Star and Eclipsa were drying off the babies as Higgs left to let Marco know they were finished with the bathing. After a few moments of Higgs being gone a girly shriek came from upstairs with Eclipsa looking up in concern and Star rolling her eyes and chuckling to herself. Eclipsa looked at Star in confusion as she just brushed off the scream and continued drying. Eclipsa went to question it but then a confused and shocked Higgs came downstairs with Star speaking up to her.
"You caught Marco on without a shirt didn't you?" Higgs nodded dumbly at that with Star rolling her eyes again. "Seriously what is it with Marco and keeping his chest covered, he's a guy?" Eclipsa spoke up at that.
"Wait that was Marco giving out the girly shriek? I thought that was Higgs stumbling onto something she shouldn't have." Higgs shook her head confirming Star's words.
"Yes that was Marco who hadn't put on a shirt yet, I'd recognize that scream anywhere after hearing it when… someone almost shot him accidentally with a crossbow." Star and Eclipsa nodded but looked a bit confused at the way Higgs had put it. "Regardless I've trained under the knight of the wash, not much shocks me anymore." Eclipsa and Star shuddered at that knowing fully well what some people shoved down into the laundry room. "He'll be down in a moment by the way." Steps coming down the stairs alerted them to Marco who came into the room trying to keep his hair neat as he spoke up.
"Seriously doesn't anyone knock anymore?" Eclipsa giggled as she replied to his question.
"Oh come on she didn't see anything THAT important now did she?" Marco crossed his arms and huffed as he replied.
"It's not what she saw it's the principle of it. People should not just barge into…" He then stopped talking as Star cocked an eyebrow at him as she replied.
"Yeah Mr. high and mighty like you've never done that." Marco looked down blushing with Higgs and Eclipsa sharing a confused yet curious look. "Regardless the babies are clean and…" Star was interrupted when the baby she was drying suddenly sprouted legs and stood up with Higgs and Marco looking on in shocked silence. Eclipsa on the other hand watched this with a big smile and spoke up gleefully.
"LEGS! Legs legs legs legs leeeeegs!" Higgs spoke up to Marco in worry.
"Does the book say anything on legs?!" Marco shook his head no as the other tadpoles grew legs and began running around with Eclipsa cheering them on.
"Go babies, go go go." Higgs however began to panic and spoke to herself scared.
"I am not ready for this, what do I do. Someone what do we do?" Marco watched the babies run and relaxed shrugging before following them.
"Just make sure they don't hurt themselves; and someone pick up Katrina." As it turned out Katrina didn't grow her legs and was just sitting there watching everyone run around with big ole eyes. At this Eclipsa cooed and picked Katrina up taking her to the couch and set her on one of the pillows.
"It's ok my special snowflake, you just wait here. Now then, let's partahhh!" Eclipsa took off after the babies with Star running around trying to catch the babies.
"Hey all of you get back here, no running around like a chicken with its head cut off!" Star leapt around trying to catch the babies but the babies seemed to have mastered their legs already and outmaneuvered even her abilities.
Higgs watched in shocked silence as chaos unfolded around her not sure of what to do or even if she could do anything. Eclipsa was running around with the babies having fun, Marco was setting things up so the babies didn't hurt themselves so easily, and Star was trying to catch the babies but was having a rather hard time doing so. After a few seconds of this chaos Star threw her wand to the side in frustration, the magic wasn't helping as much as it should have, and went yellow eyed leaping at the babies like a predator would. Higgs immediately leapt at this as she needed to calm Star down and Marco had left the room, presumably to baby proof the house as best he could. With Star trying to catch the babies and Higgs trying to catch Star both of them did not notice one of the babies set itself by the window and baited Star to leap at it. As Star did the baby opened the window making Star go flying out like a comet with Higgs flying right behind her. Star caught herself on her feet but the flying Higgs set them both off balance and tumbling into a pile with Higgs immediately trying to get up and help the princess up.
"I am so sorry my lady, I saw you went a bit predatory and I was afraid you might go…"
"It's ok Higgs I understand." Star calmed down Higgs as best she could hearing the window they flew out of slam shut. "Oh come on, these are babies. How the hell are they that smart!" Star moved to the window looking in.
She saw Eclipsa and the babies slide down the stairway banister in a line with Marco setting up pillows on the bottom for them to land on. Higgs joined her and they both watched in shock as Marco watched the babies bounce around with a smile on his face of all things as he baby proofed the house. Eclipsa continued to play with the babies, mostly sliding down the banister, but she too altered a few things she could tell were outright dangerous with magic before resuming the fun. Higgs and Star watched this for a minute before their vision was obstructed by the mini Marco and Nacho leaping into the sink from a long dive and pulling the plug draining the water to reveal dishes. The full sized Nacho fell into the pile of plates shattering them and squishing itself like an accordion as it continued to chase the mini figures. After that Higgs stepped back and spoke to Star.
"I mean no disrespect my lady, but are you sure Marco is responsible enough to be a squire for the king himself." Star face palmed at this and shook her head as she replied.
"Marco is really responsible when he chooses to be… but sometimes he chooses to just not go all the way." She looked up with a mixture of amusement and annoyance on her face. "I get you need to hang loose at times man but letting a swarm of babies run around the house with a child in an adult's body seems a little too laid back." Higgs nodded as she brought up the main concern at the moment.
"So, how are we getting back inside." Star scoffed at that and went to the back door.
"Oh that's easy. You just…" She went to open the door but found it locked. "… ok front door then." Higgs followed Star as she went around checking every opening the house had and helping Star try them out.
After circling the house a few times trying every window and door they could they found that the tadpoles had locked them out with a surprising thoroughness. Star groaned in frustration and mumbled about wishing she had not dropped her wand. Higgs on the other hand scanned the house like in one of her training exercises to find a weak spot in an enemy hideout looking for any weaknesses. The second story windows were an option but it was difficult to reach them… except for one with a tree branch next to it. Smiling she got Star's attention and pointed up.
"My lady, I have an idea."
Marco watched the tadpoles flying around the house and couldn't help but chuckle at their antics. Yes kids were hyperactive and loved to move around when they could and it was pointless to try and stop them. Instead he was going to just let them wear themselves out and just step in where needed. He watched Eclipsa slid down the stair banister and found himself smiling at her antics as she played with the babies. 'How could this woman be considered evil, she's a child in an adult's body.' Marco thought to himself rolling his eyes in amusement and exasperation. He got she could be hiding something but found it hard to believe that she would hide something in this situation all things considered, she wasn't even using that much magic simply because people told her too. As he did this Eclipsa grabbed onto him and pulled him towards the banister speaking up to him.
"Come on Marco, join in on the fun." Marco was ready to let the babies run around but he wasn't going to just participate in it as he needed to be there for an emergency.
" Look Eclipsa as much as I want to…" A crash upstairs got both of their attention prompting Marco to run upstairs. "Ok if those babies are destroying the house I'm gonna need to put my…" He came up to his parents room to see Star crawling in the window carefully to avoid the treadmill Higgs had fallen onto shooting her into the back wall. "… foot down. Star, Higgs what are you guys doing up here?" Star pulled herself in avoiding the tread mill gracefully which currently had a tadpole running on it at around 30 mph with her answering.
"The babies locked us outside when we tried to pull them into order Marco, how did you not notice we were missing?" Marco knelt down by Higgs to help her up as he replied.
"Hello, too busy baby proofing the house so they wouldn't hurt each themselves. Are you alright?" Higgs shook herself off before replying.
"Well I haven't taken a hit like that in months; what is that fiendish device that did that to me?" Before either of them could answer however Star's phone rang with her answering it quickly.
"Hello. Oh hey dad how's it going?" Marco and Higgs remained silent as Star talked to her father, but grew concerned as Star's face turned into panic. "Oh ok then. No that's no problem. See you soon buy." She hung up the phone turning to the duo. "DAD'S GOING TO BE HERE IN 10 MINUTES!" Marco and Higgs felt the blood drain from their faces as they replied in unison.
"We need to gather up the babies." Higgs snatched the one off of the treadmill with the trio running to the stair well spotting Eclipsa sliding down the banister with Marco shouting out to her.
"Eclipsa, we need to gather up the babies! Toffee is going to be here in 9 minutes!" Eclipsa got up from her latest slid and smiled at the trio before replying.
"Oh come on it's not so bad, we know where everyone is right? We can just use Marco's phone to summon them as they love music." The trio went to answer but stopped as they realized she did have a strange point. "And besides the only who can't move is right…" She turned to point at Katrina only to realize she wasn't where they had left her. Now Eclipsa's face showed panic as she yelled up at them. "Forget the other babies, we need to find Katrina!" The trio nodded at each other and joined Eclipsa in searching the hose with Higgs putting her tadpole down.
Star started in the kitchen using her magic to open every drawer quickly the Katrina could have possibly squeezed herself into. Higgs searched the laundry room and basement admiring at how small the washing devices earth's 'technology' produced for commoners. Eclipsa ran through the house searching as best she could in any corner she could get into and got anxious when she found no trace in the slightest of Katrina. Marco searched the whole second floor by himself except for Star's room as he knew the house the best. As they all did this the Laser puppies showed themselves again playing with the baby tadpoles and just getting in everyone's way whenever they passed through an area. At one point Marco had to stop when Nacho, somehow wielding a hammer, was chasing mini Star and Cloudy across the floor while mini Marco and Nacho with Agateor set up a trap involving dropping an Ironing Iron on Nacho's head. Shaking off this weirdness everyone finally gathered outside of the last room in the house, Star's room.
"Alright people, this is the final room and we still have 4 minutes left; let's do this!" Everyone nodded at Star's words as she opened the door… exposing a room nearly the same size as 2/3 of the rest of the house.
"We need an army to search this place." Higgs commented on this with Marco speaking up to Star.
"Do you really need a room this big?" Star replied a bit miffed.
"I don't see you complaining when we gather everyone for DnD here." As Higgs gaped and Marco and Star fumed at each other Eclipsa came up with an idea.
"Marco do you have your phone?" Everyone looked at her in confusion as Marco nodded. "Start playing that 'space unicorn thing'." Star and Higgs blinked in confusion but Marco seemed to grasp at what Eclipsa was hinting at.
Space Unicorn ( watch?v=17o1OlroNSE)
He pulled out his phone and started playing music on it turning to Star speaking up.
"Star, could you amplify this please?" Star nodded a bit unsure and made the music louder. "Alright then, time to summon the army."
Space Unicorn, soaring through the stars delivering the rainbows all around the world.
The tadpoles all over the house immediately took notice of this and stopped whatever they were doing staring up at Star's room.
Space unicorn shining in the night smiles and hugs forever all around the world.
The tadpoles moved towards Star's eager to get to the music… with the mini figure, Agateor, and Nacho joining them as they traveled towards Star's room.
So pure of heart, and strong of mind.
The small crowd gathered up in Star's room with Star and Higgs gaping in shock at how easy it was to round everyone up. As the quartet watched the crowd began to dance to the music with Marco quickly speaking up.
So true of aim with his marshmallow laser, marsh mellow lasers.
"Alright everyone, let's get this partah started!" the crowd of mini entities immediately looked at Marco in confusion. "You got some nice moves but try these on for size."
(Instrumental)
Marco began rubbing his foot on the ground while shaking his arms like they held maracas with the tadpoles and other mini figures copying him. He then did a pose with everyone doing their own pose with Eclipsa joining in on the fun while Star laughed and Higgs watched in stunned silence. Marco then shook his behind a little and spun around assuming another pose with everyone doing something similar.
Space unicorn, soaring through the stars. Delivering the rainbows all around the world.
"Alright you babies got some fine moves like these." Marco did a power slide with the group copying him. "But can you master the… find the Katrina!" Immediately everyone scattered looking under or in various items and areas looking for Katrina. Eclipsa, so caught up in her involvement joined them while Star moved over and rubbed Marco's head as a reward for a job well done.
Delivering the rainbows all around the world
"How." The duo turned to see Higgs was staring at the crowd as they searched. "How did you get them to move like that when they had no training or cohesion at all?" Marco shrugged as he replied.
"When it comes to children you sometimes have to just speak their language. Something that only experience can teach you." Higgs turned towards Marco and gave a genuine smile as she punched his shoulder affectionately. Star chuckled at this before getting their attention.
"Hey they found something." One of the tadpoles pointed up to the highest loft in the tower. "How did Katrina get all the way up there without help or legs?" Marco shrugged as he raced up the ladder with everyone following behind him.
"Doesn't matter, we found her." The now rather sizable group gathered up in the upper loft to see Katrina sleeping on a pile of stuffed animal sleeping peacefully… (end music abruptly) surrounded by bear traps. "Star, why do you keep armed bear traps in your loft?" Star replied with a flick of her hair.
"You're afraid of going topless despite the fact that you're a guy yet you're not afraid of sneak thieves trying to steal my wand?" Eclipsa commented on this.
"I will admit that is a strange choice in priorities." Marco groaned and spoke up.
"Well how we are going to reach her, we don't have enough time to disable all the traps ourselves and we shouldn't let babies near…" Higgs stood up holding the binder above her head.
"We use the book." She threw the binder into the mass of bear traps and leapt slow motion after it with everyone; Marco, Star, Eclipsa, Agateor, Nacho, the mini's, and the babies; shouting 'NOOOOO' in slow motion.
A portal opened up in the Diaz living room with Butler, Toffee, and a bruised up Buff Frog stepping through the portal. Before them the tadpoles were all gathered around the coffee table with Eclipsa and Star sitting on the couch and Higgs and Marco standing at parade rest insuring the babies did not go anywhere. Buff Frog's smile was a mile wide when he stepped forward only for it to fall when he saw the babies stand up. As tears began coming to his eye he picked up the babies with Marco commenting.
"Um Buff Frog, are you ok?" Toffee and Butler both seemed to be hiding smiles at his display as Buff Frog answered.
"I missed tadpoles growing legs *sniff* most important developmental stage in frog growth." Eclipsa held up Katrina setting her on the ground as she replied.
"Well Katrina hasn't grown her legs yet." Everyone's eyes focused on Katrina as she stared at her father with big ole' eyes. Buff Frog sniffed and spoke up smiling happily at Katrina.
"My little late bloomer." As if to push his words home Katrina suddenly grew her own legs which were about twice as Buff as the other babies legs. "You grew your legs too! *sniff* Come to papa." Katrina ran on over and leapt into her father's arms with everyone smiling. As Buff Frog stood up Eclipsa carried the binder up to Buff Frog speaking up.
"Don't worry about their first steps, we recorded them in a new chapter." She opened the binder with a few sprung bear traps falling out.
Toffee and Butler were both alarmed at the traps but Buff Frog ignored them to coo over the pictures which showed the babies interacting with their babysitters. Toffee motioned for Higgs to come over with moving on up saluting him before giving the report she knew he wanted.
"All went well even with the surprise of them growing their legs your majesty. As for Eclipsa she seems to be a good person, albeit irresponsible and impulsive but not evil." Toffee nodded seemingly satisfied and replied with a question.
"So, what did you learn from your interaction with Marco today as he cared for the babies?" Higgs hesitated as she replied.
"Well… from what I can tell sometimes just following the rules will not work and could even hold you back so you need to be willing to at least consider bending them." Toffee raised his eyebrow at her. "And that some tasks you can never train for properly unless if you actually get out there and into the thick of it." Toffee nodded again satisfied with her as he replied.
"This is why I sent you here to learn from Marco. While he does not have your experience you do not have his experience and as the two knights closest to the Queen and King you will need a far wider range of skills then most knights will ever have too." They looked up to see Marco showing Buff Frog how to use music to calm them down. "And as much as you need to follow protocol Marco's impulsiveness has been proven to be a valuable tool when used right as sometimes you just need to think on your feet." Higgs nodded remembering how she got Katrina from the bear traps.
"I think I learned that last part more fully then even I realized." Toffee smiled and nodded at Higgs rubbing her head with Higgs blushing at Toffee's sudden show of affection. "Now then everyone, I think today's activities are in fact far from over." Everyone looked up at him as he smiled at Marco. "Buff Frog deserves the rest of the day off after what he has just been through and you have proven to be rather capable babysitters so Butler will stop by later to pick p the tadpoles." Eclipsa grew a smile as she replied.
"Does this mean I get to stay as well?" Toffee nodded with Eclipsa squeeing in glee as she picked up the babies hugging them close.
"And too all of you I bid you good day." He moved over quickly and kissed his daughter's cheek. "Bye my little MonStar." The three adults went back through the portal as everyone waved goodbye. After a few seconds of them just standing around after the portal closed Eclipsa spoke up.
"So what do we do now?" Everyone immediately looked at Marco who chuckled at their attention. As he went to answer however a scream sounding like Tom's from Tom and Jerry came from Nacho who was leaping on one hind paw while trying to get a mouse trap off of the other hind paw. The group stared at him for a second before Marco commented.
"Perhaps we should see what Nacho and our mini figures have been up too before they cause more craziness." Everyone nodded and left the tadpoles in the living room to investigate.
Janna: Say when are you gonna pay any attention to JanJak, he's still stuck in my room in the basement?
WH: Do you know how hard it is to juggle all of these side plots Janna, there are others as well as your I have not been paying attention too fully. *Looks at an image of Selene Dragon running off into the woods and one of Kelly and Tad being a couple* And those are just the add on's to give this world extra depth not the vital plotlines; give me time Janna I'm doign my best.
Janna: Ok whatever.
WH: Whew. Anyways, next time around what has been going on in Mewni and what was Buff Frog up too in the first place. Well join me with a 'Fox and a Frog' to find out next time on Star The Monster Princess. Oh right an also time for...
Audience: Guest Reviews.
Shiranai Atsune: Thank you for loving this so much, I try to do my best after all.
Sugar: I kind of had to do this with Eclipsa as Star was too level headed, necessity often brings about the best ideas. Well in this story Higgs does genuinely respect Marco because he earned her respect and Star is the princess, Higgs would never dare to challenge her future queen on anything even if she didn't agree on it. Those facts about Higgs were true for most people in the middle ages as education was just hard to come by without wealth or power; and yes Star is going to push for a wider range just like her parents are trying too. As for the mini adventures, unfortunately the joke is that they're going on in the background so not much more is going to be given about them. But sometimes like Charmin ultra, less is more!
Book of Eli:I get ideas from everyone and everyone if they seem good enough for me. So much fun is going down here obviously but you're right about the looming cloud. In fact, this is going to be the last true 'filler' episode for awhile.
Unamed 1: Don't worry about the commission, their secret will come out soon enough. In fact the next time you actually see the commission is when the secret comes out.