Eda drank another bottle of apple blood. Why did she have to build such a tolerance to the point she could no longer feel the buzz? She just wanted to drown out the pain of losing Lucci. Was that too much to ask if life wasn't even going to let her keep her kid? "Eda …" King's voice called out. "Luz started another fire!"
"On it …" King, the main reason she hadn't immediately snapped and tried to destroy every Emperor Coven Scout that ever lived. He still needed her to keep him safe and fed …
"Put out, put out!" And the second reason … Luz … a kid around Lucci's age, wanting to learn everything from her … it might have been life giving her a second chance to not screw up having a kid. And said kid was currently trying and failing to cook food.
Eda created a spell circle, dousing the flames. "Kid, if you wanted food, you just needed to ask." She ruffled the girl's head as she drank another dose of apple blood.
"I know, I know; it's just well I know you don't get out much now, and I wanted to surprise you, for feeding me and teaching me."
"Get out much?" Eda chuckled. "I get out every day to steal for this family."
"Larceny Is the best!" King cheered. "But she has a point. You haven't been on a heist…a big one at least..in months. Owlbert does most of the stealing now."
"Hoot." She's working up to it, give her time.
"Alright alright, I hear your complaints." She shook her head. "Tell you what. We'll try one tomorrow. I can bring in these big guns." She flexed her muscles. "Luz can try out some more paper magic."
"Experimentation!"
"And King can be his adorable little self."
"I will suffocate one and all with my fluffy fur!" The little guy cheered.
"Yay! Happy times!" Hooty cheered out. "It almost makes me forget all about Lucci running away!" …and the bird tube killed the mood.
"Hooty, you idiot!" King threw a knife at Hooty's face. "Lucci didn't run away, he's just.,,busy with something we don't know about.
"I'm blind!" The bird screamed.
"Yeah … busy …" She ruffled King's head. He didn't need to know the full truth. "I'm gonna make us food then rest for the night. We can have our fun adventure tomorrow, alright?"
"Right.." Luz looked off to the side awkwardly. "So….I've been meaning to ask this for a while… but… who's Lucci?"
"... My son." She answered. "He … vanished about two months before you got here Luz." Eda did her best to ignore the tears welling up. "I sent him out on a simple robbery, nothing we haven't done a million times before…but…he never came back." She spent days trying to find him … only to learn he and the other two bitches he used to hang out with left and vanished without a trace … gone. Until Luz came, solely by accident because Eda refused to get off the couch for anything and Owlbert was grabbing her food, she essentially…gave up.
Nothing mattered anymore. Her magic, her curse, the emperor and his gang of goons, her naggy sister….nothing matter at all. Maybe it was the universe's way of slapping her for kidnapping a baby from the human realm. She didn't deserve happiness. All would fade away in the end into nothingness.
Shut it Eda. Focus, your kids were hungry and needed you to cook. So get off your sorry but and fix it before they go the way of Lucci. "Enough about that, let's get some food in your stomachs. Humans like spiders and eggs, right?"
"... Yep." The girl nodded very slowly.
Eda cracked her neck, ready to cook … and heard a knocking at the door. "Gah, King, grab my gutting blade. I warned those telemarketers one too many times already."
"Okay, but wash it before you use it to cut up the vegetables. Last time I got tetanus because you didn't."
"Yeah yeah." She rolled her eyes as she went to the door. "For the last time, I will not pay for a condo, and you can kiss my …" Eda stopped talking, staring at the sight in front of her.
Lucci … her baby…. Lucci stood there, wearing rags, mud, and a leaf in his hair, next to some frog demons. "Hey mom..I'm home."
"King … please tell me I'm not hallucinating."
"If you are, then we're sharing the same delusion." King said, looking just as agape as her with his mouth wide open. "Lucci…is it really you?"
"Yeah bro…I…I got a little lost." Her baby boy chuckled. "It's a long, long, LONG story and I don't expect you to fully believe me or not be mad-"
"Shut up and hug your mama!" She tackled the boy and squeezed him harder than she's ever squeezed anyone, just to make absolutely sure this was real and that her boy would never leave her again. "Luccccccccccciiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!" She didn't care how much she was crying right now; this was the best day of her life officially; second only to the day she brought this little scamp home.
"Bones …." He cried out.
"Luuuuccciiii!!" King tackled his face.
"Air …."
"Lucci!" Hooty wrapped around them, squeezing him tightly.
"Organs …"
"Aw, I want to be a part of the love fest too!" Luz jumped into the pile.
"Soul….Everything….blurry….giant koala….smirking…."
"Dog pile!" A tadpole with legs jumped on them, causing the group to tumble to the floor.
Eda ruffled his head. "I'm so glad your back, you had me so worried, I thought you were … I thought you were …"
"Dead." The pink frog demon stated bluntly. "Trust us, there were like a dozen times where we thought the same thing. Buried alive, eaten alive, drowned, all of them he survived. Kind of came to a point where we almost became numb to it."
"The closest we've gotten to genuine worry lately was when he lost his leg." The tadpole said.
"He lost his WHAAAAT!?" Eda squeezed her boy again, inspecting him over…and seeing that indeed…his right leg was gone.
"Wow, now if you lose the other three, we can be no limb buddies!" Hooty screamed.
"Ah! Door demon! The nightmares have come true!" The old orange frog screamed.
"Lucci, what the hell happened!?" She asked him, ignoring the screaming.
"Well … I stole a box that took me, Willow, and Amity to a world of frog people … not gonna doubt you about humans being real anymore."
"Cool, because I'm human." Luz spoke up. "Sorry, don't mean to interrupt, continue your isekai story."
"I … who are you?" The boy asked.
"Luz Noceda, student of Eda the Owl Lady." She smiled, patting him on the back.
Lucci blinked up at her. "Since when do you get students?"
"Since you vanished and she got lonely and in need of a replacement." … They all turned to Hooty. "What, tell me what I'm saying isn't true?"
"Hooty, I will RIP OUT YOUR TONGUE!" King got the jump on the bird demon.
"Lucci, I know…I wasn't.."
"It's fine mom, the last thing I would've wanted was for you to be miserable." Her son nodded, turning to Luz. "I trust that you've fully accepted the Clawthorne motto?
"Which one? 'Stealing is sharing without asking', 'everything's legal without cops around', or 'cannibalism is acceptable in dire situations'? Because I got two out of three of those down."
"Close enough." He chuckled. "Now where was I … right. Anyway, after wandering the woods for a bit, I was taken care of thanks to the Planters."
"Thank you frog demons." She smiled, reaching over and hugging them. "I could never repay you."
"You can certainly try." The round one said with a wry smirk.
"... Are you flirting with my mom?"
"What, no, she's like Hop Pop's age! Gross!" The tadpole gagged. "I was going to milk her gratefulness and take whatever she has in her wallet."
"Heh, I'm glad you found people that have their priorities in order." Eda chuckled. "Now come on, I'm going to make everyone food, sleep with my kids for the night, then ground Lucci for making me worry for three months."
"Okay, not going to fault you for being mad, but…we kind of have a situation." Her son chuckled. "You see...that world I said I traveled to…..turns out it's run by an evil Newt king named Andrus who's entire family is about conquering other worlds and he is most DEFINITELY going to come here because when I traveled there, I absorbed the power of the magic box I stole."
"... Weren't you already overpowered enough?" King asked.
"Hey, I tried giving power, it overloads my head with … everything." Lucci grimaced. "So yeah….we need a way to get the Planters home and stop Andrius before he destroys the world."
"Overarching plot!" Luz cheered excitedly. "I was afraid I didn't have an end goal for my own isekai journey. I mean, curing Eda's seemed like one, but the stakes just jumped dramatically!"
"Curing Eda?" Lucci asked. "What happened while I was gone?" Ah … right.
"You see Lucci …" She nervously chuckled. "I maybe … sort have … been infected with a curse that turns me into a rampaging Owl Monster ever since I was a teenager with no lead on who did it."
There was a moment of silence. "You can not blame me for hiding the box anymore if your mother does this on the regular." The elderly frog stated.
"In her defense, I expect her to lie to me." Her boy sighed. "Let's get everything out in the clear over dinner. You have extra spiders and millipedes on stand by?"
"What kind of witch do you think I am….of course I do!" She smirked. "Hope you frogs love stir fry flies."
"You mean for once we'll be eating actual GOOD cooking?" The pink frog jumped for joy. "HOORAY!"
"Hey!" What a lovely looking family. No wonder Lucci got along with them.
========================================================================
Willow cut the frobonoid in half. "WHO WANTS SOME!?" She screamed at the robot army, rushing forward as she cut machine after machine. "BRING IT ON YOU SORRY EXCUSES OF CREATION!" Even since she saw Amity getting stabbed and Lucci getting away…she's just been….hacking away at everything. Time was going by in a blur for her, she was barely registering what was going around them.
All she knew was that Grime stopped them from getting overwhelmed and moved the two of them to Wartwood to hide out. Robots showed up and she cut them. Then they showed up again and she cut them. Cutting stuck around, it was something she could focus on, something she had to focus on.
Willow raised her hand, sending a tree into a robot beetle trying to sneak up behind her. "YOU THINK YOU CAN STAB ME IN THE BACK!? I'LL STAB YOU RIGHT BACK!" She sent several vines into hit, ripping it apart piece by piece. "COME AT ME, ALL OF YOU! COME ON YOU SOULLESS HUNKS OF METAL! GET A PIECE OF ME!"
She continued hacking them again and again and again and again and again and again and-
"Willow … we have to talk about your problems." Grime, when did he arrive on the battlefield? Didn't he have a hurt leg he was nursing?
"I don't have any problems, Grime." She growled.
"So it's perfectly normal to stab a dead robot for a whole hour?" Willow blinked, gazing down at the scrap metal on the ground.
"Oh …" When did the battle end? "Well…who knows how robots work. You can never destroy something too much."
"I know you don't believe that for a fact. Your whole deal is about growing and life, not destruction…mindless destruction at least." He groaned
"It's not mindless. Andrias wants to turn this planet into a husk … along with his crown?" She muttered. "Did we ever figure out what that meant?"
"Honestly I half thought that was just your friend speaking gibberish." Fair point. "But there's a time for fighting, and there's a time to actually think. All you've been doing is fighting frobots aimlessly for the past forty eight hours."
"It's not aimless, it's cutting down Andrius's forces." She countered. "Besides, you're the one who's supposed to be looking for the remnants of the toad army." Any survivors of that initial laser at least.
"I would, but I can't do anything while my top lieutenant is running herself into the ground on her guilt complex." He argued.
"Well, why shouldn't I feel guilty?! We should've used that freaking box to go home when we had the chance, but no, I insisted we waited, distracted everyone while Andrius prepared…"
"To be fair, they were going to give the box to Andrius anyway. That was loose-loose on either occasion."
"-Oh, and there's the fact Amity, the girl I can barely think straight about, was LITERALLY backstabbed, and is now probably dead!" She pounded her head. "She was the one actually happy, it should've been me!"
"So you've gone from blaming everything on Lucifer, to blaming it all on Amity…to blaming yourself." He pointed out.
"Well why shouldn't I!?" She shouted. "I didn't think Amity was lying and I ditched Lucci cause I didn't trust him! LAW breaking apart is actually my fault!" It could have been so different had she trusted them. "We were supposed to be friends…best friends….and….and I ruined it." She sighed. "So why shouldn't I be throwing everything I can into breaking Andrius fucking empire down?!"
"I'm not saying you shouldn't. What I'm saying is that you can't keep fighting forever without some rest. You're on the verge of collapsing."
"I am perfectly aware of my surroundings, Grime." She argued.
"Ms Sundew has been putting you to bed for the last hour." Willow blinked, looking down to see she was in a bed with a cup of coco in her hand.
"How the heck-we were just on the battlefield."
"No, you collapsed forty five minutes ago. Everything you've been fighting has been a hallucination." The newt lady explained to her as she placed an ice pack over her head. "My house is full of holes now."
"Oh…ah….sorry.." She winced.
"No need. Quite frankly the town is reluctant to trust you after the toad tower incident." Ms. Sundew told her. "But we also know that Lucci and the Planter are going to find some way back here. So until that day happens, work WITH us."
"I … yeah …" She groaned, taking a sip of her drink. "... Sitting down sucks."
"You've been saying that ever since I've gotten into beetle fighting." Grime grumbled. "We're going to fight out way out of this, just don't kill yourself before that happens."
"...Alright." For Lucci….for Amity….she would live to see Andrius taken down.
========================================================================
Celine hummed as she carried a bag of rations with her. Every day the world was closer and closer to the event that would end it, so she needed to double down on her bunker. The day of unity was only a couple months away, and soon every witch she'd known would die in a brutal and agonizing fashion.
Oh how often she tried back in her more naive days to prevent it. Tell her parents, riot in the streets, start large scale conspiracies and eventually her own cult….all of it failed sadly. Too many of the members thought ritual blood sacrifice was the answer.
No matter what path she took, it was inevitable and finite … So why bother trying to stop it? Why not make a way to survive the inevitable doom of all things? Thus, Celine focused on building a bunker to survive to the end of her days. Sure it meant spending decades alone with no friends, no family, no love…just her and her thoughts…all alone.
The pain of isolation would be much more easier to manage than the pain of agonizing magic drain. Some would call her a coward…and they would be one hundred percent right. Celine the Moon girl was a coward, a coward that was smart enough to know this was the only way to survive.
"Oh stop being down." Casper waved off. "You'll have me, remember?"
"Yes, of course, how could my sanity ever snap talking to you?" She asked sarcastically. Then again, insanity was probably going to be the only way she wouldn't kill herself after a year of isolation.
"If it bums you out that match, you could try to find at least one person to take down to the bunker. You got enough supplies to last you two hundred years. You can afford at least one person."
"Like choosing which parent to save?" She asked.
"Or a boyfriend." He smirked.
"Do you want me to exercise you today?" She threatened.
"Sorry…it could be a girlfriend too. Or whatever exists between that."
"Could…you…could you not today?" She groaned. "I don't even have any living friends, how would I even begin to navigate romance, let alone fall in love fast enough to find someone I'd want to spend eighty years in a bunker with?"
Boom
She turned to see a small furry thing land next to her. "Why must I be so small." The black thing groaned out.
"Because you're adorable! Just like Polly!" A round eared girl shouted, carrying a small tadpole demon.
"Let me go, I can run for my life on my own! I've got legs!" The tadpole demon girl shouted. "I've fought robot frogs before, I can take him!"
Okay….she didn't see this coming-what kind of frogs now?"
"HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!" A cackly, psychotic voice came up from above her, showing off what looked like a frog made out of metal, with long and sharp looking arms…and eyes that just oozed with sadism.
"How did you fight an army of these!" The owl lady shouted, blasting balls of fire at the machine.
"Guts and grit!" A pink frog shouted, aiming a slingshot at the metal thing's eyes.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" It cackled … before vanishing into thin air.
"It can teleport!?" The round eared girl screamed, before the air itself seemed to punch her.
"Not teleport, just invisible!" The round tadpole said as they jumped into the air. "Damn it, off all the times to lose frobo! Bird lady, tell me you have super amazing spells to fight this!?"
"I would if I knew where to hit it-ooof!" The owl lady was knocked down, her head coming off.
"AHHH! Lucci's mom is dead!" The pink frog screamed.
"Come on body, this way!" The woman called out.
"Lucci's mom is a zombie!" An old frog screamed.
"Nah, this is just what happens when women get old!" Was it….she was mildly concerned about her body if that was the case. "Look out! I think it's going for a laser!"
"Not a problem, ice glyph, do your thing!" The human girl placed a piece of paper on the ground, and made the robot frog fly up in the air with a pillar of ice….making the frog come down crashing on Celene.
"So this is how I die…" Celiene could move…but it wouldn't change anything. Her life didn't matter in the long run. Why did she deserve to outlive everyone else?
Dink
A pink shield blocked the frog, slamming it into a wall. "Score one for Clawthorne!" Shouted the Owl Lady's son … who for some reason had a peg leg and eyepatch.
"Lucci, no offense, but you're going a bit too hard with the pirate look." The pink frog told the boy. "Lose the eyepatch."
"Aww come on, if I have the peg leg shouldn't I match it?" He asked. "I already had to ditch the bicorn and the bandana! And King still refuses to be my parrot."
"I am not a bird, no matter how many crackers you offer me!" The furry creature shouted. "Also, it completely messes with your depth perception. You only pinned the robot's arm."
"I only did what now?"
"HEHEHEHEHE!" The robot cackled as its free arm stretched forward and punched the boy in the face, before it went invisible again.
"Okay … if we start singing sea shantys, I'll drop the eyepatch." The kid groaned as he got up. This was so…unexpected. This variety of variables…they shouldn't be possible. So much of it was new, unexplained, and unexpected. What did this mean, why kind of future was to be seen heading towards-
"BWAA!" In the midst of her rant, Celine found herself wrapped around one of the metal arms, being held up high.
"Oh no, we've got a hostage situation going on!" The human exclaimed. "Eda, you good now?"
"Not really, my hands got cut off, I can't grab anything!"
"Wait, why are we caring about a hostage none of us know?" The small furry thing asked. "I thought Eda taught us how to not be empathetic in situations like this."
"Wait what?" The pink frog froze. "I mean, I know Lucci was a bit hard to reach emotionally when we first met, but I thought all those 'mama taught me to close off' talks were exaggerations."
"We're criminals in a world that is pretty fine with violence, kid." The Owl Lady groaned. "In fact, that four year old is buying a poisoned apple."
"Here you go, little girly." An elderly woman smiled, handing a perfectly normal looking fruit.
"Thank you Mr Makara. Now I can poison my enemies!" Ah, ambitious kid. Cute.
"So we're fine with blowing up the robot along with the girl?" The tadpole questioned as she held up a stick of dynamite. "Because I got a few fireworks I need to use."
So THIS was how she died. She could get out of the predicament, and anybody who could save her absolutely didn't care about her… maybe the Boiling Isles deserved to die…. maybe everyone deserved to die…
"No." Everyone turned to see the Owl Lady's son get up, and a fiery purple glow covering his body. "I am not…. letting Adrius… take… another… life….ever…again!"
"Wha-" The boy was gone. "Does-" The arm grabbing her was no longer attached. "That …" And then she could see the robot obliterated out of the corner of her eyes.
BOOOM BOOM BOOM
In that purple explosion, Ceiline understood everything….The future had changed….drastically. She no longer saw all black at the day of unity…there was no day of unity at all even.
"Why have we been fighting when he could just do that!?" The round eared girl screamed.
"It's…new." The pink frog explained. "That and his head practically explodes every time he uses it, and ends up severely drained."
"Worth it…to stick…" The boy stopped glowing purple, and looked pale….really, really pale. "..It to….Andrius…ugh.." He looked like he was about to gag. "Purple state….still has kinks to work out."
"Purple state?" The furry child asked. "What, was purple skin taken?"
"What else am I going to call a power up that lights me up purple and gives me power beyond imagining?"
"Hyper Mode Lucci?" The round eared girl asked.
"....Fine, I'll reconsider it." He groaned, before turning to her. "You alright?" Her curly haired savior..the changer of fate, reached out his hand to her in concern.
Badump
"Um, I ah…yes you are…I am! Yes, totally, totally fine…" She stammered, blushing as she tried to clear her throat. "Uh…I think…Purple state is a good name."
"See, she thinks so." He pointed out.
"We just met her, we don't know her taste." The little tadpole said. "Or how okay with violence she is."
"I believe this is yours." The old frog brought over an arm to the Owl Lady.
"Nice. You weren't doing anything weird with it, were you?" The owl lady sent a mischievous smirk to the old frog.
"Mom, don't flirt with Hop Pop." Her son groaned. "Weird enough with the whole grandpa/father role he has for me."
"I've already accepted her as my mom." The tadpole shrugged. "Violence and theft makes for a perfect role model for good old Polly!"
Seemed like a weird family….eh, weird in this case was good. "So…" She scratched her face. "My name Celene … you … wouldn't mind … me … hanging out with you … you know … sometime … like … lunch … together?"
"Nah not at all." The round eared girl waved off. "More the merrier."
"I was talking to him." She bluntly responded.
"Well I mean you could join us for family brunch if you want." The boy she assumed was Lucci responded. "You'd have to bring your own contribution to add to the mix though. Criminals, tight on money."
"No problem!" She responded a little too quickly.
"Smoooth."
"Excuse me, I need to go beat up a ghost." Celine smiled as she walked away, feeling happiness in her heart.
========================================================================
"Thanks Eda." Polly said while looking over the blueprints. "I know magic makes your curse act up, but I don't have anyone else to power up abomination magic." Luz didn't know magic, nobody knew what King was, Hooty was too insane for this task, and Lucci constantly caused the stuff to blow up. Maybe the Celeine girl could help once she was done trying to woo Lucci. For a guy with a knack at reading people, he really didn't seem to get the signals.
"Eh, not like I'm using my magic for much anyways nowadays. Least I can do to pay you back for all the help you gave Lucci." The old broad shrugged. "So what's the dealio with abomination magic again?"
"I saw Amity use it back in Amphibia, and from what I saw, it's basically machines made out of ground up corpses. And after seeing those abomatron things around town, that got me thinking about merging frobo…." She held up her busted up friend's head. "..With abominations to get him up and running again."
"Ah, so like necromancy." The woman nodded. "I'd have a book or two on that, but from the sound of it he doesn't actually have a soul."
"... I know you meant that literally and that you're actually concerned, but still, rude." She huffed. "Thankfully, I had how-to videos on hextube to explain everything I need to know." She showed off one of the scroll things Lucci stole for her."
"Welcome back to Abominations for chumps. It's your boy Fildlier, and today we're gonna be working on the backbone and stability of the great gooey beasts!"
"Am I the only one who finds it weird that scrolls and crows are separate?" Luz asked.
"Not really, scrolls have internet access, crows don't. Totally different thing." Lucci said as he scrolled through his own. "Doesn't look like too much around here changed while I was gone. Emperor's still a dick, Coven heads are still asshats, and Odalia blight is still a bitch to deal with it seems."
"Your language seems to have gotten worse." Eda said, covering King's ears.
"My vocabulary increases every day!" Such a mood.
"I've had to censor myself under Hop Pop's roof for three months and got my leg chopped off, I'm making up for lost time."
"Can we get back to building up Frobo?" Polly asked. "Now, it said that for processing power, it's best to mash up the smartest brains you can get your hands on." That would help the guy think clearly. "Okay, so who's the smartest joker around here we can beat up and take out their brain?"
"Probably the Coven Heads, but those guys are so up the food chain it's gonna take my purple … hyper … name pending state to make an even match." Lucci said after some thought.
"Actually, I happened to have a few pieces lying around." Eda smirked, going through her hair and taking out jars with bits of brain goo in it. "When you went missing, the first thing I did was go on a rampage. Cuttie was number one on the list, so I went full owlbeast and ripped her head apart piece by piece. Then I went to Vitimtir and ripped off his head. Would've gone more down the line, but my dumb sis shoved potion into my mouth before I could go further."
"..." Lucci walked over to a really large paper. "Wow … you crossed off a lot of our enemies while I was gone." Sounds fun.
Polly took the jars and placed them into the pot. "Next we need strong bones and muscles, so he doesn't get destroyed like last time." She looked to Lucci. "So you regenerate, mind if you donate a few pieces of your flesh? It's for science and family." He pointed to his missing leg. "...Riight."
"Wait, how have you survived torn organs and impalement, but a leg being cut off doesn't work?" Sprig asked.
"Well, I've never LOST a whole organ before, or bone for that matter…I guess I can't heal what isn't there anymore."
"You should probably pick up Healing magic and see if that can fix it." Luz suggested.
"Oh sure, pick up the magic of one of my most hated enemies, that's sure to end up well." He rolled his eyes. "Besides, I have healing spit. That pretty much covers anything I would even NEED to know about."
"Your spit, of course! It that helps bodies heal, than with abomination magic, it'll make it stronger…or something…You know what I mean!" She took out a vial of it and began pouring.
"Ah Polly, I wouldn't do that, my powers and abomination magic don't-"
BOOM
"... Mix well." She stared at the smoking pot. "... You good?"
"Yep … just lost the brains we had … so processing." Polly nodded.
"Hey, give it time, Polly." Hop pop patted her head. "From farming to chores, nothing ever came fast and easy."
"I know I know, hard work, yadda, yadda, yadda…I just miss him, you know.." She hugged the head. "Having my own destructive companion that would eliminate my enemies on ever whim…that's a magical bond that only comes once in your life."
"I know the feeling. For me, it's centi." Luz nodded, calling over what looked like a giant centipede.
"Ahhh! Crystal Devil invasion!" Lucci fell off the couch.
"Dude, she's been here all week, how have you not noticed?" King asked.
"I'm still catching up on everything, remember?!" Lucci screamed.
"Oh relax. She's a friendly soul who would never hurt anyone important, isn't that right girl?" Luz asked as she scratched the creature's mane.
"Krrraaaaa." The centipede rubbed itself against her head.
"... This is almost as creepy as that crown." Lucci grabbed his head. "I keep getting voices in my head. I feel so many….emotions. Sadness." He pointed to Polly. "Fear." He pointed to Eda. "Agitation." He pointed to Hop Pop. "Pain." He pointed to the centipede creature. "Ever since I activated Hyper-whatever we're calling it, more voices keep flooding in."
"You can read minds?" Luz asked.
"No..I don't think…I'm feeling more emotions than thought…" He groaned. "Ugh, I hate dealing with oracle magic."
"Isn't that Celine chick an oracle user?" Polly pointed out. "Maybe she has tips to give."
"Maybe …" He sighed. "So, back to square one?"
"Yep … maybe there's a super corpse I can use … like a titan?"
"Good luck finding one of those." King rolled his eyes.
========================================================================
"Come on, we can totally have some fun. Follow me." 'Willow' whispered as she snuck Amity out of the simulated Mansion of Odalia Blight. 'Lucifer' made sure to leave a discarded potion behind, sneaking out behind them.
"Total manipulation of cells undergoing necrosis, fascinating." "It's almost like a machine in its own right, using signals and energy to move around." "The cross compatibility capabilities of the machines we use is very high once we finish bile sack replication."
"Oh Andrias, another failed attempt? Seriously, do you even TRY to put in the effort?" It was disappointing to have a successor like this in charge. It made the years and years of effort feel pointless.
The Core was quite … active. Everyone was divided and working on their tasks. It's been so long since they've gotten to have their fun. Those that enjoyed Amity played around with her fantasies. It was usually just royalty, intelligent hosts with their own outlooks are so FUN and intriguing.Those that enjoyed science worked to build up their army even further. Ever expanding wisdom that would never end and forever grow. Those that enjoyed ruling dictated how it should be done. The pleasure from watching those weaker than them suffer was exhilarating. The Core had never before had such activity buzzing about.
After so many years, progress had finally been made. "Honestly, if it hadn't been for your pitiful sympathy Andrius, we would've retaken all the stones power by now."
"If it wasn't for me those stones wouldn't be charged." They had the nerve to argue back. "And you wouldn't have your latest 'host'."
That is true, we wouldn't have Amity. Such wisdom. "Look, an Oracle show." They watched the girl smile. "Magic that can read the stars and spirits to show off the future."
'Lucifer' scoffed. "Who needs the future to see we're gonna be friends forever.
"Seeing the future? The ability to avoid death no matter what surprise is brought forth." "Combined with the ability to strengthen the biometals with potions, plants, and abominations, true invincibility beyond even our own peak can be reached." "And even then we ignore the power to construct our machines instantly without the need to prepare for time."
"It is true, killing her would have been a mistake." They admitted to the 'king'. But her companion, Lucifer Clawthorne….that was an unforeseen wild card. Whatever he was….they altered the power of the stone to something beyond we've seen.
Even more surprising … they stood before the Core. Entered their mind, saw and confronted them, barging their way towards them.
"Gem, Rock, Diamond." "Fourth Calamity Gem?" "Variables are immense. Probe for Information." We're working on it, let me do it while they're eating ice cream. "Coddler." Hmm … born with rock. Strange powers emanate from it.
Too little information. "And now he runs free in the world we wish to conquer, with a link to the Calamity Box. Because you failed to deal a fatal blow when he was down."
"He's a child, and a rather unambitious one at that. He barely knows how to control his own abilities, let alone the powers of the box." The 'King' countered back. "Eliminating him will be child's play, and then the invasion can truly begin."
"Then do it. Last I checked, we had no report on his death." It was annoying when stuff like this happened.
"Come on Amity, we can totally do this." 'Willow' handed a balloon filled with acid to the girl. "People never change. And those like Boscha absolutely deserve it." Give into the violence … give in …
========================================================================
Lilith's time had been rather….hectic lately. Between serving the Emperor personally, dealing with her sister's depression, her nephew's sudden disappearance, her own student's disappearance, her general problems with her mother, she was hardly given a moment to breathe in all the madness. That's why when times were tough, she was grateful she got to spend her one day off a year at her old workplace…the Boiling Isles Archival records and museum. Sure, the chances of running into Flora soured her mood, but she could easily look past it for one day.
Especially on a day like today. A new uncovered artifact, one of ancient witches conversing with frog demons … which wasn't unusual by any means, but the date was older than most assumed those relations first started. Truly fascinating study! "It almost seems like a box … how peculiar." Why would a box be in place of worship? Did they believe it to contain a deity? Was it some ancient tome of unstable power? What could it possibly mean!?
"Oooh, ancient demon history! Soo cool!" Lilith heard the voice of an excitable girl as she turned around, seeing what looked like that human Eda had most likely kidnapped to replace Lucifer in her grief.
"Luz?" She asked.
"Lilith!?" They jumped. "What are you doing here!? I haven't seen you since the Convention."
"It's my day off, I'm studying this latest find." She smiled, looking over the vase. "I didn't know you had an interest in ancient archaeology."
"Normally I don't, but we're talking about witch history here, something I am always down for learning more about." For the most part, Lilith left Eda to her own nowadays, not pressing the Emperor's Coven too much. Edalyn was in grief, and clearly needed the time to sort everything out. And from what she saw, Luz was more or less a better influence on her sister than the other way around. "So what's this one about?"
Lilith decided to indulge her. "It's an exhibit on ancient witches that conversed with frogs." She explained to the girl. "The language is old, so it will take a while to translate, but it seems like they're worshiping a strange box next to the Titan's Skull." Even back then it was sacred ground.
"Talking to frogs you say..." Luz looked at the vase. "Wow, it's so dusty."
"I know, it's just recently been uncovered!" Lilith squeed. "Whatever was in the box, it clearly has power of high importance, enough to be on par with the powers of the titan." No wonder Belos was curious about a particular sighting a while back. "Just imagine, this knowledge from a single vase will take us hundreds of years to decipher!"
KABOOM
"It's official, I officially hate robots more than oracle magic!"
Lilith turned around and saw … "LUCIFER!?" She thought he was dead.
"Lucifer?" The girl asked with surprise.
"Aunt Lily!?" The boy that was somehow alive shouted with surprise.
"AUNT LILY!?" The human exclaimed.
"Wait, you didn't know you were talking to Mom's sister?" Lucifer asked.
"NO! NO I DID NOT!" She shook Lilith. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME BEFORE!?
"You never asked, and I thought it was obvious!" She answered, before turning to her nephew. "I thought you died!" Lilith screamed out in shock. "How … what … Amity, is she … what's …"
"Can it wait until after-"
"Bbbbbzzzz." A swarm of metal fire bees flew through the area as three frog demons rode them and crashed through the walls.
"Don't worry Lucci! We got it covered….almost…sort of!" A pink frog boy exclaimed as he was dragged by the tongue and flung all over the place like a wrecking ball.
"My violent sword isn't doing anything!" A tadpole that reminded her of Edalyn screamed out as she stabbed the machine.
"Why must old age take away my muscles!" An old man screamed.
"Lucifer, what is going on and can it not destroy the museum!?" Lilith screamed.
"If you give us a hand taking out these bots, I'd be MORE than happy to explain!" Her nephew jumped in the air, and smashed one into piece….with the….SINGLE leg that he had.
"WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR LEG!?" She screamed.
"Talkie later, stabbie now!" The human screamed, rushing forward and planting a paper on one of the bots, setting it ablaze. "Aha! Fire glyph! I love you magic!"
Lilith was … beyond lost at the moment … only brought back into sound mind when she saw one of the metal monsters destroy an invaluableskeleton … and, might have been … pushed. "STOP THIS NOW!" She pulled out Mike, swinging him as she sent stone spikes through ever metal monster at once, shutting them down with a growl. "DON'T YOU DARE HARM A SINGLE EXHIBIT HERE!"
"FAWWWWWAAAAAAAAAH!" Her astral raven encompassed the entire area, ensnaring the metal monstrosities and clumping them all together, before smoldering them in one giant metal ball, and throwing it far, far, far into the sky.
"....Damn, Lucci, I think we found a lady that's almost more badass than Eda." The tadpole girl smirked with a very impressed face.
"Well, she is her older sister." Her nephew nodded.
She walked up to him, holding the boy up by a collar. "Explanations, now."
"Okay, okay, just tone down the attitude." He groaned. "So when Mom sent me out to steal a colorful shiny music box, I bumped into Amity and Willow and we got transported to another world just like this one except it's full of frog, Toad, and newt people."
"... You mean like Edalyn's human world door?" She asked. That would fit in with the box, and Belos's interest in it.
"Apparently, I guess. I still haven't used that yet." Probably a good thing. "So I was stuck there for three months being taken in by the Planters, Polly, Sprig, and Hop Pop.." He pointed to the three frog demons. "..and in trying to get back home, I got stuck with one third of the power of the box, as well as finding out about an evil king named Andrius that wants to use it to take over any and every world he can travel to."
That did not sound pleasant. "And … Amity?" The boy flinched, looking away from her. "... Oh …"
"...Anyways….Adrius has been doing everything he can to kill me before he comes to this world. I've been stuck trying to get the Planters back home." He sighed. "If we only knew more about the box, we might figure out what to do next."
"Lucci, that vase has the box on it!" The human exclaimed. "Ancient history information!"
"Sweet, we can just take it and.." The pink frog began to say.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I agree that the situation is dire, but you can't just steal ancient artifacts! They're sacred for a reason!" Lilith exclaimed.
"Aunt Lily…the WORLD is in danger. This is beyond Belos, the Emperor's coven, beyond larceny or whatever crimes I've racked up since coming back here. Figuring out what's on the vase could be the key to unlocking everything!"
"Yes well … I can write it down and study it for later?" … They all stared at her with disappointed looks. "Oh like you'd all understand what it would say without me anyway."
"How about we steal it and then give it to you for study?" Luz suggested. "I know how much it would mean for you to make such an important discovery…one better than any of Flora's."
"Yes … well …" She was very tempted. Very, very tempted. "It wont be eas-"
"Done." Lucifer grinned, lifting it up. "You're talking like this would've been hard for me."
"... I'm starting to see that an alternate dimension hasn't changed your view of crime." She deadpanned.
"He saved the town from economic struggle by feeding the mayor to his pet cat butterfly." The old frog nodded. "A little leniency every now and again for crime can be taken."
========================================================================
Lucci flushed as he looked down at the table. After a month he finally got it drilled into his head … Celine had a crush on him. An actual girl…..an actual PERSON in general liked him as more than just a friend. And it wasn't Maggie!
It was quite the blow to him, even after everyone around him told him it was obvious. Polly pointed out how she always wanted to hang out with just him, which Lucci thought was her being grateful for saving her life. Sprig pointed out the blushing, which Lucci thought was just because of how hot the boiling isles were. Luz pointed out how the ghost always made teasing comments, he pointed out … well, mom.
He was completely out of his depth in what to do here. The only girl he liked was Boscha, and that apparently made Willow not think she could trust him, so obviously he had NO idea what he was doing. Mom wasn't much help, because all her advice lean towards 'check for roofies and carry pepper spray' for a date gone wrong.
Celine though….she was definitely cute, with her crescent shaped head and singular eye. Plus she liked all the crazy stuff he did … or was that just because she had a crush on him … hey, her banter with Casper was funny.
"So … that darn weather." He decided to speak about SOMETHING to just stop the awkward energy in the air, otherwise he'd probably die from stress. How was robbing a bank less tiring than going on a date?
"Oh yeah. Really glad I reinforced my bunker with cooling, otherwise the boiling rain would total it." She nodded …
"Wait, you have a bunker?" He asked. "You believe in the apocalypse too?"
"I see the future dude, I've seen the apocalypse." Celine added in. "Although recent events have made me slightly more hopeful, it never hurts to have one prepared."
"Tell me about it, everyone tells me it's paranoid, but it's just being practical in the best way." Lucci went on. "It's not just for the apocalypse. There's also black outs, gornadoes, wild griffon stampedes, just about a million different scenarios where a bunker is useful for everyday life."
"I know right?! Plus, you can never have enough mummy jerky in storage, or horn polisher, or lion lickers-"
"You like lion lickers too!?" He exclaimed, pounding on the table. "..heh, sorry, just never met someone else who did."
"They're hard to come by here, but I do enjoy the bitter taste." She nodded. "When you see as many bad futures as I do, it makes swallowing bitter truths a little easier." Wow…smart and reasonable. "I've been trying to make my own, but the ingredients are so complex …"
"I got one." He pulled it out of his hair. "I always make sure to store one for emergencies … but they do tend to melt a bit." Lucci chuckled.
"I don't mind. It's better when you can mix both cold and warmth with the right balance." She chuckled cutely. "If only I had hair, it would make storage much easier for on the go travel."
"True, my hair is great, but you don't need it." He smirked, trying out a line…let's see . "I get to see all of your pretty head unobstructed.
"Oh …" She blushed. Wait, did he just flirt and it worked!? YES! Score one for Lucifer! "Well… I've never seen… a criminal as… smooth as you..? Does that work?"
"Yes, yes it does." He blushed. He was smooth…yes! "So … how much do you … know about stuff?" Lucci asked. "Since Oracles can see the future?"
"If it's possible, I can see it. Though I'm a bit weirder than most." She rubbed her head.
"In my book, weird is just another word for amazing." He grinned.
"Right.." He was killing it if all the blushes meant anything. "Most oracles see the future as a straight and narrow path. One timeline that's always marching forward, one future, one outcome." She answered. "I see … an ocean of timelines."
"So you don't just see one end to this date?" He asked, feeling hopeful.
"I see one where we hug as we part ways … one where we kiss under the moonlight …" She winked at him…or blink given it was only one eye. "And one where the date is ruined because you found Luz and Sprig in a bush."
He slowly looked out the window view of their cafe. "….If I ignore that clearly shaking bush, will the chances of this being a successful date go up?"
"Yes, yes they will."
"Alright then." He nodded. "So..how does oracle magic differ from illusion. Both deal with messing with the mind, right?"
"No no no, Oracle is about the soul. Illusions are all mental." She spoke passionately with a brightness in her eye. "Illusion is all about tricks and deception, making others believe what they see and feel is real. Oracle is about bringing out what you have on the inside, showing off the strength of one's spirit." Now this … this was a passion he could get behind.
"Thanks for the clarification, because Ah….believe it or not, I'm actually pretty bad at it."
"Don't take offense, but it's not that hard to believe." Ouch. "Your aura is all chaotic. Your soul is so large that it's intersecting with everything around you." She looked around. "It's like multiple canals being built, possible connections on the emphatic level just ready to be made." She looked at him. "It means you're the type of person who likes to care, even if it's difficult for you to express it."
Great, more 'hero' talk … "Do I seem like a good guy, or a bad guy?" Lucci asked honestly. He needed an outside opinion.
"Having compassion doesn't necessarily make you a good person." She said, making him pause. "Neither does having a sense of apathy make you a bad person. In fact, a lot of nice people I've seen are close sociopaths that'll smile as they rip out your throats."
"Then … what does it mean when I don't care about responsibility?" He asked.
"Honestly….that just makes you a kid. Like every kid that ever existed." The girl put her hands up. "You're capable of doing good, capable of doing bad, but you're also not set in your ways and grown world weary. When people say you're a good person or a hero or something like that, it's more along the lines that they like the person you are, flaws and all. You don't have to internalize it into some kind of complex."
He looked up. "I guess you've got a point …" Lucci smiled. "Thanks Celine."
"No problem Lucci.. though between you and me, you became my hero when you saved me." She moved her hand over his own. "And there's many…rewards shall we say, that I like to give my hero."
"Oh …" He felt himself flush. "I'm a master criminal, you don't have to give me too much." Lucci nervously chuckled.
"Oh … then would you like to steal something on my person?" She asked with a grin. "Unfortunately all I have on me is an annoying crystal ball and my clothes."
"Keep your clothes..!" He squeeked; coughing a fit before clearing his throat. "Well…if you're offering…I guess there's one thing I can steal…" He leaned in close.
"Then go ahead and take it." She smirked, leaning in closer. And …
Crash
They both turned to the scroll that flew against the window. "What was that Sprig!?"
"I was trying to take a picture but something jumped onto the screen and it surprised me!"
"Darn you pop up ads!" Luz slapped her forehead, before noticing them and sweating in nervousness. "I mean…Sprig, you shouldn't be walking and texting at the same time, you'll end up crashing into the most crazy and random of plac-"
"I foresee two futures for you." Celine turned to the intruders. "One where you leave our date in peace, and one where you leave in pieces." She held up her fingers. "Your chance at leaving this injury free fades away in five, four, three…"
They ran away at mach speed. "... Impressive." He nodded. The intimidation was amazing.
"So you two gonna kiss now?" … They turned to a ghost with a scroll in his hand.
"You know, I did figure out in Amphibia how to punch ghosts." He cracked his neck. "Wanna see if I can still do it?"
"Be my guess, my … Crystal." Oh yeah, he was knocking this specter into next Sunday.
========================================================================
Sprig grinned as he flung through the streets. He's seen Luz's shows, he knew that heroes in masks and capes got super popular, so he'd follow suit. As the one and only … Frog Man! "Fear not citizens, help is here!" He stuck out his tongue, pulling a little girl out of the way of some falling logs. "Born from the swamp, drown by the icky muck, one lone boy emerged as something new, something amazing, and he will use his amazing powers to save the world!"
"And...strike a pose!" Luz shouted, using her phoon thing to snap a picture/store a piece of his soul. "Origin story, cool pose, you got all the bases covered Sprig."
"Luz, secret identity, remember?" He reiterated. "No one must know that I'm a frog from another dimension." He spoke in a cool yet ominous voice.
"Are we keeping that a secret? You guys already blend into this world so well already." The girl questioned.
"Because if my identity was revealed, my enemies would go after my friends and family." He spoke dramatically.
"They already do that 'Frog Man'." The girl chuckled. "We're living with a criminal witch, Lucci's pretty infamous already, and those frobot things tend to find us no matter where we are on the isles."
"Which is why I must double my effort to enforce peace and justice across the land." He pointed to the sky dramatically. "Now let me start by saving someone in trouble." Sprig gazed upon the land. "Anyone … in trouble …"
"Hey, that guy stole my wallet!" He watched as Lucci ran away from a mammoth demon.
"Miss me, miss me, now you've gotta … wait, can't say kiss me, now I need a new rhyme." The boy scratched his head. "Hm, what to say, what to say.."
"First crime of the day and I'm already conflicted." Sprig sighed. "I mean, yeah, we shouldn't be stealing, but he's my friend/brother…I thought moral ambiguity didn't come until like, the fourth episode of adventures or something."
"I'd call it off and wait for the next one." Luz patted his head.
"Hey, that girl set fire to my bar!" A witch screamed, chasing after Polly.
"Arson is a girl's best friend!" His sister screamed as she ran away. "I shall now run to set all animals free!"
"... Third time's the charm?" Luz weakly asked.
"Hey, that old married couple set fire to the bank after stealing all the snails!"
"I couldn't help it, snails need to be free, free I say!" Hop Pop shouted as he rode with Eda on her staff. "And we're not married by the way!"
"There's no way this guy can keep a free bird like me down!" The Owl Lady cackled.
"... I should probably put up the mask." His family was the one causing all the crime anyway. "It was silly anyways, wasn't it?"
"It's not your fault, it's just the circumstances of the situation, that's all." Luz patted him on the back. "The world isn't exactly black and white, but the fact you want to be good is very appreciated."
"Well yeah, they looked so cool." He tried to defend his idea. "Masked crusaders against treacherous villains, crazy exploits … and praise." Sprig drooled at the idea of praise.
"Come one, you must've gotten a lot of praise back home."
"Yeah, but only when Lucci came." He sighed. "I thought this would be like, my thing, you know? My time to shine in the spotlight."
"I've been there, believe me." Luz chuckled. "When I first came to this world, I thought I was going to be on this epic adventure where I was destined to save the day."
"That sounds awesome." Sprig nodded.
"And then an Octopus demon flipped the script and told me my dreams were stupid by using them to fuel an illusion in an attempt to catch Eda."
"...Less awesome."
"Yep. Got me to learn to choose myself instead of waiting for greatness to come. You're a frog boy in another dimension, that's already cool. Trust me, something amazing coming your way will happen eventually."
"You think so?" He asked.
"I know so." Luz grinned. "And if I'm wrong, then may the titan strike me down where I stand!" Metal chains popped out of the ground, wrapping around the girl.
"Friend of the Owl Lady." Spoke a boy in a golden mask. "You're under arrest for aiding and abetting a criminal."
"....Titan…what did I do to offend you?" Luz asked with a whimper.
"Hey, what are you doing!?" Sprig exclaimed.
"Apprehending a known accomplice to the most notorious criminal of the isles, eventually lead said criminal into a trap where we'll be able to petrify her." The masked guy said, waving around his staff. "You know, upholding the law?"
"If that's the case, than the law is bupkis!" He exclaimed.
The boy in the mask gasped. "Oh how dare you … like I haven't heard that before." They sounded really sarcastic. "Anyway, I'm grabbing her and bailing. Kay byeeee-!."
"Oh no you don't!" Sprig shot out his tongue and wrapped it around the masked guy, causing him to be dragged along as he flew.
"You don't think things through, do you?" The guy in the mask laughed as he kept flying into buildings, making Sprig crash into several walls. "I'm one of the greatest magic users on the Boiling Isles. You'll need more skill than you have to take me on."
"How's this for skill!" Sprig attached his feet to the side of a building, using the sudden tug on his tongue to slam the guard into a wall.
"Okay….big mistake." The guard began waving his staff…
"Nu uh! No cool staffs for you!" He grabbed the staff by the tongue and brought it to him. "Now I have the magic….if I only knew how to use it!"
"I can still do this!" The guy tackled Sprig, grabbing onto the staff as they both began to tug on it, the red jewel at the end shooting out like crazy. "Let go, you crazy kid!"
"The name … is Frog Man!" Using both his tongue and arms, he pulled it away from the masked guy. "And you….are….toast!" And swung the glowing end right at the enemy, watching as they … froze over. "... Well that ruins the toast quip."
"Who cares about that, you just used magic! And saved my butt!" Luz cheered, picking him up. "You're totally a hero!"
"Not really…he's law enforcement….so maybe…anti-hero?" He questioned.
"Whatever floats your boat … now come on, we've gotta run before he wakes back up." Right … oh, his first arch nemesis, nice.
========================================================================
Andrius carly aimed the latest weapon at Lucifer Clawthorne. The Newt scientist had just come up with a new drone, one he could pilot manually. It was a weapon and toy all in one, perfect! "Easy now, easy …" Had to aim this juuust right, and hopefully the brat would lose another limb before they were aware there was a fight. "And … fire!"
Boink
"Honestly Andrius, you're getting predictable by now." The brat put up a shield as he was forced into a wall.
"Alright, I have to ask, what gave it away?" He asked with a sigh. "Is my cloaking tech malfunctioning or something?"
"Just because I can't see it doesn't mean I can't hear it. Your clunky tinker toys always give off a buzz. Anyone with two brain cells can figure it out."
"One of you is going to the dungeon for this." He told the others. "Well you know what the say. Can't beat them …" He had his moth attach itself to a large statue of 'Belos' filling it with a microscopic swarm as it began to move. "Use their own toys against them."
"That's your plan, make yourself an even bigger, uglier, and more punchable target? Hah!" The boy laughed.
He was about to open his mouth … "That kid got Belos angry!" "His statue is a sign of evil!" "Burn the child!" … Maybe Andrias should have studied this world a bit more if they were that easy to manipulate.
"Yes … citizens of the Boiling Isles … burn Lucifer Clawthorne, rip him and all his loved ones to pieces!" He cackled, shouting his orders.
"The emperor demands it! Kill the boy!" What do you know, these primates WERE useful outside of Amity.
"Using your own enemies and commanding them to fight one another." The Core spoke up. "... Makin papa so proud."
"Oh screw you Andrias!" Clawthoren screamed as he fought other witches.
"You know, I have to ask now…why were you so eager to get back home?" He took his chance to mock the boy seeing as there was time. "These folks clearly have no love for you and vice versa, and you're on top of a rotting corpse. Doesn't exactly inspire warm fuzzy feelings now, does it?"
"Maybe I'd tell you if you weren't an arrogant asshole who couldn't understand friends and family!"
"Oh I understand plenty. Amity understood it too." Andrias sighed. "Friends let you down, you do your best to keep it together, but they either disappoint you or abandon you. You know all about that, don't you Clawthorne? It's why Amity was so easy to manipulate."
"Don't you dare say her NAAAAAME!" The boy bursted out in a purple wave, sending all the witches piling on top of him flying away into buildings, colliding into the statue.
"You know, I'm surprised you're so quick to rely on that power." Andrias smirked. "Then again you're not one to think of the long term, are you." He sent a fist, sending the boy into the ground in a crater. "You claim that you'll save your friends, but all my evidence from Amity and feeds alike show you're nothing but a criminal with bad taste in women."
"One, fuck you, I've changed who I am. Two, what does it say about you that you've tried for months to kill me, and have accomplished squat."
"Heh,'he's gotcha there; Andrias. You have been pretty incompetent."
Ignoring the comment from the Core, he went to focus his frustration on the brat currently standing in his way. "Maybe so, but I am more of a hands-on kind of Newt, and you're hobbling around on a peg leg. Remember how painful it was when I chopped it off?" He laughed. "All that power and you're just hopping around like a one legged moron."
"Maybe all I need is one leg to kick your ass!" The boy hopped in the air and sent a razor blade into the shoulder.
"You know you won't win. One moment you'll sleep, or fall to another criminal, or trip up in another one of my attacks." Andrias grinned. "I have all the time in the world."
"I know I can't do this alone Andrius…but that's why I got something I know you don't understand….MY FAMILY!"
"WHEEEEEEEEH!" The statue was suddenly sent back by a giant soundwave. "Thank you demon puberty!"
"And glyph combos!" Lightning shot at the statue, causing a malfunction in the machine.
"And the good old wrath of a mother's rage seeing her baby being beat up!" Giant concrete pillars shaped like disturbing looking owl heads slammed into him.
"And arson in general!" That psychotic Planter tadpole lit up a bunch of fireworks that were launched into his direction.
"And Frog Man!" The pink Planter shot a slingshot into the optic center.
"EAT THE RICH!" The old planter slammed a giant sack of what he assumed to be coppers into his head.
"Eat specter sucker!" A massive spirit grabbed his machine, crushing it.
"Nice timing guys…especially you my lunar eclipse." Lucifer looked towards a girl with one eye and a crescent shaped head affectionately. "Oh, and three Andrius, I have amazing taste in women. That one eyed beauty currently crushing your latest tin can is my girlfriend, so HAH!"
CRASH
The signal went dead. "You're really not playing this right." The Core rolled their eyes.
"I am." Andrias said. "He's using the power of the Calamity Gems. Which is great, but in need of a recharge. The moment he uses all that up …"
"That's if any of your inane machines can last long enough. You know what's at stake for you….son."
"I know…." He's known for the last thousand years. Get the power back, conquer the boiling isles… and finally…. finally join his father… his family… in the Core.
========================================================================
The last few months have not been….the best for Belos. It all started when he had heard news of an artifact of immense power, an artifact that rivaled even that of the ancient titans, an artifact that could prove to be even more useful than titan's blood….the Calamity Chest. A music box capable of traversing other worlds. Which promptly vanished, likely having warped itself into another world, meaning that he could no longer go to earth.
Then it was the Owl Lady's portal door, an invaluable way back home to finally make himself a hero for all humans after killing off these vile and despicable witches. He had tasked Lilith with bringing her accursed sister in, but for whatever reason, the head of the Emperor's coven had disappeared off the face of the isles for some bizarre reason, which was out of character for the woman, given her belief that he would heal Eda.
So then he sent Hunter out for that task, where he claims to have been defeated by a frog demon … What was the point in raising a boy to kill witches with advanced skill far beyond their age only for them to lose to a child?
It was like this for months and Belos was truly losing his patience… until his scouts discovered something particular… machines that irradiated a particular energy…. machines in the form of frogs… not unlike the frog demons that had been spotted around the Clawthorne family as of late.
So Belos figured that what he desired was there, and ordered both Kikimora and the Golden Guard to actually work with Coven Heads and each other, and retrieve the Owl Lady and frog demons. And gave them a particular warning about failing him again. He had enough setbacks already, and he wouldn't tolerate failure of any kind.
KABOOOOOOOOOOM
Twelve hours after his command, half of Bone's Burrow was set ablaze in a calamitous struggle, one that led right back to his castle, where everything was being blown up piece by piece. He half expected that any second now a Coven Scout would come in and explain to him the problem, or gets thrown into the room along with the perpetrator(s) in question.
"BEEEEEEELLLLLOOOUS!" Instead, he found that his throne room door was being thrown off its hinges as the screams of what appeared to be the Owl Lady's child stormed in, cracking the floor with every step as he marched in. "You….you are going to stop hunting down my friends and family."
" … If you wanted negotiations, it could have been done without the property damage." He noted, standing up. "And believe me or not, I am quite willing to let you all go." They'd die in the long term anyway, what were a few witches and demons running around?
"...Really?"
"For … the Portal Door." He stated. "Or the Calamity Box."
"Uh huh…a supposedly 'all powerful' king of a supposedly peaceful empire wants a way to access other worlds….for completely honest and peaceful reasons I'm sure." The boy sarcastically rolled his eyes.
"It's not a lie. The Titan has no intention to harm any humans." Belos assured.
"Cut the snorseshit Boolus, I know you don't talk to the titan." The brat growled. "All the voices in your head keep shouting in despair and agony…not one of them screams peace."
"Voices …" He tilted his head in confusion. "I think you might be mentally damaged."
"Maybe I am … if I wasn't talking to the brother and killer … of Caleb Wittabane?" They asked in confusion. "Isn't that related to the Philip guy Luz was talking about?" And this child needs to die here and now.
"I see that you're beyond reproach, I will make this as quick as possible." Belos teleported behind him and aimed for the head…only for a flash of pink to make the boy blur out of existence, and slammed him across the hall.
"Seriously, what's in that sick head of yours? It's like trying to dig through a rotting forest." The boy scratched his head. "So many souls crying out in agony…. you've consumed all of them…. devouring … palisman."
"And I take it that bothers you?" He asked, turning the ground into a mouth that ate the child, filling the inside with spikes that would explode when they come into contact with anything.
The ground broke open, as the boy, now glowing pink, glared at him. "What kind of monster are you!?"
"I could ask the same thing. Most witches don't glow pink." And there was something familiar about the shade as well, it was ticking him off. Belos warped to the other edge of the room, turning the walls into hands that would crush the child.
"And most witches don't have a dark, shallow, empty aura such as yours." The child created a spiked bubble around himself, spinning it rapidly and reducing it to rubble, before colliding with Belos, slamming him against another wall. "Jealousy, frustration, irritation, self pity…you're nothing but a whimpering loser on the inside." The brat slammed him into the ground. "Armed with nothing but the delusion that he's a good person."
"Delusion?" He chuckled, forcing the boy to the ceiling, lacing it with ice, and amplifying the gravity in order to crush every bone in that body. "There is no delusion. I'm ridding the world of evil. You're a witch that revels in your wickedness, you could never understand the moral high ground one must have-"
"Moral high ground?! Don't make me laugh, Boolus, I know you don't believe that, because I can see the one thing that's lingering deep down in that shallow hush you call a body … Guilt." The brat snickered. "You killed your brother…and all of this…it's all an elaborate mental exercise for you to justify it…so you can go to bed at night hoping that somehow, someway, you'll forget."
He proceeded to launch the child into another wall, blasting them with every element over and over. "I believe you've overstayed your welcome." Belos charged up multiple combinations of magic into a single orb. "I'm going to kill you, and then I'm going to the Owl house, and taking the portal door and Calamity Chest, and killing your wicked Mother and all that get in my-"
"SHUT…." Belos was grabbed by the neck from an extended…purple limb that was lit up in a fiery lilac flame. "IT!" And was utterly crushedunderneath the strain suddenly being sent through his entire body, his human form being unable to be maintained as he was forced to morph into his more monstrous appearance.
He oozed through the fingers … letting his body grab the staff and shoot forth a black bolt of corrupted lightning at the child. They avoided it with barely any effort. He sent forth multiple blades from the ground, but the Clawthorne moved through them as if dancing. "How …"
"I've seen into your head! You're an open book!" Fingers extended from their hands. "Every sin!" Wrapping around Belos. "Every move!" And slamming him into the wall. "Every trick!" He was mashed over and over again. "You don't care for anything but suiting your own ego! Your rotten little brain … it's nothing compared to the hell I had to witness!" Belos was then contained in a hexagonal purple bubble, and thrown right back into his own throne with a miniature explosion. "A hell that I am trying to keep away from my home, and I will NOT! LET! A PITTABLE!" Massive purple constructs in the shape of hammers repeated beat him into the ground again and again. "Sad! Worthless! PIECES OF SCUM LIKE YOU RUIN EVERYTHING THAT'S ACTUALLY GOOD ABOUT LIFE!"
"You're the one that ruins it!" He jumped forward, grasping the child's neck. "You corrupted my brother! You tainted earth with your filthy ways! You lax in sin and anarchy! YOU ARE A DISGUSTING SPECIES THAT DESERVES NOTHING BUT DEA-!!!"
"I said…to SHUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
Next thing that Belos knew….he woke up…barely able to move….and seeing his entire castle….destroyed…reduced to rubble as if it was never there. "How….How.."
He was grabbed by the neck again, and met with the fire purple fury of the Clawthorne brat…and Belos…for the first time since Rose Quartz….was afraid. "What….what are you?!"
"The son of the Owl Lady, who else?" The brat squeezed him, and he felt his life on the verge of being taken. He could not touch this child...it was as if the Collector had been given physical form. "I will say this again….don't come for my family."
Belos growled in silence. "... Fine." As if he would keep that promise. He just needed to understand how to end this child's life.
The boy spat in his face as he threw him into the ground. "You want to actually do something good? There's an entire invasion from another world trying to come to this one, and when they're done, they'll come for the next one, and the next, and the next. I know you're not a witch, but wherever you come from….you're home will definitely be next on the list."
… Great, even more threats to add on his list. As if that's what he needed right now. The Collector would probably just laugh for hours.
========================================================================
Skara looked over the massive circle. Crazy finding out your best buddy was stuck in another world for three months. Even crazier was that he was trying to get back to what was apparently a world full of frog people and robots. "So … we're going to sing a portal open?" That seemed crazy even by their standards.
"No, hum. It's a melody, not a song." The little furry guy said. "We do not need Lucci singing out his heart and destroying another city for it."
"I did not destroy the city, it was just Belos's castle, and I didn't sing, I just blew it up." Again, crazy. "Aunt Lily, are you certain this is going to work?"
"I'm … somewhat positive." She responded. "The vase I studied showed that how the universe works is by vibration. Different worlds are separated by moving at different frequencies. In practice, using our magic and the melody you heard from the music box should be able to open a portal … but without someone with knowledge of traveling through realms, this is all just theories and speculation."
"Then that's a theory we'll just have to take!" Luz shouted. "Get ready gang, we're going world jumping!"
"We're going back home!" The crazy tadpole Polly jumped for joy on a weird looking cyborg abomination. "I can finally unleash Frobo's true potential and annihilate all my enemies!"
"Hehehehehe." The machine chuckled as abomination muck leaked from its teeth.
"I'll get to see Ivy again!" The pink frog, Sprig, shouted with a blush.
"I'll be able to expand my reign as King of demons across two worlds!" King shouted. "Soon all worlds will bow before me!"
"You think if we overthrow a king we could take a bit of their wealth?" Eda asked the old frog.
"I mean, it's not like coopers will mean much afterwards, so helping ourselves to a little bit shouldn't be too bad …" The old frog thought it over.
"Hop Pop as a thief…I never thought I'd see the day." Lucci chuckled, turning to the moon girl. "I know I can't stop mom and king from coming, but you sure you want to come with? Living in a whole other world can be a bit of a whiplash."
"Yeah I'm down for that." They smiled. "I'd love to see the place that made you as amazing as you are." She cuddled her head into his neck.
Skara watched as she saw her bard buddy and the moon girl blush near each other. "Oh my titan….you're dating!" She squeed in delight. "Thank titan! I thought you would've been alone forever with how hard you pined for Boscha and no one else."
"Oh come on, I didn't pine that hard." Everyone but Luz and the Frogs sent the kid a look. "It wasn't that bad!"
"Dear nephew, my student was associated with her for a long while… she could tell even from a distance how bad it was."
He sighed. "Can we just start the melody?" Her buddy asked. "The whole many-verse is on the line here."
"Sure thing buddy." Skara smirked. "Never took you for the hero type."
"I'm not. I'm just fighting for what I care about." He responded, clearing his throat. "Mmm, hmm, mmm."