Welcome back to Prince of Darkness! When we last left off, Globgor and his army burned the Spiderbite Kingdom to the ground, and devoured King Shastacan. Luckily, this chapter won't be nearly intense; Today, you'll see some crucial moments in Globgor and Eclipsa's relationship, through the use of flashbacks! So without further ado, it's time to dive back into this long-lost tale...
"PRINCE OF DARKNESS"
ACT TWO: REMORSEFUL REMEMBRANCE
Half a day passed since the brutal burning of Spiderbite Village, and King Shastacan's gruesome death. Since then, the denizens of the Monster Temple were busy at work on this dull and cloudy afternoon. Earlier at dawn, a silent vigil was held in memoriam of Queen Eclipsa, her newborn daughter, and the monsters who were slain so they could be captured...
Globgor, the feared and forlorn warlord who led the invasion, had secluded himself away in the master bedroom. Unfortunately, there was no rest for the weary even in his isolation; The haunting memories of last night's attack kept him wide awake...
The size-shifter continued to sulk in silence, when he heard some abrasive quarreling come from downstairs. He let out a disgruntled growl, and left his dreary tomb to investigate the intrusive interruption.
In the main hall of the historic temple, a certain rival of Globgor's was pridefully sitting on the royal throne; Seth of Septarsis, the bane of all mewmans and leader of the Dreaded Beasts. Before the attack on the Spiderbite Kingdom, Globgor reluctantly appointed Seth as his highest-ranking general; After all, now that his beloved wife and daughter were gone, the monster lord didn't care what the lizards had planned for the rest of mewmanity.
Seth and his loyal lizard lieutenants carefully watched monster artists create grand works, which depicted Globgor committing gruesome acts against his mewman enemies. Paintings, sculptures, and decorative cups were all part of the propaganda commissioned for the war effort. After all, the tragic tale of a once-peaceful monster lord avenging his fallen family was sure to rally more troops to the cause.
However, one of the painters, a portly, green-skinned troll with silver hair, was in a heated argument with one of Seth's reptilian associates.
"Torg! What is this hideous dreck?" The pugnacious saurian snapped, as he gestured to a peculiar painting, which featured stylized eyes and mouths with no faces, along with various colored paints smeared in strange shapes.
"I call it "The Blood of Globgor's Enemies." It's abstract art." Torg refuted in a matter-of-factly tone.
"But it's not scary! We need art that'll make mewmans soil their frilly pantaloons just by looking at them!"
"SILENCE!" The irritated general shouted. "Offal is free to make what he wants, as long as it inspires more men to our cause. End of discussion."
"SETH!" A rumbling voice suddenly barked, catching everyone's attention. Depressed and disheveled, Globgor stomped towards his royal throne, and looked down at Seth with a dour scowl on his vicious-looking visage.
"What are you doing on my throne?"
"Forgive me, my liege. I was keeping it warm for you."
"But you're cold-blooded."
Seth hesitantly abdicated the throne, as his saurian underlings coldly glared at Globgor. The monster king slumped down in his seat and let out a deep sigh. He looked to the smaller, empty throne on his left, where Eclipsa used to rule by his side; With the queen gone, that throne belonged to Seth...
"Ah...you look just like your father." The cold-blooded general commented. Many years ago, Seth served as a high-ranking general under Korros the Courageous, Globgor's late father. Seth rallied monsters from all across Mewni to join the army, and trained them to combat their encroaching enemies; He even mentored Globgor during his childhood.
Globgor looked around the temple's main hall, and noticed the various works of art in progress, all chronicling him as a ruthless warlord. The most horrifically eye-catching one was a gigantic canvas painting, which depicted him breathing fire and commanding an army of winged devils, with a wicked grin on his face.
"What are those horrible eyesores?" The size-shifter bitterly asked his second-in-command, appalled by the violent and volatile imagery.
"They're tributes to your noble deeds. You slew Shastacan, a major figure in the Butterfly Kingdom; The mastermind behind the attack on this very temple! Not to mention, your family's executioner." Seth retorted. "Now, our enemies know what happens when you trifle with the Prince of Darkness."
"But, I spent all these years trying to prove I'm not a barbarian!"
"And look where that got you. Savages are all the mewmans see us as, and there's no changing that. If they want war, then that's what they'll get."
"You've always been on the wrong side of history." Globgor irritably snarled, then begrudgingly rose from his seat.
"I'm on the only side of history." Seth callously refuted. Before leaving the room, Globgor snatched a roasted mutton leg from one of the Septarians, causing her to hiss irascibly. He then began trudging out of the temple to seek solace elsewhere...
To most of Mewni's denizens, the Forest of Certain Death was...exactly what it sounded like. But the Prince of Darkness was no ordinary person. While these dreadful woods were home to all manners of ferocious flora and fauna, very few creatures posed a threat to a fully-grown size-shifter.
As he aimlessly trudged through the dark and gloomy forest, Globgor picked at the last scraps of meat on his pilfered mutton leg. While he became a vegetarian after falling in love with Eclipsa, he relapsed back to his carnivorous diet after eating Shastacan; Without his Darkest Star, there was no point in trying anymore.
Suddenly, the nearby branches and bushes began to rustle. The eyes of various hungry predators began to glow through the undergrowth; Looks like Globgor's midday snack attracted some unwanted attention. Vexed, the size-shifter snarled, then tripled his size and let out a blaring, bone-chilling roar that caused the sneaky scavengers to flee into the foliage, while nearby birds flew off in fright.
Globgor sighed apathetically, and continued to trek through the woods. Despite how deadly it was, this forest was deeply significant to the monster king; It was the place where he first met his true love...
It all started a couple decades ago, in the dead of the night. A small, yet agile monster nimbly swung through the trees with his slender arms and prehensile tail, while carrying a pointy spear. Globgor, the thirteen-year-old prince of the monster army, had snuck out from his father's encampment to hunt for a midnight meal. Using his keen nocturnal vision and acute sense of smell, he located his delectable quarry; A plump, juicy wild boar.
Globgor crept through the branches, until he was right above his prey. He licked his chops in anticipation, as he eyed up the delicious hog. But just when he was about to spear the swine, a blood-curdling scream echoed through the forest. Globgor jolted in surprise, and lost his focus. Frightened by the noise, the boar squealed and scurried off into the bushes; Looks like pork was off the menu.
Frustrated, the teenage monster snarled and cursed under his breath. However, those haunting yelps and gasps of fright continued. "That better be important!" He thought to himself; Perhaps he could eat whatever was causing that infernal ruckus.
Globgor continued to swing through the trees, until he discovered the source of the screaming; A woman wearing a dark hooded cloak was being cornered by three vine-vipers; Voracious carnivorous plants with sinewy, serpentine bodies, and flytrap-like jaws chock full of razor-sharp teeth. That poor lady was helpless against those fearsome floral fiends!
One of the vine-vipers prepared to strike its prey, when Globgor leapt from the treetops, and enlarged to a height of twelve feet; the largest size he could grow to. He landed on the snakelike body of the man-eating plant, crushing it under his tremendous weight. He finished the deed by stomping on its head, then shifted his gaze to the hooded girl, who looked up at him with an awestruck expression.
"Go on, get out of here-HRRK!" Globgor warned, when he was struck from behind by another vine-viper. The other one lunged at him from the opposite direction, so he used his powerful fists to fend both of them off at once. He stunned the one on the left with an uppercut, then used both hands to rip off its jaws, eliciting a gasp from the lady on the ground.
"Look out!" She cried, in an effort to alert the monster teen of the danger behind him. The last and largest of the vine-serpents wrapped its itself around Globgor like a boa constrictor, then opened its jaws right over his head. It looked like the hunter was about to become the hunted, when a powerful beam of dark violet energy struck the monstrous plant, causing it to die on the spot.
Now that the vine-viper's grip was loosened, Globgor shrugged off the heap of once-living vegetation. He peered down, and gasped with shock when he looked down at the teenage girl he saved. She wielded a peculiar pink parasol, and her hood was now down, revealing her true face.
She had fair skin, poofy teal hair, and magenta, spade-shaped marks glowing on her cheeks. Obviously, she wasn't a monster like he first assumed; She was a mewman, and not just any average peasant or noblewoman. No, she was something far more magical.
"Y-you're a Butterfly!" Globgor gasped, and assumed a defensive position. He'd heard chilling tales from those magic-wielding royals, from his father, from Seth, and countless unlucky monsters...
"And you must be Globgor, the Prince of Darkness. I thought you'd be bigger." The spade-cheeked lady remarked. "My name is Eclipsa, princess of the Butterfly Kingdom." She introduced, as she respectfully curtsied.
Eclipsa's nonchalant attitude left Globgor quite confused. Almost all mewmans were either scared of monsters, or hated them with a fiery passion; What made her the exception? The monster prince sheepishly shrunk down to his regular height, and apprehensively approached the princess.
"Why aren't you running from me? Why aren't you scared?"
"Well, truth be told, I'm rather fond of monsters." Eclipsa coyly retorted, surprising her uneasy acquaintance."Now, if you eat mewmans, then why did you save me?"
"HEY! We only eat mewmans 'cause they want us dead! It's self-defense!" Globgor refuted. "I don't even like the taste." He admitted, anxiously avoiding eye contact with the princess. "I just saved you because...it felt like the right thing to do."
"My mother told me monsters were evil vermin bent on destroying us, and that you were the monster king's murderous heir. But you just proved everything she said was wrong." Eclipsa complimented, causing the monster to blush lightly. Something about that woman made him feel something warm and pleasant, in a way he never felt until now.
"R-really? Well, my father said he's gonna negotiate with your kingdom soon. Maybe we could meet up there?" Globgor queried. The princess paused for a moment, as if she was in her own little world.
"Uh, Eclipsa?"
"Oh, yes, absolutely!" The wand-wielding woman quickly responded, snapping out of her trance. "I must be going now, before Mother finds out I'm gone." Eclipsa opened up her parasol, and began to magically float through the air.
"See you there, "Prince of Darkness!" Eclipsa playfully called out, as she began her journey back to Butterfly Castle. Back on the ground, Globgor smiled and waved at his new mewman friend. His stomach then started to rumble, so he picked up one of the vine-vipers, and chomped off part of its stem.
"Huh. Not bad, for a vegetable."
That unforgettable experience was one Globgor always looked upon fondly; It was the beginning of the relationship that changed his life. Unfortunately, their next meeting went horribly awry; Solaria caught him with her daughter, and assumed he kidnapped her on his father's orders. The negotiations erupted into violence, and one of the Monster Carver's warriors struck King Korros with a Solarian sword; He perished hours later. Eventually, Solaria herself was ambushed and killed by a rebel monster faction, leaving the throne to Eclipsa. These tragic losses were devastating, but Eclipsa and Globgor were able to find solace and comfort through in the hearts of each other...
Several years passed, and the amicable friendship between the queen and the monster blossomed into a passionate romance; The kingdom's most closely-guarded secret. As midnight fell upon the land of Mewni, a certain monster prince was anxiously awaiting his beloved.
Globgor, who had grown into a strapping seventeen-year-old size-shifter, sat down by the pond of a secret garden, which was carefully hidden from intruders and interlopers. This lush, verdant oasis boasted a myriad of rare and exotic plants, with dainty stalks and vibrant flowers. A grove of berry bushes also grew here, as sweet-tasting snacks for the recently reformed vegetarian. It was a safe haven created by the two star-crossed lovers, as a refuge from the war that caused such toil and strife...
Feeling rather bored, Globgor aimlessly swished his bare legs around in the cool waters of the pond, with a bouquet of violets resting in his lap. Suddenly, a faint glow in the air caught his upper pair of eyes, and he looked up to see a relieving sight; The queen of his dreams, shining like a star in the night sky. Eclipsa gracefully floated down with her magic parasol, and landed softly on the grass.
When Globgor saw the teenage queen in her fancy scarlet dress, his heart began to race. Excited to see her after a whole day of waiting, he trotted towards her, but tripped over a rock and fell flat on his face.
"Oh, dear!" Eclipsa exclaimed, as she rushed to her fallen love. "Globby, are you alright?" The four-eyed adolescent sat up and rubbed his hurting face, but his heart sank when he saw that he crushed his flowery gift!
"Oh no! I'm such an idiot! I squished your flowers..."
"It's okay, love. This is a garden, we're surrounded by flowers." The queen sarcastically joked, as the size-shifter bashfully rubbed the back of his head. "Why don't I make a gift for you, instead?"
Eclipsa held out her royal wand, and elegantly swayed it around in a way that hypnotized her doting boyfriend. The wand glowed bright with purple energy as she held it to the ruined flowers, and they suddenly transformed into a thin-trunked tree, with wispy branches, dark ebony wood, and bioluminescent leaves shaped like the spades on her cheeks. To Globgor, this beautiful gift was nothing short of a miracle.
"It's beautiful..." The monster prince gasped, and reached out to touch the leaves, but they suddenly hissed and snapped at them with the jaws they apparently had; Dark magic had its side effects, after all. "That's creepy! I love it even more now!"
"Thank you, sweetie." Eclipsa bestowed a peck on Globgor's cheek, causing him to blush and grin toothily. "So, what would you like to do tonight?"
"Well, I was thinking we could do some brainstorming together. Those peace negotiations won't write themselves, you know!" Globgor enthused.
"Oh, heavens, no! I need to do something fun." The royal retorted, causing her love's expression to sour. "I don't mean to hurt your feelings, Globgor; I had to spend the whole night at a stuffy royal ball. If Uncle Jushtin wasn't there to liven things up, I would have died of boredom."
"Ha, died of boredom! That's hilarious! But seriously, that must've been awful."
"I know. If only I could've danced with you instead." Eclipsa sighed, when she suddenly got a bright idea. "You know, there's no one stopping us from doing that here." She sultrily suggested.
"Dancing? No, no way! Monsters don't dance! Unless it's, like, scary war dances or stuff."
"You don't know how to dance, do you?"
"No..." The size-shifter shamefully admitted, when Eclipsa calmly placed her hand on his broad, striped shoulder.
"Then allow me to teach you..."
For the next couple hours, Eclipsa gave her monster love a crash course on the art of dance. Throughout the night, they had countless setbacks, screw-ups and hilarious accidents due to Globgor's sore lack of experience, but the queen's patience was plentiful. Her careful instructions culminated in an elegant waltz beneath the moonlight; A dance so enchanting it made the two lovers forget all their troubles...
Unfortunately, their enrapturing experience abruptly ended when Globgor accidentally stumbled into the pond with a big splash, taking his partner with him. Mortified by his humiliating mistake, the size-shifter spat a mouthful of water, and began profusely apologizing to his soaking wet sweetheart.
"Eclipsa! I am so sorry, I didn't mean to-" To ease her boyfriend's worrying, Eclipsa silenced him with a sudden kiss on the lips.
"It's alright, dear. You're forgiven." She placidly retorted, relieving the monster prince. Globgor then grew in stature until he was five times his lover's size, then reached down, plucked her out of the cold water, and gently set her on the grass. He inhaled deeply, and blew a great gust of wind on Eclipsa to dry her off, although it messed up her hair; Luckily, she didn't seem to mind.
The two amorous youngsters lied down together beneath the magically-created tree, and looked up at the moons and stars shining in the night sky. As they took in the beautiful sights, Globgor turned to Eclipsa and asked her a question he had on his mind for quite a while...
"So, do you think we have a future together?"
"Well, you're the king of monsters, and my mother was the Monster Carver. Our kinds have been at war for longer than any of us can remember...but together, we have the power to change that..."
Sadly, it seemed Eclipsa was wrong. In the present day, Globgor was somberly sitting by the edge of the very same pond, staring deeply into his own reflection as he reminisced of better times. In the absence of its caretakers, the garden had grown into a wild and unkempt mess, with the exception of Eclipsa's tree; The once-beautiful leaves had withered away, leaving only a barren, wooden husk. Without the woman he cherished so, this former haven was no safer to him than anywhere else in the realm...
Eight months prior to this sordid turn of events was the happiest moment in Globgor's entire life. It all began one night near the bog, where the monster army's latest campsite was located. Most of the monsters were by the fire, telling jokes and tall tales as they ate swamp rats that roasted on spits. But away from all the merriment and mirth, the size-shifting chief of the army sat in his tent, feeling terribly lonesome.
Recently, Globgor had fallen on hard times. The war had been growing more violent as of late, but that wasn't what troubled him most; Almost a month ago, Eclipsa was wed to Shastacan, a mewman prince betrothed to her by Solaria's will. No love was to be found in this marriage; It only strengthened royal relations, a purely political purpose...
Once Globgor heard the news of his lover's betrothal, he offered to elope with her to an ancient monster temple built by his ancestors. However, he hadn't gotten a concrete response from her yet, and thus began to worry. He pondered over the fate of his cherished relationship, until a pair of subordinate soldiers opened up his tent.
"My lord, a visitor is here to see you." A husky cyclops informed, as a sight for sore eyes slowly stepped into the shelter.
"Hello, my love..." Eclipsa spoke, with moistened eyes and a faint smile on her face. Relieved to see the love of his life, Globgor rushed to the queen and picked her up for an amorous hug.
"My Darkest Star! You came back!" Overjoyed, he kissed Eclipsa, then had a sudden realization as to the bigger picture. "Wait...what about the kingdom? Don't the people need their Queen?"
"I had to leave the kingdom...it was for the best. Besides, this is where I truly belong."
Touched by Eclipsa's sacrifice, Globgor picked the lady up, set her on his shoulder, and walked outside to deliver the news to his fellow monsters.
"Attention, everyone! Queen Eclipsa, my one true love and the light of my life, will be staying with us. I want you all to treat her like one of your own! If anyone does so much as lay a finger on her, then so help me I will EAT you!"
There was a tense, deafening silence in the camp, thanks to Globgor's threat; The monster soldiers all anxiously averted their eyes, not wanting to draw the size-shifter's ire.
"Oh, come on, I was joking! It's a joke!" The size-shifter specified, causing the mob of monsters to awkwardly fake-laugh. "Tough crowd, am I right, boo?"
"Excuse me, dear, but could I speak to you in private? There's something we really must discuss."
"Oh, okay. Come on, I'll take you to the bog, where it's nice and quiet." Globgor began strolling towards the nearby swamp, with Eclipsa still sitting comfortably on his shoulder.
A few minutes later, the couple reached the muddy banks of the bog, where swarms of fireflies lit up the night sky. Globgor gently set his royal love on the ground, and took a deep breath.
"So, what did you want to tell me?"
Eclipsa inhaled, and looked up at her monster love. "Well, after Shastacan and I were married, he began pressuring me to, err...produce "heirs to the throne" with him..."
"Heirs to the-?" Globgor gasped, and realized what she meant. "Did that creepy little toady have his way with you? My love, if he hurt you, I swear I'll rip off his greasy little-"
"GLOBGOR!" Eclipsa abruptly shouted, silencing the angered monster general. "Nothing like that happened, I promise! Besides, I couldn't bear his children, anyways. I'm...I'm already pregnant..."
This revelation caused Globgor's mouth to go agape, as his four eyes all widened in shock. As he stood there astounded, Eclipsa held his hand, and proceeded to give him the best news he had ever heard:
"You're going to be a daddy."
Once Globgor heard those six sweet words, he was on cloud nine. His heart started pounding with excitement, and he grinned a mile wide as his four eyes became misty with tears of joy. Overwhelmed with pride, he suddenly picked his wife up, and raised her high above his head.
"I'm gonna be dad! I'M GONNA BE A DAD!" The overjoyed monster held the pregnant queen close to his chest, and she rested her head up against his cheek. Only just now had Globgor learned his new role as a father, but he already knew he'd do anything for his precious future child...
Alas, the good times were all but gone; Now, the present was pitiful. As rain began to drizzle, a certain beast had returned to the bog, to seek solace in the solitude of the swamp. Globgor sorrowfully knelt down in the slimy, sloshing mud, as frigid raindrops fell upon his skin and hair.
During Eclipsa's pregnancy, Globgor often fantasized about finally raising a child with his true love. The two of them initally believed a mewman-monster marriage would bring an end to Mewni's war and heal its prejudiced political climate. But in the wake of the recent tragedy, Globgor felt like a fool for being so optimistic.
As he aimlessly stared down at the ground, he started to seethe with frustration and fury; The loss of his loved ones made him bitter and grim, and not even Shastacan's death relieved him of his pain. In a bout of animalistic rage, he snarled savagely, and repeatedly slammed his arms into the splashing mud. He was angry at Shastacan even beyond the grave for his heinous actions, angry at the bigoted mewmans for making his wife a pariah, and angry at the world itself for allowing such a tragic thing to happen.
The size-shifter let out a pained wail, and began to sob once more. Yesterday, the gentle giant known as Globgor had died of a broken heart; In his place was the Prince of Darkness, a grim, bitter shell of his former self...
After his solemn soul-searching journey, Globgor returned to the Monster Temple. Choosing to be alone, the melancholy monster made his way towards the master bedroom, when he heard a familiar voice coming from the war room; It belonged to a certain Septarian chieftain. Lo and behold, Seth and his disciples had gathered in their king's absence.
"Seth's holding a meeting...without me? That's suspicious..." The monster king thought to himself. Due to his distrust of Seth and his extremist viewpoints, the size-shifter decided it was time for some snooping. So, he shrunk down to an inconspicuously small size, and crawled up the war room wall to see what those leering lizards were up to.
"Then it's settled. Tonight, we strike at the heart of our enemies, and destroy the Butterfly Kingdom!" Seth commanded, rallying his like-minded lieutenants. "But before we go, there's something you all need to know. And it's imperative his Highness doesn't find out about this." That sentence piqued the size-shifter's morbid interest; Just what was his duplicitous rival hiding?
"According to our spies, Globgor's offspring wasn't killed. Shastacan cast that half-breed mutant out of Mewni, and the High Commission replaced her with a peasant girl. Once we invade the kingdom, find the child and bring her to me; I'll end the line of false Butterflies before it begins..."
"She'll die at your hands, just like Solaria!" A red Septarian with fangs and fins revered.
"Now, gather the troops and find Globgor. Tonight, we win the war..." As the Dreaded Beasts left their secret meeting to prepare for battle, Globgor was completely frozen with overwhelming shock from the secrets he witnessed.
First off, something he always suspected was just confirmed; Seth and his disciples were behind Queen Solaria's death. While her brutal demise caused many monsters to rejoice, poor Eclipsa was devastated by the loss of her mother, and it pained Globgor to see her so heartbroken.
But the real shocker was that Meteora could still be alive! That raised a whole bunch of questions; Where did Shastacan send her, and why was she replaced with a peasant? All he knew were two things; His baby girl was still out there, and he'd been played for a fool!
"Seth...Seth lied to me!" Alas, the king of monsters had been manipulated by his general, all for the sake of conquest. Shastacan didn't kill his family, but still abducted his child; He had no regrets in taking the repulsive royal's life. Unfortunately, he couldn't say the same for the innocent mewmans slaughtered during the invasion. What would Eclipsa think of him now that he spearheaded the Spiderbite kingdom's destruction, and broke his most sacred promise? And if the Queen of Darkness wasn't publicly executed, then what really happened to her?
Guilty as he was, one thing was certainly clear; Seth and the rest of the monster army was on the warpath, with the Butterfly Kingdom as their next target. With the truth exposed, Globgor now knew that his gruesome general must be stopped, for the good of both monsters and mewmans.
"It's time to make things right..." The size-shifter solemnly spoke to himself, as he longingly looked out the window. By now, Seth's imposing army was far on the horizon, heading to a battle that would butcher both sides. Now was the time for the Prince of Darkness to earn his redemption...
End of Act Two!
Now, things are really starting to heat up. You know how the story ends, but not how it got there; Stay tuned for the third act finale, plus an epilogue featuring a character who needs no introduction...