Gray Hills - Chapter 6
AN - Hey guys, sorry for not updating on the weekend, I am making an entire world to run a DND game and that is what I took most of my time doing. Anyways this chapter will mostly focus on Star and Glossaryck, because I feel like glossaryck doesn't get enough love and he is one of if not my favourite character. Also I am introducing Wallace some more, because having a character you don't know much about kinda sucks.
Also has anyone else seen the season finally because HOLY SHIT. I am torn on how I feel, and I will give my feelings on it at the end with a little note of spoilers. Anyways onto reviews.
theRevil - Yeah I wanted to mostly focus on introducing the new character, but there was two small details which you may have picked up on and just not realized it.
Guest Sorta - Hey, maybe in the future of the story you will see some sort of makeshift knifegun. If you do just know that you inspired me.
Gorbebe - Thanks. I am really glad that you are enjoying it. Even more glad that you don't normally like stories like this. You're correct when you say that it's well thought out. I've been toiling with the story idea for a few months ever since I read another story on here, which gave the idea for a single scene. From there I slowly developed this story and reading The Road was what gave me the setting. You will see what I mean by inspired, and I will leave a little note at that time referencing the story and author because without them this story would never have existed.
Geoj - I'm glad that you are enjoying it. And believe me that I do plan on continuing for a while. This story will be a multi-story saga which will eventually cross over with one of my favourite shows, which I have been and will be continuing to drop very small hints of which one it will be. Maybe you guys can figure it out.
Disclaimer - I do not own Star vs The Forces of Evil
The only things Star could think of when she woke up was that she was cold and hungry. Damp clothes caused her shivers in the cold fall air. Parting the hair from her eyes, she surveyed the campsite. To her right, a few feet away lay Marco shivering, damp and cold. Farther she saw a brown lump, two firearms lying beside the figure. She struggled to remember through the exhaustion of yesterday, when everything came back to her.
The stranger who called himself Wallace. The men, who attacked them. But most of all she remembered the minute she ended the life of the large man who was charging them. She looked into his eyes as she pulled the trigger, unaware of what the outcome would be.
Back on mewnie, she had encountered monsters of indescribable evil. Those which could slaughter a contingent of knights. Her father had shown her how to deal with those monsters. Then there were monsters she felt bad for. Ones like Ludo and his minions. She could deal with any monsters. Or so she thought until that moment. Until then she had thought humans were a frail, friendly and caring race.
Ever since "The bombings" as Marco called it, she had been in denial. Humans couldn't do that, right? Is what she always thought of herself. Until those men had emerged from the forest, she had thought it was some sort of monster plot to take over earth from the poor and weak humans.
That is until she realized that it was humans who ended the world. It was humans who killed each other, and those men who came to kill them were human. In that one moment she realized that humans are worst than monsters, and only seek destruction. She now understood why Marco sheltered her from the world, and why he never explained what a gun was to her. Now she knew.
She knew what a gun was. It was something humans had designed to kill other humans. Just like the devices that ended the world. They only tolerated each other because they had to but now that there is no one enforcing laws they turn on themselves like starving animals.
And she had become just like them. No matter what she did, she could not forget the look of the man when the light faded from his eyes. The pain that shot through them right before he doubled over. Looking at her hands, she was disgusted with herself. With herself and with humanity. She had been fascinated by human war tactics until now. Now she realized what they were. Sending others to their deaths for no purpose, marching into their graves and calling it a victory.
And Wallace. That name left a foul taste in her mouth. He told a story of trying to survive with his friends, but had not hesitated to take another's life so brutally. She didn't trust the young man. Something was off about him. He had kept a gun from them, and somehow gotten out of the restraints they couldn't untie.
Star was pulled from her thoughts as Glossaryck walked into view. "Glossaryck." was all she said. He turned towards her and saw the sadness in her eyes. He motioned for her to follow him, and they walked a short distance from the campsite.
"What's bothering you?" asked Glossaryck, as he motioned for her to sit beside him. She leaned on a boulder, eyes towards the gray sky.
"I killed that man." was all she had to say for Glossaryck to understand.
"He was going to kill all of us." Glossaryck tried to reason with her.
"That's the point. How could a human do that? I thought they were kind but now I've realized that they are worst then the monsters. I mean, look at what they've turned their world into. What they now do to each other."
"But that isn't what is bothering you so much?" Glossaryck guess.
"No. What bothers me so much is how little Marco is affected by it all. Almost as if he expected it all." Star thought about her best friend, and everything that he had done in the past few months. He had attempted to make sure she got back to Mewnie as fast as possible, and stopped her from meeting anyone else.
"You of all people should know that Marco is different. Why would he have come back for you if he wasn't?" That made Star think. He was different. He came back for her even though he knew the risk. Everything he had done was for her.
"I know Glossaryck, but how can I be sure? Especially with that Wallace guy. Something doesn't sit right with me about him." Star looked towards the campsite where the two boys slept.
"Trust me Star, he is a good guy." Glossaryck said while pointing to his eye. "Remember. I knew he was following us for weeks now, and I've been keeping an eye on him."
This did little to reassure Star, but she took his word regardless. "Do you think we can actually get back to Mewnie?" She asked Glossaryck after a period of silence.
"I don't see why not. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it. I'm sure that there are search parties looking for us right now, you just have to remember that this is a big place to search." Star seemed content with this answer, and looked up towards the sky, the soot clouds dampening her already poor mood.
Star opened her small purse, and precured two cans. One of pears, and the other of beans. She sighed as she began to open them, and removed the pot from a backpack to start a beanie breakfast. Glossaryck surveys the spell book, before tearing a small part of a page to burn. He gathered small amounts of wood and stacked them, before creating a spark which caught on the page. He placed it under his tinder, which quickly caught and eventually spread to the branches. Hot enough to start cooking, Star moved the pot over the open flames, as they licked the side of the pot.
The two magical beings sat near the fire, attempting to dry their damp clothes, without exposing themselves to the elements. The only sound between them was the slow bubbling of beans, and crackling of fire. When the beans were almost done, Star added the pears and mixed with a stick. She stared into the bubbling concoction she created, and thought back to when she had freshly arrived on earth.
"Glossaryck, you told me that I needed to dig down to the bottom of the hobo stew to get the meat chunks." Star asked softly.
"That I did." replied Glossaryck, curious where she was going with this.
"Well, do you know how to make Hobo Stew?" Star inquired while smiling at the blue man.
"Depends, what kind of meat do we have." Glossaryck returned the grin, as Star rummaged through her bag. She eventually found canned beef chunks. Glossaryck grabbed the can, and studied it for a moment. "I could make this work, but you can't watch. I still have my secrets you know."
Star smiled and nodded as she stood. Brushing her pants, she turned towards where the men had been sleeping behind her. She saw Marco shivering in the dirt, so she walked over to the packs and removed a blanket laying it over him. Star watched him as he got comfortable, cuddling up to the side of the blanket. She realized how hard it must be for him. He had no idea where any of his friends were and would probably never see them again. His home was destroyed and he would have to go to a completely different dimension where everything was different.
Sure she lost her friends, but she had a home to go back to. A great future ahead of her. Friends waiting for her when she got back. Compared to Marco she had everything, but he only had her, and the hope that they could get to Mewnie. That is when her thoughts turned to their latest companion.
Wallace. He said that he had lost all of his friends. He had no reason to lie,and even if he was they were clearly nowhere nearby. He had nothing to go on for, and yet he had followed them by himself. He had no hope of rebuilding his life in this burnt world, and yet he still went on. She looked to where he was only to notice him gone, and a dark spot where he slept.
Star saw boot tracks leading away from the camp into the forest, and noticed one of the firearms missing. It was the one that he had concealed from them. Star started to panic. What if he had lied and was going to get his group. That is when Star heard a twanging coming from the forest. She looked back to see Glossaryck elbow deep in hobo stew, before walking into the forest.
She followed the sound for a minute until she saw Wallace sitting under a tree, an instrument of some sort in his hands resting on his knee. He skillfully played a song of some war she swore she heard Marco talk about before, and a place called Dixie. When he finished playing his song, she gave a small applause which startled him.
Wallace looked up to see Star watching him intently as he started another song, and started singing. "You fought all the way Johnny Reb Johnny Reb…" Star was amazed by the fluidity of the instrument he was playing. She had never seen anything like it. It looked like a guitar, only instead of a base there was a thin drum. Star watched as the man's fingers flew across the strings, strange metal caps on his fingertips. He finished this song before placing his instrument on the ground.
"That was amazing!" exclaimed Star as she looked over the instrument as if it were magic.
"Thank you. I practiced a lot before the end of the world, but it's been a few weeks since I last played, but I memorized a lot of songs. I can also play the harmonica, but I doubt we will be able to find one of those." Wallace pushed back his sleeve to reveal a watch. It read quarter after nine. "We should probably get back and see if the hobo stew is ready."
Star shook her head in agreement, assuming he left camp when Glossaryck started the stew. Wallace picked up his instrument, and they started back towards the camp. "What kind of instrument is that?" Star asked when he picked it up.
"It's a banjo. Ever since I was a kid I was fascinated by the southern culture of America, so I learned their music. I even bought a musket and participated in reenactment battles." Although Star didn't fully understand what he meant, she could infer well enough.
"What is a musket?" Star asked, a bit confused. From his jacket, Wallace procured the firearm he had used the day previously, however it looked different to the one she had used. There was a hinge type thing on the side, and a long stick under the barrel. "What is the difference between that one and the one back at camp?" Star asked, her interest peaked about earth weapons.
"I'll explain it to you when we sit down." Wallace said, as they approached the tree line. They walked out to see Glossaryck swimming in the stew, plopping a chuck of meat into his mouth.
"It is ready!" Glossaryck exclaimed, using his limited magic to move the pot off of the fire. He turned to notice the two entering camp, and smiled. "Your meal is ready, my lady." Glossaryck smiled while bowing.
"Thank you Sir Glossaryck, you are relieved."
The two started digging into the stew, before they noticed that Marco still hadn't stirred. They had finished about two thirds of the stew, when they stopped eating. The stew was starting to get cold so they debated what to do. "We should probably wake him up and get moving soon." Wallace suggested.
Star looked towards Marco's curled up figure, resting more than he had in months. She knew that he had been pushed to exhaustion for months, however Wallace provided a good point and he had been sleeping for nearly a dozen hours. "Alright. I'll get him up."
Star walked over to Marco's resting form and gently shook him until he returned to the land of the dead, opening his eyes to see Star, and Wallace leaning over him.
Alright, so I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and now we will start to progress north again. Also I will be starting a new story soon. It may affect the update rate of this story, but overall I will probably release the same amount between the two.
FROM THIS POINT ON THERE ARE SPOILERS TO THE SEASON 2 FINALE.
So, did anyone else see that fiane? Please I would love to hear what you thought about it. Personally I am torn. My least favourite character is Jackie and to see Marco and Jackie get together just doesn't fit right.
Is it just me who hates Jackies voice and personality? It feels like she will just use Marco or want to date him because he is "cool" now that he hangs out with Star and goes on these adventures.
Anyways just try to keep spoilers to a minimum in the reviews if you are going to give your thoughts and thanks. Until next time.