Margo walked through the halls of the Lucitor castle, a determined look on her face. It had been nearly an hour since the attack on the Butterfly castle had taken place, and since then she had been preparing for the worst.

She'd done her best to try and help the other royals to safety as Star had instructed, but unfortunately she'd failed. The area had been completely sealed off from escape, and while she and a few of the others had put up the best fight they could… it hadn't been enough. Tom had tried to fight off the demon amongst their ranks, and had ended up getting taken down and captured somehow.

Before she could even attempt to rescue him, another attack had nearly taken her out. It was sheer irony that Queen Flutter had been the one to save her, pushing her aside to take the attack herself, and knocking her under some ruble, where she had passed out and gone unnoticed for the rest of the attack.

When she had woken up, nearly everyone was gone. Moon and Hekapoo had filled her in on the rest of the details she missed, and when she learned who she was up again, she headed right back home and prepared for war.

Margo wasn't naive. While she wasn't as familiar with the legend of the Ten as the rest of mewni, she knew just from this event alone that they meant business. She had two priorities right now. To bolster the defenses of her kingdom, and to get Tom back. She had no doubt that eventually the heirs would be called together to discuss their next move against them, but… well, she wasn't expecting much.

They were all young, and would be thrown into leadership positions in the midst of chaos. She had a hard time believing that any of them, save maybe Hody and Tor, would be able to adjust quickly enough. Which meant she was going to have to take the lead and help Nia as much as she could.

"Margo…"

The Queen stopped when she heard the voice, and then turned around to see Scab walking down the hall. He was carrying Isaac, who stopped clinging to the demon boy and lit up when he saw his mother. "Scab. Good, you're here," she said. She had never been more thankful for Scab being around to babysit. Had she brought Isaac along he might have ended up getting caught up in the crossfire.

She was also relieved that Vera was on Earth. If everything took a turn for the worst, then she could at least have a bit of peace knowing she was safe in another dimension. One the Ten wouldn't be concerned about. "Alright, I got everything ready to go, and gathered up the guards you hand picked."

Margo nodded in approval. She had planned to send Isaac off to a safe location, and picked a handful of their best to go with him. She didn't know if the battle would reach the castle, but she wasn't taking any chances. "Good work. Now, once you get to the location I'll check in regularly with you. If it's not me, it'll be a guard with a password. If he doesn't give it, assume something is wrong and hang up."

Scab looked at her confused. "Why are you telling me this like you expect me to stay there?" he asked, confused. "You… you don't expect me to stay there, do you? I'm just dropping Isaac off and then heading back, right?"

Margo sighed and shook her head. "Scab, I need you to stay at the location with him. He needs someone guarding him."

Scab glared, and Isaac looked between his babysitter and mother confused. It seemed like they were arguing. He had seen her and his sister do that sometimes. "Are you kidding? He'll have guards with him. He'll be fine. You need me here."

"Scab, this isn't the time to-"

"You said yourself that something dangerous is going to happen! I heard you talking about a war! If something that bad is really coming you're going to need me! I'm stronger than any of the guards you-"

"That's why I need you with Isaac!" Margo yelled, cutting him off. Scab looked at her surprised. She reached out and put her hands on his shoulders. "Scab, please. I need to know that if something happens someone strong is going to be there to protect him. I need you to do this for me. Please."

Scab was taken aback by her expression right now. She looked so… desperate. What in the heck had her this worried? He looked down, irritated but understanding. "I'll protect him. No matter what," he promised.

Margo nodded. "Thank you."

"Mom!"

Margo's eyes went wide, and she turned around to see Vera running towards her. "Vera?! What are you doing here?!" she asked. She was supposed to be on Earth!

Vera ran up and hugged her mother, who quickly returned the gesture. "I'm so glad you're safe! When Vera came back and told us what happened… she didn't know if you were okay. And then I heard what happened to dad and I just…" She hugged Margo tighter, relieved to know at least one of her parents was alright.

"I'm fine sweetie," Margo said reassuringly. So, Amber had made it out safely after all. That was nice to know. She wished Vera hadn't come here though. While she was always happy to see her daughter, she wanted her as far away from the conflict as possible. "Scab, new plan. Go to Earth with Vera."

Vera looked up at her mother surprised. "Wait, what?" she asked. "I just got here! And what are we leaving the castle for? This is an emergency, right? Shouldn't we be here and stay in the castle?"

Margo shook her head. "No sweetie, I need you and your brother in a safe place in case something happens," she said.

Vera looked even more worried. "Y-you're saying that like you know something IS going to happen. What are you planning on doing mom?" she asked. She knew the Ten had to be dealt with, but after what they'd pulled, the idea of her mother going up against them was terrifying. "You're not going to do anything crazy, right?"

Margo smiled down at her. "Of course not sweetie. But… it's just a precaution."

That didn't sound convincing at all, but before she could argue, another guard ran up towards them. "Queen Margo! We have a situation." They all turned towards him as he approached, a panicked look on his face. "T-there's an intruder at the gates!"

Margo glared. "Who?!"

"H-he says he's one of the Ten," he said nervously. "He took down the guards that tried to apprehend him, but he hasn't tried to move any further. He says he wants to talk to whoever is in charge."

Margo narrowed her eyes, and then began heading off. "You all stay inside!" she yelled back towards the kids. She hadn't expected them to show up so soon. She would have liked more time to prepare. But if it really was just one of them, there was a chance she could deal with them.

When she reached the front of the gates, she signaled for the guards at the front to open them. They looked hesitant, but after she shot them a glare they gulped and stepped aside, doing as instructed. The gates slowly began to open, and Margo's glare grew more intense as she saw the demon from before. The one who had captured Tom.

Now that she had gotten a better look at him… they bared a striking resemblance. It was almost scary how similar they looked really. But he carried himself in a different manner. One that made it nearly impossible to confuse the two.

This man was a warrior, and a seasoned one at that.

"Who are you?" Margo asked, hand already on her sword. She kept her distance. If he was anything like Tom he wouldn't' let her get too close without going on attack.

Kruger stood with his arms crossed, standing between the two guards he had taken down. "If I was speaking to a Lucitor, you'd already know the answer to that question. Now please, go and get whoever is actually in charge here," he said bluntly.

Margo scoffed. "You're talking to her. I'm Queen Margo Lucitor, the Demon Blade."

Kruger's eyes widened. "Really? But you're… No, not mewman... human?" he guessed, tilting his head. "You're the new Demon Blade? Seven hells, the kingdom truly has fallen from grace if a human can claim the title now."

Margo drew her sword, and the guards all flinched. "You have some nerve…" she said dangerously. "To come all the way here just to insult me and my family. If I didn't need you to tell me where my husband was, I'd strike you down right now."

If Kruger was at all fazed by the threat, he didn't show it. "So, you married into the family. I suppose that explained things," he muttered before looking up towards the castle. "But there are two actually Lucitor's in the castle, are there not? The girl barely has any presence at all. More human than demon I'd say. But the baby…"

Margo's eyes went and she grit her teeth and stepped towards him. The guards beside her all moved as well, but once Kruger turned his attention towards them, Margo stopped. "I'm the one your talking to right now! Nevermind the castle or whoever is inside of it!" she shouted.

Kruger hummed. He wasn't interested in fighting women and children. He'd only come to recover his sword. But he doubted that they would hand it over so easily. He knew it had to be somewhere in the Lucitor vault, and given enough time he might be able to pinpoint where. But he didn't think they'd let him just sit here and find out either.

Which meant there was only one thing to do.

"I surrender."

Margo blinked, looking at him confused. "What?"

Cole sat in his office, scribbling down on the piece of parchment he was going to send out later. He had some things to discuss with Margo and he needed to set up another meeting. Hopefully he could keep this one low profile, otherwise Scorch would raise another fuss and cause more trouble.

He hoped that the Queen would be able to accommodate him. He knew she was probably having her own troubles, but with everything going on within his own tribe he needed things to go as smoothly as possible on both ends.

"Cole! Warlord Cole!"

He sighed and set his quill down. Something running over and yelling his name was never a good sign. Unless it was Sputter or Char. They did that anyway. He stood up as the fire nymph made his way into the room, breathing heavily. "What's going on?" he asked. He'd looked like he'd rushed as fast as he could, so he assumed it was important.

"T-there's a stranger in the village! A monster from the surface! She says she needs to talk to the chief!" he said, pointing behind him. "And Scorch is… you should come now, it looks like blood is about to be spilled."

Cole cursed under his breath. Of course Scorch would be involved. He began making his way out. He didn't know who this stranger was, or why they needed to talk to him, but he didn't need Scorch slaying them in the middle of the village. Depending on who it was it could end up making things that much harder for peace or a life on the surface.

When he got outside, he saw a group gathered around one of the stalls in the marketplace. He made his way through, and saw Scorch and his group standing in front of a lone figure. One he didn't recognize at all. It only took a glance to tell this person wasn't from the underworld. No, they were clearly from the surface.

Kyu sat calmly, sitting on her knees with her hands placed on her lap. She looked like the picture of grace and elegance, and more than a few of the males around muttered about how attractive their visitor was. Scorch however didn't look amused at all. He towered over the newcomer, anger written all over his face. Beside him was his cousin, Braze, who looked just as displeased at the woman's presence here. There was also Salvo, who was looking at her rather intrigued.

"Scorch!" Cole called, making his way towards them. Everyone whipped their heads towards the warlord, including Scorch. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What you should be doing instead of hiding away and scribbling down meaningless notes," Scorch mocked, looking down towards Kyu. "This woman apparently just waltzed into the village demanding to see you. No name, no intent, nothing. And she has said nothing since. I intend to get an answer out of her." He pulled out his sword and pointed it at Kyu's face. "One way or another."

Cole was about to tell him to stand back, but Kyu reached up and casually moved the blade away from her. "Ah, so I assume you're the chief then?" she asked, looking towards Cole. "Odd. Not as powerful as I imagined. But I suppose better you than this brutish thug here."

Some of the others were surprised to finally hear her speak, while Scorch just glared. "I was demanding answers from you this entire time, and you stayed silent. Why is it-"

"I asked to speak with the person in charge, not… whatever you are."

Scorch growled, but before things could go any further Cole stepped in. "You're right I am the warlord of this tribe. Cole Asheland. And my I ask whom it is you are? We don't have anything against visitors, but… well, you're made quite a scene." he said.

Kyu nodded towards him. "My apologies. My anime is Kyu. And I wanted to speak to you to discuss something important."

Cole though for a moment. That name sounded somewhat familiar. Like he'd read it somewhere before. But he couldn't quite remember where. "I see. And what exactly was it you wanted to discuss?" he asked.

She stood up to get feet, and… she was rather tall. Not freakishly so, but she had nearly a foot and a half on him. "I lost something a very long time ago. Well, actually it was taken from me. It's a special instrument, one of great importance. And I have it on very good authority that it's in what you refer to as the Great Volcano."

A wave of muttering began going through the crowd, and Cole looked rather surprised. He certainly hadn't expected that. "That… that doesn't sound possible."

"I know it may sound hard to believe, but it's true. Now it's my understanding that this Great Volcano is sacred ground to your people. The equivalent of the Great Tree to the Earth Nymph tribe. So I wanted to come and respectfully let you know that I'd be going there to retrieve said item," she explained. "I don't intend to do anything to defile it. If you want to send someone with me then-"

Scorch growled. "Just who do you think is a woman?!" he asked, stepping towards her once more. "The Great Volcano isn't comparable to some overgrown tree! Your very presence there would defile it!"

Kyu spared him a glance, and then turned back to Cole. "As I was saying, if you'd like to send someone with me to be sure, I have no qualms about it."

Braze growled. She was getting tired to the disrespect this stranger was showing towards her cousin. "Enough of this! I say we send this woman away with her tail between her… ah… gah!" She stuttered as she stepped back, her hand going to her throat. The others looked towards the girl confused. She looked like she was choking.

"What a rowdy and disrespectful girl you are. But given you company, that's hardly surprising," Kyu said, her finger raised. They turned back towards her as she narrowed her eyes. "I'd say I've been very patient so far, but it's running thin. Adults are trying to speak right now, so you children best bite your tongue."

She lowered her finger, and Braze let out a gasp and dropped to her knees, struggling to catch her breath. Most of the onlookers stepped back, shocked by how Kyu had pulled off such a thing. But Scorch reached for his blade. Cole held his hand out. "Stop," he warned, glaring at the warrior.

"She just attacked-!"

"I said stop," Cole said, shooting an angry glare at him. He and Scorch stared one another down, and after a few moments Scorch grunted and released his weapon. He couldn't believe he was still letting this woman go on after attacking one of their own. Cole's weakness was truly despicable. But now wasn't the time to bare his fangs.

Cole turned back towards Kyu. "Listen, you seem like you don't mean any ill intent… but you must understand that the Great Volcano is a special place to us. It's not somewhere we generally allow outsiders to tread. And if the item you had truty was thrown inside of it, and has been for so long, it's probably not there anymore."

"It is," Kyu assured. "This is no normal item. It's there." Her shamisen was far from ordinary. It was imbued with a special magic, and whether it was searing head or blistering cold, there was no chance it hadn't survived.

Cole however was doubtful. "Even still, I'm not sure-"

"Do you have children Cole?"

The question had caught him off guard. "Uh… I do. A daughter."

"And I assume you care about her a great deal. That you would do anything to protect her?" she asked. Cole looked at her skeptically. Where was she going with this? "Don't worry, this isn't a threat. I'm just trying to make a point here. You see, I have a child as well. A little boy. And… I'm afraid he's in very grave danger."

Cole saw the look in her eyes. It was one filled with genuine sorrow and grief. "I'm sorry to hear that." He really was. Stranger or not, he could sympathize with a parent fearing for their child.

"My family and I are trying to find and protect him. But to help them do that, I'm going to need to get my hands on that thing I lost. I truly don't want to tread on your sacred grounds. But as someone who has a child, you should know more than anyone that a parent, especially a mother, can and will do anything for the sake of their child," she said, her expression changing.

Cole recognized this one as well. He'd seen it in Phyra's eyes quite a few times, mostly whenever it came to something about Topaz. "I don't want a confrontation. Now with you or anyone else here. But I'm not asking you, I'm telling you, that I'm going to that volcano. I'd like your consent, but if I have to go without it, so be it."

Everyone tensed, and a few of them slowly reached for their weapon. Cole kept starting up at Kyu, whose eyes were now narrowed. He let out a sigh before he turned and began walking off. "I'll escort you there myself…" He didn't want a confrontation either, and her plea seemed like an earnest one.

Kyu nodded and began following him, but Scorch yelled out. "You'd let this woman not only threaten you, but tread on our sacred ground as well?!" he shouted angrily. "This is despicable! Who is she to-!"

Kyu suddenly turned around, and everyone stopped as they felt an intense wave of magical aura flow from her. It was heavy and dense, and they all felt like it was quite literally laying them down. Kyu looked at him annoyed. "Be silent…"

Scorch grit his teeth, but said nothing as Kyu turned back around and began to walk after Cole, who was just as stunned as the others had been. The woman had certainly carried herself like someone who could hold her own, but that short display of power was just… monstrous.

Scorch had felt a shiver up his spine at her gaze. It wasn't particularly aggressive or threatening, but… it was the look of someone who could kill on a whim. This woman was a threat, and a dangerous one at that. And while Cole may have been willing to tolerate her, he would now.

"C'mon…" he muttered towards Braze and Salvo as he turned to leave. He headed the opposite way, and they followed after him. Braze had a rueful look on her face, and was still rubbing her neck. While Salvo… Salvo kept looking back at her, more than a little turned on right now.

Kruger sat and tried to concentrate as his third eyes cautiously looked around. To anyone else it looked like he might have had something in his eyes, but he was actually searching for where Bloodedge's whereabouts were. His eyes were far from as accurate as Argus' was, but more than enough to search the castle.

After he had surrendered, Margo had him secured with shackles meant to seal his demon power, and then sent him to one of the most secure chambers she had. She was obviously weary about the whole thing, but she couldn't pass up on the chance to capture one of their enemies. She would just have to make sure there was no room for him to escape.

And to her credit, she had done a rather good job. Even Kruger had to admit that, had he been an average demon, there would pretty much be no chance of getting out of here. But he wasn't a normal demon. He was the Demon Blade… the real one. Escaping wasn't going to be an issue here.

He just needed his sword.

"Princess Vera, you shouldn't be here!"

"I want to talk to him."

"But your mother-!"

"Stand aside, now!"

Kruger opened his other two eyes, curious. He saw the two guards in front of his cell step aside, and was greeted with the sight of a young girl. The one he had seen with his third eye inside the castle earlier. She stepped in front of his cell, a determined look on her face. "Well, the princess I presume. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked.

Vera narrowed her eyes at him. "You're Kruger Lucitor, aren't you?" she asked. "The only demon among the Titanic Ten?"

Kruger smirked. "What gave me away?"

Vera felt a ping of annoyance. After everything he and the Ten had done, hearing him joke so casually irked her. So did the resemblance to her father. But she tried to keep her cool. "I'm here to try and appeal to you," she said. "I know all about you from my lessons. Everyone in the kingdom is taught about you and your part in Typhon's rebellion."

Kruger hummed. "Are they now? I should be so honored," he said, leaning back against the wall of his cell.

"I want you to let my father go," Vera said. "I know about your history with the Magical High Commission. I've heard all the stories, and I get why you'd have a grudge against them. But that was years ago, and my father and the others had nothing to do with it. You don't have the right to take out your feeling on them for something that-"

Kruger sighed and cut her off. "Seven hells, I'm not in the mood for this." He needed to concentrate on what he was doing, and he couldn't do that and listen to her at the same time. Not efficiently anyway. "What's your name?"

The princess frowned. "Vera…"

"Well Vera, things are not so simple. Those events that happened years ago are still fresh in our minds. To us it was practically yesterday," he said bluntly. "And from what I have seen so far, little has changed in our absence. In fact things have seemed to only grown worse. So no, I won't be letting you father or the others go. Not until things can be properly resolved anyway."

Vera looked distraught. She knew when this whole thing started there was no way she'd be able to help on the battlefield. She wasn't a warrior. Her skills weren't even close to being able to help them against people like this. But she was good at diplomacy. And when she had been captured, she knew she might be able to do something.

Even if it was a small chance, if she could convince him to at least consider letting the others go, or talking to the rest of the Ten, then it might help avoid a battle altogether.

"But they haven't gotten worse. Monsters and mewmans are starting to get along now. The very meeting you and the Ten interrupted was about trying to make the septarians their own rightful kingdom," she said. "And my father was one of the people supporting it. So were a lot of the others you took."

Kruger tilted his head. "Really? And how many were against it?"

Vera paused for a moment. "Well, there were a few, but-"

"Why would the septarians want to even be recognized as their own kingdom? They've always been a tribe," he pointed out. "Was this decision simply brought on by a sudden want for peace? Or perhaps something else? Desperation maybe?"

Vera looked hesitant. "That… that my be part of it, but-"

"Nothing has changed," Kruger said. "You claim that monsters and mewmans are starting to come together, but I saw none of that on the surface. From what I can tell, they're still mostly divided. And even worse, the monsters' lands and territory have shrunken down to a pitiful size."

Vera tried to get some control over the conversation. "I'm not saying things are perfect. I know monsters still don't have a fair deal in mewni. But do you really think this is the way to solve it? You really think this is what's going to bring peace between monsters and mewmans?" she asked.

Kruger stood up and began walking towards her. The guards looked on edge, but Vera didn't move. Kruger loomed over her in height, and she couldn't say she wasn't intimidated. But she didn't back down. "You seem like an honest hearted and sincere girl. And I imagine you rely on your words rather than your might," he said. Vera almost smiled. It seemed like she was getting somewhere. "And that is why you will never accomplish anything."

Her eyes went wide as he leaned down slightly. "Pretty words are still just words. Without actions, they are completely meaningless," he said. "Discussions, reason, appeals. Do any of these things mean anything in the face of those who would stubbornly refuse to listen to reason? No, they do not."

"Mewmanity is beyond reasoning. Time and time again we offered them our hand in friendship. And time and time again, they spat in our faces. I can tell with a glance that our people have probably forgotten it by now, but in my time even the demon race were treated as little more than creatures by them. And the only reason you're tolerated now is because you stay in your place. You're a naive and foolish little girl."

Vera didn't consider herself someone who had a thin skin. But… the words for some reason cut through her life a knife. "That's… that's not true. Our people may have had a shaky history, but we chose peace."

"You chose servitude and betrayal."

Vera glared back at him. "You really shouldn't talk about betrayal, should you?" she asked defensively. "Not after what you did."

"I chose to walk the honorable path."

"You murdered your own family," Vera said. "Your own father. Even if you were trying to be loyal to Typhon and the others, you didn't have to do that. You didn't have to-"

Kruger suddenly snapped his shackled, and the guards stepped forward. They were too slow however, and he reached out and grabbed Vera by the front of her shirt, yanking her forward. His three eyes met her own, and she felt a wave of nervousness rush through her. He waved his other hand, shooting out a wave of flames that knocked the guards back.

"Yes, my beloved father. Beel Lucitor, lord of the Underworld. Protector of the demon race. Such a kind and justly figure… until I stuck a sword in his chest."

Vera gulped, looking at him nervously. "His back… you stabbed him in the back."

He smirked at her. "Yes, I'm sure that's what all your lessons told you girl. I'm sure everyone has all sorts of stories about all of us," he said amused. He then frowned as he looked around. "This is all built on lies. Everything. This castle, the status, all of it. It was built on the backs and blood of others."

"What are you talking about?" Vera asked confused.

"Do you really care girl?" he asked, shaking his head. "The truth doesn't mean anything. Not anymore. No, keep living in your little bubble and cling to what you have. Enjoy it for as long as you can. It'll only be a matter of time before it's all stripped away."

Vera looked at him worriedly, but then the guards stepped in front of her. "Princess Vera, you have to go! It's not safe here!" After what he'd pulled, they didn't want her anywhere near him. They guided her out, but she kept looking back at him as he sat back against the wall and began concentrating again.

She… she knew the history of the Lucitor family, didn't she? She knew they had their own fair share of wrongs, but… what was he talking about? Was he just saying these things to get in her head?

He had actually lived through that time.

What if…?

A/N: Kruger and Kyu make their entrances in the underworld! Kyu is a mother on a mission, and she isn't taking no for an answer! And Vera tries to find some common ground with Kruger, but is she biting off more than she can chew?