Chapter ten! This is the penultimate chapter of this arc of the story.
Also, may I just say I laughed when I read some of the latest reviews because all I could think was "Oh, just you wait until this next chapter".
Enjoy!
Queen Butterfly looks around at the members of the Magic High Commission. "Is this true?"
Hekapoo nods. "The informant I had tracking this new threat that calls himself 'Night' says they saw him enter the castle and announce he would assist in attacking you and the princess. My informant was in the room, with the monsters, as this happened."
Queen Moon put a hand on her chin, thinking. They boy had joined this new threat? That seemed just too... peculiar. While she did fear the power of corruption that Darkness tended to cause, there was simply no way she could believe Marco would have caved into it so quickly and vowed to attack Star. He wasn't a violent person by nature.
"I was far too hard on him." the Queen thinks to herself, looking at her gloves, able to visualize the dark veins underneath. Moon was fully aware the use of Dark magic did not have to result in evil, but her bias against Dark magic, as with most Mewman, prevented her from accepting it's use. She hadn't even forgiven herself for her own use of it... In addition, in one of Glossaryck's reports a long while ago, he said that while Star had seemed unfazed by looking through Eclipsa's chapter in the spellbook, Marco had taken an extreme interest into it. Marco may or may not have more control than he did at that time, but how was she to know? Always better to play it safe.
"Do we take him in when we next see him?" Rhombulus asks. "He's an immediate threat, he has dimensional scissors."
Queen Moon continues thinking to herself. "This has to be a ploy. He wants something from this 'Night'. Likely looking for a way to defeat this being whom magic can't seem to kill. I simply can not accept that he would bring himself to attack Star." The Queen then speaks. "Let us wait to see what he's up to. I'm doubtful that these are his true intentions."
Every member of the Commission at the table looks at the Queen with wide-eyed stares. Hekapoo starts to speak, "Queen, you're the one who-"
"I am aware."
Hekapoo closes her mouth and frowns slightly.
"That is my decision." the Queen says.
"... Very well." Hekapoo relents. Rhombulus nods slowly. Omnitraxus Prime makes noise or movement, and the Queen knew he understood.
"Good. We can further discuss this matter tomorrow." the Queen and other members of the Commission all leave. The Queen heads to Star's room. Star should be in her room. She wanted to talk to her daughter, and see how she was taking this. "Should I tell her about Marco going to Ludo's castle?... No. Not yet. Not until we know what he's doing. No need to worry her further."
As she opened the door to Star's room, the scene she saw inside shocked her. On the floor to the direct left of her bed, scissors in hand, was Star. She was breathing at steady rate, appeared to be sleeping. Star sleeping on the floor was not the surprise, however.
There on the right side of the bed, was Marco, holding the wand! The wand was mostly pale green with small black wings and a spear-tip on the top, with a purple jewel in the center. Marco looks up as the Queen freezes. His cheeks had crescent moons on them, symbolizing that he could use the wand.
"It appears that Star left her wand here." Marco states.
"'Left it'? He must not notice Star laying on the floor on the other side of the bed." the Queen thinks. "What is he doing with the wand? Why is he here? Could I have... been wrong?"
"I needed to see you, Queen Butterfly. Perfect timing, really. This saves me the trouble of having to look for you." Marco says quietly, raising the wand above his head. The wand emits a powerful light, growing in intensity until the whole room is bathed in it. The Queen attempts to wake up Star, to warn her, but the growing light from the wand seems to drain the sound from her voice...
...
...
*Eclipsa's room*
Eclipsa is gazing out of her window at the rose garden below. "Ahh, beautiful, even at night." She glances at a clock on the wall. 10:43. She should probably sleep soon... Instead she peeks out the window again and stares at the garden for a few more minutes before around at the rest of the castle. She sees a light shining in Star's room from her tower, which isn't particularly noticeable unless you are looking right at Star's window, and tilts her head curiously. "How long has that been shining for? What is that girl doing now?" Eclipsa chuckles lightly.
After another minute or so, the light fades. Eclipsa shakes her head and walks away from her window. As she gets closer to her bed, a portal opens in the middle of her room, to her right. Eclipsa stares at it, wondering what was going to come out. "Hello?" she calls into the portal. There was a short delay, and then a figure comes through it.
"Hmm. I don't think you belong here." Eclipsa smiles calmly at Marco. Noticing the crescent moons on his cheeks, she looks at the object in his left hand, she adds, "And I don't think you are allowed to be holding that. Strange, though, that the wand seems to accept you."
"I'm not sure why it does." Marco looks up at her. "I have a favor to ask of you."
"Oh? And what would make me want to help the evil little Marco?" Eclipsa says humorously and sarcastically, not seeing Marco as evil for using Dark magic as opposed to many Mewmans.
"She should be willing to help me." Marco thinks. "I don't imagine it will take much convincing."
"To start, I am here on a mission for a monster called 'Night'..."
Twenty minutes pass of Marco talking with Eclipsa. After the full plan is laid out and explained, Eclipsa smiles widely. "My, what a excellent little game you're playing right now!"
"It's not a game." Marco replies, very seriously.
"I must admit I am itching to hold that wand again." Eclipsa states.
"So, can you do it?" Marco asks. "Are you in?"
"I can cast the spell you need without the wand, but having the wand decreases the amount of time needed to channel the energy and cast it. Consider me in." Eclipsa replies. "The weapons storage you're looking for is out my tower's front door, to the right. It's locked, though I don't think you mind that with those scissors."
Marco places the wand down on a desk. The crescent moons on his cheeks dissipate. "Locks aren't a problem. However, there is still-"
"Yes, yes, the other obstacle of the plan. Try looking up there, behind that painting." Eclipsa points to a picture of her and presumably her mother. Marco pulls the painting off the wall and pulls out a small, green-colored crystal with a very sharp point on one end.
"This will help?" Marco asks.
"Just prick the target with this and it will insert a nullifying power into the target's blood." Eclipsa explains.
"You've had this in your room this whole time? What else do you have hidden in here?"
"Oh, simply a few other interesting artifacts and gems I found many years ago." Eclipsa smiles at Marco.
"Forget I asked." Marco says. "Just make sure you're there on time. It's important."
"Since you had the wand, I presume that light I saw from Star's room was your doing?" Eclipsa asks.
"..."
"What was that about?" Eclipsa asks.
"I had a talk with the Queen." Marco replies tersely.
"She saw you here? That's certainly a wrinkle in the plan."
"She's not telling anyone." Marco says evenly. He opens another portal. "I am going."
"Goodbye, then." Eclipsa says with a grin as she looks at the wand on the desk.
"Interesting little game." Eclipsa thinks as she grabs the wand. It transforms into a closed parasol with an orb on the top. The base of the orb has black wings protruding from it, and the top of the orb has a purple crescent moon. It more closely resembles a staff than the traditionally small wands.
"Ah, how long has it been since you took this form?" Eclipsa says, talking to the wand. "How I did miss you."
...
...
*Star's room*
Star opened her eyes and stared straight for a moment before sitting. She looked around and saw her clock. 11:13. She'd only been asleep for about an hour? Shaking her head, something outside catches her attention. She stands up, walks over to the window, and gasps.
The moon is full tonight, but it has this slight reddish tint to it. She swears she can see a red crescent moon fading in and out of view within the full moon.
"What is that?" She wonders. "Should I...?" She tries to focus energy into her Blood Moon tie with Marco, and surprisingly she feels it pulling her downstairs. Looking back up at the moon, she makes a decision. She looks for her wand before she leaves the room, but can't find it. She exits her room and starts to follow this pull.
"Princess?" says one of the two knights that had been assigned to watch her room after the attack earlier this morning. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes, I would just like to go for a walk around the castle." She replies.
"I'm afraid we can't let you leave right now, princess." says the other knight.
"I think I can walk around the castle just fine, thank you!" Star exclaims.
Both knights look at each other. "We should at least accompany you, princess."
"Please. I just want to clear my head. I won't be far." Star looks up at them sadly.
One knight sighs, understanding how stressed the princess probably feels. "Please hurry back, princess Star." the knight relents.
"Thank you." Star continues down the hallway, following the pull...
*Mewni weapons storage room*
Marco steps out of the portal into the room, closing the portal behind him. Looking around, there is a large amount of axes, spears, swords, and shields.
"This is a ridiculous number of weapons." Mewmans are certainly ready for combat at a moment's notice. Marco opens a portal to Ludo's castle. After a few moments, monsters start coming in and snatching as many weapons as they can find. There were only around a hundred or so monsters.
As all of the monsters are taking weapons, Marco walks through the portal to talk to Night.
"The portal to the weapons storage is open." Marco says simply.
"I notice. Excellent." Night pulls Marco away from the other monsters. "Now let me tell you the full plan."
Marco looks up at Night. "What you're using these weapons for?"
"The location is really more important than the weapons." Night says. "Those monsters will be the distraction while I go after the queen and princess."
"They'll be left to die." Marco tilts his head.
"I don't care for them. I only want revenge." Night's eyes flare up with hatred.
"Yeah, I'm fully aware." Marco thinks. "As do I." Marco pulls out his mirror and looks at it.
"Originally the monsters would be in groups and charge at the walls from all sides as a distraction, while I snuck in. But your scissors make this even better. A pack of monsters attacking from within the weapons storage? Every guard in the castle will be headed there to fight them. And you can create a portal straight to our targets." Night laughs loudly.
"I dealt with the Queen." Marco says coolly.
"Really?" Night looks at Marco with a look of mild surprise.
"And," Marco smirks, putting down the mirror. "I know where Star will be in 40 or so minutes. I overheard that she is headed to the topmost tower of the castle to look at the stars tonight." A lie, of course, he hadn't overheard anything of the sort. He puts his magic mirror back in his pocket.
"That's... perfect." Night smiles widely, which didn't help his face look any better. "With your magic assistance and my invincibility, this will be over quickly. Make sure to unlock the doors to the storage room before it begins so we can have as little resistance as possible."
"Of course." Marco replies. He cuts another portal open. "I am going to hide near the weapons storage's door and make sure no one can hear what's going on."
"I will prepare for my victory." Night smiles evilly, turns around, and walks away. Marco enters the portal.
Marco now stands in the rose garden, the weapons storage room door in sight. This would all be done soon...
Very soon...
"Marco!?"
Marco turns to his left, toward the sound of the familiar voice. His eyes widen slightly.
Star was standing in the main archway entrance to the garden, looking at Marco in shock.
They both stare at each other for ten seconds, then twenty... Finally, Star speaks up. "Marco... I... I'm sorry. I should've stood up for you! I didn't... Can we... Can we please talk? I want-" Star cuts off as everything suddenly slowly becomes darker. Black tendrils are rising out of the ground between them. Star reaches for her wand, only to remember it's missing. She's defenseless.
Star freezes and a chill runs down her back. "Marco? Marco, I'm..."
More tendrils appear, closer to her now. Star is terrified but doesn't run away. "Marco, don't..."
Marco watches her with a blank stare as more tendrils appear. Closer...
"I have to run." Star thinks.
But she couldn't move. Not when he was right there.
"Marco, stop. I'm sorry, I really am. I just-"
"I would stop if I were you, Marco."
Both Star and Marco jump at the voice. Eclipsa appears from the surrounding darkness, holding the wand and pointing it directly at Marco.
Marco looks at her, wide-eyed, then his face shows contempt. He walks back through the nearby portal he used to get in the garden.
"Marco!" Star yells, but he's already gone.
"Dear, are you alright?" Eclipsa walks towards her.
"I- I'm fine" Star replies. "Is that... my wand?" she asks, looking at the design.
"Here." Eclipsa hands the wand to her. As Star takes it, it transforms back to it's Star design.
"Thanks.. How did you get it?" Star asks.
"Oh, Marco came into my room and asked me to help him with some ridiculous plan. I played along so I could get the wand back for you." Eclipsa smiles sadly.
Star's shoulders fall. "Is he... Is he really...?"
Eclipsa frowns. "He is currently helping your assailant."
"Oh..." Star looks down.
Eclipsa looks at her. She puts a hand on Star's shoulder. "We will catch him, dear. There is always a chance you can convince him to come back."
Star smiles lightly. "Okay..." she whispers quietly.
"Go to bed now, dear."
Star nods and turns around. Eclipsa watches her go.
"And now, it seems, Marco, that there is another little wrinkle in your plan." Eclipsa couldn't not give the wand back. That would've been far too suspicious.
"I can still perform the spell I need without it. But it takes so much longer."
Regardless, when she arrived at the topmost tower like Marco'd asked of her, it should be a 3 on 1 fight. A simple victory for them.
"I should get moving, then." Eclipsa says quietly ass she starts walking toward the stairs to the next floor. "Many, many stairs await."
...
Star, halfway back to her room, is passing through another open courtyard when she feels a strange... pulse. She looks up and sees the same semi-transparent Blood Moon. She wanted a better look at the moon, as the lights were distracting and taking away from the details. She wanted to know what this moon appearing meant. She looked around, and then up at the castle's main tower. If she were all the way at the top, she would have the clearest view of the moon in all of Mewni. "I shouldn't, really... my wandering almost got me attacked just now..." Star thought. She almost resists the urge to go, but she felt another strange pulse, like some sort of pressure, and she changed her mind. She started heading up towards the main tower.
"Star?" calls out a voice. She looks over to her left to see Tom.
"Hi, Tom." Star smiles faintly.
"Where are you going?" he asks.
"I just wanna... I wanna go up there and look at the sky." She replies, not wanting to discuss the Blood Moon with Tom.
"Well, let me go with you. I don't like the thought of you walking around alone right now." Tom smiles at her.
"Okay." Star smiles a bit wider. "Thank you, Tom."
"Let's go." Tom says. He and Star start heading up the main tower...
Star, Marco, Tom, Toffee (Night), Eclipsa. None of those involved knew, that in less than an hour, two souls would be taken from amongst them.
Next chapter is the last in this arc! Not the last in the story! I got still know what I'm going to be writing for quite a while down the line.
Hope you enjoyed! Feel free to review, and enjoy the rest of your day!