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

Cooking has always been a peaceful activity for Raine Whispers.

They stood at the stove in their kitchen, putting the finishing touches on breakfast as their young guest waited at the small table. Like following the notes on a music score, cooking had a dependable pattern that created something wonderful. Feeling calmer after their night, the witch set the plates and placed them on the table. It was a simple breakfast, scrambled griffin eggs with toast.

"Enjoy!" Raine sat across from the white-haired child.

Looking at the food with intrigue, the boy picked up the fork like he saw the bard do. After one bite, he dropped the fork and shoveled food into his mouth like a starving animal. Once he finished, the boy saw Raine's uncomfortable expression and corrected his behavior; he straightened his posture and cleaned his mouth with a napkin.

"It's good to see you have an appetite after last night." They complimented.

Watching his host eat quietly, the boy asked a question that's been on his mind since waking up. "Where... where am I, Raine Whispers?"

"Raine is fine." They corrected. "You are in my house, which is located on the Boiling Isles."

"The Boiling Isles?" That name sounded a little familiar. "Do you... know who I am?"

Caught off guard, Raine's laughter caused them to choke for a second. "It's odd, I had hopes you would have the answer. No, I found you all alone when I was sent to investigate the Knee. Although, you had a different appearance than now."

Self-conscious, the boy looked down.

"If you can, is there anything you recall before waking up?" Raine asked, drinking a cup of boiled bean blood.

The child thought about it, trying hard to remember anything. "I can't... fully remember, but I have glimpses of a man and a woman. I'm looking up at them, but the light casts shadows over their faces. Then, the woman bends down, and I see she has yellow hair and green eyes. She looks at me with a kind smile, and... I can't recall anything else." The boy fidgets, scared. "I think... they are my parents."

It was just as Raine feared, he had no recollection; at least, none that would be helpful. "This is a stressful situation, but it might help if we gave you a name." The boy looked up and the mention. "Maybe there's a word you feel connect to, or place that gives you comfort. Is there a word like I described?"

The boy looked down, trying to think. "L... Li... Lin... Link? Do people go by Link?"

"It's not a common name, but I can't say it would be unheard of."

Now that they're stomachs were full, and Raine's mystery guest had some resemblance of identity, the bard witch went to their room to get ready for the day. "I'm afraid I need to go to the Bard Coven and explain the situation. I'll try to be back soon, but I need you to..." Before they could finish explaining, Link had disappeared.

Raine went back to their bedroom to see if went to sleep, but then heard snoring come from the hall closet. They opened the door and found their young guest fast asleep on a an old quilt on the floor. Raine was going to wake him up, but seeing the boy sleep so peacefully told the witch it would be okay this once.

In another realm, another peculiar breakfast was being held. Sitting at a table was the Butterfly family; Star, her parents, Eclipsa, Globgor, and Meteora were seated on one half, and the four resurrected spirits of Star's ancestors sat on the other. Believing this news needed to be shared with Star and Moon, Eclipsa called them and told them to be down for breakfast.

"Let me see if I understand what's happening." Moon rubbed her forehead. "Lincoln resurrected my ancestors? Specifically, Crescenta the Eager, Venus the Fair, Luna the Child, and Vesper the Morning Star?"

The four aforementioned Butterflies were eating corn waffles. Luna was seated beside her little sister on one table end, the two in the middle of a stare-down. Vesper, the one with orangish-blonde hair and pale blue eyes, spoke.

"Well, we aren'tentirely sure if we are your 'ancestors'." She answered. "You could think of it less as resurrected, and more... reprinted. The chess piece shaped statues you found us in acted like incubation chambers, they created physical bodies for us."

"Then, you guys are like 'reborn ghosts'?" Star's eyes twinkled. "Oooo~ How long were you all down there?"

"Wait, I can answer this!" Venus thought while chewing. "I believe Lincoln timed it to take... a little more than a year."

"A year!?" River coughed. "Lincoln went into speak with you and the rest only last night!"

"Yes, in the way you experienced events it was a night." Vesper confirmed. "However, before we left the dungeon, Lincoln spoke of his plan to be sent back in time a year so that when we awoke, it would seem as if only a night had passed."

"Ha, that Lincoln." Globgor laughed. "Just when you think you know what he'll do next, he'll go and do something you'd never expect."

"Impressive as it is, that doesn't explain how Lincoln could bring you here." Moon addressed the mystery at hand. "And why were those... magic eggs, why were they shaped like chess pieces?"

"He didn't explain everything, but the snow-headed fool said that our new... I want to say 'co-workers', they would explain." Luna took a break from her sister to answer. "He said their names were... Jill and Martha?"

"His aunts?" Star recalled those two. "I can bring them here! But first, can you tell us what happened while he was asleep?"

The three looked at Vesper, who exhaled. "I can't tell you everything, as I only met him in the 'Renaissance'. Anything before that, you'll have to ask him yourself." She thought back. "I suppose I should start at the beginning."

The final era of the Butterfly kingdom, the Renaissance. It signified the end of the Dark Ages, and marked by the appearance of Queen s who brought new success and glory for their kingdom. The Star Queen of the era was Vesper Butterfly, but her story contained an additional character, Lincoln Radiostar.

Following the patter of Lincoln entering a story, he took on a new backstory. In the Renaissance, Lincoln was adopted by none other than Charlie Morningstar and her knight/wife, Lady Vaggie. Vaggie was a descendant of Carmilla Carmine, who was given noble status for her contributions to the Queen of Mewni during the Dark Ages. Her family united the Inside and reformed into into an extension of the Butterfly kingdom, improving the lives of the common people. After Vaggie met Charlie, a circus ringleader, the two began a relationship, married, and adopted a child from the local orphanage. Meeting the young boy as an infant, the two adopted him and gave him the name Lincoln in honor of a famous member of the dead house, Radio.

Growing up in the Mewni court, Lincoln met the Princess at her Lonely Star Ball. When he met Vesper, it was at a ball her father, King Arthur, planned at Fort McKnight after her mother, Queen Heaven, refused to throw one. While many thought the two would become friends, the two showed a near immediate dislike for one another; Lincoln thought the Princess was snotty, and she found the boy to be silly, and too loud for her liking. Over the years, Charlie and Vaggie's adopted son showed himself to be a gifted singer and a stunning performer.

A few months after the ball, Lincoln was awarded a scholar ship to attend the University Dimension, where he studied for four years in Law and Political Science, while also learning swordsmanship in his free time. By age 14, he was given his own show at Charlie's circus, earning him the nickname 'Radio Star'. And, as a gift/prank for Vesper on her fourteenth birthday, he performed a spectacular show to honor her, that also ended up stealing all attention off the Princess. As a 'thank you' for his performance, Vesper named her new pet kittycorn, Mrs. Linka, something that vexed the white-haired boy.

After spending a childhood of arguing with each other, the two mellowed out now they had reach an important milestone in their lives. During the next few years, Vesper worked to rebuild her family image in the eyes of both her citizens and kingdoms across the continent. To do his part as a loyal subject, Lincoln joined her and her companions in the Princess' pilgrimages across Mewni.

When she became Queen, the Radio Star helped Vesper arrange a continental gathering of monarchs from across Mewni that would be called, 'The Golden Tournament'. This was when Vesper's story came to an abrupt finish. As the now Queen Butterfly and the Radio Star walked down a corridor to the celebration, Vesper was talking about the big announcement she would give to her royal council.

"This is unusual." She looked Lincoln's way as they walked. "Normally, you would be using that serpent's tongue to talk my ear off. Today, I haven't gotten two words from you."

"... I'm leaving the kingdom." Lincoln answered, a joyless smile on his face. "Now that you're the Queen, my role would be better served keeping national relations secure. Besides, you've always been jealous of my persuasion with the people and your court."

"You're a brazen tease with a knack for convincing people to do what you want." She looked away. "That doesn't explain why you have to leave."

Lincoln stopped, then turned around. "This kingdom has its Butterfly Queen, it doesn't need the Circus King."

Vesper wanted to argue against him, but as he walked away, an intense headache struck the Queen and her world became incredibly bright. When the headache passed and her vision improved, Vesper found herself in a grand hallway similar to Butterfly castle, but it was gigantic in scale and possessed far more artistic beauty than what she'd seen before. She soon learned that she was not alone, as three other ladies were with her; one had brown hair and blue eyes with blue crescent cheek marks, and the other two looked similar to her ancestor, Venus, and her grandmother, Luna.

"What is...?" She looked behind her, finding a young monster boy with familiar hair and eyes, but completely white and with a tail. "You... Lincoln?"

"Hi Vesper." He awkwardly smiled. "We have a lot to talk to you about."

[1 Year Ago]

It was another, relatively, calm day in the Demon Realm. Raine had finished work for the day and was walking home when they heard music come from the roof. The teal-haired witch looked up and saw Link playing violin on the roof. The boy was wearing some new clothes that Raine had gotten him, and sitting cross-legged as he played. Although Raine has only kept the boy for two months, they enjoyed having his company; and when Link asked how to play the violin, the bard was amazed by how quickly he picked it up.

"Good Evening, Maestro!" Link called from above; with no hesitation, he jumped down to the ground to welcome his host. "I hope you don't mind, but when I went to the library today, I found a nest of echo mice. I took as many as I could and fixed dinner."

Raine gulped. "Sounds... tasty."

The two went inside for dinner. The white-haired guest ate three rotisserie mice while Raine ate the vegetables served. After the two of them finished the dishes, Raine sat Link down for after dinner tea.

"Did you recall anything today?" They asked.

A week after Link first appeared, Raine began a habit of asking the boy if he recalled any memories from before the virus. Some days, he would recall simple memories, like his interests and favorite hobbies, but never any memories about his family.

"Well, when I was walking through Bonesborough, I saw a younger boy running down the streets after his friends. I saw how happy they were, and then I recalled a group of children who had round ears like me." Link pointed to his own, then realized his disguise spell was still activated. "Oh, when my illusion is off."

"Is there anything else you recall?" The bard had hopped this would be a lead.

"Yes... we were running to somewhere. It was..." Link tried to recall. "A school. It had a sign that said, 'Royal Woods...', that's all I remembered."

"That's still a big clue." Raine smiled. "I'll ask around in the Explorer's Coven. You just rest, you have a big day tomorrow."

"A big day?"

"I didn't want to saying anything because I had hopes you would be home by now, but I've made arrangements for you to attend school." They clapped, cheerful.

"I'm going to school!" Link shared the joy. "Will I get to learn more spells!?"

"I think you will." Raine made his new uniform appear, a generic light grey of a student with no declared track. "Tomorrow, you will be attending Hexside School of Magic and Demonics."

Excited about going to school, Link went to the hall closet that he's come to call his bedroom. He wanted to go to bed early to be ready for tomorrow, but he found himself too giddy to sleep.

Meanwhile, after Star and Marco brought Jill and Martha back to the castle, the two women asked to be left alone to speak with the four new butterflies. While they spoke in private, Star called Loona and told her about what happened; not five minutes later, I.M.P. was back in the castle.

"Where's my boy!?" A furious Millie pulled a rifle out and cocked it.

"Slow down, Mommy Fiercest." Blitz tried to rein in his muscle. "Now where are those ghosts!?"

Star pointed to her 'ancestors'. "I don't think they're ghosts anymore. They're regular people now."

"Dammit!" The boss pouted. "I can't fuck them! They're not ghosts, and I'm mostly sure that each of them is underage. Do I look like I god damn sexual groomer!?"

"Well..." Marco began. "No offense, Sir, but you kind of do."

"For real?" This really surprised the imp. "What gives the impression?"

Star took a moment to consider. "I say it's a group of reasons. You have a toxic behavior, you clearly have boundary issues, and your adopted daughter is old enough to be your sister."

"Damn..." Blitz considered these reasons for a second, but then got defensive. "You know what, fuck you two! Marco and your pansy ass, beta-male energy! Star... actually, you're pretty cool, even for someone born with a silver spoon in her kisser."

"Aw, that's so sweet." Star appreciated the compliment, then used a spell on the tall imp. "Narwhal Blast! That's for Marco!"

Seeing her adopted father get shot across the room by a horned seal, Loona gave the magic princess an approving nod.

"Our Boss's character aside, we still don't know where to find Lincoln." Moxxie thought about last night. "When the Lincoln from the future arrived, he said tomorrow; well, today actually. He would be in Connecticut!"

"Yeah, but where?" Loona spoke next. "I'm not an Earth expert, but Connecticut is still a big place. Hellhounds can track people, but such a wide range with a dense population will have too many other scents to mask him."

"Owl!" Marco snapped his fingers, then pulled out his phone. "When future Lincoln appeared, he said, 'Owl Door'. Maybe he wasn't talking to his past self, but trying to leave clues for us on how to find him? After the Magical High Commission let us go, I did some searching on 'owl door' in 'Connecticut', along with help from Janna, and I found a forum on some strange creature from a small town called... Gravesfield."

"This is where my boy is!?" Millie swiped the phone from Marco.

"It's the best lead I could get."

"Blitz! Get you butt together, we're goin to Gravesfield." She narrowed her gaze.

"King Matthias saw me approach unarmed and alone." Lincoln told the story around the campfire. "He had twenty men guarding him. The first three tried to catch me in a circle. I knew I couldn't fight them all off, so I used my best tactic, bluffing. I looked around speaking," The boy altered his voice. "I'm came in here planning to die. And before I go, I'm killer the one of you that has the most to live for."

"How much of this story is true?" Luna questioned its authenticity.

"Completely." The boy defended, then saw his audience's skepticism. "Okay, I added a little more dialogue, but the story is basically unchanged." He went back to the tale. "A good fight scene later, courtesy of Luna's meddling, it was just me an the man who took Princess Melody. He was on his knees begging like a boy caught drinking his mama's wine. He pleaded me not to kill him. So, I gave him a choice: I could rip off his 'marital tools' and force him to eat them before I took his head off. Or, I could drag him down to Queen Solaria and leave him to her fury."

"How did it end?" Vesper asked, wanting to know what happened after her death.

"He died on full stomach. And that's how my story with Solaria the Monster Carver ended."

"You are man of absolute brutality." She commented, smiling. "No wonder you two became friends."

"Your daughter was a a great warrior, you should be proud." Lincoln looked back on his time with his sister-in-arms. "It's funny, thinking about her made me nostalgic for Millie."

"Who?" Crescenta asked.

"She's one of the assassins who took me in after I got killed." He realized he never told them about that. "Oh, I never told you all, I was killed by a teacher." Lincoln showed his throat dial. "Got me from behind with an arrow, causing me to bleed out. When I came to, I was like this and unable to speak. Lucky for me, I found my Uncle Alastor and he gave me my voice back."

"Talk about bad luck." Venus mused, earning criticism from the other former Queens. "What? You telling me being killed isn't bad luck!?"

"Maybe." Lincoln looked into the fire. "Or maybe, luck is just what you see it as."

[10 Months Ago]

Being in detention is never easy, and at Hexside, it is down right light threatening.

Two months ago, Raine Whispers made arrangements for Link to attend their alma mater, and everything was pleasant for the first few weeks. Believing he would fall in the footsteps of his guardian, Principal Bump assigned the boy to the Bard track. Not surprising, he did phenomenally as both a student and as a performer; during this period, he learned of a school club called the Human Appreciation Society that had just been founded by an Illusion track student, Augustus Porter. Intrigued by the idea of alien life forms outside the Demon Realm, Link joined.

Amazingly, learning more about the humans brought more memories back for Link. Then, the realization came, he must truly be a human as his natural ears are round, as is the people in his memories. Worried by what might happen if other people found out the truth, Link kept the secret with him.

For all intents and purposes, Link was a model student until the day came when he made a foolish mistake. Spending so much time around Augustus brought memories of another boy who reminded Link of the Illusion witch. One day, while he was through the halls, Link saw a pair of older students in the same track as Augustus about to play a prank on a teacher; strangely, memories of a girl about their age appeared in his mind. She had braces and brown ponytail, and she played numerous pranks on him and saying, 'April Fools'. Without thinking, he stopped the illusionists who could be twins by performing an illusion of his own; he made an illusion of Principal Bump appear and make their prank backfire. However, when the teacher saw Link us an illusion, the boy confessed he'd been studying illusion magic without approval.

Although he saved the teacher from a prank, Link was still punished by a day in detention. Meaning, masked guards carried him off to the detention room where he was placed at the mercy of a giant pit monster with snake-like appendages that trapped Link in a cocoon, using brainwashing to turn him into a 'good student'. The strangest part of it, when it was over, Link was no different from before. No, being in detention brought back more memories; during his trance, the boy's mind went to a mental space that looked like house. Entering, more memories of the brunette girl appeared; her name, he recalled, is 'Luan', and she is his older sister.

When Link returned to Raine's home that day, he told them what happened, and he remembered he had a sister. Happy for the child, Raine refused to let their charge return to the detention room. Respecting their wishes, Link stayed out of trouble; but he found ways to learn different types of magic in secret. As a condition of the reduced punishment, Link had to clean the school blackboards after his detention. During this, he discovered a secret door to room of shortcuts, every entrance learning to a part of the school.

Now, that some time had passed, Link walked with Augustus to see a friend of the latter. On the way, the illusionist has a small meltdown on a protect he has due. While trying to calm his friend down, he spoke a name he had no memory of before.

"Everything's gonna be fine, Clyde." Saying that memories of that boy with glasses became clearer. "Clyde? That was his name!"

"Whose name?" Augustus asked, a little concerned by his friends behavior.

"Sorry, I'll have to meet your friend another time. I need to see Raine." With that, he ran off. "I remember now, I have best friend named Clyde, and a big sister named Luan!"

Gravesfield, CT; a small New England town with a color history. The town originated as a colony where a sizable amount of the population were witch hunters. The most famous were the brothers Wittebane, two orphans who settled in Gravesfield. According to legend, a witch lured the oldest brother and the younger followed them in pursuit, and the two were never seen again.

Arriving from a portal, the Pawns arrived in search of Lincoln; joining them was Loona, to track his scent, and Octavia, who joined out of concern for her father's pupil. The rest of IMP wanted to join, but Via believed this needed to be a quiet operation. After she sniffed the air, the hellhound picked up a faint yet clear trace of the boy's scent. Following the scent, the group caught numerous looks from the towns people; the Butterflies for their medievalesque clothes, and the hellborns for their general appearance.

"Awesome!" Suddenly, a teen girl ran up and admired Loona. "Your cosplay is amazing! What is your group supposed to be?"

"I'm supposed to be 'biting your face off'." The hound woman glared, snarling.

"Oh, so method." The girl wasn't aware how dangerous Loona is.

"Luz! I'm ready to go now!" Across the street, an older woman who looked like the girl's mom called.

"Coming Mama!" Luz responded. "Sorry for bothering you."

Watching the girl called Luz run back to her mother, Loona looked forlorn for a moment before correcting herself. "Kids, so annoying." Returning to the search, the trail lead them to a church. "What the fuck?"

"I'm guessing this is a place of worship." Venus looked at the building.

"No shit." Octavia confirmed. "Just be aware, if me and Adult Loona enter and suddenly burst into flames, find Lincoln and punch him in the dick."

"I was already planning to, but sure." The pink-hair girl agreed. "Also, why is she called 'Adult'? I might be in the body of a child, but I died a grown up."

"Talk to me when your boobs come in, Little Girl." Loona had fun razzing her.

"Moth." Luna spoke under her breath.

The hellborns open the church doors; and luckily, they didn't burst into flames or summon omens. The group walked inside, but Loona couldn't find any further trace of Lincoln's scent. Exhausted, they say in the empty pews, looking at the large crucifix with a statue of Jesus Crist being nailed to it.

"Wow, and I thought I had a bad Friday." Taking a seat, Martha joked. "We came to Connecticut and found no Lincoln or any owl doors."

"We just face the facts." Vesper spoke, rubbing her feet. "Lincoln is master of hiding. If he wants us to find him we would leave a clue, and if he doesn't want to be found, he won't be."

"Sounds like you know the kid well." Octavia remarked.

"When you spend a fake childhood knowing someone, then spend a year hiking through an endless hallway with him. You learn a thing or two."

"What did you just say?" Crescenta stood up. "You said if he wanted to be found, he would leave a clue. Maybe if left a clue for us!"

"Sure, maybe he wrote a secret message in the pages of a bible?" Loona scoffed. "No, wait, maybe we have to arrange the pews in a certain order to unlock a hidden stairway!"

"Or maybe he asked a friend to deliver a message?" A mysterious voice spoke.

"Yeah, or that." Before she realized it, another person was in the church. "Who the fuck are you!?"

Suspicious, everyone got tensed when they saw someone walk in from the entrance. "Relax, I'm not your enemy." They spoke, holding a letter addressed to 'Octavia'. "I believe an Octavia is here? Lincoln asked me to give this letter to her."

The aforementioned Goetia slowly approached. "Who are you?"

"Raine Whispers." The bard witch showed their pointed ears. "I looked after Lincoln for while when he lost his memories. When they returned, he asked me to hand this to someone who would come looking for him on this day."

[8 Months Ago]

Some memories are so strong, they ingrain themselves into our souls. Even when you can't recall them, the memories leave such an impact on our lives that they become us. Memories become desires, and those desires turn into passions. The greatest passion that Lincoln gained from his time with the Butterfly family was a love for the stage; maybe it wasn't them who brought this passion, but fuel one he always had within. The friend that strengthened his love for performing was one of the greatest artists he'd ever known, Queen Hesperia the Singer of Dusk.

Link, now recalling memory of his real name, walked backstage after a bard performance. From the cheers on the other side of the curtain, it was clear the audience had went crazy over the display of musical magic. A little boastful, Link felt pride for his performance; it was one of the songs he wrote during his time in Hesperia's theater troupe. Performing it as his 'true' self brought back so many great memories of his theater friends.

During Hesperia's story, the two attended Elfendor together in the Fine Arts course; and after reaching basic graduation, they joined their theater class in traveling across other kingdoms and dimensions to perform. At one of these venues, Lincoln directed, wrote, and stared in a melodrama based on unconscious memories of his true self. It was about a country ravaged by war, famine, and disease, leading to revolution; coincidently, two weeks after the play opened, the hosting kingdom had a civil war. Performing together with the princess and their troupe allowed the story to end, and Lincoln parted with Hesperia as great friends and fellow stars.

"Wonderful performance, Link!" Raine applauded him. "Forgive me, Lincoln."

"You can call me Link." The boy lowered his eyes. "Raine... Maestro, I need to tell you something."

"You don't have to say it." They stopped the boy. "The moment I learned you regained memory of your own name, I realized this day would come." Raine tried to keep a cheerful face. "You want to return home."

"No, actually Yes, but I can't." Lincoln didn't know how to explain. "I want to return, but I can't right now. However, I do need to leave the Demon Realm."

The teal-haired witch giggled. "From the moment we met, I knew you were a strange child. I will be sad to see you go, but I understand you need to be with people who can understand you. Just promise me, remember that no matter where the road takes you, you will always have a place here."

Link wiped away a tear. "I will. Also, could you do me a small favor?" He handed Raine a letter. "On the date written, someone will come looking for me in the Human Realm. When they arrive, can you please deliver this for me?"

"Hmm, I'll need to speak with Eda again, but I promise I'll do this for you." Raine put an arm around their protégé. "Come on, let's send you off with a proper meal!"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT LITTLE SHIT HAS GOT ME IN A SEWER!" Loona yelled.

True to her word, she and Octavia were in an urban sewer tunnel. Lucky for them, the tunnel was big enough that they could walk without stepping into sewer water.

"I think this part is just an old maintenance tunnel." Octavia argued. "At the smell isn't as bad this way."

"Say that again when you get a better nose." The hellhoud woman covered her muzzle with her shirt. "That damn kid has me looking through actual shit just find him. Why the hell couldn't he just leave a note that said he'd meet us at the office?"

"I agree. Not to sound snotty, but even I think a person should live better than a common sewer rat." Via saw numerous rats scurry around, her stomach rumbling. "Food for thought, if I had a little snack-"

"Please, Princess." Loona stopped her. "Don't. Eat. A fucking. Sewer rat." Another step and the two fell up to their knees in sewer water. "Satan fucking dammit! If this goose chase leads to another place, Lincoln better pray it's a bar, or I will-"

In the middle of her rant, a net pulls Loona out of the water while Octavia is distracted. "What did you say?" She looked around, but then a second net pulled the owl girl overhead.

Before they could understand what was happening, the demon ladies were blindfolded and restrained, and being carried further into the sewer. The entire time, Loony and Via kept struggling to free themselves. Without realizing it, they had been placed down to face interrogation.

"When I'm done with your asses, you're gonna-" The blindfolds were removed, showing the two under a spot light with their four captors shrouded in darkness. "Who the fuck are you guys?"

"Ah nah, we're the ones asking the questions here." One of them said. "First, how did you find our home? Second, are there any more of you? And last, what do you want on your pizza?"

The figures came into the light, revealing themselves to be four humanoid turtles. The biggest of the four spoke next. "No, Mickey, the last question is this. Why are you looking for Lincoln?"

Seeing four turtle creatures, Octavia was deeply afraid. "Any ideas, Loona?" She whispered to her fellow captive, but got no response. "Loona?" Turning her head, Octavia saw that the hellhoud had a deep blush and a tiny smile while looking at the big turtle in a red mask. "Seriously?"

[6 Months Ago]

It had been a while since Lincoln left the Demon Realm. Before he left, however, he put on his IMP uniform and went back in time to give his younger self the warning, along with putting certain events into motion to stabilize the timeline. After that, Lincoln made a pledge to not use time magic unless it was an absolute necessity. For a while after that, the boy did his best to avoid being seen by his past self nor anyone who would recognize him. He did this by walking the Earth and other realms of the multiverse.

After some time, his loneliness couldn't endure and he went to a place that always inspired the boy, New York City. On his first night, Lincoln found his way into the Hidden City below New York; to fit in, he took to his Sinner form and asked around for the coolest place in the city. One yokai gave Lincoln information on how to reach the Battle Nexus, a massive fighting arena owned and operated by organized crime boss, Big Mama. Perhaps it was his demonic nature seeping through, or Millie's influence taking hold, but when he saw that there was an amateur fight night, the boy quickly volunteered himself. To the surprise of everyone, he won without breaking a sweat.

Dissatisfied with the results, Lincoln left to go about his way when he overheard a group of guys sneaking in. Following them, he found four turtles dressed as ninjas; he followed them back to their base and asked if he could learn a thing or two from them. Mickey, excited at having new friends, welcomed the boy but his brothers, Leo, Donny, and Raph thought it was too dangerous. Making an appearance, Master Splinter walked in; Link asked the talking rat if he could learn the art of ninjutsu from him, but Splinter said he would... on the condition that Lincoln waited outside until Splinter returned. Confident in his patience, the boy agreed.

Seated outside in the sewer, he waited. A night passed, and Lincoln waited. A day passed, and he kept waiting. A week had gone by and Lincoln had used up all the food he had, now resorting to eating the pests that lurked in the sewer; he was less elated, but he kept waiting. More time passed, and he stayed in that spot waiting. Sometimes, one of the turtles, or a friend of theirs would come out to talk and/or give the boy some food; they tried to persuade Lincoln to leave, but he kept waiting.

It was during this time that he would think back to his days in the Butterfly Dungeon, and to his time with one of his greatest friends, Sideria the Fortunate. A brilliant mind and bold personality, Sideria and Lincoln meet each other at her Lonely Star Ball, and became classmates at Elfendor; the Princess studying Economics and Mathematics, and the white-haired underclassman dedicated to the study of Business Administration and Finance to help his mother Charlie's circus. During their years studying together, the duo would visit Gamblegard, the Casino Dimension. Despite the sexist attitude of the casino, the two of them found a way for Sideria to play using their knowledge of Theater; they created her persona, Jushtin.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" The two laugh as they make their way from the casino dimension on a flying ship.

"That was the biggest gamble we've ever took!" Lincoln celebrated, taking the wheel.

"You bet!" Sideria pulled off her purple wig. "I knew your plans are a long shot, but that was worth it!" She lifted the main deck hatch, showing their haul of money. "We are both billionaires! Forget living in the lap of luxury, with this much we can live the womb of luxury!"

Laughing at their getaway, Lincoln looked down at one of the coins that overflowed from below deck. Seeing it, all the joy left his smile.

"Is something wrong?" His partner-in-crime asked, worried by his lack of enthusiasm.

"It's fake." The pilot revealed. "All that money, worthless."

"What!?" Sideria checked it for herself. "That can't be, that place is backed by Lugh Bank! They're the backing capital across scores of dimensions."

"The counterfeiting is good, but I can tell it's all fake."

"I mean... it'd have to be good if it can fool Lugh." The red-headed princess shared his disappointment.

"Still, I can't say I regretted a thing." Lincoln faced his friend, the two smiling. Just then, the store broke apart by the white cracks forming around the boat.

"Yeah, neither can I."

Back to reality, Lincoln looked up and saw Splinter looking at him. The rat was concerned, but tried to remain stoic. "You have waited a long time. Why?" Splinter asked a simple question. "Nobody would waste so much time on a whim. Why do you really want to learn the Art of Ninja?"

Lincoln looked down, recalling how lonely he's felt since being away from the people he loves. "I saw your sons, how happy they were being ninjas. I've been on my own for so long, I missed that feeling of being apart of something greater than myself."

Splinter looked away. "The way of the ninja is not for the faint of heart. You have proven yourself." He offered the boy a hand up; Lincoln happily accepted. "As my newest student, I will call you... Checkers! Because your hair is white, like on a checkerboard! Also, I keep hearing Purple complain about how you always win at chess, Hahaha!"

The boy stood and bowed. "Thank you, Sensei."

Loona and Via were released after the latter told the turtles why they were down here. Donnie analyzed the bird demon for any signs of lying and found nothing, gaining the groups trust. The boys took them to Master Splinter, who now narrates the story of how he and the Mad Dogs came to be.

"No where to call home, I brought those four baby turtles here, and I raised them as my sons." Sitting in his chair, the mutant rat was absorbed in his story. "To show our bond as a family, I taught them the way of ninjutsu, and named them after the four great artists." He pointed to each son as he introduced them. "Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael."

"Lovely story, but that doesn't explain where our friend is." Octavia got back to the reason she and Loona were in the sewers. "Right, Loona?"

Still in a daze, the hellhound kept focus on Raphael. "Uh huh, sounds right."

"Oh, yes, Checkers. He was a promising student, in the time I thought it would take him months or even years to progress, he had mastered. Knowing his time with us was soon to end, I awarded him with his mask and released him to continue his journey."

"So, he's not here, and you all don't know where he is?" The owl girl questioned.

"Oh no, I still keep in contact with him." Donatello showed his wrist screen. "He sends updates on his travels. Here is one from San Francisco, another from Osaka, then Cairo, Havana, New Orleans, Dublin..."

"I get it." Octavia understood. "Where is he now?"

Donnie checked his records. "Huh, he actually sent a message saying what to do if someone came looking for him today. What are the odds?" The tech genus skimmed the email. "He says he'll be at... some place called the 'Doomsday District'? You know where that is?"

Very angry now, Via's eye twitched. "You got to be kidding... Thank you all for your hospitality! Truly, nobody has ever kidnapped me so effectively, but we need to go!" The Goetia pulled Loona along.

"Bye, Raph~" She spoke meekly.

"Bye!" The red masked turtle responded. "They seem like good people."

"A little distracted, but no big." Donnie added.

"Please, you see how that wolf girl was looking at me!?" Leo misunderstood Loona's attention. "Clearly, she has good taste."

"I hope Lincoln sees them soon." Mickey added. "I always wondered what it would be like to have a big sister."

[4 Months Ago]

It is easy to hide in the dark.Seated on the roof of a ten story building, Lincoln wrote on in Classical Japanese on scroll parchment. The mark of a true ninja, is to be at one with the light. To turn oneself , not into a shadow, but into a presence that could be seen but never truly there.

You were the one who taught it to me, Celena.

Celena the Shy, one of the most mysterious Queens in Mewni history. Lincoln recalled his time in her story, from the day he first saw her at the Lonely Star Ball. Lincoln Radiostar had joined the ball with his moms, giving a stage magic performance when the crowds attention shifted to the princess as she entered. It was well know that she was a beautiful girl, so much that it required a lot of concentration for the average mewman to not become distracted in her vicinity. Truth be told, even Link was caught off guard, but there something more about her that he couldn't ignore. When he saw her leave the ballroom, he curiously pursued in secret; when she was talking to Glossaryck in her room, Lincoln saw the truth. Celena had been acting shy to have people drop their guards around her. Revealing himself by accident, the boy promised to keep her secret on the condition he could join her in lessons with Glossaryck.

Although they met under less than pleasant conditions, the two became friends. After a few years passed, Lincoln freed her soul from the story and assured the Queen, her secrets were safe with him. The best one, the plans for the cryptex, of which now Lincoln uses to chronicle his journey as a Hamato student.

Winding the scroll back into place, the paper was secured in a cryptex, a mechanism that hides sensitive papers in a small tube with a combination on the outside. Before he could embark on his mission, Lincoln needed to become Checkers, the Black and White Ninja. Removing his street clothes, he changed instantaneously into his ninja outfit; the clothing was similar to the ancestors of the Hamato Clan, but white instead of black, and the symbol on his chest was of the I.M.P. logo. Pulling the mask and hooded scarf into position on his head. He was dressed for action, but he still needed one last touch, his folding, fuuma shuriken; it's white blade was collapsed and secured to the boy's back.

Checkers' target was on the move below. No hesitation, he descended down the glass surface. When he made contact with the group, the ninja maneuvered through the crowed with such speed and agility, he was seen as only a sudden gust of wind. He followed the target down a maze of alleyways, ducking and jumping over junk and fences until he saw them enter a side door. Focusing his gaze, Checkers opened the door and followed after.

Lights came on, revealing that the 'target' was in fact a friend Lincoln made since meeting the turtles, April O'Neil. "Welcome, Checkers! This is your graduation!"

From the sidelines, Master Splinter and his sons, and the allies of the clan were all in attendance; of which included Cassandra Jones and her son from the future, Casey, Draxom, Franken-Food, Todd Capybara, Bullhop, Sunita, and even Mayhem, April's teleporting pet. They all applauded Lincoln for his completion of his final test.

"Congratulation, Checkers, your progress has exceeded my expectations!" Splinter approached his young student. "Here, this is your proof as a student of the great, Hamato Yoshi!"

Lincoln accepted his gift, a checker print mask that covers the top half of his face like Raphael and Donatello. Excited, he put it on and removed his hood. "Thank you, Master Splinter! I'm grateful to have you all here for me today! Being here with you all, it reminds me of my old life... and how I need to get back to it." His tone went sad. "I will treasure being amongst you forever, but I can't stay past the party."

"We understand." April comforted the boy as everyone else did the same. "It's hard not being with the people you love. If returning to them if what you want, you should."

"I will, but there are still things I need to do before that." Lincoln smiled. "For now, Let's Party!" Using his smoke bombs, he kicked off the festivities.

Being in New York City helped Lincoln get through his loneliness, but he has people he needs to return to.

To most people, going to Hell is a horrific experience that one tries to put off for as long as they can; and if they achieve the dream of leaving, try to forget their experience forever. When Lincoln returned to Pentagram City, he didn't feel like a frightened child tossed into an unforgiving wilderness; in fact, to him, the moment he crossed the portal it felt as if he was returning home.

"Ah~" He breathed in the putrid air, walking through the streets in his Sinner form. "Taste that toxic air!"

Having one last chore to finish before he could relax, Lincoln made his way to Carmine's factory. He took the elevator up to her office and walked in on the Overlord doing some work with her daughters and Zestial present. Excited to see them after, from his perspective, a long time, Lincoln waved to the Sinners.

"Good day, Señora Carmine, I am happy to tell you that I have made tremendous headway on fulfilling my end of the agreement." He happily declared.

Intrigued, the tall Overlord rose to her metallic-tipped feet. "Excellent, how soon can you guarantee me and my daughters safety?"

"Hmm... I'd say, ten or fifteen... minutes." He turned around. "Oh, can you also arrange an Overlord meeting in the Doomsday District, only the ones in Pentagram City should be enough."

"It should be no challenge." Carmilla agreed. "What do you have planned?"

Lincoln looked out the skylight. "Somethings are better left unsaid."

Although they were memories of life he hadn't lived, they felt none the less real. Lincoln was nearly finished with the Renaissance, that was when he met Queen Diana, the Huntress. Like the previous stories, they met and became friends, the Radio Star even accompanied her in the kingdom of Silvan until her fourteenth birthday. A trait he greatly admired about his friend was her charitable and compassionate nature, even to the non-mewmans. The day he ended the story, he was with Diana after she snuck out the castle to bring food to tadpole frogmen who lost their mother. The Butterfly kingdom were in a hostile atmosphere with monsters, so he and the princess needed to do so in secret; after he freed her soul, she thanked the boy for being a great friend and for all he'd done for Mewni during Mina Loveberry's attack.

Once his daydreaming ended, Lincoln left for the Doomsday District. He looked for the ideal spot, settling on the most center place in the condemned district. Confident in himself and his decision, Link waited for the Overlords to assemble; surprising him, the people who arrived first was the group he wanted to see most.

"Lincoln!" Crying, Millie ran up and gave her boy a chest crushing hug. "My baby is home! Don't you ever do somethin' like that again, Young Man!" She chided, but quickly went back to her joyful attitude. "But me and the others are just happy you're back!"

Lincoln was let go and saw Millie was telling the truth. Moxxie was wiping away tears as Blitz smiled at seeing the boy safe. Octavia gave a smirk and a thumb up, Loona doing the same but with feigning indifference. Following behind the hellborns was his Pawns, everyone but Martha and Jill wearing new outfits and taking on a demon former similar to his own. Each of them had had their natural hair and eye color, but their skin took on a different hue; Venus and Luna were both pink, the former soft pink and the latter hot pink, Crescenta was blue, and Venus was aquamarine; additionally, their tails ended in regular spaded shape. Their clothing also became more modern; Crescenta wore a simple blue polo dress with yellow flats; Venus dressed in a white camisole, teal palazzos, and gladiator sandals, reminding people of a sea spirit; Luna wore a pink polo shirt, khakis, and and light up sneakers; and lastly, Vesper dressed more business casual with a white blouse, black skirt, and pink blazer with matching pumps.

"I missed you guys, too." He hugged Millie back. "Sorry for the scavenger hunt, I needed time to make my surprise." Hearing footsteps, Link shifted his attention. "And it looks like you're all right on time."

The ruling Overlords of Pentagram City congregated where Lincoln had asked. The group only had the Sinners from Carmilla Carmine's meeting, but it was still a good number. Stepping up towards his Great Uncle, Lincoln bowed before the adult demons as his party behind him stared at the Overlords. Although IMP had little respect for Sinners, they understood the power Overlords possessed; and although Octavia was a Goetia, she was not trained to a degree where she could protect herself.

"My dear guests, thank you for attending my inauguration!" Lincoln declared.

"Inauguration?" Alastor raised an eye. "What prey tell are you being introduced to?"

To illustrate, Lincoln folded his hands together before performing the spell. He raised his hands overhead and with all his strength, drew a magic circle above the Doomsday District. Once the circle was fully formed, the spell Link was performing influenced the city; the ground shook as rubble ascended and reformed. The magic being unleashed wasn't like the demonic magic that demons were familiar with. Whereas usual magic was like a burning inferno, powerful but savage, Lincoln's magic was more like a blizzard, unrelenting yet meticulous. Particles of light illuminated across the district, turning the tiny section of Hell into a blank canvas for the boy to create. By the time he had finished, everyone in attendance was mystified by what was birthed.

To the rest of Pentagram City, a virtual megacity had just appeared in the former Doomsday District. From the rubble, black and white skyscrapers materialized in a checkered patter along black roads with white sidewalks. Leading to the center of the district was an arena as white as fresh snow, and at least a square mile in size; inside, the stands looked like they could comfortably fit 10 million people. On the arena floor was were Lincoln and the others were standing. The arena floor was gigantic as swell, but it wasn't the floor nor the building that caught everyone's attention. After the light faded, it was clear that Lincoln's spell didn't just affect the district, but the occupants.

The Overlords, regular Sinners, and the Butterflies, they had all returned to their human forms. When they got over the initial shock, everyone turned to face Lincoln, who also changed. After performing the spell, Lincoln grew to five feet in height, his hair now reached his shoulder blades, his Sinner form now had white horns that took over the ones from his uniform cap, and there was now a perceivable emanation coming from the boy. It wasn't a sight, sound, or smell, but a feeling; everyone in a close enough vicinity looked at him and didn't see a child, but some type of commanding manifestation of power.

"Uh oh, forgive me, I got a little carried away." His lowered, the strange phenomenon had disappeared like a flipped switch. "Where was I? Oh, I recall." Lincoln lifted his head, revealing a more defined face. "As I was saying, thank you all for being here for my inauguration... as Hell's newest Overlord."

[2 Months Ago]

He was alone.

After Lincoln left the turtles, he continued traveling until the time was right; until it was time to return to Hell. It was New Years Eve close to midnight, and he was alone in a hotel room, reading the an issue of Ace Savvy he got from the local comic shop. Lonely, the only thing that gave the boy comfort was his thoughts about his family and friends, including the ones from Hell. Staring at the clock, he thought to the last Queen he saw in the dungeon, Sky the Weaver.

Sky was born on the night before the new year in Mewni. Lincoln had met her at the Lonely Star Ball, becoming friends through their shared interest in arts and crafts. After he returned from Elfendor, the Radio Star returned to help Sky with her magic lessons. Then, by accident, she turned the royal book of spells into a pile of ashes. When she tried to find a way to fix it in the castle library, the bundle of ashes lead to a bust of her ancestors; one of the secrets of the castle. When she investigated, she found the original Book of Spells. The moment her hands made contact with the tome, the story ended and Lincoln was left alone with the Queen who was barely taller than him.

"Is this the end?" He asked, a mix of hope and uncertainty. "I mean... Moon and Star are alive."

"And I owe that to you." Sky smiled. "If you hadn't stopped Mina and her army, my daughter would not have been long for the world of the living."

Lincoln went vexed. "I had to kill those mewmans. All because your daughter tried to dethrone Eclipsa and continue a reign of animosity!"

Sky was quiet for a moment. "I am not proud of Moon for her actions, but Iam proud of all she's done for her home. Even though what you did has pained your for all this time, I can't tell you that it was wrong."

"IT WAS!" He snapped back. "Those people weren't warriors or soldiers, just commoners trying to get back to their lives. And they died, meaninglessly, for the sake of a woman who would slaughter an entire village just for her family."

"And you would not do the same... for your family." A pause lingered between them. "I am not clairvoyant, but I know that what you did prevented Star, Moon, Eclipse, and her daughter from taking a drastic choice that would have cost the lives of thousands." Sky touched his shoulder. "I've seen it in her eyes. She's regretted her choice every second since that terrible day. She does not deserve your forgiveness. I am her mother and there is no force that can stop me from loving her, but she doesnot deserve your forgiveness... but if you choose to forgive her, that can make all the difference."

Wiping away his tears, Lincoln asked a question he'd been scared to ask for a long time. "Is this real? I mean, we're not in the real world. So, this is probably all in my head?"

"Just because it's all in your head, in some other place, or what have you, that doesn't mean it isn't real." Beside the two, a portal appeared. "Best luck, My friend. Oh, and when you see that little girl of mine, tell her Comet misses her."

Turning to leave, the boy stopped to see her one last time. "Where do you go? After all this, what comes next?"

Sky snickered. "There's no rule saying you can't come for a visit." She and Lincoln laugh, then the boy leaves.

Back in the room, Lincoln looked at the clock and it had struck midnight.

"Make a wish, Stinkoln!"

The boy turns to the nightstand table where he kept three of his chess pieces. One rook with a green core, one knight with a purple, and one bishop with a yellow. The three ghosts who were sitting near his tent each had their soul contained in one of these pieces; Sideria, the one lying on the bed watching tv, called his name; Helia was looking out the window, staring at the fireworks; and Etheria was sitting in a chair watching the tv.

"My wish? I'm wishing to have a body for the new year." The redhead laughed.

Tired, Link grabbed the remote and turned off the tv before going to sleep in the closet.

"We were watching that!" Sideria fussed, but it was useless, Lincoln found rest.