Brudo lays his head back on the headrest of the car-seat as Chet is driving to his destination, to New Castle Avarius.
Chet: So, how did the new castle turn out?
Lord Brudo: Not bad looking. It lacks that whole agedness of the old castle, and there's brand new lighting so no more of that pesky flickering light in the bathroom.
Chet: Well that's good.
Croccy: Really it's pretty close to the original, from what I can tell.
Lord Brudo: That's what my Lady said she wanted to do, make it as authentic to the original as possible, while still modernizing it with some updated amenities. It should be right beyond this hill.
Chet: Got it.
The trio pull up to Castle Avarius. Lord Brudo leaps out the car and barges right inside where everyone awaits them.
Lady Avarius: Brudo! You're alive! Both of you. I'm so relieved that you're back. What happened?
Lord Brudo: You're not gonna believe this, milady, but we FOUND Septarsis.
Lady Avarius: What! Where is it?
Lord Brudo: In the port next to the Water-folk Kingdom there is this MASSIVE mechanical sea serpent resting under the sea. The Septarians, they're living INSIDE of that mechanical beast.
Lady Avarius: Inside of a massive mechanical beast?
Lord Brudo: Not only that_
Lord Brudo takes Lady Avarius by the hands and holds them close to him.
Lord Brudo: Ludo is in there. He's... with Seth.
Lady Avarius: Seth? As in the long dead head of Septarsis, Seth?
Lord Brudo: He was pretending to be dead. Who knows how long he's been running things.
Lady Avarius: And my baby is still in there?
Lady Avarius massages her head in anxiety upon hearing this.
Lord Brudo: Croccy and I managed to get in, but we were captured. Seth planned on torturing us and I couldn't manage to get close to Ludo.
Lady Avarius: You left my baby with that MONSTER?
Lord Brudo: You must be calm. Listen, when Seth came to interrogate us, he mentioned something to me. He said that Ludo was with him, and that he was going to be a "better father" to Ludo than I ever was.
Lady Avarius: Brudo, what is he doing with Ludo?
Lord Brudo: I don't know, but I don't think Ludo's in any danger, not immediate danger, anyway. If Seth wants to be a "father" to Ludo, that must mean he's offering him protection. So long as Ludo stays in Seth's good graces, he's safe.
Lady Avarius: But Brudo, who knows? What if he's trying to brainwash our child? Who knows what kind of lies he's feeding that boy?
Lord Brudo: I don't know, but we must think rationally about this. When I went in there, I was captured almost immediately. It's pretty secure and very difficult to get around in there. In fact, if it weren't for this little guy right here_
Lord Brudo brings Chet forward, presenting him to Lady Avarius with his hands on his shoulders, Chet smiles at Lady Avarius, nervously.
Lord Brudo: This is Chet. We would have never made it out without him.
Lady Avarius: Oh, Chet, thank you so much for seeing my husband make it out of there safely. Is there anything we could do for you?
Chet: Well, my family still lives in Septarsis. They were left there when I came here with Lord Brudo and Croccy. I'm afraid of what Seth might do if he finds out I helped you. What are you guys planning to do about this? I really don't want to compromise my family's safety.
Lady Avarius: Well, Chet, we don't know what the plan is quite yet, but for your bravery in rescuing my husband and your friend Croccy, you may feel free to take refuge in Castle Avarius. You will be safe here.
Chet: Gee, thanks Lady Avarius. I just hope my family will be okay in there.
Lady Avarius: We'll see what we can do for you, hon. For now, we should spread the word to Queen Moon. She'll be most fascinated with the news, and we can try to wrangle together a rescue effort to get Ludo out of Septarsis and away from that madman!
Little does Lord Brudo or Lady Avarius know, but Buff Frog, who is on duty within Avarius Castle at his second job, is eavesdropping in on the conversation.
Buff Frog: Oh no, I must tell Jade about what is going to be going on. Wait. What time is it being? Goodness gracious!, 12 o clock. I am late!
Meanwhile, Jade herself, is growing impatient of waiting for Buff Frog, decides to go and go and pick up Bearicorn for his first day on the job herself. She approaches a dainty cottage in the woods.
Jade: Well, this is the place Yveny told me about.
Jade knocks on the door. After a few seconds, Jade can only hear an increasingly loudening rumble coming from inside. The door swings open, and a rather large, terrifying bear answers the door, growling at her loudly.
Jade: Ah!
Bearicorn: Duh, wait! Jade!
Jade: What in the world is that?
Bearicorn: Don't worry, that's just my mom. She can be really cranky when visitors come over. Come on in! I'll introduce you to my folks.
Jade: I don't know.
Bearicorn: Please?
Bearicorn looks at Jade with big puppy dog eyes.
Jade: Sigh... okay.
Bearicorn: This is my mommy! You already met her!
The massive bearicorn mother leans over into Jade, sniffing her and walking on all fours. Unlike Bearicorn, who is fully clothed, all his mother wears is a pretty pink bow on her head and a yellow, polka dotted apron. The mother bearicorn just sniffs her and walks away.
Bearicorn: And this is my Papa Bearicorn. Say hi, pop!
Another massive feral Bearicorn sitting at the table, reading the newspaper, lays his paper down and lets out a massive roar across the room. All he wears is a tie and fedora. He then goes back to putting on his reading glasses so he could read the newspaper.
Jade: So, uh, Bearicorn... you live here with your folks?
Bearicorn: Duh, yeah, aren't my parents just swell?
The situation presented before Jade is quite an odd one. On one hand, she is in a very nice, neat and orderly household. Everything is unnaturally clean despite two very large feral bears living there, as well as the more sentient Bearicorn. Jade has no idea how the house is not in complete ruins.
Jade: We gotta go, Bearicorn, or we're gonna be late for work, and you don't want to be late on our first day, do you?
Bearicorn: Oh, no! Of course not! Bye mom and dad! I gotta go to work now! I love you!
The two bears just roar at their son in what seems on the surface to be very angry growls.
Jade: You can understand what they say?
Bearicorn: Of course. They said they love me too! My mommy and daddy are the greatest!
Bearicorn waves bye to his mom and dad and they head out the door. Jade is still confused about what she saw.
Bearicorn: Hey Jade, uh, where's Buff Frog? I thought both of yous guys was coming to pick me up.
Jade: I don't know, but he's running late. We don't have time to wait up for him.
The two begin to walk their path along the road through the forest towards Lord Rubeus' plantation, without Buff Frog.
Bearicorn: I hope he's okay.
Jade: I'm sure he is.
Bearicorn: So Jade, what's this job like?
Jade: We're gonna be working for this really old guy, Lord Rubeus. He's a Mewnan, but he pays well. The guy's blind as a bat so he won't know you're a bear. Just to be on the safe side, can we call you Bearry?
Bearicorn scowls, looking up into the sky and folding his arms in frustration.
Bearicorn: Yeah fine, I guess.
Jade: What's wrong?
Bearicorn: I don't like my real name!
Jade: I think Bearry is a beautiful name, Bearicorn.
Bearicorn: Really? You do?
Jade: Yeah, I think it's cute.
Bearicorn: Huh. Nobody ever told me my name was cute before. Ever since I was a cub, all the other monsters made fun of my name. That's why I always just used Bearicorn.
Buff Frog sprints from Castle Avarius towards the spot where he and Jade were supposed to meet, but they're not there.
Buff Frog: Oh no! She must have went to work without me!
Buff Frog continues to run up the road, passing Bearicorn's house. He raps on the door.
A snarling bear once again answers the door, growling right in Buff Frog's face and covering him with saliva.
Buff Frog: Good afternoon Ms. Bearicorn. You are looking ravishing today. I must ask, did your son be leaving for work yet?
Mama Bearicorn: *Incoherent feral bear noises.
Buff Frog: I see, so Jade came to pick him up. Very well, thank you Mama Bearicorn for your assistance.
Mama Bearicorn: *Incoherent feral bear grunts.
She slams the door shut and Buff Frog continues his run down the road towards Lord Rubeus' plantation, tailing behind Jade and Bearicorn. Up ahead, Bearicorn pulls out a sandwich from his lunchbox, it's nothing more than a trout between two pieces of rye bread.
Jade: Maybe you should save that for lunch. You'll be much hungrier later.
Bearicorn: Du-oh yeah. Gee, you sure are smart, Jade. I wish I was smart like you.
Jade just chuckles at Bearicorn's innocent, childlike demeanor.
Buff Frog: HEY!
Buff Frog was tailing right behind them.
Jade: You hear something?
Bearicorn: That sounded like Buff Frog.
They turn around to find Buff Frog, tiredly stumbling towards them, nearly breathless and stumbling around.
Buff Frog: Gasp, gasp, wait... Jade.
Bearicorn: Hey Buff Frog, you should be more careful about being, uh, what's that word?
Jade: Prudent?
Bearicorn: Yeah, what she said!
Buff Frog: Never mind work! Lord Brudo and Croccy, they made it back to Castle Avarius.
Bearicorn: Well that's a relief. I was worried about those guys.
Jade: What's going on?
Buff Frog: Jade, Lord Brudo and Lady Avarius, they know where Septarsis is. Brudo and Croccy, they went to go rescue Ludo and were captured by Septarsis, but they broke out and went back to castle, and now they are planning to go to Septarsis, and they're gonna be telling Queen Moon, and Queen Moon might send an army to Septarsis!
Jade: What?! No, they can't! I have to stop them!
Jade starts to run towards Castle Butterfly.
Bearicorn: Jade! Where are you going? We gotta go to work!
Jade: You guys go without me! This is really important!
Jade cannot allow Lord Brudo and Lady Avarius or Queen Moon to approach Septarsis. She knows that doing so could compromise the people inside. It could lead to conflict and, lots of people getting hurt, or, even Ludo. Jade runs for miles. Her stamina, much higher than Buff Frog's, gets her to Butterfly Castle within the hour. Queen Moon had been on the phone with Lady Avarius not mere moments before, shocked by the revelation of Septarsis herself.
Star, on the other hand, knew that her suspicions about that strange wall in the Water-folk Kingdom, as well as that strange, massive sea serpent were true. Star herself is in the courtyard of Butterfly castle, texting Marco on her phone, sending him kitty memes that she'd downloaded that had incredibly corny punchlines. She giggles as she sends them to him, biting her lip in glee. Star catches Jade in the courtyard running up to the castle, alerted, she springs up from her bench to counter her.
Star: Hold it right there! What are you doing back Jade? Are you gonna try to kill my mom again?
Jade: Get out of my way, dad murderer! I have to stop your mother from doing something stupid and getting everyone killed!
Star: Dad murderer?
Jade: Yes! I know that it was you that killed my dad, and Ludo pushed a pillar on top of him!
Star: Jade, what have you done? You haven't attacked Ludo, have you? Did you come to fight me and try to kill me?
Jade: As much as I want to drive my dagger straight into your heart for killing my dad, I know very well by now that I can't go through with it. I couldn't even kill your mother, there's no way I'm taking out some brat like you!
Star: Well, what is it you want to tell my mom?
Jade: The Avariuses, they know where Septarsis is, and they ratted it out to your mother! If she's doing what I think she's doing, your mother is going to stage an attack on Septarsis! I can't allow that to happen! A whole bunch of innocent people are gonna be killed if that happens!
Star: How do you know?
Jade: There are innocent people in Septarsis! We're not all bad, but knowing how much you and your family hates monsters, I know this could go disastrously!
Star: First off, I don't HATE monsters. In fact, I have plenty of friends who are monsters themselves. Second, what do you want me to do about it?
Jade: Tell your mom to call off the attack!
Star: Jade, you're jumping the gun. You don't even know if my mom's gonna attack Septarsis.
Jade: Listen to me! Ludo is your friend now, right?
Star: I don't really know. He apologized to me and returned my wand, but I don't think we're "friends" yet.
Jade: Do you want his blood on your hands?
Star: No.
Jade: Then take me to your mother, quickly!
Star: Sigh, fine, but I'm watching you! If you so much as think about attacking my mother, so help me!
Jade: Fine!
Star: Fine! This way!
Jade follows Star through the castle all the way up to Queen Moon's office.
Queen Moon: Star, and... oh, it's you.
Jade: You can't go after Septarsis!
Queen Moon: What? How did you know that I know where Septarsis is?
Jade: A friend told me.
Queen Moon: Whom?
Jade: It doesn't matter. You can't attack Septarsis! Innocent people will die if you do it. I'm begging you. If you have any common sense, or decency, you'll call off the attack.
Queen Moon: My dear, I haven't planned anything, but I assure you, our royal guards will not merely march up to Septarsis and engage in warfare.
Jade: You have to promise!
Queen Moon: Young lady, do you have any idea who you're talking to?
Jade: Do you care about Ludo?
Queen Moon: Not particularly, no.
Jade: Do you want his blood on your hands, or the blood of innocent bystanders, or your soldiers?
Queen Moon: Most certainly not!
Jade: Then don't attack Septarsis. Call up the Avarius family and tell them you're not going after Septarsis!
Queen Moon: Lady Avarius and Lord Brudo will be most displeased to find out that they won't be getting their son back.
Jade: Look. What if I go to Septarsis myself? What if I bring Ludo back? Will you refrain from attacking my home?
Queen Moon: You do realize that since Lord Brudo escaped from Septarsis, the Septarians will be well aware of Mewni discovering its location, correct?
Jade: Just let me handle this. You don't want a war. I don't want a war. All that engaging with Septarsis will do is engage in war.
Queen Moon: Especially if it is indeed true that Seth is still alive.
Jade: I'll just go in, snatch Ludo and come right out. Ludo gets out of Seth's grip, The Avariuses get their son back, and we can all just move on.
Queen Moon: For how long though? Seth is a known war monger. If it's true that he's been running Septarsis for all these centuries without our knowledge, it's possible that he's the one that orchestrated the murder of my mother. It's possible that he's the reason your father engaged on his mission leading to this back and forward conflict.
Star: So wait a minute. Are you saying that all this conflict with the Septarians is Seth's doing?
Jade: No, of course not. He just wants to run Septarsis.
Queen Moon: Listen, Jade. Seth is a terrible man.
Jade: No, YOU listen! I've known Seth my whole life. He's like an uncle to me.
Queen Moon: Then tell me something, Jade, when you embarked on your mission to take my life, did he, or did he not encourage you?
Jade: He... he did encourage me to come after you.
Queen Moon: Then why in the world would you trust him? He sent you on a death mission! You were to end up just like your father, a mere pawn in his game!
Jade: I don't care! Do you trust me to get Ludo back or not?
Queen Moon looks at Jade for a moment, thinking, pacing back and forth.
Queen Moon: If I hold off on an offensive, you will assure me that you can retrieve Ludo Avarius and restore the Avarius household?
Jade: Yes!
Queen Moon: Very well. You have my word that I will not engage in battle with Septarsis. But mark my words. If Seth so much as thinks of starting trouble in Mewni, we will shut them down!
Jade: Fine.
Queen Moon: I'm calling Lady Avarius now.
Jade watches as Queen Moon makes the call.
Queen Moon: Hello, Lady, yes. It's Moon again. I've decided we will not be sending anyone over to Septarsis... I've placed the duty of retrieving your son to someone. Yes... She's very professional... It's someone quite close to Ludo, yes... She will retrieve Ludo from Septarsis with no bloodshed... Yes... Very well, Lady Avarius... Thank you... Goodbye.
As Jade watches Queen Moon hang up the phone, she looks at Jade, sternly.
Queen Moon: She didn't sound too pleased, but she agreed there will be no attack. Go on. Get Ludo back, so that we can put this all behind us.
Jade: Thank you. I won't let you or Lady Avarius down. I will get Ludo back.
Jade is relieved to know that Septarsis would not be under attack, but pretty peeved at the notion that she'll have to see Ludo again. She shoots Star Butterfly one single extra dirty look before leaving. As she runs out of the castle, Star follows her. Jade notices she's being followed.
Jade: Oh no you don't! You're not following me!
Star: I don't want to follow you. Actually... I'd like to thank you... for doing the right thing... for trying not to get Mewni into a war with Septarsis. That's really kind of you Jade.
Jade: Don't try to butter me up. You're not getting on my good side. You still killed my father.
Star: I'm sorry! The last thing I want to be is the girl that took someone's father away! All I was trying to do was protect my kingdom.
Jade: Oh really? Is that why you fried my dad?
Star: This whole thing is really complicated. Your dad did some really bad stuff to me, Jade. He killed my grandmother. He kidnapped my boyfriend and held him at ransom until I did what I was told. He possessed Ludo and fused his weird bony wand hand thing with his body. He tricked Ludo into doing all these bad things. What Ludo told you was the truth. I can't change the past. All I can do... all we can do, is try to prevent this stuff from ever happening again.
Jade: Stop lying to me!
Star: I'm not lying! It's the truth. You can ask Ludo and he'll tell you the same thing.
Jade: I'm outta here. Don't ever talk to me again.
With this one final sentence. Jade leaves. Before heading back to Septarsis though, she goes to retrieve a couple of friends. At Spider's cave she whistles. Spider and Eagle come out from the dark of the cave.
Jade: Listen girls, we're gonna get your daddy back, you hear? Let's go!
Off they fly once more, to Septarsis. As Jade passes over the horizon, Lady Avarius, who'd just hung up the phone with Queen Moon, is furious.
Lady Avarius: I can't believe she's going to send a single individual to rescue our son from that monster's den!
Lord Brudo: What do you propose we do, milady?
Lady Avarius: I'll tell you what we're gonna do, Brudo! We're gonna form an army of our own, and we will storm Septarsis ourselves!
Lord Brudo: Really?
Chet: Wait a minute! I thought we weren't going to do anything rash that could get someone hurt! What about my family?
Lady Avarius walks up to Chet, sympathetically placing her hand on his cheek.
Lady Avarius: Chet, sweetheart, if you really care about your family, you'll join us, and we can see to it together that they're safe.
Chet: I don't understand.
She takes his little hands.
Lady Avarius: Join us, and when we go to Septarsis, you can get us inside, and you can go right to your family, and see them out of Septarsis. We'll go in, get my son, get your family, and leave. When we get out, you will be compensated. We will not leave your family without a home, I promise you. Understand?
Chet: Yes... I understand.
He looks at her, concernedly, reluctantly. Before going up to his room to prepare. Lady Avarius turns back to Brudo.
Lady Avarius: Nobody takes my baby away from me and lives! Those lizard freaks are gonna pay for messing with my... OUR family! Between us, our 50 kids, and whatever of Ludo's dopes I can scrounge up, we're going in, and we're gonna get our baby back!
Lord Brudo looks at her, passionately.
Lord Brudo: I have never been more attracted to you than I am now.
Lady Avarius: Kiss me, my love!
The two kiss passionately, more so than they have in years, while the others just watch awkwardly, cringing.