Author's Note: So the title of this fic comes from the Neon Trees' Song "Living in Another World" which is a really good song that I recommend everyone listen to. Also I write best at night but I wrote a lot of parts of this one really late at night and actually started dozing off while writing it. I hope that didn't affect it's quality too much. As always I'm sorry if anyone seems too OOC. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!
Star Butterfly hated being bored. But now, all grown up and ruling Mewni, boredom was about all she felt anymore.
Star had always thought that being a queen would be fun, or at least that she could make it fun. She knew that her mother didn't make it look like being a queen was fun but she wasn't her mother. But she did feel like she was turning into her. Everything was responsibility and rules and meetings and pretty much everything that Star didn't like to do.
Sure she may have grown up and mastered her magic but really Star hadn't changed that much on the inside. She still would rather being fighting monsters and taming unicorns than being a proper little queen. But she knew this was always in her future and she knew that she couldn't let her kingdom down.
Still though it was boring and a lot of times it got quiet. When it did it gave Star a lot of time to think and there was always one thing she found her thoughts drifting back to: Earth.
Star missed Earth. It was as simple as that. Her four years on Earth were the funnest times she'd ever had. All the times at the high school, all the times beating up Ludo, all the times partying with the Diaz family, all the times practicing magic, etc. And what was the one constant in all of those fun times? Marco.
Star hadn't seen Marco since their high school graduation, almost four years ago. Star had mastered her magic early in their senior year but had begged her parents to let her stay and graduate from the high school. They'd allowed it but the day after Star was to return immediately to Mewni.
It'd been sad to leave her best friend and on their graduation night they both did all they could to avoid thinking about it. But when the next morning came, Star couldn't help but cry as she grabbed Marco up in a big hug. Even Marco teared up a little, but being the tough 'bad boy' he wouldn't actually cry in front of everyone. Star could still remember the sad smiles they'd exchanged though before she stepped back into Mewni.
"I miss Marco," she sighed as she stared out the castle window, her head in her hands, a frown on her face. As she turned back around something on her vanity caught her eye. It was her dimensional scissors. She walked over and picked them up, twirling them in her hand.
Star knew she had some other royal duties to attend to but what would one quick trip to Earth hurt? She could go see Marco again, even if it was just for a little bit. She wondered what he'd be doing. She knew that he planned to attend college and by now he would be close to graduating. She wondered if he'd be excited to see her or if she'd be a bother. What if he made tons of new friends at college and didn't have time for her? What is he hadn't missed her? What is forgot about her?
"Marco wouldn't do that," she whispered but she didn't sound all that confident. It's been four years! That was a long time to not see someone.
She hesitated for a moment, debating on whether to go. "I've got to! To Earth!" So she cut open a portal and stepped through.
When Star arrived on Earth, it was raining and she wasn't familiar with where she was. She stared looking around and noticed a sign that said University of California.
"I'm at Marco's college!" shouted Star, excited. She danced around happily and noticed a large group of kids hustling to class and giving her weird looks. She looked at herself and realized that she had forgot to change out of her royal attire and not it was getting soaked as well. She quickly tapped her wand and changed into some more normal looking clothes and conjured up an umbrella.
"Now how am I going to find Marco in all this mess?" she asked herself. Then she decided it would probably be best to ask someone if they knew Marco. Surely someone around here would.
Star looked around and noticed a young man in a red hoodie, hood raised up to protect him from the rain, slowly walking down the sidewalk. Considering that he didn't seemed rushed she was pretty sure he wasn't heading to class and she wouldn't be bothering him too much.
She quickly jogged over to him and tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me but can I ask you a question?"
Star wasn't prepared for what happened next. When the man turned around Star was face to face with Marco Diaz. Four years and he hadn't really changed all that much. He looked a little taller and kinda scruffy but she still recognized him as Marco.
Both of them just blinked at each other in shock, neither able to find the words to say. "Star?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yeah! That's you isn't it Marco?"
He shook his head and suddenly felt her arms pulling him into a big hug. "Marco!"
She was squeezing him so hard it was hurting but he couldn't help but smile and wrap his arms around her too.
XXXXXXXXXX
They went to a little pizzeria down the street and decided to catch up with each other. Star was so excited to be back on Earth that she couldn't help but stop and look around at everything, especially because when she was on Earth they never really went that far out of Echo Creek.
"So how is, uh, being a queen?" asked Marco.
"To be honest it's not as fun as people think. It's really boring. Just meetings and appearances and rules," sighed Star. "I miss Earth. It was funner."
"Well I don't think I would call Earth all that fun," said Marco.
"Why?" asked Star.
He shrugged. "I don't know. The last few years have been boring, stressful. I guess that's just college."
"Do you have a lot of friends at college?"
He shook his head. "Not really. Just Ferguson and Alphonso. We actually live together in an apartment near campus."
"Wow you get to live with your friends!?" shouted Star. "I wish I had some friends to live with at the castle. It gets kind of lonely."
Star gave a sigh as she thought about the castle. Star really didn't have that many friends in Mewni, other than Pony Head but she didn't even see her that much anymore.
"I've missed you, Marco," she said staring down at her pizza slice.
"I've missed you too, Star."
She looked up at him, excited. "Really?!"
"Of course! Why would you think I didn't?" he asked.
"Well I thought maybe you'd made a bunch of new friends and had all these new adventures and maybe...you forgot about me."
"Forget about you?! Who could ever forget about you, Star? Actually for these past four years all I think about is our adventures. I don't think I've done anything that fun since then."
Star couldn't help but give Marco a huge smile which he returned. Then an idea popped into her head. "Let's go have an adventure!"
"What?"
"Let's go have an adventure! I mean we can't go to Mewni because I really wasn't supposed to leave...but you can show me around here! Please Marco!" She gave him a puppy dog stare as she waited for his answer.
He smiled at her. It was nice to have Star back. "Sure let's go!"
XXXXXXXXXX
They spent the rest of the day running around together. Marco showed her all around his campus. The library where he studied, the gym where he did karate, his apartment to stop in and say hi to Ferguson and Alphonso, who too were super excited to see Star. Star also showed everyone a couple of new magical tricks she'd learned and they all laughed and played together as if nothing had changed that much.
And that's how they ended their day together. Standing on the balcony of his apartment, under an awning, looking out at the rain still falling.
"This is the most fun I've had in a long time," said Marco.
"Me too!" said Star. "I almost wish I never had to leave!"
That brought somewhat sad smiles to both their faces and they turned and looked at each other, knowing fully well what was about to come next. "You really got to leave so soon, Star?"
She sighed and stared down at her wand. "All my advisers, and more than likely my parents are probably furious that I left. I'm surprised no one's come after me yet but I guess I should get back and face them before they do send someone." It was quiet for a moment until Star pulled him into another hug. "I'll miss you, Marco."
"I'll miss you too, Star." So Star let him go and then opened a portal to Mewni. She gave Marco one last wave and one last said smile before the portal closed back up.
XXXXXXXXXX
When Star appeared back in her bedroom she saw her parents standing in the doorway, though they didn't look as mad as she expected. "Um, hi."
"Hello, Star," said her mother, sternly.
"A-are you guys mad?"
Her parents looked at each other for a moment and then her father began talking. "Star, we knew that sooner or later you'd want to visit Earth. And we knew when we couldn't find you today that there was were you went. But we talked about it and we think maybe you deserve a few days a month to visit your Earth friends. Besides you mother enjoys getting back to doing some of the queenly duties so she certainly wouldn't mind handling it a few days."
"Really?" asked Star, looking at her mother, excitedly.
"Well, I do have a bit more experience than you so handling the kingdom for a few days would not be a problem. But you can't be heading off to Earth everyday just a few out of the-"
Star quickly grabbed her parents in a hug. "Thank you, guys!" She then grabbed her dimension scissors and quickly just in a portal back to Earth, all why her parents screamed "What are you doing?!"
When Star arrived back on Earth she arrived right in front of Marco's door. She knocked on it and Marco answered, surprised she was there. "Star, what are you doing back?"
"I get the whole day here Marco! And I get to visit more! Isn't that super awesome!?"
"Yeah it is!" said Marco.
"Are you ready for some more amazing, super fun adventures!?" asked Star.
Marco grabbed his jacket from beside the door and shook his head, smiling. "Always am."
So off they went, just like old times.
Reviews and constructive criticism are much appreciated! ;D