Author's Notes: Sorry this took a while. Hopefully I haven't lost my readership by now. This is without a doubt, the longest single chapter i've written so far. I doubt any future chapters will be as long as this.
Comments and constructive criticism are always welcomed.
Starfall by GolfAlphaMike
Chapter 12: Close
."...By day I was Stanford Pines: Mr. Mystery. But by night, I was down in the basement, trying to bring the real Stanford back."
"And eventually, you did." Marco commented.
"Yeah, but it took thirty years. It was only when Dipper and Mabel first came to stay for the summer. Dipper found the third journal. The second had been found by Gideon and we were able to get it back. That was nine years ago."
Marco was thoughtful. It was already hard enough to have been separated from Star for five years. He didn't want to imagine being separated from someone he cared about for the time Stan had been separated from his brother. Ten years, then another thirty on top of that.
"What happened to your brother?"
Stan looked sad. "He's gone now." he said before he took a swig of his drink.
The same vague answer Dipper gave at the bar.
Marco looked at Dipper and Mabel. Both had a somber expression. Marco previously assumed that Ford Pines had died, but he wasn't so sure now. There was clearly more to the story that they would to keep to themselves. But, the Pines family had already opened up to him. If they didn't want to share that part, Marco wouldn't press them.
"Grunkle Stan, but what about Mewni?" Mabel asked.
Dipper answered, "Don't you see Mabel? Grunkle Stan only had the first journal for thirty years. Without all three journals, he couldn't get the machine to work right. But he could get the machine to work *wrong*!"
Stan stuck a finger out on the hand holding his drink to point at Dipper. "You always were the smart one, kid."
Mabel stuck her tongue out at her brother.
"The basics of the machine were in the first journal. Theory, formulas, mechanics, et cetera. Plus, the machine had already been built. But I wasn't a genius like my brother. It took years for me to even begin to understand any of it. And I was missing details on fine tuning, stability, and most importantly destination control. All that was in the second and third journals. It was like the difference between breaking something with a sledgehammer, and cutting something with a scalpel."
"But you kept trying anyway." Dipper said.
"My life settled into a routine after I lost my brother. Running the Mystery Shack and trying to get the machine to work again. Night after night of tinkering, studying, and testing. Eventually, even a blind squirrel will find an acorn."
"When did it happen?"
"I had been at it for seven years. I was thirty five..."
Stan finished resetting the circuit breaker. He was determined to isolate the short. This was his eighth attempt tonight.
"Activation in ten… nine… eight… Eh, nobody else is here. Who am I counting down for?" he said as he threw the master switch.
The machine whirred to life for an instant before the circuit breaker tripped and cut the power.
Stan was tired and frustrated. He had had enough for the night. He cursed and threw the screwdriver he was holding to the floor in anger.
The tool hit the concrete floor at an angle. The elasticity of the plastic handle caused the tool to rebound. It flew toward the open breaker panel.
Stan crossed the marked safety line on the floor to retrieve it. When the screwdriver landed inside, the metal bridged exposed contacts.
The machine sparked to life. Objects in the lab began to float and the portal began to pull unsecured objects into it.
Stan was caught unprepared. He reached for a support column as he floated past it, but the column was just out of reach. He couldn't stop himself from being pulled into the portal. He screamed as he passed into the white light.
He hit the ground on his side and groaned in pain. He was disoriented momentarily before he remembered the accident in the lab. He had been pulled into the portal. Where was he?
He looked around to see that he was in forest meadow. It was night, but there was something wrong with it. The sky was an odd shade. He began to search for the North Star to orient himself but stopped immediately.
"Hot Belgian Waffles!" he exclaimed. The multiple moons and huge planets visible in the sky made it clear that he wasn't on Earth.
Was this where his brother went?
These questions would have to wait for later. A bloodcurdling shriek drew his attention. A large ostrich-like creature with two heads was charging towards him. Stan prepared for a fight. He searched around him for something he could use as a weapon. He found only a rock and a heavy tree branch. He picked them up and readied himself.
Stan stoked his campfire. He hoped that the fire would keep other predators away for the night. The roasted meat of the creature that attacked him tasted like chicken. He would have to find his way out of the forest when dawn came.
He was grateful that he was still fully dressed while he was working. He pulled the white lab coat tighter around him for warmth. It would have been bad if he were caught out here in the wilderness in just his boxer shorts.
He trudged through the forest for hours before he found a road cutting through it. He followed the road in a direction he thought would get him out of the forest quickest, but he had no way of knowing for certain.
After more hours of walking Stan heard a scream. A woman's scream, calling for help. Without thinking, Stan ran towards the voice.
A carriage was stopped in the road. It looked like something from a fairy tale. An ornate carriage decorated in white, blue, and gold. It would not be out of place in medieval Europe were it not for the two beasts hitched to it.
Goat horns protruded through the golden manes surrounding the beasts' lion heads. Their red bodies were scaly like a giant reptile. The small wings attached to their hindquarters were far too small to be useful for flight.
One of the beasts had been slain by arrows, it's body lay bleeding in the road. It was still hitched to the carriage. Unable to flee, the other beast reared and roared in terror.
The coachman was slumped in the driver's bench. An arrow had pierced his neck. His dead eyes stared at Stan.
But what really made Stan pause was the band of monsters that were surrounding the carriage. They came in all forms. From flora to fauna. Reptiles, mammals, and birds crossed with humans.
A monster tore open the door to the carriage and reached inside. It pulled a screaming woman out by her long blonde hair.
"LET HER GO!" Stan shouted as he leapt in to fight. A hard kick to the monster's head made it release the woman who stumbled to the ground. She looked up at Stan in surprise.
Another monster attempted to grab Stan from the rear, but an elbow to the gut staggered it. Stan took the opportunity to turn and knock the monster out with a well placed punch.
Stan knew that there were too many opponents to fight. They had to escape. "C'mon! You have to get up! We have to run!" he shouted to the woman.
She scrambled to her feet.
"Can you unhitch... that?!" he said pointing. Stan knew that the beast wasn't a horse, but didn't know what to call it. He fought to create a clearing for him and the woman near the beast. While she worked to release it, Stan battled for time.
As she was undoing the last fasteners Stan was overwhelmed. There were too many, and he was only one man. He was thrown to the ground. "RIDE!" he shouted at the woman just before a kick to his midsection knocked the wind from him.
She had released the beast and was trying to calm it enough to mount it. Monsters were almost able to reach her by the time she jumped on, but she was able to ride out of the melee.
Stan was glad that he was able to help save the woman. But now he had to face his own fate. He had failed his brother. He still blamed himself. Hurting and tired, he closed his eyes as the monsters closed in around him.
"HYAA!" the woman shouted as her mount barreled through the throngs of monsters sending a few flying. She kicked a monster looming over Stan in the temple. As it crumpled to the ground she reached her hand out to Stan. "C'MON! LET'S GO!" she shouted to him.
Stan took her hand and she helped pull him onto the beast behind her. Stan held on to the woman's waist. She then tugged on the beast's mane like she was holding reins and they rode to escape from the monsters together.
They rode the beast hard until it started to tire. When they felt that they were far enough away from the danger, they stopped to gather themselves.
"Are you okay?" Stan asked the woman as they dismounted.
She looked at Stan and for the first time he noticed the gold stars on her cheeks. He wondered if they were makeup.
The woman nodded silently. Then she began to tremble. Tears began to flow from her blue eyes. "Cedric..."
Stan opened his arms to her. She accepted his offer and cried into them.
"Was he your driver?"
She nodded. "He was my friend..."
Stan let the woman cry.
They walked with the beast to save its strength. They were silent until the woman spoke.
"Thank you for saving me. I know that you didn't have to do that."
"Yes I did. Who knows what would have happened to you if I didn't. Any idea why they were trying to kidnap you?"
Seemingly confused, she asked, "Don't you know who I am?"
Stan shook his head. "I'm not from around here. I'm from-"
"WHO WAS SHE?! WAS SHE THE QUEEN?!" Mabel asked excitedly. She was hyperventilating. Dipper handed her a paper bag to breathe into.
Marco wondered silently. A blonde haired blue eyed woman with marks on her cheeks.
"-another dimension." Stan said.
"Oh. Okay."
"Doesn't that, ya know, surprise you?"
"Not really. Dimensional travellers are common here." she informed Stan.
"They are?" Stan was shocked. Dimensional travel was common. His brother might be here. "Where is here, anyway?"
"Mewni."
Stan was silent.
"You have no idea where you are, do you?"
He shook his head. "People where I'm from don't really travel between dimensions much."
"This is the dimension of Mewni. There are many kingdoms in this dimension. The most powerful is also called Mewni."
"Is that where we are now? In the kingdom of Mewni?"
"No. We're in the kingdom of Xix."
"Is this your home?"
"No. My family is from Mewni, the kingdom."
"Oh? Just visiting?"
"I was travelling to Xix on official business. I was being escorted there the Royal Guard of Xix. My kingdom is showing support to lower agressions between them and the kingdom of Quosto."
"What's going on?"
"Xix and Quosto have been engaged in a cold war for years. Xix rules over a very valuable region on its border with Quosto. Quosto has a very old claim to the region, but the people there broke away decades ago. They rebelled against a corrupt and repressive regent. The ruler of Xix at the time offered them protection."
"Decades huh? Are you a peacemaker? A government official?"
"My presence here is a demonstration of Mewni's friendship with Xix. Quosto has been making overtures to war recently, but we are confident that they won't attack and risk additional conflict with Mewni if I am there."
"Just by you being here? Is that why those monsters were trying to kidnap you?"
"Maybe. There are others who do want a war to start. Conquerors, warlords, and profiteers who would benefit from it. They've been known to hire monsters as mercenaries. They drew off my escorts and made the manticores drawing the carriage panic and run."
"It was an ambush. I'm sorry about your friend, Cedric."
The woman looked sad. "Thank you. He was my servant, but he was also my friend. I have so few."
"What? Someone as nice as you? You must have lots of friends."
"No. My position separates me. Not a lot of people even get close. Only nobles and other royalty."
Stan paused at the revelation. "You're royalty."
She smiled at Stan. "Yes." A look of realization came over her face. "My goodness! We don't even know each other's names!"
"Well, I'm Stan Pines." he held out his hand and smiled.
"I'm pleased to meet you Stan Pines." she looked at his hand for a moment before she took it in both of hers. "Is this how you greet people where you're from?"
Stan blushed slightly from her touch.
"This is how we do it here." The woman stepped back, curtsied and smiled. "I am Princess Daisy Butterfly. Sister of her highness Queen Rose Butterfly of Mewni."
Stan bowed. "Nice to meet you, Princess Daisy Butterfly."
Mabel was staring at Stan. She rested her cheeks in her hands with her elbows on the table. A goofy dreamy smile was plastered on her face.
Dipper was furiously scribbling notes.
"Where are you from Stan Pines?"
"Earth, and you can just call me Stan."
Daisy smiled. "Earth. Not many travellers between here and there."
"No? I thought you said dimensional travellers were common."
"They are. But most people here find Earth too fantastical. But there are many, many other dimensions. Did you not know that?"
"No. Actually I didn't even know about this one until I got here. Dimensional travel is sort of unknown on Earth."
"And yet, here you are. What brought you to Mewni?"
"An accident."
"Oh?"
"An accident with a dimensional portal took my brother away a few years ago. I've been trying to bring him back ever since. Another accident happened last night, and now I'm here."
"I see. Well, I don't think it happened entirely by chance. Did you arrive in the forest after your accident?"
"Yeah, I did."
"Fate put you right where you needed to be to come to my aid."
"Fate could've at least given me a warning. I was attacked by a giant two-headed bird-thingy. It tasted okay."
Daisy laughed. "When we get back to the castle of Xix, you'll have come with me to try some of that beast barbecued. It's the least I can do to repay you."
The growing sound of a stampede made the pair stop and turn. A group of mounted soldiers was approaching. Their banner fluttered in the breeze.
"It's my escort. Stay behind me for a moment. I don't want them to think you're a threat." Daisy said as she waved to the approaching soldiers.
The mounted soldier in the lead approached. "Princess! Are you alright?! Are you hurt?! Who is that behind you?!" she shouted and began to draw her weapon.
"Captain Crystal! Put your weapon away! This is Stan Pines! He saved me from the monster attack! He's a friend!"
The captain eyed Stan warily, then put her weapon back in it's sheath. The soldier dismounted and approached.
"Our thanks to you then Stan Pines. But you have no armor or weapon. How did you fight the horde?"
"I might not have armor, but I do have weapons." Stan held up his fists and introduced them. "This is weapon number one, and this is weapon number two!"
"He fought them bare handed!" Daisy said to the soldiers.
The Captain laughed. "That is the most foolhardy thing I've heard in a long time! I like you, Stan Pines!"
She then turned to the princess.
"Princess, we feared the worst when we found the carriage. We feel sorrow for the loss of your servant. A few soldiers stayed behind to lay him to rest. It was all we could do for him."
"Thank you."
"We should ride for the castle. We can still make it there before dark. It's good that you still have a mount. Stan Pines, you can ride with me.".
Daisy laughed. "We did just fine together. Stan will ride with me."
"Marco? Did Star ever mention Daisy?" Mabel asked.
"I remember her mentioning her name, but she didn't say much about her."
Stan was trying his hand at riding the manticore. He drove while Daisy sat behind him.
"Do you have a wife Stan?"
"No." Stan flatly stated.
"I find that surprising. Why not?"
"It's never been in the cards for me." Stan wanted to steer the conversation away from himself. "What about you? Is there a fella waiting for you at home?"
"No. Not anymore. He died a few years ago."
"Aw, man. I'm sorry.
"It's alright. I don't mind talking about it."
"What about kids?"
"That wasn't in the cards for us."
Stan felt that he was wading deep into uncomfortable territory.
"You seem tense." Daisy said.
"What?! Me?! Naw!" Stan nervously responded.
"You're afraid of getting inappropriately personal. Relax. I'll tell you more about me. Maybe later you'll tell me more about yourself. Deal?"
Stan wasn't used to talking on this level with anybody. For years he kept people at arm's distance. But there was something about this woman, and he wanted to get closer.
"She told me all about herself. Political marriage at eighteen. Her husband was a prince and a naval officer. They were married for an alliance between their two kingdoms. They were married for eight years. He died six years earlier at sea." Stan said to Marco, Dipper, and Mabel.
"What happened to the alliance after that?" Dipper asked.
"They didn't have kids and her husband was an only child. No heirs. His cousin was made heir and he was already married. Alliances changed when he took their crown. Daisy was sent back to her sister, Queen Rose."
"How sad!" Mabel exclaimed.
"Another political marriage was unlikely. Rumors were going around that Daisy couldn't have children. Without possible heirs, any alliance formed by marriage would have been considered weak. But she was still sister to the Queen of Mewni. So she became an ambassador."
A man embraced Daisy as she dismounted the manticore as they entered the castle gate.
"Daisy! It is good that you are safe. We were very worried when we received reports of the attack. We sent out additional scouts and troops in search of you and your attackers."
"I'm okay! I'm okay!" Daisy laughed.
Stan dismounted the manticore after observing this exchange.
"I am sorry about Cedric. Did he have any family?"
"No. He grew up in an orphanage. We were his only family." Daisy said sadly.
"That is a terrible shame. We will have a marker placed at his resting spot."
"Yes. That would be very kind of you."
"Captain, I'll need to be debriefed on the events of the attack." Brad said.
"I'll have a full report for you shortly."
Stan cleared his throat.
"Oh, my! Where are my manners? Stan, this is Prince Brad of Xix. Brad, this is Stan Pines. He's the one who rescued me from the monster ambush."
Brad bowed deeply to Stan. "You deserve all of our gratitude! Are you a knight Stan Pines?"
Before Stan could respond, a knight interrupted. "Your highness! A monster has been captured outside the eastern wall! He may have been a scout!"
"Oh dear! Please excuse me. I must deal with this quickly. The monster may have information relating to Princess Daisy's attackers. I would like to continue our conversation later. Goodbye for now."
After the prince departed, Stan asked Daisy, "Didn't you say that you didn't have a guy waiting for you?"
"Mewni has had close relations with Xix for generations. It's never needed an alliance marriage. Prince Brad and I are childhood friends, but there is no romantic love between us." Daisy said.
"I do wish that were otherwise, Princess." said a gravelly voice.
Stan and Daisy turned to see an old man dressed in regal clothing. A crown sat on a head of thinning grey hair.
"I keep telling that boy to take Daisy as his wife. He's already thirty three for crying out loud! But nooooo! He says that he wishes to marry for love." the king said with a smile.
"Hello your Majesty." Daisy hugged the man and kissed his cheek. "King Sam, this is Stan Pines. He was in the forest and came to my aid when the attack happened. Stan, this is King Sam of Xix. Brad's father."
"Another brave knight come to capture the Princess's heart! Oh well, another avenue closed. I do wish my son would get to finding a wife. I would like to retire soon."
"This isn't Mewni Kingdom, your Majesty. Nothing is stopping you from turning the crown over to Brad, whether he's married or not."
"Nooope. There's still the matter of an heir. I feel like dangling the crown in front of him is the only pressure I can apply. What is it with our family? We seem to marry so late. If I had married sooner, maybe I would already be blessed by grandchildren. What a dream."
"I'm sure everything will work out in due time."
"Stan Pines, you're a dimensional traveler, aren't you?" The king turned to Daisy. "Lucky you, Princess!"
"How could you tell?" Stan asked.
"Oh, I'm very good at this game. And you are from... Andromeda, I think?"
"Earth, your royalness."
"Earth?! So very rare! We haven't had a traveler from Earth pass through here for years."
"Has anyone else from Earth has passed through in the last seven? I'm looking for someone."
"The last seven? I don't think so. But that is a long time, and there are many kingdoms in this dimension. Perhaps they traveled through another. Talk to my assistant. He can make inquiries. And if there is anything more I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask."
"You're pretty generous, King Sam."
"It's the least we can do for someone who would leap into harm's way to protect the Princess. You have no idea how important she is to Xix. Please make yourself at home."
The king departed and Stan turned to Daisy.
"He seems to like you a lot. And he wants you to marry the prince."
"Yes, he's one of the few who don't believe the gossip about me. But it doesn't really matter. Brad has a secret. He's already in love with someone."
"Why hasn't Brad just married this girl then? Seems like that would make his dad happy."
"He can't. He says she's not from a noble family."
"Oh." Stan said disappointed. "Royalty. Well, lah-dee-dah!"
"Nobility and Royalty actually can marry non-nobles. But only if they are from an outside dimension. Like Earth." Daisy said.
Stan smiled at her before commenting, "Well that's dumb! Why can't he just marry her?"
"It *is* dumb!" Daisy agreed. "They'll tell you that it's to ensure a strong ruling class. But I think the rule is to maintain the separation between nobles and commoners. There are problems with such a small pool of eligible nobles. Allowing marriage from outside the dimension allows them more freedom of choice, but still maintains the class division within it."
"Somebody should shake this up."
"I hope someone does someday. But, it will be difficult. This is the only way the people here have ever known."
"When we first started dating, I said something to Star about how she was royalty and I wasn't. She said not to worry and that it was something that would take care of itself."
"Sounds like she had plans for you." Stan said.
"OH MY G- THAT'S WHAT SHE WAS TRYING TO TELL ME!"
"What? What was she trying to tell you?" Dipper asked.
"My mom said that Star's mother didn't look well at our high school graduation! Stan just said that Prince Brad could inherit the throne of Xix whether he was married or not. Unlike Mewni!..."
Mabel patted Marco's shoulder.
"If her mother was sick, Star was going to inherit the throne. But she had to be married. Star wanted me to come with her..."
"But that was almost five years ago!" Dipper said.
"...she's already married..." Marco was crushed.
"Hey! You don't know that! She called you! Remember? She led you here with magic! She needs you!" Mabel tried to reassure Marco.
"Yeah, kid! Those Mewnians are a smart bunch! They might have found a way around that by now!" Stan said.
When he was following the bears, Marco told himself that he would see this through no matter what. He'd already come this far and he would go as far as it takes.
"You're right. I don't know that for sure. I shouldn't just assume the worst like that."
Stan refilled his drink and poured a glass for Marco.
"Hello, Stan Pines." Said the prince as he approached.
"Hey, Brad."
"How's the search going?"
"Bad. Another response came from another kingdom. They said that the last Earth traveler through there was eleven years ago. And it was a woman travelling with an eccentric old man"
"That's too bad. What is that now? Fifteen responses? All no sightings of your brother?"
"Yeah. I'm beginning to think that my brother didn't wind up in Mewni after all."
"You got here quite by accident, and there are many, many dimensions. It is very likely that he was sent to another dimension. Without magic, dimensional travel is difficult to control."
"Should I go back to working on the machine? I was getting nowhere fast."
"That may still be the most likely way to find him. Even if you traveled with dimensional scissors, you could spend years searching and still come up empty handed." the prince paused before continuing. "But you don't want to return to Earth yet, do you?"
Stan didn't answer the question. He looked around before speaking. "How are things with your secret girlfriend?"
"As they have been for years. Unchanged. It is not fair to either of us."
"Still never gonna tell Daisy or me who she is, huh?"
"Much as I would like to be able, some things are better off secret."
"I hear that! What would happen if you eloped?"
"I would be forbidden from ascending to my kingdom's throne. The marriage would be voided, and she would be exiled. A bad outcome all around. If I had a sibling to ascend instead of me, I would have offered to flee with her already. Perhaps to Earth. You're lucky you're from another dimension."
"Lucky isn't really how I would describe myself." Stan said.
"I would." Brad said as he nodded to someone behind Stan.
"Hello, boys." Daisy said as she approached.
"Hello Daisy. I'm sorry, but I was just on my way to see someone." Brad said.
"Uh-huh. *Someone*." Daisy said as she smiled and made air-quotes.
Stan smiled at her use of the gesture.
"Stan, please come walking with me." she said as she held his hand.
"I enjoyed spending time with her. And we were spending more and more time together as the weeks passed."
"Did you like her Grunkle Stan?"
"I sure did. But I couldn't imagine what a princess would see in a lug like me. And I didn't like to talk about my life. But I liked to listen to her talk about Mewni."
"Mr. Pines, You mentioned that you met the Queen of Mewni. That's who you got your dimensional scissors from. When did you go to Mewni Kingdom?"
"I actually never went to the Kingdom of Mewni. Instead she came to Xix."
"Stan. I just received a message from my sister. There's a problem with her daughter, Moon."
"Yeah? What's the problem?"
"She's come down with a rather severe case of a common adolescent Mewni condition."
"Oh, well that's too bad. She should rest. I hope she gets better soon."
"Well, it's not exactly the kind of condition that gets better with rest."
"Does she need a doctor?"
"My sister can help her, but she's not at her home. She's here in Xix. We need to find and catch her."
"Runaway, huh? Mewni is kind of a long way away. What did she do? Fly?" Stan laughed at his own jest.
"..."
"So why am I in this getup again? I thought I was trying to pass myself off as a teenager?" Stan asked.
"You are! But you are also thirty five years old, Stan. We're trying to push your average age down." Daisy said.
"So you dress me as a four year old?!"
"Thirty five and four average out to nineteen and a half. You just make it as a teenager. Consider yourself lucky we didn't go with a onesie and a diaper to get the average down to eighteen."
Stan looked at his outfit. Blue overall short pants and a white sailor shirt. High white socks and black loafers added to the look.
"I feel ridiculous."
"Oh Stan! You look adorable! And didn't you tell me that musicians from your dimension often dressed like this? They perform those songs, 'Road to Hades' and 'Foul Tasks Done for Low Cost'?"
"One guy, and that's different! Just because he pulls it off doesn't mean I can! And the song titles are… never mind. Not important right now."
She placed a propeller beanie on Stan's head. "Perfect!" Daisy spun the propeller as she pushed him out of the door.
Stan walked to the 'X' painted on the ground. He sighed and said his line. "Oh, look! It is I, Stan, the teenage boy, out here in the open."
"BOY!" said the purple teen princess as she flew towards him.
"Mewberty." Marco said solemnly.
"Wait. The princess transformed into an actual butterfly?" Mabel asked.
"A spell by an evil wizard?" Dipper asked
"No. This is just something that Mewni princesses have to deal with."
Stan brushed some of the petal-like purple diamond shapes from his clothes as he stepped away from the teenager captured in the net.
"You seem very nonplussed about this." Daisy said.
"Eh, this isn't the weirdest thing I've seen. This is just like a typical Tuesday in Gravity Falls."
"Gravity Falls. Is that the name of the place where you're from on Earth?"
Stan froze. He had given away a detail that he didn't mean to. He feared it would lead to more questions. Questions he would prefer not to answer.
"Ah! My sister has arrived."
Stan breathed a sigh of relief. He would avoid questions about himself for a while longer.
"Hello, sister!" Daisy said as she greeted her sister.
"Hello Daisy, please lead me to my daughter. I know she needs me."
"She's here." she said as they led the queen to the strange purple being.
"Moon? It's me. Your mother."
The purple being was agitated and barely acknowledged the queen. She did not speak. Her attention seemed unfocused on anything except boys.
The queen held up an ornate scepter. "MENDING HEART HURRICANE!"
Energy erupted from the scepter. A young girl with platinum white hair was now in the net. Stan took note of the magenta colored diamond shaped marks on her cheeks.
"Mom?"
"You're alright now, Moon."
Stan knew that magic existed in Mewni, but this was the first time he had seen someone wield it so easily. Usually, potions and spellbooks were involved.
"How long was she like that?" Stan asked as he helped to free the girl.
"Since yesterday. She underwent the change quickly and fled before we realized what had happened. This was unusually long lasting and early. I thought she would not experience this until well after her birthday tomorrow. But she will be alright now."
"Sister, will you still be giving Moon the wand tomorrow?"
"Yes. But instead of returning to Mewni Castle, we will remain a few days for her to recover from this episode. I will give the wand to her here."
"Sister, this is Stan Pines. I told you about him. He's been my friend since I came to Xix. He's the one who saved me."
"Your majesty." Stan bowed.
"Stan, this is my sister, Queen Rose Butterfly of Mewni."
"Stan Pines. Charmed." the queen said as she held out her hand.
Stan took the queen's hand briefly. He took a moment to regard the queen and was very impressed. She had a regal air about her. Her pink hair had been gathered into a large beehive style. A shining crown was affixed to the front of the hairdo. Blue marks on her cheeks reminded Stan of snowflakes.
A sudden realization hit Stan. "Wait, you're going to give her a magic wand?"
"Yes, as is custom on the Mewni heir's fourteenth birthday."
"I was with Daisy in the throne room watching when the the queen gave her daughter the wand the next day. It changed when she held it." Stan said.
"Yeah. I've seen the wand change when other people held it. It reflects the personality of it's holder." Marco said.
"So the queen just handed over the magic wand to a teenage girl?" Dipper asked.
"Oh, come on Dipper. What's the worst that could happen. It's not like she was gonna cause a disaster." Mabel scoffed.
"THIS IS A DISASTER!" the king lamented as the throne room burned around them.
"Come father! Everyone! We need to get out!" Brad shouted.
The group ran out the exit. Once outside, they noticed that not everyone had followed.
"Where's my mom?!" Princess Moon asked while holding the wand.
"THE QUEEN IS STILL IN THERE! YOU ALL WAIT HERE! I'M GOING BACK IN FOR HER!" Stan shouted.
"NO! STAN! WAIT!" Daisy called out after him. But it was too late. Stan had already run back into the burning room.
He covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve and fought through the smoke. He saw her facing away from him standing in the center of the room.
Stan was about to call out to her when she raised her arms and shouted.
"COTTON CANDY FIRE EXTINGUISH!"
The room was doused in a pink fluffy substance smothering the flames.
"FORMICIDAE CLEANUP CREW!"
Millions of pink ants sprang into existence. They began to quickly devour the sugary material. Tiny burps could be heard as they ate their fill.
"FENG SHUI RESTORINO!"
The burned furniture and structures in the room were bathed in a pink light. They seemed to heal themselves, returning the throne room to a pristine state.
The queen looked pleased with her handiwork as she turned toward the exit. Her expression changed to surprise, then quickly to frustration when she saw Stan.
"Wait, hold on! She used magic without the wand?" Marco waved his hands.
"That's right. She didn't need it. But wait for me to finish. It'll all make sense."
"That's pretty good, your highness! I thought you needed the wand for that."
"Stan Pines. What you just saw is a royal family secret. Only Daisy and myself know what you now know. You will tell no one. Not King Sam nor Prince Brad. And certainly not my daughter. She is not yet ready for that knowledge."
"But-" stan began.
"EXECUTO BEHEADUS CHOPARINO!"
With a flash of pink light, a guillotine appeared in the room. The queen snapped her fingers and a hooded executioner pulled the lever. The heavy blade fell on a melon, slicing it cleanly in two.
Stan stood stiffly. Sweat beaded on his forehead. "T- Tell them what? I didn't see nuthin'!" he said.
"I am pleased to hear that. You are very good at keeping secrets, correct, Stan Pines?"
Stan nodded nervously.
"Some secrets, like this, should be kept. Others should be allowed to come out. Some secrets become known no matter how hard you try to keep them hidden."
Stan wondered how much the queen knew. Did she have him investigated?
"My sister still knows little of your past. It would be best if she heard the truth directly from you. Perhaps you should allow her closer."
He looked down shamefully.
"Let us rejoin the others. They must be worried." the queen said with a smile.
Stan watched her as she moved toward the exit. He followed shortly.
"Don't worry everyone, everything's fine. The fire wasn't as big as it looked." Stan said smiling as they emerged from the door.
"But- but the entire room was ablaze!" said King Sam.
"Naw! It's fine! See for yourself."
"I'm sorry, Mom." said Princess Moon.
"It's alright, dear. No harm done. But when we return home tomorrow, we should find you a safe place to practice."
"I thought about what the queen said to me for weeks. She was right. Some secrets can't stay hidden forever." Stan said as he took a sip of whiskey.
"Stan, what is your home like?"
Stan still didn't want to talk about his life. "You don't need to know about it. It's not very interesting."
"That can't be true. I've heard stories of Earth, they say it's a fascinating place."
"I don't really like to talk about myself."
"I've told you all about myself! I've opened up so much! I still know so little about you! Are you hiding something? Do you have a wife after all?"
"No! I don't! I'm completely alone, and I don't like to talk about it!"
"Why not?!"
"Daisy… I- I'm ashamed. If you know more about me, you will never see me the same way. You won't want to have anything to do with me."
"Stan. Please. I don't think that's true. And I need to know more."
Stan simply nodded.
"Come with me." she said.
Daisy took Stan's arm and she led him to the King's assistant. Daisy borrowed his dimensional scissors.
"Stan, take these in your hand. Think of your home."
"I don't really have one."
"Then think of where you came from before you found me. Gravity Falls."
Stan thought of his brother's house and cut the air.
They emerged in the basement lab. The lab had long since lost power and was dark and silent. Stan found the emergency light switch and flipped it. Dim lights illuminated the lab. The circuit breaker panel was still open. A dark stain of soot covered the console near the opening.
Stan looked inside and saw the tool that caused the portal to activate months ago. He put on a rubber glove and withdrew the screwdriver.
"This is how I got to Mewni."
Daisy looked fascinated at the machinery in the lab. "Stan? You built all this? This is amazing!"
He cringed from the undeserved praise. "No. I didn't."
"I don't understand."
"My brother built all this. He was the smart one. Not me. The accident that took him. It was my fault."
"Tell me what happened, Stan. Please."
Stan told her the truth. His life and his brother. Their separation. His family disowning him. His failures and running from his mistakes. His reunion with his brother. The fight in the lab and the accident. His attempts to fix the machine. Separating tourists from their money to maintain the house and lab. His guilt.
"I've never stayed in one place for long. And when I finally stop moving, I can't even be myself. I'm living a lie. Everyone in this town thinks my name is "Stanford" but that's not true either. That's my brother's name. I'm pretending to be my brother. This is his house, not mine. My family thinks I'm dead now. I have nothing. I am nothing but a fraud and a failure. This is why I'm alone. The real me is worthless."
She stood closely in front of him. "No you aren't."
"How can you think that?"
"Your life has been so difficult and so lonely. You did what you needed to. You're a fighter and a survivor. You have a rare determination. And you are still trying to do the right thing for your brother. Family means everything to you. Even though he shut you out, you won't abandon him."
Daisy reached out to hold his hand and asked, "What's your real name?"
"Stanley."
"Such a small difference. I was afraid you were going to say something like 'Archibald' or 'Clarence'."
Stan let out a small laugh.
"Stanley. That's what I'm going to call you from now on. You need to know that someone knows and loves the real you."
Stan stared at her in silence.
Daisy closed her eyes and kissed him.
"I love you, Stanley."
He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "I love you too, Daisy."
"Stanley, there's something I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
"The rumors about me..." Daisy's voice began to crack. "They're true... I'll never be a mother. Only my sister knows the truth." She sniffled. "And now, you do too." Tears began to fall. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what? You haven't done anything wrong."
"I should have told you sooner. Before we got closer. I was afraid you wouldn't want me. Like so many others."
"I don't care about that. I only care about you."
"She loved it here. She found the paranormal weirdness of the town comfortingly familiar, but she thought cars and electricity were magic." Stan smiled as he spoke.
"How long did you stay?" Marco asked.
"Just a few days. Literally the happiest days of my life. I had never felt so close to someone. Not even to my own brother when we were kids."
Mabel and Dipper just looked at Stan as if they had never met him before.
"But soon she had to go back. Things were still going on in Xix. Before we left I got something I had been hanging on to. A diamond ring." Stan said.
"Where did you get a diamond ring?" Dipper asked.
"Never mind where I got it! I just had it, okay?!" Stan snapped.
"Grunkle Stan! Were you going to ask her to marry you?!" Mabel exclaimed.
"Yup. I was going to wait until the whole thing with Quosto blew over to ask her."
"But Grunkle Stan, you've only been married once. When you were in your forties. To Marilyn. For only six hours." Dipper pointed out.
Stan looked at him out of the corner of his eyes. "Thanks, Knucklehead. I'm aware of that."
Marco looked around. There were no wedding pictures on display.
"I think everyone at the table knows that this story doesn't have a happy ending."
A portal opened in the field outside Castle Xix. Stan exited the portal first and was shocked by the ruin. The castle wall had a crumbling gap. The smoke of smoldering fires wafted in the air.
"Stan Pines! Stan Pines! Where is the princess?"
Stan looked to see the king's assistant running toward him.
"Stanley? What's going on?" Daisy said as she exited the portal.
"I don't know! I think there was an attack!" Stan responded.
"Princess! We need to get you to safety! Hurry! Let's get into the castle!"
As they ran for the castle gate they saw soldiers lying unmoving in the field. Some were dressed in different armor than Xix soldiers.
Daisy was ushered to a fortified and guarded chamber. She refused to enter unless Stan was allowed to to stay with her.
"Captured soldiers revealed under questioning that they had specific orders to capture Princess Daisy alive."
"She would have been used as a hostage to force Mewni to withdraw it's support of Xix."
"A surprise assault. It is fortunate that she was not in the castle at the time."
"A covert enemy unit tunneled under and weakened the castle wall. They collapsed the tunnel at the start of the attack causing the wall above it to fall. Repairs are being rushed. A full legion now guards the breach. The remaining walls are being inspected to ensure they are not also compromised."
"With the breach so heavily guarded, the rest of the soldiers are spread thinner."
"Have reservists been called up?"
"They have, but we fear that their numbers are fewer than we initially thought. And it will take time to properly train and arm them."
"A recruitment effort should be initiated. We need more soldiers."
"Has conscription been considered?"
"No. Do not resort to forcing the unwilling to fight."
"Very well your highness."
"Why attack now? The cold war has already lasted decades."
"They have recently made military alliances with several other kingdoms. They intend to reclaim their lost territory. The others would be given conquered lands in Xix."
"Xix will need more allies."
"Daisy, is the territory that valuable?"
"It is, but it's more than just that. It's the king of Quosto. Or rather, it's the grandson of the regent."
"He's not really a king?"
"No. His grandfather seized power when Queen Ladybird, the last queen of the royal house of Quosto died. Quosto used to be an ally of Xix. But the regent and his descendants were conquerors with dreams of creating an empire."
Daisy paused before continuing.
"The Ladybirds also had royal magic. Their line ended when their queen died without a woman descendant to inherit the magic."
"They had a wand too?"
"Yes, They did."
"Wouldn't whoever got the wand control the magic?"
Daisy looked thoughtful for a moment.
"You know how my sister has the ability to use magic even without the wand?"
"How could I forget? Your sister made it clear that that was top secret." Stan made a slicing gesture at his neck with his finger.
"She didn't gain that power from the wand. She has magic because she was born with it. The royal magic is passed through the bloodline."
"No. Wait. Hold up! Star said that she didn't get the wand until she was fourteen. She had magic only after that." Marco interrupted.
"Sure. She was told her whole life that the wand was the magic source. She didn't believe she had magic until the wand was given to her."
"It's like a magic feather!" Mabel exclaimed.
"I think that also explains why there's a marriage rule for queens." Dipper commented.
"How do you figure that?" Marco asked.
"Magic is hereditary and it's possible for a royal line to die out. They probably want to encourage the queen to have children as soon as possible."
"Why keep any of this a secret?" Marco asked.
"Think about it. Monsters used to come to try to take the wand from Star, right? What would they do if they knew the real power wasn't in the wand, but in her? They'd try to take her instead."
"The wand is just a decoy." Marco realized.
"Well, the wand has *some* magic. It can do stuff like change it's form and move things. But it's nowhere near as powerful as they let people believe. Daisy told me that it's useful as a focus. Something to channel the royal magic." Stan added.
"So Star's mother didn't give up her magic."
"The queen couldn't use magic openly. Which is why Queen Rose swore me to secrecy. Politicians."
Marco always wondered why Mewni would take such a big risk and send the source of their power and their best defense to Earth. Now it made sense. They hadn't.
"What about you, Daisy? Can't you use magic?" Stan asked.
"No. Royal magic can only pass to one descendant. Usually it's the eldest daughter, like my sister."
There was a knock on the door. It was Queen Rose, King Sam, and Prince Brad escorted by the Captain. Stan opened the door to let them into the chamber.
"Sister. We must speak." The queen said to Daisy before turning to Stan. "Privately, please. I'm sorry."
Stan looked to Daisy.
"It's alright. Wait for me here. I'll return later."
It was a while before Daisy returned. Stan turned toward the door when it opened. She stood in the doorway. She had clearly been crying.
Her voice was rough when she spoke. "Stanley." The door closed behind her.
"What's wrong?" Stan asked as he went to her.
"Other kingdoms will be willing to fight alongside Xix only if they had a more secure alliance with Mewni."
"How are they planning to... no."
"I am to marry Brad." Daisy said sadly. Tears were falling from her blue eyes.
"NO!"
"I'm the only member of the royal family available to cement the alliance."
"But you said that they wouldn't do this because you can't have a baby!"
"That fact will be hidden. The truth about my condition is just a rumor for now. Brad will take his love as a secret concubine. She will bear his heir. The child will be passed off as mine."
"You can't do this!" Stan said through his tears.
"I have to! Xix doesn't have a large enough army to fight Quosto as well as it's allies! The disputed lands and more will fall back to Quosto! Others will pay the price if I don't! They will be the ones to suffer and die! I can't let that happen! I don't want to marry him! But I have to!"
Daisy fell to her knees. Stan rushed to her and wrapped her in his arms. Together they broke down and wept.
"I have to." Daisy whispered.
The one good thing he had in his life. She was being taken away from him.
"Queen Rose..." The captain began.
"Hello Stan Pines." the queen said.
Not in the mood for small talk, Stan began demanding answers right away. "Why are you forcing Daisy to marry Brad?!"
"I am not forcing anybody to marry anybody. If Daisy was unwilling to marry Prince Brad, I would not allow it. But Daisy understands that this necessary, and it is her duty."
"If Mewni wants to help Xix, then why the need for an alliance marriage? Why not just help?"
"The alliance is not for us. Mewni has already fully committed to Xix's cause. But powerful as it is, Mewni is just one kingdom. To push back the offensive as fast and with as little bloodshed as possible, Xix will need as many allies as possible. Other kingdoms will not commit militarily if they fear the war will get drawn out or go badly. A formal alliance assures others that Mewni will not back out of the conflict at a critical moment."
"I am sorry Stan Pines. You must leave Mewni and Princess Daisy tonight never to return. Your relationship with her is no secret. Your continued closeness will cause rumors to spread questioning her commitment to Xix."
Queen Rose handed Stan a pair of dimensional scissors.
"These have enough magic to work only once. They will return you to Earth."
"Well, what if I refuse?" Stan said.
"Then you will be arrested and imprisoned in an outside dimension. But that is a pointless threat. I know that you will not refuse."
"Yeah? What makes you so sure?"
"Because Daisy herself will ask you to leave. She will do so because despite her love for you, she knows she must sacrifice her own happiness to preserve as many lives as she can."
Stan understood. If he stayed it might lead to more suffering. Daisy would resent him if that happened.
"I truly wish things were different. You would have made my sister very happy. But your destiny does not lie here. Your work to help your family is not done."
Stan had no response. He still had a job to do. Just like Daisy.
"Farewell, Stan Pines."
The queen turned and left the room. Stan and the Captain were now alone.
"Seems like the only winner in all this is Brad and his girl. At least they get to be together." Stan said to the Captain.
"It is not as they wanted it. His love can never become known. She must remain concealed, lest the legitimacy of his heir be questioned. She will make further sacrifices as well. She must resign from the position she worked so hard to rise to."
"Oh yeah? What position is that?"
"Captain of the Xix Royal Guard."
Stan looked at Captain Crystal in shock.
"It was not easy for me, someone of common blood, to prove that I was the soldier that most deserved the honor of command. Pregnancy will cause my armor to become ill-fitting."
"You're Brad's girlfriend."
"I will name a soldier to succeed me. I will tell them that an illness has compromised my ability to serve. I will leave the castle as the former Captain."
"Before too long, I will join the servant staff under an assumed identity. I am of average height and build. No one has seen me without my helmet except the prince in years. No one will recognize me. I will become Daisy's personal assistant. Being so close will make it easier to conceal my relationship with the prince."
"When I am with child, I will travel with Daisy to the Kingdom of Mewni under the pretense that her pregnancy is difficult. There, I will give birth and surrender my child to her. She will return to Xix and raise the child as her own.
"I am not certain if I will be allowed to return with her. My presence may eventually put the secret at risk of exposure."
Stan was stunned by the details of the plan. "You deserve better than this."
"That is what Brad said. But I will tell you what I told him. I am not doing this just because I love him. I am doing this because I will always consider it my duty and honor to protect the kingdom of Xix."
Stan was silent but nodded.
"I will take you to say goodbye."
Daisy stood and stared at Stan as he entered the chamber. When the door shut behind him she rushed to him crying. They held each other until both had cried enough to speak.
"Stanley. We need to say goodbye. I'm sorry. You need to go back to Earth. I'm sorry." She said barely above a whisper.
"I know, Daisy. I know. I have to let you go." He softly replied.
"I wish you could stay so we could be together."
"I do too."
They held each other quietly before Stan spoke again. "I want you to have this." He took the ring out of his pocket and held her left hand. He slowly slid the ring onto her fourth finger.
"I know that you don't have this in Mewni, but this means something more on Earth. It means that I love you, Daisy. I always will."
Daisy stared at the ring and covered her mouth with her other hand to stifle her sobs.
She collected herself enough to say to him, "I want to believe that there was a bigger reason you found your way here. That we found each other for a reason. More than just saving me. If someday you get the chance to help Mewni, if you can help my family... please don't turn away."
"Daisy, I-"
"Please! Promise me, Stanley!"
"I promise, Daisy. I promise." Stan leaned back to look at her face. The marks on her cheeks had changed to broken hearts. "Please. I don't want to see broken hearts. I want to see stars. I'm glad that I found you. Even if this has to be goodbye."
"I'll never regret a single moment, Stanley." Her cheeks marks changed back to stars for him. "I want you to know, I want you to always remember that I love you..." Tears fell like rain. "...and if I could have... I would have said 'yes!'"
They held each other tightly. Stan tried to commit every detail of her to his memory. The warmth of her touch. The gold of the stars on her face. The scent of her hair. The feel of her lips on his. Even the salt of her tears as he kissed her face.
His memories would need to last him a lifetime.
Stan wiped his eyes with the tissues. "The Captain had orders to make sure I left. She was allowing me those last moments out of kindness."
Mabel was bawling. She slid out of her chair at the table and went to hug him.
"Did you ever try to go back?" Marco asked.
"I wanted to. Even if it was just to make sure she was okay. The moment I got back to Earth, I tried the scissors, but they didn't work. And I couldn't get the machine to work again until years later. Even still, I'm not sure it would have taken me to Mewni. It was pure luck that I went there. There are a lot of other dimensions, and I could have gone to any one of them. Without the other journals I had no way to set the destination. I don't know how everything turned out in Xix."
"But I can use the dimensional portal to get to Mewni now, right? You have the ability to set a destination now, don't you?" Marco asked.
Dipper looked at him with an apologetic expression. "I hate to to tell you this, Marco. But Grunkle Ford tore down the portal right after he got back to Earth. It's been gone for years."
Marco was speechless. This was another dead end after all. His spirit fell through the floor.
"NO! We are NOT giving up yet!" Mabel reassured Marco. "What about those, Bro? Can they be made to work again?" she said pointing at the dimensional scissors.
"Well, Grunkle Stan didn't say they were broken. Just that they only had enough magic to work once. Maybe they can be recharged? I think I read something in Journal Two." Dipper said hopefully.
continuará
Author's Notes: Thanks for waiting for this chapter. I didn't want to spread this part of the story over more chapters as the GF part of the story was much longer than I originally planned.
Hopefully tonight's episode, "Mewnipendence Day" doesn't blow this whole backstory right to Kingdom Come.