Double or nothing, double or nothing. Two chapters for the price of one. Even I can go fast while still getting it right it seems.
Marco looked around nervously as Jackie chatted with actual mermaids nearby trying to look like he was cool. He hadn't heard much of Tom from Star as she didn't like talking about it so he wasn't sure how things were going for her, which made him nervous. He had seen her reaction to him and assumed the worst almost instantly but when Tom just continued to apologize his suspicions were questioned to the point where he decided to support Jackie on getting Star to go. He thought maybe Tom had changed as it had been a long time since she and Tom had actually met, that is according to Star. Now that he was in the underworld with people around him he was getting a little nervous at what might happen. As he was caught up in his concerns Jackie came up and put her arm around his waist pulling in close while whispering in his ear.
"You seem to be deep in thought, care to tell me what's on your mind?" Marco shivered a little and turned to see Jackie looking up in concern and sighed slightly.
"Well… I'm not sure now if we made the right decision to convince Star to come down here. I actually suggested we come along not for an actual date but to insure Star was alright." Jackie nodded understanding completely.
"I kind of figured that, you haven't been the most attentive to me." Marco blinked about to answer when Jackie chuckled at him. "I get you're worried about Star but maybe Tom has changed for the better and she should try opening up to him as a friend; fairly certain they won't be more though." Jackie saw her words were not putting him at ease and she detached herself from him giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Perhaps we should go find her then, see if she needs some friendly support. Let's split up." Marco nodded smiling at Jackie.
"You come here with me on a date and you agree to help me find another girl, just shows how much you care about Star too." They both chuckled going their separate ways looking for Star.
"There you are." Star turned around blinking as Jackie came up to her. "I've been looking for you for a while, everything ok?" Star looked around a little smiling slightly.
"Yes actually, just trying to avoid Tom." Jackie raised her eyebrow at Star whose smile fell slightly. "Look, I know you think I should give him a second chance but that guy is just no…" Jackie held up her hand prompting Star to stop talking.
"I get it Star. I wasn't thinking about you two becoming a couple again I was just hoping you could move on from what he did to you and drop some of that excessive baggage you are hanging onto. The fact that you are avoiding him means that I might have been… no, that I was wrong about you coming here tonight." She put a hand to her own head rubbing it slightly. "God, why is it always so difficult." Star grabbed Jackie's hand getting her attention while smiling.
"Don't worry Jackie, besides he's not actually being as bad as I thought he would be; not much of a statement but still. Although I think it would be best for us to just go, if that's alright with you." Jackie smiled and sighed slightly.
"Ok, go find Marco while I distract Tom as best as possible. I would say I should go for Marco but I'm thinking you don't want to confront Tom right?" Star nodded. "Well, see you later." Star nodded and went off into the crowd shivering slightly. 'Hmm, it is kind of cold down here.' Jackie thought to herself as she went looking for Tom.
It didn't take long for Jackie to find Tom who was at the refreshments stand trying to find the food Star really liked. He seemed to be on the verge of frustration looking for something in particular and not finding it with that counselor guy right next to him holding that cute bunny. Jackie sighed in annoyance at Tom and went up to him putting a conch shell next to his ear calming him down almost instantly with Tom shivering slightly. He looked at her in a strange state of concern taking a few steps back with Jackie giving him an annoyed look.
"You ok now man?" Tom blinked at her tone of voice and got a little bashful.
"Yes actually thank you." It looked like he wanted to get back to looking through the refreshments but had to say something first. "My anger is… not natural by a human's standards; it's actually caused by a bunch of little demonic entities deep inside me. You might call them, the demons "demons" if you will." He gave a nervous laugh with Jackie's mood relaxing somewhat as he continued. "When you put the conch shell to my ear, well so far every single time it feels like some of those demons die clearing up my mind a little permanently. So thank you I guess." Jackie blinked in shock as he continued. "This anger thing has been a problem I have been trying to deal with for a long time and only Star's breakup with me actually convinced me that I needed help. Now that I'm a changed man I wish to try and get back together with Star and help her." When he said that Jackie's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"What do you mean by "help her" Tom?" Tom sighed and rubbed the back of his head.
"Well, Star has had a rough life in Mewni believe or not despite the fact that she was a princess. When we first became friends I tried protecting her from everyone but there was only so much I could do. When we became a couple however people who wished her harm began avoiding her at all costs lest they got on my bad side. That's what I want to do now, become a thing with Star again so I can keep people from hurting her." Jackie's face and mood did not change in the slightest at this revelation.
"Marco is doing it just fine, and he's not her boyfriend he's mine." Tom got an annoyed look reaching out his hand rubbing the rabbit again.
"Earth is very different from Mewni Jackie, you have to understand that. People have made multiple attempts on her life because of who she is. I'm just trying to keep her safe." Jackie sighed and looked at him with a sad face.
"She has been avoiding you the whole night Tom." Tome stopping petting the rabbit and looked at her in shock as Jackie continued. "I don't know what it is you did to her but she is not gonna forgive you anytime soon at this point. You can protect her from other people but can you protect her from yourself?" Tom just stared at Jackie with anger beginning to creep into his eyes as the WH helped Tom walk it out a little. Tom sighed after the walkout and looked down to the floor before answering.
"Star is one of the greatest things that has happened in my life Jackie, I can't just let her go like that. I need to help her even if it is just as friends." Jackie wanted to be mad at him but the look in his eyes conveyed that he was speaking the truth and did have Star's wellbeing at heart. She went up and put her hand on his shoulder offering him a small degree of comfort and support to which he put his hand over hers sighing slightly. They stood like that for a minute until a voice rang out.
"It is time for the dance of the blood moon. Every 667 years its light shines down upon us and chooses a pair of souls that will be entwined for all eternity." Marco looked up at a red skinned demon that looked like a judge gesturing to the ceiling.
As Marco watched a grate was being pulled open letting red light spill down upon the ball room floor where everyone began pairing up and dancing. As this was happening Marco finally caught sight of Star who was alone and looking for someone by the looks of things shivering slightly from cold. Marco moved in trying to avoid dancing people and nearly had someone sweep him into a dance which he skirted out of as best as possible. As he closed the distance with Star he began calling out to her in a whisper.
"Star, over here." Star seemed to hear him turning in his direction and moving towards his location. "I'm over her Star, I need to talk to you." Star made her way through the crowd and made it next to Marco speaking softly to him.
"There you are, I was looking for you."
"Well so was I and Jackie."
"Jackie already found me, we agreed we should get going." Marco blinked in shock behind his mask but nodded numbly.
"Yeah, I was beginning to think that too honestly. I was hoping you could unload some of your baggage off but…" Star put her finger over his mask signaling for him to go quite.
"I got the same talk in a sense from Jackie. We can sort things out back home." Marco lifted his mask smiling at Star who smiled back. "Now let's get…"
Before Star could finish however the light of the moon seemed to suddenly focus into a blood red spotlight that focused on Marco and Star. Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the duo with Marco's mask falling down so no one could see his face. Everyone gave a collective gasp when they recognized princess Star the half-Monster was dancing with someone under the blood moon light. Star and Marco just stared at each other for a minute before they began dancing almost by instinct. As everyone watched it started out slow like a basic dance anyone could do, but then it started to grow more complicated. Star did a type of ballroom dance while Marco began doing a type of ballet dance to accompany it. It seemed like the two dances would not work with each other at all and everyone was expecting it to stop with the both of them collapsing, but it only got faster and more complicated. Everyone looked on eagerly invested as a line of emotion seemed to spring up between the two dancers and what seemed like a story began to be told. A story of two souls, one in great pain and one that was lost with the one in pain finding comfort and the lost one finding purpose.
Star looked up at Marco through his mask seeing his chocolate brown eyes look at her with a lost feeling in them like he was constantly looking for something. Marco looked down at Star's emerald green eyes seeing great pain, even greater then he had witnessed at Brittany's party or at the football game. Star just wanted to help him find what Marco was searching for and Marco just wanted to help make Star's pain go away. They continued dancing in a strange trance until the light faded away naturally leaving the two standing there coming to their senses as everyone began applauding them. Marco and Star looked around in a daze trying to get a bearing of their surroundings until a whitish red light began burning in one corner of the room. They turned to see what it was and snapped to attention when they saw Tom's eyes had turned an intense whitish-red color as he stared at Marco in particular. The WH immediately came running up to Tom holding up the rabbit but was thrown to the side landing on a fake suit of armor.
"Dammit." He said with the helmet flying off and landed directly on his crotch. After a few seconds of his face turning red he whispered, "Son of a cussing cuss word!" Tom stepped up moving closer to Marco and Star.
"That dance… WAS FOR MEEEE!" Bright white and red tinted flames sprung up all over the ballroom making everyone cower down in fear as Tom approached Marco and Star. Marco glanced over at Star seeing a look of terror on her face as she shakily raised her wand ready to blast Tom. Marco suddenly felt something snap into place inside of his head as he stepped out between her and Tom.
"No… it wasn't." Everyone gaped at Marco with Tom actually stopping on his advancement. "I should have trusted Star when she said we should not have come in the first place. I thought you a changed man Tom from what little I've heard of you, but you're not are you? You think of Star as your property don't you!?" Marco's accusation only seemed to piss off Tom more, a fact the Marco frankly didn't give a rat's ass about.
"THAT'S BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP HER SAFE!" Tom raised his hands and bolts of flame streaked towards Marco who threw Star aside and dodged the flames by a hair.
"Run Star, I'll handle him." Star, in a panicked state, ran as fast as she could with Marco turning back to face Tom. "Star is no one's property and that is no way to treat her. Do you even know what she has been through?!" Tom turned on Marco with even more fury about him.
"DO YOU!?" Marco raised his hand to answer Tom but fell silent as he realized, he didn't know the full extent of Star's pain. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE FOR A HALF-MONSTER LIKE HER IN THE WORLD; FOR A HALF-MONSTER LIKE ME!?" Tom launched another wave of flame in Marco's direction with Marco dodging nimbly. "DO YOU EVEN CARE FOR STAR ENOUGH TO PROTECT STAR LIKE I WOULD!?" Tom launched a series of flaming missiles at Marco who dodged them as best as possible with only a few singe marks.
"Keeping her as property is not the answer Tom!" Marco grabbed a shield thrown to the side by the Wandering Hippie's landing holding it in front of him. "She needs someone there to talk to, to go to when she just needs to cry, and someone who will help give her the courage to face her problems when she needs to!" Marco's arguments seemed to only make Tom even angrier.
"YOU CAN'T PROTECT HER MARCO!" Tom launched flames at Marco which the shield blocked fairly well. "SHE NEEDS SOMEONE STRONG AND WHO IS FEARED TO KEEP EVERYONE AT BAY; IT IS THE ONLY WAY!" Tom launched more flames at Marco.
Marco wanted to retort to Tom but one of his arguments had hit him harder than he had thought. He had come here to help Star overcome some baggage from the past and what was his first move? To run off with his girlfriend so she could talk to some actual mermaids like Star wasn't even there. Did he care enough about Star to protect her like Tom would? He didn't know now, but he was damn well going to try now and he was sure Star was better off without Tom in any circumstance. As Marco came to terms with this Tom sent a blast of flame in Marco's direction that knocked the shield from his grasp sending Marco to the ground. Marco groaned in pain as he had several burn marks on him looking up as Tom came floating up to Marco staring down on him with rage in his eyes. Looking back defiantly Marco did a sitting leap bringing his foot up to kick Tom in the face and did a backwards flip landing in a fighting position speaking again.
"I can protect her and I will! She is my best friend I am NOT going to let anyone hurt her again EVER!" He stared down Tom grimly. "Even you."
Tom looked at Marco with rage in his eyes seeing a type of determination that actually made him hesitate for a second. Marco bore a determination that Tom actually had recognized when he swore to himself in a mirror that he would protect Star no matter what. Tom's gaze caught that Star and Jackie were right behind Marco and saw the look on Star's face which suddenly began to sap the fight out of him. Star was looking at Marco with a type of awe in her eyes that Tom had seen her look at him with once long ago, a sign that she was falling in love with him. Jackie seemed to also catch that look and looked at Tom with the two locking eyes and gave him a look that screamed, 'Do the right thing to protect Star.' The flames slowly died down around the area with Tom floating back down to the floor and his eyes returning to normal blinking in a daze.
"You… win then." Marco blinked in shock that Tom had just given up as did everyone else except for Jackie who gave him a proud smile. "Look Marco, *sigh* I just want to keep Star safe, but… it seems I'm only hurting her and doing nothing more." He put his face into his hands for a minute breathing in and out slowly pulling his face back up. "Please leave, I'll never bother Star, you, or any of her other friends ever again, ok?" Tom looked at Marco with big eyes that looked destroyed, like a soldier who had been fighting for a cause their whole lives only to realize they were the bad guys. As Marco struggled to come up with an answer Star stepped past Marco and up to Tom staring him straight in the face for a second before speaking.
"Tom… we will never be a couple again, that's that. But if you were able to just calm yourself down like that…" She hesitated for a second like what she was about to say was painful. "…maybe you actually have changed for the better. As long as you never try to hit on me again, we "might" be able to be friends. I'm giving you a second chance after all this so don't blow it, got it?" Star stared him straight in the face with Tom nodding silently with a tear coming down his face before answering.
"The fact you just forgave me indicates how good a person you are Star. I don't even think I deserve to be friends with you, but I will try to help you whenever you need me." Tom hung his head and walked away silently with Star turning around and collecting Marco and Jackie.
"Come on, let's go home."
As the carriage elevator sunk into the ground Star took off her shoes and socks throwing them to the side of her room and laid on her bed. Marco and Jackie stood there looking guilty at what had transpired with Marco stepping up to talk to Star.
"Um… Star?" Star looked at him in concern. "We're really sorry about what happened tonight. We should have trusted you and never convinced you to go to the party." Star laid down on her bed thinking deeply as Jackie spoke up.
"Yeah, I know that Tom is remorseful and wants to help, but we should have listened to you first. I also think I kind of let my desire to see more of your world get to me instead of considering your well-being." Star lay in bed with the two feeling guilty with Star suddenly chuckling and spoke to them.
"Well, tonight was not a total disaster. I know Tom isn't going to trouble me anymore and he might even prove helpful in the future. You two also know to try and trust my judgment and let me figure things out; right?" Star looked at them with both of them nodding. "And what's more, I know now that Marco's ballet classes made it so he could dance beautifully. You should really try that with Jackie some time." Marco smiled blushing slightly as Star reached up and took his hat off putting it on herself.
They both chuckled at each other with Jackie catching the look that went between the two of them sighing sadly. What she had feared might happen between the two of them looked to be in its initial stages though she and Marco had been going out for around four weeks at this point. 'No matter, what would happen would happen; there is nothing I can do to stop it.' Jackie thought as the two began talking simultaneously.
"Hehe, hat hair."
"We just said-"
"- the same thing?"
"Stop that… right now!" They both put their hands in front of their mouths making Jackie laugh getting their attention.
"You know what, I'm heading out now; good night you two." She kissed Marco and gave Star a hug heading out with Marco and Star watching her go. As Jackie left Star turned towards Marco and spoke quickly.
"Now go get me some nachos and a turn on my heater, I'm cold and hungry." Marco nodded turning on Star's bed heater and going down to the kitchen to make nachos.
Star watched him go smiling at the fact that she could rely on him even though he made mistakes. He went after her at the game, he helped her with the phone bill even if it meant nearly missing his date with Jackie, he helped her at a great cost to himself as she went through Mewberty, he brought her home after Brittany's party *THROB*. Star blinked putting her hand over her chest feeling it and wondering why her heart had suddenly done that leaving her light headed. She shook her head and laid back down blinking at the ceiling in confusion.
As Marco got Star nachos he went over how his life had changed ever since he met Star, a thought that the dance had brought up. He didn't think he had no direction but when he really thought about it what was he doing with his life? He was practicing karate for a dream that was technically dead, trying to be a bad boy when he already had that image to an extent, and just coasting along now that he got Jackie. Honestly Star seemed to have provided him with a type of purpose in a sense, someone to protect and guide. He thought hard for a few more seconds as thoughts swam around his head like fish in a school with Marco finally just shaking them off thinking, 'It'll all come to me eventually.' Marco finished up the nachos and took them back upstairs.
Well, now that that's done time for some sleep. *Sees what I have planned for sleep spells* Well, can't avoid it forever I guess. Hope I can actually pull this off without looking pretentious.