Marcy woke up with a cute little yawn before looking up at Anne. She blushed. "...did I fall asleep again?"

Anne laughed. "You did, Mar-Mar. But hey, I beat the game for you!"

Marcy giggled, seeing the TV was turned off. She had a small thought that Anne was fibbing about that, but she just brushed it off. "Thanks, Anna-Banana! You know how much that means to me!"

"Anything for my shining star." Anne smiled, kissing Marcy's forehead.

Marcy purred as her hair and eyes went green. "I-I'm always gonna love that."

"The nickname or the kiss?" Anne asked, tilting her head.

Marcy blushed a little more. "B-Both."

Anne's heart melted into a puddle of goo and she kissed Marcy's forehead again, and then her cheek. "Mwah!"

"A-Anne, that kinda tickles!" Marcy laughed, squirming a bit in Anne's grip.

Anne smirked suddenly. "No, it doesn't...this does." She said before ruthlessly tickling Marcy's sides.

Marcy began to laugh and laugh, even falling off the couch as she kept laughing. "AHHAHAHAHAHHA!!! AHAHAHA, NOOOOO!!!"

"Tickle, tickle!" Anne said with a high pitched voice, just to sound playful to her girlfriend. Girlfriend. Oh, she could repeat that word for days and associate it with Marcy Wu herself.

She was just glad to see her smile. Because she knew that the trauma of being possessed, being forced to do so many terrible things scarred Marcy. Her parents got her into therapy, and no matter how many times it would take? Anne would stay with Marcy until she was better.

And Marcy, she was just thankful to have Anne by her side. Even with everything she was scared of, she was glad to have Anne, the girl she had a crush on for what felt like ever, right by her side.

Eventually, Anne stopped and planted a final kiss on Marcy's lips. "I love you."

Marcy squeaked and then nuzzled into her chest. "I love you too."

The two eventually got back on the couch, with Marcy then turning to Anne. "So, do you mind if you stay the night again?"

Anne smiled. "Sure!" Her eyes then softened again. "Worried of another nightmare...?"

Marcy nodded slowly, scooting closer to Anne. "I...I wanna wake up knowing you're next to me."

Anne held Marcy close, resting her chin on her head. "And I always will be, love. I'm never leaving you behind again..." She whispered. And she meant it. She wasn't going to lose Marcy to The Core or any other evil they had to face EVER again.

Marcy smiled, purring and her horns lightly glowing green again. "You're so good to me."

"What can I say? I'm an awesome girlfriend." Anne said with a light smirk.

Marcy giggled. "Yeah!" She then blinked. "I feel like that line doesn't belong to you."

Anne nodded. "Yeah, like, that line should've been said by someone else."

"...epic girlfriend?" Marcy asked.

Anne nodded. "I'm good with that!"

Marcy purred again. "Cool!!"

After a little more of a cuddle fest, Marcy suddenly felt a shivering chill touch her. She looked around, but saw nothing. It felt oozing and slime-ish, and like the cold embrace of snow or freezing ice.

"Mar-Mar?" Anne asked, facing her beloved.

Marcy smiled. "I'm fine! Just got a little cold is all."

Anne got up. "Hang on then, I'll get us a blanket."

Marcy pouted a little, but if anything, her pout looked cute. "Aww...I like cuddles..."

Anne kissed her nose. "And you'll get all the cuddles you want when I get back, you super genius." She said before walking off.

Marcy smiled and even lightly blushed at the comment before watching Anne walk off. She sighed happily, relaxing a little.

But then, suddenly...everything went black. Her eyes widened and she shot up, looking around. "A-Anne? Did the power-" Her eyes then widened in horror when she saw an all too familar...ORANGE eye lurking in the darkness, staring at her.

"No...NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!!" She screamed, backing up as she trembled. She quickly summoned a bow and arrow and shot it at the eye, causing it to disappear.

But even more orange eyes opened up, looking down at Marcy through the dark void that she was in. Marcy was shaking, whipping around and shooting all of them down. She was terrified the more and more she looked at them. She couldn't even aim right a few times, and was now just shooting out of panic.

All the eyes disappeared...before a hand was put on her shoulder. Marcy turned around and saw Anne in her Celestial Form...but her eyes were orange with yellow pupils, with a third eye on her forehead.

Marcy SCREAMED, backing away, but 'Anne' grabbed her and held her close. Then, someone else grabbed Marcy's other arm. Sasha, with the same three eyes as Anne.

The Star of Wit thrashed around and screamed, even crying. "L-LET ME GO...L-LET ME GO!!!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "ANNE, ANNE!!!" She cried, praying the real Anne would hear her. Cause she knew whatever the blue thing was made of, it wasn't her.

But then, 10 orange eyes peered from the darkness, but they were smaller...and The Core slowly walked out. Or rather, Darcy. But her body was completely orange, like when they had their final battle with the demon.

Darcy stared down Marcy, limping towards her with her evil grin.

Marcy tried her hardest to escape, screaming and crying. She couldn't even remember that she COULD fight back. That she was powerful...in this moment, due to her fear, she was powerless. Helpless. And about to be killed. Taken into the darkness and never be saved.

Darcy laughed her evil laughter before reaching towards Marcy...until suddenly? The dark void disappeared and so did the fake Anne and Sasha. Darcy was STABBED through the chest by a sword, and she ROARED an inhuman sound as black goo started sprouting from her inhuman body.

Anne had a glowing blue sword in her hand before screaming and stabbing the sword deeper into Darcy's chest and then ripping it out, blasting Darcy into the wall.

Marcy breathed heavily, looking around in a panic before Anne stood beside her.

"Stay behind me." Anne said.

Marcy didn't even need to be told twice, too scared to courageously stand side by side with her girlfriend to fight Darcy.

...or...was it Darcy?

The fake Darcy suddenly shifted into oozing black goo to reveal some kind of monster made of the stuff. He had no facial features except sharp fangs and blue eyes.

"What the?!" Anne cried, clutching her sword.

The monster cackled, holding his chest. "Well, THAT could've gone better..."

"Who the hell are you?!" Anne growled, looking like she wanted to KILL this creature for what it did to Marcy. HER Marcy.

The monster stood up, its chest wound slowly healing. "I am Grometheus The Fear Bringer, but call me GROM."

"Grom...?" Marcy whispered, feeling her fear slowly begin to fade, but remain...at least a little bit. Once she realized this wasn't Darcy and was just messing with her, the fear began to become replaced with anger and hatred.

Grom laughed. "Correct, 'Mar-Mar'." He said before taking out a staff with some kind of bat on top of it. "Well, I've gotten a bit of a recharge. Now I can find that wretched witch! How hard is it to find a school anyway-"

Anne lunged at Grom, stabbing him again through the chest before ripping out her sword.

Marcy then grabbed her bow and fired a literal storm of arrows into Grom, causing him to roar and thrash in pain.

Grom knew he wouldn't be able to win the fight, so he waved his staff around, sending a quick energy burst and then teleporting away.

Marcy breathed heavily before her bow disappeared...and she trembled again, her anger leaving...before she began to cry, remembering all the horrible actions that had been done to her by The Core.

"Marcy...!" Anne gasped, rushing over to her and holding her close.

Marcy wrapped her arms tightly around her girlfriend, breathing heavily as she sobbed. She clutched Anne's back tightly, TERRIFIED of letting go.

"Marcy...shh, shhh..." Anne whispered, rubbing Marcy's back. "It's okay, baby...it's okay..."

Marcy hiccuped from how hard she was crying, hugging Anne tighter to try and forget those horrible memories. "A-Anne...! A-Anne!" She cried, as if it was the only word she knew.

"It's okay...I'm here, Mar-Mar. I'm here." Anne whispered, running her hands through Marcy's glowing green hair as her hair glowed blue.

It took a while, but Marcy finally calmed down. She looked at Anne, sniffling. "...I h-hate these horns..."

Anne's eyes widened. "Huh?"

"I-I HATE THEM!" Marcy said with a sniffle. "T-THEY JUST REMIND ME OF H-HIM! I-I DON'T WANT THEM A-ANYMORE!!!" She cried, grabbing her horns and pulling at them with all her might. But she felt a sharp jolt of pain and pulled away, breathing heavily.

"No...No, Marcy...shh..." Anne whispered, wiping away more of Marcy's tears. "Baby, look at me...look into my eyes."

Marcy sniffled, but looked into her girlfriend's glowing blue eyes.

"Take a deep breath..." Anne told her, inhaling and exhaling as if to show Marcy what to do.

Marcy nodded slowly and inhaled for about 10 seconds and then exhaled. She then looked at Anne, her eyes still teary. But Anne wiped them away with her thumb...and then rubbed her horns.

"They are reminders of what happened...but, they're also showing you got out! We beat her!" Anne smiled. "I-I know you may not see them like I do, but I love them. I love EVERYTHING about you."

Marcy nodded slowly, wiping her eyes. "...y-you do...like them...?"

Anne nodded with a smile. "Mhm. Sasha does. Your parents do. And so many other people that we know. No one hates your horns, but I know you do. But don't take them away. It's scientific proof that you are a survivor."

Marcy smiled a bit. "I...I guess they are very extraordinary..."

"There, see?" Anne whispered. "It's all okay..."

But that's when SASHA crashed in through the door, but slid across the room. She was facing outside. She clutched her hammer and flew back outside. "THAT ALL YOU GOT!?!?!"

Anne and Marcy quickly looked outside to see Sasha fighting The Golden Guard and Emperor Belos himself. They gasped and quickly summoned their armor and weapons, flying out the door to help their friend.

And as they began their fight, Grom watched from above the rooftops with confused eyes. He felt like, almost knew that this wasn't his time. Literal timeline.

And this...this was just the beginning.

Anne Boonchuy: The leader of The Three Stars and possibly the most powerful of the team with her combined strength and speed. She uses her heart and soul to defend those she loves and to uphold what is right.

Marcy Wu: A young genius with the mind of a Celestial and wise hero. While a bit clumsy, Marcy has gone through much but is still able to keep her smile.

Grometheus The Fear Bringer: Once a creature that shapeshifted into people's greatest fears, now a deadly warrior who FEEDS on fear. With his power, he terrorizes witches and humans alike for his own sick enjoyment.