Star and Marco vs Evil Book 2 Chapter 9: IX, a star vs. the forces of evil fanfic

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This is a work of fiction portraying alternate universes; all similarities to beings living, dead, or undead are entirely convergent.

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Possible spoilers between the ⭐⭐and 🌟🌟.

Star stood before her closet in her undies, trying to decide what to wear. Over the weeks since she returned, she had become more and more uncomfortable wearing any of her old clothes, resized to fit her matured body. Although, in most ways, she still felt and thought like she did before her two years of hell, there were some changes, which Star figured were due simply to being older.

Star fingered her favorite dinosaur skirt, remembering how she had been told many times that she dressed like a fourth grader. She didn't care then, and didn't care now, but it no longer felt right to her, especially after her meltdown. The biggest clue that she needed a change was that she was no longer built like a ten-year-old boy; her height and muscles were not the only things that had increased in size. Hers would never be as large as Jackie's, nor as shapely as Janna's, but what she had was enough that during that first visit to the Diazes after her return, Angie had taken her aside for a chat. Angie privately mentioned that the blouse Star was wearing clearly showed her need for a certain female clothing item, regardless of the teasing she still received that implied otherwise. They'd had a long discussion about the available choices, utilizing Marco's laptop so Star could see Angie's suggestions ... and embarrass Marco should he look at the browser history ... then placed a few orders.

Star moved to her mirror, wrapping a strap of her new racerback sports bra around a finger as she looked at her new curves. She turned in profile to check out her silhouette, then turned so she could see her backside. Have to admit, even being muscular, it's still a nice bubble butt, she thought. Star turned back to face the mirror, and as she admired her reflection, her thoughts couldn't help straying to Marco.

Star knew Marco loved her for her, and that he was proud of her warrior-princess qualities, but she also wanted to be attractive for him; not only because she loved him and wanted to be her best for him, but she had discovered she liked Marco lustfully ogling her.

Finally, Star decided that if she dressed like a fourth grader at fourteen, she might as well dress like a fourteen-year-old at seventeen. She spun, casting, "Radiant Shadow Transform," but without directing the magic toward a specific look. There was a pink flash as the magic clothed her and applied makeup. She stood in front of her mirror, looking at the result.

The magic had reproduced Star's exact outfit, makeup, and hair from when she went goth after her discussion with the school guidance counselor, Mister Candle, had so depressed her. She smiled seeing the purple lip gloss and shorter, purple, hair, completely shaved off on one side, the blue leggings and boots, the heavy mascara, and the black choker. The magic had even reproduced the skull stickers over her Magic-Pips.

Star's smile slowly faded. That look didn't feel right to her, either. She spun a few times looking in the mirror, her smile reappearing.

"Radiant Shadow Transform!"

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Marco walked into Star's bedroom, suddenly stopping and dropping the vintage ebook he was carrying when he spied Star standing in the middle of the room. She twirled once, then asked, "So, what do you think?"

"Uh, you look absolutely stunning in any ..."

"Nope, nuh unh," Star interrupted. "Don't do that. Tell me what you really think."

Marco clamped his mouth shut, then walked around Star twice, appraising her look. She wore a thin, short-sleeved, black, tee-shirt, with lacy ends to the sleeves and open neck. It was tucked into a blue-plaid, knee length, skirt, with a black leather grommet belt loosely draped over it at her waist. Her knee-length boots were dark blue, with lighter blue laces, soles, fringe like her cowgirl boots, and flat heels. She wore no leggings. Her only makeup was a heavy application of deep purple lip gloss, and her only jewelry a purple-leather studded wrist band and her heart locket.

The most stunning change was Star's hair. She had shortened her calf-length hair to her shoulder blades and colored it the shade of lavender that Marco seemed to like, worn by the girl in that one AU.

"I like it, but ..." Marco began, then stopped.

"Go on," Star encouraged.

Marco applied what he had learned making himself up in his Princess Turdina disguise. "Just two suggestions ... lose the hair color and lip gloss. If you want a little face paint, go with a light shade, and light application, of purple-glitter eye shadow, like the pink stuff you wear from time to time; I really like that."

Star smiled. She twirled, casting, "Radiant Update Transform!" When the magic cloud dissipated, the lip gloss was gone, and she wore the light-purple sparkly eye shadow above and below. She had added small, black, eyeliner-wings to both eyes. The hair color remained, although it was now purple rather than lavender, and limited to only her streaks of bluish-silver.

Star pulled self-consciously at her bangs. "I don't want to look too similar to my mother, at least not yet."

Marco smiled, giving her a peck on the cheek. "Actually, I like this better than ditching the color altogether, and I prefer this shade, too."

After a slight hesitation, Star put on her red horned hairband. Grinning, she said, "Just wouldn't be me without it." She threw her arms around Marco, embracing him in a bear hug. "I think I'm starting to find my new normal," she whispered.

"I'm so glad. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Star pulled back, asking, "Say, did I hear dad invite your parents to join him and mom in a foursome?"

"Yup."

"Did they do it?"

"Yes, and it was awful. They wouldn't let me leave and I had to watch the whole thing. They said it would be a great learning experience for when I'm with you."

"Wow."

"It was really embarrassing. The moaning, the huffing, eventually the screaming. Your dad tried to really give my mom the business, but in the end, she wore him out."

"Really?"

"Yeah, your dad's really skilled and competitive, but he still lost. I have to say, though, I've never known anybody to give my mom a run for her money like that, not even my dad; she said she was sore for two days." Marco smiled at Star. "Your parents never mentioned to me before that there's a Golf Dimension."

"Well," Star replied, coyly running a finger down Marco's chest, "you know what that means we need to do, yes?"

"I do!"

Simultaneously, they yelled, "Visit an alternate universe!" "Explore an AU!"

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⭐⭐ Star and Marco stepped out of a space-time portal into a graveyard. It was cold, a frigid breeze rustling the bare branches of the trees. Star closed the portal, then conjured their winter adventuring clothes.

The graveyard was next to Butterfly Castle, within a castle wall that had been extended into Castle Village multiple times over the centuries. Star recognized it as the royal graveyard, the resting place of many of the queens and kings of Mewni, as well as favored nobles and close friends of the royal family.

Hearing the sound of a spade in dirt, they turned and looked through gaps in the large memorial that was hiding their presence. A gravedigger was standing beside a freshly dug grave. He was staring at something the two could not see, hidden by a large statue that, though it was facing away from them, seemed awfully familiar.

"Hey, look at that," the gravedigger scoffed. "The Mad King of Mewni. Lost his mind when his wife died and has been talking to the air ever since."

What could only be described as a snarl came from the direction the gravedigger was facing. There was someone else in the graveyard.

"Do you think it's River?" Marco asked, whispering. Star simply shrugged.

"You couldn't save her because you're just a weak human," the gravedigger continued. Star and Marco exchanged a nervous glance. "Your own selfishness is why she lies in the ground; the last of the Butterflys. Now you're all alone; no friends, no family, no kingdom ... what you deserve!"

A familiar voice cried, "Leave me alone!" followed by a rock whizzing past the gravedigger's head. Laughing, the gravedigger left the graveyard.

Star and Marco could hear soft sobbing coming from the being on the other side of the statue. The voice had been unmistakable ... it was the AU's Marco. The pair put all the clues together, realizing the statue looked familiar, even from the back, because it was of Star.

Star Butterfly, Queen of Mewni, was dead, and King Marco was in despair.

Wordlessly, Star walked out from behind the memorial toward the statue and the Mad King. Marco whispered urgently, "No, Star ... dammit!" He reluctantly followed her.

The two walked to the statue, gazing at the front. It was indeed Star, around nineteen, her hands outstretched warmly to welcome in all Mewmans. Another sob catching their attention, they gasped at the sight. On his knees at the foot of Star's grave, it was indeed King Marco, but in thin, dirty, torn, clothes, with an unkempt beard reaching his chest. He carried an unsheathed, rusty, knife on a ragged belt, both obviously no longer cared for. He was emaciated, and they could smell his unwashed body, even standing many feet away from him.

Hearing the gasp, the King looked up. On the patch of dirt above her body, stood Star. He marveled again at how beautiful she was to him ... although she looked a bit younger than when she died, her hair was much shorter, and she was wearing clothes he'd never seen before.

The King didn't care how different she looked. "Star!" he cried, leaping up and grabbing her into a desperate hug. Star wrinkled her nose in disgust, but didn't push him away. "I love you so much," he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. Star felt a pull on her heartstrings, and knew she had to tell him. She broke the hug.

"I'm sorry, you poor man, but I'm not Queen Star. I'm Star Butterfly, a magical princess from an alternate universe, and this is my boyfriend, Lord Marco Diaz. We're Star and you from a different timeline."

The Mad King finally noticed Marco's presence. He looked at Marco for a few moments, then Star, then visibly deflated. "Oh ... I actually understand that. Growing up on Earth I loved stories about AUs." He sank back to his knees.

"What happened," Marco asked, "to your Star? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"No, it's no secret, and I haven't vented about it in such a long time. Star was assassinated by Mewman supremacists. They didn't like her marrying a human," the Mad King spat in disgust, "and making him ... me ... king. I wasn't there during the attack; I was away conducting a royal town hall when a second group of assassins attacked me." The King's voice wavered, regret and guilt clearly in his bearing. "When they attacked, I wasn't able to contact Star through our bond to warn her; she was already gone. The King's Guard was supposed to protect her but they were on the supremacists' side, including the leader of the Guard, that bitch Higgs. They abandoned Star to her assassins ..."

King Marco paused, a sob wracking his body. "I was told that Star fought hard and well, and had nearly won, when she was felled by an arrow. It was fired by someone in a black cloak, using a bow of magic. The arrow was real, but infused with magic to get it through Star's defenses. We never discovered who the bowman was."

A tear rolled down the King's cheek. Star gasped when he said, "She was pregnant with our first child."

After a respectful pause, Marco asked, "What's happening with Mewni? With the Monsters? With other Mewmans?"

"I don't know; after they murdered my wife and my daughter I stopped caring about those animals." King Marco thought for a few seconds. "Normally there'd be three gravediggers for a grave, but for the last several there's been just one. Maybe that means something." King Marco paused again, scowling. "I've been harassed many times, but the bit about 'no kingdom' ... that was new."

The King finished, and silence, except for the rattling of branches in the wind, descended upon the graveyard. He stood, walked up to the statue of Star, then cupped its cheek. "I miss her so much," he whispered. "I want to be with her, where I belong. With or without life, we belong together." With his back to them, Star and Marco did not see him draw his knife, so were unable to stop him as he plunged it into his broken heart.

As the Mad King slumped toward the ground, Star yelled, "No!" running to catch him, lowering him slowly. Holding him, Star looked into his eyes as the light left them. Star hugged him tight, rocking him back and forth, as Marco knelt and held her.

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The quiet and darkness of Star's room gave way to the sound and light of an opening space-time portal. Star and Marco walked out of the portal together, hand in soiled hand, dirty from having buried King Marco beside his beloved Queen Star; his blood still stained Star's clothing. After Star closed the portal, the two stood, staring at a wall.

Finally, Star said, "Hold me." Marco embraced Star, and they quietly stood, comforting each other, for some time. Reluctantly they parted, wiped the tears from each other's faces, then Marco turned and walked to the window.

"Are you mad at me ... again?" Star asked.

"Maybe I'll be mad later," Marco replied. "That was certainly another downer of an AU, to put it mildly. I feel too sad to be mad right now."

After summoning Jej and chronicling their trip, Star and Marco spent the rest of the day attending to the more mundane tasks of royalty, including prep work for the approaching Conference of Nobles. They were subdued, but took as much comfort as they could from the fact that by them being there, a sad king did not die all alone. 🌟🌟

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A week later, Star sat by herself at the conference table reserved for use by the Butterfly royal family, at the far end of a giant conference hall. She sat in a very un-princess-like posture, hunched forward, her elbows on the table as she rubbed her temples.

Same as with her casual dress, Star had changed her royal attire. Instead of her usual frilly, poofy, dress, she wore a blue jacket of a business cut. It was adorned with looped gold piping around the cuffs and collar, with a few ropes of gold frogging across the front connecting a few brightly shining gold buttons, in a vaguely militaristic style. Its plunging neckline did not show skin, but a brilliant white shirt and large white ascot, instead. She'd had a matching skirt made, but decided instead to wear pants to the conference, to help drive home that times had changed ... not in terms of women in power, the Butterfly Kingdom having been a matriarchy for centuries, but that other societal norms were in flux.

Star hoped that seeing one norm challenged would make beings more open to others, such as the role of Monsters in society. It did cause a stir, but Star was happy to see it was good natured rather than scandalized.

Star's new outfit was finished with her blue, fringed, cowgirl boots, and a new, larger, princess crown, pink-gold, with a large, red, gem denoting Mewni, and a slightly smaller blue gem below it, denoting Earth. It was designed to be worn in place of her hairband, both as a nod to her horns, which had been stylistically incorporated, but also to feature her purple bangs. The crown very nicely, Star thought, complemented the heart locket that she had transformed to be worn over her left breast pocket, like a military medal, and her friendship ring.

The Conference of Nobles had entered the informal negotiations phase, what was commonly known among the participants as "swindle sessions." Despite the name, it was these small conclaves where the real work of negotiation and decision making was done.

The formal part of the conference, where petitions were presented, speeches were made, and rulers sat around a table arguing, as Star once noted, was what gave the gathering its derisive name, "The CoN Job." It was a lot of bombastic noise, but was also how the issues to be considered were officially entered into the record for negotiation. Star had made a very pretty speech the prior day, to much applause, but she knew the real work had just begun.

"Swindle sessions" was meant to be an ironic play on "CoN Job." Within these sessions the negotiators were expected to be candid and honest, although being open was optional; nobody expected anybody to put all their cards on the table, at least not all at once. The art of politics was getting as much, and giving as little, as possible without violating the stricture to be above-board. Once in a while the nobles and politicians even put first the good of all Mewni and its beings.

Star wished Marco was with her; however, just as Star was now expected to take a more active role in running the Butterfly Kingdom, Marco, as Prince of Mewni, was similarly expected to now be active in Mewni politics. He had been tasked with working the government officials and lower nobility of the other kingdoms, in consultation with Star and Moon, helping move forward the informal negotiations that would lead to the formal legislation to be voted on. Star should have been working the upper nobility, but discovered her trials of the past several years had greatly diminished her patience with the art of political negotiation. More than once Moon had to turn her away before she blasted a noble into next week.

In the few moments when she allowed herself to be honest with herself, she knew her anger wasn't just with the nobles. She was a screw-up and, more to the point, a peasant nobody, not royalty, so did not believe she should be there representing the kingdom in the first place. The guilt added to her anger.

Star knew, though, that it wasn't just moral and political support that made her wish for Marco's presence. He wore the royal suit he had worn to official functions ever since attending his first, Star's Song Day, with a few alterations. It was of a more military than royal cut, had what humans called "fruit salad" denoting medals he had won, included a gold aiguillette looped under an epaulette denoting him as a former general, and finished with the sash designating him as a Duke and Prince. Like Star, he wore his friendship ring. Star could not help but also notice that, as beautiful as he was to her before, he now filled out his clothes in a way that made her weak in the knees.

Feeling her temperature rise, Star began looking around the room, searching for Marco. She found him, speaking one-on-one with a minister from the Waterfolk Kingdom. Watching what appeared to be a fruitful negotiation, Star muttered, a little too loudly, "Why do I have to waste my time with a room full of corn-head nobles? Two beings in a room can get more done than a hundred."

"Unless one is needing to move piano," a heavily accented voice said in response, from behind Star's seat.

Recognizing the voice and accent, Star immediately jumped up, turning, and happily crying, "Buff Frog!" She delivered a bear hug to the toothily grinning frog Monster.

"Star Butterfly! Am so sorry to see you are again ugly Mewmin, instead of beautiful monster."

Star pulled back, grinning ear to ear. She looked Buff Frog up and down. He wore a suit very similar to Marco's, except cut for his Monster bulk, and colored the deep green of the new Monster Kingdom. "Dang, you look good," she said in genuine appreciation.

"New look suits you, too. Poofy princess never good look for you; this look say 'rebel princess with fists like hammers!' It say, 'Star Butterfly.' Now come, let us chew pig-goat fat, maybe get some real work done."

Buff Frog offered his arm, which Star gladly took. Buff Frog slowly began guiding Star toward Marco, the frog Monster knowing his teenage friends very well. Quietly, he said, "Am to be thanking you for wonderful speech, not just here, but at first presentation before you go all Mewni-monster. Without you setting stage, and Karate-boy fighting so hard for creation of Monster Corps, I think Monsters be even worse off after unfortunate situation of last two years."

Star blushed. "Thank you ... you know I meant every word of it. Marco too."

"Da, am knowing, and thanking again."

Star looked at Buff Frog out of the corner of her eye. "You deserve a lot of the credit, too. The way you handled yourself, and insisted your soldiers behave impeccably professional, did more toward that end than what Marco and I have done. I don't know whether you know this, but the work you've done as Regent of the Monster Kingdom has quieted many of the holdouts. You are well respected."

Buff Frog grimaced. He had been surprised when he had been named Regent; King Brudo had no idea who he was, always calling him "Chad." He was doubly surprised, and suspicious, when he learned it had been the Septarians that had insisted on appointing him to the post. His suspicions were confirmed when his spy in the royal house got word to him of a secret meeting.

Star had noticed Buff Frog grimace, so asked, "Did I say something wrong?"

"Nyet. Is nice to hear I am respected by many beings, but would be nice if King Brudo one of them; he not even bother to learn name. I thought Ludo was bad, but at least Ludo not lazy." Buff Frog's eyes widened. "Please to be keeping secret."

Star nodded. "I've heard rumors. Is it really that bad?"

"Da. Now that Pigeon Castle cleaned up and made capitol of new Monster Kingdom, King Brudo sit in throne room all day with puzzle cube. Always thought you very strange girl, but I think Brudo actually insane. See now why Ludo was way he was."

As the pair were nearing Marco, Buff Frog lowered his voice further. "Please to be keeping this secret too, except from Karate-boy. There is unrest in Monster Kingdom. Spies say mysterious stranger in black cloak conspiring with Septarians to make troubles."

Black cloak? Star thought. Uh oh...

Buff Frog decided not to mention the threats of assassination, not wanting to unduly alarm Star over threats he did not believe to be credible. "Am thinking civil war coming ... I may have to take Brudo matter into own hands to prevent bloodshed."

Star decided to change the subject. No longer whispering, Star asked, "So, how are Katrina and the other Buff Babies?"

"Thank you to be asking. Buff Babies all grown up. Katrina is famous Cornball player in safer dimension, should be coming home to stay when season over. Master spy Buff Frog know Katrina has found Marco of her own. Star will perhaps be babysitting Katrina Babies soon." Buff Frog grinned and winked. "Perhaps Katrina and myself return favor, be babysitting new heir to Butterfly throne before long."

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Star and Marco sat at an out of the way table with the King and Queen of the Kingdom of Unlikely Spiderbites. Marco had met the royals on several occasions through their daughter, Princess Penelope, and was always impressed by their businesslike behavior, even if it meant they overemphasized perfection and tradition.

"I'll get right to the point," the King began, "we are in agreement with the proposed laws to end formal discrimination against Monsters, but we do not agree with granting them full Mewnian citizenship. The Butterfly Kingdom might be comfortable with such things, despite what happened 300 years ago, but we are not. Let them be citizens in their own kingdom, and let each kingdom decide on their own whether Monsters shall be citizens within their borders."

Marco asked, "What happened 300 years ago?" Star, still not overly studious, was also confused.

"300 years ago," the Queen said, "Eclipsa's so-called husband Globgor, Plucker of Limbs, destroyed Spiderbite Village and ate Queen Eclipsa's true husband, King Shastacan, my great-great-something grand-uncle."

"Whaaaaa?" Star said in shock.

"You didn't know? I can see Prince Marco not knowing as he's not Mewmin, but you? I guess Penelope wasn't exaggerating. Anyway, we know Eclipsa has been free for some time, and even sacrificed hers and Globgor's daughter to end the late unpleasantness, so she isn't the woman we were led to believe. But why, I wonder, did she not tell you any of this?"

Star and Marco looked at each other. Deciding on a different tack, Star asked, "Well, what about your spider bites? It was Monster ... uh ... goo that cured them, for you and your people; in fact, isn't Princess Penelope dating Slime Monster? Aren't those worth something?"

"Yes. They're worth repealing the laws discriminating against Monsters. Nothing more. If you will please excuse us."

The King and Queen stood, bowed to Star, shook Marco's hand, then took their leave. When the royals were out of earshot, Star and Marco looked at each other and, in unison, said "damn."

Star added, "Guess we should have listened to the shopkeeper."

... and Star, her mind fully engaged with the politics of the day, forgot Buff Frog's mention of a meddling being cloaked in black.

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From her place of concealment, the meddling being cloaked in black watched the Spiderbite rulers walk away from Star and Marco, going over to speak to nobles from the Jaggy Kingdom, most likely to have the same conversation with them as with the nobles from the Butterfly Kingdom. Bob had been busy, sowing discord among the Monsters, and whispering in the ears of the governments of the other kingdoms. She worked with most kingdoms from the shadows, through others, but continued to work directly with the Spiderbite rulers and the Monster dissidents. Yes, she thought, this is going nicely.

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From his place of concealment, a boy, around Star's and Marco's age, watched Bob with his piercing blue eyes. He was dressed like the wait staff, had a scar along his left jawline, and his short blonde hair was cropped close on one side, revealing a long scar on his scalp. He had been very busy, learning Bob's patterns, and discerning her methods. He was learning much about his hated foe by watching her from the shadows, but did not yet know enough to decide when to move on her. Luckily, for all her exceptional power and skill, Bob had not detected her watcher. Yes, he thought, this is going nicely.

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⭐⭐ Inspired by The Sign of the Moon (www dot fanfiction dot net /s/12780690) and The Sign of the Moon: REDUX edition (www dot fanfiction dot net /s/13279987) by blackwolfwrites. 🌟🌟

As always, stay amazing!