Hello everybody, and welcome to the first chapter of the third installment of my exciting Star Vs series. As always, Star vs the Forces of Evil is owned by Disney. Yadda. Yadda. Yadda. Enjoy.

Flowers and Brimstone: Prologue.

(Boar's Head Island, Pacific Ocean: June 23, 2046)

Omnitology.

A relatively new religion based on the belief that all things are connected; not just on the physical plane, but on the mental and spiritual planes as well. And that by understanding these connections one can achieve altered states of mind, body, and soul.

Initially written off as just another strange cult, this revolutionary belief system gained a great deal of legitimacy fifteen years ago when its founder, Jacqueline Lynn Thomas, disproved several of her most vocal detractors by unlocking the secret of weightlessness and demonstrating her new ability on national television.

Since that day, thousands of people from all over the world flock to her private compound on Boar's Head Island every year to study at the feet of the master and unlock the power within themselves.

All in the hopes of one day reaching the same level of awareness as their exalted teacher, whom they affectionately refer to as "The Enlightened One".

On a particularly warm and sunny day in late June, the great Enlightened One was delivering a sermon to a fresh-faced batch of newcomers in one of her small outdoor amphitheaters; appropriately named the Spiritoreum. Like all her followers, she was dressed in a long, flowing, see-through robe that perfectly displayed her toned, athletic body. She wore no undergarments or jewelry, for she needed to feel the air against her bare flesh, but atop her short blonde head she wore a crown of pink flowers; symbolizing her position as the leader of this congregation.

As always, she sat before her audience floating ten feet off the ground; untethered by the bonds of gravity.

Her mind was focused.

Her heartbeat was steady.

And her spirit was as pure as morning dew.

She was ready to begin.

"Instinct is an illusion, perpetrated by the body and mind, in the hopes of being proven wrong." The blonde guru began, taking a certain pleasure in the looks of confusion on her new disciples' faces. "To put it simply, when you base your assumptions only on what you can see or what you think you already know, you blind yourself to the true possibilities of your reality. For example, because of the conditions here on Earth, most people assume that liquid is the natural state of water. However, when you consider the vastness of the universe and how much of it consists of empty space, a more accurate assessment would be that ice is the natural state of water. Another example would be the relationship between the forces of time and gravity. For centuries they were thought to be separate and unrelated. But it was Einstein who discovered the concept of gravitational time dilation. He discovered that gravity actually warps time. What I'm trying to say, dear followers, is that you must be willing to think beyond what you see or what you think you know. Only then can you understand the true nature of the universe and yourself."

As she paused for dramatic effect, the blonde guru took a moment to take in her new disciples' reactions. Oh, how she relished the looks of confusion on their faces. They didn't understand yet, but they would. They had just taken their first step down the path of enlightenment. Oh, how it warmed her heart.

Unfortunately, her good feelings were suddenly cut short by an all too familiar cry.

"Enlightened One! Enlightened One!" said a small, bearded birdlike creature as it frantically forced its way through the sea of newcomers to reach the stage. "Your Excellency! Sorry sir. I have important… Oh, pardon me, madam. I have to tell you… Ah! Watch the beard!"

Eventually the tiny avian managed to make his way through the audience, at which point he stopped to catch his breath.

"Oh, Pant, Oh, sweet heaven, I am out of shape. Pant. Pant."

"Brother Ludo, what is the meaning of this intrusion?" the Enlightened One asked calmly.

"A thousand apologies, Oh Wise One. But I have a message from your wife." The little birdman answered humbly; attempting to sound respectful while also trying not to pass out. "The princesses have arrived. They're waiting for you by the statue at the Welcome Center."

"Excellent." She relied; still sounding Zen despite her sudden rush of joy. "Would you mind filling in for me while I greet them? It's just the standard introductory sermon. Nothing too complicated."

"It would be an honor, Your Magnificence." He said with a bow.

"Splendid. Acolytes, I leave you in Brother Ludo's capable hands."

And with that, the blonde guru rose even higher into the air and then sudden shot across the sky with the speed of a bullet.

Back on the ground, Brother Ludo was taking centerstage, and after pausing for just a moment to clear his throat, he looked towards the audience with a jovial smile and said,

"So… where did we leave off?"

XXX

(Elsewhere, two and a half minutes later)

"Well, this is… interesting." Princess Marisol said politely as she gazed up at the twenty-five-and-a-half-foot tall bronze statue depicting the great Enlightened One meditating under an ancient willow; clearly trying very hard to hide how disturbed she was. "I mean, it's certainly… um… er…"

"The word you're looking for is creepy." Her sister Artemis cut in suddenly; clearly unafraid to show her true feelings. "And I thought Uncle Marco had a god complex."

"Marco is but a loose cannon; ruled by his ego and controlled by his lust." Said their guardian; a bespectacled, aquamarine haired humanoid who fifteen minutes ago had introduced herself as their Aunt Kelly. "My beloved is a teacher. A healer. A guidepost for waifs lost in the wetlands of malice and confusion."

"And what the hell does that mean?" asked Artemis smugly.

"It means shut up and you just might learn something." Replied Kelly; abandoning her previous air of tranquility. "Although in your case, missy, I highly doubt it."

"Now, now, darling. There's no need for such hostility." Said an ethereal voice from out of nowhere. "They are young and unfocused, but they will find their path. Just like all the others."

Just then, the owner of said voice floated down from the sky. To no one's surprise, it was the Enlightened One herself; looking just as angelic as ever.

"Welcome, heirs to the Clan Butterfly." She said with a warm and mellow tone. "I am Jacqueline Thomas. Founder of Omnitology. Guider of Lost Souls. And Proprietor of this fair island. But you may call me Aunt Jackie."

"I can think of a few other things I'd like to call-OOF!" Artemis muttered, only to get cut off by her sister elbowing her in the stomach.

"A pleasure to meet you, Aunt Jackie." Said sister said politely; throwing in a customary curtsy. "Both our Mother and Uncle Marco have spoken very highly of you."

"The pleasure is mine, young one. You are Marisol, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Then you must be Artemis, yes?"

"Yeah, that's me." The other princess replied, trying to downplay her aching belly. "So… Aunt Jackie… I understand you're some kind of cultish crackpot-AAK!"

This time it was Aunt Kelly who cut her off by smacking her in the back of the head.

"Watch your mouth, brat. You are in the presence of one of the wisest and most spiritually aware beings in all the known universe."

"Now, now Kelly. Violence is almost never the answer." The blonde guru said casually, before shifting her focus back on the children. "Please forgive my wife's rather abrasive behavior. Among other things, she is the head of public relations. So she spends a lot of time dealing with some of my more vocal critics. Tends to make her a bit irritable. Hope she didn't hurt you."

"No, it's cool. I've been hit a lot worse than that."

"Splendid. Then let us continue our conversation in a more comfortable setting. This way please."

And with that, the Enlightened One floated off towards the south; followed swiftly by her wife and 'nieces' on foot.

As they walked through the serene, Edenlike compound, the young princesses took this opportunity to take in their new surroundings; an excellent idea, considering that Boar's Head was to be their home for the next few weeks.

All around them they saw people, from all walks of life, engaging in activities that defied imagination.

Over by one of the dormitories they saw a man transform himself into a tree and then back again; all without exerting even the slightest bit of effort. Not far from there they saw a large fountain, where a young woman was busy altering the state of the water; turning it from a liquid to a gas to solid gold and then back to liquid. A stone's throw away from that there were two twins, a boy and a girl, continuously swapping places with each other through what appeared to be teleportation. And the list goes on and on.

"Wow~" Said Marisol, clearly enchanted by what she was seeing. "This is truly a land of wonders."

"PFFT! Big deal." Said Artemis dismissively. "They're just using their Stands. And they're not even that creative. I've seen better tricks at Typhonian street carnivals."

"Tricks?" Kelly repeated angrily. "How dare you! These people are acolytes of the Enlightened One. They work day and night to reach new levels of spiritual awareness. And you will show them the respect they deserve."

"Yeesh. Aunt Janna was right. You guys really are whacked out of your minds."

"Why you smug little…"

"That's enough, beloved." The Enlightened One said calmly. "People are entitled to their own opinions. And I'm sure our faith can survive the criticism of a thirteen-year-old girl."

"Yeah, but…" the bush-haired woman started to argue, but then quickly reconsidered. "No, you're right. I'm sorry. I just… I can't stand that…"

"Yes, yes, I know, darling. But this is a place of healing and self-discovery. We cannot let our anger cloud our judgement. We wouldn't want to disturb our guests, would we?"

"No…" she answered glumly.

And then they continued on.

Ever the sympathetic, ethically conscious type, Marisol noticed the older woman's despondent look and attempted to ease her pain.

"Aunt Kelly, are you alright?" she asked politely.

"Yeah… I'm okay, squirt. I just… everyday I have to listen to people calling my Jackie a nut or a con artist. People who are too narrowminded and stupid to realize what a genius she is. And that woman is the worst of them all."

"Kelly."

"You know, she has never supported any of Jackie's decisions. Least of all me. Calling me a bad influence. Who the hell does she think she is?"

"Kelly."

"Bad influence. Ha! She's just homophobic, that's her problem. Who the hell is she to say who can fall in love? Ms. Big Important College Professor. Big deal! You know she's never been in a relationship longer than two months."

"Kelly."

"And she always ends them for the stupidest of reasons. One time she broke up with someone just because he wouldn't share his dessert."

"Kelly."

"But what else can you expect from someone like her? She's just a fat hog. All she ever does is eat."

"Kelly."

"And the way she eats. It's disgusting! One time I saw her eating ribs, it was like watching a T-Rex…"

"Kelly!"

The blonde guru shouted, in a rare display of temper; instantly silencing her rambling spouse.

"Now then, I trust that there will be no further outbursts."

"No dear, I mean yes dear, I mean… sorry, it won't happen again."

"Yes, I'm sure it won't." she said, before quickly slipping back into Zen mode. "Now, as for what you were saying, Artemis. You are correct. Nearly all of my followers are Stand Users. However, through Omnitology they are learning to use their abilities in ways they never thought possible. For example, I once knew a young man whose Stand could only hard boil an egg, but after an extended stay on this very island, he now uses that same Stand to read minds."

"That… doesn't make any sense." Artemis said bluntly.

"That is because you base your perception of reality only on what you see and what you think you already know. You must be willing to think outside of the preverbal box in order to understand the true nature of the universe."

"Uh… do you come with subtitles or…"

"Let me put it another way. Long before you were born, your mother believed that all monsters were evil. And she believed this because she internalized the stories she'd been told as a child. The idea that monsters could be good or that mewmans could be in the wrong was completely alien to her. But with the help of a friend she was able to see past the propaganda and accept the failings of her own species."

"Yeah, I know. Every kid on Mewni knows that story. What's your point?"

"My point is that you cannot always base your assumptions on your own frame of reference. All things in the universe are connected, but the ways in which they are connected are not always obvious. However, through practice and meditation you can learn to see these connections and in so doing gain a greater understanding of the universe and yourself. Do you understand now?"

"Uh… no."

"No matter. You will in time. Oh, and perhaps sooner than I thought. We've arrived."

Without realizing it until just then, the twin princesses had been led to the base of a large, aged willow tree; one that bore a striking resemblance to the one depicted in the statue outside the Welcome Center.

"Please, have a seat on the grass, won't you."

Without hesitation, the two princesses plus Kelly did as instructed, while their instructor remained floating in midair.

"Now then, children. Your mother sent you to me because she believes that Omnitology can help you see things from another perspective. I agree. But before you can even begin to understand Omnitology, you must first understand its origins." the blonde guru began, gesturing dramatically to the branches above. "It was under this very tree that I received my first taste of enlightenment and began my lifelong journey of self-discovery."

Marisol's eyes suddenly grew wide with anticipation, while her sister just yawned and rolled hers.

"But alas, I am getting ahead of myself. My story begins many years ago, back when I was but a humble student under the watchful eye of the great Jefferson Speedwagon. It was several days after Marco had given his soul to the mischievous Hekapoo, though none of us knew this at the time, and our dutiful teacher was busy explaining to us the origin of Stands themselves."

End Notes:

And… that's it for the prologue folks. Hope you liked it. The real meat of the story will start next time. So, until then please remember to follow, fav, and/or leave a review before you leave.

Until next time my faithful followers.

Peace.