Multiverse Heroes: Magical Destinies(AmphibiaxSVTFOExTOH)

Nighttime came in Mewni, mostly everyone was asleep in Star's room, including Gus and Willow, the two quickly being part of this newly formed friend group. The only one not present was Sasha, given her rocky relationship with almost everyone in the room, she opted not to be there, though fortunately Hekapoo was nice enough to get Sasha her own room, one few felt was too much.

She may have hated hearing it, but Star may have had a point when she referred to Sasha as Hekapoo's pet, the monster woman clearly had a soft side for the First Lieutenant of Grime's Army, taking a fast liking to her.

In her room, Star herself was still awake, the young princess starting out the window toward the moon. Things really had gotten chaotic today, given how four of the girls she recently were hurt in training, and how right afterwards, Hekapoo lead an attack on Emperor Belos, one she wish she knew about.

At the very least, the attack may have left him weakened, and with Andrias lending out some guards, Mewni was even more protected from The Boiling Isles. With forces stopping The Coven Guards both externally with the two armies and internally with the rebels, Star figured things should go better.

But she still has Eclipsa's daughter to think about, once this all ends, she has to make things right with her in any way she can.

"Star?" Marco said, walking to her side. "It's late, you should be asleep."

Star nodded in agreement, "I know I should be, but..."

"A lot on your mind?" Marco asked. "Actually that makes sense, I've recently been there too."

"I just want to resolve everything, especially with Eclipsa," Star said. "This war with Emperor Belos is turning out to be one major distraction."

"Yeah, it did practically come out of nowhere, but it's winding down at least," Marco said. "Sasha and Hekapoo basically sent him packing, and with King Andrias lending us his army, things should go back to normal soon. We'll have more time to handle the Eclipsa situation, plus maybe find someway to help our new friends."

"Oh right, a chance to send them home," Star said. "Gotta say, those girls are really well held together considering the fact that they got stranded in worlds away from home. I mean, I know I went to Earth but that was more for safety reasons, and I didn't feel too out of place."

"Yeah, if anything you were at a better advantage since you knew magic in a non-magical land compared to Anne who went to a world inhabited by frogs and Luz who went to a land inhabited by witches," Marco said. "If anything, I felt nearly out of place being in Mewni at times."

"Hey you did well in the Neverzone at least, got some nice abs out of it," Star commented.

"Oh yeah, that place..." Marco said. "So weird how long I spent in there, yet it feels like a dream. You'd be amazed how quickly the years go by."

"Still, how can we help Anne, Luz and the others?" Star asked.

"I mean, we could send them home, we have the tools," Marco said. "Unless they have some unfinished business somewhere in one of these worlds."

"We do," Anne said, getting the attention of the two. The girl had gotten up and walked toward the balcony.

"Sorry Anne, did we wake you?" Star asked.

"I could barely sleep, it takes some getting used to being in another world," Anne said. "I spent months in Amphibia, I was so used to things there that coming here made me feel like I was starting over."

"I told you everyone should have gotten their own room, Star, it'd be so much easier for Anne and the others," Marco said.

"No it's fine, I feel better sleeping close to my friends," Anne said. "It makes me feel less alone and less homesick."

"I get that feeling all too well," Marco said.

"Same, I actually brought my whole room to Earth when I first stayed there," Star said.

"Wow, that's awesome, wish I could do that," Anne said. "I've been wondering Star, what's it like being a Princess? Is it fun like in the Fairy Tales?"

"Eh, not really, it comes with a lot of work," Star said. "I'm being prepped to be Queen, and part of that prep comes with learning magic, which kind of sucks because sometimes, I feel like I'd just rather be a normal girl. Being in the human world was fun because I could finally break free of that type of responsibility. For the most part, I still had to learn magic and stuff but at least I could be with other kids my age and be treated like one of you."

"Wow, that's deep," Anne said. "Guess movies were wrong again."

"Movies are there to entertain, not educate," Marco said. "I mean, you can find some educational value but still, it's a suspension of disbelief."

"Got that right," Anne said.

"How are you feeling by the way?" Marco asked. "Not too roughed up?"

"It's nothing, I've been in a fight before so getting hurt isn't new," Anne said. "Hekapoo's just lucky I never got to show off my Muy Thai skills."

"Oh, you take martial arts!?" Marco excitedly asked. "That's funny, I'm a martial artist myself, Red Belt in Karate."

"That's so dope," Anne said. "You gotta show me your moves next chance you get."

"Maybe you two can spar," Star said. "See who's stronger."

"It's not about strength, it's about skill," Marco said. "Not sure if I want to spar though, I don't want to risk hurting Anne."

"Dude, what did I just say?" Anne said. "I can take a punch."

"Yeah I know, but..." Marco noticed movement in the corner of his eye. "Oh, look who else is up."

"Sorry, didn't mean to disturb you," a now awake Luz said, the girl making her way to the balcony. "I saw you three talking and I got curious."

"Couldn't sleep either?" Star asked.

"Uh...yeah," Luz said. Truthfully, she was woken up earlier by their talking, but she didn't feel the need to say so.

"That's fine, I'd love to talk to you some more too Luz," Star said. "You're learning witch magic, right?"

"Yeah, I'm still kind of a beginner, but it's enough so I can protect myself in a fight," Luz said. "I've learned what I could the last couple of months."

"Is that how long you were stuck in The Boiling Isles?" Star asked.

"Yeah, pretty much," Luz said. "I'm just waiting for the day that I can do magic on a whim, like Eda did when I first met her."

"From what I hear, magic's a bit different in the Boiling Isles," Star said. "I suppose that makes sense, there's all types of magic. It's odd though, none of the books in my mom's library really mention The Boiling Isles, at least not in full detail. They barely mention Amphibia, of course I didn't look too far into it."

"Think there's a reason?" Marco asked.

"Who knows, maybe nothing major happened that warranted a documentation," Star said. "At least, that I know of."

"Belos definitely seemed to know about Mewni at least," Luz said.

"Speaking of Belos, since Hekapoo and Sasha seemed to scare him off, maybe later we can check his castle and see if he left anything inside," Anne suggested.

"Easier said than done, I doubt it would be that easy to infiltrate his castle," Marco said. "I mean doesn't he have guards around?"

"Tom mentioned one of the guards being quite fierce," Star said. "But, it might lead to a few extra clues. I'll run it by my mom."

"Sounds great, and we'll be here to help," Anne said.

"Are you sure you want to? I mean, the battle might be pretty much won, we can send you girls home," Marco said. "Star can do so right now if she wants."

"Or rather I can lend you my scissors to open the portal," Star said.

"Even if I wanted to leave, I'd feel weird if I just up and did it," Anne said. "Plus, I want my own pair of scissors, so I don't have to say 'good-bye' to the Plantars forever."

"Same, I still want to train with Eda, having my own pair of scissors would definitely be helpful," Luz said. "This way I can still l see my mom."

"Star, isn't there anything you can do to help us with that?" Anne asked.

"I want to, but Hekapoo owns those scissors, I'd have to ask her and unfortunately I can't really order her to do anything," Star said. "Even my mom might barely have say over it, and she's the queen."

"So to get those scissors, I'd basically have to beat her in a fight?" Anne asked.

"More like her clones, like I did," Marco said. "Granted I did so by blowing the fire off her head, though that's because she intentionally weakened them to make it work. Plus it took me a really long time to do."

"Too bad that woman makes things so dang difficult," Luz said. "I really miss my mom."

"Same, and I know they miss us," Anne said.

"Speaking of moms, Marco, you should go see your parents tomorrow, they probably miss you too," Star said. "Plus, I got a letter from your mom recently, apparently someone you know is pregnant."

"Wait, someone I know?" Marco asked. "Who could...wait, is it Jackie or something?"

"Well the letter sounded happy, and I don't think your mom would be happy that your fifteen year old friend got pregnant," Star said. "Then again, your parents are very positive people so..."

"Yeah I can't see my mom being positive about that," Marco said. "I should probably go see her anyway."

"You can even bring Anne and Luz if you want, or any of their friends," Star suggested.

"I don't mind, but would you girls?" Marco asked.

"Wait, go back to Earth?" Anne asked. "Actually, I'd be more than alright with that, I could use some Earth food."

"Me too," Luz said. "Might be weird going back, I mean I went back once after I left but only for a few minutes. I couldn't do magic there though."

"What makes you unable to do magic?" Star asked. "I'm able to do it just fine."

"Maybe because I'm still learning, Lilith and Eda could do magic on Earth," Luz said. "Not to mention that your wand seems to work differently than our magic."

"Well anyway, tomorrow you're going with Marco to see his parents," Star said. "I bet they'll love you."

"Where do you live again?" Anne asked.

"Echo Creek, it's somewhere in Los Angeles," Marco said. "You're from LA too right? Have you heard of it?"

"Can't say I have, I live near the city, not too far from Hollywood Hills," Anne said.

"I live near Santa Monica," Marco said. "Wow, maybe you will be able to see your parents."

"That would work out so well," Anne said. "It'd be great to see mom and dad."

"I wish you luck on that," Luz said. "Anyway, we should get to bed, plus I'm worried about waking up one of our friends."

"Too late," Amity said.

"You were a bit loud," Marcy said.

"Go to sleep already!" Kelly demanded.

"Yeah, we've had a long day," Gus said.

Marco groaned in annoyance, "Might I suggest moving our late-night conversations elsewhere? At least Sasha wasn't here to make things worse."

"Hope she's sleeping well," Anne said.

"She probably is, thanks to Hekapoo's fascination with her," Luz bitterly commented.

The kids had gone to bed, sleeping the night away, once again relieved to have gotten through yet another day.

The following morning, everyone had gathered in the throne room where Queen Moon kept them up to speed on what was happening.

"King Andrias and his army have arrived in Mewni, they will be doing their part to help drive off the enemy forces of The Boiling Isles," Moon said. "With luck, we should not only finally suppress that army, but also drive away Belos for good."

"If he even has the guts to show his face again," Sasha said. "Which you can thank me and Hekapoo for, even his puny Golden Guard couldn't stop us."

"Yes, thank you Sasha and Hekapoo," Moon said, to the annoyance of the Boiling Isles kids along with Marco.

"Kelly and I helped too, by the way," Tom said. "Also, the battle isn't totally done, we still need to find that Darius person, and the little cat."

"Darius is quite dangerous, if left uncheck, he can cause a lot of trouble," Raine warned. "Belos picked him as one of his top guards for a reason, he Eberwolf and Kikimora are no joke."

"Do not worry Raine, we'll keep an eye on things," Moon said. "Andrias even sent his top General."

"Oh, is it Yunan? She's really strong," Marcy said.

"Yunan?" Sasha scratched her head. "Oh yeah, I remember her, Grimesy and I had to outwit her that one time."

"Very persistent newt woman, I've been on the other end of-," Grime said. He then had a sudden realization. He's still technically wanted by Newtopia for his conspiracies. "Uh...Sasha, might I have a word with you?"

Sasha was confused for a moment, but soon came to the realization about Yunan herself. Thinking quickly, she turned to her only other friend, "Hekapoo, there's something I gotta discuss with Grime. Might need your input later regarding what he has to say."

"Fine by me," Hekapoo said. "I'm gonna go check the outskirts, maybe pass through the Boiling Isles."

"Oh, mind sending me back?" Raine asked. "I gotta check on my team, we're still trying to liberate the Boiling Isles and all."

"Need help?" Eda asked. "I got time to spare."

"Oh, really?" Raine asked, slightly surprised by Eda's offer. "Well, thanks. I should warn you, my team's a bit rowdy."

"Nothing ol' Mama Eda can't handle," the Owl Lady said. "Hopediah, wanna join in?"

"You go on, I don't think I can handle such excitement," Hop Pop said.

"Oh come on, you could use the exercise, you've been letting yourself go lately," Polly teased.

"Have not!" Hop Pop said. "Eh, might as well, better than being cooped up in this castle. No offense to you Queen Moon."

"It's fine, even Buff Frog felt a little out of place here," Moon said.

"That's because everyone was judging him for being a monster," Star pointed out.

"Uh, why is everything discrimination with you? Maybe he just didn't like it here," Hekapoo said. "Geez, don't make a problem out of nothing."

"Lets not quarrel, it's too early for that nonsense," Moon said.

"Hey Luz, Anne, wanna join us?" Eda asked.

"Actually, we were gonna go see Marco's house, his mom asked him to come back for a Baby Shower," Anne said.

"Wait, Anne, you're going back home!?" Sprig asked. "Back to the human realm!?"

"No, I'm not going home, I'm visiting Marco's Family," Anne said. "Oh, Marco, could Sprig and the other kids come? Your parents are cool with this stuff, right?"

"Well, they are but if there's gonna be other people there, then it might be troubling," Marco said.

"I'd rather you kids not go to Earth without me," Hop Pop said. "It'd be way too much work for Anne, even with Luz, Marco and Star helping."

"Oh come on, we'll be good," Sprig said.

"Yeah, we want to check out Earth, hit the towns and stuff," Ivy said. "What do you think Maddie?"

"Honestly, I'd rather just go to The Boiling Isles," Maddie said.

"Sounds great, you can come with us kid," Eda said.

Sprig groaned in annoyance, "This is bogus."

"It's fine, we have something else to attend to," Ivy said.

"Huh? What else is there?" Sprig asked. Ivy then gestured to King, which of course got Sprig's wheels turning. "Oh right."

"So it's settled, Marco, Star, Luz and I are going to Earth, for a bit," Anne said. "Unless anyone else would like to come?"

"I would, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to mingle with humans," Willow said.

"It's not hard," Luz said. "It's just a party. You barely have to mingle."

"Maybe another time," Willow said. "I'd love to catch up with you and all, but I feel like I'd be better suited here for now."

"Same here," Gus said.

"I'd like to see Star's parents again, but I kind of want to see if I find that Darius guy, I don't feel right knowing he's just out there," Tom said.

"Don't look for him alone, he's going to have that little wolf creature with him," Kelly said.

"Gee, given the dangers, maybe I should hold off on seeing my mom," Marco said. "I don't want to just leave everyone."

"No, it's fine Marco, you should go see your mom, plus we could use a break," Star said.

"Marcy, wanna come too?" Anne asked.

"Uh, sure, that sounds nice," Marcy said. "Wait, where does Marco live?"

"Echo Creek, it's somewhere near LA," Anne said.

"LA? As in Los Angeles!?" Marcy immediately turned it down. "Uh, maybe it's not such a good idea. I mean I don't want to get distracted."

"We don't have to go home just yet, might be hard since Marco lives around Santa Monica, that's about a half hour away from Hollywood," Anne said. "Plus, don't you want to meet Marco's family?"

As Marcy pondered this, Amity walked over, whispering to the girl, "Meeting Marco's parents might score some brownie points with him, and keep your edge above the competition."

Marcy looked to Willow, the girl still eyeing Marco. Relenting she agreed to the trip, "Sure, I'll go. I mean it's just a quick visit, right?"

"Why is she acting so weird about going home?" Marco wondered. "Well that's great, and Amity, you're welcome to come too."

"Uh, what about my ears?" Amity asked, gesturing to them. "Wouldn't that freak someone out?"

"I doubt anyone would notice, at the very least it's less noticeable than most things, like walking, talking frogs," Marco said.

"I'm feeling a bit discriminated," Sprig said.

"Ugh, did you even use that word right? It sounds so off," Polly said.

"Hey, I use words just good," Sprig said, earning an annoyed eye roll from Polly, and a playful one from Ivy.

"Still, it's your choice Amity," Marco said. "It's fine if you're not comfortable either, I mean Luz is the only other human you're used to, aside from myself, Marcy, Sasha and Anne."

That did remind Amity, if Anne was going, that would mean Luz would be alone with her. Or not alone but still together. "Alright, I'm in."

"Would it help if I lent you my hoodie?" Marco asked. "You can keep the hood up to hide your ears."

"Or I can lend you mind since it's easier," Marcy said.

"Thanks, but I'm good, I can use my hair," Amity said, tucking her ears in the best she could.

"Star, lead the way," Marco said, Star pulling out the scissors.

"See everyone later, and don't hesitate to call if you need us for anything!" Star said.

"We will, have fun dear," Moon said as her daughter opened the portal. The woman muttered to herself afterwards, "Better you enjoy as much of life as possible, and not worry about things here."

Anne knelt by Sprig and Polly, "I'll see you later, try not to get into too much trouble."

"We'll do our best," Sprig said. "Have fun seeing Marco's family."

"If there's cake, bring some back," Polly said.

"I'll ask," Anne said.

Luz also knelt by King, "Will you be alright?"

"Sort of, that race thing is today, I kind of needed you to fly with me since it's for students, and I'm not exactly a student at Hexside or any other school," King said.

"Oh, right," Luz said. "Well, maybe I can stay."

"No, I don't want to stop you," King said. "You've been really busy and you could use a day off, maybe try to see if you can get in contact with your mom. It'll be fine, really, forget I said anything. At the very least, I can try our secret plan with Eda."

"Oh, you're gonna ask her soon? That's so great!" Luz said, an idea generating in her head. "Actually, maybe you can see if Willow or Gus can help, or see if they'll let you race without a student."

"I'll try to," King said, this conversation overheard by Maddie, the frog girl getting a few ideas.

Marco had stepped through the portal with Star, Anne, Marcy, Luz and Amity, the six back in Marco's hometown of Echo Creek.

Anne took a moment to register the situation. After several months, most of it spent living in a swamp, near a bunch of mucky surfaces and giant bugs everywhere, she's finally back on Earth. Fresher air, bugs that aren't too big, and the kiss of the hot sun on her skin.

Luz was also speechless for the moment, the girl took a look around to fully register that she was no longer in a world outside of her own. Among all the world hopping she's done lately, to be back home, and no immediate threat, it felt so relieving.

Marcy also could barely register that she was back on Earth after months in Amphibia, even if she really did not care too much to be home, it did give off a sense of awe that dimension traveling was not too difficult.

Amity cautiously observed the area, the human realm did look a bit different than the Boiling Isles for sure. But after passing through Mewni, then Amphibia, she's gotten slightly used to the different sights of the many dimensions. So far, she didn't seem to hate it, and was curious as to what it had to offer.

"So, this is where you live," Anne said, finally breaking the ice. "I really don't think I've been around here, shows just how much of LA I've explored."

"Huh...the human world really is bright..." Amity commented. "Just like Mewni."

"It looks so pretty," Luz said. "So, this is the west coast. It's as sunny as I thought it'd be."

"Yeah, it almost never snows here," Marco said.

"Got that right, summer temperatures all year round," Anne said.

"Must be rough during Christmas time," Luz said. "A Christmas without snow feels like heresy."

"It's no big deal, plus it snows on the mountains, so if we want a white Christmas, we could book a cabin there," Anne said.

"That sounds fun," Luz said. "Hey, there are beaches nearby right? How are they?"

"They're fun to go to," Marco said. "Granted I haven't been to one in a while, at least in this dimension I haven't."

"Oh yeah, going to the beach sounds really fun," Star said. "That's on the 'To Do' list for sure."

"I'd need a bathing suit, but I don't think I packed a suit so I'd need to get a new one," Luz said. "I just hope they have ones that aren't too revealing."

Suddenly Amity began to blush, thinking about Luz in a skimpy bathing suit near the hot, sunny beach. It certainly sent her hormones wild.

"I can find you a suit that isn't revealing, I use a one piece mixed with bathing shorts," Anne said. "Personally, I'm not too comfortable with my body, so I don't like show off too much."

"Oh come now Anne, I bet you can work it if you wanted to," Luz said.

Amity tried imagining Anne in a suit, all she could see was nothing but scrawniness, it brought a smile to the young witch's face.

Marcy nervously looked around, somehow worried her parents might show up at any moment. Even though they're back in her hometown, her parents still don't live nearby, it's unlikely the two would be in this neighborhood, but her anxiety was getting the better of her.

"You alright there Marcy?" Star asked, startling Marcy a bit.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," Marcy insisted. "I'm just taking in the sights. I usually don't come to this part of California."

"Isn't adventuring fun?" Star asked.

Marcy nodded in agreement, "Got that right, super fun."

"Hey, let's hurry up now, don't want to keep my mom waiting," Marco said.

Seconds later, Marco led the girls toward his house where his mother Angie greeted him, "Marco! You're home! Oh, and you have some new friends? Are they from Mewni?"

"No, believe it or not, they're human," Marco said, then heard Amity clear her throat. "Most of them."

"Hi, I'm Anne Boonchuy," the messy hair girl greeted. "I'm from the city actually, near Hollywood."

"Oh, a Hollywood girl, that's quite a distance from here," Mrs. Diaz said. "Well, I'm Angie Diaz, Marco's mom. Nice to meet you and your friends."

"I'm Marcy Wu, I'm also from around Hollywood," the now shy girl said.

"Two Hollywood girls? How amazing," Angie said.

"Luz Noceda, I'm from Connecticut," the witch in training greeted.

"Connecticut?" This understandably surprised Angie. "Why that's such a long way, all the way on the other side of the country."

"It's a long story," Luz said.

Amity was the last to step forward, the girl feeling awkward, "Hi, I'm Amity Blight, I'm from another dimension."

"How nice, Marco makes so many friends in so many different world," Angie said. "You seem like a really nice young lady."

"Um, thank you," Amity said, feeling relieved.

"She's not too keen on everyone knowing she's a witch right now, mind keeping it on the down low?" Star asked.

"Oh sure, I'm good with that," Angie said. "Don't want to scare anyone with talk of a spooky witch nearby."

Amity grumbled in annoyance, "I'm not that spooky."

"So, don't keep me in suspense mom, who's having the baby?" Marco asked.

"See for yourself," Angie said, gesturing to her stomach.

Marco's eyes widened in surprise, this was not on his mind at all, "Wait, mom! You're gonna be...a mom!? When did this happen?"

"I'd say about...nine months ago," Anne said. "She looks really pregnant."

"That's so amazing Marco, you're gonna be a big brother!" Luz excitedly stated. "Oh! Do you know the baby's gender Mrs. Diaz!?"

"She does, as do I," came the voice of Marco's dad. "Buenos dias, I am Rafael Diaz, Marco's father."

"Hi sir, nice to meet you," Anne said.

"Es un placer conocerlo Sr. Diaz," Luz said.

"El placer es mio jovencita," Rafael responded.

Marcy leaned to whisper to Marco, "Do you know what they said?"

"I don't know a lot of Spanish," Marco said. "Probably just said 'Nice to meet you' or something."

"What is the baby's gender, sir?" Anne asked.

"A boy," Rafael said, holding up a picture of a sonogram. "Marco, meet your little brother, Marco Jr."

"OMG! That's so cute!" Star excitedly said.

"Yeah that's...wait, Marco Jr?" Marco asked.

"We're naming him after you," Angie said.

"But, you don't name your son after your son!" Marco said. "Is this weird to anyone else?"

"I think it's nice," Marcy said. "Marco's a really nice name after all."

"Oh, thanks..." a sheepish Marco said. "Still, that just seems unorthodox."

"But he's got a mole, just like you," Angie said, gesturing to the mole in question.

"Well that checks out," Luz said. "Congrats, Marco Sr."

"Cute..." Marco sarcastically said. "Still, a brother...Kind of feel bad for not knowing."

"You've been busy, so it's fine," Angie insisted, then held her arms out. "Now, give your mom a hug!"

"Oh, sure," Marco said, giving his mother a quick one arm hug.

Angie was clearly displeased by this action, "I spent thirty-seven hours squeezing you out of my body, and that's all I get?"

"Oh boy..." Anne commented.

"Um, well..." Marco couldn't think of an immediate response.

"Give your mother a hug," Angie warned, causing Marco to immediately comply.

"Oof, I felt that from here," Luz said.

"Same, sounds like something my mom would say, but in Thai," Anne said.

"It is really nice to meet such nice girls," Rafael greeted. "I think I overheard your names. Anne, Marcy, Luz and Amity. Such pretty names for such pretty chicas."

"Thank you sir," Anne said.

"I especially like your name, Luz, it has meaning," Rafael said. "Light, it fits that bright smile of yours."

"Gracias Sr. Diaz," Luz said.

"Please, you may call me Rafael," Marco's dad said. "Now come, we have a baby to shower."

The Diaz Family led the kids inside, and there were many guests in the house, the kids staying close together, not wanting to get lost in the crowd.

"I still can't believe you're having a baby, mind if I-" Star gestured to Angie's stomach.

"Go on, see if you can feel him," Angie encouraged, Star then pressing her ear against the woman's stomach.

"Wow, I felt him kicking," Star said. "Maybe he can join Mewni's force."

"He can replace Sasha," Amity joked.

"Hehe, I think taking one of our sons is enough Star," Rafael said.

"Wait, he's kicking!?" Marco asked, shoving Star aside and knocking her into Luz and Anne. "Let me hear!"

"Dude!" Anne shouted in annoyance, Luz herself glaring at Marco.

"Sure Marco, you may touch my stomach," Angie sarcastically mused.

"Wait, I don't hear him," Marco said, feeling disappointed.

"He probably stopped, "Angie said.

"Oh...was it me that made him stop?" Marco asked, this now earning a look of sympathy from the girls, aside from Star.

"Don't take it so hard, his brain is the size of a grape," Angie said. "That reminds me, I'm craving grapes, I'll eat some before we open presents."

"Presents?" Marco asked.

"Oh yeah, it's listed on the invitation you didn't read," Star pointed out, gesturing to the paper, this earning her some glares from the other girls.

"Oh...wow," Marco said. "Dang, I can't believe I didn't get Marco Jr. a present, I'm a bad older brother."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Anne said. "Not like you knew."

"Yeah, lighten up Marco Sr., don't feel bad that you don't communicate enough with your parents, they totally understand and aren't disappointed whatsoever," Star said.

This course of action continued to confuse the girls, seemed like Star really wasn't making the situation better, she just made things a bit more awkward.

"It's not a big deal Marco, not like the baby's going to remember," Luz said.

"Plus we can fix it," Star said. "With a quick trip to Quest Buy."

"Where?" Anne asked.

"Quest Buy, the go to store for all your questing," Star said. "They sell swords, maces, bows and arrows, armor, even spell potions."

"Wow, that sounds fun," Luz said.

"Totally!" Marcy agreed, then remembered the situation. "But that's not really going to help here, I mean Mr. Diaz clearly said he'd rather you not take his other son into battle, especially considering that son isn't even born yet."

"Oh there's bound to be something there suitable for babies, I mean I played with those knightly weapons when I was a baby," Star said.

"That sounds highly irresponsible," Anne said.

"Hey I turned out alright, didn't I?" Star said.

"Eh, still, Marco, I don't think you should be worried about this," Amity said. "I mean, just being here should be enough. Plus I don't think the older siblings need to buy stuff for the newborn sibling."

"Still, I should have brought something," Marco said.

"You brought yourself, you took time out of your busy schedule to see your mom, that's sweet," Anne said.

"Yeah, moms more than anything just want to know their children are safe and happy," Luz said. "Speaking of which...I'm wondering if I should call my mom."

"Oh yeah, same," Anne said, reaching into her pocket and finding that she had bars again. "Oh bars...how I missed you."

"Oh right, I should have Wi-Fi now," Luz said, checking her own phone. "Sweet, gotta love that Wi-Fi signal."

"Come upstairs, should give you some privacy," Marco said, leading the girls to his room.

The girls took a moment to examine his room, Amity checking on the bed, Marcy gawking at the toys, Anne and Luz looking at the TV and games, same with his comics and manga.

"Your room's awesome dude," Anne said.

"And you have a bean bag chair," Luz said, resting on it. "So soft..."

"You got nice bedsheets," Amity said.

"Wow is that your desk?" Marcy said, turning to the location in question. "You even have a nice looking laptop.

"Glad you like my room," Marco said. "So, ready to make those calls?"

"Oh yeah, maybe I can..." Luz was about to dial, but started having second thoughts. "Oh, I'm not so sure."

"Same..." Anne said. "I can't do it."

"You girls gonna be alright?" Marco asked.

"Sorry, this is just so weird to us, like how do I just call my mom whom I haven't seen in months and tell her that I'm a half-hour away like it's nothing?" Anne said. "I mean...I feel like I should be there to let her know I'm alright."

"You can ask my dad if he's willing to drive you there," Marco said.

"I don't want to burden him, plus it's going to take much more than a simple drive," Anne said.

"I'm all the way on the other side of the country, I can't even imagine explaining that to my mom," Luz said. "This sucks, I'm this close to really reaching out to her, and I'm too nervous to do it."

"How about you Marcy?" Star asked. "Ready to call your parents?"

"Uh...no, not really," Marcy said. "It's fine, I can wait."

"Marcy, you've been acting strange, every time your parents are brought up, you kind of avoid the question, is something going on?" Anne asked.

"Huh? No, of course not," Marcy insisted. "It's nothing Anne, really."

"You know you can tell us," Anne said. "Or would you rather just tell me."

"That's cool, we can give you and Anne some room," Luz said.

"It's fine! Don't worry about it!" Marcy insisted. "It's really not important right now, I mean I don't plan on going home just yet, we still have to make sure Mewni's alright, and we have to deliver that Calamity Box to King Andrias."

"Oh right, I totally forgot about that," Anne said. "Shouldn't take too long, just pop into his throne room, drop it off and peace out of there. With these scissors, it's much easier to travel."

"That's the other thing, I want to earn my own pair so I can still come back to Amphibia, and Mewni, maybe even The Boiling Isles," Marcy said. "I still want to learn magic later."

"Right, we just need our own pair of scissors, so once we earn them, we can go home and see our families," Luz said. "Might be easy, if my mom sees me, she won't let me go anywhere unless I know I can come back."

"Same here," Anne said. "So, I guess we're not calling our families yet."

"So we can go shopping!" Star said, earning some glares.

"Star, you're really bent on shopping, is this really about...Marco Jr., or do you just want to shop?" Anne said.

"Well...maybe a little of both," Star said. "But only because it's fun, and it's good to take our minds off the stress."

"Well shopping is fun," Anne said. "But, I don't think I have any money."

"Same here," Luz said.

"I do, but it's Copper," Marcy said, holding the coin. "I doubt they have any monetary value in this store of yours."

"Same, I got some Snails here, I doubt they work outside of my realm," Amity said, showing off her coins.

"Oh I doubt they'd mind Copper or Snails," Star said. "I mean Quest Buy takes Earth Currency, they might take currency from other realms too."

"Still, I don't really have any dollars or copper," Anne said.

"I got no money either," Luz said. "I mean, maybe a few snails but nothing worth anything."

"I can spot you girls if you want," Marco said. "I got enough cash for all of you."

"What, you got like fifty dollars? A hundred?" Anne asked.

"Six hundred and fifty dollars," Marco said, to the surprise of the girls.

"You have HOW much!?" Anne asked. "Wait, do you get paid by the Butterfly Family or something?"

"Or are you just a really good saver?" Luz asked.

"I get $650 a month for Royalties," Marco said. "You can thank the Princess Turdina merchandise, they sell like hot cakes across the many realms."

"Princess Turdina?" Anne asked. "What's that?"

"You'll laugh if I told you," Marco said.

"No we wouldn't, I mean, you're making $650 a month with this Princess Turdina thing, that puts you in a good place," Marcy said.

"We won't judge you, whatever it is," Amity reassured.

"Are you girls suuuuure about that?" Star asked. "It's actually pretty embarrassing."

"Marco, where I'm from, I'm considered the class weirdo who gets treated like an outcast, I would not judge anyone," Luz said.

"Back home, I barely had any friends, and if not for Sasha, I'd be bullied a lot," Anne said. "I am not going to be like them."

"You're our friend, you can trust us," Amity reassured.

"Maybe you girls can reveal something embarrassing about yourselves too," Star said. "Might help."

"No that's fine, I can tell them," Marco said. "Girls, Princess Turdina is my alter ego."

That was an answer none of them were prepared for, for the most part they assumed he made some dolls, not turned into someone else.

"So...Princess?" Luz asked. "Pretty sure that's a title for girls, not guys."

"Well, they...the thing is..." Marco tried getting the words out.

"Oh good grief, let me," Star said, pushing Marco aside. "Marco cross-dressed as a Princess to sneak into an all-girls academy and liberate some other princesses. In that time he became so popular that they made little dolls and other types of merchandise with his likeness, and he gets paid $650 in Royalties for it."

"Yeah, what she said, "Marco said, focusing attention back on him. "I dressed like a girl to save other girls, and I don't regret it, but I know it's weird so no surprise if there's teasing."

The four girls quickly exchanged glances at each other, neither sure what to make of this.

Anne was the first to speak up however, "Well, it sounds like you were trying to help others, and we respect that."

"Yeah, it takes a real man to be confident enough in his masculinity to pull off what you did," Luz said.

"Honestly, I've kind of dressed like a guy on occasion, mostly for fun than anything, or for school plays," Anne said.

"Oh totally, I would cosplay as my favorite anime male if given the chance," Luz said.

"Marcy, you think it's cool, right?" Anne asked.

"Well it's certainly daring, but hey, you saved others and you're getting paid, can't argue with those results," Marcy said.

"Amity, what do you think?" Luz asked.

"Like I said, I don't judge," Amity said. "You're a nice boy and it'd be wrong to think differently of you because of that. I know you wouldn't judge another person either, and you deserve that same privilege."

"Wow, thanks, glad I can trust you girls," Marco said.

"Just keep it between us," Amity said. "I mean Gus and Willow might be cool with it, but..."

"Sasha might make a few jokes," Anne said.

"Might? That's a guarantee Anne, can't deny that," Luz said.

"Yeah, of course..." Anne said. "Still, $650, where have you been spending it all?"

"Oh, you know...around," Marco said.

"He's pretty loose with his money, he almost always offers to pay the full amount and leaving him completely broke," Star said.

"Way to be completely honest, Star," Marco lamented.

"Dude, that's not alright, you should save your money," Anne said. "You can buy a car the moment you turn sixteen, or a house once you're old enough. If this keeps up, you probably never have to work, you can supply your family with what they need."

"Yeah, try saving your money, at least most of it," Luz said. "If you still want to buy something for your brother, just take like ten or twenty dollars and buy him some baby clothes."

"Yeah, I guess that will work," Marco said.

"Come on, lets hit the town then," Anne said. "We got a day back on Earth, lets enjoy ourselves."

"Anne, problem," Marcy said. "If we go into town, someone might recognize us. Even if we're not near Hollywood Hills, there's no guarantee that someone might not be visiting Echo Creek. Especially considering that you're still wearing our school uniform."

"Oh right, probably should have gotten some new clothes," Anne said. "Feels weird wearing this everyday, even outside of school."

"Eh, not like you're the only one here who constantly wears the same thing, feels like I'm living in a cartoon," Marco said.

"Oh that actually sounds fun," Marcy said.

"More like concerning, we probably should change up our wardrobe once in a while," Amity said.

"Well, still, I feel like I should take you girls to at least one place, my treat," Marco said.

"Really, where?" Luz asked.

Before long, the six were at Britta's Taco Shop, each of them enjoying a taco of their choice. Anne, Marcy and Luz happily munched down their treats while Amity carefully took her bites, and was slightly annoyed by the behavior of the three girls.

"You three are such animals," Amity said.

Anne stopped a moment to glare at the girl, "Do you have ANY idea how long it's been since I had a taco? Made by actual humans!? WAY too long!"

"It's just so good!" Luz said, happily munching down.

Marcy began to choke a bit, chugging down some water. "Wow, ate too fast there. No regrets!"

Marco was happy for the three girls, they were able to enjoy their return to Earth, even if for a little bit. Though he couldn't help but notice that Marcy was constantly looking over her shoulder, the girl really concerned about getting seen.

"Marcy, no one's gonna find you here," Marco said. "I asked the cashier, he said no one from Hollywood Hills usually comes this way, if they come to town, it's usually to check out more populated area. This is a place just for the locals."

"Right, of course," Marcy said. "Guess I'm just overreacting."

"How do you think everyone back on Mewni is doing?" Anne said. "No trouble at all?"

"I hope not, I mean Moon did say she'd get us if something happened," Marco said.

"Yeah, everything should be fine," Star said. The girl was still slightly concerned but tried to have faith in her mom. "What about that little guy, King. He seemed to be up to something."

"He's looking for his family, he wants to be sure he isn't the last of his kind," Luz said.

"Sprig's helping him out, he's a good kid," Anne said. "Both he and his sister are, they have a great bond with each other and their friends."

"That reminds me, do any of you have siblings?" Star asked.

"I'm an only child, Sprig and Polly are the closest I have to siblings," Anne said.

"I'm an only child as well," Luz said. "Though King is kind of like a little brother."

"I'm also an only child, and I don't have that whole found family thing," Marcy said. "Unless you count King Andrias, but he's more like a father figure, or a grandpa. Or maybe the fun uncle, hard to narrow it down."

"I have two siblings actually," Amity said. "An older brother named Edric and an older sister named Emira, they're my mom's golden twins."

"Oh, that's nice, I guess," Star said.

"Amity's relationship with her siblings is a bit complicated," Luz said.

"They're not bad, I mean they were, they constantly tormented me, embarrassed me and read my diary," Amity said. "But they can be really nice when they want to be, it's just so weird."

"Sounds rough, wish I could relate, but I'm also an only child," Star said. "Seems like among us, you and Marco are the only ones who have siblings, even if Marco's isn't born yet."

"Marco, promise me that when your brother...Marco Jr. is born, that you'll be a good big brother to him," Amity said. "And no, that doesn't mean that you have to buy him gifts or junk like that, just be kind to him, that's the best thing an older brother can do."

"Sure, I'll be the best big brother possible," Marco said.

"You know, it's funny," Luz said. "Edric and Emira both have moles on their faces, just like Marco and his brother will. Nothing big, just something funny I thought about since that mole is the reason your brother is being named after you."

"You know, now that we're alone, I'm just gonna say it," Amity said. "I agree with what you said earlier Marco, why are your parents naming their son after you? That'd be like if my mom named me after my sister, and I sure as hell wouldn't want to be called Emira Jr."

"I'm tempted to agree," Luz said. "Your parents probably should pick another name."

"He could be named after his dad for starters," Anne said. "Or, name him after Star's boyfriend, Tom's a pretty fine name."

"Oh he'd like that," Star said. "What do you think Marcy? Do you still think the name's fine?"

"I never did, I just said that to make Marco feel better about it," Marcy said. "Too bad the baby's not a girl, though I wonder if Mr. and Mrs. Diaz would have just named the child after Star."

"Oh, Star Jr., that sounds super cool," Star said. "Also super flattering."

"Well, glad I'm not alone, but it's my parents' call, not much I can do to change their mind," Marco said.

"Hey, worth a shot," Anne said. "Anyway, it's getting a bit late, we should start heading back. I say we go say 'bye' to your parents and go back to Mewni."

"Sounds good to me," Marco said. "Let me order a few more tacos, or at least enough for everyone back on Mewni to try."

"That's sweet of you, but don't get carried away, that's a lot of money," Anne said.

"It's fine, I can probably get a discount, I am their best customer," Marco said. "Plus Sprig and the other kids would probably really appreciate that."

"Wonder how Sprig's doing right now?" Anne commented.

"I wonder if King did what he wanted to do?" Luz wondered out loud.

Meanwhile in the Boiling Isles, King along with Sprig, Polly and Ivy were seen flying on a Palisman together, with Maddie piloting.

"This is so cool! I feel like an actual witch!" Maddie shouted in glee.

"Come on! Not much further! We can win this race! And you'll be able to talk to your father on TV!" Sprig encouraged.

"I'm going to be a TV star," Polly said.

"We don't have TVs, this is going on Crystal Balls, which is close," King said.

"Also Polly, this isn't about you! It's for King!" Sprig said.

"I know, and I'm there for him every step of the way," Polly said. "But a girl's gotta get her face out there."

"You know, she's not wrong," Ivy commented. "Hey watch out! Witches!"

"I got this! Hang on tight!" Maddie said, maneuvering around and surpassing everyone toward the finish line.

"That was awesome! Thought a little stomach churning." King said, holding his stomach. "I really wish Eda could see this!"

"What makes you think she isn't? How do you think I was able to get here and be the representative flyer you needed?" Maddie asked.

"Wait, do you mean...?" King asked.

"Talk later, keep flying!" Sprig instructed.

Suddenly King started to feel sick, the race becoming too much for him, "Oh boy..."

"What's wrong?" Ivy asked.

"Not used to flying this fast..." King said. "Not gonna..."

"Hey man, you're not gonna throw up are you? We're almost at the finish line!" Sprig said.

"Hold it in King!" Maddie pleaded.

King held his mouth, "I...can't..."

Unfortunately for King and his friends, this nausea caused them to crash momentarily, everyone watching grimacing from the pain. Fortunately they were still able to finish the race, but only in fifth place, much to King's disappointment.

"Well, so much for that," King said, dusting himself off. "Sorry everyone, I let you all down."

"It's fine, we did our best," Polly said. "Maddie turned out to be a great flyer."

"My first time too, I just have a natural talent," Maddie said.

"Hey, great work kid," Eda said, making her way over alongside Hop Pop. "Sorry you lost, what happened out there? You were going really dang fast."

"Eh...I lost my lunch," King reluctantly admitted.

"It happens to the best of us, sonny," Hop Pop reassured. "And you still did well."

"Not enough to get on TV though," King said, pulling out his sheet with the message written on. "I'll just throw this out."

"No, King," Polly said, taking the young demon by his hand. "You worked too hard, there's gotta be a way."

"There is kid, watch," Eda said, pulling out a scroll and using it to record. "There you go."

"Uh, Eda, I appreciate that but who's gonna watch this?" King asked.

"No one watches Crystal Balls these days, it's all about streaming," Eda said.

"Like on those cellular phones that Anne has," Hop Pop said. "Who knew binge watching could be fun?"

"Everyone knew that old timer," Eda said. "Well King?"

"Uh, alright," King said, clearing his throat as he read his message. "Hi dad, if you're watching this, I kind of want to introduce myself. I like cheesy foods and conquering Kingdoms, even if I haven't conquered one."

"Not yet at least," Polly said, Sprig shushing her.

"Maybe you have though, so we can compare notes and stuff," King said. "We can even do kid parent stuff, like playing ball, or messing up baking, or other fun things. There's also this symbol I found in the tower I hatched in, hoping you can read it to me."

By this point, an unknown demon is seeing this, curious by the symbol that King was showing off.

"Right now I live with my favorite human, and a cranky old witch," King said.

"Hey!" Eda said, this getting a chuckle from Hop Pop.

"Cranky or not, she did raise me, so..." King pulled out some papers. "I am legally changing my name to King Clawthorne!"

Eda's eyes widened in shock, "What in the..."

"Surprise!" King said. "Eda, we're connected for life, and there ain't a thing you can do about it. We're legally family now."

"Wait...is this what you really wanted this whole time?" Eda asked, shaking up a bit.

"Kind of, it's one of the main reasons he wanted to do this," Sprig said. "Eda, even if King can't find his parents, you're like one to him. You deserve to be recognized as such, because there's more to family than blood. That's something Polly, Hop Pop and I feel regarding Anne."

"And how you already feel with Luz," Hop Pop said. "Just like King, seems like you really made an impact in the lives of these kids."

"I...don't know what to say," Eda said, wiping her eyes. "I wasn't prepared for something so emotional!"

"Aw, it's alright Eda, this gets to the best of us," Hop Pop said, pulling out a handkerchief for Eda.

The women wiped her eyes with the items, "Thanks old timer." She then blew her nose and focused on the adoption papers. "Alright, let's do this. For the first time, I'm happy to do something legally."

"Aw, it's happening King, we're so happy for you," Polly said.

"Thanks, to all of you," King said, focusing once more at the scroll. "I have friends dad, both in this world and out of it. These frogs, they mean a lot to me, weird since I just met them the other day, but I already feel that special connection."

"Dude, come on," Sprig said, trying to hold it in. "You're gonna make me feel all tingly inside."

"Embrace it!" Ivy said, wrapping her arm around her boyfriend. "It's love Sprig, true familial love!"

"The only thing that would make this moment better is if Luz was here," Eda said. "Hope she's doing well on Earth."

"Let her have fun, she's earned it," King said. "But yeah, kind of wish she was also here."

"We should head back to Mewni," Sprig said. "Hey, where's Raine?"

"Back at HQ, the squad nearly got caught a few times, but with Belos missing, mixed with Darius, Eberwolf and Kikimora focused on damage control, taking back The Boiling Isles isn't too hard," Eda said. "I hate to admit it, but Sasha and Hekapoo did a damn good job in helping this place out."

"Sure seems like it," Hop Pop said. "Well, let's get going."

"Wait, who has the scissors?" Sprig asked.

"Oh I do," Eda said, showing them off, to the worry of King. "Oh don't look at me like that, I got a pair from Queen Moon , she gave one to Raine too, it was a double insistence."

"Hope so," King said.

Later that day, everyone was back in Mewni's castle, Marco immediately handing out some tacos to everyone present.

"Here you go, and here you go," Marco said, passing it along to Gus and Willow, the latter really appreciative of Marco's kindness, this not going unnoticed by Marcy.

"Wow...this is some really good food kid," Eda said, taking a bite.

"Indeed," Grime said, enjoying his taco. "Humans appear to make such delectable foods."

Sasha was resting against the wall when Marco offered her one, "Me?"

"Well yeah, I brought some back for everyone, and you count as well," Marco said.

"Well...thanks, I guess," Sasha said, taking a bite out of the food. "Wow, not bad. Where is this from?"

"Britta's Tacos, in Echo Creek," Marco said. "It's a half hour away from where you live, at least that's what Anne says."

"Funny, I had no idea you were an LA boy, you seem so different than most of them," Sasha said, taking another bite. "Still, appreciate the food, you're not such a bad kid after all."

"Thanks," Marco said, passing more food around.

"Hey King, did you tell Eda?" Luz asked. "Did you get to race?"

"Oh yeah, thanks to Hexside's newest student," King said, gesturing to Maddie.

"Sup classmate?" Maddie greeted.

"Wait, you joined Hexside!?" Luz asked, Amity overhearing, the girl in disbelief. "How!? When did this happen!?"

"Oh it's a long, interesting story..." Maddie said. "But I think King wants to tell you about his day, it was quite eventful."

"I also want to hear more about your day, did you contact your mom?" King asked.

Luz shook her head, "I got too nervous, sorry to say."

"Oh, it's fine, I totally get that," King said. "Did you at least have fun?"

Luz nodded, "Yeah, I did."

As Anne, Sprig and Polly were discussing their own days, Polly having gotten the cake she wanted, the messy haired human girl spotted Marcy, the lone girl feeling unsure of things.

"What's wrong with Marcy?" Polly noticed. "No luck contacting her parents?"

"That's the complicated thing, she didn't seem to want to, and I don't know why," Anne said.

Marco overheard that statement, the boy feeling concerned for the girl. After he passed around the last of the tacos to Tom and Kelly, Marco made his way over to Marcy, the girl noticing him immediately.

"Hi Marco."

"Marcy, what's bothering you?" Marco asked. "Why were you so concerned today about your parents?"

"It's nothing, don't worry about it," Marcy said.

"Anne's worried, and Sasha's probably going to be worried too," Marco said. "Is there something you can't tell them? What could be so hard?"

"I...just don't want to go back home, ever," Marcy said, the girl nearly in tears as she remembered the day she ran out of her house after yelling at her father for ruining her life. "I ran away for a reason, I hate my home, and I hate my parents."

Marco's eyes widened at this revelation. He looked back to make sure that no one overheard this. Everyone seemed distracted, save for Anne occasionally glancing his direction.

"I'm sorry...I'll get out of your hair," Marco said. "And don't worry, I won't tell Anne or Sasha, that can be up to you."

Marcy wiped her eyes, and just before Marco left, she pulled him into a hug, taking the boy by surprise, "Thank you..."

"It's...nothing," Marco said, gently hugging the girl.

Anne couldn't help but notice this embrace, curiosity filled her mind, relating back to what happened earlier. Even Sasha looked a bit curious, something was definitely up and she wanted to get to the bottom of this.

Luz and Amity had noticed themselves, and while they wanted to know more, they each weren't too sure if it was their business to pry. They're friends with Marco and Marcy, but some things they shouldn't ask too much about yet.

Meanwhile Star had seen this display of affection, the princess feeling oddly jealous of Marco hugging another girl. She couldn't understand why, she did have a boyfriend after all. It's something she just couldn't figure out.

While everything seemed alright for the moment, that did not mean danger was not far away. Belos could return at any moment, Andrias had his own secrets, and a certain former heir to Mewni's throne still had unfinished business.

There was more in the distance.