He knew his family loved him.

His mother had taken him in despite nearly everyone telling her it was a bad idea. The way Nia always looked at him like he was the greatest hero ever always made him feel proud. His grandparents had always treated him with love and kindness.

His master Higgs looked over him like a second mother. And he only wished he could make Maria feel even half as good as she made him feel just by being in his presence.

The people of Mewni had been skeptical of him at first. He had just showed up one day, and everyone had suspicions about who he really was. But through years of blood sweat and tears, he'd earned their love and respect. He was a hero to Mewni.

But when it was all said and done, he felt alone.

It was stupid, and he knew it. But as much as he tried to rid himself of those feelings, the thought that he just didn't belong here always stuck in his head.

The contestant jabs from the Commission didn't help either.

There wasn't even anyone he could relate to. Meteora didn't remember her past. She knew what had happened, but as far as she actually remembered, she had been raised by her mother. Vera… she was a half-breed like him, but they couldn't be more different. She'd never even had to try to win over the people of Mewni.

His mother always said there was nobody else like him. Like it was something to be proud of. Something that made him special.

But the truth was, he'd have killed to find just one person who was just like him…

Astro folded up his hoodie and set it aside, readying himself for a fight. Typhon had cleared out the arena. He figured with how serious this situation was it would be a little disrespectful to make a show out of it. Micah stood a few feet away trying to talk him out of this.

"You're seriously going to fight your baby sister?" he asked skeptically. "You spend all this time looking after her, and now you're gonna beat her up? Are you sure this is how it has to go down? I'm pretty sure if you talk this out maybe we can-"

"There is no talking our way through this," he said, putting his sword down. He wasn't going to need it. "I know my sister better than anyone. She's stubborn and not going to let this go. So if I have to make her see things my way, then so be it."

Micah sighed and shook his head. "I guess this is just a siblings thing…"

Astro cracked his neck and turned to head to the middle of the arena. "Yeah..."

"This is a bad idea Nia…" Amber said clearly worried. While she understood where both the siblings were coming from and why they were doing this, she was worried the princess was getting in over her head. Astro was way above her in both magical and combative abilities, and he didn't look like he was planning on holding back. "Maybe you should rethink this."

"You should definitely rethink this!" Vera said panicking. The last thing she wanted was to see them fight. She loved Nia like a little sister, and she knew she'd been getting better, but there was no way she could take on Astro. He was too strong. "Nia, please! Don't do this!"

Nia frowned as she finished stretching. "Nope, have to," she said matter-of-factly. "I'm not just gonna let him leave our family like this. I'll find a way to win."

Amber and Vera both sighed. "If you're really set on doing this, then may I offer some advice?" the septarian princess asked. Nia looked up towards her. "Go all out from the beginning. He may hold back at first since he doesn't really want to hurt you, so if you hit him with everything you have while his guard is down, you might be able to pull this off."

"I thought you agreed with him?" Nia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I do," Amber admitted. "But I can also tell by that look in his eyes how determined he is to do this, and if it drags on too long I'd worry about your safety. Please don't hesitate to surrender if things start getting too dangerous. I know he would never seriously injure you, but… he's not going to be playing around Nia."

Nia started towards the middle of the arena. "I'll handle it…" she said looking every bit as determined as Astro was. She knew she was being kind of selfish, but she didn't care. She wanted her brother to come back, and she'd be willing to do the impossible to do it.

Micah made his way over towards the others as the siblings met in the middle of the arena. Typhon stood between them, and Nia narrowed her eyes at him. "I assume you both know how this will work. But just in case, I'll go over the rules… there are no rules. You can start when ready." He waved his hand down.

The second it started, Nia crouched down and got ready to run. "Wind Walker!" She shot off towards Astro at full speed. The elder Butterfly brought his hand back, an aura of darkness suddenly surrounding his whole body. Usually using Dark Magic was taboo because of the effects it had on one's body, but Astro's body was more than able to handle it.

He couldn't afford to hold back. At least not yet. He needed to show Nia just how big a difference there was between them. Then she'd give up and they could end this. All that training with Eclipsa was about to show.

Astro swung his hand and a wave of dark energy flew at Nia, but the girl jumped right over it, everyone looked stunned at just how high she had been able to jump. But Nia wasn't finished. She kicked off the air itself and dived down towards him. She lifted the mace in her hands and then swung down.

The prince raised both hands to block it, but Nia quickly lifted her other hand. "Titanic Twister!" A large tornado shot out from the palm of her hand, blasting Astro right in the stomach and sending him flying into the wall across the arena.

"Whoa! When did she learn how to do that?!" Vera asked, looking shocked.

Nia kept staying in midair, bouncing up and down on one foot. She knew it was going to take more than that to take her brother down. "Not bad…" The cloud of dust cleared and Astro brushed a few pieces of ruble from his shoulder. "You chose an element and spells that suited your size and fighting style."

The princess frowned. "Don't compliment me. We're in the middle of a fight…" she said before rushing at him again. She turned the wand into a hammer and Astro got ready to block, but with a few more kicks she went over and then behind him. She swung at him again, but this time Astro blocked it with one hand.

When she lifted her other hand to try and blast him, it was slapped away by his tail. "The same trick won't work on me twice Nia," he said before blasting her back with his free hand. "You shouldn't have held back. That was the first and last chance you had to win this fight."

Nia was blown back and tumbled against the ground. She rolled up to her feet and charged at him again. She brought her fist back and swung at him, a ball of condensed air forming around her fist. "Gust Knuckle!"

Astro lifted his hand and blocked her punch. Nia grew wide eyed as he grabbed her fist and then turned around and threw her. She once again hit the ground and tumbled back. "I'm more skilled than you. I'm stronger than you. I'm more experienced than you," he said looking over his shoulder. "There isn't anything you can throw at me I'm not ready for."

Nia growled at him and lifted her wand. "Shut up! I'm going to find a way to beat you!" she shouted before turning it into a bow. She pulled the string back, and a magical arrow formed. She fired at him, but he brought his hand back and knocked it away. "What?!"

Astro looked down at his hand. Fighting in his monster form felt… addictive. If he had known he could have been this strong his whole life he would have done it years ago. "You can't beat me Nia. You couldn't before, and I'm stronger than I've ever been now. This is pointless."

Nia frowned before aiming again. She poured even more magical power into it, and the arrow began to grow absurdly large. "Uh-oh…" Vera said, looking worried.

Amber frowned. There was way too much magical power packed into that attack. If that thing hit Astro it could very well have killed him. "If you think I'm just gonna give up and let you walk away from our family you've got another thing coming! I'm not gonna let you turn you back on us!" she yelled before firing.

Astro lifted his hand. "Antimatter Massacre."

He fired a ball of black energy from his hand. Though it was much smaller than Nia's attack, the moment the two spells made contact the arrow turned pitch black before vanishing into dust. Nia and the others gasped as Astro narrowed his eyes.

The prince charged at her. Nia panicked and turned her wand into it's sword form. She brought her blade back to swing at him, but he swung his fist and hit her right in the stomach. Everyone winced as Nia gasped, the air getting knocked right out of her. She flew back, hitting the ground and rolling back a few feet.

The princess coughed and grabbed her stomach, trying to get air back into her lungs. Astro walked over towards her, an irritated look on his face. She noticed him coming and reached out to grab the wand, but Astro kicked it away from her. "You really can't understand, can you?" Nia looked up at him confused. He looked angry. Really angry.

She felt a chill up her spine. She had never seen him look this mad before. "You couldn't. You're the princess. Everyone loves you, and you get to be shielded from all the real problems," he said narrowing his eyes. "You can't understand what it's like to have to fight for every little thing in your life, or being hated just for being born. Or even what it's like to just feel alone."

Nia frowned and jumped up into the air. "That's not true!" she shouted, lifting her hands. She swung them down, and a tornado formed and began heading down towards Astro. "You had us! You had me!" she shouted.

"Black Hole." Another ball of energy formed between Astro's hands, and the tornado was sucked up into it. He then aimed his hand up towards her. "Cruel Sun."

A bright ball of fire appeared in his hand, and he threw it towards her. Nia looked shocked. She was so used to seeing her brother use water and ice based magic, she forgot he could use other types of magic too. She made a dome of air around herself. It managed to hold against the fireball, but the impact sent her crashing back down to the ground.

She groaned and looked back up at him. Nothing she threw at him was working. She had more magic, but he knew how to use his better. And physically she just couldn't keep up.

"You're not like me Nia," Astro said. "Nobody is like me. Nobody but Typhon. I finally found the one person in the world I can relate too. I'm not giving that up. Not even for you."

Nia winced and pushed herself up. "So you are just being selfish then…"

Astro glared and gritted his teeth. "Do you think I like running off to fight rebels? You think I like being away from my family, my friends, and my girlfriend?" he asked. "I do my best to make it easier for you to rule! I go out and do what Mom is too busy to do for her! To keep Mewni peaceful!" he shouted before grabbing the front of her shirt.

He pulled her forward so he was staring her in the face. The others all looked worried. Maria and Amber both got ready to jump in in case things got too far. "I spent my life trying to do what was best for everyone else! For the first time in my life, I want something for me!" he snapped. "So I don't give a damn if it's selfish! I'm staying!"

"No!" Nia shouted stubbornly. "I won't let you!"

Astro scoffed before throwing her aside. "You can't do anything about it. Because I'm stronger than you," he said simply. "For once in your life Nia, you're not just going to be handed what you want. So at least we'll have that in common."

He turned and started to walk off, and Nia glared. "Hey! This fight isn't over!" she shouted.

"Yes, it is. You can't beat me and you know it. You lost. So try and take it with some grace and go home," he said not even bothering to look back at her.

Nia grit her teeth. "Stop it! Get back here!" she yelled. Astro just kept on walking. "I said stop! Don't walk away from me Astro!" she said getting back up to her feet. "I'm still standing! This isn't over! Stop walking away from me!"

He still kept on ignoring her. The others weren't sure what to do. It was pretty clear she didn't have a chance, but they knew there was no way Nia was going to leave like this. The princess balled her fists up, and suddenly a white light surrounded her body. "I said STOP!" she yelled furiously. A strong gust of wind blew through the whole area, and everyone covered their faces.

Astro stopped and looked back towards Nia. He narrowed his eyes and saw wind was whipping all around her. "This isn't over! I'm not done yet!" she said as a pair of large green butterfly wings suddenly began growing out from her back.

"No way…" Vera said wide eyed.

"What's going on?" Micah asked, confused.

Maria looked worried. "That… that looks like Mewberty…"

The light around Nia grew brighter, and a strand of her hair turned white. Astro looked weary. This was strange. Even if Nia was old enough to start going through Mewberty, it shouldn't have been like this.

She still only had two arms, and only part of her hair had changed. Mewberty was an all or nothing thing. You didn't half transform into it. But even then, he could feel just how insultingly high her magic power had spiked. It was bigger than Star and Eclipa's combined.

Not to mention she had a very dangerous look in her eyes…

Typhon gripped the rail of the stadium tightly. He ended up crushing it in his grip. "That little brat…" he muttered. He had felt this kind of magic before. There was no mistaking it. "Asterossa, get out of the way now!" he yelled.

Astro looked up towards Typhon confused, but then whipped his head back when he found Nia was suddenly in front of him. "When did-?!" Before he could finish, Nia swung her arm. A sharp gust of wind went by, slashing him across the chest.

The prince stumbled back and looked down at Nia in shock. That… that wasn't a shallow cut. If she had hit anyone else with that it would have cut them right in two. "Nia… did you just try to kill-?" Once again she attacked before he could finish. She shot out another tornado, this one far more massive than the last.

Astro braced himself, but when it hit he was blown back to the other end of the stadiums, and then right through the wall. "Astro!" Maria shouted. She jumped over the rail and ran to go check on him.

"No! Stop!" Typhon yelled.

Maria kept going, but as she got closer Nia turned towards her. She swung her arm, and another gust of wind sent the princess of the waterfolk flying. Micah got ready to fly up and catch her, but Typhon beat him to it, catching the princess in his arms. "She… she attacked me…" Maria said in disbelief.

Typhon narrowed his eyes. "She's just tapped into a power she's not even close to being ready to control. She's not herself," he explained. "You need to flee. I'll restrain her."

Nia crouched down and got ready to attack again, but just as she was about to take off, Astro came charging back out of the hole in the wall. Nia turned back around when she sensed him coming, but he swung upwards and hit her right in the chin with his fist.

Unlike last time it was very clear he hadn't held back one bit. Nia looked stunned, giving Astro the chance to reach out and grab her face. "Blackout." Astro's hand glowed, and for a moment Nia's eyes turned pitch back.

Her wings suddenly vanished, her hair turned back for normal, and her magical power dropped like a rock. The girl fell back onto the ground, unconscious.

Astro panted, struggling to catch his breath as he looked down at her. Suddenly he started to grow dizzy, and his vision blurred. The cut on his chest had definitely hit an organ. He fell down to one knee, and everyone quickly made their way into the arena to check on the two.

"Astro!" Maria yelled as she ran towards him. She raised her hands, which slowly grew water around them. She then placed them over his cut. Her healing magic wasn't that advanced, but she could at least stop the bleeding.

Vera went to go check on Nia. The girl was unconscious, but all the scratches and bruises she had gotten during the fight had completely vanished. "Wow, is this what it's like hanging out with the royal family?" Minerva asked, looking towards Amber.

"What the hell was that!? What was any of that?!" Micah asked.

Astro grit his teeth. "I don't know…" he said looking towards Nia. He had no idea how or why Nia had tapped into that power. He knew she was powerful, but that was just some else entirely. If he hadn't braced himself he could have been killed.

"I do." Everyone turned towards Typhon as he stood over Nia with a scowl. "That Queen Star really is full of surprises. I never thought I'd see another halfling again…"

Astro looked confused. "What?! Are you trying to tell me she's a half-breed?!"

"It's not my business to-"

Astro roared. "If I have to wait another goddamn day to find out some family secret, I'm gonna kill someone! If you know what's going on you're going to tell me NOW!" he roared angrily.

Typhon stared down at his son before letting out a sigh. "She's not like us," Typhon said. "I'm not exactly sure who her father is, and the Commission must not even have a clue. If they did they wouldn't even have bothered with you. This girl is far more dangerous than either of us could ever hope to be."

The prince shook his head. "What the hell does that mean?"

"She's one of the Children of Oberon."