Marco couldn't breathe. Earth, his home planet, the place where he grew up, was being destroyed. He had fought hard to protect the monsters of Mewni, but this was different. Earth had very little experience dealing with creatures as foreign as this. The collision of two worlds had only happened a few minutes ago, but he could already hear sirens wailing in the distance.

"I can't believe it!" Star couldn't contain herself. She was bouncing in circles around him, "This is so great! I don't know why I never thought of doing this years ago! Humans and Mewmans, living together!"

She continued to run all over the place with a gigawatt smile plastered on her face. If it were any wider, her head might've split open.

Then Star noticed the grim expression on Marco's face. She slowly came to a stop and her smile faded.

"Why the sad face?" She asked, "This is the best of both worlds, literally. We destroyed the magic realm and I get to see both my mewman and human friends," Star hugged herself and quietly added, "and I don't get to lose you."

"You don't get it," Marco replied, "Humans… we don't exactly have a good history. Humans have done so much harm to our environment. We constantly exploit any animals that can't fight back against us, and if they do then we kill them.

"Even within our own species we've messed up a lot. Humans have kept each other as slaves since as far back as our written history goes. How do you think they're going to react to aliens just suddenly appearing all over our planet?"

"Don't be silly Marco. I was able to get mewmans to accept them and I'm sure I can do the same for humans. Just you wait and see!" Star had the audacity to laugh at Marco. At the seriousness of what had happened.

"Humans don't get along with other humans just because their skin is a different color!" Marco exclaimed, "How on Earth do you think you'll get them to accept giant spiders and slime people and everyone else?"

"Stop being dramatic, Marco," Star waved her hand dismissively, "I think I can handle this."

Marco couldn't believe what he was hearing! They had been on countless adventures together, and Marco always listened to whatever Star told him about Mewni. But the second he tries to tell her how messed up his planet was, she completely ignores him!

And they were dating now! Don't misread the situation, Marco was ecstatic to finally be with Star, but shouldn't mean that they listen to each other? That they communicate?

Thoughts of rage crept into his mind. Marco felt betrayed. He didn't deserve to be treated like a dog who didn't know better than his owner! He was his own human being and he had the right to be listened to!

Marco's vision tainted yellow and he turned to Star, ready to do some damage, when they heard cries for help in the distance. Star grabbed his hand and yanked him in the general direction she thought it came from. they went as fast as their legs could carry them; their argument temporarily forgotten.

The tint had faded from his vision and his mind had calmed down by the time they came across a giant spider creature that was making itself comfortable on top of a family's house. There was webbing all over the yard and the family was by their mailbox quivering in fear.

"Someone help us!" the mother cried out, "our baby is still in there!"

Star narrowed her eyes in determination.

"Don't worry, we got this."

"Hi, um, Dave?" She walked up to the mewman monster and waved. Marco hung back to comfort the family. He assured them that despite what it looked like, this random teenager had a lot of experience with these types of situations.

"Oh, hi Star," The giant spider waved one of his eight hands and smiled, "What can I do for you today?"

"I was wondering if you would mind making a home somewhere else? This house is already being used by that lovely family over there," Star jerked her thumb behind her.

Dave's face darkened and he crawled until he was only a few feet away.

"You tried your best to bring peace on Mewni and for that you have my respect," he started, "But it didn't work. We were rounded up by solarian warriors and were sentenced to die. This is our second chance, and I'm not going to waste it hoping that something will change."

"But people are living here already!" Star repeated, "This isn't the right way!"

"Tell that to the first mewmans," Dave retorted. All eight eyes were brimming with anger, "They came to our land, cut down our forests, and then attacked us! We were there for generations before your kind ever set foot on that land and you stole it from us!

"Well not anymore," Dave turned his back and went back to spinning his web. Star looked like she'd just been slapped. That wasn't at all how she expected things to turn out. Just because they had been wronged in the past doesn't mean that they could wrong others! She was going to yell at him for being a hypocrite when she heard the squeal of tires.

"Don't worry boys, we got this," three men with rifles jumped out of a rusty pickup truck. Before Star or Marco could process what was happening, they opened fire on Dave, and they didn't stop till they were out of bullets.

"That outa do it," one of them said, taking the opportunity to spit his dip. He turned to the family, "If y'all see any more of them monsters 'round here, you let us know." He handed them a piece of stained paper with a number on it. Then the men got back into the truck and drove down the road, hooting and hollering until they were out of earshot. The father quietly folded the number and tucked it into his pocket.

Star was frozen. Her eyes wouldn't leave the green blood oozing from Dave's body. Tears sprung from her eyes and she fell to her knees.

There was more gunfire off in the distance.

Breaking News: Beware who you talk to; there are reports of monsters that look and act just like humans. They are usually seen in medieval clothing and have very little understanding of our world. Experts have not been able to trace their origins and advise to avoid them if possible.

Marco had to drag Star to his house. Without a clear goal, he thought it was best to get somewhere safe and then plan things out. Star was still in shock from the apathetic violence they witnessed. She hadn't even said a word, which was very unusual for her.

"I can't believe he's gone," She finally muttered, stopping in the middle of the street they were crossing. There weren't any cars in sight, but Marco grabbed her hand and brought her to the side walk. Just in case.

"Neither can I," Marco empathized. Admittedly, he wasn't as heartbroken as Star was. He didn't like spiders even when they were small; it took a lot of time to get used to Paul. His heart ached, but it wasn't as broken as Star's.

"Why did those men do that, Marco?" Star's teary eyes locked onto Marco's, "They didn't even give him a chance."

"They were afraid."

Star huffed. "They didn't look afraid. They looked like they had a stockpile of weapons and ammunition and were just waiting for the first opportunity to let loose."

"Look at it from their perspective. One day, a planet merges with their own. Creatures they've never seen before are everywhere. All of a sudden, there are a lot more animals than available land. There's going to be clashes," Marco hesitated, "I hate to say it, but Dave was never going to leave unless someone forced him to."

Star whirled on him. "Don't say that!" she screamed, "We could've convinced him!"

"We tried, Star! He refused."

"Whose side are you even on?" Star accused, poking him in the chest. Marco frowned.

"This isn't about sides, Star. It's about survival. Humans have literally been making horror films about this situation for years, and now that it's finally happened, people think they know what needs to happen next.

"Things are going to get much worse," Marco warned, "Tensions will rise. The Mewmans have shown that at least some of them aren't willing to negotiate again. They see this as a new opportunity. Unfortunately, this is America and many of the civilians have weapons. This is way too big for the government to control. They will protect the White House and any military bases, but that's all I think they will be able to handle for the foreseeable future.

"We're on our own, Star."

"It sounds like you're giving up." Star huffed and started walking again. She couldn't believe what Marco was saying! They didn't go through everything they went through just to give up now.

"I'm not giving up," Marco defended, "I'm trying to make the best out of a bad situation."

"Why does this have to be a bad situation? Why can't this be a good thing? Why can't everyone just get along?"

Marco opened his mouth, but stopped as they turned the corner. There, were the high school once stood, was Butterfly Castle. There was no mistaking the salmon colored walls. It was too big to fit in just the area of the high school and several of the nearby houses had been crushed as well. The castle wall even cut some of the buildings in half. He hoped that no one was hurt.

Star, unable to contain herself, bolted while Marco was taking in the surroundings and he had to sprint to catch up with her. Queen Eclipsa and Moon saw them coming and met them at the front gate. They wasted no time in pulling each other into a hug while Marco was tackled by River.

"Marco! It's good to see you!" He belted. Marco tried to hide his urge to puke. River smelled awful! Why was he still in that bear skin – and had he been swimming in the swamp again? Marco could literally see moss growing in River's beard.

Star's reunion was much more pleasant.

"I've missed you so much," Moon said, hugging her daughter. Her eyes were red from crying. She'd thought she had lost her daughter for the umpteenth time in the past week. She couldn't believe that they were together once again.

"I've missed you too," Eclipsa said, "But I must ask, where… are we? This doesn't look like Mewni. Why are people dressed so weirdly here?"

Star looked around and saw that a lot of people were staring at them. A lot of humans – and none of them appeared happy to Star. Dave's lifeless face appeared in her mind and she shuddered.

"Come on," She grabbed their hands, "I'll tell you everything inside."

"And close the gates," Marco added.

Star, Moon, and Eclipsa went to the main ballroom, but Marco led River up to the ramparts of the castle's outer wall. That way he could keep an eye on the growing crowd around them. He spotted a few news vans, but there weren't any choppers in the sky yet.

"Do you see those people down there," Marco asked. River waved at them merrily and Marco quickly shoved him behind one of the battlements, "Those people are not your friends."

"What do you mean, Marco?" River asked, "I've dealt with humans before. A little uptight, but lovely people."

"They didn't know what you were last time you dealt with them," It hurt Marco to talk like his people were the enemy, but his mind was telling him it was necessary. He had to keep Star safe and that meant that River had to know the situation, "This is different. They are scared, and when humans are scared, they lash out.

"They gunned down a mewman monster without mercy in front of us. They did it like it was a sport," River's face darkened, "Once they find out that there are monsters in this castle, they will riot. I don't know if mewmans are safe since they look human, but is that something you would be willing to bet your family's life on?"

"I had no idea that humans could act this way," River shook his head in disgust, "We must be vigilant. I will assign lookouts and keep the royal guards on standby."

River left for the barracks. It was the most serious Marco had ever seen the king. Ex-king.

Marco sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He didn't want to do this. Those were his people down there and he should be promoting unity, not keeping the castle doors sealed. It would only breed animosity and fear, like trying to keep the lid on boiling water.

But, his inner monologue argued, this would keep Star safer. She would be protected. It was only a temporary solution, he decided. Just until they came up with a better plan.

Satisfied, he made his way to the infirmary. He never had time to visit it when the solarian warriors attacked. No one should be there anymore since their wounds were magical. Just like his wound from the dark unicorn's horn that disappeared.

As he neared the infirmary, he could hear moaning and groaning and… cooing? Marco opened the door and peered his head inside. There were hundreds of pigeons. Over half of the room was covered in bird droppings. The smell slapped Marco's nose and he stumbled back.

Prince Richard Pigeon was on one of the wooden beds and was still in that ridiculous robotic body. Granted, he wouldn't've been much help without it, but it still gave Marco a chuckle every time he saw it.

The only other occupied bed had none other than Pony Head. Star was sitting by Seahorse (yes, that is his literal name, so creative) next to her bed. She must've finished their meeting with Moon and Eclipsa. Pony Head looked suspiciously healthy to Marco.

"Seahorse," She cried out, "My pillow is too hard. Fluff it for me!"

Marco couldn't help but smile as he tried his best to obey her, but his little flippers could only do so much. Star had to step in and help the poor guy out.

Pony Head was such a drama queen. It annoyed Marco when they first met (and for quite some time after that) but he'd slowly grown used to it. she was so full of herself, always making sure she had the spotlight. She even made her own TV show… Marcos eyes widened.

"Pony Head, do you still have all of the equipment from the Pony Head show?" He rushed.

"Of course I do," she said with her signature drawl, "We should totally bring it back, it was such a massive hit! The people adored me."

"Actually, I have a different idea," Pony Head glared at him but Marco continued, "I was thinking we could do something similar to what we did with Queen Eclipsa to introduce her to the masses. That way we could help ease tensions between Earth and Mewni without having to risk anyone."

Star beamed at him while Pony Head rolled her eyes, "Ugh, I guess…"

"You can still be the host?"

"Deal!" She exclaimed.

Marco was slightly worried that she would try and take over the entire show, but it was a risk he would have to take. It might actually make things better since he was sure that a lot of people would think she was adorable. Any publicity was good publicity, after all.

Right?

AN: Here's chapter 3! Yes, Butterfly Castle actually has pinkish walls. Does anyone have idea what the upside-down onion ornament things are called though at the top of the towers?

Also, this story will have a lot of "Breaking News:" mini-stories. I want to use them to either introduce something that will be relevant later on, or just have it be some random story that is happening somewhere else in the world that I thought about. For instance, how are other countries reacting to Mewman monsters? I'm not sure, but I could bring it up in a news cast somewhere down the line.

Since I know not nearly as many people will read this one as my last fanfic, I'm going to take more risks. One of which is dipping my toes into darker themes. Dave, the giant spider that was seen at the end of Cleaved (I just made up the name), was ruthlessly gunned down… or was he? He refused to leave when he had the chance and the humans were scared. There are a lot of parallels between what's going on right now in the story and how the mewmans treated the monsters in the past, and even how colonizers treated Native Americans in our world. There will be more death in this story and I want to explore the darker side of human nature.

I was debating about bringing in the US government with Stanley and Stanford, but I wrote their intro and I don't think it will work out anymore. Would've been really cool though I think.

Also, I realized that I use wayyy too many pronouns. I'll try and cut back and see how that effects my writing (hopefully for the better). Let me know what you thought of the chapter; I'd love to hear your feedback!

Anyways, hope you guys are all are having a good week and I'll see y'all soon.