Author's Note (August 21, 2015): Wow, sorry for the long wait! Who else loved Mewnipendence Day? That was awesome. The Banagic Incident was also kinda great, but that ending was very confusing (but definitely not the end of Starco). Anyways, this is my last weekend before senior year, so I'll try releasing one more chapter after this before I'll have less time to work on this story... :( Is this story getting too depressing or sappy? Well the second half of this is a bit more lighthearted and someone finally makes appearance (and kickstarts a journey to find Star and Marco! Well...just one of them really.) You all probably guessed who, but without further ado, enjoy!
"Marco!" It was the voice of Star. Marco looked around; he was standing atop the crest of a mountain, with clouds swirling around, expanding into the infinite horizon. He stared, the sun quickly rising above the sky and beaming brightly and proudly.
A horizontal slit formed across the sun, and then opened, revealing an eye. The eye blinked as Marco reached his arm out, and it ascended, the sky transiting from blue to orange, before purple.
A constellation of stars swirled in tiny eddies, condensing into a bright star with a defined corona that seemed to orbit around it. The sun and the eye joined the star, revolving around each other, in perfect harmony as the sky reddened.
Marco was levitating now, drifting slowly towards the celestial bodies now. He had a fear of heights, but now, he felt at peace, awed by the spectral show. As he approached closer, the redness in the sky intensified as a crescent moon slowly faded in, becoming a pronounced imprint in the sky. It grew until both the sun and the star were enclosed in it.
Everything else faded away into darkness, with only Marco and the three objects remaining in the air.
"Marco," Star's voice came again. She sounded like she was in distress. Marco looked all around him, with nothing but the vast expanse of emptiness in all directions.
"Star?" he called. He turned his attention back to the star, as an orb came out. His eyes lit up with joy as Star emerged from the hazy light. Her long hair flowed freely, and her gentle smile beckoned him closer. She looked like a goddess.
"Marco," Star said, holding out her arms to him. They gravitated towards each other, until finally, were in each others' arms.
"Star, I'm so glad you're here," Marco said, closing his eyes as they embraced.
"Oh Marco…" Star said softly. He opened his eyes and to his horror, her body had begun to deconstruct, turning gradually into fine, sand-like particles, all speeding away from him.
"Star!" Marco cried, but his hands began to deform as well, his body rapidly disappearing into the unknown, chasing after Star.
He was formless now, without a body. He looked up, and saw what used to be his and Star's body conjoining together in a thick cloud of dark dust. The sun and the star merged, unleashing a powerful shockwave that briefly brightened the dark emptiness.
The moon closed in, wrapping around the stars before it completely encased it, shielding the light emitted from both and leaving behind a low-intensity aura of dull red.
The emptiness around Marco began to materialize again, with countless of stars reforming above, valleys below forming, seas and mountains rising, and clouds moving about. Light from villages emerged, and castles were erected, as Marco now saw below him, the Mewni dimension.
A different, deep voice took Marco by surprise. "Marco." It was a voice he had never heard before.
"This, is your destiny." Marco's view was inexplicably changed to force him to look at the enclosed moon above which pulsated quietly. Cracks began to form, splitting into infinite fractals before shattering, revealing a darkened ball of mass. Black ash poured out of the deteriorating seams, falling down to the earth. The ball rose higher and higher into the sky as it grew in mass, before it became as large as a house.
"Behold," the voice said. The ball burst, unleashing a hellish horde of winged demons and other repulsive creatures that dove towards the earth below. The ball deflated slowly as the creatures were expelled.
Marco's view was redirected to the harrowing scenes below, as the land erupted in flames and magma forced its way up to the surface. Although Marco was high up in the sky, he could hear the piercing and agonizing screams of the innocent below. Mewmans everywhere were being attacked and savaged as the demons had at them.
"It will be done," the voice said firmly. Once again, Marco's view shifted upward, as the ball had finally flattened into a husk, as the last of the demons had left. The ball split into two, and each grew again, this time in the shape of humanoids.
Marco instantly recognized who the two were. It was him and Star. Both were dressed in draped robes adorned with majestic regalia of the star and the sun. Devoid of emotion, their faces glowed, apathetic to the chaos below them.
Star gracefully revealed her wand from her robe. The wand looked like nothing like what it was currently in Star's hands. Its golden sheen contrasted well with the couple's red outfits, and the symbol at the crest was merely the blood moon crescent.
Star switched the wand from her left to her right hand, where Marco held onto the wand as well. Together, they held the wand up before it shone a beacon of light that tore through the sky.
The stars in the sky fell, in the same fashion as the demons before them, as flaming balls of fire. Marco looked down as the apocalyptic ravaging laid waste to Mewni, the entire land engulfed in flames and smoke.
The demonic Marco and Star above, beamed another ray of light into the sky, ceasing the stars' fall. The flames below quickly dissipated, the burnt landscape a charred black and grayed beyond recognition. Gradually, the land began to recover, greenery returning and the oceans reforming. However, instead of castles and villages, cities with modern architecture emerged, and freeways sprawled across the land.
Marco realized now that what he was seeing was his home: Earth.
"It shall be done," the voice said once more. Just as Earth had finally formed, it went up in flames, just as Mewni had. The seas boiled and the earth became molten, everything Marco cared dear and true, evaporating away, all because of him and Star?
Looking back up, Marco and Star had stopped holding onto the wand, the wand itself was floating by itself, moving upward, away from the couple. The two began falling towards the burning earth, their limp, lifeless bodies meeting the destruction they created. Their purpose had been fulfilled.
Their bodies disappeared into the flames below, but the wand remained hovering. The recurring cloud of black ash seen throughout the journey formed again around the wand, but this time, the blood crescent on the crest was replaced by two glaring eyes.
Everything around him had turned into darkness again, the fog of the unknown shrouding the eyes. The eyes peered straight into Marco's line of vision, staring deeply into him. It was aware of Marco's presence.
Finally, Marco knew where the voice had come from. "Take the wand."
Marco screamed, sitting straight up. It was dark, even though his eyes were wide open. He remembered that he and Star were still stuck in the cave. He touched his own body, the physical sensation confirming that he was no longer in the dream.
"M...Marco?" Star's voice said softly, to his right.
Marco leaned back down, towards her direction. He felt her breath brushing his face. He had no idea how close she was, but he knew to keep his distance.
"I had a bad dream," Marco said monotonously, who had still not fully absorbed the visions he had just seen.
"This whole thing...is a freaking bad dream," Star sighed.
"It is."
"Marco. Listen...I'm sorry...How you feel."
"D-don't be."
"I feel guilty, truly...I do."
"It's not you who should be Star. It's me…"
"You can't help it. It's your feelings...I shouldn't have reacted that way."
"You didn't...you were fine. I...I don't know how I feel anymore."
"I...I really do wish…"
"You don't even have to say it Star. I know you do."
"But we will always be friends. You know that you know?"
"My best friend."
"True friends."
They both sighed and let the silence take over. Only the faint sound of water dripping accompanied them.
"I…" Marco began, wanting to disclose Star his dream. What did it all mean? Was he and Star was not meant to be? On a cosmic-scale? Would their relationship spell the utter annihilation of the universe?
"Yes?"
"Never...never mind Star. We should go back to sleep."
"Okay."
[At the Royal Palace]
"Your Royal Majesties!" Manfred cried, panting as he arrived at the foot of the royal thrones.
"Have you news of the whereabouts of our daughter?" Queen Butterfly cried, wiping the tears off of her cheeks.
"Yes, where is our daughter!" King Butterfly boomed.
"Her careplace is no longer suitable for her stay," Manfred began before he was interrupted.
"Where! Where is she!" the Queen cried.
"Well, mm," Manfred said nervously, sweating. "She has left the Earth dimension."
"She what!" the Queen shrieked, standing up in horror. "After I had instructed her to never leave there without our permission. Can you believe this?" She looked at the King who fumbled, fidgeting.
"I...er, er…"
"You knew about it? You knew this whole time she was gone?"
"Heavens no!" the King cried. "Not...not this time!"
The Queen's eyes flared and she began slapping her husband angrily. "You let her to go to and fro the dimensions!"
The King cried, "I didn't know this time she would be gone!"
Manfred continued, hoping the two would listen on. "The princess, she...she and her friend, the Earth boy, they...they had caused permanent damage to their standing and reputation on Earth. They fled to we believe, Mewni in fear of reprehension."
"Believe? What on Mewni do you mean!" the Queen wailed. "Are they here or not?"
"We do not know where exactly they are but we have much reason to believe that they are here!" Manfred said frantically.
"How?"
"We...we are assuming so," Manfred admitted frankly, rubbing his shoulder. "Where else could she have gone."
"I don't know!" the Queen bellowed. "She's a teenage girl! She could have gone anywhere! How did she get those dimensional scissors!"
"Get me King Pony Head," King Butterfly declared. "I suspect his daughter may have been responsible."
"If I recall correctly," Manfred said, trying to choose his words correctly in these times of distress. "Princess Pony Head is in attendance at St. Olga's."
"Well perhaps when we find our daughter," the Queen gritted. "She could find the company of her rebellious friend there too!"
"We're going straight away to Earth to speak to Star's caretakers!" the King said. "I just went there a few days ago, I am sure they‒"
"What! That's where you went when I kicked you out? You visited Star?" the Queen cried.
"Er, oom, uh," the King stuttered, pressing his fingers together.
"Why didn't you notice anything suspicious or controlled her behavior!" the Queen cried. "I should just kick you out again!"
"Darling dear! I had not known! She seemed quite fine herself then."
"Oh but now looked what happened! Tell me Manfred, what happened to Star's friends' parents."
"The Diazs. They, they are imprisoned by Earth authorities," Manfred said, suddenly realizing he had more bad news to deliver.
"How is this possible!"
"On Earth, or at least in that king...kingdom? Country, they do not take kindly of foreigners who overextend their stay."
"What madness! They were imprisoned over that?"
"Yes Your Majesty."
"Imprisoned and executed for delivering bad jokes or making bad calzones I understand yes, but...but being good hosts to strangers from another dimension...that's preposterous!"
"The Earth dimension. They apparently had not known of our existence, or even the existence of the other dimensions."
"Darling, I thought they knew," the Queen told her husband.
"It...it…it seemed as though they didn't care about our magic and presence," the King said nervously.
"This bring shames upon the House of Butterfly! An incompetent king, a grieving queen, and a missing princess!" the Queen bemoaned.
"It is only a matter of time before the authorities of Earth will attempt to establish communication with Mewni."
"Oh gracious," the Queen balked, rubbing her temples. "More of this! More princes to come at our door, begging for our daughter's hand?"
The doors burst opened, and a familiar voice followed. A young demon boy in shades walked in, chuckling, kicking up tiny flames with each step.
"What is he doing here!" the Queen hissed at Manfred. "I was not informed of this!"
"Quite frankly, I didn't know about this either!"
"Your Royal Majesties!" Tom cried, bowing before them. "I know about what happened to Starship."
"What...did you just call her?" the King said, raising an eye, frowning.
"Oh ho, right, right, I mean, Princess Star," Tom shrugged up suavely, chuckling.
"Tom, I know what you are about to say. But now is not the appropriate time for your begging!" the Queen shouted.
"Your Majesty, I mean no harm!" Tom said reverently. He placed a hand on his chest humbly and bowed again. "I will find your daughter and rescue her safely."
"I suppose you're intending to receive our blessing after you somehow save her," the Queen frowned.
"Well hey, haha, let's not jump to conclusions," Tom laughed.
"That is my wife who also happens to be the Queen you are talking to!" the King blared.
"She is also the very kind mother of the very fine girl I know as Star," Tom quipped. "Look, I know me and her, we had rough patches! But I've improved, I've learned from my mistakes!"
"Aren't you the boy that got angry because a boy was staring at her?"
"Yes, I mean no! What! I'll get my hands on that kid. He was staring at her seductively" Tom said, trying to control himself. He was fuming.
"He was blind Tom. Blind," the Queen scoffed.
"It didn't matter! I taught that boy a good lesson."
"An orphan boy."
"I didn't know! Anyways, okay, okay, I admit, those things happen but I really did change! Hey Brian, come over here and tell them."
A pudgy man in glasses ran in, with his flip flops, holding a pink bunny.
"This, this here is Brian, and he's been helping me with my anger issues."
"Oh I am very amused," the Queen yawned. She dazed off before her face glared and exploded, "MY DAUGHTER IS MISSING AND EVERYTHING IS NOT OKAY FOR THIS!"
"Wow, someone needs a life coach," Tom muttered.
"Take a deep breath," Brian began.
"Shut up!" the Queen barked. "Oh I cannot believe the audacity you had. No wonder why my daughter broke up with you. You know, that boy...he I would rather trust."
Tom bottled up in anger, recounting that new "friend" Star made on Earth. The boy who took away his girl at the night of the Blood Moon. The dance! How dare he! Full of jealousy, he realized that he was still pitching his idea to Star's parents, an idea that might be his only chance to win back Star.
Brian gave Tom the bunny and Tom rubbed the rabbit's coat, calming down. "Ah, but say I do find Star. And I mean, it's almost time for her ascension right?"
The Queen raised her eyebrow, remembering that Star was nearing the coming of age, and thus, the responsibilities as the new queen of Mewni. "Yes?"
"Well, what better way to pass all those nonsense and potential, you know, wars and political alliance shenanigans than just getting over that right now when there's still a chance?" Tom asked.
"Politics is much more complicated than that. It is more than just marriages and the silly treaties," the Queen said dismissively.
"But you know, honestly, of all the candidates out there, have you really seen anyone perfect for Star? How many have tried getting her hand?"
"Quite a lot, and none of them worthy. Not even you."
"Okay, but I'm the only one who's actually been in a relationship with Star and we've got a history."
"You've got a history?" the King said enraged. "What do you mean by that!"
Tom was taken aback before jabbering quickly, "Oh what! You mean like...oh no, no, not like that." He laughed before saying under his breath. "One time we almost did."
"What was that!?"
"Yeah no, uh, we understand each other and I'd treat her just right. We've both matured."
"Well maybe you have, but she clearly hasn't!" the Queen pointed out.
"Let me be her steering wheel. I know just about everything about her and if we get married, I'll make sure this kingdom will be running rather smoothly."
"Hmm, marrying our daughter off to the prince of the underworld. Yes, that sounds tempting," the Queen said sarcastically.
"What other choice do you have? I mean, honestly, she's gone and someone's gotta find her. Look, I'm gonna find her and I don't care if you won't let me have her hand. Uh, I'll let you think about it! But, hey, I'll save her, and you'll be able to see her again!"
"Do it. Perhaps...we may reconsider."
"Then it's a deal?"
"It is...I suppose, a deal."
"Awesome," Tom said, smiling deviously. Oh, you're gonna pay Marco.
Author's Post-Chapter Note: As always, leave behind your thoughts regarding this chapter (or the story overall), your suggestions, your critique, and whatnot. I appreciate all the support I had, and am always trying to improve my storytelling. This really is my first fanfic after all! Thank you all so much and see you in the next chapter!
