Hey look! Using the full power of my 1 1/2 brain cells, I managed to figure out that there's not a separate space for submitting author's notes. But anyway, thanks for the views, follows, and favorites on the first chapter. The ETA on the next part is sometime next week.

The Next Day-

Sixteen freaking years. He had spent sixteen freaking years working to earn those scissors, and somehow, someway, he had broken them. The blades lay on his desk in two pieces, the gold plating that bore his name reflecting a split version of his face. Marco ground his teeth and tried to shove the halves together, but they repelled one another, and after five solid minutes of struggle, he slammed them down on his desk in frustration. Then, all of a sudden, he realized that maybe, just maybe, there was someone that could help him with this. Silently, he listed the names of all the magical beings that he knew:

Hekapoo- No way. He couldn't get to her dimension with his scissors like this, and even if he could, he didn't want to have a hammer embedded in his head when she found out about her broken handiwork.

Ponyhead- Absolutely not. He was in too much of a mood to deal with annoying disembodied unicorns today.

Star- Well, she wasn't here, and her room was gone… but maybe there was still something in there that could help him.

Jumping up from his chair, Marco sprinted down the hallway, scissors in hand (the sharp end covered, of course). He barged into the guest room, but a thorough search under the bed and inside the dresser revealed nothing, which left only the closet. But just as he was about to open it, the door creaked ajar, revealing a pale green hand.

"Hello, Marco Diaz. It's rather surprising to see that you're still alive."

Still holding on to the wooden frame, Toffee stepped from the shadows. Marco shrieked and jumped backwards into a karate stance, the scissor blades like daggers in his hands.

"Such a warm welcome. I would have expected nothing less from you. Go ahead. Kill me again. Although it would be dishonorable, considering my current predicament."

The lizard opened the door further, revealing that he was standing on only one foot. The other leg was severed at the thigh, the open wound glowing a strange shade of pink.

Marco lowered the scissors.

"Wha- How did you get here? You're supposed to be dead!"

Toffee laughed, which was a bitter, strangled sound.

"I can't die, karate boy. But I can become tainted."

"Huh?"

He sighed.

"You don't know? I stored some of me inside the wand when it exploded, and now that bit of me has possessed the cretin you knew as Ludo Avarius. However, it has gotten out of control as of late. Which is why I need your help."

Marco paused a moment before answering.

"How do I know that you're not using me? I've been captured by you once- I don't want to do it again."

"Listen, boy. You are part of the most powerful duo in the multiverse. But without your other half, you can't do anything. If I was going to capture you, or kill you, for that matter, I would have done so already."

"Fine," Marco spat. "What do you want?"

Toffee cleared his throat before speaking.

"I have reason to believe that your friend, Princess Star Butterfly, has the means to open a portal to Earth without dimensional scissors, because unfortunately, the lovely Miss Hekapoo was destroyed in order to help me regenerate. If Star can open a portal, we will be able to travel to Mewnie. All I require is that you help me tie up a few loose ends afterward."

"Hard pass, lizardman. If my parents ever taught me anything, it was that lawyers can't be trusted."

"Do you want to see her again, Marco? Because this is the only way."

A few silent seconds passed.

"Alright, alright. I'll do whatever you want."

Tom's place had always given Star the creeps. She always felt like something was watching her, and it chilled her to the bone. She shivered involuntarily.

As their warnicorns approached the gates of the Lucitor palace, she started to smell the awful stench of sulphur and brimstone that she had come to hate. In all honesty, she had once liked it. But it was less about the scent, and more about the memories that she had come to associate with it. Tom had been her first boyfriend. He was nice enough, and for once her parents were happy with a choice that she made. They had dated for awhile, but then, on the night of her Junior Prom, she had accidentally danced with another guy, and Tom blew up. Literally. He lit the ballroom on fire, and had left Star alone amidst the ashes. She broke things off with him shortly afterwards. And then, a whole year and a half later, he showed that he had learned absolutely nothing, because he made the same mistake at the Blood Moon Ball, although she had been able to put out the fire this time. Now, the thought of seeing him again made her slightly queasy.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

Star looked up to see an Underworld guard atop the gatehouse.

"It is I, King River, my wife, Queen Moon, and my daughter, Princess Star," her father shouted.

"You may pass."

The iron portcullis across their path lifted, and the huge wooden doors heaved inward, revealing the demonic castle. The three royal Mewmen dismounted, and a goblin valet grabbed the reins. Before they could proceed any further, however, a column of liquid rock shot up from the ground ahead, and out of it lept...Tom.

"Hi Star. Hey King and Queen Butterfly."

Star frowned.

"You."

"Still angry with me, huh? Look, I'm sorry-"

"Tom," Moon cut in, "Please, move aside. I need to speak with your father."

"Oh, uh, he's in there." The demon pointed to the castle behind him.

Moon hurried River along, but as they left, the king shouted back over his shoulder.

"Thank you, son! And be sure to show Star a good time!"

Tom turned back toward the princess.

"I heard about the stuff that happened aboveground, and that your family's going to be staying here awhile. This must be hard for you."

Star looked at the ground.

"Yeah-"

"Which is why I want to take you fire imp hunting," Tom interjected. "Blasting monsters is kind of your thing, right?

Star perked up at the mention of monster hunting.

"Sure! But just for the record, this is so not a date."

Tom smiled.

"I know. Just let me go get some gear..."

And then he vanished from sight.

"And you're sure there's nothing you can do?" Moon asked.

The big devil shifted in his seat.

"My apologies, Moon. But there's nothing left of them. Omni and Rhombulus were consumed entirely, and Hekapoo used the last traces of her life force to maintain that final portal."

"What about Lekmet? You didn't mention him."

"Hmm. I didn't, did I. Well, there may be a way to save him, but it'll take time and I won't make any promises.

The queen folded her hands in her lap.

"Thank you for your hospitality during our time of trouble. When this is all over, I will find a way to repay you."

"Always, Queen Butterfly."

It felt wonderful to be free of her prison. After all those years of sitting and watching, not being able to move or feel anything, she was free. And who better to come to her rescue than her old flame, the dashing rogue monster, Toffee. Except, it wasn't really him. The kind, handsome lizard that she knew was gone, replaced with a revenge-obsessed beast corrupted by an awful cocktail of dark magic and hatred. And she knew exactly what that was like. When she first started down that road centuries ago, she wanted nothing more than a peaceful solution to the tension that existed between monsters and Mewmans. But she learned (the hard way) that a prophet was never accepted in his (or her) hometown. She was dethroned, exiled from the Butterfly Kingdom, and vilified by an entire race. In her anger, she created a horrible chapter full of spells designed to hurt and kill. Now, she could see her enormous mistake laid out before her, and she was sorry. She would have to find a way to right her wrongs. The trick lay in figuring out how best to do it...