"MAROON AND THE EARTH-NI PROTECTORS!"

BOOK THREE: RESURGENCE

CHAPTER FIVE: JANNA AND THE QUEENS


Tonight was a most eventful occasion, with high tensions and even higher stakes; The Earth-Ni Protectors were raiding Cobalt Watch's concealed cavern lair. But as the heroes fought hard against the invading terrorists, another group formed to protect Echo Creek was conferencing at City Hall. These six fine folks from various origins were the Unity Council, which governed the cleaved city in a way that was fair for all races and cultures. Their current discussion? The recent resurgence of Cobalt Watch.

"Men in helmets. What is their deal?" Buff Frog bluntly asked.

"Cobalt Watch is an Earth-based terrorist militia bent on killing the people of Mewni. They once tried to destroy my kingdom with a flying warship." Moon spoke.

"Well, who is their leader?" Asked Incitatus, the imposing king of the Pony Heads. Due to his enormous size, the floating monarch was conferencing online, with a television on a cart broadcasting his likeness. A similar device was used for Omnitraxus Prime, the colossal space-time guardian of the late Magic High Commission.

"A man named Oberon Capers...my brother-in-law." Desmond sheepishly admitted, surprising some of the council's members. "We don't talk nowadays."

"What should be done to stop them?" This question came from the deputy mayor, who had stepped in to fill Mayor Holt's role after his sudden resignation.

"Anything we can. Set a nightly curfew, heighten security, and postpone the Unity Ball." Moon's suggestion caused a commotion in the council. Firstly, it was similar to the measures WattWorks mandated when they took control of the town; Second, it delayed the highly-anticipated Unity Ball. Said ball was a celebration the committee had planned meticulously for months; A formal celebration meant to show the rest of the world that Earth and Mewni could co-exist in peace.

"The Unity Ball's in two days! We can't cancel it now!" Claimed Exasperella, the Lucitor Kingdom's hot-headed representative.

"Those Cobalt barbarians won't ruin our fun." The unicorn king added, adding fuel to the fiery dispute that had sparked. "If they continue to terrorize us, we'll just-" His sentence was never finished, as the video froze on his communication screen.

"As long as the Watch is still around, people are in danger!" Desmond snapped.

"It will be massacre!" Buff Frog remarked.

"Can't we reach some sort of compromise?" Eclipsa questioned. Now, the council was in a halfway split; Moon, Dez and Buff Frog were for the ball's delay, while Eclipsa, Incitatus and Exasperella were against it.

"I want to host the ball just as much as the rest of you, but it cannot happen until Cobalt Watch is stopped." Moon put her foot down now; The risk was too great for any celebration. But before anyone could debate her decision, a sudden alert came on the room's television.

"BREAKING NEWS! Echo Creek's own Earth-Ni Protectors raided a hidden Cobalt Watch stronghold, resulting in its explosive destruction. All six superheroes survived the blast, while most of the watchmen were arrested. It's assumed the missing members were killed in the explosion."

The room erupted into cheers when they heard the good news. In only a single day, the forces of the Watch were taken down, and brought to justice by the Earth-Ni Protectors! At least that's what they were told...

"The Watch is gone?" Buff Frog still couldn't believe his ear-holes.

"That's my nephew!" Exasperella cheered. "He showed those jerks who's boss!"

"Well, the Unity Ball is back on track." Eclipsa spoke with satisfaction. She especially looked forward to the coming celebration, as there, she could finally do something she thought she never could; Attend a fancy dance with her monster husband.

"Now that the terrorist issue's resolved, there's something I'd like to tell you all." The deputy mayor explained. "A UN ambassador named Ursula Penn reached out to us the other day. She also wants peace for the people of Earth-Ni, and can get diplomats from all the other merged countries to attend the ball. All she needs is one of you to meet with her in Los Angeles."

"I'll do it." Exasperella offered.

"Are you sure?" Eclipsa worriedly asked. Sending a demonic royal to the meeting was quite the risky move.

"It's no problem. Let's just say I'm very persuasive." The demon duchess boasted proudly.

"Then it's settled. Duchess Exasperella will go to LA tomorrow morning." The deputy stated. The other council members applauded their lucky representative; Now, they were one step closer to a truly united Earth-Ni...


After the meeting's end, the six councilors headed through the parking lot to go their separate ways. While Desmond left in his personal pickup truck, Moon, Eclipsa and Buff Frog awaited the car that would chauffeur them to their respective homes. As for Exasperella, the demoness was heading to her hellish-looking carriage, when she heard a suspicious sound.

"What the..." The unnerved duchess looked around the area to try and pinpoint the strange anomaly. After the group's near-death at the Cleave Center, the councilors were all on edge. Just when it seemed safe, the demon royal saw a masked man pop out of the bushes, and aim his pistol right towards Moon!

"Moon, LOOK OUT!" Exasperella shouted, then cast a wave of fire towards the helmeted menace. He screamed in pain, and fell to the floor as the others reacted in shock.

"AAAAARGH! Die, you demonic freak!" As the burned man writhed in agony, he shot the Lucitor three times, causing her to collapse to the cold, hard ground. The councilors cried out in horror, while some on-site security guards extinguished the assassin, then restrained him with handcuffs. By the way he dressed, it was obvious this man worked for Cobalt Watch.

"Get her to a hospital!" Desmond exclaimed. Moon, Eclipsa and Buff Frog all rushed to help the injured demoness up, while their human cohort dialed 911. Tonight's tragic attack revealed a despairing truth; While the Watch had suffered a devastating loss, they sure as hell weren't gone for good...


"RASH BASH!"

In an empty lot somewhere in town, Janna Ordonia was locked in the heat of battle, against a gang of formidable yet familiar foes; The monster army Ludo commanded back during his quest for Star's magic wand. To fend off the monstrous goons, she used a variety of dark magic spells. This particular one was a glowing red fist she launched from her Kali sticks; It hit Bearicorn, and he broke out into an itchy red rash! As the bear monster scratched himself like crazy, Janna continued to use some terrifying tricks on her opponents; Goth Moths, Ouroboros, Low Self-Esteem Nightmare Dream, you name it!

Luckily, she wasn't alone. Helping her in the fight was her teammate and boyfriend, Tom Lucitor. However, he wasn't fighting nearly as good as usual; Both his hand-to-hand skills and his fire powers were sorely lacking. His unfocused, sloppy attacks led to three of the monsters overpowering him; Now, they were beating him up while he struggled to break free.

"Janna, help!"

Janna took out the towering giraffe monster with some basic energy blasts, then quickly turned to see her boyfriend being mobbed by monsters. So, she decided to use one of her favorite custom spells to save him.

"TARANTULA TORNADO!" A spinning cyclone full of large, hairy tarantulas whirled towards the trio of monsters, and the spiders landed on their bodies. The flunkies screamed in terror, and scrambled around frantically.

"Get 'em off, get 'em off!" Beard Deer cried.

"We give up!" Man-Arm pleaded.

"Looks like another win for Yours Truly." Janna remarked, as the monster minions slowly got up. "What do you think, Coach?"

As surprising as it was, Ludo Avarius, the former arch-nemesis of Star and Marco, was the Earth-Ni Protectors' training coach. Now that his old minions were back in his life, he hired them as opponents for the heroes to face in their weekly practice sessions.

"You did good, kid. The demon guy, not so much. I always thought Marco was better." The kappa snidely commented. Janna looked to see her bruised, battered boyfriend lying on the ground; Something was really wrong with him.

"Hey, I'm gonna go check on Tom. The money's in the house."

"Perfect! Come on, everyone! Let's go get pizza!" Ludo cheered. As he and his minions headed out of the lot, Janna walked over to the forlorn demon prince, and sat down beside him.


"You okay, dude? You usually kick their butts into next week."

"Not really, Janna. Last night, something horrible happened; My aunt was almost killed by a Cobalt watchman." Tom woefully admitted.

"Oh my God! Is she alright?"

"Yeah, she's doing okay. But it makes me worry...are people ever going to accept us?" Since the Cleaving, Tom had been concerned with the way many humans perceived his kind. It was an ironic turn of fate; On Mewni, demons were one of the few monster species deemed acceptable by mewmans. But on Earth, they were perceived as dark pariahs; Paragons of pure evil.

Although she wasn't the emotional type, it hurt Janna's heart to see her beloved prince so down in the dumps. So, she comforted him with a hug.

"Don't get so down, babe. If some people can't accept the fact that you're a demon, then they can go straight to Hell! I mean, the Underworld. Same difference." Janna then kissed the three-eyed teen on the cheek, causing him to smile and lean his head on his shoulder. The prince felt truly blessed to have a girlfriend as cool and caring as her...

"Aren't you two adorable! Reminds me of Globby and I when we were that young..." Eclipsa approached the pair of Protectors, with Moon following close behind. The practice lot was in the neighborhood built by Desmond's construction crew, thus the Butterfly household was just a short walk away.

"Hey, Queen of Darkness! Moon." Janna greeted.

"Your dark magic skills are greatly improving, my dear."

"I know! Did you see how hard that guy freaked out when I hit him with a Nightmare Dream?"

"Yes, we saw the whole thing." Moon remarked with concern, causing Janna to roll her eyes. The white-haired woman then looked down at the Lucitor prince. "Tom, I'm terribly sorry about what happened to your aunt. I wish the best for her recovery."

"Thanks, Mrs. Butterfly. It takes more than a little pea-shooter to stop a Lucitor."

"Now, we have a proposition for you two." The teal-haired woman spoke, piquing the heroes' interest.

"Lay it on me, Clips." Janna retorted.

"After Exasperella's assassination attempt, her responsibilities were passed onto us. We need to go to Los Angeles and meet with an ambassador, but our protection...isn't the best." Eclipsa explained, as she gestured to her and Moon's assigned personal guards; Sensei Brantley and Lady Higgs.

"I don't care about your stupid karate, Earth man! I'm a knight, I outrank you!" Higgs argued.

"Oh yeah, well you're just a snotty little girl!" Sensei retorted.

"I'LL SHOW YOU LITTLE!" The pair of inept guards began to fight each other, much to the former queens' chagrin.

"Those are the best they gave you?" Janna wondered, while Moon nodded in disapproval.

"Anyways, we were wondering if you two could escort us on our journey." Eclipsa offered.

"If you're busy, we understand. Your job is to protect everyone, not just us queens." added Moon.

"Count me in. I'm a royal too, and I wanna finish my aunt's job." Tom vowed.

"Me too. There are four other heroes, and I'm sure they aren't doing anything important." Janna remarked. Oh, how wrong she was...

"Excellent! Now off we go, there's not a moment to waste!" The queens and their escorts then made their first steps on their journey to the City of Angels...


In a navy blue luxury car owned by the Unity Council, the queens and superheroes sat together in the spacious backseat of the car, while their driver, a young man with not much experience ferrying V.I.P.s, was steering the vehicle. The car had just made it out of Echo Creek, and was now driving down a rural road paved through the outer wilds of Earth-Ni. To pass the time, Janna was reminiscing about recent events.

"So, I gave the Paladin horrible nightmares until she told me where the base was. It took some effort, but she cracked like an egg."

"Excellent work, my apprentice." Eclipsa complimented. Janna smiled at her master, while Moon looked rather uncomfortable.

"That's quite...unnerving. Have you tried any spells other than Eclipsa's?"

"Well, I made my own spells, too. Rash Bash, Tarantula Tornado, Baby Marco with Wheels for Hands..."

"What about Star's spells?"

"Well, most of mine are based off hers, with my own occultist flair. Narwhal blasts and cupcake bombs just aren't my thing."

"Interesting. We still have the Book of Spells, you know. Why not try some other queens' magic, like Rhina the Riddled? Or Skywynne, Queen of Hours."

"Cool, but not thanks. Once you go black magic, you never go-"

"LOOK OUT!" Tom screamed. The chauffeur suddenly slammed on the brakes, causing the car to stop with a skidding screech. The road ahead was blocked by an enormous animal; It looked like an extinct wooly mammoth, but with blue fur and two pairs of twisting tusks.

"What is THAT?" The driver cried.

"It's a mewmoth, and by the looks of it, it's in musth." Moon informed. During the breeding season, male elephants enter musth, a period of unusually intense aggression; The same goes for their Mewnian counterparts. The wild animal abruptly turned its head, and leered at the car and its inhabitants.

"W-what do I do?"

"Back away slowly. A mewmoth in musth is highly unpredictable; Any sudden movements could set it off." The white-haired woman warned. The anxious chauffeur nervously tried into reverse, but his shaky hand slipped, causing the car to go in drive, right towards the bellowing beast! Seeing the rapidly encroaching car as a threat, the ill-tempered mewmoth reared up on its hind legs, and trumpeted loudly. But before it could stomp the car flat, Tom burst out from the sunroof, and used all his demonic strength to hold the animal off.

"Go, get out of here!" Tom cried in a strained voice. The chauffeur slammed his foot on the gas, and started racing away from the enraged proboscidean. However, the last thing Janna wanted was for her boyfriend to face that beast alone.

"STOP THE CAR!" Janna shouted. The driver followed the Snatcher's command, and stepped on the brakes so she could get out. "I gotta save Tom!"

"Be careful, darling! That's an endangered species." Eclipsa warned, much to her cohorts' bewilderment.

Tom struggled to hold up the mewmoth's massive weight, and he soon gave in. The angry animal swatted him away with its trunk, and bellowed aggressively. Tom tried warding it off with a fire blast, but the wooly creature tanked the attack with hardly any damage.

"That thing's fireproof? Oh, COME ON!" The half-demon yelled. The furious mewmoth shook its head and trumpeted, but before it could attack again, it was struck by a flurry of green energy bolts.

"Hey, Jumbo! Betcha can't catch me!" Janna taunted, then took off into the nearby woods. The temperamental behemoth charged after Janna, who swiftly leapt from tree to tree; Her months of grueling agility training were paying off. She climbed up to the highest branches of a tall oak, and her pursuer came thundering after. The beast reached up into the treetops with its trunk, but this was exactly what the teen witch wanted; Now, he was vulnerable to a potent spell.

"Spiral Hypnoslumber!"

Janna crossed her Kali sticks together to make a spiraling hypnotic wheel, which lulled the angry mewmoth into a trance. The animal quickly grew tired, and tipped over onto the tree, uprooting it. Janna then began to panic; The tree was falling, and she was still in it! Luckily, her trusty demon boyfriend rushed in with his flame-boosted flight, and caught her before she could fall. Tom then set her on the ground, safe and sound.

"Thanks for the save, Hot Stuff." Janna rewarded Tom with a quick peck on the cheek, then looked back at the beast she defeated. The mewmoth was now leaning against the fallen tree, sleeping peacefully without a care in the world.

"Sweet dreams, big guy." Janna remarked. "He's an angry fella, but good at heart. Sounds familiar, huh?"

"Very funny, Jannabelle. Now come on, we've got a long way to go." The half-demon retorted. Janna jumped into her boyfriend's arms, and the two flew off to catch up with the queens they swore to protect. But as they careened through the air, a mysterious hooded figure watched from afar, concealed by the thick and wild bushes.

"Come in, Boss. I've found the Butterflies' transport. Moon and Eclipsa are inside, but so are two of the Protectors." The stranger spoke into a walkie-talkie. A few moments later, his gruff-voiced superior answered harshly.

"I'm not afraid of those losers in masks. Rally the crew, it's time to strike!"


As the Butterflies' automobile cruised out of the Cleaving zone, the passengers were still recuperating from the sudden wild animal attack. The radio was tuned into the "Classical Masterpieces" channel, which played a captivating violin concerti. Moon was fascinated by the exquisite symphony; Who knew Earth had such beautiful music?

"My, this song is quite enthralling. What is it called?"

"Winter, by Antonio Vivaldi." The surprisingly knowledgeable driver explained. "I'm a music major, but driving you folks around is easy money."

"Ugh, boring. Lemme play something." Janna reached for the radio dial, and turned to the "Metalgeddon" channel. The calming music immediately turned into a harsh, thrashing heavy metal song, startling the driver. Moon winced and covered her ears, while Janna and Eclipsa rocked out to the music and sang along.

"I DRINK THE BLOOD OF MY ENEMIES, AND DANCE UPON THEIR BONES!" The dark queen and her apprentice both sang, having the time of their lives.

"Janna, turn that infernal racket down!" Moon cried. However, the mischievous teen drowned her warnings out with the sound of metal.

"Tom, why aren't you rocking out with us? Metal music's all about demons!"

"I'm really more of a Love Sentence guy." Tom meekly retorted. Janna began to head-bang to the beat of the heavy metal ballad as Eclipsa continued singing, but their jam session was rudely interrupted when the car was struck by a harpoon!

Everyone jolted up in surprise, and the music suddenly cut out. Tom turned his head to see what was happening; A motorcycle gang was chasing after them! Even worse, the cyclist in the center was tethered to their vehicle, thanks to the harpoon gun mounted on the handlebars.

"We're under attack!" The chauffeur cried as he stepped on the gas. "I think it's Cobalt Watch!"

"Nope, it's the Assassin's Guild." Janna corrected. She was right; One of the bikers was a bulky red monster with huge lower fangs, and the others were men and women with both tactical gear and medieval weapons; It was anyone's guess if they were mewman or human.

"The Assassins Guild? How do you know that?" Moon inquired, then gasped when one of the bounty hunters plunged his knife into the window closest to her.

"I have my ways. Come on, Tom! Let's show these guys a fun time." Janna pulled open the sunroof flap, and she and Tom leapt out onto the vehicle's roof to fight their cycle-riding foes.


The harpoon gun-wielding motorcyclist reeled in the anchor cord, and quickly loomed towards the Butterflies' car. His backseat cohort, a purple-haired woman masked by a red bandana, leapt onto the roof of the car, and swung her dual broadswords towards the heroes. Janna used her magically augmented Kali sticks to fend off the huntress, and launched her onto the grassy roadside with an energy blast. As the femme fatale took a tumble, the red brute rode up to the car, and attempted to smash it with his battle axe.

"Oh no you don't!" Tom drop-kicked the monster mercenary to knock him off his bike, then used his fiery footwork to fly back to the queen's vehicle and rejoin Janna.

"Ready when you are." The witch and the demon rapidly fired magic blasts and fireballs at the rest of the assassins, taking them down one by one. The bounty hunters may have been more numerous, but they couldn't match up between the powerhouses of the Protectors. But before the heroes could gloat about their victory, a cluster of spiked caltrops were suddenly thrown on the road, taking out the car's tires.

The vehicle rapidly swerved and skidded with a harsh mechanical screech, as the driver and the Butterflies hung on for dear life. The sudden change of course flung the Protectors off the vehicle, catapulting them into the air. Tom thought fast, and caught his magical girlfriend mid-fall; Thanks to his efforts, they landed safely on the ground.

"Who did that?" Janna snapped, when a hooded figure shambled out of the nearby woods. He was a hulking reptilian monster, with scaly green skin and a long green tail. The pair of Protectors both gasped; This mystery marauder was a Septarian, a feared type of monster renowned for regenerative powers.

The Septarian mercenary ripped open the car door, and yanked Eclipsa out like a rag doll.

"I beg your pardo-" The former queen protested, when the assassin gagged her and tied her up with a bola.

"You'll fetch a fine ransom, your Highness, but I'm here for the real prize." The Septarian dramatically tore off his cloak, and looked into the backseat of the car. "I am Rasticore Chaosus Disastorvayne, and I-...where'd you go?"

Rasticore felt a sudden piercing sensation in his chest, and turned to see who but Moon the Undaunted, who had thrust a collapsible spear directly into his heart. For any other monster, it would be a killing blow; But for an immortal Septarian, it was a mild inconvenience. Rasticore pulled the spear out of his back, then grabbed Moon by the throat and lifted her to his level.

"Moon the Undaunted. I know your magic created the Solarian Warriors; The menaces who nearly pushed me off a cliff! But now, your powers are gone. It's funny; They were the only thing protecting you from monsters like me." Rasticore snarled, as he placed his scaly talons around the former queen's head. But before he could crush Moon's skull like an egg, he was struck in the back by a fireball.

"Let her go!" Tom shouted, as Janna pointed her combat sticks towards the monster's heart.

"What are you gonna do about it? I'm INVINCIBLE!" The Septarian boasted. Oh, if only he knew what the Snatcher had in store for him...

"I call the darkness unto me, from deepest depths of earth and sea."

Both Moon and Rasticore became filled with abject shock when they heard Janna speak that dark incantation. What she was casting was no ordinary spell; It was an immortal-killing invocation, the very one Moon used to humble The Lizard early in her reign...

"From ancient evils unawoken, break the ones that can't be broken."

As Janna continued to speak those arcane words, her eye-shaped cheekmarks illuminated brightly. Her Kali sticks turned pitch black, and the darkness started creeping down to her fingertips. The normally fearless Septarian was now shaking with fright; It was clear the masked mage meant business.

To blackest night I pledge my soul, I crush my heart to burning coal, to summon forth a deathly power-"

"To hell with this! I'm outta here!" Rasticore dropped Moon to the ground, and took off running into the woods. Facing off against the last magic-wielder in the world would mean certain death for the sinister saurian. As he ran away, Janna's glowing cheek marks dimmed, and the blackness left her mystical fighting sticks.

"I sure showed him, am I right?" Janna bragged. However, Tom was speechless, and Moon looked at her with a mix of surprise and terror; Like she had seen a ghost from her past...


After the brawl with the bounty hunters, the diplomatic voyage to LA was put on pause. Both the police and Triple-A were called, the former to arrest the assassins, and the latter to tow the crew's damaged car. While all this was happening, the two Butterflies were clashing in a bitter argument.

"You taught Janna the Darkest Spell? Why on Earth-Ni did you do that?"

"To defend against Septarians! You should be thankful, my apprentice saved your life!"

"What else did you teach her? Mind control? Necromancy? The Spell with No Name?"

"That spell was my mother's, and it's dying with me!" Eclipsa angrily refuted. Her spells may have been considered evil, some for good reason, but Solaria's magic was downright abominable.

"Your spells are too dangerous, Eclipsa! Janna's powers are unpredictable, they need to be under control!"

"Excuse me?" Janna scoffed; Now she was getting in on the debate. "I have my powers under control, I've been training them for months!"

"I know you have, but-"

"Besides, what are you gonna do? Send me to that horrible princess school? Newsflash; I'm not your daughter!" Now, Janna was going off, but her wrath wasn't over yet. "All my spells are evil, huh? This coming from the queen who gave a psychopath a superpowered army for monster genocide."

Now, Janna certainly wasn't wrong. Many of Mewni's queens had spells that could make remorseless magical warriors, give their enemies monster arms, or even kill them with literal heartbreak; One queen even blew up an entire dimension! However, none of those spells were labeled "evil magic;" The only Butterfly to earn that honor was the Queen of Darkness...

"Star may have forgiven you, but I sure as hell haven't!" Once she was done with her emotionally charged rant, Janna slumped down and let out a deep sigh. Tom, Eclipsa, and especially Moon were all speechless; The whole area was filled with deafening silence. The quiet tension was finally broken when Tom's demonic carriage burst from the ground.

"Uh...our replacement ride's here. So...come on in, I guess." Tom awkwardly shrugged. Janna glared daggers at Moon, who averted her eyes in guilt. She then headed into the carriage, and the Butterflies followed. Tom shut the door, and the macabre mobile plunged back into the ground, to ride the roads of the Underworld. Because of turbulent recent events, this was going to be the most awkward ride in all of their lives...


After a bitterly silent carriage ride, the Butterflies and their guardians made it to their destination; a towering thirty-story building in the middle of Los Angeles. Tom was the first to walk out, then Moon and Eclipsa, and lastly, a reluctant and disgruntled Janna.

"Alright, we finally made it." Tom remarked, trying to cheer up the dour mood he'd been enduring.

"Good. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can leave." Janna sourly huffed. The queens and their escorts walked into the building and entered the elevator, then set it to go to the top floor. Yet again, the crew was quiet; Moon and Eclipsa were still at odds over Janna's magic training, while said sorceress crossed her arms and pouted in the corner.

"So...this is a nice elevator. Very...um...efficient." Tom desperately tried lightening the mood with small talk, but no one else was having it. The demon prince let out a deep sigh, and looked down at the floor in defeat. The elevator soon reached the thirtieth floor, where Ambassador Penn's study was located. Once the doors opened, Janna slumped down on a nearby sofa, and grumbled to herself.

"Hey, do you mind if I stay out here? With Janna?"

"Not at all, Thomas." Eclipsa kindly replied. Tom plopped down next to the raven-haired girl, and put his arm around her to comfort her. The teenage mage's frown lightened up only a little, but any improvement was worth it.

"Good luck to you. Both of you." The demon prince encouraged. Moon and Eclipsa then walked through the hallway, until they reached a large room with bookshelves, various chairs and tables, and doors leading to a balcony. Directly across them was a door leading to Ursula's office; After all that turbulent traveling, the ex-queens had finally made it to their destinations.

"Excuse me? Miss Penn?" Moon knocked on the door several times, but there was no response from her expected host. "She didn't leave us, did she?"

"Let's just go in and check. Yes, it's rude, but what's the worst that could happen?" Eclipsa rhetorically inquired, as she opened the door. Unfortunately, what lied in that office was the worst that could happen.

"Scream and the diplomat dies."

Ursula was tied to her chair and gagged; Standing at her desk was who but Commander Cobalt himself, and he was pointing his wrist-mounted blaster right at the poor woman's head.

"Oberon Capers." Moon spoke with venomous vitriol in her voice. It had been over a year since she last saw the terrorist leader; She hoped that man was one she'd never meet again, but alas, the armored commander had found her at last.

"Queen Butterfly. I see the usurper is with us as well." Oberon retorted, angering both Butterflies.

"What do you want from us?"

"Isn't it obvious? This is revenge for all the hell you put me through. For what you did, you're going to die at my hand, just like you've always deserved." Oberon raised his wrist-blaster towards Moon's heart, and the queens froze in fright. In the age of magic, either one of them could level the commander in a physical fight, but with their powers gone, they were helpless against the technological terrorist.

Just as Oberon was about to execute the white-haired queen, a pair of green energy bolts darted out from between the women, and struck him in the chest, stunning him. Once he was down, his human hostage began floating in a green field of energy, and was whisked out of her office. Standing behind the queens were the heroes who saved them just in time; Snatcher and the Violet Devil!

As Moon cut Ursula free with her sleek, extendable metal spear, Janna faced down Commander Cobalt with a fierce expression on her masked visage. This was the abominable man who not only kidnapped her, but forced her to teach him hypnosis, in order to brainwash poor Marco. But now, she had the power to bring that helmeted wretch to his knees.

"Tom, get them to safety. Metalhead's mine." As Oberon got up, Janna pointed her Kali sticks towards him, her hands shaking with rage. This was the rematch she was waiting for since the Watch returned, and it was finally here. But then, the dark apprentice felt a hand touch her shoulder.

"You won't be doing this alone." Moon spun her spear around in a fearsome flourish, and aimed it towards her armored adversary. "Let's take him down together."


Tom hurried down the top floor's hallway, with Eclipsa and Ursula following close behind. The diplomats and their demon escort quickly headed into the elevator, and set it to go down to the lobby. However, it only went five floors down, before it opened back up to reveal five Cobalt Watch troopers, with their rifles aimed right at our heroes!

"GET DOWN!" Tom grabbed hold of Eclipsa and Ursula, and leaned back into the elevator's edge. Now that they were away from the line of fire, Tom blindly shot flames towards the troopers to ward them off. The queen and the ambassador were both safe, until a live grenade rolled into the elevator, just as the doors began to close. Acting fast, Tom thrust open the metal doors with ease, took hold of both women, and used his flame-boosted flight to get them out of harm's way, just as the elevator exploded.

"You two run! I'll hold them off!" As the human and mewman ambassadors fled, Tom cracked his knuckles, and glared towards the watchmen with his three intimidating eyes. "It's payback time."

The troopers all aimed their guns towards the demon prince, but he used his telekinetic powers to rip the rifles out of their arms, leaving them defenseless. Like a fiery tornado, the Violet Devil smashed through the terrorists, taking them down with fiery punches and powerful kicks. The last of the men pulled out his sidearm to try and blow out Tom's brains, but he disarmed the masked menace, then punched him with such force that it shattered his helmet, and sent him flying across the room.

"That's for Auntie E." Tom growled. Today, he had taught the Watch a valuable lesson; Never mess with a Lucitor.


While Tom was whaling on the watchmen, Eclipsa and Ursula hurried down the hallway, to find a safe escape out of the building.

"The emergency stairwell should be just ahead." Ursula informed. However, the pair suddenly stopped in their tracks, when they saw a frightening sight; Three Cobalt Watch troopers with stun-batons were blocking the stairwell!

"Look who we have here." One of the troopers scoffed. "I hate to do this to you ladies, but orders are orders." The trio of troopers menacingly skulked towards the women, and Ursula began to panic as the leader raised his baton. However, Eclipsa reached into her coat pocket, pulled out a collapsible rapier similar to Moon's spear, and used it to parry the watchman's blow. To the diplomat's surprise, Eclipsa easily trounced the three brutes with an impressive show of swordsmanship; By the time she was done, they were all writhing on the ground in a defeated heap.

"Wow! Where did you learn to fence like that?"

"My mother taught me."


Back in the study of the apex floor, the Snatcher and the Undaunted Queen were battling it out against the sinister Commander Cobalt. The armored warrior used his jump jets to avoid Janna's magic blasts, and retaliated with a lethal shot from his wrist-gun. Luckily, the kid occultist blocked with her barrier spell.

"You've gained unnatural powers since we last met, Ordonia."

"I'll show you unnatural! MIDNIGHT SHRIEK!" Janna fired a beam at the killer commander, launching him across the room, until he collided with a bookshelf. The sorceress continued firing bolts of green magic at her foe, but he used his extendable wrist-mounted shield to block the brunt of her blasts. Oberon quickly lunged towards her with his energized wrist-blade drawn, but she countered the attack with a Levitato spell. Now that he was in her magical grasp, Janna slammed him into the ceiling, then into the floor, then tossed him around the room like a rag doll.

"You're stronger than I expected, girl. But deep down, you're still afraid of me." Oberon snarled intensely.

"You're the one who's gonna be scared. Low Self-Esteem Nightmar-AAAAAH!" Just before she could cast that dark incantation, Oberon struck her with a wrist-mounted taser, which electrified the poor girl.

"JANNA!" Moon cried in horror.

As the hooded Protector fell to the floor in agony and shock, the cold-blooded commander aimed his blaster towards her head, to finish her off.

"With your death, magic will finally end for good." The masked warrior spoke. Oberon snapped his fingers to execute his magical prey, but just as he did, his arm was struck with a metal spear. The blast misfired, and ended up hitting a light on the ceiling. Moon the Undaunted had come to the rescue!

"You leave her alone!" Moon shouted. The ex-queen swung her sleek spear at Oberon once more, and it clanged against his durable armor. Ironically, her collapsible weapon was a gift, crafted by the son of the man she was fighting.

Oberon activated both of his retractable wrist-mounted blades, and battled it out in a duel with his most maligned adversary. While he had the technological advantage, Moon had far more fighting experience than him; Even without magic, she was a highly formidable foe. While the Butterfly queen used elegant and graceful polearm moves to fight, Commander Cobalt attacked with ferocious, unending strikes. This was a man fueled by hatred and rage, and he wouldn't stop until vengeance was his.

"You haven't changed, Oberon. You're still every bit as hateful as you were back then!"

"You damned me to rot in your wretched world! You and your daughter brought Hell upon Earth, the Hell YOU came from!" With a powerful rocket-powered punch, Cobalt shattered his enemy's spear, and knocked her across the study. Moon crashed through the door, and landed at the edge of the balcony. Oberon used his rocket boots to boost himself to her location, and imposingly stood over his battered, weakened foe.

"But at long last, I will enact justice upon you for your unspeakable crimes. The monarchy is dead, and you will die with it!" The enraged commander raised his bladed wrist to try and behead the former queen, when he was suddenly struck by a powerful energy blast that threw him over the balcony. Moon glanced to the doorway to see that Janna had rescued her.

"You saved me!"

"Yeah, yeah, don't get all mushy with me. Now let's go, before-" Janna heard the sound of rockets igniting, and tackled Moon to the ground to dodge a deadly blast. The teenage mage got back up with a combat roll, and fired a flurry of spells at Commander Cobalt, who was flying through the air in his flight-capable armor.

"RASH BASH! GOTH MOTHS! OBSIDIAN EXPLOSION!" The Snatcher was throwing everything in her arsenal at the masked supervillain, but he swiftly avoided each of her attacks. This fight was getting tougher by the second, and Janna was tiring out. So, it was time to bring out the big guns.

"BLACK VELVET INFERNO!" This was one of Eclipsa's strongest spells, and one Janna hadn't yet mastered; Still, these were dire circumstances and she needed to win. Her emerald cheek marks glowed brightly, as violet flames sparked from the tip of her sticks. But before she could fire off the spell, Cobalt landed in front of her, and struck the Kali sticks out of her hands. The pair of rods fell off the building, leaving poor Janna without a conduit for her powers. Now that she was weary and disarmed, Oberon clutched the struggling girl by the throat, and raised her up.

"JANNA!" Moon ran towards the masked menace in a last-ditch effort to stop him, but he batted her away with a furious backhand.

"I wish I didn't have to do this, but you made your choice." Oberon snarled sinisterly, then threw Janna off the balcony. The teen heroine screamed in genuine terror, as she quickly plummeted towards the ground. Her frightened cry shook Moon to her core, but she also felt a strange rushing sensation...one she'd never experienced before. Out of pure instinct, the former queen leapt off the balcony after Janna, causing something miraculous to occur; Her long-gone cheek marks re-appeared!

Without even realizing it, Moon transformed into her six-armed Butterfly form, and used her newly regained telekinesis to catch Janna just before she hit the ground. Needless to say, both women were shocked by the sudden turn of events. Janna was amazed at what had just happened, while Moon was still coming to terms with a startling fact; Magic wasn't as dead as she thought. But now wasn't the time to worry over the consequences of her powers' return; Now was the time to attack!

After gently setting Janna on the ground, Moon darted back up the building like a shooting star, and faced down Commander Cobalt with an infuriated expression. Needless to say, Oberon was terrified.

"No! This...this can't be!" The commander cried. Moon fired a blast of magical lightning towards Oberon, but he quickly activated his flight jets, and only barely dodged the mystical blast. However, he didn't try to fight her; This was a battle Cobalt was sure to lose, so he did the smart thing and fled as fast as he could.

However, Moon wasn't done with her enemy just yet. She chased after the fleeing villain, and pursued him through the skies of Los Angeles. Oberon panickedly fired wrist-blasts without looking back, but the magical warrior easily avoided them. She used her six arms to fire energy rays at the commander, which grazed and pierced his prized armor. In a last-ditch effort, Oberon shot a powerful wrist-rocket at the winged woman. Moon made an energy shield to bear the brunt of the blast; When the smoke cleared, Cobalt was gone!

Moon may not have found her foe, but he was afraid and on the run. So, the undaunted queen quickly flew back to the tower, to break the shocking news to her other accomplices...


In the lobby floor of the towering building, the police had finally arrived to apprehend the Cobalt Watch troopers. By the day, more and more of these masked menaces were being arrested for their hateful crimes, all thanks to the Earth-Ni Protectors. While the goons were being taken away in cuffs, Ambassador Penn was conversing with Eclipsa and Tom.

"I can't thank you enough for saving my life. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Well, you could convince the other cleaved countries to come to the Unity Ball." Eclipsa suggested.

"I can do more than just that. I'll start a bill that'll give all your people the same rights as ours, and set up a task force to bring down Cobalt Watch. I call it "The Earth-Ni Accords."

"That sounds wonderful. Thank you for doing this."

"This will make the world a much better place for everyone." Ursula shook Eclipsa's hand, then Tom's as well. The demon prince smiled and bowed; By escorting the queens to Los Angeles and conferencing with the ambassador, he had completed the mission his aunt set out to do...

"Excuse me." A familiar voice spoke. Moon apprehensively headed towards the other royals, who gasped when they saw the diamond-shaped marks on her cheeks.

"Moon, your cheek marks!"

"How is that even possible? Didn't you guys destroy all the magic?" Tom queried.

"Not all of it." retorted Janna, living proof that magic wasn't all gone. She placed her recently-recovered Kali sticks in their holsters, and sat down with Tom and the Butterflies. "Cobalt threw me off the building, but Moon went all Butterfly and saved my butt."

"Janna is right. When she was in danger, I felt a strange instinct come over me, like nothing I'd ever felt before. My magical powers suddenly returned, and I was able to save her."

"If magic has returned, then why haven't my powers come back? And what about Star's?" Eclipsa asked. This magical revelation was all so sudden, and raised so many questions; Questions that needed answering.

"I don't have a clue what's happened to me...but there's someone back home who might."


After sorting things out regarding the Earth-Ni Accords, Janna, Tom and the Butterflies headed back to Echo Creek. There had been no sign of Commander Cobalt since Moon's fight with him; Once again, that slippery supervillain had escaped the grasp of justice.

Now, the quartet sat together in the Cleave Center's medical bay. Janna and Moon both gave blood samples for the center's scientists to examine. After all, they were the only two magic wielders left on the planet; Studying them could reveal the secret of its apparent resurgence. As they anxiously awaited the results, Janna decided to resolve some unfinished business with the woman who saved her life.

"Hey, Mrs. Butterfly-"

"You can call me Moon, dear."

"I wanted to apologize for getting so mad at you earlier. I know you're sorry for what you did, and you're a good person at heart. It's just...back when Mina was attacking the temple, I saw someone die from the Solarian sword wound. He died in one of the worst ways possible, and there was nothing I could do to save him." Although Janna had an obsession with dark and creepy matters, Quirky's death was one of the most traumatizing things she had ever experienced; Needless to say, Moon was mortified.

"I'm so sorry, Janna. Every day I regret the terrible things I did; It's a miracle anyone forgave me..."

"Don't beat yourself up, dear. It's all in the past. My husband used to eat mewmans, and look how nice of a guy he is!" Janna snickered at Eclipsa's joke, while Tom and Moon exchanged uncomfortable glances.

"Also, I know you hate dark magic, but I tried the other queens' spells. Well, except Solaria, she's crazy even by my standards." Janna admitted. "But for some reason, dark magic's the only kind I can do."

"And you do it very well. Your spells may be dark, but your reasons for using it are just the opposite." Moon complimented, causing the occultist girl to smile.

"Thanks. Alright, this is getting too mushy, I'm gonna stop before I barf."

Just then, Janna got her wish; Director Reyes and Dr. Tran entered the medical bay to break the news of their discoveries.

"Good, you're finally here! So, what did you find?" Tom wondered.

"Well, our biologists examined both of your blood samples, and found something interesting. Snatcher's blood is rife with the artificial magic made by WattWorks. However, Mrs. Butterfly's blood contains something entirely different; Something we've never seen in living beings until now." Reyes explained.

"Then what is it?" Moon queried.

"The compounds in your blood match an energy signature found only on Earth-Ni, one that's slowly been growing since the Cleaving. Events like the Watts experiments and our Collider tests have only fueled the metaphorical fire."

"Umm...what?" Janna retorted; She had no clue what the physicist was even talking about.

"Magic is returning, slowly but surely." Dr. Tran elaborated. That simple sentence was positively shocking to the Butterflies; It could change the entire course of Earth-Ni, for better or for worse.

"That can't be possible, we destroyed all the magic! Well, almost all of it." Eclipsa protested, while gesturing to her youthful apprentice.

"Magic is energy, and energy can't be created or destroyed; Only converted to another form."

"Does anyone else have this new magic?" Moon wondered. A new magic user could mean great change for the world, be they evil or benign.

"You're the first one we've seen, Mrs. Butterfly. You are patient zero..." Today, the world had changed for the Butterflies, Cobalt Watch, and all of Earth-Ni. One thing was for certain; The world would never be the same again...


As twilight came, Moon stood alone in the upstairs bathroom of the Butterfly household. The former queen was discreetly applying skin-colored makeup to her cheeks, in order to conceal the magical marks beneath.

"Are you sure this will work, Janna?"

"Uh-huh. I do it all the time. Your marks won't show up unless you feel any intense or otherwise powerful emotions. Easy enough, am I right?" Janna joked, to which Moon said nothing; She only looked at her reflection in the mirror, and sighed.

"So, how long are you keeping your powers secret?"

"Star gave up everything to destroy magic, and end our family's cycle of abuse. If she finds out it's back, she'll be devastated." Moon worriedly admitted. "I'll hide my powers for as long as possible."

"Okay, but that might not work; Secrets have a way of coming out." Janna responded. The pair of magic wielders then headed downstairs to the living room, where Eclipsa, Tom, Globgor and Meteora were watching old sitcoms on TV. Janna plopped down on the couch between Eclipsa and Tom, while Moon sat in a nearby rocking chair.

"Hey, Janna! How was the trip?" Globgor excitedly asked, as Meteora cooed on his shoulder.

"Oh, it was pretty fun. Got to hang out with a couple of awesome queens." Janna remarked, causing the Butterflies to smile warmly.

"You know, Janna, you're likely to become a queen yourself. After all, you're dating the prince of the Underworld." Eclipsa playfully remarked, causing her apprentice's eyes to widen.

"Queen Janna Lucitor. I like the sound of that." Tom placed his hand around his human girlfriend's torso, causing her to blush bright red. The pair of Protectors shared a kiss, causing Janna's cheek marks to briefly glow through her makeup. Weary after a whole day of fighting bad guys and escorting the queens, Janna leaned comfortably against her demon lover's chest, and closed her eyes to rest from their eventful adventure...


Later in the night, evil was brewing in a most unexpected place. After the destruction of their stronghold, the remaining Cobalt Watch forces found a humble new base; An abandoned roadside chicken wing restaurant, which had been shut down years ago for several heinous health code violations.

With the Commander's forces in LA arrested, four troopers were left in the Watch's United States division. There was a casual mood amongst these four men; Their helmets were all removed, and they were playing a round of poker at one of the restaurant's tables. However, their game was interrupted when Commander Cobalt himself entered the building, his armor noticeably damaged.

"Commander!" The four men got up from their game, and saluted their masked superior.

"At ease, men." Oberon grumbled wearily.

"Commander, what happened to you? You look awful." One of the troopers spoke, causing his cohort to elbow him. "Not like that, though!"

"I barely escaped with my life out there. It's Queen Butterfly...her powers are back." The commander admitted, causing his cronies to gasp. "With her magic regained, she's too dangerous for us to deal with."

"We could call for reinforcements."

"Numbers won't help us, Private Wu. We need someone with the power, resources and experience necessary to take on our magical enemies." Oberon had an ally in mind to help him combat the Butterflies; A prodigious operative of the Watch, although one he personally disagreed with. However, drastic times called for drastic measures; This was the commander's last resort.

"We need...the Dragonfly..."

And that's the end of Chapter 22! At long last, a world-changing secret has been revealed; Magic is coming back! I didn't wanna negate Cleaved entirely by bringing it back immediately, so I decided upon having "isolated incidents" of magic in the first two books, like Star's mechanical wand and the Watts experiments.

Anyways, stay tuned till next week for another thrilling tale of the Earth-Ni Protectors!