L

"There are some people, who are born for greatness. They are meant for nothing more and nothing less...than to change the world. These people have the power to do anything. To make history, and to rewrite it. Be they great warriors, exceptional rulers, powerful mages, brilliant philosophers, or even unstoppable forces of evil. But you my son, are not one of these people. And I cannot say that you ever will be."

These words rang in Ludos head as he roamed the barren snowy wasteland he was cast into. That miserable Butterfly girl stormed up to HIS families castle and cast him aside into this hellish frozen prison without so much as a word. She was with Buffrog, that miserable traitor, and he did nothing to stop her. Just carrying that fountain of his.

"I will make her pay. If it takes me a hundred lifetimes I'll get her back for this. Leaving me stranded on some desolate planet with NO FOOD! Yes, you and that Marco boy will pay for this!"

He stomped along in the snow, wearing nothing but a potato chip bag as a robe, followed closely by a giant spider, and a fearsome eagle. He had spent over a week trudging across the land in search of food, letting his beard grow out and tying it into braids.

Ludo was largely unimpressive and pathetic in his family, being only three feet tall and having almost no muscle structure. But today, the world would learn to fear him. He would teach everyone that he was to be taken seriously and that his strength was unmatched.

In his right hand, he gripped a skeletal wand made of bone, rock, and a toxic green half crystal star. The bony hand clung to the crest as its past life depended on it, and the gem at the center glowed with power.

In truth, he had next to no control over it, but when it allowed him to use it, it was unstoppable. There were voices inside it that spoke in hushed, calm tones, but they rarely gave any directive other than to kill when told.

Ludo strolled closer to a small wooden building along a lonely road in the middle of nowhere. After some less than peaceful encounters with the locals, and being forcefully removed from the establishment, Ludo chuckled to himself at the thought of perusing the building once more.

He entered through the front door, same as last time, followed closely by his odd entourage. The dog-sized, sentient rats that frequented the bar all stopped to stare at him as he found himself a seat and waited patiently for the service, tapping his hands on the bar.

A larger rat with a red left eye stepped forward, clearly amused by Ludos attempt at being served, and promptly placed a bowl of gruel and worms on the counter for him.

Ludo had been through abuse worse than this before. And after the most recent incident with the Butterfly girl, he had already been broken, inside and out. Days stranded alone in the frozen wilderness with no one but a giant spider and an eagle had done little to heal his manic state.

So it came with great surprise to the rats when Ludo promptly lifted the bowl and began slurping loudly at the scraps within. Every other patron stopped and stared, shocked, at the pathetic, and disturbing bird. He finished his gruel and slapped the bowl to the side, eying the bartender expectantly.

"Have you got any more for me? Or are you dumb animals ready to begin." The red-eyed rat smiled before snapping his fingers. Several other rats rushed forward in an attempt to subdue the newcomer, but before they could tackle him, Ludo thrust his bone wand towards the ground.

A wave of sizzling green magic burst out in every direction like a massive bubble, blowing all of his assailants back. The red-eyed rat growled as he dove for Ludos back, but found only an invisible wall that crackled with energy at the touch.

It rippled in every shade of green, like a calm lake after a stone is thrown in it. Much the same could be said for Ludo. He turned slowly, smiling wide at the rodent before him. He pointed his wand at it and spoke just above a whisper, his voice cracking with each word.

"You work for me now, or you'll end up dead, like your friends. But before we get to any of that. Get. Me. Food. NOW!!!"

S

Star flopped down onto her bed, tired and worn out from a day cleaning police cars. There was an unfortunate incident at the restaurant she and Marco had been eating at, where a police cruiser was destroyed thanks to her magic.

She had run from the authorities for an entire day, meeting strange people and discovering questionable places. However, she eventually had been talked into coming clean, at the thought that Marco must have been worried sick about her. She returned quietly and was immediately put to work cleaning squad cars she hadn't destroyed.

But in her time on the lamb, as she put it, she realized she had been missing something. Being free from her responsibilities. So much had been going on lately, Star hardly had time to stop and think about what she wanted to do. Between goddesses meddling with her life, an assassin trying to kill her and her boyfriend, and her typical royal duties, what time was there for herself.

"Time". She thought to herself. "Maybe I should go where time is the one thing I'll never run out of!"

She jolted from her bed and ran to her door, flinging it open and darting into Marcos room across the hall. She found him in his bed wrapped up in the covers, sleeping like a log. She grinned and did her best to suppress a laugh, though she wasn't surprised he was tired. He had spent an entire night searching for her, and then the rest of the day keeping her company while she worked.

Star tapped on his nose, making it twitch like rabbits. He rubbed it, still in a deep sleep before turning over. There was a short pause before Star huffed impatiently. She stood up and ripped the covers off him, sending him tumbling to the floor, awake.

"Marco cmon were gonna go on an adventure! Hurry UUUUUP!" He laid on the floor, groggy as a slumbering giant. His eyes crawled open as he fixed them to Star. "What are you talking about? I want to sleep, Star." She pouted and sat on the floor next to him.

"Marco, I really want to go back to Vintal. So much has been going on and I just want to take a break." He sat upright and looked at her empathetically. "Star, things are still going to be the same when we get back. There's no changing what's going on here by running from it." She frowned and furrowed her brows at the floor.

"Well maybe running away from my problems is all I want to do right now. Are you coming with me or not?" Marco stood slowly and stretched his back out. "Let me get ready first. Are you... okay with what we might find there? Things are going to be completely different."

She stood up and sighed through a small smile. "Yeah. I think I'll be alright. As long as I have you there, it won't be so bad." She made her way for the door but Marco stopped her, holding her hand tight. "Hey, remember that you're not alone here either, okay? Youll always have me here too, Star."

She smiled at him and kissed his cheek sweetly. "Thanks, Marco. Im really glad I have you. You make things a lot better." "Well, what can I say. You give me a lot to work with." The two laughed before parting ways, Marco to get ready and Star to gather their things.

After an hour of packing, the two had a small bag full of everything they needed and wore their usual custom battle gear. Star wore her hair in a braided ponytail this time, and Marco tied his hoodie over his shoulders. He was about to open a portal when a voice interrupted his train of thought.

"And where might YOU TWO be going?" Both teens turned to face Glossaryk, who sat perched on the edge of Stars bed. He was smiling in his usual smug way, but this time seemed genuinely interested in what they were doing.

Star smiled and gestured to her gear as she spoke. "We're going back to Vintal for a while. We won't be gone long." Glossaryk began opening a cup of pudding, clearly mocking a struggle to get the lid off. "Yes, you'll only be gone for a few minutes here, but that does make everything more difficult when youre not there, doesn't it?"

Marco squinted at the small glossary, of terms, before speaking. "Yes, it does. Why are you asking that kind of question right now?" Glossaryk floated over to him and tapped on his forehead where the gem was so neatly placed.

"Its pretty obvious isnt it, my boy? We owe you both a certain debt of gratitude, as I promised some time ago. So perhaps im asking because Im offering a way to repay it."

Star pushed Marco aside and beamed a smile at Glossaryk, jumping up and down. "YOU MEAN YOU CAN-" "Yes, Star. We have some lee-weigh over time, as Marco can attest. Working with a colleague of mine on the magical high commission, I can alter the speed of time in that dimension for you."

He now had both teens full and undivided attention. "We can make it so time only goes faster for their universe when you two are in it. Since there's no traffic there anyway, and they were largely undeveloped when you last visited, it shouldn't be a problem."

Marco eyed glossaryk, who remained smiling, and spoke with distrust. "So, how does that work? You rewind it to get us back and rob more people of their lives?" Glossaryk floated down and sat cross-legged on a dresser. "No no, it's far more complicated than that. We, somewhat knew you'd want this, so we did it a few minutes after you came home last time." Star tilted her head and wore a nervous look. "How could you know that?"

Glossaryk groaned and threw his head back as he rolled his eyes. "Does the word 'Goddess' mean nothing anymore? You must understand the concept of being all-knowing by now."

Marco shook his head. "Not all knowing enough to keep Vartek from coming back here. If time changes that drastically each time we come and go, won't that cause an issue with us being nineteen in their dimension? What happens if we come back here and we stay that age. I dont want to have to explain that to my parents." Glossaryk rolled his eyes and put his hands on his hips. "Look, if you kids dont want the gift Ill just undo it now and be done with it. We took all the correct precautions. Besides. The locals really revere you there, so there's not going to be much protest with your return."

Marco looked to Star, who nodded in encouragement. He sighed and pulled out his pair of scissors. "Alright. We'll go along with it. Thank you, Glossaryk. This means a lot." The small blue man smiled and shook his head. "Dont thank me, young man. You two have earned it. We know that you value your friendships with the locals there, so enjoy it. And thank you."

Marco cut a deep blue portal in the air before he and Star stepped through it, disappearing from view.

Now alone in the empty room, Glossaryk floated down to the floor and walked over to the book of spells. He opened it and stepped across the pages before sitting down. A light hum buzzed in the air as the gem on his head shook gently. "Yes, I do believe they appreciated it. Thank you, my dear, for arranging it."

The gem shook somewhat harder and glossaryk blushed for a moment. "No, I doubt they're going just for that. You know they just need a break. Its been quite stressful for them."

The gem shook very gently and Glossaryk stared ahead for a moment. "Not a chance, you. You're gonna have to come here for that if you want it, my delightful pudding cup." And with that, the gem silenced itself. Glossaryk chuckled for a second before it again began glowing. It zapped an intricate design into the air in front of him, causing his eyes to go wide

"Ho boy."

M

Marco stepped through the portal a different person. The bright sun shined down on the wide golden fields they had arrived in. There was a brief moment before he began feeling his arms and face. Marco sighed, pleased with his muscular body and scratchy chin. Star stepped out, admiring both their figures before she too gazed at the surroundings. It was early morning, and the sun was bravely taking the reigns of the day before them.

Marco thought hard and cut another portal in the air, this time allowing Star to walk through first. "Why thank you, dearest contractor, Marco Diaz." He smiled and rolled his eyes before following her through. They were deposited in the center of a large camp that based itself amongst the trees around it.

Marco looked around and noticed that there were no soldiers running around, and the camp had an eerie silence to it. He frowned and took out both blades, drawing an inquisitive look from Star. "What is it?" He kept his eyes trained on his surroundings as she took out her wand. "There's no one here. This place is abandoned."

She nodded and took a defensive stance as they made their way to the central command tent. "Do you think they were attacked?" Marco put down his blades but kept them ready as they stepped inside the largest tent of the base. Inside, they found no scrolls, no maps, and no personnel.

"No, this place looks fine, it's just empty. My guess is that they just left. But where would they go?" Star shrugged and looked around inside. It really was just an empty old tent at this point. She was about to comment on another option when she heard voices outside. Marco nodded and the two readied their weapons.

"Come out of the tent or we WILL open fire!" Star shrugged at Marcos nervous expression and the two took a step outside into the early sunlight. They were met with five archers with their bows drawn, three men with swords readied, and one young man with a more embellished uniform.

"State your business here!" Marco put his blades away and held up his hands, gesturing to Star to do the same. He recognized the uniforms well as Vintal soldiers. But the man at the center had a different style to it altogether. "Were here from another dimension looking for General Grenor. We fought with him during the attack on the Plains of Plenty."

The apparent officer waved his hand, making the soldiers to his right and left lower their weapons. "Never mind how impossible that is, how do you know Grenor?" Marco looked to Star questionably, silently asking if they should even bother with them. She shrugged and nodded before lowering her hands and taking a step forward.

"Look, guys, we were the ones who wiped out Machinor. We're Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz. We literally fought with Grenor. What is he now, president or something?"

The officer scowled at Star and stepped closer, only two feet away from her. "Grenor is my father. He retired four years ago." He turned around and motioned for his guards as he began walking away. The pulled out a pair of shackles and began moving in on the two. "I'll send him to visit you after we've confirmed youre not assassins or threats to his majesties army."

Star readied her wand and cast a jellification spell, which captured every soldier in large blocks of dense jello-like slime. They began struggling as she walked over to the officer and got in his face. "Listen, pal. I've had a long week and I'm in a very bad mood right now. I dont have time for you shit show military junk or your bologna attitude. Take us to Grenor, or I'll leave you here and find him myself."

Marco gave her a distressed look and shook his head but she ignored him, keeping her glare on the officer. He glared right back at her and looked at his men. "Fine. Release us at once and I'll take you to see my father. But one step out of line and-" Marco stepped in and leaned on the officer's jello block, speaking casually. "Buddy. Just dont. If we had ill intentions you all would be nothing but ashes by now. Just chill out. We're with you guys."

On that note, Star thrust her wand downward, causing the colorful prisons to dissolve into liquids. The soldiers shook what jelly they could from their bodies before forming ranks and marching towards the camp entrance. Just outside the gate, there were wagons loaded with furniture, supplies, and weapons from the camp.

The officer, who formally introduced himself as John Grenor, informed them that they had arrived just as the camp was about to be taken down and moved to another location. It had served its purpose for over fifteen years, and with the expulsion of Machinor, the nearby area was far less dangerous.

Star and Marco looked to one another, shocked that almost fifteen years had already passed. There wasn't much telling what would await them, but staying here would prove pretty useless. Marco took a last look at the camp behind him and got on a horse he was loaned.

He and Star rode side by side as they followed Lieutenant John through the thick forest outside the camp. Apparently General Grenor, now retired, lived in a small farming village a two days ride away. Marco wasnt particularly fond of riding a horse, much less for so long, but given that he didn't know exactly where Grenor was or what he looked like, he didn't have much choice.

He struggled to keep his horse in line with the others as Star took notice. He pulled tight on the reigns and just when he was about to give up, he felt his entire body go weightless. He rose about three feet into the air and floated gently over to Stars horse. She held her wand with one hand, floating Marco down onto the back of her horse, and held the reins with the other.

She smiled back at him before facing forward and kicking her horse to catch up with the others. With their ride thundering down the road at a faster pace, Marco grabbed on to Stars waist to keep from falling off. "Thanks, Star," he whispered to her. She leaned back into him some and smiled up at him. "Dont worry about it, Marco. Thanks for coming with me."

He blushed a bit and rubbed the back of his head while he spoke. "You're my girlfriend. Of course I'd come with you." She turned around and kisses his cheek, before facing forward and leaning back again. "Yeah, but you didn't have to. So thank you. For always being there for me."

Marco smiled warmly and wrapped his arms around her. "You know there's no place I'd rather be than right by your side, Star."

To be continued in:

Wherever you go

AUTHORS NOTE

Howdy doo! I actually put out a chapter this time! Surprise! It's Ludo again! And no, no spicy stuff this time around, or at least Im not planning on it. Just dult Starco moments and some interesting goings on, on Vintal! Merry Christmas everyone!!! Enjoy some spiked eggnog for me and leave a review if you like! I'll be going through and replying now that Im off work! Have a good un, and...BUH BYYYEEE!!!

~MR. Ronald Reagan