AN: Length warning: This chapter is 11k words long.
If you're jumping right into this one for any reason, let me remind you about the warningsI mentioned in the previous chapter: this chapter features vague references to torture, and (along with Chapter 7 and other upcoming chapters in the future) it marks the usage of swearing a bit more directly and commonly than the first six chapters of the story.
Chapter 8
What She Hides
Star's eyes widened. "W-What—?"
Murmurs ran across the room. Even Kelly looked sincerely shocked by the apparently casual way River had just dropped the question on them. He had asked the question flatly, as if a mere request for clarification.
His demeanour, however, didn't really mirror his tone. He was glaring at them as if judging a pair of traitors, frowning.
"There's no need to keep up the act, for both of you," he said drily as Star failed to produce a proper reply.
He then regarded the cloaked woman. "Something that goes for you as well. Moon."
Suddenly, it clicked.
"M-Moon Butterfly? That's Moon Butterfly?!"
"N-No, that can't be it. We would never have let her anywhere close to here! How did she even manage to make it here?"
"I can't believe it... the Fallen Queen?! I-I just don't understand! How? Why!?"
The voices from the men and women over the bleachers were mostly exclamations of shock, surprise and disbelief. Yet, River didn't look deterred. He made a pair of steps to his left, moving away from Kelly and Star and putting himself right in front of Moon.
"There won't be any deception here, not under my watch, Moon. Reveal yourself."
Moon had not tried to hide her face further. Rather, she stared back at River, and as she watched them, Star knew that their staring contest was far from a jovial matter.
There was definitely bad blood between the two, even if Moon hadn't told her anything about the details. And it definitely went far beyond the two being exes.
She could see it by how River ever so slightly flinched upon his eyes meeting Moon's. By how he clenched his fists and furrowed his brows.
Star feared that either of the two could do something reckless, which wasn't exactly ideal considering they were surrounded by rows of armed mewmen. As customary for the Johansen Kingdom: all warriors almost always carried their weapon along with them at the ready.
She really didn't want to cause a diplomatic incident, not when River had sounded somewhat... welcoming.
He did earlier at least.
Her fears proved unfounded as Moon slowly raised her gloved hands and grabbed the rim of her cloak. She first took off the hoodie, revealing her silver hair and purple, diamond-shaped cheek marks, then she proceeded to remove the cloak entirely, revealing the rest of her hair, the holster where the Royal Wand was still placed, and the rest of her body and clothing.
The room was dead silent for a second. Then, the dams were broken, letting a flood of words come through.
It was a chaotic conjunction of shouts coming from all direction that was borderline deafening. The content of such shouts ranged from exclamation of dismay to more refusals to accept the truth. However, the most common theme by far was the amount of curses and vulgar slurs directed at Moon's person. The Johansen were not know for hiding their thoughts of contempt when they had any, and this definitely was the case here.
Moon simply glanced around the room with a hard glare, but otherwise refused to feed the mewmen around her any kind of reply. Some of them recoiled as soon as she laid eyes on them, but others were not so easily intimidated and stood their ground while continuing to verbally insult her.
"You dare show yourself here again, Moon!?"
"Tsh, I hoped you were dead, but of course we lucked out!"
"Your blood is a curse to this land! You hear me?! You're the bane of this entire world!"
"Get lost and go pick other people to back-stab and then leave to die! We don't need your so-called help, bitch!"
"Silence!"
The room didn't immediately go silent this time, but River simply raised a hand and shouted again, more vehemently. "I said silence!"
The mewmen warriors finally noticed River, and most of the shouting died down. "Compatriots, rest your tongues for the time being. I'll handle Moon from this point on," he continued.
"With what authority, River Johansen?! You of all people are biased beyond fixing on the matter of the Fallen Queen," a large, wide man shot back. He patted the mace that he was conveniently holding. "I say there is only one way to solve this, and that's with payback!"
"Right... I'd like to see you face one of the strongest Butterfly Queens on your own. While she has the Royal Wand and you have a pathetic sword to bring to the table."
The man looked considerably less confident in his words as he relented with no further attempt to challenge River's decision.
"...still, I can see why you are so doubtful," he recognized. "But know this... I know the Fallen Queen enough to understand her far better than any of you do, that's for certain. Which means that I can tell her motives and possibly her ill plans within these walls. You do not."
He then turned around to focus his gaze on Moon again. "And don't mistake my 'bias' for a positive one. The 'Queen' has a lot to answer to, to us and to me. In fact, my main worry right now is less about why she showed up here."
He gestured towards Star and Kelly. Both girls were floored by the events unfolding, neither of them knowing what to say or whether speaking up was a good choice in the first place.
Their attention however went back to the actual conversation when River mentioned them. "These two girls here are Kelly, a Woolett survivor, and... a Butterfly survivor from another... lineage," he said, clearly measuring his words when it came to Star. "They want to help us with the war, which is fair. But Moon came with them. So... how did she convince the last living members of their respective kind and family, to let her join them? That's what I'm most concerned with."
The room went silent after that.
Star wondered why River had evaded mentioning her name or origins out-loud. Perhaps he feared how the crowd would take it, or whether it'd sound too far-fetched when presented in such a brief way. In either case, the crowd's fury had at least been quelled for some time.
However, Moon apparently didn't like River's words. Taking the initiative, she walked closer to River, and once she came to a stop she stared down at him. Her scowl left no doubt about her feelings, and she towered over him due to her superior height.
"You won't make assumptions concerning my business with Star and Kelly until you have a reason to do so, River," she said through her teeth. "And you better pay heed to that."
There were further murmurs as Moon called Star's name, but River didn't pay attention to them. He simply bore Moon's gaze.
"What you call assumptions, I call worries, Moon. You are no stranger to deceit and trickery when it comes to get what you want... if not worse. It was always 'worth the goal', right? Your words, Moon... not mine."
Moon clenched her jaw, and a shudder shook her hand lightly, the fingers close to the wand's handle.
She was exceptionally angry—in fact, it reminded Star of how Moon had reacted during their first encounter, when she thought Star was an impostor playing with her emotions.
Fortunately, Moon didn't proceed to decapitate River on the spot with a blast of fiery magic.
She didn't reply either. While her glare remained steadfast, the lack of a deny was likely enough for River.
He took in a breath. "At least you still value honesty," he mumbled. "Still, I don't quite understand what part do you play in this. I can understand the Butterfly girl and Kelly joining forces together, but what's your role in it?"
Once again, Moon refused to give a proper reply immediately, preferring to keep herself limited to a cold glare.
"I'll say it again, Moon," River repeated. "You don't get the benefit of silence, not within these walls. What is your business with these two girls here?"
Star made a step towards them. She thought she needed to intervene to avoid things from further escalating. However, a hand grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back.
She turned around and found Kelly shaking her head. "You don't want to get involved in this, Star. Hold it."
"No!" Star replied. "The entire reason why those two are arguing right now is me. I'm the reason why Moon came here in the first place, I asked her to come when she offered letting us go alone. No, I have to get my da—uh, River, to understand what's going and that Moon is not an enemy."
Kelly opened her mouth to retort, but then hesitated. "I... I don't know much about them beyond random stories, but Moon and River were close.. very close early on, and River supported her when Toffee murdered her family. Despite that, they parted ways years before the Uprising, and... I don't know, it just didn't go well between them, and I feel it's not just because they broke up. Which is why you should steer away from it."
Star glanced at Moon and River for a moment.
"...I can't let them stay like this, Kelly. I have to try."
Kelly sighed. "I won't stop you, but... be wary."
River was about to speak again when he heard Star's voice, speaking loud enough that the entire room could hear her.
"Hey, da—River, Warchief River. I'm sorry for barging in, but I wanted to vouch for Moon. She's here because I asked her to come with me, so you should question me, not her!"
River turned to regard her, and she tried to ignore how unwelcoming his face had become all of a sudden.
"I-I know it sounds weird, but I'm not trying to trick you, honest! Moon didn't convince me and Kelly to follow her. She's agreed to my idea of seeking out people that could help us in with the fight against Toffee. That's why she's been following me ever since, because I asked her to!"
River kept studying Star in silence. The way he observed her in silence and long pauses as he remained in deep thought made for a methodical image of River that was quite the contrast when compared to the chaotic version that was her actual father. It was something that definitely kept Star uneasy, if she wasn't already disturbed by River's newfound hostility.
Maybe River did notice that. "Well, let's say her reasons are the same as yours. Then, why are you fighting Toffee? You came to help, but why do you want to help in the first place?"
The question was very generic, and Star wondered why. She thought he had asked her about her reasons for her arrival in this Mewni already.
However, River let out a small harrumph, then then tilted his head a little towards the crowd on one of the sides of the chamber. And she understood that this question was a way to speak out the question that was really in the minds of the Johansen mewmen around them.
"Well, okay then... I, I want to fight Toffee because I know that he's had a role in making Mewni get to where it is now. And I wanna make this world better!" she said, her speech flowing better as she gained momentum and confidence. "I saw what he did to you all, to the places around Mewni that I... missed since, the, uh... a long time ago, and I just couldn't leave everyone like this, not as long as I could do something about it. And... and I know Toffee can be beaten, he's not as invincible as he might appear to be. We just need to work together to do it!"
She decided not to think too much about how defeating 'lawyer, manipulating Toffee' was probably not the best proof for her, compared to the 'commander, war-mongering Toffee' she now had to face.
Then again, Toffee used to be a monster general in her own dimension as well. He simply stuck to the role longer and got in a new position of power in this universe; there was still some resemblance between the two.
All she had to do was assemble enough support, by choosing the right people and not making the same mistakes again. And then, Toffee would go down for the second time!
"Butterfly girl," one of the Johansen barbarians stood up from his chair, a woman whose axe on her back was wider than her entire body. "I'm... I'm amazed by your desire and amazed by your courage, but... all of that, despite what happened to your family? Despite the fact that... that Moon Butterfly turned your back on you as well?"
It was a wrong assumption due to the limited information she had on Star. Yet, Star didn't have the chance to clarify herself as another Johansen warrior stood up, face red and with a far less meek intervention.
"Of course she isn't, you idiot!" he shouted. He was less amazed and more furious. "She's still a Butterfly, ya' know! That wench shares the blood of demons like the Tyrant and the Fallen Queen!"
He glared at Star with barely-contained hatred. "Your kin brought only despair to this kingdom, and we got no reason to think that you'll be any different! You're part of the Butterfly Bane!"
"Bullshit!" the woman replied, turning around to face the man. "If you think that's a good logic, then you should just go right over to the Dominion. I hear that purging people based on their family name only is a common occurrence 'round those parts."
"How you dare comparing me to those creatures!?"
Another shouting match looked ready to explode any moment now, but a sound came to cut off the two arguing Johansen. The characteristic noise of a magic discharge, accompanied by a bright white light that lighted up the room enough to be visible despite the sun coming through the large windows.
Moon held the wand up in the air, the object brimming with magic energy. The men and women were silenced, some frightened, others disgusted, but all unilaterally fearful of what was elapsing.
Even River couldn't help taking a step back.
There was no question on the fact that, behind their lack of trust or deep contempt, every Johansen mewman in that room feared Moon.
This was a new element to Moon's reputation, one Star hadn't quite gotten yet. She understood that Moon turned her back to the kingdom, that she went solo, that she did bad things to those who tried stopping her in her quest to hunt down Toffee.
By why were these people scared? It used to be their queen, and she hadn't heard anything about Kelly concerning Moon's behaviour towards her subject, beyond indifference that is. Regardless, they were all on the same side, and Toffee was the common enemy.
Why were they fearful?
"I will not tolerate comparison between Star and Crescenta," Moon said, her eyes passing over the man who had accused Star seconds earlier. "She is from a different lineage than mine. In fact... she comes from a completely different universe. Not another diversion... a parallel universe."
"Moon—" River started, as he didn't expect her to drop the reveal on Star's identity on her own, but Moon simply laid her glare on him, and the wand seemed to pulse as she looked. River grunted, but didn't speak further.
It was almost scary how much authority oozed from her at this point. Most of these people hated her, and yet they all sat in silence, and River let her continue despite his disagreement.
This was definitely close to the Moon Star remembered, a well-respected Queen who people paid heed to.
Though her Mom was never respected out of fear.
...wait. Why mentioning Crescenta?
"And this... goes for me as well. You might not understand why I'm here, or trust my intentions, but she has hers and those are the simple, concrete truth. She played no role in the events that happened since I took the crown."
"Concrete truth?! You might just be spewing lies both!" a warrior more courageous than his peers cried out. His peers around him nodded in agreement, though they didn't vocally add their two-cents out of fear.
Moon answered immediately. "Lying? Are you telling me I'd lie about Star Butterfly, about my own sister? Because this girl is her."
That silenced the warrior for good. Star herself was bewildered.
Moon had never, ever brought up Star's counterpart in this universe and her premature death ever again since their first meeting and Moon's confession. Kelly didn't have much else to tell her beyond what she knew from Moon herself either, which meant that Star hadn't really gotten to know much more about her. Star had still decided that she didn't want to pester her for this one topic.
As for now, though, whether Moon was hurt by her own memories or not, she didn't give any sign of it. Her face remained stone-cold.
"This is Star Butterfly, an alternate version of my late sister," Moon continued. "She mastered magic beyond even my own, and defeated Toffee in her dimension. It would be foolish of you not to listen to what she has to say and not accept her help, regardless of my presence. Was I clear enough?"
There were no further questions, and after some seconds of silence, Moon lowered the wand, which dimmed out, and put it back in her holster.
River managed to recover from his own stupor, then quickly took the rein of the discussion back. "Very well, then, Moon. You've at least convinced us of Star's good intentions. That leaves us to question you about yours."
"N-No, wait, I already said that she just wants what I want!" Star repeated. "Moon doesn't mean you any harm!"
River gave Star a look that worried her. He looked worried, but also... sad? Almost... rueful.
"I'm not just concerned about what are her plans with us Johansen, Star," he replied. "I'm concerned about what she plans to do with you as well, Star."
...
"W-What?!"
"Tell me, Star, how did Moon take it when you first met her in this universe? Did she welcome you with open arms when you told her your name?"
Oh, no.
"Uh, it didn't really go—that's not really important, it was just a misunderstanding!"
River kept going. "How about Kelly? I don't know if you met her before or after Moon, but was her happy to see the Queen the first time? What did she have to say about her?"
Star glanced at Kelly, who simply looked away. They both knew what the truth was on that front as well.
"Let's be sincere here, Star. Did any of the people who met you in this world have any kind words to share about Moon?"
Kelly disliked Moon since the very beginning, and despite their later agreements, Star knew that the Woolett still carried a painful grudge towards Moon, for what happened to her world and her family.
Pony Head was hardly trustworthy, but she confirmed the fact that Moon had left the entire kingdom to rot, forcing other realms to look after themselves and leaving them vulnerable.
Ludo could barely tolerate Moon's presence. His missing eye was a clear-as-day example of what kind of things Moon had done in the past.
Even Rasticore seemed to carry some deep-harboured hatred for Moon in particular.
No one of them trusted her. Not one of them considered her a good person. Not one of them would've thought, by themselves, to let her join like Star did.
And yet... Star couldn't bring herself to admit that to River, to admit that Moon was... was evil.
No, that was not it!
"No," she finally answered. "And I know why. Warchief... you all!" she looked around the chamber. "Moon has made a lot of mistakes, and I won't ask you to forget about them. But ever since we got to know each other properly, she has stuck with me. She even saved my life, more than one time! I mean, I would've been killed just some time after landing in this universe if it wasn't for her! So, no, I won't let you try to convince me that she's a bad person. People made mistakes, but they can also repent for them, and Moon is no longer your enemy!"
The grumbles and whispers coming from the Johansen were tell-tale about the fact that the crowd wasn't having any of that. River, however, didn't look as annoyed by the defence Star put up for Moon.
"Star," he began, tone lower than usual. His features had softened a little. "I... I'm not trying to force you to change ideas. I just want you to be aware, to be... mindful of who Moon is. You... you're still a teenager, basically a kid, and this... this war with Toffee, it's something I would never have any child go through. And all of it, all of it, came to be because of her actions."
He might have tried to keep pushing for his argument, but Star took the change in his tone as a sign that she was getting through to him. Which gave her strength and, maybe, made her a bit bolder.
Before River could say anything else, he found his hands being grabbed by Star, who looked with puppy-dog eyes up to him. "I'm just asking you to give her a chance, is all! You... you don't have to like her, or get married with her and have a child together or anything like that!"
River raised a very confused eyebrow. Star blanched upon realizing that she had slipped again.
"N-No, no, I didn't mean to—uh, just forget about it, it's an idiom from my universe," Star exhibited herself in the awkwardest of grins, then recomposed herself. "Just... just let her try to be helpful. That's everything I'm asking."
River didn't investigate further concerning Star's weirdly specific reference to marriage, though he still looked irked if not weirded out by the observation. He nonetheless pushed her hand away.
"You gave her a chance, Star," he said. "But there is a difference between you... and us. I don't believe you have the full picture in mind. You wouldn't be so determined in defending her... otherwise."
He turned to Moon. She'd been silent the entire time, simply watching as River and Star talked.
"Moon, have you told her about how the kingdom of Mewni fell?"
Star's eyes perked up, and once again she decided to intervene. "Well, of course she did!"
"I'm not speaking with you," River briefly gave Star a stern glare that very much reminded her of her own father, the few times he tried to reprimand her. If anything, it worked in making her shut up. "Let the Fallen Queen speak this time, Star."
"Star..." Moon added, much to Star's surprise. "Thank you. But this is not something for you to fix. Let me and River speak."
She grudgingly kept her silence, even if she really, really wanted to stop this from happening.
It didn't take a genius here to understand that River planned to have Moon say something problematic. And Star wasn't sure she could take yet another reveal concerning Moon's past.
"She doesn't know the details, but she knows what happened overall. Is that what concerns you?" Moon said flatly.
"For starters, she deserves to know how exactly things elapsed, specifically about the day when the Uprising began," River elaborated. "Your mistakes have costed us all dearly, Fallen Queen. You costed the Woolett girl her entire nation. You costed the Johansen hundreds of lives. No... Star deserves to know what risks she is going through. She deserves the full picture."
Moon glanced at Star, who couldn't help returning her gaze with an interest fuelled by a mixture of curiosity and fear.
More information sounded scary enough, but deep down, she still wanted to know.
So many things went hidden in the relationship between herself and her Moon, her mother, that she had eventually started to think that maybe part of the reason why they had been so much at odds with each other in the last few months was because of a lack of communication and trust.
Something that could be avoided, here and now... and all she had to do, was to listen to her older sister's speech.
Huh... she was starting to get used to the whole sister situation.
Moon shut her eyes and took in a breath. She then started speaking with a grave tone, recounting the events.
"I had finally found Toffee. He had taken refuge in the house of the Avarius monster family, a pathetic stone castle that he took over some time before I discovered about his whereabouts. I decided to attack the castle on my own, as my magic had grown strong enough to defy all monsters that crossed my path, and I didn't trust the Mewman military when it came to him. All I had to do was to find him and finish what I had started."
It didn't take Star long to realize that this was the same occasion where the unfortunate encounter between Moon and Ludo had resulted in the latter's loss of an eye.
"Toffee was there, and I almost had... had him," she recounted, her voice growing with emotion. "He was there, but..."
She gritted her teeth. "The lizard had everything planned. He used barrier wood for the first time there, to disable my magic, then he had me detained. He told me how by then his forces had already started attacking kingdoms all over Mewni as well as Butterfly Castle, while pillaging whatever they found on their path and razing to the ground the settlements that resisted. It was all part of his plan... remove me from the picture, and then take over."
Moon glanced briefly around the chamber, but the Johansen were silent as they all listened to her words.
"He wanted to execute me right there, but he underestimated the power of my magic. The usage of the barrier wood from him and his servants was blunt and careless at the time due to inexperience with it, and when it turned out that he was no longer safe, the coward got away and unleashed more of his disgusting ilk, Septarian assassins, to finish the work."
She narrowed her eyes. "They wounded me, but I still slaughtered them. Those left alive, were crushed under the debris when I levelled the entire place to the ground."
Star was unable to contain her horrified gasp. In contrast, Moon didn't skip a beat in her speech. "He was gone by the time I managed to get out of there. And... and I was wounded too much to give chase."
Star barely managed to keep following. It was as if Moon's words had triggered something in her, a fear that she thought to have left behind weeks ago.
'You had no idea what I was trying to do there.' She remembered what Moon had said to her. 'You can't judge me.'
Just how many lives did she take in her quest to kill Toffee?
"So I swore to myself that I'd keep to hunt him down for the rest of my days," Moon continued. "Even if I failed, I knew that until I continued to breathe, I wouldn't stop trying."
"...so, you admit leaving your Kingdom behind, despite the fact that it needed you, that we all needed you and your help?" River finally intervened. "You preferred to keep your little hunt on your own instead of actually stopping him from taking over?"
There was nothing resembling regret in Moon's eyes as she regarded River.
"Mewni was no more," she said simply. "There was no kingdom left by then to help. Focusing on Toffee was the only option."
Once again, the chamber exploded with more insults and shouting, not unlike earlier. However, this time, Moon, River and even Star ignored them all.
Star in particular took the initiative. Walking up to Moon, she spoke loud enough that she was sure she would hear her over the commotion.
"M-Moon..." she started. "How c-could you? Seriously, you just left... everyone behind? Just like that?"
Moon answered without any hint of conflict in her voice. "I already said why. There was no Butterfly Kingdom left, Star. Toffee had already either destroyed or took over most of Mewni by the time I recovered from my wounds, and—"
"I don't mean that!" Star cried out. "That I know! I mean the people! Didn't you have any family behind? Any friends?! Actually anyone who you cared about? You left everyone at the mercy of Toffee, and didn't even try to help them, you just kept trying to get Toffee alone!"
Moon changed her posture a little, facing away from River to look at her. "Toffee took my family, Star. He took you. I had no family left, and the wider Butterfly family had always distanced itself from the throne. As for those that I thought were my friends..."
She glanced at River. "They turned their back on me when I faced the hardest of decisions. Looking back, going solo should've always been the best choice."
Star shook her head. "Moon, this isn't just about what you wanted... you just left everyone, when they needed you. You could've helped at least slow down the first uprising, before Toffee became so strong. I-I just don't understand, you put people through things—"
"It was Toffee who took over and brought anguish to the kingdom," Moon suddenly said, cutting her off. "He is responsible for that, not me!"
"But you had a choice! You could've tried to help, to get people to find safety in this kingdom or anywhere where Toffee had yet to take control! There are so many things you could've done, but you didn't...! Why did you leave them? Was it so important to kill Toffee to you?"
Moon didn't reply after that. She simply kept glaring at Star, refusing to acknowledge her last observation.
"They weren't worth her time."
The two women turned around to look at River Johansen. He scratched his beard, looking with sadness at the two. "That's what she told me the one time I managed to find her, long after the Uprising happened and the establishment of the Dominion."
...
'They weren't worth her time.'
Star replayed the sentence in her mind. Once. Twice.
"N-No, that can't possibly be what she said."
"Star..." River continued. "I... I know you are honest, at least to the extent of what you told me today. But Moon... she's not what you think she is. And you deserve to know the full truth, to know what kind of person you're associating with. Who she is, and how far she is willing to go."
He turned around before Star could protest further. He let out another shout, which managed to partially get the attention of most of the crowd sitting on the bleacher structures on the left and the right.
"There is one last inquiry I need to subject Moon Butterfly to," River noted.
Star realized that Moon looked somewhat on edge, for the first time since she entered the room. She hadn't tried to stop River from talking and accusing her, and now she looked nervous and unsure—much different from her mostly deadpan behaviour up until now.
Regardless of whether River also noticed it or not, he wasn't deterred.
However, Star was surprised to hear River calling her name, still looking at Moon as he spoke.
"Star, you haven't seen Moon without her shoulder-reaching gloves yet, I suppose?"
"Uhh... no? She took them off to, urr, clean up, I guess, but it happened rarely since we were travelling all the time. Besides, you know, uh, privacy... w-why are you asking that?"
River nodded, then turned towards Moon. "Very well then."
Star followed his gaze, and she realized that if Moon was nervous before, now she barely looked like herself. Her eyes were wide open in shock, and her face was shaking. If she didn't know any better, it almost looked like she was begging River to stop.
He didn't.
"Take off your gloves, Moon."
There were confused whispers coming from the Johansen around them. Kelly also scratched her head, dumbfounded about River's request.
"River..." Moon shook her head again. "You can't just—"
"I can," he interrupted. "I am Warchief in charge this side of the Kingdom, Moon, and the moment you stepped into this place you accepted my authority. You either do this, or we kick you out and make sure you never get close to the two girls ever again."
"H-Hey, hey!" Star stepped in-between the two, forcing them to look at her. "I... I already know about this! It's Eclipsa's Dark Magic, right?" she glanced at Moon's gloves. "My mom also wore gloves similar to hers, to cover the infection of dark magic from her hands and forearms. It wasn't something she liked and she even hid it from me until very recently!"
She gazed expectantly at River. "So, I already know about that, and I know it's not a good thing to see, but it's not that bad, really. There's no need to make a big deal about it!"
"Star," River said. "Make space."
"But I said—"
"I said to make space!" he commanded.
He had soured up all of a sudden, and his lack of explanation left Star confused. Why was it always so hard with Eclipsa's dark magic? The one thing she hoped that wasn't the same here compared to her own dimension... it just didn't make sense to her. She even stated it out-loud, everyone heard her, why still going with it?
Unless...
What if it wasn't dark magic?
River spoke up again. "Your gloves, Moon. Take them off and reveal what's under them. If you really have nothing to hide, nothing to be afraid of revealing... then, do it."
Star followed his gaze and looked at Moon.
She was flustered, mouth left half-open with a mix of anger and... fright.
And the strangest thing was that she looked frightened by Star herself, as she looked at her.
"Star," she said with urgency, "You need to understand, what you're going to—"
"Moon!" River said. He patted his side, and Star noted that he had a mace, a menacing-looking morning star, resting beside his belt, the lower part of the handle right under his hand. "Don't try to waste time. Take off your gloves, now!"
There were footsteps, and soon the three of them were surrounded by a small group Johansen warriors, weapons drawn out. Most of the crowd had remained on the upper benches, but some were standing with weapons drawn out even at a distance.
They were close enough that now Star could hear the whisper of one warrior.
"I heard a rumour once, but I thought it was all made-up... but it can't be. Not even from her...!"
There was something heavy inside Star's stomach, something that made her heart beat faster, that put her nerves at full alert.
She didn't understand what was going on, but she didn't like it at all.
Moon didn't try to speak further after River's interruption, but she didn't act on the order as well.
"Moon... just get it over with," he said, voice a bit lower than earlier. "You know there is no justification for what she is about to see. However, if you value honesty with her, if you want her to trust you, then you will still show her."
Moon clenched her fists. There was a moment where Star thought that Moon was going to do something stupid, pushed by whatever had caught her throat and had turned her into the worried, hesitant woman Star was now watching.
However, in the end, Moon reached out with her left hand towards the top of the shoulder-length glove on her right arm.
She stopped once she took hold of the brim, hand trembling. Moon looked so unsure, so different from the stoic, determined warrior woman with a conflicting past that she had acted like up until then.
It tugged at Star's heartstrings. And she decided that she couldn't let Moon do this alone.
"Moon... sis," she said. "I... I just want to know the truth about you. I know you made mistakes, big ones... that, I know. I know what River said about you. What Kelly, Ludo, and even Pony Head told me about you. And you know what? I think you still can make amends, if only you put your mind into it. I still believe you can try to be better, for the people of Mewni, for me and everyone else! But... I want to trust you, and I don't know if I can't do that if you aren't fully honest with me. These things... they're heavy, and if there is another thing you're hiding, then... then I need to know."
She pointed at her arm. "I don't know what's behind that glove. And... and I'm worried about it, yes, but I'm more worried that you're hiding it for me. Just... be honest, sis. No more secrets."
They had known each other for barely a few weeks, but it didn't take anything away from the heaviness of Star's words. She really, really believed in Moon. They had been together in this mess since the very beginning, and she wasn't willing to give up on her.
There was a single tear that came out of Moon's eye. Her frowning, tense face gave no further sign of emotion, but Star took that it meant her words had had an effect.
Taking a firmer hold on the brim of the long glove, Moon slowly lowered it down.
Only a few centimetres down her arm, Star immediately saw the darkened skin that corresponded to dark magic infection. She already expected this; she had guessed it, she had told them about it earlier, and Moon herself had mentioned using the Darkest Spell to defeat Toffee when she was younger, just like her Mom.
Yet, there had to be more about it.
And the true reveal happened when Moon reached her elbow.
The room suddenly fell into a complete silence—the only noise came from outside the room itself, but it was as if the entire place had become deaf to the rest of the world. Every eye was on Moon Butterfly, as she continued removing the rest of the long glove.
Thus revealing bright blood red.
Star could only gape. The dark skin, around the elbow, left space for skin that was completely covered by a vivid crimson cover of colour, which pulsated at regular intervals, emitting a reddish light with a dark hue at each loop.
It was unlike anything she'd ever seen.
It was not Solarian magic... from the little she remembered from the book of spells, Solaria's magic was characterized by both red and white colours. And she didn't remember it affecting the user like Eclipsa's dark magic, or... or this.
And it didn't even look like just the skin was coloured. It was as if Moon's arm was covered from the fingers up to the elbow with live blood. The skin itself seemed to throb, and the dim light that emanated at each pulse contributed to its eerie look.
It could've just been a very worrying image, but Star's feelings went far beyond that.
As soon as her eyes saw red, she immediately jolted, as if she'd just been struck by another lead bullet. She felt goose bumps around her arms, and a wave of nausea hitting her.
She had no idea what it was, but it didn't matter. Somehow, some way... she knew.
She knew that this was not okay. She knew that this was not natural.
She felt it. She felt that this was something horrific. Something foul.
Something evil.
The rest of the room might not have been composed of magic users, but that didn't mean that Moon's reveal didn't make an impression on them as well. What they lacked in magic perception, they made up with foreknowledge about what the redness was about. For a few seconds, the silence continued to remain unperturbed.
Then, a first comment finally came, uttered by Kelly of all people. Her voice came hoarse, incredulous.
"Holy shit."
Comments from the Johansen crowd soon followed, but there was no shouting. Rather, their words were lowered to fearful whispers, and the loudest where those who were actually horrified. The warriors who had come to aid River before, stepped back and away from Moon and her red-covered arm.
"I-I knew she was bad, b-but this...!?"
"Corn, I thought those stories would've remained only as memories. I thought Queen Rhina had forbidden everything. H-How... how!?"
"...she shouldn't be here. She's dangerous... no, she could kill us all here and now! Do you see that?!"
Even River looked perturbed, even if he clearly knew in advance what was behind Moon's gloves. He stared at her crimson hand, almost mesmerized by the ominous colour.
In the end, though, he was the first one to regain his composure among the people in the chamber.
He glanced at Star and, after noting she was most likely awestruck and tuning out everything, he placed a hand on her shoulder to get her attention.
Star turned with a jerk, eyes moving as if she thought he was a dangerous beast ready to tackle her. She couldn't help immediately stepping away, slapping his hand away.
Upon realizing what she'd done to whom, Star lifted a hand to her mouth, but River didn't look offended at all.
"Your reaction is more than justified," he simply stated, before glancing back at Moon. She was also staring at Star, and she looked all but happy about her first reaction to her hand.
River sighed, then spoke before either Moon or Star could say anything else, loud enough that everyone in the chamber could listen. The whispers ceased as soon as he did.
"That reddish corruption on Moon's forearm, Star, is Anger Magic. A flair of Butterfly magic that was forbidden a long while ago—or so we all thought. The main tool of control that was exercised by Crescenta the Ruthless, a tool with the only goal of bringing pain and torment to those unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of it."
He glared at Moon with disgust. "And even so, it was a tool that the Fallen Queen considered apt in her thirst for revenge. To her, the end justifies the means, after all... no matter the cost."
...
Star felt herself shudder as she processed River's words, and her first reaction was one of denial.
"N-No," she replied. "That doesn't mean anything. You might be making things up, people used to think Eclipsa's dark magic was evil as well in my world, b-but...!"
She was unable to come up with a proper follow-up for her comparison. River simply kept going.
"No, Star. Dark Magic was used often in our world by the Queens that came after Crescenta. We all know what it is and understand the toll it takes on the user. It might be pricey for its user, but we know it is not inherently evil."
A shudder ran through his body, one that Star noticed as he kept speaking. "Anger magic instead... that does not have the benefit of the doubt. Anger spells are used to either kill, or inflict pain, or both, Star!"
Star shook her head. "How c-can you even be sure about it?"
"You dare question the truth about that poison, wench?!" a warrior rudely interjected. "We went through decades of hell because of it, when the Tyrant ruled over Mewni. My great uncle used to tell me stories... stories that are the stuff of nightmares. It might have been almost a century, but Mewni doesn't forget, no matter how unwilling you are to believe us!"
She turned around, refusing to face the warrior, River or everyone else for that matter. She reached out with her heads, grabbing the sides of her head.
"N-No, that would mean... no!" she cried, more to herself than to the Johansen. "You got it wrong! Maybe Moon was forced, maybe she had no other choice at some point and that's why she ended up with it, but she would never—!"
Her words died in her throat as it became exceedingly difficult to produce vocals.
"Star," River's voice came from behind. "We aren't trying to deceive you. You are seeing the truth right there, on her arm. That... that horror you're seeing, was the cause of death of thousands of people. And you must realize that Moon chose to use them!"
Star didn't reply, isolating herself in her little world. She didn't want to listen to him or the other warriors any more.
But even then... she could feel it.
She could feel the stench coming from Moon. It was unlike anything she'd ever experienced, and most importantly, it was impossible to ignore.
"Star."
That wasn't River's voice, and not Kelly's either. Driven away from her attempt at ignoring the events, Star looked up at Moon.
She was looking at her with a strangely calm face, much different than before she revealed the infection.
"What River and the Johansen man said is true. There are no second meanings to their statements, and there is no comparison to be made with dark magic."
She glanced down, observing her own, red-covered hand. She opened the palm as if studying the features.
The red hue still throbbed over her skin, as if the flesh itself alive. For Star it was difficult to even glance at the thing without feeling sick.
"This is anger magic corruption, and it's there because I used it. And I used it to bring pain."
...
She could only look at Moon with disbelief.
"W-What?" she whimpered out.
"I needed a way to become stronger, Star. I had to face Toffee's legions of Septarians first, and monsters with anti-magic weapons later—I had to find a way to fight back. I needed a way to take information from his loyalists, regardless of their opinion about it. I needed a way to bend to my will all those who were a problem in my quest... and whether they were monster or mewman, whether they worked for Toffee directly or not, didn't matter to me. I had to force them, and anger magic provided me with a way to do that."
There was something different in the way Moon spoke.
She didn't sound like she was defending herself at all, nor did her words carry much emotion, something that would let Star understand that Moon felt conflicted about what she was saying.
In fact, Moon's facial expression was changing as well. There was no worry or fear, and her calmer demeanour was leaving space for a colder, darker expression. Directed at her.
Star knew this wasn't normal. She knew that it likely had something to do with the foul magic that covered Moon's skin.
And even then, Star didn't want to let her go. So, she didn't make a step back away from her like River, Kelly and the Johansen did, who all now looked tense and hesitant to intervene in the Queen's speech.
"...but I thought you... I k-knew you hurt people, but... but this?" Star tried to say. "T-This isn't you. This... this is evil, can't you feel it?!"
"I can," Moon kept her glacial gaze on Star, unmoved. "And I don't care. I was sick of failing because of my weakness, of the weakness of those I thought were my allies. I had enough. And if all it took to make me get a good chance at killing that bastard was using Crescenta's spells, then so be it."
"B-But this isn't just about using some bad spell, Moon!" Star said. "There's a difference between doing bad things for something you believed in, and... and this! You hurt people, you kill people... and now I k-know you actively sought how to become better at that!? You can't just do this to everyone who crosses you. You'd just end up on the same level as Toffee, i-if not worse!"
Moon didn't reply immediately. Perhaps the fact that Star had fast become teary, and the desperate tone of her voice, had managed to strike a chord with her.
But then, the red light from her revealed hand seemed to throb with a stronger hue of red. Star could've swore she saw magic particles coming out of it.
Moon's glare hardened as a result.
"I don't expect you to understand, or agree for that matter," she simply said.
"A-Agree? Agree!?"
Star couldn't hold it any more as she exploded, taking one step after the other to get closer to Moon. Someone nearby told her to keep her distance, but Star was too much in distress to care about anyone but Moon.
"Moon, you k-killed people, you took lives! And y-you sound like you don't have a bit of regret about it, nothing! And that thing on your arm, it's wrong, I don't know how I can feel it, but that magic is something that you should never have used in the first place! I-It's bad!"
"I already told you that I don't care. All I wanted was to have Toffee on his knees before me, so that I could cut him apart like he deserves to die. The methods to achieve that are irrelevant."
"H-How can you even say all of this!" she shook her head. "It can't be worth it, not like this, Moon. Toffee is evil, and we must fight him, and we'll beat him, b-but not like this. A-And you thought this was better than asking for help!? You thought hurting more people was better than this? A-And you e-even said you ended up hurting people who didn't even have to do with Toffee and his Dominion in the first place?"
"There was no one I could trust!" Moon said, her voice raising in tone. "No one! Going alone was always the best option, and they didn't approve what I was trying to do!"
"T-They didn't, of course they didn't! Moon, they didn't want to do evil things like you!" Star was basically shouting at this point. By now she was standing right in front of Moon, and despite the height difference, she was not deterred. Her horror at Moon's words was too strong for her not to react accordingly. Her huffed breathing only slightly hampered her speech, and her determination was strong enough to make her rein in her stomach when it came to the vicinity of the anger magic corruption.
"I-It just isn't about Toffee any more. This isn't worth it... it could never be, and yet, you... you are saying these things. Moon, w-we should even be talking about this! Can't you understand that hurting people is wrong?!"
Star didn't know if it was something she'd said in her last sentence, or if it was something Moon had been hiding up until then.
She only knew that one moment, she was talking, and the other, she was hovering above the ground, her legs kicking away into the air as she didn't even have the time to yelp.
Moon had seized her by the brim of her tunic and lifted her up, bringing her closer to her face.
Star heard the characteristic noise of blades being drawn out of sheaths. Some Johansen cursed.
And yet, Moon's focus remained on Star only.
"Do you think I liked what I had to do, Star? Do you think I enjoyed killing for the hell of it?" she spat out.
Star was unable to produce an answer. She wanted to reach out to try and push her arm away, but Moon had seized her with her uncovered hand, and she was unable to force herself to touch the red-covered skin. The infection was close enough that she could see the red pulsing and cycling through dark and lighter hues, and the foulness was simply too much. She felt her stomach twisting on itself, and she gagged.
It was unbearable. Desperate to get away, Star croaked a desperate whimper out.
She felt like she was going to lose her mind simply due to the proximity of the anger magic. Moon had that thing on her body the entire time since they met, and for Glossaryck only knows how long before that.
Moon didn't react to Star's attempts to set herself free. "I didn't. But I had to make a choice—I either let Toffee win and go unpunished, or I decided to do whatever it took to have him pay for what he did to the people I cared about. I chose the latter."
She brought Star even closer, forcing her to look at her face. Her glare was unwavering, but Star found something else behind her eyes.
There was something alight behind her pupils. Something crimson.
"And I'd do it all over again!"
"Moon!" River's bellowed echoed around the room. "That's enough! Let the girl go!"
The redness vanished from her eyes, and in the span of an instant, Moon's entire behaviour turned upside-down.
She let Star go, who collapsed to the ground while coughing. Then, she moved back and away from her, scrunching up her face and raising a hand to her forehead.
Her headache didn't prevent her from watching Star though, who sat pathetically on the ground while sniffing. She was still coughing, but even so, she was looking back at her, and their eyes met.
Moon remembered that look. It was similar to the look Star had when she was chasing her in the Mewni ruins, back when she thought she was a bold if not very stupid random girl, the look of fear.
However, there was more to it in this case. Star's fear had hints of something else.
Betrayal.
While Moon was busy sorting her internal emotions in silence, Star was much more vocal about it. She didn't even notice that she was crying up until then, not until a sob suddenly escaped her lips.
Realizing that she was on the ground, she stumbled back to her feet, somehow managing to get back into a stable positions on her legs. Then, she looked again at Moon, trying to come up with something to say.
But what could she say? Moon had been very clear. She had heard what she had to say. She had seen her eyes.
Then, she realized that everyone around them had their weapons pointed at Moon. Axes, maces and swords—there was even a pike—were all ready to strike at the Fallen Queen, who kept ignoring all of them. Star was surprised to see that Kelly was among the Johansen as well, her greatsword drawn out even if her face betrayed her actual uncertainty.
River had his mace held in his hand as well, but he quickly put it back when he noticed Star standing up. He went to her immediately after.
"Are you okay, girl?"
"I-I'm f-fine," Star whimpered. She hoped River would understand she meant physically.
River nodded, then he turned to regard Moon. Upon noticing that her eyes were fixed on Star, he put himself between the two of them. While he couldn't really hide Star due to his limited height, it still managed to make Moon snap back out of it.
"Well, Moon, I believe you've talked long enough for today. You made your , I'd suggest you take things calmly from now on... for your own good."
The threat wasn't really veiled, but Moon either didn't care or didn't notice.
She leaned to her side, as if trying to get another look at Star behind River. However, she suddenly noticed that there was a blade blocking the way.
"Stand back!" a warrior shouted. Everyone else tensed up, tightening the grasp on their weapons' hilts, as Moon glanced around herself.
They considered her a threat, but what really struck her was the reason why they were acting like this.
The fact that she had lost control and had lashed out at Star. That she had seized her up and threatened her as if she was the nth rebellious mewman who refused to do as she pleased, a new pathetic obstacle to be crushed.
Star. Star Butterfly. Her sister. Her little, charming young sister, that was murdered but now was alive and she didn't care she wasn't really the same person. She was alive. She was back.
And she had almost fucking hurt her.
And if it wasn't for freaking River—
Moon halted that thought, hanging her head while avoiding River's gaze.
She had screwed up. So, so, so much.
The nails dug into the palm of her hand, but she felt no pain. The curse of Anger Magic had long since made her numb to it from her elbows up to her fingers. And yet, Moon still did it in a pathetic attempt to unload her emotions.
It didn't work.
She felt the familiar feeling rising up inside her, threatening to take over again. The desire for blood. The fury.
Now though, she had no way to direct her anger at any one around her. Even if she tried, even if she let the anger magic influence her again, she knew that this was on her, and her alone.
No... she couldn't let it happen again. Not now.
Her sister.
Her sister was more important.
But River didn't give any sign that he'd let her get any closer to Star. And she was still surrounded. And Star...
Star was still crying, even if it was muffled and soft by now.
She... she couldn't—
She couldn't remain here, not around her in this state.
She had to leave.
Quickly, Moon leaned down to pick back up the long glove that she had let go of moments earlier, when she'd taken the initiative against Star. Then, she stood upright, towering over almost everyone in the room, but didn't spare anyone even a single glance.
Soon, she finished putting the glove back on to hide away the anger magic infection, and she located the portals from which they originally came from. However, even with her mind made up, she couldn't help sending a glance towards Star's direction.
There was no change in her state. Star still looked distraught, shocked, intimidated.
Disappointed.
Moon looked away, and raised a hand towards the door. "L-Let me pass," she managed to say, the first words she was able to pronounce since regaining control.
"How about you let us kick you into the dungeon and drop the key?!" a Johansen chief started.
"Let her go."
"L-Let her go?! River, did you just not see what she just—"
"I said to let her go!" River shouted again. "Trust me when I tell you that's the best option right now. Stand aside!"
Perhaps the chief was able to understand that River knew more about this than him and that he better paid heed to his words, or he simply knew to respect his authority as Warchief. In either case, he grumbled an insult then moved aside, along with the two warriors that were beside him.
With now a way out from the formation around her, Moon immediately walked out of it. She didn't slow down once she was safely at a distance from the various weapons the Johansen were holding as well.
Her steps were heavy and fast, and she made no attempt to glance back one last time.
Within twenty seconds, she had reached the doors and pushed the hinges open, crossing the portal and disappearing behind the corner.
There was a collective sigh let out by most of the people among the crowd as Moon left, but a fearful Johansen warrior among the youngest ones wasn't relieved yet.
"W-Wait, guys, shouldn't someone go after her?"
"I'd like to see you chase that freakin' witch. She's going to let you do that alright."
"But it's the Fallen Queen! A-And you all saw what she's carrying behind those gloves! We can't just let—"
"We won't," River interjected. He gave a glance to the room, scanning over the dozens of Johansen that were standing and sitting nearby. "Moon is not our ally, but she won't be our enemy either, as long as we don't make her one."
He kept studying the crowd before speaking again. "You two," he said, pointing at two of the warriors who were standing close. "Go keep an eye on the Fallen Queen, and try to stay discrete. Don't try to stop her if she acts suspicious to you, simply go report to me if she does anything out of the ordinary. If you leave her alone, I doubt she will, so again, keep your distance. Understood?"
The warriors saluted in acknowledgement, then rushed towards the door to catch up with the Queen.
"As for the rest of us, I believe we've had enough... so I say we leave things be for now, brothers and sisters. We'll resume our war room discussions in three hours."
There was no opposition to River's instructions and, while the Johansen kept mumbling and whispering to each other, the council of chiefs and warriors started making their way out of the war room without further protests or comments.
With them dealt with, River shifted his attention to the last remaining Butterfly in the room.
Star had stopped crying, but she still sniffed and looked very much upset. In fact, she was hugging a hesitant Kelly, who had tried to come in an attempt to comfort her. Kelly hadn't really done much, but as soon as Star noticed her, she simply dived into her for a hug, which Kelly bore without conviction—but without rejecting it either.
Perhaps Kelly didn't know how to ease Star's woes due to her lack of experience on such a matter. He doubted she knew anything about Moon's usage of anger magic in advance, after all—Moon had kept it hidden from almost every one, even if he knew she'd used it for years, even before the Uprising.
Differently from Kelly, River knew unfortunately how Star was feeling. He'd felt the same, when he first discovered what Moon had done.
"Star," he started. Star whirled her head a little, glancing with the corner of her eye at him with half-attention.
Kelly on the other hand glared at him without hiding her distaste.
"I kinda understand why you did all of this, but what the hell man!" she exclaimed. "There are a bajillion of other ways you could've gone with, and you picked the worst one!"
River frowned. "Maybe it was the worst one," he conceded, "but it had to be done."
He looked at Star. "I'm sorry, Star, I truly am. I'm sorry you had to learn it here and now, but I couldn't let you continue without knowing about the true nature of the Fallen Queen."
He glanced at Kelly. "That goes for you too, Kelly the Woolett, even if you likely didn't trust that much her in the first place. You both needed to know about what she did, and about her choice to bring back horrors from the past.
"I know too well why trusting her is a mistake... for I put my trust in Moon, years ago, and to this day I pay the price for that mistake... the entirety of the Johansen kingdom pays that price, for our lack of foresight concerning her. And that's why you had to know now."
Star separated herself from Kelly as River talked. "I thought it unwise to postpone any further this. It might have been painful, but you deserved to know before anything else could—"
He failed to continue as he was interrupted by two pair of arms clinging around his chest.
Star wasn't crying, but she still kept sniffing every now and then as she tightened her grasp around a disconcerted River Butterfly.
"I... I j-just... n-never thought she'd be... like that, dad..."
River was completely at loss, but eventually he simply resolved to return hesitantly the girl's hug, patting her back.
"It's going to be, uh, all right," he said. "...but, uh, I'm not your dad, Star."
"There's a reason why she called you that," Kelly corrected. "But I have a small hunch you ain't gonna like it when you learn the full story."
"I think I'll live, but... let's take things slowly," he replied. He tried to his best to softly push Star away, and Star eventually did let him go, though not without fighting back a little.
"You two are of course my guests, for as long as we need to define how we'll proceed with that plan of yours, Star. Regardless of... her presence, I still am interested in learning more about how you plan to go ahead with your desire to search for support around Mewni."
He looked up towards the ceiling as he left his mind wander for a moment. "As much as it pains me to say so, against the Dominion and the NBK, the Johansen can't win alone. We'll need all the help we can get."
Kelly nodded.
"...N-NBK?" Star repeated, passing a hand over her face. "W-Wait, I don't understand. What do you mean?"
"Huh? It stands for the New Butterfly Kingdom," River said, off-handedly at first. "Meteora Butterfly's personal reign and our other main foe in the war. You know that... right?"
Star's wide, almost shocked eyes told him otherwise.
"M-Meteora? S-She's—she's here as well!?"
River looked at her for a moment, then gestured towards the portals.
"Come, walk with me while we get you both settled. We have a lot to talk and explaining to do."
AN: I understand that updates for this story are taking quite a while to come. This is one of the reasons why these two new chapters put into the fold teases for things to come and new major concepts that are important to the AU setting but didn't quite get a proper introduction up until now.
Hopefully this rekindled your interest a little; and sorry for the wait. Chapters will still take a while as I juggle the little free time I have across this fic and other fanfic projects of mine, but I'll still try to keep chapters coming steadily every few months or so.
Since I feel like this might be a question that comes up: no, I don't hate Crescenta, far from it; just like I don't hate in the slightest the characters that make an appearance in a negative light in this story. I just found interesting in the context of the story the idea of picking the bad sides of her and turning them up to eleven and beyond; something that is common in this AU when it comes to re-interpretations of some characters. I won't say much else about her or what I mean in detail with this, since she and the queens before Moon in the AU will get their chance to shine in due time.
Next chapter is going to be a transitional part in the story as we move into another 'mini-arc' of sorts. So expect mainly dialogue and character interaction in that, rather than events moving the plot forward. Hopefully it's a chapter on the shorter spectrum as well.
We'll get back to the main story in Chapter 10.