Storm the Castle, Part 1
Unbeknownst to Star as she goes to rescue Marco, Jackie and Levi go off on their own to save him as well. However, what the two will find out will leave themselves shaken to their core, changing everything they thought they knew.

A few weeks ago...

Walking into a monster's castle seemed strange to him. Yes, his home had both monsters and his kind co-exist, but he himself had never went and visited a monster's home, let alone a castle, even. In all his years, he never bothered to really get along together with the monsters in his home dimension, but he respected them nonetheless. He wasn't some sort of rich bastard who felt everyone was beneath him. His parents taught him better than that.

He entered the castle without much problem, walking through the hallway. The monsters inhabiting there strangely looked at him as their attention diverted towards the newcomer.

"This one isn't certainly like that Lynx guy..." One of the monsters noted.

"Looks like a strong one, though..."

"Best not to bother him..."

Suddenly he stopped. He looked around, as if trying to look for someone. Then he spoke. "I would like to speak to Toffee."

All the monsters peered over to the other end of the hallway. Footsteps were heard. The familiar look of gray and tuxedo entered their vision as Toffee walked out the door of that end.

"I heard someone requested my presence. I am here now." Toffee said.

"That would be me, lizard." The newcomer said. Toffee's eyes focused on him, and he looked at the individual with surprise.

"You?" He raised an eyebrow. Before he spoke to him, he focused his gaze to the monsters present. "You're all dismissed. This is a private conversation. And I would like that no one intrudes or eavesdrop on us. Ludo at the moment is asleep." They followed his orders and they soon left the two alone, the doors closed. With everything in order, he turned back to the visitor before him. "Last I heard from you, you were able to deal a near-fatal hit to The Order, forcing them to go into hiding, only occasionally reappearing once in a while now. But that was years ago. Why are you here now?" He asked.

"Last I heard, you've been reduced to now follow the orders of an incompetent bird monster who's shit for leading. Plus, you need to ditch the suit. Or keep it if you want." He chuckled. Toffee groaned.

"You needn't remind me of that. This was a necessary action. I had to do what's necessary. I've already heard enough of that already, and I certainly don't need another in you." He explained.

"Oh, lighten up, you lizard." He paused, before speaking again. "I see you've taken an interest in Princess Butterfly now, who is currently living on Earth as we speak."

"Hmm, that I have, yes, ever since she inherited the wand from her mother. We've... already met, actually, about a week ago. In fact, The Order themselves interfered somewhat, and I told them to never meddle in affairs which they have no concern."

"I know. And I know you'll have another plan to once again get what you want. Or need." He gave a smirk. "I know he's going to be there."

"Ah, so that's why you came here. Of course. I can assure you you will get what you want as well, so long as you don't interfere with what I have in mind for Princess Star."

He laughed. "Are you kidding me, Toffee? We've worked together a few times in the past to know that enough. I understand that."

Toffee let out a snort. "Glad to see we're in the same page, then."

A portal opened up from behind the visitor. "I will return soon enough. Actually, when will it be?" He asked.

"I will simply notify you. I'll expect you in a few weeks."

"It has been a long time, hasn't it, Toffee?" He then exited through the portal.

A few seconds after the portal was gone, Toffee sighed. "Yes. It has been."

In the present, July 5, actually, the two were fast asleep, midnight time in the town. Almost a month had passed since they lost and gained back their powers, and things have been normal since. There was nary a sign of the Plurixian mage nemesis since then. He figured that he must've retreated to do something. Meanwhile, Star and Marco themselves have had a pretty normal months time since as well, save for that one time when Marco grew a beard... and it spread all over the Diaz household, and Star nearly lost her wand again, thanks to Ludo's monsters, but it all went well in the end anyway.

Back to the two, all of a sudden, Jackie's phone rang. She slowly opened her eyes and groggily reached towards her phone, grabbing it.

It took a bit for her eyes to clear up, but once they did, she got a good look at who called her. "...Star?" She groaned, accepting the call.

"Are you both asleep?" The princess asked from her side.

"This... this is a really bad time, Star. Plus, it's midnight. Isn't that a little too obvious?"

"Yes, yes I know that! I'm really sorry for waking you up, Jackie. But something's wrong."

"I hope it's not one of those kinds of mishaps again, Star, like when Marco grew a huge beard..."

"Marco's been kidnapped."

Jackie paused, the words sinking in. She eventually recovered. "I'm sorry, Star. Could you repeat that? I swear I thought I heard that Marco got kidnapped. No, wait, hold that I'm getting Levi."

As she said that, she walked out of her room and went to Levi's. She shook him awake. He groaned and saw her as he opened his eyes.

"Jackie? Wh...what's up? And..." He yawned. "Why so late?" He saw her concerned face. He immediately shook his head to clear himself.

"It's Star." She said. She turned back to the phone. "Alright, Star. Could you repeat that?"

"Marco... he's kidnapped. By Ludo's... or now Toffee's, I guess, monsters."

"Star... what happened?" He asked as Jackie put the phone on loudspeaker.

"Oh, Levi! You're awake too. Anyways, they left me a message, courtesy of one of the monsters. Said that if I wanted to see him alive and get him back, I needed to go alone...and bring the wand."

Both gasped. "You can't! It's a trap, and you know it!" Jackie exclaimed.

"I know, I know! But I have no choice. There's no other way. I began this mess. This was my fault, and now I have to be the one to fix this myself."

"Star, think this out. This couldn't be your fault. We'll come over." Levi stated.

Suddenly, Star shrieked. "NO! You guys can't! And... you're wrong about this. I'm to blame. Now I'm going to be the one to make sure everything's okay again. Don't try to follow me."

"No, wait, Star, hold on-" Both pleaded as Star cut them off, the phone leaving an audible ring, indicating she hung up.

On her end, Star solemnly looked at the phone. She gripped it and looked ahead of her, gaze hardened towards what laid before her. On her sights was Ludo's castle. With a brave heart and her powerful wand on hand, she headed there.

Levi sighed. "Damn it. We have to get there. At the very least, she needs some backup."

"Even though they said she has to go alone? Levi, what would they do if they find out that we came as well?" She asked. She wanted to help Star too, but she was concerned with what they would do to he, and possibly Marco, if they found out she broke that warning.

"Jackie, we've fought them before. The three of us, now that we have our powers again and in full strength, can be able to blaze through them. And we can also just tell them that she really did went alone, and that we wanted to go ourselves. Same objective, different reasons for pursuing that objective. It's not gonna be easy, I know, but we can be able to help her, I know it." He said, trying to convince her.

"Levi, I know you're concerned, Star being like a sister to you, but... think about it. You might risk both of them. We don't know what happens if we do this. We might put them in even more danger."

"Better than to do nothing." He retorted. Jackie turned away from him.

"Better than to risk hurting them even more if we do get involved?" She asked rhetorically, arms now crossed below her chest..

He exasperatedly lifted his arms and brought them back down. "Oh come on, Jackie. Don't... don't give me that. Hear me out, please."

"You're letting your concern for her get the best of you."

He unexpectedly embraced her from behind. "But you're letting your concern for them get the better of you as well." She blushed slightly, but still unwavering to his attempts to sway her opinion.

"I think I have to elaborate. You're concerned for them too, I know, but you're also concerned for us. You're worried about our well-being more. You're afraid what might happen to the two of us if we did intervene." He explained, hoping he was right.

A few moments of silence. Afterwards, she finally spoke. "I...I am. I'll be honest, I'm afraid for all of us. The four of us. I don't know what's gonna happen. I don't know what will the result be if we try. But I don't want that we failed to do anything to save them because I screwed up and that I may risk everything because I did something wrong and-"

"Shhh, shhh, shhh." He soothingly comforted her. "I know. I understand that. It's dangerous, I get that. And the stakes are higher because our lives are on the line. But we'll risk ourselves even more if we don't do anything. It's better to try. You said it yourself, that day. I was too weak to even do anything, but you convinced me it wasn't my fault. Now I'm doing the same. It's not gonna be anyone's fault."

Try as she might, she just couldn't help but be attracted to the way he just kept making her feel better. She calmed down. He stopped her from getting into hysterics. She knew she couldn't ever escape the inferiority she felt, but he was there to always keep her company.

"You're still so damn affectionate, you know." She said.

He lowly chuckled. "Don't try to change the subject." He then turned serious and concerned again. "Jackie, it's worse if we don't try. We may be doing a huge risk by doing either anyway, but the bigger risk is to do nothing. At least if we did try to help, we'll know if we did something that made it the better for them. And... when has anyone ever changed everything to benefit their side by doing nothing?"

She gave a small smile. "I guess I can't exactly argue with that." She forced him to release his arms.

"You say I'm 'so damn affectionate', but you sure as hell don't mind." He remarked, giving a casual smirk.

She shook her head, smirking as she did. "No. Not at all." She went to her room and quickly went back to his, the White Light Bracelet now on her arm. Levi nodded, taking his scissors.

"Right, then. Let's get going."

"Wait." She said, stopping him before he could cut open a portal.

"Hm?"

"What about your parents? You'll have to tell them."

He stood silent, looking down. He then looked back straight towards her.

"I know. At the end of this one, I will."

Toffee stood by the far end of the hallway. The time had come. Marco grumpily sat, leaning on one of the walls of the crystal prison that held him. They finished talking to each other about earlier.

"Notify him. Also, bring another monster with you in case." He told the fly monster. The monster gave an affirmation and soon left. Now all he had to do was wait. Almost about two minutes later he heard a portal open. He saw the two monsters return to their respective places.

"You came quickly." He noted.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, especially this. I'll be waiting outside." The figure said, before leaving.

"Don't attack the princess, if you could please. Let her through." Toffee called out to him.

He raised his hand up. "I ain't harming a girl, you know. That's below me."

All the while Marco looked at the newcomer in curiosity. He then saw him look at him. He felt a bit afraid, actually, when his gaze focused on him.

"Don't be too afraid." He only said to Marco, finally leaving afterwards.

He was then outside. A monster was there too. He sat on the other end, waiting. It was a rather awkward time, but he did not mind. He did not care. So long as he was able to meet him.

"I'm sorry." Ludo said. He was dragging some sort of heavy bag with him.

"You have nothing to apologize for. Because I will not accept it. Now leave." Buff Frog said, rejecting his words.

"I only want us to talk, Buff Frog."

"That is not even my real name!"

This surprised Ludo. "Really? Then... what is it then?" He asked, clearly confused and scratching his head.

"My name is Yvgeny Bulgolyubov."

"Foreign, I assume."

"Will you just get to the point of why you're here?!" He was getting really impatient with the incompetent former monster leader.

"I want us to be good friends again. And... for me to do that, I offer you this." He dragged the bag he was carrying towards him.

"What's inside?" He asked, wary.

"Why don't you look?"

"Not too interested. After what happened, I have no reason to trust you." He began to walk away.

"Come on, just this once! Plus, you left on your accord! And..." Ludo pleaded, but stopped. Buff Frog stopped.

"You were overthrown by Toffee. I knew you should not have trusted Toffee, but you did not listen."

"Yes, you were right! I should've listened, I know! I get it." Ludo exasperatedly said. He calmed down when he saw his former right-hand monster droop his shoulders. He just sat down on the ground, sighing.

"I've thought about it, you know. Out of all these monsters, you're the one I trust the most. I should've listened to your word. I regret that I didn't. And I regret that I let you leave that way. In a way, you're my best friend."

"Is that genuine?"

"Of course it is you bumbling frog! You think I'd be lying to you?!"

Buff Frog chuckled. Some things never would change with Ludo.

"Check the bag, if you would please. I really hope you'd love it." Ludo instructed.

The frog monster was confused. He was still wary of him, but he had to admit to himself that he was a bit curious as to what he brought him to get his friendship back. To that end, he proceeded to went to the bag and grab it, opening it to see tadpoles. He was surprised, and he turned up to look at the diminutive monster.

"Tadpoles?" He only asked. He gave a nod.

Before Buff Frog could thank him however, Star arrived, and she came blazing with magic blasts.

"Where's Marco?!" She asked, as the two frantically avoided the wand wielder's furious attacks.

"Marco? You mean Karate Boy?" Ludo asked as he shrieked as he nearly gets blasted, only part of his clothing charred off.

"No more laser beams, please! I have babies!" Buff Frog begged.

"And I have no idea where he is! Believe me!" Ludo said, hoping she would be swayed.

She stopped attacking them, but she wasn't convinced. "You're lying, Ludo. Why would you summon me to your castle if you didn't kidnap Marco?"

Buff Frog chimed in for him. "It's not his castle anymore."

He felt distraught upon hearing those words. "He's right. It belongs to Toffee now."

Star lowered her wand, eyes wide. "Toffee?! No way. That... that explains a lot, actually." She noticed Buff Frog happily playing with the tadpoles, quizzically looking at him.

"Where did they come from?" She asked.

"Ludo. He gave me these babies."

Star shrugged. "Alright, I'm done. I'm heading to the castle to get Marco back." She walked past them. Ludo followed.

"W-wait, Ludo!" Buff Frog caught up to them.

"What is it now?" He asked, turning back to him.

"I want to thank you. You... you gave me the gift of fatherhood."

Ludo, surprised, quickly turned away. He did not want to see him like this. "If you want to come with us, then you better pack up quickly." And so the frog monster did, catching up to them as he did before.

All three arrived when they see the mysterious person sitting just outside the castle steps. They were confused.

"Um..." Star trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"You're here for Toffee, aren't you?" He asked.

Star just nodded. He just sighed.

"I hope you understand what you're doing, Princess Butterfly."

Star gasped. "How did you know-"

"Who you are?" He gave a smirk. "Trust me, Star. You'll find out soon enough. Now go. Toffee's waiting." Cautious of the man, the trio decided to just follow and proceeded to enter the castle without much difficulty. Once they were inside, the man outside looked ahead. He sighed.

'Hurry up.'

"Where are we?" Jackie asked as the two arrived in Mewni. Levi looked ahead. He cursed.

"We're... a ways off, but I see the castle. For some reason the scissors screwed up again." He explained. "We're gonna have to run. You up for it?"

She had a serious look now, really determined to save them if they can. "You know it."

They both began at a steady pace. Then they went faster. Then with the help of their powers, they upped their speed, leaving a blur of darkness and light on their path.

The stranger had his eyes closed after his thought, but then he quickly sensed the two's energies. He smirked. He raised his hand up. Darkness energy flowed out of his hand. When it reached the two, they wore confusion, wondering what this was.

And then they slowed down. Both quickly noticed, and they tried exerting more energy, but they could not. They eventually slowed to a full stop, and they saw that they've arrived at the castle.

"We're here. But what the heck was up with that darkness energy?" Jackie asked. "Kinda felt... Plurixian."

"That would be my doing." The stranger spoke.

Both gasped in shock, their heads lowering to see him.

They both knew that voice. When they saw him, Jackie instantly recognized the clothing he wore. The same black coat, the same black gloves, the same shirt and pants... it was like as if he was there to see her the next day. Levi instantly recognized his face and appearance. But it was the eyes that what got their attention. Those same damned red eyes that gave a sense of familiarity towards the two. To say that they were shocked by this man's appearance was a huge understatement.

"It's you!" They both said. They gasped again, turning towards each other. "You know him?!" They simultaneously asked the other.

The man gave a mirthful laugh. "It would seem that way. But I have known both of you." He then had his gaze on Levi. "Especially you, Levi."

Jackie gave a curious but worried glance to the prince. "Levi? What do you know about this guy?"

He was shocked into silence. But he recovered and asked Jackie, "You first. How do you know about him?"

"Well... do you remember the time you underwent your maturation stage?" He gave a nod. "When you fell down from the sky and crashed onto the concrete, I went to see you, when I saw this guy, same clothing and all, and there was some sort of blue glow on his hands towards your body. All I knew then was that he healed you up, and he told me that we'd meet again, and that I'd never mention this to anyone-"

"-not even you, Levi." The man interrupted and finished for her.

Levi thought about the events that day. He realized when he asked one time, she never did give a straight answer, and he promptly forgot about it. He realized it made sense.

Now, back to the main topic at hand. He looked back at him as he still hadn't shook off the copious amounts of shock he felt upon seeing him again.

"Eight long years, little brother. It has been eight long years." He said to him, giving a smile that sent chills down both of their spines.

A few tears sprung, dripping down his face. Then he shook his head and angrily cried. "What are you doing here, Yannick?! No—why and how are you even standing here, alive and well, like as if that day eight years ago didn't happen?! I thought you died! I thought you fucking died! I saw my big brother die when I plunged that damned dagger onto your heart! Do you have any idea how much it hurt all of us when I had no choice but to kill you to spare you the pain of your madness, especially me?! IT HURT! IT FUCKING HURT ALL OF US! HOW ARE YOU ALIVE?! HOW IS MY BROTHER, THE ONE I LOOKED UP TO ALL MY LIFE, ALIVE?!"He yelled out towards him.

Jackie gasped, her palm covering her mouth in total shock. 'Is... is this Levi's brother?!' She thought, letting out a few muffled cries. She felt so much pain for her best friend. After all, it wasn't like one could just die and be back from the dead and find out about that eight years later. That was impossible. And she knew how much this big of a revelation could shake someone's mind into something unexplainable.

"Wh-why are you here?" Jackie asked, afraid for Levi.

Suddenly, Yannick laughed like a madman. Then he abruptly ended it when he narrowed his eyes, now truly serious. Once again, both felt the same chilling feeling as before.

"If it wasn't obvious now, then I'll make it official. I'm here to kill you, brother."

Rest in peace, Chester Bennington. You and the band have been a part of the better and worse days I had. The music of Linkin Park will always stay in my heart forever.

Cheesy, I know, but I just felt it. Y'know, I wanted to make a little 'breather' episode before this one. But then that day happened, and it influenced me to change things up. I want to get this done quickly and as beautifully as possible. I figured to save that up for the next one.

With that in mind, two chapters remain before the finale. Remember to review.

Also... if you know anyone in need... anyone who's considering ending their own life... please, PLEASE, help that person. Listen to them, hear their problems, just do the best you can. Be there for that person. Show them that you care, that there are still people in this world who do give a damn about them. Give them hope. That's the best thing you can do. Hope is a powerful force that can change many things.