Forgotten Ventures

by Ronald reagan

If you could go back two years in your life, and you could remember everything, what would you change? When Marco Diaz wakes up in his old bedroom, with memories of events that haven't come to pass, he finds out that some things should stay the same. And that some things will change on their own. Rated M for language, violent scenes, and some spicy stuff.

31. Fighting For Your Heart

"Kids! Come downstairs! Breakfast is ready!" Angie called out. It was an early Wednesday start, but like always, she was prepared for the day and set out to make it a good one. The table was lined with pancakes, a pile of bacon, a stack of toast, some fresh fruit, and her own special blend of orange juice. Not a bad start, for sure.

As Marco and Star raced down the stairs, still dressed in their P.J.'s, their eyes fell upon the stupendous meal set before them. They had plenty of time to kill before they made their way to school, so taking a seat at the table, they began to chow down. Raphael meandered his way into the kitchen and poured himself some coffee, smiling at how lively everyone looked.

"It seems like the kids had a good night sleep," he joked. Angie nodded at her handiwork and gave her husband a kiss on the cheek before preparing to leave for work. "Nah, they're only after the pancakes. Thanks for cleaning up, hun! Sorry, I can't stay too long, love you!" she said before stepping out of the home. Raphael waved at the door before taking a seat next to Star and Marco.

"So, kids. You both seem to be in good spirits, but I am able to read the tension like it is written in the newspaper. What is troubling you?" Marco and Star exchanged glances with a mouthful of breakfast, before letting out a soft sigh through the nose. Marco swallowed and spoke first, trying to keep a smile going. "It's nothing, dad. We just had some unexpected news is all."

Raphael laced his hands together on the table and leaned forward, hoping to get more out of them. "Would you care to share it with me? Perhaps I could be of help?" Marco held up a hand and shook his head, smiling reassuringly at his father. "It's nothing to worry about. Star just had some dreams about saving the kingdom and me dying."

Star nodded and beamed a smile after stuffing her face with more pancakes. "Ish pretty crahzee. But weh can handle et." Raphael didnt look too convinced, and tossed a suspicious gaze at Marco. "That sounds dangerous, mijo. I trust you know to be careful on your...excursions?"

Both of them nodded and continued eating. Marco gulped down some juice and turned to Raphael. "Like I told Star, dad. It was just a dream. Nothing to worry about. And you know me, I'm always careful." On that, he collected his dishes and put them gently into the sink before heading back upstairs to get ready for the day. Once he had left, Raphael turned quickly to Star.

"Mija, you don't believe him, do you?"

Star nearly choked on her juice and coughed before turning to him, trying to convey a look of ease and certainty. "Whaaat? Of course! It was only a dream. There's no way something like that could happen, or that a war destroys Mewni, or that he dies trying to protect me." Her eyes seemed to twitch as she forced a bigger smile across her face. Both of which were noticed by Raphael.

He squinted at the stairs before leaning forward. "Star, when I was a young boy, I too would have dreams that seemed, disturbing. When I would tell my father, he would wave them off as superstition and my own fears." Star seemed to drop her forced smile and leaned closer, feeling the words bit a bit too close to home with Marcos own.

"But mi Abuela, she would always tell me that a dream about your future is a warning. They help you plan and predict what to do, to avoid such a situation. So when I hear of you dreaming such things, I will say the same: Try to change it so that you can avoid such an unhappy future for yourself."

Star stared into space, her eyes wide as she remembered she should continue breathing. Slowly nodding, a smile formed across her face as she turned back to Raphael. "You know what? You're right! If I know about something that's gonna happen, I have a duty to keep it from happening!" Raphael only smiled and nodded to her words, taking another sip of coffee and glancing at his watch. "Goodluck, mija. You should get ready for school though. You would not want to be late!"

Star grimaced at the reminder that she had school today, which would ultimately delay her plans for changing fate. In a flash, she was upstairs with Marco, preparing for the day. Raphael smiled and began reading the newspaper as he mentally patted himself on the back for his help.

Star began the tedious process of combing her hair and selecting an outfit simultaneously. Sifting through both, she surveyed potential options of hairstyle and clothing. But after a few minutes of pondering, she found that her thoughts refused to stay grounded on today's attire. Instead, they ventured to ideas of how to keep Marco from getting hurt, and once again, his words about changing feelings.

She remembered herself saying much the same thing in another timeline, but this time, the true weight of the suggestion seemed to finally dawn on her. Marco had always seemed so sure that they could keep each other safe, and that they would always be there for each other. But the memory of her, standing alone as queen over Mewni, plagued her mind. He could be gone for a number of reasons, but Star could only think of two.

One, he could die in battle trying to protect her, or two, he might find someone else. Of course, her rationality wasn't always the best when it came to wild theories. 'Like that one time the meatball kid came over...' she grimaced. 'Never did find out why he was sizing them though...' But this time she felt confident that her dream was an omen, not a fear. Keeping Marco from sacrificing himself wouldn't be hard. She could just work towards getting stronger, and defeat any evil that showed its face. But keeping Marco from finding someone else, was another 'can of beans,' she remembered, all together.

'He said that his greatest fear was not being good enough, which I can tooootally help with. His other fear was losing me, but c'mon, Star. Ain't no way I'm the one who skips out on 'Macho Man.' she rationalized. It would be easy to help him feel like he deserved her, since he had done nothing but prove himself since they met, but there was one idea that threw a wrench into both her plan, and her feelings. 'What if he leaves because he doesn't feel good enough? Like he should cut ties because he's not worthy?' In truth, she knew he wouldn't leave her because of their chemistry, but in her frantic state of mind, she reasoned that his self-esteem might be the one thing that makes him leave.

'If I can remind him that he totally IS good enough, then that's big fear number one fixed! And by doing that, I can make sure he knows he won't lose me! It's perfect!' she mentally proclaimed. After donning a light blue dress with flared shoulders, her signature leggings, and rhino boots, she smiled in the mirror. But it wavered slightly when she noticed her favorite horns sticking out over the top of her head.

They were a gift from Tom when they first started dating, and she had always loved wearing them. But now that she and Marco were dating, maybe it was time to let her ex-boyfriend's gift go? It wasn't like they were her only headband anyways, right? She slowly took them off and placed them on her nightstand, with a nostalgic, wistful frown across her face. She didn't like how empty the top of her head seemed, but, it was time to let go.

She stepped out of her room and walked downstairs, noticing a spotless kitchen and a sleeping Mr. Diaz on the couch. Smiling to herself at the sight of him buried under snoozing laser puppies, she snuck to the door and waited for Marco. Star hoped that during their walk to school, she could figure out potential ideas to boost his self-confidence, and to reassure him that she totally adores the cute idiot. She could always just take him to vintal and pull a 'princess in distress' routine with him, but that wouldn't do much good since he was already a grown man there. And because that would reaffirm his idea that he needs to protect her. She was, after all, a warrior princess from another dimension, and he knew she could protect herself just fine. Sorta. No, she needed to move forward with her plan on Earth, where it mattered most.

Before she could think any more on the subject, Marco came rushing down the stairs and greeted Star with a smile. He checked his watch to make sure it was actually time to go, then collected their backpacks from the living room. "You ready to go, Star? The bus should be here in a few minutes," he said, again checking his watch. 'Always the prepared one,' she thought.

"I'm ready, but I was thinking. Can we walk today? It's super nice out, and we'll still make it on time," she suggested. Marco looked at her with surprise, but after checking his watch, he nodded. "I'm alright with walking if you are, Star. But we should hurry so we aren't late for being early." 'Always. The prepared one.'

The two stepped outside, making their way down the street along the usual route to school. They usually took the bus, but sometimes, walking was just as gratifying. The morning sun was as bright and warm as always, with a soft breeze blowing through the trees around them. Star took in the wonderful scenery, smiling to herself as she turned to Marco. She was about to start figuring out ways to get her plan going, but he took her by surprise first.

"Hey, Star? It looks like you forgot your horns today," he stated in a near apologetic tone. She smiled to reassure him, keeping her eyes forward. "Nah I didn't forget. I just didn't feel like wearing them is all." Marco seemed confused by that and looked at her in surprise. "But, you always wear them. Do they like, hurt or something?"

Stars smile wilted somewhat as the two walked, but she was determined to keep it up. "Well, no. They hold my hair in place better than a usual headband. But I just don't want to wear them anymore," she answered cheerfully.

"Why not? Arn't they your favorite?"

"Well yeah, but not anymore."

"What happened then?"

"Nothing happened, I just dont want to wear them!"

"But you always wear them. And you like wearing them. So if nothing happened, why leave them?"

"Because we're dating, Marco!"

He stopped, surprised by her for one, confusing answer, but also due to her reaction. In truth, he didn't like prodding, but this was unusual for Star. "What does us dating have to do with you wearing your favorite headband?" She audibly groaned and threw her hands out in front of her. "They were a gift from Tom when he and I first got together. Now that we're dating, I don't want to wear one of my ex's gifts!"

She glared at him for not reading between the lines, but softened her gaze when she realized there's no way he would have known that. "Star..." he began, taking her hand in his while they walked. "Just because an ex gave you something, doesn't mean you can't enjoy it."

She didn't seem to acknowledge that, so he pressed further. "Did I tell you about what happened at Lava Lake Beach?" Stars face lit up into a wildfire blush before giving way to a frown. "Don't remind me. I'd rather not talk about it." Marco laughed before squeezing her hand, bringing her a bit closer. "No, no. Not that. After all of that." She shook her head, so he continued.

"I was sitting on the beach, wallowing in self-pity, when Kelly showed up. Earlier I helped her break up with Tad, who told me I had a crush on you. So when she noticed how upset I was, she took me to a cool spot on the beach to watch the soul rise from a better angle."

Star, now fully invested in this unknown part of the beach trip, listened with devotion. Though, Marco could almost feel her grip getting tighter at the mention of Kellys 'secret spot'. "While we were there, she told me how she and Tad used to go there to see the soul rise every year. I asked if she would stop going, now that she and him had broken up, but she told me that despite her breakup and negative feelings, the soul rise was still one of her favorite things to see on Mewni. That, despite it being something she and Tad once shared, she wanted to still enjoy it. She told me that it doesn't have to be something you link with bad memories, or people no longer in your life, but you can choose to give it new meaning. To make it your own and to enjoy it forever. You know?"

He didnt hear anything from her, so he turned to see if she was still upset. But when his eyes met with hers, he found them full of admiration, and realization. Her mouth was caught in a small 'o' shape, as she let his words pour over her. "Star? You okay?" he asked, getting a worried look. She blinked twice and nodded slowly, a large toothy grin spreading between her hearts. "Yeah, yeah, totally totally totally. Thank you, Marco," she breathed.

Without another word, she held her wand above her head and poofed her signature cherry red horns atop her head, still smiling wide. He returned the smile and faced the road before them, pulling her closer. Don't worry about it, Star. You look cute with them."

O - O - O - O - O - O

At lunch, the school found itself in a state of delirious hunger only satisfied by food, which would bring about a coma-like stupor for the remainder of the day. Usually, students try to fit all of their needs into one hour, however, so many of them group up and discuss events thus far. As was the case with Marco and Star.

The two sat with Janna and Jackie, theorizing that if a math test were actually happening today, it would spell disaster for the entire class. Fergusson and Alphonso were currently in Miss Skullnicks class, so their espionage would be invaluable, if not for the fact that the four had her class next as well.

"I don't get it!" Star cried aloud. "Why have a math test right after lunch! That's like trying to run a mile after tying weights to your legs!"

"Well, we have had a math test coming for a while," Marco said with a shrug. "It's best to rip that bandaid off now, rather than later."

Janna and Star groaned at his clearly delusional optimism, but Jackie found herself agreeing with it. "Yeah, I'd rather take the test now, instead of like, on Friday or something." Marco smiled and fist-bumped her, seeing as they were clearly the most prepared for the test. "Thank you, Jackie. At least someones not afraid of a little testing."

Janna frowned at him, narrowing her eyes as though he had just insulted her. "Jeez, Diaz. Why don't you marry her? Some of us have better things to do than study math." Stars eye nearly visibly twitched at her prior statement, as she looked between the two nervously. "Haha, yeeaah, I mean, I'm not afraid of a little test or anything! Just gonna be tired is all."

Marco gave her a look of suspicious confusion and made to refute her statement, but was quickly silenced by an under the table kick. Jackie looked at Star who wore a very forced smile, but shrugged it off. "Sooo, what are you guys doing after school? I don't have surf practice today, if you wanna hang out?"

Again, Stars eye twitched at the suggestion, but she found herself with no excuse for the afternoon. Marco however, smiled at the prospect and turned to Jackie. "We're not really doing anything after school, if you want to come over."

"Oh, dangit Marco, we have Relationship Thursday today! So I don't think we can-"

"Star, it's Wednesday."

Her words caught in her mouth like cotton as she fumbled for any excuse, any at all, to get out of hanging out with Jackie. It wasn't like she didnt like her, it was just that given everything going on right now, Star wanted to spend the afternoon with him alone to find a plan to help him.

"Cool!" Jackie exclaimed, almost too enthusiastically in Stars opinion. "I'll swing by after school and we can all hang out! You coming, Janna?" All eyes turned to the brunette with a beanie, finding her surprisingly sweaty, and eyes wide over a frown. "I, uh...can't. I have...well...a derwifergzn."

Everyone looked at her, confused, as Star tried to decipher what she said. "You have what?" Janna sunk slowly into her chair, willing herself to disappear. "I...have a...dertwithfergzen."

Marcos' eyes lit up mischievously, remembering the years of teasing he had received from Janna, and intending fully to earn his dues. "Sorry, Janna. What was that? You said you have a date? Well, whoever could it be with?" She blushed profusely as she glared Marco down with daggers. "I have a date...with...fergzn."

"I'm sorry, I dont think I heard you. Once more please?"

"Date. With...Fergusson."

Star and Jackie's eyes lit up as they began squealing over the progression of Janna's love life. Star hugged her so hard, the air hissed out of her lungs. "Oh my gosh, Janna! You have a date! And with Fergusson! That's so awesome!" Jackie smiled and patted her witchy friend on the back, reassuring her that this was truly amazing news. "See, there's someone for everyone, Janna. Now I just need to find me a date, and we can all go to the movies or something."

She unintentionally glanced at Marco, who was still lost in laughter at Janna's embarrassment. Quickly looking back at her lunch, she subconsciously blushed to herself. Star, however, took full notice of it all, given her newfound interest in keeping an eye on Jackie.

"Well, there's always that kid from skate camp," Marco suggested. Jackie shook her head and chuckled at that. "Nah, he's long gone. Crush? Yes. Dating option? No way. I gotta find someone closer to home." Again, she subconsciously blushed while holding her gaze at Marco, before quickly turning her attention to Janna. To which Star, again noticed.

If she didn't know any better, she would say that Jackie was spending an awful lot of time looking at her man. Star made to say something, but Marco stood up. "Well, we have five minutes left of lunch, so I'll see you all in class. I'm going to go to the bathroom."

After his departure, Jackie stood up and emptied her lunch tray into a nearby trash can. "I'm gonna head out too. I need to get my stuff from my locker." She left, heading in the opposite direction, as Janna quickly leaned towards Star. "Spill it," she grumbled.

"Whaaaa?" was all Star could manage.

"Spill it. I didn't sit through that just to not get the details. Somethings up with you and Marco. You never look that nervous around him."

Star was at a loss for words, which only further fueled Janna's intent at receiving the beans that needed spilling. After Star found her words, she spoke just above a whisper, glancing around to ensure no one was listening. "Well, I had a crazy dream that, well. That when I'm queen, Marco isn't with me. Either because he died, or because he...left."

Janna quickly digested this and waved her hand, prompting Star to continue. "So, I figure I can fix the 'him dying' part pretty easily. But you heard what he said about fears. I feel like he might leave because he feels like he isn't good enough for me." Janna rolled her eyes and leaned closer, keeping a firm gaze on Star.

"Or maybe he skips out for Jackie? Dudes been pining after her for like, his whole life. And I know you saw her blushing at him, Star." She sat back down in her seat as Stars pupils seemed to dilate to pins. She stared abhoridly across the lunchroom before taking a deep breath. "But, he wouldn't just chase after her, would he? I mean, we're together now."

"I don't know, dude. They're getting pretty chummy if you ask me. Plus, you heard what he said about 'changing your mind and your feelings'."

"But he wouldn't do that!" Star began, raising her voice. "He tried it with her in the other timeline and he told me he didn't want to go through that again." Janna smiled mischievously and shrugged, pocketing that information for later. "He dated her once, Butterbutt. What's stopping him now?"

Star stood up abruptly and glared daggers at Janna. "Me."

O - O - O - O - O - O

The rest of the school day had been largely uneventful for Marco. The math test that came expectedly was a breeze, as were his other classes. He was a studious, well, student. And his grades never faltered just because of his afternoon food coma. The only odd thing about the afternoon was Star.

For the remainder of the day after lunch, she had been extremely quiet. Distant, even. She would stare off into space, rap her nails against the desk deep in thought, and even more horrifying, actually do her classwork. The only time she seemed to brighten up was when the final bell rang, signaling the end of another school day. As the two made their way outside, her demeanor only continued to brighten up, and she actually began skipping down the sidewalk alongside him.

He held the straps of his backpack and tossed her a curious glance. "Star, are you okay?" He asked, being rather careful to not sour her mood. "Never better, Macho Man," was her only response. He frowned at that, clearly unsure as to why she used their, spicy times, pet name. She usually reserved it for flirtatious moments, or when she wanted to tease him, so it seemed largely out of place.

"Are you sure? You've been kinda distant today," he stated warmly. She continued to skip along, humming a tune as she replied shortly. "Yup. Right as rain." He looked forward again and did his best to keep pace with her. "Alright. So, what do you want to do when we get home?" She stopped skipping and gingerly held his hand, leaning close to him and resting her head on his shoulder.

"I have some ideas for when we hang out with Jackie. It'll be fun!" He frowned at that, not having actually remembered that the three made plans to spend the afternoon doing something. And also due in part to her uncharacteristically short responses. And ALSO due to the sudden closeness she was conveying.

"Star? You know if you want to talk-"

"I'm good. I just like being close to you."

"Well, what do you have planned-"

"Dont worry! It's a surprise."

His frown continued to deepen with each exchange, but he held his tongue. He was used to her strange behavior when she had something on her mind. And he knew she'd eventually tell him. "Alright, Star," he began. "As long as you're okay." He held her hand but still wanted to show her how over the top she was being. So without another word, he stopped and turned to face her.

"Hey, Stardust," he began, using his 19-year-old voice that never failed to rile her up. "Don't ever forget how much I love you." She held his gaze and seemed momentarily distracted by his words, so he cupped her face and leaned closer, their lips barely touching. She closed her eyes and waited, feeling his breath meld with hers as she could almost feel their lips touching.

Lifting her face up only slightly, he pressed his lips to hers, sealing the moment in a kiss. She breathed a sigh of contented pleasure, which he responded in kind, as they melted into one another. Fears, worries, expectations, all were gone for this one particular moment in time as they found nothing else in the world mattered except for them. It seemed to go on for hours before he pulled away slowly, smiling warmly at her adoring blue eyes. Sure that he had gotten to her, he pressed his forehead against hers and spoke in a whisper. "Never forget."

"Don't worry! I won't!" She replied in a cheery voice that threw him off guard. Not wanting to frown, he nodded with unease and the two continued to make their way home, both drowning in a feeling of unspoken anticipation.

Star stepped inside first, rocketing upstairs like a tornado, claiming she had to "set up some stuff real quick." Marco pursed his lips and closed the door behind him, taking out his phone and going through his messages.

Marco: Hey, we r home if u want 2 come over.

Jackie: Sounds good, dude. Gimme ten min.

Marco: Roger Dodger. Btw, Star is acting weird, sry in advnce.

Jackie: Dont worry about it. Started at Lnch, maybe a bad sandwhich? Also, 'Roger Dodger'? XD

Marco: Maybe, hope she gets btr. And ys, Ppl stll say tht!

Jackie: uh huh. Sure they do, Diaz. Be there soon!

He slipped his phone back into his pocket and sat in the couch, taking a deep breath. Maybe it was just some bad lunch. Star really didn't start acting weird until math class. It probably wasn't something he needed to be super worried about. Besides, if she did have something on her mind, she would have told him by now.

Despite how irrational she could be when she had something serious on her mind, he knew that she would always eventually open up about it. That, or she'd continue to act irrationally and destroy something. But lately, its been the former, rather than the latter. After their years on Vintal, it was kind of an unspoken agreement to be more open with each other, and to trust one another. Marco had made it a point to seek her out first whenever he had an issue, so why was it so hard for her to do the same this time?

Before he could think further one it, there was a soft knock on the door, followed by a loud, ordering female voice. "Diaz and Butterfly! I know you're in there!" Marco could feel his hands clamming up, and his nerves kicking in. Someone was here for them, and they didn't sound friendly. "Open up! You can't hide your nachos forever!"

Oh god! Whoever this Mystery Woman was, she wasn't messing around! And she wanted his nachos! She had found their home and was willing to take his- 'Wait...what?' he thought to himself. He straightened out and opened the door, completely surprised to see Jackie pointing a finger gun at him. "Jackie? What the-" "Dude," she laughed, given his pale expression and his clearly mortified air. "You literally just texted me saying I should come over. Who else were you expecting, Marco?"

He sighed, relieved, before ushering her inside and closing the door. "Well, nobody, I guess. I just didn't expect the mercenary routine! Star and I spent five years working as mercenaries, you know!" Jackie looked at him, taken aback by that new bit of information. "I uh, didn't 'know' actually. How did you spend five years with Star as a mercenary if she just got here like last fall?"

Marco, now aware that he never actually told his friends about his adventures to Vintal, or many of the late occurrences for that matter, began to fumble for an explanation. "So, long story, Star and I went to another dimension to take a break from life and we worked as mercenaries, beat a god-king, saved the world, and ended a war."

His explanation didnt seem to set too well with Jackie, who was now even more confused, so he tried to form another explanation. "Okay so, REEEAAALLLYYY long story, but in another dimension, time moves super quick, so five years over there was like three minutes here, and when you come back, you revert to your age in this dimension. After time travel, and a sixteen-year journey for dimensional scissors, I'm actually like super old now."

He expected Jackie to be surprised by most of this, especially the last part, but she nodded like it was common knowledge. "And yet you still look adorable. You have to share your secret, Marco." He blushed, fully dissecting her reaction, and made to comment on it, but a loud shout echoed through the room.

"JACKIE LYNN THOMAS!" Star shouted from the stairway through her wand/megaphone. "I CHALLENGE YOU!"

Both Marco and Jackie stood in silence for a moment before Marco finally shook off the confusion, and the buzzing in his ears. "You...what?" She seemed to ignore his question and continued to shout through the megaphone. "IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF MEWMAN LOVE TRIALS, YOU ARE HEREBY GIVEN THE CHOICE TO OPT OUT, AND NEVER TALK TO MARCO AGAIN, OR TO ACCEPT MY CHALLENGE, WITH THE OPPORTUNITY OF MAINTAINING A PLATONIC FRIENDSHIP SHOULD YOU LOSE, OR ESCALATING INTO A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP SHOULD YOU WIN! WHAT SAY YOU?!"

Again the room fell into a soft echoed silence that hurt almost as much as the noise. Jackie stepped forward, looking beyond confused at the proposal. "I...Star what are you-" "YOU HAVE BEEN-" Marco crossed his arms and raised his voice. "Star! lose the megaphone! It's hurting my ears!"

"Sorry, Marco. Jackie, you have been challenged in accordance with the rules of my people to settle love quarrels! What say you?" Marco made to protest, but his jaw nearly dislocated upon hearing Jackies answer. "I accept."

"What? No, you dont!"

"Yes, I do."

"She accepted, Marco. No choice but to begin... The Tournament of Loooove."

"Uhm, we have plenty of choices! As in, we're not doing one of your crazy Mewman rituals! What are you even doing?"

Star jumped over the railing, landing hard in the living room beside the two, speaking in an apprehensive tone with crossed arms. "I'm challenging Jackie to settle her feelings for you. Janna told me that the reason you're not in the queen picture could be that you leave me. And that it could also be because you don't feel good enough to be with me. So, since you...saw other people, in the other timeline, I'm settling both issues here and now."

"Janna told you that," Marco asked, deadpan at his girlfriend. His eyes showing a new level of annoyance that even Star hadn't seen before. "And you listened? Star are you cra-" He wanted to continue, but Jackie cut in.

"It's fine Marco. Obviously, Star feels like I need to prove that I can be your friend instead of some lovesick teenager, and if it helps you feel better, I'm in."

"No, you're not! For one, there's no reason for you to prove yourself to me. Two, Star, I'm not leaving you. Ever. Forget the queen picture. And three, I THINK I HAVE A SAY IN THIS!"

Star produced her wand once more, letting it hum with power as she prepared a multitude of spells she had just gotten from Glassaryk. "Sorry, Marco. But we don't care, I'm making sure you don't, and no. According to the laws, you actually don't."

"Well, we have things called Earth laws here and-" He never got to finish. In a flash of blues, pinks, and greens, all three of them were transported outside, standing on a circular stage edged with hearts and barbed wire. In the middle was a small pink podium with a strange sight, amongst the others. There was a small attendant at its center holding a scroll, looking particularly unprepared for his sudden movement, and sporting a pink Renaissance suit. "Ahm, uh, h-hello?"

Star marched up to him and took a quill pen before signing her name at the bottom of the scroll. "My names Star Butterfly, this is Jackie Lynn Thomas. We will be competing today, so explain the rules." As Jackie stepped forward to sign her name at the bottom of what she could only imagine was a waiver, the small attendant began nervously explaining.

"Ah, W-well, y-yes. My n-name is J-J-Julius. Each c-contestant may choose t-three...challenges, to compete against the other with. Attire w-will b-be provided, and s-safety is g-g-guaranteed. In the end, t-to t-the victor goes t-the spoils: Marco. A-any questions?"

Marco held up his hand, but the attendant clearly wasn't interested in the prizes concerns or issues. He was here to proctor the challenges, and nothing more. 'Fine then,' Marco mused. 'When this is over, Star is so dead.'

At Jackies signing, the attendant seemed to perk up, shaking off his initial unease as he trotted over to the edge. From the stage, another two podiums with sheets of paper appeared, rising from the pink metal. "Alright, ladies? Please fill out your respective challenges you would like to take part in. This will be a six stage contest, with the winner of the most challenges earning Marco Diaz. If there is a tie, you will have to assume the contest null, and decide amongst yourselves." 'Fat, damn, chance.' Marco growled internally. The sooner this was over, the sooner he could kill them both for agreeing to this.

Star and Jackie walked up to the podiums and began filling out challenges equal to their tastes. They agreed amongst themselves to not include specific hobbies the other might not be good at, such as warnicorn riding, skateboarding, spellcasting, and snowboarding, since the contest would likely just result in a tie.

"Thank you for your submissions. Please take your places at the far end of the stage, and await further instruction. Mr. Diaz, please come with me."

"Don't you need to prepare the challenges? Or at least read the submissions?" Marco asked. Julius simply shook his head and opened the door to a small, floating platform edged with heart railings. Marco begrudgingly stepped aboard, and Julius closed the door, leaving him alone on it. "Now, Mr. Diaz. This platform will allow you to view the contestant's challenges, should you have any misgivings about it." Marco made to protest, but Julius held up a hand and gave him an apologetic look.

"Misgivings unrelated to your standing against, said challenges. If that is all, please enjoy."

"I won't."

"That's a shame. Most people do. Have a safe flight, sir"

With that, the platform hovered into the air and floated thirty feet above the ground, maintaining a slow circular flying pattern around the stage. Julius stepped back on stage and gestured to both contestants. "If you are ready, my ladies. The first challenge will be akin to a gauntlet, per Miss Star Butterflies request. There will be no magic in these challenges, and there will be no cheating, akin to shoving, sabotage, or potion casting. The first one to make it through successfully, shall have the honor of being crowned the victor of this stage, and will gain the first point of the contest. However, I should mention-"

Star butted in, silencing the small man. "Yeah, yeah, safety and junk, get to the end first, we got it, so let's go." Julius gave out an undignified sigh before clapping twice. At his command, a pair of massive steel hallways rose from the grass and led out into the street. There, the two hallways rose into the air about thirty feet, leading to the actual trial.

"One for the heart, and two for the soul. Three to get ready, and four to GO!" Julius commanded. At this, both girls rocketed from the stage and sprinted down the hallway, tearing around the corner at incredible speed. As Julius hovered into the air, following them, Marcos' platform kept pace as well.

Star reached the ramp just before Jackie, as the two hallways met and merged into one open platform that rose up. She thundered higher on the steel ramp and at its top, she was taken back by the floating platform covered in crisscrossing steel beams adorned with spikes. Jackie's reaction was much the same, but both contestants pressed on; ducking under support beams, dodging a flurry of fire that erupted from the floor, and weaving their way around the spikes.

Star, for the most part, maintained a lead, but Jackie wasn't about to go down easy. Star climbed over a steel girder and nearly slipped back into a fire fountain, as Jackie effortlessly somersaulted over, landing cooly on her feet.

"How did you-"

"Acrobatics when I was ten! It helps sometimes when I wanna do a cool skateboarding trick!" Jackie answered, keeping a steady pace forward through the gauntlet. Star managed to wiggle out after her, as they approached the next phase.

A long, meter wide platform stretched out about thirty yards. It looked pretty straightforward in Jackie's opinion, but as always, with Star, you couldn't just expect normal. Julius hovered along the edge of the path, keeping pace between them both as he made his announcement. "Both contestants have made it to the crushing catwalk! Jackie Lynn is leading the charge, with Star Butterfly gaining fast!"

Marco, for his own credit, was being relatively calm. If you'd call nearly jumping off of the platform calm. Which, for him, it was pretty damn calm. His overwhelming and seething anger had been all but replaced when he noticed just how insane these challenges really were. This wasn't some cheesy game show he and his dad used to watch about falling down on foam over water. This was life or death.

But again, to his own credit, Marco was actually, calming down. Jackie clearly had at least some necessary skill to avoid the death traps, and Star was, well, Star. If they could make it through the gauntlet, then he would certainly have time to 'voice his concerns' with them.

Jackie slid under a large, fist-shaped block of stone that had just come careening down over her head. It banged again and again against the steel and showed no signs of slowing down. Looking back on it, she wasnt completely sure she would make it, but that didnt matter. She was past it and had at least several more to go. Star, on the other hand, was actually fairing very well against the stone pillars.

As each of them came crashing down, she expertly weaved around and through them with no sign of struggle. It really was neck and neck and this point. After each of them had dodged at least six more pillars, they broke out onto two separate running platforms that seemed to curve around the street corner. Marco watched as they rounded it, and seemed to be yelling something over the sound of grinding metal, but neither of them could hear him.

Star rounded the corner first and saw that this might actually be a bit too much. In front of her was a web of platforms, crawl spaces, tightropes, obstacles, and all sorts of traps. Fire, chains, and blades seemed to whip and protrude from every crevice available, as the end was in sight. The mass of tangled anarchy seemed to lead upwards even higher, to a lone platform above it all with a gong.

Wasting no time, both girls dove out onto separate platforms, calling out to one another about clear dangers left and right. Star vaulted over a spinning beam and used the forward momentum to catch a ladder hanging between two walls of fire. Jackie sprinted up a wall that curved exponentially, just barely catching the lip and pulling herself up to avoid the approaching hail of knives that protruded from the curve.

"Hey, Jackie!" Star called out. "I hope there are no hard feelings after I win! I'm sure you and Marco will be great friends!" Jackie laughed out loud as she pulled herself up a rope that was slowly burning from the bottom. "No worries, Star! I also hope there's no hard feelings when I win! You can keep him, but it's probably gonna suck to lose in front of your boyfriend!"

Star bit back a curse as she jumped onto a spinning disk, with swords swinging wildly from the edges, careful to avoid them at every rotation. "Well, of course I would keep him! It's not like he wants to be with you!" Star held a grimace as she jumped from the disk on the next platform, looking around madly for any advancement. That insult was a bit mean for her tastes but it was true. If Marco was going to be with anyone after this, it was Star. And she'd go through hell if she put Jackie through all of this in front of him, only to end with nothing to show for it.

Star heard no response from the skater girl, so as she carefully maneuvered her way up a rock face, she called out once more. All the while, avoiding the knives and fire that would unexpectedly jut from random grab points. "Sorry, Jackie! That was mean! But I really do hope you're not mad-"

GONG

"When I...win?" Star looked up the rock face towards the platform, only to see an unamused expression peaking down at her next to the gong. A warm sensation washed over Star as she was carried up to the finish marker, and deposited unceremoniously next to Jackie. "How..how did you-"

"Cross country, acrobatics, swim team, and oh yeah, rock climbing. Maybe you should join a club too, Star," She ended distastefully, with a hint of annoyance to her voice. "I hear guys are into that." Before Star could register a response to whatever that just was, Julius made himself present between them, gesturing down at the houses around him.

"Miss Jackie Lynn has earned the first point, and is now ahead of Star," he announced in a tired voice. As Marcos platform slowly approached, the three became acutely aware of the unexpected silence coming from him. His eyes were wide, and he was completely speechless as he tried to form words. "Jackie, that was amazing! Holy cow you were like a ninja warrior out there! That was so cool!"

She smiled at that and gave him a thumbs up before brushing the soot from her shoulder, and pulling a small blade from her hair. "It was nothing, Diaz. Just putting your skills to use when you need them, you know?"

"Yeah, I hear that. Same goes with me and karate when I'm fighting monsters," he answered. At this, Star nearly pushed her way forward and beamed him a smile. "And how did I do, Marco? Like what you see?" She bit her lip excitedly, but any trace of it died down immediately when Marco shook his head. In truth, he absolutely did. Star was a force to be reckoned with on her own terms, but here, she was a whirlwind of unstoppable focus. A true trade for her usual ditsy and distracted attitude.

Obviously, he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of hearing him say that, however. He was still mad at her, and some payback was just a bit overdue. "Nah, you still have a lot of work to do, babe. Maybe keep an eye on Jackie next round to learn something?" He asked, nearly giving away his intention. "I know I will."

Star stammered to think of something to say to that, but again, Julius butted in and proclaimed the next phase of the tournament. "A cook-off, per Jackie's request. Each contestant will make a meal, to which Mr. Diaz and I will be the judges. The quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach ladies, so no time to waste!" He clapped twice and the world popped into darkness. No one could see or feel anything around them, besides the rush of blood in their ears. But just as quickly as the nightmarish scenario showed, it was gone.

Lights came up as Star and Jackie found themselves in what looked to be a cookoff show studio. Jackie had apparently donned a seafoam green chefs uniform, whereas Stars was bright salmon. Marco and Julius had taken a pair of seats behind a large judging table, and had both donned blue suits. "Now ladies, the rules are simple. Cook. Whatever you want. You may only use ingredients in the studio, and you may not sabotage your opponent's dish. Are you ready?"

"Wait, can't they at least get familiar with the kitchen first?"

"How do I put this nicely? No. BEGIN!"

Both Star and Jackie began rushing around the kitchen, frantically sifting through ingredients for ideas, and finding what tools they needed. As the commotion went down, and some more insults began flying, Marco leaned over to Julius and spoke in a hushed tone.

"So, is this really how they do this on Mewni? Because frankly, I've got some thoughts,' he whispered, letting it slowly turn into a growl. Julius shrugged and watched the two contestants closely, making sure no cheating took place, but answered nonetheless. " It's usually more heated than this. And I find that typically, the man in question does a lot more cheering than you."

Marco thought about that for a moment before a light blush adorned his face, barely masking a scowl. "What, you think I'd enjoy this?!" he seethed. "What the hell? I'm literally being ignored by them and the whole thing is ridiculous!"

Julius sighed as he held his head up, clearly bored by the abysmal display of cooking that went on. "Most men do enjoy it. Think of it like this: Two stunning women fighting over you, cooking your food, and getting to bed one of them at the end? Unless that's not your...swing, pardon me... most men don't care about their opinion being recognized."

Again, Marco blushed and turned a steely look at the judge beside him. "Bed one of them at the end?? Dude, I'm like fifteen! What the hell? I don't see either of them as objects you know!" Julius shrugged once more and stood up.

"Fifteen minutes!" He announced, turning back to Marco. "Yes. Bed the victor. It's not exactly a solely Mewman concept to explore at your age. After Mewberty it's all downhill from there, young man. And good for you. You'll make an excellent partner for the victor."

Having nothing much to say to that, Marco groaned through a blush and slumped into his chair. The prospect of bedding was inviting, especially if someone used to these things considered it normal, but there were far more pressing things to focus on. Like how he was being ignored, how they seemed to put their own ideas above his, and how he was being treated like some asshole who wasn't concerned about them at all.

He was against it at the beginning, and he was still against it now. Having to sit back and idly watch while they hurled insults and scrambled to win his 'favor'. It was annoying, at the very least. "Ten minutes!" Julius shouted. 'When this is over, I'm soo getting them back.' Marco seethed to himself.

"You know, I actually see a bit of an impasse here."

"And what, pray tell, might that be?" Marco grumbled. Julius rolled his eyes and gestured to the two contestants. "We have two dishes, and two judges. If we disagree, that leaves a tie in the air, and we can't have that." Marco sighed and looked at his mini counterpart with mock sarcasm written all over his face. "Totally! Yeah, we wouldn't want to ruin their special day! Who we gonna get?"

Julius, completely oblivious to the sarcasm, continue with his suggestion. "I'm thinking, someone close to both of them, so as not to include bias, and someone on a rather poor standing with you, so as to keep things interesting. What do you say?" Marco gave a thumbs up and pressed his face to the table. He was so, done, with all of this. And it was only challenge two.

SROOP*

"Oh hey, what's up, Diaz?" A woman said in a cheery tone. "What do they sell tickets to anyone these days? Hard to believe they let you in."

Marcos' eyes widened as he lifted his head, turning to face the new judge on the other side of Julius. "JANNA?!" he exclaimed, not bothering to keep his voice down. "What the heck are you doing here?" he seethed. "What? I can't help out mah bestest bud? I know you're a good cook and all, but it's a bit unfair."

"This whole thing is your fault!" he whispered loudly. "What did you say to Star to make her do this crazy thing?" Janna only shrugged and sat back to enjoy the show. "Just something to spice things up. Don't worry, you can thank me later."

Marco grit his teeth and fought back his nerves to scream at her. Despite being here against his will, he at least wanted to be a good judge. "Why would you do that? You know how Star gets when she's upset!" Again, Janna shrugged it off. "Seems like you two need it. By the way, my date with Fergusson is in an hour, so we should hurry up the judging process."

At that, Julius actually smiled and pointed to his female constituent. "See, Mr. Diaz, she gets it. Sit back and enjoy yourself. There's no getting out of it, so at least make the best of it." Marco suddenly became aware that his fists were balled, and let an exasperated sigh if defeat escape his lips. "I'm going, to kill her."

"Of course, my boy. But only after you bed her. After all, it takes quite a lot of effort to win these things. Might as well have fun with that while you can. And speaking of: Times up! Bring your dishes to the table, and we will decide a victor!"

Star and Jackie approached the table, barely registering that Janna was present through all of this. Star was caked in flour, and Jackie was covered in what Marco could assume was some kind of sauce. The two kept their distance from one another, clearly having thrown a multitude of insults, as they approached. Stars eyes lit up upon noticing Janna, and Jackie reacted much the same.

"Janna? What are you doing here?" they asked, practically in unison. "Oh, ya know. Judging you two, so not much out of the ordinary. How's junk?"

"Great," Jackie muttered.

"Having a ball," Star spat. The two refused to look at each other, though it was clear they were both the cause of their own issues.

"Excellent, you two. Now, Jackie, since it's your challenge, please go first," Julius instructed. Jackie nodded and brightened up, dishing out what looked like seared tuna topped in more of the...sauce. She explained how it was made using chili peppers and mustard as a base, followed by some coriander and salt for flavor. The three judges each took a bite and spoke amongst themselves about the flavor, presentation, and overall creativity.

"Not bad," Marco mused. He still intended to mess with Star at this point but he really couldn't say much else. It was delicious, and the other two judges agreed.

Next, Star approached, clearly uneasy about the whole thing, and set down her plate. Marco was considerably shocked upon the reveal, however, as it was loaded with a pile of his signature nachos. "I uh...took your training to heart, if that means anything. I hope you like it," she whispered, particularly to Marco.

He pursed his lips and squinted at her, clearly not amused by the flattery or the blasphemous idea that she could just- "Holy cow, Marco! You gotta try these!" Janna shouted. She had already stuffed four in her face as Julius and Marco both shared an uneasy glance of low expectations. Julius took the first bite and immediately lit up, mirroring Janna in his ferocity. "My boy, these are astounding! I wish I was mortal so I could eat them every day!"

"Can't you?"

"No, I only exist when summoned. Cruel bit of fate. Especially when your girlfriend is growling at me to hurry up and get started. Never seen that before."

Marco took a nacho and analyzed it, keeping a keen eye for the minor details before tasting. It was a bit unfair, given how much more effort went into inspecting Stars nachos over Jackie's dish, that he was treating Stars with more grandeur. But these were his pride and joy. Every detail had to be right.

"Hm, cheese ratio is spot on, salt on the chips is a bit generous but passable, crisp factor?... Not that bad actually. The melt temperature was handled meticulously...spread is also on point? Spices seem well mixed, and..."

He took a careful bite and made sure to asses every facet of the flavor of the chip. It was warm, and the cheese was...almost exactly like his own. How? How had she mirrored every detail so meticulously? It wasnt even possible! "Woah..." was all he could manage. He wasn't able to try another, as the other two heathens had already gobbled them up, but he was sold.

Julius patted his belly and sat back, folding his hands on the table. "Excellent meals, ladies. You both show skill in the kitchen and are clearly more than capable. However, only one can win, so...Marco, care to start us off?"

Marco glanced around nervously, not wanting to be put on the spot, but if Janna was right about one thing, it would be nice to get this over with. "Jackie, excellent tuna. I'm not a huge fan or it normally, but the zest and spice played well together over hearty meat that can't be beaten. I especially liked the use of chile mustard as a searing base. Very creative."

He next turned to Star, folding his hands much like Julius. "Star. Your dish was something else entirely."

She wilted at his words, which he absolutely relished in. Payback was good, if taken in stride, but he also wanted to build her up a bit, if only a little. "You somehow recreated my Nachos perfectly. I don't even know how. Frankly, I'm amazed. Every variable, every factor of the nachos, was on par with my own. I have no idea why you have flour on your uniform, but you look adorable in it. I've decided to vote, for your dish."

With each passing word, her wilted demeanor shifted considerably towards one of pride, joy, and adoration towards her boyfriend. She clasped her hands to her mouth and nodded, barely letting out a squeak. Marco nodded and turned to Julius, ready for the next vote.

"Excellent. Star wins this round, and we are now tied. Thank you for your help, Janna. Enjoy your date, and please don't have a reason to summon me."

With that, Janna held up a peace sign and popped out of existence. All parties concerned seemed too shocked to speak. But Julius was well aware, and explained in earnest. "You see, Mr. Diaz, as a couple, you are expected to wow one another with culinary delights every now and again. It helps your partners mood, creates intimacy when done together, and frankly, in my personal opinion, it shows how much you care. I have no business judging what or how well someone cooks for you, so your vote is the only one that matters."

Marco tried to find words but one thought seemed to present itself above all others: "Then why the heck was Janna here?!" Julius shrugged and looked around. "Despite the fun drama at these things, I get bored. She was fun. There's no need to be rude. Now, shall we continue?"

Marco looked apologetically at Jackie, but found an understanding smile adorning her freckled face. She gave him a curt nod and stepped back, looking around the kitchen as if she was trying not to be noticed. "I...guess so?" Marco mumbled.

"Excellent. The next challenge, per Star Butterflies request, is a fight," Julius announced. The entire room shifted entirely, leaving the brightly lit studio, in favor of a nice backdrop at the park. There were standing in the middle of the Echo Creek Mud Pits, and it seemed to be a relatively vacant time of the day. Marco once again found himself floating on his platform and sighed indignantly, as Julius floated beside Jackie and Star. One of which, who looked extremely appalled.

Both girls were wearing nothing but skimpy bikinis, standing in a pool of mud up to their calves. They each brandished their own set of boxing gloves, colored to match their uniforms in the last challenge, with the bikinis doing much the same. Star seemed unphased by the sudden change and took a fighting stance, whereas Jackie seemed more than mortified by the situation.

"No!" She and Marco yelled in unison. Star and Julius shared a confused look, before turning to face Jackie.

"No? No as in you don't want to compete in this challenge?" Julius asked nervously. Jackie frowned at both him and Star, eying them with shock and anger. "Do I really need to explain why I dont want to 'mud wrestle' in my underwear in public? No, I don't want to compete in this one." Star frowned at that, looking Jackie up and down. "But your swimsuit looks so cute, Jackie. And I love this shade of pink. Are you sure you don't want to fight?"

Stars voice notably took on an edge of mocking disbelief as she continued. "You know, Marco loves fighting, and its a big part of his life. We fight all the time together."

"Very well, Miss Jackie Lynn. The point goes to Star. Mr. Diaz? Do you agree?"

All parties concerned turned to face Marco, who was doing his best to hide his embarrassment. He had tossed a few less than subtle glances at Jackie, but he was completely unprepared to see Star in something so revealing. His cheeks were flushed and he could only do his best to keep his gaze from wandering. Despite the words that still hung in the air, however, both contestants seemed flattered by the display that didnt leave much to the imagination. Much like the attire they were sporting.

"I-I uh...Y-yes. I agree. Next challenge, please. Now. Hurry up!"

Julius sighed and rolled his eyes as he clapped. The uniforms and contest space suddenly turning back to their normal appearance. "You know, you take this gentleman routine a bit too far, Mr. Diaz. Most prizes would be thrilled at this event. But I digress, it isn't for everyone. My apologies for the attire, ladies, let's continue."

He clapped once more, as the space around them shifted again into a haze. Their senses yet again stripped away, everyone waited patiently for the venue to appear.

When the haze lifted, Jackie and Star found themselves standing before a long field, accented by rounded slabs of wood at the end. Looking around, they noticed bows to their left, and arrows to their right. the bows seemed largely ordinary, with the arrows being feathered to match the new archers uniform colors they were sporting.

Star turned to Jackie, gripping her bow and smiling casually. "Jackie, you picked archery? You know I've trained for like, years with the Knights of Mewni, right? Are you trying to tip the competition for me?" Marco grumbled something about Mewman knights being incompetent, but Jackie just smiled and flipped the bow into her left hand. "Funny, Star. I've also practiced archery a lot when I was a kid. Let's see how many arrows you can split."

Julius floated between the two and gestured down range. "Alright, ladies, there's some cupid metaphor I could use right now but it's beneath me. You get five arrows each. most shots in the red circle wins, and if you tie, then you keep firing until someone misses. Sound good?"

The two contestants nodded and took up a ready position as Marco was deposited rather ungracefully next to them. "Star, can you stop the contest already? This is stupid. What does this even have to do with-"

THWACK

He turned and looked at the beam behind him, seeing a pink feathered arrow sticking out beside his head. Directing his gaze to the shooter, he glared at Star in shock. "What the heck was-"

"Not right now, Marco. I have a contest to win, and I'm not letting the queen picture happen. Just go sit in the sidelines for now and watch me work." Marco looked at Jackie, who only gave him a shrug. "Sorry dude, I'm in it to win too, even if Star still keeps you at the end."

Marco frowned at them both and shook his head taking a seat near the back of the pavilion they were in. "Fine," he growled, crossing his arms. Julius smiled curtly at the two and gestured at the targets. "You may begin, ladies. Please try not to damage my bows, however. They were a gift."

The two nodded and took aim, each holding their breath and steadily releasing it as their shots lined up. Star released her arrow first, and after it sailed gracefully through the air, it hit the edge of the red mark, barely. She let a groan escape her lips as Jackie's arrow sailed elegantly toward the target, hitting a bullseye with a satisfying THWACK.

"Gotta keep your eye on the prize, Star. But not the cute one behind you."

THWACK

"Oh, totally, Jackie. But maybe you should keep your eye off the prize. Since it's already mine."

THWACK

"Oh? And I thought we were competing for the prize. It is a nice one."

THWACK

"Not a chance. When this is over, I'm soo getting all of that bad boy to myself!"

THWACK

"And why is that? When this is over, you'll have to find another way to keep yourself warm in the losers circle."

THWACK

Star made to retort that, but was silenced as Jackie fired another arrow without even looking at the target. As it soared across the field, even Julius was shocked to see it hit another Bullseye, right through the first one. Star looked back and forth from Jackie, to the now split arrow, too stunned to speak.

"I may not like bikini wrestling, but I totally love archery. Maybe Marco and I can take you with us sometime to practice."

It wasn't like it was a possibility, but Marco could almost feel Stars anger in the back of his head. Looking over at her, she gripped the bow and aimed for a shot. She steadied her low and choppy breaths, but couldn't focus. Who the hell did Jackie think she was? What was she even doing? This was supposed to be an easy tournament to get Marco to feel better, and to prove that she wanted him. And maaaybe get a little bit of a reward from him later. Why was Jackie trying to ruin that?

THWONK

All eyes turned to Stars pink feathered arrow, which now sat lodged a few inches outside of the red target. It stuck out like a sore thumb, almost taunting her with its crooked placement.

"I...missed?" Star whispered. She had lost two challenges now. How was Marco going to feel good enough for her, when she couldn't even fight well enough to keep him? She was about to say something, anything, to take the attention off of her gritting failure, when a hand rested on her shoulder.

She turned around and saw Julius floating at eye level, keeping a straight face. "Sorry, kid. You gave it your best try, but sometimes we miss. Let it be a lesson though. You'll regret way more, the shots you don't take. Like some cheesy motivational poster or something, I don't know. Jackie wins this round, bringing it back up to a tie, with one more challenge left."

Marco stood up from his chair, clearly excited by this new revelation. "Only one more? And then we're finally done with this stupid game?" Julius nodded, but Star was confused. If they both chose three challenges, why were there only five?

"What happened to six?" she asked in an apprehensive tone. Julius shrugged and poofed up both challenge request forms, and showed them to her. "See, there's supposed to be six, but you and Jackie Lynn over there both requested the same final challenge. So, five. It also helps with the whole tie situation."

He clapped his hands once more, as the scene once again shifted into a haze that robbed every participant of their senses. Star stood alone in her thoughts as the dark void seemed to only enhance the feeling of failure that riddled her mind. She lost. The final challenge was next, and it would decide everything. How had she let it get to this point? She, a warrior princess raised on combat and duty, was even with a regular girl from earth.

Her plan of boosting Marcos confidence, showing him that she wants only him, and proving to them both that their love was stronger than anything? It was so close to going completely down the drain. "All because Jackie had to suddenly have a change of heart," she mused.

But as harrowing as all of this was, she remembered what Marco had told her during her nightmares: Stay rooted in reality, and dont let your fears take hold. His words didn't have a lot of meaning outside of that situation, but hearing them now? He was right. She could fight her fears like always! If Jackie wanted to make this difficult, to mess with her plan of helping Marco, she had another thing coming.

Much the same as the cloud of fears dissipated around her, the haze that stole her senses also shimmered back into the aether. Around her, bright light seemed to flood into every crevice available, as the heat from the sun warmed her skin. Around her was a wooden structure built around a raised steel platform no larger than a driveway. It stood about fifty feet in the air, but was surrounded on the ground by a plethora of mattresses, pillows, and oversized marshmallows.

Star knew what the challenge was, and gripped her weapon tight in her hands. Jackie followed suit, given they both had chosen the same thing, but Marco broke the silence, both confused and annoyed at the same time. "Oh no. What is this? I already don't like the looks of this. Why are you both holding pugil sticks?

Star and Jackie held their Q-tip looking weapons aloft, inspecting their padded uniforms and not giving Marcos' words much stock. " I really hate to do this to you Jackie, but he's all mine." Jackie smiled beneath her helmet and shook her head. "You know, I almost believe you. But I bet if I had the chance, he'd feel a lot better dating me over you."

"Hey! Don't I have any say in this?!" Marco shouted, but again he was ignored. He was getting extremely tired of being treated like a prize. And being ignored again.

"Ladies! If you don't mind, please save that till the beginning of the challenge," Julius countered. He waved his hand, lifting the platform a further fifty feet into the air. Once it came to a grinding halt, he floated over to between the two contestants and explained the challenge in detail.

"You both have chosen a duel to settle this. Yes, Miss Butterfly chose a fight earlier, but this duel was chosen by both as armed combat. In order to win, you must knock your opponent from the platform, using only these pugil sticks to do so. No hand to hand combat, though leg-based attacks are allowed. To the victor goes the spoils. Marco Diaz, despite his protest-"

"Yeah yeah yeah rules and junk let's do this!" Star shouted, crouching low to ready herself for the event to begin. Jackie nodded, mimicking Star and holding her stick along her side. "Get ready, Star. I'm gonna show you how cool I really am."

Julius rolled his eyes and despite Marcos' protests, fired a small ping of magic at an insignificant pink bell, signaling the start of the fight. Marco, despite his unrivaled anger towards both contestants, was still mildly surprised at how quick the two met in the middle. Star feigned a strike to Jackie's midsection, then thrust her stick forward, only to be parried and countered by Jackie's. Ducking back to avoid a swing at her head, Star swiped for Jackie's legs, only to find air.

Jackie lunged forward and pushed her stick against Stars, but found that the Mewman princess was far stronger when she landed a hit. Marco had already taken notice of this, and mused to himself that if Jackie wanted to beat Star, she'd have to put her agility to work. Star, if she were to beat Jackie, would need to coordinate attacks better, and use her brute strength to her advantage.

"Finally. A challenge you appear to be dutifully invested in, Mr. Diaz," Julius joked. Marco only rolled his eyes and shot back: "I'm not invested. As soon as this is over, Im going to kill them."Julius took his eyes off the fight for a moment, as both girls were merely testing the others metal, and spoke directly to Marco. " And why not stop it at the beginning? You could have just left. I've seen tournaments like this before, and surely depriving them of your attention would stop their drive."

Marco slumped his shoulders and balled his fists as he stared at the two. "Because for all of her ignorance, I feel like she needs this. I hate. Every. Single. Second of it, and I'm beyond furious that she isn't listening to me, as well as her reasons. But, she needs to feel like I won't leave her no matter what."

"And how will you accomplish that notable feat, if I may ask."

Marco narrowed his eyes particularly at Star, and scowled at the remembrance of the day. "After I'm done blasting her, I'll show her I appreciate the gesture. IF, she deserves it."

"C'mon, Jackie! I woulda figured you'd be trying harder. Really feels like you're just avoiding me!" Star grinned a crooked smile and lunged forward, kicking off of Jackies stick with surprising force, then following it with a downward attack. Jackie fought back the pressure and sidestepped before arcing her pugil stick wide, right for Stars ribs. "I don't doubt it! As slow as you hit, you have every reason to think so!"

Jackie rushed forward and drove one end of her stick at Stars face before ducking low and sweeping Stars feet. The princess faltered for a moment but dove back and studied the skater at length, noticing the sweat accumulating on both their brows. She charged forward and slashed for Jackie's shoulder, somewhat surprised that it made contact. But as Jackie recoiled from the strike, Star felt a pressure building up in her gut. Looking down, she saw a seafoam green pugil stick end had just driven right into her stomach.

Both girls took a step back and assessed their wounds as a mixed array of groans and grunts filled the air. Star shot Jackie a dirty look and spat on the ground. "Kinda dirty going for the gut, Jack. Hate to break it to you, but Marco prefers people that fight fair!" Jackie grinned and gripped her stick as she stepped in a wide arc around her opponent. "Yeah? Hate to break it to you, but Marco prefers humans over bugs."

"How dare you!" Star yelled, jolting forwards and sweeping at Jackie's face. She countered the shot and pushed Star back with the end of her stick, once more to the gut. "Yeah, on Earth, we don't go for insects. And you? You're the worst kind. Six arms and two legs? You're a spider dressed as a Butterfly." Star nearly bent the aluminum pole of her pugil stick in anger, gritting her teeth so hard they were grinding. It didn't help that Marco apparently laughed at that, either.

Star was fed up with this, this human, calling her a bug. She was royalty, a Butterfly, and most importantly, Marcos. And some chilled out homewrecker wasn't going to change any of that. Star lunged forward again and made to strike at Jackie's ribs. Jackie put up a block to get in a shot, but Star saw that coming. Driving the end of her pugil stick into the ground, she vaulted over it and delivered a sideways kick to jackies side, sending her reeling.

"You think someone like you gets to insult me!" Star charged forward again, driving her heels against Jackie's block to get airborne, before whirling around and smacking the skater to the side. "YOU, are just a human! I am a Butterfly!" Jackie made to strike against Stars chest, but it was easily countered with brute strength she hadn't anticipated. Star was on another level now, fighting to control the warm, almost hot sensation in her chest.

"And you think Marco would give someone like you a second chance?!" She swiped at Jackie's feet, throwing her off balance as she went for a downward strike. Stars pugil stick drover hard into Jackie's chest and drove the girl to the ground with a loud thud. "Fat chance! He dated you last time and still left you for me!" Star made for another jab with her stick aimed at Jackie's chest, but Jackie rolled to the side and jumped to her feet.

She held her stick close and countered another volley of attacks, feeling the sting in her hands from the sheer force Star could deliver. She pushed Star back to the opposite side of the platform, using every ounce of her strength to do so, hearing Star continue from a distance. "He may not have timing, but at least he has taste!" Star shouted, preparing for another charge. Jackies hardened expression softened back to her usual chilled look of confusion as Stars latest insults. Shaking it off however, the two prepared for a lethal exchange to settle it all.

Star gripped her pugil stick and bent her legs, taking in a deep breath. But before either girl could charge to end it, a wall of blue fire roared past them and cut through the wooden support beams.

"ENOUGH!" Marco roared from the sidelines as the tower creaked and groaned. Beams of wood splintered and sizzled from the heat, as the platform gave way. Column after column split, with wood raining around them and bits of metal groaning under the stress. Star and Jackie were thrown off balance, and both were sent to the pile of mattresses ungracefully, landing in a torrent of wood and splinters.

Julius clapped twice as the platform disappeared from existence at the last second, leaving only a pile of poofy cushioning, and two glaring girls. "Marco!" Star cried out in anger, "What was that for?! I had it!" He scowled at her and gripped his blades, holding one above his head. "I have had it up to here, with this nonsense! This competition is over! Julius, I choose neither! You may leave!"

"Oh, and just when it was getting juicy. Do invite me over again some time so I can see how it turned out. Farewell Miss Butterfly, Miss Jackie Lynn!" With an inaudible clap, Julius, the mattresses, and the tangled web of wood, all disappeared, leaving Marco, Jackie, and Star alone in the backyard again.

"Jackie. I expect this stuff from Star, but you? Seriously? What's your deal?!"

Marco expected her to give him much the same treatment as Star had all day, but she only smiled and stood up, dusting off her usual clothes. "Just giving you a push to yell at Star for freaking out today, Diaz. We can talk about you lying to me later, I guess." Marcos anger wilted suddenly at the comment as Star absent-mindedly began picking splinters from her hair angrily. "What do you mean, a push? Were you...Were you faking it?!"

"Eeeeyup. I had fun today, for one thing. Got you pretty good too. Consider it a lesson in not being a pushover, and that you totally had two girls fighting over you all day. No thanks needed." She smiled at him expectantly and was relieved to see him chuckle to himself, shaking his head. "I cannot believe you. That whole time. You were faking it."

"I guess consider us even, Marco." Jackie walked over to him and gave him a friendly hug before stepping back and smiling at him. "Again, we can talk about you lying to me later. I'm thinking over burgers. And yes, bring Star." The Mewman warrior only stood and looked around, visibly confused by the ordeal. "Soo, I won then?" she asked aloud. Marco groaned and turned to make his way inside as Jackie shrugged and looked around. "I..guess? Star you know this wasn't-"

"I won!! Marco! I totally won! Isn't this awesome!" She shouted, jumping in place and waving her arms frantically. All her hard work had finally paid off, and it was finally time to reap the benefits. Marcos confidence was boosted, he knew she loved him, and most importantly, he wouldn't leave her. It all fit so perfectly to Star, she almost didn't notice that her prize was, gone?

"Where...where'd he go?" she asked in a confused tone that Jackie had to stop herself from facepalming to. "Uhh, Star? He went inside. You should probably go talk to him? Maybe apologize? Speaking of which, sorry for the things I said, I was just trying to show Marco a good time, and to show him what happens when he doesn't put his foot down." Jackie gave a bashful smile and continued. "I don't really think youre a bug by the way. Youre super cool, and I think Marco is a lucky guy."

Star frowned, eying Jackie vindictively as she slowly made her way closer. "You don't actually expect me to believe that you were just acting, do you? I gave it my all and there's no way you almost won." Jackies subtle smile faded as Star trudged closer and eyed her with intent. "I'm doing this because Marco needs it. And I refuse to lose him because you're suddenly in love with him again!" she shouted, her voice taking on an angry double edge, with her eyes softly starting to glow white as she began to hover.

"Star? What are you-"

"You couldn't have him last time so now you want to take him from me?!"

"Star! I don't love Marco!" Jackie shouted, edging closer to Star, pulling her back down to Earth. "I only did this because Janna said you and Marco are having issues! Marco needs to not be a pushover with you, and I figured you two could use a little push to get 'whatever it is' off your chest."

She pulled Star into a hug, calming the fiery blonde down as Star continued to stare across the yard. "Marco is a really cool guy, and yeah, maybe I could see him as something more, but you and him...you're both perfect for each other. In ways, I can't even explain. I would never step in the way of something as beautiful as you two."

Star continued to stare down Jackie, but her frown softened slowly, along with the white glow and the heat radiating around her. Her shoulders slumped as she stared at the ground, speaking softly. "Jackie, I'm so sorry for the things I said. I...I was just so scared that I was gonna lose Marco. I didn't mean any of it, I swear. Please forgive me?"

When she finally looked up, Jackie was smiling, but shaking her head. "Don't even worry about it, I'm sorry too. And you're not going to lose him to 'some Earth girl', Star. But you should go apologize for today, and explain yourself. And tell him you two still owe me for lying to me about the time thing."

Star nodded and pulled Jackie into another hug, squeezing her tight to release the stress and aggression of the day. "I will. Thanks, Jackie. Really."

"Don't mention it. Like I said, I said some mean things too. I sorta got carried away."

Star released Jackie from the bone-crushing hug and smiled. "Are you going to be okay?" Jackie waved it off and once more dusted her clothes free of splinters and leftover flour. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm going to go home, shower, and take a nap. Good luck with Studmuffin by the way." Star frowned, looking towards the house. "Yeeaaah. Thaaankksss." Jackie nodded and the two smiled at that. "You got it, girl. Just be sincere, and be honest."

With that, she waved Star goodbye and left the backyard to clean up after a long day of insanity and magic. Once she was gone, however, Stars smile faded into one of worry as she stepped closer to the sliding door of the house, and rehearsed her apology.

She stepped inside carefully, looking around for her 'prize'. Her search ended rather quickly though, when Marco walked down the stairs and stopped when he saw her. He had ditched his red hoodie and had changed into a cleaner outfit: a button up red shirt with black jeans and brown dress shoes. He slowly walked into the living room and crossed his arms, seemingly waiting for Star to say something.

"Marco, I-"

"Do you have ANY idea what you put me through today?"

"Well I was-"

"You completely ignored me all day long, treated me like some thing to be won, and insulted Jackie! Did you even care that I was against this from the beginning? You just pushed me aside like you always do when you focus on something! Not to mention, you told her that she and I dated in the other timeline!"

"I didn't mean to! I just got mad and it slipped out okay?"

"NO! It's not okay! Star ever since I got back here what was the one thing I have avoided doing?"

She looked at the ground and held her hands in front of her, too ashamed to answer the question. "I don't know."

"Changing the future! I know what happens for the most part, so I avoid doing anything major to change it, so it doesn't end up worse! All day long you've been trying to do exactly that!"

Star balled up her fists and took a defiant step toward him, not caring if he was right or justified, just tired that he was still angry with her. "Well, what am I supposed to do, Marco?! Let you die?! I saw you dead in my arms and I'll do anything I can to never see that again!"

"So trust me!" he shouted, slamming his foot against the floor. "Trust me to keep us alive when the time comes. Trust that I won't abandon you when we get older! Trust that you won't lose me, Star!"

"But I can't just sit around and wait for the inevitable! I won't accept the fate I saw!"

Marco made to argue against that, but found no steam on his side. He hated being mad at Star, even when she deserved it. He sighed and sat in the couch, holding his head in his hands as he groaned in annoyance. "I know," he whispered. "You never do. You always take fate head on to make things better." He looked up at Star with angry, wet eyes that showed fear, scolding, and worry. "But please, Star. Just this once, please. Trust me. I need you there for me, if I'm going to be there for you."

She sat down next to him, mirroring his pose of defeat and exhaustion. "I'm just so scared Marco. I don't want to lose you, for any reason. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

He put an arm around her and hugged her close, resting his chin atop her floury head. "Star, I know you're scared. But you don't need to be. I'm always going to be right here by your side, fighting with you, ruling with you, and someday, far away, growing old with you. I will never abandon you for any reason. And I won't ever leave you to face your kingdom alone."

He heard a soft sniffle from his chest and ran his hands up and down her back. "It was just a dream, Star. I promise. You don't have to be afraid if you just trust me. Okay?" He pulled away and held her chin, making her look him in the eye. They both had a few traces of tears leaking but a soft smile was shared between the two. "Okay, Marco. I trust you."

"Good. Because you can't get rid of me even if ya tried." She giggled at that and pushed him away, trying to avoid the kiss he was now attempting to give her. "Noo, I don't trust you thaat much!" She cried out before letting him plant a soft kiss against her lips. The two held each other close, comforted by the warmth of the other as they faced the world. Nothing could separate them. Until they separated.

"So uh," Star began. "What's with the outfit?"

Marco looked down at his clothes and smiled defiantly, crossing his arms and sitting back. "These are my nice clothes. For our date. Because you owe me a date, especially after today." Star pouted slightly and hugged him again, this time enjoying his cologne with less discretion. "I'm really sorry about today Marco. I was just really scared of losing you."

"Well, treat me like a log again and you just might, Princess. And you owe Jackie an apology too," he said with a chuckle. She punched his arm playfully and stood up. "I know. And she says we owe her an explanation about that thing I said." Marco groaned into his hands again and leaned back into the sofa, clearly annoyed by the prospect of now having to explain the circumstances of his breakup with Jackie, to Jackie.

"Okay. We can handle that, so long as she doesn't kill one of us. Now go take a shower. You smell like cheese and B.O."

"Oh...I thought you liked cheese and B.O. smell? You always smell like that, after all."

He grimaced at her and shook his head, pointing upstairs. "Not at the same time, though, Butterfly."

She laughed at that and made her way to the stairs through her fit of giggles. "Fine, fine, I'm going," she began, taking one step up the stairs, but stopping. "But. Macho man. You're going to join me." He began to protest, but she shushed him and used her wand to levitato him over to the stairs, dropping him at his feet as she ran a hand over his jaw. "No buts, Diaz. Unless you're gonna talk about mine. Now let's get going."

He made to protest once more but stopped himself, remembering Julius' words with a hint of distaste and optimism mixed into one. "Well, just this one time wouldn't hurt I guess."

"That's the spirit, Marco! And where are we going on our date, by the way?"

"It's a surprise. Just like your stunt today."

"Uuuggghhhh fiiiinnnneeee. The suspense had better be worth it!"

To be continued in: The Date

AUTHORS NOTE

Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed this latest chapter! It was a long one so dont spend it all in one place! Anywho, thanks to everyone for following the story this far! the season two part one arc is coming to a near close, so this and the next chapter are kind of a medium for the crazy stuff that goes down along the road. Sorry if original story bits aren't your thing, but they're def mine! Anywho, leave a review with your thoughts, notes, compliments or complaints! I'll respond to nonguest reviews as soon as I can! Thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter! BUH BYYYEEE!!!

~Mr. Ronald Reagan