The sun has set and the moon had risen to her rightful place on the sky. On the most auspicious of nights, it had decided that she shouldn't stay for long, but rather she needed to flee…to cowardly disappear and let the nothingness of night take its place. Her pale face was soon engulfed by the almighty darkness…Her corruption had started…Only half of her remained pure, when, going out on the balcony, the Queen had seen the eclipse…
"It's time," she said to the Council inside the palace who were all gathered around a table, on which the battle map has been laid upon. "Everyone knows their position?" They all nodded in agreement.
"I trust that you will lead us in battle, milady," Glossaryck said, taking a bow before her.
"And I hope that you will find it in yourself to help us, should the opportunity arise," Moon replied
"I can't promise you anything, Moon…"
"This is not the time for this kind of nonsense," the Queen abruptly replied.
"Yes it is. I don't want you to view me as the bad guy, just because I didn't help you. I have my duty to perform, to those who have appointed me. I can't forget that, just because we are on friendly terms, Moon. I can only act to preserve the balance, now that I am unbound from the book. Therefore, I would like you all, actually to hear this," he said turning to face them all, excluding Star and Marco who weren't there, for some reason. "I can't attack Toffee, under any circumstance and I can't do anything, unless I feel that the battle will take a turn for the worst, resulting in an imbalance. I may have already stepped outside my limits, therefore I will tread carefully. Is that clear for you all?"
"Crystal clear," Rhombulus answered, taking an imposing stance.
"Great then, "the Queen said looking mildly disappointed. "Now that we are all aware of the circumstances and our own duties, let's get to it," she continued tying her hair in a braided ponytail, putting her diadem back on. Without another word, she flew out the window in her Mewberty form, landing in front of the main gate. Hekapoo opened a portal, and Omnitraxus Prime vanished in thin air, only to appear right beside moon, while Rhombulus just jumped out through the ceiling, dissolving in the depth of the night. Glossaryck contemplated the soon to be battlefield, sighing heavily. He then turned around looking for the two kids. He didn't quite know where to find them, but an educated guess was trying their room. As the tiny old man was about to enter through the keyhole behind which, he had spotted the princess' blond hair, he was struck by an uneasy feeling…There was a disturbance in the magic flowing throughout the universe, one greater than what Toffee had already caused. The pain he was feeling was giving him an obvious signal that the problem had to be investigated right away. Without thinking whether or not it was the best decision to leave the forces of good to face those of evil unsupervised, he blasted off. He seemed like an endless lightning coursing through the starry night. His cosmic passage was not ignored by the Magic High Commission…They looked at him with a mix of anger and despair.
"Why is he leaving? WHY IS HE LEAVING!?" Rhombulus angrily asked from his distant hiding spot, in the palace's corn fields.
"Let him be, Rhombulus. He wasn't going to be of much help anyway," the Queen sighed dismayed.
"Yeah, he was gonna," Hekapoo said in her usual sarcastic tone.
"No he wasn't," she snapped back at her. "You heard him as well as I did. We have no guarantee that he would've aided us, and at this point I'd rather not take anything for granted."
An awkward and eerie silence settled after the Queen's thunderous voice broke their calm. She swiftly returned to her place on the chess board, waiting for Toffee's army to appear. She had no idea how well she would be able to command her army. She now shared a trait with her daughter, one that she hoped was never going to…She was uncertain, going in with an apparently carefully devised plan, but with so many variables inbound, there was only a slight chance that it would all go according to their little scheme.
Even though, she had fought Toffee twice now, he was still a mystery for her. He was an elusive brawler, relying on both brain and brawn to succeed. His knowledge of magic was only limited by his body…Magic didn't flow naturally through the Sartorians' veins, yet he had an innate ability to control it…This was the reason why he was so feared, why he was so powerful…was this. And even though, they knew nothing of his ancestry, they had a strong hunch, this was the hand of a certain evil queen, who has chosen to forget their hatred towards monsters…
The earth started shaking, all of a sudden…The screeches of unknown beasts, filled the knights' hearts with fears…Horror was slowly sneaking its way into the lines of soldiers, who were stoically waiting…Once the enemy showed its face to them, their terror would then become, the known. The earthshaking shrieks grew louder and louder, signaling the imminent clash of forces…Good and evil would finally battle, only one being allowed to reign supreme over the other…
The plethora of vermin slowly darkened the lush grass, corrupting its life-giving color with their unending filth. Behind the swarm of disgusting rodents, tall, bulky monsters were slowly marching, their steps crushing the ground beneath them…Toffee himself was nowhere to be seen, but its presence was felt throughout both armies' hearts, striking fear in the Queen's army and blessing with courage his soldiers…
Moon got in front of her knights, having Hekapoo and Omnitraxus by her side, as her sidekicks. She knew that in face of danger, the souls of her men were weakened, their will broken…With her steadfast presence, and her carefully chosen words, she tried to give an example.
"My men," she started, sadness present in her voice. "I know, the situation seems dire, and that the enemy greatly outnumbers us. I know that you are afraid of the unknown before us, not having fought a battle for ages and ages. I know that the vows you took are just formal, and few, if none, actually believed in them… But, here I stay in front of you, tonight, in the face of certain defeat, leading you…Because I have trust in you. I have trust that we can repeat history, I have my hopes up that we can reenact the events of our independence day…Today, we fight, so that we cannot succumb to the wicked corruption of the evil, threatening to engulf us in its devious flame. We will rise against all odds! We will drive the malevolent away, making them cower as our mighty force overpowers them! The clash is imminent, my fellow citizens, and we will show, that, against all odds, the Butterfly Kingdom can and will prevail!"
Her speech carried both wisdom and encouragement, although, it seemed to be lacking…substance. However, as it is, it made her point across and served its purpose. She was greeted with a confident war cry, as her soldiers, charged forward to battle the impure forces of evil. Moon, noticed that the general she had appointed, an old man, albeit full of vigor and life as if he were still in his prime, stood still.
"I wanted a word with you, my Queen," he said in his tired, yet forceful voice.
"What is it, Hull," she asked a bit surprised.
"You said that our vows were nothing but words, to us, but they are not, Queen. My men, my friends, stay by their words. We have sworn to protect and serve the crown, and so we will, even in face of the greatest enemy. We do not fear death, should it be the inevitable outcome of our mission. However, you fear it for us. Do not worry for your army, my Queen. We will live, or we will die by you, no matter what. We only need your trust."
And with that, the general mounted his horse and, with incredible speed, caught up with his marching army, leaving Moon meditating. But there was no time for that…She got on her horse as well, joining her soldiers.
The two masses collided, the impact being brutal. The first few from each side, were sent flying back in the heart of their armies. Only the monsters seemed to be fighting the soldiers, but even with that, leaving the animals aside, they were still greatly outnumbered…Moon took note of that, but kept this to herself. There was no point in telling this to her citizens, further undermining their morale, as if it weren't low enough. Her soldiers were, having to fight over the endless swarm of rats, underneath them, on uneven and shaky ground, whereas the monsters were more than happy of battling on top of known land…
However, despite the obvious advantage, the Queen was blasting monsters off with the dozens. She didn't do it alone, though. Her army was organized and powerful and the monsters were chaotic. Hekapoo and she managed to decimate legions and legions of evildoers, but they never seemed to stop coming. The two weren't getting tired, but, they shared a feeling. They knew there was something wrong. Mewni's men were crushing their enemies…It seemed like they were playing straight into his hands…
Rhombulus was still camping in the forest, waiting for him to be needed. He knew what his role was, but his childlike mind couldn't help but get bored of just standing by, especially when there was a raging battle right near him…He was right about to leave his place, when he saw the excitement coming to him...The simple-minded "muscle" of the Magic High Commission, smiled in himself as he saw a part of Toffee's army marching towards him. The spiders, wolves and bears were on the prowl, making a run for the kingdom. They were not going to get past Rhombulus. They were expected… Raising his snake arms, he shot two blasts that 'ignited' the magic that settled in the woods. The day before, he was busy preparing a prison for anyone who would've passed through his area, filling it with raw spell energy, only waiting to be triggered…
Two enormous pillars fell from the sky, creating a narrow passage that limited the movements of the beastly army before him. Another one blocked their retreat soon after, restricting their only way out to be towards the waiting Rhombulus. The makeshift walls were unclimbable, even for the little spiders, whose tiny legs, couldn't stick to the polished surface. They were doomed to face Rhombulus, whom, given the opportunity, would stop at nothing to purge the evil in front of him. He was like a fierce lion, stalking his prey, before him, slowly taunting them, causing them to flee towards the back wall, helplessly scratching the indestructible crystal. With a gut-wrenching shout, he jumped towards the wild beasts, commencing the sealing of his fate.
In the meantime, Star and Marco were sitting on top of the largest cupola of the palace, contemplating the raging battle. Marco was instructed not to let her out of the castle, regardless of her pleas and to never leave her side, even if things took a turn for the worse. He was bound to her…She had no duties…Star felt helpless in a battle she had caused, when Ludo stole her spell book. She had to stare at how the members of the Magic High Commission were kicking all sorts of monster butt, and…she wanted a piece of the action too. Even though, she fully understood the risks, she was bored just watching the thrill of the fight, unfolding before her…Hopefully she had Marco to cheer her up… But he wasn't the same that she had fallen for…Despite the fact that he shared her feelings, he seemed distant to her. He was watching with concerned eyes the fierce battle before them.
"You ok, Marco? You seem a bit tense…"
"Something's just not right, Star…I can feel it."
"What do you mean?"
"There is something missing, but I can't quite put my finger on it…"
"Offf…quit worrying your little head and protect me," she sighed, dropping her arms around him, and hugging her boyfriend. He really needed this outlet, because he was stressing himself over nothing…He hugged her back, and the two continued to oversee the battle from above…It was empowering really. They felt as if they were the Queen and King, on the chessboard, waiting for their measly pawns, rooks, bishops and knights to battle, while they were carefully planning their move…
In the meantime, Glossaryck had already travelled to the source of the painful disturbance he felt…It was atop the Cloud Kingdom, on a remote peak that no one has ever climbed before, despite the innate ability of said kingdom's inhabitants to fly. He wasn't shocked to see an immense portal opened, glowing with an emerald light…He floated closer to it, trying to touch it, but the second his blue hand reached out to the jade gateway, it burned his skin, causing his hand to fall off. He regenerated it immediately, keeping a safe distance.
"How quaint," he quietly said to himself, as he examined the strange portal, he soon realized what and, most importantly, who caused this drain…The runes, surrounding it were not Mewnian, not from the Underworld and certainly not from this universe…He could read them, but no one else could…except for…
Another portal appeared behind him and Scott appeared from it. He seemed…different. His once determined gaze was now empty. He saw the old man, but looked straight through him, completely ignoring him. Throwing some dust inside, he raised his hands and conjured a book before him. He started chanting in an unknown dialect, that shouldn't be heard by mortals anywhere.
Only now, Glossaryck was in awe. He couldn't wrap his mind around why he was trying to evade from this world and go to another…He didn't understand why his pure, blue magic has turned into the corrupted flame of the fallen. For the first time his omniscience found its bounds.
"Scott?" he uttered, but Scott had ignored him, altogether. Glossaryck, then tried to shake him, but he seemed to be hypnotized… so caught into his spellcasting that he ignored everything around him. Glossaryck had to stop him, as soon as possible or else he would remain out of time, but he didn't want to hurt him either… He opened his pupil, swallowing Scott.
The boy woke up in an unknown dark room, the only light source available, being from the little light above him. He was sitting down, a dark, mahogany table laid before him. On top of it, the old man was glaring at him, anger and dismay mixing on his master's expression…
"Why are you running?" Glossaryck asked on a scolding tone.
"I am free, Glossaryck…I can go outside this wretched realm and finally take a vacation in the place I will finally be complete!" he said, laughing maniacally.
"What are you talking about?" he asked confused on the one hand and scared on the other hand…
"Don't you see?" Scott asked, madness visible in his crazed eyes. "You know my story don't you?"
"No, I don't…What happened to you, child?"
"Oh, nothing…I just realized that my entire existence is nothing but a fraud…That I was appointed by the ones who swore to keep balance, whilst providing the forces of disequilibrium with the power they need to tilt the scales in their favor. I just realized that I fought for a seamless purpose, Glossaryck. That my actions are never leading to anything else, but imbalance…"
"Yeah…so?"
"So? I've been called out for my acts, and you were there, so I mustn't be telling you any of that…But then, while imprisoned in a timeless void, I had to relinquish my apparent state of neutrality and embrace the fact that I was in fact, a force of good."
"Again…what are you driving at?"
Scott had angrily and madly paced across the empty room, looking up, gesticulating, complementing his insanity with powerful, reckless and senseless gestures.
"I am driving at, that as a relentless force of good, as I am, as I was deemed and doomed to be, I had left the pride of what I'd sworn to protect go to waste. I had let the ones I truly cared about, die in an agonizing amount of pain. I returned to where I previously left Star, only to find the place ransacked and in ruins…I decided in that moment…That life was not meant to be lived like that."
"Don't tell me…"
"PRECISELY!" he yelled, the light fixture above shaking. "I have gotten the ones I had to protect killed, due to my own hubris. My pride made me guard everything against any sort of evil. My uncertainties lead me to seal everything away! TO NEVER LET CHANCE GET THE BEST OF ME! And look where it all brought us, Glossaryck. I am staying here in your pupil, where I am crying over my mistakes…While I am battling my inner demons, I am grieving over the death of the princess at the hands of the beasts I, myself summoned to protect my belongings…I couldn't let go of my fears and let them get the best of me…I shouldn't have done anything like that, but the last Butterflies just destroyed me, old man…I had been oscillating between righteousness and corruption and now…" he interrupted himself to cast an emerald flame out of his hand…"Now, it got the best of me…I had embarked on the path of no return, Glossaryck, and I can't come back now…Question is," Scott said, clapping his hands, causing the black walls of the room to fall down, transporting them back where they came from, "will you stay in the way of my decisions? Or will you let me go?"
"I cannot let you go, Scott, because for the time, being…I need your help."
"You never needed my help, before, Glossaryck. You were bound to your book, I was bound to the Butterfly family. Our wills didn't intertwine at all. What makes you think they will now?"
"The fact that, as you said, I WAS bound to my book. Now, I regained my freedom and my duty has become the one we shared for millennia."
"Get to the point," Scott said intrigued, yet the flame of madness still rested in his green eyes.
"Well, to turn your world upside-down…Star is alive, and currently the army of Mewni is battling that of Toffee in the vicinity of the Butterfly castle."
"I don't believe you," Scott said, his sane mind struggling to tell him that Glossaryck was unable to lie, but it was but a mere echo in the darkness hollow that was his consciousness.
"Here," Glossaryck answered conjuring a portal, allowing him to see Star and Marco, hugging while watching the battle beneath. A small rat was in the picture, up on his hind paws, its snout wide open. He started shrieking loud enough to cause the two teenagers to cover their ears in pain, as Star blasted him off…
A dark silhouette contoured in the sky, over the black moon…Omnitraxus appeared before Star and Marco, telling them something inaudible for Scott, who could only see, not hear anything…The skull of one of the Magic High Commission's founders fell lifelessly to the ground, as Toffee appeared behind them…Marco already unsheathed his scissors and Star took shelter behind the tip of the cupola…It was at this time that Glossaryck closed the portal.
Scott was left speechless…He fell to the ground, dismayed, clenching his fists over his face…Suddenly he started laughing, looking at the sky, with a maniacal grin carved on his face…
"Ah, the irony…I have deluded myself into believing an ultimate omen of this universe could be forgotten…But, alas, the depth of my mind is as shallow as a pond…How stupid of me...to fall in the net of an impossibility…To go to the lengths of letting such purity infest my filthy muck, I call my heart."
"I see…" Glossaryck nodded, finally understanding the cause of Scott's madness.
"You do, don't you?" Scott said, getting abruptly serious. "Then, please if you may…tell me why should I help you? What I feel is the pain of an age long agony, sealed for millennia, only to be grazed away every time… How can I help you, when my humanity has been denied for my entire life, only to flood me with the most putrid of its symbols?"
"Because…"
"BECAUSE NOTHING!" he yelled, again, the ground shaking beneath them.
Glossaryck knew how to reach him…but at the same time didn't know it. He was unsure whether or not he should play the card he had up his sleeve. However…for what it was worth, he had nothing to lose…
"Because you have a chance, Scott…You have a choice to either flee from your mistakes, to die off in a desolate world filled with the void that encompasses you, filled with the madness that you have birthed…Or you can face them and repent for them. You can clean your slate, once and for all, with a simple act…A kindhearted, pure act that is bound to reach deep down in your depraved heart and cleanse it of its muck. You can choose…" and Glossaryck stopped short, only to witness Scott's reaction. The boy's gaze lost its insanity, only to gain anger…But behind the shield of wrath, Glossaryck saw a glimmer of sorrow and remorse, so he continued.
"You can choose to act for…or against…the person you love, and change her fate…And you must choose now."
Time froze in Scott's mind. He saw himself in his many faces, he passed through the ages…He saw the blue face of sadness, the green face of envy, the red face of wrath, the yellow face of fear, the black face of death…But on the throne of his mind, in his empty aula where the voices of his past resonated…lied the white face of purity…With a gesture, he conjured himself in his world and exiled the many sounds of evil he was hearing, leaving the clear voice of his humanity to speak for himself. His calm gaze returned, his emerald eyes, glimmering with the hope he seemed to have lost…He didn't say anything to Glossaryck. In an instant he rose to the sky, propelling himself in the air at blinding speed…he was a cobalt thunder crossing the black sky...
Toffee had defeated his foes…Hekapoo, Omnitraxus, Rhombulus were lying lifeless on the ground, the powers they had regained from an unfortunate event, being drained away by the demon. Queen Moon had managed to delay her inevitable end…but she fell for the same fate…Now between the vile evil and the pure good…there was Marco…He was the only barrier left standing between Star and Toffee. The second he tried to attack him, the demon blasted him thorough the floor, causing all of them to fall in the throne room. Lekmet's horn spilled his ashes all over the ground… Marco was left unconscious in a corner and Star was trapped behind her mother's last symbol of power…Toffee had prepared a blast and fired it at her… Star knew she couldn't do anything about it…She closed her eyes, a tear sliding off. Her demise was imminent, and so the last force of good left standing was going to fall…
The blast hit, but it didn't hit her. Crashing through the wall, Scott got in, just in time to deflect it, with his arcane shield.
"I thought you'd never show up, Saturn," Toffee hissed sarcastically.
"We shared the same thought, then," Scott answered him, firing a magic missile at him.
But, Toffee didn't want to play games anymore. He knew what the boy had become. No longer a neutral force, like his friend, Glossaryck, he wasn't useful to him…He stopped his projectile with his bare hands, then, blinked to him, only to impale him with it…Scott, fell to the ground, covered by the rubble of the still crumbling ceiling.
Star was already crying…The death of Marco…The death of her mother…But now, that she was filled with an instantaneous joy, when she saw Scott, bravely defy death in order to save her, only for him to die soon after…She was destroyed, crushed. Her sobs and cries tear through the lugubrious silence of night, making the monster in front of her rejoice…With a merciless grin, he charged and fired another blast…
(Just a quick auctorial note, for my fellow readers…I have inserted some nods in the story, that have a rather interesting connotation…I hope you can see and, more importantly, understand them all.)