Nia could hear sounds of battle behind her as she and Maria ran towards the castle. She couldn't see what was going on anymore, but she did see a couple of rather large ice spikes sticking out of the ground. Nia knew her brother was strong. You didn't get to be a knight at just thirteen if you didn't have the strength to back it up.

But those two guys had looked really tough. Would he really be able to take on both of them by himself? Right after he had just got back from his battle? "Maria, stop!" she said, trying to slow down. The older girl kept on pulling her wrist, urging her forward. "Maria, I said stop! We have to go back!"

"What?" she said in disbelief. "Nia, they're after the wand! We need to get it away from them! If we go back there's no telling what-!"

"So we just leave Astro behind?!" she snapped as she pulled herself free from Maria's grip. She knew the girl was only trying to protect her, but she couldn't keep running away. "What if he can't take those guys?! What if he gets hurt or… worse! I don't want to just run away and leave him! I have the wand! I can use it! I need to go back and help!"

Maria looked at her with a stern expression. "You heard him. He said he would deal with those two, didn't he? Don't you trust your brother?" she asked.

"What?"

"Do you trust Astro?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Good, because he trusted us with protecting the wand. I for one am not going to let him down. The quicker we take this to safety and go get help, the quicker he'll be out of danger. Now come on Nia, we need to get moving."

Nia looked back one last time, and then sighed and began moving again. She just had to believe her brother would be able to hold out until they got back. He'd faced the worst, right?

Maria moved as fast as she could towards the castle doors. Despite what she had just told Nia, she was worried. For a number of reasons. She knew Astro was strong, but she had no idea how strong those two were or what they could do. Not to mention when Astro got that look in his eyes things got… messy.

She knew he only told her to take Nia so she wouldn't have to see what was going to happen. Those two had hurt Nia. Astro wasn't planning on letting them leave alive. But she really hoped he didn't try to push himself too hard. He didn't show it, but he was still tired from his trip back.

Meanwhile Astro clashed swords with Luther over and over again. The two were moving and swinging at one another with incredible speed and precision.

Luther was impressed. In the missions briefing he had been told the only real threats that should be avoided were the Queen and her mother. But this kid was something. His swordsmanship easily equaled his own, and he was able to use magic as well.

The ghost sent a blast towards Astro who easily blocked it with his sword. Luther looked slightly surprised, and Astro scoffed. Did he really think his sword would break from something that simple? The crystal that Ocean's Kiss was formed from was not only dense, but had magical properties to it. It helped power up his water and ice spells.

"You'll have to try harder than that."

"How about this!"

Astro turned around and saw Warron swinging his fist right towards his face. The young prince quickly ducked down and rolled away from the giant. Warron turned to go after him, but Astro pointed his swords towards his feet, causing a patch of ice to form under him. He began to slip around, struggling to stay up.

Luther quickly flew in and swung down at Astro, who rose up to his feet and parried the attack. "You're skilled, for a kid," Luther commented.

"This kid's face will be the last thing you see before you leave this world…"

"I'm afraid you can't kill someone who's already dead."

Astro growled before he began pushing him back. Warron, now away from the patch of ice, moved in from Astro's side and punched at him. Astro rose his hand and made a shield of ice, blocking the punch. With both hands now occupied, both Luther and Warron began pushing downwards, forcing Astro to his knees. "Sorry my man, but it's over," Warron said smirking.

Astro took a deep breath, and then a blue circle formed around his feet. Luther scowled, his senses screaming for him to move away. "Warron, move!" he shouted. Both Warron and Luther jumped back seconds before ice spikes shot up around Astro.

He stood back up and pointed Ocean's Kiss at them. "You will never lay a hand on that wand, do you hear me?!" he shouted angrily. He swung his sword and a wave of ice spread against the ground heading right towards him.

Warron's feet were frozen to the ground, while Luther flew up into the air to avoid it. Soon the ice ended up completely freezing Warron who couldn't break his way out in time.

Astro smiled. No matter how strong he was he couldn't move if he was completely frozen. Luther quickly flew over and reached out, grabbing his friend before phasing him right through the ice. Warron let out a breath before smiling at Luther. "Man that was close. Thanks bro."

They both turned back towards the prince who narrowed his eyes before charging at him. He stabbed at Luther who blocked it. Astro kept charging, pushing Luther back as he tried to break through his guard. Luther planted his feet and the two were deadlocked.

The ghost noticed just how much stronger Astro was physically. It was odd. From what he was told Mewman's weren't supposed to be any physically stronger than a regular human. Why was this boy so powerful?

"You're fairly skilled for someone so young," Luther complimented.

Astro grunted. "So are you. Shame you waste your skills trying to kill children…"

"I only came for the wand. I was never planning on hurting your sister."

"You expect me to believe that?"

Luther narrowed his eyes. "You're a knight, same as me. No matter what side we're on or which dimension we hail from, you know there's an unspoken code of chivalry among us. I'd never harm a mere child who couldn't defend themselves…" he said. "You on the other hand."

Warron reached down and ripped a huge chunk of rock from the ground. He hurled it towards the both of them. The rock sped towards them, and Luther quickly phased into the ground. Just as the rock was about to crash into Astro, he turned around and jabbed at it with his sword.

The instant the boulder came in contact with the blade, it was frozen solid, and then shattered. "Dang, that kids a G," Warron said looking slightly impressed. Luther came up out of the ground beside the giant. "Yo Luther, I don't think we have a whole lot of time left before they get the queen. Should we split?"

Luther narrowed his eyes at Astro, and then sighed. "You're right. This is a lost cause…" he said before putting his sword away. They were never going to get the wand. Even if they could take down this kid, those two girls would have made it to the queen. And there was no chance they'd be able to take it from her. "Let's go."

Astro held his hand up. "Who said you were allowed to leave…"

The water from the garden fountain suddenly shot up into the air and started to form into something. Warron whistled as the water formed into a large dragon. It roared down at them before charging. Luther shot a blast, slowing it down while Warron opened a portal.

Warron waved as he walked through, and Luther backed into the portal after him. "Until next time. I look forward to our swords crossing again," the ghost said glaring towards Astro.

"You should pray to whatever you believe in that there isn't a next time," Astro warned.

The portal closed, and Astro sheathed his sword. He really wanted to finish those two off, but honestly was glad they left. He was still tired from the long trek back, and there was no telling how long he could have held out against them. He'd just have to wait another day.

For now, he needed to go back and make sure everyone was okay. If they stole the wand that meant they had gone in his mother's room. He hoped they hadn't tried anything funny.

"Uh! I can't believe I slept through that!" Star said, running her hands over her face. She sat on her throne, still in her knight gown, and tried to figure out just how she had slept through everything that had happened. Having the wand stolen was one thing, because apparently the girl who'd nabbed it had some serious thieving skills from what Nia said.

But a battle?! She slept through a whole battle?!

Astro tried to reassure her. "It's fine mother. The important thing is we have the wand, and that everyone is safe," he said scratching Sear's head. The dragon had loyally followed his orders, staying right by Maria and Nia until Astro had gotten back.

Speaking of Maria and Nia, the two stood behind Astro. Maria had a neutral look on her face, while Nia was looking down sadly. When all was said and done, she had been completely useless. All she did was blow up the hallway, get herself hurt, and then run away.

Astro had done all the fighting. He'd risked his life just so she could run and go get her mom. It had made her feel so… useless.

"Nia, can you come forward?" Star asked. Nia looked up slightly surprised, but then nervously made her way next to her brother. Star stared at her before motioning to the wand. "Mind holding it up so I can see it?"

Nia gulped and then held the sword shaped wand up. "I'm sorry about this mom. I didn't mean to. I was just trying to keep it away from them and I ended up wrecking the castle and-"

"Nia, it's alright," Star said laughing. "You're not in trouble. I just wanted to see up close what your wand form looked like."

"Oh…"

"You know, the wand changes based on the wielder's inner self. The last time it was a sword was when Soloaria the Monster Carver had it… I'm sure you'll have a much less offensive name by the time your rule is done through," she said smiling. "It really does suit you though. You two are just my little warriors."

Nia once again hung her head. "Warrior? Mom, all I did was run away. The second I tried to fight I literally blew myself up. I just screwed everything up. I-"

"You stopped the wand from being stolen," Astro pointed out. She looked up at him surprised. The last thing she had expected was for him to speak up for her. She would have thought he'd used this as an example of why she wasn't ready to go to Earth. "You stood against two dangerous intruders. You kept it away from them. And maybe you don't have much control over it yet, but you showed amazing magical power."

Nia stared at him stunned. He reached down and patted her on the head. "You didn't screw anything up Nia. You saved the day. If it weren't for you then the whole kingdom would be in danger," he said.

Nia sniffled as tears slowly started forming in her eyes, her big brother's kind words tugging at her heartstrings. Even after what had happened tonight at dinner, and what had happened just now, he still thought she was the one who saved the day.

"Are you crying?" Astro asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No…" she said sniffling again as snot dripped down her face. " Shut up. You're crying…"

"You're definitely crying…"

"Shut up…"

Nia stepped forward and hugged Astro, burying her face in his stomach. Astro stood there awkwardly for a moment, and then hugged her back. "Love you too Nia…" he said ignoring the fact that she was getting snot all over his clothes

Maria smiled at the scene, and Star looked like she was on the verge of tears herself. "My babies are getting along. So beautiful," she muttered.

Astro and Nia hugged for a while longer before the elder siblings turned towards Star. "Mother, I think… I think Nia should be allowed to go to earth," he said hesitantly.

Everyone in the room looked towards him shocked. "What?! Really?! But I thought you said it was too dangerous?!" Nia said shocked.

He reached up and rubbed the back of his head. "I still think it is. But…" He sighed. "I realized that if we can get attacked in our own home, that there really isn't anywhere that's ever going to be completely safe. And that as much as I want to, I can't be there for you all the time."

Nia frowned. Was he really still upset that she had gotten hurt? It wasn't like they had actually done it to her. She'd brought it on herself… literally.

"You have so much power. A little spell like that did so much damage. And you need to learn how to control that power. You need to learn how to protect yourself. And if you think going to earth will help you do that, then I won't get in your way."

Star smiled. "Wow, that's very mature of you Astro."

Nia looked back and forth between her mother and brother. It was clear that while Astro still didn't really agree with this, he was willing to step aside and let it go. But suddenly an idea popped into her head. "You should come with me!"

"What?" Star and Astro asked confused.

Nia nodded excitedly. "Yeah! I mean, if mom lets me go then I'm going to need someone to teach me to use magic and fight and stuff! Who else would be better than my big bro?" she asked, nudging him. "C'mon! It would be fun! We could go on crazy family adventures and fight bad guys and-"

Astro held his hands up, cutting her off. "Nia, wait a second. As much as I'd want to come with you and help you out, I'm needed here. If another rebellion pops up then-"

"I'll handle it," Star said, cutting him off. Astro looked at her wide eyed. "Astro, I've been dealing with stuff like this since before you were born. If something happens I'll be able to handle it. So go with your sister. I think some time on earth would do the both of you a lot of good."

Astro looked at her for a few more moments before glancing down at Nia, who was looking up at him hopefully. He really did want to go with her, if for no other reason than to be there to protect her. But that meant leaving so many other things behind.

The rest of the guards all looked up to him. They needed someone to lead them. Then there was the garden. He was pretty sure she could find someone to take care of it, but he wasn't sure they would have that personal touch he did.

And of course there was Maria. He already got to spend little time with her as it was. If he went to another dimension who knew how much time they'd be able to spend together. Astro slowly turned around and faced her, only to find her smiling.

"It's alright Astro, go," she encouraged.

"But I-"

"Go," she repeated. "Honestly, it'll be a nice change of pace to know you're in another dimension spending time with Nia instead of staring down some rebel army. Besides, I should be able to visit you more often now."

Nia cheered and jumped up and down, while Star nodded in approval. "Got permission from the girlfriend first. You're ahead of the curb in that area kiddo," she said before standing up. "I think you two should get to your rooms and start packing then."

After packing up everything they thought they would need, the Butterfly siblings had gone to bed to get a good night's rest. At least they had tried to anyway. Nia was far too excited to actually sit still long enough to sleep. And Astro had spent most of his night wondering if this was something he actually wanted to do.

He had no real interest in going to Earth. But he wanted to be there for Nia. And she had seemed so excited about him coming along too.

When morning finally came around they met up in the throne room. Their grandparents, as well as Maria, had met up there to send them off. Astro was used to saying goodbye. With him having to constantly leave and deal with rebels, it had become routine to him.

But this time seemed… sadder. He didn't know why. It wasn't like he couldn't call them whenever he wanted. Heck, he could come visit whenever he wanted to. But he guessed knowing he would be gone for so much longer than before got to him.

"Take care of yourselves, do you hear?" Moon said as she gave each of them a hug. "Don't forget to call grandma whenever you get the chance."

Nia smiled and hugged her back. "Will do grandma Moon."

River gave her a huge as well, and then patted Astro on the shoulder. "It'll be quiet without you two around. I'll have to twice the ruckus to make up for it!" he said, giving a hearty laugh. "Make sure to keep up your training my boy! And teach your sister well! I intend to do a bit of tussling when you get back to make sure you weren't slacking off!"

Astro smiled at him. The former king was getting much too old to keep on trying to tangle with Nia, much less himself, but he felt like indulging the old man. "Yes grandpa River. I'm looking forward to it."

Star walked in front of them and pulled them both into yet another hug. "You two watch after one another. Earth can be dangerous sometimes, but it's also really amazing. Spending time there made me a better person. I'm sure it'll help you two as well," she said. "Oh, and before I forget, one more thing."

She reached behind her back, and then suddenly pulled out the wand. Nia's eyes widened. "The wand?! But… but I'm not fourteen yet. I don't know how to use it."

Star scoffed. "Oh please. Even when I was fourteen I was the last person who should have been running around with this thing. You're going to Earth to learn, you might as well just add this to the to do list. Besides, I'm the queen who breaks traditions, remember?" Nia stared at the wand as Star held it out towards her. "Go on… take it…" Star encouraged.

Nia reached forward and grabbed the wand from her. It turned back into its sword form, and she looked up in awe once more. "I want you to listen to your brother, work hard, and make plenty of friends," she instructed.

"Yes mom!"

Star then turned to Astro. "Astro, I know you're going to teach your sister, but you have a lot to learn yourself too. I want you to try and lighten up while you're on Earth. Relax and settle down. Appreciate the little things."

Astro hummed. He knew he was a little uptight. But somehow being on Earth didn't make him think lightening up was going to be an option. "I promise to try mother."

"Good enough!"

Maria walked up to Astro and cleared her throat. "I hope the both of you have a fun time. I'm sure the Earth will be an enlightening experience. Say hello to Vera for me."

"Wait, are we staying in the same place as Vera?!" Astro asked Star. Nia elbowed him and then glared, and he turned to see Maria glaring at him as well. "Not that… not that there's anything wrong with that."