The day of 'The Cleaving' caught everybody by surprise. For the Humans of Echo Creek, it was just another lazy, late summer's day. The sun was shining, birds were singing and people were commuting home as the evening drew in. Everything seemed as normal as it ever was. Then the earthquake happened.
It wasn't something entirely out of place in California. They were used to dealing with the occasional tremor every now and then. This was stronger than normal however. Down in south central shook the most violently. It's epicentre? Brita's Tacos.
People could only look on as the beloved local eatery was sucked into the ground, some kind of weird sinkhole opening up and enveloping the building. Thankfully everybody got out in time. Nobody could explain the weird black ooze that pulsed from the ground beneath however. Sewage maybe? Nobody was quite ready to find out yet.
Then came the next odd event; the 'gas leak'. At least that's what people thought it was. It lit up the sky in a dazzling blue and purple hue. People looked on in awe as it glowed bright in the evening haze before slowly shrinking and falling to earth again. In the ensuing scene, nobody noticed the fifteen year old boy in the red hoodie skateboarding towards the epicentre. Then again, they would have hardly had a moment before the 'leak' closed. After that, everything was engulfed in light.
When people could see again, the sky was no longer set in its regular evening colours. Now dazzling magnetic lights danced across an exuberant blue and purple canvas. Not one evening moon cast itself into the sky but three. By the time people's eyes found their way down again however, the biggest changes emerged.
The landscape they stood on itself had changed. Scattered among the houses, apartment blocks and skyscrapers were castles, towers, risings and mud huts. Stranger still were those who emerged from them. Most looked like something from a renaissance fair in Europe, tattered old garbs, rich tunics or flowing dresses worn by many. They looked at the Humans with the same confusion the Echo Creek residents gazed upon them with.
Then somebody noticed the final and most frighteningly out of the ordinary occurrence.
"MONSTERS"!
A whole host of unimaginable creatures emerged before the people. Some were tall as buildings while others were as small as dogs. Giant spiders, bird people, floating unicorn heads and strange demon looking folk were just a few of the things that sent the locals scattering. Many ran inside for shelter, clutched at loved ones or simply screamed in horror at what they saw. By contrast, many of the monsters and the old world looking strangers just looked on in confusion.
As the town began to lose its mind in panic however, nobody noticed the boy in the red hoodie at the centre of all the madness. He had simply gotten up after being blown backwards to find a familiar blonde girl in a blue and white dress standing before him, just as out of breath as he was.
As the scene around them began to clear, they simply walked up to one another, both beaming with an emotional smile as they closed their distance. It was plain to see, for anyone not distracted, that they certainly weren't strangers. As they gazed at the other, their eyes gave away many an emotion; relief, joy, amazement. But the one that eclipsed all was love.
"Hi" Marco said, greeting his girlfriend.
"Hey" Star replied simply as she reunited with her boyfriend.
Before either said another word or took a moment to check out their surroundings, they were upon each other in a desperate, loving embrace. Their lips locked as tears of joy rolled down their cheeks. They held each other tight for a moment as the world around them descended into pandemonium. Above them, a single shooting star raced across the evening sky.
"Best. Kiss. Ever" Star muttered under her breath as they broke apart.
"I thought I'd lost you. For real this time" Marco told her, sniffing back any more joyful tears.
"I thought the same. But I'm here, with you. And you're with me" Star replied, beaming back. Marco held her face in his hands, almost struggling to comprehend she was there. She was right though. Here they were. Wherever here was.
All they could do was giggle to themselves for a moment at the absurdity of it all, never once letting go of the other. However, a poke on Star's shoulder brought them back to their senses.
A familiar old lady in a green sun hat and purple dress stood behind the couple, Polaroid camera around her neck. She had a warm, if slightly nervous smile on her face as she held a developing photo in her hand.
"Sorry to disturb you, but I thought you may want this" she said, holding out the photo. Star and Marco simply stood speechless with flushed cheeks of embarrassment as they realized their intimate moment had been snapped. "It's just nice to see such a loving young couple so happy in...well, all this craziness".
"We're not…" Star began instinctively before realizing her folly. Her and Marco were a couple now. And as the photo emerged on the Polaroid in front of them, they saw exactly what the lady had snapped. The couple could only warmly smile as they saw themselves locked in a kiss in front of the dazzling skyline above them.
"Thank you" Marco said with heartfelt thanks as he continued to look at the photo with Star. "It's my pleasure" the old lady replied. "I'm just glad you two can both finally see what I did".
Marco then reached into his pocket as he got an idea. Pulling out a pen, he scribbled a quick love heart in red with the letters 'M + S' in the white space underneath the image. Star breathed a happy sigh as she looked over his handiwork.
"Aww, our first photo as a couple" she noted. "Thank you for…"
As she looked up to begin thanking the old lady, they both noticed she had vanished without a trace. "Woah. Where did she go?" Star asked, puzzled.
"I, I don't know" Marco stuttered, mirroring her confusion. Eventually, Star pocketed the photo and began to look around at the scene before them. Marco did the same as they tried to take everything in.
"What happened?" He began. "It's... like Earth and Mewni have become…"
"Cleaved" Star finished his sentence as she stared in amazement.
"What?" Marco replied.
"You can cleave something apart or cleave something together. It's what Glossaryck told me once" Star informed him, feeling a small tinge of pain mentioning the former magic keeper who tried to guide her studies. He was gone now. All magic was. Right?
"So the two dimensions have… cleaved. How?" Marco asked in confusion.
"I don't know" was all Star could say. "The last thing I remember was Tom showing me a portal in the sky. So I made a run for it".
"I ran towards a portal too!" Marco exclaimed.
"Star, did...did we do this?"
Star was simply speechless. Had she and Marco cleaved the two dimensions together? Surely they would have needed magic to do so? She remembered holding Marco in the crumbling magic before she passed out and found herself back on Mewni. But if the magic had really gone, what left the portal behind?
"Star! Marco!" They heard a voice call out. Turning around, they saw Janna running towards them. "Janna-bannana!" Star shouted, running to hug her friend. She had never been so happy to see the creepy girl. Janna froze awkwardly as Star squeezed her. It only took a moment for trepidation to melt away though and she accepted the kind moment with her friend.
"What the heck happened you guys? Have you seen this place?" Janna began questioning them.
"Don't look at us" Star replied. "We're just as clueless as you are".
Janna smirked as Marco emerged alongside them. "Thanks for helping me out back there Janna. I owe you one".
"You owe me more than one Diaz. I've got dominion over your stuff for life" she joked. Marco furrowed his brow as Star giggled. "So, finally ready to admit you have a crush on 'lover boy' here then Star?"
Star blushed before she looked at Marco's smiling face. He took her hand in his own, settling her down. "I guess I am yeah" she replied shyly.
"Took you both long enough" Janna snorted in amusement. Another interruption came however before she could add any more sarcasm.
"Marco! Star!" Marco's mother Angie called out gleefully as she rushed with husband Rafael and baby Mariposa toward their son. "Hi Mr and Missus Diaz!" Star called out, waving joyfully. Before her and Marco could react, Angie and Rafael had the two teenagers in a gripping, loving hug.
"Oh honey, we were so worried. You just vanished!" Angie said in relief as she held her son. "It's fine mom, I'm ok. We're both ok" Marco assured her as he warmed to the hug.
"Star! Do you have any idea what's going on? Everything's gotten kind of… Mewnified" Rafael asked.
"I don't know" Star replied, repeating the bewilderment. "One minute I was running toward a portal in the middle of this field and the next...bang, whoosh, wahhhh". She waved her hands frantically to mimic the images she was trying to portray.
"Well, you three should probably come downtown with us. There's people panicking about all this a little more than we are" Angie told them. The trio took their advice and made their way into town.
As they looked around, some monsters and Mewmans were trying their best to reason with Humans hiding out of sight. The locals were having none of it however, not risking the possibility of getting eaten or worse. Others tried defending themselves as best they could from the wild barbarians and creatures around them. It all seemed to be coming to a head in the town square. Star and Marco looked up in amazement as they saw the remains of Butterfly Castle had fused around the town hall, which now seemed miniscule in comparison.
Police tried to calm the situation as best they could.
"Any word from the national guard?" The police chief asked the nearest officer.
"Nothing sir, we can't get a hold of anybody outside the county" she replied, still keeping one eye on the surrounding chaos.
"Damn it we'll have to...hey!"
The police chief pointed up to an eager monster who had picked up a car in curiosity. "Sir! Sir, please put down the vehicle. That's not a toy" he demanded. The monster just shrugged his shoulders and dropped the car...right on top of their police cruiser.
"Oops, sorry. Didn't think they were that fragile" the monster replied in a nervous but booming voice.
In the middle of the crowd, Star and Marco tried to calm everyone around them but getting through to individuals was impossible. A familiar voice suddenly called out through the crowd to the young girl however.
"Star! Over here" Moon waved. Her, River, Tom, Ponyhead, Eclipsa and Meteora were all being sheltered by an enlarged Globgore. He kept his wife and child on his shoulder while the others took refuge by a statue from all the craziness.
"Mom! Dad!" Star called out as she ran towards them. Her parents were only too happy to embrace her in a hug as they came to terms with the situation.
"What's going on?" She quizzed her mother.
"I have no idea Star, it's like the dimensions have somehow…".
"Cleaved. Yeah, I get it" Star concluded. "But how, I thought we...urgh!"
She couldn't concentrate, getting a headache with all the screaming and panic around her. "Ok, we need to calm everybody down first. Then questions. Hey Globgore!"
She called up to the giant former monster king for help. "Hi Star" he replied as Eclipsa and Meteora waved from his shoulder.
"Can you give me and my mom a boost please?" Star asked. Globgore obliged as he kneaded down and let the two step onto his open palm. Lifting them up above the chaos, Star began.
"Everybody, please… SHUT UP!"
Everyone around them stopped in their tracks as they looked upon the teenage girl and her mother now raised above them.
"My name is Star Butterfly. I'm a Mewman from another dimension. I was a princess...Queen… former resident of Mewni" she began, forgetting exactly which status to address herself with now. "I know everybody is confused right now. We are too. But we all need to calm down. The Mewmans and monsters you see around you won't hurt you!"
The crowd exchanged nervous looks with one another as they took in the girls words. "Mewmans, monsters, these humans won't hurt you either. They are just scared and confused. They aren't used to anyone like us before in their dimension".
"So wait, whose dimension are we in? Yours or ours?" A lady in the crowd called out.
"Well, I guess we're sort of in both" Star replied to more head scratching from the people.
"There was a war in our dimension and we had to destroy magic to end it and save lives. But something happened afterwards and now the two dimensions have, well, cleaved together".
A few gasps and more whispering rung out among the crowd. "Is this true Queen Moon?" A Mewman onlooker called out. Moon froze for a moment as the onlooker addressed her. Was she still a Queen? And if so, who would she even be Queen of? The humans and monsters wouldn't follow her, that's for certain.
"I...I… yes, yes that's correct" Moon stuttered. "But I'm not your Queen anymore".
"Then who is?" Another Mewman asked. Moon sighed as she took her daughter's hand in her own for assurance.
"Nobody is. The age of Queens is over".
A loud gasp came up from the many Mewmans gathered around, with some panicking at what they'd do without a Queen to guide them. Another voice perked up however, this time from behind Globgore on top of the town hall.
"Excuse me! Sorry to interrupt… I understand you're the authority on the newcomers here!" The voice called. It came from a dumpy, middle aged little man, balding on the head and dressed in a sharp looking brown suit and red tie.
"I guess we are" Moon replied as Globgore turned to face him. "We are...were, the former Queens of Mewni". She corrected herself as she pointed out her daughter and Eclipsa.
"Queens, right" he replied, slightly bewildered. "Well I'm Mayor Norman of Echo Creek. I'm guessing all of these castles and whatever are yours too right?"
"They are. We don't know how but yeah, they're here" Star replied. The mayor just scratched his head a second before continuing.
"Well look, we're all a little dumbfounded here so I think we should probably help each other sort this mess out. I'm getting my staff to set up a meeting in the hall in half an hour. You bring your top figures and we'll bring ours".
"Thank you Mayor, we shall" Moon sighed in relief.
"Ok, good. The rest of you, you're more than welcome to sit in and help us. Feel like this might be a whole town kind of effort. If you want to return home, you can. But no more trouble please. Chief Callaghan, you and your officers help keep the peace please?" He asked one of the officers.
"Yes sir Mr Mayor" Chief Callaghan saluted. Moon called down to her knights gathered nearby. "Sir Scarsguard! You and your knights will assist them. Keep things civil".
"Will do m'lady!" The gruff old knight replied as he and the others took up their arms.
The mayor headed back inside as the crowd either dispersed or settled down for a moment. Globgore lowered Star and Moon back to the ground and Eclipsa joined them with Meteora.
"Eclipsa, I know I probably have no right to ask after...well everything. But will you help us with this? The monsters will trust you a lot more than me" Moon begged.
"Of course I will my dear" Eclipsa gratefully replied. "I just want to see everybody get along. If I can help with that, I'll do everything I can". Meteora squeaked in approval in her arms.
"Thank you. Together we'll sort this. For our children" Moon replied, bowing her head gratefully.
As Globgore shrunk back down to a smaller size to join his family and the others, Star and Marco found themselves with their friends again.
"So I guess we're all stuck together now huh guys?" Tom began, pointing out the obvious.
"Geez Tom, you make it sound like you're sick of us already, gosh" Ponyhead tutted.
"What?! I didn't mean it like that! I swear" Tom said, waving his arms around nervously.
The others just laughed however at this misfortune. "It's fine Tom. But yeah, we're all here together it seems" Marco replied. "I guess we'd better find you a place to stay though. Not sure how you'd get to the underworld right now without magic".
"Wait, you mean I can't get home? Oh man, my Mom will flip!" Tom exclaimed nervously.
"Hey, don't panic! We'll find a way, I promise" Star assured him. This calmed him down a little. He then noticed Star holding Marco's hand.
"So, are you guys… you know? Together now?" He asked. Star and Marco hesitated for a moment before answering.
"I guess we are" Marco answered nervously. "That's not awkward for us is it?"
"No no no! I said it was ok before didn't I? I'm glad, I am. Just, took you long enough" he joked, mirroring what Janna said earlier. "I just, hope we can all still be buddies if that's cool?"
Stars eyes lit up with joy as she and Marco both hugged Tom. "You idiot, of course we can!" She exclaimed in joy. Tom was all too happy to hug them back.
"I kneeewwww it!" Ponyhead yelled loudly. "I called it even before you admitted crushing on Earth turd! That's right, I said it!"
"Guys, I hate to interrupt the sickeningly sweet moment but we have more company" Janna told them. Looking up, they saw a large group of the Echo Creek teenagers headed towards them. At the head was Jackie, Chloe and Starfan13.
"Marco dude! You're ok!" Jackie exclaimed with relief.
"OMG Star your back! Yayyyy!" Starfan13 screamed as she jumped for joy.
"I guess I am" Star replied heartily.
"Wait what happened to my board?" Jackie asked.
"Uh oh. I, erm, guess it got blown up when the portal burst. Sorry" Marco apologized nervously, rubbing the back of his head.
Jackie seemed chill with it as ever though. "Ah no! Well you owe me a new one Diaz" she joked, playfully punching his arm.
"As soon as I get my merchandise money it's yours I swear" Marco promised.
"Your what?"
"Nothing" he said, freezing up at how embarrassing him admitting being a princess icon could have been.
"Soooo, are you and Star finally…" Jackie asked, hinting at the obvious.
"Yep!" Star replied, hugging Marco as she did.
"Took you long enough" Jackie chuckled. "Just look after this one Star, he's a little wild".
"Hey! I can handle myself" Marco said nervously, just eliciting more laughter from Jackie and Chloe.
"OMG I can't believe it! It's just like my FanFiction!" Starfan13 replied wildly.
"Your what?" Star asked.
"Oh nothing!" Starfan13 answered quickly as she changed the subject. "So is this your family?"
"It is!" Star replied as she commenced with the introductions. "This is my mom and Dad! Say hi to my Earth friends!"
Moon and River just smiled and waved awkwardly as their enthusiastic daughter continued.
"And this is Eclipsa and her husband Globgore. They're my...my…". Star realized the strange nature of the situation. Technically her and Eclipsa were never actually family.
"We're Stars aunt and uncle!" Eclipsa quickly interjected. "I mean, if that's what she wants"
Star was overjoyed to hear her say this. "You mean it?" She asked with joyful eyes.
Eclipsa chuckled. "Star, after everything you've done for us you'll always be family. Blood or no blood".
Star could feel tears of joy welling up inside her. Marco put his arm around her waist as he saw her get emotional.
"You too suit each other so well my dear, it just has to be said. I never got a chance to properly mention it before all the craziness" Eclipsa complimented. "Reminds me of a certain caring monster and I". She snuggled up to Globgore who agreed with her in turn.
"And is that your daughter? She is so adorable, I love her little tail!" Starfan13 asked.
"Oh yes, this is our daughter Meteora. Say hi bubby!" Eclipsa said.
Meteora instead decided to let out a shrill shriek, baring her sharp teeth at the newcomers before settling back into her mother's arms. It was enough to startle everyone around them.
"Sorry, I guess she's a little nervous around new people" Globgore apologized. "My wife will say she takes after me on that one!" This brought a chuckle from Eclipsa who snuggled back up to his arm.
After a few more introductions and reunions, those waiting outside were summoned into the town hall to commence the meeting. Inside, it seemed it had blended with the front foyer on the castle. The procession of representatives from Mewni joined the Humans at the front of the hall whilst everybody else in attendance took a seat on the hastily assembled chairs. The first noticeable sign of division was people sitting in one of the three blocks their own kind gathered in. Mewmans gathered on the left, monsters on the right with the Humans stuck in the middle. A couple of the monsters struggled with the small chairs, leaving a few to just stand at the side of the hall.
Marco's parents took a seat near the front and offered Marco a place next to them. He politely declined however, opting instead to stay with Star and see if, together, they could find a way to sort any of the chaos. Both he and Star had lived on both the previous sides of the divide. If anybody had an idea of how to coexist, it was them.
"Testing, one two…"
A shrill sound came through the microphone in the mayor's hands, causing many to cover their ears in pain. After a moment of frustration, he simply tossed it back at his aid, who in turn shrugged his shoulders as he caught it.
"Ok people, mewmans and...erm...monsters. For those of you who don't know, my name is Mayor Norman. My team and I run the town of Echo Creek, which I guess has combined with your town…keep...whatever you call it. I've spoken with the authorities in the smaller towns around this one. Seems we've all had a combination with different...erm…".
"Kingdoms" Moon said, finishing his sentence.
"That's the word!" Mayor Norman replied, laughing nervously as he looked back out at the sea of perplexed faces. "Anyway, nobody has a clue how this happened or how to fix it. So for the time being at least, we're going to all have to work together on this one".
"But I can just about deal with the school rush on a friday! How are we supposed to cope now with monsters in our town '' one local shopkeeper piped up. "Wouldn't they want to eat us or something"?
"Pff, honey there's barely anything of you to eat" one sassy monster jibbed.
"Anyways, if you want to look out for the real nasty work on Mewni it's the Mewmans" another pointed out, directing the ire to the left side of the hall.
"Hey, don't put us all in the same boat as that whack job Mina" one of the Mewmans cried foul.
"Didn't stop a few of you going all Solarian on us, did it?" a fluffy monster replied. Some of the Mewmans nervously twitched in their seats at that truth bomb. The Humans just sat by in confusion as they questioned what 'Solarian' was.
"People please, we can't let the old divides of the past get in our way now" Moon said, trying to calm the situation.
"Easy for you to say Queen Moon. Wasn't Mina following your orders?" The monster jibed back.
"Take it back!" River barked as he tried to defend his wife. Star buried her head in her hands at how horribly things seemed to be going.
"No! Well, I mean… not exactly. You said it yourself, Mina was crazy!" Moon replied to defend herself. It all seemed in vain however as the audience started to turn on each other.
"Stop!" Eclipsa all of a sudden commanded, drawing silence from the squabbling rabble. "Your right. Moon did make a mistake. A bad one at that. But if I'm willing to forgive her when it was aimed at my family, then you should be too".
She turned to Moon with a smile as she finished her sentence. Moon beamed back at her emotionally as the two came together for a hug. This seemed to settle down the monsters who appreciated their old Queens mature attitude.
"If we work together, we can help make a new start in this world. A better world, for our children". She looked to Star, Marco and her little Meteora as she said this. They smiled back in approval.
"She's right" came a voice from the crowd. They looked down to see Buff Frog and his family among the centre of the monsters. Star and Marco were overjoyed to see they were ok.
"I may have been just simple Buff Frog before all the chaos on Mewni, but becoming father has taught me the importance of what life really means. Star and Eclipsa Butterfly may be Mewmans but they fought to make sure my tadpoles grow up in safety and love. If they want to build new world then so will I".
He finished with a proud croak as many in the wing divides took in his message to heart. Star just beamed with happiness alongside her family. Maybe now, finally, monsters and Mewmans could forget their awful past and live together.
"Well, those are very touching words Mr Frog" Mayor Norman resumed. "Even if us Humans have no idea what you're talking about. But how can we be sure that we don't get swamped by any ex, erm, Mewni craziness?"
A few humans echoed his point before Marco interjected.
"You don't. At least, not all the time. But that's okay, because sometimes something different helps change things for the better".
He got up from his seat and made his way front and centre toward the crowd. All eyes were fixed on him, something he wasn't used to, even now. Looking back however and seeing Stars gaze was enough to give him the confidence he needed.
"Almost two years ago, barely anybody knew who I was. I was just the 'safe kid' in school. I lived a pretty average, boring life. Then an exchange student from Mewni turned up at our door. At first it was a little difficult to deal with all the crazy magic and wacky stuff she introduced me too. But in time, I came to realise I was better for experiencing it. I was better for having her around".
Star felt her heart flutter at Marco's words, like it was made of a miniature cloudy charm spinning around in her chest. Marco had gotten so much more confident and brave than when they first met. It was almost like he was becoming his cool Neverzone self right before her eyes. If only she could figure out how to bring the abs back…
"Things might be a little overwhelming at first, for everyone. But if we all work together, we can make life awesome for everyone here. We can build a world to be proud to call home".
As he concluded, a massive cheer came up from the crowd gathered. He was amazed at how well his ramblings had worked. All he could do was gaze back with a goofy smile as the room applauded him. "That's my boy!" Rafeal called out as he stood to applaud his son in the front.
All of a sudden, Marco felt a warmth come over him unlike anything he'd ever felt before. It caused him to blush so hard his cheeks almost burned redder than his hoodie.
Turning to face Star, he saw her lips pull away from his cheek as she wrapped her arms around him. "Marco, that was beautiful. Where did this bold new Diaz come from?" She swooned.
"Ah ha, I have no idea" Marco laughed nervously, his cheeks still practically glowing.
"Well now, it seems everybody is a lot calmer about going forward" Mayor Norman pronounced proudly. "I guess the only question left is what do we all call this new place?"
This brought the room back to the hush. It was a big new thing to figure out. What could they call their world now?
"What about Earth-Ni? That sort of works" one of the monsters fleetingly suggested.
"Phh, that's lame. Mearth sounds way cooler" a Mewman on the other side of the hall suggested.
"Mearth?! That sounds even lamer!" Another Monster exclaimed.
It didn't take much for the two sides to start bickering again over what they considered the better name. On the stage, Marco groaned as it seemed like his earlier words were lost to the wind. In amongst the chaos though, an older human man spoke up.
"Now hold up, hold up everyone! Listen here, I may be a simple old fool who don't really get your other dimension politics. But here in Echo Creek, we live in our own magical kingdom. It's called 'Murica! And in 'Murica, we have this little old trick called democracy. So we should put it to a vote and y'all can decide that way".
People seemed to agree with his idea as they once more looked to the stage. "That sounds fair" Moon noted. "Everybody for Earth-Ni, please raise your hand". Half of the hall raised their hands. "And those for Mearth?" The other half raised their hands.
"Oh crumbs, it seems like a draw" Eclipsa noted, not sure how to resolve the situation.
"Hold up hold up!" Ponyhead suddenly called out from behind them all. "I don't have hands so I haven't had a vote. This system is flawed!"
"You could just, you know, tell us what you want it to be called" Marco reminded her.
"Well I really thought Ponyland sounded…"
"Pony" Star told her sternly, shutting down her shenanigans.
"Fineeee, I guess I'll go with Earth-Ni then" she huffed.
"It's settled then. Earth-Ni it is!" Eclipsa declared joyfully.
"Well, that's probably enough success for one day" Mayor Norman declared. "It's getting late so we should probably wrap this up before the old folks home across the street puts in a noise complaint...again. We'll sleep on it now and get back to work tomorrow".
"But, what if we're scared to go home?" A little mewman boy asked. He raised a good point. Everything was still pretty upside down and the landscape was still alien for many.
"Oh my. Well, if any monsters want to spend the night at the monster temple, there should be enough pillows and blankets to go around in the halls" Eclipsa suggested.
"And if any Mewmans are looking for shelter, River and I would be happy to take you back to the Yute town" Moon added.
This answer seemed to leave the majority content as they began to file out into the night. "You know, you two make a pretty good team" the Mayor complemented Moon and Eclipsa. "I was thinking that maybe a few of us could set up a council to oversee the leadership of the town. I know Echo Creek but absolute zero about Mewni. Maybe you could both chip in?"
"A council to lead?" Moon asked, almost puzzled by the offer.
"Don't you see Moon? It's the perfect idea. You and River can speak on behalf of the Mewmans and Globgore and I can represent the monsters" Eclipsa noted.
"Well, I mean, I'm not sure how the other kingdoms would react to…" Moon began stuttering, caught up in a million indecisions about how this could work. Star interjected however before she could talk herself out of it.
"Mom please, we need you on our team for this. Try something new, for once?"
Her daughter's pleas helped Moon see clarity. Whether or not everybody agreed right now, it was one of the few solutions to any problems. "Ok Star. I'll try. We all will"
Star happily hugged her mother as she thanked her. "If you need any help Mom, we are always ready" she told her, pointing out herself and Marco. Moon just smiled back at her daughter as she made her next call.
"Thank you, but maybe in a few days. You and Marco have been through so much so much recently. I want you to both take some time off and enjoy being young again. We'll handle this for now".
The group then joined the rest of the town outside as they began to say their goodnights. "So, are you coming home with us tonight Marco?" Angie asked as she made sure Mariposa was nice and comfy for the walk back.
"Well to be honest Mom, all of my stuff is still in the Monster temple, so I'll probably head back there tonight. I'll be over to visit tomorrow though I promise" Marco assured her.
"It's ok sweetie, take all the time you need" Angie replied. She took Marco in for another hug. Marco felt his baby sister patting his hair as he held on tight to his mother.
"See you later son" Rafeal said, adding further to the hug.
"Mom, Dad? Are you ok with me going back there too? I can't exactly use magic to move my stuff anymore" Star nervously asked her parents.
"It's fine Star. Just come and visit us in the woods when you have time. Your father and I will be ok". Moon placed a soft kiss on her daughter's forehead as she bid her goodnight. "Goodnight my precious Star" River said as he hugged his daughter tight.
"Goodnight Dad" Star replied as she nestled her head into his shoulder.
As the group departed, Globgore offered Star, Marco and Tom a seat on his other shoulder. Getting to the temple would be a lot quicker with him at full size. "Just be careful not to squash anything there big guy" Marco advised. The former monster king heeded his advice and stepped carefully back to their home. It didn't take long for them to get there, the night quieting down around them as the town turned in.
"I'll help you find a room Tom, help you get settled in with anything you need" Eclipsa offered as Globgore took their baby in for the night.
"Thanks. Have you got anything with a high ceiling? I've been told I float sometimes…" Tom trailed off as he followed her in.
Marco was about to join them when he felt Star grab his hand and yank him backwards.
"Wait wait wait Marco! Look!" she implored him. Turning his face towards the view in front of them, his eyes lit up as he could see what Star was getting at. The new landscape they called home was spread out before them as far as the eye could see, their vantage point on the monster temple the perfect lookout. From there, they could see how seamlessly the two dimensions had merged together, landmarks nestling perfectly amongst one another in symmetry whilst the town was now sheltered all around by hills and mountains. Above it, the stars in the sky twinkled peacefully as the light of the moons flowed across the valley.
"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen" Star said, transfixed on the view before them.
"Well, almost" Marco replied. 'Wait, almost?' Star thought to herself. Turning to face Marco however, she saw what he was trying to get at. His eyes were now staring into her own. She blushed as she realised the compliment. Cupping her cheek in his hand, Marco leaned in to kiss her once again, a feeling she was more than happy to repay. They rested their foreheads together and held each other's hands tight before Star spoke again.
"Marco, do you think this will work? The whole Earth-Ni idea?" she asked her boyfriend.
Marco took a moment to think about it before drawing the conclusion that he didn't know. "If it does, good. If it doesn't, we'll find a way. All I care about right now is this moment. Me and you".
"With or without magic, we belong together".
They echoed the last words they spoke to one another in the crumbling magic. Gone though was the fear and uncertainty they held before. In their place was a warm comfort and familiarity. A sense of adventure hung over them as a new chapter dawned in the lovers lives. And what better way could they start it than together.
"We should probably head in now, it's kind of cold up here at night" Marco noted as he held on to Star.
"Yeah, I can't feel my toes" Star answered, taking in his hand and walking into the temple.
As they left the view behind, neither of them saw the tiny flash of light emerge in the night sky above. It appeared so faintly that it could have easily been mistaken for another star twinkling by anyone below. What it was however was far more ominous. A black portal had opened briefly high above the Earth-Ni landscape. From it, fell what appeared to be a shooting star. It was made of pure crystal however, the kind Rhombulous used to produce to imprison magical criminals. It shot down past the town at lightning speed into the mountains, where it crashed into the ground with a thunderous boom. As the dust settled, the shattered remains of the crystal littered in a crater made by the impact. On its edge, a black hand emerged.
**
As Star and Marco approached her room, they could hear small shuffling and scratching noises coming from behind her door. Ready to tackle an intruder, the two set up along either side, ready to breach.
"Ready?"
"Ready".
As she kicked in the door, Star could hear the intruders before she saw them. When she did them though, they had already tackled Marco to the floor, barking wildly.
"Puppies!" she exclaimed in joy, feeling the relief in knowing that the magic hadn't erased them from existence.
"Ok ok! I missed you guys too" Marco told them as he tried to wriggle free of their grasp. The majority of them ran back into the room, save for 'Barco Diaz', who he handed over to Star for a hug. As she reveled in her moment of happiness though, Star had a thought. "Wait, Marco; if the puppies are still here, does that mean we actually got rid of the magic or not?"
"I have...no idea" Marco replied, puzzled. A long yawn made him realise though that at this point, he was too tired to care. "I'm probably gonna hit the sack Star, I'm beat" he told her.
"I am too. But, can't you stay? Just, five more minutes" she begged, sitting down on the edge of the bed as she ushered him over.
Meanwhile downstairs, Eclipsa prepared some herbal tea as she and Globgore prepared to turn in now Meteora was asleep.
"I'm just going to see if the others want any. Always helps me sleep after a long day" she said.
"Ok, but don't be too long my darkest star" Globgore replied, yawning as he made his way to bed.
As Eclipsa made her way down the hallway, she saw the door still slightly ajar on Star's room, the light peeking through the crack. "Sorry if it's late, but I was wondering if you wanted some...oh!"
As she moved the door aside, she saw Marco and Star cuddled up together on the bed, fast asleep with the puppies snoozing around them. The sight brought a smile to her face as she shut off the light for them both. "I won't tell your mother if you don't Star" Eclipsa joked, as she shut the door, letting them sleep.