So, I personally don't like the direction/story development of the current show we've all come to love. With the obvious plot holes and poor/non-existent explanations, I have yet again retreated to writing my own story, alongside the show's lovely hiatus for season 4. That being said, I'm going to try to stay consistent with the show's current logic and plot it started with before, in my opinion, it went south. This in itself will be a challenge, and possibly creatively liberating because I could write just about anything and it would make sense. Don't get me wrong, season's 2 &3 had great moments. But after poor treatment of Jackie and Tom (while the writer's make way for the pairing they apparently wanted in the first place), and pacing/motivation issues with the main plot's villains, not to mention the poorly handled problem between Mewmans and Monsters, I've just put the show down and picked this up as a side project. Three big problems, and with me, three strikes you're out. (At least until maybe mid-season 4.) So here is my disclaimer. Things will divert from the original story. I've picked up my own copy of the Magic Book of Spells, which clears some things up, but not all of it, and so I read to see if my AU will still go alongside the actual story, and it does. There will be add-on knowledge, and places where plot stuff from the original doesn't exist. I'll tell you through the chapter reviews what I did or didn't do. Reviews will be read and welcomed. I hope to build a creative, cohesive story that still highlights the great things about the show, and add my personal touches to make a worthy read. Without much more ado, here's the first chapter!

It was now spring in the western part of the Earth, where Star and Marco currently resided. It had been a couple years since Star's first day in this dimension. Star had since settled and lived with Marco and his family, enduring his phase of being into Jackie, and Marco made it out of all of Star's troubles, including the shudder-inducing Mewberty day, where she grew her wings. They fought side by side, best friends through and through, until things started to change for Star. As she fought her feelings for Marco, he fought his own for her. They were roommates for Pete's sake! When it came time to fight Toffee, after Ludo proved to be too ignorant to follow through with obtaining the Butterfly family wand, Star had to do a good deal of thinking. And after their encounter and Toffee's defeat, she felt the call to go back home. Her wand was fragmented now, and she didn't know what to do now, other than go home, for she knew her mom knew what to do. Marco was heartbroken at this decision, and chose to go with her, to live on Mewni. His parents wanted him to stay on Earth, but realized where Marco's heart longed to be, and let him go. If he promised to visit once a month, and call twice a week. Marco agreed to that of course, and followed Star to her home in her castle on Mewni. When they arrived, they were greeted by the queen and king, respectively, but there was a new development. Eclipsa, Star's great-great grandmother had mysteriously escaped her captivity in Romulus' crystal prison, and now she had returned to the castle. She found out about the false princess Festivia and how she wasn't a true heir to the throne. Moon and Eclipsa found this information out in the scroll room, attempting to find Eclipsa's daughter upon request. This now takes us to the present, where Eclipsa is to be brought in front of the counsel, after Star saw how genuine Eclipsa could be, and how she felt Eclipsa was robbed of her queenhood and argued to have it restored with her daughter, Meteora the true princess, be rightfully reunited with her family once more. This was to be discussed, and an agreement to be met at sundown on the 31st day of the third month of Mewtober. This of course, would be nice if the dimensions didn't need chaos, and light didn't need darkness…

Star woke with a start. Her chest was heaving and she was slick with sweat. "Star? Star!" Marco was at her bed as soon as she sat up. "Star why were you screaming? You screamed-I thought you were being attacked", he held up his scissors, as if to show a source of potential protection. Star just looked at him, fear still present on her face. Marco sat down next to her on the bed, trying to hug her but her tension made him stiff. "You had a nightmare, Star. Tell me what happened. If it's scared you this bad, it must be really bad, right?" She looked into his eyes and said one word. One word that made him shiver and grip his scissors tighter.

"Toffee."

"Toffee? B-but he's gone Star, we were there when your wand blew him sky high,"

"He's not gone, Marco. In my dream, there was this lizard monster. He was just like Toffee, but stronger looking, like he'd been doing some serious killing. I was in front of him, and when he raised his sword, I raised mine, and I attacked him, severing his arm. And I had cut him more and more until I was tired and I thought I won the fight. But his body grew everything back, and he overcame me. When he cut me down and I lay on the ground dying, he turned into Toffee, suit, tie, everything. It was so vivid, Marco. I wanna forget him but I can't, because he isn't gone."

Marco held Star, and at this point she began weeping. "I watched myself die, and I just know this is a sign that we will see him again, and soon. I can feel it." Marco held her tighter.

"Where do you think he is?"

Star sniffled, and thought about something. Maybe from one of her dreams. Anything she could think of as a way to provide any explanations.

"I don't know exactly. But I just want to be free of him, and he's in my dreams, and I can't shake him."

"Dreams?" Star looked at him reluctantly, rubbing tears from her cheeks.

"I didn't really think it was anything serious, to see Toffee a few times until this dream, Marco. I have to speak out about it. I think this might explain what happened to the other piece of my wand…"

"So...You think he's reaching out through the wand?" Star nodded, determined to get to the bottom of her problem. "It's a definite possibility."

The next morning, Star and Marco walked down to the banquet hall for breakfast. Star felt like a Warnicorn stampede had trampled over her as she dragged her feet to the table. Marco looked to the king and queen and gave them a worried expression as he pulled Star's chair out for her and took the seat next to her. He forked over all the food he could recognize onto his plate, and chose not to try any of the overly cornish-looking dishes. Star held her face in her hands. Were she usually had enthusiasm around corn, she found she didn't have much of an appetite.

"Mom?" The queen quickly looked to her daughter.

"Yes, dear? What's wrong?"

"I've been having…really bad dreams lately." River pounded his fist on the table.

"Nightmares, do you say? No daughter of mine is going to deal with those dreadful things. They're a sign of the plague!" Moon gave a long suffering sigh.

"Quiet, River. Can't you see Star is already troubled enough?" Moon scolded. Star picked up her fork and played with her food impatiently. Marco just sat back and tried to remain serious in the midst of the family's typically comedic banter.

"Dad, it's something worse than the plague." River looked to his daughter and raised his eyebrows, astonished.

"What could be worse than a fate like death?"

Just when Star thought her father was going to take this as a serious threat, she slumped back in her chair, glaring at her father for his oafish behavior. Moon looked over at River, trying to non-verbally tell him to zip it. River just shrugged his shoulders. " If you've caught the plague, we're all susceptible! I'm goin-"

"River, stop. Let her continue."

"I…she…but dreams…plagues..!" River babbled in bewilderment. Moon gave him a very firm, pointed look this time. River set to his scrambled corn, before he muttered "Fine, no plagues. Finish your thoughts."

Marco stifled a chuckle.

Star huffed, and pounded her palms flat on the table, wanting an abrupt end to the nonsense.

"Mom, dad. I think Toffee isn't dead, and that he is going to come back and try to face us again. And if my last dream meant anything, he might actually succeed this time."

Any humor that lit up the table was now effectively snuffed out.

***Well, that's my first chapter! If you have any questions or just have input in general, feel free to ask and comment! Thanks, have a goodnight! (Or morning lol) ***