Hi everyone! Sorry it took so long! I took my vacations (FINALLY!) . I thought I would write more and be more productive... HOW COME IT LOOKED LIKE I WAS MORE BUSY?! MY LIFE DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!

Anyway, this is the first Part of the Climax. I hope you guys like it!

*hugs*

PS: Get tissues. Diaz feels are coming.


Chapter 9: After Prom

Looking at the sunset on the balcony of her room, she watched as everything turned to an orange color, warm and calming just what she needed. Star did anything she could to avoid getting ready. She wasn't nervous or worried about the fact that the so dreamed prom was tonight and in a very few hours. It was the fact it was her very last hours on Earth to enjoy her time with her friends…

And she didn't even get close to telling Marco she was leaving.

The dress? No problem, she knew it would be perfect. Hair? Magic, she has a wand for that. Carriage? Mr Diaz would take them, one less problem. So what to worry about? The very one thing she shouldn't think about it this night because she was supposed to have already told him. But no, she didn't get the guts to tell her best friend this would be their very last moment, he wouldn't even remember any of it or her at all.

And now? It was too late and she didn't want to mess up their night by telling him "Hey, I'll be Cinderella today, but after I leave, you'll never see me, remember me and there will be nothing for you try looking out for me."?

She couldn't. She just… Couldn't.

So Star tried to calm down and don't cry over the fact this would be the very last sunset on Earth she would ever see. She heard the door of her room open, but didn't turn around to see who it was; the princess knew it was Marco going to check out on her since it had been hours since she locked up on her room. Star wanted so much it was just to get ready for such dreamy moment, but the truth was that she got locked to get everything ready and to prepare the erasing spell.

The boy approached her, supporting his elbows on the balcony standing right beside her, "Is there anything wrong?"

There were a thousand of things, but she didn't say any of it "I… I'm just nervous I guess…" She laughed weakly, "I mean… You were supposed to go with your girlfriend and not your best friend and…"

"Forget it already!" Marco grunted annoyed, just then she turned to him "She was fine with it, I told you. She even said it would be better." He changed his position to support his back on the balcony, hiding his hands on the pockets of the red jacket she got for him two years ago for his birthday, "Don't worry about it, really. If you feel too annoyed by it we can stay home."

"I want to go." She replied smiling softly at him. "I just want to make sure it's fine."

"It is."

As far as you know. How would he react if in this moment she goes with "Well, I'm not so sure since in a few hours I'll vanish from Earth, like, literally"?

Looking at his eyes, she realized how his hair had grown to the point it was too heavy for his hair gel hold it up as he used to lately. He had just shaved, so his jaw was smooth and soft as ever; even so, his features were matured compared from the boy she met four years ago, but not yet completely gone. He was more to man day by day… She wondered how he would look when he was twenty one, there would be a trace from the boy or would he change so much she wouldn't recognize him ever again?

Her hand found his hair, passing through the brown strands as the wind flew her own hair and dress.

"You need a haircut." She said as her finger measured how much it would be cut.

She let go of his hair and Marco's hands took the place, doing the same movement to measure how much it grown, "I know, but I think it's fine for tonight." He smiled.

It would be fine anyway. She thought. The moment was interrupted by a sound on her room and someone calling her.

"B-fly?"

Her smile widened as she went into her room to greet her best friend on the mirror. "Ponyhead!" the princess bounced at the reflection of the horse bodiless princess.

"Gurl, you need to relax. You look wreck." Ponyhead complained.

"Don't go harsh on her, Ponyhead" Marco said stepping beside the Mewni princess, "She was anxious for the prom. It's fine now."

"Oh, Hey Earth Turd." Ponyhead said smiling, and then made a face "Prom? What's that about? She's not…"

"Look at the time!" Star interrupted her best friend clapping her hands "I need to get ready! Out the room, Marco! Its girl's time!"

Star turned him around and begins to push him at her door, like she did weeks earlier. "What?" was all he could voice at the confusion for her sudden rush to get ready. Behind Star, Ponyhead continued to complain about the princess actions. "Star, no-Stop! You need to…!"

"See you later, Marco!" Star said a bit too loud, so he didn't heard what Ponyhead said and, before the other princess said anything, Star closed her door and abandoned him clueless in the middle of the corridor.

"Marco?" He turned and saw his mother on the end of the corridor, his suit on her hand as she just got it ready for him to use. "What's going on?"

Marco looked back at the closed door, no sound outside as Star probably did some kind of enchant on it. "I have no idea."

His mother raised one eyebrow, but shrugged. Handing him the suit, she said his father would help him with anything, while she would help Star to get ready. For some magical reason, his mother easily opened the door and got in. Marco looked at the clothing he would be using for the night and shrugged, deciding it would be wiser to get ready.

.

.

.

Marco waited for his mother and Star downstairs. They were making such drama at it and he was getting annoyed by it. He saw Star dressed up like, a hundred times before, why it was different now?

"Mom did the same thing to you?" He asked his father that was waiting with the car keys on his hands.

The man scratched his chin like it would help him to remember. "I don't really recall… I was never good to keep up these things."

"That's true." A third voice said, they looked at the woman getting down the stairs. Marco was about to complain about the time they wasted, but his mother didn't give him the chance, as she stopped beside him at the final steps. "I won't have another opportunity like this, so chill out, my boy." His mother rolled her eyes at his pout. "Anyway, you'll love it."

His mother has a proud glow in her eyes when she looked up and called out to the girl still on the other floor. "Star, come down, sweetie."

The first thing he saw was the beige boots. He was surprised to notice it was the kind with high heels, Star usually didn't like those. Maybe it has something that made them really comfy, he wonders right after noticing the nude pantyhose. There was strass that made up the charm of the shoes together with the laces.

She continued to descend slowly, as to keep up the drama and Marco felt agonized by how slow it was. Step by step, she was revealing herself making him amazed. The skirt of the dress was white, but the dress it's actually a pale pink, with a gap from where the white skirt shows; short puffed sleeves that cover only her shoulders, the cleavage molded her chest (but not in a vulgar way), a lace on the left side, only to add a charm. On her hands, she's using a pair of thin pale pink laced gloves frilled at the wrists, little strass here and there to combine with the boots.

Then finally he can see her face. She's looking down at the steps, so he can't see her eyes clearly. Her hair it's a braided bun, a pearl tiara with a little crown on the top, the pearl-star earrings right there as he expected (he noticed she didn't taken them off unless she was going to take a bath). The hearts on her cheeks are pink as always, but somehow it looks more adorable than ever.

When she's in the middle of the steps, she finally looks up and their eyes met immediately. He miss a breath, she took it away with that crystallized blue eyes of hers. Marco feels like discarding the prom to keep her and that image only to himself (and his parents). She looks enchanting more than he could imagine, and for that one second, he wants to be the only one she has eyes and attention for to the rest of their lives, the only one to look at those eyes and feel like the whole world it's right there in front of him.

It's only when his mother gestures and she breaks contact to look at the woman, he realizes his eyes were not even blinking; he does twice to make sure it's real and he's out the haze.

"Come on, dear" His mother says to her, offering a hand when she's at the final steps. "Let's take a picture!" The look on her face says she doesn't want to, but she gets closer to him anyway.

"You're beautiful…" He hears his voice saying before he can think about it.

Star smiles blushing at the compliment; she touches at the lace on her chest. "Aw… Thank you!" She punches his shoulder giggling "You look handsome!"

It wasn't a lie, Star got lost when she saw him on his dark blue tuxedo and red necktie (because it wouldn't be Marco if there wasn't anything red), and she felt like her heart stopped by a second. His hair was thrown back, so she could see his face better than ever and those eyes… God those eyes sucked her into them like the deepest of holes and she always would fall into and there wasn't a salvation; the fall felt so, so sweet.

"Ok…" His father spoke holding the camera, "Make a pose and smile!" Star looked at him and he returned the look, both blushing embarrassed that none of them knew a good position to take this picture; holding hands? Hugging? Just beside each other? Laughing? Goofing around? Pretend they have switched bodies again?

"Just be natural!" Mama Diaz said bouncing.

Marco was the first to react, reaching his arm out to pull her closer by her waist;
Star went with it, passing her arm on his back resting her hand on his shoulder, the other one did the same in the front and she rested her head on them. When he was sure it wouldn't be a problem (he's too aware after that night kissing her neck), his other arm closed the gap between them, holding the girl close. On the count of three there was a flash.

One of his hands got away from her and he pointed to the direction of the camera in a victory signal, she laughed and did the same. Another flash. Then he made a pose like he was a model and she did too. They continued until his parents had enough pictures and the teenagers couldn't hold the laughter anymore.

"Shall we go?" his father asked.

"Oh, wait! I forgot!"

They all looked confused at the boy. Marco put his hands on the tuxedo pocket and took out a small box; he handed to Star and smiled. The princess arched an eyebrow suspicious and he shrugged, motioning her to open it. She took the top off the box and found a bracelet inside; the rose golden band had little hearts in some points, a golden star hang out on the center, balancing softly as she took out the box to look better at it.

She left out a breath, it combined with her earrings. Looking up to him, he smiled scratching his nape "You said nothing would go with your earrings… So I got something to match."

"You didn't have to…" Was all she could say.

"I know;" He smiled, and then took the bracelet from her hand to put on her wrist, "But I wanted to."

She saw his face twist, she looked at her hands and realized her gloves were in the way. Star took them out adding before he could protest "I think it will go better." She smiled at him.

Marco took her gloves and kept on his pocket (in case she got colder and wanted them – Even though she said it would have a use). Holding her hand gently, he put the bracelet around her wrist; fascinated on how it fit and glowed on her, he carefully locked on the other side and Star wanted to laugh at the irony that the lock was a moon.

And the moon was his bracelet.

She didn't have courage to look up to him, too occupied by looking on his hands holding hers. His hands were larger, but somehow hers fit there just fine. She knew how their fingers together fit like a puzzle with the perfect pieces, and how his warmth passed to her at minimum contact…

Like right now.

His breath was slow and careful, just like hers. He could feel it again. From that simple gest, her warmth around him, his need to be closer, to hold her and not let go, and how a simple "put the bracelet on" seemed something so much more intimate and meaningful… He didn't even know what it was supposed to mean.

They both jumped on the flash. His mother showing the picture to his father; "Look at it! This is so cute!" She giggled, making both teenagers blush and pull a step away from each other.

Marco made a noise and she looked at him, still blushing, with his wrist up showing his own bracelet under the tuxedo sleeve. "Now we match!" He smiled.

She returned the smile, bumping her wrist with his making the bracelets clink. "Best friends bracelets!"

Mama Diaz called Star and she went up to her to see the pictures the woman took. Marco made a face, but shook it off. He shouldn't be annoyed by "friendship bracelet", because that's what it was… Right?

He shook it off, going to check up if he had everything he needed. He realized he forgot his wallet upstairs and went to get it.

"The pictures look nice, don't they?" Mama Diaz commented looking at the picture of Star taking off her gloves (When they got that picture?).

"Mama Diaz, about that…" Star sighed, "The pictures won't remain… The spell will change them so my presence on them won't interfere on your lives…"

"We know," Papa Diaz said putting one hand at the princess shoulder "But we wanted them anyway. Even if we don't remember you, we at least enjoyed this moment as we should."

"But…"

"There's nothing wrong." Mama Diaz completed placing her hand on the other shoulder of the princess. "We may not remember, but somewhere deep within us, we'll know. That's all that matter."

Star tried to hold the tears and hugged the two adults close "I love you two."

"So do we, my dear." Mama Diaz replied caressing her back.

"You two welcomed me to your home, neither of you knew me and you never made me feel like I didn't belong here…" She sniffed, "You two are like my parents on Earth and I love you two for everything. For trusting me, taking care of me and…"

"Shh…" Papa Diaz patted her head trying not to mess her hair. "It's ok, Star. We understand."

They pulled apart; Star took deep breaths to calm down. She looked at the wall of pictures, there were a few of her there with Marco; how much would they change? It would only exclude her or something on it would change? Star tried not to think. She looked at the wand on her hand, gave a sigh and put it on the purse.

"How it will happen?" Papa Diaz asked.

She pointed to a small symbol on the doorstep. "When I step out the house, it will begin. It won't take long to charge, but it will be active when I step back here or it's been 12 hours."

"What's going to happen to us?" Mama Diaz asked looking at the symbol.

"Nothing" Star replied "When it's happening you won't be able to notice; and when it's done, you all will fall asleep for a moment. When you wake up anything that may be associated with magic will be like a dream."

"I see…" Rafael said.

Suddenly Marco screamed from upstairs, "Does anyone know where my wallet is?!"

Angie took the wallet from her pocket and winked at Star "It's with me!" Star held her laugh, so the woman planned this from the beginning?

Marco went down and took the wallet; his father went to the car and ignited. The woman gave a light kiss on her son's cheek and caressed it "Have a nice party!" He smiled and went to the door.

The princess hugged the woman once again, it would be the last time she would hug her mother from Earth. "Take care of our boys…" Star said.

"I will." The woman pulled apart just enough to give the girl a kiss on the nose, caressing both her cheeks on the heart marks "Be safe, Star."

Star swallowed hard, avoiding tears on her eyes "I love you. Goodbye, Mama Diaz."

They pulled apart, she saw how the eyes of the woman shined with the unshed tears. "I love you too, Estrella. Goodbye."

As the woman turned her around, Star didn't looked back; she wouldn't be able to leave if she did. So she walked until she was on the doorstep, looked at the mark, at Marco and his father waiting for her; took a breath and closed her eyes, stepping out the house.

Blue eyes opened again and looked at the mark that now was glowing just a bit. She looked at the woman again, smiled and closed the door at once. Then she went to the car.

In a few hours, it would be all over.

.

.

.

She didn't thought saying goodbye to the big man would be so hard, but when she hugged him; she felt tears trying to escape. She swallowed, took a breath and tried really hard to not cry.

"You know…" He said, "I asked her to delivery you two. If I were to be at home and didn't have a rush, I wouldn't be able to let you go." The man confessed, Star didn't have voice to reply and he went on, "We always wondered how it would be to have a daughter or a brother to Marco, that's why we always welcomed the foreign students at home, it was fun… We never realized how much we would miss you and that you wouldn't be there forever until your parents told us…"

He sniffed and held her tighter. "You're part of our family, Star. I couldn't be more proud of being your father, even if isn't for real… I don't care, you're part of us, even if you don't belong anywhere on the universe; you'll always be welcomed home… You'll always belong with us, even when we don't remember."

Star let few tears go, drying them on the man shirt (and glad that Mrs. Diaz decided she didn't need makeup). She clutched his shirt on the fingers. "I love you, Papa Diaz" Was all she could say after.

"I know." He replied, pulling her apart and giving a kiss on the top of her head. "You'll be a great Queen. Rule them all!" He tried to sound excited, even if his tears said he wasn't at all.

Star got away and dried the tears, trying to sound calm. "I'll do my best..."

The man gave a pat on her head. "You already do, Estrella. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Papa Diaz" Star replied with a smile and turned around, but she got the impression that her voice didn't get out, it merged with the lump on the throat and what went out was more like a grumble. It didn't matter, he knew her intentions.

She looked to the prom entrance and tensed up. Now she had to say goodbye to her friends… And Marco. The boy didn't even know yet she would be leaving in hours to go. How she was supposed to tell him?

But now she was getting emotional and freaking out. To the point Marco was massaging her arms to calm and warm up (he probably thought she was cold). When she went inside, their group hugged them. They're paired up since Hope had transferred two years ago because her father got another job. Alfonso went with Jackie and Ferguson with Janna; Star wondered if they did that so they could spend the last hours of Star as a group of friends instead of going there with dates.

"There you are!" Janna said pushing Marco away and snuggling her arm around Star. "You lost it, Safe kid."

"I am a…!"

"Sure you are." The girl interrupted him rolling her eyes and pushed Star to the dance floor. "Now Starry is mine!" And she faked a evil laugh going to dance.

Star laughed as she went up with Janna. It was playing one of the songs that trying to resist to dance was a lost fight. So for now, she let the matter go; and decided to spend those few moments with her friends, and that led her to be dancing on her on full power of her silliness around her friends.

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.

Marco looked at the princess with drinks on his hands. She was tense again, something bothering her more than ever, she took one glass anyway.

Everyone had a moment to dance with her and laugh, Janna even tried to convince Star giving her a kiss; the princess declined, but hugged the girl after. Actually, everyone was hugging her more than usual, it was kind of annoying and… weird. They're over her like she was the last piece of cake in the world.

Now the group had parted for different reasons. Ferguson and Alfonso were talking to girls, Janna had disappeared with a boy (probably to make out with him because… Well, she wanted to), and Jackie went to the toilet. So now Marco looked at his friend trying to figure out what was wrong. Her hair had become a mess, but hey, most of the people were like that after dancing for so long.

A slow song had begun to play, so he decided to use on his favor. Getting up, he stood in front of her and bowed slightly to her "Can I have this dance?"

A faint laugh escaped as she took the hand offered to her. "It would be my pleasure."

The moment he had her hand on his, the warmth came back. It was getting hard to not let be affected by the pheromones or whatever, they're tempting and knew how to play his buttons; the fact she was prettier than he ever thought she would be didn't help him on anyway.

He managed to pretend it wasn't anything. As they got on the side of the dance floor, close to the couples dancing, caring and kissing (awkward as ever). He put his hand below Star's shoulder, the other one holding her by his side. They stepped aside, surprising them both as neither of them went to the wrong side. The movements were slower than the waltz on her room, but the song was also slower, so nothing could be done. He turned her around and smiled when her dress went with the move; pushing her to the side after and pulled her back to him.

They went with it, exchanging some laughs and hushed compliments of the kind "You did it right!" and "I got a good teacher".

The dance was fun, she was having a good time with Marco, he was being sweet as always and she was happy to see he learned well to waltz again. but as the song was ending she suddenly realized the reality. That was her last dance ever with Marco, her last night, her last moments, before she completely disappeared from the life of her best friend.

She bumped on the couple behind her and apologized. Star would vanish, she would be gone like wind and no one would miss her… Would them suffer? They didn't have reason or a way for it, you can't miss what you don't remember. It would be just like that? Just simple and clean as she just… go?

"Stop…" She mumbled so low Marco wasn't able to listen

She tripped and Marco got her, but didn't said anything. Was that it? They would move on and she would be the only one hurt and missing them? There would be nothing left? She would be left behind as if it didn't matter at all? No, she couldn't think like that, it was for the better, for them, for Mewni, for no one to suffer…

On the third time she tripled, Marco tried to know what was wrong. Before he could hold her hand, she had covered her face with both of them. He took a breath, realizing she was about to cry and he had no idea why.

"Stop…" She mumbled trying to say something more, but unable to.

He held her shoulder, just then realizing it was stiff "Wanna go outside for fresh air?" She just nodded as response. Marco took the liberty to take one of her hands to pull her outside with him to the backyard.

The night air was cold on her, somehow soothing her nerves. She took a few breaths holding up all the tears she wanted to shed as she suddenly realized that this would be her last ball; that this was the last dance, the last memories, the last time on school, the last hours with her friends, the last memories and it would all be gone. There wouldn't be a trace of her there, neither material or in their memories; no one would ever remember her, including the one holding her hand.

Marco appeared with a cup of water, she didn't even realize he was away while trying not to get desperate. She took the cup sipping it. He took her gloves and put on her hands "You're shaking and your hands are cold."

"That has nothing to with cold."

"Yeah, I realized that…" He said without looking at her and not questioning further, taking her bracelet out to put it on again over the glove, "but it might help."

They stood in the silent until she was calm again. The soft sound of the ball echoing in the air, she wondered if their friends would look for them, or understood they needed a moment alone. Once she was fine again, he was able to feel it– She knows that, Star wondered if the way they always knew the other mood had anything to do with the Blood Moon.

"So…" Marco said, standing in front of her. She stood too, but didn't get closer. "What happened?"

"I… I realized how much I'll miss all of this."

Marco raised an eyebrow "Why this is so important?"

She took a breath, "Because this is the place where I met you and everyone, and… We came to known each other, become best friends, then met Oskar and you found your girlfriend, and you helped me so many times and there is so much, and…" she bit her lip.

"Why are you thinking that all of sudden?"

She put the cup down, looked at the ground and just then lifted her eyes to his. She knew of she spoke looking at his eyes, things would get clearer, since they had this weird connection since always.

"It's just…" A sigh escaped her when she got up "Marco, you're my best friend and partner into everything goes on in my life, but things won't be that way forever."

"Again that?" Marco commented annoyed "We'll still be friends no matter what. Nothing is going to change except for a bit of distance."

Star undone the strands on her hair; letting it go down freely as she did so. She needed to do something with her hands, so she began to brush her hair with her fingers. "It's more complicated than that."

Marco shrugged. "You're a magical princess from another dimension, what's more complicated than that?" He laughed.

She let the silence of the night fill the air for a while, thinking if this was really the best moment to talk to him… But then she remembered: There was no more time.

When they got back home, as soon as she stepped inside, they would begin to forget her. Everything would be gone, Mrs. Skullnick was already on the Monsters Kingdom since the day before and now no one remembered her, and it would be the same with Star…

She wouldn't lose anything that wasn't already to be lost if she did this.

"I love you, Marco."

And that was the point of no return.


Don't worry and don't kill me. As I said I would upload anything until the climax was done writing :)

I hope to upload the next part in two days or a bit more (calm down it won't take a month)

This was uploaded today because it's SVTFOE birthday and I couldn't do anything else to celebrate, so here it is! Happy birthday, Star 3

Btw, AC is doing a iamge for this chapter, I might upload here later.

*hugs* see you in the next!