Welcome to a new story! Now, this is going to be an interesting one because it combines a serious idea I had about rewriting season 4 with a rather goofy idea my friends and I came up with out of boredom. I wrote a full outline, shared it around, and well...it worked. You're gonna have to trust me on this, but enjoy!

12/20/20: If you're reading this chapter again, you'll notice a few differences. That's because I'm rebooting the story. I have two more AUs left for Star vs. (excluding Signverse AU), and before I move onto those, I wanna do this story justice and finish it. The new chapter will be out after New Years'. Enjoy the holidays!

Deep in the Forest of Certain Death, among the endless stands of black pine trees shuddering in the cruel north wind, a lone prison tower jutted out of the ground like a splinter erupting from a wound. It was the only landmark for nearly a hundred miles in each direction, an abrupt deviation from the empty wastes that stretched to the distant edge of Mewni, farther than any Mewman or monster had ever travelled. Even the wind, which screamed and tumbled through the forest like a raging warnicorn, seemed surprised by the tower's existence and unable to prevent the clouds from tearing into the spire. The sharp stone shredded them to pieces, scattering their remains across the drab sky; their whistling cries echoed off the trees, briefly taming the impenetrable silence before falling to it again—the natural order of things reestablished. But then came a rumble, low on the horizon at first, murmuring and building into a deafening roar that shook the ground, cleaving the frigid air like thunder. Ravens took flight in a flurry of black feathers, and deer slipped seamlessly into the shadows as light filled the hollow, emanating from the tower, swift as a lightning strike, turning mud and darkness whiter than fresh snow. The lonesome tower in the middle of the wilderness became alive that day with clanging swords and crumbling stones—a fitting fanfare for a princess and her two companions.

A cluster of knights charged towards Star Butterfly, light glinting on their swords, but she was ready, her palms itching with bloodlust and magic, gifts passed to her from her warrior-queen ancestors.

"Narwhal Blast!"

A purple tidal wave of narwhals materialized from her hands, sending the knights careening out of the windows. She laughed wildly, reveling in the raw power coursing through her veins until it made her lightheaded and giddy. She finally mastered wandless magic after all of these months; her old mentor Glossaryck would've been so proud. I could get used to this! Star smirked, blasting an oncoming knight.

"Star! Look out!"

Marco's worried cry alerted her just in time, and she dodged the mace swinging towards her face, using the momentum to send the knight away with a forward gust of magic.

"Thanks, Marco, but heads up! He's coming your way," she warned.

Her battle partner nodded and shoved his opponent in the way of the oncoming body. Star would have watched the collision, which her ears witnessed for her, but knights poured downstairs in an endless cascade. If she took her focus off of them for a second, they would kill her or Marco or her father River. The castle guards who raised her always emphasized the need to be grounded in the moment during a battle, a lesson Star took to heart as she fought her way through the chaos. Blood and determination roared in her ears and a rainbow of colors flashed before her eyes again and again—quick and merciless. Bodies littered the ground, shiny like river stones, and her frenzy only deepened into powerful bloodlust. She would end them all and find her mother. She would make her world right again.

But when she moved up the next flight of stairs, the ground ripped from underneath her and by the time she came to her senses, Star found herself staring at the ground far below. Only the points of her rhino boots kept her from plummeting to her death. Phew! She sighed in relief, still recovering from the blow, but she panicked when she felt her purse slide off her shoulder.

"Oh no you don't," she muttered through gritted teeth and caught it before it slipped out of reach, right as a firm grip yanked her back into the tower. She came face to face with concerned eyes frantically meeting hers.

"Star, are you okay?" Marco quickly searched her side for bruises, working his deft fingers to straighten her crumbled chainmail.

"I'm fine," she said calmly to assure him. "It's nothing but a scratch."

"I know, I know, but it's only natural to be worried about my new girlfriend," he said with a smile.

Girlfriend.

She never tired of hearing the word gush from Marco, dripping with sweetness like honey, especially not after everything they'd been through before their relationship began a couple of months ago. In hindsight, they had always gravitated towards each other as if pulled together by a mysterious force, but denial and circumstance prevented them from facing their feelings until the "photo booth incident" at Foolduke and Ruberiot's wedding. The one moment where the Multiverse forced them to stop and face the looming tension that had almost threatened to destroy their friendship. They didn't mean to kiss then, not while Star still dated Tom, but when Marco leaned in and caught her somewhat off-guard, she gave in, tasting the nervous sincerity salty on his lips. He was in love with her! The revelation alone made her spine tingle long after they separated.

But that night, as important as it was to their relationship, wasn't the moment they officially got together. She needed to break up with Tom, and Star dreaded the inevitable talk that loomed over the horizon, brewing like a storm. She knew his temper, the rage that often consumed furniture and buildings with fire, and their previous breakup nearly destroyed an entire forest in the Underworld. He could've retaliated—either against her or Marco—but when the fight against Meteora, Eclipsa's half-monster daughter, ended and Tom witnessed Star reunite with Marco, he simply told Marco to take care of her and left. Perhaps, the demon already knew the truth—it must have been obvious. Once Star and Marco were alone, among the ruins of Butterfly Castle and under the inky black night studded with a million gleaming stars, they came together with the force of a hurricane, fueled by their now-unrestrained feelings built up from the year and a half they'd known each other. And that felt amazing...

"Star?" Marco prodded her. "You've been quiet for a while."

"Oh, sorry," she muttered, shaking her head to dispel the warmth settling on her cheeks.

The world shrank around them, and Star saw the same stars from that night dance in Marco's deep brown eyes. He placed a hand on her thigh as he moved closer. "Y'know, Star, I—"

A knight crashed into the wall above their heads, forcing them apart in an instant as River rushed towards them.

"Star! Marco! I found a door!" he shouted breathlessly. "I bet Moon Pie is behind this one!"

Oh right, the quest! She remembered the purpose of the mission and quickly followed her father up the remaining stairs to the great wooden door perched at the top of the tower. It was covered with locks, signaling that something valuable must be behind it. Maybe even a queen of Mewni! Star kicked the door off its hinges and tore through the cloud of debris floating in the air.

"Where is my mom?" she demanded in a loud roar, poised to attack the next thing moving.

The dust and adrenaline settled, ebbing swiftly into disappointment when Star realized that the room was empty, save a prisoner chained to the wall and the jailer tending to him.

Seeing the damage, the jailer sighed, "Star Butterfly, for the third time, your mother is not in this tower!"

Third time? Star suddenly noticed the other holes from her previous entrances and ducked her head in embarrassment. She could've sworn this was a different tower…

Marco gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up," he said in a voice just above a whisper. "It was an honest mistake."

The jailer narrowed his eyes and began to pile stones around the latest hole. "Things have been hard enough, as is, since you gave the throne to that Monster Lover, Eclipsa," he said, fuming. "I can't throw monsters in jail anymore, so I've had to settle for Mewmans instead."

"Yeah!" the prisoner said. "He's throwin' us in by the cartload!"

"Then maybe you shouldn't just throw people in jail," Star said. "We have a criminal justice system. And besides, Eclipsa's the rightful heir to the throne. She's the real Butterfly, not me."

The jailer rolled his eyes and sneered, "You don't tell me how to run my life, and I won't tell you how to ruin the kingdom. Now scram before you join this chum on the wall."

Star gritted her teeth and balled her hands into glowing fists, prepared to wipe the smirk off the Mewman's face, but a glance from Marco dissuaded her. They'd been through enough already. With a huff, she led Marco and River back into the Forest of Certain Death and the lengthening shadows brought on by the coming twilight. Silence claimed the tower and surrounding area again, but Star found it unnerving with doubt rambling in her head. Her mother, the former Queen Moon the Undaunted, went missing months ago, right before Meteora began her onslaught upon Mewni, and ever since the battle ended, she'd been looking for her everywhere. What if her mother was gone forever?

"I see that look on your face," Marco said, joining her side. "Let's talk. Come with me."

She sighed and nodded weakly. "Hey, Dad, Marco and I are going hunting," she told River.

"Alright," he said. "I'll get the fire started." He tried to sound upbeat, but Star noted the strain in his weary voice.

They parted ways at the creek, and Marco waited until River disappeared around the bend before leading Star along its course further into the forest. He fished for the map out of his hoodie pocket and studied it in the waning light. He marked the tower with a big red X—one among a sea of marks that littered the paper like fallen leaves. There wasn't a place they hadn't been in all of the kingdoms of Mewni, and Star grew disheartened as the cold realization sank in. Moon was never coming back.

Marco read the pained look on her face and took her hand. "Don't give up," he urged softly. "I know today was rough, but there's always tomorrow. We'll find Moon—I promise."

"But we've been looking for weeks and found nothing," she said. "Not even a trace. Eclipsa swears she doesn't know what happened to Moon, but…I don't know anymore! I just want things back to the way they were."

"Do you really?"

"Not like that, Marco, but…nothing feels right anymore. What if giving up the wand was a mistake? I did it because it felt right, and now everyone on Mewni hates me."

"But I don't," Marco said gently, his words lingered in the air for several seconds before he went on. "How about this: we go home, regroup for a day, and then try again. We've been away for several weeks, maybe a break will help us clear our heads."

Part of Star wanted to object, but she felt the fatigue heavy in her limbs and knew that a day in the Monster Temple with hot food and a soft mattress would do wonders for everyone. Maybe that was why she led them to the same tower three times; she needed rest.

"Alright," she agreed, "but just for one night."

"Remember, we're not giving up. Just taking a break. And once we find Moon, why don't we have some real fun?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, like what, Mr. Diaz?"

His grin melted her heart and the growing shadows around him. "Why don't we go on a date? A real one. No quests, no battles, no photo booths—just you and me and no rules."

"I like the sound of that," she said and gave him a kiss.

The sun sank lower in the sky, pulling darkness over Mewni from east to west, turning the bright pink sky red and purple and, lastly, black. Stars began to appear, first in a swath marking the swirling arms of galaxies, and then filling in until the sky brimmed with them like spilt glitter. The sight took Star's breath away as she followed Marco through dew-wet bracken, the fronds grazed her leggings, but it paled in comparison to the meadow that stretched before them at the end of the path, where she saw the starfield in all its splendor. Deer and warnicorn slipped into the distant shadows as she and Marco laid down on the hoodie he spread for them. They found solace in each other while the moons rose higher in the sky, turning the meadow and surrounding forest a gleaming silver, and they stayed together until the sun returned again. Just the two of them under the silent witness of the sky, the holder of their many secret adventures.

The next morning, when the sun spilled over the horizon, pointing the shadows westward towards home, Star ducked into a thicket and threw up her father's breakfast all over the ground. Gray chunks streaked through the bile, reminiscent of the mangy squirrels River caught to offset the lack of dinner she and Marco brought to camp. Every now and then, he questioned why their "nightly hunting trips" always ended in failure but thankfully never pressed for an explanation; he assumed that they needed to practice stalking more. But as much as Star wanted to blame the stew, the strange vomiting had been going on for a week now, making her worried. The quest had taken more out of her than she wanted to admit.

"Are you alright?" Marco called to her from the road just up the slope.

"I'm coming!" she replied, nearly choking on another wave of vomit. She swallowed the bitter slime, took a deep breath to clear her head, and summoned a brave face before regrouping with Marco. River had gone on to scout ahead, but she saw the worry on her boyfriend's thick brow.

"You look a little green around the eyes," he murmured, half to himself and half to her. "What happened?"

"I'm fine," she replied, "just green with excitement, that's all."

He placed a hand on her forehead. "Kinda warm…maybe we should rest for a few hours and—"

"—I said I'm fine!" she snapped, instantly regretting her tone when she saw the hurt blazing in Marco's eyes. After recovering from the initial shock of her sudden outburst she said, "I'm sorry…let's just keep moving."

Marco shrugged under his backpack but walked away wordlessly.

"Good job, Butterfly," she muttered, wishing to kick herself, but she knew that would jostle her volatile stomach.

Why had she been so angry at Marco, who only wanted to make sure she was okay? She practically bit his head off, for corn's sake. He didn't mean any harm…he never did. He also didn't deserve to be dragged around Mewni twice on a fool's errand. She never understood Marco's unwavering trust and loyalty; his willingness to give up everything to be by her side—his life on earth, high school, his relationship with Jackie…Was it fair that he'd ruined his carefree normal life to become the lowly squire of a failed princess who had done everything in her power to ruin her life and Mewni? The same princess who once rejected him harshly and dated Tom just because he wanted to go home to clear his head after the battle against Toffee for a few weeks…?

Star didn't realize that she was crying until she felt her tears soaking Marco's hoodie when he held her. What's happening to me?

"I'm here," Marco said. "I'm sorry if I upset you earlier."

"I wasn't mad at you," she said, still unsure of why she was crying. Something deep inside called to her, weighing her down with a haunting premonition of the future. Something was coming—something that would change her life forever. She could sense that and nothing more.

When she opened her mouth to speak, her mirror phone buzzed in her pocket, and she recoiled in surprise when Tom's name flashed on the screen. They hadn't called since the battle. Star let go of Marco to answer the call, and the demon's face flickered to life on the screen.

"Hey, Starship, long time no see!" He greeted her with a smile. "How's my boo doing?"

Did he just call me "boo?" Star exchanged a glance with Marco but ignored it. They had broken up only recently; maybe he slipped up. "Uh…hi, Tom," she said. "I've been out looking for Mom with my dad and Marco."

"Oh," he said awkwardly, "I wish you invited me because it's been a while since we've been on a date."

"A date?!" Star and Marco exclaimed.

Tom rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah…I mean, when's the last time we snuggled on the beach?"

Star froze, scarcely breathing. She couldn't believe that Tom thought they were still together, not after the battle, the night she spent with Marco, the several weeks of silence while she looked for Moon. Tom was always rather oblivious, but his denseness right now rivaled a black hole. Regardless, Star knew she had to face the miscommunication and let him know that she had moved on long ago. With a flick of her wrist, she motioned for Marco to leave her alone, though she wished for his presence to give her courage.

She took in a deep breath and began. "Remember how you kinda left after the battle and told Marco to take care of me…?"

"Oh yeah," Tom said with a nod, still smiling. "You had a tough day, so I figured that you deserved time to unwind with Marco."

Marco and I did a lot more than unwind. Star took a moment to think over a response that would get the point across without either sounding crass or hurting his feelings. "Yeah…" she said nervously, playing with her hair. "Well, about that…"

"Why are you so upset, Starship? It's not like you and Marco had a one-night stand because you thought that I ended our relationship or anything."

The demon maintained the same happy expression on his face, making it difficult to read him. Was he fishing for an answer or painfully oblivious? "You see…Marco and I—"

"Star, look out!" Marco yelled a split second before an arrow whizzed past her face, slicing off a lock of her hair.

River exploded from the underbrush, clutching his crown tightly to his body as he fled deeper into the woods, pursued by an angry gang of pirates. "Curse you, Pie Folk!" he spat at them while he ran.

A few of the Pie Folk stopped when they spied Star and Marco, turning their aggression on them instead. Marco unsheathed El Choppo and held them off, but she knew that he needed her to win the fight.

"Star?" Tom started to scowl. "I'm waiting…"

"Uh…" she stuttered, torn over what to do.

One of the pirates broke through Marco's defense, charging right for Star. She stood her ground and disarmed him with a blast of magic, but she soon found herself surrounded by glinting bucklers pointed at her throat. "Look, Tom," she said, "Marco and I—"

The sentence ended in a grunt when a blade slipped between a vulnerable spot in her chainmail. She howled in pain and rage, flinching as blood dyed her dress red. I'm trying to break up here! Star retaliated with a flurry of razor-sharp hearts.

"You and Marco did what?" Tom's voice vibrated in her palm.

She answered him briefly, "We were alone and—Cupcake Blast!" She launched another offensive attack at a lunging pirate. "You see, things happened…Rainbow Fist Punch!"

"What kind of things?" Frustration snarled in his voice. "What could have possibly happened between you and Marco that you can't tell me about?"

Everything! Star wailed while trying to fight and carry the phone in one hand. She jumped over a pirate and swept him off his feet with a roundhouse kick, giving her just enough space to return to the conversation. "Look, Tom, I think we should—"

An arrow pierced the phone, crumbling it and Tom's face into gray dust that collected around Star's feet. Her cheeks grew hot as her heart-shaped marks turned white with rage. "That's it! I'm ending this right now!" She grabbed Marco and prepared a spell. "Thermonuclear Butterfly Blast!"

Light swelled into a giant dome around the forest, first in silence and then chased by ground-shaking thunder that bowed trees and ripped bushes from their roots. In less than a second, the destruction vanished, leaving behind the mangled bodies and broken swords in a deep crater at Star's feet. She shivered in dread—she hadn't meant to kill them—but as the pirates slowly roused, she let out a sigh of relief.

Marco, on the other hand, remained shaken. "I had no idea your magic was so strong," he stammered.

"Me neither," she said.

"I take it that you didn't finish talking to Tom," Marco said, kicking the charred glass from Star's phone. "It's okay. You'll have time to talk to Tom after we get home."

"I just feel bad because now things are complicated."

"Such is the nature of romance—I think we both know that. And don't worry, you're still my girlfriend. I'm not going anywhere."

"Although, I think you should."

"Why?"

"I'm about to throw up."

By the time the sun reached its zenith in the white sky, Star and Marco emerged from the wilderness into the Butterfly Kingdom, the crown jewel of the dimension of Mewni. Before the war, a traveler would've been greeted by quaint towns scattered among rich cornfields that glinted like gold coins, full of wealth and promise for both the common folk and the Butterfly royals, who lived high in the glorious pink castle that had shepherded the land for countless generations, but that was all gone. Crops wilted in languishing gray fields, framed by piles of bricks and wood where proud houses were tended by farming families, but only they remained standing, though more as dried out corpses than Mewmans, staring blankly into the dust. Star remembered Eclipsa's plan to invite them to New Monster Town, the new capital, but even weeks later, the Mewmans huddled among the rubble and gnawed on trash. Blood and saliva dribbled down their dirtied chins. They gathered around Star and Marco as they passed through, their eyes wary and dim.

"Ignore them," Marco whispered to Star, though he moved closer to her protectively.

"Oh look, it's Acting Queen Star Butterfly, here to ruin our lives again!" a Mewman heckled.

"I live in a box with my wife and three kids, wanna take that away too? Wanna give that to the monsters too?" a Mewman in torn overalls added, spitting at her feet.

"That Monster Lover of yours took our land and called it 'justice!'"

"We have no food!"

"Our wells are dry!"

"Are you gonna save us or what? We need food and shelter too."

"Not even the monsters were treated like this!"

The crowd continued to swell until the entire town surrounded Star and Marco in a sea of dirty, desperate faces, gaunt with hunger yet puffed with anger. She pressed closer to her squire, hoping that his presence would blot out their harsh criticism, but she knew the Mewmans were right. A good queen would have been responsible and sought to keep the peace, but she let them descend into starvation and madness. She let her whole kingdom down.

"Why here she is, Princess Star Butterfly, traitor and thief to all Mewmans," said the town's former mayor, who stood on the nearby stage. "I betcha have no idea what hell we've been through. Do you know how many children have died with hunger in their bellies? How many are ill? Of course not, since you're too busy living with those filthy monsters and their wretched queen!"

The townspeople threw rotten vegetables at her and jeered.

The mayor went on. "Must be nice to run away from your sworn duty and play hide-and-seek with Queen Moon—oh, but that's right, you lost her too! You can't do anything right."

She hung her head in shame, hiding the tears forming in her eyes. For once, she had nothing to say—the fight in her was gone. Everything from the fall of Mewni to her mother's disappearance had been her fault. Why couldn't she have been like Moon who took responsibility and led Mewni to victory despite losing her mother, Comet? Moon Butterfly didn't run away from her role as queen, no matter how young and scared she had been as a teenager. Moon Butterfly, the Undaunted, was beloved by many for her unflinching resolve and clear-eyed judgement.

"Hey! Leave Star alone!" Marco defended her. "We've been through a lot, so let us pass."

"And who are you?" A Mewman from the crowd yelled.

"Oh, that's the squire," a woman replied. "Y'know, the pet human she keeps around."

"Watch what you say to my Marco…" Star threatened with a snarl.

"And what are you gonna do, eh? Lose him too?"

In a swift motion, Star unleashed a bolt of lightning from her hand, striking the smug Mewman's nose with the deftness of a well-aimed whip. Enough to make the woman yelp but not enough to kill her outright. The thunder drove the crowd back, and the terror in their eyes made Star drunk with power. She could destroy them all with a snap of her fingers. They might not recognize her as the queen but the magic surging in her blood did. She still descended from a long line of Butterfly royalty: queens, warriors, and spell casters all. Star raised her hand to lash out again but stopped when she noticed the magic coating her hand. It was blue when it should be pink or purple. Blue like Earth sky. Confused, she let the glow fizzle away.

What was that? She didn't have time to wonder because in the next moment, Marco grabbed her wrist and dragged her in the direction towards home, to where the Monster Temple's watchful eyes kept the disgruntled Mewmans at bay.

Even safe within the walls around New Monster Town five miles to the south of the old Butterfly castle, Star and Marco did not stop until the guard closed the Monster Temple's heavy wooden doors behind them. Midday turned to early twilight as the sun turned moon-soft through blue stained glass windows and reflected off of pools of running water in the temple's great hall, murmuring gently against the purple stone. The dancing light brought the carvings in the wall to life, and Star imagined the old monster civilizations gathered here to worship gods lost to time. She heard the wordless mumbling prayers of priests, smelled the lingering incense that still wafted in the air with each inhale, and tasted the sacrifices burning on the stone-slab altar in what was now the dining room. Unlike Butterfly Castle, which was built to display her family's wealth and might, the Monster Temple was a place of contemplation and peace, where monsters centered their communities around a higher purpose. Eclipsa wanted to preserve that atmosphere as much as possible, but the added watch towers, cannons, and walls signaled the temple's gradual transformation into a formidable fortress. Hopefully, the new defenses would never be tested and if they were, Star prayed they wouldn't fall.

She paused mid-step on the Monster Temple's roof and faced the westward path of the sinking sun to the borders of the Spiderbite and Pigeon kingdoms, where black pine forests and swamps replaced the broad green plain. The prosperous monster settlements contrasted the decaying hovels where Mewmans congregated, and the stark differences turned the kingdom into a patchwork quilt of gray and gold, feast and famine. Star knew the tentative truce between the two worlds was unsustainable, especially now that Eclipsa's new policies were in effect. They needed to prepare for retaliation from the Mewmans; nostalgia for the past proved a powerful weapon in capable hands.

Although the state of the kingdom weighed heavily in her mind, Star had retreated to the roof alone to reflect on what happened earlier. The stress from the past few months must have taken its toll on her psyche, impacting her magic as well, something she experienced once before when she denied her feelings for Marco. But there was something different about this outburst. Something more unsettling than watching her crush date another girl. But what was it? She drew her fingers over the talisman from Father Time stashed in her purse, drawing strength from it.

"Star, are you up here?" Eclipsa emerged from the stairwell with baby Meteora in her arms. "Oh, there you are," she said. "I've come to talk to you. Marco said you weren't feeling well."

Star let out a sigh and withdrew her hand, shoving away the negative comments from the Mewmans. Eclipsa wasn't a deviant witch who gloated over the misery of Mewman children and fornicated with monsters to produce ungodly offspring. No, the real Eclipsa, the so-called Queen of Darkness, was a woman wrongly mistreated for loving someone different from her, imprisoned for three hundred years, and maligned in history to maintain a bigoted status quo. Despite everything, Eclipsa bore no malice in her violet eyes and proved to be a kinder queen than any of her warmongering ancestors. Mewni was lucky to have her on the throne again, and the Mewmans would realize the truth one day.

"I'm fine now," Star said. "Or at least I think I am. My magic went haywire earlier."

"How so?" the queen asked.

Star recounted the whole misadventure, trying her best to describe what she felt at the moment she shot lightning from her hand. It sounded silly when she told the story to her guardian, but Star noticed the concern slowly encroaching on Eclipsa's face, replacing her usually carefree smile.

"Are there any other symptoms?" Eclipsa pried for more information. "You mentioned nausea but what about mood swings or hot flashes?"

"Yeah, but I think it's just stress." Star shrugged.

"One more question, when was the last time you've had your monthly visitor?"

"I dunno. I don't really track it, and sure, I know I should. So, I'd say maybe before we fought Meteora. Maybe a few months ago."

"Oh…oh dear!" Eclipsa recoiled, waking Meteora who glanced between her mother and adoptive relative with innocent yellow eyes that belied the killer she'd once been.

"What? Am I dying?"

After a few moments of shock, Eclipsa calmed down again. "No, no, it's just…I don't know how to tell you this, but—" She took Star's hand and gazed directly into her eyes. "Star, I think you're pregnant."

"What?" Star nearly choked in disbelief. There was no way. There had to be a mistake. Just had to be. She couldn't be pregnant at fifteen…

"I know Marco's your boyfriend, so have you two been…questing?"

"Like questing or questing?" Oh. Star blushed vividly. "But that doesn't mean anything, does it?"

"All of the signs point to morning sickness and the magical discharge came from the baby. I first knew I was expecting Meteora because my magic randomly turned green."

The golden afternoon blurred into muddy colors. How on Mewni did she let this happen on top of every other mistake she had made in the past few months? She couldn't be a mother right now, not when she and Marco had been together for only several weeks and while Mewni fell apart. The ground rushed towards her, but Eclipsa caught her with her free arm and pulled her in for a hug.

"I've been where you are," Eclipsa said gently. "Trust me, when I found out about Meteora, I was too afraid to leave my room for days. But know this, I'm here for you, and we're going to get through this."

Star managed a sob as a response and buried her face in Eclipsa's shoulder. "What do I do?" Her voice crackled.

"Before you do anything else, you must tell Marco on your own."

"But he's going to freak out, and we just got together…"

"Marco loves you, dear. I can't imagine him responding with anything less of true love and support for both of you. I know you can't see it, but he's a wonderful young man who'll make a wonderful father."

"Yeah." Star allowed a faint smile on her lips, imagining the kind of devoted and doting father Marco would be, the same caring partner who raised the laser pups and crooned Love Sentence to the Buff Babies to lull them to sleep when they were little. He always had a way with small, helpless things. Even though the thought made her happy, she felt her stomach twist again with dread. "I need to be alone for a while," she said aloud. "This is a lot to take in."

Eclipsa nodded. "I understand. I'll tell Marco to fetch you some stomach medicine from town so he won't disturb you."

"Thanks."

"It's the least I can do," the queen replied warmly. "I wished someone had been there for me, so I will be here for you."

Star waited until she was alone again and pulled the talisman from her purse—a picture of her and Marco playing at the beach together from some point in the future. Father Time gave it to her about a year ago, warning that she needed something to hold onto during dark times, and so far, knowing that she and Marco would be happy again one day got her through the summer where he left for Earth after fighting Toffee. But how are we going to get through this? She wondered, staring at the blood-red sky.

A few hours later, long after the first stars conquered the inky black sky, Star ventured to her room, knowing that she couldn't run away from confronting Marco about the truth this time. This was his child too, so whatever decision she needed to make must involve his input. She trudged through the empty, dark halls of the Monster Temple, guided by the blue light emanating from her hands. At first, she considered extinguishing the glow and wallowing in the blackness, but she chose to face it, if only for the sake of not tripping into table corners and walls. She didn't know the Monster Temple as well as she knew her ancestral home at Butterfly Castle.

When she reached her room and saw candlelight spilling on the stone, Star paused and took in a deep breath before pushing through the door. Marco was sitting on the top bunk waiting for her, dressed in his blue-striped pajamas. He passed her the bag of medicine, but she politely declined.

"It'll be on the nightstand if you change your mind," he said, lowering it to the table, "but I hope you're feeling better. You gave me quite a scare."

"Yeah…" she murmured.

"What's in your hand?"

"Oh, this?" She showed him the picture. "It's a present from Father Time. You see—"

"What?" Marco gasped. "You're telling me you've been carrying around a picture of the two of us from the future? This is going to cause a major time paradox and—"

"—Marco, that's not the point." She interrupted. "I look at this picture to remind me that one day we're going to have this awesome beach day, which means all the bad things we're going through will be over. I couldn't be this happy otherwise."

"Oh," he said. "While I still don't like the idea of time paradoxes, I'll make you this promise. After we find your mom, we'll go on a beach day. Just the two of us. I think that'll make us both feel better."

Yeah...the two of us, Star sighed wistfully.

"Anyways, I'm gonna turn in early," Marco said through a yawn. "Please get a goodnight's rest, Star. I think it'll help." He kissed her cheek, slipped into his bed on the lower bunk, and blew out the candle.

Darkness settled over the room, and Star almost let the moment slip away. It would have been comfortable to ignore the situation, sleep, and hope that the pregnancy was just a fever dream created by her exhausted mind, but she knew that denial wouldn't fix anything. Instead, she swung into Marco on his bed and woke him up.

"Ow!" he whined. "There's a ladder built into the bed."

"I'm sorry, Marco, but there's something I need to tell you," she blurted.

He sat up in bed. "What's up?"

The anxiety between them brewed like a storm, and Star knew there were only two ways of delivering the news: getting straight to the point or meandering to it. The first option felt too jarring, and the second didn't convey the urgency of the situation. Let's try for a bit of both, she decided and then said, "I know why I'm sick."

"Is it some kind of Mewnian disease I don't understand?" Marco wondered.

"No, it's not that." Star took his hand. "I talked to Eclipsa, and…Marco, I'm pregnant."

"What?" he screeched. "I got you pregnant!"

"I'm sorry. I truly am. I didn't mean for this to happen…" She was crying again, releasing all of her emotions at once. "Look, Marco, I understand if you want to—"

His embrace silenced her, and she melted into her arms, letting his scent calm her mind. "Shh," he urged gently. "I'm the one who's sorry. I messed up on this too. And I know you're scared—I am too—but it's okay. I didn't expect this at all, but I could never abandon you because I love you, Star. I love both you and our child."

"I love you too."

The storm broke, and for the first time since she learned the truth, a smile formed on Star's face, replacing her fear. They were going to be parents! They created something wonderful together, woven with magic and love. Despite being ill-prepared and stressed out, she knew she could face anything as long as Marco remained by her side.

"Here, stay with me." He made room in his bed for both of them, and they laid in each other's arms, still reeling from the confession.

"I always wanted to have a family with you." Marco broke the silence. "I didn't expect one day to be today, but I guess we have a head start."

"Yeah." Star laughed gently at his attempt to lighten the mood.

"So wait, the blue magic earlier…?"

She nodded against his chest. "Yep, that was the baby."

"I see she's already talented with magic, just like you," he said happily.

"How do you know the baby's a girl?"

"I have a feeling. Am I wrong?"

"Nope, I think she's a girl too."

"Also, may I?" He rolled and held out his hand, which Star placed on her belly, where their child rested in her inner darkness.

"You won't feel anything, but I think she'll appreciate the gesture."

"Hey, baby, I know you can't hear me yet, but I'm your father and I love you. I promised your mother that I'm staying, so I'm making that promise to you too." Marco's words tickled her belly, making Star squirm.

The blue glow returned to her hands as if in response, illuminating the proud smiles on both parents' faces. We're a family now, Star nestled in Marco's arms and slept, pushing the fraught day long into the past, and for the first time in a while, the world felt right again.

"So, how are you feeling, new dad?" Star pinned Marco to the bed, smirking when he snaked his hands around her waist.

"Feeling good," he growled playfully, rolling on top of her. With the sun just rising, they figured that they had just enough time to celebrate before hitting the trail again.

"You're about to feel even better, Wild Man," she teased. "Especially when I—"

The bedroom door slammed open. "Star!"

"LEVITATO!" Star shot Marco and the top bunk into the air with a spell when River barged in. Her father failed to notice.

"Quick!" He waved his arms. "I found a lead on your mother. She's on Pie Island, and we have to save her from those dreaded Pie Folk!"

Author's Note

And thus begins this story. Honestly, I questioned publishing this because of the premise but then I reminded myself that it's the delivery that really makes or breaks a story on a more controversial topic. Hopefully, I did this justice, and mark my words, this isn't the only thing changing in this s4 AU. Like I said, I was going to do one anyways that deeper explore some of the themes the season brought up as an homage to the show, but then...well this joke idea came up and it surely added an interesting dimension to it. Hope y'all don't mind or think I'm weird; I'm just a writer looking for a way to frame a story and make it more unique.