"We owe this whole school to you. You showed us that all princesses don't have to fit into the same mold."

Marco sat on that thought for the next few weeks, considering its meaning. After Star's birthday - what she adamantly referred to as Stump Day, and Stump Day alone - he had made his peace with Tom; surprisingly easy, considering his feelings for Star, then locked himself in his room, only leaving for meals and his training with Lavabo. The esteemed 'Knight of the Wash' had taken Marco under his wing after the teen had realized that squirehood(dom?) with Star would lead to nothing in terms of becoming a respected knight. After all, this was his initial purpose in coming to Mewni. Besides, he wanted to refrain from being a third-wheel to Tom and Star.

It was after an especially grueling training one day that Marco found himself sitting on the laundry room bench, thinking yet again about what Ram Princess had said.

Was that her name? Ram Princess? No - obviously not - that would be like calling Star 'Mewni Princess.' But why did her quote, her face, keep sticking out in his mind? During these few weeks he wondered whether he was just a character in someone else's life - fitting into a mold - and then Marco finally understood: it was all because of Star. She was why he moved to Mewni. She was why he was mad at Tom during the Stump Day fiasco.

He didn't blame her for any of this, of course. But he needed to leave. His life couldn't revolve around one person anymore.

"Lavabo?" he asked, still on the bench. The grey-haired knight sat in the middle of the room, folding laundry. Marco thought it looked kind of funny; for all the knightly escapades that they set out on - slaying gargantuan dust bunnies, going toe-to-toe with a rebellious horde of over-sized novelty t-shirts - it was odd to see him in such a spacious environment, folding towels. Just regular old blue towels. Lavabo glanced up, his deep concentration broken.

"Yes, m'boy?"

"I wanted to talk to you about being a squire..."

"Oh, that! I think that I told you when we began - knighthood is still a few years away, kiddo -"

"Actually, Sir Lavabo, I wanted to talk about...about leaving Mewni..."

Lavabo raised his eyebrows.

"I just think I need... a new start. There's something missing for me here, and I don't want my life tied to something like it is to Star - Princess Star."

The laundry knight was silent, then stood up and smiled. "Come 'hither,' my boy - If anyone still uses that expression." Marco walked up to him, nervous.

"There is a point in every man's life that he needs to learn who he is to himself, rather than who he is to others. So go learn. It's not my place to tell you what you can and can't do -that's up to your parents - but I just want to tell you how proud I am that you're able to make a decision like this."

" - Proud? I though you would say I'm abandoning my friends?"

"No, dear boy. You're abandoning your reliance on them." Lavabo reached into the smallest pouch of his laundry sack and rustled around a bit.

"Here," he said, pulling out a small bronze sphere, which shone brilliantly, and handed it to Marco.

"Uh...thanks! What's it for exactly?"

"Well Marco," exclaimed Lavabo. "You wanted to unlink yourself from Star? All you have to do is go to the blood moon."

"G..Go to the blood moon?" Marco stuttered.

"Go to the blood moon," he affirmed. "The sphere will take you there when it is ready."

"When it is ready...Won't that be another 600 something years?"

Lavabo smiled. "You'll know when the time comes. See you around, child."

"Wait. Before I go, how did you know about the Blood Moon Ball? Did Star tell you?"

"Well, who else? When you were gone, you were all she would talk about..." His smile faded. "Let her down easily, would you?"

He nodded. "Thanks Lavabo."

Marco found himself in his room, on his bed, once again deep in thought. Marco Jr. strode into the room, which for once, sported an open door. The puppy barked (more of a yap than anything) and hopped in his lap.

"Well, Marco Jr, I think it's time I tell Star that -"

Star stood in the doorway, a smile creeping on her face. "Tell me what, Marco?" she said playfully.

"Star, I... you're my best friend, and I don't want to do this to you...but..."

Star smile faded slowly while he said this. "Marco?"

"Star, I'm...leaving Mewni."

Star stood frozen, shocked. "Marco..."

Tears welled up in her eyes. "You can't do this, Marco. It's like you came here just to leave me again."

"No, Star, I would never - I just feel, I just feel -"

"You just feel what, Marco?" Her face was soaked now. "You feel that just because I'm dating Tom, it means you can skimp out on being my best friend?"

Marco Jr. had scampered out of the room by this point. Star used the opportunity to speak a little louder. "What happened to you, Marco? Ever since Stump Day, you hardly speak to any of us, you eat your dinner downstairs, and when you're not closed off in your room you're in the basement training -"

"- Sub-basement -"

"Whatever, Marco! You're in the sub-basement training with Lavabo!"

"What's wrong with Lavabo?"

"Nothing's wrong with Lavabo! It's just that you're spending more time with him than your best friend!"

"Star - calm - calm down." By now Marco's eyes were starting to water.

"Marco, why'd - *sniff* - you stop talking to me?"

Marco glued his eyes to the ground, thinking carefully what to say next.

"Star..."

"Yes, Marco?.."

"On Stump Day...your birthday... I had spent so much time planning just to make you happy, and you threw it all in my face...I know you apologized, but it was...it felt like you didn't mean it. Like you were just trying not to make me angry. And you never said that we couldn't celebrate your birthday then, Star - you just left me in the dark and expected me to know not to surprise you..."

Marco felt his chest rise. "And why didn't you bother to remember my birthday? Do you just not care about these things? You always...always..."He noticed her sobbing as he threw these words.

Her friend finally understood what he had been doing to her these past few weeks.

"Oh my God...Star..." he managed. "I'm so sorry... I've put you through so much - and for what? This is all my fault..."

Marco was right next to her now. "Starlight..." he whispered, making her wings flutter and her crying subside ever so slightly. He knew that Star loved it when he did this, although she would never tell him. He gingerly placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Star..."

She tensed, but stopped crying.

"I won't leave, I promise..."

Star looked up into his eyes, hers red. "Get out of my house right now, Marco. Pack up your stuff and get out. I don't ever want to see you again."

"But Star -"

"Just leave, Marco! You don't want to be here so just GO!"

"Star, hold on..."

The Mewnian princess was now unspoken. She looked at him with a stone face. "Hold on for what, Marco?...Over the last couple weeks you've made your opinion on me very clear. I think we should...stop seeing each other."

Marco turned a deep shade of red. Star joined him in this and responded to her own statement: "As friends, Marco - As friends!"

"Oh...I guess this is...goodbye then..."

They stood there awkwardly for a few seconds. Feeling a slight semblance of pity, Star reached for a hug, and Marco, knowing he might very well never see her again, pulled her in close. She sniffled, but otherwise didn't make a sound. He pulled away as not to make it weird.

"I'll pack my stuff," he muttered. Star nodded. Pursing his lip slightly, Marco turned around and began stuffing things at random into his backpack. After a few seconds he heard movement behind him - movement that trailed back to the doorway.

"Wait!" he called a little too loudly.

Star turned around, surprised.

"I just wanted to let you know that I meant it when I said I was sorry, and I know that it won't change anything - but I - Star, I've been stupid, and I'm...I'm a mess - and...and..." he paused.

"...Star..."

She watched from the doorway, him on the opposite side of the room; a single glance of cold regret emanating from her eyes - she threw him a quick, sad, nonspecific smile, then walked out of sight.

The only place Marco could think to go was St. Olga's Home for Wayward Princesses. He didn't want to come home quite yet; and besides, he didn't feel like talking to anybody he knew. Seeing as he didn't bring anything to Mewni besides his dimensional scissors, Marco walked to the great-big imposing entrance with nothing but what he could carry and the clothes off his back. The sphere jostled around in his pocket, scissors doing the same in his other. His backpack (which he attempted to fill back at Mewni) ended up staying where he found it - left of Lavabo's antique washing machine.

Marco's thoughts managed to wrestle away from Star when he pushed open the entrance doors to find something incredibly surprising: not a single person was inside. The entryway was quieter than he'd ever seen it before.

"But..." he started. Had they all just...gone home after he revealed that he wasn't a princess?

No, that wouldn't make sense - they had taken his reveal perfectly well. So where did everybody go? Was there even a single person left?

One of his questions was answered when a tap on his shoulder caused Marco to turn around and face none other than Ram Princess herself.

Both pairs of eyes widened. "What are you doing here?"

Comment if you want to see more - So busy that I might not make another one.

E