Another empty dumpster. Food was becoming scarcer and scarcer in these parts. Soon, there wouldn't be anything left. The once thriving city of Los Angeles had been devastated by the colliding of two worlds. Overnight, all supply lines vanished; people had much more pressing concerns than driving a truck full of food to the local grocery store. No, they had to look after their family. But when the food in an area decreases from an abundance to a luxury, people change. They become animals, hoarding what scraps they can come across and attacking any stranger that gets too close.

This was not the mighty species that Buff Frog had seen while undo Ludo. All it took was two weeks for everything to fall apart. While some vigilantes were thriving in this new environment, it was no good for a single father with twelve mouths to feed. Ever since leaving Star and Marco after Butterfly Castle fell, he'd been doing his best to keep his children from starving, but it wasn't enough. Their stomachs begged for food so often at their hiding place that, even now by himself, he could hear the growls in his head.

Those tadpoles had been giving to him as a bribe by his former boss, Ludo, to take back his castle from Toffee, but Buff Frog had instantly grown attached to them. And they'd grown into such beautiful frogs. For them to starve to death here broke his heart, but what else could he do? From what he'd heard from the few other monsters he'd come across in his search of resources, other cities weren't fairing any better.

The whole world was starving.

Maybe it would've been better if Mina had succeeded in killing all of the monsters on Mewni… at least that way their deaths would've been quick. Now he would have to face his kid's sunken faces when he once again came back empty handed. Katrina's tears broke his heart the most. Was it better to live in suffering, or die and just get it over with?

Just one more alley and then he would return home, Buff Frog told himself, shaking his head to clear his negative thoughts. They'd been building over the last couple days and he had to force himself to stay positive. He must give his children the best possible life they could have. If he didn't find anything, they would suffer.

And that was not acceptable.

Movement caught Buff Frog's attention in the back corner of the alley. One of the garbage cans was wobbling slightly. He doubted it was an adult human, they were too big. Maybe a child? Were humans leaving babies in garbage cans in alleys these days? It was disheartening that Buff Frog wasn't confident in his answer to the question.

He started tiptoeing his way over. Whatever it was, it looked like it needed help getting out. The thought of leaving the creature in the trash can left his mind as soon as it entered. Just because he was called a monster did not mean that he had to act like one.

Buff Frog was only a foot away now. Something was definitely inside. He took a deep breath and slowly lifted the metallic lid…

A head flew out.

Buff frog screamed.

"Woah, woah, woah there," Came the thick southern drawl of a magically floating head of a pony, "There is no need to be so rude, mister."

"Pony head," Relief washed over him at seeing the familiar face, "you scared me, what are you doing hiding in trash can?"

Pony head glance down both sides of the alley before bursting out into tears.

"It's not safe for me on this planet anymore!" She cried (perhaps a tad too overdramatic for Buff Frog), "When Butterfly Castle fell, those humans started to hunt my kind down. They thought we were just too cute.

"They're trying to turn us into their pets! I'm a free spirit – not someone's slave. They've already gotten my sisters…"

Pony head broke into another round of tears. Buff Frog was not known for his comforting words, and this was no exception.

"There, there…" He said soothingly. He tried to hug her, but there wasn't really a body to hug. The best he could do is hover his arm around her mane, "I am sure they will be alright."

"No, they won't!" She bawled, "They'll be beaten into submission worse than if they were St. Olga's Reform School for Wayward Princesses!

"I won't be able to recognize them if I even ever see them again…"

Buff Frog had no idea what to do. As much as he would like to help her, he was having enough trouble feeding his kids as it was. There was no way he would be able to support another mouth. But he also couldn't just leave her here.

No.

That was not an option. What kind of example would that set for his children? How could he even look them in the eye knowing he'd done such heartless things to a friend – to anyone for that matter.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Buff Frog said, the struggle still pulling him apart inside.

Buff Frog slowly led the two of them towards the woods. The sun would rise soon and it was never a good idea to be in the cities in the day. Only the powerful and ignorant had such misplaced courage.

"The worst part," Pony head said, breaking the silence that had descended after they'd left the alley, "Is that I still want to go after them. In my head I would go and save them.

"But when they first came for us, I could've tried then, but I didn't. I ran and I hid. I let them get captured. No matter how much I try to tell myself that I could've changed things, or that I still can, I go back to that moment where it's fight or flight and I chose flight.

"No matter what happens now, that moment defines me."

There were no tears. Pony head didn't cry anymore, she'd done enough of that already. This wasn't the emotional hurricane that Buff Frog new; it was a quiet acceptance.

They walked in an uncomfortable silence. Buff Frog opened his mouth several times in an attempt to console Pony Head, but no words came out. Instead, he decided to let his mind wander as he scanned the surrounding area.

They were just within the tree line headed back to his children, who were still hidden deep in the forest. Buff Frog made a shelter out of fallen tree branches near a river the other day and tried to make it seem as natural as possible. The river nearby was essential if they ever needed a quick escape.

Buff Frog looked at Pony Head in slight envy as they made their way up a hill. Did she get tired floating upwards? Or was it the same as always?

And speaking of which, how was she even floating? Star destroyed the realm of magic shouldn't be laying on the ground, flopping like a fish out of water? It probably wasn't the best time to bring up his curiosities.

Buff Frog glanced down the hill. There was an abandoned-looking warehouse below them. It was very industrial, with sheet metal trim surrounding a steel frame and no vehicles in the parking lot. There were no windows either…

…But Buff Frog saw a guard. He was standing by the front door, which was the guard's height plus another half locked tight with chains thicker than Buff Frog's arms. But that wasn't the weirdest part. It was the guard's clothes.

He was a mewman.

"Interesting…" He muttered, not even realizing he'd said it aloud until Pony Head responded.

"What's interesting?" She asked. Buff Frog debated dropping his suspicions for a moment. They had much bigger priorities than an unusual building… but something compelled him to voice his thoughts.

"That building over there… is off." Pony head glanced at the low-ceilinged building.

"Yeah," She snorted, "the person that designed it had no fashion sense. Why even bother building something so ugly."

"I'm talking about the guard by the door. Doesn't it seem weird that a mewman is guarding a door?" and the more he thought about it, the more unsettling it became. Of all the mewmans Buff Frog had ever known, very few had the ability to operate under pressure. Star being the least fearful, of course. But that was with her magic wand. This mewman was standing out in the open, next to one of the biggest cities on the west coast, without any obvious weapons.

It wasn't right. Something important was in that warehouse.

Almost as if it was planned, Buff Frog heard a faint knock. The guard unlocked the chain and slid open the door wide enough for a singular man to walk out before sliding the door back shut. Pony Head and Buff Frog watched him as he made his way down the building's edge before picking up speed and turning towards the tree line once he was a fair distance away from the guard. His back was stiff and rigid.

Buff Frog's curiosity got the better of him and he started making his way to intercept the stranger. He knew something.

Pony head followed silently behind him.

For someone as big as he was, Buff Frog was an expert at stealth. He made sure not to snap any twigs or crunch any leaves – and he was always behind some form of cover so that the mewman would not see him until it was too late.

Pouncing, Buff Frog used his powerful legs to jump onto the stranger and pulled him into a bear hug.

"Got off me!" The man whisper-yelled with wide eyes. His chest was heaving against Buff Frogs burly arms, "Please leave me alone."

"What is going on in that building," Pony Head jumped in, "And don't you dare lie to us – I'll know."

"There's no time," he pleaded, "They'll come looking for me any second now – I have to get out of here.

"I'll tell you everything I know on the way." He added. Buff Frog could feel the stranger's heart pounding; he wasn't faking his fear. He was telling the truth, and that meant they needed to get out of here.

"I'm going to let you go," Buff Frog said, "But if you try to run away, I will drag you back there and hand you in. Now, what's your name?"

It was an empty threat, but the man's eyes widened so far it looked like they would pop out and he shook his head no frantically.

"I won't run away," he rushed, "And my name is Cubert."

Satisfied, Buff Frog released him.

"We can make way back to my hiding spot," Buff Frog said, "It's not too far from here."

They nodded and Buff Frog took the lead since he was the only one that knew where to go. He would've liked to be in the back to make sure Cubert didn't disappear, but the man seemed like an honest one and Buff Frog was fairly certain he wouldn't try anything stupid.

"What is that place," Buff Frog said after a few minutes of light jogging. Once again, he absently wondered if Pony Head got tired from floating and if going fast had any effect.

"A bad place," Cubert said. He was playing his cards close to his chest, it seemed.

"Go on," Buff Frog prodded, "I know that a mewman wouldn't guard a door next to a human city unless he had good reason too, it is very unlike your people."

Cubert looked like he was about to argue, but didn't. Maybe he was different than the other mewmans.

"You're right, it is unusual. I was confused too until I was taken inside," he started, "but they're being brainwashed by Mina. She's planning something big and so I got out of there," Cubert hesitated, before adding, "I need to Find Star Butterfly."

Mina.

Even her name sent rage coursing through Buff Frog. That woman was so full of hatred towards his people. She'd so close to killing him and his family before Star had destroyed the realm of magic, as well as many other times.

And she was alive!

Somehow, she'd come out of battle alive. Buff Frog had thought that Mina died when the solarian warriors collapsed, crushed beneath the tons of metal. Apparently that snake was able to slither her way to safety.

Buff Frog was about to march back to the base, bust down the door, and fight Mina himself when there was a slight ruffle in the bushes next to them. Cubert jumped ten feet in the air.

"They must've found us already!" He whisper-yelled. Buff Frog stepped in front of him and Pony Head. He was the strongest member of the group and he would protect the others at all cost.

Their attacker got closer and Buff Frog raised his fists; this was not his first rodeo. He just wished the others were more experienced.

Something was off. The more Buff Frog listened, the more he was convinced that it was just one person near them. There was only one source it seemed and he couldn't 'hear any voices. Beyond that, it seemed like the person was rather small. Not a buff mewman knight he would expect Mina to send.

Maybe it was Mina herself, but why would she risk coming alone?

Suddenly, the branches in front of them parted, revealing a small green monster.

"Buff Frog?" the mini monster rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, "It is you!"

And there was Ludo, his former boss. Ludo stared at his former employee and jumped, trying to give Buff Frog a hug but only managing to get his arms around Buff Frog's leg.

"Where have you been?" Ludo asked, "I haven't seen you in so long. Of course, I was off of the planet for a while and had that whole spiritual journey – but you never visited to play basketball with me!"

Buff Frog wasn't sure how to react to the situation; he was still frozen in place. This was the last person in the world he'd expected to come across. He'd thought that this toxic leader was a part of the past. He was glad to call himself a friend of Star instead of her enemy.

"I worked for Butterfly Castle," He finally said, lowering his fists, "As royal monster expert."

"That's really fascinating," Ludo nodded his head and for some reason Buff Frog felt like the words were going in one ear and out the other. Just like old times.

"Hey, you should come with me!" Ludo said suddenly, pulling on Buff Frog's shirt sleeve, "Dennis and I have been gathering any wandering monsters we come across on our way to Louisiana. Our camp's not too far from here."

Before Buff Frog could respond, Ludo dived back into the bushes and the rag-tag trio were forced to follow him.

"Are you sure we can trust him?" Cubert asked as the small monster lead the way a few feet ahead of them.

"Trust him?" Buff Frog replied, "No.

"But he is not a bad person," he added, "He has changed a lot since the last time I saw him. Star told me of his spiritual journey and I know that he will not attack us. We should see his camp before making our way to Star; they could provide us with some supplies."

Cubert nodded and his face became a little more relaxed.

It took maybe five minutes before they started to hear signs of another group. Conversations carried by wind, branches snapping under someone's foot, and eventually the gentle crackle of a fire.

The encampment was nothing special. In fact, it was nothing more than a small cluster of huts made out of tree branches. There was a fairly large fire in the center with some meat cooking over it and some monsters huddled around it.

"Come on, Dennis will want to meet you guys," Ludo beckoned them towards the biggest tent in the encampment. Still, Buff Frog had to bend over to get through the entrance. The inside was nothing special except for a map of the United States sprawled across the floor.

"Welcome," Dennis said as they entered, "I take it my older brother found you while he was exploring?"

Buff Frog looked between the two siblings in mild surprise. Dennis may be the younger of the two, but he was over twice as tall as Ludo and had very long legs.

"Buff Frog is an old friend of mine," Ludo jumped in, "We should take him with us."

"Take us where?" Cubert asked.

"Louisiana," Dennis said, "There are rumors that the humans there are more welcoming of our kind and they allow us a safe haven in their swamps. We leave tomorrow morning."

"Is that near Gravity Falls?" Cubert asked.

"I don't know where that is," Dennis admitted, "Louisiana is a state in the Southeast of the country. By our estimations, it will take over a month if we have to walk the whole way. It will be dangerous as well since we will cross many cities, but we will try our best to avoid them when possible. You three are welcome to join us if you would like – we welcome any help we can get."

"I must head north." Cubert said and Dennis nodded.

Buff Frog thought for a moment. This was a chance to get his children to a safe place, maybe the only safe place for thousands of miles. That was not something he could ignore.

On the other hand, Cubert had a mission that involved Star. Why, he had yet to figure out, but Cubert was obviously dedicated. It must be of the upmost importance.

"Unfortunately, I cannot go with you Dennis," Buff Frog said eventually, "But I request that you take my children with you. I must accompany Cubert to find Star Butterfly.

"We will look after them," Dennis agreed, "What about you Pony Head?"

She looked conflicted before a quiet determination came over her.

"I fled when my family was attacked by humans to be broken and sold as pets," she spat, "I will not make the same mistake twice. If Star is in danger, I must help her."

"That is very honorable of you," Dennis said, "I will give you what supplies we have to spare. Star may be the only person who is capable of ending the bloodshed."

With that, orders were given. Buff Frog led a team of monsters to pick up his children while Cubert and Pony Head went over food and navigational tools with Dennis.

"You can't leave us!" Anya, one of Buff Frog's children, cried out.

"Please stay with us, father," Pleaded another.

It broke Buff Frog's heart to see them so distressed. They may not have been his biological children, but to Buff Frog they might as well be. He was about to give in when Katrina stepped forward.

"We will be fine, dad," She said, "You must go help Star."

He nodded before turning to Ludo.

"You gave me these children; promise you will look after them."

For the first time in his life, Ludo looked serious to Buff Frog.

"I will guard them with my life."

Buff Frog nodded his head in respect. Maybe that spiritual journey had changed his former boss after all.

"It is time," Cubert said, handing Buff Frog a backpack, "we have a long journey ahead of us as well."

Buff Frog gave each of his children a hug, tears in all of their eyes.

"This is not goodbye," he promised, "I will see you again."

With that, the trio left the camp and headed north towards Gravity Falls and Star Butterfly.

AN: I know I promised to have this chapter out sooner, but life has a habit of getting in the way. I moved back into my home from college and immediately got super sick. I was pretty sure it was COVID but the tests came back negative so I had either a bad cold or maybe the flu. Honestly, I'm not really sure, I just felt awful. Stuffy noses are the worst for me because then I always get headaches and can't focus. I'm on the last leg of it now and should be completely recovered in a day or two.

Now that that's over, what did you guys think of the chapter? There's a lot riding on this trio getting their message to Star in time. Mina is planning something big…

I won't promise when the next chapter will come out since that almost never happens on time anyways, but also because Christmas is coming up! I've already been tasked with helping my mom bake all day tomorrow (and I still need to get her a present yikes!). I'm also going on a camping trip with my dad after Christmas as well as a few other plans so it's possible the next chapter won't be up till next year, but I'll see what I can do.

Also, this chapter brings this story over the 30k word count! It's always a big milestone for me and I've still got a good chunk of this story left to go.

Hope everyone is staying healthy and has a great end of the year!