Hey, I'm back! Here's chapter 16 here you all! Please enjoy.
I do not own 'Star vs. the Forces of Evil.'
(Chapter 16)
"There we go," Eclipsa announced as she put Mariposa in the new diaper. "All clean."
Mariposa giggled and swung her arms and legs.
"Yes, you're a clean little cutie." The nanny grinned as she tickled Mariposa's belly. "Who's a clean little cutie? You are. Yes, you are. Yes, you are."
Once she was done tickling the baby, Eclipsa tied shut the plastic bag that held the soiled diaper. As she did, the door to Mariposa's room opened. Eclipsa, with makeup hiding her cheek marks, turned her head to see who it was.
"Hey, Eclipsa," Star greeted.
"Oh, why hello, Star," Eclipsa kindly returned the greeting.
"Hi, Mariposa," Star cooed at the infant with a big smile and wave of her hand.
The baby happily stuck her tongue out at the princess. "Mmmmmmmmm."
"Since you're here, could you…?" Eclipsa gestured to the bagged, dirty diaper sitting on the changing table.
"Sure, set it on the floor for me."
Eclipsa did as Star asked and placed the bag on the floor. Star did a quick draw with her wand, blasted the bag with magic and exploded the diaper in a pink, fire hydrant-sized mushroom cloud, leaving behind only dust.
"Splendid," said Eclipsa. "Thank you, sweetheart."
"Can't you do that?" Star asked. "You're one of the most powerful Queens of Mewni who ever lived."
"With the wand, I was, yes," said Eclipsa. "However, I was only ever able to do a handful of tricks without the wand."
"Like watching and talking to Marco while you crystalized?"
"Indeed." Eclipsa turned back around to fit Mariposa back into her clothes. "So, what brings my favorite descendant by for a visit? Looking for Marco?"
"Actually, for tutoring, Marco's making me write a stupid essay." Star through her hands up in exasperation. "Can you believe the nerve of that guy?!"
"Moon hired him for a reason," Eclipsa said. "He takes studying seriously, you know that."
"Yeah, well, Marco told me to pick a significant figure in Mewnian history to do a report on," Star continued. "Which is why I'm here."
"Ooo, is the report on me?" Eclispa asked as she handled the baby and her clothes. "I'm flattered. Hold still, Mariposa, hold still."
"Actually, since Marco and I have been studying so much on the Queens, he told me to pick someone besides one of the Queens," Star explained. "So I decided to write an essay about Alphonse the Worthy."
Eclipsa straightened up in sudden surprise. "...Alphonse the Worthy, you say?"
"The guy who wrote Alphonse the Worthy's Atlas of the Multiverse, yeah," said Star. "According to the Book of Queens, he was your dad, right? I thought I could pick your brain and ask you some questions for my essay that Marco's making me write. Freakin' Marco the Narko. Oh, that's good. I gotta remember that one."
Eclipsa sighed and finished putting on Mariposa's clothes. "...Alphonse Pendle was an explorer. He traveled all over Mewni, drawing maps and discovering landmarks. It was his passion. Seeing new places and discovering new things."
"He sounds cool," Star commented.
"During a sea voyage across the oceans of the Waterfolk Kingdom, Alphonse came across a dreaded sea beast. A ferocious kraken that had taken the lives of many unfortunate sailors. Alphonse, unable to flee from the beast, decided his only hope for survival was to defeat it. And so, Alphonse rammed his ship straight into the beast. The ship's bow pierced into the kraken's giant, bulbous eye, but the beast went down fighting. Alphonse's ship was destroyed as the beast died. He managed to swim to shore on a piece of driftwood left by the wreckage."
"I should probably be writing this down," Star thought out loud, "Nah, I'll remember it."
"Little did Alphonse know, my grandmother, Queen Skywynne, had placed a bounty on that beast's head as a contest to all of the young princes, dukes, and lords of Mewni. Whoever killed the beast would be deemed worthy of Princess Solaria's hand in marriage. Once word got through to Queen Skywynne that the beast had been slain, she summoned Alphonse to the castle, betrothed him to her daughter, Solaria, and he became known as Alphonse the Worthy."
"Wow. Talk about a lucky break." Star commented.
"That's up for debate," Eclipsa muttered. "Anyway, once my mother became Queen of Mewni, she married my father, and shortly later, he got on a ship and sailed away from that marriage. He then went on to map out the multiverse with Hekapoo's blessing and publish his Atlas to the Multiverse."
"He just left your mom?" Star asked in shock. "That is just horrible!"
"If you knew my mother, you wouldn't be so quick to judge him," Eclipsa replied bluntly.
"So…you never even knew your dad?" Star asked. "The dad who just straight-up ditched you and your mom?"
"I loathed him at first, of course." Eclipsa picked up Mariposa and went over to sit on her bed. "But between him and my mother, I began to idolize Alphonse the Worthy over Solaria the Monster Carver. While my mother kept trying to make me into a Monster killer like her, I dreamed of traveling the multiverse as my father did. Although, so much as mentioning his name tended to put Mother in a…really bad mood."
Star looked down at the floor thoughtfully. "...Hey, uh…unrelated to Marco's essay…can I talk to you about the Monsters now?"
Eclipsa tilted her head curiously before tapping the spot of the bed next to her. Star came over and sat down next to Eclipsa and sighed as she rested her head on her palms.
"I was raised being taught about how evil and terrible the Monsters are," Star began. "But after Marco told me about how he saved those Monster teenagers in the woods and how he saved that Monster community from the Knights who all turned out to be a bunch of assholes,"
"Language, Star." Eclipsa quickly placed her hands over Mariposa's ears.
"Sorry." Star apologized. "I guess…I guess I'm just seriously starting to question the moral high ground Mewni stands on and looks down at the Monsters from. Aside from Toffee and maybe a few more ticked-off Monsters, they never really did anything wrong. If you really look at the facts, Mewmans are the bad guys, not the Monsters."
Eclipsa nodded sagely. "You're not wrong, Star. However, I must caution you. As you may be aware, Mewni is not terribly fond of such open-mindedness. I married a Monster, and look what happened to me."
"Well, what should I do?" Star asked. "I know the Monsters are being treated unfairly, and I want to help them out. How am I supposed to do that if literally all of Mewni is against it?"
"My advice? Start small," said Eclipsa. "If you're going to give charity and support to the Monsters, you need to accept the fact that people are going to hate you for it. So you should start small, gather some friends, gain support, and bit by bit, you'll be able to do some good for the Monsters."
"Yeah… Yeah, you know what?" Star stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "That's exactly what I'm gonna do."
"Be careful, Star," Eclipsa warned. "Mewmans don't like it when things change."
"Yeah, well, things need to change," Star said. "Now, if you'll excuse me."
Eclipsa watched as the princess marched out of the room, smiling proudly at her.
"Ah, that girl." Eclipsa looked down at Mariposa. "They'll hate her at first when she's Queen, but she'll turn that Kingdom around, I know it."
"Mawco."
"Okay, what else is on the list for today?" Marco read the list on his clipboard. "We practiced hand-to-hand combat and swordplay and you showed your improvement. We went to the stables and you did a tremendous job saddling and riding your warnicorn; really wish I could convince you to give dragoncycles a chance. We tried on different armor sets and we know how to put on and take care of our armor, that was actually pretty fun. We touched up on Mewnian Law, that'll be important if you're gonna be enforcing it someday." Marco put the clipboard down. "Yeah, we're done for the day. You did good today, Higgs. Gettin' better every day."
"Thank you, Sir Marco," Higgs replied, standing at attention with her arms behind her back.
"Well, since we're done for the day, how about we get out of here." Marco looked around at the training grounds. "We're running out of time before the Knights flood in for their daily training regimen."
"Very good, Sir Marco." Higgs followed her Knight out of the training yard. They entered the castle and walked down the halls together side by side.
"So…you wanna hang out?" Marco asked. "I'm free for the day until the Princess finishes her essay for her tutoring session."
"Uh…actually…well…" Higgs stopped in her tracks and took a big inhale through her nose. "...I…actually…would like to…"
Marco blinked at Higgs. "Yeah?"
Higgs blushed and spoke through her teeth. "...My parents asked me to invite you over for lunch."
"You…want me to meet your parents?" Marco asked.
"Absolutely not," Higgs hissed before recomposing herself. "But, my parents thought it would be nice to have you over and to meet my new charge and thank you for helping me when no one else would."
"Oh." Marco rubbed the back of his head. "Well, gee, I-"
"Marco," Higgs said. "If you care about me even a little bit, if there is any amount of friendship in our Knight-squire relationship, you will tell me that you can't make it. In fact, every time I ask you to come over to meet my parents, you will respond with 'I can't, I have plans.' Please. For the love of corn, please."
"Actually, yeah, I can make it," said Marco. "I'd love to meet your parents."
"You bastard." Higgs shook her head. "Sorry, sorry. I just…my parents…they are just so…I love them, but…"
"Higgs, come on." Marco placed a hand on Higgs' shoulder. "You're not just my squire, you're my friend. I'd love to meet your family. And heck, maybe I could introduce you to my parents. They're great people."
Higgs blushed some more and groaned anxiously. "Okay, fine. Let's go get my warnicorn and I can take us to my parents' house."
"Oh, we can use my dimensional scissors if you wan-"
Marco suddenly vanished in a column of fire.
Higgs jumped back as she stared in frightened shock at the smoking scorch mark on the floor.
"...Oh, thank the Stump. I don't have to introduce him to my parents," Higgs breathed in relief. "I'm actually incredibly concerned right now, I hope he's okay, but still, thank the Stump and all of its roots."
Queen Moon sat at her desk in her study, filling out paperwork and listening to music on her gramophone. There was a knock on the door to her study and Moon stopped the music.
"Come in."
The door opened and Star came in. "Hey, Mom. Can I talk to you about something?"
"Of course, sweetheart. Have a seat," said Moon. She put her paperwork to the side as Star sat down in front of her desk. "What do you need?"
"Well…uh…" Star sat down and played with her hair nervously. "Hoo, boy. This is tough. Mom, I want to…I…want to…"
"Go ahead, Star," Moon gently pressed her.
Star took a deep breath. "Mom, I want to start a campaign to end the oppression of the Monsters of Mewni."
Moon's eyes widened as she was taken aback by Star's request. "What?"
"I want to start a campaign to end the oppression of the Monsters," Star repeated. "Come on, Mom, don't you think the way Mewmans treat Monsters is a little unfair? They barely have anything anymore, they have to put up with the Knights being jerks all the time, there was never a Monster alive that could stand up against a Queen of Mewni or the Magic High Commission. The least we could do is start a fundraiser or something."
Moon eyed Star wearily before she carefully replied. "Star, I am…glad to see you wanting to become more involved with the affairs of Mewni, but…couldn't you involve yourself in a more…advocated political matter?"
"Like, what? The newest corn harvest?" Star asked sarcastically. "I'm not even asking for much. I just want to give the Monsters equality. Give them their own land to farm and live on, make it illegal for the Knights to attack and arrest Monsters for no good reason, maybe we could even try to teach people to stop being so unnecessarily mean to the Monsters."
"Star, Mewmans and Monsters have been enemies since even before the founding of the Butterfly Monarchy," said Moon.
"Yeah, and the Mewmans probably started it," Star said. "And even if they didn't, don't you think it's time for us to put it all behind us anyway? Centuries of bad blood and all we have to show for it is an entire race living in fear of the Mewmans who outnumber them in number and power. We have no right to treat them like criminals. The only reason the Mewmans hate the Monsters so much is because they look scary. Big deal. The Lucitors look scary, why doesn't anybody hate them? I'll tell you why: because they have the power to do something about it. the Monsters don't, and have no other choice but to just put up with it."
"Star, I…" Moon rubbed her temples. "I don't think you should do this."
"Why not?" Star asked. "If I don't, then who will?"
"No one," Moon answered. "And, perhaps that is what's best for this Kingdom."
Star crossed her arms. "You mean the Mewmans won't throw a fit if we let them keep treating the Monsters like crap."
"I'm sorry, Star, but…I can't support your campaign." Moon said sadly. "I just can't."
"Because of what happened to Grandma."
Queen Moon clenched her fists and closed her eyes. "The Monsters killed your grandmother, Star. She wanted to give them her aid and they killed her."
"It was one pissed-off, radical group led by one really evil Monster who's dead now," Star argued. "I'm sorry about what happened to Grandma, but that doesn't mean we should treat the entire race like they're all born criminals. They live miserably and in fear of the Mewmans. They don't deserve that, and we don't have the right to do that to them."
"You can do as you wish, Star, but I can't support you." Moon folded her hands together. "I'm sorry, dear."
Star looked hurt as she stared at her mother before her look became angry. "Well, what else is new?"
Moon flinched at Star's tone.
"Fine. I don't need your help. I'm doing this with or without your help." Star snapped. "Someone has to, it might as well be me."
The Princess stormed out of her mom's study and slammed the door shut on her way out. Moon let out a sigh before returning to her paperwork. She couldn't concentrate, though, feeling distracted by the thought of what her daughter was getting herself into.
When the column of fire surrounding him lowered and faded away, Marco immediately got into a fighting pose. In his state of panic, he looked around to see where he was. And to his continued dismay, Marco saw that he had been brought back to the Underworld. Right at the front door of Lucitor Castle, to be exact. Behind him stood the raised drawbridge and in front of him stood the massive, red and black double doors.
The doors to the castle opened with a loud and ominous groan and the Prince of the Underworld himself walked out of the castle.
"Oh, thank Satan Lucitor you're here," Tom said, clearly relieved to see Marco.
"You again? What's going on?" Marco raised an eyebrow at Tom. "And what the hell are you wearing?"
The demon prince was going shirtless with a pair of jeans and flip-flops, with a red bow tie around his neck. Without a shirt, Tom was showing off his smooth, lilac skin on his thin but fit body.
"What happened to you?" Marco asked.
"What the hellfire do you think happened?!" Tom cried. "That living nightmare you left with me is what happened!"
"Janna made you do this?" Marco asked. "You're the Prince of the Underworld capable of advanced demonic sorcery. How did Janna get you to do this?"
"When you left her here with me, you didn't tell me what she was capable of!" Tom complained. "She knows voodoo, she knows witchcraft, she knows alchemy, she even knows ancient necromancy and satanic scripture. Who is this freak of nature?!"
"Hey, watch it." Marco scolded. "That freak of nature is my friend."
"Look, I'm begging you." Tom got down on his knees and clasped his hands together as he pleaded. "I can't take this anymore. She's…she's the devil."
"How ironic."
"You gotta get her out of here," Tom begged. "My parents have been gone for the past week and they get back tomorrow. It's the only reason Janna has been able to stay here for as long as she has. When Mom and Dad get back, they are not gonna be happy to see her here…or maybe they'll end up really liking her. I'm honestly not sure which thought is more terrifying. I need her gone, and I need her gone now."
"Look, Tom-"
"You want a house-sized vault filled with gold? Done." Tom stood back up on his feet. "You want your own summer home by Lava Lake? Done. You want a demon army that will obey your every command without question? Done. I'll do whatever you want, please just get her out of here!"
Marco sighed. "Okay, fine. She's not gonna like it, but maybe it is time to bring Janna back to Earth. But the whole 'soul exchange' thing that started this whole mess? The debt's been paid, ya got me?"
Tom nodded vigorously. "Yeah, yeah, everyone's free to go, yeah."
"That's not all I want." Marco crossed his arms. "I want one unconditional favor. No matter what it is, no matter what I want from you, you have to deliver on your end of the deal. Okay?"
Tom grimaced at Marco's request.
"I can just leave Janna here with you, ya know."
"Okay, fine!" Tom immediately replied.
"I want that in writing," Marco demanded.
"Geez, you know, you have to be the first person to ever ask a demon for that." Tom snapped his fingers and summoned a scroll out of the air in a burst of fire. He grabbed the scroll out of the air and handed it to Marco.
Marco unrolled the scroll and read over the deal. "...Okay, yeah. This will do. This checks out. Surprisingly B.S free for a deal with the devil. It needs both of our signatures, you got a pen?"
Tom raised his hand and gestured for the scroll back. Marco handed it back to him and, with a fiery wave of his hand, Tom summoned a pen out of the air. He signed his name on the deal and handed Marco the scroll and the pen. Marco marveled at the pen. It was a creepy-looking thing made of black metal with a skeleton design topped with a skull with glowing red eyes.
Marco looked at Tom's signature. "This thing writes in blood instead of ink, doesn't it?"
Tom nodded.
"I'm keeping this pen. I'll give it to Janna for her birthday or something." Marco signed his name on the scroll, rolled it up, and stowed the scroll and the pen into his hoodie. "Alright, where's Janna?"
"She's in the throne room. Follow me." Tom hurried into the castle and Marco followed after him. The prince led Marco back into the throne room of Lucitor Castle. Janna was lounging on the smallest of the three thrones, drinking from a silver goblet and listening to the music played by a demon string quartet. The music sounded like something played in a horror movie to set the mood.
Marco's eyes lit up with surprise when he got a good look at his spooky friend. "...Janna?"
"Marco, hey!" Janna sat up off of the throne, showing off the smooth, ink-black, one-shoulder dress she was wearing along with a pair of fishnet gloves and stockings and shiny, black high heels. On her head, instead of her usual beanie, she wore a tiara of black iron with a big, oval, blood-red ruby set into the front, which went well with the silver skull earrings that dangled from her ears.
"Janna, you look…" Marco struggled to find the right word. "...Like you belong here."
"These past couple of days have been absolutely fantastic," Janna said delightfully. "Thank you soooo much for this, Marco. You really are the best."
"Get her out of here!" Tom cried.
"Ah-ah-ah, babe." Janna waved a hand at the band and the music stopped. "You know I don't like it when you act so negative."
Tom quickly hid behind Marco, making a frightened whimpering sound as he did.
Marco looked back and forth between Tom and Janna. "...Have the two of you…?"
"Made love like two wild animals yet? No, we haven't." Janna reached behind her to grab something off of the throne. "Haven't gotten him to do that yet. But I'm patient, you know I am."
Marco narrowed his eyes at the thing Janna was holding. It was some kind of voodoo doll resembling Tom. A tuft of salmon-pink hair was stuck to the doll's head with a wad of chewed bubblegum.
"What…what is that?" Marco asked.
"I know demons, Marco," Janna replied. "If you know the right stuff, and have the right things, they're easy to control. Even a prince."
"...Help…me," Tom whispered into Marco's ear.
Marco took a deep breath in preparation for what he was about to do. "Listen, Janna, I know you're having fun, and I hate to have to do this, but…I gotta bring you back to Earth."
"Are you nuts? I'm never gonna leave!" Janna raised her arms. "This place is awesome!"
"Tom's parents are going to be here tomorrow, and we need to get you out of here before that happens," said Marco.
"I want to meet them." Janna put the doll back down on the throne and crossed her arms stubbornly. "I wanna see if I can get their blessing to wed and bed their son."
"Wow." Marco looked back at Tom. "You sure you don't wanna keep her? She's the full package."
"We had a deal," Tom hissed.
"Alright, fine." Marco pulled out his dimensional scissors and cut open a portal to Earth, choosing to place the portal horizontally on the floor like a carpet. "Come on, Janna, time to go."
"I'm not going anywhere," Janna stated firmly. "And why'd you put the portal on the floor like that?"
"So I could do this." Marco cut another horizontal portal directly above the one on the floor.
Janna didn't notice the portal beneath her feet until she fell through it with a startled cry. She fell into that portal, fell out of the portal above the one on the floor, then fell into the portal to Earth on the floor. Everyone good? Everyone understand what happened? Alright, let's continue.
Once the portals all blinked away. Marco ran a hand through his hair anxiously. "She is never going to forgive me for that."
"She's gone." Tom, nearly on the brink of tears, wrapped Marco in a grateful hug. "Oh, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you."
Marco pulled himself away from Tom. "Don't mention it. Just remember that if I have to put up with any more of your demon shenanigans, I'm sending Janna right back here."
Tom let out a loud groan and ran a hand down his face. "...Listen…maybe I was being kind of a jerk to you. Scaring your baby sister was especially uncool of me. I'm sorry, I just…"
"You got jealous after Star took me to the Young Royal Rally?" Marco guessed.
Tom looked away, but nodded his head.
"Look, Tom, there's nothing going on between me and Star, I swear," Marco said.
"I don't buy that," Tom calmly replied. "You're really gonna stand there and tell me you and Star don't have feelings for each other?"
"I-I…" Marco choked on his words before being able to continue. "It doesn't matter how either of us feels. We're from two different worlds in more ways than one. She's the Princess of Mewni. And I'm from a dimension barely anybody knows exists and all I have is a Knighthood I'm not even sure I deserve."
"And yet, she's into you." Tom hung his head. "Not me."
"You still have a better shot than I do," said Marco. "And besides, I have a girlfriend. Her name's Jackie, she's great."
"I just want Start to feel about me the same way I feel about her," Tom said. "Is that so much to ask for?"
"You can't make someone have feelings for you," Marco said. "I mean, I guess you could with, like, a magic potion or something. But even if you did, what's the point? It wouldn't be authentic. If you really want Star to be your girlfriend, then she has to want to be your girlfriend."
Tom sighed down at the floor. "I know that, I just…being a prince isn't all it's cracked up to be. Especially when you're a demon prince that everyone is afraid of. Star was never afraid of me. She actually liked to spend time with me, and she knows just as well as I do that the life of a royal can be…draining." Tom smiled. "I…I always really liked that about her."
Marco smiled too. "Yeah. Star…she's pretty awesome. And hey, if it doesn't work out with Star, I'm sure Janna is willing to wait for you."
Tom shuddered as if the temperature had dropped by fifty degrees. "I have my limits, dude. Star might be scary, but Janna…" The prince gulped. "There's just no way she's human."
"Honestly, she's not that bad," Marco assured him. "I've known her for years and, as daunting as she might be, she's not a bad person."
"I do not care," Tom replied. "She's back where she belongs and I don't ever have to deal with her again."
"Uh, about that," Marco said. "She might not have the doll anymore, not even gonna bother asking what she was using that thing for, but she knows your full name, what you look like, where to find you, and your status and rank here in the Underworld. And she knows how to summon demons. Hell, she's probably doing a summoning ritual right now as we speak."
Tom suddenly developed a look of pure dread. "Oh, fu-"
The prince was suddenly engulfed in a column of fire. When the fire subsided, Tom was gone. Only a scorch mark was left where he was standing.
"Imagine if those two had a baby." Marco gave it some thought and shuddered. He took out his scissors and opened himself a portal back to Mewni. "That'll be the end of my babysitting career."
"Thank you guys for coming to help me out with this," Star said as she sat down on her bed. "Seriously, this really means a lot to me."
"Hey, come on, B-Fly, I've always got your back," Pony Head replied.
"Yeah, and honestly, I think what you're trying to do is really cool," Kelly said. "The Mewmans really should let up on the Monsters."
"Exactly," Star declared. "I plan to make a big change in Mewni, and it starts with the three of us."
"Yeah, like, how come it's just the three of us?" Pony Head asked.
"Well, my mom's not helping me out with this, and I doubt this is going to be a very popular campaign," Star explained. "I know it's just the three of us right now, but I plan to expand our group in the future."
"Will…will Marco be joining us?" Kelly asked shyly, tapping her fingers together and glancing to the side.
Pony Head rolled her eyes. "Oh, geez."
"I haven't told Marco about any of this yet, but yeah, I believe he'll be joining us as well," Star answered. It was barely noticeable, but there was a bit of an edge in her voice.
"So, what are we doing, B-Fly?" Pony Head asked. "We gonna put up some flyers and go around asking for donations or something?"
"No, that'll never work. People would probably start throwing stuff at us if we did that," Star said. "I was thinking we could go talk to the Monsters ourselves. To start, we're going to see someone the local Monsters call Buff Frog. From what I've learned, the Monsters are considering him to be the next Monster King. And I think he's the one who helped out Marco when he first came to Mewni."
"So we talk to this Buff Frog guy and then what?" Pony Head asked.
"We ask him how we can make the Monsters' lives better," said Star. "If he's the guy who the Monsters are considering to be their King, then I'm sure he'll be able to tell us all the ways we can help."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kelly asked. "Star, you're the Princess of Mewni. What makes you think this Buff Frog guy will listen to you?"
"I know the Monsters don't really care for the Queens of Mewni, but they don't have any reason to hate me," Star said. "Everybody likes me."
"Well, that is true. You are, like, the most likable person I know," said Pony Head. "Alright, I'm in."
"Kelly?" Star asked.
The Woollett saluted. "I'm with ya, Star!"
"Great! Now, let's go!" Star jumped off her bed and swung open the balcony doors. She pulled out her wand and summoned Cloudy. The pink cloud fluttered its wings and smiled pleasantly at Star. "Hi, Princess!"
"Everybody, hop on!" Star jumped onto Cloudy with Kelly and Pony Head taking a position next to her. Aboard Cloudy, the three of them took off into the air towards the swamps.
After an hour's ride, the three of them found themselves flying above the Swamps. The three girls surveyed the land below.
"You two see anything?" Star asked.
"Nah, B-Fly. All I see is, like, a bunch of swamp water and stuff." Pony Head said. "Ain't no way I'm goin' down there, girl. I don't wanna get my feet wet."
"But…you don't-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I realized it as soon as I said it."
"Hey, look, down there." Kelly pointed downward. "There's a hut."
Star followed Kelly's gaze and saw a hut down in the Swamps. "There we go. That's gotta be him. Take us down, Cloudy!"
"You got it, Star!" Cloudy dove down into the swamp. He flew the three girls down in front of the hut and they all got off. Star and Kelly's feet sank into the swamp water and Pony Head stared at the water in disgust.
"Ew. Gross. Ew." Pony Head recoiled away from the water. "Don't let it touch me."
"Me and Star are the ones who actually have to step in the water," said Kelly. "You can float in the air."
"It's still gross, girl," said Pony. "It's still gross."
Star waded through the swamp water and up the hut's front door. She knocked on the front door and waited patiently with her hands folded in front of her.
The door opened and a stout, green frog Monster opened the door, looking over his shoulder into the hut. "Leo! Dimitri! Stop bouncing Irina around like ball! Boris, Katrina, stop vith the fighting!" the Monster let out a sigh before looking to see who knocked. "Dah? How can I help-"
The Monster let out a shocked gasp. "You. You are Princess Star!"
Star waved and smiled in a friendly manner. "Hi! You're Buff Frog, I guess?"
"My name is Yvgeny Bulgolyubov. But am also called Buff Frog, dah." Buff Frog crossed his arms and narrowed his yellow eyes. "Vhat you vant? I have done no wrong."
"Listen, Mr. Bugle Above,"
"Buff Frog."
"Listen, Mr. Buff Frog, I know you and the other Monsters don't like my family, and for good reason. But I swear, I am here on a mission of diplomacy." Star clasped her hands together eagerly. "My friends and I are here on the beginning of a campaign to end the oppression and persecution of Monster kind. As the future Queen of Mewni, I plan to make Mewni a better place for everyone, including the Monsters."
Buff Frog raised a suspicious eyebrow. "...Boy in Red is your tutor, dah?"
"What, you mean Marco?" Star asked. "Yeah, he's my friend. We're pretty close."
Pony Head snorted and rolled her eyes.
"Hmm." Buff Frog drummed his fingers along his arm. "Younger generations of Monsters think you are cool. Us older Monsters do not. Vhy should I believe that you are being sincere, young Butterfly child? I have family to think about."
"All I want is to talk," Star promised. "I want to help the Monsters. Just tell me every way I can improve the Monsters' lives, and then I'll leave. How about it?"
Buff Frog scratched his chin as he stared at Star. "...Vhy you vant to help us Monsters?"
"Because no one else will," Star said. "And someone needs to."
Buff Frog hummed thoughtfully. "...Okay, come in." The Monster stepped aside to let Star in. "Let us talk."
Higgs had just finished saddling her warnicorn and packing the saddlebags when a portal appeared in front of her and Marco stepped out. "I'm back. Sorry about that."
"You came back?!" Higgs cried. "Where'd you even go?"
"Oh, I went to Hell and saved a demon prince from becoming a boy toy."
"...Say what now?"
"Not important." Marco looked over at Higgs' warnicorn. "So, we still on for meeting your parents for lunch?"
Higgs let out a whine. "So close…so close. Fine, get on the damn warnicorn."
Higgs and Marco mounted the gray warnicorn. Higgs snapped the reins and, with a powerful 'hyah!', rode the beast out of the stable. Marco hung on to Higgs' waist as she rode the two of them across the Butterfly Kingdom.
Higgs took them across town to a tiny farmhouse surrounded by a small cornfield. The house was a cozy little place. Nothing extraordinary, just a simple brick structure with a thatch roof. Higgs rode her warnicorn to the front of the house and dismounted along with Marco.
"Alright, listen up." Higgs jabbed an angry finger into Marco's face. "You are going to be quiet. You are going to make as little sound as possible. The idea is to get this over with as quickly as possible, ya got it?"
"Geez, Higgs, I haven't seen you this bothered since Sir Stabby fired you," said Marco. "What's got you so riled up?"
The house's door opened and a Mewman couple stepped out. "Hilda! You're back!"
Marco slowly turned his head to look over at Higgs, whose face had turned bright pink. He gave it a shot, but he couldn't hold back his giggling.
"Hilda Higgs? That's your full name?"
"I will slit your throat with one of your own ribs," Higgs hissed like an angry viper. "And if you ever call me Hilda, then I will-"
"Hilda, be nice." The woman who Marco assumed was Higgs' mom walked up to the two of them. Her medium-length hair was brunette instead of orange and her eyes were a warm hazel. But other than that, she looked like an older, freckle-less, sweeter version of Higgs. Her eyes alone held as much smile as her actual smile. She wore a simple peasant's brown dress and leather shoes, nothing that appeared to cost much. Marco, having a not-so-great history with the rich and elite, immediately liked her.
"Welcome to our home, Sir Diaz. My name is Hazel." Mrs. Higgs did a curtsy. "It's so nice to finally meet you. Our little Hilda has told us so much about you."
"Has she now?" Marco glanced over at Higgs, who snarled at him in return.
"Of course. Hilda greatly admires you." Higgs' father walked up and offered Marco his hand. He was a thin and friendly-faced Mewman who apparently gave Higgs her carrot-colored hair, green eyes, and freckles. He wore a plain, white tunic and brown leggings and boots. "The name's Walter."
"Marco Diaz." he shook Mr. Higgs' hand. "Nice to meet you."
"We can't thank you enough for letting our Hilda be your squire." Mrs. Higgs came up and placed her hands on her husband's arm. "If it weren't for you, Hilda would have lost her chance to be a Knight, the poor thing. We're all ever so grateful for your kindness, Sir Diaz. Hilda especially. You're all she ever talks about when she comes to visit."
"Mom!" Higgs whined.
"Would you like to come in, Sir Diaz?" Walter asked. "It would be our pleasure to have you in our home."
"Sure, I'd love to," Marco replied. He heard Higgs let out a tiny whimper as the two of them followed Mr. and Mrs. Higgs into the house.
"Thank you for inviting us into your home, Buff Frog," Star said. "It's really nice."
"Thank you. Ve Monsters make do with vhat little Mewmans do not take avay," Buff Frog replied. He sat in a recliner across from Star, Kelly, and Pony Head, who all sat on Buff Frog's couch. The couch and the recliner looked cheap and worn, with a few patches and some duct tape holding them together. Star sat in the middle between Kelly and Pony Head, while Buff Frog sat in his recliner with his arms crossed, frowning suspiciously at the three girls.
"Now, about those questions." Star patted her pockets. "Uh…either of you have a pen and paper?"
Kelly reached into her hair and pulled out a notebook and pen. "Here you go."
"Man, I wish I had hair like that. Thanks, Kelly." Star took the notebook and pen and crossed her legs, attempting to look professional. "Now, Mr. Bugle Above,"
"Please do us both favor and call me Buff Frog."
"Please tell me every way that I, the future Queen of Mewni, can make life better for the Monsters."
"Vell, for starters, it vould be nice if Knights did not arrest and attack Monsters for no reason," Buff Frog said. "Ve live in constant fear of merciless Knights."
"Illegalize senseless and purposeless arrests. Provide citizen's rights for Monsters. Promote and enforce fairness and equality between Mewmans and Monsters." Star said aloud as she wrote it down. "What else?"
"Ve Monsters have little land left. Much of our lands have been taken by the Mewmans," said Buff Frog. "Ve barely have any land left to farm and live on."
"Return land to Monsters." Star wrote down. "Okay, yeah, I don't see why we can't do that."
"Ve could also use school material for educating children," Buff Frog added. "And also, ve need funding to build schools and markets and homes."
"Can do." Star scribbled away on her notebook.
"Let me ask you something, Princess," said Buff Frog. "How you plan to accomplish all this vonce you are Queen?"
"I'll just illegalize being mean to Monsters for no reason, I'll give you guys enough land to farm and to live on prosperously. And I'll give you some money, which the Butterflies have plenty of." Star said.
"Uh, B-Fly? That might be, like, a lot harder than you might think it might be." Pony Head said. "In case you might've forgotten, all Mewmans, including the nobility, hate Monsters."
"Hey, I'll be Queen, and my word will be law," Star said.
"Star, the issue isn't giving the Monsters what they need to get back on their feet," Kelly said. "The issue is trying to get the Monsters to live in peace when your entire race loathes them and treats them terribly."
Star's face fell. "Uh…well…th-then we'll teach the people to end the hatred. We'll educate the people to stop being so close-minded and show them that the Monsters are people, just like they are."
Buff Frog let out a heavy sigh. "...I admire and appreciate what you are trying to do, Princess. I really do. But helping the Monsters will not be so easy. Such hatred cannot simply vanish because you vish it to. Change cannot happen overnight."
"But it needs to happen, and I plan to make it happen," Star stated. "My grandma knew that, and I'm trying to finish what she started."
"I am sorry about your grandmother. Queen Comet vas good to us," Buff Frog said. "And I look forward to day you become Queen."
"I will make things better in this Kingdom. For everyone." Star stood up from her seat and met Buff Frog's gaze with a look of determination. "I promise."
"I believe you are sincere. Perhaps vone day, you will succeed and make the world a better place." Buff Frog smiled. "Perhaps."
One of the tadpoles hopped up to Star and jumped onto her lap, seemingly unafraid of her.
"Awww, hello there." Star tickled the little tadpole. "What's this little cutie's name?"
"That is Katrina," said Buff Frog.
"Hi, Katrina. I'm Star." The princess said to the tadpole.
Katrina blinked and smiled at Star.
"...You know what? I'm not gonna let this go." Star looked up at Buff Frog. "Mr…Bulgolyubov,"
"There you go."
"Let's start small for now." Star handed Katrina over to Kelly and picked up her pen and notebook. "What can I, the Princess of Mewni, do to help the Monsters?"
Buff Frog rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "...Vell…"
"And so Hilda here, thinking it was an intruder, ran out of the house in the dead of night and tackled our new scarecrow to the ground."
Marco laughed at Mrs. Higgs' story as Higgs slouched in her chair and glowered in embarrassment. The squire's face reddened a little more with each story her parents told.
"Oh, you should have seen her," said Mr. Higgs, seated next to his wife at the small, wooden dinner table across from Marco and Higgs. "Imagine the look on our faces when we came outside and saw our seven-year-old daughter attack our brand-new scarecrow. And she didn't pull any punches either. We ended up having to get another one."
"That is just hilarious." Marco took a sip from his cup. "Maybe you should put Higgs out there instead. She'd definitely scare away anything that came into your cornfield."
Marco and Higgs' parents laughed as Higgs scowled at Marco.
"So, Marco, tell us about Earth," Mrs. Higgs requested. "It's so fascinating to meet someone from another dimension."
"Well, for starters, we don't have magic of any kind," said Marco. "We get around by riding in these things called cars. They're like carriages that pull themselves."
Mr. and Mrs. Higgs both 'ooo'ed at Marco's description of Earth, while Higgs just rolled her eyes.
"Also, we don't eat so much corn," Marco continued, looking down at his finished corncob. "I mean, we do eat corn, but not for every meal."
"Really?" Mr. Higgs asked. "How strange."
"Please don't take this the wrong way, but don't you guys ever get tired of corn?" Marco asked. "Don't you guys ever eat anything else?"
"Well, there's a place in town that sells calzones that tell you how you're gonna die," Mrs. Higgs offered.
"...Huh… Well, that sounds…kinda terrifying," said Marco. "...Are the calzones any good?"
"We've never actually eaten there before."
"Ah."
"So, Marco, is it true you're dating the Princess?" Mrs. Higgs asked.
Marco blushed a little before answering. "Uh, I am not, no. I have a girlfriend back on Earth, actually."
"Really? Word around the Kingdom is that the Princess of Mewni is heavily in love with you," said Mr. Higgs.
"We're friends," Marco quickly replied.
"I've heard rumors that you're gonna be the next King of Mewni," said Mrs. Higgs. "And to be honest, I'd support your coronation."
"Uh, well, I, uh…" Marco coughed awkwardly into his fist. "Thanks."
Higgs smirked at Marco. "Doesn't feel so good on the other end of the stick, does it?"
"Ooo, you know what, Walter? Why don't we show Marco some of our family pictures?" Mrs. Higgs asked excitedly. "I think we even have a few pictures of Hilda when she was a baby."
Marco smiled at Higgs. "Welcome back to the other end of the stick."
"Oh, shut up."
"We'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." Mr. and Mrs. Higgs left to go find their family photos, leaving Marco and Higgs at the table.
Marco took another drink from his wooden mug. "Okay, I'll go ahead and say it. Your parents are some of the nicest people I have ever met."
Higgs sighed. "Yeah…yeah, they are."
"So, how come, even though your parents are incredibly friendly, you're so…"
Higgs raised an eyebrow at Marco.
"...So…not as friendly?"
Higgs rolled her eyes. "I love my parents, man, alright? I love them to death. But they're just so damn perky and sweet. It's sometimes…well…"
"A little embarrassing," Marco guessed. "Hey, my parents are the same way."
"Well, I'm not my parents, alright? I'm not sweet, I'm not perky,"
"Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm."
"Shut up. I like to fight and to compete. That's just who I am." Higgs took a drink from her mug. "Ever since I was little, I wanted to be a Knight. Wielding a blade, riding a warnicorn, fighting bad guys. That's my dream."
Marco smiled. "A pretty cool dream."
Higgs looked away and blushed. "It's my dream. Like I give a damn if you think it's cool."
Marco tilted his head playfully. "So, you talk about me a lot, huh?"
Higgs scowled and blushed some more. "You come up a lot in conversation, alright? My parents think the world of you for letting me be your squire."
"Even though the other Knights don't like me?" Marco asked.
Higgs swirled her drink around in her mug. "...The Knights…are wrong to hate you–there, I said."
Marco blinked. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. You're better than the other Knights." Higgs looked back up at Marco. "I'm…happy to be your squire."
Marco stared down at the table and frowned. 'If you only knew what I've been up to.'
"What's wrong?" Higgs asked.
"Nothing, nothing, I just…" Marco sighed. "Forget it."
Higgs continued to stare at Marco for a bit. "...Would you happen to be thinking about that one time when you went ahead and warned the Monsters that the Knights were on another Monster Hunt?"
Marco choked on his drink. "...I…I don't…I-"
"I'm not an idiot, you nerd, I know how to put two and two together," said Higgs. "I invite you to the Monster Hunt, you say no, and then when the Knights go on their hunt, they come back completely empty-handed. didn't even see any Monsters. You probably used your dimensional scissors to get ahead of them."
Marco stared at Higgs, who calmly met his gaze. "...How long have you-"
"I began to suspect it when I became your squire," Higgs answered. "The more I got to know you, the more I believed it to be true."
"Oh." Marco looked away with a look of guilt and shame on his face. "So…I guess you're pretty disappointed in me."
"Is that what you think?" Higgs picked up her mug and emptied it. "You think I'm disappointed that you ruined that hunt for the Knights?"
"Well, if you're not disappointed, then what are you? Marco asked.
Higgs took a deep breath, letting it in and letting it out. "...Listen, Marco," she began. "Before I met you, I would've gone straight to the Knights and immediately ratted out whoever had the nerve to do something like that. But, now…"
Higgs ran a hand through her ginger hair. "I don't know, I guess after seeing how the Knights reacted towards you, like a bunch of childish school bullies, it…it got me thinking. That's who I've been idolizing this whole time? That's what I've been working my fingers to the bone to be a part of? Yes, Marco, I am disappointed. Because my 'heroes' turned out to be a bunch of jackasses."
Higgs met Marco's gaze again. "And then you come along. Some guy from a backwater dimension who was able to survive fifteen years in the Neverzone and earn the Queen's trust and respect. You came to the Barracks expecting a fair and clean fight, and when all of the Knights ganged up on you, you fought and beat them all. And when I got fired, you gave me another chance to be a Knight. You're selfless and honorable. And…that's not something any of the other Knights are. Unless we're counting Sir Lavabo."
Marco stared in disbelief at Higgs. "So…you're saying you're cool with what I did?"
"I'm saying that I trust and respect you, my Knight." Higgs smiled. "And I am honored to be your loyal squire."
Marco smiled back gratefully. "Thank you, Hilda."
"You get that one, but if you ever call me Hilda again, so help me, I will destroy you."
The two of them shared a laugh.
"I'm being deadly serious."
"Yeah, I know you are."
Marco looked behind him. "Your parents have been gone for a while now. I wonder what's keeping them."
"Oh, I always hide the family photo book so they can't show anybody any embarrassing pictures of me," Higgs said.
"Found it!" they heard Higgs' mom shout.
Higgs let out a miserable moan. "But they always find it. Every time."
"It just has me worried is all," said Moon.
"That's not all and we both know it." Glossaryck took another spoonful of pudding from his cup.
"I appreciate you using a spoon at least," Moon grumbled. "Star is trying to get involved in a very prickly matter. Not only will the Mewmans disdain and scorn her if she continues with this, but the Monsters may very well see it as a form of patronization. She will make no friends in this endeavor but she will make more enemies."
"Your mistake is believing Star to be some helpless and clueless child," said Glossaryck. The genie took another spoonful of pudding, licking his lips clean. "Star is as capable as any other of the Butterfly Queens. And with her friends by her side, she will be responsible for great things."
Moon raised an eyebrow curiously. "Such as?"
"Oh, I don't intend to spoil anything for you, my Queen," Glossaryck lazily replied. "But I will say this: Star, just as your mother did, wishes to make Mewni a better place. For everyone."
"My mother was killed for it," Queen Moon replied coldly.
"And ever since, you have never taken a risk. It has been your nature to avoid change." Glossaryck scrapped the sides of the cupping cup in an effort to get all of the pudding. "You'd rather keep things the way they are rather than face the confusion and frustration of changing an entire Kingdom."
Moon narrowed her eyes at Glossaryck. "What are you trying to say?"
"I mean that Star, like Comet, is not afraid to face head-on the problems facing this Kingdom, nor is she afraid to attempt to change things. Unlike you." Glossaryck looked into Moon's eyes. "Because the death of your mother has turned you, Queen Moon the Undaunted, into a political coward."
Moon's eyes filled with anger as they focused on her former mentor. "How dare you-"
There was a frantic knock on her door. "Mom, mom, mom! You still in there?!"
Moon recomposed herself with a deep breath. "Yes, come in, Star."
Star burst into Moon's office. "Hey, Mom! Now, I know you don't agree with what I'm trying to do. And, yeah, I understand that it's personal for you. But just hear me out, okay?" Star sat down and placed her notebook on her lap. "Hi, Glossaryck."
"Hey, kid."
"Okay, Mom, listen to this." Star flipped through her notes. "The Monsters need land to live on and farm on. All they have these days are a few clumps of unclaimed land that is frequently hounded by the Knights. So, I propose we give them the area surrounding the ancient Monster Temple. It's a sacred place for Monsters, no Mewmans ever actually go near it, it's perfect for them. We give them the Temple back, we give them enough land to start up a community, and we make it protected territory so no one can harass them."
"The Monster Temple?" Moon asked. "Star, that's not a good idea."
"Why not?" Star asked. "It's theirs by ancestral right. We took it from them."
"Star, the Monster Temple, it's…inside the Temple is where…of course, they can't actually do anything about it…but he's still…" Moon sighed. "I'll think about it."
"So, that's a no?" Star asked bitterly.
"It's a good plan, Star, I honestly believe so. I just…" Moon glanced over at Glossaryck, who just licked his pudding cup clean.
Moon took a moment to think looking directly into Star's eyes."I promise I will take your proposal into consideration." Moon smiled at her daughter. "I'm incredibly proud of you for getting involved in Mewni's affairs. And so would your grandmother."
Star blinked and then smiled at her mom.
"Just…please promise me you'll be careful," Moon begged. "And if you need my help for anything, if it ever becomes too overwhelming, or if you get in any trouble, you immediately come to me, understand?"
"I will," Star stood back up. "I love you, Mom."
"I love you too, my dear."
Star turned around and left Moon's study. Moon resumed her paperwork, smiling the entire time.
"That went well," Glossaryck said. "And I'm not even being sarcastic."
"One of these days, Glossaryck, I'm going to stick you in a blender and see what happens," Moon said. She didn't even stop smiling.
"Bye, Hazel. Bye, Walter. Thank you for having me over," Marco said as he and Higgs headed out.
"Stop by any time!" Mrs. Higgs said. "You're always welcome here!"
"Stay safe, Marco!" said Mr. Higgs. "Next time you stop by, bring us some of those 'nachos' you were talking about."
"Will do," said Marco. "Take it easy, you two."
Marco and Higgs walked out of the house, closing the door on the way out.
"If you say one word, I swear to the Stump," Higgs warned as they walked.
"My parents have shown my friends my baby pictures too, don't worry," Marco empathized. "...Still though, it's kinda comforting to know you used to smile a lot more."
Higgs let out a frustrated growl. "You're lucky you're my only friend. And my only means to becoming a Knight."
"Hey, seriously, Higgs, this has been a lot of fun." Marco smiled. "Thanks for letting me come over."
Instead of replying with something snarky like Marco thought she would, Higgs just rolled her eyes and smiled a little. "It was…nice to have you over. Despite the humiliation."
"Maybe I could introduce you to my parents sometime?" Marco offered. "And my little sister. Oh my God, she is the cutest baby in the multiverse. You'd love her."
Higgs looked away to try to hide her blush from Marco. "That…that sounds cool, yeah."
"Well, I'd better get going." Marco pulled out his dimensional scissors and opened a portal. "See you tomorrow, Higgs."
Higgs saluted her Knight. "Have a good evening, Sir."
"You too, Hilda." Marco leapt through the portal with a 'ha-ha' before Higgs fist could strike him. The portal blinked away, leaving Higgs by herself.
"Smug bastard," Higgs grumbled as she walked back to her house. Her face was still red as she headed back inside.
Star walked down the castle halls on her way to Marco's room. She had just reached the door when a portal opened up outside of Marco's room and he hopped out of it, smiling to himself like he had just done something funny.
"Oh, hey, Marco," Star said as the portal vanished. "What's up?"
"Hey, Star," Marco greeted back. "I went to the Underworld and sent Janna back to Earth."
Star winced. "Ooo. Wow. I don't think Janna's gonna forgive you for that. Tom must have been pretty desperate to actually ask you to do that."
"Well, I got this in return." Marco pulled out the agreement he had signed and unscrolled it to show Star. "One unconditional favor from the Prince of the Underworld."
"Oh, hell yeah." Star grinned wickedly at the scroll. "We can get him to do whatever we want him to do."
"Easy, Princess. This is my favor. I'm probably gonna have to use this to find a way to get Janna to forgive me." Marco rolled up and put away the agreement. "I also met Higgs' parents today."
"You did?" Star asked. "Huh…how, uh…how'd that go?"
"Higgs' parents are some of the sweetest people I have ever met, aside from my own family," Marco said. "Which is surprising, considering Higgs herself is kinda…let's say grouchy. So, what have you been up to?"
"Oh, nothing much." Star smiled and examined her nails in a smug manner. "I've just been starting up my new campaign to end the oppression of the Monsters by presenting my mom with a proposition to return the ancient Monster Temple and the surrounding area to the Monsters, as requested in an interview with a Monster named, or nicknamed rather, Buff Frog. You might know him."
"Woah, for real?" Marco asked. "Star, that's incredible! Did your mom agree to your proposition?"
"She said she'd consider it, and she actually seemed sincere." Star bounced on her heels and grinned. "Marco, this is gonna be huge! All of the native Monsters of Mewni will be able to live happy lives because of me!"
"The rest of Mewni may not be on board, you know," Marco said.
"I don't care," Star replied. "I'll teach the people to stop the hatred. We'll educate the younger generation and teach them not to hate for no good reason."
Star smiled at Marco. "I could…really use your help with that."
Marco blinked, then smiled back at Star. "I'll always be there to help you, Star. No matter what. I promise."
Star's smile grew a little bigger.
"By the way, did you finish that essay I asked you to write?"
"Come on, Marco, did you really expect me to write an essay for you?"
Marco sighed and rolled his eyes. "All I wanted was a single-page essay."
Star snickered. "You know, despite everything, I still have a pretty good feeling about the future."
Ludo walked down the hallway of his castle with Bearicorn and Beard Deer at either side of him. The small bird Monster, and even his two, big, muscular henchmen, all looked nervous and afraid.
"Calm down, Ludo. This is still your castle. Built by your ancestor, the great Albacudo Avarius, you still hold authority here."
He didn't sound all that confident though.
The three Monsters approached the door to the throne room. Ludo took a deep calming breath before pushing the doors open and walking into the room.
"Uh, hey, Meteora, or whatever your name is? Yeah, me and the others were kinda starting to wonder–OH SWEET MOTHER OF CORN!"
Meteora, purple, stripped, and big, held Spikeballs up by his throat as she shot a pair of venom-green beams of energy out of her eyes and into his. The big, muscular, black-masked Monster went limp, letting his spikeball hands hand at his sides.
The half-Monster grinned evilly, showing off her sharp teeth. She released Spikeballs, letting his body float into the air as if he had been filled with helium. Ludo and his Monsters gaped in horror as they looked into Spikeballs' lifeless, empty eyes.
Meteora let out a gratifying sigh. Her club cheek marks glowed brightly and her eyes glowed a menacing shade of emerald. She shrunk back down to her regular size and appearance, but kept her tail, her teeth, and her glowing clubs. Her dress was tattered and torn, having been stretched so many times.
The lost child of Eclipsa and Globgor looked over Ludo. "You wanted something?"
"No. No, I didn't," Ludo squeaked.
"Good." Meteora wiped away the hungry drool from her mouth. "RASTICORE!"
A moment later, the large Septarian rushed into the throne room. He didn't have his metal arm anymore, nor did he have his dimensional chainsaw. Even his gem eye was gone, replaced with an actual eye. Ludo had a feeling that if it wasn't for Rasticore's ability to self-regenerate, he would've looked a lot worse.
Rasticore adjusted his purple cloak nervously before bowing before Meteora. The large Septarian, having spent the most time with Meteora since they had moved in, had become more submissive towards the mad, former headmistress.
"My Queen. How may I serve you?"
"Ooo, I like that. Having you do that was a terrific idea," Meteora said. "To answer your question, I have decided that it's time to make our move on the Butterfly Kingdom."
"Splendid, my Queen," Rasticore replied. "What would you have me do?"
"Round up all of Ludo's Monsters and get them ready," Meteora commanded.
"We're finally going to attack Butterfly Castle?" Rasticore asked.
"No, not yet." Meteora smiled wickedly. "There's one more thing I want to do before we proceed."
It's about to happen, everybody. It's about to freaking happen.