Star vs the Forces of Evil: A House Divided Chapter 17 - The Neighbor's House

Ludo watches the party fireworks from the window in his room at the top of the castle, head in hand, with a little smile on his face. He doesn't want to attend the event, but he finds that some shimmering lights always cheer him up. The booms and bangs of the fireworks can be heard in the distance, muffling the sounds of the battle between Jade and Queen Moon below. Ludo has no idea something much bigger than the event is happening beneath him. Suddenly, a hand pops up from below the windowsill to knock on the window. Ludo is startled and falls over. For a second he thought he was about to be burglarized, before a familiar face, surrounded by a black hood, pulls herself up. Jade yells for Ludo and he rushes to the window to open it up and let Jade in.

Ludo: "What in the world are you doing?"

Jade: "I need a place to stay for a little while the heat cools down."

Ludo: "But it's perfectly cool outside."

Jade: "THAT'S NOT... that's not what I mean."

Ludo: "What do you have in that bag?"

Jade: "I was just getting to that, but promise me, you won't tell anyone I'm here."

Ludo: "But I—"

Jade smooshes his cheeks together.

Jade: "Promise me."

Ludo: (Muffled) "Fine, I pwomith."

Jade: "Good."

Suddenly, a large object descends from the ceiling, startled, Jade falls over.

Jade: "What... what's THAT doing here?"

Ludo: "This? This is just my baby."

Ludo coos his Spider.

Ludo: "Who's a good girl? You are."

Jade: "You let her into your room?"

Ludo: "It's okay... my other darling's in here too. Ahem, I said—"

Jade: "Shush."

Ludo: "Bird... get down from the shelf."

The Spider stares at Jade like a piece of unfinished lunch, and Jade looks frightened.

Ludo: "Are you afraid of my little darling? You know, the trick to her heart is through her stomach."

Jade: "You wouldn't..."

Ludo: "Wouldn't what, feed her a delicious bag of Gold N' Crisp potato chips, a delicious snack that is in no way part of a healthy diet?"

Jade: "She eats... potato chips?"

Ludo reaches into the bag.

Ludo: "Try it. Just hold out your hand with the chip and she'll take it from you."

Jade is nervous.

Ludo: "Oh, I get it. You're worried about my girl because of what happened in the cave."

Ludo holds out a bag of chips toward Jade with a smile on his face. She looks at him, and then Spider, nervously.

Ludo: "All you have to do is show her that you have no fear. Spiders can sense whether or not you're afraid of them, and they will use that to their advantage."

Jade reaches into the bag, pulling out a large, rounded chip with a slight curve, gulping. She holds the chip out in front of her, scrunching her eyes and bracing for the worst. Spider walks in slowly, staring and observing Jade.

Ludo: "If you want her to trust you, you have to trust her."

The Spider opens her pincers, revealing the inside of her mouth to Jade, before gently grabbing the chip whole out of Jade's hand. She nibbles on it.

Ludo: "Now pet her and tell her she's a good girl."

Jade: "I don't want to touch her."

Ludo: "I can't guarantee she won't try to eat you again."

Jade: "Fine... You're a good girl, Spider."

Jade reluctantly touches the Spider's head and she rolls her head in Jade's hand like a cat, eyes closed with an almost purr.

Jade: "Haha... I can't believe this is happening."

Ludo: "She likes you, Jade. She trusts you."

Jade: "This is so cool. I never thought I'd—"

Lady Avarius knocks at the door. The two stop dead silent in fear she'll open it.

Lady Avarius: "Ludo, I'm just coming up to remind you that dinner's ready. Get your little bottom down there, or it will get cold."

Ludo: "Coming, mom!... I have no idea what she's doing home so early."

He opens the door, just barely enough to let himself out without Jade being seen.

Ludo: "Mommy! what are you doing home so early? You're missing the lovely party."

They begin descending downstairs to the dining room.

Lady Avarius: "Party's over, kiddo. Someone tried to take the life of the queen tonight."

Ludo's heart sinks.

Ludo: "W-what!?"

Lady Avarius: "I know, who would want to hurt such a lovely woman? This has to be the work of Seth's people."

Ludo: "Seth? Didn't he die many, many years ago?"

Lady Avarius: "Yes, he was wiped out a long time ago, but his bloodline lives on, and so long as it does, there will never be peace in Mewni."

Ludo: "So, what's for dinner?"

Lady Avarius: "I brought home some leftover dishes from the party. I hope you don't mind."

Ludo: "Of course not! I hope there's more of that Moon pie!"

Lady Avarius: "I knew you wouldn't turn your beak up at food, my little piglet."

They go downstairs, where wrapped foods of various types are displayed along with a long wooden table. Ludo takes a bunch of it, like a glutton, and sits down to proceed to eat half of it. The folks at the table jibber-jabber all about the shocking events of the party. Ludo's head is drawn back and forth as people clamor and speak over each other, injecting their own hyperbolic assertions and assumptions into the crowded and chaotic conversation.

Lady Avarius: "It was a Septarian, no doubt about it, a short little lass though."

Ludo: "Short?"

Lady Avarius: "Yeah, a slight bit taller than yourself. She was one aggressive little thing too, like an angry kitten, but definitely not one to be played with. She held her own against the queen quite well too."

Ludo: "That's insane!"

Lady Avarius: "It is. You'd have to be a fool to take on the queen, as well trained as she is in combat. Ludo, aren't you gonna eat your food?"

Ludo: "What? Yeah, you know what, may I be excused from the table? I'd like to eat the rest of my food in my room."

Lady Avarius: "Okay. Ludo, don't forget to bring your dish back downstairs. I'm not going up to fetch it."

Ludo: "I will."

Ludo rushes upstairs with the food. He opens and quickly closes the door to find jade in the same spot as before.

Jade: "You ate your food rather fast."

Ludo: "I brought you something to eat."

Jade: "Thanks, but I'm not very hungry."

Ludo: "I'll leave this here on the table for you, in case you change your mind."

Jade: "Okay, thanks."

Ludo: "You have some explaining to do."

Jade: "She told you, didn't she?"

Ludo: "Are you out of your mind?"

Jade: "To be fair, I told you what I was gonna do."

Ludo: "But you attacked Queen Moon, right in front of everyone, right in public."

Jade: "You little hypocrite. Weren't you the one bragging about how you and your friends used to attack the princess and try to take her wand?"

Ludo: "That's different."

Jade: "Nu-uh, you even told me about how there were others there, like this Marco kid and everything. I even the names."

Ludo: "Star's not as dangerous as Moon, and I was only after the wand."

Jade: "Well then, look here. Check and mate."

Jade presents Ludo with the wand, and his eyes grow the size of flying saucers.

Ludo: "You have the... the wand?"

Jade: "It's for you, for all your help. Here, take it."

She places it on top of his hands and he freezes. He looks at the wand-like he has no idea what to even do with it. He stares at it and it glimmers at him. Ludo can feel himself beginning to change. He feels the urges, and the curse of the wand begins to take hold of his mind. He shakes his head as he struggles to resist his unnaturally sinister temptations.

Jade: "Here, you might want to hold it with this."

She hands Ludo a long cloth to wrap around the wand.

Jade: "Well, what do you say, Mr. Ungrateful?"

Ludo: "Thank you."

Jade: I did in one night what you tried to do for, what I assume is, years and failed.

Ludo: "So did you succeed? Did you kill her?"

Jade: "Unfortunately, no. I underestimated her. I'll have to get her alone."

Ludo feels like he can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the queen isn't dead and the kingdom won't fall into a state of turmoil, especially because that would put not only River Butterfly in charge but Star as head decision-maker. Ludo shudders at the thought of those two dingbats running Mewni.

Ludo: "I told you that from the beginning."

Jade: "Don't rub it in. I just wanted to make an example of her, in front of everyone. But now, I know how it has to be."

Jade holds her shimmering dagger as pure malice courses through her veins. Ludo feels uncomfortable looking at Jade as she sits there feeling her dagger with such contempt in her heart.

Ludo: "So, how did you like feeding Spider?"

Jade: "Huh? Oh yeah. I can't even believe it. I thought for sure she was going to kill me."

Ludo: "What about Eagle? She's a good girl too."

Jade: "She's been quiet the whole time, just sitting there, staring at me."

Ludo: "I tried to get Eagle to eat chippies too, but she just turns her beak up at it like a fussy eater."

Ludo looks at her with his hands on his hips, judgmentally looking at her. Jade laughs at him.

Jade: "I don't think eagles are supposed to eat potato chips, Ludo. Unless I'm mistaken, they eat bugs and small rodents and stuff."

Ludo: "Really? Oh man, If I knew that, I'd bring over some of those roaches that like to hang out under the castle."

Jade: "It's kinda gross that you have roaches under the castle."

Ludo: "Roaches? Gross? Believe it or not, I like them as a little snack myself."

Jade: "That's because you're a bird too."

Ludo: "Don't Septarians like roaches too."

Jade: "Yeah, but we like to add our own stuff to them. I must it, your Eagle is very well behaved."

Ludo: "My girls are the best. They're always there for me."

Jade: "Yeah. They're pretty good pets."

Ludo: "Pets? They're not my pets. I consider them companions, allies. They fight for me because I treat them well."

Jade: "So, you must have been a pretty good leader to your monster army, huh?"

Ludo: "No, not really. I was actually pretty bad to them. I provided them with a place to live, but I can't help but feel that if I had treated them better, I would have not only successfully gotten the wand myself, but probably prevented a lot of the bad stuff that followed from happening. I was pretty verbally abusive towards them, and only now that I've had an opportunity to speak with them again, have I tried to mend my relationship with them."

Jade: "Bad stuff? Like what?"

Ludo: "Like getting thrown into the void. Like getting stuck on a trash planet. Like having my mom and dad fight because of me, and wind up splitting up."

Jade: "You blame yourself for that stuff?"

Ludo: "Yeah, I kinda do."

Jade: "But didn't your mom and dad wind up becoming better people because of what you did?"

Ludo: "Well, you know what, yeah. Mom has become a lot more assertive, even aggressive, honestly, after I told her what a coward she was. And father, after spending so much time with me, we eventually bonded too. It was especially difficult with him because he gave me a hard time for so long. Although, I think eventually he realized that I just wanted to help him."

Jade: "It's because you love your parents. No matter what they do, they're still your mom and dad. It's that blood bond that motivates you to care about them no matter what. It can be really hard to get rid of that. It's also why I do what I do in the name of my dad."

Ludo: "You know, you always talk about your dad, but what's your mom like?"

Jade: "My mom? My mom's name is Emerald. She and I are pretty distant. We have been, ever since dad was killed. In fact, she and I have always been a bit distant. You wanna hear something weird? I swear my mom was jealous of me because dad liked to spend so much time with me, and because of it, he spent little time with her by comparison. Is it weird to be jealous of your kid?"

Ludo: "I don't think so. I was always jealous of my older siblings for taking a lot of attention away from me. Nowadays, I don't know why, but I kinda find myself just wanting everyone to leave me alone."

Jade: "I get that sometimes."

Ludo: "It's getting late. The heat's not gonna die down tonight. Those guards are everywhere and questioning everyone. I can set up a bedspread in my closet."

Jade: "I don't need sleep."

Ludo: "Don't be so stubborn. I can see the bags under your eyes, your pre— your green eyes."

Jade: "What was that?"

Ludo: "Nothing."

Ludo blushes again in front of her, and she pretends not to notice, but her smile in reaction to his slip gives her away.

Jade: "You're right, I'm tired. Who knows? Maybe things would have worked out perfectly if I'd just listened to you."

Ludo: "Well, I hope this closet setup doesn't bother you."

Jade: "I've slept on rocks, Ludo. This is like a 5-star hotel compared to my previous living conditions."

Ludo: "I've slept on rocks too. Maybe after all this is done, we could do something together. Maybe we could go out camping in the wilderness and see which of us is the better survivor."

Jade: "I don't think that's happening anytime soon, or ever. Not after all the trouble I've gotten myself into. But that would be nice."

Ludo: "Really?"

Jade: "Yeah... but we all know I'd be the better survivor."

Ludo: Don't go and jump to conclusions on that. I'm tougher than I look.

Jade: "I know you're tough, Ludo. You told me all the stuff you went through, and I believe you. Now, let's get some shut-eye before neither of us gets any sleep."

Ludo: "Good night, Jade."

Jade: "Good night, Ludo."

Ludo closes the door so that nobody can just waltz right in and find Jade in the room. Jade curls up on the little spread in Ludo's closet and falls asleep. He climbs onto his bed, which is comically much larger than he is, and pulls the covers over himself. He turns out the lights and closes his eyes. Although very tired, he sleeps very little and stirs. Visions of the wand haunt him. Still, he feels good knowing that all of his ambitions have finally paid off. He sees all the fruits of his possession of the wand in his mind. Ludo sees himself as a towering colossus, with lasers firing from his eyes, people screaming and running around as the towns and cities are set ablaze. He cackles maniacally, as he hoists his massive wand into the air. On the ground, there is a tiny, regular-sized Star Butterfly.

Star: "Why, Ludo?"

Ludo: "What is this, a teeny, tiny, little piece of Stardust?"

He goes to stomp on her.

Star: "I trusted you. I thought we could be friends. I wanted to be your friend, Ludo."

Ludo stops mid-stomp. Suddenly, he shrinks, tinier and tinier, until Star now dwarfs over him instead.

Star: "I trusted you... trusted you... trusted you..."

Star raises her boot heel over Ludo. He screams and she steps on him. As the boot descends, Ludo bursts awake, gasping and sweating.

He looks over at the clock. Several hours have ed. He notices the food on the table that he left for Jade has been eaten. He peeks in the closet and Jade is fast asleep, curled in a ball, her tail covering most of her features. Ludo smiles at Jade as she coils in his closet. "She's so cute when she sleeps", he thinks. Ludo goes into the drawer and pulls out the wand. He takes it downstairs into the living room, no longer holding it with the cloth around the hilt to protect him from the coveting effect of the wand. Everyone else has gone to sleep. Ludo just wants to be alone, just he and the wand, the very thing he'd coveted since day one. He could feel the wand calling him from the drawer all night. He aims the wand around, saying made-up spells under his breath and giggling like a child.

He stares with glee at the wand. The shimmers of gold and the encrusted star in the center reflect his glare. He starts to think. The illusions of his dreams rush back to the front center of his mind. Ludo imagines he is big and tall, he keeps thinking, keeps imagining. But then, Ludo starts to feel things he hadn't anticipated before. All of the bruises, the pain, the times he'd coveted the wand, the times he verbally abused his friends, the tantrums, the times with Toffee, the deception, and everything he'd been through rushes back to him. With that rush, Ludo's razor-sharp grin recedes. He finds himself all of a sudden filled with insurmountable anger. Ludo grips the wand tighter and tighter until he's practically strangling it within his hands. The blood rushes from his hands and up to his arms. His eyes are filled with fire and rage as he stares at the greatest vice in his life.

Ludo: "I HATE THIS STUPID THING!"

He throws the wand. It clinks against the wall and lands on the floor near the fireplace. He folds his arms, staring at it. The longer he looks, the longer the allure recedes. For the first time, he looks at the wand and all he sees is a stick. Curiously, he picks it up once again. Just some metal, gold, and a gem. A trinket. Nothing more, the glimmer on it is gone. It's just a stick. All it ever was was a stick, some piece of ornamentation for which a mage is to channel magic. Ludo is not a mage. This stick has brought him nothing but grief since the beginning. Ludo can no longer feel the coveting urges, even as he holds the wand in his bare hands. Ludo has finally done it. He has beaten his curse. The wand now means nothing to him. He smiles at it. It does not affect him, so he smiles, mocking the wand, sticking his tongue out at it, and laughing at how he, for so long, let a stick control his life. Ludo holds it over the fire. He wants to destroy it and contemplates putting it in the fire so that he could be rid of the foul thing. Ludo stops when he sees her face once more in the fire.

Star: "I trusted you."

Ludo stares at the wand.

Ludo: "She trusted me, and I broke her trust just now. Star is my friend. I must do what's right. I'm doing the right thing. You're going home, wandy. You're not my wand. You're the wand of Star Butterfly, and I'm gonna take you home where you belong."

Ludo is cautious. He leaves the castle, not making a peep. He covers the wand, but only so he won't get caught. He ventures through the forest towards the Kingdom of Mewni. The woods are swamped with guards on high alert, but at least it means that the surrounding Septarians have fled. A curfew has been placed by Moon, and anyone out and about would be thrown right in prison. Ludo is careful not to be seen. As he approaches the castle, he re a little secret entrance from his old days, a mere loose block in the wall. Ludo pulls it out and sneaks in through the walls behind the castle. The entrance is a secret age leading to a swinging bookshelf. He navigates the dark, wide halls, hiding around corners, looking for Star's bedroom door. He knows she keeps a star on the door itself. It's so easy to find. He does find it and approaches the door. As he's about to knock, something rather unfortunate occurs.

Guard: "Lookie what we have here."

Ludo: "Oh no."

The guard lifts Ludo by the collar.

Ludo: "Let me go, you big oaf!"

Ludo yells, hoping Star would hear him outside the door. She approaches the door and opens it sleepily, in her PJs, rubbing her eyes.

Star: "Ludo?"

Ludo: "Star! I have it! I came back with it! I brought it back, the wand! Your wand!"

Guard: Oh really? Finally confessing to your crimes, you little thief? That was YOUR assassin, wasn't it?

Ludo: "What? No! Let me go! There's been some mistake!"

Guard: "Off to the prison with ye! Queen Moon will give me top honors for bagging a little runt prince like you! Oh yes, indeed! I'm sure to get a HUGE bonus for nabbing you!"

Ludo: "Star! help me!"

Star: "I..."

Ludo: "Star?!"

The guard hauls Ludo off to the cell; Ludo watches as Star becomes a small blur as he's taken down the hallway. His face fills with sorrow as the confused Star washes away down the long hall. Ludo knows he's done it this time. He's gonna spend the rest of his life in that cell. The guard tosses him in on his face, slamming the cell door and laughing at him with a maniacal evil cackle.

Guard: "Queen Moon's gonna chew you up and spit you out, Avarius. You betrayed your family, your kingdom, and your queen. You're gonna hang! Ha ha ha!"

Ludo is rattled, terrified. He lays on the uncomfortable cell bed. Star comes downstairs, still in her PJs.

Ludo: "Star!"

Ludo runs to the bars. He grabs Star's pant legs and looks up at her in pure desperation, tears running down his pitiful eyes.

Ludo: "You have to believe me, Star. I promise I'm done with stealing. That's your wand, not mine. I'm not a dirty thief. Please! You have to believe me!"

Star looks down at Ludo. She is filled with uncertainty. She can't tell if Ludo is being genuine, or just a really good actor.

Star: "I don't know what to believe anymore."

Ludo: "I was returning your wand to you, Star! You know the old me would never in a million years do that."

Star: "The guards are informing my mom that the wand is back in my possession. With that knowledge, she'll rest more soundly. There's no getting into her room right now. There are guards completely surrounding her. That's how afraid everyone is right now, Ludo. That's how paranoid this has made people."

Ludo: "Star, I didn't take your wand, I swear."

Star: "But you were caught with it. Luckily for you, she won't deal with you until the morning. Also, your mom won't find out until then either."

Ludo: "Do you believe me?"

Star: "It doesn't matter what I believe."

Star leaves.

Ludo: "Star? Star!"

Ludo cowers in his little bed all night. His sleep was poor before, but now he has none. He lays there, trembling, with his bloodshot eyes wide open, all night. He stares at the wall through the bars, looking towards the entrance to the cell every time he hears so much as a single creep of the dank dungeon. He watches as a small rat scampers across the floor, much smaller than the ones he had in his army. It bathes itself in the middle of the floor, and Ludo is transfixed on it. He acknowledges the creature, just to try to take his mind off of the horrifying notion that Queen Moon will execute him for treason as his family bears witness. The minuscule show the rat puts on for Ludo lasts for several moments before it leaves and Ludo is alone once again.

Ludo: "No... p-please don't leave. I don't want to be alone again... in h-here."

A voice comes from outside the bars.

Jade: "You're not alone."

Ludo jumps out of bed, totally startled.

Ludo: "Are you a p-prison g-ghost? Please don't k-kill me!"

Jade: "No, Ludo, it's me, up here."

Ludo looks up to the barred window to see Jade peering inside from out.

Ludo: "Jade?"

Jade: "Shut up, you dummy! You want me to get caught?"

Ludo: "What are you doing here?"

Jade: "I came to get you out. Now, I suggest you get away from this wall, far away."

Ludo backs away towards the cell bars.

Ludo: "Why did she—"

KABOOM!

The wall bursts open, and debris flies everywhere. Jade is outside. Ludo coughs. He looks in shock at Jade as she rides atop Spider with Eagle sitting atop.

Jade: "Hurry! Get on, they're coming!"

Ludo hops on top of Spider. Then Eagle lifts them all away into the air as castle guards rush the cell. They flee into the night sky, far away from Mewni. From the distance, they hear the alarms terrorize the night. The horrendous noise starts loud and blaring, but slowly muffles as they ascend into the starry night sky and far away from the castle. They are as high in the sky as the Eagle can get them.

Ludo: "You did it! You gained their trust!"

Jade: "The bird was easy once I mastered the Spider."

Ludo smiles at Jade. He is so proud of how quickly she managed to gain the trust of Spider and Eagle. Jade just looks onward in pure concentration.

Jade: "We have to get out of here. We have to get out of Mewni and go somewhere where Moon's forces won't have any authority. We need to go somewhere where we can be safe and where they won't dare look for us."

Ludo: "We can go to another dimension."

Jade: "Moon's gonna be plastering our mugshots all over every dimension she can reach her hands into. I hate to say it, but we have to hide where the law of the land won't ever reach."

Ludo: "Where is such a place?"

Jade: "Septarsis."

Ludo: "What?! You want to take me to the forbidden Septarsis?"

Jade: "I'll have to hide you. As much as I really don't want to take you with me to Septarsis, there is nowhere else. I'm already breaking so many rules just doing this."

Ludo: "Wait! You might not have to hide me. Just take me back to New Castle Avarius, quickly."

Jade: "No time."

Ludo: "Trust me."

Jade: "Ugh, fine! But make it quick. You don't have time to grab your teddy bear if that's what you're thinking."

Ludo: "Dang, I like my Teddy Bearicorn."

Jade: "What?"

Ludo: "Oh, nothing. Just descend us to my window."

They approach the upper floor outside of Ludo's window and Ludo goes into his room. He heads right for a big box.

Ludo: "It has to be in here somewhere?"

Ludo grabs the ridiculous dinosaur Halloween costume from the box quickly and puts it on. On his way back towards the window, he grabs his Teddy Bearicorn and stuffs it down his shirt, making sure Jade isn't looking.

Jade: "What in the world are you doing?"

Ludo: "Ta-DA! What do ya think?"

Jade: "You look absolutely ridiculous. You're not fooling anyone with that."

Ludo: "I look awesome! I'll fit right in, I'm certain."

Jade rolls her eyes.

Jade: "Come on."

He runs outside in the silly dinosaur costume and hops back onto Spider. They sail for miles on end. Far from Mewni, over plains of grass and a lake, a place somewhat familiar to Ludo. They descend.

Jade: "Okay. Put this blindfold on."

Jade holds out a piece of cloth.

Ludo: "Why do I need this?"

Jade: "Absolutely nobody is to know of this place, not even you."

Ludo: "What am I not supposed to see?"

Jade: "Just do it!"

Ludo: "Fine, jeez. You don't have to be so bossy."

Jade waves her hands over his eyes just to make sure he can't see. As soon as she is certain, she looks down at the lake before her. Jade closes her eyes and utters a snakelike incantation of hisses and unknown words, a reptilian dialect only the coldblooded can understand. From the lake, a large metal snake head peers out of the water. Its massive red glowing eyes stare at Jade in judgment. It raises out of the water, and she and the snake make eye . Her eyes turn to snakelike slits and the snake head does the same. The head then recedes into the lake and opens its great maw, and light emerges from its belly. She takes Ludo by the hand, and they descend into the snake.

Jade: "Watch your step."

She leads him down the snake's tongue. The snake closes its mouth, descending back into the lake without so much as a single drop of water seeping into it as it sinks deeper and deeper into the abyss. As they descend, the snake's long forked tongue transitions into a staircase. They keep descending until they get to a marketplace.

Jade: "Okay, Ludo. You can take your blindfold off now."

Ludo: "Wow!"

Jade: "This, is Septarsis. Now be quiet. Our people sleep too."

Stone structures ascend into the sky, hundreds of feet above them, orbs of light, ornamental Septarian structures provide the world with visibility. Septarian architecture is quite bizarre, both derelict but beautiful, like a disease. Vines wrap around the stone structures, holding them prisoner. The houses are homes to plants just as much as reptiles. Septarsis is hot and humid year-round, just as the Septarians of cold blood enjoy it. The lights on the roof of the snake are dimmed and red. It's almost like a giant reptile tank. The lights would turn fully on during the day when the market runs wild with life, and the Septarian local economy would bustle. Seen as degenerates by the outside world, the Septarians do not abide by the laws of Mewni.

The whole town is a black market. Anything goes in Septarsis. The only reason it hasn't eaten itself alive is because of the core values of the Septarians. While they are scum to the outer world, anarchists to the surface, down here there is a code of order among them. The Septarians are content with the fair but tough-as-nails strict order of governing. A vast majority of the offenses committed by Septarians are on the surface, and they dare not soil their own home. There aren't many people about in the dead of the night, but they all give Jade and Ludo dirty looks. To Jade, the looks are a mere "hello". To Ludo, they come off more like an "I'll gut you like a fish" look.

Ludo: "Where are we going?"

Jade: "To my place."

Jade Leads Ludo before a massive building, Jade's home. Toffee's home.

Ludo: "Wowee! This is your house?"

Jade: "Yep."

The tower erected before them has a big snake head above the door, torches to either side, vines curling into the upper windows, and flowers blossoming down them as they wrap around the tower like a boa. The inside is just as gorgeous: stone and marble, black and white tile floors, long Persian rugs, a white marble staircase ascends into the upper floors, wrapping like a snake, with an angry serpent wooden railing following the stairs. The gothic architecture rivals that of old Castle Avarius itself, before the destruction and rebuilding.

Ludo: "Oh man, this place is almost as big as Castle Avarius."

Jade: "Almost?"

Ludo: "Okay, maybe as big."

Jade: "My father is quite wealthy, for a Septarian anyway. This tower is centuries old. Almost as old as the founder. He used to live here. Now he has a much bigger estate."

Ludo: "I don't understand. I thought Septarians were—"

Jade: "What? Poor? Degenerates?"

Ludo: "This is not what I expected at all."

Jade: "It isn't what anyone that isn't Septarian expects."

Ludo rubs his eyes.

Jade: "Tired?"

Ludo: "Yes... I haven't gotten a wink."

Jade: "It's been a really long night. I understand. Hey, I got an idea. I slept in your closet. Now you can sleep in mine."

Ludo: "I'd sleep on the cold floor at this point."

Jade: "Nah, I wouldn't do that. Unlike your place though, it's just me and my mom, we won't go anywhere near her room. I'll make new arrangements in the morning. We obviously can't just keep you here. My mom will inevitably find you. We have like a billion free rooms though, so pick one and you'll sleep like a king."

Ludo: "I like this one."

Jade: "Good pick."

The room is massive, with a canopy bed, beautiful navy blue drapes and sheets neatly cloth the bed. A wooden set of cabinets line a massive windowsill peering out into Septarsis. A fireplace that hasn't seen life in years sits adjacent to the bed with a closet that puts Ludo's to shame next to it. A burgundy sofa with pillows of Native design hugs an otherwise relatively bare wall, save for a large portrait of Toffee that ominously hangs there above the sofa, making him look much taller than he really was. The portrait has the kind of look that breaks the fourth wall and peers into the viewer's soul. It creeps Ludo out. He jumps onto the canopy bed. It is the most perfect, soft be he's ever laid on. But it feels so alien to him, the idea of sleeping in Toffee's house, the house of the man he's partially responsible for killing. He feels unwelcome there. He shrugs it off though, as at least he isn't in the Butterfly Castle dungeon anymore.

Ludo pulls the sheets over himself. Even in the dinosaur Halloween costume, Ludo manages to fall asleep like a baby. He sleeps for about 10 hours before Jade decides enough is enough and stirs him awake with a pillow to the face.

Jade: "GET UP!"

Ludo: "Ah, I'm fine, I'm... What?"

Jade: "Haha!"

Ludo; What was that for?

Jade: "I'm gonna go get us something to eat from the market. Stay here, and stay away from my mom. She doesn't know this room is being used."

Ludo: "So what am I supposed to do, just stay in this room for weeks on end?"

Jade: "Well, yeah. Got a problem with that?"

Ludo: "Yes! I want to see the city during the day!"

Jade: "Will you pipe down? Fine."

Jade walks over to the window, pulling the matching navy blue drapes apart, Ludo is hit right in the face with the artificial light of Septarsis.

Ludo: "No, I mean I want to go see the city itself. This place is all new to me."

Jade: "That's not what we're here for. We're here so that you can lay low."

Ludo: "Let me at least go to the market with you."

Jade: "Fine. But don't say a word, and keep your head down low."

Ludo: "Okay."

He hops out of bed. Jade grabs a gold coin purse of Septarian currency and heads outside. They walk for a bit and Ludo finds a coin on the ground.

Ludo: "Ooh, money! Finders keepers. Hey, who's the guy on the front?"

Jade: "That's Father, the founder of Septarsis."

Ludo looks at the coin which depicts a green, thick-necked lizard with peering, evil eyes, spikes coming out of seemingly every pore of his skin, hair of white fire, and a grin like a shark.

Ludo: "Scarier than I thought."

Jade: "Okay I'm gonna talk to the vendor. Stay here."

Jade is distracted. Ludo is bored because she's taking forever. He begins to play with his coin, throwing it up in the air, twirling it in between his fingers until he drops it. The coin rolls and he chases it.

Ludo: "Get back here!"

He runs through the crowd of people, following the rolling coin, bumping into ers-by until the coin rolls to a chunky Septarian boy who's slightly taller than Ludo.

Boy: "Cool, money!"

Ludo: "Hey, give it back! I found it first!"

Boy: "Why don't you come over and get it, shorty?"

Ludo tackles the boy, who drops the coin. They wrestle, and Ludo is pushed back, his hood falling back off his head, revealing his birdly appearance.

Boy: "Hey, you're not a Septarian."

Ludo pulls his hood up quickly

Ludo: "Yes I am. See?"

A tall Septarian grabs Ludo by a tuft of the suit.

Septarian: "Hey, the kid's right. This is an imposter!"

Ludo: "No I'm not, I'm just a regular everyday lizard boy!"

Septarian: "You're coming with me. I know someone who'd LOVE to meet you."

Jade finishes her transaction and turns to reclaim Ludo.

Jade: "Sorry that took so long. Ludo? Ludo!"

Jade runs around looking for him, asking if anyone has seen her "little brother", describing Ludo as best as she could to nearby people. She panics, but then, in the distance, she can hear his cries for help. Through the crowd, she spots a tall Septarian carrying a tiny character by the collar as he struggles to get away.

Ludo: "Put me down!"

Jade follows the big guy as he hauls Ludo off up a great big set of marble stairs, down a blood-red carpet to some oak doors with faces that could either be snake people or demons etched into them. The room is moodily lit, with torches and hellish imagery. The Septarian es some rooms where other Septarians work some rather strangely mundane jobs: parchment paperwork, micromanagement of files and history, and past some paintings of men and women that look like they would rip Ludo apart until they get to a doorway with only some black curtains guarding it. They walk through, into an office with a big dark wooden desk and several gold tall lamps with serpentine designs. Behind the desk is a rather large fireplace of stone and iron. At the desk sits a large brown leather chair. The chair is turned around. Some spiky hair can be seen from above the chair but nothing else. The man sitting in it is preoccupied. As his attention is gained, a booming, deep voice comes from behind the chair.

Stranger: "Have you something to report, my son?"

Septarian: "I brought you something you might be interested in, or, should I say, someone."

Stranger: "Well, who is it?"

Septarian: "I don't—"

Stranger: "I didn't ask you. Who are you that is brought before me?"

Ludo: "L-L-Ludo, sir..."

Ludo is terrified. For several seconds there is no noise. Then, a big, muscular being, rises from the chair, silhouetted against the fire. He turns around, amber eyes peer right into Ludo's soul, the slit of his snake irises cutting into Ludo like a dagger. A very tall, pale green Septarian stands before him, with white hair standing like fire and a body covered in spikes. Two long whiskers extend from either side of the bumpy nostrils of his snout, meeting at length a long goatee of the same color that drapes from his chin. He walks slowly towards Ludo, the heels of his leather boots click loudly on the floor like a slow heartbeat as he grows closer and closer. This is the man whose likeness is on the money Ludo found.

Stranger: "Ludo? You said your name is Ludo."

The Septarian stands not a foot from him, towering over him. He kneels on one knee to address Ludo eye to eye.

Stranger: "Ludo...Avarius?"

Ludo: "Y-yes sir."

Stranger: "Take off that ridiculous hood. You're not fooling anyone."

Ludo pulls the hood back and looks at the stranger with his real face.

Stranger: "I have just one question for you, Ludo. Is it true that you stormed through a town, breached Butterfly Castle, and took over Mewni... with an army of RATS?"

Ludo: "Yes... sir."

The stranger smiles widely and relaxes his face into a happier expression.

Stranger: "That... is so... awesome."

Septarian: "What do you want me to do with him?"

Stranger: "Nothing. He will stay here with me."

Septarian: "What? No dungeon? What happened to all outsiders must—"

The stranger grabs the other Septarian by the arm, forcing him down onto the table in compliance.

Stranger: "Must what? Hm? I can't hear you. Allow me to remind you who's boss around here."

Septarian: "You are."

Stranger: "Who makes the rules?"

Septarian: "You do—OW!"

Stranger: "That's right, and I get to decide when to break one of my own rules, I and only I. Is that understood, son?"

Septarian: "Yes."

Stranger: "Yes, what?"

Septarian: "Yes, Father!"

Stranger: "Good."

He releases the Septarian who walks away angrily, shooting dirty looks at Ludo and massaging his twisted arm.

Stranger: "Ludo, I hope you forgive his rudeness."

Ludo: "I guess."

Stranger: "You guess, haha. Oh, how rude of ME! I never introduced myself! Hello Ludo, I'm Seth."

Seth holds out a large hand, and Ludo presents his own tiny hand, which Seth closes around entirely in a gentle handshake.