I do not own 'Star VTFOE'
Duty
The Diaz household was experiencing a nice bout of calming peace. A rare thing to occur since the arrival of the princess from another dimension.
It was ruined the moment Marco kicked the door in. He trudged in, dragging a groaning Star Butterfly in behind him.
"Oh, is everything okay?" Mrs. Diaz asked worriedly.
"It was a terrible fight between me and my oldest and greatest enemy." Star moaned. "But, I think I managed to defeat it...for now."
"Oh my." Mrs Diaz stated, she had seen them fight some tough looking creatures. "What was it?"
Star looked her friend's mother in eyes with an intense gaze. The woman was actually losing a cheery demeanor as the princess stared directly at her. Star answered with a single word.
"Boredom."
And like that the uneasy feeling that was growing in her stomach vanished. It was replaced with the all too familiar sensation of laughter at her ward's antics. She liked this one. There was always something happening when Star was around.
"You laugh, oh how I missed the sound coming from my own lips!" Star wailed dramatically. "Back when I had a magical wand and a group of monsters to fight everyday, now I have neither! You never know what you have until it's been taken in a magical explosion."
Marco chuckled at his friends antics.
Star had been bored all day because of the lack of usual routine. She had no magic to amuse herself. No Ludo and his monsters to defeat. No wacky adventure to fill the day. Star Butterfly went through the day as any normal Earth child would have. She was not coping well. Marco was enjoying the little break.
"I just wish something exciting and or magical would happen!" Star exclaimed.
"Uh, Star." Marco spoke nervously. "I don't think that a magical Princess should be making wishes."
"But I'm not magic anymore." She stated with a dramatic sigh. "Have you not been listening to me?"
There was a loud knock at the door.
Marco opened the door. He took one look at the ones on the other side before slamming it shut and bracing his back against it. He quickly ran back to the Princess.
"Hey, uh Star." Marco spoke with a panicked expression. "Remember how you said boredom was your oldest enemy?"
"Yeah?"
The door was broken down by a powerful kick. Marco simply thumbed in the direction of their former door.
There stood three guards from St. Olga's Reform school for Wayward Princesses.
The lead short guard is the one with the more mechanical mask, and the only one whose mask also has what appears to be a mouth. He also wears a dark blue tie, and his buttons are located at the lower left half of his uniform.
One guard has a more brownish uniform and his mask is blackish, with four spikes pointing upward. He has a single button on the left side of his uniform.
Another guard has a grey uniform, with his mask having what appears to be two animal-like ears. He has three buttons on the left side of his uniform.
"Star Butterfly." The lead guard called as they looked directly at her. "You will come with us."
Star stood up with a small smile and began walking towards Marco in a 'Tsk tsk' manner.
"Oh Marco Marco Marco." She spoke with a shake of her head. "These guys aren't my greatest enemies, they're my greatest fear."
He looked at the guards before turning a confused gaze towards the Princess.
"...Which itself is an enemy isn't it?" Marco asked.
"Not when it pumps the heart giving us plenty of energy TO RUN FOR MY LIFE!" Star shouted as she grabbed Marco's hand and ran.
Star made a straight shot for the stairs, no doubt heading to her room.
"Careful!" Marco shouted as one of the guards made their way towards her.
"Cupcake blast!" She held up an item only for it to turn out as a hairbrush. "Oh right, wand's gone." She remembered. "Hairbrush!" Star shouted as she jumped over a table and threw the item at the guard.
Star and Marco had made it to the Princess' room. As soon as they closed the door, they began barricading it with all the random stuff the Princess has summoned with her wand.
"See what happens when a magical Princess makes a wish for something magical and exciting?" Marco tried to joke, though it was hard at the moment.
"Hey!" Star exclaimed, though she smiled weakly. "They aren't exciting and or magical, they're scientific and terrifying!"
Their little moment was interrupted by something slamming against the door, nearly pushing all of the stuff that was blocking it off.
"How do we get out of here Star?" Marco asked as he looked around her room. "You must have made some kind of emergency exit, right?"
"Pssh." She waved her hand dismissively. "We don't need no stinking emergency exit when we have these!" She brandished her magical scissors, capable of opening portals to other dimensions.
"STAR BUTTERFLY!" A regal voice shouted.
Both Star and Marco were shocked to hear the voice coming from inside of Star's room. They turned to see that her mirror was on.
Star, in an act of fear, through the magical scissors out of sight, hoping that her mom hadn't seen them.
"Mom!?" Star asked incredulously.
"Mrs. Butterfly!?" Marco asked, just as shocked.
"That's Queen Butterfly." The woman corrected.
"Mom, what's going on!?" Star asked. "Why are these goons here!?"
"These guards are here to escort you to St. Olga's ref-"
"AAAH!" Star screamed cutting the Queen off.
"SILENCE STAR!" The Queen shouted, ending Star's scream.
Star flinched under the Queen's glare. "M-mom?"
The Princess was shocked by the Queen's tone, her mother never lost her cool. Not like that. Not to her. Whatever was going on was big.
"Your father and I sent you to Earth to train with the wand where you couldn't cause too much damage." The Queen stated. "Unfortunately you failed to do so."
"W-What do you mean by that?" Star asked nervously.
"I know all about your little adventures." The Queen answered in a scolding manner. "Like your trips to other dimensions when you're supposed to stay on Earth. Your constant misuse of the wand for frivolous and personal amusement! Breaking in and out of St. Olga's and finally-!" The Queen took a calming breath as she spoke. "Sacrificing Mewni's most powerful weapon for the sake of one unimportant human."
"Marco is important!" Star stated. "He's my best friend."
"More important than every citizen in Mewni?" The Queen asked.
Star had no retort to that. Obviously no one life was more important than another's, let alone the thousands of others in her home. Thousands that she was destined to lead. But Star had made a decision.
"It's time to return to Mewni." The Queen stated. "Pack your things, you are leaving immediately."
Marco had had enough of listening to the conversation. He had stayed out of it for the sake of family matters, but enough was enough. His friend needed him.
"Queen Butterfly, I know that Star has made a few mistakes." Marco spoke. "But she always did so with well intentions."
"You humans have a saying don't you?" She asked. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
"But she's helped a lot of people."
"And how many of these people that she helped were from the problems that she herself caused?"
It was true, the problems that Star fixed were often from her own cause. When it wasn't, she could actually make the situation worse.
"Star has been training!" Marco declared.
"Oh?" The Queen raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, she's always learning better control over the wand." Marco stated, with Star nodding in agreement. "And she's beaten Ludo countless times when he-"
"Ludo is a joke." The Queen stated, silencing Marco. "And fixing a problem isn't the same as learning control. It's no different than erasing a wrong answer and choosing the next until you stumble onto the correct one."
"Doesn't Star's feelings mean anything here!?" Marco exclaimed.
The Queen gave Marco a steely gave through the mirror, but he wasn't deterred.
"No." The Queen answered. "Love, anger, fear, and pride mean nothing in face of a Princesses' duty." She turned towards her daughter. "Because a Princesses' first duty is-"
"Is to her people." Star finished in a whisper.
That was one of the first lessons Star had ever learned in her royal studies. She was meant to lead her people, not rule over them. That's the motto of a benevolent monarch, not a tyrant.
The Queen nodded in satisfaction.
There was a loud cracking noise as the door finally shattered and the debris that had been blocking it scattered around the room. They took a moment pause to look at Queen Butterfly before turning to their target, Star.
"Take her."
Marco stood in front of Star and the metal guard. He took a fighting stance, ready to defend the Princess. Said Princess was uncharacteristically quiet, contemplating.
"I wouldn't do that child." The Queen warned. "They're designated not to harm the Princesses they chase, anything and everyone else is considered-"
Marco threw a low chop at the guard with everything he had. It landed, connecting with the guard's stomach. It had no affect on the guard, but the same couldn't be said for the human. Marco stepped back and grabbed his hand in pain, he had felt a few fingers crack under the blow. The only thing that kept it from fully breaking was the endurance from breaking boards of wood.
The machine simply backhanded the boy, knocking him to the far end of the room.
"Expendable." The Queen finished.
"Marco!" Star shouted as she ran to his side.
She didn't get far as one of the machines grabbed her and held her in place. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn't break free from it's grip.
The boy stood up as best he could, the blow had rattled him more than he had expected. That blow was harder than any the monsters had given. Ever. He shook his head in an attempt to focus. He took his fighting stance again.
The machine took another swipe at him, but this time he ducked and raised his leg for a high kick. The results were the same. Marco was in pain while the metal guard didn't even register the attack.
"Wait stop, I'll go with you!" Star shouted to the robots.
They turned their attention from Marco towards their target, Princess Star Butterfly. With her their task was complete and they could return to the school.
Marco wasn't so accepting of his friends sacrifice. He kept getting up. Kept getting between her and the androids. Then he got knocked back down. The process repeated itself.
Star watched as her best friend took blow after blow from the merciless machines. She watched as he refused to stay down. All for her.
Marco latched onto the nearest machine's arm. He dug his feet into the ground and pulled back on the machine with all of his might. He had attempted to slow it down for Star to escape, but it didn't even register him.
No, no...I can't let them take her...I won't let them take her!
But thinking that and acting on it are too different things. Just as these machines proved by effortlessly beating him into the ground. He needed to be stronger. He needed more strength! More skill! More more mo-
More!
He held tightly onto the machine's arm. Pulling and squeezing with every desperate ounce of his energy. There was a screeching sound as the metal actually caved in under Marco's grip.
Star was shocked by her friends sudden display of strength, it was beyond human.
It seemed to finally draw the machine's attention towards the boy. With the slightest of efforts, the machine struck Marco, knocking him into the wall, leaving a dent in it.
"Human...anomaly: Threat Level Minimum." One of the machines stated as he examined the arm. "Do we terminate?"
"Negative." Another answered. "The Princess is priority."
Marco's body continued to spasm in pain as he tried to stand, he wasn't done yet. He was faintly aware of his name being called. He felt two small hands hold him down and looked to see that it was Star that was trying to stop him.
"Marco." Star called as soothingly as possible. "That's enough."
"W-What?"
"I-I have to go." She stated sadly. "Mom's right, my people need me, you understand right?"
"Star, they're sending you to St. Olga's!" Marco weakly exclaimed. "You know what they'll do to you there!"
"Yeah..." She agreed uneasily. "But let's be real, I was going there anyway."
With all the shenanigans, she was most definitely going there. Or to jail...dungeon?
"But Star-"
Star silenced him by placing a finger to his lips.
She pulled the boy into a hug and held him tight. Ignoring the pain in his body, he hugged her just as tightly, wanting to never let go.
"Marco." She whispered. "You were the best friend I ever had."
With a few snip of their magical scissors, Princess Star Butterfly was gone from his life.
Review.
What do you think? Especially with a possible Marco/Janna.
