Like Father, Like Daughter
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Vs the Forces of Evil or any of its elements.
Chapter 10: Final Round
Hekapoo was distracted, various clones were running around taking people into the forest to hide. From what she could tell they had a powerful crystal set up keeping her from creating any rift anywhere in the city. The clones had her spare scissors and they were already making rifts in the forest to lead people to safety.
She knew Star was watching Seraph and could only hope they'd get out of the city soon.
She needed to find Marco. Marco was left with the guy behind the coup and who now had a magic staff that could let him be anywhere. Marco would fight him because Marco wouldn't even consider faking a surrender or running away. Not that he had much of a choice, Roman had been using a spell to brainwashing people, Marco might be controlled and turned against them. Hekapoo had no idea what she would do if they took control of Marco. She had to drag Marco away before something happened.
She would have already reached him if not for all the people trying to escape and occasional fighter she needed to knock out. Now the crowds had thinned and it looked like no fighter was around. She rushed down the halls looking for a way to the platform.
"Come on, you okay?"
Hekapoo stopped in one of the corridors of the stadium when she heard someone. She found Sensei with an old lady on his back. He'd been down by the platform with the other support people for the fighters.
"Uh, hi," She greeted him.
"Hey,"
"Why haven't you left yet?"
"Yeah, this lady here couldn't move so I'm helping her."
"Okay, you are gonna wanna find someplace to hide. This whole place is going nuts."
"I think you should be more worried about yourself." Puri Puri Pearl walked towards her. "My master has asked me to retrieve your daughter but stopping you will do."
Hekapoo took out her scissors. "Sensei, get out of here."
"Don't have to tell me twice." He ran off with the old lady.
Hekapoo swaggered over to the princess, "Okay, considering how often I hear you and your boyfriend get brainwashed I'm surprised you're not immune."
Puri pulled out her rapier and without another word, they rushed at one another.
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Star and Seraph were running trying to lead some people out of the city. That was when the ground started to shake.
They saw Dia in the not so distance stomping their way. It looked like she was trying to kick something.
"Ah, Star, can you freeze someone that big?" Seraph asked.
"Uh, I'm not sure."
Suddenly something landed near them and groaned, Star ran over and to her surprise found the Masked Viking with his mask breaking apart. "Ugh…"
"Dad?"
The other people kept running so Seraph stopped to see what was happening, "Your dad? Wait, my dad beat your dad!"
"Oh, you're Marco's daughter?" River smiled dizzily, "Hello nice to meet you."
As Dia got closer but someone else reached them first, Noire walked over and pulled out her sword. The wind whirling around them as she prepared to attack.
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Roman rushed at Marco but with a feint, he vanished and kicked him in the back. Marco was tossed to the side and slid to a stop.
"You're teleporting." He groaned out, annoyed.
"I need to test my new abilities," Roman told him.
Marco groaned almost sure he had a footprint on his back now. He was furious, this guy just sent every warrior in the tournament after his little girl. He wanted to do nothing more than find her. He stopped himself, she was with Hekapoo and Star, she'd be fine and if he turned around he wouldn't be able to guard at all. He wanted to be there anyway, he wanted to tear the wolf apart. He forced himself to stay calm, he couldn't let his mind be clouded by anger.
"Give up, you are skilled but I can be in your blind spot at any moment." Roman studied Marco, his finger gripping the staff tighter.
Marco climbed on his feet, "I get why you could never get your own pair of scissors." He chuckled, "You have to be willing to keep trying even when it looks impossible." He fixed the grip on his sword and got ready to keep fighting.
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Hekapoo hated to be put in closed spaces, it keeps her from moving freely. Her dagger struck her sword, it was a strong metal and she sensed some power. It wouldn't be an easy fight. Using the close quarters Pearl spin kicked in her side. Hekapoo grabbed her foot and slammed into the wall.
She growled this fight would last a while, Pearl was dragging it out so she couldn't stop Roman.
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Star had frozen Noire but had to keep blasting the spell just to keep Noire from breaking the ice. If she stopped for a moment the vampire would crack out of it.
Dia was coming their way, "How are we supposed to fight a giant?" Seraph questioned as she tried to help King Butterfly up.
"The thing about giants," River told her, "they are a sturdy race but they have many of the same weakness as we do."
Seraph thought for a moment, "Well, she's a bigger target."
Seraph lets a ball of fireball up in her hand, bigger than she'd allowed before. "Come on, come on." With one swift push, she launched it at the giants face, right at her eyes. It hit and the giant tumbled back in pain.
"Sorry!"
"Don't worry," River assured her, "fire shouldn't hurt her, just sting and blind her for the moment."
"Star lets go!" Seraph told her knowing they didn't have much time to escape.
"Go!" Star let out, "I promised your mom I would make sure you got out, take my dad and run!"
"I can't do that!"
"Go!"
"No!" Seraph refused, "I'm not leaving you."
Star smiled a little, she saw so much of Marco in her. He'd probably say the same thing.
Distracted, the ice shattered, the vampire quickly reached and grabbed Star neck. At the moment Star felt her life being drained away. The wand fell from her hands as she struggled to break free.
"Star!" Seraph yelled rushing to help Star.
Noire quickly grabbed the young girl choking her as well.
"Ser-" Star looked on, feeling her life fade away.
"Star!" A beaten River tried to run to his daughter's aid.
Star mumbled, "Marco…"
Time seemed to stop for Star.
She wanted to see him again, she wanted to bring Seraph back to him. Star didn't want to see him cry over his daughter body. Star's heart ached, she hated that thought, she didn't want to see Marco cry she didn't want to see either of them hurt.
Slowly her eyes rolled back, her eyes flashing bright light and light consuming her. An explosion of energy ripped out of Star launching the vampire into a building.
"I dipped real deep." Star collapsed to the ground Seraph moving to her side.
"What was that?" Seraph question giving her a quick hug, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Star felt so tired.
River reached her and picked Star up, "Ready for another piggyback ride?" He smiled at her.
"Yes, daddy," Star chuckled.
The group began to move quickly before anyone else found them.
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Hekapoo had filled the corridor with fire, the warrior was still able to deal with it. The flames were hurting Pearl but not by a lot. Pearl formed a magic bubble around her and moved closer to Hekapoo, Hekapoo was buying time to figure a way to deal with her.
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"And I think that was your rib being bruised," Roman said after delivering a kick to Marco's side. With a quick teleport, he kicked the sword from Marco's hand. "You can keep fighting but you're nearly at the point you won't be able to fight, we will just heal you and weave the spell deep into you. Just give up and save yourself some pain."
Marco could barely breathe, he wasn't sure which kick knocked the air out of him but one had. His hands trembled as he tried to get back up.
Roman picked up Marco's sword, "Let's finish this."
Marco looked up and saw the wolf hold up his sword, with a swift movement he plunged the sword down at Marco.
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"You have to rest." Seraph got Star and River into an abandoned shop. She hid near the front as a guard. "Rest and we will get out of here when you're better."
"The child of Hekapoo," A voice rang out.
Several warriors began to move towards Seraph.
The Butterflys were weak, willing to fight but weren't able. Seraph would be alone in this one. She took a deep breath, tried to remember everything she had learned in the last week. She just hoped it would be enough.
She didn't know what to do, most of these people were being controlled. It didn't feel right to go all out on them. She wasn't even sure going all out would be able to do anything to them.
Maximus rushed first, Seraph let her fist ignite. She took a note from her father and grabbed his horns, "Sorry!"
Using her strength she twisted him and turned him letting him collide into a stall, his horn smoldering.
Lu Shanu rushed at her next to her sharp fans at the ready, the fans coming down at Seraph and to her surprise, Seraph caught them in her hands. The iron fans quickly melted in her fingers which were still blazing hot. Not giving her another shot Seraph rushed forwards tossing her aside.
Seraph left her guard down as the hawk-winged woman with a mace rushed at her. As she was about to strike her she found herself frozen.
Seraph looked at her to see the Butterflys standing up.
"We're Butterflys." Star groaned out, leaning on her father with her wand held out," We don't back down from a fight."
Both quickly got to Seraph's side, they weren't going to let her fight this alone.
Tula and Telemik stood there with their brainwashed warriors ready to take Seraph away if by force if needed.
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Thunk
"What?" Roman let out, the sword was blocked by a flash of light.
The light faded away and Marco held out a large key that blocking the blade.
"I might not use this a lot, but I can always count on it." Marco smiled as he pushed back with the key.
Taking Roman by surprise he kicked at the wolf's leg. Marco jumped up as the wolf moved back in pain dropping his sword. Marco took his sword in one hand and he kept the key in the other to use it as a shield.
Roman, the mages, and Wukong stared in awe.
Wukong only muttered, "He has a key blade… he has dimensional scissors and a key blade."
Roman trembled at the weapon, "No, that's impossible… those are only a myth."
Marco didn't hear what any of them said, his head was spinning after all the injuries Roman had given him, he was struggling to stay conscious. He didn't know how long he could last, he'd have to try and end this quickly. He focused on his opponent ready to end this.
Roman yelled, "What are you?!"
Marco held his weapons tightly, "I'm Seraph's father, I'm Hekapoo's champion, and I'm Star Butterfly's best friend, I'm Marco Diaz and I'm the guy who's going to beat you."
As things started to turn Marco rushed his opponent, Roman in a panic drew out the staff's power.
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Hekapoo had decided to fill the hall with flames.
Through the flames, the warrior for justice lunged at Hekapoo but found she could not move.
"Watch your step," Hekapoo smirked.
The walls, ceiling, and floor had started to melt and the warrior started to sink into it. The bubble wrapped itself around her body like a shell, but now it was just holding back the melted material.
Hekapoo chuckled seeing her opponent good and stuck in the muck.
The floor melted Hekapoo sighed as she now needed to look for another way to the platform. She could only hope she got there in time.
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Star, River, and Seraph fought every warrior and did everything they could to not hurt them.
After seeing what she did with the fans Seraph grab some sword that was for sale and started to melt them around the warrior to hold them. Her practice on the forge helped, just bending it enough to be workable binding.
Star told her, "Run, We will hold them back."
"No, my dad wouldn't leave you behind so I won't either."
Star smiled reminded of that.
River chuckled, "Well, we shouldn't let your father down. We keep fighting until we win."
"Sounds like a plan!" Star raised her wand.
The three of them moved so they were back to back, none of them wavering at the countless attacks that had turned to them.
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Space was punched in the face, well as much as that was possible. Energy rushed out the staff and every ounce were twisting the fabric of space.
"No! Stop!" Wukong warned. "That's too much power!"
His father had warned him about the staff and about how not to push it. That it could be dangerous. its powers were close to limitless but space wasn't, it could bend and break.
Roman didn't understand its power, he was wielding it like a child wielding an ax, it was only a matter of time before he cut something.
Marco rushed along swing both his weapons at the staff and the distorting energy it unleashed. The key glowed ever slightly at the distortion.
It was as if a lock had been seeing the whole distortion had snapped back into its proper place.
"…No." Wukong let out falling backward for cover.
Space expanded backward into an explosion before it collapsed in on itself drawing all the released powers in itself. Simple physics, every reaction has an equal and opposite reaction, Marco negated the first one but didn't account for the fallout or the feedback from the energy.
The staff glowed as the top and exploding in a myriad of light swirling around it, it floated upwards into the newly formed rift.
Roman fell backward and cowered at what he was seeing.
Space was collapsing before them, light and space danced around the rift creating a display few had ever seen before.
It was an equal part beauty as it was equal part horror.
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Everyone in the city paused watching the unnatural light coming from the stadium that reached into the sky, opening some sort of portal overhead. The matter was being drawn into it and ripping it apart.
Even those under mind control paused to watch, knowing this could only bring destruction and death.
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"Marco!" Wukong yelled. "Cut the chains!"
Marco quickly cut them without hesitation, "How do we stop that?"
"You can't. I have to, this is my families responsibility. We've been this powers caretakers for centuries, it's my responsibility to stop it. I have to if I'm to save everyone here."
"I can help," Marco didn't like leaving a kid younger than him to solve this.
"No, you can't. Just leave get them out of here."
"But-"
"You have a daughter!" Wukong yelled, "Make sure you get back to her."
Wukong said wishing his father had made it back to him.
Stunned Fraus and Buta stared in wonder.
Marco shrunk his weapons, Marco relented dragging them away as fast as he could.
Wukong took a deep breath as he jumped and reached for the staff. He jumped off floating debris desperate to get himself closer, each jump a little closer and little closer to destruction. One last leap and he saw the staff with a swirling green light just below the rift.
The young lord grabbed hold of it and focused all his father's teaching and tried to wield the power of the staff. His father had told him how dangerous it could be and how useful it could be, he had to find a balance that would work for him.
He felt his heart race, he heard it in his ears and prayed for the strength to be a good lord, to be a good person, to be strong enough for this.
The energy swirled around the monarch filling the rift and the twisted area around it expanding outwards.
Roman stared and now found it was time to run, he tried to escape but someone grabbed his foot.
"You will not escape, we shall burn together." Kaagh held his foot, "Sonta-ha sonta-ha sonta-ha!"
Roman struggled to escape the grip of dying alien.
Kaagh chanted his people's battle cry, if he was to die then he would do so without flinching, without hesitation or fear of death and he would take the man that mortally wounded him with him.
Buta pulled away from Marco, "That power-that power!" He rushed towards the light.
"Stop!" Marco called out, but the area around them started to get engulfed by light and soon engulfed Buta along with the others.
Marco pulled back Fraus, everything was being pulled in and as he struggled Marco thought he'd be pulled in too.
Fraus stared, she'd used magic for most of her life but this power was something else, it made everything seem so small in comparison. The more she looked the more it like she was just a speck and she didn't matter at all, all the lives she saved and all those she tried to save were nothing. She stops trying to save herself, Marco was all that held her from the brink.
Marco pulled her along desperate to save them both but he started to get pulled in.
Someone grabbed Marco,"You can't ever make this easy!"
Hekapoo growled holding onto Marco and the sister. One hand held to Marco the other dug deep into the wall. They held on for dear life as the light swirled before closed their eyes hoping to make it through.
The swirl of energy faded and all that was left was Wukong holding the staff now without the lantern. He collapsed onto the ground.
Everything was a mess and tossed around like the aftermath of a tornado.
Marco spotted a small green gem nearby amongst the wreckage and it cracked, it's the light fading.
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All around the city the brainwashed warriors collapsed to the ground.
Tula and Telemik watched in shock as their plan began to unravel.
"Double Rainbow Fist Punch!" Star called out as the multicolored attack slammed into them knocking them out.
"We won?" Seraph looked around at all the fallen figures around.
"I think we did." River confirmed.
Yeah!" Both Seraph and River cheered.
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As the dust settled Marco checked on Wukong, "Are you still with us?"
"Yes," He rubbed his head, "I don't think Roman, Buta or Kaagh made it. I only survived because the staff managed to save me." He sighed, "It's broken most of its power is gone now."
"That's not too bad, I know someone who gets along with a broken wand."
"I suppose it's a small price to pay for preventing a black hole from forming in the middle of my kingdom."
"Yeah, look at the positive."
Wukong chuckled, just so relieved that it was all over.
"Also congratulations on winning the tournament,"
"Wait, what?" Marco stared confused.
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A few hours later the guards round up those who were of the coup and were helping patch up everyone that was hurt.
Hekapoo still whispered, "Never would have thought the sisters would have ended up hurting people in a twisted idea of saving others."
"Yeah, that was weird," Star admitted.
Wukong stood before them and every contestant that felt well enough to show up for the ceremony.
Kneeling before him was Marco, "Okay," Wukong was not even going to try to be proper, "this tournament was a strange one. And I had to disqualify a number of contestants for being apart a coup that wanted to overthrow me. Unfortunately, the healers were planting a spell on several of the finalists, who are in no condition to fight and the outside factors disqualifying them. Another lost his life while fighting Roman." Wukong paused, "This leaves us with one finalist left, the warrior who defeated Roman so I think it's fitting to declare him the winner. Unless anyone objects."
No one said anything, it seemed right. Marco made all the right choices, if by luck or if by fate he had made it to the end of his own power and won.
He placed a thin crown of leaves on Marco's head, "I now declare you the winner of the Battle Nexus Tournament, Marco Diaz."
Wukong bowed to Marco and everyone present bowed as well.
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Marco stood with Wukong looking at the gathering of warriors and friends. To celebrate some of the chefs brought food and refreshments to help them all unwind a little. Hekapoo had sent her one of her clones to go get some of the healing potions from another dimension. The potions healed everyone up but they'd be exhausted for a while. At the very least the potions would make sure no one dropped dead. Wukong was summoning healers from other dimensions to check everyone and do any extra healing that might be needed. Also to make sure that the spell was properly removed.
"This feels weird," Marco commented. "I mean, I didn't actually win, I won on a technicality, most of the finalist were disqualified and mostly because outside forces messed with everyone else."
"If you feel so bad about it why don't you come back the next tournament and battle to keep your title. Prove that you did deserve it."
Marco chuckled, "I might just do that."
"In the meantime, we should talk. It's tradition to for the ruler to honor a request…"
"There really isn't anything that I want or need…" Marco felt like he was wasting an opportunity.
"Then let me give you an open invite if you ever wish to talk you are welcome to." Wukong offered with a smile, "I do have an offer for you. My last counselor … was a traitor, I'm looking for a new one how would you be interested?"
"What? Really?"
"Yes, you have a good heart. I need someone like that. I'm still new with all this and I do need counsel."
"I think you're doing fine when push came to shove you jumped into a swirl of energy just to try and save everyone. You want to try and help everyone and get everyone to get along. To try and talk everything out. You might not be able to do it in the end but I think it means a lot that you're trying. I think you'll be fine, just make sure that you stand for something and stand with your convictions."
Wukong smiled recalling a statement that someone else had made, "That does sound like good advice."
As Marco mingled with the others he got many offers. Many offered him sponsorship into their guilds, or to join their teams on a quest, or any number of promised adventures. In the end, Marco turned them down.
Noire spoke to Marco before she headed out, "I would one day wish to have a proper duel with you. If you ever wish, you have my invitation to come to the Lands of Light and Shadows. I would show you my homeland, it's a rare sight few get to see."
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."
Noire bowed and left as Star walked over, "Marco, I thought you said you want some adventure. Why did you turn everyone down?"
Marco looked over to where Seraph and Hekapoo were talking as Sensei talked to the other warriors about training Marco. "Maybe I changed my mind a little bit. I'm starting to think that maybe my adventure isn't over, maybe this is just the start of a brand new one." He turned to Star smiled hopefully, "Let's go home."
As they walked off River stopped them.
"Going home?" River asked the teens nodded. "Well, I just wanted to remind-"
"Yeah, don't worry we won't tell mom."
"Well, thank you but I wanted to talk to Marco for a moment."
"Okay, bye dad." Star smiled giving a kiss to his cheek.
Alone the king turned to Marco, "Marco, I just wanted you to know that I know how difficult it can be being a father so if you ever want to talk you can come to me."
"Thank you." Marco was indeed touched by the King's concern.
"And as an aside, though it would be first I do not think anyone would be opposed to Mewni having a king with a child from a previous relationship."
"…" Marco blinked, "Ah, R-River we're not-"
River slapped Marco on his arm just walking off.
Marco stared blankly as the king just left.
"Dad!" Seraph called to him, waving him over.
Marco shook his head clear and smiled as he walked over to his daughter and friends.
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A few days later at the Dojo Sensei hung up a picture of Marco at the battle tournament as he held his award, Seraph, him, the others and the various warriors around him.
It would serve as a testament to how far his students could go.
"Sensei?" Marco came over with Seraph, "You wanted us here?"
"Yeah, I wanted to show you something." He moved over to the other side of the wall and pulled off a sheet.
There was a plaque that read 'Legacy', and under it had a picture of Marco and Seraph.
"You guys are the first, I figure whenever I get a kid whose parents I taught we can add their picture here too."
Marco looked at the picture and smiled placing an arm around his daughter.
"Are you guys up for tacos?" Sensei asked.
"I could eat." Seraph smiled.
"Yeah, Tacos sounds nice right about now." Marco agreed.
"Awesome! You finally said yes to my taco invite."
"You have never invited me to get tacos."
"I haven't? Who have I been texting?"
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Star sat in her room looking over her notebook of spells. This last week Marco and Seraph had worked so far and somehow Marco won the whole tournament.
Marco was pulling ahead but Star wasn't going to fall behind.
Then there was Wukong, he was younger than her and suddenly he had a whole kingdom to take care off. He was putting his all, he was willing to risk his life just to try and protect his people. With everyone doing so much Star felt she had to step up her game. It was time to do more.
She left an apple on her desk and pulled out her wand.
"Levitato!"
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Wukong paused in the hall of the fallen warriors. The hall honored warriors who'd fallen in service of the kingdom, to the statue of the erected to Kaagh.
In the end, he died an honorable death and that should be remembered.
The statue had the stoic alien standing with a sword in hand and plaque read: Kaagh the Honorable.
He bowed to the statue and walked off, he'd have to invite Marco when they had his statue ready for the hall of champions.
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Up in the mountains of that dimension, Buta struggled to climb the mountain. "Heheheheh!" He laughed to himself as he held a shard his hand that glowed the same light as the lantern.
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Marco placed his trophy on his desk in his room and smiled.
He had told his friends about it and most were impressed even though he felt it was a bit of hollow victory.
Janna just told him to take the win, it might have had an Asterix next to it but when the Asterix was that he helped fight off coup that was pretty good Asterix.
The treasure was nice, he could help provide a little more for Seraph and take some of the burdens from his parents, also he could save up for her school and get her all the art supplies she might want. He was also given a mess of magical artifacts that might become useful or he'd sell.
Marco hung up the small key on the wall, on it's very own hook so he could make sure never to lose it again. He gave it a small pat and a smile glad that it stayed with him.
Marco picked up his scissors and turned them into a sword. Quickly he made his way his way to the backyard where Seraph and Hekapoo were waiting.
"Come on dad!" Seraph waved him over.
"Okay, let's start." Marco got into his stance. "Copy my body movement, we're gonna take it slow. Just getting used to the weight of the sword and the movements."
"This is gonna take forever." Hekapoo let her shoulder slump.
Marco smirked, "Well, that just means we get to spend more time together."
Hekapoo huffed, "Yeah, i guess it does."
They got in a row and started to swing the sword slowly, getting used to the motion.
Seraph held the sword tightly, never wanting to let go of the sword that belonged to her parents. Seraph loved having time with her parents and hoped that it would never end.
Author's Notes: And that brings this arc to an end. I hoped you guys liked it. its been a tough weekend, I've been suffering some insomnia and struggling to write a story for this thing I'm working on. My family is a mess so this holiday has been rough for me. So, let me say that I've been truly grateful for all your kind words. I'm so very happy to hear you guys enjoy my story, and I'm glad I was able to finish this arc over a weekend since i hated that I left you guys hanging for it for 3 months. So please leave a review for this one. I'll try to get back to this story but I probably won't post the next chapter for two weeks as I finish a project. I will give you a hint for you guys to look forwards, the next chapter will deal with Seraph meeting more of her family.