Marco at a Crossroads

By: DJ Rodriguez

(Author's Notes: Hey everyone! I want to thank everyone who read and reviewed my story. I appreciate all of the comments, critiques and constructive criticism that was given to me.

Before I say or do anything else, I want to give praise and thanks to the Lord. God, thank you for being with me and helping me out always! Not just with my stories, but also in real life as well. Jesus, thank you for your Word that sustains me & helps me out every day. I hope and pray that I follow you as best I can, to live by your Way and move to your Will. Thank you so much for the gift of imagination, and also for the ones who have read and reviewed my stories.

Also, would like to send a special thanks to Author LORD DESTRYUK & Darkness Rissing for sending me some OC characters to use in the story. And also to Author Im The Person for an idea that she or he gave to me over PM! And finally to Author Isom, whose helpful suggestions in his review will be taken into serious consideration. On my honor as a writer and a Rodriguez, full credit and props will be given to all four for their contribution to the story. I want to be a man of honor, so this will be done.

This story will be updated in intermediate levels, meaning now and again. As stated before, my true passion lies in my Disney/Toho crossover writings such as my Monsters and Magic novels & specials. And this includes my House of Mouse/Toho specials as well. So if any of you are looking for this story to be updated frequently, I apologize but that will be unlikely.

In addition, I would still like to emphasize this. Marco will not be overpowered here when he discovers that he can utilize ki, and not be a master or expert overnight. I want this to be as realistic as can be… and seeing this is a story where magic is concerned, it sounds weird even coming from me. Nevertheless, Marco will have to learn and train HARD in order to utilize ki properly. Similar to Street Fighter (such as Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Guile, etc.) on how they use it, and also like those in the original Dragonball series.

And finally this, Star will soon be starting to pay the price for her hasty actions. From the past all the way to the present… her free ride is over. And be aware of this, Queen Moon WILL drop her pride and accept that she is to blame for allowing Star to be who she is now. But the lion's share will fall on Star since it was due to her actions/inactions that caused so much chaos. She will learn that every action as a consequence to it… and it's up to her to see if she will learn & grow from it, or not.

There WILL be Christian elements in here, and for this I am not sorry for at all. Just to give you a heads up.

I do not own Star vs. the Forces of Evil, it is created by Daron Nefcy & executive producers Daron Nefcy, Dave Wasson and Jordana Arkin. Production is the Disney Television Animation, and aired on network Disney XD and Disney Channel.

Now, on with the story!)

At the royal castle in the realm of Mewni, a meeting was being held by Queen Moon Butterfly and the Royal Knights of the land. Among them were Lady Whosits, Sir Lavabo, Sir Scarsguard and more, along with their squires. One of the squires by the name of Baby-Man looked around and asked, "Say, where is Higgs? I thought she would be here…". He wanted to say something more, but Lady Whosits nudged him with her elbow and pointed to the queen that was sitting on the throne above them. The royal blue-haired beauty looked down at the group in the most serious of ways, making said squire be silent. Moon stood up from her seat, making the knights stand at complete attention.

While the King was the physical muscle of the realm, the Queen held a subtle but very strong power that made almost all be at their best behavior instantly. King River was still engaged with the other royal kings of the various dimensions, so it was just Queen Moon along with two guards by her side. And surprisingly, just the presence of the royal woman was enough to make the various knights and squires be more intimidated.

The former wielder of the wand looked to the company before her and stated, "Lady Higgs is on a current mission, per my instructions Squire Baby-Man. And it is about said mission that I have brought you all here. What I say in this room does NOT leave this chamber under any circumstance. It is a secret mission of the highest caliber, and those that dare to speak of it outside of these walls… will face the most terrible of consequences. Am I making myself clear?". The way she spoke was soft, yet full of authority and power. While she may not have the wand, she certainly proved that she was a queen for a very good reason.

All the knights and squires of the magical realm nodded their heads, sensing that she was completely serious in the matter & no one wanted to disobey her orders. Moon continued, "Sometime this morning, I had discovered something that was quite… discomforting. It seems that something serious has occurred on Earth, and thus I have sent Sir Marco and Lady Higgs to the realm to look into it.".

Some of the company present were now puzzled, on what it was that was so monumental that it was on Earth of all places. In their minds, the world was a backwater realm that had no magic, thus it was considered insignificant to many other dimensions. Queen Moon raised an eyebrow at the mutterings that started up, and seeing this had all silencing their voices. The queen finished up, "So until the situation is resolved, Sir Marco Diaz and Lady Higgs will not be in Mewni for some time. And… until I hear otherwise, no one is to say ANYTHING about their whereabouts to anyone. And that includes my own daughter Star or any of her friends.".

Now THAT surprised the knights and squires, wondering on why they should not inform Star that her knight was on a mission. Sir Lavabo inquired, "Milady, if I may ask… why should we not inform your daughter? The lad is her knight, and also it is to my knowledge that the two are very close.". However, saying that last part had Moon's face scowling, making the normally brave warriors of Mewni flinch from seeing such a penetrating gaze. Not to mention an aura of coldness that now radiated from the woman.

Queen Moon remarked with an icy edge, "I'm afraid you have been misinformed, Sir Lavabo. As of this morning, Sir Marco is not a knight of my daughter. He ended his service to her, and now is under MY personal care and watch. In addition, my daughter and Mr. Diaz have been drifting apart for some time. So she is not as close to him as you might have been led to believe.". She said the words with an edge that was sharper than any sword or weapon in the room, making the fighters of the realm tremble a little from such a tone.

She finished it, "And those of you here to even breathe a word of this to Star or her friends in any way, shape or form… I dare say that will be considered treasonous. And you know what happens to those who betray the crown & realm…". The knights and squires shuddered at this, now realizing that Queen Moon was NOT joking at all here. Those who betrayed the crown were dealt with harshly… in most cases it was banishment, but the more serious of crimes would lead to death by execution.

Sir Scarsguard gulped and inquired, "Y-Your Highness. Forgive me asking but… what should happen should Princess Butterfly find this out on her own?".

The mature beauty sighed as she answered, "If she does find out about it through her own means, I will deal with it when it does occur. However… I believe that soon enough, she will be too busy to notice Marco or Higgs present.". When Old Guy inquired on what she meant, Queen Moon answered that her daughter was going to be buckled down and undergoing INTENSE discipline training in order to truly fulfill her role as queen. She would say no more on the matter as the subject was closed.

She looked to her warriors and asked, "Do all of you understand the situation now? Has all of this been put into your memories?". The knights and squires bowed and answered as one that they understand what was told, and would NOT breathe a word of any what the queen told them to Star, her friends or anyone else that was beyond the walls. With that said and done, Moon told them to go back to their regular duties. The group of warriors dipped their heads in respect before rising up and leaving the Throne Room, so many questions stirring in their heads but they would not speak until they were a clear distance from the room & Moon.

Once the door closed and the echoing footsteps of the knights and squires faded until they were long gone, Queen Moon sighed as she felt a bit exhausted after the meeting. It was the first step towards helping Marco, but also felt that somehow this would only cause headaches for her in the future. However… it was a sacrifice on her part she was willing to make, as she owed the Diaz lad that much. The ruler of the realm went to her private study that was close by, going to fill out some paperwork that needed to be done in order for her actions to be shown as legit later on, as she knew her actions would be monitored by the Magic High Council.

In addition, she started to make a list of the Royal Discipline Training that Star would be undertaking soon. As she made the times, schedules and training that her daughter would undertake, a sigh escaped her lips once more. She said to herself, "I really should have done this long ago… but, no time to dwell on the past. I need to focus here in the present, or else Star… or the kingdom itself will have no future.". After what was told to her by the Roman moon goddess Luna, she wanted to do what she could to make sure that the realm… the kingdom she had come to call a home for so long, was spared from the bloody predictions of the deity.

Also, she wanted to find out who this 'King of Kings' was that was more higher than even Luna's father, the god Jupiter.

It took a couple of hours, as it was now 4:30 p.m., both Mewni and Earth time, but she managed to come up with a training regimen that she hoped would be necessary for the princess. Moon took in account the days, weeks and even months on how long Star would have to learn in order to become an effective ruler for her people and the land. She just hoped it was enough so that it kept her in Mewni while Marco did his own development on Earth. Moon made sure that everything was in proper order and in place before placing her own royal seal on it to make it legal in all areas, placing the papers in a small cubby on her desk before going back to the Throne Room.

Taking a deep breath and composing herself, she got up and walked towards her Interdimensional Mirror. This next part in her plan was going to be a major one, so she needed to be serious & steady here.

She activated the large mirror, calling for the rulers of the Cloud Kingdom & the Underworld. In a few minutes, the reflected surface came to life as it showed four beings, a line separating the connection to the realms. On the left was the Cloud Kingdom, showing King & Queen Pony Head. One the right showed the fiery Underworld that was led by the Lucitor family. King Pony Head answered, "Queen Moon? Your Highness, a pleasure to meet you. And… the Lucitor royals? Moon, is something the matter?".

Queen Wrathmelior put in, "Indeed. I take it this is not a social call?". However, the four royals were taken aback a little when they saw the seriousness in the eyes of the mature blue-haired beauty.

The ruler of Mewni answered, "Indeed, this is not a social call. I believe that all of you need to come here at your earliest convenience, as I have something serious to share with you that involves all of our children.". Hearing that, the king & queen of the respective kingdoms looked at one another for a bit before answering that they will be there momentarily. Apparently, they had some free time on their hands so they came very quickly. In fact, as soon as the mirror turned off, two dimensional rifts opened up in the Throne Room. Normally, this would not be possible since an Anti-Portal rune stone was set up so that any unauthorized portals would not be possible in the castle.

However, Moon temporarily turned off the feature. But she was no fool, as she had simply modified the stone to allow only two portals from either the Cloud Kingdom or the Underworld to be used. And even then it was only for one day, twenty-four hours total.

Coming from the portal on the left were the floating unicorn heads of King and Queen Pony Head, and from the right emerged the tall form of Queen Wrathmelior followed by her husband Dave Lucitor. The smaller ruler of the Underworld spoke, "We are here, your Highness Moon. Now tell us, what is it that involves our children? And why is it serious?".

The ruler of the magical realm sighed as she used the limited magic within her to conjure up some seats for the two beings from the Underworld, knowing that the floating unicorn beings would not be needing their own. She answered, "This may require you to sit down, King Dave and Queen Wrathmelior. I believe what I have to say is very critical, and also goes for you two King And Queen Pony Heads.". Having their attention, Moon Butterfly started to tell what she had learned from Earth.

Needless to say, three young adults were going to be on the receiving end of a punishment they would NEVER forget.

~Later on~

The time was now 7:30 p.m., dusk twilight about coming onto the realm of Mewni. The sun was just starting its descent on the horizon, the clouds leaving to make way for the velvet darkness that would settling in soon. Three beings were heading towards the city; Star Butterfly, Princess Pony Head & Tom Lucitor. The trio looked exhausted but with smiles on their faces. The pony with a Valley Girl accent stated, "Now THIS is a good way to end the day! Shopping with my BFF and her man, getting into some serious fun and then ending with some much needed relaxation time in her room before going home!".

Tom looked to his lady and added, "She's got a point there, Star! I mean, we had some serious fun time today! Can't think of anything to top today!".

The young blonde beauty replied, "Yeah, it is kinda hard to top getting into a scrape with some monster bulls who overacted at me nearly destroying their prized ring! I mean, it's not like it's completely destroyed. I'm sure we can fix it!".

The trio had gone on a bit of an adventure in a part of Mewni that was close to the known borders of the kingdom. Star and her two friends had found a secret cave that led them to a room that had a large golden ring on a pedestal. Naturally, the princess picked it up and that set off an alarm, causing many Minotaur monsters to appear! Pony Head told Star and Tom to run for it, the duo dashing away with Pony Head following as soon as they spotted an opening. The three had started off a chase where numerous other minotaur beings joined in the chase, all wielding various weapons from spears to double-bladed axes! The trio were chased all over what appeared to be a labyrinth, and were soon cornered after about thirty minutes of running.

Seeing that they were surrounded, with the behemoths declaring Star to return the ring to them… it was Tom that told her not to do it, as the ring was a spoils that belonged to her! Also, that said golden object would look good on her as a belt of sort. But apparently, it was the wrong thing to say as the minotaur's looked VERY offended at the mention of the ring becoming an accessory like a belt. So they charged towards the trio, and they retaliated by going on a counter-offensive! Magic spells and hellfire were cast everywhere, a majority of the minotaur's falling to serious injuries. Star had used the ring as a makeshift weapon, which resulted in it getting dented a lot.

This lasted for about ten minutes… until an enormous BELLOW echoed throughout the area! Coming in was an immense minotaur, the half-man/half-bull being towering at close to ten feet in height! He carried a sword that could easily cleave through solid rock with ease, and he looked strong enough to handle any Knight of Mewni!

Apparently, his name was Alasator and was the leader of the Mountain Minotaur's. He stated that the trio had violated an ancient Mewni-Monster agreement that had been set centuries ago. The mountain area that they were in now belonged the Monster society, and the labyrinth they were in was actually the complex community in which many other minotaur's dwelled in. This specific community had made a pact with a village of Mewni citizens long ago; in exchange for leaving them alone, the Mewni blacksmiths forged a golden ring that would be used in wedding ceremonies. Where said ring would be a symbolic bonding of groom and bride together.

This of course made the Princess of Mewni and her companions feel very foolish. Pony Head tried to salvage her pride by exclaiming on why it was so easy to find in the first place, but she was shot down when Alasator answered that the cave entrance was secret for a reason. In case of invasion, it was to be used to evacuate the citizens that could not fight. Star apologized and tried to fix the ring… but sadly found out that said object had been forged with anti-magic runes on it. That means magic used on it would be negated, the leader pointing out that their kind had a distaste for magic since they were extremely vulnerable to it. So thus they had requested the Mewni magic casters of the past to put said runes on it, to complete the pact.

So in the end, Star realized the serious blunder she had made. She pleaded with Alasator to give her some time to make up for her mistake, saying that she would take the ring back home & have the blacksmiths there fix it. The immense being was not confident in Star Butterfly's word, especially after all that had happened. Tom and Pony Head helped out, vouching for the princess and promising as well that the ring would be fixed. The Mountain Minotaur leader sighed, showing that though reluctant… he would give them the ring to fix back at the Mewni Castle. BUT that said ring was to be fixed within a week, and returned back to their domain.

Otherwise, the Mewni village nearby would have a serious problem on their hands. Star once again reassured the leader that the ring would be fixed and returned, putting said seriously dented/damaged object into her magical satchel.

Now back to the present, the three mischievous beings walked through the town towards the castle, seeing the Mewnians closing most of their stalls and businesses up for the night. A few establishments started to open up though, which were taverns that were open to travelers who wanted to either stay for the night, have a drink or do both. Princess Pony Head whispered, "Let's go to the royal blacksmiths quick before anyone else sees.". Her friends agreed, crossing the drawbridge that was still up and heading into the courtyard of the castle.

However, they barely made it to the middle of the area when Lady Whosits approached them from the entranceway. She stated, "Princess Star Butterfly, your presence is required in the Throne Room.".

She replied, "Look, I'm kinda busy and in a hurry. So whatever it is, tell Mom I'll…".

Lady Whosits interrupted her, "Princess… it is your mother that requires your presence. Also, Prince Tom and Princess Pony Head have also been requested there as well. Their parents are with King and Queen Butterfly now.". Now THIS got the teens perplexed, and more than a bit nervous at the information. Pony Head wondered on what this was about, Tom replying that it must be serious for both of their parents to be with Star's.

The blonde wielder of the wand sighed and said that they would come, the knight nodding her head & became an escort to the trio to the Throne Room. Entering the abode and walking through the hallways that were being alit with candles, Sir Lavabo & Sir Scarsguard came in to add to the escort. However… this got the prince and princesses nervous, as they felt that the Mewni knights were not just escorting them… but also meant to make sure they didn't flee.

When they got to the Throne Room, they found it alit with torches… and a sight that would haunt them for some nights. On the raised dais were King River and Queen Moon, and standing at attention at the bottom of the staircase that led to the thrones were the other parents. King and Queen Pony Head were on the left side, floating in mid-air. King Dave and Queen Wrathmelior Lucitor were standing on the right side. And all adults were giving glares to their offspring, which made them gulp & their nervousness increase ten-fold.

King River spoke in a very rare serious tone, "Star Butterfly, do you know why all of us are assembled here?". Said young lady was taken aback by the tone, since she never heard her father call her by her full name in such a tone. It would seem that earlier on, King River had returned and was informed by his wife on what she had learned this morning.

Queen Moon made sure not to tell him or the others EVERYTHING, just enough to warrant their full attention as well as leave out some specific details.

Star shook her head and responded, "N-No… why are you all here? Is something going on? Is something the matter?".

Her mother answered in a soft but sharp voice, "Yes, something is the matter, young lady. You see, I discovered something quite alarming this morning. After taking care of the situation, I believed that it would be prudent to look into the activities that involved you… and I found something quite interesting that involved you and young Tom.". She looked to said demon, who flinched under her gaze. And amazingly to him, his parents did not come to his aid like normal.

Queen Moon continued, "I went to Father Time's domain, and he led me to the Universal History Room where all of history throughout time is magically recorded. I took a look into your past, and I believe I have found something quite… disturbing. It seemed that you willingly went to a ball hosted by young Thomas… one called the Blood Moon Ball. Does that ring any bells?". This REALLY got the attention of the trio, especially Tom & Star who looked very nervous now.

Star answered shakily, "I-I do remember going to the ball. But what does that have to do with…?".

Her mother cut her off, "I am not FINISHED, young lady. Now just to clear up the air now, do you know the story of the Blood Moon? Do you know the details it holds?".

The young princess answered, "The Blood Moon chooses two people who dance under it to be bound forever. But that's just a mere legend and…". However, it was not Moon who interrupted her again. This time, it was Tom's mother.

Queen Wrathmelior exclaimed, "Legend?! Legend?! Young Butterfly, the Blood Moon is more than just a mere legend! It is not something to be taken lightly at all, yet my son did so! Tell me… do either of you know the FULL legend of the Blood Moon?! Or its consequences?!". The duo, and even Princess Pony Head tried to wrack their brains in remembering the story of the crimson celestial sphere, but they drew up a blank.

Moon Butterfly sighed and stated, "Apparently you two have forgotten. The legend speaks true of that, but also there is a consequence to such a binding of souls & hearts. Something like love is NOT to be taken lightly in the slightest. The full legend also states that a terrible price is enacted when someone is forced or deceived into dancing underneath its crescent-shaped moonlight. Tell me now Star, truthfully… even if you did go willing to Tom's ball, did you like him at all back then?".

The blonde beauty looked to her beau, a sad look on her face as she answered, "Well, I… that is… I was annoyed with him very much back then since we did break up. And I didn't have any feelings for him back than either, but now I…". Before she could finish, a thunderclap sounded off so loud that is scared the young adults & silenced Star before she could finish her sentence. The thunderclap was due to King Pony Head, who had used his magic to make the loud noise. He looked at Star with disappointment, the whole group of adults also doing the same.

King Dave spoke, "Than the price of my son foolishly trying to trick you into dancing with him underneath the light would have been his to pay. And you as well, to an extent.". This got all of them confused, until Moon Butterfly spoke once more.

She stated, "Had it worked, the effects would have been much different. You see, the penalty for such a deceit made by young Lucitor would have been this. You and he would be bound, but… he would have loved you for the rest of his life, while you would have HATED him for your own. Star, your hate for him would be equal to his love for you.".

That got the eyes of the prince and princess wide quick, as they had forgotten the consequence of the legend. It seemed that both were either too occupied to remember the full story of the Blood Moon that they were told as children, or just didn't care enough to learn about the negative effects, instead only focusing on the positive aspects of it.

King River put in, "If it wasn't for Sir Marco saving you two from such a fate, we wouldn't be having this discussion at all. In fact, most likely we would have been at serious war with the Lucitors.". King Dave stated that it was true; manipulating a person's feelings was a great offense to many sentient beings yes, but if it was an emotion such as love, it was considered VERY serious. Combine it with the target being a person of royal blood to a very potent family, the results would have been a blood feud that would end up with both kingdoms going at it like nothing else! The Mewni and Underworld realms would be at war with one another, for the honor of both houses would be stained & retribution would be demanded from both parties. And it would be paid in blood.

Queen Moon looked to her daughter and inquired, "Now than, let me ask you this Star… did you think it was suspicious at all that Tom would invite you to a party called the Blood Moon Ball? I mean, did you even consider that it involved said event since it was clearly named as the theme?". Star tried to come up with some excuse to justify her not being able to catch on to something that obvious. However, she came up with nothing to her defense. She wished that Glossaryck was by her side, as the living entity of the magical tome would often come to her aid. But he was gone, and so had very little to stand on.

Seeing her hesitance and nervous look on her face, the ruler of Mewni knew that her daughter didn't find the ruse put by Tom the least bit suspicious. This only cemented on what she had to do in the future in order for Star to become the ruler the kingdom needed.

She spoke, "I take it by your silence that you have no real defense for your lack of awareness, is that right Star?". Seeing her head nod meekly, the mature beauty continued onward.

King Dave looked to his son and asked, "And you young man, did you truly forget all about the consequences of tricking a young girl into undergoing something that is considered rare and sacred to many, just so you could get her back after a mere break-up? Or did you just ignore it altogether, hoping against hope that Star still had some feelings for you?". Tom also looked away, not wanting to admit that he had forgotten about the consequences entirely, just focused on getting his former flame back in any way possible. Seeing his silence, both his parents shook their heads at him in disapproval and disappointment.

Moon pushed forward, "Just know Star, Tom… this is a serious matter. One that neither of you brought up with any of us, even after so much time has passed. And that is why there are going to be a few changes now.".

Princess Pony Head spoke up, "Your Highness, look. It's all well into the past now, and Tom and B-Fly are together anyways. No need to drudge up past history, so…". Whatever else she was going to say was cut off by a powerful whinny from her father, who gave her a sharp look that told her to be quiet. She was shocked to see her father give her such a look and tone, and looked to her mother for support. Alas, she found her own mom shaking her head displaying that she was with her husband on this one.

Queen Butterfly gazed at the floating young filly and put in, "It is more than just one incident, young lady. I did more than just find out about this affair when I was at the Room. Apparently, Star and the former being Glossaryck had left out QUITE a few details when they gave me their report when they came back from Earth. In which you apparently were part of some of her 'adventures' while there, thus why your parents are here. It seems that Star had gotten careless with her magic, and had disrupted the peace of the place called Echo Creek on many occasions. And frequently, a lot of the citizens had gone to the hospital for treatment due to your chaotic actions.".

Star tried to defend herself, "But Mom! It was just hanging out with my friends and giving some of the kids there a fun time with my magic!".

The mature woman looked hard at her daughter and stated, "Yes, you gave your small circle of friends a quick thrill with your magic. What you DIDN'T realize was that bystanders, innocents who were in the way, had gotten injured because of it. You were too focused on either having fun or using your spells that you didn't take into account others who were nearby. Because of your so-called adventures, many had gotten hurt. From mild & tame injuries… to some serious that they had to be taken to the hospital for recovery. And from what I gathered from Echo Creek, while some approve of you… a majority do not & thus have a distrust of Mewnians because of your neglect and recklessness that you didn't tend to curb at all.".

Star looked very downtrodden now, what her mother was stating cutting into her. While she had been popular at the high school and in the neighborhood of Echo Creek, she truly didn't take into account those that had been around during her & Marco's trips around the place.

Queen Moon pressed on, "There is also the matter that you got Sir Marco and one Jackie Lynn Thomas hurt with your magic, more so that if it had been any later on… they could have been seriously injured, or even killed.". That made Star look up with wide eyes at her mother, horror showing on her face and in her eyes.

The ruler of the realm said, "I found this particular incident thanks to our relative, Eclipsa. We have managed to… come to an agreement of sort. I still have much mending to do towards her, but at least it is starting now.". Again, the three young adults were surprised to hear that Queen Butterfly was actually trying to form a bridge between herself and the one that her past relations sealed away so long ago. Especially one that had dived deep into the dark arts of magic.

Moon put in, "Eclipsa informed me that whatever spell she had created, she could recall and see who used any of it in the past. And though I know you have used her spell that she crafted, the All-Seeing Eye… she told me that you used it in a way that you once again neglected to inform me of.". Star gulped, feeling that the hole she was now in was just getting deeper and deeper by the minute.

The blue-haired beauty stated, "For instance, the first time you used the spell was to spy on Sir Marco when he was on a date with Jackie. When you used the spell, you saw the two of them… and in a spark of jealously, you caused one of the tires on this contraption called a skateboard to blow up. This in turn caused the two to lose control of their device, and fall hard to the ground. Do you deny this?".

Star was all teary-eyed as she answered, "I-I did use the spell, but it wasn't to spy on them! It was to check on them! I swear it!". She was very fearful and sad at this particular point; fearful that her easy-going lifestyle of adventure and fun were over, and also sad that her past was being brought up in such a manner.

Queen Pony Head spoke, "Star, calling them and asking about the situation would be checking up on them. However, using magic to SEE what they are doing is called spying. Do not try to confuse or change the definition here.". Star and the queen's daughter were stunned to hear & see the floating royal pony defend Queen Moon rather than the princess.

King Pony Head put in, "It seems that you also forgot one of the very basics of magic, young Star. It is this; magic follows emotion. The stronger the emotion, the more potent the spell or accidental magic will be. When you used the spell, your negative emotion took over and the magic followed it. Since you didn't want to see Sir Marco and Jackie having a good time, it did what you subconsciously wanted. And that was to make them stop having fun together, thus the wheel on it blew up and they crashed.". Star vehemently denied this, declaring that she never wanted to hurt her two friends from Earth back then.

Queen Moon's next words cut her, "Star… while you never wanted to truly hurt your friends, you did. And you never considered that they were in an area that had a steep slope or sharp incline. If they had, they could have been seriously hurt… or worse. Protective gear can only do so much, Star.".

Those words sliced through any kind of defense or denial that she had in store. It was true; though the two were wearing safety gear & Jackie was an expert in skateboarding, something serious would have happened despite all of that. And her little spark of anger & jealously would have caused something more terrible to happen than a mere spill on concrete ground.

King River spoke softly, "The sad truth of the matter is that you kept this from us, deciding that it would be best if we didn't know about it. And worse yet, decided to keep a whole lot from us instead of trusting us.". He truly hated to see his daughter upset like she was now, but he had to be firm. After all that he had seen and heard, this HAD to be done. Otherwise, Star would continue to be stagnant… or worse yet, deteriorate in the future.

His wife stated, "There are is a lot more that will discuss later on, but that is for tomorrow morning. Right now, we shall get to the very heart of the matter here. Star Butterfly… as of this moment, you are grounded. From both magic and dimension-hopping.". This caused not just Star to gasp in shock and horror, but also Princess Pony Head & Tom.

King Dave proclaimed, "And she is not the only one grounded! Thomas, for your actions you too are grounded from dimension-hopping!".

King Pony Head also declared, "That goes for you too, Lilacia! You are grounded as well!". This caught the three young adults shell-shocked very much, as this was a fate worse than death! Well, at least in their minds.

Princess Pony Head shouted out, "WHAT?! Why am I being punished?! I didn't do anything!". However, her outburst was the wrong thing to do as this caused her parents to glare intensely at her. The one thing they really disliked was others trying to undermine their authority directly like this, and Lilacia did just that. She made a small 'meep' sound and hid behind Star.

Her mother answered, "Oh, you have been doing something alright. First, you encourage Star's behavior instead of being the voice of reason. You go with her on these reckless adventures of her just to get in a thrill, and also are spending WAY more money than is allowed! The royal treasury has taken a heavy blow these past years due to excess shopping and helping Star make payments on damages SHE has caused. We may have indulged in these little escapades of yours in the past, but now it stops!".

Queen Wrathmelior looked to her son and spoke, "As for you Thomas, your punishment is due to your own foolishness on what you tried to do when the Blood Moon appeared. I would have thought me and your father taught you better when it came to understanding and respecting certain legends and lore, but it appears we were wrong. So now YOU will face the consequences of your actions, young man!"

Tom Lucitor was very much stricken by the statement, especially from his own mother. Normally, he would go all demon on anyone that tried to intimidate him in any fashion. But when it came to his parents… nope, he wisely choose to swallow his anger rather than get on the bad side of his mother and father.

Queen Moon stated, "And there is more. Star, you will only be allowed to see your friends once a week on Saturday. For the next year or so… you will be personally training with me. Not in the ways of magic, but on the true duties of those with royal blood. In short… you will be trained on what it takes to be a REAL ruler of Mewni.". Now this made Star pale a lot, believing that she was going to be brainwashed like the princesses of the various realms were at St. Olga's Reform School for Wayward Princesses!

King River saw the look of fear on her face and he put in, "I know what you're thinking, daughter. You believe it's going to be like that St. Olga's school. It is not, but… you very well wish you WERE at the school. Myself and my wife here are going to train you HARD into becoming the ruler Mewni needs. Your wants and desires are going to be put aside for this kind of training.". Star looked to her father with wide, teary puppy-dog eyes as this was like her worst nightmare come true.

King Dave looked to his own offspring and declared, "Same goes for you, Thomas. You are limited to only seeing Star on Saturdays, and also going to be training to become a true demon of the royal family!". The young Lucitor man was in the same boat with Star, shocked beyond his normal comprehension.

King Pony Head looked to his daughter and proclaimed, "Same goes for you, Lilacia! You will only be permitted to see Star and Tom on Saturdays, and for the next year or so… YOU will be trained to become the next leader of the Cloud Kingdom!".

To the young adults, this was their worst nightmare come true. All the carefree stuff they did in the past was coming to an end, and they only had themselves to blame. However… a certain floating unicorn head could not hold her temper or tongue in, and what she did next would be the final nail in the coffin for them. And also get the ball rolling on something that would escalate as time passed in the future. Princess Pony Head exclaimed, "HEY! Wait a minute! Where is Marco?! He's been with us during all those times! And he's the only been mentioned in all those times! I bet that little Earth Turd is behind all of this, getting us in trouble! I bet he's hiding here, laughing his butt off at this!".

The room soon became cold all of a sudden, the torches suddenly dimming as the rant of a Lilacia stopped… and the young adults were all in wide-eyed fear at seeing Queen Moon rising from her throne slowly. Even the adults were in awe at feeling the freezing aura that was now coming from the mature beauty, said ruler now walking slowly down the dais steps towards the ground. Each click her slippers made on the floor was ominous and foreboding, all quiet as they saw the fierceness that was showing on Moon's face. To the adults, it was the sign of a protective family member that would NOT tolerate any kind of negativity towards one of their own.

To the young adults, it was facing a towering mother dragon that would defend her young to the end. And even though Star, Tom and Lilacia had faced off against various strange beasts in their adventures… the adversaries they had faced were nothing compared to what Moon was like now!

Queen Moon stopped in front of the fear-induced young ones and stated softly but in a tone that would cut through solid crystal, "Princess Lilacia, you WILL refrain from calling Sir Marco that vulgar name in my presence. He is an appointed knight of Mewni still, and I will NOT tolerate any kind of disrespect towards him. From what I have seen of his actions in the past, all the way up to the present, he has been a key factor in making sure all of your stayed intact & not in too much trouble. So again, you will NOT call him what you did when I am in the same room with you. Am I making myself clear to you?".

The large, teary-eyed unicorn nodded and meekly answered, "Transparently, your Highness.". Queen Moon looked to Tom and Star, silently challenging them to back up their friend. They wisely kept their mouths shut, their self-preservation instincts kicked on the high setting.

The Butterfly matriarch continued, "As for Sir Marco, his whereabouts are none of your concern. I will say this though, to clear up any questions you have inside your heads. I found out that last night, he declared himself free from you Star. And this morning, I personally made him my knight so his well-being is now under my care. And I will say this… if you try to locate his whereabouts on your own and I find out, the results will NOT be pleasant. Am I making myself clear?".

Star and her friends were again shell-shocked, though the Butterfly princess was more stunned then them. She was thinking, 'Marco is not my knight anymore?! He belongs under Mom?! What happened last night that made him quit being under me?! And where is he?!'. So many questions were traveling in her mind faster than a time-powered DeLorean traveled through time.

Queen Butterfly looked to her other adults, nodding her head and waiting. Now in front of the young adults were the queens of the realm, holding out their right hands. The blue-haired beauty firmly said, "Now… your Dimensional Scissors. Hand them over. And if you try to use them to escape, you will be displeased to know that the rune stone in the Throne Room has been set to not allow rips forming. Inside or outside.".

This deflated the trio, as they had been thinking of using their space-ripping tools to escape from their parents. Star, Tom and Lilacia very reluctantly pulled out their scissors, looking at them longly before slowly handing them over to their mothers. The Butterfly princess was crying, thinking that this was the end of all that she loved doing. However… an impulse came over her that would soon seal her training fate for good. Before the young adults actually let the scissors fall into the hands of their parents, Star whipped out her wand quickly and was in the process of casting a spell! It was going to be a flash spell, similar to how a flash grenade worked in the military. Queen Pony Head and Wrathmelior were stunned by this action, but not Moon.

With speed that showed to all that despite her age, she was still a formidable warrior, she reached out and took the object of power from her daughter! Star was so stunned by the swift reaction and movement, the incantation spell died on her lips and thus the spell had ended before it began. Moon yanked the royal symbol of succession from Star, looking at her in disapproval & disappointment from her brash actions. She stated, "You believe after all these years, I didn't know your actions? You believed that I would not anticipate you attempting a last-second gamble so that you & your friends would escape your punishment?".

The adults, young and old, were once again amazed by the actions and words of the ruler of the Mewni realm. And to add more to the shock, the wand's golden star center soon turned into a silver coloring. Star gasped at this and exclaimed, "What happened?! What did you do to my wand?!".

Queen Moon answered, "It is not my doing, but your own. The wand itself has saw fit to be released from your control, seeing that you are not worthy of it until YOU prove yourself. It seems that it didn't take too kindly to you about to run away once more to escape your disciplinary punishment.".

Star Butterfly now felt utterly and completely broken; she had lost the trust with her parents, she realized that her actions put many others including Marco in danger, lost the privileges that she enjoyed immensely, lost her scissors… and now lost her wand, the very thing that made her what she was now. She almost fell to the floor in shock, but it was Princess Pony Head and Tom that quickly went to her so that she did not hit the floor.

The young adults turned to see their mothers looming over them once more, knowing that they had one last chance to turn over their scissors willingly. Star woodenly handed over her cutting tool, Tom and Lilacia doing the same. Once the metal objects were in their possession, they vanished in a flash of light in a subspace pocket that only they could access.

King River stood up and stated, "Daughter, I believe it's time for you to go to your room. Spend the last moments of the night with your friends. Tomorrow… your training and punishment begins.". He really hated to see his daughter so defeated now, but this was the consequence of her actions. Both past and present. He was still stunned that his own daughter would try to use the wand on her own mother & the other queens. Unknowingly, despite whatever spell Star had planned to use… such an action would be considered serious and would have warranted heavy repercussions from the other parties.

In short, Star's actions would have justified the rulers of the kingdoms to demand satisfaction… one that would have been a heavy price for the Mewni kingdom.

Star was helped by Tom and Lilacia to her room, the trio leaving the Throne Room. When they were out of sight, Queen Moon let out a heavy sigh as she looked at the royal wand that was now back in her possession. She turned to her fellow royals and stated, "I'm sorry for what my daughter attempted to do.". She had a suspicion that her firstborn would do something like that, but never dreamed she would have the audacity to ACTUALLY do it.

Queen Pony Head stated, "It is not your fault, Moon. You were doing what a normal parent does to their children when they messed up quite badly. It is Star that should apologize.". The Lucitor female was not as forgiving as the floating unicorn head, a scowl on her face that someone would dare try any kind of magic on her. However, she held her tongue for now.

The matriarch of the Butterfly family replied, "Thank you for the words. I just really wished I did this long ago, but… I have no one else to blame but myself for giving Star too much leeway for years now. She may have done some things that showed her extreme lack of judgement, but I am the one who didn't press into the matter further when I should have. But… hopefully I can finally help her to be more better than she is now. A Butterfly that the land and citizens can be more proud of.".

While the people did love Star Butterfly, her actions as of late did have a majority of the citizens did question if the princess had the mentality to be a good ruler.

King River checked a grandfather clock nearby, and saw that the time was 8:30 p.m. He went down with the other royals and inquired, "It seems our meeting with the children took longer than expected. Would you all like to stay for dinner?".

Dave Lucitor answered, "That would be good. After all that's happened, we could use a little refreshing change of pace.". King Pony Head agreed with him, as he was famished after this meeting that really would be in his mind for a good long while.

Before the royals made their way to door to go to the Dining Hall, a bird flew by with a scroll in its beak. On its left leg was a metal anklet with the Mewni symbol on it, indicating that it was a messenger bird from one of the outlying provinces within the kingdom's borders. It flew towards Moon, who stretched out her right arm for said animal to land on. Once the bird was settled, the royal ruler took the parchment from its beak. Unfurling the scroll, she read the contents… and a frown appeared in her face that steadily grew deeper the longer she read it.

Once she was done, Moon looked to the bird and thanked it before said beast flew off to a rafter up above. The blue-haired mature beauty looked to the others and stated, "You all go to the Dining Hall. I'll be right back. I just have to make a reply note, and also inform some friends that I won't be able to come over like I had originally planned. It won't take too long.". She then walked away in the opposite direction, where her private study was at. The others looked to King River, who shrugged his shoulders saying that he had no idea what was going on now. But he trusted his wife's words, and thus guided his guests to the Dining Room.

As it turned out, the letter was from the Mewni village that Star and the others visited earlier. The leader of the village had been informed on what Moon's daughter and her friends have done, and had written a letter that had described what the princess did in detail. The Mewni leader had a run-in with Alasator who informed him of the matter that occurred between his people and the princess. Thus the letter, and the urgency that was written in it to have the ring fixed soon.

Moon sighed once she was inside her study, going to her table to write out a response to the leader of the village. She muttered to herself, "And this is yet another reason why I need to start training Star now…". Once she had finished her response, she stood up and went to her personal Interdimensional Mirror and activated it. Soon, the face of Eclipsa showed up and the background behind her showed the Diaz living room.

Eclipsa inquired, "Dear Moon, when will you be arriving? We missed you at Marco's hospital room, and now here. Is everything alright?".

The mature woman sighed and answered, "No… everything is not alright. It's not seriously bad, but it does warrant me to stay here for now. I will try and visit Marco and the rest of you tomorrow night… if I can. I'll inform you should something arise.".

The Queen of Darkness looked thoughtful for a moment, than answered, "Alright, if you say so. I'll tell everyone here that you won't make it tonight. We're going to watch a movie, apparently one from Marco's childhood that he liked very much. It's called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and it's from the year 1990. It looks a bit weird, but nevertheless good.".

Queen Moon chuckled softly and remarked, "I'm sure the movie is good, and I can only wish I could see it all with you. Maybe next time, when I can make it. In any case, you all have a good time. I will see you later Eclipsa. Take care.". She wished the same to her relation before the mirror turned off. The royal one was a bit frustrated that she would miss the Diaz family and the others, and also miss out on seeing a what sounded to be a unique movie. Nevertheless, she had her royal duties and Star to look after. So she picked up her reply note, went back outside and gave it back to the bird who snatched it from her hand & flew away. She then went to the Dining Hall, hoping that a relaxing change of pace would calm her nerves.

While the adults made their way to eat, it was a different situation with Star and the others.

When they started to make their way towards Princess Butterfly's room, Lilacia's anger from before resurfaced now that they were nowhere near Moon. She hissed angrily, "It's not fair! It's not fair that we're being punished like this, while that Earth Turd gets off scot-free! I bet he is the one that arranged for the entire thing!".

Star looked at her friend with nearly lifeless eyes and softly asked, "No, Marco would never…".

Tom sharply remarked, "Star, open your eyes! We pushed that Earthling kid to the side for a long time, so I bet he did do this! To get revenge or something on us for not listening to his whining or leaving him out when we go out on adventures! I believe that Pony Head is right, and all of this was arranged by that wimp!".

Normally, Star would defend Marco. However… her mind was constantly in a state of haziness due to all that had just happened recently. Her emotions; sadness, anger, rage, confusion and shock were swirling inside her heart & mind like waves during a terrible storm. Also, the little voice that was her conscious had gotten quieter and quieter over the years. Marco Diaz used to be the voice of reason that would allow said conscious inside her head to be louder. But when he was pushed to the side and started listening to her two friends more… said common sense & light started to slowly fade away. It was still there, but almost non-existent now.

Pony Head angrily stated, "I say we find Marco and make him pay for this, and after that we tell him to convince our parents to let up on this unfair punishment!". The trio had managed to make it to Star's room, Tom about to open the door to let them in… until a voice called out from behind them.

Said voice stated, "I would not try to find Sir Marco if I was you.". The group turned to see that before them was Sir Lavabo, the knight had followed them when Queen Moon dismissed them back to her room.

Star looked at the knight and asked softly, "Sir Lavabo, why are you…? What do you mean to not try and find Marco? Isn't he here?".

The elderly knight shook his head and stated, "No, he is not. His room quarters have been emptied, his personal belongings moved to a room near Queen Moon's own personal studies. I tell you this now, your Highness… forget about Sir Marco. I believe that he is the least of your concerns for the time being.". The knight of the wash wanted to tell her more, but the order from his ruler earlier forbade him from going any further. And if nothing else, he was loyal to a T to the true ruler of the land.

Tom exclaimed, "Then we'll find him on our own! We got to get even with that Earth boy for getting us into this mess!". He then pushed the door open, and went inside with the others before slamming the door shut.

Sir Lavabo wanted to tell them to give up their quest for petty revenge, but it was no good now. He sighed, then turned to leave the area. He gave the door one last look and whispered, "Your Highness Star… I pray that you turn away from this path of foolishness that your friends are set to walk on. If not… so be it.". Even the warrior of the realm knew that each being had choices to follow, and each choice had their set of consequences that went along with it, be it bad or good.

And Star would have to make a choice; follow her mother's training, or her friend's path of revenge. Which will she make?

(Author's Notes: And… cut! That is it for this chapter! How did you all like it?

Before anything else, I want to give praise and honor to God! Thank you Lord for helping me out immensely with this chapter, and with the story! Got a long ways to go, but I believe that with your guidance and strength, I can continue on forward with this! Thank you Jesus for being with me, and also guiding me where I need to be! I hope to do you and your Father proud as best I can!

So Star's past actions have been revealed, and it seems a lot of discussion is still in store for her. Tom and Princess Pony Head are also in hot water, and the trio are now going to be trained to become the rulers of their respective kingdoms. Their free ride is now over! But instead of taking it with some amount of grace and humility, Tom and Lilacia are now set for revenge against Marco! Star is still lost in her haze for the moment, so it's a toss-up weither she'll join them or not. But one thing is for certain… all of her past actions and inactions will be brought to light!

Also, Marco WILL butt heads with Tom, Star and Pony Head in the future. That much is a given! But it is in the FAR future, just so you know.

Now for the questions! Ahem…

If you were with Queen Moon & talking to the knights and squires present before you and her, what would your words be to them regarding the status of Marco and Higgs?

After hearing on what happened to Star and her friends concerning the Mountain Minotaurs, what would you say to them on the matter?

If you were in the Throne Room, what would be thinking at seeing the royal adults together & what they were going to say to their children?

If any of the royals asked you, what other punishment & disciplinary action should be taken concerning which character; Star, Tom and Pony Head?

What would your advice be to Star and the others who want to get revenge against Marco?

And finally… what do you think the reactions will be to the Mewni women who are going to see the movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? On which scene of the movie, and why?

And here is an optional bonus question: What do you think Moon's training plan should entail concerning Star? And the training plan for the other two royal young adults?

R&R, no flames, enjoy and leave LONG reviews!)