The air inside Butterfly castle hung thick with tension. Nobody amongst the servants and knights really knew what was wrong with the princess, just that something had happened to upset her. She had scarcely left her room in the days following. At the moment, anybody in the vicinity of her door could hear her loudly dismissing somebody, despite his protests. The door creaked open and out slipped her boyfriend Tom, looking dejected. He passed by Marco on his way out. His best friend shot the demon prince a questioning look, to which he only replied with a sad shake of his head.
Damn it, Marco thought. So she won't talk to him either. If her boyfriend and best friend couldn't get her to open up, what would?
Suddenly, a possible solution hit the boy like a truck.
"Oh. Oh no," he muttered, drawing his dimensional scissors and cutting a portal.
Of course she wouldn't have just visited on her own. Not while Star was bitterly upset over something. Ponyhead was never a "shoulder to cry on" type, which may be fair since she doesn't have shoulders. Still, it takes a personal visit from Earth Turd to even clue her in to the fact that Star is upset. As usual she had been caught up in herself and failed to notice anyone else in her life.
"So you're telling me that you did not bring my bestie because your sorry butt can't talk to her?"
"I'm trying to tell you that she won't talk to anybody. Or she hasn't so far. Nobody knows what's wrong. I need you to come back to the castle and see if you can get her to open up."
"Okay first of all she does not need to do this talking thing, what she needs is me to show her a good time."
"Pony, you-, you haven't even seen her, how do you know what she needs?"
"Cause that's what my B-fly always needs. Now, how do we get her to par-tay?"
Marco let out an exaggerated sigh. Maybe this was a mistake. "I don't know Pony, there's really only one place I've seen you take her to have fun."
Ponyhead's face lit up at Marco's comment. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
A brief image of a burning orphanage flashed through Marco's mind. "God I hope not," he muttered.
"Come on, we gotta get a crew together. Let's go save my bestie!" She yelled, shoving Marco.
Their first stop was a visit to a sword-wielding green-haired girl. She was in the middle of combat practice when she saw them walk up.
"Hey Marco, Ponyhead, what are you two doing here?" Kelly asked.
"Something is wrong with Star. She won't talk to anybody, so Pony and I-"
Ponyhead can't help but interrupt boring old Earth Turd at the sound of her name.
"Okay look, B-fly got problems, and when a girl got problems you know she needs to dance them away you feeling me Kelly? But the best place to do that is long gone so we need to make it ungone. We need your help to bring back the Bounce Lounge. Are you in?"
"Yeah! I'll meet you guys there, alright?"
"I will too," came a voice from seemingly nowhere.
"Tad?! Again? Get out of my hair!"
Their next stop was to get Johnny Blowhole on board. If anybody could run the lounge, he could. They found him relaxing on a beach chair near the water.
"What are you guys doing here," he said, tipping his shades.
"Come on, we need you for a party for B-fly."
"Party? I don't do parties anymore. The best place to party is gone, I retired from partying when Milly did."
"Johnny, get up off your lazy butt! We're calling on the Bounce Crew one last time to bring back the Bounce Lounge for Star. Let's go," demanded Pony.
Johnny looked as deep in thought as he could possibly be for a moment before tossing his drink and shades aside and letting out a yell. "Let's do it!"
"Alright, Johnny's back again," Marco yelled giving him a high five.
Next up came the hard part, getting Headphone Jones and Lady Scarfs-a-Lot on board. Never ones to get excited about anything, they barely registered their rag tag former crew barge in on their party at the rebuilt Null Club.
"What are you guys doing here?" Headphone Jones murmured.
"Come to burn down the club again?" asked Lady Scarfs-a-Lot.
"I could, if you guys don't listen," Pony said with a darker tone than normal. Marco felt a chill run up his spine and the 2 former Bounce Crew members took notice. "We're bringing the Bounce Lounge back again and we need you two to spread the word," she continued.
"The Bounce Lounge? Again?" Came Lady Scarfs-a-Lot's reply.
"I thought we were done with that place," whined Headphone Jones.
"You are never done with the Bounce Lounge, okay, it is like a disease that can never leave you."
"That was surprisingly poetic, for you at least Pony."
"Thanks Earth Turd. Now," Pony said, turning her attention back to the pair. "Are you guys in?"
"Yeah."
"Okay."
"Wahoo! Now go get us some partiers!"
"Alright, we just have one more stop to make," Marco said dramatically, cutting a portal. Ponyhead floated by wholly unimpressed. Out the other side they landed at the Whispering Party Nursing Home that Milly Sparkles had retired to. They found her in the home's garden enjoying a quiet day.
"MILLY," Pony shouted inches from her ear. The elderly former owner of the lounge jumped and fumbled her glasses before regaining her cool demeanor.
"Hello children. I remember you, you were some of the partiers who tried to save my lounge."
"That's right and we're here to save it again," Marco said.
"Oh sweet boy, I'm afraid you will never get me to set foot back inside that place."
"You don't have to, we just need the building."
"Well I can't just give away a building like that. What kind of mad house would this world be if people just went around giving buildings away?"
"Okay, so what will it take?"
Milly pondered for a moment. "$650?"
Marco let out an exaggerated sigh. "Of course," he said, thrusting a hand into his pocket as Pony and Johnny cheered behind him.
"Good luck, loyal partiers," Milly waved as they walked back through a portal. "Finally I'm rid of that place," she muttered, turning back to the garden.
Back at the lounge, the group was surprised to find it nearly clean. Kelly and Tad had recruited Jorby and Tom, and the group had managed to restore the walls and clear most of the rubble mostly thanks to demon magic.
"Alright Johnny, you stay here and get this place up and running. You're in charge now. We'll go get Star," Marco said, handing him the keys to the building.
"I finally found my calling," Johnny said on the verge of tears.
No mom, we're nobody. The words, her words echoed through Star Butterfly's head like a broken record. Who even was she anymore? Was she still a princess? For days Star had been lost in her doubts and thoughts, not caring about anything else as her world had been turned completely upside down. A loud knock at her door snapped her out of her train of thought.
"B-fly open up it's me and Earth Turd we're coming in don't try to stop us," Pony yelled, having broken down the door before even finishing her sentence.
Star looked at them blankly. "Marco I told you already this isn't your business, I'm not going to talk about it."
"That's alright Star, nobody has to do any talking because tonight we're going to, uh, par-tay? Heh heh," Marco said, trying his best Ponyhead impression which earned him a grin from the floating horse head.
"Come on girl, put this blindfold on and come with us. You need to come forget your troubles with us. Trust me girl, I know you do."
Star was utterly confused, looking at her two friends and the blindfold. "Okay," she said with hesitation, tying it around her eyes and grabbing hold of Ponyhead as they went through a portal.
Out the other side of the portal in front of the lounge, Marco and Pony could hear that inside a party was already in full swing. Star could hear it too.
"Where are we?"
"Oh you'll see in just a second B-fly," Pony said, grabbing her blindfold while Marco opened the door. She yanked it off to reveal the Bounce Lounge, lit up and rocking just like it had been for the pair so many times before. Star was in complete awe at the sight. She turned first to Pony, then Marco, and tried to say something, but no words would come from her mouth. So Pony spoke for her.
"I know this was always your favorite place to party, so me and Earth Turd brought it back, like from the dead and stuff. Surprise!"
Marco saw the rest of the Bounce Crew and waved them over. One by one they passed by and welcomed Star back, who was still in shock at the sight. Tom came by and told her to find him when she was ready. After the Bounce Crew disappeared back into the middle of the party, Star finally found her voice.
"You did all this just to cheer me up? I don't know what to say, thank you both so much!" She said, throwing her arms around the pair and bringing them in for a bone-crunching hug as she fought back tears. "I'm ready to tell you both what happened at the trial," Star said, voice wavering slightly.
Marco and Ponyhead smiled at her before Marco grabbed her hand. "Later, when we get back. For now, let's go have some fun," he said, dragging her and Pony onto the dance floor. And for the first time in days, Star Butterfly offered a genuine smile.