Grown Wings
Star's eyes shoot open and she sits up on the living room couch with a gasp. She wipes the cold sweat formed on her forehead and looks around. Janna was on the other side of the couch, rubbing her eyes, just waking up herself. Jackie was between them, asleep as she leaned on Janna's shoulder.
"Ah.. Jackie, wake up. Star's awake." Janna shook her friend awake as she came to. She woke with a slight urgency in her movements.
"H-Huh.." Jackie's droopy eyes widened after seeing Star. "Star!" She slid toward her couch-ridden friend and hugged her like a worried mother. "I'm so glad you're okay." Star took a moment to read the situation and realized she must have been out for some time. Her friends looked happy and relieved so Star couldn't help but return the hug, sharing their feelings on each other's safety. Then she remembered.
"Wait. Where's Marco?!" Star asked in fear after releasing Jackie.
"Next to you." Janna said as she looked down to Star's left. Star saw Marco on his knees, asleep with his head resting on the couch. "He's been by your side like that for a few hours now." Star's face brightened.
"Marco." Her face dropped again once she saw the state his arm was in. "Oh, no... Marco.. Marco!" She shook him, desperately trying to wake him. "Marco, wake up!" Janna's heart drops.
"Marco! G-Get the hell up!" She stands up and begins to shake him by his shoulders to no avail. "Don't fucking do this.." Her voice cracks. She lies him down on the floor and puts her head on his chest. "He.. passed out too."
"C-Could it be because of his arm?.." Jackie questions anxiously. Star looks up Marco's arm and sees the color of it spread to his neck. She gets off the couch and sits him up to Janna's confusion. She starts to take his shirt off.
"What are you—" Janna cut her question short when Marco's torso was completely revealed. Her eyes widen and her heart begins to race.
"Oh, my god.." Jackie whimpered to see the blackness of his injury spreading into his torso. It was infected as far down as the sternum and nearly to his other shoulder. "Janna.." Jackie looks at Janna and sees her shaking in shock. Her eyes were unblinking and wide. Janna was always headstrong and unflinching in most circumstances, so it was painful to see her like this. "We have to take him to the hospital!" Jackie yells.
"Y-..Yeah.." Janna meekly agrees.
"I.." Star interrupts. "I don't think the people in this world will be able to help." She told them. Her speech seemed a bit more sophisticated. As if she had been with them for a while.
"Our world?.." Jackie asks. "Star.. Who are you?"
"I'll tell you when I make Marco better." She told them, astonishing them with hope. "Don't be sad, Janna. Marco will be okay." A smile forms on Janna's sad lips as she stops her tears from flowing. The confidence of Star's face rubbed off on her.
"...Okay.." She says, now with faith in Star.
"I think." She said blatantly, destroying Janna's smile. "I haven't practiced healing light a lot. A lot of damaging light, though!" Star laughed and Janna's face started to turn to a scowl.
"Are you gonna help him or not?!" Janna yelled, scaring Star.
"Y—.. Yup.. Just let me focus on my light." The other two didn't know what she meant but decided to just ask later. Star closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She raises her hands and clenches them into fists in front of her face. Gradually, a soft light began to envelope her hands from her wrists to fingertips. With these illuminated hands, she grabbed Marco's damaged hand and held it between them. A deep warbled sound filled the room as the magic began to take an affect. She breaths out slowly and within a few seconds, her light rids the plague on Marco, starting from his hand. His healthy color crawls up his arm and makes it's way to his chest until the darkness is completely gone. The light on Star's hands fade away along with the sounds it emanated. She breaths out and takes a moment of silence before shouting "All done!" She claps her hands together, waking Marco with a jump.
"Ah.." He sits up, confused, with a throbbing head. "Ooh.." He touches his temples in reaction. He recuperates and looks around to see Star smiling. "Star!"
"Good morning." Star greets with a childlike tone. Marco grabs her forearms.
"A-Are you okay?!" He questions.
"Mhm!" She responds vibrantly.
"She used some kind of magic to heal you." Jackie informed with a relieved tone, getting Marco's attention.
"...Magic?.. Oh, that's right.." Marco remembered what Star did to protect everyone from the creature of shadow. It was like a sight from a different planet. He still wondered if he was dreaming. Marco's thoughts were halted when he noticed Janna looking at him. Her lip was quivering, her eyes were watery, and her fists were clenched tightly. "Janna.." She loses her composure at the sound of Marco speaking her name and attacks him with a hug. She lets her cry out and kisses his cheek over and over.
"You fucking idiot!" She cries. "Why'd you do that?!" She buries her face in his chest as she holds him tight.
"I—.. I'm sorry.." He tells her softly with a chuckle. "I won't scare you like that again." Marco hugs her back, relishing his mutual. He thought about the last thing he said to her before the incident. If he had died with that being their last interaction, Janna would've been devastated. Something else began to dawn on him. Before the creature attacked, he saw Jackie looking down at him on the stairs. She had heard the conversation Marco had with Janna about her. He looks at Jackie on the couch and she smiles at him with a soft blush before looking away.
By now, it was early morning. The sun was rising and the weekend was beginning. This last night felt like a strange dream to the group of teenagers, making them almost question their sanity. So it was incredibly important for them to be informed with Star's story.
The three girls sat at the dining room table with pitchers of orange juice and water as Marco was finishing up making breakfast. Janna would take glances at Marco to make sure his health was still stable, Star was swinging her legs back and forth as she waited for her food, and Jackie was playing with her cup of juice as she was deep in thought. Star grabs her cup and haves herself a drink.
"Ahh, so good.." She says with a satisfied grin and some drool escaping the side of her mouth. "Juicey, juice, juice.." She brings the cup back up to her lips and continues to have her fill. Jackie looks at her with an adoring look.
"Hey, Star." She calls out to her from the other side of the table. "Do you have any siblings?" Star finishes her mouthful of the tangy drink before thinking for a moment.
"Nope! Just me and my mom now." She told Jackie with a smile. Janna looks at her with interest, understanding her situation. Jackie's smile fades.
"O-Oh.." Jackie's shoulders drop, feeling a little awkward now. "Sorry.."
"Don't be sad." Star told her. "I'll get more memories back soon." The other girls look at her with intrigue before Marco steps in from the kitchen with a platter of food.
"Alright, sausage and egg breakfast burritos for all!" Marco walks to his friends from his left to right, starting with Star and sets a burrito on her plate with tongs. "For you, Miss Star." He tells her gracefully getting a big smile from the girl.
"Yay! Thank you!" She says, accepting her food with glee. Marco gives Janna one as he passes behind her.
"For you, Janna."
"Marco, wait." She calls out as Marco sets a burrito on an open seat for himself. Marco looks at her in response, waiting for an answer. "You.. feeling okay?" She asks with a soft blush.
"Yeah!" He answers confidently. "And you'll know it with how good the burritos came out this time." Janna still couldn't help but be a little worried but was happy to see him back to his bright self. Marco approaches Jackie now. He tries not to make eye contact. "And for you, Jackie.." He accidentally said it rather softly, being too preoccupied with how he sounded.
"Th—Thanks.." Jackie avoids his eyes as well. Janna looked at them and felt bad for her female friend. She now knew how Marco felt about her and she was sure that knowledge was making her interactions with him awkward.
"S-So Star.." Janna broke the silence and Marco sat down in his open spot next to Janna. "When are you gonna tell us y—.." As Janna turned her head to look at Star, she saw the blonde eating her burrito savagely. The innards of the Mexican food were ungracefully being strewn all around her plate. The three looked at Star with disgust.
"SHO GOOOOZZ!" Star tried giving her compliments with her mouth full.
"Star, chew! You're gonna choke!" Marco commanded. Star ignored their looks of worry and disgust and continued the mutilation of her food. Jackie sighed at the situation.
"I guess we should eat first.." She suggested.
"How can I eat after watching that?" Janna vexed.
After around twenty minutes of a near-silent meal, everyone had finished eating. The satisfying and hearty meal restored their energy and morale. Marco stacks everyone's dishes and takes them to the sink to wash them. Jackie looked over at Marco as he rinsed. It made sense that he had a crush on her. It was always written on his face and reactions when they would speak. She just never pieced it as that due to the amount of time he spent with Janna. To somebody who didn't know any better, they looked like a couple. Jackie wondered why Janna never tried to talk Marco up to her. For how close Janna seemed to be with him, you would think she would at least bring him up in a positive light to make him look more attractive. Jackie sets her arms on the table and slumps over on them, burying her head in the pocket of her crossed limbs.
Janna saw Jackie's actions. She seemed very upset, but why? So many boys at school would confess to Jackie or just have an obvious crush on her. So many that she got numb to it and learned to deal with it stressless. Marco, however, was making her avoid eye contact, stutter, and hide her face. Was it because she was in his house? Or could it be that she was interested? She did bring him up a lot when she spoke to Janna. All these thoughts were making her anxious. If those two started dating, what would she do?
"Marco!" Star shouted, causing Janna and Jackie to jolt in surprise. "I. Want. More!" She demanded, banging her fists on the table with each word.
"Uh.. I'll make more later, Star." Marco told her with a forced smile. "Jeez, you can eat three times what I expected.."
"Lots of people on my planet could eat like me!" This response made everyone pause and look at her.
"Wait, wait, wait.. You're actually from a different planet?" Janna asked them looking down. "I honestly don't doubt that.."
"Yeah.." Jackie added. "We saw the things you can do. It definitely doesn't seem like it's from Earth." The group was silent, trying to come to terms with this. Marco took his seat at the table.
"Last night.." Star began. "When I destroyed that monster, I remembered where I came from.." She got the attention of the others once more. "Do you all remember when it disappeared and all that was left was that little floating ball?" They nodded and gave their answers. "I think that was the true form of the monster,.. a memory.. A memory named Primrose.."
"Primrose?.." Jackie asked. "Like a girl?"
"Mhm." Star smiled solemnly. "She was my best friend.."
"Th—..That's why it looked like a little girl at first.." Marco assumed, recalling when they initially saw it.
"So.. what led you to Earth?" Janna asked her, not expecting to ask that question to anyone ever.
"I don't know how or why.. but I'll tell you what I know about myself for now.." Star sits up and clears her throat, looking proud to introduce herself. "My name is Star Butterfly! I'm a princess!"
"What?" Janna questioned.
"Really?" Marco asked eagerly. "Wh-What's that like?"
"Mmm.. Fun but also kinda scary.." Star answered, scratching her cheek. "I was supposed to take my mom's throne when I got older but.. now I'm here.." She brought her palms up to her eye-level and looked at them. "My mom had me studying light magic to prepare me for defense against other kingdoms. Our kingdom was one of the smallest in the land of Mewni."
"Mewni being the planet you're from?" Jackie asked.
"Yup." Star nodded. "All I did was study for years.. but now I'm here.." She lamented.
"What the hell..." Janna looked down, having a hard time digesting what has seemed like fantasy until now. "Wait, what about this, uh.. Primrose girl?" She asked looking back up.
"Oh.." Star's expression dropped. "She would visit me in the castle to play when I was on breaks from studying."
"Why are you so sure that the monster was her?" Janna asked.
"Because I kinda remember something about being cursed with my bad memories.." She answered.
"Being cursed with bad memories? How?" Marco questioned.
"And what do you mean bad memories?" Jackie added. "Didn't you say Primrose was your best friend?"
"I don't remember how I was cursed but I know there is dark magic that can easily curse you." Star explained. "..And Primrose is a bad memory.. because.. I killed her.." A shock overcame the three listeners. Star was sincere. It was upsetting to see her make such a somber face. "One day, she came to visit me again. I was so happy because it had been so long since the last time we played." She forced a smile. "I was starting to get really good at conjuring damaging light and wanted to show her a little.. but..." She clenches her hands together on her lap and looks down, hiding her eyes. "I lost control and sent out a big pulse of magic." Tears began to hit her hands and her voice was becoming strained. "I watched her burn up.. The pain she felt must have been terrible.. I've never heard her scream like that.."
"Hey, hey.." Jackie approaches and embraces her. Star accepts it and cries into her shoulder. Marco watches the two with sympathy. Star's case was more complicated than he initially thought. He thought she was just a homeless girl. Was this too much for him to handle? He only thought this for a second and refused to let that thought stop his care for her. He nodded to himself and stood up.
"Star." He called out with stern tone. As Star removed her face from Jackie's comfort, Marco leaned into the table to bring his face in closer to her's. He looked her in the eyes and told her confidently. "You can stay here as long as you want. We'll be here to help you every step of the way!" This made Jackie's face light up and inspired.
"Yeah! You can count on us!" She added. Star smiles and lets go of Jackie before wiping a tear away from her eye and composes herself.
"Thank you.. but.." She looks down with a sad smile. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"W—..Why?.." Marco asks with lowered enthusiasm.
"I said I think I have a way of remembering more about myself" she recalled, "and I think to do that, I have to defeat more of these shadows.." She looks at her friends with a face of resolve. "My memory of Prim came back when I defeated her shadow and I know more will come after me."
"So being around you would put us in extreme danger." Janna added, making the others look at her in surprise.
"Yeah.." Star smiled at her. "So that's why.. I'm leaving.."
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Expo-Si-Tion!
I know exposition is boring but I felt like I had to, okay?
So, like, thank you for reading my shit again!
You come back and I'll have some more for you. So you better.. (-᷅_-᷄๑)
Okay, I'll go now.
Byyyyyyye!
