Multiverse Heroes: Magical Destinies(AmphibiaxSVTFOExTOH)

The following morning in Amphibia, Luz had awoken from her sleep, looking around to see that both Anne and Sprig had left, leaving only Polly and King in the room, the two sleeping rather closely to one another.

"They look kind of cute together," Luz commented, getting up and dressing for the day. She went to the top floor of the house where Anne was getting some breakfast set up for the two of them.

"Oh Luz, you're up, sweet," Anne said. "Got some food ready for you, cooked it myself."

"Thanks, that's nice of you," Luz said, taking a plate. Food looked pretty good, even better than the breakfast she had yesterday.

"Anything for a friend, especially one who really helped out yesterday, that wall of ice was something," Anne said. "That and Hop Pop had to run an errand, so it's just me, Eda and Sprig."

"Still it's nice, and I'm just glad to be of help," Luz shyly commented. "Honestly it wasn't really anything noteworthy."

"Don't sell yourself short kid," Eda said, the woman nearby and drinking what seemed to be coffee. "I remember when you could barely work a glyph, pulling a spell like what you did yesterday was pretty impressive, especially in that heavy gravity."

"I bet Marcy is still geeking out about it," Anne said. "She really seems to like you, of course I think you're cool too."

"Well I like Marcy, she's really nice and so full of energy," Luz said. "I do appreciate her wanting me in your friend group."

"Yeah, and it seems like Sasha's good with it as well," Anne said. "So we can totally hang out some more, turn our trio into a quartet."

"Just for now at least," Luz said. "Remember, once we go home, I go back to Connecticut and you go back to Los Angeles."

"Right, there is that..." Anne said. "But, in an age of cell phones and video chats, I think we'll get by just fine."

"Well Luz isn't going home right away, she's coming back with me to The Boiling Isles," Eda said. "If you want, maybe you can join us there too, that way you and Luz don't have to separate."

"Oh, well that's an option, I don't see myself as a magic-user though," Anne said.

"You don't need to necessarily learn magic, there's other stuff to do," Eda said. "At the very least, you can be Luz's moral support."

"Well, I'd really need to think about it, first thing first is going home, my parents must really miss me," Anne said.

"I wonder how my mom feels, I probably should have been back home by now, she's probably worried," Luz said.

"Well it won't be much longer, magic box is ready to send us back, we're just gonna enjoy the last few days in Amphibia together," Anne said. "Maybe get that Quartet going."

"Well that sounds nice, but are Marcy and Sasha even around?" Luz asked.

"Marcy should be in town, she likes exploring and looking for new things," Anne said. "At the very least, you and her should hang out. Marcy likes magic stuff too after all, and I think she wants to learn more about you."

"I'm down with that, let's meet up with her after breakfast," Luz said.

"Count me in too!" Sprig said, leaping onto the table. "You know, if we have time, maybe we can show Luz that cool lake from the first time you came to Amphibia."

"Pretty sure that lake has a giant, scary monster snake," Anne reminded. "One that you were the one to tell me about, and you tried everything in your power to help me avoid."

"Oh yeah, that," Sprig said. "Honestly that was so fun I actually didn't mind that I almost got eaten. It was totally worth sneaking out."

"That reminds me," Anne turned to Eda. "Any chance you won't tell Hop Pop what you just heard?"

"Kid, I used to sneak out all the time, it's what we do when we're young," Eda said.

"So is there a reason all these animals in this world are so huge?" Luz asked.

"Well, since the frogs are bigger than back home, it makes sense that a lot of other creatures are, including snakes, birds, and bugs," Anne said.

"Well...yeah can't argue that logic," Luz said.

"I mean, we could just bring one of Hop Pop's pain peppers, so hot, you'll wish you were dead," Sprig said.

"That sounds exciting, got any around?" Eda asked.

"Or, we could hold off on that, I don't want to risk seeing my new bestie get eaten," Anne said.

"To be fair, I've nearly been eaten before, plus I could easily fight it off," Luz said. "But, I didn't bring anything to swim in."

"Just take off your shirt and dive in," Sprig said. "That's what I do."

"Sprig, remember what I said, girls can't just take off their shirts, at least not human girls," Anne said.

"Does it even matter? The only other human around is you, and Sprig's a ten-year-old frog boy," Eda said. "That's just my input."

"Well, let's just hold off on that for now, though a swim would be relaxing after being in a volcano yesterday," Anne said. "Let's just finish our breakfast and go find Marcy."

Minutes later, both girls had ventured back into town in search of Marcy. One thing that Luz noticed was that unlike before, the frogs seemed a bit on edge, like if they were worried about something, some even glancingin her direction a bit, though trying not to make eye contact.

"You know this town was a bit more livelier yesterday, why does everyone seem so nervous?" Luz wondered. "Oh boy, I hope Eda didn't do anything stupid."

"It wasn't your friend," Came the voice of Ivy, the frog girl landing nearby. "It's Sasha."

"Sasha?" Anne asked. "Did...she didn't do anything bad, did she?"

"No, but everyone knows she and Grime are staying at a vacant room in m mom's shop," Ivy said.

"Wait, I thought she was leaving town?" Luz asked.

"That was their plan, but there wasn't any place close by, and Sasha wanted to be near you, because she's your friend or whatever," Ivy said.

"Aw, that's nice of her," Anne said.

"Yeah well, I know she's your friend but I personally still don't trust her, I mean going from invaders to being all chummy, seems unusual," Ivy said.

"Yeah, to be honest Anne, one reason she came back is because she has no army left, she and Grime lost everything," Sprig said. "Seems like she didn't really want to change, she just had no choice."

"Tell me this, if she had a chance for that power again, would she take it? Or your friendship?" Ivy asked.

"I really don't know," Anne said. "Which is why we need the dinner plan tonight to go well, if she's reminded of our friendship, then she'll really want to change for the better. This is a window of opportunity, I won't waste it on the 'what-ifs', I'm using it for the 'what I can do'."

"Well good luck with that," Ivy said. "So where are you three off too?"

"We're going to meet up with Marcy, wanna come?" Anne asked.

"Sure, she's a cool friend at least," Ivy said. "I think I saw her going toward Maddie's house."

"Oh yeah, Maddie, a fellow lover of witchcraft," Luz said.

"She seems to like you too, she mentioned that it was nice not being the only one who liked witch stuff," Ivy said. "I mean she has Marcy too, just knowing that you exist and that there's a realm of witches makes her feel more at ease."

"Are you two friends now or something?" Sprig asked.

"Well, we talk but I wouldn't call us besties," Ivy said. "We just have mutual friends."

"Oh, well I guess that makes sense," Sprig said. "As long as it's not too awkward."

"Oh what, just because I'm your current girlfriend and she's your ex-girlfriend means this has to be awkward?" Ivy teased.

"Well she was more my fiancé than girlfriend," Sprig said.

"That's such a weird way to put it," Anne said. "But not totally inaccurate. Anyway we're wasting daylight, let's hop to it."

Sprig literally hopped off toward Maddie's house, Luz taking a moment to stifle her laughter, "That actually makes so much sense."

Meanwhile in the forest area, Marcy had just dropped off some ingredients for Maddie. "Here's all the stuff you asked for."

"Thanks, should come in handy for my new spell," Maddie said as she stirred something up. "If it goes well, a frog can spread wings and fly like birds...or flies, preferably what we don't eat, otherwise it'd be weird."

"I'd love to fly," Marcy said. "Speaking of which, would you ever enchant a broom?"

"I tried once, but it burnt up, so my dad forbade me from experimenting on brooms again," Maddie said. "He says they're for sweeping, not flying."

"Well it's fine, I mean Eda doesn't even use a broom, she uses what she calls a Palisman," Marcy said.

"You mean that old lady who came with Luz right?" Maddie asked.

"Yeah, she's cool, but Luz, oh I wish you could have seen her, she uses magic like it's nothing," Marcy said. "She even summoned ice from the ground, in like a thousand times gravity!"

"I gotta ask her how she uses those Glyphs," Maddie said. "Too bad she's going home soon, would have liked for her to stick around. That or have her take me to the Boiling Isles with her."

"I bet I can convince her, or Anne since she knows her a little bit more," Marcy said.

"It's not that easy though, I mean I don't know if I can just leave my family behind," Maddie said. "My sisters look up to me, it would hurt if I'm not there. My dad would be worse, to him I'm still his little girl. I mean I guess I am."

"Yeah, I guess it would be hard to leave your family behind," Marcy said, almost half-heartedly.

"You've been in Amphibia for months, do you miss your family?" Maddie asked.

"Uh...a little," Marcy said. "It's fine though, I'm not too bothered. I'm living my life, and following my dreams."

"Your dream was to end up in a Frog World?" Maddie jokingly asked.

"Not exactly, but I did always like the idea of traveling, and going on Journeys, like in video games," Marcy said.

"I respect anyone who follows their dream, and it looks like you're doing just that," Maddie said. "Bet you can't wait to get back home and tell your family all about your journeys in Amphibia."

"Right...my family," Marcy said, her tone becoming somber.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Maddie asked. Before she could get an answer, she heard some footsteps. "Hey who's there!?"

"It's just us," Anne said, walking into view with Sprig, Ivy and Luz.

"Hi Maddie!" Luz greeted.

"Sweet, you brought Luz," Maddie said.

"Of course, we're buds now," Anne said. "Working on another spell?"

"Interested in flying? I might have the spell for you," Maddie said.

"Well I technically can fly, I just need a Palisman," Luz said. "But flying on my own without the Palisman seems cool. I always wanted to do it like in anime, just being able to take off and have mid-air battles."

"Maybe have cool transformations while you're at it," Anne said.

"I like how your mind works! It'd be like Dragon Claw Z!" Luz said, imagining herself powering up. "This isn't even my Final Form!"

"Ha, I can see why Anne took an immediate liking to you, she sure loves her manga," Marcy said. "I mean I like it too, anime, video games, you know, teen stuff. Oh and books."

"I like books too, my favorite is 'The Good Witch Azura'," Luz said.

"Oh, I've heard of that. Is it as good as Cynthia Coven? Or hard to compare?" Marcy asked.

"Eh, they each have their strengths and weaknesses, I just prefer Azura. Still, fantasy is an amazing genre," Luz said. "Here's a good one, ever hear of Monster Slayer Academia?"

"Oh! That's the hottest manga out right now!" Anne shouted in excitement, before realizing how loud she was. "Sorry, got too excited."

"No! I love it, usually I'm the one who gets excited about this stuff! Now I don't feel so alone!" Luz said.

"Oh we totally get it, it's like most kids in school think this stuff isn't cool enough or something," Marcy said.

"Exactly! They're totally missing out!" Luz said.

"I have no idea what any of these girls are saying, but they really sound excited," Ivy said, out of ear range from the trio of teens. "Especially Luz."

"According to Anne, she was an outcast among her peers back on Earth," Sprig explained. "I think she had a hard time making friends at one point."

"The plight of those who are different, others do not appreciate who they are or what they can offer, such a tragedy," Maddie said.

"Hey Luz, can you show me a few more of your tricks?" Marcy asked.

"Sure thing, let's go into the forest, away from civilization," Luz suggested. "Just make sure you keep a distance while I'm casting my spells."

"You got it," Maddie said as she and the others went into the forest. "This is gonna be amazing! Maybe I can learn that type of magic too."

"I bet you'd like that," Sprig commented.

Meanwhile in Mewni, Marco and Amity were in town, grabbing some corn from the market stand.

"So, in Mewni, Corn is like the top food or something?" Amity asked. "I see a lot of stands with it."

"Corn is basically Mewni's best main crop of food, it's pretty decent," Marco said. "What type of food is a specialty back where you're from?"

"Well, Griffon Eggs are pretty popular," Amity said.

"That's neat," Marco said, paying off the food. "Bit strange though."

"Well we witches have a diet that's a little unusual for humans," Amity said. "Luz had trouble eating back in the Boiling Isles for this very reason, she couldn't digest a lot of the food, at least according to Eda."

"Yeesh, times like this, I'm glad Mewni's food is basically identical to Earth," Marco said.

"Mewmans and Humans do look alike," Amity pointed out. "Is there a even a difference?"

"I...don't know, I think the only real difference is that they have access to magic," Marco said. "But considering your friend who's human can do magic too, that just blurs the line of differences even more. Honestly, it's possible mewmans are just humans who stumbled upon this place, somehow. I mean this is still a different dimension."

"Luz stumbled into the Boiling Isles, so I wouldn't put it past them," Amity said. "In fact, she's still researching a human who arrived there about four hundred years ago, which also seemed by chance."

"Any reason she wanted to become a witch?" Marco asked as the two made their way through town. "A lot of humans back home imagine witches to be gross, and I never saw many girls who wanted to be one. Then again I don't talk to a lot of girls in the first place, not back home at least."

"I think she just wanted to live out some Fantasy, she read it in a book and decided she wanted to become a witch," Amity said. "Which honestly at first, I found kind of annoying, like I train my whole life in magic and suddenly she swoops in and is like 'I wanna be a witch'. I was so determined to knock her off a pedestal, I challenged her to a duel. What a mistake that was, the duel was a joke."

"Sounds like something bad happened," Marco said. "Did you...uh, you know, lose?"

"It was kind of a draw since we both cheated," Amity awkwardly confessed. "I mean, I didn't know, and it sounds like Luz didn't either. Eda was helping Luz by placing traps in the arena we fought in, meanwhile Lilith had placed a Glyph on me so that I would do better in the fight."

"Lilith? Oh right, you mentioned that she was your mentor," Marco said. "Wait, so they both cheated?"

"Back then, Lilith and Eda were at odds with each other, so me and Luz got caught up in their rivalry," Amity said. "It was so humiliating, it made me seem like a weak witch who couldn't even beat an amateur human. I was so mad, but then Luz came to me and showed me that she really is taking her training as a witch seriously, that it wasn't just some game. It was at that point I understood her a lot better. Later she joined my school, Hexside and from there, we became closer as friends."

"Glad everything worked out for you, still I can't imagine you or Eda as that petty, you both seem like really nice girls," Marco said.

"Things change, had you met me a year ago, I probably would have been disgusted to be in your presence," Amity said. "That's a horrible thing to say, isn't it?"

"It is, but it doesn't matter, because that's not who you are now," Marco said. "No one's perfect after all, we all make mistakes. What matters is learning and growing from those mistakes. It's great that you met Luz, it helped you become better, and I bet it's been an improvement in your life."

"Yeah, it has been," Amity said. "Not an easy start of course, not just the duel but...there was also the time my older siblings tricked her into reading my diary."

"Oof, that's crossing the line," Marco said.

"Well that's siblings for you, be thankful you're an only child," Marco said.

"Eh, I wouldn't mind having a brother or sister, especially since I'd be the oldest," Marco said. "Not that I would use that power for mischief or anything."

"I should hope so," Amity teased. "By the way, has Star mentioned anything about going to Earth? I really want hope to find my friend Luz."

"Star's preoccupied with finding those two witches you came here with," Marco said. "Plus, I could take you to Earth, but unless I know where your friend lives, I can't really help you."

"Isn't there any way at all?" Amity asked. "I mean, you have those dimensional scissors, can those work in any way?"

"Not without knowing details," Marco said, pulling them out. "To use these things, I have to imagine where I want to go, not necessarily who I want to see."

"Ugh, what a pain," Amity said. "I really should have asked Luz more about her home. Wait, so those scissors can take you to any dimension you can imagine?"

"Yeah, why?" Marco asked.

"Maybe we can rendezvous with Star and...no, that might be risky..." Amity said.

"What would be?" Marco asked.

"I thought about using those scissors to bring Star and maybe some other allies to The Boiling Isles to confront Belos, but the Emperor's really powerful, I don't want to risk leading Star into a trap," Amity said. "Plus it just takes one wrong move and Belos could easily invade this dimension, or worse, he could get those scissors himself and go to Earth."

"Hm, well maybe the first part can work," Marco suggested. "I mean, not to brag, but Star and I have faced evil before, I mean we defeated Toffee."

"The way you made it sound, it's like you barely won, and he was just one person, or lizard," Amity said. "No one truly knows the limits of Belos's power, not even Lilith."

"Hey, you mentioned that Lilith's sister goes to Earth, has she been there?" Marco asked. "Can't she imagine where exactly to go?"

Amity's eyes widened in realization, "Maybe, she said she followed Luz outside the door. If we go and talk to her, maybe she can figure out where Luz is! Oh you're a genius Marco!"

Marco bashfully rubbed his head, "Well I wouldn't say genius."

"Come on, let's hurry to the castle," Amity said, taking Marco by the hand and leading him back to their destination.

Meanwhile with Ludo, the Kappa was still at the mercy of Kikimora, having been bounded to a nearby tree while the woman still tried to figure out the scissors. After apprehending him the previous night, he gave her some 'tips' to help, not that they did much. Kikimora had been up half the night trying to make the scissors work, and by this point, the imp-ish creature was feeling sleep-deprived.

"Keep trying, you almost have it," Ludo taunted.

"Put a lid on it!" Kikimora threatened as she continued trying to use the scissors, getting very exhausted.

"This is a waste of time," Hunter lamented. "Can't you just let me give it a try?"

"No! You keep an eye on our prisoner," Kikimora said, trying to open a portal.

"I couldn't imagine what's taking her so long, I told her exactly what she needed to hear," Ludo said. "To just use her imagination."

"Well maybe she doesn't have much room for imagination," Hunter said, laying against a tree. "And of course I have to stay on the sidelines doing nothing."

"I'm guessing that woman doesn't entirely respect you, does she boy?" Ludo asked.

"More like no respect at all, she's like the annoying babysitter who doesn't let the kid have any fun, probably because she grew up so miserable all the time," Hunter said.

"Yeah, that'll do it," Ludo said.

"So, what's your story? Why were you all the way out here last night?" Hunter asked.

"I just happened to be passing through, I have no home, so I live off the land," Ludo said.

"You're homeless? Well, it's none of my business how that happened, but I am curious, how did a creature such as yourself even get these scissors?" Hunter asked.

"It was an old relic from a days long past," Ludo said. "I actually had an army once, I dreamed of conquering a distant realm, and making a name for myself. If at least to prove to my parents I wasn't some washed-up loser."

"Parent problems?" Hunter asked.

"You could say that," Ludo said.

"Still, I wouldn't have pegged you for a conqueror, maybe a hermit at best," Hunter said.

"Yeah, I know I don't look much, but I've gone against dangerous foes, including Mewman Royalty," Ludo said. "At one point, I had all the magic I needed, I was so close to achieving my goal. Until one of my subordinates betrayed me."

"Wait, you were betrayed?" Hunter asked.

"Yeah, it was lousy, I had this whole awesome plan, I was totally gonna be king, but then Toffee just haaaad to ruin everything!" Ludo said. "He even took over my body once, just when I was back on top he messed things up for me again! Oh I hate that guy so much!"

"Wait, so you knew Toffee?" Hunter asked.

"Yeah why? have you heard of him?" Ludo asked. "Actually I wouldn't be surprised, almost everyone knows Toffee, even in other realms."

"My uncle mentioned him, in fact he told me to come here and find what's left of his army," Hunter said.

"Well good luck with that, pretty sure they're all dead, or retired," Ludo said. "There's a reason he tried taking my guys after all, then Star Butterfly, her mother and her Earth friend defeated him in battle for good. I helped out, especially at the end."

"Hold on, a friend from Earth?" Hunter asked. "You mean to tell me that the Royalty of this world has access to The Human Realm!?"

"Yeah, I've been there a few times myself, I tried taking it over, but I may have been thwarted," Ludo said.

"This is amazing, I can't wait to tell my Uncle! He'll be so happy!" Hunter shouted in glee.

"Who is your uncle anyway?" Ludo asked.

"Emperor Belos, ruler of The Boiling Isles," Hunter explained.

"Your uncle's Royalty? Guess that sort of makes you a Prince," Ludo said.

"Well, not exactly..." Hunter said, then noticed that Kikimora collapsed. "Oh no."

"Huh, looks like she finally wore herself out," Ludo said as Hunter checked on her.

Hunter checked over the imp, she was fine, but very exhausted, "She's gonna need a good long rest."

"Well, what will you do now then?" Ludo asked.

Hunter picked up the pair of scissors, glaring intently at them, "I need to figure out how these things work. Though it would help if you were a bit less vague."

"Use your imagination, that's all you need to do, it's not that hard," Ludo said.

"So imagine that these things work or something?" Hunter asked. "How is that gonna help?"

"Hey I didn't make them, I just stole a pair," Ludo said.

Hunter waved the scissors around, almost aimlessly, "If only we were back at the Boiling Isles, my Uncle would know what to do." As he was about to put them away, he noticed that the scissors began tearing the fabric in time and space, "Huh?"

"Looks like you've finally figured it out," Ludo said.

Hunter couldn't believe it, a portal back to The Boiling Isles was there in plain sight, "It...it actually worked? But how?"

"Were you thinking about the place you wanted to go to?" Ludo asked.

"Well, yeah, I thought about the castle," Hunter said.

"That's all you have to do, imagine it! Like what was that lady even doing the last few hours?" Ludo asked.

"Well, like I said, you were vague," Hunter said.

"Oh pish posh," Ludo said. "Well anyway, you got your portal working, now what?"

"Now, I take these scissors to my uncle and he can begin his master plan," Hunter said as he picked up Kikimora. "I should probably get her somewhere so she can rest."

"How considerate of you, considering she doesn't seem to like you much," Ludo said.

Hunter looked down at the imp woman, "Well, I don't like her either, but I would feel weird if I just left her behind. That and if she wakes up and finds out I ditched her, she might try to kill me again."

"Yes well, wait, again?" Ludo asked.

"Long story," Hunter said.

"Well now that you have what you need, can I go now?" Ludo asked.

Hunter focused on Ludo, seeing him still bound up. "Well, I suppose I should set you free...but if I do, you might try to stop me from completing my plans."

"I have no interest in doing so, I mean how would I do it? Who would I tell?" Ludo asked. "The Butterfly Family won't trust me, while I put aside my evil ways for the time being, I am still an enemy to the family. Of course this plan of yours could negatively affect me, and while I could just escape to another realm, I would not appreciate it if it went after some that I care about."

Hunter thought about it a second, trying to consider his options and what seemed fair. He didn't want to leave Ludo like this after all. "If I free you, will stay out of my way?"

"Actually, I'd like to go see your world, I'm quite curious about it," Ludo said.

"My world?" Hunter asked, suspiciously eyeing the Kappa. "Any reason?"

"Oh must you be so suspicious? If you must know, I'm trying to find my own destiny, your world may offer a brand new opportunity for me," Ludo said.

Hunter could somewhat relate to that, wanting to find his own place in the world, or worlds in this case. "Well..."

"I'm basically powerless, I have no army, no magic, I'm more at your mercy than you are mind," Ludo said.

"Then why would you want to accompany me?" Hunter asked.

"Eh, you seem like a nice kid, you kind of remind me of my brother," Ludo said. "Plus, I am gonna want my scissors back eventually."

"Uh, that might be tough, my uncle may need them for a while," Hunter said. "Unless you help us get our own pair."

"If I must," Ludo said. "Well, what are you waiting for then?"

Hunter turned to his Palisman, "Mind freeing him?"

The little bird came to life and did as told, freeing Ludo from the vines that bind him, the little creature feeling somewhat grateful, "Thanks, now, shall we?"

Ludo followed Hunter into his portal and into The Boiling Isles. In spite of what was said before, Ludo was not fully intent on allowing Belos to continue his plan, but he needed a way to stop it, even if it meant trying to befriend Hunter. He sensed some good in the boy, and would rather free him from his Uncle's control than consider him an enemy.

At the castle, Amity and Marco had continued making their way through the halls, hoping to find Lilith with Amity wanting to put Marco's theory to the test.

The two spotted the woman in the Castle Laundry room, chatting with Eclipsa.

"It is sometimes better for me to do my own laundry, I like my clothes a certain way, and some things you just can't explain to a guard," Eclipsa said.

"Yeah I get that, I never did much for myself in the Emperor's Coven, busy schedule after all," Lilith said. "Though once I started living with Edalyn, I had a lot more time on my hands, though I spent a lot of that time trying to relearn magic."

"It's amazing how you can just lose it like that, I mean not unheard of but it's always such a hassle," Eclipsa said.

"Well I'm getting better, in a way I'm learning things that I haven't thought about before," Lilith said. "I'm exploring my creativity. Plus I'll take the life I have now over the Emperor's Coven for sure. I get to be with my sister again, plus there's also her apprentice Luz, that adorable King, and my friend Hooty." Lilith tapped her chin, "I really hope he's not feeling too lonely right now, he wanted to come with me and Amity but he was too emotional and we thought it would compromise the mission. Now he's probably worried about me and Amity, I hope he's not doing anything reckless."

"Oh I'm sure he's fine," Eclipsa said.

Meanwhile in the Boiling Isles.

"I can't find my friends!" Hooty shouted as he rummaged through town, freaking a lot of the citizens out. "Please! Someone help me find my friends!"

This got the attention of Willow and Gus, the two nervously glancing at each other.

"Should we do something?" Gus asked.

"Yeah, we probably should," Willow said.

Back on Mewni, Amity had gotten the attention of the two ladies. "Hey, Lilith! Great news!"

"Amity?" Lilith turned to the young girl. "Oh, did you find something out?"

"We might have," Amity said. "Marco told me something interesting about the scissors and how they work!"

"You're just telling her now, Marco?" Eclipsa asked.

"Well I was gonna just use them myself, I just didn't know where to go," Marco said.

"We do now. Turns out you just have to imagine where you want to go, and then use the scissors!" Amity said. "This is perfect, we can finally find Luz!"

"Amity, that's great but we don't know exactly where Luz is, that's why Marco couldn't do anything before," Lilith said.

"But you know, you went to her realm briefly, didn't you?" Amity asked.

"Huh?" Lilith said. "I mean...yeah, but only for a minute or so."

"Don't you remember anything?" Amity asked. "Like where you ended up?"

"Vaguely," Lilith said. "Look Amity, I don't know if it'll work."

"So your sister hasn't mentioned the hometown to you?" Marco asked. "At all? Like didn't she go there to steal human valuables to sell?"

"I...might have been told, but I can't remember exactly where," Lilith said.

"Can't you at least give it a shot? It may be our only chance to find Luz," Amity said.

"Before you do though, what are the odds that your friend actually ended up in her actual home?" Eclipsa asked. "The portal she made, did it specifically send her back to her hometown?"

"It should have," Amity said. "Where else could she have gone?"

"The human realm is a big place, she could have ended up anywhere," Eclipsa said.

Luz's eyes widened in worry, "Hey, don't say stuff like that, you don't know that for sure!"

"I don't, but we also don't know for sure if she ended up back home," Eclipsa said. "I don't mean to worry you, but Lilith can barely remember where it is you want her to go, even if this does work, you won't know for sure if you failed or not because your friend may not be there regardless."

"It's worth a shot! Better than nothing!" Amity said. "Marco, hand me the scissors."

"Uh, sure," Marco said, pulling them out.

Before he could hand them over, Hekapoo's voice called out. "What do you think you're doing Marco?"

"Huh?" Marco turned to the Keeper of the Scissors, "Hekapoo? Where'd you come from? Why are you here?"

"I'm here for her," Hepapoo said. "As for you though, please do not hand your scissors over to these witches, I entrusted them to you to keep safe, not hand them off to strangers!"

"They're not strangers, Amity's a friend and Lilith is her mentor, we can trust them," Marco said.

"You've only known them for two days, that's not enough to build a friendship," Hekapoo said.

Marco raised his eyebrow, "It didn't take me long to become friends with Star, we bonded almost instantly. Sometimes friendships just happen."

"I can tell you that Luz made her friends pretty fast too," Amity said.

"I don't even know who this Luz girl is, for all I know she's just another gullible human like Marco tends to be," Hekapoo said.

"Hey I'm not gullible!" Marco frustratingly insisted.

"And neither is Luz, so watch your mouth about her!" Amity warned.

"Or what?" Hekapoo asked, getting in Amity's face. "You wanna try your luck against me?"

Amity grumbled in annoyance, very tempted to summon her Abomination to teach Hekapoo some manners.

"Ahem," came the voice of Omnitrax Prime, the beying making his way over alongside Rhombulus. "That's enough Hekapoo, mind your temper."

"Yeah, we came here for a reason," Rhombulus said, gesturing to Eclipsa. "Her."

Hekapoo took a moment to take a breath, "Right." She focused her attention to Eclipsa, "Dark Queen, it's time for your trial."

"Ah, very well, this should be fun," Eclipsa teased. "We shall continue this conversation later Lilith."

"Don't count on it," Rhombulus said. "The moment we find you guilty, it's back in the crystal you go, where you belong!"

"We shall see about that," Eclipsa said, following after both Rhombulus and Omnitrax Prime.

Hekapoo was about to follow but remembered something. "Marco, until we resolve the Eclipsa issue, and figure out this whole Boiling Isles thing, do not do anything reckless with these witches. We have enough to worry about without you trusting some pretty face."

"Come on Hekapoo, you can't mean to tell me that you consider Amity a threat," Marco said. "I mean, she's pretty much stranded here, she's almost like a refugee. She's a really nice girl, and so is Lilith, you can't just assume someone's bad just because you don't know them."

"It's not about assuming anyone's bad, it's about taking precaution," Hekapoo said. "I'm sorry I still don't trust these girls, but when you've been around as long as I have, you learn that trust takes time to build for a reason. I'm sorry if they feel stranded but we cannot afford to take any chances. Everyone's still on edge from all the monsters that work at the castle, including your buddy Buff Frog, who we both know used to work with Ludo and Toffee. Until we're absolutely certain things are safe, you are not to do anything unauthorized!"

Hekapoo left the room, leaving Marco feeling a bit disappointed, and Amity feeling frustrated.

"Wow, they're so pleasant to be around," Amity said. "I really understand Luz more now. Actually I pretty much understand everyone who I've treated like garbage."

"They were created to protect Mewni from invaders, or at least monsters in general," Marco said. "I mean, you're not a monster but they probably see you as one."

"I can easily show them a monster, but it's not worth getting worked up over this," Amity said.

"They'll come around, they have to," Marco said.

"You don't need to worry so much about me, they're annoying but I can take it," Amity said. "I grew up with a judgmental mother who was very controlling about my life, if I can get through that, I think I can endure this."

"Odalia really is quite the mother woman, isn't she?" Lilith joked. "She really wanted you to be the spitting image of her, even down to her hair."

"Your mother has the same hair as you?" Marco asked.

"No, I mean I used to have green hair like her, then my brother and sister dyed it purple," Amity said. "My hair's naturally brown, just for clarification. I just wanted to try purple instead of green, if at least to separate my image from my mother's."

"I was quite surprised to see it change, but you've changed much yourself, so I guess it's fitting," Lilith said. "It's like you're a completely different person."

"So are you, Lilith," Amity said.

Marco looked a bit confused, but also impressed by their apparent growth, "Man, I really want to know what you two were like, kind of wish I was there."

"I can show you, I still got a little spunk in me," Amity said, grinning sinisterly at Marco. "I can make Janna look tame if I wanted to."

"How tame?" Marco nervously asked, taking a step back.

"Come now Amity, you're still getting to know this boy, don't scare him of just yet," Lilith teased.

"I won't," Amity said. "Well anyway, seems like we're still stuck here. It really bothers me, it's been two days, Luz might be in danger and I can't be there to help."

"If Luz is at home, then she should be fine," Lilith said. "The Human World does not have the same threats The Boiling Isles have."

"Yeah, as long as she's not in my hometown, then she should be good," Marco said.

"What's wrong with your hometown?" Amity asked.

"Well, there has been the occasional monster, in fact a lot of monsters know about that place," Marco said. "Granted that slowed down when Toffee was defeated, the only monsters left are actually really nice. One of them is even my school teacher, she's grumpy but not evil. Then there's Oscar, a boy Star had a crush on."

"Oh, was this before she met Tom?" Amity asked.

"Uh...actually, I think she was still dating Tom, or I think they were on break," Marco said. "Those two had a lot of relationship issues, and Tom actually used to hate me since I was a human. But that's in the past and he's cool now, he's actually a good buddy of mine now."

"Really do want to meet this Tom fellow in person soon," Amity said.

"He'll probably stop by, I mean there's a lot of Star's friends you still haven't met," Marco said. "Honestly, I really thought Ponyhead would have stopped by at some point, guess she's busy. Star has had a lot to do lately after all."

"Where is Star?" Amity asked. "I don't think I've seen her today."

"Let's go find her, knowing her she's probably doing a lot of running around," Marco said. "She might need a break. Maybe we can go back to my world and watch a movie or something."

"Huh? I can't go to your world, that Hekapoo girl would flip out," Amity said.

"She said you couldn't use the scissors, if we keep things a secret, I can at least show you my hometown," Marco said. "Plus, maybe we'll get lucky, for all we know this girl is from my hometown, or someone my mom or dad knows may have heard of her family."

"That would be great," Amity said. "Come on, let's go find Star. See you later Lilith."

"Bye you two," Lilith said as they made their way out of the room. "That Marco's a really nice boy, so strange that I've seen two humans who are so much different than I would have expected them to be. That third one however, she leaves a lot to be desired."

As Marco and Amity searched the halls, they eventually spotted Star having a conversation with Buff Frog, the two seemed to be discussing something serious.

The former Ludo henchman took note of the two kids, "Ah, Marco Diaz, and a new girl."

Star turned to face the two teens, "Marco! Amity!"

Marco walked over with Amity beside him, the girl curiously glancing at the frog creature, "Huh, interesting."

"Hello young girl, you must be the witch I have heard about, welcome to Mewnie," Buff Frog said.

"This is a friend of mine," Marco introduced. "I think you'll like her."

"Thanks for the introduction Marco," the teen witch said and focused on Buff Frog. "I'm Amity Blight, nice to meet you."

"I am Yvgeny Bulgolyubov," the monster said. "You may call me 'Buff Frog'."

"Buff Frog works at the castle," Star said. "He's a really good guy and a very loving father."

"Yes, little ones very excitable," Buff Frog said. "So, Amity Blight, how are you liking Mewni?"

"You can just call me 'Amity'," the girl corrected. "And it's nice so far, I haven't been able to explore much, but I can see that corn is really popular."

"Oh yes, corn is really big in Mewnie," Star said.

"Amity's from The Boiling Isles, she's one of their best witches," Marco said. "Very talented girl."

"For the most part," Amity said.

"Well I hope you continue to do well," Buff Frog said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Listen, Mewni is normally nice place, but some folks, don't do well with outsiders. I don't wish to alarm you but-"

"It's fine, I've met people like that already, it doesn't bother me much," Amity said.

"Good, you seem like nice girl, don't let it get you down," Buff Frog said. "Even I sometimes dislike castle, people stare."

"They're just being silly Buff Frog, personally I'm always happy to see you here," Star said.

"It means a lot, you are good person Star Butterfly," Buff Frog said. "If Mewman were more like you, then it would be much easier to work in place like this."

"How long have you been in Mewni?" Amity asked.

"Few months, used to be part of army, I was top spy," Buff Frog said. "Then army kick me out, it was disgraceful. Star Butterfly and family gave me second chance, for that I am grateful. Not bad considering we were once enemies."

"Yeah, we had a lot of battles," Star said.

"It was never personal, I was just following orders," Buff Frog said. "It's no excuse for my actions though, which is why I am happy to earn second chance."

"I've made mistakes in my life too, so I understand what you're going through," Amity said.

"Everyone makes mistakes, what shows good character is learning from mistakes and trying to do better," Buff Frog said.

Star checked her watch, "Oh, I gotta go, Eclipsa's trial is about to start. Time to finally hear her out."

"Eclipsa seems really nice, I can't imagine her being a traitor to Mewni," Marco said. "I hope things get cleared up soon."

"Yeah, me too," Star said. "I mean, I can't say I fully trust her, but I do feel like she should tell her side of the story, it's only fair."

"That, Star Butterfly, is why you will make great Queen someday," Buff Frog said.

"Aw, thanks," Star said, hugging the frog creature. "Well, I should go."

"Wait, should I be there?" Marco asked.

"Sorry, only Mewman Royalty and the Magic High Commision are allowed to attend," Star explained. "Besides, if you come, Amity might have to as well, and I don't think she wants to sit through a boring trial."

"I wouldn't mind," Amity said.

"Well, that's nice, but you still can't come," Star said. "Sorry, not my rules but I gotta follow them."

"We'll be fine, you go on ahead," Marco said.

"I'll let you know what happens," Star said, rushing off.

"This Eclipsa situation sounds serious, I mean being a traitor, getting called 'The Dark Queen'," Amity said. "What could this woman have actually done?"

"Rumor is she fell in love with monster, and that is frowned upon in Mewman society," Buff Frog said.

"Is it really that bad? I mean I hear she's dating a demon, wouldn't they count as monsters?" Amity asked.

"I think it's because he's rich, and technically only half-monster," Marco said. "Still, being rich helps."

"Coming from a girl with a rich family, that's pretty messed up," Amity said. "Not to rag on Mewni, but I feel like there's some corruption within it."

"Yeah, Star thinks so too sometimes," Marco said. "It's one of the reasons she barely likes the Magic High Commission, I mean she's cool with Rhombulus, but everyone else, not so much."

"May I tell you secret?" Buff Frog asked. "It very confidential, I would rather you not tell Star, not yet at least."

"Should I leave?" Amity asked.

"No, you stay if you want," Buff Frog said. "I trust you won't tell Star either."

"Really? I mean, yeah I won't tell her, but you did just meet me," Amity said. "Are you sure you can trust me?"

"Call it hunch, plus you seem nice," Buff Frog said. "Also, if Marco calls you a friend, then that makes you a friend of mine."

"Cool, feeling's mutual," Amity said, offering a reassuring smile.

"Alright good," Buff Frog said. "Truth is, I am considering to leave Mewni."

"Wait, you're what?" Marco asked. "Why? I thought you liked it here."

"I do, but it is difficult working at castle," Buff Frog said. "I still feel like others judge me, it gets uncomfortable."

"But that's not your fault, it's on them if they're being immature about it," Marco said.

"Yeah, he's right, you shouldn't leave because of them," Amity said. "You work here, and if you do a good job and don't cause trouble, that's all that matters. Prove those losers wrong."

"It's not really me that I'm worried about," Buff Frog said. "If it was only me, I would bear it. But, I am worried about my children. I fear what it would be like for them to grow up in a world like this, for them to face judgement over something they cannot change."

"We'll make it work," Marco said. "We can run it by Star. Once the trial is done, you should go and talk to her about this."

"Maybe I will, but for now, it is something I must consider," Buff Frog said.

"Where would you even go?" Amity asked.

"Not sure, there are places I can try," Buff Frog said. "A relative of mine came from a nice place, I think it called Amphibia. Don't know much about it, but I hear it has many great places to live, and very friendly frog people."

"Amphibia huh, that does sound like a nice name," Marco said.

"I must go, farewell Marco, and you too Amity," Buff Frog said, making his leave.

Marco waved good-bye to his friend, "Poor guy, here's hoping things turn out well for him."

"It's terrible," Amity said. "He seems really nice, why does he have to leave because he's different?"

"He won't, we'll do our best to not let that happen," Marco said. "Maybe we can tell Star and-"

"We can't do that, he said he doesn't want us to tell," Amity said. "I'd rather not betray his trust."

"Right...guess all we can do is trust him," Marco said. "Still, Amphibia, what kind of place do you think that is?"

"Can't say for sure, I don't think I've ever heard of it," Amity said.

Marco looked at his scissors, "I wonder..."

Back in Amphibia, the dinner is happening as expected, Sasha and Grime feasting with Anne, Marcy, Luz, Eda, King and The Plantars.

"So...Luz," Sasha began as she munched on her food. "What's life like back home?"

"It's cool, I guess," Luz said. "I was quite the eccentric girl back in school."

"Oh, us too, we once skipped class to go party on a dancing on the rooftop, we were there all day," Sasha said. "Remember that girls?"

"Oh yeah, it was so much fun!" Marcy said. "Why don't we do stuff like that anymore?"

"We got busted remember?" Anne said. "I took the blame and got grounded for a month."

"Oh...yeah, that happened," Sasha said.

"Wait, you took the blame Anne?" Luz asked.

"It's no big deal," Anne said. "I mean, no reason for all of us to get in trouble, I'm fine taking one for the team."

"Huh, you're such a good friend," Luz said, side-glancing at Sasha.

"Uh...how about a joke?" Hop Pop asked. "How many Toads does it take to screw in a Light Bulb?"

"Uh, Mr. Planatar..." Luz said. "I don't think-"

"Hold up Luz, I wanna hear how this ends," Eda said.

"The answer is, none! They end up fighting each other instead!" Hop Pop said, an awkward silence ensuing.

Suddenly Grime began laughing out loud, "Ha! It's so true! Oh I love your sense of humor little frog!"

"Oh thank God," Luz said.

"Alright, how about a game," Anne said, hoping to move on from this awkward moment.

"I got a great game, how about Draws-a-Doodle," Hop Pop suggested.

"Wow, that sounds so dumb that I'm actually interested to see what it is," Eda said.

"It's simple, you draw something, and people guess what it is," Hop Pop said. "It's fun."

"That is fun!" Luz said. "Can I go first?"

"Uh, is that a good idea? Your drawings tend to come to life and cause fire and stuff," Sasha said.

"That's only if I draw a glyph, Sasha," Luz corrected. "And I can choose not to activate it, and I won't because I don't want to hurt my friends."

"Since Luz is a guest, it's only fitting that she goes first," Hop Pop said.

"Thank you Mr. Plantar," Luz said. "Alright, let's set this up."

Within seconds, Luz had taken a card and begun her drawing of what was on it. Truthfully her drawing skills seemed very top notch, she made for quite the artist. She still managed to keep the picture vague to keep it fun, but still clear enough for someone to try their turn, "Anyone want to guess?"

"Uh...it is a dragon?" Grime asked.

Luz shook her head, "No, but it's definitely a creature that flies."

"Flies? Oh, is it a dragonfly?" Grime asked.

"No, not a Dragonfly either," Luz said. "Getting close though."

"Is it a bird?" Polly asked.

"No, a little further away," Luz said.

"Ugh, how can your drawing be so nice yet so confusing!?" Sprig asked. "Is it a beetle? A bee? A lady-bug? A-"

"Hey, no rapid-fire guesses!" Sasha demanded.

"Easy Sasha, Sprig just gets excited," Anne said.

"Yeah, I just get easily excited," Sprig sassed, much to Sasha's annoyance.

"Anne, want to try a guess?" Luz asked. "How about you Marcy?"

Sasha carefully examined the picture, trying to deduct what it could be, "Hm, she said it was close when Grime said Dragonfly, and further away when that little tadpole said bird. Seems like it's leaning more towards insects...I got it! A butterfly!"

"Huh, that's actually correct," Luz said.

"BOOM!" Sasha cheered, then turned to Sprig. "In your froggy face!"

"Sasha, chill" Anne said.

"Right, sorry, now since I was RIGHT!" Sasha glared at Sprig as she said that. "I will take my turn."

"Floor's all yours Sasha," Luz said, taking a seat while still side-eyeing the girl.

Sasha grabbed her card and drew her picture, one she deemed very simple. "Alright, go for it."

"Hm...looks easy enough," Luz said. "Kind of looks like a smoking chimney-"

"I know! It's Toad Tower exploding!" Sprig said, this getting an unhappy reaction from Sasha.

"Huh?" Luz asked.

"Oh God..." Anne remarked.

"Yeah I see it, there's us blowing it to smithereens and making the toads flee!" Polly said.

"And Anne choosing us over Sasha," Hop Pop said.

"And there's Sasha falling to her apparent demise," Sprig finished.

Sasha started to lose her temper, "Are you serious!? It's a tree! How stupid are you frogs!?"

"Ah-ah, no talksies while you drawsies," Hop Pop playfully scolded.

"Ugh!" Sasha picked the portrait up and tossed it against the wall, snapping it in half.

"Sasha! What's wrong with you!?" Anne shouted.

"Are you serious!? Your Frog Family's ganging up on me!" Sasha shouted.

"Well you did try to kill them!" Anne said.

"One time! I tried to kill them one time!" Sasha said.

"That's still pretty bad," Luz said.

"Oh will you mind your own damn business! Like who the hell even asked you new girl!" Sasha shouted.

"Cuidado Chica, you do not want to give me that tone!" Luz warned.

"Girls, please don't fight," Marcy said. "Let's talk this out."

"Stay out of it!" Luz and Sasha warned.

"Luz! Sasha! I know there's tension but please talk this out rationally, don't get into a fight," Anne pleaded.

"Someone needs to tell her off Anne, she clearly has a bad attitude," Luz said.

"I know she's a pain Luz," Anne said. "But Sasha's-"

"Oh sure, take the new girl's side, I've only known you for what? Pretty much all your life!?" Sasha shouted.

"I know Sasha," Anne said. "But you need to-"

"Don't you raise your voice to her! Anne's a good friend! She don't need some tyrant like you talking down to her!" Luz warned.

"Oh that's it, you want to throw down girl!?" Sasha shouted, cracking her knuckles.

"Uh, I hate to interrupt, hey is there something wrong with that blanket?" Eda said, gesturing to a cage.

Grime turned to the cage, "Oh, that must be the hornets. It's part of a new game I was planning on-" Luz grabbed her fire glyph and immediately destroyed the cage, with the hornets inside, surprising everyone and disappointing Grime. "Well, that was a let down."

Luz took a breath and made her way to the door, "I need some air."

"Luz!" Anne called, then angrily turned to Sasha. "What is with you?"

"She started it!" Sasha shouted.

"She's just trying to be a friend, she didn't have many friends back home," Anne said.

"Well now we know why, she's a total pain in the butt!" Sasha said. "Freaking witch wannabe, she's probably just some nerdy kid with a dream that will never be fulfilled."

"Alright, this is getting on my nerves a bit," Eda said. "Sasha, I like you and all, but if I were you, I'd watch how you talk about Luz. She's not perfect but she at least tries to be a decent human being. I don't know your whole history but it sounds like you have a lot of crap to work out."

"Fine, whatever," Sasha said, going to sit in a corner. "Stupid game's over, I'm done."

"Sasha..." Anne said in annoyance.

"You talk to her, I'm gonna go find Luz," Marcy said.

"Good idea," Anne said.

Marcy made her way outside, hoping to find the witch in training. "Luz!? Luz!"

"I'm here!" Luz said, the girl standing near the garden. "Mr. Plantar has a really nice looking crop."

"Luz, I'm sorry about Sasha," Marcy said. "She's really not so bad, it's just-"

"Not so bad?" Luz asked. "You know, that's all I keep hearing, that 'She's not so bad'. Like what is 'Not so bad'? She clearly has issues that no one wants to address. I mean I know she's your friend but that doesn't mean you should tolerate her nonsense, you and Anne deserve so much better than that."

"Luz, it's just...it's a bit more complicated than that," Marcy said. "Understand that we would not have been friends with Sasha as long as we have if she was really a terrible person. She's going through some stuff and she needs us to be there, even in the bad times. Sasha cares about us, she's just not good at showing it."

"How can it be that hard? I've only known Anne for two days and I already like her a lot," Luz said. "I've known you for only a day, and you're already one of my favorite people. I've seen a girl change for the better in only a few weeks, and it sounds like you three have been friends for years. The girl I knew changed once she understood true friendship, if Sasha sees you and Anne as good friends, why hasn't she changed?"

"I...can't be sure," Marcy said. "I just can't imagine life without Anne and Sasha in it, it's why I...why I'm kind of glad we found Amphibia, to continue those adventures, and to never be apart. I mean, you understand that right? You love adventure too, and you know that adventures are better with friends."

"Yeah, I know that, but...Sasha's already done terrible things here, how can you be so sure she won't do it again?" Luz asked.

"I trust her, that's why," Marcy said. "Look, we're not going to rush this, if you still need time to warm up to Sasha, that's alright with me. I just need you to really work with me on this. Please, I really want you to be our friend too, our trio can be a quartet, and we can continue our adventures forever as friends."

"That's nice of you, it may be hard for us to continue adventuring together much longer," Luz said. "Once we go home, you're returning to Los Angeles and I'm going back to Connecticut. But I guess video chats are an option."

"Right, or we'll get lucky," Marcy said, thinking things over.

"Well, I suppose I should be the bigger person and apologize, if to make you and Anne happy," Luz said.

"That would be great, and I promise things will get better," Marcy said. "It's just gonna take some time."

"I hope they get better," Luz said. Within seconds, Marcy had walked over and hugged Luz, surprising the girl.

"Just because I think you could use a hug, and so you know that you truly have friends," Marcy said.

"Well, I do on The Boiling Isles," Luz said, returning the hug, "But human friends are nice too."

As this was going on, back in the Boiling Isles, Hunter and Ludo had finally arrived at Belos's castle with Kikimora in tow.

"Uncle, we're here."