Trickster3696: When is Cosmos gonna drop the bomb?

Somewhere around the chapter 20-25 mark. I want him to build a relationship with the main crew before he unveils himself.

A/N: Okay everyone, before we get going I just want to answer a few concerns that have been brought up in light of the last chapter. A few people seem to think that since Griff is Star's sworn shield, Marco won't become her squire. That isn't true. I plan on having the story of Season Three be basically the same, except that Griff (Cosmos) is there, and we're seeing the story from his perspective.

So, let me explain how this is going to work. A sworn shield is a bodyguard, simple as that. Unlike most guards, who are charged with protecting the entire royal family, Griff will be protecting just Star. Marco will still be her squire, since knights/princesses can have more than one squire.

That aside, welcome to "Season 2" of A Dance with Destiny. A few people have been concerned about me copy/pasting episodes of the show in with Griff there, but that isn't true. I might have a few key episodes be chapters, but only if they have a significant role in the story. Other than that, most of this "season" will be what happens in off-screen of the show.

Okay, long-ass note aside, let's get started.

A Dance with Destiny

Chapter Eleven: Hide and Seek

"I don't need a babysitter."

The king and queen exchanged a quick glance. Griff shuffled from one foot to the other, uneasy. It had been only a day since his elevation to knighthood, and the king had insisted that he look the part; which was why, that morning, he had come to Griff with a large box.

"Open it," he said giddily.

"What is it?" Griff had asked.

"Just open it."

So Griff did so. Inside, he found an entire outfit for him. Armor, he realized. He's given me armor.

"Try it on," the king said, smiling. "Here, let me help you."

Black boiled leather over his normal clothes; steel boots and greaves to protect his lower regions; gauntlets over his forearms and black leather gloves over his hands; a cuirass of gunmetal gray to protect his chest and a gorget to shield his neck; finally, a rounded helmet to deflect blows to the head.

He looked every bit the knight that he now was.*

"I have one more thing for you," said King River. He snapped his fingers and a squire walked it with a folded piece of white cloth. When Griff unfolded it, he found it was a cloak.

"Here," the king said, picking it up and setting it around Griff's shoulders, attached by two clasps in the shape of butterflies.

Griff put Brightflame on his hip, then asked for a second sword to put on the other hip. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled.

"I don't need a babysitter," the princess said again, arms crossed.

"We know that, Star," Queen Moon said, straight-faced.

"Then why is he here?" She pointed a finger at Griff, adorned in his new armor, helmet under his arm.

"Because after everything that's happened lately, you need more protection."

"No, I don't! I have a magic wand, and Marco, and kick-butt karate moves!" She took an offensive stance. "I can handle myself."

"Pumpkin, please," King River said. "You can never afford to have too much protection."

"But I don't even know him. Why can't someone like, I don't know, Marco keep me safe?"

"Because Marco isn't a knight," Queen Moon said.

"Then make him a knight!" the princess said.

"We can't just do that, Star."

"You did with Gerth."

"My name is Griff," Griff said.

"Hey," Star snapped, "I didn't ask you."

"Star, that is enough!" Queen Moon said harshly. "Griff here has been training under your father for months, he's proven himself a loyal friend to the Butterfly family, and he'll be less likely to let you get into trouble. Face it, sweetie, after everything that's happened with Ludo and Toffee and goodness knows what else, you need to accept the fact that you can't look after yourself all the time." Her tone turned soft and she put a hand under Star's chin. "Just until you're old enough to take care of yourself, I promise."

Star let out a sigh. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

Moon cracked a smile. "No, I'm afraid you don't."

Star sighed and shot Griff a look of absolute loathing. "Fine. But don't think I'm gonna like it." She stalked off without another word, Marco following after her after shooting Griff an apologetic look.

Griff sighed. "This isn't gonna be easy, is it?"

The king put an arm around his shoulders. "You'll do fine, my boy. After keeping up with me for so long, you'll be fine!"

-o-

Griff was not fine.

The princess had spent the last three days giving him the slip, aided by Marco (though in his defense, he seemed to be an unwilling participant). Griff's armor slowed him down, and the princess was more agile than she let on; able to leap and run at greater speeds than he thought possible, she was quite the challenge.

Sighing, Griff slid onto one of the benches that lined the Great Hall. A plate of roasted goat and corn was in front of him, and a tall mug of water as well. He had just swallowed a piece of meat when somebody else slid into place next to him.

"Hey."

"Hello, Marco."

The human nudged him softly. "Listen, I'm sorry about Star. She's not…"

"…happy about me?"

Marco laughed. "You could say that again."

Griff shrugged. "I get why she isn't happy; but, still, can't she cut me some slack? I didn't exactly ask to get put on babysitting duty."

"I know that."

"Does she?"

Marco was quiet. "I don't know. Listen, Griff, I know Star isn't the easiest person to get used to, but, I'm sure you'll figure something out."

"Me too."

-o-

"This isn't a choice, Princess," Griff said. He had managed to corner Star and Marco in one of the many side hallways. Sconces for torches lined the walls, and a large portrait of some distant queen took up a good portion of the hall.

"Buzz off, Gerth," Star said, "I'm warning you." She held up her wand.

Griff looked to Marco, just behind Star. He gave a helpless shrug. Then Griff looked to one of the wall sconces. I know this place…

Sighing, he pulled off his sword belt. "Very well, Princess." He threw it onto the ground.

Star looked surprised. She lowered her wand slightly. "Wait, really?"

"Yes," Griff said, defeated. He unfastened his cloak and pulled off his helmet. He threw both on top of his belt. "It's clear that you don't want me around, and it would be rude for me to encroach on a lady's hospitality."

Star, still looking surprised, stood up straight and nodded. "Good. Yes. Go away. Please," she added.

Sighing, Griff walked over to one of the wall sconces and gave it a hard pull. A portion of the wall slid sideways, revealing a small stone staircase that led down. "See you around, Princess."

Just as he stepped into the doorway Star grabbed his arm. "How did you do that and teach it to me now," she said, eyes wide and starry.

Griff put a hand up. "I can't, Princess. You asked me to leave you alone."

The princess looked affronted. "But—wha—come on!" She interlocked her hands and pouted. "Pleeeeeeeeease?"

Griff thought about it for a minute. "I suppose…"

"YES!"

"…but only if you promise not to run off."

"I promise! I promise!" She grabbed his arm. "Let's go."

He laughed. "You coming, Marco?"

Marco was smiling. "I'm coming, I'm coming."

Once they were all safely inside the tunnel the door slid shut. "How'd you know this was here?" Star asked, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

Griff laughed. "A few months ago, your father showed me a secret entrance hidden in the library. After that I decided to do some poking around." They came upon a fork in the road. "Gimme a sec…That way," he said, pointing to the second doorway on the right. "The other ones lead deeper into the castle."

"Where are we going?" Star asked.

"A secret place I found. Anyway, I found this old book in the 'Antique' section of the library. After the first Cosmos and Star Butterfly died the construction of the castle fell to their daughter, Artemis. Apparently she was obsessed with monster attacks so she ordered the construction of secret tunnels be built into the walls and floors of the castle." They descended down some stairs. "Most of them are connected, but when Artemis died it fell to Queen Selene to finish the whole thing, and she was more paranoid than her mother. She ordered an entire maze be built to each tunnel; hoped to confuse anyone who tried to invade, I think. There are supposed to be miles of tunnels, but I've only found a handful. Most of the old construction manuscripts were destroyed or corroded by age, so it's been mostly trial-and-error for me."

They came upon a pit of spiked stone. Griff jumped first, then Star, then Marco. Marco's left foot slipped, but Star and Griff caught him. "Thanks," he said, nervous. "So, how'd you have the time to do all this? Aren't you supposed to be the king's squire?"

Griff threw a nod over his shoulder. "You'd think that'd mean much, but aside from attending him during feasts, monster hunts, and training sessions, the king let me have most of the day to myself. Normally I'd spend it with—hold on." The tunnel ahead split into two staircases—one going up, one going down. "Hmm…down," he decided.

"Hey, Griff," Marco said, "you know where you're going, right?"

Griff shrugged. "Mostly."

"Mostly?"

"Relax, Marco," said Princess Star, smiling. "Where's your sense of adventure?"

Marco grumbled to himself, embarrassed. "So what were you saying?" he said after a minute.

"Hmm? Oh! I was saying I'd usually spend my time with the other squires, but when they were busy with their knights I'd explore the castle, see what I could find."

"And what did you find?" Star asked.

Griff gave her a smirk that matched her own. "We're almost there."

Another five minutes passed before Griff held a hand up. "Here we are." A skull had been engraved in the wall at waist-height. Griff knelt down and pushed his middle and forefinger into the eye sockets. A small mechanism caught on his fingers; Griff pulled down, then forward, then released. The skull split in two as the wall slid apart.

The sun was nearly blinding when they stepped out, but when their eyes adjusted they beheld a beautiful garden. Nearly twice the size of the palace gardens, this haven sported lilac bushes, roses, tulips, nightshades, apple trees, grapes, stone benches, and a large statue carved to resemble a woman holding a long cane, her lips tugging upward in a smile.

"The garden of Princess Twilight," Griff explained. "Built by Queen Twilight I in honor of her grandmother, Queen Galacta."

"I know her," Star said, coming up to stand in front of the statue. "She was called 'the Good Queen,' right?"

Griff nodded. "Best queen Mewni ever had, if you'd believe the historians."

"Why is that?" Marco asked.

"She ruled for over eighty years," Griff explained. "She helped forge the alliance between the Lucitors of the Underworld and the Butterflys of the Butterfly Kingdom. She also gave protective rights to the peasants and decreased taxes exponentially. She died in her sleep at the age of eighty-six."

"Wait, then she became queen—"

"—when she was five, yes. Her father was King Comet I."

Star frowned. "That dude was crazy. He tried to invade the Underworld for no reason."

"Wait," Marco said, "really?"

Star nodded. "He was killed before he reached the Underworld, however. Mom and Dad say most of the Butterfly kings were evil, but…" She sighed. "They can't all be bad, right? I mean, there must be at least one good one out there."

There is one good one, sister, Griff thought. He stands before you.

Star shook her head and smiled. "Anyway, thanks for taking us out here, Griff."

"It's Gri—oh. Heh, you got it right."

She shrugged. "Yeah, well…"

"I could show you more tunnels, if you'd like."

Her face lit up. "Really?"

He smiled. "If you promise not to run away anymore."

"I promise! I promise!"

He stuck out a hand. "You've got yourself a deal, Princess."

She took it, giving it a shake. "Call me Star."

-o-

The moon was full and shining bright, the stars twinkling as the cosmos stretched onward and onward in the sky. Griff was walking through the castle garden, humming softly to himself. The princess had retired several hours earlier, her human friend with her. The king and queen were asleep as well, so Griff was left alone, unable to fall into the embrace of slumber. His armor and cloak had been left in his room—not the broom closet, no. Now he had a fully furnished room all to himself, with a bed and a dresser and a bathroom and a closet—an actual closet. He'd almost fainted when he saw it.

Shaking his head, the young knight brought himself back to the present. It had been a very trying day, and he hoped that the princess would lighten to him with time.

She'll come around, he thought to himself. I know she will.

Coming to a stop, he bent down and sniffed at a recently bloomed rose. Sighing to himself, he rose (no pun intended) back to his feet.

"They're lovely, aren't they?"

Griff let out a stifled shriek and whirled around to face the voice. A woman with teal hair and a purple dress was standing a few feet in front of him, holding her hand over her mouth to stifle the giggles she was inflicted with.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she said through tiny laughs.

Griff cleared his throat. "It's fine. I just wasn't expecting company." He squinted. "You look awfully familiar. Have we met?"

"Oh, no," the woman said. "Maybe I just have that kind of face. What's your name, dear?"

"Griff."

She gave him a strange look. "No, it's not."

"Excuse me?"

"Your name isn't Griff." She walked up to him, arms on her hips. "Why are you lying? And why have you dyed your hair?" She gasped. "Is it for a girl? I bet it's for a girl. I know what you Butterfly boys are like."

Griff felt something hard form in the back of his throat. "I don't know what you're talking about, madam."

"No? Strange; I could have sworn I was talking to a Cosmos Butterfly, but maybe I was wrong."

Griff grabbed her arm and flipped her over his shoulder. Then he placed his knee on her stomach and put a hand over her mouth.

"How do you know that?" He felt something warm and wet wiggle against his palm and he scrambled back with a scoff of disgust. "Did you just lick me?"

"Well, how else was I supposed to get you off of me?" she said, getting to her feet. "Now, why are you—Oh. Oh, dear. You're the eldest sibling, aren't you?"

Defeated, Griff nodded.

"I see. How is it you—oh, a monster family took you in, bless them."

This is it, he thought, panic rising in his chest. She's going to turn me over to the queen and I'll—

"No, I won't."

Griff looked up, confused. "Excuse me?"

"I have no intention of turning you in, young man."

"How did you—"

"—know?" She smiled. "Well, before I was sealed away, I learned how to read minds. I call it legilimency. Comes in handy when ruling a kingdom or dealing with cheating boyfriends."

"Ruling a kingdom?" he said aloud. "Why are—"

"A former queen of Mewni," the woman said. She stuck out her hand. "Though you can call me Eclipsa."

"The Queen of Darkness?"

Eclipsa rolled her eyes. "Of course they'd call me that…Anyway, I'm surprised you're here, in the castle. If I were you I'd have just stayed in my cottage."

"I can't," Griff said, taking her hand and pulling himself to his feet. "There are things coming, deadly things."

"The old ones," she said. "Hmm. In my day they were just a children's story, but then again, my day was over three hundred years ago. How do you plan to stop them?"

"I…haven't figured that out yet," he confessed, "but I'm working on that. The king said he's got his best archivists researching them."

Eclipsa scrunched her nose. "They won't find anything. I'm sure by now the High Commission has removed their records. But, that's a problem for another day. For now, I'd worry about your hair and cheeks."

"What do you mean?"

"That makeup wont last forever, dear. If you get caught in the rain or even sweat too much it'll begin to run; not to mention it begins to dry after a while. Someone's bound to catch on at some point."

Griff looked down. It was true, of course; thus far he'd been taking his weekly bath alone in a shallow brook just outside the city walls, but doing so always took at least three hours and the others would surely question him taking such an arduous route just to wash himself.

The former queen put a hand under his chin. "Now, now, don't look so down. I've got just the thing to help." She reached into one of her sleeves and pulled out a chain of black links. In the center was a blood-red ruby the size of an eyeball.

"What is it?" Griff asked, astonished.

"I call it a glamor charm; completely masks your appearance so long as it remains around your neck. Here." She slipped it on him, tight enough to dig slightly into his skin. I will have to get used to this, he thought.

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Oh, please, call me Eclipsa, dear."

"Why are you doing this?" he asked suddenly. "Why help me?"

She gave a small smile. "Because, Cosmos, I do love a good dance with destiny."

* His armor looks a lot like Ser Arthur Dayne's armor from Game of Thrones, minus the dragon insignia on the chest.

A/N: Attention everyone! I've created a poll on my main page for you guys to decide who Cosmos ends up with. I'll keep it open for a while, so if you suddenly want a future character who has yet to appear to get with Griff, you can vote on them. If you have an OC you'd like to see him with, let me know in a review and I'll do my best to work them into the story, provided you give me a backstory and description.

Anyway, reviews keep me inspired, so don't be afraid to leave one.

"Bye!"