Worst Nightmare

Slowly and painfully, Moon opened her eyes to find herself back inside the castle. Beside her, she could hear the soft snores of some sleeping figure. Carefully, she turned her head to find that it was Star, not River, sitting next to her. She tried to raise her left hand, but pain seared from her shoulder down to her elbow.

"Ow!" Moon tested her right arm. She could barely pick it up before her chest began to feel tight and on fire. Okay, let's try legs next. Moon wiggled her right toes with little to no pain and decided to try her left toes. The second she tensed her left leg pain coursed throughout her body. She started to gasp for air, which caused her chest to hurt even more.

"Mom? Mom," Star said loudly as she leaned closer to her mother. "Are you alright? Just…just calm down, I'll go get one of the nurses." As Star stood to leave, a nurse entered the room with painkillers.

"Oh, seems I came just in time! Here you are, Your Majesty, take these three pills and you'll feel better." The nurse held out a tray with the three purple pills and a small cup of water. Moon grabbed the pills with her right hand, wincing in pain as she quickly tossed the pills into her mouth. She grabbed the cup and hurriedly used the water to finish pushing the pills down.

"Guh, blegh, those are-," Moon began to cough as she struggled against the pain and terrible taste of the pills. She tried to stay still as she waited for the pills to take effect.

"I'll be back in four hours to give you another dose. Try not to move around too much, Your Majesty. Queen Star, I was told to tell you that the Magic High Commission will be here after lunch to visit with you."

"Thank you. Uh…have a…good day?" Star smiled awkwardly as the nurse left the room.

"Di-did she just call you 'Queen Star'?" Moon stared at Star in utter disbelief. It was now that she realized Star was wearing her crown. Star nervously smiled as her eye twitched in annoyance.

"Uh…yeah. I'm in charge for…for a whole year, so…yeah." She frowned. "Woohoo," said Star sarcastically.

"I must be having a feverish dream or just another nightmare, there's no way I'm that wounded that you were put in charge." Moon began to feel the medicine mix in with her disbelief. Her vision was beginning to blur and she could have sworn she saw River peeking at her from the foot of her bed.

"Rude! You know, I wish this was just another one of my nightmares too. I don't want to be queen just yet, I'm not even married!" Star crossed her arms and huffed angrily in her chair.

"Star, stop that this instant, a queen doesn't slouch." Moon sighed, this was going to be a very long year. "I can't believe this is even happening. Where did that spell even come from?" Now, she was seeing a tiny face in the crown jewel.

"Uh…," Star looked around, but avoided her mother's gaze, "well…"

"Star, that wasn't one of your rogue spells, was it?" Moon frowned before closing her eyes, when she reopened them, the little figures had disappeared.

"No," Star sighed, "alright, it was Eclipsa's spell. She knew that the rest of you knew about our deal, which I'm still very mad at Marco for." The room became silent.

"So," Moon said, breaking the silence, "where's your father and Marco?"

"They're being confined to their rooms until Marco's sorry for giving away my secret."

"Star," said Moon sternly.

"Let me finish, geez! Marco's being stubborn, so he's grounded until he apologizes. Dad will come and see you after I leave. Manfred said I have to go and 'address my people' about your condition."

"Well, I'm sure you're you'll do just fine." Moon managed a weak smile before she noticed a small bunny at the foot of her bed. Uh oh, that medicine's really kicking in now, isn't it? I haven't been in this much pain since Star was born.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Well, I guess I better release Marco for breakfast and I'll send Dad over here. So, I don't know, have…fun?" Star stood and cringed as Moon began to laugh drowsily. Star could tell the medicine had finally kicked in and quickly left before things got weird.

Fifteen minutes later, River entered the infirmary to find Moon talking to the chair. Sweet corn, she's lost her marbles. Slowly, River walked up to his wife and looked around to see if anyone else was in the room. Finally, he sat down in the chair and saw a frown come over her face.

"River, you sat on the little bunnies. What am I supposed to tell their family?" Tears formed around the drugged queen's eyes.

"It's alright, darling, I moved them over before I sat down. You blinked and didn't see it." River quickly convinced Moon that the bunnies were safe and sound.

"Oh, okay. River, don't be rude, say hello to Mr. Nibbles. He's the rabbit ambassador from the Snow Cone Kingdom." Moon chuckled as River waved to all parts of the room. "Silly River, he's standing on your head."

"Oh, I'm very sorry, dear," River said as he waved at his crown. "How are you feeling, Moon?"

"Mm, like I'm floating in dirt. I feel all warm and cozy like a little fire. Wh- River when did you get here?" Moon looked at River in shock. "I can't feel my face and my eye lids keep trying to lay down."

"Okay, why don't you try sleeping?" She's too far in La La Land to talk to. Well, at least she can't feel anything. River shifted uncomfortably as he watched Moon ramble on about Mr. Nibbles before she looked at him. His breath caught in his throat with how divine she looked to him, well as divine as she could look in casts.

"River, do you love me?" Moon's voice was soft and innocent, like a small child asking for a hug. He leaned in and lightly rested his hand on hers.

"Of course, I do. I love you so much it hurts," said River as he stood up to kiss her forehead. "Now get some rest, dear, I have to keep an eye on Star." Moon smiled before succumbing to the rest of her medicine. River left the room and joined Marco for breakfast.

"How's Queen Moon?" Marco had a cold bowl of porridge in front of him.

"She's on a lot of medicine. She had me wave to an imaginary bunny on my head. Marco, why are you eating porridge?" River looked around for his breakfast meats but saw that none were set out. "Excuse me, where's my breakfast at?"

"Star told them to give us cold porridge until we apologize to her." Marco painfully swallowed a small spoonful before choking on it.

"Well I'll be dipped, she's worse than her mother!"

"I heard that!" Star sat down next to her father as a servant poured her a bowl of cereal.

"Hey, how come you get to eat cereal?" Marco slammed his hands down on the table, rattling the silverware. River tried to grab the box but Star slapped his hand away.

"Because you still haven't apologized to me and because these are my Captain Blanche's Sugar Seeds." Star began to eat as the two watched in disbelief. "Did you get to talk to Mom?"

"Yes, but she's too far gone from her medicine. She made me wave to an imaginary bunny on my head. His name was Mr. Nibbles." River tried to grab the box of cereal again but was refused.

"This is your punishment until you sincerely apologize. You know, I could get used to being queen. I get to tell people what to do and they have to do it." Star finished eating her cereal and stood to leave.

"Now Star, don't let the power go to your head. If your mother were here she'd tell you to be careful and all that other important stuff. And I'm here to tell you to give me some meat, you know that corn is the only other type of food I eat. I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry!" River pouted until Star finally gave in.

"Fine, but next time you can't talk about me behind my back. Okay?"

"Okay, we should have told you that Marco gave away your secret." River and Star laughed as Marco grunted in frustration.

"Hey, I did what was right!"

"Hugs! Manfred, my father can have whatever he wants." Star hugged her father and stepped away.

"Yes, Your Majesty. And what about the boy?" Manfred motioned over at Marco.

"Not him. He's still grounded until he apologizes." Star then departed to be fitted for a new dress. Marco stared in anger at Star as she walked away, and, for a moment Star looked back at him. There was a playful smile on her face, and in her eyes, that told Marco she wasn't really mad at him. Unfortunately, River noticed Star's look too and resumed his protective nature.

"Marco, that's my daughter you're giving the googly eyes to." River stared menacingly at the young boy who was beginning to blush.

"I wasn't…Star doesn't…I'm gonna go…think of a way to apologize to Star." Marco left the dining hall and made his way back to his room. River shook his head and sighed before leaving for the infirmary.