(note: minor Butterfly Follies spoilers)
"Oh, Star!" Manfred timidly, yet eagerly called out to her as she returned from her search. "Did you find your mother? Things have been a bit, uh… different in her absence." He held his hands together in the silent hope Moon was back, and that this madness would finally be put to an end.
He couldn't tell if Eclipsa took offense to what he'd said (but he was sure she'd understood his implications… right?), as she simply said, "Star, can I borrow you for a moment?" Leaving Manfred to himself as she went off with Star to who knows where in this dreadful place.
Unfortunately, as Star's body language implied to him, Moon was still astray. Which, while admittedly selfish, only made Manfred fret more about having to work in this castle where monsters made if not more, at least half of the staff and royal guard. "I do hope she is found soon…" He said quietly to himself.
Surely Eclipsa could see what she was doing to this kingdom? Surely whenever a mewman would uncomfortably shift and speak down on her reforms in rather nuanced ways, she would pick up on it?
Had she never taken a walk down the streets of her own city to see the disdainful faces and hear begrudging sighs of her own people as the monsters seemingly took her reforms as a means to exploit and take advantage of them? Or was she too busy holed up in this space in which everyone was too afraid to direct challenge her or speak against her?
Or maybe she did know. Maybe she did know of the people's discomfort and chose to disregard it. To put her own agenda above everything else. And if so, how did she deal with it? How could she find it in herself to ignore one side and always favor the other?
He sighed. He missed the old castle, the bright colors and the glowering aura it emitted. Here the skies radiated with an unsettling green, the new castle being made of nothing but exposed rock with nothing but caves to enter and exit through. This new capital was nothing like the old one. Disordered and ragged, messy and rough. Bleak and colorless. In a barren land with only rock and gravel to offer.
He could only help but wonder how things were going off in the old town. How the normal people were dealing with this… to say the least, uncomfortable transition.
Off in the wandering streets of the old capital, where the abandoned castle lay and Eclipsa was nothing more than a distant thought in the distant horizon, were the disheveled and disloyal citizens of Mewni. Only months ago, the most populous and bustling city, now sidelined by the creation of the new "monster town" as a symbol of the new age. But that was only a minor thought in this town, there were no monsters here, for they were not welcome.
From the outside, that statement may not have been immediately apparent, but in the homes and in the taverns, it was very much so.
"The day I live with a damned monster is the day I die!" The man in the tavern yelled aloud to all that would listen, garnering a few nods and shouts of agreement from the other patrons. "Ever since Eclipsa's been in control she's been putting monsters over us like the traitor she is!"
Voices raised, a jumble of fervent boos were let out alongside utterances of a rebellion, if you just listened for it. They were losing their way. Their culture. Their own identity, being washed away by the iron fist of one person. As if hundreds of years of tradition would be erased overnight.
The tavernkeeper arose out of his room and looked at the crowd tiredly. "You guys are gonna have to stop talking about Eclipsa or leave."
The crowd raised eyebrows at him, shocked to see him threaten to kick them out for their political discussion. "You know we have a right to be here and discuss that, Kevin."
The keeper stood level and responded as if he'd said things similar many times before. "Don't lie. You know the rules just as well as I do."
"Yeah, and since when were you one to follow them? I know you. I know your past. Don't act like you're any better than the rest of us."
The keeper hesitated and held his tongue. "Conspiracy is punishable by death. Leave."
"Come on!" The patron attempted to counter. "Eclipsa doesn't bat an eye on what happens here. If she hasn't found us before she won't find us this time!"
"I don't care. This is treason. You've been going at it long enough. The Queen's word is law and knowing her history, I'd know better than to defy her."
The other man raised his voice. "Dammit man, what happened to you? You were just like us! You said you'd do so much as to kill a monster if you'd ever see one. Now all you do is let them walk all over you because some woman from far away threatens your life! What happened to the one who was willing to fight and die for Mewman ideals and values? Hm?"
The keeper didn't bite, and instead reiterated himself. "Leave."
The person didn't budge, defiantly staying where he was as he continued. "What happened to the one who was willing to avenge the carnage caused by the monsters in the last war? Hmmm? The one who'd said he'd hated monsters with such a passion that he'd slaughter them all? What changed?"
He stared at the man straight in the eye. "Has it been that you've been a monster sympathizer this whole time? Damn monster lov-"
"You know it's not like that! It's not like I WANT to have monsters living right next door! Are you forgetting who it is we're up against this? This is the Queen of Darkness we're talking about! She's got the wand and a whole monster army to boot! I'm not going to jump into some suicidal mission like some blind fool!"
"So you're just gonna let them walk into the streets and into your home? You're just gonna let them destroy our way of life because you're too scared to fight back? You're gonna let them rewrite history and spin it to make us look like the genocidal maniacs because you don't want to take the risk and defend your true values?"
He narrowed his eyes at him. "And to think, I considered you a friend when we both were still in the army."
The keeper crossed his arms, trying not to argue further. "I'll say this one last time. Leave."
"Or what?"
He grabbed the handle of his sword, ready to pull it out within a second he saw movement. "Or I'll make you."
The other man grumbled angrily, slowly starting to make his way to the door, stomping all the way in silence. He grabbed the knob of the door and stepped out, making sure to slam the door as hard as he could. Through the windows, he yelled, "You're pathetic! You can't even stand for what you believe in when your life's threatened!"
The keeper sighed heavily, returning to his desk as the rest of the crowd remained silent. "The same goes for the lot of you. If you're here to plot and get us all killed, leave."
A couple of begrudging souls mumbled curses and insults at the man as they too began to walk out, some planning to meet up with their leader off in some other establishment, others planning to simply return home. The rest that stayed remained relatively silent through the rest of the night.
The owner looked out the window down the expansive street where his footsteps once drew. He swore to himself as he thought of their current whereabouts. Probably off to some other tavern or inn, some other shop or spot to meet up in. Moving from place to place time and time again to discuss the kingdom in ways that warranted death. He hated to admit it, but he worried for his former friend. It was a dangerous game he was playing, and although he had just as much distaste for Eclipsa as he did, one of these days he knew he would either be dead in some pointless rebellion or hung after being captured and convicted of conspiracy.
But he and his supporters wouldn't be coming here anymore. Or so he'd hoped, anyway.
That man was going to destroy this kingdom with a civil war… sooner or later, he knew he would.
A popular demonstration in the streets, with peasants and nobles alike, gathered in protest in hopes to oust the Queen of Darkness and take the kingdom back into their own hands. One thing would lead to another and before anyone would know it a demonstration would turn to a riot, then from a riot to a popular uprising.
One that would be crushed by the might of Eclipsa's magic and fiercely loyal monster population within, if not hours, days.
Her name was enough of a reason to subdue dissent. Her power outweighed that of her own subjects. So much so to the point to where she could enforce acts and reforms as radical as giving monsters citizenship and positions within the royal quarters. So much so to the point to where she could rule without considering the concerns of her core people.
A benevolent and prophetic leader, to the monsters, maybe. But to the mewmans, she was the singlehanded destroyer of legacy and tradition.
But what else could they do than accept the new order?
Revolution was pointless. Submission was inevitable.
Was this how one was to rule?
To lead as if her people weren't real and let her own ideology trump that of her people's needs? To respond to opposition with silence and suppression? To proclaim equality whilst practicing favoritism? To be the enemy of her kingdom, force ideologies upon an unwilling population's throats, and act as if everything was okay?
The answer didn't matter much now…
(1,691 words)
yes, im back!1!1
Sugar: Thanks for the review! I can agree with you in saying that I think Marco staying in Mewni was okay, admittedly the logic behind Marco feeling at least somewhat homesick seemed baseless since he actually didn't have a close relationship with his parents as you say. But it's more of a what if sort of thing, so I guess it still worked fine enough.
bye
