Author's Note: Sorry about the lateness. Hopefully it won't take as long to get up the others. Thank you for all the patience, everyone who is reading this story.

Fallen King, Rising Prince

With heavy breaths, Strong Bad opened his mouth again, the old king's head falling to the dry ground below them. He heaved, his mouth dripping with blood and saliva, which slithered and oozed down onto the fairy still clinging to his neck. Then Strong Bad too fell to the ground.

When he awoke he was small and human again. Marzipan smiled down at him as she noticed him opening his eyes. For a moment she looked like an angel to him, glowing in the early morning light.

Then Homestar blocked his view with his bright-eyed, stupid grin.

"Stwong Bad! We live!" The fairy chirped happily before picking the prince up in a hug. "And look!"

With teeth clenched Strong Bad looked around. Dragons surrounded them, at least ten of them. The Hurricane and the Smith were standing not far from them either. But everyone looked almost happy.

"What the crap..." Strong Bad slowly began.

"Apparently they've been waiting for you two, Strong Bad. You and Homestar." The princess cooed gently as she looked towards the dragons. "King Trogdor was a tyrant, who suppressed then all. They're hoping you won't be the same kind of king."

"I-"

"Don' wowwy, youw majesty." Homestar continued. "They'we fine wit shawing our wule. I explained what you told me to Mawzipan, and she explained to the dwagons."

"But-"

"And I think its pretty noble of you, handing over your princely-hood to Homestar, especially since half the time you sort of seem to hate Homestar." Marzipan pointed out. "Which all in all was also really weird. So did you say all that to Homestar because you thought you'd lose?"

"No-" Strong Bad whispered, stiffly sitting up as he kept his eyes averted from everyone.

"Huh?" Marzipan and Homestar stopped a moment, as everyone held their breath.

"I did it because the world hates me, and has since I was a child." The ex fire prince whispered as he looked up to his companions. "But everyone we've met along the way since I've been with Homestar has loved him, has wanted him. There's no competing with that." His eyes sharpened. "But I'm still his freakin' advisor like I said I'd be. And as such anything he wants to do goes through me first. And Marzipan..."

"Yes?" The princess muttered with uncertainty.

"If you marry him that makes me your advisor too." Strong Bad smirked. Then his attention turned to the dragons, and he stood.

Marzipan wrinkled her nose, using all her willpower not to strike the half human and call him a pervert, a jerk, or whatever he possibly meant with that line. Instead she took Homestar's hand into her own. He glanced her way and smiled, but quickly returned his attention to his new advisor.

"Listen up, dragons." Folding his wings Strong Bad got the dragons' and humanoids' instant attention. "As your new ruler Prince Homestar, and his very important personal council, me, we can't promise you wine in all the rivers, or mountains of meat and other delights. But we can promise you a look of equality for everyone, and no more supression. Get back to us later if there's anything else you want, right now we have a war to stop."

He turned to Homestar and Marzipan. "Where's the harness."

Homestar perked at this. "Oo, oooh! Can I change into the mighty dwagon this time, Stwong Bad?"

"Eh, no."

"I don't think that works that way, sweety." Marzipan soothed as she held out the object in question. Then she turned to Strong Bad. "Are you sure you want to subject yourself to that again so soon?"

Strong Bad nodded. "I'm not afraid anymore."

Strong Mad released a forced roar as he pushed the remains of a nymph into other nymphs, as well as the ground itself. He was injured of course, but it seemily couldn't stop him. And as long as The Cheat was alright he wasn't going to.

The little creature in question no longer struggled to stay on his shoulder, taking shelter instead under Strong Sad's robe. The sorrow prince's shadowy minions fought along with the great earthy golems of his brother, but even the youngest Strong was in the fray of battle. He had rarely felt such pain of broken skin and bone, except when he was younger and his brothers went too far. He too struggled to fight on, not leaving his eldest brother's side.

But the nymphs didn't seem to end, and the Nymph Prince was easily taking out golem and shadow minion alike. Then there was all the fairies. Swarms of them released vollies of arrows and spears and there was no way to dodge.

Darkness blocked out the sun, causing Strong Sad to pause, unsure what was happening. He sunk slowly within the silhouette of the long dragon in the sky.

Eventually everyone came to a stop, Strong Mad being the last as the new shadow got his attention. He roared again, assuming it an enemy.

Homestar flew down and put himself between earth prince and the army. "Stop! As the new pwince of the dwagons I command you to stop!"

There was a gasp and a clatter of chatter amoung the fairies as they heard their human sized kin call command. Pom Pom rushed through the crowds, pushing his way towards his old friend.

When he finally reached his side he grabbed Homestar's shoulders. He couldn't believe what the fairy, no fairy prince, was saying. There was no way he not only defeated Trogdor, but Strong Bad as well. But that the the only way Pom Pom could think of how Homestar did it.

Homestar laughed.

"Nah... Pom Pom, it wasn't like that." The dragon growled as it landed, giving Homestar a solid glare with its green eyes. The fairy nervously continued. "But, uh that's not impowtant. What is- is that you all stop this! I don't need to be westowed, and you all don't hawve to fight for it. We can live in peace with them, the humans, the Stwong clan, evewyone can."

"Homestar." His attention turned to the voice overhead. His general, his grandmother floated above him. "Is this so?"

"Yes, gwandma." Homestar bowed to her tiny form.

"Then we will stop, and you will come home, and be our prince, and one day our king."

Marzipan finally climbed off the dragon's back and joined Homestar at his side. "That is a great honour and responsibilty, Lady General. Are you sure?-"

"If he can handle ruling over the mighty dragons, I see him having no issues with also commanding the Runner fairy armies." The ancient fairy sharply pointed out to the human druid. "And with you, princess, at his side I see him having no problem with the possibility of you both running more than that. Perhaps all of Freecountry."

Marzipan cheek became a soft but noticeable pink, "May I take that as a possible blessing on our future union, Lady General?" She asked as she wrapped an arm about Homestar's.

"Suwe, Gwandma shouldn't have a pwoblem with us wowkin' togethew" Homestar happily chirped, pulling Marzipan in closer and breaking her moment of blissful day dreaming.

Strong Mad watched the conversation in confusion and anger, before he decided to yell out and charge the fairy. He instead hit nose to body with the mighty dragon, sending the eldest Strong reeling back. He shook his head and summoned an axe of stone, yelling at the dragon again.

The black and red dragon roared back, not yet ready to reveal himself to the crowd. He glared at his elder brother with his intense emerald gaze, hoping his eyes were enough to give Strong Mad a clue. But the earth prince charged, axe swinging as he got the dragon across the snout.

Strong Bad cringed, hissing in pain. It stung like a paper cut along the sensitive bridge.

"Brother, stop!" Strong Sad reached out and grabbed his eldest brother's beefy arm. "The dragon isn't our enemy. Its over, brother. For all of us."

Strong Mad showed his teeth at his youngest sibling. "DRAGON KILL BROTHER! FAIRY KILL BROTHER! ALL KILL BROTHER!"

"No..." Strong Sad whispered, having not only noticed the eyes, but the pitch of complaint the dragon made. "Our brother is out there, somewhere."

"NO?" Strong Mad looked completely confused to his youngest sibling.

"No." Marzipan repeated.

"Nope." Homestar chirped. "He's fine and awound. Don't wowwy big guy."

Above them all Homsar floated, watching. Now wasn't the time to strike; but soon.