'If we deny love that is given to us, if we refuse to give love because we fear pain or loss, then our lives will be empty, our loss greater.'
Oprah Winfrey.
(Chapter 11)
"And that, Star, is the key difference between margarine and butter, and why it is tradition for the people of Mewni to use a stick of butter for corn on the cob," said Queen Moon as she wrapped up her lecture. She closed the book and set it on her lap. "Any questions?"
Seated on the other side of the Queen's desk, Star was fast asleep in her chair. Her head hung back as she snored. A little bit of drool ran down the side of her mouth.
Queen Moon frowned at the display and rolled her eyes. "Typical," she muttered before she yelled, "Star!"
"Snort-wha? What?" Star awoke with a start and sat up in her chair. "I'm awake! I'm awake!" she wiped the drool off of her cheek. "Great lecture, Mom. Absolutely terrific."
"You didn't pay attention at all, did you?" Moon asked.
"Of course I did!" Star exclaimed. "And furthermore, I am offended you would think otherwise."
Queen Moon just raised an eyebrow at Star.
"...Oh, come on, Mom," Star complained. "Your lectures are soooooooooo boring!"
"This is important history I am teaching you." Queen Moon said. "As the Princess of Mewni, you are expected to know Mewni's entire history."
"First off, the reason why people like butter, or whatever this lecture was about, is not important history," Star argued. "And second, if you're really gonna make me learn this stuff, can't you at least get Marco to teach me? He's way better at teaching me boring crap that I don't care about than you are. Also, it's, like, kinda his job to teach me boring crap that I don't care about."
"Mr. Diaz is currently enjoying his day off," said Queen Moon. "I think he's in the library at this very moment, enjoying a novel."
"Another day off?" Star complained.
"Yes, after he took care of that 'pig goat' incident you caused, I figured he's earned it." Queen Moon shuddered. "The poor boy."
"How was I supposed to know you're not supposed to feed them prunes?" Star asked.
"What other reputation do prunes have?" Moon sighed heavily before getting up to reshelve her book. "Nevermind. Now, I suppose that's enough lectures for today. You should probably spend the rest of the evening picking out a dress."
"A dress?" Star asked. "What for?"
"Please tell me you didn't forget." said the Queen as she sat back down.
Star just blinked.
"For the Young Royal Rally you will be attending." Moon explained.
"Oh, shoot! Is that tonight!" Star shouted.
"No, it's tomorrow night." Queen Moon replied.
"Oh, okay. No harm done then," said Star.
"Star, proper preparation takes time," said Queen Moon. "There's the matter of color choice, material usage, shape and figure, you need to get your hair and nails done-"
"Mom, I have a magic wand." Star reminded her. "I can do all of that with literally a flick of my wrist."
"Actually, for all of that, it would at least take a full arm swing-but that's not the point!" Moon took a deep breath. "You need to learn how to plan accordingly."
"It's just the Young Royal Rally, Mom, none of us actually take it seriously," said Star. "I'll dig a nice dress out of my closet, add some hair spray, and go. Who am I trying to impress?"
"Everyone." Queen Moon answered sternly. "It's called being a princess."
"Well, whatever," said Star. "I'll go pick out a dress and do my hair and all that garbage." Star stood up from her seat and headed for the door.
"You know, the Young Royal Rally would be a grand opportunity to meet a nice Prince," said Queen Moon. "Prince Thomas is going to attend the Rally as well."
Star froze in her tracks right before her hand could touch the doorknob. "That's not going to happen, Mom," she said, clearly irritated.
"I do wish you would give Tom another chance," said the Queen.
"Why, because he's the sole heir to the second most powerful and influential kingdom in Mewni?" Star asked flatly.
"Few would disagree with your pairing," replied Moon. "And besides, it's obvious he cares about you."
"Me and Tom are over, Mom," said Star. "It's about time everyone figured that out."
Star opened the door and left, slamming the door shut. Queen Moon shook her head and brought out her paperwork.
"You can hardly judge her."
Moon jumped in her seat. She turned to her left and saw Glossaryck sitting on the bookshelf like some kind of ugly Elf on the Shelf. The small genie swung his legs back and forth as they hung off the shelf.
"People pressured you to marry Lord Mildrew." said Glossaryck. "He was a tall, handsome royal who everyone seemed to love."
"He was a pompous windbag," said Queen Moon. "Prince Thomas is a good boy. He just has some…violent tendencies. But given his heritage, that can hardly be helped."
"Don't pressure her into a relationship, Moon," Glossaryck advised. "That is something she needs to figure out on her own, without any lectures."
Queen Moon's face softened. After a pause, she nodded.
"Good," said Glossaryck. "I promise, you won't be disappointed with whom she chooses."
"Pink or blue? Pink or blue?" Star asked herself as she held up a pair of dresses. "Pink…or blue…? Maybe red?"
The tall, interdimensional mirror in Star's room lit up. "Call from Tom."
"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me," Star muttered under her breath. "Ignore!"
The magic mirror stopped glowing and resumed its peaceful state.
"Note to self: Block his number." Star lifted her dresses back up for examination. "Hmmmm…maybe I should shake it up a bit and try purple."
"Call from Tom." said the mirror.
"Seriously?" said Star. "Ignore!"
The mirror went back into silence.
Star growled in annoyance before examining her dresses again.
"Call from Tom."
"Ignore!" Star shouted.
This time, when the mirror went quiet, Star kept her eyes on it, waiting for it to light back up.
"Call from Tom." said the mirror after about thirty seconds of waiting.
"Magic mirror, shut down!" Star commanded.
The mirror shut down fully, not even showing a reflection. Just an empty black screen.
Star sighed in relief. "Finally," she said to herself. Star lifted her dresses up once more for examination. "I wonder if I should go with boots or high-heels…or high-heeled boots."
Star's compact mirror rang in her pocket.
Star closed her eyes and breathed in through her nose. "I swear to the Stump, if that's Tom, I'm gonna lose it." Star reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone.
"Oh, it's just Pony Head," Star said in relief. "She flipped the mirror open and Pony head appeared in the glass. "Heeeeey, Pony Head!"
"Heeeeeey, B-Fly!" said Pony Head. "You stoked for the Young Royal Rally tomorrow night?!"
"Yeah, I guess," said Star. "The Rallies are never really that much fun. We just listen to music and dance and eat a bunch of snacks."
"That's called a good time, B-Fly baby," said Pony Head. "You're just being a pill about it because you know Tom will be there. Like, let me guess. He already tried calling you."
"I ended up having to shut down my magic mirror."
"Ouch, girl."
Star ran a hand through her hair. "I just wish Tom would take the hint and leave me alone," she complained. "How do you get a guy to just. Take. A hint?"
"Girl, some guys just, like, do not know how to take a hint," said Pony Head. "And Tom definitely falls under that category."
"Well, then, what am I supposed to do?" said Star. "I would just bail on the Rally, but if my mom found out, she would go crazy."
"My advice? Find a guy to go with," said Pony. "Show Tom you're not available no more."
"What, you mean find a date to the Rally?" Star asked.
"Well, I mean, it doesn't have to be a date, date. Just find someone whose arm you can hold on to as you enter the party." Pony explained. "Keep the boys at bay by showing them you've already got one, even if you don't actually."
"Will that work with Tom?" Star asked.
"Only one way to find out, girl," said Pony Head. "First things first, we gotta find you a man. I could hook you with one of the single losers I know. Unless you already know another guy you can take."
Star blinked with realization. "I do know a guy that I can take to the Rally, actually."
"Yeah? Who ya talking abou-" Pony's eyes lit up with alarm, then disgust. "Oh, no. Please tell me you're not considering taking him to the Rally."
"Hey, you're the one who suggested it," said Star.
"I was being sarcastic B-fly! I was just trying to mess with you!" Pony Head cried "Listen, girl. Find anybody else to go with! Go with Kelly and tell everyone you're gay now! It's a better option than him!"
"Pony Head, that's awful!" Star scolded.
"It's honest, B-Fly," said Pony. "Look, I gotta go, girl. Hair appointment in twenty. I'm gonna tell you one more time, B-Fly. Don't go to the Rally with that turd! Pony Head out."
The call ended. Star stared into the mirror's reflection in thought.
"Maybe Pony is right," Star said to herself. "Maybe I shouldn't take him to the Rally."
"Call from Tom." said the compact mirror.
Star let out a frustrated shout as she chucked the mirror out the window.
"Okay. Time to find Marco."
Star opened the Library doors and walked inside. As usual, the Librarian was manning the front desk, standing as still as a statue, with a matching expression to boot.
"Hello, Mrs. The Librarian." Star greeted. "How are you?"
"Bored beyond all reason." the Librarian replied. "Also, it's Miss The Librarian. I never married."
"Oh." said Star. "Well, is Marco here?"
"In the back, by the fireplace," the Librarian answered. "Reading 'The Rise and Setting of the Sun', by Nickolas Longfellow. I recommended it to Mr. Diaz. A truly awe-inspiring novel."
"Sounds amazing," said Star. "Thanks, Miss The Librarian!"
"My name is Margaret," the Librarian said as Star walked away. "...Not that anyone cares."
True to the Librarian's word, Star found Marco sitting in one of the Library's comfortable-looking chairs. He had a big, hard-back book resting in his lap and a cup of tea sat on top of the small table next to the chair. Marco picked up the cup and took a sip as Star approached.
"Marco! There you are!" Star shouted with an extra amount of enthusiasm. "I've been looking all over for you!"
A loud, clearly audible 'Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh' came from the front desk.
"Man, she's good at shushing people," Star said in a now quieter voice.
"Well, she is a Librarian," Marco said without taking his eyes off the book. "Anyway, what's up?"
"Oh, I thought I'd just drop in and tell you how much I appreciate you as a friend and tutor," said Star with a really big smile. "You know, because you're the smartest, kindest, most considerate, and talented person I know."
Marco flipped to the next page. "Uh-huh."
"Also, I gotta say, you are looking great today, Marco." Star continued. "Is that a new hoodie? Did you do something with your hair? New lotion? Something is different, and it is totally working."
"...What do you want, Star?"
Star frowned, then sighed in defeat. "Okay, fine. I need you to do me a solid."
"What kind of solid?" Marco asked. "Star, if the words 'pig goat' or 'prunes' come out of your mouth, I will quit this job immediately."
"No, no, it's not about that," said Star. "It's about the Young Royal Rally that's tomorrow night."
Marco finally took his eyes off of his book. "The what?" he asked.
"The Young Royal Rally." Star repeated. "It's this thing where all of the princes and princesses and young Lords and Ladies from Kingdoms of various dimensions that are allied with Mewni come together for a party. The point of the event is to solidify friendships and future relations with the Kingdoms by getting the young generation of each Kingdom's royalty to mingle. Our parents use it to either force us to make friends or find a potential future spouse. Us young royals don't really take it as seriously. We get all dressed up, dance to the music, eat some snacks, and then at the end of the event, we all go home."
"So, it's less like a rally and more like a prom." Marco guessed.
"I don't know what a prom is, but I think you get it," said Star.
"So, what, you need me to help bail you out of it or something?" asked Marco.
"Uh, no. No, I don't." Star rubbed the back of her neck and blushed. "I need you to go with me…as…my date."
Marco's eyes widened and his blush outdid Star's. "Say what now?"
"Not like a date, date!" Star exclaimed, shaking her hands in front of her. "Just as friends, I swear!" Star took a deep breath to calm herself. "Look, here's the deal. My ex-boyfriend, Prince Tom, is gonna be there, and he's gonna be bugging me relentlessly. I just really don't want to have to deal with him for the entire event, and I need to bring a date, i.e. you, to show him that I've moved on, am not interested in him, and he should stop bothering me."
Marco stared at Star for a long time, as if trying to figure out whether or not the princess was being serious. "Yeah, I'm not doing that," he said finally.
"Come on, Marco. Please." Star begged, hands clasped together. "It's not like I'm asking you to go down into the sewers with me or something. I just need you to pretend to be my date at a really cool and fancy party. What part of that isn't appealing to you?"
"Star, I'm sorry, but I don't wanna get involved with your boyfriend problems," said Marco. "Also, why exactly would I wanna go to some blueblood party with a bunch of spoiled rich kids? No offense."
"Oh, none taken. Some of them are pretty awful." Star replied. "Also, you'll have fun, I swear. All you need to do is put on your best suit and stay with me during the whole event. We'll have a few snacks, dance a little, and show my ex-boyfriend that I am done with him and he should leave me alone."
"Star, this plan of yours has so much potential to backfire," said Marco. "I mean, what if people start spreading a rumor that you and I are a thing after I come with you as your pretend date? Your dad keeps reminding me not to lay a finger on you, and he normally does it with an axe in his hand. And besides, I have a girlfriend."
"Look, Marco. I understand that it's a lot to ask-" Star stopped midsentence. "...You have a girlfriend?"
"Uh, yeah, her name's Jackie," Marco answered.
"Oh." Star blinked. "You…never mentioned that."
"It…never really came up, I guess," said Marco, a little confused by Star's sudden, odd behavior. "Are you okay? You're acting weird."
Star shook her head and blinked her eyes, as if snapping out of a trance. "I-I'm fine. Sorry about that," she said.
"Um… No problem," replied Marco.
"Anyway, back to the matter at hand." Star grabbed Marco by his shoulders and shook him back and forth in his seat. "Please. Help. Me. Get. Rid. Of. My. EX!" she said each word with each shake.
Marco managed to grab Star's wrists and pull her hands off of his shoulders, ceasing the shaking. "No," he said after he blinked the spots out of his eyes.
The princess put her hands on her hips. "Don't make me get the contract out, Diaz." Star threatened. "You know I will."
"Ha. Nice try, blondie." Marco mocked. "The contract doesn't say anything about me having to accompany you to royal events. Actually, the contract discourages it."
"Dangit!" said Star. "Also, don't call me 'blondie'."
"I'll call you 'crazy' instead, if you think I'm gonna go to your blueblood gathering just to tell off your ex-boyfriend," said Marco.
"Hey, my mom pays you a royal fortune just to hang out and tutor!" Star shouted. "You could show a little gratitude to my family and take me to a party."
"A royal fortune?" Marco asked, beginning to look irritated. "Is that what you think? You think I get paid in diamonds and gold and shiny things? You really wanna know what your mom pays me to tutor you and help clean up every biohazard you create with that death wand of yours? I get paid in corn, Star. Your mom literally pays me with a bunch of crates of corn. You wanna know what the exchange rate for corn is in my world? It's not great. Finding a way to transfer corn into my bank account was not a fun experience. I have to have the corn sent to a market in Nebraska, and they mail the check to my house. Then I have to deposit the check myself at the bank, and even after that entire process I set up is over, you wanna how much I make off the corn your mom pays me with? About six hundred and fifty dollars a month. There are people scrubbing the bathroom clean at McDonald's who make more money than me, and I have a more dangerous job than some of the guys who join the flippin' military!"
"Well, why not ask for a raise?" Star asked.
"Because…your mom scares me."
Star groaned with loud frustration and rubbed her temples. "Marco…please." Star looked directly into Marco's eyes. "I really need your help with this."
Marco realized his mistake too late as he looked into Star's pitiful, puppy dog eyes. He tried to fight it, but it was a hopeless battle. The princess even made her bottom lip quiver and her eyes became watery with the possibility of tears. Marco literally shook with effort as he attempted to fight it.
"...UUUUUUUGH." Marco finally submitted with a loud groan. "Fine. I'll go with you to your prom-rally thing."
Star's face lit and she let out an excited, happy yell. "Thank you, Marco!" Star shouted as she nearly tackled Marco out of his seat with a hug. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you! How can I ever repay you?!"
"...Let…me…breathe." Marco managed to wheeze.
"Deal," Star said as she released Marco, who immediately gasped for breath.
After Marco got air back into his lungs, he slouched in his chair and did what could have been described as pouting. "Okay, Star. Is there anything important I should know?" Marco asked. "About the party, or what to wear…, or this ex-boyfriend of yours? Anything at all that might be significant?"
"You just need to put on your best suit and get ready for the party before five tomorrow," said Star. "Once I'm ready and it's time to leave, I'll stop by your room, and we'll use your scissors to go to the Young Royal Rally. Don't worry, I know where the party will be at."
"Well, what about your parents?" Marco asked nervously. "Are they going to be okay with me going with you as your date, even if it is pretend?"
"I'm sure they'd be fine with it," Star replied with a casual wave of her wand. "But, I don't really plan on telling them that I'm taking you."
"Of course," Marco replied anxiously.
Star gave Marco a playful punch on the shoulder. "It's gonna be fine, Marco," she said. "I promise we'll have fun."
Marco ran a hand through his hair. "Tomorrow at five?" he asked.
"I'll be at your room and we'll portal to the party," Star confirmed.
"And there's nothing crazy that I should know about?" Marco asked. "Nothing at all that will lethally bite me in the ass later on?"
"Nothing that I'm aware of," replied Star.
Marco let out a sigh. "Alright," he said as he resumed his book. "I'll see ya tomorrow, then."
"Okay," said Star. "See ya then, Marco." Star turned around to leave. "And…thanks," she said before she left.
Marco didn't get any more reading done after Star was gone, he was too lost in worried thought.
Star hummed to herself as she set her hair in a large, golden bun, with two strands of her blonde hair flowing down either side of her face. Her horned headband sat atop her head as usual, keeping her bangs at bay. Star finished her hair and put on her white gloves that went all the way up to her elbows. She wore a sleeveless red dress with white trim and decorated with red hearts, giving the dress a bit of a Valentine's Day look, not that Star had any idea what Valentine's Day was. She wore a pair of white, high-heeled boots that paired well with her gloves.
"You look quite lovely."
Star didn't even flinch at Glossaryck suddenly appearing in her room. She just kept on smoothing out her dress and fussing with her hair, a little smile on her face.
"Thanks, Glossaryck." The princess replied.
"You also look quite excited," Glossaryck noted.
"Yeah, well, it is the Young Royal Rally," said Star. "The Rallies are always pretty fun."
"Despite saying the exact opposite to Pony Head yesterday," Glossaryck muttered. "But that's not what you're excited about, though. I understand you're bringing Marco Diaz to the party as your…ahem…plus one?"
Star blushed, but her smile didn't waver. "It's just pretend." Star picked up a bottle of perfume and applied a couple squirts. "I'm trying to show Tom that I'm not interested in him anymore."
"By showing him there's someone else you're interested in?" Glossaryck asked.
"I never said that." Star quickly replied.
"You didn't have to."
"It's not a date, Glossaryck. Nor for real," Star said. "We're going as friends."
"You mean Marco's coming along as your 'ex' repellent." Glossaryck clarified. "Assuming Thomas actually leaves you alone, how exactly do you plan for the rest of the evening to happen?"
Star just shrugged. "Whatever happens, happens." she finished fussing with her hair and dress and took one final look in her mirror. "Now, time to get Marco."
Star walked down the castle halls all the way to Marco's room. She smoothed out her dress once more before knocking on the door. The door opened, revealing Marco himself.
"Hey, Marco! Ready to-" Star stopped midsentence. "...Oh…"
Marco was dressed in a fine, three-piece suit. The suit's jacket was a dark, charcoal-black and so was the vest he wore underneath and his dress pants. The shirt he wore under the jacket and vest was a deep, rich crimson, as were the cuffs of the sleeves, with a black tie that matched the jacket and vest in color. His dress shoes were polished like a pair of obsidians and the buttons on the suit were bright red, making it almost look like the suit was studded with rubies. To finalize the look, a red pocket square that matched the shirt, buttons, and cuffs in color nestled neatly in the jacket's breast pocket.
"Wow," said Star. She inhaled and caught a whiff of the cologne Marco was wearing. "You look…good."
Marco seemed stunned by Star's appearance as well. "Uh…s-so do you." he stuttered.
The two teens just kept staring at each other, unsure of what else to say.
"Can I come in?" Star finally asked.
"Oh, uh, sure, sure. Come on in." Marco replied as he moved out of the way for Star.
"Thanks," Star said as he entered Marco's room. "So, where'd ya get the duds?"
"As your tutor and honored guest of the castle, I have free access to most of the castle luxuries, including the dressing room and haberdashery," Marco explained.
"So you got the suit free of charge?" Sar asked.
"Well, I gave them all each a corn on the cob as a tip."
"Woah. The castle staff must love you."
"And you're not even being sarcastic." Marco shook his head. "Mewmans. Alright, you good to go?"
"Yup. Just give me your scissors and I'll open the portal."
Marco pulled out his scissors and handed them to the princess.
Star giggled as she took the scissors. "You know, you kinda look like a prince dressed like that."
The smile Marco gave Star was an uneasy one.
Star cut open the portal and the two of them stepped through.
Star and Marco exited the portal into a large, grand ballroom. There were no windows, but a large, multicolored crystal hung from the ceiling and bathed the room in its glow of random colors, making for a splendid light show. The walls and ceiling were made of white stone and an expert architect and artist must have been hired to come up with the intricate and beautiful design and structure. The hardwood floor looked to be recently waxed and polished prior to the party. All throughout the ballroom, about a hundred teenagers either hung out in groups and pairs by one of the various snack and beverage tables, or were dancing to the electropop music that was playing from the sound system, controlled by a robotic DJ up on the stage.
"Woah," said Marco. "Where are we?"
"The Ballroom Dimension," Star replied.
"Seriously?" asked Marco. "I know the multiverse is infinite and all, but this is really a dimension?"
"Well, yes and no," said Star. "It's a sort of pocket dimension the allied kingdoms throughout the multiverse like to use for events like this one. It's completely safe here, with no chance of one of us getting abducted or murdered. The only people who can enter this dimension are those of royal blood and their plus ones."
"What would have happened if I wasn't your plus one?" Marco asked.
"Well, you would have been sent to an endless abyss with no possibility of returning, and floated through the infinite nothingness until you died."
"...Fun."
"Star, hey!"
Marco and Star turned to see a boy approaching them.
"Is this the ex-boyfriend?" Marco asked.
"Nah, that's just my cousin, Rock," said Star.
Cousin Rock was a short but hefty guy, with short brown hair and a few noticeable pimples on his face. He was dressed in fine furs and moccasin boots, wearing a cape that apparently used to be a beast with white fur. The horns of the dead beast decorated Rock's shoulders.
"Star, good to see you again!" Rock greeted with a grin.
"Hey, Rock!" Star greeted back as the two cousins hugged.
Star and Rock separated from their embrace, then Rock noticed Marco and blinked in surprise at him. "Who's this?"
"Rock, this is Marco Diaz of Earth," said Star. "Marco, this is my cousin, Rock Johansen of the Johansen Kingdom."
Marco smiled and extended his hand. "Nice to meet you."
Rock shook Marco's hand. "Same," he said. Rock then frowned as a thought popped into his head. "Wait, hold on. Are you the guy that saved Star from that St. Olga's thing and from that Septarian assassin?"
"Yeah, that was me," Marco replied. "You heard about that?"
"Of course I did! The entire Johansen clan heard about that!" Rock exclaimed. "Gotta say, man, solid work taking down that assassin."
"I…had a little help," said Marco, nodding his head to Star.
"Dude, you really oughta come to the Johansen Kingdom sometime!" said Rock. "Word around the Kingdom is you know how to fight!"
"Fifteen years in the Neverzone teaches you a thing or two about combat," said Marco.
Rock's eyes lit up in awe. "You mean it's true?" he asked.
Star handed Marco his dimensional scissors and he showed Rock his name engraved on the blade.
"Awesome." Rock marveled. "Man, you are a huge improvement over Star's last boyfriend."
"We're not dating!" Star and Marco both said at the time.
"Aw, for real?" asked Rock.
"For real, Rock," said Star. "I brought Marco here as my plus one to get Tom to get the message and leave me alone."
"Plus one?" Rock asked. "You mean he's not a prince?"
"Uh, no, actually," said Marco. "I'm from a dimension called Earth and am not of any royal decent of which I am aware. I did really good in school back home, so Queen Moon hired me as Star's tutor slash chaperone."
"Huh. No kidding?" said Rock. "Geez, you give off such a prince vibe, anybody would have mistaken you for someone important."
The statement was of ignorance, not spite, and Marco knew it. But it, still Marco's smile faltered. "...Yeaaaaaah," he said flatly.
"Well, I gotta go. My date is probably wondering where I am." Rock said a little smugly. "She's a total ten, by the way. You guys enjoy the party."
Rock ran off to one of the food tables.
"Yeah, he didn't actually bring a date," said Star. "But he'll eat his own shoes before he admits it."
"So, he's King River's nephew?" Marco asked. "I guess I sort of see the resemblance."
"Rock is probably the most mellow Johansen you'll ever meet, not to say that he's a calm and tranquil person," Star said. "The Johansen clan have been a tribe of barbarians since forever. They established an actual monarchy when they declared independence from the Butterfly family."
"So, I guess Johansens and Butterflys don't generally like each other?" Marco asked.
"Not especially, no," answered Star. "When my mom and dad announced their engagement, it caused a bit of an uproar. The Johansens were eventually set on the idea of the next King and Princess of Mewni being one of their own, but my mom's side of the family still hates my dad."
"Holidays must be stressful, huh?"
"Like you wouldn't believe." Star took ahold of Marco's hand. "But enough about that. We're at a party, let's have some fun."
"Cool if we hit the food table first?" Marco asked.
"I was about to suggest the same thing."
Star and Marco headed over to the nearest buffet table. As they walked through the ballroom, Marco noticed that he was getting a few curious and/or smoldering looks from the princesses. Star took notice of this as well and pulled Marco closer to her, holding onto his arm. This earned a light blush from Marco.
"For show," Star explained a little too quickly. "You know, in case Tom spots me."
"What's Tom like?" Marco asked. "You never really described him to me."
"Oh, he's just some hothead I used to date," said Star. "I won't say he's a bad guy, but he can be a jerk sometimes."
"He's a wealthy prince, of course, he's gonna be a jerk sometimes," said Marco.
"Hey, now. That's not fair." Star protested. "None of us are royalty by choice."
"Hmm." was Marco's only response.
The two of them reached the food table and Marco stared at the bizarre assortment of delicacies. Some of it looked delicious, some of it looked…edible, and some of it looked like something you'd feed to the thing you kept locked up in your basement.
"Ooo, they have begging squid!" Star exclaimed excitedly as she reached for a tray of small, pink squid, each one a little smaller than a kiwi fruit. She plopped the whole squid in her mouth and swallowed. "Mmmmmm." she grabbed another one and tossed it into her mouth. "Marco," Star said with the squid still in her mouth. "You gotta try one of these begging squids."
Marco picked up a squid and eyed it skeptically. "Why do they call them 'begging' squid?"
A pair of eyes opened up on the squid's head and two tentacles clasped together. "Please don't eat me."
"AH!" Marco cried as he tossed the squid away from him. The squid ended up hitting Star square in the face.
"Oh! Sorry, Star!" said Marco.
Star scooped up the squid with her tongue and the tiny creature screamed as it went into her mouth. "Don't worry about it," Star said before she swallowed the squid down. "Heh-heh. I love how it feels when the squid struggles as it's being swallowed. You sure you don't wanna try one?"
Marco looked utterly horrified. "I'm…just gonna go get some punch and hope to holy hell it's not something's blood."
"Bring me a cup, would ya?" Star asked as she picked up another squid. "Gotta wash these babies down."
"Dios Todopoderoso, sálvame de los horrores de los ricos." Marco muttered as he walked over to the punch bowl.
"I'm gonna have to learn that weird language of his one of these days," Star said to herself before going back to the squid.
"Hey, B-Fly!"
"Hmm!" Star replied with a mouth full of squid. She swallowed it down before turning around to greet her friend. "Flying Princess Pony Head!"
Pony floated up to Star with a big smile on her horse face. Her hair was set in a ridiculous style and shone from enough hair spray to take out a rhino. She wore lipstick and eyeliner, a little too much of both, if truth be told, and a diamond tiara sat in her awful but expensive hairdo.
Walking beside Pony Head was Princess Spiderbite. She wore a leaf-green dress with a gown that looked like a treetop and an emerald broach in the shape of a spider. She had fairly tanned skin and green eyes, with long, brunette hair, in which a wooden tiara sat. She was pretty, or, would have been, anyway, if it wasn't for the large, very noticeable swelling on the right side of her forehead, courtesy of a spider bite.
"Hey, Penelope!" Star greeted. "How's it going?"
"Good, I guess," Penelope replied glumly.
"She was hoping to find a boyfriend at the Rally, but so far it ain't workin'," said Pony. "Probably because of the spider bite."
"Pony Head!" Penelope gave Pony a shove. "Come on!"
"Hey, chin up, Penelope," said Star. "One day you'll find a who loves every part of you, even your spider bite."
"Well, I'm not going to find him here," Penelope replied bitterly. "Speaking of which, Star, can you please tell your cousin, Rock, to stop hitting on me? It's getting-" Penelope stopped mid-sentence and her eyes went wide. "Woah. Who is that?"
Star followed Penelope's line of sight and saw that she was looking over at Marco, who looked like he was trying to work up the nerve to fill his cup up with punch.
"He's new," said Penelope. "And…kinda cute."
"Oh, him?" said Star. "That's-"
"Is that Earth Turd?!" Pony cried in outrage. "Girl! I told specifically told you not to bring him here!"
"Is…that his name?" Penelope asked.
"No. His name's Marco Diaz," said Star. "He's from a dimension called Earth, he saved me and Pony from the Monsters at St. Olga's, my mom hired him to be my tutor, and he saved me again from an assassin the other day."
"That's the guy who saved the day at the St. Olga's incident?" Penelope asked. "I heard he has the strength of ten men," she began to play with a strand of her hair. "Is he single?"
"No!" Star blushed and cleared her throat. "I mean, no, he's not. He's actually my date to the Rally."
"You only brought that nobody so Tom would leave you alone," said Pony Head. "Which, BT-dubs, probably ain't gonna work anyway."
"Why won't it work?" Star asked.
"Hello, Starship."
Star's back straightened as if someone had pressed a knife against it. "Oh, great," she muttered. Star turned around and faced her demon.
Yeah, you probably already knew this, but Prince Tom was a demon. He was a little taller than Star, with a slim but fit figure. His skin was a greyish-purple color and his spiked-up hair was a dark pink that wasn't quite red. His nose was pointed, as were his ears. A pair of horns, brown and curved with pale tips, protruded out of his hair on either side of his head. His three eyes set in a triangle formation were the color of blood, and a line of black makeup colored a vertical line across each eye. He was wearing an expensive, snow-white tuxedo with a dark red vest and bright red bowtie.
Prince Tom smiled, revealing his sharp teeth. "I've been looking for you," he began. "It's good to see you again."
"For the millionth time, Tom, I'm not interested," said Star. "This is getting old."
"Come on, Star. You can't ignore me forever." Tom said with a flirty smile.
"Yes, I can." Star turned around to walk away.
In a small burst of flame, Tom teleported in front of Star before she could go anywhere. "Look, Star, I know you're sick of me, and I know you think I'm just an ill-tempered jerk." Tom clasped his hands together desperately. "But I swear, I've changed, Starship."
Star crossed her arms in irritation. "Oh, please. Every guy uses that line."
"But it's true!" said Tom. "I even got a life coach to work on my anger issues! His name's Brian, he gave a bunny to pet when I'm feeling angry." Tom pulled a cute, pink bunny out of his tuxedo.
"Uh, okay," said Star.
"And take a look at this!" Tom put his bunny back into his tux and pulled back his lapel to show Star the sticker on his shirt. It read '53 days anger free'.
"Wow," Star commented flatly. "Impressive."
"Come on, Star, I'm really trying here!" Tom complained. "What more do you want?"
"I want you to leave me alone!" Star shouted angrily.
"Dramaaaaaaaaaa." Pony whispered to Penelope.
"Is this about the Blood Moon Ball?" Tom asked. "I said I was sorry."
"I know you did," said Star. "But by then, it hardly mattered."
"Starship-"
"Star! Ya gotta help me!" Marco chose that moment to come back. "The princesses from St. Olga's are here and they've spotted me! The dark, shadowy one everybody forgot about tried hitting on me and I swear my blood started to freeze in my veins. And I'm pretty sure the pixie one is about to take a bite out of-Oh crap, your Tom, aren't you?"
Tom blinked at Marco in confusion. "Um, yes." he gave a small bow of greeting. "Thomas Draconius Lucitor, Prince of the Underworld and heir to the throne."
"...Of course you are," said Marco. "Why wouldn't you be?"
"I'm sorry, who are you?"
Star dashed to Marco's side and took hold of his arm. "Tom, this is Marco. He's my date to the Young Royal Rally."
Tom's face fell and his left eye twitched. "Your…date?"
Marco rolled his eyes as he reluctantly went with the charade. He offered Tom a handshake in an attempt to offer an olive branch as well. "Marco Ubaldo Diaz of Earth. It's nice to meet you."
"Earth?" Tom let out a laugh. "No way! You're a human?"
"Uh, yeah," said Marco as he pulled his hand back. "You're actually the first person I've met outside of Earth who knew what a human was."
"Of course I know about humans," said Tom. "Your world has been demon stomping grounds for centuries! You humans are so susceptible to temptation! It's hilarious."
Marco blinked. "...You don't say?"
"Yup. By the way, God is a lie. Heaven and all that crap was just wishful thinking by scared humans. Sorry to break it to ya."
"Tom!" Star scolded.
"What? We had to tell them the truth sometime." Tom argued. "So, how did the two of you meet?"
"Queen Moon actually hired me to be Star's tutor and occasional chaperone." said Marco. "I'm the top of my class back home, and I survived fifteen years in the-"
"Wait, hold on." Tom interrupted. "You're not a prince? Are you even a lord or a count or something?"
"No I am not."
"Oh, so you're nobody," Tom said with a smirk. "Well, that makes a whole lot more sense."
"I'm curious, if you tell a demon to go to hell, how much insult does it actually merit?" Marco asked. "You're basically telling the demon to go home."
"Watch yourself, human," Tom growled.
"Go home."
Tom's eyes began to glow red.
"Cool it, Tom!" Star ordered.
"I'm cool! I'm cool!" The glow in Tom's three eyes vanished as he took out his therapy bunny and petted it. "See? All good. All good."
The electropop music changed into slow dance music.
"Perfect timing." Star grabbed Marco's hand and led him to the dance floor. "Time to dance, Diaz."
Tom narrowed his eyes dangerously as he watched Marco be pulled to the dancefloor.
"Yeah, I don't like him either," said Pony Head.
Rock suddenly appeared and slid up next to Princess Spiderbite. "Heeeeeeey, Penelope."
"Not interested."
"Okay." Rock left.
"See, Tom. That's how a guy takes a hint," said Pony.
"Why didn't you tell me that your ex-boyfriend is a demon prince?!" Marco asked as Star led him to the dance floor. "That seems like essential information, doesn't it?"
"Since when are you afraid of demons?" Star asked. "Don't you work part-time for a demon?"
"Actually, Hekapoo told me the other day that she identifies as an ifrit."
"A what?"
"A fire genie, commonly associated with the underworld…which, admittedly, sounds a lot like a demon. But that's beside the point! I got enough things to worry about without adding a jealous demon prince to the list."
"Oh, calm down, Marco. It's a party." Star and Marco had reached the dancefloor. "Let's just try to have fun."
Marco seemed to just now realize that he had been dragged to the dancefloor. His face lit up with a blush as his eyes widened in panic. "We…have to dance now?"
"I think I see the girls from St. Olga's over there, maybe you could-"
"Let's dance."
Marco reached out as far as his arms could stretch and put his hands on Star's hips.
"I don't bite, Marco." Star moved in closer and took Marco's hand in her own while leaving his other hand on her hip. She put her own free hand on Marco's shoulder. "There we go."
Marco just gulped, but he managed to calm down and his blush died down.
"Hey, listen, Marco. I'm sorry for including you in all of this." Star apologized. "Tom isn't normally that mean to people. He's really a nice guy…once you get to know him."
"He was born with a silver pitchfork in his hand," said Marco. "You can hardly expect anything less from him."
"Hey, I've already let that slide, but come on," said Star. "What do you have against people like me and Tom? Don't forget, Diaz, I was born into an elite life of luxury too."
Marco just shrugged. "Mi Abuelo, my grandpa I mean, was a groundskeeper for the Country Club: a place where rich people go to do rich people things. My grandpa was one of the most intelligent, honest, kind-hearted, hardworking men on the planet. And every time he came to visit, he would sit me on his lap and tell me how awful the people at the Country Club were. He would go on and on about how they were all a bunch of selfish, rude, greedy gringos. And at the end of each of his lectures, Abuelo would tell me the same line: 'El dinero y el poder son un veneno que infecta el corazón'."
"Yeah? And what does that mean?" Star asked.
"'Money and power are a poison that infects the heart'."
"...Do you…think I'm like that?" Star asked.
"Of course not, Star," said Marco. "But I'm a minority, no point in denying it. You wouldn't believe the amount of crap I've had to take from people who easily got away with it because their salaries were bigger than my family's income. Thing is, my grandpa hated wealthy people for a damn good reason."
Star was quiet for a minute until she finally realized that the whole time Marco was talking, he had been leading Star in a dance. Quite impressively, to boot.
"Huh. Where'd ya learn to dance, Diaz?" Star asked with a smirk.
Marco's cheeks formed a light blush. "After grandpa would finish ranting about how much he hated rich, white people, grandma would shush him and scold him for using so much foul language, and believe me, he used a lot of foul language, then she would take me off of grandpa's lap and give me dancing lessons."
"Awwwww," said Star. "But seriously, though. I know you don't like rich people, but Tom isn't really like that, I swear. Honestly, he's not a bad guy."
"Then why'd you guys break up?" Marco asked.
Star sighed. "The life of royalty isn't exactly a walk through the park either. It's suffocating and demeaning most of the time. You barely even get a say in who you end up marrying. Since before me and Tom could even walk, our families have tried to angle us both towards each other, in hopes we would fall in love and get married and blah blah blah. I hated Tom for it at first, but he felt the same I did about the whole thing. We became friends, then Tom started to fall for me, and then we started dating. It was never anything serious. Not for me, anyway. But Tom and both of our families were happy we were a couple. But after a while, things started to get…tense. Tom was getting more difficult. More clingy, more irritable, and I couldn't even talk to another guy without him getting worked up. As much as I hated it, I let it go. And then, he took me to the Blood Moon Ball."
Marco's interest immediately piqued. "Blood Moon Ball?"
Star nodded. "That's how I knew about it. Tom took me to the ball, hoping to get our souls bonded. He was extra bossy that night, ordering all of his servants to make everything perfect. He even snapped at some of the other couples who tried to get on the dance floor hoping to get their souls bonded by the Blood Moon."
"Did you and Tom get soul bonded?" asked Marco.
"Nah. One of the demon servant boys and his girlfriend went onto the dancefloor during his break and they ended up getting soul bonded. I was really happy for them. Tom, on the other hand…was not. He threw a tantrum that shook the entire Underworld. And after that ugly mess, I decided we should see other people. Tom's been bugging and begging me for a second chance ever since."
"Oh, dang." Marco sympathized. "Are there any other guys you're interested in getting back into the dating game with?"
Star just shrugged. "Maybe."
She then rested her head against Marco's chest as they danced.
Marco blushed once more.
But…it felt…good.
Star and Marco danced to the music, enjoying the sound of the melody and the feel of each other's company.
Star sighed into Marco's chest. "Thank's for coming with me to this party."
"It was no problem," said Marco.
"Did you have fun?" Star asked.
"Well, aside from meeting your ex-boyfriend, I guess I had fun," Marco replied. "How about you?"
Marco gave Star a twirl and a low dip, earning a surprised laugh from the princess.
Marco pulled her back up and suddenly their noses were only a few inches apart. They giggled before they just stared into each other's eyes, a sleepy smile on both their faces.
The kiss happened before either of them even realized it was happening.
There was no tongue action nor was it a simple peck. It was a standard contact of the lips, with both their eyes closed as they enjoyed the ecstasy of the kiss. It took a little over half a minute for the two of them to separate for air.
Upon realizing what had just happened, Marco immediately withdrew from Star as if she had lit on fire, a look of intense panic on his face.
Star blinked at Marco's sudden reaction. "Marco, it's okay," she said. "It was just a-"
Marco opened up a portal with his dimensional scissors and quickly stepped through. The portal blinked out of existence before Star could follow him.
"Marco!" Star shouted in dismay. She grunted in frustration before making a B-line back to Pony Head and Tom.
"So yeah, we've been messing with humans since forever." Tom was telling Pony and Penelope. "It's flattering how much they've remembered us, but for some reason they keep misspelling 'Lucitor' in the books, putting an 'f' instead of a 't'."
"Pony Head!" Star shouted as she joined the group. "I need to borrow your scissors!"
"Woah, girl. What's going on?" Pony asked.
"Where's Marco?" Penelope asked.
"He left," said Star. "Now can I please borrow-"
"That guy seriously ditched you?!" Tom exclaimed. "Well, then. With him out of the picture, how about you and I-"
"Shut up before I rip out your tongue."
The amount of venom in Star's voice silenced the demon prince.
"Pony Head, please just cut open a portal to my bedroom so I can leave," Star asked.
Pony blinked. "Um, yeah. Sure, girl. Like, whatever." she stuck out her tongue and revealed a pair of blue dimensional scissors. Using her mouth, Pony Head cut open a portal.
"Thank you," Star said before she stepped through.
With Star gone, Tom growled angrily. "What's so great about that Marco guy?" he demanded. "What does he have that I don't have?"
"Well, whatever it is, it's working," Penelope pointed out. "Star seems to prefer him over you."
Tom grabbed his horns and grit his sharp teeth as he suppressed his anger. "...That guy."
Star exited the portal into her bedroom and quickly left for Marco's room as fast as her high heels and dress would let her. Star made it to Marco's room and pounded her fist on the door.
"Marco?" she called out. She knocked on the door again.
No answer.
"Oh, for the love of…" Star muttered. "I'm coming in!"
Star kicked the door open and saw Marco by his bed, taking of his jacket and laying it neatly on the bed next to his tie. The rest of his clothes were on, don't worry.
"It was unlocked, you know," Marco said.
"What the heck, Marco?!" Star demanded. "Do you freak out every time you get kissed?!"
(on Earth)
"Yes," Janna said as she sat in her bed and read her magazine. She blinked in confusion and looked around. "What the hell?"
(on Mewni)
"I mean, come on, Marco!" Star shouted. "It was just a kiss, it didn't mean anything."
"No, it didn't."
Star blinked. "...Well, I mean…regardless of…what exactly it meant…it still felt…nice, right?"
Marco didn't reply.
Star wrung her hands nervously. "And maybe…it could mean something?"
"Star."
"I know you have a girlfriend, and I'm not really saying that anything is set in stone for anyone, but…you know…it's possible that you and I could-"
"Star!"
Marco didn't yell, but there was enough force in his voice to quiet Star. He faced Star with an attempted poker face.
"You know us can't ever happen, right?"
A flash of hurt passed over Star's face. "It…it could happen, couldn't it?"
"Star, I consider it a literal honor to be your friend. But you and I are two entirely different people, from two entirely different worlds," said Marco. "It doesn't matter how much either of us wants it, we can't ever have it."
"What, so just because you're a commoner and I'm a princess, there's no possibility of us ever-"
"No," said Marco. "...I'm sorry… Goodnight, Star."
Star recoiled a bit as if she'd just been slapped, then turned around and stormed out of the room before Marco could see her cry. She slammed the door closed on her way out.
Once she was gone, Marco sat down and gripped the sides of his head as he let the guilt tear him apart.
Meteora paced back in forth in front of Globgor's frozen form. Her anger and irritation gave off such an intense aura, Gemini wouldn't go anywhere near her. The small, robot goblin just watched her from afar, not daring to get any closer.
"Where is that lazy Rasticore?" Meteora growled. "He should be here by now with the book and the wand and the princess's head!"
"Didn't you tell him to bring back sandwiches as well?" Gemini asked from afar.
"Oh, yes. Maybe that's what's keeping him," said Meteora. "I swear, if he messed up my order, there'll be hell to pay. Hell to pay, I say!"
"I forgot, did you order anything for me?" Gemini asked.
"No."
"...Oh."
Suddenly, Rasticore walked into the large chamber, walking as if he had just ran a marathon. His long, forked tongue hung out as he panted for breath.
"There you are!" Meteora shouted. "Where have you been? And did you bring the sandwiches? I am very hungry."
"Screw…your…damn…sandwiches," Rasticore said between breaths. "I had my limbs chopped off and then I got blasted halfway across Mewni. I lost my dimensional chainsaw, so I had to walk all the way here."
"Oh, quit your crying, you overgrown baby!" Meteora scolded. "How did you mess up such a simple assignment? Find wand. Find book. Steal wand. Steal book. Kill teenager. Get sandwiches on the way back."
"It was a difficult enough job without the magic princess with the tendency to blow things up," Rasticore complained. "Why didn't you tell me she had a dark magician for a bodyguard?!"
Meteora blinked. "What are you talking about?" she demanded.
"The princess's boyfriend has dark magic!" Rasticore explained. "The kid in the red, hooded tunic. He had brown hair and a mole under his right eye."
"What?!" Meteora cried angrily. "That's the boy who stole Princess Star from me!"
"Huh?" Rasticore asked in confusion.
"Back at St. Olga's! I was about to steal Princess Star's youth when that boy came and stopped the process!" Meteora yelled. "What was a boy doing in a school for girls anyway?! Sure, he saved the rest of those royal brats, but what's the point if I don't get to siphon any of their youth?"
"Wait, wait, back up a smidge," said Rasticore. "You're telling me that that weird, skinny guy who smelled weirder than most Mewmans do is the Boy in Red?"
"He wore red, yes," Meteora replied flatly. "Any other stupid questions?"
"The Boy in Red is a folk hero among the Monsters," Rasticore explained. "I heard a little bit about him during my trip back to the temple. He saved a couple of Monster kids from the Mewnian Knights and he even saved an entire community from the Knights."
Meteora blinked. "...You don't say?"
"I heard a whole bunch of rumors about him," Rasticore continued. "I heard he can fight with the strength of a hundred warriors. I heard he can punch through stone and withstand any blow. I even heard he could breathe fire. Never would have guessed he had dark magic, though. Say, wasn't that your mother's gift?"
"...Indeed," said Meteora. "It was why the Mewmans hated her so much; because she was feared so much."
"Well, now that we know that Princess Star, who's dangerous enough by herself, has a dark magician bodyguard with his own folktale, what do we do next?"
"Hmmm." Meteora began pacing back in forth in thought. "Are you sure he had dark magic?"
"Said it himself," said Rasticore. "Even made references that I didn't get."
"...They don't know."
"What's that?"
"They don't know," Meteora repeated. "The Queen and her people don't know that the boy has dark magic. Otherwise, they would have gotten rid of him the moment he showed up."
"Oh," said Rasticore. "Yeah, I…guess that makes sense. But how did he get dark magic? Only the Queens of Mewni and the Magic High Council have magic."
"I have no idea." said Meteora. "Still, though. This is good potential blackmail."
"How do you plan to use it, though?"
"Well, first, I need to learn more about him." Meteora reasoned. "Did he say anything about himself?"
"Uhhhhh… Marco!" Rasticore remembered. "The Princess called him 'Marco'!"
"So his name's Marco. Anything else?" Meteora asked.
"...No."
"Of course not," said Meteora. "I forget your specialty leans more in the direction of brute force than it does in the direction of actual intelligence. Since you're no help, I'll need to find someone who can help."
"Like who?" Rasticore asked.
"Someone we can actually go to without blowing the whistle on ourselves," said Meteora. "Someone who can give us actual help. Someone who might already have a vendetta towards this 'Marco' kid, and knows a thing or two about him." The former headmistress tilted her head. "Have you heard of anybody who falls under those specifications?"
Rasticore rubbed his chin in thought, then his face lit up and he snapped his fingers.
"Ludo Avarius!"
Happy Holidays.