Hey everyone this is Rothem back with the conclusion to the blood moon ball arc, Revelations! To quote what my good friend RJWritingInk said. "The Penny finally drops" anyway hope you enjoy the chapter.
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Where... where am I?
Marco Diaz was floating within an empty blackness, devoid of anything. At least, that's what it felt like. For some reason, he couldn't open his eyes to look around. Or, maybe he did and just saw the same darkness. To make matters worse, he couldn't even move his body. So, he just floated through the night, seemingly without any direction.
That, and he had a hard time remembering how the heck he got wherever he was. So, that wasn't helping.
Marco knew that he was asleep; he was sure of that. But when he tried to recall the 'how' or the 'why,' his head hurt.
Is this my life now? Just floating through the abyss with no idea how to wake up?
Fortunately, Marco did not have to wait for very long. He felt a glare reach the periphery of his vision (at least he knew he could open his eyes now). When he tried willing himself to move, he felt his body begin to respond. As he turned around, he saw something below him. A light, a bright light, and he was heading right for it.
Please don't let this be what I think it is, Marco thought as he entered the light.
When Marco could open his eyes again, he saw that he was standing in front of his house.
Okay, now I'm back home. Seriously, what's going on? And since when has everything looked so...gray?
Everything around Marco was, in fact, gray. The sidewalk, the clouds, everything! He'd say it was like being in an old black-and-white cartoon, but even those had more shades of color. Or at least more on the grayscale.
While he didn't notice it, due to his hazy memory, there was something important to his house that was missing: Star's Tower, jutting out of the side.
"Okay, so am I awake now, or am I still dreaming?" Marco asked out loud. Though, truthfully, he had no clue how to tell if he was dreaming.
If I've read enough stories, then the best way to know I'm dreaming is to think of something too crazy to be real. Like some giant floating baby head appears in the door to the kitchen. And a talking zebra.
As soon as he finished thinking of that, he saw a giant floating baby head come out through the front door of his house, cooing and babbling and uttering baby noises before heading out towards the street. Then came a zebra wearing a top hat and carrying a cup of tea.
"Oh yeah, I'm dreaming, all right." Marco could only say with a deadpan expression on his face
"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Kevin," said the zebra as it went back into the house while sipping its tea.
"Hey, wait! What do you mean by that?!" Marco called out to the zebra, who ignored him as it entered the house again, causing Marco to sigh in annoyance.
Well, if I am dreaming and I know I'm dreaming, then I guess the only way to wake up is to start looking around, Marco thought, remembering a bunch of cartoons he watched with similar scenarios.
"Whoever said there's no value in cartoons had no idea what they were talking about," he turned the knob on the front door to his house.
This shouldn't be so bad, Marco thought before entering the house. Unknown to him, a mysterious cloaked figure was watching him from the shadows across the street. As soon as the door opened and the boy walked inside, the figure vanished.
Real World, Diaz Household
Star was watching worriedly, sitting on a chair in Marco's room as Rafael placed his son on his bed before tending to his injuries. For a moment, Star felt envious of the sight in front of her. Of how loving and understanding Mr. Diaz was towards his son.
Marco has no idea how lucky he is to have a father that cares about him so much. Meanwhile, my Mom is always all work, no play. Whenever Star had wanted to do something fun with her Mom, she had been told that she had to look after Mewni, that the people were her first responsibility. She got used to it, but on the inside, it still hurt.
However, Star's mind kept going back to what happened at the Blood Moon Ball. After doing her best to forget about handsome Marco had looked dancing with her (which wasn't easy), she kept thinking about what she had seen. One moment, her bestie was at the mercy of her angry, jealous ex-boyfriend; next minute, he was being tossed around like a ragdoll. She knew Marco was a good fighter, but being able to best the Prince of the Underworld and his family's Royal Guards, said to be some of the best soldiers in Mewni? No human should have been able to do that!
Then there was unimaginable power she had seen Marco use. She was Star Butterfly, a born spellcaster and wielder of one of the most powerful objects in the universe. Yet in that one moment, it felt like any spell she could come up paled in comparison to what Marco had done.
Star's already hyper mind was now running on overdrive. A million different thoughts and questions seemed to run through her brain.
How was Marco able to do that?
What even was that?
Why did he follow me?
What did he mean by explaining everything?
Did Marco lie about Mewberty?
What else has he not been telling me?
Am I really his best friend?
The thoughts seemed to come like a tidal wave, all at once and in enough quantity that she shouldn't have been able to keep track of them, yet she also could. But the one thought that stood out was also the one that she dreaded the most:
Is Marco really human?
Star had only been on Earth for a short amount of time, and a lot still confused her about humans and Earth. However, she knew enough to know that the rest of the universe didn't see humans as strong. And they shouldn't be able to do what Marco did! The only humans she had seen do that were in those superhero movies Marco had shown her. And despite her insisting otherwise, Marco told her that everything she saw them do was just special effects.
As Star kept trying to come up with an idea as to how Marco could do what he did, she found her thoughts interrupted as Rafael finished tending to the boy's injuries, and the elder Diaz began to pull a chair up next to his son's bed and sat next to Star.
"Don't worry, Star. Marco will be alright," Rafael said reassuringly; however, Star didn't take her eyes off of the unconscious boy, noting the cracks on his body. Mr. Diaz had been able to treat the injuries his son had sustained from Tom, but the cracks not only remained, they spread across his body. They crisscrossed everywhere, before finally meeting upon his forehead, creating a jagged X. Thankfully, though, they had stopped glowing.
After a few moments of silence, Star finally looked up at Mr. Diaz, her eyes almost on the verge of tears. "Mr. Diaz, what's going on with Marco? Is he going to be alright?" she managed to get out.
Rafael saw the look in Star's eyes: the fear, the confusion, the concern, and the sadness. He knew that look all too well. Many years ago, someone very special to him, someone who was no longer with them, had given him the same look.
Seeing this, Rafael knew what he had to do to alleviate her worries. However, he hesitated. He knew that Marco should be the one to tell her this, and if he was awake, he would likely be doing so right now. The look on Star's face, though, made him realize that was not something that could wait. If his son meant as much to her as he thought he did, then she deserved to know the truth.
Taking a deep breath as he prepared himself for what was to come, Rafael looked at Star, putting on his most reassuring face. "Star, I can explain everything, but first, I need to know what happened? Is that okay with you?"
Star simply nodded before telling him everything that happened that led to tonight's incident. She explained how her ex-boyfriend with anger issues had shown up at school and invited her to the Blood Moon Ball and that Marco thought that that was a bad idea. That Marco had tried to talk her out of going, and she went over his protests. Though not before getting into an argument after learning about an injury she thought she gave him during Mewberty. She then told Rafael how Marco still followed her into the Underworld despite the danger. This got a small chuckle out of Mr. Diaz, who said that it was just like his son to do something like that even when his friend didn't want him to. Star could only laugh, though more out of sadness, before continuing.
When Star got to the part where she and Marco had danced under the Blood Moon, she had done her best to hide the embarrassment on her face. She still couldn't get over how graceful his dancing was, or how handsome he looked in his mask and tuxedo. When she explained how Tom had violently attacked Marco, she swore that she could feel a cold and murderous aura coming from Rafael, despite the smile on his face. For a moment, Star began to instinctively reach for her Wand in her purse, only to stop when she felt him give off the same warm and kindhearted feeling she got from him. Just like Marco, she thought.
Then she finally explained how Marco had gone "all glowy" as she put it, and proceeded to wipe the floor with Tom and his Royal Guards, as she could only look on. She still remembered what she felt: awe at the fact that her friend seemed to make her best spells like child's play, confusion as to how he did it. And, to her shame, fear at the sight of what her best friend was doing.
"...then after that, I just grabbed Marco and got back here as fast as I could," Star said, finally finishing her tale as Rafael listened quietly, his face now unreadable to the young Princess.
The silence that followed caused Star to fidget in her seat uncomfortably and look at her legs. She didn't know how to react to the tense silence or the look that Marco's father had on his face. It was reminding her a little too much of a scolding from her Mom.
After a few more seconds of uncomfortable silence, Star heard Mr. Diaz sigh. It wasn't out of annoyance, though. Instead, it seemed to be out of relief, something she never seemed to get from her Mom. Finally, Mr. Diaz spoke up.
"Star, has Marco told you any secret of his lately?" Rafael said, causing Star to look at him, confused as to what he meant.
"Secret?" Star said before getting a thoughtful look on her face. After a few seconds, she remembered what Marco had told her while they were dancing.
I'm far more capable than you give me credit for. Now let's get out of here, and I'll explain everything.
"Well, Marco said something about explaining everything to me though I don't know what he meant by that," Star said until she got a look of realization on her face. "*Gasp* did that have something to do with what happened to Marco!"
Rafael nodded before speaking, "Yes, Star." He then went silent again, looking down at his hands before looking back at her. "Star, I can tell you what's wrong with Marco and why he was able to do what he did. But I want you to understand something."
"And that is?"
"Star, what I'm about to say is something that Marco's kept secret all his life. And I have kept it for far longer than you could imagine. A secret that no one else must know about. If the truth about my son became public, some people would stop at nothing to get their hands on him."
"You mean like my Wand? But why, though?"
"I will explain, but first, I need to know. Do you, Star Butterfly, Princess of the Kingdom of Mewni, swear on all you hold dear that you won't tell anyone what I am about to say?" Rafael knew that he could trust Star. He had known her long enough to know she was trustworthy, and the way his son spoke of her only reinforced that. Still, he had to ask.
Star simply nodded her head. She had come too far to back out now.
"Good. And there's a reason why I'm making you promise, and why I want to keep this secret. Star, the reason why Marco can do what he was able to do what he did in the Underworld is that he's not like most people on Earth.
"Why, though?"
"Because you see, Star, Marco is not entirely...human."
The moment those words left Rafael's mouth, Star's expression went completely blank, as though she was unable to process what she had just heard.
If you could look inside Star's mind, you could see it practically going into meltdown, trying to process what she just heard. Marco isn't human? What does that even mean? I-if he's not human, then what is he?!?
"W-what do you mean by that?" Star asked with a tiny bit of nervousness in her tone that Rafael was able to pick up on.
"Before I answer that, Star, I need to know: what do you know about the term 'Celestial'?"
???????(Back with Marco)
Okay, I take back what I said from earlier, Marco thought as he takes in the scene in front of him.
When Marco entered his house, he was expecting to be met with the sight of the house living room in greyscale, as well. BIG MISTAKE.
The whole place looked like some weird, abstract painting or parallel universe. There were doors on nearly every surface, complete with stairs that seemed to go up, down, upside down, and even into nothingness. It looked like a Van Gogh painting, or an unused plot from Regular Show had thrown up in his house
"This has to be the weirdest thing I've ever seen in my life," Marco said out loud as he explores the place. He decided to take a look at the kitchen first(which he somehow managed to locate, don't ask how). Surprisingly it was normal compared to the living room. However, the talking zebra from before was now sitting at the table reading a newspaper which said, ''Orange cat wins the election, vows to outlaw Mondays'.
"Um, excuse me, but do you know what this place is?" Marco asked politely. However, the zebra simply smiled at him, before going back to reading it's newspaper, causing Marco to groan in annoyance.
Great, he's just like Glossaryck, Marco thought thinking of the annoying blue man. As if on cue, Glossaryck appeared before him startling him in the process.
"Nope, nope, nope, I don't want to deal with you. So, go away," Marco said harshly. He was not in the mood for the little troll. Glossaryck simply gave a smug smile before saying, "Now that's just hurtful Marco," Glossaryck said in mock hurt before vanishing in a puff of smoke.
Marco sighed in relief, seeing Glossaryk vanished. I've only met the guy once, but it's already taking all my willpower to keep me from turning him into a pudding cup. Heck, maybe I should do that anyway, Marco thought as he went back to the living room.
Now, how do I wake up from this dream?
"Not... a dream." A voice appeared out of nowhere, seemingly able to respond to his thoughts.
Marco turned his head to look at the source of the voice. It was a figure in a black cloak covered in zippers, like the ones from the Kingdom Hearts series, standing on the stairs that he assumed would lead to the second floor of the house. Before he could say anything, the figure walked up the stairs prompting Marco to go after him. "Hey, wait!" Marco called out. However, the shadowy figure simply ignored him.
Real World, Diaz House
"Celestial?" Star said in a confused tone. She doesn't know why, but the word sounded familiar to her, important even. "I think I remember my Mom, or one of my teachers mention it in a lecture. But to honest, I don't pay attention to those things," Star laughed sheepishly.
Mr. Diaz chuckled at her answer. "I do not blame you if you don't know what that word means. Few people these days bother to learn about them, and fewer still even remember them."
"Them?"
"Yes, the Celestials. It is said that they are one of the oldest, if not the oldest, race of beings in the universe."
"Whoaaa," Star could only say as she processed everything.
"I know, right? Well, then, let me tell you their story." Rafael said, understanding that someone like Star would not be able to keep quiet during the whole story.
"It is said that when the universe first began, or at least not long after, the Celestials came into being in their home dimension. A place that is known only as 'the Forge.'"
"Why's that?", asked Star
"Because they were not born like most people in the universe are. They simply woke up one day. None of them knew how or why it happened. It just did, simple as that. As though they were forged into existence, hence the name of their home. Eventually, they stopped wondering how or why they existed and focused on the gifts they possessed."
"What did they possess, Mr. Diaz?"
"Power, Star. Power on a scale that few in the universe could rival. The first Celestials discovered that they channeled the primordial energy of creation through themselves. As a result, they could manipulate matter on the most basic of levels, allowing them to create whatever they wanted. All they had to do was merely think of something, and their thoughts could become manifest."
"That's insane! So were they, like, magic or something?"
"No, Star. While your magic allows you to create spells and other things, it's nothing like what the Celestials could use. Some believe that the Celestials predate the dawn of magic itself."
Star could only sit there, her mouth hanging open as she processed this. If this was true, then these beings were stronger than her. Stronger than her Mom. Stronger than even Glossaryck and the Magic High Commission!
Mr. Diaz continued his story. "Time passed, and every so often, a new Celestial would come into existence. Their brothers and sisters would welcome them and teach them how to use their powers. Together, they shaped the Forge to their desires. As they did not age due to their cosmic powers, they kept on creating for eons. Then one day, no more Celestials came into existence."
"Why's that, Mr. Diaz?" Star asked, now completely hooked on this story.
"No one knows for sure, Star. Yet it just happened. The Celestials were always few, barely reaching more than a hundred. And while they enjoyed their time together in the Forge, they began to feel lonely. Then, they began to wonder if there were others like them out there in the universe. This curiosity began to grow, until one day, one of them said that they were going to leave their home and see what the universe had to offer.
"The other Celestials soon agreed that they should seek out other life. They loved their home but felt that it had little left to offer them. So, they all agreed to leave the Forge behind and travel the universe to learn about its wonders and secrets. But not before deciding that they would return to the Forge every few centuries to trade stories and knowledge. And so, the Celestials left their dimension behind to see the universe and all it contained."
"Left their dimension? But how? I thought the only way to do that is through dimensional scissors," Star said.
"That's not the only way to travel between dimensions, Star. Thanks to their cosmic powers, the Celestials discovered a way to open tears in the fabric of reality, allowing them to travel to any dimension. I suspect that dimensional scissors may have based on this technique," Rafael said.
"Having left their home behind, the Celestials traveled the universe, some alone, others in groups. Eventually, they did find other life. However, they were dismayed to learn that while many of these beings looked like them, they didn't possess any of their power. These other beings were far weaker and seemed to grow and change as time passed before one day; they stopped moving. This was the first time the Celestials realized how unique they were in the universe, and the first time they learned about the concept of death."
"The Celestials were at a loss on what to do. Some wanted nothing to do with these other people, seeing them as beneath them. Others suggesting conquering them, make them do their bidding. Fortunately, the majority agreed that this was not what their powers were for. They realized that with their incredible powers, they could help these other beings to grow and advance. It took a while, but eventually, they all came around to this idea."
"Now armed with a new purpose in existence, the Celestials began to seek out other, less advanced people in the universe and helping them through different ways. Some used their powers to disguise themselves as beings native to the dimension, pretending to be prodigies among their people who would give them incredible new ideas and knowledge. Others chose to observe the budding people from afar, singling out those that they believed could help their civilizations progress and giving them hints or inspiration. Then some chose to just reveal themselves in all their power and help them with their problems."
"If they did all this in different ways, then how did people know they were the same beings? Celestials, I mean?"
"Well, Star, once the Magic High Commission came into being and gave everyone the ability to travel between dimensions, they began to swap stories and ideas. That's when they realized that these otherworldly beings of celestial origin had visited most of their worlds. So they began to refer to them 'the Celestials'. And the Celestials just went with it. Before long, the people of the universe started worshipping them as gods...with a small g, of course," Rafael chuckled as he said that last part.
"So, if these Celestials were as powerful as you say they were, then where are they? What happened to them?"
Mr. Diaz's smile seemed to a fade a little bit at this question, but it soon returned. "Well, Star, you know how some people wish to take your wand because of the power it could give them?"
"Well, duh, it's one of the most powerful artifacts in the universe. That's why Marco and I are fighting bad guys all the time," Star said, much to the man's amusement.
"Well, some people began to look at the Celestials in the same manner. They began to covet the seemingly infinite power of these godlike beings and tried to think of ways to take it for themselves. They tried to manipulate and deceive them into doing their bidding, while some became so desperate as to try and sire children with a Celestial."
"What!?" Star gasped. "Why would they do that?"
"Because they hoped that any child begot by a Celestial would inherit their abilities, and thus could be used as tools for their power and benefit."
"But that's so awful! How could people think of doing that?!?"
"As I said, they were desperate, Star. But fortunately, none of these attempts succeeded. However, the damage was already done, and the Celestials realized that there would always be those who try to use their powers for evil. Something had to be done, and at the next meeting at the Forge, an agreement was made."
"And what agreement was that?", Star could only ask, now deadset on learning the truth.
"It was decided that, for the greater good of the universe, the Celestials would go into hiding. They would cease openly assisting the universe's inhabitants and never let anyone witness their powers again. So it was done," Rafael said sadly before continuing.
"Some of the Celestials chose to return to the Forge and live there, spending their days creating as they had in the beginning. Others chose to disguise themselves as the people they had helped in the past, living amongst the civilizations they helped to build. It's thought that some went so far as to erase their memories and live their lives as mortals. As time passed, the Celestials faded away into myths and legends. Hence why most people who know of them don't believe they existed. As for those who knew they were real, none of them could learn what happened to them. Not even the Magic High Commission could do so."
"Wow. That is, that is a lot to take in," Star said as she threw her hands up to her head to make the "mind blown" gesture while slumping in her chair. Then she remembered what they were talking about in the first place.
"Wait. Mr. Diaz, what do the Celestials have to do with any of this. What do they have to do with Marco?" Star asked as she sat back up in her chair.
Rafael could only chuckle again at this question. "Oh, Star, it has everything to do with Marco. Just as it has to do with me, haven't you wondered how I could all this in the first place?"
"Oh, yeah. Yeah, how do you know all this? There's no way Glossaryck could know this stuff, and the only way you could know it is if you...were...there.", Star said, the last few words coming out of her mouth slowly as the gears in her head began to turn again.
"Mr. Diaz, are you telling me that you're..
"Yes, Star. I am a Celestial."
??????(Back with Marco)
As soon as Marco ascended the stairs, the shadowy figure from before disappeared, and like the living room downstairs, the second floor was just as weird. There were doors as far as the boy could see, constantly opening and closing. And for some reason, a floating cat was hanging right above him.
Marco decided that he had to take a risk and approached one of the doors. Hopefully, one of these will give me a way to wake up from this trippy dream. As soon as he opened the door, though, he was taken aback with he saw. It was him, or more specifically, his younger self when he was around six or so. He was standing in a classroom with a very noticeable blush on his face as he tried to talk to a younger Jackie Lynn Thomas.
That was ..when I finally started talking to Jackie. It took me weeks to finally work up the nerve to do so. I even came close to throwing up when I tried to do it. That was not a very pleasant experience for him, but in hindsight, it led to a lot of better memories and his friendship with Jackie. Memories...wait, is that what I'm looking at right now? A memory? Marco thought as he closed the door.
Marco then proceeded to try the next several doors, only to be met with similar outcomes. They all revealed memories of his life thus far. From the first time he met Janna, hanging out with his friends, and several others. After he had closed what he thought was the seventh door, he noticed that there was a mirror hanging next to the doorway. When he decided to take a look at himself, though, his eyes widened.
His face was now cracked, or rather, it had cracks all over it. The most noticeable ones, though, seemed to meet on his forehead, creating a jagged X. After a few seconds, he realized that the cracks seemed to extend down to his neck. Beginning to worry, Marco unzipped his hoodie to take a look at his body. Just like his face, cracks were jutting out of it as well. That wasn't the worst part, though. The worst part was that he saw that his skin was now deathly pale.
"Wha-what is this?" Marco said in a panicked tone while looking at himself in the mirror as he ran his hands across the cracks. Suddenly, Marco's reflection in the mirror glitched, and instead of his reflection, he was now looking at an image of what appeared to be a humanoid being dressed in red armor. The figure was the same height as him but looked like it wasn't human, at least not entirely. It was black around the arms and torso, but the rest was covered in the strange red armor. It looked like an alien version of the suits of armor warriors would wear in the Medieval era, with sharp joints around the elbows and knees to allow for movement. On top of the arms and behind the legs, gray spikes were jutting out, with two similar spikes on each of its feet. The red armor was also covered in black spots around the thighs and knees. The weirdest thing, though, was the figures face. It had brown eyes, a mouth that did not seem to move, and it was protected by some sort of mollusk-like helmet that covered the back, allowing the front to be visible. All told, it made for a very strange sight.
"Is this m-me?" Marco said while moving his hand in front of the mirror with the person doing the same with its hand, which he now noticed had sharp claws. When Marco looked at his hands, he saw that it was still the same and nothing like the one in the mirror, though when he took a look at the mirror again, the armored figure was gone. His reflection had replaced it, but that wasn't much of an improvement, considering everything.
Okay, I am officially freaked out right now.
Marco then felt something ran past him. The moment he turned around, he saw one of the doors closing. When he approached it, he immediately opened it and saw what he hoped he would never have to see again.
"God, not this again." Right in front of Marco was the memory of his mental battle with Monster Armor his dark self. As Marco watched the scene unfold before him, despite the overwhelming urge to immediately close the door, something Monster Arm said caught his attention. Something about a mindscape. As Marco tried to ponder this, he heard the vision of the Monster Arm speak again.
"Everyone in the universe has a mental area where everything that makes them who they can sit comfy and cozy. Their thoughts, their memories, their innermost fears". The vision said. As soon as it was finished, Marco immediately closed the door. He didn't want to think of one of the worst moments in his life anymore.
However, the more Marco thought about what the Monster Arm said, the more he started putting things together. He had heard him say something about a Mindscape during the fight, but he had been so focused on survival that he ignored it. "Could it be that I'm inside my Mindscape?" Marco said. The more he thought about it, the more it started to make sense. This place he was trapped in contained all his memories, even the ones he wanted to forget about. Add that to the fact that it looked like his house, an obvious place of comfort, and it made even more sense. Though he still had no idea what the giant floating baby head and talking zebra were about, Marco concluded that he was in his Mindscape.
"Okay, now that I know I'm in the Mindscape, how the heck did I end up here. For that matter, how do I get out?" Marco questioned himself, still unable to recall the incident that caused him to pass out.
As soon as those words left Marco's mouth, another door down the hall opened itself. Seeing this, Marco immediately made his way towards it and saw another memory.
"Huh, this looks familiar," Marco said as he looked at a memory of him walking back home with Star talking about something called the Blood Moon Ball. "That's right. Star's ex came and asked her to go to this big dance tonight, and I was against it. Then she went anyway, and...what did I do next. The memory them went black, confusing Marco in the process. "Hey, what's the big deal?" Before he could say anything else, a red light appeared on two people that he now recognized as himself and Star.
"That's right! I chose to go the Blood Man Ball anyway because I had a feeling something bad would happen to Star. And then when I found her, that red light appeared, and without even realizing it I started dancing with her"
Marco watched as the memory of himself, and Star continued to gracefully dance across the ballroom floor. At the time, Marco was focused on getting Star out. When he looked back on it, though, he couldn't help but remember how happy he was dancing with her. Or how she seemed to look an angel, wide-eyed and pretty.
"Wow. Star looked really pretty right then. And man, could she dance. I guess being a princess means being a great dancer." As Marco kept his gaze on the memory of Star, he tried to remember what happened next. Then, he felt his head begin to hurt like someone was beating it with a hammer trying to split it open. Suddenly, the door shut as Marco began fell to his knees, clutching his head in pain.
Real World, Diaz House
"You're...you're a Celestial?" Star squeaked out as she felt her eyes widen in shock. Of all the things she had expected to hear from Mr. Diaz, she never expected something like this.
"Yes, Star, I am a Celestial. I know I may not look like one, but I can assure you that I am," Rafael confidently said.
"Wait, if that's true, then how come I've never seen you use your powers? Were you one of the ones who..."
"Wiped their memories? No, no. I still have all my memories and access to my powers. It's just that these days, I prefer being able to do things with my own two hands."
The confusion only intensified on Star's face as she began thinking of so many questions. "Mr. Diaz, just how old are you?"
Rafael gave an embarrassed laugh as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well, to be honest, Star, I don't know. I lost count. Since my people do not age, there was never really any need to keep track of our age. Though if I had to guess, I'd say I'm at least a few million years old."
"A FEW MILLION YEARS!?!?" Star shouted before remembering that Marco was still resting. "Sorry," she whispered. "A few million years?!?"
"Yep, and I don't look a day over forty."
"B-but, how long have you lived here on Earth? For that matter, why Earth?"
"Well, after we all agreed to go into hiding, I decided to travel to Earth. It's the only dimension that hasn't developed a means to travel to other dimensions, and with little magic to be found, I thought it would be the last place anyone would think to look for a Celestial. I've been living here for a few hundred years, give or take."
"Whoaa," Star said, wide-eyed at this revelation. "I can't even begin to imagine how much you've seen! It must have been so much fun!"
"Oh, it was at times."
As Star was about to ask him more about what sort of adventures and things he must have seen, she remembered why she was still there.
"Wait, if you're a Celestial, then doesn't that make Marco one, too?"
"Well, yes and no, Star. He's what you would call a Human-Celestial hybrid, as his mother was human."
"But I thought you said that all the attempts to have children with Celestials failed."
"They were until I met Marco's mother, Angie. She was special, kind, and beautiful. I fell in love with her soon after we met. Then, one day, we found out we were going to have Marco. Somehow, out of the many times, others had tried and failed to have children with a Celestial, we had succeeded."
That made Star think of another question about Marco's mother. She had heard Marco and his dad talk a lot about her, and she sounded like an amazing woman that Star would get along well with. However, she had never seen or heard from her since she came to Earth. Well, I might as well, Star thought as she asked her question: "Where is Marco's mom?"
At this, Rafael's face fell, saddened by the memory of what happened. "Sh-she is no longer with us, Star. She died giving birth to Marco. She lived long enough to hold Marco before she passed away," Rafael said, depressed over what had happened.
"Oh. I'm so sorry, Mr. Diaz. I-I didn't know!" Star said, guilty about what she had asked.
At this, Rafael gave Star a reassuring smile. "Don't be, Star. You didn't know, and Marco and I made peace with it a long time ago. For all our power, Celestials are unable to bring back the dead. Nor do we have any wish to."
Star felt saddened at this. She didn't have a very close relationship with her Mom, but she didn't want to imagine what life would be like for her family without her.
"After Marco was born, I decided that he should have as normal a life as possible, which is why I chose to stay here on Earth. When he began to show signs of inheriting my powers, I began to train him and teach him how to use them to protect himself. While he never said it out loud, though, I could tell that Marco was growing bored with life on Earth. I had hoped that one day, he would be able to leave home and see all this universe has to offer just as we did before. Then, you came into our lives and opened up the universe for him. For that, I thank you, Star Butterfly."
"You're welcome, Mr. Diaz. Marco has been the best friend I could ever ask for," Star said, smiling. Suddenly, though, a realization came over her. "Wait for a second, if Marco's half-Celestial, than that means he should have no problem being able to make weapons and armor like the red-armored boy I keep remembering from when I was in Mewberty. And Oskar said that I focused on him alone after we started fighting. A-and what I learned about the purpose of Mewberty means that-that I.." Star was, at this point, thinking out loud as she connected the dots about the Mewberty Incident together. And the only conclusion she could come up with was that Marco was the boy she had fought.
B-but if that's true, then I must have been responsible for his injury. He could have overused his powers and led to this whole mess! Even worse, this means that I tried to-to. Star did NOT want to finish those thoughts, as the implications of what her hormone-driven, boy-craze Mewberty state wanted her to do to her best friend was making Star blush in embarrassment.
"Star, are you okay?" Rafael asked out of concern, bringing her back to reality.
"Um, Mr. Diaz, did Marco happen to mention what happened while I was in Mewberty?"
"He might have brought it up when I spoke to him earlier tonight. But you do not need to worry. Marco doesn't blame you in the slightest for what happened."
"But what about those cracks on his body? They must have started appearing because of him using his powers to subdue me!
"It would seem so. But you mustn't blame yourself for that, either. This was likely to happen anyway, as his body is adjusting to the full extent of his powers. I just never thought it would happen so soon."
"Oh, man, I'm going to give the biggest apology of my life when Marco wakes up. Speaking of which, when will he wake up?" Star asked, looking back at her sleeping best friend.
"That I'm not certain of, but something tells me that it will be soon. And when he does, you two are going to have a lot to talk about," Mr. Diaz said as he began to stand up from his chair.
"Now then, if you'll excuse me, I will leave you two alone to talk things out. Don't overdo it, though. He's just been through a lot in one night, and he needs to adjust."
"Thank you, Mr. Diaz. And thank you for trusting me. Your secret is safe with me," Star said as Marco's dad left the room, getting ready to go to bed.
Star then turned back to look at her sleeping best friend, silently praying that he would wake up soon.
Oh dear God, please let me wake up already!!!!
Marco's head felt like it was being cracked open like an egg. One minute he remembered how he had gotten into the Mindscape. The next minute, it felt like someone was putting two drills between his ears and scrambling his brain. And in the midst of all that, the memories of what happened returned, hitting him like a ton of bricks. He remembered what Tom had done to him, what he had done to Tom, and worst of all, the scared look on Star's face is the last thing he remembered.
Argh, It hurts! Why does my head feel like it's about to split open! Marco screamed in his mind, begging for the pain to stop. Finally, he felt a wave of energy similar to what he felt in the Underworld flow through his head and then his body as the headache started vanishing. Marco finally let go of his head. When he turned to look at the person in front of him, he saw it was the same black-hooded figure from before. Only now, their hood was lowered, revealing an ivory mask with black markings that resembled the cracks on his face.
When Marco was about to speak, the figure in front of him beat him to it, uttering only one word
"Awaken."
With that, Marco's vision went black once more.
Real World(Diaz Household)
Star was now alone in Marco's room, waiting who knows how long for him to wake up. In the meantime, she was trying to process everything that she had learned that night. That the Celestials her Mom told about were not only real, but she was living with two of them! Her best friend was half of one of the most powerful races in the entire universe. Not only that, but he had kept it a secret from everyone he knew for so long, and risked his life to help her while she was in Mewberty.
It still feels unbelievable, Star thought. Her bestie was basically a demigod. While she didn't think any less of him, though, she couldn't help but remember what he had looked like when he was fighting Tom. It was both awe-inspiring and terrifying, and she couldn't help but feel a little afraid at what she had witnessed.
Star, what are you thinking? That's your bestie you're talking about! The person who accepted you despite all the trouble you cause. Star mentally scolded herself for thinking such thoughts about Marco. Marco had done nothing but helped her since she came to Earth, all while he was keeping such a huge secret from everyone. The least I can do is help him in return.
Star was immediately pulled out of her thoughts when Marco suddenly jolted awake, panting surprising Star out of her chair in the process.
"*Huff* *Puff* I-I'm back?" Marco said while panting as he took in his surroundings and saw that everything was no longer grayscale. "I'm back! WOO-HOO!" Maco shouted as he pumped his arms in the air in celebration.
That celebratory mood soon passed, though, as he then saw Star, still in her dress from the Ball, and for some reason was lying on the floor of his room.
Oh, right. Star saw everything. Marco thought. He had remembered everything that had happened at the Ball, including how utterly terrified she was at what he had become. He had never felt more ashamed of himself in his life.
I just hope she can find it in her heart to forgive me for everything, Marco thought as he steeled himself for the explanation that he was going to have to give.
"Star, I-"
But before he could say anything more, he was cut off by a bone-crushing hug.
Well, I guess she's not mad at me, then!
"Oh my corn, Marco. Thank Mewni, you're all right!" Star said as she tightened her hug on her best friend.
"Star...can't...breathe," Marco choked out while tapping his friend on the shoulder.
After a few more seconds of Star crushing Marco, she finally let go with a relieved smile that her best friend was alright. Though when she looked at Marco, he was looking off to the side, his face a mixture of fear and shame.
"I'm sorry, Star."
Star was taken aback by this. Why on Earth or Mewni was Marco apologizing to her? Then she remembered what had happened: the fight they had right before she left for the Ball. When she had seen that Marco had followed her, she was livid. But all that anger gave way to fear when she saw Tom try to burn him, and shock and horror at what she saw Marco do. By the time she had finished listening to his father's story, her anger was long gone.
Star wanted to say something, but she chose to stay quiet. Mr. Diaz had told her to let Marco tell her. This was something Marco had to do.
"I knew you could handle yourself, Star. I should have trusted you to handle Tom on your own. Instead, I lied to you about my injury, and I followed you against your wishes. And to top it off, you saw me reveal a part of myself I had been keeping secret in the worst way possible. I ruined the Ball for you. So, I'm sorry for everything." Marco said all of this in a deeply regretful tone.
"Hey, it's alright, Diaz. It wasn't all bad. At least now I know you can dance," Star said, trying to cheer her friend up. She was able to get a small smile out of him, which made her feel a little better about it.
After a few moments of silence, she heard Marco take a deep breath before looking back at her. All right, Diaz. You can do this, the boy thought.
"Star, I told you that I would explain everything after the Ball. So, about what happened after we danced.." Seeing her chance, Star interjected.
"Marco, it's alright. I know everything." Marco's eyes went as wide as saucers when she said this.
"Y-you do? But h-how did y-"
"Well, after you passed out, I brought you home and had your dad tend to your injuries. After that, he sat me down, and he told me everything."
"Everything?" Marco simply asked
"Everything, Marco. I know about the Celestials, how they went into hiding, how your father is one of them, and how your half-Celestial." Star said as calmly as possible, trying to keep her friend from freaking out. "And," she said while putting her hand on his shoulder, "I know that you're the one helped me while I was in Mewberty."
Marco was trying to do his best to keep himself from shaking as he looked at Star. "Star, I wanted to tell you so much. But I was terrified of how you see me. I thought you'd see me as a freak or monster."
"Marco Diaz, why would you even think that? You should know me well enough by now to know that I would never think of you like that!"
"But I saw the way you looked at me, Star! I don't think I've ever seen you so scared before!" Marco countered.
"Yes, Marco. I was scared. But it wasn't of you. I was scared because I thought that I was about to lose my friend, and I couldn't do anything to help him."
Marco just looked at her for a few seconds before he said something. "So, you really don't think I'm a freak?"
"Are you kidding me, Marco? You and dad took me in without a second thought, and you've stood by me during all the crazy things that have happened to us. If I didn't do the same for you, then what kind of friend would I be?"
Marco couldn't help but smile at her answer. But he was still uneasy about something.
"There's also another reason why I didn't tell you at first, Star. Do you know how Ludo keeps coming after you because of the Wand? Imagine that, only a hundred times worse, happening to me. If those with evil intent found out that there was a Celestial hybrid out there, they'd do anything to gain control of me. Even hurt the people I care about. If that happened, I could never forgive myself."
Star couldn't help but smirk at that. "Marco, I think you and I both know that I can more than take care of myself. And now I know that you can take care of yourself. At least, more than I already knew. If anyone comes after us, we'll take them together."
Hearing Star say this so confidently, Marco could help but return her smirk. Star's right. Between my Celestial Powers and her magic, I think we got it covered.
"Plus, you know having a virtual demi-god as your best friend means?" Star added
"Um, what's that?" Marco asked, confused.
"It means we can go on even crazier adventures now! I mean, we'll have to find a way to keep people from learning the truth about you, but think of everything we could do! Especially now that I know you're not totally helpless!"
"Uh, I'm pretty sure I wasn't helpless before, though. I've got a red belt in karate and handle all those Monster's pretty well."
"Whatever you say, wild man, though I don't think you can go to school looking like that," Star said. When she saw Marco's confused face, she conjured up a mirror before giving it to him.
"What are talking about Sta-" the words died in Marco's throat once he got a look at himself. It was just like in the Mindscape. He had cracks all over his face, and he could feel them throughout his body though thankfully, his skin wasn't pale as a ghost.
"Wh-why am I still like this?!? I thought this was supposed to go away!" Marco said frantically while looking at himself.
"Yeah, your dad mentioned that this might be because you're a hybrid or something, so it may take longer for them to go away.
"I-I can't go to school like this, I'm not yet ready for other people to know about me," Marco said while dropping the mirror with a panicked look in his face.
"Nothing a little magic can't fix!" Star said enthusiastically before raising her wand.
"Star wait!" Marco said. However, Star simply ignored him.
"INSTANT COVERUP GLITTER BOMB!!" When Star's spell made contact with Marco, he was briefly engulfed in pink light. After it subsided, he looked at himself in the mirror and saw that the cracks were gone.
"Woah, how did you do that, Star?" Marco asked, impressed while Star got a proud look before answering.
"Just a spell I learned. It's supposed to mask any ailment," Star answered. "A lot of my relatives have used it when their appearances have been less than ideal at key times. Like public appearances, balls, parties, social gatherings. That sort of thing."
"Well, that may be the most practical spell I've seen you do yet, Star. Great work." Marco couldn't help but feel better despite everything that had happened that night. He was finally able to tell his best friend his biggest secret, and she fully supported him. As he was thinking, a realization came over him.
Now that I don't have to hide it from Star anymore, I can finally show her.
"Hey, Star, I've got something that I've been to give you for a while. I just didn't know how until now."
Star started to say something, curious as to why he wanted to give her something. "Oh, Marco, you don't have to.."
Marco cut her off. "Star, I insist. Plus, consider this a proper introduction to my powers. Now watch my hands closely."
Before Star could object, Marco brought his hands together and began to concentrate. Soon, what looked like dust began to gather in the open palms of the boy's hands. The dust began to condense, forming the outlines of shapes. Star watched in awe as the dust began to form two small objects: a pair of necklaces in the shape of hearts. As if that wasn't impressive enough, two chains, attached to each necklace, then appeared.
At last, Marco finished with his creations, opening his eyes to see Star completely awestruck
"Wow," was all the girl could say.
"Yeah, it was like for me the first time, too. Anyway, Star, this is for you." Marco then handed her one of the necklaces, and as Star went to look at it, she saw it had the words "Best Friends Forever" engraved on one side and a picture of her and Marco on the other.
"Marco, this is.."
"Star, do you remember when we went to Quest Buy, and I went off on my own to look at stuff? I wasn't just browsing. I was looking for a gift for you."
"But why, though?" Star was genuinely confused as to what she did for him to deserve this.
"Star, I don't think I was ever going to stay on Earth forever. After I graduated from high school or college, I wanted to travel the universe and see everything it had to offer. But ever since you came into my life, I've been able to do all of these amazing things sooner than I could have ever hoped. We get to fight Monsters, travel to other dimensions, and see things that I never thought possible at my age. You changed my life for the better when we first met, and I thought that this was the least I could do for you."
Star grinned happily at this "Aw, thank you so much, Marco. You really are the best friend a girl could ask for! Hugs!" Star yelled, wrapping Marco in a tight hug, which he returned this time. Her hugs feel so nice. Marco thought, remembering all the times she hugged him. And her hair smells like straw-wait, why am I thinking about that?
Outside of Marco's room, Rafael had a content smile on his face. He really is growing up Angie, he thought to himself before leaving Star and Marco alone. Those two had a lot to talk about.
Ordonia Household
Janna was currently sitting in her room, getting in some late-night reading with Star's Book of Spells before she went to bed. She had meant to return it earlier, but with everything that happened with Mewberty, she decided to hold onto it for the time being. While the book had nothing on the Celestials, she started to look for a spell that could be cast without the wand or having any innate magic.
*Beep* *Beep*
Janna's phone rang. A few days ago, Janna found a social media site in the UNET, so without hesitation, she created an account for, allowing her to receive notifications whenever something big happens.
When Janna grabbed her phone, her eyes widened at the top trending topic:
"oh man, did you see wut hppnd to @princeofunderworld. He totally got rekt! #bloodmoonball"
"The #bloodmoonball got way more interesting tonite!
"So I hear some mystery person crashed the #bloodmoonball 2night and stole @princeofunderworld's date. Anyone wanna confirm?"
"Stole his date? They swept them off their feet! His date looked like they were on cloud 9. And then got all glowy and beat down the demon!
"#Glowinguy rekts @princeofunderworld. Who were they?"
Everyone's talking about the #bloodmoonball and how @princeofunderworld got rekt. But nobody asking real question: what kind of creature could do that
"I hear rumors going around. They're saying #Glowinguy may have been a FREAKIN CELESTIAL!! #Celestialsreturn
"A Celestial? I thought they were a myth! #noway
"A #Celestial at the #BloodMoonBall ? I new I shoulda gone! #Bummedout
"Guys, I found a video of the incident check it out."
Janna clicked the video; however, the guy who was seemingly glowing in the video had his face obscured for some reason.
Dang and here I thought I could meet this guy in person, Janna thought as she discarded her phone in frustration and went back to reading.
Somewhere in Mewni
"So," a voice said. The voice came from a figure in the dark, though his hands could be seen, they appeared to be made of yellow energy. "What are we gonna do now?"
"I don't know," a deep voice said.
Currently, a group of seven was gathered in a secret room., all staring down a circular table. The table itself was glowing and showing a video of the incident at the Blood Moon Ball.
"Are we to make our move then?
"No," a voice rasped as he came in through a double door. "There's no better time than now."
"But it's still too early, don't you think we are rushing things?" a woman's voice spoke.
"I agree, we should wait and see what this boy can do first before we make our move."
"Well," said another voice. "Are you sure? He might not be one you know, How can we be sure he's even one of them?"
"How about we observe him for now, then. Just to be sure?" another voice suggested
The first guy from earlier nodded in thought, then he said, "Ok, how about we let the boss decide what we should do?" Everyone turned to a figure who seemed to be in thought as he had his eyes closed before speaking.
"We shall observe first. If he truly does possess it, then we shall make our move. For now, everyone is dismissed," The person said in a deep voice before turning to leave.
The other people simply nodded as they turned to leave as well, leaving the table alone, which deactivated.
Quest Buy Private Study
The Sentinel, now known as Rover, was currently inactive. Ever since Marco's departure, he rarely activated. Not many people knew about the private study. Suddenly, Rover's eyes and core activated, and he began to speak.
"System Update: Celestial sighting updating from 500 years ago to 1 day ago.
No images available.
Last known location: Underworld
Incident: the Prince of the Underworld attacked a humanoid believed to be a Celestial.
Incident Result: Prince and Royal Guards suffered injuries. Currently being treated
Identity of the Celestial: unknown
Place of origin: unknown
Known companion: Star Butterfly, Princess of Mewni
Update Complete."
Rover then saw the video of the incident that everyone had been watching. Unlike them, though, he was able to recognize the person in the video
"Marco Diaz"
Celestial Journal
The Forge-the home dimension of the Celestials. Not much is known about this dimension other than it being the birthplace of the Celestials. It is impossible to access by other beings due to the lack of information on the place, unless they are brought along or accompanied by a Celestial, the forge is virtually impossible to access by other beings
Chapter Notes:
[we see Jay sitting in a recliner chair finishing a bag of apple crisps. When he sees the chapter is over, he then turns to get up and speak to the readers]
Holy cow, this was a crazy chapter. When ROTHEM told me about what he had wanted to do here, I knew that he was doing something special with this story. Of all the chapters I got to help him edit, I think this may have been my favorite after Blood Moon Ball. It really gave us a chance to look at Star and Marco's relationship and how Marco's secret would affect it going forward. But I think I want to let ROTHEM speak. Take it away, ROTHEM!
Well first of all from here on out the story will start diverging from the show little by little(obviously). Like I said previously this story will be based on the four seasons of the show. Because of the different attitude of Marco as well as his relationship with Jackie, Janna, and Oskar ,chapters that are based from the show will be altered. After season 1 the story will diverge even more than from the show though if you have an episode from the show that you want to see feel free to let me know and I'll try to do it if possible.
Anyways as always thank you for reading this story of mine as well as for Following and Favoriting(still not sure if this is a word).Thank you for the kind Reviews and feel free to Critic as they are always appreciated as they can help me improve my writing.
Review Responses:
OMAC001- well hope you liked how the reveal went
Starco4everr-thank you for your continued support
I'mafanofFANFICTIONS-truthfully the kudos for the last chapter should go to my editor as he was the one who wrote it due to me suffering writer's block at the time though Revelations was done by me this time.
Masked Freak- nice poem. glad you like it so far.
Kraven the Hunter-don't worry that's not the last you've seen of Milly Sparkles.
sonavelkovskaa5842- thank you for your support.
See you guys next chapter where a new OC is added for the story
Rothem out Peace!
