Star and Marco vs Evil Book 2 Chapter 3: III, a star vs. the forces of evil fanfic

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This is a work of fiction portraying alternate universes; all similarities to beings living, dead, or undead are entirely convergent.

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Possible spoilers between the ⭐⭐and 🌟🌟.

III

The evening quiet and darkness of Star's room gave way to the sound and light of an opening space-time portal. Star and Marco jumped out of the portal together, hand in hand. After Star closed the portal, the two threw themselves onto the sofa, tired but happy.

"Man, I'm so thrilled you're still wanting to do that," Star said. "That was fun."

"Hey, anything for my best girlfriend," Marco replied. "But I have fun too."

"I better be your only girlfriend, not your best one."

Marco simply smiled and winked.

After Jej appeared, Star continued her musings, "That has to be the weirdest AU we've visited."

"Yeah. So, rather than Mewni, we ended up at this Earth Dimension tourist trap run by some creepy old guy taking care of his twelve-year-old twin grandniece and grandnephew. Somewhere in Oregon, I think. It seemed awfully familiar, like something we've seen on TV."

Star grimaced. "We probably should have been smarter, or more mature, and not let those little twerps ... I mean, darling little children ... goad us into showing off, especially when we shouldn't have been talking to them in the first place. We wouldn't have ended up on those dreadful islands ... erm, what were they called?"

⭐⭐ "The Boiling Isles," Marco answered. "But the Isles were that universe's version of Mewni, and Bonesboro its version of Castle Village, so we ended up where we wanted even if the setting wasn't overly pleasant. So, let's see, Moon was called Eda, or Edalyn, or Owl Lady, I was never quite clear on that point."

"Marco was called Luz," Star continued, "and was a girl, not that there's anything wrong with that. She was a human trying to learn magic from Eda."

"Star was called Amity, a magic user with a crush on Marco ... I mean Luz ... as per usual. I thought her purple hair was quite cute."

Star rolled her eyes. "I think it was more lavender than purple, but close enough. Where it got really strange was that Tom was this weird cat- ... dog- ... demon thing."

"And because Janna always has to be creepy and annoying, she was their home's godawful house demon." Marco grinned. "Their ruler's name wasn't awful, though. 'King Clawthorne,' what a cool name."

"I don't know why, but Tom's voice in that AU really reminded me of that evil little Hirsch Goblin from the photo booth. Janna's too." Star rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "That old guy's in Oregon as well, come to think of it."

"Still, the islands might have been ... gross ... but what was going on certainly was interesting." Marco smiled. "I look forward to going back for the second half of their second season ... you know, Spring ... to see what happens." 🌟🌟

Jej disappeared, not having said a word, like a good chronicler should.

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The next morning, Star awoke a little sore from the prior day's adventure, but not too worse for wear. She yawned, and when she went to stretch, discovered she was holding Marco's hand. He was slumped over in her desk chair, still asleep. Star's mood turned a little sour; she'd clearly had another nightmare, although this time she couldn't remember having one.

Star leaned over and kissed Marco, who stirred awake.

"Mmmmm ... mornin'," he said, yawning and stretching.

"Mornin'. Say, I'm not feeling much like starting the day right away ... wanna watch a movie while eating pancakes?"

"Sure, sounds great."

Marco went back to his room and the two showered and dressed, then Star headed out the door toward the kitchen to snatch some pancakes. Marco returned to Star's room, setting up trays in front of the couch and choosing a movie. He thought about finally watching Doctor Strange, but watching a fictional magical adventure didn't sound all that entertaining when he and Star lived a real one every day. Instead, after looking through the movie list on the royal Roekoo device, he chose one he'd been wanting to see, but only if he could share the adventure with Star.

Half an hour later...

Young Jyn Erso: I understand.

Galen Erso: I love you, Stardust.

Young Jyn Erso: I love you too, Papa.

"Awwwww," Star said, her mouth full of pancake. Swallowing, she continued, "Hey, wait ... Stardust? When did this come out?" Star hit the info button on the remote. "December 2016." She turned toward Marco. "I thought you got the name from my spell. Did you, or did you get it from this movie?"

"No, to both," Marco replied, still watching the screen. In between bites, he explained, "Until that AU I'd forgotten about the spell, and this is my first time watching the movie because I was waiting to watch it with you. I made the nickname up, and I've actually been calling you that in my head since," Marco lightly blushed, "I realized I had a crush on you."

Star cooed her second "Awwwww" of the morning. "That's sweet. I guess it's just a coincidence, they couldn't have gotten it from you."

"True ... although, we are all worshippers of The Mouse."

"The Mouse? Oh, you mean Dis..."

Marco dropped his fork, quickly turning toward Star and placing a finger against her lips. "Hup, bup, bup, you mustn't speak the religion that must not be named. They're everywhere, so ..." he leaned in, whispering urgently, "they'll hear."

The teens looked around worriedly. They almost jumped out of their skins at the knock on Star's door. Star leapt up in a defensive posture, while Marco pulled out the wond, yelling, "Wha? Demon Mouse!"

"Star," the unmistakable voice of Moon called through the door, "it's mom, Tom, and Janna."

"Come in," Star called, still breathing heavily, as Marco stashed the wond. Moon entered, followed by Janna and Tom. Seeing her two friends together, Star happily exclaimed, "Tomanna Banana!" Marco nearly broke a rib stifling a laugh at the identical scowls the two gave an oblivious Star.

Janna had bandages on her face, arms, and various places that weren't visible. Although it was only a few seconds Mewni-time before Meteora was defeated and the Mewmonsters reverted, that was enough. With Janna's and Hekapoo's attention focused on convincing Marco to go to Star in Dimension X-103, they had not noticed the Mewmonsters gathering behind trees to attack from concealment. It had been so sudden and unexpected that Hekapoo had not been able to do anything before Janna was set upon by teeth and claws. Her armor kept her from being killed, but it was not designed to withstand a continuous onslaught of that type. She received wounds where the leather armor was penetrated, including serious ones where armor was pulled away entirely.

When Star went to see her friend after returning, she found Janna in the hospital recovery ward in an induced coma; not because Janna was in danger, but because the medical personnel got tired of dealing with her magic-augmented grouchiness. Janna's wounds were healing nicely under Moon's healing spells, and when the healing was complete in a couple days Moon would be applying magic to the two small, and one large, scars left behind on Janna's face. When Star and Marco were finally able to talk to Janna, Star had asked her why she was not planning on having the scars on the rest of her body removed. Janna replied, Because I like looking at them; they make me look hotter, which makes it more intense when I ... at which point Marco interrupted her reply and the girls dropped the subject.

Janna had inwardly chortled to herself, having once again managed to make Marco feel uncomfortable. Since then, Janna had increased her efforts ... now that Marco was together again with Star, Janna could see the emotional growth he lacked over the prior eighteen months happening right before her eyes. She knew Marco would soon reach the point where her Jannanigans would no longer phase him, so she had to get them in while the getting was still good. The situation made her both happy and sad.

Star magically turned off the TV and cleared away breakfast, then she and Marco moved to sit on the bed while Tom and Janna walked over to the couch. Moon remained standing; she looked first at one couple then the other, then the corners of her mouth twitched.

Uh oh, thought Marco.

"So, Star," Moon began to ask, "is it now official that you and Tom are not ..." Moon formed her left thumb and index finger into a circle, while slowly inserting her right index finger.

"NO!" Star responded in frustration, "I mean yes, but we never were!" She blushed slightly, glancing at Marco. "Marco and I, on the other hand..."

"Why would Marco use a demon engagement ritual?" Moon asked, a fake look of confusion on her face.

"What?" Star asked, a genuine look of confusion on her face.

"Didn't you read the Dating Demons booklet I gave you to replace that ridiculous demon dating guide Ponyhead gave you?" Tom asked.

Star raised an eyebrow. "Tom, sometimes it's like you don't know me at all."

Tom sighed. "The gesture is used to ask whether a demon couple is engaged." As he spoke, Tom performed the gesture. "It signifies placing a ring on the right index finger, where demons wear the engagement ring."

Exasperated, Star said, "Mom, that gesture means something else on Earth."

"Does it now?" Moon asked. "What does it mean? What are you and Marco doing?"

Star blushed furiously, as did Marco. Marco realized he was right to be suspicious when he first saw Moon use the gesture. Further, it was clear Moon knew darn well the gesture meant something else on Earth, and, more importantly, what that meaning was. Moon was teasing her daughter, as well as seeking information, which Star just obliviously offered. Rather than be upset like Star clearly was, Marco was appreciative of the humor and subtlety of what Moon pulled off.

"Never mind," Star muttered. "Anyway, a demon ritual wouldn't really be appropriate as I'm not a demon. My horns are fake." She turned toward Marco. "And the proof that I'm not a demon is that I'm dating an angel."

Now it was Marco's turn to say "Awwwww." The two began cooing and saying sweet nothings to each other, all the while giving each other quick pecks on the lips.

"Barf," Janna said, "stop it. You're giving everybody diabetes."

"Ugh," Tom added, "I may have dodged an arrow by settling for Janna."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" Janna asked loudly, murder in her tone.

Realizing the unintended insult in the stupid way he worded his comment, all Tom could respond with was "eep."

"Janna, you can make Tom pay for that later," Moon interrupted. "Star, Marco, Janna, the reason I'm here is to remind you we have a meeting with the Magic High Commission in ten minutes ... and I can see you clearly forgot, as I figured you would."

Star and Marco glanced at each other, then walked into the hallway, stopping to wait for Moon and Janna. Janna stood, turned to Tom, then slammed her fist into an open palm with an echoing smack, grinding it for several moments. She then joined Star and Marco in the hallway.

Moon spoke quietly to Tom, saying, "You should use this time apart to figure out how to smooth things over with Janna. I'd suggest groveling as a start, but I don't think that'd work on Janna." The corners of Moon's mouth twitched. "I fear for you, Tom. We'll see you later; or, more likely, this is goodbye."

All three of Tom's eyes were wide as he watched Moon join the teens waiting in the hallway.

While Moon had been dispensing her love advice to Tom, Star had said, as Janna walked up, "Oh, Janna, he didn't really mean ..."

"Yeah, I know," Janna interrupted.

"You know?"

"Yes; there's a reason he doesn't do politics. But, he'll eventually figure out my reaction was a bit of theatre, and play along to make our 'couple-time' more ... interesting ... later."

Together, Star and Marco shuddered and said, "TMI!" "Didn't need to know!"

Janna snorted. "Yikes, like you two can talk, given what you did in The Abs Dimension."

Marco replied, "How do you know ... actually, I don't want to know how you know."

"That's probably for the best. You two are having way too many nightmares as it is."

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Atop the Bureaucracy of Magic, the final war briefing was taking place. The entire Magic High Commission was in attendance, except for Eclipsa, who blamed the non-Mewmin members for having to sacrifice her daughter. Star was in attendance as Crown Princess and future commission member. Sir Daryl and Dame Higgs were attending in River's and Sir Reggie's steads, to speak for the army.

Marco and Janna were also in attendance, to formally tender their resignations. They would still be knights, but would no longer be in the chain of command of the formal armed forces. Before accepting the resignations, Sir Daryl, with a salute and handshake, presented Colonel Janna with two Mewmin Stars, the badge of rank of an "entry-level" general in the Butterfly army. Marco and even Hekapoo had been quite effusive in their praise of Janna's conduct in the final battle, and her injuries provided any proof a naysaya might need. Marco's face broke into a tight grin at the normally aloof Janna turning quite red, her eyes swimming in tears. She elbowed Marco hard in the ribs, whispering a curt, "shaddup."

After the quick promotion ceremony, Sir Daryl reported the army was still working on casualty figures, but the guesstimate was in the hundreds, both Mewmins and Monsters. Among the dead that had been identified was Mina Loveberry, found with a hole in her chest, next to an unidentified Mewmin that was pinned to the ground by a spear.

When the news about Mina was related, Marco stole a glance at Janna. Janna took the news like a soldier ... outwardly impassive. Marco made a mental note to check up on his friend, later.

Moon asked Marco and Janna to remain after Sir Daryl and Dame Higgs finished and left. The meeting coming to a close, Moon went around the room asking each being for their final thoughts. With one being left, Moon said, "General Dame Janna, your final remarks, please?"

Janna didn't answer. She was staring intently at Marco, a scowl on her face.

"Janna?" Moon asked again.

Janna continued to ignore Moon. Addressing Marco, she said, "So, you're not ever going to say anything?"

"About what?" Marco asked, a look of innocence on his face.

"Fine, I'll be the fucking bad guy," Janna muttered. Speaking up, she continued, "About the fact that you were hit by Meteora's magic the day Star went all 'horny teen monster' on me. That it didn't drain your energy or turn you completely into a monster, but it did change your nails and your teeth. And when Meteora was killed they all went back to normal."

The rest of the room stared at Marco, stunned. "How?" he quietly asked.

Janna sighed. "I've known you since kindergarten; did you really think I wouldn't notice a change?" Marco said nothing. "Clearly you did. You really are a cute idiot." This time there was anger, not jest, in her tone.

Marco looked to Moon. "Now that you know ... what does it all mean?" he asked.

"It means," Rhombulus yelled, knocking his chair across the room as he leapt up, "you're a Monster ... with magic!"

Hekapoo also stood, shaking with barely controlled fury. "How could you?" she asked through clenched teeth, her fangs prominent below her upper lip. The flame above her tiara flared as she divided her dimensional scissors to form her deadly daggers.

"Hekapoo, what?" Marco asked as he stood and backed away, confused. "I changed back! Even if I hadn't, you fought alongside Monsters for almost a year!"

"Traitor!" Hekapoo yelled. She seemed to be on the verge of tears as she screamed, "You betrayed me!"

Twirling the two halves of her scissors, she began to advance on Marco, as did Rhombulus on the other side of the table. As Hekapoo's flame burned larger and hotter, Rhombulus raised his snake-head hands in preparation for crystallizing Marco.

Moon stood, rapped her knuckles on the table, and shouted, "Rhombulus! Hekapoo! You will stand down, IMMED..."

A rainbow fist with spikes on its knuckles shattered Rhombulus' crystal head in a shower of sparkling fragments.

The sheer power of the magical attack caused everybody, including Hekapoo, to freeze in shock, looking at Star. She was in her Butterfly Monster form ... but not as it had been before. Her wings were colored the same, but they were now saw-toothed like Marco's and Janna's. Her hair was short, parted on the side and combed over, and her bluish-silver bangs had turned a deep Irish crimson. Her signature red horned hairband was gone, replaced by actual red horns. Her yellow dress had been replaced by a white tee-shirt under an open, studded, black leather jacket, her heart locket hanging from her neck on a chain of cold, azure, fire. Her pleated skirt was also black leather, as were her flat heeled, thigh-high, boots. Two fangs hung slightly out of her clenched lips, and her eyes glowed white hot, without pupils.

Marco would never say so out loud, but he thought Star looked like a demon biker-hooker from hell. Janna quietly commented, "I woulda said 'cool' ... if I wasn't absolutely terrified."

Janna being terrified of anything was serious, Marco knew. Before he could speak or act, Star began to flit toward Hekapoo.

Another spiked rainbow fist slammed Hekapoo into the far wall. A cascade of heart daggers, spiked strawberries, and crystal cupcakes with sharp, cutting, edges, pummeled Hekapoo. Star shot out a Raspberry Ribbon Lasso, studded with hooks, that wrapped around Hekapoo. Star began to slam Hekapoo into the walls, floor, and ceiling.

Initially stunned by the attacks, the sheer viciousness now being expressed by Star finally pulled Moon out of her shock.

"Star!" Moon yelled. "Star! Stop! Stop that young lady! STAR!"

Moon was uncertain what to do. In the state Star was in, Moon was not at all certain Star would not fight back against her, nor, with the sheer power Star was demonstrating, was she certain she was powerful enough even in her Butterfly Monster form to slow Star down, let alone stop her.

Star dissolved the lasso, followed by pink magic dancing flamelike around all six of her fists. "Marco!" Moon yelled in desperation.

Hearing Moon yell his name unfroze Marco. He pulled the wond from his belt, then encased Star in a red bubble. Star yelled in rage, shattering the bubble. She whirled on Marco ... and stopped. Her blue eyes returned, but with a shimmering intensity that matched the azure fire of her locket's chain.

Wordlessly, Star turned back to Hekapoo and flit over to her. Hekapoo was in bad shape. She was a magical being, but she was not a god, and Glossaryck had created his children with a certain degree of vulnerability and mortality. Hekapoo lay on the floor gasping and groaning. Her body was covered with lacerations, which oozed thick, yellow, raw magic. She retched, vomiting a copious amount of the magic onto the floor.

Conjuring a rainbow hand, Star closed it over Hekapoo's head, leaving just enough space between fingers that Hekapoo could see. She raised Hekapoo, pointing her head toward the remnants of Rhombulus.

"Take a good look at your brother," Star growled, her voice halfway between normal and the Glottalimous Voice from her first transformation into her ultimate Butterfly Monster form. "If you ever approach Marco in a threatening manner again, I will finish this fight. Or, more accurately, I will finish you."

Star opened a dimensional portal to Dimension X-103. She then slammed Hekapoo's head against the far stone wall once, twice, three times, leaving a spiderweb of cracks and a smear of raw magic on the stone. Star then contemptuously threw Hekapoo into the portal, closing it with a snap of her fingers.

Star turned toward Omnitraxus, who had not moved or spoken during the entire incident, his confidence in the MHC's godlike potency shattered like Rhombulus' head. He said, "I think I should check on Hekapoo," then disappeared into a dimensional portal.

Star dropped out of her Butterfly Monster form and, without looking at, or speaking to, anybody, walked out of the room.

Again frozen in shock, nobody moved. Finally, in almost a whisper, Moon said, "Marco, go after her." Marco, eyes wide with shock, still staring at the door, didn't move. Moon repeated loudly, "Marco, go! NOW!"

Marco glanced at Moon, then ran after Star.

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The hallway outside the meeting room had been empty, but Marco had a pretty good idea where Star had portaled to. Marco knocked on the door jamb of Star's open bedroom door before entering. "Star? Are you okay?" he asked.

Star was sitting on her window seat, looking out the window. Without looking at Marco, she responded, "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"... 'why would' ... Star, you just killed Rhombulus and probably killed Hekapoo!"

Star turned to Marco. "What in the world are you talking about?"

Marco sputtered. "You blew off Rhombulus' head and beat Hekapoo to a pulp. Any of that ring a bell?"

"Oh Pegasus feathers, Marco, that won't kill them."

"What?"

"Do you remember mom telling us how Lekmet died? He gave up all his magic to mom and the other members of the MHC. Losing every last bit of magic that's in them is the only way they can die."

"Hekapoo was ... bleeding, I guess ... her magic out."

"Yes, but her entire body is made of magic. Even if all the raw magic bleeds out, what's left is made of magic. That's why Lekmet turned to dust, even his body no longer held any magic. Hekapoo will be sore, and Rhombulus will have one hell of a headache when his crystal re-forms. Hopefully, I've knocked some sense into them."

Star smiled sweetly at Marco, and his heart completely melted ... almost. Something was still bothering him. He thought for a few moments, then sat next to Star on the window seat, taking her hand.

"Star," Marco said, choosing his words carefully, "as a warrior princess you've always been a bit ... violent. But today was way over the top, even for you. Is there something else going on?"

Star blinked, her eyes watering. She then turned away from Marco, again looking out the window. "Everything bad that's happened over the last several years was because of the MHC. They imprisoned Eclipsa for 300 years for nothing. They stole her baby and then covered it up, and as a result Meteora grew up into an evil monster. She terrorized princesses at Saint O's for hundreds of years, and made me live a life of horror for fifteen. Hundreds of Mewmins and Monsters died in the final battle, not just because of Meteora, but because the MHC didn't do its job monitoring the holding dimensions. In the end, Meteora was murdered." Her voice tinged with anger, Star continued, "Eclipsa murdered her only child; can you imagine what that must feel like?"

Marco felt a figurative knife twist in his heart. He could imagine how it felt, and had tried to prevent Eclipsa from killing Meteora in order to spare her that pain. It was a deep regret of Marco's that he had failed; not just failing to stop Eclipsa, but also failing to kill Meteora himself, making it necessary for Eclipsa to do it.

"Me and my whole family," Star continued, "are a lie; we're not Butterflys, we're peasant nobodies that stole the throne from its rightful owners. All because of what the MHC did."

Star took a deep, shuddering, breath. "I hate them. I can't put into words just how much I hate them. Then they threatened you? I hate myself even more than I hate them. Not only am I a fraud, I didn't have the courage to give those bastards the deaths they deserve for what they've done."

Marco embraced Star, holding her as they both watched silently out the window. He saw rough times ahead.

"So many lies," Star continued, quietly. "Even I do it. It's a minor thing next to what the MHC did, but I still struggle with having lied about leaving Earth forever, in front of everybody. I need to exorcise that demon, I think ... promise you'll remind me to apologize to Jackie."

Where did that come from? Marco thought, but instead said, softly, "I promise. And Star, please don't ever feel bad for not killing a being when it's not absolutely, beyond a shadow of a doubt, necessary." Marco inwardly cringed at his hypocrisy. "The MHC needs to answer for what they've done, but it should be up to a court of some kind, not us, to decide their fate. Otherwise, it's revenge, not justice; and you know that. Eclipsa is free because you insisted on a trial, to give her the due process she never received."

Star did not respond. If Star's like this, Marco thought, I better remember to check up on Janna and talk to her, too. After a few seconds, he added, And somebody probably needs to talk to me as well.

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⭐⭐ Inspired by The Owl House by Dana Terrace & Co. (www dot disneyplus dot com /series/the-owl-house/4cOTrEy0YyaX). 🌟🌟

As always, stay amazing!