Star vs. the Forces of Evil is owned by Daron Nefcy and Disney. I own nothing, nor do I stand to gain any profit from any of this.
As feelings went for Marco Diaz, this was by far the lowest he'd ever felt in his young life. He was so close! If he hadn't fallen off of the skateboard right in front of the portal, he would have been able to pass through it! If he was able to pass through it...he was sure that he would have been able to see her again. The girl who captured his heart so long ago.
Marco lay on the ground in a heap as the portal exploded shut. Tears flowed down his face. He was such a screw up! It was the story of his entire life! Waves of sadness passed through him as the awful realization hit him that he'd lost the opportunity to see Star again. She was the best thing to ever happen to him, and she meant everything to him. Without her, he wasn't sure how he'd be able to go on.
Marco covered his eyes as he sobbed quietly. The rational part of his mind tried to convince him that it could have been far, far worse. After all, he did choose to stay in the Realm of Magic as it crumbled around him. Yet, miraculously he had managed to make it back to Earth, although he still had no idea how he actually got there. His parents and baby sister were still on Earth. His old friends, including Janna, were still on Earth. It was Janna that had created the distraction so he could race towards the portal. Even his ex Jackie Lynn Thomas-who he'd forged a better relationship with now that they weren't a couple-had lent him her skateboard so he could get to the portal faster. He had people on Earth that cared about him and loved him...but none of it felt like it mattered right now. All he cared about was her.
At least if I was stuck in the Realm of Magic, I'd still be with her…
Suddenly, a strangely familiar sound cut through his sorrow. Marco opened his eyes and looked up...as a flock of Dragoncycles flew overhead. He even thought he recognized his friend and partner Nachos flying in formation with the flock. Seeing this jolted him back to reality...and he noticed instantly that his reality had become...very different.
Marco looked all around him...and his eyes grew wide with what he was seeing. The sky was completely different. Instead of a normal early evening California sky, he was looking at a sky with more of a magenta hue. One that he'd seen many, many times before...on Mewni.
The young Latino sat up and began to really take in his surroundings. What he saw amazed him. Overhead, a giant eagle spread its wings in full flight. A giant spider climbed on top of a nearby house, causing the occupants to flee screaming. On the road in front of him, a Warnicorn galloped behind a passing automobile. The ground shook as a family of large monsters moved through a wooded area nearby, their heads sticking out above the trees. Marco took all of this in...and somewhere inside him a glimmer of hope took hold.
That glimmer suddenly became a flash of light...the same kind one would get from throwing open curtains to let the morning sun into a room. As he focused his gaze on the tree line in front of him, he saw a sight that he was sure he would have never seen again a few moments before. Standing across from him-on the other side of the road in front of the forest-was a slender blonde-haired girl. She was panting hard, as if she had run a long way to get where she now was. Where there had been incredible feelings of sadness and sorrow inside of Marco, they were now almost instantly replaced with feelings of overwhelming happiness and joy. There was no mistake...from the signature horns on her head, to the Narwhal dress, right down to her leggings and distinctive boots. It was her.
Star recognized him instantly as well. She looked at him up and down, as if she couldn't believe he was right in front of her. She slowly made her way over to the edge of the road never taking her eyes off Marco. Marco stood up and moved to his edge of the road. Both of them stepped onto the roadway at the same time, and moving as though neither could believe that the other was in front of them, they met in the center.
For what felt like the longest time, neither of them knew exactly what to say to each other. It felt like time had stopped. But, someone had to fill the awkward silence…
"Hey…" Marco spoke first.
Star struggled to find her voice. She also thought that she would never see him again. She had run almost clear across Mewni to get to the portal that was in her dimension. Now...she was standing in front of the young man that she was willing to give up everything for. What could she say to him to convey how she was feeling right now?
'Hi…" she managed to stammer out.
Both teens just stood there, for again what felt like eternity. But finally, the dams of emotion that they had been holding inside themselves, burst forth. At the exact same time, Star and Marco grabbed each other in a crushing hug. The kind of hug that you would give to one of the closest people in your life. The kind of hug reserved for the person who you loved and cared for the most...in any world or dimension. Pulling back for an instant, Star and Marco gave themselves the briefest of glances before pressing their lips together and melting into a kiss. It didn't matter if there was complete chaos unfolding around them...all that mattered was the two of them together.
Eventually they had to both come up for air, seeing that their kiss lasted almost a minute. Both Star and Marco had tears in their eyes when they broke the kiss. They didn't need words to convey how they both felt. They were so into each other-and the moment-that they didn't realize that they were still standing in the middle of a roadway.
Just as Marco leaned in to kiss Star again, a horn blast broke them out of their bubble. To the couple's right, a semi-trailer truck was barreling towards them, the driver frantically trying to get them to move out of the way. Both their eyes went wide with fear at the same time.
"STAR!" Marco screamed as the truck bore down on them. Star's first instinct was to cast a spell to stop the truck in its tracks...or teleport both of them to safety.
No...that won't work… she realized almost instantly. I destroyed magic…
"Marco!" she shouted at the boy. "Fall backwards with me!"
"Wait...what?!" he exclaimed.
Using all her strength, Star threw herself and Marco backwards as hard as she could. It helped that Marco allowed his body to rag doll, making it easier for Star to complete the throw. They both tumbled off the road and fell onto the grassy berm that lined the side of the road. Their momentum caused them to roll over the berm and into a drainage ditch. Meanwhile, the semi truck rumbled over where they had just been standing moments earlier.
Star ended up on top of Marco as their bodies came to an abrupt stop. Both of them looked at each other as they realized how close of a call that had been. Except in Star's eyes burned a fire that Marco hadn't seen in quite some time...not since she had fought Toffee. She turned her rage filled eyes towards her left.
"ASSHOLE!" She screamed in the direction of the retreating truck. "Way to ruin a moment with my boyfriend!"
Marco beamed. This was no trick of his imagination, or dream that he would wake up from. It was unmistakably Star Butterfly. His best friend in all the multiverse...and also his beautiful girlfriend.
"Shh…" he drew her back down to him. "It's ok, Star." Marco held her tightly. Star wrapped her arms around him, letting the previous moment's rage wash away.
"I thought I'd never see you again…"
"Oh, Marco…" she teared up again. "I missed you so much…"
In the distance the truck blasted it's horn again. Star and Marco both climbed to their feet in time to see the semi-truck collide with the leg of a large monster who had decided to cross the road further down from where they were. The force of the impact caused the truck to jack-knife as it skidded to a stop.
The large blue monster barely noticed the collision with one of its legs. Looking down, he finally noticed the wreckage along with the driver outside of his truck, screaming at the top of his lungs.
"What the hell is wrong with all you people today?! Did everyone go blind all of sudden?! Why the hell did you just walk in front of my truck!"
Suddenly, the monster leaned down towards the truck driver.
"Sorry…" he began. "I can't quite hear what you're saying. Can I help you?" The monster's voice rumbled deeply.
"Ahhhhhhh!" the driver screamed in terror. "I'm getting the hell out of here!" He took off running, abandoning his truck and leaving a confused monster behind.
"I wonder what his problem was?" the monster pondered aloud. Shrugging his shoulders, he continued along his way, still unaware of what exactly had just happened.
"Ha!" Star yelled after the truck driver. "Serves you right, you jerk!"
"Oh, Star…" Marco smirked.
"What?" she turned back to him.
"You're the best..." he told her. She was so crazy sometimes...and that made him love her even more. Marco embraced her and kissed the top of her head.
Star held Marco tightly as well. But then, she felt the urge to look around and see just what sort of world she was now a part of. She stood up and climbed out of the ditch over the berm and to the edge of the road. Making sure she looked both ways, she crossed the road over to the side where she first saw Marco. The boy also checked both ways, and followed her to the other side. Star, looked all around in amazement at the new surroundings.
"Marco…" she looked right at him. "What the hell did we just do?!"
He stared back at her. "I...don't...know. I just...I ran towards the portal...and it started to close...and then I thought it had closed forever and I'd never see you again…"
"I did the same thing!" she exclaimed. "I saw a portal in the sky and I ran towards it...and it got smaller and smaller...and then a big bang happened...and I saw you…"
"You don't think we…" he looked at her nervously.
"We just cleaved our worlds together…" she responded in amazement.
Just then it dawned on both of them what had happened. Down the bottom of the realm of magic. They didn't want to leave each other. Maybe this was their final wish come true?
"With...or without magic…" Star began.
"We belong together…" Marco finished her sentence.
Once again, the two teens fell into an embrace. The kind they didn't want to leave any time soon. They were content just to stay there in silence, to contemplate what they had just accomplished...but also just to be with each other in that moment.
"Sooo...Marco?" Star broke the silence.
"Yeah?" he replied.
"What should we do now?"
"I don't know. I suppose we should go find my parents since I sorta ditched them to run towards the portal."
"That's a great idea, Marco!" she exclaimed. "Plus, I think we need to find out where my parents ended up. As well as Eclipsa, Globgor, and Meteora...plus Ponyhead…"
"Ok...ok…" he chuckled. "Let's go find out where everyone is at."
"I hope they're all safe…" a worried look came over Star. "What if we really screwed up and sent everyone but us to the wrong dimension? What if they're trapped there…?"
Star felt panic start to creep into her body. But Marco just gently put his arm around her.
"I'm sure everyone is safe, Star. After all, you're the best magic wielder in all of Mewni."
"Aww...thanks, Marco." She giggled. "Look at you, Mr. Diaz. Being all reassuring. You had a role to play in all of this as well…"
Marco bowed. "Anything for my lady. But I still maintain that you did most of the work…"
He took her by the hand. "Shall we?"
"Lead the way ya cute goof."
The two teens began walking in the direction of the center of Echo Creek. It wasn't long until they were on one of the main roads. As they walked, a familiar vehicle came towards them honking its horn. Marco recognized his parents' faces in the front seat. The car came to a halt in front of them, and Angie and Rafael jumped out.
"Marco!" Angie cried. "You're safe, thank god!" His mother rushed to hug him.
"Oh son…" Rafael came up behind and joined the family hug. "We thought we had lost you…"
"Yes...There was some strange gas leak in the sky, then a big explosion, then it felt like an earthquake...and now all of this…" His mother pointed to the sky.
"Son...how could you leave Janna there when she was in distress…" Rafael scolded him.
Marco broke the hug and held up his hands. "Ok three things…" he began. "One. It was a portal, not a gas leak. Two. The explosion was Earth and Mewni being cleaved together, and three...it's Janna. She can stop her heart rate...apparently. Did you expect anything less from her?"
Angie and Rafael looked at Marco with confused expressions.
"Earth?"
"Mewni?"
Just then they noticed the blonde girl standing next to Marco.
"Star!" They both exclaimed and pulled her into a hug.
"Hi Mr. and Mrs. Diaz!" She greeted them cheerfully. "Yeah...so apparently me and Marco combined our worlds together!"
Angie and Rafael looked even more confused. Then they noticed Marco and Star holding hands.
"Are you?" Angie began, barely being able to hide the glee in her voice.
"Yep…" Star answered proudly. "We had our first 'official' kiss in a Pig-Goat shed, and then I had to destroy magic, but that meant I couldn't be with Marco, but then we created these portals so we could be together, and then our two dimensions sorta smushed together...and...yeah!" She held his hand tighter.
Marco's parents were now even more confused than they were a few seconds before. Before things got too awkward, Rafael spoke up.
"Well...congratulations!"
"Yes," Angie added. "We were hoping that both of you would figure things out. You always seemed to work well together."
Star and Marco exchanged nervous glances. Was it that obvious to everyone except for the two of them?
"I'm sure your baby sister would like to see Star again…" Rafael motioned Marco over to the vehicle where Mariposa was sitting in her car seat.
"Mariposa!" Star exclaimed and joined them. Rafael opened the rear door and unhooked his daughter from her car seat. He handed her to Marco to hold.
"Hi Mariposa!" Marco held up his baby sister. Star joined him in holding her.
"Hey baby girl! I missed you!" Mariposa cooed and giggled as she was held by the two teens.
"Absolutely perfect…" Angie gushed while pointing her phone at them. "So good together…"
"Mom?! Are you filming us?"
"How could I not, Marco?! You three are adorable together...and since you're a couple now…" she remarked suggestively.
Star blushed. Marco went almost beet red. Quickly Rafael took his daughter back to save the teens any more embarrassment.
"Well, I guess it's time to head home, right dear?"
"Yes, honey." Angie replied. "Can we give you a ride, Star?"
"That would be great, Mrs. Diaz," she responded. "I'd like to find out where my parents got to, though…"
"Well…" Rafael suggested. "There's a large castle that suddenly appeared in downtown Echo Creek. Could they be in there?"
Star's eyes went wide. "Of course! Knowing my mom, she'd totally want to head back to our family's castle! Even if she's not queen anymore, she's all about our family's legacy and stuff…"
"We can drop you off on our way home, Star." Angie offered.
"That would be awesome! Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz!"
Everyone piled into the Diaz's car. After Marco finished securing Mariposa in her car seat, Rafael started the engine and steered the vehicle in the direction of downtown Echo Creek.
It appeared that the local authorities had already begun the process of dealing with the cleaving of the two worlds. Downtown Echo Creek had become a giant parking lot, with local police, the Sheriff's Office, and even the State Highway Patrol blocking off streets and entrance ramps while directing traffic. In the middle of town lay the remains of the Butterfly Castle, now joined together with the new, but not yet opened, town center complex. But the biggest change was the circular lake that surrounded the castle on Mewni. It had been transported to Earth and now surrounded downtown Echo Creek. The creek itself, for which the city was named after, now flowed into the lake and drained out the other side.
Star and Marco sat in the back of the Diaz's car nervously surveying the scene. They weren't going anywhere, seeing that the road in front of them was blocked and they were sitting in a line of cars. Star suddenly began undoing her seatbelt.
"Star! What are you doing?" Marco admonished her.
"We need to find my parents!" she shot back. "I'm sorry, Marco, I just can't wait in this traffic anymore!"
She opened the door and climbed out of the vehicle. Marco sighed and followed her. Star stopped to acknowledge Marco's parents.
"Mr. and Mrs. Diaz...thank you so much for everything...but I really need to find my parents."
"We understand, Star" Rafael nodded at her. "Good luck!"
"I'll text you guys to let you know when I'm coming home." Marco told his parents as Star ran off ahead.
"Ok, honey!" Angie waved cheerfully."
Marco caught up to Star as she hurried down the line of cars.
"Wait, Star…" he grabbed her arm. "According to my news feed, the police have downtown completely blocked off. No one can enter the downtown area; they've blocked all the bridges off."
"Well...then I'll have to convince them to let us through," she stated.
Marco loved his girlfriend's determination, but he didn't want either of them getting arrested right now.
"Uh...this isn't like on Mewni, Star. The authorities here don't know who you are, or were…"
"Don't worry, Marco...I can be very persuasive."
Marco didn't even want to know what the hell she was planning this time. The two teens approached a police checkpoint that had been set up on one of the bridges that used to cross over Echo Creek, but was now spanning the new lake. Marco noticed a Channel 7 Action News van sitting in front of the checkpoint. An attractive Latina woman in her mid to late twenties was standing outside the van, carrying on a conversation with one of the officers, while at the same time talking on her cell phone.
"Hey, Star." Marco put his arm in front of her then pointed. "See that woman standing there talking to the police officer? That's Katie Martinez from Channel 7 Action News."
Star looked at what her boyfriend was pointing at. "Ok...so?"
"So...I think I know how we can get into Butterfly Castle."
Marco approached the news van with Star right behind him. Katie Martinez had stopped talking to the police officer, but was still in conversation on her phone.
"Hi...Miss Martinez?" Marco tapped her on the shoulder.
The news reporter turned around with a somewhat annoyed look on her face.
"What do you want, kid?" she asked briskly.
"Um...yeah my name is Marco Diaz, and this is Star Butterfly. We were kinda wondering what's going on with, well...all of this…"
"Have you guys been living under a rock?" she asked incredulously. "The whole world went crazy! Right now, I'm having a conversation with my producer who's trying to get me clearance so I can get to that castle that just showed up out of nowhere! Apparently, the mayor is going to be holding a news conference with some people that came here from another dimension!"
The news reporter went back to her cell phone conversation. Suddenly Star grabbed her and wheeled her back around to face them. Katie's eyes went wide with surprise at the sudden motion.
"Miss Martinez...we need to get into that castle as well." Star said to the reporter bluntly. "It's very important."
"Dan...can I call you back in a couple of minutes?" Katie ended her call and was about to give the two teens a piece of her mind, when a realization struck her.
"Wait...I know you two…" she began. "You're the local kid that was always hanging around a few years ago when there was all this weird stuff happening. I was constantly out doing live hits covering all sorts of bizarre events happening all over town. It seemed like every time I went out on a story, I almost always saw you there as well."
She turned to Star. "As for you...you were always around this guy as well when the crazy stuff was going down. Are you his girlfriend or something?"
"You bet." Star beamed at her.
"Figures...you looked like a nice couple…" Again, Star and Marco exchanged glances, wondering why it took them so long to figure things out when it was apparently painfully obvious to the surrounding world.
"Uh...yeah… so about the crazy stuff..." Marco began hesitantly. "We had a lot to do with what happened around Echo Creek a few years ago. Actually...we're the reason why all of this happened today…"
"That castle right there…" Star pointed to Butterfly Castle "...is my family's ancestral home. I'm from another dimension, and me and Marco here combined my dimension and his dimension into...this big thing…" She motioned around with her hands. "The people who the mayor is having the news conference with, are my parents. We need to get to them."
Katie stood there silently taking their story in. Star and Marco could see the wheels turning in the news reporter's head as she decided whether to believe them.
"Ok...say I believe you. Although...after what's happened today, I'm a lot more inclined to believe your story," she began. "If I get you into that castle, would you be willing to do me a favor?"
"Like what?" Marco asked.
"Let me do a TV interview with you two about your experiences both here and...wherever you're from…" she pointed at Star.
"I'm from Mewni." Star responded.
"Whatever…" Katie waved her hand. "I'll make sure it's a nice puff piece that makes you two look like heroes. If you agree to do this for me, I'll get you into the news conference. Deal?"
"Um...sure?" Marco replied with some trepidation.
"Deal…" Star responded confidently.
"Ok, give me a couple of minutes with my producer. I'll be right back." Katie turned her back and began dialing her phone again.
"I hope this works," Marco whispered to Star.
"Well...if it doesn't, I'm going to make a run for it." Star whispered back.
"Star!" Marco almost shouted her name.
"Ok...ok…" she pouted. "I'll wait and see what this lady can do for us…"
Inside the great hall of the former Butterfly home, there was activity that the old castle had not seen for quite some time. Various Echo Creek officials scattered about along with accredited media people. They were setting up for a press conference like no other. One where visitors from another world would be introduced to Earth for the first time.
It was almost time to start the press conference. Cameras were set up and trained on a dais that stood along the far wall of the chamber. Television lights were illuminated, and last-minute sound checks were made. Suddenly, the main doors of the hall opened, and a unique group of people made their way to the front of the room. They were led by the mayor of Echo Creek and the Chief of Police. Behind them were other members of law enforcement in the state of California. But it was the group behind them that garnered the most interest. Dozens of cameras flashed as Moon led a procession that included River, Elicipsa, and Globgor who was carrying Meteora. The procession all made their way up onto the dais, and sat in pre-arranged seating in front of a long table.
When he was sure everyone was in their places, the mayor-a middle aged man with a full head of brown hair tinged with some gray-leaned forward to speak into the microphone that was in front of him.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. My name is Robert Miller, and I am the mayor of Echo Creek. On behalf of Echo Creek City Council, I would like to welcome all members of the media this evening to the suddenly renovated Town Center Complex. I can assure you; the council did not approve this grand castle as part of the final plans when we approved the project…"
The mayor said this with a smirk, earning some laughs from the assembled media.
"But, in all seriousness...to say that it has been a strange past few hours today is probably a gross understatement. We appear to have answered the question that humankind has been asking for generations...namely, are we alone in the universe? Well...from what has transpired today, our own universe is not alone."
He motioned to his right. "The people to my right come from a totally separate universe, and from what I'm told, it is quite similar to our own planet although with far less technology than here on Earth. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of this universe have been transported to our own universe suddenly and without warning.'"
Murmurs crept through the hall. Mayor Miller continued. "To the inhabitants of Echo Creek, and for that matter people of planet Earth who are tuning into this press conference, you no doubt have noticed countless changes along with new creatures, plants, animals, and even people who resemble humans now being a part of our world. I have been assured that the majority of these former inhabitants of the world known as Mewni, come in peace and mean no harm to any of us. They are just as frightened and confused as we all are right now...and I urge the public to remain calm. Do not become aggressive or exhibit hostile or violent behavior towards any of the new inhabitants. If you see an object or plant that you've never seen before, do not touch it or play with it. This goes double for children. We do not want to have anyone get hurt or worse until we can assess just how much our world has changed."
The mayor again looked to his right. "Now...I would like to turn the floor over to our guests. Mrs. Butterfly? As one of the former leaders of Mewni, you volunteered to make the first address?"
Moon leaned forward and spoke into the microphone. "Can everyone hear me? I've been told that this object projects your voice…" Seeing a group of reporters stare back at her made the former queen nervous, so she continued on assuming that everyone could indeed hear her words.
"Anyway, I would like to first off extend my greetings on behalf of my husband, River, as well as the most recent Queen of Mewni, Eclipsa along with her husband Globgor. Oh! I can't forget their precious daughter, Meteora…" Meteora babbled in her father's arms. The assembled media made sure to take many pictures of the cute baby.
"Like all of you on earth, we are also shocked and confused at what has transpired. The group of us sitting at this table were actually on our way to this very castle, when suddenly there was a bright flash in the sky, and the next thing we knew we were transported to this world."
Moon paused for a moment to look at the mayor. "I wish I could give everyone here an explanation as to what occurred, but I'm afraid I can't. However, I would like to convey a message to my people as well as the people of earth. We also come in peace. We wish no harm to come to any inhabitant of this world. To the Mewmans who have been transported to this strange new world. Stay calm. Know that the former leaders of Mewni are working on your behalf during this time to keep you safe and to aid with the transition to what appears to be our new lives. We hope that things will eventually become 'normal' again."
Moon looked over the crowd of assembled media wistfully. "I also have a message...to my daughter. I hope she can hear me. Star...wherever you are…"
"Mom!" a voice cried out from the back of the room. Star and Marco came bursting through the door of the great hall, followed by Katie Martinez of Channel 7 Action News and her cameraman.
"Star?!" Moon looked on incredulously. The entire room began chattering at the sight.
"Mama!" Star cried out to her mother as she rushed up onto the dais.
"Star!" Moon fought back tears as she stood up and opened her arms to accept her daughter into a hug. "I thought we'd lost you in all the commotion." she whispered to her as she held her tightly. The media cameras trained on the two former queens, covering the touching reunion.
"Don't worry, mom!" Star let go of the hug. "I was able to take care of myself!" Star turned to her father.
"Papa!" She hugged him as well.
"Hello pumpkin!" River wheezed as his daughter crushed him in a bear hug. "The Johanson in you is becoming more apparent every day..."
"Oh! I can't forget about Eclipsa and Globgor, and especially adorable...Meteora…" Star went to greet the last Queen of Mewni and her monster family. Meanwhile, Marco stood off to the side of the dais. He didn't want to interrupt any family moments. Star, however, was having none of that.
"Marco Diaz! You need to get over here right now!" Star admonished him. "Come say hi to my family!"
Marco sighed and came over to where his girlfriend's family was sitting. To his surprise, Moon reached out and hugged him as well.
"Thank you, Marco…" she whispered to him. "I knew that you would be with her and be the one to keep her safe…"
Marco's eyes lit up with surprise upon hearing Moon's words. He had no idea Star's mother held him in such high regard.
"Thanks…" he said. "Sorry about all the mess we caused."
"Wait...what do you mean?" Moon eyed the boy.
"Actually...mom...me and Marco have something we need to tell the whole world…" Star admitted to her mother.
"Really?" Moon looked at both teens hesitantly. "I see...and what is that?"
"Can I borrow one of these microphones?" Star asked.
"Is that what they're called?" Moon inquired. Star just arched an eyebrow. "Sorry, dear. I'm still getting used to this new technology of Earth."
Realizing that she was breaching etiquette by not formally introducing her daughter, Moon addressed Mayor Miller, who was somewhat taken aback by what had just occurred.
"I'm terribly sorry, Mayor Miller," Moon began. "I haven't introduced you to my daughter, Star Butterfly."
Star shook the mayor's hand vigorously. "Pleased to meet you!"
"Also...her knight, Marco Diaz. He is one of the citizens of your fine city." Moon introduced Marco. The mayor took his hand with a quizzical look upon hearing his title.
"Also, my boyfriend." Star added. "So...yeah. Hi!" Star took the microphone and addressed the crowd in front of her. "I'm Star Butterfly and I'm from Mewni. This is my boyfriend, Marco Diaz...he's from here in Echo Creek."
She paused as she wasn't sure how she could put what she was about to say any more delicately. Might as well come right out and say it…
"Anyway...Marco and I are responsible for everything that happened today. We cleaved Earth and Mewni together…"
"What?!" Moon gasped.
"Cleaved...together?" River began.
"Oh...my…" Eclipsa put her hand over her mouth. Although she was genuinely shocked, at the same time she covered her mouth to hide the smile forming on her face. For a long time, she knew that Star would eventually surpass her mother as the most powerful spell wielder in all of Mewni. She would have probably even surpassed Eclipsa, given enough time.
It was not a huge surprise that Marco had something to do with this as well. To any outside observers, the fact that Star and Marco hadn't been a couple until very recently, would have been utterly confounding. Eclipsa knew from almost the first day of meeting Star that she was hopelessly in love with Marco, and only in a relationship with someone else because she just wasn't mature enough to handle the intensity of her feelings. As for Marco, it was even more painfully apparent how he felt about Star even during their days of "friendship," and it had gotten worse over time. To Eclipsa, it all made perfect sense now. Why wouldn't two young people-completely in love with one another-be able to wield the kind of magic necessary to create an entirely new world?
"So...you kids are meaning to tell us...that you're responsible for all this...chaos?!" Mayor Miller asked incredulously.
"We're actually not kids...sir, we're young adults." Star responded slightly annoyed. "But yeah. Back on Mewni-for the longest time I might add-there were all these conflicts and wars amongst the Mewmans and the Monsters. But me and Marco tried really hard to get the younger monsters and mewmans to get along. Then a new queen was crowned with a monster for a husband, and I thought that the kingdom would accept her. But there were some that didn't accept her as queen, and they formed an army of magical super warriors...and these super warriors tried attacking the queen but we fought them off. Then I decided that the only way to stop all of the fighting was to destroy magic. So me, my mom, Eclipsa here, and a bunch of my grandmas...oh and Meteora too! We went and destroyed the magic. Except that because I destroyed magic, I couldn't be with my boyfriend Marco-which really sucked-because we had just gotten together. But then we were together one last time and we created these portals so we could be together for good, but it turns out the result of these was that there was a big explosion and… well...you end up with...this!"
Marco took the microphone from her. "I'd also like to add that it wasn't a gas leak, or an earthquake. It was a portal."
Star took the microphone back from him. "Any questions?" She asked cheerily.
The entire press conference erupted into chaos. Reporters began yelling questions at everyone assembled on the dais. Some of them even rushed to the edge of the platform to try to shove their microphones into the faces of all the assembled guests. Globgor had to shield his daughter from all the commotion. Metora began crying with fear from all the noise and people intruding on her. Mayor Miller just sat in his seat, an ashen complexion forming on his face.
Marco and Star exchanged terrified glances as the orderly press conference descended into utter madness. Meanwhile, Moon-who was initially in a state of shock from her daughter's confession-suddenly snapped back to reality and right into "queen mode." As someone who lost her mother at a young age, then was forced to fight an army of invincible monsters, she knew how to handle difficult situations where her family was threatened. She grabbed Star by the arm and whispered to her.
"We need to get out of here...now! Follow my lead!"
Moon grabbed her husband by the hand and motioned to Eclipsa and Globgor to follow her. Star grabbed Marco's hand, and followed her mother. The entire group made a mad dash for the far end of the great hall, where there was a smaller door leading to another corridor. Desperately hoping it wasn't locked, Moon allowed herself a small sigh of relief when they were able to open it. With the media throng hot on their tails, Moon led the group into another corridor which opened into the main corridor of the castle. Quickly she motioned everyone to follow her to a staircase which led to the second floor. The entire group ran up the staircase in the nick of time, as the media crush came charging down the main hallway in hot pursuit. Behind them came a large group of police officers charged with bringing the rampaging media scrum under control. The stairway led to another hallway, this time on the second floor. Out of breath, Moon motioned for the group to stop.
"I think we managed to lose them…" she breathed.
"I say...these earth people are a lot of fun!" River remarked jovially. He was instantly silenced by a glare from his wife.
Moon composed herself, and fixed her gaze upon her daughter. She strode over to where Star and Marco were catching their breath.
"Star…" she began. Star looked at her with a terrified expression
"Mom...I'm really, really sorry…" Tears were forming in Star's eyes. "I know we both screwed up big time. All that chaos downstairs was totally caused by us. All the craziness outside is our fault as well. I just wanted everyone to know what we did. We just...we didn't want to be apart from each other and…"
Moon cut her daughter's rambling off by embracing her with all her might. Star's eyes went wide with shock. This was not the reaction she expected from her mother, of all people.
"Moooom?" Star's voice went up a lot higher than normal. "What...what are you doing…?"
"Oh sweetie! I'm just glad that you're safe and back with me and your father again…"
"Oookaaayy…?" was the only thing Star could muster. Moon broke her hold on her daughter to look her in the eyes.
"Star...if you did all this...this 'cleaving' as you put it...you just performed the most powerful magic ever seen in any dimension! Do you know what this means?
Star just stared at her mother, so Moon continued. "It means you're the most powerful magic wielder our family has ever produced!"
"Yes, dear." Eclipsa interjected. "I dare say you managed to pull off a magical feat that made my 'spell without a name' look like a cheap parlor trick…"
"Marco helped…" Star spoke softly.
"Two souls, bonded together…" Eclipsa smiled warmly.
"No one can underestimate you now, Star." Moon embraced her daughter again.
Star was definitely taken aback by her mother's affection and praise, given their past history. It appeared that she was taking a new approach towards relating to her daughter. One that was more supportive, given the conflicted relationship they had for many years before.
"Ok then." Star announced after Moon broke their embrace. "What can we do to help?" She glanced at Marco.
"Nothing…" Moon said simply.
"What?!" Star looked at her incredulously. "But mom! You just said that I'm no longer 'underestimated!' Me and Marco caused all this...we want to help sort it out!"
Moon held up a hand. "Hear me out, Star. You've already done so much for the kingdom. Both as a princess and royal advisor to Eclipsa. The four of us had a conversation after we initially met with the Mayor, and before the press conference. Although we didn't really know what had exactly happened-at least until you explained it to the world-we agreed that this event was the opportunity for a new beginning."
Star arched her eyebrow at her mother but let her continue.
"You were right all along. Things on Mewni had deteriorated. Old hatreds were festering. Myths were being touted as fact. Prejudices were dividing the respective Mewman and Monster populations. But...you were able to see past all the old outdated attitudes, and you tried so hard to make things better for your generation. Even though it seemed like a hopeless task, the younger generations of Mewman and Monster really took your message of unity to heart."
"Your mother is correct, Star." Eclipsa added. "My coronation-and more importantly the acceptance of my coronation-wouldn't have happened without your tireless work."
"It's not that I don't want your help, Star. It's not that I won't need your help in the near future. What I'm saying is that the four of us owe you a debt of gratitude." Moon finished.
"I don't understand…" was all Star could muster.
"We're not pushing you aside, pumpkin," her father finally spoke up. "What we're saying is that you've earned a rest."
"Yes…" Globgor added. "You've been pushing yourself for so long that we don't want you to destroy yourself physically or emotionally."
"What we're all trying to say, Star, is that we owe it to you-and for that matter Marco-to help guide this new world through its period of transition. At least in the short term…" Moon stated. "I promise that we can and will handle this task with the care it deserves. After all, you've done all the hard work...our job shouldn't be too difficult."
Moon smiled at her only daughter. Star looked over at Marco, who'd been silent the whole time.
"I think your mom is right," he finally broke his silence. "You did so much for years when you returned to Mewni, you haven't had much time to yourself. Even when you came back to Echo Creek for a while, you still had to return to help battle Mina. You haven't had a chance in...well, it feels like forever, to be a normal teenager. It's also a bit selfish of me to say this but...I'd really like to spend time with you as your boyfriend doing 'normal' couple activities."
"Oh, Marco…" she sighed and grabbed his hand. "I'd really like to spend time being your girlfriend and doing 'normal' couple things as well. But...this world is going to need both of us at some point in time. The young Monsters and Mewmans are going to want leadership from me. The younger humans are going to want someone to guide them through a completely different world!"
"We've got all the time in the world to help out, Star," he reassured her. "Right now, I want to help you decompress. I want us to be able to do absolutely nothing, if we really want to. You've totally earned the right to sit on the couch at my place, or even your place back at the temple, and relax."
"On that note…" Moon interjected. "Marco...I have one last request of you."
"Anything, Queen Moon."
"First off…" she smiled. "You can call me Moon. The age of Queens is officially over."
Star beamed at this pronouncement. Maybe her mother was finally getting it.
"Secondly. If it's not too much trouble...would Star be able to stay at your residence...at least for this evening? This castle is in no condition to have anyone stay here at this point and Eclipsa and Globgor have informed me that the Monster Temple will likely be needed for the monsters that don't have a place to stay due to the Solarian attacks."
"Don't worry, Star and Marco. I'll make sure that both your rooms are well taken care of in case you need them in future." Eclipsa assured them.
"I'm sure Star won't mind staying in a familiar place this evening...won't you Star?" Moon nodded to her daughter.
"It's no trouble at all, Moon." Marco stated. "My parents love Star like she's their daughter. They'll be happy to have her stay over."
Star just stood there with a wide grin on her face. Finally, some downtime! Plus...she could spend it with Marco!
"It's settled then," Moon declared. Her face turned serious. "However, we also need to find the mayor and get the proceedings back on track. After all, there are many issues that need discussing to undertake an orderly transition. Am I correct to assume that you two need a ride to Marco's house?
"Yeah, I think we could use some transportation." Marco observed. "My parents went home and the only other ride I had was a skateboard...which I wrecked."
"River can round up some warnicorns and hopefully a functional carriage for you two. The rest of us will go and find the mayor and attempt to smooth things over enough that we can have a productive conversation on how to proceed with the merger. Does this sound good to everyone?"
"That'd be great, mom!" Star gave her a hug. "Thanks for everything!"
"Very well then. Let's go." Moon led the way back to the stairs and the main floor of the castle.
It was late in the evening. Star had just finished brushing her teeth in the upstairs bathroom of the Diaz household. Putting her toothbrush down, she proceeded to grab a hairbrush-which Marco's mom had so helpfully provided for her-and used it to brush out any twisted strands of flowing blonde that she had missed earlier. As she worked on her incredible mane, she quickly realized just how much she missed staying at Marco's.
Her father had managed to secure transportation to get them to Marco's parent's. As soon as they were in the front door, his parents declared that she was at home and she was free to use the amenities of their house however she saw fit. Her first request was to be able to have a shower and wash her hair, although being the gracious guest she let her boyfriend use the bathroom first. In reality, she just wanted more time to herself to soak in the shower and completely unwind from everything that had happened recently.
The shower itself felt like absolute heaven. Angie and Raphael had installed a new showerhead recently, and she was convinced it was the best she'd ever stood under. Whatever shampoo Angie was letting her borrow, Star had to get some for herself, because it smelled amazing. No stranger to long hair, Angie also let Star borrow her fast action hairdryer, which meant that her beautiful blonde tresses were dry in no time. Marco's mother also made sure that she had something to sleep in that evening. Star had arrived at their house with literally the clothes on her back, so Angie let her borrow an old set of pajamas. However, for an "old" set of pajamas, they still looked amazing. They were light blue in color, and made of a silk or satin material. Star loved how the material felt on her body. She was also pleasantly surprised that they fit fairly well, considering the difference in body type between her and Angie.
When she was satisfied that she looked fabulous-even though she was about to turn in for the night-Star made her way out of the bathroom and into her new accommodations. Which in this case, was Marco's room. Some other changes had happened at the Diaz residence recently. Mariposa was now sleeping in Star's old room. Angie had converted her youngest daughter's former room into an office, so she could work from home and still look after her baby girl. That meant that Star had to sleep in Marco's room. An arrangement that suited the former princess just fine. She wanted nothing more to have Marco as close to her as possible tonight.
Of course, her definition of "close," and Marco's were a bit different. While he was extremely happy to be allowed to sleep in the same room as his girlfriend-under the roof of his own house no less-he was still a knight and a gentleman. This meant being "respectful" of Star's personal space. As she padded across the floor of his room, Star saw the arrangement for the evening. Marco had an air mattress set up on the floor of his room-not unlike the time Tom was forced to sleep over. Star would sleep in his bed tonight. Marco was already on his mattress, looking at his phone, when he noticed her.
"Wow...you look...amazing!" he breathed. Marco took in the vision of Star dressed in a silky-smooth set of pajamas with her hair looking clean and shiny and her pale skin looking refreshed.
"Awww...thanks, Marco," she cooed. Marco was wearing his usual sleep attire of a grey shirt and grey shorts, but Star still thought he looked cute.
"Well…" he announced as he put his phone on the nightstand. "It's getting late and I'm pretty beat."
"Me too…" she agreed as she climbed into his bed and pulled the covers over her.
"Goodnight, Star." Marco turned off the light.
"Night, Marco…" she replied.
Try as she might...Star wasn't getting to sleep. Even though she was exhausted, and even though she tried to let slumber claim her, she wasn't able to fall asleep. She knew exactly why as well. The answer lay on the floor next to her borrowed bed. Rolling on her side, Star looked down at Marco's form lying on the air mattress. This wouldn't do. After everything they had been through, she needed him with her that night.
But, she knew Marco better than his own parents. She knew that, in his mind, he was being a "gentleman" by giving up his own bed for her. Or, he was being the "safe kid." Either way, she didn't want to push him too hard to get him out of his comfort zone. It was one thing to convince him to join her to travel across the dimensions. Him kissing her in the photo booth was incredibly brave of him, but it really freaked him out as well. She had to prod him a bit when they had their first "official kiss." But now...this was taking things to a whole new level. She needed to convey how she wanted to up their level of intimacy, but in a way that was still gentle and wouldn't make him think they were moving too fast.
Star propped her head up on her arm. "Hey, Marco. Are you still awake?"
"Yeah…" he replied after a brief silence.
"Can we talk?"
"Uhhhh….sure...?" The trepidation in his voice was obvious. He'd heard those words right before Jackie broke up with him.
Shit… she thought. That was a really bad choice of words. Get your head together, Butterfly!
"Don't worry...I'm not breaking up with you or anything. After all we've been through just to get to this point, that wouldn't make a lot of sense...right?"
"Ok…" she could tell that he was somewhat relieved.
"But I need to ask you a question." Star paused. "Why did you stay in the realm of magic after I left and not go back to earth?"
"That's an easy answer." he said quickly. "I didn't want to go back. I didn't think there was anything to go back to if you weren't with me. Or...maybe I was being a Marco and hoping that you'd come back and everything would be alright…"
"But...you have your parents, and your baby sister, and you have friends like Janna and Jackie on earth…" she replied.
"Yeah...but it just wouldn't be the same. I've never been able to get over you when you leave. Otherwise I'd have never followed you to Mewni so many times.
A thought then occurred to Marco. "So...why did you decide to come back for me?"
"I wanted to go to Earth to be with you. I was willing to give up everything I'd known for you as well…" she replied with no hesitation. "Marco...do you know how scared I was?"
"What do you mean?"
"When I went back for you, I couldn't find you right away. I saw that the Earth well had closed up...and so much terror came over me. Because...I thought that I had finally made the fatal mistake that I couldn't fix. I thought that you had gone back to Earth and I was stuck in a crumbling dimension with no way out and no hope because you weren't there."
Star tried to hold back some of her emotions. "But then...I saw you were still there. You were waiting for me to come back to you. When I saw you, I wasn't scared anymore. I knew right then and there that everything would work out. Because we were together...and we'd figure out a way like we always did…"
Star let her words sink in. "That's really deep…" he finally remarked.
"Here's the thing, Marco." she added. "I don't ever want to have those feelings of fear and hopelessness again. Our two worlds came together because we both didn't want to be apart from each other. My mom was right...this is an opportunity. Not just for Mewmans and Monsters...but for us as well. This is our chance to discover and explore not just a new world, but ourselves as well. We've gotten to a certain point in our relationship...and well...I'd...I'd like to see if we can take it a little bit further…"
Star's voice had some hesitation to it. She didn't know how he'd react to her hints. To his credit, Marco started putting the pieces together.
"Is this...about you sleeping where you are...and me sleeping where I am?"
"Marco…" Star began. "I know that you're trying to be a gentleman, as well as a knight...and I love that. I know that you're trying to respect my personal space...and I love that as well. I also know that you probably really want to be close to me physically, but at the same time you don't want to do anything you might regret. Or...better yet, you don't want anything to happen that we might regret."
Marco was stunned into silence. She really knew him better than anyone else.
"But you see…" she continued. "With everything we went through to get to this point-and the fact we almost lost each other for good-don't you think you'd want to take an opportunity when it presents itself? I know I would…"
There was more awkward silence. "You're right, Star." Marco finally spoke. "For a long time I've wondered what it would be like to lay next to you in my bed, even if I just held you while you slept…"
"Don't be ashamed of your feelings, Marco." she said quickly. "I've felt the same way for a long time too..."
Marco began to stammer. "I just...I mean...we're in my parent's house. They're sleeping right next door...my baby sister is right down the hall…"
"Marco? Can I tell you something else? You see...your mom and I had a conversation when you were in the shower…"
Marco could feel his heart rate increase when Star mentioned his mother. Both his parents-but especially his mother-had been pulling for them to get together for quite some time.
"She told me something that really hit me. What was it again? Oh...right. She said that 'if Marco ever does something dumb like decide to let you sleep in his bed while he sleeps on the floor, you need to drag him up off the floor and into the bed, and you need to hold on to him the whole night so he doesn't get away…'"
Marco tried moving his mouth to make words, but nothing was coming out.
"Yes...Marco, your mom said that to me. So, you even have your Mom's blessing to join me in this very comfortable bed. I don't think I'd get the same blessing from my mom…"
Marco sat straight up on his mattress. At the same time, Star sat up on his bed. Even though the curtains were drawn, because there were now three moons in the sky, the light from all three were illuminating Marco's bedroom. They created an otherworldly glow that he'd never seen before. He glanced at Star sitting on his bed and saw her blue eyes shining as they were enhanced by the moonlight. Her hair also shone in the pale light along with her silky pajama set she was wearing. In Marco's eyes, she looked like a glowing angel.
"I don't know if I want to drag you off the floor, but I like the idea of holding you all night." Star smiled as she patted the space next to her on the bed. "Come be with me tonight, Marco. You're my best friend, my squire, my knight, and my cute dork that I really would like to keep in my pocket. But now...I'd like you to be my boyfriend…"
Whatever rational thoughts Marco had left in his brain were completely smashed to bits. As if his body was on auto-pilot, he wordlessly climbed off the floor with his pillow in his hand, and set it down on the bed next to Star's. He then climbed into his bed and pulled the covers up around both of them. Instantly, they were in each other's arms. Everything hit him all at once. The smell of her hair. Her silky body pressed against him. How good it felt to have his arms wrapped around her slender frame. But, especially her mouth against his. It was terrifying, but wonderful all at the same time.
As they broke their kiss, Star could feel his heart beating hard in his chest. She was about to say something when he spoke.
"I'm...I'm sorry, Star. I know I should be more assertive now that we're a couple. I've wanted this for...well...a long time. I know I'm supposed to be the "safe kid," but I want to show a different side of me to you now. I can't believe I was scared of...this. I've never felt so good as I do now. My body is going crazy holding you like this. I don't ever want to let you go…I love you Star...
She silenced him with another kiss. Partially because he was rambling a bit, but also because his words made her want to kiss him. She then booped his nose with her own.
"I love you too, Marco. You don't have to be afraid of anything, anymore. In fact, I'm really fine with us just holding each other when we sleep together for the near future. I'll never push you into doing something you're not completely comfortable with...ok?"
He nodded his head.
"Plus," she added. "I'm nowhere ready to make my mom a grandma…or your mom…at least not until we're a lot older."
They both shared a chuckle over the thought. She could feel him relax a bit.
"Try to relax and go to sleep, Marco," she told him. "But...I still want to stay in your arms tonight. I want us to fall asleep like this, and tomorrow morning I want us to wake up like this."
"You got it…" he whispered softly. This time Marco leaned in and kissed her. It was a brief but tender kiss. With their tender moment ended, both Star and Marco allowed sleep to finally claim them.
A/N: After a very long hiatus, I'm back and about to try something new. I started watching SVTFOE fairly recently...mostly to take my mind off all the craziness going on in the world right now. I found it to be a fascinating and compelling show. So...I've decided to try crafting a story set after the finale. I know I'm not the first person to do one of these stories, but I hope people like my take on how Star and Marco's lives could unfold after the end of the show.
As always...leave a review, get a response.
jkrust78