Author's Notes:

Okay, so this chapter's gonna need some explaining. Regarding the show and its canon, I have tried to avoid changing things that happened in history, but for the sake of the story being more interesting, I have made a few exceptions. Still, a solid general rule of thumb would be to assume that things that happened in the past are still that way unless I say so. I'll do my best to be completely clear when this happens, and hopefully, nobody is confused that way.

Also, I think that it's important that I leave a warning here for this chapter. So, feel free to skip this warning if you don't mind a little gore and don't want a small spoiler. Anyways, the warning is for extreme violence, and in the interest of not spoiling the chapter, I'll just say this: You'll probably see it coming, but if you don't then expect some particularly gross violence between Toffee and a knight.

Anyways, that's all I've got. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the chapter! See you at the bottom!

…

Chapter Six: Lost and Found

An endless sea of murky, viscous fluid flowed around the lone soul that seemed to remain in its midst. Miniscule flecks of gold remained but were dominated—devoured by the darkness surrounding them. Almost submerged in the ocean around him was the source of the corruption himself.

Toffee of Septarsis, the avenger of a species long forgotten, whose sole mission was to destroy the monsters that killed his people.

He was hardly alive. From his knee to his cheek, the entire left side of his body was scorched. He wasn't even conscious, and it was as if the world around him was unconscious as well. The only sound that remained was that of the waves that crashed around him.

Still, his mission needed to be completed. Traces of magic remained in the dimension around him, and something that he hadn't expected was that the very magic he sought to destroy would be the very thing that would give him life.

A lone drop of brightness floated through the ocean, slowly but surely floating toward the man. The magic flowed into his open wounds, surging through his blood. His body twitched and submerged slowly in the thick sludge that he had created. As his eyes shot open, he shot out, emerging from his prison with a thunderous roar.

The fluid oozed off of him as he got to his feet. He turned to his left, glaring at the burned side of his body. He tried to grow his damaged skin back, but all he felt was pain. He sneered, limping ahead in knee-high muck.

He trudged forward for what felt like an eternity, but grew no closer nor any farther away from any discernible object. Again, he sneered with frustration, his face falling.

He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his snout when he opened his eyes, staring into his reflection in the sludge below him.

His hand unconsciously moved to where his eyes were fixated. He stroked the side of his face, wincing as his fingers brushed across his fresh scars. His eyes were weary for a moment before once again becoming resolute.

He lifted his head, staring ahead. Something new had appeared—something damning. He knew better than to be afraid, but even he couldn't help but feel a chill as he gazed upon the dark whirlpool ahead of him.

Without another second of hesitation, he marched in its direction.

…

The sun neared its horizon as the Queen of the Butterfly Kingdom roamed the halls of her castle. Her mind far from ease, she paced in her library, doing anything she could to convince herself that everything was somehow alright.

Hours ago, her husband had joined her in the room, but almost as long ago as he had been in the room with her, he had been asleep. For all intents and purposes, she was alone, and she knew that she needed to find a solution.

Toffee was out there somewhere, his power likely growing with every second that she spent thinking about how to stop him. Decades ago, she had summoned all of the power that she possessed, only being able to destroy his finger. Of course, she was stronger now, but she wasn't the only one.

The Septarian had survived the whispering spell. It shouldn't have been possible. He should have been disintegrated the second that the wand exploded, but somehow, some way, he was alive. It was undeniable, especially after checking on Eclipsa.

So, what was to be done? He was nowhere to be found. As far as she knew, he didn't have dimensional scissors, but her knights, as well as her spies, had searched every inch of Mewni only to come no closer to finding him.

She had even tried looking for him herself, hoping that he would emerge in search of revenge, but even still, he remained hidden.

She turned to her husband, her eyes weary as he snored to no end. She sighed, walking over to him slowly before lightly tapping his shoulder. Of course, being a Johansen, River wasn't so easy to wake.

She sighed, nudging him harder, but he still remained asleep. Again and again, she prodded at him, her force growing each time only to garner the same result until finally, she slapped him.

He jolted awake quickly, muttering incoherent nonsense before realizing that his wife had been the one to awaken him.

"Oh," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "Hello, Moonpie!"

Moon glared back at him incredulously, her arms crossed. River confusedly shuffled in place, unsure of how to progress until, finally, Moon sighed, taking a seat across from where he had fallen asleep.

"River," she finally called, almost ashamed, "I need your help."

The small man's face erupted with joy.

"Yes," he shouted, pumping his fist. Moon sighed, but couldn't help but smile. River took a seat across from her, clearing his throat exaggeratedly.

Toffee stared into the whirlpool below him at the very moment that the words left Moon's mouth.

"What am I to do," she finally asked as a smile crept onto Toffee's face. River tilted his head.

"About Toffee," he asked as the Septarian clenched his fist. Moon nodded, and after a few seconds, River spoke the words that Moon wanted to hear the very least.

"Star," he almost whispered, his wife jumping from her chair.

"Not a chance," she asserted, her tone obdurate, "Star is- She's… Reckless… Not to mention that this isn't her fight in the first place."

River sighed, rising from his seat and staring incredulously at his wife. He didn't need to say a word. Moon softened, retreating to her chair and refusing to meet River's eyes.

She remembered her mother's voice. She had the same inflection—the same adamance. Then, not a day later…

"I-" she stammered, her eyes filling with tears. She tried to form a response, but couldn't stop herself from bursting out. She sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks. River walked to her side, carefully caressing her back as she wept.

"I-" she struggled, "I understand now."

"My mother, she-" she cried, "I can't. I don't care if it means that I… Star mustn't take part in this battle."

River's face fell, his eyes growing wet as he turned away.

"I understand," he muttered as he turned away, his eyes overflowing.

Toffee's smile only grew as he stared deeper and deeper into the infinite abyss below him. He felt it calling to him. He saw his destiny—his astronomical purpose nudging him forward. Any other soul wouldn't have dared to jump, but Toffee wasn't any other soul. He wouldn't die, even if the universe threw itself in his direction. By sheer willpower alone, he would emerge, carrying the universe's shattered remains over his shoulder.

He stared death in the face and didn't blink. Like a missile, he dove into the darkness, a smile on his face as his feet left the ground. The world curved around him. The whirlpool around him shrunk as he swiftly descended, twisting in circles faster than he could comprehend until finally, he emerged.

His body sprung from the grass of Mewni. Like a phoenix, he was reborn. He landed on his feet gracefully, but as he felt the wind on his skin again, he was reminded of his pain. He winced, unable to keep his back straight.

He lifted his head, his eyes glazing over a familiar place. Ahead was the Monster Kingdom. Hardly able to stand, he trudged in its direction, dragging his left foot behind him.

…

Star's bedroom was dark. Inside was a small sofa, housing two young souls, curled up in a blanket as a small T.V. played in front of them. Between the two was a large tray, holding up an even larger pizza, covered in all of the teens' favorite toppings.

Not a word floated between the two. All they needed to hear was the peace of the night, only being interrupted by the unbelievably stupid telenovela of their choice.
Star turned to Marco with a faint smile, happy to be able to enjoy their weekly tradition as if nothing was going wrong around them. Marco returned the smile, his joy coming from finally not being in immense pain for the first time in over a week.

Quietly, the bedroom door creaked open, both teens turning their heads in its direction slowly, their eyes landing on the Queen of the Butterfly Kingdom, who for once looked like as much of a deer in the headlights as her daughter always did.

As soundlessly as she had entered the room, she closed the door behind her, her eyes widening as she glanced at the children. She scoffed.

"At least you two are paying attention," she remarked with a sigh. Star turned to Marco with a look of confusion, then back to her mother, pulling the blanket off of her and getting to her feet.

"Are you finally gonna let us out," Star asked, arms crossed and devoid of energy. Marco came to her side, silently hoping that the answer would be no.

Moon took a moment, her eyes locked onto her daughter's. Her face contorted and she turned away.

"No," she finally answered, "but-"

"What do you mean, no," Star practically screamed. Marco took a frightened step back.

"Star, you must understand," her mother tried to explain, "it's for the best. You need to-"

"Well I don't understand," she exploded, "I beat Toffee once, I can do it again."

Moon scoffed, scowling at her daughter.

"You didn't even beat him. He's still out there."

Star turned to Marco, red in the face. She looked like she was primed to explode. He came to her side, trying to reassure her.

"That is why I must keep you here," Moon asserted.

"It's not like you beat him either," Star muttered, her mother glaring in her direction.

"Star," she called with frustration, her daughter glaring back at her.

Moon's face softened, but her tone remained stern.

"If anyone is going to die at Toffee's hand, it has to be me."

Star's eyes widened. She didn't let her mother escape her eyes. Tears slowly streamed down her cheeks. Choked up, she contested.

"So you want to leave me alone… just like your mother did?"

Moon's brows furrowed. Tears fell from her eyes. She remembered how she felt when her mother left, but she understood more than ever why she had done what she had. She would do the same in a heartbeat if it meant keeping her daughter safe.

"Get out," Star muttered, refusing to look at her mother. Marco's eyes widened. Again, he took a step back.

"Star," Moon whimpered, reaching out only for her daughter to step away.

"If you're gonna lock me in here, then I don't want you here."

Moon's eyes watered. She reached out once more, calling her daughter's name, but again, she only turned away.

"Just go," Star said, "...since you wanna die so badly."

Her words were a dagger, stabbing her mother in the heart. Moon stared at her, pleading with what little strength she had left for her daughter's forgiveness, but she couldn't even manage a word. She turned to Marco. Still, she couldn't form a sentence, but as he stared back at her, she was sure that he understood what she wanted—what she needed. With a nod, he guaranteed that he would keep Star safe. With the nod alone, she knew that her daughter was in good hands.

Without another word, she gave in to her daughter's requests, turning toward the door and pushing it open.

"Mom," Star called, her voice still harsh. She garnered her mother's attention in an instant.

Malice was in her eyes. She stared her mother down, holding her in place with her silence until, finally, she dug her verbal knife back into her heart.

"Tell dad I love him," she said, turning away as her mother's eyes widened. Moon's face fell as she turned away for the final time, sulking out the door and closing it quietly behind her.

Marco turned to Star as the room went silent. She didn't say a word, but he knew her well enough to know what was on her mind. His eyes fell to the ground for a moment as Star gazed toward her balcony.

Once her mother was gone, almost immediately, Star pulled her wand from her pocket, waving it on the balcony.

"Summon Cloudy Charm," she practically whispered. Nothing came from her wand, not even the green sparks that she was growing accustomed to. She scoffed, staring at her wand with annoyance.

"Of course not," she remarked, turning back into the room. She met Marco's eyes, and, with a sigh, he reached into his pocket, pulling out her dimensional scissors.

She nodded and took the scissors, immediately cutting open a portal in front of her. She nearly stepped through, but just before, she turned to him, an expression of apprehension in her eyes.

"You don't have to come with me," she remarked, "You'd be safer if you didn't."

Marco shook his head, stepping forward.

"You promised you wouldn't leave me alone," he recalled, a slight smirk gracing his lips. Star returned the smile, nodding.

Without warning, she sprung in his direction, wrapping her arms around him. Marco's smile grew. Wordlessly, he returned the embrace, holding her close for several moments before finally letting go, meeting her deep, blue eyes.

With a final nod, Star stepped through the portal, holding out her hand for Marco to follow, and without a second thought, he took it, pulling himself through.

…

Toffee's breaths were few and far between, growing more laborious every time, but with every breath, he grew closer to his destination. After several minutes, he finally limped into the village, cutting through an alley and making his way to the street.

He held his scorched side, the torches on the path illuminating him. Passersby stopped and stared, pointing their fingers, but he had little time for such insignificant distractions. With what little energy remained inside him, he knew there were few places that he could go.

Still, as much as he tried to ignore those around him, the whispers grew too loud, and within mere seconds of entering the town, he gained more inconvenient spectators.

Riding on horseback, two knights of the Butterfly Kingdom strolled in front of him. He let out a deep growl, his reptilian eyes piercing the knights ahead of him. They dismounted their steeds, drawing their swords.

"Is that him," the smaller of the two questioned, his body trembling. Toffee turned to him and he could practically smell his fear.

"I-" the older of the two began, squinting in Toffee's direction, "I think so."

He drew his sword with much more confidence than his younger companion. Toffee balled his fist, trembling with pain.

The older knight swung his sword in Toffee's direction, slashing at his side. Toffee winced, but without breaking a sweat, he swung back, slamming the man to his ground. In an instant, he planted his foot in the older man's chest, glaring at the younger knight.

He quivered in place, stepping back with fear.

Toffee smiled, his eyes locked on the younger knight as his foot crushed the elderly knight's body. The sound of bones crunching filled the air. The younger knight's eyes widened. He dropped his sword in an instant, hopping back on his horse, and retreated.

"Cowardice," Toffee muttered, his eyes falling to the Mewman below him, "Typical."

The man gasped for air, but couldn't hold it in his lungs. His ribs were shattered, his blood spewing from his body as the Septarian drove his foot further down. Toffee only smiled as he heard the man's heart squelch under his foot, the life vanishing from his eyes in mere seconds.

He lifted his leg and wiped his foot on the elderly knight's clothes before limping away, his destination growing nearer.

…

Moon walked through the halls with what little dignity she still had. Tears were in her eyes, but she couldn't allow her sadness to slip through. She made it to her bedroom after several minutes, and the second she made it inside, she slammed her door shut, her floodgates breaking down in an instant.

She sobbed, sagging into the door, and sank to the floor. She tried to keep herself quiet, but she had little control over her body. She wept, and within seconds, her husband ran into the room, coming to her side.

"What's the matter, Moonpie," he questioned, "Did someone hurt you?"

He moved to the door, ready to pull it off of its hinges to chase whoever hurt his wife down, but as he reached for the doorknob, his wife tugged at him.

"Don't," she pleaded, desperate to keep her meltdown free of observers. He met her eyes with confusion, but as she stared back at him, weaker than he'd ever seen her, he softened. As tears continued to fly from her eyes, he sat beside her, holding her close.

She couldn't manage a word. She simply continued to cry, leaning into her husband's shoulder. He didn't understand her pain, but if she needed him to stay, then he would stay. It hurt to see her in such a state, but it would hurt worse if he let himself leave her alone.

He caressed her back, hoping to give her the comfort that she needed, but moments only continued to pass. An hour had gone by before she finally shed her last tear, her eyes red and her body weak.

River's eyes never left her, no matter how much the sight of her hurt him. He ran his fingers through her hair until she finally met his eyes, her makeup smeared and her composure long gone.

She opened her mouth to speak—to explain the source of her sorrow, but just as she began, the bedroom door next to them swung open, a familiar face standing inside.

Manfred was frantic. For the first time that either royal had seen, sweat covered his brow. He glanced down at them with panic, his body trembling.

"In the Monster Kingdom," Manfred rushed out, his hands on his knees.

River got to his feet, his eyes weary.

"Manfred," he called, "What's the matter?"

Moon too struggled to her feet, her knees weak. She leaned on her husband.

"T-" he struggled, "Toffee of Septarsis has been spotted in the Monster Kingdom."

Moon's eyes widened. She turned to her husband, and in an instant, she sprinted past the royal courtier and made her way down the hall, the King close behind.

In less than a minute, she had reached her daughter's door. River made it to her side as she swung it open, running out of breath. Her eyes widened as she walked into the room. There was no sign of her daughter—no sign of Marco. She ran to Star's closet, pulling it open, but she was nowhere to be found.

She turned back into the room. River looked under Star's bed, but, as expected, neither teenager would be found. Moon turned to River, but as he got back to his feet, shaking his head, she turned to the balcony.

"The magic isn't working," Moon remarked, "How could she-"

River's eyes widened.

"Her scissors," he muttered, Moon staring at him with confusion.

"What do you mean," she questioned, "I took those from her when I returned from Earth."

River's throat tightened. He walked to the balcony, staring off into the distance with a heavy heart. This was his fault.

…but she couldn't know that.

"She-" he stammered, "She must've taken them. Somehow, she must've…"

…

Author's Notes:

Oof. So there's another chapter. This one was a lot more action-packed than those of the past, huh? Honest;y, I didn't expect this chapter to be so fun as I went in, but the ideas were just flowin' and I couldn't be happier with what I made.

So, a few questions that I feel I should answer:

First, you might be confused about the whole magic situation with this fic, and honestly, that's totally fair. I could've made things more clear, but it would've been really hard to have that happen without it feeling out of place in any of the chapters. So, basically, as time has been going on, Toffee has been laying in the Magic Dimension, absorbing the magic. The magic was returning his life to him, and only after absorbing the last drop was he finally born again. As for the magic in previous chapters, there was very little left when Star was using the wand. The big thing was that the wand, and by extension, the magic, would only work when the user's willpower was strong enough.

Second, the matter of how Toffee made it back may be confusing, and honestly, this one is fairly simple. If you didn't gather this from the chapter itself, Toffee's power in the dimension grew as he snuffed out the magic around him. When it was completely gone, the dimension was basically bending at his will. At that point, he was able to summon a whirlpool to escape through as soon as he managed to completely refocus himself.

Alright, I could sit here all day and go on and on about the story, but I honestly don't think that there's much more that needs explaining. Of course, if I'm wrong and you guys are confused at any point, feel free to comment and I'll try my best to explain without spoiling the story.

As usual, please feel free to leave any comment, whether it is, in fact, a question or if you just have something to say. Any follows, favorites, bookmarks, kudos, and other site-specific actions are greatly appreciated.

Anyways, I'll see you all again soon. The story is ramping up again and I'm excited to enjoy the journey with all of you!

~ lucash21

Follow me on Instagram starcovstheworld for updates on story progress and posts with every new chapter!