"… and that's what happened with your aunt Helsinki's latest invention. I seriously think she needs to at least take a breather and consider whether things will work in real life before testing them." Toffee finished up his story as Star chuckled at the events her parents were going through as she talked to them.
At least once a week Star talked to her parents over the mirror just to connect with them. Most people would find it strange that a kid wanted to spend so much time with her parents but Marco was right strangely enough, her parents were pretty cool. Star also liked to hear how things were going back home as she seemed to be missing a surprising amount. Currently her father looked exhausted over the events that had happened recently and her mother seemed like her normal laid back yet prim and proper woman that she was; an odd mixture if Star did say so herself. As Toffee finished his story Moon began speaking up.
"Real quick, I won't be available for the next few days as I am going to a convention to help educate people on throne posture. I know it doesn't seem like a big issue and it shouldn't but for some reason people are getting it wrong. There are way too many health issues associated with slouching and sitting awkwardly in a throne that people don't seem to realize." Moon outright face palmed at it with Toffee giving her an amused look and Star looking confused. "No matter, we have to end the call now Star; good luck helping your friend take care of his pet bird." Star smiled and waved good bye.
"Good bye mom and dad, I love you." As Star turned off the mirror she saw the happy looks from her parents that she seemed to be getting more often when she told them she loved them. 'Why is this such a big deal to them? I say it to them all the time.' Star thought to herself as she heard a knock on the door. "Come in." Marco opened the door smiling and holding up several strange pouches that Star assumed could be draped across ones' shoulder like a backpack.
"Hey Star, what do you think of these gifts? They're called fanny packs." Marco took one and slung it across his waist with the pack sitting in the front. Star stared at it for a second in awe with Marco's smile falling and looked a little concerned. "Star, is everything ok." Star walked up and took one of the fanny packs holding it in front of her.
"So brilliant, a pouch that's bigger than a pocket yet more convenient than a backpack that doesn't need your arms to carry it. This is a glorious invention Marco; who are these for?" Star smiled at Marco who gazed at her a little worried before answering.
"My parents, it's their anniversary and I wanted to get them a gift for it." Star's smile fell as she began speaking.
"Awww, why didn't you tell me? I could have gotten them something as well." Marco looked at her and smiled.
"That's just it, I have an idea of what you can give them; if you're willing of course?" Star smiled and nodded as Marco began leading them down stairs.
Angie and Raphael were on the couch giving each other lovey-dovey looks while Angie was pulling on some stray chest hair from Raphael. Marco came in holding the fanny packs aloft and proudly proclaimed them to his parents.
"Mom and dad, I'd like to give you these for your anniversary." Angie and Raphael smiled and got up looking them over as they took them from Marco with Raphael speaking.
"Oh, they even have multiple pockets and have stuff prepacked in them. This is even my favorite color." Angie looked up at Marco smiling.
"Thank you Marco. We didn't even ask for gifts yet you got us some." Angie went back to looking at the pack as Marco smiled leaning over to Star and whispered in her ear.
"These things are really commonplace in our world but they love anything I get them for some reason." Star smiled at Marco and stepped forward and began speaking.
"I wanted to thank you two for hosting me on earth so well despite the fact that you knew my parents very little." Angie and Raphael smiled at Star and brought her into a hug before she could continue speaking.
"Oh Star, no need to thank us. It's always a pleasure to have your kind energy around the house." Angie spoke with Star feeling a blush creep in as they released her and she stepped back rubbing her arm as she spoke.
"Well regardless, knowing this is your anniversary I wanted to get you a gift to." They looked at her interested while Marco stepped up behind them and gave Star a thumb up. "So how about a quick trip to my home kingdom Mewni." The parents gasped in shock nearly dropping their fanny packs as Marco gave her a satisfactory nod with Star smiling. Raphael turned around and asked Marco,
"Is that why you got us these fanny packs?" Marco nodded smiling as he replied.
"Of course, I also wanted to see what Star's home looks like so I planned this all out." Marco smiled as his parents jumped around happily as Star looked at him in confusion sidling up next to Marco.
"You got me to agree to this just…"
"I didn't plan this out Star; this was just a lucky coincidence honestly. I'm not that good." He winked at Star as she blinked in confusion before turning back to the parents as they bounced around some more. They eventually pulled apart with Angie asking Star the question on everyone's minds.
"When do we leave?" Star smiled pulling out her dimensional scissors before replying with an amused smile.
"How soon can you be ready for a day trip?"
"Welcome to Mewni! In particular the town to Verksgald." Star pointed around with Marco and his parents looking around in awe.
They were standing in what appeared to be a section of a medieval town surrounded by houses made of stone on the first floor and some sort of timber lined whitewashed walls from the second story up with roofs made of some sort of material that appeared surprisingly similar to roof shingles back on earth. The road they were standing on was cobblestone and wide enough for a car to drive through but without much room to spare. There weren't many people around them but they could see several people walking down the road a certain direction giving them strange looks as they walked by. The people appeared to be wearing clothes surprisingly well made and very colorful despite the fact that everything appeared to be made in medieval times. Angie and Raphael immediately began taking pictures of everything around them; including one person who, much to Marco's amazement, actually posed for their cameras before walking off. Although Marco did hear her muttering something about how she had never seen a camera like that before.
Angie finally spoke up, "This reminds me of my semester of college in France when I visited that rural village." Star smiled at them and began shepherding them while speaking to them.
"Well today seems to be market day so if everyone could follow me I'll show you where all the action is." Star led the trio down the street passing by people either walking on their own or carrying packs and even the occasional person pulling a hand cart of some sort. While everyone gave them odd looks no one seemed to be hostile except for one old woman that Raphael saw whose gaze turned sour when she saw Star and spat to the side muttering 'damn mudbloods' before moving on. 'I see why she is worried about pleasing us.' Raphael thought to himself repressing some of his own nasty memories as he continued following Star.
The group made it through town quickly emerging into a rather large market square, or more accurately a rectangle of sorts. The place was around 300ft by 100ft and was filled with around one thousand people with multiple stalls that were peddling their wares in very loud voices.
"Shrunken heads! Buy one get one half off!"
"Hunting arrows! Made with real Gryphon feathers to never miss your target!"
"Pickled piggoats feet! Treat yourself while at the market!"
"Exotic spices! Have a taste rimal bayda'!"
"Pickling juice! Make your own pickled piggoats feet!" Marco noted that this one had a line of people despite how fast they were serving customers.
Star spoke up getting the groups attention, "Unlike your world every little farming Dun, or what you would call a village, doesn't have stores to sell most items commoners need. Because of this people need to travel to a market in a set town in order to get resources that the local blacksmith or carpenter can't provide. About half of the people here probably traveled up to half a day's time in order to get here." Star smiled with Angie and Raphael snapping pictures while Marco asked a question.
"Is this a small town if half the people here are from out of town?" Star looked at him blankly for a moment before realization came across her face and she chuckled answering him.
"No this is about average size honestly. Your world's convenience allows it so people can live in very close proximity all the time. Most people in Mewni are farmers and have to live spread out across the land. We only have densities like in your world around several major cities because of this." Marco looked at Star trying to absorb all of this with Angie chiming in.
"She's right you know." She winked at them and continued taking pictures.
They continued through the market with people giving them odd looks but acting friendly to them all the same; although the Diaz's could sense the very rare person whose friendliness seemed strained when they saw Star during their interactions. They brushed it off though and occasionally one of the commoners would come up and talk to them finding out they were from another dimension. This didn't actually turn out to be as big a thing as the Diaz's would think though peddlers did try to draw them aside quite a bit to try and sell them items. One inparticular got Angie's attention which seemed to be some sort of knickknack stall.
"Random trophies to take back to your home dimension." The stall owner smiled at them as Angie picked up a wind chime made out of bird bones.
"I'll take this please." Angie took out her wallet and held out some cash with the seller giving her a strange look before speaking.
"What sort of currency is this?" Angie's face fell as she realized that cash would not be accepted until Star stepped forward pulling out some sort of silver coin.
"Will this pay for it?" The seller looked at the coin with big eyes and nodded before taking it and smiling as the group moved on. "Sorry guys, I didn't think you would buy anything so I didn't tell you about our currency." Angie smiled as she answered Star.
"It's fine, honestly I should have known that considering what I know about medieval times." Star smiled back as they continued to move on. They passed by several more stalls and took a look at several set stores that were the ground level of multiple houses around the square. One inparticular Raphael seemed to be drawn to that sold thick clothing and quilts and he began going through the quilts with a nostalgic smile and a tear in his eyes. Marco and star looked at him confused while Angie chuckled slightly as a teenage girl came forward to talk to Raphael.
"Interested in mama moonie's prize quilts?" Raphael dried his eyes as he turned to her responding happily.
"These remind me so much of the quilts my mama made for me and my family; just got caught up in the moment." The girl smiled at him nodding.
"Yeah, we get that a lot." She smiled and walked away. "Enjoy the market."
Star smiled at the exchanged until something caught the corner of her eye making her turn and then double take in fear. In front of a store that sold traditional hunting weapons made of wood, stone, and bone; appropriately called Primal smith; Star saw her mother with Butler in tow going over some sort of hunting spear testing its tip. Star began hyperventilating and grabbed Marco pulling him into a side alley with Marco giving a squawk in alarm as Star pinned him to the wall.
"I need your help now. I just saw my mom!" Star looked around in fear as Marco looked at her in confusion. "I'm not supposed to be on Mewni, if she finds me I am dead." Marco grabbed Star's hands and spoke softly to her.
"Deep breaths Star, deep breaths." Star breathed in and out several times until she had calmed sufficiently enough for Marco to speak to her. "Just tell her you're taking my parents for a tour of Mewni, she seems pretty cool." Star grabbed Marco and shook him slightly rattling him around.
"Marco she's my mom, she will punish me if she finds me here. I'm not supposed to have dimensional scissors as well and bringing Angie and Raphael would only make things worse in her eyes. It doesn't matter how cool she seems to be to you she's still my MOM Marco!" Marco took a moment to take it all in as Star began speaking again. "I should get them out of here and get back home." Marco stopped Star cold.
"Whoa there now this doesn't need to be panic mode yet, we just need to move my parents elsewhere." Marco smiled at Star as she nodded and calmed down.
"Ok ok, we just need to…"
"GET OUT OF TOWN!" The duo looked over in shock to see a short fat guy come up with some sort of flyer. "And go on vacation to Pete's hunting lodge; you get to keep what you kill." He smiled at them with Star and Marco looking at each other in concern as he continued speaking. "Twould be a good place to take your hybrid girlfriend and get her blood running." He elbowed Marco with the two of them blushing profusely before Marco answered.
"We aren't a couple; maybe a couple of friends but nothing more." Star looked Marco in shock.
"I thought we were bestie's." Marco blinked before responding.
"Oh right, best friends; forgot the bestie part of it." Star hugged him smiling before realizing what they had just done and saw the guy walking away waggling his eyebrows at them not believing a word they said. "Ok, let's get moving Star."
A few minutes later they were standing outside of the town in front of what appeared to be a 25 foot tall wall made out of some sort of mixture between stone and concrete with crenellations and machicolations along the top. They were standing on a road which led to a gatehouse of sorts where there were several guards on the walls and down at the gates shepherding a short line people into the town while stopping to check carts for something. Not too far off in the distance to their left sat what appeared to be a castle with a two story high keep that seemed rather small around and surrounded by some sort of wooden wall in bad repair. Angie and Raphael immediately took out cameras and began snapping pictures of the wall smiling.
"Amazing what can be built with medieval technology, right dear?" Angie looked to the side at Raphael who rolled his eyes slightly.
"Indeed sweetie, indeed." He continued to snap pictures as Star watched them smiling but also keeping an eye out for her mom. As she did so Marco called out to her getting her attention.
"Hey Star?" Star turned to Marco smiling as he pointed to the castle in the distance. "Is that a castle Star?" Star nodded not even turning to see the castle Marco was pointing at. "Why is it so small, partially made out of wood, and seems like it has been torn down?" Star chuckled with Angie laughing and answering Marco before Star did.
"Historical castles were not big stone monstrosities that Disney fantasy has led us to believe. In fact most castles only had a few rooms and were sometimes made completely out of wood to cut costs as only really wealthy nobles could have the resources for all stone keeps of great size. As for the deconstruction, if the castle didn't have anyone inhabiting it those are just resources for the taking. Right Star?" Marco and Angie turned to Star who looked at Angie in shock.
"You are… correct actually. How did you know that?" Angie looked slightly full of herself as she answered.
"I took multiple courses in medieval history including castle design. I'm your expert on the castles just like those on earth." Raphael seemed to sigh in the background murmuring something that sounded like,
"Don't get her started again." Marco shook his head and asked Star his next question.
"So are there any large castles in Mewni, aside from castle Butterfly?" Star smiled eagerly as she answered Marco showing off her knowledge.
"Well first off, there are several castles of a size you might see in your stories of fantasy here in Mewni. In return for a service to the Butterfly family the queen will use her magic to help the noble family construct a castle of the largest size you could make a castle without magic at a fraction of the costs. If they had contributed something more further on down the line the queen will come by again and help the noble build a castle that resembles something that you might see in one of your fantasy stories. It is considered a great reward, honor, and privilege to have it done." Star smiled as Angie and Raphael ohhed in awe and began taking pictures of the castle with Marco looking at her in confusion as Star answered his unspoken question. "I learned all this from my studies before I came to earth, paying attention in class does help you know." Star winked at Marco as Angie and Raphael began moving towards the castle. "Come on; let's have your parents take a closer look." Star moved forward with Marco following in interest.
Once they got close to the castle it became really clear just how heavily deconstructed it was with even most of the wooden outer wall having been ripped away to be scrapped for resources. Angie and Raphael continued snapping pictures as they passed through the outer gate with Marco marveling at how impressive it was still. Star looked at him smiling as they entered the inner bailey to see that there was actually a group of people there harvesting stones from the inner keep and loading them onto a cart for transportation. Angie looked around in confusion for a second before turning to Star to ask another question.
"Where are the other buildings in here; an inner bailey doesn't have just a keep in it you know?" Star smiled before answering.
"Most of the buildings were torn down for resources to help build the town or to be exported for other purposes. Considering what you knew about castles wouldn't you have known that?" As Angie looked for an answer and couldn't find one Marco and Raphael began chuckling behind here making her give them a sour look that shut them up before turning back to Star.
"How long has this castle been abandoned?" Star sighed and looked up at the keep as if wishing things had gone differently.
"You know how my mom fought a civil war in the past." The trio nodded as Angie and Raphael had heard form Moon and Star had told Marco a few things about the rebellion. "Well after Moon won the throne peasants began revolting against local lords outraged at what they had done to the peasantry in the past. According to my mom barely even 1 out of 5 nobility managed to survive these purges and the civil war combined leaving a lot of broken or completely destroyed noble houses. And since my mom decided not to elevate many people to nobility standard many of the castles now lie abandoned." The trio looked at each other in concern as Star shock herself giving them a smile. "But that was nearly 20 years ago, no need to dwell too much on the past and have it hold us back." Star looked over their shoulders seeing a familiar flash of silver hair and nearly panicked when she saw her mom approaching the ruined castle. "Well, do you people want to see something else, like the nearby wildlife?" she smiled nervously as Angie and Raphael smiled going along with her.
"Oh, we love nature." Raphael spoke as the two followed Star out of a gap in the outer wall towards the nearby woods with Marco looking around in concern as he followed them.