Hey, one and all, here's another chapter. Author's notes are below (because they are kinda spoiler-y) and enjoy:)

P.S.: REDUX is picking up again!

"Today is the day," Marco said through a sleep yawn after he shut off the alarm ringing on his phone. So far, everything seemed perfect—the Mewnian sun was shining, birds were chirping, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. What could go wrong? Unfortunately for Marco, he took a step out of bed and immediately tripped on the pile of laser puppies playing on the floor. He tried to brush off the ungraceful mistake, but while changing he fell several more times as the eager balls of fluff continued to weave in and out of his legs. "Careful puppies," He gently shoved them away with his bare feet. "I gotta look good for Star."

Because today is that day—their first official date. Never in Marco wildest dreams did he think he had a chance to go out with Star Butterfly—his amazing best friend. They always seemed to pass each other likes ships in the open seas. When she liked him, Marco was busy dating Jackie. After that phase, when the boy discovered his true feelings with Star, she and Tom were together. But this time the stars aligned. This time they both were in the right place at the right time. With yesterday's memories of the courtyard fight still fresh in Marco's mind, he knew that he had to make this the best date ever. His Star deserved at least that much.

To boost his manly confidence, Marco threw his favorite Día de los Muertos mixtape into his stereo and had it playing while he stared into his closet. "Hmm…" he deliberated. Having a wardrobe of the same article of clothing made finding an outfit weirdly challenging. Was his in the mood for his

"Hey, puppies, what hoodie do you think I should wear?" The laser puppies stopped playing and stared as if they understood their human for a second but resumed their wrestling. If only I didn't have so many choices…Marco was torn between his second-favorite and his third-favorite, which he wore on adventures. His first-favorite—the one that smelled like Star—was too valuable to be worn. Barco Diaz made the decision for his human by standing on his hind legs and violently tugging on the arm of hoodie number three.

"Good idea, Barco." Marco grabbed the garment, zipping it up over his "I'm a Hot Dawg" T-shirt. "What do you guys think?" he struck a few modeling poses for the puppies, who stared at him with their heads tilted in seeming approval. Or confusion.

Good enough, the boy sat on his bed. It felt so weird that Star insisted on keeping things casual for the day. Wondering how his date was faring, he called to her, "How are things going, Star?"

Her joy was utterly contagious, making Marco want to sing and dance. "Just waking up," she yawned. "I'll let you know when I'm ready."

"Can't wait," Marco replied to her, but when he was left alone with his thoughts, worry began to creep in. What if he failed at being a good boyfriend for Star? It was his fault that his previous relationship with Jackie ended—he was painfully aware of that. Maybe if Marco hadn't put her on such a pedestal and put the same amount of effort into things, they would have lasted longer. What if he hurt Star like that? He couldn't live with himself if he broke their bond.

Marco was yanked from his thoughts when felt Sajak nudge his leg and whimper sympathetically. My negative emotions must be affecting the puppies, he stooped over to welcome the bundle of fluff in his arms. "Hey, Sajak? Do you ever feel like your past haunts you?"

The puppy simply blinked at him as he panted.

"I love Star, but what if I mess up this date? Or this relationship? What should I do?"

Unphased by the questions, Sajak licked his face and yipped.

"You're right!" Marco stood up. "I'm going to go outside and practice some magic to clear my head." At the word "outside," the other puppies rushed over, bouncing around his socked feet. He shook his head, "All right, you can come too."

They ventured out to the Rose Garden, and Marco found that his outlook on life had already improved with the combination of the walk and fresh air. A sunny day on Mewni was the perfect way to evaporate the cloud of negative thoughts in his head. He was going on a date with Star Butterfly—nothing could interrupt the fun they would soon have. Since his mood was better and he had plenty of time to kill, Marco decided to practice magic. One of the skills he worked on in his free time was just channeling and releasing it without a lot of effort. Star summoned spells quickly and efficiently, and the squire wanted to be at her level. Focus on your breathing, the boy closed his eyes and concentrated on the air flowing in and out of his lungs. In and out. In and out. Once in his semi-meditative state, he let the magic enter his veins from the unknown source. Cold and icy, it invigorated his spirit and he practiced channeling it for ready-use and letting it ebb away like a tide. Just like that, he watched his fists glow red and return to normal in rhythmic flexing.

"Good morning, Marco!"

His world turned upside down as he flipped off the bench and to the ground, bumping his head. Above him, a three-hundred-year-old queen giggled in amusement, her pinkish spades bouncing on her cheeks. "I didn't mean to scare you, dear," she held out a hand for him.

Oh but you do, Marco held his snarky remark. Something about her gave him the creeps even though Star insisted her granny was a cool person. Maybe it was her shady past or the dark magic that stained her arms. Maybe it was the rumors of Monster Love and the forbidden chapter in the Book of Spells. The energy messed with his mind when he read it. "That's alright," Marco muttered as he got up and dusted himself off.

"Still practicing your Sword Hand Dance?" Eclipsa smirked as she sat on the bench behind him. When Marco scowled, she added, "I'm kidding. What brings you out here today without Star?"

He shrugged, "Just practicing my magic and watching the laser puppies." Was it that weird for him to be without Star?

The dark queen thought about it for a moment, "Interesting…Perhaps, she is getting ready for…a date with you?"

"How did you know?"

Eclipsa only laughed again at the squire's surprised response, "Oh Marco, what's going on between and Star isn't a mystery—everyone knew it would be a matter of time. Especially me, you know. I remember how flustered Star was when you came back, and I knew she wouldn't confine you to the laundry room for long. Also—" she pulled out a copy of the Crowne Royale—the same edition that Kelly and Pony Head had read about his fight with Tom. "—I keep up. You must really love Star to face a Lucitor."

"Thanks?" Marco's cheeks turned red at the big "l-word." He did love Star, and the fact made his heart skip a beat.

"Love is a powerful emotion," Eclipsa continued as he blushed. "And there's nothing more wonderful than young love—I would know. It reminds me of when I met my Monster husband."

"I guess," Marco shrugged. He wanted to sit down but felt uneasy about being close to Eclipsa. What was she getting at about his relationship with Star, anyway?

"Hey, Marco," Star checked in. "I should be down in a few minutes. Where are you?"

With a smile growing on his face, he replied, "I'm in the Rose Garden when you're ready."

"Hmm…interesting…" Eclipsa mumbled behind him.

He turned around, "What's interesting?"

"Oh, nothing," she dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "How's your magic training going? I can see you can Star training from my window." Part of him wanted to probe further, but Eclipsa's disarming grin dissuaded him.

Instead, Marco answered the question, "It's been great, so far. Star's the best teacher I could have."

The queen studied him for a bit, tapping her chin with a finger considering a matter in her head. "Tell me," she said at last. "Has Star taught you any dark magic?"

The question caught him off guard. Back on Earth, he had seen Star interact with the forbidden chapter and saw her cleaved wand shoot green bolts when she became angry or scared. In fact, Marco used the All-Seeing Eye himself to find Star in the Realm of Magic. Nevertheless, the pair made a deal to leave that side of magic alone mainly because it was too risky. Dark magic had the power to corrupt. "I don't see why I would need to know it," Marco shrugged again.

"I can see your point," Eclipsa conceded as she began to feed the birds around her—the ones the laser puppies failed to chase away. "There are tons more spells to learn. But remember when you fought Tom?"

"What about it?"

"Would you have been able to defeat foes stronger than him with what Star's teaching you alone?" She asked simply.

Marco eyed her cautiously, "I don't see why not. I'm getting stronger by the day."

"That sounds, Marco, but what if your magic alone can't save Star?" Eclipsa leaned forward. "There are many dark spells that are far more powerful and would do a much better job of protecting her if need be. If I recall correctly, you're her squire so it's your job to keep her safe, isn't it? What about from a foe like Toffee?"

Eclipsa has a point, Marco had to admit. He never told anyone, but he often had nightmares about Toffee killing Star, which had been the worst moment of his life. The black day never ceased to haunt him. They had just reunited after she had suddenly left the party back on Earth. So many questions floated in his head about feelings, but Marco didn't care. He had his Star back…only to have her cruelly ripped away by Toffee. The boy remembered his mind going dark. His ray of sunshine was gone, and he was determined to avenge her death.

While his mind drifted out of the painful flashback, Marco noticed that Eclipsa was watching him, clearly interested, "If you ever want to learn, the offer is always open."

Before Marco could answer, he noticed that Star had entered the Rose Garden. She really is my bright and Shining Star, he smiled. The sun and roses were pretty in their own light, but it paled in comparison to his Star Butterfly. Her golden hair shimmered like a vast field of ripened Mewni corn, waving behind her like rays of the sun. Her eyes were like pristine springs of clear water reflecting a blue Earth sky. They complemented the green of her Narwhal dress and the pink of her cheekmarks. Immediately, Marco sought her arms for a hug and let his worry and dark thoughts evaporate. He inhaled her sweet scent and buried his nose deeper into her hair. She smelled of wildflowers and strawberries.

"Are you ready for today?" She grinned excitedly, petting his back. The sensation lulled him into almost a catatonic state. Why were her hands—which punched enemies and lifted heavy objects like nothing—so incredibly soft?

"Yeah," Marco kissed her forehead. "I'm going to treat you today because we're going to the Corn Festival!"

"Uh, which one?" Star asked. "There's like four a year."

Only on Mewni could there be four festivals for the same cereal crop. When he found out about the event from a castle servant yesterday, Marco had no idea there were other ones. "I think it's the Corn Flower one," his response was unsure.

"I mean it doesn't really matter, as long as we're together," Star smiled at him. "It's gonna be a super fun date." Oh, absolutely, he grinned proudly, noticing her blushing. His cheeks flushed hotly too, struck by how adorably cute his new girlfriend was in his arms. Suddenly, she tilted her face up towards him. Without words or thoughts, Marco knew what she wanted, and was excited to comply. He closed his eyes to wait for his kiss—something he had dreamed of for a long time.

"You do know I'm still here," Eclipsa called out to them. The teens stopped what they were doing and separated abruptly. As they turned away from each other, the queen giggled, "Well have fun, at the Corn Festival. Maybe not too much fun. Not yet, at least."

"So, what are festivals like on Mewni?" Marco asked as he and Star walked hand in hand towards the direction of their destination.

"Well, it depends on the festival," Star thought about it for a minute. "The Corn Flower one is a lot like the fair we went to on Earth, just with more corn. Then there's the Corn Kernel one, which is nothing but a corn eating fest. And the Corn Husk Festival, where we celebrate the harvest with a week-long party and drink loads of corn shine and corn ale. The Corn Ear Festival is where we sacrifice the ears of our enemies to ensure a good harvest—"

"—Wait, what?!" He stopped walking, feeling a chill running up his spine. And he thought the blood sacrifices on Stump Day were extreme…

"Don't think about it," Star advised him. "Look, we're here!"

Sure enough, the Corn Flower Festival was just like an Earth fair. So much so in fact that Marco had to keep making sure the sky was pink above them. The sketchy thrill rides had lines of excited children eager for the experience of cheap thrills. Meanwhile, their parents and the other adults flocked to colorful tents along the perimeter promising games, prizes, trinkets, and food to buy in a wall of commercialism. The teens were busy either with rides, the booths, or finding places to "cuddle." So typical, Marco rolled his eyes. Scents of greasy food and perspiration clogged his nose, making the boy both hungry and nauseous at the same time. I hope this is alright, he began to worry. What if he didn't pick the right place, and Star wanted something more romantic?

Luckily, Star's reaction suggested the opposite. "What are we standing here for?" The princess bounced excitedly on her feet. "Let's go!"

Marco almost got whiplash from the force of an eager Star yanking him deeper into the crowd. Curiosity made him peek into her thoughts, and he was blown away by the enthusiasm rippling in her head. She had a growing list of everything they should do together before going home.

"What should we do first?" He couldn't tell what she wanted to focus on. Food, games, and kissing all seemed to rank number one.

"Well, let's not do the rides," Star's recommendation came at the perfect time.

A kid was ejected out of a car on a wooden, goat-powered roller coaster and into a shallow pile of hay below. Marco's mouth hung open in horror although the Mewmans seemed unconcerned. Yep, definitely not going on a ride, the squire had no issue making that decision. They were all rotted driftwood, hastily-built deathtraps. Somewhere else, the log flume ride also suffered a malfunction, spraying water and screaming riders everywhere. This place would be lawsuit heaven on Earth.

Star read his thoughts and added, "Don't worry about it. We Mewmans are kinda unbreakable."

"I broke my foot!" A child wailed from beneath the collapsed ride.

Quickly, the mortified princess pushed Marco away from the scene, "Ignore that,"

"Let's do other stuff," he looked around for something they could do on the ground in the corn-themed deathtrap.

Suddenly, he felt Star grab him. "I know what I wanna do first…," she said in a low, teasing voice.

"Why are we just standing here?" Marco stared at her with his brows knit together in confusion. Her giggles echoed in his mind, and he blushed when he figured out what Star meant. That was a fine option too.

"Don't tell me you forgot about our moment in the rose garden," she let a coy smile spread on her face.

Of course, I didn't, he wrapped his arms around her waist, beginning to close the distance between their lips…

"Well, well, well, isn't this a sight to behold!"

Just short of Star's lips, Marco paused when he heard the irritating voice from his second-worst nightmares—the only thing that could damper such a perfect moment. "Hey!" His partner's annoyance radiated through their bond, but Marco's focus was on the taunting redheaded squire in front of them. Like a classical playground bully, Higgs appeared, flanked by her squire comrades, Baby-Man and Old Guy. Her green eyes glinted with hatred towards the couple.

"I haven't seen you since the blowout sale, Nerd," she sauntered over to him. "I thought maybe the princess got rid of you for a real squire."

"I am a real squire!" Marco spat. His job as Star's confidant and advisor was something they both took seriously.

"In speaking of the princess," Higgs added, "I thought you weren't her boyfriend."

"Well, I am now," he replied, glancing lovingly as Star then coldly at Higgs. She rolled her eyes,

"Wow, Nerd. I never suspect you to be the kind of guy that would—I don't know—woo the princess to get ahead. We all know that you're never going to become a knight on your own."

Marco felt the blood roar in his ears from rage. How dare anyone to accuse him of using Star for an easy promotion. He loved Star no matter if she were the queen or a lowly peasant, and this wasn't about his job either. Why doesn't she just go away and leave me on my date!

"You better not be insulting my squire," Star challenged with her wand glowing, "I am the Princess, after all."

Higgs smirked, "I'm surprised you kept him this long. I remember the Quest Buy sale when you treated him like old dishwater—"

"That's enough, Higgs!" Marco shouted, stepping in front of Star. "I'm going to prove to you that I belong here as Star's boyfriend and as her squire."

The squires broke out laughing. "You think you got what it takes," Old Guy sneered darkly, "You haven't had a formal day of training in your life."

Old Guy was right. Marco probably didn't have a chance to win a sword fight against any of them, so he had to choose his battlefield wisely. "We'll play three carnival games," the boy suggested, looking around him at the game booths scattered throughout the fairground. "Team Starco versus Team Squire."

"Starco?" Star shot him a puzzled look.

"I'll explain where I got that from later," he assured her mentally, taking her hand. To his rival, he said, "You call the prize, Higgs."

"Alright," the redhead thought about it and held out her hand. "If your team wins, we'll apologize, and let you train as a full squire with us. If we win, then you'll have to renounce your squire-ship. Deal?"

Renounce my squire-ship?! Marco was taken back. His title was the only thing he had to feel useful on Mewni. There was no way Star would date a non-name peasant boy from Earth…I'm not going to lose, he decided in his soul then and there. Higgs put him down and ruined his day—she wasn't going to hurt him anymore! Before he agreed, the squire sought Star's gaze for her approval to make sure that she was okay with this challenge. When she nodded, Marco shook Higgs's hand, "Deal!"

"No magic, Princess," added Higgs, "We're gonna settle this the squire way." Star tucked her wand into here star purse, while Marco nodded. Too bad she didn't know about his little secret, but there would be a better time to flex his ability once he won.

"Alright Team Starco, since you're defending your honor, you get to pick the first challenge," Higgs instructed. "Choose wisely."

Like a seasoned general, Marco surveyed his options in the carnival battlefield to figure out what he could work with in terms of games. So far, all of the weird Mewni ones stood out—for all the wrong reasons. Exploding Hot Potato, Piranha Powwow, and Corn of War sounded dangerous and dreadful. There's gotta be something here I recognize, he kept searching until he found a game anyone could play.

"Alright, Team Squire," Marco announced when he came to his decision, "I challenge you to Whack-A-Mole!" He pointed to the large tent in the center of the festival.

"Challenge accepted," Higgs replied. "The team that gets a score of ten points wins. We'll see you at the winners' circle—not!"

As the squires gleefully walked away, Marco turned to Star to plan their march to victory. "This should be easy," he bragged. "I am the ultimate Whack-A-Mole master. We probably need to hit five moles apiece, and we gotta be quick about it. Team Squire has one more person than us."

"Relax Marco," she placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him. "We're just smashing moles on the head—it's not that hard."

Sure, it's not that hard, Marco grumbled as he strained to pick up his seven-foot long, three-hundred-pound mallet. It was carrying around a dead body. When he had envisioned a game of Whack-A-Mole, the Earth boy imagine a board with little holes for fake moles to pop out of and tiny plastic hammers. However, he should have known the Mewni version would be a lot different and involve higher stakes, like a giant tent, a humongous hammer, and a series of holes a subway could drive into.

Meanwhile, Star had her pink weapon hoisted on her shoulder like it was nothing, "Need help, Marco?"

"No, Star, I-I can…get it," he groaned, exerting with all his strength to make the mallet budge. Almost got it! Finally, the hammer moved an inch to the left, and Marco could not help but feel proud.

"Wow, Nerd, your duties tending to the Princess's needs have made you soft," Higgs showed off by waving her blue mallet in a wide arc as easy as it were a baseball bat. If only I could use my magic, Marco sighed. It would make things so much easier. Even Old Guy had no trouble with his. Why were Mewmans so strong?

"Release the moles!" Higgs called to the gamemaster who hit a red button on one of the tent walls.

The ground rumbled fiercely and cracked as a giant elephant-sized mole erupted from wide holes. Long fangs oozed black slime and beady red eyes glowed with bloodlust as the creatures screeched. "Star, you didn't tell me moles on Mewni were this big!" Marco yelled to match the volume of the creature's battle cry.

"What did you expect, Marco?" Star responded in a matter-of-fact way, "I told you Mewman corn farmers are frequently killed by them. These aren't cute little Earth moles; they drink blood."

Roaring, the creature lunged, only to be met with a decisive blow to the head by Higgs. The impact sent the irate beast scampering for safety underground, and the squires cheered. In only thirty seconds, Team Squire was already ahead. Soon, even more moles appeared to avenge their comrade, but Marco still struggled with his weapon. One-by-one, Team Squire dealt with each mole, barely breaking out into a sweat. Come on, stupid hammer, move! Marco felt his muscles burn from the effort. He had to show Higgs that he wasn't weak.

At least he had Star on his side. The princess was truly amazing as she jumped over moles to dodge and bashed them hard on the head. She dealt with at least two moles already. When the third mole loomed over her, she hurled the hammer and nailed it between the eyes. The mole fell backward with a tremendous thud before slinking away back into its hole. Star is so pretty when she's beating up baddies... Marco grinned as he watched.

"Marco!"

Her shout made the boy snap out of his fantasies only to see a mole loom over him like a mountain of death. In vain, Marco tried to move his hammer, but he knew it was useless, so it was time for Plan B. Memories of his old days fighting at Star's side before magic inspired him to rely on karate. He performed a roundhouse kick to the mole's stomach to wind it. As the mole lay trying to recover, Marco jumped on its head to send in back to the depth below. His new strategy was working—he'd show Higgs! With his karate moves, Marco finished off two more moles. Maybe we have a chance after all! He squared up against the fourth mole when he heard a whistle screech. The mole ceased its aggression and scurried away.

"Team Squire rules!" Marco's heart sank as he watched the other team congratulate themselves with hearty high-fives. Looking at the scoreboard, the squire realized that he was the reason Team Starco had lost. At eight points, Star had defeated her five moles while Marco only came up with three.

"You did your best, Marco," Star tried to give him a hug. Normally, Marco would have relished her affection, but he broke away. When she reached out to him through the bond, he ignored her. She frowned at him but said nothing as she brushed past him. His focus was on taking Higgs down—no matter what.

The next game was Krashin' Karts, as decided by Team Squire. It sounded a lot like Bumper Cars, a game Marco was well-acquainted with. Maybe a bit too well, he snickered to himself remembering the last time he played Bumper Cars with Star back in Echo Creek. She had begged him to let her drive, and Marco did so begrudgingly because he just knew something horrible would happen. In only a minute, Star managed to destroy four rides, summon three ambulances and got them kicked out of the park. Good times.

However, like the deathly Whack-A-Mole, the game exactly like the Bumper Cars at home. Instead of a small ring with brightly colored electric cars slowly gliding on the floor, Marco saw a huge arena filled to the brim with spectators and with two great chariots parked in the middle. Each chariot had four warnicorns tied abreast to each other, chomping anxiously at the bit. This was just like that scene from that one movie we saw in history class, he remembered a movie on Rome they watched clips from one day.

The squires picked the fiercest set of warnicorns: four huge jet-black horses with slight feathering around their thunderous hooves, and a thick black twisted horn on each of their heads. That left Star and Marco with the smaller team of four white ones. They did not look like full-blooded warnicorns with much slighter builds and golden manes and horns Warnicorns were huge drafty animals and generally had darker coats to disguise blood and dirt from the battlefield. These were perhaps were crossed with normal unicorns, which tended to be smaller and lighter in color. As Star fawned over them with kisses and pats, Marco had to admit that this team was probably the better one. Despite their shorter strides and less power, their leaner bodies were most likely more aerodynamic and better on turns.

"I'm gonna call this one, Sir Runs-A-Lot," Star stroked the outermost warnicorn on the nose, causing the gelding to nicker softly. Marco took her hand and gave it a squeeze as they boarded the chariot. There was barely enough room for both of them to stand.

"I'll drive," Marco offered, "You're on lance duty." He wanted to redeem himself, but he had no clue how to drive a chariot, He doubted that Star could either. It could not possibly be harder than driving a car—then Marco realized that he left Earth before he took his driver's ed class.

"Hear ye, hear ye," an announcer cried above the white noise of the crowd. "Welcome to the Krashin' Kart arena! The object of the race is to survive three laps all the while trying to crush your opponent into the dust. May thy warnicorns run swift and your carts stay true!"

With the wave of a flag, the warnicorns reared before bolting down the track. Marco's arms were almost wrenched out of socket from the power of the four steeds on the other end of the reins. They ran like tremendous machines, their ears slicked back from the wind and fair manes waving triumphantly behind them like royal banners. "Giddy up horsies!" Star cheered as they rounded the first corner. Marco threw back his head in a giddy laugh in exhilaration. This is too fun!

"Hey! Nerd! I hate to ruin your date!"

Marco felt his mood sink as the black horses of Team Squire's chariot strode next to him. "Actually, I take that back. I am loving ruining your date!" Higgs moved to pass them. Baby-Man whipped out his lance and began to jab it into the side of the chariot.

"Star!" He panicked as the pole almost hit his date.

"Keep steering! I got this!" She called to him, picking up the lance in their chariot. Twirling it in one hand, she clashed her weapon with the squire trying to push him back until Marco recovered from almost hitting the wall. He pulled the animals back on course and away from Higgs.

"Lap One is finished," he heard the from above the finish line. If they could focus on surviving, they had a chance to show those squires what Team Starco was made of.

Out of nowhere, Marco heard a loud buzz over the thundering hoofbeats of the warnicorns. "Marco! Look!" Star pointed with a gasp. Those dirty—The other chariot had spinning spikes attached to the wheels, and they were preparing to ram them.

"Oh no you don't," he struggled to keep the wheels from falling into the spikes. The warnicorns began to tangle in the lines of the other team, causing them to panic.

They passed the line with the announcer saying, "Lap Two is finished. One to go!"

Marco had an idea to dislodge themselves and give Higgs a taste of her own medicine. He yanked on the reins to steer the horses into the other team to push the chariot into the wall. The scraping of splintered wood and screaming of the warnicorns filled his ears.

"What are you doing!" Higgs yelled as a wheel gave out. Old Guy rolled out of the cart and Baby-Man's lance was wrenched from his grasp. I'm gonna ground you into dust, Marco's mind growled darkly. This was payback, not only for today but for that Quest Buy sale too. No one humiliated him in front of Star!

"Marco! Marco, stop!" Star yelled at him in horror. "You're gonna hurt Sir Runs-A-Lot!" The gelding reared wildly trying to avoid the black warnicorn's kick. Marco pulled back to free him but continued to ram the chariot. One more swipe, he calculated…But he felt the chariot lurched suddenly as the sickening crunch of wood filled the air. He had forgotten about the spikes! The entire right side of the chariot was gone, the only thing that kept them going was Star leaning on the left side to balance. "Marco, we gotta stop!" she cried to him.

"No, we can't the finish line is in sight!" Marco pointed.

"Marco!" she barked, but he tuned her out. They could win this—their warnicorns were faster! The blood roared in his ears, almost there. Almost there! At the last second, the chariot pulled away and they won by Sir Runs-A-Lot's nose.

"Team Starco wins!" The crowd cheered, and Marco went around for a victory lap.

"Woohoo! In your faces!" He jeered when they pulled up beside the squire chariot. "We're gonna stage a comeback in Round Three!"

"Actually, we forfeit."

Marco gasped as Star made her pronouncement. Her dress was covered in dust, but her cheekmarks glowed in wrath. "But Star—" he protested but she held a finger to his lips.

"That's an order, squire," she glared at him, making his heart sank. He knew that he had messed up badly for she never pulled the squire card. Never.

"Ha! Loser," Higgs and the squires laughed. "We'll settle this later."

Marco pouted as they walked away, wishing he could finish the fight between them. However, the desire for revenge faded when he saw the anger clear in her eyes. I ruined her date, he thought bitterly. What kind of boyfriend was he? The competition got to his head, and now she hated him. He lowered his head, too ashamed to look Star in the face. He heard her sigh in exasperation, "Marco, let's sit and talk for a bit."

This is it, his heart stopped. She's going to dump me right here. When he reached out to her through the bond, he felt her push him away. Star motioned for him to join her on a bench, her face bore an unreadable expression. This was just like his last date with Jackie and look how that turned out.

"Marco," she started as he slumped on the bench next to her. "What was that?"

"Oh, Star," he breathed, "I just wanted this to be the perfect day, and I messed up. Higgs is right, I'm not worthy to be your squire or your boyfriend. You should have chosen another person to be a squire. Better yet, you should have sent me back to Earth and stayed with Tom. I bet he never ruined your dates. And I'm not even a prince? Why did you choose me?" Star just stared at him for a moment as he rambled. Oh no, what if she agrees?

"First off, Marco, who cares what Higgs thinks," she spoke after the silence. "I made you my squire, and only my opinion on the matters. I told you, I don't need a squire; I just wanted you by my side. Second, you're wrong. Tom has ruined more dates then you will ever know." She placed a hand on his shoulder, "But most importantly, you are plenty worthy of being my boyfriend. You don't need to prove anything to anyone about being worthy of being at my side. You're my best friend, my squire, my most trusted advisor, my lifeline. And one day you'll be my prince—my king, even—" Marco blushed slightly at the thought "—I love you, Marco, always know that. Nothing can change that fact, okay?" He finally allowed himself to meet her gaze. It was soft and comforting.

"Okay," he took her hand. "I'm sorry the day didn't go well."

"You know, there's plenty of daylight left," she smiled, "Let me take you out on a real date. We'll just put this behind us."

Marco nodded as they reached for a comforting hug. They leaned in for a kiss, only to hear Higgs yell, "Get a room!" Ugh!

"Ignore her Marco," Star reached for his hand. "Let's go on an adventure."

"Uh, Star, are you sure this is a good idea?" Marco whispered to her as they crouched behind a bush in the forest. In front of them was a small herd of unicorns, basking in the light of the sun that trickled down through the canopy of trees. All they had to do was wait for one of them to come close enough to spring on its back and ride it. This was what she meant when she told Marco that she wanted a casual and fun date. They bonded through wacky adventures—why reinvent the wheel when it wasn't broken?

"Remember Marco, you just gotta hold on," she reminded him. "Look, here comes one now!"

A young stallion stood up on his feet and began to head to their bush for a snack. His coat was as golden as a field of summer-ripened corn, and he had a white rump with spots. This was the rarest color and pattern for unicorns on Mewni, which tended to come in solid grey, black, or white. They called it Snow-Kissed Cornfield, but Marco told her that this would be considered a palomino appaloosa on Earth—a much simpler name. This special unicorn was truly worthy to be tamed on this special day. At first, her date had been apprehensive of leaving the relative safety of the Corn Flower Festival to trek into the woods to ride unicorns. On Earth, it was illegal to even go near wild, non-magical horses. But this was Mewni, and no one could call themselves a member of the Royal Butterfly family without ever trying to ride a wild unicorn—and living to tell about it.

"Star?" He whined, but she silenced him.

C'mon buddy, Star beckoned in her head as the unicorn shook his head and neighed to his herd. Just a few more steps… The stallion turned broadside to the bush, nipping at an itch on his flank. Now! Star sprang from behind the cover onto the unicorn's back. She clutched his silver mane, and he reared with a loud neigh. Now, this was where it got a little wild. The other unicorns roused from their dozing and took off, leaving the unicorn plenty of room to buck. Show me what you got, Star dug in as the stallion swung his front end in a large arc before tossing his back legs up in fury. The unicorn then launched himself five feet off the ground vertically, an amazing feat for a half-ton animal. When he landed, he lurched his head to the side and Star momentarily lost her handhold on the mane. Knowing that he was free, the stallion whirled in a tight circle. The combination of no mane to grab and the spin, nearly unseated Star.

"Star!" She heard Marco panic when she nearly slipped, but she held on with her legs alone. The stallion reared again and pitched violently towards the bush where Marco was still hiding. They broke through the scratchy brush with a loud crash. As the stallion whizzed past, Star managed to snag her boy by his hood and hoist him aboard the thrashing beast. "Hold on to me," Star instructed him. "He's almost done!" Marco hugged her waist tightly, as the unicorn broke into a dead gallop—the worst part was over.

"Marco, you can open your eyes," Star told him as the unicorn continued to run. "Enjoy the ride."

She felt the boy straighten up but continue his hold around her waist, his touch making it hard to focus on not falling off. The forest flew past them and soon they were in a large meadow full of a rainbow of wildflowers, framed on all sides by dark evergreen trees. The flowers were in full bloom, shining like little stars in the light of the sun. Butterflies scattered before them with every stride of the unicorn in waves of golds, blues, and violets against the deep pink sky.

Star could feel the awe radiate from Marco. He wondered how he got so lucky—lucky enough to be riding through a magical dimension with such an awesome girlfriend. She grinned, "Because you're an equally awesome person, Marco." There was not another being in any dimension that she would ever want to share this moment with besides him. This was her favorite pastime, besides fighting monsters, before she left Mewni for Earth—so this was a very personal moment. Star's mind took her back to a thirteen-year-old version of herself. The year she started taming unicorns to escape the mounting stress her mother heaped on her about being a princess. She could not care less about royal appointments, or throne posture, or any of the boring stuff. All she wanted was to be a teen and have fun. Her adventures in the woods brought back some sense of normalcy.

Star was startled a bit when she felt Marco hug her tighter, then she realized that she had been broadcasting her memories to him. "Thanks for sharing this with me," he nuzzled into her neck. "It means a lot."

This was the side of her no one saw. Her mother would flip if she knew about her engaging in such a dangerous activity, and Star never took Tom unicorn riding the times they dated. In her quest to be a better princess, she had lost part of herself. Moon stressed constantly the royals must deny themselves for the greater public. But she was still a teenage girl: she was going to make mistakes, she was going to show emotion, she was going to rebel against how things should always be. That's why Star treasured her time on Earth so much. She didn't have to put on her mask to preserve the Butterfly family name or worry about a misstep leading to a trip to St. Olga's. She was free.

However, when Star had to return to Mewni, she had to give that up. For a while, she thought she could live with it, especially since Tom was playing up the "better princess" thing. Yet being the perfect Princess of Mewni is not who Star was—not then, not now. Who could she tell that to though—her mother would lecture her to death, and Tom wouldn't really care. Now, here she was with Marco, sharing her most vulnerable insecurities and her most treasured hobby. With my most treasured friend.

The unicorn slowed to a stop halfway through the meadow, and the pair slid off.
"Thanks for the ride," Star pat him on the nose. "We gotta give you a name before you go." She turned to Marco, to give him the honors, "It's your first unicorn ride, so you get to name him."

"Hmm…" he studied the steed for a second. "How about Sol? He's as mighty and yellow as the sun." The stallion tossed his head in agreement and turned away to find his herd.

"Until next time, Sol!" Star waved after him.

Marco chuckle behind her, "You really are something."

"Oh really," she teased him. "And what are you gonna do about it?"

He wrapped his arms around her. "Well, I could kiss you," he teased coyly.

Oh, so bold Marco from the dance is back? She threw her arms around his shoulders. They leaned together, lips only an inch apart when a growl ripped through the clearing. Okay, that's it! She had no idea why the universe was conspiring to keep her from lip-locking with Marco Diaz, but she was going to kick the butt of whatever malcontent was behind her.

She followed Marco's frightened stare to a seven-foot-tall Mewnian bear standing a few yards away, glaring at them. The princess felt anger rush in her veins. "Hey, you!" She called in a challenge. "It's rude to interrupt a girl's first kiss with her new boyfriend." The bear reared on his hind legs and roared at her in defiance. "Come on Marco," she yanked him forward, "Let's teach that bear a lesson!"

She twirled her wand in her right hand, "Dagger Crystal Heart Attack!" A wave of hearts rushed towards the bear, however, most of them either bounced off or hardly penetrated the creature's thick hide. After shaking off the attack, it charged at full speed—now it was on. She focused on summoning another spell, but Marco literally beat her to the punch. He charged one of his Red Fist attacks, nailing the bear right on the snout. Though knocked back and thoroughly confused, the bear rose to his feet again.

"We need to give that old bear something to really think about," Marco charged his fists for another attack.

"Wait, I have an idea!" Star interjected. "I need you to distract him."

"Gimme a smokescreen or something," he said as the bear prepared to rush them again.

Star cast a curtain of glittery pink magic just in front of the bear to give enough time for Marco to lunged forward for the next blow. When the smoke cleared, he connected another punch to the snout. With the bear still reeling, Star launched herself into the air and unleashed her Rolling Thunder Lightning Blast. The shockwave sent the bear crashing into the trees far away. It wasn't coming back. High-fives and pats on the back went all around.

"We make a great team," Marco said after another high-five.

"That's why we're together, silly," Star simply replied.

Hand in hand, Star and Marco walked to a special part of the same meadow. A literal canvas of color from the plant life surrounded them. Even in the most picturesque scenery in all of Mewni, their eyes only beheld each other with their bond swirling in pure rapture. Marco peeled off his hoodie and draped it on a patch of springy green grass. "For you, mi Princesa," his bow caused her to mockingly roll her eyes as she sat down. He joined her, and they held each other as the sun went down, and the stars appeared in the darkening sky. There was an uncountable army of them, in various sizes and colors: regal reds, bright yellows, and sunny oranges… "Deep blue like your eyes," Marco let slip.

She playfully jabbed his ribs. "You know, I've never seen a night sky like this," he breathed in awe. "I mean, there are places dark enough where you can see stars like this on Earth, but they are far away from Echo Creek.

"My dad used to take me stargazing all the time when I was little," Star responded. "He told me stories about all the constellations. Like see that one over there—" she pointed to seven bright stars that zigzagged in a W. "—That's the Great Corn Snake."

Marco followed her finger, "What's so important about a little corn snake?"

Star shook her head, "These aren't those cute little Earth ones. These corn snakes are a hundred feet long and can swallow whole buildings. Ooh, look over there!" Then she motioned to a group of stars that formed what looked like to be a rectangle. "Those are the Two Lovers," she told Marco. "Now, that's my favorite story."

She felt Marco settle closer to her as she began, "Long ago, in the earliest days of Mewni, a princess fell in love with a common farm boy. The princess's parents disapproved of their love and had her quickly married off to a rich count. But that didn't stop the lovers—they continued to meet in secret in the woods. They were happy together until, one day, the royal court found them. Just as they were about to drag the princess back to her husband and slay the farm boy, the universe intervened. The princess and her love were gathered up into the sky, and became the Two Lovers, as a sign to everyone that love always finds a way."

"That's cool," Marco remarked, "We have stories about our constellations on Earth, but I like this one better. You know, today turned out to be a great day."

Star closed her eyes and laid back on the hoodie in contentment He smiled, kissing her cheek. "That tickled," she giggled.

He playfully raised an eyebrow as Star winked at him. "What are you planning, my trusted advisor?" She eyes him in curiosity.

"Oh, nothing." Marco teased, kissing her forehead and making her giggle again at the sensation. "Just trying to find your tickle spots." Star gently pushed Marco back, letting out a fit of laughs. He smiled lovingly, taking her soft hand. They looked into each other's eyes as if saying so much with so little.

"Marco…" She squeezed his hand, giving a warm smile. "I… I'm really happy that we are trying to be a couple." He blinked at the comment but shot a warm smile back at her. "I know things were…" she started but Marco sighed.

"I messed up a lot. Even today, I—" the boy admitted, cutting her off. She tried to look into his thoughts but felt his raw emotion come through his voice. "Did I ever tell you how I felt when you ran off that one time? And this isn't about the whole Toffee thing either."

"Oh!" Star sensed his memories of her 'running away' from cops after blowing up a sign at Britta's Tacos. She spent the night with a weird lady who made things of hair. Those pancakes were funky though. "I know you got worried…"

Marco tightened his hold on her hand, "I didn't know what was going on. I mean… Part of me knew you were going to be fine; you are super friendly and can kick butt with that wand of yours." Star smirked, leaning on Marco's shoulder. "But… I pushed you away, overacting about the police, and you left because of something I did. I couldn't help but feel sad when I searched for you. I even made silly posters!"

"It was really sweet though, Marco," Star commented, feeling somewhat confused. Where is he going with this?

He read her thoughts and took a deep breath before continuing, "I kept thinking, what would happen if you never came back. I mean, it's silly, as back then there was not a lot of drama between us. But I was still scared."

"Well I'm not running away anymore," she grabbed his hand. "Not unless you'd come with me."

They laughed again, before continuing to stargaze, holding hands and interlocking fingers. She felt the weight of a million stones roll off of her. This was their secret place. No more worries about Mewni's future, past drama or heartbreak, and no silly forces. Just Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz, lying beneath the night sky, stars literally glowing like fireflies dancing a lovely waltz.

They were sitting up slightly now, fingers thread tightly together. Marco's brown eyes locked on hers, and Star felt her heart race as his face neared hers. And nothing better get in the way this time, her mind huffed as she leaned in. When she closed her eyes, Marco cupped her cheek gently as they pressed their lips together in a passionate kiss. Of course, Star had been kissed before, but nothing compared to this one. She felt a streak of boldness rise in him, and he gently pinned her to the ground. His arms wrapped around her, and she responded in kind by lacing hers around his neck. Why hadn't they done this ages ago? She never expected the level of intensity from Marco; he always seemed like the timid type. Well, except for dancing and making out, she snickered to herself as he deepened the kiss. For a few more moments, they continued to kiss in a passionate embrace, before their brain alerted them that breathing was a necessary part of living. When Marco pulled away, he froze. "I-I uh…" he stammered. "I d-don't know what came over me. Sorry." He's reverting to Safe Kid mode, how cute, the blonde laughed.

"Marco," she panted. "What are you apologizing for? I like it when you take the lead." When he rolled off of her, they embraced each other deeply. "Tonight, was perfect," she murmured. "I love you, Marco."

"I love you too, Star," Marco tightened his grip. High in the sky above them, a blood red moon shed its light upon them in silent approval.

Review Round-up and Author's Notes:

Here's your dose of Starco-diabetes. The next chapter will set up for the next major story arc, so get ready. Kind of a geeky side note (well, one of two), the song Marco is singing is from the game Sonic Colors. RK and I were having a conversation about how well that fits into the whole Star-gazing thing (shout out to him for continuing to be a great beta). Also, I am imagining that warnicorns and unicorns are two different breeds. Warnicorns are larger draft horses (think Clydesdales or similar) and a modeled after the Great Horse, which were used as war horses in the Middle Ages. Unicorns are more like your "normal" horse (maybe think mustang or quarter horse). But enough of me being a nerd, until next time!

zeldex7 (ch1)- Thanks for the read. I hope the canon does the same because Marco is the first non-magical we've seen be able to use level of magic and it's ripe with possibilities.

Oracle6044- I got the idea for having different classes of magic because when I envisioned spells for Marco, they were so different from Star's that I needed an explanation. I would love to see Marco with some karate inspired moves in 3b (we'll see). Thanks for another review, as always.

AchingHeart2011- I'm glad you loved the chapter. Marco needs some sort of upgrade now that he's living on Mewni.

GoldManCharm- Hmm…. that's all I can say to most of this comment. You'll have to keep reading to find out :) but thanks for the review!

Jack Coffison- Thanks for another review. As for Kelly, I wouldn't worry too much about that, she's well aware of Star and Marco's thing. Everything about Starco is so darn cute, that I have an absolute blast whenever I write them together, and we will definitely see they ways they grow together as the story progresses. I really hope we can see similar chemistry in canon. As for Tom, it's all part of a grander plan. He's definitely coming back in a big way.

imhere4svtfoe- I think the Blood Moon does a lot more than just declare two people are soulmates because it seems so significant. Hence, I threw in some mind reading. Plus, Star and Marco are so close that they kinda do that anyway—they are perfectly in-sync as friends (except Marco was never this in-sync with Jackie, the poor girl). I'm glad you like "Street Fighter Marco," that will definitely play a large role from here on. No, the show never made any mentions of tabloids, but they need to. It's ripe for a lot of jokes, and the people of Mewni need their daily shot of royal gossip. I hope you like what's in store and thank you for the review!

Star's Keyblade4114- Yep, that's why I wanted Marco to have combat-focused spells. I can't imagine him Narwhal Blasting enemies. Thanks for the comment.

acosta perez jose ramiro- Thank you, and there is plenty more to come!

Guest- Thanks. There is a lot more Starco on the horizon, don't worry!

LP- heyy buddy, glad you enjoyed the chapter! Yes, mind reading shenanigans with Starco are fun to imagine, and…it'll get interesting down the line. I can't say much about Tom, but he'll be back. As for how I write Starco, my philosophy is that you write them like how they act in the show but add some PDA. Well, not exactly PDA because I imagine they are all touchy-feely in public. I hope you like what's to come.

Guest- Thank you for the review, and I wanted Star and Marco to have more to their soul bond then that they are meant to be together.