The door to the room was made of a rich, red mahogany. The hall enclosing it was dark and red as well. The Lucitor castle was known by many to be a place where anyone who set foot inside would never return. That is both what the legends claimed, along with many citizens of the underworld who claimed to lose people to the castle.
Inside, it was a labyrinth of red. The blood colored walls surrounded something that was not a treasure, but a boy. He was a demon, but deeper than that, he was a living, breathing person with feelings. He was pining after the likes of the princess of Mewni. She was adventurous, kind, loving, and strong. He loved her, at least that's what he thought he felt. As a demon, it took a lot for him to escape the natural instincts of hate and cruelty. So when she had used the Blood Moon Ball, an event that he had brought her to as a way to break his heart. She danced with another person that night, not as a platonic friend, but more. The way her eyes twinkled at the boy tore his heart apart. Tom had made many compromises to be with her and it killed him to watch them dance under the binding light of the Blood Moon.
KNOCK KNOCK
The boy was sulking in self pity in his room. The night of the ball had long since passed, but the effect of it would never leave. Demons had lifespans far beyond those of mortals like Star, so he had plenty of time to sulk. When he heard the knock on the door, he audibly sighed.
"Come in" The demon boy uttered, the words passing the rivers of tears that had formed in his eyes. Apparently having someone knock on his door was enough to set him off.
His father, Dave, was a normal looking person. He was a Mewman at birth, but he always had gravitated toward the darker parts of life. It was only when he first entered the underworld at the young age of 16 that he had found where he belonged. He had been in the underworld for a long time since then, he had courted the princess of the place as no more than a Mewman peasant, so while he was disrespected by some, others respected the Mewman's rise to power. The man had a son, he was a demi-demon that had the powers of his mother and the lust for power and respect of his father.
Once the man entered his son's room with a devilish smile, the boy turned around from his bedside, now looking at the man in the door, "What's up dad?" Tom spoke through a sniffle.
"My son, there is no need for tears, for I have excellent news!" Dave exclaimed. Tom didn't really seem to care about what his father was talking about, but given the nature of his father, he had no option but to respond, "Oh yeah? What is it?" Tom's acknowledgement was clearly unenthusiastic, but Dave paid no mind to it. It was no time to worry about such pathetic acts from the teenager.
"I have received word that Star Butterfly wishes to be courted, and only by the likes of you! Your marriage will spawn prosperity and peace between your respective kingdoms and it will form a strong alliance that will create a great power for our kingdoms!" Tom spoke enthusiastically, as if trying to sell his son on the idea. Tom was desperate, but he wasn't an idiot, "Dad, Star doesn't love me. She made that very clear when she froze me and stormed off."
"My son, did you ever care to realise that if that were true, she not only wouldn't have come to the dance, but she wouldn't have told her parents of her feelings as well." Dave said. He was always a deceptive person, he had tricked many people into unfavorable contracts over the many years of his rule, so it came to no surprise that he would use such skills on his own son.
Upon hearing the sentiment from his father, his head rose from it's slump and shot his father a look of something that he had lost months ago… it was hope. He was a gullible enough person, despite not being an idiot. His father was very skilled in his ways and his most recent performance proved just that.
"Are you sure about this?" Tom questioned. He was hopeful that it was true, but it was hard for him to suspend his disbelief on the matter. His father, churning up another grand deception, responded to the boy's doubts, "My son, I heard it from the Butterfly Queen and King themselves. They too are very happy about the courting and wish to end this period of distrust between our kingdoms as much as I."
Tom, now more convinced by the man's terrible exaggeration of events, got up from his bed and made for the door. He wanted things to change. He had been depressed for months, so the newly minted hope overcame him. Action would be taken, he would have what he wanted, no, needed. Star was what he needed. It was high time to finally be happy once again, and while he was at it, he could enact his revenge on a certain Earthborn boy.
Upon seeing the fruits of his labor, his son's confidence reinstated, he stepped out of the room and shut the door. Dave, now behind a closed door, cracked a nightmarish smile across his face. Things were finally coming together. He lusted for power and he would soon have an opportunity to steal it for himself.
Now alone in his own room, Tom could take in everything that just happened. He didn't take time to apply reason, he instead longed for the sweet feeling of revenge that he would obtain after murdering the hooded boy. He wanted nothing more than to stab a plethora of holes into the boy and beat his bloodied body into the ground before scorching his remains. Only after committing these heinous acts could he feel whole once more. Marco had taken everything from him, from Star to his own dignity. Tom didn't accept any of the blame for how things went, and now he wouldn't need to. Star still loved him! The thought of not having her now only maddened the demon even further. His grasp on reality began to loosen. The effect would only worsen the longer that he was kept from his goal.
X-x-X-x-X
Marco's room - 10:00 am
Marco and Star lay asleep in their respective beds, deep in sleep in their overcoming comfort. It had been only a night since they had felt the comfort of a bed on Earth, but after sleeping on Mewni overnight, they would surely not take their comfort for granted. They were comfortable in the beds to be sure, but it wasn't anything special apart from being better than Mewni. Over the night, Marco and Star dreamed very similar things. It wasn't another shared dream, but it was on the very same topic. They both dreamed of each other, not in an inappropriate light, but one of love and need. They had gone far too long without embracing their needs.
The problem had reached its boiling point on the night of the party. Luckily for both Star and Marco, that was just what they needed. Things had to get worse before they got better. Judging by just how hurt Marco and Star had been by the night, they wished that the good that came after the bad would be of equal or greater magnitude.
It was 10:00 am, this was very late by Marco's standards to be in bed still. He was a morning person to be sure, of course he needed his morning tea, but after he had it, he was great. He tackled each day with determination and hope that things would get better. Perhaps now that things were very likely to finally get better, that was why he was able to sleep in so long. That was the explanation that he had agreed to at least, he ignored the reality that it was very likely just fatigue from the grand battle and extreme damage that had been dealt with the day prior.
Just as the clock by the side of Marco's bed ticked, Marco shot up. It wasn't a loud noise, but after being paranoid for so long, he could have sworn that a twig had snapped. The reaction was likely due to either the night he spent in the castle or the sixteen years in the Neverzone.
Marco yawned loudly, stretching his arms above him. When he reached the apex of his stretch, a pain shot down his back, "Oh yeah, don't let me forget about that." Marco thought aloud. He sighed at the pain, but then he realised, he was sitting up and it was only after pushing his luck that he struggled, so he decided to take a great risk. He was going to try to get out of bed on his own and walk downstairs. He made to do just that, so he freshened up quickly and got his signature outfit on before breathing in and opening his door. He was doing better than he expected, he was still in mild pain to be sure, but it was manageable. Manageable was one of Marco's favorite things, so he ignored the pain and walked down the hall to the top of the stairs.
Once at the top, he looked down nervously. The night before, he had portaled into his room, so he had no idea what to expect from the treacherous journey he was getting ready to take. He took the first step, grasping both sides of the rails, he sighed in relief that it wasn't very painful. 'This could work' he thought to himself.
He found a new level of determination and took another step. He was doing great! He would be down in no time. So step by step, he made his way down the stairs. As each stair passed him, he gained speed. He still wasn't going the speed that he could typically use to leisurely walk up these very same stairs in the days prior, but he was doing very well given the circumstances. He looked at his sock covered feet as he took each step down. It was for that reason that when he began smelling something familiar and alluring, he didn't notice that Star was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs with an ecstatic smile on her face. Star waking up before Marco was a new precedent. The former would always need to be awoken by Marco, but since Marco was too exhausted to do so, it made sense that she managed to wake up before him, no matter how odd it was.
When Marco reached the bottom of the stairs, he breathed in the heavenly aroma coming from down here, it wasn't from the kitchen though. That was when Marco opened his eyes and was thoroughly spooked by Star, who was standing mere inches in front of him, roughly two inches below him. When he initially opened his eyes, he was trapped. Trapped in the ocean blue abyss that was Star's beautiful blue eyes. He hadn't ever been so close to her without hugging her, so he took some time to drink in everything about her. He really did believe that she was the most beautiful person around.
Star on the other hand was doing something similar enough. She gazed into his dark brown eyes as well, the only difference was that Star actually acted on her instincts, getting closer. The gap shrunk, three inches, two, one. There was no more and no less than an inch between the teens, only the air in the room itself could come in between them. Or so they thought. Just as Star puckered her lips and began to close the gap, she was met with a spatula on the mouth, in between her and her target, who was also about to give into his primal urges.
The spatula was held by no other than Angie. She scowled at the two, "I've rooted for the two of you to get together as much as anyone, but this can't happen. Marco you are still with Jackie!"
Marco, the pride he had gathered from his descent of the stairs gone, was caught off guard by the actions of his mother. She was right, but that didn't mean he wasn't annoyed by her interference. He shot her a pained look and then turned away from her, pulled the hoodie over his head and spoke, "I know mom, I just..I...I'm sorry… you're right." His sudden change of mood surprised Angie, so her motherly instincts activated and she consoled him, "Hey, like I said, I love the two of you, but you know it wouldn't be right." She spoke in a soft tone. Marco turned back to his mother, still hooded, and gave her an I know look. At some point today, he would need to deal with Jackie.
He didn't want to hurt her feelings. She didn't deserve any of the pain that Marco was likely to cause her, but he knew lying to her would be far worse. He had liked her for so long and now that she was his, he didn't want her. Initially it felt wrong, but the more time that he had spent with Star, the more that it felt right. He had grown intoxicated by her presence. She was something that he couldn't live without. That made the fact that he sacrificed everything that he loved to follow her back to Mewni. For the short time that the two would be on Earth, they had a few things to do. Star had a mandatory relaxation Wednesday, while Marco would go break a heart.
Marco then turned to Star with a sad look on his face. He then began to speak, but was immediately silenced by Star herself, giving him a knowing nod. She knew that he was going to go now. It wasn't exactly something that he could avoid, nor would he if he could. He always tackled things head on, save for his feelings for Star of course. He waited far too long to show her that he had feelings for her, everyone knew that. But to Marco's own defense, he didn't understand his own feelings anyway, so how could he act on them.
Marco then promptly turned to the door. He was still in moderate pain, but just walking in a straight line was manageable. He then decided to text Jackie as he walked, 'Hey, I need you to meet me at the pier as soon as you can, can you come?' Marco was a particularly lazy texter, so his formality was likely a red flag to Jackie.
As he walked, he took in his surroundings. He had walked through the town a hundred times before, but it was a calm day, so everything looked nicer. It was very early in the day, so it was slightly chilly out. He was wearing a hoodie, but the breeze still invaded the face hole in his still up hoodie. It was relatively cloudy outside, it wasn't totally gray, but there were multiple large, orange hued clouds making their way against the sky.
The pier wasn't far, as Echo Creek was an oceanside town, but at the speed Marco was going, it would be a while before he would get to his destination. The walk was nice though. The air smelled of rain, the ground was smooth, and the ocean was in view. As Marco made his way through the town, buildings he knew very well passed by. There was Britta's, the strip mall dojo, the wash that Star had hidden in, and many other places that he had made memories at. Only one thing seemed to stay the same in all of them, Star was there, of course she didn't stay with Marco while he was doing things like karate practice, but those weren't memories. They were simply things that happened, memories were something that held meaning. Star held meaning, she is what made occurrences memories. She made everything better with her presence. She gave him joy, friendship, and courage. The latter of which was something he lacked for the longest time.
When he told her he wanted some danger, she gave it to him. She always did what she could to consider his feelings. She was the princess of his deepest desire. This wasn't going to be easy, but he had to do it.
To his own surprise, he was the first to arrive at the pier. There were some amusement rides and food stands around. The wood that the pier was made of was very strong and the ocean was very clean. There were an abnormally large amount of waves that day. It was like the universe was warning him of a storm that was coming.
Jackie didn't take very long to arrive. She had a skateboard, so she could get there pretty fast. She didn't respond to his message, so he had to just hope that she got it and was on her way. After a short time waiting, the short haired skater arrived. She was wearing her typical outfit with the shorts and top that she wore everyday. She wore a frown on her face as she rode in on her skateboard. When the girl made it to the edge of the dock where Marco was sitting, she sighed and got off her skateboard.
Marco turned his head to her direction. Upon seeing him, her expression ever so slightly softened. She had most likely missed Marco when he disappeared, so it was likely nice to see him. But was it though? He left her at the drop of a hat and didn't even say goodbye. Now that he was back, would she beat him to the punch of breaking up with him?
"Hey Jackie," Marco said nervously.
Jackie didn't immediately respond, she took a moment to look him up and down. There were scratches and scars that she didn't recognise. He was only gone for a day, but he had accumulated so many new marks.
"Hey Marco," Jackie let out with a sigh.
The atmosphere of the meeting was incredibly awkward. There was a lack in confidence behind every move that either person had done. They each tried to speak multiple times, but they couldn't form a full sentence. It was Marco who was finally able to break the silence with words, "I'm really sorry." Was all he could say, but it was enough to get the conversation started. Jackie, in response, told him "Yeah, that was really not cool dude."
It was her most honest truth. She was definitely not happy to be left behind, let alone for another girl. Marco had nothing that he could tell her to defend himself. It was uncharacteristic of him to not have prepared for this, but it happened and he had to just wing it, "Yeah, I know…" was all he could say.
Jackie's frown deepened. She was looking directly at Marco from behind with a hateful look in her eye, "And what? You came back? What did you expect to happen?" she yelled. Marco was caught off guard by her sudden switch of attitudes. He knew Jackie as a cool person, so seeing her let loose on him was unsettling.
Marco couldn't just let this go on, he needed to put an end to it, "I know I have no right to even ask you to come out here, but we needed to talk. I'm sorry but this couldn't have happened over the phone." he spoke calmly, hoping that his tone would translate to her, but it didn't.
"You're unbelievable Marco, I thought that you liked me. You said so at the sleepover, so I guess that was a lie. You know what? How about you go enjoy your life with Star. You clearly never even liked me in the first place, so how about you.. You… FUCK OFF!" Jackie screamed at Marco. He had never heard her curse before, let alone this violently, but it happened. She snapped at him. She didn't walk away after saying that though, so he decided to keep talking to her in hopes to salvage what he could out of the crappy situation.
"Yeah, that's why I came here in the first place. Jackie, you're wrong. I did like you, I have since first grade, I'm sorry I took so long to say anything about it but I did. I made a mistake, and for that I am sorry." Marco apologetically spoke. Jackie didn't move, nor did her expression change. If anything, her glare hardened toward him. He kept talking.
"You didn't deserve this. I never deserved you. I should never have dove into you in the first place! In a way, I knew that I had feelings for her, I guess I just thought that if I was with you, maybe I would be able to just be best friends with her but-" Marco was interrupted by Jackie, this time for the last time, "...but you decided that lying to me would be better?!"
"NO!" Marco yelled, he composed himself before continuing, "Jackie, we were never a good fit. You have to know that is true. I really want to be friends after this and-" He was interrupted once more, this time not by words. His head spun as he was slapped across the face. There was a handprint on his face and when he turned to look at the girl, she was gone.
'Well that didn't go well' he thought. He tried his best to make things work with her and hopefully keep her as a friend, but she had no similar intentions. Now alone, he slouched on the bench while grasping the cheek that he had been slapped on with his left hand. He looked to the horizon over the ocean and found peace. Even after the recent events, as fast as they happened, he still could only imagine Star. For better or for worse, he got up from the bench and turned in the opposite direction. He began walking before he looked up from the ground. Fire started to form around something that he recognized. It was Tom.
X-x-X-x-X
Star sat on the couch, enjoying the morning tea that Angie had prepared. Rafael sat on the opposite side of the couch, watching TV. Star then took another sip of the tea, thus finishing her cup. She was about to get up to take her dish to the sink, but Rafael didn't allow her. He simply held out his hand and asked, "Allow me Star, I was going to put my own dish away anyway."
Rafael's kindness was not out of character. He was a great person, a great father, and to Star a great friend. Her relationship with the Diaz family was strong no matter what they went through. Whether it was a meatball boy, laser puppies, or even Marco being kidnapped, the parents remained loyal and loving toward Star. Angie was definitely her favorite of the two, not that she didn't like Rafael, but Angie was like a second mother to her. Sometimes even more than her own mother, she cared for Star. She was always there for her to help her or give advice. Seeing as Star needed quite a bit of advice, the two talked a lot over the last year.
Angie treated Star with compassion, love, and trust even when she didn't think she deserved it. Even more than the castle that she lived in for the entirety of her childhood, the Diaz house was her home. Everyone inside loved her and she knew it. She couldn't say the same about her own home. Last time she was there, her parents tried to tell her not to love the boy… man that had saved her life on more accounts than she could count, a man that left behind everything and risked his own life just for the small chance that they could be together once the fight was over. The thought of everything he had done for her made her knees weak. He really did love her and time after time he proved that. And just as much as Marco did for her, she would do the same for him in a heartbeat.
Angie walked back into the living room from the kitchen and greeted Star, "Hey Star, I'm sorry about earlier, I know that you two love each other, but I have to make sure my children do the right things." Hearing Angie say 'my children' brought warmth to her. Even Angie acknowledged Star as her own. That was why when she said that, Star ran to her and hugged her. She then said, "I know Angie, I trust you." As easy as the saying was to say, it held a deeper meaning. Star trusted Angie to make choices for her. She didn't even trust her own parents to do such a thing.
The hug lasted long, eventually even Rafael joined in, but at some point, Star heard something. It was like a scream, but in her head. She had heard these before, but this one was not her own voice. It was Marco's. It screamed and pleaded for his own life, "TOM! PLEASE STOP!" It screamed. Star began to panic. She pushed out of the embrace and sprinted toward the door.
She could hear every blow that Marco was enduring, whether it was his screams or even the faint vision of his attacker. Why was Tom there? The answer was obvious enough but what gave him the reason to attack him right there. And then it hit Star, not the reason of the attack, but the grim realisation that Marco could hardly walk and was being attacked by a demon, and a powerful one at that.
Star sprinted even faster than before. Star was capable of such unbelievable speeds that her surroundings were mere blurs as she sped by. It was almost like everything had disappeared around her besides the direction of Marco. She was never told where he was going to break up with Jackie, but she somehow knew. It was as if something were guiding her to him. A straight path to him was inexplicably engraved into her mind. She followed it, giving her mind complete trust. What option did she have? Marco was still writhing in pain through the sounds in her mind, which were rising in volume the closer that she became. There was no telling how far Tom would go, but Star knew better than anyone what he was capable of. Marco would be killed if she wasn't fast enough. Star contained great power, enough to wipe Tom from the very fabric of existence, but that would be no use if she was too late.
As she gained vision of the pier ahead of her, she also saw fire. The fire was everywhere, contaminating every ounce of flammable fabric within the area. The pier itself was at risk of collapse by now. That's when it happened. She saw Marco, bloody, beaten. He lay motionless on the ground as Tom charged a ball of flames in his hands. The screams stopped.
Star began to shake, she looked in Tom's direction with murderous intent. Tom then turned and noticed her. As if her presence was the push that he needed to finally do the deed, the ball grew at an even greater rate.
Star, torn to pieces by what she was about to bear witness to, began to transform. She was in her Mewberty form once again. She then began her approach. Tom was about to release his wrath unto Marco, but at the very moment, Star blasted him with such glorious fury that he began to disintegrate. She didn't complete the process because Tom created a fiery barrier, but the attack left his face scarred. The first time that she used her Butterfly form, she was like an animal, drunk with power, but this time she was sentient. She was doing all of this with her own control. Tom, both awestruck and terrified by the sight of Star, began to charge up another blast in his off hand while holding a barrier with the other. There was no telling why Star could possibly be attacking him right now, given that she wished to marry Tom, but he decided to ignore reason and resume his attack on the bloodied boy.
Star was beyond furious by now. She didn't speak a word in Tom's direction, possibly making his delusions even worse.
On the charred pier, there was an absence of life. Everyone on the pier has long since vanished. It was only the three of them still atop the wooden structure now. Tom was floating above Marco right beside some of the rides. That is when Star got an idea. She used her ridiculous strength to uproot the ferris wheel from where it was bolted into the pier. She held it as if it were a pillow and threw it directly at her ex. It was a direct hit. Even through the fiery barrier.
Tom was pushed by the wheel into the ocean. He was dealt with now, at least for the time being. So Star took her opportunity to rush to Marco's side. She changed back into her normal form and made it to Marco's side. At her touch he coughed and woke up. He spat up some blood and was unmoving, but his head was facing Star and he smiled. In relief that he was still alive, Star smiled back. They gazed into one another's eyes until Marco's closed. He was still breathing, but he fell unconscious once more. Star manually checked his heartbeat in his chest and once she felt it beating slightly more faintly than usual, she got up. She was about to pick him up and take him home, but that is when a fiery pillar exploded out of the water. It wasn't being used for escape, instead he was floating in her direction. He was chanting demonic incantations and flying toward Star. His anger was out of control. While it made his attacks stronger, it made him easier to fight.
Star was confused that Tom wasn't attacking her though. He only tried to fight the already unconscious Marco. Star didn't allow that of course. She got in between the two and cast a giant shield mid-transformation. Now was enough. Star decided it was time to end it. She opened a portal behind Tom and blasted him with another purified magical blast. Tom was sent into the portal and it promptly sut. The portal was a brilliant mix of purple, cyan, and a yellow center. It was unlike any portal that she had ever seen, so she presumed that Tom wouldn't last very long in whatever dimension she was sending him to. She wished him the worst and made her way back to Marco.
She didn't take her time in picking him up. She instead grabbed him and began flying. She didn't head to a doctor or anything, but instead to the Diaz home. As Star was flying, she took time to examine his wounds. For the most part, they were flesh wounds and char marks. He was lucky to not be a pile of ash right now, but that didn't make looking at him any easier for Star. He was in even worse shape than he had been after fighting Toffee. There was one injury that surprised Star though. It was a handmark. It was far too small to have come from Tom, so she connected the dots. Marco broke up with Jackie on the pier and was rewarded by a slap on the face. Even though Star wanted more than anything to give Jackie a taste of her own medicine for daring to hurt the boy she loved, she instead was happy. Happy that Marco had gone through with it. At the realisation, she grabbed both of his cheeks with two of her six arms and pulled him into a kiss. He initially winced in pain, but he then opened her eyes as Star pulled from the kiss. To Star's own surprise, Marco pulled her back in. Now awake, Marco finally was able to kiss the girl that he had fallen in love with long ago.
The embrace was soft and warming. Despite Marco's battered body, all he felt was Star. He felt her soft lips on his. The two deepened the embrace as Star returned the two to the ground. Now back into her typical form, Star boldly began to use tongue. It was the deepest kiss that either of the two had shared with anyone, so they enjoyed every second of it. His manly musk was greeting Star the close she got and Star's lavender shampoo reached Marco's nose. The two allowed themselves to be overcome by one another. It was an embrace that they both knew they needed above anything else.
As the two slowly began to pull away, they gazed into each other's eyes. Brown met blue and that was all they saw. Marco was trapped in her oceans and Star was happily swimming in the chocolatey pools that were his eyes. Then they spoke for the first time. It was in unison that they said, "I needed that". The two laughed.
Their surroundings finally began to manifest themselves as they realised they were in front of the Diaz home. The front door was wide open with Angie and Rafael standing inside, staring with a mix of awe and terror. The former caused by the relationship finally starting and the latter by the blood that covered Marco's body. Angie insisted to the two, "We need to get him to the hospital!".
Even Star agreed, but Marco denied it. He told his parents, "It's just a few scratches, I'm alright I promise." Nobody was convinced, especially not his mother or his new girlfriend. He stared at the both of them and let out a nervous smile. They weren't going to allow him to ignore the problem though, so the family picked him up and lifted him into the back of their minivan. Star sat in the back with the boy and ran her fingers through his hair as they traveled. His parents looked back by occasion and smiled at the two that had their eyes wordlessly locked with each other.
They arrived at the hospital.
X-x-X-x-X
Inside the magic dimension
Tom was surrounded by pools of gold and small baby unicorns. He was met with the sight of a larger unicorn who was right in front of him. It spoke, "What are you doing here?"
Tom, bewildered by the animal that was speaking to him, responded, "Well I was.. I...I was… wait who am I?"
X-x-X-x-X
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey there my valued readers! I really like how this chapter came out. Feel free to leave me a review! I really want to make this as good as it could be, so whether it is a criticism or a compliment, I really want to hear from you guys. Thanks for reading thus far and please leave a favorite and a follow!
~Chimp Enthusiast