"His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead." – James Joyce
"And look at him/Watch his eyes/who knows, could be/He's already gone for the weekend in his mind." – Janet LaValley
December 26th, 2015
The legends were true, and they had survived. All of them had a moment to reflect, but that moment was lost in the dancing of the mariachi. Yes, even despite the many fantastic things that are known on Mewni, its inhabitants can still find many new surprises that dwell beyond the realm of their understanding.
Just as the mariachi had finished the last song in their set (which was also their first song, as they then planned on begging Marco to go back to the safety of their home), Ruberiot burst into the room.
"Hey, I thought I heard music," he chimed, "and apparently, I was right. What do you call that?"
"Mariachi, I guess," Marco answered.
"Ugh, Rubi, just what do you…?" Star began to tell him off (she still wanted to wring his neck over Song Day), but then she stopped herself, "I mean, glad you're here! Feel free to have some cake!"
Ruberiot then proceeded to introduce himself to each of the musicians, exchanging contact information with them, while the rest of the group of friends chattered on to themselves. After the most recent events, everyone did their best to relax. The eccentric minstrel was fully welcome among the revelry as well.
"Star, I know you've been pretty upset at me," he said to her after having gotten their information, "but nonetheless I did want to apologize for embarrassing you. Given that it's Stump Day, I wanted to make my amends."
"Well...that's sweet of you, Rubi," Star replied, forcing a smile, "And I don't feel right holding any grudges today."
"I appreciate it," Ruberiot responded, "By the way...have you seen the yellow sign?"
"What?"
"Oh, nothing," he answered, "Just something I saw, or maybe just heard, in a dream last week. I've been getting some strange ones as of late. Anyways, adios!" With that, he pranced out into the darkness of the main hallway and disappeared.
"That guy," Marco said, "He just keeps getting weirder and weirder."
"Well, at least he learned his lesson...I think," Star answered.
"He...wasn't entirely wrong though...during Song Day..." Marco mumbled to himself.
"What do you mean?" Star asked.
No sooner had they said this than Tom waltzed up behind them.
"Hey Marco," he began, "I wanted to apologize for losing my temper there."
"It's okay, man," Marco followed, "I shouldn't have instigated you. I...haven't been myself as of late, and I really shouldn't expect her new boyfriend to remember every little thing about her this early in your relationship."
"I appreciate the understanding, dude," Tom continued, "but really, the fault was all mine. I thought I had this temper thing down pat, but it's obvious I've still got to work on it. None of you should get caught in the crossfire because of it. We cool?"
"We're cool," Marco replied. The boys shook hands at first, then grabbed each other by the back and gave each other a quick hug and a pat on the back, a sign of brotherly love.
"Aww, it's good to see my boys getting along," Star chimed, and wrapped her arms around each of their necks, "I prefer to see you two happy rather than fighting over me."
"No more fighting, right Marco?" Tom asked. There was something probing in his tone.
The image of Tom and Star kissing flashed in Marco's mind. He felt a slight twinge of nausea but did his best to fight it.
"Right," Marco replied, feigning a smile.
Janna and Kelly watched the whole skit from the snack table.
"Well, looks like the fighting has ended," Janna said with some disappointment.
"At least they made up," Kelly responded.
"Yeah, the last thing I'd really want to see is Marco ruining a demon prince's face," Janna replied.
"Or Marco burnt to a crisp!" Kelly responded with some agitation.
"Oh, believe me," Janna explained, "with as long as I've known Marco, I really think he had the upper had in this..." her voice began to trail off. "...Which makes me almost worry about this Tom guy."
"Wait," Kelly paused, "Don't tell me you kind of like Star's..."
"Nah, woman," Janna caught herself, "I'd just hate to see Star's boyfriend ruin his pretty face in a fist fight with a karate expert...that's all..."
Across the room, Moon and River made their approach to Star.
"Star, darling, we're heading back to bed," Moon stated.
"Yes," River followed, "It's time for the old farts to head back to sleep." Moon rolled her eyes at his crass choice of words but decided to hug him nonetheless.
"We'll let you stay up a bit longer with your friends, given the season," Moon proceeded with a kind tone, "but they'll need to go soon, as well."
"Don't worry, mom," Star replied, shrugging, "I'm pretty sleepy myself. Besides, I've still got some princess-y plans tomorrow anyways."
With that, the two rulers took their leave and disappeared into the shadows of the hallway.
The group continued their revelry for another hour. There was hot cider to enjoy, as well as rainbow cake, gingerbread cookies, and smores. And all put aside the hindrances they otherwise internally felt but rather enjoyed each other's company. They laughed and were merry in their proper way, which was of course hysterical when one reflects upon the inner feelings each had towards their given situation.
Slowly but surely, this revelation crept in on them in time, and each felt the urge to leave the party. They did, however, feel the need to vacate the room while exchanging pleasantries.
"Happy birthday, Star," a soft voice spoke from the darkness as each person left the main dining hall, "And a Happy Stump Day." Our heroes looked around the immediate vicinity of the hallway and not finding the source. Finally, Star's eyes rested on someone sitting in the dark on one of the sills carved into the side of the opposite wall that was meant to hold one of the great statues of Perseus.
It was none other than Queen Eclipsa. She had been sitting in the dark the whole time, watching them, not moving or wavering but rather observing.
"Thanks, grandma Eclipsa," Star finally replied. The others didn't know what to say, each of them frozen by her presence. Whether it was her unflinching, smiling expression or how she looked in the dimly lit hallway, she gave off an unnerving feeling to each of them, even Tom who had seen many horrifying sights across the Underworld.
"And if I may," Eclipsa inquired, "perhaps we could have some time alone to speak and catch up?"
"We…" Marco spoke up, "We still don't trust you."
"Marco, it's okay," Star told him, "You don't have to defend me from her or from anyone. You know that."
"And if you've got something to say," Tom addressed Eclipsa, "you can say it in front of us."
"This isn't a battle you're going to win, Tom," Star interjected.
"But…"
"Ah, forget it, boys," Janna added, "This is Butterfly Castle. I'll show him out if you don't mind, Star." She then proceeded to push Tom down the hall towards the entrance of the castle.
"Goodnight everyone," Star chimed and waved at all of them, "and thanks again for everything.
Marco wanted to continue to protest, raising his finger as if to shout something to go against her continuing to talk to the dark queen. He knew, however, Star had made up her mind and had dismissed him of his protective duties.
"…You're welcome Star," Marco finally replied, looking down at the floor, "Goodnight." With that, he turned and walked the opposite direction from Tom and Janna down the hall towards his room.
"Marco, wait up!" Kelly shouted and chased after him.
Janna and Tom had exited the massive castle doors and were then standing on one of the snow-covered stone walkways just before the bridge to the sleepy, unlit town. Snowflakes continued to fall on and around them.
"You know you didn't have to show me the door, right?" Tom asked, "I do know my way around the castle. Plus, I could've teleported out."
"Oh, I know," Janna replied with a smile, "You probably know it better than I do, since I've only been here a couple of times. I just wanted an excuse for us to talk."
"To talk?"
"Yeah," Janna replied, hopping up and sitting on one of the stone ramparts (her butt freezing in the process, causing her to wince slightly). She then patted the space next to him. He complied, flying up and landing next to her. "That's so cool."
"I guess I do it so much, I kind of take it for granted," Tom responded.
"New to me," Janna said, "so the nuance of watching a demon use his cool fire powers is still awesome. But yeah, back home, I studied so much on the paranormal and dark magic that it's really fascinating to me to finally meet a demon prince. Plus, you seem like a really cool guy, and I'd love for us to hang out more."
"Well, sure," Tom replied, "If you're one of Star's best friends, I can imagine we probably will. Plus, if you're going to continue to stroke my ego like this, I'd gladly oblige."
"I gotta ask though," Janna followed, "out of line or not, I'm a pretty direct person: are you happy with Star? I mean really happy with her?"
"I feel like I am," Tom replied, slightly annoyed but trying to suppress it, "Why do you ask?"
"I've just watched the way you two behave," Janna replied, "It seems like you get along in some ways, but there's still this disconnect I'm sensing. I won't press it if you don't want, but…"
"You're right, though," Tom interjected, getting more agitated the more he thought about it, "It's just…There's times where I wish our interests lined up more often. Then it's hard to get her attention half the time as of late. And then we can't agree on where to go for the weekend or what to eat…And…" He then growled, and a massive flame burst from his head.
"Whoa!" Janna exclaimed, "Easy there, Hellboy." Acting out of pure instinct, she reached down and patted his hand. Almost instantly, his flame died down, and he immediately felt calm. How did this girl have such influence on him? What was this weird power she had to instantly de-escalate his mood? She kept her hand there, though, and didn't seem to want to move it. "It seems like you two have a few things you need to work out together. But I'm kind of getting the vibe that there's some sort of disconnect with the whole group here. The way everyone lashed out at everyone else back at the party, I think there's still something there that's out of balance."
"You seemed to be the only cool one there," Tom said.
"I try to stay calm in the worst of circumstances," Janna replied, "Sometimes, you just need to find the ironic humor in the face of the inevitable doom we're all eventually going to face. But I guess you don't have to worry about that, do you?…Can demons even die?"
"Well, whatever's wrong with our group," Tom stated, dodging the question, "I don't feel any disconnect with you." He turned his head and looked into her eyes. "I could see us getting along."
"Same here," she followed and returned the long gaze into his eyes. A few seconds afterwards, the two of them felt like they were moving closer together. Whether it was voluntary or not, they could not tell. All they knew was that their faces were only an inch apart, and that inch was gradually lessening. The two shut their eyes as they were about to…
"Wait," they both said in unison, "we need to…" They paused again.
"Sorry, you go first," Janna said.
"It's just," Tom explained, "I want to be a better boyfriend for Star, and if you and I do that…It's gonna ruin everything."
"Right," Janna continued, "And I really don't want to do that to Star either. As mischievous as I am, I'm not going to betray her trust or do anything to seriously hurt her."
"Still," Tom followed, "you seem like a really awesome girl, and I'm glad we met."
Janna then wrapped her arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Well, Star still hugs and cuddles with Marco on occasion," she answered, "Maybe we could have that?"
The two continued to watch the snow fall, reflecting then on the night's events and their own survival. Both of them wondered what the new year would bring to them and where they and their friends were going. What could the future hold for all of them? All these thoughts swirled through their heads the way the snow swirled before them, tumbling down upon the dead town.
"Say," Janna broke the silence once more, "are you a John Keats fan?"
"Believe it or not, I am," Tom answered, "My favorite of his is 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci…'"
Back in the castle, Star sat on her bed with Eclipsa.
"Are things getting better for you, princess?" she asked Star.
"I'm not sure…" Star answered, "Just…I feel like I'm taking one step forward, but two steps back." She then looked over at the dark queen. "And what's your history with Heinous…er, I mean Meteora?"
"That's a story for a different time," Eclipsa replied, "Spoilers, I believe the phrase goes. I'm more or less here to see how you're doing."
"I'm…I just don't even know," Star responded, clearly frustrated at every thought she had.
"Well," Eclipsa began, "If I may say, I am curious to know what your planning in your princess duties. There's a saying that the poor queen only plans for her weekend soirees, whereas the rich queen plans for three generations. So tell me, what are your long term goals?"
"First of all," Star explained, "I'm determined to end the prejudice Mewmans have against monsters."
"A splendid plan," Eclipsa answered, "This bigotry has gone on for far too long. It seems curious that Mewmans wouldn't face the same subjugation that 'monsters' have, but you're right, this all does need to end. How are you planning on accomplishing this."
"I…don't know," Star responded, raising her hand and putting it back down as she couldn't gather a good answer, "I thought hosting a party would be a good start for them to come together, but that backfired horrendously. Now, I'm just at a loss for what to do."
"And do you think these boys are distracting you?" Eclipsa asked.
"No!…maaaaaybeee," Star's voice moaned out, "Is it bad that I let them?"
"Oh, darling," Eclipsa laughed, "A momentary distraction is not a bad thing. Boys can sometimes be the best distraction. But in all seriousness, have you thought about if either of them are right for you? Do you see a future with either of them?"
"I guess I hadn't thought too much about it. I just wanted to have fun with them."
"It may not even be my place," Eclipsa continued, her creepy smile not leaving her face despite her serious tone, "but that Lucitor prince does worry me a bit. His temper doesn't seem to be one that's going away anytime soon. In the long run, it's going to get him…and you into trouble. I guarantee you that."
"But Marco…"
"And I do question Marco's loyalty as well," Eclipsa further explained, "My money was on Heckapoo for some time, but I think that green haired girl is quite taken with him as well. If he begins spending more time with her, will that deter him from his duties as a squire? But more immediately, as long as you're with Prince Lucitor, it's going to continue to wear on him."
"What do you mean?" Star asked.
"Well," Eclipsa leaned closer, "do you recall how you felt when Marco was with this Miss Thomas back on Earth?"
"How did you know about her?"
"Oh, I know lots of things, dear," Eclipsa replied, "But picture how you felt when he held her hand."
Just then, Star began to feel an odd sense of nausea. Something was churning in her stomach, and her head grew light.
"How held her close."
She felt there nausea growing until it elevated in her abdomen.
"How they looked into each others eyes."
Star's stomach pains grew even further until they reached up to her chest.
"How they used to kiss."
Star immediately covered her mouth and bent over in pain. Something in the air was making her sick, and these bad memories Eclipsa was feeding her weren't helping. She managed to keep whatever came from her stomach from coming out, but it did send her into a massive coughing fit.
"Enough," Star groaned, "I don't want to remember that."
"Marco is experiencing that on a daily basis now," Eclipsa didn't seem to respond to Star, and yet she still had that bizarre smile, "Turn about is fair play for having you go through it, I say. It's his own fault for not figuring things out earlier." She paused a moment as Star finally caught her breath but who was still looking at the floor. "But it's still possible that It will weigh on him too much, especially if you marry Prince Lucitor one day. Of course, it will be something you get used to, people leaving, as life itself is a series of meetings and passings."
"But he still cares for me as a friend," Star grew agitated, "That's something I know he still values and something I know is never going to fade…won't it?" She looked up, only to find that Eclipsa had vanished, melted into the air. Being alone in the cold, dark bedroom, thinking about what had just been said, she put her hands on her face and cried.
Marco sat in a chair near his window. He sat in silence as the snow dusted the town below.
"There you are!" Kelly shouted as she barged into his room.
"Oh, hey," Marco softly chimed, forcing a smile.
"You walked off so fast, I lost track of you," Kelly said.
"Well," Marco responded, "I guess the fun night had to come to an end sometime. I was just heading off to sleep since Star didn't need me any further tonight."
"You're really worried about her," Kelly stated as she walked into the room. She then pulled up a chair next to him and looked out the window as well.
"I really don't trust Eclipsa getting closer to her," he explained, "She gives me this bad feeling, like she has something horrible she's planning behind our backs."
"And it's obvious you really care about Star, don't you?"
"Well of course I do," Marco answered, "She's my best friend and my princess. I have to help her in whatever way I can."
"No," Kelly clarified, "I mean you care about her…like that…"
"Oh," Marco replied, "…Yeah, I do…"
There was a long pause between them before Kelly finally spoke.
"I get it," she said, "And I already know I can't compare or compete with her. It's clear she means that much to you."
"What are you talking about?" Marco asked.
"Oh nothing," she replied, "But for tonight…" She then scooted her chair closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder, "I'd like to watch the snowfall like this with you. No one should be alone on cold winter nights like these."
"Thank you, Kelly," Marco sullenly moaned, "You're a very thoughtful person, and I'm sorry that you had to tell Tad off yet again tonight."
"It's okay," she explained, "Sometimes guys don't always get the picture at first." She readjusted her bushy hair on his shoulder and looked up at him for a moment, his eyes lost in the flurry of the snow outside. She then looked out the window again. "But come what may this next year, Happy Stump Day, Marco."
"Happy Stump Day, Kelly," Marco replied, "Peace on Mewni. Goodwill to all." He continued to watch the small white flakes fly through the frigid air. It continued to fall through the night, faintly falling, like the end of one era of their lives, on all the living and the dead.