A/N: please don't hate me. I love you guys and I promise this is all part of the plan! Give it a chance. You'll see!
Chapter 8 Star
The second wave of enemies came. Creatures from hell crawled out of the ground. The sky darkened with winged demons.
I flew around on Cloudy, standing up and zapping monsters with my wand.
"Total Nuclear Butterfly Blast!" I yelled, pointing my wand at the Minotaur. The rainbow blast shot him backwards.
He landed heavily and groaned. I jumped from my cloud and onto the ground. "Ow," he grumbled. "Take it easy, man. I'm not even supposed to be in this story. Percy Jackson was busy this weekend."
"Percy who?" I asked as I shot a narwhal at a three headed lizard. The Minotaur swung his ax at my head and I ducked. "Trying to kill people isn't nice!" I blasted him in the eye with a crystal cupcake and jumped back on Cloudy. How rude.
I noticed Prince Justin going head to head with the nasty Troll Agamemnon. Slime oozed from the ugly troll's eyes and ears and pores, pooling around his feet. Justin's dragon bone sword slashed at Agamemnon's flesh. The ugly troll roared in frustration. Just thinking about how I could possibly have to marry him made me want to get sick everywhere. The troll king was a mucus green color, severely overweight, and had deadly bad breath.
"Ahh!" I gasped as Cloudy dissolved from under my feet. I plummeted down, the ground growing closer and closer. I landed painfully on my back, right into a grove of enemy monsters.
They stared at me in astonishment, as if they couldn't believe I was right there.
I laid there, gasping for air. They finally snapped out of their stupor and raised their weapons. I quickly rolled out of the way as an ax made its journey down toward my head. I swung my legs around, knocking them off their feet. I grasped my side as I stood, wobbly and panting.
"Dragon Bone Sword," I wheezed weakly. It morphed and I took out a two-headed wolverine. It's hissed and spat as it died.
I spared with an angry, buff demon. He shot beams of fire out of his palms but missed. His eyes began glowing with pure white light. His Stygian sword crackled with lightning. As metal met metal, I could feel the vibrations of our exertion humming through. Sparks flew and metallic pangs sounded loudly in the air.
My fingertips began turning black, cold seeped into them every time the metals connected. I could see the color, the soft whiteness, of the Dragon Bone sword become grey. The double sided edges were crumbling and I realized his weapon was more powerful than mine. He feigned right and slashed my forearm. A wisp of smoke drifted from my skin and it felt lighter. He connected with my thigh, cutting through the protective outer layer. Another wisp of smoke and I felt a soft coolness run up my leg.
"What is this?" I snarled as I defended myself.
"The blade is drawing your energy. It's draining your soul," the demon cackled as I ducked away from his weapon.
"Back off, you son of a bitch!" A voice growled. A familiar looking body jumped in front of me, Tom. His hands began glowing as they sucked the life from the demon. The demon struggled and tried to run away but the vortex of Tom's power was too strong. Soon, all that was left was the Stygian sword. As Tom bent down to retrieve it, it crumbled to dust.
He scowled in disgust, "I thought I got rid of all of those damn things." He blasted more of the enemy and then turned back to me. "Marco is looking for you."
I placed my hands on my knees and took deep breaths. The wounds from the blade were slowly closing up. "I lost him in the second wave. How is everyone holding up?"
He took hold of my arm as I listed forward, catching me. "You, not so well. You need some rest. Stygian iron withdraws your soul from your body. You should be fine in an hour, your cuts weren't major."
I protested, "Hell no. I'm fine, it was two tiny cuts." I pulled away from him but he tightened his grip as he pulled me safely between the ranks of our army.
"You look like hell," Tom snorted. "Your face looks paler than flour. You need rest and something to drink. We can hold everything together for an hour."
Not as many troops were injured. The makeshift infirmary wasn't overflowing with people so that had me feeling better. Tom led me to a bed in a secluded corner and gently forced me to lay down.
He snapped his fingers and an IV filled with transparent pink liquid attached itself to the crook of my arm. I felt the sugar enter my body less than a millisecond later. The cuts healed completely but left behind thin scars, whiter than the rest of my skin. My energy slowly replenished.
"What is this?" I asked, gesturing toward the IV bag.
He tapped the line, the drip had stopped and it resumed from his action. "Energy. And a dash of unnatural super strength."
I flexed my hand, "so I'll be super strong? Cool. How long will that last?"
He laughed as he noticed my intentions. "The strength is to keep your souls from draining out of your body. Though the cuts are healed, your energy and soul are on the brink of leaving you and need some heavy duty reinforcing. One tiny little bump could kill you. The fluid is keeping them anchored inside of your body until you're well enough to fight."
"Well that's not fun. I wanted to see the look on Marco's face as I lifted a giant in the air," I pouted.
Tom ruffled my hair, "Some other time, Starship. I gotta get back to fighting. No leaving the infirmary for another forty-five minutes." He disappeared with a snap of his fingers.
Time passed so damned slow. The moment the forty-five minutes were up was the moment I sprang out of bed and yanked the needle from my arm. Tom wasn't lying, I had needed the rest and I felt as if I had had a full night's sleep.
I grabbed my wand and went out to fight. As I reached the doorway, an arm shot out and wrapped itself around my waist.
"Ahh!" I yelled.
Marco's face showed up, smiling wearily. "Hey, I've been looking for you." He kissed me hungrily.
I held up my arm, "I got cut with a Stygian iron sword and almost got my soul sucked out."
He paled. "Are you okay?" He touched the white scar with his thumb.
I placed my hand on his cheek, "I'm okay. How are you?"
He looked ragged and several places on his used to be clean white shirt were dirty and covered in patches of blood. The tips of his brown hair were charred and brittle.
"I'm fine. Just tired. The second wave is retreating," he answered as he pulled me into a patch of shade.
The sun was beginning to set and the air was growing a slight chill, a consequence of it being the end of spring but not yet summer. Nurses handed out drinks with electrolytes and light food.
As Marco sat down, he winced in pain. He grabbed his side and groaned. "Shit." He sat down hard.
I reached for his shirt and pulled it up. A wound five inches long and rib deep ran across his side. It bled profusely. "Marco!"
He swatted me away, "I'm okay. I'm okay."
Ignoring his assurances, I placed a palm over the wound and focused. I imagined healing magic spreading to my fingertips in soft gold light. I willed the cut to close and the blood he had lost to replenish. I could feel his body telling me of the severity. The blade that had broken his skin had been poisoned with Moonlock. Another thirty minutes and he would have died.
The natural rosiness of his face returned and he sighed in relief.
"You idiot!" I scolded as I slapped his arm. "You could have died!"
Marco scowled as he rubbed his arm. "But I didn't. Besides, you almost lost your soul! What were you doing fighting a monster who could do that?"
I stood up angrily, "Trying to end this stupid war!"
"By dying?"
"I wasn't trying to die!"
He flicked my forehead with his pointer finger, "You almost did! Tom told me how close you were."
I placed my hand over my forehead and glared at him. "You were closer! Thirty more minutes and you would have kicked the dust!"
He bitterly laughed, "You're so dramatic."
"You know, sometimes I really hate you," I said without thinking. I gasped the moment the words left my lips.
Marco backed away with pain in his eyes. He looked away, "If that's how you feel then we won't get married."
I blinked tears away, "fine! Why would I want a husband who tries to die!"
Tom stepped in between us with hands held up. "Whoa, guys. Calm down. You're causing a scene."
Marco snorted as he shoved his hands deep in his pockets. "Whatever, I'll see you guys later." He vanished in a swarm of people.
I balled my hands into fists, suppressing the urge to stomp my feet. "What a meanie!" Okay, that wasn't the word I said in my head but a princess had more decorum than that.
Tom forced me to sit back down. "He'll come around. What were you arguing about?"
"He almost got himself killed!" I softly yelled and I waved my hand in his direction. "Then he tried to distract me with 'you almost died too'!"
Tom plucked grass out of the ground and leaned his arms on his knees. "Well, you almost did."
"Shut it, Tom." I hissed. I folded my arms and dropped my head on them. "I can't believe I said I hated him. I have to apologize."
Tom shook his head no. "Not yet. Let him calm down first."
I took in a shaky breath, "I'm an idiot."
"Sometimes," Tom joked. "Rest, the third wave is bound to be the hardest. I'll talk to Marco for you."
I swiped the few tears that had escaped from my eyes. "Thanks. I'm gonna go nap. Wake me up if you see anything fishy."
He patted my back and watched me leave. And even though I had just been in a bed for an hour, I laid down again.
I paced the halls of the castle, both hands on my hips. As I waited for the doctor to inform me about my mothers health, my husband walked up behind me. He wrapped his arms around my front and placed his chin on my head.
"Stay calm, Starship." Tom said. He sighed in my ear. "You getting all upset will hurt the baby." He placed both hands on my round belly.
"My mom is sick, Tom." I angrily snapped. But I leaned back into him, glad that for a moment he could helped bear the weight. Everything hurt, my back, my legs. I couldn't even see my toes anymore. To think, another four weeks of this.
The door to my mother's room opened and I hurried over to the doctor.
"How's my mother?" I asked Dr. Minnow.
He shook his head sadly, "She's very ill. I would prepare myself for the worst. It appears you might be queen soon."
"No," I cried out, covering my face with my hands.
Tom encased me in a hug, turning to give the doctor the Evil eye. "Thank you, Dr. Minnow. That's all for now."
Dr. Minnow scurried away.
I gripped the front of Tom's suit. "My mom can't die. I'm only twenty! I'm not ready to be queen!" I peered up at him as tears streamed down my face.
He laughed softly, brushing blonde hair away from my face. "You also weren't ready to be a wife but you're doing great."
I smacked his chest, "this is no time for jokes! Too many people have died these past six years." My voice broke as I sobbed, "Marco, my dad, Pony head. I can't lose my mom."
"I know, Starship." He muttered in my ear. He led me to our bedroom. "You need to rest. No good will come to Mewni if their queen and princess both die."
"Not funny," I grumbled as I reclined back. He stretched out beside me, lacing his hands together behind his neck and crossed his ankles.
"I love you, Star." He said. He leaned down to kiss me.
I accepted his kiss, "I love you, Tom."
I woke up with a jerk. "What the fuck," I muttered. What a weird dream.
A loud explosion was heard from outside. The entire castle trembled.
I stumbled outside, blinking the sleep away.
From three miles away, the enemy forces were using catapults fifty feet tall to launch burning sewage.
They lit another round on fire and shot it. This one hit closer to home and sent us scattering and ducking.
Lava humanoids walked toward us slowly, roaring as they touched houses and buildings, bringing them to a burn. Fire sprang up where their footsteps were.
The civilians of Mewni had been forced to evacuate but those who hadn't were now running around in a panic. Their screams drifted to me and I flinched as a man was flattened by a herd of wild warnicorns.
I ran out of the safe shadows of the castle and threw myself into the fight. I transformed my wand into my crossbow and shot a red arrow in a group of rabid wolverines with battle axes. They caught fire and immediately burned to a crisp.
"Help me!" A young woman hysterically said, coming out of nowhere and gripped my arm. She gestured to a home covered in flames. "My baby is in there!" She fainted in my arms.
"Damn it!" I growled as I dragged the young woman to safety. I gave her to a crying nurse. The house had only about three minutes before it crumbled. I prayed the baby wasn't dead from the smoke and dived through a window, rolling to lessen the impact.
I came up on one knee and coughed as soot filled my nose and mouth. The little cottage had no rooms; the kitchen, living room, bedroom, and dining room were one big thing. I dived out of the way as a flaming beam fell down in front of me. I summoned a force field around me and took deep, cleansing breaths of the fresh air in it.
The angry yelling of the fire made it almost impossible to listen for the baby. I made my way quickly but carefully around the house. Then I spotted a crib with white netting around it.
"YES!" I ran for it, removed the netting, and brought the sleeping baby to my chest. I brushed my blonde hair away from my face and mouth. More of the house fell.
Debris hit the force but none came in. It was weakened though, from the flames and heat and pieces of wood that constantly hit it. I stumbled, realizing I needed more air. The smoke was making it toxic and I wouldn't last long.
I jumped out of the house one last time and fell out the door. I greedily sucked down air as a couple of our recruits took the baby from my arms.
The hysterical mother snatched up her baby and sobbed. "Thank you, princess!"
"Of course," I croaked. I stood up and accepted the water bottle someone was handing to me.
"She's not breathing!"
I turned back to the woman who was staring down at her baby in horror.
"My baby isn't breathing!" She screamed.
"Shit," I mumbled. I took the baby from her and used my newly found healing skills to read the baby. "I don't have much time!" I only had a few minutes before she died of smoke inhalation. I sprinted to the infirmary. Everyone following behind me. I lay the baby down on a clean bed and focused.
I imagined the power spreading over the baby in a soft golden blanket. I could see the smoke that had filled her lungs and drew it out. The baby coughed delicately and breathed on her own. I dropped the magic.
"She'll be okay," I announced, exhausted. I handed the child back to her mother.
"Thank you again, princess!" She sobbed.
I was getting tired of being thanked.
I picked up my wand and went back to fight. Blast after blast, spell after spell, hand to hand combat after hand to hand combat, I was exhausted. I was staying awake and alert only because if I stopped moving, I wouldn't get back up.
I noticed a pair of dragons flying through the air, carrying off a woman on a stretcher. I noticed the woman's diadem, a diamond.
"Mom!" I shrieked as I blasted a dwarf in the face with a narwhal. I ran back to the infirmary and waited until they set her down.
"Star," she coughed, "I'll be alright. Don't give up." She dug around in her pocket and pulled out a burnt sheet of paper. "Toffee is waiting for you at the east side of the castle. Don't fall in his trap. Stay away from there."
I mentally noted to bring Tom and Marco with me as I nodded in fake agreement. "Don't worry. Get better."
I sent out word that I needed Marco and Tom and several troops and ran for the east side. There was nothing there besides conference rooms, an armory, more bedrooms, and an old receiving room.
I skittered to a stop as I noticed Ludo/Toffee. He had killed many people from the looks of it. It was Toffee's old former body with Ludo's head sitting on his shoulder. He sat in a golden throne, sipping coffee as he stared blankly at the wall.
"Ahh, there you are, Star Butterfly. I was beginning to wonder if I would have to bring you here myself."
I frowned as I walked closer to him, wiping dirt off my cheek. "You coward. Many of your monsters lay dead and you're sitting here having a tea party by yourself."
He chuckled. "I helped as much I could but I knew I was going to lose that battle. But I plan to win the war."
"How?"
"By killing you."
It was my turn to laugh. "No thanks. Not today." I ran through various separating spells through my head. If there was a chance to save Ludo, I would take it. Even if the little bugger had tried to steal my wand.
He sighed and nodded. "But it will be today. I'm almost done taking over Ludo and the moment that is complete, I will raze Mewni to the ground and be remembered as the person who killed the Rebel Princess."
"Go to hell," I snapped. Tom and Marco came running in.
Toffee didn't look bothered. "I was wondering where your boyfriends had gone."
Marco scowled. "She only has one."
The lizard shrugged. "If you say so." Quick as lightning, he thrusted out his wand and a bolt of green magic hit Tom and Marco square in the chest. They flew back and painfully hit the wall behind them.
I screamed for them to get up and attacked. I tried to hit Toffee with a blue arrow but he reflected it off his wand. It fell to the ground.
I flinched as it dissolved, an arrow wasted. Marco snuck up behind Toffee and round housed kicked him in the back of his head. Toffee stumbled forward as Tom trapped him within a fiery inferno. Toffee just laughed and calmly stepped through the ring.
"Heartbeat withdrawal," I gritted as I aimed my wand at his chest. It bounced off his body, as if he were indestructible. He launched himself in my direction and I dove through his legs.
We wore him down.
Marco landed beside me, tired and looking vaguely defeated. "Star, I'm sorry about what I said. I love you."
I ducked out of the way of a green lasso. "I'm sorry too. I love you and I feel so bad."
"Don't. We'll be okay soon. We just have to take out Toffee." He jumped back into the fray, kicking Toffee across the head and punching him in the stomach.
I began chanting the strongest separation spell I could remember as Tom and Marco kept Toffee busy. I called on Ludo's spirit for help, urging him to cleave himself from Toffee's agenda. Ludo's spirit answered me, letting me know it was tired of being under Toffee's control and wanted to be freed.
I focused solely on Toffee and shot a ray of light directly at him. He fell back with wide eyes. Tom and Marco stopped attacking and sat down.
Ludo's body separated from Toffee's slowly. Toffee's head grew back on his body and he groaned.
Ludo weakly crawled over to me, "I'm so sorry, Star Butterfly. I'm so sorry." Marco dragged the little bird away.
Tom walked over to me with a weary grin. "You did it. We won." He wrapped me in a hug.
"Not so fast," Toffee snarled as he picked himself up. "If I die, you die with me." He started glowing.
I realized he was channeling all his energy and the remainder of his life force into a single blast. Out of my peripheral, I saw Marco running towards us and I yelled at him to stay where he was.
Toffee exploded and Tom and I were pushed out of the way. The blast hit Marco and the room went dark.
"Marco!" I cried as I crawled over to him. His eyes were closed. I pressed my head to his chest and listened for the steady beat of his heart. Nothing. "No!" I placed both hands over his body and tried to focus but the reading came out negative. No amount of magic would bring him back.
Tom dragged me away. "Star. He's gone."
"No," I struggled away, "I can fix him!"
"You can't!" He whirled me around and forced me to face him. His eyes watered. "I'm sorry."
"Happy birthday to me," I whispered as I passed out.
The Forces of Evil left after word got out that Toffee had been defeated. We suffered almost no casualties but still mourned those who did die. Rebuilding Mewni would take many months.
King Silverstone and Prince Justin renegotiated the deal of our agreement. We would become allies without any marriage deals between the two kingdoms.
Marco's funeral was held three days later. I dressed completely in black. Before they closed the casket, I tugged the diamond engagement ring from my finger and placed it inside. I couldn't look at it without realizing everything I had lost.
"I'm so sorry Mr. and Mrs. Diaz," I sobbed as they cried in front of his grave.
"We are leaving for Earth soon," Mrs. Diaz answered with a brittle smile. It dropped and she resume crying.
I stayed long after everyone had left. I didn't realize how late it was until Tom came to fetch me. He dropped a sympathetic hand on my shoulder and sat beside me.
He was quiet, as if waiting on me to talk or not.
Fresh tears pricked my eyes painfully, "He was my best friend. What am I going to do without him?"
He hesitated, unsure of what to say. "He would want you to be happy. He loved you and he would have wanted you to keep living and being the best Star you could be."
I start crying all over again and allow him to pull me in. He had to carry me into the castle where he went straight to my room. He tucked me in and said goodnight. I fell asleep, but I knew he was still there. I dreamt about Marco and what our future might have been like. I was happy during the dream but like all nights, it came to an end.
One year later:
"Happy Birthday, Star!"
I blinked in annoyance as I strolled into the dining room of Mewni's castle. Tom and my parents stood there holding balloons, presents, and a gigantic cake made of sugar. I pasted a cheerful smile on my face but inside I cursed them all to Hell, literally.
Did they not remember that Marco died this day exactly one fucking year ago? Or were they doing this to torture me? Would I be charged with three murders if I ran off to Earth?
"Thanks, guys." I gritted out. "You really shouldn't have."
My mother beamed and handed me a gift. "We just want you to have a good birthday!" She squealed as I ripped the wrapping paper off the box.
A book of spells was inside. 'Your Guide to Casting The Perfect Spell' was the title and written in gold. I flipped through the pages, noticing the hard stances.
I hugged my mom quickly. "Thanks!"
My dad had written out 'coupons' for dangerous adventures that I could cash in whenever I wanted. "Thanks, daddy."
He fluffed up with pride and nodded.
Tom handed me his gift to me and walked back. Inside a black box was a diamond and emerald bracelet. Little charms hung from it; a miniature copy of my wand, a narwhal, a tiny little Earth, and a karate belt. I cleared my throat as I felt the tears coming.
"Thanks," I whispered as I hugged him tightly.
A forest fairy cut the cake and handed us each a slice. It was way too sweet but I praised the cook.
My mom and dad retired to their chambers and left me alone with Tom. He placed his plate on the table and grabbed my hand. He tugged me into the gardens and the moon shone down brightly.
Ever since Marco died, I admit that I had become a sad person. I hated anything fun, I hated laughing, I hated anything and anyone who had the audacity to be cheerful. That was depressing of me, I know. But it was hard to be happy without him.
We strolled through the gardens in silence. It was pretty relaxing and peaceful. The air was fragranced with floral scents.
"How are you, Star?" Tom asked with his hands in his pockets.
I shrugged as I zapped an ant. "Some days are better than others. I found myself wearing something other than black." I gestured to my dark navy blue dress.
He poked my side, "It's still a dark color."
To my horror, a laugh bubbled up. "Oh hush," I smacked his shoulder. "It's not black."
He grinned as he spotted a bench. "True." He pulled me down next to him and peered up at the night sky. "Happy sixteenth birthday, Star."
"Thank you, Tom. I'm glad I have a friend like you."
"Any time."
Three years later:
We soared through the air on Nachos' babies. The motorcycle dragon had become involved with another one and had reproduced. I knew Marco would have been happy.
"You can't catch me!" I shouted back at Tom as I urged Cinnamon to go faster. He laughed happily and sped after me.
Tom caught up, "I'm gonna win this race, Starship." He shot forward, leaving me behind.
"No fair!"
We neared the finish line and both crossed it at the same time.
"I win!" We both said at the same time. Tom picked me up and twirled me around.
"You're supposed to let your girlfriend win," I joked as he kissed my cheek.
He grinned devilishly down at me, "Nah, you won last time." He kissed me again, I pushed away once I felt light headed. We found shade and sat under it, unpacked our lunch and began eating.
He downed some water and cleared his throat. "So, I have a question."
I chewed on a strawberry, "yeah?"
"Will you marry me?"
The half-eaten strawberry fell from my fingers in surprise. I stared at him with wide eyes. "What?"
He raised a hand, "I know, you think it's too soon but you're nineteen now. We both care about each other and we would both benefit from this."
I was flung back in time when a fourteen year old Marco got down on one knee and proposed. I had been so young.
"Tom…"
He laced our hands together and smiled. "I know you want to, Star. Let's get married the day you are crowned queen. We have two more years."
"Okay," I said. A bittersweet feeling spread over me, I wasn't Marco's old fiancée anymore, I was Tom's. But I had known this would come. After dating him for the past two years, everyone seemed to be waiting for it.
They expected it.
He kissed me again, "I love you."
One year and eleven months later:
"Stop pacing the hallways, Star." My mother said. "I'm sure you passed the Future Queen Exam."
I threw my hands up, "And if I didn't?" I dug my hands in my hair and pulled. "If I don't pass does that mean I can't be queen? Who's gonna be queen!"
Moon sighed. "I'm sure you did fine. You're older and-hopefully-wiser than you were two years ago. I'm so proud of you, Star. You've maintained your happiness after so much. You even have a handsome fiancé. Tom would probably tell you not to worry."
"That's exactly what I would tell her," a voice behind us said. Tom approached us in a coal black suit. He had grown much taller and muscular over the past six years. He smirked as he looked down at me, "But she probably wouldn't listen."
I scowled as I chewed on my thumbnail. "You two aren't helping. I could or could not be crowned queen in twenty days." My tiara started slipping off and I angrily set it back in place. I had traded my horns for a tiara the day after Marco's funeral.
"Well, one thing's certain." Tom stated with crossed arms, "We're getting married in twenty days."
I waved that away. "Yes, I know. I know." I paced up and down the hallway again. Waiting for the professors to give me the final answer.
I nearly mowed them down as they stepped through the door with grave faces. My heart dropped.
"Princess Butterfly," they gravely said, "you have passed your final exams and are fit to be the next queen of Mewni."
Tom and my mother whooped with gladness. Tom caught me as I threw myself in his direction.
"I knew you'd make it!" He cheerfully said.
"Yay!"
The short three professors left to announce the good news of my exams. Tom took me out to eat to celebrate my good fortune.
He animatedly talked as we are, genuinely happy about our impending wedding. I was happy too, don't get me wrong, but a small part of me wondered how Marco and I would have felt with our wedding day so close at hand.
"So," I asked with a wave of my fork, "how will this work out?"
He paused. Giving me a confused look he asked, "how will what work?"
I gestured at us both. "We both rule kingdoms. How will we choose which one to live in?"
"Hmm," he said, "I hadn't thought about that. We'll just divide it. We'll have to place royal advisors in place for when we aren't there."
I pursed my lips and nodded. "Okay. Can we live in Mewni first? I feel kinda bad, I don't want them to think I've abandoned them."
He covered my hand with his, "of course but don't forget that your mother will still be there to help when we need it."
"True."
As I took my hair down for bed, I stared in the mirror. My face had lost its baby fat, the blueness of my eyes had faded a degree, my lips were dark pink instead of the rose petal red that they had been. I brushed my hair out and braided it. An uneasy feeling grew in my chest.
I set the brush down and climbed into bed. Today had been exhausting and I just wanted to rest for a million years.
My eyes closed and opened back up. I scrambled from the bed, falling on my face in the process. "Ow!"
The flash of silver caught my eye again. There, near my cosmetics, hair accessories, and jewelry sat my engagement ring. But it wasn't the one Tom had given me, no, I was wearing that one.
I picked up the ring with two shaky hands. The one Marco had picked out, the ring I had buried with him, the one with the million little glitter speck sized hearts, was in my hands.
Anger gripped me. What an awfully sick joke someone had played.
When I awoke in the morning, I marched to the front hall where I knew my parents were.
"Look at this!" I demanded. I tossed the ring to my dad who clumsily caught it. "Exact same copy as the one Marco gave me. I want whoever played this joke found. I need a few words with them."
Tom strolled in the front hall with a cheerful expression. Then he saw me and lost it. "What's wrong?"
My dad handed Tom the ring and Tom's face thundered up.
"What is this?" He asked.
I placed both hands on my hips, swinging my hair behind my back. "Someone tried to play a joke."
"What a fucked up one," he growled. He handed me the ring and assured me, "I'll find who did this."
As he stormed off, I called out, "leave him or her alive for me. I want to talk to them." He snorted and waved goodbye over his shoulder as he left.
My mom looked incredibly upset and disturbed. "I only hope it's a copy and not the real thing. I would hate to think someone defiled his grave."
I blanched at the thought. "Oh, poor Marco."
"Don't worry, sweetheart. We'll find the culprit." My dad left in search of the royal guards who had been assigned in securing the castle.
The day before the wedding was scheduled for my last wedding dress fitting. I stood in one place as people conferenced around me, deciding if the dress had enough alterations or not.
"Cheer up, Star." My mother ordered. "This should be fun for you."
"Well," I muttered, "it isn't."
They went about choosing headbands to complete the entire thing. An idea occurred and I made a pair of red horns pop up.
"There," I said officially, "that's all I need."
They protested against the horns but I ignored them all as I changed back into my red shirt and black skinny jeans. I wore the horns out of the shop. I felt a skip in my step and I realized I had been missing my old horns.
Tom laughed as he saw them. "Please tell me you'll be wearing those tomorrow. Now I won't be the only one with horns."
I smiled, pleased that I had made him happy. "I will. Thought it'd be my something old."
He caught my hand and twirled me around to the music only he could hear, "Great."
"What time is the coronation ceremony?" I wanted to be absolutely sure of the time and place.
"Eleven in the morning. Our wedding is at one that afternoon."
I laughed nervously. "I'm so nervous."
"Don't be. We have each other.
"All hail Queen Star Butterfly!"
The people cheered for me, throwing flower petals as I walked passed them. I just couldn't shake off the feeling I was being watched. Which was super silly since the entire populace of Mewni was here.
"We love you, Queen Star!"
I waved and threw kisses at my new people. So far so good. Now I only had to get through the wedding and I could take a nap.
My mother rushed me into the dressing room, giving out orders and instructions. They zipped up my dress and applied minimal makeup to my face.
With only forty minutes to spare, I climbed into the wedding carriage and made my way down to the church. My stomach was filled with nerves.
The wedding march started playing and I took deep cleansing breaths. Today had been meant for Marco and me.
I scolded myself. "Quit being an idiot." I signaled for the doors to open and walked down the aisle with my dad on my arm.
I made it to Tom and he reached out for my hands. The priest recited the vows and instructed us in repeating them.
"If anyone has reason for these two people to not get married, speak now or forever hold your peace," The priest clearly wasn't expecting someone to object. But that's what someone did. The doors slammed opened and a figure appeared in the doorway.
"I do,"that figure boldly said.
He stopped in front of us with a cocky grin on his face.
I breathed in shakily, "Marco." And all hell broke lose.
