Everything was black. Her mind was foggy, dazed like she had been hit by her own jellybean hallucination mist. A feeling that something momentous had just happened, or was just about to happen, or was happening, nagged at her. Somehow she had cheated fate, but she drew a blank on what that fate was, and why she wanted to cheat it.
Still, the blackness, and a suffocating warmth surrounding her. Was she dead? If she was, that wasn't exactly the way she had planned to cheat. If she was dead, that meant that she still wouldn't get the chance to be with Mmmaar... The thought faded out frustratingly, jolted away by a sudden noise, a series of cracks that penetrated the fog. After a moment, they repeated. Well, that settled it. Not dead. Probably. She had never imagined death to feel like... feel like... her old bed?
Her eyes opened to a slightly brighter darkness. Now she could identify it as a quilt she had wrapped around her to keep out the Torax cold...December cold...which one was it again? This time when the sound came she recognized it as the polite rapping of knuckles on the outside of her door. "It's time to arise, Your Highness!" a voice called out.
"Urgh!" she groaned dramatically. "Five more minutes, Manfred!" The response was automatic, coming from a well worn habit rather than actual thought.
"Of course, Your Highness. I would have expected no less, even on your birthday. I shall return promptly." Receding footsteps indicated his departure. Birthday? Her birthday? Part of her wondered at how it felt out of place, something that shouldn't be happening, while a more primal part began to shriek with excitement. Not only was it her birthday, but it was going to be awesome! Something special was happening, and more than just a party all about her!
She threw off her covers and glanced in the mirror, seeing a young face with bed messed blonde hair, hearts on her cheeks aglow, an infectious smile, but oddly sad eyes. Still, that blasted fog in her head. In an effort to clear it up, she glanced out the windows, memories returning as her gaze swept over the countryside. There was an odd reverberation to the thoughts, as though they were both recent and from deeper in her mind; old and stale but also new and fresh.
Outside, the rolling hills of corn, wild forests, and soaring mountains, this was Mewni- a magical land. She was... a Princess! A magical one at that, naturally for a magical land. A princess called Star. Star Butterfly! That was the name people called her, in affection, in a voice she strained to link to a face or name with love, in amusement. Also in anger and hate, and often in frustration or disappointment. A lot of the latter, actually. Those same voices also seemed to call her things like reckless or irresponsible which seemed grossly unfair to Star. She had just spent months under massive pressure and stress, helping...someone... a queen? at the expense of her own desires. Stump forbid she actually have a chance to relax with... someone else, someone important to her, together for a too brief period of time, why again? What was she thinking about?
Oh yeah, immature and reckless. Ha! More like they were jealous that she fought monsters and kicked their asses! Or that she was so skilled at finding and taming wild unicorns! So what if they didn't stay tamed! They got her where she wanted to go, and that was tame enough for her! It was fun! And Star was all about having fun! Was she? Wasn't there more to her? Right, fun!
Oh, her birthday! Star couldn't believe she forgot what that meant. The traditional fourteenth birthday of a princess- she was going to be given the Butterfly family heirloom! The Wand! She could have so much more fun once she had the wand and all the magic it was capable of! Did she deserve the wand? Did she have a right to it? Rogue thoughts continued to try casting clouds in Star's mind. It didn't matter! Mother had to bestow it on her. Technically she wouldn't actually turn fourteen for months yet, but Stump Day was all about the Stump, so her family had agreed to hold her official party on the day furthest away in the year instead. That meant she would actually be getting the Wand early!
Giggles bubbled up from Star's throat, and the hearts on her cheeks briefly changed to small smiling faces. But in the mirror, the confusing sadness in her eyes didn't fade, nor did the nagging sensation that something was off about all of this. Fortunately, the mystery of the eyes in the mirror was replaced by a message informing her of an incoming call. Pony Head! Wait, how did she know that was about to happen? It didn't matter. Pony Head was her best bestie of course! It made perfect sense that she would call Star today.
Star tapped the crystal on the mirror to answer, and was greeted by the sight of a floating unicorn head blowing a party horn at her. "Yo what up, B-Fly!"
"Pony Head!" Star cried back happily, before her friend started singing.
"I just called 'cause I have to say, happy birthday on your birthday day, happy birthday on your birthday day! Yay Star!"
"Aww, thanks Pony Head! I'm so excited for today!"
"Oh, you know it gurl! Today you get your wand, and we are going to party...it...up! You just let me know when your Mom and Dad let you use the scissors and I'll get the Bounce Crew together to celebrate!"
"You know it!" Star replied. It would be good to see the crew again. Kelly, Tad, Headphone Jones, Johnny Blowhole, and Lady Scarfs-a-lot. It had been so long since they were all together, or was it only last month? "Hang on a moment Pony, Manfred is about to come back." She barely finished before the rapping at the door returned.
"Will it be another five minutes, your highness?" the servant asked.
"Nope, I'm awake! Wide awake! I get the wand today-ay-ay!"
"Very well. The royal bequeathal gown that your mother has selected is prepared. Please let the handmaids know when you are ready."
"Whoa, girl, that was kind of spooky!" Pony Head commented when Manfred left and Star turned back to the mirror. "You knew what was going to happen just before it did!"
At that, Star shrugged. There was a sudden dissonance in her memories, like the last few moments had not quite played out the way they should have. It was like an itch inside her head. "I just heard him coming," she concluded to herself and her friend. After a few minutes of pleasantries and party planning, Pony Head gave her goodbyes and hung up. Impatient for the day to go on, she called in the handmaids who brought an aresenal of beauty tools and stockpile of clothing. The ladies chatted among themselves as they began to work on Star's long silky blonde locks. The trio didn't bother to address the princess directly, leaving Star alone with her thoughts. Mostly she was excited thinking about the wand and what she could do with it, but in the back of her mind there was a mass weighing her thoughts down. It avoided her probes, mental inquiries scattering and deflecting around whatever it was. Star began to picture it like a locked room, though it was unclear if it was locked to keep her out, or to keep her safe. Various attempts to pick the mental lock kept her occupied for a time, but quickly she became frustrated.
By now, she was dressed in an elaborate pale blue gown, and a base layer of makeup had been applied. That was enough. The handmaids would spend far more hours primping and preening her if given the option. Instead, Star took a page from her father's side of the family and bolted for the stairs, evading the hands and tuts of ladies still trying to make her a 'proper' Butterfly princess. The guards at the door instinctively began to give chase as the princess bolted from her room, though it was a halfhearted effort. By now, there was a tacit understanding that if Star could get out of sight, the guards would consider honor fulfilled in their duty to stop her and let her go free. The quickest way was to get to down the stairs. The formal dress slowed her however, and she needed to make up some time.
"Rail slide!" she shouted as she leapt atop the banister. The crystal at the bottom shouldn't have caught her by surprise, but she ran into it at speed. Fortunately it was mainly decorative and shattered, though Star ended up in a tumble that sent her into the hard stone floor with one of the many royal paintings collapsing on top of her. At least the floofy skirts absorbed most of the fall and left her unharmed. Even her hair and tiara were unscathed, and she cheered at the near miss with disaster. While destructive, the guards were far behind and she was now free to go.
Unfortunately, she had been scheduled for several more hours of ministrations at the hands of the makeup harpies, and it was going to be some time before the ceremony was meant to start. Several hours of boredom, with nothing to distract her from the uncertainties spawned by that locked place in her head. But Star Butterfly was not going to let boredom defeat her. She was a princess of action! Nobody was going to call her 'the bored,' 'the shy,' 'the heaped' or 'the chef.' Star Butterfly was going to make an impression on her Wand Day. She was encouraged on her planned path of action by the way the weight lifted slightly.
Unicorn wrangling was a skill that took patience and discipline. Despite those hurdles, Star considered herself pretty good at it. She had enough woodcraft experience to make her way through the woods outside the castle without messing up her unwieldy dress, though her shoes were a little worse for wear. Good thing she didn't intend to walk back. It took a while, but after tracking several animals that were too young or old for what she wanted, Star crept up behind a fine unicorn stallion. Its head perked up as though it heard or scented her, so she froze. Finally, when it relaxed and took a drink, Star leapt.
Maybe she didn't quite think this through, Star admitted to herself as her new mount reared and then took off at a sprint. They tore through the woods as she clung for dear life with her knees and gripped its mane. The speed and feeling of the wind in her face was worth it though, and slowly any fear faded into exhilaration. Sensing her loss of tension, the unicorn calmed slightly and allowed her to steer it in the direction of Butterfly Castle. Star didn't try to slow down however, she had taken quite some time on her hunt and was most likely late.
Soon trees gave way to grassland and then to fields of corn. Before long, she was racing through the Groundlands with Mewmans scattering before her. Star felt a brief moment of guilt as she crashed through several market stands, but it was quickly relegated to the back of her mind again. Her excitement continued to build as she made her way through the middle and upper quarters, before passing groups of guards lining the streets surrounding the Grand Chapel.
The great doors ahead of her began to crack open, prompted by the thunder of her approach, but the unicorn was moving too fast still. Star crashed through the doors as guests cried out in shock. Her steed raced up the central nave towards the chancel where her parents were waiting for her. Galloping too fast to stop, the unicorn leapt above the duo as they ducked, and Star herself made a graceful flip of a dismount. She landed in front of her parents as the unicorn crashed through the stained glass in the wall behind them, and she mentally bade it thanks and good luck with its escape from the city.
Before her, Queen Moon and King River Butterfly shared a glance, hers with disapproval, his with amusement, neither with much surprise. Star's own eyes were fixed on the wand in her mother's hand, a delicately filigreed scepter of gold, topped by a sapphire heart of Columbrian crystal. Wand! Oddly, a thought leaked out of the locked room and she pictured the wand instead ad a green spiked wheel with a ruby and bat wings, held in a male hand. Still, Wand!
Star bounced in place and reached for it, but Moon pulled it away from her grasp. "Now Star, this wand is a big responsibility. If it falls into the hands of evil forces, the universe could be destroyed," her mother scolded. The lock seemed to be weakening, and her mother's words brought up a feeling of impending doom, as if Star's universe being threatened was a prophesy instead of a warning, and she giggled nervously in response. Bravado quickly took over and the feeling passed. Wand! She reached out, and this time Moon placed the wand in her hand. There was a tingle as the wand made a connection with its new bearer, and Star felt a satisfying warmth and scent of caramel corn. It lit with an internal glow as it shifted forms to better match her, the posh golden decor melting away into a more simple lavender, the elegant crystal crown growing expanding into a round bell with an amethyst star in the center topped by a small crown and white wings, as if it could just fly away. It was now her wand, even if it didn't quite feel like it really belonged to her. But the connection was strong.
"Don't worry, Mom, I can handle it," Star declared confidently. With the wand in her hand, and nagging thoughts from the weight in her head blessedly silent, the rest of the ceremony passed in a blur.
In fact the next several weeks were surprisingly uneventful, days filled with testing the wand, sneaking out to hunt the cyclops Tobitt for her father, trying to think of things to write in the Magic Instruction Book, and partying with Pony Head and the Bounce Crew. While having a blast, Star also felt restless, like she was merely going through the motions. She mentioned the feeling to Glossaryck once, but he merely cocked an interested eyebrow before changing the subject to the motions of an incantation dance, losing her interest. Especially with the upcoming Silver Bell Ball.
It turned out that the Ball that year was far from the snooze fest of prior years. Well, the Ball itself was boring with the pomp and ritual and ritualized dancing, but there Star met a boy ok a boy-demon there. His name was Tom Lucitor, and he was charming and funny; handsome with the body of a swimmer. The duo agreed to a date for cornshakes, which led to a pleasant day and the discovery of a devil horned headband she was irresistibly drawn to. And fun with Tom, which led to another date, and another after that. A romantic adventure in the trees and they were officially dating.
Unfortunately, the locked room began to issue nagging thoughts again after several weeks of silence. While she enjoyed spending time with Tom having fun and laughing, the addition of romance oddly soured things, like she was making a wrong choice. Their connection began to strain as Star's inner voices urged distance, and Tom began to show more of a temper and desire for solid plans.
It all came to a head after a Lucitor family event where evidently his mother Wrathmelior had gotten involved. He was a prince, she was a princess. As a result, Tom now wanted their dates to transition into a formal courtship. Not only was Star a free-spirited fourteen-ish year old with a magic wand and thirst for adventure, her emotions about Tom were conflicted. She liked him, but in her heart she pictured someone else. At first she attempted to let him down easy. The problem was that Star couldn't even figure out exactly why she felt the way that she did for herself. A confused attempt at an explanation about the weight in her mind and the feeling that her heart belonged to some boy she couldn't name or describe went over...poorly. The end result was Tom throwing a raging tantrum his father Dave would have been proud of and Star calling everything off.
Frustrated by the blowup with Tom, by the guilt that she should be more sad about the breakup, and by the constant ache in the back of her mind and heart, Star retreated to the Forest of Certain Death for a Tobitt-hunt. He wasn't hard to find, but there was a reason her father could never catch him. The cyclops led her on a merry chase through the trees, dodging cupcake blasts, mighty narwhals, daisy cutters, even a barrage of shooting star explosions. Finally, the frustration built up and built up, and the wand began to glow a dangerous green. "Massive Happy Flamebow!" she shouted. Trees snapped and bushes flattened before a wave of prismatic light that trailed fire in its wake. Tobitt escaped. A nearby village did not. Star was stricken.
Fortunately there were few injuries, and the damage restored when Queen Moon temporarily confiscated the wand back. Mother was not pleased however. Star had messed up, put her future subjects in danger, and shown she didn't have enough control over her powers. Evidently when magic turns green, emotional turmoil, yada yada yada.
She was allowed to have a goodbye party with her friends, but Star knew she was going to be sent away for lessons. It was a more subdued evening with Pony Head and the others telling jokes and doing their best to keep her spirits up, but Star's mind was on her upcoming banishment, not the food or decor. More feelings were stating to escape the lock. Why didn't she feel so worried? Why was there a bubble of anticipation like the day she was given the wand? At least the wand was returned to her, after a full three days of lectures about magic safety and responsibility from Moon, Glossaryck, and even Rhombulus from the Magic High Commission. Honestly, Star had not been paying much attention to anything since the accident however. She couldn't even recall where she was being sent, but assumed the worst.
All too soon, the day arrived. The manticore drawn carriage was being packed with her belongings, her room sparkle glitter shrink compacted into the wand, and Star dressed in her formal gown again to make a proper princess impression. Proper or no, Star wasn't too proud to beg. "Nooo! I can be good!" She threw herself at the mercy of her parents. "Please don't send me to St. Olga's Reform School for Wayward Princesses!" Her mind conjured horrible images of the so-called princess jail, known mostly by rumor and gossip among young royals. Her father gave her a kindly look.
"Sweetheart, we're not sending you there," he soothed.
"Yet," threatened her mother as Star perked up and picked herself off the ground.
"We're sending you to train in a safer dimension; a place called Earth." River explained.
"Earth?" Star repeated. The name was unfamiliar, but seemed to echo in her mind, unlocking images of square buildings, exotic foods, laughing faces, and a creature she was oddly confident was called an opossum. The lock felt like it suddenly snapped open, and suddenly her mind was awash with fractured memories sliding around in her brain. They tumbled around, adrift of context, bumping into one another and spinning away as she tried to reach for them. Unsure what it all meant, she felt herself being none too gently pushed towards the carriage. Stepping inside, she instinctively reached out to buckle herself in, before realizing that she didn't know what a seat belt was, or how she knew it was called a seat belt at all.
Her parents joined her, and she slid over to the window as the manticores began to trot into the portal he father commanded open. "Goodbye, Mewni," she offered a mournful farewell. Something told her that this Earth place was important, and held the key to answers about the chaos in her mind, but Mewni was still her home. She felt fiercely protective of it even as she was being banished.
The ride through the portal was effectively instantaneous, the magic of dimensional scissors. The cool winds of early spring Mewni were replaced by the warmth of a blazing sun, and Star began to sweat immediately in her gown. But only from the temperature. Star had expected to feel nervous. She was a somewhat seasoned dimensional traveler who knew that each world was different. It would take a while to fit in and learn the local customs and way things worked. She had never even heard of Earth before today. So why did entering the dimension come across like putting on a comfortable pair of socks?
Outside on the remarkably straight and smooth street, carriages passed by without the aid of horses or manticores, though invisible goats were still a possibility. They had to be extremely strong to pull them at those speeds however. Many slowed as they passed the royal carriage, and Star watched as people pulled out hand-boxes which flashed. She didn't feel any danger from the onlookers, and assumed that they were merely taking pictures with the local version of her compact mirror.
"You'll have plenty of time to sight-see later," her father told her, pulling her attention from the people and sights outside. "Your mother and I have been making arrangements for you, including a place to stay with people to take care of you." The way he spoke made it sound like she was going to be on her own here. If her mother had her way, there would likely be a contingent of guards and handmaidens assigned to be her watchers.
"Where am I staying?" she asked.
"Well, Glossaryck determined that this region of Earth was ideal for you, lots of people your age. No local royalty, but he was still insistent, claiming something about access to pudding of chocolate." River made a confused face at the last. The magic tutor was a mysterious and cryptic sort, but Star somehow knew that the pudding was a food of some sort, different from meat or corn that made up the basis of the Mewnian diet. And it came in little brown cup things. She had never eaten it before, but her mouth watered at the rich sweet flavor in her imagination.
Moon took over the explanation. "Earth is home to humans, who you might remember from your 'creatures of the multiverse' lessons. There is no monarchy here, therefore since there is no-one of the proper station to care for you, we found some experts in the subject. On Earth they call it 'exchange study' when people travel between kingdoms to learn or train. There is a Diaz family here that are well known for sheltering and protecting these exchange students. They have agreed to let you stay with them and will offer you full hospitality. They may be commoners, but you are to treat them with all proper courtesy and respect. In fact, more courtesy and respect than you treat your caregivers back home," her mother added the last acerbically. Star perked up. If they were commoners maybe they would let her have fun and enjoy herself without trying to mold her into a proper future queen. Even if mother and her aunts bribed them with gold and gave them a library on proper Mewnian etiquette books, this land without royalty meant she could probably get away with a lot more.
"Ah, here we are my dears," River announced as the carriage pulled to a stop in front of a wide flat building built of tan stone and bricks. The words Echo Creek Academy were printed above the front entrance, and several boys and girls of a similar age to herself wandered or lounged around outside. More unbidden memories resolved, and Star knew the building was a place of endless boredom, cheerful camaraderie, and little metal boxes she could put things in and decorate.
"What is this place?" Star asked, though her mind was filling in blanks on its own.
"It's called a school," Moon explained. "A place where all the tutors come to teach children the things they need to know."
"Like magic?"
"Well, no, you have the book and Glossaryck for that. Remember there is no magic in this world. Since you are here as an 'exchange student,' you will be required to come to school. It may not be the same lessons as back on Mewni, but you will learn things that you will need to know as a future queen." Moon sighed as Star's attention inevitably drifted away and back towards the window.
Sweltering in her royal attire, Star looked at the young people outside the school, and their variety of dress. It seemed to be a middle ground between the plain or ragged linen and wool attire of most Mewmans and the decadent frippery of the royal court. Earth clothes seemed to be simple, comfortable, and generally brightly colored. Many of the students also carried pouches or satchels around, filled with books and other sundries. Star pulled at her gown. "I don't have to wear this here, do I?" she asked her parents plaintively. "None of the other children are."
"None of those children are princesses," Moon shook her head. "You have a standard to uphold..."
"Oh, pfah," River interrupted. "Moon Pie, this isn't a ball or family event. If she is going to live here for now, she should be allowed to fit in." He gave Star a fatherly grin. "If it were up to me, we wouldn't be doing this school nonsense at all. You should be out in nature, taking on the wild, learning to track and kill wild bogbeasts and hydras..."
"Oh, very well," Moon sighed, interrupting her husband before he could get truly into his wind. Star bounced with glee. Let's see. Another glance at the various outfits, and she had an idea of what passed of 'normal' around here. She pulled out the wand and concentrated hard.
"Radiant...Raiment...Transform!" A blast of light swirled around her dress and it began to glow as the ruffles and laces melted away. In it's place, a far simpler dress of green coalesced, decorated with just a bit of white trim and a happy little octopus on the front. Petticoats and skirts were replaced with striped leggings, and formal heels swapped with a pair of comfortable rhinoceros face boots she had seen once in the market and always wanted. Instead of a large satchel like most of the children, a small star shaped pouch hung on her hip, though it was much larger on the inside than it appeared. Finally, her tiara was gone, swapped for her favorite head band, the one with the little devil horns.
"Well done, Star." Moon congratulated her somewhat grudgingly. It was clear the outfit did not please her, but the spell used was a rather effective and controlled use of magic. Star opened the door and hopped out of the carriage as several students began to approach and pull out their own little square compact mirrors. As least hers would fit right in. Several gasped as her parents followed her in their full regal attire, but no one came too close to the trio. Soon, attention went back to the manticores, and Star hoped they would be safe. The beasts were not known for being picture friendly.
Within moments of entering the school, Star felt like she knew the layout of the place on an instinctual level. Though nearly identical, she picked out Janna's locker next to Hope's as they passed by, and wondered what was hiding behind the back panel. Wait, who was Janna, and why was she so sure there was a hidden panel? The rogue memories were getting out of hand. Or was she seeing the future? Some of her great great great great great grandmas had done time magic, at least what she could recall from skimming their chapters. Maybe Glossaryck was right and she should actually read the thing, even if it was pretty boring. He ought to know one way of the other if there was anything like what she suspected.
Unfortunately she couldn't just ask directly. Not only was she unlikely to get a non-cryptic reply, Glossaryck probably still answered to her mother, and if they thought she was going to crazy this exile to Earth would quickly be replaced with a trip to St. O's. Star shuddered. She was going to have to be subtle. It was not going to be easy.
The principal's office was rather plain for the leader of a school. Dominated by a desk with the name Principal Skeeves attached, the remainder of the space was taken up by chairs and shelves full of papers, awards, and knick-knacks. The man himself was short and rotund with glasses and a bow-tie, oozing a greasy charm that reminded Star of many of the courtiers in the royal court. She slumped in a chair by the wall as her parents explained the situation. In depth.
Hourglasses began to spin on her cheeks as talks of her joining the school continued. She tried to pry some memories loose from new cache, something entertaining to try to figure out, but with no luck. This was taking so long! She stared at the clock on the wall, watching the little thin hand spin in a circle for a whole revolution before that lost her interest in that as well. Finally, she settled on the light switch by the door. Quietly, she stood up and made her way over to it. Flip. The lights went out. Flip. They were back on. Flip, flip, flip, flip. Star had forgotten how much fun the wall magic was. Her parents and the principal glanced over to her. "And you said there was no magic on Earth," she blurted out, amused at her own antics. OK, it wasn't exactly real magic, and you definitely didn't want to try to eat it, but wall magic let you do so many fun things.
Like make a bad impression. Her mother had a rather impressive glare, and even her father looked embarrassed. Principal Skeeves himself shook his head. "Yeah...this isn't going to work." River just sighed and pulled out a small chest of gold and jewels that had been prepared for this eventuality. The bribe was effective. The principal's eyes glittered with avarice, and he instantly changed his mind. "She is going to love it here!" he cried as he reached out for the chest. Star had never been concerned that he would actually turn her down. Too many things were telling her she knew this place. Instead she flickered the lights again, watching as the gold and jewels sparkled and glimmered before the principal closed the lid and tucked the chest under his arm.
"She's going to need a guide," her father added. For that much money, it was expected. For that much money, they could have probably bought the school outright.
"Of course, of course," Skeeves soothed, not tearing his eyes from the bounty in his arms.
"Someone who can teach Star her way around on Earth, and most importantly, keep her safe," Queen Moon added.
"I know just the person, actually," The principal clicked a button on his desk with the free hand and spoke into a little wand. "Marco Diaz to the principal's office, Marco Diaz to the principal's office." Something about the name gave her flutters, but stubbornly no helpful memories unlocked. But Diaz again? Wasn't she staying with a Diaz family? Was everyone on Earth called Diaz? The room descended into an awkward silence as Star gave up on the lights. Her parents came over to her and formed a huddle.
"Your things are being delivered to the place you are staying. There are transports on this world, but we will leave the carriage to take you there after this school ends for the day," her mother offered, not ready to say farewell yet.
"It's fine, I know how to get there. I can just take Cloudy," Star replied, surprising all three. Her parents shared a look, but said nothing about the admission of knowledge she shouldn't have known. Her father broke the impasse. His eyes welled up with tears.
"I'm going to miss you, daughter," he cried as he wrapped her in a massive rib-cracking hug.
"Indeed. Be careful dear," her mother added. "Keep yourself and the wand safe. But if all else is lost, remember the First Spell. Don't let it fall into the wrong hands."
"It won't come to that," Star replied solemnly with the breath not squeezed out of her.
"And we set you up with a Pixie network for your mirror, so remember to call often. We are going to want to see how you are doing."
"Oh totally, totally, totally," Star brushed off the request. "I'll be fine Mom and Dad. I'll have my guide to Earth, he should be here any minute."
"I believe that's our queue to leave, Moon Pie," River chuckled and finally released his daughter. The trio stared at one another, caught between a familial farewell and a dignified affair. Moon settled for a nod, and River already had his hug. Tears sparkled in their eyes, but no more words were shared as they left together. Star followed them out and watched as they returned to the carriage and Manfred cut the portal open for their return to Mewni.
"Bye, Mom and Dad," Star said under her breath. She wasn't scared or nervous about being on Earth, but this was still going to be a massive change. Behind her, Principal Skeeves had fallowed her out, keeping an eye on her as he had promised. The other eye was locked on his new wealth. Several coins and gems had already fallen out of the chest in a forgotten trail of wealth. As the short man glanced up the hallway looking for the guide, Star scooped up a handful of the loose coins and dropped them in her purse. Skeeves wasn't going to miss them. Star wished her guide would show up soon.
Her new dress was far lighter and more comfortable, but Earth was quite a bit warmer than home. Throat now feeling parched, she looked over at the wall and found what she knew would be there. A silver water box. She knew what it was somehow, but how it functioned continued to elude her. Behind her, voices indicated that her guide had arrived while her attention was diverted. Skeeves began to explain the situation, while the younger voice seemed offended and argued. Something about a misunderstood bad boy which made her giggle internally, but Skeeves continued to call him Safe Kid. That must be his title. But for the moment, she was still thirsty. Hesitantly she leaned over the box and pressed for the button in a way that seemed right. A press of the handle started the water, but unfortunately it was aimed right at her and splashed in her face.
Surprised, she jumped back, and then her Johansen instincts kicked in. Fists and teeth were weapons, and she leapt on the offending water box. Her battle was interrupted by an embarrassed cough and she declared a truce with her foe. "Uhh, you drink from it, not try to eat it," the boy informed her.
"I...I knew that," she replied with a hesitant chuckle before turning to look at her guide. He was standing there with a rather appalled look, and her heart leapt into her throat as her stomach dropped out. It was HIM! The boy was slightly taller than her, dressed in a simple red hoodie and black skinny pants. Intelligent eyes stared at her as the mole on his cheek pulled up in a friendly smile. His mop of dark hair was messier than he usually liked, but in the way that Star preferred.
"I'm Marco," he said as he offered her a hand to shake. Star already knew that. Somehow she knew what felt like everything about him. How he was a true friend. The feel of his arms wrapped around her in hugs both friendly and more than friendly. How he would risk his life for her even without magic of his own. The pride he felt in his karate skills. That he made awesome triangle foods. Even his social security number, whatever that was. So many memories and emotions crashed together that she froze in shock. Were they memories or visions of the future? Did it matter? Instinctively she reached out and took his offered hand. There was a spark as her skin touched his warm grip, and the connection she had been missing before roared to life in her heart. Him, here, this was right.
Too right. There was too much rushing into her mind though. memories, thoughts, and emotions all crashing together into an indistinct blur. It was going to take more than a few moments to unravel the tangled mess. But the bedrock of everything told her one thing. This Marco was her best friend, and she his. Somehow. Or they were going to be? Say something! "I'm Star Butterfly," she finally replied.
Either Marco didn't know or didn't acknowledge the turmoil in her thoughts. "I guess I'm supposed to show you around?" he offered, though he didn't look too pleased at the task and his smile faded. As they started her tour Marco began to point out classrooms and people with the bored tone of someone not particularly thrilled with the subject matter. For him, he was just describing the routine, things he probably saw every day. For Star, the best way to learn a new dimension was to question everything and let her local guide show off their knowledge to the outsider.
It was slightly confusing as some things he said or gestured to triggered her mind to throw up related thoughts or memories. Star felt that they were only the tip of a massive mountain, but still they only made themselves accessible to her at a languid pace. What was even worse were the ones that slipped by, manifesting not in thought or recollection, but as simple knowledge suddenly revealing itself. Random faces they passed would abruptly be attached to names and the understanding of how various earth gadgets worked teased her. While Marco trudged along the center of the hall, these snippets had Star bouncing around him, greeting people that were mentally categorized as friends or acquaintances, and poking into places to confirm the accuracy of her newfound recall.
What she really wanted to know was about Marco himself. Somehow, he was the key to her brainload, to unraveling the mystery. So far however the direct approach hadn't gotten her anywhere, memories instead sneaking around the sides to fill in gaps rather than answer directly. Kind of like talking to Glossaryck, actually. Maybe she could use that. Star decided to try to steer the conversation to a more personal one, where she could maybe ask questions about Marco himself.
"Thanks for showing me around, safe kid," she tried, but his face immediately took on a stricken cast.
"What? No!" he protested. Ohhh, whoops. Safe kid wasn't a title or role, but a nickname that he hated. Of course she would remember that now, slightly too late to avoid setting him off. "I don't know where people get the idea I'm so safe!" He took a moment to nudge her around a hole in the floor. "Oh, watch your step. Loose tile. It's ridiculous!" He quickly shut a locker door in her path that she had overlooked. "Careful." He grimaced. "You wear a helmet in the gym shower one time, and you're labeled for life! Oops, broken glass." A gentle hand guided her around a shattered bottle. He quickly let go again, beginning to gesture wildly with his hands. "Frankly, I like taking risks and would welcome a little danger in my life!"
Well, if it would make him happy... Star pulled out her wand and spotted a butterfly fluttering in the breeze. A quick Monstrous Moth Transform and it grew into a snarling beast. Marco squawked in surprise and left behind her as the beast grabbed another student and carried him off. Star hoped he would be ok. "What the heck was that?! Marco demanded.
Star shrugged sheepishly. "Oops. Heh. I thought you wanted a little dane-ja!" She enunciated the word. Marco looked at the receding beast and back at her. He seemed to study her intently, as though looking at her properly for the first time.
"Who are you?" he demanded.
"I'm a magical princess from another dimension!" she explained, casting a friendly rainbow to help demonstrate. Or was it a flamebow?
Marco just gaped at her before stammering, "Well, that brings us to the end of the tour. I'm going home now." Was school over already? He turned and practically fled. Star was a little off-put by that, but it was Marco so she merely waved good bye.
"Bye new friend! See you tomorrow! Bye! Bye best friend! See you later!" He put his hood up and seemed to move even faster. Star had a suspicion that things could have gone a bit better. A feeling of heat and the sound of sirens startled her, and she turned around to see that it was a flamebow, not a rainbow, and flames were making their way up the wall and roof of the school. Not again! "Winterstorm Hyperblow!" she showed as she aimed the wand. The flames were quickly snuffed out and replaced with sheets of ice that rapidly began to melt in the warm sun.
"New girl tried to burn the school down!" someone shouted behind her as a crowd began to form.
"I didn't mean to," she protested.
"New girl is awesome!" another voice added. Guess they weren't angry after all. The crowd began to grow, and Star became a bit nervous. Marco had run off, leaving her alone. She didn't know if school was over, but her tour was clearly done. Time to find her new home.
"Super Sparkle Cloudy!" she summoned the pink cloud and hopped aboard. The crowd shrieked with surprise and approval, and one bespectacled girl fainted as she flew over head.
Cloudy could move rather fast, and so after only a few wrong turns found herself standing in front of a house that felt like the right place. While small, it looked cheerful, with a bright red roof, aqua trim, and a front yard full of cacti and a red dog looking statue. She hesitantly knocked on the door. "Hello? Is this the Diaz house?" she asked. The door opened so quickly Star jumped and raised her wand at the tall man and shorter woman standing in the doorway.
"You must be Princess Star Butterfly," the man declared. She nodded hesitantly, and then yelped as she was swept up in a hug that rivaled her father's. "It is so good to meet you! Come in come in. Mi casa es su casa!" Star didn't understand the last thing he said, but knew it was some other language. Spamish? Mrs. Diaz pried her husband loose and took Star's hand to lead her inside, guiding her to the couch.
"Come in, come in. I'm sure you've had a long day. I'll get you something to drink and nibble on before dinner." Star found herself slightly gobsmacked at both the sheer level of jovial affection the duo radiated and how casually they treated her. Back on Mewni only her parents or a couple of close friends would dare to act so informally around a royal princess. Here, she was being treated more like a long-time family friend. Within moments, she began happily chatting away about all the things she had seen today on Earth around mouthfuls of muffin. Ooh, blueberry!
After what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes of bonding, the front door opened and Marco walked in, perhaps guided by fate. His eyes widened in shock as they met hers. "Oh, Marco, Come meet the new foreign exchange student who is going to be living with us!" Mrs. Diaz told the boy.
"Whaa? What?" his mouth dropped open at seeing Star again. She ran over to him in excitement and took his hand.
"What?" Star asked. "I had no idea these were your parents." As she said it, the familial resemblance became clear and more things fell into place in her head. "I just assumed everybody on Earth had the last name 'Diaz'" she admitted. Except for Jackie Lynn Thomas. Wait, who? That name seemed to make her body tense up slightly.
Mrs. Diaz interrupted her mental ramblings. "Won't it be nice to have Star's upbeat, lively
energy around the house?" she cajoled her son.
"We could have gotten that from a litter of puppies," he grumbled in reply, yanking his hand free. Star gasped at the idea.
"I...love...puppies," she declared, before pulling out the wand again. Lovable Laser Labrador Litter! Suddenly at their feet was a rambunctious group of eight adorable little dogs yipping away. Wait, eight? There were eight? Mr. and Mrs. Diaz both cooed over her creation. And then the lovable scamps began to shoot lasers from their eyes. Bolts of ruby light scattered around the room, knocking over a plant and burning small holes in several walls, the ceiling, and Marco in a family photo. Oops. Maybe she should put a bit more thought into her spells.
Star cringed internally at the destructive antics and how her hosts would react, and giggled nervously. Mr. Diaz didn't look angry though. "Well, they are really cute," he concluded, picking up one of the puppies to inspect it, and even laughed when a laser caught him in the eye.
All apparently forgiven already, Mrs. Diaz pointed at the trunks containing Star's belongings and gestured to Marco. "Marco, why don't you show Star her new room?" It was one of those parental requests what really wasn't a request, and he sighed. Assuming it was upstairs, Star cheered and raced ahead, with Marco dragging a heavy trunk and the laser puppies behind.
The guest room was not all that hard to find. Somewhat pain, it had all the basic amenities at least. Bed, window, dresser. "Here's your new room," Marco confirmed as he grunted from the effort of dragging her trunk. It was decent accommodations, but Star intended to be a good guest. And a proper guest does not take advantage of thing's like a host's architecture.
"Okay, I can work with this," she decided, moving about to figure out the relationship of each wall to the rest of the house. A bit of concentration... "Sparkle Glitter Bomb Expand!" Her room from Mewni flashed out of the wand and nested itself into the frame of the house, adding an elegant tower. Marco gaped in shock at the transformation. She merely ran over to her bed and flopped down, enjoying the comfortable bounce. "Ahh, that's better," she concluded, duty to improving her host's home complete. And even better, Marco had broken out of his sulk, gazing at wonder at the spiral stairs and various decorations of her room.
"I wish I had a room like this," he said in awe.
"You do?" she asked to confirm. It seemed to be the first time today that Marco was approving of her magical abilities. And she was perfectly willing to do a favor for her best friend. She raced out the door, leaving a confused Marco to catch up behind her.
This was going to be a bit more of a challenge. Her new room had simply been her old one grafted to the house. To make something special for Marco's room, she was going to have to work from scratch. "Mystic room..." she began picturing the spell and what she wanted it to do in her head. Oh, and Marco liked things cleaned and organized, so she should have the spell dust and vacuum while it worked. "...suck transform!" she finished. Marco and the puppies crowded her in the doorway as the blast from the wand struck the center of the room. And instantly went wrong. Instead of an awesome clean fortress of Marco-ness like she planned, a vortex opened up in the center of the floor and everything began to slide towards it. She clutched the doorway as it drew her in as well, and heard Marco begin screaming alongside her. She heard yipping as one of the puppies flew past her, and forced her way back out of the room, slamming the door shut. A quick count. Star, Marco, one two three four five six seven...ooh that explained a lot about the puppy count.
"Suck? Suck! Why was the word suck in that spell?" Marco demanded angrily as he whirled to confront her.
"I don't know," she admitted in a sob. "It just came out that way!" Star just wanted Marco to have an awesome, clean room! Was she really this bad at controlling magic? Marco banged his head into the door in frustration. He was angry, and it was all her fault. Maybe she could make him feel better? "I'm sorry, Marco. Uh, how about a little sunshine to brighten your day?" Sunshine friendship spell was easy enough to cast. It wasn't anything major, just something to put him in a better mood. Somehow though the happy little sun above Marco's head quickly soured and turned into a personal raincloud, drenching the boy. Seriously? "Aww..." she began, before he cut her off with a shout.
"I can't take this anymore! If you are moving in, I am moving out!" he declared, making a break for the window. The raincloud followed him, and soaked hands slipped on the windowsill as he tumbled through. Star gasped and ran to the window as she heard a pained crash. Please don't be hurt, please don't be hurt.
"Are you okay? she asked the groaning boy.
"Luckily the cactuses broke my fall," he snapped back at her. Star winced as she watched him pick himself free of the spiky plant, clothes now torn and bloody. It was all her fault.
"Do you need any help?" she offered. He shook his head as he picked some spines free of his skin.
"Ow! I'm fine! Just leave me alone!" Marco shouted back at her as he stormed off.
Star watched him take off running with sadness and debated following him. It was her fault his room was gone and he got hurt. She just wanted to make him happy! But all she did was put him in danger, and confess at awkward times or break his heart. Why was this all so confusing? The memories chose that moment to come back in force, and she could picture Marco's face with dozens of different expressions and emotions on it. Somehow she knew they were meant to be together, comrades, friends, more? But where was this all coming from? And how could it possibly be true when the first day she met him, things went this horribly wrong?
Frustrated, she whimpered at the window, torn between watching the boy in the red hoodie run away from her and trying to figure out her own problems. As he ran out of sight, she slumped to the floor next to his door. Tears started falling down her face while the laser puppies crowded around, obliviously happy. It was all too much. She had been to Earth a single day and only known Marco for mere hours, but her head was filling up with what must have been years of memories, far too many to process. Tears continued to fall as she cuddled the puppies closer.
"What's wrong, hija?" a soft voice broke into her sorrow. Through her blurry eyes, Star saw Mrs. Diaz Angie giving her a concerned look. "Are you homesick?" she asked gently.
Star shook her head. "I've messed everything up," she blurted. "I keep remembering things and I don't know how. I keep messing up with my magic so badly Mom and Dad had to send me away. I want Marco to like me and be my best friend, but I scared him and messed up his room and now he ran away," the words came crashing out in a rush. Instead of passing judgment, Mrs. Diaz just took Star's hand and pulled her off the floor into a hug.
"Shh, shh, calm down. It can't be that bad," she soothed the girl. Star relaxed into the embrace and let her tears flow. "You're young and strong, you can get through this."
"I have phone number for teen sadness hotline," Mr. Diaz approached the duo brandishing a paper.
"Honey, no. I've got this," Mrs. Diaz shook her head at her husband.
"Oh. Okay. I'll just put this on wall in kitchen in case then," he retreated.
Finally Star spoke again. "You aren't worried about Marco running away?" she asked his mother.
"Marco will be fine," she soothed the girl. "He probably just needs to cool down. He'll get a slushie and a snack and calm down."
"Are you sure he will be okay? I don't want him to get hurt. And I don't want him to be mad at me anymore. Maybe I should go apologize?" Star asked.
"Just give him a little bit of time first. Are you going to be all right?"
Star shrugged helplessly. "Maybe? I hope so. I'm sorry for all the trouble I am causing you."
"Don't worry about it, Star, dear. Now, do you think you can take care of yourself for a little bit? We were going to cook a welcome dinner, but it might be a while before Marco comes home. Would you like some pizza instead?"
Star nodded. "I'm not sure what that is, but it sounds good."
"Well, Marco likes extra mushrooms on his, but he isn't here to help decide is he," Mrs. Diaz gave a conspiratorial grin, and Star gave a watery back. "We also need to get some supplies for the puppies. Will they eat normal kibble, or do you have to make some magical chow for them?"
"It's really hard to make food that you can eat with magic," Star informed her, shuddering from experience. "And I'm not exactly the best at magic yet either," she added honestly.
"Well, we were told you would need to practice. Just be safe sweetie," Mrs. Diaz told her. Star nodded in agreement. She was finally calmed down, at least for now. Satisfied, Mrs. Diaz let her be. "Rafe, time to go to the store and Emilio's!" she called as she went down the stairs.
Now alone with the puppies, Star finally had time to process the events of the day. Whatever is/was/will be going on between her and Marco was irrelevant right now. As far as he was concerned, they had just met and she had showed off some dangerous magic before sucking his room into the void. Step one, she was going to have to make amends. Maybe the room wasn't completely a lost cause.
Carefully, she turned the handle on the sealed door and peered inside. The vortex was gone, but so was everything else. Bare walls and windows, nothing more. Pulling out the wand, she cleared her mind and focused on what she wanted the spell to do. "Mystic Room Un-suck Restore!" Nothing. "Mystic Room Restore Before!" Nothing. "Magic Make This Room Right Again!" Also nothing. This might take a while.
Star only took a break when the Diaz's returned home with food. Her stomach rumbled as she caught the scent of warm cheese, and discovered the joy of pizza. Sliced into triangles and topped with melted cheese and little round meats, it was delicious. Triangle Earth food is the best food! Marco's parents made sure to save some slices for him, but otherwise did not seem greatly concerned. Taking her cues from them, Star thanked them for dinner and returned to her task.
The sun was setting as she finally accomplished her goal. "Mystic Marco's Furniture Return!" she shouted, and the wand flared with light. A vortex returned, but this time instead of pulling things in, it dumped all of the lost furniture into a pile on the floor before vanishing. It was a little worse for wear, admittedly, but it was back. As much of it as she could recall at least. Putting the wand away, she began to right dressers and shelves and shove them back into place manually. Magic would have been far faster and easier, but she wasn't taking that risk again tonight.
Night had fully fallen once she was satisfied with her work. Everything was at least close to where it should be. Star didn't even give into the urge to look through the various drawers and cabinets, though she did spend a while debating claiming a clean red hoodie from his closet. They smelled like Marco, but fortunately not too much like him. It was too soon to do that, however, and she left it behind. Something told her she would have other chances. Next step.
Star wandered downstairs to find Mr. and Mrs. Diaz curled up together on the couch, watching a looky-talky box. "Is Marco back yet?" she asked them. Mr. Diaz shook his head.
"Not yet. He'll come back when he is ready to," he told her calmly. Wow. Earth must really be safe if his parents were so carefree about him running off and staying out so late. Her own mother had tried to insist that Star have a guard in the room with her while taking a bath. Clearly they loved their son, but she could also recall Marco once telling her that they were very absent and that he had been raised by TV. It made her feel bad for the boy. On the plus side, not only were the memories starting to get clearer, but they were starting to have more context.
"Do you know where he is?" Star asked, starting to get worried.
"Dante at the Stop & Slurp called about an hour ago and said he is still there. Had to kick him out for getting the floor wet somehow, but he was still hanging out outside," Mrs. Diaz explained. Star was relieved that they were at least keeping track of their son. She was also envious about how much they trusted him to do his own thing.
"I think I should apologize to him now," she decided. Mr. Diaz sat up.
"Do you want a ride?" he offered.
"Do you have to? Is it far?" Star replied, curious about both the distance and the degree of freedom on offer. Marco might be free to wander on his own terms, but a princess boarder might not be so lucky.
"Only a few blocks into town," he replied. She didn't know what a block was.
"Is that far?"
"It's about a twenty minute walk, or a few minute drive," he explained.
I'm the one that made him run away. I think I need to be the one to talk to him," she concluded. Hopefully they would let her.
"Do you think your parents would want you to go on your own?" Mrs. Diaz asked. Well, no, they wouldn't. But Star's parents weren't here to tell her no, and she needed to do this. She didn't want to lie however, so instead she hefted her wand.
"I can take care of myself," she deflected. Still, the adults hesitated, until Star gave them some of her best pleading eyes.
"Please be careful, and stay out of the street," Mrs. Diaz gave in. Her husband drew Star a little map how to get to her destination and back, and then she was out the door and on her way. With the sun down and a gentle breeze, the night felt rather nice. She started walking and found the way familiar, to the point she put the map in her purse. Her legs and feet seemed to know the way, so Star was free to enjoy the night air and let her thoughts wander.
It had been a busy day to cap a busy few weeks, no, months. Ever since the day Star celebrated her birthday and was given the wand, she felt like she was living two lives, one as each day passed and one in the past. It could be a trick or curse, but Star doubted it. The visions/memories were too real. They had the taste of her own emotions and thoughts imbued in them. They were too deep, too personal for someone else to have created them. There was one person who could have done it to her though, and that was Star herself. Magic was weird. She knew a little bit about time magic thanks to glancing through the Magic Instruction Book, but the general gist of time spells was 'don't.'
It was the most reasonable explanation that she could think of. Somehow Star had given herself memories or visions of her life in the future. But why? If it was to send a message, she didn't know what it was. Like most memories, they weren't neatly filed in order to be viewed at will, but instead triggered by context. She wished she could just picture what was about to happen when she spoke with Marco, but while other thoughts about the boy and snippets of adventures and conversations flashed past, her immediate future seemed foggy.
Star was going to have to do what she dreaded. She was going to have to study and make a plan. She had the general sense that there were now a couple extra years of memories stuffed inside her head. There had to be a reason for it. Priorities then.
First, Try to make some sense of the memories and what they might mean. Time could be messy, and something told her that her usual style of jumping in with both feet might not be the best idea.
Second, do it quietly. Star was already exiled from Mewni for making a mess of things with magic. She didn't want anyone to think she had gone off her rocker completely.
Third, try to make things better. Despite a lack of details, Star could tell that she had would have? a number of regrets, sorrows, terrors, and tragedies. What would be the point of giving herself these memories if she didn't try to use them to make things better?
And fourth, Marco. Oh, Marco. Her chest tightened. She had only met him today, but more than anything, Star needed him. It wasn't a single memory, but a general feeling that she belonged to him, and he to her, a feeling deep and complex enough that it honestly scared Star to fully comprehend or even put a name to. A second feeling competed with the first, sometimes merging and sometimes conflicting- Marco's safety and happiness were paramount, and she would pay any price.
For now, the latter urge won out. It was a far simpler concept for Star to grasp right now, especially given how they had only met today. She had no right to expect him to act or think or feel a certain way. She didn't know how to act or feel herself, and he didn't have the same baggage in his head that she did now. They were basically strangers, despite what her head insisted. Marco safe and happy was thus a need. Marco by her side had to be a want instead.
Speaking of the boy, there he was. Or more correctly, here she was, at the Stop & Slurp. The raincloud still poured water on his head as he accosted several people going into and out of the shop, and Star winced at the idea of how soggy his socks must be by now. Quietly she walked over to him, but wasn't sure how to begin, what to say. Her new and old memories about today seem to have merged, so she assumed that things were turning out the same, but she really wished she could remember what she said to make it better.
Before Star could say anything, Marco turned around and saw her, jumping back in surprise. "Waha! Whoa! What are you doing here?" he demanded angrily once the shock wore off. Still trying to come up with the right words, she aimed her wand and dispelled the failed cheer spell. He flinched, but the cloud faded, and he was finally freed of the constant downpour. His body let up some of its tension, but Marco's expression was still angry. He was right to be. Star had come along and his life wasn't going to be the same anymore.
"I didn't get a choice about coming here to Earth," she admitted softly, "and you didn't get a choice about having to deal with me." Maybe this was for the best. Maybe he was better off without her. Flickers of Marco's face looking sad, or angry, or heartbroken assaulted her, but she shoved the memories down. Now wasn't the time. Nor could she deal with the feeling that she had faced losing him before, though in different circumstances. Marco safe, Marco happy. Star resolved, a semi-familiar mantra. It even seemed to be in order of priorities, but that also was a memory to analyze later. Apparently the painful thoughts showed on her face, and his anger seemed to fade. "I'll...I'll find another family to live with," she concluded. Part of her was screaming not to let him go. She ignored it. Marco safe, Marco happy.
His expression softened even more, and he opened his mouth to speak. Before any words could come out, there was a ripping noise from behind Star. Marco's eyes shifted past her and widened in shock. "St...Star?" She spun around and saw that they had been joined by a gang of ferocious beasts from Mewni. At the fore was a diminutive green bird-creature adorned with a dragoncycle skull and armed with a bat winged staff. Though they had not met before, she knew this was the châtelain of Castle Avarius.
"Star Butterfly, at last I've found you!" he proclaimed grandly.
"Ludo! How did you know I was here?" she demanded in return. How he had gotten there and why were much simpler questions. Practically all of Mewni knew that the pint-sized prince desired the Royal Wand. And clearly he had access to a pair of dimensional scissors meaning that Earth was clearly less safe than her parents had likely hoped. The thought didn't really bother her, she could take care of herself. It did harden her resolve to separate from Marco, for his safety at least.
"Wouldn't you like to know!" he chuckled in reply.
"Yes! That's why I asked!" Star said. He may be here to steal her wand, but he didn't have to be rude. Taken aback at her response, Ludo blinked.
"Well, Buff Frog..." He started to explain, before blinking again. "Wait, I don't have to tell you anything! GET HER!" he shouted to his minions. Star swept a leg back and raised her wand in a fighting stance as the monsters roared and prepared to charge. Warthog was the fastest. Star prepared to unleash a spell when Marco leapt in front of her, right into the face of the charging beast.
"HI YAH" he shouted a battle cry as the boy rapidly hammered a fist into the monsters gut and chin, followed by a spinning kick that floored the monster.
"Woah oh oh," Star chuckled, impressed. "You can fight?" Well, duh, it's Marco! Of course he could fight. She was a little in awe with how he had floored a charging monster in under a second with bare hands and one bare foot. Humans supposedly lacked the extra strength, speed, and durability that life in a magical realm granted Mewmans, It made the boy's talents even more impressive. As a bonus, for the first time today, Marco's eyes lit up with excitement and pride.
"It's called kar-a-te" he said smugly while a chop to the side of the head spun Bearicorn past them into a heap. With an unspoken agreement, he charged to the right to handle the monsters trying to flank them, while Star faced off with Beard Deer ahead. A quick kick to the stomach and the monsters heavy hammer swing ended up clobbering himself in the head. Before he could recover, she nailed him with a quick blast from the wand as Marco dipped a shoulder and flipped Potato Baby, sending him flying.
"You said she was unguarded!" Ludo complained to Buff Frog, who could only shrug as the teen duo demolished his gang.
Star caught the eye of Giraffnik as Marco split his attacks between the heads of Conjoinican. As the towering monster lumbered her way, she decided she needed more height. A parked car provided an ideal springboard as she leapt for her foes neck past his grasping fists. A rainbow fist punch from close range hammered him into the car she had used as a boost, while Marco maneuvered a recovered Warthog facefirst into an opened door. The duo rejoined, and a combination of his fists and her wand blasted or redirected several charging monsters.
"You're embarrassing me!" Ludo continued to shout at his minions, narrowly avoiding a thrown Buff Frog. The green monster reached up and tore down a light pole before returning to the fray. While he was charging with a massive metal club, Star felt oddly hesitant to actually hurt Buff Frog. Instead she went with Jellybean Hallucination Mist, causing him to drop the pole and stagger away dazed, staring at his hands.
Suddenly, Star found herself flying in pain as Big Chicken and Potato Baby managed to catch her unaware. Beside her, Marco also lay on the pavement groaning. They both sprang back to their feet quickly but she could hear Marco breathing heavily and getting kicked in the face hurt. Marco cleared the two aggressors with a kick, but it was time to end this. Bracing her feet, she gripped the wand with both hands and concentrated. "MEGA NARWHAL BLAST!"
The wave of magic and marine mammals flattened the gang, though Ludo's short stature let him escape unscathed. Star walked over to the sinister prince and aimed the wand at him. "Do you want some of this, Ludo?" she taunted.
"No," he decided, folding with an annoyed huff. He pulled out a wicked looking pair of dimensional scissors and sliced open a portal back to Mewni, berating his battered gang as they piled through. "I'll get you, Star Butterfly!" he vowed as the portal collapsed, though the parting words were undercut by the portal knocking his dragoncycle helm off his head as it closed.
Star basked in the victory as Marco ran over to her, still caught up in the adrenaline. "That was amazing! I was Amazing! You were amazing!" he babbled in a rush.
"Yeah, I guess we were," Star agreed. It was a little breathtaking how well he handled his first fight against monsters. She idly wondered if his strength and skill in battle would translate to dancing. Unfortunately, the brawl had only been a distraction from the important topic. Or had it? She had been planning on leaving him be, but this changed things. His opinion of her seemed much improved now. Marco could clearly take care of himself by her side and he was practically bouncing with excitement still. That checked off her mental needs. Marco safe, Marco happy. Would it be so bad is she moved on to some of her want list?
Deliberately, she added a slump to her shoulders and some wistfulness to her voice. "Well... I should probably go pack my bags," she told him and slowly walked away from him. Only moments later, she heard his footsteps and felt a restraining hand on her shoulder. Yes!
"Wait!" He told her. "I don't want you to go. I want you to stay with us." She couldn't hide the wide smile at his decision.
"Really?" she chirped, before giving into another urge. "Hugs!" Star declared, wrapping herself around him. He tensed for a moment, but then she felt his arms wrap around her as well. It felt right, but he was still buzzing and quickly let go, throwing his hands out in a combat pose and making sound effects.
"Are there going to be monsters attacking us all the time?" he asked excitedly.
"Yeah, probably," Star admitted. Dimensional scissors, her presence on Earth not a secret, magic wand of unimaginable power, memories confirming this was not a one-off...she was pretty sure. Mom and Dad were not going to be thrilled. Her first day, and already attacked. On the plus side, she had managed to keep control of her magic the entire fight. And was still basically unharmed besides that one hit. She started back to the Diaz house as Marco walked alongside.
"All right! Sounds so dangerous!" he enthused, before grabbing her arm as she was about to cross the road. "Whoa! Let's cross at the light," he guided her towards a corner with clear safety markings. She rolled her eyes at him, but didn't resist.
"Okay, wild man," she teased, and he grinned back at her. Impulsively, she grabbed his hand in her own. He looked surprised, she just gave him a mischievous smirk and nodded at the street, making like she was going to fall off the curb without him. His warm grip stayed, and her wand let out a happy fish firework which sparkled in the sky above them. Whoops. At least he didn't jump at the magical burst, nor let go of her hand. Finally he freed his hand from hers and returned to reenacting the fight as they walked.
Star had a short lifetime of combat experience and was already beginning to relax, but Marco still clearly had energy to burn. "I'll race you to the house!" she offered.
"You're on!" Marco replied confidently, but Star broke into a sprint. "Cheater!" he laughed as he raced after her. She could have been off in a flash, but that wasn't the point. They were bonding, and burning off the last of their adrenaline. She let him close the distance and as the house came into sight slowed to let him take the lead. He was still pretty fast, especially for only wearing one shoe still. "I win!" he shouted as he tapped the door several steps ahead of her, so she stuck out her tongue at him and he laughed.
Entering the house, Marco's parents didn't appear to have moved from their snuggle on the couch, though they had acquired a blanket in the time she had been gone. "Welcome home, sweetheart," Mrs. Diaz called out, though her eyes widened as she took in Marco's torn clothing and disheveled appearance. "Are you okay?" she asked him, concerned. The boy froze at the question.
"I'm...I'm fine. There was a...I mean I...we..." he trailed off, not sure how to describe what just happened.
"It was just a little monster attack. Happens to me all the time," Star said in a carefully casual tone. "Not a big deal." She poked the boy and gave a proud smile. "Actually, Marco kept me safe. He's a good friend," she declared.
"You're not hurt?" his father asked.
"I'm fine, dad. Well, actually...I lost a shoe." Marco added and blushed. Star snorted in amusement at the shameful expression he wore for his admission. "Hey! I liked these shoes!" he countered, and the mood lightened.
"Still, Star, should we warn your parents? We are supposed to keep you safe," Mrs. Diaz asked.
Star wrapped an arm around Marco and pulled him close. "Marco kept me safe. It's no big. I'll tell them next time I talk to them, I promise," she said. His parent's didn't look fully convinced, but let it go with a nod. They were awesome! "I am getting a little tired," she admitted with a yawn. Marco yawned too, and then scowled at her like she had caused it. Maybe yawns were contagious on Earth?
"I'll show you the bathroom upstairs, then I'm going to pack it in. It is pretty late, and school tomorrow. It's best to get plenty of rest to be prepared to learn." Well, looked like 'Wild Man Marco' had worn off. It was an oddly anti-climactic finish for such a busy day, but she yawned again.
"Usually when we are hosting an exchange student, we draw up a bathroom schedule since we will have to share," Marco explained as he led her up the stairs. He gestured at a door in the hallway between their two separate rooms. "It's late, so we can figure that out tomorrow. You can have it first if you want," he offered. She nodded thankfully and walked into the room before stopping in dismay.
"Where's the bath?" she asked plaintively. "And the chamberpot? I kind of need to use it," Star admitted hesitantly.
"Chamberpot? Why would we have a chamberpot?" Marco asked in confusion.
"To pee and make boom boom," she replied, "duh!"
"Just use the toilet."
"What's a toilet?" she wondered. Marco frowned.
"You don't know what a toilet is? You're a princess, did you live in a castle?" he asked. She nodded.
"Butterfly Castle, yes."
"So you lived in a castle with actual magic, but no indoor plumbing." He seemed dumbfounded. "Err, ok. Crash course then." He walked past her into the room, over to a small white chair. "Toilet. Lift the lid, do your business, push the handle to flush when you are done." He demonstrated. The water swirled with a whoosh and vanished, before slowly reappearing.
"Where does the water go? she asked.
"Down the drain and away," Marco shrugged. Next he walked over to the other side of the room. "Sink. Right handle is cold water, left handle is hot water." A quick twist, and water appeared, another twist and it stopped. This was even better than wall magic!
"But what about the bath?" she asked. At this, Marco looked a bit sheepish.
"I, uhh, don't really like baths, so there's just a shower. It works just like the sink, left is hot, right is cold. use both to make it the right temperature." He didn't explain further, but this time memories provided enough added detail that she could figure it out.
"Why is it called a bathroom if there is no bath," she continued to wonder.
"It's just a name, we call it all sorts of things on Earth."
"Ohhhh." She didn't get it. She yawned again, and Marco started for the door. "If you have any trouble, just shout and Mom can come help. I'll be in my room..." he trailed off with a stricken look. "My room is gone. I don't have a room anymore."
"Oh that. I fixed it. Your stuff is back, and I tried to get it in the right places." He looked relieved but suspicious still. "Now scoot. I need to use the toy-let. That got him moving.
With Marco gone and the door shut, Star took care of herself. Like a lot of things today, once she picked up something, future memories started filling in the blanks. She may have flushed the toilet a few times more than needed to marvel at it, and luxuriated in a shower so warm that her skin turned red after sputtering as it tried to drown her at first, but made it through without incident. She magicked her night gown from her closet to wear and then knocked on the door to Marco's room to let him know the bathless room was free.
He thanked her, but a few moments later when she heard the shower turn on he yelped. "STAR! You used up all the hot water!" Eh. She was tired. She would figure out how to make or buy some more hot water to replace it later. She back flopped onto her bed and barely curled up in a cocoon of fluffy pillows before her eyes shut and sleep enveloped her.
A/N. No beta for this. Any errors and overuse of commas are my own. Speaking of errors, I've been going through the timeline and episodes, and cannot figure out Star's birthday and how it works. After looking at the timeline and info from the show and books, my only conclusion is that Star celebrates far earlier in the year than Stump Day, and both she and Marco were only 13 at the start of the series. The timeframes of Just Friends and Gift of the Card also cause a ton of trouble, so they may need to be adjusted to make things make sense. Maybe someone else has figured it out?
I've also come to love some of the various fan comics by people like moringmark, pumacita, dm29 and others. I will be adding the occasional reference or joke from them to the story. None in this chapter, but I'll note it when it happens.