I forgot too put this in at the end of the last chapter, but a lot of the facts given out by Angie and Star are in fact actual truths behind Medieval European castles and history. I got them from a guy named Shad at a Youtube channel known as Shadiversity; a channel dedicated to Medieval warfare and Architectural history as well as novel writing and practical applications to fantasy elements. Look this guy up, he is awe inspiring.
As they entered the woods it became clear that these woods were not like those back on earth to the Diaz family. Many of the trees looked similar but in a manner that a house cat looked like a tiger when compared to each other as these trees were massive and looked fierce for some reason. The other plants seemed strangely made and in some cases actually seemed to move as if they were alive. The canopy was also so thick that no light or wind seemed to pierce the branches despite the fact that it was a sunny day outside with a mild breeze. Marco looked around in concern as the group moved into the woods and turned to ask Star a question.
"Say, Sta-"but he paused mid word as something seemed different about Star, but in a good way. He noticed Star was a lively and happy girl a good deal of the time but she had this atmosphere of anxiety and caution about her that seemed to always be present no matter what. Out here in the woods however all that just melted away with Star actually bouncing along even though a few minutes ago she seemed really nervous about something. In fact, it seemed like she was even younger then she should have been chatting to the parents about what wildlife was in these woods.
"So stick close as unlike earth wildlife here is a lot more powerful. You don't want to make a misstep and have the wildlife eat you ya know." Star turned to Marco as she was skipping and addressed his question. "Yes Marco, what is it?" She looked directly into his eyes which he noticed were a clear and calming purplish-green which was INCREDIBLY pretty to the point where he blushed slightly before answering.
"Uhm… is it really safe to be out here?" Star laughed outright at Marco's soft voice with the noise echoing through the trees.
"On your own no; but with me yes." She pulled Marco close and waved her hand out around them. "If you get scared, just let the princess protect you." She smiled winking at him and followed the parents keeping a close eye on them while Marco struggled to keep up. Star gestured over to several purplish flowers speaking like a tour guide, "Those are beaked lilies, be careful as they are part animal and will rip apart easy prey for excess nutrients." As the parents took pictures of them one of the flowers rose up with beneath it a creature looking like a moss covered praying mantis and owl hybrid gnashing its beak slightly at the group before burying itself. Star smiled and showed them what seemed to be a row of teeth sticking out of the ground. "This is a snap trap plant that functions like a giant version of a Venus flytrap so don't step in it." Star took out some gum from Marco's fanny pack and threw it into the ring making the plant rise up and try chewing it. The parents took more pictures with Marco huddling closer to Star as they pushed deeper into the forest. "This is a whispering willow; don't believe a word you hear around it as it confuses you to keep itself safe from lumber jacks." Marco looked at the silvery wooded tree that looked like a willow back on earth with long branches that appeared to be made out of steel. As he began hearing whispering in his head to drink the life blood of an intelligent creature he panicked slightly and grabbed onto Star.
"It's speaking to me, can we move on?" Marco's voice came out as nearly a whisper which his parents chuckled at but Star sympathized with.
"Alright, let's move on to the next part of…" Star stopped mid-sentence when she heard wing-beats and looked up squealing in excitement. The group looked up in shock to see a creature who had the top half of a hawk with red and black feathers and a bottom half that was a silvery black spotted leopards hind quarters swoop in through the branches to light down next to Star who immediately hugged it. "BUCK BEAK! I am so happy to see you again!" The creature hugged Star back with one taloned foot and its wings chittering softly to her. The creature began doing a mixture of chirping and squawks which Star seemed to understand much to Marco's shock. "Well, just bringing my host family on earth here for a quick trip to Mewni. They are over there. Guys this is Buck Beak; a Gryphon who has been a dear friend of mine for many years. Buck Beak, this is Angie and Raphael Diaz, my host parents on earth." Star gestured to them with Buck Beak immediately sniffing them and began chirping at them with Angie and Raphael taking picture of him. Much to Marco's surprise after the initial few photos of him shielding his eyes his began posing for pictures with his wings outstretched taking a dignified pose.
"Um Star, this is your friend?" Marco looked at Star who just smiled like an idiot at Marco nodding excitedly.
"When I was a younger I began going out into the woods all the time as I loved it out here and still do." Star did a big twirl with her hands outstretched as if gesturing to the woods around her. She then turned back to Buck Beak gesturing to him "I found this guy trapped under a log and helped him free one time I was out here and we have been friends ever since." Marco's parents had seemingly stopped taking pictures of Buck Beak focusing on something else so Buck Beak came over and looked at Marco closely putting his head within several inches of Marco's.
"Um… high Buck Beak." Marco waved to Buck Beak who sniffed Marco softly before taking a few steps back and sitting down chirping softly at Marco.
Star chuckled and began speaking, "He says it's nice to meet you Marco as a friend of Star is a friend of his. Now hug him and rub him on his right cheek." Star looked at Marco expectantly as he cautiously stepped forward extending his hand and rubbing the Gryphon's right cheek to which Buck Beak closed his eyes and began purring pushing his head into Marco's hand despite the fact that his head was ten times the size of Marco's hand. "See, you can be friends easily." Marco continued to rub Buck Beak for a second with the Gryphon pulling Marco into a hug that made him gasp and his eyes bulge out. After a second Buck Beak let him go and took a step back chittering to Star who blinked her eyes in shock before stepping up to Marco herself and began sniffing him.
Marco tried taking a step back saying, "Whoa there now, is there a sniffing convention in town." Marco tried stepping back again but Star pulled him in close sniffing him closely. Marco stood there blushing for a second as Star sniffed him deeply before stepping back holding her nose with Buck Beak chirping in a form of what sounded like laughter.
"Yuck, have you ever washed your hoodies Marco." Marco stamped his foot in annoyance as Buck Beak turned and pointed with his beak to something to which Star ran over and looked over a fallen log before turning around with a determined look on her face. "It seems mom has followed us into the woods for some reason. I'd say it's time to go Marco. Ok Mr. and Mrs. Diaz, it's time to…" Star stopped mid-sentence for them to see that Angie and Raphael were long gone and nowhere in sight.
Buck Beak screeched in what Marco was almost certain was a "That can't be good." Marco took a deep breath in and out and began speaking.
"Can't you guys just smell them out?" They both gave him deadpan stares with Buck Beak chirping in annoyance and Star responding to Buck Beak in a dead pan manner.
"Yeah, I can't believe he just thought we were hunting hounds too. Just because we have a stronger sense of smell then you humans do doesn't mean we can track something by smell alone." Marco sighed rubbing the back of his head.
"Sorry guys, I was just being hopeful. I just don't my parents to get hurt out here as I was the one who suggested coming to Mewni in the first place." Marco hung his head as Buck Beak walked over and patted him on the shoulder chirping encouragingly as Marco reached out and rubbed his right cheek with Buck Beak purring. They were brought out of their bonding however when they saw Star looking down where they had last seen Marco's parents and looking at footprints.
She looked up beckoning to them, "Come on, we need to find them before something else does." Star took off on all fours with Buck Beak picking up Marco and putting him on his back before following Star. Marco held on for dear life and Buck Beak sped up to follow Star at a fast speed making Marco marvel at just how athletic Star was.
They followed the trail his parents left behind for a few minutes with Star proving just how good a tracker she was until they came across the entrance of some sort of cave. Marco could tell right off the bat that this was not going to be fun considering that the entrance to the cave was shaped like a skull with a reddish colored mist pouring out of its eyes and mouth. He turned to look at Star who put up her wand and lit it up with a pinkish glow and stepped forward to the cave as Marco felt a shaking from underneath him. He looked own to see Buck Beak motioning to the entrance kneeling down slightly so Marco could get off which he did somewhat reluctantly as he had actually enjoyed it on Buck Beak's back towards the end of the ride. As if understanding how Marco felt Buck Beak clapped him on the back with one of his wings seemingly chuckling before moving into the cave. As they entered the cave, which appeared a lot bigger on the inside then the outside, Marco made ready to call out into the reddish warm mist that filled the cave but Star shushed him really quickly.
"*Shhhh* We don't know what's in here. Keep your voice down until we find some clue as to where they are." As Star finished her sentence they heard Buck Beak chirp from nearby motioning to a pile of clothes and equipment piled up against a rock.
Marco looked at the pile in worry before speaking, "Those… are my parents things. Why would they just drop that stuff?" As an answer they heard a soft but very deep rushing sound like that of a large creature breathing in and out.
Star turned her wand towards it revealing a draconic looking head of sorts that seemed to have three eyes, one of which opened at the light being shined into its face. The trio gasped backing up a little as the head began rising up on a long neck revealing that it did have three pink colored eyes, a pair of horns jutting out from the back of its head, and turquoise colored scales over its body. As if to add insult to injury five more heads rose up alongside the head that just came up and they all started hissing at the trio. Buck Beak acted fast gripping both of their collars with his beak and dragging them behind a rock and began screeching at them beating his wings fast.
Star quickly answered, "But I saw movement around that creature's gut that might be Marco's parents. We need to get them out before they start digesting." Buck Beak opened his mouth to answer but then closed nodding consent to that idea. "Marco, you have anything in that Fanny pack that can help us." Marco reached in going through it.
"Let's see, a whistle, a flame retardant poncho, a flashlight, and a mini mini book of knots. Not much to work off of Star." Star nodded and turned to look at the creature which had closed with them looming overhead.
"It'll have to do. Throw everything you have at it guys." Star aimed her wand yelling out "Dolphin slap" and sot a dolphin out to hit one of its heads.
Star leapt out from behind the rock ducking and rolling shooting another dolphin out slapping another head around and dodged under a third head as it snapped at her. A fourth head reared back to snap at her until a shrill whistling noise made it lose its focus and smash its head against a wall. Looking up in annoyance it saw Buck Beak flying around the cave very expertly with Marco holding on desperately to his back blowing the whistle directly into the creature's ears. Heads number one two and three went after Star while heads number four five and six went after Buck Beak and Marco all snapping in an enraged state. Star shot a Dolphin slap knocking around two heads again with a third head actually scooping her up in its mouth and tried swallowing her. Star let herself go down the throat half way before activating her wand and cutting the head off from the inside landing in a purplish sticky mess with the other two heads looking at her cautiously. Buck Beak navigated the cave expertly with Marco holding on for dear life trying to kick heads away but failing a good deal of the time. Honestly he didn't need to kick though as the heads smacked into each other and the cavern walls and ceiling far more frequently then they got close to the duo. As Buck Beak screeched at Marco he got an idea seeing one of the stalactites on the ceiling.
He turned to Buck Beak and spoke "I've got an idea, and you're not going to like it." He tried motioning to the stalactite and must have succeeded as Buck Beak chirped at him and flung him to the rock which he grasped onto as tightly as possible. As he hung for dear life he felt the rock didn't budge at all and started yelling at the creature down below getting its attention in a fashion. One of the heads tried striking at him with Marco climbing around the head as fast as possible trying to avoid its strikes. He felt like his plan, if you could call it that, was actually working as the rock was getting loose with each strike from the creature. Marco took the whistle and blew it as best he could waving to Buck Beak who fortunately seemed to get his message and drew the other two heads towards Marco. Marco turned smiling to see the head had stopped striking the stalactite and was moving in slowly licking its lips. Marco dropped the whistle and pulled out the flashlight flaring it in its eyes making it pull its head back shrieking in pain as the other two heads collided with the stalactite.
Meanwhile Star was moving as fast as she could but she was in dire straits. After she had cut off the ones head the other two tried blasting her with fire which she could do nothing but try to run from it. She tried at one point using a shield of magic but the flames just licked around it burning her skin in parts. She then tried hiding behind a rock and just barely avoided more burns. She then tried using a bubble of magic to protect her which one of the beasts picked up in its maw and threw against a wall shattering it and throwing Star to the ground. Star looked up at the two heads that seemed to be smiling now and got up ready to continue their game of cat and mouse until a loud crash got their attention from nearby. They looked to see three heads had been buried under a pile of falling rocks with one of them impaled under a stalactite with Marco standing on top of it pumping his fist in the air. As he did so Buck Beak swooped in from above and hit one of the remaining heads hard clawing and biting it making the head go down in a spray of purple blood. The other head tried to save the second head but was blasted by another dolphin shot that made it mad. It turned breathing fire on Star who was ready to run but Marco swooped in and threw the poncho over them blocking the flames.
He turned speaking to Star, "I don't think one of those heads under the rocks is dead Star, and I'm running out of ideas and equipment." Star sat in thought for a moment until an idea struck her.
"Do you still have that book of knots?" Marco nodded until a look of realization crossed his face.
As the flames let up Marco and Star leapt out and ran in two directions with the one head snapping after them and another head pulling out from under the rocks to snap at them. Marco leapt on top of the left head making it try to snap at him with Marco leading it to the right while Star led the right head around the inside curve and over the left head's neck. Marco led the left head over the right heads neck as well delivering a few key punches in its nose just to piss it off making it follow quickly and led it under and around the right head's neck. Marco then led the left head straight out with Star leading the right head over and under the left head's neck again baiting it by shooting some sparkly blasts just to make it mad making it follow her. Marco continued to led the left head back to the left with Star leading the right head back to the right with both heads snapping at them until they were stopped cold by the pressure brought on them by the expertly done square knot they just pulled off. The heads struggled trying to break free but only made the square knot tighter until the two heads simply choked to death falling over. Star and Marco smiled while panting and high fived as Buck Beak emerged from the mess that was another head limping slightly giving out a triumphant screech.
"Well done you three; you don't get this kind of entertainment back home." The trio froze and turned to see that Angie and Raphael were in fact naked in a hot spring and had been watching the fight the whole time.
Marco spoke first, "Mom dad, YOU'RE ALRIGHT. We thought you had been eaten by that thing and… wait if you guys are out here then what is in there." He pointed at the creature's gut which was in fact moving. The group stared at it in disgust and horror with Star speaking up first,
"Um Buck Beak, could you cut them out." Buck Beak nodded and began limping forward only to stopped by a rumbling as the creatures sixth head finally pulled out of the rubble looking at them in fury and screamed at them.
"*SCREEEEEEEEEEEECH*" Star, Marco, Buck Beak, Angie, and Raphael screamed right back in shock.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH" And to just confuse everyone another person's screaming was heard up above them.
"WAAAAAEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" The creature tried looking up but failed as a figure bearing a spear landed on the creature's head impaling its head making it fall to the ground dead. As the figure stood up and looked at them everyone double took at the figure that stood before them. Butler stepped out from behind some rocks speaking calmly as the hunter stood triumphant over it's kill.
"Another successful kill mistress." the figure looked down at Butler and smiled replying to him.
"Just another threat dealt with by Moon the Undaunted." Moon spoke as she stepped off of the creature.
"MOM!" Star gaped out at last looking up at her mom.
Moon stood there looking at her daughter and the Diaz's in surprise as she impaled her spear into the ground trying to figure out what was going on. As the groups stared at each other Buck Beak moved to the side to cut out the people still trapped inside of the creature's guts while everyone took Moon in. Moon struck an imposing image wearing some form of leather plate armor and kilt that seemed more designed for mobility and appearance than protection with the images of spiraling tattoos over parts of her exposed skin including a pair of tattooed feathered wings on her back. They stared at each other for a few seconds more before Moon turned to Star with a look of anger in her eyes replacing the confusion.
"Star Butterfly what are you doing on Mewni. We told you explicitly to remain on earth so what are you doing here? And what's more how did you even get here?" Moon focused Star down in a cold gaze as Star looked around for support seeing Butler step to the side, Raphael and Angie look at Star with a mixture of confusion and disappointment, Buck Beak gone helping people out of the beast, and Marco...
"It was my fault your majesty." everyone turned to look at Marco. "I suggested she bring us here for my parents anniversary as she wanted to get them a gift of some sort." Marco seemingly wanted to continue but Moon cut him off.
"That's no excuse for going along with him, and I will deal with you later." Marco backed up shriveling slightly. "So, are you going to answer my questions." Moon raised an eyebrow as Star frantically tried to answer.
"I just wanted to help them have a good anniversary and get to know them better after I learned about fanny packs... wait shouldn't you be at a convention about throne posture?" The Diaz's looked at Moon in shock as Butler began chuckling and Moon looked like her hand got caught in the cookie jar.
"Well I got a little lost dear, directions are so hard to follow these days at times. And when I heard about this beast I had to deal with it... after I learned about fanny packs. *Sigh* There was no convention Star, I made it all up." Star gaped in shock for a second before answering.
"But why?" Moon leapt up onto the dead creatures head striking a pose.
"Because I can't take the constant drull of courtly affairs and the lack of progress I'm making for the nation. I need to get out and do something with my hands to help the people of Mewni. It keeps me sane and makes me feel alive and accomplished; it also helps my throne posture as a bonus." Moon leapt off as Star chuckled slightly.
"That, actually sounds pretty cool." the two chuckled a little bit before hugging each other yelling "HUGS!" As the parted Star spoke again to her mom. "So what's going to happen now?"
"I didn't see you if you didn't see me, but just this once dear." They were brought out of bonding when they heard screams of joy from the creature's gut. The two turned to see a group of around 8 people running out of the cave in high spirits with a triumphant looking buck Beak getting a hug from a little boy before he scampered out. Star chuckled at the group and turned to look at the Diaz's who seemed happy for Star even though Marco was staring at something very intently... wait...
"MARCO THAT'S MY MOM!" Marco snapped out of his ogling blushing profusely with his parents and Butler laughing at him and Star turning red at what Marco was doing. Moon chuckled slightly and walked over to Marco speaking.
"That's quite alright my dear actually, boys and men alike do that on occasion when caught off guard." Moon knelt down in front of Marco smiling at him face to face. "Aside from some misguidance, thank you so much for taking care of my daughter. I know it's a lot of work but she is such a sweet girl right?" Marco gibbered a moment before answering.
"Umm, yeah she is a really nice person." Moon chuckled and kissed his cheek leaning in further to whisper into his ear.
"I'm taken, but if you are interested Star will have my image one day." Marco swore he felt steam come out of his nose and ears and had a nose bleed happen. Moon got up and walked away Marco's gaze following her curvaceous yet muscular figure crisscrossed with swirling tattoos and a pair of feathered wings tattooed on her back. Star walked up beside him looking at him and Moon in confusion as Marco spoke.
"Your mom is weird; cool but weird." Star looked at Marco who was openly ogling Moon again.
"Yeah, you're right. And will you stop ogling my mom?!" Star punched Marco making him fly into a rock wall with a muffle 'ow'.
"I know, kind of predictable but still really sweet. Up next, it's party time with *Phone ringing* Oh hold up a second people. *picks up phone and listens to chatter*
Wait what... what do you mean I have to take a vacation as well? I have people here relying on me to write a story. *chatter over phone* Planned out eight months in advance... ok I admit I put that on the back burner. Oh well, might as well give a warning then. *hangs up phone*
Ahem, bad news folks, publishing will be a little bit wonky for the next few weeks or so. I am on vacation and will be separate from the internet for 1.5 weeks at one point which means no updates at all. After the 24th of May there will likely be no updates until June 7th or 8th."