A/N: LordCornwalis here, so you know there's gonna be a song in here somewhere! This time around its a banger! C2C. "The Cell." Tetra, On and ON, 2012. I've included a note in the story where you should cue it up for the scene that follows. As always I highly recommend listening to the track before, during, or after the scene to really up the ambiance! I think it really works!
The Once and Future Queen
Chapter 5
Way of the Warrior
"Now remember Janna, no guests over while your father and I are in Manilla. We're trusting you to behave and look after the house, so please don't make us regret putting our faith in you Dear," her Mother explained from the front entryway as her Father loaded bags into a waiting taxi.
"I know Mom. No guests, and I promise I'll remember to water the Sampaguita flowers. Don't worry," Janna answered, fighting hard not to roll her eyes at her parent's instructions. They had already told her all this at least three times in the preceding week as they prepared for their month-long trip to visit her Grandmother.
"We're all set Hon, time to get moving if we want to make it through security in time for our flight," her Father said as he joined them at the front door. Leaning down, he pulled Janna into a tight hug before straightening and smiling at her. "I'm sure your Mother has read you the riot act Janna, so I won't repeat it. We'll call when we get settled in at Grandma's place okay?"
"Sounds great Dad, have a safe flight and tell Grandma I say hi," she grinned as her Mother swooped in for her hug before they both jogged down the front path to the waiting taxi.
Waving one last time as the cab pulled away, Janna shut the door quickly before turning and leaning against it. 'Whew, I can't believe that worked,' she thought as she wiped a small bead of sweat off her forehead. It had taken a week of finesse and all the guile she could muster, but Janna had managed to plant the idea of a visit into both of her Parents' minds. She needed them both out of the house for an extended period after she had read further into her copy of Moste Malevlolente Patrones for all the evidence she could gather pointed to the presence of a summoned demon now loose in her home.
Initially, after the salt circle was broken, Janna thought that the spirit, or demon, had left her home to roam Echo Creek. However, as the week dragged on, she had noticed that her usually warm home had taken on a much more sinister aspect. Shadows in the corners of rooms had seemed to deepen and grow, the temperature too, seemed to drop several degrees below whatever the air-conditioning had been set to, and every night, Janna felt like she was being watched in her room. Thankfully, her parents seemed oblivious to the ominous signs all around them, but Janna was 110% sure that there was something inhabiting her house beyond herself and her parents, and it was finally time to do something about it.
"Alright Asshole, it's time for an eviction," Janna said, her voice carrying in the empty house like thunder.
"You seek to remove me? Hahaha," the voice asked, before laughing darkly, "surely you should know by now… I. Am. Eternal!" The room seemed to darken despite the clear California morning outside. "I am here for you Janna Ordonia…" the disembodied voice hissed in a low, dangerous tone. "Payment must be made for services rendered…"
"You haven't given me anything besides a headache," she said before jogging up to her room.
In the two weeks since her botched summoning of what now appeared to be a demon of dubious power, Janna had been working feverishly to try and put the proverbial genie back in the bottle. Several ancient rituals she had memorized from her various occult books had failed to dislodge her visitor, as she only had the space to perform them in her room. It had been frustrating for her to see her most promising spells fail, but after several days of study she felt like she had narrowed down and solved the issue.
Gathering up a handful of white candles and a small bottle of holy water, she began her next attempt to remove the demon by placing a single candle in the center of each room and lighting it before sprinkling holy water in various spots around the house including doorways.
"What's this now?" asked the voice, "another pathetic attempt to rid yourself of me?"
Ignoring the voice, Janna continued to sprinkle the blessed water around the living room before pocketing the small bottle and taking a deep breath.
"Spirit! I command you to leave this house!" she spoke loudly and clearly, repeating herself several times before stopping.
A small noise could be heard from the stairs forcing Janna to poke her head out into the hall to check. There, on the wall, pictures of her and her family were bouncing and rattling, each one going from a small tremor, to bouncing themselves off the wall to smash onto the stairs with a tinkle of broken glass.
"Dude, I've seen scarier stuff on cartoons ," she scoffed before resuming her work.
"Just an aperitif," it answered back, laughing as several more items began to fall from the wall.
Passing into her Father's study, Janna was beginning to feel frustrated at the lack of results the ritual was getting. 'It doesn't even seem to be making it uncomfortable… Maybe this isn't a garden variety demon after all,' she thought, as items continued to fall and smash to the floor. Suddenly, a loud creak made her turn around and leap back in startled surprise as the large walnut bookshelf her father used to store his medical reference texts tipped towards her. Just dodging the massive bookshelf as it smashed into the floor with a tremendous crash, Janna resolved then and there to call in a little backup. Pulling out her phone, she quickly dialed Jackie, who picked up after only a ring.
"Hey Dude, haven't heard from you in a few days, what's up?" asked Jackie.
"Jackie, I need a favor. Can you come over my house? Like now?" asked Janna, her voice uncharacteristically strained.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, but I'm in a bit of trouble here Jackie, and I think I need another pair of hands to help me out of it. You aren't too busy with Penelope today, are you?"
"No, she has a date with Marco this afternoon, so I'm free all day today."
"What's it been? Two weeks? I've barely talked to the kid since then. He's so damn busy with Star and Penelope. I feel like he never has time for anybody else…" muttered Janna, looking over her shoulder nervously at a suspiciously dark shadow in the corner of the kitchen.
"What can I say? Marco's in high demand right now. I'm lucky I get to hang out with him when Star and Penelope do stuff together, otherwise I'd probably never see him either. It'll calm down once the shine wears off a little."
"Yeah… Well it'd still be nice for the Safe Kid to stop by. I miss the three of us going out for pizza at Panucci's."
Jackie was silent for a moment on the other end of the line. It was uncharacteristic for Janna to be so serious, especially when it came to Marco. She would bet her favorite surfboard that Janna couldn't go two hours without harassing him if he was around. "Next time I see him, I'll gently remind him of his Earth friends. I'm sure it isn't intentional Janna."
"Yeah yeah, well,hurry over will you, this is kind of a time sensitive issue I have on my hands over here," she said before hanging up.
Shaking her head at just what kind of madness she was about to be roped into, Jackie pocketed her phone and grabbed her skateboard before sprinting out the front door.
O - O - O - O - O - O - O
Frowning slightly as he finished buttoning up his shirt, Marco took several moments to study his appearance in the bathroom mirror. 'Green is just not my color,' he thought to himself as he ran a comb through his brown hair. Stepping back from the counter to judge his outfit in its entirety, he noticed that at least the pair of brown slacks he wore looked great with his new shoes. Penelope had bought the outfit for him yesterday, and while he had tried to talk her out of it, uncomfortable with the magnitude of her generosity, she wouldn't hear anything to the contrary.
Spritzing himself with his favorite cologne, Aroma de Hombre, he did a final spot check before strapping his sword to his hip and leaving the bathroom. He had just reached the bottom of the stairs before his mother called to from the kitchen.
"Marco, you look so handsome!" squealed his mother Angie, clapping excitedly for her son.
"Si, Mijo. You look muy guapo," added his father Raphael, beaming at him.
"Thanks, Dad. Though I really don't think green is my color, butPenelope likes it though, so…" Marco trailed off as he began examining his outfit once more.
"Speaking of Penelope…" said Angie, eyeing him, "when are you going to bring this girl by the house so we can meet her? It's not every day that your son gets a girlfriend, and a princess to boot!"
"I'll asked her today if she'd like to come to dinner later this week. Maybe I'll make tortas ahogadas for all of us, I did learn the recipe from the best cook in Echo Creek after all," said Marco, now blushing at the thought of bringing Penelope over.
"Excellent Mijo! Your Mother and I are most excited to meet her," said Raphael, nodding proudly.
"And I promise that the two of us won't embarrass you too much Honey. No baby pictures, no stories from when you were 8, and we'll keep the questions for her to a respectable minimum," Angie said, with a pointed look at her Husband.
"Si, mi Amor. No baby pictures," agreed Raphael, looking downcast.
"Thanks Mom," he said as he gave both his parents a quick hug before heading out for the afternoon.
"Space unicorn, soaring through the stars, delivering the rainbows all around the world," blared his phone as he turned and began walking down the sidewalk.
"Hey Reynard, what's up?" he asked.
"Marco, my friend! I'm on my way to your house to collect you! Several nobles are throwing together an impromptu warnicorn race around the M.R.C. and I require your support! It won't do to not have anyone cheering at the finish line when I remind these pompous idiots why I am the Mewni Derby champion."
"Ah… well I kind of had plans with Penelope this afternoon…" he began, before being cut off by Reynard.
"Marco, I happen to know for a fact that Penelope loves the races! She would, I'm sure, be more than happy to cheer alongside you. Besides, afterwards I would be pleased to treat you two to dinner. I met a lovely girl in Echo Creek earlier this week who just so happens to love warnicorns. Why not make it a double date?"
"Um, yeah… I mean sure. If you say Penelope likes to watch the races, that's fine with me. Plus, a double date sounds like fun. Every time I ask Star if she and Tom want to come out with Penelope and I, she always makes some kind of excuse about how Tom isn't a 'people person' or whatever… I think he's just kind of a dick, but, if she's happy, I'm not going to say anything," said Marco, frowning at the several encounters he'd had with Tom now, none of them enjoyable in the least.
"Trust me Marco, I've known Tom for almost three years. He is most certainly a 'dick.' But to his credit, he is much friendlier than most demons are and I know that he does try his best to make Star happy, so I have tolerated his presence for now," laughed Reynard as he strolled into view at the end of the block. "Oh, there you are Marco!" he waved as he hung up and jogged over to the teen.
"Hey Reynard," greeted Marco, bumping fists with the him, "So shall we get moving to the M.R.C.? I don't want to be late getting Penelope. I told her I'd be there by one."
"Plenty of time if we hurry then!"
O - O - O - O - O - O – O
*Knock Knock* No sooner had Jackie finished knocking on Janna's front door when it swept open, Janna quickly stepping out and closing it behind her.
"Hi… Jannaaaa," said Jackie, eyeing the unusually serious look on her usually mischievous friend.
"Hey. So before I let you in Jackie, I have a couple things you should know since you agreed to help me." Janna explained.
Jackie was silent for a moment, gazing at her friend as she tried to decide whether or not she was being serious. "Soooo, is this the regular level of Jannanigans or something more? Because I'm not afraid to pull a 'Marco' and leave my helmet on..."
"I'd put things at about a six, with potential for more if we don't act quickly."
"Alright, well you know I'm in. So spill, what's got you so worried you have to call me in for backup?" Jackie asked.
"I did it," said Janna, her face now splitting into a large grin, "I summoned a demon! All my hard work finally paid off!"
"An actual demon?" Now alarmed, Jackie unconsciously stepped back from the stoop. She was used to Janna's perpetual weirdness and obsession with the occult, but this was something more. "Um, Dude? What can I do? I don't know anything about this stuff."
"It'll be a piece of cake actually, Jackie. I just need you to hold the smudging stick and wave it while I hold my book and recite the cleansing ritual."
"That's it? No blood sacrifices or anything gross like that?"
"That's it," nodded Janna.
"Alright, I'm in. But I don't like this Janna… Extradimensional monsters are one thing, but spirits and demons? Those are scary dude."
"They're mostly harmless once you know how to deal with them," reassured Janna as she turned and opened the door. "Oh! One last thing Jackie. Whatever you do, do not show fear. Demons draw strength from mortals' fear, so try to stay calm."
Nodding wordlessly, Jackie followed Janna into the darkened and cold house, closing the door behind her. Jackie had only been in Janna's house infrequently over the last decade, but she knew immediately that something was very wrong. Long shadows seemed to hang from every corner, and the temperature…
"Cold…" muttered Jackie, drawing her arms around herself as she continued to eye the deepening shadows.
"Yeahhhh… he's trying to make it spooky in here. Don't pay any attention to his parlor tricks."
"W-Who's he?" she asked.
"If I knew Jackie, we wouldn't be in this mess," answered Janna, lighting a large bundle of bound herbs. "Knowing the true name of a demon gives you great power over it."
"What's that?"
Handing Jackie the smoldering stick, she spoke, "It's a bundle of white sage and sweetgrass. It will help purify the room as I perform the ritual. You just need to wave it gently in front of you as we walk around my house and I read. Yeah, just like that," she nodded in approval as Jackie took a few practice swings.
*CRASH* Several more picture frames smashed to the ground causing Jackie to jump in the air.
"What the hell was that!" Jackie shrieked.
"Just the demon trying to scare us, typical…" she blew a raspberry, "Very! Unoriginal!" she shouted.
Swallowing hard, Jackie began to wave the smudge stick around again as they headed upstairs to Janna's room. Once inside, she waited by the door as Janna began to scan the shelves. "Not this one, no, no, Yes! Here it is," she said, snatching the leather-bound tome off the shelf and opening it up to the ribbon-marked page.
Suddenly, Jackie's blood ran cold. A shadow figure, roughly the same size as a tall person had stepped between rooms down the hall. It's eyes, or at least the places where eyes would roughly be on a tall human being flashed in her direction in the instant it was in the hallway. They were softly glowing a sickly yellowish light and seemed to be boring right into her.
"Jannaaa," she said, drawing out her friend's name as she continued to stare at the spot where the figure had passed.
"Just a second, I marked the wrong section with my bookmark, damnit…" Janna mumbled from behind the nervous blonde.
"Jackie." Whispered a low voice in Jackie's ear causing her to jump back from the door frame.
"Did you hear that?" she asked Janna, her voice trembling slightly.
"Hear what?" Janna answered absentmindedly as she continued to flip through the book.
But Jackie didn't answer, she was too busy staring back into the hallway where a figure made of shadow stood watching her. It took a step forward, moving in a strange, almost unnatural way. Goosebumps raised themselves all along her body as the darkness began to come closer and closer. She couldn't move, feeling as if her feet were glued in place as those yellow eyes continued stare into her own.
"Jackie Lynn Thomas… Come to help your pathetic friend force me back to the pit?" it spoke, its voice near a whisper.
In a white puff, Jackie's breath had begun condensing as the temperature in the room instantly dropped twenty degrees. She made to move her mouth, to scream, to make any sound at all… But fear had seized her voice.
"Jackie, are you still wa-" Janna's words died in her throat as she looked up from her book, finally finding the correct ritual. "Jackie get back!" was all she could shout before her room's door slammed shut, pushing Jackie into the hallway and trapping Janna in her room.
"Damn it!" Janna shouted as she ran to the door, pulling on the handle before pulling her hand back sharply. The door knob had felt red hot under her touch. "Ow! Fuck! Hold on Jackie, I'm coming!"
In the hall, Jackie was picking herself up off the floor after the door had slammed into her and knocked her to the carpet. She could hear a muffled pounding coming from the other side of Janna's door. "Janna, I gotta say this is really uncool, dude. I thought you said this was going to be a piece of cake!" she yelled through the door.
"It should be working! I don't know what's wrong!" yelled Janna from the other side of the door, frantically flipping through pages. 'I don't understand why nothing is working!' she thought as her mind raced through various rituals, each as unlikely to work as the last.
"Come now Jackie… Don't be scared… This isn't like that time with Adam..." the voice whispered again as Jackie kept beating frantically on the door, "I'm only here for the Ordonia girl's soul… Run along and you may live to see another sunrise."
"H-H-How could you possibly know..." she stammered.
"Your soul is as an open book to me Jackie Lynn Thomas... Your secrets laid bare..."
Its voice made her skin crawl as she pressed herself hard against the cold wood of Janna's bedroom door. Cold, cruel, and otherworldly, she flinched away from the source of the voice as it circled around her in the hallway, advancing slowly and deliberately, those glowing eyes never blinking or waving from their infernal gaze.
"I won't abandon my friend, not this time!" shouted Jackie, her voice shaky with fear as she continued giving ground to the shadow figure, holding the smudge stick in front of her like a shield.
"Bravery… Oh yes, I do so love when they get brave in the end," it chuckled as it's eyes flared a pale yellow "I gave you a chance to save yourself, but you've chosen to die with your friend it seems. Two souls are always preferable to one… After all..."
Jackie attempted to back up further, to create any distance between herself and the obscene thing in front of her in an effort to buy time for Janna to find a ritual that worked, but her foot met only air. Toppling backwards, she let out a strangled cry of alarm before slamming into the hard stairs, tumbling end over end. Her world spun as she crashed down the stairs, clutching for a railing to check her fall, before slamming onto the hardwood. An explosion of pain was the last thing she felt as she lay, sprawled out at the bottom, a tickle of blood pooling under her temple.
O - O - O - O - O - O – O
"Hey Penelope. Yeah, I'm just walking into the M.R.C. now. I should be at the castle in about ten minutes and then we can head over to see the start of Reynard's race. Can't wait to see you either," Marco said into his phone, before hanging up.
"Sooo," began Reynard, shooting Marco a sideways look, "how has dating a princess been going?"
"Fine," answered Marco as they crossed over the threshold of the main gate to the M.R.C.
"Oh, come on!" shouted Reynard, startling several peasants who were hanging up their wash. "You have to tell me more than that! I've seen the smile Penelope has been walking around with for the past two weeks. You simply must tell me some details!"
"Well…" Marco began, taking a deep breath before continuing, "she's a lot of fun actually. I was worried when I first took her out that she would be super stuck up, or only want to eat at the fanciest places. But she's actually super nice and pretty down to Earth."
"Oh? Down to Earth? Rather... interesting choice of words, Marco. Well my friend, I've barely seen you outside the company of either Star or Penelope for two solid weeks. So you must be enjoying both of their company it seems…" he finished with a chuckle.
"It's not like that Reynard! Star's just really awesome is all. I know it's my job to be her guide on Earth, but in the past two weeks… It feels like I've known her my whole life," said Marco, blushing hard.
"Princess Star has an uncanny ability to make friends Marco. It has always been one of her most endearing qualities. But I don't think that is it…" said Reynard, tapping his chin with his thumb as they walked. "You and Star fit so naturally well together I would have sworn you had shared the same wet-nurse. You complement each other in all the best ways two people can, and from what Star has told me of your teamwork in… tight situations, it would appear that you two mesh well in a scrap as well."
Smiling, Marco found that he couldn't disagree with the older Butterfly. He had felt immediately at ease around Star once they had been properly introduced, and he looked forward to everyday that he got share in a new adventure even with her even if it was simple mundane Earth stuff, like walking around Echo Creek looking at the sights. "She's something alright," he muttered.
"Penelope?" asked Reynard.
"No, Star. Penelope is different for sure. I mean!" he corrected in a panic, "don't get me wrong, she's a lot of fun and I've had an amazing time with her these last two weeks."
"I'm sensing a 'but' coming…"
"No, no buts. It's just Penelope is much different from Star. Great! But different. If you know what I mean."
"Well you can kiss Penelope for starters…" grinned Reynard, "Apparently Star and Penelope have been comparing notes. Did you know that Marco?"
"Umm," was all he could get out as he envisioned all the horribly embarrassing things Penelope and Star could share.
"Relax Marco. All I've heard is that Penelope thinks you're an amazing kisser, nothing embarrassing. In fact, I'd be proud. I happen to know that Penelope is quite particular about whom she fancies, an endorsement from her is high praise indeed."
"Alright alright, that's enough talking about my love life Reynard."
"If you say so," laughed Reynard as they passed onto a narrow street.
*SHHHRRP* The familiar sound of reality being torn by dimensional scissors caused both of them to stop and turn towards the sound. Spilling out of the swirling portal was Ludo who had apparently tripped on his own robe causing the large group of monsters behind him to fall on top of him in a clatter of dropped weapons.
"Get off of me you imbeciles!" screeched Ludo, pulling himself free from the dogpile of monsters.
"Sorry, Boss," said Buff Frog, standing up and dusting off his uniform.
"Uh Boss?" nudged Beard Deer, pointing at Reynard, "Karate Boy is not alone like you planned."
"Shut up! Don't you think I can see that!" shouted Ludo. "Just get them!"
With a shout, the seven monsters accompanying him charged towards Marco and Reynard, weapons held high. In a flash, both of them had drawn their swords and fallen into a guard stance, ready to fend off the onslaught.
"Remember your training Marco!" shouted Reynard as he blocked a vicious slice at his midsection by a red two-headed monster.
"On it!" he shouted back as he sidestepped an overhand chop from Buff Frog's axe that buried itself in the cobblestone street, holding fast as he strained to pull it out. Seeing his opening, Marco delivered a hard side kick to the Frog monster's head that knocked him backwards in a stunned daze.
"I'm going to pound you flat, Mewman scum!" roared a hulking hairy monster as he swung a large wooden mallet at Reynard's head. Knowing a block would likely break his arm, or at the very least disarm him, he ducked under the powerful but clumsy blow, and neatly drove his blade through his attacker's chest.
"My blade missed bathing in your foul blood you foul beast," Reynard hissed as he twisted the blade hard and pulled it free with a sickening gurgle. Immediately, the monster collapsed into an unmoving heap as he spun to face another attacker.
Facing two monsters himself, Marco was feeling hard pressed as he blocked a flurry of savage blows from his attackers. Both seemed armed with ugly black swords which looked crude, but Marco had no doubt they would easily kill if given the chance. One monster he recognized as "Beard Deer" from their fight earlier at the mall, while the second was unknown to him but looked like what he imagined a real-life werewolf would look like.
Parrying Beard Deer, Marco stuck like lighting, punching him between the eyes as he blocked an attack from the werewolf. Eyes watering, Beer Deer fell back several steps, giving Marco a moment to focus all of his attention on his other opponent. Their swords clashed several more times as he searched for an opening. Marco could still hardly believe how effortless it was to swing Silverlight compared to the wooden practice swords he had trained with for so long. It enabled him to rapidly overwhelm the werewolf with a quick serious of slashes that pressed his foe back under the weight of his attacks, until finally, Marco drew blood, catching the werewolf across the chest and sending him to the cobbles to writhe in agony.
"Well struck Marco!" shouted Reynard, now battling the two headed monster that was swinging at him with a pair of rusty short swords.
"Finish them now!" commanded Ludo, screaming at his subordinates from a safe distance.
Beard Deer, now recovered from his punch, motioned for backup, and a crocodile monster stepped up to join him in their combined assault on Marco. Blades continued to flash as he did his best to block, parry, and dodge both foes, but before long, he winced in pain as the tip of Bear Deer's sword slipped past his guard to dig a shallow trench up his left bicep.
"Fuck," he hissed in pain as he felt warm blood run down his arm, soaking his sleeve.
Marco knew he had to cut down on the number of his opponents if he wanted to get out of this encounter alive and so in his desperation, immediately sprang forward to attack. Slipping under Beard Deer's swing, he kicked out with every ounce of his strength, driving his foot into the side of the monster's knee. His efforts were rewarded with an audible pop and scream from the Deer monster as he collapsed to the road, clutching his knee in pain. Whirling to face the croc, he swung hard, catching the monster on the wrist with his blade.
In a gleaming flash, Silverlight cleaved straight through the monster's wrist, severing it as neatly as if he were cutting paper, before biting into its unprotected neck. For a second, Marco was stunned to see his polished blade buried in his opponent's throat, a torrent of red blood already running down its length to drip to the stone street. Wordlessly, the crocodile monster grabbed weakly at the sword before collapsing to the ground, a large red puddle forming from the gaping wound in its neck.
Marco was numb, staring at the lifeless body on the ground in front of him as the circle of red expanded slowly. It took Reynard's shout to snap his attention back to the battle.
"Marco watch out!" Reynard shouted, just in time to allow Marco to jump away from Three-Eyed Potato Baby's lunge. Satisfied he had brought Marco back to reality; he turned his attention back to the two-headed monster he was still battling. The monster seemed none too skilled with a blade, and Reynard took his time parrying and blocking the monster's clumsy attacks, enjoying his opponents growing frustration.
"Die Mewman!" it spat as it overextended in a desperate attempt to drive its blade through Reynard's stomach.
Laughing, Reynard stepped to the side and swung his blade hard with both hands at the surprised monster's two heads, neatly severing both with ease. With a small fountain of blood from the twin stumps, the corpse dropped to the ground as Reynard faced a now alarmed looking Ludo.
"Give it up Ludo. Half your monsters are dead, and only the idiots are still up," he said, looking at a still struggling Buff Frog as he pulled fruitlessly on the stuck axe and Three-Eyed Potato Baby clumsily swinging at a dodging Marco.
His eye twitching in rage, Ludo dragged a small clawed hand down his face. 'How could this happen again!' he thought, his frustration reaching dangerous levels. 'I had planned so carefully to catch that Karate Boy alone, and without that infernal princess he's always with! Another perfect failure due to bad luck, though this time I'm down a significant number of monsters…' Pulling out his scissors he cut a hole behind him before barking an order, "Buff Frog! Leave the axe you fool! Grab Beard Deer and get back here!"
Muttering something about how that axe was his favorite, Buff Frog dutifully complied, rushing over and picking up a stricken Beard Deer before retreating along with a sulking Three-Eyed Potato Baby carrying the bleeding werewolf monster back through the portal. "You haven't seen the last of us Karate Boy! You as well, Reynard! You are both now my mortal enemies!" he screamed as he stepped back into the portal just as it closed.
Marco stood there, his hand still tight around the supple blue leather of Silverlight's grip, his chest heaving from the exertion. He kept looking from where the portal had just closed after Ludo, to the three still forms sprawled on the stone paved street. His face was blank, its calm appearance belying the storm of thoughts inside his head as he replayed the short lethal encounter over and over. 'I just killed that monster…' he thought as he stepped back to avoid the still expanding pool of blood at his feet.
Only the touch of Reynard's hand on his shoulder seemed to pull Marco from his thoughts as he rapidly turned to look at the smiling man. "Marco that was excellent! You fought like a true warrior against those monsters. Incredible work dispatching this one in particular," he said as he nudged the dead crocodile monster with the side of his foot. Before Marco could respond, however, the thunder of footsteps filled the street as a group of heavily armed and armored knights rounded the corner, swords drawn.
"Halt, and surren- Oh Viscount Reynard!" shouted the Captain in surprise, "what happened here?"
"We were ambushed by Ludo and his monsters, though we did manage to drive them away without too much bother," answered Reynard, nodding to the Captain.
The Captain looked at the three corpses and spat in disgust, "More than these disgusting creatures deserve…"
"I'll leave the clean up to you then?" asked Reynard, "I need to escort Marco the rest of the way to Butterfly Castle."
"Of Course, my Lord," nodded the Captain.
O - O - O - O - O - O – O
Janna heard the loud thumps and bangs of Jackie's tumble down the stairs just as she managed to find a ritual that may work. Reaching into her desk, she grabbed a handful of holy symbols of various religions and wrapped them quickly around her forearm before sprinting towards her door. Leaping, she planted her foot squarely next to the handle, and felt the frame splinter and fail as the door slammed open.
Before her, floating at the top of the stairs, the shadow figure turned and fixed her with a baleful stare. 'I have to make this quick, it's been feeding off Jackie's fear and becoming more corporeal by the second,' thought Janna, as her own anxiety levels began to spike. Flipping open her book to the correct spot, she began reading aloud, her voice taking on a strange lilting tone as if singing while she ready the strange language in her book.
"Id consectetur purus et fautius. Sed viverrum nuc aliquet didenum emni fatucta!" she shouted in the most authoritarian voice she could muster.
"The language of the old ones," it said, appearing to slow its advance on her. "You dare speak it with your unworthy tongue, you impudent worm!"
"Molestie at elementum eu facilisis sed malevolentia expulso!" she finished, slamming her palm onto the hardwood floor in the final gesture of the ritual. In that moment, several things seemed to happen at once; the first, and Janna's intention, was that the shadow creature seemed to vanish in a puff of darkness. The second, was the subsequent shattering of every single window in her house. They exploded outward in a shower of glittering shards as the force of Janna's purification ritual pulverized them.
Sprinting downstairs, Janna slid to a stop next to Jackie's prone form and gently placed her fingers on the blonde's throat. A strong pulse helped steady her frayed nerves as she pulled her phone out of her jacket with shaking hands. After a quick 911 call, she smiled as Jackie's eyes finally fluttered open and she stared groggily at her.
"Dude… my head," she murmured as she tried to get up.
"Don't move Jackie, you took a hell of a fall down the stairs and you're bleeding pretty bad," said Janna, pressing Jackie back to the floor as she tipped Jackie's head to the side and applied some pressure to the large gash. "Picked this up from Marco, heh, guess the safe kid knows his stuff after all," she laughed.
"Did we win at least?" asked Jackie, wincing from the pressure on her wound.
"No, but I bought us some time."
"Time for what?"
"Time to ask Marco for an introduction. I think we may need to bring in the heavy artillery here, and I can't think of anyone that fits that description better than Princess Star," grimaced Janna, the thought needing to call in backup chafing her ego.
O - O - O - O - O - O – O
"Marco!" shouted Penelope as she ran down the stairs, taking them three at a time in her effort to reach him faster. She had been anxious since he had called her after the battle to ask her to get Queen Moon and explain that he had been attacked. As soon as they had arrived at the Castle, he and Reynard were hustled off to her office to report on what happened, while she could only wait impatiently. Twenty minutes later, they had both appeared in the castle entryway, and Penelope had rushed down the grand staircase to check on him.
"Hi Penelope," he answered, bracing himself as she crashed into him and kissed him passionately.
"You doing okay, my brave warrior?" she cooed in his ear, running her hand across his chest.
"I'm…" he paused, as the image of the werewolf's still body flashed into his mind, "...fine," he lied. 'No use worrying her any more than I already have,' he thought as he pulled her into a tight hug.
"Marco was magnificent, Penelope!" Reynard shouted, slapping the teen on the back hard enough to make him cough, "he took those monsters on two-on-one and prevailed with only a flesh wound for his trouble."
"You were injured? You didn't say anything about being injured when you called me," said Penelope, quickly stepping back and giving his body a quick once over.
"It's fine. Queen Moon patched me up with magic once we got into her office. She even fixed the shirt," he said, pointing to the spot on his arm where a deep cut had been only minutes before and sounding slightly less than enthusiastic about that last part.
"Just as long as you're not hurt," said Penelope, her face softening as she cupped his cheek. "I need my warrior in tip top shape if he's going to protect his princess from evil monsters."
Only half-listening, Marco nodded to her as he continued to be absorbed by his thoughts. 'I killed someone today…' he thought, his mind still reeling from the experience like a ship with no keel. Thinking back, Marco remembered the many lectures Sensei Brantley would give before each day's training. "Karate is an aid to justice," he had said more than once. But... was this Justice? Was killing another sapient creature ever justice? The answer seemed elusive in the face of harsh reality now, as he stood there.
"Marco, you in there, buddy?" asked Reynard, a slight look of concern creasing his normally smiling face.
"Huh? Oh, yeah sorry. I was having just thinking…" he said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck at the curious look his girlfriend was giving him, and doing his best to shelve his dark thoughts for a moment.
"Well, shall we head to the grounds? I was just telling Penelope that the smart money is on me to win first place again, although Baron Piedmont is no slouch in the saddle," explained Reynard as the trio left the castle for the short walk to the Butterfly fairgrounds.
"Ugh, Baron Piedmont is a boorish oaf," said Penelope, her hand snaking down to take Marco's as she smiled at him.
"A what?" asked Marco, giving her hand a slight squeeze as they walked together.
"An asshole," clarified Reynard, eliciting a laugh from Penelope and even managing to make Marco grin.
They walked in silence for several minutes as they picked their way through the streets to just outside the M.R.C.'s wall. Joining the modest sized crowd of mixed mewmans and humans, they both bid farewell to Reynard as he left to prepare for the race.
"Marco, I'll put ten crowns on myself to win for you!" shouted Reynard over the crowd as he disappeared into the stables.
"Are you ok?" asked Penelope, turning to study her boyfriend now that they were alone, "you're sweating quite a bit."
"I'm…" he began, planning on telling her the same lie he had said previously, when something inside him seemed to nudge the truth out of him, "I don't know if I'm okay…"
"Is this about the monster attack earlier? I thought Reynard said you did great?" she asked a genuine look of concern on her face. "If you're worried that you weren't as good as Reynard…"
Taking both of her hands in his, he turned to face her, his brow furrowed as he struggled to put words to the swirling maelstrom that was his thoughts. "Penelope, I… I killed someone today," he said, finally giving voice to the troubling thought clouding his conscience.
"Marco, you killed a monster today. An evil, Mewman-murdering monster, who would have happily gutted you if you hadn't defended yourself," she said.
"What if he had a wife, or kids… what was his name…" Marco muttered to himself quietly, not even acknowledging his girlfriend as she held his hands.
"Marco…" Penelope said, alarmed at his behavior. "Marco!" she fairly shouted at him before he seemed to snap out of whatever state he was in.
He raised his head and looked into her pretty green eyes, finding the affection they reflected back calmed him as she continued to hold his hands. A quick look at her forehead revealed that the medicine he had given her the first day they met had done the trick, and he was satisfied to see her forehead smooth and unblemished. Pushing down his dark and conflicted thoughts for a moment, he leaned in and planted a soft gentle kiss on her lips, which she quickly reciprocated. In the last two weeks, he had quickly shed his bashfulness at kissing Penelope. It seemed like she was always up for making out whenever they had a moment alone together, a fact he quickly learned to love.
Finally breaking apart after nearly a minute of soft kissing, Marco apologized, "Sorry Penelope, sometimes I get lost in my own thoughts… My Earth friends call it a 'Marco Moment.' I'm just dealing with a lot of different emotions right now. I mean I know it was self-defense, and that he would have killed me if I didn't defend myself, but still… I killed him, ya know?"
"Marco, you killed a monster…" she said, a scornful tone not escaping his noticed as she continued, "this is the second time in two weeks they've attacked you. If Reynard wasn't there…" she trailed off, afraid to give voice to what might have happened if her boyfriend had been attacked alone. "And just like you said, it was self-defense. You're a warrior Marco, not a little boy anymore, and sometimes warriors must kill in battle. I'm just happy you weren't hurt badly."
"I guess so," said Marco, feeling his unease settle a bit at her words.
"Trust me Marco, I know it may sound harsh now, but you'll see. Those monsters deserve neither your pity, nor your mercy. Corn knows I've lost enough friends to those savages…"
"I'm sorry… I-I didn't know," he began.
"Marco look around you! Everyone here has lost someone! Fuck, that's why we're here on Earth in the first place!" immediately she looked stricken at her own harsh words and the slightly hurt expression on her boyfriend's face. "I'm sorry Marco, I didn't mean to get short with you. Bad memories is all."
"It's okay Penelope, I know it was really rough on Mewni during the war… I'll be okay, just needed to vent is all" he said, hoping hard that he was right. Just then, a flurry of movement caught his eye. Behind her, five warnicorn riders were going through the final checks of their mounts, ensuring saddles and other tack was securely fastened before the start of the race. Marco cheered as Reynard took his position in the saddle, sitting proudly, a white trimmed cape draped across his horse's haunches.
"My Lords and Ladies," began a stuffy looking servant in a poofy feathered hat whom Marco remembered was named Manfred. "We are gathered here today on this fine afternoon to witness a test of daring and skill. I present to you, your riders today; Baron Piedmont!" a smattering of applause for a stuffy looking noble who had a face like a weasel. "Baron Winthrope!" a louder round of applause this time. "Viscount Rivertry!" more polite applause. "Earl Blackburn!" several whoops rang out with the applause the mention of this noble. "Annddddd the reigning Mewni Derby champion! Viscount Reynard Butterfly!"
Both Marco and Penelope cheered loudly along with most of the crowd at Reynard's introduction. Clearly, he was a popular figure with the Mewman nobility, and if Marco was any judge of the crowd's reaction, the ladies in particular. "Think he'll win?" Marco asked Penelope as the riders got into final position.
"No doubt in my mind Marco."
"I ask that all wagers be submitted at this time, and riders on my sig-" Manfred began.
"Sorry! Sorry everyone! Sorry I'm late!" came the very familiar voice of Star Butterfly as she navigated her warnicorn through the murmuring crowd. Marco noticed she was riding bareback as she pulled even with the other five riders.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, it appears we have a late entry from none other than the Princess Star Butterfly," announced Manfred, sounding completely unruffled, "betting will now reopen for five minutes if anyone wishes to adjust their wagers."
"Marco!" called out Star, as she spotted him at the front of the crowd by the railing of the racetrack. Trotting over to them, she grinned at the couple, "How are you two? Did I surprise you? Bet you didn't know this, but I'm no slow poke when it comes to warnicorn racing myself."
Before Marco could respond, he felt Penelope slip even closer to him, her arm sliding around his shoulder and her hand resting almost lazily on his chest to run her fingers up and down the smooth fabric there. If he didn't know any better, he would have sworn he saw a momentary shadow cross Star's face as she smiled at them.
"Hi Star," said Penelope, her tone a little cold as she gripped Marco tighter.
"Hey Star," nodded Marco, chuckling at her admission, "oh, I knew you were a skilled rider since the day I first saw you, remember? You almost ran me over on that sidewalk but did that amazing jump at the last second."
"Oohhhh yeahhhhh," she smiled at him, the two laughing at the memory of her crazed rampage through Echo Creek two years ago. "Are you two going to root for me to win this thang?"
"Sure St-" began Marco.
"Actually we have ten crowns on Reynard to win!" Penelope quickly said, interrupting Marco. He squirmed slightly in her grip as he felt her lips plant several light kisses up and down his neck.
"Oh," Star's face fell momentarily, before brightening up. "Hey Marco, after the race do you want to go to the mall?"
"Sorry Star, I promised Penelope we'd go on a double date with Reynard and this girl he met in Echo Creek. You could come along I'm sure, maybe call Tom?" he suggested.
Feeling Penelope shift behind him, he felt his cheeks burning with embarrassment as she wrapped her arms around his chest and laid her chin on his shoulder, pulling him tight to nuzzle his neck. "I don't know if she could get ahold of Tom so quickly. He's not even supposed to be coming to Earth, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to feel like a fifth wheel, Star," Penelope explained as she let one of her hands slip down to caress his abs through his shirt.
Star's face fell once more as she contemplated what Penelope had said. While it was true that it would be next to impossible to get Tom to agree to a triple date on next to no notice, and going alone would be intensely awkward with two other couples, she couldn't help but feel a little put off. 'It's like Penelope doesn't like us hanging out…' she thought to herself. Before should could dwell on her thoughts however, Manfred's voice rang out once more. "All riders to the starting line, betting is now closed!"
"I'll see you two after I win this thing," Star grinned, as she turned her mount and joined the other riders on the starting line.
"Penelope, that was a little harsh don't you think?" asked Marco, feeling slightly annoyed with her behavior.
"Marco, you spend almost every day with Star going off on one adventure or another. Can you blame a princess for wanting some alone time with her man?" Penelope said into his ear, before punctuating her words with a quick nibble on his earlobe that sent shivers of pleasure up and down his back.
"No, no I cannot," he half moaned as she continued to run her teeth along the curve of his ear, now pressing her chest against his back.
The crack of a starter pistol signaled the beginning of the race, and with a loud cheer, the six riders urged their mounts forward with shouts. Hooves thundered, and Marco felt the thoughts that had been troubling him momentarily fall away as he was swept up in the excitement of the race.
"Go Reynard! Go Star!" he shouted at the top of his lungs as Penelope whooped and hollered beside him.
After the first 700 yards or so, the skill of both riders and mounts began to tell. Reynard, Star, and Piedmont were significantly ahead of the other three riders, with Star and Reynard exchanging the lead as they raced neck and neck. The two of them looked heroic on their mounts, Reynard's white trimmed cape fluttering behind him in the horse's slipstream, while Star, without any saddle, was kneeling on her warnicorn's back, hunched low over its powerful neck her hand slapping it's flank to urge just a bit more speed.
Continuing to cheer and scream, Marco felt his heart in his throat as the Reynard and Star rounded the second to last curve, the tension making his pulse race with excitement. "I can't believe how good they are!" he yelled to Penelope as Reynard and Star began to pull away from Piedmont in the final sprint to the finish line.
"Reynard's been champion of the Derby two years running!" she yelled back to him as she jumped up and down with excitement.
"Does Star usually race?" he asked loudly, over the roar of the crowd.
"No! Queen Moon usually forbids it in case she was to ever fall off her mount. Especially since she rides bareback!"
"Do people get hurt a lot?" he asked, now leaning in so close his lips were almost brushing her ear.
"Not that often!" she shouted, grinning at the contact his lips were making with her ear, "but people have been killed in the past!"
Continuing to cheer for both of his friends as they roared down the straight away at full gallop, Marco let out one final loud shout as the two riders seemed to pass simultaneously over the finish line.
"Who won?" he yelled.
"I'm not sure Marco, we'll have to wait for the Manfred to announce it. Shouldn't be more than a few minutes though."
"Marco, Penelope!" called Reynard as he joined them by the railing, followed momentarily by a grinning Star.
"Marco did you see that race! That was incredible, I was all like 'gwarrrrr' and Reynard was all like 'wharrrrrr,'" she mimed riding her warnicorn as Marco and Reynard laughed, the imitation even eliciting a small smile from Penelope.
"You two were amazing, really. I'm new to this whole 'warnicorn racing' thing, and even I was on the edge of my seat! Penelope you're a big fan, right?"
"Oh definitely, I haven't missed a Derby since I was eight, and I try to catch the smaller races when I can. It's just thrilling!" she said as she leaned into Marco's ear, "just like you babe."
"And the winner, by a nose, is Star Butterfly!" Announced Manfred before Marco could do anything more than deepen his already rosy cheeks.
"EEEEEEEEEEEE!" squealed Star as she ran forward, throwing her arms around him, almost breaking a rib she squeezed so hard.
"Congratulations Star," he gasped as the crushing pressure of her hug continued.
Releasing the wheezing teen, she gave Reynard a quick hug before stepping back and grinning at her cousin. He nodded at her before returning her goofy smile, "Star, well raced. This is the first time you've managed to beat me in the warnicorn races. Looks like I'll have to take things a lot more seriously from now on if you're going to be gracing the paddock with your presence."
"Better watch your back cousin, because Star Butterfly is in. it. to. win. it." she finished, over enunciating each word of her taunt.
"Yes, well we'll see about that won't we," Reynard chuckled before noticing a rather stern glare from Penelope. "Ah, ahem, well I hate to lose and run Star, but Marco, Penelope, and I have a prior engagement, so I'm afraid it is farewell for now,"
Marco noticed Star's face lost a little of its earlier vivacity at his words, but she seemed to still manage a cheery wave, "Have fun you three." She half turned, before whipping back, "Oh and Marco, I'll see you tomorrow at 9? There's this thing called 'skate bordering' and I really want to try it."
"Skateboarding, Star, and I'm really an amateur with that kind of stuff. We should totally ask Jackie and Penelope to come though! I know Jackie's an expert. Is that cool with you Penelope?"
Worried that Penelope would be annoyed with him for making plans with Star right in front of her, he was surprised to see her smiling now. "That sounds great to me Marco, we can all walk over together."
"Awesome Possum," laughed Star, waving as she took off back in the direction of the castle.
"Well, I'm off to go collect Amanda at her home for our date. Meet me at the Winter's Grasp Tavern in 5 minutes? It's only a couple minutes away from here. You know the way right Penelope?" he asked.
"Sure do! Come on Marco, we'll meet Reynard there."
"Sounds good, see you in a few," said Reynard, disappearing into a freshly cut portal.
"Lead the way my Princess," Marco gave her a short bow, allowing her to take his hand and stroll off down the street. "I'm glad you're not upset,"
"Upset? What would I be upset about?" she asked, an overly airy tone to her voice.
"That Star wanted to do something tomorrow. Don't think I didn't notice you getting a little protective of me earlier before the race," he said, giving her hand a small reassuring squeeze.
Penelope quickly led him down a small alley and stopped before turning to face him. She was staring at him intently, a burning look that bored into him, sharper than any blade could. As he continued to hold her hand, pinned in place with the intensity of her gaze, he couldn't help but return her verdant stare as she spoke to him. "Marco, I really like you," she smiled widely at those words, her teeth a dazzling white, "I know it's only been two weeks, but I feel like I really connect with you in a way I never did with other nobles. I'm sorry if I sounded jealous… or petty earlier… I just really want to enjoy some time with you that also doesn't involve Star. After all… you are my boyfriend."
"I really like you too Penelope," he said, noticing suddenly just how close she was standing.
"And don't think I didn't notice how you spun your plans with Star tomorrow to involve me too." She was leaning in towards him now, her hands on his shoulders pressing him up against the cool stone wall. "That was very thoughtful of you, making it so we got to spend time together even during your job," she whispered, just as their lips touched.
"You know me…" he chuckled, "always thinking."
He closed his eyes as her soft lips pressed against his. The light taste of cinnamon, Penelope's favorite lip gloss, tingling as he felt her step into him. "Penel-" his short protest dying on his occupied lips as she slipped a hand up to run though the hair at the back of his head as her other hand threaded some fingers through his belt loop. Like a great eraser, her kiss wiped his mind blank, all thoughts of the stressful events of the day vanishing as they began their familiar passionate dance together. Soon, his surroundings shrank to just the two of them, their bodies pressed together, and tongues dancing as he returned her enthusiasm with his own.
"M-marco," she panted into his mouth as his hand slipped to her waist, gripping her hip and pulling her body hard against his as the heat between them intensified.
"Penelope," he breathed back, before diving deeply into another long French kiss, tongues sliding against one another.
While Penelope may have been Marco's first girlfriend, he always considered himself a quick study, and kissing was no different. It had become apparent that she was a fan of displays of physical affection, always finding an excuse to touch him or kiss him whenever decorum permitted. It had only taken him a few dates to get used to her particular brand, and now he welcomed her advances within reason. He still hadn't let her get his pants off yet, but he felt those reservations eroding quickly as they continued their fiery escapades.
He felt almost drunk now, his nerves on fire as her hungry mouth left his to kiss up his jawline. He arched his back off the stone wall, eager to press against her further, losing himself in the moment. "God you're beautiful," he heard himself say as her hot breath tickled his ear.
"Mmm, and I'm all yours Marco," she whispered.
Feeling a touch of hormone fueled recklessness seize him, he let his hand slide off her hip and down to grab her firm backside, squeezing it hard as she let out a low moan. "Don't start something you can't finish Diaz," she purred into his ear, as he kept squeezing her behind.
He could feel the swell of her breasts pressed against his chest through his dress shirt, and at her words, he ran his unengaged hand up the back of her neck into her soft brown hair. Pulling her mouth back to his, he felt her lips engulf him with another fiery kiss that made his head go light and seemed to pull all the strength out of his knees.
"Marco," she breathed, pressing her rear hard against his hand. "If you want me, take me," she giggled, smiling as they continued hungrily kissing.
It was the second time she had invited him to her bed in as many weeks, and unlike their first date, his growing comfort with her and the roaring bonfire of desire burning inside of him were making the decision difficult. Every hormone in his body was screaming at him to ditch Reynard and take Penelope up on her offer, but something inside still held firm against the tide of desire threatening to drown him.
"I-" was all he got out before his phone blared to life in his pocket. Pulling it out, he felt a slight pang of embarrassment at the odd look Penelope gave him for his choice of ringtone before answering it.
"Hey, where are you guys? Amanda and I got here 5 minutes ago, I thought you two would be waiting," came the impatient sounding voice of Reynard though the speaker.
"Oh, uh…" said Marco, thinking fast, "Penelope and I got sidetracked seeing the sights."
In front of him, Penelope had broken out in a fit of silent giggles as she buried her face against his chest.
"Uh-huh," laughed Reynard, "Tell Penelope whenever you two are done making out, we're hungry and we'd like to order soon."
She must have heard his remark, because at his words she broke out in gales of laughter. Shaking, she clutched at the front of his shirt as he tried to shush her the best he could. "Well now that my girlfriend has been kind enough to help me sell that lie… We'll be there in a minute," he deadpanned.
"Alright Casanova… See you two soon."
As soon as Marco had hung up, he began to laugh with Penelope. He might have been mortified a month ago at even the thought of being caught doing anything "naughty," but the events of his life since becoming Star's guide and Penelope's girlfriend made such concerns laughable now.
"Should we get going?" he eventually managed to choke out once their shared laughter had abated.
"Sure," Penelope said, still giggling slightly as the began to walk out of the alley together. "Marco?" she asked.
"Hrm?"
"Are you going to walk with me all the way there with your hand still on my butt?" she winked, as he pulled his hand back as if scalded.
Five minutes later, Penelope and Marco were seated across from Reynard and his date, all four sipping from drinks as they shared light conversation after their mutual introduction. Always a bit of a lady's man, Marco had found himself unsurprised that Amanda was very attractive. Likely in her very early 20's, she had on a floral-patterned sundress and her hair pulled back in a beautiful waterfall braid. She also surprised Marco the first time she spoke, as she spoke with a charming southern accent that was rare to hear in SoCal. 'She seems friendly enough,' he thought to himself after they had shaken hands, 'but I doubt she'll last even a month.'
After sitting down, Reynard had insisted Marco order a mug of corn ale to celebrate their victory as taverns in the M.R.C. did not "hold to that tosh California drinking age law," as he put it. Although not a complete stranger to alcohol, the corn ale tasted harsh on his tongue, and he felt a single mug would likely make him drunk enough that his parents might notice. So, after their shared toast and a single sip, he left it untouched and ordered a glass of water instead.
"Sooo Amanda, has Reynard regaled you with the daring tale of his and Marco's monster attack this morning?" asked Penelope, eyeing both men before sipping her wine.
Groaning internally at the broaching of this topic, Marco felt all the dark thoughts that had been weighing on his mind begin to creep back. 'This is the last fucking thing I want to talk about right now' he thought, as he glared at Reynard.
"Monster attack? Y'all mean those evil creatures that drove you out of your home dimension?" asked Amanda, her face looking shocked.
"The very same, Amanda," nodded Reynard, completely oblivious to Marco's signals, "I suspect Ludo intended to ambush Marco and catch him alone. Thankfully, providence provides, and I just so happened to be with him on his way to meet with the Princess here."
"Ludo?" Amanda cocked an eyebrow.
"A self-important fool and the leader of this sorry band of monsters," said Reynard, his voice taking on a harder edge to it as he recounted their battle of earlier.
"Don't worry Amanda. Reynard here is a first-class swordsman, and Marco," she slipped her arm through her still glaring boyfriend's arm, "studied under him for two years. They sent those foul monster scum packing with hardly a scratch."
"Indeed Penelope," said Reynard, draining his mug of corn ale and signaling to the bar wench for another. "We even managed to slay three of his minions in the struggle. Quick deaths, more than they deserved…"
Images unbidden came into Marco's mind as Reynard continued to explain, giving both Penelope and Amanda a graphic blow by blow of the battle. Near misses that would have opened him up from hip to collarbone had he not nimbly dodged, a werewolf monster falling to the street, a foot-long slash across his chest, his face a tableau of agony. Worst of all however, was the one he had killed.
Here and now, in the moment, it didn't matter that he had been fighting for his life against an enemy who would have killed him in an instant. What mattered to him was the feel of his blade trembling as the monster futilely tried to push it out of its ruined throat. What mattered was the feeling of warm red blood running down his fingers and over the back of his hand, hot and sticky with a smell like hot iron that seemed to stick to his tongue as he breathed. Fighting down his rising gorge, he pressed his hands into his lap to keep them from trembling as Penelope leaned close.
"Are you feeling alright Marco? You're looking awfully flushed," she whispered in his ear.
"I-I'm fine," he stammered slightly, "still just a little worked up from earlier is all."
"No, that's not it," she murmured as she reached into his lap to take his hand in hers. "Marco you're clammy…"
"It's alright," he gasped, feeling like an iron band was beginning to tighten itself around his chest, "I'll be fine."
Just then, the waitress came to their table carrying a large serving tray laden with dishes, before placing plates of food in front of all four of them. Barely holding on, Marco looked down at what they had just been served and his eyes fell on Reynard's dish. There, on a wooden plate, sat a very large, very rare steak that was sitting in a pool of red liquid that looked remarkably like blood. The same blood he had last seen as an expanding puddle seeping from the rent in his opponents' neck.
Heart racing, Marco shakily sprang to his feet, knocking into a startled waitress as he fought to leave the tavern. Pushing through the crowd, he didn't even register Penelope and Reynard's voice calling out to him, before finally bursting out into the late afternoon sun and promptly vomiting. Arms shaking, he wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve just as Penelope slid to a stop beside him.
"Macro! Are you okay? Do you need the healer?" she asked, taking him by the shoulder and attempting to steady his trembling form.
"Penelope, I'll be okay," he said, between gasping breaths.
"You are not okay Marco Diaz," said Penelope, pressing her hand to his forehead, feeling it slick with sweat.
Closing his eyes, he took a series of deep rhythmic breaths. An exercise he borrowed from his karate training, the deliberate rhythmic breaths helped slow his racing heart and calm his frazzled nerves. Finally opening his eyes, he was pleased to find himself staring into Penelope's emerald ones as she leaned in to check on his pulse.
"Marco, I really think you should see a healer," she said, a nervous edge to her voice.
"I just need a little rest…" he said, as he grabbed her should and stood up, albeit shakily. "Walk me home?"
"Marco…" she pleaded.
"Please, Penelope."
Looking into his pleading eyes, it took every bit of the trust she possessed for him, but finally she relented, nodding silently as she took his hand in hers.
"Marco are you feeling okay?" The cool voice of Reynard called out from behind them.
"He's not feeling well Reynard. I'm going to walk him home," said Penelope.
"Sorry about ruining our double date Reynard…" Marco said, looking absolutely miserable, "tell Amanda it was a pleasure to meet her."
"Think nothing of it! Feel better Marco. We shall 'rain-check it' as you say," he said, beaming with pride at having successfully used an Earth phrase.
O - O - O - O - O - O – O
Fifteen minutes later Marco and Penelope found themselves standing on the stoop of the Diaz household. A quick stop at the Stop & Slurp for a bottle of water and a pack of gum, and he was fairly certain he had removed all traces of the taste of vomit from his mouth.
"Sorry again… about today," apologized Marco, feeling heat rising in his cheeks. He was feeling much better after their walk home together, Penelope's hand in his serving as an anchor for his fragile emotional state, it had helped return his heart rate to normal and he felt much less clammy than before.
"Marco you have nothing to apologize for. Everyone gets sick now and again," she smiled at him before kissing him on the cheek. "One time, at a royal dinner in the Spiderbite Kingdom, I puked on the Ambassador to the Underworld. I had been fighting off a bad case of arachnid pox, all while trying to play host to several different diplomatic delegations. After a formal dinner, we opened the ball with a dance, and as I was dancing with Ambassador Vazrox I just barfed up my entire meal all down his finest dinner jacket."
"Oh man… suddenly puking outside a restaurant in the M.R.C. doesn't sound so embarrassing anymore," Marco chuckled.
"Oh it was mortifying Marco. Tom teased me about it relentlessly for over a year at every social function. I still owe him for that…" she giggled.
"Hey, thanks for walking me home and… cheering me up,"
"A princess must always be kind to those in need," she quoted to him with a grin, "plus what kind of shitty girlfriend would just leave her boyfriend to suffer. I was going to walk you home whether you wanted me to or not, Diaz."
"Well then, Princess Spiderbite," Marco swept into a half bow again before kissing her on the hand, "I thank you for your kindness and assistance today. The kingdom of Echo creek thanks you as well for your charitable aid to one of its citizens."
"You are most welcome," she curtsied, grinning at him.
"And Penelope?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks for a great day together, even if it didn't end exactly how it should have."
Surprising him, she stepped close and planted a quick kiss right on his lips. "Hmm, only just a tiny hint of puke," she teased as she stepped back, caressing his cheek with her thumb. "Get some rest my brave warrior. I'll see you tomorrow."
As she turned to leave, he reached forward quickly and caught her by the hand before blurting out, "Penelope would you come over Sunday night and have dinner with me and my parents?"
"Are you asking me to come over and meet you parents Marco?" she asked, eyeing him intensely, "I don't knowwwww, that's a pretty big step."
"I mean… if you're not comfortable… Forget I even as-"
"Marco of course!" she shouted, "I was just teasing you! I'd love to come have dinner with you and your parents. I simply must meet the two responsible for my brave, sexy, warrior boyfriend who just so happens to also be a perfect gentleman."
"Until tomorrow then?" he asked.
"Tomorrow then," she nodded, before blowing him a kiss.
O - O - O - O - O - O – O
Star was seriously starting to worry. She had tried calling Marco almost twenty times, all of which had gone to voice mail. Earlier that evening, she had spied Penelope entering the castle alone which meant that wherever Marco was, he wasn't with his girlfriend. A quick call to Reynard confirmed that he wasn't with him either, as Reynard had told her that he wasn't feeling well and that he and Penelope had left shortly after getting there.
Now, leaving Marco's house after having spoken to his parents, who also didn't know where he had gone, she wracked her brain trying to think of where he could be. 'He's all alone, and not feeling well. What if Ludo came back to finish what he'd started?' She thought before scolding herself. "Relax, Star, he's fine. Just have to think… If I were Marco... what would I be doing right now," she muttered to herself. Instantly, thoughts of him punching monsters, and smashing through several boards on cinder blocks sprang to mind. "Not helpful!" she said to no one in particular, blowing a strand of blonde hair out of her face in annoyance.
Just then, the image of a location sprang into her mind. It was a place he had shown her several days earlier. A place he went "to sit and think whenever I'm stressed out about life or school," he had told her. 'Hold on Diaz, Star's comin for ya!' she thought excitedly as she pulled her scissors from her purse.
Laying on his back on the grass atop the tallest hill in Echo Creek Park, Marco felt numb at the events of the day as he let the last of the dying light of the day bath him. As he tipped his head up to look at the setting sun, he noticed it framed the ever present Butterfly Castle beautifully. It was a bitter sweet reminder of all the gifts that his new life had given him and also the costs it demanded in return. Laying his head back down on the grass he sighed to himself. The extreme intensity of his earlier panic attack had faded to an unpleasant memory, and now he just felt empty, cold, and drained. Nearby, Silverlight was laying carelessly on the grass where he had tossed it in frustration and disgust. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts, he didn't even notice the telltale sound of a portal tearing open behind him.
Stepping through the portal, it only took a moment for Star to spot Marco laying on the grass, still in his clothes from earlier. His eyes were closed, but he otherwise looked unhurt. Several feet away, as if it had been tossed aside, lay Silverlight, its blade still caked in dark dried blood.
"Marco?" she asked, a note of hesitation to her voice as she called out his name.
"Hi Star," he said without opening his eyes, "I see you found me."
"You weren't answering my calls, so I came to look for you," she explained as she walked over to pick up his discarded sword.
"Sorry about that… I was feeling a little sick and I needed some air."
Plopping down next to his prone form, she laid Silverlight across her lap and promptly pulled out her wand, spending several moments restoring it to its normal gleaming brilliance with several passes of magic. "That's what Reynard said. He told me you probably ate something funny that didn't agree with you."
"Yeah, I had this pig goat fo-"
"But my nose is pretty great at sniffing out bullshit... so what's really bothering you?" She quickly cut him off from whatever lame lie he was trying to tell her. "Marco you and I are best besties! That means we help each other out when one of us is hurting… And most of all, it means we always tell each other the truth, even when the truth is something... ugly."
Marco didn't answer her, but he didn't need to. Star could tell just by the way his shoulder slumped slightly that her words had reached him. "I think I know what's going on here. You're upset about earlier, with Reynard," she said.
He opened his eyes at her words, turning his head to look up at her and feeling his breath catch in his throat. Her familiar easy smile looked slightly strained as their eyes met, but even that could do little to dull her beauty. She was bathed in the golden glow of the setting California sun, its light catching in her straw-colored hair, reflecting and refracting to frame her head in a beautiful amber corona. 'She looks like an angel…' he thought to himself as he continued to stare at her.
"It's never easy… Marco. Taking a life, that is," she said, as she watched the sunset. It was something she had done since she was a little girl and she always found that it eased her mind whenever she was worried about something.
"How?" he began to ask.
"From Reynard, and my Mom… I know you probably didn't want me to worry about you Marco, but you should have told me. Best besties don't keep secrets, especially not when they're attacked by Ludo and his flunkies." She emphasized her point by punching him lightly on the shoulder.
"Sorry."
"So what's up? You know you can tell me anything. I won't judge you no matter what."
"Star I don't know if I can do this…" he said as he rubbed his eyes to wipe away a gathering wetness, "be this great warrior with a life of adventure with a sword strapped to my hip I mean." He looked at her, still radiant in the sunset, and felt himself smile despite the weight of emotion on his mind. "Killing that monster today, even though it was self-defense isn't sitting well with my conscience. Your Kingdom is at war with the monsters and this is hardly going to be the last fight we get into. Can I really kill again? I don't want to be this bloodthirsty warrior Star, I'm just a teen from Echo Creek who's good at math and karate, not Conan the Barbarian… Maybe I've just been lying to myself for the past two years, a little boy playing pretend warrior…"
To his surprise, she scooched next to him on the grass and laid down, so they were shoulder to shoulder, both staring up at the cloudless sky as it faded from blue to indigo. He felt her take a deep breath before she spoke again, "I don't know who Conan is, but three years ago, just before the Monster-Mewman war began, Toffee sent assassins to kill me. I think his plan was to deprive the Butterfly Kingdom of its next Queen and break our morale before the war had officially even started. I was only 13 at the time, I hadn't gotten my wand yet and I was in our rose garden just relaxing when they burst out of the bushes and tried to stab me."
Marco felt himself go pale at the thought of his best friend facing three assassins unarmed and unprotected as she continued her story. "Well, Toffee must not have really known who my Father is, or else he would have sent more than three. I killed the first with a bird bath that was nearby, and the second with the knife I took off the first. The third one ran as soon as he was alone and was promptly captured by the castle guards. Marco if I hadn't defended myself that day, I'd be dead right now."
"And…" he began, swallowing hard as he took her hand that was lying next to his on the warm grass, "and how did that affect you."
"It messed me up for a long time Marco. My relationships suffered, poor Tom had to deal with a very grumpy Star, something I'm embarrassed to admit he is not particularly skilled at," she laughed. "Finally my father noticed how badly I'd been affected by the attack and sat me down to talk. At first, he just thought his sweet baby girl was traumatized from being attacked. But after we talked, he realized what was really bothering me and gave me some excellent advice, that I shall now pass on to you."
She rolled onto her side, still holding his hand, and looked at him. "Marco, killing something that can think and feel, something that can love and hate, something that has dreams and goals is never easy. Even if it's in self-defense, knowing that you had to kill in order to preserve your own life or the lives of the people you care about is tough. But can I ask you something?"
"Anything Star," he answered without hesitation.
"Why did you agree to Reynard's offer to train you and prepare you to be a guide for us mewmans when we came here?"
"That's easy, I wanted to be more than just another kid in the crowd, to live life to the fullest and experience some adventure. It's also partly why I took up karate in the first place, I wanted to be able to protect myself and people I cared about."
"Exactly. You didn't train with Reynard for two years to be a warrior so that you could kill monsters, right?"
"Of course not," he said, feeling almost sick at the thought.
"No, you trained to be a warrior, a protector. Of not only yourself, but your family, your friends, and me, now that you're my guide and best bestie," she said, squeezing his hand for emphasis at that last part. "Marco I've only known you for two amazing weeks, but I feel like we've known each other our whole lives. I know you have a good heart. You are no cold-blooded killer like some mewmans and monsters are. You only took that monsters life because they gave you no other choice. The fact that you feel remorse and conflicting emotions just goes to prove that you're not like them."
"But wh-" he began, but Star was on a roll, and continued on her speech.
"Being a warrior isn't about how many lives you can take, or how skilled you are with a sword. No, it's about how much of yourself you're willing to sacrifice to keep the people you care about safe. Two weeks ago, after knowing me for less than a day, I saw you face off against three monsters to protect me from Ludo. You showed more warrior spirit that day than half the knights on Mewni did during this whole war, Marco. I wish I'd had the sense to talk to my dad right after that incident in the rose garden because it really helped to put everything in perspective for me. I hope it helps you too, because you're an amazing person. You're kind, generous, fun, and an amazing best friend."
Marco said nothing for almost a full minute as he digested her words. 'I've never heard her sound so serious about anything,' he thought as she continued to squeeze his hand lightly. Thinking hard, he felt some of the ice that had seemed to have spread throughout his insides as the day wore on begin to thaw. Their shared experience of having to defend themselves with lethal force resonated with him much more powerfully than Penelope's insistence that it was kill or be killed.
"Thank you, Star. That was… beautiful actually," he managed to get out as he blinked back tears.
"You're welcome Marco. I know your heart is in the right place, and you should too. Now come on," she said as she sat up and made to tug him up to his feet.
"W-Where are we going?"
"Oh, this talk was only step one in my super awesome plan to cheer you up. The next step requires a pair of these," she winked, as she pulled out her pair of dimensional scissors.
Grinning as he let her pull him to his feet, he nodded his assent, "Lead the way!"
O - O - O - O - O - O – O
Moments later, the two stepped out of their portal and into what Marco could only describe as a club out of his wildest fever dreams. They appeared to be standing on a solid cloud with a massive dance floor in the middle, where a crowd jumped and swayed to the music. Everywhere he looked, he saw people lounging on what looked like solid clouds, even the bar seemed to be made of this stuff. Waves of thumping base rolled over and through him from a massive set of speakers flanking a pair of robots at the other end of the cloud from the bar.
"Star this place is amazing! Where are we?"
"The Bounce Lounge Marco, the best dance club in the entire universe!" she grabbed his hand once more and took off at a sprint towards the bar. "Let's get a drink!" he thought he heard her say, as he looked all around, his head on a swivel. Looking up, he noticed the they seemed to be floating in a beautiful night sky studded with twinkling stars.
Feeling a cold drink being pressed into his hand snapped his attention back to Star as she made to toast him. "What's this?" he asked, eyeing the fizzing, rainbow colored drink he was holding.
"It's a Rainbow Fizz! It's got lots of tasty stuff in it and it feels so refreshing going down. Try it!"
Deciding to trust her taste buds, he took a tentative slip and was pleasantly surprised at the lively taste and fizzy finish. It was sweet, but not overly so, with vaguely citrus overtones and… "Star is there alcohol in this?" he asked, panicking slightly.
"Oh yeah lots," she waved him off as she took a long sip from her own Rainbow Fizz.
Marco stared at the riotously colored beverage for a moment before making up his mind about something. "You know what? Fuck it. Let's party, Star," he said as he pounded the rest of his drink.
"YES! That's what I wanna hear, Marco! Woohoo!" she shouted as she downed her own drink and motioned for another two from the moth-like bartender. As she passed Marco his second Fizz, she held her drink aloft for a toast to which he happily raised his own and clinked. "To good health, long life, and a rocking good time for two best friends tonight!" she shouted.
"Amen," he agreed, giggling at her toast as he began to relax.
Thirty minutes later, two drinks had turned into three, and Marco found himself sitting at the bar alone as Star had excused herself to go to the bathroom. He was feeling more than a little buzzed, his head swimming pleasantly as the Rainbow Fizz's worked their magic on his fading sobriety.
"So, you the new boyfriend then?" asked the moth-like bartender.
"Excuse me what?" asked Marco, not immediately understanding the question.
"You and the Princess, right? You her new boyfriend? I gotta say, that girl works fast, and you seem like much less of an asshole than the demon kid," said the bartender, winking several hundred eyes at him.
"What? Who? Me? No-no-no-no, I'm just her friend." But even as he said it, a small part of him seemed to wish otherwise. 'Dude she understands you better than Penelope ever will,' whispered a seductive thought in his head. 'She's gorgeous, and you know she's totally into you!' it continued, as he did his best to push those drunken thoughts out of his head. 'I'm with Penelope, and she's a great girlfriend,' he thought, trying his best to push away those tempting thoughts, but not before his desires had one final say; 'Star could be better.'
"Hrmm," said the bartender, looking past Marco over his shoulder, interrupting his thoughts, "someone might want to tell her that then."
Turning in his stool, he saw Star walking towards him. She had either had a change of clothes on her, or had used magic to change her outfit, as instead of her green rainbow fronted dress, she now wore a knee length black cocktail dress with matching pumps.
"You look… amazing," he breathed to her as she reached the bar.
"Thanks Marco. You don't look too bad yourself. Though…" she tapped her chin with her wand before turning it on him and shouting "Radiant Shadow Transform." In a flash, his slacks became clean and pressed, his hair styled itself perfectly to match his best efforts from earlier this morning, and best of all, his shirt had changed color from a dark green to a deep burgundy red. "Green is just not your color Marco…" she said, nodding her approval at the change in color palette.
"I know right!" he shouted, looking himself up and down. "Star this is fantastic! I love magic!"
[C2C - The Cell if you want to jam along]
A new song kicked on, its initial opener sounding oddly out of place in such a high energy club. A mixture of flute and chimes playing in a whimsical opener as a fuzzy sounding bassline began to kick in. Immediately Star grabbed Marco's hand and ran for the dance floor shouting, "I love this song, C'mon, we're dancing!"
"Okay," was all he could manage before the two of them were deep in the crowd, surrounded on all sides by the swaying dancers.
With a choral sample and a huge breakbeat, the song began in earnest, and effortlessly the two found their rhythm together. Star had her eyes closed, head nodding to the swaggering bassline as she let her body move and undulate to the beat. Keen to not disappoint, Marco let his background in ballet and martial arts dictate his moves as the music flowed around him. Soon the two were dancing together, bodies close, as the music swelled and hit the drop.
Opening his eyes when he felt an arm on his shoulder, he grinned at the smiling face of Star as she stepped closer to him, matching the movements of his body perfectly so they could dance in sync. 'Wow she can really move,' he thought to himself as she closed her eyes again bobbing her head, their thighs grazing lightly.
For her part, Star's mind was blissfully blank save for the feel of the music and Marco in her arms. 'God he's so damn cute, I could kiss his gorgeous face,' she thought. 'Bad thought, bad thought,' screamed another part of her, 'you have a boyfriend and his name is Tom, keep it PG sister.' But Pegasus feathers did he feel good in her arms, his muscled shoulders flexing under the arm she had curled around the back of his neck, and when he slipped a hand around her slim waist to pull her just a little closer, she thought she might melt right there on the dance floor.
"You dance amazing!" he shouted over the crescendoing song.
"You too!" she called back to him, before turning around and pulling his arms around her waist to dance even closer to him now, her backside lightly pressed against the front of him as they rolled their bodies in sync with the music.
All around them, the crowd heaved and moved to the music as lights flashed and swept over them in time with beat. Palpable energy seemed to be running through the club like electricity as he danced with her, his chest thrumming in harmony with the beat of the song. Looking down, he smiled as he saw Star, eyes closed again, moving with him to the music. Her body felt like fire every time they came together, making his skin prickle with pleasure everywhere they had touched. Feeling her take one of his hands off of her hip to raise it high into the air, he could only laugh along with her as they continued to groove together.
"This is so much better than the arcade!" he said into her ear as she pressed her backside harder against him and leaned back into his chest.
"Definitely!" she giggled.
Eventually the song began to die down, its chimes and flute ending on an ethereal note and Marco sprinted off to the bar to get two more cocktails. He returned just in time for the next song to hit its stride, the heavy staccato base making his chest thump along as he passed Star another Rainbow Fizz.
They spent the next hour tearing up the dance floor together, never once leaving each other's orbit as they danced together to song after song. Marco felt extremely buzzed now, their fourth cocktail's alcohol worming its way through his veins nicely.
Dragging Star off the dance floor, they both collapsed into an empty booth sweaty and exhausted. "I'ma need a minute, Star, before we keep dancing. Those Rainbow Fizzles are shtronger than I thought."
"Hahaha, Marco your *hic* drunk!" she giggled, placing her hand atop his. "Hey, hey, hey bud I gotta queshtion for ya."
"A queshtion huh? Okay butterbutt, shoot,"
"Ahm not gonna shoot yew, yer my besht friend," she said, looking scandalized.
"Nooooo," he said, giggling almost uncontrollably, "it means ashk me the queshtion, shit, now you have me sayin it wonky tew," he said, causing them both to break out in fits of laughter.
After a minute of infectious giggling, the two had calmed down enough to where Star felt she could get her question in. "Marco, am ah a good girl? -Friend. Girlfriend! Am I ah a good wunna those?" she asked, fixing him with her best serious look, "to Tom I mean… Or you, ya know… if we was dating… Okay, sho two-part queshtion then."
Even in his drunken haze, Marco could feel her eyes on him as she eagerly awaited his answer. His brain seemed jammed; his thoughts slow in coming as if they were wading through molasses on the way to his mouth. "Shtar, I'm gonna answer the second pot of your queshtion first... if I may. If we was dating, I would say yer an amazin girlfriend. We have sho much fun togever, you alwaysh make me laff, your shuperrr pretty, and, and," he stumbled slightly over his words, "you really did such a great job cheering me oop tonight. I'm feeling mush better!" he gushed feeling embarrassed at the slur in his voice marring his words.
"Aww, thank yew Marco. I do try," she beamed.
"Ash to whether you're a good girlfriend to Tom… Well if you poot in anywhere near the effort with him that you wiff me, then he'd be a fool nodda think you're anythink less than exshellent," said Marco, shaking his head slightly as his head threatened to float off his shoulders. "Now you do me!" he yelled, causing several passing dancers to give him a strange look.
"What?" Star blushed heavily at his words.
"No, Star, the queshtion, God Damnit it, I'm still doon it!'
"Ohhhhhhh, yeah totally, totally. I thought," she began.
"Oh I noo what you thought ya pervert," he laughed, winking at her.
"Marcooo, Marco, Marco, Marco," she grinned, her cheeks flush from the alcohol and more than a little embarrassment. "Penelope ish a very lucky girl. Yer fun, and shweet, plush you kick monster butt shoooooo good," she giggled, leaning into him to lay her head on his shoulder before a mischievous grin spread across her face. "You should hear the thinks Penelope wants to do *hic* to you. That Princesh is gonna rock your world mah best bestie!"
"Didja know she wanted me to come back tuh her room the firsht night wes went out?" he whispered into her ear.
"Shounds like Penelope alright," giggled Star, "But ya know yah can't blame a girl fer tryin," she laughed back as she lifted her head to look him in his eyes.
"Waddaya mean?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.
"Marco, yer like suuuper cute. What princesh wouldn't want to smooch yer cutie face?" she asked, as she booped his nose. Several long seconds passed before she sat up straight and covered her mouth in shock at what she had just said. 'Oh no, oh no, what did I just say,' she thought, panicking. Luckily for her, however, Marco didn't seem particularly interested in reading deeper into what she had said.
"Waitttt a minute," he said, narrowing his eyes at her as she nervously fidgeted, "yew think I'm cute?"
"Coursh I dooo, ya think I'm cute too right? Soo itsh only fair," she said, nodding at him sagely.
"Fair's fair, thas true," he mused, nodding back at her.
"Ladies and gentlemen. I, Jamtron 5000, require all your flesh sack bodies on the dance floor for maximum party amplitude immediately!" came the robotic voice of the DJ as the lights strobed and flashed.
"C'mon Marcus!" shouted Star, grabbing him by the hand before dragging him back out onto the dancefloor, "issa time to get dancey!"
O - O - O - O - O - O – O
Hours later the still, inky darkness of Marco's room was obliterated as a swirling portal burst into life. Stumbling out of it, Marco and Star crashed against the side of his bed before falling on top of the mattress in a tangle of limbs and laughter.
"Star, Star, wait a second," he laughed as he tried to free his arm from under the blonde princess. He was glad he'd stopped at four Rainbow Fizzes as he rolled to his knees, finally managing to pull his arm out from under a giggling Star.
Still laughing, she reached up and pulled him back down to lay next to her on top of his covers. "Look Marco! Look!" she said as she pointed to the ceiling where several small constellations of Glow-in-the-Dark star shaped stickers were glowing with a faint green light. "Now you have one more Star in your life Marco!" she giggled.
He couldn't help but laugh at the awful joke as he turned to face her on the bed, but no sooner had he looked down at her supine form than he felt his breath catch in his chest for the second time that day. She looked like a goddess come to life, laying on his bed in her beautiful black dress, and bathed in a shaft of pale moonlight that had suddenly appeared as the clouds shifted. The only colors he could even make out on her were her rosy heart-shaped cheek marks, and the palest hint of blue in her eyes. Behind her head, her long blonde hair lay fanned out on his bed like the train of some beautiful dress.
"Marco?" she had finished giggling, and was now looking at him, a warm smile on her face, "what is it?"
"It's nothing, don't worry about it," he said, as he continued to drink in the sight of her.
"No, tell me. If you're still bothered about what happened today, we can talk more about it if you want."
"No, it's nothing bad…" he paused, debating internally as to whether or not to tell her what he was truly thinking. 'Best besties don't keep secrets.' Star's words seemed to magically pop into his head in his moment of hesitancy, nudging the balance ever so slightly. "It's just… I've never seen someone look more beautiful than you do right now."
Star heart seemed to stop in that moment, the weight of his words cutting through the fog in her tipsy brain like a laser. Something was building in her as she looked into his chocolate colored eyes, a pressure in her chest that threatened to tear her apart unless she gave it some method of escape. The hours of dancing, bodies sliding against one another, the innocent touches, the way he held her in the cave and taught her to trust herself to utilize her magic…
"Star, if I said anything too forward I apo-" but he never got to finish his apology as she leaned forward and pressed her lips again his. Soft and warm, he instinctively reached up to cup her cheek as they held the kiss, lips working against one another in a passionate embrace. Her lips were silky smooth and tasted like bubblegum, a flavor he seemed to remember preferring to cinnamon in a half thought as they continued their kiss. He felt her place her hand over his on her cheek as her tongue slipped between his lips, asking permission to enter and immediately receiving it.
Whether they stayed like that for seconds or hours, it didn't matter. Concepts like time ceased to be relevant as everything around them became as meaningless noise, until it was just him and a beautiful princess from Mewni named Star. Finally opening his eyes as they reluctantly broke their kiss, he saw her staring at him, her blue eyes wide with shock.
"We," began Star.
"Kissed," finished Marco, as they stared at each now wordless with shock.
Author's Note:
Hey everybody! LordCornwalis here, bringing you a hopefully action packed and fun next installment of Ronald and I's joint story. I hope you all liked this chapter as much as I loved writing it. Phew, this one seemed to have everything going on. Supernatural hijinks with Janna, Life or death struggles with Reynard and Marco, Passionate moments for both Penelope and Star! What oh what is Marco to do I wonder? You'll just have to wait and see where our favorite Karate boy and Extradimensional Princess go from here! As always, I ask that if you liked the story, feel free to leave a review. Reviews are like crack for Ronald and me, it's fuel that keeps our passion for writing burning bright so we can bring everybody these fun awesome stories! And speaking of awesome, if you're new to either myself or RonaldReagan's writings please go check out solo stories, In the Pale Starlight and Forgotten Ventures respectively. Both are fantastic Starco stories that I'm sure you will find just as entertaining as this one!
Until Next Time! LordCornwalis out!
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