Note: Any references that this story makes aside from the universe that this takes place in belongs to their respective owners and should be as such.
Warning: Mild Language
Prologue: Premonition
Two days and a half later ever since Dark Nebula's attack there was a funeral arranged. Star, Marco, River, Eclipsa (just to name some), the recovered Magic High Commision and a whole lot of citizens attended it.
Tears were shed and hugs were exchanged among loved ones as Moon's casket was lowered at the ruins of the Butterfly Castle.
That was 3 hours ago and Star was still knelt in front of her mother's grave. Marco was getting worried for his best friend.
"Marco dear, why don't you go up to Star and comfort her?"
"Waah! Eclipsa? Please stop sneaking up on people like that! You almost gave a heart attack!"
Eclipsa appeared behind Marco, seemingly from out of the shadows although it was early in the morning. She was holding a sleeping Meteora in her arms.
"And well I can't do that yet. Star looks like she wants to be alone with her mom."
"Oh stop. You and I both know how tightly she hugged you as well as crying into your shoulder. At least try, even if she slaps you across the face?"
"Was that suppossed to make me feel better?"
Meteora giggled in her sleep. Marco knew full well what that meant? That little sadist.
"Sigh alright I'm going in...Hey, don't look at me like that?"
Eclipsa had a sly smile on her face.
"Like what? Alot of people know about you and Star's connection. Have you become a pansy now over embarrassment?"
"Well I'm not thank you very much. Now if you'll excuse me, I got a depressed BEST FRIEND to comfort hmph!"
Marco huffed as he walked away from Eclipsa. She couldn't help but chuckle to herself.
"Sigh to be young again...then again I'm not that old old yet?"
Marco felt a lump in his throat as he walked closer to Star's slumped over body. There were many things popping in his noggin that could turn out bad? How he says a certain phrase, the way he says it, cracking jokes at the worst possible time? Dang it this was gonna be more difficult than he thought it would be?
It was now or never though so while taking a calming breath he sat next to Star and said the first thing that was in his head.
"Hey..."
Cold sweat ran down Marco's neck.
"...Hey."
Oh dear god, that was scary as crap! Marco didn't know whether he would get a slap to the face or get barked at for some reason? Now that that was over Marco released a breath of relief.
"So um...how are you holding up? (S*t!)"
You were doing so well you Earth turd! Why would you ask a person "how are you holding up?" when the person was crying most of the time at their mother's funeral?
"Fine...I guess?"
You got lucky by dodging a couple of bullets, but don't run away crying when your parents won't recognise you? Ahem anyway Marco scooted his butt a little closer to Star.
"I'm sorry that you know I couldn't protect your mother."
Star plopped onto her butt and hugged her knees.
"No, don't apologize. Mom knew that she was gonna die...which was why she sacrificed herself to save us?"
"Yeah...say Star?"
Star slowly turned her head which made a creepy creaking sound to Marco's direction. Geez she looks like she hasn't gotten any sleep for days with the dark look under her eyes.
"Yes?"
Marco reached into his sweater pocket and took out a rolled up sheet of paper. He then unrolled it revealing two fighters in white wearing black bandanas, jump kicking eachother's legs with fire in their eyes. It's background was red that has the rising sun. Huge black, jagged letter filled the top saying "Echo Creek 30th grand karate tournament!"
"Tomorrow I'm going back to Earth to enter the karate tournament. Sensei told me that 1st place has the definite chance of obtaining a black belt. I want you to be there...if you're up to it that is?!"
"...Well I do like watching you kick butt."
Star upon hearing the word "karate" felt more lively and excited. The sparkling in her eyes was evident of that.
"Okay, why not? I would enter as well but it says on the flyer that one of the requirements for entering is and I quote 'Has to be a representative of a karate school' too bad I'm not a part of a karate school, but you are!"
"Great, I'll see you then...Star, don't dwell on the things you couldn't do. Moon wouldn't want you to feel like a failure. Remember-"
Marco gently grabbed Star's hand.
"-there are still people here that you care about. So stay strong okay?"
Star responded happily with a tight hug, wrapping her arms around her bestie's neck. For some reason Marco noticed recently after the whole Dark Nebula (refer to SVTUL: Dark Moon) buisiness that when Star hugs him his left eye would get a weird sensitive sting and a random couple of seconds image of something or specifically someone he's never met before would appear.
The person had a resemblance to Star except her eyes were silver and her cheeks were that of a gold star. This time it was an image of this girl wearing a slightly provacative pink laced lingerie, looking like she was getting tickled on top of a bed with dark purple, star patterned sheets.
Marco could tell she was enjoying it by how happy she looked and the tears coming out from her eyes. Though he couldn't make out the hands that were tickling her he had to guess that it was Dark Nebula's.
From that image Marco shook it off as he hugged back. Star quickly broke the hug. It seemed like she just remembered something important.
"Marco! Are you going back to Earth?"
That was random. Then again Marco was planning on going back to his parents for a few days.
"Uh yeah, I was gonna go back to my parents to watch over Mariposa until tomorrow morning. Then there's the preparation for the karate tourname-"
"Can you make a little more time?"
"...Suuuure why?"
"You see-"
--
Meanwhile back at Monster Castle the mysterious alien like creature has taken residence in one of the castle's dungeons. Not because it commited a crime or anything, it's more like self-punishment for itself for some reason.
Anyway it was fast asleep without a blanket or anything to keep itself warm yet the cold, damp atmosphere of the cell had no effect on it's body. It was until the creature felt a zap to it's senses, causing it to get up from the ground and braced itself against the wall. It's eyes grew wide when they made contact with a shadow that seemed to creep closer and closer.
It detached from the darkness and formed an independent dark circle, stopping it's creeping at the center of the room. The dark circle began to rise up like a bubble, slowly giving form to a humanoid. As it shaped the details the being's right eye shone magenta.
The creature's body shook from great fear. What it can see, what it can sense was all too familiar even though it's presense was hell of alot more different than before. Aside from that the creature knew exactly what this being was as he was given physical form.
Skin, hair, clothing, scythe and all? The darkness melted off his body like ink and took a breath of the damp, stuffy air. He coughed out some dust...ruining the serious atmosphere that he was trying to produce.
"cough cough hack hack! Huuuuu ack cough hack ptoooi damnit this dust."
The being hunched over, coughing out some more dust. After a few seconds he stopped, regaining stable breathing while clearing his throat.
"D-D-Dark...Nebula."
"I figured that there vas one other presense in this castle. Vhat I didn't expect vas you of all people. Then again vhen I was heading to this castle two and a half days ago I heard your familiar voice."
Dark Nebula reached down into the dark spot and pulled out the Dean's Bloodedge. The creature was terrified. To think that Dark Nebula would come back from the dead somehow even after Celestia herself personally killed him and threw his dust to the depths of space. Not only that he has the Dean's Bloodedge of all things.
"Th-The Dean's Bloodedge...You...revived it?"
"Let's talk about that later. Right now I'm not here to do any chaos, I vant to speak to you since you happen to be alive now little brother."
"You...remember...me?"
The creature slid down the wall onto his butt. Dark Nebula set the demon scythe next to him as he sat on the ground.
"How can I? You vere the legit brother I had...sorry quote "vere" since you left me to die and all?"
"I...I didn't me-"
"Shhhhhh vhat's done is done and I don't harbor any hatred towards you alright? Good, anyway I'm gonna be frank and say you look f*ked. Not gonna ask how you are still alive since I barely have enough time left as it is?"
The creature who seemed to be Dark Nebula's little brother trembled a bit.
"What d-d-do you want...with me?"
"I'll get to the point, vith me gaining Dean's Bloodedge I vant you to tell me the outcome of the future since you're able to see the outcomes of certain events vhether they are good or bad. Let's make this easy for both of us, hm?"
The creature who seemed to be Dark Nebula's little brother hesitated a little. He knows what Dark Nebula wanted, the destruction of this universe and the reconstruction of it. But there was one problem with that plan? The Dean's Bloode-
"Cmon Zephyr, I don't have all day!"
(Oh, that's his name? Interesting...uh oh.) It's not like he could fight back against someone like Dark Nebula. He would most likely break his neck with just his index finger so the truth was the only option.
"World...burns...Universe collapsing...slowly."
Dark Nebula pumped his fist in satisfaction.
"Hell yeah!...Vait something else happens doesn't it?"
Zephyr wished that Dark Nebula didn't say that. He was right, there was something else but it wasn't clear to what? From the vision he quickly had it was a burning hellscape of the world. No life just fire and brimstone and at the top was a shadowy figure wielding The Dean's Bloodedge screaming to the sky in delightful bliss.
"I...don't see anything...else."
"Are you positive? Cause if you lie vhich you can't anyway vell heheh vould you rather die in bloody pieces or slowly since this baby can slice through any organic material like butter."
"I'm telling...the truth."
If Zephyr did lie then Dark Nebula would've known instantly. All of a sudden Dark Nebula sensed two people from afar and he was familiar of that especially the princess's damned light.
"(Damnit they're coming.) You got lucky this time little brother, next time we chat I'll expect more answers out of you."
Slowly the darkness creeped up Dark Nebula's legs while dragging his weapon inside the shadows. Before the darkness could envelope his body Dark Nebula smirked.
"Maybe as an act of mercy I'll let you live...depends if you survive the end that is? Hmhmhmhmhm."
Dark Nebula sank into the floor, completely erasing of his presense from Zephyr's perspective. Once again he can't do anything to prevent the bad outcome that is likely to occur. Even if Zephyr did try to prevent it no one would listen to him, tis was his doomed fate even though he never lied in his life.
It was then the door to the dungeon creaked open but for some reason it was giving a little bit of a struggle.
"Damn these stupid doors!"
"I think you should ask Eclipsa to get these doors better proportioned and greased up next time you see her?"
"Just help me with the door Marco!"
After a short battle involving a couple of hits including a flying drop kick the door decided to cooperate and swing open.
"Ugh seriously? You're right Marco, that door needs to be fixed."
"Agreed and I think we found our important person or whatever it is right here?"
Zephyr was curled up in a corner, shivering in fear. It was a little puzzling for Star and Marco but went back on track to why they came here in the first place?
--
A few minutes ago, on their way to Monster Castle.
"Wait wait so you actually believed that the leathery creature has predicted your mom's death?"
Star couldn't explain it herself, even if she tried to deny the illogical possibility of the outcome. When that creature cried to her and said all that what was supposedly nonsence and coincidental timing she felt that it wasn't lying. She would call herself crazy just for thinking of that but she felt something...it wasn't exactly this "women's intuition" that she heard about from Mrs.Diaz. It was just...a weird feeling.
"Yeah and that's why I need answers? It'll be quick, hopefully."
"Alright, I got your back!"
--
Star froze in her tracks while holding out her arm, stopping Marco's advance.
"Oh yeah right, approach?"
"I'm bad cop, you're good cop, capiche partner Diaz?"
Marco nodded his head. He had to wonder where Star got that toothpick in her mouth from? Meh he had to admit though, she's was already playing the part right with that wierd scowl on her face and her slightly tough Italian accent (Though she doesn't know who Italians are?).
"(I think watching Lethal Weapon and Season's 1 and 2 of The Sopranos that one time with Star without anyone else knowing was a pretty bad idea.) Sure Star...Whenever you're ready?"
Star walked up to Zephyr and knelt in front of him.
"Alright bucko if you answer my questions nice and easy, things can go smoothly for the both of us. Lie and I'll pump your guts full of lead, capiche?"
Marco facepalmed himself and Zephyr just sat there in confusion.
"Star, we don't have guns."
"I could make one!"
"For the love of, sorry about Star. Look we just got a some questions to ask you if that is okay?"
"Hey! You're stealing my thunder!"
Zephyr twitched his neck. For some reason he can feel his brother from inside Marco, which made him slightly calmer from his light weighted presense.
"...Okay."
"Okay phew. Star I'll handle this."
Star felt a little huffy for Marco stealing her performance like that. Buuuut he got the getting info thing better than she could. Just in case though?
"Fine but I got Spider with Tophat in case this one causes trouble?"
On the palm of Star's hand our favorite black top hat wearing purple spider friend aimed his mini gun hat at Zephyr, keeping a close eye at him.
"Been a while hasn't it?"
"Same to you to."
"Right so just to clear the air who are you?"
Zephyr gulped nervously as he extended his winkly arm.
"I am...Zephyr."
Marco took that instantly as a friendly gesture and took Zephyr's hand with his own hand. He thought it would feel rough and leathery due to Zephyr's skin appearance. It wasn't, it felt smooth and strangely squishy.
"M-"
"Marco...Diaz."
"How did you?"
"I...saw your...outcome...Glad not...dead."
"Hold it Diaz! I'm jumping in."
Star got inbetween Marco and Zephyr. She was still pointing her spider at him.
"What's with this outcome marlarkey? After my mom died Eclipsa said that you gave her predictions determined by the Dark Moon."
"Not determined...by Dark Moon."
"The hell? But Eclipsa said-"
"Dark Queen...misheard...outcome not determined...by Dark...Moon...Outcome predicted after...Dark Moon appearance."
"You better not be lying to me pal?"
Star pushed the spider to Zephyr's face. The look of intensity scrunched his face and the purple light emmiting from his minigun holes glew, preparing to fire. Zephyr however was not cowering in fear.
"You...won't hurt...me."
"Oh, and what makes you think I won't pop a cap in yo ass-"
"Okay Star now you're slowly heading to Straight out of Compton territory!"
"Oh crap really? I was suppossed to stay on the Tony route."
Thank goodness Marco stopped Star before she could blurt out the N-word by accident. God if her mother heard her then a heart attack would've killed her instead.
"I can...see...outcomes of certain events...depending on the the action of the person...or a specific object of interest...Whether they are good or bad."
"That's actually interesting Star. Wait so are you able to prevent the bad events?"
Zephyr slowly nodded his head in response to Marco's question. Star clicked her tongue.
"Advice...greatly given."
"So you also gave advice to Eclipsa as well?"
Zephyr nodded once again. Marco was really getting fascinated with this creature's power. If only he knew his backstory?
"If you were there and knew that you could stop my mom from dying then why didn't you?"
"Star?"
Star's hand were shaking slightly from anger.
"If you knew why didn't you warn anyone?!"
"I...I did!"
"Then why?! Why isn't my mother here?!"
Marco sensed the hostility and tension that was developing so he grabbed Star by the arm and dragged her back. She dropped Spider with Tophat, landing on his well qualitied tophat.
"Okay Star, you're overstepping here!"
"Shut up! Move!"
Star pushed Marco aside, almost knocking his body to the ground. What the hell was wrong with her? It's almost like she is trying to blame Zephyr's inaction for her mother's death though he had nothing to do with it.
"I want to know why damnit?! Why wasn't the advice that you claim to have given saved her huh?!"
"It..eh I..is."
Zephyr began to fumble his words, barely able to keep himself stable to form a complete sentence let alone a couple of words. Star stomped her right foot on the ground. It caused a loud cracking sound to the floor.
"Star, stop it already!"
Star ignored Marco's words. Her only focus was on Zephyr while slowly her body started to change into her Mewberty form. She aimed her glowing hands at him.
"TELL ME WHY YOU GODDAMN ROACH?!"
"NO ONE LISTENS TO M- gasp huuu gasp."
Zephyr suddenly fell forward on his stomach. He was wheezing and coughing out a yellowish substance that changed to coughing out blood.
"Oh my god! Zephyr? Zephyr?!"
Marco instantly got down to his side. Star looked down to see a puddle that gave her a reflectuon of what she looks like right now. Her body was halfway transformed. From that reflection she realised of what she was gonna do and stepped back in shock.
"Wha...What did I almost-"
"Did you hear me Star?! I said go get someone now!"
Star wordlessly left the dungeon while Marco tried to help the poor creature.
"S*t, he's burning up."
--
Luckily Globgor, Eclipsa and some of the servants just returned a few seconds ago or else things would've gotten worse. They all responded calmly and quickly as possible as they gently brought Zephyr to the nearest medical shack in town.
"So it isn't a chest infection?"
"No dear, I've read up on this long ago just to pass some time."
Eclipsa was waving her hand over Zephyr's body.
"You always were the bookworm. Which was why I always sto- I mean borrowed alot of ancient books for you at night."
"Sigh Globby you don't have to lie about stealing books from many libraries. We all have our bad habbits."
"Yeah, you're right Snookers. Saying 'harder daddy' was pretty weird the first couple of times we did the dirty."
Eclipsa's cheeks glew bright red while she snapped her fingers and a heavy bronze dish pan poofed out of thin air over Globgor's head. It hit him full force, knocking him unconcious.
"Pretend you didn't hear any of that? Anyway what this one has is only exclusive to Celestials."
Marco tilted his head in confusion.
"Celestials?"
"Yes, his species. Took me a while to realise that this one is a part of that omniscient race but looking at his organs and structure it confirmed it. The Celestials were the first race of beings to come into existence upon the appearance of GOD. They were immune to sickness and were ageless. Alot of them had foresight that only few could ever dream of having. But this condition is something that is so easily avoidable that even the braindead Celestials can do...eating."
"You kinda lost me there? Eating?"
"I know it sounds strange but if they don't eat anything and I do mean anything then their bodies starts decaying. So by that conclusion it means that this fellow is a Celestial who is most likely starving himself to death."
Marco silently mumbled a prayer in spanish.
"That's just crazy, why would he do that?"
Eclipsa was deep in thought while placing her finger on her chin.
"That's what is
bothering me?...By the way who did you say his name was again? I was so focused on trying to find a cause that his name went over my head."
"His name is Zephyr."
Eclipsa's body froze from that name. She swore that name sounded familiar. Why did that sound so familiar?
"I...I'll get back to you on that Marco dear. Right now I'll do whatever I can with the assistance of the kingdom."
"Thanks Eclipsa...I'll leave you to it I suppose."
Marco exited the shack, meeting Star outside. She was sitting on a bench with her hands covering her face. Marco took a seat next to her.
"...Listen Star I'm gonna beat you up over what you did back there? But it's clear to me that your loss is causing you to lose your rationality. Trust me, I know how it feels."
Star remained silent. Understandable when the amount of shame is crawling up her spine.
"Look all I'm saying is...don't get bent out of shape, it doesn't take two days to get over this...See you tomorrow?"
Star leaned her head on Marco's shoulder, nodding slowly.
--
Later that day Marco already left back at Earth and Star came back to the shack at night when no one else was around to try and make amends with Zephyr. Unfortunately he was still asleep when she entered. Taking a deep inhale and exhale Star walked to the side of Zephyr's bed.
Surprisingly despite that seemingly deadly coughing fit earlier Zephyr looks like he is sleeping soundly.
"I...I'm such a dumbass for doing what I did. You didn't deserve it."
Star tightly clenched the edge of the mattress.
"Ever since my mom's death I felt like I'm slowly losing control. Dark Nebula took one of the most important people that I love and I wanted to rip him apart...But the fact that I quickly defeated him I didn't know who to turn to except for Marco."
While Star was holding back tears she noticed Zephyr's exposed, twitching hand. She then hesitantly grabbed his hand. The tears broke through her defenses.
"I wanted answers sniff and I took it out on you when you tried to help us. I'm...I'm so sorry Zephyr."
"It is...okay Stardust."
Star was startled by Zephyr's weak, raspy voice but at the same time she was greatly relieved that he was still alive.
"I...know how you...feel? Losing someone...you love...losing yourself to the...wave of disorientation...and...lack of internal emotional control...I know it all too well...Just look at me?"
What Zephyr said struck Star like an arrow. So the whole starving himself to death that she heard earlier wasn't just a hypothesis but facts?
"Was it because of Stardust that you're starving yourself?"
"She was like...a sister to...me. She was...the only one...aside from...her holiness that...listened to my pleas."
Zephyr shut his eyes for a moment then opened them.
"If you...are sincere...please...tell me one thing?...Do you...want me to live?"
Star tightened her grip on his Zephyr's hand.
"Yes! Please live!"
"..."
"Zephyr?"
"...For so long...I wanted to hear...those words from...Stardust. I never...had the chance since...her passing. For you...I'll live...I promise."
--
Meanwhile on Earth Marco was stretching out body in his pjs before retiring for the night in his room until he heard a knock downstairs. Being careful about not waking his mom and his 2 year old sister Mariposa he reached for the knob of the front door but not before looking through the peephole.
Marco then opened the door to...no one at all? Odd, he was sure that he heard a knock? Shrugging his shoulders he yawned and walked back to his room.
Unbeknowest to him someone was there, but that person already moved away and was standing on the telephone line across from the Diez residence. Their orange, black slitted eyes were lazer focused on Marco even after he closed the door. It was like it was following Marco's movements even with walls in the way.
"...Marco Diez. Follow, Wait, and make contact with Star Butterfly...For Dark Star."
End of Prologue
--
For those who have read the first Star Vs the Ultimate Evil story arch: Dark Moon I welcome thee. Remember to spread this (and other works) to your peeps.