Chapter 9 was quite a ride, and I'm glad soo many of you felt the same! A lot of you asked what's going to happen with Star and Marco, and here's your answer. Enjoy as always!
The night still had its tight grip on the treacherous landscape of the Forest of Certain Death, the second most dangerous place in Mewni. In the shadows of thick briars and tangled foliage, the screaming of unseen animals could be heard echoing in the forest. There was a number of vicious beasts that could eat travelers at any moment, which was why the forest had few visitors. Who would be so foolish and brash to enter the forest on a night like this?
On this night, a brave soul was seen stepping out of a blue vortex still clad in his royal attire. Marco was not bothered by the danger of the forest or the screams of the animals in the night, but he shuddered before collapsing to the ground. He punched his fists into the wet clay, feeling a surge of anger and rage overcome him. WHY DID I LEAVE HER?! Marco screamed to himself. He could feel her anguish and distress as vividly as his own feelings. "MARCO! Come back!" he clenched his teeth as she continued to wail. "Don't leave me!" Memories of his nightmare flooded back in his mind of him crying something similar. And I'm doing that to her, he felt hot tears slide down his face and he couldn't tell whose they were—his or Star's.
He gritted his teeth as a storm of thoughts raced through his mind, and though they were a mix of his and Star's, he felt their bond strain as it grew fainter. It was like he was losing her…he trembled as he remembered the silence from the nightmare. A flash of red from the sky drew Marco's eyes upward to the Blood Moon. It was weaker this time, its light more pink and watery instead of being deep and crimson. What if the bond was really dying and he lost her forever? Marco reached out to her in a panic but could only hear her through radio static. Soon even that fizzled away into eerie silence, and the moon slowly faded back to white. He was all alone.
He rocked back on his toes while still crouching—he needn't dirty his dress pants. It was time to figure out a way forward. Perhaps in a twisted way, the silence was a good thing, he decided in strained optimism. Marco really needed to clear his head and make a choice about what to do next. I promise I won't be gone too long, he vowed to himself and to Star, even though she could not hear him. I'm not letting you go. To pick up his spirits, he began to sing in his mind, recalling one of his favorite tracks from a game he and Star played together (though thinking of the memories made his heart hurt).
Moonlight all around~ he watched the moon rise higher in the sky as his mind continued singing…shadows on the ground… He picked himself up and walked further into the dark woods. My mind is flying with anxiety, will there ever be an end? Closing his eyes, he felt a whirl of joyful and bitter memories of Star dance across his mind, and his heart began to ache. Battlefield illuminated... What will be when it's over? What was going to happen to them…?
A low growl came from behind Marco, bringing him out of his thoughts. He turned around, seeing a multi-bear slowly stalk towards him out of a berry bush—apparently, the fruit was not enough to sate the beast. Its three heads bore pairs of bloodshot eyes that focused intently on Marco, and the prince found himself really missing Cerberus right now.
"Back off!" Marco warned with a wave of his rapier, "I've had enough fighting for one night." The multi-bear cocked its three heads to the side in consideration for a moment but continued to creep forward.
Oh, so you really wanna go there, buddy, Marco smirked darkly, fixing his suit jacket while tightly gripping his sword. Looking at his left hand, he summoned a fist full of red magic. He chuckled quietly to himself—at least that connection still worked. I wish I could shove this fist down King Lucitor's throat, he reflected wickedly, but this would suffice too. He had no idea what stopped him from flat out killing that jerk or any of the other Lucitors and Butterflys, but such inhibitions did not exist in the wild. Marco dropped into a modified fighting stance, with his sword up to defend. "Bring it, you oversized, ugly Pooh Bear."
As the bear completed his lunge, Marco sidestepped at the last second and aimed a magical punch to its ribs. The bear stumbled, and the prince followed up with a roundhouse kick to knock it completely off its feet. Marco was about to gloat over the fallen creature, but it pulled itself on its feet in determination to win. Its eyes glowed in the gloom of the forest full of anger. That makes two of us, Marco hung back for a second to plan his next move. He could win this if he took out the top head, and he knew he could do it. He climbed the nearest low branch of a tree, waiting for the bear to come closer. Once the target was in range, Marco swung off the branch and landed a blue aerial kick to its top head.
Wincing in pain, the three-headed bear lifted a paw to swipe at Marco but hit nothing as the prince stepped out of the way. Marco transferred some of his magic to the blade of his sword and lunged in a barrage of attacks, each one hitting true. He was amazed at how the bear was able to survive the onslaught for so long before it finally collapsed to the ground in pain.
Once the bear was down, Marco followed up with a flurry of punches before landing a careful chop directly on one of its skulls. With one head down, the bear grew more panicked, growling through two sets of sharp teeth. Marco couldn't help but laugh at this situation, rolling away from attacks and landing careful chops and kicks. The Safe Kid of Echo Creek, the future Prince of Mewni, someone that normally avoided danger at every cost… relishing beating the tar out of a massive bear in the middle of the Forest of Certain Death. Then again, none of that mattered anymore—he was a dimension away from home and practically an outcast from his new one. And could he really call himself a prince, anymore? Marco knew that he had signed up for this life when had accepted Star's proposal but…. Star, his mind relapsed into its grief and Marco ceased attacking. He tried to reach out to her again, but there was nothing. He felt his mind swirl with fear that he would never hear her again, that the very thing he treasured more than air in his lungs was gone forever.
With Marco distracted, the bear rose to its feet once more, shaking the dust from his coat. You can't kill me, its eyes seemed to taunt him. "You know I used to be scared of vermin like you," Marco met the beast's challenge. "But I've seen worse monsters than you tonight."
Before the bear could growl and launch into another attack, Marco connected one powerful punch into the nearest snout. It sent the creature with a large oak tree, colliding with a great thud. As the bear ran away, Marco noticed the tree make a face—something trees definitely weren't supposed to do. What is this, Mewni or a video game? Marco folded his arms in half amusement as the tree presumably cursed at him in a garbled tongue for waking it up. If it was a fight it wanted, it was a fight it was going to get.
Marco twirled his rapier for effect, "I ain't afraid of no tree! Bring it." With a roar, the tree shook its massive branches, raining a series of boulder-sized acorns around the boy. His brown eyes counted about twenty altogether, each slowly sprouting arms and legs. Of course, Marco shook his head as he readied himself. Nothing is normal here.He cracked his knuckles and charged into the first one, with a fast swing. He punched right through the creature, leaving tree sap coating the ground around it.
The other acorns gasped in shocked horror before charging into Marco in a fury of rage. But Marco wasn't afraid at all, his feeling heightened by the odd combination of tiredness and wrath from earlier. Everything on Mewni was out to get him, even acorns apparently. I just want to be left alone! He grabbed one of the creatures and tossed it with a crack into another one. To his left, another acorn lumbered over to him, but Marco defeated him with a nicely timed punch. "This isn't even a challenge…" he laughed, shaking his hand from the impact. He sent magic to his rapier and tossed it like a spear. The blade skewered about ten of the acorns like a kabab, embedding itself into the groaning tree. The prince walked over to the tree calmly and unsheathed his blade with a good tug. "Who else wants a piece of me?" he hollered at the now quivering acorns around him.
"Sure talk a lot of smack," a familiar voice called from overhead. Marco couldn't see where she was at first, but a huge sword shot down from a limb above him and struck an acorn monster, slicing it clean in half. Between the syrup flying from the strike and ashes of acorn shell clouding the air, Marco made out a familiar face as an old friend dropped down beside him to retrieve her sword.
Kelly grinned, holding her blade playfully behind her head. "One down…" She fixed her large glasses, counting with her free hand. "Fifteen more to go…" She gestured towards the tree as it summoned more minions to its aid. "What happened to Prince Safety? I can't believe you pissed off a Mewnian Killer Oaktree," she gave Marco a playful jab.
"Also, why are you so dressed up out here—playing football or something? And aren't you worried about getting your fancy clothes dirtied or are you trying to work up a nice, musky sweat for Star?" Her comment warranted no reaction from Marco, who stood there depressed because Star would love how gross he smelled right now. But that was over—he would never have her in his arms again and their bond was essentially gone. Those jerks in the Underworld won…
The last memory of her screaming for him to stay came freshly anew, pumping anger through his veins. He balled his hands into red fists, earning a low whistle from Kelly. "Whoa…I didn't know you could do that, man. And look at your face…" Marco rushed past her, not fully paying attention to her words, landing a fury of punches on the nearest enemy. "Hey! That was my…" Kelly protested as Marco threw part of the acorn at her, which she sliced before getting hit. He knew it was something she could pull off.
"What is your problem!?" Kelly asked in annoyance, surprised at seeing him act so violently all of a sudden. He flashed her a menacing look that screamed her "leave me alone" over his shoulder and continued to fight. The green hair girl sighed, clenching her large sword and began slashing away.
More trees shook their branches, causing even more of the acorn monsters to rain down. Marco felt his arms and legs tire out but he simply didn't care. He kept punching, kicking and soon screamed and laughed sinisterly as if he was a monster himself. I'm a monster, so I should fight like one! He picked up one of the evil lot and hurled it at the tree. I'll show you who's a mad king!
"Okay, buddy," Kelly slashed an oncoming acorn, "What's got you this pissed? You never fight like this." She was right. All of his life, discipline and being fair had been his fighting mantra. It was something Sensei had taught him in karate, that he had passed on to Star, and Kelly helped him really master. However, the normal rules of engagement were suspended—Marco had spent weeks trying to win over the Royals only to have his efforts blow up in his face. None of them even tried to respect him, in fact, all of his deeds nearly got him killed.
He remembered the gloating look on Dave's face as he tore into Star. How dare that ungrateful prick hurt his princess like that! How dare he force Marco to live through the worst thing he could ever think of—losing Star like he did to Toffee. Tears flowed down his face as he relived the nightmare while fighting, and it didn't go unnoticed by Kelly. She stopped fighting for a second, nearly dropping her sword to comfort him, but a creature rushed towards them which stopped her from doing so. "You. Me. Talking. Soon," she said through gritted teeth. Marco simply nodded in response, standing behind her.
The two soon were surrounded, by nearly fifty of the creatures now. Marco and Kelly gave each other a knowing glance, standing back to back with blades drawn. The two warriors slashed and diced every foe that dared jump on them, a fury of wood and sap dancing in the air. Once the acorns were dealt with, they combined their attack and split the lower third of the tree's trunk in half. As the tree toppled over, it hissed sharply then poofed into ashes. All that was left were two round seeds, about the size of fists. Kelly picked both up, smiling in victory.
"This will feed my family for a bit." She put the two seeds in her hair, wiping her hands off any dust and soot. "You wouldn't believe how much sap these trees produce, and they fetch a good price at the market too. Now let's talk about you—" Her eyes met Marco's as he wiped away the remaining tears, "First, dang, you fought like an animal! Second, what are you even doing out here…thought you had some fancy dinner to go to."
Marco wordlessly looked back towards the direction of the Butterfly Castle, that loomed like a giant mountain over the black backdrop of the forest. He felt the pull to go back there—maybe even climb up the main tower into Star's bedroom and into her arms again. Where he was safe and loved... I can't, not yet at least, he sighed turning away in defeat. He tried to feel for Star again, but there was nothing. He noticed Kelly biting her lip, feeling as if she knew what might be going on. She was a smart girl like that, Marco mused as he started to walk deeper into the woods before she could say anything.
"You said you wanted to talk, right?" he said in a soft tone when he realized that Kelly was following him. She simply nodded.
"A lot happened," he mumbled sadly. "And it had to do with that fancy dinner you brought up. Warrior Fort?"
Kelly made a strained smile, "Warrior Fort." Their secret place wistfully reminded Marco of the meadow and all those nights with Star. Will things ever be like that again? He slowly turned his eyes back to the castle as the lightening sky signaled that dawning of a new day. He could swear that from far away he could see Star's window shining, but he shook his head and went deeper into the forest.
In the silence of their walk, Marco reflected on the fight. Wow… I really lost it back there. He looked at his hands, feeling utter shame wash over him. I'm supposed to be a gentleman… He stopped thinking, feeling Kelly's hand touch his shoulder. She smiled, pointing their spot—a massive treehouse they built together one day after training. "Watch your step, Mr. Thinker," she teased him.
Marco rolled his eyes, climbing up the tree and into the treehouse. Once inside, Kelly walked over to their make-shift fridge and tossed him a can of soda, as well as produced a box of Captain Blanch's Sugar Seeds from the cupboard. He forced himself not to think of all the times he ate the cereal with Star. The two sat down on wooden stools they made around a small table. We made a lot of stuff in here, Marco mused, taking a small sip from his can.
"Okay, spill," Kelly said without even looking at him, digging into her cereal. What isn't there to talk about… He mused to himself before saying, "Oh, Kelly…I don't know where to start..." She rolled her eyes, folding her arms together and leaning forward.
"Don't tell me, you and Star got into your very first fight?" she teased, but her voice was laced with concern.
"No… Not really." Marco answered, taking a longer sip from his soda. "You know about the Prince's Ball and…"
"I know it was too soon." Kelly hissed, crushing her own already-empty can. "Why didn't she just wait a little bit longer. You told me how those royal jerks acted, so I can't imagine they're thrilled about Star suddenly changing her mind over Tom." Marco raised his finger, but Kelly violently chucked the can at the wall silenced him. "Hasn't she hurt you enough?! I mean…"
"Kelly…" he said softly, starting to get up.
"And don't get me started about demon boy," she spat in disgust, "I haven't forgotten about that stunt he pulled, nearly turned you into ash. And now you two are magically friends again…"
"Kelly…" he got closer to her.
"Now, here you are crying in the woods for some reason and—"
"Kelly!" Marco nearly shouted, putting both hands on her shoulders to calm her down. "Star did nothing wrong. Let me explain, okay?" She sighed and the two sat down again. "I know you care about me a lot, but man, you got really worked up there. Lemme speak first."
She nodded, "The floor is yours." Marco closed his eyes for a second to organize his thoughts, "It all started last week at dinner with her family, where they all learned that I'm Star's future—"
"—Husband." Kelly cut in, crossing her arms with a smirk. "Uh, just prince, Kelly," Marco rubbed the back of his head, blushing.
"Don't give me that, Marco," she shook her head, "We both know that you two are basically getting married. Wouldn't be surprised if you guys are thinking about having kids already—I'd say four. Heck, you guys might already have started making—"
Marco glared at her to make her stop and raised an eyebrow, "Four of them? Only two, thank you very much." Kelly rolled her eyes at the comment, sporting a look that said "busted."
"We haven't gotten that far—wait, why is this even a discussion?" his face turned red as he stopped himself.
Kelly raised an eyebrow, "Your secret is safe with me if you have—"
Marco cleared his voice, "—Back to what I was saying! The dinner was meant to present me as Star's husband—prince. I mean prince! When I showed up for the dinner, her dad's family really liked me, and it felt really nice. Like all my hard work on Mewni and trying to be by Star's side, actually paid off. People respect me. That is something I always a wanted." Kelly reached over the table, holding Marco's hand. He sighed, signally that the rest of his story was going to be rough.
"But… Her mom's side hates me. They didn't care about anything I did. They even talked about pawning Star to Tom right in front of my face."
"Ouch." Kelly winced said. "Bet Star showed them a lesson, huh?" Marco smiled to himself recalling her mighty Warrior Goddess form. She was always so protective of him, and, boy was she beautiful doing it.
"…It got worse than that though, right?" Kelly's grip on his hand tightened, bringing him out of his fantasy and back into the crushing weight of reality. He nodded grimly, seeking strength from her concerned gaze.
"Earlier today, I was officially declared Star's prince before everyone on Mewni, and I met my loyal Kingsguard." Kelly narrowed her eyes, matching Marco's. "Yeah, they are jerks—being prince didn't stop them either. And don't get me started about Higgs…"
"You mean that nasty…" Marco gave Kelly a look, making her bite her lip. "Sorry, that girl owes me for insulting my sword and my skills," she muttered. Marco rubbed his forehead, remembering one time he and Kelly went to Quest Buy to get some weapons for a hunt when they bumped into Higgs and Sir Stabby. It was not a fun memory.
Kelly signaled him to continue, so he did, "I really taught her a lesson. But I acted mean—like, how you saw from before." Marco bit his lip and started shaking, "Worst part is that I don't feel bad, at all. It felt great sticking up for myself, but was it worth becoming a jerk? I can't shake that question at all."
Kelly just gave a soft expression to Marco, making him sigh, "Then tonight was the icing on the cake. We went to the Lucitor Castle to meet the other royal families. I met Tom's dad…Imagine Tom if he hated me and had absolutely no heart in him—that's King Lucitor in a nutshell. He made Star break down in front of all of us—and I had to do something. I love Star so much, so I agreed to his challenge of surviving my personal hell."
Marco let go of Kelly's hands, covering his face. "It was a vision of me and Star when we were older. We were expecting a child together, but…no one excepted us being together. At all. So, Star could never leave the castle. I gave her my Kingsguard to watch over her, so she could go outside again…" his voice trailed as he forced himself to continue. "They let her die…and I had to live without her and her family hated me. I became a raving animal, sleeping by her grave—begging her to come back."
Kelly's eyes went wide, gripping the table like a vice as his voice faltered. "When Star got me out of there, and we told everyone off… they called us 'Monster Love'. You know what that is, right?"
She only managed a nod, unable to form a clear sentence. Marco only looked away, feeling only sadness come over him, "I felt so ashamed that I ran from her and came here. We're essentially over now…and you know what? It's for the best." Kelly opened her mouth to counter, but Marco silenced her, "Don't start, Kelly. I can't give Star the future she deserves. I'm a non-royal nobody from a lame planet. Staying with me…is out of the question. Maybe she can go back to dating Tom. He'd take better care of her than me and—"
"—You'd spend the rest of eternity wallowing in depression—like at that beach," Kelly folded her arms. "And what's the point of that, Captain Melodramatic? Don't give me that 'I want my beloved to be happy' crap. What does letting go accomplish? The two of you love each other more than anything I've ever seen—"
"—Why did you let me go?" Marco slammed his fist on the table and the room hushed into silence. Kelly's eyes widened as she looked away, causing Marco to shoot her an apology glance. Rubbing the back of his head, he muttered, "I didn't mean it like that."
He watched Kelly shift away from his in her chair, "So, you knew, huh? Even though I never said anything."
"It was kind of obvious," he said flatly. His mind took him back to how nice she had been after the lake incident. Sure, they had been friends beforehand, but after the Soulrise, things really took off between them. She became his fighting partner, the person he vented to about Star and Tom, the rock he needed when he felt depressed—all seemingly out of the blue. It was not until after Stump Day that he had put two and two together, and part of him felt horrible that he was breaking his friend's heart by continuing to run after Star.
"Huh?" Kelly raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I mean…" Marco started, "I had a feeling you liked me a lot… and I was worried we wouldn't be good friends after Star and I went out."
"Because, I believed in that 'I want my beloved to be happy' crap," Kelly started slowly. "Yes, I liked you a lot and…I think part of me still does. I mean look at you, Marco. You're such a loveable dork, even if you are as dense as a rock." They both giggled at that point, then she reached for his hand again to steady herself. "But, I always knew that there was only one star in the whole night sky for you. I thought we had a chance, for a while, but after you got into that fight with Tom at Star's birthday party…I knew that I was chasing someone who would never chase me back. So, I let you go. I didn't say anything because I knew that it always meant to be you and Star."
Marco wrapped his arms around her in a hug, which she gladly accepted. He had no idea what to tell her, every word she said was right. "That's why I refuse to let you walk away from that girl," she said as she pulled back. They sat close together as Kelly continued, "Don't try to be some tragic hero here. You two are too hung up on each other. You guys can face this together—might not seem like it right now, but you guys have a bond that can never be broken." Except it is right now, Marco added to himself before tuning back into Kelly's speech.
"When Tad and I dated, that guy never left my side, which made things hard toward the end…" she bit her lip, taking a few moments to finish her thought. "…But he was my partner for a long time. Star is your lifeline, your love. And I know you well, you never give up."
"…But why fight when it's only going to hurt us?" Marco refuted, letting his voice get louder and tears slowly come down his face. "You let me go to make me happy! Why can't I do the same for Star?"
Kelly just narrowed her eyes, standing up to match his lumbering form. She took her right hand and slapped him across his face, making him stumble to the floor. Ow! He rubbed his cheek, honestly surprised at her bold gesture.
"Sorry, buddy but I had to get you out of your funk somehow," Kelly said in a very controlled tone. "You never looked at me the way you did her. Never talked about me the way you talked about her. Your eyes always lit up at the sound of her name. In fact," her voice softened. "You came to Mewni for Star. I don't think you can just turn your back on her, even if you wanted to."
She's right again, I could never stop loving Star. "Thanks for the wake-up call—or slap, I mean." Marco joked, letting out a strained laugh. Kelly only smiled, with the two sitting back down.
"You know how I think and deal with things. I think, think, and think…" Marco clasped his hands together, looking into them as if they could answer his many questions. "But it feels as if I'm fighting gravity—this inescapable force keeping Star and me apart."
Kelly only rolled her eyes, standing up and walking toward the treehouse's opening in the ceiling. Marco followed her, seeing the Butterfly Castle shining tall and proud in the distance, silhouetted by the risen sun. "See that hole up there, Marco. It lets in the sun—which is important for us to see in here. Is it hard to punch a hole through the canopy of a tree? Yeah, but it didn't stop us—did it?" They both smiled at the memory of building their treehouse together. She gave him a playful punch, "You know what you gotta do."
Marco felt the cool Mewnian winds brush his battle-messy hair as he inhaled and exhaled slowly. I… I can do this. I can fight for… Just as Marco was going to reach out to Star, he felt something knock him out of the tree. Kelly jumped down after him, but Marco used his inner magic to cushion the fall. With her standing next to him, he saw the source of the quake—three multi-bear cubs. Kelly and Marco shared a knowing look, balling their hands into fists and readying their swords. In speaking of unfinished business, he glared at the beasts with, a confident grin etched across his face.
Kelly smiled as she slashed the air, pushing back one of the cubs, and giving Marco the time to ready a punch. A loud screech was heard as he landed a red punch across a bear's jaw, sending it reeling into some bushes. Rolling away from various swipes, Kelly and Marco were now standing back-to-back, the trio of bears that surrounded them earlier never letting up. "So… What is the game plan, battle-partner?" Kelly slyly asked, with Marco darting his eyes around, searching for a weakness.
He saw that one head on each of the multi-bears was not fully developed yet—as noted by the smaller eyes. She noticed Marco's observation and grinned, cracking her neck. "Ah, like old times," she mused aloud, unleashing her battle cry as Marco ran alongside her.
Looking at his target, he felt a familiar red light coat him even in the broad daylight. Moonlight coming down, beaming through the clouds… Marco felt his hands glow a faint blue, holding them pressed together to charge up an attack. Memories of Star flowed through him as if a clogged well was freed. Just keep surviving, forever searching for my destiny… Marco finished his song, reminding himself to play it for Star after things calm down… Right through, now, let them loose!
"NARWHAL BLAST!" Marco shouted, with a storm of the creatures escaping out of a blue vortex from his palm. Kelly's eyes went wide as the watery creatures struck painful hits on all the cubs. The cubs looked at Marco and Kelly in fear as they shivered. Marco stood, staring at his hands, now glowing pinkish from Star's magic. He had reached her again just now, though things were still very hazy, he could feel their connection starting up again. There was no time to dwell on that though, he still had to finish the fight.
"Run," They said in unison, with the creatures scurrying off back into the heart of the forest. Marco and Kelly shared hi-fives all around and a fist-bump for good measure. "The World Warriors Return!" they shouted as they shared a joyful hug, patting each other's back earnestly. Upon letting go, Marco gave her a thankful smile, one that she shared in return.
"I really needed this. Something to cut loose on and vent… Thanks." Kelly just punched Marco's shoulder playfully. "No problem man, just don't go all 'crazy guy' on me without warning, okay?" Marco folded his arms and nodded.
Suddenly he felt his bond flare up, hearing Star and… Tom of all people talking about… him?! Kelly gave a worried look, but Marco held up his hand, the other tightly holding his forehead as he experienced a flood of her emotions, her fears, and everything that happened after he left. He embraced their bond again, and Marco felt overjoyed at the sensation. Why did I even let this happen…? Then he remembered the royals and his fear of the future. …No, I'm not letting her go. Even if I have to fight against the rules and break through the very force of gravity itself.
"Star?" Marco tried calling and a rush of thoughts overwhelmed his mind, nearly making him fall to the ground. He just laughed and cried joyful tears at the sensation, and a wide smile never left his face. "Uh…Sorry, I've been gone all day," he said shyly, as some shame overcame him. "If you aren't mad or something, let's meet up at our place." He could feel her powerful sense of relief, as she was worried that he would leave her forever. What?! She thought… Marco shook his head. We can talk about this later. We gotta plan our attack on those jerks. "I really missed you. I hope you felt the same," she said tenderly to him.
"Star, of course, I missed you too," he answered her sincerely, "I love you after all." Star ended their conversation, and Marco looked up at the sky with a confident expression.
Kelly sat down next to him, lightly punching his arm. "What's suddenly got you smiling?".
Marco chuckled, flashing his friend a knowing look, "Star. I hate to leave you here, but there's something I need to do."
Kelly just shook her head slowly, "Your weird lover boy senses tingling? I swear you guys can like read each other's minds, you're so close." You have no idea, he rolled his eyes as they laugh. Then he stood up, boldly shaking his fist at the ever-watching castle, with Kelly looking on.
"Those royals want a war? They want to see what Prince Marco Diaz-Butterfly is made of?" Marco asked aloud, clenching his right fist with a proud grin.
"Diaz-Butterfly?" Kelly smirked. "I told you that you were practically Star's husband."
He ignored her as he kept going, "I will show them. We will play and break their rules, Star and I. I will never let people like them push me away from her like that again." Marco let go of his fist, making a vapor of red magic vanishing into the wind. "I promise…"
Kelly stood with him, patting his back. "Go get her, tiger. I gotta head home anyway." She put her sword into her hair, as she drew out her scissors. "By the way, if those royal jerks mess with you again…tell Star to save some action for me, alright?" He gave her a playful jab as he cut a portal to the meadow, smiling as he smelled the sweet grass on the wind.
I won't be a disappointment… to both Star or myself… Marco walked into the portal, with the cool Mewni skies masking a red glow trying to shine through.
As the portal closed after Marco, Star sunk to her knees sobbing his name over and over. The dinner that was supposed to be in his honor was in shambles while the Lucitors and Butterflys were yelling at each other over the untouched food growing cold on the tables. Actually, it was more the Johansens and Star's parents fighting the rest of the Butterflys and the Lucitors. Normally, Star would have joined right in, blasting anyone who dared hurt Marco, but her warrior's heart was too broken to seek vengeance. Instead, she sat curled in a ball in the far corner of the throne room, watching her entire world fall apart for the second or third time because of something she did. This was all her idea—she got the Lucitors' hopes up by choosing Tom first before dragging Marco into this hell. She shrunk into a tighter ball hugging her knees, as endless tears fell, why was she such a screw-up? I just want to go back in time, to another world…A world where they could just be Star and Marco again. Not princess and prince, not a disappointment and forbidden lover…But that was gone now, possibly forever.
"Uh, Star?" she turned to see Tom standing by her, his face full of sorrow watching the same scene play out in front of him. "Wanna get out of here?" he said though his eyes never left the fighting. I would love to just run away…she wished she could have said—probably to Marco—but she sighed to Tom and nodded. The demon prince helped her to her feet and they tiptoed up the stairs to his room, past their families. Star slumped on his bed with a sigh with Tom looking on in concern. Why am I even in here? It just hit her how odd it was to be sitting in her ex's bedroom, but it beat being downstairs. Tom rubbed his arm awkwardly, "So…where should we go then?"
Star simply shrugged, not looking him in the eyes, "I guess anywhere. Just take me away from here." I just want to be with Marco, she tried calling him over and over, but he never answered her. It was like she could hardly feel him there anymore—their bond was strained to its breaking point. "Please Marco, I need you!" still nothing but deafening silence from his end. The tears came back in full force, and she felt Tom sit beside her on the bed, throwing his arm around her in comfort. His eyes were full of concern for her and probably Marco as well; they were close friends again and Star remembered the fear and anger in his eyes when his father had cast that spell on Marco. Then his eyes lit up with an idea, "I have a plan. We should probably change first, so meet here in thirty?" Star weakly nodded as she got up and sliced a portal to her room.
It was cold, dark, and empty—just like her heart. She went to her bedside and reached under her pillow for her secret, stinky Marco hoodie that she slept with each night. Star inhaled deeply, gagging in the process from the strong odor, savoring every note of Marco's scent. Her mind flashed full of their memories together on dates and training together. Man, he stinks, she wrinkled her nose in disgust thought she smiled wistfully. This was all she had left of him—just like that summer when he went back to Earth after he helped save Mewni from Toffee. Come back this time too, she tucked the hoodie back in its secret place as she changed into her normal attire.
When she cut a portal to Tom's room again, she found him standing by the bed with Cebbie cowering behind him. She was so big that she hardly fit in the room as her back touched the ceiling. "She wants to come too," Tom gave his dog a pat on one of her heads, "She hates arguing."
"So, where are we going?" Star asked with a sniffle. "You'll see, C'mon," Tom opened a portal with Star and Cerberus following. On the other side was an all too familiar sight—one that, if Star was feeling more herself, complained about. Stretched out before her was the pristine white ash sand of Lava Lake Beach. Waves of molten rock peacefully flowed in and out, sometimes casting bubbly globs in the air that cooled into rocks before falling back into the lake. The beach was mostly empty at the moment since daylight was just breaking, though there were a few couples nearby making out. That, of course, made her miss Marco even more.
She turned her eyes to Tom, who just stared at her with an odd facial expression she could not read. He shuffled the beach umbrella and blanket he brought, at the last second, in his arms awkwardly. "Let's set up then," he said in a hesitant, low voice. He unfurled their blanket which was oddly just big enough for them to sit on and began to fumble with the umbrella. Cerberus stretched out on the other side of Star on her belly, wagging her tail pensively. Tom settled down close to Star and the two sat in silence as the sky turned from dark indigo to vibrant dark blue then finally to its normal grayish-orange. The similarity of this moment to the Soulrise was something Star tried to not dwell on—that was an odd day in hindsight.
"Maybe I shouldn't have brought us here," Tom rubbed the back of his head as he spoke suddenly, "I just thought we would go someplace where we had fun before."
"It's fine, Tom," she replied quietly, "Just have a lot on my mind." Which included ignoring the significance of this place…She watched Tom reach into his pocket for his phone and began to play music. Star raised an eyebrow at the lyrics: "So take me back in time \ To another world \ When you can be mine…"
I wish I could… Star felt tears well up. She would give anything for that dinner to have never happened, or the other dinner with her family…Heck, she deeply regretted asking Marco to be her prince that night too. I shouldn't have said yes when he asked me out. Star should have known this storm was coming; she had been a royal all her life and knew the pressure that was to come. This was the inevitable result of Marco dating her: judgment, pain, and hurt. Why hadn't she kicked him out when he first showed up to Mewni? It would have been for his own good, even if it hurt him.
Would I have done all of this differently? She mused silently, watching the clouds drift by. Part of her said "no"—she loved her time with Marco from the dance in the temple onwards. He completed her, and she completed him. And their bond, both in general and in their head, was so precious to her—so much so that she had threated to blast anyone who got in the way the past several times lately. But part of her said "yes" too. She hated dragging him through all of this pain. She had been naïve, thinking that maybe it would not be this bad. No, it was far worse…
"We don't have to worry \ When you're by my side \ There's nothin' I don't know \There's nothin' to decide \ Apart from where we want to go."
Tom was humming the music wistfully, looking at her with a strange intent that drew her out of her thoughts. She shot a puzzled look at him, who sheepishly looked away. "Sorry if this is pushing it," he muttered regretfully, switching his phone off.
"Still hung up on us?" she said flatly, her eyes drifting to the lake in front of them. She heard Tom shift uncomfortably in the sand, and when she met his eyes, she saw the longing emerge from them. "Yeah…kinda," Tom muttered, "I know I shouldn't but…I wish we could just go back to when things were simpler. Before this drama…we were so happy, Star."
"There was always drama," she pointed out as she counted on her fingers, "The Silver Bell Ball, those weird negotiations with your parents…"
"Touché," he added, before gazing off in a faraway direction. They said nothing for a while, each caught up in deep memories of the past. For Star, her mind tortured her with recollections of her and Marco in their secret place—the place they could go and forget about duty and tradition. Her skin could almost feel the cool of the soft grass and the murmur of the nightly breeze…and his touch. Oh, how she missed that the most. Always to tender and caring and comforting. No matter how stressful her days had been from stupid princess duties or from helping her mom, the stress melted away like wax during their nights in the meadow. Why can't you just take me there, she wept to the universe as her mind took her to one night in particular….
Star and Marco were out stargazing again after a grueling day spent apart because of negotiation talks about pointless corn-related treaties. She had apologized profusely for nearly skipping their Relationship Thursday afternoon cuddling, but patient Marco—forever understanding her desire to be a better princess—told her not to worry about it. "At least we have tonight," he pointed out as they lay in the grass on a blanket. As they watched the heavens dance above them in its twinkling splendor, her eyes were drawn to the Two Lovers, who hovered almost protectively over the pair. She wondered if this was how the mythical lovers spent their time whenever they managed to steal away together. Of course, Pony Head had ruined her image of their meetings by suggesting that they came in the woods for raucous activities, but Star liked to imagine that they did more than satisfy their lust. She imagined them just wanting to be together, be it watching stars or enjoying each other fully, as Pony Head mentioned.
"You know, each star can have dozens of worlds around them," Marco had told her, taking her hand. "Think of the endless possibilities…"
"The endless adventures," she gave him a kiss. "We should go see all of them!" Marco chuckled, brushing her hair, "That would take forever, Star. There are trillions upon trillions of stars out there with other worlds." She shushed him by putting a finger to his lips. "I don't care as long as we're together…"
"As long as we're together…" what a cruel twist of fate, she chuckled to herself darkly as her heart sank even deeper. Marco always called her his "bright and shining Star," well, he was her warm and blazing sun that lit her day and warmed her life with his rays. Without him, it was like being shrouded in the perpetual night: cold, dark, and isolating. Her mind frantically called him again, but no answer.
As she sobbed again, Tom held her close. Instead of acting on her first instinct of pushing him away, she leaned on his shoulder to seek his comfort. "It'll be okay, Starship," he said tenderly, his voice choked up on emotion, "Even if it isn't now. I miss him too." Cebbie also gave a low whine in a seeming echo. "Please come back," she pleaded with him once more. Sure, he probably could not hear her, but she wanted to make her point known.
When she had finished crying, she sat up again. Tom cleared his throat, "So…uh wanna do something fun to get our minds off of things?" She simply shrugged, never moving her eyes from the lava in front of them. What on any dimension could get her mind off of what has happened? Tom poked her side, "C'mon, Starship, I hate seeing you like this." When she did not answer, he rubbed his neck, "We used to have so much fun here, remember?"
Yeah…I really want to remember us making out on a beach, Tom, she gave him a sideways glance through narrowed eyes, but held her tongue. Before she could answer him with a nicer version of her retort, a volleyball landed on the sand by her feet. Startled, both Tom and Star turned to see a group of demons leering at them with crossed arms. The leader of the group strode up right to the blanket, getting in their faces. "Why look at this, fellas…yet another cruddy couple is crampin' on our spot."
"Uh, one, she's not my girlfriend," Tom shot back at the demon, who rolled his eyes, "And, two, we were here first." The other teens gathered in a circle around Tom and Star laughing wickedly. Great, more jerks to deal with, Star straightened herself from her hunched position and glared at the bullies. They had their fists balled, itching for a fight as they crept closer. Six against two, huh? That's doable…she calculated. "What's wrong with your girly, demon boy?" the first teen spoke again, "Sure, looks mopey."
"I said she's not my girlfriend," Tom replied in his angry voice, "And she's had a tough day. So, you better back off or I'll make you regret it." He stood up and gave the teenager a harsh shove on the chest for emphasis. "Plus, I'm the Prince of the Underworld, buddy!"
"Oh, we've heard about you, Prince," another teen jeered, "That lazy oaf in the castle that got rejected by the Princess for a peasant boy from another—"
The teen never finished his sentence as a blubbery narwhal nailed him in the chest. The teens and Tom turned their eyes to Star, who sat there with her smoking wand gripped in her right hand. She got up on her feet and turned to the bully, standing on her tiptoes to look him dead in the eyes, "Just what did you say about Marco?"
The bully opened his mouth to say something snide, but Star's glowing wand dissuaded him, and he took a step back. Star smirked darkly, "A wise decision. Also, Tom is my friend and not a 'lazy oaf.' Mess with him too, and I'll send you flying with your friend over there." Tom shot her a grateful, proud look that seemed to say, That's my Starship. She flashed him a grin as they huddled closer together, planning how to teach these teens a lesson they'll never forget.
"You want this spot back? Then name your challenge!" Star crossed her arms. The demon teens all shared a series of glances with their leader. Of course, like worthless hellhounds groveling to their Alpha, she shook her head. After a moment, the leader nodded to his underlings before naming the challenge, "Alright you reject royals—you're on." He picked up the volleyball from the sand and gave it a twirl on his finger, "See this here volleyball, and that net over there? That's how we're duking it out."
Tom and Star grinned devilishly—they were the volleyball king and queen when they dated. No team had ever beaten them, and today would be a continuation of that streak for sure. She raised an eyebrow when he grabbed her hand as he accepted the challenge, "You're on! Star and I are gonna send you guys running home to your mommies! Right, Starship?" Still distracted by Tom holding her hand, she only managed to nod.
"Watch our spot, Cebbie," Tom gave his dog a kiss on all of her heads, "We'll be right back after we cream these guys."
Fired up for the challenge, Star and Tom followed the demon teens to a volleyball net nearby. The Underworld sun was fully high in the sky, glaring on the hot ashy sand like an evil eye. Should have brought flip-flops, Star groaned as she hopped on the burning sand. Luckily, she should not have to stand in one spot for too long during the game. On their trek to the net, she noticed the sheer number of couples cuddling on the beach, and she felt a pang of loneliness through her heart as well as the weirdest sense of déjà vu. It only felt like yesterday that she was doing that with Tom, though the thought of that made her stomach turn. In another vain attempt, she tried calling out to Marco again to see if he was okay and safe. No answer.
As she sighed, Star felt Tom grab her hand and gave it a knowing squeeze. "I know, Star," he said gently, "It'll be okay—I promise. We won't let them win: my parents or these dumb jerks." She gave him a brief side hug as they kept walking to the battlefield that awaited them.
When they reached the net, the teens had already divided themselves into three teams of pairs. Tom smirked, "They have no idea what's coming. We used to rule this beach together! The King and Queen of the Underworld volleyball circuit have returned right Star?" She gave him a playful jab on the shoulder teasingly, "Absolutely, my king. Let's do this!"
Their first set of victims approached the far side of the net, flexing their muscles. "How cute!" Star heckled them, picking up the volleyball. She spiked it over the net, where it streaked like a meteor past the two hapless losers, who had no time at all to react before it hit the ground.
Tom gave her a high-five, "This is gonna be easy!" Then to the teens, he called out, "Quit while you still can! Star and I love playing rough."
"Tom!" Star folded her arms in annoyance.
"What?" Tom furled his brows, "We do. I mean we always got so into our sessions—Ok, Star, get your mind out of the gutter here. We're just as passionate about volleyball as you and Marco are about those videogames on that quest." Uh…Star said nothing, rubbing her arm sheepishly, Well...about that...
They had no time to continue their awkward conversation because the volleyball landed with a thud at Tom's feet. "Okay, head in the game," he picked up the ball to serve. "Ready, Star? Get back to defend!" As he served the ball over the net, the princess dropped back behind him with her eyes intent on the sky above. She heard the impact of the ball on the flesh and bones of an arm from the far side of the court. It's going to the lower left side of the court, she noted with eyes narrowed in anticipation, the wind was going to push it that way. She would not be able to make it in time, so Tom would have to get it. Come on, Tom, lower left! Her mind screamed, but as the demon prince stood rooted in place, she remembered that she actually had to use words. This is so much easier with Marco, she sighed to herself as the ran towards him.
"To the left, Tom!" she hollered, snapping him into attention. He dove towards the corner of the court, hitting the ball into the air which Star batted over the net and past the teens. "Good save," she helped Tom on his feet.
"You called it, Starship—good eyes," he pats her on the back. The next few exchanges went by in a similar fashion with Tom and Star falling into their rhythm without much of a hitch. Tom made excellent serves and was fearless on offense, while Star bravely defended the backfield and called out shots. The teens never scored another point during the match.
"Match point, chumps," Tom twirled the ball on his pointed finger, gloating, "I told you Star and I can take you." The teens stood there in silence as they stared at the ground, pouting. Tom passed the ball to Star, "Take us to victory, my queen. Then we shall celebrate all night long!" She narrowed her eyes at him, prompting Tom to add, "Not like that. I swear I'm not hitting on you." Then don't make it sound like it, she shook her head, readying herself for the game-winning serve.
Suddenly, the other four bullies rushed on the court behind their doomed comrades. The leader snapped his fingers, summoning the ball out of Star's hands and into his. "What gives?" she shouted in indignation. Tom stood near her shaking in anger, probably trying to prevent himself from blowing up yet another outing with Star. It only got worse when the bully cackled, "Since you guys are so good, I thought we would even things up."
"How is that even?!" Tom literally began to growl, "You have a four-people advantage!" The group of teens grinned at each other and laughed, with the leader of them mockingly sighing, "You're right, Prince Loser…let's make things more fun." The teen snapped his fingers again and set the ball on fire. Why does everything in the Underworld involve souls and fire?
Star gritted her teeth and formed her hands into fists. It was time to get serious and they were not holding back anymore, that was for sure. She dropped into a quasi-fighting stance, with fists raised up. Don't think about it, she forced herself to ignore from whom she had learned the stance. There was only one thing to focus on and that was teaching these punks a lesson. Tom shot her a dark grin, "Let's go all out, Star." Then to the teens, he yelled, "Do your worst!"
"The pleasure is mine," the bully lobbed the ball in the air and spiked it with a huge sonic boom of a smack. It shot through the air like a cannonball, leaving a trail of fire as it hit the back of the court. "Ha! Our point!" the bullies gloated and cheered, as Star and Tom looked at the ball with their mouths hung open. The prince burst into flames, "I'm gonna pound you into the next Soulrise!"
"Wait, we should strategize this," she grabbed his arm as he stomped past to retrieve the flaming ball, "Play smarter not harder." Tom exhaled slowly, extinguishing the flames on his body. "But I just wanna ground them to ashes," he muttered as he picked up the flaming ball, giving it a frustrated squeeze.
He lobbed the ball over the net before dropping back beside Star, shooting her a "this-better-work" glance. Look for patterns, Star watched the bullies pass the ball amongst themselves several times in odd zigzag patterns—of course, trying to throw them off! She willed herself to focus on the ball but lost track until it finally sailed over the net. She rushed forward to meet it, charging magic to her hand in a furious red glow. The ball went screaming back to the other side only to be intercepted by one of the teens. Dang it, Star grit her teeth, charging up more magic in her fists. Tom cocked an eyebrow and whistled a low note, "Wow, you must have learned a lot from Marco." You have no idea, she exchanged him a look tinged with sorrow.
But there was no time to dwell on that as the ball came hurling back. "I got it!" Tom charged into the ball with a flaming fist to knock it back. Again, it was met by a waiting teen and the cycle started again with them passing the ball around.
"Let's copy their strategy," Star suggested. Nodding in agreement, Tom intercepted the ball but passed it back to Star. She sent it back to him, who set the ball in the air for Star to spike to the other side of the net with another red slap. They both groaned as the ball was saved by the leader of the gang, who deftly sent it into the sand on their side. "Point two!" he shouted in triumph, "Sure you don't wanna quit?"
"Never!" Star picked up the ball, her blood surging with exhilaration. "I'm not letting anyone beat me." There was one ace she had up her sleeve, Star smirked as she twirled the ball in preparation. She began singing in her mind as magic flowed through her. Right through gravity~ Star sang to herself, juggling the ball in her hands. Just right through what earth planned~ she hit the ball high enough in the air that she had to fly to meet it. Right through gravity, she hovered in the air to level herself for the perfect strike with the magic swirling in her hands like a storm. Right through, now, let them loose~ she spiked the ball with all her might, it streaked like a mighty meteor towards the hapless teens. They scattered as the ball crashed into the ground causing a deep impact crater made of glass. Tom gave her a hug as she floated back to the sand beside him. "That was incredible," he breathed. "You really are the best volleyball partner ever."
"Except we aren't done yet," they turned to see the leader claw his way out of the crater. "Still…have one more point!" The rest of the gang appeared beside him and began chanting a demon curse. Tom and Star watched in horror as they managed to combine their bodies into one seven-foot-tall monster with six arms. "Really!" Tom spat, "You mean you weren't cheating enough before?!"
The creature laughed in a deep voice, "Welcome to my final form—" he picked up the ball with a smirk, "And to your demise." There was no way they could play that beast, Star's shoulders slouched in defeat. Then it hit her, there was one way… "Tom, we gotta unleash our secret weapon!" she called to him. He scratched his head, "What secret—oh that one! Uh…are you sure, because you're dating someone else and—"
She shook her head to silence him, "No time to think about that right now. It's time for one last ride!" Tom's eyes twitched, "Language, Star…" She jumped on his shoulders and grabbed his horns tightly, trying hard not to dwell on the implications. Maybe it was a good thing that Marco wasn't here or could hear her thoughts.
"Let's do this, Tom!" she roared as he flew around the court with her on his back. The monster served the ball, but with Star driving, Tom volleyed the ball back to the other side with ease. The monster missed the speedy attack, giving the Royals a game plan. "We just gotta be a smidge faster!" Tom said in realization as they flew back for the next serve.
"Then gimme all you got," Star pet his hair with her free hand, causing him to tense up for a second. They met the next serve and Tom sent it whizzing past them with a good hit. The bullies growled in frustration, "We aren't holding back anymore!" They summoned magic to their fists as they grabbed the ball.
"Just gotta get one more point!" Star announced giving the horns a squeeze, "Let's make it special." She felt Tom nod as they readied to end this match once and for all. The bullies hit the ball over the net, which Tom saved from the ground. He punched it upwards and away—giving them a split second to charge into it at full speed. Star's red fist connected perfectly with the ball and it hurtled away at the speed of sound, causing a shockwave to rock the beach and blast sand everywhere. The ball ripped right through the bullies' combined body, causing it to explode in a streak of light before hitting the ground. When the dust settled, Tom and Star looked down upon the six interlopers passed out cold and the ball still inbounds. "Matchpoint and set!" Tom smirked, kicking sand on the leader's face.
"We did it!" Star hugged Tom's horns. "The King and Queen of the volleyball world hold their title once more."
"You can get off now," Tom reminded her flatly, to which she slid off. The two friends gave each other a sincere high-five as they walked away in triumph. "Let's go get some s'mores."
In the waning hours of the afternoon, Tom, Star, and Cerberus reclined by a roaring fire with marshmallows toasting over it. The glowing waves of magma lazily lapped the beach as the sky darkened slowly. There was not much talking between the two members of the trio that could talk, despite their victory and high spirits from their win earlier, save idle small talk about burning some of the marshmallows. Those burnt pieces were tossed to Cebbie, whose heads fought over the right to the food no one wanted. Star busied herself watching the ruby embers from the fire rise up to the sky in a hypnotic dance, taking her mind back to the temple and to familiar feeling of loneliness. The deafening silence still remained, reminding her of the pain as her tears began to well up again. She noticed Tom eyeing her with concern, "Wanna talk? You were so happier earlier."
At first, she had half the mind to say nothing but felt oddly compelled to vent Tom. Marco was his best friend, so perhaps he was still reeling from the dinner last night. With a sigh, she said bitterly, "I've really done it this time…he's never coming back."
"Who? Marco?" Tom reached for her when she tried to mask her tears and the sorrow in her voice. She leaned on his shoulder as she continued, "It's never been like this before—not since he came back to Mewni. I ruined his life, Tom, because I selfishly wanted him by my side. There was no way he could have been ready for all this crap that we've had to deal with since birth—what was I thinking?"
She faced him, wiping the tears away on her arm, "Tom…I should have stayed with you—" The demon's eyes wide in shock as she continued. She took both of his hands in hers as she faced him, "I should have let go of those feelings for Marco and have embraced being with you. None of this would have happened: my parents like you, the kingdoms like you because you are a real prince, and our love would have been encouraged. We worked well together earlier, so maybe—"
Tom silenced her by squeezing her hands as he leaned in closer. Their faces were only an inch apart from as he looked her straight in the eyes with his brimming with emotion. Star sighed in resignation—this was for the best. She could make her family and kingdom proud again, and Tom wasn't that bad of a guy. And most importantly, Marco will be free again. She leaned forward to close the gap but was stopped as Tom gave her an utterly confused expression that screamed, What are you doing?!
"Starship? Are you trying to—" he stammered as he backed away. Star blinked at him, "You heard what I just said, I'm willing to get back together because it's the best course of action." Tom froze for a second with his mouth gaping open until he found the words to speak.
"That's by far the dumbest thing I've ever heard you say. Sorry, not sorry." He cleared his throat as Star leaned back away from him mostly relieved that nothing had actually happened.
"Look, Star," he sighed, "I'm not stupid. We will never work—didn't twice, you know. After our awkward fight in the raft, I-I've been letting go. And it's hard, yes…but it needs to happen. We are good friends but horrible lovers. I mean we ended tons of dates arguing and mad at each other." Star began to giggle softly as her mind brought her to each one—it was usually over stupid stuff too.
"Remember that one time we fought over why we were fighting over which restaurant to go to?" she flashed him a smile. Tom grinned, "Exactly. What a stupid day that was…But you see what I'm saying? I'm not done yet, so get comfy—I got a lot to say."
He rubbed the back of his head as he started, "Where to begin…Star, you can't force yourself to like someone—you just tried that when we started dating again and look where we are. Face it, your heart has and always will belong to Marco. Don't deny it either. I've always seen it in how you look at him—even when you were just, 'friends.' Remember the end of the Stump Day fiasco? Don't think I didn't notice."
Star rubbed her arm blushing, "Oh yeah…" Tom chuckled to himself softly, before adding more seriously, "I'm not blind. And sure, we could get married right now and my parents would jump for joy—heck, let's even throw in some kids for them. They're weird enough about these things that the two of us having kids at sixteen wouldn't phase them, sadly. But Star—" He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, "I care about you, I really do. In fact, you could even say that I love you too much to let you make yourself miserable for appearance's sake. Even…for my sake. You belong with Marco, we both know that, so go for it."
Happy tears formed in her eyes as she hugged him, "Thanks, Tom." She pulled away when she felt him laugh. "Besides," he said, "I would have to constantly worry about our kids being mine. I mean, Marco would still be your squire and best friend."
"I would never—" she began but Tom cut her off. "You say that, Star. But I've read the stories about what happens when a married queen befriends a knight…and I swear if our kid comes out with brown hair and a mole, I am hunting Marco down to the ends of the universe." They both fell out laughing at the absurd realism of the moment. She vividly imagined Marco holding what was supposed to be Tom's child briefly before running for his life. The tabloids would love us for sure, Star giggled as she gained composure.
"You think he would stay if we got married?" she asked Tom after he stopped laughing.
"Star, are you kidding me?" he practically exclaimed, "Marco has no idea how to quit if he tried. I basically had him dead that one time but—nope—Marco "I-never-give-up" Diaz found some stinking way to beat the odds. Heck, he would still dutifully stay by your side, even if it meant preparing our royal bed and making himself miserable. He really loves you. And you feel the same."
Star smiled to herself, "You're right, Tom."
"Of course," he gave her a playful jab. "But what about our parents and the kingdoms and duty?" Star asked with her brows furling. This was all well and good in theory, but her love was forbidden—Dave and the Butterflys made that clear. And they will never accept it…
Tom shrugged, "So what? I don't care about what my father says—he's an evil jerk and I barely recognize him as my dad. Not sorry at all. And why do you care, Starship? You're my rebel princess—that's why I fell for you way back when. You do things that make you happy and give you meaning, no matter what others say. Embrace that fully—you know, a good friend of ours said that you had to rule Mewni your way."
Star began to relax for time since before the dinner. Every single word Tom said was dead-on, she could not let those royal old windbags dictate her life. Marco is her choice and always will be, and she needed to fully embrace that, even if no one else stood in their corner. Well, that wasn't true either—she had Tom, her parents, her friends, and the commoners that would support them forever. Marco and I have our love, she grinned with genuine joy, We can do this together!
Tom put a hand on her shoulder, "And he'll be back. You guys are like weirdo magnets or something. Just give him the time to calm down."
As if on cue, Star felt the bond open up on Marco's end. "Uh…Sorry, I've gone all day," he said shyly. "If you aren't mad or something, let's meet up at our place." Tom raised an eyebrow as Star began grinning and tearing up again. Oh, how she missed this! He really did come back for her, after all. "Star, of course, I missed you too," he answered her sincerely, "I love you after all."
"And I, you," she whispered happily.
"Everything alright Starship?" he prodded her gently, "You're doing that thing again—like at the camp but without Marco."
"He's back," she smiled at Tom, who was even more confused. "I've never understood how you two do that," he scratched his arm nervously, "Like how you know where each other are and seem to speak without words. Do you guys like read minds or something?" You have no idea, she shook her head slowly.
But Tom patted her shoulder, meeting his eyes to her, "Go to him." Before she could ask, Tom said, "Don't worry about what I'm going to do. I'm going to chill with Cebbie and let things die down at home. But you got places to be with Marco, so get moving."
The two friends hugged as Star opened a portal to the secret place, leaving Tom behind smiling as how everything was alright again.
In the coming twilight, Star stepped out of her golden portal and into the long grasses of the meadow. They tickled her knees as she walked through the expanse, taking in the scenery of the black pines against the darkening horizon. One by one, the stars above were beginning to shine forth as the sun slid further down the sky and Star could see part of the Two Lovers already visible. Her mind took her back to when she had told Marco the story on their first date, how happy they had been laying under the stars together.
"I'm happy now, mi Estrella," she whipped her head around, pulled in Marco's direction. Her dork was sitting in the tall grass still clad in his prince attire, gazing lovingly at her. She could feel an edge of uneasiness through the bond. He was beating himself up for leaving her crying in the Underworld, and for nearly letting their treasured bond die. Marco…she stood there staring at him for a moment and decided whether she should pinch herself to make sure she was not dreaming. He came back—Tom told her that he would, but part of her was so afraid. Then, as if a switch went off in her brain, she ran to him. She crashed into him with enough strength to bowl him over, and excited kissed his face all over. Marco laughed as he wrapped his arms around her to pull her in closer, planting kisses of his own. "Star, this tickles!" he squirmed under her. She stilled him by locking her lips to his for a long, passionate kiss, playing with his hair.
After they broke apart, they held each other's cheeks, savoring the moment that they both thought would never happen again. Their bond was a swirl of emotions from longing to joy to guilt for letting things get too far. I guess it's time for another talk, Star slid off him, giving Marco a chance to catch his breath. As she laid beside him, she nuzzled his neck, taking in his strong scent. He smelled so good…and she knew Marco could feel her thoughts.
"It's from fighting all day," he flexed the muscles in his arms, garnering an eye-roll from Star. "I spent the day with Kelly, and that's what we did." It made sense, Kelly had always been Marco's venting and sparring partner since they had gotten so close. Nothing unusual here, she reminded herself, though the lingering suspicion of Kelly's crush on him remained. Star shook the feeling away, it was time to stop dwelling on the past.
"I hung out with Tom," she played with her hair, "At the beach. It was super fun too, we played some volleyball and watched the sunrise and stuff." Marco sat up, raising an eyebrow, "You two went to Lava Lake Beach." His tone was flat, but Star could feel his memories of that day between them clearly. It probably didn't help that she and Tom basically did the same activities—save the kissing at the end.
"It was Tom's idea," she replied to his suspicion, "And it wasn't bad." I could get after you for hanging out with Kelly, she shot him a look. They were both sitting up now, looking away to gather their thoughts in silence. It was Marco who broke the calm first, clearing his voice. "Star, I'm so sorry," he grabbed her hands, facing her. "I should have never left you like that. You needed me and…I ran away because I felt so broken. I couldn't deal with anything anymore, and our bond nearly died and—"
She silenced him with a quick kiss, before adding more seriously, "No, I'm sorry. I dragged you into this mess when you weren't ready. I should have waited the nine months and have really told you what you'd be up against. I mean, we've only seriously been together for a few months and I know people do these kinds of things much slower on Earth…"
"Not in Las Vegas," he chuckled a bit, trying to make her smile. His smoldering brown eyes met hers, nearly making Star melt in his arms. "In all honesty," he began. "I don't think time would have changed much of anything—they'd hate us still if we waited a hundred lifetimes. And sure, it's weird for a fifteen-year-old Earth kid to be sitting here with basically his wife and about to run an entire kingdom while fighting jerk family members—but I wouldn't have it anyway. I wanted wacky, zany adventures—that's part of why I left Earth—and this is one heck of a ride. But you want to know why I really left?"
Star tilted her head, thinking for a moment—though she contemplated cheating by looking into his thoughts. "Uh…you liked corn?" she said weakly. Marco shook his head and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"Because of you," he confessed, his voice was low and tender. "I couldn't live my life without you by my side. Jackie knew this, which was why she dumped me. I mean who else could provoke a Safe Kid to make the most unsafe decision ever of packing up everything and leaving home forever? Star, I practically dropped out of high school for you." They both laughed for a moment, then Marco continued, "And remember that vow from the hill back at Echo Creek? I swore to stay by your side forever—that's something I'm not going back on."
"And same here," Star squeezed his hands. "Though I'm not pressuring you at all to keep the Prince's Ball. But I know you will because you're Marco Diaz—"
"Diaz-Butterfly," he corrected her teasingly. She playfully punched his arm, "Okay, darling husband." Then she continued back in her serious voice, "Anyways, it's hard to tell what the future will bring for us once the Prince's Ball happens—I doubt those jerks will ever leave us alone. But I think we can face it as long as we are together."
"I know we will," Marco smiled as he laid down on the grass, with Star laying her head on his chest. She listened to the vibrations as he spoke, "We're a team, Star. No matter what, let's remember that first and foremost. I'm not letting them take you away from me." She could hear the darkness in his tone of voice as he recalled the memories from the nightmare. His heartache rippled through both of them and they held each other for comfort.
"That's not happening, Marco," she reassured him as she rubbed his chest. "We'll run away before that ever does. But I wouldn't worry about it. We have a lot of allies: our parents, our friends, the monsters, and commoners. And even if we didn't, we have each other forever."
Star shifted so that she could gaze into Marco's eyes, which glowed in the light of the red moon above them. She traced her finger on his lips lovingly, "You know, you look hot in your messed-up Prince's outfit. Plus, I love it when you get stinky." She heard him purr softly as he flipped her on her back, kissing her forehead. She blushed at the thoughts he was thinking. "Aren't you tired from all that fighting?"
"I'm never too tired to be your Wild Man," he began to slowly kiss her neck. The couple spent the rest of the night in their secret place, enjoying each other in complete bliss.
Author's Notes and Review Round-up
As always, shout out to RK128 for being my writing buddy and for convincing me to use these two songs, "Un-gravitify" from Sonic Riders and "Back in Time (OST)" from Sonic R.
acosta perez jose ramiro- Thanks for the comment as always!
Dredd2012- I was personally channeling Fire Lord Ozai from ATLA, but that works too! Marco has gone through a lot, so we'll see…thanks for the review.
Firefighter16- Thanks for the comment! If we've seen anything from 3a, it's that Marco isn't a quitter when things get rough. I have a feeling he'll come back too.
Oracle6044- This was the feels chapter and I cried a bit writing it. Marco definitely is going to get the space to think things over in Chapter 10, so we'll see what happens…Thanks for the review!
A unimpressive name- But angst makes adventure and romance fun (maybe) lol. The road to paradise is often paved with thorns, but never fear, good things will happen. I hope you stick around and thanks for the comment!
Mamba24808- Thanks for leaving a review! I wouldn't worry about Marco too much, he's a loyal guy through and through, he kinda just needs some time to recover from what's happened.
Star's Keyblade4114- I decided to portray the nobles in the story more like how nobles actually acted in the Middle Ages. Often times they were ruthless, corrupt, and power hungry—I don't think we really understand that as modern readers. And it also allows for more drama because you have the older establishment versus the young revolutionaries (as you saw in the mini-civil war). The Butterflys and the Lucitors are stuck in their ways at this point so Marco and Star need to realize that. Thanks for the review!
RedLukas- This chapter should answer that question so... you'll see that the pressure really has gotten to their bond but remember that you can't break the red string of fate—no matter how bad things get. Thanks for the comment.
SuicideGuy- Help is on the way with Chapter 10 hopefully. But yeah, I went really feels heavy in this chapter. It's Marco's worse nightmare and I had to capture what I think is everyone's darkest fear—losing the person you love. Thanks for the review!
brazilianguy14- I leave cliffhangers to torture you, jk (or am I joking). In all honesty, I only leave them when they're needed, and this heavy drama screamed for one. I'm honored that you think the story is that great and thanks for the kind words!
robertkellett- Thanks for working on this, as always. It was super, devilishly fun writing the nightmare and Dave's dialog. The canon gives us a good skeleton for his character (he's the king of the Underworld and has a nasty temper) so, I took it to level 10. I like to think of Dave as Tom without a redemption arc. And Marco…poor kid… As you're aware, I see this story as a mix of direct continuation, a guess of what will happen next in the show, and a "what if." I think the show could very well incorporate some of the themes in "Signs" or a variation of them. I'm proud that we've reached so many reviews so far and can't wait to work with you on the rest of this!
imhere4svtfoe- I had to start the chapter off with such a happy beginning for the gut-punch to have the right effect, lol. As for if the nightmare is a vision of the future or not, that won't be addressed in "Sign" but maybe in a sequel? The Resistance really should come back in the show, they were hilarious in "Battle for Mewni." Marco didn't use his real magic yet, he has a very tight lid on his anger (unlike Star). But Marco has some serious soul searching to do, so we'll see what happens in that regard in Ch 10. Thanks for the review!
Aldal- Thanks for the review! Things aren't getting soft from this point on, so hold on tight. Marco and Higgs are going to continue to butt heads forever. I know a lot of fics have them becoming friends, but I like to spice things up. Good parallel with Dave and Tywin Lannister—I was going for Fire Lord Ozai, but that works too. Don't worry, I intend on finishing this story.
Guest- I'm glad you liked the chapter! Eclipsa is going to basically get her own arc and I have a lot in store with that. The parallels to Starco and Monster Love are meant to be there…
Guest- Here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy!
allen Vth- Star will never forgive Ruberiot for ruining her life, and ironically, she's more upset about the Marco part than anything else. Star and Marco are almost practically married, plus remember that tent scene…they aren't shy about stuff. As for the Star and the Butterflys, this is going to be a dynamic that crosses from this story to the next (don't get too hyped yet, but a sequel is on the table). I'm taking Higgs and Marco in a different direction from other stories that have them becoming friends. They're more-or-less mortal enemies forever, and Higgs resents Marco for kinda sound reasons—she thinks he's cheated his way to the top. Tom is the best friend in all of this—he goes from killing Marco to standing by him. Watch out for more of Tom in the future, he's a key ally. Marco needs time to himself, so watch out for who Star goes to for support in Ch 10—it's my favorite non-Starco character interaction (besides platonic Tomco). Thanks for the comment, as usual, and hope you enjoy the next chapter!
Jack Coffison- I went for a more sinister take on Dave because the guy is the closest you can get to Satan in a kids' show, and I really wanted to play up his anger. A lot of stuff about Tom's upbringing and what's going to happen with the Lucitors will come up in another story, but Tom and his father have always had a lot of bad blood between them. You'll see where Marco went and what happens with Star in 10. I'm not having them separate for too long because I'm not that evil. Thanks for the review!
LP- You're welcome, buddy :P! I live off of the pain.