"I'm too old to be sitting at this stupid kids' table…" Grumbling, Star huffs pouting as we are sat on the kiddie's table, where pleasantly, Marco and I eat the food. My yellow hues trying to avoid the disgusting display of the children trying to eat, holding back the shivering shudder at their lack of manners. I know I was a kid once and don't get me wrong I like kids but the way they eat is just…groaning, I cradle my stomach feeling a sense of queasy as I note one child messily eating, without any thought of hygiene whatsoever, preferring not to describe the sickening scene.
"Marco It's not stupid. We get all the Mewni corn we want. It's so good. My man here knows what I'm talking about. Right, hungry buddy?" Smirking Marco nudges one of the children who spits his food out onto Marco's face, making him groan as I ignore the dry heave threatening to occur.
"I mean really? Sippy goblets." Unimpressed, Star glowers at the tiny goblet raised.
Joyfully, one of the young Butterfly children plays with her food, getting some of it on Star's face. Star growls and holds up her wand, which glows green and makes zapping noises as it omits an electric charge.
"They are children." Firmly, I remind Star lowering her wand as she glares at the innocent child.
"What's the big deal?" Marco questions her.
"The big deal? All the fun is happening over there!" Childishly, Star whines gesturing over to the main table, the grownup table, the Butterfly's are being fed their food as the Johannsen's messily eat their own. The loud slurping noises annoy the Johannsen's, who abruptly stop eating. Aghast, one Johansen groans through a mouthful of corn and stuffs corn into his ears to try and block out the noise.
"And you guys aren't the monsters?" Lowly, I mutter under my breath disgusted by the Johansson's messy eating, corn spewing out from their mouths while noting the rude selfish slurping of another, making my eye twitch from ether side's form of eating.
"Oh, it's starting to happen!" Excited, Star bites her chair, making me reel back concerned for her chompers.
"What's starting to happen?" Confused, Marco exclaims.
"Grown-up stuff." Giddily, Star smiles her eyes shining in awe.
"I don't think that's grown up stuff, that seems like the opposite." Dryly, I remark amused as we watch on at the grownup table, the Butterfly's (with the exception of Queen Butterfly) and their servants argue with the Johannsen's, everyone talking over one another.
"There's no need for any of this, I just want e-" Queen Butterfly tries to be the peacemaker but…
"You Johannsen's spoiled my appetite like you spoiled the Butterfly family tree!"
"Oh, here now, let's put a stop to this. Tut-tut." Calmly, Queen Butterfly tells them still it falls to deaf ears making my eyes widen at their sheer disrespect to their queen, they may be family but she's the queen! She has the power to chop your head off then again, the way Star treats her, still baffles me.
"Your neck ruffles are choking off the oxygen to your brain!" Angrily, King butterfly insults as I sigh. Why am I not surprised by him being involved in the arguing? He's a nice guy don't get me wrong it's just…
"River!" Sternly, Queen Butterfly calls out to her husband snapping out of his argument tangent.
"You li— oh! Yes, of course, of course. Now, now. There's no need for all this back and forth about who's better than who. We're all royalty, as you know. There is a way we can settle this petty dispute like the civilized people we are. With flags!" Proudly, King River silences the arguing as everyone watches on, a small smile of pride on queen Butterfly's features at how quick King River calmed them down, only then to diminish when he gets out his own flag, making me arch a brow where did he get that from? Loudly, everyone cheers in agreement, pulling out red and blue flags. Enthralled, Star stands up on her chair and pulls out a pink flag unique from all the others.
"Flags!" Giddily, she joins in as Queen Butterfly face palms.
"Oh, dear." Queen Butterfly whispers as my eyes widen.
"It's about time!" King River declares as everyone cheers and marches away, forcing Queen Butterfly with them. King Butterfly, standing alone on the table, chases after them. I've been thinking about this all year! King Butterfly laughs as he chases after the crowd.
"Come on, guys!" Brightly, Star smiles at us and grabs Marco by the arm and pulls him out of his seat. Let's play. "All we have to do is be the first to get this flag up there." Smiling, Star points to a simple hill making me smirk feeling a rush of energy and giddiness begin to filter in, my competitive side playing an eager role in this competition.
"Ooooooh. Like King of the Hill! I rock at that game." Happily, Marco identifies.
"This is going to be awesome!" Eagerly, I can't help but smile feeling pumped up for the game.
"Not that hill. That hill." Star points to a different hill making mine and Marco's eyes widen at the giant mountain filled with various, dangerous obstacles.
"Oooooh." Uneasy, Marco glances at me only to see my pumped-up features.
"This is going to be so much fun!" Excited, I grin.
"I know right! And the winner gets to look down on everyone else for a whole year. I am so ready for this!" Pumped up, Star tells us as she starts running and bumps into her mother, making my eyes dilate in fear, feeling the urge to bow and thank her again for allowing us to come.
"No way." Surprisingly, the queen bluntly rejects Star, taking her flag and starts walking away, but stops when Star speaks.
"Heeeey. That's my flag!" Whining, Star reaches out.
"You can have it back after the match, but you won't be playing Flags today." Firmly, the queen sets the rules.
"Why not? You played Flags when you were my age." Frowning, Star argues.
"I did a lot of things you won't be doing." Annoyed, the queen states making Star growl.
"I know it's boring to be the oldest at the kids' table, but you're not ready to be the youngest at the adults' table. Now go and help your little cousins chew their corn." Gently, the queen tells Star and walks away.
"I'll show her. I can play this game, and I will win. Come on. You two are on Team Star!" Determined, Star takes our hands.
"But you heard your mom. We're supposed to stay at the kids' table." Warily, Marco frowns.
"Besides she's queen aren't you scared over what she could do?" I offer.
"Nah she's mom. She loves me." Dismissively, Star shrugs off my worry, maybe for you I don't know about us.
"Don't you worry. We'll be sitting at the kids' table." Resolute, Star promises us as we reach the starting line…
"The game will commence when all participants are at the ready…" Snootily, the voice echoes as we all get to the starting line, feeling a giddy rush of adrenaline flowing through my form. Curious, Marco, Star and I poke their heads out between three family members' legs.
"So if both sides of your family are playing against each other. Whose side are we on?" Confused, Marco questions.
"Duh. Our side." Star smirks.
"Last I checked flags don't have teams I mean I don't remember them…" I offer confused.
"Probably caused you sent someone to hospital." Marco remarks.
"They were annoying me." Simply, I shrug.
"That didn't mean you had to throw them down the hill!" Marco hisses.
"You did that?" Surprised, Star raises a brow.
"They got in my way and the game may have…gotten to me." Sheepishly, I confess glancing to the side feeling a familiar rush of blood flow into my cheeks.
"Here's to another spirited game of Flags. Uh, let us not have a repeat of last year's unfortunateness…" The snooty voice calls out perched on some sort of tower.
"What happened last year?" Fascinated, Marco questions Star.
"Just before he reached the peak, Uncle Lump got his body cut off." Gravely, Star informs us.
"What?" Scared, Marco whispers.
"Relax. He's fine. He's right over there." Grimly, Star confesses to us pointing to the individual, whose head has been sewn onto a horse's body, and is holding a blue flag in his mouth.
"How is that medically possible?" Baffled, I question at the strange fusion of mewman and horse, a centaur almost but more disturbed in the head, no doubt.
"I think he likes it better this way." Gravely, Star tells us making us furrow our brow.
"Ready, set, flags." The snooty fires and shoots the golden gun into the air and everyone runs off.
"Here we go, guys!" Excited, Star smiles at us as she drags us forwards.
"And both families are at the course. The Johannsen's take an early lead, but the Butterflies are making up the slack." Snootily, the voice belonging to Manfred calls out as Queen Butterfly, who is sitting under a canopy, watches the game. Bored, she turns around, pushes the curtain aside, and uses her opera glasses to look at the kids' table, where she sees the backs of what appear to be Star, Ash and Marco. "That's my girl." Pleased, she smiles.
Back at the base of the mountain, both families cheer and begin to scale the mountain. "Star, little help!" Marco calls out as on his way up, Marco starts to slip off of a rock.
"Oh, here, my dear boy. Allow me to assist you." One of the butterflies calls out offering his help to Marco.
"No Marco don't fall for it! That's the oldest trick in the book!" I call out but it falls to deaf ears.
"Hey, thanks." Grateful, Marco smiles
"Marco, no!" Star agrees with me that as soon as Marco grabs Heartrude's hand, his "hand" falls off, and a servant who was acting as his hand falls out of his sleeve. The servant and Marco fall, and Marco can be heard screaming on the way down.
"Oh! By my troth, you most surely ate it on that one. Smooch my royal hindquarters. Toodles!" Heartrude chuckles and runs away, passing Star, who is running down the hill.
"Nice takedown, Uncle Heartrude." Sportingly, Star smiles as I blink, that's a alternate way of doing that trick I suppose as we make it back to the bottom.
"Ugh! Let go!" Irritated, Marco pries his hand off the guard. Frowning, Marco is standing over the servant, who is laying down.
"You good?" Star asks him.
"Why did you congratulate him? He pulled me down." Confused, Marco furrows his brow.
"Well why did you fall for the easiest trick in the book? Also, its called good sportsman ship," I answer Marco.
"Ash is right. That's Flags. That's how you play." Star grabs Marco by the hand and starts running. We gotta keep moving.
"Prithee, may I accept some assistance?" The same guy who tricked Marco calls out to us; his legs trapped in a bear trap.
"Dream on, Uncle Jerkface!" Smugly, Marco tells him as we continue upwards.
"Woe sakes. I have not the choice but to gnaw off my own fibula…" Solemnly, he stares down at his legs as we leave them there, tailing after the other butterflies and Johansson.
"We're going into the rain zone." Gravely, Star warns us as I can't help but grin when noting the sky is halved, one with normal weather and the other with rain. Angrily, thunder rumbles.
"Oh, no. I can do King of the Hill. I cannot do wet socks." Stubbornly, Marco refuses making me scowl as Star grabs him, forcing him into the rain zone.
"Just let him go he's nothing but a scapegoat for us!" Fed up, I call out as one of the Johansson's race at us only to end up meeting the back of my foot and being tossed down the mountain. Alongside one of the butterfly clan which I swing for the Johansson to quickly catch the butterfly as they tumble down, making me cackle.
"Flags doesn't care what you like! We gotta keep moving." Sternly, Star snaps at him as we jump over a body.
"Out of the way, old lady!" One of the butterfly's throws a handful of seeds which sprout into vines and drag the Johannsen's underground, leaving two flowers in their place as we run by.
"Wait a minute." Horrified, Marco's eyes widen.
"Marco no time." Sternly, I snap at him.
"Eyes on the prize, Marco." Invested, Star agrees with me.
Further up the hill is a Johansen. He holds up his flag, which gets struck by lightning, and plunges it into the ground, laughing as the electric shock tears a path in the ground, sending large rocks downhill.
"Star, we gotta go back!" Panicked, Marco screams as quickly, I take out my staff rod, using it to climb up the boulders crashing down on us.
"We are never going back." Star, Marco and a Johansen dodge large rocks as they try and scale the mountain. The Johansen is hit by a rock and falls downhill.
I think your family's really trying to hurt each other!" Scared, Marco panics.
Isn't that normal? "Confused, I raise a brow.
Yeah. Isn't it awesome?" Brightly, Star smiles just as we narrowly miss Lump's head rolling down the mountain.
Not again, not again, not again!" Scared, Lump rolls out of sight.
"And there's the repeat of last year. Adieu, Uncle Lump. Who shall take the hill? I am beside myself with anticipation." Sadly, Manfred sighs as he observes and narrates the game for his queen.
"Hi Star!" One of the Johansson's greets as he roars at us only for me to flip him back down.
"Sorry Star!" I apologise.
"It's cool," Star smiles at me as further up the hill, King Butterfly shouts as he jumps out of a pile of snow and uses his flag to fence Star, stopping when he realizes who it is.
"Star! Look at my girl, all grown up and playing Flags. You make me so proud." Proudly, King River reveals himself hugging his little girl while Marco and I glance at one another, not sure what to say with the moment only for Star to answer that for us.
"Aw, Dad, you're so sweet. Buuut-" Smiling, Star picks him up and throws him downhill; Marco screams and ducks as King Butterfly flies over his head while I stare.
"Great job, honey!" Happily, King River smiles praising his daughter as he rolls out of sight.
"Your dad is awesome," Honestly, I confess impressed and a bit envious to have a dad that supportive to have a real dad at all.
"You just threw your-" Marco begins stunned.
"You got me." Earnestly, he cuts Marco off.
"You just threw your-" Marco repeats.
"Keep on going! Woo hoo! Yeah!" Encouragingly, King River rolls out of sight once more.
"You just threw your dad down a mountain!" Horrified, Marco freaks out.
"Haven't you figured it out yet? You don't waste time on anybody. Keep up!" Annoyed, Star snaps at him.
"And the herd of participants is being further culled. There is now only a handful vying for the top of the hill. So dreadfully exciting. Lady Etheria and Lord Grunt lead the pack with a late appearance from oh, my. The Princess Star Butterfly!" Surprised, the snobbish Manfred gasps after using his opera glasses to spot the familiar trio.
"What?" Surprised, Queen Butterfly gets up and walks over to the kids' table, where the crying of a young child can be heard. At the table are three piles of corn shaped to look like, Ash, Marco and Star and dressed in wigs and their clothes. Frowning, Queen Butterfly approaches from behind.
"Star?" Warily, she grabs the fake Star's shoulder, and her eyes widen when it falls apart. One of the Butterfly children tears a piece of corn off from the fake Marco's face and bites into it. Appalled, Queen Butterfly turns around and looks at the mountain.
Struggling, Marco climbs up a rock and looks to see Star jumping from rock to rock over a pit of lava, and Marco follows her while I easily keep up with Star. Star runs into Heartrude, who is still stuck in the bear trap and being carried by a servant.
"You've been a stone in my poulaines for too long, my incorrigible little niece! You're about to abdicate the throne!" Angrily, Heartrude tries to hit Star with his flags, but she dodges as I lunge in and trip the servant, who drops Heartrude and stumbles on the edge of the rock. Urgently, Marco jumps, pushing the servant away from the lava and saving his life.
"What is she doing? Ash come on don't you see what's happening!?" Pleadingly, Marco grasp hold of my shoulders making me blink, snapping out of the rush as I turn to look up at Star.
"Marco, come on! Ash pick him up!" Annoyed, Star orders me making me frown.
"Star, this game is changing you. It's not about who versus who or rivalries or whatever. It's about winning no matter what. And that's just not you." Gently, Marco whispers as I shake my head, snapping out of my crazy demeanour.
"Star look at us, look around you! Look at what we've become!" Pleadingly, I beg to her making her blues widen as silently, Star turns to see all of her relatives fighting one another.
"Eat this!" A Johansson throws a bomb into a trapdoor, where a Butterfly is standing, and shuts the trap door. Snootily, a butterfly woman is dancing on the hands of two Johannsen's who are trying to grab their weapons. Etheria takes the tip off of her flag to reveal the tip has been sharpened into a shiv. Grunt pulls on his bear pelt, which animates into an actual, live bear.
"Let's just go back down the hill…" Quietly, Marco reasons to her.
"We got to stop this, all this needless violence," I whisper gently torn not sure what to do as I look on at the chaos disturbed, is this what I was like?
"Star?" Marco calls out surprising me as I turn out of stupor to see Star steal all of the flags from her family and continues to run uphill.
"She's got our flags! Get her! Get. Our. Flags!" One of Star's relatives grabs onto Star's leg, tripping her, and reaches for her. "Give me flag. Give it to me!" Angrily, she demands making my eyes widen in horror when the entire family tackles Star. Suddenly, a blue beam of light shines into the pile and everything turns purple as a pulsation comes from the pile and pushes everyone off of Star. Everyone but Star is levitated in air, confused. Star looks up to see what appears to be a giant insect. It is Queen Butterfly in an insect-like form, with large butterfly wings, antennas, six arms, and glowing eyes. She gives off a blue aura and beams of blue light spin around her.
"Mom?" Surprised, Star blinks looking up at her.
"That…was awesome!" Pumped up, I squeal in awe as the blue aura disappears, the Queen's eyes stop glowing, and she descends. When she reaches the lands everyone else falls and lands on the ground.
"Are you alright?" Concerned, Queen Butterfly questions Star.
"Oh, man, Mom, those are some sweet magic moves with your big old wings and stuff." Strained, Star smiles as she tries to balance all the metal flags in her hands.
"Star, you're never going to believe, but I just met your twin sister. She was made out of corn. I don't even remember giving birth to her. River, did I ever give birth to a corn baby?" Cooley, the queen questions her husband as she retracts her wings and extra arms.
"No. I'm afraid we just have the one child, my dear." Groaning, King Butterfly, who is severely injured, appears.
"Thank you, River." Tiredly, Queen Butterfly sighs.
"Her name is Star." Dumbly the simpleton smiles making me smile back at his dumbfounded innocence, finding it rather endearing.
"Okay. Why don't you just lay back down? Thank you. You see what Flags does to your brain?" Exasperated, Queen Butterfly gentle places her husband down to face her daughter.
"I'm sorry I tried to trick you with my corn twin. And maybe you're right. Maybe I'm not ready for Flags. But maybe the real problem is that Flags is dumb." Honestly, Star reveals making me nod my head agreeing with her.
"There she is! I found her. Star Butterfly. Our only child, my dear!" Pained, King Butterfly crawls up from the ground and grabs Star by the arm, to Queen Butterfly.
"...Okay." Queen Butterfly acknowledges her husband.
"Hungry!" King Butterfly runs off down the hill.
"I was trying to bring all these flags to the top of the hill. Not so that I could win the hill for myself, but to claim the hill for all of us!" Earnestly, Star confesses.
"Who wants fooooood?" Happily, King Butterfly offers.
"That's the most adult thing I've heard all day. I misjudged you, Star. You earned a rightful seat at the grown-up table." Proudly, Queen Butterfly smiles gently down at her daughter surprised.
"Hug!" Happily, Star hugs her mother taking her aback.
"Star, public displays of affection aren't a Butterfly virtue. The Johannsen's, on the other hand, are amazing at it. You are the perfect blend of both sides of the family. I'm proud of you." Queen Butterfly informs her child, only then for her blues to soften, when seeing her extended family stare at the Johannsen's, who are all in a big group hug.
"Thanks, Mom. Only an idiot would wanna win this game." Proudly, Marco rushes over to the top of the hill, raising his flag to impale it into the mountain, only to be stopped by my swift kick to the face making him cry out and fall down.
"There can only be one…" Intensely, I whisper, hands behind back as we all head down to the tables, returning back to the family reunion.