Kingsley

Chapter 12

Have You Learned Nothing?

"Lucifer!"

The prince of the Underworld was lounging about. He was being rather lazy and nonchalant, for someone whose kingdom was smack dab in the middle of a heated war. It had been four months since Queen Moon had called warfare upon the Monster race and began gathering allies. Although, it had always been part of the plan to ally with Mewni, Lucifer had an unusual change of heart. Instead of having his kingdom join the fray, he'd chosen to do the what he deemed to be the most sensible thing. Stay completely out of it. Why should he sacrifice his people for something Toffee did? He'd been warning people, including Moon, about him for years. No one listened and now they could suffer the consequences.

Besides, it was not like Moon didn't have anyone on her side. She had everyone else aiding her in this vendetta. River and Ponyhead had gone to fight in the Mewman army under their new captain of the guard, Mina Loveberry. Heckapoo and Rhombulus continued to support her politically through the Magic High Commission. It seemed like all her friends were doing something to help her and she was doing fine without him.

"I moved back home, so I could be closer to Moon and the war, not to be your maid." Heckapoo screeched, tossing a filthy shirt he must've left somewhere in her path.

"Sorry, sorry." Lucifer insisted, trying to patch things over hastily, so he would not feel her wrath. But, he actually was glad that Heckapoo had brought Moon up. Even though he didn't agree with this war, Lucifer wanted to see her again. He would've liked to hope she still considered him a friend, at least. "Speaking of the princess, can I go see her later? She's been such a recluse since her parents died."

"Not today."

"Even I know that 'not today', always means 'not ever'. Why can't I see her?"

"Can you promise to keep quiet for once?" Heckapoo inquired, in a hushed whisper, even though no one else was around. She didn't want to tell him. But, she knew that if she did not tell her brother 'why' he couldn't see Moon, he'd never shut up about it. She might've also wanted someone else to notice the princess's abnormal behavior. She needed reassure herself that it was not all in her head. "No one else has seemed to notice it yet. There's something wrong with her."

"Isn't that understandable? I mean, with her parents and Toffee—"

"This is different…" she countered, vaguely. Heckapoo stumbled to find the right words, but struggled to explain how odd Moon was acting. She would need to show him, if she wanted him to understand. "Come on. I'll let you see her."

In a second, they were outside the door to Moon's room. The crack underneath the door was dark and there was no sound coming from within. But, regardless, Heckapoo took a deep bracing breath and knocked.

"Moon? Are you there?" she asked, curiously. She didn't receive a vocal reply, but heard the little sparkles of a magic spell. Heckapoo cautiously opened the door and peaked through the crack. Moon sat at her desk with the spellbook. She was clutching tight to her black heart rod and mumbling to herself. She broke out of her chanting, upon noticing Heckapoo standing in her doorway. "I brought Lucifer to see you."

"What do you want?" Moon hissed, as Lucifer made his way into the room.

"I wanted to see you."

"If you wanted to see me so badly, you could've joined the cause like River or Ponyhead." Moon reasoned, in a cold bitterness. "You said you didn't want any part in this war, so I have no reason to see you."

"Moon, I—"

Lucifer was cut off by a jet of black light cast by Moon. He was blasted back through the door and hit the opposing wall in the hallway with a loud thud. Heckapoo rushed to his side, while Moon was unmoved by her own cruel actions.

"Way too far, your majesty!"

"We have a meeting with Mina and the rest of the commission." Moon announced, unremorsefully. She shut the door to her room and gestured for Heckapoo to leave her injured brother in the hallway. "Come along, Heckapoo."

Heckapoo diligently got up to follow behind her. But, not without giving Lucifer an assuring look. It was a gaze that could only be understood between siblings. He knew that she was telling him to keep investigating, to look for the cause while Moon was distracted. Lucifer gave her a quick wink before she departed, conveying her message had been received. He would play dead for a few more minutes.

"It looks like we're all present now. Shall we begin?" Moon exclaimed, upon entering the strategy room. It was dimly-lit room with a table that was way too long for the amount of people seated. Rhombulus, the Chancellor, and the little orb of Omnitraxus Prime were all present. However, in addition, there was a girl and a demure-looking monster. He was tied up and clearly being held there against his will. While, the girl, Mina Loveberry was hunched over in her chair. She was twirling one of her purple pigtails with impatience. She was not used to staying in one place for very long and didn't like being removed from battle.

"Is Sir Glossaryck still sick?" Heckapoo asked, noticing his absence in the room.

"Yes. I'm afraid the war is stretching him too thin. He's had to speed up my magic training to prepare me for battle." Moon claimed. She took her seat at the head of the table and Heckapoo took hers next to Rhombulus. "Now, has Toffee sent a reply to my proposal yet?"

"We'll see from this spy I caught at our gates." Mina reckoned, pulling the chains that tied him.

"I'm not a spy. I am but a humble messenger. I have the reply right here, honestly!" he replied, shakily, holding up a scroll. Regardless, Mina pistol whipped him with one of her pigtails.

"Give it here!" Moon snapped, tearing the scroll from his hand. "Do what you will with him Mina. I couldn't care less."

"Death by pinecone it is!"

"No! Please, your highness! Have mercy!"

"Mercy?" Moon repeated. "I don't remember your leader showing the king and queen any mercy. So, why on Mewni do you think I would give any to a worthless little twig like you?"

"Read the message! He's proposing a treaty. He doesn't want to keep fighting." the monster reasoned, praying it would be the thing that saved his life. Moon unraveled the scroll and began to read,

"My dearest, Moon,

You've fought rather amicably. I commend your efforts; however, I do not wish for there to be war between us any longer. If we do not agree to some kind of close, I fear the battles will never end. Enclosed is a treaty of peace that you should find more than fair.

I eagerly await your response,

Toffee"

"Pathetic." Moon sneered, tossing the message aside once she was done.

"Moon!" Heckapoo thundered. A treaty was the only positive outcome of the war they could have ever hoped for. It was the perfect opportunity to save both sides anymore casualties. She couldn't be serious on just throwing it away. "We need to sign the peace treaty!"

"I need my vengeance!" Moon bellowed back, furiously.

"Yelling feels really good right now!"

My sister was right…

Everyone had been too busy yelling to notice an intruder listening through a crack in the door. Lucifer had followed Heckapoo and Moon, to see more of this new horrid new attitude. It may have just been confirming what he already knew. But, she did drop a new bit of information he found concerning. Lucifer ran back to Moon's room and went for the large leather-bound spellbook sitting on her desk.

"Glossaryck? Are you in there?" he inquired to the book. Lucifer opened it and turned a few pages, before a voice whispered back to him,

"In the dungeons."

"What was that?" Lucifer turned to find a maid standing behind him. He knew that she was Moon's maid, but had never bothered to ask for her name. She seemed a little jumpier and more frightened, then he remembered. Although, he suspected that was the effect of Moon's new persona.

"Her majesty sent Sir Glossaryck to the dungeon many months ago." she reiterated, louder and in a clearer tone for him.

"When exactly?" he questioned.

"Not long after her parents died. Maybe a week."

"Take me to him."

They made their way down to the dungeons. All the jail cells were empty, considering the tyrant Moon wasn't exactly taking prisoners in this war. However, Glossaryck was indeed, drifting in one. He didn't look perturbed at all, despite being kept there for four months. Lucifer suspected he was not actually trapped. He was staying there to humor Moon and take a vacation from this mess.

"Prince Lucifer, why isn't this a surprise? What business could you have down here?" Glossaryck smiled. He'd somehow noticed Lucifer and Sandra's arrival without opening his eyes.

"I came to ask you what's wrong with Moon." Lucifer stated. "You know why she's acting like this, don't you? That's why you're down here."

"Huh, you're not as dumb as you come off…Very well. I suppose, I'll tell you." Glossaryck added. "Moon has been infected by dark magic."

"Moon wouldn't mess with dark magic. She isn't like that." Lucifer argued.

"A mixture grief and contact with a certain relative might've pushed her into making the wrong decisions." Glossaryck hinted. He sighed, sorrowed and ashamed. Who exactly was he trying to fool with this taunt act. He knew who to blame for Moon's plunge into darkness. "It was my fault. I should've been doing my job better."

"Isn't there anything we can do to get her back to normal?" Lucifer asked.

"I'm simmering on a possible solution, but I'm not sure it'll work. I don't know how much the spell is actually influencing her choices anymore." Glossaryck premised. "She cast it with the intention to kill Toffee and I fear the spell won't release her, until she's achieved that."

"But, we've got to do something."

"If you're willing to help, I suppose we could give it the old college try…"

Moon did not get out of the meeting until much later and when she did she went straight for her room. That was all she had to her life now. The dreary, boring cycle would not cease until she defeated Toffee. She opened the door to her room, expecting to see it just how she left it. However, she found a cloaked figure was centered in the room with her spellbook. The figure turned revealing a grey, long-snouted face and familiar amber eyes.

"Toffee! How'd you break in here?" Moon gasped, raising her wand at once. He didn't say anything, but ran past her with the book. She chased after him, shooting spiteful beams of dark magic at him. "Get back here and face me, you coward!"

He ran deeper into the castle with Moon hot on his heels. Moon kept shooting at him, but her wand didn't seem to be delivering the great magic the dark spell had promised her. The blasts were nothing more than her usual. Toffee was headed towards a part of the castle even Moon had never been to before. He ran out an exit that led into the forest. He lit the way with a bright fireball and was off into the darkness. Moon wouldn't be shaken so easily, though. When she caught up to Toffee he was at the entrance of some old abandoned ruins. He was seemingly waiting for her to follow, but she took no notice. Moon skipped her way along the rock path and over the vast glossy lake between them. However, as she entered the ruins, Toffee had vanished from the vast room. Moon scanned the grand room, half looking for Toffee, but mostly struck by where he had led her.

The ruins were rather kempt for something supposed to be forgotten and abandoned. The bricks were still mossy and the bushes overgrowing, but the room was spectacular. The big domed ceiling was made of purple and blue stained glass. It was light enough in color for her to see the night sky sparkling above her. A familiar face was drooling a large waterfall into a small lake and a great spiraling tower had sprouted from the waters. Moon spotted her book at the top of the tower, but Toffee had still vanished without a trace. Slowly and cautiously, she crossed the lake and climbed spiral staircase for her book.

"Glossaryck, now!"

The voice had not been Toffee's; but, it'd come out of his mouth as he popped of the nearby bushes. Glossaryck came zooming out of his own stone mouth and trapped her in a hot pink bubble. Moon looked befuddled as to what was happening. But, as 'Toffee' was transfigured back into his true form, as Prince of the Underworld, she understood that it had all been a trap.

"Lucifer! Oh, I see. All my friends are betraying me now. Your sister is in those bushes, ready to stab me with a pair of scissors, isn't she?" Moon snapped, bitterly, pointing to a stretch of bushes where Heckapoo had to be hiding.

"We're not trying to betray you. We're trying to help remove the pain and the darkness." Lucifer yelled. "What about your friends, Moon? Do we mean that little to you? What about Toffee—?"

"He is not my friend!" Moon shrieked, at once.

"He was! I don't know what happened to him, but it looks exactly like what happened to you. You may rationalize it differently, but you both went dark!" Lucifer debated. "Did you ever even bother to find out what might've turned him crazy? You know all of this isn't like him, just like how you know it's not like you."

The storm of anger in her blue eyes seemed to die down a little. Moon might've actually known who drove Toffee to do what he did.

"Could Eclipsa have talked to Toffee too, Glossaryck?" Moon asked him, at least five tones softer than the one she'd been using before.

"I don't know for sure, but I've had my suspicions that she paid him a few visits after his banishment." Glossaryck admitted. "Ruining your lives was probably all part of her plans to escape. I doubt she ever intended on helping either of you."

"See? This might not be his fault." Lucifer added. It was an unnecessary comment though. She had already been knocked back to normal upon the sudden revelation.

"What have I done?" Moon queried to herself, looking down at her blackened wand in horror. How could she have done this? She had gone straight for anger. She even blackened her heart before she bothered to find out what had come over Toffee. She pulled back her high gloves and found her arms were still a dark black. Just because she'd realized the errors of her way didn't mean the power was going to let her go. "Do what you must…"

Glossaryck bowed, obliging her request, and began to chant in ancient Mewman. A pink beam connected them together. The beam went from the diamond in his forehead, to the diamonds on the spellbook, to her own diamond emblazoned cheeks. The orb was filled with nothing but bright light for a solid minute, before the connection was broken. Glossaryck set Moon back down at the edge of the lake with her spellbook.

"Am I fixed?" Moon inquired, drowsily. She looked at her wand. It was now restored back to her blue crystal heart. She took off her gloves and the marks on her arms were gone as well.

"Sort of." Glossaryck noted, floating down to her side. He felt a little less guilty about his mistakes as her teacher, upon seeing her back to her old self. "I'm glad you're okay, Moon."

"Thanks, Glossaryck." she smiled. But, her carefree easy expression changed. A certain hopeful thought had crossed her mind. "Do you think Toffee can come back too?"

"I'm afraid, he's too far gone. I could barely pull you out and you haven't killed anyone. Murder taints the soul in ways that are impossible to come back from." Glossaryck explained, remorsefully. As much as he wanted to tell her there was a way to return Toffee from darkness, he could not bring himself to lie to her. "If the original Toffee is still in there, you're going to have to really dip down to find him."

"Oh, I see…" Moon sighed. She didn't know what she expected to hear. Nothing had changed. Moon put her wand back into her pocket and grabbed the spellbook off the ground. They had begun to make their way to join Lucifer at the exit, however, after Moon took the wand out of her hand, she noticed a black spade on her palm. "The marks are gone everywhere, except my hand. Why is that?"

"Hence what I meant by 'sort of'," Glossaryck added. "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to completely get rid of the spell, only able to contain the dark power. If you don't expel it at Toffee, I'm afraid it will not go away."

"I must speak to him at once." Moon stated. Glossaryck nodded and they quickened their haste to get back to the castle. Although, when they arrived, they realized it was too late to get a message to Toffee. So, Moon allowed herself a little break to enjoy life. She spent the rest of the night reconnecting with Lucifer and the rest of her friends. Moon surrounded herself with people who really cared about her. It was something she ought to have done from the beginning to ease her pain. In those few faithful hours, she didn't think a lick about Toffee or the war. It was blissful.

However, as the cold early morning swept over the passed-out party, it begun a new day of inevitable hardship. Moon threw aside all decorum and queenly grooming in a haste to get to the strategy room. She had to get a message sent out to Toffee, warning him of Eclipsa's dangerous influence. She needed to tell him, if he didn't already know, and tell him that she might've even forgiven him. With Rhombulus and Heckapoo still crashed out on the floor of her room, Mina, the Chancellor, and Omnitraxus Prime were the only ones' present in the strategy room.

"Queen Moon! Toffee has received your refusal of the peace treaty. He has agreed to your original idea of a one-on-one battle instead." Mina announced, upon Moon's entry to the room. The dark Moon would've loved that he'd agreed to her showdown, but the original Moon went blank at the news. She was too late.

"When?"

"Tomorrow at dawn."

"Thank you, Mina. You may all depart now. I suppose, there is nothing more to discuss." Moon mumbled, trying to sound impassive. As the room cleared, she curled up in one of the tall chairs, trying to wrap her head around what was happening. She'd kept it in the back of her mind since the moment he killed her parents, but her Toffee was gone. He would not come back from this darkness and it would still be her job to kill him, whether or not she had it in her. At least while she was still under the dark spell herself, she had felt no remorse in her vendetta against him. It would've been so much easier. Although, she still had the deadly power to defeat him, she'd lost all her ambition and drive to get it done.

The next day broke much faster than twenty-four hours were supposed to go by. Moon didn't know what she was feeling that following morning, as she got on her armor for battle. Her body seemed to be moving automatically, while her mind was somewhere far away. Glossaryck and Lil' Chauncey came to retrieve after she finished putting on her boots.

"I'm sorry, Moon. The time has come…"

There were certainly a lot of Mewmans and Monsters at the sight of the duel. Moon had her army behind her, while Toffee had his. Neither one's side could expect the other to surrender because one of the leaders had fallen. The monsters didn't consider the little princess riding her pig-goat into battle, as much of a threat. They snickered as she approached. One of them even thought it'd be hilarious if they shot arrows at her. They all hit Lil' Chauncey. He stumbled and Moon fell into the dry dirt.

"Now, now, boys. That's not proper duel etiquette. She's mine."

Moon looked up to see Toffee. His expression was unremorseful for the injury of her and Lil' Chauncey, even though he'd called off his men. He was clad in a skin-tight, black outfit with high boots. He was vastly confident in his lack of armor. The only parts of his body that were protected were his knees and his shoulders. His kneepads were spiked in typical roguish attire, however, rested on his broad shoulders were two real Mewman skulls. Not just any two Mewmans, but Moon's parents. He'd painted the Butterfly emblems on their cheeks, so she would know exactly who they were. Her mother's purple spades sat cozily on his left shoulder, while her father sat on his right. Her father didn't have cheek markings and, even if he did, neither him or her mother's skulls would have them on their bones. But, Toffee painted Moon's diamonds on his cheeks anyway. It didn't matter. The whole gesture was merely meant to toy with her.

"My princess, battle suits you. You look ravishing." Toffee grinned, as he devilishly eyed Moon's battle attire.

"I can't say the same. You look hideous." Moon replied, bluntly. She tried to keep the idea of a positive resolution in her mind. Maybe if Moon talked to him, she might be able to pull him out of the dark. However, that seemed highly unlikely, considering she couldn't even look at him properly.

"What? Do you think I should've put your mother's skull on my right shoulder instead?" he smirked, cockily, pointing at the skull on his left. Moon's rage clouded her judgement on calling off the battle and she charged at him. The darkness took reins and she blasted the finger that had been pointing at the skull clean off. It would've not been such a damaging blow had it not been for her dangerous conviction. Toffee was, for the first time in his life, completely frazzled and panicked.

"You blew off my finger!" Toffee screeched, instantly knowing something was wrong. He stared at it desperately, willing for his body to regenerate it like it normally would. However, the magic she used was too powerful. He would never have that finger again because of her. "It's not growing back…"

"The next one's coming at your head, you scoundrel!" she roared, viciously. One of his men tossed him a large crescent shaped sickle to use as his weapon. Toffee caught it, while also managing to dodge her next attack. She transformed her wand into a glittering sword, for a better defense of the oncoming swings. He lunged at her with a growing rage, knowing she would falter soon. Moon was taught in magic, not swordsmanship. Toffee, as a natural soldier, was promptly given the upper hand over her. He clashed viciously at Moon, until she was forced to drop her sword under his superior strength. Toffee sliced open her right hand, directly on the black spade. Moon's hand started bleeding black instead of red and, while she was distracted by the horror, Toffee retrieved her wand.

"Have you learned nothing?" Toffee sneered, with a cruel laugh, twirling Moon's wand lazily in his free hand. For some reason, it was not transforming at his touch. However, there was no doubt he could still use it, if he wanted to. He didn't need the wand, though. Moon was now completely helpless without it. Glossaryck could teach her hundreds of spells trying to prepare her for this. But, being able to teach her wandless magic in a few months was an impossible task. "I'm surprised at you, princess. You've been rather rude to me. I thought I taught you better..."

Moon's confidence weakened with every harsh chuckle of rash victory. He was going to stop gloating any minute and kill her. She needed a miracle. She needed to dip down and strike him, if she wanted to survive. Even if it was only this one time. Moon refused to give up, until her time was completely up. She summoned all the strength and inner magic, everything she had left. Moon's eyes glazed over with her own immense power and she was lifted from the ground in a swirling chaotic vortex.

In a great flash, the power was released and the world was quiet. Moon and Toffee were alone together on the battlefield. The large armies behind them had vanished in a second and it was just the two of them facing one another. Moon had her wand back and all her injuries had vanished. She didn't waste the opportunity, lingering on curiosity. Moon needed to attack, while he was distracted and defenseless. She raised her wand, but Toffee's confident look was drained, as he stared at her poised for attack. It was not because the tables had turned. The new Toffee wouldn't have been scared. He would've been smug and high, until the very end. However, in this moment, he was looking at Moon endearingly, as if he hadn't seen her in years. There was something differently familiar about him.

"Moon! Wait, it's me!" he shouted, desperately. She surprisingly stopped her attack, for something that could've been a trick.

"Toffee…" Moon breathed, in astonishment. It was the inflection in which he had called her name that struck her so deeply. It was hard to forget. The new Toffee didn't call her Moon and, even if he did, she knew it would not be the same. She lowered her wand and finally looked around them. Was she dead? Surely, if her Toffee was here, the dark one must have killed her. "Where are we?"

"Don't worry, my dear. You're not dead." Toffee smiled, catching onto her worried expression. "I believe you've somehow managed to dip down into my subconscious."

"So, it's really you?"

"Yes…" Toffee replied. There was a moment of awkward silence between them. There was so much they needed to discuss, but not nearly enough time. "I can understand if you don't want to talk. I was foolishly tricked by Eclipsa. She lent me the power to cast the 'Darkest Spell' and I used it to kill your parents. There is nothing I could ever say, or do, that could atone for what I did."

"It wasn't you…" Moon mumbled. It had been exactly what she'd been waiting to hear. He did not deny his actions, but the remorse in his voice was genuine.

"It still was me." Toffee insisted. "Listen, Moon, you can't hesitate to kill me when you go back. You have to do it quickly."

"No, I won't! Glossaryck fixed me and he can fix you too—"

"You're not fixed. Neither of us can be, not until the other is dead." Toffee proclaimed. He grasped her hands and turned over the one with the blackened spade. It was an obvious sign of her damage, but she was young. She still had a chance to make it right. "This was never meant to work between us, Moon."

"It was fun while it lasted though, right?" she laughed, with a feeble crack in her voice. Moon had never wanted to say goodbye to him and now she was being forced to, for what felt like the thousandth time.

"Yeah…" he mumbled. A small half smile appeared as he gazed down at her and thought of all the good times they shared. He was sure he would never be that happy. "I love you, Moon. No matter what happens, always remember that."

"I love you too." she smiled. Moon embraced him.

"Now, go kick this guy's butt." Toffee ordered. He released Moon and gave her a little push onwards. It was time to go now. "Give him hell."

"I'm looking forward to it…"

She closed her eyes and when she opened them the crowd returned, murmuring in confusion. Toffee was impatiently tapping his foot. He seemed to be completely unaware he'd only come back a few seconds earlier.

"I'd prefer you not take power naps while we're dueling, princess." he sighed, sounding exasperated.

"Apologies. We should do this properly." Moon added. She curtseyed to him suitably and he considered her.

"Indeed." Toffee agreed, returning the gesture with a curt bow. He gave her back her wand and they turned their backs to each other. Anticipation was high as they took their ten paces. To the crowd of Mewmans, Moon looked powerful and undaunted. She was a true queen. However, her mind was racing rapidly with every step she took.

One. This is it.

Two. Don't look back.

Three. What's that sound?

Four. It was nothing. You're being paranoid.

Five. There it is again!

Six. Is he going to turn early?

Seven. Maybe that's what I should do.

Eight. I don't want to die.

Nine. Why did I agree to this?

Ten. Toffee's counting on me.

I can't let him down…

SHOOT!

When Moon turned, all her adrenaline faded and the magic blazed. Her bright blue beam enveloped his venomous green one without trouble. The immortal beast was blasted away into ashes.

It was finally over. The Mewmans roared with applause and victory, while the Monsters fled in fear and cowardliness. It was soon a celebration instead of a battlefield. War was over and they had won, yet again. There was, however, one person who did not seem to be as thrilled. She stared at a faded scar on her hand, wondering. Queen Moon's expression was blank and would remained that way for a very long time.

That shot determined her legacy. They called her "Moon the Undaunted" and undaunted she remained. Until one day, many years later, when Toffee called her name.

Hello, Moon…

A/N: Omigod, I DID IT! It's all over folks! It was all just a pipe dream finishing it at all, let alone by the season 3 premiere date, but I did it!

Thank you everyone once again for supporting this fic and the MoonToffee ship. I've been through a lot with this story. Everything from a blatant plagiarism attempt, to all those stupid trolls. I have no regrets, no matter what happens in S3 (I've already seen the clip of Moon and Toffee meeting. Not how I imagined it, obviously, but I still thought it was adorable).

Anyway, I've persevered through all these hardships and am ready to take my break and enjoy the premiere. I hope you all enjoy it too!

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