REDUX Here! This is part two of what I deem the "Princenemies" arc from Chapter 6. See the dramatic conclusion! Enjoy the changes!
"Star?" Marco continued to stroke her golden hair as she sobbed into his chest. He peered into her side of the bond and felt a mixture of anger, fear, and relief all wash over her at once. Then again, what else was she supposed to feel when he just suddenly showed up in her room covered in scratches and with his crescents glowing? I probably scared her to death. He would have felt the same in her shoes.
Gently, he led her to the bed, and Star gathered herself to speak. "I knew it," she said through a series of sniffles. "I knew this would happen. I should have made someone else sponsor you and not that stupid demon." Before Marco could speak, she tightened her grip on the wand, "First, he treats you like dirt—making you muck out horse stalls. Princes don't do that! Now, this…"
Wait, how did she know about the chores? He never mentioned them to her when she asked how his day went with Tom. Before he could ask about that, Star hopped off her bed with her cheekmarks shining in the same shade of red they had been on the day of the fight. "I'm going to finish what I started," she growled in her golden form voice, even as she remained in her normal appearance.
Her thoughts broadcasted her plans to Marco as clear as if he had made them up himself. She was going to storm the castle and corner Tom like prey. Maybe she would tell him off or wordlessly kill him—she wasn't fully decided on that part yet. Both sounded tempting. Should any guards stop her, they too would be dealt with. They were just minor nuisances to her plot for revenge.
"Star! Wait!" Marco grabbed her wrist. When she pulled away, he added, "Please don't do this,"
"Why not?" She snarled in rage, "You're my Marco, and I made a promise that I intend to deliver on."
He drew her into a tight embrace, half to calm her down and half to keep her from moving. "I'm not letting you do this, Star," he refused to budge. "I'm fine. The wounds are superficial." Star relax slowly in his arms, and he asked in jest, "Are you done using the scary voice?"
She nodded with a pout, "But I liked the scary voice."
They went back to the bed and sat in silence for a while. While his girlfriend continued to calm down, Marco wondered why she knew about things he hadn't told her. Had she been spying again on purpose? They made a rule against that practice when he found out that she had been peeping in on his dates with Jackie during their summer apart. Why couldn't Star trust him? "I do trust you," Star answered, feeling his thoughts, "I just didn't trust Tom, that's all."
"Star, we agreed on this," Marco said sternly.
She raised her voice, folding her arms, "But what was I supposed to do? Let you hang around my ex-boyfriend who has serious anger issues and tried to kill you multiple times!" Star wiped away a few of the tears that welled up, "It's not like I did it all the time, either. Just on and off to check up on things until I felt you dip."
He had forgotten that when he dipped down, he directly pulled from Star's magic so she would have known about the fight anyways, "We still had an agreement."
"I know I shouldn't have done it, and I'm sorry. I was afraid that I would…almost lose you again."
Marco wrapped his arms around her, "I'm alright; you don't have to worry about me. I have magic now, and if I were in that much danger, I would have called for you. Trust me, okay?"
She nodded, her eyes still watering. Marco saw images from her memory flash like lightning between them. He felt her horror and fury when she saw his body torn and bleeding. His heart raced with her panic and desperation when she carried him home. "Don't leave me, Marco!" It reminded him of the worst day of his life—the day he nearly lost her to Toffee. He let those memories flow to her, the ones that he had never share with anyone. It was during the dark moments without her that he thought of Star's confession. She liked him. The words replayed in his mind along with of all the moments they shared and the Blood Moon Ball. Perhaps, he felt the same. Perhaps he really loved Star more than a friend.
Marco was brought out of his thoughts by Star squeezing his hand. He felt wetness on his cheeks and watched as she handed him a tissue. They gazed into one another's eyes realizing that they had the exact same fear haunting their mind. "Let's not lose each other," Star murmured, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He nodded in agreement.
"So, how do I look in my armor?" Marco clumsily posed for Star in his glossy, red jousting armor. It felt even heavier without the adrenaline rush aiding his strength. "I would have shown you a few days ago, but I was wiped out after everything that happened." He even brought back the splintered stump of his lance and jabbed it in the air for effect. "You should have seen me Star. I beat an Underworld lord, and without a shield too! There I was—um, are you listening to me?"
"That mail skirt makes your tush look cute…" Star ogled, chewing on her wand.
"You know I can hear you," the prince sighed while blushing slightly.
She stopped lusting for a moment, "What? Can't I think my boyfriend's tush is cute?"
"There's more to me to look at—not like that!" His face became redder as Star went somewhere he wasn't expecting. I'm going to forget that image… Sometimes being able to read someone's mind is more of a curse than a blessing.
Suddenly, the mirror rang, and Marco hurried to answer. Since Tom had abandoned his prince training, the boy was in desperate need to find a replacement sponsor. Maybe it was one of the princes calling him back. "Star, that's not where my eyes are," he could feel that her eyes were glued to his butt. I don't even know what she likes about it.
When he turned to the mirror, his heart sank the moment Tom appeared, sitting on his obsidian throne. "Uh, hi, Diaz," the demon awkwardly waved. "I know things got a little heated a few days ago."
How dare Tom kick him out and crash back in his life again? Marco narrowed his eyes, ready to tell his old enemy to bother someone else when something told him to hold back. After studying Tom for a moment, he noticed there was no malice in the demon's eyes. Maybe Marco should hear him out first.
"What are you doing here?" Star strode up to the mirror and past her boyfriend with her wand glowing. "I heard about what happened—in fact, I saw what happened. If it wouldn't start a civil war, I'd end your pathetic life. If you don't state your business with my prince, then I might reconsider letting you live."
That's my Star, Marco inwardly smiled for a second, especially seeing how terrified Tom appeared. After the princess made her point, he asked, "What do you want, Lucitor? You said we're done."
"I need your help, Marco—Star's too," Tom sighed. Both Star and Marco cocked their right eyebrow in intrigue, which made the prince uncomfortable for a moment. "There's a pack of hellhounds on the loose, destroying villages, and they need to be dealt with."
"Why don't you get your servants to do it?" Marco folded his arms as he jeered. That's all royalty like you do anyway.
He expected Tom to yell at him, but the demon prince exhaled slowly, "Because a wise person told me that princes should be out there making things better for their people. And that I should get off my lazy butt more often and get involved."
Marco softened a bit at Tom's words, "So you did listen to me…"
"Look, I know that I have been a huge jerk repeatedly, but I hope you can find it in yourself to help me. If you can, meet me in the Underworld as soon as you can."
The mirror switched off, and the boy scratched his head in thought. It seemed like Tom had actually changed. In fact, that was the most princely thing he had ever done. And he apologized! We could make this work, he considered taking up the offer.
"Nope," Star frowned as she stalked back to her bed, leaving Marco at the mirror.
"Star, I think he's actually changing though," he followed her.
"That's what he always does," she spat. "I would know—I fell for it twice! Let him fend for himself for once."
"Remember how I said that guys like Tom don't change? Maybe they can, and it just takes a while." Star gave him a doubtful look, but he continued, "I'm just bummed that it all turned out this way. We were actually becoming friends again. You know, he taught me how to fight with a rapier."
Star began to giggle a little, "He taught you his geeky sword stuff? He always got mad because I kept 'doing it wrong.'" Her boyfriend wrapped his arms around her, and she snuggled closer, "I'm not sure about this, you know. But I know that look —you're going to do it anyways."
Marco shrugged, "I hate him too, but a good prince puts grievances aside to help others. We can't have hellhounds destroying villages."
"You're right…. After this, I'm totally going to kick his butt for what he did to my prince."
Her ferocity made him feel bold, and he kissed her gently. "Ticklish, aren't we?" Marco leaned in closer when Star giggled.
"We have something to do," she poked his shoulder to push him away.
"Right," Marco cleared his voice. "The sooner we get this over with, the better." After one last kiss, he got up to let her change, "Plus, I'll just get you tonight."
Thirty minutes later, Marco and Star stood in the courtyard of the Butterfly castle, fully clothed in armor. His jousting armor paid off already, although the castle servants added thicker mail under the padding and reinforced the iron plates with more metal underneath. The pommel of the broadsword he borrowed continued to rub under his ribs, no matter how many times Marco adjusted the sheath fastened to his belt. Meanwhile, Star seemed to have very few problems with her setup. She wore the battle armor from the ruined homecoming game, complete with her sword and wand holstered on her hip. Manfred and another servant presented two horses for the teens to ride into the Underworld.
"Star?" Marco glanced at her, confused when he recognized the steeds.
"I had Manfred buy Sir Runs-A-Lot after our date," she clarified. "As for Sol, once you've tamed a unicorn, you can call on them to aid you."
The prince reached out a hand to scratch his unicorn's nose, which made Sol nicker contently. On Earth, this would be illegal and impossible. Despite being completely wild, the stallion had accepted a simple bridle and saddle with no training. But who was Marco to ever question Mewnian logic? With everyone ready, he cut a portal, and they walked through it to the front gate of the Lucitor castle.
Tom was waiting next to a black deadhorse, cleaning his sword as he sat on the ground. His eyes lit up, and he sheathed his blade, "You guys came!" The Lucitor wore the same black armor from his fight with Marco, and it brought up a host of sour memories even though the blood and scratches were removed. Star picked up on the fact too, and she was livid.
"Hi, Star," the demon greeted her.
"Oh, hello, Thomas," Star said spitefully. "You're lucky I'm trying to keep up a good image for the sake of the Prince's Ball right now." He blinked at her but said nothing. The iciness in her voice made even Marco flinch, but he understood her protectiveness.
Tom rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, "So…uh, how are things? I haven't seen you since—you know."
"Things are great with Marco," she tugged on her boyfriend's armor to bring him closer. "You know you sorta interrupted something. Isn't that right, sweetie?"
"Star, what are you doing?" Even her kisses set him on edge—not in the usual good way too. Nevertheless, Marco felt inclined to indulge in a few.
The demon's third eye twitched uncomfortably at the sight, and he cleared his voice, "Let's get started then." Tom whistled, and out of the castle popped Cerberus wearing a pink tracking harness.
"Cebbie! Come to mama!" Star held her arms wide open as the excited dog pranced over to her. They gushed over each other in celebration, which was a cute and interesting sight. "What, Marco?" She sensed his emotions. "I dated Tom twice, so of course, Cebbie knows me." She booped one of her noses, "You know I still love you, unlike you know who."
"I'm right here, Star," Tom folded his arms.
"Did you hear something, girl? All I heard was the wind being grumpy behind us," Star baby-talked to Cerberus.
"How dare you diss me in front of my girl," he growled and tugged on his dog's leg to get her attention. But Cebbie was too caught up on Star's scratches to care.
"Um, don't we have something to do?" Marco cleared his throat, peeking at his watch. "Star, leave the grumpy wind alone," he rebuffed her mentally.
The princess gave Cebbie a final pat before she walked back to her horse, pouting at Marco, "You're no fun!"
"Just be easy on him," Marco kissed her hand with a teasing smile. Over his shoulder, Tom rubbed the back of his neck, reminding the boy that his rival didn't know about the Blood Moon bond. Nor does he need to know.
"Anyways, let me give Cebbie the scent," Tom fished for a cloth from his saddlebag, "Then you better hold on tight, we'll have to ride fast to keep up with my gal."
He passed the cloth to the dog, presumably soaked in stinky hellhound scent. All three of her heads sniffed the rag with deep interested then dropped to the ground as Cerberus fanned out in a wide circle around the three teens. Once settled on a direction, she howled a long, thunderous bay and took off into the woods. I see why we are traveling on horses, Marco noted that the dog was already a hundred yards away in three bounds.
Quickly, the three royals hopped on their horses and galloped across the burning land of the Underworld. The hellish scenery flew by in a blur of reds, oranges, and grays. Sprays of ash from the horses' hooves tickled Marco's nose and burned his eyes, making him lament leaving his safety goggles and helmet. Along with the debris, he feared falling off for the better part of half an hour of hard riding. However, over time, Marco learned the steady rhythm of Sol's gallop and how to brace when they jumped over wayward logs. The ride became enjoyable.
When they took a break, Marco made the effort to reach out to his rival prince. Even though their last fight was still rather fresh, there had to be some way to patch up things with Tom. "What are hellhounds like?" The boy asked in hopes of starting a conversation. "I've read that they normally travel in packs, going on hunts in local forests before hiding away for a year."
"Well, you see hellhounds—" Tom was going to speak but Star dashed right between them.
"Oh, those guys are really cute to ride on," she shrugged. "Not a huge deal."
"These hellhounds aren't the domesticated ones my parents breed, Star," Tom corrected her sharply. "The wild ones are much bigger and much more dangerous! The most important thing to remember is that we can only kill them by—"
"No offense, Thomas, but you bore me," Star climbed on her horse. "Come on Sir Runs-A-Lot! We gotta find the doggies!" The warnicorn reared and charged ahead.
Marco shook his head and sighed lovingly, "She sure is something…"
"Can it, Diaz," Tom muttered as they rode after her.
The trio soon found a small area within the Underworld Woods, label the Endless Red on the map Marco brought with them. At first, he did not understand the name, but then he saw the section of forest. The plant life came in every shade of red imaginable from blood red to clay. It contrasted the black bark of the trees and the gray sky above. To Marco, the entire landscape seemed bathed in the light of the Blood Moon, which was pretty neat and eerie. I guess my armor is good camouflage, the boy felt the urge to hunt or at least play hide-and-seek with Star. Since they had the Blood Moon bond, the latter would prove to be more difficult.
Star hopped off her horse and walked on all fours, sniffing the ground like a hound. She really is River's daughter, Marco found himself laughing inwardly. "Find anything, Pluto?" he joked, kneeling next to her.
She shot up, and playfully jabbed him with her elbow. "I think the pups are deeper into the woods—"
Marco rolled his eyes mockingly, "No kidding." He winced when Star jabbed him harder, I deserved that. They looked at one another deeply, but a cough from Tom interrupted them.
"We should set up camp," Tom suggested. "Let me call back Cebbie."
He pulled a whistle out of his pocket and blew hard, causing Star to tense. I don't hear anything, Marco shrugged but the device succeeded in summoning the giant dog out of the depths of the wilderness. Her stumpy tail wagged as she immediately settled down for a well-deserved nap in the middle of the clearing. This was where camp would be for the night.
Marco suggested that they look for water first. After all, hydration was important after a long day of physical exertion, and they could not last longer than three days without it. They walked several minutes away from the campsite to a small gurgling stream they passed on the way. Star was about to stoop down to drink when Tom pulled her back. "What gives, Thomas?" She spat at him. "Who even gave you the right to touch me?" Uh oh, Marco hung back. Not getting in this one.
"You can't just drink from Underworld streams. You have to boil the water first!" Tom said gruffly.
Star threw her hands up in the air in annoyance, "But that'll take forever, and I'm thirsty now!" She shot an agitated look to get Marco to defend her, but he shook his head.
"You know, Star, Lucitor is right. Free-flowing water can have tons of bacteria and parasites. So, you gotta boil the water to sanitize it."
Tom blinked at him, "Dude, no one cares about that here. If you don't boil Underworld water, you could ingest a soul and get possessed."
"WHAT?!" Marco recoiled in horror, even Star's eyes grew large. "THERE ARE SOULS IN THE WATER?!"
The demon prince nodded his head, "Yep."
"You could have just told me that instead of tackling me to the ground," Star grumbled with her arms crossed.
"Well, my way was still effective," Tom gathered some water in a canteen and purposely brushed past her, causing Star to huff in anger. They were like fire and oil—reactive and explosive. This is gonna be a long trip, Marco rolled his eyes.
"So, Tom, do you want to help me collect firewood?" He clasped his hands together. Maybe cutting logs could get some of the "angries" out of Tom, and they needed to talk about what happened.
"Hard pass," the prince frown at him, then turned to glare at Star. "I've done my job for the day."
Marco narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "So you plan on boiling water on a fire without wood…?"
He watched Tom's face light up for a second, probably realizing how stupid he must look, but scowled, "Manual labor isn't my thing."
"Neither is politics." Marco crossed his arms smugly. The lazy demon still hadn't entirely changed yet. Luckily, he had Star to help him.
She already had an ax in hand, "Let's go, Marco! You know how much I hate wood."
Night fell and the bright crystal stars of the Underworld shed their silvery-pale light down on the black forest. Sol, Sir Runs-A-Lot, and Tom's horse were sleeping nearby with Cerberus guarding them. She had a deer skeleton in her massive jaws, which she gnawed on loudly. It was the only real sound in the quiet forest, other than the rustle of bat wings and the sound of fiery tree frogs. In the middle of it all, the three teenagers sat in silence, watching their collection of water and camp rations sitting on a roaring fire. At least Tom did something useful, Marco remarked as the demon prince fed the fire by flicking little flaming balls on piles of wood. Star and Marco spent three hours collecting bundles of firewood and logs while Tom sulked in a corner of the camp. Normally, the hard-working boy would have complained about his ex-sponsor, but they had to coexist peacefully on the quest. There was already enough drama going on as is.
"Dinner should be ready soon," Marco poked at the boiling pot of pasta with a stick.
"The water should be done, too," Tom remarked. Star, meanwhile, cast a few magical fireworks with her wand.
She noticed the pot rattle, and rushed to open the lid, "I got it!"
"Wait! Star!"
Before Tom could stop her, the princess uncovered the lid. Twenty green souls flew out of the pot, shrieking as they possessed the camp. The warnicorns bolted for the woods while Cerberus gulped down the rest of her dinner and charged into battle after the specters. Star wanted to join too, but Marco grabbed her and ducked behind a log. "We're staying far out of this one," he told her. A ghost tried to snatch the princess out of his arms until her valiant prince kicked it away.
"Nice work," she smiled, blasting another.
"Same to you."
The siege ended when Cerberus batted the souls to the ground and consumed them in giant bites. They screamed as they slid down her three throats in a sight that chilled Star and Marco to the bone. I'm glad she's on our side, the boy shuddered. When he first started his sponsoring with Tom, he saw how vicious gentle Cebbie could be on her chain. At last, Tom summoned a coffin from the ground to trap the remainder, and all was well again. The warnicorns gingerly returned to their resting spot and the teens to the campfire. Unfortunately, there was a casualty: the pasta was spilled all over the ground. Marco could hear Star's stomach growl in disappointment, and his did too. But we're not trying this again.
"Luckily, I have a plan b," Tom snapped his fingers and produced a small bucket in his hands. "Guess s'mores will have to do." The boxes of graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate were a welcomed sight in the face of going to bed hungry. Even though the meal had no nutritional value aside from sugar and carbs. Tom already had a few of the puffy squares roasting on the remnants of the fire, and Marco handed some to his girlfriend. Instead of being overjoyed, she folded her arms.
"I can't believe him!" She complained to Marco, although she accepted the food. "I bet he just wants to capture the magic again. Jerk!"
"It's not the lake trip," Marco patted her shoulder, "Don't worry about that and try and relax. We're together now, and nothing can tear us apart."
Suddenly, they both noticed the demon staring off into the forest with longing clear in his sullen eyes. Even Star felt kinda bad for him—Marco could sense it—and she played with her hair as she said, "Thanks for the s'mores."
"No problem," he tried to sound upbeat. "So, any good camp stories tonight?"
"I have one!" Star immediately shot up. She added a creepy tone to her voice as she recited a tale over the fire. "A long time ago, in a faraway land, there was a lonely princess trapped in an evil school. This wasn't a normal evil school, no. It had an evil headmistress and a whole lot of brainwashing." Tom and Marco leaned forward, deeply intrigued by the story.
She continued, "In this horrible place was a lonely princess, who had been sent away for her unruly behavior. No one liked her free spirit, and the princess fears she would lose her individuality until a red knight appeared to rescue her. He was brave and handsome and very heroic—" Marco blushed when she added, "With a cute tush," for his ears alone. "—After freeing the princess and taking down the guards, the two of them defeated the headmistress. The other princesses turned the musty old school into party central. As for the princess and the knight, they became best friends forever. The end."
The boys clapped, and Star reclaimed her seat next to Marco. "Something tells me the princess and her knight became lovers too," he teased with a sultry look.
"That was very nice," Tom said casually. "Let me guess—one of your adventures?"
"Kinda," Star replied. "Although, I changed a few things. Our trip to St. Olga's was to rescue Pony Head from Meteora. But Marco was such a brave hero." She rubbed Marco's arm again, flashing a seductive smile.
Blushing, he grabbed her, nuzzling her neck as she squealed in laughter, "But you're my hero too, my fair Battle Princess."
She mockingly shoved him, though her strength forced him off their log. "Sorry," she held out a hand to pull him up. "I forget my own strength sometimes."
Marco dusted himself off with his free hand, "That's part of what I like about you."
"That I can beat you up without trying?"
He shifted his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "Because you're my Warrior Goddess." They leaned in close, feeling their lips just touch when a loud clatter of pans falling ruined the moment.
Tom picked up the empty pot that had rolled off the stump, "Oops, must have been a gust of wind."
Marco narrowed his eyes, "It's funny that the wind only blows on one side of the camp and not the other."
"Can we change the topic? I have a story." Tom ventured, returning the fallen pot to the stump.
"Seriously?" Star strode right up to Tom's face, puffing her cheeks out. "Marco's my boyfriend, and I kiss him when I feel like it." Marco snickered at the comment but felt sorry for his rival, who sat in silence and rubbed his neck.
"I think it's time to turn in for the night," Marco suggested. The exes broke apart but continued to glare at each other as they drifted away. The boy shook his head, he felt like a babysitter sometimes. Just don't kill each other while I set up the tents. "Uh, Star?" he questioned as he rummaged through her backpack, "What happened to the other tent? There were supposed to be two."
He turned to see Star avert his gaze, "Oh, I left it at the castle because it was taking up too much space in my backpack." Right…Star just so happened to conveniently leave out the tent despite her pack being only half full. You could have just told me what you wanted, Marco sighed, but he was only just slightly annoyed. How could he be angry? He did look forward to having some alone time with her.
"You did at least bring another sleeping bag?" He asked, and Star nodded, poofing up one.
"W-wait, you only brought one tent?" The fire pit next to Tom blazed blue-hot and out of control for a second as the demon nearly choked on his s'mores.
"Uh, yeah, just the one," Marco answered as he finished hammering in the last spike. He stepped back, sizing up their sleeping quarters and frowned, "It sure looks kinda small Star." They would both fit, but they would have to be really close together and…He felt her giggle through their bond. "You did this on purpose, didn't you," his accusation garnered no answer from Star.
Before he could enter the tent, Tom grabbed him by the hood sharply, "Wait, Marco! You can stay with me." He gestured to his larger black tent. "There's plenty of room. I insist. Really insist." Marco watched the demon's pupils edge white. Tom is acting super creepy.
"Hard pass." He peeled Tom's fingers off his hood. "Why would I want to spend a night with someone who has repeatedly tried to kill me?"
"Yeah, Thomas," Star chimed in, unamused. "Plus, Marco and I have shared a tent before. Remember that blow out sale at Quest Buy when you came to Mewni?"
Oh yeah, good times, he grumbled inwardly but did not share with Star. "I'd rather not think about Higgs right now."
"Um, Star, weren't we dating then?" Tom shot her a puzzled, hurt look.
"Oh, yeah," she dismissed him. "Just don't worry about it. Besides—" She switched to a low, teasing voice. "—I need someone to keep me warm, right Marco?"
He became flustered when she grabbed his hand and eagerly led him into the tent. The last image Marco saw as she zipped up the tent behind them was a dejected Tom standing beside dying coals.
That was odd, Marco reflected as he unrolled his red sleeping bag next to Star's. He grabbed some pillows out of his pack, as well as a lantern, which he dimmed for mood lighting. He chuckled to himself, tonight was going to be a good one.
"Did you bring it?" she asked him excitedly. "Oh, you know I did," Marco purred teasingly, reaching into his backpack. He brought out a portable TV and gaming console and placed them at the foot of their sleeping bags. He had no idea that TVs could run without electricity on Mewni, but it really came in handy. "I brought Racing Rage VIII," he slid the disc into the machine, then tossed her a controller. "I thought a nice racing game would be fun. Are you ready? I'll let you choose the level."
"Ooh, let's do Rainbow Rampage!" Star made her choice, and he groaned—aka the hardest stage of the entire game.
It was nearly impossible with its twists, corkscrews, and lack of guardrails to keep one from careening into empty nothingness. But, of course, it was Star's favorite because of the psychedelic colorful rainbows everywhere and the upbeat music. And, of course, she somehow managed to always beat him, in spite of the fact she was horrible at the easier levels like Cute Cow Hills and Town Track. "Um, Cute Cow Hills is hard, Marco! The cows won't move!" Star countered.
He smirked, his brave warrior princess, who had the power to incarnate flesh with one blast, could not figure out how to avoid pixel dairy cows. "How many laps?" Marco wondered, toggling through a bunch of numbers with his joystick.
"Ten!" Star suggested with a grin. "Let's do it Diaz!" she hollered as the race began. Her car shot out of the start like a rocket, while Marco tried to go slow—his strategy was always to try to survive at least part of a lap. "Come on, Marco, faster!" Star goaded him loudly, as she lapped him already.
"Star…I'm trying…" Darn it! Marco fell off the track after only a few moments, and he let out a long groan of frustration.
"You're being slow; you know I like it fast!" Star expertly drifted on the first turn. Marco was too late and fell off the track into the dark void of space.
He sighed loudly, "It's too tight, Star." Mentally, he added, "Of a turn."
"I'm gonna finish first!" Star mashed her controls as her car flew through the air, executing a perfect bonus trick. The duo spent the next several laps grunting and yelling in both joy and frustration as each lap caused moments of victory and defeat. On the last lap, Marco found himself right behind Star. Maybe I have a chance! He threw all caution to the wind and toggled the joystick forward with all his strength.
"Marco?!" Star gasped as he passed her.
"I'm gonna..." he felt sweat bead on his forehead—he had no idea how, but he caught up to Star and it was neck and neck. Just a little more… "Almost…" he whined. Almost!
Then it happened, his car careened out of control as Star hit him with a boulder. "AH YEAH!" she screamed in triumph.
Meanwhile, Marco growled in frustration. She always won! I'll get her one day, he vowed. Star continued to dance in his face. "We probably should get some sleep," he shut off the gaming system. "I hope we didn't keep Tom up, we were kinda loud."
"I wouldn't worry about it," Star said as she settled into her sleeping bag. "He's a heavy sleeper."
The next morning, Marco emerged from his tent, feeling excited for whatever adventure the day would bring. Despite being in the depths of Mewni's version of hell, the sky was bright, shrill birds chirped, and the air felt clean in the lungs. All good signs. After another stretch, the prince noticed Tom sitting by the remnants of the fire with dark bags under his eyes, sadly poking at some of the ash.
"It sounds like you and Star had a lot of fun last night," Tom muttered bitterly.
What's gotten into him? Marco wondered for a bit, then he apologized, "Sorry about that. Star can get a little competitive. She likes it fast and—" He stopped when Tom glared at him. It wasn't an angry glare. In fact, it looked like he was thoroughly disturbed by something. Perhaps Tom had a nightmare or maybe a soul got loose again. "Anyways, as I was saying," Marco went on, "Star likes to let the world know when she—"
"Marco, just…stop talking," Tom's face grew pale as he looked away.
"I don't get what's up with you, Tom. It was hard—"
The demon prince held up a fiery hand, "I'm gonna stop you right there." Huffing, he continued to sulk in a corner of the camp and muttered curses when Star crawled out of the tent. What's up with him? Marco's gaze followed him. It was just a racing game.
Who knew hunting hellhounds on horseback could be so boring? Star groaned as her legs cramped. Four hours in the saddle of a galloping warnicorn chaffed even the strong thighs of a Mewman warrior. Being with Sir Runs-A-Lot was great and all, but maybe she should be doing something else. Slaying hellhounds were what they were supposed to be doing. Especially since this was the second day of the world's most awkward camping trip with her boyfriend and ex-boyfriend. The latest incident between the trio involved Tom freaking out every time the couple even glanced at each other. What was up with that? He better get over himself, Star gripped the reins tighter. That stunt he pulled yesterday wasn't cool, and, if he did it again, she was gonna shove a sword up his demon butt!
"Hey, Star I think we should stop soon," Marco interrupted her dark thoughts suddenly. "Gotta visit the little prince's bush."
Seeing her boyfriend's cute tush squirm in his saddle, made her burst out laughing, "I gotcha." She goaded her gelding forward to catch up with Tom. Boy, he's beating his deadhorse, Star also giggled at her pun, although there was truth in her words. The supernatural horse seemed to be straining. It almost seemed like he was running from her and Marco. Figures.
"Hey, Thomas!" She called loudly to him. Carrying a conversation while in full gallop was difficult between the wind and the hoofbeats. "We should probably stop soon."
The demon prince kept his eyes locked ahead, saying nothing. Is anyone home in there? Concern—an odd emotion to feel over an ex—began to set in when he still didn't answer or give a snide comment. Star sped up her mount and stopped him in front of Tom, whose horse reared in surprise. "I said let's stop for a while, Thomas," she crossed her arms, glaring coldly.
"Oh…uh sorry," Tom shook his head. "I was deep in thought."
Deep in thought? That was new—Tom wasn't the thinking type like Marco. He just did whatever he felt like, which was cool only about ten percent of the time. Dating someone with a short fuse and the impulse control of a cannon was not ideal. Being the wild one was her job in a relationship. Seeing the sad look in his eyes thawed her heart a little. The trip had to be hard on her ex. She could scarcely keep her emotions in check every time Marco and Jackie were together. I should be more patient, she thought.
"I don't get why we need to stop though," Tom suddenly continued with a jeer. "I get Marco, as a human, doesn't have the stamina we have, but we still haven't found the hellhounds."
Okay, springtime is over, and winter is coming, she gritted her teeth. She was about to hurl some sort of insult at Tom, when Marco trotted to her side, "This isn't about just me, Tom. The horses look beat."
He was right, all of their steeds were covered in foamy sweat, and their heads drooped. Even Sir Runs-A-Lot, who lived up to his name perfectly, looked like he needed a good nap and oats.
Tom clicked his tongue, "Fine, we'll rest at the next clearing—which shouldn't be too far up ahead."
The three slid off their mounts and led them to the next break in the red forest. As the trees thinned, they spied Cerberus whining ahead. At first, Star was concerned that her favorite demon dog was hurt, but her mouth hung open in awe. She saw why when they exited the trees. They had reached a huge lake, probably about a mile in all directions. The tranquil waves lapped at a beach of smooth black pebbles, as gulls cried overhead while hunting for fish and crustaceans. Even the sky overhead seemed more hospitable. It was orangy-red like a typical Underworld sky, but with a warm gray swirled in the mix. Little puffy clouds slowly sailed in the sky like ships.
"It's a freshwater lake," Tom commented. "You can tell by the gulls—they don't hang out around lakes of lava or souls."
"Finally, a place that looks kinda pretty down here," Marco remarked, as he leaned over to catch his breath.
Tom cracked his knuckles, fiddling in his saddlebag until he produced a beach towel and three-eyed sunglasses. He walked past the surprised pair, unfurled the towel just above the tideline, and settled down. When neither Star nor Marco said anything, the demon prince shot them a puzzled look, "What?"
"Wow, Tom. It's not like we have some evil hellhounds to hunt or something…" Marco muttered.
Tom was still rather unfazed, as he reached for his canteen, and he shrugged, "Come, guys, take a load off. When's the last time we've hung out on a beach?"
Both Star and Marco scowled, neither wanting to relive that infamous day. "What?" Tom questioned as they stood silent, folding their arms and cocking their eyebrows at the same time. He grumbled, "You're doing it again."
"Doing what?" The pair said in unison.
"That!" He pointed. "That thing you do where you mirror each other."
"Oooh, our thing!" Star and Marco realized together.
Tom's eyes grew wide and his mouth hung open, "Uh, how long have you been able to do that?"
"Since the Blood Moon Ball," they replied together before giggling. "We sound so stupid," they even echoed each other through the bond.
Tom said nothing and turned away.
"Anyways," Marco spoke up after a few moments of laughter. "I still gotta go so…." Secretly, he added to Star, "Can I trust you to stay here with Tom and not have the two of you kill each other?"
She kissed his cheek, coyly adding, "You can take me with you."
Marco opened his mouth, but his cheeks went red. "U-uh… I will be right back you two." He disappeared into the forest, leaving Star alone with her ex.
I bet Thomas is gonna try to talk to me, I know it, she groaned in dread as she sat down on the pebbly ground. She reveled in how cool and smooth the stones were, alleviating her sore leg muscles from sitting in a saddle so long.
"Hey, Star?"
Ugh, I knew it, she groaned as Tom asked, "I have a question…so uh how long have you been able to do that scary Butterfly thing?"
She grinned to herself, the fear in his eyes when she showed up on the battlefield ready to vaporize him made her giddy. "Since I fought Toffee," she answered, trying to suppress her joy. And she was ready to don it again if demon-boy ever decided to hurt Marco again—he was lucky she didn't do it right now and hide the evidence before her boyfriend came back.
"That's…cool," Tom replied, shifting his sunglasses off his face. "I'm guessing your mother helped you master that."
"Actually, it was Marco who was the most helpful when I used to sleep portal," she said rather casually, playing with the rocks at her toes.
"Marco?"
She could hear him move uncomfortably in his seat. For a second, she considered dropping the conversation and enjoying the scenery. Just for a second, until she realized that this was the perfect opportunity to get back at him. Oh, let's go for it. "Yes, Marco," she said quickly. "I used to lose control of my Butterfly form and sleep portal places, but he was there to help me."
Tom frowned, "You never told me about that."
There's more, she darkly laughed, "You wanna know how Marco helped? He used to sit in my room and watch me sleep—" Tom froze, as she continued, "—He even had to chain me to the bed a few times."
"He did WHAT?!" Tom roared as flames formed around his hands. "Star, we were dating, why didn't you have me help you?"
She flinched at the pain in his voice, maybe she went a little too far. But why would she listen to the rational side of her at this moment? "Because Marco is my squire and my most trusted advisor! Why would I want you there?"
"Because I am your boyfriend!" The flames grew brighter around his hands.
"Was!" She shot back at his anguished cry. "Why should it matter now?"
"You hid a major secret from me! What if Marco did that to you and had Kelly watch him sleep?"
She shifted her eyes away from Tom for a brief second before locking with his. His words cut her; how dare he accuse Marco of being disloyal! You weren't that great of a partner either, buddy! She would have lashed out with magic if her boyfriend hadn't come back. Tom and Star backed off, and Marco scratched his head, "Did I miss something?"
He sent a questioning look at Star, searching her thoughts and memories, but she shut him away. Marco recoiled in hurt, sticking his hands in his pockets. "So…uh, who wants to go fishing? We kinda need to if we're gonna eat…guys?"
Star watched him turn to Sol's saddlebags and whip out an inflatable raft and three fishing poles. "Okay, you two, this isn't an option anymore," Marco tossed some lifejackets at them. "We are going fishing, or we aren't eating!"
With a long sigh, the princess threw on her pink lifejacket and grabbed a pole. Marco floated the raft into the lake's murky water, and, of course, it had to be the smallest raft in the universe. Just at the time she wanted to be the furthest away from Tom. The sulking trio floated in the middle of the lake in a raft so small that their knees touched. Marco sat in between princess and demon prince with his rod next to him and the line already cast into the water. Star sat to his left, and Tom opposite of her staring off into the fog on the distant shore.
No one said anything for a long uncomfortable hour—each starting at each other or at the bait bobbing up and down in the water. "Alright," Marco breathed, "Someone better tell me what's going on. I've never seen you two act this hostile to each other."
Tom sat up in the boat, "You really want to know what's going on, Diaz…"
"Don't start Thomas!" Star yelled at him.
"What do you mean 'don't start?'" Tom leaned forward, rocking the raft slightly. "How would you feel if you were in my shoes!? Finding out that the person you loved held a major secret from you!"
"What secret?" Marco's eyes darted from Star to Tom. "Oh no…you told him about the chains, didn't you, Star?"
She ignored the comment, continuing to yell, "Don't you dare make this about you! You didn't support my princess duties! Remember how you were more concerned with finding a place to make out than helping me find the missing monsters at the Monster Bash?"
"Well, maybe if you actually paid some attention to me, for a change, I wouldn't have been so clingy!" Tom growled. "We went weeks without dating. Weeks. Remember how you practically ignored me from the Soulrise until that party? I do, and it hurt that you didn't want to be around me!" He shifted his gaze to Marco for a second, his eyes full of rage. Don't you dare, she gripped her wand.
"Turns out you clearly had the time after all," Tom crossed his arms. "I was right when I said that you always magically had time for Marco!"
At the mention of his name, Marco opened his mouth the speak, but was hushed by the other prince, "Don't start Diaz! You stole my girlfriend from me—I haven't forgotten that!"
"We were on break, Tom!" Star poked his chest. "And it was my decision to make! You told me to make a choice, and I did! You let me go!"
"That was because I thought you'd choose me for once. You've always chosen him over me. I saw that play out dozens of times, starting with that stupid Blood Moon Ball. You could have just told me that your feelings changed. Maybe I would have backed out of the picture."
"That's a lie, Tom," she shoved him. "You never left me alone back when I was on Earth! And now, you've found some way back in my life. Even though I never wanted to see you again after what you did to Marco! Why are you even here?"
"Do you wanna know why?" Tom grabbed her by the shoulders. Marco shifted forward to intercept but was held at bay by demon magic. "Because Star, I love you!" Tom confessed. "I still do."
Silence hung in the air as he let Star go and she scrambled away.
The demon sighed, releasing the anger and tension from his body, "I never got over you, okay? Not at Song Day and not here. I was thrilled that you wanted to go out again, but I know the truth. You never felt the same—Marco was always meant to be your prince, your soulmate. That's why that stupid moon didn't choose us."
Star turned her eyes to Marco, who was too shocked to speak. Well, this is the most awkward and painful fishing trip ever, Star sighed. She should roast Tom for admitting that he loved her in front of Marco, but this needed to happen. They all knew it. Just like her talk with Marco in the temple—she had been running from this conversation. The hurt in Tom's eyes made her blood freeze. What did I do to him? She should have been honest the entire time—that her heart had been with Marco. Why did I let this happen? She had been a horrible girlfriend to Tom. Using him as a mere rebound to get over Marco was completely unfair.
Gently, Star placed a hand on his shoulder, looking him in his wounded, sorrowful eyes. "Tom…" she breathed. "You're right. I dated you because I was lonely and hurt after Marco left. That's a crappy excuse, but it's true. And you're also right that I never felt for you the same as I do for Marco."
Tom looked at her and sighed bitterly. He's getting it, she saw the resignation in his eyes. "But know this, Tom," she continued. "I will always like you as a friend, and I value the time we had together. We had a lot of fun, y'know."
"Yeah, we did... You're pretty cool—as an f-friend." Tom also shot Marco a thumb's up, "I'm not encroaching here, I promise."
Marco replied with a shaky one of his own, "You guys needed that. I hated seeing you act so pissy to each other."
The three laughed as the tension rolled away like fog evaporating in the warmth of the sun. "Hey Tom," Star spoke up after a while. "I'm sorry for everything. I truly am."
"Me too," Tom scratched his head. "I'm also sorry for trying to kill Marco twice. You know, I'm still not okay with this yet, but I'll get over myself."
I can't believe I'm going to do this, Star leaned over and gave Tom a huge hug. He froze and blinked for a second, probably making sure that he wasn't overstepping his boundaries. After a moment, she could feel him tightening his arms around her shoulders. When they broke apart, Marco leaned back against the side of the raft. "See? Fishing fixes everything."
"WOOHOO!" Star waved her arms in triumph as her car rushed past the finish line in Rainbow Rampage.
Marco groaned into his pillow, "Why do you always keep winning?"
"Easy, don't over think the curves," she set her controller on the console.
Marco did the same and blew out the lantern. As they settled into their sleeping bags, he spoke, "Star, I'm proud of you."
"Why?" she rolled over to face him. "We ruined your fishing trip, and Tom literally confessed that he still loved me in front of you."
"So?" he replied, reaching over to hold her through the sleeping bag. "You stopped running from your issues. Plus, I'm not too worried about what Tom said. I know your thoughts after all."
She blushed as Marco leaned in for a kiss. I guess I am done running, she realized. Now, she could finally have a good friendship with Tom—which was better for both of them. She blushed further when Marco shifted out of his bag on top of her. Oh? Well, he can read my thoughts, so… She raised an eyebrow teasingly, "I'm guessing Mr. Bold is back."
"I can be your Wild Man for a few moments," he teased her with a kiss to the forehead. "Besides, you're so much more enjoyable when you aren't secretly pissed at Tom."
"It wasn't a secret, Marco," she traced shapes on his chest. They laughed gently, before enjoying each other's company now that the storm cloud that hung over them had passed.
Why does this keep happening to me? Tom drowsily stumbled out of his tent, rubbing his bleary eyes in the light of the rising sun. Another exhausting, sleepless night had passed, starring Tom and the weird noises from the tent next door. Star and Marco really enjoy sharing their tent. A bit too much. Tom shuddered, and not from the humid air laden with fresh dew. He wanted to say that had no idea what Marco was doing to his ex-girlfriend, but he knew. The prince was a teenaged guy, after all. I don't think I could have ever done that…He slapped a hand over his eyes—the images were coming back! Think happy thoughts, he chanted to himself as he only they could be less noisy, then he could sleep and not lay awake with disturbing thoughts.
Tom bit his lip, walking towards the fire pit in the camp site's center, and tossed a few fireballs into it to reignite the fire. Snapping his fingers, he conjured up some coffee and took a few sips. He couldn't help but think of all of the moments like that we would never get to share with Star. The confession still rung in his ears. In hindsight, Tom must have looked like an angsty teen from one of those telenovelas Marco had shown him, but he meant it. He loved Star, and that was a problem. It was time to let it go—for real this time. But I've never loved anyone else, he grew depressed at the realization. Could he ever open his heart to anyone again?
"Woke up early, huh?"
Tom turned around, seeing Marco covering himself with a thin sheet over his hoodie.
"Yeah," the demon replied, passing his cup to him. "Need a buzz for the road?"
"Hard pass."
Tom sighed, putting his coffee down, looking into the flames before him. What does he even say to his former friend? He was surprised that Marco didn't slap him or something for confessing to his girlfriend. That's what Tom would have done. Certainly, the boy had the right to. "Look, Marco. I'm not sorry about what I said yesterday," Tom said bluntly. "But I hope you aren't mad."
The other prince rubbed his chin and admitted, "I'm not mad about that at all."
"Why not?"
"Because you needed that. Just like how Star and I needed to talk in that temple. There is a lot of needless baggage between all of us, and it feels really nice that we are making steps towards kicking it away. You know, I was serious after the end of our fight, man. I miss us being friends."
Tom felt a pang of hurt spread across his body. I missed our friendship more than you ever know, dude. If the demon were honest, it sucked not having a buddy to sing Love Sentence song with. "Well, I don't hate you nearly as much if that counts," he laughed and punched the boy's arm.
Marco snickered too, punching Tom's arm in response. "Just promise me one thing—that we can continue being civil on our quest. After all, you're my best princenemy."
"Sure thing, my most favorite princenemy." Tom winked at him. "But if I may," he shot a fireball harshly into the fire—watching it roar for a brief second before dying down. "I'm trying to get over Star, which is hard in and of itself. I swear, if the two of you get busy one more night while I'm around, I'll be up for round three."
Marco backed away in confusion, ready to drop into a fighting stance, but Tom flashed him a playful smile, "I'm kidding, Marco. Well…I still mean it, sorta. You and Star are kinda loud. I get you want to enjoy each other, but—" He stopped as Marco made a weird face.
"Oh… Oh!" He turned pink and shook his head. "Tom, it isn't like that…Oh, so that's why you were so down the other morning. But no, Star and I were just playing Racing Rage VIII at night."
Tom's third eye twitched. Really?! "Lemme guess, Rainbow Rampage?"
"I see you know me well, Lucitor," Marco chuckled. "But yeah. I was trying to tell you that the other day. You can always join."
Oooh! Tom could just slap himself, "So, you and Star weren't getting freaky?"
"Yeah, only a game. We just started dating, and we're only fifteen."
Tom raised his finger to say something, but the yawning figure of Star slowly walking out of Marco's tent distracted him. Her hair was all messy, and she had a very flushed yet content expression on her face. "Good morning, Wild Man, last night was fuuuun," she purred at a very mortified Marco as she walked away.
"Wild Man?"Tom raised an eyebrow in intrigue at Marco, and he folded his arms. "So, Marco, what's this about being only fifteen and only started dating? Only video games…?"
The prince only blushed and awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.
After packing everything up, the royal trio kept riding, following Cerberus's massive pawprints in the ash. During the travels, Star and Marco made faces and giggled at each other while Tom trailed them on his trusty deadhorse. Their happiness was cute in a deeply disgusting way that left a weird taste in the demon's mouth. I need to get over it and let them be happy, he sighed. However, every thought always ended up linked to Star and Marco. It was amazing that the couple made Tom simultaneously smile and want to kill something. He spurred his deadhorse to catch up. They seemed glad to have him in their world.
"Sooo…" Star began, "Did Cebbie find the doggies yet?"
"Yeah, Tom," Marco chimed in. "We should have had a lead by now. I hope the lack of news isn't anything bad. Where are the villagers in the forest?"
Tom blinked at the comment, I wasn't even thinking about my people before.Upon realizing this, guilt gripped his demon souls as memories of the joust resurfaced under layers of repression and rage. The peasants were right. Tom had never cared about their well-being. What kind of royal was he? Maybe everything is fine, and the hellhounds haven't reached a village yet, he clung to the fragile sense of optimism until a loud scream echoed in the forest.
All three mounts stopped in place, pinning their ears slick against their necks. Oh no, the royals shared a concerned glance. Cautiously, they proceeded until the trees parted and revealed an appalling sight. Before them, a town was in complete shambles, covered by ash and debris. Scorched buildings were ripped in half and embedded in great puncture marks. Teeth marks, Tom shivered. In the wake of the destruction, families huddled together with eyes wide in shock. They spoke in hushed tones.
Marco shook his head, "We were too late."
Tom felt the urge to pound the town wall until it turned to dust. This was his fault. A prince was a protector of his people, and the demon was too busy moping and arguing with his ex-girlfriend to do his freakin' job. I need to act like I'm Prince of the Underworld, he climbed off his deadhorse. A demon child flocked to him with tears shining in her three green eyes. "Prince Thomas?" She hiccupped. "Are you here to help us?"
Compassion filled his heart, and the royal gave the small girl a hug, "Of course I am." To the gathering crowd, he said, "Citizens, fear not. I know things look pretty bad right now, but I'm here to help with the Princess of Mewni and her new prince."
At first, the townspeople seemed hesitant to trust the Lucitor, but they slowly emerged. Marco organized the remaining supplies and helped Tom heal the wounded while Star used magic to put buildings together. They spent most of the day with the town, and Tom felt good about his position for once. I can do a lot of good if I put my actions where my mouth is, he mused, watching a child return to his mother. Meanwhile, Marco finished his last inventory of supplies and formalizing a report to send to the Queen of Mewni. A couple of young teens approached with wooden swords, begging the young prince for an autograph. They recognized Marco from the joust. Watching how the boy interacted with them made Tom realize that his princenemy had the right mix of compassion and pragmatism to be the perfect partner for Star.
Focus on the task first, Tom shook his head. "Everyone," he addressed the survivors. "We've helped get you back on your feet, but we need to finish off those hellhounds before you're safe. Which way did they head?" Determination emboldened his words, and he was ready to put the hurting on those stupid mutts.
A group of children pointed to a gaping hole in the western wall, under which were a few crushed corpses. Tom balled his hands into fists. He called to Star and Marco, "C'mon, guys, we got enemies to smash."
"Finally, what I came along for," Star was already back on Sir Runs-A-Lot. "Can't wait to take down those hellhounds with you, Tom." Her genuine smile was a welcome sight after everything that had happened. She called me "Tom" again.
"Ready, Marco?" Tom watched the other prince prepare Sol for the ride. "I know you can hold your own, but these guys are very dangerous."
Marco flashed a confident smile, "Can't possibly be more dangerous than a demon who just broke up with his ex-girlfriend." The two laughed. A brotherly bond was beginning to form again, and it made Tom remember something. Hopefully, this will get us back on track as friends. The demon dug around in his saddlebag and pulled out Marco's rapier. He handed it to the boy, whose eyes sparkled with awe.
"No way!" Marco unsheathed the sword for a few practice swings before sheathing it again at his side. "How did it even fit in that little bag? Why'd you even bring it?"
Because I miss my sparring partner. That was what Tom wanted to say, but he kept the mushy words to himself, saying instead, "Because a good swordmaster is never without his sword. You'll need it on those hellhounds. You can only kill them with a stab to the heart."
A short distance away, Tom spied Star staring at her boyfriend dreamily. It brought the demon back to the days she made those eyes at him, but the memories were not too painful. They stung a bit, yet Tom was okay with the wistful sting. It's time I let her go. She deserved to be with the prince she truly loved. Marco. Did you hear what I said, Starship?" Tom called to her. He did not realize he had used his old nickname until Star raised her eyebrow. "Sorry, if that was weird…"
Star smiled, "I've missed that actually. And yeah, stab 'em in the heart. Let's go; we're burning daylight!"
The three friends rode until the last of the light was sapped out of the sky. Soon, only the light of the stars lit the path, along with the flames emitted from Tom's horse and Star's glowing wand. Silence hung in the air, but a screech reverberated in the forest. The warnicorns froze and neighed in fear. Seeing that this was as far as they would go, the teens got off and prepared for the brawl lurking in the shadow. Star and Marco stood back-to-back with wand and rapier drawn. "Guess we found them," he squeezed his girlfriend's hand.
"It's go time," she answered in a low voice.
Tom saw them share a moment in silence, agreeing to a private matter without words. Their eyes communicated flashed of several emotions: love, worry, confidence, and something the prince couldn't catch. Afterward, Star and Marco unleashed their magic, and the forest was bathed in the white light of their cheekmarks. Hearts and crescents. It's like their souls are bonded, Tom marveled. He strangely thought back to the Blood Moon Ball when they danced. Like they're one soul in two bodies.
A wail-like howl shattered Tom's thoughts, and he charged his fiery fists in anticipation. "They're coming," he warned.
The cries grew louder and louder as more of the horrible beasts joined in, seeming to gloat in victory over the fate of the village they razed. And over eating us, Tom gulped as the foliage around them rustled. They came out one-by-one, parting the thick thorns and bracken with their black bodies. The hounds were the size of bears—much larger than the pony-sized hounds Tom's father raised for hunting. Dark fur blending into the night and the shadows, a contrast to the gleaming skeleton heads in the starlight. Red fire blazed in empty sockets, highlighting two scimitar-like fangs that hung from the corner of their mouths. Tom, Marco, and Star formed a tight defensive triangle as their clearing became crowded with sixty of the horrid beasts. Suddenly, on a silent signal, the beasts launched forward to attack.
Immediately, Tom shot a wave of fire to knock them back to buy the royals a bit of time. He sent a fireball to light the closest one on fire and stabbed the beast in the heart. It disappeared in a puff of hissing smoke. One down…fifty-nine to go, he freed his sword from the ground. The demon sensed another hellhound rushing towards him. With no time to summon magic, Tom whirled on his feet and thrust his sword in its chest. Two down, he smirked.
Marco dashed past Tom and landed a blue aerial kick on a hellhound. Once the beast was grounded, he used a red fist to punch the beast through the chest where a heart should be. Tom raised his eyebrows and whistled, Remind me to never piss off Diaz. On the other side of the clearing, blasting multiple animals with powerful wand magic. When one of the miserable curs tried to sneak up behind her Star whirled with a dagger and impaled it in the heart. That's my Starship, Tom cheered. It was good seeing that fight back the eyes of the warrior princess.
"Hey, Star," the demon shouted. "Wanna spice things up a bit?" He knew going down memory lane was a bit of a risk, but why not? Star grinned wickedly, despite the questioning look from Marco.
She jumped into the air and shouted, "Narwhal Blast!" A storm of the watery creatures flew the wand, which Tom set on fire. They turned them into flaming meteors of horns and blubber, crashing into the hellhounds below. The exes exchanged a high-five.
"Ah yeah! The dream team is back!" Star hollered in triumph.
This was the most fun they had had with each other in months. I fact, this was better than the last half of their relationship. "I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship, Star," Tom beamed.
"That it is, Tom," Star said before charging at another hellhound near Marco.
After subduing a few hounds, Tom had the opportunity to observe Marco and Star fight. While his trick with the princess was neat, she worked on another level with her partner. They chained magical and physical attacks perfectly, never missing a beat. Her offensive explosive spells were complimented with Marco's close-range defense. It was like dancing.
But even Star and Marco's dance could not fend off the toll of battle. Time passed, and fatigue set in all three of them as wounds pockmarked their bodies. Even though thirty hellhounds lay dead, there were still plenty more left. They flowed in like a flood. "Tom!" Marco limped to his side. "We can't keep this up!"
The demon could see the tiredness in his friend's face, and he felt it too. Tom gritted his teeth as a bite wound stung. "How's Starship doing?"
"I'm still fine!" She shouted at them. "But, yeah, I'm getting tired too."
All of a sudden, a loud howl shook the forest, causing the other hellhounds to cease fighting and bow low. "Uh-oh…" Tom gulped, and Star and Marco held each other's hand for comfort.
"What does that mean?" Marco asked while panting.
"The Alpha is coming," Tom muttered in a hoarse whisper.
The ground shook as the great beast padded closer, causing trees to fall in its wake. In a few moments, the Alpha had arrived. Easily, fifty feet tall, it towered over the trees with its flaming red skull blazing in the night. Scars crisscrossed its body, bragging of untold victories. Tom didn't have the heart to tell Star and Marco the significance of this moment. No one has ever seen an Alpha and lived to tell about it. And they were about to see why. The giant hellhound opened its large mouth and breathed an endless stream of blue fire.
"AAAAHHH!" Tom screamed demonically and cast a red dome around them.
They huddled together under the shield as the inferno blazed around them. Eventually, Tom's energy began to give out with exhausting setting in. Star stepped in to support him, but even her body weakened. She was too tired to use her more powerful Butterfly form. At last, Marco tried to help as best he could. We can't hold on like this, Tom resigned himself to fate. "Guys," he took both of their free hands. "We've had an awesome time together…thanks for putting up with me."
Star threw an arm around him, "I will always care about you, Tom. Know that."
Marco weakly turned to her with a sappy gaze that almost seemed like they were talking to each other. "I love you guys," he said solemnly out loud. The shield frayed at the edges and let in the heat from outside.
However, a familiar bark distracted the Alpha and disrupted its fury. It was Cerberus! With the warnicorns too! "Canis ex Machina," Marco mumbled as passed out in Star's arms.
The horses chased the smaller hellhounds away, and Cerberus went for the Alpha. She crashed into the beast, skidding its body in the leaf litter and dust. True to her title as Guardian of the Lucitor family, her three heads consumed the thousands of souls that made up the Alpha's body. The fight was finally over.
Tom rose to survey the damage. Piles of hellhounds vapored into lingering wisps that drifted like fog into the night sky. Fallen trees scattered on the ground and disturbed dust clogged the breeze. We did it! Tom threw his hands in the air to celebrate. "Marco!" He shook his friend. "Get up! We're still breathing!"
Marco's brown eyes blinked open, and he seemingly sprang to life. "We're alive!" He kissed the ground.
Star laughed, "What about me, silly?"
He tackled her to the ground, and they started rolling around, tangled in each other's arms. The kissing and moaning noises told Tom all he needed to know. C'mon you guys, he turned away. Gross. Then again, they almost died, so the demon understood. He gave them space for a few minutes before cutting them off with by clearing his throat loudly.
"Don't do that in my presence again," his eyes twitched. Star and Marco parted, laughing at their response and Tom's reaction.
"Sorry, Tom," Marco rubbed the back of his head. "Got a little carried away."
The two lovebirds playfully glanced at each other and blushed, making Tom smile. They're a good team, he admitted. He pulled them into a hug. "I can't thank you enough. True, I was a jerk earlier, but we pulled through."
"Yeah," Star punched his arm. "It was fun using the flaming Narwhal Blast."
"And Marco," Tom patted his arm. "You were super impressive today. I was wrong—you'll be an excellent prince for Star and Mewni."
Marco's face lit up, "You're a good prince, yourself Tom."
"So, how does nine o'clock tomorrow morning work for you?"
"For what?"
"I'm your sponsor, dude," the demon laughed. "You better not slack on me."
"Really?!" Marco squealed.
Tom nodded, "Absolutely. I will be honored to vouch for you at the Prince's Ball." The two boys shared another epic bro-hug. "And you, Starship," he hugged her too. "Thanks for being my friend."
Star grinned, "Just don't burn my Marco again, and we are fine."
"So how about some corn shakes? On me, of course, since you helped save my kingdom." Cerberus whined, to which Tom replied, "Even one for you too, girl. Oh, and the warnicorn's too."
With that, they sliced a portal and led their magical pets to the nearest cornshake café, strengthening their budding friendships with sugar, dairy, and bragging about the hunt. Tom may have lost the opportunity to date Star, but having his two friends more than made up for it.
Review Round-up
Aldal- Thanks for another glowing review. I really had fun exploring the Underworld in a way the show has yet to do. Marco is the determinator, nothing gets in his way—not even mucking out horse stables. As for Tom and Marco's friendship…You'll see what the next chapter makes of it. Tom has a lot of issues to deal with at the moment of this chapter for anything super meaningful to happen. The poor guy has been given a rather sucky gift, that was less sucky when he was with Star. Maybe Marco should listen to his points from the fight…
allen Vth- Thanks for the review and the meta point about how everyone wants what the other has. The Lucitors and the other royals…you'll have to see what they really think of Marco, but you're right, as least he has the commoners on his side. Tom and Marco are in an odd place right now, and Chapter 7 should hopefully shed more light on that. No, royalty shouldn't fix games—Marco is going to fix that. He's as much about commoner rights and Star is about Monster Rights.
Star's Keyblade4114- Marco is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to being a prince, and he better get ready for what's coming. Otherwise, thanks for the review.
Random dude 188- It depends greatly, but generally a week and a half from idea conception to publishing. I like to leave at least two full days of editing and I usually have the next chapter started by then.
Guest- Magic boy Marco is the best Marco and the show needs that to happen. And you're right, Tom's main hang-up is that he's still very attached to Star. He's spent a lot of time in the series trying to get back with her, so this is a new and hard stage for him. Jackie will be coming soonish…so we'll see. Thanks for the review!
imhere4svtfoe- You have no idea how much of a challenge it is to edit so many words (luckily, I have a great beta to work with that makes writing super long chapters less of a chore). The sponsor idea makes sense when you think about it, and I'm glad it worked for you. Tom and Marco have some ways to go with their friendship, as you'll see in Chapter 7 (sorry but this chapter is even longer). As for Marco as a prince, he's quite natural at it—he just channels his inner Marco Ph.D. when dealing with subjects. Hellhounds are popular probably because the Underworld is basically hell and we need something scary to happen down there.
As for the next point, I love how you brought up an idea of a sequel and we aren't even halfway there yet. A sequel is on the table, but in the far, far left corner hiding under a stack of papers. Marco really has no idea what he's in for and he should really listen to Tom about how horrible being a royal is. As for fencing, I wanted a fighting form that both fit and didn't fit Tom's personality. Rapier duels are very quick, decisive, and have a lot of underhanded moves—that fits Tom's personality. But it requires a lot of patience and the ability to stay cool under pressure—not like Tom. Thanks for the comment!
Epic Ninja- Thanks! I'm glad you are enjoying the story!
robertkellett- I won't respond to all of the reviews because it'll take about a million pages. But thanks for being a great friend and beta. I'm having a blast sharing story ideas and working on chapters with you, and I'm glad that you're enjoying everything this far!
LP- I'm glad you're enjoying the story and this chapter. What's Tom and Marco's friendship without any Princenemies drama? They have a lot to sort out between them…
Also, honorable mention to Jack Coffison for the shout out in his latest chapter in his story "Marcocrushed". Go check it out, if you haven't read it, it's a great story.
