All characters from Disney and other properties are owned by their respectful owners. The OCs made here are written entirely for the story. Enjoy this fic.
Chapter 77: Leaving Echo Creek
Mewni, fourteen years ago…
Night had fallen on Butterfly Castle, the large castle with numerous towers that was home to the royal Butterfly family that ruled over the land.
Manfred the servant snuck into the royal kitchen. He wanted to get a late night snack without waking everyone up. After going through the fridge, he found the leftover chicken.
"Finally," Manfred said as he took a bite out of the chicken.
"That must be good chicken, isn't it?" asked a voice.
"Mmm-hmm," Manfred confirmed before realizing that he wasn't alone. "Oh, looks like I'm caught. Please don't tell River-" He turned around and his eyes widened in horror. "Oh shi-"
Manfred wasn't able to finish as a tail wrapped around his throat and lifted him off the ground. Manfred struggled at first, but eventually he stopped moving and his lifeless body was returned to the ground as his killer left the kitchen.
Elsewhere, two guards were patrolling the hallways of the castle. One guard was suddenly pulled into the shadows before he could even make a sound, alerting the other guard.
"Gobs? What ha-AUGH!" The guard didn't finish as he was stabbed in the back by a hooded figure with a knife.
"Shh…" the figure said as he pulled the body away from the middle of the hallway, hiding it in the shadows. The figure removed his hood, revealing a blue-skinned Septarian with slicked-back dark purple hair and yellow eyes. Underneath his cloak he was wearing a black outfit with a red waistband and matching trim and black boots. Also notable was the missing middle finger on his right hand. He turned to a muscular Septarian with green skin, yellow eyes, and a frilled neck. He was holding an ax that dripped blood.
"Having fun?" Toffee asked Rasticore in a whisper.
"Yeah," the green-skinned Separtian confirmed as several other Septarians slither climbed down from the walls. "I think I have been waiting my whole life for this moment."
Toffee nodded. He knew how Rasticore felt.
"Can't wait to hear the kingdom's reaction to the royal family's death," one Separtian whispered.
"I'm more excited to slit their throats as they sleep," another replied.
"Remember Seth's plan," Toffee reminded them. "You have your targets. Execute them silently and quickly. We want to be in and out before they realize we're here."
The group split up, with several of the Septarians heading for the bedroom where the queen and king slept.
But Toffee had a different target in mind. As he snuck through the corridors of the castle, he noticed a portrait of two figures. One was a woman with long pale blue hair, light blue eyes, and magenta-colored diamonds on her cheeks. She wore her hair up in a big, heart-shaped updo, and she had a golden crown with a purple diamond in the center. The other figure was a short, stout, light-skinned man with blond hair and light blue eyes. The crown atop his head was golden with a large pink jewel on the top. He also had a thick, large mustache and a beard that split in two ways. Toffee narrowed his eyes at the portrait, especially at an object the woman was holding: the Royal Magic Wand. Toffee scoffed. He almost wished he was the one slipping into their bedroom. But he had been given another mission. One that he would enjoy just as much.
There were two guards standing in front of the nursery door. They did not see Toffee or his knife until it was too late.
"Pathetic," he said as he went into the nursery. He looked through the toys and stuffed animals, spotting the cradle behind the drapes. He readied his knife while walking up to the cradle. As he went through the drapes, he saw the newest member of the Butterfly family.
He knew that his task was simple. Kill the child. End the Butterfly line forever. He would be a hero for this. He raised his knife, ready to bring it down and kill this blond bundle of joy as she slept.
But then she yawned. Little Star Butterfly woke up and looked up at Toffee with her wide, innocent eyes. As Toffee felt her eyes on him, he did something that he had never done before… he hesitated.
'What… what am I doing? This should be easy!' he thought as he felt his arm shaking. He had already killed one Butterfly, why should this one be any different? Yet he was struggling to go through the task and as he struggled, he heard shouting from elsewhere in the castle.
"Take that, you monsters!"
"King River, Septarians have breached the castle!"
"Retreat!"
"After them!"
The plan had fallen apart. The Septarians had been caught in the act and were now fleeing, with the royal guard in hot pursuit. Leading the charge was King River himself, who had just slashed Rasticore across the face.
"We gotta get out of here!" Rasticore said while holding his bleeding eye. As he ran, he felt River slice his tail off. "AAH!"
"Yes, run back to your master!" River shouted, shaking his fist in the air before he realized something. "Star!" He gasped and ran for the nursery.
He found two dead guards in front of the nursery. Not a good sign. He crashed through the door, sword raised… but there was nobody there.
Toffee was gone… and so was the baby princess.
River checked the empty cradle, horrified by the absence of his daughter. "No… STAAARRRR!"
That night was not the end of the Butterfly family like Seth had intended. But he had still succeeded in hurting the Butterfly family…
Present, Echo Creek.
Inside what appeared to be a secret base, a blond messy haired agent with glasses, a stoic look, a white button collared shirt, tan and brown striped tie, a pen pocket, and dark pants and brown boots was tapping on their computer computer while someone else spoke to them.
"Do you know why they call me Mr. X, Jenny?" asked a dark-skinned bald man with a slim build. He had gray rectangular glasses, purple lips, and wore a purple suit jacket with a lighter purple tie, a golden corsage pin, white pants, and white and tanned shoes with rollers. Even though Jenny didn't respond, Mr. X continued. "Right you are, Jenny, because I deal specifically with extraterrestrials, and rumor has it that there are a few in the area." He held up a folder and opened it. "It started with this photo of a UFO."
He held up a photo of a blurred winged creature.
"Which looks to me like we are dealing with another Mothman," Mr. X said. "Then there is our mystery blond."
He held up several photos of a blond girl fleeing from scenes of destruction that she was suspected of causing.
"And now there is our new alien. Hit it, Jenners."
Jenny tapped on a few keys and images appeared on the screens around them. These images showed pictures of Amity hanging out with Janna, Jackie, and Marco. This made Mr. X applaud.
"Very good, Jenny. Very nice. This is why you're the best." He turned to them, noticing Jenny's blush while they were trying to work. "Why Jenny, honey, are you blushing?"
Jenny continued on with their work.
Mr. X turned to the picture of Amity. "Pale skin, pointed ears, unusual hair color, showed up in town in the middle of night out of nowhere, and we have no ID on her? Maybe she is a friend of our mystery blond, who is possibly a Nordic type. But who are these wide-eyed teens with our new girl?" He pointed to the three teens.
Jenny sent him information about each teen.
"Hmm, Marco Diaz, Janna Ordania, Jackie Lynn Thomas…" Mr. X read each of their profiles. "Looks like we got some real 80's movie junk, but… maybe Lilac here will lead us to the other extraterrestrials we are looking for…" He then heard someone knocking.
Mr. X opened the window of the ice cream truck to see Sensei Brantley holding money.
"Hey, do you guys have some ice cream?" he asked.
"Sorry, we're all out. This is the last one so…" Mr. X held up the popsicle and ate it in front of the man. He then tried to close the window, but it was stuck. Mr. X struggled. "Give me a sec…" he said while using both hands to close the window and holding the popsicle in his teeth. He finally successfully closed it.
"Aww…" Brantley said while walking away sadly.
"Keep a close eye on Lilac, Jenny. We need to learn why she is here and what she is planning," Mr. X said as his stomach growled. "Okay, but first we need some real food."
Elsewhere in Echo Creek, Amity was having breakfast with Janna.
"Mmm, I never thought that these hot pastries would taste so good without eyeballs," Amity commented while eating a pop-tart.
"Now I'm just wondering what they taste with eyeballs," Janna admitted. "So, uh, do you know how you are going to get to Gravity Falls?"
"Well, I was thinking your parents could take me," Amity suggested.
"Ooh, I don't think so," Janna pointed out. "It would be a weird favor to ask my folks, especially since Gravity Falls isn't a short drive away. They'd ask too many questions that wouldn't be easy to answer and I don't know if they could handle the truth."
"Oh, so I guess we're back to square one," Amity said while looking down. "How else could I get to Gravity Falls?"
"Well, there's always the bus," Janna suggested.
"We have those. Do yours fly as well?" Amity asked.
"No… though I wish they did," Janna said. "It's like the 'metal rat worms' you see around. Big and full of people on the inside."
"Oh… do you have to sit with other people on this bus?" Amity asked her.
"Well yeah, do you have a problem being around strangers?" Janna asked.
Amity sighed. "I am willing to put up with it if it gets me to Gravity Falls."
"Alright, I know a bus station where we can get you a ticket. And if you don't want someone to sit beside you, scare them," Janna advised.
"I can do that, back at Hexside, I once made the scary Abomination to get a passing grade in General Horror," Amity explained. She laughed. "I traumatized Ms. Gruesome so much they had to transfer her…" She then stopped laughing. "I really owe that woman an apology."
"Come on, let's see if we can get you a ticket," Janna said as she and Amity got up.
"Yeah, come on, Ghost, we're heading out," Amity told her cat Palisman.
"Are we going to see Jackie again?" Ghost asked excitedly.
"No Ghost, you can't eat Jackie," Amity told her, knowing what she was thinking. "We're going to a bus station." She looked down. "You ready to go, Sam?"
Her shadow nodded in confirmation.
Amity, Janna, and Ghost walked down the street together, Amity and Janna continuing to talk as they headed for the bus station.
"So elves do live longer than witches, I'm surprised you guys aren't immortal," Janna said.
"Yeah, we witches age similarly to humans, though life expectancy can be as high as one hundred twenty if we're lucky," Amity replied before she overheard some music. "Hey, you hear that?"
"Yeah, sounds like someone's playing some jams," Janna commented as she saw Amity and Ghost following the sound. "What about the bus station?"
"I want to check something first," Amity said while Ghost followed her. Janna sighed before following the young fae-witch as well.
They entered a parking lot where several teenagers had gathered around two that were playing their instruments competitively.
"Is this a Bard-Battle?" Amity asked while looking at the crowd.
"You could say that," Janna replied as she saw who was playing. "Hey, I recognize Oskar."
Playing the keyboard guitar was a teenage boy with brown hair covering his eyes and fangs sticking out. He wore a red neckerchief, brown T-shirt, gray jeans that were torn to the bottom, and purple and white boots. He was playing against a teenager in a black hoodie who was playing the guitar.
Amity got closer and her eyes widened when she saw who was playing against Oskar. "No way… Robbie!?"
Robbie is shown playing his acoustic guitar, going up against Oskar. The crowd of teens cheered for whoever wins as well as listening to some good, independent music.
Robbie Valentino stopped playing and turned to Amity. "Who- who said my name?" he asked before spotting the lilac haired girl waving to him. "Do I… do I know you, kid?" he asked as Oskar stopped playing as well.
Amity walked up to him. "Hey, yeah, you do remember me? Back from Gravity Falls? I was with Luz and we played the laser shooting game?"
"Wait a sec…" Robbie said as his eyes widened. "No way… Luz's friend?"
"Yeah, it's me!" Amity nodded. "I'm shocked to see you here!"
"Yeah, same! And cool look, by the way," Robbie commented. "I like what you did with your hair. How did… is Luz or her mom around…?"
"No, actually. It is kinda hard to explain how I got here," Amity admitted. "But thank the gods that you're here! How have you been?"
"Well after I left the Falls, I made it to the coast and started heading south," Robbie explained. "Met a lot of new people, learned some new music, and did some soul searching. What about you?"
"I met Ghost, for one thing," Amity said, pointing to her Palisman. "And this is Janna, a new friend of mine."
"Sup," Janna waved.
"I actually have been trying to get back to Gravity Falls and she has been trying to help me out. It is a long story, but I can't call my parents to give me a ride. But then I saw you and I hope it's not too much trouble to ask but… can you give me a ride back to Gravity Falls?" Amity asked.
"Of course," Robbie said without hesitation. "I still owe you for saving me. Consider this my way of paying you back."
Amity smiled. "Great! You think we could leave right away?"
Janna's eyes widened when she heard Amity suggest leaving immediately. "Whoa, whoa, Amity, wait," Janna said, calming the lilac haired witchling. "I mean, what's the rush? You still haven't seen all of Echo Creek yet…"
"I know there's more to see, Janna, but I do need to start finding my way home," Amity pointed out. "I can always come back, right?"
"Well… how can you leave without going to the beach first?" Janna offered. "Oh, how about a movie? I hear that they're showing an Azura movie at the theater as a re-release. You don't want to miss that, do you?"
That definitely got Amity's attention. She thought about it, conflicted. "I… guess I can stay for one more day… you don't mind, do you, Robbie?" Amity asked him.
"It's fine, I can use the time to catch up on some sleep in the back of my van," Robbie said with a shrug.
"Great, I'll call Marco and Jackie so we can meet up," Janna said as she pulled her phone up.
Robbie went over to Oskar. "Great playing with ya, dude," he said, giving him a fist bump.
"Totally, you got some sweet tunes, bro," Oskar replied as the two fist bumped.
At the Echo Creek Movie Theater, Marco and Jackie were waiting as they saw a black van pulling up. It came to a stop, allowing Amity, Janna and Ghost to come out.
"Alright, I'll be nearby, sleeping and listening to some tunes," Robbie told them.
"Thanks for the ride, we'll get you when the movie's over," Amity told him as she and Janna went over to Marco and Jackie.
"Who's the guy in the van?" Marco asked them.
"He's Robbie, a friend from Gravity Falls," Amity answered. "He's my ride out of town, but Janna says I still got more time before I leave."
"Yeah, and I don't want her to waste her chance to make some memories," Janna said.
"Since this is your last day, what movie do you want to see, Amity?" Jackie asked.
"Great Witch Azura III: The Lost and Founders!" Amity said excitedly.
"Isn't that a children's film…?" Marco asked before getting punched in the arm by Janna. "Ow! Janna!"
"It's her last day, so we'll watch what she likes, okay?" Janna told him. "And besides, you're one to talk since you're a Space Uni-"
"Okay, okay, not in front of Jackie," Marco shushed while Janna smirked.
"I'll just stand out here and keep watch," Ghost said while standing by the theater doors.
Once Amity entered the theater, she saw how big the lounge was. "Whoa, this is like back in the Isles, but more flashy… it looks like the church!" She spotted the popcorn maker. "You guys also have to pop out bugs?"
"Nah, they're not bugs, it's just popcorn," Jackie assured her.
"Come on, Marco's getting us tickets to see the movie," Janna told her. "While he is doing that, let's pick out some snacks."
Outside, Robbie was sleeping in his van while being blasted by nu metal music, the ice cream truck parked across the street.
Ghost was licking her paw when she noticed Mr. X and Jenny stepping out of the ice cream truck.
"Oh, the alien's at the picture show?" Mr. X asked. "Wonder which movie they're seeing…"
Jenny tapped on their laptop, looking up the last tickets that were purchased. Mr. X looked down.
"Four for Good Witch Azura III?" Mr. X asked. He rolled his eyes. "Great, a re-release for babies." He stood up. "Let's just wait for Lilac to come out. Then she can lead us to the other extraterrestrials…"
Ghost had come closer and she had overheard Mr. X. "They're after Amity… not on my watch!" she said while walking towards them. "Meow," she said, which caused Mr. X and Jenny to notice her.
"Lookie here, Jenners, a cute, adorable kitty," Mr. X said while kneeling down. "Hi, little guy, are you a stray?" He then recognized her. "Wait, don't you belong to Lilac?"
"YEEAAOO!" Ghost screeched as she pounced onto Mr. X's face.
"AAAH!" Mr. X cried out while falling on his back. "Jenners, help me get this cat off of me!"
Jenny tried to grab the cat, only for Ghost to jump up and attack them. Ghost was in Jenny's hair while Mr. X, covered in scratch marks, tried to get the cat off of them. Ghost jumped up and stuck to Mr. X's back, tearing his suit.
"AAH! That was one of my good suits!" Mr. X cried out as Ghost jumped off before Mr. X could grab her.
In the theater, Amity, Janna, Jackie, and Marco were watching trailers.
"And now, what you've all been waiting for… another trailer!"
"Yo, these street hunks are challenging us to a dance off!"
"Let's show 'em, girls!"
'Magic Dancing Step Up To Perfection 2: The Dancing Musical!'
"Twenty-seven minutes of trailers seems to be a bit much," Amity said boredly before the booming sound of a T-Rex from another trailer startled her. "What was that!?"
"Chill, it's just the surround sound in here," Jackie told her.
"I think my ears popped…" Amity muttered.
"Guess they don't have surround sound in Nebraska," Marco noted.
"Come back here!" Mr. X and Jenny chased Ghost around the parking lot. "That darn cat… pardon my language, Jenny," X said while looking under the cars. "We can't let that cat get back to its master and let her know that we are onto her."
As Mr. X got up, Ghost jumped on top of his head and kicked him back. "YAH!" he cried as he hit a car door. Ghost turned to stick her tongue out at him, while avoiding Jenny trying to grab her. "Grab that cat!"
Once the trailers are over, Amity and her friends could finally enjoy the movie. And she enjoy it… for the most part.
"The rebel base… it has been crushed by the Dark Lord!" Azura said as she and Hecate along with their comrades walked through the wrecked base. "He has captured them all!"
"Wait," Hecate said, pointing to someone in need. "Not everyone!"
Azura and Hecate found a survivor. She was a small, green girl with fins. And she was crying. When Amity saw the little girl… she sniffed.
"Hey, you alright?" Janna asked her.
"Y-Yeah," Amity responded.
The crying green girl was being held by Hecate. "There, there, you'll be okay now."
"But… what about my family?" the girl asked as Azura and Hecate looked concerned.
"Don't worry, young one. We'll take care of you," Azura assured her.
After the movie, Amity immediately went into the empty restroom, trying not to hyperventilate. She looked at herself in the mirror, tears leaking from her eyes as she thought about the little girl in the movie and who she reminded her of.
"Kay…" Amity said. "Oh man… what am I doing? Kay… she needs me!"
"Amity?" spoke up Janna as she and Jackie came in. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, you went out in a rush," Jackie said.
"I… I want to go home," Amity told the girls. "I wish I could spend one more day with you guys, but I need to head home."
"Hey, um, sorry if the movie was a little sad," Janna said while patting Amity's back. "Maybe a quick trip to the beach would cheer-"
"No more distractions!" Amity exclaimed, startling Janna with her outburst. "Sorry, it's just… I need to get home, because someone besides Luz and Eda is waiting for me. Someone very important."
"Who's that?" Jackie asked her.
"Kay," Amity replied. "A baby. Her family was recently taken away from her. As her godsister, it's my job to take care of her for them. But then I was thrown into this realm and separated from her. I know she's fine, I know Luz and her family are watching her… but I don't know how much longer I can be separated from her…"
The two girls understood what Amity was feeling. Janna looked down in remorse while Jackie went to hug Amity, calming her down.
"Hey, it's alright," Jackie said, letting Amity go once she had calmed down. "If you need to go home, that's fine. Let's go get Robbie."
Amity nodded, wiping her nose. "Thanks."
And so the four teens exited the movie theater. "So she's feeling alright?" Marco asked the girls.
"Yeah, she's just homesick," Jackie responded.
Amity looked around. "Wait… where's Ghost?"
They looked around, but there was no cat Palisman in sight.
"I don't see her anywhere," Janna responded.
"No… nononono," Amity said in a panic.
"Okay, calm down, we can find her. She can't have gone far," Marco tried to reassure her.
But Amity kneeled down, having trouble breathing.
"Amity, Amity what's wrong?" Janna asked her.
"She's having a panic attack," Jackie realized.
"I'll get help!" Marco said while heading into the theater.
Amity's shadow dug into Amity's pocket and pulled out a bottle. "Is this the right medication?"
Amity nodded as her shadow handed her the bottle. Amity managed to open the bottle and get out her medication where Jackie handed Amity her drink, which helped Amity to swallow her medication. "S-Sam… find Ghost."
"On it!" Sam replied while detaching herself from Amity and flying away just as Marco came out with some theater employees.
"Wha...wha...wawawawawaaaat!?" Marco stammered in shock. "Did your shadow just… leave you!?" But nobody answered him, since they were too busy helping Amity.
Once Amity recovered, Jackie and Janna helped her up. "We need to find Ghost. She could be anywhere," she said.
"We should split up," Janna suggested.
"Yeah, we can cover more ground that way," Jackie said as she pulled her skateboard and helmet out of nowhere.
"Me and Amity will take Robbie's van," Janna said. "You and Marco can use your skateboard."
"On it/Got it!" Marco and Jackie said as Marco got behind Jackie on her skateboard while Janna and Amity headed to Robbie's van.
"Robbie, wake up!" Amity knocked on the door, waking Robbie up.
"Huh!?" Robbie asked as he opened the van. "How was the movie?"
"Good, but Ghost is missing!" Amity told him.
"And we need to find her!" Janna added.
"The cat?" Robbie asked and they nodded. "Alright, hop in."
Once Janna and Amity climbed into Robbie's van, they started driving around looking for Ghost. After a moment, Amity turned to Janna. "So… where did Jackie summon her skateboard and helmet from? You saw how she got it out of nowhere, right?"
"Yeah, I've wondered about that too," Janna admitted. "I have no idea how she does that."
Ghost kept on running from those agents, trying to lead them away from Amity. She thought she gave them the slip, but then she heard the sound of ice cream truck music.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are, alien cat…" Mr. X said while looking around, covered in scratch marks.
Ghost hid herself behind a trash can as Mr. X's truck passed her by. The cat Palisman sighed in relief before hearing noises from a dumpster behind her.
"Huh, what… who's there?!" Star rose up, opening the lid of the dumpster. She looked around and spotted Ghost. "Oh… just a cat…" she said as her cheeks flashed for a second, which Ghost noticed. Star noticed the ice cream truck nearby, along with Mr. X. "Shit!" she cursed as she hid herself in the dumpster.
Inside the dumpster, Star was in the fetal position. "I've seen him before… and I know he means trouble…"
She peeked out and saw that the coast was clear, so she left the dumpster and used a newspaper to hide her face. Ghost watched Star with a curious look.
"That girl's cheeks were flashing…" Ghost noted while following Star. She also noted that this girl was wearing something similar that would not look out of place in the Boiling Isles: a scaled blue shirt with a dark skirt, blue leggings and only one armored boot. The curious Palisman started to follow Star.
Star turned around, noticing the cat. "Hey, shoo, go away," she said as she waved to Ghost with a bandaged hand.
Meanwhile, Jackie and Marco were calling out for Ghost.
"Ghost! Where are you?" Jackie called out for her.
"Amity's worried about you!" Marco cried out, though he was still confused about what he had seen. "Hey Jackie, you saw Amity's shadow moving on its own and flying away, right?"
"Yeah," Jackie replied calmly. "I guess you had to learn about it eventually."
"What do you mean?" Marco asked in confusion.
"Okay, bringing you up to speed… Amity's not from Nebraska," Jackie told him. "She's not even from Earth. She's a witch from another realm who got stranded here against her will."
"Wait, are you saying that magic is actually real? Along with witches?" Marco asked.
"Pretty much," Jackie confirmed. "Pretty much every mythical creature you've ever heard of is real too."
"Oh, wow," Marco said. "Wait, how long have you known about this? About magic and stuff?"
"A few years," Jackie told him. "I honestly did want to tell you, but I wasn't sure if you could handle it."
Marco looked down, unsure. "You might have been right. I mean this is all… a lot. Probably too much for me."
Jackie looked down, hiding her face from him. "Yeah, I was afraid of that…"
Marco looked up. "I mean, I can still help out with Amity, but after we find Ghost I would rather not have anything else to do with this. I already had enough weirdness in my life thanks to Janna, the last thing I need to do is go on adventures with a magical girl from another dimension…"
Elsewhere Amity, Janna, and Robbie were continuing to look for Ghost.
"I don't see your cat around," Robbie said.
"She's gotta be around here somewhere," Amity said while calling out through the window. "Ghost! Come on, girl, where are you?"
Janna looked at Amity, feeling guilty. If she had not distracted Amity, Ghost wouldn't be missing.
"Palismen don't usually leave their owners without a reason… is it my fault? I mean, I didn't take her into the movies and told her she couldn't eat Jackie..." Amity said while in a fetal position on her seat. "Ghost is now all alone, who knows what could have happened to her."
Janna put her hand on Amity's shoulder. "Amity, don't beat yourself up over this." She sighed. "Honestly, this is my fault. If it wasn't for me, you and Ghost would already be on your way to Gravity Falls. But instead I insisted that you stay. It's just… I've never met a cool, witch girl like you and being friends with you is the most exciting thing to happen to me. I let my own selfishness get the better and… I wasn't ready to see you leave yet."
Amity looked at Janna in surprise. "I don't blame you, Janna. I was the one who should have known better."
"Yeah, I was the one who suggested you spend one more day in Echo Creek. Look, once we find Ghost, I'll be out of your hair, and you can be on your way," Janna told her.
"Um… did I miss something?" Robbie asked, confused by their conversation.
Sam flew around town, looking for Ghost. She spotted Brittney Wong and her posse, remembering how she wanted Ghost for herself.
"See this, girls? This cat will be way cuter than that other girl's cat," Brittney said while showing a Cornish Rex cat to her posse.
"That's not Ghost," Sam noted as she flew away, which startled the cat, making it screech and scratch Brittney.
"AH! What are you doing, you dang cat?!" Brittney cried out.
Continuing the search, Sam eventually noticed a blond girl trying to shoo away a cat. Upon taking a closer look, Sam saw that the cat was definitely Ghost.
"I said, go away!" Star told Ghost while backing away. "I don't know if it's the smell I carry, but I'm not food and I don't have anything for you!"
Ghost tilted her head. "Why aren't your cheeks glowing?" she wondered before she spotted Sam.
"Ghost, I found you!" Sam declared and Star saw the moving shadow.
"Wa...wa...wawawawa-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Star screamed as she fell back, freaking out over the living shadow. She raised her bandaged hand toward Sam. "Get away from me!" she screamed, firing a magical beam at Sam, who narrowly dodged it.
Mr. X heard a nearby explosion, causing him to stop the truck and look out the window in the direction of the explosion. He smiled. "Looks like I got you now…"
Jackie and Marco were also nearby when they heard the explosion.
"What was that!?" Marco exclaimed.
"Let's take a look!" Jackie said as she skateboarded them toward the explosion.
"Wait, shouldn't we call the police!?" Marco objected.
Star was breathing heavily, her heart-shaped marks on her cheeks starting to glow. She felt her face. "No… no now!"
"I knew it, your cheeks do glow!" Ghost said before she was caught in a net. "AAH!"
"Ghost!" Sam exclaimed as she saw Star get grabbed by a claw.
"AAH!" Star cried out as she and Ghost were brought into an ice cream truck, the door slamming behind them.
"What did I tell ya, Jenners, our day has really turned around!" Mr. X declared as he drove away, passing by Jackie and Marco.
"Was that an ice cream truck just now?" Marco asked as Jackie noticed Sam coming up to them. "Gah! That shadow!" he exclaimed while Sam pointed to the truck.
"She wants us to follow that ice cream truck," Jackie said while turning around. "Ghost must be in there! Marco, get off. I'll be faster if I go alone!"
"Alright," Marco said while stepping off the board. Jackie wasted no time as she followed the ice cream truck. "I should probably text Janna about where Ghost is-WAAH!" Marco was suddenly grabbed by Sam and lifted into the air as she flew after the truck with him. "Wait, why am I being brought into this!?"
"I know she's from another galaxy," Mr. X sang along while listening to some tunes. "I don't know just what she's a-doing to me! She treats my love like a science experiment…" He then noticed Jackie trailing him in his rearview mirror.
"There should be some skateboard laws out here," Mr. X said as he stopped singing. "Hold on Jenny, I'm gonna try to lose her!"
He drove and made a turn to the next street, which led down a steep hill. Jackie turned to the street where the hill was, skating down to follow the truck. She used a ramp as she pursued, doing some turns and flips in the air.
Once she landed, she was still in hot pursuit as the ice cream truck kept speeding away. When she saw the ice cream truck make another turn, she grabbed a pole to swing herself around and then rode her skateboard down the railing of a stairway between buildings.
Mr. X thought he had lost her, only to see her emerge on the street in front of him.
"Hey!" Jackie shouted, earning Mr. X's attention.
"You again!? How'd you find us so quickly!?" Mr. X exclaimed.
"I've skated around this city for years! This is my turf, you catnappers!" she declared while skating beside them.
"This girl's crazy!" Mr. X said as he stepped on the break, just as Jackie rode near the truck. The sudden stop caused her to hit the truck.
"AAH!" she cried as she fell off her skateboard. As she wiped out, her seashell necklace broke free from her neck. This caused a flash of blue light that caught Mr. X's attention.
"Huh?" Mr. X asked as he looked back. His jaw dropped.
Sam dropped off Marco where Jackie and the truck was. "Where are you taking me?!" he asked before he looked down and his eyes widened. "Jackie…!?"
Jackie groaned as she got up. There were a few cuts on her, but then she saw her seashell necklace on the ground and she felt her neck. "Nononononono," she said while looking at her legs, which had turned into a mermaid tail.
"Well, this is a surprise," Mr. X said as he stepped out from the truck. Jackie panicked and tried to flap away, but Mr. X fired a net that trapped her.
"Let me go!" Jackie cried out as she was reeled in.
"I don't know what alien you are, but you're coming with us!" Mr. X said as he reached for Jackie…
"Hey!"
Mr. X and Jackie turned to see Marco running over to them. "Leave her alone you fabulous suited kidnapper!" he shouted as he jumped up and side kicked Mr. X away from Jackie.
"Marco…" Jackie said in awe.
"I don't know what's going on today, but…" Marco glared at Mr. X and took a fighting stance. "I am not going to let you touch Jackie!"
"Okay, you wanna tango, little man?" Mr. X asked as he took on a kung-fu stance. "Just a warning, I have learned and mastered all forms of combat."
Marco charged at Mr. X and launched a kick just as Mr. X launched his own kick as well. The two kicks clashed against one another as Mr. X kept his hands in his pockets at the time. He twirled his leg over Marco's and aimed at Marco's face, which he blocked with his left hand. Marco winced and side stepped while Mr. X kept throwing his kicks at him, which Marco either blocked or dodged. The Diaz boy managed to do a roundhouse kick which Mr. X bent down to duck under before he did a flip, kicking Marco up the chin.
"Ack!" Marco backed away, holding his chin. He then saw Mr. X throwing a karate chop at him, which he managed to dodge. "Oh man, this guy's no push over!"
"You're dealing with a professional, kid," Mr. X warned him.
In the ice cream truck, Jenny was watching the fight on their monitor. However, something grabbed them from behind, holding the agent in a chokehold. It was Star, who had managed to free herself.
"Unlock the door, now!" Star demanded before Jenny hit her with the back of their head, prompting her to let them go. They turned around, holding a stun gun to aim at Star, but Star kicked the gun away from Jenny. Star punched them, sending them crashing into the computers.
"Not so tough without your gadgets, huh?" Star asked while cracking her knuckles.
Jenny narrowed their eyes at Star and brought out a taser. Star dodged the attack and elbowed Jenny's arm, redirecting the taser. Star then pinned Jenny to the wall, the truck shaking around as the two fought.
"Hey! Watch it!" Ghost cried out while trapped in the net, bouncing around.
Meanwhile, Sam found Robbie's van and slipped inside.
"Sam, did you find Ghost?" Amity asked.
"Yes, she was taken and placed in an ice cream truck that is parked down the hill. Marco and Jackie are there trying to free her and a magical girl," Sam explained.
"That's great… wait, magical girl?!" Amity asked.
"Wait what?" Janna asked.
"Hold on, who are you talking to?" Robbie questioned.
"Down the hill! Follow my shadow!" Amity pointed to her shadow as it flew in front of the van, which surprised Robbie.
"What the hell…" Robbie looked surprised, but then his expression changed. "You know what, I'm from Gravity Falls. This is nothing."
At this point, he was starting to get used to it.
Marco was thrown back, managing to stand back up while holding his side.
"Still standing, little man?" Mr. X asked with a smirk. Marco ran toward him to throw a punch, which Mr. X dodged. However, Marco smirked as he knelt down and swept his leg through Mr. X. "GAH!" Mr. X cried out as he fell and Marco got on top of him.
"Now I got you!" Marco declared only for Mr. X to spin him around.
"More like, I got you and your alien girlfriend," Mr. X said while pinning Marco down and grabbing his arm, twisting it.
"AHH!" Marco cried out.
"Now that you're taken care of, I can-" Before Mr. X could finish, purple abomination goo wrapped around him. "AAH! What the hell!?"
"Stay away from them!" Amity shouted as she got out of the van with Jann and Robbie.
Mr. X turned to Amity. "Oh, if it isn't Lilac! I was wondering when you would show up."
"Who are you and where's Ghost?" Amity demanded as her eyes narrowed.
"Who I am is classified, alien," Mr. X declared, which confused Amity.
"Wait, you think I'm an alien?" Amity asked, tilting her head.
"Uh, yeah, how would you explain this alien slime?" Mr. X asked, gesturing to the abomination goo around him. "Or your cat, which does not match up with any kind of cat known on Earth. Plus there is the girl with the fish tail."
"Um… we're not aliens, we're magic," Amity told him.
"Magic? That… that can't be right. You're obviously aliens, I mean, look at your ears!" Mr. X pointed out.
"Yeah, they're pointy because I'm a witch," Amity replied. "Did you think we're aliens this whole time?"
"Well what about her? Is she from a sea planet?" Mr. X pointed to Jackie.
"No, I'm a mermaid…" Jackie revealed.
"Wait, you're a mermaid, Jackie?!" Janna exclaimed in surprise.
"First time seeing one?" Robbie asked her with a shrug. "One used to live in the public pool in my hometown."
Suddenly the back of the ice cream truck opened up and Star threw out the beaten up Jenny.
"Jenny!" Mr. X cried out, seeing Jenny's unconscious body.
"FREEZE!" Star shouted while holding her bandaged hand up. "Nobody move!"
"What?" Amity questioned. She was confused, as was everyone else.
"Who is that?!" Marco asked..
"Nobody move or else the cat gets it!" Star exclaimed while holding Ghost hostage.
"Ghost!" Amity tried to run forward, but Star held her hand up.
"Up-up-up, stop where you are!" Star shouted to her, causing Amity to stop.
"Hey… easy there. We're not here to hurt you," Amity reassured her. "I just want Ghost back."
But Star wasn't convinced. "You're magic, aren't you?" Star demanded.
"Yeah…" Amity nodded.
"I knew it!" Star shouts while holding her hand up, her cheeks glowing as her hand glowed. "All of you are magic users! I don't trust your kind…"
"But… your hand and your cheeks are all glowy," Janna pointed out.
"Aren't you magic too?" Jackie asked her.
Star glanced at her bandaged hand. "Not by choice…"
This confused Amity. "What… what do you mean by that?"
"None of you would understand!" Star said as she held Ghost closely. Tensions were high. "But none of you make a goddamn movement!"
"Hey, hey, it's just a cat, you don't need to hurt it, dude," Robbie said, trying to calm her down.
Star looked around before noticing something out of the corner of her eye. Something falling from the sky. "What the…?" Her eyes widened as she realized what it was. "Oh shi-!"
Star jumped out of the ice cream truck just as something smashed into it, destroying it. This created a cloud of dust that spread around the area, causing everyone to get clear.
Amity coughed. "Ghost!" she cried out while looking around. The ice cream truck had been set ablaze, creating more smoke and worrying her. "Ghost! Where are you!?" she cried out while using a spell to clear away the smoke.
Marco managed to free Jackie and carry her away from the wreckage.
"Jackie, are you alright?" Marco asked her.
"Where's Amity and Janna?" Jackie asked in worry.
As Amity's vision started to clear, she noticed something in the wreckage. She got closer and to her shock… it stood up with its mechanical legs, towering over Amity.
It was a white mechanical robot with glowing red eyes, goat-like horns, and a smile on its face. Its body was made of black and white metal and as it stood up it spread out its metallic wings and stretched out its clawed robotic hands. There was what looked to be a crystal gem in the center of its gray chest plate.
"What the…?!" Amity backed away as the mechanical creature spotted her and quickly analyzed her, its mind reaching one conclusion.
!EXTERMINATE!
"AAAAIIIEEEEEE!" it shrieked. A large sword popped out of its arm and it swung the blade down on Amity, who jumped away as it hit the ground.
"Shit!" Amity shouted while shooting a fire blast from the mechanical winged-creature. "What are you!?" she shouted as it swung its sword at her before it got hit in the back by a powerful magic blast.
"Stay away from me, you monster!" Star shouted as the creature turned its head toward her, its other arm turning into the barrel of a cannon that it shot at Star, who dodged it while she ran down between its legs.
"What the fuck is that!?" Robbie shouted as he helped Marco carry Jackie behind the van.
"I don't know!" Marco replied. "Looks like something straight out of Transformers!"
Jackie got a good look. "More like Evangelion!"
Mr. X, who was free, dragged Jenny to safety. He looked at the mechanical monstrosity. "That is no Mothman."
Amity and Star both back away from the mechanical being as its wings shot out missiles at them. Amity caught the missiles in an abomination goo sphere, which contained the explosions, though the blast got goo everywhere.
"What is that!?" Amity asked.
"What I've been hiding from!" Star answered.
"Whatever it is, we need to take it down now!" Amity said as abomination goo engulfed her arms, turning them into large abomination fists. "We gotta get it away from the others!"
"We?" Star demanded while Amity ran off.
The creature watched the two as Amity ran while Star followed. It flew after them, screeching again. As it chased after them, while Star kept blasting it. Once they were away from their friends, Amity turned around.
"Hiyah!" she shouted as she blasted the creature with fire.
"AAAIIIEEE!" the burning mechanical creature screeched. It opened its mouth and fired a blast of energy at Amity, who managed to block it with an abomi-shield to block it. Star tried to flank the creature, firing at it from the side. This caught the creature's attention, but it also gave Amity the opportunity to use her abomi-fists with spikes to stretch out and punch the creature several times, knocking it back
However, the creature wouldn't go down. Instead its wings folded and turned into buzzsaws, targeting Amity who cried out as she tried to dodge the buzzsaw wings. Before they could slice her, Star managed to hit the creature on the chestplate with a blast, causing it to shriek in pain. The buzzsaws were replaced with beams fired from the wings, forcing Star to dodge them while Ghost ran toward Amity, dodging the beams being fired around her.
"Ghost!" Amity shouted, glad that her Palisman was safe.
"Looks like you're in need of help!" Ghost replied while jumping toward Amity, transforming into her staff which she used to fly into the air.
Amity hovered above the creature, firing light beams at it. It looked up to her and fired a blast out of its mouth, which Amity managed to teleport away from. She reappeared on the other side of the creature, using her staff to create a spell circle that summoned a large abomi-hand which grabbed one of the creature's wings and pulled it out, causing it to screech.
Nearby, a coughing Janna got away from the smoke of the burning ice cream truck. She spotted Amity and Star fighting the mechanical creature. "Whoa…" she said while hearing Marco calling out to her.
"Janna! Get out of there!" Marco shouted while behind the van.
The mechanical creature jumped up and struck the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked everyone back. It hissed and pulled chunks of concrete out of the ground, showing them at its enemies. Amity and Star managed to dodge or block most of them, but one of the pieces flew toward Janna, hitting her in the head.
"JANNA!" Marco and Jackie exclaimed, seeing their friend fall down.
Amity turned and saw Janna down. "Janna… no… NO!" she cried out as she flew over to the fallen Janna to get her away from the battlefield while Star kept the mechanical creature busy. Even with its one wing, the creature was still capable of damage.
"Janna, Janna wake up!" Amity held onto Janna while landing near her friends. Janna was unresponsive and Amity saw her bleeding head. "Janna, please wake up!"
Jackie checked up on her. "She needs medical attention… we have to take her to a hospital!"
"There's one not too far away!" Marco pointed out.
"Sam, take her to the hospital!" Amity told her shadow as she grabbed her staff, her eyes glowing pink as she walked back toward the battle, glaring angrily at the mechanical creature.
Sam went to pick up Janna and flew her toward the nearest hospital.
Star dodged another laser blast, though by now she was covered in scratches and burn marks. She was getting tired, her hand was aching in pain. She winced as blood began to drip from her bandages. The mechanical creature recognized her weakness and it went in for the kill, blades extending from its arms as it screeched. Star closed her eyes, prepared for the worst. But then the creature suddenly stopped as it was grabbed by purple tendrils.
Amity marched over, her hands glowing pink while her hair rose up as her eyes glowed. She hit the ground with her staff, causing more purple tendrils to sprout out and grab the creature's remaining wing, tearing it apart.
"AAAIIIEEEEEE!" it screamed as it tried to fight back. It turned its arms into buzzsaws to slice through the tendrils, but more kept coming and wrapped around its limbs. Then the tendrils began to seep inside it.
Amity held her hand up, letting the purple gooey tendrils get inside the mechanical creature. She brings it to its knees, her scowling face shows her justified anger. It came down with the intent to harm her and hurt her friend. Now, it must pay the price.
"RAAAAAAAA-!" Its scream died out once the goo flooded into its system. Its chest plate cracked, the winged creature's circuits getting fried as Amity's hand tightened. The winged-creature then exploded into pink flames, the remains of the mechanical creature flying everywhere. Its head landed near Amity, the red light in its eyes dying out.
Amity fell to her knees, exhausted as she held onto her staff for support. She was breathing hard, but she knew she would recover. Whatever had attacked her would not.
Meanwhile, Sam found a hospital and flew through an open window, freaking out a black nurse as she dropped Janna into an empty hospital bed.
"WAH!" she screamed as she watched the living shadow leave. "Oh lord, shadow demons are dropping off people in the ER!"
Back to the battlefield, Star was shocked to see that the winged creature was destroyed. She looked to Amity, who was just as exhausted as she was. Robbie, Marco, and Jackie peeked out from behind the van to see exploded remains of the creature.
"Did… did you know she could do that?" Marco asked Robbie.
"No, I didn't," Robbie responded.
Jackie noticed that Mr. X and Jenny were already gone, then spotted her seashell necklace. She grabbed it and sighed while looking at Amity in concern. It was then they heard the sound of approaching sirens.
"We should get going," Jackie suggested.
"Alright, everyone in the van," Robbie told them as Marco helped Jackie get inside, while he walked over to Amity. "Hey, Amity, we need to go. Are you able to get up?"
Amity stood up. "Yeah, I can," she said quietly while turning to Star. "Hey!" Star turned to Amity. "Are you coming? I got a feeling you don't want to stick around here and it doesn't look like you have a ride."
Star looked at Amity and Robbie while listening to the sirens drawing close. She nodded. "Alright," she said as she ran for the van.
Amity and Robbie got in as well, Robbie quickly starting the van and driving away.
Later, at Britta's Tacos, everyone was bandaging themselves up. Star re-bandaged her own hand while Marco stayed in the van to have his sides wrapped up with help from Jackie, who was still in her mermaid form. Robbie returned with some food while Amity was fixing Jackie's necklace.
"Okay, so let me get this right," Robbie said while sitting next to her. "You, Luz, and her mom are from the Demon Realm… but Luz was born here, on Earth?"
"Yeah, Eda took her in after her birth mom died," Amity explained. "Though later her birth mother was brought back from the dead, but that is an entirely different fan of words…"
"And you guys travel back and forth between worlds using a key, but now… you're missing the key and have been trying to look for it since then. Or at least, a way back here," Robbie said, trying to understand. "But then an old witch stranded you here against your will."
"Right, and I think two of my other friends, Willow and Gus, could have also been sent here. Fortunately, Luz briefly found a way to contact me and she said that I should head for Gravity Falls. Hopefully Gus and Willow will be there as well," Amity said while tying up Jackie's seashell necklace. "I know this may be a lot for you to take on…"
"Eh, honestly I get the gist of it," Robbie admitted. "I am no stranger to weirdness and this isn't even the strangest thing that has happened to me. I can still be your ride to Gravity Falls."
"Thanks again," Amity said while turning to Star who was sitting by herself and looking at her bandaged hand.
"Taco?" Amity asked, causing Star to turn to her.
"W-What?" Star asked, scooting away.
"I thought you'd be hungry," Amity told her.
Star looked at the taco hesitantly and heard her stomach growl. Reluctantly she reached for the taco and took a bite out of it, realizing that she couldn't remember the last time she had tasted anything so good. "Thank you," she said while eating the taco.
Amity looked at Star in concern, noticing her bandaged hand. "Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"
Star looked up to her. "What kind of questions?" she asked defensively.
"Well for starters, what's your name?"
Star shifted her eyes to her food and sighed before looking back at Amity. "You can call me Star," she told Amity. "And um… thank you, for destroying that thing. It's been hunting me for months."
"Months?" Amity asked her.
"You're from another world, right?" Star asked and Amity nodded. "Well, so am I. Ever heard of Mewni?"
"I don't think so," Amity admitted.
"It is another dimension, populated by monsters and Mewmans, who are similar to humans but with some differences caused by exposure to magic, which was very prominent in Mewni… before its destruction, which was caused by things like that creature we had fought against. There were many others like it and thanks to them Mewni is…" She looked down and closed her eyes. "...gone. I managed to escape to this realm, but then that thing started to hunt me. Apparently it didn't want there to be any survivors of what happened to Mewni."
Amity frowned. "This… sounds familiar."
"What do you mean?" Star questioned.
"I know someone who claimed to have seen a vision of the destruction of my home realm brought about by winged mechanical creatures," Amity explained. "I didn't believe him at first, but after what I've seen… he may have been right."
Star nodded. "Well, if he was right then you should be worried. Because those things destroyed my home and they could very well destroy your world as well."
Amity stayed silent as she thought about this. "I'm… sorry about what happened to Mewni," Amity told Star. "I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you."
Star sighed. "Honestly… I haven't had much time to really process my grief. I have just been so focused on my own survival after escaping. But… thanks. And, um, sorry for holding your cat hostage."
"Hey, Ghost forgives you for it, right Ghost?" Amity asked her cat, who was on top of Robbie's van keeping a watchful eye on Star. Amity turned back to Stat. "Did you… lose anyone you were close to? Any family?"
Star shut her eyes again. "I don't want to talk about it," she said. Family was complicated.
"Okay… but why did you react like you did to me having magic?" Amity asked her, looking at Star's bandaged hand.
"Because where I'm from, magic is basically a plague," Star told her.
"A… plague? You mean, like someone gets sick from magic or dark magic…?" Amity wondered, confused as to what kind of magic could cause Star to panic.
"Not like that," Star clarified. "In Mewni, magic was the tool of the elite. Those who used magic oppressed those without it. The monsters, for example, were victims of prejudice and violence. The Mewmans drove them from their homes and their land, which they took from the monsters with the use of magic. My father taught me how magic does more harm than good and how we're better off without it. It is just too dangerous, especially when it is in the hands of those who would abuse it."
This felt like deja vu to Amity and she was reminded of her conversation with Hunter, who was raised by someone who was strongly against wild magic. She wondered if Star's father was anything like Belos, though it did sound like Mewni was very complicated when compared to the Boiling Isles.
"I think I can relate," Amity admitted. "Where I'm from, witches and demons can do magic, but it's more restricted. Long story short, you either join a coven where you can learn one type of magic, or you face persecution for learning 'wild magic'. Though the problem isn't the magic itself, it is the system." She looked down at her shoes, then back at Star. "And I'm not sure taking away magic would solve your world's problems."
"It wouldn't," Star admitted. "But it would at least level the playing field and take away the biggest advantage of the ruling elite, who use magic to enforce the status quo."
Amity nodded. "So… what do you plan to do now? Since that thing that's been hunting you was destroyed, what now?"
"Honestly, I really don't know," Star confessed. "Just keep moving, I guess."
"Well… how about you come with me to Gravity Falls?" Amity offered, causing Star to turn to her. "That is where I'm heading. And I hope when I get there I will be able to find a way back home. And if we can get back to the Boiling Isles, there are some people that I'd want you to meet and talk to."
"I don't know…" Star said, sounding unsure.
"Do you want to stop what happened to Mewni from happening to anywhere else?" Amity asked. "You would know more about these things than anything else and this could be your chance to avenge your world."
Star considered this. "...How do I know if I could trust you?"
"Well, you don't," Amity admitted. "And I don't know if I can trust you. But I'm willing to take that risk."
Star thought it over before letting out a sigh. "Well, I guess since I don't have to worry about that creature now, going with you is my best option."
Amity nodded. "Good," she said. "Because honestly, I think it is for the best that we leave Echo Creek now. If I stay any longer, I'm just going to attract more unwanted attention."
"What about Janna?" Sam asked her.
Amity looked down sadly at her shadow. "I hate leaving while Janna's still in the hospital, but it's too dangerous for me to stay and I would probably just make things worse," Amity answered before she turned to Robbie. "Hey Robbie, Star's decided to come with us to Gravity Falls. You don't mind an extra passenger?"
"Uh, sure, no problem. This van's big enough," Robbie responded.
Amity walked up to Jackie and Marco. "Look, I have to go now. I had a lot of fun with you guys, but it is best for everyone that I leave. And Star's coming with me as well."
"Hey, we understand," Jackie confirmed. "It is not safe for you to say."
"Yeah, especially with those government types still around," Marco added. "By the way, I got a call from dad. He said that Janna's parents have confirmed that Janna's going to be okay."
"Really? How is she?" Amity asked him.
"Had a concussion, but nothing life-threatening or severe," Marco confirmed.
"Thank the gods," Amity said. "Can you give her a message for me? Tell Janna that I'm sorry that I had to leave without saying goodbye in person. But it won't be goodbye forever. Tell her that I don't want her to blame herself for what happened today, and I want to thank her for everything she did for me," she said while handing Jackie her seashell necklace. "Here."
"Thanks, Amity," Jackie replied as she put her necklace back on, changing her tail into human legs. She turned to Marco, looking awkward. "So… how do you feel about this?"
"Um… what do you mean?" Marco asked her.
"Well, I'm a mermaid," Jackie said while looking down to her knees. "I assumed Janna would figure it out eventually, but I had no idea how you would react. It's… fine if you don't want anything to do with me after all of this."
Marco looked down. "Well, I'll admit, I kinda feel like I never really knew you at all…" he admitted before looking back up at her. "And I don't know how this will change things. But I still like you, Jackie. And I think I would like to get a chance to know the real Jackie Lynn Thomas, fish tail and all." He gave a little smile and Jackie smiled back at him.
"So you're not freaked out?" Jackie asked him.
"Surprisingly… no. I think it will take some time to adjust, but I think I'm going to be okay," Marco replied.
Jackie then remembered something and her smile vanished. "Oh wait, those government types know what I am now," she realized. She smacked her forehead. "I think I just exposed my whole family. We may have to leave Echo Creek…"
"Leave Echo Creek?!" Marco asked in shock.
"I'm so sorry about this," Amity told them. "Because of me, Jackie got exposed."
A worried Jackie looked at Amity and took a deep breath. "Hey, don't beat yourself up over it, I don't blame you," she reassured her. "We'll just have to figure something out."
"I know that I'm not going anywhere," Marco mentioned. "Not as long as Janna is in the hospital." He sighed.
"Well, I still hope you guys will be okay," Amity said as she gave Jackie a hug. "Goodbye."
"And take care of yourself too, Amity," Jackie replied. Once they let go, Amity headed over to Robbie's van. "See ya around."
"Yeah, don't be a stranger," Marco said as he waved.
"Are you sure that I can't eat her?" Ghost asked Amity while looking at Jackie.
Amity turned to Jackie. "Ghost says bye too."
Amity, Ghost, Sam, and Star got in the van as Robbie started it up. Amity sat up front with Robbie, looking back at her friends as they started to drive away. She waved at them as they watched her leave, then pulled her head back in with a sigh. She really did hope that they would be okay. Janna too.
Sensing her stress, Ghost sat in Amity's lap and Amity started to pet her, appreciating the cat Palisman's comfort.
Star was sitting in the back, while looking at her bandaged hand. After a long silence, she slowly unwrapped the bandages to look underneath them. Sure enough, embedded in the palm of her hand… was a piece of the Royal Magic Wand. And it was glowing green. Quickly Star wrapped the bandages back up.
Soon the van was leaving Echo Creek behind and heading north. Its destination was a little town in Oregon called Gravity Falls…
Then. Mewni.
"Ugh…" Tom groaned as his eyes slowly opened. He looked around and realized that he was in a room that he didn't recognize. And he was bound in chains. "Where... where am I!?" he asked in a panic.
"Oh good, you're awake," said a voice.
Tom looked up and saw that he wasn't alone. Star stepped out of the shadows.
"Uh, hey..." Tom said while his eyes looked her over. He decided she was cute enough and he put on a charming smile. "Let me guess, secret admirer? Let me out of these chains and I'll be happy to take you out."
PUNCH!
"ACK!" Tom bit his own tongue as he was punched. "Hey, what the fuck!?" he exclaimed while Star just glared at him.
"Ignorant Pig." Star snarled. "Don't you get what situation you're in right now? You're a hostage."
"Hostage?" Tom asked. "What is this about?"
Star glared down at him. "Typical. The monsters of Mewni are always treated like shit, while hypocrites like you live comfortably. If it weren't for your royal status and your wealth, you'd be treated just like any other monster!"
"What are you talking about?" Tom questioned. "I'm like half-demon. What monsters have to deal with isn't my problem…"
"Spoiled little prince, are you?" Star said as she grabbed him by the collar. "Don't you get it? Mewni is their home, just like it is yours. So what affects them will affect you. Especially while you do nothing while they suffer. You keep your magic, your riches, and your corn to yourselves without ever thinking about how it will come back to bite you in the ass!"
Tom glared back at her, but then his eyes widened as he recognized her. "No way… you're… you're the lost princess of the Butterfly family, aren't you?"
"They're not my family," Star snarled before knocking him out.
Now. The Boiling Isles.
"...and there, the worthy shall inherit a utopia free of wild magic."
Tom looked agitated when hearing the news, which concerned Athena. "Are you alright?" she asked him.
"Y-Yeah, just… nervous," Tom responded, having a bad feeling about all of this.
"Soon, our problems will be a thing of the past," Belos continued as Athena and Tom watched him on the crystal ball. "As will our enemies. Oh, and one more thing. I know that I am asking a lot of you, and that some of you have even begun to doubt me. After all, how can you trust someone wearing a mask? Someone who has never shown you his true face? I have always hidden my face out of fear. But after I have asked you to give me so much, I feel like it is important that I give you something in exchange for your support." Belos removed his mask and revealed his true face, causing Athena to gasp. "I have also decided to show you now because on the Day of Unity, I will leave this form that you see now and I will take on a new, more powerful form. A form given to me by the Titan himself so that I will be able to protect the Boiling Isles from its threats! Because there are enemies plotting against us as we speak and I have been chosen by the Titan to save us all. Happy Coven Day, everyone!"
Tom shook his head. "Excuse me," he said as he got up and started walking back to his room.
"Wait," Athena said as she turned off the crystal ball and got up. "Do you want to talk about anything? Like about Boscha? I'm worried about her too…"
Tom stopped and sighed. "There is nothing to talk about," he said. "She was attacked and I wasn't there to protect her. And now she is in the healing coven while I can do nothing to help her. I'm…" His fists tightened. "…useless. I just wish I could be of more help to you and to her."
Athena sighed. "Tom, you are being too hard on yourself. There was nothing you could have done."
"Maybe," Tom admitted while not looking at Athena. "But maybe not. Especially since whatever attacked her is still out there. What if it goes after her again? Maybe I should be out there looking for it instead of being cooped up in here, afraid to step outside. I am no good to Boscha in here."
"You are no good to Boscha in a cell either," Athena pointed out. "Boscha wouldn't want you to do anything stupid."
"You're… you're right," Tom admitted. He was silent for a moment. "Good night, Athena."
"Good night, Tom."
Tom went to his room and closed the door behind him. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself down since he had been tense ever since Boscha was attacked. But at least now he was all alone…
"You shouldn't be here," said a voice.
Tom's eyes widened and before he could turn around as he was pinned to the wall by Nicole, who emerged from the shadows. He struggled in her grip. "H-Hey! Stop! Please!" he cried out. "Athena, help!"
"So you are the bad influence who has gotten a hold of my daughter," Nicole declared as Tom's eyes glowed and he shot fire at her. "AAH!" she screamed as she let him go, backing away.
Charging through the door was Athena. "Tom!?" she cried out before spotting her wife. "Nicole?! What are you doing here?!"
"Saving our family!" Nicole declared. "What were you thinking, letting him in our house?! Letting him near our daughter?! I am putting an end to this once and for all!" She unleashed shadowy tendrils that grabbed both Athena and Tom by the necks, slamming them against the wall as they struggled.
"N-Nicole, don't do this!" Athena begged as Nicole strangled them.
"You left me with no choice," Nicole insisted as she continued to choke Tom, whose eyes continued to glow. "Somebody has to think of our daughter."
"Stay… away… from me!" Tom cried out, flames bursting around him as he lost his temper.
The Hieron Home then exploded into flames, which quickly incinerated the entire house. This drew the attention of some civilians along with some coven scouts who were in the area after being tipped off. They watched as the home of the Hieron family crumbled in on itself, Tom standing amidst the flames. He stood there in a shock until Athena grabbed him and carried him out of the house as it burned to the ground. Nicole slipped away from the burning home, both she and Athena slightly burned.
"Tom! Tom, wake up!" Athena cried out, shaking him.
"Ugh…" Tom blinked, his eyes returning to normal as he snapped out of it. "What… what happened?" he asked before he saw the burning house. He was horrified. "No… no! What have I done!?"
"FREEZE!"
Tom and Athena turned and saw coven scouts with their spears and crossbows aimed at them. A coven captain marches forward. "By the order of the Emperor's Coven, you two are under arrest!"
"What?!" Athena said in shock.
"We received a tip that you were harboring a dangerous criminal!" the captain declared as the scouts used their magic to bound the two of them, quickly placing a collar on Tom's neck that would shock him into submission. "Seems like the tip was accurate."
"You can't do this to us!" Athena declared while spotting Nicole who was just standing there. "Nicole, do something!"
Nicole's eyes narrowed at her wife. "I did tell you that you would regret throwing me out. You should have listened to me and now you will pay the price. Though don't worry, I promise Boscha will be fine without you."
Athena looked at Nicole in disbelief as she and Tom were escorted into a coven wagon.
Back in Echo Creek, Mr. X and Jenny were in a vacant building with the remains of the monster that was destroyed.
"Interesting, very interesting," Mr. X said while studying the remains. "This doesn't look like one of ours, does it?"
Jenny didn't answer. Instead, they were focused on their readings as they analyzed the remains.
"Hmm, you're right, Jenny," Mr. X said as he picked up a piece of the wing. "It is most important that we learn just what we are dealing with here. Like who made this thing, where it came from, and what its mission was…"
It seemed like they were on the verge of uncovering something big.
Somewhere in the US…
A family was having dinner when they heard a knock on the door. "I got it," the father said as he went to answer the door. His eyes widened when he saw the state of the figure on his front porch. "Um… can I help you, sir?"
"Please," spoke the hobo-like blond man with a shaggy beard, unkempt hair, and blue eyes. He was wearing a long overcoat with a tattered shirt, stained black pants, and was barefooted. "My… my name is River, and I'm… I'm looking for my daughter…"
Well CodePower2022, you were right. Star was raised in a different family… Toffee's family that is.
So yeah, in this timeline, Star was raised most of her life by Toffee and the Septarian army. We have been throwing around some ideas, but we've come to the conclusion of like what if a magical daughter was raised in an environment where magic is look down upon. Ultimately, Star is picked as being raised by Toffee.
In this timeline, it was Seth's survival that changed the timeline. He planned an attempt assassination on the Butterfly family but it went south. Toffee managed to kidnap the Baby Star and rather than kill her, he decided to raise her. And we now see the result of that.
As for the winged-creature… yes, it's the same one from the vision Hunter saw. This is one of those creature's official appearance. The same one that had attacked Mewni and traumatized Ludo.
The song Mr. X is singing is "Alien Heart" from Phineas and Ferb. Looks like that made it into a hit single in this universe.
I've looked up Sonic Adventures 2 to take notes on Jackie's skateboarding tricks, including the ramp. Having the "Escape From The City" song from the game is fitting for this scenario. Now I wonder if someone would make fanart of Jackie racing down the street with Sonic.
And yes, this chapter does take place in the same day as the Coven Day parade.
Now for the reviews:
Ultimate-drax: Yeah, me and Buck have joked about the Belos Youth for a while, thought it'd be funny to place it here.
OMAC001: Well… not really… if you look back at the previous chapters.
Crosshot: Yeah, the Grim Goblin will be part of a minor plotline, and it's not like Cups and Mugs meant to kill Crane. But they won't be one-shot characters anytime soon. And don't worry, there will be a new Bard Head soon. Cross will appear again soon.
Matteso585: 1) Yes, 2) Nah, too much of a mouthful. 3) Stay tuned. 4) Nope.
Franco Almiron: Nah, Calypso wouldn't want her husband to be a Bard Head for two reasons: Doesn't want to endanger him and it would leave him some time with the family, and that it would be considered neopotism. Besides, me and Buck have already picked who'd be the new Bard Head.
Guest: Well, not so soon…
The Franninator: Well, Luz wasn't sure if she could trust Odalia to tell her. It's obvious why she can't tell Alador, since he's with the Emperor's Coven.
RJWritingInk: Don't worry, we'll get to New York soon. And um, sorry that the Starco ship didn't happened, now that Star's coming with Amity to Gravity Falls. It just happens on a circumstance...
Shuffollower: Well, we've decided to follow the chronological aspects so stay tuned. I have been thinking what could happened to Rose's sister so it's a nice suggestion.
The OC Contest is still underway.