Hey everyone! First off, I hope you all like the new cover art I made for this fic; I'm not as good an artist as I am a writer, but I'm decently proficient in Adobe Illustrator, so I whipped up a little something special. Now, we've got an official online depiction of what Maroon looks like! Anyways, enjoy this new chapter of Earth-Ni Protectors; One that deals with a mighty king without a kingdom to rule...
"MAROON AND THE EARTH-NI PROTECTORS!"
BOOK TWO: HEROES AND VILLAINS
CHAPTER FOUR: THE WILD KING
The chase is on! Beneath the light of multiple moons, Lady Butterfly, Maroon and Violet Devil were swiftly flying through the night sky, down a road past the outskirts of Echo Creek. The trio of aerial heroes were in hot pursuit of a souped-up ricer car decked out with gaudy neon lights. Said vehicle was full of priceless artifacts and treasures stolen from the Monster Temple by felonious thieves, clothed in matching dark jackets, ski masks and reflective sunglasses.
"It's the E-P! Open fire!" The driver harshly snapped. One of the masked marauders popped out of the sunroof, and opened fire at the pursuing Protectors with an assault rifle. The three heroes dodged the gunman's wild barrage of bullets, and continued chasing them.
"Catch!" Tom shouted, as he formed an orb of fire in his hands. The demon prince lobbed the infernal fireball at the thieves' ricer, striking its rear end. The eyesore of a vehicle spiraled out of control, so the driver quickly swerved to the edge of the road, outside a dark, foreboding forest.
"Damn those costumed freaks! Take as much loot as you can, then SCATTER!" The chief thief shouted. The masked bandits pried open the trunk of their ricer, then hurriedly fled into the forest with all the gold, jewels and trinkets they could carry. Moments later, the three on-duty Protectors caught up to the crashed car.
"Come on, after them!" Maroon commanded. He boosted himself up with his rocket-boots, and leapt from tree to tree, whilst Star and Tom used their flight abilities to branch out in search of the fugitives.
One of the thieves was running full sprint through the woods, his pockets stuffed with royal golden coins. However, he made a crucial misstep, and stepped right into a hidden pitfall trap! Now, the garish gangster was trapped in an eight-foot-deep ditch.
"Help me!" The pitted purloiner pleaded.
"Are you crazy? It's every man for himself!" One of his compatriots retorted, when he too was captured in a hanging net trap. Frightened, the third of the thieves ran for the hills, but a wooden cage dropped on her out of nowhere!
Now, only one bandit was left alone in the woods of Earth-Ni at night, a situation sure to spell trouble. Unnerved, he pulled out his pistol and frantically glanced around.
"Who are you? SHOW YOURSELF!" The looter shouted, fear emanating through his shaky voice. All of a sudden, something leapt out of the trees while screaming ferociously. It was a stout, grizzled man with a long, blond beard, and he wore naught but a leafy loincloth! The barbarian warrior let out a harsh and frightening yell, scaring the bandit to the point of fainting!
"Whoops, sorry! I could've sworn you were a wild monster." The hunter apologized. This was no ordinary warrior; It was the former King of Mewni and Star's jolly old father, River Butterfly!
"Dad?" Exclaimed Star, surprised to see her father so far out of Echo Creek at such a late hour.
"Star!" River happily hollered. Star flew to him with her mechanical wings and gave him a big Butterfly hug.
"What are you doing here?" The ex-princess queried.
"Oh, I was just on one of my nightly monster hunts." He answered, causing Star to cringe. She knew he didn't actually hunt sentient monster folk, but he never used the new "mewbeast" moniker to specify he only pursued animals. "I should probably let those poor fellows go."
"Wait, don't!" Tom piped, as he caught up to Star. "They're thieves that looted the Monster Temple."
"We'll take it from here, Mr. Butterfly." Maroon added. The masked vigilante leapt down from a tall tree, and landed in a three-point stance.
"Thanks for catching the bad guys, Dad. You really saved the day!" Star joyously cooed, as she hugged her father yet again. Upon realizing the greater scope of his accidental thief-trapping, the former king smiled, feeling a sense of accomplishment and pride...
Later, River returned to his new home; A rustic yurt in the middle of a tranquil forest. After leaving the safety of Lucitor Palace, he and his wife Moon built yet another yurt together; However, this one was more secluded, and the exact location was kept secret to avoid any more unwanted neighbors. The Johansen warrior headed into the homely tent, which was dimly lit by candles and an oil lamp. Moon was comfortably sitting in bed, reading a parenting book titled "Your Daughter and You."
"Hello, Moonpie!" River greeted.
"Hello, River. How did your hunt go?"
"Well, I didn't slay anything, but I did run into Star!" River mused, piquing his wife's interest.
"You did? What was she doing in the woods?"
"She was out with her band of heroes. You know, Thomas and that guy with the red helmet. Turns out I caught some bandits they were after."
"Really? Star must have been so proud of you."
"Oh, she was..." River uttered, with a hint of sadness in his voice. While he was glad Star was happy living with her beloved and his family, he deeply missed his darling daughter...
Three hours passed, and the night got colder and darker. While Moon had fallen fast asleep, River was still wide awake. Deep in his mind, the former king realized something rather disheartening; Since the monarchy dissolved and the dimensions cleaved, he had no idea what to do with his life. Sure, ruling over the commoners got dull every now and then, but what's a king with no subjects?
Eventually, River's thoughts drifted to his prior hunt, where he re-connected with Star after spending weeks apart. She seemed so happy out there, and for good reason; She was saving lives and protecting her home as a valiant superhero. All of a sudden, River's reminiscing caused an earth-shattering revelation; The answer to his existential question!
"EUREKA!" River exuberantly shouted, waking his wife up with a sudden jolt.
"Gah! What is it?" Moon groaned, rudely awakened by her husband's sudden outburst.
"I've found it! I've finally found it!"
"Found what?" The former queen groggily queried.
"My purpose in life!"
The next evening, complete and total chaos had broken out in a mewman farming village west of town. The medieval settlement was under attack from a fearsome black-and-white goose the size of a two-story building. It had an amber-yellow beak, razor sharp teeth, huge webbed feet and beady black eyes. This monstrous animal was known to mewmans as a dreadgander; One of the deadliest birds in Mewni!
The dreadgander rampaged through the village, devouring crops and terrorizing villagers. The giant goose ripped through the roof of the barn, and was about to devour the innocent townsfolk inside, when it was struck in the hindquarters by an explosive energy orb. The gander let out a horribly hellish honk, and turned its snaky neck to see five familiar costumed heroes standing fifty feet away.
"The Earth-Ni Protectors! Save us from that horrible monster!" A frightened farmer cried.
"It's a mewbeast, not a monster! Sheesh, get it right!" Star abruptly shouted, correcting his mistake.
"Still, we better stop that thing. Earth geese are horrifying, so that thing's gotta be a hundred times worse." Marco remarked.
"Man, I wish we had Globgor on the team right now." Maroon added, feeling daunted looking at a murder-goose that could dwarf an elephant. The five Protectors prepared to take on the brutal bird; Star ignited her wings, Tom formed fire in his palms, Marco brandished his sword, Janna whipped out her Kali sticks, and Maroon readied his wrist-blasters. But before they could take on the malicious mewbeast, they heard a sudden shout that shook the trees.
"TALLY HO!"
Out from the nearby forest leapt none other than River, who was clothed in a rather odd-looking outfit. His face, arms and chest were marked with blue war paint, and he had a horned, viking-like helmet on his head. The former king also wore a fur cape, bearskin pants and a necklace made of fangs, bones and claws. To top it all off, he was brandishing an enormous, ram-headed war club!
River struck the dreadgander's body with his club, staggering the monstrous avian. "Taste my power, you vile bird!" The warrior king shouted.
"DAD?" Star exclaimed, whilst River continued to battle the giant goose. He was holding his own pretty well against the dreadgander, but the beastly behemoth began to get the better of him.
"What is he doing?" Janna asked.
"I don't know, but we better help him!" Star retorted. The five teenaged heroes leapt into action, to back River up against the fierce mewbeast. The Johansen barbarian was using all his strength to hold open the gander's jaw, but he was beginning to struggle; As strong and fast as he was, River was sadly still past his prime. Just when he was about to slip up, the dreadgander spat him out and hissed, when it was struck by simultaneous blasts of Magitech energy and demon fire.
"Dad, are you okay?" Star piped, as she swiftly glided to her battered father.
"I feel...SPLENDID!" He retorted with relish, as he jumped back up to his feet, ready for round two.
Back on the field, the other four Protectors were engaging in combat with the dreadgander, so that it wouldn't target the innocent villagers. Maroon and Tom fired upon it whilst hovering in the air, while Marco attacked its feet with his sword. However, his slashes were ineffective against the bird's armored, bony legs. The bird kicked Marco in retaliation, knocking him back ten feet.
The gander let out another horrible honk, when Janna suddenly leapt off the roof of a barn, and landed on its back. "Always wanted to do this!" The raven-haired troublemaker retorted, and prodded the giant goose with her electrified combat sticks. Infuriated, the beast flapped its wings, knocking her off. But before she could hit the ground, Janna was swiftly caught in the arms of her loyal demon love.
"I gotcha!" Tom huffed.
"Thanks, demon-boy." Janna retorted, rewarding her rescuer with a quick peck on the cheek. The macabre couple landed on the ground next to the rest of the team, including their new ally River.
"So, how do we take this thing down?" Janna wondered.
"Why, it's simple! We go for its legs!" River replied.
"That's not gonna work, they're almost impenetrable." Marco refuted.
"Yes, but if you tie them up, then the beast is subdued!"
"Like the Empire Strikes Back!" Austin impulsively crowed.
"I don't follow, but yes!" River exclaimed, oblivious to the geeky vigilante's pop culture reference. Now, it was time for the Protectors and their plus-one to team up and bring down the vicious avian...
Marco and Janna were part of the battle plan's first phase; On the ground, the two Earthly teens distracted the dreadgander by prodding it with their weapons, causing it to chase them. Next, Maroon flew into the fray with his rocket boots, and bound the the bird's legs together with a metal-fiber whipcord. Once the vicious beast was trussed, it was time to finish the job.
River charged towards the giant gander as fast as he could, with Star and Tom flying right beside him. The trio of royals all attacked it at the same time; Star and Tom fired mighty blasts of fire and energy at the bird, then River leapt up and smacked it in the face with his club, knocking it out cold! The mewbeast fell to the ground with an earth-shaking thud; Once it was down, River stood proud on top of the felled goose, and let out a mighty victory screech.
"We're saved! Hooray for King Butterfly and the Earth-Ni Protectors!" One of the formerly threatened mewman farmers hollered. The whole village began to cheer and clap for the heroes, who had saved the day once again!
"Please, commoners! Call me Wild King, the vanquisher of evil!" River announced his superhero moniker with glorious gusto, as the crowd cheered even harder. The Wild King had a great big grin on his face, and he felt a rush of happiness; 'Twas the best he felt since the dimensions cleaved!
"Now that everyone's safe from that terrible bird, LET THE REVELRY BEGIN!"
To reward Wild King and the Earth-Ni Protectors for saving their village, the townsfolk threw a hearty banquet in their feast-hall. On the menu were heaping helpings of corn-based dishes, and enough roast dreadgander to feed everyone, with seconds to spare! River sat at the table with the Protectors at his side; Even Austin removed his helmet to eat, since none of the villagers knew his true identity anyways.
"Thanks for helping us, Dad. You did great out there!" Star commented.
"Oh, I'm only following in your footsteps, sweetie. I'm a superhero now!" River replied whilst chewing a mouthful of meat.
"A superhero? Since when?" Marco curiously wondered.
"Since I realized what's missing in my life! You fight for justice against dangerous beasts and vile villains, and receive glory and praise in return! If you kids can do it, then so can I!" River continued, as a light bulb went off in Star's mind.
"Ooh! Why don't you join our team?" Star giddily suggested, piquing her father's interest.
"I don't know, Star. Compared to us, isn't he a little old?" Janna retorted, then ravenously wolfed down a bowl full of assorted organ meats.
"OLD? I'll have you know I'm only seventeen! In felled stags, that is." River answered. Fun fact: The Johansen clan's calendar revolves not around standard years, but the amount of stags a hunter has slain.
"What do you think, Austin? You're the boss." Tom proposed. Austin took a moment to mull over their possible new addition; Sure River was belligerent and bull-headed, but he was a warrior of immense prowess, with a kind heart to boot. Not to mention he'd aided the team twice in the last couple days.
"You've got what it takes to be a Protector. Welcome to the team, Wild King." Austin respectively responded, causing Star to clap and cheer. River suddenly shook Austin's hand, shaking the boy like a ragdoll with his mighty strength.
"Huzzah! You're a noble warrior, Mister Maroon. I look forward to fighting evil by your side." The Wild King complimented, making Austin smile warmly. Ever since his dad betrayed him, the teen gadgeteer sought out more positive father figures, be they in his uncle Desmond, his houseguest Globgor, or now, his new teammate. With a sixth superhero in the Earth-Ni Protectors, Echo Creek would be safer than ever before...right?
The next day, River got up early to prowl the town, in search of wrongs to right and evildoers to vanquish. He roamed the boardwalk, and saw an innocent citizen in peril; A teenaged hoodlum was trying to steal a woman's purse!
"Unhand that satchel, you fiend!" River shouted, as he leapt at the petty thief. He grabbed the hoodlum by the legs, spun him around at breakneck speed, and hurled the ruffian into the ocean with his herculean strength!
"Thieves never prosper!" River hollered, when the woman angrily scowled at him.
"He was still holding my purse when you threw him, you dolt!" She shouted, then stormed off in frustration.
"My bad!" River apologized; Turns out this whole "superhero" thing was more complicated than he thought...
Later in the afternoon, the Wild King came across another troubling situation in the suburbs. A little boy's cat was stuck up in the highest branches of a tall oak tree!
"What seems to be the problem, little lad?" River questioned.
"It's my cat, Tomato! He's stuck in that tree and can't get down!" The young child pleaded.
"Fear not, young one! The Wild King is here to help!" River crouched down at the base of the tree, and used his superhuman strength to rip it out of the ground. The headstrong hero shook the uprooted oak back and forth, flinging the cat high into the sky!
"TOMATO!" The boy cried in abject horror. As the cat began hurtling back to Earth-Ni, River used his enhanced physical prowess to leap 20 feet in the air, catch the falling cat, and land back on the ground, cracking the asphalt.
"You're safe now, little kitty!" River told the clearly displeased feline, who let out a harsh yowl and scratched him for throwing him so high. Tomato then leapt back into the arms of his owner, and meowed placidly.
Later, River encountered yet another citizen in need. On the streets of central Echo Creek, an old woman was having difficulty crossing the street. So, he decided to help by picking the old granny up and resting her on his broad shoulders.
"Oh, my!" The elderly woman exclaimed.
"Allow me to help, milady! TALLY HO!" River yelled. Then, he sprinted swiftly for a couple, until he reached the defunct ruins of Butterfly Castle in merely thirty seconds. Then, he dropped the septuagenerian woman off in front of the castle.
"Here you go, ma'am. Enjoy the sights, now!" River spoke, then bounded away in search of more wrongs to right. Contrarily, the old woman was confounded and shocked.
"I was going to the supermarket!"
At five o'clock, the five teenaged heroes were waiting on the couch in Studio Rita, the impromptu HQ of the Earth-Ni Protectors. A special team meeting was called to order by Austin; Now, they were waiting for their sixth member to show up.
"Your dad's getting late, Star. Does he have a cell phone yet?" Austin inquired.
"Nope. He doesn't trust Earth tech for some reason." Star answered, piquing confounded looks from her teammates. Momentarily, River barged into the room with a grin on his face.
"Hello, fellow heroes!" River greeted.
"Mr. Butterfly! Glad to see you've finally arrived." Austin reported.
"Please, call me River, old chum! Now, what's this whole "meeting" about?"
"Well, River, it's about you. More specifically, your performance so far."
"Ah, I see. I think I've been doing a fine job so far." River answered, causing Marco to wince.
"About that...You're a fantastic fighter, but you're sorely lacking in solving situations that require more...diplomacy." Austin uttered, trying to make things simpler by comparing hero business to royal affairs.
"But the best diplomacy is pure might!"
"You solve every problem by punching it, dude." Janna dryly remarked.
"That's not true! I also solve problems by kicking them, throwing them, or beating them with a club."
"You have your weaknesses, Dad, and that's okay! We all do!" Star interrupted. "But we'd all be happy to help you improve." The former princess kindly replied. Before their discussion could continue any further, Austin's jury-rigged alert system began blaring, as a red light emitted from the ceiling.
"GAH! Why is your house screaming?" River wondered, still unfamiliar with Earth's advanced technology.
"It's the danger alert!" Tom remarked. A built-in TV monitor turned itself on, and displayed the local news. To everyone's horror, a werewolf-like monster was wreaking havoc in the streets of Echo Creek, and that wasn't the worst of it; Said lycanthrope was wearing a suit of jet-black, high-tech battle armor!
"Great, first Ringmaster escaped, now this guy shows up." Janna groaned.
"How'd that monster get cutting-edge battle armor? Austin curiously wondered.
"I don't know why or how that's happening, but no matter! Let us vanquish that vile villain!" River shouted. His five teenage cohorts agreed, and exclaimed the magic words that changed them into their heroic alter egos.
"HERO UP!"
At a shopping district on the south side of Echo Creek, the innocent citizens of the cleaved city were being terrorized by yet another sinister supervillain. This foul fellow, as mentioned before, was a hulking, seven-foot-tall wolf monster decked out head-to-tail in black mechanical armor. His entire head was obscured by a canine battle helmet, with piercing yellow lenses covering his eyes.
Soon, a police car arrived, and three officers stepped out. They opened fire on the metal-clad monster with their pistols, but the bullets bounced off his tough armor like they were foam darts.
"Puny primitives! You're no match for my monstrous might!" The werewolf boasted. He picked up a gray sedan, and hurled it at the police car. The cops all jumped out of the way, and both vehicles collided in a fiery explosion. As civilians fled in terror and fear, the monster supervillain let out a horrible howl, and pounded his armored chest like an ape. However, his boastful show of power was put to an end, when he was suddenly struck by a ray of magic energy.
Infuriated, the armored supervillain looked up, and saw the five Earth-Ni Protectors standing together, ready for a fight!
"It's the Earth-Ni Protectors!" One of the policemen exclaimed.
"And Wild King!" River loudly retorted as he leapt into the scene, then turned his gaze to the menacing mechanical monster. "Surrender now, or you will be vanquished!"
"You puny Protectors can't stop me! I'm the Steel Wolf!" The villain scoffed, when River whipped out his oversized war club.
"TALLY HO!" River hollered, as he leapt towards his ironclad adversary. Steel Wolf dodged the Wild King's attack with his augmented agility, and struck him with his steely arms, knocking the aging hero through a building.
"DAD!" Star cried out in horror.
"I'm fine, sweetie!" River moaned as he got back to his feet.
The rest of the team then jumped down to battle their daunting new enemy. Steel Wolf lunged at Marco and Maroon with his sharp iron claws, but the dynamic duo parried his furious swipes with their blades. Maroon hovered in the air with his rocket boots and fired wrist-blasts at Steel Wolf, but the red energy pulses merely fizzled out when they hit the villain's armor. The werewolf leapt up, grabbed Maroon, and threw him into his sword-wielding partner, knocking both boys down.
Steel Wolf fiercely lurched towards the two heroes, when he was struck in the back by a plume of fire from Tom. However, he wasn't even fazed by the fires of the Underworld!
"Fool! My armor is fireproof!" Steel Wolf retorted, as he turned around to attack Tom. The werewolf warrior activated his wrist-mounted flamethrower to scorch Tom alive, but it didn't do a thing!
"And I'm a demon." Tom coyly remarked, then punched Steel Wolf in the chest, denting his armor. The metallic monster let out a fierce snarl, and punched his demonic foe in the stomach, causing poor Thomas to reel in pain. Before the wolf could harm him any further, he was abruptly zapped by Janna's electrified combat sticks!
"Bad, Fido! Stay!" Janna teased, prompting the mecha-monster to face her and snarl ferociously. Janna threw down some of her smoke bombs to obscure Steel Wolf's vision; Now, it was Star's turn.
Star swiftly flew through the air, as she fired golden bolts of wand energy at the armored supervillain. But like Tom's fire attacks and Maroon's wrist-blasts, her attacks merely bounced off the werewolf's tough, steely exterior.
"My turn." Steel Wolf coldly remarked, as he aimed a wrist-mounted blaster at Lady Butterfly. He fired several shots, but she swiftly dodged each of his attacks.
"LEAVE MY DAUGHTER BE, YOU FIEND!" River shouted, then tackled Steel Wolf to the ground. He raised his club to clobber the crazed crook, but his high-tech adversary blinded him with a bright flash from his glowing eyes.
"GAH! I've been blinded!" Wild King cried. Now that he was vulnerable, the Steel Wolf tossed him through the air, and he crash-landed in a department store. However, he was then surrounded by the other five members of the Protectors!
"You can't take us all at once, Wolfie." Maroon spoke.
"I don't have to!" The Steel Wolf harshly retorted, then started sprinting off on all fours.
"He's getting away!" Tom shouted. The five teens pursued their adversary, until he stopped at a crowded apartment building. Steel Wolf activated his built-in flamethrower, and lit the building full of innocents ablaze!
"It's me or those puny humans, make your choice!" The villain taunted, as he fled the scene on all fours. Inside the building, dozens of terrified tenants were screaming in terror.
"We've gotta help them!" Star commanded. As the Protectors started rescuing the endangered civilians, River saw the Steel Wolf running away, and knew what he had to do...
The villainous Steel Wolf galloped away from town, towards his escape; A patch of nearby woods. However, River was quickly catching up to him, huffing as he sprinted intensely.
"TALLY HO!" River shouted his catchphrase, then tackled his armored adversary to the ground. "You put up a good fight, Mr. Wolf, but-" The king continued, when Steel Wolf grabbed River by the beard, and slammed him into a rock!
"YOW! You've done it now, vile monster!" River exclaimed, then kicked the iron-clad canine in the chest. He whipped out his giant battle club, and swung it at Steel Wolf. But to his shock, the supervillain caught it mid-swing, and crushed it to pieces with his horrible hydraulic hands!
"I'm not your average monster." Steel Wolf coldly remarked, as two energy blasters emerged from hidden compartments in his wrists. He wildly fired at his bearded foe, who dodged his first two shots; Sadly, poor River was struck and stunned by the werewolf's third blast.
"Ah, technology. It's always been you moonies' Achilles' heel." The augmented monster continued. River called upon all the strength he could muster to get back up and lunge towards Steel Wolf, but the villain slashed him up with his gruesome, razor-sharp claws. As the poor Wild King lay bleeding on the ground, Steel Wolf continued to beat on him with his powerful iron-alloy arms, until he was suddenly surrounded by a field of yellow energy.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Star screamed, then tossed the armored wolfman like a ragdoll with her telekinetic wand. The Steel Wolf took a tumble, then snarled at the arriving Protectors.
"This isn't the end, Protectors..." The beastly villain growled, then galloped off into the woods. As the sinister canid made his escape, the five teen heroes rushed to the aid of their brutally injured teammate.
"Oh my God..." Marco muttered in horror, while Tom and Janna gasped.
"DAD!" Star tearfully cried, and rushed to her injured father. He was covered in bloody gashes and painful bruises, courtesy of Steel Wolf.
"Don't worry, darling..." River weakly groaned. "I..I'll be f-fine." The wounded warrior consoled his daughter, then fell unconscious due to his grievous injuries...
After blacking out for over an hour, River slowly awakened from his dormant state. He opened his eyes, and saw Star holding her Magitech wand up to him. The head of the wand was glowing pink, and emitted a low-pitched hum. Additionally, Star's usually non-existent heart-shaped cheek marks were glowing brightly; She was using the relatively weak healing function of her wand to mend his wounds.
"S-S-Star?" River weakly muttered.
"Dad!" Star chirped, and quickly hugged her partially healed father. "I'm so glad you're okay!"
"Thanks to you and your wonderful Earth wand, sweetie! Now there's no time to rest; We must stop that dastardly wolfman from causing anymore mayhem!" The Wild King continued, causing his teammates to look to him with concerned expressions.
"River, while you were were unconscious, we had a discussion." Austin solemnly spoke. "As much as it pains me to say this...we can't have you on the team anymore."
"I'm off the team? What have I done to deserve this?" River protested.
"It's not your fault, man! Trust us, this is for your own safety." Tom explained.
"You're just not a team player. You took on Steel Wolf alone, and he damn near killed you for it." Janna added.
"That cheating charlatan used Earth technology! Without it, I'd best him with one hand tied behind my back!"
"Look, River. We can't bear to see you get hurt like this. We're doing what's best for you." Marco admitted.
"Please Dad. I don't wanna lose you..." Star sniffled shakily. River looked into his daughter's sad, teary eyes; The eyes of a little girl who nearly lost her father. Seeing Star in this saddening state was the push he needed to give up his dreams of being a superhero...
"Alright, I understand. For the sake of the Butterfly family, the Wild King is no more! I'll be in my yurt if you need me." River sighed, as he began heading off towards his secluded home.
Marco placed his hand on Star's shoulder to comfort her. "You did the right thing."
"I feel like I just crushed his dreams, though." Star admitted.
"Your father's a great man, Star. He nearly lost his life today; We can't let that happen again." Austin stated. "Now let's go. We need to find Steel Wolf and stop him before he hurts anyone else..."
As the sun began to set on the gorgeous Earth-Ni landscape, River was dejectedly trudging on the path to the yurt he called home. He felt absolutely awful in more than one way; On the physical side, he was still rather sore and bruised from his scrap with Steel Wolf. But in his mind, he felt like a failure; Now that he was no longer a superhero, poor River was back to being unsure of his place in the newly cleaved world.
Soon, River approached his homely yurt, when he heard a strange and sudden noise. It sounded like someone was struggling! And that voice; It was none other than Moon's! Fearing the worst, River hurried to the backyard behind his tent, where the noise was coming from.
"TALLY-hrrk!" River shouted, when a pointy metal spear was suddenly aimed right at his face. To surprise, said spear was being held at him by Moon!
"River! Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry. I didn't see you there." Moon profusely apologized, then placed her spear on a rack. Ever since the siege on the Monster Temple, Moon the Undaunted trained with non-magical weapons as she did in her youth, in case any more enemies came after her or her loved ones.
"No worries." River solemnly replied, still feeling downcast from his recent failure.
"What happened to you, you look dreadful!" Moon exclaimed, surprised to see her husband looking all beaten-up. "No offense." She quickly added.
"I was beaten to a bloody pulp by an armored werewolf."
"An armored werewolf? Well, how did that happen?"
"I battled him with Star and her hero buddies. I tried to take him alone, but he bested me with his techno-tricks." River remarked. "I failed at being a worthy hero, and they kicked me off the team!"
"They did?" Moon queried.
"Oh, but I deserved it! The only reason I became a superhero in the first place is because I have NO idea what to do with my life!" The former king exclaimed, feeling absolutely humiliated. "I'm a failure, Moonpie! An absolute failure!" River sobbed. Moon felt awful seeing her beloved husband so sad, so she did her best to console him.
"You aren't a failure, River. You may not have a clue what to do with your life now that the dimensions cleaved, but to be honest...neither do I." Moon admitted.
"Really?" River wondered. For so long, he had seen his wife as someone who had her whole life, as well as his own, completely under control. Her being unsure of her fate in the newly cleaved world was clearly a surprise to him.
"For all my life, my only purpose was to rule the kingdom, and keep it under control. But now that the monarchy's dissolved, It's like my life...lost all its meaning."
"Well, now I feel even worse." River commented, feeling sympathetic for his distraught spouse.
"What I'm trying to say is...we're in this together. It's a whole new world out there...where we can have a fresh start." Moon consoled, as she hugged her weary husband. "Besides, you are a hero. You saved all the people Ludo Levitato'd, defended the kingdom from Meteora, and hid Globgor from the Solarian Warriors." Moon commended.
There was a twinge of guilt when she mentioned River's last feat; She still felt terrible about the Solarian Crisis, and for good reason. Luckily, when all was said and done, River found it in his heart to forgive her for her most grievous mistake. (Especially after she baked him a delicious batch of meat pies.)
Upon hearing Moon's encouraging words, River had a realization; While he wanted to retire from the mantle of Wild King, there was still a loose end that needed resolving; As long as Steel Wolf was out there, the innocent people of Earth-Ni were in were mortal danger.
"I know what I must do..." River muttered to himself, much to his wife's confusion.
"What are you talking about?" Moon inquired.
"Moonpie, my queen, I must become Wild King one last time. That monstrous metal menace is still out there, and it's Star and her friends who'll have to face him! They need my help!"
"River, are you sure? Last time, you were nearly killed!"
"I've never been more sure in my life!" River shouted with gusto, then pulled Moon in for a sudden, passionate kiss, one which she happily reciprocated. "Besides, I won't be going in alone. I'm still a king, you know."
River stepped out of the yurt, and pulled out a special hunting horn. He blew into the instrument, and a loud tune blared. Moments later, a massive eagle swooped down from the skies, and landed in front of the Butterfly campsite. Indeed, River was still a king; The king of Mewni's eagles.
"I must be going now, wish me luck!" River said to his wife. The Wild King mounted his man-sized raptor, and took off into the sky with an enthusiastic shout of "TALLY HO!" On the ground, Moon watched her husband fly off on his winged steed, and hoped that this time, he'd save the day...
Those poor mewman villagers outside Echo Creek just couldn't catch a break. First, a dreadgander attacked their settlement, and now Steel Wolf was terrorizing them! The murderous metal-clad monster was firing wildly at the farm folk, who quickly took shelter in their barricaded feast-hall.
"Hide in there all you want, moonies! I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'l blow your house to SMITHEREENS!" Steel Wolf howled, as he prepared to fire a wrist-rocket at the villagers' shelter. Before he fired his rocket, a metal cord wrapped around his arm, yanking it upwards. His rocket-propelled projectile barely missed the feasting hall, and flew into the air until it exploded.
Infuriated, Steel Wolf looked behind him, and saw that Maroon had wrapped a whip-cord around his arm! The other Protectors all landed behind their leader, ready for another scrap; Hopefully, this time they'd lock the villain behind bars.
"Stop right there!" Maroon yelled, when the imposing lycanthrope ripped his restraint off with his wicked claws.
"Fool!" Steel Wolf scoffed. "None of you heroes can stop me! With my monster might and space-age armor, I'll rule the world!"
"We beat Seth of Septarsis. Compared to him, you're just a little puppy!" Janna taunted, as she and her teammates prepared to fight.
"With my upgrades, you kids are good as DEAD!" The werewolf roared, and demonstrated said upgrades. His claws began to glow yellow with energy, and he viciously lunged towards the Protectors.
Maroon ignited his wrist-blades to duel his foe, but the ferocious fiend easily bested him, and slashed at his chest. Luckily, Maroon's armored chestplate absorbed the almost fatal blow.
Tom lunged at the Steel Wolf with a fistful of burning fire, but the monster criminal caught his flaming fist without feeling a thing. Through his high-tech peripheral vision, he saw Marco and Janna charging at him with their weapons, so he hurled the demon teen at his teammates, incapacitating all three of them.
Suddenly, the armored werewolf was bombarded with blasts from above, courtesy of the infuriated Lady Butterfly. "THIS IS FOR HURTING MY DAD!" Star shouted, as she fired a potent yellow beam at the monster. Unfortunately, his armor was immune to Star's magic energy; She might've well used a water gun.
Steel Wolf leapt up in the air, and tackled Star out of the sky, to the abject horror of her teammates.
"STAR!" Marco cried out in terror, as he got up and rushed towards his endangered girlfriend.
"Not so fast, Little Red Riding Hoodie!" Steel Wolf snapped. The supervillain fired an energy blast at Marco, which struck and stunned the poor fellow. With her loyal boyfriend out of the way, the canine diverted his attention back to Star, who was struggling in his grip.
"MARCO!" Star cried.
"Stupid little moonie! You messed with the wrong monster!" Steel Wolf snapped, as he raised one of his energized claws to strike Star down. But before he could do the deed, everyone heard a distracting noise; The screech of an eagle!
"Unhand my daughter, you fiend!" Bellowed River, who was riding on his faithful flying steed. The Wild King swooped down, and his mount slashed Steel Wolf's back with her sharp talons. As the tech-savvy werewolf cried out in pain, Star broke free of his grip, and kicked him in the face as she escaped with her mechanical wings.
"Dad? I thought you were done being a Protector!" Star exclaimed.
"Ah, but what awful father would leave his daughter to face that menace?" River retorted.
"You shouldn't be out here." Maroon ordered, when Steel Wolf rose to his feet, ready to strike. "But we could really use the extra help."
"Very well, then! TALLY HO!" River holler with great pride, as he and his fellow heroes charged towards their evil enemy once more...
Now that the six superheroes were fighting together, the Steel Wolf was starting to falter. He fired energy blasts towards Tom and Maroon, but Star swooped in and blocked them with a Magitech energy shield.
River jumped on Steel Wolf's back, and began pounding on the canine's helmet with his mighty arms. Angered, the werewolf reached back and threw him ten feet away; Then, he fired a wrist rocket right at the poor barbarian!
Before the rocket could blow River to bits, Marco swooped in out of the shadows, and sliced it in two with his sword, disarming it.
"NO!" Steel Wolf snarled.
"Marvelous job, Marco! You have my blessing to marry Star!" The king congratulated. Marco got all flustered, and Star playfully waved at him. "Not now, of course!"
"Look out!" Janna exclaimed. Steel Wolf fired a volley of grenades at her, Marco, and River; They all landed on the ground, and began flashing red and beeping.
"They're gonna explode!" Marco panickedly added, giving River an idea. He quickly reached for his hunting horn, and blew into it; Then, he grabbed Marco and Janna by their hoods.
"What are you doing?" Snatcher asked, confounded to why they should stay near the grenades. All of a sudden, River's eagle swooped in and picked him up by the shoulders, lifting the three heroes out of harm's way just as the lethal grenades detonated.
Back on the ground, Star, Tom and Austin were all fighting together against the Steel Wolf. But as demonstrated earlier, the werewolf's armor was impervious to their special powers. The ironclad evildoer had a special surprise for them; A volley of flares launched out of various parts of his armor, and they exploded with harsh flashes of light and discordant bangs, stunning and grounding the trio.
"Enough of those dirty tricks! Let's show him what REAL warriors are like!" River shouted.
"Wait, not yet!" Janna piped. "I've got an idea..."
While Austin, Star and Tom were all laying on the ground disoriented, the Steel Wolf stomped over to them. "I've had my fun, but this is getting dull. Time for the GRAND FINALE!" The lycanthrope boasted, as all sorts of laser guns, flamethrowers, rocket launchers and other weapons emerged from compartments in his exquisite armor. He was about to end the trio of heroes, when out of nowhere, a volley of smoke bombs fell from the sky and burst, trapping Steel Wolf in a large cloud of murky gas!
As the thick smoke spread across the battlefield, River's eagle dropped him, Janna and Marco behind Steel Wolf. While the vile villain was disoriented, the Protectors got right to work with their special plan. Janna thrust her electrified Kali sticks into the folds of her enemy's armor, stunning him.
"WHAT IS HAPPENING?" Steel Wolf angrily howled. While he was dazed, Marco used his sword to hack off the armor's external weapons, and River did the same with his abnormally large hunting knife. Soon, the smoke cleared, and the wolfman saw the damage that was done to his suit.
"My weapons! How is this possible, my armor is PERFECTION!"
"Not so tough without your gadgets, huh?" Star teased.
"Now he's disarmed, I think it's payback time!" River exclaimed. Star nodded in agreement, and the two charged the defunct supervillain for some father-daughter retribution. Boosted by their enhanced speed, both Butterflies punched him in the face so hard his helmet's lenses broke! The haughty werewolf fell to the ground, knocked down and out...
"He's finally down! Whew, that's a relief." Tom remarked.
"I guess his bark was worse than his bite!" River joked, causing the rest of his team to groan at his cheesy quip.
Twenty minutes later, the villainous Steel Wolf was hauled away in a police van headed to a maximum-security prison. A compound outside of Echo Creek had been built to contain such malevolent monsters after the Dreaded Beasts were apprehended. While the grateful mewman villagers asked Wild King and the Earth-Ni Protectors to stay for another revelrous night of feasting, the heroes politely declined. Currently, they were on a peaceful hill, recuperating from the climactic battle.
"I know I'm not supposed to be a superhero anymore, but I just couldn't let you kids face that dastardly fiend alone!" River told the rest of the team. "I promise, this was my last time."
"But it doesn't have to be." Austin spoke. "I didn't think you were cut out to be a Protector, but you proved me wrong and saved us all. You're more than welcome to rejoin the team."
"Thank you, but I'm just not cut out for your line of work. With great power comes great accountability, or something." River responded, causing Austin to sigh.
"First Globgor, then Rouge, now you. It's like there's a sixth-member curse!" The teen gadgeteer retorted.
"To be honest, the whole reason I became Wild King in the first place is because...I have no idea what to do with my life." The king of eagles admitted. Saddened by his confession, Star comforted him with a loving hug.
"Aww...I know how that feels, trust me." Star consoled.
"I just loved the thrill of the fight, the glory of adoring fans, and those funny little costumes." River woefully added. However, that specific sentence caused a lightbulb to go off in Janna's mind.
"River!" Janna abruptly exclaimed, catching everyone's attention. "If you don't wanna be a superhero, you can be the next best thing! There's a job on Earth that's literally perfect for you."
"Really? Just what would that be?" River inquired, causing Janna to smirk in anticipation...
A few days later, the Protectors and their loved ones had made the trip to the WrestleRama arena in Los Angeles. Star, Marco, Janna, Tom, Moon, Eclipsa's family, the Diazes, Austin and his guardians were all seated together for a one-of-a-kind wrestling spectacular; "Wild King's Wrestle For Hope," an event where half of all ticket sales would go to charity for people displaced by the Cleaving.
After the whole Steel Wolf debacle was over, Austin had his aunt introduce River to a wrestler friend she designed costumes for. Once the wrestling league heard about who River was, they welcomed him in with open arms; A real-life warrior king as a pro wrestler basically wrote itself, after all.
"Our first contender is a superstar supreme; You know him, you love him, give it up for SHAWN GEENAH!" The announcer piped, as a muscular man wearing a baseball cap and a blindfold strutted into the ring.
"His opponent is a new face here at Wrestlerama; A mighty barbarian warrior from the Johansen Kingdom, wherever that is, put your hands together for WILD KING!"
As River leapt into the ring and struck a manly pose, Star and company erupted into applause and cheers. "GO, DAD!" Star squealed in excitement, waving a pennant with her father's face on it. River waved to his supportive friends and family, then the match started.
"BEGIN!"
"I can't see you!" Shaun taunted, oblivious due to the blindfold he wore as a gimmick.
"But I can see YOU!" River shouted, as he tackled Shaun, grabbed him by the legs, and threw him across the ring. For the next couple of minutes, he wiped the floor (both figuratively and literally) with Geenah, until it was time for the grand finale.
"TALLY HO!" River yelled at the top of his lungs, as he used the rope rings to launch him into the air. He did a series of somersaults, and cannonballed into Shaun, squishing him like a pancake!
"YEAH, THAT'S MY DAD!" Star hollered with exuberance. The rest of her group clapped and cheered; Even Mariposa and Meteora were squealing with delight! Moon smiled with delight, happy to see that her husband found a job that made him truly happy. A fifteen-minute intermission was then called so the paramedics could roll Shaun Geenah out on a gurney.
"Come on, guys! Let's go see Dad before his next match starts!" Star excitedly piped. She took Marco by the hand and ran towards the arena, then the others started to follow them. Moon got up from her seat, when Austin called to her.
"Moon Butterfly. I need to speak with you." The boy begrudgingly spoke.
"Okay, I suppose I have time. What is it?"
"Do you know who I am?" Austin queried. He'd met Moon before after the Dauntless crashed, but it was over a year ago, and quite a turbulent one on Mewni.
"You're one of Star's friends from Earth." Moon answered, playing it safe.
"My name is Austin Capers." He replied, shocking Moon. She had totally forgotten Star was friends with the son of Oberon Capers, the human terrorist who invaded the Butterfly Kingdom.
"I know what you're thinking, but I'm nothing like my father. Besides, you're no angel either." Austin growled, with a hint of anger in his voice. Ever since he found out about her betraying Star and employing Mina, he immensely disliked and distrusted Moon; After all, she reminded him of his father, a man he desperately wanted to forget.
"W-what do you want from me?" Moon nervously queried; She hadn't expected him to bring up her deepest regret in such a casual place.
"I just want to know the truth." The young vigilante replied, as he took a deep breath and winced. "What happened to my father?"
Moon paused for a moment, then finally gave the answer Austin had waited over a year to hear...
"Once your father was apprehended, I put him on trial with the Magic High Commission. For his crimes, he was thrown in the royal prison...but when Ludo took over the kingdom, he escaped." Moon admitted, causing Austin to gasp.
"HE ESCAPED?"
"After we took back the kingdom, I sent my royal knights to recapture him...but he was never found."
Now, Austin was completely floored. If his father had perished in the wilds of Mewni...so be it. But if Oberon was alive, he still could be out there, on one of the six continents that Mewni cleaved with. The poor young man was hoping to finally have his closure on that deep, dark secret, but now he was even more concerned...
"I don't know what's worse; You're lying to me, or you're telling the truth..."
"That was the truth, I promise you!" Moon refuted, as Austin let out another deep sigh.
"One more thing; I know you created the Solarian Warriors. You're lucky Star was kind enough to forgive you." Austin spoke. "But I'm not so lenient. Try anything like that again, and I'll bring you to justice myself..." The vigilante snarled, his fists shaking with rage. Then, he got up and began heading down the stairs.
In her seat, Moon sighed, as tears welled in her eyes. Every day, her deeply regretful choice came back to haunt her...the choice that drove her beloved daughter away. Austin wasn't feeling much better, not after the shocking news he'd just heard. Perhaps mingling with the Wild King would lift both their spirits...
Turn the clock back to the night of the Wild King's victory, and Steel Wolf's defeat. The armored supervillain was bound by electronic restraints in the back of a prison truck, and was guarded by two armed and incredibly bored troopers.
"So, what color do you think this guy's fur is?" One of the officers asked.
"Why do you ask?" The other retorted.
"I'm just curious."
"I dunno, gray?"
"Okay, but his fur could be brown. Or black, or white, or even purple."
"Purple? What kinda wolf's got purple fur?"
"What kind of wolf wears high-tech armor?"
"UGH! Will you buffoons please shut up! My head is killing me." Steel Wolf cried.
"Alright, then let's take off that helmet." The first guard retorted. He reached for the head of the masked monster, when out of the blue, a bolt of lightning struck the ground in front of the van! The vehicle quickly veered off the road, and crashed into a tree.
"Ack! Was that a lightning bolt?"
"It's not even cloudy out!"
An electrical crackle was heard, and the power in the vehicle suddenly went out.
"What's going on?" One of the guards cried. All of a sudden, the back doors of the truck were thrust open by a mysterious hooded figure. She blasted bolts of blue lightning from her hands, which electrocuted the guards into a stunned daze. She then aimed a weaker current at the Steel Wolf's restraints, freeing him from his electronic shackles. The armored monster leapt of out the truck to face his enigmatic comrade.
"You're quiet, tonight, Remus. Not even a thank you?" The mysterious woman queried.
"Thanks. Now I can finally take off this stupid helmet." Steel Wolf growled. He removed his canid headgear, to reveal his shocking visage; Under the mask, the ferocious "monster" who terrorized innocent mewmans and humans was really a gaunt-faced, wizened Caucasian man, with long, salt-and-pepper hair and a thick, bushy beard.
"Return to the compound and await further instruction." The electrokinetic woman commanded. "I'll take it from here." Her hands then sparked and crackled with azure electricity, and two X-shaped lightning bolt marks began to glow on her cheeks...
And there we go, the longest chapter I've written so far! And trust me, they're probably gonna get longer. Special credit to MoringMark, who coined the "River becomes a pro wrestler" idea in his awesome fan comic, "Echo Creek: A Tale of Two Butterflies." Anyways, enjoy the rest of your day, and be sure to check my bio for a sneak peek at the next chapter!
