Star was used to this. At this point fighting off Ludo's monsters had practically become routine. However certain dynamics had changed ever since she destroyed her wand to save Marco. For instance, Ludo was no longer a threat since he was nothing without his monsters that now worked for Toffee instead. Also when she got her new wand, the crystal star in the middle was broken in half and missing a half; thankfully this didn't affect it in that she was still able to use it perfectly. But after Toffee learned about this new wand, he was determined to take it from her. She didn't exactly know why though; unlike Ludo who wanted the wand for power, he made her destroy it last time. Thankfully the monsters were incompetent fighters, for Toffee proved himself to be way more of a threat than Ludo ever was.
Star and Marco had just beaten up the last of the monsters, knocking them out cold. "Nice try Toffee," Star boasted to the reptilian spectator, "Better luck next time."
"We're not through just yet princess. I have a new ace up my sleeve."
A dimension portal opened up beside him when a familiar figure stepped out. "Hey there Starship."
Star was more confused than startled by his presence. "Tom? What are you doing here? How long has this been a thing?" she asked, pointing back and forth between the two of them.
"Well it hasn't been a full week exactly," Tom answered.
"I think it's been about three or four days now," Toffee replied, barely cutting him off.
"Whatever, that doesn't matter. More importantly, since when did you want my wand?"
"Oh I don't care about your silly little wand. What I want is you."
"Good luck with that, because there's nothing you can do to win me back."
"Oh really?" He put his sunglasses on, when the frame over his third eye began to light up and flash red. "Come with me."
Star found herself moving forward towards him against her will. Once she was close enough, he grabbed her arm, pulling her closer to him. She wanted to pull out of his grip, but her body refused to move as if she were paralyzed. I can't take my eyes off him, she thought, dazed and under his control before she passed out.
Star woke up to find herself laying in bed. My head hurts, she thought, her consciousness slowly returning to her. What happened to me? She sat up and looked down to see that she was no longer in her green dress with the rainbow but now a slim, floor-length white gown with a gold design across her chest that thinned out as it got lower on the dress. Why am I dressed like this? She looked around to take in her unfamiliar setting. Where am I?
"Good morning sleeping beauty." Star looked up to see Tom standing before her, having changed out of his usual ripped red clothing to a white princely suit with a black pattern on the top and a black cape.
"Tom! Did you change me into this while I was passed out?"
"Well yeah, how else would you have changed clothes?"
"Oh my gosh, that's so creepy and gross!"
"It was totally worth it though. You've never looked more beautiful. Now come, we need to talk." He let out a blast of fire that wrapped itself around Star, lifting her off the bed and right before him.
"Alright, let's talk," she said sternly. "Tell me why you are so obsessed with me. Why are you doing this?"
"Because," he tightly gripped her chin while her body remained bound by the flames, "I would do anything to have you. And now that you're finally here, I am never letting you get away from me again. You are mine, now and forever, Star Butterfly." Tom put his sunglasses back on and the red light from the third eye began flashing again. Between the fire binding her and the light paralyzing her as well as Tom holding her, Star was completely unable to move. He pulled her in closer towards him, leaning in for a kiss. She wanted so badly to run away or push him off her or anything to prevent this, but she couldn't. Usually she was never this weak or submissive, but because she was in a position where she couldn't fight back in any way like she wanted, for the first time in her life she felt completely powerless. This feeling was so new and scary to her that she began to feel tears forming in her eyes as she felt her safety being violated by this monster.
Thankfully it didn't last for very long, as Tom was pushed to the ground, releasing Star from his capture in every way. "What the…" Tom weakly supported himself, his sunglasses knocked off his face.
The attacker/rescuer was none other than Marco. "Get away from her you creep."
"Marco!"
The two of them hugged before he grabbed her hand and they started running. "Come on!" They kept running down the hallway while he pulled out Star's dimensional scissors and they ran into the portal, bringing them back to her room at Marco's house.
"So Star, what's up with the dress?"
"It was Tom's idea. He changed me into this while I was passed out."
"That is just messed up."
"I know right? I'm going to change into something more comfortable." She grabbed her signature green dress with the octopus and changed out of the gown.
"So what did he want exactly?"
"He wanted me to stay down there forever and play fairy tale with him."
"Remind me, why were you guys ever together in the first place?"
"Because I thought he was this cool, sexy bad boy and I was a stupid teenager."
"Um, Star? You're still a stupid teenager."
She came out from changing. "Yeah, but I was thirteen then. Now I'm an intelligent, sophisticated, mature fourteen-year-old," she said in a mocking grown up voice. The two of them started laughing when an immediate panic took over Star. "Oh no." Star began to have a freak out and frantically look around the room.
"What is it?"
"My wand! It's back wherever that place was!" She grabbed Marco by the collar of his jacket. "Why didn't you think to get it before you rescued me?"
"Maybe because I was more worried about what was going to happen to you?"
"What if Toffee has it? Who knows what he wants to do once he gets his hands on it!" She grabbed Marco's hand. "We have to go back!"
"I'm on it!" He let go to go get the scissors he put on her bed when a portal opened up before Star, causing her to fall in. "Star!" Marco tried to grab her hand or jump in, but it closed before he could.
Star found herself back in the Underworld. "Welcome back Star." She turned around to see Tom leaning against the wall.
"Tom! What the heck? You can't just keep abducting me like this!"
He approached her, once again using his fire to keep her in place. "Yeah well, your friend so very rudely interrupted us. We were in the middle of a special, romantic moment."
"There's nothing romantic about the stuff you've been doing you sicko!"
"Quiet Star!" he shouted, almost catching on fire in anger. "You're ruining the moment!" He calmed down. "Now where were we?" He pulled out the sunglasses and put them on. "Oh yeah, I remember. We were about to seal our love with a deep passionate kiss."
The light began flashing off again. Star felt herself becoming weak again, except this time it angered her rather than frightened her. I won't let him control me, she thought, I can't let him win. "No!" she shouted, breaking her trance.
Tom flared back up again. "Why won't you obey me?!"
"Because this is all proof that you don't really love me. This is why I dumped you, because you keep trying to control me! I'm not some wild conquest for you to capture and dominate! And you can kidnap me and hypnotize me all you want, but no matter what you do I will never love you again!" She broke free from his fire bind.
Before Tom could react, there was a slow, menacing clap. "Bravo, that was quite a performance." They both turned around to see Toffee standing there. "Are you ready for the second act?" He pulled out the wand from his pocket, as well as the missing piece.
"No! What are you going to do with it?"
"What should've happened last time." He put the missing piece in, causing the wand to let out a bright light. "You were supposed to die! Or at least be extremely injured. Either way you were supposed to be unconscious after the explosion. And I was going to use your limp, lifeless body as a warning to the royal family of Mewni that they better give in to my demands unless they want to lose more than just their precious daughter."
"No!" Tom butted in. "You can't do this to her! This breaks our deal! You promised me she wouldn't get hurt!"
"Our deal is over. You're no longer any use to me. I just needed you to distract her and keep her while I got the wand. I don't care what happens with you now." He turned his attention back to Star. "Now princess, prepare to die."
The light from the wand turned black as he blasted at her. "Don't you dare hurt her!" Tom flared up into full demon mode, blasting a big wave of fire at Toffee. He shielded himself in flames from the wand's blast as he continued to attack.
Star hid and watched as the two of them fought. "Star," she heard whispered behind her, causing her to practically jump out of her skin.
"Marco!" she whispered back.
He grabbed onto her. "Are you okay? Did either of them hurt you?"
"I'm fine. Although I'm kinda trying to not get killed here." Suddenly she practically felt the imaginary light bulb go off above her head. "I think I have an idea on how to get the wand back." She whispered her plan to Marco before coming out from her spot. "Hey Toffee!" The two of them stopped fighting and turned towards her. "You want to kill me so bad?" She put her arms out, making herself a wide target. "Well here I am. Do your worst."
Toffee smiled evilly. "With pleasure," he said menacingly as the wand lit back up for another blast.
Tom broke out of his demon mode "Star, no! What are you doing?" His voice cracked as tears filled his eyes. "You're too young to die! I can't lose you like this!" The blast was about to hit Star when Tom jumped in front of her, taking the hit. "No!"
"Tom!" Star looked in shock and sadness at his unconscious body lying before her. Even though she couldn't stand him, he didn't deserve to die like this.
She felt the light shining on her as he aimed the wand. "You don't have anyone to protect you this time."
Fighting back tears, she smiled a deceiving smile. "That's where you're wrong." Suddenly Marco jumped on Toffee's back, grabbing him by the neck and choking him, causing him to drop the wand. While the two guys were fighting, Star ran up and grabbed the wand, pointing it at him. With a final karate chop and kick, Marco knocked him to the ground. Before Toffee could get up, Star glared and pointed her wand at him. "I could kill you right now," she said in a deep, cold voice. "In fact, I probably should. But I'm not going to because I refuse to stoop to your level. Now go."
Toffee smiled smugly as he sat up. "Oh I'll go. But mark my words, up until now I've gone easy on you. You have no idea just how powerful of an enemy I can be."
"Well then I can't wait to find out." Marco handed Star the scissors, which she used to open a portal. Struggling, Toffee stood up and limped away. Once he was gone, Star turned to look mournfully at Tom.
"Well, let's go," Marco said.
"Not yet." She approached the sprawled out body.
"Come on, you're not really going to get upset about losing him, are you? Think of all the horrible stuff he did to you recently, just today alone."
She kneeled down beside him, lifting his head onto her lap. "He saved my life."
"Yeah, but so did I."
"This is different. You didn't trade your life for mine." She couldn't fight the tears anymore. "Oh Tom, I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have had to die for me." As she hugged his body, she noticed a slight movement. "He's not dead," she whispered. "He's not dead!" she shouted excitedly, relieved that she no longer had to feel guilty for indirectly being the cause of someone's death. "Hand me my wand!" Marco did, and she held it over Tom, emitting a bright yet faint white light.
Tom awoke, grunting from exhaustion, still weak from the blow. When he looked up at Star, he smiled. "You saved me." He let out a small tired chuckle. "I guess this means we're even now." He then noticed the tears in her eyes. "You're crying for me? I guess you really do still care." Using all of his strength, he lifted his arm to caress her face. "Star Butterfly, I love…" He passed out before he could finish.
Star once again lit the wand over him and stood up. "What did you do?" Marco asked.
"I healed him as much as I could, but he's still weak. I'm gonna let him stay in his coma for a while. He'll wake up eventually."
Marco placed his hand on her shoulder. "Be honest, you weren't crying only out of guilt, were you."
"No." She wiped away her tears. "He may be a creep and a jerk, but he really does still love me. He just doesn't know how to express it."
"But what about your feelings for him?"
"As much as I hate to say it, I guess deep down I still care about him too."
"You're not thinking of giving him another chance are you, after all that stuff he did to you?"
"Of course not. But at the same time I can't bring myself to completely hate him anymore. I guess a part of me still misses being with him."
"I'm sure you have your good memories with him, but don't let them cloud your judgment."
"I know." She looked back at him, trying to fight back more tears.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" She nodded. "Come on, let's go home."