She was gone. It was really real, and there was no denying that. The space that had once been a beautiful Mewnian tower was now just a regular guest room. The laser puppies had vanished. For once there were no colorful spells flying around, no Narwhal Blasts, no warnicorns trampling the lawn. But that wasn't what everyone at the Diaz's end-of-summer party was thinking of when Marco came walking down the stairs with his hair over his eyes. It was rare to see the karate boy look so sad, and it was even rarer to see him without Star, his best friend and constant companion. No, what they missed wasn't the magic, or the crazy creatures, or the addition to the house. It was the genuine happiness that Star had brought to Earth the moment that she barrelled into all of their lives. And now that she was gone, so too was the joy.

When the Marco reached the landing, he was instantly mobbed by the partygoers, each of whom had a million questions for him:

"Where's Star?"

"What just happened?"

"Did your dad make any more pizza nuggets?"

But he refused to answer any of them. Instead, Marco shouldered his way through the crowd and stormed out the door of 4815 Avocado Terrace.

Jackie found him sitting on the bench in the park where they had had their first date together. Hopping off her skateboard, she leaned it up against a tree and sat down next to her boyfriend.

"You alright dude?"

Marco stared off into space for a few moments before answering.

"No. It's just… I-I thought things were going to be okay, after we talked on the stairs. I thought that stuff would go back to normal." He buried his face in his hands.

Jackie raised an eyebrow.

"Back to normal? Define normal, Marco."

He looked up at her despondently.

"I didn't mean it like that- I just wanted to go back to being friends, like we were before...before things got all weird, ya know?."

She nodded.

"I always kinda thought she had a thing for you, Marco. The way she acted when you were with her- well, it was more than any friendship I've ever seen."

Marco looked at the ground, and kicked at a stray rock.

"I hope that this doesn't change anything. Between you and me."

Instead of responding, Jackie leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Besides," she whispered, "You still have those scissor-things, right?"

Meanwhile, across dimensions, timelines, and space-

Star Butterfly stared out the window at Mewnie. It seemed so foreign, with the high stone walls and dense forests spreading in every direction from her castle. No matter how many happy memories she tried to summon, it just didn't feel like home. Partially because it wasn't. Not after experiencing Earth, that is. Star leaned her head on the sill and cried softly onto the cold bricks. Mewnie wasn't home because he wasn't here, and no power, magical or otherwise, could fix that. Now that the demon lady was in limbo, every pair of dimensional scissors across the multiverse went into lockdown mode, and were cleaved apart at the handle. Her mother's own pair had done the same the second they zipped their portal shut. There was no doubt about it. She had Starred this one up bad.

Moon braced herself for the flood of hormones and sadness that would wait for her on the other side of the door. Her daughter had always been such a bouncy, cheerful little one, and it would hurt her to see her child suffering. But she mustn't let that show on her face. She had to be strong, not only for Star, but for River, for the soldiers of Mewnie, and for everyone that lived under her rule. She would not weaken her facade for anyone. Not since...that time…. Closing her eyes and breathing deeply, the Queen tapped her knuckles against the wood.

"Star… May I come in?"

Her answer was a brisk no, so she entered uninvited. The room that awaited her looked as if a terrible wind had ripped through it, destroying everything in it's path. The portraits that had adorned the walls were now torn asunder on the floor, gaping holes in the faces of Mewnian royalty from days gone by. Bed sheets hung from the elaborate chandelier on the ceiling, and a few had caught fire. Moon made sure that she doused the burning linens with her magic before approaching her daughter.

"Mom! I told you NOT to come in!"

Star turned around, and the elder Butterfly got her first good look at her daughter since leaving Earth. Her blonde hair was rumpled (more so than usual), and her sky-blue eyes were red-rimmed from crying.

"Star, I'm so sorry for making you leave like that, but…"

Moon knelt down so that she was at eye level with the princess, then tucked a stray piece of her daughter's hair behind her ear.

"But what?"

The queen bit her lower lip.

"We have to leave the castle. It's not safe here either."

"Why?"

"I told you, Toffee has returned for his finger. We need to solicit help from every corner."

Star threw her hands in the air.
"Mom! Toffee's finger was in my secrets closet on Earth!"

It was then that Moon realized she had made a mistake.

"You told me that his finger was in your wand, Star!"

"Well it was, but then Glossy told me to 'find the thing that did not belong', and I was sucked into this weird place with all these, like, me clones, and Little Chauncey, and Dad's chair, and then I found the finger, but I thought it was just another piece of magic junk, so I threw it in my closet."

"Star Adelina Johansen Butterfly! Do you realize what you've done? You left the second most dangerous object in the multiverse just laying about in a dimension that we cannot access anymore!"

"Sor-ry! I didn't think I'd have to leave so soon!"

The queen sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I apologise for snapping at you like that. You have been through a lot today, and perhaps this was not the best time to tell you that we had to move again. But what you just told me complicates the situation. Without Hekapoo, there is no interdimensional travel, and without interdimensional travel, we can't reach the finger-"

"Neither can Toffee!"

"Star, please, if only for a moment, would you hold your tongue and listen to me? Toffee is extremely intelligent and calculating. He knows the ins and outs of the multiverse, and is fully aware of the Commission's power. He has a plan, and I, as the ruler and guardian of Mewnie, must stop him at all costs. Which is why we need to go to...Tom's family."

The footsteps rang loud and clear through the castle belonging to the Magic High Commission. It had been eons since he had last come to this place, and while his current form was less than satisfactory, he was long overdue for a visit. Toffee turned left, then left again, and finally, even though the hallways were on the fritz, he reached the main chamber. He levitated himself into the air, and made his way over to one of the giant crystals that imprisoned his goal.

"Soon, my Queen. Soon."

And from inside her crystalline prison, Eclipsa nodded.