Battle for Mewni - Now... We Fight

Butterfly Castle, even after all the crazy parties River has thrown, it has never been in such a state as it is right now.

"Get it out! All of it! That, too! That, too!"

Ludo's shrill demands echoed throughout the castle. He stood next to a marble bust of River, pointing at the piece as if it had personally offended him.

"This is my castle! I don't want to see a single Butterfly face! Move it!" He exclaimed pointing at the sculpture.

One of his rat minions grabs River's bust from a pillar and chucked it out a nearby window. Another group of the vermin grabed photos of Star and her family tossing them out the window as well. Ludo, with a satisfied smirk, walked around the room but soon paused in confusion when he spots a rat sitting down eating pancakes.

"Hmm. Wait, wait, wait. What am I looking at here?" He questioned

Ludo glanced down at the stack of pancakes to see that they're shaped like Star's face.

"Argh! No Butterfly's! Get that out of here!" He shouted

The plate of pancakes was quickly grabbed and thrown out as well, along with the rest of the Butterfly's belongings.

"Is that the last of it?" Ludo asked

A rat stepped forward nodding its head.

Ludo smiled, "And with that, everything in my kingdom is in order."

The Mewman village wasn't in any better state than the castle, with several of the homes on fire and even more garbage littering the streets.

"Corncobs here! Get your corncobs!" A merchant called out

The loud squeaking of rats sounded and the merchant was thrown into a panic.

"No, no, not again!" He shouted

Ludo's rats became a stampede as they swarmed the merchant's stand, consuming all his corn in a matter of seconds.

"These rats have eaten me out of house and home!" The merchant sobbed

Ludo was gazing down from a balcony watching the destruction. "Right, they will do that. Okay, a few kinks to work out, but overall, the citizens of Mewni love me." He turned his attention to another merchant. "Hey, merch vendor, how are the King Ludo shirts selling?" He asked.

"Very, very... very not good. Not good at all, your Majesty."

Ludo frowned confused, "But what about the masks?"

"Those especially. Here, I'll show you." The Merchant put on a mask and faced a small boy who was approaching with his mother. "Greetings, young man. Might I interest you in a King Ludo mask?"

The reaction was instant as the little boy starts screaming in fear. His mother grasped her son's hand and pulled him away.

"Run, baby, run!"

Ludo ran a hand down his hairy chin. "Maybe it's the beard," He pondered.

"No, my lord, they just don't like you." The Merchant corrected.

A couple started to approach pursuing the nearby wares.

"Oh, honey, look at all that great stuff," The Wife said

"Wow. We should load up," The Husband said

Ludo smiled, "Finally, someone with taste!"

"Oh, let me just…" The Husband walked right by the cart selling the Ludo products going over to the pile of trash housing the Butterfly family's possessions. "This would look great in our foyer." He smiled holding up River's bust.

"How much for this handsome fella?" The Wife asked.

The Merchant nervously glanced around tenting his fingers. "Oh, well…"

"It's not for sale! Come on! You know what? That's it. Levitato!" Ludo cast a spell lifting up the Butterfly family's possessions sending them flying high into the sky. "There! All that terrible Butterfly stuff is gone! Now, how about a nice King Ludo coffee mug or a bobblehead?"

"We don't want your stuff," The Husband said.

"Yeah, we don't like you. Nobody likes you, dude," The Wife added.

"You see what I'm dealing with here?" The merchant said, gesturing to the couple.

"I am your king! I command you to like me!" Ludo shouted

The Husband just stared at Ludo. "...No."

Ludo threw his hands up and let out a series of frustrated muffled yells, throwing a bit of a temper-tantrum.

River and Marcia had spent their time during Ludo's take over in the castle dungeons incarcerated. The duo was strung up, hanging about a foot off the ground, rusty shackles clasped around their wrists. With nothing to really do the two kept occupied by playing a game of chess, using rocks and dead bugs as their playing pieces.

Using his big toe, River moved a rock across the dirty ground. "Checkmate."

Marcia sighed, head sagging. "I'm bad at everything."

"First rule of chess, Marcia, you must always protect your king," River said.

The door handle started to jiggle and River quickly swiped his foot across the ground getting rid of the makeshift chessboard, brushing everything away. The door opened and in steps Ludo with some rat guards posted by his side.

"What do you want?" River asked with a deep-set frown.

"You're coming with me," Ludo said.

"No way. I'm not going anywhere with you," River said.

"That's too bad. It's urgent royal business." Ludo shuffled over and unlocked River's restraints. "I need you to command the people to like me."

River threw his head back bellowing laughter echoing out. "Why would I do that? I don't even like you. Shuffling about and talking to that wand hand of yours. It's weird."

"He's right," Marcia added.

"Fine!" Ludo growled, "If you won't help me, then you can just rot in this cell! Say good-bye to your freedom!"

He held up the key to the chains, showing it off as hung from a thin necklace. Ludo raised the necklace and attempted to put it around his neck but his head was far too big for it to fit.

"Come on, you stupid chain," Ludo strained trying to force the accessory on.

Both River and Marcia bite their lips muffling their laughter.

"Oh, Ludo…" Marcia chuckled.

Ludo held his hand out, "Butter," He demanded.

A rat guard pulled out a stick of butter placing it in Ludo's awaiting hand. He takes the dairy product and slathers it over his and is finally able to get the key down and around his neck.

"Change of plan. I'm giving you twenty-four hours to figure out a way to make the people of Mewni like me, or I'll...I'll Levitato you into the sky forever!" Ludo threatened

"Ooh, I'm so scared," River sarcastically said.

"Twenty-four hours," Ludo repeated.

He gave the prisoners one last sneer before he and his guards took their leave.

"Dude, Ludo's gone completely nuts," Marcia said.

"You're telling me. He left behind a perfectly good stick of butter!" River stretched his leg out going for the butter. "Oh, I can...almost taste it."

"River, now is no time for-" Marcia gasped realizing something. "Butter!"

The young lady manages to kick off her boots and starts to use her toes to reach for the butter too.

"Yes, yes! You're young and limber. Reach out for it, girl." River said

Marcia points her foot all the way down to the toes, her leg stretched out to the max, with excellent dexterity, she manages to grab the butter securing it between her toes.

"Excellent! Ha-ha!" River cheers.

"Now all I gotta do is…"

Marcia kicks her feet up, folding her body in half so the butter, still grasped in her toes, could touch the shackles on her wrist.

"Ha-ha!" Marcia cheered

"You are limber but careful. Save some for the gruel, girl," River said

Marcia rubs the butter on her wrists then gives a sharp tug, and her wrists slide right out.

"Nice work, Marcia," River said

Marcia put the butter in River's hand. "Here, butter yourself up, and I'll see if I can figure a way out of here."

"Try the AC vent," River said

Marcia looked to her right quickly locating an AC vent. "The dungeon has air conditioning?"

"It's a dungeon, not a torture chamber," River said

Marcia grasped the grate and pulled, opening the vent. "Nice! How are those shackles coming?"

She turned to look Rivers' way only to find the butter gone, the remnants of the butter smeared all over the King's mouth.

"I don't think this is going to work," River said

"River!" Marcia exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips. "Did you eat the butter, River?" She scolded the man like a child.

River frowned, looking down sadly. "...I used to be king," He mumbled.

Marcia pinched her brows. "Okay, okay. I'll go steal that key from Ludo, and then we'll both get out of here."

"You should just go. This isn't your fight," River said

Marcia paid no mind to River as she climbed into the AC vent.

"Marcia, listen to your king!" River said

Marcia was on her hands and knees as she crawled through the vents. It wasn't too long before she came upon another grate. Crawling over to the slotted opening she peered through the metal paneling.

"Whoa. The royal bedroom."

Marcia examined the room and spotted a lump in the bed, someone under the sheets slumbering away.

"Ludo!" Marcia hissed in a sharp whisper.

She quietly opens the vent grate and with the use of a tapestry, she slides down; landing soundlessly on the floor. Walking on the balls of her feet, Marcia crept up to the bed, each step silent. When she was close enough Marcia grasped the sheets and pulled them away, but she was surprised to find not Ludo but a Mime girl.

Marcia let out a startled scream but her mouth was quickly covered.

"Shhh!"

Marcia's body reacts before her mind could catch up, and she bit the person's hand.

"Ow!"

Marcia turned around to see who had been covering her mouth and found herself face to face with Ruberiot, who was now holding his hand.

"Ruberiot?" Marcia questioned

"Why'd you bite me?" Ruberiot said

"I'm sorry, it was a reaction. Why'd you cover my mouth?" Marcia asked

"We gotta stay quiet. You're gonna get us caught."

Ruberiot reached behind Marcia, where a food serving cart was, and grabbed a chicken wing. The sound of a flushing toilet echoed out and Foolduke comes strolling out of the bathroom, a satisfied smile on her face.

"Whoo! How'd I ever live without a solid gold toilet?"

"What the heck is going on here?" Marcia exclaimed

"Since Ludo took over, we've been hiding in the vents. And when he's not around, we eat his royal leftovers," Ruberiot explained grabbing more food from the cart.

"And bathe in his royal bubble bath," Foolduke added

Mime Girl acted out sleeping in the bed.

"And sleep in his royal bed. She was miming that we sleep in his royal bed," Ruberiot said

"These villagers are so ungrateful!" Ludo's loud voice filtered from the other side of the door.

"And end scene!" Foolduke said

Everyone in the room rushes back into the vents, hiding away. The door opens and in steps Ludo with his bald eagle and giant spider. Ludo for some reason was wearing one of his own Ludo Masks, which seemed to add more to the creepy factor that the mask had.

"I don't get it. How are these things not flying off the shelf? It can't be for my lack of devilishly good looks." Ludo sighed taking the mask off. "I've got that whole Levitato-ing King River to do. Being a king is simply exhausting."

He laid down in the bed and instantly went to sleep.

"Now's our chance. If we can get that key from Ludo, we can free the king and-"

"Whoa. I'm gonna have to stop you right there. You see, as artists, our job is to comment on the world around us, not "doing stuff". A heavy burden, yes, but that's what it means to be an artiste," Ruberiot said

"Oh, please. You, an artist? You're nothing but a jingle scribbler," Foolduke said

Ruberiot glared, "And you're a buffoon."

"The buffoon is merely the facade for my pointed social commentary. That's what makes me a true artist," Foolduke said

"Not as much of an artist as the mime," Ruberiot said

"Obviously! We all know the mime is an artistic genius!" Foolduke hissed

Mime Girl looked elated, with a wide-open smile, as she tapped her feet excitedly.

"Genius," Ruberiot and Foolduke said

Marcia sighed briefly, palming her face. "Guys, look. I'm not a soldier either, but there's a time when you have to get off the sidelines and get involved. And if the four of us work together, we can save the true king of Mewni. Now, who's with me?" She asked, pointing at the group.

"Now, see, I wouldn't use that hand gesture. It's just been done to death," Foolduke said

"And you never want to end a sentence with a pronoun," Ruberiot added

Marcia blanched at the two. "...You all make me sick."

She reopened the vent and snuck back out. Her foot accidentally hits a stack of Ludo masks and the girl panics. With sharp movements and impressive flexibility she was able to catch several masks, unfortunately, she missed one and it rolled over next to the bed.

"No, I don't want to shave the corn…" Ludo mumbled in his sleep.

Marcia let out a grateful sigh and set the rest of the masks back down. She got on her hands and knees, crawling her way over to the bed. When she's close enough Marcia sneakily reaches up and manages to get her hand on the dungeon key. With a victorious smile, she lifts the key but, unfortunately, Ludos' entire body comes with it landing in Marcia's arms.

Ludo gasped and Marcia did the same tossing Ludo back onto the bed. She ducked back down, hiding behind the bed. Ludo sits up, looking around the room groggily.

"What? Who's here? Who's in my royal bedroom?!"

Marcia pops up wearing one of the Ludo masks. "Uh, uh...Just a gal in a mask."

Ludo narrows his eyes, unconvinced, and suspicious of the girl.

"We're here to…"

Ruberiot, Foolduke, and Mime Girl appear posing on the chandelier.

"...entertain you, my lord!"

"Wha...?" Marcia said

Mime Girl looked at Marcia giving her a wink.

The performance trio drops down from the chandelier going into another pose.

"In the middle of the night?" Ludo questioned

"Surprise!" Marcia said with an awkward smile giving some jazz hands.

"And we wrote this song about…" Ruberiot strummed his lute "...you."

"You wrote a song about me?" Ludo asked looking excited.

Mime Girl clapped her hands and a spotlight shines down upon the group.

"~Ohhh, he…~"

"~Came on bird and spider~"

"~Uh, shone his grace upon us all~"

Ludo smiled nodding his head. "I did do that, didn't I?"

"~And he brought the rats here to protect us~"

"~And now we'll never fall~"

Foolduke grabs Marcia's hand and spins her around. Thanks to her dance training she is able to keep her balance turning her spin into a set of Chaînés, spinning her way into Mime Girl's arms.

"Get the key," Mime Girl whispered to Marcia in a raspy voice.

She spins Marcia away towards Ludo and Marcia moves to the beat of the on-the-fly song, she dances across the room doing a soutenu into an assemblé. Marcia ends up next to Ludo's bed and goes into a vertical split, lowering her upper body. Ludo looks at her and she smiles at him awkwardly.

"~And we say~"

"~Great King Ludo is great~"

"~He's so great, great, great, great, great, great, great~"

"~And Mewni has never been better~"

"~Been better, been better, been better~"

"~Oh, great King Ludo is great~"

Ludo was rocking back and forth humming happily to the made-up song. Marcia, holding her balance in her vertical split, reached around Ludo going for the key, but it slips out of her grasp.

"~He's so great, great, great, great, great, great, great~"

"You guys are good. You guys are really good. What do you call your band?" Ludo asked

"Three Artists and a Buffoon," Ruberiot said

Foolduke glared. "Okay, that's it." She shoved Ruberiot.

"Whoa! What?" Ruberiot said

"I'm the buffoon?! You're the buffoon!" Foolduke said

"You make fart jokes! I make art!" Ruberiot said

"You call that noise art?! Your rhymes are wack!" Foolduke said

"Yeah, well, yours are...hack!" Ruberiot said

"Ohhhh, good one." Foolduke sarcastically said before ripping Ruberiot's shirt.

"Hey, hey!" Ruberiot said before pulling Foolduke's hat, tearing it.

"Hey!" Foolduke exclaimed

Mime Girl raised her hands miming them to calm down. She is unable to calm the situation and Foolduke tackles Ruberiot. They tumble across the floor and Foolduke pins Ruberiot sitting atop of him.

"Stop! You're all hacks! Except for the mime. She's a genius," Ludo said

Mime Girl smiles looking flattered, as her eyelashes flutter.

"Get them!" Ludo shouted

Ruberiot and Foolduke make a break for it, running out of the bedroom. Mime Girl grabs Marcia and they run out too. Eagle and Spider go after them jumping on Ludo as they do so. Marcia was the last to run out the door slamming it close behind her, just in time for the two creatures to crash into it.

The group made a hasty escape down the hall before hiding behind a corner.

"I can't believe this! I almost had the key! Can't you two get along for just one minute?!" Marcia said

"But we like not getting along," Ruberiot said

"Yeah," Foolduke smirked while holding up the key. "We're good at it."

Marcia smiled impressed, "Wow! You guys really had me fooled."

Ruberiot chuckled, "No, we...we really do hate each other."

River's head bobbed up and down in a sleepy manner, the man quite bored still chained up in the dungeon. Suddenly the sewer manhole in the middle of the room opens and out pops Marcia along with the artistic trio.

"Ah! Marcia!" River exclaimed

"Hey, king, we're busting you out of here," Marcia said unshackling River.

After he was free River looked at his wrist before reshackling himself.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Marcia questioned

"I won't abandon my people," River said

"What?!" Marcia shouted

"Sometimes, you've got to let the king go," River said

"What about the saying to 'Live to fight another day'!" Marcia said

Ludo's humming echoed into the cell signaling that he was approaching.

Ruberiot, Foolduke, and Mime Girl make a hasty exit, diving back into the sewer. Marcia quickly acts sticking her hands back in her shackles, pretending to be locked up, but as she does so she accidentally drops the key.

Before she had any time to grab the key the door was kicked open and there stood Ludo, with Eagle and Giant Spider.

"Time's up. So, um...ready to...Wait. Wait. Where's my key?" Ludo sees the key on the ground and picks it up. "I must've dropped my key right in front of you, and you didn't even notice. What?! You could have been running free by now, prancing in the fields! Must make you feel pretty silly." He laughed, mocking the two.

Marcia gave Ludo a flat look. "Yup."

"Spider!" Ludo said

Spider came over giving Ludo a boost, so he was eye to eye with River.

"So are you going to force everyone to like me, or is it Levitato time?" Ludo said

"You may have the crown, but you will never be king," River firmly stated.

"We'll see how you feel once you've been Levitated," Ludo said

Still in chains River was dragged out of the room by Eagle. Marcia slips her hands out of her chain running after them.

"No! River!" Marcia shouted as the door was slammed shut.

She opens the sewer grate and jumps in, landing next to the artist trio.

"Come on!"

Outside the Mewman people had been gathered and stood before a large gallow. Ludo bore a wide smirk as he stood next to River, the king now in the stocks.

"Welcome to the reign of King Ludo! This is what happens to anyone who doesn't show respect and adoration for their king!"

Marcia, Mime Girl, Foolduke, and Ruberiot watched wide-eyed from a sewer drainage opening.

"Do you have any last words?" Ludo asked River

"People of Mewni! I am not afraid!" River shouted

"Blah-blah-blah. Levitato." Ludo said

"And neither should yoooooooouuuuuuu!" River shouted as he was sent flying into the sky.

The crowd of Mewmans gasp and cry out as River disappears.

"What are we gonna do now?" Foolduke said

Marcia frowns and brows furrow in anger. "Now…" Her necklace glowed red and her pupils contracted in the sharp slits. "We fight," Marcia said in a low dangerous tone.