Lady Avarius: Good riddance.
Brudo was gone. Everyone stares in awe at the event that just unfolded before them, which makes Lady Avarius quite angry.
Lady Avarius: Well, what are you all looking at. Get back to work!
She opens the entrance to New Castle Avarius and she and her children walk inside. Ludo follows her, still unable to walk particularly straight. Ludo sees that his mother had put forth a massive effort to make sure that every aspect of the castle is created as it was remembered. Her many children, who she tasks Dennis with leading while she is gone, are hard at work restoring the roof. Dennis Avarius descends from the roof with a clipboard and approaches Lady Avarius.
Dennis: Okay, so we've made a lot of progress on the roof. There's still a leak in the bathroom plumbing but I've got Judo on tar work for it and I sent the two others out for bricks to finish the wall adjacent to the bathtub.
Lady Avarius: And how IS the bathroom coming along otherwise?
Dennis: So, tub and shower installed, no plumbing as of yet.
Lady Avarius: Well get on the line with that plumber. I want the new pipes in by the weekend.
Dennis: Got it.
Lady Avarius: And sweetie...
Dennis: Yes mom?
Lady Avarius: Shave that stupid thing off your face.
Dennis sighs in defeat at Lady Avarius' remark. Dennis has been working very hard to manage all the work being done around the house. He has bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. He is perked up immediately when he remembers that his favorite brother is there though.
Dennis: Ludo! Check it out! My facial hair is starting to grow in!
Dennis points to a his grey goatee he has started to grow in an attempt to be more manly while still differentiating himself from his father and Ludo. Lady Avarius naturally doesn't approve at all of any of them trying to look like their father.
Dennis: Yeah, it's not gonna last long. Mom doesn't want me to have it because it reminds her of dad. By the way, you're gonna need this.
Dennis hands Ludo a shaving razor and Ludo looks at it in dismay. He doesn't want to shave his beard off either. His beard is a symbol of his manhood and he wants to preserve it. Lady Avarius, naturally, wants to protect and preserve the youth of and naivete of her children. Lady and Dennis merely figure if they don't shave, she'll eventually just forget about the beard altogether.
Lady Avarius goes to her quarters and locks the door. The crew continues working for a little over an hour, trying as best as they can not to disturb her. They wait until she is fast asleep before retiring for the night. Ludo looks out at his old henchmen as they descend the ropes from the roof and head towards their homes. Buff Frog descends from the roof and Ludo runs outside to see him.
Ludo: Buff Frog!
Buff Frog: Oh hello boss, er uh... I mean Ludo. Oh, hey that is weird calling you that.
Ludo: Nevermind that. How you been, buddy?
Buff Frog: Oh, we are buddies now you say?
Ludo: I get it. You're still sore about me kidnapping you with my rat army, and firing you, and all that other stuff.
Buff Frog: Look Ludo, it was nice seeing you again, really. I gots to be going home to my tadpoles. They're are not gonna be feeding themselves you know.
Ludo: You STILL have those?
Buff Frog: What you mean?
Ludo: I don't know, I assumed you woulda thrown them in the trash by now, like some old birthday card you have on the mantle of the fireplace half of a year after your birthday.
Buff Frog: They are my children!
Ludo: Well, uhh... it's good to know you cherish my gift that much.
Buff Frog: Is greatest gift of all. Maybe you come visit sometime, okay? They're much bigger now. Would be nice if they got to know their uncle Ludo.
Ludo smiles.
Ludo: Yeah... it would.
He waves at Buff Frog who walks away. All the familiar faces fade into the darkness. The children fly down from the roof and go inside. Ludo follows them, closing the door behind them. He's really tired, and still struggling with being still somewhat drunk. Curious, he approaches the door to his room, which was just as he remembered. Looking inside he was amazed. His room had been restored, and filled with the things he remembered having. Lady Avarius had gone through the trouble of re-crafting his staff, black orbed wings protruding just as he remembered, his large bed, still much too big for him. He climbed on in glee. He jumped on it a few times, remembering how fun and bouncy it was.
Out from behind the pillow a very familiar old friend he had never told anyone about falls to the floor. It is his one eyed stuffed teddy bear. This is rather peculiar, as Ludo had never let any of the other monsters know he used to sleep with one because he thought they would lose all respect from them. He looks around the room, nervous he is being watched, then at his old friend and squeezes the life out of it with a hug. Ludo climbs into bed, tucking the bear under his arm as he sleeps. Ludo doesn't stop to think about how absurd it is that a bear that was long gone had suddenly just showed up again. Where did this bear come from?
In reality, Lady Avarius had found out about Bearicorn's hidden talent, and because of it, commissioned him to recreate Ludo's favorite bear from scratch. She had given him the original one when he was a mere small child and in his desperation for a friend he had clung onto it. Lady Avarius wants Ludo to be as comfortable and welcome at New Castle Avarius as he can possibly be. Ludo sleeps for hours, and eventually awakened by a much more calm and friendly Lady Avarius than the night before.
Lady Avarius: Ludo. Ludo wake up, sleepyhead.
She sits on the bed, learning over to Ludo, whose visibly been caught still clinging onto an old teddy bear. He's somewhat embarrassed at his mother finding him with the old bear. She's always babied him but there has always been a part of Ludo that, no matter how much he wanted to grow up, still clings to his childhood.
Lady Avarius: Come on honey. I want you to accompany me into the market and see what's changed around here in Mewni. I've been getting myself involved in race relations around and I'd like for you to see how I've been doing.
Ludo: What do you mean?
Lady Avarius: I've been working extra hard with Queen Moon in regards to monster Mewnan relations. That clever young lady Princess Star is finally starting to see what a mess this place is for monsters. It's important that we get her involved at a young age. Perhaps she's young enough that we can influence her and try to build her into the best queen she can be. It's the best I can hope for. We used to have a queen that thought that way, but that was a long time ago, before either of us we're born. Anyway, come on! I have a lot to do.
She kisses him on the cheek and proceeds downstairs. Ludo is completely taken aback by it. He heads downstairs, still unkempt and half asleep, throws on his sandals and heads outside where his mother is.
Ludo: Okay, so, you got me right? Well, are we flying or what?
Lady Avarius: Hmm, no. I think I'd rather we walk. It's a nice day today. The weather is beautiful.
She says towards a sky that still looks as grey and miserable as any other day over monster land. She and Ludo make the long, slow trek into town where she talks constantly to him about everything that's happened while he was gone, overloading him with information he could hardly care about, but continues to feign interest in just to appease his debatably unstable mother. The last thing he wants is to resurrect the ferocious woman he saw last night.
The market is filled with people, Mewnans and monsters. Not everything is perfect, but it's a start to things. The whole thing would only work based on a trust principle, a balancing act that many were hesitant to believe would actually work. There is an aura of instability in the air. Even trade, and discouragement of theft ran through the market. Of course there is a particular bias to be had among the Mewnan guards in regards to disputes against monsters, as well as a sense of paranoia, but people in general try to keep their peace. Ludo doubts such a new practice would last long, and that it would only be a matter of time before people would be at each other's throats.
Lady Avarius: Moon! Moon! Hi Queen Moon! Wave hi Ludo.
Queen Moon notices them and waves back. She had contributed some freshly baked pies to the fair for the people to enjoy. She had lovingly baked them herself and she takes great joy in the fact that others are starting to enjoy her cooking. River was off with his buddies in the woods for the weekend being nature boys and totally too weird for Moon to ever comprehend, but she loved her husband all the more so for his eccentricities. Ludo had waved back at her awkwardly.
Queen Moon: Well, well, what a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect to see you here. And Ludo, how have you been doing, sweetheart? Why, last time I saw you you looked pretty upset.
Ludo was nervous. He sensed a somewhat passive-aggression in her voice that he had entirely conjured on his own. In reality, Toffee had been stopped, and Queen Moon, while very forgiving, was not forgetful. She kept her mind to Ludo, but never stopped caring for his well-being.
Ludo: Aren't you still mad at me for all the bad things I did?
Queen Moon leans over to meet Ludo eye to eye.
Queen Moon: Do you promise to be a good boy from now on, to stop taking things that aren't yours and to stop harassing my daughter?
He looked at her reluctantly. Lady Avarius nudged him.
Lady Avarius: Well? Are you gonna answer her?
Ludo: Ow!... Yes...
Lady Avarius: Yes what?
Ludo: Yes... my queen.
Ludo had started to blush.
Lady Avarius: Oh don't mind him, Moon. He's just finally getting over his little power trip as well as being with his rascal of a father for the last couple of months. He's with me now. My baby is back home where he belongs and everything is gonna be wonderful from now on.
Queen Moon: Oh, well that's just lovely. I wish the best of luck to the both of you. Oh, do try one of my lovely pies. I made so many of them just for this occasion. They're free for everyone to encourage as many people to get them as possible so get them while they last!
Queen Moon hops aboard her carriage and proceeds back to the castle, waving bye to both of them.
Lady Avarius: Oh how lovely. I think I will take a pie for the two of us to share.
The two approach a field of grass and settle under a tree to enjoy their pie. Lady Avarius removes a lacy cape she was wearing and places it on the grass.
Ludo: Oh mother. Aren't you worried you'll soil your lovely cape?
Lady Avarius: Oh this old thing? Nah! Come! Sit!
She pats the cape, signalling Ludo to sit and he obeys. Taking out her dagger, she slices the pie into sections for them to enjoy. She takes a bite.
Lady Avarius: Mm. It's sweet. Lovely cinnamon and apple.
Ludo: Took a piece and bit into it.
Ludo is really hungry and he enjoys it too. He winds up devouring the whole thing in a mere couple of seconds. Lady Avarius shakes her head and chuckles at her son's lack of class when eating. He had gotten the jam from the pie all over his face and looks completely like a foolish, messy child.
Lady Avarius: Oh, my little piggy. What am I ever gonna do with you?
She takes a handkerchief from her pocket, and begins to publicly and embarrassingly clean Ludo's messy face.
Lady Avarius: *Scoffs. You even got dirt on your face.
She licks her thumb and proceeds to rub spit on Ludo's feathery face, much to his dismay and public humiliation over his mother treating him like such a baby.
Ludo: Mom! Stop it!
Lady Avarius: I can't help it. You're just a mess. What am I gonna do with you?
Ludo: Why didn't you take Dennis with you or one of my other brothers or sisters?
Lady Avarius: Because, silly, I haven't seen you in so long and I wanted to spend some quality time with you. What's so strange about that?
Ludo: Nothing. It's just, last time we talked I said some things that made you really upset. I called you a_
Lady Avarius puts her finger on his beak to stop his sentence.
Lady Avarius: Ludo, it's okay. Mommy forgives you. I thought about it for a long time and I can understand why you'd be mad at me and daddy for not being there for you. But I'm trying, baby. I'm trying really hard to change and be better than he let me be. I never wanted you to resent me. It broke my heart having you gone for so long, and I just couldn't work up the courage to do what had to be done. I was so worried about the family falling apart that I couldn't see it happening underneath me already.
Ludo: Mom, I'm sorry.
Lady Avarius: Don't be. You were right. I needed to be strong and I wasn't. You made me realize that. You gave me the courage to do what's right. I'm not turning back now. I've worked far too hard to let everything revert back to the way it was.
Lady Avarius had wants to change the subject, so she segues to a topic that compelled her a bit more.
Lady Avarius: You know, I still can't understand why you don't get along with that Princess Star. She seems like a sweet girl.
Ludo: Yeah, I guess.
Lady Avarius: Are you still mad at her?
Ludo: Look mom, I don't know. Last time I saw her, I was not in the best of places.
Lady Avarius: Hey, I just want to see you happy. And I'll tell you something, that wand you want so badly is nothing but trouble.
Ludo: Tell me about it.
Lady Avarius: Magic can't fix a broken spirit. Only time, and a capacity for love can do that. You know, you attract more bees with honey than you do vinegar.
Ludo: What's that supposed to mean?
Lady Avarius: If you want others to follow you, you gotta do so with love, not with anger and aggression. Your army came back and rebuilt my castle not because I had forced them to or face unrelenting wrath, which admittedly, I did at first, but I eventually told myself that I wasn't gonna be like the men in my life. It was then that I apologized to them. I told them that I would continue to house them for so long as they worked on the house and rebuild it from scratch. I fed them you know, treated them like family... and then they voluntarily stayed to work on the house while declining the stay in the castle. I think I earned their respect for being so kind to them. It's almost like they never knew such kindness before. They craved it. All living creatures crave love and compassion, Ludo, all of them, even the saltiest ones of them all. The bitter, the angry... those are the ones that need love the most. So I encourage you...
She leans over, holding his little hands in between her own.
Lady Avarius: Be an arbiter of love and peace in life, Ludo. Be the man that has the courage to do what's right even when it seems like the hardest thing to do. Hate is easy. Love, especially to those who go out of their way to cause destruction... love is a sacrifice.
Ludo: When you say that the most bitter people crave love, do you mean father as well?
Lady Avarius: It's quite possible he does, but he's far too foolish and vain of a man to ever put aside his ego and accept that, and for that reason, I want nothing to do with him.
Through all that talking they manage to make it back to the castle.
Lady Avarius: Well, home sweet home.
Ludo rushes upstairs and is stopped midway by his mother calling his name.
Lady Avarius: Ludo...
He looks around to her. She has a grateful smile on her face.
Lady Avarius: I'm glad you went to the market with me today, and that we got to spend some time together as a family. Thank you.
Ludo had never experienced a day like that, ever. It was one of the best days he ever had. Lady Avarius had gone so far out of her way to erase the old way of life. The return to Mewni from the portal that day she left the trash planet with her children was not the death of the old Lady, but the birth of a new. She sought so deeply to paint a new renaissance for her family, an era of fairness and peace, to make progress, and nobody was to stop her progress.