Hell is Better Loud!(The Loud House X Helluva Boss X Hazbin Hotel)

"Stay with me!" Flying away from the Knee, Raine Whispers clutched the sink child close to their chest. "We just need to get through this snow."

Despite the scolding temperatures of the Boiling Sea, the Boiling Isles had four seasons, and right now was Winter. A strong snow storm had hit the archipelago, but unlike snow storms on Earth, this was a weather plague. Snow came down fast and so cold that exposure longer than five seconds could cause frostbite. Raine would normally use magic for protection from the snow, but they couldn't keep the child stable and perform Bard magic at the same time. Coupled with it being night time, it was strenuous to see ahead.

"A little farther!" Raine could see their home in sight. Not two minutes later, they had reached the door.Phew, they whistled after closing the door behind them. "You should be safe here."

Although Raine was the second most important in the Bard coven, their pay only afforded them a modest place in the outer edges of the Titan's ribs. Because of this and the fact they live alone, there was only one bedroom. Placing the sick child under the quilt on their bed, Raine lit the fireplace with magic before running to the crow phone to dial a number.

"Head of the Healing Coven, Hettie Cutburn, this is Raine Whispers, Scooter Crane's second-in-command! I need your help! A sick child was found alone in Knee unconscious and in chains! Please, follow the crow back to my home when you receive this!" Finished with their call, the crow flew away into the snowfall.

Returning to the bedroom doorframe, Raine looked in and saw the sick child breathing weakly with sweat on his face. "What do I do?" They spoke aloud, worried. "ICE! I'll get some ice!"

While the witch kept moving through their home, frantic, Lincoln was fighting his own battle against time within.

The Dark Ages lived up to its name, for both the stories and for Lincoln's backstory. In the Great War, the 1st Mewnian War, the Radio Kingdom fell after its monarch fell in battle. With the death of their ruler, the kingdom fell into ruin as the remains of the wandering nation encircled the Butterfly Kingdom. Within one year after the war, the area between the once roaming structures and the capital became a lawless slum that was neither an independent state nor part of the kingdom. This area became known as, 'The Inside', and this is where Lincoln's story began.

Born in the Inside, Lincoln didn't know his parents and had no relatives to speak of. He was found outside the gate of an orphanage that bordered the lawless area, but he wasn't found by someone from the orphanage. Seeing a basket unattended, a young wolf monster named Loona thought the basket would have food so she stole it from the orphanage and took it home with he. The wolf girl lived in a ramshackle building with her guardian, Blitz, and his co-workers, Moxxie and Millie. The three of them were local criminals that specialized in burglary, theft, and forgeries, and Blitz brought Loona along as 'protégé'.

"Guys! I got food!" The little girl called out. "Nicked it off from the orphanage!"

Millie, cleaning her knife, smiled at the news. "Is that right? Let's see what you brought?"

Opening the basket, the demon woman didn't find food, but a small mewman baby wrapped in an orange blanket with a toy bunny next to him. "My word..."

Coming drown the stairs, Moxxie and Blitz heard the news of food. "Well Done, Looney!" Blitz patted the little girl's hair.

"If we have the right ingredients, I can fix us a bowl of my mother's famous... is something wrong, Millie?" Moxxie was excited but lost spirit when he saw his wife so quiet. "Is the basket not... this isn't food."

Blitz ran to the basket. "What!? A baby! Remember what I told you, Loona? Smell it before taking it. That's how we know if it's food."

Upset, Loona pouted and walked off.

"He's so... small." Millie rubbed the infants cheek, causing the boy to open his eyes, giggling. "What's you name? Do you have a name?" As she watched the little creature grab her finger, stars filled the demon's eyes.

"Millie? I know what your thinking, and it's a bad idea!" Moxxie tried to dissuade his wife.

"I'm keeping him!" The muscle of the team held the infant closely.

"Listen to your boy toy, Mills!" The boss agreed with Moxxie. "We can't keep a tyke in this place! Food is limited, money even less than that, and if you and Mox get..." One look at her defensive glare, Blitz knew there was no changing her mind. "Fuck! The Snow Baby doesn't get any of my pony figurines!"

Defeated, Moxxie watched as Millie held the found child in her arms. Curious, he approached slowly as the little guy reached out for Moxxie's bowtie. "Heh, I guess he is a little cute."

Dabbing a warm cloth on the child's forehead, Raine heard a heavy knock at the door.

"I'll be right there!" They ran to answer, finding the leader of the Healing Coven at their door.

"I got everything I could think of and got here as fast as I could!" Cutburn rushed in, making her way to the patient. "He is young. Never saw a demon like him before. You said he was all alone at the Knee in this weather?" She opened her medical bag.

"Yes, he wasn't injured but was wearing those and shackles and acting feverish." Raine answered as the healing professional performed a spell to diagnose the issue. "Is it fatal? They asked, scared.

"No precedent..." Cutburn grabbed the cuffs confining the boy's wrists and ripped them apart. "It's not some common sickness, it's a virus." Next, she began searching for premade potions in her bag. "My diagnostics are never wrong, this virus is unique. Although viruses can be fatal, it's not in its best interest to kill their host as it would mean its own demise. Instead of randomly attaching itself to cells, it's deliberately going after the immune system, like a predatory instinct to kill the host."

Raine watched in disbelief. "Could this be a sign of a possible epidemic? Could others be infected?"

"If there are others, I'd say they'll all dead." Hettie Cutburn did not mince words. "This virus is unique not just for its behavior, but seems genetically affective on a specific species. This boy's species." She disinfected a scalpel with magic. "We should be fine, but this kid is a goner. At least, under normal circumstances."

Before the healer could make an incision, her patient violently coughed black blood on himself. Watching her collect a sample from the boy's mouth, Raine was filled with questions. "Is there more to the virus?"

"Not the virus, the boy." Cutburn studied the sample. "His black blood... it carries a magic to it I've never seen before. On closer inspection, I found that it contains an additional category of blood cell that gives the blood magical properties. What I'm trying to say is this blood enchants what it contacts, and right now, the virus itself is being targeted by the black blood."

"I don't know much about healing, beasts, or what this is, but if I understand you correctly, this child's body is fighting back with specialized immune system, like one of those apex predators."

"No." She flatly denied. "What is happening, is the virus and blood are at war for supremacy in the body. The virus wants to kill the host, and the blood wants to weaponize what will make it stronger; the host surviving would just happy byproduct of the blood winning. Unfortunately, the virus is too aggressive for the blood's rate of conversion. If we leave the child alone, I would say he has a tiny,tiny chance of survival."

Horrified, Raine looked down and saw the fate of the child. If they did nothing, the boy would likely die. "Is there anything that can be done?"

"I can use magic to keep the patient stabilized, but would only alleviate the pain. An illness of this nature is outside my area of specialty." The healer prepared a healing sigil. "A potion master could help, but it would take one of great skill. The Potions Head, Vitimir, would have the skill, but his specialty is in poisons and potions for attack."

A thought came to Raine's head, they knew of a skilled potions crafter from his past, one he hadn't seen in years. "It's okay. I know someone who might help."

Having done all she could, Hettie Cutburn packed all the tools of her trade. "We'll discuss my fee later. Just make sure you're prepared if the worst comes."

Raine showed the healer out the door and went back their crow phone. "Darius, I need you to get Eberwolf and come to my home. It's a matter of life and death, and Eber is the only person who can find the witch I need."

"A toast to peace!" A mewman noble raised his glass, leading everyone in the ballroom to follow.

It was the 25th anniversary to the Treaty of Gorge, and the end of the Great War. For three days, all available rulers and their families across Mewni were gathered in the Laurel Kingdom to celebrate. Tonight was the final night of the celebration, and the Laurel family was concluding the festivities with a grand ball with all guests in attendance. Guests dressed in their finest as tables and trays served exquisite food and the finest wines and liqueurs money could buy. Despite the rest of the party danced and partied the night away, there was one white-haired man who didn't share their joy.

Over twenty years ago, a group of thieves found an infant on a cold winter evening and took him in. Naming him after the weather and the patch of white hair on his head, the boy was called Snow. The young Snow was a cheerful and affectionate child, and greatly loved by his guardians. Moxxie and Millie took on the role of his parents, teaching their charge the importance of love, friendship, and loyalty; Blitz was less hands on then his cohorts, preferring to act as the fun Boss or favorite Uncle who showed his nephew cool tricks; and Loona, while distant in the beginning, accepted Snow as her little brother. Growing up in the Inside, Snow had to learn to how to survive, think quick on his feet, and how to fight for his life and those he loved, all from a young age. At first, Snow believed he'd spend his entire life only knowing that lawless area he was raised, then came the unexpected when he was only 6 years old.

It was early in Spring, Snow and his family needed to make money as guards were making it harder to steal anything valuable. To contribute, the young boy found work as chimney sweeper in the capital; it was long, dangerous, and paid little, but Snow was grateful to have any opportunities. At midday after working from before sunrise to break for lunch, the white-haired boy at a thin sandwich made from molded bread, his body covered from head to toe in soot. He was nearly finished when he caught sight of a white cat-rabbit hopping towards a street in the nicer area of the capital. Watching it from the dark alley, Snow curiously approached it when a carriage came rushing down the street. Scared, the boy covered the small creature as the carriage made an abrupt halt. Stepping out the carriage was non other than the Queen and her daughter.

While many expected their ruler to be angry at a commoner for stalling her carriage, but the Queen calmly looked into the child's eyes and offered a hand. Living in the Inside required a key trait, brutality; trusting new people was a luxury, and the one lesson every child there learns is to never trust royals. Taking his opportunity, Snow crushed the Queen's nose with a headbutt and ran off as guards chased after him. In no time, he was surrounded; cornered and afraid, the young boy awakened something in himself, magic. Despite having no training, instinct summoned a wall of flames that burned the guards. Before Snow could escape magic extinguished his flames and the Queen appeared before him. Strangely, instead of punishment, the child was restrained and taken by the Queen back to her carriage, then they headed towards the Inside.

Despite it's reputation as a chaotic hellscape, the Inside possessed some resemblance to a civilization. The Inside had no government but was under the control of an Overlord, Carmilla Carmine. Where the Queen's carriage was heading was seen as the 'safest' areas of the Inside that acted as a 'tourist destination', the Entertainment District. At night it was lit by red lanterns and so many people walked the streets that many believed a festival was held every night. Right now, the carriage was going down a vacant street until it reached Carmine's base of operations, the Lake Swan House, the largest and most elite and expensive brothel in Southern Mewni.

Instead of walking out, the Queen pulled out her dimensional scissors and opened a portal directly into Carmilla's office.

"Queen Galaxia? What a surprise?" Carmilla Carmine was tall for a mewman woman, and always wore shoes that kept her on the tips of her toes. "Tell me, for what do I owe this pleasure, Your Highness?" She bowed dryly.

"I made a discovery." Galaxia answered. "You are now in charge of the care for this boy. Teach him how to fit into noble society."

From behind the Overlord, two girls a few years older than Snow walked out. "Why would I do so? From my knowledge, the Inside isn't under your authority. Your power and influence means nothing to me."

"This child uses magic." The Queen responded, surprising Carmilla. "In return for your cooperation, I will establish for family as an official Butterfly kingdom chivalry house."

Carmilla understood this was a good incentive to take in the soot covered child, but there was a question still on her mind. "Why bring him to me? You seem like the best choice to care for a magic user. If I had to say, you had a role for this child?"

"It's as you say." Galaxia made no secret of her intentions. "I can see this boy would have a lot of use to the kingdom." The Queen turn back to her portal. "I request you being him to the palace for me to check on his progress."

Alone with Carmilla Carmine, the magic keeping Snow from running broke. "Don't even think about running." The Overlord read what was on his face. "As of now, your life has more value obeying me and the Queen than anything else. Obey my instructions, and you might enjoy your stay here."

"I have a family." Snow stood his ground. "I have a mother, I don't need you."

Like she vanished then reappeared behind the boy, Carmilla sent a powerful kick that sent Snow into the all. "I'm not your mother, I'm your master. The Queen wants me to turn you from a ill-bred stray into a good pet for her family." She approached the hole in the wall. "If you what's good for you, you won't struggle."

Back on his feet, Snow got ready to fight.

Carmilla smiled. "It looks like I'll have to teach you the hard way!"

His mind finished with his trip down memory lane, the man once known as Snow continued walking through the ballroom until he found who he was looking for.

"What are you doing?" He asked, talking to the woman sitting on a balcony ledge with a glass of wine in her hand, and the pitcher on the ground.

It was easy to see she was beautiful, and the two symbols on her face showed she was Butterfly. This was Venus Butterfly, the Fairest, and Queen of Mewni. Clearly drunk, she looked at the white-haired man and gave a sardonic smiled.

"Look who's here?~" She spilled a bit of her wine. "Captain Killjoy!~ The only man at the biggest party of the year who looks like it's his mother's funeral!~ Tell me, do you even feel anything anymore?~"

"I feel angry and disgust towards you on a daily basis." He answered. "I feel you are a giant disgrace to not only your mother's memory, but the entire Butterfly dynasty. I feel less like your attendant and more like your nanny. And, I feel if you are the future of our kingdom, ruin is swiftly approaching."

"You said, 'our kingdom'?~ I thought you never felt at home with my family?~ What would it matter to you if Mewni fell apart?~" Before Venus could take another sip, her well-dressed companion took the glass.

"It matters to me, because nearly twenty years ago, a wise woman showed mercy to a child she had no reason to give. I have tirelessly served as your attendant despite all the trouble you brought me. I stayed by your side because a great woman believed I could be more! AND HOW DO YOU PRESERVE HER MEMORY!?" He threw the glass to the ground, shattering it. "Behaving no better than idle, shameless, child."

Defensive, Venus looked away. "How... do I look to you?" She simply asked. "My hair and eyes look different to everyone who looks at me, how do you see me?"

Staring into her eyes, cold as ice, he answered. "To me, you look like a child who refused to grow up because she was too afraid to do anything with her life; and instead of actually bettering herself, she wasted her time on hedonistic pursuits."

"You do remember, I am your Queen, do you?" She fought back tears.

"The only reason I didn't speak to you in a more disrespectful tone is because you are Galaxia's daughter." He took a deep breath. "I know you are smarter than this. Now, tell me, are you the kind of person you would want as a ruler?"

Slowly, the story broke apart, leaving the two spending the final moments sharing a broken glance.

Rushing to get everything they think they might need, Raine Whispers dashed around their home gathering supplies. Waiting at the door was the Head of the Beast Keeping Coven, Eberwolf, performing a tracking spell that would let him sniff out the potion master Raine needed. In the kitchen, Darius, Head of the Abomination Coven, was cooking soup to spoon fed Raine's sick guest. The bard witch entered the room to fetch their drink of choice, apple blood.

"Are you certain this person you're looking for can help, Raine?" Darius stirred the soup, a little worried.

"She's my best choice." They answered throwing on their cloak. "Hettie told me he would need to eat the medicine with easy to digest food. Is soup a good option, Darius?"

"This is my grandfather's famous recipe." He answered, proudly. "It won't taste good with the medicine, but should do the job."

Raine went back to his bedroom to check on the child one last time. Seeing the boy, shivering in a deep sleep, reminded Raine of why they studied magic, to make life brighter for people. Grabbing their palisman, the bard and beast-keeper left out the house in search of a figure from the former's past.

The soup finished, Darius approached the guest with a bowl and medicine. "For someone so young, you have made a lot of trouble."

Carefully, the abomination witch feed four spoons of soup before adding one spoon of medicine. After he resumed feeding the boy, the child violently twitched in his sleep, smoke raising from his ears. A second later, the child's skin burned right before Darius' eyes until the boy was consumed in flames. Leaving as quickly as it arrived, the boy now had a different appearance, looking more like a white-haired witch but with round ears.

Perplexed by what he had witnessed, Darius dropped the bowl, staring in horror at the child while it smashed on the floor. "This might be problematic.

Collapsed, arms spread out on the throne room floor, a white-haired man has suffered extensive physical pain and now lies barely breathing on the floor.

Standing next to the man is a woman with dull blonde hair and blue eyes, dressed in a stunning golden dress that was tattered from extreme movement. She was the same age as the man, but besides her ruined dress she only had a few surface scrapes and bruises.

"You've lost." She spoke, stone-faced as she folded her arms. "Anything you want to say, Lincoln?"

Lincoln? This sent the man back to his pas. Back to before he was Lincoln Radio, and was Snow, the little thief from the Inside. The Queen plucked him from the streets and placed him under the care of Carmilla Carmine; and although he didn't know it yet, the Queen did so with the hopes of Snow becoming a attendant, or 'companion', for her daughter. To make the boy acceptable, a fake past was created by the Queen and Magical High Commission; Lincoln Radio, Snow's new identity, was the child of a member of House Radio who went into hiding and started a family. Lincoln's parents were killed by monsters and the boy was sent to Queen Butterfly as a favor for House Radio's efforts in the Great War. This was Lincoln's story, and it would be announced once the boy became ready.

To make sure nobody could question the story, the Mewnisters had to take certain steps without the Queen's knowledge.

"Momma!" Snow was being restrained a knight.

Inside the Lake Swan House, in the basement, an execution was taking place. Two days ago, Blitz, Loona, Millie, and Moxxie learned what happened to Snow and make a raid on the brothel to rescue him. To their surprise, they were swiftly captured by royal guards that were stationed in the house and brought before Carmilla Carmine. Although she didn't want to, Carmilla was given orders to get rid of anyone who could threaten her plans. When Snow heard about this from the guards, he ran towards the basement to rescue his family. Regrettably, he was caught the moment he entered the room; the only thing he could do was watch as royal guards brutally executed his family.

Instead of anger or sadness, the young boy went silent and passed out. Three days later, he recovered and the Queen appeared to formally apologized for her lapse in supervision. To make amends, she offered to send the boy away and pay for him to live a carefree life of extravagance, and never have anything to do with the Butterfly kingdom again. Drearily, the boy accepted her apology and explained that he wanted to stay and become 'Lincoln Radio'. Everything settled, the Queen left.

Not showing any weakness, Carmilla entered the room. "I'm sorry for them."

"Miss Carmine, could you please prepare a list for me?" He looked at the floor. "A list containing the names of every guard and noble tied to my family's demise."

"It would be no issue, but why?" She asked, intrigued.

"Everyday, people like my family and I are used by those up top. I am going to follow her plan. Study hard. Train myself until the day." He looked up, fiery hatred and bloodlust painted his gaze. "The day I can go to every person on that list, andI. will. Kill. them."

"So be it." Carmilla smirk.

"Anything you want to say, Lincoln?" His mind returned to the present, back to the new Queen.

Surprising her, he laughed. "I have known you for little more than ten years, Helia." He stopped laughing. "In all that time, I never told you how I felt."

"Is this the moment you confess your passionate love for me?" She flatly asked.

Taking a moment to laugh, Lincoln shared her stone face. "I've always wanted... to fight you." A pause of silence followed. "I never hated you, truly. You never did anything to me that would make me hate you, and yet that was the reason I wanted you."

"From a young age, you had no equal. Like me, all your innate magical power made you an outcast to everyone. But unlike me, nobody could question you, nobody could challenge you. To be on your bad side meant you were not long for this world. You always stood at the pinnacle of power, and because of that I wanted to fight you." Lincoln struggled to lift his hand over his face to make a fist. "Not because your death would bring me joy, satisfaction, or anything of the like; not because I felt divine calling to do so; as I said, I never hated you. There was just some... urge I felt. To see you, a goddess among mortals, in pain, afraid, desperate to survive in a cruel, unforgiving world."

"It's shameless to admit, but I don't know when this urge first appeared, but when it came, you were all I thought of. The feeling of my hands on you, this urge has haunted me every time I was near you, and I never knew why." His face cracks a smile. "Truly, my greatest honor is this, having fought against someone so strong as you."

Standing above her opponent, Helia looked up. "I remember the day you first came to the castle. My mother so wanted us to be friends. And yet, it never came to be. As you say, 'I never hated you', but I always felt there was something that kept me from approaching you. Envy, perhaps?"

"How could you be envious of me?"

"I believe it started with my father. He never said it but I felt he always wanted a son, and you were the perfect child. A brilliant student, talented artist, unrivaled combatant, peerless in the art of warfare, and people were drawn to you. Everyone who knew you spoke of you as the greatest thing to happen to our kingdom since the time of my grandmother, Queen Galaxia; however, every time someone complimented you, you would humbly brush it off and praise me. You always saw me as this deific being you could never compare to; but in truth, I believe in the eyes of history, you would always be the one they called the greatest of the era."

Slowly, the story broke apart as the white cracks formed around them. In there final moments, Helia looked down with a smile on her face.

"You always wanted to fight me? Funny, I think deep down, I always wanted the same."

The snow finally stopped outside, but inside the Owl House another plague came.

They sat across from each other in the kitchen, sharing the bottle of apple blood Raine brought. While the bard explained to their old friend while they were here now, Eda Clawthorne slowly sipped her drink. Once Raine had finished speaking, a small creature with a skull over its head ran into the kitchen squealing.

"Eda!" He ran to the witch holding a stuffed purple rabbit toy. "I had a scary dream. I dreamt that an usurper took my crown and made me eat a plate of vegetables!"

"It's okay, King, just go to bed and I'll read you the story you like." Eda patted King's skull.

"Story! To bed, Pierre!"

Watching the bipedal demon run off to bed, Raine put their drink down. "So, do you have kids?"

"I should be asking you the same." The Owl Lady smirked before answering. "King is... I've been looking after him for a while. He didn't have anyone else, so I figured he'd be better off with me than by himself."

"I'm happy for you." Raine gave a little smile. "Happy that you haven't been alone all this time." Their face went grim. "I need your help, Eda. You're the only potions expert I know who can concoct something to help the boy."

"If the Head of the Healing Coven couldn't help you, what makes you think I can?" Any mirth she had left when Eda saw how downcast her old friend was. "I'm not saying I can help, but for what we were, I'll try."

The two got up and went to Eda's cauldron, the Owl Lady noticed Eberwolf sleeping on her sofa. "Are your new friends comfortable with the most wanted criminal on the Boiling Isles assisting you?"

"I would call Eder, Darius, and the other as more work acquaintances, but I didn't tell them who I went to see. Eber, on the other hand, he can keep a secret."

Watching Eda work at her cauldron, Raine thought of the old times with his friend. Their days as students, Raine in the Bard track and Eda in Potions; the two of them would get into so many crazy situations, Raine often wondered how they made it out alive. As they grew older, Raine's friendship for Eda evolved into more; somedays the two would spend hours under the sky playing music, doing tricks with their magic, or just talk. They were happy to be with Eda, but she always had her guard up. After a while, Raine couldn't live with the unsaid words and ended things with his best friend.

"Rainestorm?" Eda stood in front of the bard, waking him from his daydream. "I made something for your houseguest. I can't promise it will fix him, but it should keep his body stable while Cutburn's medicine takes affect."

Raine accepted the bottle. "Thank you, Edalyn. And don't worry, you'll never hear from me again." They put their cloak up and picked up Eberwolf before leaving.

"Raine!" Eda stopped them. "I... I'm happy I got to see you again." She smiled, a mixture of glee and sadness in her eyes. "I really am."

Returning the gesture, Raine left out the front door on their palisman. As the door closed behind them, Hooty called out from his nook in the door.

"Thank you for visiting! Hoot Hoot!"

For Lincoln, the next three stories were a parade of struggles and heartbreak.

After Helia was her daughter, Celestia the Queen of Winter.

After her mother died and Celestia became Queen, kingdoms from the 2nd Mewmanian War, wrote that the gold and silver apples Queen Helia gave their kingdoms had faded with her passing. Naïve to being a queen, Celestia sent compensation to the kingdoms to rebuild their postwar economies; this resulted in a debt of five billion gold suns for each kingdom. To repay the debt, the Queen performed a spell that increase corn production by prolonging summer; the result, an eternal winter that cursed the Mewni for years. Thankfully, Lincoln only needed to endure four years of snow before he freed the Queen's soul. During his time with here, the white-haired boy found the white-haired princess to be a good person, and they shared a bond of solidarity like the one he shared with Blitz and the others. In their final moments together, Celestia thanked the boy for being one of the truest friends she ever had.

Following the Queen of Winter was Meteora, the Relentless.

Although they did not get along in the beginning, they both shared an understanding of pain, the pain of having the person you loved most killed at a young age; Lincoln lost gang to royal guards, and Meteora lost her father to a monster attack. These events shaped them into who they would become, driven warriors; while the Relentless was temperamental and hated non-mewmans with a passion, Lincoln was collected and never blamed an entire race for his pain. All their lives the two shared nothing more than respect for the other's strengths. It would take until the Queen was 28 years old for Lincoln to end the story, when he called out Meteora on her gruesome execution of the slime monsters her group had captured, after they healed both the Queen and many of her citizens during a brutal epidemic. After he freed her soul, Meteora presented the devil-tailed boy with a gift, a figurine of her trusted warnicorn, Iron Hoof. The two departed, sharing a final smile.

The next was one of the most mysterious queens in Mewni history, Hekitia the Necromancer.

Compared to her predecessor, Hekitia was much more reasonable and level-headed, despite her fixation on the magical nature of death. Meteora didn't want her daughter to grow up surrounded by war, so she had the princess sent to Elfendor for refugee; after two years, Lincoln was sent there as well. During their time, both the princess and her attendant grew to become close friends over their shared interest in the study of magic. As they became adolescences, their research took them to reading nearly two thousand books from the Elfendor forbidden library; Lincoln focused on the nature of fate and predeterminism, while Hekitia stayed with death. Their shared investigation in forces beyond mortal control continued for years, then came the day when Lincoln would end the story. The Elfendor collegiate expelled Hekitia over an incident in the biology lab, and when the white-haired attendant went to comfort her, he released her soul.

"Somehow, it's disappointing being here." The soul of Queen Hekitia lamented. "I spent so much time studying the nature of the dead, and still I know so little."

Walking to her side, the gakuran Lincoln gave her hug. "That's the beauty of knowledge. If there was one thing I learned from Lisa, there is no end to learning."

"This 'Lisa' must be a wise person. Promise me, you'll keep a close eye on my daughter." She spoke her last wish, then faded for Lincoln to continue.

The next two were, in the white-haired boy's opinion, the best part of the dungeon. Strange enough, both stories began the same but split into different directions, Snow is found on the streets of the capital by Queen Eclipsa and taken in by her after his family was executed. The divergence begins... well, that's for later, somewhere on the Boiling Isles, Lincoln's body is going through its own difficulties. Lucky for him, Raine is on their way.

Thanks to the now clear skies, Raine was able to return home much swifter. They put down Eber and opened the front door, walking into something they've never seen before.

"Oh my Titan!" They gasped as Eber hid behind their leg.

Waiting for the two was a darkened room full of shadows. Shadows that twisted and swayed like living creatures that eerily crept across the walls, floor, and ceiling. Additionally, the surfaces of the inside were coated a nauseating purple goo with a consistency of runny mucus. Both the bard and beast-keeper stepped inside, flinching at feeling of touching the slime.

"Darius!" Raine called out.

"I'm in the bedroom!" He responded, panic in his voice. "Don't touch the shadows!"

Before the warning could register with the witches, Eberwolf had already stepped on one of the shadows, causing a ghastly black hand to go for his neck. Before the strange phantasm could grab him, Eber ducked to the side, but was then caught by more hands that restrained him onto the floor.

Cautious, Raine made their way to Darius for information on what was happening. Entering the bedroom, Raine saw the Abomination Head slowly being pulled into an eerie void on the ceiling. Concerned for another person in the house, Raine looked toward the bed for the child. That when they saw it, perched on the boy like a crouching monkey was a gaunt shadow being as tall as a tree; it didn't face Raine as it was delicately moving streaks of hair out the sick child's face.

"Raine! Run!" Darius screamed, his entire lower body swallowed by the void.

Not going to abandon their fellow witches nor the child, Raine summoned their violin and bow. Before they could play, the thin shadow turned to face the bard. Although, Raine and the shadow didn't say a word, body language spoke volumes; the shadow lunged after the bard but missed when their target stepped aside. It was Raine's turn to go on the offensive, sending a magic shockwave that put a scratch on the shadow. Victory was short-lived, once they got a look at how the witch attacks, the shadow disappeared into the walls.

Raine now had to be on the defensive as the shadow would pop out of the tiniest dark space and claw at them. To remove the phantasm's hiding spots, Raine used bard magic to make a light appear across the room; this should have made it easier to stop the shadow. However, Raine failed to consider the one place it could hide that Raine couldn't avoid, their own shadow. Before the bard could react, the shadowy figure clutched the witch's throat with one, skeletal hand.

"I told you to run!" The abomination witch dryly snarked, now only his head still visible.

Raine looked at the being before them. It slowly raised its other claw and made a dagger gesture as it prepared to strike. Using all their remaining time, the bard gave one final message.

"Help Boy!" Raine yelled, not to call for help, but express why they were here. To their surprise, the shadow stopped. "I have a potion to help the boy." They pulled it from their satchel.

The shadow stared at them for a moment, then let go of Raine. Understanding their intentions, they allowed Raine to walk over to Lincoln. Seeing the child, the bard could tell he had coughed more blood and his appearance had changed; they looked like a witch, but now had round ears. Uncorking the potion, Raine poured the contents slowly into the child's mouth. The rest of the evening passed quietly. As the boy steadily began improve, the shadows disappeared and its captives released.

"Thank you again, Darius, Eberwolf." Raine expressed gratitude for their assistance.

Exhausted, a disheveled Darius clutched onto a passed out Eberwolf. "I'm sending you the bill for my dry cleaning, Whispers." He angrily left.

Returning to their bedroom, Raine saw the gaunt shadow had shrunk in size. What was once as big as tree was now small enough to fit into their hand. The shadow, returned to its spot on the boy's chest, turned to face Raine. Waving its tiny arm, the shadow disappeared like the rest. Alone, the only thing Raine could do now was wait. To pass the time, and sooth the boy, Raine played their violin.

The Dark ages had passed.

The next leg of Lincoln's journey took him out of the Long Night and put him back on the dungeon's road. Matching the theme of the story previous, this road was shrouded in endless night; the number of people dwindled to a handful. It would take Lincoln and co. close to two months to reach the next story, during that time he would think back to his final three stories of the Dark Ages.

He was found by Queen Eclipsa, the Queen of Darkness and his teacher in the outside world, just the same as the previous stories. However, after she saw how taking the boy to Carmilla Carmine resulted in the boy's loss, Queen Eclipsa brought him to the castle. It was at the castle where the boy met her first family, King Edric Flowers, and Princess Luna Butterfly, a girl with pink hair and green eyes like her father and only one year younger than the boy. After he was brought with the Queen, young Snow was given the name, Lincoln Radio, and became Eclipsa's faithful attendant.

One year later, months after Eclipsa received her coronation ceremony, the Butterfly family received an invitation to attend a royal ball in the Plague kingdom to the north. Needing to attend to matters in her own kingdom, including the current war it was in against the monsters, Queen Eclipsa stayed behind while her husband and daughter left to attend the ball. Lincoln, more attached to her than the others, stayed behind with the Queen of Darkness. A month later, news reached the Queen about a fire that broke out in the Plague kingdom, claiming the lives of both Edric and Luna.

Devastated by her loss, Eclipsa asked Lincoln to assist her in reaching out to an old friend with whom she lost contact with during the war. Obeying her wish, the young magic user snuck out of the castle and found a connection in the Insider who can find people. In no time, he found the Queen's old friend, Prince Globgor the Size-shifter. Thanks to his help, Eclipsa would meet Globgor almost daily in secret, giving the Queen a small comfort. Sadly, more bad news soon followed; the council of Mewnisters, concerned with allegiances with Spiderbite kingdom and the future of the Butterfly dynasty, pressured Queen Eclipsa to marry a previous suitor, Prince Shastacan.

Time passed, Lincoln would make excuses for why Eclipsa had sent him on her behalf during council meetings, and the Queen would sneak off to see Globgor. After following her out the castle one evening, the white-haired boy saw Eclipsa kiss the size-shifter. The next morning, Lincoln confronted his master about what she was doing and how dangerous it was not just for them, but the citizens of Mewni, mewmans and monsters alike. He pleaded for her to end things, but the Queen gently lifted the young child's chin and revealed the only good news she had since her loss, she was pregnant.

More time passed, during which, Eclipsa ran off from the kingdom, leaving behind her spellbook and a letter of abdication, giving the Mewnisters power to appoint someone else as Queen. Then, around two years after the travesty that ruined her life, Eclipsa gave birth to her second daughter, Meteora II. Lincoln, who left with his master, asked why she named the baby after the Relentless Queen. Eclipsa answered that she would hope that name would have a new meaning, in a world where mewmans and monsters coexist. Seeing his master and her new family gave young Lincoln a deep sense of hope, hope for a future where everyone has the freedom to live happily. That was when something bizarre happened, unlike before when a story ended when Link freed the soul or the story broke apart, everything simply became a flash, and young Lincoln woke up on a boat.

"What where is... what was I dreaming about?" All at once, the experience became a faded dream.

"Are you seasick, Snowball?" Checking on Lincoln was Luna. "We left port an hour ago and you're already this sick!? Hahaha!"

"LUNA!" Queen Eclipsa awoke in a cold sweat. She looked around and saw her husband and Meteora were still asleep. "Lincoln? He was just here?"

"Are you okay, Dear?" Globgor opened his eyes.

"Lincoln, he was just here. He asked me... Luna? Edric!?" Flooding her mind, she remembered her first husband and oldest daughter.

"Edric... I remember I remember!" Globgor was fully awake now. "How can this be!? A few hours ago, we heard from Star and the others that Lincoln..."

Without saying a word, both adults came to the same conclusion. Globgor carried his wife and sleepy daughter while running towards the tapestry room. "I pray my gut is right about this!"

"You know Lincoln." Eclipsa wasn't sure of what was happening, both with the boy or her family, but she had hope. "If we go to the tapestry room, we'll find something."

The three returned to the tapestry room, finding it unchanged from what happened with the Magical High Commission. On her feet, Eclipsa went to the small stone hut Lincoln was seated in. Looking around, she found a small, folded letter. Opening it, it was revealed to be a letter from Hekapoo, left by her after she picked up Lincoln's body.

"Go to the secret room?" She read. "This is one of the rooms Hemera must have hid years ago!" Not wasting time, Eclipsa followed the directions written on the map.

From the note, the room talked about on the note was found by first going to the rose garden. Next, she and her husband needed to find four concentric circles at the top of the stone pavilion. Reaching the circles, Globgor grew to giant size.

"Next, it says you have to spin the circles until they form a picture of a beetle." The Queen explained.

Following his wife's instructions, the size-shifter spun the circles until he made out the picture of a beetle taking flight. A click went off, the floor of the pavilion spiraled downward to form a staircase. Eclipsa lite a path down the stairs while Globgor held Meteora in his arms. The three continued down the stairs to the bottom, across a corridor until they reached a wooden door with an envelope on it with 'From Lincoln' written in orange crayon.

"What does it say?" Globgor asked as his wife read it.

" It says, 'Sorry, but I needed to be somewhere else.'." Concerned but determined, Eclipsa opened the door.

On the inside, the storeroom sized space showed four glowing statues grouped in the center. Moving closer, it became clear the statues were in the shape of chess pieces, specifically Pawns. The Queen approached while her husband stayed back with their child. The statues weren't made of stone, and Eclipsa wasn't knowledgeable enough to determine what the material was, but it was like translucent marble. Looking closer, she found that there was a person on the inside, a young child curled into a ball.

"Wait... she looks..."

A melodic sound came from the statues and they began to break. Swiftly, the statues broke in two like egg shells. Mystifying the royal family, a mewman broke free from each statue, but the one in front of Eclipsa is what captured the Queen's attention. Looking up, the child was revealed to be a girl with pink hair and green eyes.

"Luna... you're Luna." Eclipsa began to cry at who she saw.

Luna looked up, crying as well. "Mommy..." Emotional, she lunged off the ground and hugged her mother, the Queen returning the gesture.

"Beautiful reunion, but there is a little issue." Hiding from behind a piece of statue, Crescenta called. "We don't seem to have any clothes." She nervously smiled.

"Once again, I've had to be stuck with you on a long journey!" Luna complained.

On the final leg of the journey to the next gate, Lincoln and his travel companions were walking through the kingdom capital on a dark, endless night. After he finished the Dark Ages, the devil-tailed boy was joined two more guests, Venus and Luna. Additionally, the figurine of Iron Hoof became the warnicorn itself, making the hike easier than before.

"You weren't exactly my first choice to travel with either." Lincoln called back, Crescenta and Luna riding the black horse while he and Venus walked. "I don't know how you three even got here."

"Four." Venus corrected, looking at the white Bishop piece she clutched in her hand. "But can you two stop arguing, we've all had to endure your squabble for... I don't know how time works here. Days? Months?"

"Two months." Link clarified. "I just need to finish the next era and then I can leave."

"That happens to us?" Crescenta asked. "Do we ascend? Move on to the next realm?"

"Not... exactly." This was a conversation Lincoln didn't want to have now. "I'll explain once this dungeon is over. And it can't end any sooner; The Child, here, took me longer than expected."

"I wasn't that awful." Luna argued. "How long did it take to finish my daughter's story? A year, two years?"

The boy laughed. "Funny, no, Heaven was less than an hour. I just needed to walk her home."

"Not to speak for everyone, but this whole dungeon-thing is confusing." Exhausted, Venus spoke. "How is this place even formed?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but actions you and your dynasty committed in life created this dungeon. It's like a narrative written across the generations. You each write with your misdeeds as ink." Lincoln tried to explain.

"Yeah, I did make afew mistakes." Crescenta awkwardly recalled her relationship with Hawk.

"If you ask me, my being here seems a little judgmental." The Fairest disregarded her story, then thought about her actions in life. "Maybe I did make a couple of bad choices."

"You started the Dark Ages." Both Link and Luna spoke unanimously. "Me, on the other hand, am only a victim of circumstances." Luna defended herself.

"You were." The boy agreed. "And you let being a victim dictate every move you made. I know you were hurt, but you weren't a kid forever. You needed to learn from your mistakes."

"And I did... later in life."

A little ways down the road, and they came across the final gate. It was as magnificent as the 'Age of Heroes', but more minimal in extravagance. There was the name written across the center, 'The Renaissance'.

"Here we are, this is where I must continue alone." He turned to face the others. "I'll be out soon. Before I go I just want to thank two of you for being great friends. Luna, I believe you know where we stand."

Luna glared at him. "If this doesn't end soon, I'm going to kill you."

The sun rose over the Boiling Isles, beams of light hitting Raine Whispers in the face.

The bard stretched themselves awake, their back sole from having to sleep in a chair. Raine looked around confused by their sleeping position, but then remembers why they slept in the chair. They went to check on the child in their bedroom but saw he was no long in the bed. Worried, Raine ran around their home looking for the boy with white hair. Thankfully, he was found looking at the sky outside.

"Excuse me?" Raine went out to speak, but the child didn't respond. "Excuse me!"

The boy turned around, his blue eyes filled with uncertainty at his surroundings.

"Hello, I'm glad you woke up." The bard smiled. "Do you know where your family is?"

The boy looked around, confused, and gave no answer.

"Let me introduce myself." They cleared their throat. "Hi, My name is Raine Whispers. Who are you?"

Scared, he looked down for a moment before raising his head. "I... I don't remember."

Amnesia, Raine didn't need to have to ask further questions to understand. Maybe it was the cold, maybe it was the virus, maybe it was the potions, Raine didn't know the answer. As it stood, there was two options; one, Raine took the child to Emperor's Coven where he'll probably be put in an institution, the Conformatorium or an orphanage, until the boy's parent(s) are found; or two...

Walking forward, Raine offered a hand. "Come inside, we'll figure this out after breakfast."