. You're a real handsome one."

"T-thanks for the compliment," he averted his gaze, "But I'm married so…not interested." He fiddled with the wedding band on his finger, the blue sun glaring a warning.

"Oh c'mon, Marco," Ferguson hollered from elsewhere. "Have fun!"

The girl moved closer, "Yeah, Marco. The Queen doesn't have to know…"

"What do you mean I don't have to know?!" Immediately, the entire club halted and the women around Marco shrieked in terror as they hopped back. Tom turned around and saw Marco had risen to his feet with fists bared to fight, but that wasn't why the patrons and dancers were staring and gasping. Piercing blue eyes like ice replaced the usual brown orbs in the king's head and the hiss that escaped his lips was in the voice of an irate queen ready to defend her territory.

"S-Starship?" Tom stammered in disbelief when he heard her voice come from Marco's lips. "Is that you in there?"

The anger died down and Marco—or Star—waved, "Hiya Tom! Janna says don't forget to look and not touch."

His bride needn't worry about any fooling around, Tom had enough nearly-naked women for the rest of his long life. "Not even looking," he said flatly. "So…how are you doing this?"

"Janna taught me," Star replied. "It's super easy to hijack a Blood Moon bond. Kinda done it before, but now—" She made Marco do the funky chicken. "—I have complete control over Marco's body. Pretty cool, huh?"

On the one hand, it was pretty cool, but it was also totally creepy. How did Marco feel about having his wife in his body? And why did that sound so wrong? After Star made her point, her cheery smile disappeared in an instant as she whirled around on her heels to face the women who dared touch her Marco. They were in for it big time. Tom learned years ago to never mess with Star's beloved; these women had made the greatest mistake of their lives.

"Now, where was I?" For effect, Star turned on her scary voice and hearing it from Marco's mouth was the most surreal part of the night so far. Dark pink magic swirled around her hands, but Tom knew Starship well enough to know she wouldn't kill anyone tonight. If she wanted to, the girls would have been dead a long time ago. She knew they got the message loud and clear because only a suicidal idiot wouldn't. Instead, she was toying with them for fun—the same way she had treated him after his fight with Marco.

"Let me introduce myself," she laughed darkly. "I am Star Butterfly, Slayer of Toffee and Eclipsa, Ruler of the House of Butterfly, and Queen of Mewni. I've claimed my rights to this human, so you better step away from my Marco or I'll wipe that skanky smile off your face. The hard way."

Nodding briskly, the girl ran off and the others hurried away too, in case the mad queen possessing Marco's body would turn on them too. Satisfied, Star sat down and released her hold on Marco, causing his eyes to return back to normal.

"Thanks, my Warrior Goddess," Marco rubbed his head, relieved to have control of his body back. "But warn me next time. It's kinda weird having you control me."

Star answered him, "You know me, Marco. I love spontaneity."

Marco chucked in his voice, "I know, I know. And I love that about you."

"Awww…thanks, boo," Star cooed. "You know I love you too."

"Okay, you two can seriously stop doing that," Tom interrupted.

A combination of both of their voices laughed until Star's faded away. The club was eerily silent, and no one sure of how to feel about what had transpired. Only Star Butterfly could singlehandedly bring a strip club to a standstill, and it was great. Tom had to thank her for the best bachelor party surprise ever. Since the clubbing was ruined, many of the men snapped out of their daze and began to grumble about having their entertainment scared away. And, boy, were they itching for a brawl.

Grabbing his scissors, Marco hastily opened a portal to somewhere and pulled Tom through behind him. What a relief! They found themselves in the middle of the drive-thru at Britta's Tacos. Horns blared around the two royals, and they moved out of the way to a table. Might as well make a night of being in Echo Creek.

"What about the others?" Tom asked when Marco picked up a couple of menus from the next table. He wasn't seriously concerned—just wondering since Alfonzo and Ferguson where the king's old friends.

Marco said coldly, "They'll catch up…or not. Anyways, let's just forget the last fifteen minutes happened, and get some food. Just you and me." With no complaints from either end, the two ordered a couple of burritos—Tom got his extra picante—and two sodas to wash everything down.

As he chewed his food, the prince contemplated his life and what tomorrow would bring until his stomach flipped into knots. Why was he so torn up over everything? It was all fine or it would be so. He could totally handle being with Janna and becoming more of a prince who was only a stilled breath away from being king... No pressure at all. What was pressure anyway? According to science, pressure….

"Hey, buddy," Marco snapped his fingers. "You're drooling sour cream and hot sauce." The king passed a napkin so Tom could clean up his face and the table. Grateful yet embarrassed, the prince fulfilled his task without a word then burned the napkin with his fingers.

Sighing Marco let his eyes drift upward to the night sky above them. It was rather cool in Echo Creek with only a faint breeze rustling tree leaves and loose napkins around the lot. Cars rolled pass to head deeper into the city, which seemed to sparkle like a diamond. The air helped Tom calm down as he breathed in and out, letting the lungful settle his nerves. Oh, the memories in this town…. all of which revolved around trying too hard to beat Marco. And to think after all these years, the two of them became the best of friends and each other's best men. Life was funny.

Taking a sip of soda, Marco returned his focus back to his friend, "How are your guts feeling?"

"My guts?" Tom raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah…mine are kinda good right now," Marco rubbed his belly. "You know?"

"Uh…" Tom had to think about it. "My guts are more like blaaaaargh. Can't tell if it's from the excitement or the burrito or tomorrow." He fell silent and went back to eating.

"You know it'll feel better if you talk about it."

Seriously, Marco…As much as the prince would love to complain, his bro was right. Holding the worry wasn't going to solve anything, and Marco had been in his shoes once. There was nothing spicy Mexican food and deep bro-talk couldn't fix.

Tom set down the remnants of his food and leaned back against his chair, settling in for a long talk. "You see…" he began. "Tomorrow is such a huge day, Marco. It's not like I didn't know that, but I think the realization is really settling in. Hard. I'm going to be a husband and a father and a legit Crown Prince. Plus, I hate royal ceremonies! Who knew twenty-four hours could turn your world upside down?"

Marco nodded as he listened, "Marriage does that to a guy, especially when royalty is involved. Remember the school career counselor thing where I joked about wanting to be the King of Mewni?"

"Do we have to go back there…?"

"We're not," Marco assured him. "The point is, I never expected to become the King of Mewni, especially not at sixteen. To be honest, I still don't feel ready. Star was born for this role and I'm just her tagalong human husband who only has his powers because of luck. And I'm going to have to raise two half-Mewman children. At eighteen…most kids my age are just kids."

Tom placed a hand on his friend's shoulder in solidarity.

"But you know what, Tom?" Marco met his gaze. "As scary as this all is, what gives me strength is not having to do this alone. The Thunderbird told me and Star that the secret to parenting—or anything—is teamwork."

"The what?"

"Long story," the king brushed the question off. "Don't worry about it. The main thing is you aren't alone and I'm not just talking about Janna either. You have me—we're gonna get through this together. Best bros?"

"Best bros," Tom said as the two bumped fists. "Hope I didn't spoil your best man speech."

"Nah," Marco playfully punched Tom's shoulder. "I'm saving the deep stuff for tomorrow, of course. Wanna have a real bachelor party and binge some old Mackie Hand flicks?"

"Only if you make me some nachos," Tom opened a portal to the Underworld.

"Okay."


"What do you think, Your Highness?" A team of royal attendants and servants finally moved away from Tom after hours of preening and preparing the prince for his big day. Normally, makeovers were far from Tom's thing, but his mother insisted he get the royal treatment for his wedding day. And being a mama's boy, he couldn't refuse no matter how much he wanted to. The pampering was nice-pedicures did wonders to his calloused feet-but he was even more relieved for it to be over. Having all those hands touch him for hours was creepy.

Wrathmelior and Dave were seated nearby in their finest attire waiting for the appointment to be over too. The Queen of the Underworld set down the royal wedding edition of the Crown Royale, and gasped when she finally saw her son. Lava tears streamed down her face as she cooed, "Oh Thomas, you look like such a handsome prince! Isn't that right Dave?"

She elbowed her husband who was busy holding up a magazine to block his view. "Ow!" he hissed. "Yeah, Tommy-boy looks nice."

Why am I related to you? Tom huffed but didn't let his father's pissy attitude get to him. The king was incapable of praise. Deciding to see for himself, the prince hopped out of his chair and sought out his mirror. The sight in front of his face caused him to gasp in shock. His attendants stood back and marveled themselves, hoping their prince was enthralled by their handiwork. And he definitely was—they did such a good job that Tom hardly recognized his reflection. Is this even…me? He had to pinch his arm to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

Yet, it really was him in the new royal attire. Never before had Tom worn anything so fancy; usually, his white tuxedo sufficed. However, a royal wedding clearly demanded more. Today, wore a fine, deep red jacket the color of the rubies worn by the Lucitors. Pure gold thread lined his cuffs, matching the buttons that kept the ensembled closed over a white dress shirt. Similar embroidery was found on his black dress pants. His hair was slicked back with cornstarch, and the ends tied back into a bun instead of its typical unruly style. Polished horns gleamed out the sides of his head with the tips dipped in ebony, as was traditional for a wedding. To round out the new look, a flowing cape made of thick hellhound and chimera fur was draped around his shoulders, attached by golden shoulder tassels. At first, Tom hated the cape because it reminded him of his father, but then it came with another realization. He was dressed like a king.

"Wow…" he stammered an answer to his waiting crowd since they deserved something more definitive than his blank stare. "I…don't know what to say, but this is great. Thanks."

I'm going to be king one day, while Tom always knew the inevitable, the full weight of the future landed on his tasseled shoulders. He glanced behind him and noticed Dave scowling as if he also had the same realization. The future was coming and with it a battle of wills. Even though the idea of ruling the Underworld was suffocating, Tom knew he was going to do it differently than his father. No matter what, he was going to be better.

Dave, sensing his son's thoughts lifted his chin in silent challenge, Are you man enough to wear the crown?

Tom tried to stand proud and tall, but doubt crept into his mind. Was he ready? Would he be ready?

The battle was broken when a knight appeared, "King Dave, your knights and personal guests request your presence."

"Good," the king rose from her chair. "Let's go, Wrathmelior." They left, and the attendants followed, leaving Tom sitting alone on his bed. He wished Cebbie could come and comfort him. Destiny was a horrible thing to deal with alone.

Then a tentative knock echoed, and Marco peeked in, "Hey buddy… just checking on how you're—" The king's mouth dropped when he saw Tom in his getup, and he whistled. "Man…you look awesome."

Marco was in his full royal attire himself, which was like the clothes he wore during the Blood Moon Ball dressed up to level one thousand. The main additions to his nicely tailored suit were a blue tie to match the official color of the royal family and two Blood Moons—one on each shoulder tassel.

The king sat beside Tom on the bed and studied him with excited brown eyes, "I've never seen you wear anything this fancy, bro."

"Thanks, Marco," Tom simply answered.

"You don't sound like it," Marco said. "You know it's my job to keep you from fainting on your big day. You got this, okay?"

"Yeah," Tom smiled, feeling his body relax. "Thanks, bro." His eyes drifted upward to the clock above the arcade games, noting there were still three long hours before the start of the ceremony. What on Mewni was he going to do with all that time? Moping in his room like an angsty teen was a terrible idea. Well, I still am only eighteen, he had to smile at his own joke.

"You know," Marco said, "There are a lot of guests you could talk to. I'll come with, if you want."

If Tom had to become a better prince, rubbing elbows with the rich and powerful would be a good idea, as much as he hated the idea of idle small talk. Also, Janna's extended family needed to meet him. "Alright," he sighed. "Let's do it."

Together, the two royals entered the throne room, which had been redecorated for the wedding. And it really looked the part too. Making the cavernous, rocky space inviting had been a tremendous challenge, but the results were impressive. The room was warm without being too hot allowing guest to feel comfortable. Close to five hundred black wooden chairs were staged in neat rows with the long aisle dividing the cluster down the middle. In addition to the usual fire columns on the edge of the shadows, strings of hanging lights were draped on the stalactites above.

Although the wedding was still a few hours away, the guests crowded into the room, dressed in their finest attire. There was enough satin and velvet and jewels to open several clothing stores. Rich people loved to dress up and show off their wealth, and what better place to do so than a royal wedding. The colors of the royal houses—the blues of the Butterfly House, the greens of the Spiderbites, the reds of the Lucitors, and the muted grays of the Kelpbottoms and Pigeons blended into a colorful rainbow as the members went about to mingle and chat.

It was good to pick out familiar faces. The Diazes were surrounded by a mix of Pony Heads and Johansens, laughing hardily at jokes from King Pony Head. Their youngest son was busy racing the youngest princes and princesses of all the kingdoms. Lady Angie politely reminded him to keep his suit clean. Nearby, the Spiderbites, Pigeons, and Kelpbottoms clustered together though they often splintered apart to talk to other families. The Monster friends of Star and Marco were also in attendance and kept company with the young royals and the open-minded Diaz and Johansen families. In the peripheries, the Butterflys and Lucitors remained largely separated from the rest of the groups, communicating in hushed old dialects. Knowing them, they were likely scheming about bringing their relatives together again. If their last-ditch effort to create the Butterfly-Lucitor dynasty involved convincing Star and Tom to have an affair with one another, they could think again. Seeing them gossip in the corner made him shrug; he wasn't afraid of them anymore.

The conversations of rich people were always surprisingly dull, usually complaining about trivial matters and politics until Tom's brain shut off in boredom. Thank the Stump the Diazes existed, Rafael and Angie were fascinating to be around and seemed to be using their status to do good things in Echo Creek. The couple was laying out their plans for ending hunger in the entire city and had everyone listening thoroughly impressed. Tom was about to speak when he noticed a group of humans already seated in their section watching what was going on around them in a mix of disbelief and uneasiness.

What did the Ordonias feel about being surrounded by a vast assortment of odd creatures in the middle of literal hell? Likely confused, especially with Jorge and Gretchen not present among them. Tom exhaled slowly and took his leave from the Diaz group to meet the rest of his in-laws. Time for another round of introductions and all the awkwardness they brought. He hung back a little to observe and listen to their initial thoughts on the royal wedding. Their chatter was amusing to the demon's ears.

"I always knew my niece was a little weird…" a woman muttered to the man next to her—likely her husband. "But did my brother really let Janna become associated with…this? I feel like we're in a circus."

Her husband seemed less disturbed by the surroundings and shrugged, "Can't be too bad. Heard the groom was a prince. I thought it was a joke at first but just look at the place, Sheryl. Nice gothic architecture."

"Yeah…it is lovely once you get around the heat and the six glowing eyes from the shadows over there…" Sheryl reluctantly agreed, whipping out a paper fan.

Another uncle took at his invitation to reread it, "Do you think this guy's legit though? I've gotten tons of spam emails about meeting an African prince."

"For God's sake, you guys," a cousin threw up her arms. "Look at where we are. Sure, Janna has faked us out before—but this is way too elaborate to be unreal. There are flying horse body parts over there. This shouldn't be possible."

"Why yes, it's true the Pony Heads of the Cloud Kingdom are very unique," Tom's comment and approach startled the humans. "No one is quite sure of how they eat. In fact, I don't think they know how their bodies work."

Dumbfounded expressions greeted Tom and he couldn't help but let out a warm laugh. Some of them looked like they had seen a ghost. However, Janna's girl cousins seemed extremely thrilled to see him, blushing and drooling in his presence. Still got the Lucitor charm, huh?

Tom dipped his head politely, "Where are my manners? My name is Thomas Lucitor, Prince of the Underworld. It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

"It's my pleasure," the same cousin from earlier stammered. "Do you have any brothers?"

Tom shook his head, "Nope. I'm the one and only, but I have a few unmarried cousins like Sir Brimstone and Sir Brutus over there."

The two lords were busy flexing and showing off their armor to an impressed group of single ladies from the Johansen and Spiderbite kingdoms. Coming from Dave's side of the family, they lacked demon characteristics, but they had definite temper problems. There were also Tom's cousins from Wrathmelior's side, but human girls and twelve-foot demons didn't match well.

"So, you must be my Jan-Jan's special friend," an old lady adjusted the glasses on her wrinkled face. Special friend? Tom chuckled to himself. What an odd way phrase.

He played it politely, "Absolutely, and I'm guessing you must be her grandmother."

"Damn straight," the lady grinned. "I'm impressed at what you got, sonny. The Cerberus over there is a nice touch." Cebbie whined in appreciation.

"You mean like the dog from mythology?" Another relative gulped. "Shouldn't we be questioning this marriage?"

The grandmother laughed, "This is all great stuff. My grandbaby is marrying a rich guy—what did the rest of you do? Lawyers and doctors can't touch a leader of the Underworld. Finally, we Ordonias are going places." It was easy to see where Janna got her personality.

Marco showed up to check on Tom's well-being. "Everything alright, Tom? You kinda just disappeared on me," he asked when he arrived.

If the Ordonia ladies weren't drooling before, they were most definitely moist in all the wrong places when they saw the King of Mewni. Who wouldn't be when faced with such blazing brown eyes, suave demeanor, and cute, little mole?

"Oh…wow," a girl around Janna's age fanned herself with a program while giggling madly, "This wedding gets better and better. Who are you, handsome?" A few low whistles directed at Marco made him rub the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Alright ladies," the cousin from earlier—Tom found out her name was named Mo—stood up. "I call dibs on the new guy. I'm sick of being called an old maid at twenty-seven."

"No, I call dibs," protested another. "He looks way too young for a cougar like you."

The fighting continued until Tom clapped his hands together, "Ladies, please. You don't even know his name yet. This is King Marco Diaz-Butterfly."

"A KING?!" The girls screamed, catching the attention of quite a few royals nearby. "SIGN US UP!"

Marco sighed, clearly exhausted by having admirers, "I'm flattered you think I'm cute, but I'm married." When his response didn't stop their fawning, he added, "And my wife is pregnant—like I made that happen."

Cousin Mo leaned closer, not discourage in the slightest, "I can still be your concubine."

"D-did you guys hear anything I just said?"

"Whoa there old-ass," Mo's sister interrupted. "I am first concubine. I don't care if you're born first."

"Let them hash it out bro," Tom said in Demon. "What does Starship think of this?"

Marco paused for a second, "That I'd better not show them my abs, they belong to her. Oh, and she's coming to bail me out... Oh no. Not again."

Parting the crowd in an instant, the Queen of Mewni made a beeline towards the group. Oh, here comes the real show, Tom snickered. No one could scare off raving females like Starship. It was hard to read the expression on her face other than the usual fierce determination in her blue eyes. She wore her finest dress, a royal blue number with red hearts sown on the darker lower hemline. The extra dark blue cloth around her torso helped to camouflage her round pregnant belly. Her mere presence caused many of the cousins to stop quarreling and sit down as she sent out a firm message: back off. The Queen had asserted her dominance

Content the battle over Marco had been quelled, she grabbed her husband's arms and stared dreamily into his eyes to claim her territory. "Oh, Marco my love," she drew the words slowly and deliberately. "I have some last-minute needs that need your attending in my powder room."

Marco blushed, "Yes, dear." He was practically behind Star as she led him away. All was quiet again among the girls. The Queen had asserted her dominance. To the older adults who were confused about what had happened, Tom shot them a glance that said: Welcome to the family. At least Star chose a normal route instead of possessing Marco's body or showing up in her Butterfly form.

With the thirst dealt with, Tom mainly spent the next couple of hours with his new family and they were a delightful bunch. Many of them asked all kinds of questions about the prince's life, and he only wished he had more time to answer them. Well, I better just hang out with them on Earth, he decided trips to the dimension would be a good chance to distance himself from work when he could swing it.

The time for the wedding came almost too soon, and Tom took his spot under the archway in the front of the throne room. It took all his energy to keep from shaking like a scared kitten. So many people were watching him and there was still a ton of crap to do before the night was over. But it was all going to be worth it very shortly, that was the only thought keeping Tom sane.

Somewhere, a gong rang, and a hush fell across the guests, causing them to return to their seats. The Diazes, Butterflys, Johansens, and Pony Heads sat on the Ordonia side of the aisle, and the rest on the Lucitor side. Despite initial scuffling, the Butterflys and Johansens seemed to get along decently. Perhaps the weight of what was to happen outweighed petty rivalry. On the Lucitor side, Dave sat with his arms folded in indifference next to Wrathmelior.

Ignoring him, Tom focused on the priest getting ready to officiate the ceremony. He was the same demon priest from the Blood Moon Ball, and he set a large, dusty book on the podium. The pages covered in ancient runes were stained red by the light of the Rose Window. Alright, Tom breathed. Let's get this started.

"Dear friends," the priest tapped on the microphone in front of him. "We are gathered today to celebrate the marriage of two young souls under the ruby light of the Rose Window—symbolic of the Blood Moon. Just as the mystical moon binds two lucky souls together for eternity once every 667 years, so marriage binds two houses, two kingdoms, two individuals. It should be entered seriously. If anyone objects to this union, please speak now."

Tom expected either two outcomes: the usual subjects would balk over the fact he wasn't marrying Star, or the rabid fangirls would cry over losing their hot piece of demon tail. Surprisingly, no one said a peep. When the thirty seconds had elapsed, the priest turned to Tom and asked, "And do you, Prince Thomas, accept this union?"

"I do," he nodded.

"Then let us proceed," the priest flipped to another page in his book. "Love is what binds the universe together: the love of friends, the love of family, the love of soulmates. All tangled in a mysterious, invisible web bridging Fate to Fate. Let us celebrate the weaving together of two souls in this ceremony."

He then went on into detail about how marriage was the second highest expression of love found in the universe, with the first being the Blood Moon. While the audience seemed touched by the priest words, it took all of Tom's self-control not to roll his eyes. What a bunch of flowery nonsense. First, the fact Underworld weddings imitated the Blood Moon Ball was a sad attempt to cover the usual dysfunction of every Lucitor couple in history. Second, could they cut the purple prose and get the ceremony over with?

Finally, the organ droned a prelude through the stalagmite pipes in the walls, creating an ethereal yet grand atmosphere in the room. Hearing the music gave Tom a bunch of rather conflicting memories. The wedding march was a variation of the Blood Moon Waltz…which made Tom regret ever being fourteen years old. Yes, he was aware of the fact during the Blood Moon Ball. And yes, he had serious issues that took way too long to sort out.

Shoving his awkwardness aside, Tom tried to stand tall as the procession began with the bridesmaids and groomsmen entering in pairs: Star and Marco, Pony Head and Seahorse, Kelly and Alfonzo, and Jackie and Ferguson. After last night, Tom was surprised to see the last two males alive. So far, they fulfilled their role of walking around in dress clothes and doing nothing stupid, which was all Tom cared about.

Marco flashed Tom a smile when he passed, "Get ready. I think you might actually faint when you see Janna."

Tom raised an eyebrow but kept his gaze fixed on the door in front of him. Anticipation replaced reluctance and fear, and it made the demon so jittery his skin felt like it was burning. Any minute now. Any…Holy Hell! Now, Tom prided himself on not being a sappy romantic like Marco—who quivers anytime Star just looks at him—but all of the cliched feels consumed him the moment Janna appeared escorted by her parents.

She wore a full-length black ball gown with red accents on the bodice and layer of tulle under the skirt. In fact, even the dark fabric itself seemed to have an otherworldly burgundy sheen to it, causing Janna to practically glow under the light of the Rose Window. Slender, black gloves covered lower arms up to the elbow and were rimmed with dark violet fish netting. But what made Tom's heart melt like wax was the expression on her face. He could tell she hated how everyone stared at her or the fact she had to wear a formal dress, but the warmth in her gaze directed at him alone was perfect. Hot lava started to ooze out of Tom's eyes and he dabbed them away. Being emotional wasn't his thing, but dammit if he wasn't about to burn the ground with his tears.

The Ordonias, overcome by emotion handed their daughter to Tom and gave their blessings. "Welcome to the family, son," Jorge's voice cracked as he set Janna's hand in her new husband's.

"Thanks, Dad," Tom grinned ear to ear. The Ordonias went to their seats, leaving Janna and Tom staring in awe at each other.

"You look…amazing," he breathed. Honestly, it was the single dumbest thing he could have ever said. Amazing? That's it? He wasn't a stupid teenager anymore and all he could come up with was what a friend might say to another? Well, he tried.

She snickered, "You clean up nicely yourself, Tom." They both laughed, even though doing so was a breach of decorum. Some of the royals in the audience were unamused, but Tom ignored him. He could do what he wanted at his wedding.

Tom squeezed her hand as they faced the priest surrounded by their closest friends. Everyone was smiling, even weirdo Ferguson who had never experienced the genuine love of a woman.

"Dearly beloved," the priest cleared his throat. "Before we complete this ceremony with the exchanging of vows, let us welcome Her Majesty, Queen Star Butterfly."

Star snapped her fingers and a giant ceremonial sword appeared in her hands. She stood at the podium and smiled down on Tom and Janna as she spoke in her most regal queen voice, "Do you, Prince Thomas Infernius Lucitor, solemnly swear fealty, loyalty, and honor to the Obsidian Throne of the Lucitor Kingdom and to serve the Queen of Mewni as your superior as long as you shall live?"

Tom noticed Star glossed over the command to put duty before self, which made him smirk. "I swear," he bowed.

Star smiled and turned to Janna, "And do you, Janna Ordonia, henceforth swear fealty, loyalty, and honor to the Lucitor Kingdom. To serve faithfully as the Prince of the Underworld's right hand. And to serve the Queen of Mewni as your superior as long as you shall live?"

In her typical fashion, Janna shrugged, "Sure thing."

Trying hard not to laugh, Star kept a straight face as she touched the tip of the sword to Janna's shoulders, "Then by the power invested in me as Queen of Mewni and Defender of the Butterfly Throne, I crown you Princess Janna Ordonia of Earth."

"All hail, Prince Thomas and Princess Janna Ordonia!" A crier announced, and the audience bowed in respect. To Janna, Tom did as well, even though he outranked her. He wanted to hammer in how she was going to be more than a figurehead of the family.

With the royal stuff out of the way, the priest returned to the podium to finish the wedding ceremony. "Let us proceed of the exchanging of vows. Do you Prince Thomas Infernius Lucitor take Princess Janna Ordonia as your wife? In times of peace and danger? For richer or slightly less rich? Through the fires of hell, the darkness of the Underworld, and the Fate of the Universe, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," there wasn't a hint of hesitation in Tom's reply.

The priest nodded, "And do you—"

"What he said," Janna cut in.

"You know, I'm glad I don't have to read all of that again," the demon priest chuckled. "Never figured out why you have to do that. Anyways, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride, Prince Thomas."

Tom brought Janna in close for a passionate kiss as a shower of virgin goat's blood landed on them. Although the real tradition called for a virgin sacrifice of a person, Tom figured he'd have to keep Ferguson alive until the ceremony ended. Unicorns, which were the next best thing, were out too. Hopefully, the substitute blood was good enough because this was more than a simple kiss. Tom was passing one of his demon souls to Janna—an unspoken tradition among royalty.

They pulled away as the audience cheered around them, breathless and covered in blood.

"Well that was painless," Janna smirked. "To think all of this preparation went into a five-minute spiel."

Tom wrapped an arm around her, "At least we only have to do this once."

"You sure about that, Lucitor?" She smirked. "We could fake a divorce and have a reunion wedding for a neat publicity stunt."

The prince was about to reply when an army of photographers swooped down like buzzards on a kill to take pictures. He scowled, groaning inwardly as the worst parts of the wedding were coming: the reception and royal ball.


The single longest hour of Tom's life was finally over, and he slumped over his place setting at the dining room table half in exhaustion and half in annoyance. A storm of photographers, well-wishers, and a whole lot of extra crap took the air out of what had been a decent wedding. During the blitz, he didn't have a solitary moment alone with his new bride or thoughts or his friends. It was all about putting up appearances and talking to all the guests. Weddings just sucked.

At least now, things were calming down a bit with the formal dinner—food tended to shut people up. Peace at last! Tom took a sip of his wine and watched Janna look on full of envy. He narrowed his eyes and drank some more with a smug grin on his face. Haha, you have two more months of abstinence, he jokingly glanced at Janna. She loved drinking, and it had to suck not getting shitfaced during her own wedding. Rolling her eyes, Janna waved a finger and Tom's wine turned into bland water. Okay, he sighed to her. Deserved that.

Meanwhile, Jackie and Star were tag-teaming the maid-of-honor speech, sharing notes and memories of whacky adventures they had gone on with Janna. Apparently, the new princess used to be the mayor of detention, stole Marco's personal information on numerous occasions, and helped when Star used to sleep portal. Man…I never knew this, Tom was utterly fascinated by each tale.

"I always figured Janna wouldn't marry a normal guy," Jackie moved to another note card. "I remember in middle school we did one of those 'Where Will You Be In Twenty Years' projects. Janna wrote two options for her future husband: she'd either marry a Swamp Man or drug Marco."

Everyone laughed, especially when Janna chimed in, "I can still be his second wife!"

"Nah," Star giggled. "I'm not about to trade on this one."

Jackie waited for the crowd to die down, then continued, "Since I had a feeling that neither of the options would end up working, I kinda wondered who would catch Janna's eye. Little did any of us know that a flaming demon prince would wander into Echo Creek one day looking for Star. I think I should have known that he'd be the one for my friend or that Janna would scheme for that to be so. Am I right?"

Janna shrugged, "Confidential." What's that supposed to mean? Tom eyed his new wife but said nothing.

Star took up the next part of the speech, "I'm glad someone took Tom off my hands." Her joke made everyone laugh, including Tom.

She smiled at her friend, "Now, I don't have to worry about being invited to any more demon proms. Anyways, seeing these two become an item is just amazing to watch. I've never seen anyone withstand living in a place that's hotter than fire without getting burned constantly or actually try to understand demon magic. Glossaryck refused to teach me. And…this just works. No one else would make a better Queen of Hell than Janna and I'm glad to have you on the Team Starco monarch collation. We're all going to rock Mewni our way—which is my advice to you, by the way. Go nuts!"

"Maybe not too nuts," Jackie added. "But seriously Janna…have fun with your life. You're gonna be the coolest kid at college. Not even Brittney Wong can boast being a literal princess. Also, can't wait to babysit Dante—it's going to be…interesting. Don't worry, I can handle it."

A round of applause signaled the end of the speech and both girls gave Janna a hug before returning to their seats. The pleased grin on Janna's face was just perfect and Tom kissed her hand. Being married to an incredible person like her was the grand highlight of his life.

Next, it was time for the best man speech, delivered by Marco. The king rose from his seat and walked to the front of the table, his shoulder tassels clinking with each step. I wonder what kind of speech he's going to give?

Marco cleared his throat and brought out a single card from his coat pocket, "I knew I was in trouble when Tom delivered such awesome speeches on my behalf at the Prince's Ball and my wedding." People laughed, and Marco took the time to gather his thoughts, before going on, "You have no idea how much I've thought about this speech. Except for Star…apparently, I've muttered the entire thing in my sleep. Twice." Star snickered from her seat.

"I guess after all this time, you're all wondering what I think about Tom Lucitor," Marco continued, "Well...it depends on when you'd ask. Fourteen-year-old me thought the guy had serious issues. What was I supposed to think when I saw this guy try to whisk away my best friend to some creepy demon prom? I had heard about this guy already. One day, Star was very upset over…I think Oskar not noticing her advances—his loss, by the way. Anyways, when I tried to help she snapped at me, 'Will ya just leave me alone, Tom.' That's when I knew…ugh, I'd have to help Star with the forces of boy issues."

Laughter from the crowd made Marco chuckle himself, "By the way, those boy issues went on for about a year and a half. Anyways, Tom and I started out as mortal enemies, as you could imagine. I think the lowest point wasn't when he tried to barbeque me for stealing his dance at the Blood Moon Ball. It was when he tried to make Star like him with the phony guidance counselor and when he kidnapped me for calling his bluff. Yes, Tom, Star and I are definitely smooch buddies now, not sorry. Surprisingly, things got better between us. We became friends—bonding over videogames and Love Sentence songs. I'd never had a guy friend who was just so cool when he didn't try to track you with various hexes."

Alfonzo and Ferguson frowned when Marco confessed that Tom was much cooler than them—which was undeniably true. So far, the speech was pretty poignant, although Tom knew Marco was about to some deep, poignant stuff just by reading his expression when he moved onto the next part.

After a brief pause, Marco sighed, "Now, if you asked fifteen-year-old me what I thought about Tom…it would definitely depend on when you asked. If you asked around my birthday, I don't know what I would tell you. I had just realized my feelings for Star and I had to live with the fact she was with Tom. You wanna be a good sport about it because they're your friends, but it hurt. A lot. And that hurt just kept getting worse and worse. On top of everything, I lost my best friend. I think that's what hurt the most—watching my friendship with Tom unravel because we were so busy being caught up in the passion of being romantic rivals."

The heaviness in Marco's voice tugged on all of Tom's souls. He was right—all of the bickering and fighting was wrong. They were friends, and they should have never let feelings get in the way of that. I wish I could undo those six months.

Their eyes locked for a moment, and Marco took a breath, "Honestly, I partly blame myself for this. I should have been honest about my feelings to you, Tom. Instead, it just boiled out of control until we physically fought to the death. At that point, our friendship was over and…it stunk." Even the crowd seemed deeply moved, sitting in stone silence. Both prince and king could feel deep regret flow between them in words unsaid.

Then Marco flashed a gentle smile, "Luckily, the story didn't end there. When I needed a sponsor for the Prince's Ball, I was forced to reach out to Tom for help. And we started to bond again—slowly. Very slowly. We both had to work on things. Yet, I couldn't ask for a better friend. Tom helped keep me and Star together after the infamous dinner in the Underworld. Buddy, I'm so glad you resisted kissing Star—yes, I know about the incident."

"Hey, man," Tom replied, "Wasn't about to have you kick my ass again."

Marco laughed and went on, "And how can I ever forget how you lead Team Starco out into the Mewnian Wilderness to find me and Star? Or how you fought against Eclipsa, Mina, and Meteora? To bring my point home, if you asked me about Tom Lucitor today, I'd proudly tell you he is a good friend is an awesome soul and will stick with you until the end while humming all of Love Sentence's greatest hits. Tom—"

His voice cracked from emotion, "—I mean it from the bottom of my heart when I say that I love you. Hope it doesn't come off as kinda creepy, but I do. You're like the brother I never had until I actually got a brother. While the future looks kinda scary with king stuff on the horizon, but if anyone is worthy of being a leader, it's you. I know how daunting this stuff is—I went from being a normal Earth kid to a king in two years. But you can do it…I know you can, and you have me as your best friend no matter what."

The speech left not a single dry eye in the room, except for Dave but he had no heart to begin with. Tom spied his father sitting with his arms crossed, likely upset over Marco asserting Tom would be a better king. Whatever, the prince ignored the malcontent and wiped a few tears from his eyes. Damn Marco for drowning him in so many feels at his wedding. The two bros hugged when Marco went back to his seat, which only made such a touching moment even more so.

"I love you too, in the bro-iest way," Tom muttered. Marco grinned ear to ear and was about to say something when Pony Head floated over.

"Geez, you two, get a room or something," she butted in rudely. "But like, I'm starving here. Bring out the grub, Demon Boy." You're so lucky we're in front of hundreds of people or you'd be dead! Tom inwardly fumed, but let his anger go as plate upon plate of food emerged from the kitchen. Plus being an emotional wreck worked up his appetite.


When the time of feasting had ended, all of the guests slowly filed into Lucitor ballroom with full bellies. Aside from the wedding, the royal ball was poised to be the biggest event of the night, full of dancing and the usual hoopla that came with royal events. Tom could hardly contain himself with excitement—more social interaction…whoopie.

On the bright side, the dancing would keep him awake, as well as the natural brightness of the ballroom. There was only one spot of natural sunlight in the Underworld and the Lucitors had built a dancefloor right underneath it. Through a hole in the roof of the Underworld, enough sun filtered through to keep the room lit, leaving the torches and chandeliers as mere decorations. Another unique feature of the space was the black granite floor. Red and gray flecks were swirled in the polished rock, giving it the look of a nighttime sky full of stars. Many felt like they were standing on the universe itself.

As the last of the guests trickled in, the musicians started to play elegant music on their stringed instruments. For a while, the princes and princesses clung to the far walls of the room with the empty floor an impenetrable barrier between them. What are we? Scared kids at the Silver Bell Ball? Tom reached for a cup of non-alcoholic punch and observing how the floor remained empty. At last, Prince Kelpbottom strode across the floor and asked Princess Spiderbite to dance, triggering the other princes to find their courage. Not long later, the entire dance floor was filled with partners waltzing and twirling together. The game had begun.

Tom continued to hold out, not feeling in the mood to go through with the stupid ritual although he spied a few of the princesses eying him. When I'm good and ready, he turned away and hummed the melody of the song while watching his friends. Pony Head was trying way too hard to get Prince Kelpbottom's attention, leaving Seahorse mid-dance. Star, as usual, was the delight of the ball despite being seven months pregnant. Typically, royals of larger and more important kingdoms had no shortage of eager participants. Lines of knights and princes waited for a coveted dance with the Queen of Mewni—something Marco was very aware of. Unlike his wife, the King of Mewni was a reluctant participant and chose to stay by the snack table. He did manage to come out of his shell when Sir Higgs invited him to dance. I thought I'd never see the day, Tom chuckled. Who knew Higgs could dance so well? Knight training probably helped with footwork.

"Is this like a spectator sport or something?" Janna joined Tom's side, slipping off her heels. "By the way, this is the last time you're seeing me in a formal dress. I hate this thing."

"But it makes you look so hot," Tom winked, watching her blush. "As for the dancing, my dearest Janna, haven't you heard of the 'Sport of Kings?'"

"Isn't that horseracing?"

Tom shook his head, "That's what peasants think, but this is the real 'Sport of Kings' right in front of you." A game every royal was conditioned to know how to play from an early age.

Considering his words, Janna replied, "There's a reason we had to have a ball and not a normal reception, isn't there?"

"Oh, there's definitely a reason, and it's not pretty." The prince wasn't kidding. He found out the secret not too long ago and it made him look at royal balls totally differently. How to explain this to Janna?

She seemed intrigued and Tom went on, "It's to help us royals 'play the field," if you catch my drift. It's extremely rare for royals to marry someone they actually like, so affairs are very common. Many of them use formal dances to figure out who they want to have an affair with—it gets out pent-up feelings."

"Basically, it's an excuse for organized cucking?" Janna smirked. "I'm down. How common are we talkin' about?"

Tom answered flatly, "It's almost a given that a royal has had an affair—or several. You get married under flowery imagery of blah-blah, find out your new spouse doesn't gel with you, then go on the prowl. Divorce is rarely allowed because you gotta keep up appearances, but then again, it's not needed. Girls love guys with money and who wouldn't want to sleep with a king."

"That's dark…"

"Well, it's true. Now, of course, there are exceptions to the rule: Queen Moon and River stayed loyal to each other as have Star and Marco." And the two of us, but Tom knew it didn't need to be said. Janna would never walk off on him and he knew better than to go even window shopping.

"Do you think your Dad…?" Janna glanced at the King of the Underworld. The creep was busy trying to impress a few of the older princesses, but they walked away uninterested.

"Nope," the prince shook his head, "He's too mean to have another woman interested in him, making him the first Lucitor in a long time without any extra kids. The males in my family are huge playboys—and I hate it! The tendency to stray comes from an excuse about having demon blood. Being hot on the inside is said to be a huge drive boost. But of course, that's bullshit…well the lack control bit is—" he pulled Janna in close for a kiss, "—I only have eyes for you."

"Oh, I know there's no competition," she kissed his cheek. "I can curse you to repel every girl in a half mile radius if I had to."

"I know you can," he chuckled. "You know, the only family that rivals the Lucitors in sleeping around are the Butterflys. Let's just say quite a few queens have gotten around Mewni quite a few times. In fact, a few of them never formally took kings so they could continue to chase. There's a theory Mewberty drives the behavior."

"Damn…" Janna's eyes grew large. "Sounds like a miracle Star just has eyes for Marco."

"Not really. She really adores him."

Tom's eyes were drawn to his friend really impressing another prince. Star always was extraordinarily light on her feet, almost like she was gliding with each step. Throw in such bright blue eyes, and you got the "Star Effect." Virtually no male in the universe was immune from it; side effects included heart palpitations, the burning need to up the ante, and grinning like an idiot. Tom knew it too well. It worked each time, although Star never intends to sweep every prince in the kingdom hopelessly off their feet. In fact, too well worked—the prince she danced with seemed utterly smitten.

"Man…" Janna said. "Star's quite a charmer."

Tom was about to comment when he spied something spurring the prince to wipe the smile off his blushing face. Nothing could chill the moment in an instant like the brown death-glare from Marco, who was so mild-mannered he couldn't scare a fly most days. There was another tradition from the olden days where a jealous lover could always intervene by killing any potential suitor around their spouse. A tradition Marco almost revived during the Prince's Ball. Scared out of his wits, the prince politely bowed, passing Star off to another, and quickly shuffled away.

Next to Tom, Janna whistled, "Sheesh, Diaz was about to throw down."

"Yeah…" he rubbed his arm. "Goes without saying he isn't a huge fan of the attention Star gets. But, Starship was fine, and everyone knew their boundaries. You can tell that by reading the dance."

"You're telling me there's strategy to royal balls?" Janna shook her head slowly, "Tom, this isn't chess."

"You're wrong actually. There's a lot of strategy that goes into ballroom dancing. If you know what you're looking for you can tell a lot about dynamics, rank, level of interest, whatever. Being around these events constantly gives you an eye for it—something Marco doesn't have. Star might be a flirty dancer, but she only gives smitten goo-goo eyes to Marco. Seen it since the Blood Moon Ball—you'll know it when you see it…trust me."

Considering his words, Janna shrugged then turned her attention to the crowd, "So…what does Pony's dancing say about her?"

Already, she had danced with the bulk of the other princes and knights, whispering closely in all of their ears and getting really close. Seahorse floated in a corner after his turn, completely oblivious to the messages his girlfriend was giving.

The sight made Tom groan, but the signs were clear. Seahorse needed to worry about what the princess was doing when she went clubbing. "She's…something," Tom said simply.

"You're saying Pony Head dances like a slut, aren't you?" Janna's blunt comment nearly caused Tom to choke on his punch.

"No…"

"You can be blunt around me, Tom."

He sighed, "'Kay, fine. She is. She's way too into every guy she's with, and I think her relationship with Seahorse might end soon. I think Pony is playing the scene rather hard, and a few of those Pony Head knights don't seem to mind her advances. I don't know…might be her dancing style too. You learn to read everyone's style—some of us are just natural flirts. It doesn't mean a thing."

To move onto something more wholesome, Star had Marco Jr. hoisted in her arms, spinning him around in gentle circles while the toddler giggled. Tom noticed Janna watching with a slight smile on her face, and he wondered if she was thinking about the days when she would dance with Dante like that. He was, and the image melted his already molten heart. Too bad we haven't figured out mind reading yet, he sighed.

Nearby, a growing crowd of princesses flocked to get a good look at Tom. Janna noticed, "Lemme guess, being Prince of the Underworld makes you a hot commodity?"

"Yep," he nodded, feeling duty call. There was no way around the inevitable. "Lucitor charm helps too. No doubt you'll cause some of the princes to swoon in that dress of yours."

"Oh, now I hope you won't get the wrong impressions, my prince," she winked. "You know I'm going to let you meet my suitors first."

"I can barbeque them to ashes," Tom grinned wickedly. If any of those loser bachelors took any ideas, the prince would be happy to remind them of their place. Yet, he didn't take any of it seriously; it was a sport. "But seriously, have fun. I'll only go murder-Diaz on your ass if it's absolutely needed…or if I get bored."

They both laughed until a cough from a young prince got their attention. The shy kid shot a nervous glance towards Tom, then bowed to Janna, "Princess Janna…may I have this dance?"

He acts like I'll kill him, Tom smirked and let the two head off to dance. Plus, he had a whole waiting list to get through himself. Let the games begin, the prince finished his drink and went down the line. If they came to have a good time with the legendary Prince Thomas, then he would deliver in highfalutin Lucitor prince style. He approached Princess Jaggs and bowed, using his most formal voice to ask, "May I have this dance, my princess?"

Of course, no girl could defy his devilish charms, and Tom prepared himself for a night full of pleasantries and dancing. For the greater part of an hour, the room was filled with royals twirling on the dancefloor and trading partners between movements of classical music. Idle chatter, laughing, and music made the atmosphere lively, so it was hard not to get really into every dance. Plus, the social interaction side wasn't too bad. Many of the princesses Tom led around were old friends he had been meaning to catch up with. Princess Jaggs was working to turn a part of the old St. Olga's into a princess museum, and Penelope was thinking about proposing to Slime within the next year. First, she had to lobby against old laws preventing a Spiderbite from marrying a monster, which was hard. Old ways died hard. When he passed her off and asked another princess to dance, Tom's mind was still buzzing from his talk. Who knew the young royals were out doing such good for Mewni? He needed to step up his prince game.

One thing he didn't need to improve where his dancing skills. Years of being the best male dancer at Silver Bell Balls made Tom the ultimate dancer. If Star had an effect on princes, then Tom was posses with the power to seduce any girl in the room. Each of his dance partners—even the ones in committed relationships—blushed and swooned in his arms. Their actions didn't affect Tom aside from making him laugh. He still had the old Lucitor charm—which got many of his line into trouble. Meanwhile, Janna also seemed to be the center of attention for many of the princes. Seeing her have such a nice time—albeit it with other guys—was great. His waltz lessons and talk on protocol really helped her.

Time went on and Tom noticed the older monarchs, who were seated on their thrones instead of dancing, glancing between him and the dancing queen. The prince didn't need to hear them to guess what they were talking about. Whatever happened on the dancefloor stayed on the floor—it meant nothing.

With another satisfied princess sent back to the sidelines, all eyes fell on Tom standing in the middle of the dance floor alone. Even the music paused to create a dramatic mood. There was one last female monarch the Prince of the Underworld needed to dance with…and it was a no-brainer as to who. Gossiping and whispers spread an electricity in the air, and Tom rolled his eyes. How many years would have to pass before people forgot about the infamous Silver Bell Ball? Five hundred? They both married other people for corn's sake.

Tom strode across the floor towards Star, who was parked by the nonalcoholic pinch table with Marco, Kelly, and Jackie. The other two girls saw Tom coming and began to whisper amongst themselves, likely remembering the last super formal dance between Star and Tom. Marco seemed oblivious, which was for his own good. A reason this dance was saved for last was to prevent the king from flipping out. Again. Play it cool, the prince reminded himself. He was just asking his friend to dance. This about decorum and having fun

When he reached Star, Tom dropped to one knee and placed a hand over his heart in an overly formal gesture before taking her hand. Normally, lower princes never looked the Queen of Mewni in the eye, but they were friends. "Queen Star Butterfly," he had to choke back a laugh at how absurd it was to act so formal around her. "May you honor me with a dance?"

Tom knew without looking that Marco had certainly raised an eyebrow. For everyone's good, he ignored his bro. Star giggled, placing her hand in Tom's, "I would be delighted, my prince."

Marco was definitely scowling. In truth, the address "my prince" was appropriate. The Lucitor House ruled beneath the Butterflys, the address came more from a point of business-like ownership than anything personal. Again, Marco was king of many things, but understanding royal protocol was not one of them.

Tom got up and led Star into the middle of the dancefloor amidst some whistling and clapping. Easy, he smirked, The real show hasn't started yet. A bold gleam in Star's eyes suggested she felt the same. "You better not go easy on me," she whispered to Tom. "I don't expect you to hold back."

Shooting her a cocky grin, Tom bowed and took her hands, "You should know me by now, Starship." To warm up—and cool the expectations of the audience—Tom led Star into a simple waltz. All eyes in the room watched them intently as they danced though none were more intent than the blazing orbs of Marco. He scarcely moved from his spot despite Kelly's insistence for him to lighten up.

Star shook her head and sighed, "Ignore him, Tom. I guess being pregnant with his children isn't enough to make Marco a happy camper. Plus, I've spent the night dancing with every knight and prince in the kingdoms."

"You think he'll kill me if I let loose?" Tom wondered. "I don't want to stay limited to such a boring waltz the entire time. We gotta bring the razzle-dazzle—it's what we do."

Star went silent for a second likely having a talk with Marco, then shook her head, "I told him to chill. Plus, doesn't he get to dance with Janna?"

Oh yeah, the pair noticed Janna slyly saddling up to Marco's side, winking at him. The stunned and terrified expression on the king's face was priceless. Yet, protocol was protocol. And what an excellent distraction.

"He's afraid she'll hex him," Star informed Tom. "How likely would that be?"

He shrugged, "Hard to say. Janna will at least purposely step on his toes."

They laughed then fell silent, gliding around the room and enjoying each other. For a while, they were busy watching each other and the spectacle of Marco trying to waltz with Janna. She was purposely landing on the wrong foot and forcing the king to follow her, driving him crazy. Now, there's a couple who would never work. Like oil and water. When it came to Tom and Star, it was more like fire and gasoline—when it worked well, they purred like a combustion engine but…Starship and I just had too many issues, Tom remarked, spinning his cooperative partner. But we still get along well as friends. As it should be.

"You know," he mused aloud. "It's amazing to think we're dancing together and it isn't our wedding. Never thought this could happen, y'know."

"Yeah," Star nodded. "It's great—we've both found who we were meant to be with yet have become awesome friends. Hell, I think I know you better right now than I ever did dating you. Like I had no idea your favorite color was red."

"But, Starship, I wear red all the time," he couldn't help but laugh. Their playful banter was not lost on Marco, who tilted his head in curiosity.

"Eyes on the prize, Diaz," Janna yanked on his chin to get his eyes back on her. I'm so glad our first dance was pleasant, her antics with Marco were hilarious.

Star squeezed his hand and flashed a daring smile, "Ready to give the audience a performance they'll remember?"

Thought you'd never ask, Tom signaled for the music to pick up the tempo and brought Star in a bit closer. They picked up the pace to match, changing from a slow, delicate waltz into something much flashier and more impressive. Watching the display made audience grow excited with each dip and twirl, spurring Tom and Star into bolder moves. The heat and electricity between them, which bordered on teasing, was just too fun.

Star laughed when Tom twirled her close to him, "I forgot how much fun this is. I'll always love dancing with you."

"Oh?" He teased her with a deep dip, savoring how the surprise caught her off guard and made her blush. "Sounds a bit scandalous."

He brought her up and blushed himself as Star leaned into him. Sky blue eyes shimmering with lightning, "Not really. Scandalous would be us having an affair—for corn's sake, Marco! It's a joke!"

Nearby, Marco was sitting on the ground mending his bruised feet and very unamused. On the platform, some of the older royals—mainly Butterflys and Lucitors—were passing rumors among themselves. Keep dreaming, Tom glared at the applause the move had garnered.

"Maybe we should stop…" he held Star further away.

"Yeah…" she cleared her throat to dispel her blush. "Giving folks the wrong idea. But give me a moment, this is kinda Marco's payback for running off on me."

Tom smirked, "As you wish, my Queen."

He tried to keep his movements on the tamer side while playing up some flirtatious aspect of them: holding Star a bit closer, dipping her a bit longer, and picking up the tempo. While it could be easy to think more was going on, to Tom and Star, this was just fun. Messing with each other was their thing and they did it so well. Too well, in fact. Neither of them seemed like they wanted to stop when the music wound down.

A hearty round of applause filled the room when the pair parted, thoroughly thrilled by the show. Even Marco seemed rather cool about it, which was a first. Tom kissed Star's hand and bowed once more. "It's always a privilege to share the floor with you."

"Anytime, pal," she smiled. Tom signaled for Marco to take his place on the dancefloor and slipped Star's hands into his.

"Now," he joked to his bro. "I better see you top that."

The king met the mock challenge with a bold gleam in his eyes, "You know it, Tom."

Marco bowed to Star and when he placed his arm around her waist, the room went red. Tom took a breather by the snack table with his friends. Super flashy dancing took a lot of energy and stamina. It was time to yield the floor to the best pair of the night. While Marco lacked the overtly fancy moves and Lucitor swagger, his bold presence with Star was what won over crowds. And the way Star's eyes sparkled while in his arms was just too amazing. To say they glowed was an understatement—they were absolutely radiant with such rapture and joy that only came from a closeness and bond like no other.

"I see what you mean now," Janna smiled as she took her seat next to Tom. "Star does have that look in her eyes."

Tom nodded, "Flashy moves are one thing, intimacy is another. No other couple can top that than Starco." Janna leaned her head on his shoulder and Tom held her close. Marriages might be largely a sham among royalty, but the idea of true love transcending space and time, fate and fortune, life and death was something to aspire to. Maybe it was possible too without a demon moon intervening. The last thought made him lock eyes with Janna, his new wife. They were going to show the whole Underworld and all of Mewni that a functional and loving Lucitor family was possible. He gently cupped her cheeks, bringing her in for a kiss….

"WHO'S READY TO PARTY WITH A PONY?!" A sudden announcement from the dimension's most obnoxious princess shattered the atmosphere, causing even the Blood Moon to disappear.

"Fucking really?" Tom grumbled, pulling back to glare at his "friend." Star and Marco had stopped dancing, both looking like they would tear Pony Head to pieces. Strobe lights erupted, spreading a confusing rainbow over the room as loud club music blasted through the speakers, drowning out Marco's complaints.

A robot DJ screamed, "Who's ready for a Sword Hand Dance?!" Might as well, Tom shrugged off his annoyance and helped Janna to her feet to dance. The other young royals rushed the floor, ready to get the party started. Now, this was a true wedding reception: drinking, partying, and having a good time with friends all night.

Tom was about to lead Janna for a round of sword hand dancing when she pulled him back. "Haven't you heard receptions are for the guest, my prince?" She purred to him. Caught off guard by her words, Tom could only manage to gulp in response. He knew where this was going…and he liked the direction. But…

"What about our first dance?" Tom asked. "It's kinda weird that I had this awesome one with Star and not you."

Janna shrugged, "Not my thing anyway. I mean we can dance alone…just the two of us, if you know what I mean."

"Alright, my princess," he shot her a crooked grin, opening a portal. "Let's take this party elsewhere." As the party raged around them, the Prince and Princess of the Underworld made their leave.


"C'MON FAM, LET'S KEEP THIS PARTY GOING!"

Even after several hours of drinking, dancing, and getting freaky, Pony Head was still in the middle of the dancefloor partying under a rainbow disco ball. She was all alone too; the rest of the young royals sprawled out on the ground like war causalities. Over the course of the ultimate party with Pony Head, they succumbed one by one to fatigue, alcohol poisoning, splitting headaches from loud club music, or all three. It was also unbearably hot, both from combined body heat and the nature of the Underworld, which helped with the general malaise.

Star, the party queen, lay among the wreckage of torn streamers, food crumbs, and sticky spilled drinks. Not even she could keep up with her bestie although she lasted a lot longer than the other royals around her. Marco passed out early after only one hard drink and a few rounds of dancing with Star, Jackie, and Kelly. Nearby, Slime was an odd shade of pink from drinking so much, Higgs was snoring while she slept, and the rest of their group were in food comas. What a night, Star rubbed her belly, feeling the night twin move around. Someone was still up for more, and his mother laughed to herself. At least one of the twins took after her.

Slowly, Star sat up and surveyed the room for survivors. As she looked around, she curiously noticed Tom and Janna were gone. Oooh, she giggled. Guess they were eager to get their honeymoon started soon. She remembered the feeling from both her wedding and the Prince's Ball.

"Star?" She turned to see Marco weakly opening his tired eyes beside her, clutching his head. "What happened?"

"Pony happened," she replied, glancing at the still-dancing Pony Head. She was likely way too drunk to realize she was the only one still having fun.

Marco shook his head, "Had a feeling." He reached in his coat pocket and pulled out dimensional scissors. "I need fresh air, wanna come with?"

"I'm not going to say no, Marco," she playfully scowled and followed him out of the Underworld. On the other side of the portal, Star stepped onto springy, dark green grass under a moonlit night sky. They were on their old hill in Echo Creek; the one that looked over the entire city from the park. Star sent a questioning glance to Marco for choosing a place they hadn't been in years—not that she minded or anything.

He shrugged, "I was looking for somewhere cooler than the Underworld more than anything if you don't mind."

"Any place with you is just fine," she settled down next to him in the grass, savoring the cool air of very early in the morning. While she usually complained about being cold, the breeze was invigorating and gave back the strength sapped by one-too-many conga lines. It reminded her of autumn, and she could taste it's coming even in mid-summer.

Autumn was a fun time in Mewni when the fall crop of corn ripened, and festivals were celebrated in its honor. Ale flowed like rivers and the people were merry until the cold of winter made the fields fallow. In addition to the usual business, the twins would be born then only two and a half short months away. Just thinking about it made Star's heart race. It was going to be so exciting and scary…was she ready for it?

Marco took her hand having read her thoughts, "When the time comes, we'll be ready. We're in this together."

"Thanks, Marco," she leaned into his shoulder and let his musky scent calm her nerves. Her mind went back to the words of the Thunderbird—they can face anything as long as they stuck together. Parenthood would be easy compared to fighting enemies and ruling a kingdom. Maybe.

Laying in the soft grass, Star and Marco held each other as they stared at the stars above them. The view wasn't as impressive as back in their secret meadow, but it was still lovely to see the little pinpricks of light sparkle in the clear sky. One day, they should bring the twins here to get sugaritos and stargaze after a long day of causing havoc in Echo Creek.

"I don't know about sugaritos," Marco chuckled. "Too much sugar is bad for young brains."

"Yeah…" Star muttered. "I'll limit them to one packet apiece, I swear."

With their birth coming soon, Star was bummed she had yet to figure out names for her little bundles of joy. Calling them "the twins" or "them" felt so impersonal. What kind of mother didn't put the effort into naming her children? Marco had a whole notebook of names but none of them seemed right. Any variation of Moon felt weird since she was gone, Comet was the name of the grandmother she never met, and nothing else struck her. It would just have to hit her one day—hopefully soon.

Since it was so late in Echo Creek, the autumn constellations were high in the sky before dawn would erase them. Mentally, Marco shared what he knew about each of them, going over their names and mythology while Star dozed on his chest. Such nice…sounding names, she snuggled deeper. Then her eyes popped open and she begged Marco to stop for a second for her to think.

Of course! Why hadn't she thought about this sooner? The names were perfect: blending both Earth and the traditional, celestial naming scheme for the queens.

Marco and Star's eyes met as they began to tear up with joy at their discovery. A clash of two worlds, two stories, two cultures wrapped in two names. "You thinking what I'm thinking, Marco?"

"Of course, Star," he kissed her forehead. "I love it."

Andromeda and Orion Diaz-Butterfly.


Review Round-Up and Author's Note

We are now officially halfway through Dance since I have 26 chapters planned out (yay!). And treat the last scene of this chapter as a bonus scene. It's more relevant to Ch 13, but seemed more appropriate to have before the chapter. Also, I'm gonna give a warm shoutout to StarryEyedButterfly and her two fics "What Are We?" and "The Butterfly Effect." Both of these stories are excellent reads, so I highly recommend!

Aldal- Dave is like Firelord Ozai, there is no other side to him besides his crappiness. When it comes to ruling and being a good monarch, it's all Wrathmelior all the time; she's great. As for the legend of Turdina, we all know Janna will never let Marco turn that down. Overall, this was a fun chapter showing the complicated lives of Janna and Tom, laying the groundwork for Ch 12 and the next arc. I agree we should never tell Dave about WMD, and I like the idea of a Marco/Hekapoo chapter. Will look into that.

InfiniteClockWise- The idea of a clash of cultures is the main idea for this chapter because humans and demons are very different. Dave will always be a bub and you can argue Wrath is really the better monarch. And yes, more Underworld and we'll continue to get more background on how things work down there as Janna and Tom raise Dante and figure out how to rule.

Bedrock Armor- RIP Doggo, you will be missed. What happened to Oskar is more of a running gag. You can insert whatever high school dropout horror story you like. I personally think he just OD'd on drugs or ended up a hobo or something.