"What the..." Star couldn't finish her sentence before a guard in the custom purple spiked armor came running up to her. He was out of breath, and bent over to catch it.
"My Queen, it horrible, a large group of monsters have breached the castle walls," The guard explained to Star. Her eyes were in of disbelief, no monsters have been in this castle in thousands of years. She knelt down to meet the eyes of the guard, still panting for breath.
"How is this possible, monsters aren't this capable, most of them are bumbling morons," Star asked of her guard. He stood back up, and faced his Queen. His eyes went fearful.
"These aren't your normal monsters, Milady, there trained, well if I might add. They aren't the same as they once were, it's like they have a purpose," the guard explained. Star stood back up, her mind still confused of the news. She turned to Matilda, grabbed her hand, and pulled her to the side.
"Matilda, I need you to go secure the rest of the staff into one of the safer rooms, I need to see this for myself, plus it'll help morale if the knights see their queen fighting by their side," Star said half-jokingly, and half-seriously.
"My Queen, I should be by your side for any fight, you forget that I was once your bodyguard before I decided to be your handmaiden," said Matilda sternly.
"That's the reason I'm asking you to secure them, should they get in the actual castle, you're the only one who can fight almost as well as me, you have to protect them from monsters," Star begged of her friend. Matilda didn't like being seperated from the queen, but she understood. She nodded to Star, and proceeded into the castle.
While his amry was distracting them atop, Geist made his way to the castle, underneath. The catacombs were quiet, but he liked it, no distractions, He listened to the sounds of the battle above him, all was going according to plan. He walked slowly until he reached an opening to the castle, two guards ran by him. He waited for them to be out of his sight before he continued. He wasn't scared of them, but he wasn't about to let his cover be blown. He continued forward until he reached the Queen's bedroom, he knew that if the staff needed to be secure they'd be allowed to hide in there, because it was protected by a magical spell, but that spell was no match for the Dark. He raised his hand in fron of him, the glow appeared around it. The spell illuminated around the door, it's blue glow shining on Geist's armor. Slowly, the blue glow turned black, and broke under the pressure of the Dark.
The Staff huddled together fearful of what was to come they heard the spell break, and knew it wouldn't be to good. Geist walked through the door, chckling under his breath as he stared at the helpless servants.
"This is too easy," he jested. He pulled out his sword, and slowly walked towards them. He was confident, but he felt a surge of electricity shoot to his spine. He turned behind his, and raised his sword, blocking a sword.
"Seems like my Queen was right to leave me with the staff, who are you monster," Matilda cried out after landing back a few steps from Geist. She stared at him, she was scared, but knew she had to defend her friends.
"Surely your queen has told you all about me, I killed her best friend, as I will soon kill you," Geist mocked to Matilda. Her eyes widened, and she raised the sword back towards Geist.
"Geist...You're Geist, then I guess me calling you a monster wasn't far off," she replied back to him. She ran towards him, and the two traded blows between blades. She was quick and precise, going for his vital points, but being deflected every time. The two broke apart, and again the stared at each other.
"You are well trained, you aren't like any of the other servants, are you," Geist asked his opponent, he could see the eyes of warrior in her eyes. Matilda half-smiled at him, confident in her abilities.
"I was the Queen's personal bodyguard when she returned from Earth. I protected her from every monster that tried to do her harm. I was picked for my ability to use a sword, I trained are Queen on it, until she asked me to take over as handmaiden a while back, you are no match for my skills, Geist, just surrender," she declared to Geist. He laughed maniacally at Matilda.
"This'll be fun, tell you what I won't even use my magic, sound fair, handmaiden," he mocked once again. She ran towards him again, now the battle began...
Star led her forces well, they were pushing the monsters back. Her and her wand were unstoppable, and her men followed her without hesitation.
"Concentrate on their main forces, the rest will splinter off if we take them down," she procalimed punching one of the monsters in his razor-toothed jaw. Her men gathered around her, and started fighting back. The sound of swords clashing, and arrows swishing through the air could be heard all around. Star was jumping back and forth around, helping her men as they needed her. The monsters ferocity could be respected, they never let up, never faltered. Star cpould tell that they had trained to fight, and were different from the monsters her and Marco had fought years ago.
Somehow, fighting like this brought her spirits up, she was back in action. She found herself lost in the fight, as if like a dancer in on the dancefloor. She was nimble, quick, and accurate with her attacks. She was smiling, and confident, and her men could see it in her. They matched her spirit, and within a matter of mements when all seem lost, they had pushed back the monsters all the way to the gates where they started.
"This fight's almost over men, lets give them a reason to never return," Star declared as her men rallied behind her, and with their combined strength the monsters were pushed back, beyond the gates, they closed the gates behind them, and continued there barrage of arrows on them as they ran. Star and her men celebrated their victory, hugging each other, and letting out victory cries. Star motioned to her men to return the castle, and they followed close behind praising their queen.
Star smiled beside her men, but stopped as she looked up at two towers that were connected by a bridge, she could make out two figures fighting atop it. She squinted her eyes to get a better look, and as she identified them her eyes widened in fear.
Matilda and Giest were equally matched, their sword skills were not touching the others skin. They fought their way to the bridge, and the two stood back, panting for air.
"We are too evenly matched, Geist," Matilda said in between breathes. Geist chuckled before raising his left hand at her, and picked her up with the dark glow. "I thought you weren't going to use your magic, Geist," screamed Matilda as she was drawn closer to Geist.
"I'm evil, it's what we do, we lie," Geist explained as he raised his sword to her and slashed in her direction.
"Not today," Matilda proclaimed as she kicked her leg free, and used it to knock the sword out of his hand, and break herself free from his dark spell. He reared back, and went for his sword. She saw the opening, and she ran towards his ready to thrust the sword into his back. He turned, and with a thrust of his shoulder knocked her sword up, and away from him. He took the chance as well, and plunged his sword forward making contact with her shoulder piercing it. Matilda cried out in pain as he used the now pierced sword to pick her up from off the ground, and threw her back away from him. She grabbed at her arm, and watched as he walked slowly towards her. She used the rest of her strength to run, and was caught by her long hair. He pulled her back, and threw her to the ground. Geist looked down to the courtyard, and saw Star looking up in horror. He grabbed the handmaiden up from off the ground by her injured shoulder, and motioned her over to the middle of the bridge, facing Star.
"If this is the best your warriors can throw at me, then Mewni is in a dire situation," Geist yelled down to the courtyard in a joking manner. all the men next to Star looked up, and stared at the monstrous man that stood with the now helpess Matilda. He scared them, they didn't know why, but he did.
"Geist, let her go, do what you want with me, but don't hurt her," Star yelled back at him, desperate to get Matilda back from Geist.
"Do you mean, don't hurt her more than I already have, or kill her, I'm confused," Geist cackled as he tortured Matilda's shoulder. She whimpered in pain everytime he put any type of pressure on him. She looked at the queen, and awaited an answer.
"My Queen, don't give in to this monster, I'm not worth surrendering for," She screamed out, but was quickly silenced as Geist squeezed her wound.
"You are my friend Matilda, and I won't let him hurt you," Star screamed back at her handmaiden. Geist laughed, and then just as quickly stopped. He let go her shoulder, and backed up.
"I just came to prove a point, you can have your precious handmaiden back," Geist said as he used the dagger at his side to open a portal with. Star smiled in relief as he let her go, and started to make her way back up the caste, when she noticed Geist hadn't moved since he opened the portal. She saw Matilda start to move as Geist quickly turned around, and plunged his blade into her stomach. Matilda looked down, and her face went cold. Geist then kicked her off her sword, and off of the bridge, ending with him going through the portal he created. Star ran fast towards where Matilda was falling. Pulling out her wand, she used a spell to break her fall. She reached her and held her in her arms, using her wand to try to close the wound in her stomach. She was crying, and begging her friend to stay with her.
"My...my Queen, I have... failed you," Matilda said struggling to get the words out of her lips. Star swung her head.
"You didn't I failed you, I should've seen this coming, just save your breath, the spell needs to do its job or else," Star explained through tears. Matilda nodded before passing out in the arms of her Queen. The spell was working, but Star felt as if time was standing still, and called for her men to come to her aid. The men gathered around, and carefully picked up Matilda, to take her to the infirmary. Star still sat there, her hands covered in the blood of her closest friend in Mewni. she felt hate, and now she felt revenge. She wasn't going to let Geist take anymore of her friends away from her.
As she stood up, she walked slowly to the infirmary, awaiting to see her friend, and started planning her offensive against Geist and the Dark...