"MAROON AND THE EARTH-NI PROTECTORS!"

EPILOGUE


Today was a most crucial event in Earth-Ni's history; Its official unification. A couple days after the grand battle, the Earth-Ni Accords were signed by representatives from all the cleaved countries, giving full citizenship to the sapient beings brought to Earth by the merging of worlds. In addition, they would now have all the same rights as the human race, plus equity programs would be founded to support them in this strange new world. To top it all off, the Accords would compensate the humans whose lives were hardened by the Cleaving, thus mitigating the Earth-Mewni conflict with peace instead of war.

With the Accords put into effect, there was much rejoicing from the people of both worlds. In the center of Echo Creek, there was a massive party celebrating two great things; The signing of the Accords, and the Cobalt Empire's defeat. People of all sorts, shapes and sizes partied and sang songs joyously, spreading mirth and cheer throughout the cleaved city. At the heart of the shindig were Janna and Tom, who were standing next to a hollowed-out Slayer mech filled with straw, wood, and other flammable materials.

"C'mon, burn it already!" Pony Head cheered. The crowd began chanting "Burn it!" over and over again, their excitement growing with each exclamation.

"You got it! FLAME ON!" Tom launched some fire towards the enormous effigy, and it quickly caught ablaze. Rockets launched from the top of its hollowed head, and exploded into spectacular fireworks. Humans, mewmans, monsters and other Mewni folk began dancing around the burning battle-mech, to music played by the unlikely duo, keytarist Oskar Greason and Ruberiot the songstrel.

"Yes, my subjects! Dance for your queen!" Janna cackled maniacally, then turned towards her demon boyfriend. "That includes you, Lucitor." Tom wasted no time, and danced alongside his magical love.


While the bombastic brouhaha continued in the town square, a smaller gathering was being held on top of Mount Lekmet. Austin, along with his aunt and uncle, had hiked all the way up to this significant summit for a most important event. Once they reached the mountain's peak, they began setting up for a sacred ceremony. Just as the family had finished, their attention was caught by the silhouette of a dragon-cycle, plus a pair of riders, which was cast in front of one of the moons. The reptilian steed swooped down and landed off on the summit, revealing its riders; Marco Diaz and Star Butterfly.

"Hey, Austin." Star calmly greeted, when the teen hero ran up and hugged her tightly. She reciprocated the embrace, and once she was done, he hugged Marco as well.

"Thanks for coming, you guys. You really didn't have to, with all he's done to you."

"We're not here because of him. We're here for you." Marco responded, causing his dear friend's eyes to mist quite a bit.

"Thanks, again. That means a lot." Austin remarked. "Now, we're just waiting for-"

As if on cue, a small portal opened on top of the summit; Out of it walked Kelly, who was clothed in an adorable black dress. In one hand was a Cleave Ray gifted to her by the Foundation; In the other was a bouquet of wonderful scarlet flowers.

"Hey, sweetie. Sorry I'm late, I had to fight twelve dudes for these flowers." She informed, earning odd looks from Rita and Dez. "It's a Woolett thing."

"Aww, they're lovely! Just like you." Austin thanked his beloved with a gentle peck on the cheek, causing his guardians to smile; Unlike his late father, they found his new romance with the Woolett adorable.

And speak of the devil, it was time for Austin to pay his final respects. He took out a torch, and Marco used the reclaimed Dragonfly wand to light it with a mystical blue flame. The young man slowly stepped towards his most personal creation; A funeral pyre, with his father's broken battle helmet placed in the center. Austin sighed deeply, and spoke his last words to the relic.

"Wherever you are...I hope you find peace." Austin set the pyre alight, and blew out his cerulean flaming torch. Tears welled up in his eyes, as he watched the helmet burn and melt; As he sniffled, he was comforted by the family and friends he was so blessed to have. He felt a wave of cathartic relief come over him; At long last, he had fully made amends with his deepest, darkest demon.

"Because after so long...I finally have..."


Several days passed, and the peace on Earth-Ni lasted. During this period of relieving downtime, our heroes were planning something special; A vacation spent traveling across the Multiverse, to experience wonders beyond their wildest dreams. Austin came on down to the Cleave Center with his suitcase packed, and rendezvoused with the rest of his trusted team.

"I hope you're ready for this, 'cause God knows I am."

"Mm-hm. After all we've been through, we deserve it." Star replied. "But before we get going, we've got a certain gift for a special friend. Marco!"

"Gimme a second." The hoodie-wearing teen fumbled through his backpack, and pulled out his magic wand. "I believe this is yours, Janna."

Janna's eyes went wide when she heard Marco's offer; She was at a loss of words, until she was able to choke something out. "Th-that's for me? Why?"

"The Butterflies have had a wand for long enough. It's time for someone else to have a turn." Star warmly offered. Janna apprehensively snatched the wand out of Marco's grasp, and it began to glow. It transformed itself into a wooden wand wrapped in green vines; In its center was an eye with a slit pupil, and it was adorned with demonic wings and horns, plus a black skull emblem on the top. Janna was absolutely awestruck; Its metamorphosis matched her personality to a tee.

"A year ago, I wouldn't trust you to be in the same room as a wand. But you've come so far since then, as a hero...and a friend." Marco complimented. Janna quickly turned away from the couple, who could hear her sniffling.

"Janna, are you...crying?"

"No, no! I can't cry, I don't have emotions." Janna bluffed, but seconds later, she turned face once more and hugged both Star and Marco. "Thank you..."


After the impromptu wand-gifting ceremony, the heroes headed down the Cleave Center's halls, whilst lugging their suitcases and bags. Austin suddenly stopped by a memorial picture of Dr. Reyes, with flowers and scientific instruments lain beneath it. Austin took out one of his utility bracelets, and laid it on the pile to pay his respects to the Foundation's late director.

"Best of luck up there, Doc..."

As the teens continued on their way, Kelly reached into her hair, and pulled out an oversized sheet of paper with her writing all over it.

"I'm so psyched for our trip around the Multiverse! This list has everywhere we can go on our awesome vacation!"

"Is the Underworld on that list? Lava Lake is lovely this time of year." Tom remarked. Eventually, they reached the entrance to the Collider room, where Dr. Tran was eagerly waiting.

"Ah! It's good to see you, Protectors." The heroic scientist handed them each a Cleave Ray, so they could harness dimensional travel on their multiversal trek.

"The feeling's mutual." Austin retorted.

"The Cleave Foundation owes its existence to you heroes; Supporting your vacation is the least we can do to repay you." Elisha opened the doors to the Collider's holding area, and the heroes headed in after her; But to their surprise, they were far from alone.

A large gathering of familiar and friendly faces had amassed at the Cleave Center. Among them were Star's parents, along with Eclipsa, Globgor and Meteora. The Diazes, Ordonias, Jean-Marcelins, and even the Lucitors showed up, although Wrathmelior had her likeness broadcasted on a television screen to accommodate her mammoth stature. Kelly's parents showed up as well, although her house-sized mother took up half the room. Among the heroes' unrelated friends were Buff Frog and his children, Ludo & Dennis, Pony Head, Jorby, Jackie, Chloe, and Sabrina. Hanging above the surprise welcome party was a banner, which read "THANK YOU, EARTH-NI PROTECTORS!"

Needless to say, the heroes were all moved, since their family and friends had come to greet them unexpectedly. As they headed over to be with the group, Elisha smiled.

"I must say, you kids are pretty popular. They all came here to say goodbye."

"The doctor's right. We all pitched in and got together, to show you how much you mean to us." Eclipsa kindly explained.

"Which is a lot!" Rafael excitedly added, as Mariposa cooed happily from his chest-mounted baby carrier.

"And don't worry about saving the world while you're on vacation. We're going to protect the town while you're gone!" added Globgor. Between two masters of magic, a size-shifting monster, a barbarian warrior king and several other remarkable heroes, Earth-Ni was in good hands even with the Protectors' absence.

"Have fun, you crazy kids! You deserve it!" River joyously shouted.

"But not too much fun." Jackie playfully remarked, then winked at the teens, causing Star and Marco to blush.

The six special heroes all said their goodbyes to their beloved families and friends, exchanging hugs, kisses, and kind words. Once they were done, the Foundation scientists fired up the Gateway Collider, opening a portal to the teens' first destination. Austin gazed into the wormhole, and saw an unfamiliar land lying ahead; To know more about the strange new frontier, he asked his travel-savvy Woolett girlfriend.

"So, where are we going first?"

"On one heck of a vacation." Kelly retorted. The three couples each held hands, and walked into the portal; After fighting evil and saving lives for so long, they had finally earned some much-needed rest...


Let us turn the clocks forward to a monumental milestone in the merged world of Earth-Ni; The one-year anniversary of the Cleaving. This day was much different from the previous year; Instead of chaos, calamity, and magic's destruction, this day was one of order, peace, and a new era of reborn magic. But who governed over the use of said magic? The Cleave Foundation.

Over the course of a year, the Cleave Foundation grew from a small scientific organization to an international force of peace and discovery. Instead of causing destruction and death, the reversed Deviant Devastation spell caused the new form of magic to spread to the whole Multiverse, bringing an age of new beginnings. After this event, which was called "The Resurgence," the Foundation gained important new roles to play in the world; Representing Earth-Ni on a multiversal scale, maintaining orderly dimensional travel, and protecting magic from those who sought to abuse it. In a way, the Cleave Foundation was the spiritual successor to the late Magic High Commission, only without their callous corruption. They even crystallized the most dangerous threats with Rhombulizers, but only if a fair trial deemed it truly necessary.

At the Cleave Foundation's American facility outside Echo Creek, one of the building's hardest workers had just clocked off. He was a black, sixteen-year-old boy with short, curly hair and blue eyes. He had on black slacks with shoes to match, as well as a gray jacket, and a violet button-up shirt with the Foundation's logo on it. It was even monogrammed with a surname; "Capers."

Yes indeed, Austin now worked as a part-time intern for the Cleave Foundation. He tinkered with machines, assisted the scientists, and helped guide extradimensional visitors to the merged planet. In addition to governing magical affairs, the Cleave Centers now served as hubs for dimensional travelers coming in and out of Earth-Ni, like an airport on a cosmic scale.

The internship was offered to him a few months ago, as a way to repay him for his part in saving Earth-Ni. But how did he have the time to work for the esteemed organization? The answer is quite surprising, especially considering Austin's diligence; He retired from the mantle of Maroon.

"Thanks for the help today, Mr. Capers." This compliment came from Austin's superior, Dr. Tran; The leader of the group's Echo Creek division.

"No problem, Doc. Oh, and happy Earth-Ni Day!"

"You too." Austin was about to leave the room, when it was entered by a short, deer-like creature with strangely shaped antlers. He was clad in a violet uniform with a yellow sash, as well as a goldenrod hat with Cleave Foundation branding.

"Hey, guys!"

"Director Sean?" Asked Elisha, clearly caught off guard by his surprise visit. Lo and behold, Sean, the soft-spoken security guard of the Bureaucracy of Magic, worked his way up to become the Foundation's second director, succeeding Reyes.

"I've been going around all our facilities, making sure everything's working the way it should. Oh, and I made special Earth-Ni Day donuts! Come on, try them!" Sean held up a plate of his homemade donuts, which, to be blunt, looked disgusting.

"Uh, what's in these?" Austin apprehensively asked.

"Well, the pink stuff is raw, ground dreadgander, but the green stuff's guacamole! Don't they look delicious?" Sean offered, unable to pick up on his subordinates' sickened reactions. Austin and Elisha anxiously exchanged looks; This was going to suck...


After reluctantly sampling Sean's appalling donuts, Austin took the bus back to Echo Creek, which had grown significantly since the Earth-Ni Accords. Due to its international fame as one of the few places on Earth that cleaved with Mewni, thousands of tourists visited every day to see things weird and wild. As Austin walked down the street, he spat on the ground, trying to get the taste of those devilish donuts out of his mouth.

"Ugh, I can still taste them. Note to self; Next time, just say you're allergic." Austin walked into an alley to take a shortcut, but he was then intercepted by a couple of familiar thugs.

"Hey, WIMPY!"

In an incredibly odd coincidence, the fat and skinny pair of louts were the same men who mugged Austin on his first day in Echo Creek. But three years can change a person greatly; Instead of shaking with fear, Austin was merely annoyed by their audacity.

"You again?"

"Fork over your wallet, or you're gettin' POUNDED!" The slender punk shouted, offending Austin; Not just because he was being threatened, but because they were clueless to his not-so-secret identity.

"Um, do you know who I am? Everyone else does." The ex-vigilante retorted, to which the louts stared blankly at him. "Seriously, I was on the cover of Time Magazine!"

"You're dead meat!" The stocky thug obliviously barked, causing his victim to facepalm.

"Look, I'll give you a hint! The name's...?" Austin gestured, hoping they'd get it; He even snapped his fingers to make it more obvious.

"GET HIM!" The duo of jerks charged towards Austin, who got into a fighting stance. But before they could reach him, a certain Woolett leapt in front of them, brandishing a large sword and a short one. It was Kelly, who was all dressed up in her biker outfit from the Riders' Club.

"Ready to rumble?" Kelly threateningly invited. The thugs, of course, screamed like little girls and ran away, not wanting to be chopped into human sashimi. Before Austin could even speak a word, Kelly picked her boyfriend up bridal-style and kissed him passionately, causing him to blush. Once the teen engineer regained his composure, he tenderly placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Thanks, babe, but I could've handled them."

"I know, but it's way more fun to save you." The Woolett retorted. "Gets you all hot and bothered." Kelly set her lover down, and loudly whistled, summoning her blue, ram-like dragon-cycle.

"Hey, Wooliam!" Austin petted the dragon-cycle's head, and it bleated happily. "Well, Kelly, I'm glad you could make it. Now let's go, we can't forget about our double date..."


The lives of the Butterflies are rife with rich history, be it good, bad, or in-between. This rang especially true for two queens who ruled in turbulent times; Moon the Undaunted, and Eclipsa, Queen of Darkness. Even after the monarchy's dissolution, they served their former subjects on the Unity Council; That is, until they eventually stepped down.

Eclipsa withdrew from the council after the Accords were signed; Now, she seeks out the rare individuals who possess magic powers, be they mewman, monster, human or otherwise, to teach them how to use their extraordinary skills for good. Moon gave up her position a couple months later, feeling the Butterflies had ruled over their people for long enough; A vote was held for the council's next mewman representative, and a lowly peasant woman was chosen to fill the seat.

With her political career at a poignant end, Moon opened up her dream establishment; Butterfly Pies, a lovely local pie shoppe she ran herself, using the exquisite baking skills she learned from her dearest mother. Her tasty treats were loved by many people, both local and afar; It was here in this humble bakery where two of Earth-Ni's greatest heroes had gathered.

In a booth seat in the corner of the shoppe, Janna and Tom were dining on pies together; Tom ordered one made with peppers imported from the Underworld, while Janna had one made with deadly yada-yada berries. However, they were boiled twice over, nulling their petrifying poison; Left behind was an especially scrumptious filling.

The couple had changed their looks quite a bit over the months; Tom grew out his hair and tied it up in a man-bun, and cultivated a salmon goatee. What's more, he finally became comfortable enough to expose his tail, which his girlfriend simply adored. Regarding Janna, her makeover was even more surprising; She now wore a pink jacket and a beanie to match, something she never thought she'd have the confidence to do.

"Ja'a!" Calling out to Janna was little Meteora, who sat in a high chair at the end of the booth. The couple was helping Moon watch over the baby Butterfly, as her parents were busy; Globgor was helping set up for tonight's Earth-Ni Day celebration, while Eclipsa was teaching a magic lesson to her students.

The hybrid child handed Janna a crude drawing she made with crayons; It portrayed the teensy tyke performing magic with her mother, Janna, and a strange purple gnome she remembered quite fondly.

"Sweet sketch, kiddo! When you get your magic, I bet you'll be just as strong as Auntie Janna. Ain't that right, Tom?" However, Tom didn't respond; The demon prince was enraptured by a Wild King wrestling match playing on the television; While professional wrestling wasn't Moon's cup of tea, she was definitely fond of her husband's marvelous matches.

"C'mon, Wild King! Use the Hammer of Justice!"

"Tom, this is a rerun. We were at this match." Still, Tom paid no attention, and cheered when River walloped his opponent. Annoyed by his lack of attention, Janna pulled a devious trick; She yanked on her boyfriend's pointy tail, causing him to yelp.

"JANNA! What the he-" That was all he could say before the teenage mage pecked him on the lips, causing him to fall silent and blush. Janna then turned to Meteora, who was happily giggling.

"Word of advice, kid. Boys make passes on girls with devil tails. And the ladies like 'em, too." Janna patted Meteora's head, and her mother then came to pick her up. As Eclipsa walked to the counter to chat with Moon, Austin and Kelly entered the homely little shoppe.

"There you two are!" Moon spoke. The teens headed over to the counter, where a pair of cherry pies rested. "I heard you were coming, so I made your usuals."

"Thanks, Mrs. Butterfly. Happy Earth-Ni Day!" Austin and Kelly walked over to the booth, and sat down opposite of Janna and Tom. The four teens had arranged yet another double date, as they were fond of doing every now and then.

"Hey, guys! How was your day?" Tom wondered.

"Ah, just another busy shift at work." Austin nonchalantly responded.

"Some idiots tried to mug him, but I sent those suckers running." Kelly boasted. "Ah, reminds me of our hero days..."

Despite being not so long ago, the age of the Earth-Ni Protectors felt nostalgic to the teens. After the fall of the Cobalt Empire, Earth-Ni became less and less turbulent. Crime rates reduced, and the dangerous Mewnian wildlife stayed mostly in their habitats, away from civilization. In addition, the Cleave Foundation began handling dangerous threats the Protectors usually dealt with; So, the heroes helped their community in other ways, like hosting food drives, visiting schools, and sponsoring various charities.

Tom was the first of the Protectors to retire. As threats to Earth-Ni occurred less often, he became more involved in his royal duties; Eventually, he left superheroing entirely to focus entirely on his role as Prince. One by one the members left, until Austin was back to being Earth-Ni's only superhero. It was then that he decided to hang up the helmet and accept the Cleave internship; Because of his beloved team, working alone never felt the same...

"Good times..." Janna sighed. Although the teens had moved on to other things, their time as Earth-Ni's mightiest heroes felt fond and fun in hindsight. In fact, the memories of their adventures gave Austin a brilliant new idea.

"Eureka!" The teen engineer giddily exclaimed, earning strange looks from the other patrons. "I've got an awesome idea. This town's come so far since the Cleaving, so let's give them a special Earth-Ni Day surprise."

"What is it?" wondered Tom.

"Well, before we can pull it off, we've got to find the lovebirds..."


In the cool, brisk calmness of the evening, a certain pair of star-crossed lovers were having a nice picnic, while their dragon-cycle rested nearby. Star and Marco were lying down together on a blanket, in the field where they reunited once the worlds had merged; There, they looked up at the stars and moons that shone from above.

"It's so weird...?" Star muttered to herself, as she held her boyfriend's hand.

"What's weird?"

"That everything's okay. I mean, when we destroyed the magic, I thought I'd never see you again. And then, when the worlds cleaved, so much crazy stuff happened. The biggest, baddest monster in Mewni came back, the Cobalt Empire happened, the Monster Arm..." There was trepidation in Star's voice when she mentioned that last event, as she knew it was a sore spot for Marco even now. "I'm surprised we're all okay."

"I know how you feel. After the Cleaving, I wasn't sure what the future would be like. We combined your world and mine into one, and by accident! I thought it would be the end of the world!"

"Y-you really thought that?" Star whimpered, tugging at Marco's heartstrings. He had to be careful what he said sometimes, as even now, Star had some lingering insecurities regarding the Cleaving.

"Wait, I didn't mean it that way! I was just so shocked when everything changed. But I was wrong, and I mean REALLY wrong. Turns out it was just a new beginning."

"Mm-hm. Now it's all good. We're all safe, everyone's getting along, and you and I still have each other...and we always will." Star and Marco then shared a heartfelt kiss, one that made both of their cheek marks glow; Yes, even Marco's crescent-shaped marks, which only showed up in moments of intense emotion.

"Ooh, it's your marks!" Star excitedly exclaimed. "Keep shining, little guys!" She played with her boyfriend's cheeks by poking and tickling them, in an effort to make the crescents keep glowing. This of course, caused Marco to giggle uncontrollably.

"C'mon, stop, Star! Stop it!" He couldn't be less serious about that if he tried. "Really, we got company!" Star looked upwards, and saw Kelly riding towards them on Wooliam, with Austin holding onto her. Tom was also flying towards them, while carrying Janna bridal-style. Once they landed, Kelly's wooly dragon-cycle zoomed off to frolic with Nachos in the field.

"Happy Earth-Ni Day, dorks!" Janna playfully teased.

"Hey, guys! What brings you here?" Marco wondered.

"We've got a proposition for you." Kelly suggested, piquing the couple's interest.

"Ooh, I love propositions! What is it?" Star queried, causing Austin to grin.

"You guys still have your special outfits?"


Later in the night, the streets of Echo Creek were bustling with joy and life. Almost everyone in town was attending this year's summer Echo-Palooza, which was now rebranded into the "Earth-Ni Day Spectacular." Likewise, it was attended by a diverse group of guests; Humans, mewmans, monsters, all other kinds of Mewni folk, and even some extradimensional immigrants who called the cleaved world their home.

Of course, there were plenty of familiar faces at the festival, though naming them all would take too long; Everyone from the Protectors' goodbye ceremony was in attendance, plus some other recognizable fellows here and there. The people of Echo Creek were having a grand old time playing games, riding rides, eating delicious foods and simply enjoying the night, until their attention was called by a man on a stage; Their newly-elected mayor, Edwin Bonner-Skeeves.

"Hello? Is this thing on?" Skeeves tapped into the microphone, irking some of the less patient attendees. "Hey, everyone! I hate to interrupt your good times and whatnot, but tonight we have some very special guests, who'd like to share some important words. I give you...YOUR EARTH-NI PROTECTORS!"

The partygoers erupted into cheers and applause, as the six superheroes stepped onto the stage. It had been quite a while since all six Protectors had been seen in costume together, but this special occasion was the perfect time to make a return. Mayor Skeeves handed the microphone to Austin, who spoke into it through his helmet's filtered vocals.

"Hey, everyone. The name's Maroon."

"HE DID IT! HE SAID THE THING!" A large monster excitedly exclaimed.

"Uhh, yeah. Anyways, sorry to burst your bubbles, but we're not back for good." Austin admitted, much to the crowd's disappointment. "We assembled here tonight to say how proud we are of you all. The world's come a long way from the Cleaving, that's for sure. But don't take it from me; Take it from the one and only Star Butterfly."

Austin handed Star the microphone, and the crowd cheered even louder; It took quite a while for them to calm down enough for Star to begin her speech. The blonde-haired heroine cleared her throat, and began to preach.

"When I turned fourteen, my mother gave me the royal wand, which was a BIG mistake. I ended up being way too reckless with it, and Mama ended up sending me to Earth; That was the moment my life changed forever.

I've heard of a saying called "The Butterfly Effect," which is pretty aptly named, with what I've gone through. It means the smallest things can have the biggest impacts...like sending a magical princess to Earth. Because of my journey, I stopped fighting monsters, and began fighting FOR monsters. I worked tirelessly day and night even when I really shouldn't have, to end the centuries of bigotry and injustice plaguing my home. I battled countless evil enemies, and even destroyed magic itself to save my home. But most importantly, I met the love of my life; Marco Diaz, the reason Earth-Ni even exists.

But the new world wasn't perfect; Not by a long shot. I wasn't sure if I saved the world, or straight-up destroyed it! Luckily, my good friend Maroon stepped up and formed the Earth-Ni Protectors, to stand for truth, justice, and equality for all. And now, because of us and everyone else with good in their hearts, Earth-Ni is at peace. And I, for one, am forever glad I got to watch it happen."

By the time Star was done, there wasn't a dry eye around. She had poured her heart out to the people she loved and protected, for she was eternally glad to live alongside them. While she turned to face Marco with a warm, endearing smile, Janna snatched the microphone from her hand.

"NOW LET'S PARTY!"

Yet again, the crowd erupted into raucous cheers, until a sudden eruption whipped them into a panic. A huge cloud of smoke wafted through the festival grounds; Once it cleared, a giant top hat had appeared, seemingly from thin air.

"What the-"

Suddenly, a short, bearded little man in a magician's outfit leapt out of the top hat and cackled maniacally, causing Star and Marco to gasp; Surprisingly, they knew this strange little weirdo.

"It is I, Preston Change-O!" The impish joysucker exclaimed. "You thought you saw the last of me, but NO! I'm finally back, and I'm gonna suck all the joy from this pitiful party!"

"No, not our joy!" A human tourist cried. As the civilians fled in fear of the mad magician, Tom turned towards his teammates with a grin.

"What do you say? One more fight, just for old time's sake?" The rest of the team looked at Austin, who was smiling beneath his metal helm.

"Let's do this!" The heroes then leapt into battle against their villainous foe, as an epic encore for an unforgettable Earth-Ni Day...


And that is destiny fulfilled.

Looking back, I never thought I'd be able to finish such a monumental story. I'd failed before multiple times on my previous account, and thought I should just cut my losses and stay in retirement. But now, I realize how wrong I was. Expanding the story past "Cleaved" was the best I could've done, and I'm glad I dared to do so. Not only was it a fulfilling sequel, but redemption for all the awful tripe I wrote on my old account. But enough about me; It's time for some special thanks.

Blackspiderman - At first, writing a huge, multi-arc story taking place after the canon's end was daunting. I needed advice before I could do such a task, so I sought out his in particular. I'm a big fan of your post-Cleaved stories, and I'm thankful for all the helpful tips you gave while I was writing.

MoringMark - Where would I be without this famous longtime member of the fandom. Mark's work is some of the best out there, and the "Earth-Ni Superheroes" fanart he made is no exception. Without that artwork, I never would've had the inspiration to make this story. So once again, huge tops to you, MoringMark!

Daron Nefcy - Without her, there would be no fanbase. Despite my dislike of the later half of Season 4, (which surprisingly mellowed while I wrote this story), this series has always been one of my favorites. And because I never actually mentioned this, "Star Vs. The Forces of Evil" belong to her and Disney Television Animation, not me, obviously. (Please don't prune me, Disney TVA)

My Reviewers - Feedback is something every writer wants and needs, and you fellas gave it to me good. I enjoyed reading your reviews and seeing how you felt about my work, so thanks for doing so. Huge props to Starco4everr, AbbyAlexis, JTWAS1994, NightAroma, and the aforementioned Blackspiderman.

And last but definitely not least, thank you so much to all of my readers, especially those who followed and favorited my work.

Lastly, I have some bad news to break, although you probably saw it coming. Now that my great work is complete, I'm heading back into retirement. Yeah, it sucks, but I want to focus other works, original ones made by Yours Truly. That's not to say I'm gone forever; After all, I said the same thing when I finished Mysterious Maroon. Life is unpredictable, and ideas come and go; Who knows, maybe someday I'll come back?

As a final gift to my readers, I'm renewing the declaration I made at the end of Mysterious Maroon; The fanbase is free to use all my original characters, concepts and stories for their own works, however they please. After all, I used Nefcy's characters; It would be hypocritical for me to not offer the same to you.

Well, we've finally reached the end of the line. I thank all of you so much for reading my writing, and implore you to be creative as well; Use your imagination! Now off I go, riding into the sunset, content with what I've made. Excelsior, true believers!