Multiverse Heroes: Magical Destinies(AmphibiaxSVTFOExTOH)

Night Time had come across the realms. Out in the wastelands, Talon had provided Marco and Amity with a spare hut with two beds, thanks to some connections of his.

"Take a load off for the night," Talon said. "I'll go and look for my scissors, and you two can make it back to Mewni."

"Appreciate that Talon," Marco said. "And um...sorry I kind of lost my temper back at the bar."

"It's cool," Talon said. "Actually, that was pretty badass. Easy to see why Hekapoo respects you as much as she does."

"Yeah, guess so..." Marco said, thinking closely about the girl.

"Hey, don't you worry about Hekapoo, alright?" Talon said. "She's pretty badass herself, whatever that Andrias dude or that creep Belos have planned, it's nothing she can't handle. She's been doing this for a good long time after all. Once I get the boys rallied together, we'll help you get your payback."

"That's good to know," Marco said. "Our ultimate goal is Belos, but I do want to go after Andrias first, and get Marcy back from him."

"You got it, bro," Talon said, the bird making his leave. "Catch you two in the morning."

"Yeah," Marco said, taking off his hoodie and placing it on a chair.

Amity sat on the bed, taking her shoes off as she glanced at Marco, the boy looking out a window in worry. "Marco?"

"...I wonder how everyone's doing?" Marco wondered aloud. "Marcy, Hekapoo, Star...all of our friends."

"I'm sure they're doing fine," Amity said. "For all we know, they managed to defeat Belos and Andrias, and are out looking for us."

"If they did, that would be amazing, and one less thing to worry about," Marco said. Despite what he said, fear still lingered in his mind. "But, not knowing is going to drive me nuts."

Amity got off the bed, slowly but surely placing her arms on Marco's back and shoulder, hoping to reassure him. "Don't let it get to you, Marco. Everything will work out."

"How can you be so sure?" Marco asked.

"Hey, I know Luz, she's a tough girl, and way too stubborn to let anyone stop her," Amity said. "And I think you know deep down that Star has this under control as well."

"Star is very determined," Marco admitted.

"And over the last few weeks, we can both say we know Anne well enough to know that she's very headstrong," Amity said. "With those three working together, there is very little they can't accomplish. I know they can do it, and you need to believe in them as well."

This did bring some relief for Marco, the boy really wanting to believe that Amity was right on the mark. "You know what, you're right. Those three would make such an unstoppable team together. I know they can do anything they set their minds to."

"That's my brave man," Amity said, before kissing Marco on the cheek. "Come on, let's get to bed."

"Uh...right," Marco began blushing a bit. Given his relationship with Marcy, it did feel weird to him that Amity was being very forward. Even weirder considering how open Amity is about her sexuality. Despite that, it was late and he was too tired to think. "Let's get some sleep."

Back in Mewni Castle, Luz had gotten into her pajamas and was sitting comfortably on her bed, reading the Journal of Phillip Watanabe, hoping to find anything that could help.

Anne, also in her PJs, sat next to her, still reeling from the long day. "Man..."

"Someone sounds exhausted," Luz said.

"We had to fight for our lives today, a fight that nearly resulted in us dying," Anne said. "To make things worse, most of our friends stayed behind."

"Yeah, I remember, I was there," Luz said, glancing at the girl beside her. "While I'm concerned too, I'm still thinking over what Star showed us."

"You mean that giant monster, Globgor?" Anne asked.

"Star seems to want to free him, but that might be hard without help from Rhombulus," Luz said, looking back at her journal. "I was hoping that something in here could give a few answers, but I guess Phillip never got around to exploring that type of magic. It might not even exist in the Demon Realm."

"I could ask Maddie, but what are the odds of it existing in Amphibia?" Anne asked.

"Hey, you never know," Luz said, then closed the book. "But it's late, we should get some sleep."

"Yeah..." Anne thought back to her parents, worried about them due to the arrival of the agents. "I wonder how my parents are doing? Should I go back?"

"You have the scissors," Luz said. "If you're worried, take a peak."

"Oh, duh, why didn't I think of that?" Anne said. Carefully she used the scissors to open a small hole leading to her house. She whispered inside, "Psst! Mom! Dad!"

Luz eagerly awaited a response just as much as Anne, worried that the parents weren't reacting right away. "Well, it is late, they could be asleep."

"Maybe they don't hear me, I'm going to step inside for a bit," Anne said, going through the portal.

"Not without me," Luz said, following her fellow adventurer.

The two had gone into the Los Angeles home, hoping to find Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy.

"Mom? Dad?" Anne called. So far, no one was in the house. "Where could they be?"

The two looked outside, spotting the family car in the driveway, leaving them even more confused as to where the pair of parents could possibly be.

"You don't think they got taken by that bald guy, do you?" Anne asked.

"Was it a guy? I could have sworn I saw lipstick," Luz said.

"Guy, ugly woman, not the point," Anne said. "Did he and his team take my parents?"

"I'm not sure," Luz said. "But if they're not here, despite their car being present then..."

"...I gotta talk to Star," Anne said, the girl ready to re-open the portal.

"Anne, it's late," Luz said. "Star's probably asleep."

"I gotta try," Anne said, opening a portal into Star's room.

The girl was seen laying in bed, also in her Pajamas with Maddie right beside her, using her body as a pillow while reading the Book of Spells.

"So what makes Eclipsa's magic bad again?" Maddie asked, checking it over. "It looks like normal dark magic. Kind of fun too."

"It's just an overreaction by her successors, likely due to whatever nonsense the Magical High Commision spread," Star said.

"Ahem..." Anne got Star's attention.

"Hey girls, need something?" Star asked.

"Yeah, it has to do with my parents," Anne said, the girl nervously rubbing her arms. "And those weird government guys who came by the house."

"We just went to look for them, and the house was empty," Luz said, doing her best to comfort the girl beside her. "Anne's very worried, and I am too."

"Worried about a missing parent huh?" Star asked, thinking back to her own mother. "I get that."

"I know it's late, and we don't have to start looking for them now or anything," Anne insisted. "I just hope that-"

"No, I can try searching," Star put up a portal window leading to Earth. "I used this to search several dimensions for my mom. Finding your parents on Earth should be easy."

"Or, use that room," Maddie said. "Sprig did say there's some room where all you have to do is call someone's name and that person will appear through a reflection."

"Oh yeah," Luz said, the girl looking satisfied. "Wow, we know so many cool magic spells. Makes me feel unstoppable in a way."

"Doesn't mean much if we keep getting our butts handed to us by a pair of Royal Lunatics," Anne said.

"We'll get the drop on them sooner or later," Star insisted. "For now, try that room, but I'll do what I can on my end too."

"Come on, we'll go back to our room," Luz said, getting Anne's attention.

"Sure, sounds like a good idea," Anne said.

"Good luck," Maddie said.

"Yeah thanks...wait," Anne curiously glanced at the frog girl. "What are you doing here, Maddie?"

"Do I need a reason to be here?" Maddie asked. "I'm just hanging out with Star. She and I are good pals after all."

"Good pals?" Anne asked, Luz looking confused herself.

"Maddie has helped me out quite a bit regarding my mom," Star said. "Among other things too."

"She's got a point," Luz said.

"Still, I wouldn't have expected you and Maddie to be close, Star," Anne said. "You're so colorful and Maddie prefers..."

"Darkness?" Maddie asked in confirmation. "Maybe, but I like Star. Call it opposites attract. Plus she's letting me read her Book of Spells."

Luz took a quick look around the room, "And that little blue guy is alright with that?"

"I have a name," came the entity's voice as he popped into the room. "Glossaryck."

"Oh, hey Glossaryck," Star greeted. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"I've been busy," Glossaryck said, keeping it vague. "Star, I must remind you that the Book of Spells isn't some library book to be passed around, it's intended only for the Mewman Royal Family."

"Oh it's fine, Marco's read some, and he's alright," Star said.

"That was me letting it slide since you and him are so close," Glossaryck said.

"And me and Maddie are close," Star said. "You can trust her, I wouldn't let her do anything if I didn't trust her."

"Yeah, I got this," Maddie said.

Glossaryck shrugged it off, "Fine, just remember, this book is a huge responsibility. I'm worried enough knowing that Marcy girl read it."

"What's wrong with Marcy?" Anne asked.

"Well, word on the street is that she's been kidnapped by an evil King," Glossaryck said.

Star raised her eyebrow in confusion, "You know about the fight?"

"I know a lot of things, Star," Glossaryck said. "Especially when there's a medical room for of kids who are understandably worried about the coming dangers. I even checked in on Queen Moon a second ago, and it would appear she and her friend Lilith are also concerned about what's to come. I know you had a fight with Belos that resulted several of your friends staying behind, some like Marco lost in the Multiverse, and Marcy being taken by Andrias where he could potentially extort information from her."

"Marcy wouldn't talk," Anne said.

"She might not have to," Glossaryck said. "You never know what guys like Andrias can do."

Luz's expression began to sour, "That has me worried."

"It should," Glossaryck said, then turned to Star. "If you plan on rescuing your friends, I would suggest you do it soon. I would also suggest prioritizing Marcy Wu."

"I'll do what I can," Star said. "Right now, I have to help Anne. Her parents got captured by someone who may have caught onto our magic."

"Is it someone from Echo Creek?" Glossaryck asked.

"No, some government guy from Earth," Luz said.

"Oh I hate those," Glossaryck commented. "I'm not too worried about what humans can do, but I am worried about a power hungry Newt King and his Manipulative Witch ally wreaking havoc across the multiverse. I suggest you focus your energy on Andrias and Belos."

"I can multitask," Star said.

"Yeah, I gotta check on my parents, they could be in danger," Anne said.

"I know you're worried, and you have a right to be," Glossaryck said. "You may look for your parents, I know I can't stop you. Just manage your time well. Many lives are at stake right now."

"We'll keep that in mind," Star said. "Luz, Anne, let's-"

"Anne Boonchuy!" A robotic sounding voice called.

"Weird, that voice sounded familiar," Anne said.

"Anne Boonchuy!" the voice called again.

"It's also getting closer," Luz said. "What is-"

"Anne Boonchuy!" came Frobo's voice as the robot crashed through the walls of Star's room, startling everyone present.

"What in the world!?" Glossaryck shouted.

"Holy crap!" Maddie exclaimed.

Anne couldn't believe her eyes, "Frobo? Holy smokes, is that you!?"

"Frobo?" Star asked.

"Polly's robot friend," Luz explained. "He got destroyed a while back, but it looks like he's up and running. Properly this time at least."

"I hope this is proper, last time he exploded," Anne said.

"Exploded!?" Star shouted in worry. "Nononono! Not in my room, pal! Bad enough you just destroyed my wall!"

"Hey easy, maybe he won't explode this time," Anne said.

"How can you tell?" Star asked.

"Because we made sure of it," Came a voice. Frobo's chest revealed a screen to which Jess was seen speaking through. "Hiya!"

"Jess?" Anne said, then noticed the other girl. "And Ally?"

"That's right, it's us!" Ally said. "We finally fixed up Frobo for you!"

"Well more for Polly since she wanted to see him the most, but you're all good friends, so you all get to share in the happy," Jess said.

"We really appreciate it, and we know this will make Polly happy too," Luz said. "She's asleep right now but we can see her cute little excitable face in the morning."

"Pretty sure Polly doesn't like being called 'cute'," Maddie reminded.

"Well tough, I think she's flipping adorable," Luz said.

"Wait, how did you get Frobo through this dimension?" Anne asked.

"You can thank our friend, Terri," Jess said, gesturing to a blue haired scientist who was seen studying a portal. "Our fellow genius has been studying interdimensional travel, and has used science to achieve that feat."

"Science!?" Star asked in disbelief, Glossaryck feeling a similar sentiment. "Wait, so no magic? Just science?"

"That's right, thanks to science, we too can travel through dimensions!" Jess said. "The multiverse is in the palm of our hands!"

"Not quite," Terri said. "This thing isn't perfect, I barely got to Mewni."

"...Okay, so not quite but we're working hard," Jess said.

"That portal can also at the very least enter Amphibia and that Witch Dimension," Ally said.

"Wow, so amazing!" Luz said.

"Yeah, guess the scissors and that Music Box aren't the only methods of travel," Anne said. "Once this science thing is perfected, we'll have even more options."

"Isn't science great?" Jess asked, holding up some tools. "It's like a human's version of natural magic!"

"Sure is, now first Fantasy comes to life, now Science Fiction," Anne said. "What a time to be alive."

"Oh, and by the way Anne," Jess panned the camera to a pair of familiar faces. "Your parents are here."

"Whoa really!?" Anne placed her face against the screen. "Mom! Dad!"

"Anne!" Oum greeted, the woman walking toward the screen. "Oh I am so happy you are okay."

"Me too," Bee said, standing beside his wife. "You should see this place, it looks so cool!"

"I bet it is," Anne said, then turned to Luz. "Hey, say 'hi' to my parents."

Luz pressed her face against the screen as well, "Uncle! Auntie!"

"Luz! You're okay too," Bee said in relief.

"I'm so glad nothing bad happened to you, I got so worried," Luz said.

"We were worried too, but we're glad you girls are safe with you Princess friend," Oum said.

"Mom, who was that bald guy?" Anne asked. "What did he want?"

"He calls himself Mr. X, he claims to be from the US Government, and he's apparently been keeping an eye on things since that robot and his friend tried to destroy us," Bee said.

"He also wanted to know more about the Christmas Parade thing," Oum said.

"Figures the government would be involved in this," Anne said.

"Weird, we didn't have to worry too much about this when I went to Earth," Star recalled. "Unless..."

"He knows about Mewman magic too," Oum said. "But apparently, since you are a Princess, no one wanted to risk an encounter with you."

"Yeah, he was afraid there would be a war between Earth and Mewni," Bee said.

"Well, how about that," Star said.

"Enough about us, what about you?" Bee asked. "How did you day go?"

"Uh...not well," Anne admitted. "Some really bad things happened."

"Bad how? Are you alright?" Oum asked. "You're not hurt are you?"

"I'm fine, but some friends of mine got hurt," Anne said.

"We went in for a rescue mission, and it failed," Luz said. "We lost more than when we went in."

"That's very concerning," Oum said. "Are you sure it's safe out there Anne?"

"I'll be fine mom, this is something I have to do," Anne said.

"Are you sure?" Oum asked. "If it's getting this dangerous, maybe you should quit and get to safety."

"You know I can't do that mom, I have to protect my friends," Anne said. "If I have the power to do something, then I need to do it."

"This is a big responsibility for you," Oum said. "I know I wanted you to be more responsible, but I would settle for you just remembering to wash dishes, not fight evil Royalty."

"Sorry mom, but my mind's made up," Anne said, determination strong in her voice. "I'm already in deep, I can't back out now."

"We understand," Bee said, confusing his wife.

"Hey! Speak for yourself!" Oum said. "I'm still worried."

"So am I, but this is something Anne needs to see through to the end," Bee said, then turned to his daughter. "If you feel that's what you truly want."

"It is," Anne said. "Don't worry, this will be over before you know it."

"And I'll be right by her side," Luz said, placing her arm around the girl. "Anne means so much to me, she's...special." Luz blushed a bit, clearing her throat right afterwards. "I won't let anything bad happen to her."

Bee curiously rubbed his chin, before nodding in approvement. "I trust you with that, Luz. Please stay safe yourself."

"I will," Luz said.

"It's late, so I'll let you get to sleep," Jess said. "We'll talk more tomorrow."

"Bye girls, and thanks again," Anne said. "Not just for Frobo, but for saving my parents."

"See you tomorrow," Ally said, just before the video shut off.

"Where is Polly?" Frobo asked.

"Like we said, she's asleep," Anne explained. "Why don't you get some rest yourself?"

"Affirmative," Frobo said, then flew through the roof, damaging it instantly, much to Star's annoyance.

"Are you kidding me!?" Star shouted as she stood up while shaking her fist. "Lousy robot!"

"Don't worry, you got guys who will fix it," Maddie said, casually laying on the bed while smirking at Star. "To a girl like you, this should be a minor inconvenience."

"Don't get cute with me," Star warned.

"Aw, you think I'm cute," Maddie teased, resting her head on her hand. "I'm flattered."

Star shrugged it off, not letting this bother her, "I'm glad things worked out, right now it might me a good idea to get some rest."

"You got it," Anne said, then turned to the witch in training. "Let's go Luz."

"Right behind you, hermosa," Luz said.

"What does that mean exactly?" Anne asked.

"Beautiful woman," Luz explained.

"Oh..." Anne's face turned a deep shade of red. "Oh, wow..."

"Hey! Go flirt somewhere else," Star said, shooing the girls out of her room. "Go on, out with you."

"Okay, chill out, chica," Luz said.

"Wow, Frobo destroying your room really put you in a bad mood," Anne teased.

"Again with the cuteness!" Star said. "Go!"

"Alright, see you tomorrow, Star," Anne said, taking Luz by her hand and leading her lover to their room.

"I really need some sleep," Star said, turning back into her room as she walked toward her bed. "Goodnight Glossaryck."

"Actually Star, before I leave," Glossaryck began, much to Star's annoyance. "I do want to address what those girls said about-"

"Goodnight...Glossaryck!" Star repeated, pointing to the exit.

"Very well, we'll talk tomorrow," Glossaryck said, the magical creature floating away. "Hopefully when you're in a more talkative mood."

Star grumbled in annoyance, the girl looking down at her bed, specifically at Maddie while she patted on a pillow.

"Sleep, you've earned it," Maddie said.

"Darn right I did," Star said, plopping on the bed, placing her face against a pillow. "Oh Maddie, things just did not turn out well today, did they?"

"No, but we all have off days," Maddie said while gently stroking the back of Star's head.

"Maybe, but this wasn't the day to have that," Star said, turning over and facing up. "I'm so worried about everyone we left behind. It was under my command too. If my mom led this type of mission, we probably would have had more success."

"Hey, come on now," Maddie said. "You're still new at this, you can't expect to be perfect."

"That won't mean much if things go down the drain," Star said. "I really let Marco down. Same with Amity, Marcy and everyone else. How am I going to live with myself if something bad happens to Eda or Hop Pop? They have families to come back to."

"They knew what they were getting into," Maddie said, resting her hands and head on Star's chest while looking directly at her. "Not to say that it's wrong for you to worry. It just means you care after all. But don't shoulder too much responsibility. It's not fair to you."

"I know they were willing to take that risk, and I respect that," Star said, gently caressing Maddie's back. "That doesn't make this any easier to deal with."

"We'll save them, alright?" Maddie got up a bit, getting in closer to Star's face, gently caressing her cheek. "Whatever mistakes you feel like you made, just think it over and learn from them. We lost that battle, but the war's not over yet."

"I appreciate that, Maddie," Star said.

"Now get some much needed beauty rest," Maddie said. "We'll talk more about this tomorrow. Sweet dreams."

"You too," Star said, turning over to allow herself to drift into slumber.

Maddie stayed by Star, opting to gently stroke her head a bit more, thinking the situation over herself, "I can't blame Star for worrying, I'm worried too. What I don't want is for Star to feel like all hope is lost. Maybe I should talk to Willow and Gus about this and see what they think."

Meanwhile in Sasha's room, the girl was seen drinking out of a mug, laughing up a storm while looking dizzy. "Oh man, this is some good shit."

"Yeah, really good," a nervous Higgs said, taking a few sips herself. "Uh, don't you think you're drinking too much?"

"Eh, what's the worst that can happen?" Sasha asked. "I fight in war, I've seen death up close, I even saw Marco's junk once. Holy shit, I really needed a ruler for that one. Shame on Marcy for keeping that all to herself."

"Uh, right..." Higgs said, feeling weird. "How did you...?"

"Hot Springs with our friends," Sasha said, her voice slurring a bit. "Marco said not to look but I wasn't going to resist the chance. I bet he looked given what I saw, otherwise he'd never walk right."

"Uh, yeah, totally," Higgs said, trying not to think about it.

"Sixteen years I spent training in the Neverzone, honing my skills as a warrior," Sasha continued. "Boy Hekapoo really liked what she saw, I was the best in her eyes. I'm the only human to make her forget about Marco too, at least for a little bit."

Sasha continued to chug her drink, Higgs slowly losing her interest. "Maybe we should get to sleep."

"You know, I used to hate Luz," Sasha said. "That girl thought she was so cool, and she even tried taking Anne from me. Marcy too. The nerve, I like Marcy, but I really liked Anne. But I never said much because I didn't want to ruin a good friendship. Lot of good that did since things almost went to hell in Newtopia."

"I remember hearing about that," Higgs said.

"But on the bright side, it gave me a chance to get to know Luz," Sasha said, happily waving her mug around. "I gotta say, I really like her. If things had gone better, I totally would have taken her out for lunch or something. I could get her to fall for me in no time. I could get all the girls I want, I'm damn sexy. I bet I can get Marco too, see if he's willing to conquer my world. Because if I had him for a night, he would never want to leave."

Sasha got a little tipsy, to which Higgs checked on her. "Okay, you really need some sleep."

"Come on, don't be a spoil sport, Higgs," Sasha said. "The night's still young after all."

Sasha went for another drink, but Higgs pulled the mug away. "Please, sleep. For me."

"Uh..." Sasha still felt tipsy, but still had a bit of sense left in her. "Okay, fine. Only because you're so cute yourself Higgs. Are you single?"

Higgs began to blush, "Talk later, sleep now."

"Okay fine," Sasha said, the girl standing up. "Let me get into something a bit more comfortable, I've been stuck in these clothes for way too long."

She pulled her armor off, and her shirt underneath, giving Higgs a strange view, "Sasha! Where's your bra!?"

"Fuck bras, those things itch," Sasha said.

Higgs furrowed her brow in annoyance, "You're better than this, Sasha."

Night fell across Mewni. Star was fast asleep with Maddie on the other side of the bed, still reading over the Book of Spells a bit longer before deciding to call it a night herself.

Sasha was finally asleep, with Higgs opting to stay in the room to make sure Sasha didn't try sneaking in anymore drinks.

Anne and Luz slept together, the two cuddled close with one another, feeling peace in their slumber.

While Polly and Sprig slept close to each other, King was still glancing at his letter, eager for the day he would meet his father, a day he planned to make as soon as he could.

Elsewhere as Amity slept comfortably on her bed, she had slowly awoken to the sound of some noise nearby. She woke up and saw Marco fidgeting in his sleep, the boy looking like he was having a nightmare of sorts.

"Marco?" Amity got up and walked over to the boy's bed, looking down at his pained expression.

"M-Marcy..." Marco said in his sleep, the boy clenching his body, almost as if he's trying to hold someone. "Marcy..."

It hurt Amity to see Marco like this. She understood his pain, the girl was just as worried about Marcy too. She definitely could not ignore Marco while he was like this.

She slowly and carefully got in bed next to him, opening up his arms and moving in close to give him the feeling of hugging someone. Marco seemed to have calmed down a bit, Amity's embrace finally soothing him.

"Marcy..." Marco said, his tone a bit more relaxed.

"Yeah...Marcy..." Amity said, feeling a bit guilty for tricking Marco, but she did not see any harm in a little white lie.

Things took an interesting turn when Marco pulled Amity in for a kiss, taking the witch girl by surprise. From what she could gather, he was still asleep, likely dreaming of Marcy.

"This feels wrong...but kind of nice," Amity felt, slowly returning the kiss. "I can't believe I'm actually making out with a boy in his bed, not what I expected when I came out. Whatever, as long as I have Marco, that's fine with me. Being his girlfriend for the night won't do any harm."

Marco's kiss however did not end there, the boy moved down Amity's neck, giving her a strange tickling sensation as he sensually rubbed her body.

"M-Marco..." Amity whispered.

"Marcy..." Marco said, the boy still dreaming. "I want you."

"...I...I want you too," Amity softly said, allowing Marco to continue his exploration.

It was not what Amity planned, but she can't deny it's what she wanted. And as long as Marco was happy, so was she.

The night sky passed through, as the sun shone over the lands of this dimension. Talon had walked outside, stretched his legs and let out a loud, "Cock-A-Doodle-Doo!"

In his bed, Marco was slowly waking up, the boy feeling around, expecting Marcy to be there, before reality set in. "Oh, right..." He looked around and saw nothing, just him in the bed, alone, despite his dreams trying to convince him otherwise. "Weird, it's almost like Marcy was just here. I must really miss her." Marco balled his hand into a fist. "I have to get her back."

"Rise and shine! I got the scissors!" Talon called. "Come to the bar for breakfast before you head out!"

"Awesome, now we're getting somewhere," Marco looked across the room where his friend was seemingly asleep on her bed. "Amity, are you awake yet?"

Despite looking otherwise, Amity was actually awake, a look of sadness and regret in her eyes. All she could do was lay there, thinking about recent events.

"Amity!?" Marco called.

"I'm awake..." Amity said.

"Oh, well get ready, we're about to head out," Amity said.

"Okay..." Amity replied, a tone worrying Marco.

"Hey, are you alright?" Marco asked, getting up and walking over to her bed, kneeling beside the girl. "Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing," Amity said, sitting up on her bed.

"You look kind of tired, did you get much sleep last night?" Marco asked.

Amity looked aside, sadness lingering on her face, "Can't say that I did."

"I don't blame you, I guess yesterday was tough on you, even I barely fell asleep," Marco said. "It's a miracle I slept through the night."

"Guess you got lucky," Amity said.

"...Tell you what, I'll go get some breakfast for you while you stay in bed a bit longer," Marco said.

"You don't have to," Amity said.

"Just let me," Marco insisted. "I'll see what they have. I think I know your pallet, so I'll get something you'll find edible."

"...Okay, thanks," Amity said. Just as Marco was about to leave, Amity called him again. "Marco?"

"Hm?" Marco looked toward the sad and sleepy girl. "What is it?"

"...You're a sweetheart," Amity said. "Marcy's lucky to have you."

Marco's face turned red upon hearing the compliment, "Thanks...I gotta go."

With that, Marco had left, with Amity feeling very ashamed at the moment, recalling the night, "I let my urges get the better of me. Sorry Marcy, hope you won't be too mad when you find out." She rubbed her head in worry, "Marcy's pretty laid back, I know she's protective of Marco, rightfully so but, she seems like the understanding type, especially if the Neverzone is any indication. Granted, even the Neverzone was more restricted than what happened last night."

Amity had a lot to think over, and a lot to worry about, but she knew to put that aside the best she could for Marcy's sake.

Meanwhile at Mewni Castle; King, Polly and Sprig were seen sitting together and eating breakfast, with King still looking at that letter.

"King, you've had your eyes glued to that letter all day since yesterday," Polly said. "You should focus on eating."

"Sorry, it's just that, I have a chance to see my father, and I gotta take," King said. "It has to be soon, I already put it off too long."

"That wasn't your fault, it was Hooty's," Polly said. "He's the dork who ate the letter because he can't distinguish edibles from not edibles."

"I heard that!" Hooty called.

"NO ONE ASKED YOU, HOOTY!" Polly shouted, immediately shutting Hooty up.

Maddie was at the table eating, then spotted two of her friends, "Hey Gus, Willow, over here."

"Sorry Maddie, we can't stay," Willow said.

"Huh? What do you mean you can't stay?" Maddie asked.

"We're taking food to Hunter," Willow said.

"He could use something good to eat," Gus said.

"Wait, first, we really need to talk to Star," Maddie said.

"Star knows we're doing this, we just asked her and she said it's alright," Willow said.

"No, not about the food, about Star herself," Maddie said.

"Why do we need to talk to Star about herself?" Gus asked.

"What do you think we need to talk about!?" Maddie said. "Did you just gain amnesia or something?"

"Look, whatever this is, I'm sure it's important, but we're more worried about Hunter," Willow said.

"Why don't you come with us?" Gus asked.

"But I...ugh, fine," Maddie said, grabbing her food and hopping off the table to follow her friends.

In the kitchen, Star is making sure all the food is going out, with assistance from Anne and Luz.

"You really feel your subjects well," Luz said.

"Well that's a Queen's duty," Star said. "And until my mom's one hundred percent, it's something I need to maintain myself."

"She's nearly there, right?" Luz asked.

"Yeah, her memory's coming back perfectly," Star said. "I'd say within a day or two, she can take the throne back and I don't have to worry about Queenly duties."

"Kind of a shame, you're actually doing a great job," Anne said.

"Yeah, I think you're just about ready to be Queen yourself," Luz said.

"I'd rather not be Queen until I'm at least eighteen," Star said, signing off a dish. "Preferably older, because this job is a pain in the butt."

"Well whenever you have to take the throne, I think you'll do a great job," Anne said.

"Thanks, I appreciate that," Star said, leading the last of the food away. "Now, let's get some chow ourselves."

The girls took their seats at the table. Anne looked over to ensure that the Plantar siblings were eating just fine, while Luz looked over at King, the young demon still looking over his letter.

"King?" Luz said, getting his attention.

"Oh, hey Luz," King greeted.

"Are you still looking at that letter?" Luz asked.

"Yeah, it's from my dad after all," King said, glancing back at it. "He's out there, and I need to find him. Thanks to this letter, I know where to go."

"He wants to go soon," Polly said. "He's just waiting for the right time."

"Oh, and when would that be?" Luz asked.

"Well, I know you're worried about everything that's going on right now," King said. "Between Belos, Andrias and the rest of our friends. I don't want to get in the middle of that."

"King, if you're worried about your dad, then it's fine if you want to make time for it," Luz said.

"Yeah, we can take a detour," Anne said. "Every adventure has a few sidequests after all."

"The problem is having to go through the Boiling Isles," King said. "Given that Belos's guards pretty much have that place locked down, it might be too risky."

"Risky or not, you deserve the chance to see your father," Luz said. "I say we all go."

"Hold on a second," Star said, getting everyone's attention. "Look, I hate to be the spoil sport, but to King's point, this is too risky. "

"Come on Star, it's not going to hurt," Anne said. "King should have the chance to reunite with his father."

"Think about how much you wanted to see your mother again," Luz reminded.

Star furrowed her brow, "Way to throw that back at me. But, I can't disagree. King does deserve a chance to see his father."

"Wow, that wasn't so hard," Anne said.

"But, I also don't want him in any type of danger, or the rest of you for that matter," Star said. "It might be better to find a way to get rid of Belos before we go looking for King's father. Because let's say King reunites with him, that reunion could easily get cut short because of Belos, and I don't want King to get heartbroken like that. I had my mother at the tip of my fingers in the Magic Dimension, and all it took was one mistake before I lost her again. It's a really crummy feeling to go through."

King took a moment to process what Star had to say. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he had to face the truth. "Yeah, I can see where you're coming from, Star. It is too risky."

"Are you sure?" Polly asked.

"I am, I want to see my father, but if it means putting everyone in danger..." King shook his head. "I can't be that selfish."

"Wait, we can figure something out," Luz said.

"No Luz, I can't ask anyone to take that risk right now," King said. "Besides, I kind of want Eda there with me when I meet my dad. It wouldn't be the same without her."

"On the contrary, your dad may know people who can help save Eda," Sprig said.

"Sprig, don't encourage King right now!" Star scolded. "And also don't volunteer people for war!"

"I'm not volunteering, I'm just suggesting," Sprig said. "Not like I expect to find his dad and drag him into battle or anything!"

"Look, maybe we just need a little recon," Luz suggested. "Let's contact Edric and Emira and see if they can help."

"Oh, and maybe let them know what happened to Amity," Anne brought up.

Luz immediately grew concerned, "Somehow, I don't think I want to contact Edric and Emira. They might freak out."

"Luz, they deserve to know what happened to their sister," Star pointed out. "Plus, we could use their help too if they want to join in on the fight."

"Hey! When I suggested that with King's father, you nearly flipped out!" Sprig pointed out.

"The difference, Sprig, is that Edric and Emira have helped us before, and we know they can fight because they have the magic to do so," Star said. "You don't know if King's father could fight, and I don't want King feeling like he has to bring his father into a war!"

"No more fighting, please," Luz said. "Neither of you meant any harm, so let's just put our differences aside."

"Look, I'm with Star, let's save our friends and stop Belos before I go looking for my father," King insisted. "It will work out better that way. I could even tell my father that I was a hero in battle."

"There, bright side," Star said. "But, maybe you can find a way to contact him regardless. If you have his address, then send him a letter. Let him know you're coming."

"Oh wow, that's a great idea," King said, the young demon hopping off the table and running to the next room. "You're the best, Star!"

"I try," Star said.

"King wait, up!" Polly said, following her boyfriend.

"I swear, she can't be away from him for five seconds," Sprig said.

"They're just in love," Anne said. "Didn't you feel the same about Ivy?"

"...Way to throw it back at me, Anne," Sprig commented.

Luz turned her attention to the Mewman Princess, "I really appreciate that, Star. Thanks for looking out for King and his best interests."

"Well I know he's precious to you," Star said. "Plus, I do feel bad for the little guy. He just misses his father. How long were they even apart?"

"Probably since birth," Luz said. "Eda said she found him abandoned in a temple."

"Abandoned?" Star asked. "Wait, why was he abandoned? Does his father even want him?"

"Well,, we're not sure what to expect, we just want King to be happy," Luz said. "Eda does her best, and he clearly sees her like a mother. He even filled out forms so she could legally adopt him."

"Right after that big race, too," Sprig said. "It's what started this whole father finding thing."

"It's hard to blame King, even if Eda's a great mother, he still wants to know about his father," Luz said.

"I more than understand that," Star agreed. "You want both parents in your life. Even when I had my dad I missed my mom."

"I love my mom, but I still miss my dad," Luz said, glancing up for a second.

"I miss both my parents," Sprig said. "I think, I still don't know if you can miss someone you've never met."

"It counts, Sprig," Luz said. "Even if you can't remember them with your mind, you remember with your heart."

"...That's sappy, but not untrue," Sprig said, glancing up himself.

"Obviously I had that own scare with my mom and dad," Anne said. "Thankfully they're with Ally and Jess."

"You mean those tech girls?" Sprig asked.

"Yeah, they fixed...wait, did you not see him yet?" Luz asked.

"See who?" Sprig asked.

"HOlY SHIT!" Polly shouted.

"Polly! Just because Hop Pop's not here doesn't mean you can say words like that!" Sprig scolded.

"Sprig! Look! It's Frobo!" Polly shouted.

"Frobo?" Sprig asked in disbelief. "Holy crap!"

"Sprig!" Anne scolded.

"What? That wasn't a bad word," Sprig said, running off with the teens right behind him.

In the other room, Polly was seen in Frobo's embrace, the young frog crying tears of joy, "Frobo! Thank Frog you're alive!"

"No way..." Sprig said, amazed at seeing this robot again as his sister was being comforted.

King looked impressed too, seeing Frobo was one thing, but he loved the happiness in Polly's voice. "Well I'll be." He turned around to face the teens. "How'd he get fixed?"

"Jess and Ally," Luz said. "Those girls are life savers."

"Literally," Polly agreed, looking up in pride. "I missed you Frobo."

"Missed Polly too," Frobo said.

"Come to think of it, now may be a good time to get back into contact with Jess and Ally," Anne said. "For all we know, they can find a way to help us stop Belos and Andrias."

"On top of that, with their portal room, maybe they can pinpoint Marco and Amity," Luz said. "Things are going to work out just fine for us!"

"Yeah, now let's...huh?" Anne noticed Sasha walking over from the distance, the girl looking dazed.

"Easy Sasha," Higgs said, helping her friend walk. "Don't push yourself too hard."

"What day is it?" Sasha asked, looking around, then holding her head in pain. "Ugh, I got such a headache!"

"What's wrong with Sasha?" Luz asked.

"She...uh...she's sleepy," Higgs insisted. "Yeah, that. She couldn't get much sleep last night. Too much stress."

Star narrowed her eyes at Sasha, "Wait a minute..." She walked over to check on the girl, seeing how out of it she was, the moans of pain, and how she could barely stand up straight. "Hold on, what's that smell?"

"Uh, what smell?" Higgs asked.

"She smells like the castle guards during one of their breaks!" Star said. "Was she drinking!?"

Higgs nervously looked away, "She...may have ordered some drinks last night."

"Was it the ale!?" Star asked. "She smells like ale!"

Sasha winced in pain again, holding her head as she nearly fell over. "You're way too loud!"

"Yeah, she's been drinking," Star said. "Pretty sure I said 'no drinking'!"

"She just needed a way to unwind from her recent ordeal," Higgs said. "Besides I kept an eye on her to make sure she didn't do anything stupid."

"She already did do something stupid!" Star shouted, gesturing to the girl. "Look at her! She's hung over! How drunk did she get last night?"

"I kept her from drinking too much," Higgs insisted. "Look, mistakes happen, but she did point out that we've already been through a lot for our ages. From fighting, even to...you know...romantic intimacy."

"Romantic what-now?" Polly asked.

"Never mind it, Polly," Star said, then focused on Higgs. "Get her out of here, and keep her the hell away from anything that could be a weapon! I do not want her going out and fighting in this condition!"

"Yes Queen Star," Higgs said.

"For the last time, it's 'Acting Queen'!" Star frustratingly pointed out. "My mother's going to take the throne back soon, by then, it will no longer be mine! I will go back to being a Princess!"

"Uh, yes Princess," Higgs said, then led Sasha away. "Let's go Sash."

"I want some ice cream," Sasha said.

"Later," Higgs said. "Right now, you need some more rest."

Star grumbled in annoyance, "Stupid girl."

"Uh...so what happened exactly?" Polly asked.

"Sasha had too much to drink," King said. "She looked like Eda after coming from a night out."

"Hey Star, how often do your guards get drunk?" Luz asked.

"They're smart enough to not get drunk during their shifts," Star said. "It's fine, they mostly enjoy some ale after a job well done. Sasha was just being irresponsible."

"Man, if my parents saw that, they would never let me near Sasha again," Anne said.

"My mom wouldn't be too happy either," Luz said.

"Never mind that, we're burning daylight," Star said. "Luz, Anne, open up a portal. Let's find Edric and Emira."

"Yeah, on it," Anne said, pulling out her scissors and opening up a portal to The Boiling Isles.

"Me, Luz and Anne will go through the portal," Star said. "Everyone else, stay here."

"Okay Star," King said.

The three girls stepped through the portal just outside the Blight Family home. Star gestured for the two girls to follow closely behind her, carefully going toward the front door.

"Wait, why didn't we just warp inside?" Luz asked.

"Because we don't want to run into Amity's parents," Anne said. "Especially you, I know her mom hates you, Willow and Gus."

"Hate feels like a strong word," Luz said, the girl lamenting a bit. "But sadly accurate."

As they neared the door, they heard it open, to which Luz gestured everyone back behind some nearby trees.

"Make sure Emperor Belos gets all of these Abominations by tomorrow, he is very adamant about it," Came Odaliah's voice.

"Believe me, I know how adamant he is," came Terra's voice. "But I promise that he will be satisfied, and you will be paid quite well."

"Also if he can, try to see if he can send someone to find that useless daughter of mine," Odaliah said. "Honestly, for Amity to cause so much trouble."

"It is not her fault my dear, she was brainwashed by the Mewmans," Terra said.

"Of course, accursed Mewmans," Odaliah said. "They should have been wiped from the multiverse long ago, such a barbaric breed. Just like those humans."

"Belos will address the human problem," Terra said.

"Make sure he does, especially that unpleasant Luz Noceda," Odaliah said. "I can't imagine why my daughter would stoop so low as to befriend her and those useless witches. She had a good friend in Boscha, yet she threw it away! The nerve of that child, this is why I need to make the choices for her! Another reason why I detest those humans."

"Humans are sneaky like that, King Andrias has had his own trouble with a teenage girl named Anne Boonchuy," Terra said. "Apparently she's another one of Luz's friends."

"The sooner we rid ourselves of them, the better," Odaliah said. "I just need my daughter back, I'll make sure she stays in line."

"It was a pleasure doing business with you, give Alador my regards," Terra said.

"Will do," Odaliah said, heading back inside.

Luz peeked her head out from behind the tree, glaring at the older woman. "That hag."

"She's definitely got issues," Anne said. "How could she say those things about Amity?"

"Well you weren't joking about Amity's mom not liking Luz, Anne," Star said. "But now she's thinking that me and my Kingdom are behind this trouble too? Stupid Belos and his Coven Day Parade. I don't appreciate him slandering Mewni."

"Let's also focus on the fact that Belos apparently ordering Abominations from Amity's family," Luz said. "That's very concerning."

"What are Abominations?" Star asked.

"You know that purple goo magic that Amity does?" Luz asked.

"The one that turns into a monster?" Star asked.

"Yeah, that's an abomination, her family specializes in that type of magic," Luz said. "I know her mother sells these, I was once almost an unwilling volunteer for her 'demonstration'."

"Yikes, there is something wrong with that woman," Star said.

Suddenly the door opened again, with Odaliah sticking her head out, "Who's out there!?"

The girls hid once again, hoping that the woman didn't see or hear them. Odaliah stepped out of the house, heading toward the bushes.

As she got closer, she looked behind the trees, spotting nothing, "I could have sworn..."

Star had led Anne and Luz around the house and into the house, carefully not to make too much noise.

"That was close," Star said. "Now we just...watch out."

She pulled the girls aside as Alador came through the living room, the man tinkering on something. The girls looked up from behind the couch, spotting the patriarch of the Blight Family.

"That's Amity's dad," Luz whispered.

"We figured," Star said. "Let's just-"

"Alador! Come out here for a second!" Odaliah called.

Alador sighed in irritation," Coming dear."

With the man out of the house, the three girls snuck upstairs, out of the range of sight from either Blight parents.

"That was too close," Anne said.

"Hey," Came Edric's voice, startling the three teen girls. "Sorry, did I scare you?"

"Geez, don't you know it's not okay to sneak up on people?" Star asked.

"To be fair, you're sneaking around my house," Edric said. "I have a right to ask what's happening."

"...Good point, but still!" Star said.

"Edric, what's going..." Emira spotted the trio. "Oh, you three are friends with Mittens, right?"

"Mittens?" Star asked.

"Amity's nickname," Luz reminded.

"Oh right," Star said. "Heh, it's cute."

"She doesn't find it cute," Edric said. "Except maybe when dad does it."

"So, what brings you three here?" Emira asked.

"It's about Amity," Luz said. "She's lost out in the multiverse."

Emira's eyes widened in worry, "She's WHAT!?"

"Easy sis, you're going to alert mom and dad," Edric warned.

"Edric, did you not just hear what Luz said!?" Emira asked with a sense of urgency. "Our little sister is lost in the multiverse!"

"She's not alone, she's got Marco with her," Anne pointed out.

"Marco?" Edric asked. "You mean that scrawny boy with the red hoodie?"

"Huh? Marco isn't scrawny?" Star asked. "Have you seen his abs?"

"Psst, Star," Anne whispered. "That's only Marco in the Neverzone."

"Not now, I'm trying to make him sound tough so they worry less," Star whispered back.

"Marco is a very talented boy who knows how to fight," Luz said. "Not that Amity can't fight and take care of herself, but Marco being there will keep her that much safer."

"Still, I'm not happy about this," Emira said. "What happened?"

"Belos did," Anne said.

"Emperor Belos?" Edric asked. "Wait, I heard there was a fight at the Palace yesterday. Was that all of you?"

"You bet it was," Star said. "Belos captured a bunch of our friends, which is how Amity got knocked across the multiverse with Marco."

"Andrias was part of this too, he kidnapped my friend Marcy after Belos nearly killed her," Anne said.

"Marcy? The skinny girl?" Edric asked.

"Can you please stop referring to our friends as skinny and scrawny?" Star scolded. "You're not exactly packing muscle yourself."

"Wow, rude," Edric said.

"Shut up Ed," Emira scolded, then focused on Star. "I take it you need our help finding Amity?"

"Yeah, that and some other stuff," Star said.

"Well of course we're going to help you find our sister," Emira said. "And anything else you might need."

"We do need some information on what your mom is planning," Anne said. "Does she even know she's collaborating with the same guy who tried to kill her daughter?"

"No, she's all business right now," Emira said.

"You gotta tell her what's happening," Luz said.

"No use, she won't believe us," Edric said.

"What do you mean she won't believe you?" Star asked.

"Well, there isn't exactly any evidence of the terrible things that Belos is doing," Edric said. "If we tell people he's evil, they'll just brand us traitors."

"He's got a point, Belos has the Boiling Isles wrapped around his fingers," Luz said.

"Great, so it looks like we're going to need some evidence," Star said. "Maybe then Mrs. Blight won't supply Belos with an army."

"How do we go about proving it?" Anne asked. "Star's word means nothing because Mewni is an enemy to The Boiling Isles. Andrias is on Belos's side, we're pretty much screwed."

"Wait, what about Hunter?" Luz said. "Maybe he can help us."

"Hunter? He doesn't want anything to do with us," Anne said.

"Better than not trying," Luz said." If we get him to come around, maybe he'll be able to come up with an idea."

"It's worth a shot," Star said.

"Edric! Emira! Who's up there!?" Odaliah called.

"Crap, you three should go," Edric said.

"Alright, we'll be back later," Anne said, opening the portal back to Mewni.

"Will you be alright?" Luz asked.

"Don't worry, I got us covered," Emira reassured.

"See you two later," Star said, going through the portal, closing just before Odaliah reached the top.

"You two, what's happening?" Odaliah asked. "Why did I hear noise?"

"Oh, Edric's going crazy," Emira said, causing her brother to glare in confusion and anger. "Yeah, he might need to see a shrink."

"I see...I'll consider it then," Odaliah said, making her leave.

Edric turned to his sister, fuming in anger, "What the hell, sis!?"

"Oh take one for the team," Emira said, irritating Edric even more.

At Belos's castle, the Emperor was seen walking down the halls, right by his newest and personal prisoners.

The first cell he passed by was Hekapoo's, the monster girl glaring at him with malice.

The second he passed by belonged to Hop Pop, the old frog thinking about his grandkids, and worried for their safety.

The third prisoner, and his most favorite, was that of the Owl Lady.

"Eda Clawthorne," Belos said. "How are you on this fine day?"

"Fuck off," Eda said, following it up with the appropriate gesture.

"My, someone has a snappy temper," Belos said. "And after all the trouble I went through to make sure you were comfortable."

"I'll be comfortable after you bite the dust," Eda said.

"You sound confident," Belos said. "Do you believe you are going to escape? Or is this the last bit of false hope remaining within you?"

"I don't gotta worry too much about escaping, in time Luz will be back and send you to hell herself," Eda said. "But then again, I just might surprise you and break out myself. Except I won't be as nice as Luz when I get my hands on you."

"I've always admired this about you Eda, you've always been a bit of a firecracker," Belos said as he made his leave. "Just try not to fizzle out too quickly."

"Tch, stupid bastard," Eda said. "He'll get what's coming to him sooner or later."

While all this was happening, within the walls of Newtopia' Castle, a portal had opened, revealing Marco as he stepped through with Amity.

"Is this a good idea?" Amity asked. "There's just two of us, can we even handle Andrias by ourselves?"

"We're not going after Andrias, we're looking for Marcy and leaving," Marco said.

"But why didn't we just get help from Luz, Anne or Star?" Amity asked. "Even Sasha would make for some good backup."

"Sasha obviously isn't good with stealth," Marco said. "Also I don't want to bring too many of us here since it's dangerous. Honestly I'd rather you go back to Mewni."

"I'm not letting you do this alone," Amity said. "But alright, if you think this is a better way of going about it."

"If we're fast, we can find Marcy and escape," Marco held the scissors. "Now we just need-"

"DOWN WITH NEWTOPIA!" Talon shouted, the bird jumping through the portal and into the Courtyard, alerting the guards.

"What's that dumbass doing!?" Amity shouted in disbelief.

"Quick! Hide!" Marco said as he and Amity were quick to jump and hide behind the walls as some guards rushed by to help apprehend Talon. The boy pulled himself up, "Come on."

The two rushed by, somewhat grateful for their distraction, but worried for Talon nonetheless.

As they neared the hall, they heard some giant thuds, hiding the moment Andrias ran by.

"What's going on out there!?" Andrias rushed into the courtyard. "I was in the middle of something too!"

"Andrias..." Marco's rage began to build.

"Marco, don't let that distract you," Amity said. "Let's hurry."

The two snuck around the castle, hoping to find any clue regarding Marcy's whereabouts. Marco grumbled in annoyance at how long it was taking, while Amity constantly looked over her shoulder.

"Marcy!" Marco called in a hushed but loud tone, this action worrying Amity." Marcy, are you-!"

"Hey, dummy!" Amity whacked Marco on the head. "You're going to alert Andrias's guards!"

"Right, sorry, not my best call," Marco said.

"Oh my, this is a surprise," Came a voice. The two got into a fighting stance, but instead of seeing a guard, they spotted Andrias's advisor. "You two are friends with Marcy, aren't you?"

"Maybe..." Marco said, lowing his guard for a second. "Wait, you seem familiar."

"I'm Olivia, advisor to King Andrias," the woman introduced.

"Advisor?" Marco asked, glaring at the woman. "If you're here to turn us in, then-"

"I'm not, you're here to rescue Marcy, aren't you?" Olivia asked. "I've come to help you."

"Huh?" Marco raised his eyebrow. "Wait, you want to help us? Why?"

"Yeah, what's in it for you?" Amity asked.

"I am not thrilled with what Andrias has done," Olivia said. "This used to be a Benevolent Kingdom, in a Peaceful World. It wasn't perfect, but it was a good home. But, it would appear that the King I believed in had a hunger for power that I did not even realize he had. It feels like I've been serving a fraud."

"Well, that's pretty much how I felt when I learned about what I learned with Emperor Belos," Amity said. "Lilith felt it harder."

"I can't condone what he's done, especially to Marcy," Olivia said. "I've always been fond of her, ever since she first arrived in our Kingdom, and broke her leg going down the stairs."

"Uh, she did what?" Amity asked.

"Marcy did say she was quite the clutz," Marco said.

"She was, but she had a good heart," Olivia said. "I can't allow anything to happen to her. I will defy my King if I must."

"It's a big risk," Marco said.

"I am willing to take it," Olivia said.

"...Can we really trust you though?" Amity asked. "You're working with Andrias."

"I know you have no reason to believe me, but I really do want to help," Olivia said. "I can take you to where Marcy is. It will be easy, Andrias hasn't even had time to install the proper security."

"Well, Yunan did betray Andrias, so not all of his followers believe in his madness," Marco said. "I say we trust Olivia."

"But...alright fine," Amity said, then focused her attention onto Olivia. "Don't try anything funny."

"I won't, now follow me," Olivia said.

The Newt Woman led the two down a set of stairs to a secret room. Within this yellow lit room was a giant tube, and floating inside was the girl Marco was after.

"Marcy!" Marco ran to the girl, placing his hand on the tube. "How is she doing!?"

"She was in critical condition, but she is healing quite well," Olivia said. "The wound was deep but small enough so that it didn't take too long to heal. It just needed about a day. Another could ensure a full recovery."

"So it's not dangerous to take her out?" Amity asked.

"Theoretically, no," Olivia said.

"I don't want theories, I need to know if she'll be alright," Marco said.

"Give me a second to check," Olivia said, taking note of the vital readings.

Marco had his hand on the tube, affectionately looking at the girl, "Marcy..."

Amity glanced at her as well, relieved she was okay, but feeling even more guilty about last night.

"It would appear that moving her is safe," Olivia said. "Just do so carefully."

"Alright," Marco grabbed a nearby chair. "Here I-"

"Wait!" Olivia called. "What are you a barbarian!? Let me free her the proper way!"

"Uh, right, sorry," Marco sheepishly said as he placed the chair down.

"Honestly..." Olivia pressed the proper buttons to drain the fluids. "She won't be able to walk well, so do be mindful of that."

"I got it," Marco said, awaiting the door to open. Once it did, the girl had slipped out, Marco wasting no time carrying her in his arms. "Marcy?"

Dazed and confused, Marcy's eyes began to open. "Sasha...? Anne...?"

"Marcy! It's me!" Marco said.

Marcy coughed up some liquid, looking up at her boyfriend, a smile etching across her face, "Marco...I knew you'd come."

"Yeah, I'm here Mar-Mar," Marco reassured. "You're free thanks to Olivia. Oh, and Amity came too, she really missed you."

"Amity?" Marcy looked around and spotted the witch girl. "Ah...Amity, you came too. You're so nice."

"Yeah, I'm here too," Amity nervously said. "I always come to help my friends. Ones I love very much mind you."

"Yeah, Friendship, it rules," Marcy said, then noticed the sole newt. "Hi Olivia."

"Hello dear, I'm glad you're safe," Olivia said.

"Yeah, me too," Marcy said, then took a look around. "Where is everyone else?"

"With any luck, they're safe," Marco said.

"Luck?" Marcy asked, her eyes opening wide. "Wait...that big fight...Belos and Andrias...what happened?"

"We're not sure, but we'll find out soon," Marco said, then . "Amity, mind holding Marcy? Better yet, grab my scissors so we can get out of this place."

"I'll handle the scissors, Marcy deserves to be in the arms of the knight who rescued her," Amity said, reaching into Marco's pocket. "No where is...?"

"Leaving so soon?" Came a sinister voice. Everyone turned to see that Andrias had blocked the exit, the King glaring at the intruders. "Marco, so you are here. And you've come to get Marcy."

"Andrias!" Marco shouted in anger.

"How'd you know we'd be down here?" Amity asked.

"You're idiot chicken friend ran his mouth, and now he's being taken to a dungeon," Andrias said. "He's lucky I didn't kill him."

"Ugh, dammit Talon..." Amity lamented.

"Doesn't matter, I'm not letting you have Marcy," Marco said. "She's my precious girlfriend!"

"How sweet, but I don't have time for pointless romance," Andrias said, ordering some guards inside. "Seize them, and take the girl."

"Back off!" Amity summoned her abomination. "Marco, run!"

Marco shoved through with Marcy in his arms, and Olivia following. Unfortunately some of the guards had begun the chase, though Marco was ready.

"You morons want some!?" Marco stopped and delivered a jumping kick to the guards, knocking them into each other. "Yeah! I learned that in Karate Class!"

"Heh, you're so cool, Marco," Marcy said.

"Come on, I'm gonna put some distance between us, then use the scissors to get us out of here," Marco said, as he continued to run.

"What about Amity?" Marcy asked. "And Olivia?"

"I'll come back for them, but right now, you're my priority so...SHIT!" Marco felt a spear piercing his leg, one thrown by Andrias as the boy lost his balance, dropping Marcy in the process.

"Marco? Are you okay?" Marcy asked.

"Bastard!" Marco tried pulling the spear from his leg. Once he got it out, he took a stomp from Andrias that knocked him for a loop.

"Foolish boy, I'll deal with you in no time, but since you're so curious about my plans..." Andrias grabbed both Marco and Marcy by their heads, the latter struggling more than her dazed boyfriend as he took her into a room.

He threw Marco on a chair that immediately strapped her in, the girl trying to pull herself out as Andrias dropped Marco, the boy looking up at his trapped girlfriend.

"What...what is?" Marco saw the peril that Marcy was in. "No...Marcy! NO!" He went to save her but a weird contraption held him back. "God Dammit! Let me go!"

"Sorry, but it chose her," Andrias said.

"It? What the hell are you talking about!?" Marco shouted, trying to escape. "Just give me back my girlfriend!"

"I can't, she is too valuable," Andrias said. "You see Marco, The Core is a living entity, but lacks the proper body. It needs a suitable host. One who is smart, clever, resourceful, and the only one who was able to beat me in a game of Flipwart."

"Marco?" Marcy looked around nervously as some strange contraptions began to surround her. "Marco! I'm scared!"

"I'll save you!" Marco did his best to pull away, but the grip just got stronger. "Son of a bitch! LET GO!"

"It's pointless, all you're doing is causing yourself extra stress," Andrias said.

"You be quiet!" Marco shouted, turning to his terrified girlfriend. "I'll save you Marcy! Even if I have to die trying!"

Marcy looked around nervously, worried about what may happen to her, and also worried about her boyfriend, the one desperately trying to save her. "Marco!"

"Marcy..." Marco felt tears coming to his eyes, mirrored by his girlfriend as the two tried to reach out to each other. "MARCY!"

Amity had just arrived in the room, having fended off some guards with Olivia by her side, just in time to see something coming up from behind her friend. "Marcy!"

Within seconds, a plug had inserted into Marcy as a helmet dropped on her head, the girl screaming in pain as Marco, Amity and Olivia watched on in horror while Andrias shamefully looked away. Right before their eyes, a new appearance was taken, as Marcy stood up with a large helmet over her head, and several lights lightning up as if something just opened its eyes for the first time.

"Marcy?" A heartbroken Marco asked.

"Marcy...is not here," the figure said in an echo-like voice, an evil laugh emanating the area.

"No..." Marco's eyes once again welled up in water, heartbroken by what had become of the girl he loved. "Marcy..." The boy angrily clenched his fists, trying in vain to restrain his emotions as he shouted at the top of his lungs, "MARCYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

Terrible things had happened, and while one squad had some hope for the future, the other just saw it dashed before their eyes. Luck was not so easily divided here.