AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the short hiatus, I have been dealing with a lot in my life lately and I couldn't find much time to get this story out. I hope you enjoy the final product because I have put a lot of effort into it. ENJOY!

X-x-X-x-X

Wherever they were, things were calm. The bright red moon glared down upon the two, causing them both to reminisce about the night before when they had fought Tom. Not about the killing itself, but about what gave him the power to do so. The Blood Moon picked them and gave Marco powers.

It was terrifying to imagine that some...goddess would pick them, but she had, and it saved their lives. The thought only made Marco squeeze Star's hand tighter as they continued walking. Star felt the sudden squeeze and returned the favor before turning in his direction and beginning another dialogue, "What's up Marco? Wanna settle down for the night?"

He took a moment to think about it before responding, "Honestly, I was thinking everything that's been happening, like that Blood Moon lady, like with Tom, like with your parents, it's just… confusing… ya know?"

"Yeah, I get what you mean. Do you wanna talk about it?" Star asked as Marco stood at her side with a clearly confused expression, donning a frown on his face.

"Yeah," Marco sighed.

Star nodded. She made an axe with her wand and chopped two trees down to stumps, flashing a sly grin back at Marco, who playfully rolled his eyes at the display. The trees slumped over to the side and left two firm stumps directly adjacent to each other. Star sat down on one and patted another for her to sit down on it.

He gladly took the invitation and slowly sat down by her side. He looked onto the ground and let out a sigh. They had been walking for a few hours and hadn't found anyone yet. Star wasn't wrong about the place being safe, but there really was nothing there, nobody, no places, no things, nothing.

After a short moment of silence, Marco spoke with his head still to the ground, "This week is getting way too crazy."

Hoping to break the tension, Star rebutted "You can come to expect this when you date a Princess from another dimension," flashing that same sly smile in Marco's direction, this time he looked up at her, saw it, and giggled softly. His smile was short-lived, it was soon replaced with the same mild frown from before.

"Yeah, I was just hoping that maybe things could be a little bit more… you know… fun," Marco admitted.

Star wasn't hurt by his admission, instead, she found herself agreeing with him. When she had dated Tom, nobody made this big of a deal about it. Marco was a whole different beast though. The nobles were cruel, her mother forbade her to pursue him, and Tom even tried to kill him. Yeah, we've got a lot to talk about, Star thought.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when Marco said something. It was so soft, and yet it pierced her like a dagger. There was no ill-intent, but it hurt the most. He meant it, but she couldn't imagine that he would say it, "Maybe everyone would be better off if I just disappeared."

Everyone, no, there was not a chance that Star could allow this. "Marco, you don't mean that!" Star yelled back. There was an angry tone in her voice, not at Marco himself, but the idea of him running away from his problems.

Marco went to continue, but Star wouldn't allow it, "Marco, was it not you that told me that you can't run from your problems?"

"Well yeah, but-" Marco was interrupted.

"No, no buts. I don't care if the entire dimension of Mewni is after you, we are going to get through this, together." The last part of the sentence was by far the most confident. Star had no doubts that if they stayed together, it didn't matter who their enemy was, they would always come out on top, together, just like she said. She was sure of it.

"Why? Why should you have to deal with this? It was also me that killed Tom, but you can't take the credit for that, so how am I supposed to get over that. I love being with you, but it seems like everywhere we go, people just want to pull us apart. So why? Why should you have to deal with all of this just to be with some guy who everyone will just think of as dirt? I'm nothing, they've made that clear enough." Marco explained. His voice was strained throughout the entire sentence, by the end he was on the verge of tears. He turned in the opposite direction of Star, bringing his head to his knees and burying himself in his hoodie.

There was a long silence between the two. Marco didn't mean to explode at her, but he couldn't help it. He meant what he said. He didn't get it, why someone like Star would put herself through so much just to be with him.

The silence lingered far longer than it was permitted, so Star responded after formulating a response in her head, "Marco," she paused for a second to make sure she was ready to give her speech, so in her most gathered voice that she could manage, she continued, "Marco, do you really not know why I want to be with you- no, I need to be with you. It's because of the same reasons that you think I shouldn't be,"

Marco turned his head back to Star while remaining in his position.

Star continued, "You think that you're nothing? No. You are everything. You are a great person. You made me better, you made me a better person. Not only that, but you fought an immortal lizard to save me. I think you know why you did that, even when you were dating Jackie."

In unison they spoke, Marco now fully facing Star again, "I love you".

There was not a hint of doubt from either side. They simply looked into each other's eyes, communicating the message on an even deeper level. They loved each other, truly, unconditionally.

"You know what they say, Marco, you do crazy things for the ones you love." Star continued, in a far more cheery voice. If she hadn't been trying to pull Marco out of a slump, she would have exploded at finally hearing him admit that he loved her. She knew it, but that didn't change the effect of the words.

"You're right, I guess I've been a little off the past few days, but I love you, and no matter what, I can't lose you. But that still leaves a problem." Marco reminded Star.

It was like she read his mind, already having the exact topic on her mind, "Yeah, I know, maybe it would be best if we settled down for a few weeks, at least until things settle down that is."

Behind a bush, someone was listening to their conversation. Their breaths were suppressed, as to not alert Star or Marco of their presence. They were a vicious-looking specimen. It appeared to have long, bony limbs, bent at the knees to create dog-like hind legs. They had no hair though, only scaly skin, covering every inch of their body. Their torso was thin but toned. It wore a belt along its waist, holstering what appeared to be a weapon of sorts. It was likely a gun of some sorts, but one couldn't tell, due to its advanced nature.

It stalked its prey from the bushes and prepared to pounce, readying its weapon.

Marco leaned into her, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks. She returned the favor. Just as the two began to feel each other's hot breath, something pounced.

The two were tackled hard into the ground, Marco receiving the brunt of the fall due to him catching Star on the way down. Upon impact, the two groaned under the massive force of someone tackling them. If they hadn't gotten the wind knocked out of them, they would have noticed just who had tackled them.

For some reason, the two were still on the ground as they were gasping for air. Whoever was on top of them was squeezing hard, but making no advance. That was when Star opened her eyes while coughing violently.

She regained her vision slowly, but the first thing she noticed was the only thing she needed. There was soft, blond hair on her stomach, with a comically built man wearing it. It was River Johanson.

"Dad? DAD!" Star yelled, earning a chuckle from the king. Marco on the other hand was still being violently squashed by the weight of both Star and River on top of him.

The aforementioned brute finally got off of the two, causing Marco to cough frantically as he gasped for air. The man wore a terribly concerned expression, illustrating the guilt he had for being complicit in the arrangement of his only daughter.

Star was happy to see him specifically because she knew that he couldn't have possibly been on her mother's side, but she was still skeptical about seeing him. He wasn't wearing his hunting gear, so she knew he was serious about whatever he had to say.

"Wait how did you find us?" Star asked.

"Star, I'm so sorry. I don't know how I let myself allow any of this. Things are terrible back home my dear, we must get moving…" River explained, completely ignoring her question. In truth, Hekapoo owed him a favor and he saw no better way to use it than to save his daughter.

"Umm… Okay, but can you give us a moment, Marco is still trying to breathe." Star asked, pointing to a still reeling Marco.

Marco laid on the ground and gave a quick thumbs up to her as he was beginning to regain control of his breathing. After a moment of staggered breathing, Marco got to his feet and stepped to the side of Star.

River, who at this point seemed to be deep in thought, was stroking his beard when Star called his name and pulled him out of his trance. He responded with "Yes, Star, we should get moving. Someone could be watching."

"Wait, how would they know we're here?" Marco asked.

River, with a look of slight annoyance, answered "Marco, you don't know the gravity of your situation. We. Must. GO!" He let the last part out with a yell, causing Star to take a more defensive position in between her father and her boyfriend.

"Ok Dad, we get it, we have to go. But what do you mean?" Star asked.

"My dear daughter, I love you so much but you have to make a decision right now." River admitted.

"Well, what's the decision?" Star asked.

"Star, Marco has a very large bounty on his head back home. You need to decide, right here and now, if you are serious about Marco. I will support your decision either way, but a decision must be made no matter what." River explained.

Star wasn't shocked to hear that Marco was wanted back home, it was all but guaranteed after his actions back on Mewni and Earth. What was surprising however was that her father was being so sincere. Over the years, he had always been there for her, but this was much deeper. He put her wishes over his own, allowed her to choose her own fate, and she knew exactly what that fate would be.

Before Star could declare her decision, Marco questioned "King River, how bad is it?"

The question was simple. Marco wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the answer, knowing all too well that it couldn't be good. Could he ever live in peace? Would he ever be allowed to show his face in public again? The only certain thing was that he would have Star by his side, and that was all he needed. The thought brought him momentary peace.

"Marco my boy, I'm afraid it's much worse than you could imagine. I do not know how you can get past this, but if Star wants you by her side-" River explained in vague detail before being interrupted by a confident Star, "I do. Dad, I do. I.. I've made my decision."

River stood in place, hiding his slight shock, but not allowing himself to argue. He had to be with her, no matter what.

"I… Okay my dear, if you are so sure, then there is much work to be done. We must get going…" River stated in a serious tone.

X-x-X-x-X

"The targets are in position." A voice spoke from a compact mirror that Moon was holding. She sat in the very same office as before, making more copies of the wanted posters as she sat in place. Dave had long since left, leaving her completely to herself in the office, save for the phone calls from her hitmen.

This one was a relatively new recruit in the ranks of the Royal Guard of the Underworld, so it was unlikely that Star would recognize him, nor would she know how to counter him, leaving Marco without a lot of his defenses.

She responded to the creature on the other end of the call, "I trust that your conquest will yield great results, Sir Vayne, you have my permission to advance."

So just like that, the other voice responded, "I'll call back soon, hopefully with good news. Goodbye, my Queen," before hanging up and leaving Moon to her thoughts once more.

Moon wasn't sure that Vayne would be able to take the two out, but if nothing else, it would give Moon an idea of what Marco can do to defend himself. She allowed a soft grin to don her face as she sighed in content and seeped into her chair.

X-x-X-x-X

"I know dad, but where could we go that he would be safe?" Star asked.

"Star, I think I may know a place, but I think it best that I scout ahead before the two of you follow. I believe that I should go alone. I will be back very soon, just set up camp here and I'll meet you two here shortly." River explained, earning a nod from Star and a concerned look from Marco. Just before he left, River turned to Marco and commanded "No more public displays of affection, or else."

He opened a portal and left as quickly as he had arrived.

The two looked at each other and sighed, Marco being the first to speak, "This is bad. Things are only getting worse."

"Yeah, I know, we'll be okay though. I promise." Star said with a light smile on her face. If things weren't so dire, the smile would have instantly melted the stress away from Marco, but right now, he couldn't shake it.

"Star I-" Marco began another dialogue, but was interrupted by the sound of a twig breaking behind him. He quickly jolted his head in the direction of the sound and spotted someone standing over him. He must have been at least eight feet tall, wearing the palest skin that he had ever seen. The monster was grey with scales all over. He had a terrifying face, with a snout and sharp, ragged teeth.

He spoke, "Marco Diaz of Earth,"

Marco felt his legs tremble at the voice of the creature, it was deeper than he thought a voice could get, carrying vibrations and bass with each syllable.

He continued, "Prince of the Princesses deepest desire, hero of Mewni, and…. Murderer of the innocent."

Star stood in shock at the nightmarish monster in front of her, it looked slightly familiar to her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. The monster took a step toward Marco, causing Star to feel immense fear. Without thinking, she unconsciously raised her wand in defense as she stood right behind Marco.

Once again he spoke, "And what is this? The Princess of Mewni? Or the traitor of peace?"

Marco also began to commit involuntary movements, not stepping back from the creature, but forward and into a battle-ready stance. If he felt fear before, he didn't now. It was replaced with a new emotion, one far more powerful. Anger.

"You will pay for your crimes against the throne of the Underworld, mortal!" The creature yelled as he finally lunged forward. Marco was ready for the attack though, he found himself immediately reacting to his advance with a quick evasion, accompanied by a kick to the side of the creature.

He winced in pain but quickly readied himself once more. Star was the next to make an attack. Luckily for her, she had her wand with her, so she could be useful in the battle.

She held out her wand and screamed "RAINBOW FIST PUNCH!"

A giant fist appeared from the tip of the wand, flying directly into the back of the creature. The attack landed true, hitting the monster directly in the back.

The monster wasn't just there to take punches though, he instead dished out one of his own. With Star so close behind him, he was able to dispatch her quickly with a quick turn and uppercut. Star dropped her wand and flew back after the hit.

Marco saw this and screamed "NO!" as her body hit the floor. He sprang up from his position and hit the monster with his best shot, a hook kick directly to the side of the head. The monster saw it coming though, grabbing Marco's leg right before it could make contact. He grabbed the leg and held Marco up by it.

Marco dangled in the grasp of Vayne, having no control over his body. In the moment of capture, Marco looked for a comforting sight, anything that could give him hope, what he saw did the opposite. Star lay sprawled out on the ground, unconscious, with her eyes wide open.

The sight sent a new pang of anger through him. He felt himself getting hotter as the heat overtook him. He closed his eyes at the sight of Star, but he felt himself being dropped, as well as the backward steps of the creature.

He looked down at his hands, a new tint of red clouding his vision. It was the same as when he had fought Tom. Was this what the Blood Moon meant when she claimed to give him powers? What were they? There was only one way to find out.

He raised his gaze from his hands and to his foe, feeling unrestrained power flowing through him. The monster was closing in on Star as if he was threatening to act if Marco made a move.

"Touch her and that will be the last move you make," Marco said in an unsettlingly calm tone, his eyes glowing with bright red fire as he took a step closer. The very ground he stepped on seemed to crack with each step, further emboldening Marco's confidence.

Vayne stood in place. Maybe using Star wouldn't be his best move. The boy was much smaller than him, so how could he be so powerful? The monster ultimately made a final decision, there was no way that he was powerful enough to beat himself, so he stepped forward as well.

There were about twenty feet of distance between the two, so they began to step fast, and faster once more until they were finally in a sprint. The empowered Marco began to be lifted off of his feet. The fire inside of him burned brighter as his speed only grew.

It didn't take long for the two to meet.

THUD

The two collided with great force. A smoke cloud formed around the two upon impact, blinding both parties. The smoke cleared after a few seconds of waiting. Marco floated high above the ground, glaring down at the sight before him. His foe lay on the ground, unmoving, but clearly alive.

His face was covered in lacerations, most of which were gushing with cold green blood. Marco looked down at his enemy, clearly unable to battle any longer, and started to float back to the ground. Once he finally landed, he fell to his knees. His head dropped and he saw his hands again. He had seen it far too many times, his knuckles covered in blood. Even if it was a different color, it was still blood.

What was unsettling to Marco was not the blood itself though, but his lust for more. He tried with all of his wills to push the thoughts out of his head but he made a mistake. He looked at Star.

She must have tried to get up, but she remained unmoving on the ground, although now she was facing Marco, watching.

The familiar anger overtook him once more. He felt himself beginning to lose control as he stepped toward the unmoving monster. He stepped again. Right, left. Right, left. Until he finally stood in front of the monster.

He stood over the huge creature and felt his vision begin to become clouded in red. He raised his fist in preparation to finish what he started. Once his fist was at ample height, he swung down quickly.

His punch surely would have taken out the creature for good if he hadn't been stopped. Marco felt a hand stop his swing from striking true. It wasn't Star, he was sure of it, not only because he had just seen her on the ground, but because of the shape of the hand. It was bigger, tougher, and stronger. It was River.

He must not have heard the portal tear itself into existence when he was so blinded by rage because any other time he would have not only heard it but turned to face it immediately.

He looked back at River in horror as he felt every ounce of anger being sapped from his very soul. He couldn't withstand it any longer. He collapsed.

X-x-X-x-X

Darkness. All he could see was darkness. At least that was true until he felt himself regaining his consciousness. From what seemed like the middle of the darkness, a blur of different colors started to form. There was green, brown, yellow, and red. The colors began to shape into objects as the darkness began to be overtaken.

His eyes were completely open now, revealing just where Marco was. He was staring up at the roof above him. Why is there a roof above me? Marco shot up from his place of slumber and was met with strong and immediate pain. He laid back down.

This time, he used his neck to see what was around him. He turned his head to the right, revealing a soft, maroon-colored wall. He turned his head to the other side and saw an entire room. Where am I?

That was when he saw the most reassuring sight that he could possibly see, River was sitting across the room, at the bedside of none other than Star Butterfly. He heard himself sigh in total relief and become overcome with peace. Star was unconscious still, but at least she was safe. That was all he could hope for. He tried to speak, but no words came out of his mouth. He had lost his voice.

River looked over to Marco, noticing that he had awoken. He spoke, "Marco my boy, I'm glad that you were the first to awaken, I was hoping to speak to you."

Marco tried once more to speak but found no noise. River must have noticed this because he left Star's bedside and walked to a different part of whatever building they were in. Even in another room, River continued to speak, "What you did back there… I must thank you. You have saved my most beloved child."

Marco wished more than anything that he could deny credit for her savior, but he still found himself unable to speak. River reentered the room.

He was carrying three wooden mugs. He walked toward Marco's bedside and resumed the dialogue, "I'm afraid that what I have set in motion is irreversible, but I hope that someday you may come to understand and forgive me for what I have done. I played a part in what had befallen you and I will do whatever I can to help you escape it. You have my word."

At that, Marco was handed one of the mugs. Inside of the mug was a substance, it was clear but carried a tint of brown. It must be tea, Marco thought to himself. He accepted the drink and sipped it, finding it unbelievably refreshing. His throat must have been drier than hell itself, because he finished his cup extremely quickly, regaining his ability to speak.

He only noticed it after he spoke, "Thank you." he grasped at his throat, which still ached from the long period of dryness.

River seemed unsurprised by his sudden ability to speak because he didn't falter even a little bit. He continued, "I'm afraid that the circumstances are too dire for you to return to home or Mewni right now, so I have created a place for the two of you to seek refuge together."

Hearing River say those words without a hint of malice or disgust was almost as refreshing to him, but what River said added some new thoughts, where am I?

"River, where are we?" Marco asked as he looked around the room. It was awfully homey as if it had been there for a long time, but the building was clearly new, it was obvious due to the cleanliness of every inch of the room.

"Marco, you are on Kulaven. It is a place where you will be safe from the pursuit of assassins. But deeper than that, you are in a Yurt, it is a structure that Johansens have used and cherished for centuries." River explained as Marco continued to observe his surroundings.

He seemingly had seen enough, because he suddenly turned his gaze to one thing. It was Star, she was all that he could dare to think about now. "Is she going to be okay?" Marco asked with both concern and sorrow. He hated seeing her in such a state.

"Marco, we can only hope so. I am going to continue building the rest of the Yurt, so if you need me, call me and I'll come running." River explained as he slowly trodded out of the room again.

Marco got up from his bed as soon as River left the room and walked toward Star, totally ignoring the pain he felt with each step.

Once he arrived at her bedside, the inner safe-kid of Marco kicked in. He found himself checking for a pulse, using his fingers to search her. He couldn't feel anything, so, in panic, he pushed his head into her chest and listened.

BUM BUM, BUM BUM, BUM BUM

It was something out of his dreams. He heard her heart beating away in her chest, seemingly stronger the longer he listened. His stress seemed to fade away, leaving only relief of Star's safety.

He wouldn't move from the position he was in for the remainder of the night. He slept with his ear to her chest and his knees to the ground. Each beat of her heart gave him more and more comfort, despite his injuries. It was all he needed to hear and all he could ever hope for.

X-x-X-x-X

The same light that overtook him the night before had overtaken him once more. He gained his senses after a short amount of time. His eyes were open once more, revealing that he had slept on his girlfriend's chest. He heard the same heartbeat that he had the night before and it yielded the same comfort that it had before as well.

His calm began to gather as he lifted himself from her, feeling no residual pain from the fight yesterday. He turned his head to spot River tending to breakfast, which appeared to be entirely made of meat. Marco couldn't complain though, he was so hungry that he was sure he hadn't eaten in well over a week.

He sat at a table that was against a wall of the yurt. River soon came to the same table, carrying breakfast with him. The second River set down the tray of meats, Marco ravenously attacked it with hunger. He stuffed his face with food until his heart was content.

He rubbed his stomach and let out a large belch. He pleaded "Scuse me", but the effect had already come as River found himself heartily laughing at the boy's embarrassment.

"No matter my boy, you haven't eaten in at least a week, so it makes sense that you would be so hungry. Frankly, I'm surprised that you didn't need food last night." River admitted.

"Yeah well, thanks anyway but… wait did you say a week?" Marco asked in a frantic panic.

"Yes my boy, I carried you two back here about a week ago. You must have gone into shock after fighting that cretin, Vayne." River explained in a flat tone.

"Oh," Marco muttered before beginning to worry about the implications of what River had said, "WAIT, I NEED TO SEE MY PARENTS!"

"Marco, Marco, calm down. I told you I would do what I could to ease the situation, didn't I? They are alright. My family has built them a home very similar to this one that shall hide them until this all blows over. I had them told that you are alright and they understood that you needed to go into hiding." River thoroughly explained in a calming tone.

"Really? Thank you so much!" Marco exclaimed as he sunk back into his chair.

"Marco, I made a promise. It is alright. There is something I would like to speak to you about though…" River admitted.

"Umm, okay," Marco muttered.

"Marco, are you sure it's okay?" River asked once more.

"Yes, I am alright I promi-" Marco began, but was interrupted by River, "Son, I want to talk to you about your fight last week."

Marco must have frozen in place because his mouth remained unmoving as River continued, "I was there to stop you this time, but what about other times, like with Tom. You were going to kill Vayne, and I know you would have regretted it."

Marco only nodded as he listened to the man talk, "I too felt guilt after my first few kills, but I got through it. Do you want to know how?"

This time Marco actually spoke to show his interest, "Yes, please." It was a plea, Marco would be lying if he said that his guilt had subsided. Sure, he felt better when he was around Star, but that didn't mean he was over it. Every dying moment of the day the guilt tugged at him from the back of his mind, gnawing at his very will, killing him by the second.

River must have had this talk before because he somehow knew exactly what to say, "Son, I thought about why I did it. I think you have found that by now, am I wrong?" Marco answered with a quick nod.

"I see, so what I did to feel better wasn't just thinking about her, but thinking about why you had to act. You couldn't bear to lose her, right?" River asked, Marco nodded once more.

"If you hadn't fought back, Tom would have killed her am I wrong?" River asked.

"Yes… Yes, he would have." Marco admitted.

"Then you only had one option, am I wrong?" River asked.

"I didn't have to kill him, I-" Marco started, but was interrupted by River "Nuh uh uh, no. You had to. He would have tried again and he didn't deserve to live and try again."

"How could you know that?" Marco asked.

"Marco, no two situations are exactly the same, but not only did I know Tom, but I knew the type of person he was. He was cold, cruel, and heartless. I would have killed him just as quickly as he laid a hand on Star, and I'm glad to hear that you would too." River admitted.

"Really? Why?" Marco asked.

"Marco, it's because my daughter loves you. It is clear that you love her as well. I want the best for her and it is clear as can be that you are just that." River explained.

"Well yes, I love her, but what are you saying?" Marco asked.

"Marco, I'm giving you my blessing, my blessing to court my daughter and when you see fit, to propose to her and be married. I trust you with my daughter. That is why it pains me to say that I must leave you two here."

Marco was speechless. He dropped the fork in his hand and wore a mortified expression. Only when he saw River hold his hand out as he snapped out of his trance.

Marco shook his hand and asked, "Where do you have to go? How do I keep her safe? I-"

"Marco, you know the answer to both of those questions. I must return to my kingdom. Keep Star safe, she should awaken very soon. It is safe here, you can go into town and the people will not harm you. I must be going now. Goodbye Marco. I'm trusting you with everything. Star is everything to me and I need you to assure me that she will be safe under your guard." River finalized.

"I promise," Marco concluded, without a shadow of a doubt in his words.

The response was satisfactory. River turned to the door to leave, but stopped suddenly and said, "Oh and one more thing, kneel."

Marco obeyed. River reached to his back and unsheathed a longsword.

"Marco, with the power vested in me as the King of Mewni, I dub thee: Prince Marco of Earth," River said in a regal voice as he tapped each of Marco's shoulders with the blade lightly.

"Stand." River commanded.

Marco obeyed and stood over the king. Once more the king held out a hand for Marco to shake, which he did.

And just like that, River left. Marco felt the silence overtake the room as he became the only awoken member of the house. He looked over to Star's bedside and a new determination overcame him. He found the mugs that River had used the night before and refilled them with the tea in the teapot after reheating it with the furnace's heat.

Once the tea kettle whistled, Marco used a mitten to hold the kettle and poured some tea into the two mugs. He walked back into the bedroom of the Yurt and almost dropped the mugs at the sight in front of him. Star was awake, sitting up in the bed and rubbing her eyes.

"Star," Marco let out with a single tear leaving his eye. He set down the refreshments and sprinted to her bedside. Surprisingly enough, Star received the embrace with open arms and reciprocated it immediately.

The embrace lasted long, but the effect would last far longer.

Still squeezing Marco tight, Star made to speak, but couldn't.

Marco took note of her struggles and immediately retrieved the tea he had just prepared. He brought it to he and she took it quickly, sipping on the hot drink and appearing to be just as refreshed as he had been, if not more. After finishing the cup, she finally spoke in her typically soft voice, "Marco, where are we?"

Marco's response was very simple, "Long Story…"

X-x-X-x-X

AUTHOR'S NOTE: YOOOOOOOOOO, that came out hella good! I hope you enjoyed the chapter as much as I did writing it. It was super fun to write every inch of it, from the fight scene to the dialogue, everything just seemed right. Please feel free to follow, favorite, and review to help me improve the story! I'm not gonna reveal the title of the next chapter yet because the fact that I did kind of forced me into writing the Prince stuff into it. It came out well, but I don't want to risk it again.

~ Chimp Enthusiast