I don't own Star vs the Forces of Evil story or its characters, I only own my Oc characters.

Moon's Little Miracle

(16 years before the beginning of the Chronicles of Selesdria Butterfly)

Moon couldn't sleep. She was tired, but she was having trouble falling asleep. She lay back and forth in the rocking chair, absentmindedly watching the dusk through the window. Her hands rested placidly on her swollen belly, waiting for some movement from the living thing inside her.

"Are you tired?" Moon asked, stroking her belly. "Are you sleeping, little butterfly?"

No answer came, and it was disappointing. Queen Butterfly was already eight months pregnant, but her belly was small compared to those of other women in the same state and the baby inside her was barely moving. If it weren't for the random kicks Moon would have thought her belly was empty and the whole pregnancy was a product of her desperation to be a mother and not the work of nature.

Then she felt it. It was only a small moment, but she was sure it had been a kick from her daughter. She smiled and began to sing the song her mother created for one of her best recipes.

Over, under, around and through

Grab the little Mewni rabbit, pull him through

Pinch it and fold it and tie it in a bow

Like two little bunny ears made out of dough

Over and under, wherever you roam

Sweet little Mewni rabbit, hop back home

When she finished she looked up at the moons in the sky that illuminated the lands of Mewni belonging to the Butterfly family and the Mewmanity with their silvery beam of light. Seeing the scenery from the queen's chambers brought back memories of her youth, of when she was a carefree and positive princess.

As a child she had been eager to inherit the magic wand and the Book of Spells, learn all she could about magic and become a queen her people and family would be proud of. Her active imagination would make her daydream for hours about fancy dresses, masked balls, celebrations where she would have fun with her friends under the watchful eyes of her mother and grandmother, audiences where she would attend to her people and their problems... And everyone around her would tell her how good she was at reigning and how much they loved her, just as they loved her mother and grandmother.

Yes, everything would be wonderful. Everything would be perfect. Her life already was, why wouldn't it be, how could it change when she had a perfect mother, a perfect pet and was a perfect princess? Her life was perfect; therefore, her future would be perfect too. Her mother had assured her of that.

The week before the Wand Passing ceremony she had a nightmare in which she tried to grab the wand, but it floated far out of her reach and everyone in the throne room burst into laughter and taunted her, telling her that the wand rejected her and that she would have to leave the castle and the kingdom and live in the Forest of Certain Death because she was not fit enough to be queen. It had only been a bad dream, but it had been troubling her all day and none of her attempts to disguise her discomfort were convincing enough to fool her mother. When Moon confessed her nightmare and her doubts her mother stroked her cheek and smiled at her.

"You're perfect, Moon," her mother assured her affectionately, looking at her with her beautiful purple eyes that looked like amethysts carved by Mewni's finest sculptors. "You are beautiful, cheerful, intelligent, and with a very kind heart. You are a perfect princess, and you will be a perfect queen whom all your subjects will love you. You don't have to worry about anything, my sweet little princess. Everything will be perfect, you'll see. And don't be afraid, I will always be here to help you in case something happens."

At that time Moon truly believed what her mother was telling her. She was perfect, she would be a perfect queen with a perfect husband and daughter and the future of her legacy would be perfect. There was nothing to worry about. Everything was going to be fine.

But then his mother died and the weight of royal responsibility fell on his barely seventeen-year-old shoulders. And it had all been because of him and his army of monsters.

"Toffee..." Moon whispered, his voice laden with venom.

It may have been thirteen years since then, but the memory of what had happened still shocked her. A Septarian, a loathsome and despicable evil beast of low lineage from the most horrible lands of all Mewni who knew only darkness and death rebelled against his king by seizing half an army and cold-bloodedly murdering a Butterfly Queen in the middle of a banquet at which a peace treaty with the monsters was to be signed. How was it possible that such a stupid and cruel act could be committed towards her mother, who only longed for peace and concord?

"Evil," Moon muttered clasping her hands in the arm rests. "They are pure evil all of them."

She had tried to bury the past over the years, but there was always some nightmare, some image that spontaneously flashed through her head in the middle of the day that reminded her of the darkest time of her life, but what was a constant reminder were the marks of darkness on her arms. Every day for the past thirteen years Moon had to see those horrible black veins, proof that her choices had been mistakes, but what else could she do when she was barely seventeen, suddenly the responsibility for an entire kingdom and its inhabitants fell on her shoulders and she had at the front of the capital an army of monsters ready to break down the gates at any moment?

"Moon Pie?" Moon turned her head and saw her husband River getting out of bed and putting on his sleeping robe. "What are you doing up so late, dear?"

"I've been having one of my bouts of insomnia."

"I'm sorry to hear that," River reached over and took her hand. "I wish there was something I could do to help you."

"You already do so much for me," Moon smiled at him and kissed him. "Not everyone would hold my hand considering what's in my arms."

"Nonsense, only an idiot would notice something so trivial!"

Moon would never know how to express her gratitude to her husband. River had always been there for her, even when she had to return to her kingdom with her family because the conflict with the monsters ended and the Johansen's presence was no longer needed he decided not to separate from her side and sought to help her in any way he could, always showing a positivity and energy that brightened her days. The Butterflies were reserved, tried never to show affection in public to protect their image and were not the best at providing emotional support, so River's affection had been a rest for her and had allowed her reign to be survivable.

"Let's go to bed," River said. "I'll massage your feet and have a servant bring you a glass of warm milk."

"That won't be necessary. I think I'm starting to feel sleepy already."

Moon stood up and instantly felt a sharp pain inside her. She groaned in pain and clutched her stomach. River looked at her in fright.

"Moon Pie! Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, it was just a hard kick."

Once inside the bed and covered up to their necks by the sheets reality finally faded away to give way to sleep. No, it wasn't a dream. It was a nightmare. The same one that had been tormenting her for weeks.

She was once again wandering aimlessly in the forest, with the same thick, thorny roots of the same trees so tall it was impossible to see where the tops ended and branches so large and close together that light could not break through. He was wearing his armor and his hair was braided, but he carried no weapon and his wand was nowhere to be found either. Moon looked around fearing at any moment the sudden appearance of some wild animal or monster, but the forest was deserted and silent, with no evidence of any living thing inhabiting it.

She made her way through the trees and in front, in a large clearing illuminated by the silvery light of the moons, was a beautiful lake of shimmering golden water and, in the center, a heavenwood emitting white light. The lake, as if it had a will of its own, seemed to whisper a melody in Moon's head, asking her to bathe in it. Unable to resist she undressed, put one foot in the water, then the other and walked in until the water reached her flat belly. She felt wonderful in there as if all her fears, responsibilities and worries were instantly erased from her mind and only happiness existed. She raised her head and stared mesmerized at the tree.

That heavenwood was the most beautiful tree she had ever seen, not even the heavenwood at Butterfly Castle had any comparison with the one before her blue eyes. Its bark shone like the stars and its leaves, the exceptionally beautiful color of the sun bathed in silver moonlight, swayed and rustled in the wind with the elegance worthy of a queen. Its branches were thin and seemed easy to crack, but the trunk was firm and strong and the roots that protruded through the water were tiny, but somehow held the tree with all their might. Still that heavenwood was delicate, fragile and vulnerable and Moon felt the same strange urge to keep it out of harm's way.

A bubbling sound caught her attention. From an area near her the same foul black liquid surged from deep within the golden water and began to spread at an alarming speed across the lake, destroying the heady atmosphere as if to kill it. Moon, with the same horror she had every time she dreamed of this, watched the black liquid head for the heavenwood. Immediately she dove in and began swimming with all the speed she could towards the tree; she could not allow the liquid to harm it.

Moon watched in terror as the remaining golden water around her turned purple and so thick that moving her legs and arms was an impossible task. The same crimson light from a blood-red moon appeared out of nowhere and illuminated the lake. The water began to rock violently and formed waves that crashed against her, pushing her away from the heavenwood as the black liquid advanced relentlessly towards it. Moon screamed in desperation, raised a hand and a purple wave engulfed and engulfed her. She kicked trying to swim to the surface, but the more she moved the more the purple liquid pushed her to the bottom of the lake and the shadows blocked the light from the surface, forming a blanket of darkness. And there, in the middle of the darkness, was the same pair of eyes as yellow as gold, looking at her in a cold and mocking way, as if enjoying her suffering.

Intense pain erupted in her belly and Moon watched in horror as the darkness was tinged with blood red. Her whole body weighed her down and she lay motionless as if made of stone as she felt her lungs would burst from lack of air. With her last breath she screamed as the last wave of pain hit her.

Moon awoke shortly before dawn with a loud gasp coming from her throat and intense pain in her belly area and lower back. She pushed the sheets aside and saw that the mattress, her nightgown and her legs were soaked with liquid. Another intense pain hit her and panic seeped into her voice.

"River... River!" she screamed.

"W-what?!" her husband jolted awake, his body spun and he fell flat on his face against the floor. "Where am I? What's happening?!"

"I-it's coming!"

"Who's coming?"

"The baby!" Moon shouted sharply, hugging his belly. "My water broke!"

"But it's too soon, Moon Pie! It's still a month before the baby is born!"

Moon screamed and her head fell back on the pillow with sweat running down her face. The pain she was experiencing was unbearable.

"Search for the doctor! Get him in here now!"

A few minutes later she was surrounded by midwives, servants coming in and out laden with towels and buckets full of hot water, and the castle physician, Dr. Osmond Freehealth, an older man with gray hair and watery gray eyes who attended the births of Moon's mother and her mother's siblings and had been tending to her health all her life. River, on the other hand, had to wait outside the room after she tripped and bumped into two servants carrying water, causing the floor to become soaked and another servant to slip and fall.

Moon had heard from family members and acquaintances that childbirth was painful and difficult, but in those moments she couldn't help but think that they had used euphemisms to keep her from being afraid of becoming pregnant.

Labor was not just painful and difficult to endure, it was torture. For hours on end the contractions attacked her relentlessly, without any mercy, making her scream over and over again. As the sun began to set in the west the pain shot up from her abdomen and concentrated in her lower back, and it was then that Moon really felt terror and she couldn't help but think she would break in half at any second.

Her tousled ice blue hair stuck to her sweaty face as tears slipped from her eyes. Moon watched the faces of the midwives and maids, all of them looking at her with concern and dismay, almost pity and fear. Even Osmond, who had been a doctor for decades, shifted his eyes nervously, though he tried to maintain a calm, professional facade.

"Do something!" a maid shouted hysterically as she passed towels to the doctor. "Can't you see that our queen is suffering?"

"I'm doing everything I can," Osmond Freehealth assured calmly. "We can't rush nature. The baby has decided to come early and Queen Moon is primiparous, so it's completely normal for this delivery to take so long."

"It started at dawn and it's almost midnight," a midwife murmured, wiping her forehead. "Admit it, doctor; this labor is too long for a first baby. And let's not talk about all this blood..."

Moon screamed and sobbed again and gripped the sheets so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Osmond stared at her and began pointing at the people inside the room and giving her orders.

"You two," Osmond said to two servants, "help the queen to her feet. She needs to be made to walk a little."

"What!" one maid looked at him in horror, "You want Her Highness to walk?"

"The squatting position makes the baby's head align better with the birth canal and shortens the birthing process," he explained. "If we don't she and the baby will die, and if you really care about the queen's welfare then you will do as I tell you without complaint. Come on!"

Each maid grabbed her by an arm and they helped Moon to her feet. She screamed, sobbed and even struggled, longing to return to the safety of the bed, utterly terrified and in agony. She was forced to pace the room under the watchful eyes of Osmond and the midwives until he ordered her back to the bed and examined her.

"Well, I think it's time; push, my queen!"

She sniffled and cried, but did as he told her and let out a squeal. The process was repeated several times and Moon just wanted to scream at everyone to leave, wanted to punch the walls and floor in anger and wanted to scream at River for impregnating her. The effort was overwhelming and she had a feeling she was going to die right there.

"I see the head! One last push, just one more!"

"I can't!" Moon screamed at the top of her lungs. "I can't do it! I can't!"

"Yes, you can Your Highness! Just one more! Do it with all your might and it's all over!"

"No..." Moon cried, wishing deep in her heart that someone would end her suffering. She wanted her mother there, comforting her and telling her that everything would be all right. But Comet Butterfly died years ago, and no one could help her. "It's impossible! It hurts too much!"

"Your Majesty!" roared Osmond suddenly, his face red and contorted, with a vein in his neck very marked. "If you don't push you will die, both you and your daughter, the Mewmen are not ready to be left without a queen, and the welfare of all Mewni is at stake! You are Moon the Undaunted, queen of Mewni! What do you think will happen if you die; the monsters will take over Mewni! That will happen!"

It was as if something reacted inside Moon's brain. Yes, it's true... They will come and kill everyone if I am gone. She could clearly see how the monsters learned of his death and laughed with joy, how they banded together and formed an army and raided and burned villages and towns, killing children, old people and women and finally invaded the capital and took over Butterfly Castle. And above all she could see him leading the army. She could see as if it were real Toffee sitting on the throne where Moon's ancestors had sat, smiling malevolently as he saw before his feet the corpses of River and the rest of the Butterfly family.

No, I won't allow that! I'd rather die fighting than have something like that happen! Moon snarled and gritted her teeth in anger, clenched her fists clenching the sheets in her fingers and screamed like she had never screamed before in her entire life, a scream so shrill that I'm sure everyone in the castle had heard her. She fell exhausted against the pillow, at last relieved that the pain was completely gone.

Moon stared at the ceiling, waiting for her baby to start crying at the top of her lungs as any baby did when it came into the world, but the only sound was the whispers of the maids and midwives and whatever else they were doing. Anxiety coursed through her body and she feared the worst. It was too soon... The labor had been too long. She felt like she was going to burst into tears again, but not from the pain.

"Congratulations, my queen," Osmond said approaching her with a bundle wrapped in pink blankets. He smiled proudly at her. "It's a precious princess."

Moon unwrapped the blankets and gasped. Before her stood the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her entire life. Her daughter was very small, something expected of a premature baby, with pale, porcelain-delicate skin, a tiny nose much like her own, with exquisite, periwinkle-colored eyes, a perfect mix of violet and blue, and with wonderful, fine silver blonde locks on her head, the same color as the leaves of the heavenwood. Most striking of all were the markings on her cheeks: a six-pointed star superimposed over a smaller six-pointed star, forming a pure white twelve-pointed star that were glowing as when a queen was dipping down.

"Moon Pie!" River burst into the room, his blond beard and moustache were completely disheveled and there were dark circles under his eyes. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything is perfect," Moon whispered. Her little daughter chirped faintly but sweetly and she felt her heart grow bigger in her chest and slowly melt. "Our little Selesdria."

"Oh, Moon Pie she's beautiful!" River exclaimed with tear filled eyes. Then a confused look planted itself in her blue eyes. "Wait, Selesdria? Like heavenwood in High Mewnian? I thought you wanted to name her Celestia."

"Look at her hair, River," Moon stroked her daughter's locks tenderly. "They're the same color as the heavenwood leaves. It's a sign, don't you think? Besides, you know Selesdria is a derivative of the name Celestia, 'daughter of heaven' in High Mewnian. It practically means both," she kissed the baby's forehead and a tear escaped from her right eye.

The heavenwoods were the trees that the monsters prized above all others for somewhat primitive matters, going so far as to rumor that they made sacrifices above their roots and even spoke to them as if they could hear them. When the Mewmen came to Mewni they took it upon themselves to put an end to these barbaric practices and cut down nearly all the heavenwoods they could, but kept a few as a symbol of their victory, there being one in the inner gardens of Butterfly Castle.

"She is our daughter of the sky and our symbol of victory," Moon assured.

"The princess is very small, weak and delicate, and already shows signs that her health is going to be very fragile as she is premature," Osmond reported and a doubtful look settled in his eyes. "I'm afraid... Your Majesties, I warn you that premature children don't usually survive, let alone in cold seasons like this. The princess must reserve all her strength for feeding and sleeping and being well wrapped up for the next few months, and she must also be on constant round-the-clock watch to observe her development and check on the progress of her health."

Moon heard, but refused to listen to him and focused on her little girl. She had made it. She had succeeded in having a daughter after eight years of failed attempts, a beautiful princess who already showed talent for magic and would compensate for her weak body. A daughter with hair color exactly like the trees the Mewmen seized from the bloodthirsty monsters. It was a sign, it had to be. Her daughter, her little Selesdria, was the secured future of the Butterfly family and all of Mewni against the threat of the monsters.

In her mind suddenly appeared that pair of evil, mocking, cruel and cold golden eyes that watched her with hatred.

Moon wanted at that moment to look at Toffee and laugh in his face. He had killed her mother, he had tried to destroy the Butterfly family legacy and her kingdom, but he had failed not once, but twice. The first was when she had taken his finger, nullifying his regenerative power and taking away his pride and power over monsters and the second had been by giving birth to an heiress to the throne.

She watched her precious Selesdria, her little miracle moving in the blankets with utmost weakness and gentleness. I will protect you no matter what, Moon thought. I will never let you suffer as I did. You'll be safe from all those vile monsters, especially him.

Her daughter was going to have the perfect life she could never get. Exactly, Selesdria would live in peace, away from the war with the monsters and especially Toffee. I won, Toffee. You took my mother from me, but I have won in the end, she thought triumphantly and full of joy.