Multiverse Heroes: Magical Destinies(AmphibiaxSVTFOExTOH)

Morning time came for the heroes. It was yet another big day for them, and a potentially eventful one. This was their time to bring the fight to their foes, and liberate many worlds.

Marco had gotten up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he turned to the side. Still sleeping on his bed was Sasha, likely hung over from the previous night. It disappointed Marco to see Sasha like this, but he knew this was Sasha's way of dealing with her guilt.

Regardless, Marco couldn't fully condone this, he only hoped that Sasha would learn her lesson from all of this. Maybe he could help Sasha better herself as a person in the progress.

That being said, Marco stood up and walked over to Sasha's bed, kneeling beside the girl and checking her forehead.

"A bit warm, not a fever, but she's likely to have a burning headache," Marco said.

Sasha mumbled a bit, slowly opening her eyes and coming into contact with the boy in front of her. "Marco?"

"Oh, you're awake," Marco said.

Sasha sat up, her head ringing like crazy. "Ugh, I think I need an aspirin or something."

"If you have a headache, I hear coffee can help," Marco said. "The caffeine neutralizes the pain."

"Coffee? No thanks," Sasha said.

"Huh? I thought you liked coffee?" Marco said.

"I enjoy it, but I don't feel like drinking anything hot," Sasha said. "If I need caffeine, then soda will do. Assuming they have soda in this dimension."

"I think so, one of the spells in Star's book said something about a Soda Fountain," Marco said. "Apparently one of her ancestors learned magic that could turn water into soda."

"Water into soda?" Sasha asked. "That's actually pretty badass."

"Star might know it, I can ask her," Marco said.

"No, that's fine. I'll take a bottle if you find one," Sasha said. "If you can't find one, then I'll just take the coffee. Maybe I can put some ice in it."

"Yeah, I'll do that," Marco said. "Meanwhile, you should go take a shower. You still smell like ale."

"Right, the drinking," Sasha turned to a nearby mug she drank out of. "Hey, now that I'm sober, mind explaining how you came back? I thought you and Amity got lost in the multiverse?"

"We got lucky and ended up in a dimension where a friend lives," Marco said. "Do you remember Talon?"

"Uh, the name sounds familiar but I don't think I know him," Sasha said.

"He's the bird guy that helped us fight Meteora," Marco clarified.

"...Oh right," Sasha said as the name finally rang a bell. "I can't believe I forgot about him. Hekapoo is pretty fascinated with the guy after all."

"Since we were in his dimension, he was able to get us a way out of it," Marco said. "It took a while since he somehow lost his scissors, but Amity and I were able to use them the next morning."

"I suppose that's how you came here?" Sasha asked.

"Yeah...though if I'm being honest, I did try going to Newtopia to rescue Marcy," Marco confessed.

Sasha took note of Marco's saddened expression, "Judging by your reaction, I'd say that plan didn't go so well."

"It was disastrous," Marco said. "First Talon went and got himself caught. It did provide a distraction long enough for me and Amity to explore the castle. We even ran into Olivia."

"Andrias's assistant?" Sasha asked.

"Yeah, she helped us find Marcy, and we were close to rescuing her but..." Marco grumbled in annoyance. "Everything went wrong."

"Andrias got in the way, didn't he?" Sasha asked.

"Yeah, big time," Marco said. "We were so close, but then he did something to her, something strange."

"Strange how?" Sasha asked.

"He placed her on this weird chair thing, then placed some strange helmet on her head," Marco said. "This helmet slowly took over her mind, soon Marcy wasn't herself."

"Helmet?" Sasha recalled a strange painting back in the castle when she first took over. "What kind of helmet was it?"

"Well, it's brown with some horn things," Marco explained. "It also has a dozen eyes like some type of insect."

"That honestly sounds familiar," Sasha said.

"Andrias called it 'The Core'," Marco said. "It's some ancient device that holds the consciousness of all of Amphibia's past kings. Right now those old fossils are using Marcy as their personal vessel to help Andrias with his plans to take over the multiverse."

"Wait, you mean Marcy's being mind controlled!?" Sasha asked in disbelief. "By a bunch of old guys too!?"

"That seems to be the case," Marco said. "I tried to free her, but between her skills and Andrias causing trouble, Amity and I needed to flee. I hated having to leave Marcy like that, but at that point, we made the call to live to fight another day."

Sasha furrowed her brow, before looking away in frustration. "Honestly, if it were me, I would have stayed and fought. No offense, but running away like that just doesn't seem right to me."

"I didn't want to run, it was not an easy call to make," Marco said. "But, I'm ashamed to say that I was at a bit of a disadvantage. Plus, I didn't have it in me to seriously fight Marcy, even if she was being controlled."

"I...guess I can understand," Sasha said.

"Besides, I'm not too worried," Marco admitted, earning Sasha's curiosity. "Marcy's not too far gone after all. It looks like she's able to resist The Core a bit."

"She was?" Sasha asked, the girl feeling a bit relieved. "I'm glad to hear. Marcy's always been pretty stubborn, so if anyone can handle a bit of mind control, it's her."

"I think Marcy might be influencing The Core a bit," Marco said. "Even with that helmet on, she seemed really happy to see Red Velvet Cakes."

"With Blueberry Frosting?" Sasha asked.

"You know it," Marco said.

"She loves those," Sasha commented. "Well, this is good news. Sucks about Marcy being mind controlled but she can definitely fight it. Anne might be the key to that."

"Anne?" Marco asked.

"Well yeah, aside from you, Anne is the person Marcy cares about the most," Sasha said. "Those two have been friends since forever. They were already friends when I met them, so they're like the original besties."

"Honestly, yeah, that makes complete sense," Marco said. "You and Anne should be able to snap Marcy out of it."

"No, not me, it's gotta be Anne," Sasha said.

"What do you mean it has to be Anne?" Marco asked in confusion. "You're Marcy's best friend too, you..." Marco could see the uncertainty in Sasha's eyes, clueing him to her feelings. "...Oh, let me guess. You think it needs to be Anne because you feel like you've been a terrible friend to Marcy. You're basically doing that thing where you feel all terrible for how you acted and now I'm supposed to be like, 'No Sasha, it's not like that. Marcy loves you too, because everyone loves you just the way you are." Marco raised his eyebrow at Sasha. "That about cover it?"

"...Heh, I love how much of a smartass you can be," Sasha said. "But, you're not wrong. It is how I'm feeling. But, you don't need to reassure me. Luz already handled most of the reassuring stuff."

"If she did, why do you still feel this way?" Marco asked.

"Because, I already know I'm a scummy friend, and I'm probably not going to get any better," Sasha said. "I've accepted that Marcy may not like me much. Anne already barely trusts me."

"This is the same Anne who got worried when Belos took you hostage," Marco said. "We were all worried about you, that's why we were willing to give Hunter back to Belos just to save you."

"And what did that result in?" Sasha asked. "You and Amity nearly got lost in the multiverse. Marcy was nearly killed by Belos, and now she's Andrias's puppet. I caused more harm than good, and that's why Marcy is better off without me as a friend."

"Well good luck with that," Marco said. "Even if you're scummy, Anne and Marcy still love you. Sasha, you're lucky to have those girls as friends, don't take that for granted. Besides, Marcy doesn't exactly feel innocent either, she was the one who got you all trapped in Amphibia in the first place."

"Yeah, she did," Sasha said. "But all she's guilty of is wanting to be with her friends. Something I was more than willing to take advantage of."

"Sasha...you're being ridiculous," Marco said. "Look, maybe you're still a little whacked out from your hangover. Accept the fact that no matter how much you screw up, Anne and Marcy will still love you."

A strong wave of emotions passed through Sasha, ranging from some guilt, to genuine appreciation and affection toward the boy beside her. "I gotta say Marco, despite how unusual and dorky you can be, you somehow manage to be the sweetest guy I know."

"It's nothing," Marco said.

"Still, I just can't do this," Sasha said. "I just know that no matter what I try, I'm going to end up hurting Anne and Marcy again. I just can't put them through that."

"Do you really want to give up on your friendship?" Marco asked. "It takes work but-"

"Marco, it just isn't going to work out," Sasha said. "I'll still save Marcy, because it's the right thing to do. But, I am not going to pretend that things are going to magically work out. This isn't a Fairy Tale."

"Really? In this world of Magical Princesses, Brave Knights and Dastardly Foes, you don't think that Fairy Tale rules apply?" Marco asked. "You can get a Happily Ever After, you just need to-"

Sasha then grabbed Marco by the shirt and pulled him in for a kiss, taking the boy by surprise. While he knew Sasha crushed on him, he believed she had already gotten over it by now. Despite his own curiosity, Marco aggressively pulled away from the girl.

"Sasha! What was that about!?" Marco asked.

"I'm trying to prove a point here," Sasha said. "I'm not a good friend, in the end, I'm inherently selfish. All I care about is getting what I want, and I will hurt anyone in the process."

"Okay, at this point, I feel like you're just trying to convince yourself more than anything," Marco said. "If you need some more alone time, that's fine. But Star is going to be ready soon."

"What I need is you right now," Sasha said. "I want you, really badly."

"Me?" Marco asked.

"Yes you," Sasha said. "I want you in bed with me."

"Uh, no," Marco said. "I am not sleeping with you. Besides, I thought you had feelings for Hekapoo?"

"Well like I said, I'm selfish and I want everything that I desire," Sasha said. "And Marco Diaz, you're someone I really desire."

"Sasha, either take a short nap or go take a bath," Marco said. "Honestly, the latter might work better for you. It can remove the smell of ale."

"It can also be used to remove the smell of sex," Sasha pointed out.

"I'm not sleeping with you, and that's final!" Marco said. "I have a girlfriend!"

"I won't tell her, it will be a secret," Sasha said. "I'm selfish enough to do that."

"Sasha, I don't think you want to hurt Marcy," Marco said. "I certainly don't. Now stop being stupid and-"

"Marco, I need this!" Sasha begged. "Come on, I just need a moment to take my mind off of things."

"Sasha, if I sleep with you, then you'll just want some more," Marco said. "My girlfriend still needs my help. I could not live with myself if I willingly cheated on her."

"Is it cheating if there's no love?" Sasha asked, earning Marco's curiosity. "Come on, I know you need this too. Let's help each other. All I need is a few minutes, and that's all."

"Sasha, no," Marco said. He tried pulling away but Sasha latched on with another kiss, one that Marco struggled to escape. "Sasha..."

"Marco..." Sasha resumed the kiss, pulling Marco onto the bed with her.

Despite his hesitation, Marco could help but feel a bit curious as he unwillingly went along with the make-out session.

His body started moving on its own, using his hands to feel all around Sasha's body, getting more of a reaction out of the girl.

"Ooooh, Marcooooo!" Sasha moaned as the boy kissed her neck. "Don't stop..."

Despite his desires taking over, flashes of Marcy began to run through his mind as he pulled away from the girl.

"H-hey!" Sasha disappointedly stated. "I told you not to stop!"

"Sasha, if I do this, Marcy would never forgive me!" Marco said. "I can't not tell her either!"

At this moment, Sasha grabbed the nearby mug of ale. There was almost nothing in there, but she made use of what was left. She grabbed Marco by the face and forced the last bit of it in his mouth.

"Yuck!" Marco started spitting out the taste. "This stuff's terrible!" He spit it out again. "What was that for!?"

"Tell Marcy, you got drunk!" Sasha pulled Marco back into the kiss and back onto bed, continuing her forbidden desires of pure lust for the boy she admired.

Within Amphibia, Darcy was seen sitting on the throne while hooked up to something. A screen saying 'Optimization in Progress' that reached full power.

Reluctantly, Andrias flipped a switch, waking Darcy up. "Alright, you did it! We'd give you a gold star, but we have important matters to take care of. Today, we begin our invasion of Earth!"

"Of course, but one problem," Andrias said. "One, how do you plan to counter Mewni? By this point, both Marco Diaz and Amity Blight have returned, and have most likely contacted Star Butterfly."

"You worry too much, this isn't anything I can't handle," Darcy said. "But, it is likely that they might be a burden. We'll have to be smart about this. Now, did you completely sever your alliance with Emperor Belos?"

"Well, sort of," Andrias said. "He did compromise my plan."

"Understandable, but if he can still be of use to you, then we need to take advantage of that," Darcy said. "Now, I suggest that we talk things out with him, and see what else he can do for us."

"I suppose you're right," Andrias said. "After all, I've waited a thousand years. Any chance I have to accomplish my goals, is a chance I'll have to take. I don't intend to let anything stop me."

Darcy smirk grew as she glanced at Belos. Her voice suddenly started becoming very familiar to the Kingly Newt. "Why son...I think I'm almost proud of you."

Andrias flinched a bit, but paid little mind. He had plans that needed to be realized.

Some time passed by. Luz and Anne were seen waiting in the main throne room for everyone to arrive. So far the only ones present were Gus and Willow.

"Not a lot of punctuality," Anne said. "Star did want this done bright and early, or did I mishear her?"

"She probably slept in," Willow said.

"She better not, I got up early too," Gus said.

"This is a big day for us, we're finally going to bring down Belos and Andrias," Anne said.

"Did Star even come up with a plan?" Luz asked. "It seems like we're going in blind."

"She's rallying some allies," Willow said. "Star's been planning this thing for a while, so you don't need to worry so much, Luz."

"I hope you're right," Luz said. Fortunately, she spotted another new arrival making her way into the throneroom. "Amity, you're here!"

"Hey," Amity said. "Hope I'm not late."

"You're earlier than Star is," Anne said. "Marco's not here either."

"Well, Marco's been through a lot, he probably had trouble falling asleep last night and didn't actually get any until a little while ago," Amity said. "That's my guess."

"You think it's too soon to go then?" Luz asked. "I know we're all worried about Marcy, but if we rush into this, we might end up making more mistakes."

"We'll be careful," Anne reassured. "Maybe with Hunter's help, we can end this peacefully."

"You honestly believe that?" Gus asked. "Not to be negative or anything, but this is Belos we're talking about."

"He's had The Boiling Isles under his rule for quite a long time," Willow said. "He's someone that no one want to cross."

"Can he really be that bad?" Anne asked. "If I'm being honest, he did seem kind of chill when talking to everyone in the Boiling Isles."

"Anne, keep in mind that Andrias was pretty chill too," Luz said. "We know Belos's true colors, it's only a matter of time before everyone else does too."

"...Yeah, you're right, I don't know what I was thinking just now," Anne said. "Guess I just kind of feel sorry for Hunter, and I wanted to see if there was a way to salvage anything."

"I'm worried about Hunter too, and ideally it would be great if Belos wasn't really all that bad," Luz said. "But, don't forget the terrible things he's done. He invaded Mewni, he kidnapped Meteora, he sent Hunter to terminate us, he killed Eclipsa and he nearly killed Marcy."

"Sorry Anne, but there's no way around this," Gus said. "Belos has to be stopped by any means."

"Yeah, you're right," Anne said. "We'll put a stop to him."

"With him out of the way, maybe you can explore more of the Boiling Isles with us," Willow said.

"That sounds great, it'd be a role reversal," Luz said. "I got to hang out with your friends on adventures in Amphibia, now you can hang out with my friends on adventures in The Demon Realm."

"You'll fit right in with us," Gus said. "Maybe you can come to Hexside."

"Isn't that for witches?" Anne asked. "I don't have magical powers."

"What about that Blue Form?" Amity asked.

"Does that count as magic?" Anne asked.

"Probably," Amity said. "At the very least, it looked likes something out of Marco's favorite anime."

"Speaking of which, once this is over, we gotta do a Monster Slayer Academia binge watch," Luz said. "I haven't had a lot of time to catch up on that."

"Don't worry, I made a list," Gus said. "We'll get to all your shows soon, Luz."

"Great work, Gus," Luz praised. "Now, let's wait for the others so we can get this show on the road."

"I hope they don't take too long," Anne said.

A minute later, Sprig had finally arrived with Polly and King, "Hey, we made it."

"Wow, earlier than Star," Gus said. "She's really off her game."

"She might be doing some last minute planning," King said.

"I hope she doesn't take too much longer," Anne said. "Of course we're still waiting on Marco too."

"And the rest of us," Kelly said. She walked in being joined by Tom, Higgs,and Ivy.

"I went by Amphibia," Ivy said. "Buff Frog says when you're ready, open the portal near his house. He found some volunteers to help."

"Awesome," Anne said. "We're still down three."

"Yo! People!" Came Sasha's voice as she excitedly ran into the main room. "Alright, who's ready to kick some ass today!?"

"Whoa, someone's excited," Anne said. "What's gotten into you, Sash?"

"I want some payback, and I'm itching for a fight!" Sasha said as she held one of her swords out. "I will destroy Belos and Andrias myself if I have to!"

"Dial it back, girl," Luz urged. "I love the enthusiasm though. If nothing else, you really know how to get people motivated."

"Thanks Luz, you're really kind," Sasha said. "If you weren't already with Anne, I'd make out with you right now."

Luz's face turned red from the comment, "Uh...wow, that was forward."

"Honestly," Sasha gently rubbed Luz's chin. "I'm kind of tempted to do so."

"Whoa, dial it back," Anne said as she got between the two. "I know Luz is very pretty, but let's not come between a relationship here."

"Okay Anne, you win," Sasha said. "For now at least."

"...What do you mean 'For now'?" Anne asked.

"Sasha!" Marco called as he walked into the throneroom. "Enough, everyone's going to think you're drunk."

"Oh, but I am drunk," Sasha held her sword up. "With excitement!"

"She's so weird," King commented.

"Marco," Amity walked over to her friend. "Hey, how'd you sleep?"

"I slept fine," Marco said. "I'm ready for today."

"That's good," Amity bashfully played with her hair. "So, by today's end, we should hopefully have Marcy back."

"That is the plan," Marco said. "It's not going to be easy though."

"When is anything in life easy?" Amity playfully stated before taking Marco's hand in her own. "Just, be careful out there. We've had too many close calls already, and I feel like our luck is running out."

"We make our own luck," Marco said as he gently caressed Amity's face. "Don't worry, we'll get through this."

While this was happening, both Luz and Anne looked on in disbelief.

"Uh...what is happening?" Anne asked. "That looks almost flirty like."

"I'm telling you, it's part of Marco's plan," Luz said in a hushed tone. "He wants a harem."

"Again with this?" Anne asked. "This isn't an anime."

"You literally have a super form, and we're all on a journey to get stronger. We even took a dip in the hot springs together, this is about as anime as it gets," Luz said. "Marco is the heroic protagonist, Marcy's the designated love interest, Sasha's the jealous type who gets in the middle, Star is the old friend who wants to be with her bestie, Amity is the shy type with tsundere moments, and lastly, you and I are here as the yuri fanservice."

"We're the what now?" Anne asked.

"I'm telling you, at some point, Marco's going to get in bed with both of us," Luz said. "Our virginity is as good as his."

"Luz, stop being weird," Anne scolded. "And focus on what's important, not this crazy theory."

"Fine, but when the harem time comes, don't say I didn't warn you," Luz said. "And honestly, something tells me it's already underway."

"Yeah, whatever you say, baka," Anne said.

"Hey, I watch anime, I know Japanese!" Luz scolded. "I'm not the baka here, you're the baka!"

"Hey, Baka A and Baka B!" Marco called, getting the attention of Anne and Luz. "Focus up."

Luz dejectedly pointed at Marco, "He called us baka! Can you believe that!?"

"It fits you more than it fits me," Anne teased, much to Luz's annoyance.

"You're so lucky I find you very attractive," Luz said. "I demand that you share a kiss with me."

"Cool with me," Anne said and pulled Luz into a kiss.

"Hey, get a room you two," Kelly said.

Luz pulled away from her kiss with Anne while flashing a grin at Kelly, "You jelly?"

"Huh? What does jelly have to do with this?" Kelly asked.

"Luz and Anne are quite daring," Sasha said. "I really admire that."

"Okay, let's try to maintain some proper behavior," Anne said. "Let's just wait for Star so we can-"

"I'm here," Star said, walking into the room with Maddie on her shoulder and Hunter and Cloak-Bot right beside her.

"Hey, Cloak-Bot's back. That reminds me." With Polly's blow of a whistle, Frobo flew in, the robotic frog also looking ready for a fight. Polly leapt on his shoulder, looking ready for what's to come. "Bring it on!"

"Looks like everyone's here," Star noted. "Are we ready to storm the Boiling Isles?"

Everyone voiced their approval of the idea, each of them ready for a mighty encounter.

"Alright, time to do this," Star opened a portal leading into the Boiling Isles. "Once we do this, there's no turning back. If you're having second thoughts, back out now!"

Marco looked around, seeing that no one had any objections. With that settled, everyone decided to go for it. "Let's do it!"

The entire group stepped through the portal, ready and eager to do battle.

Once on the other side, they saw that they had appeared before Belos's castle, with plenty of Coven Guards out front, guarding the structure.

"So, what's the plan?" Marco asked.

"This," Star generated some magic and blasted through the gate of Belos's castle. "Charge!"

"Okay, no plan then," Marco said as he charged in with everyone.

The Coven Guards went to stop the group, each of them armed with either a weapon or some form of magic to stop Star's troops.

Kelly used her skills to disarm many of the guards, allowing Ivy to hop in and kicked them all aside. Tom used his magic to blast the guards, with Frobo sending out robotic punches.

Maddie cast a few spells of her own, alongside Gus and Willow, the two making clever work of their magic with Gus creating illusions to trick everyone while Willow attacked with her magical vines.

Sprig used his slingshot to disorient some guards, allowing Higgs to dash in and kicked them down like bowling pins.

Star opened a portal leading into Amphibia, revealing Buff Frog looking ready for battle. "Charge!"

Several volunteers stormed the castle, including Ivy's mother, Felicia Sundew using her martial arts and Lepold showing up as well, looking strangely muscular.

"Whoa, what's with Lepold?" Anne asked.

"Rigorous training," Buff Frog confirmed. "He desired to get strong, so I help."

"Well, he's gained my respect," Anne said as the battle continued. "Keep fighting everyone!"

As this battle continued, Belos caught a glimpse of it from his window, the witch looking very displeased. "So, this is the choice they've made? Then they can die by it!"

Amity used her abomination magic to knock some guards away while Sasha defeated a few with her sword skills, the blonde looking extra motivated to fight today as she went sporadic.

"You really seem like you're having fun," Amity said as she knocked a guard out with a blast.

"I'm on a natural high," Sasha said, kicking a guard down.

One guard attempted to strike Amity with a sword, but the girl caught it with her abomination gloves while Sasha leapt and kicked him in the face, disarming him in the process.

"Stupid things," Amity said as she tossed the sword aside.

Marco used his karate skills to incapacitate a few guards. Luz used her glyphs to blast them with fire and ice. Anne used her sword and racket skills to knock several out. All three fighters stuck close to one another, ensuring each other's safety as they battled through Belos's men.

Star used her magical abilities to blast through many of the guards, then focused her attention on Belos's castle. "Hey! Open up!" She blasted some holes through the building. "Show yourself Belos!"

The front door opened, but instead of Belos, out came his assistant Terra. "You have some nerve barging in and demanding to see Emperor Belos. For that-"

"Warnicorn Stampede!" Star blasted the woman with her magic, removing her from the equation. "You're not who I want to see! Where! Is! BELOS!?"

"You called for me?" Belos said as the man stepped into view. "Star Butterfly, I did not expect to see you again so soon. You are quite persistent."

"Save it," Star threatened Belos with her magic. "Look, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. I want the hard way, but out of respect for your nephew." Star gestured to the boy standing near Cloak-Bot. "I will give you a chance to handle this diplomatically."

"You opt for diplomacy?" Belos asked. "After you come storming into my home? After attacking my guards? After assaulting my assistant? Heavens knows what could have happened if that were Kikimora you assaulted, the poor girl would be no more."

"Consider all this just a small price to pay for what you did to Eclipsa," Star said. "This is going to end. Give me back everyone you took prisoner, and leave The Boiling Isles. Someone like you is not welcome in this world."

"How bold of a Princess from a foreign land to demand that an Emperor leave his home," Belos said.

"Hey I probably would have minded my own business, if you didn't wage a war on my home, especially while I was in the middle of my own crisis!" Star said. "Now do as I say or you will not live to see tomorrow!"

"Better listen to her, Belos!" Luz said, running up alongside Marco and Anne.

"Luz, what a surprise," Belos said. "Such a shame you turned out this way, I saw so much potential in you."

"Yeah, because you knew I could beat you someday," Luz said as she readied magic of her own. "Should I demonstrate? Or do you get the basic idea?"

"Well, I do regret having to disappoint you, but I will not be staying around," Belos pressed a button as several Abominations emerged from some pods. "But be good guests and entertain my new comrades."

Star and the others took a step back while Belos went inside. His abominations looked ready for a fight.

"This can't be good," Marco said, then proceeded to call the Blight girl. "Amity! These monsters look like the monsters you summon!"

"Huh!?" Amity turned to see the Abominations, causing worry for the girl. "That's my family's newest model!"

"Are they dangerous!?" Sasha asked.

The monsters began to attack, to which everyone did their best to fend off the monsters.

"This isn't good!" Amity said as she tried to fight back herself.

"Do you know any weaknesses these things might ave!?" Sasha asked.

"If my mother had anything to do with these, then no," Amity said. "Even the ones she used for demonstrations were tough!"

Hunter took a step back as Cloak-Bot shielded him from the Abominations. "Looks like Uncle went through with this."

His Palisman flew to his shoulder, trying to speak to him through chirps.

"Yeah, I agree," Hunter said, then called out to the others. "Star Butterfly! Don't worry about these things! Go after my uncle!"

Star blasted a bunch, almost disturbed by how resilient they are, "Right, this might be tough though!"

"Come with me," Hunter said as he ran into the castle.

"Let's follow him," Marco said as he ran inside along with Star, Luz and Anne.

Sasha immediately took note of their departure. "Hey! Where are they off too!?"

"Not sure, but let's focus on what's here," Amity said as she fought away some monsters.

Suddenly a portal had opened, stepping through was not a friend to help, but a pair of foes who would probe to be more trouble.

"So...looks like Belos has another party going on," Came the voice of Darcy, the possessed girl sinisterly grinning at all those around her.

"Seems like it," Andrias said. "Guess he can't help himself."

"Andrias!?" Sasha asked, then took note of Darcy. "And is that...Marcy!?"

"Yeah, that's her," Amity said.

"Excuse me, but we prefer the term, Darcy," the girl said.

"I am NOT calling you Darcy!" Amity shouted.

"Wait, Darcy?" Sasha asked.

"Dark Marcy, it's cringe wordplay," Amity said.

"Guys! Problem!" Sasha called. "Andrias is here, with a mind controlled Marcy!"

"Darcy!" The Core said.

"No one's calling you that!" Amity scolded.

Higgs grabbed her sword, ready to fight. "You've met your match, Darcy!"

She charged in to attack, but took a punch that sent her flying past an uncaring Amity.

"Dumbass," Amity readied her magic and prepared for a fight. "I'm ending this now!"

"Heh, good luck," Darcy said as she went in for the offense herself.

Within the castle, Hunter led Star and her allies through the main hall, keeping an eye out for any enemies that might be nearby.

"I expected more guards," Star said.

"They're all outside fighting most likely," Hunter said. "But a few might be around, so be alert."

"Nothing we can't handle," Anne said.

They continued on through, entering the lower area of the castle. As they went through some caves, they spotted a pair of guards walking through.

Within seconds, Star leapt out and blasted one while Marco hit the other with a few strikes, ending with an uppercut.

"Good teamwork," Hunter continued leading them through. "Come on, let's keep going!"

As they got closer, they encountered another guard, who was standing by a door. Fortunately Hunter was around, and he instinctively remembered something. "Wait here."

Hunter ran in to knock the guard out with his Palisman, giving him one more whack for good measure.

"Wow, no hesitation," Marco said.

"This way!" Hunter said as he took the keys from the guard.

He opened the door, revealing a bunch of cells inside, along with a few familiar faces.

"Eda!" Luz ran toward the cell that contained her mentor.

"Luz?" Eda turned to the girl in disbelief. "Luz! You're here!"

"I'm so happy to see you Eda!" Luz said.

"Hop Pop!" Anne ran to the cell containing the old frog.

"Anne?" Hop Pop said, relieved to see the girl. "Well what a surprise!"

"Finally, I can bust you out of here!" Anne said.

Marco ran to the last cell, one containing an old friend, "Hekapoo!"

The monster girl looked surprised to see the boy, "Marco!? Holy crap, it's actually you!"

"You kids managed to find this place?" Eda asked.

"With Hunter's help," Luz said, gesturing to the boy. "He led us down here."

"Finally turned around kid?" Eda asked.

"It's nothing, I just want this to be done and over with," Hunter said. "With all of you free, then that just leaves my uncle with no leverage, and maybe he'll surrender."

"We're going to need keys first," Marco said.

"Why the rush?" Came Belos's voice like a chill in the air. "You've only just arrived."

"Belos!" Anne held her sword out. "Where are you!?'

Everyone immediately huddled together, making sure they had no chance of being ambushed by the sinister witch.

"I have a nice little surprise for you in store," Belos said, everyone huddling closer together.

"He's just trying to freak us out!" Anne said. "If we keep it together-"

Suddenly in a flash of light, they were gone from the room, to the surprise of Eda, Hop Pop and Hekapoo.

The five fell into a room below, each of them scrambling to get back on their feet and stay together.

"Uh...where are we?" Luz asked.

"Not sure...but this is getting pretty weird," Marco said. He took note of some strange things around him, such as a bunch of trees without leaves, and some strange frames"Are those pictures moving?"

"Yeah...and some guy's talking," Anne said. "Wow, I think this is like that book Marcy likes."

"Oh totally," Marco said, then noticed something else strange. "Uh...I see a kid...and he's wearing Belos's mask."

"His mask?" Luz turned to see the boy walking off. "Did Belos have a kid?"

"No, he doesn't have children," Hunter said. "Not counting Meteora at least."

"Meteora does not count as Belos's child!" Star said as she led the group. "Come on, we're looking into this."

They cautiously followed the child looking Belos through more rooms, spotting more strange things, including various pictures.

Hunter's Palisman looked seemingly worried, so the boy comforted it. "Hey, it's alright little guy. We'll be fine."

"You're so lucky you have a Palisman, I really wanted one," Luz said.

"It's not enough to want one, you have to be chosen," Hunter said. "Just like Flapjack chose me."

"I know but...wait, Flapjack?" Luz asked. "Is that his name?"

"Yeah, why?" Hunter asked.

"Uh, isn't Flapjack a type of food?" Star asked. "Kind of a strange thing to name your pet."

"Hey, he likes it, and that's all that matters!" Hunter insisted.

"Let's lay off, some people are just unique with pet names," Anne said. "I named my Cat, Domino. I also named my moth, Domino 2."

"You had a pet moth?" Marco asked.

"I sure did, and she was huge," Anne said. "She tried eating me and the Plantars."

"Oh, it's from Amphibia then," Marco said. "That sounds kind of terrifying."

"It was," Anne said. "But we had some fun times at least."

Star immediately noticed something concerning, "Guys, do you get the feeling that you're under someone's watch?"

"What does that mean?" Marco asked, then noticed several yellow eyes in a black void. "Uh...what in the world is that!?"

The yellow eyes started blinking, startling the group below.

"Oh...my...Frog/Titan!" Anne and Lus said simultaneously.

"This is kind of nasty," Star said.

Luz utilized her glyphs to cause an explosion that knocked everyone back, nearly hurting them in the process.

"Geez Luz! Next time warn us!" Marco scolded.

"Sorry, I had to do something!" Luz said.

"What do you mean 'Do Something'?" Hunter asked. "You nearly got us killed!"

"Hey, there were like a thousand glowing eyeballs!" Luz pointed out.

"Oh no, eyeballs," Hunter sarcastically said. "You're so easy to scare."

"Boo!" Marco shouted, startling Hunter. "Yeah, you're capable of feeling fear too, pal. Lay off of Luz!"

"Geez you guys are unfriendly," Hunter said.

"Hunter, you were kind of mean to Luz," Anne said. "You didn't like being laughed at for your choice in pet names, so don't laugh at others!"

"Okay, fine, I'm sorry for being mean," Hunter said. "But that was way too risky. We don't know what's happening so-"

"Hold that thought! It's Belos Jr.!" Star said, gesturing to Kid Belos. "After him!"

"You know, he kind of looks like a ghost, should we really be following him?" Marco asked.

"Just get moving," Anne said while helping Marco along.

They came across more images of what looked like Belos, many of them moving and a few speaking.

"What is this stuff anyway?" Marco asked. "Why are there images of Belos!?"

"Fellow citizens! We are all born into chaos!" The Belos image said. "Our lives anger The Titan! My own family has been hurt by the darkness of wild magic!"

"Wild magic?" Star asked. "He's mentioned this before, but what does it mean?"

"I've been shown the healing light, it shines in nine hues!" Belos said as nine differently colored lights began to shine.

"This is weird," Marco said.

Suddenly an explosion went off, Belos being quick to scurry away, "Wild witches have come! Run for your lives!"

Everyone followed the image until Belos stopped, the man standing by a Golden Guard, an image that took Hunter by surprise.

"Incompetent fool, you nearly took my head off with that blast!" Belos scolded.

"Sorry sir!" the guard said.

"I'm off to the next town," Belos said, making his leave.

"What about the rest of these?" the guard asked as he gestured to some dynamite.

"Put on a bigger show," Belos said as the image disappeared.

"So...The Great Emperor Belos is a con man," Star said, with Hunter still looking on in disbelief. "Guess he really isn't good like you hoped he could have been, huh Luz?"

"Huh?" Hunter turned to Luz. "You thought my uncle could be good?"

"Mostly for your sake," Luz said. "I personally don't trust him, but I didn't want you to be hurt if he turned out to really be scummy."

"Oh, I see..." a disheartened Hunter said. "Growing up, I always believed my uncle had the greater good of everyone in mind when he did what he did. I honestly believed he was a good man. It's hard to imagine him as this fraud."

"Hey, I get it," Star said. "I went through the same thing with Mina Loveberry. But I know you have it harder because Belos is a relative of yours."

"...What else could he have done?" Hunter asked.

Soon more memories of Belos began to appear before the kids. From promising pure magic in honor of The Titan, to creating the Covens by branding a Sigil on a crowd, with nine different versions seen throughout, an act that hurt many people.

"This guy's nuts," Marco said.

More and more terrible images came across, all those that Belos hurt in the name of his research, all the wild magic, and even seeing glimpses of The Collector. What really got them were all the broken Golden Guard masks on the ground, hinting at a terrible fate for them.

"This is getting out of hand," Marco said. "Listen, we need to figure out where we are, so we can find Belos and-"

"Oh, you do not need to find me, Marco Diaz," Came Belos's voice. "I am near."

"Belos!" Marco angrily looked around. "Where are you!?"

Suddenly the previous monster returned, everyone taking a battle stance.

"I bet this thing is Belos!" Anne said. "Hey! Your creepy disguise won't work!"

"Get away from him!" The being said, slowly taking the form of Palismen. "Danger! Run! Run!"

"Are those...Palismen?" Hunter asked.

Suddenly the creature was destroyed by magic, everyone turning around to see what looked like Kid Belos. Suddenly it morphed and transformed into the real Belos, taking everyone by surprise.

"Hello Hunter. Luz. Marco, Anne. And a big hello to you, Queen Star," Belos greeted.

"Acting...ugh, you know what, I no longer care," Star readied herself for a fight. "What's going on!? Where are we!?"

"You are in the mindscape," Belos said. "Mind to be precise."

"Mindscape?" Hunter asked. "That means...we're inside your mind!?"

"Seriously!?" Marco asked. "Holy shit, no wonder it's so gloomy."

"Uncle, what's been happening!?" Hunter asked, the boy nearly in tears. "What happened to our family!? You told me wild magic got them! But it wasn't magic!? Was it!?"

"...Such a shame," Belos said, sighing in disappointment. "Out of all the Grimwalkers, you looked the most like him."

Suddenly Hunter was pulled into the ground below, much to his terror and confusion.

"Hunter!" Luz shouted in worry. In a split second, she along with Anne, Marco and Star leapt to save him, but it was too late, the boy was gone. "NO!"

"I truly hoped he'd last longer than the others," Belos said.

"You sick son of a bitch!" Marco shouted. "We saw what you've been doing! You're not a savior! You're a monster! How many people did you hurt to get what you wanted!? How many had to die because of you!?"

"It's all for a greater purpose," Belos said.

"Bullshit! You just want power all for yourself!" Marco shouted. "You're a deranged megalomaniac, and this is where it ends!"

"We're going to tell the people everything!" Luz said. "About the Day of Unity! About how you've been lying for so long!"

"I will admit this has gone on for too long," Belos said. "But hunting down witches and wild magic has never been easy."

"What do you mean hunting witches!?" Marco asked. "You're a witch too!? Aren't you!?"

"Currently yes, but it's something I had to gain in life," Belos said. "Like you, I too was born human. Then I stumbled across this very world about four hundred years ago."

"Four hundred..." Luz couldn't believe her ears. "Wait, you mean you came here!? With Phillp Wittibane!? What did you do to him!?"

"I have done nothing, in fact, he is proudly standing before you, better than ever," Belos said.

"Better than..." Luz began seeing memories of herself talking to a familiar man. The realization began to hit hard. "No..."

"You're Phillip Wittibane, aren't you?" A Past Luz said, before another spoke up. "Wow, I actually taught Phillip something new!?"

"No...you're not..." Luz began to tear up, much to the worry of her friends. "You're not Phillip! You're Belos! You're just Belos!"

"My dear, please refer to me by my real name," Belos insisted.

"I can't!" Luz fell to her knees crying, the girl being immediately comforted by Anne. "You're lying! You're not Phillip! You're just Belos!"

"Poor girl, she's delusional," Belos said. "One of you may need to -" Suddenly he had a sword aimed at his neck. "And back to the violence."

"Just shut your mouth!" Marco shouted. "I'm tired of guys like you and Andrias who constantly take advantage of others! All you know how to do is wear some God Damn mask and trick people into believing you're something when you're nothing! You're just a fraud who's lived far too long!"

"My boy, I do not do this for my own volition," Belos insisted. "I am merely trying to save humanity from evil."

Marco's expression darkened, a near emotionless expression taking over his face. "Is that so? Well, I would be more than happy to help you save humanity. In fact, I'll save everyone, including the witches! You don't deserve to live you stupid bastard!"

Marco pulled his sword back and swung, but he too was pulled away, along with the others as they were cast out of Belos's mindscape.

"My boy, destiny has already been written, and I am its author," Belos said as he slowly faded away.

Back in the real world, Marco, Luz, Anne and Star landed hard in front of the now opened cells.

"Luz!" Eda went to check on the girl. "Oh you're okay."

"Anne too!" Hop Pop said.

"Marco! Star!" Hekapoo ran to the duo. "What just happened!? Where were you!?"

"Huh?" Marco looked and saw that everyone was here. "Hunter...where's Hunter!?"

"He's right there!" Hop Pop said, gesturing to the unconscious boy as Flapjack tended to him.

"Hunter!" Eda helped the boy up, "Hey, you alright kid!?"

"Belos..." Hunter muttered.

"Belos? What did he do?" Eda asked.

"Way too much," Marco said, the boy angrily standing up. "He's really got to die."

"That's cryptic," Eda said. She heard some sniffling, then looked down to see Luz crying. "Hey kid, what's wrong?"

"Phillip..." Luz wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Hey, don't worry," Star said, trying to reassure Luz. "You'll get past this! Just like I did, and Hunter..."

Anne looked back at Hunter, the boy having a lost look in his eyes, "He's going to need some recovery time again."

"...What did Belos do?" Eda again wondered, only this time, with a hint of anger.

"Hey, how did you escape?" Marco asked.

"The guard's keys got dropped near my cell," Eda said. "I picked them up and busted us all out."

"Where are the others?" Marco asked.

"I'm not sure," Eda said. "We'll need to-"

An explosion was heard outside, startling everyone.

"What's happening now!?" Marco asked in annoyance.

Everyone rushed outside, spotting Andrias doing battle with the allies forces.

"Stay out of my way!" Andrias whacked them away with his sword.

"Yeah, what he said!" Darcy attacked a few with her own skills.

"Who is that girl!?" Hunter asked.

"Marcy..." Marco said in shame.

"That's Marcy!?" Anne asked in disbelief.

"Marcy..." Luz said in worry. Seeing her friend like this was heartbreaking. "Marco! Anne! We gotta save her!"

"We'll figure something out," Hunter said. "I won't let her end up like me!"

Darcy spotted Marco and his friends, "Well, if it isn't Marcy's favorite boy. You know you take up a good chunk of her memory. You're quite the lover, aren't you?"

"That isn't any of your damn business!" Marco said. "I'm taking my girlfriend back!"

"Oh sorry, no givsies backsies," Darcy taunted.

Marco gritted his teeth, "I am NOT in the mood for your fucking games!" He charged to attack but Below appeared before him and whacked the boy back, knocking him into his allies.

"My apologies, but I do need to speak with Andrias," Belos said.

"YOU AGAIN!?" Anne grabbed her sword and marched toward Belos with a look of fury in her eyes. "After what you did to Luz, there's no way I'm gonna-!"

Belos whacked Anne back as well, knocking her into a nearby Amity and Sasha.

"Belos!" Hekapoo rushed over with her scissors, but this time Andrias stepped in and kicked her away.

"Lousy girl," Andrias turned to Belos. "It's been a while."

"Yes, I was just telling Luz and her friends a bit about my past," Belos said. "It was important for them to know all that motivated me."

"Sounds fun," Darcy said.

"Hm? And who might you be?" Belos asked.

"Call us, Darcy Wu," The girl said. "We used to be Marcy, but now we're better."

"Intriguing," Belos said. "I wish to learn more."

"Sure, you can tell us all about your past, and we'll tell you ours," Darcy turned to Andrias. "How about it son? I'm sure Belos here would love to hear all about your good friends, Leif and Barrel."

"Right...friends," Andrias said, as he remembered his father's words.

"With the Core by your side, you will need no friends."

"You seem bothered," Belos said.

"It's nothing," Andrias said.

"The poor boy let himself trust a pair once," Darcy said, mostly speaking in the voice of Andrias's father, Aldrich. "A Toad named Barrel, and a Frog named Lief. A pair of traitors who only wished to have power for themselves. After all, the girl is the one who stole the Music Box from you long ago, wasn't she?"

"...Yes," Andrias said, recalling Leif's actions. "I remember that all too well."

"You poor chap," Belos said. "Come, let us discuss this over some tea."

The group began to walk off as Sprig tried following them, "Hey! Come back!"

Andrias turned around, scowling at the boy, "It's that pesky frog again! The one that's friends with Anne Boonchuy."

"Leave him be," Belos said as he continued on. "We have some planning to do."

"Good thing I arranged a back-up plan, just in case we ran into those fools," Darcy said. "Sometimes, a game of Flipwart requires impressive predictions."

The three walked through the portal, leaving everyone behind.

"Dammit! They got away again!" Star shouted.

"Star, we should retreat!" Maddie said.

"No! They're probably in Newtopia!" Star said. "We'll end it there!"

"Then let's regroup and strike again!" Amity said. "Hopefully we can find the rest of the captives!"

Star grumbled in annoyance, "Alright, fine!" She created a portal as one by one, everyone began to go in. Marco, Luz, Anne, Eda, Hop Pop, Hekapoo, Hunter, Tom, Maddie, Sprig, Polly, King and Sasha.

Higgs, Kelly, Ivy, Willow and Gus were on their way too, but were blocked off by an oncoming Terra.

"I will not be made a fool out of!" Terra grabbed the remaining fighters and began pulling them away.

"Kelly!" Marco called.

"Willow! Gus!" Luz shouted in worry.

"Higgs!" Sasha yelled.

"Ivy! No!" Sprig loudly lamented.

"I will save them!" Buff Frog declared as he attacked with his allies.

"Buff Frog, wait!" Before Star could help, she got knocked into the portal by a vine as it closed off, leaving everyone back in Mewni.

"Dammit! Why can't we ever leave with everyone safe!?" Marco shouted in frustration.

"Wait...where's Cloat-Bot?" Hunter asked.

"And Frobo! I just got him back!" Polly shouted in worry. "Where is he!?"

"I'll go save them!" Marco said, grabbing his scissors. "The rest of you-"

"Uh...Marco!" Sasha said, gesturing to a bunch of robots being sent to attack Mewni castle, all of them destroying the structure of the building.

"No!" Star shouted in worry as she ran toward her home. "My castle! My family!"

Marco grumbled in annoyance. This fight was still not over, and everyone was off to a really poor start. If they didn't try harder, then this was all for nothing.