A/N: Just a quick note in front of things to say that I hope all of you are healthy and making efforts to remain so during this tough time. I also hope you love the sizzling finale to chapter 9 of this story. It's long but it's oh so worth it!
Dmitri Shostakovich. "The Second Waltz." 2010. Forever Vienna. Perf. André Rieu & The Johann Strauss Orchestra. Universal Music Group International
Brian H. Kim. "Blood Moon Waltz" 2019. Disney.
For the Blood Moon waltz, I recommend the extended mix posted by DJ_fallingstar. You can find it by searching the "blood moon waltz extended" on youtube and it should be the literal first result.
The Once and Future Queen
Chapter 9 Part 2
"It's the mask that falls off"
*Clack* The sharp report of wooden practice swords smashing against one another echoed around the small stone courtyard where several teens were sitting and watching another pair practice. It had been several hours since their time with Jackie in Star's room, and now the group was enjoying a spirited sparring session between two novices. "Excellent, Penelope! Now strike while her side is exposed!" called the excited voice of Reynard.
Marco watched apprehensively as his girlfriend gripped the wooden practice sword so tight her knuckles went white before she swung it with all her might directly at an out of position Janna. Even with the padded gambeson the girl wore over her jacket and skirt, he was worried the blow might crack a rib. After all, Penny had about four inches on the Filipina and although not to the same extent as Star, her strength was surprising for her lithe build. *Whoosh* the sound of the wooden blade cleaving nothing but air hissed out as Janna threw herself into a tight forward roll to dive under the arc of Penelope's sword.
"Learned that one from Marco!" she shouted, throwing a cheeky wink at him as Penelope growled in frustration.
"Adam told me about the time you two taught Janna how to do that…" Jackie's soft, wistful voice dragged his attention away from the still viciously sparing pair in front of him. He looked over and saw an extremely drained looking Jackie smiling slightly and he couldn't help but lean over and nudge her shoulder with his.
"It was mostly Adam… I kinda thought teaching Janna karate so she could mess with me even better was an awful idea, but he thought it might be nice if Janna knew a little self defense since she messes with everyone so much," he chuckled, glad when he saw that wisp of a smile on her face widen at his words. "You know what he told me?"
Jackie was quiet for a moment, but when she opened her mouth to speak, Marco knew exactly what she was going to say and joined her. "Dude, never let fear get in the way of greatness!" they said together, before bursting out laughing. It was something Adam had always said when any of his friends had shown any hint of apprehension or worry at doing something. It didn't matter if it was a daunting skateboard trick, or a mean looking opponent at a karate tournament, he was always there to support them. One time, Marco had asked him where he picked the saying up, and Adam had confided in him that it was something his dad told him before every skateboarding meet to steady his nerves and that he'd borrowed it because it worked so well.
Soon though, Jackie's smile seemed to melt away and Marco, desperate to get the subject off of Adam, slipped Silverlight out of its scabbard on his hip and laid it across his lap. He noticed both Jackie and Reynard's eyes were drawn to the sword, a thin strip of carmine gleaming vibrant from crossguard to tip in the bright sunlight. "Reynard, do you know what this color is about? It showed up last night while I was fighting that big alligator guy, Krunt. Did that ever happen to you before?"
"Ah, I was wondering when that particular feature would show up," said Reynard, nodding and motioning over Janna and Penelope to join them. "You know Marco, in thecalamities we've experienced in the last month since I gave you that blade, I do think I've forgotten to tell you its full history."
"Well, you said it's been in your family for generations, but yeah, that's about it." said Marco, scooching over so Penelope could squeeze next to him on the stone bench.
"Sometimes I forget you aren't a noble, Marco," said his girlfriend, giving him what she hoped was an understanding smile, though the look on his face seemed to suggest she'd said something wrong.
"You say that like it's a bad thing…" said Marco, cocking his head at her as if seeing something for the first time. Penelope went to say something, opening her mouth to utter a stilted, "Not…you…" at him before he shook his head slightly, muttering a quiet, "Don't worry about it…"
"As I was saying…" said Reynard in a loud voice that pulled all four teen's attention back to him. "You know that the sword is charmed to be nearly weightless in the hands of its wielder, and its durability is far beyond that of even the hardest steels. But that blade also has a long and storied history on Mewni."
"It's the sword that slew Seth of Septaris," interrupted Penelope, beaming at Marco as she cut in. "It's one of the only weapons in existence outside of dark magic that can prevent Septarians from regenerating."
"I have no idea who that is, Penny," he said, cocking his head in confusion.
"He was a vile monster, who loudly and publicly advocated for the genocide of mewmans. A murderous, insane tyrant who basically was the first to organize the monsters in an attempt to rid Mewni of the mewmans. He was also Toffee's mentor…" answered Reynard, his voice hard edged with hatred. "But my great grandfather, the great Guimar Butterfly drove that very sword through Seth's black heart and killed him once and for all."
"Wow," breathed Marco, his eyes as big as saucers as he ran a thumb over the golden butterfly inlaid on the flat of the blade.
"Penelope is quite right though, Marco. Silverlight is famous on Mewni and most anyone who has paid even half attention to our history knows of it."
"So it's like Excalibur or the Honjo Masamune then? A legendary weapon?" he asked, looking even more impressed as he effortlessly hefted the weapon in his hand.
Reynard chuckled slightly, "It's origins are hardly so divine, Marco, but yes,it has a reputation on Mewni as a weapon to be feared. It was a gift you see; from the Magic High Commission to my great-something or other grandfather. The story is a bit murky, but apparently he saved Heckapoo's life from some great evil and she forged the blade as a thank you so that my family line would continue to act as 'Protectors of Mewni' or some rubbish like that."
"Reynard, I don't know who either of those people are," Marco laughed, moving the blade to catch the sunlight against the scarlet edge.
Reynard just shook his head with a grin, chuckling back, "A story for another time. Just know that the High commission is a revered group of magic users, and Hekapoo is the one charged with crafting those dimensional scissors Star uses."
"And… the red?" asked Janna, pointing to the blade with her usual hungry look whenever something might take a turn towards the macabre. Even Jackie seemed to be looking on with interest now, likely thankful for anything that could take her mind of the events of last night and earlier that morning.
"Ah, well that is one of the more…interesting aspects of the sword, Ms. Ordonia. You see, when Silverlight wounds an opponent, it takes in their 'Essence', and uses it to strengthen itself. Star-tempered steel may be extremely hard, but it is not invulnerable. And Silverlight sharpens and repairs any cracks or notches it may suffer in battle though this method," explained Reynard, looking proudly down at the blade still laying in Marco's lap.
"Reynard…" began Marco, eyeing his friend suspiciously, "when you say 'essence', you mean blood right? Because when I was fighting Krunt last night I noticed his blood being absorbed by the sword, and that's about when the coloration started."
"Yes, Marco." answered Reynard, sounding slightly exasperated at his question. "I was trying to be delicate for the ladies… but yes, in effect, Silverlight absorbs the blood of its foes to make itself stronger and sharper. Haven't you noticed it is still in pristine condition even in your battle with that overgrown Alligator?"
"Bitchin…" muttered Janna, her own eyes wide with appreciation at the dark powers of Marco's sword being revealed.
"Wait a minute," said Marco, looking confused. "When you and I fought Ludo's goons the other day it didn't do that whole 'blood-drinking' thing. Why did it start up all of the sudden last night?"
"Killing intent," came the blunt answer from Reynard. "When you fought those losers Ludo sent at us, you were merely protecting yourself. And when you killed that poor wretch, it was more of an accident than anything correct?"
Marco thought for a moment, staring hard at the sword in his hands as he remembered the fear and adrenaline that had run through him in the first serious fight for his life. He could remember that monster's face, picture perfect in his mind, the pain and the terror written in stark relief as his blade lay buried in its throat. 'I didn't want to kill him… But he didn't give me a choice,' he thought, searching his memory deeply and finding no "killing intent" there, just resignation and regret for having to take a life in self defense. Looking up and into Reynard's eyes he nodded.
"But last night was different, wasn't it, Marco? Star told me this morning at breakfast the fight against Krunt was a near-run thing. Congratulations by the way on ridding the multiverse of that filth. She told me how you and her were almost killed, and that when she went down, you stepped up and finished the beast off."
He didn't answer for a moment, as once more thoughts of last night flooded his mind. Star's limp form crumpled at the base of that stone pillar. Krunt's sneering face as he assured Marco that he'd have to watch as he tore her to pieces in front of him. Even now, the memories enraged him, and he could feel the blood pounding in his ears as he remembered feeling the burning anger and wrath. He'd wanted to punish Krunt for what he'd done to Star… Wanted to 'drive my blade into his heart so that he'd never hurt another soul' whispered a vengeful voice in his head, and Marco knew it was right. He'd wanted to kill Krunt for what he did, there was no denying it. Looking up, he saw Reynard's knowing face and answered his question with a simple, "It was."
A soft touch at Marco's shoulder made him look over and he saw Penelope staring hard at him. He didn't know whether she was mad or not, but he felt that to say anything right now might be dangerous. After a moment, however, the tense silence between them was broken when she spoke to him in an even, quiet voice, "I thought you were kidding about the almost dying thing…" Without asking, she let her hand slip down to his side and lifted up his t-shirt to reveal a mottled swathe of half faded bruises covering most of his torso, the remnants of Star's "Radioactive Healing Slugs" spell. "Oh, my corn…" she breathed, "Marco you didn't have any of these last Saturday… Why didn't you tell me you got beaten up this badly on Mejoga. I thought you were kidding last night about almost dying. What did Star rope you into?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at the mention of the other princess.
"I didn't want you to worry, Penny… You know being Star's guide and best friend is kinda high risk," he said, trying to make a joke to break the horribly spiraling awkwardness. 'I'd give anything to be able to portal out of here…' he thought bitterly as he could feel four sets of eyes boring into him from all sides.
Penelope didn't seem to find the comment funny as she let his t-shirt drop and pulled him to his feet before dragging him out of the courtyard and into the shady hallway. "I'll see you guys later…" called Marco to the rest of his friends as Reynard and Janna both howled with laughter, while a frowning Jackie looked on silently. When they'd gone a respectable distance down the shadowy corridor, he felt his pulse race when she stopped and faced him, the same hard look in her eyes as when she'd first touched his shoulder.
"Marco…" he felt his heart break when her fragile voice cracked as she spoke his name. Tears were swimming in her emerald green eyes and she took both of his hands in hers. "You need to tell me the next time you almost die, Babe…" she said, giving him a watery smile.
"I…" he had started to speak when Penelope pulled him into a tight hug, wiping away the feeble words he had planned to say.
"I care about you just as much as Star does…" she half-sobbed into his shoulder. "I know I'm not as open about things as she is, but I'd be destroyed if something serious were to happen to you."
"I know you do, Penny, I know you do," he said, wrapping his own arms around her and squeezing her felt like something he'd scraped off his shoe in Mejoga, and he increased the pressure of his hug as he felt her tremble slightly. Her words cut deeply as he thought once more of how he'd run off after Star instead of facing her that morning. "I'm sorry I downplayed how dangerous my trip to Mejoga was; I was stupid," he continued, smiling when she lifted her head away from his neck.
"If Star's allowed to drag you off to corn knows where…then I'm allowed to worry, Marco." Penny grinned when she saw him nod, and leaned forward for a soft, quick kiss. Pulling back, she giggled and dove in for another, slipping a free hand up into his short brown hair. As Marco kissed her back, he felt a pang of guilt spike the pleasure of her lips on his. It wasn't lost on him, or his conscience, that he'd let Star kiss him mere hours ago, despite their "promise" to the contrary.
"Sorry I've been such a flake lately, Penny," he said, feeling the truth of his words hit him in more ways than one.
"It's fine, Marco, you're forgiven. Just, no more three day overnights with Star alright? Oh, and you still owe me a good time tonight," she giggled once more, and he felt a genuine smile grow on his lips.
"Can't wait to see you in that dress," he purred at her just as his phone alarm went off. Checking it quickly, he shut it off and pecked a now blushing Penelope on the lips. "I have to run, Penny. I have my fitting with the royal tailor for the Masquerade Ball tomorrow. Thanks for getting me in to see him on such short notice."
"Well, being royalty does have its advantages, now doesn't it," she laughed, giving his backside a playful slap. "Now get moving, Diaz, I expect you to look more handsome than usual tomorrow so we can make all the other noble couples green with envy. I'll be by your house at six, Okay?"
"Sounds great! See you then, Penny!" he called, jogging up the hallway and waving to her before turning the corner and disappearing.
O - O - O - O - O - O - O
"A little bit of banana, a little lotta magic," hummed Star, as she put the finishing touches on her outfit for the evening. Stepping back, she looked her reflection up and down, feeling satisfied with it. She had her hair done up in a long ponytail, and a new, red and white sailor dress that she bought at the mall. She bought it after asking Marco if it was, "Always so crazy hot in California," desperate for outfits that could breath better than the ones she'd brought from Mewni. The fabric was light and airy, and she figured it would serve just as well in the sweltering underworld as a sizzling SoCal afternoon.
'Wish we were going anywhere but the Underworld, though…' she groused in her mind as she frowned to herself in the mirror. It was always so hot, and everything was so dark and depressing… All skeletons and Gothic statues depicting suffering and punishment. It was much more Janna's style if she was honest with herself, but Star was determined to be a good girlfriend and go places Tom wanted to go as well. 'Sometimes you just have to suck it up, Butterfly…' she thought, psyching herself up, 'even if that meant an uncomfortably sweaty night ordering off the 'mortals' menu.'
Satisfied with her outfit and hair at last, she struck a final, silly pose in the mirror and bust out in a fit of giggles. It wasn't so much the pose that made her laugh, rather a memory of two weeks prior when Marco had shown her around the Echo Creek Pier amusement park. She'd loved the fast rides, especially the roller coaster that went "upside downy." They'd ridden it ten times that day, until a distinctly green around the gills Marco had begged her to give him a break. So she'd dragged him to another favorite thing of hers, a photobooth.
They must have spent fifty dollars in that booth, but it had been worth it. Each had taken home a fistful of photographs of them making silly faces, posing with overlaid graphics, photos that now held a prominent place of honor pinned to the wall next to her bed. By the time they'd left after sundown, Star had described it as a "perfect day with my bestie."
Looking back on it now and smiling to herself, she felt it had flirted awfully close to being a date. "The promise, Star. The promise…" she reminded herself out loud as she pushed those pleasant memories with Marco out of her mind and slipped into the hallway to hurry down the corridor. She had to be careful, as technically she was grounded, but she'd found that being friends with all the guards and staff in the castle had its benefits. For one, they tended to look the other way when she needed them to, only refusing to budge on serious matters.
Checking her phone, she saw that Tom was waiting for her in his usual spot off the grand entrance. There was a cozy lounge there for guests to relax and take tea. Tom had always enjoyed the privacy it offered after River had expressly forbidden him from being in her room unsupervised after an embarrassing moment when he had caught them in the middle of a heated make out session.
Laughing now at the memory, she hopped up onto the railing of one of the grand staircases and slid sideways down its polished marble length, landing nimbly on the mirror-shined floor. Nearby, an elderly butler clapped. "Thank you, William," she mock-bowed before putting a finger to her lips and winking at him. The butler returned the gesture, smiling as Star turned off towards the lounge where she knew Tom was waiting.
A short minute later, she was approaching the sitting room when she heard her boyfriend's annoyed sounding voice loud and clear in the hallway, "Yes Dad, I already sent the package this morning." Intrigued, Star crept closer and peeked through the crack between the door and jamb. Tom was on his compact, pacing back and forth in the small room as he listened to the other person on the line speaking heatedly with him. Star could tell he was upset, as his feet were leaving scorch marks in the carpet and his voice had taken on that demonic edge to it whenever he was really angry. 'I've never heard Tom fight with his dad before…' she thought, worrying that if he lost his temper with King Dave, he might not be able to come to Earth anymore.
She felt bad spying on her boyfriend in the middle of a clearly private matter, and thinking it would be best to let him finish his "discussion" with his father alone, she turned to go wait for him in the entrance hall. She was just about to leave, when he said something that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. "Dad, LISTEN!They're going to have to wait!" he was yelling now, "I'm on a date with Star right now and I'll get to it when I get home!" More silence as Dave presumably objected to having to wait on whatever he wanted Tom to do. 'Seems like whatever Tom is postponing for our date has to be important then,' thought Star, puzzling over what it might be.
She watched as Tom stopped and took a deep breath, chanting a low mantra she'd never heard before, "Serenity now, serenity now…" Whatever it was, it seemed to help him calm down, as his voice had returned back to normal when he spoke next. "Just tell him he can wait. He needs us a lot more than we need him right now… Besides, you already had me send the last group a few weeks ago. Yeah, he told me what he told you, that most of them already got themselves killed."
'Who got themselves killed?' thought Star, concern bubbling up inside her the more he spoke. She'd never heard Tom speak so callously before about anything and it worried her. Just then, Tom turned away from the door, speaking so softly that she had to lean forward and push her ear against the gap in order to hear him. "Look, this was your idea in the first place… I just went along because it let me get Star back."
'Went along with what idea…' she thought just as her grip slipped on the door jamb. Tumbling into the room with a loud, "Oof", as she landed flat on her face on the carpet. Staring down at her, Tom's face shifted quickly from anger, to surprise, to concern as he knelt down to help her up. "I gotta go, Dad. Star's here, I'll talk to you tonight when I get home," he quickly spoke into the phone before hanging up.
"Thanks, Tom," she muttered, dusting off her skirt and turning to look at him. He was squirming slightly under her gaze, the subject of her eavesdropping clearly on the tip of his tongue. The awkward silence stretched on horribly for a moment before he finally spoke.
"Were you listening to my conversation?" he asked, the annoyed tone edging back into his voice.
"Wha- Nooo! I was- You see-I didn't mean to, Tom! I was just walking to come get you and overheard you on the phone."
"And you decided that eavesdropping on a private conversation was a good idea? Jeez, Star…" he frowned, looking hurt.
"Sorry Tom," she answered, feeling a bit sheepish as he continued to glower at her. She knew she shouldn't have listened in, after all, her mom had always scolded her whenever she listened in on the servant's gossip. "A princess does not, 'skulk about,' dear. You should always make your presence known in social situations," she had admonished. But even still…her thoughts whirred and flashed by in her mind. She had a bad feeling about what she had overheard, but she couldn't put her finger on exactly why.
"It's fine. Are you ready to go to dinner? I picked out the best table in Le Cri. Had to wait two weeks to get this reservation," he grumbled. "You'd think being the son of the king of the underworld would have more pull with the maitre d', but that wily old bastard plays by his own rules… Star?"
Star jumped slightly, pulled from her jumbled and darkening thoughts at her name being called. "Hrm, what?"
"I asked if you were ready to go to dinner? Jeez, Star… Try to pay a little attention would ya? It wasn't easy to talk my dad into letting me come to Earth to keep seeing you, ya know."
"I know, and I'm glad you can come see me," she said. She meant it of course, but still, something was tugging at the back of her mind. They had walked in silence together out of the castle and into the courtyard where his carriage was waiting, when she found the courage to ask what had been gnawing at her for several minutes. "Tom, what were you talking to your dad about? These packages…" she let her voice trail off as she studied his three eyes, "they sound like you're sending people somewhere. And you said a bunch of them had died?"
"Oh, uh…" he scratched the back of his neck, opening the door to his carriage for her to climb inside. "I was hoping you wouldn't find out until I had some good answers, Starship… But Dad has been sending scouts to Mewni to figure out what's going on there. I know I told you he was talking with Toffee about 'normalizing relations?' Well, part of that was finding any mewmans still fighting, and bringing them to Earth. I know, I know, he's evil," he added quickly as she narrowed her eyes and went to speak, "but opening up a dialogue with Toffee will save lives, Starship. I think Toffee's a monster too, but at least this way, more of your people can be saved since not everyone could be evacuated, right? Well, we sent a squad of scouts to make contact with anyone still fighting Toffee and unfortunately, they were ambushed and most of them were killed. I'm sorry I don't have better news for you," he said, sitting down next to her as the carriage dropped down into the underworld with a loud *Whoosh*.
"It's okay, Tom. There hasn't been any good news out of Mewni since I left, I don't have my hopes up that your dad's scouts would find anyone. Thanks for telling me though, I appreciate it." She smiled at a relieved looking Tom, but inside, she wanted to scream. 'I know he's lying about something,' she thought, recognizing the tell-tale neck scratch he always did whenever he lied to Pony Head or his Dad about where he and Star had gone in the past. She should have called him out on it, forced the truth out of him with a simple look, but she decided to take a different tack.
'What would Marco dooo,' she thought, as the allure of a mystery to be solved shoved aside some of the suspicion and concern in her mind. Marco would do what he always did, as she had come to learn to her great delight; he would stay quiet and observe. He would be cautious, and only act when the time was right. And so, Star decided that is what she would do; after all, how bad could it be?
O - O - O - O - O - O - O
Smoothing his green button-up shirt, Marco shifted nervously by the front door. Penelope was due any moment now, and he wanted to be sure he was the one to answer the door, rather than give his parents an early opportunity to get an embarrassing story in. Checking his phone for the tenth time in as many minutes, he blew out a nervous breath and jumped slightly when a soft knock came from the door. Ignoring the quiet laughter of his mother, he leapt forward and pulled open the door to reveal a smiling Penelope. She was dressed in the same beautiful green cocktail dress she had sent a picture of to him last night and he had to admit, in person, it was even better looking. Around her neck was a gleaming silver necklace of cut emeralds, and perched in her soft brown hair a very small, carved wooden Tiara that shone iridescent in the setting sun.
"H-H-Hi," he stammered, feeling his cheeks burn red as she brushed a loose strand of hair back behind an ear.
"Hi Babe," she smiled at him, leaning in for a quick kiss. Looking around him, she waved to Marco's parents. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz!"
"Hello, Penelope," answered Angie.
"Hola, Penelope," added Raphael as he shared an impressed look with Angie.
Marco caught a quiet, "Que a pequeña bonita señorita" from his father before he turned back to his girlfriend when she cleared her throat quietly. "May I come in?" she asked, looking expectantly at him as she waited for him to regain his bearings.
"Sorry about that," he laughed nervously and stepped aside to usher her into the living room. "I think I just wasn't expecting the emeralds for…a get together."
They spent the next half an hour sitting with his parents as Marco explained how they'd met, some of the more fun, parent-friendly dates they'd been on, and in general, letting Penny introduce herself to his parents. Things seemed to be going extremely well, better than even Marco could have hoped. Until, that is, Penelope decided to pay his parents a compliment. "Angie, Raphael, I gotta say, I just loove your little home! It's very impressive for a commoner. Usually the best you see these days is leagues below your… Manor."
"That's very…sweet of you, dear," answered Angie in a voice that sounded much more surprised than thankful.
Marco felt a hot flash of exasperation at his girlfriend's words. This wasn't the first time she'd been insensitive towards others who weren't royalty. He vividly remembered the embarrassment he felt on their first date when she had dismissed their waitress as a peasant. That hadn't been the only time, in fact, Penelope routinely treated service workers with much less dignity than he felt they deserved. And even just today, she'd scoffed at the idea that Marco wasn't a member of the nobility. He found that it was bothering him more and more lately, and it took considerable willpower to let the comment pass. Instead, he figured he would break the tension by standing up and inviting Penelope to the kitchen.
Throwing an apron on, he pulled a spare off the peg and handed it out to her. "Ready to get dinner started? We're having Birria tacos." he said, turning to rummage poull the fridge open and grab some last minute ingredients. "I got an early start on the stew since it takes a few hours, but you can help me make the tortillas. If you don't love them, Penny, I'll stop wearing hoodies,"he laughed before realizing she hadn't taken the apron yet. Turning to look at her, he noticed she was giving him a blank stare.
"Wait, you were actually serious when you said you wanted me to cook with you? I thought you were joking Marco… Did you send your servant home for the evening or something?" she asked, wrinkling her nose at the array of ingredients he had carefully set up on the counter.
He didn't know what to say at first, the comment was so far out of left field. 'Was it actually that outlandish to want her to cook something with me?' He thought, his mind split between formulating a response, and understanding hers. Finally, he recovered enough to answer her, "Penny… you do know my family isn't rich right?" he asked, careful to keep his tone even and light.
"Yeah, I know Marco. It's why I buy you stuff all the time," she explained as easily as if she were telling him the time.
"Well if you d- Wait, WHAT?" he asked, in a loud whisper. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. 'She buys stuff because she thinks I can't afford good clothes?' asked an indignant voice in his head.
"Well…" she trailed off, "that, and I felt like your wardrobe could use a bit of an update. You are the boyfriend of a princess, Marco. You need to look the part otherwise people will talk."
His mouth was agape now, absolutely floored at her words. "Okay two things… One, that stops now. I don't mind you buying me something because you want to, but if it's out of pity, or a need to make me into more attractive arm candy… Then hard pass. And two, Star hasn't once mentioned my outfit in anything less than a compliment, and she's a princess too; so what does it matter what i wear?"
"Marco, Star dresses like a rainbow threw up on a ten-year-old girl's wardrobe… I know you're her best friend, but that girl's got no style. I seriously don't understand her obsession with rainbows," laughed Penelope.
It was a laugh he'd never heard from her before, and he didn't like it. It was spiteful, callous and meant only to hurt. A laugh born out of contempt, and the reason why was obvious. He knew his girlfriend well enough at this point to know that her friendship with Star was likely unsalvageable, but he'd figured she could at least stick to her promise to not be overtly mean to his best friend. 'It's not worth the argument,' he thought, deciding that it was better if he just moved past her rudeness.
"C'mon Penny…" he chided her gently before handing out the apron again, "let's just make some tortillas. I promise they'll be worth the corn flour on your dress.
"Corn you say? In these…torteeyas" she asked, a note of piqued interest staining her voice as she slowly took the apron from his hand.
"Yup, hot off the griddle too," he grinned at her, happy to have steered out of the shoal-filled waters and back towards something safe. "Not, to brag," he chuckled, "but I make the best tortillas in the family."
"Honey?" asked Raphael, his face falling when Angie gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder before bursting into laughter.
"Sorry, Raphael, but in this case, the son has truly surpassed the father," she said, giving him a long, soft kiss to mend her husband's wounded pride.
"Gross," muttered Marco as he grabbed the ingredients and turned back to a finally smiling Penelope.
O - O - O - O - O - O - O
An hour later, Star found herself pushing her food around on her plate distractedly as she half-listened to a story Tom was telling about felling something called an "Ember Golem" earlier that day.
"So then while I distracted it by flying by its head, Mutilax grabbed it and put it into a headlock." Tom mimed performing the move on an unfortunate imaginary figure next to him in his chair.
"Uh-huh," mumbled Star, flicking her eyes back and forth between his animated face, and her sad, picked-over plate of spaghetti alla carbonara. It was a dish Marco had introduced to her at Echo Creek's "One good Italian restaurant," he'd griped back when Penny could still tolerate Star's presence around Marco. Like most of the Earth things he'd shown her, she'd fall in love with it and had even had the royal chef learn how to make it after showing him a tutorial online. Not to say it wasn't well made in the Underworld, but she had long since lost her appetite.
"Starship?" asked Tom for the third time, frowning when she continued to push around her cold dinner. Fighting down a rising tide of annoyance, he called out her name in a loud clear voice that made several tables look over in their direction. "Star!" He waved his hand in front of her face for the third time that night. "Mewni to Starship, come in Starship," he huffed.
"Sorry, Tom," she muttered, putting her fork down and pushing the now cold dish away from her.
"What's with you? You've been distracted all night and you've hardly touched your food…" he asked, cocking his head and studying her. "Usually you always have two plates of pasta. Is this because I yelled at you for listening in on my Dad and I?"
'No, it's because you lied to me!' she wanted to shout at him, but instead, settled on the first thing she could think of; a lame-sounding, "I'm just not feeling that great." She cringed even as the words left her mouth, though apparently, Tom seemed satisfied with her explanation as he merely grunted before flagging down a nearby waiter and ordering another scotch. After taking a long sip, he looked up and grimaced just as a demonic couple their age stopped by the table to say hello to them.
Letting out a relieved sigh at the welcome distraction, Star sunk back into her scattered and dark thoughts as she replayed, once more, everything she had overheard earlier that evening. 'What was he lying about, I wonder…' she thought as she mulled over what she had heard. Were things worse on Mewni than he had let on? She knew that they'd left thousands of mewmans behind when they'd evacuated. Villages that had already been swallowed up by the implacable advance of the monster armies. And people, some of whom Star knew personally, that had refused to give Mewni up to the monsters and decided to stay and fight by organizing an underground resistance.
'Maybe everyone was dead…' she thought, horrified that her rampant imagination immediately went to such a dark place. No, that couldn't be true. Sir Stabby had taken quite a large contingent of fighters to hide out in the caves of the Musty Mountains, something King Dave knew nothing about. No…it had to be something else…
"Starship, you remember Mourn and Lilsea? We double-dated last year to the Brimstone Ball." Tom's words jolted her back out of her thoughts and she quickly looked up at the somewhat familiar couple. They were a member of the royal court if she was recalling the event correctly, and she greeted them with a quick, "Hi." An intruding memory of her and Tom sharing several glasses of wine at the head of the banquet hall that night threatened to put a smile on her face, but she quickly dismissed the happy memory; now wasn't the time.
"A pleasure to see you again, Star," purred Lilsea. "Tom here tells me that your mother has located a suitable dimension for you to, err…re-establish the kingdom?"
Star could have sworn she saw the succubus' lip curl ever so slightly into a subtle sneer at the question and she definitely didn't miss the not so subtle notes of amusement in the demon's tone. It was a deliberate provocation, a barb at her from a bored noble with nothing better to do than to belittle someone for her own personal amusement. Swallowing the choice words she wished she could hurl into the pampered courtier's face, she grit her teeth and drew from the well of calm she kept reserved for her royal duties. "Yes. We've been settling in nicely," she began, thinking fondly of Marco's smiling face, "there's so much to see and do. It's honestly been the most fun I've had in years."
"Did you hear that Tom?" laughed Mourn as he shared a malicious glance with Lilsea, "the most fun she's had in years. Guess the Underworld just isn't as attractive as it used to be."
Tom froze at those words, like a predator catching the scent of prey. 'Always a bad sign' thought Star as she watched him turn his head slowly to stare darkly at a noticeably uncomfortable Mourn. "What was that?" Tom asked, his voice dangerously quiet. 'Another bad sign…' Star felt a bead of sweat on her neck as she watched the telltale signs of Tom's temper surface.
"I…uh… Didn't mean anything…" choked out Mourn, tripping over his words in an effort to backpedal.
"I don't care for your tone, Mourn. In fact, it seems to me that the both of you only came over here so you could insult both Star and myself," growled Tom, standing and dropping his napkin on the table. His pupils were fading to the glowing pits of light they always did when he lost his temper and his voice rang out loudly now in the restaurant as all tables stopped to watch the altercation. "Tom it's fine. I'm not even-" Star said, trying to head off a blowup, but Tom spoke over her stepping towards the other pair, both of whom were visibly trembling in the face of his rage.
"You come to MY table, when I'm on a date with MY girlfriend, just to insult us and suggest that that pathetic mudball means more to her than I do!" said Tom, in a carrying voice. "I am the Prince of the Underworld! And though you may have forgotten that small, little fact… It means I am your lord and ruler. So perhaps a month in the dungeon would remind you of your station, Mourn. Lilsea?" He looked between the two demons expectantly until they both fell to one knee and bowed low.
"Apologies, my Prince. I only meant it as a joke, I didn't mean to imply…" said Mourn, his voice quivering with fear.
"I'm sure Urt is nowhere as near as nice as the Underworld," added Lilsea, sharing a nervous look with Mourn.
"Earth," corrected Tom, saying the name like it was a particularly unpleasant piece of food in his mouth.
"Earth." The word hit Star like a punch in the gut. 'Those packages… Two weeks ago… Some of them were killed…' her jumbled thoughts and suspicions were coalescing her head into a sickening chain of events. Horrified, Star ran back the events of the past weeks in her head: Ludo's sudden appearance at the mall when no one was supposed to know where they had fled to from Mewni, Tom's convenient arrival on Earth just after Ludo and his minions had been defeated for the first time, how Marco and Reynard had slain a number of the same minions in the M.R.C. a couple weeks later… 'About half,' if she remembered correctly.
She felt the room shift suddenly as her stomach dropped out and she had to physically grip the table from sliding out of her chair to the floor. Horror, fear, and anger were just some of the emotions swirling inside of her as she saw her boyfriend continue to berate the cowering demons. "I need to go," she blurted out, staggering to her feet.
"What?" Tom asked, whirling to see his wan-faced girlfriend, "Starship, we just got here like half an hour ago. Where do you need to go?"
"Tom, take me home, please. I feel like I'm going to be sick," she said, swaying slightly and looking down at the floor. She couldn't even look him in the eyes right now, afraid that if she did, he might be able to read the accusatory glare there, or worse, notice the look of disgusted rage that she was barely suppressing.
"Oh, uhhh…sure," he answered, sounding uncomfortable at the idea of her throwing up. He dismissed the two, now daunted visitors and told the waiter to put it on the Lucitor tab on the way out before escorting a stony faced Star to the carriage.
"Do you think it was something you ate?" he asked as they sat together on the way back to Butterfly Castle. He frowned when Star merely nodded her head slowly, reaching over and placing the back of his hand on her forehead. "You feel clammy, Starship…do you think you'll still be good to go to the ball tomorrow? I'm not going to show up if you won't be there. You know how much I hate all these stuffy functions."
'An out!' she thought, excited that she might be able to keep her distance from Tom until she fully figured out exactly what was going on with him and her suspicions. It was a glorious two seconds before reality came crashing down. If she feigned illness to keep Tom from coming, she'd have to face her mother, and not much got past the great Queen Moon Butterfly. There was of course, the far more ludicrous option of involving her in the matter, but without real evidence, and without reason to suspect her 'ally', it might only spark an unnecessary conflict. No, she'd have to play the role of dutiful princess tomorrow night and hope that she could keep it all together.
"I'll be okay, Tom. Nothing a trip to the infirmary and a stomach-settling potion won't fix," she reassured him as the carriage rolled to a creaky stop in front of the steps of the Castle. She cringed as he kissed her on the cheek, and she offered a hurried, "goodnight" before fairly sprinting out of the carriage and up the castle steps on the way to her room, determined to talk to Marco before tomorrow about what she'd overheard.
"Bye, Starship…" muttered Tom; confusion and hurt running in equal measure through him as he watched her take the stairs two at a time up to the main entrance. Leaning back into his seat he gave a curt order of, "Home" to the skeleton horse before realizing that without a date to occupy his evening, he'd have no choice but to help his father.
O - O - O - O - O - O - O
"Oh Mijo, you have outdone yourself this time," said Raphael through a mouthful of taco.
"Honey, they're fantastic," added Angie as she polished off her third taco.
"Thanks," laughed Marco, helping himself to another, "it's all in the spices. Not to mention the excellent homemade corn tortillas." Marco looked over to see Penelope happily chowing down on her own. "Not bad for a princess who's never made anything before, is it Penelope?"
"You were right… You were right…" she admitted holding up her hands in defeat. "It was pretty fun cooking together, though I wouldn't want to have to do it full time. Corn knows what it would do to my nails."
Marco turned to stare at her, an incredulous expression on his face and so, he missed the look his parents shared with each other. Had he been paying attention to them, he may have been able to head off what came next. "I'm glad you had fun making tortillas with Mijo… Though not as much fun as Star did I don't think. They were both covered in flour in less than five minutes," chuckled Raphael as Angie shook her head emphatically, a look of dawning horror on her face.
The ensuing five seconds of silence were the longest Marco had ever lived through. He felt like he aged a year as the smile on Penelope's face melted into a tight-lipped grimace and she turned to face him. "You had Star over for dinner?" She asked the question in a quiet, calm voice, but Marco could feel the frigid air between them as the ice formed around her words.
His mind raced and strove for any excuse, any reason he could give that might head off the looming explosion; he was Star's guide, surely he was allowed to have her over for dinner. Maybe even the reasoning that his parents worked with Star's parents and he had agreed to more or less 'babysit' for a private night… But no, Penelope was beyond that kind of reasoning. Numbly, he simply nodded as she glared at him, unspoken words he knew he'd hear about after dinner arcing between them like uncaged electricity. The rest of the dinner passed in a tense atmosphere of near silence, broken only by some half-hearted attempts by Marco's parents to restart a conversation between both teens.
"Thank you for inviting me into your gracious home Mr. and Mrs. Diaz," Penelope said, her voice stiff as she stood once dinner had wound down, "it was lovely to meet you both. Marco, may I speak with you outside?"
"Sure, Penny," he said, thankful he'd been able to keep his voice from cracking under the strain. Silently, he followed her out onto the porch and braced for the coming storm as the front door shut with the *thud* of a guillotine slamming down.
"So." A single word from her had his utmost attention as she glared at him. "Why the hell was Star over for dinner before me? And when was this by the way? And were you going to ever tell me? Or just keep it as your secret?" Penelope's barrage of questions seemed to form an impenetrable barrier between the two, preventing any amicable communication.
"Penny," he began, trying to take her hand and starting when she pulled it away. 'Alright she wants to be like that then…' he thought, resigned now to an argument on the front step. "We've been over this," he explained in the calmest, most even voice he could muster, "Star is my best friend, so her coming over is a lot different than you coming over. Not to mention, my parents are Queen Moon and King River's guides, so of course we've had them over."
"How is it different? I mean you even had the same friggin food, Marco! I know she has feelings for you… You know she has feelings for you…" Penny said, frowning and crossing her arms.
"Because I'm not dating Star, Penny. I'm dating you. And we've been over this more than once. You told me last week that you were okay with me being Star's guide and best friend, that you "couldn't make me choose" between you or her. And now you seem like you're forcing me indirectly to do just that by getting so bent out of shape every time her name even comes up."
Marco stopped to take a deep breath, his chocolate brown eyes boring into his girlfriend's emerald green ones as they stood in the twilight on his front step. When he saw her wilt slightly under the truth in his words, he pressed on, "Besides, there's no pressure with Star. She's only a friend, and although I'm glad my parents like her, if they didn't, it wouldn't bother me. But I do care if they like you… And I gotta say, you didn't leave the best impression on them tonight."
"What do you mean?" Penelope asked, the harsh tone and fierce gaze completely fading away as she looked slightly stricken at his words.
"Well… First of all, you insulted their home by basically calling us peasants. I've said this before Penny, we don't have them here in California. We just have…people. No kings, no nobles, no peasants. Just. People. Next, you basically admitted in front of them that you buy me stuff because you think I can't afford better? Do you really not realize how insulting that sounded to my parents and I? Like neither they nor I could afford to buy me better clothes because we're too poor? I dress like this because this is how I like to look, not because I can't afford fancier clothes."
"I just wanted you to look good when we're together is all, Marco. Perception is like seventy percent of being a royal. I needed you looking your best so people wouldn't talk."
"Penelope, am I your boyfriend? Or am I theirs? Because I can tell you right now who's opinion I value more, and it's definitely not some judgmental people I've never met." he paused for a moment, letting his words sink in before taking a deep breath and continuing, "I care about you, Penelope. A lot. But I'm not just gonna sit by and let you parade me as a status symbol, or a pretty boy you keep around because it's 'good gossip'. We're supposed to be partners, right?"
"Yeah…" Penelope said, her voice low and quiet against the chirping of the crickets in the cooling night air.
"Then please treat me like one. If you want to buy me something, don't do it out of pity or some gross need to 'improve' me… Just do it because you feel like giving me a gift," he said, reaching out for her hand one more time and feeling a small wave of relief when she reluctantly let him take it.
"Sorry, Marco," apologized Penelope, sighing and giving his hand a small squeeze, "it's a lot different dating a com- …normal person," she corrected quickly, looking mortified she'd almost done it again. "With nobles, it's all about status. Like if you don't have it, you're nothing and people will gossip about you. So we're all stuck in this crazy race to keep what we have and get more of it. Star's lucky because she's the Crown Princess, she doesn't even have to try for it. It's kinda why I've been so excited to show you off. I know I shouldn't, you're right… But old habits die hard. I'll try to do better."
Marco nodded slightly as he took in the sad look on his girlfriend's face. "Look, I'm not going to lie and say I'm not still a bit upset… But I'll be fine." He gave her a small smile and felt a little better when she returned a weak one of her own. "Tomorrow is the ball, right? And I'm your date. So let's take the rest of the night to cool off and move past all this. Tomorrow we'll dance and drink punch and I'll be happy to be your partner for all of it."
"Okay, yeah… that sounds like a good idea," she answered, squeezing his hand harder now. "See you tomorrow, Marco."
"See you tomorrow, Penny." He was relieved when she didn't go in for a kiss, instead settling on a small wave before stepping back off the stairs and onto the front walk. He returned it before watching her walk down the block and around the corner.
O - O - O - O - O - O - O
Yawning, Marco mindlessly flipped the channels as he checked his phone again. It was after 11, and though he'd contemplated going to bed, his mind felt like it wasn't anywhere close to being calm enough to sleep.
*bzzt*
The phone buzzed in his hand and he grinned when he saw it was a text from Jackie. It was a selfie with Penelope, the two of them dressed in pjs on his girlfriend's canopy bed. They were surrounded by an ocean of snacks and drinks and he felt better seeing the genuine smile on his friend's face. 'At least Jackie's having a good night,' he thought, re-locking the phone and dropping it on the couch next to him.
Getting up to check the nachos he knew would be ready any minute, he'd just slid them out of the oven when two things happened that startled him enough to drop the plate of nachos all over the floor. The first was a loud crack of thunder that made the windows jump in their frames and the second was a bright blue portal tearing itself into existence in the middle of his living room. "Shit!," he hissed in pain as his bare foot was spattered by some molten cheese, but he quickly snatched up the biggest kitchen knife he could spot and dropped into a fighting stance, pointing the blade's tip towards the light.
"Star?" he asked, surprised when his best friend trudged through the portal in the red and white sailor dress he remembered she had bought with him. Wordlessly, she looked at him and he knew something was seriously eyes were wide and fixed in a thousand yard stare. Similar to the shocked look on Jackie's face when she had told him about Adam's attack this morning. "You okay?" he asked, feeling concern rising in him as she crossed the gap between them in three quick strides, wrapping her arms around him in a crushing hug. The strong smell of burnt toast filled his nostrils when she buried her face into the side of his neck and let a long breath.
"Whoa, Star! What's wrong?" he asked, surprised by the sudden embrace. He pulled back, looking her over and waited for her to collect herself enough to answer.
"I think…" said Star, trailing off as her shimmering blue eyes met his, "I think Tom is working with Toffee…"
*CRACKTHOOM* As if on cue, another house rattling peal of thunder sounded, this time accompanied by the loud hiss of a strong downpour pelting the roof. To say that words failed him at that moment would be the understatement of the year. Marco felt his mouth moving like a fish trying to gulp in air while his mind attempted to reboot itself for rational thought. He'd thought maybe Star and Tom had had a fight, or at the very worst he may have hurt her in a fit of anger if his temper got away from him. But to help Toffee? The monster whose armies had killed thousands of mewmans… No, that idea was so far beyond the pale, that he couldn't even imagine it. Steering her over to the couch, he sat her down and took one of her hands. "Tell me what happened."
And so she did; she told Marco about everything she had overheard, how she knew Tom was lying about what he told her, and everything she suspected he might be up to. For his part, Marco patiently listened to her and didn't interrupt as his own mind wrestled with the facts of what his best friend was telling him. When she'd finished, she leaned back heavily against the couch, groaning and shaking her head. "I can't believe he'd do this… Betray me… My kingdom… All of mewni… He said he loved me, Marco! And he's doing this behind my back? I can't even…" But she didn't finish her sentence. She couldn't, as the weight of what she suspected Tom of being involved in stole the rest of her voice and left her fighting to keep from breaking down completely.
Marco felt his heart wrench at her words. She was spiraling and he knew it, so he cleared his throat and got her attention with a soft, "Hey." When she looked up, her eyes brimming with tears now, he almost lost his train of thought, but he gave her a small smile and pressed on, squeezing her hand as he spoke. "Look, I know the timing of what you suspect he did lines up, but…that can't be the only explanation. There's a lot of reasons he could have withheld the whole truth from you."
"Like, what?" Star muttered, averting her gaze to glare at the floor. Marco felt for her, knowing that that level of betrayal was something he could barely comprehend.
"Wellll, none of them are particularly good…" said Marco, cringing slightly at the dark topic he was about to delve into. "But maybe things on Mewni are worse than you think? Maybe he was sparing your feelings. The resistance you told me about might all be wiped out, or worse, captured by Toffee. Look, I'm just trying to come up with alternatives here," he added quickly when she looked unconvinced, "because I refuse to believe he'd ever betray you like that."
That line made her sit up fully and she cocked her head, confused at her best friend. "Marco, you hate Tom. Why are you defending him?" She watched in fascination as a small smile crept onto his face.
"Because, even though I think he's a huge asshole with no people skills, sense of personal space or general basic compassion… I know one thing… He cares about you. And people do stupid things to protect the people they care about." Marco could feel the irony of his words sting like a bee even as he spoke them, remembering both the stolen kisses of the past couple days.
"Maybe…" muttered Star, feeling some of the horror and panic that had been gripping her for the past couple hours loosen their hold on her. "I mean I know he cares, It's just, in three years of knowing him, I've seen him lie to other people: his dad, Pony Head, my parents, his mom, some nobles. But he's never lied to me. Not once, Marco… I've been pacing back and forth in my bedroom since eight thinking about why he would. It just doesn't make sense…"
"Well if you're not entirely sure, just keep an eye on him. Do a little, investigating," he emphasized with a slow spread of his hands.
"Like that comic book hero you like, Mothman!" she added, excited at the prospect of a mystery.
"Batman, Star… Batman…" laughed Marco, glad to see a genuine grin back on his best friend's face.
"Right. Sorry," apologized Star, though Marco could see her shoulders quaking with suppressed laughter.
"Well…" he added, still chuckling, "you are, las princesas oscuras, aren't you? Do some sleuthing."
Without another word, Star launched herself at him and tackled him against the far arm of the couch, hugging him tight and burying her face into his chest. "Thanks for cheering me up, Marco. …How, uh…how was dinner with Penelope?" she said after she'd crawled off of him.
Marco didn't miss the hesitancy in her voice, though when he thought about how to answer her, the only thing he could think of to describe it was, "A disaster."
Star cocked her head, trying to look concerned but only managing to look somehow more adorable to him. "What? Why? I thought she was excited to meet your parents?"
"Oh, where should I even start? She insulted them by pointing out my house was nice for a 'commoner.' She admitted that she bought me all those clothes because she needs me to look better as her boyfriend and thought I couldn't afford to buy nicer ones. And then, when my mom mentioned you having been over for dinner a couple times, she basically ended dinner and we had a fight on the front step. Like I said…complete disaster."
"Oooooh, yeah that does sound bad. Did she say sorry after you guys fought?" asked Star, feeling a pang of sympathy for him, though underneath, a current of elation ran through her. 'His relationship with Penelope is falling apart,' a triumphant voice inside of her roared, immediately before a wave of shame made her feel terrible for reveling in her bestie's romantic difficulties.
"She did," said Marco, before sniffing and wrinkling his nose. "Star, I don't want to be rude, but you stink… You smell like a bread factory burned down."
"Sorry, Marco. It's kinda what the underworld smells like."
He paused for a moment before speaking again, thinking about his promise to "revisit" their other promise to one another and figuring tonight was just as good as tomorrow night now that Star was in his living room. "Star, both of us have had a terrible night so far, so how about this: Why don't you portal home and take a shower. I'll make us some nachos, and we can watch a movie to try and forget tonight ever happened."
"Can I shower here?" asked Star, "I'm technically grounded and I can't portal to my room anymore. My mom put, like, a toooon of spells up to keep Ludo from doing something sneaky." Strictly speaking that wasn't true, as she knew it was really only Manfred and her parents that needed to be avoided, but what Marco didn't know wouldn't hurt him.
"Uhh, sure. But if you want to wash your clothes, you'll need some of mine for pajamas. C'mon, I'll show you," said Marco, standing up and leading the way upstairs.
"Yaaaaaay! It's gonna be like our own little Friendship Thursday!" squealed Star, happily clapping as they reached the landing.
"Shhh!" he tried to quiet her, but he knew it was too little too late when he heard his mom called through the doorway with a muffled, "Marco? Who's here?"
"It's just me Mrs. Diaz," Star called back through the door, bouncing happily on her feet.
"Hello, Star," came Angie's voice, "could you two try to keep it to a dull roar. I have to teach in the morning,"
"Sorry Mom, we'll be quiet." apologized Marco, as Star added her own, "Sorry for yelling Mrs. Diaz."
After saying good night to his mom, Marco grabbed a towel for Star and laid out a few things on his bed for her. "Just come through that door when you're done. It leads right into my room and I've left some clothes for you on the bed. I'll be downstairs with the nachos when you're done.
"Thanks, Marco," smiled Star as she stood in the doorway to the bathroom, the towel over her shoulder. She could see him in the dim light of his room, half out into the corridor and as she continued to gaze at him, she felt a warmth growing in her chest like she'd just taken a shot of corn whiskey.
"You're my best friend, Star," he answered, feeling a similar heat blossoming in his own chest as a beam of moonlight played across her golden hair. "I'd do anything for you…" he added before stiffening, realizing just how corny that sounded. "Uh, see you after your shower," he added in a feeble attempt to defuse the awkward moment between them. Slipping into the bathroom, she smiled to herself, thinking, 'He really is amazing,' as she leaned against the door.
Fifteen minutes later, Star shut off the shower and slipped from the bathroom into Marco's room. After a quick spell to dry her hair, she let the towel drop and looked at what he'd left her to change into. "Not gonna work," she muttered, looking at the ugly white t-shirt and flannel pajama pants. "Let's see what else you got in here, Marco," she giggled, padding over to the closet. She was just about to take a peek when something caught her eye. There were several photo booth strips pinned to a cork board above his desk, and when she looked closer, she realized they were all from that day they had spent on the pier. "Awwww, he kept his copy of the pictures…" she gushed, feeling that familiar and welcome warmth in her chest grow with her happiness. Pulling open his closet, she smiled when she saw it, knowing immediately what she was wearing instead of that ugly t-shirt.
Five minutes later, Marco was squatting in front of the oven door, peering through the glass as his masterpiece bubbled and oozed under the orange glow of the broiler. He was so engrossed in making sure that nothing went wrong with this batch, he failed to notice the quiet sound of bare feet descending the stairs. "Just anotherrrrr second," he mumbled, hand on the door, ready to pull it open and retrieve his prize the second it was ready.
"I'm backkkk," he heard Star say in a singsong voice.
"Just a second Star, my masterpiece is almostttttt," he drew out the word, tightening his grip on the oven door. "Ready!" he said, pulling the door down and pulling the pile of orange-hued gold out in one smooth motion.
"Oooooo," moaned Star, her eyes sparkling as her mouth watered, "looks like the best batch yet."
"Yeah, I decided to tweak a couple thin-" Marco never finished his words, in fact, he almost dropped the nachos for the second time that hour when he looked over at Star and felt his jaw nearly hit the floor. She was wearing her usual set of red horns that kept her long blond hair contained, but from what he could tell, not a whole lot else. The only other article of clothing he could readily spot was one of his red hoodies which hung down to just below her butt. She'd had to roll the sleeves up several times so she could use her hands, but otherwise, his hoodie made a pretty reasonable dress if a little short for going out in public. But here, now, in his kitchen? He couldn't think of anything he'd rather see her in.
"Like it?" she asked, twirling for him. Marco felt his heart skip a beat when the hoodie-dress rode up slightly to reveal a hint of pale cheek.
"It's not what I put out for you," he laughed, hoping she didn't notice how hard he was blushing right now, "and don't you think it may be a bit inappropriate for two friends on the couch together?"
"But it's comfortableeee, Marcooooo," she said, pulling back and hitting him with her best puppy dog eyes.
Marco managed the extremely difficult task of resisting those shiny blue eyes for approximately five seconds, 'A new record,' he thought ruefully as he caved in, answering, "Well it does look comfortable… and I can't say you don't look great… So, fine, you win."
"Yay!" Star skipped forward and pulled him into another tight hug. "Thanks, Marco," Star giggled after she'd stepped back, reaching over and pulling a still steaming chip from the mother stack and popping it into her mouth with satisfaction. "Mmm," she shivered in pleasure, "so cheesy and good."
"Nailed it then?" he asked, carrying the tray to the living room table and flopping down on the couch, joined shortly by Star.
"You have no idea…" she groaned through a fistful of chips and cheese.
Flipping on Netflix, he settled on a rewatch of The Witcher, and the two spent the next two hours engrossed in the show. They both ooh'd and aww'd at the fantastic fight scenes and laughed uproariously at the comedic ones. Marco wasn't sure how, but it seemed like as the episodes wore on, he and Star seemed to be inching towards one another until the moment when he felt her soft thigh pressing against the side of his. The warmth was a comfort in the heavily air-conditioned living room and he looked down for a moment, feeling that self-same heart skip when he saw her shapely alabaster thigh laying against his own pajama-clad one. Fighting his hormones, he pried his eyes away from her leg and the spot where it disappeared under the hem of his hoodie. Looking quickly back to the television, he thought he spotted a sly smile on Star's part, but was relieved when she didn't comment.
Just as he was about to settle in for hour number three, Star leaned forward and hit the pause button. "Can we talk?" she asked, turning to look at him.
"Haven't we been doing that all night?" he answered, taking a sip of his soda.
"About us," she said, making Marco choke slightly, "and the promise," she added after patting him on the back several times.
"S-Sure, Star. Now's as good a time as tomorrow night, right?"
"Rightttt," she laughed, and he noticed she was twirling her hair in her fingers nervously as she did so.
Seemingly at the same time, they both took a deep breath and blurted out the thing that was on their minds all day. "I can't stop thinking about you!"
Silence reigned as they both stared at each other, too stunned to speak and although it took him several moments, Marco found his voice before Star did. "I know we promised we would shelve our feelings, and I know we promised not to hurt who we were with… But I can't stop thinking about you, Star. I'm constantly comparing you to Penny when I'm with her and it's driving me nuts!"
Marco stood suddenly and began pacing back and forth in front of the couch. "Every time she does something that I don't think is fair, or that is selfish or uncaring, I think, 'Would Star say that? Would Star do that?' and the answer is always, no." Marco punched his palm as if to emphasize his point before stopping and staring at Star, who was sitting silently on the couch watching him, a somewhat grim expression on her face. "You've never treated me like an accessory, or bought me clothes because you thought I couldn't afford better. Seriously, who fucking does that? And then to act like she was doing me a favor…"
Star opened her mouth to agree with him, to tell him how she felt the exact same way, but Marco was on a roll apparently and he plowed on before she could even utter a sound. "Star do you want to know why you're so amazing?" he asked suddenly, pressing on only when she nodded at him he cheeks a furious crimson. "You accept me for exactly who I am. You treat me like an equal, a partner, a friend and you don't try to change me because it will earn you a tiny bit more respect among your peers." he collapsed back onto the couch, all the strength and fight out of him as he stared into the middle distance.
"Marco…" she said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.
"Do you remember the day you found me in the park? After Reynard and I were attacked by Ludo and his monsters?" he asked suddenly, still staring at nothing in particular.
"Yeah, you were upset because you had to kill to protect yourself and Reynard. I told you about the first time I was in that situation and then we went to the Bounce Lounge. It was the night that we…" Star trailed off as she knew she didn't need to explain exactly what they'd gotten up to after they left the bounce lounge. It was the reason they were sitting here now and having this conversation.
"Yeah, thanks again for that. You really helped put things into perspective and helped me out of a really dark place. Do you want to know how Penny helped?" he laughed when he said that, a bitter laugh that she didn't like at all.
"How?" she asked, unsure if she even wanted to know. She was mad enough at how Penelope was treating her bestie, she wasn't sure she needed more reason to dislike the Spiderbite Princess.
"She said I should be proud of how I fought; that I killed just another vicious monster that didn't deserve mercy or pity. Heck, she thought I was upset at first because I wasn't as good at killing as Reynard was…" Marco blew out a breath at his own words, closing his eyes. "But you knew, Star… You took one look at me and you knew exactly why I was upset. You understand me without even trying."
Star didn't remember sitting up on the couch, nor could she have recalled exactly how she crawled into Marco's lap to lay her head on his shoulder. What she did remember, was what happened next. Which was the heavenly embrace of his arms as he wrapped them around her and pulled her tight against his body and the soft warmth of his lips as they pressed against hers. He tasted sweet still from the soda, and she loved the feeling of his soft lips against her own. She lost no time running a hand up into the lush strands of his brown hair and gripped gently as they continued their passionate embrace. Sighing happily against his mouth, she pressed her kiss , opening her mouth and sliding her lithe tongue against his lips, begging for entrance, and this time he didn't pull time, he eagerly accepted her proffered invitation, opening his mouth and allowing her tongue to slip in and slide along his own in a twisting dance that ignited a fire in her.
They stayed like that for several minutes, trading increasingly passionate kisses as their mouths worked against one another. At one point Marco broke apart with her to plant sucking, wet kisses down her jaw and onto her neck that made Star's heart race with desire as his hand gripped her bare thigh just above her knee. "Ah, Marco," she moaned as his teeth nipped at the nape of her neck. Hearing his name seemed to break the spell he was under, however, as he pulled his mouth from her neck and she shivered as the cool air made the spot tingle. "I had an idea today," he whispered in the dark room, Star still playing with his hair.
"About our 'renegotiation?'" she purred.
"Star, I can't get you out of my head. I'm thinking about you when I shouldn't be, in ways… I shouldn't be," explained Marco, fighting hard against the urge to dive back into her lips.
"Me too," breathed Star, sliding her other hand against his chest and rubbing it through the thin fabric of his shirt.
"So I have an idea. Let's make Thursday nights just for us. We can call it 'Friendship Thursday' and…" his voice trailed off as Star popped the top two buttons on his shirt in quick succession before sliding her hand across his bare chest. "And just for that night we can be together. No Penelope, no Tom, just you and I, together, for one night a week to keep this from destroying us." It was a cop-out and he knew it, but he needed something, anything, to give him the permission to do what he desperately wanted to do at that moment.
"Yes," said Star, shifting her body so she was straddling his lap now, "I can't stop wanting you, Marco. Even tonight, before my date with… Tom," she said his name like she had just uttered a filthy swear word, "I was thinking about our trip to the pier and all those pictures we took. So, yes, I think your idea is fantastic." Marco smiled at her, happy that she had agreed to his very shaky logic and gave in to the voice in his head roaring for him to 'just stop talking and get back to kissing her you idiot!'
Once more he leaned towards her, though this time with Star straddling him, he no longer had to bend down, he simply leaned forward until he made blissful contact with her pink lips. He loved the feel of her legs against his and the weight of her body pressed against his chest reminded him that he wasn't dreaming. "Mmm," he moaned into her mouth as he felt her grind her core against the hardness aching in his pajama pants. The pressure caused him to push his hips up to meet her and soon they were grinding rhymically against each other as he slipped both hands around the back of her soft, taught thighs.
"Higher," she panted, wiggling her rear seductively as Marco complied and ran his hands up the back of her thighs, only stopping when he was cupping her pert butt in his hands. "Much better," she giggled against his lips, yelping quietly when he squeezed hard.
"Couldn't resist," Marco laughed, and the two spent several uncomplicated moments draped together, both quaking with suppressed laughter. When it had faded to a contented silence, he fixed his best friend with a meaningful look. "Star, you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, and knowing you this last month has been the best time of my life. Thank you for everything you've given me."
"Marcooo," Star sniffed slightly at her best friend's words, her intense desire for the boy fighting down the emotions of his words that normally would have provoked tears of joy. "You're amazing," she whispered, reaching to the neck of her hoodie-dress and slowly pulling the zipper down until it fell open several inches, "and I want this just as much as you do."
"Star?" he asked, swallowing hard as his eyes flicked to her chest. He could just barely see the curve of her small breasts, and his mouth went dry as her pale, flawless skin beckoned for a touch, a kiss, any kind of contact. "I want this too," she answered, reaching behind her and grabbing his right hand before lifting it off her butt and sliding it inside the hoodie to cup her left breast. His palm burned with pleasure at the contact, the smooth warm flesh in his hand so soft it was unreal. Gently, he squeezed, and encouraged by the breathy gasp the move elicited from Star, he decided to keep going.
Soon, they were back to their passionate make out, Marco feeling his desire burning through every fiber of his being as he pushed his eager tongue into Star's mouth and rolled her stiff pink nipple between his fingers. The low vibrations of her moans made his tongue tingle as she rolled her hips hard to grind against his excitement. He was surprised then, when he felt both of her hands on his head, his lips gently persuaded away from her own and down her neck to her chest. He didn't need Star to say a word, as a needful look in her lidded eyes told him everything.
"M-Marco," she moaned as his mouth engulfed her sensitive nipple, rolling it and flicking it as she shuddered against his body. *Fwump* the sound of the hoodie falling to the floor joining the quiet, gentle whimpers and moans of the mewman princess as her best friend touched, kissed and explored her body.
Feeling emboldened at hearing his name called, he slipped his left hand up her warm cheek and slid his fingertips under the waistband of her pink-striped panties and down to cup her bare bottom, relishing in in the smooth firmness under has fingers as he felt her muscles flexing when she ground down on his hardness. Pulling his mouth away from her chest, he watched for just a moment as Star continued to writhe in his arms, her head tipped back and eyes closed in ecstasy as he squeezed and stroked her with abandon. "Star," he whispered, feeling his breath catch as she opened her eyes and gave him a smoldering look that would have brought him to his knees if he wasn't sitting. "Let's go upstairs to my room," he said, feeling a thrill of anticipation as she nodded and slipped off of him before scooping up the hoodie to throw it over her shoulders like a cloak.
"Shh," Star held her fingers to her lips as she padded up the stairs, a mesmerized Marco following her up and trying his hardest not to stare at her shapely behind as it wiggled back and forth just a foot in front of him. "Like what you see, Marco?" giggled Star bending forward about half way up
"Starrrrrr," he whispered back, blushing furiously as she burst into a fit of quiet laughter and silently sprinted the rest of the way up the stairs, disappearing over the threshold of the doorway to his room in a flash of blonde hair. Following behind, Marco had a terrifying moment where the uninterrupted snoring of his father seemed to abate, replaced by a muffled mumbling. He only dared to take another step once the low drone of his father's snoring had returned full force, hurrying down the hall and into his room before blowing out a relieved breath.
Turning around, he smiled when he saw Star waiting for him next to the bed. She was staring at him, having taken off the hoodie and he wasted no time walking over to her and taking her in his arms. "You're overdressed, Marco," she said, pushing off his pajama top and slipping both of her thumbs into the elastic of his pajama bottoms. He could sense she was asking for permission, and he gave it in the form of another passionate kiss, feeling the last of his clothing sliding to the floor at his feet. "Take mine off too," she whispered urgently between kisses, moaning as he pulled the last of her own modesty off.
Seeing her smile when he stood once more, he pulled her down into his bed, their bodies coming together in a tangle of passion and exploring hands. She was on top of him now, half on his chest and half kneeling, pinning him to the bed as she stared into his eyes. Marco couldn't believe how good it felt to have her naked body against his, her warm skin making his own tingle with pleasure. He knew when he felt her gentle hand grip his manhood and start to stroke it up and down, that there was no turning back, no explaining away what they'd done tonight as a fit of madness. He knew in that moment, that he was hopelessly and helplessly smitten with Star Butterfly.
Encouraged by her boldness, he reached between her own legs and cupped her bare sex, marveling at the amount of heat radiating off of the silky smooth skin. "Rub it, Marco," Star breathed, emphasizing her need with a squeeze of his length, and beginning to pump harder. Kissing her, he slide his fingers back and forth against her wet core, sliding between her slick, silken folds and making her moan into his mouth, low and long while she pumped him up and down. It was there that they found their rhythm, each one touching the other while they remained locked at the lips, mouths working and battling to see who could kiss the other more passionately. All the while as their hands brought each other higher and higher into the peaks of ecstasy.
Minutes later, Star could hear he was close; his breathing was becoming ragged and his hips were pumping against her hand as she worked him up and down. For her part, she knew she was close herself, barely holding on after Marco learned just how good it felt for her when he slipped two fingers inside of her molten sex. She'd had to bite her tongue to keep from crying out in pleasure when he did that, and now she knew they were both approaching the end of the line.
For Marco it happened suddenly, the tightness and tension below his stomach crescendoing before he climaxed with a series of low moans and pants, his hips still jerking in time with her hand's movements. "Starrrrrrr," he hissed her name low and long, the need there pushing Star over her own cliff of passion into the free fall of a leg shaking orgasm as she whimpered and mewled, her hips rolling fiercely against his still thrusting fingers. She was so wrapped up in her own climax, in fact, that she didn't even notice when her red-horned headband slipped off her head to clatter onto the hardwood floor at the side of the bed.
"Pegasus feathers, Marco," she panted once the aftershocks of her climax had subsided, "that was amazing." Both of them were breathing hard and laying on their backs, Star having reluctantly rolled off of his toned body to lay beside him and stare at the glow-in-the-dark star stickers on the ceiling.
"That was the most intense experience of my life," said Marco, reaching down to thread his fingers through hers and squeezing gently.
"Definitely," Star nodded, retrieving the discarded hoodie from the floor and slipping it back on. Once she'd zipped it up, she rolled onto her side and laid her head on Marco's shoulder while her hand lazily stroked his chest. After several minutes of contented silence, Star propped herself up on her elbow and looked him in the eyes before leaning in for a long, gentle kiss.
"What was that for?" he asked, staring up at her sparkling blue eyes in the dim moonlight once she'd broken the kiss and pulled back to smile at him.
Sighing, she reached down and pulled his covers back over the both of them before returning to laying on him. "What was what?" she asked, an innocent tone in her voice that made him chuckle.
"That look, Star."
"Oohhh, wellllll," she began, stretching the word out as she snuggled closer under the covers, "it was a thank you."
"A thank you? Star, I think I should be thanking you right now. Tonight was…" Marco trailed off as he tried to find the right words to describe the beautiful evening he had just spent with his best friend. "Well… It was more than I could have dreamed of."
"It was," she agreed, "but I should be thanking you, Marco. I was the one who kissed you the other day after the Bounce Lounge, and I was the one who kept breaking our promise… First, last night after we got back from Mejoga and then this afternoon after we helped Jackie… I just couldn't keep how I was feeling in anymore. So thank you for renegotiating," she giggled at the word, "I really needed this tonight."
"We both did, Star…" said Marco, turning and kissing her on the forehead, "we both did."
Star felt her cheeks glowing dimly with pleasure at his words, the pale pink light illuminating the side of Marco's face. 'This was the perfect evening' she thought happily, and once more, like the night after the bounce lounge she could feel a pressure building up inside of her chest. A physical need that was searching for a way out, and if she didn't give it voice, it might tear her apart. Except this time it wasn't a kiss, this time it was the utterance of three little words that scared her as much as they thrilled her. 'I love you,' she thought, feeling a shiver of anxiety run through her at the thought of telling Marco that.
She opened her mouth, feeling the sweet words on her tongue before she swallowed hard and pushed them back down. 'He has Penelope, this is only a one night a week thing, what if it's lust not love you're feeling?' Wave after wave of doubts rolled through her mind as she lay next to him. She couldn't do it; couldn't say the words that were making her chest tight with anxiety. 'Saying those words could ruin everything!' She shivered slightly at the thought of Marco telling her he still loved Penny… That he couldn't give her any more of his heart than he already had… And so, she did the only thing she thought was right in that moment, she simply closed her eyes and whispered a soft, "Goodnight, Marco."
"Goodnight, Star," he whispered back, closing his own eyes for the final time that night.
O - O - O - O - O - O - O
As the early morning sun beams crept across his comforter, Marco stretched and Yawned, wiggling slightly to sink deeper into the soft embrace of his mattress. Reaching to his side where he remembered Star curling up next to him last night, he groped only open air and felt a stab of disappointment at the lack of her presence. He'd slept so well last night with her warm half-naked body pressed up against him that her sudden absence was jarring to him. "Star?" he asked aloud, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
Silence. There was no telltale running shower, no padding of soft feet or humming, no calling of his name in that lilting voice he loved so much. 'Where is she?' he thought, getting up and checking the bathroom, disappointed to see it was empty with only a hoodie hanging on the hook where her outfit from last night had been. Turning and trudging back to his room, he spotted it sitting on his nightstand. It was a vase of flowers, pale blue with pink and red hearts all over it and inside, was an arrangement of flowers of every color: red roses, pink carnations, a big yellow sunflower, and several flowers he thought were varieties of lilies but he couldn't name off the top of his head. It was a graish display, but somehow, quintessentially "Star." Leaning against the base of the vase was a folded piece of paper. Quickly he crossed the room and picked up the note, smiling when he recognized her curly handwriting and eagerly reading what she'd written.
Dear Marco,
Thanks for well…everything! Last night was another perfect example of you being the best thing that's ever happened to me. I couldn't ask for a better bestie to help me though what happened with Tom last night and I really appreciate you letting me sleep over. Friendship Thursday was an amazing idea and I can't wait for next week's! I hope you didn't mind me slipping out early… If Mom had caught me sneaking back into the castle, she'd ground me for a month! I hope you keep thinking about me this morning as much as I love thinking about you! :3
See you at the Ball!
Star B.
Smiling, a red-cheeked Marco held it to his chest for a moment before carefully folding the note and slipping it into the nightstand near his bed. He'd have to thank Star for the note later, but for now he needed to head down to breakfast. He could smell the bacon and hear the clink of coffee mugs wafting in from his open bedroom door. So he threw on some clothes, noticing several large, blotchy hickies on his chest that he'd 'have to hide from Penelope' he thought with a mixed thrill of excitement and guilt before he headed downstairs to join his parents for breakfast.
"Good morning, Mijo," said Raphael, as he slid into a stool next to his father.
"Morning, Dad," he answered, piling some pancakes and bacon onto his plate.
"Good morning, honey," greeted Angie, turning from the stove to push the last batch of pancakes out of the frying pan and joining her husband and son at the counter.
"Morning, Mom," he said through a mouthful of pancakes before catching her eye. She was staring at him, a strange expression on her face.
"Soooo anything you care to tell us about last night?" she asked, a suspicious edge in her voice he didn't like the sound of.
Swallowing his mouthful of pancakes with some difficulty, he answered her with a calm, "Um, well… Penelope and I had a bit of a fight on the front step after dinner… I don't know if you heard that or not."
"Oh we heard it alright! In fact, your mother thinks Penelope is a terrible fit for you, Mijo," interrupted Raphael, earning himself a scorching look from Angie. "I'll shut up now…" he whispered, turning back to his newspaper.
"Wait, what?" asked Marco, so caught off guard by his father's words that he dropped his fork with a loud clatter, "you think Penny and I aren't a good fit?" He'd be lying to himself to say that the thought hadn't crossed his mind. But to hear it from his own mother?
"Honey…" soothed his mother, her voice now full of maternal affection for her son. "It's not that she isn't a lovely girl… She's very pretty and intelligent. But-"
"But what?" interrupted Marco, accidentally letting a little heat tinge his words.
"Wellll… Now don't take this the wrong way dear, but she seemed a bit rude last night… Not on purpose, I don't think!" Angie added quickly, "but she seemed maybe a little, 'out of touch.' And I didn't like how she was treating you like an ornament either!" Angie tensed at her own words, worried she'd offended her son. It was a relief and surprise then when she saw him sag slightly in his seat, his shoulders drooping in acceptance.
"I know, Mom. It's actually what we fought about… Last night wasn't the first time she's done that either, and while it used to not bother me, lately I've noticed it's becoming a problem. I thought about how Star treats me, because she's a princess too, and they're like night and day… Star treats me like a partner and a friend. She never thinks of me as a status symbol, or a piece of jewelry that will make her look better in front of her other friends and she's never treated me any differently because our family aren't nobles…" Marco was actually breathing hard as he trailed off at the return of the suspicious look on his mother's face.
"Speaking of Star…" began Angie, a frown on her lips as her son suddenly became very nervous, "I noticed that she slept over last night. In your bed, might I add…"
"Howww?" he mouthed, his voice a whisper as he braced for the impact of his mother's disapproval.
"Marco, we're your parents. Part of that is an instinctive knowledge of when our child is misbehaving or hiding something from us. Plus, your door was half open this morning and I noticed you two cuddling in bed. I didn't know you'd changed your bedtime routine to not include a shirt as part of your pajamas, especially when having sleepovers with your best friend," said Angie, her frown deepening as she watched the color rise up her son's face.
"Mijo, we love Star, but it is not the actions of un caballero to go behind your girlfriend's back with your best friend," added Raphael, though he couldn't quite suppress the smile on his face at the idea that his son and Star might get together.
"I know Dad, I wasn't- we didn't... It just happened. Star's having some serious issues with Tom, and Penny and I are…" Marco trailed off as he tried to find the right words. He still cared for Penelope greatly, and he had hope that they could resolve the issues between them. 'But Star and I fit so well together it's scary,' he thought, fighting down the passionate images of Star on top of him stroking his-
"Marco, What exactly is going on between you and Star?" asked Angie, crossing her arms.
"It's complicated, Mom," he explained, staring at his plate as she made a small noise.
"I'm not mad, Marco," she reassured him, "I just want to make sure you're being safe. And that you're making the right choices. Raphael, would you please make us all a mug of your famous hot chocolate. Nobody's going anywhere until we get the whole story."
"Si, mi amor," said Raphael, standing and busying himself at the stove.
And so he explained; for the next hour, Marco told them almost everything that had happened in the past week and a half. He explained how Star had comforted him after his fight in the M.H.C. and how after the bounce lounge they'd spent the night together, omitting their frenzied make out that night, of course. He explained his attempt to keep his growing feelings in check with their shared promise, and how it had been crumbling by the day, not helped by Penelope's uncaring behavior. And he gave them a slightly edited account of last night and Star's trouble with Tom, and how in his effort to compartmentalize his feelings for Star he had proposed "Friendship Thursday."
When he'd finished, Angie calmly sipped her now cold Mexican hot chocolate and gave her nervous son an understanding smile. "Marco, I'm not going to pretend that I'm not a little disappointed in you for going behind Penelope's back with Star, but that's your business and I will leave you to decide what is best. But from the sound of it, you and your best friend owe it to each other to have a serious conversation about your future together. Raphael and I have both 'discussed' things after last night, and we think that Star is a much more natural fit for you. We both adore her, and we've seen the two of you together in the past month… You're basically inseparable."
'Man, this is NOT the kind of parental advice I was thinking about the other night,' he thought as he answered his mom. "I know, I've thought about all this stuff a hundred times. I'll talk to them both when I'm ready, I swear," he said, his cheeks burning with embarrassment at having to talk to his parents about this.
"I just don't want you to wait too long, honey. You could end up missing an amazing opportunity."
"Si, when I was pursuing su madre, I almost missed my chance by waiting. Thankfully your abuelita sat me down and talked some sense into me." said Raphael, leaning in and and kissing a giggling Angie on the cheek.
"Thanks," said Marco, pulling both of his parents into a tight hug, "I won't mess this up, no matter what I decide; I promise."
"We just want you to be happy, Marco," whispered Angie into his ear as he felt his father nod in agreement.
O - O - O - O - O - O - O
"Momm, do I HAVEEE to be there? I mean…you're the only one who's going to say anything. All I have to do is stand behind you and look pretty," Star scowled as she tore a strip of pig-goat bacon in half.
"Do you have to represent the royal family at an official function as is your duty as Crown Princess of this kingdom?" asked Moon flatly, arching an eyebrow at her daughter, "I am not going to even justify that question with a response, Star."
"But how am I going to surprise Marco with my costume if I'm onstage with you. He'll know it's me!" continued Star as River let out an excited giggle.
"Excuse this old woman's ignorance, but I was under the impression that you were currently dating Prince Thomas. Has that changed in the past twenty four hours?"
"Noo," mumbled Star, staring at her plate, "but you'll have most of the nobles up there, including Reynard."
"Reynard is excellent with the other nobles, Moonpie," added River, giving his now hopeful daughter a conspiratorial wink once Moon had facepalmed.
"Not you too, River…" groaned Moon, feeling her patience rapidly eroding.
"Mom, I swear I'll do extra time schmoozing with the nobles during the ball. Just let me have this one thing, pleaseeeeee," begged Star, clasping her hand in front of her.
"...Fine. But you will accompany me when I need you to at the ball this evening, and if you shirk your responsibilities, I will make sure your magic lessons with Glossaryck run into the weekend as well."
"Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!" shouted Star, leaping up and pulling her mother into a bear hug. "I promise, whatever you need tonight! I'll shake hands, I'll talk about boring royal stuff! Anything you need, Mom!"
"That's quite alright, Star. Now, run along. I'm sure you have much to do to prepare for tonight. Please give my regards to Thomas if you see him before I do," said Moon, patting her daughter on the back.
"Totally, totally, totally…" Star seemed to be speaking to nobody as she broke the hug and gave River a quick kiss on the cheek before sprinting out of the royal dining room, "I gotta let Marco know, bet I figure out his costume before he does mine!"
After Star had departed the dining hall at high speed, River turned to Moon and shot her a coy grin. "Moonpie, I believe you'll be paying me on that bet of ours sooner rather than later. She didn't even mention poor Tom. I think I'll spend my crowns on a new spear!"
"Don't count your uni-chickens before they hatch, River," Moon scowled, though privately, she had to admit that it was looking more and more like Star was preferring the company of her Earth-guide over her current boyfriend.
O - O - O - O - O - O - O
"And just one more teensy little stitch…" muttered Richard between clenched teeth as he squinted and worked his magic needle through the fabric. He'd spent the last four hours with the teen, and he was immensely impressed at his patience to stand still as he had his costume worked on up until the last second. After all, he thought, 'Magic or no magic… Art could not be rushed!' After this perfecting stitch had been made, he stood up and stepped back, framing the awkwardly smiling teen with his hands and nodded, satisfied with his handiwork. "Voila! It's done!" he grinned, stepping back and clapping for his assistant to draw the curtain on the bank of mirrors in front of where Marco was standing.
"Thanks, Richard!" said Marco before turning to gaze at his reflection in the mirror. "Wowww," he breathed, awed as he took in his costume. He wore a knee-length frock coat of black brocade fabric, the intricate silver thread of the brocade winding in an elegant Victorian pattern. Black velvet collar, cuffs, and panels shaped like two Vs joined at the point by his waist made the coat pop visually. Holding all of this together were five sets of braided toggles in dark silver with large silver buttons and matching braided trim along the edges. The coat went perfectly with his dark silver pantaloons and knee high, black leather riding boots that shined under the magical lights of the tailor's workshop.
"Your hat and mask, sir," said Richard, helping Marco with the remaining items of his costume. The mask was something he'd had already, though Richard had insisted he let him create a much more detailed version of. It was a half face mask, so he could still eat and talk freely, black and silver to match his jacket and the cheeks and brow were adorned with silvered mythological beasts and what he strongly suspected were real diamonds. The effect when combined with the black and silver-trimmed tricorn hat, complete with black and silver ostrich feather left him grinning like a madman.
"I gotta hand it to you, this is absolutely amazing. Do you think Star will recognize me?" he asked the tailor, turning side to side to get the full, "picture."
"Master Diaz, if Her Majesty recognizes you without talking to you first, I'll eat that hat!" he answered confidently as he helped Marco down from the small fitting stand.
"Thanks again. I really appreciate you fitting me in so last-minute."
"For Star Butterfly's best friend? It was nothing. Now go! The ball began fifteen minutes ago, and you don't want to miss the Queen's introductory speech!"
"Fifteen minutes ago! Crap! See ya, Richard!" Marco called back over his shoulder as he ran out the door and down towards the ballroom he'd met Penelope in the other night. It only took three minutes at a light jog before he found the crowd milling around its entrance. Slowing to a stop to join the line of well dressed ladies and gentlemen as they filed into the ballroom, he had to fight to keep his jaw from dropping.
Butterfly Castle, even though it was only a replica, was still a place of great beauty and luxury that never failed to impress him. But now… Now it was positively shimmering with beauty. All along the walls hung richly embroidered fabrics in the colors of the royal family, interspersed with glittering crystals throwing soft golden light that seemed to suffuse the very air with their honeyed hues. Higher up, the ceiling was studded with golden chandeliers dripping with crystals that glinted like the light from a million different stars. But the centerpiece of it all was the huge, cut crystal skylight above the dancefloor. It must have been a hundred feet across and it was so clear, it looked like there was nothing there to separate the party-goers from the balmy California night sky.
Passing through the massive arched doors, he managed to pry his eyes off the ceiling and look around at the hundreds of guests that seemed to be congregating around the edges of the room at small, bunting draped tables. Servants, garbed in snow white tuxedos with matching masks, wove in between them with large plates of hors d'oeuvres and flutes of champagne. He could scarcely believe the riot of color in front of his eyes, as each individual costumed guest added to the rainbow of colors in front of him.
A quick scan of the crowd revealed his parents, dressed in a black tuxedo and ball gown with matching, skull half-masks, luridly decorated in traditional dia de muertos style. Raphael had offered Marco his old charro costume and mask, but he'd politely refused, knowing he wanted to go for something a little more in keeping with the "Venetian" theme. Picking his way closer through the crowd, he noticed now that his parents were animatedly chatting with River and Moon, his dad and Star's both laughing as they finished a glass of champagne and reached for another. He watched them for a couple minutes, noting that River was dressed like a viking, complete with horned helmet and chainmail. 'Not exactly white tie,' thought Marco, not missing the disapproving looks Queen Moon kept throwing her husband's way. She seemed to have gone with a costume that was very much similar to her usual: an elegant, but slightly more flowing blue dress paired with a blue-feathered eye mask that seemed to shine with a faint inner light.
'Don't see Star,' he thought, craning his neck to check if she was lingering somewhere nearby, but finding no sign of her. Turning away from his parents, he continued to scan the room as he made his way around the perimeter. He spotted Reynard, resplendent in a frock coat of his own, though his was made of a fabric of palest lilac and trimmed with white ruffles. He wore a mask that looked straight out of the Phantom of the Opera costume department. 'A little cliche," he thought, before realizing that most of the guests here were from Mewni and would have no idea what that even was. Surprisingly, he seemed to be going stag, as he couldn't spot Amanda anywhere nearby.
Who he did find, however, were Jackie and Penelope. He ducked behind a small crowd of chatting nobles, determined to stay out of sight. He wanted to find Star so he could talk about last night and get a dance in before he spent the rest of his evening keeping his girlfriend company. He couldn't risk that, slim as it was in his excellent costume, she wouldn't recognize him and not let him out of her sight. Jackie was wearing a ballgown that looked like a fancier version of one he'd seen her wear to school that year. It was aqua green with a close fitting bodice that shimmered with scale-like sequins, and it swelled slightly at the hips into an elegant ruffle. Her mask was beautiful as well, aqua green with a diamond scale pattern that matched her dress. The effect was enchanting, like she was a beautiful mermaid given legs for an enchanting evening of dancing.
Penelope looked beautiful in a green ball gown, all the material below the waist patterned to look like silken palm fronds, while the elegantly patterned, forest green sleeved bodice shimmered and shone in the light. It fit her slim figure stunningly well, he noted with a smile. For her disguise, she wore a beautiful golden eye mask, delicately cut out to look like lace with inset emeralds. 'Man my girlfriend's got style,' he thought, not missing the irony when he thought about how plain his everyday clothes were. "Shi-" he squeaked, turning quickly to disappear behind the group of chatting nobles when he noticed Penny's eyes flick his way.
He was just about to resume his search for his bestie when a soft chime sounded three times. All eyes instantly turned to Queen Moon, who had made her way to a raised platform at the head of the room where two ornate thrones sat. "Good evening lords, ladies, and honored guests," she began, surveying the room with a restrained smile, "I'd like to say a few words before I officially open the festivities for the One Hundred and Eighty Seventh Butterfly Royal Tournament Ball. First, I would like to take a moment to extend my gratitude to each and every citizen of Mewni whose tireless efforts have helped see our Kingdom through its darkest hours. As your Queen, I am proud of each and every one of you, whom I know have worked tirelessly to help re-establish our kingdom on Earth." She paused for a moment as a round of polite applause rippled through the crowd, continuing once it had died down. "And finally, I would like you all to give our guides a special thank you for helping us integrate much more smoothly into Earth society. Your boundless patience and skill have helped many of us integrate more successfully with human culture and have been indispensable as we work towards sharing a bright future together."Applause broke out once again, though this time it was significantly more enthusiastic as the gathered mewmans looked approvingly at the human guides they recognized.
"And without further ado…" said River, strutting up the stairs and twirling to face the crowd so fast his cape threatened to tangle Moon up in a fur lined prison. "Let. Us. Revel!" With a short clap, the chamber orchestra struck up a slow, stately waltz and he led an only slightly exasperated looking Moon down the short steps out onto the dancefloor.
Music Cue: The Second Waltz - André Rieu
Looking around quickly, Marco noticed that most of the people around him were pairing up, and he felt panic rise in him. He didn't want to be caught in the middle of the dance floor with no partner. 'Better to just slide on out to the wall until I find-' "Oof," his thoughts were interrupted when he backed into someone, making them both stumble. "Sorry about that," he said, turning to apologize to them.
"No problem," said a girl he noticed was about his age. She was pretty from what he could see of her face, with shoulder length blonde hair done up in an elegant waterfall braid. Taking a closer look, he noticed her slim figure, beautiful in a Caribbean blue ball gown that sparkled and glinted at him from the crystals sewn into the off-the-shoulder bodice and skirt material. Her stunning outfit was capped off by the girl's mask, a simple ventian style eye mask of pure white, studded around the perimeter with small sapphires that perfectly matched her sky-blue eyes. 'Wow…' was the only thought he had as he half-turned to leave before pausing, noticing just now that they were the only two people on the dancefloor who hadn't paired up yet.
Star had been picking her way through the crowd, eager to see if she could spot Marco when her mother had interrupted her search. She had been trying to find him in order to steal a dance before Penelope monopolized him for the rest of the night, or Tom noticed she was missing from his side. She'd followed Marco's advice, pretending on the outside that nothing was amiss between her and her boyfriend, though internally she had sworn to watch him like a hawk over the next couple weeks, determined to suss out if her fears were founded or not. Now, as the music began to pick up she'd been bumped into by this strange boy. Looking quickly around, she noticed as well that everyone else had seemed to have already paired up and that easy egress from the dancefloor was blocked by dozens of swaying couples. She was just about to try to slip away when she heard him ask, "Would you care to dance?"
Quickly deciding it was best to avoid any awkwardness by joining the crowd, Marco turned back to the girl who hadn't moved since he'd bumped into her. "Would you care to dance?" he asked, holding out a hand to the stranger, whose pale cheeks flushed slightly at his invitation. She nodded and took his hand, smiling politely. He normally wouldn't have asked a complete stranger to dance, especially given his ridiculously complicated love life already, but it was a panic move. Though, as he pulled her closer, he had to admit that it didn't hurt that this girl was very pretty. Her eyes sparkled in the golden light of the ballroom captivating in a manner that seemed all too familiar to him.
Leading his partner, Marco took them on a slow journey around the dancefloor with the other couples. He was hesitant to speak much, feeling a shyness of voice his body did not seem to share, as he gracefully spun and twirled with the pretty blonde in his arms. As far as dancers went, she was certainly nowhere near as skilled as Penelope, him having felt his toes stepped on several times by what felt like boots, though he couldn't tell with the floor length dress obscuring his partners choice of footwear. After a particularly painful stamp caused him to visibly wince, his partner apologized, "Im sorry, I'm not really big on the whole, formal dance…thing. I, uh… actually hate these sorts of things."
"It's fine, don't overthink it. Just try to feel my movements for the changes, it will help you anticipate what's next. Don't worry, we'll get there," he said with a smile that made Star blush a deep crimson. 'He's almost as handsome as Marco,' she thought to herself as she followed his advice, feeling the subtle clues he was giving her though his body language, and finding it much easier to not step on his feet now that they'd synced their movements. "Where did you learn to dance so well?" she asked, smiling widely as he transitioned them both into a tight promenade step around a group of watching young nobles as the strings swelled. For a stuffy formal affair and dancing with a stranger, she had to admit she was having a lot of fun.
"I took ballroom dancing lessons with my mom when I was thirteen. Never got to use them much, but I guess some of the moves stuck," he answered his mysterious partner as they continued to waltz through the room, rising and falling together as they progressed through the steps, leaving him feeling warm all over. 'There's something very familiar about this girl,' he thought, finding his partners enchanting blue eyes something he couldn't look away from. "See, now you're getting it," he said, leaning in to say it in her ear now that they'd circled around to right in front of the orchestra.
"Totally, totally, totally," said Star, feeling goosebumps rise all over her skin at the proximity of his lips, his breath warm against her ear. The way she said those words seemed to jarr his mind, the familiar answer acting as the final clue to reveal his mysterious partner's identity. "Star?" he asked, his eyes widening in recognition as he flung her out to the end of his arm and reeled her back in before they circled each other, the back of her hand on his chest.
"How did you know my name?" she breathed, breathless from the sudden intimacy as he pulled her body against his once more, this time his shining brown eyes full of affection.
"It's me, Marco!" he said, grinning and tipping his roman mask up to show her his identity. There was a moment of shocked silence as they continued to dance, before each one of them broke out in a fit of giggles. "What are the odds?" he asked, wiping a tear from his eye as Star grinned at him.
"That I'd randomly bump into the one person I wanted to see more than anyone tonight to share a wonderful dance?" she sighed happily, laying her head on his chest just as the waltz ended and the couples broke apart to resume mingling.
"It was really great. Once you stopped bruising my toes that is…" he teased, though when he saw her face fall he backpedaled quickly, "Star, you were great once we found our rhythm."
"Thanks Marco," she giggled, nudging his ribs lightly before giving him a sly grin, "but not as great as you were last night…"
"Shhh, not so loud," he hissed, "Penny AND Tom are here."
"Relaxxx, Marco… Nobody is going to overhear us here. I just wanted to thank you for an amazing night last night after such a terrible day. And… For what we got to share together," she said, blushing a bright red once more.
Marco didn't say anything for a moment as he thought back to the events of last night after he'd kissed Star. Things had escalated quickly as their passion caught fire, and it still felt almost like a dream to him. "I got your note this morning, Star. Adorable, just like you," he laughed, taking her hand as they wended their way through the crowd. "But seriously, last night was amazing, though…" he nodded, blushing himself as he looked at her. "You know I didn't recognize you, where are your cheek marks? And you cut your hair too? why?"
Without a word, Star hiked her ballgown up on one side, pulling out the wand she'd strapped to her thigh and waving it in front of her face. "So you didn't recognize me, Silly! The cheek marks were easy to conceal, just a simple glamour," she said as her pink hearts both faded back into existence, "the hair… Wellll…that's real. I figured knee length hair might have been a giveaway even with it put up, so I figured I'd make a bit of a change tonight. Do you like it this way?" she asked, giving him a small twirl.
"I do, but…it must have taken years to grow it out like that. To cut it…" he trailed off, not able to read the smirk on her face as she spun her wand like a gunfighter before stashing it back under her gown.
"Just for you," she purred
"Really?" asked Marco, stunned at her revelation.
"Yeah, you goof!" she giggled, "it's a small price to pay if it meant I got to surprise you. Besides," she scoffed, "regrowing it is a snap now that I have magic."
He was just about to answer her and tell her how sweet he thought that gesture was, when Tom appeared out of the crowd calling her name. They reflexively jumped apart, letting each other's hands go just as he came into view "Star! There you are! I've been looking for you all over. Your mom wants us to meet with someone called the "Mayor," whatever the hell that is. C'mon, you can talk with Mango… Later," he said, throwing a surprised Marco a harsh glare.
"Wait, how did you know?" he asked, eyeing the demon Prince who frankly looked slightly sinister in a blood-red tuxedo, complete with tails and a traditional Venetian Bauta mask that looked like it was carved from marble and inlaid with a spider web pattern of gold leaf.
"I could smell your garbage cologne, Mango… That stink is burned into my nostrils after the sleepover and that shitty little pizza restaurant we all went to the other night."
"Tom…" said Star, a warning edge to her tone that seemed to cow her boyfriend's attitude. "I'll catch up with you later," she said, turning to Marco and giving him a sympathetic look.
"See ya, Star, I should probably find Penelope anyway. She's probably looking for me."
Across the room, Jackie had just taken a glass of punch from a waiter as the music faded. Penelope had told her she was going to go find Marco, and she'd wished her luck, not wanting to be the awkward third wheel as they spent the evening dancing together. "Are you sure? I bet I can rustle up a cute duchess or something," she'd asked.
"I'm sure Penelope, just not feeling the party tonight… But I'll definitely dance with you when they do the guide dances. For now though, I think I'll wander around and meet some people."
"Alright Jackel, just let me know if you change your mind," said Penelope, still looking slightly concerned at her guide and best friend.
"Go have fun! I'll be fine!" she said, shooing the mewman into the crowd with a laugh that died the instant Penelope turned her back. Sipping her punch, Jackie spent the next five minutes slowly making her way through the crowd. She stopped and spoke with a couple people she recognized, but for the most part she was just enjoying the music and the chance to be alone with her thoughts. At least that is, until things started to get weird.
It started off as a subtle, almost imperceptible change in the pitch of the music as she made her way through the crowd. It warped and swayed, alternating between sounding like the orchestra was playing under twenty feet of water to a thin, tinny sound like an old radio. Working her jaw, Jackie tried to pop her ear, wondering if maybe there was some water stuck in there. And it was in that moment when things took a turn for the scary. One by one, each party goer turned their face and stared at her and she knew this was something much more sinister than an inner ear problem.
With a rustle of fine clothes, guest after guest silently turned to her in the ballroom as the music's volume grew; its crazed, discordant sound becoming painful in the ear. They stayed like that for a long, terrifying minute, Jackie's anxiety rising steadily as they engaged in a silent stare down in the crowded ballroom. The deadly tension rose higher and higher, threatening to overwhelm her until one after another, they gripped their masks and pulled them away to reveal the rotted, horrific visage of Adam's face. Jackie felt her heart leap in her chest, racing as it pounded with barely suppressed panic. It took every ounce of her willpower and courage not to sprint out of the room screaming, but stand her ground she did. 'This isn't real… This isn't real…" she muttered over and over under her breath, squeezing her eyes tight against the macabre scene. After all, both Star and her Mother were in the room, there's no way Adam would make a move on her.
To her relief, when she opened her eyes, things had seemed to have returned to normal. The music, airy and light, sounded as it should have and all the various party guests were no longer staring at her and had returned to the various things they had been doing before. Breathing deep to steady her still racing heart, she looked around the crowd, only one thought in her mind. 'I need to find Marco and Star.'
O - O - O - O - O - O - O
"Mary, I simply must tell you that you have the most exquisitely beautiful eyes I have ever seen," said Reynard to a tittering and swooning brunette. They'd shared a couple dances already, and while he had no intentions of inviting the comely young Baroness back to his room, he didn't see the harm in some friendly flirting.
"Yours aren't so bad yourself, Viscount Butterfly," the girl purred, running a finger down his frock coat. Biting her lip and fixing him with a sultry stare, she continued, "So what do you say we find a quiet little corner of the castle and take a short break from all this stuffy formality."
"Oh, umm," he started, looking to the side awkwardly as he mulled over the girl's offer of some "privacy." He was just about to politely decline the woman's come on, deciding that while he may have been in hot water with Amanda, he was going to make a serious effort to be faithful when he spotted several dark shapes through the windows flit by. "Did you…" he started, but trailed off as two more shadows flashed by the window. There was something sinisterly familiar about their shape and he felt a sting of dread in his stomach as he raked his memory for what it might be. "Excuse me, Marcy. Something has come up," he said distractedly as he quickly walked away towards a side exit.
"It's Mary…" the girl corrected, her tone dejected as she watched him hurry away.
As soon as he'd slipped out of the ballroom and into the hallway, Reynard signaled to the nearest two guards, motioning them over with a wave. "You two, with me, I saw something suspicious outside." Nodding, the two guards hurried to his side and together, the three headed down the corridor towards the main entrance hall of the castle. Initially, nothing seemed amiss, the hall stood quiet and empty as most of the castle staff worked the ball, but Reynard knew what he'd seen hadn't been a trick of the light, 'Something was definitely out there,' he thought, determined to find out who had been skulking.
*Creeakkkk* The faint sound of a heavy wooden door made him snap his head to the left, staring down the dimly lit corridor that he knew led down to the lower levels of the castle. "C'mon, follow me. We'll link up with more guards downstairs," he ordered, drawing his sword and leading them quickly through the passageway and down the stone steps. Slowly picking their way downstairs, Reynard kept a sharp eye out for anything amiss, cursing the fact that he'd taken guards wearing heavy metal armor as each with each step, they clanked and rattled like a bag full of brass keys.
"Did you see that?" asked a guard, his voice in a half panic as he pointed further down the stairs.
"I did, Milton… I did indeed…" answered Reynard, having seen the quick flash of a shadow as the stairs continued to spiral down under the castle. After five minutes they'd descended past the servants quarters, and stepped off the landing in front of the Wash. Reynard gave the door a tentative pull, noting that it was sealed shut. "Looks like we keep going down," he added, pointing towards a small, less ornate set of steps in the wall to their left.
"What's down here," asked Milton after they'd spent another few minutes descending the smaller stone stairs.
"I'm not exactly sure… In the old Butterfly Castle on Mewni, it led to the family crypts. But there'd be no reason for Queen Moon to rebuild those here on Earth. We won't be here long enough for-" his words died in his throat as the three of them made the final turn of the spiral stairway and stepped off into what was unmistakably an empty tomb. Rows of niches lined the walls, and every twenty feet, a small side room sat unused, complete with empty stone sarcophagus. 'Why would Moon build this…' he thought, momentarily distracted as Milton pointed down the hallway.
"Look," the guard whispered, pointing deeper into the crypt, where a pair of bodies lay next to a door that was standing ajar.
Cringing as his two companions clanked along behind him, Reynard knelt next to one of the bodies and rolled it gently onto its back and visibly flinched when he saw his wounds. Two ornately carved obsidian throwing knives had done the man in, one directly in the throat, buried several inches though a major artery from the looks of the massive puddle of blood on the floor, and the second and likely instantly fatal shot, that took the man through the eye, embedding deeply into his skull.
"Poor buggers," whispered the guard whose name Reynard couldn't recall as Milton turned the other guard over to discover his wounds were identical. Glancing over, Reynard had to fight down the wave of panic as recognition finally took hold.
"They're both killed with these weird, weighted knives,'' said Milton, pointing unnecessarily to the blades protruding from both bodies.
"Milton, get Queen Moon and more guards…a lot of them!" hissed Reynard, standing now and peaking through the cracked door the two dead men had apparently been guarding.
"What's going on?" the man asked, looking unsure if he should listen to the order.
"Those specific blades are only used by one group: the Zryn. They're Toffee's elite killers and he uses them to assassinate and perform clandestine operations his normal monsters are too clumsy for. These blades are a calling card, meant to send a message "
"H-How do you know that?" stammered Milton, sharing an uneasy look with the other guard.
"Experience…" answered Reynard, gritting his teeth in fury as he threw the guard a scorching look. "If they're already in the castle, we're all in big trouble; so like I said before, move your fucking ass and get Queen Moon and another contingent of guards down here right now!"
"Yes, Viscount," nodded Milton, and took off toward the stairs that led up into the rest of the castle.
Just then, the shrieking sound of metal being violently rent apart sounded from deeper in the crypt. It rang out sharp and grating, echoing crazily from every stone surface. Signalling silently to follow, Reynard slowly eased the door open as quietly as he could and slipped through. A short trip down a grim looking granite corridor that appeared to be carved from solid stone, and they came to a dead end where four more guards lay in a puddle of their own blood. It was a grim scene, made all the more so by the circle of orange light cast by the heavy wooden candelabra above.
"A… Vault," he said, noticing the large metal door that had been torn apart by something and now lay in ruins against the wall, drooping on it's remaining, undamaged hinge.
"Did you know there was a vault down here?" asked the guard, looking around nervously.
"Nooo, I didn't…" answered Reynard, looking and listening very carefully as he picked over the corpses for any more clues. "Stay put while I take a look in the vault. If you hear ANYTHING, come get me immediately," he ordered before standing and slipping past the torn and jagged metal that ringed the vaults' formerly secure entrance. "Now what are you after, you slippery devils…" he muttered, finding the sight that greeted him astonishing even for a man of great wealth. There were small mountains of piled gold coins by the dozen, and endless pouches of sorted gemstones, both rough and cut, spilling their contents like a cornucopia of wealth.
Stepping deeper into the vault, he saw a small alcove that had once been secured by thick steel bars, but now stood open, it's bars peeled apart like a banana by a clever block and tackle system he saw had been secured to the floor by long iron spikes. 'Clever lizards…' he thought to himself as he peered in and saw a spot between two abstruse-looking magical objects on the shelf that was curiously bare. A light layer of dust outlining the shape of a long rectangle marked the spot where something had sat recently and the thing they'd taken, he was sure of it. Taking a final look around the vault, Reynard hurried back to the entrance, squeezing carefully through the ragged hole there to find the nervous looking guard staring back down the dim passage they'd come.
"Anything?" asked Reynard standing next to the guard as he strained to listen for any sound of footsteps or a clue that they may not be alone.
"Nothing," the guard whispered back.
"Alright, then let's head back upstairs, we need to- Wait," he hissed, cocking his head, "do you hear that?" The guard with him mimicked his movement, turning his ear so he could hear the faint rhythmic sound that seemed to be coming from above.
*SNAP* The sharp sound of a rope letting go gave Reynard just enough time to direct his attention skyward as the heavy wooden candelabra hurtled towards him. It struck with a hammer blow, slamming him and the guard to the ground with a sharp sound of clattering steel and snapping wood and bones. The last thing Reynard saw unconsciousness took him were several swift forms streaking down the hallway supporting a large box between them.
O - O - O - O - O - O - O
Finishing their dance, Marco led a smiling and breathless Penelope off the dance floor and towards the refreshment table. 'She's really in her element here,' he thought, thinking of the last half an hour he'd spent dancing with her and being introduced to friends and various lesser Spiderbite family members. All of them had seemed quite taken with Marco, but he got the distinct impression that like last night, they saw him as something to be collected. A trinket or bauble for Penny to wear as a status symbol and lord over the other eligible bachelorettes of the kingdom. 'God, after asking a few questions about some of my more famous exploits, they basically ignored me…' The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth, made all the more unpalatable by Penelope's seeming complicity in it after promising him last night she'd act differently.
He was snapped out of his dark thoughts when he heard his girlfriend clear her throat lightly. Turning, he took the proffered glass of champagne from her and took a long sip. "Marco? What's wrong? You've been off all night," she asked, eyeing him carefully over her own glass of champagne.
"It's been a long couple of days," he signed, draining his flute and pulling a disgusted face. "With everything that's happened to Jackie, dealing with the fallout from Mejoga-"
"Last night?" Penelope added, her face unreadable as she watched him stiffen at her words.
"Last night…" Marco said softly, not looking her in the eyes. He was sweating slightly, worried that somehow she'd found out what he and Star had done in the grips of both their relationship woes.
"Marco, I'm really sorry about how I acted. I wasn't considering your feelings and I said a lot of dumb stuff that I know insulted you and your parents."
"It's fine, Penny," he said, feeling a pit of guilt in his stomach bubble uncomfortably. Here she was, apologizing for last night, when he'd been in bed with Star only twelve hours ago. He may have amended the promise between them, agreeing to share Thursday nights with Star so he could focus on Penny the other days, but it didn't entirely make the guilt go away.
From the tone of his voice, it didn't sound fine to Penelope. In fact, she could tell something was seriously wrong with her boyfriend. He was having trouble meeting her eyes, and with Marco Diaz, that was always a warning sign that something was up. She was just about to say as much, when Jackie stepped out of the crowd. "There you are dude," she said, smiling with relief at finally having caught up with Marco.
"Hey Jackie," he greeted her, eager to have her presence there to help break the awful tension between him and Penelope. "Are you alright? You look a little…"
"Stressed out? Because yeah dude, I am." Jackie's eyes shifted nervously to each side, "Adam's here. He was trying to scare me earlier when I was by either of you seen Star?"
There was a long silence between them as the implications of what Jackie had said sunk in. Immediately, Marco looked around the ballroom at the masked attendees, his imagination racing. 'He could be pretending to be anyone of these guests…' he thought with a small shudder. "Not since I got here…" he said, turning back to Jackie and feeling another pang of guilt at that lie.
"I saw her with Tom like ten minutes ago," said Penelope, standing on her tiptoes and looking past them. "There he is! Tom! TOM!" she called out to him waving the demon over.
Marco looked over and sure enough, there was his least favorite person heading over to them. Flicking his gaze to his companion, he smiled when he saw Star in tow. 'What an odd couple…' he thought, making a mental note to ask how she and Tom had met. As usual, she was happy to see them, waving a frantic greeting before she had closed to within easy earshot. But when his eyes met hers, her already happy face split open into an ear to ear grin and she sped past Tom to join them. "Hi Jackie!" she said, pulling the relieved looking girl into a tight hug, "feeling better?"
"Um, about that…" started Jackie just as the soft chimes from earlier rang out once more and the orchestra fell silent. Turning towards the sound, they saw that once more Queen Moon was standing on the raised dais. She was holding a glass of champagne and smiling a smile that looked to Marco much more genuine this time around.
"Lords, ladies, and honored guests; I hope you are all enjoying yourself this wonderful evening. I would like to take this moment to announce that it is time for the mewman-guide dance. If you would, please pair up with your guide. All other guests, please make your way off the dancefloor."
In a flash, Star had sidled up to Marco, giggling quietly as Penelope and Jackie got into position. Marco couldn't help but smile to himself as he watched Tom walk towards the edge of the dancefloor, grumbling something about "Mango" the whole time. "Jackie needs our help after the dance," he whispered to Star as they waited for the rest of the guides and Mewmans to find their opposite number.
"Adam?" she whispered back, the happy grin she'd been wearing since she saw him faltering slightly.
"Yeah, but hey, you and Janna kicked his butt last time. And we have your mom here and you said she's like Gandalf level good at magic."
"I don't know who that is, Marco," said Star, "but next to her, I might as well be holding a sparkler. One time on Mewni, she single-handedly held off over a thousand charging monsters while daddy helped evacuate some wounded soldiers. She went all butterfly monster, RAAH! and tore open a huge hole in the ground to keep them from reaching the soldiers" screeched Star, clawing playfully at his chest before both of them burst out in a fit of giggles. When their laughter had died down, Marco offered his hand, feeling his heart flutter in anticipation as she gently took it and stepped into him just as the golden light in the ballroom dimmed slightly.
Looking over, he saw the various guides and mewmans pairing up; the Queen was just taking his father's hand, while River was bowing low to a visibly blushing Angie. Over Star's shoulder, he watched Penelope and Jackie talking animatedly as the buzz of conversation in the hall fell to a charged silence. When he looked back down at Star, he felt like his heart had stopped. She was staring up into his eyes, her own shimmering and burning with the same emotions the two had shared last night. Instinctively, he slipped his hand around her back and pulled her body against his, perhaps a little closer than was necessary, but in that shared moment of smoldering passion, he couldn't have cared less. "You remember what I said about following my lead, right?" he asked in a low, sultry whisper.
She shivered at those words, her spine tingling with pleasure as she opened her mouth to answer."I'd follow you anywhere..." the words were on her lips, ready to be whispered to him before she stopped herself at the last moment, remembering they were in public and the rules to their new agreement. So instead, she settled on a simple nod, not trusting herself to keep things from escalating as the tension between them threatened to spill over.
Music Cue - Blood Moon Waltz
They stood there, poised and taut as the silence stretched on and on, until finally it broke with the drawing of a bow across strings. A moment later, it was joined by a piano playing a soft, mournful waltz and together, Star and Marco began to dance. They rose and fell, perfectly in sync with each other as they slowly revolved, the rest of the strings joining in as the music the two of them, however, the crowd faded and fell away, like smoke on the breeze, their glittering eyes unable to look anywhere but into their partner's as the music swept them away.
As they danced and whirled, flowing like water between the other dancers, a peculiar thing began to occur. Almost imperceptibly, the lights dimmed lower, and through the crystal skylight, a shaft of ruby light shone down like a spotlight, centering itself on Star and Marco as they danced together. As it did so, faint glimmers began to glow in their wake, like crimson dye, spreading in water that swirled around their feet to curl, ephemeral up their legs. One by one, the other dancers began to stop and stare as the two crossed the dancefloor together, the luminescence around their feet coalescing and strengthening until, with a great swelling of the orchestra, they left the dancefloor, twirling together on a ribbon of light that spiraled high above the watching crowd.
"Oh, my…" breathed Moon, awed as she watched her daughter and her best friend and guide waltz past, the carmine magic that was holding them aloft spread from under their feet and twisted into a pair of ethereal wings on both of their backs. 'That's my daughter…' Moon thought, smiling as she watched, spellbound like all the rest of the partygoers. 'Always giving them a show they'll never forget.' Only a loud growl next to her seemed to be able to break her transfixed gaze and she turned to see Tom shaking with rage, clearly on the verge of one of his famous blow ups. Turning to the snarling Prince, she placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention, and when he turned to glare at her, she met his expression with an icy stare. "Get some air, Thomas. I will NOT," she emphasized the word with an imperious glare, "have you losing your temper here," she said in her most authoritative and queenly voice. He looked for a moment as if he was going to defy her, but then his shoulder sagged and he barked a curt-sounding, "Fine." before storming out of the ballroom.
"Marco…" sighed Star, finally pulling her eyes off him long enough to notice where they were dancing. Oddly, she felt no fear at being so high up, only an overwhelming feeling of affection for the boy holding her close as they continued to turn and dance to the wonderful music. 'This is Heaven…' she thought happily, laying her head on his chest to listen to that strong, steady heartbeat while they danced.
"Star…" he murmured into her ear, squeezing the beautiful girl in his arms slightly as they swept over the crowd below. He couldn't remember ever feeling so close to someone, and here, now…bathed in this beautiful vermilion light, he could have held her forever. 'I love her…' the thought, which had simply popped, unprompted, into his head surprisingly didn't frighten him or fill him with anxiety. Instead, it seemed to comfort him, like a warm embrace at the end of a long, cold day.
Below them, Penelope watched silently, bathed in the soft red light, a grinning Jackie at her side. She didn't quite know what to make of the events of the past five minutes, having never experienced anything even remotely close to this in her life. But as she watched her boyfriend and his best friend dancing together, a girl she despised, she felt something new. Where there was anger and petty jealousy of their connection, a new and terrifying feeling of acceptance began to take root, if faintly. In fact, their movements were a sign in and of themselves, their synchronicity perfect, and it felt like they belonged in each other's- 'what the hell? What was that?' Penny thought, shaking off those new feelings and shifting her glare to sit squarely over Star. Like hell she would sit back and watch her get chummy with her boyfriend in front of the entirety of the court. 'I'm Marco's girlfriend and he's all mine! I will not let that blonde slut take him from me!'
Marco led Star to his side, the two walking in a cheek to cheek promenade step on a veritable river of crimson light before turning. Gripping her hip, he dipped Star low, smiling as she gazed up at him in wonder. He held her there, bent low, his eyes blazing with passion before pulling her back up to him and sweeping her back towards the head of the room. "Ready for the grand finale," he whispered to her, smiling when she nodded with enthusiasm. Leading her gently in a wide arc above the awed crowd, he raised his arm and let her step away from him before she threw herself into a tight spin.
For Star, it was a move she'd done countless times, especially during the many visits she'd made to the bounce lounge with Pony Head and later, Marco. The memory of which was still so fresh on her mind, that she couldn't help but break out in a fit of giggles as she remembered spinning like a top next to a very drunk Marco Diaz. Laughing, she twisted her body and grabbed his hand, her momentum pulling Marco off of his feet to join her in a lazy spin while they slowly sank to the ground.
Slowing, both of them gingerly stepped to the marble as the last, haunting strains of the waltz died away. They were red faced from a mixture of emotion and shared laughter just as the lights returned to their normal golden glow. "That was amazing…" Marco said breathlessly, still holding Star's hands in his, unwilling to break her gaze. "Did you do that?"
"Marco, I'm good, but not that good…" said Star as she met eyes with a beaming smile, trying desperately to push down the overwhelming urge to kiss his beautiful lips right here and now.
"Then what…" he began to ask before his eyes found Penelope standing nearby and he paled at the absolutely furious look on her face. Sighing, he had just turned to tell Star that they would have to talk about their dance later when the doors at the grand entrance to the ballroom exploded inward in a shower of gilt splinters. Four mewman guards tumbled into the room, landing in an unmoving heap as a billowing cloud of grey smoke washed through the shattered entrance and into the room. Through the haze, a tall lizard-like monster strolled into the ballroom. Clapping dramatically, he sneered at the audience as a group of monsters fanned out in front of him, menacing the nearby guests.
"I do love a good…" he growled, leveling his cybernetic arm at a groaning guard on the ground and firing a blast into the man's chest, "Party." Chuckling to himself, he gazed out at the stunned guests, the facets of his amethyst-jeweled eye glinting as he glanced about the room. Stepping over the smoking corpse, he opened his hands, his mouth twisting into a mock frown, "But, I must say Queen Moon, I seem to have…misplaced my invitation. I hope you don't mind if I let myself in." Around him, his soldiers chuckled sycophantically, each one slowly pushing into the room as they brandished swords, axes and other spiked instruments of death.
Tensing, Marco shared a concerned look with Star. "I don't have Silverlight," he whispered, his eyes already scanning his foes and looking for viable escape routes for the unarmed guests.
"Stay close," she whispered back, her hand sliding under her dress to retrieve her wand. Striding father into the room as the crowd pushed back out of his way, Rasticore pointed an accusing finger at the cowering crowd. "I've come to finish what Lord Toffee started… Come to reap what you mewmans have sown for CENTURIES of monster oppression," he barked, all of the false mirth of earlier gone from his voice as the nobles in front began to push and shove their way towards the back of the ballroom. "TREMBLE!" he bellowed, "for I am your doom! The harbinger of your hour of reckoning, and-"
"THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH, MONSTER!" came a shout from above. Looking up, Marco saw Queen Moon there as he had never seen her before. She was floating above them; her evening gown vanished, replaced with stout looking battle armor. Her skin had turned the color of periwinkle, but most amazing of all was that she seemed to have grown an enormous set of wings and four extra arms. She was surrounded by a glowing aura of power that he could feel on his cheek; it warmed him like he was kneeling in front of an open oven. Equal parts terrifying and angelic, he could barely manage to pry his eyes off the sight above him to check on what Star was planning.
"Butterfly monster?" he asked Star, who was grinning ear to ear as she watched her mom.
"Butterfly monster," she nodded, dropping down into a fighting stance. "This guy's about to get his ass kicked… And we're going to help."
"Ah, the illustrious, Queen Butterfly… Come to protect your sniveling and cowardly people as always," said Rasticore, flexing his metal claw as he narrowed his eyes at her. "But what will they do when you have other things to worry about I wonder…" In a flash, he stretched out his arm and fired three blasts straight at the Queen, who used two of her arms to conjure a shield of blue magic to absorb the attack. Unfortunately, this left her temporarily blinded by the impact and she didn't see the follow up blast until it was too late.
It flashed by in a streak of purple, slamming into the massive crystal skylight, causing it to craze and crack. Deep spiderweb-like fissures streaked across the entire ceiling as jagged chunks the size of dinner plates began to fall like deadly hail.
Turning at the awful sound of the enormous skylight beginning to disintegrate, Moon raised all six of her hands and extended an enormous shield above the entire crowd, pressing it against the sagging glass that threatened to cut them all to ribbons. "Get everyone to safety!" She ordered the guards, just as Rasticore snapped his fingers once more, and the monsters charged.
"Radical Rainbow Redoubt!" shouted Star, twirling her wand to fire a beam of solid rainbow that coalesced into a ten foot high prismatic wall that barred most of the monsters from advancing into the crowd. Only a gap about twenty feet wide remained, centered directly on them.
"Uh, Star! We got company! A little help!" shouted Marco, dropping the first monster that came into range with a flurry of lightning fast punches to the gut.
"Hold your horses, Marco!" shouted Star taking careful aim at her bestie as he ducked and wove through monster after monster, lashing out with fist and foot. "Rumbling Rock Gauntlets!" she shouted once more, and this time Marco grinned as his fists and forearms were encased in a flexible rock sheathing that he tested to his satisfaction with a spinning back fist that knocked a charging monster unconscious in a single blow.
"Nice one Star!" he called, as he rolled out of the way of a vicious axe swing from a giraffe monster a split-second before it ate a face full of narwhals.
"C'mon, Jackie, Star and Marco can handle this without us," hissed Penelope, grabbing her hand and pulling her quickly to join the rest of the guests as they ran for the exit. Together they joined the crowd, squeezing through the double doors at the side of the room before the flow of the rushing and panicking crowd forced their hands apart.
"Shit, shit," muttered Jackie as she frantically looked for Penelope. Shoved to the side by the people behind her, she caught only a fleeting glimpse of her best friend's brown hair before someone slammed into her hard enough to knock her to the ground. Covering her head and curling into a ball to avoid being trampled, she shut her eyes tight as several fleeing guests kicked and stepped on her in their attempt to flee. It was a relief then, when she felt a pair of arms grab her around the middle and drag her out of the stampede.
"Are you alright, Miss?" asked a guard, helping her to her feet.
"Yeah! T-Thanks," she stuttered, still breathing hard from their panicked rush out of the ballroom. "I got knocked down and I didn't think I-" but the rest of her sentence never left her mouth as behind the guard, she saw one of the guests calmly turn out of the rushing crowd and stalk towards them. He had reached up and torn away his mask to reveal his face, a twisted mix of Adam's rotted visage and the black, yellow eyed demon, his needle-toothed mouth pulled back in a rictus grin.
It was like watching a car crash in slow motion for Jackie as she saw Adam draw closer. Wordlessly she worked her mouth, desperately trying to warn the oblivious guard to the danger, but try as she might, she just couldn't get any sound to come out. Transfixed, she stared in wide-eyed horror as Adam drew back his arm, his fingers lengthening into wickedly sharp claws before he drove his hand forward and straight through the poor guard's chest. Wincing as his hot blood spattered her face and dress, she could only scream, her mind shouting a single word over and over: 'RUN!'
Stumbling over her dress, Jackie turned and ran as fast as her outfit would allow her. Behind her, Adam shook the corpse off of his arm with an obscene spray of red. "Where are you running, Jacks? Time's up, and I've come to collect on my offer…" he said as he followed at a fast walk.
Turning the corner, Jackie just managed to dodge a set of doors as they slammed open, spinning to the side as two monsters burst through brandishing axes. Feeling her heel catch her dress, she tumbled to the ground, a sharp pain in her ankle blossoming. Her eyes met theirs, and for a moment she thought they would attack her until both of them looked down the hall and saw Adam, now in the guise of a Butterfly Castle guard striding forward. Thinking he was an easy kill as he appeared unarmed, they both charged, howling as they raised their weapons.
It was only when they'd closed to within arms reach did they both realize their fatal mistake. The first monster swung a heavy battle axe in a wide arc, aiming to take the guard in the side of the neck, but was shocked when the head of his axe passed through his intended victim's body as if it were made of dark smoke. He was even more shocked, however, when the guard's jaw seemingly unhinged itself, his white teeth becoming razor sharp needles before ripping the monster's throat out. His companion, shaking with terror at the horrific scene, had just turned to flee when a blood stained Adam grasped his head from behind and tore it from his shoulders as easily as if it were the head of a dandelion.
Striding towards Jackie, he smiled at her as she attempted to crawl backwards down the now deserted hallway. "All this death, simply because of your impudence," he said, sweeping his arm at the carnage behind him. "That man, those foolish monsters… All lives that might have been spared had you simply accepted my offer" He sauntered slowly closer, dragging a long black claw against the stone of the passageway that left a deep gouge as he walked. "Tell me Jackie… How many more deaths can your conscience abide? Ten? A hundred? Or maybe…" he trailed off as he stopped just shy of Jackie's trembling form, his face a horrific mixture of demon and Adam. "Maybe a more…personal loss would suffice? Your friend Janna still owes me a soul, perhaps a night time visit would-"
"Stop!" shouted Jackie looking up at him with tears in her eyes, "just STOP!"
O - O - O - O - O - O - O
*CRACK* The head of the mace split the marble tile just as Marco rolled out of the way. The hulking boar monster in front of him must have been three hundred pounds of solid muscle and he swung the mace like it was made of paper rather than solid steel. Scrambling to his feet, he ducked low under another murderous swing, landing two sharp punches on where he assumed the monsters kidneys would be. He was rewarded with a satisfying, "Oof" and noticed the follow up counter swing was noticeably slower.
In the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of blonde as River charged headlong into three monsters, bellowing a Johansen war cry at the top of his lungs. Shortly behind, several armored knights led a squad of guards against a group of monsters. He watched as a large red-haired woman gracefully parried a sword swing from Beard Deer, striking back with a lunge that elicited a cry of pain from the monster. "Marco!" Star's warning cry snapped his attention back to the massive monster they were fighting. He'd recovered from Marco's punches and was charging headlong at him, his head lowered in an effort to impale him on his tusks.
"Raspberry Ribbon Lasso!" cried Star, pulling hard once the spell had wrapped itself around Marco's torso. The yank seemed to do the trick, sliding him just enough to the side that the charging boar monster roared by like a freight train and on to crash against the wall of rainbows still shielding the fleeing party guests. "I'm going to wear your guts as a necklace for that!" it snorted, shaking its head to clear its vision.
"Star, I have an idea! Wait for an opening!" yelled Marco as he sprinted towards their foe just as it readied its mace for another thunderous blow. Timing his dodge, he waited until he saw the rippling muscles in the boar's arm tighten before throwing himself onto his knees, sliding on the waxed marble floor and leaning back as the spiked mace flashed by, mere inches from his face. Springing back to his feet, he blocked a fist the size of his face with his armored left arm, hearing with satisfaction the bones in the monster's hand crack as they met unyielding stone.
As the monster pulled his injured hand back, howling in pain, Marco whipped off his feathered hat and threw it in the distracted monster's face. Knowing his opponent was momentarily blinded, he crouched slightly, focusing every ounce of his strength in his hip before violently twisting his body to unleash a devastating crescent kick that dropped the monster to one knee. To his left, Star saw the opening he had warned her to look for and she raised her wand, shouting, "Rainbow Fist Punch!" With a burst of multicolored light, a first made of rainbows fired out of her wand to slam into the side of the boar monster's head. Like a great oak tree felled by a lumberjack, he toppled over, landing with a ground shaking thud at Marco's feet who let out a hoot of triumph.
The way was clear now for the two of them to attack Rasticore, who so far had seemed content to let his monsters do the fighting, merely supporting them with blasts from his cybernetic arm. Above them, Marco saw Moon struggling and straining to hold up the shattered crystal ceiling while defending her back against Rasticore's blasts. 'We don't have much time,' he thought frantically, knowing that it was up to him and Star to take him down before Moon ran out of stamina. "Follow me in, Star!" he called back to her as he sprinted through the gap in monsters.
Running for the lizard, Marco circled to the right noticing that his foe's attention was focused in the other direction. Pouring on every ounce of speed he could muster, he jumped, extending his foot into a flying side kick aimed straight at the side of the lizard's head. 'Eat this you-' but his thoughts were interrupted when Rasticore nimbly stepped back and grabbed his lower leg, swinging him hard in a wide arc before releasing him to slam into a table full of catering. Canapes and bowls of punch went flying everywhere as Marco crashed through the stout table, the impact knocking the wind out of him as he rolled to a stop.
"MARCO!" shouted Star, leveling her wand and firing off a series of pink blasts that slammed into Rasticore, driving the gloating monster to one knee. Tendrils of smoke curled and rose off of his lacquered black armor as he got to his feet, sneering as his eye found the source of the attack. "Princess Butterfly…" he growled, his lips pulling back to display a row of razor sharp teeth. "I'd hoped you'd be here… Killing you will be the highlight of my week."
"Ugh, he's wearing armor just like that big idiot, Krunt!" she spat, noticing now the scales of black steel sewn into his leather armor.
"Blacksteel to level the playing field against your foul magic," sneered Rasticore, brushing his shoulder off with his mechanical arm. "Though it seems it proved unable to save that lumbering oaf, Krunt. Thank you for that, by the way… You saved me the trouble of having to tear that weakling's throat out myself."
"What!" shouted Moon, turning her head to glare at her daughter. "So not only did you kidnap your guide to go gallivanting-"
"This is soo not the time, Mom!" Star shouted towards the ceiling.
"But you ALSO FOUGHT ONE OF TOFFEES GENERALS?!" Moon's yell was laced with anger and worry, but Star kept her attention locked onto Rasticore. "And killed him! Let it go, Mom!"
*Smash* Rasticore staggered as a large bottle of champagne came whirling in to shatter against his metal shoulder, the glass fragments raking his face to leave long bloody gashes. "Argh, you little…" he growled, turning to face where the attack had come from. Standing there holding another champagne bottle, was the boy that had tried to kick him earlier
"Die, insect!" he shouted, firing a series of blasts that made the boy dodge and weave behind the rest of the catering tables that were soon reduced to smoldering wood chips and porcelain shards. 'These whelps are infuriating!' he thought, blocking another series of spells from the Princess and deciding to simply stride over to the boy and snap his worthless neck.
He had just made to find the boy and finish him when one of his soldiers stuck his head through the ruined door and called to him. "Lord Rasticore, the package has been secured!"
Nodding, Rasticore stopped and turned back his foes. "It appears playtime is over little Butterfly…" he said, letting out a cruel, hoarse laugh as he plucked several small objects off of his belt. Hurling them at his feet, he was immediately swallowed up in a choking black cloud as the remainder of his monsters fell back into the smoke. "See you real soon!" he called out though the obscuring fumes.
Before either Marco or Star could make any moves to pursue, they heard Moon shouting for them to come towards her. Marco could see the frustration on Star's face and knew immediately how desperately she wanted to pursue the retreating monsters. Running straight at her, he grabbed her hand and physically pulled her around to run with the other knights and guards directly under where Moon was still straining to hold up the skylight. When they'd all gathered under her, Marco looked up to see Moon bend the magic shield, shaping it into a tight cone that allowed the razor sharp chunks of crystal to fall harmlessly around them with a deafening crash that shook the room like an earthquake had just struck.
Descending slowly, Moon landed lightly next to her daughter, waiting for the remainder of the crystal to crash to the ground and the dust to settle before dropping the shield as well as her butterfly form. Panting, she fell to one knee as Star immediately checked on her. "Mom, are you okay?" she asked, kneeling next to her pale and drained looking mother.
"I'm alright, Star… Just exhausted. Holding up that much weight was taxing… even in that form," she said, shakily rising to her feet. "Let's just get somewhere safe and we can discuss our next move."
Elsewhere, in the hallway outside of the ballroom, the sound of the crystal skylight finally smashing into the marble tiled floor was almost overwhelming. The ear-shattering *BOOM* reverberated up and down the stone corridor where Jackie lay paralyzed with fear, forcing her to cover her ears as the aural assault continued for several long seconds. The rushing, billowing cloud of dust its impact threw up blew through the open door, blocking Adam from her sight even though he stood over her only foot away. She shuddered when his sickly yellow eye glowed though the dust like a malignant lighthouse. When he stepped over her and squatted down, however, she saw she was face to face with an unblemished Adam, just as he had appeared to her the other night.
"It's time, Jackie… Time to live a life free of fear; a life free of the soul-crushing guilt I know you feel over my death," he said, with a quiet sympathetic tone. His eyes were understanding and compassionate as he extended his hand, sun kissed and unblemished. It looked just like she remembered it every time they'd held hands when she was little. "Just take my hand, and you'll never know fear again, Jacks…"
She was so tired… Tired of running from her past, of fighting the guilt that burned in her stomach like cold fire. His honeyed words pulled at heart, tempting her to act, and though she knew she couldn't trust him… It would be so easy to just reach out and end her pain; to give in and be free from the last four years of grief and suffering since she had lost the most important person in her life through her own stupid recklessness.
Slowly, almost as if she were a spectator, she watched as her dirty and bleeding arm raised off the floor, her hand extending until her fingertips were brushing Adam's. "No more pain… No more fear… Just me and you Jacks, like we always promised it would be…" he reassured, giving her a beaming smile, just like old times as her fingers slipped past his to grasp his hand. As their hands gripped one another, the last thing Jackie remembered before her vision was consumed by darkness, was a blinding flash of yellow, and the blissful feeling of peace washing over her.
O - O - O - O - O - O - O
"I still want to know how they infiltrated the castle!" shouted River, glaring at several sheepish looking knights while pacing back and forth in the throne room. "To think our security was defeated so easily… I have half a mind to run them through the ringer myself!"
"River, I share your concern, but as I have been saying for the past twenty minutes… The more pressing question we must answer is why." said, Moon, rubbing her temple to help alleviate the throbbing headache beginning to take root there. "His attack was clearly meant as a distraction to cover for something his soldiers stole, but what, I'm afraid I don't know…"
"Who cares what he took!" interrupted Star, stepping between her parents and brandishing her wand proudly, "I say we go out there and find him so we can kick his butt! Then we can just take back whatever he stole. Easy peasy taco breezy."
'Star, don't be foolish," Moon breathed just under her breath. The fact that Star could even be so reckless at a time like this irked her to no end… "You have no idea what you're up against; how many monsters he has under his command, or even where to start looking for him."
"But Marco and I took down Krunt! I bet we coul-" began Star before her mother cut her off with a sharp look. Even those surrounding them in the war room took a subconscious step back from one of Queen Moons famous "stares."
"I will be speaking to you about that part of your little adventure on Mejoga you did not deign to tell me about later, Star. For now, please let your father and I decide what is the best course of action," said Moon, her voice terse with barely suppressed anger. Star stared at her, silent for a moment before Moon turned back to the rest of the room, which promptly continued to breath after that uncomfortable silence.
Grumbling, Star stomped over to where Marco, Penelope, and several other nobles were standing and watching. She didn't miss the scathing look Penelope gave her as she stood on the other side of Marco, but at this point she was beyond caring what the Spiderbite Princess thought. Leaning in, she whispered in Marco's ear, "I don't care what my mom says, we're going to find that jerk and take back whatever he took."
Only half listening, Marco nodded. He was much more concerned with Penelope at the moment, as she was barely holding her composure after having told him the story of her and Jackie's flight from the ballroom and how they had been separated. She had tried to call Jackie over thirty times in the intervening half hour, each call going unanswered until her voicemail picked up. Together they had frantically whispered back and forth about her disappearance while Star hovered near her parents, Penelope voicing her concern as well as sneaking in several barbed jabs at his and Star's shared dance. "Don't worry Penny, we'll find her," he whispered, reaching for her hand only to have her pull it away like she had the night before.
Opening his mouth to comment, Marco jumped as the doors to the throne room burst open and a bloody faced Reynard limped in, trailed by several harried looking guards. "They weren't here for us!" he shouted, breathing hard as he wiped the fresh blood from his eyes. "The guards and I were ambushed by the Zryn. Down in the catacombs… They broke into the vault!"
At this, Moon visible stiffened, sharing a grave look with River before jumping into action and issuing several rapid fire orders. "Lady Whosits, lock down the castle and have the guards make sure all the guests are accounted for. Manfred, please convey my sincere apologies for what happened tonight to the Earth guides. If any of them desire an escort to their home, please make sure they get one. Thank corn none of them were killed."
"C'mon Marco, we can talk about this upstairs and plan our next move," said Star in a low voice so her mother didn't overhear as she grabbed his arm and made to pull him out of the throne room with her.
"Excuse me, Star… But where the fuck do you think you're going with Marco?" asked Penelope, grabbing onto Marco's other arm and pulling him back towards her. "Last time I checked, he was my boyfriend and my date. So why don't you scurry off to do whatever thing little air headed princesses do, while I try to salvage the rest of this horrible evening with my Marco."
It may have been the stress of the evening, or it may have been Star's deteriorating patience for Penelope, but she was in no mood to take any more attitude from anyone. Squaring up to the brunette, she gripped the wand she was still holding tight and narrowed her eyes. "If you must know, Penelope, Marco and I have to figure out how we're going to deal with Rasticore, and we need to call Janna to figure out how to help Jackie. Considering you can't fight, and you don't know magic, I don't think there's much you can help with besides sitting around and looking pretty… Something you are intimately familiar with already."
"Why you little slu-" growled Penelope before Moon cleared her throat loudly.
"Marco will be going with neither of you, I'm afraid." she said, a frown creasing her lips as she pulled a pair of dimensional scissors from her dress. "I've already sent Raphael and Angie home, Marco. I would ask that you please join them tonight. You are more than welcome to return tomorrow once things have settled down, but for now, I feel it best that you return to your home so I may properly secure the Castle. Please convey to your parents my deepest apologies for the trouble this evening."
"Yes, Queen Moon," said Marco, nodding as he gently pulled free of both girls' grips. "I-I'll see you tomorrow Penny," he said, giving his girlfriend an understanding smile. "Star…" he nodded at his best friend, too scared of what might happen if he did anything more than that. Sighing, he walked slowly through the portal and into his living room before Moon closed it behind him and glared at both princesses. "And both of you shall go to bed. Now," she ordered in a voice so stern that both girls could only meekly nod and scurry from the room.
O - O - O - O - O - O - O
Later that night as Marco pulled back the covers to crawl into bed, he felt like he was thirty years muscle in his body seemed to ache from all the fighting he'd done that night and his body was covered in an ugly mosaic of rapidly darkening bruises. Groaning, he lowered himself into bed, thanking the pharmaceutical gods as he pulled up the covers for the five Tylenol he'd scarfed down shortly after getting home. Hopefully they would kick in soon and take the edge off the painful throbbing running through his joints and muscles that was threatening to keep him awake all night.
'Still,' he thought, smiling as he closed his eyes, 'tonight wasn't all bad…' Images of his incredible dance with Star were floating in front of his mind's eye. The beautiful crimson light that seemed to bathe them in its radiance. The feeling of the magic around their feet and on their backs as they literally danced together on a ribbon of magic above the crowd. The look of pure affection that Star had worn for the entire waltz, enthralled in his arms as they looked deeply into each other's eyes. He was quite sure he'd worn a very similar look on his face and felt a calming warmth in his chest at the memory.
*bzzt*
He wearily levered an eye open at the loud buzzing of his cell phone on his nightstand. Reaching over, he took it and slid the bar to read the text, not even bothering to see who it was from until the message had appeared on the screen. 'Thank you for the best twenty four hours of my life.' It was a short and sweet text from Star, but as he lay there exhausted and smiling ear to ear, it meant the world to him. Tapping out a short reply of, 'Me too, you were amazing,' he hit the send button and placed the phone back on its charger. Yawning, he rolled over and closed his eyes, the voice that usually growled a warning in his mind whenever he got too friendly with Star, grumbling noticeably quieter in his mind this time.
Author's Note
Whew, we made it! Seriously though, I hope you've held on through the absolute roller coaster I've put you all through. I have to say, even though in total, this chapter is almost 50k words, it has been an absolute TREAT to write it for you all. I loved writing all the passionate, sweet, adrenaline filled, and sometimes even scary moments in this chapter, as Ronald and I continue to bring you Star and Marco's evolving journey together. As always, I hope you leave a review if you've enjoyed it, and please follow and favorite if you feel like this story is worth keeping an eye on. Ronald and I love to see fans of the story increase! Also, as ever, please check out our solo works: In the Pale Starlight and Forgotten Ventures as you'll find more adventures of Star and Marco there from both of those ongoing stories.
P.S. I've been informed by Ronald that I am contractually obligated to inform you all that he is trying his hand at drawing comics. So if you have a favorite moment from any of our stories, feel free to mention it in your review and he will pick several from each story to put into a short paneled comic!
~Lord Cornwalis
~Mr. RonaldReagan
