Once Upon A Genderbend: Marcia Diaz and the Seven Monsters

Discovered

"D-Flllllllllllllllly! We're been going through this woods for-evah! Can't we take a rest?"

"Why do you need a rest?!", Kelly scoffed at the unicorn prince. "You can fly!"

"Flying makes you tired, too, ya know!", Pony Head retorted. "They just never tell you that to make the flyin' people look bad!"

"As much as I hate to agree with Prince Loud Mouth over there,", Tammy sighed. "He's gotta point. We've been treading for hours, Storm. Don't you think we should take a break? Find something to eat?"

Storm looked back at his companions, not wearing the smallest sign of exhaustion, unlike his peers. "We can't stop now! We're so close to Marcia! I can feel it!"

"No offense, dude, but that's what you said like an hour ago.", Jonah groaned. "I'm not sure how long Mewmans can go without food and rest, but I know a human like me can't last much longer."

Storm pinched his lips together. He didn't want to take a break from the search, not when he could feel Marcia so closeby. But at the same time, he couldn't deny his friends rest and nourishment.

All of the sudden, there was the sound of singing. Not just one voice, or two, or three, but seven different voices, all singing in perfect sync and harmony, about how hard they worked, and how they did so from dawn to dusk. Storm thought at least some of those voices sound familiar.

The rest of the group groaned when they saw Storm marching towards the source of the voices, but followed him nonetheless. Storm carefully crept behind a bush of long, green leaves, making certain he was undetectable, and gingerly pushed the leaves apart so that they was a gap between them. Peeking through the gap, his bright blue eyes nearly doubled in size at the sight before him.

There, digging into the hard, rocky ground, was Buff Frog, Lobster Claws, Fly Guy, Dennis Avaris, and three other monsters, singing as they worked, sweat soaking their brows. Storm could barely believe it. Long had he hoped that the monsters would return to Mewni, so that they could finish the mission of bringing them and Mewmans together, and now they were here, in the flesh.

"Guys!"

The monsters all looked up just in time to see Storm Dragonfly, the King that was actually on their side, coming towards them, clad in his father's armor and wearing a big smile. They all immediately stopped working and cheered to see the young Dragonfly, casting aside their shovels and picks and rushing over to greet him and his peers.

"Storm Dragonfly! Is good to see you again!", cried Buff Frog.

"What are you doing all the way out here?", asked Lobster Claws. "Did something happen? Did another villain storm the kingdom?"

Storm shook his head. "That's not why we're here. We're looking for Marcia."

Seven pairs of eyes went wide. "You seek karate girl?"

"Queen Grimhelde of the Dark Kingdom ordered Ludo to kill her, for reasons we don't know yet.", Storm explained, not knowing that the monsters were already aware of this information. "But Ludo let her go, and told her to go into the Forest of Certain Death. We're here to find her and bring her home."

"Well, today's your lucky day!", said Dennis. "Marcia's living with us!"

Storm's hopes soared all the way up to the Cloud Kingdom. "She is?!"

"She wandered into our village.", Fly Guy explained. "She's staying with us in exchange for keeping the cottage, cooking food and watching Buff Frog's tadpoles while we're gone." "Is she there right now?", asked Storm. Buff Frog nodded with a smile on his face. "Yes. She is at home with tadpoles now. She misses very much. She would love to see you."

Storm's heart was feeling full. After a long, winding journey, he had found his Marcia. He couldn't wait to see her again. Soon, he would hold her and confess to her all the love he held in his heart. Even if she did not feel the same way he did, he needed to let her know. Either way, they would go home to Dragonfly Castle, and start working on deposing the wicked Queen Grimhelde once and for all.

He was pulled out of his happy state by the sound of birds chirping wildly. All the heads looked up to see a family of birds flying in towards them. They landed by the monsters and began pulling at their clothes frantically while tweeting loudly.

"Shoo! Shoo!", Tammy cried as she and the others began waving at the birds, trying to chase them away. "Go away! Shoo!"

"Wait! I think they're trying to tell us something!", said Dennis.

Talon shrugged. "Maybe the Queen found Marcia in your cottage!" Seconds later, he burst out laughing. "Nah, that can't be it."

Everyone froze, his words sinking in.

"The Queen?!"

"What if she really did find Marcia?!", Heckapoo shouted, his panic levels going through the roof.

They all turned their attention to the bird family, now perched in a row from tallest to smallest on the branch of a tree. To their horror, the birds all nodded their head in perfect sync, confirming their worst fears.

"Marcia!"

"We gotta save her!"

"Grimhelde will kill her!"

"We've gotta get back to the cottage!"

At times like these, Storm regretted giving up his wand to Eclipse. If he still had it, he could summon Cloudy, and fly at lightning speed to the monster village to save Marcia from the Queen. But since he didn't have it, he and the others would have to use other means to reach them.

As if reading his mind, Buff Frog turned around and gestured to his back. "Storm Dragonfly! Climb on! I carry you back to village!"

Storm hopped onto his back, being carried in a piggyback style, and Buff Frog's thick, sturdy legs took off immediately. Dennis spread his wings and took to the skies, carrying Jonah on his back, with Tammy and Ponyhead flying beside them in the air, while Talon and Kelly rode on Dorba's back as she sprinted on all fours through the Forest of Certain Death.

As the team hurried back towards the monster village, Storm's hand never left the hilt of his belt, where Marcia's locket now rested.

Don't worry, Marcia., he thought. We're coming for you...just please hold on...