Flowers and Stars 3

What Truths Are Left?

A/N: Thank you for the people who have reviewed so far and I hope you all enjoy this following chapter too.

Useful76: Oh that's good XD confused me there. There is currently a lot going on but it'll start all moving together soon and hope this clears up some mystery.

SonicMax: I've PM'd you if you want me to clear anything up if not hope you enjoy the chapter. It might be the understanding you were waiting for :)

LawKaynn: It got lost? Thank you I'm glad you enjoyed it so far :) the gimmick will stick around but it clears up in this Chapter for the Characters sake. I wont confirm or deny but strongly potentially it will end up that way.

Mr Black Cat: Thank you :) I want it to have a sort of strange vibe, like the cause of Marco's death won't be clear till near the end. I'm a big fan of both but there is a lot more stories with one than the other so I'm going to focus more on the latter. Though like mentioned in the first chapter there are plenty of futures where they end up together and plenty where the opposite is true.

Silence had fallen in the moments after Dox's disappearance. Aside from the wind all that could be heard were the defeated sobs of Princess Star Butterfly. Her body had turned limp as she leant on her mother. Moon cradled her gently fearing that too much could break the girl further. She stroked her daughters golden blonde hair softly as she tried to find the right words to say.

"We should head back to the castle. Staying here won't solve anything my Queen." Moon looked up to find Glossaryck hovering over them both. He was right, sitting there wasn't going to save anyone. She slid her arm under Star's legs and let her head rest on her lifting her up. Glossaryck had opened a portal which led back to the castle, Star's room to be precise. She laid Star gently down before watching the blue man tap her on the head sending her into a deep sleep.

"Is that going to help her?"

"It may or it may just delay the inevitable. Either way we need to move." Moon nodded at the comment before the two stepped back into a portal and arrived at the Magical High Commission. Usually the two would respect the rules of this place but now was not the time. They walked through the magic detectors ignoring the sirens that blared and when someone foolish enough not to recognise the anger on their faces tried to stop them he was blasted through several walls. No one else tried.

When they entered the room they were greeted by the usual, Heckapoo, Rhombulus and Omnitraxius Prime. Additionally to the usual were King River and Prince Tom. Glossaryck raised an eyebrow when he saw the prince.

"The young Lucitor?"

"Glossaryck I won't hear any complaints about Tom's joining of the High Commission. With You and... Gone it has been hard around here and Tom has proven himself countless times. He is welcome here as a colleague and a friend." Tom smiled at the words Moon defended him with and was happy when she returned his smile with her own.

"Understood my Queen i was just worried about how he would take the news that Star is distraught, the wand is missing and the boy we vowed to protect from his nearing death is now missing along with their little green friend" He managed to say while trying to pick something from his teeth. His words rendered the room silent as horror flashed on Moon's face.

"WHAT!?" Yelled both Tom and Heckapoo in union.

"Star-Marco is what?!" They turned to Moon demanding answers.

"What do you mean Marco is missing and nearing death? Answer me now!" Heckapoo slammed her fist on the table cracking it in too. Tom flinched at her manner but also wanted answers.

"Queen Moon what's happened?" He asked trying to hold back how he felt. Moon sighed before slouching into a seat with her head in her hands. She slid the familiar viewing crystal onto the table.

"It all started last week-"

She told them everything from the future versions of Glossaryck and Heckapoo to the crystal of Marco's Demise. She told them of the rift energy and the desire to save Marco. How they rushed to meet Star only to find a broken little girl with no wand and no friends beside her. They used Glossaryck's magic to show the memories of himself, Moon and Star to show the story of the Earthling known as...

"...Dox" whispered Heckapoo. Everyone turned to look at her confused.

"You know this man?" River asked the demi-god.

"Yes.. But it can't be.. How is it possible.." She seemed to be asking herself these questions much to the annoyance of Moon and the others.

"How do you know him? Tell us?" It was her turn to slam the table although she didn't crack it, she destroyed it.

"He turned up in my dimension sometime with what would be last week in your time..."

/flashback/

Heckapoo sat back on her couch bored out of her mind. After the incident with Star's portal jumping and Meteora she hadn't had much to do. Which when your dimension runs two years to the minute was a long time to be bored. She had made back up with her Muscles after the trouble defending Mewni but he was reluctant to go on adventures saying he had to be there for Star.

It was always about Star with him. She admired the fact really that he was so committed to being there for her just she couldn't help but feel there was more to it but what did she know she was just a all powerful forger of Scissors. She looked through the list of possible trial takers and was disappointed. No one in her list was anything special. She was about to burn it when something odd happened. Suddenly a name was added to the bottom. A name she had never heard.

Dox A. Par. She looked at it confused. The list was magical and would sort applicants for her but it had never added a name that way before. They'd appear slowly as their deeds added up until they were good enough to take the trial. However, his name, this 'Dox', had just appeared on the list in the boldest font she had ever scene. She immediately stood up and cut a portal. This could be fun.

Dox fell through the red portal that appeared beneath his feet with none of the grace the him that fought the teenager trio had. He crashed loudly landing on his ass in front of the goddess. He took one look at her then sighed. He stood up brushed off the dirt from his clothes and bowed to her.

"Greeting Mr Par. I am Heckapoo, Forger of Dimensional Scissors and i have chosen you to take my trial. If you succeed you will earn yourself a pair and your name will go down in history" She boasted with a confident smile.

"Pass" Her eyes flew wide before her face was filled with anger.

"Pass? What do you mean pass? You must not know who i am!"

"You are Heckapoo, Forger of Dimensional Scissors, i listened to your intro lady and ya know I'm good. I don't need some magical stationary but thank you anyhow I'll be on my way now tah tah" Dox waved to the stunned woman before opening a portal himself and disappearing through it. She stared in disbelief as the black portal faded. Fury filled her as she ripped open multiple portals and watched as Dox fell from one into another until he landed at her feet.

"Well I must say that is plain rude." Dox mumbled from the dirt. She quickly grabbed his hands and bound then before throwing him onto the sofa.

"You will show me the respect i deserve and tell me how you are able to make portals! Who are you!" The flame 🔥 on her head was raging high as it turned the ceiling black. Dox gulped before turning to the girl and smiled.

She wacked him on the back of the head.

"Ouch lady that hurts what's wrong with you?"

She wacked him again. Same place.

"Oi crazy lady stop hitting me!"

And again.

"You know what i don't need to deal with this." Dox proclaimed furiously. He twisted his bound hand and fell into the sofa through a portal. Unfortunately Heckapoo quickly opened another above it so he ended up falling continuously until he crashed onto the floor looking very pale and very sick.

"Ready now?" She asked with a dark grin.

"Yes Milady". She picked him back up and put him upright on the sofa. She also let him free of the rope figuring by now he wouldn't try to run.

"Are you going to answer my question?"

"Yes" he answered with a smile.

"Go on then!" Heckapoo was slowly losing patience.

"I just did"

"Did what?"

"Answer your question"

"What question?"

"Are you going to answer my question?" Dox repeated in a mocking voice. For his troubles he was rewarded with 3 slaps to the back of the head.

"Ouch seriously cut that out it really hurts! You some sort of sadist lady?" Again another slap.

"Look i can keep this up all day Dox-uche or you can answer my questions" She was enjoying herself with the guy. She hadn't had anyone to play with in a while and although she did need answers she could afford to let this drag out.

"Oh i see what you did there Dox and Douche together very clever. Okay if you promise to stop slapping me?"

"I'll try?"

"Good enough for me i guess."

/End of Flashback/

Heckapoo stopped telling her story to look up at the rest of the MHC who were giving her weird looks.

"This isn't headed anywhere... Risqué is it Heckapoo?" Moon asked concerned. Heckapoo's face flushed red in embarrassment.

"No! Why would you think that!?"

"Because your doing that thing with the guys you like. The playing with them and hitting them thing" Moon cringed at the thought.

"Does that mean she likes me to-"

"RHOMBULUS GO SIT IN THE CORNER!" Heckapoo yelled at him. He got up moaning and went to his corner whingeing about how it wasn't fair.

"No Moon it doesn't get 'Risqué'. Do you want me to tell the story or not?"

"Please continue"

"So he told me that he was from Earth and had been adopted by a magician in Mewni as a child. He had trained in magic and other stuff in another dimension where he also learnt how to stabilise his own portals without the use of my Scissors. He showed me the magic to do it and its all solid. It's ingenious the magic he uses for portals is compatible with my own and may even be able to gain entrance to new dimensions. After this he stayed with me for what was about 10 minutes".

"Our time or yours?"

"Your time"

"He lived with you for 20 Years!? What were you doing!?"

Heckapoo chuckled laughing at their reaction. 20 years.. 10 minutes... It felt the same to her.

"For the first few years he was sort of my unwilling guest. I needed his help to work out how to combine the portal magic and also to keep an eye on him. With his magic around the 5th year i developed these" She held up a pair of Black Scissors. "These babies are special with these any portal made is untraceable i call them Stealth Ebony. He thought the name was stupid. The next 5 years we were working. I took him along since he was useful and i guess at this point we were good friends. He helped me further my research and i taught him how to portal like a BOSS. We had some good times. We dated for a few of the next ten years even talked about marriage but i could see how much he'd aged it wasn't meant to be. Plus i knew he was holding back on something. He had something on his mind all the time. The last two years i decided to help him with some of his research. It was making a small pocket dimension that blocked out all interference from the outside. It ended up like a house where you could open a portal to the door but without the right key or being let inside you couldn't get in. It was great. We finished it and celebrated. He gave me one key and shortly after he left. Never thought I'd see him again till i saw your memory." She looked confused and hurt.

"So let me get this straight. The guy that attacked my daughter and her friends is your ex boyfriend that you helped create an untraceable unreachable hiding place?" Moon asked in a monotone. The room had fallen silent as Heckapoo described her time with Dox. All of them aware of how fondly she spoke of him and how hurt it seemed to make her that he'd do this.

"Yes.. But.. But i have a key! It's not unreachable!"

"Then use it my dear" Heckapoo looked up to see Glossaryck staring down at her. She huffed at his demand but stood up anyway. She opened a black portal and slid the key into the middle before turning it. She stood back waiting for it to turn red and let her through but instead it turned into a mirror.

"Hey is this on?" Came a voice tapping the mirror from the other side.

"Please record your message"

"Oh it is on, wonderful." Everyone looked into the mirror to see the red headed man they had been talking about sitting in his chair with some tea.

"Hey Milady, how are you? Rhetorical question don't answer that this is a recording and if your listening to this i imagine your either confused or pissed off but anyway. I'm sure your in there with the rest of the commission so ill say my hello's too. Hello Queen Moon, King River, Prince Tom, Omni, Glossaryck and you too Rhom sitting in the corner like always." He chuckled before continuing. "Now by the time you watch this I would have already taken Marco Diaz and the Butterfly Wand. With its power and the boys potential i will be unstoppable and no one there will be able to do a thing about it. Screw the Queen of Darkness or some dumb lizard bird. I will be the ruler of all dimensions. Hahahahaahaaha but on another note i know you said that things weren't working out but if you wanna give it another go after this whole thing blows over call me" Dox pressed onto the screen and the image cut out leaving the High Commission speechless.

"So let me get this straight." Marco pinched the bridges of his nose as he processed the last of the information. "You want to save me so to do so you kidnapped me, stole the royal wand and then basically declared war on the Magical High Commission pretending that your some massive evil that will take over the universe?!" He looked up from his books to see Dox looking back as if nothing was wrong.

"Yeah? I mean they're never gonna find us but doesn't hurt to look?"

2 months had passed since the day they were kidnapped. Dox had carried on explaining things to them that although they weren't sure what happened to cause his death whatever it was started 6 weeks before he died. Before that time came Dox was going to teach Marco everything he could from martial arts to magic... Is what he said but for the last 2 months all Marco had done was study. The history of Mewni. The history of Dimensions. The first portal. The fables of dark dimensions. Magic theory. War tactics for dummies. He felt like his brain was going to explode as he sat in the study. Kelly on the other hand had been training in every weapon imaginable. She had cut her hair short so it came up to her shoulders and taken to only wearing shorts, her boots and a long jumper giving the illusion that she wasn't even wearing the shorts, which distracted Marco to no end. Dox had taught her how to forge and enchant weapons and Marco watched as her slashes of her swords turned into waves of fire and ice across the room. Without portal hopping Kelly could now best Dox in every 5th fight which wasn't enough for either of them.

Dox had decided to tell Marco a bit about the comings and goings of the outside world.

"So i sent a letter to your parents promising that you'd be safe just that id be borrowing you for a bit and apologised that you'd miss the birth of your little brother. I asked them to record everything." Marco groaned loudly over his book. "Mewni has established peace talks with the monsters forefronted by the Princess and a buff looking frog dude-"

"Wait there are peace talks with Monsters going on?" Marco put down his book and leaned over the table his interest fully lost in his studies.

"Yeah apparently its being done in your name. Since conventional methods didn't work to find you Star is trying the unconventional. She persuaded enough nobles to establish the talks and it will start in i believe 3 months time. There's a lot of red tape to cut through to get it that soon trust me. The MHC is looking for us, I'm being hunted by all the bounty hunters in all the dimensions as one of the biggest criminals of all time. It's actually rather amusing."

"Only you could find being the universes most hated person something to smile about" Marco sighed. Over the 2 months be had grown close enough to the fellow human to call him a friend. Or at least an acquaintance.

"Oh Marco it is remarkably funny. I am already a bigger threat to the universe than Eclipsa ever was apparently. Though i think that's cause they're looking for you really. On the subject of Eclipsa she managed to convince them to release her husband and the two are living peacefully raising their daughter the right way. They are under the protection of the Butterfly family and are having all the bad press revoked. I mean she did save the day and after a while she did return the wand to Star saying it wasn't worth her time. I frankly find her to be quite the lady"

"You would!" Marco thought to himself.

"Tom has stayed by her side by the way and he alone has led expedition after expedition into uncharted dimensions to find you to no luck. The work he has done at establishing an alliance of demons across the dimensions is great too. Heckapoo keeps trying to break in here i mean i went to see her last month to see if she had thought about a second chance but ya know. You took the dagger from my back after i came back here. She didn't tell the MHC about it i don't think." He chuckled before rubbing his back where she stabbed him.

"So what's the plan? Am i meant to sit here studying forever while my friends tear apart the world looking for me?"

"I told you Marco before i can teach you the rest you need to increase your base knowledge. The plan is 2 months studying, 4 months combat training, 4 Months magic training and then we'll see about giving you back to your friends."

"You make it sound easy?"

"Oh well it won't be. I mean most of it we'll rush through maybe have a day trip adventure here and there barely anything worth writing home about but ill cover the important things. Whatever it is out there that is capable of distorting the timeline and leading to your death you'll be ready. As will your friends."

"Is that why you made it seem like your the big bad guy? So they'd be ready?"

"In a way yes. In the short time since I've taken action the universe is more united than it has ever been. By the way your friend Janna sent a letter asking how you were you should write a reply"

"How did she even post it here? We're in a pocket dimension?"

"Your guess is as good as mine" Dox shrugged sipping his tea.

"So are you going to tell me why you took Kelly and the Wand?" Marco turned serious catching Dox off guard.

"Always to the point with you. You are no fun. I'll explain the wand first. It's not ready to be used properly yet. After being destroyed and repaired and whatever happened with the lizard man. It needed time to return to full power. That wand since the day it was forged has been losing power as the power in the Butterfly blood faded. Star, like Eclipsa were unusually full of raw power. More than the wand could let them use. They found out they were stronger in their Butterfly forms but both were not complete. By taking the wand and letting it heal here where pure magic is stronger then when its returned Star will have access to the true power of the Butterfly family."

"And Kelly?"

"You might of got lonely?"

"I'm serious Dox none of your side stepping... I swear are you related to Glossaryck or something as your so similar with that" Dox chuckled loudly at his comments before continuing.

"Kelly died before you."

"What?"

"In my timeline i looked back and saw that she is meant to die 2 months from now. The cause unknown much like yours. I figured save the girl and we're one step closer to saving you. Plus i know how you feel about her."

"Yeah she's my friend! And thank you".

"Sure that's all and its okay. She deserved to live."

"Have you told her yet about it? And couldn't me and her just stay here till the time passes?" Marco questioned hopefully.

"No i haven't told her. I feel like she wouldn't have taken the news well after hearing if your situation. And sure you can, but whatever happens to you could happen to Star or to Tom or to anyone else you care about? Personally that's not my agenda so I would be okay with it but you i feel might not." Dox coldly added at the end.

"OF COURSE I WOULDN'T! How are you okay with that?! People dying in my place?! I should head back now! And its been 2 months since then you could have told her!" Marco slammed his fists onto the books causing some to scatter onto the floor.

Dox looked up from his tea with apprehension. He still wasn't sure how much he could tell him without leading to a negative result. The future was certain while that day hadn't and until then he was not taking any chances.

"I'm okay with it Mr Diaz because I'm only here to protect you and if you head back no it would solve nothing. As long as you are both in the right place the day before your cause of death, whatever it is, occurred we can fight it without damaging any others in the process and I'm not sure about you but telling people they are going to die is not the easiest conversation to start with a person who you knocked unconscious and kidnapped." Marco paused to take in what he said and then smiled.

"You said your only here for me but you saved Kelly? That's contradictory Dox."

Dox chuckled before placing down his tea. "Do you think i don't see what your aiming for with this? You want me to save everyone Marco all your little friends but here's the kicker. I'm no hero. That's your job kiddo."

Marco rose to object to the statement but was intterupted by the door slamming. Kelly had walked in and was giving Dox a look of disgust.

"Miss Kelly, Do you disagree with me?" He asked challengingly. She sat next to Marco calmly before staring at Dox.

"Well?" Dox quizzed.

Kelly suddenly flipped the table sending all the books crashing around the room. Marco leapt back in shock as after the mass of paper had settled he saw Kelly pinning Dox to the floor with a sword pressed to his neck and a black box in her other hand.

Dox stared at her and then at the box before laughing loudly. He couldn't believe it.

"You amaze me Miss Kelly. To not only find out how to block my portals but to forge the item necessary that is incredible. Is this what you've been spending your time doing? Is the trust between us really that small?" He went to laugh again only to be head butted by the girl.

"Kelly!?" Marco cried at her unsure what to do but she ignored him.

"Stop laughing you freak! Stop joking and being so cheerful! I overheard you too just now i know I'm going to die like Marco is. I don't care to be honest. Yes I made this box but not because i don't trust you but to stop you running from this. Tell Marco the end of the truth." She pushed her sword against his skin nipping it so blood fell to the floor.

"Now now Kelly i don't think that's a good idea" Dox's tone darkened as he glared at the girl.

"What truth? What are you hiding?" Marco was only getting more confused.

"Tell him Dox or I will." Kelly waited for the man to talk but he only silently stared back. His face was full of sadness and his eyes begged her not to.

"Kelly tell me what he's hiding" Marco's voice came from the side. In the place he was laying Dox couldn't see him. He could fight his way out after all he didn't depend on the portals but doing so would ruin the relationship he'd made over the next too months. The truth wasn't meant to be known to Marco till after he was safe. Dox was going to leave a letter with Heckapoo explaining the truth to them all.

"If you live Marco, Dox dies." Kelly's voice was cold and stoic lacking emotion as she let slip the final fore sight of death between them.

"How and Why?" Marco's voice mirrored her tone.

"He told us how. Marco because you die his adopted Dad goes and finds a baby who would have died to raise into the guy before us. The guy that can save your life but what happens if you don't die? The Dad won't need Dox to save you so will never go looking for you. The moment you live Dox's existence becomes impossible since he would never be saved. His name isn't Dox A. Par its the other way round. He's Paradox. He can't live while you survive but he lives to make you survive. That's why he keeps saying he isn't a hero and he is nothing because really he was chosen because by saving you and righting the timeline all he does is put the nail in his coffin. A necessary evil exactly." Dox couldn't see her face because her head was hung low letting her hair hide her eyes but the tears that splashed on him let him know that the girl was crying. Marco picked Kelly up off him before lifting Dox to his feet. The moment he was standing Marco pulled back his fist and punched Dox square in the face sending him into a book shelf. He didn't resist. The boy needed this.

"What is wrong with you! WHY WOULD YOU DIE FOR ME!" Marco yelled at him. He was shaking with anger. Kelly's hand slid into his and she squeezed letting him know she was with him. He breathed out letting himself calm down and waited for the bruised man to answer.

Dox picked himself up pushing off of the book shelf to help himself.

"Nice right hook Mar-"

"No! No jokes! No stupid remarks! Answer me now! Or we leave!" He pulled his scissors out of his pocket. Dox had given him a scabbard for them full of black rift energy that helped create Heckapoo's stealth scissors it meant as long as Marco placed his scissors in the scabbard before he opened a portal the next portal wouldn't be traceable. He cut open a portal with a loud rip and stared at a worried Dox.

"Okay okay.. Just put the scissors away." Marco complied but never put them back in his pocket.

"Why would i die for you? Dumb question really... I'm not meant to be here Marco.. I'm destined to die as a baby abandoned by the people who should have loved me left alone and cold until my heart dies out. I was never meant to know warmth or love. What it felt like to laugh or joke. How good food tastes or anything like that. My life ended at 1 day old. But thanks to you i got to live Marco. I spent 21 years growing up with my Dad i may have not met many people but i saw the wonders of the world and i experienced them. I even spent 20 more years in Heckapoo's dimension. 42 years Marco. When the time comes i will have lived 42 years. In terms of life expectancy its not long but for a person who was meant to live a day its eternity. I live for you Marco Diaz." Dox tried his hardest to smile but the strain showed clearly on his face.

Marco thought about it. He wanted to hit him again. To tell him to try to live and not to be stupid but he could tell. He knew him well enough to. Dox didn't intend to live more than 10 months more. Whereas all of Marco's time was spent planning for after that day Dox's plans ended then. He grimaced as he thought of the last question he had.

"Who is your 'Dad' Dox? Who sent you?" He struggled to say the words even pausing half way through but with another squeeze of support from Kelly he asked his question. Dox wiped a bit of blood from his mouth, Marco's punch had cut his lip. He smiled at Marco's train of thought he had grown so much smarter and more aware in the last two months and was truly ready for the next stage of his training. Dox waved hands and with a gust of wind that made both teenagers close their eyes he rest the room. He sat down with his tea and met their gaze.

"Glossaryck" was the only word Dox said.

A/N: It might seem like a lot was revealed to Marco and Kelly from Dox but it's to help them with what is to come. As Dox said a lot of the training time will fly by so it'll mainly be time skips focusing on the important times or times when things happened with the occasionally fun side chapter. I didn't want to keep hiding Dox's identity from the others since it might seem odd but aside from these two and maybe Glossaryck the true meaning of his name won't become clear to them for a while leading to his continued reign as the worst criminal around. I added the bit with Eclipsa returning the wand realising that technically Star gave it to her. X'D trying to keep it so it carries on the from the end of season 3. Thank you again if you read and message or review with any questions and I'll get back to you.