Hey :). Uh, last chapter was really dark. I hope this one is a BIT lighter but one scene in particular, you will all enjoy for sure. Anyway, just wanted to explain some things. I have two VERY promising ideas in the works for this story, things I can't wait to write, but they will be later in the story. Marco will be opening up a bit more but what about the monsters? And Tom? Well...read on, my good friends :).

LordBucketHead - Thank you so much for those two reviews man. This guys work is amazing stuff, so check out 'Ball of the Butterfly' specifically. One of my favorite stories on here! Regarding your points, character development and mystery are two key aspects of the story I was hoping to nail. Glad to see I accomplished that :). And regarding your points on Marco, that's happening quite soon.

Kuriyan BBQ - This story taking place so early into the 'canon' allows me to have a lot of creative liberties. And I'm flexing every last one of them. The whole goal for this project is to make a 'darker' and 'realistic' take on star Vs. And to accomplish that, things NEED to change. But giving characters like the Diaz's, Skeeves, Oskar and others more screen time is something I always wanted to do. This story is the perfect avenue for that to happen. But your comments about the blood moon? Answers to that are here...somewhat.

Momijifan Low-Ki - Glad to be on track! And for those wondering about how the family dynamics are going to work with Star in the picture, she ISN'T going to be adopted into the Diaz family. She is their house guest that they TREAT like a family member. The romance (when we get to it) isn't going to be weird like other things (glares at anime like SAO)... But to be serious, Star's dealing with a lot, so her developing some PTSD after suffering from Tom is...very logical. I will be diving head-first into Tom and Star's history together in a few chapters...yep, going to be dark s*** for sure.

Roland Castillo - Thank you for reading man :D! But yeah...Canon Star is lucky to have such understanding and supporting parents. Good thing they never sent her to Saint O's in the canon show...

Bedrock Armor - That is amazing, the fact changing a few things around completely change a person. Like flipping a coin for example. Sometimes you get head, other times you get tails...I meant tales :P. The canon show would be COMPLETELY different if it went into this stories direction for sure.

RobLebron - Thank you for the comments! Glad I nailed the father/son talk. And shipping isn't something I'm forcing to happen. Star and Marco are ONLY FRIENDS...though they DO want to be something more. They just aren't ready yet. Star has every right to want to know more about Marco first before getting closer with him, more so after her time with Tom. And your original character...I like his design and origin, but hope you don't me only him putting out puns every now and then. To be perfectly honest, not sure when he will show up, but it will fit. He might not be critical to the story but he WILL have a good role, I will be sure of that :).

Guest - Thank you so much! Glad you enjoy the story despite it's tragic nature.

Anonymous. MISTER Anonymous - I do have some OC characters planned for this story, though WHEN they show up, I'm not sure. But yeah, this story is dark but for a good reason. A lot is going down and you really feel for the characters. And for the ending...I'm not giving that away :P. Great joke at the end though XD! Liked that comment Star made in 'Blood Moon Ball' though. ...That Tom, is a saint compared to this stories version of the guy.


The skies were a vortex of black and purples, forming odd shapes that mirrored a rippling puddle. With air thick is ice, Tom trudged onward, tightly holding his long stick as he explored the Void. He shivered from the cold winds, though no ice or snow was in sight. 'Likely because of my magic not working…so used to feeling toasty warm…' He shivered slightly, looking ahead. He spotted a small house, mirroring something out of a fantasy game. It was oddly pixelated, appearing to glitch in-and-out of existence. "Mmm…maybe something's inside this hut." Tom dragged his tired legs, bashing through the door. Rather than the door falling down, it simply vanished in thin air, leaving a trail of particles. He blinked a few times before regaining his footing. Spotting a brown couch, he threw himself down and sighed contently.

While the cold winds were coming in, Tom didn't care, just enjoying the softness of his make-shift bed. "If that damn princess…" Tom sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Can't believe her…thought she liked being my bride." Looking out the window, he just watched what seemed to be black snow fall down. Tom got up and looked through the window, seeing red and black clouds unleash a downfall of snow. "Damn it…better try and fix the door." He rushed to a nearby table and retracting his claws, he started making deep carvings. Now making the worn out table into a make-shift door, he shoved it into the door-frame and held out both hands. "Come on baby, let the fire come out…" Closing his eyes, he tried to summon flames…but only a tiny puff of smoke came out. "Ugh! Hate not having magic anymore!" He punched the wall, causing it to glitch out. Tom only sighed and took a look around his new 'home'.

The walls were painted a garish brown, only having the bare minimum. There wasn't even an upstairs, only the main floor he was standing in. Tom studied the couch, noticing something glowing unearth it. 'Wonder what's down there…' Tom kneeled down, looking under the couch. He saw a small sword, looking very large and having a gun-handle on it. Picking it up, he placed his finger through the trigger. It heated up, glowing a faint red. Letting go, Tom placed the sword down, laughing softly. "Uh…well, guess this used to be someone's home."

"Happy…huh?" A familiar voice taunted. Tom jumped, grabbing his sword and looking around frantically. "So afraid of your little slave, aren't you Thomas?" He looked at the figment before him, shaking in fear. It was Star, wearing a torn up red ball dress. Her arms were cut up violently, rattling chains and cuffs dangling off them. Wearing only one heel and having torn-up hair, Star laughed playfully at Tom.

"S-Star? Why are you here?!" He aimed the sword at her, glaring darkly. "You sent me to this horrific void!" She just laughed, walking toward him seductively. With hips swaying left and right, she tapped her finger on Tom's chin, making him shiver. "Don't play with me like this…" She leaned in forward as some blood dripped from her head. A scar from what seemed to be an implanted crown was very visible.

"Play? You mean the 'games' you used to play with me?" Star mocked, pushing Tom to the couch. He shook his head and sat up proper, folding his arms. "Oh, aren't interested? Shame…you really enjoyed making me your little puppet. Upset that you can't control me anymore?"

Tom grit his teeth and punched Star violently. She staggered, sliding back a bit. "You are going to talk to your master like that?" Star only had a bitter scowl, wiping some blood off her face. "Once I get out of here, you're mine. You hear me?!"

"I'm not going down without a fight." Star held out both hands, with purple magic charging up. Tom held up his hands, ready for a blast. Bright purple light overtook his vision, but soon, Star was gone. "I'm going to have fun with you Tom…don't forget, I'm your puppet master now." Tom felt mild shocks course through his body, falling down on the couch and feeling his body twitch. After five full minutes of painful shocks and convulsions, he passed out cold, breathing heavily on the couch.

"I…won't…die…here…" Tom said in between pained coughs, closing his eyes and letting sleep overtake him. His sword glowed bright as Tom held on it tightly.


Deep within a meeting room in an undisclosed location, the scissor forger Hekapoo spun around a pair of red scissors playfully. "I'm bored. When is that blue jerk going to show up anyway?" She looked across a large table, with three figures before her shrugging their shoulders.

"Eh, I dunno." The prison keeper Rhombulus commented, leaning back in his chair. "Said something important was on the fritz or something. Better be good, as I should be watching over the crystals."

"Come on boss, they aren't going anywhere." One snake hand hissed, with the other glaring harshly. "Oh, you would rather be watching stupid rocks blankly?"

"Uh, no?" The other hands groaned, looking up at his master. "Boss, I think this is really important. I got a bad feeling it's about the princess." The entire table went mute, with Omni looking through his crystal ball intently.

"I saw the timelines…and I agree." He commented sternly. "Out of all the timelines, this is the most troubled one." Loud bawing was heard from the table's corner, with Lekment shaking his head in agreement. He picked up a corn cob from a nearby plate, eating it gently. He bawed sadly, frowning after looking at Omni. "I know, I like the kid too…shame she was away from Mewni for a while."

"She's on Earth." The four beings were silent, hearing the voice of their 'father' Glossaryck. The normally semi-playful face he donned was bitter, frowning harshly and folded his arms. "She isn't writing magic in her spell book, she's been abused by forces outside her control and doesn't want to even be Queen of Mewni." He sighed, rubbing the ruby jewel upon his head. "To think, she had so much…unbound joy years ago. But all of that was taken away."

"How?" Hekapoo asked, putting her scissors down. "I last saw her at some ball, dancing with a demon prince. She seemed happy…" She was frozen by a dark laugh from Glossaryck. He gave a knowing look, making Hekapoo nearly fall out of her chair. "No…she was…controlled?"

"Bingo." He said coldly, floating in a pacing-like-motion around the table. "Star was mentally abused and I had no way of assisting her. How can I, her teacher, help Star learn magic if I'm not even there?!" He picked up a chair and violently chucked it at a wall in pure frustration.

Rhombulus coughed, getting Glossaryck's attention. "But dude, Moon wouldn't do that to her. She loves the kid…right?" He asked questioningly, with both his hands shaking their heads. "Wait…you both agree on something? And it's that?!" They nodded, making the prison keeper narrow his one eye. "Can't believe this…"

"This is the darkest timeline, but that isn't the only thing the princess suffered from…you feel she might be the next Queen of Darkness?" Glossaryck let out a tired sigh, rubbing his beard.

"Well…yes and no." He held out his hand, showing Marco and Star huddled together in bed. "She has him, a kind fellow named Marco Diaz. He's just as broken, though both are going to heal each other." He took a deep breath and snapped his fingers. "But if he dies, she will lose it." The orb showed a manically laughing Star, leading monster armies upon Mewni and killing everything in sight. "He is literally the only thing preventing chaos from happening."

The table fell silent, only hearing the footsteps of Moon Butterfly walking in the room. She heard every word from Glossaryck, covering her mouth and nearly crying pained tears. "My…girl will kill us all?" Glossaryck snapped his fingers, giving a pure look of malice at Moon. He closed his eyes, making his entire body grow. Now mirroring a small giant, he marched right to Moon's face, tightly holding her within his right hand. "What are you doing?!"

"You're lucky I'm not killing you right now." Glossaryck said coldly as he tightened his hold. "I couldn't do my job for two years after you sent Star to that hell." Moon was going to speak but the piercing gaze of Glossaryck silenced her. "I never did this to a Queen, nearly kill them in my bare hands. But you need to understand one thing, and I'm never direct about anything. If you continue pushing Star away, she will be the downfall of Mewni." He let Moon go, giving a bitter frown. "Now, I'm going back to Earth, to accomplish my job and be there for Star." Glossaryck started opening his eye, stopping in place. "Something you aren't." The blue man curled up into a ball, vanishing from everyone's sight.

Hekapoo rushed over to Moon, helping her friend up. Sitting her down, Moon only locked her gaze on the table. Rhombulus wanted to come over to comfort the Queen but Moon hugged Hekapoo, crying bitter tears. He stayed still, looking at the table in silence. Lekment took Omni's crystal ball, giving Moon space. Rhombulus only sighed, making a small diamond with his crystal magic. He slid it over to Hekapoo, getting up and leaving the table.

"I…I only wanted to help my baby girl. Why does she hate me so much?" Hekapoo wanted to slap Moon and harshly vent out why, but she wasn't just a member of the Counsel of High Magic; she was Moon's friend too. So she kept her mouth shut, letting Moon cry everything out.


Marco felt really odd right now, as he was laying down next to Star, soundly sleeping and tightly holding him like a living teddy bear. 'She is a tight hugger for sure…' He thought to himself, studying Star's tear-covered face. 'Still having nightmares. Likely about Tom or Saint O's.' Looking around her room, Marco noticed her wand glowing from the plum-colored desk. Not able to get up, he stayed still, watching the wand float in the air. It glowed dark purple, shining down a light next to Marco. It showed the appearance of a girl, looking very similar to Star in body frame but two key features stood out. Her green-ish hair and spaded cheek marks.

"So you are this Marco person I've heard so much about…" The girl commented, giggling softly while covering her face with a dark purple-colored arm. She looked at Star, shaking slightly and holding Marco tighter. "Nightmares again…can't believe the suffering she's been through."

"Who are you?" Marco whispered, trying not to wake Star up. The girl tapped her chin, grinning slyly. "I mean…I don't want another person to hurt Star. And you are family, I think." He pointed to her cheeks with his free hand. "Have marks like Star."

The girl gave a serious face, folding her arms sternly. "I assure you, I would never harm my granddaughter…more so after everything." She coughed, seemingly holding back tears. "Like all Queens of Mewni, we've faced much hardship. You and Star will visit all of us soon, but for now, just call me…Eclipsa."

"Uh, okay." Marco looked at the queen intently, noticing her scar-covered neck and missing fingers. "It was nice meeting you ma'am. But…please, don't harm Star. I know you said otherwise but…" Marco held Star tight, glaring at Eclipsa. "Hard to trust anyone from Mewni, no offense or anything."

Eclipsa simply gave a small smile, slowly retracting into the wand. It continued glowing, gently landing back on the desk. Marco noticed it rattle and the star-crystal still glowing though it was fainter, as if it was a nightlight. Marco felt his eyes go wide, looking back at Star and the wand. "She's been…" Marco shook his head. "One battle at a time." He just glared at the ceiling but felt a white light get his attention. Turning to his left, he saw the white moon shine down gracefully upon Star. The moonlight highlighted Star's facial features, making Marco's face heat up. "Star is really pretty..." Marco silently scolded himself, trying to focus only on the moon. He could make out a small red glow emitting from it, but it wasn't very strong. Once he saw the glow, Marco felt Star shake violently. Her cheek marks glowed a bright red.

"NO!" Star screamed, pushing Marco on the floor. "I'M NOT…" She held up her hand, gently rubbing her wrist. "No cuffs…" She touched her neck next, sighing in relief. "Thank god…" Marco slowly got up, looking at Star with a worried expression. "Marco? What are you doing in here?"

"Well…you had a panic attack four hours ago and refused to let me go…so I got us into your bed." Star's face heated up, teeth slowly gritting. "BEFORE YOU THINK ANYTHING…I did nothing. I simply stayed still as you squeezed me for dear life." Star sighed, softly patting her cheeks. Marco got on her bed, giving a small smile. "It's okay. Have every right to have that reaction."

"But you are my friend…and I trust you." Star rubbed her arms, feeling the scratch marks itching. "Can't believe I scratched myself."

"If I hadn't held your arms so tight, they would have bled." Marco said softly. Star looked at her wrists, seeing flashes of cuffs covering them. She started scratching her arms again but Marco pinned both her hands upon his lap. "I think you should maybe put on gloves, could help with the itching."

Star nodded and slowly got out of bed. She looked at herself and felt gross. "Never took off my dress…Marco, can you…" He nodded, giving a soft smile and leaving her room. "WAIT!" He stopped, touching the door knob. "Can you…stay with me…tonight? I don't want any more nightmares."

"No problem Star." He left the room and walked into his own. Putting on his own night clothes, he rubbed his messy brown hair. '…Maybe talking with Eclipsa and the other Queens can give insight on dealing with Tom for good.' Marco looked at his right hand, but a lone tear drop fell down upon it. "What the…" He felt his right cheek, noticing himself slowly crying. Making his way into bed, Marco simply covered his eyes and sobbed softly.

"Why are you crying bro?" Marco felt his blood turn cold, slowly turning to his right. He saw…Jessica. "You're girlfriend needs you strong. Stop getting all down buddy!" Her hair was dark brown, bouncing left and right. A large beaming smile complemented dark green eyes, as did a small red hoodie and blue jeans. "Do you need to speak with me?"

"…You aren't real…You aren't real…" Marco held both hands upon his head, starting to rock back and forth. "I'm not seeing these delusions again…please….I can't…" Jessica only shook her head and hugged Marco, patting his back softly. "You…aren't here to…harm me?"

"Like I would harm my bro! Just because that jerk demon hurt you doesn't mean I will. We are mess up buddies after all." She let go, pouting playfully at Marco. "Though annoyed all my stuff is gone." Marco got up, feeling his legs get shaky. He opened his closet door, placing a brown box gently on his bed.

He picked up a stuffed cat, passing it to Jessica. "I would never…get rid…" Marco cried softly, slowly curling into a ball. "I miss you so much…" Jessica picked up the cat and cuddled it, making a small purring sound. Marco wiped his face and tackled Jessica into a hug.

"Marco?" Star said softly, knocking on his door. It slowly opened, with the sight before Star making her gasp. Marco was crying softly, having a wide smile on his face while hugging a stuffed cat. She walked over to his bed, noticing a box saying Jessica's Super-Dupper Stuffs and all its contents on the floor, surrounding Marco.

"Marco…" Star tightly held her wand. "You are broken too…hope you tell me about this tomorrow." She pointed the wand at the loose objects scattered on the floor, picking them up and placing them gently in the box. Star picked it up and placed it within Marco's closet. Looking back at Marco, he having a small smile. "You are really cute…" She picked him up with a levitation spell, walking back into her room. Jumping into her bed, she used magic to replace the cat toy with herself. Marco was now holding onto Star, pulling her closer to him. She gasped silently, feeling her body heat up at how close they were right now. Star hugged Marco back, patting his back softly. "Get some sleep buddy…for both of us." Star closed her eyes, feeling safe within Marco's arms.


Toffee rubbed his chin, drinking down some swamp water while watching Star and Marco sleep though his magic-powered screen. Spying on the two for a while now, he was wondering what exactly to do. "I can't just attack them…and stealing the wand is pointless." He leaned back in his large office chair, letting its cool leather calm his nerves. "I wonder if it's even worth the risk of fighting on that day now…" A loud knocking is heard from across the hall. Toffee made a hand motion, with two smaller imp monsters opening the door.

Rasticore and Pete walked into the room, pulling up two chairs and sitting down. "Hello brother. Uh…found this warrior looking for you." Pete nodded and he stood up. Looking darkly at Toffee, he chuckled.

"Hey…you know where Tom is?" Toffee had a smug grin. "You do know…and won't tell me, I assume?" Toffee leaned forward, eyes looking through Pete's eyeless sockets.

"My, the Lucitors have a lovely spy. Never knew I spent fine money on your services, huh?" Pete only bursted into laughter, slapping his knees. "It's not really funny, when your friend is missing though." He was silenced, only looking blankly at Toffee. "But I won't give up his location. Not without a price."

"I spy for you already…what more do you want?" Pete said sternly, folding his arms together. Toffee got out of his chair, pacing around the room. Toffee walked to his weapons rack, looking through piles of sharp blades and other tools. He found a crimson dagger, its glow lighting up the office. "That's…"

"Your 'friend' visited Earth and attacked the princess. Now, I'm aware she's bound under the blood moon, correct?" Pete nodded, unsure where this was going. "The Moon charges ones emotions, giving them newfound strength. So…hate for example, triggers more powerful magic." Toffee only grew a somber smile. "But love, now that is an interesting one. It can…lead to very interesting results." He tossed the dagger at Pete, who looked at Toffee in confusion. "Just…let the blade poke Star."

Pete only looked at the blade, Toffee and back at the blade once more. "You…want me…to hurt Star? I thought she was needed for your plans?" Toffee shook his head, folding grey claws behind his back.

"That blade is quite powerful, but it doesn't kill its target. It doesn't even hurt them really." Toffee looked at a tall mirror across from him, smiling softly at the two people behind him. "It does, however, sever a bond."

Pete gulped, feeling his bones rattle. "I…I can't do that to Tom." He looked at his shaking hands. "If the bond is severed…Tom can die for good." Toffee nods as Pete looked at him with shock.

"See, the Princess is supposed to marry someone else." Toffee pressed a button, showing Marco and Star together in bed. "These two, will be the future rulers of Mewni. But Tom still can control Star through that Blood Moon. If, you sever the bond with that little dagger, I can ensure things will go smoothly."

Pete studied Star and Marco, feeling a small smile form on his face. "Star looks…happy." Toffee sharply turned around, slapping Pete across the face with his large tail. He glared evilly at Pete. "I didn't want Tom to make Star his…" Toffee picked up Pete by his neck, lifting him off the ground.

"No, you and your friend wanted a pretty little slave, something many succubus's in the underworld could have easily provided. But you two wanted a toy to play with, something that will fight back tooth and nail." Toffee's grip tighten, with Pete's skull getting crack marks. "Star was a happy girl, I should know." He threw Pete on the ground. "I saw her as a baby, when Moon was still a sane person." Pete breathed heavily, frozen in place upon the ground. "But enough, you two are from the most vile place in Mewni and the various dimensions. This is expected from you." Toffee brushed his hands and sat back down. "Now, sorry for my brash behavior before, truly." He leaned forward, grinning playfully at Pete. "I don't like getting violent." Rasticore cracked his neck, looking at Pete with his good eye. "But my brother loves a good fight. Do we have a deal?"

"Sure…" Pete frowns and marches out of the office. Rasticore looks at Toffee and smiles with pride. Toffee only rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"I hate acting like that…so…barbaric." He looked his brother, noticing his stupid smile. "Stop it." Rasticore laughed softly, with Toffee picking up a nearby book. "Brother, make yourself useful and keep an eye on Pete, don't want him to cause trouble for the Princess and her friend."

Rasticore got up and stretched his back, beginning to walk out. But he stopped, not looking back. "Why so focused on not harming the Princess? Hurting her would make things far easier than playing this drawn-out game."

Toffee put his book down, having a blank expression on his face. "And lose another finger? Getting myself or my allies killed? I'm not stupid. Star is powerful and could easily end all of us. But…getting on her good side is far more useful." He placed a map on his desk, looking at it intently. "We need more land and supplies. We need more income. We need…a lot to keep monster kind safe from harm. Would prefer history not repeating itself brother."

Rasticore only gave a small smile, shaking his head as he walked away. "Brother, you are the thinker after all…" The door closed, leaving Toffee alone to his thoughts. He pressed a button his desk, making a black orb pop up. Ludo showed up in it, holding up his staff in excitement. "Ludo, I will be joining you for training soon." Ludo nodded and the orb went back into the desk. Toffee got up and held out both hands. He felt his entire body grow weak but a green vortex appeared before him. "I…I'm getting better at magic again. This is good…very good." He walked through the portal, ready to train with Ludo.


It was now morning in Echo Creek, with birds chirping joyful tunes as the sun's rays shined down. Star groaned from the light though, tossing and turning to cover her face. "Ow!" She shot up, looking at Marco rubbing his head from the impact. "You have a hard head Star…"

She was going to speak but her voice was silent, only looking at Marco. He looked into her eyes for a moment, both just still, enjoying simply being next to each other. They both shot out of bed, blushing from embarrassment. "Sorry about coming into your bed. I thought you needed someone to stay with for the night and everything…" Marco said first. Star waved her hand, having a small grin.

"Hey, I had some of the best sleep in ages last night. Guess you make a great pillow." Marco rolled his eyes in response. Star snickered and walked into her closet. "I'm getting ready, so…get out." Marco left the room having a wide smile, happy Star is feeling better but also from enjoying resting with her.

Star covered her heart, feeling her entire body grow warm. "I…let a guy sleep in the same bed with me. Willingly… This is something." Star looked through her clothing, finding a white long-sleeved shirt and pink jeans. She put both on, matching it with long finger-less white gloves and black boots. Walking toward a mirror, she was pleased.

"Look spiffy princess." Glossaryck comments, coming into existence. Star blinked a few times before sighing. "Not happy to see me?"

"No…just….tired is all." Star answered bluntly. "Sorry about not writing in the book. Just…not proud of my family name anymore. You get that, right?" Glossaryck gave a understanding nod and sat on Star's head. "Uh…my head isn't a pillow, though I do try to make it soft…"

"Oh, it is Star. Like a fluffy cloud." Star smirked at the comment. "Later today, you and Marco need to be ready for something." Star shook her head, making Glossaryck hover away. He grinned, folding his arms. "Today, you will be training using advanced magic. Though it needs someone…close." Star's heart marks glowed a vivid shade of red.

"This doesn't have to do with my Butterfly form, does it?!" Star asked panicked. "When I last turned into that…" She shook her head, trying to die the thoughts down about her wings being… "Anyway, Marco shouldn't be around that. I get…boy crazy."

"So he should be around?" Glossaryck teased. Star just marched out of the room and slammed the door shut. "Oh, you will have fun." He noticed Star's wand sitting at her desk. Hovering closer to the wand, he opened it up, covering his mouth in shock. "My…guess that lesson will happen sooner than I expected. Never seen this since…" He sighed, closing the wand. "Well, at least she will listen to me." He warped away, leaving the wand alone, emitting a small faint pink glow.