*Hi folks, just a quick intro before we go into the story. I'll keep it brief. I'm going to be posting chapters with two short stories included in them, keeping an episodic format like the show did, with the more crucial parts of the story getting their own chapters. Like the show, there will be key episodes and more fun ones. Obviously this is just my interpretation on what could come after 'Cleaved'. All credit for the show and ideas must go to Daron Nefcy and her awesome team. I'm also quite used to writing darker subject matters in my writing, so this is a first attempt at writing something for a story of this type. Ramble over, hope you enjoy!*
Pt1: Life Goes On
The next few days were hectic for the fledgling dimension. People needed to be accounted for, boundaries set and rules layed down. The council sought to do this as they worked tirelessly, seeing that everyone's needs were met to. They were up to the challenge though. There wasn't a way around it. The leaders of other towns and kingdoms all had their own demands. It was hard to keep everybody happy but eventually enough compromises were met to keep a basic stability.
That left time for an important farewell to finally take place.
An overcast picture covered the sky above Earth-Ni, almost as if to add to the sombre atmosphere of the occasion. A cold wind had blown in over the hill, from where nobody was sure, but it made certain that everybody had wrapped up warm as they stood in the makeshift graveyard. Before them, overlooking the town, was a small monument, hastily constructed from some remains in the magic sanctuary but sturdy enough to hold what it needed. It stretched out to three points, each symbolising an arm of the Magical High Commission.
On the left sat the crystal ball that Omnitraxus Prime had used to communicate with on Mewni. On the right sat a recovered shard of crystal, the kind that Rhombulous had produced with his magic. And on the top rested a jar with a small, solitary oil flame to symbolise Heckapoo. Marco has suggested keeping it in the jar so it never went out. In the centre though rested the most poignant symbol to everybody gathered; a cup of pudding and a spoon to go with it.
Star stood before the monument, looking down at the little pot as she spoke. "I'm sorry there wasn't another way Glossaryck. I hope, wherever you are now, that you have students who listen to you better than we did... who have lots and lots of pudding. Thank you for everything".
She trudged back over to stand with Marco, shivering somewhat as she wrapped the hoodie she had borrowed closer to her. "Good thing I own a few of those" Marco noted. The pair listened quietly as her Mother took over to say some final words.
"We've all gathered here today not just to say goodbye to an individual, but to say farewell to magic as a whole. Make no mistake, life will be different now for us all. We all took magic and its keepers for granted for far too long. But this is a new world, with new rules and new allies. Together, we will persevere".
Eclipsa complimented Moon as she rejoined the rest of the procession. "You did well Moon. You certainly handle the serious leadership moments better than I. I'm sure we'll find a way forward together".
"Thank you, that means a lot" Moon replied, the compliment bringing a rare smile to her face. Eclipsa continued to look upon the monument, particularly the little tribute to Glossaryck. "I might not have been so hot on all of them, and I'm sure they felt worse about me, but I will miss Glossaryck" she sighed.
"I will to" Moon replied. "He might not have always been clear on it, but I believe he had our best interests at heart".
"Maybe we did take him for granted" Eclipsa noted.
"Maybe, but now isn't the time for maybe's. What's done is done. Like it or not, we have to move on" Moon concluded.
Marco took a seat alone nearby as he watched Heckapoo's flame flicker in the jar. While he didn't approve of the High Commissions actions before they disappeared, he would still miss her. He had spent longer with her than anybody else he knew due to their time in the Neverzone, even his own parents. Plus she had gone against the Commission to save them from Mina. That alone gave her some redemption in his eyes. His right hand idly found its way to the back of his head, almost expecting to find a burn from how she would playfully slap it. In his other hand were the scissors he'd earned from her, now completely useless unless he wanted to snip something. Shifting the blades apart, he went from seeing just his own reflection to Star's standing behind him.
"Well, at least we're missing school for this" Star said, trying to find a silver lining to the situation.
"Erm, Star. It's a Sunday" Marco corrected her.
"Oh, that makes sense. Guess I lost track of what day it even was with all the craziness that's been happening" Star realised.
Marco continued to stare down at the scissors as he fidgeted with the blades. Star could see he was lost in thought about the whole funeral situation. "Marco, do you think we did the right thing? Destroying the magic?" she asked trepidly.
"Of course we did Star, we had to stop Mina and save Mewni" Marco replied, trying to assure her. He could see she was still having doubts however.
"We did, but at what cost?" Star asked. They looked about at the former residents of Mewni gathered with them. Tom was standing on his own overlooking the town. His parents hadn't come today and he still had no way of contacting them. It was clearly weighing him down. Many of the former kingdoms; Spiderbite, Johansen, Waterfolk, all talked amongst themselves and left the remains of the Butterfly family well alone. What they were conspiring was a mystery. Even the normally cheary Eclipsa seemed lost in her own isolating thoughts as her husband talked with River.
Marco thought on her words for a moment as he tried to find his own to comfort her. "When I was in the Neverzone, I learned a lot about the consequences of choice. Sure, you could come to what you thought was the right decision overall but it didn't mean there weren't sacrifices along the way. Even a happy ending isn't always perfect for everybody. Sometimes, it's just making sure it wasn't all for nothing".
Star hung on his words. He was so much more mature than her in the way he thought. The extended time had played a role, sure, but she couldn't help but think how he'd changed from being the dorky 'safe kid' she first knew. She loved Marco dearly but hoped at the same time the original side to him she knew and it's innocence hadn't been lost forever.
"Anyway, we should head back with the others now" Marco resumed. "Besides, I have a surprise planned later".
"Wait, what surprise?" Star asked, puzzled.
"It wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you would it?" he joked sarcastically, taking her hand as they walked off.
Meanwhile, Tom continued his lonely vigil overlooking the town. That was until somebody interrupted. "Sorry your folks couldn't be here today. That must truly suck" Janna said as she walked up alongside him.
"Yeah, that's one way of putting it" Tom sighed. "I'm not giving up hope though. I'll find a way back to them. I have to".
Janna could sense the seriousness in his voice as she too took a vigil over the town. "Well, if you find a moment, I'm pretty sure the Cleaving thing left lots of cool junk scattered around town. Sure, I could collect it easy enough myself but it would be more fun to do with a friend".
Tom smiled. It was a genuine smile too, the first he'd managed in a while. "I'd like that" he answered. It even brought back a smile from Janna.
"Just remember though, I get dibs on the coolest stuff" she reminded him as they left the overlook.
Star and Marco found their families chatting amongst themselves at the foot of the hill. "Marco! I was just talking about gathering up some strong men to help with any cleanup in the town. I know Star's father has kindly volunteered" Rafael begun.
"Strong is my middle name! Well actually it's Svend but you get the drift" River said, rambling on as he flexed his muscles. Star could only roll her eyes.
"Ah sorry Dad, I would help but I've got some stuff I need to prepare for later on" Marco answered regretfully.
"It's ok my boy, I understand" the ever compassionate Rafael assured him. "Just make sure you leave some time spare in the week to babysit your little sister for your mother and I".
"Of course Dad, no problem" Marco promised.
"How about you Mr...erm, sorry I didn't catch your name" Rafael said.
"Not to worry. It's Globgore" Globgore replied. "I can stop by later to help, I just need to look after my daughter for a while first while the girls run the show in town".
"Oh Globby, we are only there to advise for now" Eclipsa laughed. "Besides, I think we have some cleaning up to do indoors first".
"That includes you too Star" Moon reminded her daughter.
"Urgh, I hate cleaning" Star groaned.
"Star, remember you are still living under somebody else's roof. Show some manners" Moon told her. "You should probably start with that closet. Goodness knows what things in there don't work now".
Before Star could interject however, another voice perked up in front of them.
"Excuse me, but is this where the service is being held?" Ludo asked nervously.
"Ahh! Ludo! What do you want?!" Star exclaimed, instantly going on the defensive as her old nemesis emerged.
"Woah woah woah, relax!" Ludo fretted. "I'm not here for hijinks. I mean, it would be pretty pointless now. No wands, no magic right?"
"I guess" Star hesitantly concurred. "But still, why are you here?"
"I just wanted to pay my respects to Glossaryck. He was my mentor for a while too" Ludo told her.
Star was taken aback by this. She rarely ever considered Ludo had a care for anyone but himself. Or a conscience for that matter. Clearly Glossaryck had an impact on more than just her family in his time teaching magic.
"I guess that's ok" Moon interjected. She held her skepticism like Star but could see that Ludo was, for once, trying to be genuine.
"Thank you. Say, have you guys met my little brother Dennis? He totally helped me get back my castle" Ludo said as he commenced with introductions.
"Hi there" Dennis hesitantly greeted. Star noted the family resemblance, save for the fact that he was much taller and less crazy looking than Ludo.
"You know, we have a sweet basketball court in the front yard if any if you kids ever wanted a game?" Ludo offered.
"Thanks, but another time maybe? We have a few things to sort out first" Star replied.
"No no, it's fine! I get it, you have your own stuff going on right now. Well, just swing by any time you want" Ludo acknowledged before making his way up the hill with Dennis.
Star was still pretty awestruck by the whole ordeal. "You were right Marco. Things really are changing".
Later that afternoon at the Monster Temple, Star whined as she sifted through all the things spread out in her room. Her Mom hadn't been kidding when she said she had lots of useless junk. Still, she was having a hard time throwing some of it out. Despite the fact a lot of the magical items didn't work now, the memories they held made them hard to part with.
One of the puppies poked his head out from underneath the mess as Star lay back on the floor, holding on to a jewell studded mace as she recalled some memories.
"I remember using this when Marco and I fought off those robots in the electric dimension. I know it's all junk now puppy, but it's my junk" she sighed as she fiddled with the handle. Eventually her frustration got the better of her and she tossed it toward a pile of ten other maces, burying her head into her hands.
"Urgh, damnit Marco! Why aren't you here to help me? This is so much hard work without magic".
As she grumbled however, the puppy nearby noticed something within the mess that remained in the closet, barking as it alerted him. Star sat up, ready to chastise the puppy for making so much noise, when she felt a strange presence. Whatever it was, the puppy felt it too. She made her way into the closet where the remaining mess was, the feeling getting stronger as she approached. Digging through some more junk, she eventually found what was calling to them.
"A donut box?" Star said to herself. Then she remembered. This wasn't just any old donut box. It was the same one Glossaryck had once hidden himself in for a day when he was trying to get her to learn a new spell properly. Pulling off the lid, Star felt the aura emanating from it growing to its strongest yet. Inside however, was just some crusted yellow goop. "Yuck, has this been moulding in here the whole time?!" Star cursed as she looked over the decaying residue. Her mom was being proven more and more right regarding the junk. Looking again however, she noticed the stale jelly begin to glimmer and sparkle beneath the surface.
"What the…"
Extending out a cautious finger, she brushed against the 'jelly'. That's when she felt the power flow through her. The empty feeling where magic once was came alive again in her veins. The hearts missing on her cheeks again lit up in a bright golden glow. Before the energy sucked her in any further though, she withdrew her hand in fear.
"Is that magic?!" she gasped. The goo in the box began to twist and contort, coming together from dried blotches to form a small pool of pure, uncorrupted magic floating at the base.
Star quickly shut the lid again as she crawled away from the box. Her mind was swimming with a mess of thoughts. There was still magic in the world. It was living in a donut box in her closet! Had Glossaryck left it there? But had they not succeeded in destroying magic then? Was it just power in the magic dimension that had been destroyed? And the things she could do now with magic again! The lives she could make better, the things she could restore… but what if it fell into the wrong hands? She had to protect it. Keep it a secret from the world. For now, she didn't even know how it worked. Glossaryck wasn't here with the answers anymore. She was on her own with a power that could change their dimension. She couldn't use it. Not now.
"Miss Star?" she heard a voice ask for her, startling her into burying the box beneath junk again. Hasilty emerging from the closet to appear normal, she found Archibald floating there in her room.
"Archibald, what are you doing here?" she panted, her breath still short from the revelation and scrambling about.
"You have a message. From Mr Diaz?" he told her, extending forth a small piece of paper in his hand. Star snatched the paper at the mention of her boyfriend's name. What could he possibly be writing to her about when they lived in the same place now?
'Meet me by the front door in an hour. Wear something nice'
"Wear something nice? I thought I always dressed nice?" Star questioned herself.
"Do you need me to take a reply?" Archibald asked, still floating in place.
"What? No, it's fine, that will be all" Star answered as she continued to stare at the note. Before he could leave the room however, she had one more question.
"Wait Archibald, you know you don't have to serve Eclipsa anymore right? She isn't your Queen anymore. Nobody is".
"Oh I know that" Archibald told her. "I'm still living here though, for the time being, so I may as well make myself useful. Plus a shiny gold coin is always nice". He unsheathed some change Marco had clearly given him before he took his leave. Star went back to focusing on the note.
"What are you up to Marco?" she pondered to herself before realising her predicament. "Damnit, you're only giving me an hour? Don't you know that a girl has a lot to do to prepare? Especially without magic…"
'Wait. Appearance. Magic?'
Star rushed to the mirror to inspect her face. A sigh of relief came though when she discovered the hearts on her cheeks hadn't reapeared. 'Weird, I swear I could have felt them' she thought. Then another feeling set in. A strange sense of loss. It was the first time she'd properly looked at her own reflection since the Cleaving and losing magic. Ponyhead had told her the hearts on her cheeks had disappeared but she hadn't given them much thought until now. They were a part of her identity, so seeing them gone felt like she had lost a part of herself. She could have swore she felt them again though when she touched the magic? Or maybe it was just the memory of a feeling.
"Come on Star, focus. We're running out of time" she told her reflection sternly as she pulled herself together. Shoving as much of the junk she had sorted either to the side or back in her closet, she got to work getting ready for the evening.
'Something nice'.
She guessed he meant something a bit more fancy. That for her had been royal attire recently in Mewni. That was off the table for just meeting Marco. Shuffling various things aside, she came across a new pine green coloured dress she had received not long before all the madness begun with Mina. She hadn't had the chance to wear it out yet.
'I guess now is as good a time as any'.
Donning the dress with some striped pink tights and purple boots, she began fixing up her hair and makeup in the bathroom. She tried to focus her mind away from her now bare cheeks. Adjusting her long blonde locks, she fitted a small heart shaped pin near the front. 'I hope this meets what he meant' Star thought.
A few minutes later and she was waiting downstairs. It had been nearly an hour since his note now but there was no sign of her boyfriend. She wondered what he was up to but thoughts about what she discovered still lingered in her head. Should she tell Marco? There was nobody in the world she could trust more but it could put him at risk knowing the secret. She felt like she was exhausting herself with worry. That was before something took her eye though. Or more specifically, someone.
At the top of the stairs was Marco, dressed up in a sharp grey suit and tie with black pants and smart shoes. He had done what he could with his messy brown locks. He wore an almost self satisfied smile on his face as he looked down at his girlfriend. Star was stunned. She felt like she was back at the moment he appeared like this at his house, ready to take Jackie out on a date. Only now, this moment was theirs. This moment was hers.
Reaching her downstairs, the two love struck teens just gazed upon each other for a moment, amazed at just the sight of each other. "You look amazing" they both suddenly said at once. It caused them to chuckle before Star spoke again.
"Marco, what is this?" She asked.
"Well, I thought after everything that's happened recently, we could use a night to ourselves. Plus I'd be a pretty lousy boyfriend if I didn't take you out on a date first" Marco answered, shyly admitting the last fact. Star giggled at it though, blushing a little as she heard him call himself her boyfriend.
"Oh Marco, you don't have to take me out on a date to impress me. We already know so much about each other".
"So you don't want to go out for chinese food then?" Marco asked somewhat sarcastically. She could see his teasing game.
"Let's not jump to conclusions" Star smirked. "Plus I'm kind of hungry anyways".
"It's settled then" Marco told her as he took her hand and led her outside. Thankfully the cold gloom from earlier had gone away, leaving a pretty warm late summer's evening in its stead. Star looked out over the town as the sun set bathed it in a golden glow. It seemed like the perfect evening for the occasion.
"Wait Marco, do we even know where we're going?" She questioned, remembering how everything had shifted since the Cleave.
"No idea. Guess we'll just have to find it again" Marco shrugged.
"Isn't that going to take forever though? We can't exactly use magic to get there" she noted.
"Maybe. But I have a back up plan" he assured her.
Putting his fingers to his lips, he let out a loud whistle. Appearing overhead was his trusty Dragoncycle Nachos. It touched down gracefully in front of the couple.
"Your chariot awaits my lady" Marco playfully announced, presenting their ride.
"Oh my God! I get to ride Nachos with you?!" Star exclaimed, bursting with excitement.
"Just make sure to hang on when you do. We don't exactly have seatbelts" he explained. She was on the dragon in a flash though, eager to experience a ride for the first time.
Marco revved up his pet as Star hung on to him. Taking off into the sky, they glided through the warm air and over the town. Star looked down over the scene before them as she held on tight. She had flown before, though she was normally always the one in control. This time, she relied on Marco to keep them afloat. She could see the people and Monsters below going about their lives, many settling back into their homes after the initial uncertainty of the first night. Everything seemed to be pretty peaceful, a sight that pleased her.
Marco brought Nachos down quickly, flying low over the town as he ramped up the excitement.
"Woo hoo!" They shouted as they had fun with their ride. Star waved her hands in the air as she enjoyed herself. Even Nachos seemed to be having fun with the excitement as he glided low over a lake. Caught up with his girlfriend's excitement, Marco was too late to notice the swarm of flies hovering over the lake. He flew straight through them, everybody getting a face full of bugs for their trouble. Only his steed seemed to enjoy it.
Bringing his eyes back on the proverbial road, Marco eventually spotted the restaurant he was looking for, the White Lotus. They hadn't been there since he fooled her with the fortune cookies. That seemed like forever ago. It was now nestled opposite an empty Mewman marketplace. That seemed like a good enough spot to park as he touched them down.
The restaurant itself was pretty empty, a lot of its usual customers staying at home, still uncertain over whatever was happening in their town. It meant the owners were delighted to see the couple walk in and they didn't have to wait long for their food. It didn't last long either, the two being hungrier than they realized.
"I'm so full" Marco sighed in delight, content with the meal. Star could only concur as she waved around one of the chopsticks like a miniature wand.
"Well I guess we are kind of celebrating an epic victory".
He could only laugh and smile at how cute she was. She coincidentally laughed as he tried to make small talk, trying to be smooth but just coming across as a cute dork. She didn't mind though. It was just how she liked him.
When the waitress appeared again, she left them the cheque and two fortune cookies. Star was amazed as she remembered the mystical messages they had given her before. She also remembered how Marco had teased her about them though, so tried to curb her excitement somewhat. Opening up the cookie though, her eyes lit up at the small message inside.
"You are my day and my night, my sky, my Moon, my stars and my Sun. If it were my choice, we would be together all day".
"Marco! Did you set these up?" She asked, realising his cheesy little effort. He couldn't hide his smug smile from her as he shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know what you're talking about Star. Don't you trust the magic cookies anymore?"
She playfully screwed up the paper and threw it at him as they laughed.
With the meal payed for and the two back outside again, Star felt bold as Marco fed Nachos some leftovers. "Would it be ok if I steered Nachos for a little while?" She asked. It caught Marco off guard a little.
"I guess that's ok. Are you sure you know what you're doing though?" He asked.
"Pfft, relax, how hard could it be?" She boasted as she scratched the underside of the beast's chin. It did remind Marco of the time she tried to ride a bike on her own however. That had gotten a little wild.
He set her up with plenty of space for take off as he held on in the passengers position. He wasn't sure what he was more nervous about, hoping they wouldn't crash or the fact he was holding on to her waist, making him blush a little. Before he could say anything though, Star had revved up Nachos and they were on their way. The speed caught her a little off guard at first before she pulled up and took them into the sky.
After a tentative start, Marco was impressed with her handling as she steered the cycle with ease. "Told you I could handle it" she smirked playfully as they glided over the hills on the outskirts of town. He would have answered her back but was struggling with the mouthful of blonde hair he was getting. Touching down on the largest peak, the two settled down into the grass as they looked up at the stars together.
"Thank you for tonight Marco. I didn't realise how much I needed this" Star sighed in pleasure as she snuggled up to him.
"It has been pretty crazy recently" Marco noted as he watched the skies.
"Well let's hope things start getting back to normal soon. Whatever normal might be now" she said as she thought to the future. At the back of her mind, the thought of the secret in her closet still lingered. She wanted so much to tell Marco but knew that the time needed to be right.
"I love you Star".
All thoughts ceased in her head as she heard him say those words. They knew where they stood with each other after admitting their feelings but hearing him say those four words was still special. They held each other tighter as she answered.
"I love you too Marco".
The moment was perfect for both of them and it was one neither wanted to end as the cool night air blew in around them. In the sheer bliss of it all, neither of them noticed the sinister yellow eyes watching them from the trees.
Pt2: The Cool Kids
The sound of the morning alarm sounded like a screaming banshee to Star as she slammed her hand down on it in frustration. Whether she just turned it off or broke it she didn't care, so long as she had a bit more time to sleep in peace. As she closed her eyes and tried to drift off again though, she heard a faint creaking coming from the door.
"Star? You awake?" Marco asked as he snuck into the room. Star grumbled an unintelligible noise as she rolled over to the other side of the bed. He just sighed as he opened the curtains to let the morning sunlight in. "Come on Star, time to get up. We have school today".
She wouldn't budge however, burying her head under the pillows to avoid the piercing rays now flowing into her room. Marco sat beside her on the bed as he continued his efforts. As he tried to say something else though, he felt her hand grab him and pull him down onto the bed beside her. He lay motionless for a moment as she wrapped her arms around him and snuggled her face into his shoulder.
"Five more minutes please" she sighed in peace, smiling as she hugged her boyfriend. As much as he wanted to get lost in the moment with her, Marco knew he had a mission here and wriggled free.
"Come on Star, you said you wanted to try a normal life for a change. Well, this is normal life".
Reluctantly, Star sat up as she rubbed the sleep dust from the corners of her eyes. "I know I know. It's just, why does it have to be so early" she grumbled.
"Because you'd complain at me not waking you up early enough to do things without magic" Marco quipped. Star wanted to jibe back but she knew he was sort of right. She had nothing in response.
"At least we've already missed the first month while on Mewni. Come on, this is day one of, well, a couple hundred" he assured her as he left the room. It didn't exactly leave her feeling elated.
After summoning the energy, she eventually dragged herself to the bathroom and began to freshen herself up for school. The sleepiness took some time to shake its spell as she nearly found herself putting moisturiser on her toothbrush. She also had to put that on silent too. While she adored Love Sentence, it was a little too much this early in the morning.
As she finished up her hair, she looked into the mirror again. She still found it hard to take her attention off her cheeks. They seemed so alien without the hearts.
"Want me to fix you up some Sugar Seeds for breakfast?" Marco asked as he came in to sort his own hair out. He could see she was upset with something however from her glum reflection. "Everything ok Star?"
"I'm ok" she assured him meekly. "It's just...do my cheeks look weird without the hearts? I feel like they kind of do".
Marco didn't exactly know what to say. Sure they looked different but nothing out of the ordinary to a Human boy like him. A fun idea popped into his head though as he walked over.
"Let me fix that" he requested.
"Huh?" Star said. Before she could figure where he was going with the suggestion however, he placed a loving kiss on her cheek. Her face lit up like a lantern as her cheeks flushed a rosy red.
"Better?" He asked.
"Better" she replied, a goofy smile now spread from ear to ear.
After scoffing back some cereal together the two walked outside into the fresh morning. "Think we could fly to school?" Star asked, hinting at another ride of his Dragoncycle.
"I don't know, Nachos isn't patient enough to sit around at school all day" Marco told her.
"Oh ok, plan B then" Star said, reaching into her pocket.
"SUMMONING CLOUDY CHARM".
Nothing happened. Star opened her eyes to see she was just holding a pencil in the air and not a wand. Marco just looked at her, confused.
"Erm Star, no magic remember?" He reminded her.
"Force of habit. Damn it! What else do we do?" Star complained. A honk of the horn from the school bus reminded her exactly how they'd travel though. 'Oh yeah' she thought. She'd seen the buses before, though it had been a while since her return to Mewni.
As the two climbed on board however, they heard someone call from behind them.
"Wait for me!"
Tom rushed down the stairs of the monster temple, hastily adjusting his shirt as a comb poked out of his pink hair.
"Well, I guess you weren't the only one who avoided their alarm this morning" Marco chuckled as his friend scrambled onto the bus with them.
"This sucks! I'm a demon prince of the underworld, why do I still have to go to school?" Tom asked rhetorically as he clambered onboard.
"Demon prince or not, you still need to take a seat" the driver reminded him.
Moving down to find a seat, Tom found himself getting a lot of strange looks from many of the Human and Mewman girls on board. He furrowed his brow in confusion a little as he found a seat next to Janna.
"Hey Janna, why are so many people looking at me kind of weird?" He asked.
Not taking her eyes off her phone, Janna gave him an answer.
"Well, it might be because they haven't seen a demon before. Maybe it's because you have a comb in your hair." she began "Or maybe they think you're hot or something, I don't know".
Tom was surprised by her answer, getting a little bit of smug confidence as he sunk back into the chair and looked around.
"So, what about you?" He began to ask Janna, flexing on the theory.
"I haven't actually looked at you. And I'm not gonna before you ask" she said, shutting him down as she never once took her eyes off the game on her phone. Tom just went back to minding his own business as he watched the world roll by out of the far window. He didn't notice Janna's eyes briefly drift down to his tail though. 'Huh, Deja Vu' she thought.
Eventually, the bus pulled up to school and the students began siphoning off for the first day back since the Cleaving. Star spotted many Mewmans and smaller monsters among the ranks of new students starting. Many of them looked confused about where they should go or exactly what they should do. Public schooling wasn't a familiar concept on Mewni.
"Princess Butterfly?" She heard a younger student shyly call out for her. "I don't really get where we're meant to go".
"I'm not a princess anymore you guys, you don't have to be nervous around me" she tried to warmly assure the youngster and his friends.
"Ok...Star" he answered timidly. "I'm still confused. What do we do?"
"Hmm, I mostly breezed through the school days with magic" she thought out loud as she stroked the underside of her chin. "Well, I guess you just ask the teachers where you need to go and they'll help you guide you through lessons".
"What if they don't like us though?" A young goat monster asked.
"You'll be fine. The teachers are cool here!" Star assured them. "They even already have a Troll here in Miss Skullnick!"
She pointed out her math teacher, who was busy at the front entrance scolding students for not obeying the rules in her normal manner. The new students didn't seem too convinced but heeded Stars words anyway and trotted off to find their classes. Before he could leave her, Star took Marco's hand and pulled him back for a word.
"Marco wait! Do you think...well…"
"Do I think?" Marco asked, trying to draw the full sentence.
"Do you think... people will still think I'm cool without magic?" She asked nervously.
Marco just placed an assuring hand on her shoulder and smiled at her. "Star, you're still the coolest girl I know, with or without magic. People won't stop being your friend overnight because of that".
It brought a smile from her at the very least as he tried his best to wash away her anxiety. "Just enjoy the day. I'll see you later on".
He placed a kiss on her cheek and made his way to class, leaving Star with a smile on her face. Even if she wasn't the coolest anymore, she still had the coolest boyfriend. Regardless though, this still felt like day one all over again. It would take some adjusting for sure.
The morning dragged by pretty normally, save for the occasional hijinks caused by having students from another dimension in class. Some were pretty impressive with certain nuggets of knowledge but absolutely laughable with others. It didn't stop Star being bored in her lessons however, the constant droning and questions nearly having her asleep at her desk by third period. She soldiered on until lunch though, grateful to tuck into something delicious and chat with her friends.
There were a lot of formal introductions amongst the girls between those from Mewni and those from Earth, Star overseeing many of them herself. It hadn't taken long for her to find Ponyhead showing off as she looked to gain popularity.
"So yeah basically, I had the most popular show on Mewni and the people loved me" she rambled on. "So it probably won't be long before I'm mingling with the stars here too, you know".
Whilst some of the more impressionable girls hung on her words, others were more dumbfounded at her ludicrous claims.
"Is she always this way?" One of the human girls asked.
"This is actually pretty humble for her" Four Armed Princess sighed. "You should have seen her at Saint Olga's…"
A voice spoke up from the wings however as the Unicorn princess tried to continue.
"Excuse me, but you're sitting at our table" Brittney Wong spoke up in her 'holier than thou' tone, flanked by the other cheerleaders as they surrounded the group.
"Erm, excuse me but who are you?" Ponyhead asked dryly.
"Hi Britney! It's me Star, remember?!" Star perked in, still oblivious to the popularity Queen's sarcasm as she jumped into the conversation.
"Oh great, the 'moo-ni' girl is back" Brittney grumbled. "And I see she brought the circus to town this time".
"Come on Brittney, this table doesn't have your name on it" Jackie told her.
Brittney was prepared for this however, whistling for a butler to come and place a plaque down on the table with the message 'property of Brittney Wong' engraved into it. How she'd even gotten butlers into school nobody knew. "I'm surprised to see you here with this rabble Jackie, I thought you were supposed to be cool".
"Star, can't you just turn her into a toad or something" one of the nerdy girls in the group asked.
"Sorry, but I can't do magic anymore" Star reminded them, somewhat remorsefully.
"Well, maybe that'll help you learn your place little miss starshine" Brittney jibed with a smug grin.
"Ugh, come on girls. We can find a better place than this" Janna sighed as the others took her example and moved across the cafeteria. All of them except Ponyhead however. She just stared down Brittney for a moment.
"Come on Ponyhead" one of the Mewman girls in the group ushered to her. Eventually, she floated along after her friends but not before muttering a warning of vengeance as a rivalry sparked into life.
"I'm going to end that girl's whole career".
The rest of the day flew past pretty normally but the thought of being just another normal person lingered in Star's head. She came to think it was almost a little embarrassing that she couldn't do more to help her friends against the cheerleaders. As the day went on, her anxiety levels slowly crept up as she thought she noticed people looking at her differently. She wasn't the magical student from Mewni anymore. She wasn't even the only one from Mewni anymore. That was hard to get used to. While she was in no way self absorbed, it was something she had maybe taken for granted a little before.
As the last lesson ended, Star heavily trudged to the front of the school, weaving through the crowd with little interaction before she found Marco and some of the other guys chatting nearby at the lockers. Marco was showing off his knight cape Star had made for him on Mewni, telling tall tales of the adventures he had under the service of the royal family. Like Ponyhead before, some hung on his words while others, like Ferguson and Alfonzo, just rolled their eyes.
"Yeah, there were plenty of perks to being a knight I guess, but I had to take a voluntary redundancy so the others had a chance" he rambled on.
"Marco, you brought that to school with you?" Star asked, catching him in the middle of his story. It caused him instant embarrassment as he thought he could just show off to his friends without anybody he knew from Mewni telling them the 'real facts'.
"Star! What are you doing here?" He asked her nervously, failing to keep his cool as his friends looked on.
"It's time to go home, I've had enough for one day" she lamented.
"What's wrong?" Marco asked, seeing she was down.
"We'll talk on the way" Star said.
"Well can it wait five minutes, I was just talking to the guys… about Mewni" he asked, trying to stall for time. Some of them made silent but visible cues for her to end this conversation if she could.
"Marco, I made that cape for you remember? And the other knights were jerks. What more is there to say?" She reminded him.
"Star!" he protested, realizing his credibility was dropping in front of the others. Some of the guys started sniggering at this revelation.
"Come on Marco, we can be Cape buddies later, let's just go" Star sighed as she took his hand. Before she could drag him away however, something caught Ferguson's eye.
"Uh oh, we've got trouble".
The group noticed a trio of burly, bully looking types headed towards them. "Erm, who are those guys?" Marco asked.
"Paul Gambini and his goons. They moved here from another school while you were away and terrorised everyone" Alfonzo explained as he quaked in his shoes.
"Well well well, what do we have here?" Paul growled as he towered over the others. He was easily six foot in height, with a hardened face chiseled from many a fight, a shaved head and light messy stubble with a large physique to support his titanic chest. He wore a leather jacket with the words 'Nu Hate' stitched on the back. His two partners were just as big and ugly as he.
"Looks like we have fresh meat Paul" one of them growled to him.
"Oh I can see that" he assured the other boy. "There's been plenty of that today. I do take joy in finding a nerd who thinks he's bigger than he is. Delusions of grandeur you know".
As the others backed off, Marco stood his ground. He couldn't deny that the bully's sheer physical appearance was making him nervous however.
"Erm, listen we're not looking for trouble. If it's ok with you, we'll be on our way" Marco told them, trying his best to weasel out of a fight. Paul wasn't letting him get away that easy though.
"Oh really? But we've got so much fun still to have" Paul said as his group closed rank. He then noticed Marco's cape fluttering from behind him.
"Ha! Look at that lame cape boys. We definitely have a giant nerd here" he taunted. "Did your mommy make that for you?"
"Actually, my girlfriend made it" Marco nervously confessed.
"Girlfriend? So we have a king and queen of the nerds" Paul chortled. "Well, I'll make you a deal. Give me that cape and I'll let you run home unbruised to your girlfriend so she can make you a new one".
Marco didn't know what to say. There was no way he was giving up his cape but he wasn't sure he could take these three guys alone. Someone else spoke up on his behalf from behind the bullies however.
"Maybe you should ask her first" Star told them. Marco was surprised to see that in her possession was the knight cape he made her in return. She must have had it on her person.
"You must be the nerd Queen" Paul laughed. "You both must be pretty lame if you walk around in those".
"I'm going to tell you this once. Leave now" Star threatened them. The bullies found this hilarious though.
"Or what? What are you going to do, doll face?"
Before Paul could throw another patronising insult however, he felt the crack of a wrist land square on his jaw. The power in it was enough to knock him backwards to the floor.
Star had lost her cool. She'd never backed down from a fight with monsters or bad guys before. These were just a different type. Magic or not, they were going down.
"Get them boys!" Paul roared.
The two droogs moved in to attack. Marco was first into action, using his karate reflexes to hold off the bully's attack before leaping over his head to land a kick on his back, knocking the lump headfirst into a nearby trash can.
The other lunged for Star but she too was quick with her reflexes from her warrior princess training. A stern, well practiced kick from her sent the boy flying into a locker.
People began to gather as they saw Star and Marco expertly fight off the school's biggest bullies. Paul joined the fray but he was also unable to land a blow on either of the couple.
"Ready to end this jerk?" Star asked.
"Just say the word" Marco replied.
Paul lost his cool and went in for one final charge. Once again though, the duo were ready for him and delivered a double punch so fierce it knocked him towards the sky. Landing back to earth with a thud, Paul saw he was defeated and retreated with his cronies.
A cheer came up from the crowd as they praised the couples win.
"That was awesome you guys! You totally kicked their butts!" Ferguson congratulated them.
"Your fighting moves are so cool!" A Mewman girl exclaimed. "Where did you learn that?"
"I guess it was just experience from all the adventures we've been on" Marco humbly replied, taking Stars hand.
"Wow! That sounds so cool. You guys are like superheroes" the girl replied.
"Phh, if you think that was cool, you haven't seen anything yet girl!" Ponyhead declared, suddenly floating in on the scene.
"I've seen my B Fly and her boo take on way worse than those turds. And I captured so much of the footage for my show. Drop me a subscription online guys and I'll upload it all for your pleasure!"
Many of the students scrambled for their phones as they searched for Ponyheads channel, while the others continued to congratulate Star and Marco. Eventually, the teachers broke the scene up and ushered the students to the busses so they could go home. The couple once again found themselves alone as they walked hand in hand.
"So, you keep your cape on you too huh?" Marco playfully teased his girlfriend. She blushed slightly as she realised he was playing her at her own game.
"Maybe...I'm not wearing it everywhere like you though!" Star answered with a chuckle.
"So, what was bugging you earlier?" He asked, changing the subject.
Star said nothing for a moment. She realized that her anxieties had dissipated after the fight. Being able to do something like that alongside Marco had reminded her of all she was and all she could still do. Even if she didn't have magic, there were still other ways she could be cool to people.
"Oh nothing. I think I've got it figured now" she smiled, taking his hand tighter. Marco was happy to know she was feeling better.
"You know, even with people like Mina gone and monsters part of society, there are still plenty of bad guys to take down out there. Lots of adventures to be had". Marco explained.
"You heard what Ponyhead said Marco" Star began.
"Adventures are just like normal days for us. And there's nobody else I could spend those days with".
Marco could only smile at the thought of more cool adventures with the coolest girl he knew.
"Well, I guess they can wait until after nacho time" he hinted.
"I'd like that" she concluded as the pair boarded the bus.