Joe was nervous, here he was, in Butterfly Castle, talking to his girlfriend's mother. Normally, this wouldn't actually be so bad. The Queen had actually taken him dating Star in complete stride, actively happy her daughter was forming stronger, and better, relationships. Apparently her last boyfriend did not go over too well despite all hopes. Her father however, was sure to mention to him before leaving on a business trip to not hurt Star or he would meet his ancestors. That was the second most terrifying thing that had happened that day. The first was the Diaz's and Olivia taking a rather unorthodox trip into the 'Forest of Certain Death'. Star and Marco were looking for them and Joe had to distract the Queen, lest she start panicking. The worst part was, Star and Marco had filled him in on these things mere moments ago as they were about to enter some cave.

"So Joe, tell me, what is your favorite thing about my daughter?" Queen Moon smiled. They were sitting in the garden, Joe having convinced her to move to a more, secluded, location for a very important question.

"Um, well, that's hard to say. I like her smile a lot, but her laughter is adorable. Then there's this look she gets when she's content, and another when she's determined. She just, does things to me, and that's what I love about her, she makes me feel, alive. She gives me purpose. I want to see those things a million times over. It, it…" Joe's words failed him, he tried to think of more words to say, to describe his feelings, but, he couldn't. It wasn't that he was uncomfortable, Moon gave him the feeling of being able to talk freely regardless of the situation. It was that there were simply no words good enough for this. At least, none that he knew.

"I understand that feeling exactly. When I was still a young queen, River was my rock, and he quickly gave me purpose and strength. It's a wonderful thing, the ones we love." She had a wistful smile, and for Joe, it made him feel, content. He was on a mission, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy himself. "I mean, here you are, doing your best to distract me from the fact that your Sister and Marco's parents went into the forest and your girlfriend and her best friend are trying to find them." Joe felt all the color fall out of his body. "Takes a lot of love to try and do that one." Her face was not full of anger, but a playful smirk.

"Uh…"

"No need to worry, I have someone watching out for them, and I know that this wasn't just an attempt to cover for them. You have, other business with me still, yes?"

"... Yes." Joe shifted a bit, the questions he had for her were definitely important. Especially after a certain, incident recently. "All my life there are times when I would wake up after having dreams where I was certain to die. Each time the dreams were so real, they blended reality into them to the point where I genuinely believed for many of them that they were reality. For instance, one dream I had was when I was ten. I was walking home from school and I took a detour to a bridge. I remember jumping off the bridge for a large fall into a swift river. My 'dream' ended there, with me waking up that morning in bed."

"That's, a disturbing dream."

"...There are literally hundreds of dreams like that. Until recently they have been my most common types of dreams. There have been dreams where I slit my throat, hang myself, take various poisons to an excessive degree, and more. There are some that are even worse." Joe felt a hand go to his shoulder, he knew Moon was concerned even without looking at her. "It's okay. Ever since a few days after I met Star, those dreams stopped. Lately, my dreams are very sweet in comparison. Just last night, I had one where Star, Marco and I found a dimension where everything is made of candy." Moon's demeanor shifted a bit, clearly happy to hear that Star was having such a positive effect on another.

"Well, I do know of a dimension like that if you want to take Star on a date there one day when she gets her own dimensional scissors." She winked and Joe felt a small blush pop up on his face.

"I would like that a lot. But, back to my question. You see, I also have days where I just can't fall asleep for whatever reason. I took some sleeping pills, but before they got me down, I found a video on the internet... It was, me… Jumping off a bridge into a swift flowing river." Moon was stock still. She remembered what he had said. "The video itself was a compilation… of me… and several of those 'dreams'... Queen Moon, have you ever… heard of something like this?" He was about to chance a look at her as she grabbed him into a bone-crushing hug. He finally knew where Star got it from as she started to cry.

"I-I'm so s-s-sorry Joe." She wept on him, and soon, he too, was weeping. For a few minutes later, they were both recovered from the experience, Moon shutting down Joe each time he tried to speak. "Look, Joe, there are some, stories about this. People seemingly immune to death. People just, surviving the impossible. But such miracles are usually not this common. Once in a generation for the entire timeline is about as common as it is. Death is good at doing her job after all. To survive not once, but several times, that's unheard of. I hope this isn't an omen, though I am glad you made it this far. You and Star, you two will be so much better because of this. Just be aware, you are in a very difficult position. Death wants you, badly, and I don't want you and Star separated prematurely." Joe put a hand over his chest on instinct. Moon finally removed herself from the hug, and Joe almost felt sad she was moving away. She was almost like a mother to him in that moment, but the new knowledge, made him worried. It wasn't everyday you find out you really have been cheating death for years.

"Well, that's a big question answered. Next, is about comparatively old business from your viewpoint." Moon nodded in understanding.

"I have spoken with a few experts. We have some theories, but one of them will have to observe you for a bit. Right now they are monitoring the magic flow on Earth, they think that it might lead to a clue or two. They may have to directly observe you, but I assure you, they will only do so with your permission. Unless it may come to Star's harm. They wouldn't budge on that one." Joe nodded solemnly. He had no real complaints about that point.

"My queen." A knight approached Moon, quickly whispering something in her ear.

"I see, thank you. Joe, let's head back inside. They are on their way back. Let's get some tea ready. Also, Joe. I know you have Star as your girlfriend, and you don't want to worry her, but you can always come to me or Olivia. We will be there for you. I am sure Angie and Raphael would even be there for you. And, as for River, he can help keep you distracted if you want, but I don't really recommend that. He likes to go on rather dangerous hunts and no offense, but you don't look like you're in the greatest of shapes."

"Well, surprise, you are both right and wrong about that."

"What do you-"

"Well I am unsure of how wrong. Waiting on some test results. In the meantime. I really want to catch up with Star. I'm sure she has a crazy adventure to tell me all about that certainly didn't happen." Moon shook her head as she dryly chuckled.

"Well, I will have to hear about some of it from my husband. After all, he was hunting in the area and may have spotted them." She gave a sly grin, just managing to convince Joe that she was content to move on with the conversation. "Still, you did do a good job of using your present circumstances to get me out of their hair for a bit, but I will say when this becomes a diplomatic skill, you will need to make sure that it isn't such a big thing." She gave Joe a wink as they walked up towards the dining hall. Joe quickly fought against his blush, the implications preventing that entirely. "Oh, and the legal age for marriage in Mewni is fifteen." She giggled into her hand, enjoying how Joe was now as red as a tomato. She pushed through the doors, and ceased giggling. Star was her first concern, her entire body was dirty as could be, but she appeared undamaged, the same could be said about Marco, and his parents, but Olivia was nursing a wound to her side. As soon as Joe noticed that he was running forward.

"Sis! What happened?" River turned on a heel, cutting off everyone else from responding.

"It wasn't her fault Joseph! A hydra attacked and-" Moon, in turn, interrupted him.

"A hydra? In the forest? That's not good. River, did you-"

"Yes, I got the infernal beast and treated her wound with an antidote, just in case. Nurses are on the-" River was cut off by several nurses and a doctor rushing into the dining hall.

"She needed to be transported directly to my office My King. She needs proper attention, even if it is 'just a scratch'." The doctor quickly made his way to Olivia, and began his inspection. After a few minutes, he came to a conclusion. "At least you correctly identified the anti-toxin, and as expected from you, the wound was well taken care of. Guess you did make the right call this time. Nurses, bandage the wound. And I recommend you have a doctor watch over you for a time to make sure there are no after effects. The worst should be past though." River and Moon both bowed as the doctor got up and left. Joe however, was not convinced. Something about it felt, staged, yet the wound in front of him, and his trust in Star, caused him to overlook it this time. He merely stayed by her side as he noticed she was not awake at all. She was unconscious. Joe felt enormously scared, as Moon noticed, in just the short few minutes he had been by her side, he was absolutely drenched in sweat. As everyone else looked sullen, Moon kept her eye on Joe.

'He's been drastic before, he could do something drastic again.' She then noticed him panting and slouching, letting go of Olivia for a moment before he spasmed. This finally caught Star's eye as she watched on. Moon felt a bit safer when Star began to fuss over him, making sure he would be fine. If not for the circumstances, Moon would find it adorable, but now, it drowned her in worry. Star was now hugging him deeply, as Joe slowly, returned it, crying.

A few hours later and everyone had gathered for dinner. Olivia woke up feeling some minor pain, but she, like the doctor said, was otherwise unharmed. The Diaz's apologized profusely for their actions, to which Joe, who had spent some alone time with his sister, did his best to brush it off. Olivia chose to go after all, but everyone promised him something. The Butterfly's promised any medical fees would be taken care of by them, the Diaz's offered their home to Joseph if it became too hard on Olivia while she recovered. To both Joe and Star's chagrin, everyone was in agreement that the two of them could share a room.

It was then that Joe learned a few things about everyone involved. Marco was a pure sunflower who believed people don't have sex till marriage, Mewnians, even queens, are perfectly fine with getting pregnant and giving birth shortly after Mewberty, and the Diaz parents are immense romance saps who were themselves nearly teenage parents. Joe, while he couldn't say that his mind didn't find parts of the idea, enjoyable, was of the mindset that they had barely been dating a few weeks at that point. Rushing a relationship, especially knowing what Olivia does, was not an option. He wanted his first real relationship to be nice, and while it wasn't the first time he didn't want a relationship to end, this was certainly the strongest any relationship he had had before.

He wanted,it to flow naturally, not be forced around by everyone close to them. The thought stuck around as he realized, it didn't make any sense. In fact, it was really weird. Until he had started thinking about a relationship with Star, people were less than interested, but almost like the hatred thing, except instead of hatred, it was a relationship with Star. And to be honest, it scared him. Yet another question that needed answering. He thought long and hard about it before just accepting it. Then, as expected from his theory, Olivia asked the Diaz's to allow Joe over, something they and Star accepted. She magicked him up a bed, and soon, life was on its way. It was a week before Olivia felt better, and just in time for Brittney to have a birthday party. s expected, Joe wasn't invited.

Star went with Marco and again, the monsters attacked. Jie was. Very thankful he wasn't around these. He doubted he would survive even a moment during such an event, but,more than that, Star was okay, and Marco had talked to his crush of many years. It seemed for once, everything came up Joe. Joe didn't sleep well that night. Something yelled at him that something was bound to happen. He didn't realize that he was right.

*In an unknown location*

"This is not how things should be going. Star should have her crush on Marco by this point. Yet, she seems to think highly of the anomaly."

"Calm down sister. You and I both know that a change is good for keeping timelines healthy. After all, this isn't the-"

"I know Glossaryk. However, that does not excuse the anomaly. He was not our creation. He must be removed from the equation."

"No. Let us see how he changes things. We have an eternity to get this right after all."

"... I pray you are right. I will report your decision to the council Glossaryck. For now, I at least still trust you."

"And I, trust in something I can't feel either." Glossaryck laughed in the void, hoping that this would shake up events just right. After all, now there were three things he couldn't control directly in play. Perhaps, he should mess with two of them. Just for fun. 'Who knows, maybe both of then will enjoy letting off some steam.' The thought brought on another laugh as, once again, he laughed, before disappearing in a puff of light.

A/N

Well, time for the big shift. I am sorry the chapter is so short, but it felt like there really wasn't too much I wanted to do here that really should be in the next chapter. So, here is a short setup chapter for everyone's first big Starco miss from the show. What will Mewberty Star do? Will she:

A.) Rape Joe

B.) Have Consensual Sex with Joe

C.) There's gonna be no sex, thanks Glossaryck

D.) She ain't gonna pick Joe

E.) We gonna get Glossarycked