"I remember what you said to me in the magic."
That voice. He knew that voice. That was her voice.
"You told me you loved me."
He was stunned. He had said that? Of course, he said that in a weird magic dimension that made people lose their minds. He groaned, realizing that it was true. He remembered denying it when Tad told him long ago, remembered denying it after that horrible mistake in the photo booth, but it was true. He really did love her.
But what did it matter? They were friends. Did she even want to be anything more? He couldn't take back what he said. But maybe, just maybe, he could save their friendship-
"In the way? Why does it have to be bad?"
What did she mean by that? Of course it was bad if she didn't feel the same way! They were best friends! If she didn't want-
"I want you to love me... because I love you."
She loved him. He couldn't quite believe it. She did feel the same way. Then, maybe things could actually work out between them.
"I want you to know that, no matter what happens..."
"We belong together."
Someone knocked on the door.
"Sire?"
A male voice called out, pulling the king out of his slumber. He sat up in his bed, gasping.
"Sire, please wake up. The kingdom awaits your instruction."
It had been seven years since that day. The day he finally found where his heart lay. The day when-
No, he told himself. Don't think about what happened next. You can't. He looked out his bedroom window to see the sun rising in the pink sky. The sight made him feel somewhat better.
"Sire? Are you alright?" The voice called out again. The king smiled, recognizing the voice: it was the new squire, a young boy who had dreamed of becoming a knight. The young squire reminded the king of when he was a boy himself. Before he became king. Before-
"No need to worry, I'm fine!" the king called out, pulling himself out of that dangerous train of thought. He really needed to work on that. But that dream... it felt so real.
He grimaced. Worry about dreams later. Right now, you have a job to do.
Before the king stood two Mewmans, one of which had claimed the other had stolen his house, along with his nineteen beloved pig-goats. The other, however, claimed that they were his to begin with, and asked one of the Royal Guard to deliberate. One poorly-phrased comment led to another, and the argument eventually reached the king's attention.
"So, we have an agreement?" The king spoke with a firm tone. "The two of you will share the house, and the pig-goats, until you both are able to be civil."
"Yes, Your Majesty," was the timid reply from both.
"Excellent." The king tapped his staff on the floor by his throne, producing a light thud. "You are both now free to go."
As the new housemates left the throne room, the king turned to one of his attendants.
"Bring in the next order of business," he said with a weary sigh.
"Actually, sire, that was the last item on today's schedule."
"Is that so?" the king remarked with some surprise. Today was lighter than usual.
"In that case, I think I shall take a walk through the kingdom," he said, standing up from the throne.
The attendant, a remarkably scrawny frog monster, looked at him in astonishment. "A-as you wish, sire," he stammered.
The king made his way to a door on the right of the throne, then stopped. "One last thing. Where is the squire who woke me this morning?"
"Here I am, my lord." The young boy in question stepped forward, trembling slightly. He was clearly quite nervous, but he managed to keep his voice steady when addressing his king.
"I heard you did a fine job today with your training. Keep it up, and you'll become a knight in no time."
The squire's eyes widened in shock. "Really?!"
"I guarantee it," the king said with a kind smile. He didn't actually know how the boy's training was progressing, but he knew that the best motivation was often a simple word of encouragement. It was another one of the many things he had learned from her.
The king walked down a dusty road, staff in hand. He didn't have a destination in mind, but he moved with swift determination. His surroundings slowly changed from lush vegetation to a more desolate landscape. Soon, a large, ruined structure appeared before him. The king stopped in surprise. He knew that building. What's more, he knew what happened to almost turn it into rubble.
He carefully walked up the long, ruined staircase of the Monster Temple, painful memories crowding his mind with each step. The king fought them back at first, but the memories continued to plague him everywhere he looked, each a sharp blade stabbing through his heart. His vision was distorted from the pain and tears, but he pressed on, finally reaching the collapsed entrance. A simple levitation spell cleared the debris blocking the doorway, and the king made his way inside. He didn't know exactly why, but he knew needed to be there at that very moment.
The temple was in complete ruins. The walls were cracked and crumbling. Vines crept around pillars and through windows. Pieces of stone littered the floor in various sizes. The various statues and murals decorating the walls were badly damaged.
Actually, it didn't look that different from when he was first there.
The king regretted the thought the moment it entered his mind. Visions from the past blurred into his sight.
Decorations being hung to celebrate monster and Mewman friendship...
A cereal dinner around a candle at the stroke of midnight...
The homemade beach to replace a ruined Beach Day trip...
Memories swirled inside his head, each one with a singular focus.
Her shimmering hair.
Her lovely voice.
Her brilliant smile.
Her sparkling eyes.
Her joyful laugh.
He staggered with pain and vertigo. The tears flowed freely down his cheeks. His heart was splintering into a thousand pieces. He loved her like he'd never thought was possible...
But she was gone. He could never see her again.
He stumbled out of the temple, desperate to leave the pain and sorrow behind. He couldn't bear to remember her. He couldn't bear to-
Something ahead caught his eye, and stopped him dead in his tracks. It was a small, unassuming tower, laying on the ground by the side of the Monster Temple. Yellow bricks made up most of its exterior, curving toward the side near the base of the tower. The roof was oval-shaped, colored sea-green and silvery-gray in a sort of inkblot pattern. A flag hung from the spire on top of the roof, ripped and torn from years of neglect.
Few people would notice this unimpressive little tower, and far fewer would care to inspect it up close. The king was neither of these. One glance, and his heart seemed to stop. He knew exactly what this tower was. This was her room.
The memories, the pain, the tears, everything came flooding in with an even greater force. This time, he didn't bother fighting back. There was no point in resisting; he couldn't stop it, no matter how hard he tried. He let it all wash over him like a cold downpour. The current threatened to sweep him off his feet, but he moved with the flow of emotions.
He went inside the tower, the room where so many memories were made. With a wave of his staff, the tower righted itself, a new foundation growing out of the ground to support it. A gesture from his hand, and the entire room was restored in a dark crimson glow. He sat down on the bed - her bed - and looked around him. There were weapons, magazines, and clothing scattered everywhere. Which was exactly how she always left her room. More tears came to his eyes, but he embraced them. At least for that moment, he was done running from his pain.
He looked down at the staff he held in his hands. It was a dark crimson in color, with ragged black wings on either side of a rough ovular bulb, narrowing to a sharp point. It didn't look like this when he first used it. Only since the day his heart split in two did it take this form. But none of that mattered to him right then. He could only think of one thing: he wanted to see her again.
His staff flared with a brilliant light. It began to transform, shrinking to less than a quarter of its previous length. He watched as the ragged wings changed shape, the large point split into two, and the oval head became more rounded. As the glow faded, his breath caught in his throat. He was now holding a familiar purple wand, with soft butterfly wings, red horns at the top, and a five-pointed star in the center of its head - her wand.
He smiled sadly at the wand, memories of excitement, mischief, and adventure running through his mind. It wasn't nearly as painful, now that he had accepted the memories and the emotions that they brought. But one thought still lingered in his mind. It stabbed itself into his heart, twisting deeper each time it repeated: She's gone. You will never see her again.
You will never see her smile again.
You will never hear her laugh again.
And you will never be able to forgive yourself again.
Because you failed to save her.
Searing pain coursed through him as another memory took hold in his head, one he had hoped to never revisit...
He was running as fast as he could toward the Monster Temple. There was an attack coming, and he had to warn them. The landscape blurred around him as he pushed himself to run faster, faster, faster! He had to make it before the attack came, or his mission would have been for nothing.
The Monster Temple was just up ahead. If he could just make it-
Then he saw the fight. Two giant figures were locked in combat. One looked like a giant suit of metal armor, and held a glowing red sword. The other also looked like a suit of armor, but was made of rainbow-colored energy.
He pushed himself to run even faster. If she was in trouble, he had to be there to help. It didn't matter to him if he couldn't actually do anything, he had to be there. If he wasn't-
A sudden explosion kicked up an enormous dust cloud. He slowed slightly, making sure he wouldn't get caught by any debris from the blast. That wouldn't help anyone. But the dust cloud was making it impossible to see what was happening. Wait, it was starting to clear... and the rainbow giant was still standing!
He was overjoyed. She had won!
And then he froze, his blood running cold. The metal warrior had thrust its sword through the chest of the rainbow-colored armor. The rainbow energy faded, and a small silhouette dropped to the ground. He began running faster than before, crying out with his heart twisting in his chest:
"STAR!"
"Hey."
That voice. He knew that voice. That was her voice.
"What are you doing here?"
Wait. Something was off. Did her voice always have that slight echo at the end of each sentence? No, he would have remembered that. But still, it was her voice. He took a chance.
He looked up. The figure of a girl stood before him, shimmering with golden light. Her blond hair swayed, as though a gentle breeze were blowing. Her sapphire eyes sparkled as she looked at him, the slight hint of a tear in the corner of each eye. But she did not smile. Instead, her lips were pressed together in concern.
"S-star? I-is that really you?"
"It's me, Marco."
There was no mistake. It was her. He knew he never forgot her voice. And he would never forget her face.
"I.. I... I can't believe it! You're here! You're actually here!"
"I'm here. But what are you doing here?"
"Huh?"
She looked at him, her gaze full of sadness and worry. Her eyes began to tear up even more. He panicked.
"H-hey, what's wrong? W-why are you crying?"
"...you're angry with yourself. You think that what happened was your fault."
That's right. It was his fault. If only he had gotten there sooner, he could've-
"It wasn't your fault, Marco. Don't you remember what I told you back then?"
The memory came back in an instant:
"STAR!"
A thunderous screech roared through the sky as a spell was cast, tearing through the metal giant's armor as though it never existed. But he didn't care. All he could see - all he cared to see- was that his best friend had gotten hurt. And he needed to be there, by her side.
"I'm here, Star! I'm here!"
She was laying on her back, a glowing red mark straight through her chest. He got on his knees next to her. She looked up at him, an expression of sheer pain on her face. Seeing her hurt like that made his heart twist in his chest. She reached out to him.
"M-marco? You're here.." Her voice was faint. He could see that she was struggling just to say those few words, let alone move her arm. He took her outstretched hand and held it.
"I'm here, Star. I'm here. But you need to stay still and be quiet. Conserve your energy. We'll figure out a way to fix this."
"N-no, Marco. I n-need to t-talk to you. I-it's important."
He could feel himself getting frustrated. She was always stubborn, but refusing to rest and heal? This was going too far.
"Look, whatever it is, it can wait until-"
"I r-remember... what you told me... in the magic." Her voice grew stronger, and her expression grew serious. "Marco... you told me... you told me you loved me."
That got his full attention. She looked at him with an expression he didn't remember seeing her make before. Her eyes sparkled in the sunlight. At that moment, he knew, without a doubt, that what he said in the magic was the truth.
"I do love you, Star. I do." Her eyes widened slightly at his words, and a slow smile appeared on her face.
"I'm... glad..." She paused for a moment, gathering strength. "Marco... I want you... to love me... because... I love you."
He stared in shock. She loved him?! He couldn't quite believe it... until he looked in her eyes again. The look on her face... That was it. That expression... It was love.
He had never believed in fairy-tale endings. Falling in love at first sight, finding your perfect match... It was all just a bunch of baloney to him. Until he found himself in a fairy-tale ending with his best friend.
"M-marco?" She spoke again, but her voice was starting to waver. He looked at her.
"Yes, Star?" he asked hesitantly. There was something about her tone that deeply unsettled him. It sounded almost... final.
"I want you... to know that," she breathed in shakily, "no matter... what happens..."
Her words began to fill him with cold dread.
"We belong... together," she finished. She breathed out, as though drifting off to sleep...
And went completely still.
"Star?" There was no response. He could feel the tears streaming down his face as one by one, his fairy-tale ending, his life, and his heart, shattered into pieces...
"You said... we belong together," he replied, tears streaming down his face once again.
She looked at him, her frown slowly fading.
"Marco, please take off that mask."
He had completely forgotten he was still wearing the mask.
When he was made King of Mewni, he wasn't sure what the people would approve of Marco Diaz, a boy from another dimension, as their king. Even if he could wield the royal wand. So, he wore a disguise, made a new persona for himself. But he had never gotten around to giving himself a name, so the kingdom gave him one: 'Brokenheart,' based on his frequently downcast behavior after taking the throne. As the years passed, he became more cheerful and upbeat. But the name had stuck. And he never took off the mask outside of his room.
Until now.
"Alright."
He reached up, and pulled the black material away from his face, revealing the face of Marco Diaz, the boy from Earth. He gave her a sheepish grin.
Star smiled. He was a little older, and he had red-black crescent marks on his cheeks, but he was still the same Marco that she knew... and loved. She gave him a tight hug.
"It's good to finally see your face again, Marco Diaz."
"It's good to see you too... Star Butterfly."
"You'll remember what I told you?"
"'We belong together.'"
Star took a step back, holding Marco's hands with her own.
"And we'll always be together."
She gave him a serious look.
"Remember, Marco. Even if you can't see me, I'll be with you. Even if you can't hear me, I'll be with you."
Star smiled again, and started to glow with a bright, golden light...
"No matter what, I'll always be with you."
...and disappeared in a flash.
"Always."
The king walked down a hallway in the castle. He made several turns, then came to the place he was looking for: The Tapestry Room.
He entered, passing by many of the past Queens with a respectful nod. On reaching Eclipsa's tapestry, he stopped. Though her life was full of tragedy, Eclipsa had always stayed positive, and was always willing to help when she noticed others in need. She was even willing to sacrifice her own daughter for the good of the kingdom. The so-called 'Queen of Darkness' was truly inspirational... much like another queen he knew.
After nodding to Eclipsa, the king continued onward, until he came to the tapestry he was looking for. A young girl with blond hair, standing with one arm outstretched and a determined look on her face. He looked down to read the inscription written on the pedestal.
Star the Unforgettable
All of Mewni will remember Star
as a princess brave and bold.
The world was forever changed
by her heart of purest gold.
The king looked around. Once he was certain he was alone, he removed his mask, revealing his true face. Marco looked up at Star's tapestry.
"I won't forget you," he said, smiling at his beloved friend. "And I will make sure your goal of a united Mewni doesn't go unfinished. I promise."
Replacing his mask, the king turned to leave, but stopped. He thought, just for a moment, that he had heard a whisper. But there was nothing. He shrugged, and walked out of the Tapestry Room. There was a lot of work to be done.
Next to the portrait of 'Star the Unforgettable,' a dim golden glow briefly flickered into existence. If anyone had been there, they could have seen the faintest outline of a girl with long hair. And if anyone had been listening, they could have heard her faint whisper of "Thank you" before she disappeared...