As you come back inside, Geoffrey's there to greet you. One look and he just rolls his eyes. "Oh, dear. What happened this time?"

You put on a serious face, raise one finger and say, "Really fierce tongue wrestling."

"WHAT!" Geoffrey squawked in shock!

You nod, your lips twitching slightly. "Yeah, Chloe's got spunk! She... she was really-!" You can't, you just can't. As you laugh yourself sick, Geoffrey's face is now stoic instead. "Hahahahaha! The look on your face! But nah, we didn't kiss, I just fell off a tree."

"Well, good thing you lived," your valet/tutor says dryly. "You have a message from Lady Rossi. 'Hope you're stable enough to still meet me.' She said you would understand that."

Your eyes widen as you slap your forehead. "Crap, that time already! Geoffrey, mind helping me get in my casual clothes real quick? Heartstopper is gonna ruin this if I go in it."

Geoffrey raises an eyebrow but says nothing about the blood while you both head upstairs. He helps change you into your plaid shirt, leisure slacks, and worn leather boots in little time.

"Alright! Can't wait to introduce her to Heartstomper! See ya!" You zoom out of the room before Jeffrey can stop you. You don't stop running until you make it to the stables. It's full of Warnicorns, but only one Heartstomper.

You grab a barrel full of fresh fruit and drag it over to the largest stall. When you get close, your fateful steed gets close enough to stick his head out. His fur was reddish-brown, like dried blood, and his horn was so naturally sharp, it could deflect daggers. His black eyes, which usually screamed 'touch me and lose a hand,' showed respect, but impatience.

"Hey, big guy! Apples or carrots today?" Heartstopper huffed, steam flying from each nostril, before he stomped the ground once, paused then three times. "Apples, then carrots. Making me earn your forgiveness, huh?"

You dig through the barrel, tossing a few apples the Warnicorn's way. Each one he crunches on sounds like thunder on stone. The other steeds get restless; you think the sounds cool! "I'm sorry I wasn't here to feed you earlier, bud. There was this lunch thing... speaking of, you seen a girl around here? Reddish-brown hair? Orange dress?"

Heartstopper just tosses his woolly mane. You wonder vaguely if Lila's late... only to see her pop up from behind the hay bales. Oh~ She was trying to surprise you! Too bad you're always on point!

You give Heartstopper a signal – one of many you've developed – for a counter-surprise. For now, though, you wait patiently to see what Lila will pull out-

Her hands cover your eyes. In the darkness, a voice says, "Guess who?"

"The weekly assassin! Ooh, I've been wanting to test that new neck-breaking technique the guards have been showing me!" A giggle greets you before the darkness recedes. You blink in the light to see Lila, leaning on Heartstopper's stall door.

"I'm much smarter than your average assassin. So, where's your big, intimidating-!" Her words come out as a wordless scream, completely covered by Heartstopper's roar. The poor girl flies into your arms, clinging for dear life, as she tries to discern what just happened.

"So, what do you think of my stallion?" You snicker as she calms down. When she looks up to comment, she finally registers your proximity. Your laughter dies as you take stock of it too. Her cheeks dust with red. Your face lights up like a candle!

"W-well played, your Highness," she murmurs, demurely.

"Um, y-yeah," you mutter yourself as you take a step back-

"Wait!" Lila grips you, pulling you back. Her face is considerably redder. "Could... could we stay like this for a bit longer~?"

…

You... raise your... hand...

...ee...p...

You... shake your head...

...sl...e...p...

Why... is it so... foggy in here?

...sleep...

You blink and... slap your head a bit, but... you feel a little better. With that, you let go of Lila and step back. "Sorry... I... woo... I just meant to scare you."

Lila blinked, then started to pout. "Huh... weird. That's never happened before."

"Hm? What is?" you question as you blink back more creeping fog. It was like hypnosis...

"It's so much more effective than hypnosis, Sirius," Lila commented casually while checking her nails.

"Oh, ok – wait, what." Did she hear that? How did she hear you – that was inside your head!

"This must be sooo confusing for that little brain of yours, Sirius..." As she spoke, Lila came closer – no, rather the room was getting smaller, darker... until it was just you and her in a void. "Dreaming of being so important..."

She places her hands on your chest, rubbing slightly. You try to move her hands – but you can't move your own! She leans up, inches from your face, looking ever more like a predator. "...but it's time to wake up."

And like that, she vanishes in eerie orange smoke, leaving you alone in the darkness...

Ok, no clue what was going on, but you'd like to get out of here now! Actually, didn't Glosseryck say something about this, if off-handedly... a strong symbol could break an illusion. Well, this feels like an illusion! Now, what's a symbol strong enough?

Out of nowhere, a rising light starts burning away the dark. Through the haze, Mom, well sorta-Mom, walks out poised and unflappable as ever, Royal Wand held out like a beacon. She stops in front of you and greets you with a smile.

"My, my, Sirius. Found yourself in trouble again?" Not-Mom speaks in a ghostly voice, tapping the Wand against her hand. "You know, I can't keep pulling you out of trouble... time to pull yourself out." Then, the Mom-thought does something real-Mom would never do: give you the Wand.

As the wand glows brightly in your hand, it shifts and morphs. When the light show ends, its entire image has changed; the handle has become wooden, dense but elegant. At its top sat a stone, dark and smooth; a crack the resembled a closed eyelid gave off mixing shades of blue, sky and midnight wrestling for dominance.

Overall, the design was simple and honest, but the Wand seemed to shine with a quiet sense of power. It felt like being near Heartstopper, a sleeping beast with one eye lazily open ready to rouse itself in a moment to fight to defend those around it. As you feel the power - the meaning - of this relic in your hand, you know what to do instinctively.

With a single twist of the handle, the wand becomes a staff. You spin it around your body like you were born to do it, before raising it overhead and slamming the bottom to the ground! The wave of power and light blew the darkness away, freeing you from the illusion.

As you blink awake, you assess the situation... and you're still in the dark.

You try to stand up, but you're unable to move. Feels like your arms and legs are tied. You can't see much, but you still feel like your clothes are there. If only you could see...

Thinking back to your dream, you try to remember that fleeting feeling of hope and light. You try to concentrate on bringing that light to your hands... focus... focus...

… … …

...Nothing. Still nothing. Was all that really just a dream?

"...were last seen with the young Prince." Huh, wait, was that... Gertrude? "Where is he?"

As you begin gnawing at the ropes, you hear Lila outside of... where ever you are. "He was pretty tired from the party. He said he wanted to spend some alone time with Heartstopper! I couldn't part such an earnest guy and his horse, so I'm heading out."

Halfway through the ropes, you hear a male guard mutter "Heartstopper?" fearfully. Crap, they think you're with Heartstopper! You told Lila how ferocious he was, and now it was being used for an alibi. They wouldn't go near the stall until they were sure Heartstopper was asleep – and that could take hours!

You finish eating through the ropes to massage your wrist. Outside of your prison, you hear, "What's going on here!? Why on Mewni is there a crowd in the Great Hall?" Geoffrey! Thank corn, real help!

"Oh, Geoff~ Hi, how are you?" Lila purred.

"A-ah, oh. Why Lady Rossi! So good to see you again!" ...Right, Lila had buttered Geoffrey up earlier. Why was she doing this? Is she a monster? "Are you leaving so soon? Prince Sirius will so disappointed." I can't miss her –she's taking me with her!

Lila sighed. "I know. But I'm a merchant, and I just got a message that the Boiling Isles needs an urgent shipment of Snake Oil! Please give Sirius my regards~"

Geoffrey hummed sadly. "Very well. Where is his Majesty?" Right here!

"In the stables, sir!" One of the guards said. "He's... hanging out with him again."

Geoffrey sighed. "And of course, you all are too scared to go get him. Let Sirius decompress; he's had a busy day, after all." The one time you'd wished he had been overprotective!

Your dark corner of the world lurches. "Well," Lila clapped. "We have places to go! Please give the Queen and King my regards!"

No no no! There had to be a way out! You try to focus on that feeling from the dream. You try to draw forth something... but nothing's coming... you're just as powerless with free hands as you were when they were tied...

"Hm, this isn't my book." A voice that sounded... right next to you said.

"Hey! Who's there? Help me get out of here!" As you say that, a light comes from the corner... a shine from a forehead-mounted jewel.

"Here I am, taking a nap in a nice shady box, when suddenly you come in and almost crush me," Glosseryck sighs. "What did I do to deserve such karma?"

"Glosseryck!" you cheer, happy to meet a familiar face. "I'm glad to see you! This isn't a place for napping though! We're-!"

"Being kidnapped by a sorceress? I had noticed the funky magic of those three girls from my suntanning spot." The wizened sage shrugged. "Who would have guessed one was capable of such deviousness?"

"Stop being nonchalant!" you began banging on every surface, bucking and kicking at wooden walls. "I'm gonna make as much noise as possible! When they either drop us or get irritated enough to open it, you-!"

"Oh no no. I'm good."

You pause your banging. "Please tell me that means you want to break out yourself."

The magical hermit just shook his head. "No, that means I'm good here."

You look at the lazy mage with wide eyes of disbelief. "ARE YOU TRYING TO GET ME KIDNAPPED!?"

"I just know a lost cause when I see it." Glossaryck knocked on the wood, causing a ripple of orange energy to flow over all the surfaces of the trunk like water. "A silencing charm. Not great, but impressive.

"And that enchantment she placed you under was a masterstroke! Be honest – you still don't know when it began or ended. Probably still think it's going on now. Whoever taught her was impressive-!"

"Forget it!" The problem with knowing a being who sees more than he says – he knows your feelings of never being like the other heirs before you, he just chooses when he cares. "I'll just break out myself!"

As you begin slamming the enclosure, the sound of the place gates opening to let Lila – and you and Glossaryck – out into freedom, the djinn speaks, as he tucks himself in: "Sure, do it that way. Waste our first lesson, why don't you?"

You stop again to shoot a frustrating look at the not-Smurf. "Our what?" you answer flatly. Sweet corn, it had to be a trickster mentor the Butterfly Family got saddled with! Did Mom have to deal with this crap!?

Glossaryrk yawned and scratched his butt. "Magic lesson. Those things Moon told you to stop asking for because it broke her heart to keep being reminded how emotional you would be when you learned it wasn't possible? You do remember that, right?"

"THIS when you finally decide to start actually teaching me magic?!" You roar at the diminutive djinn. "Right in the middle of being kidnapped?! When you can teleport us to freedom at any moment?!"

Glossaryck turned over to look at you. "Indeed. I must be going soft. Moon certainly didn't have that kind of safety net..." He sat up and clapped, as you felt the chest dropped onto something. You also hear horses... "So, ready?"

You had strong words for several things Glossaryck had said before, but that could wait for after you are out of this firepit! "Fine, ok. What's first?"

He waved off your attitude. "It's easy. Hardly a problem, Shooting Star. Just look inside yourself and dip do~wn."

"Look inside? Like with my dream?" you wonder aloud. Outside, it sounds like final preparations are being made to leave Butterfly Castle, everything you've ever known... and Mom and Dad...

"Oh? You must mean how you broke the enchantment." Glossaryck scratched his beard. "However, that's wrong." He gestures around you. "This chest is like an enchantment, and my light," he tapped his jewel, "is a symbol. I did not look into myself to draw it out. It's just surface level.

"If you're looking to find the very, very, very, very, very, very small crack in the trunk holding back your true light, you need to look hard." After a pause, the mage added, "Also, it's a particularly high-level technique. With no training, there's no guarantee you'll ever find it. I could just knock you out if you want the easy way."

You laugh a bit. At what? The situation, the events that led here, all of it! "The 'easy way?' Hah! When have I EVER done things the easy way? Did I take the easy way with the party, by running away, or when I found Heartstopper and tamed him? Of course, I'm doing it the hard way! Because Sirius Butterfly always goes the hard way!"

Despite the fire and passion, the blood roaring in your ears, you think. Inhale –you think about taming Heartstopper. Exhale – you let the memory pass. Once more, today's events: meeting the girls, the heart-to-heart with your folks – gone in one breath. Each of your memories: lessons, games, hunting trips. All the good, all the bad – gone in an exhale.

You pass it all.

There's just you.

And the endless void.

In the endless nothing.

You go onward.

Searching for the crack.

The spark.

The gift you've been denied.

You float on.

Like a leaf on the wind.

You sense something.

It sits up ahead.

You raise a hand forward.

It touches something dark and smooth.

It's some construct.

Like glass but not.

And...

There's something staring back at you.

You tilt your head. She tilts hers too.

You put another hand on the surface. She puts hers on the opposite side.

"Who are you? I don't know."

"I'm Sirius Butterfly. What's that?"

"It's my name. What's a name?"

"What I'm called... Are you sure?"

"I've always had it. I've never had it."

"Would you like one? One what?"

"A name? Can I have yours?"

"I meant your own name. I don't have one."

"I'm giving you one. But not yours?"

"Everyone... deserves their own."

You look around.

You are surrounded by nothing.

You look toward the girl.

In her hand, is a wand.

A wand with a broken star.

"That's it. What is?"

"Your name. I don't have one."

"You're Star. I'm Star."

"Star Butterfly. Star... Butterfly."

"Your name is Star. My name is Star."

"You're my sister. I'm your sister?"

"Yes... Okay."

You smile. You smile too.

"I need your help. Doing what?"

"I'm looking for a crack. You mean this crack?"

"You've seen it? I'm seeing it."

"Where is it? Right here."

You point in front of you.

You don't see it. Yes, you do.

It's right here. It's not here.

You can see it. It's right there.

You can't break it. You can.

You will break it. You must.

You pull back a fist. You pull back your leg.

You swing. You swing.

"Butterfly Sibling Special!"

CRASH!

There was a wall. There was a crack.

We broke the wall. We broke the crack.

"Hello. Hello."

"You're crying. I'm happy."

"Thank you. Thank you."

You embrace you.

This feels good.

You feel complete.

You feel... free.

Lila waved to the townsfolk as she and her group were given a ride through town. It would take a while to get back to the docks, but at least it put a day's distance between her and Mewni.

"Because you kidnapped Sirius."

Because she kidnapped- huh!?

Lila almost got whiplash looking at the tiny blue man on the riding bench next to her. "Who are you!?"

"Your last warning," the djinn says through lidded eyes. "Also, do you have any pudding? I'd like refreshments for this show."

Lila blinks, before adopting a cool smile. "Oh? And what show is this?"

"My Champion kicking you back to the ocean." He jabs a thumb behind him – specifically, the trunk carrying Sirius. "I just gave him his first lesson; I think he's doing pretty good!"

Lila scoffs. "Please. I scanned his memories when I enchanted him! He has no power. Plus, he's deeply jealous of those who have it! He's hardly what I'd even call a man!"

Glossaryck just looks at her, smiling pleasantly the whole time. "You know, I'm half-tempted to ask why you did this, but I feel it would lose its sting in the next few seconds."

Lila rolls her eyes, as she motions for the driver to speed up. "Why do you keep say th-!"

Thump!

Everyone hears that noise. Lila looks back in surprise. Hadn't there been a Silencing Charm on that? How-!

Thump! Thump!

The noises persist, and even Lila looks a little worried. Well, she can just pretend to not notice, until they get out of town. Then, in the wild, she'll see how the Charm wore off, before paralyzing the noisy little-!

Thu-Crash!

The entire trunk leaped off the back, crashing into the road. Mewmans looked at it in shock, as Lila called for the carriages to halt. She kicks the driver. "Get the chains, and tie it to the roof!" The driver obliges, as he grabs chains and approaches the box... before a chunk of the crate comes flying off it, like a bullet. It hits true... right between the encroaching man's legs.

As he passes out, Lila motions for all her men to surround the box. As twenty men and women pull out weapons on luggage, to the confusion of the crowd, Glossaryck floats up for a better view.

"Oh my~ This will be entertaining... Oh, normals!" Most of the crowd looks up... and gapes. You'd think a djinn with a jewel in his forehead would be a more common sight. "You'd all best gain some distance and height, most of you are in the splash zone!"

Either because they were scared, or listened to the good sense, a good chunk of the crowd ran off, some kept running, but a few hid inside buildings and behind merchants' stalls. All the while, the magical teacher tuts at Lila, barking orders for formation. "You know, you might have just doomed your entire Company. The Butterfly Family has many favors... and I think Moon will call quite a few, she is quite vengeful when roused you know."

And then, Glossaryck of Terms did something no one had ever seen before; he grinned. Not smirked, not smiled – grinned, with teeth and everything, more teeth than should be mortally possible. "But I suspect that is going to be the least of your problems."

The trunk jumped, shuttered, and creaked dangerously. Rends in the wood sent chunks everywhere! Out of every hole, energy seeped out. The trunk continued to shake and shatter, until-

BOOOOOOM!

The crate exploded into sawdust! Lila's men cautiously edged the cloud, scanning for whatever was in it. As the cloud dispersed, a being cloaked in cosmic energies stood, long flaming hair wreathes its face. The caravan guards are nervous as you crack your bare knuckles. They have every right to be frightened.

A Butterfly was about to take flight.

You look around, scanning the people around you. A single thought in your head as you scan each individual: Not her. Not her. Not her.

Finally, your eyes land on her. Her dress is a bit less formal, but through the haze of anger-betrayal-elation, you can never forget that face. "Hey. Lila." You say, your voice is barely audible over a whisper. "Explain why you kidnapped me. If I don't like your answer, you know what's happening. And don't try to lie."

Lila blinks, almost looking shocked that that was the first thing you'd say. "I-I-I-is that all? Well, uh..." She slowly began to tear up, before covering her face to hide the sobs. "I-I-it's so terrible! He t-t-threatened me! He wanted me to bring him the Butterfly Heir!" She looks at you with tears in her eyes. "I can't help it! I was raised to please the men in my life! Forgive me, Sirikins~!"

Instead of softening, your resolve only hardens more. "Sirikins..." Said by the girl who shines so much brighter when she was being true to herself, not some skewed ideal. "I've heard enough." That's all you say before you take a step...

And appear right in Lila's face, both feet in the air, ready to break her face open. "Copying the two who I actually liked? I think that just pisses me off more." You perform a dive kick to her face-

And pass right through it, plowing through the buggy instead, freeing the horses to run out of town! As you get up, you see Lila on the other side of the square, laughing. "Oh Poseidon, that was funny! You thought I would just stand there and let you break my beautiful nose? Nor happening, Siri~." She glares at her men. "Get him!" The thugs all charge as one. Time to go to work.

As the first guy reaches you, sword raised, you boot him into two more. You breathe in. "Focus." And exhale a pulse of energy that sends the goons flying past a flinching Lila, into the buildings behind her.

As two attack you with sledgehammers, blocked and held back with bare hands, you glare at the crooked merchant. "You know, I honestly wanted to be friends..." You then Focus to make the hammer men stumble before grabbing one to slam him into the other. "Now, I think I'll just break you."

The men keep on attacking, and you keep whacking away. Some time, and a broken fountain and cracked barrels later, many of Lila's posse are downed, one or two even fled!

"You're running out of shields, Lila," you say as one woman runs to stab you. You jump up, grab her face, and slam her to the ground. "And your shields should really be running... After all, do you really want to die for her?" For good measure, you toss the goon you're still holding by the face at the group. A couple more peter off, and who's left looks restless.

"Lila, do you really think your family will welcome you back after this?" Your eyes bore into her. "Do you REALLY think they wouldn't disavow you, in a futile attempt to save their own skin? Even if you do go back, you'll NEVER be able to go home."

You see Lila charging some new spell, but gritting her teeth. Your comments are finally getting to her. "So, this is it. In the end, you stand before a prince. No family to shelter you, no home to return to, and no lies you can say to save your skin."

As the last of the kidnappers prepared to battle, as the citizens hunkered down for the final round, as Glossaryck ate some more pudding, a loud hysterical laugh rang out through the air. It took a second for you to realize... it was coming from Lila.

You say nothing, watching her with a stoic face. She's clearly skilled at illusions, so even if she has snapped, anything around you could suddenly be false.

As Lila's laughter fades, she gives you a tearful and broken grin. "Family? I have none! Home!? There is nowhere for me! And Lies!?" She laughs again, this one more lifeless than before. Orange smoke seems to pour off every bit of her body. It gathers in large clouds at her feet, spreading over the ground.

The girl doesn't even seem to acknowledge it, her gaze far away. "No lie can save me... no lie can save me... ha ha ha ha... I know they won't... I know they can't... not from death... not from him! But still... I-!" Orange light flows from her eyes, and from her back, four or five lights sprout like... are those tails? She roars, "I WILL LIVE! I WON'T DIE EVEN WHEN I'M TOLD TO!"

Like that, the orange smoke surged into a tornado. First, you notice the wind; it blew small bits of gravel against you. That couldn't be faked. Then, there was heat! The temperature spiked like it was summer times ten! As the smoke dissipated, a figure that was easily 30 feet tall towered over you- over the whole village!

His body was wreathed in flames, but more notably, those flames... were actually melting buildings near them! From a fiery mouth, it screamed, "I DECREE... YOUR DEATH!"

The heat. The roar. The menace. It was all very impressive. But you know first-hand how real her illusions can be... these tricks end now!

With a single lunge, you rush forward. The fiery devil brings its arm down. "I DECREE YOUR DEATH!" It slams the ground...

And you run right through, the hand vanishing like a mirage! Yes, just a trick! With that, you run for the center mass. As you jump through, the flames lick at your clothes. You ignore it to press on through the heat! As you come out of the other side, Lila's right there, crying and shaking! "Stop! Don't come any closer!"

You land in front of the panicky girl, who falls on her butt and scrambles against the wall of a shoppe. The edges of your vision get dark...

"It's over." One step forward. "No more tricks." Another step. "No more lies." Your energy pulses. Lila gasps. The fiery avatar vanishes. "Surrender now, and I promise you a fair trial."

"I-I surrender!" Lila holds up her hands to show she is unarmed. "Please, we were just hired to do a job! I'll tell you everything!" As she spoke her image shimmered...

To reveal the woman you threw earlier!

You grow furiously, causing the mercenary to flinch. "I said no tricks! I... I sai-!" Your legs feel like lead. Your arm goes to sleep. The world falls out from under you...

A/N: So, thoughts? Feel free to reach out and tell me what you think!