Blood and moonlight

by Grovylethethieflover

Summary:

"Toffee, the general, fierce and wise,
Fell for a warrior with fire in her eyes.
Through war and sorrow, love took hold,
Two hearts entwined, both brave and bold.

A monster and human, defying fate,
Bound in love, yet met with hate.
Not by battle, nor by blade,
But by a throne’s cruel hand, their lives were unmade.

Yet even in death, their tale won’t fade,
For in our hearts, their legacy stays."

Chapter 1: Chapter 1: entré arc

Chapter 1: entry arc

Normal POV

Femke stood alone before the statue of Lady Katinka the Good and General Toffee, her gaze fixed on the stone figures as the evening sun cast long shadows across the settlement. The air was thick with the scent of freshly baked mewman pastries and monster-forged pies, mingling with the crisp autumn breeze. The once-divided people now lived side by side, but peace had come too late for the ones she mourned.

She didn’t hear Queen Eclipsa approach, only jolting slightly when a gentle hand rested on her shoulder. A soft giggle followed—Meteora, perched on her mother’s hip, gummed at her tiny fist, blissfully unaware of the sorrow hanging between the two women.

“You’ve been quiet today, love.” Eclipsa’s voice was warm but laced with concern. She stood tall beside Femke, her dark curls swaying in the breeze as she studied her friend’s solemn expression.

Femke didn’t turn. Her eyes remained on the statue. “It’s been exactly one year today.” Her voice was steady, but there was an ache beneath it. “And not a day goes by that I don’t miss them.”

Eclipsa exhaled softly. “And yet you rarely speak of them.” She stepped forward, her heeled boots clicking lightly against the cobblestone path. “You always grow quiet when their names are mentioned.”

Femke finally tore her gaze from the stone figures and met Eclipsa’s eyes. “I don’t know if they’re ready to hear the truth,” she admitted. “If they’re ready to understand how much they loved each other.”

Eclipsa followed her gaze around the village. A lot had changed in the past year. Monsters and Mewmans now shared streets, homes, and lives. Children ran through the plaza, swinging wooden swords in playful duels, their laughter echoing through the air. Nearby, Globgor helped a group of villagers repair a cottage, his crimson scales glinting under the setting sun.

“They’re ready,” Eclipsa said with certainty. “They should know.”

Femke let out a low hum, turning back to the statue. The sculptor had captured their final moments perfectly—Katinka lay half-collapsed, one hand clutching her slightly swollen belly, the other outstretched toward Toffee. He stood just beyond her reach, face as impassive as ever, but his eyes—his eyes betrayed him. One remained locked on Katinka, filled with something that might have been sorrow… the other, fixed on the now invisible force that had sealed his fate.

Beneath them, the inscription read

"Toffee, the general, fierce and wise

Fell for a warrior with fire in her eyes.

Through war and sorrow, love took hold,

Two hearts entwined, both brave and bold.

A monster and human, defying fate,

Bound in love, yet met with hate.

Not by battle, nor by blade,

But by a throne’s cruel hand, their lives were unmade."

Femke reached out, fingers ghosting over the carved words. A year had passed, yet the pain was as raw as the day she lost them.

"Let GO of me, you monster smoocher!”

The shout shattered the peaceful hum of the village, making Femke’s head snap up. She exchanged a quick, knowing look with Eclipsa before both women broke into a sprint toward the fountain

There, a scuffle had broken out

A blonde-haired boy was straddling a brown-haired child, his fists clenched, while the boy beneath him—sporting a fresh black eye and a trickle of blood from his nose—struggled to break free. A few feet away, a rough-built boy with black hair had a lizard-like girl trapped in his grip. He had her blonde pigtails twisted tightly in his fist, forcing her head back. Her dark green, clawed fingers dug into her pink dress as she squirmed in pain.

 

“Let go, or your girlfriend GETS IT!” the black-haired boy sneered.

Yeah!” his friend chimed in, pressing his knee harder into the pinned boy’s chest. “Monster lovers should just live in the forest where they belong!”

A new voice cut through the air, smooth yet commanding.

“Oh? Is that so?"

The bullies stiffened

"And who told you such things?"

Standing behind them, arms crossed, was Lady Femke. Her gaze, calm yet piercing, locked onto them like a storm waiting to break.

The black-haired boy swallowed hard but didn’t release his grip. “N-no one told us,” he stammered, though his fingers remained tight in the lizard girl’s hair.

Femke’s gaze flicked between the struggling children—the trapped lizard girl, the pinned boy, the attacker above him, and the quiet onlookers who weren’t sure whether to intervene. Her lips pressed into a thin line.

“You know…” she mused, stepping forward with deliberate slowness, “there was once another who thought like you. Someone who believed that monsters and mewmans could never live together… that they shouldn’t live together.”

The brown-haired boy beneath the blonde scowled. “So what? He was right!”

The blonde-haired boy raised his fist to punch him again, but before he could, Femke caught his wrist with effortless ease. Her brow arched as she looked between them.

“Is that so?”

With that, she crouched down, bringing herself to eye level with the boys. Her voice remained firm but unwavering.

“Tell me,” she continued, watching their expressions carefully, “have you ever heard the story of Lady Katinka the Good and General Toffee the Warlord?”

The boys hesitated.

But nearby, a small ripple of curiosity spread. Children who had been playing stopped, heads turning toward Femke. Even the lizard girl—still wincing, still held captive—perked up slightly at the mention of those names.

A knowing smile tugged at Femke’s lips.

“Lady Katinka the Good was the love of General Toffee,” a young voice piped up suddenly.

Femke turned to see Katrina, one of Buff Frog’s daughters, beaming at her siblings as she continued excitedly. “Papa says she was the only one who ever made Toffee smile! And that she was the only one who could make him back down from a fight.”

Murmurs spread through the gathered children. The earlier tension evaporated as fascination took its place.

Femke chuckled, shaking her head with amusement. “Your papa is a wise one, little one,” she complimented, smiling warmly. “Though, I’d expect nothing less from Buff Frog… after all, he was there when the story took place.”

At the word story, excitement surged through the crowd. Children hurriedly gathered into a wide circle around Femke, their quarrels forgotten. Even the black-haired bully hesitated before finally releasing the lizard girl’s pigtails. She wasted no time scurrying over to the blonde-haired boy, helping him to his feet, while the pinned brown-haired boy sat up, rubbing his bruised eye.

Femke, seeing that peace had been restored, stepped up onto the edge of the fountain. With a dramatic flair, she perched half-standing on the stone ledge, a mischievous glint in her eye.

balancing Meteora on her hip she gave Femke a encouraging nod. "Go on" she smiled, motioning to the childeren in a encouraging way. "Tell them the story" 

Femke took a deep breath then nodded and got fully at the edge of the fountain. Holding her arms wide as she started to tell. 

“It all began…” she started, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small pouch. With a practiced flourish, she tossed a handful of fairy dust into the air and blew on it softly.

The dust shimmered, swirling like tiny stars before taking shape—forming small, glowing figures that danced in the air.

“A long time ago, on a planet not so different from ours…”

The children gasped as the floating figures came to life, their tiny hands moving as if reenacting scenes from a long-lost legend.

Sitting nearby, Eclipsa smiled as she settled onto the fountain’s edge, Meteora nestled comfortably in her lap. The baby let out a delighted squeal, reaching for the glowing dust figures as they swirled in the air as Femke began telling the story.

Notes:

and with that I end the first chapter of my brand new story! I really hope you enjoyed it as match as I enjoyed writing this.

please leave a
REVIEW!

Chapter 2: Chapter 2: a meeting of fate

Chapter 2: A Meeting of Fate

Normal POV

"Katinka, for the love of God, stay close," Femke whispered harshly, tensing as they approached the source of an ongoing battle. There was something strange about the magic here—something they had felt before but couldn’t quite place. "We don’t know what we’re walking into."

"A battle, obviously," Katinka shot back, tossing her wild blonde curls from her face as she pressed forward. They had come here to investigate the strange magic, and now that they were so close, she had no intention of backing out. "And the odd source of magic we—"

She stopped mid-sentence, her mouth slightly agape. Femke finally caught up, ready to scold her for running ahead—until she saw what Katinka was staring at.

A blonde girl in a blue dress wielded a shimmering wand, firing off narwhals at a ragtag group of creatures. The leader—a small bird wearing a skull on his head—was screeching at them to “Get her! Grab that wand!”

Femke placed a firm hand on Katinka’s shoulder just as she started to move. "Let’s not interfere yet," she ordered, voice low and stern as her sharp eyes scanned the battlefield. "We don’t know the situation."

"STAR!"

A boy in a red hoodie leaped into action, delivering an impressive karate kick to a muscular frog just as he lunged for the wand.

"Thank you, Marco!" the blonde girl—Star—replied in an oddly cheerful tone before flicking her wand and calling, "Narwhal Blast!" A two-headed monster charging at her was promptly sent flying.

"We should help," Katinka whispered, already readying herself to transform.

"We don’t know who the good guys and bad guys are," Femke countered wisely. She studied the chaotic fight, watching how Star hurled spell after spell, shouting what seemed to be made-up incantations as she went.

Katinka scoffed, "The ones trying to steal the wand are obviously the bad guys, Mom. So let’s go!"

"Katinka…" Femke’s tone was sharp, warning.

Katinka groaned. "Not everything is as black and white as it seems, I know mom" she recited in exasperation, rolling her eyes before huffing. "But this seems pretty black and white to me."

"Yet, did you ever stop to wonder why they’re trying to steal the wand?" Femke mused, eyes narrowing slightly.

Katinka didn’t answer, instead turning back to the battle just as Star and Marco started gaining the upper hand. The duo moved in sync, a well-practiced team.

"STAR!"

Marco darted forward, slapping away a two-headed monster just as it tried to sneak up on her. "KARATE!" he shouted as he landed a strike.

"Thanks, Marco!" Star beamed at him before casually summoning a rainbow fist to punch a frog-like creature that had been sneaking up on Marco in return.

"COME ON, MAN!" the small bird creature shrieked, hopping up and down in frustration. He smacked the nearest monster on the head with his staff. "PULL YOURSELVES TOGETHER! YOU’RE LOSING TO A LITTLE GIRL, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!"

"A little girl with very powerful magic," Femke murmured, standing tall as she observed the fight. "They don’t stand a chance."

"Then why doesn’t he help?" Katinka wondered aloud, watching the bird-like leader squawk orders while keeping his distance. He was frantic, but he wasn’t fighting. "If he is so adamant on getting that wand?" 

Before Femke could answer, a sudden flicker of light caught their attention.

A portal appeared.

And from it stepped a tall, sharply dressed lizard man.

Katinka’s eyes widened. "And who is that guy?"

The lizard—elegant, composed—walked forward with an air of quiet authority. His tailored suit barely had a wrinkle, and the way he carried himself spoke of confidence… and danger.

Femke tensed, watching as he bent down to whisper something to the bird-like leader. Whatever he said, it made the smaller creature freeze, turning to gape at him with wide eyes.

Femke’s grip on Katinka’s arm tightened.

"I don’t know, kid," she said, voice low as her eyes studied the new arrival "But whoever he is… I have a very bad feeling about him."

in silence Femke and Katinka watched on as the fight below them started to die down as the monsters retreated throught the portal as the small bird like creature waved his fist at the girl in the blue dress named Star and the boy in the red hoody named Marco in what he must thought looked like a treathening way. "You haven't seen the last of me Star butterfly" the small bird creature declared before he and the lizard man hopped into the portal last. 

                        "KATINKA WAIT-" 

Femke reached for her daughter, whom leaped towards the portal as Star and Marco dissapear back inside the house they most likely share with Star excitedly declaring "Let's go make some nacho's" grabbing just miss as Katinka leaped towards the portal and just managed to reach it and keep it open by using her own magic. 

"You coming mom?" Katinka turned to look at Femke, still standing rooted to the spot near the tree they had just hidden behind. "or are you gonna keep up standing there looking like death just walked by in the flesh?" 

This spurred Femke into action, running up to Katinka while muttering "This girl is gonna give me gray hairs" going throught the portal together, which snapps shut behind the pair. 

"Wow!" with wide eyes of amazement Femke and Katinka looked around at the castle-or at least what remainded of it… crumbling walls and tathered banners on which a shape was visible  that looked like the little bird like creature somewhat- spoke of the high state of neclect and diasrepear the castle was in. "I wonder who's castle we run in-" 

"FOOLS! INCOMPETENT IDIOTS!" the voice came the throne room and made Femke and Katinka sneak closer, seeing a lot of wounded creatures of all shapes and sizes sit and lie around random fires that were litting the throne room, casting long shadows over the walls and filling the room with the smell of smoke and burning wood. At the back of the throne room stood a giant red velvel throne with gold decorating the sides before which the small bird like creature was pacing up and down, clearly fuming. "The fierced monsters in all of the multiverse couldn't take on one little girl with magic and some karate kid" 

"well usually the failure of the army is due to the incompetance of it's leader" The lizard man cooly replied, sitting in a chair near the throne with a book in his lap, keeping his gaze firmly trained on the claw he was sharpening. 

"Incompetance has nothing to do with this!" the little bird like creature stomped it's foot then stomped a nearby creature on the head with his staff who had probably wanted to ask him something, making the creature in question squirm in pain as he quickly retracted to a safe distance of his leader. "we just need a even better plan to grab that wand! 

"KATINKA WAIT!" Femke whispered loudly, grabbing just short of her daughters dress once again, whom ran over to a big frog like creature that was sitting next to a close by fire, looking at a rather big gash in his arm with a unsure look. 

"Hey, you ok there big guy?" Katinka looked at the giant frog like creature with a symphafatic look as she kneeled down next to him and started to look over the gash in his arm, which looked awful and had a greenish blood coming out of it. "that looks rather painfull…" the creature looked up at her with a suprised look, following her gaze as she reached into the bagpack she always wore on her person for some medical supplies. "let me help you with that" 

"wound hurts a little bit" The buff looking creature replied, looking rather unsure at the human girl as she took out bandages and several bottles with herbs from her bag which she put down next to her on the ground. Carefully looking at each of the labels before she started to mix them together. "and who are you?" 

"My name is Katinka Devedanja" Katinka replied, looking up briefly to smile at the creature before she went back to her work, making a green paste that she carefully applied to the wound before she wrapped a bandage around his arm. "And what is your name?" 

"my name Yvegeny Bulgolyubov" The creature replied calmly, a small smile spreading on his face when Katinka looked up at him from wrapping the bandage around his arm with a dumbfounded look. he had worked as a spy for the monster army long enough to sense that this young lady…. whoever she was… was not dangerous… despite the fact she turned up out of nowhere his spy senses told him she was trustworthy. "But you, call me Buff Frog" 

"Buff Frog" Katinka repeated, smiling as she nodded to herself, thinking that was a way easier name to remember then "Yvegeny Bulgolyubov" as she finished wrapping the bandage around Buff Frogs arm and locked it carfully. "I'll be able to remember that" 

"Say ma'm, you have something in your bag for me as well?" A creature with to asked, showing Katinka he had a bunch of narwal horns sticking out of his arm, that made Katinka look up at Femke with a unsure look. Femke looked at the arm rather suprised, before she carefully scooped closer to have a better look at the arm. "I'm manfred" one of the two heads introduced himself as Femke started to gently remove the Narwal horns, before using some water to clean the wounds. "And i am Brutus" the other head added, both heads winching when Femke removed the last Narwal horn, which was stuck rather deep in. 

"Nice to meet you both" Katinka smiled, looking around the throne room for a moment as she spoke. More of the injured monsters had come over to them. Their shadows dancing omminously over the wall as they moved closer while their horns, claws and fangs glimmered in the dim light of the log fire's "what is this place?" 

"This is Ludo's castle" Manfred replies, a sad look crossing his face as he spoke, before wrinkling his nose at the foul smelling oiment Femke rubbed on his wounds to disinfect them. "Pride of the monster army" 

"Such a..." Femke looked around the crumbling castle, searching for the right word to describe what she saw. "Lovely place you guys got her" 

"And who is this?" Katinka looked up when this cool un-impressed called this, seeing to her shock the lizard man was standing behind her, back straight and eyes narrowed as he glared down at her and her mother. Only the twitching of his tail gave away he was mildly irritated. "Some run away mewmans?" 

"No, were not "some runaway mewmans" whatever that might mean" Femke replied, calmly getting up from were she had been sitting and straightening herself up to her full height as she walked over to the lizard man. "I'm a fairy from earth, my name is Femke" Femke placed a hand on her chest, before pointing at Katinka still sitting next to Buff Frog and looking up at the lizard man with wide eyes. "And this is my daughter Katinka" 

"Hey" Katinka looked up at the lizard man with the most adorable look she could muster to hide how afraid she was. 

"And whats your name sir?" Femke wondered, looking over the lizard man with a skeptical look. Unlike Katinka she wasn't intimidated and she wasn't exacly IMPRESSED by him either... up until now all she saw was a lizard with a big mouth. 

"You may call me....Toffee" the lizard man named Toffee bowed, holding out a hand to help Katinka to her feet, whom smiled and blushed a little now. 

"And I Am lord Ludo" Ludo, the little bird like creature squaked, shoving a very annoyed looking Toffee to the side and taking Katinka's hand (or at least a few fingers due to how small he was) in his, pressing a light kiss on it, making Katinka look down at him blankly... not sure what to say to this. "Lord and master of this castle" 

"This place is quite impressive" Femke looked around, totally un-impressed by what she saw as more and more of the monster army closed in around them. All of them wanting to have a better look at the intruders. "Is this your ensisteral home?" 

"Correct fair lady" Ludo puffed out his chest in pride, looking from Femke to Katinka with a bright smirk, before winking at Katinka in what appeared he thought was a flirtatious way. "It has been passed down from father to son for generations n-" 

"Enough of this!" Toffee's firm voice cut of Ludo's rambling about his family heritatage, making the small bird like creature look up at Toffee with a annoyed look. "Why are two here" Toffee glared from Femke to Katinka and back with his hands clasped behind his back. His eyes widening slightly when he saw Femke wasn't impressed by his usual intimidation tacticts and met his eyes head on. "Send by Star Butterfly to spy on us no doubt?" 

"Star butter-" Femke scrunched up her face, pondering the question for a moment. "Oo you mean that magic girl we just saw you guys fight with?" Femke's face lid up at the realization, a grin forming on her lips when she saw Katinka shake off Ludo who had tried to grab her hand again. "No, were another form of magix users from the magix demension on a travel to study other forms for magic" 

"And how exacly did you get in?" Tofee wondered, getting so close to Femke that the brunette could see the light in his eyes and smell his breath on her face. 

"Throught the strange portal thing" Femke nodded vaguely to were the portal was a moment ago, looking up rather suprised when she saw it had closed. Sure she knew portals could appear and dissapear at will, but she hadn't even heard it close... which was new. "Tho I have to ask were are we exacly?" 

"Your on mewni in another demension" Toffee's tail flicked in irritation, giving Femke and Katinka the hardest firmest stare he could muster. "Now go back to earth were you belong little fairies... I am only gonna ask kindly once"

                  "No" 

Femke's voice echooed throught the cavernous space, making Toffee who had been walking away... back straight and hands clasped behind his back halt  mid step and turn around. 

"No?" Calmly Toffee turned around, his face stil stooic as his eyes narrowes. A sign his man knew meant he was dangerously close to losing his patience. Making them all shuffle back in a effort to get out of their generals blast radius. 

"These soldiers are hurt and need help" Femke pointed at Buff Frog and a few other injured monsters, not at all impressed by Toffee's intimidation despite the clear messages the older maan was about to lose his patience. "My daughter and I have the medical knowledge to help them" 

"And we want to help them" Katinka interjected, taking two firm steps to get next to her mother, placing a hand on her shoulder to both steady her beating hearth (since Katinka was clearly intimidated by Toffee's hard stare) and to show she supported her mother. 

"Ah, a beatifull face and a hearth of gold!" Ludo exclaimed, dramaticly swooping in before Toffee and acting like he was swooning. "Toffee, catch me i think i'm gonna swoon" 

"No" Toffee glared at Ludo,his tail now visicly twitching in irritation, making Ludo squack and retreat as fast as his little legs could carry him. Making Femke and Katinka muffle their lauchter. "As for you two" 

"We could use medics sir" Buff Frog brought up, standing up straight and doing a salute that only looked half genuine. "Would be good for mans moral" 

"Alright then, they can stay" Femke and Katinka looked at each other silently cheering for their small victory. "But one complain about either of you and your both gone" 

"Yes sir" Femke said solemnly, standing up straight as well before doing a fake salut that made a few of the more seasoned soldiers of the monster army giggle behind their paws or claws. Amused at the girls dare, yet knowing lauching out loud would have severe consequentions. 

"Understood" Katinka replied, shooting her mother a warning glare, before she looked back at Toffee whom had already turned around and started to walk away. His tail twitching behind him as he did. 

"He sure is...." Femke looked after the retreathing general with a pondering look, only daring to speak when she was sure the general was out of earshot. "Something..." 

Katinka huffed in reply. "Don't start that mom" the blonde rolled her eyes at her mother, shaking her hand to force Ludo to let her go before she turned to look at the injured monsters still sitting and lying behind her. "We should focus on work instead" Katinka bristled, flipping her hair from her face before she walked straight to the closest injured monster. "You heard general Toffee" 

Femke nodded, gently pushing Ludo to the side as she walked to the closest injured to her. "Your right your right" Femke grunted, turning around to look at her daughter for a moment before she went back to inspected the wound. 

The monsters of the monster army looked in utter shock at the two obvious humans who were willing to stick their necks out to tend to their wounded. 

Femke bristled, pointing to her left. "two lines gentleman, those with a minor boo boo to the left" Femke pointed to her right side, a amused crossing over her features as she spoke. "those with real moral wounds to the right" 

a bit confused and tense, some visicly trembling the wounded monsters did as they were told.  Many of them went into the "Mortally wounded" line, many of whom indeed had wounds that looked very serious, many even bleeding and covert in dirt while others were sitting due to broken bones. while only a few went into the "Boo boo" line with slight cuts and bruises. 

Femke smiled, clearly satisfied "I'll start tending to the morgtally wounded, join me after your done with the "boo boo"'s okay?" Femke gave her daughter a knowing grin, before making a face when she saw Katinka had opened her mouth to object. "your the more patient one of the two of us when it comes to handling patients with a "Boo boo" Femke looked at a small monster with three eyes standing at the front of the "Boo boo" line, whom visicly collored and slightly turned away when she said this. "and you heard the general… we cannot have complaints rolling in his office" 

Katinka sighted. "Yeah, I heard that" grumbling under her breath Katinka went to the smal monster in in front of the "boo boo" line and knelt down to inspect the small bruices on his wrist. sighting to herself in frustration before she went to work. this was going to be a loooooooong shift. 

 

                                                  

Notes:

And with this I officially declare chapter 2 done! what did you guys think? I personally had a blast writing this chapter. Especially writing the introductions of some of our main characters like Buff Frog, Ludo and Toffee.

don't worry were gonna see plenty more of Ludo's flirting shananigans in the future! since if I learned one thing from watching the original Star Vs the forces of evil series (which I am re-watching now for inspiration) it's that Ludo does not give up easily

thanks for reading everybody.

Review!!!

Chapter 3: Chapter 3: walking on thin ice

Chapter 3: Walking on Thin Ice

Normal POV

Over the following days, Femke and Katinka settled into a routine. They would wake up first and prepare a hearty breakfast—far better than the awful-tasting grub the monsters had endured before the two human girls arrived, or so many claimed. They ate together with the other monster soldiers in the mess hall.

After breakfast, Ludo would come up with some ridiculous plan to steal the wand. (Once, he even suggested disguising themselves as garden gnomes to ambush Star in her backyard.) As always, Toffee would casually modify the plan into something far more effective. ("Why not spare your men the humiliation and use the cover of bushes and trees instead?") And, as usual, he would present his revision in a way that made Ludo think the idea was his own.

Somehow, every plan backfired thanks to Star and Marco’s teamwork, leaving Femke and a very annoyed Katinka—who hated seeing anyone get hurt, whether human, mewman, or monster—spending their afternoons (and sometimes nights) patching up the wounded. They took meal breaks in shifts so one of them was always available to tend to the injured. But through it all, Femke and Katinka remained open-minded, making small talk with the monster soldiers who came in.

"Have you worked with Ludo long?" Katinka asked Three-Eyed Potato Baby one sunny afternoon, three weeks after their arrival. She was tending to a nasty bruise on his arm, with a hole in the middle where a narwhal horn had pierced his skin—courtesy of Ludo’s last plan. ("Hide in Quest Buy and attack Star when she’s distracted.") Quest Buy sold a wide variety of items, including sharp knives, battle axes, and swords. According to the monsters who had visited, the "quest" in Quest Buy was simply finding what you needed.

Potato Baby scrunched up his nose. "From the very beginning," he replied casually, then winced when Katinka pressed a disinfectant-soaked cloth against his wound. "Oi! Careful with that!"

Katinka blushed. "Sorry," she said, giving him an apologetic smile before focusing on her work again. "I was just wondering why Ludo is so... different."

Boo Fly, lying on the bed next to Potato Baby, sharply turned his head toward Katinka. "All monsters are different from you humans," the fly growled, grunting as Femke, sitting behind him, mended his wings. She shot him an apologetic look in return. "Thought you knew that by now."

Katinka nodded. "True, but you all have the common sense of grown-ups." She glanced around, brushing some blonde hair from her face to make sure neither Toffee nor Ludo were nearby. Then, leaning closer to Boo Fly, she lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Ludo doesn’t. And I was wondering if that was due to his species or... something else."

The monsters nearby smiled, all understanding exactly what she meant.

"It’s mostly because of Lord Ludo’s upbringing," Three-Eyed Potato Baby finally answered after a short silence—one where no one quite knew how to respond without risking trouble if Ludo ever caught wind of this conversation. "I overheard him telling the General once that he was the runt of a litter of twelve. His parents tried to toughen him up. That’s what made him the way he is now."

Boo Fly bristled. "Likely excuse." He carefully hovered up a little, testing his patched-up wings as Femke finished. "Ludo has always been a total joke—unlike the General..."

Femke looked up from winding the remaining bandages, intrigued. "Seems like you all hold Toffee in high regard." She glanced around the room, frowning as every single patient tensed at the mention of Toffee’s name. Some even glanced around nervously, as if expecting him to appear out of nowhere, while others looked down, refusing to make eye contact.

"What makes the General so special, anyway?"

A collective gasp sounded. Then silence.

All the monsters in the makeshift medical wing now stared at Femke with wide, horrified eyes. The room, once filled with quiet conversation, became suffocatingly still. Femke only noticed how thick the air had grown with unspoken fear when she looked up again.

"He is very special."

A lizard with a diamond-shaped eye stepped ominously out of the shadows in the corner of the room, making all the monsters turn toward him. Their already pale faces drained of even more color at the sight of him.

Boo Fly, still hovering next to Femke, cursed under his breath. "That’s Rasticor."

The standing monsters quickly moved aside, parting to allow Rasticor through. Some visibly trembled. He was tall—at least a head taller than Femke—with a single, piercing yellow eye that glinted darkly as he surveyed the room. His dull green scales flickered in the dim candlelight, and spikes jutted from his shoulders. A cybernetic arm and numerous battle scars told Femke he had lived a long and brutal life. He wore dark grayish-blue pants, a brown belt, black boots, and a purple cloak draped over his right arm. He carried himself with an air of authority and fear as he approached Femke and Katinka.

Katinka nervously shuffled back a little, while Femke stood her ground, straightening to her full height to meet him head-on.

Rasticor glared at Femke. "You speak of Toffee as if he were just another monster, little girl." His tone was calm, deliberate. He shook his head, almost in pity. "That’s a mistake."

Femke gazed at him, feigning boredom. "And you are?"

"Rasticore Chaosus Disastervaine," he said, offering a slight mock bow. "Former enforcer of the Septarian army, before it crumbled to dust." His lips curled into something between a sneer and a smirk. His tail flicked behind him as his one eye moved from Femke to Katinka and back again.

Femke crossed her arms, leaning against the hospital bed closest to her. "Then enlighten me." She absentmindedly picked at her nails. "If he’s not just another soldier… then who is Toffee?" She glanced around at the monsters sitting or lying nearby, all still tense and silent. "They sure seem impressed by him."

Boo Fly, who had been hovering beside Femke, edged back. Three-Eyed Potato Baby hid under his blanket, visibly shivering. The room’s atmosphere grew heavier with each passing second, as if every word Femke spoke tightened an invisible noose. Yet she remained unbothered, confused by their panic.

"Makes you wonder who Toffee truly is," she mused, locking eyes with Rasticor once again. The tall, scarred lizard man stared back, unblinking, as if trying to read her mind. "They’re all acting like Toffee is the devil himself."

Rasticor regarded her with an unimpressed look. "Toffee is old. Older than many here." His voice was low, gruff. He glanced around again, and even the bravest monsters averted their eyes. "And he has seen a lot in that time." He sharpened a claw against a nearby bedpost.

Femke cocked her head. "Older than seventy?"

Rasticor nodded. "Which isn’t that old in Septarian years. But old enough to be a seasoned warlord."

Femke hummed thoughtfully. "Is that how you met him?"

"Yes, we both served—" Rasticor’s eyes widened as he realized he had almost said too much. He tensed. "Not important." He waved a dismissive hand at her. "Just don’t underestimate him."

 

Still sweating like a maniac—still nervous—Rasticor reached into his cape and pulled out an old, battered chainsaw, covered in rust and mud. He yanked on the cord again and again, his nerves clearly growing with each failed attempt, until the thing finally roared to life. The loud whir of the chainsaw echoed in the dimly lit room as he used it to saw a rip in reality itself. The shimmering tear flickered ominously before him.

Femke frowned, looking from the open portal to Rasticor. “Still heard nothing.”

Rasticor ignored her, stepping one foot into the portal. “Bye.” Awkwardly, he waved at Femke before disappearing through the dimensional portal. It snapped shut behind him before Femke had a chance to react, leaving her staring at the spot where it had vanished, thoroughly confused.

Behind her, the monster patients slowly emerged from their hiding spots—under blankets, around corners—relieved but still wary. Though no one spoke, the air in the room seemed to grow warmer again.

With a shrug, Femke turned back to the three-eyed potato baby. “Well, that was weird,” she muttered, helping him sit up straight before adjusting his pillow behind him. Her movements were fluid, her shoulders relaxed. “You okay?”

The three-eyed potato baby looked up at her, his face still flushed, his body trembling with nerves. “Y...Yeah,” he stammered, his three wide eyes filled with lingering fear. “That was… something.”

“Foolish, that’s what.” Boo Fly fluttered back into the room, plopping onto the bed next to Femke with a disapproving scowl. “No one talks to the boss’s main enforcer like that and lives.”

Katinka stood from the bed she’d been sitting on and, still shaking, walked over to Boo Fly. “I agree with Boo Fly on this one… that was rather foolish of you.”

Femke grumbled. “I was merely trying to figure out who the main players are.” Crossing her arms, she frowned. “And Mister Tall-and-Sharp is the biggest puzzle here.”

Katinka looked up, surprised. “You think he might be dangerous?” Worry crept into her voice.

Femke nodded, looking more serious than usual—enough that even Katinka could tell she was taking this puzzle very seriously.

“More dangerous than we even realize.”

The room fell silent as everyone absorbed those words before slowly returning to their tasks, as if nothing had happened.

For a moment longer, Femke remained frozen in place, her back rigid, her breathing slow. Then she shook her head, as if snapping out of a trance, and got back to work… though her mind kept replaying the conversation with Rasticor, analyzing every detail.

Avarius Castle – Hallway Near Toffee’s Office
With a loud thud, Rasticor stumbled out of the portal he had hastily fled through. He pushed himself up stiffly, dusting off his clothes before turning back to where the portal had snapped shut behind him. He then looked down the long hallway, dimly lit by torches. The flickering flames cast long shadows that seemed… strangely alive.

For a moment, Rasticor just stood there, his mind reeling over his conversation with Femke.

“I let too much slip… I am so dead.”

Taking a nervous breath, he glanced back at the hallway, then smirked, shaking his head.

“That Femke girl has guts, though. Gotta give her credit for that.” He sighed, shoulders sagging slightly as he took a step forward. His distorted shadow moved with him, stretching unnaturally along the walls.

“Too bad for her… she has no idea what she’s gotten herself mixed up in.”

Taking another deep breath, Rasticor steadied his racing heart. He leaned against the wall for a minute until he was sure his legs could support him, then started making his way toward Toffee’s office. His mind raced, trying to figure out how to report his conversation without letting on that he had screwed up.

His diamond-shaped eye shimmered in the torchlight as he muttered to himself, “I am so dead. I am so dead. Boss is gonna kill me if he finds out I told that blasted girl too much.”

Monsters stepped aside as he passed, casting wary glances in his direction. They had never seen Rasticor—the boss’s no-nonsense enforcer—so distracted. Too distracted, even, to snarl at them. Something big must have happened.

“Best hope I can report this without him catching on… or I’ll definitely be scrubbing toilets for a month.”

The conversation with Femke played in his head like a broken record as he tensely knocked on Toffee’s office door. His tail twitched behind him—the only visible sign of his nervousness.

A sharp voice from inside made him jump.

“Come in.”

Rasticor took a deep breath. Okay, stay calm.

Opening the door, he stepped inside.

Toffee’s Office
The room was dimly lit, candles and candelabras casting long shadows that seemed to shift on their own. Everything was impeccably organized, not a speck of dust out of place. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with volumes on war strategies, history, and personal favorites of the general. Some books were more worn than others, evidence of how often Toffee revisited them.

At his desk, Toffee was bent over paperwork, his quill calmly scratching against the parchment. A bottle of West Mewmany swamp water sat beside a tankard, explaining the faint scent in the air.

Without looking up, Toffee remarked, “Rasticor, you look shaken.” He signed a document and set it aside. “You failed, I assume?”

Rasticor gulped. “Did as ya told me, boss. Gathered intel on the two human intruders.”

He shuffled his feet, eyes darting to the floor, desperate to avoid Toffee’s piercing gaze. The moment with Femke replayed in his mind so loudly, it was as if she were screaming the memory into his ears.

“Problem was… the girl had a lot of counter-questions.”

Toffee hummed in response. “And let me guess…”

Finally, he looked up, face expressionless but eyes burning with intensity. Sweat trickled down Rasticor’s back.

“You slipped up and told her too much?”

The temperature in the room seemed to plummet. Rasticor went rigid, his tail swishing anxiously. He knows.

“Boss, I can explain—”

Toffee stood from his chair and walked to the window, his movements slow, measured. Though his face remained unreadable, his eyes burned with fury.

“That wretched girl won’t stand in the way of my grand plan.” He gazed at the distant Butterfly Castle, his hands clasped behind his back. “She is only human, after all.”

Rasticor let out a shaky breath, relieved. “Dunno, boss… girl’s got guts.”

Toffee turned, glancing at the map on his desk. He studied the board, then smirked.

“They’ll never see my endgame coming.”

And by the time they did—it would be far too late.

 

Notes:

And with that said I end chapter 3. thoughts everyone? I had a blast writing this chapter. Especially the Rasticor VS Femke scene! I hope your all hyped up for the next chapter! because I am not gonna spoil anything by telling you what's gonna happen next! your gonna have to wait for the next chapter to come out to see

and until then

please leave a review!

Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Monster customs

Chapter 4: Monster Customs

Normal POV

In the weeks that followed, Rasticor kept a close eye on the two humans, just as Toffee had instructed—though always at a safe distance, hoping to avoid another… incident.

Meanwhile, Femke and Katinka were settling into life at Ludo’s castle. When there were no wounded to tend to, they spent hours in the library, devouring any knowledge they could find on Mewni’s long, complex history. They wanted—needed—to understand the roots of the feud between monsters and Mewmans.

One evening during dinner, Buff Frog looked up from his bowl of mystery stew, surprised to see Femke deeply engrossed in a book titled Mewni: A History by Bella Labog. His brow lifted when he realized something unusual—the author of this particular book was a monster.

“You read book, no?” Buff Frog asked, curiosity edging into his voice.

Femke swallowed a bite, wiped her mouth on her sleeve, and nodded. “It’s… very interesting.” Her shoulders slumped slightly as she looked up at Buff Frog, her expression troubled. “But… is this really how things happened?”
Buff Frog leaned over her shoulder. When he saw the page, his expression darkened. It detailed The Great Monster Massacre. His voice dropped to a somber tone.

“Yes.”

Femke let out a sharp breath, her body tensing. She glanced around the table with wide eyes. “That’s horrible. Why would anyone do such a thing?”

Katinka closed her own book and nodded solemnly. “It’s like they didn’t even see you guys as living, breathing people.”
The entire room froze. Every monster stopped mid-bite, mid-chew, mid-whatever. Even Toffee, seated beside Ludo at the head of the table, looked up. His face remained stoic, but his eyes flickered—curious. Calculating.

“Want some meat, sweetheart?” Bearded Deer offered, pushing a raw slab in Katinka’s direction with a crooked smile.

The stench alone made her nose wrinkle. She instinctively leaned away, waving a hand. “No thanks,” she said quickly, speaking through bated breath. “We… uh… only eat our meat cooked.”

A collective gasp echoed across the hall.

Katinka blinked, confused. “Sorry if that offends anyone,” she added awkwardly, picking up a piece of fruit. “Human stomachs just can’t handle raw meat.”

Bearded Deer chuckled. “Of course. You don’t know.”

“Know what?” Femke and Katinka asked in unison.

Lobster Claws grinned, nudging Bearded Deer with a bony elbow. “It’s a custom thing. When you’re offered food, it means you’re accepted into the group. Refusing it…” he chuckled, “is kinda rude.”

Katinka’s cheeks turned crimson. “Uhh… whoops?”

“It’s okay,” Bearded Deer said with a forgiving smile. “We figured you girls didn’t know monster customs.”

Femke let out a sheepish huff, rubbing her face against her elbow. “Then we’d better get a crash course—fast,” she said, grinning around the table. “Before we accidentally insult half the castle.”

“Would be most unwise, yes,” Buff Frog agreed, nodding gravely. Several others mirrored him, although their stiff postures showed they were still stunned by the idea that two humans—outsiders—wanted to learn their ways.

“YOU… want to LEARN from US?” Three-Eyed Potato Baby squeaked in disbelief.

“That’s what the little humans said,” Boo Fly cackled, hovering above his seat. When Ludo snapped his fingers, Boo Fly zipped over and stacked pillows under himself for a better view. “This oughta be good.”

He plopped himself on Toffee’s chair.

Toffee’s tail twitched. “Do you mind?” he grumbled, shifting to shake the tiny creature off. Boo Fly yelped and flitted to Lobster Claws’ chair instead, which was fine—Lobster Claws was too busy chewing on himself to notice.

“First thing: greeting, yes?” Buff Frog announced, rising. He waved over a bear-like soldier with one horn. “You humans shake hands?”

Femke and Katinka both nodded eagerly.

“When greeting us… you punch shoulder.”

Without warning, Buff Frog smacked the bear soldier on the shoulder. The soldier stumbled, then roared with laughter and returned the punch just as hard. Buff Frog grinned. “See? Firmer the punch, more respect.”

Katinka stepped forward, determined—and decked Buff Frog so hard he flew backward into a rack of weapons.
She gasped. “Uh… too much?”

Femke slapped a hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh—until Rasticor shot her a glare so sharp it could cut glass.

Grumbling, Buff Frog got up, dusting himself off. “That was… a bit enthusiastic, yes? Try again. Less flying.”

Katinka nodded and delivered a more respectful punch. Buff Frog nodded approvingly, then turned to Femke.

“You next, yes?”

Before she could step up, Big Chicken clucked something loudly. Buff Frog paused, then nodded. “He wants to switch with me. In case you… go overboard.”

Femke raised an eyebrow. “Fair. That looked painful.”

Buff Frog gave her a look. “Then do not laugh when fellow monster gets hurt.”

Femke immediately sobered. “Understood.”

Satisfied, Rasticor swiped a piece of fruit from Femke’s plate. “If you’re gonna eat with us, better eat fast. Speed is survival.”

Femke blinked. Then, with a grin, she patted Big Chicken’s back. “Good thing I took lessons in fast eating.”

Lobster Claws let out a burp that echoed. “Oh, and don’t forget—burping means compliments to the chef. No burp? That’s rude.”

Katinka pulled out a notebook. “Awesome,” she grinned. “On Earth, burping is considered gross.” Her eyes sparkled. “Finally, I get to burp without shame.”

Femke chuckled. “Thank God you’re your father’s daughter,” she said—then faltered.

The room went quiet.

Toffee watched. Interesting, he thought. Very interesting.

Femke shook her head with a dry laugh. “He never knew when to control himself either.”

The light mood vanished. Femke stared into her lap. Katinka’s spark dimmed.

Toffee’s eyes narrowed. A shadow crossed his mind. There it is… Something I can use.

Then Ludo dramatically flopped across the table. “What’s with the tears, my love?!” he cried.
Plates clattered. Groans followed.

“Watch it!”

“Ugh, my bread!”

Undeterred, Ludo struck a pose. “Tell me who hurt you! I shall punish them myself! Or I am not LORD LUDO AVARIUS!”

Katinka raised a brow. Femke buried her face in her daughter’s shoulder to stifle a laugh. “No thanks.”

Then Femke sobered, voice trembling. “My husband… was killed by shadow ghouls. Sent by someone called Lord Darkhar. About a year ago.”

The room froze.

“He died protecting Katinka’s little brother. It… it was my fault. I wasn’t ready, but I insisted—”

“It was not your fault,” Katinka said firmly, cupping her mother’s face. “Dylan was dying. If you hadn’t gone, Dad would’ve gone alone.”

Femke shook her head. “But Dylan died in the end.”

Tears fell.

Buff Frog stepped forward, silent. He gently wrapped them in a hug.

“How old was Baboushka?” he asked softly.

“Sixteen,” Femke whispered.

A hush fell over the room. Hardened monsters looked shaken. Even Rasticor’s eye gleamed suspiciously.

Toffee stayed blank. Does this guy even HAVE feelings? Femke thought bitterly.

“He was still a kid,” Boo Fly murmured.

“Far too young,” someone whispered.

Ludo sobbed on the floor. “SO SAD!”

A young monster asked timidly, “How did the younger one die?”

Femke’s hands trembled. “Dylan was kidnapped. Used to lure me out… before my powers were ready. Daniel and I fought like hell to save him, but… he was too weak.”

Katinka added, “Dad sacrificed himself. I wasn’t there for it… but I was there when Dylan passed.”

Femke nodded. “Even dying, he tried to comfort us. He said, ‘Don’t cry for me, guys… I’ll be with Dad again soon.’”
Silence.

Toffee exhaled softly.

A useful detail, he thought with a smirk.

Then a deep hum started—low, ancient. One voice, then many. A song. A chant. Femke looked around.

Suddenly, everyone stood and roared, “HAIL DANIEL! HAIL DYLAN!”

The hum faded into silence.

Femke and Katinka stared, stunned.

“What just happened?” Katinka whispered.

Buff Frog stepped forward, calm and proud. “This is warrior custom. Song of remembrance. Farewell to fallen.”

“But how did they know it?” Katinka asked.

 

Buff Frog gave a knowing nod, glancing around the room where even the rowdiest monsters now stood with their heads bowed.

"It is not something learned," he said solemnly. "It is something felt. We honor those who fall in battle, whether we knew them or not. Your husband, your son… they fought. They protected. They are honored now, as they should be."

Femke blinked rapidly, overwhelmed by the sheer weight of the moment. She had spent so long grieving in silence—mourning behind closed doors where no one could see her break. Yet here, in this strange land among warriors who had never known her family, they were recognized—not as mere names, but as lives that mattered.

Katinka wiped her eyes, overwhelmed but strangely comforted. She looked around at the monsters, no longer seeing strangers… but a people who, despite everything, understood loss the way she and her mother did.

Femke exhaled shakily, placing a hand over her heart. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Then, a little stronger: "Thank you. This… this means more than I can put into words."

A murmur of approval swept through the hall. Quiet reassurances were offered as everyone slowly settled back into their seats, resuming their loud slurping and chewing like nothing had happened.

"This means meal is good," Buff Frog explained, loudly gnawing on a piece of bread. "Slurping and chewing loudly shows respect for the chef."

Grinning from ear to ear, Katinka took a big bite and began chewing as obnoxiously as possible. “Awesome.” Then, after emptying her bowl, she let out a belch loud enough to make Toffee glance up at her in surprise.

“Best place we’ve ever been to,” she declared proudly.

Femke let out a belch of her own, nodding in agreement. “Gotta admit… that feels good.”

Stretching as she got up, Katinka surveyed the room. “So, we’ve had greetings, table customs, and mourning rituals…” She looked around, addressing no one in particular. “What’s next?”

“We also never back down from a challenge,” said a huge, blue monster with one massive monster arm and a comically tiny human one. He stood tall, puffing out his chest. “That’s disrespectful. It’s the ultimate offense.”

Katinka nodded, scribbling notes. “Understandable.”

“And if someone throws something,” Boo Fly chimed from atop Lobster Claws’ chair, “you catch it. Only weak little girls dodge.”

Femke cocked an eyebrow. “Even if it’s a reflex?”

“Especially then,” Rasticor grunted.

“And if you try but still miss?” she asked.

“Then you’re clumsy, but at least you tried,” Buff Frog replied dryly.

Femke deadpanned. “Oh, lovely. Since I sometimes have a problem with gravity.”

Katinka snickered. “Understatement of the year.”

Buff Frog cleared his throat before they could start bickering. He walked over to Rasticor and gestured toward his weapon. “Next custom—never touch another soldier’s weapon without permission. It’s like asking for a fight to the death.”

Both Femke and Katinka tensed, exchanging a nervous glance. This was definitely something they’d have to remember.

Katinka gave a meek smile as she jotted down the note. “That’s… a lot of customs.”

Boo Fly chuckled. “And that’s not even all of them yet.”

Their eyes widened. “There’s more?” they asked in unison.

Buff Frog nodded. “Much more.” He looked to Rasticor, who gave a smug smirk, his diamond eye flashing ominously in the firelight. Femke and Katinka shared a look of mild panic.

A sudden growl interrupted them. They turned just in time to see a veteran soldier grab a rookie and slam him to the ground.

“NEVER break eye contact, rookie!” the older monster snarled, throwing a punch. The younger soldier grunted, barely able to defend himself. “Show some respect for your elders!”

Femke winced. “Oh wow…”

Katinka scribbled furiously. “Disrespect… gets you decked.”

Femke turned to Buff Frog. “Tough culture.”

Buff Frog blinked. “Culture?” He tilted his head. “You think we have our own culture?”

“Well… yeah,” Katinka said, glancing around at the chaos: monsters brawling, arm-wrestling, burping, and growling.

She looked back up. “That’s what it is, right?”

Boo Fly hovered closer, curious. “You don’t see us as just brute monsters then? Like those Mewmans?”

Katinka glanced from Boo Fly to Buff Frog, then back around the hall.

“Not really, no,” she said slowly, choosing her words. “All I see is… people. A community with its own rules. Its own way of life.”

Femke nodded. “As my adoptive mom always says: ‘Inside is more important than outside.’” She raised a finger and put on a silly voice: “‘At our core, we’re all living, breathing beings!’”

A few monsters snickered at her impression.

Toffee perked up, though his face remained unreadable. No one ever thought about it that way before, he mused, glancing at Ludo—who was openly gaping at the girls.

“No one ever said that about the likes of us,” Monster Arm growled. Big Chicken clucked in solemn agreement.

Without another word, they walked over and each gave Femke and Katinka a solid shoulder punch.

“You two are okay,” Monster Arm said gruffly.

“Thanks,” Femke grinned, rubbing her sore arm. “Ow. Totally worth it.”

“Okay, okay. Let me recap,” Katinka said proudly, tapping her notebook. “Don’t offend the host. Punch with purpose. Eat fast. Burp loudly. Catch everything. And if you miss, at least try.”

Monster Arm chuckled. “You’re a fast learner, little human.”

Just then, a bread roll whizzed through the air toward Femke.

Without hesitation, she opened her mouth—and caught it on the first try.

The room erupted in cheers. Even Toffee looked vaguely impressed.

Katinka whooped, clapping her mother on the shoulder. “I take back what I said about you and gravity!”

Lobster Claws clicked his claws. “And with her mouth, too!” he said gleefully. “That’s bonus points!” Then he let out a loud, satisfied belch.

Femke blinked. "betcha i can top that"

Femke narrowed her eyes, leaned forward, and picked up a tankard of some suspiciously fizzy monster drink.

“Oh no,” Katinka said, scooting back. “Mom, don’t—”

Femke downed the entire thing in one go, slammed the cup down like a champion, and stood tall.

She inhaled.

kept her gaze locked with Lobster claws to show she meant buisness

and then She burped.

It was long. It was deep. It was majestic.

The room fell silent for a second.

Then Lobster Claws pumped both claws in the air. “WE HAVE A CHALLENGER!”

Buff Frog applauded with a grunt. “Impressive. Full-bodied. Lots of range.”

“Not bad for a human,” grumbled Monster Arm, begrudgingly respectful.

Femke wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, triumphant. “I’ve been training for this moment my whole life.”

Katinka facepalmed. “This is what you choose to excel at.”

“Let me have this,” Femke whispered dramatically, and they both burst out laughing.

 

They both laughed, the kind of laughter that comes from sheer emotional exhaustion. The hall was still buzzing with monster antics, but for the first time in days, the chaos didn’t feel overwhelming—it felt… familiar.

Later that night, the castle had quieted down. The torches burned low in their sconces, casting flickering shadows across the stone walls. Femke and Katinka sat curled together in a small alcove just off the main hall, a patchwork blanket draped over their legs and a half-eaten plate of monster fruit between them.

For a long moment, they didn’t say anything. Just breathed.

Then Katinka broke the silence. “I can’t believe we burped our way into monster society.”

Femke snorted softly. “Right? Between shoulder punches and bread catching, I feel like I aged five years in one dinner.”

Katinka tilted her head back, staring at the uneven ceiling. “I mean… they’re weird. But good weird. Not what I expected.”

“Me neither,” Femke said, her voice soft. “They’ve seen things… lived through things. And yet, they still sing for the fallen.” Her hand drifted to her heart again.

Katinka nodded slowly. “I think I like them.”

“I know I do.”

They lapsed into another thoughtful silence.

“I wish Daniel and Dylan could’ve seen this,” Femke whispered, voice catching slightly.

Katinka leaned her head on her mother’s shoulder. “They’d have loved it. Especially Dylan. You know how he was with burping contests.”

Femke chuckled sadly. “He’d have ruled this place.”

Outside, a howl echoed faintly in the distance.

Katinka shifted, pulling the blanket tighter. “So… what now?”

Femke stared into the dying firelight.

“We learn,” she said finally. “We listen. We survive. And maybe… just maybe… we help them survive too.”

Katinka nodded. “Deal.”

Above them, unseen in the rafters, a shadow moved. Toffee watched with quiet interest, unreadable as always. His tail curled around a beam.

Yes… he thought. Very interesting indeed.

Notes:

and with that I declare chapter 4 officially done! I hope you all enjoyed reading this because I had a blast writing this since the official Star VS The forces of evil never explained monster customs… they only mentioned briefly that queen Comet Butterfly (Moons mom) was aware of their customs and tried to be sensitive off them when she tried to come to a peace treathy before Toffee murdered her… -_- way to go Toff -_- so I had full range to make up my own rules that just felt right in their world.

anyway see you guys next chapter and don't forget to

REVIEW!!!!

Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Fire and Ice

Chapter 5: Fire and Ice

Femke's POV

it seems after that burp contest win I seemed to have won some resespect around the monster army base.

like I won ACTUAL respect….

by belching

if you had told that to sixteen year old me I would have declared myself insane…. but yet here I am… in the middle of a monster socity being nodded to and punched like i BELONG here…

even Rasticore, whom used to growl at me for breating in his general direction now gives me a punch to the shoulder.

and during breakfast I could have SWORN I saw the general gave me a nod.

after breakfast we were allowed to attent the training sessions and suddenly i am glad i always payed attention during gym classes because now I was able to dodge monster arm and lobster claws and use some swift earthbending to take them out.

Boo Fly hovering overhead nodded in approvel. "you got skill little human" he buzzed closer to Lobster claws and Monster arm to make sure they weren't to badly beaten up. "not bad at all"

I smirked and reached out a hand to monster arm. "I am glad I never cut gym now"

a few of the closer monsters looked up. "what's gym?" a bear like creature with a horn on his head asked, looking at me puzzled. "sounds dangerous"

I shook my head. "it is a class at school" I looked around at the confused faces. "You have schools here…. right?"

every monster in the room looked as if I had spoken a diffrent language.

"it's were kids learn to do math, learn history, biology, reading and writing" I summed up on my fingers. "as well as sports and playing nice"

Rasticore looked at Boo Fly, then at me. "wait, just…. wait" he held up his hands to stop me from talking any further. "you mean you guys go to this school thingt for that?" he took one step closer to me, the jewel in the spot his eye used to be glimmed in the dim light of the training room as he spoke. "your parents don't teach you that themseleves?"

I cocked my head. "-No" I hesitated a moment, thinking how to best explain why we had schooling systems for these sort of matters. "the adults are to bussy coming by the money we need to buy us food, clothing and other needs"

Everyone stared at me. The silence was thick enough to chew.

Even Boo Fly looked unsettled, hovering awkwardly with his tiny arms crossed.

“You mean,” Monster Arm said slowly, “humans don’t teach their own hatchlings?”

“Hatchlings?!” Katinka burst out, appearing from behind a stack of training pads. “Okay, I love that term now. I’m calling every child a hatchling from now on.”

“Focus,” Femke muttered, though she was grinning.

Rasticore was still frowning. “So your young are… raised by strangers?”

“Well, kind of,” Femke said. “Teachers are trained for it. They're not strangers strangers. But yeah, it’s their job to teach kids.”

The monsters murmured amongst themselves.

“That’s messed up,” Lobster Claws declared, crossing his arms. “If someone else tried to raise my hatchlings, I’d eat them.”

“You don’t have hatchlings,” Boo Fly snapped.

“Yeah, but if I did, I wouldn’t just hand them off to some math wizard!”

“Math isn’t evil,” Katinka piped up. “Though I did lose a few brain cells trying to understand algebra.”

“You lost them during algebra?” Buff Frog said, suddenly emerging with a tray of snacks “I thought that happened during the burp duel.”

Katinka took a snack and pointed a dramatic finger. “Bold of you to talk when mom nearly blew out your eardrums, Amphibian King.”

Buff Frog raised a brow. “It was… impressive. Loud. Terrifying.”

“But it earned her some respect!” she sang, striking a pose.

I chuckled at this, then looked back at Rasticore, who was still mulling over the concept of school.

“You guys really don’t have anything like that?” she asked gently.

Rasticore shrugged. “Some clans pass on knowledge through stories. Others through combat. If a child survives a lesson, they’ve learned it well.”

“That’s… horrifying and cool at the same time,” Katinka said honestly.

“A little of both,” Femke agreed. Then, quieter: “No wonder you guys are so good at surviving.”

Monster Arm cracked his knuckles. “It’s not just surviving. It’s thriving. And knowing who your people are.”

He gave me a respectful nod. “You’re one of us now.”

I blinked at his command.

That… that meant something.

Katinka writes some things down humming "So all of you were mostly directly formed by your parents value's" she looked around, seeing some of the monsters look away.

It was Lobster claws who spoke up first. "We should have by the standarts of our world" he rubbed his neck uneasily. "But this war... makes some of us did not HAVE that luxery"

Rasticore nodded, his whole body language speaking of loss and pain he did not dare speak of out loud... like that was a shame..

"I Wonder how he came to be the person he is" rang through my head as I observed the body language of the others in the room. Most of them had hanging shoulders and pained looks in their eyes... but they all seemed at least OPEN to TALKING about their past... Rasticore did not give me the impression he wanted to. "He gives the impression he had little care in the past"

I wanted to ask Rasticore more—wanted to reach out and say something comforting. But every inch of his posture screamed

don’t.

So I didn’t.

Tho i did dare to come and sit a little closer to him as more and more monsters gathered around the campfire

Katinka looked around. "I understand it might be seen as prying but-" she stopped and hesitated. "I was wondering why many of you chose to join the army"

I nodded in confirmation.

Every eye turned to us- and not always in the friendly way- before monster arm sighted.

"I was born and raised in a village that believed in mewman-monster relations" Monster arm sighted. Wiggling his human arm. "This puny little human arm? A result of my dad being a mewman"

Lobster claws chuckled. "And oo how he got bullied for it"

Monster arm glared at him. "Yet my parents loved me" he sighted and looked down. "Until queen comet died at the hands of the general"

I fell a chill run over my back. "They... turned on your dad... didn't they?"

Monster arm looks up suprised at me, before he looks away and nods. The tears hidden in the corners off his eyes and his shivering telling me how match it must still hurt him.

"Thats why i joined the monster army" monster arm looks at his human arm sadly. "To prove i am a monster"

Lobster claws leaned back laxely. "I just joined for the snacks and purpose" he grinned. "But mostly for the snacks"

"Hr um- thats a lie" horned bear coughed in his arm, making Boo Fly and bearded deer lauch.

Lobster claws flushed red. "Okay, okay" he admitted raising his red claws in surrender. "I joined because my village was raised to the ground by the mewman army" he sighted. "Lord Ludo picked me up from the gutters and gave me purpose again"

The conjoinigans Brutas and Manfred sighted. "So did we"

a wolf like female monster from the nurses tent looked around smiling. "I Joined merely because I wanted to help those in need" she looked around the gathered monsters. "my people have always been misjudged by both the mewmans and the monsters so i wanne prove the opposite by helping others"

a young recruit chuckled. "I joined because I thought it would be fun" he pats bearded deer on the back, who gives him a stern look making the young one immdiatly back away. "I have no regrets"

Bearded deer shuffled his feet. "I was actually already around during the reign of Queen Comet" he revealed. "Helped with setting up a peace treathy until-"

His eyes flashed to the war room, a silence fell over the campfire as thick as a blanket that made a cold shiver run down my spine.

Katinka held her breath next to me.

"Until the general killed queen Comet" Boo Fly shivered as he fluttered onto a stone close to us so he could whisper it. "I wasn't born yet... but i heard he did"

Rasticore nodded. "He did" his diamand eye gleamed in the firelight. "I was there when he did"

Katinka gasped as she looked up at Rasticore. "Why?" She looked horrefied at the idea of murder. "Why would he do such a thing if she wanted PEACE"

Rasticore's face turned slightly purple at this question. "I cannot say match about that" he fumbled with his cape, shivering and twitching with nerves. "All I can say is that THAT was not the peace he envisioned"

A Chill fell over the campfire as Toffee passed by the campfire, glaring at them once before dissapearing into the war room without a word.

Katinka shivered next to me. "Does that guy ever smile?" She wondered, looking around with a worried glance.

everyone shivered at this question, before Buff Frog cleared his troath. "be glad if he does not little hatchling"

Katinka looked up, but did not make a command on the "being a hatchling" part like I had expected her to. "how come?" she instead informed, eyes raised and curious as she looks around.

everyone shuffeled nervously, sharing looks. unsure who should answer the question.

eventually it was Rasticore who answered. "because if he smiles" he declared, looking my daughter in the eye so seriously it gave me goosebumbs. "you usually outlived your usefullness to him

a younger recruit with a bad looking scar on his arm nodded. "he smiled at me once" he shivered at the memory. "I am lucky to still be alive after that"

Katinka’s eyes widened, her curiosity battling with unease. “What do you mean, ‘outlived your usefulness’? Like… he gets rid of you?”

The younger recruit nodded solemnly. “If you’re lucky, he just sends you away. If not…” His voice trailed off, and he absently touched the scar on his arm.

Katinka swallowed hard, and I reached over to squeeze her hand. The weight of unspoken stories lingered in the air like the smoke curling up from the campfire.

Buff Frog nodded. "that's why we have rules regarding general, not spoken… but everyone knows them"

all the soldiers around the campfire nodded now in agreement, making me share a look with Katinka, whom looks back at me just as confused as me.

Katinka gulped before she dared to ask the Question on her lips. "like what?"

two of the younger recruits share a nervous look. "well" a few of the older soldiers rubbed the backs of their heads. "like we said: if the general smiles at you that is usually bad news"

Boo Fly fluttered overhead nodding down at Katinka as he did. "last guy he smiles at either died or went into hiding" Boo Fly shrugged. "we don't know which one"

this made me gulp nervously.

"we also learned the hard way that interrupting the general is a bad idea" a monster with impressive tusks remarked, shuddering as he pointed to a spot were a piece of his tusk was broken off. "as you can see, he does not like being interrupted when thinking, not even for good news"

I Noted a shudder went throught Rasticore's spine as if the memory of that moment was still edged in his memory.

Katinka shuddered. "Perish the thought what he would do to one of us if we interupt him" Katinka looked at me with a worried look. "Since we don't have tusks"

A older soldier with more scars then any of the other soldiers chuckled darkly. "Oo he'd find a way to punish you alright"

another older soldier... a senior officer if i remember correctly, gave a dark humored chuckle. "Oo yes he would" i swallowed thickly. "He is creative when it comes to punishment, tho not as creative as..."

He suddenly stopped and silence fell thick and tense. I saw everyone hold their breath as if they had just spoken of something forbidden.

"And maybe they did" ran throught my head as i observed the nervous looks, the bathered breaths and avoiding of eye contact. "Just as when i first asked about the general"

Boo fly shuddered "so, you girls fight as well?" He nodded at the dagger just poking out of my shoe. "Smart way to hide a weapon"

I Looked at him confused, why was he changing the subject? "Eeeeh, Yeah" I looked towards the war room were i saw the door had opened just a tiny bit and i could feel a chill ran down my back... he was watching us. "Ever since i was hatchling... had to fend for myself"

Rasticore whistled. "How young?" He wanted to know. Arteficial eye glinting in the dim light of the fire.

I Swallowed thickly. "Around eight" i answered bluntly

Rasticore chuckled omminously. "Touch start"

I looked at him calmly. "And you?" I wanted to know now. "Whats your story?"

A collective gasp, everyone looked at me with a suprised look. "What is your story mister touch and broody?" Rasticore looked at me with a stern gaze. "Whats your reason for joining the army?"

This seems to have caught the enforcer of guard, because he looked at me with a suprised look his tail twitching behind him as he took in every inch of my face as if he saw me for the first time.

He then let out a low grumble. "I did not join the army by choice the army found me" looking around at a few of the younger recruits he chuckled. "Most of these baffoons don't know me as anyone but the generals right hand man"

A Few of the young recruits nodded, baffled by the blunt answer, while some of the older officers stared at Rasticore as if he has gone banana's.

"So its defaintly rare that Rasticore speaks about his past" rang throught my head, letting the fire crack and pop omminously for a while as i decided what i could ask next without provoking Rasticore.

Katinka smiled and handed Rasticore a bowl of food "How young were you when you joined?" She sat down next to Boo Fly with a bowl of food.

Rasticore looked at Katinka with a intense look and for a moment it was looking as if time stood still... everyone seemed to be holding their breath.. only the fire popped omminously in the background.

Rasticore sighed "About Five" the septerians eyes met mine and for a split second i saw something move behind his eyes... something vonarable and small. "After my entire village was snuffed out by queen Solaria and her soldiers"

I gasped. "What?"

Katinka looked up equally horrefied. "Why would she do such a thing"

A Chilling wind behind me, followed by a hand on my shoulder. I didn't had to look up to know who was behind me. The general...

"The mewmans wage war upon us for being diffrent" his voice was cold as ice, making a shudder go down my spine while around me the younger recruits back away slightly. "They have for centuries"

Katinka's eyes went wide at this. "I read your species are named "Septerians" she took a deep breath before she went on. "And that your species can get over a thousand years old"

I Smiled at Katinka. My girl was as smart as i am. I am so proud of her...

Even the general seemed impressed for a small moment... a twitch of the jaw, a flick of the tail... that was all but it told me enough about his inner thoughts.

Shuffeling her foot Katinka quitly asked. "I know this might come off as rude but..." Hesitating Katinka looked at me for strenght. Knowing what she wanted to ask i gave her a reassuring nod. "I was wondering.... how old you are"

A gasp, some soldiers stood up and started to shuffle backwards. Even Rasticore was clearly uneasy.

Toffee kept his eyes locked on Katinka. His head tilted a little as if he was studying her. "What would you gain from knowing this?"

"Nothing of importance" Katinka stood up and walked towards Toffee. "I just wanne get to know you"

Something flickered in Toffee's eyes i couldn't name. Around us it was death silent... no one dared to breath... even the fire cackled and popped less loudly.

"Come on Kat... say something to defuse the tension" I thought, i opened my mouth to say something myself but no sound came out... i wasn't feeling afraid but Toffee's stern gaze made me think twice before interfiering. "I don't think i'm gonna be able to help you now"

Katinka stood before him, hands trembling only slightly, though her chin remained lifted. “I just want to know you,” she repeated softly, her voice carrying through the suffocating silence.For a long moment, Toffee didn’t move. The only sign of life was the faint swish of his tail curling against the floor. His gaze bored into her as if weighing every ounce of her sincerity. Then, at last, he spoke.

"I'm about 335 years old" Toffee took another step towards Katinka so their faces were only inches appart. "Numbers however... hold no importance to me"

I Saw Katinka gulp then nod slightly as a sign she understood. "Then you must have seen a lot"

Toffee hummed "know this: I have outlived kingdoms, watched bloodlines turn to dust, and seen mercy twisted into tyranny. Age, Lady Katinka, is not just a number". Toffee's gaze went to Rasticore, whom looked up at his general with a suprised look. "To some of us It is the burden of memory.”

The recruits shifted uneasily. Some lowered their heads, unwilling to meet his eyes. Even Rasticore looked down again, his usual iron composure cracking for a heartbeat under the generals iron gaze.

Katinka blinked, stunned by the weight of his words. But Toffee was already moving, stepping past her with effortless poise. His shoulder brushed Femke’s as he passed, low enough that only she could hear his next words.

“Be careful what truths you chase… some answers will not set you free.”

Then he was gone, disappearing into the shadowed hall leading to his quarters, leaving behind only silence and the chill he carried with him.

I sat there frozen, feeling my pulse hammering. A part of me wanted to chase after him, demand more—but another part of me knew I had just glimpsed something rare: a crack in the mask of the general. And I am not sure yet if I should fear it… or treasure it.

Rasticore’s voice rumbled low beside me, grounding me slightly. “You’re brave to poke the beast,” he muttered, though there was no mockery in his tone—only the faintest trace of respect. "Not many can do that and live to tell the tale"

The hall swallowed him, and with it the tension seemed to ease—just slightly. Breath returned to the recruits, though most still looked pale and unsettled. A few whispered among themselves in hushed tones, while others stared into the fire as if desperate for its warmth after the chill Toffee had left behind.

Boo Fly cleared his throat and muttered something about seconds, his attempt at levity falling flat. Rasticore’s one good eye flicked toward him, silencing even that weak attempt at comfort.

One by one, bowls were finished and conversations shifted, thin and strained, but the soldiers forced them. They joked louder than they should, laughed sharper than they felt. It was an old soldier’s trick—make noise, drown the weight of the silence that lingers when the general leaves.

But I could feel it still. The weight of his hand on my shoulder. The warning in his voice. The memory pressed against my ribs, heavy and restless.

Katinka leaned closer. Her voice was low, careful. “You heard it too, didn’t you?”

I nodded, staring into the fire. The flames danced, casting shadows that made the stone walls ripple like they were alive. “He gave us more than he meant to.”

She bit her lip, thoughtful, then slipped a small leather-bound book from her satchel. Its cover was worn smooth from use, the corners frayed. She had made this especially for one purpose: a ledger of secrets. A place to keep the puzzle pieces that were Toffee.

The scratching of her quill filled the air as the others’ voices blurred into background noise.

General Toffee — Septerian.
Approximate Age: 335 years.
Village destroyed by Solaria’s army.
Mewmans vs. Septerians = centuries of war.
Carries the burden of memory.

Katinka tilted the page so I could see, her handwriting neat but urgent. “Every detail matters. He thinks he hides behind riddles, but even riddles have answers.” looking at me Katinka smiled. "We just need to find out what"

I smiled faintly, though unease tugged at my chest. “He won’t like it if he finds out you’re keeping score.”

Her lips curved into a small, defiant smile. “Then I just won’t let him find out.”

The laughter of the recruits swelled behind us, rough and forced. Rasticore’s voice cut through now:

"Settle down now!" he looked around calmly, making the younger recruits instandly hush. "Keep in mind were soldiers not a bunch of tavern drunks" looking at Katinka and me sternly he added: even tho what happened just now was rather scary"

I gave Rasticore a appologetic look while Katinka just shrugged and started to draw on a shed of paper.

But even tho he wanted everyone to settle down even Rasticore seemed quieter than usual, his tail curled close to his leg, his single eye distant. He was thinking, too. About Toffee’s words. About old wounds that had never healed.

I let my head tip back against the wall, closing my eyes just for a moment. The fire’s warmth on my skin, the scratch of Katinka’s quill beside me, the rumble of soldiers’ voices—these sounds wrapped together in a strange lullaby.

And yet, under it all, the echo of his voice lingered, impossible to shake.

Be careful what truths you chase… some answers will not set you free.

That thought stayed with me as Katinka snapped the book shut, sliding it back into her satchel with deliberate care. She leaned her head against mine, soft and steady.

“We’re getting closer to the truth,” she whispered.

I opened my eyes to the firelight and nodded.“Closer, yes. But to what… I don’t know.”

The fire crackled. The laughter dulled. Outside, the wind howled low against the stone walls, carrying the weight of centuries of war.

And in the shadows down the hall, where the general had disappeared, I swore I could still feel his eyes on us. Watching. Waiting, calculating....

Notes:

And with that beat I end the chapter! I really hope you enjoyed it!

I am sorry this chapter took me a while to write but i am very bussy lately and i am really wanne plan out what i am gonna reveal when as to avoid lore dumps at random times.

UNTIL NEXT TIME!!