It was raining. The monster soldiers were running around, trying to gather their weapons from the training grounds. Max, a wolf monster, threw his last shields to the armory before adjusting his cape`s hood and locking the door. "Do you think the Mistress will do it?" the wolf heard from behind him. Turning around, he found a soaked William standing there. William was a younger cyclops, who joined the monster army just a week ago. "I don`t know, kiddo. The Mistress is a Butterfly but following the tradition is her decision." the older soldier turned around and started walking to the soldiers` quarters. William looked up at the direction of the palace. Just that moment lightning struck across the sky and illuminated the castle.
The young cyclops shivered and ran after his elder to get some night`s sleep.
The Mistress of the castle, Star Butterfly, looked at the running young soldier and huffed to herself. This is why she was against young soldiers at first. They are too curious for their own good. "Do you still think that young soldiers have the potential? I always found an experience to be more important than potential." The other occupant in the room looked up from his book. Toffee glanced at the woman by the window and frowned. She always finds ways to counter his ideas. "But what happens when the time comes and the older soldiers fall. We need every recruit possible." the lizard then focused on his book again. Star didn`t say anything. She looked at her lap where her wand was. It hasn`t changed since the last time it transformed. Star`s mouth formed a small grin as a memory surfaced. "Do you remember when I killed you?" Star didn`t look up from her lap but she could feel Toffee glaring a hole into her head.
"How could I forget." he murmured. That had been the most painful thing he had ever felt. And the icing on the cake was the little embarrassment dropping the fallen tower on him, scarring his pride til the day he dies. Star knew she touched a sore spot but she likes to see her co-worker taken down a peg or ten. The two fell into silence after that. The fallen princess picked up her wand and turned it over. She has held onto it longer than any previous owner has, maybe expect Eclipsa. "Do you think I should do it?" Toffee looked up at Star. He knew what she meant. "That is up to you. I have warned you what would happen when a Butterfly holds the wand for longer than necessary." Star didn`t answer right away. Knowing the risk she will take when she kept the wand is far too big. But can she give it up? "I wish you hadn`t killed Glossaryck." "I know." Toffee knew Star still missed the blue book keeper. But she is too proud to admit that. Star suddenly stood up, straightened her purple dress and started to walk towards the door. "I am going to turn in for the night." and she shut the door. The lizard was left alone into the office. Lightning struck outside. Toffee sighed and placed the book he had been reading back onto the shelf. He felt tired but there was one more thing he had to do before going to his own chambers.
Holding a single candle, Toffee walked the hallways to his destination. Why was this task always dumped to him? Star may be his partner but she can be really damn bossy. Stopping in front of two giant doors, he knocked a few times. "Come in." a small voice came from behind the door. Toffee opened the door and stepped into the room. The only light in the room was from the window. Twilight was sitting on her bed, looking at a butterfly pendant. It was a simple light violet pendant with white details. Toffee remembered that pendant. It was with Star when they met, meaning she took it from the Butterfly castle. "Why aren`t you sleeping?" Toffee asked as he placed the candle on the bedside table and sat down next to his daughter. "The thunder wouldn`t let me sleep." Twilight didn`t look up to her father and she kept her head down. Toffee gently picked the pendant from the younger one`s hands and placed in the drawer. "Come now. Tomorrow is a special day, you need your rest." Toffee gently took the duvet from the end of the bed and ducked Twilight in. Toffee looked at the giant window in the room and heard the thunder from outside.
Twilight looked up at her father and saw the thoughtful expression on his face. "What are you pondering, father?" Toffee looked at his child and sighed. "Would you like me to close the curtains?" he asked back. Twilight nodded and Toffee walked over to the window. Now the only light in the room was coming from the single candle. "There, now you can finally get some rest." Toffee walked back to the bed and picked up the candle. "Good night, Twilight. I will see you at breakfast." he turned his back to the bed and started to walk out of Twilight`s room. "Why mother never wishes me good night?" Toffee choked a little on the air. He even doesn`t know why Star never cares for her child. "I am sure she has her reasons. Sleep tight." and he gently closed the door.
Walking to his own bedroom, Toffee started to ponder the question Twilight asked. After Twilight was born, Star only spent time with her a few hours per day and Toffee was the one who actually raised her. He fed her, played with her, even dressed her on occasion and put her to sleep. Star only held young Twilight a little while and then had a servant bring her back to her room. She only started to train Twilight when she got older but kept a strict teacher and student relationship. The best guess Toffee has is that Star keeps clear of her child because she doesn`t want to get attached to her. Twilight was kept to become a warrior but that doesn`t mean she has to be treated like a stranger. Being a commander, Toffee knows the importance of your comrades` well-being and their upbringing is a huge part of that. But Twilight`s life til this day has been crafted to prepare her for the battle-field. And tomorrow is the day that might change everything. The candle in his hand burned out.
The storm raged on for the rest of the night.
At breakfast the next morning, Star was stirring her tea while deep in thought. Toffee was sitting across her and reading his book while munching on a sandwich. The door to the dining hall opened and Twilight stepped in. She took her usual place at the end of the long table. Both of her parents sat on both sides of her. "Good morning, father, mother." she quietly spoke as the servants brought her breakfast. The family ate their food in silence for the rest of the morning. "Meet me and your father in the grand hall when you are finished." Star stood up and left the dining hall with the click of her heels echoing in the halls. Toffee just nodded his head, not looking up from his book. Twilight also nodded.
Toffee stood up from the table when he was finished. Looking at his daughter, he didn`t speak a word and left the room, heading to the grand hall. He found Star standing on the old throne stand, looking at her wand. "Are you sure?" the Butterfly didn`t answer. After a while of silence, she finally acknowledged the lizard in the room. " It is her birthday after all. It has been a while since we gave her a proper gift after all." The last time they gave her a real present was her first birthday when they gave her the butterfly pendant. The guards on either side of the giant doors took hold of the handles and revealed Twilight standing there. She had tied up her long, dark hair up as she usually does when meeting her parents in the grand hall. The young monster walked forward to stand in front of her parents. "Twilight, as you know, today is your fourteenth birthday." Toffee started. Twilight nodded in understanding. "As you know, the wand I hold is the Butterfly family wand." Star continued. Twilight looked at her mother to focus her attention on her. "It is an ancient Butterfly tradition to pass on the wand to their offspring when they turn fourteen." Twilight was honestly surprised to hear that. Her mother has never mentioned this. "Since today is your birthday, it is only fitting I pass on the wand to you, Twilight." Star presented the wand to her child. Twilight has never touched her mother`s wand, only looked at it. Now getting permission to hold it, gain it as her own, was a scary thought. Twilight carefully reached her hand out to the wand but hesitated. "Go on now, take it. It is yours now." Star urged her on. Toffee kept quiet, examining the exchange between mother and daughter. Twilight exhaled some air and took the wand from Star.
The wand lighted up right when Star let go of the handle. The light was blinding and Twilight had to close her eyes. When she opened them again, the wand was not the same purple, horned wand she is used to seeing. Now it was a blue, heart-shaped and bat winged wand. It looked almost fragile like it would break at any minute. Star just raised an eyebrow at the form the wand has taken. It certainly wasn`t what she expected. Toffee was also a little taken back. He thought it would look plain, with white and gray colors. He then focused on Twilight`s reaction and saw the panic in her eyes. "The wand changes form according to its owner. It is an extension of your own inner self." he explained to calm her down. Twilight understood what her father said and started to examine her new wand. It had holes in the head but they looked like they belonged there. If the wand was supposed to be an extension of herself, what do those holes mean? She remembered she wasn`t alone in the room. Twilight looked up at her parents and bowed "Thank you. I will take good care of this precious family heirloom." Rising from her bow, both of her parents gave her a nod, a sign of dismissal. Twilight bowed again and left the room. "Do you think she can handle it?" Toffee looked at Star. "She is defiantly powerful in magic. This is the only way to prove that to be true." the woman started to walk out of the grand hall. The guards at the door bowed to her when she passed. Star stopped at the entrance and glanced back at Toffee over her soldier. "I will begin her magic training tomorrow." and with that, the guards closed the door. Toffee just shook his head and headed to the balcony in the grand hall. He looked over at the gardens behind the castle. The gardeners were cleaning up the leaves. Winter was fast approaching. He suddenly spotted a new figure running to the gardeners. It was Twilight. Toffee knew she spends time helping the servants when she has no training. He can only picture the horror on Star`s face when she ever found out.
Night finally arrived. Twilight was sitting on the floor of her room, leaning against the bed and picking leaves from her hair. Finally finished with her task, she stood up and looked at the wand on her bed. She never dreamed of owning the wand her mother wielded. And now, all of a sudden, it was hers. She owns it. It belongs to her. It was a scary thought. She honestly doesn`t know if she can wield it. She knows that magic flows in the Butterfly family but besides that, she knows nothing. Being half monster, she isn`t sure she has magic to use. She knows her father has knowledge of different types of magic but she doesn`t recall him using any. Sitting cross legged on the bed, she picked up the wand and turned it over in her hand. Where did the wand come from? How did the Butterflies get it? How did her mother get the wand? Where did she come from? Where are rest of her family? Twilight let out a frustrated groan and flopped back to the pillows.
She had read hundreds of books on monster history in the library and her father has thought her monster culture and in extension, his history. But her mother has never spoken a word about her past. She just knows her family name and her family bloodline has magic. But other than that, she knows nothing. Twilight sighed and placed the wand under her pillow and blew out the candle on the table. She knows her father will come in later to wish her good night like he always does but tonight she is going to turn in early. All this thinking has given her a headache. Plus, she spent her day helping the gardeners gather the fallen leaves. That was Twilight`s final thought before her mind went blank.
Twilight opened her eyes and finds herself sitting on a log. Looking around, she noticed the log she is sitting on is floating in a black void. Looking straight up ahead, she found a boiling broth in a cauldron on a fire right before her. But right across the cauldron floated a small blue man. He was sitting cross legged and floating. He had pink, diamond-shaped eyes and a pink gem on his forehead.
"Hello, kid. I have just one question for you." Twilight nodded, signaling the weird man to go on.
"Pepper or salt?"