Author's Note: While this isn't my first story, this is the first one I have put out for the world to see. While I have done my best to proofread my work, there I bound to be a good amount of errors that I missed. Should you find any of these and you care enough, please do let me know and I will make the appropriate corrections. I would appreciate any constructive criticism you have to offer, as I truly do wish to become a better writer. Also take note that while this is a complete story, I do plan to expand upon this AU and the characters contained within it in the future so stay tuned!
While I posted this story under a different title, I have discovered a multitude of errors and plot inconsistencies. While I wouldn't exactly call this a rewrite, I have changed a few minor story elements and highly reworked the character arcs from the original.
"Man, you look beautiful today." King Marco remarked, a dumb smile on his face. His eyes were fixated on his wife, Queen Star Butterfly. Her blonde hair was tied into a bun, and her blue eyes shone brightly. She turned to him, holding a set of royal clothing for her husband. With a mischievous grin, she tossed them onto his head.
"Marco, I'm a Queen. I always look beautiful. Now get dressed, it's a big day for Zemi and I want you looking good."
"Right, right." Said Marco as he began to dress. Beside him, Star watched as he struggled to fit the shirt on correctly with an amused look on her face. Marco knew what she was going to say before she even spoke, but he didn't mind.
"Having problems, King Butterfly?"
"Not at all, Queen Diaz." Said Marco as he finally buttoned up the shirt. It was a little joke they had to switch last names, since technically they held both. On Earth, Marco was a Diaz, and on Mewni he was a Butterfly. Personally, her preferred being a Diaz. It was much simpler that way.
Moving on to the next piece of clothing, Marco could sense his wife looking him over. Piece by piece, the king assembled a deep red royal suit, complete with a cape, gold lining, and multiple silver medallions that dotted the surface of his coat. When he was done, Star scanned him up and down before giving an affirming nod.
"Oh yeah, the Kingdom of Mewni sure does have one good looking King, that's for sure." Star mused, a selfish grin on her face. "And he's all mine."
"I'm not so sure anyone is jealous of you, Star." Started Marco, but the Queen quickly shook her head, not wanting to hear it.
"Oh don't get me started Marco. If I have to hear one more time about how the king of Mewni is an alien, or that their children aren't even Mewmans I might behead the person that says it." Marco rolled his eyes, of course she would say that. Beheading had become an offhanded joke that Star liked to toss around now. At first, Marco was a bit worried by how often she mentioned the subject, but by now he had grown used to it.
"And what if it was me? I'm sure the people would love you then." He joked, a sly grin on his face. Much to his dismay, Star shot him a disapproving glare as she began working on her hair.
"Marco, stop. Don't joke about that." She quietly commanded, her voice low but firm. Marco winced, he should have known better than to joke about that. Star had been very sensitive about things like that lately, he should have known better.
"Sorry." Mumbled the dejected king. Star said nothing, instead turning her eyes back towards her mirror.
"Zemi already has enough on her plate," Started the Queen. "She gets the wand today, soon she'll be queen. Everybody is watching every move she makes, just waiting for a reason to hate her." Star sighed, letting her arms fall to her side as she stared at her reflection. "Nobody will even give her a chance, they all just assume she'll be as terrible as me."
Marco was quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say. He loved his wife, but he could agree that her handling of multiple very sensitive issues was far less than ideal. In his mind he could still see the fires in the streets as riots broke out across Mewni. Star had been far too hasty with opening the city's walls to monsters. There was no food, no homes, no space for anybody. People starved, others died from sickness. Killings were numerous and daily. It was a very bad situation for a long while.
"Star, you did the best you could." Said the king, unsure if even he believed those words. The queen said nothing, and Marco sensed that she could feel his doubt. "And, Zemi will be fine. She's dealt with those people her whole life, and she knows what she's doing. She's careful and smart, the people will love in no time at all." Marco said with a smile. Now that he did believe, Zemira would be a good queen, just as long as she accepted her role.
"Well she isn't off to a good start." Star remarked. "Zemi is two years late for her wand ceremony! Two! I've already heard plenty of gossip about that. God what's next, she runs away from her coronation?"
"Hey," Started Marco as he put a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder. "Zemi's a smart kid. I'm not saying that she won't mess up, but when she does we'll fix it. We always do. Remember when we caught her stealing sticks of butter?" Said the King, a warm smile on his face. Star grinned, but her smile soon faded.
"We're gonna need to give her so much attention." She groaned, leaving her mirror and flopping onto their bed. "And what about Sam and Luci? I just know Sam will get jealous, and then Luci is going to that school next year… Oh god Marco, I don't think I'll be able to sleep with Lucia gone!"
"Lucia and Sam are going to be fine. They've always known that since Zemira is the first born, she gets the wand, and she needs to learn how to lead. Luci's school is one of the most well-guarded places in Mewni and your dad will keep Sam busy." Marco sat down next to his wife, gently rubbing her back in an attempt to sooth her. "Everything is going to be fine."
"I know…" Star said before letting out a long sigh. Marco began to rub her back as she gently relaxed.
"When did you start worrying so much?" Asked the king, a playful smirk adorning his face. "I thought that was my thing."
"When I became a mom. It's what we do, Marco." Suddenly, a loud brass horn sounded, signaling that the Ceremony was about to begin. Star and Marco shot up, hearts racing.
"Holy shit! Get your pants on Diaz, we gotta move!" commanded the Queen of Mewni. Marco darted for the door, followed by his wife.
"Aw crap! We're gonna be so late!"
"Aw Crap! We're gonna be so late!" Moaned a panicked Lucia as she franticly brushed her hair. To her left stood Samantha, who was attempting to brush her teeth and clean her sword at the same time. "Sam! Forget the sword, we gotta go!"
"Never! Steve needs to be there when his big sister gets her wand!" Luciana groaned, shooting her younger sister a very annoyed look.
"For the last time, your stupid sword is not a part of the family! And it's not alive!"
"Luciana Dina Butterfly how could you say that! He's standing right here!" Zemira watched with mild amusement as her two younger sisters' backs stiffened. They were getting ready for another heated debate. Mentally, Zemi scolded them. This day wasn't even about them. Today was Zemi's day, and she couldn't hate that fact anymore than she already did. That was the reason she had developed a little plan to extend her time as a child just a little bit longer.
Today was the day her life ended, or at least the enjoyable part. After she got her wand it was studying and looking pretty, topped with no small amount of buttering up the peasants. Zemi knew that the Kingdom was unhappy with her mother's rule, though she didn't really know why. The queen had always done her best for them, it wasn't her fault that some things didn't go as planned.
Still, that didn't stop them from hating her. It wouldn't stop them from hating their new queen either. A high pitched, "Hey!" interrupted Zemira's train of thought. Focusing back on her sisters, the princess saw Samantha lob a can of hairspray at Lucia, who shielded her eyes as she crouched down into a ball. The can bounced off one of the girl's forearms, landing right next to a makeup case.
"Sam, stop it!" She ordered as the youngest Butterfly giggled to herself. Sam responded by throwing a brush this time. "Stop!" Lucia shouted. "Samantha, that hurts! We don't have time for this!"
"Sam, cut it out!" Snapped Zemi, who looked down at the youngest Butterfly child. "I think we've only got about ten minutes, so stop acting like a child."
The sisters paused for a moment, exchanging an uncertain look. Zemira had quietly crossed her fingers, praying they didn't notice her little fib. Blind luck don't fail me now, she thought to herself. Much to her relief, Samantha shrugged and got back to polishing her sword. Luciana however, wasn't buying it so easily.
"Zemi, mom said that by the third bell we were to be in the throne room, and in case you haven't forgotten that was the third bell!" Zemi mentally groaned at her sister. Today was the last day Zemi needed her sister to be smart. She would have much rather had Luci dropped on the head as a child, maybe then the middle child would stop thwarting all of Zemira's plands. When she was younger, the eldest princess had despised her sister for that very reason. She could almost never keep a secret from her.
"Third bell? No, no. Luci…" Started Zemi, leaving a noticeable delay in her words as she attempted to salvage her fib. "That… First bell… Was the church! Today is a special day after all, so they're having a service to honor the kings and queens of Mewni. Didn't you head how much quieter the first bell was?"
"Not really… But…" Lucia paused, thinking for a moment. On the outside, Zemi kept as straight a face as possible, but in her mind she had been begging Luciana to just shut up and accept it. She had been able to fool the second Butterfly child only a handful of times, but Zemi could get lucky today, gods willing.
"Why do I not believe you?" Asked Lucia, examining her older sister with great detail. Managing to keep a straight face, Zemi shrugged, not trusting herself to talk at this point. Luciana stared for a moment longer, before letting out a sigh. "Maybe you're right. Let's just get ready as quick as we can and get down there. It wouldn't hurt to be a little early." She remarked, though still sounding unsure.
"Right!" Exclaimed Sam, a wide smile appearing on her face. "Luci, keep doing your hair! I'll finish cleaning Steve and help Zem look as beautiful as she can be! Together, we're gonna be the greatest sister tag team the world has ever seen!"
"Sounds like a plan!" Said Zemira as she dropped into a chair, relieved that Lucia hadn't pushed the issue further. "Samantha make me beautiful!" Commanded, dropping into a chair. With that, her Zemi's youngest sister began to look over various forms of makeup and lipstick as she made an attempt to be fashionable. Every time she saw a color she liked, the young girl would enthusiastically shove the item right in Zemira's face to see what she thought. A mix of colors from red, orange, pink, and even green was suggested, but the oldest princess politely declined. In truth, she wasn't even going to overdo it with makeup, but the sight of her little sister with a smile on her face was too cute to ignore.
They had to look good for today, and Samantha's definition of good was a bit unorthodox to say the least. Not to say that the girl was unattractive however, her style was simply more akin to their mother's than anyone else. Sam has long golden hair that she had tied into a long braid which hung around her right shoulder accompanied by a pair of light brown eyes. Her white, long-sleeved shirt was a mess of bright colors which Sam had splattered onto it herself. Pinks, oranges, greens, and blues all adorned it in small splashes that lead eventually to a grey skirt with a small red stripe running down the side. Finally, she wore a pair of black boots with pink accents. All of this accumulated in a look that was highly bombastic and very informal. Just like their mother.
It all fit her though, as Samantha was an exciting girl, just as her red lightning bolt cheek marks would lead one to believe. Much like their mom, she never wanted to rule Mewni or wear fancy dresses. She was a skilled warrior, and with her sword, Steve, she could best almost anyone in Butterfly castle, except for grandpa River that is. Although she loved to fight however, Sam's favorite thing to do was simply to have fun, much like Zemi herself. The two would often spend hours at a time setting up all sorts of different schemes and plans just for the heck of it. They'd break into the kitchen and steal all the chocolate chips and feast on them as they watched the latest sparring match, or maybe they would sneak out at night and go dancing. Lucia would join them most of the time, though on occasion she would stay behind.
Luciana, the second born sister, was far tamer than the other two Butterfly children, both in attitude and in style. Adorning her cheeks were a set of deep blue four pointed stars. Her Deep brown hair hung behind her head and down to her waist, her light blue eyes giving her an sort of mature beauty. The girl wore an highly intricate purple and gold lined dress, with a pair of silver and diamond earrings and a bright silver necklace around her neck.
That piece of jewelry was almost certainly the most expensive item that Luciana owned, an heirloom from their grandmother. It was held in place by thirty six bright silver links, each one containing a deep blue diamond and intricately engraved so that each link seemed to flow with the next. Those, lead down to a massive, intensely purple amethyst which had found its place on her upper chest.
It was almost astonishing to see Luci so well dressed, as she almost always opted for much simpler clothing. Since today was very important to the people of Mewni however, the princess had decided to put on her best appearance, and it suited her. Along with her dress, the girl also wore a pair of thin black leggings and a pair of similar purple and gold boots. Finally, a small hip bag she wore on her left side, mostly just so she had a place to store her glasses.
Though she was fun to be around, Lucia was a bit more responsible than the other two, often preferring to stay out of trouble and not stick her nose where it doesn't belong. For that reason she was occasionally voluntarily, and involuntarily, left out of certain activities when they seemed too extreme or risky. It didn't seem to bother her that much however, as she would spend the better part of her free time reading.
The girl would spend hours at a time studying Mewman history or learning about different cultural legends, or anything else that interested her. Oddly, she loved to read survival guides, learning every single way to distill water or start a fire with nothing but her hands and a twig. As a result, Lucia almost certainly the most resourceful princess Mewni had ever seen. In addition, Lucia would also pour her time into learning new math equations or the easiest way to divide by pie.
These things interested Zemi far less, yet the Mewman School for Prestigious Students seemed to be dazzled by it. In a little more than a year, Luciana would be moving out and studying there to become whatever she liked, while Zemi would be confined to the throne.
Everything was going to change. Lucia would be living at her school, Zemi would be training to become queen of Mewni. They would never have time to just hang out and be together anymore. Not to mention that whenever they did manage to get together, Zemira would have to keep constant watch over her wand. Never casting a dangerous spell and always keeping it safe from unsavory characters. Queen Star had told Zemi time and time again to be extra careful with the wand, and the consequences that would follow should she lose it. The princess never forgot those words. She never forgot to great responsibility that a Queen would have to contend with, and it terrified her.
Looking in the Mirror, Zemi couldn't see a queen staring back, she was barely a princess. A pair of sliver infinity signs adorned her cheeks, matching the color of her hair. A pure, deep, thick silver that seemed to glow in the sunlight. Nobody was sure where she got it from, or even how it happened, but it was there. She had heard all sorts of theories, the most popular of which being that it was a mutation caused by her mixed heritage. They were only rumors though, and Zemi tried not to worry about it much. She simply tied her hair back into a ponytail and rolled her eyes at any insults she may receive.
The rest of her outfit was very much standard. She wore a simple grey dress with black accents that matched her hair, and a pair of black heels. She was hoping that she wouldn't need to accessorize today anyways, if everything worked out as planned that is.
The oldest princess was brought out of her thoughts by Luciana, who had just loudly cleared her throat. She stood atop a balcony that overlooked the courtyard below. The courtyard that lead into the throne room. Zemi internally panicked, she may have very well been caught.
"Uh, Zemi?" Asked Luciana, who was peering down at the castle entrance below. Her cocked eyebrow strongly indicating that something was wrong.
"What's up?" Replied the nervous princess.
"It looks like... Oh boy, we're in trouble." The princess stepped back from the balcony, her voice filled with fear.
"What's wrong?" Asked Samantha, putting down a can of hair spray. "Is it tomorrow?"
"No, no! It's already happening guys!" She said, panic overtaking her. Lucia ran to her mirror and looked herself over before turning to the others again. "We need to go or we'll miss the whole thing!"
"Luci, calm down," Said Zemi, who still sat relaxed in her chair. Her attempts at acting calm were of no use it seemed, as the girls darted around the room, finishing up as quickly as they could. Still, Zemi persisted, attempting to salvage her plan the best she could. "It's okay if we're a little late, mom and dad won't care." She argued, almost begging at this point. By this time Zemira had let her calm demeanor slip just a little bit, her face visibly distressed.
"What?" Asked Lucia in disbelief, her voice cracking ever so slightly. "No! They will care! Every royal house of Mewni will be there Zemi, we can't be late! Especially you!"
"Yeah Zem, we need to get down there before we embarrass mom and dad!" Chimed in Sam. "You're next in line to be the queen of Mewni, it's your job to show up to this stuff! Now Come on, if we cut through the kitchen we can still make it!" Without another word, Luciana and Samantha bolted out of the room, not even checking to see if Zemira was behind them.
The Princess let out a long sigh as she looked towards the mirror. Her somber reflection stared back. Princess of Mewni. Perfect. That's what she was supposed to be anyways, that's what the people wanted her to be. She knew this plan was stupid. What was she really going to do, just not move and hope for the best? Every moment she sat there she could feel a deeper sense of dread instilling itself inside of her, yet as much as she wanted to move the princess just couldn't find the will to stand.
So there she sat for what seemed like years, quietly waiting for the sound of her angry parents marching towards her. She sat staring into the mirror, knowing she should move but ultimately refusing to. What was she really missing anyways? A wand and a bunch of shallow compliments from nobles she doesn't even know?
Honestly, Zemira had never wanted the wand. That's why she kept putting off the ceremony for so long. When Zemi first turned fourteen, she had deliberately failed the wand proficiency test her father had given her to see if she was ready. When she failed, she was given it again a year later, and failed again. But she was sixteen now and the people of Mewni wouldn't wait any longer. Her mother wouldn't have it and neither would her subjects, though the king did protest for a time. It was Zemira's duty to keep the people of Mewni happy, and the people wanted their princess to have a wand. A dumb, stupid, dangerous magic wand. The girl sighed again and buried her head in her hands as she waited impatiently to be dragged to the ceremony.
Surely enough, the sound of metal boots stamping against the ground soon became apparent as two guards marched towards her. She felt a knot forming in her stomach as the latch to her door began to turn. This was it, her little scheme had failed. Slowly the door opened, but not all the way.
"Princess? Are you decent?" Asked a voice, uncertain on whether or not it was safe to enter. This was it. Maybe she could play stupid and act innocent, it wouldn't work on her mother but at least it wouldn't be so embarrassing for the guards to deal with her. Turning to the pair she immediately recognized them as her parent's chamber guards, so they were friendly faces.
"Antilles! Tremain? What are you guys doing here?" She asked innocently, smiling brightly. If anyone there had looked closely, they might say a bit too brightly. The princess saw the guards exchanged a look before Antilles spoke up.
"Forgive us Princess, but your mother commanded us to get you. Are you not aware that you're late to your ceremony?" Time to play dumb, she thought. Mustering up her most oblivious voice she could think of, Zemira gave her best attempt at a response.
"No? Really?" She asked, putting on the best shocked face she could.
"Uh, yes. Almost fifteen minutes late."
"No! really? But that must mean that we need to wait until next year!" She said, hoping that by some miracle they would go for it. Antilles just shook his head however.
"No Princess, the ceremony is still to be held today, but we need you to be present to start." Zemi shook her head however, pulling out a makeup kit.
"Wait, wait! I can't go yet, I need to look presentable! Just give me a minute to get ready, would you?" She asked, but the guard once again shook his head.
"I'm sorry princess, but we must leave at once on the authority of your mother." Zemira groaned in response, spinning her chair around to face away from the two soldiers.
"Oh just give it to Luciana, Sam is even old enough now. I'm sure everything will be fine without me." The guards exchanged a look, clearly not convinced. Zemi frowned. This wasn't working. "Just go on back to-"
She was interrupted by a series of screams and shrieks from the courtyard. The sound of metal footsteps and yelling made its way up to the balcony as Zemi and the guards rushed to get a look at the ceremony below. A large crowd had amassed surrounding her mother and father. They were the only ones she could make out however, everybody else just looked like a distant blur. It seemed like somebody was pinned to the ground, swords forming a circle around him as a disgusting cackle echoed throughout the courtyard. The king was yelling something to the guards as they scrambled around the courtyard. Zemira tried to hear what he was saying, but the yells of the crowd all blended together.
"Antilles? What's going on?" Asked the Princess.
"I… I don't know." The guard seemed to be in shock. His eyes darted all around the area before he unsheathed his sword. "Something bad. Princess we must escort you to your room."
"But what's-"
"Now!" And there was no further argument. As she was brought away from the dressing room, Zemi managed to thank the gods that at least she had managed to avoid getting her wand. Though she didn't know at what price.
"Star, are you going to be okay?"
"No Marco!" Star hissed under her breath. "She's Late!" Marco glanced at his wife. She was furious, though she was doing a decent job hiding it.
"Remember what I said about mistakes?"
"This isn't what I had in mind! She's practically standing up the whole Kingdom of Mewni!"
"She'll be here, Samantha said they were running late."
"Oh, she better be running!" Said the Queen, her voice filled with venom. Marco glanced at his other two children. They stood to the left of Star, both looking slightly nervous. He could see Luciana shifting uncomfortably and Sam's hand continuously tapping the hilt of her sword, as if she were bored. They had arrived just a few minutes ago saying that they had been running late. Apparently, Zemi was right behind them. Yet as time went on there was still no sign of the eldest sister.
Another minute passed, and still no sign of the missing princess. Marco couldn't help but wonder if this was some last ditch effort by his daughter to get out of becoming queen. Marco always had the sneaking suspicion that his daughter was afraid of getting the wand. She had never openly admitted it, but Marco knew that she was far too smart to fail his simple safety test he'd devised. He had only ever created it to make himself feel a little better about giving something so powerful to his daughter, but most of the questions he had devised were little more than common sense. The king did feel some remorse for his daughter's situation, but this was insulting to say the least. While it was true that Marco was very disappointed, the disappointment he felt was nothing compared to the eventual wrath of Star.
Every minute that passed she seemed to grow angrier. First her eyebrows furrowed, then her smile faded. Soon she began to nervously twiddle her thumbs, and now she had begun whispering curse words under her breath. While Marco couldn't always make sense of his wife, it didn't take much to notice that it was only a matter of time before his wife did something drastic.
"Maybe we send the guards to go get her?" Marco suggested, deciding that was far better than whatever Star had planned. She considered this, before nearly lunging at the guard closest to her, grabbing his breastplate with animalistic ferocity. Marco recognized the poor man as Antilles, one of his chamber guards. Not that he and Star needed any, they were perfectly capable in a fight. Antilles and Tremain were mostly there to keep unwanted guests out of their room while Marco and his wife were away.
"You. Go get my daughter and bring her here, now!" Hissed the queen of Mewni. The guard nodded, before he grabbed his partner and marched off to find Zemi without a word. Another minute passed.
"Where are they?" She asked, more to herself than to her husband.
"Relax Star, Butterfly Castle is a big place, give them a moment."
"I gave them a moment! The crowd is getting restless Marco, they need to be here now!" Marco looked over the crowd for this restlessness Star spoke of, but saw that everyone was still calm and orderly. A few uncertain glances let him know that a small amount of his subjects were becoming slightly wary, but things were far from out of hand.
"Everyone seems fine to me." Said Marco, much to Star's dismay.
"Yes they look fine, but they don't feel fine! Like, look at my dad!" Marco did just that, glancing to the old man he had fought beside so many years ago. He stood alone in the very front of the crowd, chatting with a few of his relatives behind him. River had never truly been the same since Moon had passed, but today he seemed quite content.
"River looks fine, he's just standing there."
"No Marco, look at his foot!" At the command of his wife, Marco took a closer look at River. Indeed, his left foot was tapping impatiently on the floor, but the king still had no idea why this was relevant.
"Okay," He started. "He's tapping his foot. What's the big deal Star?"
"Uhhg, he's getting restless! It's only a matter of time before he starts a fight and the rest of the Johansons join in. After that the ceremony will fall apart, and even if Zemi shows up, the royal family will still look like a joke!" She paused, thinking for a moment as her anger turned to sadness. "Who am I kidding, we already do." Marco put a hand on Star's shoulder and offered her a smile.
"Hey, we'll figure it out, we always do. We can fix this. Just, you know, try not to explode." Star let out a sigh, her shoulders sinking.
"I should have told her things between the Butterflies and the common people are tense right now. First my mother passed, and our marriage… Maybe if she knew what was at stake. You know, she really has no idea how bad things are."
"I get it Star. After this is over, we'll have a long talk with Zemi. That sound good?" Satisfied, Star nodded, before adding, "And you know we're grounding her for at least a few months." The king chuckled, giving an affirming nod. Marco still wasn't sure if his daughter would change her attitude, but it seemed to make Star feel better for the moment.
"Mm hmm, and then we'll-" She was interrupted by a fit of sickly sounding laughter. All eyes turned to a spot in the crowd where the attendees had all parted, revealing an old man dressed in rags and covered by a grey linen cloak. His face was marred by a scar that had blinded his right eye, and a greasy, bushy grey beard. As his laughter continued, he eyes the royal family, taunting them to do something about it.
"Would you mind telling us what's so funny?" Asked Star, cocking an eyebrow. She stood tall, almost like a mother. Still the old man stepped forward, his one eye daring Star to make a move. It was unusual at best that this man was so confident, Marco noted. A commoner should have been terrified that he was even in the presence of the Queen, instead he seemed to revel in it.
"Why, Queen Butterfly, you are."
"Excuse me?" Asked Star, confused. The man chuckled.
"The way you sit here and act like you're royalty, HA! I've been away from Mewni for a long time, and this is what I return to? Our queen who married a human? A princess who doesn't even show up to her own damn ceremony, that might I mention is two years late? What the hell happened to this kingdom? Did we replace our kings and queens with brain dead toddlers?"
"What right do you have to judge who I marry? Your king is just as capable as any other!"
"My king? No… He isn't even royalty! You just pluck him from another dimension and say we're all to follow him? I'll follow only a Mewman King, a strong king. One who'll raise Mewman children, not your inbred abominations you've created!"
Beside Star, Luci and Sam shifted uncomfortably. Marco gave them a quick glance, before turning back to face the man, feeling anger rise up in himself as well. Marco could care less if he himself was insulted, but his children were off limits. Luckily he was able to hold himself back, if he hadn't known better the king would have grabbed the old man by the throat.
"If you have a problem with me or my daughters' then-" He started, but was cut off.
"Oh shut up! You aren't even a prince and you've still somehow been a better leader than your wife, and that is no good. No good at all. I've seen what you've done to this nation, letting monsters into the streets! Treating them like equals when we all know they're savages! Forcing us to live among their filth! The Butterflies are weak, we need a new leader." Said the man before pulling something out from behind his cloak. Marco caught a look at it and almost felt his heart stop. It was a metal rod with a dragon's head atop it. It had its mouth open wide, and inside lay a red gem. A wand? Where on Mewni did he get one of those? A million questions at once filled Marco's head, but he didn't have time to ponder them for long.
"That's enough!" Commanded Star, but to old man payed her no mind.
"Where did you..." Started Marco, but he stopped when he saw the wand begin to glow with a bright red light. The old man was pointing it directly at the queen of Mewni. "Star!"
Immediately, Marco's instincts kicked in as he grabbed his wife and pulled her aside just as a bright blast of violent red energy shot forward and eviscerated the royal throne. Chunks of wood and metal scattered across the ground as everyone nearby took cover. The blast sent the man falling backwards as the wand flew out of his hands. Not wasting a second, the man picked himself up and bolted for the door.
"Guards!" Yelled Marco, but Star had already planned ahead. She stood tall, raising her own wand and bringing it level with the old man. It began to glow with magical energy as she spoke the words of her intended spell.
"MEGA NARWHAL Bl-"
"MOM, DAD!"
Marco recognized that voice. His head snapped back towards the ruins of the throne, where a massive looming black portal stood in its place. Its outer shell was a deep red that seemed to funnel to the center of the thick blackness as though it were a whirlpool. Not at all dissimilar to a black hole, it greedily sucked in everything it could grasp. Bits of wood and metal were sucked inside the holes depths never to be seen again, but that was not what Marco was worried about.
Luciana lay on the floor clawing at the ground as the portal slowly but surely tore her away from Mewni. Her bright blue eyes were filled with terror as her grip loosened, and her one available are reached out to Marco and Star.
"Luci!" Yelled Star, who looked on in horror as her daughter was dragged away from Mewni. Star brought her wand to meet the portal, before summoning another spell. "Shimmering lickerish rope!" Star commanded, her wand producing a sparkling purple lasso. The Queen swung her wand towards her daughter, but even the lasso became engulfed by massive black hole. Star struggled and pulled with her wand as she attempted to regain control of her spell, but the lasso snapped in two.
"MOMMY!" Lucia desperately yelled while wildly clawing at the ground, but it was no use. Before Star could reach her daughter, Luciana lost her grip and flew backwards. She shrieked as she was ripped away from her home, from her family. In an instant, Lucia was swallowed by the darkness, and the portal ceased to exist.
The whole room was silent as everyone stared in shock. Star stood, frozen, as if she had forgotten how to move. Marco watched the spot where the hole had been, waiting for the portal to spit her back out. But she didn't come back, and Marco didn't know what to do.
Marco turned to face the old man, who had been pinned to the ground by River of all people. Both were staring at the throne. River sat quietly, mouth agape, and the attacker stared in a sickening awe. He opened his mouth to say something, but just sat dumbstruck before closing it again.
"What did you do?" Asked Marco, finally losing control of his emotions, tears welling up in his eyes. The old man said nothing, as if he hadn't even heard the king's words. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"
"I mean, the first three movies were good. Then the second three movies came out, and everybody thought those sucked. Of course, that was only until they saw what they did to the third trilogy."
"I don't think I understand, which ones do I watch?"
"Watch the first trilogy, the original ones."
"So, the first three?"
"No, no. The fourth, fifth, and sixth movies. The original trilogy."
"What? How can the original movies be the middle ones?"
"Well, there was the first set of prequels, and then a bunch of other spin off ones, but they all happen before the first movies. But there's also the third trilogy which-"
"Ash, that's enough nerd talk for one day dude."
"Right, sorry."
"Let's just get home before curfew, I really don't want to deal with another detention." Evander and Ashton continued their walk back to Saint Richard's Boarding School from the video store in relative silence. Honestly, it was more of an antique shop nowadays, but since Evan and his brothers only owned a DVD player, it was their only option. Ashton loved it there. He would pick out movie after movie, insisting they were 'classics' and that you haven't truly lived until you've watched them. Before he was orphaned, apparently Ash had a dad who loved those old movies. They would watch one every night.
But now he watched them with Evan and Keiro. Everyone who went to Saint Richard's was either a troublemaker, an orphan, or both. Keiro's parents went to jail, Ash's dad died in a car accident, and Evan never knew his parents. He had been found when he was a year old in a dumpster with nothing but a silver pendant that read Evander, so he figured it was for the best he never knew his parents. Still, Saint Richards wasn't a very happy place. Lots of fights and a lack of opportunities made life there pretty depressing, which was why Evan agreed to use the money he made from washing the dishes at lunch to rent movies, while saving up the rest for when they got out of that prison.
When he first met Keiro and Ashton, they'd been assigned the same dorm for middle school. They weren't good friends at first, but when you're forced to live with somebody for a couple of years you learn to get along. By the time high school came around, they were all calling each other brother and that was that. They all requested the same room, and had been going through life together ever since.
Evan glanced over at Ash. The boy was almost beaming as he held his movies in his hands, it was kinda funny how obsessed he was. Not that anyone else saw it that way. On top of his movie addiction, Ash also wore glasses and was one of the shortest kids in school. He was the stereotypical nerd. The only real difference he had from most nerds was that Ash got mediocre grades at best, and spent his time daydreaming instead of learning.
It also didn't help that he was extremely awkward around people that he didn't know, and worst of all girls. The poor guy was bullied constantly, at least until Evan and Keiro had something to say about it. That would all change one day though. When he was old enough and had enough money, Evan was going to take Ashton and Keiro and they'd get an apartment in a city far away from here.
Hell, it didn't even need to be an apartment. It could be anywhere. He quietly played with the idea of going to live on a farm with Riley, a thought that brought a small smile to his face. Or maybe they could find a cabin in the woods and live away from the rest of civilization. Of course, they'd have to find a way to get food but it could work.
"Hey, Evan?" Asked Ash, bringing Evan out of his thoughts. The boy had stopped about five feet behind his brother, eyes peering down an old alleyway.
"Yeah?" He replied, catching up with his brother to get a better view. At first glance, the alley seemed completely dark, only occupied by a dumpster that one of the nearby stores used. "What is it dude?" He asked, slightly confused.
"Do you… See that?" Ash timidly pointed his finger down the alley. Squinting, Evan could see that there was a feint red glow coming from behind the dumpster. That was odd. He thought for a moment, wondering what on Earth it could be.
"Yeah..." Mumbled Evan, as he decided to move closer and investigate. Curiosity had now taken over as Evan was drawn to the light like a moth to a flame. He took a few tentative steps forward, not sure what to expect. Then another step, and another. The object was coming into view now, almost seeming to get brighter. Glancing behind himself, Evan saw Ash standing as still as a statue, not moving any closer. "Well come on man!" Urged the older brother, but Ash shook his head.
"Actually, I shouldn't have brought it up. Can we go, Evan? Dark alleys aren't the type of place for two teenagers to be exploring." Evan rolled his eyes, of course Ash would be afraid. He was always afraid.
"Oh don't be so dramatic. We're in Colorado, nothing like that happens here."
"You know as well as I do that's not true man, come on!" Evan had decided by now to ignore his brother however, and moved in closer. Ashton groaned, but reluctantly followed behind him, keeping about six feet between the two of them. As they closed in on the source of the glow, Evan spotted a bright red lowing orb, floating in the air. He knew Ash saw it too, because the orphan heard a sharp gasp behind him.
Evan had never seen anything like it before. Where could he even start? It floated firstly, floated! No strings, nothing holding it above the ground, it just sat there. The orb itself was the darkest thing Evander had ever seen. It had a sinister bright red glow to it, yet the more he stared, the more he got the sense that something else was going on. He never could accurately describe why, but Evan got the uneasy sense that he was being watched. Like the orb had eyes of its own, eyeing Evan with the same curiosity that he himself felt.
"Evan, please! We have to leave! This is a terrible idea!" Begged Ash, his voice getting higher as he got more upset. "Evan!" Hissed the orphan, but to no avail.
"Just, hold on Ash. I've got this." Evan felt drawn to the orb, like he couldn't look away. It was so beautiful, he just wanted to hold it in his palm, that was all. Slowly, he reached out his hand, just to grasp the object.
"I'm not joking! Don't touch it!"
Evan didn't even bother to give a response, he didn't even notice his brother anymore. His fingers reached out, and just barely grazed the object. For a moment, he felt the cold smoothness that inexplicably seemed to burn his finger, yet before he could even react, the orb let out an explosion of air. A massive gust of air sent to two flying backwards and into the ground. Evan looked up to see what appeared to be a giant black hole in the ground sending bits of wood and metal flying into the air like fireworks.
"Holy crap, Ash!" The orphan turned to meet his brother's gaze as they both covered their heads. Ashton sat petrified, his glasses lying on the concrete next to him, and his eyes and mouth glued shut. Yet Evan still heard screaming. More and more wood pieces flew into the air as Evan shut his eyes, curling into a ball and waiting out the barrage of splinters. The screaming grew louder, and louder, and louder.
Slowly, Evander opened his eyes just in time to see an actual person fly about out of the ground and about two feet into the air, arms and legs flailing all the while. They only stayed in the air for a moment, before landing on their back on the flat concrete
Evan blinked, eyes focusing on the silhouette of a what appeared to be a person. He looked closer, and sure enough there on the ground, lay a girl in a deep purple dress that was torn to bits. The orphan stared longer, trying to make sense of the situation. The girl sat there motionless, and Evan considered the possibility that she might be dead for a moment. He was about to say something when a loud groan escaped her mouth, and slowly she began to shift around the concrete.
"Where on Mewni…" She cautiously brought her head up, brushing some of her long brown hair out of her eyes. Scanning the alley her eyes locked onto the pair who sat before her. Evan and Ash both sat on their backs, eyes glued on the strange girl. Neither had any idea on what to say, but after a moment Evan cautiously brought a hand up and waved.
"Uh, hey there." The girl didn't say a thing, her eyes darting between Evan and Ashton. Slowly, so as not to startle her, Evan brought himself to his feet. He reached out his hand, silently offering to help her up. The girl hesitated for a moment, before taking his hand.
Evan helped her up as best as he could, but the strange girl had a hard time finding her balance at first. She wobbled back and fourth slightly, before finally gaining her footing. Immidiatly she took a few steps backwards, still eying the boys with suspicion.
"Evan, what's going on?" Asked Ash, who had taken cover behind the other side of the dumpster after retrieving his glasses. His head peaked out the side, watching the girl with terror. Evan rolled his eyes at his brother for the second time that day. Sure, this whole situation was crazy. Yet the more he looked the girl over, the less dangerous she seemed.
Her brown hair was mangled and blown out of place and her dress was torn nearly to shreds, but other than that she seemed pretty normal. Aside from the two dark blue four pointed stars on her cheeks that is, which were pretty odd. Actually, she was even pretty. Her deep, pure blue eyes were almost entrancing, he'd never seen anything like them.
"Um…" Evander blinked, and realizing that he was staring at her he shifted uncomfortably for a moment.
"Oh uh, sorry. Are you… Okay?" He asked. The girl took a moment to look herself over and examine her surroundings. She frowned when she saw the state of her dress, but the girl didn't seem too bothered by it. After that she began to examine the alley, panicked eyes darting from place to place.
"I… I don't know. I think so." Her voice was soft and quiet, yet still a bit shaky. She was still recovering from the ordeal she had just been through.
"Well uh, that's good." Said Evan, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "So, what just happened? I don't… really know what else to say," He awkwardly looked to her for an explanation, raising an eyebrow. "How on Earth do you explain something like that?" he thought to himself. The girl glanced at Evan before looking around the alley. Her back stiffened and her a look of dread overtook her.
"I… I don't… Where am I?" Her eyes locked on to Evan's, pleading for an answer.
"You're in Silver Pines Colorado." Said Evan, still confused. "But what does that have to do with this?" He asked, but the girl shook her head, confused.
"Where?" She asked again. Evan was taken aback. Had she never heard of Colorado? . Glancing underneath her, he noted that there was no trapdoor, so where had she come from? Did she drop from the roof or what? Where had all that wood come from? He looked back up to her and saw that the girl was still awaiting an answer.
"I, uh, America?" Offered Evan, but still the girl still wasn't satisfied. She gave him a weird look, like he was the crazy one. "Um, Earth?" He offered, not sure what else to say. Her eyes went wide.
"I'm on… Earth?" She froze for a moment, her breathing becoming erratic. He saw her eyes widen with dread and for a moment he was sure she was about to cry. "Earth?" She practically wailed the word as she slumped up against the wall of the alley, falling to her down to her knees.
"Is she okay? Asked Ash, who had finally stepped out into the open. He looked at her a moment longer before giving Evan a nervous glance. "I have no idea." He replied.
"I can't- I'm on Earth! I just- I-I-" She continued to ramble for a few minutes as the two boys watched, confused and clueless. This girl was about to have a panic attack, and Evan had no idea why.
"Was it something I said?" Asked Evan, and the girl nodded. Evan and Ashton exchanged a glance before she spoke up again.
"I'm sorry, I just need a moment." Said the girl. Her voice was shaky and uneven, like she had just seen a ghost.
"It's alright, just uh, take all the time you need." Evan said, deciding to give the girl time to process things before barraging her with questions. This girl clearly need to deal with something, though Evan didn't know what. She seemed to panic once he mentioned Earth, so was she an alien? She certainly seemed human, so what was the problem?
"Do you, um, need an ambulance?" Asked Ash, who stood awkwardly to the side. The girl glared at him for a moment, before letting out an anguished groan, burying her face in her hands.
"I don't even know what that is!" Her eyes darted between Evan and Ash, almost pleading with them. "Look, what I'm going to say is gonna sound crazy, but I need you to believe me, okay?" Evan shrugged, at this point any explanation was better than no explanation.
"Go ahead." He said, still not too sure what to expect. The girl took a deep breath, before she began her story.
"My name is Luciana, but most people call me Lucia, or Luci. I'm… from another dimension." She paused, gauging Evan and his brother's reaction. Evan just kept a blank face. He had no idea what do with that information. Was she serious? Or was this girl just screwing with them?
"Another… dimension?" Ashton looked at Luciana like she was insane, glancing at his older brother to see what he thought of the situation. Evan met his brother's gaze for only a moment, shrugging. What was there to say?
"I know, I know, you guys don't understand. My dad always said that people on Earth just don't get it, at least not at first. But what you just saw was a dimensional portal, at least… I think it was."
"Look," Interrupted Ash, avoiding the girl's gaze. "I don't mean any offense of anything, but we aren't that dumb."
"What? No! I have relatives on Earth, but I live in a dimension called Mewni and I need to get back there! Please, do you know where the Diaz family lives?"
"Diaz? I don't think so." Said Evan, raising an eyebrow. "Look is this some kind of prank or something? I really don't know if you're joking right now. Lucia shook her head earnestly in response, obviously displeased.
"No! I am NOT joking! You have to believe me, please!"
"Dude, Evan. This is getting way too crazy, can we please just go?" Asked the younger brother, slowly backing out of the alley. Evan was about to agree, but something stopped him.
"You know," He started. "She did just fly out of a hole in the ground." He pointed out, to which Luci eagerly agreed.
"Yes! That was the portal! I'm telling the truth! I need to get home, please!"
Ash sighed, shaking his head. "This is insane," He groaned as he came to grips with the reality of the situation. Evan himself was pretty sure this girl was telling the truth. He never would have believed it if she hadn't appeared before his eyes, but he'd seen something. Another dimension would explain things a bit.
"Look, I'm not saying we're going to go dimension hopping or anything, but you could at least come back to our dorm and get cleaned up." Evan offered, glancing at her torn dress which now had copious amounts of dirt on it from Luci's time on the floor.
Luciana seemed a bit disappointed at first, but after a moment nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that sounds good." She decided. "Thank you."
"Of course," Evan started, but Ash was already shaking his head.
"Keiro really won't like this…"
Evan scoffed. "Too bad, we're brothers. He can deal with it."
"You guys are brothers?" Asked Luci, looking between them, slightly confused.
"Not by blood." Said Evander. "But we're still as close as brothers get. That reminds me actually, we live at a boarding school so you'll be staying in our dorm, at least for a little while. We'll figure out what to do with you when we get there."
Luci nodded again, before shivering a bit as a gust of wind blew into the alley.
"We should get a move on." He suggested before another thought entered his head. Luci wasn't exactly decent to travel with her dress all torn up, not to mention it was late fall. Winter was coming. Without a second thought, he unzipped his jacket and handed it to the girl next to him. "You should probably put this on. It would look pretty weird if you walked all the way back in ripped clothes."
"Yeah, thanks." Said Luci, giving the boy a bright smile as she put the jacket on. Turning around, Evan saw Ash give a him a sly grin, not that he really cared. Ash could be an idiot sometimes.
"So how long of a walk is it?" Luciana asked as she zipped up the jacket.
"About fifteen minutes." Replied Evander. "Don't worry Lucia, we're gonna get this sorted out. You'll be home in no time, trust me."