Rex had finished his task of helping Unikitty a few hours ago. He was still full of energy, and it was definitely a pleasant surprise when Watevra actually called him for a job.

Finally, he felt like he had something to do. After boring weeks of doing nothing.

He entered Watevra's palace, heading towards her throne room to receive his next course of action. Rex hoped for excitement.

He needed a good burst of thrill.

Upon observing the area, Rex noticed how loud and chaotic the palace was. It had a lot of visitors that day.

"Mr. Dangervest."

Rex turned at the mention of his last name. Susan, the queen's assistant, approached him, showing a kind smile.

"Are you here to see the queen?"

"Yeah." Rex answered, "She called me in for a job."

"Right, can you wait a while? She's a little bit busy at the moment."

"Oh, sure. I'll just hang around here." Rex replied.

"Thank you for understanding, Mr. Dangervest." Susan skipped away, leaving him alone.

Rex put his hands in his pockets, wondering what he could do to pass the time. He just decided to start exploring the area.

Watevra's new palace was much bigger and more extravagant than her last one in the Systar System.

It had a variety of areas, and many things to do for visitors. Party rooms, a library, and a pool were only a few of all the added rooms.

Rex touched the sparkling wall as he walked into another hallway. Watevra decorated everything beautifully, with all the decorations being extremely vibrant in color.

Batman seemed to rarely have a pick in the style of the palace, despite being the king. Rex assumed that maybe he just had his own separate section somewhere.

Rex eventually reached a set of stairs going upwards. He didn't know why, but he felt like he had to check out upstairs.

Not even having a reason to explore on higher floors, Rex was genuinely curious. He gripped the crystal railing of the stairs, going upwards.

When he reached the second floor, he noticed two giant doors. One magenta, purple and orange, and the other a solid black.

Hallways filled the empty spaces between the walls. Each decorated with vibrant pottery and tapestries.

The rooms were the royal meeting rooms. They were labeled individually for Watevra and Batman.

The second floor was pretty much only for royalty. Rex could took a guess that Watevra helped out her girls, and Batman, his buddies.

The door to Watevra's meeting room opened up, catching Rex's attention.

He stared in surprise, as Marie stepped out of the room, closing the large door behind her. Of course it had to be Marie.

Rex froze once again, a warm feeling arose in his chest. Marie's sweet aura shined even brighter than when he last saw her.

He vividly recalled his encounter with her that morning. Unikitty's words echoed in his mind.

She thought they were cute together. A perfect match.

He didn't know Marie too well yet, but she was seemingly his type. Unikitty had a point in trying.

"Marie!" An unfamiliar, low-toned voice sounded.

Rex looked to his right, seeing a stranger emerge from the nearby hallway. Marie tensed up, immediately looking away from him.

Rex seemed to tense up with her. She was scared. She was obviously familiar with him.

The guy approaching her was definitely nothing special by Rex's standards. Aside from his bright golden hair, that looked iridescent in the light. Like Sweet Mayhem's.

His outfit was fancy, and themed around the sun.

There was no way he was as good looking as Rex. Average at best. At least, that was Rex's mindset.

The strange guy approached Marie, and she attempted to walk away. He immediately blocked her path, preventing her from going further.

"Excuse me, Helios." She spoke softly, "I just got out of a meeting. I wish to go home."

"I can walk you home."

"No, thank you. I'm alright."

Marie adjusted the skirt of her pink dress, as she walked past Helios. That seemed to upset him, creating a sinister glimmer in his eyes.

He grabbed Marie's wrist, pulling her closer to him. The princess shivered, trying not to appear scared, but she was terrible at hiding her emotions.

"Please, let me go."

"Come on, princess. You're acting like I'm a monster. I was your boyfriend once." Helios leaned closer to her, "Give me another chance."

"You misunderstand, Helios. You weren't officially my boyfriend. We went on one date." Marie responded, "That doesn't count."

Rex listened in, walking slightly closer. He would get in a lot of trouble if he interrupted royalty. Especially at the palace.

"Things didn't work out between us. My looks were all you cared for." Marie continued.

"That's good enough." Helios replied, "It's all I need to be satisfied, anyway."

"I declined you in the end, Helios. Find your fairytale somewhere else."

Helios gripped her wrist tighter, and Marie shrieked.

"Give me another chance. I'm dying without you! Don't you know what it's like to have no girlfriend?!"

Rex couldn't take it anymore. He had to do something. A possible place in prison was the least of his worries.

He wanted to protect Marie. More than anything. His heart was telling him to do so.

"Hey!" Rex shouted, running up to the two.

He immediately tore Helios's hand away from Marie. Underestimating his strength.

"Ugh!" Helios gripped his hand, observing Rex. Rex's anger did a pretty good job of scaring him.

Helios stepped back slightly.

Marie stood in shock, surprised by Rex's sudden action. "Rex..."

"Marie, you know the defender of Syspocalypstar?" Helios asked.

"Leave her alone! Gosh, what's wrong with you?! This is so uncool!" Rex yelled.

"Princess Marie owes me! I was her perfect match. I was better than the rest of them, and she just discarded me."

"She doesn't owe you anything. She clearly doesn't like you. Now, get away if you know what's good for you." Rex threatened.

Helios definitely wouldn't win in a physical fight against Rex. Rex was everything he wasn't. Taller, more muscular, and he had an overall tough aura.

Helios showed anger in his expression,"You're a commoner threatening me! I'm the prince of my own planet, and you'll be greatly punished! It's a prince's word against-!"

"He's not!" Marie interrupted , "He's not a commoner. You can't get him in trouble."

Rex looked at her, visibly confused. He was a commoner, a really cool one, but still a commoner.

Helios chuckled in disbelief, "Come on, of course he is. This guy's the queen's servant."

"He's not a servant. He saves lives." Marie argued.

"He's still a commoner if that's all he does."

Marie stopped to think. She had to do something. Rex couldn't afford to get into trouble.

She looked towards him, suddenly hugging his arm. "He's my boyfriend."

Rex was shocked. Marie was lying for his sake.

For a lie, her embrace felt so sweet and genuine. Like she was thanking Rex for helping her.

Rex hadn't been hugged in so long. It felt incredible. Marie's touch was so soft, against his firm muscular frame.

A warm feeling surfaced in his heart.

"Boyfriend?!" Helios spoke in disbelief.

"Yes, that makes him a prince consort." Marie responded, "And if I marry him he'll be officially a prince. His status is too high to compete against."

Helios looked furious, knowing Marie had a point. "Fine. You win this time, Marie."

"This better be the last time you do something like this." Rex spoke up, "If you bother her again, I'll break you in half."

Rex's threat gave Helios chills. Too scared to argue with Rex, he finally gave up, walking away from the area.

Marie sighed in relief, looking at her arms that still had a grip on Rex. She blushed, pulling away.

She placed one hand on the other, as she rested them on her skirt. Maintaining a graceful posture, she looked up at Rex.

"Thank you. You're so kind."

"No need to thank me." Rex said, "That guy is a major jerk."

"Please, don't be angry with him. His mother is like that. That behavior is pretty much all he knows."

"That doesn't give him an excuse to do that to you." Rex responded.

"Every fairytale has villains, and villains are often just heartbroken. There lies more beneath the surface."

Rex listened to Marie's soft-spoken words. She was so incredibly sweet, and kind despite her experience.

Her words made him feel something. He was villain, with a broken heart. Of course, Marie didn't know that, but Rex felt understood.

The few seconds that Rex was lost in thought, Marie observed his features. He was so attractive, and so strong and heroic.

Marie played with her hair, as a light blushed tinted her cheeks. She averted her gaze.

"Thank you for playing along. Sorry, I don't usually lie, but I couldn't have you getting in trouble."

"No worries. Thanks for the save in return. I already have past crimes on my list." Rex paused, "Um, Marie..."

Marie looked up, "Yes?"

"I uh...well..."

Rex had a chance to arrange a time to hang out. He wanted to take it. Marie was so attractive, so adorable and most definitely Rex's type.

He spent all day thinking about her. He wanted to at least get to know her. It wouldn't hurt.

"I'm glad I ran into you again. You seem really cool." Rex spoke, "Do you wanna hang out sometime?"

"Hang out?" Marie smiled, "Sure! I'd love to. Unikitty says you live in a big spaceship."

"Yeah, I do. I also have dinosaurs."

Marie's eyes sparkled, "Woah! Dinosaurs still exist?!"

"Yeah. You can definitely check out my place. If you'd like. Does tomorrow afternoon sound good?"

"That's perfect!" Marie replied happily, "May I see your phone? I can put in my number."

Rex took out his phone from his vest pocket, handing it to Marie. She giggled, "Your phone case is customized. That's so cute!"

"Haha, yeah. I just had to." Rex watched Marie put her phone number into his contacts.

She then handed it back to him, "Send me a text, that way I can get yours."

"Mr. Dangervest." Susan appeared suddenly, "There you are. Princess." She bowed to Marie.

Marie smiled, "Hello, Susan. I love your dress."

"Thank you!" Susan straightened up, "I'm afraid I must steal Mr. Dangervest away from you. The queen requires his assistance."

"Of course. Goodbye, Rex. It was so lovely seeing you again." Marie walked past him, waving before she walked downstairs.

Rex waved back, smiling genuinely.

Marie's heels clicked as she made her way to the bottom floor. Her heart fluttered as she recalled what Rex did, and she allowed her blush to deepen.

She just couldn't hold it back anymore. He was so handsome and heroic. A knight in shining armor. A prince filled with confidence and charm.

Rex threatened to break Helios in half, and for her sake. No one had ever done something like that for Marie before.

Marie's heart desperately yearned for a prince to love her. She wanted her own happily ever after. Like all the fairytales she had read.

Her cellphone suddenly rang, gaining her attention.

She reached into her skirt pocket, pulling it out. Once she saw it was her best friend calling, she answered the call without hesitation.

"Unikitty." She spoke into her phone, "Hello."

"Hey..." Unikitty sighed, "I'm having a bad day. I need some positive energy. You're good at that."

Marie giggled, "You want to know something positive? Rex helped me just now."

"Rex?" Unikitty perked up instantly, "You saw Rex?!"

"He just happened to be at the right place at the right time." Marie twisted her hair with her finger. "He invited me to his spaceship. He wants to hang out."

Unikitty had hope. Hope that her best friend and Rex would somehow work out.

"That's amazing, Marie! You know, I think he likes you."

Marie blushed, "No, no...he couldn't. He's too extraordinary for someone like me."

"Don't say that, you're plenty awesome! You're kind, sweet, very very romantic. Rex is going to really like you! Also, you didn't say you didn't like him."

Marie looked to her feet, watching her heels continue to click against the white brick floor.

"There's something about him." She admitted, "My heart feels happy when I see him. It's a feeling unlike anything I've ever felt."

It wasn't hard for Marie to crush on guys. The problem was find someone who actually liked her. Rex was the person she needed.

It was obvious he genuinely cared for her. Her heart was filled with a warm feeling, as thoughts of her hero corrupted her mind.

————————————————————————

At the end of the day, Rex was left alone once again. He stared out Rexcelsior's biggest window, observing the twinkling night sky.

The spaceship was quiet since the raptors had finally settled down for the night. Rex had a lot on his mind, as the memories of the eventful day resurfaced in his mind.

"Marie..."

Rex found himself thinking only of her, and he wasn't sure why.

"Why can't I stop thinking about her? Do I...like her? No, I can't like her...but she's so cute." He put a hand on the window, "Universe, if I'm meant to be with her just give me a sign!"

Two shooting stars flew past Rexcelsior, flying through the night sky. Rex frowned.

"Maybe I'm just being too...negative, or something. This could be my chance. Unikitty's right. I miss having a cool girlfriend."

A video call alert sounded from his laptop. Rex was curious, and wondered who would be calling him later in the night.

He went over to his the living room area, where his laptop was placed on the coffee table. He the video call, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Caylus? Dude, hey."

Caylus smiled, as he organized stacks of papers off camera. "Hey, Rex. Got a second?"

"I got a gazillion and a half." Rex replied, sitting down on his couch. "What's up, dude?"

"Okay, um...how do I explain this?" Caylus thought for a moment.

Rex was genuinely curious what he wanted to discuss, because Caylus rarely called due to his work. Only if it was important.

"The lining of the planets are going to be off for about a week. During that time, the galaxy has shown that time and space, as well as other variations, have a slight shift in the matter it fuels. It 'gets rid of the garbage', I guess you could say."

"Uh huh." Rex paused, "Can you say that in our language?"

"Well, Rex...I mean this in complete metaphorical terms. You're garbage. You don't belong in this time, you were brought back by magic."

Rex nodded, "I know that. So?"

"So, everything is weak. Your body is going to be a bit unstable and I don't want you to freak out."

Rex raised his hand, motioning it towards the screen. "Come on, dude. Why would I freak out?"

It was then that the universe decided to show Rex what was going on.

Rex froze, as his hand flashed, suddenly turning transparent. For a few seconds he couldn't feel it. It was like he was vanishing for existence all over again.

His hand shook slightly as it reappeared again. Rex felt so much fear, in such a small amount of time.

"That. That's going to happen." Caylus spoke, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What is this?! This is lame!"

"Rex, you're going to be fine. You can't be made nonexistent unless you're affected by a type of magic that's equal to mine. You won't vanish again, just try not to be scared." Caylus replied.

"I..." Rex lowered his hand, "I'm not scared. Why would I be scared of somethin' like that?"

He wanted to change the subject, so his emotion wasn't obvious.

"Hey, dude. Have you dated anyone? Ya know, since you got to Syspocalypstar?"

Caylus was taken aback by Rex's question.

"That's a bit random."

"I'm just curious. I'm thinking about trying out dating...but I need some...tips or something."

"Oh..." Caylus shrugged, "I got nothing. Sorry, I haven't had time to think about it myself. I've had bad luck with women so-"

"Really?" Rex snickered.

"It's embarrassing. Just some collage stories about a nerd who didn't have a lot of friends."

"So, there was someone?" Rex questioned.

Caylus nodded, "Emily, but she was popular. I didn't stand a chance."

"I already know what she was like. One of those girls who went out partying, very outgoing, and probably had her favorite celebrity posted all over her wall."

Caylus laughed nervously, "I must've had a type or something. It wasn't just her."

"I think you need to work on that."

Caylus picked up a pen, writing something down. "I have a lot of stuff to catch up on. Talk to you later, okay?"

"Alright." Rex sighed, "Yeah, I'm actually ready to hit the hay. It's been a long day. Night, dude."

"See you later, Rex."

The video call ended, and Rex remained quiet. He looked at his hand again, a new fear overtaking him.

Though Caylus assured him he would be fine, he couldn't help but worry. If he vanished now, his life would be gone. Rex wanted to live. He wanted to live after years of not being able to.

Rex had so much more ahead of him.

He decided to head to his bedroom, feeling the intense need to call it a day. As soon as he entered, he took off his vest and undershirts, throwing them into the floor.

He wasn't the cleanest guy, and dreaded doing laundry, for obvious reasons. So, he didn't put a lot of attention into it.

Rex continued to changed into his night clothes, until he was fully dressed. He then lay down in his bed made for two people.

The soft sheets made him feel warm, but couldn't replace a warm embrace.

Rex began to notice his mindset changing. He turned on his side, examining the size of his bed. He reached a hand forward, gently feeling the empty side of it.

His thoughts of Marie returned to him. There was a sudden, strong desire to be like Emmet and Lucy. Whatever they had, Rex wanted to.

He assumed his dreams of the past were returning to him now that he was in the process of healing.

Nightmares of his ex-girlfriend leaving him behind plagued his mind, but Marie, she wasn't Lucy.

She was different. Despite all odds, Rex truly had a chance. If he could feel what he once felt, his life would be so much better.

He thought about what it would be like to marry the woman of his dreams. The one that would complete him, and make his heart feel happy.

Rex thought about the talk of starting a family together. Everything he used to hold in his heart suddenly resurfaced.

"I promised myself I wouldn't fall in love again." Rex yawned, "And yet...here I am, thinking about Marie. This can't be love, can it? I just met her...but then again, I had just met Lucy."

Rex closed his eyes, suddenly aware of how exhausted he was. "I just don't know if this is right..."

He just needed to rest, he did a lot that day. He could deal with his thoughts tomorrow. He also needed to tell his friends about his temporary vanishing problem.