Hello everyone, I'm going to start work on an anthology collection! This will house various one-shots and longer-running stories set with the world of Star Vs. My issue is my inability to finish long-running narratives. So this is my way of continuing to bring content while also not promising a full-on story.
This is set after 'Stump Day' (before S3B) and is part of the canon timeline. I highly recommend you play the track 'Snowflakes' from Persona 4 while reading this. It was an inspiration for the one-shot. Should be updating weekly with stories/one-shots, so stay tuned!
P.S. - For those new to the show, the entire series is now on Disney Plus, so check it out there if you haven't already (though highly recommend you skip S4... wasn't too fond of that season personally speaking).
The thick Mewni snow was gently falling down, landing in clumps surrounding Butterfly Castle. Donned in his red hoodie and having a black winter jacket over it, along with a green scarf around his neck, Marco let his gloved hands rest as he watched Mewni's lively people celebrate the winter season.
A place Marco now called home, never looked so… Happy, as he could describe it. Usually, the citizens donned clothing a homeless person would wear on Earth and their homes would look malnourished. But as if literal magic was in the air, many huts and houses were donned with winter and stump-themed decor. Mothers and fathers were building snowmen with their children, everyone donning a very welcoming smile instead of their usual angry expressions.
It's as if Mewni transformed overnight. Marco laughed softly, looking up at the sky and letting the cool Mewni winds gust past his short brown hair. His eyes drifting to a nearby stump, his face formed a thin line, recalling the other night he bearly survived. Right. He threw up his hood once more, letting his sneakers slush and splash against the pure white snow.
Tuning out the festivities, Marco just frowned, letting sour memories fueling clenched fists and harder stomps through the snow. Best friend pushing him away, being somewhat replaced by her ex, and kicking himself for not realizing things sooner; Marco Diaz… What a joke. He paused his step, letting out a tired sigh.
He shook his head, remembering why he ventured out in the cold, to begin with. Fixing his jacket and hoodie, Marco walked past the crowds of jolly Mewmans and Monsters alike, eyes locked on the forest of trees ahead of him. The ground beneath him felt less thick, blades of grass and plant life peaking through the white sheet. Darting left and right, his eyes landed on the many evil-looking trees. Rather, the usually evil-looking trees. Various trees were holding… Are they using mugs made out of themselves? Marco saw three trees using their large branches to pass mugs of what Marco assumed to be Mewman Ale, gulping it down and laughing in their odd language.
They looked to Marco as he passed them, making the human pause. He rose and eyebrow, the tree before him looking to its peers. They shrugged their branches, the head tree giving Marco a mug. He looked at the extended branch, blinked for a moment and gently took it. Sniffing the ale, Marco winced at its stench. It smells like… He felt a cold chill course his body, the winds getting harsher. Bottom's up. He gulped the entire mug down, wiping his lips and passing the mug back to the odd tree. The trees shouted in their language, in what sounded like jolly cheers. Marco just smiled in thanks, despite his stomach groaning.
I need to stay warm. Marco felt heat returning, thankful for the ale. He once recalled Star telling him Mewni Corn Ale is fantastic, but he simply laughed at the comment. Guess Star likes drinking. Just as he smiled, he soon frowned, reality crashing down. ...Right. He shoved his away and trudged onward.
Passing over a rather large log, Marco's eyes narrowed. A cluster of snow was in the corner, looking similar enough to Toffee. Marco walked toward it, standing before the poor imposter with indifference. He closed his eyes and walked away from it, but something made him turn around as if it spoke to him.
"You are a disappointment."
Marco punched the snowman directly in the face, the entire being falling into the ground with an unimpressive thud. Fixing his gloves, Marco ignored his shaking hands as he marched onward, feeling the Mewni winds pushing against him. He simply pulled up his scarf, it did little preventing snow from dusting across his mouth.
"I like you."
Marco sharply turned around, focusing on the voice. He walked a few steps, finding a log and a near-frozen lake. Sitting on the log, he sat down and looked at the reflection. Whenever it was the cold getting to him or something else, Marco shivered as he studied the reflection. It didn't show himself, but rather Star. She was talking to him, but he couldn't hear her. But he started crying, knowing everything.
His mind wandered to recent memories, them playing off the lake like a television's static screen.
"Things… Changed, since you left."
"Dude, you're miserable cause you got a crush on your unavailable best friend."
"Like, you always gotta make everything about you."
"I don't do politics."
Flashes of images were going on and off like flickering channels. Marco closed his eyes, getting up and covered his ears. No! NO! He picked up a nearby rock and threw it at the lake, shattering the ice. The last image that appeared on the lake was a cracked face of a somber-looking Star before it vanished outright.
He fell to his knees and felt numb. I… I don't know. His mind tried to reason with himself. Should I stay? Or go home? He hated going to this place, one of logic and reason, when his heart longed for…
"Marco?" He didn't move, feeling compelled to laugh. That couldn't be her. She's nice, warm and toasty cuddling with that demon boyfriend, enjoying the winter weather with her friends. And yet… The voice reached out again. "Marco? Why are you out here? It's freeeezing." He got up and turned around. Star Butterfly, was standing before him, shivering herself in her oversized pink jacket she likely poofed up. Marco caught the red under-dress she wore yesterday sticking out. The numbness and chill ended, familiar warmth coursing through him.
"I… I needed some air," Marco answered, hugging himself to warm up. "Snow usually doesn't come down in Echo Creek." Star giggled and took out her wand, poofing up another jacket for Marco. He snuggled into it, sighing at the odd candy-like sent it emitted. She then proceeded to hug Marco in one of her bone-crushing friendship hugs. He wanted to hug her back, enjoy this warmth spreading through him. But his arms lay limp.
Star relented, releasing Marco from her grasp. "Mewni gets a lot of snow… Around Stump Day and stuff…" Her tone shifted, voice somewhat smaller. More distant. She walked on ahead, Marco following. Like usual. Marco shut that dark voice away, focusing on her instead. She walked deeper into the forest, instead of back to Castle Butterfly oddly enough. Marco would have questioned this… But she's willingly hanging out with me. Something that's a rare occurrence. Marco bit his lip at how pathetic that sounded. "Instead of getting lost, let's go to my favorite spot."
Marco raised an eyebrow, curiosity getting the better of him. "I didn't know you had one out here. This forest is usually…" Marco's eyes drifted to another frozen lake, underneath it having a swimming creature of some kind. "...Interesting." Star giggled, unintentionally making Marco's face heat up. She started walking backward, arms behind her back and had a girlish smile.
"Dad loved hunting in the Forest of Death, but whenever it got like this…" Star held out her arms, the two looking up at the snow raining down. "...We went to our favorite spot." She wagged her finger and cutely winked. Marco simply smiled, though he wanted to hug her there and then. Ignoring the burning desire, he shoved his hands away and followed her.
They walked in content silence as the snow continued falling down, walking step-in-step. A nice few inches of distance between friends. She would have held my hand back on Earth. Marco once again shook the voice off, trying to enjoy this moment of closeness. He looked at Star's face, trying to read it.
To anyone on Mewni, they saw the bright and bubbly princess of Mewni. Happy as a ray of sunshine. Magic literally being made with every step she made. Even with the more serious mindset and focus, Star was… Star.
Marco knew better.
Blue eyes looked slightly off, some of their innocence outright gone. Arms and legs slightly thicker, from the frequent battles. Posture stiff and ridged, losing her almost dancer-like body language. And her smile, fake as could be. Sure, Marco knew she smiled often and meant it. But she doesn't.
And he couldn't blame her one bit. More guilt ate at his chest, pushing him to throw up his hood and look away from her. Star glanced at Marco, saw his downcast expression and turned away, walking at a faster clip. They finally found her spot, Marco's eyes wide like dinner plates.
Snowmen stood guard, holding sticks like canons. Another lake, or rather puddle, was in the center, almost like a mini-ice rink. Star absentmindedly waved her wand around, silently making some snow chairs, moving sticks around and conjuring two pairs of ice skates. She slowly took off her thick Rhyno boots and put the stakes on, Marco studying the magical objects.
They were pink and purple, Star's go-to-colors. They even had girlish stars and were slightly worn out. He felt a genuine smile form on his face as she struggled to put them on. He walked over to her and held out a hand. She sat on the snow, Marco sitting beside her and fitted them on her feet. The best friends sat in silence, as Marco diligently put skates on his princess. Once the strings were tight enough, he looked up at Star and nodded. Her face blushed, heart marks glowing before she stood up. She simply handed Marco his pair, the boy raising an eyebrow. Giving a pouting face, she sat back down and pushed him to the ground.
He was going to argue but she gently put the spare pair of skates on Marco. The human didn't realize one could sweat this much in the wintertime, feeling his back drenched. Star wiped her head once the skates were on and nearly threw Marco on his feet. He started sliding across the ice and would have nearly fallen on his butt if Star didn't catch him.
She just took his hand, giving him a smile. He smiled back and the two skated across the ice. Not a single word was spoken or uttered. They just laughed and had content expressions on their faces. For this moment in time, the two best friends were just Star and Marco.