She didn't remember the walls of this garage being so bare; the pressed lumber that made up the sides of the garage were unfinished and unpainted. The air smelled thick with the musk of wood. Something was different about the light too. It was whiter.

Star had been here three days prior going over some last minute things with Rafael and Angie. Sure, the light bulb could have been changed, but the whole fixture was different. A long florescent bulb buzzed overhead. The cars weren't inside, which was unusual. There were huge cardboard boxes with water-stained bottoms stacked up where one of the cars would have been and in the place of the other there was just a flattened mat with an oil stain in the middle of it.

Star moved toward the door that led into the interior of the house. Using her portals to get into the garage was a force of habit. Catching Marco's parents in a compromising position the one time was enough for Star.

"Angie? Rafael? Are you decent?" Star cracked the door and spoke through it, waiting for the answer before the entered the home.

"Are you there?" Star asked.

There was an oblong oval of a kitchen table just across the counter and bar. The refrigerator was boxy and silver with a small touchscreen panel on it next to an ice and water-maker. The floor was shimmering white tile instead of the baby blue and eggshell that it had been. Star flicked the light switch on; she had to make sure she was seeing all of this correctly.

"Diazes?" she yelled.

Thunderous footfalls rocked the walls and as a svelte man with dark skin stepped into view on the stairs. It was then that the picture became clear to Star. None of the artwork the Diazes had was there. She could see the couch was black leather now and the coffee table was glass topped.

"What the hell are you doing in my house?" The man was holding some kind of sports club. Star couldn't tell which one of the Earth sports it belonged to. He lowered the makeshift weapon as his dark eyes searching her face. "What's the matter?" He asked.

"Sorry—the Diazes—I'm," Star felt the muscles in her face tighten, she rubbed the back of her hand beneath her eye and tried to fight what she knew was coming. "I'm looking for my fiancé. His family is supposed to live here."

"What's your name?"

"Star Butterfly."

"Okay, Star, well my name is Tony and I've lived here for about ten years. I don't know any Diaz family."

Star shook her head. "This is all wrong," she said. She buried her face in her hands and dropped onto the couch. Too late. No point in fighting now. Tears stung their way out of the bottoms of her eyes. Her chest clenched.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What's going on?" Tony moved down the stairs, dropping the club against the wall.

"I can't do this. I can't—people think I'm crazy. I was in this house three days ago," Star said pointing to the floor. "I lived in this house for nearly a year. I didn't imagine it. I didn't! I didn't! I want Marco back!"

He hugged her around the shoulders. "Star? I hope its okay if I give you a hug? I don't think you're crazy, but you look like you could use a hug."

Star nodded, shutting her eyes and crying against his shoulder. Her tears soaked into his tank top wetting her face and there was something else. He smelled like the soap Marco used, it was such a visceral familiarity that she knew she couldn't be crazy. She couldn't.

"Sorry," Star managed, sniffling to clear her nose.

"It's okay. Sorry, I came in all ready to be quick with the hands. I thought you were busting in here to steal all my shit."

Star sat back, chuckling to herself despite the pain in her chest. "No. I used a portal to get into your garage and…" she realized what she had said as soon as it left her lips. "I mean…"

"Huh?" Tony asked.

"Never mind," Star said, putting her hands on her knees. "Heeeeeey, have you always lived in Echo Creek?" She asked.

"Born and raised. I get the feeling you're not from around here," he said wide eyed.

Star scratched her head. "Yeah, I'm kind of a foreign exchange student. Or I was. Can I ask you a hypothetical question?"

"Go ahead," Tony said.

"Let's say that you were about to marry a sexy and sort of rambunctious girl who and on your wedding day you kind of snuck into to see her getting ready and you hugged her and then you were just gone. It was like no one even knew you existed. And sexy girl's mother didn't remember you and the house where you grew up wasn't yours. It was all different. Where would you have gone? What would that mean?"

Tony leaned away from her, resting against the arm of the couch. "This doesn't sound so hypothetical."

"Come on Tony, you did thought experiments in your fancy Earth schools, just work the problem," Star said.

"Okay. Damn," Tony paused for a moment. "Like did you ever see Fight Club?"

"Is that like the thing where the two guys wearing swim trunks punch each other?"

"No. I think you're talking about boxing. You ever seen the Sixth Sense?" He asked.

"There are only five senses. Everyone knows that."

"These are movies. Okay, so there's these stories where one person has a friend and they're inseparable. Later in the story they realize that the person wasn't real. They imagined them all along. Or they were a ghost," Tony explained.

Star dismissively swatted her hand at him as if to knock the idea out of the air. "I've dealt with ghosts. Marco was very alive."

Tony put a hand to his chin, running his fingers along his square jaw. "You said it earlier—what if he never existed? Like, what if this is the kind of thing where they've been erased from time or wished not to exist anymore." He paused glancing around. "I might be getting too up my own ass with your experiment," he added.

Star shook her head. "No, no I didn't see it before. I know what this is!"

"You do?" Tony asked.

Star lunged on him, hugging him around the shoulders. "Thank you. I won't forget this!"

"Good luck with your wedding," Tony said. Star was off the couch running and right out the front door, but he followed after her. By the time that he reached the porch there was no sign she had ever been there.

The Diaz Household was completely vacant. The decorative yard cacti and the little flourishes that made the place stand out were absent and in their place was a lone FOR SALE sign.

"What's going on here?" Marco asked.

He still didn't see it. "The old song on that radio, the missing gas station and how weird everything looks and now this, Marco we went back in time!" Star said throwing her arms up.

Marco jiggled the front door frantically. "No. No. No. No. No. NO!" He yanked his hands away from the knob to turn toward Star. "I can't do this time travel shit again, Star. Not today."

"I don't think we have a choice, potty mouth." Star's words were muffled by her pressing her face to the kitchen window. She used her wand to shine a light inside. "There's not much furniture in there."

"There's a for sale sign out front and the place looks deserted," Marco sighed. "I guess we can stay here."

Star glared over at him, her blonde hair flashing in the moonlight. "You okay, Marco?"

Marco stared her down, his expression going flat. "Help me with the lock."

A grimace washed over Star's face as she trotted toward the front door. "Don't even say please or anything. I'm not your—locksmith," Star said as she touched the wand to the door causing it to unlock and pop open.

"Aww, but you're so good at it."

"Don't get persnickety with me, Diaz, we need to figure out what's going on with you. Something Eclipsa said kinda made me think we might not have forever," Star said.

"I should have never gotten you that word of the day calendar. You're even using it wrong," he smiled. "Look, we won't be able to do anything in the middle of the night like this. Plus we need to get at least some rest."

The interior was mostly the same, the tile on the floor was different, vacant walls. The previous occupant had left the fridge behind, but that was it in the way of usable amenities. Star froze, folding her arms to think for a moment.

"I should be able to bring some stuff here. The spell that I use to clean up is an extra dimensional space. There's some spare furniture in there, some of your clothes. It might be enough to get us by," Star said.

"You've got my underwear in an extra dimensional space?" Marco said.

"If you didn't leave them laying around I wouldn't." Star walked the first floor of the house dropping things where she thought they should be. Though she had been in the Diaz Household many times her talents as a decorator were lightyears ahead of what humans thought was en vogue. Kitchen washer drier. A living dining area, couch and a full sized-table, a coffee table was a waste. She dropped a few more items out of the ether before grabbing Marco's hand and leading him upstairs.

In his room she conjured a bed and a few other things he might need. During all of this Star was quiet, Marco probably thought she was tired.

"Okay, so in the morning we hit the town and try and figure out when we are and what's going on. We should probably check the school first."

"Yeah, that's a great idea, Marco."

Star cast the Sparkle Glitter Bomb Expand spell for her room, bringing the huge tower into existence on the side of the house. The more she thought about it the more she was worried that it might not be safe. This wasn't the Diaz Household from what she could tell. What if the person who was selling it showed up? She undid it and went to the master bedroom.

"Sorry Angie and Rafael. I hope you don't mind me being in here," she said quietly. "I also hope Marco doesn't mind."

She locked the room door and plopped down in the corner, her back resting on the spot where two walls intersected. She pulled her knees to her chest, hugging them tight as she rocked the wand side to side, moving its head in a tight figure eight.

"I summon the All-Seeing Eye to tear a hole into the sky. Reveal to me that which is hidden. Unveil to me what is forbidden," she whispered.

Her heart skipped a beat when Marco appeared lying in his bed, just a few doors away. The way he was supposed to be. His eyes were closed and he was half uncovered with his mouth agape.

He had been peacefully sleeping when this all started. Would he even feel like he was fading away if it happened again? Would he just cease to be? Would she even remember him? She maintained her watch, making an oath to herself all over again that she would save him. Sleep would have to wait. Sleep was a luxury that she couldn't afford.

Eclipsa zipped Meteroa into her tiny light blue dress, smiling down at her daughter as she ran her fingers through the young girl's violet hair. "You look simply amazing.

"Thanks momma," Meteroa said holding her arms up. The flower basket it hung awkwardly from one side. "When do we get to see Star?"

"You're going to be right in front of her. You've got a very important job. Like I've told you all of Mewni is going to stand up when you come through with your flowers and kernels of corn. And when you toss them out they'll all know Star is right behind you," Eclipsa said.

"Why are you crying, Mommy?" Meteroa asked.

"It's nothing, Sweetie, I'm o—"

There was a crash outside the door and a muffled scream followed by a sound like a spell being cast. Eclipsa pushed Meteora behind her. "Hide somewhere, now. Do as I say."

The wood of the doors splintered, but the pieces froze midair giving Star just enough space to float into the dressing room with Meteora and Eclipsa. "Star?"

"Shimmer Soap Tentacle Wave!" Star motioned with her hand and the train of Eclipsa's dress wound itself tight around her, squeezing her body tight and trapping her arms.

Seeing her mother in trouble, Meteora's eye's began to glow red, but Star curled her fingers up and released a second spell. "Dreamless sleep."

The young girl collapsed to the floor.

"What's the meaning of this?" Eclipsa yelled.

"Your spell—the Void Piercing Spear—did you use it on Marco?" Star asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Eclipsa said turning her head.

"Don't play dumb with me and keep your hands still, I know what conjuring a spell looks like." Star said.

Eclipsa flexed her shoulders and her green hair drooped down into her eyes. She curled her lower-lip over her upper one and blew the tendrils out of her eyes. "I've never used that spell. It has far reaching consequences."

"Well, someone did." Star paced the room. "Use it, I mean. Some of what I remember reading in the book is happening now. No one remembers Marco but me."

"Preposterous, you're marrying Marco," Eclipsa said.

Star dropped to her knees and released the spell. "How do you remember Marco too?"

"How could I forget Marco?" Eclipsa asked between huge, panicked breaths.

"Marco came to visit me before the wedding for some…woohoo time. He vanished before anything happened and now Mom doesn't remember him. Went to his old house and now his parents never lived there. It's like something happened to the whole family. Like they never existed."

Eclipsa moved to scoop up Meteora and move her to the small couch. "You read the Void Piecing Spear. It's not a spell, it's a set of instructions attached to a spell. I called it the most pacifist way to completely obliterate someone. You erase them from time. They cease to be and soon even the memory of them is gone."

"Why does it effect Marco's parents and their house?" Star asked.

"Well because they are what made Marco inevitable. If Rafael gives Angie the old shot twixt wind and water they have a little Marco. The way you save Marco is to undo whatever they did," Eclipsa explained.

Star pushed herself to her feet. "So someone went back and killed them?"

"Not necessarily. The Void Piercing Spear will take you to the desired time, but you have to figure out what it was that they did to assure Marco's erasure. Whatever they did, you can undo it."

"Then you're going to have to send me back," Star said. "And I'm going to need the wand too."

"You're not even sure who you're going back to stop," said Eclipsa.

"I've got a pretty good idea," Star said.

Star opened the door the fridge, glanced inside, and closed it for what felt like the hundredth time. It wasn't like she could have expected anything to just appear in there. She and Marco hadn't really prepared to be here. They hadn't had the time. Her eyelids were heavy and the sunlight cutting through the blinds seemed to hurt on her skin or eyes or anywhere else that it touched her including her hair.

Marco stumbled down the stairs, pulling his hoodie over his t-shirt. His eyes wandered through the house to find Star.

"Oh hey Marco. I think we need some of that paper Earth money," Star said.

Marco reached down the front of his pants and pulled out a wad of cash. "Six hundred and fifty dollars. It's all we've got."

Star squinted at him, slamming the fridge door shut to move closer to him. "But it's not even in your fancy-pants wallet…"

"Yeah. You're always sneaking the money out of it so I started keeping the cash taped inside my underwear," said Marco.

"Taped to what?" Star pondered her own question as she tapped her index finger against her chin.

Marco ignored her. "Whoa, did you sleep at all?" Marco asked.

Star knew what she looked like: her frazzled blonde hair hung down over her eyes as a feeble attempt to hide the huge bags beneath them. She hadn't bothered with her hairband or even changing out of her night clothes. The grass stains were more apparent on them in the light.

"I'll be fine Marco. We just have to get some caffeine in me."

He closed the gap between them, reaching up to touch her cheek. "What's going on?" He asked.

"Please, don't touch me," Star said weakly.

He pulled his hand away. "If you're not okay, you can always talk to me."

"It won't do us any good discussing it here. Not now," Star said.

"Okay then."

She held the wand up. "I've got to get used to using this thing again," she muttered. Star closed her eyes and touched the wand to her chest. Her clothes changed: she was wearing a teal dress with a little spider on the front and some flat-bottomed Maryjanes. She moved the wand up to her hair to put it up in a ponytail with a red ribbon.

Star stashed the wand. "How do I look?"

"Uh, great as always—always great," Marco stuttered.

Despite everything at stake and everything that was going on, Star laughed at this. A memory that always stuck out to her was something that Jackie said to Marco when they were all at Britta's Tacos. He always could make you laugh. That was what really made Marco special. What if one day she couldn't remember the little details of her life with Marco like that?

What if she couldn't remember Marco.

"I think we should hit up Starbucks and then we head over to Echo Creek Academy—do some recon," Marco said.

"Sounds like a plan."

They made their way down the streets of Echo Creek, following less worn versions of the roads they knew. It was somehow cooler outside in a way that felt significant and the air had a yellowish haze to it that hung low over everything.

"There's another casualty," Marco said pointing to the grass mound that would, in their time, be a vacant parking lot where a taco truck was perpetually parked.

"Look Marco, that electric sign!" Star grabbed him by the shoulder and aimed his arm up toward the bank marquee.

"1997," Marco said. "We're in 1997?"

"I know! What's that even mean? Should we dress differently? Maybe I could fashion some leather armor with spikes on it," Star said.

"This isn't a Mad Max movie," Marco said. "But we have to be careful. We could reference something that completely screws the timeline," Marco said. "We could do something that makes us never be born…"

"That must be what happened to you," Star said. "Someone did something that erased you. The Void Piercing Spear spell seems just takes you to a desired time, which means someone else using it to get rid of you for…reasons."

"A spell? Where would they get it from?" Marco asked.

"There are a lot of place to get a spell. Eclipsa did it to get us here, but there could be another magic user. They might even be someone that the two of us know yet…" Star said.

Marco grabbed the sides of his head, pulling at his head. "This is freaking me out, Star. All of this time travel stuff is too much."

"Let's find a gas station and get a breakfast burrito in you. Maybe they'll have some coffee for me," Star said rubbing his shoulder.