Authors Note

Sup y'all! Welcome next installment of The Diaz Family Roadtrip! This is the third and final part of the three chapter series on Ludo's grand scheme! Also included is the back-story as to how everything ended up this way. The chapter is actually kinda like a two in one, switching from present to past every now and then. All of your questions should be answered (If I accidentally miss something tell me and I will be glad to answer your questions!) Anyway I hope you all enjoy reading, and I have a special announcement at the end of the chapter, see you there!

(Man, I should really do something with all this nothing I own.)

"Marcooooo..." A faint voice called out from the void.

Marco couldn't see anything, just blackness. His head was pounding and he had absolutely no idea what was going on at the moment. He also had an odd tingling sensation on his left cheek but right now that was the least of his problems.

"Marco." The voice was stiffer now, more crisp but still distant.

"Wha... Who, where am I?" Marco grunted out, his mind was all over the place.

"Marco!" Star's bright voice was instantly recognizable.

"Star? Where are we?" Marco said as a blurry myriad of colors filled his vision and slowly came into focus.

"MARCO!"

Marco was about to sit up but was tackled back onto the floor.

"Umff! Star I told you not to..." Marco trailed off, was Star... crying?

"Hey Star are you ok...?"

The blonde haired girl sniffled and let out a small chuckle.

"Y-yeah I'm fine, It's just for a while there I thought I lost you." Star tightened her grip on him.

"Lost me...? Star what's going on?" Marco asked very confused.

Star wiped the tears from her eyes and got up. She lent him a hand and Marco stood up in a dizzy daze.

"No time to explain, all you need to know is Ludo has the wand and we need to get it back!"

Marco stared at her dumbfounded.

Star runs across the room to the steel lever and struggles before it gives way with a loud thunk. The sound of large gears and cranks echoes through the massive room and the giant door slowly rises off the ground. The noise comes to a stop when the bottom of the door hits the ceiling.

"Come on let's go!" Stat said clutching Marco's hand.

Marcos let out a yelp as his body was unexpectedly jerked forward and the two ran down the hall to face Ludo in all of his, sort-of, might.

-Five days earlier just before the mind wipe-

Star sighed and threw her wand onto the middle seat of the car that had been piled up with jackets, wrappers and other random paraphernalia the two dumped there. She had been trying to fix her wand that had for mysterious reasons stopped working.

"Why won't that stupid thing work!"

She rested her head on the headrest and closed her eyes.

"Don't worry Star I'm sure it will be fine." Mr Diaz consoled from the front seat.

Star gazed out the window at the gilded sunset before her. The evening suns golden rays caught behind a shifting sea of clouds, letting them faintly glow. She lets out a yawn and shuts her eyes again, focusing on the constant sound of wheels against pavement.

A while later when the sun had long since ducked under the horizon the family's peaceful ride comes to an end. They pull into a small gas station beside a very fancy looking hotel on the side of the highway. Around it spans endless flat desert resting under the tranquil shade of night.

"Odd to see such a fancy place all the way out here huh?" Marco says with suspicion.

"Yeah that is kinda weird..." Mrs Diaz agrees.

"Ahh well as weird as it may be it's apparently beside the last gas station for the next seventy two miles so we don't really have any options." Mr Diaz retorts.

The station was oddly deserted and for something right beside a luxury hotel, pretty junky. Pale white lights flickered and buzzed in the shade of the night.

"Man this place is creepy..." Marcos says as the engines purr subsides leaving a think quiet.

"It's ok were only here for a while, the rest stop we're staying the night is only a mile away." Mr Diaz says while he starts to pump gas.

"Hey kids!" Mrs Diaz began, "If you need to use the bathroom do it now the rest stop might not have one!"

"Ok." Marco said hopping out of the car and closing the door with a thud.

He walks around to the opposite side of the car and taps on the window Star happens to be currently using as a pillow. He lets out a soft chuckle at Stars face smooshed against the glass.

"Hey Star I'm going to use the washroom, you should to."

"F...five more minu... *snore*."

"Or not..."

Sighing with a smile he makes his way to the convenience store without her.

The glass doors push open and make a dinging sound to alert... absolutely no one, as the store is empty. Lit by a fluorescent glow the small shop is stocked full cheap junk food, all probably long out of date. A small unattended and worn counter stands near the door and in the far corner a small sign that reads "washroom". Below it a humble door with a brass colored key in the lock.

"Huh, this must be it" Marcos says walking up to the door.

Marco pushes it open and steps inside. The door slowly clicks close and a muffled yelp echoes from within, Marco doesn't step out again.

Back outside at the gas pump...

"Staaar... Star!" Mrs Diaz says shaking the sleeping princess.

"Eeeep!"

Mrs Diaz giggles and Star clears her throat.

"Yea Mrs Diaz?" Star says groggily

"Can you go check on Marco he is taking an awfully long time."

Star takes a deep breath "Fine... But Marcos going to get it!"

Mrs Diaz laughs, they were just like her and Rafael at their age... "Okay Star, thank you!"

Mrs Diaz watches from the front seat as she walks off to the small store and enters.

Ten minutes later...

Mr Diaz shifts in the driver's seat to face Mrs Diaz "Hey I'm going to go round up the kids, I don't what's taking them so long."

"Hmmm alright." Mrs Diaz replies and gives Mr Diaz a quick peck on the lips.

"Be back soon." She adds.

"I will." Mr Diaz gets out of the car and wanders over to the store.

Alone in the darkness Mrs Diaz waits as a couple of minutes becomes five, then ten, then fifteen. By the twentieth minuet a hint of dread tugs on her stomach, something is definitely off.

"Ok this has gone on long enough..."

She steps out of the vehicle and shuts the door. As Mrs Diaz walks to the shop her footsteps echo in the silence.

The shop door opens with jingle and her stomach drops when she sees the store empty...

"What is going on?"

With extra caution she creeps her way over to the bathroom and examines it before knocking on it's old wooden frame.

"H-hello?"

The silence is dreadful.

"Anyone there?"

Once again the room is still expect for an electric buzz emitting from the store's lights. With sweaty palms she pushes open the bathroom door and looks inside.

Nothing appears to be out of the ordinary. Just a small bathroom, a little grimy but for its credit it is residing in a gas station that happens to be literally in the middle of nowhere.

She steps inside and the door closes behind her.

All of the sudden the floor drops out from under her and she plummets down a narrow tube.

"AHHHHHHHH!" Mrs Diaz's screams in terror.

Just as sudden as the fall started it ends and she lands hard on a dusty old mattress.

Pain erupting over her body she manages to roll onto her side and open her eyes. She is in a cage, a cage on wheels to be exact. Out in front of her stretches a long dimly lit narrow hallway.

An eerie quite befalls as Mrs Diaz sinks deeper into thou-

*Snore*

"AHHH!"

Mrs Diaz's nearly jumps out of her skin and she slowly looks over to see where the frightful noise came from.

What she sees the one and only Bearicorn and two headed red monster sleeping on a bench beside the cage. She remembers seeing Star and Marco fighting them every once in awhile.

"Hey you two!" Mrs Diaz shouts at them.

*more snoring*

"HEY!"

"Stupid monsters..." She mutters under her breath.

"AHHHHHH!" The two (three?) scream in unison.

Mrs Diaz raises an eyebrow "Seriously? You guys woke up from that but not my yelling?"

"Hey don't judge us!" Bearicorn retorts.

"And besides you're the one in the cage!" The first red one adds.

"Why I am I in this cage anyway and what have you done with the others!" Mrs Diaz says as the two monsters start to push the cage down the hall.

"We're going to erase your memory!" Bearicorn replies nonchalant, Mrs Diaz lets out a small gasp.

The red monster punches Bearicorn "Hey we weren't supposed to say anything!"

"What it's not like she will remember!"

Mrs Diaz rolls her eyes at the monsters antics. She has to find a way to free herself...

-Back in the present-

Star and Marco stand at the base of Ludo's throne. The throne itself is facing towards the wall to give quote unquote dramatic effect.

"Well well well! Star Butterfly it looks like my new ally karate boy ha-"

"Ummm I'm not your ally... so..."

"WHAT!" Ludo flings the throne around to see Star and Marco standing before him.

Star smiles smugly at Ludo "I broke your evil grasp on him!"

"BUT HOW? WE MADE HIM IMPERVIOUS TO CHLORINE!"

Star begins to blush madly and Marco raises an eyebrow.

"Ya how did you save me?"

"Well um you see I kinda... kissed you." She said under her breath.

"What? I didn't catch that..." Marco says leaning in, making it worse for Star.

"I uhhhh... "

"Just spit it out girl!" Ludo calls from up on the throne.

Star looks away trying to hide the red in her face "To free you I well... kissed you, not on the lips but still... ya."

Now it was Marco's turn to blush.

"Saved by the power of love, how cliché." Ludo mutters.

"Whatever we're still going to kick your butt!" Star shouts.

"Ya!" Marco reaffirms still a little pink.

"Well how are you going when I have the power of the wand!"

...

"Uhhh guys, that's the signal!" Ludo yells up to the tower when the magic blocking crystal is.

Mr Diaz pokes his head out of the window "Are you talking to us?"

"KARATE BOYS PARENTS?!"

Mrs Diaz pops her head out beside Mr Diaz. "Hey Star! And wait is that... MARCO!"

Marco waves from below "Hey mom Hey dad!"

"Star how did you save him?" Mr Diaz calls from up in the tower.

Star blushes again "I'll uhhh... tell you later."

Ludo breaks up their little reunion "UGH THIS HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH!"

Ludo pulls a small lever beside his throne and the tower begins to shake.

"The tower it's going to fall!" Star says to Marco in horror.

"MOM, DAD GET OUT OF THERE!" Marco yells at his parents.

Mr and Mrs Diaz jump out of the tower in the nick of time as the tower crumbles into rubble. The crystal slams into the ground and a massive colourful pulse expands outwards engulfing everything.

When the glitter settles the Diaz's watch in horror as the wand becomes active again.

"AHAHAHAHA! STAR BUTTERFLY YOU LOSE!" Ludo shouts and then begins to twirl around in magical swirl.

"NOOOOO!" Star screams at the top of her lungs as Ludo begins to utter his first spell.

"SUPER SHADOW VILLAIN TRANSFORMATION!"

A blast of purple and black energy shoots out.

"Star gets down!" Marco yells tackling her to the ground.

When they get up the two gasp in horror...

Ludo stands as tall as a two story building in his "big boy body". The wand is now a large black sceptre to match his new look.

"TRY AND FIGHT YOUR WAY OUT THIS TIME BUTTERFLY!" Ludo roars (actual roar this time!).

-Back in the past-

Mrs Diaz finally gave up trying to escape and flopped on the back on the old mattress.

"Ugh its hopeless we're all going to lose our memories." She said grimly.

The four happy travelers had been reunited and now sat in their cages, the dimly lit room flooded with faint red light. Some of Ludo's army vigilantly stood guard (slept) making sure they didn't escape.

"I guess this is it then huh?" Marco said turning to Star.

Tears filled up Star's eyes "I'm so sorry you guys... If I never came you wouldn't be about to lose all your memories! I never should have come to earth!"

"Hey don't say that!" Mr Diaz said turning to Star.

"Yeah these last few months have been the best of my life! Even if we're all pretty much doomed I'm glad I got to know you." Marco said with a gentle smile. Mr and Mrs Diaz nodded, agreeing with Marco.

Once again tears filled up Star's eyes "Oh you guys!"

The preciously small moment was broken when a loud grinding sound filled the air and a wall began to lift up.

Standing on the other side of the wall was none other than Ludo himself.

"Finally!" He said gawking at the wand in his hand.

"LUDO! GIVE THAT BACK." Star yelled reaching her hands out if the cage.

"Ya right like I'm just going to hand it over to you. Besides its no good anyway until we find a way to turn off the crystal without destroying it..."

Marco and Star growled at the small bird man.

"Anyway we must progress with the more important matter of erasing your memory!"

Ludo motioned the for the first cart and Bearicorn and Buff Frog leapt into action pulling the first cart that happened to contain Mr Diaz.

"Hey!" He shouted as they moved over to a large glass container. Printed on the front of the device was Mind Eraser 5000 in blood red.

Ludo leaned over to Mr Diaz "Hey look I have nothing against you personally but you are kinda with Star and the karate boy so..."

"You let me and my family go!"

Ludo rolled his eyes "Please yelling will get you nowhere!"

Mr Diaz was dumped into the machine.

"Start the mind wipe!" Ludo squealed.

A bright green and blue light filled the tube and a ear piercing sound shredded the air.

"AHHHHH!" Mr Diaz screamed as electricity pulsed through the device and into him.

"Nooooo!" The three remaining screamed in unison tears flow most

As soon as it started it ended and the bright lights faded. The chamber door opened releasing a cloud of smoke and steam.

Two monsters came up and pulled out a slightly fried and knocked out Mr Diaz.

They rest of the Diaz's gasped in horror, tears were shed.

Now it was Marcos turn...

The process was repeated and just as before tears flowed, although this time it especially hit Star hard.

Next up was Star who although put up quite the tearful and rage filled fight was eventually throne into the device.

After a short mind erasing she too was pulled out the machine and put back into her cage.

Finally it was Mrs Diaz's turn, face stained with tears she was carted over to the device.

"Any last words before you forget everything?" Ludo taunted.

Mrs Diaz glared at the evil little bird man. But as her cage gate opened Mrs Diaz forced her hands on the glass door to the mind eraser and pushed down on the cart sending it flying out from under her. The cart slammed into the other side of the room hitting some monsters on the way.

Ludo blinked at the scene.

"GRAB HER YOU IDIOTS!" He screeched.

Mrs Diaz surprised that her plan had actually worked leapt up into action ducking and dodging Ludo's minions.

"This is for my family!" Mrs Diaz shouted, knocking a monster off its feet.

"COME ON YOU GOT LIKE 200 POUNDS ON HER!" Ludo screamed.

Mrs Diaz was actually pretty swift for her age but she couldn't keep it up for much longer, so she grabbed the old mattress form her cage and used it as a shield. But even with the mattress as a shield she was being backed into a corner.

"Hahaha we got you now..." Bearicorn taunted.

But just as things were turning for the worse out of the corner of her eye she spotted a laundry chute with piles of garbage oddly sitting beside it. She ran over to her escape and jumped down it using the mattress as a cushion.

"Ludo sir, karate boys mom jumped down the garbage chute!"

"AHHH YOU MORONS!" Ludo barked "Whatever, let her go I have more important things to attend to! Now put the others in their rooms and carry me to my throne!"

"Yes sir..." The monsters moaned.

-Back to the present-

The roof now blown off and tower containing the crystal collapsed Star and Marco got ready to face their greatest challenge yet.

Wind in their hair and adrenaline in their veins the two looked on at the massive towering beast that Ludo had become.

Star turned to Marco "Ready to kick some monster butt?"

Marco smiled and laughed "When am I not?"

The two lunged at the horde of Ludo's minions. This way and that the two attacked, focusing their skills into one and becoming a true force to be reckoned with. Just as before when they fought each other they danced as much as they fought. Each step and twirl in perfect time with the other, no monster stood a chance.

But Ludo was no ordinary monster...

A massive fist came barreling down and slammed down onto the battle field knocking Star and Marco off their feet.

Marco pushed himself up off the ground "Star what do we do? We aren't big enough to take Ludo head on!"

Star got up and brushed the dust of herself. "I don't know!"

Another massive blow landed onto the floor and the building started to shake.

"Wait Star I have an idea!"

"I'm listening!" Star yelled as she narrowly dogged a giant foot crushing her.

"Make him keep hitting the center!" Marco instructed.

"Won't that cause the whole building to collapse!"

"That's the point!"

Star shot Marco a "are you kidding me?" look and went back to dogging Ludo.

"Just trust me!" Marco shouted while side stepping a laser beam from Ludo's staff.

Star sighed; this was not a good idea...

"Hey ugly over here!"

"Ludooo, ohhh, Ludooo!"

The two taunted and yelled at Ludo until he finally had enough.

"TAKE THIS!" Ludo slammed the end of his staff into the center of the building where Star and Marco stood.

A massive cracking sound made everyone stop.

"Uh oh..." Ludo said as his hotel began to collapse.

"Star watch out!" Marco tackled Star away from the center and covered her with his body as floor after floor gave way.

Finally crashing onto the ground may moans and grunts of pain filled the air as the huge cloud of dust settled.

"Ughhhh you ok Star?" Marco said rolling off her onto the ground.

"Ya I'm good." She coughed out.

"MOM, DAD, YOU OKAY?" Marco yelled out.

"Ya we're fine, dumb plan though!"

"Hey it was a great plan!"

Star turned to Marco with a flat expression "No, no it wasn't."

Marco laughed "Oh come on it defeated Ludo..."

And yes in fact it had, for Ludo lay in his normal body on the ground, wand but a few feet from his claws.

"Quick Star grab the wand!" Marco exclaimed.

Star pushed herself out of the dirt and snatched the wand.

"YES! TAKE THAT LUDO, IN YOUR FACE WE WIN!" She screamed at the top her lungs.

"Ugh what the... NOOOOOO! MY TOWER, MY BRILLIANT PLAN!"

Star jumped for joy right into the arms of Marco. "WE DID IT!"

Marco and Star hugged each other and twirled around laughing. "YA WE DID!" Marco echoed her joyous tone.

Marco set Star down and chuckled.

"LOOK MARCO MY WAND WORKS AGAIN!" Star squealed in excitement swinging the magical relic around and casting all sorts of spells.

"Yes Star your wand works again!" Marco said smiling.

"Laugh it up now just you wait I will have that wand again!" Ludo said from the side lines while cutting a portal with his dimensional scissors. "And when I do-"

"Ya ya your going to destroy us blah blah blah!" Star said and pushed him through the rip in space.

All of Ludo's monsters shamefully shuffled into the portal following their defeated master and it closed with a fizzle.

Mr and Mrs Diaz came running over to Star and Marco just as the portal closed and wrapped them both in a massive bear hug.

"We're all back together again!" Mr Diaz exclaimed with joy.

Everyone laughed and enjoyed each other's warm embrace, it had been a long last couple of days...

When they all finally parted and calmed down a bit Mrs Diaz spoke up "So Star I have a question for you..."

Star turns away from Marco letting out a small laugh "Yeah go ahead, shoot."

"So Star, how did you free Marco?"

Star's expression dropped and a blush danced onto her face. After bringing herself back together again she cleared her throat "Well you see..."

Whew! That was a huge amount to write! Ahh well, I hope you all liked the three parter, next chapter we'll be back into their long journey up north. Now onto the special announcement! I will be taking a (small) break from The Diaz Family Roadtrip to write a series of one-shots. They're going to be all about autumn my favorite season! The fist one should be out pretty soon! Thanks for reading, and I will hopefully see you all in the other story and of course the next chapter!