Beauty and the Witch Sister

by Aeonmaster Aeroza

Morgana "Mary" Jasmine Potter is an abused little girl of six while being hit by her uncle, since her aunt and cousin would fear as to what he would do to them. But one day while watching a particular movie, she was hurt worse than before by her uncle and was sent by someone special to another realm to which, she wished to be within. This is her story. Fem HP X ?, Belle X Beast

32. Strange Magic Arc (Part 3)

The Dark Kingdom within The Dark Forest, an hour later:

The Bog King has just arrived after dealing with a slight hiccup of sorts, with himself and his army, and going all the way to the throne room with them, and carrying Dawn, Cassie, and Chipana in the rucksacks they found out from close-talking, were enchanted to not escape at all from.

Of course he was the only one cautious of the entrance's eyes from the skull, glowing a few times to know the essence of the creature his father vanquished with aid long ago, still existed, but knew it was safe… For now, from going through the jaws of the deceased beast itself.

Once in the throne room, with guessing his little sister is possibly keeping the one other girl entertained, if hearing some music unknown to him being played from passing by the tunnel leading to his sister's lab, stood in front of it as the dragonflies flew back to their stables automatically as trained, and with his army cheering him on as soon sat on the throne itself.

"Bring me the princess and the two others." He demanded to his Goblin minions, which six Goblins did as told with dumping both Cassie and Chipana, firstly, and withheld the princess by him wordlessly motioning to wait, as the two girls were quickly pinned down after moving them near the steps to the throne itself, and firmly told the duo, "The reason I captured you two foolish girls, is that you rather intrigued and impressed me the most at fighting back, instead of cowering in fear."

Seeing he was right by their determined gazes at him in defiance, only caused him to chuckle without humor, with giving a look at the one Goblin who made Chipana pant after, from pulling her tail to weaken her in moments, with inwardly recalling his sister's weakness at that and wondered if this Morgana's, was the same, "Of course, you being close to the same age as my sister, makes myself think you could be bound to this castle in order, like the other one similar to her in a race."

That stilled them and with making Dawn stop struggling within her rucksack, and ignoring the burning sensation of her eyes a bit, by going wide-eyed at not knowing that The Bog King had a sibling at all, with the King of the Goblins of this realm, looked pleased by the two girl's faces of true shock.

"Rucks, Tucks," he ordered out as two similar colored Goblins with matching sky-blue eyes, one that was beak-based and one that was burly with tiger stripes on their arms and legs, bowed as they hastily came over to the stars of the throne, "See to it that these two are also placed under Princess Nina's watch, and gently but do not pull the one girl's tail to keep her under management when she gets out of hand." He paused and made the fraternal Goblin twins blink in reluctance but only bowed at the end of his orders, "And from your one prank you pulled a week prior on my mother, you also be caring for my sister and the three others as well, as bodyguards."

Once they left with Cassie stating some words to amuse The Bog King over and Chipana silently seething of Rucks, the beak Goblin, holding her tail, the other Goblins made him growl to himself at the thought of eating the princess, if by surrounding the rucksack was any indication, "No eating her!" This caused the Goblins to be dissatisfied by that.

After that and warning one Goblin: Brutus, of trying to not even lick the sack, both Stuff and Thang struggled but shoved the sitting fairy princess within the rucksack, to the center of the floor and removed the rope and uncovered her, as to Dawn while slowly standing up and uncurling her folded wings, she felt off and weird.

Dawn recalled Sunny dusting her with something, accidentally that is, and everything else leading to this point… But it was getting harder and harder to think slightly as she had her eyes gently shut, with no one noticing the remains of the dust from the Love Potion, falling from her outfit and going away into nothing as the effects quickly took hold on the poor, unexpected actions from the festival itself, and she was even rubbing her eyes a few times with her right hand and slowly opening them.

"What do we have here," The Bog King stated to himself as he knew they took the blonde fairy princess as an extra hostage, but something seemed off by her posture she has.

Without warning, Dawn felt unexpectedly excited and more as her eyes went wide once she first laid eyes on The Bog King, her body trembling a few moments in her standing spot and her heart fluttering for a heavy way for a few moments in a way, she never felt this untold feeling fully before as it flows within her entire being, and blurted out casually in a sing-song voice to him within moments as not known to anyone, there was a brief purplish-colored sigils of hearts within both of her pupils that showed before it faded with utter servitude, devotion, and above all else, forced love, within seconds to spare, "Sugar-Pie Honey-Bunch!" She also clasped her hands together in a way, the Goblins thought it was weird and even perplexed The Bog King as he only stated one word in utter confusion, "What?"

She flew to his throne with him acting menacingly to her, but with her not wanting that, held his hands to stun him in place as she sang while doing so.

Dawn: "You know~ that I love you~! I can't help~ myself~, I love you~! And nobody~ else~!"

The Goblin army and minions, even Stuff and Thang, thought this was rather awkward alongside The Bog King, especially when she was trying to kiss him yet shoved her away, and replied back to her in song, and shoving back Dawn as he did so.

The Bog King: "But I'm Evil~!"

He was shoving her and trying to keep her back with his staff though as he sang, too, and with only his minions and army watching all this unfold.

The Bog King: "My middle name~ is misery~! Yes, I'm evil~! So don't you mess around with me~!"

Dawn only rolled her eyes at him and startled The Bog King as she began to float-climb onto his weapon to try and get closer to him, and only told him before she sang more, "Oh Silly!"

Dawn: "Sugar-Pie, Hunny-Bunch! You know that I love, you!"

Though as she sang that, things happened within moments to startle him once again: She managed to make him swerve his weapon, drop it while at the same time, land onto his lap in a bridal position and onto his throne, and making him mixed with wariness as she casually rubbed his chest, before tossing her away from him. "Stop that!"

Dawn: "I can't help myself! I love you! And nobody else!"

It was that awkward time as Dawn was singing that, Griselda that is, came into the room as some Goblins tried to hold their ears with Brutus using Stuff and Thang, as earplugs, in a pleased tone, "Ah, I'm a sucka for sweet, pretty singing."

"Shut it off! Shut it off!" Brutus stated to himself with his so-called earplugs agreeing as they clasped their hands to their ears, paused when they didn't what Dawn singing, and let go to only claps their hands and the two Goblins back to Brutus' ear spots as she resumed singing her song again.

Dawn: "When I call your name, boy, it starts a flame! Burning in my heart, tearing it apart!"

"The potion! The potion!" The Bog King declared to himself in mixed feelings and one being wariness as he is avoiding Dawn as she kept singing to herself with utter devotion, to him, as a random Goblin who was part of her capture with his ears covered, admitted to them all, "We should have taken the feisty one!"

"Get the Sugar Plum!" The Bog King orders loudly while flying away from Dawn, with Stuff asking Thang loudly with their ears still covered, "What's he talking about?" And Thang only responded back to their comrade, "I can't hear over that loud singing!"

Dawn: "Ooh, I can't help myself~! I love you and nobody else~! No~, I can't help myself!"

The Bog King gave a wordless and firm warning to Brutus at not trying to eat her, which he oddly pouted, as she came back to him in the air within the throne room, and held his hands with finishing her song, in adoration and forced love, by what he can easily tell, from now seeing the hearts appearing for a moment within her pupils directly at him.

He grabbed her shoulders to which she didn't resist at all, and ordered his minions who bravely came over to him as they touched the floor, "Take her! And lock this crazy creature in the dungeon!"

Once the Goblins nabbed and began dragging the struggling blonde female princess fairy away with her trying to constantly go after him, his mother as he headed to his throne, stated in obviousness to him, "She is crazy in love with you! Do I hear wedding bells?" Before he could say anything to deny her, Dawn was singing once again to herself in utter devotion to him, of the same love-induced song, and stated plainly to his mother to make her only roll her eyes at her ruler of a son, "I hate princesses."

Dawn did somehow managed to wrangle herself away from not only the Goblins, but from Stuff and Thang before they nabbed her legs, harshly, with a few gripping her feet and parts of her wings to which she indeed struggled, but kept singing her heart out to him and with him quickly telling those dragging her away to the dungeons, "Careful! She's our bait."

Once out of earshot from Dawn, Greselda tells her song then as he sits with a sigh onto his throne, irritated by his mother's words, "Oh, well… If I have to look under every rock, I won;t let you die sad and alone."

"Bring me Sugar Plum!" He shouted in frustration and using his left fist to make a echoing decree to his army on his throne, as within the lab not knowing Dawn was under the severe effects of the Love Potion's love dust, Morgana was helping Nina with her next project of a solution to make plants grow faster, besides fixing her one issue of the Nightlight Potion, with the room itself being in a design of a lab for their sizes and more, and equipment similar with what they are made for this realm, of metal, glass, wood, and more, and about the size of a large collage lab as well.

"So add some horsefly sheddings and maybe a bit of mossy-granite?" Nina asked Morgana to see their current guard who was actually Brutus' younger brother, Lulus, was guarding them and being amused while remaining passive, of watching how this one will fail from the fifteenth try.

They ducked alongside him at the small cloud burst to think it would explode, again, but didn;t this time with being perplexed why the potion in the rock-made cauldron was glowing a dull-like red and blue color combined, before becoming a purple-like mucus of sorts to gross them out, within the cauldron, and it then changed to a fully-black color after a minute with looking shiny yet tar-like, to which it wasn't.

"Well, is it supposed to look like that?" Morgana asked while still being grossed out to which she only saw Nina shrug, and grabbed a custom metal spoon from her wears and saw how slimy it was, but it soon refused to let go of it to know it was a living solution, "No, and I didn't mean to make something like this alive."

Once they had Lulus help them out of reluctance to get the living substance into a large enough jar with seeing it grew two fully yellowish-like serpentine eyes with green pupils within the substance, they were going to try again, but stilled as the door was knocked, and Morgana was startled but not surprised by seeing her two girls were being shoved into the room with two new Goblins as they casually greeted Lulus, to which the larger Goblin only grunted once in reply.

"Let me guess, the party was the festival, and he nabbed you two?" Morgana casually states in a way, to make it sound this occurred before to her to which Cassie only nodded, "Ya, but not just us."

Giving her two girls looks at that, they stopped her questioned words she was going to ask to only make her blink, as they looked to her, and to Nina, several times in utter shock and confusion before Chipana yanked her tail with holding back a pained wince, stated her own thoughts, "How is there two of My M- I mean, two of you, Mary?"

"Well, Nina is not my type of the royal race, but something related yet different, but we don't know what type." Morgana only told them after the girls introduced themselves, with the trio of guards giving each other unseen looks as to what race they mentioned to maybe tell their ruler about, as this was the first they heard of it due to being the younger generation of Goblins within the Dark Kingdom.

"If I have to say anything," Cassie began with Nina shivering as she allowed the girl to touch her wings to see the designs compared to Morgana's, "She might be fire-based or something."

"What makes you say that?" Morgana questioned her with seeing, like they and the three guards, the hope that was secretly showing in Nina's eyes at learning as to what she was by them at least, and simply made the mentioned girl tremble slightly in place from her wing's membrane being lightly touched from Cassie using her fingers on her flame decaled parts, "The pattern on her wings is a obvious sign. That, and she did tell us she hates being cold earlier."

Nina at least did nod to Casssie at that as she did mention she hates truly cold environments, especially ice-based waters with recalling to when she was three, she needed thermal bindings and more to keep her body warm with her barely recalling yet stayed close to her brother and his mother the entire time for warmth, when they visited the Frost Fairy Kingdom for something, within the Chilled Mountains that's closer to three-thousand or so miles away from her home.

"I don't think so, but maybe her infinity is to fire, but not herself," Chipana stated from seeing Nina closely with Morgana gazing at her for a moment and looking at Nina closely then, and blinked only once and figured Chipana was maybe right from her sensing somehow, that was the case.

Nina turned to Morgana by her perplexed question to her, from motioning her hand in an upside-down cupped motion, to maybe prove something, "Maybe if you do this like you're holding onto something with closing your eyes, and looking inside yourself, we can see if that;s true?"

"And by that, you mean try and look for something inside me?" Nina questioned back in an obvious statement, to only get the three girls to nod once at her to know she guessed right, sighed, and recalled her big brother about meditation techniques that her step-mother, Griselda, does at times to relax and decided to give it a try… Before opening her eyes from the three girl's gasping at her with seeing the guards jaws drop, and glanced at her one hand she was focusing on and stilled at seeing the flames in question.

The fire that was around the size of a small baseball and easily molding onto her entire hand without damaging anything, was a perfectly mix blend of being purple-red and a hued golden color within the palm of her hand, and was oddly both soothing and nicely warm and with Morgana not being burned by it to when she touched the flames, by asking if she can, as inside the Potter Girl herself and unlike the other two girls with them as they too touched it, something ancestral was unlocked to be infused with her own infinity of flames, not known to her that is.

Once Nina dismissed it by waving her hand a few times and feeling that unlocked warmth gently spread throughout her entire body, they were rather surprised in mixed shock and awe that her wing's membrane design shifted and no longer saw the fire decals on them, but just the membrane itself, and Nina soon felt that her secretive pain for years was no longer there anymore within her body, especially her heart area for the last few weeks.

Though they noticed the back of her wings held unusual ancient words or runes of sorts to perplex the four by, even the guards.

"That was interesting," Nina stated to herself after a few moments with Morgana smiling at her in a pleased way, and Chipana and Cassie not envious of this but felt like they may have accomplished something for what Nina was, somehow, from what they all felt before Morgana recalled something, and nearly made both Cassie and Chipana sweat drop to themselves at forgetting this too, "Wait, who did you mean that was kidnapped with you two?"

"I think The Bog King took Dawn," Cassie tells Morgana to make them all see Morgana hold the bridge of her nose, and appeared to be mentally counting down to a number before she responded and making the trio with her blink, alongside the guards narrowing their eyes suspiciously at her, and to make the two girls she was asking to think for a moment or two, "Did you guys sense anything off about when you were at the festival?"

"Not really, but we did feel something else was observing this entire thing once he crashed the festival party, or someone in the crowd was watching us." Cassie admitted from their conversion between her and Chipana in a quiet sense before they arrived into Nina's Lab, and Morgana stiffened at that, but soon relaxed somewhat and nodded, as she felt like she too, was being watched and not by good intentions at that, while here, but didn't want to worry her girls over this, "Alright, but I hope it isn't that one snake-masked guy trying to stalk us again."

Seeing they confused Nina, they explained as to whom they were talking about not knowing that in the ceiling above, there was an invisible fiery and small eyeball of sorts, listening in on their conversations and viewing all their actions as well.

"That guy sounds very scary," Nina admits alongside seeing the three guards only nod in agreement at that from overhearing things, and also at the same time, being extras in a card game Morgana was teaching them and Nina, as the girls already knew what it was: Go Fish, with the spare large playing cards she brought in her hammerspace, and made Morgana nod as she got two three of ace and hearts from Cassie from asking her, and playing the six set of twos down, "Yep, and something I don't want to experience ever again."

Nina was about to play her cards down before they all stilled as both The Bog King, and Griselda, came into the area to see things, and raised a wordless eyebrow at his now sheepish-looking half-sibling in a wordless question, what is this, "It's a game Mary is teaching us, Big Brother." Was her only reply to this as he nodded once in both mixed understanding and confusion, and knew at least the three guards were still doing their task, while also entertaining his in-stay guests and prisoners, "Indeed."

Though he only took notice from Griselda finally taking note of both Morgana and Nina, and went wide-eyed at not realizing things as well as she pointed out with a suspicious gesture to his half-sister, and to Morgana, and back with a finger, "Say… Why do you two look like you're related or something?"

Morgana, hearing what she could guess was the former queen of the kingdom, shrugged with winning the game and amused The Bog King from his three chosen guards angrily placing their cards down in jest, "Not really, My Lady, as we might be related as a species…" And Nina finished for her with taking a bite of some cookies Morgana saved from Sunny's stash he gave her earlier as well, "And maybe different subspecies, like the other Goblins, Mama."

Griselda understood that very easily at least, alongside The Bog King, but she asked curiously, seeing they were going to try and play a different card game next, "So what species is that?" The Bog King was suspicious by the brief shocked eyes his mother had, and kept it until later to ask her what she knew, as the children didn't notice it, alongside his three chosen guards, "Well, My Lady, I'm a Royal Type… The last one is that of The Chaosarinians, and I think Nina is something related to my race, but a variant type."

"Oh? Alright. But you girls behave since I need to check on something," Griselda tells them all and quickly leaves before her son could object, and causing him to sigh and blinked as he did take a cookie from his sister, and question Morgana further as to whom she is related to, and made both Nina and him stilled in hidden shock as he was roped into playing poker with using some sweets instead of coin, as currency for it and betting, "Well, I forgot to mention I'm also the daughter of Lucifer and Ophis, the Fallen Archangel Demoness of Pride and Leader of her Hell Sector that I forgot what is was called, and the Nothing Drake… But I don't know who my other parents are as I did a test that stated it won't be ready for me until I prove myself to them, or something. But I am the birth child of Lily and James Potter."

By that is all and holy… The Bog King warily thought for once and the implications of keeping her prisoner was maybe a mistake, but knew he had to keep going as planned anyways to try and nab the Love Potion back, and shook his head with telling not only Morgana, bit her other two friends, to what h thinks, then, "Be as it may, you three are still bound to my kingdom until further notice, to where I don't have a use for you." He grinned though at seeing his hand from the explanation of it, and placed down a straight flush hand before looking at Morgana as she grinned back and placed down a royal flush hand instead, and took his stash.

"She tends to get lucky by natural means, Sire," Chipana decided to tell The Bog King at least in a decent way to make him frown, but perked up at seeing after they shuffled, saw he had a full house and kept it to himself, "I see… But at least you are not crazed, like in legends of Malaise the Insane," and seeing he got their attention, told them of the legendary story that took place five-thousand or so years before his time as the King of the Dark Forest, and after, made Morgana mixed with allowing him to win the game as he only got rid of the cards he didn't need while telling his story.

Basically, everyone, was that the story he told was a magic user type of Morgana's kind, at least to what the records stated from the Dark Forest Archives as a lesson plan before he came to be king, that the male entity came to this dimensional realm for peace, but was eventually taken, and used in a way he was possessed by a dark spirit, the same exact spirit who regained a body and more for the Dark One to appear, in the one war in later years and other things, but was defeated with his lover holding onto his dying form and was made a statue somewhere on the Plains of Woe, a league or two away from the Fairy Kingdom and even a small city built around it.

After some time with The Bog King at least winning one game, within the span of a half-hour or so, he got up and stretched, and blinked as he only nodded to who the trio guessed was an extra prisoner, "I take it you took Dawn?" Morgana asked him, as yes, she knew about it but wanted to confirm it, "Yes… As annoying as she is at this moment," Was his response after he nodded.

Puzzled by what he meant as the trio knew she wasn't annoying at all, eccentric and flirty with the males, yes, but not annoying, he paused as he needed to resume his kingly duties to his kingdom, and told the three guards as they nodded and being secretly intrigued by the board game she was getting out next for her, her two girls, and nina to play next that was four-player, "If they want to leave this room or Nina's chambers, they may do so with you escorting them to said places… Even provide a tour, so they can recall things."

Once he left, Morgana paused from bringing the game out and placed it back into her hammerspace, and asked the three girls with her and with Rucks, Tucks, and Lulus groaning to themselves at not expecting to do so now, "Would you guys want to get out and see this place fully?"

---

With Marianne, she was finally nearing the outskirts of the Dark Forest, and eventually she landed near one of the many root archways with doubt and uncertainty showing easily from her posture, and face.

Her fear of flashback images and whatnot from a few years ago is what is making her stop and not go forward at all, and stilled as she sharply turned from hearing a male chuckle, and was baffled by seeing an unusual person sitting on a rock and casually eating apples, but it was none other than Bwonsamdi himself.

"What be ta mattah der, child? Ta fears keepin' ya back?" He asked her while taking a large chunk of a bite of some type of fruit she had never seen before, and despite being wary of his appearance, only made him raise an eyebrow at her defiance and denial by saying, "NO! No! I mean, I'm not afraid of entering that forest."

"Oh really now? Then why you be tremblin' in ta place then? Hmm?" He called her out as indeed she was trembling in place only slightly, and stopped herself before stilling and sharply looking at the Death God, not known to her at the time that is, as he commented then with hearing once again the crispy-like crunch from the fruit he was slowly eating as if, he was savoring it, "So if ya fears be keepin' ya at ta bay, so you be not rescuin' ya kin and wee friends?"

"How did you…" Marianne trailed off in utter shock at him as Bwonsamdi only let out a slight chuckle while taking another bite of his fruit and swallowed before he responded with a glint to his eyes, "I be known' me wee ways around ta realms, Child. Dat, and I knowin' one of the Younglings, personally, Mon. Particularly if der gonna be big events happenin' real sooner than later that the one Youngling's own mater, out of her wee concern, requirin' me to make sure she be havin' a good ol' time in dis realm of yours that wasn' that hard to enter from within Ardenweald, due to da Queen be lettin' me go and more tings that would go ovah ya wee head."

Indeed, Marianne was perplexed before seeing him toss a small bag, to which made her be perplexed as it was a dimly glowing blue seed of sorts and reluctantly pocketed the small item onto her person with telling her in a way, he was informing her of things, "That wee seedlin' be important ta ya eventual future problem, Mon. By what ya Ma requested of wee Ol' Bwonsamdi himself, from her own wee plains of da afterlife, that, and knowin' in time da wee child herself be calling another into dis realm with aid of the Queen's wee help in matters, again."

Wondering as to what kind of queen he was ranting on about as he got up and tossed the core of what she was guessing as a their-sized apple of sorts, and startled her at him summoning a unusual vortex or gateway for himself with a few stretches here and there, and gave her a bit of small advice, "Fears do keep ya back, Child, but day also prevent tings goin' forward in life. Conquer dem, and you wee self be no longer in fear of that forest evah again."

Once gone, she glanced warily back to the forest with recalling to what the unusual entity said, and with placing things for later as to how he knew her mother, and took a deep breath and began to sing to herself knowing Dawn and her friends were counting on her to save them.

Marianne: "There's no way, I'm going to sit this one out~. I gotta take a chance now~. Not be a prisoner of doubt~…"

Determined by her small sing-pep-talk, she narrowed her eyes by gazing past the archway and into the forest, and spread her wings, and sang more to herself then.

Marianne: "I'm coming…"

She then flew into the Dark Forest, Heartsbane extended and fully out in case of things, and avoided some fly traps that nearly took her left leg with eventually sheathing her sword, stopped herself from being stuck on a spider's web and moved onwards to some plants that curled outwards from touching one in a spontaneous reaction of a way, and avoided some patrolling Goblins that nearly captured her due to the first one she was discovered by, alerted them with a horn.

The brunette princess was then in the air a bit further in a clearing part of the Dark Forest to scout out where the direction to the Dark Kingdom was, and spotted an easier pathway with admitting to herself as the light of the moon reflected off her wings only slightly, "Well, you wanted adventure, now you got it."

If she would have stayed where she was in the air, she would have been struck by a sickly-green orb that zoomed further into the sky as on the ground in plain sight was the one cloaked male with cross pupils who scowled, and vanished into a plume of dark smoke.

---

With both Sunny and Pare within the Fairy Kingdom's borders and land, they have been chasing The Imp this entire time with little to no success at retrieving the Love Potion, with them currently riding some dragonflies with The Imp taking off on all fours from spotting them, and them spotting him.

As they were zooming closer to him, Sunny's plan came into effect as they each got their own rope to try and wrap around the smirking and fleeting Imp himself, with Sunny quickly asking Pare then, "Ready?" He only responded with a firm nod, "Yeah."

"Take the other side! Wait for my signal! Now!" Sunny tells him as they each throw their own respective ropes at The Imp, to which he had a glint of mischief in his beady eyes and it was slight slow motion as the rope missed The Imp with the troublemaker easily leaping into the air to avoid capture, but the ropes wrap themselves firmly against a single small twig of a growing tree, instead, and breaking it with it going right at them.

The duo screamed back and forth in a comical sense before they were forcibly taken off their now zooming dragonfly mounts, and tied up on a white flower's stem by their own plan backfiring on them, and in a grossed out way by Sunny, kissing Pare by this outcome and spitting to the side with struggling to move to do that. After that, Para mostly tells himself aloud from the situation they were tricked into, "Oh, man. At least it can't get any worse."

Sunny stopped struggling after that with seeing something Pare didn't, hid the urge to nervously gulp by, and told him to make the bigger Elf to glance and stilled like Sunny was, "It just did." It was the exact same female lizard the Elf himself ran from, and it was obvious from the healed eye that still held the dried remains of blueberries on it.

"So, your eye seems to be healing well." Sunny warily states to the female lizard before they both closed their eyes in demised waiting at the lizard opens her mouth to try and devour them, only to be perplexed and saw The Imp was on top of the reptile's head and love dusted her, and instead of eating them, began to lick them in adoration like a lost puppy or dog.

"Ok, stop that." Sunny tells the female lizard as she did so, and was wagging her tail just like a oversized dog would as a reptile and lightly panting, with the duo seeing The Imp was still on her with the female lizard going to try and nuzzle the duo and takes off in glee after giving them a mocking salute, with Sunny ignoring what Pare said about him being cute, but stated that the lizard liked them, and shouted loudly in irritation, "Get back here!"

---

It was forty minutes later that within the throne room, The Bog King, and even the current Goblins within the room itself were miserable as Dawn's voice echoed slightly through the walls closer to the throne chamber, with ten or so minutes beforehand Morgana and the three girls, which included his sister and the three guards, left with the tour still going on.

Dawn (echoing voice): "No~, I can't forget this evening~, or your face as you were leaving!"

His mother came into the chamber with her telling her son then, and waving the song Dawn was singing off, "Oh, don't let her sunny sweetness flamflumble you. Not your type. Now, I've found someone who is positively perfect for you." It was at that point his mother waved over a purple female fly named Giselle, who reluctantly yet excitedly waved as this was her first time being inside the Dark Kingdom as he only waved his mother off to disappoint the female fly herself at getting rejected, "Not now, mother."

"I'm not giving up on you," she only tells her son before they turned to see a Goblin bring the imprisoned Sugar Plum Fairy as her demeanor changed upon seeing her, and the blue fairy herself seeing the former queen. "Griselda," The Sugar Plum Fairy greeted neutrally as Griselda did the same, "Sugar Plum."

"It;s so amusing how you keep trying," Sugar Plum admitted to Griselda in a way, she was mocking her to make a scowl appear on her face, and responded in retort back with her main hand in the air to try and prove a point as she stood next to her son as he come over to the placed cage, "You're one to talk, with your magic recipe for failure!"

While barely holding his ears with his hands, as not known to everyone the girls and the guards out of sheer reluctance, were leading them to the dungeons at this point, from hearing Dawn that is, stated to The Sugar Plum Fairy who was only amused by the karma of the kingdom's situation, "Well, the recipe's working now! Isn't it?"

"Oh, it works." She only tells them both with The Bog King gritting out to her growing amusement of the situation, still, "I need the antidote!" Though his mother responded in being perplexed and annoyed by the female blue fairy, and gestured with an obvious thumb to her ruler of a son, "Oh, it works? Pah! Then explain what happened to this one." The Bog King snarled at this though with his mother noticing, and admitted in slight recallings, despite the fallout they had she still loved the dead oaf, "You have your father's smile!"

It was then Brutus alerted them at recognizing the next song Dawn was about to sing somehow, to which he refused to let anyone else know why, to them all, "Wait I know this song! Cover up!"

Dawn (echoing): "I can't live~ if living without you~!"

"Give me the antidote!" The Bog King growled out in loud demand to which The Sugar Plum Fairy while still amused, gave him a firm look with responding back in retort of his threat, and even making dust-like bars once again as an example of her current predicament, "And what will you do if I refuse? Lock me away?" She then mocked-singing the song Dawn was singing of the verse, I can't live, as the Goblins appeared they couldn't take it anymore.

"Oh! I'll do it myself!" He took of in speed to the dungeons as at this point, Morgana was saddened that Dawn refused to at least acknowledge them with the trio of Goblin's being their guarded escort, at least thankful of making it they couldn't hear the blonde princess from singing alongside her two girls and the Princess of the Dark Kingdom herself, from how powerful to what they were told by the guards at least, of the Love Potion does to a person.

They wwe all of course still close by her cage of course, but was eating a snack offered by Rucks of a kabob mix of meat of sorts, which was good, but Morgana wasn't hungry with her two girls giving each other knowing looks about her mood.

Dawn: "I can't live~ anymore~!"

Dawn sadly sighed to herself with looking heartbroken, before Morgana and the others saw the blonde princess instantly perk up with seeing The Bog King was flying and landed in front of her cage before flying back a few inches or so and out of her grabbing reach, and told her firmly, "If you don't keep your mouth shut, I'm going to rip your wings off, my pretty little fairy princess!" He even demonstrated with hand signals to make Morgana give a look to a sheepish Nina as she seemed to understand better than they did, alongside the guards themselves as he did notice them but his main focus was on Dawn.

"Oh, flirt!" Dawn states with adoration to him and even flicking his nose once he was in front of her cage, and he jumped back as he had a boutonniere made by her onto his left part of his chest, "What is that?"

"I made it special for you," Dawn only tells him with adoration still, and startled by that, stated to himself while gazing at the decoration, "For… Me?" Not deterred by his shocked words, she added to him as to Morgana and Nina at least, it did appear good on him, "It looks good on you."

"I don't…" The Bog King began with gazing at Dawn who responded again in expecting his honest answer, "I hope you like it." He was having doubts they could see, and began to respond, "This isn't-" he saw Dawn's hopeful face, with despite the potion, he oddly didn't want to hurt her feelings and reluctantly told her then, "Well… Thank you. It's… Lovely."

The Goblin guards were glad their ears were enchanted right now as Dawn began to sing the one song to herself, out of being excited and pleased he liked her gift, and with him trying to stop her from singing right now, "No, no, no! What you're feeling is the potion, you know!" She was still singing the song to herself with her being oblivious as he gently patted her hand from 'I can't help myself', "I suppose you don't."

"Stop!" He eventually tells her as to his surprise, she does within moments and with seeing the heart sigils once again within her pupils at that, and decided to state with the group watching as Dawn looked suddenly sleepy by his suggestion, "You must be tired from all that singing. Why don't you take a wee nap? I promise I won't go far." Dawn did yawn and was going onto the soft mushroom in the cell to sleep, yet before he could turn around, she asked tiredly to him, "Wait! Please tell me your name?"

"I am The Bog King!" He declared as he realized he didn't introduced himself to the blonde fairy once she was uncovered from the rucksack earlier, an ignored his sister's soft chuckles at his posture to show off, and faltered by Dawn tiredly stating to him then in a lovey-dovey nickname, "My Boggy-Woggy Kingy-Wingy!"

"Bog King," he corrected her yet she kept going with her indeed trying to go to sleep as ordered by the spell of the potion, making him order anything out of her to do so without rejection, "Boggy-Kingy-Wingy," and he corrected her again, "King," "Kingy-Wingy," "King", he stated it firmly at that time in irritation before seeing she did go to sleep and told her a quiet good night at least, before ignoring his sister's and the other's faces of being jumpscared by Bernard the beak Goblin, and the one who almost caught Sunny from before.

Though Nina wasn't affected, Morgana sniffed something weird for only a few moments from not knowing she sniffed used particles of the Love Potion, as it flowed into her bloodwork and bodily system, in moments, from the rapid movement Dawn did moments before.

"News, your majesty," Bernard began with The Bog King hushing him at how loud he was speaking by closing the doors as quietly as he could to not disturb the blonde fairy princess, "Quiet! She's asleep!"

"Sorry," Bernad tells him sheepishly from just realizing that in a quieter yet normal voice, yet motioned with his hands and body to soon upset The Bog King by his next set of informative words, "There's been reports of creatures being love dusted."

"Bring them-" he stopped himself from shouting in anger and coughed, and stated in firm order in a quieter tone, "Bring them in. Bring them all in." And once Bernard left in haste to give out orders as told, he turned to the small group with a raised eyebrow at his quietly whistling trio of guards as he questioned them with seeing the disappointment from Morgana mainly at what they discovered, "I hope your curiosity pleases you?"

"I didn't expect Dawn to just fully ignore us as she did for a time," Morgana quietly responded to see she was getting concerned looks from Chipana and Cassie at those words and tone she held, and concern showing on Nina and the trio of Rucks, Tucks, and Lulus themselves that The Bog King saw, sighed with giving looks to the trio of guards to not mention this, and awkwardly patted the girl's right shoulder with explaining a bit, "Those under that potion, will do whatever their love with tell them to do, and their desire is to please them and more, and their main focus will be only to them and them alone."

Morgana did have unshed tears by this as her mindset was wrong, apparently from what she thought the potion did, yet only nodded wordlessly to him with ignoring her body warming up for some reason, as he suggested to his sister, "Why don't you take them to the kitchens and see what is for tonight?"

Once he saw they were out of earshot, he sighed with rubbing his face with his left hand in mixed feelings of being irritable and more, yet stilled and turned to see a cloaked male of sorts, drinking some type of beverage and soon realized he wasn't alone though as to his actual shock, it seems whatever the male was, was here to observe as the other person was… "Father? You're supposed to be dead!"

To mention the father, he was around the same height as his grown son, yet he wore gothic yet militaristic style of the armor the Fairy Kingdom wore in darker-green and brown mixed colors with his skin having a sickish yet healthy perplexion resembling more to a fairy with a dark tan, then a Goblin's own skin tone. He also wore a dark-oak crown with silver etchings within it, and looked to be the age he died from, around his late twenties or thirties, with being quite handsome to the face, despite it being gentle yet sharp looking, and having hazel eyes that glitter from the light, and weirdly, a faint yet blue misty aura around his bodily form.

Seeing Aeroza giving a wordless nod for the former king to continue, he went over to The Bog King, and with a look his son was perplexed by and stilled by saying these few words, "I am sorry."

"You're sorry?" The Bog King exclaimed quietly due to knowing Dawn was still fast asleep in the one cell close by, and pulled out all his feelings to his wincing father, "You're the one who walked out on mother for Nina's own! Yes, I love my half-sister so, but you cheated on my mother for her kind of race that Lady Morgana's is!"

"True, so true, as I still love her and my other in the afterlife with me," his father admits in honest truth to make any retort from The Bog King, to be placed on hold as he continued with a long confession it seemed to his son, "Even though I feel in love with Nania Oakflight, it wasn't fate or destiny that brought us together, but of conflict as she, too, was a soldier on the field of battle. Things kept on going from there on out during the conflict within the battle while you were not made aware, within the boundaries of the Triangu Ocean, was a uncharted land we fought and more at against enemies to which, I fear may have reached to our lands and the Fairy Kingdom as we speak, and to reawaken things that should not have been kept forgotten about. I know your mother, Griselda of my Shining Spark, understood as it was three or so years of conflict and protecting the inhabitants of those lands itself from the enemy we did defeat, but the cost of my and many lives to make you ruler of this kingdom, My Son."

"What enemy do you speak of?" The Bog King questioned firmly, to which Aeroza gave his father a look to which he nodded in a wordless 'May I' gesture, "It is an enemy that has invaded this realm countless of times and only a select few rulers who abid in secret ways, fought with chosen soldiers who could withstand the effects they gave off, which includes possession amongst other things. The group is part of a greater whole though, and one such is known to involve The Shadow Lords, and another to a small group of demons once serving a corrupt titan-based god now to something far darker to the loyal demons of the former master they once served, either willingly or by force, to a twin of a corrupted old god. Especially the servants and lords. Though the threat your father and Lady Nina's own mother fought were none of these, but of an army that has been a constant threat for eons of my own existence… The Corrupt, and the use of dark-based beings to which, only has been kept secret due to the World Order and laws abiding by it. Enslaved beings, and not willing, I might add."

With this being a lot to take in, Aeroza then decided to change the subject with motioning to his father once again, as the former king himself was standing in front of his son, "He has a few more words to say to you before I take him back into his afterlife with Nina's mother, as yes like he said, they're both awaiting for Griselda in the afterlife to join them."

Despite wanting to know fully who Aeroza was, he saw his fathers now forlorn look as he began to tell him then, with a hand on his left shoulder to know this was not a dream, but truly happening as his father's touch was slight warmth mixed with ice, "My Son… Nina and the one child in related to her species are in danger. Nina back then was caught in a crossfire as a babe to the Shadow Flame by a dark dragon that was with the army we vanquished, to which cost my and her mother's life during the war that ended in the lands I told you about. Her wings were a former sign of that, but with being in presence of Lady Morgana, that healed her but at the same time, places a price on their very heads to if they are used, would be catastrophic to a plan that is set in motion by the enemy that has been abiding it's time to strike against all."

"Then I can keep them both safe within my walls." The Bog King informed the former king to which his father only shook his head no, to him, "They may be safe for now, but the enemy has already laid eyes on them, all three enemies that Lord Aeroza has mentioned, and to others they know very well. Lady Morgana's sister named Belle, is vulnerable in her condition of having twins, but knows that if anything happens to her, and to Lady Morgana's loved ones and even friends, she may end up going into a berserking rage once again if they are truly hurt or worse." That didn't sound good at all to The Bog King, and only asked his father for advice, "So what should I do?"

"Nothing at this time, but know that if it is required, you may use the staff bestowed as ruler to you to aid you in battle, but if it must occur, they must follow Nina's improved map to The Temple of Winter Queen, as these darker forces will try and devastate the lands themselves, like before with the Dark One I faced with King Dagda in our youth before I was sent to when you were just becoming a young teen, to the lands I died from."

"So you and the Fairy King were part of that war, but you were to be no more than young men?" The Bog King states to which his father nodded in agreement, "Yes, but it did cost many sides to all the folk as well, and we did as the books state of the former body the Dark One had, as it did aid all parties in resources needed."

It was here after those words, he gave his son a firm look to which The Bog King took full attention to, "Back to things, if either child… Morgana or Nina, was used in such a way that their powers they have will be used as part of it. Lady Morgana most of all, as Nina is also part of the conflict of being considered as a key of this world to reawaken something that the Dark One failed to do, especially the follower that brought that beast to existence. A secret that was sealed off for ten-thousand years to which may be buried in the archives by our ancestor, Makilia the Brave."

The Bog King nodded as he wasn't that adept at reading, but has a few smarter minions that could maybe aid in this plight, if things were this serious but blinked with seeing Aeroza made him look to the cloaked man, "That, and the Love Potion must be recovered as that is one of the main things needed lastly by them, and the two children themselves."

"So it is more than love dust then?" The Bog King warily asked to only get shakes from both his father and Aeroza, as the cloaked man corrected him, "It is considered the essence of love in particle forms for either forcing out the loves of one other and then to reveal that to themselves, but it is a key ingredient to leading to a artifact that will bring forth doom to your realm and several others if used in the right way, as things are not always as they seemed."

Not liking how cryptic Aeroza was at the end of his words, both father and son saw the man sigh while pulling out to what appeared to be a silvery-like pocket watch that looked like a steampunk yet old fashion styled design and not liking the face it showed, it seemed, before telling the duo, "I will have to return your father's spirit back to the Afterrealm, King of the Dark Woods, but you can bond for at least twenty or so minutes before I do, and will telling brief things while I make sure that Morgana's kin is alright." He then made The Bog King jump in place as he vanished without anything to go back on.

---

Meanwhile within the Fairy Kingdom lands, what Bernard states was true.

The Imp was using the potion to love dust random people who needed actual love, for both trickery and wanting others to fall in love by any means, as so far the victims were a tortoise and a field mouse, one of the Dark Kingdom's shroom folk and someone from Sunny's village that were opposite of gender; a male shroom and female citizen, and even a toad with the former fairy that Roland fell in love with before he broke it off with her named Jelia, who was secretly bi-sexual of course.

The Imp awed at the sight of the toad and fairy with a glint at knowing there was more to that dusted pair then it seemed before taking off, from hearing Sunny shout at him, and resumed chasing the white furred creature with Pare right behind the brown-haired Elf.

The duo chased The Imp for sometime and leaping over obstacles and whatnot, and even avoiding a angry or grump large beetle that was randomly crushing some rocks close to it, with The Imp hearing them state something to each other and wasn't even paying attention as he ran, and maneuvered them with leaping over a branch and giving them a wordless gesture of sayonara, before being caught within the maw of the same lizard he dusted for them. The potion glowing in obvious pink light within the maw as well.

"Hey you!" Sunny began before seeing he caught the female lizard's blinking attention to which he corrected with the creature nodding, and revealing her name they gave her, "No, no, no. Not you, Lizzie. That little thing inside. We caught you fair and square! Hand it over!"

In a comedic sense, The Imp pokes his hands out from within Lizzie's maw and was doing a deep-thinking gesture with the duo of Elves, guessing he was using his tail to hold the potion to have a debate over himself at this, "Oh, yeah, sure. Go ahead and think. I'll just wait for you at the other end of the lizard." Sunny told him in a wry remark to himself as The Imp didn't hesitate on giving them the potion right there and then, and not wanting to be lizard food or worse.

"Spit," Sunny told Lizzie gently to which she did, not out of love but as a friend and animal companion now, from what the duo Elves knew, with Pare singing to himself a few moments as the two Elves were now on the female lizard's head and going on their way with Sunny firmly grasping the Love Potion and making sure it was secure of course, and with Sunny telling Lizzie was a 'Good girl' as the Lizzie may be smart, but she is also having qualities of a tamed yet loyal dog.

Pare did see The Imp was depressed and more, before seeing him look at the larger Elf as he was gleeful now by the whistle to get his attention and come-with gesture, and joined them yet if the four stayed where they were, they would have been encountering the cloaked man with the ape mask, who scowled at not getting the item yet had an idea, and left in a dark vortex.

Meanwhile, ten minutes or so later, Roland and with his army, alongside his three lackeys, were marching onwards into the Dark Forest with Roland inwardly pleased as he not only has two backup plans now in case he needed to get his way with Marianne, but more, from accepting the deal he made with the person by giving him a worthless gemstone to his family's treasure.

Of course, he was riding his stead, Chipper, and was in front of the army provided by King Dagda of course.

"In such darkness as this, we must be ever vigilant." Roland tells himself more to the army, as they were stating things he ignored as he was prideful as they kept going, "Clearing is exactly what we're gonna do to this foul forest. Stealthily, we shall sneak up on... Who would live in this? Wipe that off, will you?" He handed his weapon to a random Elf soldier walking near him that looked grossed and startled out by the cobwebs he got on it from ruining a spider's webbing, and making the creature relocate to a better place to make a new home.

Before he did that, he pointed at a centipede crossing their path and stated again to the army, "Low! A creature with no face," as if it understood that remark, would be seemingly appearing to be glaring at them before moving on with a huff, and remarked to his army, "Watch for grotesqueries at every corner. Imagine the most unimaginable danger."

They all then felt heavy thuds from the ground itself to make Roland weary over with him then stating more to himself, "That's probably nothing," and then there were more heavy thudding sounds and rumbling as they prepared themselves… Only for them to realize as they came to them, it was Sunny, Pare, The Imp, and Lizzie themselves.

Of course the army and even Rolan waved the dust and debris away from the movement Lizzie did while running and stopping, however.

"Hey Roland! Thank you! Thank you!" Sunny greeted the blonde male fairy while also addressing the army, and they were astounded like he was, at how the browned-haired Elf was able to tame such an accomplished achievement of a beast, "Wait, wait! How did you get that to…" Roland began with trailing off as Sunny responded eagerly back, and shaking gently the Love Potion within his hold, still, "She fell in love with me!" Pare though corrected Sunny, "Me too! Us! Is that wrong?"

The army and Roland understood about the Love Potion and it's effects, as it seems that the two Elves got the female lizard to act like a loyal dog-like stead instead of what is intended, thankfully, with Roland getting a glint in his eyes by Sunny's next set of words to them all, "I also got the Love Potion!"

"Yeah, wow! You must really need that potion." Roland states loudly to get Sunny be perplexed as he tries to correct the blonde male fairy then, "Wait! I got it for-" "Dawn! You got it for Princess Dawn." Roland interrupts his words to make Sunny wince at the slight truth to it, ignoring the 'Oooing' the army did with also Roland winking at that, but it was mainly for the soldier boy himself, "And well done for a little guy! Squish." He made Sunny wince again at the comment, seeing from Roland's view he used his hand to indeed indicate Sunny's small height.

"I got it… I got it… I got it for Dawn," Sunny tried to correct the blonde soldier boy, but admitted defeat both Pare and The Imp saw, as Roland was pleased by that, and snatched the Love Potion from Sunny in haste while telling the brown-haired Elf then, "I better take that... To keep it safe. Thank you, tiny rabbit!" Roland told The Imp as he tried to nab the potion back, but was grabbed by his ears firmly, and tossed thankfully right at Pare, as The Imp snarled for only a moment in irritation with rubbing his left ear slightly at Roland for that, and also giving the blonde soldier boy a raspberry as a wordless response to his treatment by him.

"It's almost moondown. Hold on, Dawn. I'm coming!" Sunny noticed with the army murmuring and more at this as he admitted loudly to confirm his crush, "Okay, okay! Yes! I love her! You know! Come on, Lizzie! Let's go!" Sunny soon tells the female lizard as she only nodded once in agreement as she was holding back the urge to growl at Roland's actions to what the lizard knew of being her owner by now, as such, as Roland stopped them.

"Halt!" He declared to the army as they repeated the same word back, and told Sunny firmly to which he blinked at alongside Pare and The Imp, "I lead." And Chipper gave the female lizard an apologetic look as Roland nudged his squirrel stead forward and was in front, with Sunny sighing to himself, with thinking about Dawn the most, and with hints of his friends being kept within the Dark Kingdom.

---

It was a few hours or so later within the night with Marianne, that she saw the Goblin Army escorting to what she guessed was love-dusted people to which she was also grossed out of one fairy trying to kiss a frog, and with said Goblin behind her telling the female fairy no smooching at all, and followed them up to the point to The Dark Kingdom's entrance with being able to see the slight glinting glow the entrance had in weary doubt of her rushed plan she made for herself, after think-flying to try and find the place do to how vast the forest was.

She decided to try and find a way in for herself, as within the castle at this point, Morgana and the three girls; Cassie, Chipana, and Nina, were having to what Morgana recalled her friend, Danielle "Dani" Dennison, and a few others mentioned of what they as a small group was doing: A Girl's Slumber Party.

Rucks and Tucks reluctantly gave up their stolen sweet stash for the party while positioned outside and eating a few of them, while Lulus owed Brutus of sorts earlier when he asked his bigger brother for some of his treats as well… Despite them looking weird, they tasted good from the first bite onwards, and with Lulus going to fetch drinks as requested though.

Though despite the small party, Morgana hid things of her not feeling well, she was acting fine to what the trio of girl's noticed, and were currently playing Twister, with Xal'atath being out and observing this in amusement next to her as she was in odd coincidences, the holder of the spinner, and the three girls were in compromised positions.

Morgana felt like if they slept at least an hour ago, they would miss out on things, but not sure as to why. A feeling the Potter Heiress felt.

"Left hand blue," was all Morgana said before she hid an amused wince as the three tripped by Nina's tail being in the way, and landed on top of each other with a laugh as it seemed that Cassie won the second game of Twister.

"That was great, another round?" Nina told them with a slight pant before suggesting to the trio, to which Morgana thought and shook her head no, "Maybe something else, as it is late but we're not tired just yet." It was at that point Lulus came back with their bubbling drinks to make Morgana, Chipana, and Cassie raise their eyes at from the sides of the cups they held easily fizzing suds and gave off a slight warmth of steam at the top of them as well, as Nina eyeballed them curiously since she gleefully accepted hers, and asked from seeing their weary faces, "Never tried Bubbled Juice before?"

"Can't say we have," Chipana told her as the trio wondered what type of juice was it, and being braver of the three, Morgana took a sip of hers before they were surprised alongside the guards that glanced, down hers with gusto as she saw her girls do the same to a pleased look from Nina at trying one of her few favorite sweet drinks, "It's like a fizzy and warm fruit punch."

"It is made from apples and few other fruits from their juices in a unique way I want to try and make my own someday, for myself mostly," Nina admits as Lulus was glad he brought a full large tray of the drinks, as this time, Morgana was gently sipping hers to fully enjoy the flavor her second drink has.

"But I thought you were into things only a scientist does?" Morgana though asked Nina to perplex her then only nodded in understanding by what Cassie corrected and told her in small information, as to what that was, "What Mary means is that they tend to experiment and do other things like you do, but with more fancy things and chemicals and whatever."

"It's mostly a hobby of course, as I rarely ever leave home as is until I'm deemed old enough by Mama and Big Brother, but when I do, I would like to at least have something to go by with currency being involved so I don't have to always depend on them." Nina told her three friends to which they understood at least from her view on that.

"In truth, I only known my own mother even as a tea cup when I was cursed, and the castle staff," Chipana admitted to which Nina gave her a weird gaze at that, but understood it easily enough by the word, curse, of course, and Cassie admitted with swirling her own cup gently, "I miss my own family since Chip mentioned her mother alongside you, Nina. Though I love my own brother, I miss my other siblings and parents, despite not knowing where my elder siblings and baby sister are since I know my Mom and Dad are gone."

Morgana felt slightly guilty at this, but didn't notice the hidden glance between both Cassie and Chipana, in utter surprise, by her own confession, as they thought she was well past this, "Even though I have Belle, and many others, including my newer parents of Ophis and Lucifer, I felt like I was all alone for the most part when I was with my former caretakers. That, and the nightmares that they gave me ever since, and rarely happens at times to recall those bad memories."

Xal'atath didn't say anything but gave an understanding gaze right at her wielder at those words as if she could while in a mortal form, she would at least give that walrus a stab or two with curses involved, and the other parties as well, that caused her to feel this way for sometime, as the female weapon knew there was more holding Morgana back in past tense feelings and emotions, but she respected her enough to when she was going to come fully clean of her mistreatment.

Yes, folks, Morgana has confessed to some things, but not everything that transpired.

They then saw Nina got an idea, which the trio of girls with her gave each other a look while they took their drinks with them, and with Morgana gently grabbing with as earlier, found she gained a power to let Xal'atath float alongside her by only using a fraction of her energy by gently touching the handle a few times with pushing as mentioned, into it, by her suggestion then in excitement, "I know Big Brother isn't a girl, but maybe we can convince him to have fun with us."

As they were leaving, within the throne room itself with The Bog King in a position on his throne, thinking about his encounter with the former king, and what else he told him alongside knowing he will need the Love Potion back not out of his past issues this time, but to make sure it truly doesn't fall into the wrong hands.

Though he ignored the guard, Larry, snoring in place with using his polearm weapon as a makeshift post to lean on closeby him, and caught the notice of his other two sleepy-looking lackeys of Stuff and Thang.

"Shush him," Stuff told Thang quietly, "You shush him!" Thang responded back to which Stuff disagreed, "You're closer." Though Stuff's words were of eased observation to which Thang noticed, "You're right… SHUSH!" Thang told Larry to which made him nearly drop his weapon out of being jumped scared by Thang's loud words, in small fright, and quickly composed himself by beating his chest a few times, and glared at Thang while gripping his weapon, firmly.

"So, why don't you go and get some sleep?" The Bog King told his Goblin minions in a mix of a suggestion and order, to which they took to heart as they began to leave the room then with Stuff lightly whacking Thang's head as they remained behind, "What were you thinking?"

"Don't hate me." Thang only told Stuff as the Goblin rolled their eyes at him, and stated plainly without bite to know it wasn't true, "Too late."

"And leave me alone." The Bog King ordered as he still had to process what he learned, still, and blinked only once at Thang noticing the boutonniere still on his chest, "Nice button-ere." Though at this Thang turned to Stuff as they corrected their comrade, with them beginning to leave the room, "Not 'Button-ere', it's boutonniere." And The Bog King rolled his eyes at the two lackeys as they began to argue back and forth about the trinket Dawn made, which he took off and placed to the side.

After he made sure the thing Dawn made for him due to the potion was secured, he sighed to himself with wondering how he was going to tell his mother, and his baby sister some of the things he learned before being confused at first at the growing shadow near his throne, looked up to the skylight part of the room from the stained glass that showed the light of the moon's reflection slightly and saw something was coming, went wide-eyed, and grabbed his weapon just as the glass was easily shattered and Marianne came through it and with easily deflecting her harsh sword strike that was meant to get his attention the most.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" He stated to Marianne as she didn't look phased as they were few feet apart from each other with The Bog King no longer sitting on his throne and was in a battle stance, like she was, as she pointed Heartsbane at him and demanded firmly, "Release my sister and my friends." Marianne did roll her eyes at his next irritated words though not aimed at her, but of a complaint to himself, "Oh, no! Not another princess! Well, at least you're not singing."

Of course The Bog King had low chances of that, as that is what Marianne did while trying to attack him.

Marianne: "I'm coming straight on for you~."

The Bog King then began to easily doge Marianne's sword strikes as she sang with leading him onto his throne and making him stand and knock it over, due to parring her weapon against this own with obvious clash sounds.

Marianne: "I've made up my mind~."

After moving a bit, she taunted him as they resumed their fighting with a staff vs sword battle against each other, to which he had a glint in his eyes at her for, "Taking a little break?" He did raise his throne easily and used the sturdy structure to help deflect her sword blows on it though as she sang while trying to strike him.

Marianne: "I'm feeling strong now, now I'm coming through~."

From hearing the fighting commotion, both Stuff and Thang, which was watching the fighting take place before their eyes and seeing the two easily deflect blow after blow, Thang asked him in service, "Need any help, Sire?" After deflecting a blow, quickly gazed at Thang in a sharp look, "No." And resumed fighting Marianne after with speed-fighting in the mix, and soon they were on the two of many hanging lanterns from the throne room's ceiling.

Marianne: "I'm coming straight on for you. Yeah~! Straight on for you."

"Impressive," The Bog King states with actually having a thrill in combat against the brunette princess, as they clashes a few more times within the air itself, near the lanterns as she san still.

Marianne: "I'm coming straight on for you~."

While they fought, though, a Goblin or two are trying to keep Dawn asleep, yet the two, Marianne and The Bog King, kept at it, with a single blade clash and blowing a few stray hairs away from her face, Marianne told The Bog King then with a pointed look, "Had enough?"

"I could do this all day," He began with mixed words of being entertained and crossed due to her invading his castle, and told her as well, "But now, give me the potion!" Though when he said those words, they were fighting once again with Marianne soon mocking him while clashing a few times against his staff and her sword, in the air still, "The almighty Bog King needs a magic love potion." Getting to what he could guess at what she was suggesting as they clashed again with some maneuvering speeded movements, told her firmly and in mixed denial, "I don't need it! I want to eradicate it!"

"Well, eradicate this!" Marianne tells him with easily dislodging a loose rock with her weapon and shoved it with it's aid, at him, to which he dodged and both Stuff and Thang as it fell in front of the two, narrowingly dodge it, as the fairy princess and the ruler of the Dark Forest, hastily landed on the ground nearby it and kept fighting against each other.

Though Stuff, still seeing that their ruler might need aid, asked Thang to tell him, "Ask him. He'll appreciate it," to which Thang nodded in agreement and stated loud enough to be heard over eh staff vs sword clashing, "Okay… Need any help?"

"No!" He tells the Goblin while admitting with a smirk at Marianne, which she didn't falter yet was slightly surprised by his complemented words of combat as her sword was lodged under the gemstone, "Look at you!" Several things happened as he managed to get Heartsbane out of Marianne's grip by using his weapon to send it into the air and making it spin several times in a 360-degree motion. Firstly, she shoved him back with using self-taught martial arts during her mastery of her training of her weapon with using his staff and his own body, flipped with the aid of her wings in a full flip, and managed to catch the blade by it's handle without cutting herself while on the stray rock.

"Not bad." He said with being impressed yet The Bog King rolled his eyes from her blade being pointed under his neck before maneuvering and clashed a few times with the brunette fairy princess against Heartsbane, "Looks like you need help-" "No!" He stops his offered help once again as they clash their weapons with each other again, in several speeded maneuvering of parry and dodging attacks.

"So, is that all you got?" Marianne taunted The Bog King who huffed as they separated for only a moment to clash several times, and separated again with him telling her to perplex the princess by his words, with him swinging his staff as she clashed against it with each swing as either an expert or master of the staff.

The Bog King: "Now I know~, how to play my hand~."

"Well, I'm ready for you!" Marainne tells him in her stance and charges at him, to only have The Bog King deflect each thrust and swipe she did with his own weapon with more spiraling swings.

The Bog King: "What the winner don't know~, the gambler understands~."

"What does that even mean?" Marianne states to him at being briefly confused to only which he shrugged back at her in a mere moment before they charged-flew at each other with their weapons in front, as they sang back at each other, in retaliation.

Marianne & Bog King: "No! You don't stand a chance~! / You don't stand a chance~!"

They then managed to avoid striking blows against each other by clashing retaliation of their weapons once again, with Marianne being on the opposite side to where The Bog King was, with them struggling against each other as she sang back in retort to him.

Marianne: "I'm coming straight on for you."

"You fight well, for a fairy." The Bog King let out a hidden compliment to which Marianne thought was something else, as they clashed, retorted to only confuse him for a single moment while still paring their weapons, "Wish I could say the sem for you!" Wanting to know what she meant, he questioned her after the next clashing of their weapons to gain a smirk on her face, "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I was expecting…" she swirled fast with easily dodging and deflecting his next clash of his staff against Heartsbane with a smug look to irritate him for only a moment, "More." He did grow excited as she did at finally finding a worthy opponent in combat as they both sang at each other once again, with not knowing they were being watched the entire time half-mid-battle by not only Griselda who looked at this in hope, but also the four girls and their guards with being impressed and not known to said girls, Morgana easily saw the same line she saw between Belle, and Prince Adam, was fully formed to know things.

The Bog King: "Straight on for you~."

Marianne: "Straight on for you~."

The Bog King: "Straight on for you~."

Both Marianne and The Bog King: "Straight on for you~!"

Of course after speeding and battling each other all over the throne room, they began to look weary and tired as they casually landed onto their feet in equally shared pants, and gazed at each other wordlessly as they did so.

Marianne did struggle while aiming her sword right where the center of The Bog King's chest area was with him panting out in a way, she narrowed her eyes at him for, "Go ahead. Kill me, but you won't get your sister or friends back." It was at this awkward moment that Thang asked at least one more time to at least his king, "Need any help?"

"No!" Both Marianne and The Bog King stated at the same time to make Thang wince at his spot, before they heard clapping to make both Marianne and The Bog King to have hidden blushes for themselves at the four girls with Marianne giving a double take at seeing Nina, then to Morgana, then to Nina once again with a firm look at The Bog King yet before any compliments of their fighting could be made, they all stilled at hearing a familiar echoing voice began to sing to herself.

Dawn: "Wise~ men~ say~, only~ fools~ rush in…"

Despite Marianne looking dreadful or having an awful feeling in her gut, turned to The Bog King who looked annoyed at the song choice by her little sister and only stated with a single audible pound of his staff, "The Beast has awoken."

"Oh, no. What did she fall in love with?" Marianne reluctantly asked him with her stomach churning for a single moment at the idea of whom her sister was forced onto by the potion, and gave his weapon to his two lackeys, just like Marianne and them, stunned at that action, and stated to her in understanding and few other mixed feelings or emotions, "Would you care to find out?"

While glancing back at his staff as she sheathed Heartsbane, Marianne was perplexed why Morgana looked solemn all of a sudden as she was happy to see her, but sad by the mention of Dawn, to which The Bog King understood but didn't say anything as he let the girls follow him as in the background, Griselda knew things from what she observed and stated to herself in relief, "Finally."

Marianne as they traveled, was the only one to notice the slight tired-like and sickly look Morgana had tried to cover up, but seeing how her mood was didn't want to say anything as the six of them since The Bog King dismissed the guards to have a small break, came into the dungeons with the girls startled at how many people were here, now, alongside Marianne knowing better at hearing the love sickness of being separated by their love dusted others, within the same dungeon.

"See what happens when love is loose upon the world?" He tells the brunette fairy princess to which she was disturbed by things still, as Stuff and Thang were right behind them after rushing to them on their smaller legs with not the staff but something else, in Stuff's hand.

Stuff though told Thang to which he agreed, "Tell them to be quiet," but he wanted Stuff to do it this time, "You tell them." To which Stuff disagreed to amuse Nina and the other three girls, with Morgana only being halved due to not feeling well and still trying to hide it as it was getting worse while in the dungeons, for some reason, "Your voice cuts through better than mine." At that, he agreed with a single nod as they reached the ground floor, "True… Quiet! Be quiet! Everyone be quiet!"

"Quiet!" The Bog King told Thang harshly to which he saw the girls stayed back to allow him and Marianne to head to Dawn's cell doors, and ignored Thang's repeated words of 'Quiet' to himself, and told Marianne out of annoyed reluctance and weariness combined as he gripped both door handles, "I hope you have a strong stomach." Once he opened the cell door… Marianne was stilled at Dawn looking at The Bog King in utter adoration as she was utterly happy at quickly seeing him.

Dawn: "Sugar pie, honey bunch-"

He shut the doors quickly yet Marianne opened it to still not believing as to whom her little sister was forcibly in love with.

Dawn: "You know that I love-"

Marainne shut the doors to stop Dawn from singing that song, and turned to him in disbelief and even pointed at his awkward standing position, and only stated one word, "You?"

"Yes," he reluctantly told her in the situation as Marianne stated to him with her hands up, "Antidote?" He only told her while doing a so-so motion with his right hand to get her to understand they don't have it yet, "Working on it."

"I know she's a girl who falls in love with every guy she sees, but this is ridiculous!" Marianne stated mainly to herself aloud with a few pacing steps before she gestured to The Bog King himself, which he looked at her for a moment in awkwardness at that, and then she pulled out her weapon right at him with a quick plan in mind, to which the four girls in the background only shaking their heads with Morgana holding the urge to sneeze after, as Than mentioned to his ruler as The Bog King took a few steps back, "Sire, you forgot your staff upstairs… But I found your boutonniere!" He indeed had it from Stuff giving it to him.

"Hi." Dawn stated to her elder sister to slightly perk Morgana up at that, as Marianne did grab her from her cell while keeping her sword aimed at The Bog King, and telling him with the mood switch it seemed as Morgana and the girls, and still The Bog King, saw the heart shape sigils in her eyes at the end of Dawn's eyes, and even admitting things to him, "You know, I really enjoyed our fight, but I'll be taking my sister home now." Though as she spoke, Dawn was messing with her elder sister's face as she did so.

"Oh, no, you're not!" Dawn exclaimed as while she did that, she forced Heartsbane out of her sister's hand as it lightly clattered to the ground for The Bog King to easily pick it up and turn the tables onto the brunette fairy princess as she exclaimed to her little sister in utter shock, "Dawn!" And Dawn easily went over and latched herself onto his waist in adoration.

"Boggy-Bear!" Dawn exclaimed in utter devotion to him, to which he corrected her once again, "Bog King," He lowered the sword though with being smug at Marianne to see she was still shocked by these turn of events, and told Dawn then as she began to do so, "Let's go back to our cell. Shall we?" Though she messed with his face as she told him before that, "Anything for you, Boggy-Woggy."

Marianne ignored The Bog King correcting her little sister as she grabbed her shoulders while trying to reason with her and saw Dawn only frowning at her, "Don't listen to him!" She was taken aback at her sister retorting in a way, she guessed by a few seconds of a glance at Morgana, she experienced this too, "You are not the boss of me! And don't even think about stealing my Boggy!" The tone Dawn used was a mix of anger, and utter devotion of course.

While she reluctantly watched as her little sister faithfully followed what The Bog King ordered her to do, with her even closing the doors behind her, he stated to Marianne in a way, this was how things were going to go, "She stays here until I get the potion back."

"Forget the potion. Get the antidote, now!" Marianne demanded of him to only be perplexed as he gestured with her weapon at a spot within the dungeons, smugly at knowing he had tried several times already, "Well, maybe you can convince her then?"

"'Her' who?" Marianne asked with the two of three girls looking weary at Morgana as it looked like she was going to sneeze, but didn't, as the brunette fairy princess began to approach the cage area of what The Bog King revealed to her, "The Sugar Plum Fairy." Though when she did, the blue female fairy herself, was tidying herself up and straightening her hair until she approached.

"Welcome!" She greeted mainly Marianne with knowing in the background, Morgana and the three other girls were there, which Sugar Plum personally held slight respect to The Bog King's half-sister of course, unlike him and his mother, as she at least visited her cell to chit-chat at times, to when they had secret meetings to chat randomly that is and personal issues for Nina as well.

"Give me the antidote." The Bog King demanded the blue female fairy to prove a point, only to have her respond to get him to hold back a wince on the topic, "If you let me talk about that fateful…" "No." He firmly told her in haste to which she shrugged, "Then, no."

"Please," Marianne began to beg to Sugar Plum in a desperate yet softer tone to get her attention while yes, she was still upset at the Dark Kingdom Ruler with her arms crossed, she easily saw the desperation of one's caring sibling to another by her feelings alone, "I love my sister. I need that antidote." At that, Sugar Plum shrugged and told her, "Ok."

"What?" The Bog King mainly stated to himself in utter shock mixed with surprise at how easily the brunette fairy princess herself easily pulled ways with the female blue fairy, as Sugar Plum began to make a demanded list to the supposed antidote, "Okay! I'll just need a few things. An eye of newt, a golden lute, a loom and a flute." The Bog King sharply turned to her current guard and stated firmly to him, which Relik the beaked Goblin, hastily nodded, "Get those things."

While The Sugar Plum Fairy made a hasty yet clearly heard list that at least Relik was able to mesmerize fully, Marianne made The Bog King blink back at being surprised at the tone she used at him by her desperate question of wanting to know, "Hey, will it really work?"

Before he can reply, he rolled his eyes with Marianne holding back a startled gasp as she didn't even hear her come into the dungeon at all, and with being weary as well when she noticed both Cassie and Chipana held Morgana's nose to prevent her to sneeze with it appearing that Nina was hastily told as to why, by Griselda being there, "Who knows?"

"And you are?" Marianne asked her as despite being no longer jumpscared by the female Goblin, The Bog King regrettably told the fairy princess then with an annoyed look, "My Mother." And hearing her son's tone, decided to state a few things, and introducing her with a gentle handshake to the princess, "Griselda," she did pull her gently and whispered in words that made Marianne to try and not blush in slight embarrassment over, "Don't you have a comb?"

While standing and giving a small look at The Bog King as she did try to straightened her hair to only fail, slightly, Griselda told the two to which the four girls did raise their eyebrows at standing normally with Chipana looking to them, and to her Mate, a few times, "It's drafty down here. Come upstairs. There's snacks." The Bog King's mother gestured to the stairs… For only for them to duck as to perplex them with Sugar Plum seeing the fiery light, Morgana sneezed not her usual colored flame balls as it was twice as big this time, but a dark-like pink flame ball that resemble slightly to the- They all ducked, even her with the prisoners blinking twice at the damage before resuming their faintly love songs to one another, at the heart-like scorch marks that easily melted away the wall to make a small dented hole.

Both Cassie and Chipana caught Morgana in time as she fainted with looking feverish of sorts, and turned to the cage area of what Sugar Plum sighed out at with a firm look at The Bog King, "She wasn't fully exposed to the leftover love dust from her sister, right?" He only looked perplexed with him easily nabbing the passed-out girl in question to relieve to what he could guess, her friends, and to relief her sister over this with easily hefting her like a toy or ragdoll over his right shoulder, "I thought that stuff would fully absorb into who is dusted?"

Marianne had a gut-like feeling from figuring things as she imagined Sugar Plum was shaking her head no with a 'Wait there' gesture to Relik to halt her list as she wasn't done, "It depends how much is used as only a handful is needed for the effects to work, and from how much things I can sense, is occurring, might be as much as the same as all the others within this dungeon with yours truly, maybe a few pinches more. The more the dust there is, the longer it takes to go away fully… Though it has been at least a few centuries or so for a Royal Young Chaosarinian such as Morgana to breathe the stuff in as the particles are harmless once used, but if taken in fully in many breaths…" "What is it doing to her?" Chipana stated in a demanding-like questioned tone everyone, even her, shivered from as it was suddenly cold and demanding as she responded after recalling things, "It would shut her immune system temporary down and allow her to get easily sick and be vulnerable as I just recalled one such Royal who I know is dead by now, a few hundred years ago from being sprayed with the dust, was used to subdue him due to the Royals being immune of the dust itself and the effects."

"So she's just sick?" Marianne asked her as yes, she cared about Dawn, but her friends she cares about as well to which Sugar Plum assured her, "Yes, but she will need to be watched as from guessing on things, dark forces would take this slight chance to nab her or worse."

The Bog King only nodded at the direction after hearing her resume her list, to which he rolled his eyes as they began to climb the stairs, but if they would have noticed, the same fiery eyeball witnessed the entire thing and vanished into nothing.

After some time with having the three guards to watch over Morgana in a guest chamber close to Nina's own, and with the girl being distracted by both Chipana and Cassie, both Marianne and The Bog King followed Griselda and both the king's two main lackeys, Thang and Stuff, to a room, and the duo wearing black small bow ties with singing to them 'I got a feeling', and glancing around the living space of a room that was used for parties anyways, decorated in a lovey-dovey way of sorts, in Goblin style. There was also a table set out, with lots of heart-shaped decorations around the room.

"It's the best I can do on short notice," she tells the two to which Marianne looked at the room awkwardly just like The Bog King, as she began leaving with Thang placing the item Dawn made onto the table after he told the two to check to see if not only the antidote was ready, but for them to stop singing, "You two behave! Toodaloo!"

Once they were gone, he stated to himself with Marianne overhearing him as she was standing closely near him, "Why would she… Oh!" He moved back away from her like she did as she motioned to the room, "Who likes this?"

"Not me!" He quickly says as the brunette fairy princess agreed, "I hate it!" He agreed with her that with them getting slightly closer, "I hate it more!"

"Oh yeah?" She stated in question as she pulled the heart decoration that easily returned the heart-shaped archway they entered back to normal and ruined the ribbon itself, "They're all fools." Soon, they began to oddly have fun ruining the decorations The Bog King's mother setup for them, until it got to the boutonniere itself, with Marianne stated to him in fake sympathy, and began to crush it, "Sorrows!"

"Wait! I… Uh, actually like this one," He told Marianne to get her to be stumped and feeling awkward now at trying to ruin it, as he hesitated yet placed it back on his chest, "Why?" She questioned him to which he thought for only a moment and told her in admitting it, "I… I don't know." Marianne hesitated but did tell him with mixed emotions at this, "Well, its… It's lovely."

The two did look around the room and did smile faintly at one another though from the fun and destructive ways they did to the small chamber, before turning to see both Stuff and Thang returned with the spidery-like cage Sugar Plum was in, with Thang being reluctant to carry it with Stuff stating to mainly their ruler, "Antidote is ready, Sire!" The Bog King grabbed it, and questioned her, "Well, where is it?"

"It's a riddle!" She told them to freeze the two before Marianne asked her to be sure, "A riddle?" Yet before Sugar Plum could respond, The Bog King shook her cage for only a moment while responding in slight anger at her, "What about all that stuff you asked for?"

"You know, in prison, it's hard to shop! Would you like to hear the riddle, or not?" She tells the two with admitting things, to which Marianne did understand slightly but both her and The Bog King responded differently at her, "No! / Yes!" Despite the brief looks they gave each other, Sugar Plum wasn't deterred by this and told them in a way, to make them understand, "Then listen carefully. The antidote is the one thing more powerful than the potion."

The Bog King placed Sugar Plum's staff-end part of the cage she's inside, in a secured spot on the ground as they began to try and solve this, with Thang asking Stuff as they were also near both their ruler and the fairy princess, rubbing the top of his head as well, "Did she say 'Antidote' or 'Anecdote'?"

It was not unseen by the duo from Sugar Plum easily seeing the signs, as both Marianne and The Bog King stated at the same time in agreement, "I hate riddles." Marianne admitted to him then with a head rub as she oddly felt her heart thump, but placed it to the exercise she did early as an inward excuse of their fighting weapons earlier, "Mary would know how to solve this as she's good at riddles."

"So too my sister, but they are rather occupied as we speak with one being out, and the other overseeing the other two to keep them out of trouble," The Bog King tells her to which Marianne understood with an unseen smile that no one but him, without her knowing, detected.

It was at this odd timing they nearly fell onto each other from the rather small explosion caused to which they turned to hear Sugar Plum quietly chuckle to herself with admitting to them, "Yep, just as destructive as the other Royals I knew before her, especially when unwell of their Chaotic Sick Sneezing would show off a bit of their power, especially how powerful she is from what we felt."

To prove a point, they turned to see some of the ruined decorations all came together as one and turned into a heart-themed pillow instead with making them sweatdrop and to have both lackeys feeling the awkward moment of seeing the etched words, get well soon, was on it, that, and several mugs of hot chocolate being on the table as well in cleaned granite mugs.

After that, they resumed thinking of the riddle with oddly enjoying the conjured beverage for themselves, and with reluctance, gave the same to Sugar Plum.

---

Meanwhile with Sunny and the others, which included Roland and his borrowed army from King Dagda, they were getting there after getting lost a few times, to the Dark Kingdom within the Dark Forest.

Sunny though was on foot, yet he was growing suspicious of Roland as he did order for a small stop before resuming, for at least or close to fifteen or so minutes, but he placed that to the back of his mind from seeing the moon-based situation that was growing as time went, and even went next to the blonde soldier boy in a brief sprint with Pare riding with Lizzie alongside The Imp, "The moon is sinking fast. Can we go... Maybe a lot faster?"

"Halt!" Roland exclaimed to get everyone to stop before they too, noticed the Goblin ahead of them, to which was Brutus as it was currently his job tonight for nightly patrol, and ignoring Sunny's worded 'What' at him, "Did you see that? I believe that is the ugliest creature I have ever seen! And it was naked!"

Of course after Brutus fled, he did overhear things and hastily grabbed some dropped leaves and told a mushroom guard close to him, "An army approaches," and left in haste to try and find a Goblin Seamstress for at least some flexible underwear and trousers.

After the message was passed to the entryway to the Dark Kingdom's Castle, Thang got the response, nodded, and left to relieve the dwarf mushroom guard before he rolled his eyes by Thang asking to make sure, "What was that again?"

With Roland for a moments view, he halted the army and told them he would be right back, after he saw a floating eyeball to only his vision, and soon was in a cleared setting as he stated just loud enough to the person that appeared behind him in a brief shudder for a few moments, from the cold sensations, "I hate it when you appear like that, Ape."

It was the masked man, Ape, who only chuckled back at Roland with nonchalantly, eating a banana that was blue colored with red barbershop stripes around it in a inch of a based line for the spiral, "I do have to keep up to our deal, and to make sure yours is also kept from the additions, do I not?"

"Well, we're nearing the kingdom as we speak, and if all things fail, 'Plan C' will come into effect." Roland tells him to see Ape only nod a few times in understanding as he made the blonde soldier boy weary by slowly circling him while tossing the peel after he finished the fruit, "Indeed, and you have indeed kept up with your promise of our bargain… Just make sure that the prize is left alive and waiting, as a comrade of mine wants to conduct a test of sorts." Ape told him to which Roland raised a curious eyebrow at this, but was told then to only get a nod, "It's not to your own plans, or concern for that matter. The prize will be healed beforehand though before we make our combined move, to my accomplice that the tester to my group, doesn't know I'm partnered to, to help in aid of gathering it."

"So how will I know how to execute things?" Roland weary asked this time before he was sharply grabbed and something channeled into his left wrist to which when he revealed it, showed a closed eye-like sigil in a bracelet-like tattoo design, on it, "That is how as when the eye opens, that is if 'Plan C' comes into effect, you cause a distraction to what I promised you to obtain the prize or prizes we seek."

Ape paused before turning to Roland with creepy and glowing crimson eyes with swirls in them and returned to normal from under his bone-white ape mask, within a single minute, "Due note that my groups seer, Dog, has seen only hazed images of the prize doing something unexpected in some outcomes, so be cautious to when that will happen. My accomplice needs something from the prize as I do so as well, despite the tester: Bull, wanting to see the battle prowess of what the prize can do."

Ape then vanished to which Roland then headed back to his army and the others as they resumed their march to the Dark Kingdom.

If they stayed long enough, they would have seen Death scowl at them at her hidden spot as yes, she knew she could not interfere this time further as she has for her beloved's test within this dimension alongside a few others, but got a wicked, and very intriguing idea within seconds to slightly aid in it before vanishing as the man with cross pupils and odd eyes, Dala'matar, revealed himself before vanishing into a vortex to get something unique that was needed for 'Plan C' or even to terms, 'Plan D' for himself.

---

With both Chipana and Cassie, alongside Nina, they were reluctantly within her more plain yet decent room that held written parchments and whatnot, with their thoughts once again trailing back to Morgana, and her lucky and unlucky moments on her adventures.

That, and rethinking about their comment about themselves earlier until Nin snapped the two girls out of their deep thoughts, with knowing Marianne was with The Bog King by Rucks stating they were still solving the riddle Sugar Plum gave them, and knowing how Morgana would try and easily solve them at times, by Nina offering her sweet blueberry cakes from looking at the one map again from before with the Potter Heiress, that she snuck from the kitchens, "Care for some?"

"No thanks," Chipana calmly told their friend who only shrugged as Cassie took some, due to her having a sweet tooth at times, with giving her soul-sister a pointed look after she tried to reassure her of things, "Hey, Mary has been through plenty of things at times, and this isn't different… Unexpectedly of her actually getting sick from the potion, yes, but she did state she has been on plenty of adventures that involved unusual things."

Chipana only nodded a single time with her arms crossed with tinting to herself with a few annoyed tail swishes, of how sensitive her chest was as of late, secretly, as the duo turned to Nina at guessing she finally figured something out as she had a translation book near the map and was writing in eased yet small print on the free space of the drawn map, and motioned them over, "Hey! Come read this."

"What is this writing?" Cassie stated in slight complaint as it was written in a similar language of another world to make Nina blink, before realizing they didn't understand and told them both, "It's a type of words only I learned how to write for now, but I wrote that the map is indeed leading to The Temple, but it is labeled as The Temple of the Snow Queen, and there are myths and even legends about her, especially since she was the one we pray to at times that aided us against the tales of the Dark One."

This made both girls only understand as they didn't know much as to what deities or whatever the fairies and whatever worshiped, and saw her point and touch a few times lightly of the one symbol that not known to them, resembled to the symbol of wood that in another realm while rubbing their nose, a specific male creature was getting lectured at failing a task, again, by his master, as she told them earnestly in both growing excitement and being happy she found this, "This symbol mentions also to what The Winter Queen used to aid us in: The Nature Spirit. An ancient entity that is said to have aided us countlessly for nearly ten-thousand or so years, and even made the Dark Woods and few other areas due to it being a former deserted plain, in the beginning, and out of nothing with the aid of few hard-to-describe others."

"So what does this have that you're trying to explain to us?" Chipana stated to her with a raised eyebrow to make Nina sheepish and told them directly to get both her and Cassie to understand better, "This map will lead us directly to the exact lost location to the Temple of the Winter Queen, where the Nature Spirit lies in wait…" She gazed at the map before stating to them then with a sheepish head rub this time, "I may have miscalculated as to where it was after looking into the directions and more, further… But the location itself I realized I can't head to as it also is where the Tombed One is located."

"Whose that?" Cassie asked curiously as they saw Nina pointed to a spot on the map of where that place might be, and blinked in realizing things, "That is the spot where the person who summoned the Dark One's possessions are located and magically preserved, especially the weapon he used that slain nearly ten-thousand fairies and other folk in one single and deadly swipe. That, and his bones too."

Not seen by them, the same eyeball gained a deadly glint while invisible to them within her room's ceiling at this knowledge, as it then vanished away from sight fully, and stilling Chipana as she gazed with sharp eyes as to where she felt the unknown energy in the room, "Hey Chip, you ok?" Cassie asked in moments.

"Tis nothing," Was what Chipana told them from feeling the energy was no longer a threat, from not being in the room anymore, and began to think of things with multitasking when hearing what Nina began to lecture them about some more parts of the past.

---

In another location though, Ape was waiting patiently with looking directly at what appeared to be a pocket watch in the design of a demon's eye before he glanced to see that his accomplice, Dala'matar, finally showed up from arriving from the same vortex he used to leave Bull from, and told him plainly, "Took your time I see?"

"I had to spy on those children and those within the castle, and it did give me major information as to where the tomb is located," Dala'matar tells him to see an equal glint within the eyes Ape had, and stood up from leaning on a tree as they were within a secured part of the Dark Forest, "Well, then let's head there then?"

They traveled using Ape's vortex and came to a fully dead and harsh location as within the distance, several yards ahead, was indeed a pyramid-like tomb of sorts made of dark-crimson brickstone and other rock-based materials with each one holding an etched rune with charged magic.

"Didn't expect the foolish Elves, Fairies, and other folk to this dimensional world, to hold the remains and possessions that both our parties needed, of Havikoose the Dark Beast Knight's bones and his famed weapon." Ape admits as they calmly walked over to the tomb, which Dala'matar only nodded wordlessly, and admitted back once they came to the barrier preventing access, "Even though the legends did him famed justice to both our sides, of a mercenary for hire as well back then, and using his own makings for The Converged Beast being keyed to the weapon within as well from forcing darkness to it and gifting the corrupted and possessed beast to him to use to destroy this realm, to our current equal plans to fully bring it back as from the shared split notes between us."

Gazing at the barrier, Ape gave a wordless gesture to state to Dala'matar, care to do this, and he did with having his right finger becoming a draconic claw of sorts, and easily began to tear through the barrier with plasma sparks falling to the ground as he did this for them to easily enter, as it began to gradually eat away to a large enough gap to do this, and enter through it they both did and proceeded to the locked entrance.

Dala'matar again used his finger to overcome the magical lock mechanism of the door to easily bypass, and let them both inside with Ape casting a fire-like spell on some leftover seed oil to lit the pathway up for them that lead way below to the underground, and after some tracking, the duo came to a closed-off chamber with a large set of doors in front of them having warning sigils and whatnot for back then, and Dala'matar easily unlocked it without the use of an enchanted key.

Once they both shoved the door from the center outwards, they both shared dark grins at finding the horde that the former Dark Knight had, his bones in the coffin they made out of spite it seemed, and the main weapon infused with The Beast's blood, to which was a dark and forlorn looking gothic short sword with the handle having basilisk shedded skin infused with hellhound blood to give a scaley yet dark-crimson color and design, the blade holding death runes mixed with various others all on the surface of the blade's sides with it having a reversed-sharp cut, and the blade was perfect in every way to be compared to a few other swords in master crafting, with the metal being a mix of various otherworldly metals perfectly blended, with at the end of the hilt holding a burnt carved etching of the craftsman's insignia as well.

Ape darkly chuckled to his comrade who only shared an equal grin as he gave the weapon to him, wth the blade glowing a dark and fiery hue for a brief moment, "I think we have what we need, as the bones and weapon you can have, as I have to find the one item within this vast chamber he kept away from our group that we needed anyways, that, and I think it's time we gather the prize to test them."

Dala'matar only grinned sharply with a mouth full of razor sharp teeth and a glowing glint to his eyes at that.

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I wonder what will happen next? Will have to wait until the final arc chapter to find out, which will be a while as I am still working on it. Hoping you have enjoyed the Strange Magic Arc so far.