For the next couple days, Ludo and his mother keep their distance and retain their personal space. Ludo goes about his business. He heads over to the cave on a regular basis to feed Spider and Eagle, but save for those moments, Ludo finds himself not really doing anything in particular. He finds himself in a rut, thinking about Jade, and how he hasn't seen her since the day he rescued her and I starts to wonder when or if she'll plan her attack on Queen Moon any day soon. Ludo has been keeping track of the newspaper, and not once has he seen a story of an assassination attempt on Queen Moon's life. Of course, a story that big would make front page news. One day, as Ludo lays in bed staring at the ceiling, as fate would have it, Jade appears once again, as if summoned by karma and sheer coincidence alone. Up on a tree in the yard, Jade sits, gazing out into the distance with a pair of binoculars, scouting Butterfly Castle for a viable entrance to make her move. Ludo sees her and shouts up to her.
Ludo: Hey! Hey! What are you doing up there?
Jade: Will you pipe down?!
Ludo: I'm coming up.
Jade rolls her eyes.
Jade: Great.
Ludo manages after about a minute to shimmy his tiny self up the tree. almost falls off. With dedication, he makes it up the tree unassisted. Ludo sits there, catching his breath and Jade just stares at him.
Ludo: So, what's up?
Jade: I'm planning my move.
Ludo: You're still going after Queen Moon?
Jade: Jeez, Ludo, tell the whole world why don't you?
Ludo: Sorry.
Jade: I can see her, in the distance. She's talking to your mom.
Ludo: Ooh, let me see.
He grabs the binoculars.
Jade: Hey!
Ludo: Yeah that's her. And she has those creepy masks.
Jade: Masks?
Ludo: Yeah. My mom and Queen Moon are planning this weird event thing.
Jade shows keen interest in this "event"
Jade: Oh really. Do tell.
Ludo: Okay... don't know why you'd want to know about that.
Jade: Please?
She gives him puppy dog eyes that he can't resist and he begins blushing.
Ludo: Okay. My mom and Queen Moon are planning this thing for monster/Mewnan relations. It's like a party, and everyone's gonna be wearing these masks, you see. Nobody will be able to tell who's who and what's what and my mom believes that nobody knowing who each other are will promote some sort of bonding between Mewnans and monsters.
Jade: That sounds dumb.
Ludo: My mom came up with that idea.
Jade: I'm sorry but it just won't work. You can't just bandage fix hundreds of years of magic abuse by coming up with some dorky event and expect everyone to just hold hands and sing and dance. Real life just doesn't work that way Ludo.
Ludo: Go easy will ya? My mom is just trying to do something nice for the monsters and people of Mewni.
Jade: Your mom's probably only doing this stuff because Queen Moon told her to.
Ludo: My mom is doing it because she wants to. She's all of a sudden this different person now that dad's not around and she pretends to be happy about it. I don't think she's happy. I think she's trying to force this whole "activist" thing because she feels guilty for being so disconnected in Mewnan politics and relations and stuff.
Jade: Look, it sucks that your mom and dad are having some marital issues but that's just the way old people are sometimes. They're weird like that.
Ludo: But, we're adults too. Does that make us weird?
Jade: We're not married, Ludo. Marriage does weird things to people.
Ludo sits there in silence. Jade continues to look out into the distance.
Jade: So, when did your mom say this little event is happening?
Ludo: This Saturday at 8pm.
Jade: That doesn't give me a lot of time.
Ludo: Time to do what?
Jade: Never mind. Will those masks be publicly available?
Ludo: Yeah, there will be stands all throughout town to get them.
Jade: Good. That's all I need to know. By the way, what in the world are you wearing?
Ludo: Oh, this? A friend of mine dropped me off some clothes. Figured I'd try some of them out.
Jade: Who's "Marco Jr."?
Ludo: A mistake.
Jade looks puzzled.
Okay so a little while back I tried to smooth things over with Star and her boyfriend Marco and afterward he brought me this big box of clothes and, get this, they're BABY clothes.
Jade: Pf.
Ludo: Don't laugh. It's embarrassing wearing baby clothes.
Jade: Well, they fit you right?
Ludo: Yeah.
Jade: Better than the usual clothes you wear?
Ludo: Yes, actually they do. For the first time I feel like I'm wearing clothes that are the appropriate size for my body.
Jade: Well, then maybe just be grateful that you got them from that boy. By the way, why in the world were you trying to smooth things over with the Butterflies?
Ludo: I'm just trying to be a better person. I've burned so many bridges and I'm just trying to fix them all. It's rough when you've never really had a decent relationship before with anyone in your family.
Jade: That sounds pretty rough. Gosh, 50 kids. I'm an only child, so my dad spoiled me.
Ludo:: I'm somewhat envious. I'm surprised that my parents remember all of our rhyming names.
Jade: That sounds like an actual nightmare.
Ludo: Oh, it is.
Jade: For what it's worth, Ludo, it really is nice that your mom is at least trying to come up with something to help relations. I just wish that the other monsters out there felt the same. Maybe things wouldn't be so messed up if there were more people that actually cared.
Ludo: Maybe I'll wind up getting into that stuff later, when I'm a little older. I was already king for a day and that was a bit of a nightmare. Nobody liked me.
Jade: Well, didn't you flood the whole city with big rats?
Ludo: Yeah. I guess people just don't like rats. Who would have thunk?
Jade: Who knows, maybe now that you're trying to be a better person, you'd have a better chance at getting people to like you if you were king again.
Ludo: Yeah, but I'd need a Queen. The Queen seems to be the one that makes all the decisions and stuff. Moon seems to make all the important decisions while River just gets to be a dolt all day.
Jade: I think you'd be a great dolt.
Ludo: Hey.
Jade snickers.
Ludo: If I ever got to be king again. Would you want to be my Queen?
Jade looked away from Ludo quickly when he said that.
Ludo: Well, what?
Jade thought about the question, and then smiled.
Jade: You know what? Yeah, I think I could do the whole Queen thing. This is all just some hypothetical question anyway, right?
Ludo: Yeah... hypothetical. Of course.
Jade: Crap, the Queen.
Ludo: I'm sorry. Did I distract you again.
Jade: No, you didn't distract me. Well, actually you did, but I'm glad you did. For a while I was starting to think about my dad again and I needed a good distraction from it. I felt myself getting mad again. It's so weird, I feel happier when I'm around you.
Ludo: I feel happier when I'm around you too.
They just look at each other with a smile. It got awkward.
Ludo: well, maybe I should get going. Jade?
Jade: Yeah.
Ludo: Please do be careful, and really consider backing out of this. Queen Moon is no joke.
Jade: I'll be fine Ludo. Just go back inside.
Ludo: It's just. If you go and do this, I'm worried. I worry that I won't get to see you again. I worry that you'll get caught and then executed. I worry that Moon may actually kill YOU instead.
Jade closes her eyes in frustration, but calmly makes a single statement to solidify her stance.
Jade: I've made up my mind Ludo. I'm going through with this. She can not get away with what she did to my dad. I won't be able to be happy again on my own until she pays the price. Every day that she's still alive it eats away at me like there's a great injustice in the world. It's a justice I want to settle. An eye for an eye. Blood for blood. I won't allow myself to get captured. Once I'm out of the castle, I'm gone.
Ludo: And that means I won't ever see you again.
Jade: Perhaps. I won't be able to show my face for a really long time after that. I'll be public enemy number one. But that's okay. I have some place to go where I can't be found, ever.
Ludo: Where's that.
Jade: I've already said too much. Hey, didn't you say you were gonna head inside?
Ludo: I was, but I just find myself unable to just stop talking to you.
Jade: Goodbye Ludo.
Ludo says his goodbyes and climbs down from the tree to let her continue doing what she needs to do. She watches, as Moon and Lady Avarius order placements of tables and stands and decorations. Masks come in in droves. The event for Saturday rolls around. It's 8pm. The people show up, masks adorn. They chat and mingle, and nobody really knows who anyone else is despite it being entirely obvious who who is a monster and who is a Mewnan.
Jade arrives at the scene, prepared. She grabs a mask and watches the festivities, waiting for the proper moment to attack. On a stage, several entertainment acts perform for the joy of both Mewnans and monsters. Flame-twirlers, magicians, comedy acts, and musical numbers, hit the stage, one after another to woo the crowd. Her eyes are drawn to the stage in which she watched Queen Moon rehearse for hours before the event unfolding. Jade is becoming impatient as she waits for an opportunity to strike, when Moon is alone.
Jade had ultimately decided that with that mask that the event would be the perfect time to strike. She could make it quick and easy and disappear into the crowd, looking like everyone else. She figures they would never find her, and the display of Queen Moon's body before an audience would be a clear message for all of Jade's vengeance, and a victory for Septarsis. Jade tries to maintain her eagerness. She watches as fireworks and celebration happened, as monsters and Mewnans intermingle at the punch bowl, and as Star and her friends gossip gleefully on the sidelines.
After nearly 2 hours of stage show and dancing with masqueraded figures, Queen Moon approaches the stage. Jade makes her move to position herself for a strike. Jade sneaks backstage, and begins to climb the scaffolding. As soon as Moon got on stage, in front of everyone, she would strike, catching Queen Moon completely off guard and killing her in one swift strike, a single plunge of the blade. Then, Jade would make herself not exist as she disappears into the crowd. Meanwhile, a completely unsuspecting Lady Avarius is off to the side talking to a few of her chatty friends like a group of hens.
Friend: So, my Lady, where are all those lovely little younguns of yours?
Lady Avarius: I told them they could come if they wanted, but that I wasn't gonna force it onto any of them. I really wanted my little one to go but, well, I don't want to become the nagging mom that drives him away from the nest again.
Friend: That's a crying shame, because you have some wonderful kids, especially that Dennis, such a handsome young man.
Lady Avarius: That he is.
Friend: He's starting to look like Brudo before he, ya know, let himself go.
Lady Avarius: Yeah that's great.
Queen Moon walks elegantly onto the stage, wearing the same creepy smiling face as everyone else. everyone applauds loudly as Queen Moon stands there smiling, giving the crowd enough time to cheer before trying to shush them. Jade stands at the top of the scaffolding, waiting for Moon to be just in the right spot to ambush her quickly and cleanly. Jade had knocked out a few guards, incapacitating them in silence. She looks down upon Queen Moon, gripping her dagger tightly with pure hatred in her heart.
Queen Moon: Thank you. Thank you all. Thank you. I'd like to... oh my, thank you. I'd like to begin by saying, thank you all for being here tonight. I may not know who any of you are, except for my husband of course, whose very obviously trying the punch with his nose.
King River: The punch is delicious!
Everyone laughs.
Queen Moon: I'm delighted that you were all able to come to the festivities and we can unite as a kingdom. Welcome to the Faceless Masquerade. We were going to call this the "Pleasant Party" but really? Aren't all parties inherently pleasant? I most certainly wouldn't wish to attend an agonizing party. If that we're the case, I'd attend Count Fefferfeffer's birthday bash yearly.
Everyone laughs at Queen Moon's mockery of the snobby Count Fefferfeffer, a narcissistic elite. Queen Moon looks over to Star, who is over talking with Marco, who she says looks cute in the creepy mask. A glint of light hits her eye from one of the strobe lights. She looks for the annoying light and notices it coming from a reflection on the stage lights. Atop she can see a figure with a mask, hovering over her mom, ready to strike.
Star: Mom! Watch out!
Queen Moon looks confused as she looks at Star. The figure lunges and Star draws her wand and strikes Jade out of mid-air and she crashes into the stage. Moon realizes there is an assassin on the stage after her, and she goes to unmask her assailant just as Jade recovers. Deftly, Jade leaps to her feet, dagger in hand. She swings furiously at Queen Moon, whose agility, even in a dress, is greatly underestimated. Using various tools and smoke bombs, she throws them into the stage to distract and disorient Queen Moon. Attacking from behind, Jade lunges at Queen Moon, forcing her to the ground. With both her hands on dagger, she forces downward towards Queen Moon. Moon, holding the dagger back with all of her strength, struggles and trembles, as the blade pushes closer to her throat. Moon uses her legs to toss Jade backwards, which she recovers from in an agile roll. The audience is in utter gasp and isn't quite sure if it's part of the show or not.
Star: Mom! Here, catch!
Star throws her wand to Queen Moon, who catches it and it transforms into Butterfly form. She blasts at the assassin, missing her feet as she dodges, throwing kunai knives and more gas bombs. Moon finally strikes the assailant with a blast and the mask flies off. Moon and everyone else gets to see the face of the assassin and gasps. Moon gets a good look at the angry girl in the face, sees her bright green eyes.
Queen Moon: Not so fast, Septarian. What is this about?
Jade: DIE!
She tackles Queen Moon, getting thrown across the stage again. Queen Moon recovers, and reaches for the wand but it's not where she dropped it.
Jade: Looking for this?
Jade has the wand, which changes in her hands to an emerald rod with a golden snake running up the shaft. Jade starts to feel the coveting urges taking over and refuses, using her own willpower, to allow the wand to take control. She stores it in her belt and with one final smoke bomb, retreats from the scene. Everyone coughs. Jade leaves with one final message. Her voice echoes through the air.
Jade: This isn't over, Moon! You will die, by my hand!
With that, Jade is gone. Star climbs on stage, utterly bombarding her mom with a hug.
Star: Mom! Are you okay?
Queen Moon: Yes, sweetie. I'm fine.
Guards surround the stage.
Queen Moon: I want all patrols on full alert! Find that girl, and bring her to me! Be careful though, she's armed now! Who knows what she's capable of with that wand!
Guard 1: Yes,my Queen!
Queen Moon: I want this whole kingdom scoured! Go door to door, search every nook and cranny. I want that Septarian found.
Guard 2: We will be getting sketch artists immediately on duty, bounty posters made. She will not escape.
Queen Moon: I want her alive, if necessary.
Star: Mom, she tried to kill you!
Queen Moon: I know. But something was very familiar about that girl. I could see it in her eyes.