Heinous always felt out of place since she was a child, wrong in everything she did.

Mother said that she was terribly flawed and that those flaws had to be fixed. But sometimes it was hard and painful both physically and emotionally to put bandages on her flaws so they wouldn't be seen.

She wished she knew what was really wrong with her.

Her emotions seemed to be linked to said flaws. However she felt, a different reaction her body had.

Happiness painted weird yet pretty marks on her cheeks, she used to consider those marks something cute and special, which Mother said they weren't.

Feeling insure meant her arms were about to show stripes. She didn't really mind, those stripes were definitely telling something. But, she never dared to ask.

She didn't understand why she was like that, she just wanted to be normal. To have her mother satisfied with the girl she was.

It was never enough.

She couldn't stand that anymore, not without crying, which was another flaw she had to hide from the world. So one night she decided she needed some fresh air, time away from the cruelty of being her.

Her steps led her to a small hill with a beautiful view of Mewni's kingdom. Smiling at the stared sky, she sat there, feeling weirdly familiar and safe. A new feeling that was as terrifying as it was comforting. She sighed, closing her eyes, letting the cold breeze touch her face.

"One day… we'll have our way."

She opened her eyes quickly, unsure of where that musical phrase came from. She'd panic if her thoughts were interrupted by another different sound, one of someone falling to the ground.

She stood up in shock, her mind already wandering on whom could it be, and if it turned out to be her mother then…

"Agh!" it was a female voice indeed, but it sounded natural and young.

It also sounded like the person was crying.

Heinous sighed in relief before walking towards the spot where the girl landed. Her steps were hesitating, what should she do? She didn't want anyone to find out she sneaked out but the young girl's sobs weren't exactly nice to hear.

She got worried.

"Are… are you okay?" she asked when she finally got a better look at the girl, who just got up by herself before Heinous shortened the distance between them.

The girl was slightly taller than her, brown long-haired, and her face…

Heinous' eyes widen, noticing the marks on the girl's cheeks under a dried small lake of tears.

The brown-haired girl looked at her in surprise before looking away, clearly embarrassed of her current status.

"I… I'm fine," she said with a voice tone that Heinous knew well. It was a cover-up fear of being judged.

"Did you get hurt?" she wondered, clearly referring to the fact she was crying before.

"Huh… no," the girl murmured, wiping out her tears. Then she offered Heinous a small smile. "I'm just clumsy… and stupid."

Both girls blinked at the bitterness of those last words, the taller one blushed and began to laugh awkwardly.

"So… do you live nearby?" she asked, trying to make conversation. Heinous had never met someone else who tried so hard to hide her true colors.

"No," she responded. "I… I actually don't see any houses around here. There's a nice view over there though," she pointed at the hill and made her way back there, this time with the girl behind her.

They sat in quiet, glazing at the stars above the kingdom.

"I never thought Mewni was this beautiful…"

"It looks so small from here, doesn't it? Huh… I'm sorry, where are my manners? I haven't asked you your name."

The girl stopped looking at the stars to look at Heinous, confused. "I… I'm Festivia."

Festivia had been too afraid to let someone know about her problems. She was supposed to be the future Queen! Not someone who sneaked out and ran away from her reality.

"That's a lovely name, Festivia."

The mentioned one was a bit surprised and happy that her name didn't give away anything. It was odd but nice to feel like someone normal. When people heard her name it was quickly associated to Mewni's crown. Finding someone who didn't know about that was refreshing.

And strange too.

Or… was she faking to not know and…?

Ugh, she was doing it once more. Wondering if she'd ever trust anyone again…

Festivia sighed. "Thanks… huh… I haven't asked you your name either, sorry!" she giggled nervously.

Heinous would smile at her if she wasn't so self-concerned.

"Uh… Heinous," she murmured, blushing and becoming small on her place.

Festivia blinked. "What?"

"That's… that's my name. Heinous. My mother picked it out for me," she looked away, not wanting to meet Festivia's eye.

The princess noticed that mentioning her mother made Heinous' face fell. Festivia understood, she really did, she had her own issues with her family as well.

But that was not going to be a thing there.

For the first time in her life Festivia felt an instant connection with someone, she hadn't known the reason in the beginning, but now she had a clue.

And Festivia decided that whatever their pain and fears were, they weren't welcomed in there, up to the small hill.

She smiled, placing her hand over Heinous' shoulder, who looked up at her.

"It doesn't suit you at all but, do you like it?"

"What?"

"Your name," she clarified gently, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. "Do you like it?"

Heinous' expression changed. "Ugh! No! I hate it!"

Festivia saw how the panic ran through her as soon as she realized what she just said. In fairness, Heinous didn't know why she was so care-free with the presence of a girl she just knew.

Mother told her she'd better behave in presence of others but…

Festivia didn't appear scandalized.

What would she say?

Oh, no… Were her flaws going to…?

"Hey," Festivia told her, returning her to the reality. "It's okay."

"Is it…?" Heinous began, her voice shaking from the panic attack she was just about to have.

"It's okay to express when you don't like something," Festivia reassured her, getting closer to her enough to give her a small hug.

"Really?" she asked in disbelief.

Festivia nodded. "What about you tell me how I can call you!"

"What? Why?"

"Because there's no way I'll call you by some name you hate."

Heinous was amused, was Festivia for real?

She looked down and then up to the stars. There was a word she wasn't sure if was really a name that that sometimes rounded her mind. It made her feel happy and safe.

"Meteora…" she said. "I really like that name… or that word at least, I don't know if it's a name…"

"Now it is!" Festivia told her with a big smile on her face. "And it's a really lovely name too! Just like you, Meteora!"

Heinous… no, Meteora smiled back at Festivia. For her, meeting Festivia was an inexplicable nice experience. Although she acted completely different from what Mother said a girl should act, it felt right, fun even. Maybe Meteora wasn't as flawed as she believed, and if she was, Festivia didn't seem to care.

For Festivia, meeting someone so alike her was new, nice and comforting. Though she knew a lot of people, it felt like she had made a friend for the first time. And maybe it really was the first time she'd have a real friend.

They stayed there, chatting and laughing now and then. Meteora forgot about her mother's rules and have fun without feeling it was wrong. Festivia forgot about the pain that ached in her chest after finding out she had been lying to her whole life.

That her mother wasn't dead and her so-called chosen family was a bunch of liars.

Meteora & Festivia bonding!

And by the way, they're both in Eclipsa's and Globgor's favorite spot.