Tom was used to the heat of the underworld, what with a boiling subterranean atmosphere and a treacherous hellscape of a backyard being his comfortable surroundings since he was born. He was a Demon after all, they didn't get hot, atleast not like those who resided on the surface, and yet?
He was sweating.
For three days now he'd been all but a prisoner in his own home, much the same as the rest of the underworld. But unlike them, he sat waiting with bated breath by his hell-phone for any sign from his friends above, waiting for a now unlikely bit of hope they might still be alive. What little there were of them, anyway. It felt like only last night that Star had given him the run-down of her plan to keep Marco safe. That ridiculous scheme to save everyone and defeat the villain; even then it felt like a horrible idea he had no place in acting out. But she didn't want to hear it then, and he hadn't heard anything since. Star had been unresponsive to all questions, complaints, and hails since that night, apparently for good reason.
According to reports, Mewni was in a state of total war and had since gone silent. Scissored portals being of no use anymore were a primary public concern, some unseen force was laying waste to every center of population above ground, and now? The underworld was in a state of total lockdown. No one in, no one out, and with no souls of the slain arriving, it was a tense battle of time to see what carnage had befallen the undying surface, and how soon it would seek out the creatures below.
It had stirred unrest from the lowest of the Underworld's denizens to the very top of the obsidian pyramid. Dave Lucitor had ordered a complete isolation event throughout the land, not even the upper echelon of the nobility free to maneuver about their daily business until they knew more about what they were up against. The castle was closed off to visitors, the citizens had been given orders to stay put, and even Torriditty and her family were forbidden from visiting. Not that they ever really had the option.
Thankfully, as 'shitty' as the situation looked, both above and below, it wouldn't remain that way for long. Tom had been planning and executing in his now bountiful free time to see to it that his friends were safe, and Star's parting message of confidence would be seen through. They were, at the very least, still alive, so they had that going for them. All of Mewni did, apparently, given the lack of war-torn souls not flooding the underworld. However the hell that was possible.
"M'lord?" an abrupt voice asked, startling Tom from beyond the threshold of his room, "Are you decent? I have news from your father."
Tom didn't hesitate to jump from his bed and race to the door, throwing it open and dragging a wiry little demonoid into the room as quickly as possible. Checking both ends of the guilded hallway and thankfully seeing no-one, Tom inched back inside and slowly shut the door behind him, careful to keep his resolve intact. "What've ya got, man? Some good news for me?" he asked with impatience marking his words.
The little imp nodded his persistent, resting glare before answering, "We're ready, sire. If you have no further business here, the time is now."
Tom nodded and rushed to his bed without a word to grab his phone and don a robe to conceal his face for the time being. As Francis watched from afar, Tom got to work on step one. "Shadalas jino clemag ros vu mon hetos," he commanded, conjuring a blob of dark goo to collect on the floor like gelatin made of shadows.
"Thomas Lucitor, Prince of the Underworld," he noted, watching the glob wriggle and writhe until it amassed into an exact replica of himself, complete with a resting glare. "And uhhh, lets just go with 'moody', and maybe, perhaps a little… impatient?"
The fake Tom furrowed its brows and rolled its eyes before muttering, "Whatever, bro. Get lost already, I don't have time to deal with your bullshit."
Tom narrowed his eyes in return as he bit back, "tone it down a notch, buddy. I can try again if you wanna get washed down the drain." Sure, it might have been a perfect copy, even the voice matching eerily well, but the last thing he needed was a familiar of himself mouthing off to someone higher on the totem pole than the castle staff. Without a word, the familiar nodded and trotted off as Tom turned back to the imp. "I'm leaving now. Take care of things in my absence, and keep me posted, got it?"
The imp nodded as all of his servants did, and with that, Tom slipped out of the room, pulling his cowl over his face and making his way down the winding, golden halls of Castle Lucitor. In no time, he had run into another servant, this one collecting laundry from the nobles and doing her best to keep a low profile, although her efforts had quite the opposite effect.
'A little on the nose, but you're scot free after I'm done with you,' he thought, approaching her with careful poise. "I need my pillow washed before tonight," Tom ordered with marked subtlety, "can you give me a replacement while I wait?
Again, on the nose, but necessary should there be any prying eyes.
Silently the Demon nodded and pulled a clunky silken pillow from below the cart, handing it to him with careful posterity. "Enjoy your evening. I bid you good luck in your travels," she whispered above the linens. Tom nodded, took the heavy pillow, and kept walking, hoping no one was around to watch his every move like always. After a moment of empty corridors, he slipped into a vacant closet just around the corner and just out of sight, a hidden blind spot he and Torriditty knew well.
"Let's see if all that money was worth it," he grunted, pulling open the case to see two sets of guardsmen uniforms, relieved to no end to see that it was indeed worth it. He wasted only moments changing into his uniform, finding the black and red armored attire heavy, yet agile. Something simply, effective enough to use in battle, and something that wouldn't arouse suspicion if he was searched. After pulling his helm down to cover his face, he tied the pillowcase into a sack and slung it over his shoulder, leaving the closet with controlled movements and cadenced steps.
Walking down more halls and through wings in a fashion he decided was akin to an ametuer sentinel, he did his best to avoid lingering stares and made sure to keep his posture consistent as he passed nobles, other guards, and even-
"You there, where are you going?" a polite, but stern voice asked from behind.
A voice Tom recognized well.
Turning around, he found himself standing face to face with Dave Lucitor, the Patriarch of the Underworld looking less than 'patient' for an answer. 'Seriously? Of all fucking people?' He seethed, but snapped to attention as would be expected.
"I asked you a question, soldier, what is your destination?"
Tom swallowed, shuffling the sack behind him as he answered with gravel in his throat, "Uhhh, my shift at the western wall begins in ten minutes, my Lord. I was hoping to have the time to get there early and inspect things while I can."
Dave stared, his expression as grim as it had been for the last three days. The efforts to keep his kingdom safe and under control had worn him low, and though it hurt to betray him, Tom was ultimately relieved to see the King smile and gesture to the west, even giving his guard an exemplary pat on the shoulder.
"It's a relief to see one of my own doing his part to keep us all safe," he sighed, letting his shoulders sag, "Well, don't let me keep you. And if you see the captain of the garrison, send him my way. I believe we may need to double security near the prickly plains. I've seen some movement out there I don't particularly care for."
"Aye, sir. I'll uhhh… I'll be on the lookout for him," Tom snapped, giving a quick salute, "And sire? Thank you for your efforts as well. I'm sure many of the kingdom recognizes the lengths you're going as necessary, and appreciated, despite those who voice their concerns as the contrary."
Dave smiled, returned his dutiful guard a salute and his thanks, and went on his way, Tom careful not to move until the King was out of sight.
It sucked bones, betraying his own father like that, but he didn't have much of a choice. With the overworld in chaos and his friends likey stewing in danger, Tom was actually surprised at the lengths he was going for those he considered his own. Not to say that the citizens of the underworld were not partly his responsibility as well, but he recognized the steps he was taking as just, if not even more necessary than the kings. So to keep things rolling, he made his way for the western wall, the one truth in his pocket full of lies.
After five minutes of maneuvering around castle staff, two minutes of slinking through the castle grounds, and four minutes behind schedule to squirm through the chink in the fortress walls, Tom crouched just beneath the western tower.
Looking out, he saw the moat of lava bubbling as an unsteady warning to turn back, the two split faces of rock wide apart to form a churning maw of unrivaled heat. Just beyond, the Prickly Plains beckoned him to sprint further from the shadow of the castle, and far in the distance was Mount Boom, its slopes veined with lava flows hiding his true quarry beyond the glowing horizon.
"Focus, Tom. Step one, get to groovin'," he chastised himself before turning his attention skyward, straight up the outer wall of the obsidian castle's wall. There, a guard stood at attention, his weapon ready and his expression as blank as every other guard standing- well...guard. Extending his hand out of the shadows, Tom snapped his fingers once to produce a small shower of sparks, just barely bright enough to even light tinder.
Thankfully, the guard must have seen it as he nodded to nothing, made his way to the main tower, and disappeared behind the flaming beacon that lit the surrounding area. Tom waited for several moments, hearing barely audible shouts of 'maintenance', 'repairs', and 'shutdown', before the beacon abruptly shut off, drowning the outer property in darkness.
There was no 'wait and see' before Tom made a mad dash towards the moat, the lava below too dim to make up for the encroaching darkness. And as planned, (or rather paid for), a single arrow capped in explosives was shot from the dimmed tower towards the lava flow surrounding the castle, disappearing down into the burning depths. What followed was an echoing boom from below that sent a pyroclastic shower of slag into the air, just as he hit the edge. With a dedicated kick, The Prince of the Underworld sent a much smaller boom of fire from his heels to jettison himself over the moat and towards the awaiting plains beyond.
As lava rained down and guards muttered about the unpredictability of the magma flow in the Underworld, Tom rolled to a stop and darted behind a monolith of granite just before the western beacon reignited, bathing the area in light. But he was home free now, in every sense of the word. Tom checked his bag, his clothes, and his surroundings before letting out an unsteady sigh of relief.
Days of planning had led him here and there was only one turning back allowed: to look one last time at the home he was leaving behind for a last ditch ploy at necessary action. Tom felt weightless now, looking back at the structure housing his people, his lineage, and his bonds. Castle Lucitor was imposing by even the loosest definition, but now? It just seemed… cowardly. A fragile shell for his people to hide in while he alone set out to help ensure its safety.
"Prince Tom?" a voice asked from the darkness, earning little more than a casual glance, "If you're ready sire? I fear the guard may send someone to investigate the border." Tom turned from the castle in the distance and found another lowly imp ushering a skeletal horse from behind a nearby pillar, its eyes alight with dimmed flame.
"Yeah, just hoping this isn't the last time I see this place, ya know?" he asked, handing the sack off before mounting the steed. He had places to be, after all.
"Worry not, M'lord. I have faith that you'll see your goals through, and stave off whatever has brought such darkness to our lands."
Tom wanted to agree, but with every step further from the castle, it felt less and less likely he'd be delivering any tidings himself. Taking back the pillow sack, he said nothing and kicked his ride into gear, taking off through the Plains and weaving between the granite towers towards Mount Boom.
Normally, he'd have just portaled to his destination and been done with it, collecting what he needed and shoving off. But with the lockdown currently in effect, any sign of instant transportation- combustible or not- would set off alarms all throughout the land. Within moments of a portal, the Underworld would be on alert and readied for defense regardless of it being for exit or entry. Which meant the only portal he could use was a one-time ticket to escape before his home put up the barricades for good.
But by the time they realized he was gone, it wouldn't matter.
So travel by foot he would, leaving plenty of time to formulate and review his already stemming plan. He had done well to flee the castle undetected, even masquerading before the very king himself. A suitable familiar was left in his place to stave off suspicion long enough for him to escape, Molly had delivered perfectly with the guards uniforms, and Jason exceeded all expectations to provide cover and a distraction at the moat.
If he didn't know any better, Tom would have almost assumed things were going too perfectly for comfort. But with the final leg of his race against the clock sure to prove the most critical, it was too soon for even half-hearted relaxation. He still had to make it to Torriditty, find a way to meet and escape without raising the alarm too soon, and deal with the future, as looming as it had become.
As the granite stalacmites slowly began to trade places with withering trees made of rusting iron, Tom felt his telltale grimace deepen into a scowl at the tightening vice in his chest. Should he make good on his efforts and find himself thrust into a battle, a war Star was adamant he not get involved in, there would be no going home.
Ever.
Sure, he and Torriditty could abscond to some distant land, preferably someplace hot and dry, they could even live for centuries together free from their responsibilities and their crushing destinies. But they would surely never be allowed back to their homes after such an act of treason against the crown. There was the obvious chance that Dave would go easy on him, as he always did whenever the cold shoulder was introduced, but Torriditty?
She was from a lower social class, a commoner by Underworld standards, and there was no doubt the nobles would pin the blame on her for seducing Tom into her wild scheme to elope. And if they didn't, her family would likely crucify him for his action, despite her being the driving force behind them. He remembered well how loudly she voiced her refusal to the very idea of him treading the dark waters of the surface alone, lest he find a new demon to court should he survive. No, against whatever fate they had in store in the coming battle, should they even live to see it? They'd stick together and carve a new path of their own, away from the judging eyes of the nobility, and the crushing expectations of his parents.
The very same parents who had let themselves be trapped in their own home, put under a self-inflicted house arrest in spite of the calamity going on above. They had made their bed, and Tom had no interest in joining them, accompanied by his soul mate or otherwise.
"Thomas, I understand your concern for the people of Mewni," Dave had reassured adamantly, doing his best to calm his son amidst the war room, "But we have nothing to offer them at this time. For whatever reason, we find our magic now weakened, and it would ultimately result in suicide to storm the lands above without proper intelligence. We have no idea what we're up against."
"But that's all the more reason to fight! If Mewni falls for good, it's all over," Tom answered with uncharacteristic fear etched into his voice, the rest of the war room shocked at his blatant refusal to accept their grim reality. "The guy behind all this won't just stop there, he'll destroy the universe unless we stop him before he gets the chance. You might as well be rolling out the red carpet for the man that toppled our only ally!"
"I'm aware, son. You've expressed your concerns to both me and the council before," Dave had been quick to counter, the creases on his face betraying his fatigue on the matter, "But with nothing concrete to base a counter attack on, and no new information from above, I cannot condone-"
"You're dooming not only Mewni, but everyone, dad! Are you seriously alright with just letting that happen?!" Tom roared, his anger reaching a critical boil before the crowd of pompous nobility.
But Dave had anger of his own. Any man capable of ruling hell itself surely had rage to match even a hurricane, and far less patience than those he kept in his company gave him credit for. "Mewni has already fallen!" Dave had boomed right back, even the flames of the war room sputtering in his wake. Demons and Hellspawn alike cowered as he stood, his face twisted in barely-restrained fury that forced the world around him to bend to his will. "They live still, suffering under whatever torment I do. Not. Know! And if we are to fall as they did by carelessly rushing to their side, there will be no hope left for those who cannot fight for themselves!"
Tom grimaced, remembering how his own body had withered under those words. "Our only chance at stopping this man is to wait beneath the grass and observe, to gather information and protect our own. My duty is to this kingdom, as is yours, so put aside your petty grievances with my decisions and start acting like it!"
His scowl persisting, Tom opted to push down that conversation into the recesses of his mind and keep riding. His family had decided it best to cower where they felt safe, and that was just fine. But he would gladly face death if it meant facing it with his friends to keep everyone out of harm's way. The darkest corners of the Underworld were kept hot for cowards and traitors, and hopefully he wouldn't die soon enough to join them beneath his fathers will.
That comforting thought pushed aside, it took another three hours of riding before he had skirted around the boiling hills of Mount Boom, and another two hours before the endlessly burning forests gave way to his destination. In the distance it looked like the horizon was sporting a halo, but in reality, it was only the light given off by a small sea of endless fire, Blazing lake. And nestled in a modest little peninsula jutting out into the flaming hellscape sat a cozy little fishing village called The Dock of Unending Torment.
Which, frankly, wasn't exactly fair. The town boasted more than just a dock, and more than just fish, though in retrospect sure, that was mostly it.
Nodding the trivia off for the moment, Tom rode into the sleepy little town and dismounted, quickly lowering his helm and slinging his sack over his shoulder. Glancing around, it was quick to note that while the town was winding down for the evening, it was still pretty lively. Bars and taverns took the fall of underground dusk in stride, despite the unyielding fire roaring for miles in every direction, and musical drunken cacophony filled many of the streets.
For lack of more savory terms, this was a pretty beatnick town full of busted and broke fishermen doing their best to get by, so Tom didn't exactly blame any of them. However, the sooner he was up and out with Torriditty, the better. As jovial and merry as the bars made it seem, the town was still a dive by most standards, and it could be dangerous to walk around at night in a Royal Guards uniform. Case in point?
"You there, Soldier boy!" a haggish woman called out to Tom from the porch of a rundown tavern, "We don't get many castle types in these parts, whas ya doin walkin around all by ya lonesome? Lost ya groupies?"
She was annoying, and Tom would have taken immense satisfaction in throwing her into the lake, 'on any other day'. But today? "No, I haven't. Though I'm actually here on duty while the kingdom is under lockdown," he answered in his best commander's voice, desperate to keep moving, and hoping she didn't make any unnecessary ruckus. "I've been given orders from the King to keep an eye on things here, and to keep a lookout for anything... Fishy?"
He offered a casual smile at the pun, though the woman seemed less than interested in his banter. "Bout time old King Lucy started givin a rip about us people what's under him," the woman snorted, "You ask me though, he should shove his gestures where the fire don't burn and be done with it. First time he sends some help, and it's nothing more than a pissant playing dress up."
Tom, to his credit, abstained from tossing her into that lake from earlier, choosing instead to simply shrug the comments off and keep moving, happy to ignore the plights of some old hag catcalling the streets. Though, what stunk more than the usual stink of treason, was that she had a point. This village was indeed poor, in desperate need of manning and repairs, and could have certainly done with some better infrastructure. Meanwhile, he sat high and mighty in his obsidian palace living a life of luxury with anything his heart desired at his beck and call.
He had spent countless conversations with Torriditty adamantly apologizing for the condition of her little fishing village. And true to form she had always reassured him that he had no place feeling guilty. He wasn't the King, he wasn't in charge, and despite what the town looked and...smelled like, the people were happy. It was cozy, there was almost no crime if you weren't royalty or a soldier, and her family always made sure people had something to eat.
Which, speaking of her family…
Tom stopped in his tracks at the steps of Torriditty's home: a modest house as quaint as every other abode in the fishing village, carefully placed at the center of town. Her family... They were nice enough people, if a little too optimistic about the Underworld; they always lent an ear, a meal, or some coins to those in need, and maybe such acts of charity were why the town was even still around.
Of course, despite being the nicest family in the village, Tom had his work cut out for him. Because for as much as they loved their people, Torriditty's parents detested the monarchy. A trait shared by most of the village towards King Dave, and by extension, Prince Thomas. So, knocking on the front door, Tom hardened his resolve, and prepared for the worst, should he be recognized.
When the door swung open, it was slow and careful to reveal a man marked by time, and burdened by stress. He stood a couple of heads taller than Tom, wore his beard down to his chest, was broader than a barrel, and scowled at the sight of a royal guardsman in his village. "What do you want," Torriditty's father barked, folding his tree-trunk arms across his chest and glaring down at the man invading his lands, "More orders from the King I imagine? Or are you just here to cause trouble?"
Tom swallowed hard. He was nervous around this guy at the best of times, doing everything possible to prove he was a better person than he was a year ago. And now that he quite literally shouldered a secret to all but kidnap his daughter? He could swear the man was burning holes through his helmet. "My lord, I'm here under orders of King Dave to monitor the situation, and provide reports from the far lands," Tom all but squeaked, "You have my word that I am not here to cause trouble. Just a guard posted on the border to keep an eye out for trouble."
Despite the timid delivery, Tom did his best to seem more accountable as Torriditty's father weighed his words carefully. Clearly, he had no interest in keeping any member of the guard in his town, much less condoning any act of King Dave. But, word travelled fast in the Underworld, so it was no secret what was going on above, nor what might befall the lands below. Ultimately, Count Magmus Delferus found that he really had no choice but to act towards his people's safety. If it was really just one guard, and all said guard would do was keep an eye on things, then it was a price he could live with. For now.
"Very well. I will permit your stationing at Blazing Lake for the time being. But, a word of advice, young man?" Magmus offered, looming over Tom with dark purpose behind his glare, "While you are here, should I hear of so much as a minor incursion against my people, one step out of line and out of your orders? I will have you locked up and exorcised before the entire town. Are we clear?"
Tom felt his knees begin to shake as he struggled just to nod in agreement, Magmus giving him a curt nod of his own. "Good. On your way then," he barked, which was all the dismissal Tom needed. He turned on his heels and properly marched away, looking to the whole world to be a true and modest guard. Thankfully he wasn't followed, and in no time he was standing guard on the dock, watching the flames curl towards the cavernous skies above as he waited.
Maybe someday he'd let Torriditty's family in on the conspiracy, if they survived, to which he would probably be executed on the spot. Of course, he'd have to get them to like him first, which would be no small feat in and of itself. But that could wait. The world was ending, and the universe would follow soon after if things were really as bad as he feared. Maybe saving the day would win him brownie points, provided he and Torriditty were ever allowed back to begin with.
Mulling over those woefully optimistic thoughts, Tom was startled to feel a gentle tap on his right shoulder, turning to find not another hag come to give him her two cents, but a cloaked figure doing it's best to look inconspicuous. "You really should have told me what you were gonna wear. Thank hell I changed, or we'd have looked ridiculous," Tom chided, pulling his helmet back to reveal a smiling face.
In much the same fashion, the hooded figure pulled back the cowl adorning its head to reveal a giddy grin beset by orange cheeks, and fiery red hair. "Damn it all, and to think we were almost matching," Torriditty quipped before pulling Tom to the side, well out of view behind some crates of brimstone, "You look soo handsome in that by the way. It's a real shame the world is ending, otherwise we'd have time to-"
She was interrupted by a fierce kiss, one she was more than happy to reciprocate for a few steamy minutes, the silhouetted couple lit by the flaming backdrop. It was a reunion three days in the making, and almost worth the wait. Thankfully before things got too heated (haha), Tom pulled back and met his girlfriend's dreamy expression with one of mounting sincerity. "Are you ready?" he asked, careful not to rush his words.
Torriditty shook off the last of her degenerate thoughts and nodded, taking the bag from him and motioning for him to turn around.
"What, I'm not allowed to enjoy-" Tom began, but another quick kiss was all it took to get him to shut it and about face.
"If I can't have fun, neither can you, babe," she countered, hurriedly donning her uniform as she asked, "Now, what's the plan?"
Staring out over the firestorm of a lake, Tom swallowed as the growing reality of their situation began to dawn on him. "Well, step one was get here, step two was get you, so step three is get Marco," he listed on his pointed fingers, willing himself not to turn around, "After that, we grab Janna and head to Mewni so we can track down Star like she did with you and Marco. We meet up, we kick some ass, we save the world or die trying, and then we… we uhh…"
Tom found that the words died in his throat, that familiar vice squeezing the air from his lungs. But Torriditty was right there to keep him on track, as always. "Then we either get welcomed home as heroes, or we head out and start a life together," she offered, turning him around and giving him a kiss on the cheek, "Red fish blue fish, hun. I'm with you either way."
Struggling not to ogle at how decisively hot she looked in that guards uniform, Tom found the courage to at least nod before he countered, "There's no coming back from this, Tor', you know that right? We're basically gonna be fugitives and traitors if we even manage to-"
One last kiss, this time to his lavender lips as Torriditty cradled him close. When they separated, her eyes were not on him, but on the flames that licked at the air just beyond the dock. Her home of shambles that she loved beyond reason, a home she proudly proclaimed hers when the two began dating, a home that bore all the refuse of the kingdom without question, and a home that gave everything it had to those that lived there. In all truth, she was really a princess of nothing. Proudly so, and Tom had chosen her above all else. So it was time to do the same.
"You said all that on the phone, babe. I told you I'm with you till the end," she affirmed, pulling him to his feet as he nodded with newfound resolve, "So what are we waiting for? Let's go save our friends."
Tom couldn't help but smile at her fortitude, and not wanting to waste another minute touting off warnings, he pulled her into a tight embrace before chanting, "Res tono vexol ram prosal et frotug tak!" And at his call, the flames of Blazing Lake twisted in the air to curl around them, forming a massive pillar of fire. It burned brighter than the rest of the underworld, and in a blinding flash, they were gone, nothing but a pile of ash and a charred pillowcase to make their departure.
It was time to see the end of it all.
O - O - O - O - O - O - O
AUTHORS NOTE
Howdy friends! Glad to see y'all again so soon!
Oh, fuck. Has it really been that long? Damn, alright well let's not sit on circumstance, shall we?
This last tidbit is the final snippet before the last chapter of Forgotten Ventures. Your last bite before the electric chair, and the culmination of almost three years of work. I know I said last time that I'd finish it in one go, but I figured I'd give y'all a quickie before I jumped to work. It all leads to this, and while I'm sad to say that Forgotten Ventures isn't going to last as far as I thought it would, It's still great to know that so many of you have enjoyed it thus far.
But less tears, more notes!
Corn has given me a timeline of one month before we set back to work on The Once and Future Queen finale Pt. 2, so I promise that before then, you will see the end of Forgotten Ventures. No sections, no bits, just one last giant chapter to tie it all up into an absolutely massive bow. Expect a pretty big farewell note too, and some explanations. I'll also probably be doing an AMA on Reddit at some point, so you can gripe and question as you please whenever you feel the need.
Oh and yes, Nancy is doing great, still going strong and scaring the shit out of me!
That being said, see y'all again before the end of July! BUH BYYYEEE!
~Mr. Ronald Reagan