Hey everybody! This is my second Star Vs The Forces Of Evil fanfic. It's a two-shot rewriting the episode Storm the Castle based on an AU premise requested by user 'brave kid' (thanks again for the idea, by the way). I can't tell you what it is, though. That would ruin the whole story. It's really cool, though, I promise. Just see the whole thing before you decide to throw your computer or phone at the wall.
It was relatively quiet in the castle of Ludo. The perpetual darkness that usually surrounded the building remained in tact. The monsters inside still lurked around the grounds. Yes, this was the closest to 'peaceful' Ludo's grounds had ever been called. Yet something about tonight was completely different. Or rather, some one was there who didn't belong.
"So, what do you want from me?" Marco asked. Currently, he was seated in a cushy chair in a warm crystal box. Normally he would have been relatively comfortable, but with his wrists tied to the sides, he was more concerned with escape than enjoying his seat. The boy blew a lock of brown hair out of his eyes, looking at the 9-fingered lizard in front of him with barely disguised hatred. The creature merely sighed as the teen struggled against his bonds.
"You disappoint me, Marco. From what I was told about you, I was expecting . . ." Toffee trailed off, searching for the word. Finally he spun around to face the prisoner again. "More. Much more." The teen scoffed.
"Yeah, right." He was clawing at the armrests desperately, but to no avail. Finally, he groaned. "Again, why am I even here? I don't have anything, and it's not like my parents are super rich."
"I brought you here due to your connection to Star Butterfly," scoffed the beast. He wiped a hand over his face, exasperated, as though he was explaining something to a child. "Powerful Mewnian princess? Heir to the throne? Wielder of the wand? Do any of those things ring a bell, Mr. Diaz?" Marco shrugged.
"She's my best friend. We do everything together since she moved in. So? What does that have to do with anything?" he questioned, intrigued but still confused. Toffee silently gritted his teeth. This was going to be more of an annoyance than he thought.
"Everything?" Toffee questioned, trying to compose himself again. Marco shrugged.
"Well, yeah. We live in the same house, across the hall from eachother, we go to the same school, we visit other dimensions, and we fight monsters; feel free to take offense." The boy scowled at the lizard. "I don't know what you want with me, but if you hurt Star . . . you're dead."
"I'm sure the same could be said of you," muttered the monster. "But anyways, I'm not here for Star . . . not yet, anyways." He took this moment to sit down at the head of Ludo's table, crossing his legs and starring at Marco complacently. "I'm playing at investigator tonight." Marco moaned.
"Don't you ever just say what you mean? Why so mysterious?" the prisoner grumbled. "It's not like I care. I just want to leave." Toffee tilted his head.
"I find that confusion and misdirection are often some of the best ways to get answers out of subjects." Another minion of Ludo's brought out a cup of something, presumably coffee, and Toffee picked it up and sipped out of the side lightly. "And besides, taunting your tiny human brain is . . . amusing, to say the least." The monster stood up again, leaning forwards as if sharing a particularly good secret. "It takes someone special to be around Star. I wonder why she chose you. It's intriguing, indefinitely."
"Everybody loves Star," snorted Marco. "She's nice and outgoing to everyone she meets. She's not the most book-smart on Earth, but she knows how to rally people. She's clever and strong and . . . pretty." A light blush coated the boy's cheeks. "Really pretty. What's not to like?"
"Yes, she's fantastic," the lizard responded dryly, but one fist was now clenched. "But not everyone is her best friend. And in a remarkably short amount of time, I might add." To this, Marco had no response. "And this is where my interest lies. Tell me, how close are you and Star Butterfly?" To this, Marco blinked.
"Didn't I already answer that? She's the best friend I've ever had," he answered, confused. The monster on the other side of the crystal case wanted to smack the boy against the wall. Was he this dense after all?
"But is she just your friend?" Toffee questioned, exasperated. After looking at the boy's vacant expression, he decided to elaborate. "I mean, are you just friends, or do you like her in a romantic sort of way? How far have you gotten in that regard?"
"WHAT?!" screeched Marco, who was now beyond embarrassed and surprised. "We're not, I mean - well, no, but . . . aggghhhh!" The boy continued to blubber and the creature sighed once more, stirring his drink again and waiting patiently for the teen to calm down.
"So I take it you've never thought of her in that way?"
" . . . no?"
"Ah, I see. Even though she's a 'really pretty' girl who's living under your roof and spends every second of every day with you. Your words, not mine." Marco's face was fire engine red now, so bright it would probably blind a person.
"Well . . . I may have . . . thought about us before," he admitted quietly. The lizard cocked an eyebrow, and the boy tried to backpedal slightly. "But only a couple of times! Like after the Blood Moon Ball - "
"You two went to the BLOOD MOON BALL! And TOGETHER!" Toffee practically roared. Even the single serving monster in the room cowered under Ludo's dining table. No one had ever seen the monster quite so angry. But after a second, Toffee leaned on the table, pulling out his handkerchief from the breast pocket of his suit before dabbing it on his forehead. He turned back to Marco, a nasty sneer placed upon his usually impassive face. "So what exactly did you do at the Ball? I would ask how you got into it in the first place, considering the fact it's in the Underworld, but I know. Sadly. Tom, I presume, invited Star? And then you went as her friend? I imagine that went well."
"Well, actually I snuck in after Star left. I . . . well, I felt like I had to protect her, even though she can protect herself. Tom didn't know that I was there until the end, when I kinda danced with her during the Blood Moon thing." Toffee's eye was practically twitching.
"Let me get this straight. You and Star danced under the light of the Blood Moon together? An event that happens only about 350 years or so? Do you even understand what that - " he stopped himself. "Of course you don't," the monster sneered. "You're only a child, after all."
"Hey!" protested Marco. "I'm old enough to fight your kind!"
"My kind." The lizard's eyes were definitely flaring now. "My . . . kind. Well, if you're so smart, understand this. The Blood Moon Ball is so special because it has the power to join two souls together for all eternity. Forever. End of discussion. It's also called the Moon of Souls, or the Moon of Lovers. Get the picture?"
"So when Star and I . . ." Marco suddenly felt prickly and sweaty, uncomfortable in his own skin. "Star and I aren't lovers. We're just . . . really good friends."
"You've said that already."
"Because it's true."
"Right," the lizard uttered. "Because it's absolute reality, and not because you're trying to convince yourself of something." The monster was back to normal (more or less) now, and he sat back down, holding up his head with his hand. "What do you two do together, then, if you're so 'friendly'?"
"Well, we dimension hop a lot, like I already said. It's kind of crazy and hectic and just weird half the time, but we have fun. I couldn't do it without her. We cover eachother a lot; Star had saved my life more times than I can count, and vice versa. And I guess we adventure a lot. Actually, today, she almost got us killed trying to get a sandwich. A sandwich! I told her it wasn't worth her life, and then she got all mad at me." His face fell. "The last thing we did before I got taken by you was fight. And now . . ." He looked at the monster. "I need to make it better, even if she was acting crazy. I know that you're evil and all, but please let me go home." For a moment, genuine sympathy crossed the creature's face, as though he understood the situation and knew how Star Butterfly could be. But in an instant, the moment was over.
"I can't do that yet, Mr. Diaz." He took another sip of his coffee. "I still would like to ask you some more questions." Marco groaned. This was sure to be a long, long night.
Meanwhile, outside of the castle, Star Butterfly stood with a recently friendly frog monster and a small cackling bird.
"Why exactly are you out here, Ludo?" she deadpanned, pulling out her wand and pointing it at her enemy. "You have some nerve to be outside alone after taking my Marco! Now where are you keeping him? What do you want from him?" Ludo only looked confused.
"You mean that Karate Boy is inside my castle?" he asked. Then he snarled. "My newest hire recently overthrew me! He took MY STAFF! MY MONSTERS! MY CASTLE! He is going to pay for this later, Butterfly, mark my words." The little bird man sat back in the dirt, pounding the ground with his tiny fists. "I need to get back in." Star only backed away.
"Yeah . . . no. I'm not helping you." She turned away, beginning towards the giant structure ahead of her. Instantly the creature scuttled up behind her, tugging her dress.
"You could use me, though!" he cried. "I can be invaluable. I know this castle like the back of my hand!" He flipped over his disgusting hand for reference. Star shuddered, but nodded, mostly to shut him up.
"I see." Ludo held out his hand. "I'm not touching the hand with the mole on it." He shrugged, putting the arm away and gesturing with his other appendage. "Actually, I'm not so sure that I want to touch any of my skin to your skin. Let's just go before I change my mind and leave you behind." Ludo laughed with a maniac's sort of joy, scampering to the door of the castle where they forced entry. But as Star was about to follow him in, Buff Frog held her back.
"Don't trust Ludo, Butterfly," he warned, a hand on her shoulder. He gestured to the fountain tied on his back. "I am father now. I want a good life for my babies. That is why I will help you. But don't expect the same courtesy from him. He cares for no one but himself."
"I understand," the magical princess said grimly, blonde hair blowing into her face as she brandished her wand and continued inside. The frog monster shook his head.
"I hope that girl knows what she is doing," he murmured quietly, hefting his children again and breaking into a light run down the hall.
Star had easily caught up to Ludo, who was racing free in his house.
"My glorious house of darkness," he cooed, stopping often to hug a pillar or kiss a wall. "I'll never leave you again!"
"Yeah, yeah," she muttered, dragging him along. "Now where to, Ludo?" He was too caught up in his glee to care much about the princess' summons. "LUDO!" she screamed next to him, and he remembered that she was there.
"We should go to the throne room next, Butterfly! Yes! That's it! I bet that lowlife who worked for me has already converted it! I bet he's sitting in my chair right now!" The small monster scowled darkly. "Why I'll flay him to death! Who did he think he was, anyways, to take over my house! Next I bet he's already switched out the curtains in my room! Or worse; eaten all of my corn from the stash in the kitchen!"
"So, you think he's sitting with Marco in the throne room?" Star questioned. Ludo blinked.
"Marco? Who's . . . oh. Well I'm totally sure that Karate Boy is in the throne room, watching that rapscallion sit in my chair! Or in the bedroom. Or the kitchen. I bet he's witnessing unspeakable horrors!" Star grabbed Ludo and Buff Frog, who had previously been standing with the duo silently.
"What say you, third member?" The frog monster simply shrugged.
"I have no idea where your friend is, but I see no reason why he would be in Ludo's private quarters or the palace kitchen." He took a moment to glare at his ex-employer. "But why not the dining room? Who knows. It's as good a place to start as any."
"Throne room!" whined Ludo. "It's called my throne room!"
"Fine, throne room," huffed Buff Frog. "But whatever you want to call it, we need to run this way." The trio agreed, darting off towards the center of Ludo's castle. Within minutes they were at the door.
"I hear voices," whispered Star, her ear pushed against the door. She pulled away. "I think one of them is Marco." The blue eyes girl held up her wand, which was now glowing. "I'm going in alone on the count of three. If he's not in there, you guys better take me to the dungeons or something. If he is . . . well, do whatever. I'll handle this by myself." She looked incredibly guilty as she turned back to the monsters. "I was a terrible friend. I almost let Marco die because of a sandwich earlier today. I need to redeem myself by saving him; without any help."
"I would sell you fools out for a sandwich," Ludo commented unhelpfully. The two others stared at him. "What? It's the truth."
"Here goes nothing," breathed Star. Slowly, she cracked open the massive wooden door to the dining room and ran inside.
Mwahahaha. And this is where we cut off. I hope everyone enjoyed part 1 of this two-shot! The second half will be coming soon; at the latest, right after New Year's. Also, everything (including the main point that this prompted idea addresses) will be explained/included in part 2, so just hold in there. I promise that this isn't just a boring reiteration of the episode Storm the Castle. Again, reserve judgement of the whole fic until you read the second half.
In addition to this, be sure to check out my first Star Vs fanfic, 'Blood Moons and Its'. It takes place after the season 2 winter finale. I've gotten really good reviews on it and am sure that you will like it as well if you ship Star and Marco.
Bye everybody! I will be delivering part 2 shortly, don't worry!
