Chapter 1

Marco sauntered down the quarterdeck of the ship, whistling peacefully as havoc wreaked down around him. His bright red tailcoat swished behind him, its golden buttons glinting in the sun. Topping off the outfit was a matching hat, flaunting its exquisite gold lining. He creaked his way down the shifty wooden stairs, taking in the sight of his crew racing frantically across the deck, shouting orders and demands to one another. He took in a deep breath and exhaled, pausing at the bottom of the steps. It was a very rare sight, seeing the bums he called his crew in a rush to get their jobs and responsibilities taken care of. Strangely, it wasn't the normalities that had motivated them-poker, rum, an extra slice of salt beef-no, it had been the order from their Captain. An order that had initially left their faces pale and sweaty-something that risked everything they had and worked for.

The order to kidnap Princess Star Butterfly of the Kingdom of Mewni.

Star sighed as she tapped her fingers on the table in front of her, creating her own melody to hone in on and block out the monotonous rambling of her 'high royal tutor.' The exaggerated title was not even enough to describe the obnoxiousness of the squabbling little man standing in front of her, his head cocked arrogantly as he read out loud from her lesson book. She sat at a desk in a small, lavishly decorated room as she did every day, taught by the one and only Professor Digby-in all subjects.

The sharp sound of the thick lesson book slamming shut caused Star to jolt upright in her seat, attentive as she focused on her teacher. He arched an eyebrow at her actions, but made no move to comment. He instinctively placed a hand on mustache, stroking it. "It's time for lunch," he said curtly. Star hid a grin and exited the room, struggling slightly as she squeezed her way through the door and pulled her absurdly broad dress with her.

She held up her skirt as she dashed through the halls, having already mastered the art of high-heeled running on the slick ivory floors. She reached her destination and burst out the outside doors, where she slowed down and put on a resigned face as she walked down the steps to the flower garden. She patted down her hair and brushed the ruffles from her dress, then started courtly to her favorite spot, admiring the garden as if she were seeing it for the first time. With its magnificent crimson roses, illustrious lilacs and almost porcelain lilies, the royal flower garden never faltered in taking her breath away. She had to pause for a moment to take it all in, her eyes sparkling almost as bright as the blossoms around her.

"Star!" a voice called out, pulling her out of the trance she had fallen into. She glanced over at the source of the voice and smiled. It was Tom, a prince from a nearby allied kingdom who had been courting her as of late. He sat on a bench a few yards away, a picnic basket resting in his lap. Though classified as a 'monster,' he was decent looking, attractive even. His cerise red hair was slicked up and he wore a fine tailored black suit. Even the two horns sticking out from either side of his head seemed to be polished.

She skipped over to him gleefully and, not watching where she was going, stepped on the hem of her dress, causing her to fly forward, arms stretched out in front of her. With a resounding THUD, she landed face first on the ground, getting a mouthful of grass and patch of dirt stains on her dress. "God dangit," she muttered, pushing herself off the ground. She looked up to see Tom standing above her, a worried look on his face.

He offered his hand and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah.." she murmured, heating up. Falling flat on your face in front of your suitor wasn't the most graceful or efficient route in greeting them.

"Don't be embarrassed," he chuckled, reaching up to touch a lock of her hair. "I thought it was cute."

Her face grew even redder at that statement, and she turned away shyly to hide it. Tom cleared his throat. "I brought lunch," he said, walking back towards the bench. "Are you hungry?"

Star nodded, still too flustered to give a full answer-nor did she trust herself to sound coherent at that point. She brushed what she could off of her previously sparkling pink dress and tagged along behind him, her appetite fighting and winning over what remained of her prior embarrassment.

"Get to work, ye scurvy dogs!" Marco shouted, resisting the urge to include an 'Arghh!' in his spiel.

"Why are you talking like that again?" Ferguson whined miserably while mopping the deck.

"Because he's got control issues," Janna commented, playing with the patch resting over her eye.

Marco glared daggers at her and crossed his arms. "Why don't you make yourself useful, Janna? It's a big day." She rolled her eye at him. He narrowed his eyes and was about to retort when he was interrupted.

"So, Captain," Jackie spoke up. "What's with the sudden plan to kidnap some royal girl?" She frowned.

"I'm glad you ask," he started, forgetting his prior conversation. He addressed all who had stopped to listen to his answer. "The Princess of Mewni, known throughout the land as a genuine beauty. As you all know," he made a sweeping gesture with his hands. "This ship hasn't seen such beauty in a long while." This earned a few boos. "..And I have been searching for a girl-to make mine." He gave a cheeky grin. "On that note, there is another who seeks this prize. Ludo."

Groans erupted from the crowd. "The penguin?" Ferguson asked confusedly.

Marco shook his head and sighed. "Yes Ferg, the penguin." he cleared his throat. "We cannot allow him to get to her first, of course."

"Why does he want her?" Jackie inquired.

"I'm glad you asked. Not only is this girl known for her looks, but also for a powerful weapon she possesses. A magic wand."

"Is she a wizard?" Ferguson gasped, eyes sparkling.

"Will someone shut him up?" Marco groaned. Janna calmly grabbed him by the arm and dragged him down into the brig, unperturbed by his howls of resistance. "Thank you. As I was saying, Ludo is after her wand, and aims to kidnap her. We will take her once the sun goes down, when the castle is dormant."

"So then.. Okay, once we capture her and set sail, then what?" Alfonzo asked.

Marco just smiled at him and answered with a wink before turning around and walking back to his quarters.

Once Star had finished her lunch with Tom, she begrudgingly returned to her lessons. There she was scolded for having ruined her dress, and was harshly sent to her room to change. Afterwards, she spent the rest of the hours of her day back in the same room with her Professor, her lessons interrupted only by her occasional spells of boredom. Yes, literal spells-created out of her boredom: a Radical Rainbow Blast here, a Makeup Blast there. The results of this? Neverending scowls and scoldings from her teacher.

Another long day nearly over with, Star was sent to dinner with her family in the royal dining hall. As they sat there eating their excessive buffet of food, Star's mother spoke up. "How are you getting along with that Tom, dear?"

Looking back on the events of the day, Star tensed up and said, "Fine."

As Star traveled back to her room, she ran into one of her personal maids. "Hello, Princess." the girl said, giving a slight curtsey.

"Hiya Alice," Star said, putting on a smile.

Alice reached into a pocket on her simple apron, pulling out a small envelope enclosed with a wax seal. She handed it to her and said, "This is from Prince Tom," she glanced around. "He said to only give it to you, no questions asked."

Star took it curiously. "Thank you," she said uncertainly. "Good night."

Alice bowed her head and continued on down the hall. Star continued to her room, eager to see what was inside the letter. When she reached her room, she went inside and shut the door, savoring her only moment of privacy in the day. She tore open the envelope anxiously, and unfolded the piece of parchment resting inside.

It read:

Star,

I apologize for the secrecy and crudity upon which you are receiving this letter. However, I implore you to not be turned off by the nature of it. I ask that you come and meet me-at the time of dawn-outside of castle walls, where the road meets the creek. I will be waiting.

Tom

Surprised by the suddenness of the note, Star took a moment to take it in. A secret meeting! She loved the idea-the thought of it alone brought out the rebel in her, more of her true self. Knowing she would be too excited to sleep, she stayed in her dress and opened her window, letting in the cool night breeze. She sat down at her desk, lit a candle, and got out her journal and a quill and ink.

As the sun lowered on the horizon, Marco and his crew of seven set out sailing towards the kingdom of Mewni. Tension was high among the cluster of pirates as they slowly approached their destination. "Land ho.." Oskar called down weakly from the crow's nest.

Marco looked up and frowned as he heard the pitiful proclamation from his crewmate. "Thanks for the heads up, Oskar." He turned back towards the deck below him and announced, "We're nearing the shore, so here's the plan," he placed his hands on his hips and smirked, then filled everyone in.

Star stifled a yawn, seated still at her desk, quill in hand. She looked down at the parchment in front of her, proud of her work. Laying on the page was an ink drawing of a unicorn reared up, swinging its hoofs. A rainbow exploded in the background, nearly dripping onto the table with the amount of ink used. "Perfect." she whispered to herself, holding it up. This, however, was a mistake, as the extra ink used to create the depth of the image dribbled down the page slowly, ruining the image. Tsk. Of course.

She sighed and leaned back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling and stifling another yawn. Maybe she should just go to bed. There were still hours to go before-Tap...Tap tap. Star's head shot in the direction of the noise. The window.

She got up cautiously and slowly walked towards the window, eyeing it carefully. Seeing nothing, she leaned in farther, sticking her head out and glancing around. Nothing. Of course-she was on the second floor. What had she been thinking? Still a bit wary and affected by her lack of sleep, Star made the mistake of forgetting to shut the window.

She returned back to her desk and blew out her candle. Too tired to change into her nightgown, she plopped onto bed in her full dress. "Ow!" a voice hissed from below. Star's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to scream, to shout, to shriek-but to no avail. Almost as fast as she opened it, a hand darted out to cover it, holding a handkerchief up against her mouth and nose. It had a strange smell to it, and some of it made its way into her mouth. Blegh. Her nose wrinkled up as she moved to push it away, but her arms refused to work and it stayed pressed on her face. Her world went black.

The next morning in the castle was one filled with silence. There was no Star, skipping around the halls, casting excessive spells, hollering throughout the corridors.

The maid who normally awoke, dressed, and fed Star was shocked to find the Princess absent. Upon notifying the King and Queen, they rushed to the room, only to find two hints as to where she could have disappeared to: a letter enclosed in an envelope with a broken seal, and a long brown feather, with a tip as red as blood.