S

The entire castle was a blur to her. Servants and knights alike rushed around to fulfill their most recent order but she could hear nothing. It was as though even now, in a chaotic and crazy place like this, her world was silent. She didn't know if it was anger, fear, guilt, or some combination of all three that stormed her mind, but she was far beyond any kind of good nature at this moment.

Marco had been taken. Star had crept to his room to get some alone time with her guide but was met with a terrible surprise. In his place, was a lowly fly monster, who wore his hoodie. HIS. HOODIE. Once Star had gotten the tip from it as to where her man was, she erased him from existence. She alerted the guards, and her parents, that a royal had been kidnapped in their castle. But Star withheld the tip from everyone. Men ran out to look around the kingdom for any trace of Marco, but it would be fruitless.

She knew where he was being kept. She knew who had him. She even knew that she had to come alone. Her parents tried to quell her anger and fear but it was fruitless. She was past that. Star walked up to her room as calmy as she could look and stepped inside. Careful to close the door softly. Ponyhead floated to her and tilted her head. Or body. Basically both. "Star, I'm all for making some bad choices, you know me. But this is a really bad choice to make, girl. Just get your parents to help you."

Star frowned and cast a Radiant Shadow Transform to change her dress into her old mercenaries outfit. "I can't bring anyone. If I do, they might hurt Marco." Ponyhead shook her head. "Have you seem that boy, Star? I dont think much is gonna hurt him." Star put her hands on her hips and eyed Pony. "If they could kidnap him without destroying the room, there's no telling what they can do. Ludo isnt afraid to kill someone to get my wand."

Pony looked fearful but nodded. "Whatever you do, make sure you and Earth turd come back in one piece. I'm still waiting to hear about what you did on this, Vintal, planet." Star laced up her boots and latched her wand to her waist before meeting eyes with Ponyhead. "That little creep took my Marco. Not prince Marco. Not Safe kid Marco. MY. Marco. I'll be just fine." She made her way to the door but stopped short to turn back for a moment.

"Thanks for warming up to him, Pony. It makes me really happy that the two of you get along now." Pony couldn't help but smile at her war ready friend. "Of course, B-fly. Hes a good guy to you. And if you like him that much, then I do too. Plus you guys are like, a super cute couple or whatever so yeah." Star hugged her bestie and smiled. "I love him. Ludos gonna have to find that out the hard way." She opened her door and made her way down the hall, doing her best to avoid any curious stares. If her parents were to catch on, they'd surely stop her. Or worse, try to come with her.

She crept past the kitchen, down by the armory, and then through the main hall to the throne room. That same day it had housed a party and meeting she was actually happy to be a part of. But now it was full of guards and the King and Queen stood near the back, busy directing soldiers. Star snuck past the large doors and swiped the royal dimensional scissors off the notary desk by the front, careful not to be seen. She eyed her parents and cut a sky blue portal in the air just around the corner and out of sight. Stepping through, she was deposited near a large, dark castle in a land that seemed almost familiar.

M

Marco opened his eyes slowly, fighting off the deep sleep he was forced into. His entire body felt as though it'd been sent through a wringer. He looked around to try to get his bearings and realized he was strapped in place to a chair, inside a large glass box, capped with crystalline formations at the corners. His eyes went wide as he realized where he was. "No, its too soon for this... it can't be happening yet." A large, armored man with glowing green eyes stepped forward and tapped the glass. "How's it going, 'Prince'? Did you have a nice little nap?"

Marco glared at the man and clenched his fists. He had just woken up, but he was already prepared to tear Vartek to shreds.

"That depends. Am I still dreaming? Because your burned face is wahahahay too ugly to be real." Vartek slammed his fist against the glass, making spiderwebs of cracks form before they repaired immediately. "Watch it boy. The only reason I haven't killed you yet is that I need live bait for the girl." Marco smirked at him and shook his head. He knew the deal by now, and he was prepared to call his enemies bluff.

"Like youre the guy with the plan. Toffee! Get out here already. Let me talk to the guy in charge!" Vartek looked genuinely surprised but before he could utter a word, Toffee stepped out from the shadows, his reptilian smile was smug and calm. Like a player who just called checkmate. "Good morning, Boy. Id love to know how you know who I am, or that I'm behind this altercation, but that's a question for another day. Are you hungry by-" "No. I'm not hungry. I'm aching. To watch you die." Toffee smiled and approached the glass. "That's the plan, Marco." "Oh, believe me, I know it is."

Vartek couldn't help but chuckle as he walked to the large table at the center of the room and took a seat. "He's got a lot of bark for a dog about to be put down. See lad, once your friend gets here, we're going to kill both of you. So I wouldn't turn down a last meal if I were you." Marco noticed how smug Vartek was, but a quick glance at Toffee told him everything. The lizard had a calm and collected look about him, but he subtly rolled his eyes before turning to take a seat at the head of the table.

Marco smiled and closed his eyes. So Vartek doesn't know about Toffees plans of destroying the wand and getting inside it. The explosion will either kill him or keep him away, and I can handle him from there. Marco stopped to think for a moment about the ensuing chaos from Toffee. So much would go wrong. A lot of people could get hurt. Can I really let that happen? We turn out fine, in the end. And I can keep Star safer if I know about the dangers that come up. But a lot of bad things are going to happen. He slumped his shoulders and glared at the ground. I dont really have much of a choice.

Toffee rubbed his face and looked at Marco. "You seem awfully quiet, young man. I suppose you know what's going to happen?" Marco looked at Toffee with a surprised look but he continued. "Keep it to yourself, Lad. Things will go much better for the both of us." Toffee pressed a button on his remote and Marcos hand bindings came undone. He rubbed his wrists and stood carefully, eying both evil men before him. A small spout of fire danced between his fingertips, and he smiled.

Marco stepped up to the glass and tapped on it. It shook under his touch and glistened with strength. He didnt have his blades, and he knew any attmept at escape would mean death by scimitar. Vartek eyed the boy and grinned wickedly, in a way that Marco could almost feel the ill intentions radiating out of the time-traveling villain. "Do you know why I want you dead, boy?" Marco glared at him and nodded. "Good. Because I'd prefer to not explain it to you when I'm tearing you to pieces." Toffee smiled pleasantly and took a drink of swamp water. "One of your few admirable qualities, I suppose."

Marco looked around at the various monsters in the room before again allowing a tuft of blue fire to arc its way around his hand. I can break out of here easily. But I have to give it everything I've got if we plan on surviving the explosion in the box. If I hold back, it might not regenerate strong enough.

At that moment, the massive wooden doors leading to the room were blasted open by a ball of blue fire, sending chunks of wood and strings of metal in every direction. Charred pieces fell to the smoking ground at the princesses feet as she strolled in, Fire dancing around her eyes. She glared at Vartek and Toffee before shooting a look to Marco. Stars eyes went wide but quickly returned to a look of hate directed at the two men standing by the table.

A few monsters ran forward in an attempt to subdue her but she blasted them each way with a narwhal. A giraffe humanoid ran towards her but was immediately pummeled back by a rainbow fist. "Enough!" She blasted the floor and a wave of energy shot out in every direction, sending monsters flying and clearing a path for her.

She aimed her glowing wand at both men and spoke with cool determination. "You have exactly ten seconds to release Marco before I blast both of you out of this dimension." Vartek unsheathed his massive green-tinged blades but Toffee held up a hand and gestured for Star to approach. "Put your blades down, Vartek. You have no chance of beating her, and frankly, I dont have time to waste on your pathetic revenge right now. So sit. Back. Down." Vartek growled but did as he was told, his hands shaking with rage as he sheathed his blades.

Star approached cautiously, keeping her eyes glued to the suited lizard before her. A few feet before she reached the table, she turned sharply towards the glass box to her right and aimed her wand. But preceeding any spell, Marco held up his hands. "Star! Dont bother! The glass is self-repairing and gets stronger with every hit." She glared at the glass and shook her head, lowering her wand. "Then what do I do?" Toffee pressed his hands together and eyed her. "You come here and we discuss the terms of your release like civilized individuals."

Marco glared at him as Star jumped atop the table and dropped her wand in front of Toffee. "Here. Take it. Just let Marco go."

Toffee glared at the wand and shook his head before sliding it back to Star. "I'm not like that idiot bird, Ludo. I have no need for this, really its better in your hands. But for now, I need you to destroy it." Star looked at him in shock and before she could protest, Marco spoke up from the box. "Star, I know I'm going to sound crazy, but please, if we have a chance to survive, use the whispering spell." Star eyed him in disbelief but he continued. "I love you, so please trust me. I won't let anything bad happen."

Star couldn't believe what she was hearing. She stared at him and slowly, her look of shock turned into one of inquisition. "How do I know its actually you? How can I trust you mean it?" Marco smiled at her and pressed a hand against the glass. "I was ready to sacrifice my life for you in the Bounce Lounge. During Mewberty. At st Olga's. And on Vintal. I will give everything I have to you until I have nothing else to give, my Stardust. Trust me one more time, and I will keep you safe."

"That's our Marco, there's no doubt about it. Do what he wants. I trusted him ever since I met him, and I never once regretted it."

Star stared at him as thoughts rolled around her head, and slowly leaned over her wand. She whispered inaudible words to her precious family heirloom, her source of power. It slowly began to wither into itself and Vartek stood in anger. "Youre actually letting her destroy the wand?! We need it!" Marco looked at Vartek in shock. "What do you mean you need it? Why do you want it?" Before Vartek could speak, the entire room went silent. Stars withered and dead wand opened to allow a small wisp of a unicorn to float around her. It stopped just next to her ear and whispered softly, "I was never your wand, Star."

She looked down at the husk of her wand as it closed, her eyes stinging with fought tears. Vartek stood quickly and drew his scimitars before bellowing in rage. "What have you done!" Toffee stood and eyed the monsters standing silently around the room, and Vartek who stood with his blades ready. "Gentlemen, Its been a ple-" As he was about to finish, Marco balled his fists and seethed with pain. His skin burned with heat and his hands sparked with blue flames. A mask of aquamarine fire flared around his eyes and the back of his shirt burst open with blazing wings of blue flames, roaring and spreading against the wall behind him. He screamed in pain and threw a heavy burning punch straight through the crystal wall, which blasted into powder. That better have been enough, he thought to himself before jumping through as fast as he could.

All eyes were on him when beams of light began pouring from Stars wand as it shook with arcs of energy dancing across the table. Toffee smiled at it and Vartek roared with anger and charged for Star. But Marco was just a bit quicker. The flames on his back dissipated and he rolled over the table, quickly grabbing the scissor blades that grew at his command. Varteks eyes burned with hate as he swiped for Star but his blade was met with Marcos. Both swords clashed as blue and green flames blazed between the edges, matching each other in size and ferocity.

This took Marco by surprise, but he had no time to think. He rolled backward and cut a portal, pulling Star into it with him as they were both deposited inside the crystal box. Vartek had only a moment to react as a white light filled the room. He cut a portal through the air and dove through the hissing green vortex as an explosion ripped it apart. The blast shook the world and Star thought she might go deaf during the boom. The walls of the box went black and she could feel the heat against her as Marco held his arms tight around his love. The ground buckled and swayed beneath the two and the wind battered the box around them.

Though, just as suddenly as it started, the deafening roar subsided, leaving only a vibrating box covered in soot and a whipping wind that caressed the wasteland in every direction. When most of it dissipated, Star felt Marco stand and open a portal to the charred outside world. She stepped closer to him and looked around at what remained of the castle. Nothing but a smoking crater and the crystal box, next to Toffees suit and tie rack.

Star looked at Marco and felt tears forming on the corners of her eyes. "My wand, it's... it's gone. What do I do? What can-" Marco grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a hug. "It'll be okay, Star. Trust me. Youll get it back, but there's something wrong with it. It's, broken, for a bit." Star cried softly into his shoulder and squeezed him tighter. "I could have handled them, Marco. I didn't have to destroy the wand I JUST got."

Marco pulled back and stared at her. "Star, Toffee is immortal, and he can heal faster than we can hurt him. We cant kill him yet and he wouldn't have stopped until you did it. I'm sorry, but you have to trust me. Can you do that for me?" He smiled at her warmly and held her hands as she wiped her eyes. "Okay. I'm, I'm with you. But you owe me for this, Diaz." She slugged him on the arm to prove her point and the two smiled, hand in hand.

Marco was about to speak but a voice shook him from his sentiment. "Isnt that touching. Two little love birds, but no wand in sight. I suppose if I can't have the wand AND your lives, I'll just have to settle for the latter, and return empty-handed." Marco glared at Vartek, who was perched atop the crystal box, and spoke with an icy chill. "We beat you before without it, we can do it again." Vartek laughed and jumped down, with his blades drawn to his sides. Marco grew his and kept steely eyes on him while keeping himself between Vartek and Star.

"I dont see any purple on that bitch of yours, and I dont think you can fight me alone, Marco." Vartek threw a fist forward and a wave of green energy blared forward towards them. Marcos' eyes flickered with blue flames as he swiped his scissor blade at Vartek. The green blast of energy was met by a wall of blue fire, cleaving through the air itself. When both forces met, a shockwave reverberated from a ball of teal fire that sent Vartek slamming back into the box. Marco tried to hold his ground but was thrown back into Star, sending them both down into the crater.

Marco had only milliseconds to react when another wave of green energy came shooting at them. He cut a portal behind him and pulled Star into it, depositing them hundreds of feet in the air. Star clung to his waist as he adjusted his freefall, eying the green figure below them. Marco drove both blades downward sending dual streams of fire straight for Vartek. He dodged aside, barely avoiding the subsequent explosion that ripped through the charred ground.

Star shouted into Marcos' ear and he nodded, not taking his eyes off Vartek. Cutting a portal underneath them, both teens shot through like a bullet and exited on the rim of the crater, Star bringing them to a stop. She let go of Marco and after giving him a quick hug, stepped through a bright pink portal she cut with her families scissors. He turned to face Vartek and smiled. "I hope you're fine with settling for just me today. But I can help you find a different girl to chase if ya want."

Vartek seethed with anger and dragged his blades against the dirt, steadily walking towards Marco. "I had a girl, but thanks to a bitch of a goddess, she was ki- ... no no no. I'm not spilling my life story for YOU!" To punctuate his last word, Vartek lunged forward at Marco and the two crossed blades, sending a shockwave of green and blue fire in both directions. Marco parried a green blade swiping for his neck and jumped into the air. He kicked off of Varteks blade and send two flaming blue arcs at his chest. Vartek fell backward into a portal to dodge and jumped out another to Marcos left, driving his blade down into the ground.

The dirt cracked and buckled under his strike as Marco was thrown into the air and caught in the chest by a heavy kick. He flew backward and hit the ground hard, rolling twenty feet before digging his blades into the ground to slow himself. Vartek gave him no time to rest, however, and charged forward, sending wave after wave of green force at his opponent. Marco held up both blades and pushed them forward, sending a bubble-like blast right back to Vartek. The green waves pushed against the blue wall but dissipated against it before it slammed into Vartek, throwing him hard back against the wall of the crater.

Vartek scowled and wiped the black blood from his lip. "Gotta hand it to you, I didn't think you loved her THAT much. But that's fine. I can still cut you to ribbons." He smiled wickedly and jumped backward through a portal before being launched out of another to Marcos right. He brought up his blade and slashed at the boy in blue but was met with steel against steel. Vartek grimaced and brought both blades down hard, causing Marco to buckle as the ground beneath him cracked under the force. Vartek pushed down harder and sent a kick straight to Marcos' leg before sending his green scimitar for his side.

The cold, yet burning green metal ripped against the flesh around Marcos' ribs. He screamed in pain before clashing both blades against eachither. A bubble of blue fire ruptured and blasted both of them apart. When the smoke cleared, Marco stood shakily only to be caught in the jaw by a charged green punch. He tumbled hard into the crater wall and dropped his blades before dropping to his knees.

Vartek strolled over lazily as he eyed the prince before him. "How do you want to die, boy? I owe you a slow and painful death, but I'm pressed for time, as it turns out." Marco glared at him before wiping the blood from his lip. "How about, *cough* you take those swords and shove them through your heart." Vartek smiled and pressed his large metal boot against Marcos' chest. "I'd need to have a heart for that, kiddo. But that was taken a long time... from now." Vartek held up his blades and prepared to drive them into Marcos' chest when a blast ripped a hole into the ground behind him. Both of them eyed the object that had just fallen from the sky as it slowly sunk into the ground.

Vartek stepped off of Marco and was about to make a move when a familiar voice called out from the rim of the crater. "Dont even think about it. One more step and you won't leave here alive." Marco and Vartek looked up to see Star, King River, Queen moon, and three dozen knights all positioned and ready for battle. Vartek smiled coyly and shrugged. "You know, youre almost right, your highness. Now I get to kill the whole family. You can call it a royal flush." He took a step forward but a portal opened several yards behind him, seemingly pulling him closer to it.

He struggled and dug his swords into the ground, but the pull was too great. "No! I can handle this! Just let me kill one of them, you bastard!" Star dropped down and held Marcos bleeding side as Queen moon transformed into a butterfly and hovered near her foe. "It would be wise to leave this place while you can still breath, assassin!" She shot a deep purple beam of light at Vartek but he sideswiped it with his scimitar. "I REFUSE TO RETREAT AGAIN! I AM VARTEK AND I WILL HAVE YOU ALL AGAINST MY BLADES!"

He bellowed in rage as he was pulled backward and slammed both scimitars together. The concussive blast pushed Moon back but she brought forth a blade of crisscrossed light and charged for Vartek. Just before she could strike, however, a flash of green light blinded everyone. The sound of a deep bass rumble shook the ground and once the blinding light dissipated, Vartek was gone.

Star held Marco close as Moon transformed back into a mewman and approached slowly. She held his bleeding side and gripped his hand, unaware of everything happening around her. The battlefield was a blur, and her eyes could only see her prince. He was bruised and bleeding, but he was breathing. Marco smiled at her as Moon crouched next to her daughter before breathing deeply. Her diamond cheek marks glowed, and her hand exhumed a dark red cloud of magic that hugged Marcos side.

In a matter of moments, his wound had healed partially, and he stood while leaning against Star. "Thank you, Queen Moon." The Queen smiled at him before patting his head. "Thank you, Marco. For protecting my daughter. I'm glad you both are safe, even if it did mean breaking the wand." Star grimaced as she remembered what today had cost her. The royal magic wand was destroyed. She was a failure of a princess. Nothing could change that.

She was about to suggest heading home when the ground began shaking beneath them. The Knights took defensive stances and without a second of pause, giant pink crystals began growing out of the ground everywhere inside the crater. One clump of them at the center grew especially tall and once dozens of towers had formed, they all stopped simultaneously. The entire wasteland was silent save for one person. Marco.

"Star, go out to the center crystal, hurry." She did a double take at him but nodded. She helped him lean against one of the many crystals, and made her way to the biggest one in the middle. When she was no more than ten feet from it, it glowed with power and opened at the front to reveal a shimmering device inside. Once the furious pink light subsided, Star was awestruck as a new wand came floating towards her.

She held out her hand and the new wand fell to it, still warm to the touch. This one had taller and sharper wings on the sides, and most notably, only half of the Star at its center.

To be continued in:

How to fix a new beginning

AUTHORS NOTE

Howdy, all! Thus ends, season 1! Helluva chapter 20! Not to worry though, still regular updates of course. I also recently realized that these notes will slightly be nonpertinent to readers of the future, what with info I give out that isnt applicable anymore. Oh well, HI FUTURE READERS! Hopefully, yall enjoyed the chapter and the stunning end of the season that leaves you with all new questions! Leave a review and from now on I promise I'll reply to nonguest accounts when I have free time. See yall in the next chapter! BUH BYYYEEE!!

~Mr. Ronald Reagan