How long has it been since I blacked out? Since Glossarky left, since... Pained, I look down at my arm flexing, my fingertips moving shaking quivering what happened to me? I just…all I feel now is a burning pain, my muscles aching after that ghoulish grey…I'm human I know I am. I know I am so why is this happening? Why did Glossarky betray us like that siding with Ludo…why!? I thought we were friends I thought…
I haven't spoken to Star nor Marco since, things have changed, shifted and not for the better since Glossarky, since Marco and Jackie hooked up. Star has been….hurting more, she has been coming to me for help to deal with it but I have tried but not even I can help when it comes to something not even I can understand. At least with Star she has role models to see what love is, me? I never had anyone and still don't.
We tried going to Mewni to raid some monster cavern that Ludo was residing in but got nothing…Star attempted the all-seeing eye only for Glossarky to reveal the cold truth of their relationship. He taught those that had the book and Ludo had it simple as that. Loudly, my ears perk up at the buzz of my phone as I lean back on the Diaz household roof, taking out my phone frowning at the familiar song of…
"Every time we touch…"
Swiftly, I reject the phone call not having the mentality to deal with him.
"Ash could use some help up here!" Star calls out to me from her balcony making me sigh as I flip myself inside, noting the selection on display for Star's evaluator.
"So have you ever tried to revise?" Tiredly, I question Star.
"From what?" Snippily, she responds making me scowl as exhausted, she bows her head.
"Sorry." Apologetically, she whispers to me.
"It's fine." Curtly, I tell her.
"So you and Marco will be okay with making food." Hopeful, Star smiles as I exhale and simply nod going along with Star's scheme, working alongside Marco.
"Ready for what?" Curious, Marco strolls into the room overhearing us as we turn to him just as Star's winged chest flies out through her bedroom window.
"I'm being e-v-a-l-u-a-t-e-d." Panicked, Star spells it out for him.
"...t-e-d... Ooh! "Evaluated"! Wait, why are we spelling words instead of saying them?" Confused, Marco glances at me as I simply frown.
"That only works if the dogs are here and that's for the vets." Sternly, I remind Star.
"Yeah, it sounded kinda weird when it came out of my mouth. Anyway, my mom is sending someone to see how far along in my magic training I am since I got to Earth. Heh-heh." Nervously, Star smiles.
"That doesn't sound so bad." Hopeful, Marco offers.
"And you've jinxed it." I grumble facepalming.
"Oh, sweet, simple Marco. If I fail, I could get sent back to Mewni!" Star informs him.
"What?!" Sunned, Marco gasps.
"Which is why I need to clean and you two need to cook." Sternly, Star reminds us.
"Whoa!" Surprised, we gasp at a swarm of purplish black darts into the room. The black mist swirls into a large mass at the centre of the room.
"It's her!" Scared, Star cries as the black mist disperses revealing some cat with wings and a jewel making my eyes narrow at its cuteness while the guys…
"Hello. I'm here to evaluate a one Star Butterfly." Perkily, the fluffy white cat greets us, summoning a pen and pad.
"I'm a one Star Butterfly. And you must be Baby." Star recognises.
"Oh! Food!" Eagerly, Baby rushes over to the snack table, Maroc had prepared prior.
"Yes, I prepared this spread for you, Miss Baby. Please help yourself to any-" Proudly, Maroc begins only to be cut off by Baby, who turns into a black cloud and quickly devours the food on the table before returning to cat form.
"More, please." Politely, she requests.
"That took me all day to make." Grumbling, Marco huffs.
"Pleeeeaaaase?" Strained, Star smiles.
"Ignore him he's a moron if you will excuse us, we will make you more." Tiredly, I cover the moron's mouth and grab his hand, dragging him downstairs to make more food for Star.
"So…" Awkwardly, Maroc breaks through the tense silence as I kneel down, my brow furrowed as I place the cupcakes in the oven then turn to focus on the frosting. Buttercream will do, it's easy and simple to make.
"So what?" Aloofly, I scowl at him.
"Have you spoken to Michael?" Curious, Marco questions me making my glare.
"Why does that concern you?" Sharply, I demand from him.
"I'm just worried after the dance you've been distant…" Marco glances to the side.
"Let's see one of my best friends thinks my relationship with my boyfriend isn't working. He has implanted this seed of doubt into me and my other best friend is hurting." Steeply, I hiss at him, holding back the urge to snap at Marco for not seeing Star hurting while another part of me, scolds myself for thinking that way I know he's been longing for Jackie for years, it's just I wish things were back to normal, no romance, no drama, just us, no hassle.
Wait Star's hurting what's wrong? Urgently, Maroc question panic laced in his tone only to stop from my bored expression.
"Glossarky." Sternly, I remind him.
"Oh right." Marco nervously laughs making me roll my eyes.
"Don't you feel even a tad bit of sadness for him leaving?" I question confused by his indifference.
"Not really, did you?" Fascinated, he asks me.
"Yes. I thought he was my friend I guess I was a fool to think that." Poisonously, I spit out, hearing the harsh snap of my spoon as I take a step back, deciding to focus on the kneading fo the bread, the bread should be done by now.
"I don't think you're a fool. I just I'm… we are all worried about you…" Gently, Marco tells me as I take the dough out of the bowl and slam it on the counter startling him from the sheer loud punch of my dough, stretching the elasticity of the dough.
"I know especially Michael mind telling me why I shouldn't give you stiches?" Snippy, I demand from him beginning to knead, flipping the bread and stretching it as Marco worriedly watches on.
"Wait what?" Marco raises a brow.
"Snitches get stitches Marco." Coldly, I recite making him shudder.
"He asked about you and when I told him, he got concerned." Defensively, Marco informs me.
"The fact you had to tell him just shows how great…" I begin seething.
"Look I said what I said it doesn't mean anything…" Annoyed, Maroc begins.
"The cupcakes are ready," Curtly, I inform him.
"Ash come on I'm sorry…" Pleadingly, Marco calls out to me as he takes the sandwiches as we go up to see how Star is doing.
"How's it going?" I ask Star looking confused.
"Interesting?" She shrugs.
"What does that mean?" Warily, Marco furrows his brow.
"Either good or bad." I sigh placing the cupcakes down on the snack table.
"Now, Ms. Butterfly, how is your spellcasting?" Baby questions her.
"My spells? Oh, they're great. My spells are awesome!" Proudly, Star boats as swiftly, Baby takes one of the cupcakes and surprisingly slowly takes a bite, not devouring it within a solid swift second.
"Good. Would you bring me that apple, please?" Baby suggests.
"...What apple?" Confused, Star blinks only then for an apple to appear on the desk next to Star.
"Oh, sure!" Happily, Star picks up apple carries it to Baby.
"No. I mean, bring me that apple, please... with magic." Baby clarifies for her.
"Oh! Right! No, no, of course. Narwhal Blast!" Excited, Star casts Narwhal Blast on the apple. A narwhal impales the apple on its horn and slams into the wall behind Baby. Baby pulls the narwhal out of the wall, and it poofs away, leaving only the apple.
"Not quite." Awkwardly, Baby furrows her brow.
"Oh, no?" Lost, Star blinks.
"I want a whole apple, not an apple with a hole." Baby presents the apple with an hole inside as the holed apple disappears, and another apple appears on the desk.
"Try again." Baby encourages.
"Ohhhh! Oh, oh, oh. Gotcha. totally. No problem at all. Totally. That is totally something I am capable of doing. Winter Storm Hyper Blow!" Smiling, Star blasts the apple with frigid air. The air covers Baby in frost and turns the apple into crumbly ice. Another apple appears next to Star.
"Did you want that damaged or undamaged? Undamaged it is. Right, of course. Makes sense." Anxiously, Star smiles as Baby blinks.
"Mystic Suck Portal!" Resolute, Star opens a small black hole that sucks in the apple. Another black hole opens in front of Baby, and the apple falls out, splatting on the floor. The black hole gets wider, and some of Star's stuff falls out. The black hole gets even wider, and Star's bed falls out. Frowning, Baby writes on clipboard.
"All right, that's enough practice. Here it comes." Annoyed, Star summons a minotaur to carefully carry the apple over to Baby. The apple slips out of the minotaur's hands, and he accidentally steps on it.
Silently, Baby writes on clipboard.
"All right, this time for real." Hopeless, Star proclaims.
"Star blasts the apple with green magic, and it turns into a flat mushy fruit. Another blast, and it turns into an oblong pear. Baby is surprised by the green colour of Star's magic.
"T-That's not... It just does that sometimes." Struggling, Star blasts the apple again, and it turns into a green banana. When she blasts it again, it pops like a balloon only causing Baby to write down on her board.
"Let me try again." Desperate, Star proclaims aiming her wand only to meet Baby's stern stare.
"No need. I've seen everything I need to see. Thank you." Curtly, Baby turns into a black cloud and flies past Star.
"B-B-But, hey! Hold up! How'd I do?" Frantic, Star stops Baby before she leaves. Humming, Baby flips through clipboard pages.
"Ahhh. ...You failed. Goodbye." Simply, Baby turns into a black cloud again and flies toward the window, making my eyes widen horrified at the fail.
"What? Failed? So this was all just a waste of time?" Hurt, Star frowns at Baby as calmly, I approach, placing my hands on her shoulders as her blues glance at me pained, just as Baby stops in front of the window and slowly turns around.
"Princess, would you like me to read you the results of my evaluation? Let's see. It tells me you have a closet full of secrets." Icily, she demands.
"But what does that have to do with—?" Star begins.
"While under your care, your wand – the single most important heirloom of the Butterfly dynasty – was broken. You lost the sacred book of spells and replaced it with a college-ruled notebook! And lastly, your spellcasting is so undisciplined and unstructured that you're incapable of performing basic magic! You can't even bring me an apple!" Insulted, Baby rants as I note Star shyly hide behind her hair pained. Annoyed, I drape my arm over hers.
"Had you even considered what she has gone through? Have you even considered the outside factors involved? If you are truly an evaluator, then maybe you would have learned that!" Enraged, I point out defending Star making her eyes widen as Baby's eyes narrow, looking on the verge of snapping my neck only making me glare back, ignoring the familiar tingle shuddering scared. I can't…pained, I grimace as I hunch over, my hand darting to my arm, pained at the sudden heaviness.
"Who wants sandwiches?" Happily, Marco offers a plate.
"GET OUT!" Snarling, Baby roars at poor Marco who terrified closes the door as she turns to face Star.
"Your Highness... you failed!" Baby tells her.
"No, no, no. If I failed, that means... I have to go home." Horrified, Star gasps her grip tightening on me as she hugs me, scared.
"That's not my problem." Coldly, Baby exclaims as pained, Star places her hand on my shoulder releasing a small sniffle of a sob as I place my hand on her back, gently combing my fingertips through her hair trying to console her.
Rejected, Star hides her tears in my shoulder, staining my shirt, then determined. She raises her wand over her head and starts focusing her magic. When she fires at the apple again, her magic comes up as a blend of green and pink. Amazed, me, Star and Baby wait to see what Star's magic does, and it splits the apple into two halves. Star turns away from Baby, ashamed.
"Goodbye, princess." Curtly, Baby says adieu only for my eyes to widen when slowly, a seed in one of the apple halves starts growing into a tree. "Star!" I hiss shaking her taking her aback just as Marco slowly re-enters the room with a baseball bat. When he sees the tree, he stares in shock and drops the bat.
Stunned, Star watches as her tree grows to immense size. One of the tree's branches produces an apple that falls in front of Baby.
"...It's perfect." Slowly, she catches the apple in her hand.
"Does this mean she gets to stay?" Hopeful, Marco questions her.
"She better after a stunt like that!" Smirking I glance down at Star smiling soflty at both Marco and I as Baby turns to face us…and she smiles. Hopeful, Star returns the smile. Turning into a black cloud, she devours the sandwiches on Marco's plate before flying back to Mewni.
"I knew you'd do great." Confidently, Marco hugs Star.
"Thanks, Ash, thanks Marco." Sighing, Star hugs him back as I remove myself only to flinch back as she drags me into the hug making me frown as Maroc smiles hopeful at me, only to meet my flat features.
Softly, Star stares at the sky, her winged chest flies past the window with a flock of geese…
Loudly, Baby chews on the food given to her as King River glares slyly at the small, winged cat, eating the food reserved for him as she chews on her apple, reporting in for the queen in Mewni castle.
"Well, she has a closet full of secrets, a broken wand, a notebook containing her own spells, and she doesn't know basic magic…" Baby describes.
"So... she failed." Crestfallen, Queen Butterfly concludes as King Butterfly reaches for a bowl of cupcakes next to Baby, but Baby harshly smacks his hand with a wooden spoon.
"Ow!" Pained, King Butterfly whimpers cradling his hand as he collapses to the floor.
"No, my Queen. Star is nowhere near your skill level at her age. She's far beyond it. In fact, I haven't seen anything like this...since Queen Nova and Eclipsa." Honestly, Baby informs her making Queen and King Butterfly's eyes widen in both shock and horror.
"Monster love...!" Disgusted, King butterfly whispers in horror, after wincing in pain, sits up with his eyes widen in shock while silently, Queen Butterfly bows her head at Baby's words feeling a strange mixture of pride but also horror as she gazes up at the family portrait of her daughter, seeing briefly a glimpse of Eclipsa as she bows her head, her hands balling up at the comparison…